For this last chapter I have a collection of shorts on what should have happened during the last three episodes, had logic not been kept away by author fiat. No "what if", just stone hard "reality ensues". Here it is, the Grand Finale! Enjoy the show

by lord Martiya

Grand Finale, part 1: Mikumo Is Prepared

Roid had just brought Mikumo in the Holy of Holies (as he couldn't help himself calling it) of the Sigur Valens: the place where the Song of the Wind was generated and soon the Song of the Stars would, allowing him to create the hive mind.

"Are you ready, Star Singer?" he asked her.

"Yes." she replied, looking at him in the eyes.

Then she bit hard on her teeth.


The battle outside the Sigur Valens stopped for a moment when the ship was shook and breached by an internal reaction explosion.

"KumoKumo!" Makina shouted, realizing what that was. "Why did you make the reaction suicide capsule in your tooth explode?!"

Author note: Yep. The mother of all suicide capsules. Because someone who forgoes modern restraint technology for shibari is unlikely to search for one of those-and Mikumo is crazy enough to go for a small reaction warhead instead of cyanide.

Grand Finale, part 2: Mikumo Resists

Roid had just brought Mikumo in the Holy of Holies (as he couldn't help himself calling it) of the Sigur Valens: the place where the Song of the Wind was generated and soon the Song of the Stars would, allowing him to create the hive mind.

"Are you ready, Star Singer?" he asked her.

Mikumo did not answer. Instead, she kicked him in the balls, and then, when he went down, stomped on his Rune. Then she smiled, and took a deep breath.


"After which I tested his theory that I could get better results than even the Wind Singer, and you know the rest." Mikumo said to her companions.

Kaname looked at the pitiful remains of Windermere's fighter corps, shot down by Mikumo with the Sigur Valens before having the ship wreck itself, and commented: "Never change."

Author note: Because bringing in your most decisive place someone who could use it against you without proper restraint cannot backfire, right Roid?

Grand Finale, part 3: THIS Is How You Sing That Song

Finally! Roid had succeeded, and the hive mind was forming. And now the Star Singer was singing the Protoculture's ancient song, and-

"No, no, no! That's not how you sing it!"

And a young woman had appeared close to Mikumo's mind. A young woman that had a stunning resemblance to her, only shorter and with black hair.

"Now, follow my lead." she said to Mikumo.

Roid realized immediately it could mean trouble, and tried to renew his hold on her-but as he opened his mouth the newcomer looked at him, and he stopped, partially charmed and partially intimidated by her. Long enough she started singing the human translation, Ai Oboete Imasu ka?, and he could do nothing but listen. Listen, and slowly and unwittingly let the hive mind unravel.

"Why-why did I just do that?!" he said as he realized what had just happened. "And why did I even want to make a hive mind?! And WHO WAS THAT WOMAN?!"

It was Mikumo to answer, with two words: "Lynn Minmay."

And thus he realized why he unraveled the hive mind. He had remembered.

Author note: This author does not believe Lady M is Lynn Minmay (in fact tough soldier Misa Hayase is a far more likely option than spoiled sweet Minmay). I just noticed that Mikumo looks close enough to her I expected to be her clone… And that, according to Berger, the Megaroad-01 Fleet may still be around.

Grand Finale, part 4: Mark 5:9

"Now you and I are one with the galaxy." Roid exulted, rejoicing for the ultimate success of his plan (and, but he would not admit it, Protoculture making sure that the system wouldn't drive people mad with information overload. That one had taken some refinement by him, but in the end had worked). "Let our voices resonate."

"Resonate with this, asshole!" was the wrath-filled reply from uncounted voices.

"Who are you?!" he asked, panicking.

"My name is Legion, for we are many!"

"Do-don't joke with us! We are the galaxy! Who. Are. You!"

"Mankind, you stupid Windbag. All of us. And there's billions of our minds against your lone, little one. Have a messy death, bitch."

Roid's head exploded, and the Sigur Valens and Ragna's stage shattered, overwhelmed by the billions of minds that the foolish chanchellor pulled in the now dissolving hive mind.

Author note: Poor Roid… That was just your stupidity, exposing yourself to one of the most numerous races in the galaxy after making sure they hate you. Nice going.

Grand Finale, part 5: Retreating?

The battle had finally ended. Roid had been stopped, if at a high price. And now Heintz had to deal with it, and bring his remaining troops back home.

"All forces: assess our damages." he ordered. "We shall return to Windermere the moment we are ready!"

Almost in response to that statement, the orbiting New United Nations Spacy and Army of Vordor warships opened fire with everything they had, and, unimpeded by the now downed shields, quickly destroyed the Sigur Valens before wiping out the remaining SV-262 with massed point defense and proximity missile fire.

"But-why?!" Freyja shouted.

"They've brainwashed people all around the Cluster and started a war to 'liberate' people who wanted to stay in the New United Nations-the soldiers won't forgive that, or let them go and risk they try again." Mirage stated on the radio. "If anything it's a miracle nobody fired a reaction weapon."

Author note: I fully agree with Mirage: with everything the Windermereans have pulled they're not going to have a chance to redeem themselves, and is a small miracle nobody broke out the reaction warheads.

Grand Finale, part 6: Consequences

Heintz didn't like the situation, at all. He felt he should have been glad of the Sigur Valens' shields getting back online just in time when the NUNS tried to destroy the Sigur Valens right after Roid's death and holding long enough to fold back to Windermere, but he couldn't. He had to leave behind most of the Aerial Knights and all their support ships, and of the main six only four remained. The NUNS were on the offensive, and had taken back all the planets they had liberated. He couldn't understand why, but there was an open revolt spearheaded by those who somehow had remained loyal to the NUNS after the independence and the troops the NUNS had landed during their raid, and for reasons he couldn't understand many were siding with them-enough the capital was under siege and the royal palace was being shelled with heavy artillery. And now his talk with Berger over the long-range communicators wasn't going as expected.

"Why not?" he asked after the weapon merchant refused to supply them with new Valkyries and munitions.

"You even have to ask? God, Roid made quite a job on you if you're so deluded…" Berger replied. "Fine, I'll tell you. Epsilon Foundation has been able to supply you guys until now due heavy use of legal loopholes, being based outside the New United Nations giving us some political cover as long as we're not caught in the act, your political supporters keeping the 42nd Fortress Group from patrolling the Brisingr Cluster with thousands of ships, and the intelligence department of the NUN Gendarmerie and Military Police playing their usual games, and considering your economic foolishness we elected to milk you dry as long as possible or until you realized you needed an industrial base, whichever came first-by the way, you guys won me the pool when you refused to install one-while the GMP looked the other way as long as we delivered their supplies to the Windermere Liberation Front."

"WHAT?!"

"Where do you think they found so many Hydras? But now the game is over, because it's not possible to supply you anymore. The 42nd got the go order, and considering they're attached to the 74th Army Group and under Komirya Jenius' overall command things are going to get bad soon. Then there's the fact the Windermereans have finally stopped tolerating you keeping them on the brink of starvation to fund this war-"

"Starvation?"

"-meaning we'd be seen helping someone suppress their own people. Also there's the fact your political supporters are abandoning you after Roid's stunt, and those who aren't tend to be stupid enough to refuse GMP protection. And finally the board of directors has decided you guys are a danger to everyone. If you don't like it you can come here and protest at the next shareholders' assembly next month-assuming you're still alive, of course."

"You coward!" Bogue shouted.

"Go and perform self-mating. Goodbye."

And with that Berger cut the communication.

"They have a point." Hermann admitted. "Outsiders aren't likely to be forgiving enough to care that we didn't know what Roid was planning, and our economic policies were that bad. All we lack for complete disaster is-"

The space attack sirens started blaring.

"I hope it's not the Zentraedi." he deadpanned.

"How would they get past the fold fault?" one of the twins asked.

"You never know if a Zentraedi Main Fleet can access some unusual gear." Hermann pointed out as he looked outside. "I hear that one had an incredibly powerful fold jammer, wouldn't be strange to discover one has unstoppable fold drives. But considering the folds are already stopping, it's not them."

"Intruders identified: NUNS forces, 42nd Fortress Group and 74th Army Group." came the message from the space defense center. "Incoming call."

"Put them through." Heintz ordered.

On the throne room's screen appeared the visage of K0mirya Jenius, sky marshal of the New United Nations Army, looking at them as if they were children needing a spanking.

"Good, no underling." she stated. "Ships from the 74th Army Group's transport detachment and the 42nd Fortress Group are about to come down for-"

"We'll stop them." Heintz intejected.

"Shut up child, an adult is speaking!" the sky marshal shouted, with such force and venom that Heintz and, incredibly, Bogue, did indeed shut up. "As I was saying, ships from the 74th Army Group's transport detachment and the 42nd Fortress Group are about to come down for recovery of our troops, the Windermere Liberation Front with their families, and as many civilians as we can. After which we'll leave and let you deal with the consequences of your stupidity. You may now ask questions."

"How did you even arrive here?" the twins asked.

"LAI came up with fold drives that can go straight through fold faults since before your rebellion, obviously a Fortress Group and a mobile Army Group would get priority for this upgrade as soon as it was available."

And only then Heintz and the others realized they could, no, should have been crushed any moment. But Heintz still had questions.

"You aren't here to invade?"

"Child, that's exactly what I'd like to do: come down, smash your forces so hard Kamjin and Boddol Zer will rise from the dead just to tell me I went overboard, and eat pop-corn as you and your main underlings are tried for war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against sentience. It's even personal, what with how my husband is back having nightmares about brainwashing and you guys nearly murdering my niece with an excuse in violation of the Treaty of Ormond-after all she was back as a legitimate combatant the moment Vordor was freed and Chaos' contract with the Brisingr Cluster's nations was reactivated. But that would mean my troops would have to protect you from the other consequences of your stupidity, and I'm not giving them an order I myself would not obey."

"What consequences?"

"Child, the 1st Zentraedi Main Fleet has been sighted near the Cluster, and they've disperded the Tou Redirs. They' re here for you, and I'm not sending my troops and the sailors of the 42nd against them for this. And no bullshit about you doing nothing to them: they know Roid was one of you guys, you could do it again, and Windermere's cluster. They won't care of anything else but making sure it doesn't happen anymore. That, incidentally, is why I gave orders to not blow up the ruins on the various planets until a Tou Redir squadron shows up: I want them to see we're dealing with your means to repeat the trick. So far we've destroyed the ruins on Alfheim, Ragna, and Al-Shahal two minutes ago. Now Randor, I've just been told.

"Remember, of the almost five million ships of a Zentraedi Main Fleet the 80% is Tou Redirs, they'll find this place in a timeframe going from right now to a couple weeks at most, depending on luck. And then those small pickets, not so good in combat but numerous and with relatively advanced sensors, will find a way through the fold fault and lead the capital ships through. And then… Rain of Death.

"Now tell me, child: will you step aside and let my people take those we've come for, or will you throw a tantrum and force us to wreck you guys?"

That was when Bogue couldn't hold his temper back anymore and started screaming insults at the sky marshal-at least until she snapped her fingers and a servant warned them one of the divisions defending the capital from the advancing NUNS forces on the ground had been annihilated by orbital bombardment that had gone right through their portable shield.

"I would have liked to have your answer, but I've been informed that a Zentraedi mobile fortress and all the capital ships of a Main Fleet have defolded at the edge of the fault and over three million pickets are all around searching for the passage." Jenius told them. "Now shut up, I have to convince the Zentraedi to let me do my job-and I swear, if I have to fight them I'll personally rip your arms and beat you to death with them!"

With that the sky marshal called the Zentraedi flagship and started trying to negotiate with their commander, also taking care of putting it through for Heintz and the Aerial Knights. And after a few minutes, Bogue did it again.

"Stop talking as if we don't matter!" he shouted.

The two commanders that held Windermere's fate in their hands slowly turned rather annoyed looks at them, with Jenius raising her hand ready to snap her fingers again-and then they paled.

"YAK DECULTURE!" the Zentraedi shouted in terror.

"General alert! Launch the sound forces, arm the fold bombs, my authority! Code Nekki!" Jenius ordered her forces.

"Code Nekki?" Hermann whispered, horror creeping in his voice. He knew that code, back when Windermere was still part of the NUN the Spacy made sure every officer above a certain rank knew what that meant. And as he looked around searching for what Jenius and the Zentraedi had seen, he saw a fold portal forming above the Sigur Valens and a giant tentacle coming out.

Then she saw her. Beautiful, if completely alien. Smiling, the same way a Vordorian König Monster pilot would smile before unloading his war machine's gun on an unsuspecting target. And he was feeling weak, too weak…

"Bad wind…" he whispered before losing consciousness.

When he woke up it was at the sound of some unknown song, and he and the other Knights, plus the Elders, were in the royal palace's cells, with the infamous Therese Jenius standing on the other side with the singers.

"They have all recovered." Therese Jenius said, prompting the singers to go away. Then she turned to them: "I have good and bad news for you. Good news are that the Zentraedi have decided they're perfectly fine with the Protodeviln stealing their kill, so no Rain of Death, Geppelthing destroyed the Sigur Valens before we could wipe it out with heavy orbital bombardment, and our reconquest of the planet was swift and relatively painless. Bad news is that Sivil bit off Heintz's head and ate the whole body, you're all getting tried for war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against sentience and you're very likely to get hanged, and my sister Miranda is on the planet in case you get a lesser sentence, so you're dead anyway. Seriously, she wouldn't have cared if you went after Freyja, from your point of view she had indeed committed high treason and she won the triangle, but the other two? That was just being stupid."

"Why don't they just have a threesome?" Hermann asked, much to the Elders' and the other Knights' surprise. "What? It was obvious!"

"And Miranda's wondering the same thing. Now I gotta go and make sure she doesn't slip them some aphrodisiac, have fun waiting your trial."

Author note: This is what the immediate aftermath of the series' ending should be: Windermere's economic problems catching up to the government, everyone armed coming for their pound of flesh, and Epsilon Foundation telling them to go away and perform self-mating (because PR won't let them use the normal wording).

Final message: Aand… That's a wrap on these shorts. But not on my humiliation of the Windbags: as you read this I'm already working on Sky Marshall Komirya, a multi-chapter story that deals on what would have happened had Komirya being sent there with her 74th Army Group and the 42nd Fortress Group right after the mess on Al Shahal. Stay tuned.