And suddenly there wasn't anyone, or anything, hostile around her anymore.
Cosmic Sailor Jupiter took a big breather, above her the stormy clouds slowly began to fade into the end of the night again, revealing that morning was coming.
Makoto couldn't feel SunTzu's rage anymore and was asking herself how to find a way inside the fortress's tower when she heard a familiar sound in the distance, apparently Hotaru and AICA had made it to Aesolian as well.
And judging from the rumble in the distance the Taskforce Expeditionary Force wasn't done yet, at least she hadn't felt one of the Senshi die.
And then she remembered it and raised her communicator.
"Kenji, are you there?"
"Makoto?"
"Kenji!"
Venus and Mars had taken the lead of the Taskforce's units heading for Phyncx's fortress.
The two of them were faster than anybody else and both Kenji and Yuichiro, as well as a bunch of Commandos, waited for a mean of transportation to get to the Fortress.
Above them various starfighters were audible, among them AICA, as well as something bigger than a snub, from the sounds of explosions in the distance they were probably attacking the enemy positions.
After a few minutes both arrived at the fortress, a high jump brought the two Magical Women up to the top of the first of the walls.
"Just like in the good old times." Minako said with a hint of exhaustion in her voice to Rei.
"Yeah, although I prefer Tokyo for it's more rooftops. Let's get to Makoto, I sense SunTzu is close by as well."
Rei hoped that Minako wouldn't recognize the insecurity in her voice. Mako was still almost as powerful as before she sensed, but SunTzu's aura, at least his rage with it, was almost not percebtible anymore.
"Kitten!"
Haruka barely had waited until the Voyager had landed before she had climbed out of the cockpit and now she ran towards Neo Queen Serenity, having torn her helmet off.
In the open cockpit hatch, Michiru, helmet also off already, appeared and let out a deep breather, Haruka and her bias towards melodrama.
The Queen was tired and exhausted, she had helped bringing her injured soldiers over to the triage, that had been the least she could do, but she managed a small but honest smile as she saw the blonde running towards her.
A hug followed.
"Are you alright, Neo Queen?"
"Yes." Usagi smiled again. "Mamo-Chan made sure I'm safe." Both women looked over to Tuxedo Mask who was walking towards them.
"King."
"Haruka. Glad to see you guys made it as well. How's things up there?"
"General Farlander arrived along with some Jedi. That turned the tide."
"Glad to see you guys are still in one piece."
Now Michiru appeared as well and she looked around, only seeing Sailor Mercury, assessing the situation with Artemis and Luna.
"Where's the others?" Michiru asked in a stern voice.
"Pluto, Mars and Venus went to Phyncx's HQ. Jupiter and Venus went Cosmic, this is what saved us. Kenji had contact with Jupiter, we're waiting for transport to send more guys over."
The two Outers nodded.
"Hotaru and AICA are engaging the enemy anti-air-emplacements to clear a path. I'm pretty sure Hotaru will be over there as soon as possible as well."
"We should see to make ourselves useful as well, Haruka."
The blonde nodded.
"You guys are okay here?"
King and Queen nodded and Usagi answered.
"Tell the Medevac to hurry. And keep that corridor to down here open."
Both Outers nodded and then turned around, putting on their pilot helmets again as they walked back to the Voyager.
"Seems that this was the last one of those pesky AV-9s."
"Good, but tell Umbriel to keep their jammers and sensors up, I'm pretty sure that the Aesolian government isn't exactly happy with our visit as well. Especially after destroying their space force."
"Copy that. What next?"
"How's the space battle going?"
"Corridor is open, first wave of vehicles is on the way. Word is that Helios himself is organizing the fire from the Starstruck to keep the corridor safe. Other than that, we're stinging hard and blowing those carriers away one by one."
"Okay, AICA then I guess we can allow ourselves to see how Makoto-San and SunTzu are doing. Keep extra energy on the shields though, it is not unlikely to assume Phyncx had more traps and defenses set on the path to his HQ."
"Jupiter didn't deal in part-measures here."
"Half measures, Minako, half measures."
"Whatever. Anyways, she sure took care of these guys."
Minako commented as she and Mars had covered most of the way to the tower in the middle of the fortress and were standing on the last wall before the courtyard. The blonde was looking at the still smoking remains of an armored trooper, killed by lighting.
Makoto thanked the heavens that her husband and friends over at their position were safe, it even seemed that the whole Taskforce was saved.
She knew that reinforcements were on the way to her position and now all that were left were to find SunTzu and Owen.
The Senshi worried about both, she knew SunTzu wasn't full of rage anymore which meant he probably got Phyncx and Owen, well he definitely had blown up that facility.
Makoto couldn't even make up her mind which one to safe first when two figures landed next to her, clearly visible now. Apparently the sun was rising fast here.
"Not that I'm not glad to see you but where's the rest?"
"Ami is helping to mop up the rest from where we come from and Usagi is personally taking care that the wounded are getting the care they need."
Makoto nodded after hearing Minako.
"Where's SunTzu?" Rei chimed in, and this time her two friends clearly could hear her concern.
Makoto turned around and pointed at the gate of the tower.
"He's in there, at least I guess so. I was busy blasting away the base's garrison and the next time I look back there he was gone." She shrugged. "But I don't have any idea how to get in there, as that damn gate is closed, not even SunTzu's light saber could open it."
In that moment AICA appeared above them, stopped midair and then descended from a hovering position.
Hotaru opened the cockpit before AICA had even touched down.
"Are you guys okay?"
She jumped out of the cockpit and transformed in mid-flight.
She landed with the Silence Glaive appearing over her and catched it as she landed upright on her feet. A swing with the Glaive later she stood walked up to the other three Senshi.
"Gods Hotaru-Chan, you spent too much time with TopGun and Haruka." Rei shook her head with an amused smile before she ruffled the younger girl's hair. At least the younger girls showing off had taken off some of her exertion.
"Where's SunTzu?"
Three fingers from three different Senshi pointed at the tower.
"Problem is the gate, it's closed."
For a moment Hotaru looked at the black reinforced dura-steel gate without showing any emotion.
"AICA?" She then asked the AI but before AICA could answer something a space yacht and a X-Wing flew over them, making the four Senshi look up.
"That's the Jade Sabre." Hotaru stated and Rei glanced over to her.
"Mara Jade's ship?"
"Affirmative. They arrived with the Reinforcements."
Even from the ground Rei could sense the powerful Force-users inside the ships.
"And Grandmaster Skywalker is in that X-Wing." She let the others know, although she knew that Skywalker was so powerful that they would sense him too. And some of the other Force-users on that ships at well.
The women were still looking at the ships who apparently landed nearby, when suddenly the gate to the tower opened and SunTzu stumbled out.
He had dark rings under his eyes and he walked slowly, taking deep breathers.
"SunTzu." The girls all yelled out at once, SunTzu made a down waving gesture before he looked at Makoto.
"Makoto? Where's Owen?"
"We didn't had the time to look for him yet."
"I'll go, after all I'm the doctor here." Minako chimed in.
"Thank you Minako." Makoto replied. "Sergeant Owen Davies, he blew up the General's weapon facility. SunTzu's height, brunette. He's welsh."
"A brit? Don't worry I'll find him."
Minako nodded and started to run, and soon jumped onto one of the fortress's walls.
"You look tense, are you okay?" Hotaru asked SunTzu as he finally had closed the distance between them.
"Just need a moment." SunTzu tried to hide his real condition.
Rei didn't say anything but she knew SunTzu was off, she could sense and feel the aftermath of what he had just gone through.
SunTzu could still feel the immense panic attack he just had. It had felt like his heart would explode any second, he had felt mortal fear, worse the one that he sometimes had felt in combat. He still could feel the cold sweat on his back and still had to concentrate on breathing right to not hyperventilate.
The anger, the adrenaline, that high had crushed him when it crashed, right after how he had done Setsuna so wrong.
Dark thoughts of being a horrible man, a monster and a rage-driven maniac were still lingering in his mind. His body felt numb and exhausted.
Suddenly, and although his connection to the Force had become shallow as always after these outbursts, he could sense some very powerful Force-users closing in.
Makoto and Rei were next to him and Hotaru a step behind him as he turned around and took a few step forwards.
In that moment several cloaked figures appeared at the entrance to the court, led by two individuals walking in the front.
One of the two had a brown cloak on, the other one a black and the small group walked fast towards SunTzu.
A few steps in front of SunTzu the two in the front pulled down their hoods, revealing that the one in the brown robe was Grandmaster Skywalker and the one dressed in black was Darth Krayt. Both presented lightsabers and activated them.
A green blade from the Jedi and a red from the Sith emitted glows onto the surroundings, lighting up the early morning a bit more.
"On your knees!" Krayt commanded SunTzu and the later, knowing he wouldn't have a chance took a knee.
While the other Jedi and Sith of the group spread out, not revealing their faces, not all of them were humans it was clear though, Krayt and Luke Skywalker stopped in front of SunTzu and put their blades next to the kneeling SunTzu's face.
This sparked an immediate response from the Senshi a few meters behind SunTzu.
Cosmic Sailor Mars's left hand emblazed in flames, Cosmic Sailor Jupiter took on a fighting stance and Sailor Saturn a step behind them readied the Glaive, unseen to the other two Senshi and SunTzu her eyes began to a light purple.
All three of the Senshi had a look of shock and surprise in their faces.
AICA reacted as well and within a second her hidden self-defense blaster was deployed from under her tip, taking aim at the Force-users.
"Yoooo!" Makoto let out but the two leaders of their respective factions didn't even look at her.
"SunTzu. You showed how powerful you are." Luke said looking down at SunTzu, blade close to the right side of the German's neck. "You could have given in and shifted the balance of the Force."
"Yet you kept the balance between the light and the dark." Krayt now chimed in, his red lightsaber blade on the left of SunTzu's neck.
"You are strong with the Force, but not fully on the Light Side." Skywalker then continued before Krayt took over again.
"And you're not fully embraced by the power of the Dark Side."
"You bring the balance that is needed to defeat chaos, the imbalance and end of anything."
The blades disappeared, both at the same time.
"Rise, Man of the Prophecy." A'Sharad Hett, as Krayt's real name was, he was a former Jedi, told SunTzu and the Guardian of Guardians did as told.
Krayt took a step back turned around and nodded at the Sith who followed him, with fast steps they left, Krayt's cape flowing in the morning light. Two of the Jedi, among them now visible a Priapulin, followed.
Luke put his hands on SunTzu's shoulders.
"You proved yourself. If you would have been a warrior of the Light Side this would have marked your ending of being a Padawan and having become a Jedi Knight. But this Galaxy, this Universe needs you to be the balance to defeat the Nothing. Stay on this path."
SunTzu closed his eyes as sign of understanding before Luke took his hands away and then turned around as well.
Behind them the Senshi weren't ready to attack, or rather defend SunTzu, anymore but still kept a close eye on the Jedi and Sith, as did AICA's sensors.
Luke had made a few steps before he turned around again.
"Don't forget SunTzu, the stronger you become in the Force the more is expected of you from others. For others. And from the Force itself. Keep that in mind."
"I won't let my friends down."
Both men nodded at each other as goodbye before Luke put on his hood again and he and the other Jedi left as well.
The Senshi and SunTzu watched on as the Force-users left.
Unknown to them a single person had watched everything from a the top of the highest wall, keeping herself in the shadows and having concealed her aura, waiting for the right moment to act.
Would she had intervened if the Jedi and Sith would have tried to harm SunTzu?
Most likely.
Not that that she had to punish him and it would have taken that burden away from her.
"This is my duty." She reminded herself but it sounded dull and meaningless, even to her.
Minako had been gone before Sith and Jedi had appeared and although she had seen the X-Wing and the Yacht one ring of walls further and had sensed the powerful auras of Krayt and Skywalker she hadn't thought about too much.
She moved fast but kept her eyes open, making her way to the where the pile of smoke was coming from. Best to look where that guy definitely had been.
Cosmic Sailor Venus hoped that the soldier was still alive. Apart from it always sucking to loose one of their own, that guy sounded pretty outstanding, accompanying Mako and SunTzu to this place and blowing up the enemy's weapon facility.
Davies, that had been the Sergeant's name, right?
As she crossed into the next part of the fortress Minako began to wonder where she had heard that name before.
Almost simultaneous to when the Jedi were out of sight, the Taskforce's first gunships came soaring in, with the first ones landing outside of the fortress and in the first ring of the walls.
Within a minute howls like the ones of wolves were audible and Makoto had a big grin in her face when she answered with a loud howl and then sprinted to the closest gate to wait for her Commandos.
Rei observed the scene with a raised eyebrow but didn't say a word, the gesture between warriors was at least more honest than the fake friendliness on Coruscant's political parquet.
"Right, seems that the rest of the bunch is coming over. You guys excuse me a second."
SunTzu suddenly said and turned around, starting to walk towards one of the gates leading out of the court.
"Hey, were you heading Top Gun?" Rei asked, she could see that her Ex wasn't feeling good at and she wasn't sure if he should have been left alone, it seemed he was about to shake.
SunTzu stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"I… I need a smoke." Immediately Rei was about to follow him. "And a moment alone. Guess a combat low."
Rei sighed but stayed in her place, next to her Hotaru looked first at SunTzu and then at Rei while SunTzu walked away.
As soon as SunTzu was out of earshot, she spoke.
"He's not good."
"No, Sweetheart. He's at his limit." Rei stared at SunTzu walking away and continued in a more silent voice. "Maybe even over it."
"Sergeant?!" Minako stood at the gate in the walls leading to the part of the fortress where the now smoking remains and the rubble of Phyncx's factory were located in. "Sergeant Davies?!" No response.
She walked further towards the completely destroyed building, close to it were a few troopers in armor lying on the ground.
Her medical profession alone told Sailor Venus that these guys were goners, there was no way they would have survived such a blast wave.
Hopefully the Sergeant had made it.
She looked around but didn't see any sign close to the building or around it from Davies.
"SERGEANT DAVIES?!" She yelled out again, as loud as she could.
And suddenly there was a small noise nearby. It came from behind and when she turned around she saw a half-held up arm behind the parapet of a staircase.
Minako ran towards the hand and as she came closer she could hear a moan.
"I'm here."
Within a few moments Minako had reached Owen who had sat himself up, back on the wall of the staircase. Immediately Minako was over him, leaning down and checking for injuries first before she looked in his face.
Holy Shit, under that grime and blood on his face seemed to be one bloody hell of handsome fella.
"Sergeant Davies?"
Owen felt like every bone, muscle and joint in his body and that in a painful way, he needed a moment to look straight. He still had his eyes half closed but opened them. That voice, it sounded like from a goddess.
His eyes widened when he saw who was leaning down to him.
"I am Sai…"
"I know who you are. You are the angel that tried to save my sister."
"You're…" And then it hit Minako, she knew where she had heard that name before.
"Ohh my god."
Immediately Venus embraced Owen as tight as she could, she didn't know why, it came out of reflex.
And as she did so and noticed that he reciprocated the hug she couldn't help but to realize that it felt natural, good. Better, she couldn't remember when the last time after her relationship with Rei was that she felt so good and so much in the right place in someone's arms.
SunTzu was leaning against the fortress wall, he was standing under a jutty, artistically decorated.
This walls were made out of something similar to marble and it seemed this place was the wing for guests and meetings as it looked nicer and more inviting than the rest of the fortress.
He stood there, had smoked a cigarette, his mind empty and his heart heavy, as he watched the sun rise looking through the columns under the jutty above him.
He just had flicked his cigarette away after a last drag when someone landed in the courtyard in front of the projection.
SunTzu knew why she was here, he knew about her responsibilities as the Guardian of Space and Time.
It had been quite a while but the woman that now walked up to him with firm steps, the clicking of her boots' heels when she reached the tiles of floor underneath the ambulatory SunTzu was in was the only audible sound, was the Ice Queen herself again.
Her head was slightly raised, giving her divine demeanor the final touch, and she carried the Garnet Rod with a firm hand.
SunTzu glanced to the side with a wry grin for a moment, this was at least better than if she would openly suffer. Guess they would end how they had started, with her being inaccessible beauty she had been for him back then.
A few steps in front of SunTzu, but within the range of the Garnet Rod.
"You manipulated time."
It came out firm and with saying it she pointed the Garnet Rod at him, around the height of his throat but a few centimeters away from it.
"This is a delict which is punished with death."
For a moment SunTzu turned his head to the side again, shaking his head and biting his lip.
Setsuna showed no emotion at all, her cold ruby eyes trained at him.
"Then do it." He looked back in her face. Fucking do it!" It exploded out of SunTzu and he even took a step forward, grabbed her weapon on his tip aligned the Garnet Rod on his throat, slightly lifting his head to give a better target.
"I don't want to live in this Galaxy without you by my side anymore anyways."
His sudden outburst made her twitch and she took a step back, pulling the Garnet Rod out of his hand and slightly away, with that her facade began to crumble. SunTzu's emotion spilled out of him.
"Come on, let's get it over. I mean what more do you want me to do to prove my love to you? You know what, fucking take my life if you need to, maybe that will prove anything to you. I know I'm not good enough to be loved by you, I'm not Hotaru's father, but maybe I'm at least good enough to be killed by you."
Eternal Sailor Pluto was trying hard to keep her demeanor up.
"That is not the point. You broke a rule and I have a duty to fulfill."
"Duty. It's always about duty. Tell me, was it duty to bring me here, let me suffer, let me fall in love with you and then make sure to run away from me?"
Setsuna didn't answer but her eyes narrowed.
"I know I did wrong and I know I hurted you, but you, the thought of you, was the reason I didn't cross over into the dark, onto the side of Chaos." SunTzu continued and then he clenched his fists and leaned forward. "Herrgott Setsuna! Why don't you give yourself a chance! Us?!"
She pulled the Garnet Rod away and took a deep breather, her index finger on the free hand up and already gesticulating but then she stopped. She was at a loss of words, and although she wanted to scream at him she just couldn't.
Her finger slowly fell down again and her gaze wandered to the floor.
"Do you really believe that I think it's fair?" Her voice was low, almost a whisper. "Don't you think I hate myself for what you have gone through?" And then her eyes shot up again and pierced his gaze. "Do you really think it doesn't kill me inside that there's no future for us? Have you ever thought about why I am running away?" She had her fist clenched too by now but her face turned to the floor again and her voice was low again as she spoke the next sentence. "I don't want to loose you, one way or another."
And that was it, within the blink of an eye SunTzu was in front of her, he couldn't take to see her that way, especially since it was his fault. His arms reached around her and he embraced her, placing his head next to hers.
Setsuna hold in, opened her fist, reached around as well, the Garnet Rod behind SunTzu's back now and laid her face onto his, so they were cheek by cheek.
"You know that we don't have a future."
She spoke softly, fighting tears.
"And you of all people should know there's always a future."
"There very probably will be consequences if you stay after we defeated chaos. You cannot stay."
SunTzu's voice was low, his voice on the edge of being brittled.
"Can I at least love you until we have to part?"
Setsuna felt a tear on her cheek and she pressed SunTzu close to herself, knowing she shouldn't but not being able to do otherwise.
"I want you for eternity, Setsuna. Even if you have to do what you have to do and I only got a few mere seconds then I want to spent them with you."
The impulse and the move came from both simultaneously.
Their lips met, an amorous kiss, a kiss that both wanted to last for a lifetime and beyond.
And as they kissed, both shared a few tears, making the other embrace them some more.
It was SunTzu who broke the kiss, his lips were still just a few centimeters apart from hers and he looked her deep in the eyes.
"I love you."
Setsuna's lips twitched slightly as she answered.
"I love you."
She lowered her head a bit and they gently clinged their foreheads together.
As SunTzu used his thumbs to wipe her tears away, he noticed that she was smiling, it was a rather impish smile.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Oh," she began as she lifted her head again, "I always get rebellious when I'm in love."
And then he sensed it, very faint as his connection to the Force was still not really back, but he had sensed an odd sensation.
"Did you just...?"
"You have thirty seconds. I'll tell my father we were experimenting for the sake of the Galaxy, that's why he manipulated time."
Her smile became broader as she noticed his dumbfounded look and she couldn't help but to kiss him again, more sensual and claiming this time.
"Okay." She stopped kissing for a moment. "Sixty seconds. But you'll do me a favor and from now on always have gum with you." And then she let her lips crash onto his again.
AN:
is not counting any views and visitors anymore, but that doesn't mean I cherish y'all!
Also head over to Tumblr (same username) for BTS and WIP for IBWFY and AO3 (also same username) for the side fics.