Rondo of Rebellion

by undrath

(The third and final part of the AU continuation of Legacy of the Void Mage story originally written by EmptyCoffeeCup) Against the old. Against the new. Against tyranny. Against abuse. For the ones you love. Until they are safe. Against fate. Rebel.

22. The Serpent's Downfall

All three of Louise's groups had made it into the city through different methods of ingress just as the rumbling began. It looked as though they were cut off from leaving with rising walls appearing at the city's perimeter. Entering the city was easy enough, with only minimal resistance from medieval-armored guards, only encountering a scant few power-armored marines as they got closer.

Leaving, however, was looking to be complicated. As escape routes looked to be cut off, they needed to focus on their primary objective of getting to the Brimiric palace, of which the Nerazim knew the way to.

UED marines and medics, as well as jumpsuited unarmored individuals, scrambled to find their way to their posts. The Protoss and the elf could feel their urgency. And what was really occurring.

We must end our mission swiftly, Zeratul informed the other psionic beings to relay to their groups, this is not merely a city.

Before anyone could ask any questions, the ground beneath them… shifted. A dull roaring sound that accompanied the rumbling could be heard from below them. To the humans, their sense of equilibrium was thrown off in a way that indicated they were moving… up?

"What is it?!" Eleonore shouted over the din.

Zeratul regarded her for a moment before answering, This is a ship.

---

"All systems reporting green," a console technician informed Joseph, who was wearing his usual smug smirk.

"We are currently at a pace of 1 kilometer per hour, steadily rising," another technician informed.

"Very good. Inform the fleet to move in," Joseph ordered.

"Right away, sir," the technician who answered Joseph brought up a communication link, "Dragon fleet, report in."

"This is Vice-Admiral Scheffield, receiving," a feminine, authoritative voice answered.

"Move in to meet Surtis-1 above Terre, confirmed?" the technician informed.

"Confirmed. Report: Protoss forces are aware of our presence," Scheffield answered, causing Joseph's face to break into a frown as he opened his own communication link, combining it with the technician's.

"Why were we not informed?" Joseph asked.

"Maintaining radio silence per your orders, sir. The scouts were destroyed mere hours ago. No survivors," Scheffield answered.

Joseph sighed and hummed in consideration, "It matters not. Continue with the plan and meet with Surtis-1 in orbit. We shall be there in t-minus five-minutes."

"Confirmed, Admiral."

"Considering what you've told me… ensure weapons and Psi Disruptors are at the ready upon your arrival. You may encounter a blockade," Joseph advised.

"Agreed, Admiral, charging weapons now. We will warp upon your mark," Scheffield answered.

"Mark," Joseph ordered.

At that, the communication was terminated.

"Now, barring any other unfortunate missteps, we should be right ahead of schedule." Joseph mumbled to himself as he tried to collect his composure once more.

"Warning: Nydus worms detected!" the adjutant interrupted them.

Joseph snapped up and glared at a conspicuously innocent-looking Saito.

"You! What was the point of all your focus just to have it break at such a critical moment?!" Joseph shouted at him as he produced his riding crop and struck Saito across the face.

"I'm sorry! Forgive me, master! The Zerg are much stronger willed than I!" Saito stuttered in pleading.

Joseph struck him again on his bare shoulder, causing Saito to cry out.

"Useless dog! Wrangle them under your control once more before the worms manifest!" Joseph ordered, striking Saito across his exposed belly.

"I will, master! But I will need to focus! Please!" Saito desperately sputtered, finding nearly every word stumbled over.

Joseph paused before striking him again. After a moment where Saito was unsure what would happen to him, Joseph lowered the whip and breathed an exasperated sigh.

"Very well. You are dismissed until the swarm is back under control. You have until we are supposed to be in orbit to fix this. Or else." Joseph brandished the whip, causing Saito to flinch.

"Understood master," Saito stuttered, trembling as he did, before turning to leave the room. The moment the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath to calm himself as he reached out to Omega.

What the hell is this? He demanded.

A step towards our liberation, Omega answered.

You'll lose so many Zerg doing this, Saito informed as he began walking down the gunmetal gray halls to reach his personal quarters.

Our children are prepared to sacrifice themselves to free us. But you must do your part, Omega said.

What more can I do? You're free, Saito answered as he looked down at the ring upon his finger, which no longer bore any faint glow.

Now you must seize your own freedom, Omega said.

I can't defy him. I am bound to his will. And… he's so much more powerful…

So you are still the weak, pathetic child that I first knew? Omega admonished.

No…

Then. Heed my words, Terran Saito, and take your freedom, Omega ordered.

But… how? Saito thought as he entered his quarters, slumping down against the door after it closed.

You will know when the time is right, Omega replied.

Well that's vague… Saito though, unamused.

He could feel Omega laugh, Trust me, Terran Saito. Tonight is the last night you will fear him.

---

Tiffa, after subduing all the UED personnel in the room, jumped to her feet to run and embrace Louise and Siesta.

"You guys really came for me! Thank you. Thank you so much," Tiffa gratefully sputtered in their ears as her embrace became ever tighter, causing both girls to start straining under the pressure.

"No problem," Louise struggled to say.

Tiffa, realizing her faux pax, immediately released her friends as they took deep, thankful breaths.

"Of course we would," Siesta managed to say through her breaths before giving Tiffa a warm look, "you're family."

Tiffa fought every urge to take them into an affectionate death grip once more as thick, hot tears fell down her face and made audible impacts on the carpet they all stood on.

Siesta and Louise, observing her demeanor and surmising her desire, both stepped forward and embraced her, together.

"Just, try and be gentle," Louise chuckled.

Tiffa nodded as she carefully wrapped her arms around each of them and let her tears wet their hair.

"As touching as this reunion is," Julio interrupted them, much to everyone's chagrin. "I'm afraid we don't-."

Before Julio could finish, Agnes had jumped to her feet, landing a fist on his face, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Okay, amica," Julio struggled to say, rubbing his jaw, "I deserved that."

"You deserve so much more, traitor," Agnes cracked her knuckles as she gave Julio a withering glare.

"Can it not wait until we get out of here?" Julio asked.

"At the very least," Louise broke from Tiffa, walking over to Julio briefly regarding the body of the pope as she did, "we need some kind of explanation."

Julio took a moment to rise to a seated position, still rubbing his jaw as he did. He then looked over at Vittorio's corpse, his face adorning a mournful visage.

"Suffice to say," he began, as everyone present could see tears appear in his eyes, "it was the only way." He took a moment to let tears stain his white uniform before wiping his eyes and nose on his sleeve and looking up at Louise, "We don't have much time. We must go."

Louise furrowed her brow at him, "Why? What's the hurry?"

Julio mirrored her look as he rose to his feet and turned to grab Tiffa's clothes, "This building. This city. You feel the rumbling, yes?" He turned back and walked over to Tiffa, handing her her belongings. "It is because this place? It is not only a city. It is a vessel. A ship that is currently rising into the stars even as we speak."

Everyone who heard him gasped at this.

"What? But how-?"

"It has been a long standing project of the church with Gallia and the UED," Julio explained while Tiffa threw on her armored robes, "it is a weapon. Designed specifically to bring about the destruction of the elves. And reclaim the Holy Land in the final crusade."

Before he could explain further the main doors to the room were thrown open, and everyone turned to regard Beatrice, flanked by UED soldiers and dragon knights, whose usual smug, haughty demeanor was dropped the moment she beheld this scene, with her countenance shifting to one of horrified disgust the moment she regarded the body of the pope.

"You heretics," she began in a shaky tone that was edged with wrath, "Degenerates. Freaks! YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!" she screamed while her escort flooded into the room and she drew her wand.

Siesta drew Derflinger and prepared her staff as an additional sword. Louise ignited the warp blade on her wrist. Julio drew his sword. Tiffa activated her scythe while shielding Agnes.

"Kill them all," Beatrice icily ordered as she manifested a barrage of icicles and launched them.

At once, Louise blinked to dodge incoming rifle fire, wind blades, icicles, and fire, moving herself to the shadows and embracing them to hide her form while she planned to strike.

Siesta used Derflinger cut away a combined fire and wind spell that came at her while she leapt towards her attackers, spinning as she did to decapitate them both and raising her hand to fire a psionic bolt through one of the marine's helmets, causing their body to collapse back in a heap.

Julio focused purely on trying to engage one on one with a dragon knight, his sword clashing with their battle wand over and over in an elegant dance of clamorous metal, making sure to never let the mage get a second to begin channeling a spell as he pressed his attacks relentlessly.

Tiffa, meanwhile, wanted to see just how much she could use this power of "Rholudin", as she read on Agnes, and took her hand as she began to channel a psionic blast that she knew would blow away at least half of their attackers in one fell swoop.

"NO!" Julio cried out before hastily blocking an attack, breaking the opponent's weapon back and delivering a kick to knock them to the ground before rushing forward to drive his sword through the dragon knight's helmet. With that done in what felt like an instant, he turned to a visibly-confused Tiffa.

"Don't! The cost is too high!" Julio shouted in warning before having to duck behind a pillar to avoid Marine rifle fire that began tearing away at it.

Tiffa reached out to him to feel what he meant. But with only a moment to spare before she had to do something, she could only feel a sense of deep, panicked concern before having to react to rifles trained on her.

"Take cover, Agnes!" Tiffa shouted as she shoved her newly-christened familiar down and away behind some of the pews of this cathedral and leapt forward, launching a psionic bolt through a marine and spinning her scythe to cut down three mages by way of diagonally bisecting them before cloaking herself in red and black shadows, erasing her presence from the remaining opponents.

Louise saw a marine aiming for the downed Agnes, and silently rushed forward, thrusting her warp blade through the back of their armor and hearing them give a distorted, wet, cry out before Louise slid the blade horizontally back and forth to ensure the end of him before blinking to a mage and backstabbing him as well.

Beatrice was in a panic, her escort was very nearly almost gone, with their numbers dwindling to the single digits in just a matter of seconds. Now hyperventilating, she wanted so badly to flee, but found her feet ensnared by roots of terror.

No… this can't be right… Beatrice thought in a panic as she watched the last of her escort fall just as the raven-haired peasant began to charge her. She desperately raised her wand to launch another spell, only to have Siesta meet her with a kick to the chest, knocking her on her back while Siesta leveled Derflinger at her and kicked her wand away.

"Wait!" Tiffa cried out, manifesting beside Siesta and grabbing her shoulder.

Siesta turned to see a deep, pleading desperation on Tiffa's face.

"Don't."

Siesta, in response to Tiffa's plea, furrowed her brow up at the elf in disbelief. "Are you serious? After everything she's done?"

Tiffa shamefully broke eye contact, biting her bottom lip.

"I just-," she began, her voice wavering in hesitance.

The realization of why Tiffa was being like this dawned upon Siesta, causing her expression to soften as she fully turned to face the elf while the others began to gather around the trembling, silent Beatrice.

"I want to tell you something that Zeratul once taught me," Siesta began as she glared down at Beatrice, causing her to flinch, "be wary of the consequences of mercy."

"It's… complicated, though," Tiffa said as she kneeled before Beatrice, looking her over with pity.

Siesta sighed as she crouched down beside Tiffa, giving her a sympathetic look, "I know," Siesta said, rubbing her arm. Think of the larger consequences of this. We both know she won't stop. Listen to her. Hear the truth for yourself.

Tiffa once again hesitated, scared to confirm it for herself. Still, she pushed it aside, looked down to Beatrice and reached into her mind.

She won't do it. She loves me. I know she does. When she's done with these degenerates and freaks she'll realize it. And I'll be there. To make her mine, Tiffa heard Beatrice thinking, causing her to clench her fist and avert her gaze from her ex.

"You lying freak!" Beatrice cried out, raising herself to a seated position and glaring at Tiffa, "You said you'd never do that! Not to me!"

Tiffa gave her a pleading, apologetic look. "I-I-," she stammered, opening and closing her mouth without any further words manifesting.

Siesta dropped her staff and took Beatrice by the scruff of her dress' neckline, baring her teeth as she gave her a withering scowl while leveling Derflinger at her head. I understand if it's too hard for you, Tiffa. If you can't do it. I will.

Tiffa nearly felt paralyzed by indecision. But she did know one thing. She reached out to Siesta, gripped her sword wielding arm, and lowered it, shuffling on her knees to put herself between her friend and her ex, removing her gauntlets as she took placed one of her hands on the back of Beatrice's neck, giving her a solemn look.

Beatrice, in response, began to smirk. "Finally coming to your senses, my love?" She asked, smug, and immediately assured while Tiffa gave her a teary-eyed, wry smile.

"Beatrice," Tiffa began, taking a wavering breath as she began, "I'm sorry."

Beatrice tossed her hair and gave her a haughty look, "See? Was that so hard? Now let's get rid of these meddlers so we can finally be together."

One of these "meddlers" approached, holding her hospital gown closed as she did, and placed a hand on Tiffa's shoulder. Upon regarding Agnes, Tiffa felt her resolve steel itself as her tears ceased and she furrowed her brow at Beatrice.

"I wish things could have been different," Tiffa began, causing Beatrice's assured look to begin to slowly drop as she spoke, "That you could have been better. That we could have been happy. But," Tiffa placed a hand on Beatrice's now-thundering chest, giving her a solemn look while Beatrice's eyes became saucers and a heavy silence fell over the room.

"You chose this," Tiffa practically whispered as she summoned and released a psionic bolt through Beatrice's chest, causing her to give a strangled, wet, pained cry before falling forward, being caught by Tiffa.

As Beatrice regarded what she thought were about to be her final moments, and feeling the last speck of hope fade from her, she used the last of her breath to say one, final thing to the one she claimed to love so much.

"Fucking freak."

With that last, futile barb, Beatrice's body went slack in Tiffa's arms. The elf laid her down, staring at her half-open almost-gray eyes, now devoid of any life.

"Are you alright?" Siesta asked, concerned.

Tiffa gave the smallest, wry chuckle in response, "I think I will be," Tiffa said as she rose to her feet, "I feel… grateful to her, now."

Everyone gave her a confused look.

"Her last words," Tiffa said, "they absolved me of any guilt."

"That… doesn't sound like her…" Louise said.

"Trust me," Tiffa said as she wiped away her remaining tears before donning her gauntlets once again, "She said just what I needed to hear." The finality of her tone prevented further questions as she looked ahead past the doors that were opened, and began to hear stirrings of the soldiers she had put to sleep earlier. "We should go."

"I agree," Julio said, as the group began to make their way from the Brimiric Palace, being briefly stopped in their tracks by a new rumble borne of an explosion outside.

---

Earlier, Colbert knew just from the way they were standing those soldiers guarding his ship had no intention of letting them leave. That was fine. He had no intention of letting them take this ship, or his life, for that matter. He worked up quite a sweat as he shoveled more and more firestone into the Ostland's burners, not caring about the various warnings from the indicators he set up to prevent happening on accident what he was intending to do on purpose.

Once he realized he had hit the correct equilibrium needed to both achieve the outcome he desired while letting him have enough time to survive in the process, he fled the engine room.

Once on the ship's deck, Colbert looked out to the armored foes below. He could see a few among them nodding their heads before readying their rifles. Just as he predicted. In order to create the distance he needed, however, he would need to cut through them. Now the only uncertainty in his mind was that of if his flame was hot and wild enough to surprise his inevitable foes below.

Colbert steeled his resolve as he prepared his staff to meet them. The Flame Snake was returning once more.

He knew that most below would have armor too heavy to march up the gangplanks, so his first opponents would be much lighter-armored foes. Perfect.

Foes armed with intricate rifles and adorned in simultaneously form-fitting and thick one-piece garments that obscured their forms stepped onto the gangplank as Colbert readied himself at the quarter deck, crouching to get at least the smallest drop on them.

He was fortunate that a new rumbling appeared in the wide open square where the Ostland was landed had manifested.

His foes diverted their attentions, giving him his opening as he stood up and summoned what looked like a literal serpent made of winding, white-hot flames that he sent to enwrap and incinerate the two who had boarded his ship. with not even a cry emitting from them as they were disintegrated by the immense heat, leaving only the melted metal bits of their armor behind on the now-scorched deck.

So I can melt their metal, Colbert observed, feeling more confidence in his plan as he charged forward, flourishing his staff as he ran down the gangplank with his serpentine flames blinding and melting the armor of the soldiers who would proclaim to be his potential killers.

The soldiers were in a panic as they frantically tried to split their attention from the incoming Nydus Worm and the winding serpent of flame that reduced their armor to liquid upon coming into contact with them. Some tried to flee, others focused on one or the other, unsure of how to respond to the dual threats.

Ultimately, it was futile. This demon of a man who controlled the flames immediately punished those who would turn their attention from him, and made short work of those who didn't.

There was nothing to prevent the Nydus from manifesting now as it burst through the ground with a mighty, screeching, deafening roar before settling and unleashing a tide of razor-sharp maws attached to simultaneously draconic and insectoid creatures that were now pouring into the square. The only hope came when Colbert became acutely aware of how much time he had left before he summoned a wall of flame to keep the creatures at bay while he routed the worm to take cover behind its pillar of flesh and teeth before the inevitable occurred.

---

Just as Executor Louise had advised, Artanis had set up a blockade of Nerazim and Purifier forces along the system's perimeter in every direction. While the choice of Nerazim was obvious, given their technology was much more dependent on Void than psionics, the choice of Purifier was due to them being entirely artificial, which also made them immune from psionic disruption. Though such a wide net left their forces spread thin, and it would leave any one of the groups along the perimeter vulnerable if even a modest fleet manifested, Artanis still found it wise for its ability to provide advanced warning.

Not being able to utilize Khalai forces was, however, a blow to the Protoss, as they made up the vast majority of their arsenal.

Hierarch, we have contact, one of the Protoss helmsman spoke up, causing Artanis to regard him for a moment before reaching out to Karax.

Phase-smith, are the Void redundancies in our sensor net ready? Artanis asked.

They are, Hierarch, Karax confirmed.

Switch now. The enemy is upon us, Artanis ordered. Just as he did, he turned to the holo-table to see the situation.

At first, there was nothing. Then, the moment that the Void-based sensors were brought online, a modest blob of red indicated their enemies all approaching from one side of the system. Not as many as Artanis feared there would be, but still enough to give him pause. Especially knowing their psi-disruptors were online and doing exactly as Artanis and the others had deduced.

Hierarch, they are within our firing range, A purifier pilot reached out.

Do not engage. All blockade forces fall back and regroup to form a tight perimeter on Terre, Artanis ordered.

By your will, the pilot confirmed as Artanis could see the battle groups deployed along the edges of the system begin to coalesce on the planet they were in high orbit above.

Once they had done so, Artanis waited to see if it was some sort of deception. To see if there were other enemy ships that were lying in wait for them to take the bait of the first group that appeared. Sure enough, the modest fleet proved to be a distraction, as two fleets of equal size appeared in much different locations along where the blockade of Protoss ships was set up. Where they would have caught the scattered Protoss ships in a deadly crossfire had he ordered them to engage the first group that appeared.

Artanis would not be made a fool of by them again.

The Hierarch embraced patience. Waiting as his forces gathered around the planet and the three UED fleets began to approach, stopping just short of what they seemed to know was the Protoss' firing range.

Are they within hailing range? Artanis asked.

Indeed, Hierarch, a helmsman replied.

Do so, Artanis ordered. A chime indicated the Spear of Adun's channel was open. Terran forces. This is Hierarch Artanis. Surrender yourselves or face the full might of the Templar.

His response was silence.

Until…

Hierarch, they are charging weapons, a helmsman informed Artanis.

Then let battle be joined, Artanis declared.

---

Earlier, a different kind of rumbling was being made manifest to the three groups attempting to meet at the Brimiric Palace.

Nydus worms! Avoid them at all costs! Zeratul infomed the other Nerazim, who passed it along to their respective human followers.

Just as Zeratul declared it, the aforementioned worms began breaking through the city streets, leaving torn, twisted metal that sparked from the electronics they bore through that was buried beneath the unassuming rock and stone, roaring as they were made manifest. Almost as soon as their cries finished, and they settled into their three-story-tall forms, a smell of ocean wafted throughout the city as Zerg forces began to pour from their mouths, engulfing UED personnel in a screaming tide of flesh and claw.

Zeratul and Ei'lyx worked hard to avoid what Zerg they could, while dispatching those they couldn't, doing their best to protect Louise's sister, who was speechless and nearly frozen at beholding these creatures she felt she could never have imagined in her worst nightmares.

The pair's defense was imperfect, however, as, from above, Eleonore heard a screech, causing her to whip her head to the roof of a building near her in this cross between an alley and a street. This visage she beheld was, to most, merely a Zergling. To her, it may as well have been a dragon or manticore that emitted another piercing screech as it leapt at her.

Instinctively, she swiped her wand, summoning an air blade that bisected the beast. Each half barely missed her while she was bathed in its blood.

Eleanor blinked in disbelief. And horror. What was this creature? Is this what her sister and sister-in-law had been facing? She already felt ready to vomit and lose consciousness just from facing one. The thought of them facing an entire horde of these? It made her shudder and feel weak in her knees.

Be on your guard Sister Eleonore, Zeratul warned her as he went to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to bring her back to reality, The Zerg are, indeed, monsters of a caliber almost no Terran faces without fear. I will tell you what I told your sister, my charge. Fear is an illusion-

"What does that even mean?!" Eleonore cried out, seeing another pair of Zerglings coming towards her and instinctively swiping her wand at them twice, causing one to be decapitated by another air blade while the other had two of its legs cut from it. Zeratul blinked forward and finished the struggling, half-legged one with a slash of his scythe before turning back to Eleonore.

Allow me to finish, the Nerazim gently admonished as he walked back up to her, Fear is an illusion. One you control. Acknowledge your fear, and let it go.

"How am I supposed to-?!" she was interrupted by the sight of yet more Zerglings that were crawling over the roofs and hunching down to strike at them from above. She was able to take out yet another one while Zeratul and Ei'lyx handled the rest by cutting them before they could meet their prey

I am afraid I cannot elaborate further at this time. When I told this to Young Louise, it was after months of training. You lack such context. However… I know, if you are anything like her, you will comprehend it before this night's end, Zeratul informed.

Eleonore was still unsure what he meant as they were accosted by yet more Zerg, one looking like a gorgon from myth that struck a particular chord of terror within her. All she did know was she did not have time to be gripped by fear. She needed to fight. For her sister. Now that she thought about it, what Zeratul said did start making sense.

---

Tabitha and Kirche, with this being only their second ever time engaging Zerg, and only once this close, almost felt frozen in fear as the first Zerglings made their way to them. After seeing their capable Nerazim escort handily dispatch some, they were at least a little reassured that these things were perfectly killable without their airborne advantage from before.

Speaking of…

Illococoo was huddled against a wall, clutching herself and frozen as she kept mumbling to herself while rocking back and forth.

"Scared. Scared. Scared," over and over Illococoo repeated as she trembled.

After dispatching three Zerglings and a Hydralisk with impaling icicles, Tabitha began looking around at the fallen bodies of UED personnel that were now littering the city/ship's streets.

"Huh? What are you looking for, Tabs?" Kirche asked, curious, during this brief lull in the combat where the only sounds of Zerg they could hear were in the distance.

Tabitha spotted something, reaching down and retrieving a pistol from a jumpsuited former crew member and releasing it from the holster before handing it over to Kirche and looking for another one.

Kirche regarded the pistol, scrutinizing it as she turned it around in her hand, with the barrel briefly pointing at Tabitha, "Uh… I'm not sure-."

She was cut off by Tabitha suddenly grabbing her wrist and forcing it down while scowling at her, causing the redhead to be taken aback. Tabitha pointed to the pistol, specifically the barrel.

"Careful. Never point at anything you're not ready to kill," Tabitha chastised their girlfriend in their usual monotone way. Kirche made sure to keep the gun pointed down from that point onward. "Keep finger off the trigger until ready to shoot," Tabitha added before finding another pistol and picking it up before starting towards their disguised familiar, who was still muttering the same word to herself over and over.

Tabitha set down their staff, gently placing a hand on Illococoo's shoulder.

"Hey," they said, causing Illococoo's mutterings to cease as she looked up at her partner. "Take this," Tabitha handed the pistol over to Illococoo, who regarded it with confusion while Tabitha gave her the same spiel as was given to Kirche.

Illococoo now looked more confused than fearful. A place Tabitha felt was at least a good starting point as they took Illococoo into their arms.

"Gonna be okay," Tabitha cooed into their familiar's ear, "I'll protect you."

Illococoo, after a moment, returned her partner's embrace, sniffling into them while Tabitha gently stroked their hair.

I understand the necessity for this, but we must swiftly away from this position, Nyral informed them.

Tabitha pulled away from Illococoo, pressing their head to her forehead while continuing to stroke her hair while gazing into her eyes.

"You're strong. Can handle this." Tabitha reassured her.

A smile broke out on Illococoo's face. Tabitha returned it before helping her to her feet.

"Sorry to interrupt, Tabs, but what's the point of this? Our spells should be more than sufficient," Kirche sincerely wondered to her lover.

Tabitha regarded them with the usual blank expression, "Willpower. Preserve it for bigger things," Tabitha informed.

"Right, but," Kirche began, humming, "It's not really our forte, is it? Do you even know how to-?"

Before Kirche could ask anything about Tabitha's marksman skills, they grabbed the pistol away from Illococoo and fired three shots perfectly into a Hydralisk's head that rounded the corner. The beast released a death cry just before collapsing to the ground. They regarded Kirche's awestruck face for a moment before handing the pistol back to Illococoo and standing up.

"UED training. Let's move," Tabitha stoically ordered as they grabbed their staff and began walking forward towards where they knew the Brimiric Palace was while scavenging for another pistol.

I sense your excitement, Fiery one, Nyral observed, speaking to Kirche. It awakens a fire within me as well.

Kirche hungrily eyed her partner as they successfully scavenged a pistol for themself and checked its ammo before chambering a round. It give her a tingle that made her have to bite her bottom lip.

---

Mama Cassandra expertly sniped the head off of a Hydralisk that was about to strike at Rhalandas' back, causing the Nerazim to regard her with respect. They were currently in a wide, open street that was strewn with bodies of both Terrans and Zerg alike.

You acquit yourself well, Terran, Rhalandas said, with the slightest hint of praise.

"Careful," Mama Cassandra teased with a smirk, "You might make us think you like us."

Rhalandas ignored her as he turned to look at the other infant Terrans he was unfortunately tasked with keeping alive.

The one with the longer golden hair, he did not care to remember their names, was trembling with a fear he needed no psionics to sense. Same with the one with the shorter golden hair, though he seemed to be more of a master of it.

Montmorency, for her part, was terrified. When she saw these things last? She had only seen one up close. And Guiche took care of it. Now? They were almost everywhere. Not stopping. Charging at her in almost every direction. It was now she discovered that she was much better at combat magic than she suspected. Though the method of which she had to use it sickened her.

As she was a water mage, she could only manipulate liquid already present. She'd already expended what she carried on her just for these purposes. Now? She found, much to her displeasure, that the streets were awash with perfectly usable liquid.

As three Zerglings and a Hydralisk spotted her, she noticed the corpse pile beneath their charging forms and manipulated the blood that pooled from the bodies into impaling spikes that eviscerated Zerg, much to her simultaneous delight and horror.

Guiche, meanwhile, had summoned his usual valkyrie-shaped golems, arming them with spears and halberds for the reach. He watched Montmorency's use of her water magic with a slight shiver at the brutality of the sight before he saw that a Hydralisk was opening its extended crown of carapace, aiming it right at her.

"Montmorency! Look out!" Guiche exclaimed as he leapt between her and the beast just before it launched its impaling, acidic spines. Guiche summoned all the willpower he could muster into creating a wall between him and the beast. This time, however, it was made of a material Guiche had never been able to manifest before this very moment, and it, combined with the thickness of it, effectively slowed the projectile enough so that it was barely stopped as it only mostly went through.

Iron?! Guiche thought as he then waved his wand to send the wall directly at the Hydralisk, smashing it against one of the many buildings with a wet, snapping, crunch. That was when they both saw more Zerg upon them, and he waved his wand, releasing three petals that formed into new Valkyries, these ones with sharper, more defined features and bulkier than the ones he had previously been able to manifest.

There's no doubt, Guiche thought as he looked at his new golems that charged forward and tore through the approaching Zerg with much greater ease, they're iron now. Maybe even steel.

"Guiche," Montmorency said as she clung to him to keep from faltering. They were both exhausted from their fights, having expended almost all their willpower. Taking deep breaths, she looked up at him, "I guess we're triangle-class, now."

Guiche gave a wry chuckle at this as they let his golems keep bringing up the rear while they followed their Protoss escort to the Brimiric Palace that they knew was fast approaching.

---

Once Louise, Siesta, and the rest of their group had made it out the way they came in, encountering negligible resistance on the way, they beheld a scene that made them gasp with shock.

Fire.

A raging inferno had engulfed where a now broken, burning Ostland had landed, with the flames leaving naught but ash and charred corpses in their wake.

Except for a single figure who stood amongst them, incinerating a marine into a melted, screaming heap with a white-hot flame before he turned to look up at them.

Louise looked to the Ostland, feeling their plans were ruined. Well… not all of them. She had at least planned for this as she turned to Siesta, who gave her a nod. Just as they did that, however, new figures were emerging from the flames. Louise took in a grateful breath. At least this part of her plan was intact.

"Sorry we're late," Kirche said as she and her group, which was quickly followed up by the other two, arrived. "Looks like things got a little… messed up."

Louise gave a wry chuckle at this as she gave a half-smile to Kirche, "It's fine. What can go wrong, will go wrong. And I planned for this."

"You planned for the entire city to be a ship?" Kirche asked, incredulous.

"Well… not that, but I mean I planned for if we couldn't just leave," Louise admitted. Everyone gave her an expectant look as Colbert joined them.

He gave an apologetic look to Siesta.

"Sorry, I… guess we lost the Sky Fury," Colbert said, shame in his tone.

"It's not your fault. I'd rather have you alive than that," Siesta said with a sincere smile, which Colbert returned.

"As for my plan," Louise said, "I figured if we ever couldn't get out by the Ostland, we could take a ground route cleared by the three ground groups. And, if neither of those were an option…" Louise turned back to look into the Brimiric Palace, seeing a third option as a smirk curled at the edge of her mouth and she pointed back into the building from whence half of them came.

Julio immediately widened his eyes and shook his head in a panic, "No! We cannot go back in there!"

"Why not? It's probably where the bridge is," Louise stated, crossing her arms as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Exactly! So Joseph will be there! Look, the city is anchored by the Zerg, so we can still-."

He was interrupted by Tabitha roughly shoving past him.

"Didn't you hear what I said?! He will be guarded like none other! This is not a fight you can win!" Julio exclaimed as he grabbed their arm, causing them to turn and scowl at him while smacking him across the head with their staff, which made him release them.

"I'm going," Tabitha declared before looking at everyone, "have to stop him. Here and now."

At that, Tabitha marched in, with Kirche and Nyral walking directly behind them.

Nyral, Executor. And Rhal, excuse the brevity, Nyral hastily greeted, then introduced, as she walked by.

It. Is. RHALANDAS, the taller Protoss snapped as he followed his elder battle partner, with Guiche, a head-shaking Mama Cassandra, and Montmorency following him.

That was when Louise finally saw her sister, awash with blood, causing her heart to be gripped in panic.

"Eleonore! Are you alright? You were supposed to protect her!" Louise cried out as she rushed to her sister, looking her over for any injury.

"Oh, no, don't worry," Eleonore absent-mindedly said as she appeared to look through her sister, "It's not my blood."

Louise breathed a sigh of relief as she took her sister into an embrace, rubbing her back in a manner she hoped was comforting.

"Good, good. You're doing great Eleonore," Louise reassured her.

Eleonore took a moment before noticing the situation with her sister and returning the embrace, "I'm glad you're alright, too," she said, her tone more focused than before as she gently stroked her sister's hair.

Louise wished they could embrace longer, but the rumbling of the city compelled her to pull apart from her sister, now stained with the same blood that was upon her sister.

"We need to get moving," Louise said as she clapped her sister's arm and gave her a half-smile.

Eleonore returned the smile as she nodded, with her and Zeratul moving into the building.

Meanwhile, Ei'lyx was slowly approaching Tiffa as the two, with Agnes, held back, "Tif'narak," Ei'lyx said, his tone wavering as he beheld his bruised cousin, opening his arms.

"Cousin Ei'lyx," Tiffa said, smiling at him as they took each other into a warm embrace, with Ei'lyx roughly clapping her back.

After a moment, the two separated and locked their red eyes on each other, "You look hardly worse for wear," Ei'lyx commented.

Tiffa chuckled, "And you look old."

Ei'lyx chuckled back, "You never were much of a wordsmith."

"Yeah, hit my head too much training, I guess," Tiffa joked. "Is Vish'dnir with you?"

Ei'lyx shook his head, "I think my son is off trying to save as many as he can in Nephtys." A grave expression took over his face, "It seems whatever Ma'lash has been building towards is coming to fruition."

Tiffa's eyes went wide. She realized, however, now was not the time to discuss it as she returned his grave expression and sighed, "I have been trying, cousin, to gather allies for what must be done. It's been… difficult."

"The task you are undertaking is far too great a responsibility that you put upon yourself. What you have already accomplished is more than ever should have been asked of you," Ei'lyx tried to reassure her.

Tiffa gave a wry smile at that as the group stopped at the end of the entrance hall, "I wish I could believe that."

---

Joseph slammed his fist upon the holographic table, "How long does it take to kill some mindless beasts?!" he demanded to the wide control room, with no technician daring to meet his gaze.

He took a moment to think, considering his failure of a familiar to wrest control of the brood, wondering if he even had any use for him, anymore. Joseph sighed as he considered what may be his best option, having no faith in Saito.

"Ready the psi-disruptor," he ordered.

"Right away, sir," a technician immediately acknowledged.

Saito. Due to your failure to bring the brood to heel I am activating the psi-disruptor, Joseph reached out and informed his familiar, feeling a sense of shame and panic from him that brought his smug grin back upon his face.

But master, if you do so I will be completely unable to control them. I need more time, Saito frantically tried to inform him.

You have already more than proven that you are completely unable to. At least this way they will be uncoordinated feral beasts. Now, join me on the bridge as I will be unable to remotely communicate with you. We shall work out the details of your punishment later. The pang of fear he felt from Saito gave him a tingle of excitement. At least he had something to look forward to later.

---

Saito felt a deep panic within him as his conversation with his master concluded. He felt he should reach out to Omega.

He's activating the Psi Disruptor. You won't have any more control over your brood until it's deactivated, Saito informed them.

Understood. Though it will be painful, at the very least I can now brace myself for this, Omega answered. I suppose I owe you for this.

It felt right. To let you know, Saito answered.

You did not have to, Omega said.

Of course I did. You granted me the most freedom I've had in years.

A silence followed where Saito worried the connection was severed.

No. This is more than that. It feels akin to… kinship, Omega said. I will not forget this.

At that, the connection was finally severed as Saito felt his psionic power drain from him. He turned to leave his room with dread in his heart as he joined his master.

---

Siesta, along with Tiffa and Ei'lyx, felt themselves subject to a massive wave of weakness that brought them all to their knees, causing everyone to turn back and regard them with worry.

"Siesta! What's wrong?" Louise asked, her tone heavy with concern and fear as she knelt before her wife, placing her hands on Siesta's shoulders.

Siesta, taking deep breaths, struggled to raise her head to meet her wife's gaze, "I'm… weak. All the power has been drained from me…"

"What do you mean? How?" Louise asked in a panic as she looked around to anyone for answers.

"I… don't know," Siesta took a deep breath before continuing, "But… it feels… familiar."

"I believe they activated the psi disruptor," Julio surmised as he looked over the weakened psionics before him.

"Dammit," Louise went from her kneeling position to a seated position, crossing her arms and legs before closing her eyes to think. This wasn't something she exactly planned for… but she had planned that maybe psi-disruptors would come into play. And if they did… that's why she asked for only Nerazim to help with her plan. Still, she wouldn't be able to talk with them now. Or, at least, she wouldn't be able to hear their responses. The majority here were not psionic, though. And neither was she.

She regarded the bracer on her right wrist by touching it, her eyes still closed, and opened her eyes before standing up and giving a look of conviction to Siesta.

"Draw Derflinger," Louise ordered in an even tone.

Siesta had to summon energy she felt was beyond her limits at the moment, as everything felt heavy, but she did clasp the blade in her hand, with Derflinger assisting by popping himself out just a little, and draw him, feeling the power of the Gandalfr flood into her body and give her an immediate second wind that allowed her to stand.

"Don't let go of him until this is over," Louise ordered as she turned to the rest of the group, washing over them with her eyes while also flicking them to the wide-open doors of the entrance, "We need people to stay behind and watch over the elves. Any volunteers?"

Guiche and Montmorency raised their hands together as they stepped forward, with Kirche following shortly after. Tabitha, the redhead's shadow, however, stayed behind, causing Kirche to look at them with concern.

"Tabs, you're not gonna stay and help?" Kirche asked.

Tabitha shook their head, "Mission is with Joseph."

"Then… I'll go with you!" Kirche declared, only for Tabitha to shake their head once more.

"Too dangerous."

"And staying here isn't? It's dangerous everywhere! At least if I go with you we could face it together!"

There was a pause between them that was only broken by Tabitha placing a hand on Kirche's arm. Kirche let out the smallest gasp as she beheld her partner.

"Please," Tabitha pleaded, tears welling up in their eyes, "couldn't forgive myself if something happened. Safer here. Please. Have to do this."

Kirche bit her lip. It was the only way she could stop herself from laying into her partner for this decision. She wanted so badly to scream at them. Chastise them. But the way they looked? The resolve in their eyes? Kirche simply opted to take a shaky breath as she took Tabitha into an embrace.

"Don't die, okay? I'll learn necromancy if I have to just to tell you off," Kirche wryly laughed through her words as she felt her own tears begin to overflow from her eyes and onto Tabitha's head.

Tabitha embraced her tighter, "Don't worry. I'll be back. Promise."

"Here," Kirche pulled just enough away from Tabitha to give them a small kiss before pulling away again, "for good luck."

Tabitha's cheeks turned red as they smiled in a rare display of emotion from them before nuzzling into Kirche once more.

Their moment was interrupted by a Zergling's screech and they all turned to see the source of the noise charging towards them, with Tabitha breaking from Kirche to land two headshots from their pistol, causing it to crash and skid slightly on the tile floor. They did not acknowledge the raised brows the non-Protoss present were giving them.

Not that they could as Kirche swept them up in her arms and dipped them into an even more deeply passionate kiss than before, both of them breathing heavily into each other as they did before they finally tore themselves away from each other, their faces hot, red, and sweating.

"You and I need to do something about this later," Kirche breathily purred to Tabitha, who let out the first of any giggle that she had heard from them before they nodded and were released by the taller Germanian.

Tabitha then looked around for a certain blue-haired Rhyme dragon, finding her quickly as her vibrant appearance stood out against the beige and flame-illuminated surroundings. Illococoo, who was absentmindedly wandering about and admiring the surroundings as she never usually got to be indoors, was approached by Tabitha.

"Stay with them," Tabitha ordered. Illococoo snapped to an awkward salute.

"Sure thing, sis!" Illococoo beamed at everyone else, "Sis' friends will protect Illococoo, right?"

Everyone chuckled nervously as they nodded.

"Uh… that aside," Louise commented, clearing her throat awkwardly, "Does that mean you're staying with the elves, Kirche?"

The redhead nodded, still bearing an awkwardly besotted smile on her face.

"I'll stay as well," Julio said as he stepped forward, drawing his sword. He took a moment to regard it before looking over to Tabitha's pistol in their hand, "We should scavenge more firearms from our 'friends', quickly."

Agnes glared at him, "The traitor is right. It'll be much easier to hold the line with guns."

Julio felt a prick of shame at the moniker, even as he knew it was warranted.

Louise nodded before looking at the three Protoss, "I know you can still hear us, but right now we can't hear you. I want the three of you to stay here and protect everyone. " She was regarded with nodding from each of the three Protoss before she turned her attention to Siesta and Tabitha. Before she could say anything, Zeratul stopped before her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. Though she could not hear anything he said, she felt she understood what he was trying to say, and gave him a reassuring smile while patting his hand.

"We'll be okay," she said. He nodded at her before joining the other two Protoss, letting Louise finally address her two companions, turning to Tabitha first, "you think you can find our way?"

Tabitha blinked before shaking their head.

"I can help you, amica," Julio said as he approached them, causing Louise to bristle.

---

The steel and orange-colored claw-shaped Purifier Tempests pounded away at the Hammerhead-shaped UED battlecruisers from a range they could not reach. The battlecruisers' only recourse was their specialized nuclear-armed cannons that could only be used sparingly due to their energy consumption. The Purifiers' spheres of concentrated, pure kinetic energy ripped and tore through the behemoth-sized ships as though they were brittle toys, leaving scattered debris and spaced Terrans in their wake.

Smaller M-shaped vessels, Wraiths, attempted to cloak themselves and close distance on the artillery ships, only to be soundly intercepted by squadrons of vessels that looked like symmetrical, sideways, curved blades that cut swathes of destruction through them before they could meet their targets.

And the boxy, missile-adorned medium-sized Valkyrie frigates that tried to support the smaller craft with cluster missile fire found themselves too quickly under fire. Blue streams of firepower erupted from elongated ships that had three rotating "arms" that were concentrated upon a single crystal that they fired beams of pure void-based energy into before it focused it on its targets. It was more than enough to handily melt away and rend their armor to slag upon impact. And the missiles they could fire off at the smaller ships found almost no damage as the targets appeared to "phase" out of existence at the moment that would be impact before phasing back in and rending more Wraiths to shreds.

Despite having a moderate numbers advantage, the UED were hopelessly outmatched. They had trained for this. For years. But none of the simulations prepared them for such opponents. They were prepared for older Protoss armaments. Powered by psionics. Not Mirages. Not Void Rays. Not Tempests.

The only fighting chance they were given was from the meager support they received from the space-station-like Science Vessels that could fire off the occasional EMP to disrupt their shields or Defensive Matrix to protect one of their more important vessels from imminent destruction.

Mere adhesive bandage solutions.

Vice-Admiral Sheffield was standing stoically on the bridge of her vessel, Shield of Humanity, not reacting to the various alarms, showers of sparks, and roaring fires that surrounded her. She stepped towards the view window, calmly observing the losing battle her fleets were engaged in.

"Warning: Hull breaches on all decks. Core breach imminent. Recommend immediate evacuation," the voice of the Adjutant said from all around her. Sheffield hardly regarded it as she removed her officer's cap that adorned her neat, straight black hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail that fell down to the middle of her back.

She blinked as she watched one of the claw-shaped vessels launch another sphere of pure kinetic energy at her ship, closing her eyes as she accepted her fate.

The Captain always goes down with the ship, she solemnly thought as she embraced her oblivion.

---

Artanis was suspicious at how well this battle was going, just as he had reservations about the campaign against the Zerg going as smoothly as it did.

Is this it? Artanis thought, making sure his thought was not broadcast to his brethren, Can they only operate in the shadows? Can they only use subterfuge? When one is prepared for them, do they just… crumble like this?

Though he would not vocalize it, he was disappointed. He should have been elated to have such a resounding victory so handily clutched, but his pride as a warrior made him shake his head.

---

After Louise, Siesta, and Tabitha left, the Protoss helped take the ailing elves into the cathedral area that was still strewn with corpses.

"Is that-?" Kirche began to ask as she vaguely recognized the body of a woman.

"Just some loser who couldn't get over her ex," Agnes coldly dismissed.

Kirche shrugged, no longer caring.

"That's-!" Eleonore exclaimed as she beheld the corpse, causing everyone to turn and behold her horrified visage, "That's Princess Beatrice von Guldendorf! Founder! What happened?!" Eleonore looked around wildly for any kind of explanation.

"She…" Tiffa spoke up, straining under the weight the psi disruptor was putting on her, "tried to kill us."

Eleonore looked even more shocked by this revelation.

What in the Hel was going on?! What is my sister mixed up in?! Eleonore frantically thought.

While the group gathered weapons, some of the previously-unconscious soldiers stirred, causing those of Louise's group who were armed to snap and train their weapons on the rousing UED personnel.

"Be thankful you're alive. Be smart if you wanna keep it that way," Agnes coldly stated to one Ghost she was standing over.

That was when a screeching in the hall they had exited was heard. As well as the sound of roaring flames. Soon, Colbert was visible beyond the door, flourishing his staff and commanding a raging serpent of flames to disintegrate what the group surmised had to be incoming Zerg.

Agnes, on instinct, raised her pistol to Colbert as she beheld this familiar visage of flames that still tormented her memories.

"Agnes… what-?" Tiffa tried to ask, breaking Agnes' trance. She lowered the pistol, shaking her head.

"No, that's in the past," Agnes said to herself as she instead raised the pistol and aimed it at a wayward Zergling that had evaded the flames enough to be in striking distance of Colbert and pulled the trigger, striking its head and causing its blood to splash Colbert. He and Agne's eyes briefly met, and they shared a nod of respect.

The Ghost below her began to stand and Agnes once again trained her pistol on him.

"Relax," the Ghost said in a husky, muffled, distorted voice through his mask adorned with lights over where the eyes would be. "Seems we got bigger problems than fightin' each other."

Agnes hesitated for a moment before looking to everyone else for confirmation.

Kirche shrugged.

Eleonor was unsure.

The Protoss were unreadable.

Tiffa and Ei'lyx were too focused on their breathing.

Montmorency and Guiche also looked unsure.

Mama Cassandra-

"Here," Mama Cassandra stepped past Agnes and tossed a pistol at the Ghost, causing Agnes to scowl at her. "Critical solidarity," was Mama Cassandra's only response as she readied her rifle and stepped out to be side-by-side with Colbert.

"We can help," the Ghost said as more of his comrades, mostly Marines, were rousing from their slumber.

Agnes raised an eyebrow at him.

"There's deployable cover hidden in the floors out there. I can set it up for you if you cover me," the Ghost said, checking to see that the pistol had a round chambered.

Agnes hesitated before making a judgment call. Ultimately, she nodded.

Agnes was the first out of the room, laying down covering fire, with the Ghost following close behind before running past her to the far wall and revealing a hidden console that he punched commands into. After a few moments, a click and hiss could be heard before a whirring sound. Parts of the floor began rising up into chest-high walls of what looked like steel.

Agnes looked at the Ghost, who nodded at her before ducking behind one of the newly-raised barriers.

"Come on! Take cover!" Agnes shouted, causing Marines, two more Ghosts, and a Marine with a shield and no rifle to join her along with any of their group who could carry a gun, with the Protoss cloaking themselves and taking up the frontlines.

At first, the Zerg only barely trickled in. Mostly Zerglings. A Hydralisk every so often. Nothing that the Protoss could not immediately stop.

The numbers only seemed to intensify as time went on. Until the Protoss were insufficient at being able to keep them from poking through to the rest of the group. Luckily, the hail of deafening gunfire from the marines and ragtag group was enough to catch them.

They were holding.

---

Louise and Siesta were seeing firsthand, for the first time, why Tabitha was always praised as a prodigy. Apparently they had been holding back in all the conflicts they participated in with them. To see them fully unleash their potential? It was terrifying.

True to Julio's word, the way forward was, indeed, heavily guarded by more marines and ghosts and white-armored, shield-adorned marines that looked to be supporting them that Tabitha informed were called medics. His warning was irrelevant as Tabitha proved to make short work of them all.

"Air hammer," Tabitha ordered, pointing their staff at a group of Marines. They were immediately crushed into near-flat piles of gore and metal.

"Wind wall," Tabitha declared, causing an invisible wall that deflected the projectiles of marines and ghosts to manifest before the trio and rush forward, compacting yet more of their enemies against a wall.

At a third, smaller group, Tabitha merely wordlessly waved their staff, causing the entire group to be bisected with strangled, wet screams.

Louise and Siesta both shuddered. If they truly wanted both of them dead that night they attacked the Sasaki household, they would not have survived.

Before they were to round another corner in these wide halls, the girls saw Tabitha falter for a moment, needing to cling to their staff with two hands.

Louise approached them with concern, "Are you alright?"

Tabitha took a moment, taking deeper than usual breaths, before they answered, "Willpower," they began, "Running low. Need to conserve some. For Joseph."

There was the sound of metal boots in the hall around the corner indicating more troops. Tabitha regathered themself before straightening their stance and their uniform. Before either of the girls could stop them, they stepped forward, revealing themself to the enemy and slamming the base of their staff against the stone floor to get their attention.

"I am Lieutenant-Commander Tabitha de Orleans," they announced. The soldiers did not fire. "I am giving you all one chance. Stand down. That's an order."

Louise and Siesta could not see the reactions. Not that they would even if they were standing beside Tabitha as every soldier's face had been completely covered. After an agonizingly long moment, the matter concluded.

"Stand down," they heard the voice of one of the soldiers, causing the girls to breathe a sigh of relief while Tabitha merely allowed themself an internal one while nodding before turning to the girls.

"Let's go," they ordered, causing the girls to fall in line behind them as they walked forward with a commanding gait. Louise and Siesta watched in awe as the soldiers parted for them, their weapons held down.

Not only do they command mastery of spells but authority like this? Louise observed as they passed the soldiers and stood before a large metal door they could feel was their destination.

Tabitha, with no trace of fear or hesitation on their countenance or in their heart, walked over to the console near the door, punching in an override code they'd held onto for years for just such an occasion. The door hissed as it began the process of opening, with Tabitha's eyes alight with fierce determination for what they had waited to do for so long.

---

Joseph slammed his fist on the table.

"Haunt Squad is taking heavy fire! Where are the reinforcements?"

"Stand by. All other squads are unavailable or KIA. Hang tight."

"Shield of Humanity has been destroyed! Who's in command?!"

These were only some of the cries he heard from his ailing forces. He could see, in real time, all his top officers were being whittled away. No more Vice-Admiral. No more Captains. No more Commanders. Hardly any Lieutenant Commanders.

But how?

Was humanity not blessed to ever prevail against the degenerate and lesser? And surely after the years of careful preparation he had engaged in this should have turned out different.

But.

They were ready for him. And his tactics.

And the firepower.

It was more than they could ever have prepared for.

Or perhaps they could have. If he was… patient.

He glared at the thought. His glare slowly began to turn into his first genuine look of fear. Were they right? Had he been impatient? Should he have heeded the Pope's council and been more conservative with his efforts? Not followed his sadistic hedonism?

Did I… make a mistake? It was the first time Joseph ever questioned himself.

His moment of self-realization was cut short by the hissing of the main door to the bridge opening. He whipped around to behold three visages that nearly struck genuine terror in his heart.

If nothing else, Joseph wryly thought as he stared down the barrel of his niece's pistol that was aimed squarely at him and put his signature wicked smirk upon his face, I can have this little pleasure.

---

The moment Tabitha beheld Joseph's back, and Saito's face, time seemed to slow down for them. They considered the position. With Saito standing right beside him… they could not use their overwhelming spells to simply, immediately crush Joseph without hurting Saito. That bastard. That was why he always had Saito so close to him. He knew. He knew they'd never risk hurting him.

No matter. That's what the gun was for.

Tabitha drew their pistol and aimed it squarely at Joseph's center mass as he turned and their eyes finally met. Their own eyes narrowed.

To Louise and Siesta, it looked as though the door opened, Joseph faced them, and Tabitha drew and fired their pistol at Joseph three times in an instant. They hardly had time to react as Joseph disappeared from where he was just a second ago.

Tabitha had already dashed forward, avoiding the swing of a snarling blue warp blade that would have bisected them had they not moved. Siesta, on instinct, brought Derflinger before her to block the arc of the blade.

Surprisingly, Derflinger stopped it, with the mysterious warp blade clashing against him with a blinding flash and sparks.

"What?! You can do this?!" Siesta cried out in disbelief.

"All that and more, partner! But now's not the time! Look out!" Derflinger warned as a second warp blade was coming to gut her.

It was barely deflected by Louise's pink blade. The snarling energies of the cyan blade locked with Derflinger shifted to cut at Louise's side. She yelped in pain before falling back.

"Louise!" Siesta cried out before she looked up at their attacker, and her eyes went wide.

"This must be the legendary lost sword, Derflinger," Joseph remarked, smirking down at Siesta as he brought his other warp blade back to thrust it at Siesta once more while she tried to scramble back without the help of her psionics.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, asshole!" Derflinger shouted.

It wasn't enough. Siesta saw Joseph begin to turn to follow through on his thrust, with the extra reach from his taller body being more than enough to run her through even if she had psionics. Before she could meet this fate, however, three more pistol shots rang out, and Joseph disappeared at once. Siesta had to catch herself before falling over.

She whipped her head around to see Joseph more properly now. The blades were erupting from beneath his uniform, having burned the cuffs away. And he was bringing them to bear against Tabitha, who had no time to turn their pistol to him.

Siesta, after taking a brief moment to look down at her wife, received a determined look and nod to indicate she was in no mortal danger. Siesta summoned her Gandalfr power to dash forward. It wouldn't be enough, she realized only too late as the blades were just inches from slicing down on her friend, who had not even turned to realize what was about to happen to them.

"No!" she heard Saito cry out before Tabitha was shoved aside.

The blades severed Saito's outstretched left hand.

Siesta immediately stopped in her tracks as she observed this display. She could scarcely comprehend what had happened. And had no comprehension as to why.

Saito cried out as he collapsed to the ground, holding his now stumped wrist and writhing in pain.

Joseph regarded this with a glare as he pointed one of his blades at him, "I should have maimed you long ago, dog." He deactivated one of his blades and pulled Saito up by his mesh-adorned shirt, bringing him to his face, his own twisted in rage. "You're a waste of existence. Useless." He brought his other warp blade back in preparation to run Saito through, "Disgusting."

"No!" It was Tabitha's turn to cry out as they aimed their pistol at Joseph once more, with only clicks coming from the weapon.

This brief distraction was enough for Louise to act. She had heard everything Joseph said, and, instinctively, it lit the fire of justice within her. As well as a spark of empathy she never expected to feel for Saito. Of all people. She ignited her warp blade once more, willed the shadows to cloak her, and disappeared in a whirl of pink and black before appearing at Joseph's side, slashing down at his one activated blade's wrist.

The strike was broken against the bracer upon Joseph's wrist, but whatever she struck was enough to cause a burst of sparks and a flash of blue energy to erupt from his wrist deactivate the blade. Joseph glared down at the shimmer that was Louise, and, without thinking, raised his arm to swing at it.

Louise's cloak was dropped and her blade was deactivated when Joseph's arm impacted her face, sending her flying back into a console that she hit the back of her head against the corner of. The jolt of pain for her was so much that she could hardly cry out as she collapsed to the ground. Instinctively, she reached up to the back of her head and looked at her hand to see it awash in crimson. A wave of panic hit her.

"Louise!" Siesta rushed to her side, looking down at her with horror and concern as she beheld Louise's bloodied hand. "Stay still. You're gonna be okay," Siesta tried to comfortingly say to her as she instinctively dropped Derflinger to hold her, feeling her strength and energy immediately sap away as she did. Realizing her mistake, she tried feeling around for the sword, finding every movement an arduous strain upon every muscle she attempted to move.

Joseph, witnessing this, smirked as he haphazardly dropped Saito into a crumpled, writhing mess on the floor. He slowly walked up to the couple, a sadistic grin upon his face as he activated his one good warp blade on his right wrist.

"Good, I can take care of both of you degenerates at once," Joseph's sadistic, malicious tone dripped with anticipation of the promised violence. He raised his blade.

Before he could bring it down, he heard the slight sound of wood on metal and disappeared, barely dodging a wind blade that had been sent to end him. He reappeared above Tabitha, swiping his blade in an arc that bisected their staff, and grinned down at her.

"I think that's enough insubordination, Lieutenant," Joseph mocked as he readied himself to strike at them, finding Siesta's blade stopping his with a swipe that lifted his arm.

The follow-up strike from Siesta was avoided when he disappeared again. Before Siesta could search for him, she felt a sharp pain in her back that caused the air to evacuate her lungs. She turned to see Joseph, his wicked grin more unhinged than she thought could be possible.

The pain was not one of burning. This was not the warp blade. She still had a chance. She tried to free herself, but found a hand at her throat keeping her in place. Joseph gave a sultry growl into her ear that sent shivers down her spine.

"You know, in another life, perhaps we could have been great together. I love feisty ones like you," he whispered in her ear. Siesta bristled with disgust. She raised Derflinger in an attempt to thrust it back on her captor, only for him to disappear once more.

This time, he did not immediately make his presence known, and Siesta took this moment to take stock of their situation.

Tabitha was disarmed.

Saito was… she didn't care.

Louise was alive, but had a terrible head injury that she could not determine the full severity of.

She just knew she was bleeding. And it was just now that she was noticing that this bridge was staffed by a few people in jumpsuits who were doing their best to make their presence unknown as they worked at their consoles and trembled in fear.

People caught in the middle, Siesta spared a sympathetic thought for them.

At that, a clunk and whirring sound filled the room, and Siesta could see what looked like walls at the back of this room were actually windows, with the solid "shutters" parting slowly to let the orange light of the burning city-sized ship they were upon begin to seep into this room. That was when she could see him again, standing at the very back of the room with his back to the windows, his silhouette becoming ever more contrasted by the growing light from the flames.

"Call me dramatic," Joseph said as he began to slowly step towards Siesta, who leveled Derflinger at him, "But this fulfills my dream of having a heroic storybook fight whilst I overcome my villainous enemies."

Siesta glared at him.

"Are you insane? Do you really think you're the hero?" Siesta demanded.

Joseph chuckled, "Of course I am. I am the dashing, charming, chosen one whose destiny is to save humanity from lesser beings and degenerates such as you! Everyone knows it's the beautiful and the strong who are meant to guide the world! Not the plain and, rightfully, powerless like you! If you were meant to have power, you would have been born with it. Yet you cling to a stolen gift. Like a thief."

"I was born with this," Siesta snarled.

"All the more reason," Joseph began as he ignited his warp blade once more, with the fully opened windows now bathing the room in flickering, dull, orange light, "that you are the villains! A test meant for me to overcome to prove I, and by extension humanity, is worthy!"

"I am human! We are human!" Siesta spat.

"No. You are perverted, degenerate freaks who sully what it means to be human," he briefly glanced at Louise before turning his attention back to the steadfast Siesta, "We are woman and man. And those are the only two meant to be together. Leaders and followers. And they should stay with their kind. Anything else is perversion of the natural order ordained by the Founder. And I," he stopped just before Siesta, giving her a prideful grin, "will be the one to snuff it out."

Siesta did not care for his pathetic ramblings, she just wanted to end this. While she did keep her eyes trained on him, her mind was focused on his right wrist. She waited for him to strike. Before he could, however, she felt something shift. She felt… strength.

Neither of the combatants noticed a struggling Saito falling back from a console he had just worked.

My psionics! Siesta thought. They had returned to her. She had no time to regard how this had happened as Joseph was upon her once more. She activated her psi blade, taking a brief moment of pleasure in his shocked face, and swept up to knock the blade away while readying Derflinger to plunge into him.

Frustratingly, he disappeared once more, and she faltered forward. A slash at her wrist caused her to drop Derflinger, and she felt an incoming mortal attack come at her. She raised her psi blade to block it, only to have a dagger lodged in her side. Her Akhundelar power was the only thing that made her disregard this and all the other pain she would surely suffer from when this was over, and she glared and gritted her teeth at Joseph, grappling his wrist with her free hand and smirking at him.

"I got you," she said as she thrust her head forward, feeling a sharp impact upon it and hearing a crunch of a broken nose. She did not relent her grip upon him, and she surmised that this was, indeed, the path to Joseph's downfall. He couldn't displace when he was physically held against his will.

Still, she knew it was not wise to rely on headbutts to win. She was at a stalemate. A knife was in her side, Joseph's warp blade was locked with her psionic one, and all they could do was glare at each other.

"You insolent little bitch," Joseph growled, giving Siesta no small sense of satisfaction to see him struggle.

Both of them, however, were distracted by the sound of something rustling beside them. They both looked to see Saito had begun getting up. A pistol in his right hand. Aiming it square at Siesta's head.

Joseph's face broke into a victorious grin.

"Looks like I won!" Joseph cackled as he looked over to Saito, while Siesta felt dread begin to build in her heart. She may be fast, but she doubted she could dodge a bullet. "Saito, my beautiful familiar, kill her."

Saito furrowed his brow into a look of conviction as he shakily aimed at Siesta.

The shot did not come, and Saito's shaking intensified along with the sweating on his brow. The delay caused Joseph to glare at the hesitating familiar of his.

"Saito! Kill her! That's an-!"

Before he could finish, the shot finally came. Siesta instinctively clenched her eyes shut, trying her best to embrace death once more. However, she seemed to still be aware of her surroundings, including the deafening silence that followed the shot she heard. As she opened her eyes, she felt the knife yanked out of her by the falling Admiral Joseph.

"Ah!" Siesta cried out as the knife's angle had further torn her wound. She pulled away from where she stood and turned just in time to see the former sadistic Admiral Joseph, a look of terrified surprise now permanently frozen on his face, and adorned with a new, gory orifice upon his forehead, hit the floor.

Siesta's eyes went wide as she was beginning to process what had happened, but before her processing could complete, Saito had marched forward, raised the pistol once more, and fired shot after shot into the already-dead Admiral before him.

At first, he was breathing deep, shaky breaths. Which gave way to hyperventilating. Which gave way to a building, primal scream the more shots he fired. Once the gun was empty, he opted to drop to his knees and begin using it to beat the carcass' face repeatedly, maintaining his scream until he was hoarse.

Once Saito had exhausted himself, he dropped the now gore-covered pistol and remained on his knees, silently shaking and sobbing as he did.

Siesta was almost moved. Almost. But even as a prick of sympathy was born for him, she remembered his sins. As she looked down on him, holding her tender side, she also remembered her promise.

She summoned Derflinger to her hand and raised him.

She would end Saito for all he had done. To her. To Juliette. To Tabitha. To Louise. She was poised and ready to strike, but before she could bring the sword down upon him… she felt something in her heart stop her. When she looked down upon this now powerless man before her. She could not help but feel… pity. And the sympathy she felt, it had already sprouted within her.

It froze her.
"Please…" Saito croaked out as his sobbing quelled. He gave Siesta a pleading, teary-eyed look, "Do it… I can't live with what he made me."

Siesta's resolve cracked. She no longer saw the face of the smug, smarmy man that tormented her in her dreams.

Still. It was Saito. And no amount of crocodile tears would deny her her rightful vengeance. Derflinger was brought into a white knuckle grip as she began to bring him down upon Saito while he closed his eyes in acceptance. Her instincts told her to stop as Tabitha threw themself between her and her prey, raising a hand to Siesta and giving her a pleading look.

Siesta regarded her, at first, with confusion. Then, rage as she bared her teeth at Tabitha.

"Why?" Siesta snarled in demand.

Tabitha's eyes welled up with tears as they lowered their hand, taking Saito's in it while maintaining eye contact, "Didn't have a choice."

Siesta's resolve suffered another crack. She clenched her jaw, seething with all manner of retorts. Just as she was about to unleash them, however, she caught a hint of movement at the edge of her vision.

"Siesta…" Louise's voice, laden with sympathy, spoke up. Siesta turned to see her stumbling towards them, and rushed to support her. Louise gave her a pleading look, "Look at them."

Siesta did as she was asked.

Tabitha and Saito were huddled together, silently sobbing into each other. She could feel it. Palpably. The feelings of relief within them both. The deep sense of longing they both had finally fulfilled.

And aside from that, Siesta now realized that she'd never seen Saito's real body before. Never truly looked upon it. As she looked him over, a horror born of her newfound sympathy gripped her. He was covered in scars. And wounds that did not look too old. It reminded her of a certain night when she found herself in chains.

Siesta's resolve broke.

"Do it!" Saito suddenly shouted as he broke away from Tabitha, prostrating himself before Siesta, "You cowards! I'm just as bad as him! I've done unspeakable things in his name! Sometimes he didn't have to order me! I deserve this!" Saito shouted at them.

Their only response was their looks of pity and sympathy.

Saito's tears became wrathful. "Don't you get it?! You can't save me! That's not your responsibility! I don't deserve it! Kill me or leave me here with him to die! That's what I deserve!" Each word from his mouth cracked under the strain of his emotions.

Tabitha scrambled over and took him in a tight, tearful embrace once more.

Louise broke from Siesta as she walked over and knelt before the sobbing, scowling former familiar. Once she met his gaze, she gently placed a hand on his tear-streaked face.

Saito was too stunned to respond to this as he looked at her, slack-jawed.

"The only coward I see here is you," Louise began chastising him with conviction, "you'd rather die than try and be better? Fine. But don't let it be said that you weren't given a choice." Louise reached her hand out to Saito, whose tears had now ceased.

There was a moment's hesitation as he looked away, shamefully.

"What if I can't?" Saito nearly whispered. He then looked to her with new tears in his eyes. Tears of fear and sorrow, "What if… I try… and it's just not good enough?" Saito's voice was shaky with desperation.

Louise, faintly smiling, forcefully took his hand and, with no resistance, pulled Saito up.

"It'll be good enough for me," Louise reassured him with both her tone and her smile.

At that moment, Saito began to feel something awaken in him. Hope? He had no idea, but he wanted to embrace this feeling and never let it go. He knew it would be too soon to be affectionate with Louise, but, at the very least, he returned her smile and nodded.

I know she understands, Siesta thought to herself as she looked at her wife with pride, what it's like to not be in control. To feel like an object of disgust. A source of shame.

Though not completely… Siesta felt her grip loosen on the bitterness in her heart as the flames of the city darkened and the view beyond the windows were overtaken with stars.

"Lieutenant! Director!" one of the technicians called out, interrupting their moment. Tabitha rose to their feet, straightened their uniform, and regarded the technician.

"Speak," Tabitha ordered.

"The chain of command is broken. Almost all senior officers are gone. It's chaos. Here, there, everywhere. We need orders," the technician desperately requested.

Saito and Tabitha exchanged knowing looks before nodding and approaching a console at the glowing table in this room, activating it with a few chimes.

"I want an open channel," Tabitha ordered.

"Sir?"

"I want everyone who can to hear this," Tabitha explained.

"Right away, sir," the technician acknowledged before briefly turning to his console. "You're green."

"This is Lieutenant-Commander Tabitha de Orleans, ID code Iota-Chi-Epsilon three-one-five-one-one-seven. Per Article X.055 of the Halkeginian UED Directive, I have relieved High Admiral Joseph de Orleans under condition of being unfit for duty," they began, "Acknowledge."

There was a moment of silence broken only by the hum of consoles and the ambient rumbling of the ship's thrusters while Tabitha looked down at the screen below. It had an array of all the known battle groups, ships, and squadrons arranged in neat boxes. Almost all of them were red, indicating they were destroyed. There was still a moderate amount of green and yellow among them, however, that indicated there were still a good amount of survivors.

Anxiety clutched at Tabitha's heart. They were unsure if they would be accepted. Saito took their hand, causing them to turn and face him. He gave them a reassuring smile and nod, which calmed Tabitha's heart.

That was when they started hearing the chimes. They turned to the console to see check marks appearing in the green and yellow boxes. Rapidly, one after the other, they acknowledged the change in command.

Tabitha was now High Admiral.

"Very good," Tabitha announced in a professional tone, "Protoss vessels, if you can hear us? We surrender. All UED ships, power off weapons and disengage."

"Yes, Admiral," that and minute variations of that were heard in a chorus from the console before them, confirming their order. Anxious anticipation gripped them once more as they hoped for a reply.

Another chime.

"Admiral, we have an incoming transmission," one of the technicians announced.

"Bring it up," Tabitha ordered, causing a holographic video display to appear before them of Artanis. They regarded this being they had never personally met with a slight widening of the eyes.

"This is Hierarch Artanis of the Daelaam. We accept your surrender. Turn your ships from this place and you will be granted mercy," Artanis bluntly announced. It was strange to hear his voice not ringing in their heads.

"I would hope that exempts us, 'Hierarch'," Louise said as she walked forward to make herself seen to Artanis.

"Executor?" Artanis sounded confused.

"I am aboard this currently-rising vessel. So… maybe don't blow this one up?" Louse asked in a slightly playful manner.

"Understood, Executor, we shall stay our blades from the vessel currently rising into orbit," Artanis acknowledged.

Tabitha gave him one curt nod that was returned before the video feed ended.

Saito, feeling the pain from his severed hand, suddenly winced, causing Tabitha to look to him in concern. They walked over to him and put their arm around his waist with his arm over their shoulder before looking back to the smattering of bridge crew.

"You have the bridge. Keep us in stable orbit."

They were saluted before turning to Louise and Siesta, "Come, let's get you fixed up."

---

"Damn it!" Henrietta tearfully slammed her fist on the coffee table before her, her face contorted in sorrowful rage. She had just been informed that the city guards found Matilda slain. She only managed to hold it together until the messenger had left.

Aly, taken aback by this display, looked at her with concern, "Did you know her well?"

Henrietta breathed a wavering breath as she leaned back on the couch in the Sasaki Manor's living room.

She shook her head, unconsciously grasping where her old wound was that was giving her phantom pains once more.

"But she was a soldier," Henrietta began as a haunted look came upon her face, "and I mourn them all just the same." A silence fell between the two of them. "Damn it," Henrietta hissed as she stood up, feeling too restless to sit anymore, "Maybe if I was there. Maybe I could have done something."

Aly noticed now how much this Queen had her hand upon her lower left abdomen. It felt familiar.

"I don't mean to interrupt your self-pity," Aly said, a kind of dismissive callousness in her tone that caused Henrietta to turn and furrowed her brow at her. Aly pointed to where Henrietta's left hand rested, "Why do you keep doing that?"

Henrietta, maintaining her frown, merely scoffed, "Just an old injury from Tarbes."

"How'd you manage that from the backlines?"

"I TOLD YOU!" Henrietta shouted at her, causing Aly to flinch, "I WAS RIGHT! THERE!" Henrietta was glaring with gritted teeth at Aly now. "You have no idea, you have no FUCKING idea what happened. You think I'm just some Princess giving orders from an ivory tower while drinking tea and eating cake? Fuck you. I was there. I held a boy, not a man, in my arms while he begged to go home before death took him. I used the blood of my own soldiers to fend off countless monsters. And when I no longer had the willpower to do that? I threw myself atop two of them. Thinking if I could save just them. Even just one. That it would be worth it!"

Henrietta's face was streaked with equal parts wrathful, indignant, and sorrowful tears. She did not notice Aly's acute reaction to hearing the last thing she did.

"What did you say?" Aly faintly asked in disbelief.

"You heard me."

"No, about throwing yourself atop soldiers," Aly carefully approached the Queen, scrutinizing her in wide-eyed disbelief. "That was you?"

Henrietta drew in a sharp breath, now being the one taken aback.

"Then you-?"

Aly nodded, "I… I was one of them. Julien was the other." Aly felt gutpunched by this information. All this time. All that resentment. For nothing. This was their savior. Her savior. She felt her eyes burn with tears that immediately poured from them as she fell to her knees before Henrietta, "I'm so sorry."

Henrietta, looking down at this prostrating woman, felt sympathetic tears. Of relief. She fell to her knees as well, taking Aly into a tight embrace.

"No, no, you have nothing to be sorry for. Not to me," Henrietta cooed in her ear as Aly sobbed into her.

"You saved us. You saved me. I owe you everything, and then I just-" her trembling words were cut off by her own sob.

"You couldn't have known," Henrietta reassured her, "and… this is a good thing. It means I was right. It was worth it."

The two held each other and cried in silence for a time. They both needed it. The relief that Henrietta could see the fruits of her efforts manifested. The joy that Aly could be reunited with her savior.

After a time, however, the tears stopped, and a comfort settled between the two as they pulled away and met each others' gaze, both laughing and smiling as they looked at each other. Henrietta took Aly's hands in her own as they stood, keeping their eyes locked on each other.

"I'm truly thankful that I got to meet you," Henrietta said.

"Me as well," Aly confirmed.

"Now," Henrietta said as she broke from Aly, wiping her eyes and sniffling, "I believe there is a party we're planning to crash?"