#Weak and barely existing for years after the planet's destruction but just waiting and waiting for its last little star to settle

[bongo-clash]

Okay scribbled this out Super Fast and my justifications for this are in the tags BUT-

Short DPXDC Prompts #658

very powerful spectral entities serve on the Ghost Kings council to advise and assist the king in his duties. Some commonly powerful entities are collectives. Usually the collective consciousness of a city, a concept, or an ideology.

Two of those collectives that serve the Ghost Kings Council is Metropolis and Gotham.

[todourouki]

IT’S YOU.

♡ dabi todoroki

SUMMARY he hates to express himself but it’s now or never.

WORD COUNT 2.9K

WARNINGS angst, someone d*es sorry lol, fluff, sorry i miss dabi & i had to, also a suggestive joke cause it’s dabi

AUTHORS NOTE this is kinda trash cause i’m just warming up again lol <3 also it’s unedited lol sorry ly guys

** italics signify a flashback

Everything went to shit.

Nothing could be heard through your ears other than the large explosions and cries for help, flames of red and blue illuminating your face through the porcelain glass.

You should be out there. You should be fighting with everyone, trying to save the planet from the complete destruction and cataclysmic hurricanes of utter civil war.

Instead, you found yourself trapped within the walls of the practical prison cell, encaged within nothing but glass on the highest building in your current prefecture. You couldn’t remember when it happened, how it happened, how you get there, where it started— nothing.

All you could remember though, was yesterday morning. And as the flames began to grow closer in proximity to you, all you could do was think about him.

“Dabi, if you keep touching me with your cold ass feet I promise I’ll call the police and turn you in.” He could hear the irritation in your voice, doing nothing but chuckling and pulling you closer into his bare chest.

“You wouldn’t dare, you know that.”

His voice was soft for the first ever time, the sign of sleepiness still lingering behind his tongue as he lingered the ends of his words. The warmth of the winter sun hit your bodies through your shades, and you found yourself opening your eyes and doing something you rarely got the chance to do— admire Dabi.

He usually expressed his hatred for his appearance. It usually ranged from the two-toned colors loitering his body, the staples holding him together, to even the simplest of things such as his hands being too weak or his weight not being strong enough.

Everything he ever complained about though, were things you found yourself falling deeper and deeper inlove with as the days progressed. The sunlight hit his skin softly, the white duvet perched across his shoulders showing that he at least got cold even though he felt like a human radiator.

“You’re so pretty.” Your simple words silently slipped, his ears perching up in his sleep but his scowl remaining against his monotonous face.

You knew he liked it though, from the way his fingers heated up just a tad bit and caused you to blush for him. He wasn’t a friend of admitting the way he felt, giving out compliments whether they be true or not, or doing anything remotely close to giving you any kind of affection that wasn’t physical. You knew this tough, from the moment you got yourself involved with someone like him.

You knew that getting into Dabi’s life and lingering around meant that your life would permanently be in danger, would never be the same, and would never be safe. You knew all of this, yet you never batted an eye on whether or not you wanted to deal with it for as long as you lived— you knew you would die for him if he’d ask you to.

Sometimes you thought of saying those three words you knew scared him. They almost slipped more than a few times, and it was Dabi that prevented you from doing so by doing things such as changing the conversation topic and reaverting your attention towards anything, absolutely anything else.

To tell the truth, you were scared of admitting it to him as well. Dabi was a criminal, and not just any criminal, but thee criminal of the hour. He was plastered all over Tokyo with nothing but a mugshot taken when he was about two years younger and a life sentence he refused to give in to. You knew what would happen if news got out that you had invested your time with someone like him.

You would potentially lose your family, everything you’ve ever worked for, your job, you’d lose it all. It never bothered you though, because you’d do anything for him. Anything.

And as you felt the words begin to form from the bottom of your throat, you realized those cerulean eyes were now staring back at you. It was almost as if the world didn’t exist when you were with him, and you would give anything to be able to say those words. Anything just to show him your devotion for him, and how you would kill or be killed for him.

Like clockwork, the opportunity fell from your hands and onto the ground like shattered glass when you felt him peck your cheek with something hidden in his irises. “Let’s get out of bed, yeah?”

Tears fell from your eyes, silent whimpers growing louder as you realized what was happening. Your feet began to ache, body spiraling down in pain with nothing but heartbreak racing through your veins.

You hadn’t seen Dabi since that morning, the chaos only growing the minute he slipped through your apartment door and not bothering to call, text, or even see you.

The world was ending, and you never got the chance to tell Dabi you were in love with him.

You knew everything was coming to an end. He had warned you things were only growing worse, heroes and villains alike reaching a point so desperate in finishing the war, they’d both resort to anything. And that anything, was currently demolishing the streets in front of your own eyes.

The blue flames only grew in damage, covering towers of glass and growing closer in proximity into the glass bubble you were stuck behind. You were the only person up there, being led to safety by a hero much too young to be in such a situation and bringing you to even more tears.

You wanted to scream— cry for anything or anyone to help you so you could just get out and look for him. It’s all you wanted, to just hold him once more and feel his snide remarks slap you hot against your skin one last time.

“Hey dollface.”

The voice you heard forced your breath to cave in, voice being numb from the tears falling earlier enough to where all you could do was turn and feel your heart break even more.

He was missing a few staples, a bullet wound pressed against his white shirt near his torso and his body seeming weaker than you’d ever seen it. His hair was disheveled more than usual, coat missing, and skin beginning to detach itself from his thin frame. His face was tired, voice wavering from pain and exhaustion and you felt your body freeze.

“Dabi?” Your voice was sweet to him, music to his ears finally being played at a lesser pressure to where if tears could fall down his eyes, they would.

He had searched everywhere for you, ignited the streets in flames looking for anyone that knew of your whereabouts no matter who or what they were. He saw your weak frame run towards the end of the glass he stood on the opposite side of and his body limped closer to you.

If only you could see how much it hurt him to not be able to hold you, looking at you cry and mourn through glass hurting him more than he thought anything ever had. He knew it was his fault for getting so attached as for involving you in this mess. It was his to clean up but he let you help him and manage to self destruct your future quicker than he could stop you.

“Missed me?” His smirk was lazy as usual, but weak enough to falter as his head knocked across the glass and held its eyesight on you.

You were crying, not being able to stop yourself from leaning against the glass right with him and he couldn’t say it hurt him any less than it did. It fucking killed him to see you like this. He knew he couldn’t break through the glass without killing you, and he knew you couldn’t break the glass unless the hero who surrounded you in it was there. And he had never wanted to kill someone more than he wanted to kill that guy— not even his own father.

“Please tell me you’re okay.” You whimpered, hands flat across the glass as your chest heaved up and down in nothing but pain.

Dabi heard them getting closer from a distance, the sound of screams beginning to crowd his ears and preventing him from hearing to your voice so clearly. He knew he had to say something- he had to do something if he wanted to have time to do it before the end.

“Don’t worry about me, just do me a favor and listen alright?” His voice held the usual attitude it did when you’d speak to him, the pain growing more and more noticeable as he started to wince after each growing syllable.

You always listened to him, and as much as you wanted to scream at him to get you out of there so you could just feel your skin on his, you knew it wasn’t the time yet. His hands slowly raised towards yours on the glass, something he would have never done under any other circumstance other than this one and you knew. You knew what he was doing.

“I love you,” the words fell flatly, echoing through your brain as you sucked in air and watched as blood began to drip from the hand falsely holding yours across the glass, “I fucking love you.”

“I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not waking up next to ya’, or what to do if I’m not laying with ya’, but I know what I’m gonna have to do now if it means you get to get out of here okay.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, your posture straightening and beginning to panic. “Dabi, what the fuck are you talking about?”

You saw him squeeze his eyes shut, blood growing against his eyelids and starting to trickle down his burned cheeks. The air you once knew how to breathe without thinking started to slip through your lungs faster than you could catch up, and you knew you were living out your worst nightmare.

The screams Dabi had been waiting for grew, footsteps flying up the stairs behind him growing in sound and he knew time was limited. He knew he needed to do this now or he’d never get a second chance.

“I’m doing this to save you, so don’t think I’m doing this to find an excuse to get your annoying ass out of my life.” His words caused you to sob, air leaving your lungs as your dainty hands slammed across the unbreakable glass.

“Shut the fuck up! Don’t you fucking DARE!” Your words hit him hard, nothing but a small smirk lifting against his lips and staring back at you with blood streaming eyes.

“You know I have to, even if I don’t wanna. So listen good. In about three seconds, those guys are gonna slam through the door and kill me and I’m gonna let them.”

“I’m gonna let them do to me what they should’ve done a long time ago if it meant I got to give ya’ a better chance at life so it’s what I’m doing, okay? I’m giving you a chance to do some shit you couldn’t do with me sticking around.”

Dabi’s words burned through your ears and you knew nothing hurt you more than this. The pain of smacking against the glass only caused bruises to form against your knuckles. You wanted to keep hitting, to keep fighting, and to keep doing whatever you possibly could’ve done if it meant you’d get to hold him and stop him from being so fucking stupid. But this was a fight that was already won, and it’s what hurt you the most.

“You’re the most beatiful shit I’ve ever seen in my life. You make the best fucking French toast I’ve ever had, and your lips are better to me than any fucking weed I’ve ever smoked in my life.” The footsteps grew louder, and he knew this was all he could say before it was over.

“I never told you cause I was a fucking pussy but right now I’m facing death and nothing could be worse than this. I fucking love you, Y/N. I love you and you’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Maybe if I wasn’t a criminal about to die I woulda married ya’ with a ring I stole from Shig but I am.”

You watched something glimmer from his fingertips, the sight causing your breath to get stuck between your throat and hold itself longer than you could handle. He was going to propose to you.

Within seconds, the door slammed open and there stood police officers with guns and weapons piling through. They were yelling, and you knew you should’ve been listening to their words but all you could do was stare at the ring Dabi dropped underneath his foot and hid beneath his shoe.

“They’re gonna kill me and I’ll never be able to feel you against me again, but know that nobody in this world will ever make me feel the way I do or did with you. Do something with your life while I’m gone, dollface.”

That’s all he could say before turning his body around, giving you one last view of his arrogant smirk before trying to shoot his arm out to give himself one last method of defense. The only problem was that he didn’t stand a chance. You couldn’t watch, knowing that if you did you’d lose your mind more than you were going to eventually anyway so you blinked.

You blinked for a really long fucking time, long enough to slip down the glass with your hands following the trail of blood Dabi’s hands left as his lifeless body rested against the cage holding you in.

You couldn’t hold him, you couldn’t smell him, you couldn’t even tell him you loved him back. He never gave you the chance to say it, and when he finally admits it to you, his body loses every inch of life it was granted before you were even given the chance.

You wanted to hate him, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t find it within yourself to do anything other than weep and sob Dabi’s name like a mantra. Because this was it. You were there when he took his last breath to finally admit he loved you and you couldn’t even say it back, without the chance of ever saying it again.

You’d lost him, and couldn’t even try to save him from his own self.

Dabi’s body rested on top of yours, head nuzzled between the crevice of your breasts and breath pattering against your exposed nipples as you both lay there speaking of nothing but nonsense. That was, at least until he cleared his throat and began to rub his warm hands against your waist.

“You wanna know something, Y/N?” He muttered, causing you to giggle softly and run a hand through his raven hair.

“What, Dabi?” The snow falling outside was louder than it had ever been before, the silence after you replied consuming you so strongly and so loudly you would’ve been concerned if it wasn’t for him opening his mouth yet again.

“When all this shit ends,” his staples clicking and deep voice was the only thing circling against the room, taking a second to think and finally finding his voice once again, “I think I’m gonna take you out on a date.”

The laugh that left your lips was one that made Dabi smile, playfully glaring up at you with an eye and joining you in a slight chuckle. Dabi usually said stupid flirtatious remarks like this, but hearing him offer to take you out on a date was beyond anything you’d ever heard.

“Oh really? Where are we gonna go, lover boy?” Your hands continued to run itself through his hair, words tickling at his scalps and making him relax even more into your body’s sanctuary,

“Anywhere else. As long as I got your dumbass with me.”

The words rang deep, your hand stopping slightly and cheeks burning more as the words echoed through your head. He wasn’t one for romantics or for sappy comments but this one hit a bit deeper than it probably should have for you. You knew it took a lot for him to say, being well aware of his faux emotional aloofness to really just cover up the fact that he’s an undercover softy.

“Simp.” Translated in Y/N’s language: I love you.

“Don’t be such a bitch about it.” Translated in Dabi’s language: I love you, more.

Silence covered your ears once more, nothing but flashing Tokyo lights illuminating through to it window with snowflake shadows dancing across your white walls. Moments of peace like this were rare, especially with Dabi being in your bed with you for as long as he pleased.

You appreciated moments like these the most, his body weight fitting like a puzzle on top of yours. You both continued to crack a few jokes, talking about nothing and everything at the same time until someone (most likely you, honestly) fell asleep with a small smile imprinted on the two of you.

You know moments like these were only the beginning of your relationship, and you knew you’d do anything for Dabi to make sure you got to show him how much you appreciated them until the day you died.

You knew it wouldn’t be for a while though, since your love was too strong to get any of you killed.

—

[mylifeisactuallyamess]

General Hux x Female Reader/Kylo Ren x Female Reader

A/N: I have been sitting on this chapter for so long I know @daydreamsofren is not looking forward to this one even though she’s read some of it already 😢

Warnings: Implied abuse, don’t judge Hux too harshly, Kylo knows more than he lets on. Many, many people die.

Word Count: 3195

Read Chapter 17 here on AO3.

Judging by the amount of meals you’d been served, you had been in this dank cell for two weeks. Either they didn’t know what to do with you or they had forgotten you, leaving your shivering form in the bowels of the ship to rot. No one had stopped by, everytime the door opened, hope flared that it was Hux, even Kylo but it was always just a trooper holding a tray of food or a quick trip to the shower, until today.

The troopers roughly grabbed you from the corner in your cell. You resisted until one raised his hand to strike you across the face, cowering, your eyes closed, you waited for the pain but it never came.

“Think about where we’re taking her.” You cracked your eye open to see the trooper drop his hand, the other one half body blocking you. “She may be a treasonous bitch but there’s nothing to stop the Grand Marshal from killing us if we lay a hand on her.” He stooped down and hauled you up by your arm. “She will cooperate.” You winced at the right grip he had on your arm. “Right?” You nodded slightly as hope surged through you.

Were they taking you to see Armitage?

Has some information come to light?

Maybe some evidence to help clear your name?

Your feet skimmed the floor in uneven steps as the troopers dragged you through the ship, the cuffs binding your wrists were unforgiving against your skin but you took the hurt. Your excitement grew the closer you got to the bridge, officers, admirals and lieutenants littered the corridors all speaking in hushed tones as you were dragged passed but the spark of hope burned brightly inside you. If you could just see Armitage’s face you’d know what fate awaited you.

You were thrown onto the floor at their feet, Kylo Ren had his mask on, barely casting a glance in your direction but you didn’t care about him. Your attention was solely on Armitage, his overcoat hid his body but you could see from the tension in his neck and the way he ignored the sound of you falling to the floor that this wasn’t good.

A blue holo-image of General Pryde was standing before them, a knowing smirk on his face as he cast a glance in Hux’s direction at your undignified arrival. You wanted to spit at the man’s feet, knowing what he’d done to your husband all those years ago but you didn’t dare. If only you’d known before, maybe if you survived this you could finally tell him what you really thought of him.

“We are ready, Allegiant General Pryde.” Rumbled Kylo from his mask. “You may begin.” The blue image paced to the left and he shouted an order to prime the cannon, now your gaze was drawn to the planet that loomed below you. The permanent grey clouds roiled across the surface, the rich green land and the deep blue seas hidden beneath the thick blanket of weather, but you knew it was there. This was Arkanis, your home planet, Hux’s home planet.

You flinched as Kylo moved, stepping behind Hux to haul you to your feet, the cuffs falling away to your surprise. His mask dipped to your eye level, the black sightless pits seemingly boring into your soul and you tried not to shiver at the feeling.

“Behave.” His grip on your sore wrist emphasised his command and you gave a single nod in understanding. He dragged you to stand next to Hux and you sneaked a look at your husband's face. He was wearing a blank expression, his eyes glassed over as though he was bored with this whole show but you saw the muscle twitch in his cheek, the subtle flex of his jaw and you knew he was stressed. Maybe seeing Arkanis again was enough to bring this reaction out of him, but you got the sense something else was at play here. The amount of personnel on the bridge made you slightly nervous, you’d never seen it so busy before. Mitaka stood rigidly to the side, his gaze sliding over you like you weren’t even there.

Kylo pointed and your gaze followed the line of his arm seeing another destroyer in orbit next to the Finalizer, the resurgent-class ship was facing the planet, a huge axial super-laser cannon nestled on the underbelly started to glow and your gaze flitted to the holo image of General Pryde. Horror dawned on you as soon as the word “Fire” left his mouth and without thinking your hand snatched Hux's in a tight grip. The shots flew from the gun, firing with extreme accuracy and power, penetrating the surface of your homeworld.

The reaction was slow, the wound in the crust ripped at an agonising pace from up here, debris rose high into the atmosphere, the red lava from the centre of the planet was evident through the clouds and you blinked tears out of your eyes at the sight. All those people, your people. No warning, an entire planet eradicated before you, a planet whose allegiance was to the First Order. You felt Armitage’s fingers close around yours and a slight gasp escaped you at the sensation. It felt like your entire life was being wiped before your very eyes, your history, your home, friends, family, everything that had made you was burning away.

“Isn’t it glorious?” Someone mumbled and you wanted to whip round and say something scathing but Hux’s hand tightened even more around yours in warning. You couldn’t help the soft sob that made your chest heave, your gaze pulling away from the destruction to look at your husband. The reflection of the growing fireball highlighted in his eyes, his mouth set in a hard line as he tried desperately not to react. You looked down at your feet before turning to look up at Kylo, his mask turning to see your tear stained face and you wished you could see his face. Just this once, so you could read his emotions, but all he did was tilt his head towards the spectacle that everyone else was watching with a sick sense of awe.

Memories echo at the back of your mind, the sound of the Arkanis rain on the leaves, the rippling water on the pond you had stood next to when you first met Armitage. The house you had grown up in ringing with your childhood laughter, your mother’s grave, your friend's wedding, all blown out of existence. A blinding light made you inhale sharply as the planet began to collapse, the surface in burning turmoil until it became so unstable it finally exploded. You hoped the debris that was left would knock into the ships and kill everyone but they were too far away, the shields protecting them from any that did make it and they were out of the gravitational pull of the destroyed planet.

You closed your eyes, the tears still falling unchecked as the intense light of your dying world shone through your eyelids. You went to lean against Armitage, curling your other hand around his arm to seek some comfort for you and him but he moved, his hand untangling from yours as he went to check on the status of his ship leaving you standing alone. You heard General Pryde chuckle and anger blazed through you, your eyes fixed on the smirking form and you went to take a step forward, your mouth open to unleash your fury but a pressure started in your throat making you pause. You could still breathe, but the blockage rendered you speechless, you turned your fury onto Kylo but he just regarded you coolly from the protection of his mask.

“Take her back to her cell.” He commanded with indifference. The troopers grabbed you giving you no choice but to leave, making you realise this had been a show to get to you and Armitage. To make you realise that now you had nowhere to go, no homeworld to run to, no support system to hide you, in this vast Galaxy you and your husband were now more alone than you had ever been before.

You wanted to lean on him and let him lean on you, but that would never happen. He had made up his mind about you, he had what he wanted with his position within the First Order. He never needed you, he had said as much in Canto Bight. You wondered if those words you’d heard him say held more truth than the ones that followed, that supposed declaration of love. You were shoved along the corridors, your heart flaking away with each thought, knowing that you were going to die here. No one to save you, no evidence to clear your name and hopelessness fell heavily on you. When the door to your cell closed leaving you in darkness you wept, feeling the grief of loss at everything you had ever known and the knowledge that hope was just a dream for children.

After you had been dragged away Hux had taken his leave from the bridge, highly aware of Ren’s hidden gaze on his retreating back but he didn’t care. He needed privacy. He stood in the quiet of his own quarters, his hand flexing as he remembered the way your fingers curled around it. The feel of your trembling body against his as you both watched the destruction of your home world, obliterated in moments, everything you’d both ever known eradicated in a blaze of fire. He hadn’t expected his feelings to be so strong on this, he had hated Arkanis and the awful memories it possessed for him but also it held memories he cherished. His mother, the maze where he spent most of his childhood and meeting you, who made him realise he was allowed to have a moment of happiness. A foolish, fleeting moment. Your marriage had been filled with war and he wished he had not been blindsided, this is what his father had been trying to teach him. Weakness would bring his downfall and he had fallen into that trap and not even realised. If you’d stayed on Arkanis after the wedding none of this would have happened….or maybe it would have. His wife, you would have still been on the planet, moving in the same circles and probably moved over to the Resistance a lot sooner.

And you’d be dead. But he wouldn’t have felt the love for you growing in his own chest, he wouldn’t have experienced your warmth, he wouldn’t have felt your body shiver under his. He never would have breathed in your scent, or touched your soft skin and your death would have been easier to cope with. Because he wouldn’t miss you, he wouldn’t miss what you had shown him.

His hand flexed again, the shadow of your touch still affecting him even now. He stood silently staring at the table top, his gloved fingertips gently resting on the surface lost in his swirling thoughts. You were going to die anyway, you had performed an act of treason and he couldn't save you from this, not without losing everything he had worked so desperately hard for. Was it worth it? He clearly didn’t deserve the happiness you had bestowed upon him, and now he had to make the decision if he could live with or without you. He felt anger manifest in his chest, he shouldn’t have to make this decision, if only Ren had kept his hands to himself, the petty jealousy that the oaf harboured had ruined this for him…..hadn’t it? Hux visibly deflated with a sigh, he was the one that agreed to be a suitor for you. His father had owed your father a favour and Hux had agreed to repay, so he was responsible for this, all of these events that had led…to this. He had the power to say no, he had the wealth to pay your father off but he knew it would be squandered and you’d still be left with nothing. And now….you only had your life left and he was probably going to take that too. He had lost the few people that were close to him, the Galaxy just proving his father was right yet again.

Raising you is such a waste of my time.

You are such a waste of space, a useless fool!

What are you good for boy if you can’t even carry a tray of drinks?!

You are an embarrassment!

So disappointing…

You think I would turn this project over to you? Brainless idiot, you are not worthy of the glory it would bring.

You are not worthy of anything…

You don’t deserve the life I have given you.

No one could ever love you….

But you had. Even if it was fleeting, it had been there blazing, alive, existing. And it was going to end like everything else.

A notification made the screen of his datapad light up and his gaze was drawn to it, your prisoner number leaping out at him and the decision he had to make was now upon him. He straightened, clearing his thoughts and focussing on the task at hand. He adjusted his cuff, his gloved hand brushing the material in such a simple, comforting motion and he felt everything falling away. He slipped behind the mask that had protected him all through his life, the blank face that showed nothing of his inner turmoil. The armour he placed over himself had grown impenetrable over the years and he leaned on it heavily. He was going to need it now, more than ever.

He hated it, the way your face lit up when you saw him at the door of your cell. You were huddled in the corner, your head buried in your hands, tears streaming down your face and he nearly, nearly halted this whole thing. But he couldn’t, he had no choice, the wheels were in motion, there were rules, regulations. He had to harden himself more, if anyone else under his command had performed the treason you had they would be dead already. Because that's what it was, an act of treason. You rushed to him, hushed pleas falling from your lips as you begged him not to go through with this, you were innocent, you didn’t know what you were doing even though he’d found you at a Resistance sympathisers wedding. He concentrated on the evidence and how it stacked against you, he couldn’t ignore it, he couldn’t forget the echoes of pain that clawed at his heart. You had done this, you. Betraying him, the First Order, the Supreme Leader…

You pawed at his paralysed form, tugging on his uniform with your desperate hands as he just stood there staring at the wall over your head. Finally his hands grabbed yours in a vice like grip to stop you touching him, he needed you to stop. He said your name in a deadpan voice, listing off your treasonous act followed by the sentence. Death. You were frozen, your mouth open in horror that he would go this far, that he would allow this to happen but he had no choice. You had gone against him, you had sided with the scum of the Galaxy and he would treat you as such no matter how much it obliterated his soul. The troopers moved into the cell, ripping you from his grip and he found himself holding on for just a moment, to feel your soft skin, to smell your wonderful hair. Just a moment, frozen in time so he could remember the feeling of you for the rest of his life and then you were being dragged away. Your screams echoed down the hallway but he couldn’t move, his boots were rooted to the grated floor, tears threatened to fall but he grit his teeth and fought them.

Please! Please no! Armitage! Please, please! He could not show weakness, he could not show feeling, if he did he would lose everything. But you were his everything…

He blocked out the inner voice, wishing for the first time in his life that his fathers voice would override his feelings like it always did, snapping him back onto the right path with the brutality he needed, but it didn’t come. Just your pleading screams, still echoing around him tearing pieces of him away with every screech. He finally moved to the cell door, leaning against the frame heavily as his breath left his body. He couldn’t get enough air in, he needed you. Where were you? He whispered your name, but you weren’t here and he couldn’t hear you anymore.

A shot rang out down the hallway and Hux's head snapped towards the sound.

“No….” He had to see. He stumbled forward, the corridor swimming before him and he had to use the sides to steady himself. The troopers closed the trash shoot just as he got there, Kylo Ren standing watching, making sure the task was done. Making sure you no longer existed. The pain that lanced from his heart was excruciating, making his legs give way so he fell hard to the floor drawing all their attention.

“You, take the General back to his quarters and get a medic, you, come with me.” Kylo went to turn away but the trooper just stood there staring at Hux. “Trooper! Don’t make me send you for reconditioning!” The trooper jumped and hurried to Kylo’s side leaving a struggling Hux in the arms of the other.

Kylo marched through the corridors of the Finalizer, the trooper hot on his heels. He could tell no one knew what he’d done, the other trooper he had bent to his will, he’d have no recollection of what had transpired. He could still feel the ripples through the force from Hux no matter how hard he tried to shut him out until finally a medic sedated him and the waves stopped, the force becoming still once more. Or so he thought, the chaotic energy that followed the trooper behind him was distracting but he had to focus. At the far end of the hangar TIE’s lined the bays and he paused at the stairs, the trooper nearly colliding with his back.

“Take this TIE.”

“I-I can’t fly it!” Kylo looked round seeing a pilot and called him over.

“You! FL-6194!”

“Supreme Leader?” Kylo raised his hand, feeling the pilot's mind and taking control, it was so easy bending them to his will, they were all so weak minded, so ready to obey.

“You will take this trooper and fly to these coordinates. Once you arrive at your destination you will terminate yourself.” Kylo could feel the thoughts falling into place, the settling of the mind, stripping the pilot of his panic and replacing it with purpose.

“Yes, Supreme Leader.”

“K-Kylo!”

“Go. Now.” He turned with a flare of cloak, you needed to leave. Before anyone knew what he’d done, before anyone suspected, you needed to go.

[thelazeenthusiast]

I absolutely loved @thefirstmillionwords story blurb 'A Dewdrop In Time' and ugh, it was so difficult to accept that there was no complete novel behind it. Their writing's so good, I wish they could have written it. I was trying to sleep the day before and a random dialogue kept popping up in head related to it since i couldn't stop thinking about it, so i went and wrote this short story :')

She ran and ran and ran. Convinced she was being followed, but refusing to stop and look back. Her mind was blank, had been so for a while now. There should be fear, and panic, but there was nothing. She ran aimlessly, her bare, round feet starting to bleed green, she was panting heavily, as if she had been running her whole life. She could feel her heartbeat everywhere, her whole body was thrumming with it. 

She should probably stop, she knew, but she felt like she couldn't. Suddenly, her foot hit something hard enough to bruise and she stumbled, falling face first to the ground. She heard herself whimper as she pulled herself to her elbows, wincing from where she had skinned her palms and the corner of her eye. There was a warm, rotting body beside her. It looked like a young man. She stared, hardly blinking, for a few slowed down seconds, then jerked, as if pulled out of a trance and crawled backwards frantically until she hit a wall. She recognised the blown apart structure of the Production Center, her Center, the place she had worked at for the last five years of her life. It was no more than a pile of rubble, a skeleton, with just the outer walls of the dome-shaped building typical of Corbulon architecture standing erect. Shuddering, she rubbed her hands over her face and allowed her body to wind down from the run. 

She heard explosions, screaming, crying, in the distance. There was an enemy aircraft with it's strange flat design hovering overhead, blinking red and blaring an ear splitting horn as some sort of warning signal. A Sphere, looking formidable with all its weapons cocked, flew close, within sight of the enemy aircraft then made a quick u-turn, going back the way it came from, as if baiting the aircraft away from the main city. Sure enough, the strange looking, foreign ship followed. 

She let her eyes wander towards blue clad Planetary Defense soldiers, shouting orders, urging civilians to take cover and firing Fission Guns at advancing enemy troops. She spotted several Planetary Defenses' manned CamouPods lurking behind the destruction, lying in wait for the enemy's almost emotionless troopers to cross another line of defense. They had come further than anyone had thought possible. The PD had clearly made a mistake in underestimating the Humans and their Androids.

Her jaw locked itself and she closed her eyes. It was all so loud. Her city, her world had never been this loud. Corbulo was being ravaged around her. 

Her mind remained blank still.

When no one came looking for her for the next few minutes, she opened her tired eyes, wishing she had died in the initial attack so she could have been kept from seeing everything she loved be destroyed. 

She was reminded of the bouquet. With trembling hands, she pulled it out of her pouch. The once lovely Morning Dewdrops were now nothing more than charred, black stalks crumpling under her grip. She sucked in a sharp breath at their sight, opening her fingers to minimise further damage. And suddenly, just like that, a tidal wave of emotion flooded her whole being and tears fell from her eyes like rain drops, one after another, too fast to count. For some reason, the most dominant emotion was that of guilt at being more upset over the fate of a few flowers than that of a real person lying dead not so far away. She wept and wept, shedding silent tears as she carefully, so as not to turn them to dust, hugged the remaining bouquet close to her chest. 

"Andrea." A familiar voice croaked after an infinite amount of time.

With a jolt, she shoved the burnt flowers back in her pouch, wiped frantic hands at her face and stood up to face him.

Styrin looked awful. His pure white Corbulon skin was flushed blue-green with fatigue, he was bleeding almost everywhere, the green of the blood in stark, unnerving contrast with the rest of his skin, his clothes were blackened and torn, he stood leaning too much on his right leg and he was layered in dust and grime. Yet, to Andrea's bemusement, he took a step forward and gave her a wide, relieved smile.

"I've been looking for you for ages. I–" he swallowed, "–I'm glad you're okay."

Entirely without her consent, tears began to fall anew upon hearing the sincerity and affection in his words.

"I'm sorry," she choked. "I'm so sorry."

His smile vanished. "Andrea–"

"The Morning Dewdrops… the bouquet. It's gone. They burned it." She cried, bringing her hands up to cover her face, unable to continue looking at him.

"Oh." She heard him say softly. Biting her lips, she tried to keep herself from losing all control. That would be worse. She would prove herself weak, she would prove to him that she was indeed not worthy of the greatest gift anyone had ever received. That she was not worthy of his loyalty and love. She knew why that stoic, remorseless Human had destroyed the flowers and let her go. It knew how valuables the flowers were, knew that they were a symbol and in the right hands, could rally ordinary people into an invincible force it was smart enough to fear. But it also knew those right hands were not hers. It had seen her worth in her own eyes.

She felt a cool hand on her arm, and then another, and she knew he was just inches away. She could hear his heartbeat. 

"Andrea, look at me." Styrin coaxed, his voice smooth and confident and strong. How was he always so strong? 

Swallowing down against a lump of emotion, Andrea slid her hands down and away from her face. His round, orange-gold eyes bright with earnestness were the first things she saw.

"They were flowers, Andrea. They were bound to wilt and die sooner than later."

She noticed how often he said her name, as if reassuring himself she's actually there. She chose to ignore the way her heart constricted and then swelled. Her stomach dropped and then flipped.

"You are the one who matters. You are the one we need."

Andrea choked back a sob at the words. He was murmuring so soft, it was almost a whisper. 

Styrin shuffled closer still and bent his head, leaning his forehead gently against hers. She forgot to breathe.

"Also, say the word and I'll travel through history all over again to make you another bouquet." He grinned. 

Oh, Styrin. Andrea pulled back her head and stepped out of his grasp, her heart, her stomach, her mind wreaking havoc inside her. Trembling slightly, she shook her head.

"I can't. I can't do it, Styrin. It's too much. All this… this expectation, it's all for nothing. I can't do it. It's too much responsibility. I'm just– just an ordinary woman. I can't do it, I can't. I can't–" she rambled mindlessly, willing her tears to stay in.

Styrin stepped close again but didn't touch her.

"It's okay, Andrea. It's okay. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I just thought…" he bit his lip, obviously trying his best to sound comforting. "I just thought my men could learn from you. You give and give, Andrea. You have so much to give. But it's okay. We can– I can go back in time and do it so all this never happened. You were never involved. Or I can take you to a safe house. I know of a few these quasi-intelligent Humans and their freaky androids can never breach. It's your choice."

It sounded so simple. She could sit out the whole war in a safe house or just have him reset everything by going back in time. But then she won't remember him. She won't remember his shy smiles, his unrelenting resolve, his brilliantly expressive orange-gold eyes and his unwavering affection. She won't remember him. She shuddered involuntarily. 

"But you said the parallel universe you landed yourself in was a utopia because of me. Because I stood up and rallied people." Andrea frowned, at a loss as to what to do.

"That's the thing," Styrin smiled, "I only saw the one parallel universe. There are innumerable more that I didn’t see. It means there are innumerable possibilities for the future. Maybe there is one where someone else stood up, or where you didn't exist at all. Or," he snorted derisively, "where I didn’t meddle with time and none of this happened. There's a fifty fifty probability of things turning out okay in each of those universes. Just because I saw a particular one doesn’t mean what happened in that has to be some kind of prophecy. What I'm trying to say Andrea, is that we have a fifty fifty chance of winning too, with or without you." His smile grew wider, the kind that told he knew he should be guilty but he really wasn't. 

Andrea peered at his beaming, ragged face.

"Do you feel guilty, Styrin?" She asked curiously as she took an uncharacteristically bold step closer to him. The rest of the world seemed to go out of focus.

His smile turned sad and he sighed. "If I hadn't poked my nose in places it wasn't wanted, the Humans would never have spread as far as they have. They're desperate in their search for a new planet after destroying their own and I practically handed our home to them in silver platter. "

And just like that, all her fears retreated. She realised, the head researcher of the Explore unit of the Planetary Defense and the Commander of Defense Troop Tech, the man who seldom, if ever, displayed pessimism, who seemed to be afraid of nothing and unable to make any mistakes, who'd led battles to victory, who's leadership had saved countless lives, had his insecurities too. Rather unfounded, but still. She realised, as much as he tried to appear strong, he was really just like her, just like everyone else. And if he could work despite his fears, so could she.

She smiled with watery eyes as the world around her started to register once again and leaned forward to brush her lips gently against the side of his face. "It seems, you really can learn a lot from me." She whispered. 

Before he could react, she sidled away, pleased beyond expectation at the confounded look on his face. She slowly sauntered backwards without breaking eye contact and stopped just at the edge of their cover. She reached out a hand towards him, palm up. "Lesson one, Styrin Valzhine, always refrain from piling up unnecessary blame where it is not needed."

As if in a daze, Styrin trudged forward and clasped her hand. When he squeezed it, she felt as if they could do anything, as long as they were together.

[rehearsed-mania]

Stories of Insubordination

rehearsed-mania

Title: Stories of Insubordination (AO3) Ship: Bismuth & Pearl (Steven Universe) Rating: T (for now) Summary: Between a Pearl who belongs to no one and a Bismuth who makes weapons for rebels, a deep — and subversive — bond can be forged. This is a collection of snippets following their shared resistance during the Rebellion.

>> Chapter 1 under the cut <<

I. The Strike

Bismuth would later interpret she’d always been a rebel on her own account and no one else’s. It had been as if she only ever needed the slightest spark to rise: that was Rose Quartz. Rose’s discourse but not her presence, mind you, for they’d only stand face to face many, many, many years after the first revolutionary ideas had begun to spread like a virus among Gems.

Nothing more life-threatening than infusing simple workers with dangerous ideas about their own place in the overall shit that was the Diamond Empire. Imperceptible mistakes were made and entire buildings would fall off within months of use by the Uppercrust. This Bismuth — facet 6f9f, cut 8tr — would secretly bask in the destructions; she just couldn’t avoid the satisfaction of seeing work routine be slowly dismantled after they’d all finally heard:  You can be what you want, you can do what you desire .

The whispers, the doubts, the dreams, a budding lack of purpose. She — facet 6f9f, cut 8tr — and her comrades were immersed in this new perspective which they couldn’t yet name.

Until the first Bismuths shattered themselves, one after the other. These creatures couldn’t fathom the reality of still serving their superiors and knowing with certainty they were no more than servants. At least, that was Bismuth facet 6f9f, cut 8tr’s hypothesis: their previous ignorance had been bliss, without being pressured to take part in a future, closer than ever riot. In the end, all it took was the absence of one Agate supervisor and, in mere minutes, repetitive, shrieking noises were heard in each corner of the forge.

“My comrades in tools,” this Bismuth declared on the very same day, holding in her arms the illegal weapons used by her colleagues to commit their first and last crime in this planet “we’ve reached our limit. Nothing and no one has the power to hold us back from our new purpose! We have to fight back for our friends! Fuck the elite scum!”

There was no united reaction from the other Gems: some shouted and whistled, some remained silent in fear. Come what may, facet 6f9f, cut 8tr’s leadership decisively turned their collective paths around. Before long, they’d already poofed the Agate right when she returned to find them in total havoc, threw her gem in the pool of lava, broke all machines and crossed their arms.

A Bismuth paralysation under Pink Diamond’s nose; now, that was quite the situation. Thankfully, Her Clarity was too overzealous with her own little experiments to even care. News were running rampant in the world thanks to one pilgrim Bismuth. The remaining peons stood their ground and waited. With no Agate to report them to Homeworld superiors and barely any production needed for a half-assed colony such as Earth, the impacts would be minimal, except for one consequence, the grandest of all.

Bismuth — facet 6f9f, cut 8tr — knew exactly what she wanted: to meet Rose Quartz. The detractor had been organizing clandestine reunions with other Quartz soldiers, but so far not with the masses of working Gems. Would she step down a notch and listen to the rough, resigned constructors? She did, and thousands of years later this tired Gem could still remember a surge of energy coming directly from her stone, zoning out her projected body in waves of defiance as the entrance alarm rang.

“It’s her, I can feel it!” a comrade exclaimed, glued to the cave’s wall.  Open it, open it ! she was cheered on. Without hesitation, the guard connected her Gem’s power to the metal surface. It was unsealed in a chain of multiple doors opening horizontally and vertically, up and down, left and right, until the last barrier was peeled off and, at last!, there she was: Rose Quartz. She towered above all the rest, chubby and graceful in a dress more creamy than white - her purpose wasn’t to pay homage to the big stellar boss, after all.

The Bismuth almost tumbled on her own apron, for she had never witnessed a presence as… as… the uncalled urge to bow down overtook her. Self-restrain, woman! Shouldn’t they be equals? But what else was there to expect, when every subversive thought this poor Bismuth had ever entertained was authorised and legitimated by the very Gem right before her? They should be equals.

The incendiary walked in strides towards them. However, another sight quickly diverted facet 6f9f, cut 8tr’s attention.

Almost at Rose’s side, following her in minute little steps, was a Pearl. A Pearl, of all beings! Who could she be? No, it wasn’t possible… stars,  the renegade ! Tiny, thin, weak, as if she would break at any moment, cracking like a china damaged beyond repair. Her face, though! — her hard-set eyes, her tousled hair, her unshaking posture. This Pearl could melt even a Bismuth into lava.

“Pleasure to meet you, fellow Bismuths,” Rose Quartz greeted them as she first stepped into the hot, sweaty forge, a place not at all delicate such as herself. “You’ve done an extraordinary job here. I must confess I’ve never seen anything like this before. Have you ever heard of another strike in this galaxy, Pearl?”

“It certainly has been a long time, in a faraway planet. I have heard that the Bismuth kindergarten policies have been modified after the incident.”

She spoke in the monotonous tone Pearls were known for. Her capacity to not move a single inch was quite unnerving, probably a remaining trait of slavery. From her cherished corner near the wall, Bismuth could not only watch the Pearl closely, but notice the small yet concrete distance that kept her apart from Rose.

“Oh, really? What a delight — the strike, I mean, not Homeworld’s tyranny.”

Facet 6f9f, cut 8tr wasn’t able to stop looking at this Pearl. She hadn’t known creatures from a class as her own were able to transcend it in some way. How could a Pearl hold herself with such poise? What an absurd proposition it was that one of her kind acted shamelessly arrogant towards pretty much any other real Gem in existence. She didn’t greet the crowd, let alone  smile  or talk. She clearly hadn’t bothered looking enticing for anyone, maybe except for her master — after all, was Rose her master or not?

Her big, round eyeballs were scanning the laborers, all too blinded by Rose Quartz’s presence to even notice. When their eyes met, Pearl slided her analytical gaze over Bismuth’s form. This solid builder suddenly felt devoid of any coverup — before she knew it, the words had spilled from her mouth.

“Do you belong to somebody?” After an offbeat instance of silence, Bismuth’s feet began to fidget.

The Pearl blinked. When she finally spoke, her voice was precise to a fault. “No one owns me.”

“Wow. So you’re really your own Gem, eh?” She laughed to herself, tucking her rainbow locks over the headband. The pride contained in this Pearl’s words — so far, no more than a few — was too much even for a working class radical to comprehend. There was still so much to learn.

Another harsh pause. “Yes, I am. Anything more?” It sounded kind of pre-programmed, like an official message repeated over and over again; perhaps, she  did  have to reiterate her stance every time to disbelieving Gems.

Bismuth rubbed her neck in muted embarassment. “Excuse me, I’m just a good ol’ Bismuth who can’t stop asking questions. Y’know, haven’t always been allowed to.”

The Pearl didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her attention back to the other Bismuths who’d been trying to reach Rose with no success, thanks to the mates who’d bundled up around the great leader, pouring onto her all the demands of long, exhausting labor cycles.

“You should all form a circle so we can listen to what you have to say,” she commanded as loud as possible. Damn, by the likes of it she’d blindly bet this Pearl could scratch a Bismuth. This was the whole point of the rebellion, wasn’t it, that no Gem outpowered another based on oppressive ranks which they had never decided by themselves?

The Gems turned back to stare at her, but didn’t budge at all. There lied an uncertainty in the air, that didn’t dissipate before Rose eventually spoke up.

“Pearl is right, oh my, how can we talk this way? Please, let’s sit down.” Only then did the Bismuths change position, following her eagerly. It was revolting how Gems were built to take orders from superiors, but it would take time to rewire themselves. A few thousand years down the road, maybe?

Facet 6f9f, cut 8tr sat on the floor with the rest of her turf. She exchanged looks with her folks, who nodded in encouragement; it was her right and duty to speak. “Oh, we sure have a bunch of stories to tell you two.” She stretched her arms way over her head. “What do you want to hear about? Our forge conditions, the work accidents, our dependence on a Zircon to stay alive in this society, how we’re all sick and tired of working ‘til death while Emeralds sit on us like we’re chairs?”

“By work accidents, I believe you mean the latest temple disasters,” the Pearl said as calculated as before while sitting almost next to her.

“Yeah, but not only those. I’ve lost count of how many companions have slipped up and cracked their stones with these stardamned machines. And not all of them were fixed.” She sighed in pain, hands closed in fists, remembering her long gone friends 8fg, 6xl, 5dj.

“My condolences, fellow Bismuth. It must be a never-ending grief,” Rose whispered sweetly, as if she were capable of experiencing the same ache. Somehow, though,  never-ending grief  still wasn’t enough to translate all the...

“We need more information,” the Pearl insisted. “I couldn’t grasp what you’ve mentioned about the Zircons. Be as detailed as you can.” There was no  please  at the end, it didn’t go unnoticed.

This Bismuth wasn’t quite in the mood to be thoroughly interviewed, but the opportunity to share so many horrors she and her own lived on a daily basis was far more important than any setback. She went on and on, a few corrections and complements offered by other comrades in tools along the way. The Pearl watched her with full attention.

“We’ve reached a breaking point in this galaxy, it’s true. Change is everything we need.” It was Rose’s final say in the matter. “You Bismuths are dedicated and skilled constructors, but your talent has been wasted so far. Join us and you’ll have the power to choose: what does each one of you want to build?”

Such a simple yet unforeseen question. This simple Gem had never considered choice as a possibility, no matter how much anger the repetitive activities raised within her. She found herself gasping for air she didn’t need, the pressure of a question, when had the Uppercrust ever asked her anything?, stars, it hit her hard, more than any rock ever could. One entire existence could be reinvented in a few seconds, after all.

She raised her hand. No other friend motioned to speak.

“I’ll make whatever you need for the Rebellion,” she spat out. She was angry, some  fucking  anger it was, and it fed her to the core. “You name it and I’ll do it.”

The Pearl looked at her hard. “Do you have any knowledge about crafting weapons?”

[sanjuno]

Game of Thrones, Jon snow just trolling everyone

(3/32 SI Promptfest)

By the Old Gods, I really was ridiculously pretty for a man. Staring at my reflection in mydressing table mirror, I tried to make an ugly face and only managed to lookpouty. Ech. I was conventionally attractive in my life before this one, but Ageon ‘Jon Snow’ Targaryen-Stark was supernaturally good looking.

It was actually a little upsetting. I was aestheticallypleasing, yes, but not at all my own type. If I had to be reborn as a man in this hope-forsaken hellworld, theleast the old gods could have done is fashioned me a meatsuit that catered tomy personal tastes.

I spared a wistful thought for the Mormonts, with theirstrong backs and lovely broad shoulders, before I dismissed the images with aresigned sigh. Nope, it was all dainty Targargyen features and the rangyleanness of the Starks for me.

Fuckers.

Grimacing one last time at my reflection, I tied back myhair and finished getting ready for the day. Stuck as I was in Winterfell andwith no desire to draw unwanted attention, my ability to influence the eventsto come was limited to the Starks. Which was, in my humble opinion, more than enough.

People always underestimated the Starks. It was baffling. Ina feudal society like Westeros there was nothingmore dangerous than a loyal people with a loyal lord. In Robert’s Rebellion, only the Northern forces had answered infull when the Banners were called to Arms.

The North answered without hesitation when the Stark inWinterfell called for them. The King in the North, and the North remembered it.A King uncrowned, a King untitled, but a true King nevertheless. Torrhen Starkmay have bent his knee… but he had notbared his throat.

Winterfell was a fortress of ice, untouched by sun or flame.I knew there were weaknesses, cracks in the foundation left behind by thewildfires of Robert’s Rebellion. If left alone those fissures they would bringdestruction, like melt-water under snowcaps just waiting to bring half amountain down on unsuspecting heads.

Good thing I was a manipulative little shit, and I knewexactly how to start doing away with those weaknesses. In this case I needed tostart at the top.

No one had done quite as much damage to the Stark’s goodfortunes as Catelyn Tully, and so the Lady Stark’s attitude would need alittle… adjustment. Which I was morethan willing to do now that Rickon was safely born. If she went nuts again andneeded to be removed I still had a full complement of Stark Wargs to advise andinfluence for the sake of preserving all life on the planet.

Wishywashy fishwives, blech. The only useful thing she evermanaged to do was make more Starks. After living with her prejudiced,thoughtless cruelty for thirteen years I was more than ready to break herinflexible little mind in half. Which was my plan for today. Best get a move onthat.

I grinned at my reflection in the mirror, knowing I wasdressed no differently than the rest of the Stark children and loving how muchit pissed my dear Auntie off. There was no chance of Catelyn letting me speakwith Father without listening in. Perfect.

Now if only my resting bitch face would start beingintimidating again instead of sullen, that would be just grand. Stupid prettyboy face.

/…/

“Your nameday is coming up.” Robb mentioned, just as he hadevery day for the last handful. My dear Auntie’s glare burned against my backas she lurked and waited for me to turn on Robb. Old Gods, but that woman’sblind prejudice was annoying. “Do you know what you’re going to ask Fatherfor?”

“I think… I’d like to know who my mother was. And why Fatherchose to raise me here instead of leaving me with her.” Carefully not lookingover my shoulder at where I knew the Lady Stark was spying on interactions, Imade sure to keep my voice thoughtful. “I’m almost a man grown. I think I’m oldenough to understand if it… if it was something terrible.”

“Oh…” The future lord of Winterfell looked thoughtful, andnodded his head as he clapped a hand to my shoulder. “If anyone deserves toknow it’s you, brother.”

“Well, one can hope.” With a chuckle, I shook my head. “Nowcome on, Robb. Let’s finish putting this away.”

“Aye.” Sighing as he looked at how much was left to takecare of, Robb grumbled but set too willingly enough. “Can’t leave a job halfdone.”

“T’would be unfitting of a son of House Stark.” I agreed withjust enough mockery in my tone to make Robb laugh and the Lady Stark bristle.Honestly, the woman was so easy to rile up. It was actually a bit sad.

/…/

“Father, please.”I may have arranged for Lady Stark to follow me into the Godswood today when Iwent to confront Ned Stark about my true origins, but it still bothered me toknow that she was lurking while I asked my father for honesty. Stupid bint. Myirritation made my voice crack with suppressed emotion. “Please, I deserve toknow. If it’s a secret you’re keeping to preserve a Lady’s honour, I swear bythe Old God’s I won’t speak of it! I just wish to know her name. Please.”

“I swore to your mother to keep you safe, Jon. You are myblood.” Ned Stark was a quiet man, but he had enough determination to grindmountains to dust. A brilliant attribute when you needed to ration suppliesthrough a decade long winter. Not so endearing when trying to get him to saysomething he wanted to stay secret. “That is enough for me. Let that be the endof it.”

“Fine then, if you won’t tell me my mother’s name… then tellme my fathers!” The blood drained out of my father’s face, and guilt rose in mychest. I forged onwards anyway, because this needed doing if we were going tosurvive the Long Night without worrying about knives in our backs. “People talkabout me, and I hear it all the time. ‘The Honorable Ned Stark’s only sin’,they call me. But they don’t know you, Father. Not like I do. Not enough toknow that… you wouldn’t. Not after you wed, not after you swore an oath. Evenif Lady Stark was supposed to be yourelder brother’s wife… you would never dishonour her that way.”

Father’s grip on the Heart Tree’s bark was desperate as hiseyes searched my face. I swallowed, hating the pain I saw in his eyes. “Idon’t… It matters not who sired me, not truly. You are my father in all the ways that count, and aye, your bloodis in my veins, but… it was Lord Brandon who sired me, wasn’t it. With LadyAshara Dayne. If I had been a girl… you could have left me there, let me be aSand. But I was a boy, and the only son of Rickard Stark’s eldest son. That’swhy everyone says Lady Ashara’s daughterwas stillborn. It was a misdirection to cover your tracks, because LordBrandon’s son, even a bastard one, could have a stronger claim than your sonsand-”

“Stop. Jon, please. That’s enough. That is… that is morethan enough.” Strong, sword calloused hands gripped my shoulders, and sterngrey eyes held mine for a long moment before my Father’s expression softened.“I can see now, how much this has troubled you. You’ve never liked the thoughtof causing problems for Robb, and I can well believe that you would draw theworst possible conclusion… Aye, I suppose there’s nothing for it now.Especially not with that sort of rumour taking root…”

I forced my jaw to relax and my breathing to steady.“Father?”

“Your mother was not Ashara Dayne, Jon. And your father wasnot my brother. Would that… would that they hadbeen your parents. Perhaps this would be a simple thing to speak of.” Old, deeppain etched lines in my father’s face, and for a horrible moment I imagined it.Of being the only one still remaining of my siblings. Of Robb slain bytreachery, Sansa stolen away by our enemies, Arya and Bran losing themselves tovengeance and madness, Rickon’s memories of us fading away until he forgot usentirely… Father closed his eyes, seeming to gather his strength before hecould look me in the eye again. “You will always be my son, Jon. My blood is inyour veins, Jon. As is… as is the blood of my sister, Lyanna.”

I had been hoping for it, expecting it even, but still hearing him say it made my breath catchlike I had just been hit. There in front of the Heart Tree, with the truthringing in my ears, all I could manage to do was blink. “But… that would makemy father… but I don’t want to be aTargaryen! I want to be a Stark! Father, don’t tell anyone else!”

Sputtering a relieved laugh my father shook me gently untilI stopped whining, and then he pulled me into an embrace. “I promise, Jon. Noone else will ever know.”

“Mm… maybe… uh, maybe oneother person.” I felt my father stiffen, and I firmly kept my face pressed intothe fur of his collar. “Maybe… I think it would be okay for you to tell LadyStark? Maybe then she’ll agree to have a proper marriage ceremony.”

“Jon, I… I know Cat hasn’t always been kind to you. Are yousure you wish for her to know?” Father pushed me back so he could see my face.I pouted shamelessly, because proper hugs were stupidly scarce in thismachismo-laden hellscape. “Don’t… don’t say yes because you want to make thingseasier for me, Jon. I can handle an argument with my wife.”

“But you want to get married in front of the Heart Tree.” Ipointed out sullenly, keeping my eyes firmly on my father’s chin. “And youcan’t do that while you keep secrets from her.”

“It’s been three and ten years, Jon.” Father sighed, clearlonging in his words even as he pushed his own wants aside for the sake of hisduty. “If she were willing to truly join the North she would have saidsomething to me by now.”

Oh, that comment was going to burn. I know my dear eavesdropping Auntie has never felt welcome inthe North, and now she knows why.This is delicious and I love it.

“Tell her anyway, Father.” Meeting those grey eyes again, Ioffered up a wry smile. “Perhaps this will be enough for her to make thatoffer. Perhaps it will calm her fears about me hurting Robb. Perhaps she willsimply continue to ignore the fact that I exist until she cannot avoid it anylonger. Regardless of the outcome, she at least deserves to know that you havenever broken your oaths to her. She deserves to know that another oath boundyou to silence, for all our sakes.”

“You are a good boy, Jon.” Father smiled, embracing me againas he kissed my hair. “Never forget that kindness. It is a great gift.”

“I won’t, Father.” I smiled back and leaned into thestrength of the only father I would ever acknowledge. “After all, I have you toshow me what to do.”

/…/

The next morning, I could see that Father had spoken to hiswife. The way she looked at me… Catelyn was ashamed of herself. Was writhing inguilt of her own making like a worm on a hook. Doubtless she was rememberingthe promise she had made to her Seven Gods, the promise she had broken so veryquickly when she learned that I had lived through my fever.

This was no less than she deserved.

I took my seat at the head table without sparing her morethan a glance. Catelyn’s eyes were reddened and heavy from a night of weeping.For once, there was no transparent attempt to have me sit elsewhere, removedfrom my family. Sansa wrinkled her nose at me, only having recently learnedwhat the word ‘bastard’ meant, thanks to the Southron influences in her life.

Robb and Theon glanced at Lady Stark, but did not hesitateto draw me into their morning conversation once I was seated.

“So.” Robb kept his voice quiet enough not to be heardbeyond our small huddle. “Did you get the nameday gift you wanted?”

“I did.” Inclining my head, I answered just as quietly.“It’s like we thought. She’s dead, but Father’s still trying to protect hermemory.”

“But he gave you a name?” Theon questioned, sharp eyesscanning slowly over the hall for listening ears.

“He did. I asked him to tell Lady Stark.” I shrugged whenthey both looked at me strangely. “Perhaps now she will stop fretting over it.It would be nice not to be accused of causing everything that inconveniencesher.”

“Aye, that’s clever.” Grinning, Theon bumped his shoulderinto mine as he pulled his plate closer. “And now she owes you a debt, too.”

“Let’s not bring attention to that, shall we?” I smackedTheon’s fingers with the back of my knife before he could steal my bread.“That’s my breakfast, Greyjoy. Get your own.”

“But it tastes better when it’s stolen!” Laughing as heprotested, Theon held his hands up in surrender when I pointed my knife at him.“I yield, I yield. Your food is safe, Snow.”

“Now there’s a lie if I ever heard one.” Robb snorted,curling his arm around his plate when Theon turned to him with a woundedexpression. “You’re a shameless food sneak, Theon. The cooks are all out forvengeance over missing platters.”

With a disdainful sniff, Theon turned back to his own plate.“I’m a growing man.”

“You’re a bottomless pit, is what you are.” I eyed theIronborn boy up and down. “How are you this weedy if all you do is eat?”

“You’re one to talk.” Robb snickered, the smug little shit.One day he would actually reach an awkward growth stage and I was going tolaugh so hard. “You’re barely biggerthan the girls, Snow.”

The was a scraping noise as Father stood up and cleared histhroat, drawing every eye in the hall and cutting off my retort. Robb was goingto get his ass kicked for that comment later during our arms practice. For now,I held my tongue and paid attention as Father raised his hand for silence.

“I have two announcements to make this morning.” Fatherturned and smiled at his wife, placing a hand on the back of her chair. “Tocelebrate the anniversary of King Robert’s coronation, my Lady Wife and I shallbe renewing our vows in the Godswood. The invitations to our bannermen Housesshall be sent later today.”

A cheer shook the rafters. I laughed and clapped my hands,vastly entertained by the dumbstruck look on Catelyn’s face as the Northernpeople applauded. This was the first step to her gaining full acceptance, and Iplanned to keep that momentum going.

“Second.” Father continued once the ruckus had died down. “Withthe blessings and council of my Lady Wife, I have written to King Robert askingfor the granting of legitimacy to my natural born son. Once it is official, JonStark will be named the future lord of Moat Cailin and tasked with itsrestoration.”

Robb and Theon whooped, pounding me on the back as I gapedat my father. Arya shrieked in glee and lunged across the table to throw herarms around my neck. Even Sansa was smiling, even if it looked a bit stiff withconfusion. Baby Rickon had no idea what was going on but he still added hisvoice to the mess.

Holy shit yes. My plans were working. Theon actually had manners, Father had told the truthabout my birth, Lady Stark had gotten a reality check, and I had actually been legitimized…

Fucking right, I was going to Machiavelli the hell out of the Seven Kingdoms. Next up,convincing Father to have Arya fostered with the Mormonts, or at least have hertutored as a shieldmaiden by one, and then I was going to get Sansa someone shecould have an actual intelligent conversation with.

Yes, excellent. This pleases me.

=/=

[blackfiire-archive-blog]

[ This is Gotham's channel 3 News reporting...]

                       [...bizarre phenomena that has conspiracy theorists and scientists wondering...]

                                                  [...two females flying over Gotahm...]

[... locked in combat...destroying half of Gotham City in the process.]

                                        [...which begs the question: could the bible have been fact?]

[The end of days?]

                                                  [The military has yet to comment.]

The midnight air blows inky black tresses around wildly, hovering over a building with two charged lilac orbs ready to fire at the female's command. The silhouette of a red haired female stands atop of an abandon skyscraper, bruised, beaten, gasping for air, and barely holding her own. Her oppressor hovers a couple inches closer as a dark, haunting cackle bypasses scarlet lips. Blackfire keeps her distance as she waits for her sister---her rival---to muster up the strength to continue their destructive battle.

Starfire hangs onto a damaged pillar, her green eyes gazing down at the mayhem below. From up top it was eerily silent. Naught but the whine of the wind passing through crimson locks. Sniffling back a sob, the young teen manages a step only to come tumbling down on all fours before the elder. She was weak, afraid. All she wanted was relief and rest. Yet her sister had her cornered,

With a shaky hand, Starfire gathers what little strength she could find and thrusts a lime green starbolt to create wider distance between the two. However, her efforts were proved useless as Blackfire backfires just milliseconds after. Starfire endures the blast and is sent hurdling backwards through a wall, "S-sister..." Her voice was horse, barely holding her breath as the blast to her chest completely took the air out of her lungs. She reaches out a hand. As if somewhere deep down in her sibling's heart, Blackfire would see the error of her ways, and cease conflict at once.

Blackfire descends from the sky, eyes aglow with playful fury. The forlorn look on Starfire's face sent chills through the elder's spine, scoffing at the pitiful image she sees in front of her, "Pathetic," Blackfire takes soft, slow steps forward. The sheer look of fear overcomes Starfire's usual elated visage, "And to think they all preferred this over me?" She swipes for the redhead's collar of her shirt, yanking her close enough for the tips of their noses to brush. And in that instant, a loud clap can be heard, the sound of Starfire's pained scream echoes over Gotham's unforgiving skies.

"Ah!"

"Weak! And yet they wanted you to ascend, and not me? What a JOKE." The back of her hand meets with the side of young tamaranean's face as Blackfire takes a knee just to scoop up Starfire again by the front of her shirt. Her sinister gaze loomed over her. Starfire's eyes only welled up with tears. She didn't mind enduring Blackfire's physical onslaught, but the look in her eyes---pure, unbridled hatred without a single ounce of remorse for her actions.

"...I did not ask to ascend," Starfire replies, sobs in between, "...I only did...what was asked of me." Struggling within her sister's grip, she finds herself thrown hence again into a nearby wall. Dust and debris cloud her vision, but taking that time she had out of Blackfire's clutches to stumble to a stand, "Sister... I implore you: cease this madness! Return to tamaran with me. ...I understand you went through many hardships when tamaran was young. I do. I really do. But..." She hobbles for a place to keep herself upright, blood and bruises caked her body from head to heel, "...Can you not let those things remain were they were? In the past... You cannot let them own you forever!"

A laugh circles around the young female. Slowly, but surely, growing louder. Louder, and more chaotic. Through the fog of the smoke, a fist greets the teen only this time, she was prepared. Apricot colored hands latch onto the wrists that intended harm, keeping them at a stagger halt whilst skidding backward from Blackfire's mighty force. Violet eyes illuminated. From what was once playful, was now savage ferocity.

"You "UNDERSTAND"?" An audible growl leaves her, pushing further into Starfire, yet somehow completely stalled by her sister's grip, "Ergh! You know nothing about what I endured---what I went through in that gods damned planet! What I had to do to survive! The senseless beatings, the sex ring, the mobbing---Yet you think I would even fathom a single thought about rebuilding that shit hole? Don't make me laugh.

I may have wanted that once upon a time, but that vision has long since died. Don't you see, sister? I don't want to rebuild life. I want to destroy it! That is life's entire mystery unveiled! And I intend to see it through. The lights across the sea of stars will go out...one...by one! I'll destroy everything! I will save it!! All existence will be denied. To build is to destroy. All life MUST be destroyed. Aha...HAHAHAHAHA."

Green eyes grow wide with fear, concern, ...disgust. It only occurred to her now. The ramblings of their childhood. Blackfire's plans. Her journals. Her pictures. Her visions, thoughts, dreams---everything that was growing inside of her for years, brewing and forming in the deepest, darkest pits of her broken mind.

                                               She was completely and utterly insane.

"No... sister no! That can't... You cant---! I’m sorry Kom! I’m truly sorry!"

"Silence. SILENCE! First. I must get rid of you, my dear, sweet sister.~ Prepare for a world of hurt. Although, even then you will still not understand my woes. You should be honored to endure a mercy killing from me anyhow. I may be a bitch, but I’m not a monster. And certainly not to my little sister," A wicked smirk creases on ruby lips. Her hand slowly raised. A purple glowing orb manifesting around her fist, "Goodbye Starfire. O'ja vlor'en."                       [ I've always hated you.]

Struck with fear, she couldn't move. She was completely frozen. Starfire wanted to scream, to move. Anything! Yet, her body forbade it. Maybe even welcomed it considering her circumstance.

Closing her eyes, she prepares for the final blow. Eyes squeezed as tightly she could possibly do while moving her head in the other direction. The soft hum of the darkbolt escalates. The sound of metal screaming against each other. Starfire remains locked in hesitation, anticipating the flesh searing heat of point blank energy colliding into her gut.... for what seemed like ages?

Her thoughts continued racing. Was Blackfire just taking her sweet time? Ensuring Starfire had the fear of God stuck into her? No. No, something wasn't right.

Reluctantly, green eyes flutter open. She takes in the scene of the breathtaking night sky and slowly turns her head towards her sister.

Blackfire's eyes are wide with shock. Her darkbolts dismissed. The purest form of paralyzing awe on her face. Violet eyes are cast downward as a sickening gasp for air emits from the tamaranean's lips. A harpoon-like metal contraption was impaled through her back and protruding from her abdomen from a military chopper in the distance. Still, it didn't seem to deter her. Instead, she takes a weakened step closer. Slow. Limp. She tries to land a punch on the younger's face, only her arm had been impaled, then the other, pulling her backward which then brought the alien stumbling back. Her vision going hazy. Droplets of blood sprinkle the surface under her feet with the source of it being her mouth.

Groaning, Blackfire made a relentless attempt to swipe for her sister, losing her footing over the ledge of the building which sent her careening for the ground below, hand outstretched for her sibling above.

And though Starfire had been beaten to shreds, and though she knew of her sister's hatred, she drags herself towards the edge of the broken building, hand also stretched for the maniacal woman who wanted her dead.

"No! KOM! Kom! Komand'r!" She sobs, too weak to bring herself to actually go out and rescue her sister from a great fall.

As the alien plummets the ground below, her vision blurs. Gotham's rain poured and showed mercy to one who did not deserve it. The ringing in her ears overlapped what muffled words could be heard. The blur slowly growing darker, and darker. And then. Everything was swallowed in white.

[chokememrstark]

Supernova // Thorki Ficlet

Thor was paralyzed when it happened, forced to watch the speak pierce through his brother’s chest. Somehow, instead of screaming or giving any other sound of shock or surprise, Loki’s eyes had found his own. It only took a split second for Thor to understand that what he saw in his brother’s emerald eyes was absolute fear and the realization hit him harder than anything else ever could. He broke out of his frozen state, rushing forward just in time to prevent Loki from hitting the ground, but it was clear that it made no difference.

Loki’s eyes already turned dull when Thor pulled him up, barely able to find his brother’s anymore. Eventually they did, though, and a weak smile spread on Loki’s lips. Thor tried to ignore the intense pull inside of his chest, swallowing down the truth that was just too painful to face.

“I guess you win, brother,” Loki said, his voice a gargling thing not even remotely resembling what Thor was used to. There was no doubt about why, no matter how much he wanted to ignore it.

“Don’t say that, you fool,” Thor replied, forcing himself to sound happy when all he wanted to do was break down. Tears rolled down his cheeks and hit Loki’s, but neither of them addressed it. “We are not done yet.”

“Tell me something nice,” Loki asked softly, one of his hands searching for his brother’s. Thor took it immediately, swallowing down a pathetically weak sob.

“You remember the story mother told us once?” Thor said, fighting to keep his voice steady as he looked into Loki’s eyes. “About the little blue star that was in love with the red sun?”

“I remember…” Loki’s voice was no more than a whisper, his eyes barely looking at Thor anymore. There was a weak squeeze of his hand, but no more. “Tell me about it.”

“The two have been in love for as long as they existed, but they knew they could never be together,” Thor spoke, unable to stop more tears from rolling down his cheeks. The battle around them was forgotten, everything was forgotten, and only Loki remained - closer to death than life - and the unbearable pain in his heart. “They were forced apart by the planet they orbited, for the moment they would come too close, all life would be wiped out by the sheer force of their union. A thousand years passed, but one day, when all life on the planet was long gone, a magical thing happened. They finally came closer to each other. Despite knowing that they would wipe out everything around them, including the planet they had protected for so long, with their last act of desire, they realized their time had come. They would have one moment to share their eternal love, to be together after all this time, before they would cause a supernova to end everything around them - and they were finally ready for it.” Thor was overwhelmed with sobs when Loki closed his eyes, holding onto him as tight as he possibly could. “To this day, people tell stories about them, about how their last and ultimate display of love has been the most beautiful and destructive thing the nine realms have ever seen. And it was… they have waited so long for just one moment, for a moment they both knew would destroy them. But it didn’t matter, because their love was bigger than anything else… because for this moment, they would be one.”

Thor begged for Loki to say something, if only to hear him mock the sentiment of this tale as he had so often in the past, but his brother stayed silent in his arms. Eventually, he dropped his head on Loki’s chest, all strength leaving his body. He didn’t care about what happened around them, about the screams and shouts or the blood spilled. It was all far away, as if the moment Loki closed his eyes had created a new world that only Thor existed in - all by himself, alone and with more pain than he was able to handle.

“You were always my little blue star,” Thor sobbed, hands clinging to his brother’s unmoving body in a desperation that he has never shown before. One more word, that’s all he wished for, despite knowing it wouldn’t come. “You always were…”

[jolienjoyswriting]

Mortem In Contumeliam FFVI, Prelude

The prologue chapter of "Mortem In Contumeliam Final Fantasy VI," a Final Fantasy VI fan fiction story (duh). (Formerly "Nova Fabula Final Fantasy VI")

Welcome to something I've been diligently working on for a little over half a month!

I've been in a Final Fantasy kind of mood, lately.  It started when I played-and-beat Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII at the end of June.  I couldn't stop thinking about it and even started a New Game Plus session at the start of July… only to get distracted with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.  Shortly after, I looked into Final Fantasy Record Keeper and found that to be a lot of fun!  Revisiting scenarios from the games in a Final Fantasy VI style was pretty cool!  However, when I got into the Record Dungeon with actual Final Fantasy VI content… I got drawn back into the world of the game I abandoned way back in May. (Don't worry, I've beaten VI at least three times in my life.) Anyway, as the Imperial Mission to Narshe played out, I got a whimsical idea for a story that showed some interactions between the mind-controlled girl and the Imperial soldiers.  After getting that out of my system, I ended up liking the soldiers' personalities so much that I ended up with a new idea: "What if Wedge and Biggs hadn't been erased by Valigarmanda?  And, what if they, somehow, became involved in the journey of The Returners?"

That idea… is this story.  And, what a story it is!  You're gonna see quite a few updates for this one, before it's conclusion!

It's also worth mentioning that the in-production title for this story was simply "The Adventures of Wedge and Biggs." But, that sounded kinda lame. Also, just before September 1st of this year, I found out that Square-Enix already used the second title of this story, "Nova Fabula," in something of theirs – specifically, Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, the compilation of Final Fantasy XIII.  How.  Why.  If I thought, for a moment, that they had, I would've checked.  Now, I know better!! (I ain't mad…  I'm not.  I'm… jes' full'a surprise.)

Word count: 1,562 – Character count: 9,345 Originally written: July 15, 2019

Soldiers of the Gestahlian Empire invade Narshe in search of a frozen Eidolon… and, get more than they bargained for.

Final Fantasy VI, Wedge, Biggs, and related characters, scenarios, and properties created by Square Soft, Inc. and © Square Enix Co, Ltd.

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    “What the hell happened…?  Why does my head hurt…?  Biggs…?”     “Ugh… I don’t– I don’t know…  The last thing I remember was… was… a bright light?”

    In the deep recesses of a dank, cold cavern, two men were stirring.  They’d had a fairly rough encounter with an Eidolon which was supposed to be frozen and inert.  But, as the two found out… that just wasn’t the case.

    “Hey, Biggs…”     “Yes, Wedge?”     “Can… can you move?”     “Uh…  No, actually.”

    Eidolons – otherwise known as “phantom beasts” – were magical creatures of unfathomable power.  As the stories go, these creatures once co-existed with humanity over a thousand years prior.  But, man’s lust for power brought that to a screeching halt…

    “Biggs?”     “What?”     “I… think we’re tied up.”     “Y… yeah…”

    The Great Magic War, also known as “The War of the Magi,” brought chaos to the planet.  Many creatures, both-man-and-beast, perished during the wars and the planet was almost brought to a point of irreversible destruction.  But, in the end… the beasts were beaten back and hid away in a pocket dimension accessible only through one specific location…  Sealing themselves away, life went on the separate species and, after a few hundred years… the planet recovered.

    “Wh-why are we tied up…?  Do you remember?”     “I told you… the last thing I remember was–”     “Partner…?”     “What, now?”     “Where’s… our armor?”     “Our what– wait.  Where is our Magitek Powered Anti-Personnel Armor?”

    One day, many years later… a human woman had lost her way during an unnaturally-violent storm.  Displaced, confused, and fatigued, she collapsed within a cave to hide from the weather.  When she awoke… she saw herself surrounded by creatures of folklore!  As it happened, she’d managed to stumble her way into the Eidolons’ World!

    “No, Biggs.  No.  I mean, where’s our armor-armor?”     “What…?  H-hey…  Wedge?”     “Yeah, partner?”     “Why are we only wearing our shorts…?”     “That’s what I’m sayin’!!  What the hell?!”

    There, the woman known as Madeline told her story to whoever would listen.  None seemed interested… except for one particular being.  Madin, the creature who had found her, listened with great interest.

    “Hey, move your arm.”     “What?  Uh… alright?”     “Yeah, yeah– no-no-no, not that way!”     “I’m not deaf, Wedge.  You don’t have to yell.”     “L-look, just… kind of shimmy.  Yeah, like that.”     “I don’t understand, but–”     “Aaand… there!”

    Madeline explained that she was disgusted by the greed and selfishness of mankind.  She tried running as far as her legs would take her, desperate to separate herself the worst of humanity.  By the end of her story, Madin had become infatuated with her… and, before long, the feeling was mutual.  Not long after, the two defied the very tales that both man and beast had told over the ages…  They brought unto the world a child of mixed heritage.

    “I’ll… be damned.”     “Pretty cool, huh?  I learned that one from a book!”     “Huh.  I guess you’re not as incompetent as I thought.”     “Yeah, heh heh– heeey…”     “Now, get the rest of these ropes untied.  We need to find someplace warmer…”     “You’re getting all chicken-skinned, too, huh?  Heh.”     “Just… untie us, already.”

    Half-Eidolon, half-human, the child was unlike anything anyone had seen, before…  By simply existing, the mixed child proved the legends wrong – humans and Eidolons could co-exist!  And, as the days passed, even the most skeptical of Eidolon had to admit… maybe, they were wrong about the girl.  But, one day, two years after the child’s birth… tragedy struck.

    “Um… uh… partner?”     “W-what…?”     “Remember how I said I learned that trick from a book?”     “Yeah…?”     “Weeell… I… never actually finished reading that book.     “W… what.”     “Yeeaaah… I’m not really sure what to do next?  So, uh…”     “Gods damn it, Wedge, you’re useless.”

    On a stormy day, not unlike the day when Madeline was found, human invaders had located the entrance to the Eidolons’ World… and, they had a mission: capture all of the magical creatures and bring them back to the human world for experimentation!

    “Okay, okay, I think I… yeah– yeah, there we go!”     “Wedge…”     “I’m free, Biggs!  Uh, Biggs…?  Where’d you–”     “Behind you.”     “Whoa!  Wait.  Where?”     “Behind you, still.”     “What?  Biggs, now’s not the time for games, partner!  Where are you?!”     “Behind.  You.  Somehow, you tied me to your back.”     “I… oh.  I thought I was just weak from hunger, hah!  Welp… let’s get goin’!”

    As a regiment of soldiers led by Emperor Gestahl, himself, took prisoners and killed those who wouldn’t submit, the elder of the village decided that desperate actions became necessary.  Using all of his energy, he cast a powerful incantation, expelling the invaders!

    “Do you even know where we’re going…?”     “Nope!  I just figure… if I head toward the light, we’ll get outta here, eventually!”     “That’s… not entirely unsound.  Are you sure you wouldn’t rather let me down, though?”     “Nah, this is great for my leg muscles!  Girls love a guy with huge calves!”     “You’re an idiot…”     “But, I’m your idiot.  Heh.”     “For-better-or-worse… I wouldn’t have it any other way, Wedge.”

    Every last human had been expelled from the magical realm and impenetrable doors had sealed them away from further intrusion from the outside world!  But, in casting his conjuration… the child of mixed heritage managed to get swept up in the enchanted wind.  Madeline chased after the babe, then Madin after Madeline.  By the time they realized what had happened… they were trapped in the human world.  But, to make matters worse… the person who had invaded was holding their child in his arms.

    “G-g-geez…!  It’s even colder, out here!  H-how do p-p-people live like this…?!”     “B… by staying inside a-and wearing more than a pair of boxer sh-shorts… obviously…”     “Never mind that… I found the trail down to th-the city…  Man, I hope n-no one recognizes us…”     “W-worst-case-scenario… they’ll just think w-we’re a traveling circus a-act.”     “Ya… haa… think so?  Man, you’re heavy…”     “Well, what would y-you think if you saw two nearly-naked, strong-looking men tied together with some rope?”     “Heh heh.  Heh-heh-heh…  Heh heh.”     “Get that thought o-out of your head.”     “Sorry.  Heh.”     “Just… go.  We’ll find help, then be on our way back to Vector.  Hopefully…”

    Madeline begged and pleaded with the Emperor to return the child… but, Emperor Gestahl would not be moved.  In the end, he murdered the crying woman in cold blood and took the child, raising her as a weapon of war.  It was this very “living weapon” which was forced into a mission to find a frozen Eidolon, sixteen years later.

    “Hey, excuse me.  We seem t-to be lost…”     “My word!  What are you two?”     “W-we’re a traveling circus act, of course!  B-but, see…”     “You look half-frozen!  Goodness… come with me!  Quickly!”     “Th-thanks, lady…!  Y-you’re a real life-saver!”

    Narshe.  A city of cold steel and warm steam.  Built into the mountain range far to the north of the Kingdom of Figaro, the city was a technological marvel of the world.  Known for its heavy mining industry and weapon-smithing, the Empire tried, time-and-time-again, to pull it into its claws and use its resources in the bid for global supremacy.  But, each time it came up… the elder refused, preferring to stay neutral and help no one.  Needless to say, he was extremely shocked when a pair of troops showed up, wearing Magitek Powered Anti-Personnel Armor.  Even more surprising was the third member of their party, an innocent-looking girl wearing a crown of brass and controlling the element of fire… with her bare hands.

    “There you go.  This clothing should serve you well until you can get to South Figaro.”     “Thank you, ma’am.  If there is anything we can do for you–”     “Oh, think nothing of it!  After all, we at the House of New Beginnings believe in helping those who help themselves!  In doing so, we also hope to spread the message to others!”     “Indeed.  Your generosity is quite inspiring.  Isn’t that right, partner?”     “Can’t talk.  Eating.”     “Goodness, your friend certainly has an appetite!”     “The… uh, ‘circus…’ doesn’t exactly provide us with five-star food.”     “Hee!  Well, you’re always welcome, here!  Do take care!”     “Thank you.  Come on…”     “N-nooo, come back, soooup…”

    After slaughtering a small detachment of town militia and trained creatures, the soldiers – along with what people were calling a “witch” – made their way into the mines.  It was there that they slew the lightning-eating whelk called “Ymir,” then found the treasure the town had been hiding from the Empire: an Eidolon from ages past, fully-preserved and encased in ice!

    “So, we’re going back to Vector… just like that?”     “What other choice do we have, Wedge?  We failed in our mission.”     “Yeeaaah, about that…  What was our mission, again?  My head’s still fuzzy…”     “We were sent to Narshe, by the Empire, to locate and claim a… a… um…”     “Weapons cache?  Gems and gold?  Uh… five Gil for coffee?”     “Don’t be absurd!  We were sent to Narshe for… I… don’t remember what.”     “Well, whatever the case, it couldn’t have been too important if you can’t remember it!”     “Y… yeah… I guess so.”

    Just when it looked like the Empire was going to have its magical creature… the girl, who was supposed to be completely-and-totally under the mind-locking effects of the Puppeteer’s Wheel she wore… stepped forward.  Not long after, something happened – something that changed the course of everyone involved.     It is after those mysterious happenings… our tale begins.

[codeiixxwrites-blog]

ORIGINS: It all started with Mars

Earth has been full of life for millions of years and humans have always called the planet their home. The concept of having neighbors only exists in an “on-planet” sense for them now, but their used to be others.

Thousands of years ago, all planets in Earth’s solar system had their own inhabitants. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Every species had their own unique qualities fit for sustaining life on their respective planets, none as humanoid as traditional humans imagined them to be.

There were vast varieties of cities and wildlife, even weather of all kinds unique to each planet’s atmosphere. Conflicts between planets were almost non-existent and conflicts within planets were few and far in between. Beings of all shapes and sizes got along in their own way, ensuring the beauty of their overall Milky Way stayed in tact.

Until the humans decided they wanted more. They wanted more power, more land, a bigger planet. They wanted abilities like their neighboring planets, as they felt their own bodies were not enough. They produced advancement after advancement but it was never enough to quell their greed. Neighboring planets welcomed collaboration as a result of their human neighbor’s need for what they called ‘exploration,’ but in reality that very kindness led to destruction. It started with the Martians, Earth’s closest neighbors both in appearance and in distance. Much of their planet contained vibrant life just as Earth though their species were not the same. Martian’s technological advancements were always one step ahead of their Human counter parts, for their Jupiter neighbors supplied them with ample amount of energy harnessed from their planets frequent storms. Humans had been too prideful to ask for the same treatment outright, and instead worked to steadily steal Jupiter’s secrets of success including some of the technology they used to sustain themselves. Those materials were often stolen from Martians who proved much more trusting and warm-hearted compared to their intense and stormy neighbors, gifting humans almost whenever they wanted.

Problems arose however when humans started asking for too much, even by Martian standards.

“I’m sorry, we just don’t have the materials to give you. We’re working on new products ourselves at the moment but we would love to help you once we’re further along! We really hope you’ll understand this.” The leader of the Martian government, Mirena, sat in a human office with Earth’s leaders. Large windows showed them overlooking a vast expanse of trees and beautiful waterfalls, 7 in total to mirror the 7 leaders of their planet.

“I see. That truly is a shame as we were looking forward to this future collaboration.” Earth leader 6 sat forward to speak, an older man with a thick white beard and wavy hair pulled back. He spoke with a deep, gruff voice, an expression mixed with anger and disdain as he responded to Mirena. “I take it that you’ll be sharing what you intend to accomplish with us then?” Earth leader 3 spoke up as well, an intense younger looking woman with sharp features and dark eyes.

“Apologies, but I’m afraid we can’t do that. We’re not sure how our upcoming projects will progress and would rather not share misinformation until we’re sure it will work. It ensures the safety of all our citizens and upcoming scientists that way!” Mirena responded with a chipper tone, unfazed by the intensity of her human peers.

“What a convenient answer. Are you sure you’re not just trying to hide everything from us? That’s what Jupiter does.” Earth Leader 6 rose from his seat.

“I’m sorry?”

“Didn’t you hear? Jupiter does not openly share their creations with anyone anymore without prior authorization and intense scrutiny.”

“I’m afraid I had not heard that, no. Perhaps this was misinformation spread by someone?”

Earth leader 6 glared at Mirena for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

“Mirena, I would appreciate if you did not question my sources. I heard what I heard and I know it is correct. We do not know why the situation has amounted to this, but your lack of sharing your materials puts us in an even rougher spot because of this new Jupiter law.”

Mirena looked at the leader with confusion on her face, unfazed by his negative shift in tone. The other leaders had barely moved as the conversation continued, their gazes hyper-fixated on Mirena as she comfortably sat in her chair with two guards beside her.

“Well, I’m sure if you politely asked for an audience with Jupiter’s leaders, they would be sure to speak with you about the matter! They are a little rough around the edges but I’ve never known them to be unreasonable when it comes to matters of importance such as this. If you’d like, I can also go to a scheduled meeting with you all, if it makes you more comfortable.”

Earth leader 6 stomped his foot at the suggestion, causing Mirena to jump slightly in her chair. Her guards closed in tighter to their leader, with one stepping slightly in front of the chair.

“Make no mistake Mirena. I have no intention of receiving your help in such a way. We are not weak and I would rather you apologize for such an arrogant comment.”

“Arrogant? But I wasn’t--”

“Furthermore, you need to understand one thing. Even if Jupiter decides they actively want to ostracize us and favor one planet over the other, we do not need them. Their technology and skills of harnessing energy are unparalleled in this solar system yes, but that means nothing to us when we know we can do the same if not better than them in time.”

Mirena frowned at his comment, straightening out her long, rust colored trench coat over her sandy colored jumpsuit. She looked to one of her guards and made a slight motion with her hands, the movement small enough that the Earth leaders couldn’t see. The guard gave a slight nod in response and stood up straighter. The guard in front held out their hand in front of Mirena, offering to help her up.

“While I appreciate your invitation, we must take our leave now. It has been a pleasure! We hope to come back on...better circumstances, if you are willing to have us.” Mirena took her guard’s hand but her eyes stayed locked with Earth leader 6. He did not blink and the only movement he made came from the slight rise and fall of his chest from steady breathing. There was no emotion expressed on his face but his sunken gray eyes said otherwise. They were cold, calculating, watching every step Mirena took, constantly waiting for her to slip up. The guard behind Mirena watched him with a similar intensity, eyes shifting only to glance at Earth leader 3, who rose from her seat to see Mirena out. Her subsequent handshake felt cold and insincere in Mirena’s hand, a power behind it meant more to crush the recipients hand rather than welcome it. Mirena appeared unfazed by the interaction, smiling in response and offering a similar amount of power behind her goodbye. She gave a slight nod and turned to walk out, one guard standing closely behind her while the other made sure to watch the Earth leaders for a moment before stepping out as well.

Earth leader 3 maintained her composure until Mirena left, clutching her hand in pain as the door shut behind the Martian leader.

“That foul, rusted bitch.” She winced as she examined her fingers; the pinkie and index were broken and her ring finger throbbed in pain. Martians, although similar in appearance to humans, were much more durable and possessed much more physical strength. Earth leader 3’s knew this, but decided to make a ‘challenge’ to Mirena anyway, suffering as a result.  

“We will get it fixed in no time 3, but you knew this would happen.” Earth leader 6 looked at 3’s hands for a moment and shook his head.

“I could not and will never allow her to walk out as if she is better than any of us. As if she has all the answers.”

“I understand that 3, but again-”

“I know I know. I will choose a different approach next time. We have more pressing matters at the moment.” The other Earth leaders rose from their seats as 3 walked towards the back window. She pressed a button on the side of the wall and the windows opened up, with a platform jutting out into the expansive forest. The leaders made their way out of the office and onto the platform, their chairs and tables merging back into the floor with their departure. The platforms extended all the way out towards each of the seven waterfalls, creating opening large enough for a person to get through.

“When will we make our final move,6?” Earth leader 1 coldly walked next to Earth leader 2, who looked up towards the afternoon sky and pointed, laughing briefly.

“You know if it was up to 6, this would have been dealt with at least 2 months ago.”

“I didn’t ask you 2.” Earth leader 2 shrugged their shoulders and kept walking. Earth leader 3 rolled her eyes at the banter, while 4, 5 and 7 paid no attention to the bickering.

“1 and 2, enough. Just know all of you need to be prepared immediately when you go back to your continents. The time will come soon, and I will let you know when that time is.” Earth leader 1 huffed in response. Once all leaders reached their respective waterfalls, they gave each other slight bows before disappearing behind the roaring water.

“It is time Earth got what it deserved. Enough of this nonsense.” Earth leader 6 balled his hand into a fist as he walked through the brightly lit cave behind his waterfall. At the end of the cave rested a bright white ship, illuminated by a white light shining underneath it. Two humans stood next to the ship, similarly clad in all white coats while standing at attention. 6 nodded to them as he reached the ship and touched the side of it with his hand, revealing an entry-way. He walked inside, the other two humans following close behind him. The inside appeared much larger than it should, with a great amount of room filled with tables and chairs spread out in a sterile, all-white space. Earth leader 6 sat upright in the largest chair, while the other two humans typed in coordinates.

A large hologram appeared in the front glass pane, reading “ANTARCTICA.”

[ecotone99]

[SF]Birth of the Star Knights

*This story takes place apx. 500 years before the events in the S.T.A.R. Chronicles.

Planet: Ordeos Saturday, May 14th, 2242 10:01 A.M. “Nearly ten years ago, humanity was savagely attacked by a coalition of alien nations, many of whom we once considered friends. They attacked without warning, without provocation, with the intent of enslaving or killing every last man, woman, and child of the human race,” Emperor Haiden Lentaise addressed the crowd gathered before him.

He paused to let them express their outrage while he reveled at the sight of his loyal subjects spread out over the grassy field, happily foregoing the comforts of home or even an auditorium just so they could hear him speak. Ten years ago he was preparing a fight for his people's independence, but hadn't dared dreamed he would one day be their emperor. Yet here he was, standing on a stage with his most loyal soldiers stretched out on either side of him, all of them attired in full military dress uniform. They'd survived worse perils than anyone could have ever imagined to guarantee their planet's safety while also bringing other systems under their protection to form a new empire.

“It wasn't long before Earth's military began falling before them and the people they swore to protect were abandoned to their fate. One planet alone did not have the resources to fight off this menace, and when they saw this weakness, more aliens attacked in an escalating frenzy to steal everything we have.

“Then the Earth government finally saw sense and granted independence to all colony worlds, lifting the restrictions against military creation. They barely allowed us a voice in the government, denied us from serving in their military, but now they were looking to us to save the entire human race from their failure.”

The crowd shouted and booed their disbelief at this arrogance.

“They didn't know it at the time, but Ordeos was already strong. We knew we couldn't rely on people from a planet on the other side of the galaxy to protect us, and had prepared for the day we would need to defend ourselves. This allowed us to join the fight immediately, and with our strength we bought the other colonies the time they needed to organize and field their own fighting forces. Many of them chose to join us, and together we created an empire to stand against destruction and chaos.

“The war ended one month ago today with the total defeat of all who threatened us. The entire human race owes its continued existence to Ordeos!”

Cheers erupted, and the crowd began chanting, “Ordeos! Ordeos! Ordeos!”

The emperor allowed them to continue as long as they wished, basking in the celebration for several minutes.

“On that day, as I gazed upon the last alien world to fall, I vowed I would never allow such a threat to humanity to rise again. I have thought long and hard on how to fulfill this vow, and realized there is only one logical conclusion.”

He scanned the crowd carefully, making sure everyone was paying close attention. The flags snapped sharply in the breeze at either end of the stage, leaves rustled in the nearby woods, and someone coughed lightly.

“If the safety of the human race is to be guaranteed, it must be the only race to exist. We will wipe out every alien civilization that dared threaten us. We will kill every last one of them and burn their cities to ash. We will scour this galaxy clean and build a new and glorious future.”

There was no response from the crowd.

Silence reigned as those present processed his words.

Birdsong could be heard in the woods, carried to them on the breeze.

He watched, and waited, while the people before him remained motionless.

Finally, someone shouted out his response.

“The only good alien is a dead alien!”

Murmurs of agreement passed through the crowd, which then grew into excited whispers, and finally everyone was cheering again.

“Humans first!”

“It's what they deserve!”

“End it forever!”

The emperor eventually called for silence by raising his hands into the air.

“Our brave soldiers stand ready to carry out this task, but a mission of this magnitude requires a degree of dedication, skill, and experience surpassing that of the average soldier and the officers that lead them. To fill this need, I have created the Star Knights, an organization of elite warriors who will lead this fight and see our people through to victory.

“Those standing here with me have distinguished themselves in battle and earned the highest honors any nation has to offer, and they are the first of these new knights. They have sworn fealty directly to me, and have vowed to live their entire lives as warriors in service to the empire. Each and every one of them has fought beside me on the battlefield, and I trust them with my life. Where you see them, you see me.”

Applause and cheers welcomed the knights into their new station.

“To the future!”

8:03 P.M. “Earth and Vehla have publicly denounced the extermination campaign, but all the others are with us,” Darius reported as he walked beside his emperor on the beach. The waves splashed lazily to their left, and the sun set slowly over the ocean to cast a peaceful glow over them.

“We know what must be done, and we have shown everyone the way. If they fail to follow, then they will fade into obscurity,” Haiden responded.

He stopped and turned to the right, and Darius followed suit. A little over a mile away, an armada of construction equipment stood silent but ready with mountains of building materials rising up behind them.

“Empires are created with blood, but sustained with faith. While you are out there spilling blood, I will be here creating faith. The city we build here will be the greatest ever built by human hands, and it will be the crown jewel of the empire that will lead humanity to finally realize its full potential,” Haiden commented, his eyes growing distant as he peered into the future. Darius looked at the scene before him and tried to picture what his friend was describing, but not even these peaceful surroundings could dim the visions of war, both past and future, raging in his mind.

The emperor turned to look Darius in the eye, and placed a hand on each of his shoulders.

“You have been my closest friend and staunchest ally since I first decided to overthrow Earth's rule. Your ferocity and cunning in battle are without equal, and I know you believe in the cause as much as I do. As such, I have decided to name you as the first Master Knight,” he revealed.

“I have followed you because you are able to see the future for what it should be, and you have the cunning and leadership ability to make it happen. It will be my honor to lead the knights in your name,” Darius responded, then fell silent as he looked back towards the construction site.

A cool breeze blew in from the ocean, ruffling their hair but not disturbing a single piece of their tight uniforms. Neither man reacted to the dropping temperatures as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness fell about them.

“Speak your mind.”

“I cannot see what you see, Haiden. All the death I have seen, all the killing I have done, has destroyed every last semblance of peace within me until all I can see is war. There is no other future for me, but I have no regrets. I gladly go out to eliminate all threats to the future you will build, for I trust you to create a better life not only for our people, but for all mankind.”

“For all mankind,” Haiden repeated.

Planet: Silosan III Tuesday, August 23rd, 2242 9:03 A.M. It was hard to believe the planet Darius now viewed from the window in his quarters aboard the Carrier Counterstrike had been green and beautiful mere days in the past. Thick, black smoke now obscured most of the surface, and what little could be seen was brown and bare – dead.

He'd personally led every battle in the campaign thus far, but had decided it was time for others to gain the experience to lead and fight without him. They would be expanding the campaign after this, and soon there would be many battles occurring simultaneously.

“Master Knight Pente to the bridge. Urgent.”

So much for letting others take care of things this time.

Already in full uniform, the knight took one last look at the planet, then departed for the bridge.

“What is the problem?” he asked upon arriving.

“We managed to cut off and destroy the last of their forces while they were in full retreat, but when we approached the base they were falling back to, our people were stopped by an energy shield. All ground forces in the area have surrounded it, but so far it has held up to everything we've fired on it, including orbital strikes,” the captain reported.

“Why wasn't this shield detected when we first arrived?”

“They are masking the energy signature somehow. We still aren't seeing it on sensors. The shape and size you're seeing on tactical was calculated from weapon hits.”

“A planetary shield is a difficult undertaking, even for aliens. What could possibly remain that is worth such protection?” Darius mused as he viewed the area on the tactical display. He ordered the captain to send the tactical information to all knights in the fleet, then tapped the comm unit in his ear to open his private command channel.

“All knights, gather a squad of regulars and prepare for debarkation to surface. Target information is coming to you now. Landing coordinates and mission parameters to follow shortly.”

Not bothering to wait for a confirmation on his order, the master knight then set to work at the tactical station creating an infiltration plan for getting past the shield and entering the base within.

10:32 A.M. The din of digging equipment several feet to Darius' left filled the air as it tunneled through the rock under the shield, but he ignored it and studied the shield before him. The only indication of its existence was a shimmering in the air and the static charged air causing the hair on his uncovered head to stand up.

He removed his right glove and reached out towards the shield, feeling the charge increase the closer he got.

“Careful, sir,” a lieutenant commented from behind, but he paid no attention and continued moving his hand closer to the distortion.

The tingling sensation of static electricity changed to burning as if he were within inches of touching a fire. He kept his hand there for several seconds, familiarizing himself with the sensation and committing it to memory.

“We're through.”

“The other teams?”

“Awaiting your order to proceed.”

The master knight pulled his hand back and replaced his glove while returning to his squad at the mouth of the tunnel.

“All teams, move in,” he ordered over his command channel, then led his own unit into the tunnel. Someone asked him if he wanted a rifle, but he shook his head no. It would only get in his way.

They traversed the rocky ground between the shield perimeter and the base without incident, and approached the first building. Once inside, they discovered it to be dark and quiet and Darius realized all the base's power must be going to the shield. They searched the building without encountering any resistance, or finding anything of value. The other knights reported similar experiences at their locations.

“Why have a shield protecting an empty base?” one knight commented on their private channel where the regular soldiers couldn't hear.

“Maybe its a trap? They knew a planetary shield would catch the attention of our leaders, so they rigged the base to explode once we were lured down here?”

“If that were the case, they wouldn't have masked the shield from our sensors. No, there is something here they didn't want us to find. Keep searching,” Darius ordered.

The next building he came to was a barracks which he expected to find in disarray, but everything was in its place. The beds were made, the kitchen was clean and organized, and the floors were freshly cleaned.

“If this place is so important, why didn't they stay to defend it?” a knight questioned after he reported this to the others.

“Quit the guessing game and keep looking,” he ordered.

They made it through nearly the entire base in this manner, finally converging on the last building together, looking at each other dumbfounded.

“Knights, we search this one alone. The rest of you, secure the area,” Darius ordered, then led the six knights inside.

The lights came on the moment they stepped inside, revealing a small room with a booth on one side which had a large window wrapping around it halfway up the wall. Opposite from them was a thick metal door, power sealed shut.

“Finally,” a knight murmured. Another one went up to the door, then reported there was no mechanism for opening it.

“Stand back,” the first knight to speak warned, them slammed the butt of his rifle against the booth window, which resulted in nothing more than a dull thud.

“Huh,” he remarked, then turned to see the others staring at him like he was the dumbest person alive.

“Remind us how you got to be a knight, again?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It's a security booth. Did you really think it would be that easy to break into?”

“Well, when you put it that way.”

“Impulsiveness does not befit a knight. Think before acting, and always act deliberately. Maintain discipline at all times,” Darius chastised, and the knight in question acknowledged him with a nod before backing up to stand near a wall.

The master knight held out a hand, someone gave him a small explosive, and he placed it on the window. They backed up as far as they could and he detonated it, creating a hole large enough to reach an arm through.

A knight went up to the hole, studied the panel underneath it on the other side, then reached through and pressed a button. A buzzer sounded, the door popped open, and the nearest knight pressed himself to the wall with his rifle aimed at the opening. He nodded, and another knight swung the door open the rest of the way.

“Clear.”

They hustled through to find themselves in a brightly lit, wide hallway without any doors, but a junction going off to the right could be seen halfway down.

“Can anyone read this?” Darius questioned, referring to a sign on the wall with arrows next to the writing. The only answer was people shaking their heads no.

“Astor, take Quintus and Gerry down the hall to the right. The rest of us will continue forward.”

Darius and his team followed the hall until they came to another sealed door at the other end. This one had a number pad on the wall to its right, so one of them took it apart and hacked it while Darius and the other one watched the hall. When it opened, they found stairs leading up, and at the top there was another door where they had to repeat the process. Then there was another hallway, this one without any junctions, but in the center on the left they found yet another security door, this one requiring both a code and a retinal scan. This time Darius elected to simply blow it open. On the other side was a large room filled with desks and computers, and in the center they found an alien in a disheveled dark blue suit sitting on the floor with his back to a desk. When they approached, he looked up at them with fresh tears in his eyes and the remnants of old ones staining his face.

He was mostly humanoid, with two arms and two legs, but was bald, had a bony ridge atop his head going from front to back, and his skin was pale and splotchy.

“Here to finish the job?” he asked in English.

“What is this place? Why is it protected by a shield?” Darius questioned. The other knights covered the alien with their rifles, but he used a hand-signal to tell them to search the room.

“Why do you care? You've destroyed everything else, killed everyone else. Just get on with it already.”

Smiling, Darius knelt to rest on his haunches, wrists resting lightly on his knees.

“That's right. We've destroyed everything. You are the last of a dead race, sitting on what is quickly becoming a dead world. Why bother to try and hide this place, or protect it from destruction should it be found?”

“Our leaders thought we would be able to come back one day. They underestimated the depths of your evil.”

“We only do what we must to ensure the safety of our people. Now, tell me what is hidden here.”

“You are going to kill me one way or the other, so why should I bother to answer your questions? Even if you should happen to let me live, I don't have anything left to live for.”

Sighing, Darius stood up and drew his pistol.

“Yes, I am going to kill you. The method of your death I leave to you,” he threatened, then took aim at the alien's left knee.

“We have something here!” Astor's excited voice came over the comm.

“What is it?” Darius questioned while keeping his eyes and gun on the alien.

“We found a fully stocked armory next to a lab. It looks like this was a research station.”

“Seal both rooms and get back to the soldiers outside.”

“I don't understand.”

“Understanding is not required. Obey my order.”

“Yes, sir,” Astor replied sullenly, and Darius lowered his pistol just far enough to point at the floor.

“Why didn't you destroy this place yourselves?” he questioned.

“Our government didn't want to, but the last of us decided to do it anyway after you killed all our leaders. You stopped the last of the military before they could get here, and I don't have the means to do it myself.”

Darius nodded, then shot the alien in the head.

2:47 P.M. “Give me a channel to all personnel,” Darius ordered once he stepped on the Counterstrike's bridge without slowing his pace as he walked to the captain's chair.

Seeing the look on the knight's face, the captain quickly vacated his seat for Darius to take and relayed the order to his crew.

“This is Master Knight Pente to all personnel involved in the attack on Silosan III. You are hereby ordered into absolute silence regarding your time here. No matter how insignificant you may think something is, you will not tell anyone about what you have seen and done here. Violations of this order will be investigated and punished by the Star Knights personally.” He signaled for the channel to be cut, appreciating the look of sudden fear in the eyes of the bridge crew. They would do as they were told.

“Get me a secure channel to the emperor, urgent priority. I'll take it in my quarters,” he ordered, then quickly left the bridge.

The aliens were unable to use what he had just found to save themselves, but what they had left behind would ensure the empire's dominance for decades, possibly even centuries.

No one could threaten their people, or their dreams, now.

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