Ren dodged backward into the previous room, then into the one prior to that as well as the walls came crashing down ahead of her. The cause of the demolition was easy to spot at that point, as the ‘gentle’ light-blue hue from that glowing armor pierced through the dark and smoke.

  “…L-Laurier!?” She blurted in surprise, and immediately brought up her forearm-cannons. She nearly fired when she spotted two of her subordinates doing the same thing from the other side, and she immediately lowered her arms again.

  Rubble cascaded onto the Sovereign Shadow’s hull, striking the thick metal as it fell. The face-plate rippled with that blue light again, and it suddenly turned straight towards Ren, “…Well now, look at you.”

  All four wings lifted up and spread wide, and both Ravan and Corbin held-off their next volleys, diverting instead to create a united front with their commander, “…We have unfinished business.”

  “That we do.” Regulus answered, and turned that massive metallic beast to face the trio through the hole in the wall, “I’d congratulate you, but I think it would only be embarrassing. Every fight we’ve had has been a loss for you. It would be odd to celebrate such failure.”

  “Tech is down for you two as well, I take it?” Ren asked quietly.

  “Yeah.” Corbin answered, “Ravan found this guy in the throne room. I heard the fight and was able to find her to help. We haven’t seen Jense yet.”

  Ravan chimed in, “We can keep this freak busy if you want to go find him.”

  Regulus wasn’t going to give them much time to convene, and once he’d pushed the last of the large debris out of the way, both upper arms swung forward through the gaping hole and began to glow with that eerie green light. The three Fafnir scattered like spooked cats, and the blasts tore through the carved stone walls like it was no more than burning paper. Rock smoldered and glowed red-hot, blasting through two more rooms before finally ceasing. Regulus felt the onslaught come from the sides after that, and was quick to spin to push them back. To his disappointment, the pair of Fafnir he’d been fighting to that point were the only ones who reappeared to his sights, Where’d the girl go?

  Ren had taken off through the destruction and was flying quickly – but carefully – back the way the fight had come. The devastation was incredible – it looked like a bomb had gone off through those maze-like halls and chambers. The higher she flew through the holes that the Sovereign Shadow had created, the more ‘lived in’ the palace’s ruins appeared, as rock walls gave way to more typical construction. The skeleton of the palace was starting to become clear as certain holes through the walls and floor revealed solid rock behind them, blocking further trespass in that direction. She emerged into the ruined throne-room soon after, and looked at the destroyed space with awe, If he’s doing this with the Duchess’ knowledge, then securing Oceanside was never the point of parking the Tuonela above it. This is really bad…

  The Sovereign Shadow was audibly getting closer – the sound of Fafnir weaponry, response-fire, melee assaults, and the hulking mecha banging into the rock sounded roughly – and Ren quickly traversed the ruin to get to the southern side. The pergola was a pile of rock, glass, and the vegetation that had once decorated it. Water-channels in the floor were broken, creating large puddles where debris had fallen through to block the flow. Some of the stone still smoldered from where the fight began, and Ren could barely make-out the sight of streaks in the walls where laser-weaponry had chased after their targets. She quickly approached the doors at the side-exit, and delicately went through, sure to close them behind her, Hopefully he expects me to blast my way through any doors and goes to the main entrance…

  Even if he hadn’t, Corbin and Ravan were driving him towards the eastern hall anyway, firing at and literally shoving the big machine towards the huge doors that Corbin himself had originally come through.

  If Regulus was aware of the attempt, none of them would ever know, but he abruptly refused to go any further. Instead, he backed-up into the throne-room until the mech parked on top of the collapsed pergola. Deep gouges had been cut into the armor of the Sovereign Shadow, but when that green glow began again in the palms of those large, clawed, hand-like graspers, the damage was evidently superficial. Ravan and Corbin both darted, and the twin blasts shot out with devastating effect, chasing them into the northern and southern cubbies of the broken room. Perhaps it was Regulus doing the corralling then, as those arms continued to fire even as the gleaming blue mech started to move forward again.

  The two Fafnir had dodged behind the throne-platform, and had formed a shield around themselves with their wings. It was shocking to watch the pair of large, tube-like beams suddenly fan out to create a literal wall of devastation…and it kept coming. Shields held, but the singular remaining throne was blown apart with devastating effect, sending wood and metal blasting away in every direction. Those massive green energy-fans stayed focused on the Fafnir, even as the reaction to hitting their wings sent sparks and recoil through the air.

  The warmachine moved into the eastern exit-hall, and just before crossing through, it shut the energy-weapon off and quickly turned around. Without hesitation, he aimed those cannons towards the floor instead and opened-fire all over again. Rock broke away and embers glowed with the heat, and in an unusual move, the mecha not only sped-off in reverse, it did so with a spin, causing those green beams to leave screw-like spirals of damage in every wall between the throne room and the broken exit doors. The fel-light only went out when Regulus rammed the mech into each side of the wide corridor, turned again, and quickly escaped, leaving the space to collapse on itself in his wake.

  The Fafnir weren’t quick enough to get through as the way out was blocked, and they could hear the hall continuing to collapse all the way back. Ravan looked to her cohort, “…We can’t blast our way through this. He’s destroyed the entire path.”

  “Trapping us down here without actually defeating us…” Corbin said warily, “We have to find another way out. Do you remember the path you took to get here?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.” She answered, and they both darted for the northern exit.

  Ren had found herself going deeper into the southern-half of the complex, “Jense!? Jense!” She called out. A large corridor around the throne-room had also led towards a much narrower descending staircase, and that’s where she was when she felt the entire palace shake. Wings came up protectively, creating a cocoon-like barrier around her, and after what felt like several minutes, the shuddering ceased. The quiet that followed was surreal, and Ren lifted her head dubiously, “…What was that…?”

  The Sovereign Shadow’s hull-glow terminated, leaving it a dark shape in the night sky, softly reflecting the illumination from the spotlights. He cast his eyes upward, and saw that the Tuonela had dramatically increased its elevation, and appeared to be turning slightly. He reached out to the Duchess, “…Your Grace, I only saw three, but they spoke amongst each other about a fourth. Ready now.”

  “Well done.” She answered. Though the Magistrate couldn’t see her, the words she spoke told him enough and he listened carefully as she reached out to the assembled members of the Conclave who’d accompanied her to the Vindicator, “This is Duchess Far’nah of the nation of Kitez, giving consent to override protective operations protocols to the security system of the residential palace. Access code: ginger, unicorn, updraft, Cornelius. The palace has been lost. Activate self-destruct sequence.”

  Regulus backed up a little further into the sky, and opened a data-panel with a single button labeled [Detonate.] The button was initially greyed-out, and a counter appeared at the top of the window. Aboard the Vindicator, those three other Magistrates all began putting in their own consent codes, and one by one, the counter increased, until only Regulus’ own was necessary. He took one last look at the palace – so normal-appearing from the outside, despite knowing the ruination he’d brought within – and opened his own consent panel, “Magistate Regulus Laurier of the Eastern District, adding my consent to the override. Access code: Pomeranian, walnut, circuit, sunrise. …The palace has been lost. Activating self-destruct sequest…now.”

  After a tense moment, he saw the 5 of 5 tally, and the greyed-out button flickered to life. A finger tapped it – the button shone red – and the palace began to explode from the inside out. Floor by floor, with the northern and southern wings going first, wall-sconces flickered and went dark…followed by fire.

  The Fafnir didn’t know what hit them, and the labyrinthine cavern lit-up with volcanic force.

  .

  Gabriel sighed impatiently as the Fifth carried out her duties, doing a scan on his left flank where he’d been slammed against the bridge controls. All he could do was lay there on his side as lukewarm nanotech fingers poked and prodded at him. One spot that definitely got a reaction from him was when she pressed on the protrusion of his hip-crest, and he winced fitfully, “Ow! Damn!”

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  “I don’t think you broke anything but you’ll be feeling like shattered glass by tomorrow.” Etienne answered, “I’ll give you something for the pain, and send you on your way.”

  “Don’t give me anything that’ll make me sleepy.” He insisted, “I need to keep on top of what happens with this invasion.”

  “…There’s nothing you can do except take care of yourself though.” She answered, taking a device from a nearby tech – it looked like a electric nose-hair clipper, with a narrow tube at the end. She’d already moved it towards the Fourth’s exposed left arm, but he quickly pulled away and twisted to sit up…though he cringed terribly in doing so, “Gabe.”

  “Give me something local if you have to give me anything at all.” He countered, a palm on that hip-crest as he winced against the pain, “I can’t be the only one sleeping on the job.”

  “You don’t have a job here right now… Even if Rylen finished right this second, it would still be another day or two before you get called in.” The Fifth reminded.

  “You know damn well what I mean.”

  “Gabe…”

  He shook his head and grumbled quietly, “…Sorry.”

  “We’re all worried and grieving.” She explained, and returned the device to get it exchanged for something else, “It’s…harder to see it on our faces because we’re using expression modulators right now, but believe me… What…happened with Xanarken was a blow to all of us. You can’t be reckless, even if we would understand why.” She took a new item from the assistant – a large blue patch – and as she opened the package it was kept in, she nudged the back of the Fourth’s arm to get him to move it out of the way. He grudgingly responded, and the patch was placed, “This’ll help take the edge off, but it’s not a long-term solution.”

  “Thanks. …And it’s not just Xanarken.” Gabriel said stiffly, and pulled the physical part of his uniform back into place, “I have to know Ren is…the Fafnir…are safe…before I can rest. There are no good explanations for why their private nanotech would be offline, especially Ren’s, since she’s the mission lead…”

  “They’re not helpless without it, you know.” Etienne reminded, watching that elaborate purple halo remanifest behind the Fourth’s head, and she went around the exam table to see him better, “I’ve looked after generations of Fafnir, and this would hardly be the first time any of them have fought without nanotech support. You’ve spent the entire time I’ve known you being afraid of and angry at the Fafnir…you don’t know a thing about them.”

  “Enlighten me then.” He grunted, pushing off the table to stand up, though that felt miserable, “Give me some reason to have hope that their tech isn’t off because they’re all dead.”

  “Their tech wouldn’t shut off because of death, for one.” The Fifth answered, “You know that as well as anyone.”

  “This isn’t making me feel any better.”

  “Just trust in them!” Etienne fussed, “It’s like Rylen said…until or unless we find bodies, we presume they’re still fighting. They train offline, too, exactly in case something like this happens. Now, let me walk you down to Maeve… The Buckler has held back a little to give you some space to fly, but they’ve gotta catch up soon to cover the Dreadnought. The World Cloud will get to Oceanside in about three hours. We’ll know more then, if they don’t reconnect to their own supply beforehand.”

  “What about the Ward?” Gabriel wondered then, even if he was still moody about all the rest, “What’s their status?”

  “…Critical.”

  Gabriel stared bitterly for a moment, looking at that all-but-vacant look on the woman’s face, “…I really hate it when you guys use the expression nullifiers. It feels like you’re covering for a lie.” He said resentfully, and pushed past to get into the next hall.

  Etienne followed him out quickly, but the Fourth was walking with a mission, “I know it’s not ideal, but there’s so much going on. If you could see half of what I’m-” She started, only to stop and watch him go instead. With a growl, she quickly reshaped herself to the massive, multi-tailed forest-spirit kitsune-mantle, and leapt out in front of the man with a muzzle-snap, “You may be an Eidolon now but that doesn’t mean you can be rude!”

  Gabriel was stunned at the sight of it – and somehow, despite how big that vulpine god-like form already was, it seemed to be getting bigger – but with a step back, he finally relented. His whole body seemed to sag, and he reached up to rub at the sore side of his head.

  “You’re not the only one dealing with a lot right now!” Etienne continued, nanotech fur bristling like it was electrified, “I came here because the Eidolon are all my primary patients! You’re the most vulnerable of the bunch though because your body isn’t safe in a pod somewhere! With the Ward down and the Dreadnought and Buckler both having myriad casualties, my Wing is spread really thin! I’m not lying though, so take it back! This is just how we prevent unrest from spreading to others! Panic only begets panic!”

  There was chaos all around them; MedBay workers bringing in patients to be triaged, soldiers with bandages and splints, others with burns and open wounds who hadn’t been assessed yet. Cries of pain and fear sounded from every angle, and Gabriel could only stand there, quietly and belligerently realizing how lucky he was that he’d only been so ‘gently’ hurt. Holographic imagery of Luminary medical specialists appeared in front of different people according to need, able to use the World Cloud to provide the barest form of First Aid before a real provider could see them; the triage was painful, and many with severe injuries shrieked at the ministrations.

  The sight of those agonized faces – lined up along the walls as they waited for someone to look at them – and the worry they bore for the words they’d just heard, truly made it sink in.

  “…The Ward is gone…?”

  “The Eidolon are panicking…?”

  “Dreadnought casualties…? How many were hurt…?”

  Gabriel’s brow furrowed, and he lowered his head. He heard the impatient growl from ahead of himself, and he slouched his shoulders. With a step closer, he set his arms around the massive fox’s head, and hugged the fuzzy brow to his chest, “…You’re right… I’m…worried about Ren and I’m making it everyone’s problem…” He said quietly, heard only by those nearby ears, “…I’ll get out of your hair. Focus on saving other lives. You shouldn’t have to worry about mine at all.”

  Etienne was dumbfounded, but she didn’t know how to question it, so when Gabriel let go and moved off again, she could only quietly look back to watch him leave. The alerts she’d been dismissing were too numerous to put aside anymore though, and with Gabriel stable, she no longer had the excuse to tend to him. She grumbled and dissolved her vulpine mantle, restoring her ‘normal’ self before turning to look at the soldiers who’d witnessed the whole exchange.

  .

  The collapse of the Kitezan royal household sent aftershocks through the city as deeper detonations continued to reverberate through the rocky ground. Ren lifted her head slightly, looking around the remains of the stairwell she’d found herself buried under. With her wings out, she’d been able to create a pocket, but it was small and disorienting, and completely black. Anxiety welled in her chest, but she took a few calming breaths, and reached for her hip to find one of her melee weapons. There was just enough space to extend the plasma-blade, and she was able to see just how trapped she was.

  “…Shit, shit shit…how deep is this?” She asked herself worriedly. There was a tiny hole through the rubble, but it wasn’t nearly large enough to fit through nor get a good view of what the rest of the corridor looked like. The ground and broken walls shuddered with another shockwave, and Ren braced against the solid basalt, arms up over her head and wings wrapped around for the shield. Little bits of stone and dust fell and bounced off of her, but the rumbling soon stopped again, and the quiet crept in to replace it.

  She pawed around for what felt like ages, when she abruptly felt her right arm moving against her intent. For the briefest of seconds, she was convinced it was Scyrexian again somehow, but when she felt a little closer, she realized, “…F-Furion!? Quit it!” She barked, though knowing the Captain couldn’t hear her at all. She wrenched her arm back so hard that it had to have sent a message, and to her surprise, the strange movement stopped right away…for a few seconds. Her left arm started to move instead, and that side was no where near strong enough to resist. She was forced to her knees, and watched as her own hand felt at the ground, but just as she reached over with her right to brace against the puppeteering, she watched her fingers clasp into a fist-shape, and her thumb extended slightly. It gouged hard into the stone floor, and four letters appeared.

  WAIT

  Ren’s eyes opened wide, and Furion disconnected; he reached up to the neural-interface sitting atop his head, and lifted it off. With a relieved sigh, he leaned back in Captain Landon’s office-chair, and set the crown to his lap, “…They’re all alive, sir.”

  Rylen was relieved as well, and he glanced over at the man from where he was keeping up with updates from the fleet, “…Good. Once the World Cloud gets there, we can help get them out.”

  .

  Gabriel made it to the hangar, and looked around in helpless worry as skiffs were being loaded with some of the worst of the casualties. The cries of anguish never ceased, but what was worse was the echo of Rylen saying Ren was offline even to him.

  That mission was supposed to be stealthy…and they need nanotech to stay hidden… If it’s off, something must have happened… Gabriel thought to himself. He found himself suddenly shoved aside as a gurney was pushed by, and the sight of that Sixth Wing soldier – a woman with long black hair and a bleeding left arm – caught him by surprise. The image of it alone was enough to raise his hackles, and sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn’t even a conscious thought at that point; he darted down a different corridor, back into the belly of the Buckler.

  It took a while to get through the chaos of the ship’s scramble to tend their wounded – finding them, extracting them, assessing and finally transporting them to wherever they were going to go – and Gabriel found himself being jostled the whole way. Lights flashed. Holograms of Fifth Wingers drifted in and out of sight. Cries for help sounded from every direction. He finally made it to the nanotech-orb depot, and pressed his way through the security-door, access granted only for the fact of his new station. He quickly grabbed one in each arm - and a third that he pinned between the first two - then hustled back to the hangar as fast as he could.

  Maeve was just where he’d left it, and he quickly hopped in, dumping the orbs onto the floor and grabbing for the controls. With the hangar door already wide open for the evacuation of the casualties, he slipped right out.

  The small red skiff arced directly up into the night sky, and veered west.