The Last Heroes

[Macavity116]

I imagine that Grey Phoenix isn't totally off the Charlemagne. How will they move the Hyperspace Core without a ship? Unless they steal one...

One of the saboteurs did get away, and in the next chapter, we're going to learn exactly how many Grey Phoenix operatives managed to get aboard the Charlemagne.

Why do I feel like the Stormbreakers not contacting the GDF is going to lead to a lot of misunderstandings?

It's certainly a missed opportunity. Hahli has got a little bit of tunnel vision going on. She got kinda greedy when she realized she had a chance to get her hands on a Hyperspace Core. She could either install it on the Ashoka or ransom it back to the Partogans. Either scenario would be a win for her.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Caught Up! Fantastic Action. Plenty of Mother/Daughter 'Love'. Thank you for the space battle

 

[Macavity116]

Caught Up! Fantastic Action. Plenty of Mother/Daughter 'Love'. Thank you for the space battle

You're most welcome. I'm glad to know you're enjoying the story!

By the way, I could see you catching up for the past few days. Those "left a like" notifications piled up on my screen in groups of 10 to 15 at a time. I've been drilling with the National Guard all weekend, so I wasn't able to clear out my alert box. I would periodically log into the forums every ten hours or so and see something like this:

I felt like I was watching someone chase me down.

 

[Macavity116]

Tomorrow's chapter will be a little special. Longtime readers who've been sticking with the series ever since My Father's War will be rewarded with a payoff on a story concept I set up all the way back in The Stormbreakers.

It's a small detail, but if you know what it is, you will be truly convinced that the protagonists are correct in their conclusions.

Strongly recommended reading: certain passages from previous entries in the series.

Spoiler: The Stormbreakers - Chapter 10: Deja vu All Over Again

Tygan motioned for us all to approach a large touchscreen mounted on the laboratory wall. He tapped the screen and brought up six rows of nearly identical code. The letters a, g, c, and t appeared and re-appeared in patterns across the screen. The six lines of code were broken up into three groups of two.

Doctor Tygan pointed to the top row of letters and began:

“Lieutenant Robinson, this is your genetic code. Observe these markers here which denote your brown eyes, this mRNA sequence that makes you immune to the HSV-1 virus. This sequence over here is responsible for your black hair. Now look at this combination of proteins: If I was still working in an ADVENT Gene Therapy clinic, I would point to these sequences right here and diagnose you with an allergy to latex. Correcting it is a simple treatment.”

“Living with it is even simpler.” I grumbled. “I haven’t had a reaction since I was ten years old.”

Deja vu All Over Again

Spoiler: My Father's War - Chapter 3: Secret Service Agent Kathleen Walsh

Ever since I was a small child, I suffered from a mild allergy to latex, a chemical produced from the sap of rubber trees. The trees themselves occur naturally on Earth, but rubber and latex can be found or produced elsewhere in the Galaxy. Latex is a very common chemical found in many products all over the Galaxy. It’s in clothing, makeup, children’s toys, medical equipment, and even certain types of food. Fortunately, my allergies were mild, so I could avoid having a medical emergency on my own without help from my parents.

Secret Service Agent Kathleen Walsh

Spoiler: War of the Paradox - Issue 7, Part 8

Just like her father, Akira Robinson is allergic to latex.

So Maui, Kingi, and I are all going to try and intercept Erin Hyatt during the War in Heaven Memorial on the 11th, then we’ll do a simple test that should confirm whether or not she’s the Paradox.

The question is this: If Erin Hyatt really is Akira Robinson… will she refuse to shake hands with a person wearing rubber gloves?

War of the Paradox 7.8

 

[HistoryDude]

The latex allergy... the perfect way to figure out who Paradox is! I assume it will be used on Scarlett?

 

[Macavity116]

The latex allergy... the perfect way to figure out who Paradox is! I assume it will be used on Scarlett?

Oh, you know me well. Watch this thread tomorrow. Revelations inbound.

 

[Macavity116]

The Emerald Institute is from Avon Las Observes, written by @Midnite Duke, used with permission.

If you are watching the companion video, you may hear two selections of music that are not normally included in this series:

• At 30:52, the song playing is called "Al's Toy Barn" and it's from the 1999 video game Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue.
• At 32:34 and continuing until the end of the video, the tune is "Main Theme" from the 2011 video game Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This song was previously used as the main theme of All Our Sins Remembered, the previous entry in the Stormbreaker Universe. The reason I re-used this song should be obvious as soon as you reach the end of the chapter.

<=== Chapter 25: The Battle of Polaris

Chapter 27: Faith Enforced ===>​

Chapter 26
The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman

​

June 28, 2086
Central Florida


The UN base at Cape Canaveral was under intense observation. American soldiers, dressed in camouflage, observed the facility in silence amongst the swampy shores of the Indian River. Meanwhile, men who worked for Grey Pheonix posed as truck drivers and entered the base under the guise of regular deliveries, only to depart hours later with a bounty of stolen spaceship parts in their cargo beds. These brazen thefts were aided by infiltrators inside of the base... some of them were Human... and some were not.

Just after sunrise, a pair of soldiers emerged from the UN checkpoint on the eastern side of the NASA Causeway bridge, a structure that connected Cape Canaveral to the mainland. They flashed a pair of yellow cards at the men guarding the checkpoint. The UN soldiers waved and told their comrades to enjoy their day off work.

The pair of unarmed troopers, a man and woman, walked swiftly across the bridge, over the Indian River, and into the city of Titusville. The man kept looking forward, moving with determination. His companion, however, was jittery. She kept gazing behind her as though she was constantly being startled by every little noise. Once they were off the bridge and out of sight from the checkpoint, the man reached for his phone and dialed a number. Within minutes, an electric car pulled up along the side of the road and picked up the pair, before turning west and starting the journey to Orlando.

About seventy miles away from the space center, on the outskirts of the city, Lawrence Ridge breathed a sigh of relief. He had been waiting all night for word on whether Piper Russel had managed to get out of the space center. Now that he knew she was on her way back, Lawrence locked up his hotel room and made his way down the road to the Grey Phoenix base.

The Orlando Scrapyard was a very busy place these days. Grey Phoenix had opened up their facility to not just the Wolverines, but the allies they were slowly bringing into Orlando. General Osmer was camped out here now, and he brought along a substantial force of American soldiers. Colonel Sharp and several of his Ancient American comrades were here as well, including members of his own Salish-Kootenai tribe. A representative of the Andromedon Sanctuary visited from day to day, and he occasionally brought news of other aliens who were ready to help in the upcoming raid.

Lawrence got to the former starship Kakama before anyone else and spent his morning setting up the conference room for today’s meeting. He laid out a massive map of central Florida on the table and placed little red and blue markers on it to show the position of friendly and enemy troops, double-checking the reports by scouts to make sure the data was accurate.

Around nine in the morning, people started to show up. The two Mutons who ran the scrapyard, Crew Chief Magra and Shipbreaker Karfu, greeted Lawrence and asked if Piper was coming back today. When he said yes, they seemed to light up. The pair was also worried about their friend. Jay Lansing and Cera Roberts arrived together, followed shortly by Colonel Sharp. Sharp was looking defeated. His recent efforts to find Ancient American people in the area had been fruitless. General Osmer and Emanuel Espinosa arrived last, talking to each other in low voices and not paying attention to the others until Lawrence called the meeting to order.

“Okay folks. Sorry to call you hear so early, but Piper and Corsair are on their way back now, and they’ve got news that we need to act on now.” Lawrence said.

A clatter of feet in the hallway outside preceded the conference room door slamming open. Piper and her companion burst into the room, panting.

“Did... Did you start without us!?” Piper gasped.

“I tried to.” Lawrence replied. “Thanks for getting back here so quickly. Hey, Corsair... you can change back if you want to. You’ve gotta be tired.”

The man who was travelling with Piper gave Lawrence a weak smile.

“Appreciate it.” He rasped. “I’ll just step outside.”

The soldier departed and stepped down the boarding ramp. Once he was outside and well clear of the Kakama, the man’s body started to violently convulse. His features distorted and melted away with a horrible crunching sound, and a moment later, the gruesome transformation was complete. Instead of a man, there was now a bipedal alien, standing ten feet tall and covered from head to foot in brown slime.

Piper’s companion was a member of the Faceless, a nearly extinct race of alien shapeshifters. During the Second Hyperspace War over fifty years ago, the Faceless were part of the ADVENT Coalition and functioned as infiltrators and spies, hiding amongst members of the Human Resistance. Shaking his gelatinous head from exhaustion, Corsair the Faceless stomped off to find a place to rest, leaving a trail of slimy footprints as he went.

Back on the Kakama, Piper slammed her fist down on the table and delivered the important news:

“Something is happening at Cape Canaveral.” She reported. “A transport ship landed at Pad 39A and dropped off about a hundred Shrike mercenaries.”

“Shrike?” Jay repeated. “What are they doing here?”

“I’m getting to that.” Piper explained. “All of the guards around the base were quietly swapped out for the mercenaries in the middle of the night. Shrike has completely taken over security at Kennedy Space Center. And at the same time, they started preparing for an emergency launch.”

“Did you see which vessel they were prepping?” Emanuel asked.

“One of those cruisers in the Apollo Complex.” Piper replied.

“Probably the Solaris.” Emanuel said. “It’s the only one with a functioning power plant right now. Do you have any clue why they’re spooling her up?”

“Kind of.” Piper answered. “I heard there was a distress signal coming from the North Star, Polaris, and that both Admiral Tsiajotso and the ISO Director gave it the highest priority. That cruiser got picked to be part of the Quick Reaction Force.”

A murmur ran around the room.

“The ISO Director?” General Osmer repeated. “You mean Freeman?”

“Not Freeman.” Jay cut in. “We got word Freeman is dead.”

“We heard it from your daughter, Espinosa.” Cera added. “And she says she heard it from you.”

“But...” Lawrence cut in. “Earlier today, we got a transmission from the Stormbreakers. Maui told us Freeman's alive. He even gave us the location of her workshop in the space center.”

“Lawrence is right.” Piper said. “The intel we got from Maui Ririnui seems pretty solid.”

A confused silence filled the room. Everyone was trying to make sense of this conflicting information. People looked from Lawrence to Emanuel to Piper, hoping that somebody would have the correct answer.

“That doesn’t add up.” Colonel Sharp said. “US Army intel says Freeman is in Oregon right now.”

“She just left.” Piper interrupted. “I heard a bunch of officers saying she’s on her way back from Arcadia Bay now. Something about changing priorities and the QRF will leave as soon as she lands in Florida.”

General Osmer folded his arms.

“We need to establish, beyond all reasonable doubt, whether or not Director Freeman is alive. This will inform our decision-making, and that of the enemy as well.” He said.

All eyes turned to Emanuel. He was not really surprised. After all, the rumor of Scarlett’s death had started with him. He reached into his coat pocket and said:

“Scarlett is dead. She’s been dead this whole time.”

He produced a faded and yellowed newspaper clipping and placed it down on the table for everyone to see. On the left side of the page was the text of the story, and on the right side was a color photograph of a teenage girl with green eyes and platinum blonde hair. It was an excerpt from the Chicago Tribune, and it said this:

DEAD TEEN IDENTIFIED; MURDER INVESTIGATION ANNOUNCED​

August 19, 2059 – The Chicago Police Department has used DNA evidence to identify the corpse of a girl found adrift in Lake Michigan four days ago. The body of Scarlett Freeman (Age 13) was recovered from the water by local fisherman and turned over to authorities more than eight days after she was reported missing from Hyde Park. The County Coroner determined the cause of death to be Homicide, and turned the investigation over to the CPD. Noah and Charlotte Freeman, the girl’s parents, were reported missing by the CPD after they failed to show up for an interview the day after their daughter vanished. Hyde Park Academy, where Scarlett was enrolled as a freshman, will be closed for the remainder of the week and is offering free counseling services to her classmates.


Emanuel looked up at the room around him.

“The woman I married told me her name was Scarlett Freeman, that her parents were called Noah and Charlotte, that she was a native of Chicago, and that she graduated from Hyde Park Academy. The woman who shared my bed for two decades, who is running the ISO, my daughter’s mother... I don’t know who she is... but she is not Scarlett Freeman. The real Scarlett was murdered and dumped in a lake almost thirty years ago. That woman is an impostor.”

There was a stunned silence. For a few seconds, nobody could say anything. Then the Mutons shifted. Shipbreaker Karfu walked around the table and came to a stop in front of Emanuel. She stared hard into his eyes for a moment, then blinked.

“You know.” Karfu said. “You already know the truth, but you are scared to admit to it. Your fear is justified.”

Karfu turned to the group.

“Everyone, I think we can confirm the Professor’s story today, and prove the true identity of the woman claiming to be Scarlett Freeman, though I think we all share the same suspicion. Allow me a moment.”

Karfu stepped to the far side of the room and then pushed a wall panel. It retracted upwards, revealing a computer terminal. While the group watched, Karfu activated the Hyperwave Relay and initiated a call.

“Connection established. Faster-than-light communication enabled.” said a serene computerized voice.

A moment later, hologram emitters projected an image into the room. A Levakian male appeared, shaking his mane by way of greeting.

“Thank you for contacting the Emerald Institute.” The holographic Levakian said. “Are you looking up information, or do you need to speak to an Institute representative?”

“I am seeking information about the Paradox.” Karfu said. “We need a copy of her genetic code for comparison.”

The Levakian nodded.

“The Emerald Institute carries on the legacy of the Asalele Conclave of Telepaths, destroyed by the Paradox in 1928.” he said. “To that end, we archive all known data about the Paradox. However, if you believe you have encountered her, we strongly suggest you contact the Galactic Defense Force.”

Karfu nodded.

“Understood. Please transmit the genetic data now.”

The Levakian obliged, giving the following explanation as he did so:

“This genetic data was taken from the Paradox during her first appearance aboard the XCOM warship Avenger in 2035. It is the most up-to-date profile of her the Institute possesses.”

“With luck, we’ll have an updated profile for you in a matter of hours.” Karfu said before terminating the call.

Piper bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

“Oh, I think I know what the plan is already!”

Emanuel gave Piper a smile. He reached into his pocket again and produced a second prop.

“When the real Scarlett Freeman was born, Chicago was under UN control.” He said. “Which means...”

Lawrence smacked himself in the face as he realized the truth, then he interrupted.

“She was born in a Gene Therapy Clinic! The UN has a genetic profile of the real Scarlett!”

Emanuel nodded and placed a small thumb drive on the table. His voice full of contempt, Emaniel said:

“Plug that into any genetic sequencer. You’ll see the real Scarlett Freeman, born in Chicago on March 8th, 2046. Attended Hyde Park Academy. Caucasian, green eyes, blonde hair. Murdered a decade and a half before I married an impostor wearing her face and name. The person I thought I loved, who I had a daughter with... all that’s left of her is on this drive.”

...

A few hours later, the hastily assembled plan was put into action. Piper and Corsair the Faceless returned to the space center, once again in their disguises as UN soldiers. As they crossed the NASA Causeway bridge, they were followed at a distance by a cargo truck. It was being driven by two Human members of Grey Phoenix, and there were an additional five hiding in the back of the truck.

As soon as Piper and Corsair reached the checkpoint, a pair of Shrike mercenaries approached them and said:

“Where have you been, soldiers!? The base is on general alert. Get inside and get to your posts, before we tell your commander you were playing Hookey.”

Corsair, in Human form once again, stuck his thumb out at the approaching supply truck.

“They’re with us.” he said. “They got lost in town and we had to guide them back.”

The mercenary took one look at the truck, nodded, and waved them through. No IDs were checked. No paperwork examined. The truck was not searched.

As soon as the infiltrators entered the base, they parted ways. The supply truck turned a corner and made a beeline for the Divine Atelier. Coming to a stop at the Apollo Center, the two drivers got out, ran around to the back, and opened it. Five Human members of Grey Phoenix, all wearing UN Navy uniforms, clambered out and each one grabbed a tool case by the handle. They started walking purposefully towards the gangway that led to the Solaris. Just like the main gate, the gangway was guarded by Shrike.

“We’re with the crew.” one of the Grey Phoenix men said in a confident tone. “We need to board right away.”

The mercenaries stood aside and allowed the five saboteurs to board Solaris without a word.

Meanwhile, Corsair and Piper started making their way to Scarlett's workshop. They were acting on the Intel transmitted by the Stormbreakers from Arcadia Bay. Inez and Corsair were frustrated to learn that the Divine Atelier was right next door to the drydock. From here, Piper could see the Grey Phoenix saboteurs boarding the Solaris. She forced herself to relax. There was an identical team stationed aboard the Battleship Charlemagne, and according to Karfu, they had not been caught yet. Grey Phoenix knew how to infiltrate starships. Corsair tried the door.

“Locked.” He said. “Fingerprint scanner on the door. Hold on a moment.”

Corsair and Piper looked around, spotting two security cameras on the side of the building. Corsair walked around the far corner into an area where the cameras had a blind spot. With a gross and repulsive crunching sound, Corsair shapeshifted, changing into a completely different Human. In seconds, Corsair went from being a Caucasian soldier to a Latin American officer. The Faceless stepped back into view and pressed his thumb to the scanner. A green light illuminated the pad and the heavy door swung inwards and open.

The two infiltrators were expecting the place to be full of engineers and scientists, hard at work on the Prometheus Project, but instead, it was quite empty. The halls were quiet and the offices were starting to accrue a fine layer of dust.

“No one’s been here in a while.” Corsair commented. “Are you sure this is the place?”

Piper nodded.

“Maui said he got the Intel from Erin Hyatt herself.”

“The Cult is selling out the ISO, huh?” Corsair said. “What kind of war is this?”

They started searching. Offices, break rooms, and latrines were thoroughly examined. Piper opened up her backpack and withdrew a portable DNA sequencing machine. This would be nowhere near as useful as a fully staffed Gene Therapy Clinic, but it did not need to be. All Piper was looking for was genetic confirmation that Scarlett Freeman was lying about her own identity. Piper and Corsair put on latex gloves to prevent leaving their own traces behind, then each took a handful of cotton swabs and started swiping them across anything that a person may have touched. The search was on.

Very quickly, Piper found a second-floor hallway that contained a row of living spaces. Each apartment was big enough to sustain a person, and they all looked recently lived in. Like the rest of the building, though, they were empty. Piper and Corsair picked an apartment and set about burglarizing it, searching for evidence.

Just before vanishing off the grid earlier in the day, Maui Ririnui had transmitted a message to the Wolverines, warning them that Scarlett Freeman was not only alive, but that she was working on some all-important secret project in the Apollo Center. So far, however, Piper and Corsair were not finding much evidence to support that claim. These apartments clearly belonged to whatever workers operated in the Apollo Center. It was highly unlikely that any of them would belong to Freeman. As the director to the Internal Security Office, Scarlett would most likely live somewhere in Berlin, near ISO Headquarters. But there was always a possibility that Scarlett might sleep here from time to time, so the rooms had to be checked.

Breaking into a second apartment, Piper found an ID card on top of a dresser and gasped loudly enough to get Corsair’s attention. The Faceless jogged over to her in a strange fashion that almost betrayed his true nature.

“What is it?” He asked.

“It’s her.” Piper said. “We found Inez.”

The ID card contained a recent picture of Inez Espinosa, complete with her full name and new Florida address. Reading the card, Piper giggled when she realized that Inez had two middle names, then she gasped.

“Holy mother of Jericho... Inez joined the ISO!”

Corsair looked down at the card and realized the same thing. Inez was, in fact, listed here as an employee of the UN spy agency. On the left side of the card as a small gold chip, indicating that this card could be used as a keycard at electronically locked doors. Quickly, Piper wiped down the card with a swab and preserved a sample of Inez’s DNA for later analysis.

Piper and Corsair intensified their search, this time looking for any doorways that required a keycard. In mere moments, they found one. Piper swiped Inez’ card and followed Corsair down a flight of stairs. Then, the pair of infiltrators found themselves in the belly of the Divine Atelier.

The workshop was massive, and so full of devices and machines and contraptions that neither Corsair nor Piper knew where to start. Finally, they both shook off their feelings and set to work. Piper and Corsair both withdrew digital cameras from their pockets and started documenting everything. Neither of them understood what these contraptions were, but they took photos of them anyway. Piper took great interest in a metal chair with heavy cuffs on the armrests, while Corsair shapeshifted into a Vanian, using his wings to fly the length of a particle accelerator and take pictures of it. Finally, both of them spent five minutes taking pictures of ab large collection of de-activated androids, all of whom were standing upright and frozen in various positions, as though they were turned to stone in the middle of some mundane task.

When Corsair landed, he and Piper shared an excited high-five.

“This is a treasure trove of intel!” Piper declared. “Freeman, or I guess the woman pretending to be her, is running her own secret weapons program down here. The Americans, Gery Pheonix, hell, even the GDF could do wonders with all of this. Heck, if this is all really off the books like Maui said, we could even turn the UN against her.”

“Agreed.” Corsair said. Then he checked a clock on the wall. “We’ve got about an hour until our saboteurs are finished with the Solaris. Let’s sweep the place and find Scarlett’s DNA.”

But before either of them could take a step in any direction, there was a loud clanging sound as the workshop door abruptly swung open and the voice of a man called out:

“Hey down there! Can you give us a hand with this?”

Piper and Corsair froze. The Faceless was so alarmed that he instinctively shapeshifted into a small Levakian cub and hid behind Piper’s legs.

“No!” Piper hissed at Corsair. “We gotta act like one of them. Be cool; be confident, we belong here.”

Piper had plenty of experience in the world of espionage. She had been a spy for both the Americans and Grey Phoenix when she was younger, and this was the second time she infiltrated the ISO. Piper drew on this experience as she hurried up the stairs and called back in an exasperated tone:

“Hold your horses, man. I’m coming!”

Reluctantly, Corsair shapeshifted back into a military officer and followed her.

Up on the main floor, a large number of UN Navy personnel were trying to quickly dismantle a Hyperwave Relay and package it into boxes. There were eight men in total setting about the task. Piper gave Corsair a look that just said “go with it” and she grabbed a power drill. Together, Piper and Corsair helped the men finish their task, and after about ten minutes, the device normally used for FTL communication was in many small pieces, all of which were neatly packed away in reinforced cases for transport.

The group’s leader, a Navy Lieutenant, waved his hand towards the front door.

“Alright folks, let’s move out. We’ve a deadline to meet and-”

But before he could finish speaking, two people ran through the doorway and into the Apollo Center. Piper and Corsair felt their hearts drop into their stomachs as Scarlett Freeman herself suddenly appeared. She was being closely followed by a UN Army Central Officer, but Piper did not know who he was.

The sudden appearance of Scarlett and her companion was not what alarmed Piper, but rather how rough they looked. Scarlett had cuts and bruises on her arms and face, and looked in general like she had been in a fight mere hours before hand. And she was acting like it, too. Scarlett completely ignored everyone around her and quickly pushed past the group, moving quickly and deliberately towards the stairway that led to the second floor. The whole time, she was speaking to the Central Officer behind her.

“We’ve got no choice! If we do literally anything else, then this catastrophe will only get worse and worse.”

Moving away at the first opportunity, Piper and Corsair broke from the main group of Navy men and followed the ISO Director at a distance, hardly daring to believe their luck. At the top of the stairs, Piper felt her heart jump into her mouth. Scarlett power-walked down the hallway, made a sharp left turn, and saw the doorway to Inez Espinosa’s apartment, which was still wide open, and the apartment itself freshly burgled. Scarlett reacted like a person whose worst fears had been confirmed. She screamed:

“I knew it! I knew it, that’s how those bastards knew to show up! They’ve been here!”

The Central Officer looked over Inez’ room.

“It’s been completely ransacked.” he said. “I’ll call security.”

It was in this moment, this crucial life-or-death instant, where all of Piper’s previous experience as a spy came into play. In a mere moment, Piper made a plan that would simultaneously get herself out of trouble and give her the information she needed.

Without waiting for Corsair, Piper climbed the last few stairs, reached into her pocket and spoke in a clear voice:

“Director Freeman! Over here.”

Scarlett, or rather, the woman pretending to be her, looked up, saw Piper, and quickly walked to her position. The ISO Director opened her mouth to speak, but Piper saw this and made sure to get her own words out first, speaking with an authoritative tone.

“We already know about that, ma’am.” Piper said, pointing at the burglarized apartment. “I have what you’re looking for right here.”

Piper extended a hand, offering Inez Espinosa’s ID card to her. Scarlett reached out to take the card, but just when her hand was about an inch away, she froze. Scarlett stared at the bright blue latex glove Piper was wearing, and after a second, she lowered her hand and said:

“Sepulveda, take that and secure it. I’m gonna give Nezzie an earful when we catch up to her.”

Scarlett stepped past Piper and headed toward the stairs. Central Officer Sepulveda snatched the card from Piper’s hand and followed.

Then, there was a second crucial moment. Corsair was still standing on the staircase. He had witnessed Scarlett’s hesitation, and he was doing the math in his head. In that brief moment, Scarlett and Sepulveda were facing toward the stairs, away from Piper. Piper and Corsair were making eye contact with one another. Piper slowly moved her mouth and noiselessly formed the word: “Allergy.”

Corsair turned around without acknowledging Piper and briskly walked down the stair ahead of Scarlett and Sepulveda. The ISO Director shouted after him:

“You! Tell the men to hurry up, we’ve gotta leave now!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Corsair replied. He broke into a run and reached the bottom of the stairwell.

Following behind, Piper strained her ears, desperately hoping Corsair could find a place where he could shapeshift without being overheard.

Scarlett and Sepulveda reached the bottom of the stairs and started making their way toward the exit, but before they could leave the building, someone shouted from the outside:

“Hey! Whose dog is that!? Someone catch it!”

And before anyone could reach, a dog ran into the building. Wagging its tail and slobbering all over the place, an adult Labrador retriever bounded into the Apollo Building, bolted right up to Scarlett, and jumped at her.

“Are you kidding me right now!?” Scarlett yelled as the dog put its paws on her chest and licked her face.

Wriggling with excitement, the Labrador continued pawing at Scarlett until Piper came to her rescue. Getting one hand on the scruff of the dog’s neck, Piper dragged it away, apologizing profusely. Scarlett looked like she was about to explode. Fists clenching, the ISO Director said:

“I don’t have time for this, we need to be at Polaris ten minutes ago!”

Sepulveda tried to interject.

“Director, we have more time to act than you think. The Charlemagne deliberately triggered a Causality Violation in their Hyperwave Message. We don’t have to hurry-”

“I know how causality breaks work!” Scarlett snapped. “Don’t lecture me and get your ass out the door!”

Scarlett and Sepulveda resumed their departure. Then, at the very last moment, as she was crossing the threshold, Scarlett turned her head to face the heavy metal door… and she sneezed three times.

Recovering quickly, Scarlett and her Central Officer departed the building and almost ran down the ramp towards the warship Solaris, which was showing signs of increasing activity. As soon as Scarlett was out of sight, Piper ran towards the point where she sneezed and wiped down the door with cotton swabs, determined to get a DNA sample for analysis. Then, Piper ducked back inside of the building to feed the swabs into her Genetic Sequencer when the sounding of alarms and a deep rumble shook the whole structure.

“Hey!” Corsair yelled, having turned back into a man. “The Solaris is taking off!”

“Wait, what!?”

Piper ran outside just in time to see the Solaris take flight. The incomplete cruiser rose away from Cape Canaveral, blotting out the sun for a moment and plunging everything below into shadow. With a deep thudding sound from her engines, the Solaris grew smaller and smaller in the sky until she vanished from view entirely. Piper and Corsair looked at one another, then Piper said:

“The Grey Phoenix team was still on board, weren’t they?”

“Yeah.” Corsair replied. “They’re definitely on that ship. Guess they’re hitching a ride.”

“A ride with her.” Piper breathed. “May Jericho have mercy on their souls.”

Piper and Corsair had seen enough. They did not need to analyze the genetic material. Now they knew what to look for, their suspicions were well founded, they both understood the DNA evidence would only confirm what they already guessed… the true identity of Scarlett Freeman.

“We found her.” Piper said to herself, in both pure disbelief and raw terror. “Akira Robinson… the Paradox.”

<=== Chapter 25: The Battle of Polaris

Chapter 27: Faith Enforced ===>​

 

[Von Acturus]

Oh. That's sickening. Though this is Akira Robinson, the woman who regularly murders (or tries to) her alternate family out of spite and eliminates whole species as part of her grand plan, all while raving about her perfect future for humanity. Palpatine, that other machiavellian moral-less and seemingly impossible to kill villain, would be awed. I pity Inez. To be the child of such a monster...

And now I am left with many questions. Firts the trivial: did Akira marry Espinoza because he was needed for his grand plan or to fullfill her childhood crush (though I very much doubt her current ability to feel love)?

And the more pressing: Why did Espinoza and the Stormbreakers not attempt to spread these news that Freeman was an impostor far and wide? They had some kind of proof, and while it's very much possible half of earth would dismiss it as subversive fake news, the other half would look it up and would probably be swayed. What would have the Secreatry General done if he had known he had been consorting with an impostor? How would the human military, government and civil society respond if they knew that the Spymaster of earth was the Paradox, notorious war criminal and heartless murderer?

 

[HistoryDude]

I knew that Scarlett was Akira.

I wonder if Grey Phoenix will expose her to the rest of her crew. Given Akira's reputation... Then again, that might be too anticlimactic.

The Sec-Gen was completely human supremist, right? Did he know of Scarlett's true identity? I kind of thought that he did, honestly. They had common goals. For that matter, so did the Cult of Jericho. I figured that most of her allies did know, but didn't care. Or were in denial.

 

[Macavity116]

I pity Inez. To be the child of such a monster...

A long time ago, back in Faith in Chaos, I said that I have an extensive history of abusing my characters and generally putting through hell. Nezzie is no exception. In fact, if history is any indication, we should expect Inez to lose an eye before this tale is over.

did Akira marry Espinoza because he was needed for his grand plan or to fullfill her childhood crush (though I very much doubt her current ability to feel love)?

That's a complicated one. Akira does remember her childhood crush on Emanuel, yes. However, we must remember that she was very badly traumatized and never properly recovered from the ordeal she went through in All Our Sins Remembered. Akira's capacity to love is diminished if not impaired.

As for grand plans... you're on the correct track. I wonder how close to the answer you are.

There are a few scattered lines of dialogue earlier in this very story that serve as puzzle pieces.

Why did Espinoza and the Stormbreakers not attempt to spread these news that Freeman was an impostor far and wide?

There are three reasons:

1. Scarlett/Akira does not know her secret is out and the Stormbreakers want to keep it that way.
   • It's primarily Varian and Corder supporting this idea. They want to keep an element of surprise by not blowing Akira's cover until they can leverage such an action into a massive advantage.
   • Corder in particular, due to her history as a bounty hunter, is worried that Akira may get "spooked" and act unpredictably if her deep cover is publicly blown.
2. The Stormbreakers' objective is to kill Akira. Nothing else.
   • Kingi, Ninu, and Cetla are pushing this agenda hard. They're not interested in undoing the damage Akira has caused.
3. The Stormbreakers were not fully convinced Scarlett was Akira.
   • As of this point in the story, the team knows that Emanuel suspects his wife is the Paradox, but after their false accusation against Erin Hyatt, the team is waiting for more solid confirmation to make a move against Freeman. Currently, they are in the underground portion of the Tobanga Trail and unable to communicate with the Wolverines. Hopefully, if Varian and the others survive the upcoming Battle for Power (Chapters 28 and 29) they will be told the truth by Piper and the others.

What would have the Secreatry General done if he had known he had been consorting with an impostor?

I think that out of all the various leaders of the UN, Sec-Gen Etienne is the most in the dark, and is under the most severe manipulation and influence. But he is still a powerful politician who wants, more than anything, to stay in power. If Etienne discovered his spymaster was an impostor, his reaction would scale in severity depending on whether or not he believed the impostor was actually the Paradox. He would definitely order Freeman's arrest, and might even have ISO HQ stormed by the UN Army.

How would the human military, government and civil society respond if they knew that the Spymaster of earth was the Paradox, notorious war criminal and heartless murderer?

Judging from my (still incomplete) plan for Act Three, it looks like you'll get your answer in one of the following parts of Act Three:

• Chapter 38: Hell is for Heroes
• Chapter 39: Apocalypse
• Chapter 40: The Last Heroes

I knew that Scarlett was Akira.

I accepted long ago that I was not going to get this one by you. You had me dead to rights. However, I do have a trio of final twists planned, one of which I am very confident you won't see coming. The other two... I won't be surprised if you guess them in advance. I've known you too long.

I wonder if Grey Phoenix will expose her to the rest of her crew.

Oh, they've got something fun planned. See next week's chapter.

The Sec-Gen was completely human supremist, right? Did he know of Scarlett's true identity?

Oh, yes. Sec-Gen Etienne is a Human supremacist. While his goals were aligned with Akira/Scarlett, he is not aware of her true nature.

 

[Midnite Duke]

There is so many twists and turns that the snake is not only chasing its tail but has caught it and eaten half. What remains when the snake devours itself? Thank you for this marvelous tale.

 

[Macavity116]

There is so many twists and turns that the snake is not only chasing its tail but has caught it and eaten half. What remains when the snake devours itself? Thank you for this marvelous tale.

You're most welcome. With only three chapters left in Act Two, I've got one really big twist of the plot in store before the month is over:

A certain main character is finally coming back into the story. Somebody we have not seen in a long time, even though their name has been mentioned lots of times throughout The Last Heroes.

 

[Macavity116]

It's been a long time since I said this, but I had no real expectations when I started sharing my stories online. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has chosen to give these stories a chance over the years. Thanks for reading, each and every one of you, even if you closed the book after just a few pages.

Today I'm celebrating, which means you're getting a new chapter 24 hours early. What's to celebrate? This!

The Macavity116 YouTube channel has breached a cumulative total of 10,000 views! It has been two and a half years since I started uploading content from the Stormbreaker Universe over there. (Every video on the channel is somehow related to the SU)

If you are one of the hundreds of folks who watch my gameplay videos, thanks for watching!

If you are one of the four (yes, four) people who watch the audiobook companion videos to All Our Sins Remembered and The Last Heroes, thanks for watching!

Here's a shameless plug for Stormbreaker Universe content on the channel:

• XCOM: Advent Future
  • Gameplay footage from XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2. Shows what happened to Earth during the 20-year gap between My Father's War and The Stormbreakers, specifically the 2015 Invasion of Earth and the rise of the ADVENT Coalition.
• Macavity116 plays Life is Strange
  • A full playthrough of Life is Strange, the most recent video game to become part of the Stormbreaker Universe. See Arcadia Bay before it was destroyed.
• The Last Heroes
  • In which I read The Last Heroes aloud.
• All Our Sins Remembered
  • In which I read All Our Sins Remembered aloud.
• Macavity116 plays Homeworld 2
  • A full playthrough of Homeworld 2, showing what happened to the rest of the Galaxy about 20 years before the events of The Stormbreakers. Watch this series to learn more about the Progenitor Hyperspace Cores.
• Macavity116 plays Homeworld Cataclysm
  • A full playthrough of Homeworld Cataclysm, showing what happened to the rest of the Galaxy immediately after the events of Faith in Chaos. The Beast is originally from this game, so if you want to see how this cosmic-horror nightmare creature actually works, this is the show for you.
• The Stormbreakers: Stories from the Front
  • An addendum to the Stories from the Front anthologies found in The Stormbreakers. Mostly battles from the Second Hyperspace War, push a few crucial moments from the 1962 War, such as The Day the Sky Fell.
• Stormbreaker Trilogy OST
  • Musical selections from the series. This is what I listen to while I'm writing.

With that out of the way, let's get down to business!

The character Eerabik is from Stellaris Wars: A Nemesis Ironman Saga by @Arithmetician. Used with permission.

<=== Chapter 26: The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman

Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace ===>​

Chapter 27
Faith Enforced

June 29, 2086
High orbit over Proxima Centauri


The battered warship Charlemagne emerged from Hyperspace in a dimly-lit region of space. A dull, faint red light filled the system, giving an observer the impression that the flotilla of starships were sailing through open flames. Down below, Proxima Centauri gave off weak light, and was outshined by its neighbor, the twin stars at the core of Alpha Centauri.

The smallest of the Human warships, the Singaporean-flagged Vengeance, flew alongside the Battleship and extended her docking port. As soon as the two vessels were docked, damage control and repair teams moved across to the Charlemagne. Inez, Rafi, and Captain Mubarak guided each group to where the ship was damaged and set them to work. One crew was left slack-jawed after seeing the shattered remains of the Hyperspace Module.

“Good thing we got to you when we did.” Commented one of the repair workers. “Did the Hiigarans do all of this?”

“No.” Rafi replied. “We’ve got a few Grey Phoenix people on board. My teams are sweeping the ship for the rest. You should lock down the docking tunnel, just in case they’re thinking about jumping ship.”

For her own part, Inez was not thinking about jumping ship, but she was not given a choice. She was in the hangar bay with Adam Barter and his crew when her mother arrived. Scarlett Freeman and her ISO escorts entered the hangar and approached Adam’s transport ship, the Osiris. They entered without declaring their presence. Down in the Osiris’ cargo hold, Inez, Adam, and the others were securing the stolen Hyperspace Core, having just finished an inspection to make sure it was still in working order. Scarlett and her team entered through a door on the bottom level of the cargo bay, looking up at Inez, who was on a catwalk high above.

“I’m impressed.” Scarlett said. “You actually got the Core.”

Looking down at her mother, Inez felt her throat go dry. Scarlett looked different from the last time Inez had seen her. She had a few small bruises on her knuckles and face. Inez could also detect what felt like an aura of hostile energy coming from her mother. Scarlett was in a fight recently and should not be crossed today.

“Are we taking this thing to the Atelier?” Inez called down to Scarlett.

“Yes.” Scarlett replied, “but we’re taking a detour first… could you come down here? I need a word.”

Inez gulped, and slowly moved to find a staircase. Just in her mother’s tone of voice alone, she could tell this was going to be a very unpleasant conversation.

Meanwhile, as Inez went off to meet Scarlett, Adam and his command crew went to the bridge of the Osiris and carried out their takeoff checklist. While Inez and her mother had their meeting, the Osiris lifted off and flew out of the Charlemagne’s hangar, travelling the short distance to the Cruiser Solaris and docking with her.

When Inez met her mother below the Hyperspace Core, Scarlett did not say anything, instead she held out her hand. Inez paused to look at what her mother was holding.

“Oh, my ISO ID card!” Inez said. “I left it on Earth.”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Inez.

“Nezzie.” She started to say.

“Don’t call me that.” Inez interrupted.

Scarlett took a deep breath and started again.

“Nezzie, after you left Earth, I went to my important meeting, the one that got pushed up because of the Waldheim disaster. Do you know who was there, waiting for me?”

Inez shook her head.

“Varian Robinson. And the other five so-called ‘Stormbreakers’. How did they get there?”

Scarlett’s bluish-grey eyes locked into Inez and held their gaze.

“Nezzie, how did they know where to find me?”

Inez took a step back as the full weight of the accusation hit her. Feeling defensive, she lashed out.

“Mom, what the hell!? I’ve been off-world for almost a month and we’ve been radio silent the whole time. What makes you think I was talking to anyone?” Inez said.

“You’ve met Varian before, you travelled with him!” Scarlett said.

Inez lost her train of thought immediately.

“Wait… Varian’s a guy?”

Both women stared at each other, momentarily distracted.

“You didn’t know?” Scarlett said. “Surely you would have known when he told you his name.”

“He kept that kinda stuff a secret.” Inez replied. “How’d you find out?”

“Gene Therapy records.” Scarlett said. “As soon as you gave me his name, I looked him up. He started the sex change process in 2083, and with each Gene Therapy appointment, he left behind one hell of a paper trail until he suddenly vanished off the face of the planet about a year later. His family hasn’t been trying to find him, which suggests they know where he is. Makes sense for my Varian and yours to be the same person. You… really don’t know all of this?”

Inez could sense her mother’s anger and suspicion was not going away. If anything, Scarlett was now viewing her daughter with even less trust. But before anything else could be said, there was a noisy lurch as Osiris docked with the Solaris. A hissing from the nearby pressure door signaled the arrival of a new person.

Central Officer David Sepulveda stepped into the cargo deck and made his presence known.

“Director Freeman, we’re all ready. Admiral Tsiajotso says the Secretary-General has given his approval. We can go at any time.”

“Thank you, Central.” Scarlett said. “We’ll be along in a moment.”

Then she turned back to Inez.

“I’ll be frank with you. I’ve got reason to suspect you’re not entirely loyal to us, Nezzie. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself… show me you’re really on our side.”

Inez was flustered.

“I brought you the Hyperspace Core!” she protested. “And I’ve done everything else you asked! What did I do wrong?”

Scarlett did not answer. She demanded Inez follow her out of the cargo bay and onto the deck of the Solaris.

…

Inez had walked the halls of her new starship a few times before, but never while it was actually in space. The experience was slightly different, as she could feel the pulling sensation of the Artificial Gravity generator down below, and the distant thunder of the engines behind her. Crewmembers in the hallway stopped to salute as Inez and her mother went by.

The Solaris was still incomplete. Inez found scaffolding in the hallway and some rooms were stripped bare. To her genuine alarm, Inez and Scarlett passed by several locations where ammunition for the mass drivers was being stored out in the open. High explosive shells were lined up on the floor, ready for someone to carry them to their appropriate guns.

“One of the magazines is not finished yet.” A crewman explained.

As they got near the bridge, Scarlett spoke.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been hit by a great number of setbacks and complications. To make matters worse, one of our allies has betrayed us.”

“You mean those saboteurs on the Charlemagne?” Inez asked. “Rafi caught two of them.”

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. When she replied, Scarlett’s voice was just a little softer.

“Thanks for telling me.” She said, “I’ll make sure to follow up with Bakir after I show you to the bridge.”

…

The Solaris had a command deck, located on the top floor of a conning tower that stood high above the rest of the superstructure. From here, the bridge offered a commanding view over the entire ship and surrounding space. As soon as Inez and Scarlett stepped onto the bridge, an alarm sounded, followed by a series of flashing red lights. The rest of the bridge crew jumped with surprise as a computerized voice declared:

“ATTENTION: UNAUTHORIZED PRESENCE DETECTED.”

From the Captain’s chair, a familiar man stood up.

“Wait a moment, ladies. Give me a second.” He said, then he directed his voice to the ceiling.

“Computer, this is Central Officer Yarsolsav Vladyslavovych Dotsenko, United Nations Navy. Execute echelon protocol.”

At once, all of the red lights turned blue and the alarm silenced. A blue spotlight shone down on Inez, making her sweat. The computer voice said:

“Attention: Senior command exchange confirmed. Maria Madelina Inez Freeman Espinosa is the CO.”

Central Officer Dotsenko rose from the Captain’s chair and shook hands with Inez.

“Sorry ma’am.” He said. “I wanted that to be a little more ceremonious, but you know how it goes. Anyway, you have the conn.”

For the first time, Inez was fully in command of her own starship, but the moment was ruined by Scarlett’s presence over her shoulder.

“You should get comfortable with being on the bridge.” Scarlett said. “Vice Admiral Vargas is on his way here to brief you on your part in tomorrow’s operation.”

Scarlett put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“I’ve put a lot of trust in you, Nezzie.” Scarlett whispered. “I would hate to imagine what might happen between us if you let me down.”

…

About two hours later, Inez departed the bridge, having given the conn back to Dotsenko. Scarlett also left the bridge. The two women parted ways in the hall. They both needed to make their own preparations for what was coming next.

Inez waited until her mother was out of sight, and the instant she was certain she was alone, Inez darted into an empty room filled with construction materials and collapsed scaffolding. Pressing her back against the wall and curling up into the fetal position, Inez rocked back and forth, shaking.

She had been told the full extent of her mother’s plan.

The United Nations had suffered a series of defeats and setbacks in rapid succession, both at home and in deep space. Scarlett had convinced UN leadership that it was time for a “revenge attack” and the Solaris would be the tip of the spear.

Tomorrow, Inez would take the Solaris into enemy territory and fire the Divine Enforcer for the first time. She had been briefed on how it would happen, and what the effects would be. Inez knew what was coming, and it terrified her. Taking a few moments to collect herself, Inez stood up and walked quickly down to one of the lower levels.

Cassandra was here.

Inez knew she would be, since the Divine Enforcer could not be fired without her. The young girl was being held in one of the cargo bays and she was under very heavy guard. Inez told the troops to “buzz off” and as soon as they were gone, made her way inside.

There was nothing in the bay except for a table and a nondescript mattress. Out of sheer boredom, Cassandra was lying on her back in the middle of the floor and staring at the ceiling high above. At least she was until she spotted Inez. Cassandra sprang to her feet and ran across the cargo bay at full speed, hitting Inez with yet another one of her idiosyncratic flying-tackle hugs.

“Nezzie!” Cassandra cried. “What’s going on!? Where are we!?”

Inez sat down on the mattress and took a deep breath. She did not know where to start, but she had to start somewhere.

“Cassandra… do you know what’s going to happen tomorrow?”

“Well, it’s your birthday.” Cassandra said, “But Doctor Spark said I need to forget about stuff like that and just do what I’m told.”

“Yeah… I heard something like that too.” Inez said. “Listen, Cass. Tomorrow, they’re gonna make us fire the ship’s big gun.”

Cassandra’s face fell.

“Oh… so I have to go back in the machine.” She sounded very glum.

“Yeah.” Inez replied, hanging her head.

The two sat in gloomy silence for a few moments, and then Inez asked:

“Why did my dad try to take you away from here in the first place? I mean, I think I know… but what did he tell you?”

Cassandra sniffed, her voice wavered.

“The Professor said that all of these people were bad people, who wanted to do bad things. They were evil for making me do bad things with them.”

Inez let out a weak laugh.

“Today, I found out he was right.” She said. “Tomorrow, my mom’s gonna make us do some really awful stuff and I don’t see how we can get out of it. Not until we get back to Earth, anyway.”

“What’s on Earth?” Cassandra asked.

“Friends.” Inez replied. “Folks who might help us.”

Inez took another deep breath. She knew she was taking a big risk by voicing this idea to a kid, but she would have felt awful if she did not extend the offer.

“Cass... remember when we made plans to go out to the beach for my birthday?”

“Yeah, but we’re totally not gonna make it to Cocoa Beach now.” Cassandra moaned.

“Well, let’s say we go to the beach anyway…” Inez said slowly. “Then, when it’s time to go back to Canaveral… we just… don’t.”

Cassandra looked at Inez.

“I hate Canaveral.” She said. “If you wanna run away, you’ve gotta take me with you.”

“That’s the idea.” Inez said with a soft laugh. “We do this one, godawful thing for my mom, and we win her trust just long enough that she lets us out of her sight for ten minutes.”

“Then we run!” Cassandra finished. “And we live in the wild like Mira and Jericho!”

“Wait, what?” Where’d you learn about those two?” Inez giggled.

“Books. You know, the ones in the Space Center library.” Cassandra said. “In The Stormbreakers, Mira had no family and she was far from home, so she adopted Jericho and they were mom and daughter together. And then they got separated by the Chosen Warlock, and had to fight a whole war just to get back to each other.”

Inez laughed and pulled Cassandra into a hug, tousling the little girl’s long black hair.

“Well, maybe I’ll adopt you.” Inez joked. “Then I could be your mom.”

“Ew, gross! No way!” Cassandra shrieked playfully.

Inez did not leave the cargo bay until she got Cassandra to swear herself to secrecy. The “Runaway Plan” was simple, but it would only work if Cassandra and Inez carried it out alone.

With a final hug, Inez left the cargo bay. But she could have sworn that as she was leaving, she faintly heard Cassandra mutter to herself:

“Bye mom! Oh, yuk… That sounds gross. Never say that, never say that.”

…

All around the ship, people were making preparations for the jump to Hyperspace. The stolen Progenitor Hyperspace Core was being installed somewhere in the ship’s hold, and workers were hastily placing even more high explosive ammo in the hallways so it could be used in battle tomorrow.

On her way back to the bridge, Inez turned a corner and found two men working on an open electrical panel. The workers were so engrossed in their task that neither of them spotted Inez or acknowledged her approach. She could see the men were attaching an object to the electrical panel. Inez paused, about thirty feet away from the two men, and froze.

Inez was young, her eyesight still sharp. At this distance, she could plainly see that the two men had just attached five pounds of X-4 Plastic Explosive to a high voltage power relay. Then they concealed their work by bolting a metal sheet overtop of it.

Saboteurs.

Inez had no idea if these were the same men who disabled the Charlemagne, or if they belonged to yet another group. Instinctively, Inez started to fill her lungs to cry out, to raise an alarm… but at the last moment, she quietly exhaled, turned around, and walked off in the opposite direction.

In that moment, Inez was fully committed to the Runaway Plan. She and Cassandra were going to desert the UN. Would it really matter if the Solaris was sabotaged? Perhaps, with luck, this would stop Inez and Cassandra from carrying out their grim task tomorrow.

…

June 30, 2086
Amadiio, Cuunbar Star System


The warship Solaris travelled to Amadiio by Far Jumping. The Progenitor Hyperspace Core worked flawlessly, allowing the Solaris to move thousands of lightyears faster than the blink of an eye. On the bridge, Inez sat in the Conduit Device, a chair with large metal cuffs on the armrest, and directed her crew from there. Around her the rest of the bridge crew was hard at work.

Central Officer Dotsenko and Chief Petty Officer Akbar Saraki coordinated the ship’s crew, ensuring Inez’ orders were carried out quickly. Rear Admiral Lorenzo Vargas and Scarlett Freeman established communication with other UN ships in the system

Down below, beneath the Solaris, the Savannah world of Amadiio glittered like a bronze marble. Warships of the Galactic Defense Force were arrayed in formation, beating back an armada of United Nations warships. Meanwhile, on the ground, seven-hundred thousand soldiers of the UN Army were locked in pitched battle against an oncoming horde of nearly two million Micore battle droids. Cities lay in ruins while the skies were full of starships trying to shoot each other down.

Inez took in all of this information, and then looked over her shoulder. Scarlett Freeman was standing on the far starboard side of the bridge, watching over everything, and making sure the plan was carried out. Inez had no choice but give orders and follow her mother’s plan to the letter.

“Helm, take me into the lowest orbit possible! Admiral, I want every fighter and corvette in the fleet to converge on the Solaris. Defensive tactics, sphere formation.”

“Sphere formation?” Central Officer Dotsenko replied. “Wouldn’t Wall or Claw Formation maximize forward firepower?”

“I don’t want forward firepower.” Inez said. “I need extra layers of armor and shielding. Arrange the strike craft in a multilayered defensive ring. Rings on rings on rings. Absolutely nothing gets to the Solaris!”

The Cruiser throttled her engines and began to dive, screaming down towards the planet Amadiio. The battling fleets scrambled in response. Fighters and corvettes broke away from the UN Navy and assumed their escort roles around the Solaris.

“The rest of the fleet is undefended!” Vice Admiral Vargas called out.

“Order the Carriers and Motherships to fall back!” Inez commanded. “Hopefully the GDF will give chase and lighten the load on us!”

The Vice Admiral projected his voice to the UN fleet.

“All ships, this is an emergency directive from Solaris: All Super-Capital ships will retreat! Motherships and Carriers, fall back to the staging area at Alpha Centauri. Strike Group 9, peel of and escort them!”

Knowing the time was near, Inez pushed an intercom button on her armrest.

“Prometheus Engine, this is the Commander, do you hear me?” she said. “Bring your systems online now!”

“Yes ma’am!” A voice replied. “Subject Two is secure and we are extracting Psionic Energy now. Fifteen percent capacity and rising!”

It was time. Inez put each of her hands into the metal cuffs on each side of the Conduit Device. With a painful clamping, Inez felt a vice-like pressure clamp down on her wrists, followed by a sharp piercing as needles pricked her fingers. Then, after a moment’s delay, the full effect of the Conduit Device kicked in. To Inez, it felt like insanely powerful drugs suddenly took effect. All at once, Inez was hyperaware of everything around her. She could feel each piece of debris striking the hull, hear the breathing of everyone aboard the Solaris. The straining of the ship’s engines felt just like the agony of going for a long run.

Slowly, it dawned on Inez what was happening. She was Unbound, a living part of the ship. Something similar was happening to Cassandra down below, and Cassandra’s Gift was amplifying those feelings. The Solaris was, for the moment, an extension of Inez’ physical body.

Having gathered her bearings, Inez recommitted the Solaris to its dive. The Cruiser was now in the uppermost layers of Amadiio’s atmosphere, and the GDF was redeploying to block the way.

“Push forward!” Inez shouted. “Make my altitude sixty-thousand meters above sea level!”

“The Divine Enforcer is charged!” Central Officer Dotsenko reported. “We’re ready!”

“Commence primary ignition!” Inez ordered.

Scarlett stepped out of the shadows.

“You may fire when ready.” Scarlett said.

One final wave of GDF warships rose up to strike the Solaris. Frigates and Destroyers turned their weapons against the incoming Cruiser. Ion beams, Energy Cannon blasts, and Mass Driver rounds all raced toward the Solaris, but only hit the protective ring of fighters and corvettes.

“Rotate the sphere formation!” Inez ordered. “Keep a layer of strike craft between ourselves and whoever is shooting at us!”

Just as she gave the order, a squadron of Partogan battlecruisers broke off their pursuit of the retreating Human warships. Turning around, these Super-Capital ships bore down on the Solaris from behind! Moving swiftly, the escort fighters moved to block the attack, shielding Solaris and sacrificing themselves to a hailstorm of incoming fire.

Inez felt the Divine Enforcer warming up. The sensation was similar to that of the buildup immediately before throwing a knockout punch. Inez took aim, pointing the barrel of the mighty weapon down towards the planet surface. For her target, Inez selected the city of Heshmat, an Amadii metropolis that was nearly surrounded by Human soldiers.

Then, just before the crucial moment, Inez felt Cassandra’s presence. Somehow, it was as though the two were connected to one another by an unseen force. Inez felt a warm sensation, as though Cassandra had taken her by the hand. Then, there was a mad rush of Psionic energy pouring into Inez’s body! Her left hand gripped tightly by Cassandra, Inez motioned to raise her right hand, forgetting that her limbs were shackled to the Conduit Device.

“We have a Hyperspace signature!” Someone cried out. “Directly ahead of us!”

But Inez was so lost in the moment, enveloped by Cassandra’s power, that there was nothing she could have said or done in that moment.

Power entered through Inez’s left side and exited through her left. And in that one, singular moment, everything happened!

First, a beam of golden light shot down from the Solaris and hit the surface of the planet. Magnificent light permeated away from the point of impact and filled every nook and cranny, spreading outwards until the entire planet was illuminated like a newborn star! Awe-inspiring Godrays shot away from Amadiio and into the darkness of space, lighting up everything around in sharp black and white contrast.

In the same moment, a series of powerful explosions rocked the Solaris from bow to stern. Great plumes of orange flame shot out of the superstructure, all of the lights went out, the artificial gravity failed, the engines died, and breathable air started venting from dozens of newly punched holes in the hull plating. The vessel was suddenly crippled.

But, when the bridge lost power, Inez was suddenly able to see through the forward window, without the obstructions of holographic displays. She saw the light in the darkness. To her, it took the shape of a yellow angel, hovering in space. The space angel lofted herself upon feathery wings and descended to the planet below. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Inez remembered that she was not the Divine Enforcer’s target. She would not be as blessed as the people on the ground.

…

Down below, on the planet Amadiio, billions of Amadiio people watched in awe as their planet was bathed in warm light. Spreading out from the point of impact, a wave of Psionic energy rolled over the planet, and every person who was struck by it, be they Amadii, Human, or something else, had an overwhelming spiritual experience.

An apparition of Jericho visited every Human standing on the surface of Amadiio, and she personally reassured him or her of their superiority over all other living things.

Every Amadii had their eyes opened to the truth; that their species existed for only one purpose… to serve Humankind.

Finally, every robot, droid, Artificial Intelligence, and synthetic lifeform on the planet simply keeled over, instantly slain.

…

“Bridge, this is cannon control! The Divine Enforcer is offline. Repeat! Divine Enforcer offline.”

Someone was desperately trying to contact the bridge, but Inez was unable to respond. She was struggling to detach herself from the Conduit Device. In the moment the weapon fired, Inez felt as though her hands were being burned and started trying to free herself. Central Officer Dotsenko grabbed one of the cuffs and simply smashed it in his own mighty grip.

Inez freed herself and was quite happy to see that aside from a few bleeding pinpricks on her fingers; she was not actually injured. Inez tried to move away from the Conduit Device, but was grabbed by her mother.

“Well done Nezzie!” Scarlett cheered. “Well done! Look at what you did!”

Damage control teams had already restored power to the bridge, and the holographic displays were back in front of the viewscreen.

One by one, Amadii cities and armies were starting to surrender. The GDF fleet had also broken off their attack and many of their own ships were also signaling surrender. The battle was over.

But Inez did not care. She gave orders for damage control teams to work on engines and life support, and to dispatch repair corvettes to the rest of the UN fleet. Then Scarlett said she needed to leave the bridge.

“I need to send a message to Secretary-General Etienne.” Scarlett said. “The weapon malfunctioned, but still had the intended effect. This is a major step forward!”

Then Scarlett hugged Inez and said:

“I don’t know why I ever doubted you.”

As soon as Scarlett left the bridge, Inez gave Dotsenko the conn and left as well. She scrambled down seven decks to the Prometheus Engine, where Cassandra was. The instant she reached the machine, Inez demanded for Cassandra to be extracted. The crew obliged, and the little girl was carried out on the shoulders of a technician.

Cassandra was so badly worn out and exhausted that she could barely hold on to Inez’s shoulders. Inez was terrified the girl would be in even worse shape that she walked gingerly down the corridors. Instead of returning Cassandra to the cargo hold, Inez carried her up to the Captain’s Quarters. After all, this ship was under Inez’s command, and she let anyone she wanted into that room. It was her room.

On her way to her quarters, Inez spotted the same group of saboteurs she had seen earlier. They still had no idea Inez knew about what they had done. The men asked Inez if she wanted them to join the damage control teams.

“Go to the hangar bay and secure any loose cargo.” She said.

That should keep them away from life support. Inez told herself.

When she reached her quarters, Inez gently laid Cassandra down on her own bed and found the little girl was now completely passed out. Somehow, Cassandra looked even more gaunt and malnourished now than before. Cassandra’s skin was drawn tightly over her body, and her cheekbones stuck out. It was almost as though the Prometheus Engine was sapping away Cassandra’s very life force, and not just her Psionic Energy.

“Never again.” Inez told herself. “This has got to stop.”

…

A few hours later, the Hiigaran pirate ship Ashoka dropped out of Hyperspace a short distance away from Amadiio. On her bridge, Himawari was treated to yet another angry outburst from Hahli Mihaka, furious about a missed opportunity to attack Charlemagne and reclaim the Hyperspace Core.

“Charlemagne isn’t even here!” Hahli yelled to anyone who would listen. “Damnit, let’s spool up the Hyperspace module and jump out of here before the Humans spot us.”

Before anyone could respond, Amako, Ruunhan, and Himawari all pointed at something they had just spotted.

“Look there!” Amako said, pointing at the sensors manager. “An escape pod!”

“It’s broadcasting a GDF recognition signal.” Ruunhan added.

“We should take it and save whoever is in there!” Himawari concluded.

Hahli very much would have preferred to stage a quick escape, but her wife and friends were quick to shout her down. Reluctantly, Himawari ordered a Corvette launched from the Ashoka to bring in the escape pod. Excitedly, Himawari, Chris, Ruunhan, and Randall boarded an elevator and rode down to the hangar bay. Everyone was hoping the rescued survivor would be able to explain when and why the Battle of Amadiio ended.

…

Almost five hundred meters below, the GDF escape pod was brought into the Ashoka’s hangar by a pair of Corvettes and deposited very close to a group of Hiigaran Marines. Keeping their weapons at the low ready, one of the Marines knocked on the hatch to see if anyone was inside. A loud squawking was the reply.

“Sounds like an avian.” Ruunhan said while Randall translated for his ex-wife.

On Ruunhan’s order, the escape pod was opened.

Inside, there was one person and one machine. The machine was a great big computer that was visibly ancient, and also quite awkward in construction. Somebody had struggled to get this thing in here. As soon as the door opened, an Avian woman stumbled out. She looked generally battered and her left wing was broken, sticking out at a funny angle.

“Who are you?” Ruunhan asked. “What ship are you from… and what happened here? Why isn’t the GDF fighting the Humans?”

Panting, the Avian said:

“My name is Eerabik, and if you love your lives, you’ll turn this ship around and run! Run now before the Humans catch up! They have a powerful new weapon and I promise you will not survive it! We need to flee! We have to escape!”

<=== Chapter 26: The Many Deaths of Scarlett Freeman

Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace ===>​

 

[Von Acturus]

Ah... so Scarlett Akira fought the Stormbreakers (and survived. unfortunate. I hope those five are not in too bad a shape.). I'm anxious to read how it went in more detail.

Akira seems to have decided the only way to make her daughter completely loyal to her is to break her as she has been broken, forcing her (and Cassandra) to commit a heinous act, knowing it's full consequences. She really is a monster.

“You may fire when ready.” Scarlett said.

Yes, Tarkin suits her very well. To destroy planets is good, but to instantly and permanently brainwash their entire populations is even better.

And finally, Eerabik meets the resistance. Akira's madness truly makes way for strange alliances...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Poor Cassandra. Read and listened. Thank You

 

[Macavity116]

Ah... so Scarlett Akira fought the Stormbreakers (and survived. unfortunate. I hope those five are not in too bad a shape.). I'm anxious to read how it went in more detail.

Unfortunately for you, Scarlett and the Stormbreakers just missed one another. The team spied on Akira/Scarlett during her big meeting in Arcadia Bay and got into a direct fight with UN troops, (Chapters 21 and 24) but Scarlett herself did not make contact with them. She only became aware of their presence thanks to Yassen Ackermann, who survived the (ongoing) Battle for Power.

Akira seems to have decided the only way to make her daughter completely loyal to her is to break her as she has been broken, forcing her (and Cassandra) to commit a heinous act, knowing it's full consequences. She really is a monster.

Oh yes. Yes she is. This was very much a reference to Akira's introduction all the way back in Faith in Chaos, where Akira was preceded with the mantra: "She is ally to none and enemy of all."

To destroy planets is good, but to instantly and permanently brainwash their entire populations is even better.

And thanks to Jericho's attempt to destroy Psionic energy during the War in Heaven, only Humanity has access to this kind of weapon. And remember, the Solaris will be the first of three such vessels.

Unless a miracle happens, it will be open season on a defenseless Galaxy.

Akira's madness truly makes way for strange alliances...

Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet.

I'll give you three guesses as to why a certain chapter in Act Three is going to be named Deus Ex Machina.

Poor Cassandra. Read and listened. Thank You

You're most welcome! We're very close to the end of Act Two now. Young Cassandra's record-breaking tenure as "Macavity116's most mistreated character" will hopefully come to an end soon.

 

[Von Acturus]

My first (very obvious) guess would be the End of the Cycle, coming back from the dead to fulfill His vengeance.

Or perhaps the Cybrex, coming to save the galaxy from both the Contingency and Akira.

Last guess, the Contingency itself. Perhaps it will see Akira as the most urgent threat to exterminate.

Maybe @HistoryDude and @Midnite Duke have other perspectives? My memory is quite bad, so it's very possible I'm forgetting an obvious candidate

 

[Midnite Duke]

@Von Acturus threw down a gauntlet to @HistoryDude and me. I am going to be quite literal and go with a revolt by machines, i.e. robots and androids.

 

[Macavity116]

My first (very obvious) guess would be the End of the Cycle, coming back from the dead to fulfill His vengeance.

Or perhaps the Cybrex, coming to save the galaxy from both the Contingency and Akira.

Last guess, the Contingency itself. Perhaps it will see Akira as the most urgent threat to exterminate.

Good guesses all. The End of the Cycle showing up again would make HistoryDude's day, that's for sure.

The Cybrex showing up again after I explicitly had them killed off by the Baterra would absolutely be played for comedy. Only one can be "way too hard to kill."

The Contingency choosing a side would be a real "fecal matter hits the rotary air mover" moment, without question.

I am going to be quite literal and go with a revolt by machines, i.e. robots and androids.

AI rebellions are some of my favorite events to play through in Stellaris! But with a substantial chuck of their droid army now destroyed, the Micore Empire will be the last place we look for this to happen.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, it's very good that Inez is defecting.

Also, did all of the Amadii get killed and resurrected, or were they just brainwashed?

Saving Inez will give them information on Scarlett.

The ISO is going to go rogue as soon as Etienne is no longer Sec-Gen, aren't they?

As for the Deus Ex Machina... well, Deus Ex Machina means "God As the Machine", so it could be the Contingency. It could also be the Micore (considering they're rogue servitors), but that's unlikely due to how pressed for manpower they are. Human AIs could also be created and rise up. It would be poetic justice for Akira to attempt to have AIs serve her and for them to betray her. That's not foreshadowed much, though. Maybe Cassandra and Inez go full Unbound and brainwash Akira into being kind? That would be ironic. It could also be any of the Shroud-Beings wanting revenge - all 5 have a grudge against Akira, not just the End of the Cycle. There's also one very, very unlikely candidate that would be a huge surprise - the Beast itself. I don't think we got full confirmation that it was totally destroyed, as Agamemnon and Astynome could've been an advance force or organizers. Given that the Beast was basically a cross between a virus and a machine... it could count. Alternatively, the Beast's creators join in. Of course, not all of these are mutually exclusive. Multiple could happen at once...