Slicing through the clouds, the monstrous ships of the World Forgers fleet painted the monotone sky in their contrasting colours. They were like fortresses of heaven, unopposed in their advance, as no enemy could stand as their equal. In his personal quarters, Mike put on a new set of clothes, the coat having stayed in the closet for so long that it almost felt new. In the mirror, there was almost a look of hesitation in Mike's eyes as he saw the same heraldry that carried his dark past.
Suddenly, with a surgical work of her blade, Krystal removed the symbols of the National Empire from Mike's coat. The tiny golden metallic pieces of decor that once served as Mike's chains fell from his clothes, the little phoenix and horse breaking away from the sword in the middle as they impacted the floor.
[Krystal] - "It's now your turn to play, my knight. "
Said Krystal as she withdrew her blades.
Before him, Krystal raised a black, elegant dress that complemented Mike's style to his eyes. It was nothing he had seen before, a dress that didn't serve to hide a woman's features and make her anonymous to the public. With a curious gaze, Mike spun the dress around and observed its design, remarking how it accentuated the unevent curves of beauty and femininity instead of veiling it behind the cold brutalism of militaristic perfection.
[Krystal] - "I've accomplished my duty. Now, it's your turn to continue the bridge from where I left off. "
Said Krystal as she began to undress.
Mike looked up at Krystal, whose smooth skin was revealed as she slipped out of her clothes.
[Mike] - "Leaving so soon? "
Said Mike while he appreciated the adorable gaze of his wife through a flock of her hair.
[Krystal] - "Krystal is for when the world needs an angel to inspire its soul. But right now, the world needs a knight who could defend its body. Don't worry, I will visit from time to time. After all, you made the three previous nights unforgettable. "
Said Krystal while teasingly licking her lips.
[Mike] - "You're the most unprofessional angel I've ever seen. "
Said Mike jokingly while staring at Krystal's naked body.
[Krystal] - "Haha... A true angel doesn't forget how to feel– Treat her well, alright? What happened, all the trauma and pain, leaving it between us. Let her wake up in that dream you once promised her. "
Said Krystal with a finger raised at her mouth before collapsing against the bed behind her.
[Mike] - "I promise... "
Mike watched as his wife's body lay still against the bed for a moment before her lips began to twitch. Then, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep, Kadyn's jolly green eyes peered through her half-shut eyelids. With a loud yawn, Kadyn sat up and stretched her arms before rubbing her fists against her eyes.
[Kadyn] - "Aw, ah... How long has it been? What did Krystal do while I was asleep? "
Muttered Kadyn in a sleepy voice.
[Mike] - "Wait, you know she exists? "
Said Mike, shocked by Kadyn's knowledge of Krystal.
[Kadyn] - "Well, obviously I know! What kind of dummy do you take me for? This is my own body after all. "
Protested Kadyn while glancing at Mike.
However, upon realizing how she was almost entirely naked, Kadyn's expression immediately changed from groggy to mischievous with a grin. Without trying to cover her shameful places, Kadyn leaped up from bed and leaned toward Mike.
[Kadyn] - "Oooh? What's this? Were you trying to use me in my sleep? "
Teased Kadyn while analyzing Mike's face for the tiniest crack in his composure.
There she is once again, the girl who loved pushing his buttons for the fun of it. Yet, Mike didn't feel the slightest irritation at her behaviour. Kadyn acting this way could only mean that Krystal upheld her end of the bargain. This was the same Kadyn whose soul burned with hunger for life and whose heart drove her to change history. This jolly face is what Mike dedicated his honour to protect.
[Mike] - "Put on this dress, Lemon. Apparently, Krystal chose it for you. "
Said Mike as he shut her advances down by shoving the dress against her chest.
[Kadyn] - "Huhhh? What kind of man are you? I'm here all naked and ready to go, and you... Bloody unbelievable! "
Protested Kadyn in outrage.
[Mike] - "We got a war to finish. How about we continue this tonight instead? "
Said Mike, assuming his usual confidence.
Kadyn abruptly stepped in front of Mike and pulled him toward her by the collar. She was not about to let things wait like she used to. If anything, her experience served to make her assertive when it came to her life.
[Kadyn] - "I'm done following you around, Mike. I want the life I have always wanted. Not as your assistant, not by being sloppy second to our never-ending duty, but as your wife! I want to raise our children, I want to live a peaceful life, and I want to experience joy. "
Said Kadyn as she suddenly changed her tone into a more serious one.
Mike could see that Kadyn meant every single word she said, her eyes glowing with the same determination that got her through the worst period of her life.
[Kadyn] - "Sigh... Stop acting like we're just back in time to before all this happened, because it is not! I might not remember all the details Krystal took away from my memory, but I know things have changed. I used to follow you, trusting your every judgement. But in doing that, I forgot why we were so perfect for each other in the first place. "
Said Kadyn as she let go of Mike's collar.
Kadyn placed her head against Mike's chest and allowed him to hug her.
[Kadyn] - "We were perfect because I challenged your rules, and you organized my mess. So today, I want to officially submit my resignation to you, as I am no longer your assistant. My life is from this point onward, split from duty. This is the future I choose– one where I leave all this behind to start anew. "
Said Kadyn as she cupped Mike's face in her hand.
[Mike] - "Alright, but you know I still need to go face the world, right? Though... It will be lonely without you. "
[Kadyn] - "That's why I'll be waiting for you at home every night. You once said our children need to have a choice in life, unlike us. So that's what I'm proposing here. I know you need to still run the world, and I'm not saying you need to ignore it and come home with me. However, with me not by your side in your duty, they'll grow up not as children of war. "
Said Kadyn with a smile.
[Mike] - "Oooh! So that's what you mean! I thought you wanted to divorce me or find yourself or something dumb like that. "
Said Mike with a look of relief.
[Kadyn] - "Don't be silly, Darling! You can't get rid of me even if you wanted to; I'm your eternal wife, and you're my eternal husband. "
Said Kadyn while affectionately rubbing her face against Mike's chest.
[Mike] - "You used to not sound so bloody complicated when expressing yourself. You were confusing the fuck out of me there for a moment. "
[Kadyn] - "Did I now? Bah, who cares, now that we are in agreement, how about you commit by putting a baby in me? "
Said Kadyn teasingly while excitedly pulling Mike's shirt open.
Mike looked at the time on his windowside holographic display before turning back to face Kadyn. Then, as the couple exchanged a silent look, Kadyn immediately leaped up to allow Mike to carry her to bed. As the couple collapsed into the sheets, Mike's once impeccable look dissolved into a mess of clothes thrown across the room.
In a bath of steam and heated breaths, Mike approached Kadyn like a lion that was about to devour its prey. Yet, extending her leg, Kadyn held Mike at bay by pushing her foot teasingly against his crotch. However, her playful resistance gave way as soon as Mike forced his way into his rightful place in front of his wife. Then, like a king in his prime, he claimed his throne with a raised sword, demonstrating his worth by showing his vigour and strength.
Curling her toes, Kadyn let out a sigh of relief before her body jolted in a wave of sensations. With hunger, Mike pressed his face into Kadyn's chest, drinking deeply even as no milk appeared to quench his thirst. As the couple finally took a small pause, Kadyn stared up at Mike with the dreamy eyes of a girl in love before being betrayed by his unexpected thrust.
[Kadyn] - "Let's try for twins– You don't mind it, right? "
Whispered Kadyn in a haze of pleasure.
[Mike] - "Whatever you like, Lemon. You're in charge of your body. "
Said Mike as he gave his needy wife's mouth the kiss she ached for.
Mike's hands gently passed across Kadyn's smooth skin, feeling the sensual curves of her voluptuous body. In turn, Kadyn passed her hand across Mike's muscular chest, dragging a small line of sweat behind her fingers before giving it a taste. As Mike paused to look at Kadyn drag her fingers lewdly across her tongue, she couldn't help but giggle at him.
[Kadyn] - "I like it better when you're in charge instead. "
Said Kadyn with a drunken smile.
[Mike] - "But I am in charge... "
Whispered Mike as he cupped Kadyn's cheek.
[Kadyn] - "Learn to understand dirty talk, dummy. "
Said Kadyn while playfully poking Mike's chin.
While Kadyn muffled her moans with an arm over her mouth, the snowy white blanket below them slowly turned dark as a small lake of fluid gradually crept foward. Then, another wave of bliss hits Kadyn as Mike bit her neck and continued to stimulate her erogenous zones. With bated breath, Mike then flipped Kadyn around, making her gasp in surprise before her expression melted into the pillow like a puddle of vanilla ice cream.
[Kadyn] - "Oh God... You'd better come home every night... Haaahh... I need you to do me like this– I'm so bloody addicted, it's hopeless. "
Expired Kadyn as her eyes were rolling back with euphoria.
Their breathing grew more and more laboured before Kadyn yelped sensually in surprise as Mike took a sniff of her elegant blond hair. And with one last effort, there it was, the creamy, warm sensation of a well-baked pie. While Mike finally allowed himself to take a rest in the marathon, Kadyn was shivering with ecstasy while making a stupid face filled with joy. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, Mike only had the time to blink before Kadyn got up and pressed her body against his.
[Kadyn] - "Love me some more, Darling! Give this hopeless, addicted princess– this crazy assassin girl, her drug, her pure crystal meth. "
Said Kadyn, her mind hazy with heat.
However, just as Mike was about to share another kiss with Kadyn, his room's bell suddenly rang. Immediately, Mike assumed a serious expression as he connected his earpiece to the bridge where this call came from.
[Mike] - "Yes, report! This is the Grand Knight speaking! "
However, as Mike listened to what the other side was saying, Kadyn mischievously pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him. With a smirk filled with mischief, Kadyn began to move her hip up and down while expecting Mike's expression to break. Yet, to her surprise, Mike spoke and acted as if there wasn't a sensation below that would break most men in seconds.
[Mike] - "Mhm! Yeah, they called for a ceasefire, you say? Well, one more loyal fleet is always better. "
Said Mike without even a fissure in his composure.
Annoyed, Kadyn accelerated her movement while redirecting Mike's gaze toward her face. Yet, instead of a man on the edge of his resistance, Mike simply shot her a silent look that showed how unimpressed he was with her mischief.
[Mike] - "Watch them, however, General Epsilon. If they try anything behind our backs, you have my permission to reduce the 18th fleet to an entry in the pages of history. "
Said Mike while smirking tauntingly at Kadyn.
Suddenly, Kadyn stopped her movements, her body shivering and twitching as she became undone instead. Just as Mike ended his call, Kadyn collapsed against his chest, absolutely spent and showing her drunken expression of bliss again.
[Kadyn] - "It's... Ah! Not– Ah! Not fair... "
Said Kadyn in a trembling voice.
[Mike] - "I think you had enough for today, Lemon. Besides, I have probably given you enough to make us a whole army. "
Said Mike while pushing the hair off Kadyn's face.
[Kadyn] - "Starting from... hah... now... Counting! You have nine... Nine months to get me a place to call home. I'll bloody kill you if I have to raise our children anywhere near an Imperial military installation. "
Said Kadyn between breaths before kissing Mike.
Kadyn slowly slipped off Mike and moved toward the bathroom, grabbing her dress on the way. Meanwhile, using his ability, Mike opened his wardrobe and had a new set of military uniforms fly toward him as he also followed Kadyn into the bathroom.
[Kadyn] - "Come on, let's get ready and go finish this bloody war. "
Said Kadyn as she turned on the shower.
[Mike] - "I thought you said you're done following me around. "
[Kadyn] - "Yeah, not as your assistant, I said. However, as your wife, that's a different story. I'm showing the world who you belong to, then I retire to my private mansion. "
Said Kadyn while pulling Mike into the shower with her.
Later, as Kadyn adjusted her dress while looking at herself in the mirror, Mike stepped behind her and held her by the waist. For the first time in their lives, they no longer needed to hide their relationship, nor do they need to hide their faces. Slowly, Kadyn's hands slipped down to hold Mike's arms.
[Kadyn] - "Krystal sure is good with this design choice– tells everyone perfectly that I'm your wife and you're my husband. "
Said Kadyn as she admired how well their golden-black clothes matched.
[Mike] - "I think they can tell just fine by how clingy you are to me. "
Joked Mike with a slight smirk.
As Mike stepped toward the door, he extended his arm, to which Kadyn immediately grabbed on. When they walk through that door, they'll no longer be just the Grand Knight and the Arch-mother, but instead just Mike and Kadyn.
Meanwhile, the frontline between the 18th fleet and Mike's forces suddenly fell into a deathly silence as both side simultanously stopped firing. Behind the frontline, while the 1st fleet was making its final preparation to leave, they began to notice the strange concentration of Tianbing Marines inside their bases. Even more unusually, the Bajie-pattern Marauder Marines of the 18th fleet also began to show up in numbers in the backline instead of being deployed on the frontline.
There was increasing tension as the men of the 1st began to doubt the true intentions of their brothers in the 18th fleet. Everywhere the crew of the 1st looked, there were men of the 18th standing ready with their weapons while eying them with an unsettling, almost predatory gaze. Then, the doubt of the 1st was finally confirmed when a single Bajie Marauder blocked the path of a Risen Marine carrying cargo toward a transport gunship.
Standing there, the Risen Marine could only gaze into the darkness of the raised barrel of the Marauder before that very darkness consumed him completely. In one blast, the Risen Marine collapsed to the ground with only an absence where his head should be. Almost in a single instant, all soldiers, vehicles and Marines of the 18th began to fire upon the 1st fleet's men in an ironic repeat of history.
Many Risen Marines didn't even have the time to draw their carbine before they were peppered by enemy fire. At such close proximity and with a preparatory setup already in place, the 1st stood no chance as their warriors in gold fell one after another. While many soldiers of the 1st tried their best to put up some resistance, they were like ants in front of Imperial Marines.
Hidden behind a few transport crates, a few soldiers of the 1st cowarded in fear as their eyes darted between the approaching doom and the corpses of their fleet's marines on the ground. As soon as one of them dared to expose a single inch of their limb, a precision round of the powerful Chimera carbine would ensure an ugly amputation. Feeling brave, one of them peeked out of cover and tried to fire, only to have his face reduced to a pool of viscera before he could even sight the enemy.
Luckily for the rest of the men, a few surviving Risen Marines quickly rushed in to their rescue, inflicting a few fatalities in return against their enemy. However, their relief was short-lived as the earth began to shake with the approaching steps of a Marauder. With movement so fast, the human eyes could barely perceive it, the Risen Marines peeked out and fired at the Marauder, only for their rounds to bounce harmlessly against the heavy infantry.
As the Marauder moved into melee distance, the giant marine grabbed one of the Risen Marines as if he were just a normal human and not a modified supersoldier. The rest of the Marines watched in horror as the Marauder effortlessly tore his prey in two from the middle. In desperation, the two other Risen Marines tried to flank the Marauder, only for the giant to prove his size was irrelevant to his mobility. With a swing of his arm, he sent one of the marines flying into a wall before his other hand smashed into the second warrior's chest.
In a show of spectacular brutality, blood and gore flew into the air alongside shattered pieces of armour. On the other side, as the marine thrown against the wall stood up and charged toward the Marauder in a useless gesture of bravado, he was met only with a blinding flash as the giant fired his wrist Gatling. There was no scream, no last words, no glory, just the unholy dissection of a seemingly invincible warrior from his midsection.
In the sky, as the titans and ships of the 1st attempted to turn the betrayal in their favour, the vessels of the 18th unleashed their devastating plasma weapons. As the dam holding the hyper-accelerated particles opened, the massive 100 metres wide Godblight plasma siege cannons descended from the skies, evaporating ships and other machines alike with no mercy. Even the mighty Storm-class titan of the 1st could not bear the sheer destructive power of capital ship-grade cannons, as they were melted down to piles of molten steel.
The ships of the 1st, meanwhile, due to them being parked below to evacuate cargo and personnel, were like sitting ducks as the 18th fleet's battle-ready ships savaged them with indiscriminate violence and disregard. On the ground, while the soil burned with the titanic scars of the orbital plasma strikes, the marines of the 18th systematically closed in on the last survivors of the 1st, wiping them out down to the last man.
Afar, on the bridge of his carrier, Mike and his officers watched the chaos unfold between the 18th and 1st fleets. After thinking for a few seconds while rubbing his chin, Mike gave Epsilon a slight nod of his head to confirm that he was satisfied with what he saw. The 18th fleet, by betraying the 1st, has proven its loyalty to Mike's side while royally screwing the bastards who attempted to leave them behind while they escaped.
In outer space, both Judge and Valentine watched the situation below with anger and frustration. For Judge, he had just lost a loyal fleet which Valentine had promised to deliver unscathed, thus seriously weakening his new position from the start. For Valentine, not only had his plan catastrophically backfired, breaking his deal with Judge, but he had also provided the 18th with resources that he could not take back.
[Judge] - "Close the portal once the last ship has crossed the threshold! As for your promised extra payment, you can forget about it, Valentine! "
Said Judge as he struggled to contain his anger.
Meanwhile, Valentine simply allowed Judge's hologram to speak while he faced away from it, clearly refusing to take accountability for his plan's failure. With a bitter grimace, Valentine grunted in frustration as Judge continued berating him for his failure. With a cold gaze, as Judge yelled at him with another wave of insults, Valentine spat at the hologram before shutting the communication channel off.
Back on Earth, Mike observed the scar in Earth's high orbit leading to the Apogee loyalists' new home, before suddenly being approached by Krystal.
[Krystal] - "Are we just going to let them get away and rebuild so they could one day return and cause more mayhem? "
[Mike] - "That's what I was thinking... But I don't want to chase them either. If the portal shuts off behind us, we will be stuck deep in enemy territory. "
Said Mike while rubbing his chin.
[Krystal] - "How about we send them a little parting gift they won't recover from? "
Said Krystal while leaning against the window behind her.
[Mike] - "Heaven Spear ballistic missiles? "
[Krystal] - "Bingo! "
Said Krystal while pointing at Mike with a wink.
Suddenly, Krystal's red eyes shifted back to green as Kadyn retook control of her body.
[Kadyn] - "Stop switching unannounced, you absolute bitch! "
Cursed Kadyn while poking herself in the cheek.
Turning around, Mike moved toward Admiral Casey O'Brian, who immediately stood to attention with a salute.
[Mike] - "Send them our ready stock of Heaven Spear ballistic missiles. Get a bit of fireworks going, ya know, to celebrate our victory. "
Said Mike as he tapped on Casey's shoulder.
[Casey] - "Ooooh! Ya damn right I will! I was just waiting for ya to give me the go-ahead. "
Exclaimed Casey with excitement.
The Heaven Spear ballistic missiles were a weapon developed and uniquely fielded by the World Forgers fleet. Created during the Antinoid campaign to deliver world-ending destruction against these enemies of humanity, each missile carries a payload of matter compressed to near the same density as a dwarf star. And when detonated, the energy released can easily convert a fully solid planet into a nice, fine powdery asteroid field.
As the missile silos opened their covers, gigantic missiles the size of small spaceships peeked above the darkness, exposing their warheads. As crewmen worked on the controls and the final launch command was executed, these missiles flew out of their tubes and accelerated to speeds of Mach 41, approximately 41 times the speed of sound at 50,626 km/h.
On Judge's side, the radars and alert systems began to scream as if they witnessed the end of the world. It didn't take long for the news to reach Judge himself, who immediately rushed to the bridge to contact Valentine. However, due to Valentine having already cut communications with the Exiled Empire, Judge basically screamed uselessly into the void of space. By the time the radars and systems on Valentine's side also began to scream, it was too late.
With a swipe of his hand, Valentine shut his ability off, sealing the tear in space-time instantly. However, while many transport ships were cut off and left in the solar system, a single missile still made it through. With incredible speed, the rocket sped through a formation of transport ships, its shockwave alone ripping their hulls open. On Bastion Prime, before the ground crew even got a chance to raise the shield or anything, the missile slammed into the planet and drove straight for its core.
Even though Mike and his forces could not see what occurred on the other side of the galaxy, the devastation was undeniable. In a blinding flash, Bastion Prime vanished from sight, the whole planet blown into chunks and debris that drifted into the void of space in an apocalyptic display. Even with shields fully operational, Judge was lucky his carrier's shield held, barely. In a violent shockwave, Judge was thrown across the bridge, crashing into glass railings that covered him in a shower of razor-sharp shards.
All around him, he could only hear panicked cries and chaos as the ships' systems struggled to remain afloat. The shields were all overloaded, and the carrier was drifting in space in an irrecoverable spin that threatened to soon rip the hull apart. Fortunately for Judge, after a solid hour of struggle, the carrier's systems finally managed to stabilize the vessel. Though as he stood up, face covered in ashes and bruises, he only saw a field of ruin.
All dreams of retaking Earth died today as Bastion Prime's destruction annihilated about 75% of the Exiled Empire's assets and resources. That's not to mention the damage caused by the detonation of the Heaven Spear missile to the surrounding fleets, and the ships could not yet be assessed. With a defeated look, Judge fell to his knees.
[Judge] - "Forgive me, Lord Apogee... I have failed. "
Whispered Judge while the crew behind him continued to try to save the ship.
As for Valentine, all these events were setbacks for him, but with his current situation, these were but minor issues. Emerging through a portal, Valentine's ship flew over the gigantic body of the carrier of the 5th fleet, the Groß Bismarck. Below, a planet glowed with the distinct sign of civilization on its surface. This is the Großdeutschland, a planet once conquered by the World Forgers that has now become the capital of Valentine's personal Empire.
As the sun rose above the horizon of each of the three factions, a new dawn announced itself for them, for the better or the worse.
To be continued...