Author's Note: This chapter is filled with Gore, if you feel pity with the Sirens, please skip this Chapter.
Beach Landing
"Get your gears ready, we're moving in," Lucas declared, but the shipgirls only groaned and frowned, utterly exhausted.
Howe voiced her concern. "Umm, Sir Lucas... I believe the girls require some rest before engaging in further combat."
Lucas glanced at Laffey-200, as if seeking justification for Howe's suggestion.
"Sir Lucas, you must also consider that the Girls have been in combat for the past four hours.... They are in need of rest," Cmdr. Aldrin added his plea.
Laffey-200 spoke with an authoritative tone that surprised everyone. "We're moving, whether they like it or not."
Lucas then looked again at the girls' condition. They were all visibly drained and could barely stand straight, most simply lying on the ground, attempting to recover.
"I think... perhaps we should consider a little rest," he said, his voice tinged with concern.
Laffey-200 stared at Lucas with an intimidating gaze... but ultimately, she relented, allowing them a brief respite. "I'm going in alone then," she stated, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
She turned and walked towards the edge of the makeshift harbor, where a lone MH-60 Seahawk helicopter awaited.
The Seahawk's engines were hot, the rotors spinning rapidly, indicating its readiness for takeoff. Laffey-200's white dress billowed in the powerful gusts of the rotating rotor blades.
Baltimore and Bremerton exchanged a look of concern as they watched her prepare to head to the battlefield alone.
Baltimore glanced at her vest pouches, filled with 30-round magazines, then looked at Bremerton. "Are they full?" she asked.
Bremerton checked. "Yup, just got them refilled minutes ago," she confirmed.
Baltimore nodded decisively. "Alright, let's go."
Both Baltimore and Bremerton dashed towards Laffey-200. She was just about to board the MH-60 Seahawk when she stopped and turned, hearing them call her name.
"Ma'am..., Ma'am. We would like to join you," Baltimore requested.
Laffey-200 responded with a single, curt word. "Get in."
Everyone at the makeshift harbor watched as the Seahawk lifted off and flew towards the battlefront, carrying Laffey-200, Baltimore, and Bremerton, the latter two radiating a newfound confidence.
"Are they really going to go there?" Howe asked, watching the helicopter disappear into the distance.
Lucas remained seated on one of the crates on the ground. "It's Laffey. She's more motivated to fight than stand here with us... she's full of bloodlust, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"Is she really that... bloodthirsty?" Howe asked, now visibly concerned.
"Don't worry about such things, Miss Howe, as long as she's not pointing the end of the barrel at us," Lucas said with a forced tone of humor.
Howe and the two Commanders shuddered in unison after hearing that.
"Is she really that bloodthirsty that she would even point a barrel at us?!" Cmdr. Tim asked in fear.
Lucas chuckled, observing Tim's fearful reaction. "Oh, Timmy. She wouldn't do that. She scored high enough on her ASVABs, so I wouldn't worry about friendly fire," he said, suppressing a laugh.
MH-60 Seahawk
Both Bremerton and Baltimore watched with a mixture of confusion and dread as Laffey-200 loaded two M249 SAWs with belt-fed magazines, each containing 600 rounds. They had never witnessed such a weapon configuration before.
Attached to the end of the barrel of each M249 SAW was what was considered in both old and modern times as a fixed bayonet. However, instead of a traditional blade, an electric chainsaw was mounted on the under Picatinny rail of each M249 SAW.
She had literally given a whole new meaning to the M249 SAW, with a literal electric chainsaw serving as a fixed bayonet.
The term 'fixed bayonet' itself, when considering the Geneva Conventions, bordered on a war crime.
3
Hey, if I'm forced to fix a bayonet against an alien, I'd choose one that inflicts more damage than stabbing, especially if it's a combination of both machine gun and a chainsword.
1
Laffey-200 had seemingly modified this Warhammer 40K-esque weapon – or rather, war crime – to effectively deal with the Siren threat. She hadn't opted for a commercial chainsaw but instead chose a high-quality model made by a defense contractor – or perhaps just a Makita at this point.
"Umm.... Do you really need to have a chainsaw as your weapon?" Bremerton asked, her voice laced with concern.
"I've heard the place is crammed and full of Sirens," Laffey-200 responded in her typical laconic manner.
"I guess she was expecting us to fight in close-quarters combat inside that Siren Facility," Baltimore surmised.
Bremerton shuddered at the thought of getting chain-sawed in close-quarters combat. "Y-Yeah, seems like it," she stammered.
Bremerton and her sister Baltimore looked out of the Seahawk's windows as the helicopter flew over what was once lush foliage, now a charred and barren landscape scarred with tank treads. Palm trees and other indigenous flora were burned and torn to shreds by the intense firefight that had transpired.
Below them, columns of military vehicles, ranging from tanks to trucks, moved across the ravaged terrain. The entire battleground was filled with the sight of young Army personnel, seemingly between 18 and 20 years old, marching alongside the death machines, heading towards the heart of humanity's enemy.
The two girls lamented the once beautiful scenery, now tainted by conflict and war. Dead animals, innocent bystanders in this conflict, littered the ground. Birds, once considering this land their home and paradise, fled to other regions for migration.
"So this is war, huh?" Bremerton muttered to herself, witnessing the devastating impact of war on its surroundings.
Laffey-200 spoke, her voice surprisingly philosophical. "Conflict follows man wherever he ventures, and peace only settles where he does."
Her words resonated with the two sisters. They had always perceived her as a silent and few-word killer, simply eliminating those in her path, but they were wrong. She possessed a deeper understanding and a reason for her relentless fight.
As the two sisters contemplated the gravity of her words, the helicopter they were riding in began its descent towards an empty street, near the facility where numerous modern vehicles and Manjuus had gathered.
The three wheels of the MH-60 Seahawk touched down on the cemented ground. Bremerton, Baltimore, and Laffey-200 disembarked from the helicopter.
The two girls followed Laffey-200 as she walked towards the Command ACV. The vehicle was equipped with multiple antennas for coordinating with ground troops and a small satellite dish for communicating with friendly airborne aircraft.
Manjuus made way for her as she approached the Command ACV. The rear door opened, revealing Madjuu Mattis and a Union Army Captain, ready to report on the situation inside the Siren Research Facility.
"Status report," she stated without any formal gestures or salutes, heading straight to the core of the matter.
"My Elite-Team Manjuus successfully infiltrated the interior of the facility and are currently engaging a few Sirens. We also obtained the 3D map of the facility, Ma'am," Madjuu Mattis offered the tablet displaying the 3D layout of the facility.
After studying it briefly, Laffey-200 issued a direct order. "Get everyone ready. We're moving in, now."
"Yes, Ma'am – we are currently formulating an entry plan for the facility, but there are rooms filled with traps and Siren ambushes at every corner," Madjuu Mattis explained, then nudging the Union Army Captain beside him to provide his report. Laffey-200 shifted her attention to him.
"Umm...." The Union Army Captain stammered, unable to fully articulate his words under the intense gaze of the 'Deity of Death', who awaited crucial information.
"My men are ready – if you order them... to storm the Facility – Ma'am," he blurted out quickly, feeling the pressure of her stare.
Laffey-200 broke her gaze and responded, "Good.... Order them to pack their gear." After that, she headed towards the entrance of the Facility, with Baltimore and Bremerton readying their rifles as they followed.
Manjuu Marines, along with a small contingent of Army personnel, rushed forward as ordered. At the entrance, an M10A2 Booker swiveled its turret, its 120mm smoothbore main gun pointing directly inside the facility.
Both Manjuu Marines and Union Army Soldiers took cover behind the corners of the hallway, providing the M10A2 Booker's main gun a clear line of sight to breach the heavy doors within the Siren Research Facility.
The loader of the M10 loaded a High-Explosive (HEAT) round, preparing to blast open the metal door. The Commander and Gunner awaited the command to fire the main gun.
Inside the Facility, within the hallway, Manjuus and Soldiers waited with bated breath for the action to commence. While motivated to storm the facility and unleash their fury upon the Sirens, a palpable anxiety lingered among the combatants.
Before they breached the Facility, Laffey-200 addressed everyone eager to enter and rain freedom upon the Sirens behind the door.
Connecting through the radio comms, she paused for a moment, the sound of everyone's anticipatory breathing filling her ears.
"Remember everyone... No Sirens," she stated over the comms. Many of the men were unsure of her meaning, but the Manjuu Marines understood perfectly.
It meant... no Siren would be left alive inside this facility; she wanted them all dead.
"That's the signal!" the M10 Commander ordered.
The Gunner swiftly pressed the firing button of the M10's destructive 120mm Smoothbore Gun.
The recoil and explosion of the main cannon kicked up dust that coated the M10 and the surrounding hallway walls.
The Soldiers and Manjuus braced themselves against the shockwave of the blast. The heavy metal door separating the Azur Lane Forces and the Sirens was blown to pieces by the power of the HEAT Round.
Metal debris and shrapnel rained down on both sides, but the Soldiers and Manjuus remained concealed behind the corners of the hallway, using them as cover to avoid the heated metal fragments.
The Sirens, on the other hand, were caught completely off guard by the sudden attack. They had been positioned, waiting to ambush the advancing ground forces, but the unexpected shower of metal door fragments surprised them, leaving them unprepared.
As they attempted to recover from the initial assault, a second attack followed, this time an Anti-Material Projectile (AMP) round. The AMP round airburst in the middle of the hallway, showering the Sirens with high-velocity tungsten shrapnel that embedded itself in their flesh.
Many screamed in agony, while others sustained fatal head wounds. Several lost eyes in the brutal attack.
Once the M10 Booker's attack subsided, Laffey-200, along with Baltimore and Bremerton, rolled into the scene like action heroes, American action heroes with guns blazing democracy.
Emerging from the smoke of the blasted door, they raised their weapons, fingers on the triggers, ready to unleash fire and fury in the American way.
One of the Siren Minions, having recovered from the initial attack, stood its ground, ready to return fire. But to the Siren's dismay, she was instantly shredded by the relentless rain of lead and fire erupting from the barrels of the two M249 SAWs.
Baltimore and her sister Bremerton also unleashed a barrage of fire upon the disoriented Sirens who were beginning to raise their weapons against them.
Seconds passed, and no Siren returned fire. The Ground Forces, consisting of Marine Manjuus and Union Soldiers, cautiously and alertly entered the breached area.
Laffey-200, in the meantime, advanced like a 'Space Marine', dual-wielding her M249 SAWs with chainsaw bayonets. Everyone knew what awaited any unfortunate soul who dared to block the path of Freedom and Democracy.
One of the Executor-Class Sirens lost both arms as she attempted to confront the one thing they should have feared.
Laffey-200 swung her two M249 SAWs with underslung chainsaws like swords, literally disarming the Siren in front of her by severing both of its hands with the makeshift bayonets.
The Siren Minions were stunned and surprised by the sudden brutality. They had expected to ambush humans, not to become victims of some sort of chainsaw massacre.
The sounds of electric chainsaws and gunfire echoed throughout the room as the Forces of Humanity quelled the pests that ravaged the blue earth. The crescendo of gunfire was punctuated by the horrified screams of the Sirens.
Laffey-200 seemed to dance to the symphony of the battlefield around her, moving with a balletic grace that belied the carnage. She swung her Geneva Convention-defying weapons of death, the M249 SAWs with their underslung electric chainsaws tearing through flesh and metal that dared to impede the spinning blades.
She danced, cut, and fired, seemingly amused by the screams and death of humanity's enemies. The ballet of death continued as Siren after Siren screamed and fell apart, others shredded by the relentless fire from the gun barrels.
Baltimore and Bremerton fired their SCAR-17s alongside the Manjuus and Soldiers at the Siren Minions taking cover behind corners or tables.
The two sisters paused their firing to reload their SCAR-17s, both staring at Laffey-200 as she spun around like a ballerina, her white dress flowing with her movements, lifting her skirt for all to see.
To some, it resembled an elegant dance, if one could ignore the surrounding death and the two M249 SAWs with underslung electric chainsaws.
Both Baltimore and Bremerton clutched their stomachs, on the verge of vomiting at the gruesome spectacle. They had just witnessed the dance of death.
"Is she gone mad?" Bremerton asked, holding her mouth to suppress her nausea.
"No... I think she's way beyond psychopath," Baltimore replied, similarly fighting back her own revulsion.
The Soldiers and Manjuus fared no better, more terrified of her than the Sirens they were fighting. They had anticipated a straightforward firefight, eager to avenge their fallen comrades, but their stomachs churned at the sight of this 'Psycho Bunny' performing a ballerina of death with the Sirens.
"Dude, what the hell?!" one Union Soldier exclaimed in surprise and horror.
The men were accustomed to Lucas and Essex-12's style of combat, characterized by blazing guns and explosions galore – the typical American action movie.
But when it came to Laffey-200, they were terrified like children traumatized beyond the help of a psychiatrist.
One of them fainted, unable to handle the sheer blood and gore being spewed everywhere.
"Medic! Medic! We need a Medic here!" a Soldier beside the fallen man called out.
The Medic rushed to the scene to aid the injured. "What happened to him?" he asked, noticing no visible wounds on the uniform.
"He fainted!"
"What?!" the Medic asked, unable to hear clearly over the ongoing gunfire.
"He fainted!"
"From exhaustion?" the Medic inquired.
"No!" The Soldier then pointed towards the scene of devastation.
The Medic held his gut after witnessing the carnage. Ignoring the chaos, he dragged the fainted Soldier out of the firefight to give him space to recover from the horror.
~Back to Laffey-200 and her dance of Death~
One of the Explorer Mk-II's heads flew off, cleanly severed by the spinning chainsaw underslung on the M249 SAW.
One of the hands she had cut off flew through the air during her spin, slamming into the face of a nearby Soldier. The Soldier screamed as if in a 'Scary Movie', earning laughter from his buddies despite his terror.
It didn't win him an Oscar, but he made his buddies laugh at his 'manly screamed'
Laffey-200 kicked a one-armed Siren against the wall and riddled it with bullets, the wall becoming a gruesome canvas of bullet holes and blood.
She then raised one of her M249 SAWs with the underslung electric chainsaw in her right hand and swung it down with brutal force, splitting another Siren in half cleanly.
Siren blood gushed from the bisected body. She then stood still, noticing the last remaining Siren.
The remaining Siren, Tracker Mk-I, trembled uncontrollably, unable to return fire out of sheer terror. Her legs shook as if their foundations had crumbled. With a swift swing of her M249 SAW and its underslung electric chainsaw, Laffey-200 ended the Siren's misery. She then kicked it into the tainted hexagonal glass door.
Inside the Siren Lab
Skipper and his Manjuus awaited the arrival of the Main Force inside the Siren Lab, lined up side-by-side, waving a hand or wing in greeting.
The battle subsided as everyone held their fire. Dead Sirens littered the ground, a pool of Siren blood soaking the floor.
The dimly lit room offered little comfort, the dark corners potential hiding spots for any remaining Sirens to ambush. Soldiers and Manjuus swiftly cleared the corners, searching for any stragglers.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
The Manjuu Marines and Union Soldiers reported after confirming the entire area was secure of any Sirens.
Baltimore radioed after the confirmation. "All clear here, Ma'am."
"Report received," Laffey-200 replied in a monotone voice.
At the broken glass door leading to the Siren Lab, Laffey-200 walked slowly towards it, her footsteps echoing in the room as the pool of Siren blood rippled with each step.
The entrance of the Siren lab was filled with smoke and broken glass. With her slow, deliberate pace, she emerged from the haze, her white dress billowing around her.
"Well hello there, Miss beautiful, looks like you came too late for the fun----"
Before Skipper could once again finish his sentence, a high-heeled shoe slammed into his face, pinning him to the ground.
"Skipper!!!" his team cried out in unison, their voices filled with concern.
"Who do you call late....?" she said, clearly not amused by the Manjuu's attempt at flirtation.
Laffey-200, still displeased at having missed the primary targets, shifted her heel, intending to inflict further pain on the unfortunate Manjuu. To her surprise...
Skipper seemed to be enjoying it, especially the view from his current prone position. "Yes... squeeze me with those heels of yours –AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
*Skull cracking sounded*
Laffey-200 squeezed his face with her shoe in annoyance at the squeaking Manjuu.
"Kowalski, analysis, why is she angry towards me?" Skipper asked, his face getting increasingly compressed.
Kowalski hastily reported, "Sir, I believe she's angry because you told her she was late. Sir."
"Can somebody do something? Skipper is being crushed!" Private said in concern, while Skipper seemed to be deriving some perverse pleasure from the 'foot massage' to the face.
Rico, the one-brain-celled Manjuu who always chose violence, simply stood his ground. He knew he would be dead the moment he made a single move, or even just breathed.
Rico instinctively understood the precarious line between life and death at this point. He remained motionless, cold sweat dripping down his feathers like miniature waterfalls.
Laffey-200, now bored with 'foot massage' on the chicken's face, abruptly kicked him between his chicken legs, sending him flying across the room to land with a squeaky bounce against one of the tables like a ball.
The Manjuus winced at the brutal kick. As Skipper lay groaning on the floor, his team rushed to his aid, attempting to assess the damage to his nonexistent or now thoroughly pulverized chicken capability.
Baltimore and Bremerton hurried inside the Siren Lab to investigate the sudden commotion, finding a cluster of Manjuu Marines gathered around a scene they hadn't witnessed.
In the center of the dimly lit room sat a medical bed with a gaunt man who appeared to have been completely drained by the Sirens.
The Soldiers maintained their composure as they observed their fellow human in such a dire state, treated like livestock. Many harbored a deep-seated resentment, while others felt a grim satisfaction at the fate of the Sirens they had just eradicated within the room, a small measure of revenge.
"Poor guy," one Soldier muttered somberly.
The emaciated man was carefully lifted by Medics onto a stretcher that had been prepared.
The gathered men moved aside, providing the Medics a clear path to the exterior of the facility. A MEDOVAC Helicopter awaited, its Manjuu crew rushing out to assist in loading the stretcher carrying the rescued man.
Bremerton and Baltimore searched for Laffey-200, and in their search, they encountered the four Manjuus with special forces equipment.
Baltimore addressed one of them. "Do you know where Miss Laffey went?"
"Um... Kowalski... someone's asking," Private said.
Kowalski peeked up, leaving the still-crouching Skipper, who was gingerly cradling what little remained in the vicinity of his chicken legs after the brutal soccer-style kick.
"I think she's over there." Kowalski pointed towards the hidden door they had discovered earlier.
Baltimore thanked the Manjuus and headed towards the hidden door, eager to discover what lay beyond.
Inside the hidden room, filled with Sci-Fi Chamber Incubators containing Siren fetuses, some of the fetuses were in early embryonic stages, while others had developed into child and teenage forms.
The low lighting of the room caused the chamber incubators to glow eerily in the dark, illuminating the developing Siren life within.
Baltimore and Bremerton covered their mouths in utter shock at the sight. They had stumbled upon a room where the Siren Minions had made. Both shuddered as they walked along a narrow walkway in the center of the arranged columns of Chamber Incubators.
The Siren fetuses within each Chamber Incubator were the very Siren Minions that had been mass-produced in vast numbers to fight them.
Manjuu Marines secured the entire room, patrolling the dark corners with flashlights, conducting thorough searches. EOD Manjuus, equipped to detect explosives and hidden traps, carefully scanned their surroundings.
Several CBs (Construction Battalion) or Sea-Bees were preparing to move one of the Chamber Incubators, intending to transport it to Azur Lane for thorough examination and experimentation of the Siren fetuses.
These CB Manjuus were the same ones responsible for constructing the blocks of the makeshift harbor where the ships had docked.
Both Baltimore and Bremerton tried to ignore the Siren fetuses, still in their unsettling developmental stages, as each glance induced a feeling of profound unease.
Breaking the silence, Bremerton asked with a hint of morbid curiosity, "Hey, Baltimore?"
"Yes?" Baltimore responded.
"Do you think human fetuses look similar to these Sirens?"
Baltimore answered based on her limited knowledge. "I don't know... maybe you should ask William about that. He's the expert on things like this," she said in a serious tone, as they approached where Laffey-200 was standing.
Laffey-200 was intently observing one of the Chamber Incubators containing a Siren Minion that had reached maturity. She had been staring at it for quite some time, noticing subtle movements within.
Baltimore reported, "Ma'am, the bodies of the Sirens have been cleaned up as we speak."
Laffey-200 shifted her gaze from the Chamber Incubator to Baltimore and spoke. "Good.... William and the rest will be arriving here shortly."
...
Azur Lane Main Force ~1 hour earlier~
After the decisive destruction of one of the remaining Orochi, Essex-12 and Lafayette focused their attention on Arbiter Tower XVI, which imprisoned most of the capable shipgirls.
They had attempted conventional methods to breach the energy barrier protecting her, launching relentless attacks. A nuclear option was deemed too risky due to the potential fallout for ships lacking NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) defense capabilities.
Essex-12's F-35Bs had conducted dive-bomb runs to break the Force Field, but they proved unsuccessful, along with her other explosive-based ideas.
"Damn it! How much energy does that thing even need to withstand that attack? That Siren must have a massive power reserve to maintain such a strong Force Field!" she exclaimed in frustration, her outburst akin to a child's tantrum.
"Well, we can't just stand here and stare upwards, waiting for something to happen," Essex-9 said, looking up at the top of the Energy Dome where Arbiter Tower XVI was located.
"We can't even touch her up there," Kearsarge added, having also launched her own attack, elevating her main guns to their maximum angle, yet still unable to hit the Siren above.
"Is there any other weapon, like what you used earlier, to deal with this imprisonment?" Illustrious asked, a hint of caution in her voice at the mention of that particular weapon.
Lafayette answered swiftly, his tone cautious. "We cannot use that weapon here. There are significant dangers associated with its use above us. Employing it in the vicinity of any Shipgirl or living being is out of the question."
Essex-12 elaborated, "He's right. We still don't know the potential fallout effects if we detonate it above the Energy Dome. Everyone inside might get irradiated too, so no."
"Well... we can't just leave them trapped inside. We should have done something to at least give them a chance to break free," Illustrious said, her concern for everyone's well-being within the Dome evident.
Essex-12 simply sighed, unable to quell Illustrious's overflowing worry, as she anxiously awaited any sign that those inside were alright.
"We really can't do anything but wait.... They might be formulating a plan for their own breakout inside."
She said, placing her trust in her superior's ability to find a way out of their imprisonment. She had faith that 'Enterprise' would devise something extraordinary.
A small smile flickered across her face as she imagined how that might be executed. Essex-9 noticed the subtle change in her counterpart's successor.
"What's with that small smile on your face?" she inquired with curiosity.
Essex-12's smile widened slightly. "I'm waiting for a big-bang," she said, energy returning to her voice.
"So we wait for the big-bang then," Laffey-459 spoke, surprising everyone who had assumed Laffey-200 was the speaker.
She then turned to her side, where Lafayette was standing. "Right?"
"Right. We wait, we wait for their breakthrough," Lafayette affirmed resolutely.
As everyone regained their vigor and optimism, believing in the eventual triumph and escape of those trapped within the Energy Dome, Illustrious, however, harbored a small seed of doubt. She continued to observe the Energy Dome intently for any change. To her surprise, she noticed a slight darkening of the blurry energy field. Intrigued by the subtle shift, she squinted, her curiosity piqued.
Just as she was about to speak and notify everyone, a golden light illuminated the dome, surprising her even more. She recognized that golden light, the same light that had illuminated the darkness covering the Mirror Sea.
"No, it can't be..." she whispered in horror. "Enterprise!"
"What is it, Illustrious!" Essex-9 rushed to her side, concerned by the sudden exclamation.
Illustrious pointed at the Energy Dome, now glowing with an intense golden light from within. "Enterprise," was the only word she could utter, her voice filled with dread.
Essex-9 recognized that familiar golden glow, having witnessed its power radiating across the Mirror Sea when they were teleported there by Akagi and her Siren magic trick.
It was the same power Enterprise-6 had unleashed to shatter the reality of the Mirror Sea, allowing them to escape the Siren ambush.
Before anyone could speak, the top of the Energy Dome that imprisoned them fractured, and the golden light surged towards the heavens.
Arbiter Tower XVI was dumbfounded. One of her carefully constructed Energy Domes, designed to trap the capable shipgirls and those in command, had been breached. This had been part of her plan to isolate key Azur Lane assets while the Siren Fleet dealt with the disorganized Azur Lane forces.
But now, the tables had turned. Azur Lane had utilized the power of the Sun to effortlessly eliminate six Orochi. All the powerful Humanoid Sirens they had deployed were now dead, dismembered, and vaporized beyond recognition.
Arbiter Tower XVI was the sole survivor, Arbiter: Lover VI and Arbiter Temperance XIV having perished due to their own miscalculations and underestimation of the enemy.
She watched as the Energy Dome shattered like glass, large chunks breaking off like brittle fragments. In her momentary distraction at the collapsing dome, she failed to notice Enterprise-80 pointing her bow directly at her. Electricity crackled along the protruding Magnetic Rails of her Bow, and the rod held in her left arm glowed a brilliant blue as it was drawn back on the string.
Arbiter Tower XVI's mind frantically searched for a defensive strategy, but in a swift, sudden moment, her vision blurred.
'I'm dead.' Her final thought screamed at her.