Red Nova
Chapter Twenty

Red Nova

Vreffith stared at the battle in space with satisfaction. “I want all of those ships destroyed, except the Eochaid Ollathair,” he said, speaking through his vessel’s communications console. “I want Weldner to witness the magnificence of Apeiron.”

He ended his transmission and watched the battle through the window in the Ouroboros chamber. His vast spacecraft approached the sun. Most of the UEC fleets had already been obliterated. Only the first and sixth fleets remained. They were trying to barricade the Eochaid Ollathair while it attempted to retreat and wait for reinforcements.

“I repeat, this is a distress call from President Weldner of the UEC,” he said. “The Black Moon syndicate is attacking Earth! We need immediate support!”

Detective Renfred entered the president’s chamber. “The calisians are activating their Casimir station near Brimidia to reach us,” he said.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard,” said Weldner. “By the way, why aren’t you back on your ship?”

“They already destroyed it,” replied Renfred.

“I can’t believe it,” said Weldner with frustration. “Oh look, a wormhole! The calisians must be coming through it to help us.”

The calisian fleet arrived, porting through a wormhole. It was an armada of eight vessels. The syndicate still had all thirty of their ships, which had the same technology as Heidegger. The calisian fleet launched missiles at the syndicate starships. Just then, the syndicate released their fusion beams, causing every calisian vessel to explode. President Weldner and Renfred gazed at the massacre, horrified.

“The Apeiron is now in position, Mr. Larser,” said the ship’s AI.

“Thank you, 609-Hanuman,” said Vreffith. “You may proceed.”

The Apeiron came to a sudden halt while its force field bubbled due to the sun’s extreme heat, at which point the Ouroboros activated. Its fe’lorian runes started to have an orange glow. Thermal energy emitted out of each rune, absorbing the sun’s nuclear fusion. And as each rune became filled with nuclear fusion, the Ouroboros rotated. The more the Ouroboros absorbed power, the more it glowed. Finally, the runes shifted into a bluish pigment and the Ouroboros locked back into place.

“The cannon is charged,” said Hanuman.

“Fire!” commanded Vreffith.

The Apeiron’s twin colossal cannons emerged. Hanuman automatically aimed the guns at the sun and fired. They formed a sphere of energy while the runes in the Ouroboros shimmered and shot out nuclear fusion, which turned the sphere of energy into a cryogenic energy ray. It then shot toward the sun. President Weldner had a ghastly expression on his face as he watched what was happening.

“What is he doing to the sun?” asked Renfred.

“I don’t know,” said Weldner.

Within seconds, the sun changed from its white flame to an icy blue rock. It had been daylight in countries like Morocco, but when the sun froze, Earth’s blue sky instantly darkened. Billions of people on Earth screamed throughout the streets as they witnessed the sun being encased in ice. Among them was Driss Grober, staring out from a window in his school.

“Is it the vels?” he asked fretfully. “Have they attacked us?”

Rick shook his head while the other students cried. “I have no idea,” he said, utterly frightened.

Meanwhile, back in space, Detective Renfred was observing the Apeiron.

“Vreffith doesn’t want to kill us,” said Renfred. “He wants us to suffer instead. That’s why he’s eliminating the sun.”

“But how does he have that kind of weapon?” inquired Weldner.

Detective Renfred didn’t answer, he simply stared at the phenomena. Suddenly, another wormhole began to form.

“Thank goodness. More reinforcements,” said Weldner, relieved. “I hope the calisians are sending a bigger army.” When the wormhole opened, a vast armada of vel’pheasian and fe’lorian starships flew out. “My God,” he added, slack-jawed. “We’re doomed!”

Weldner thought all was lost, but then the vel’pheasian and fe’lorian flotilla flew past them, opening fire at the Black Moon syndicate.

“Obliterate them!” roared Bek’lith. “For the Yak-Shur!”

“No way,” said Renfred. “The vels are helping us.” Lastly, the Malvakarian flew out of the wormhole and immediately maneuvered toward the Apeiron. “Wait, that ship. I’ve seen it before.”

“Howdy, folks,” said Teri, using a UEC channel. “This be the new Tenth Fleet.”

“What’s a kid doing in the Tenth Fleet?” said President Weldner. “Never mind. Can you stop Vreffith?”

“Sure thang, Mr. President,” said Teri. “Now ya just sit tight ’n keep yer buttons fixed while we open up a can of whoop ass on ’em!” She ended the transmission and activated her UHAT. McKenzie joined her and sat in his usual artillery position while she said, “Hmmm, I guess I’m Earth’s hero after all.”

“Yes, you are,” said McKenzie, smiling. “Now let’s get ready for some action.”

“Oh yeah!” said Teri. “Party time!”

This was her chance to prove to everyone in the galaxy that she can be a hero. Teri no longer thought she was a failure. Her life still meant something. She was talented and planned on showing the UEC and IGF just how incredible she could be.

When the Malvakarian’s shuttle bay opened, Teri steered her UHAT into outer space on a rift board, flying between two Black Moon vessels. Nesha, Keith, Rrahza and his clan—Norseis, Hala’feth, and Gortal—came out on their boards too. Teri led the way while McKenzie launched missiles at the fusion cannons. In the meantime, Zar’kara maneuvered the Malvakarian away and assisted his comrades from a distance, sporadically launching plasma torpedoes.

All of the pirate vessels attempted to shoot at the rifters. They were, however, too fast since they kept performing cutbacks, crescent swipes, windwheels, and fades.

“Got one,” said Nesha, blasting and destroying a primary cannon while she curved down into a snap dive. After they weakened the enemy ships’ shields, a fe’lorian flotilla approached and initiated two cryo-based rays, freezing the Black Moon cruisers. A vel’pheasian ship joined in and launched several plasma torpedoes, blowing up the pirate vessels.

“Nice,” said Keith, speaking through his vidlink.

They continued rifting toward another enemy vessel, its fusion cannon turning to fire at them. Its shuttle bay opened, smaller spacecrafts flying out to protect the mothership. Teri flew by as McKenzie started blasting the crafts with his LP-14 Gatling gun. Not a second later, the UHAT released a plasma ray from its eyes, blowing up a ship with a single swipe. Xelvakron rifted upward and landed on top of the mothership while firing at the other spacecrafts that were chasing after Nesha and Keith.

“You’re clear,” said McKenzie.

“For the Yak-Shur!” roared Rrahza, rifting down to the ship’s substructure. He planted K-1000 beside the fusion cannon. Meanwhile, another spacecraft fired at him from behind. That instant, Norseis, Hala’feth, and Gortal performed low fades, blasting the craft with their PT-80s. “The charge is set,” said Rrahza. The clan followed him back to where Xelvakron stood, and then the fusion cannon exploded.

“You did it, Rrahza!” said Nesha cheerfully.

“Impressive,” said Zar’kara, speaking to his son via vidlink.

“I’m learning from the rifting champion,” replied Rrahza. “Glory to Shal’a-ka!”

“It looks like we’re good to go,” said Keith. “Come on, let’s assist Zar.”

The rifters glided away as the defenseless syndicate ship was destroyed by the fe’lorian flotilla. Meanwhile, the vel’pheasian armada assisted the calisian and human vessels. Countless explosions occurred while a cluster of rays and laser beams were shot out from all directions. In an instant, every weapon was used. Bluish cryo-based rays filled space while the Black Moon fleet counterattacked with purple lasers. Then reddish plasma shot out from the vel’pheasian vessels, directed at the syndicate. The battle looked like a prism of death.

Nesha and her fellow rifters continued to rift beside the Malvakarian, approaching the Apeiron and Earth’s frozen sun. There were no more Black Moon ships in the vicinity, which made it much easier for them to advance. The syndicate was behind them, battling against the alliance.

“I’m detecting an unidentified barrier surrounding the Apeiron,” said Shiva. “It seems to be a force field more powerful than anything known to us. And if my reading is valid, we won’t be able to physically penetrate it as Teri did with Heidegger.”

“Then we’ll just have to deactivate it,” said Zar’kara, snorting. “I will charge the plasma matrix to maximum power.”

“Perfect,” said Shiva.

Zar’kara avoided numerous attacks as he steered the Malvakarian toward the Apeiron. Upon being in range, he activated his ship’s plasma matrix. Its claw-shaped wings shot out a massive web of plasma that was more powerful than a hundred anti-ward grenades combined, instantly deactivating the Apeiron’s force field.

“Awesome move, Zar,” said McKenzie, aiming the LP-14 at the Apeiron’s hull. He then fired lasers, denting the hull. “For the Yak-Shur!”

Zar’kara cackled. “And glory to Shal’a-ka!”

“Gotta love my Zarry,” said Teri.

She maneuvered her UHAT over to the Apeiron and then clenched on to the dreadnaught as McKenzie blasted a hole through the hull. The dreadnaught’s aperture was still a bit small, so Teri attempted to bash the hull while Zar’kara assisted her by launching plasma torpedoes, which disrupted the vessel’s force field from recharging. When it dented more, Teri used Xelvakron to punch the hull again and finally tore open a large part of the hull. Teri swooped into the starship with her UHAT and entered the cyro-fusion chamber.

“We’re in,” said McKenzie, using his vidlink.

“Thanks for the help, Zarry,” said Teri. Zar’kara nodded on her vidlink screen while she continued, “Better hurry, kids. I’m picking up a major army approachin’ us, unless ya want me ta have all the fun.”

“Copy that,” said Keith. “We’re on our way.”

Rrahza and his clan returned to the Malvakarian while Keith, Nesha, and Shiva rifted toward the Apeiron on their R91s. As the trio approached the Apeiron’s ruptured hull, they saw what had happened to the sun.

“Oh my God!” said Nesha.

“So that’s what the fe’lorian technology was used for,” said Keith. “This is absolutely insane.”

“Indeed,” said Shiva. “I have to replace a way to reverse the effect.”

Keith sighed. “I hope you can for our sake.”

“I will, Mr. Keith,” said Shiva. “I will.”

“Um, kids, they’re almost here,” said Teri anxiously. Just then, the chamber’s hatchway opened and in came three UHATs. “Oh no ya didn’t!” she shouted, upset to see others using her own invention. “Time to show ya who’s boss! Bring it on!”

They were approaching in a formation as the middle UHAT dashed forward and jumped high into the air. Teri squinted while utilizing her LP-14, blasting one of them into pieces with a single shot. She brought her joysticks back and then rammed them forward, making Xelvakron’s fist collide into the leaping UHAT’s fist, causing its arm to explode. Teri grabbed the UHAT’s chest and body-slammed it onto the floor while the third UHAT started to attack. Yet it didn’t do any damage to Xelvakron.

“I’m sorry, did someone just tickle us?” asked Teri, giggling.

“I think so,” said McKenzie, launching missiles at the third UHAT, which instantly blew it up. Afterwards, Teri turned around and battered the other UHAT on the floor with Xelvakron’s fists until it exploded. “Nice!” added McKenzie.

“Yup,” said Teri. “I admit it, Xelvakron is totally badass!”

Not a second later, an army of a hundred henchmen came into the chamber with MP-100 rifles, shooting at Xelvakron. McKenzie launched more missiles while Teri used an LP-14. That instant, Nesha and the others rifted through and fired at the syndicate. Shiva jumped off her R91 in a twirl, rapidly shooting down twelve of them with MP-95 pistols. Upon landing, she took out an MP-100 and launched a thermal charge, as did Keith.

“Amateurs,” he said.

Within seconds, only fifty henchmen were standing. Teri continued blasting them with her colossal LP-14. Nesha kept using her FG-500 in the midst of rifting.

“Too slow!” she said.

Nesha performed multiple rift maneuvers from a crescent swipe, an upper fade, a cutback somersault, and then a successful double windwheel.

“I knew she was fooling me before,” said Keith, smirking.

Shiva dashed over to three guards and sliced two of them in half with her sword. She then grabbed the third and crushed his face. She flung the dead body into a group of seven henchmen while Keith threw a void grenade at them. It blew up directly below, sending them into an abyss of death.

“That’s it?” said Teri. “Darn, I was hopin’ ta kick more ass.”

“I was hoping for the same too,” said McKenzie, grinning.

“Shiva, do you think Zar will be okay on his own?” asked Nesha.

“He should be; his son is with him,” replied Shiva. “Plus, I gave the Malvakarian a precision theorem to help noble Zar and Rrahza in case the Apeiron decides to focus its firepower on them.”

“Zarry’s a master pilot,” said Teri. “He can fend off any attacks.”

“Then it’s time to move forward and stop Liagon,” said Nesha.

“Not yet,” said Shiva. “Defend this chamber until I replace a way to separate the Apeiron’s cyro-fusion energy into a polarity that will allow me to reverse the sun’s imprisonment.”

“I didn’t understand a damn thing you just said,” replied Keith. “But yeah, you go do that while we wait here.”

In the meantime, Vreffith continued to observe the battle in space from his chamber’s window. He was quite surprised as he watched the vel’pheasian armada attack and destroy his starships.

“How can the vel’pheasians be helping them?” inquired Vreffith. “The UEC created me to destroy them and now they’re helping the UEC to kill me? 609-Hanuman, give me a status report.”

“Mr. Larser,” began Hanuman, “the Vel’pheasian Empire has an armada of eleven ships and are with the fe’lorian flotilla of Genidesis: a total of eighteen vessels. Forty percent of your ships have been destroyed. There has also been a breach in the Apeiron’s lower sector.”

“What?” exclaimed Vreffith. “That’s impossible! Give me a visual.” Hanuman used the window in the chamber as a screen, displaying Nesha and her comrades blowing away all of his men. Vreffith became enraged when he saw Shiva. “So, you’ve come to continue our battle from Aydis? It’ll be my pleasure to finish you off.”

“There is also a vel’pheasian ship flying around the Apeiron, but it’s not attacking us yet,” said Hanuman. “It is my assumption that this hybrid starship assisted those who have infiltrated the Apeiron. Shall I focus all energy on firepower and destroy it?”

Vreffith scowled. “I hate vels,” he said. “Destroy it, but ignore the others who’re aboard this vessel. Whatever they’re trying to do is futile. I’ll wait for them to replace me. And when they arrive, I’ll obliterate them from existence.”

The Apeiron’s cannons shifted and aimed at the Malvakarian while Zar’kara maneuvered around. He noticed they were attempting to take him down, so he flew over to the lower sector of the Apeiron and launched several plasma torpedoes at the cannons. Zar’kara evaded the beams and snorted, releasing a polarity field that shielded him from the fusion cannons as he continued to blow them up.

“I think Gahza would have been impressed by this,” said Zar’kara. This was indeed an honorable and exhilarating battle, he thought. This was what he waited for his whole life. But it was still no match for him. Not a single part of the Malvakarian was damaged while he destroyed the weaker cannons on Apeiron, leaving it almost defenseless. “Shiva, all of the cannons have been neutralized, except the ones you need for reversing the effect on the sun. Rrahza and I shall now assist our brethren in taking down the remaining Black Moon vessels.”

“Thank you, Praetor,” said Shiva. “I suppose it’s my turn to do some damage.”

She sprinted through a catwalk, ending the vidlink transmission. The chamber she entered was filled with shield generator machines. And at the center stood a supercomputer with twelve electrical conduits. Shiva ran through the maze-like catwalks and reached the central computer. Upon observing it, she realized it not only controlled the ship’s force field but also its firepower. She hacked into the mainframe and attempted to reverse the polarity. Yet no matter how many times she tried, it did not work.

“Interesting,” she said to herself, surprised. “It seems to be irreversible. It’s also charging again. If the Ouroboros’ cyro-fusion ray initiates under this magnitude, it will shatter Earth’s sun. There is only one solution to this dilemma.”

She ported three packs of K-1000 and placed them behind the twelve conduits and central computer. Then she returned to the catwalk maze and reentered an EP, which ported her back to the passageway where her team was waiting.

“Any good news?” inquired Nesha.

“Negative,” said Shiva. “So, I decided to use a contingency plan.”

She clicked her UND, and the ship trembled with a deafening explosion. It was so loud that it felt to the crew as if the Apeiron was going to blow up.

“What the hell was that?” asked Keith.

“Liagon’s scheme going down the drain,” replied Shiva. The Apeiron’s power and light went out for a moment. Then a faint light activated. “That must be from an emergency generator, which might be enough to maintain the Ouroboros. Teri, stay here and guard our exit.”

“Sure thang,” she said.

“The rest of you, follow me,” said Shiva.

“Good luck,” said McKenzie, opening his cockpit.

“You too, partner,” said Teri. “Make sure ya kick Liagon in the arse for me.”

“You bet,” he said.

They went straight into the northern tunnel and reached the Apeiron’s intersecting core. It was a chamber with narrow catwalks on each side. The middle one, however, was filled with jolts of electrical wiring and machines that connected to the Ouroboros. Keith and Nesha ran to the right side while Shiva and McKenzie ran to the left.

“That must be it,” said Keith, looking straight ahead.

“Indeed,” said Shiva. “That’s the Ouroboros.”

The Ouroboros ring started to rotate. Though it moved at a very slow speed, it alarmed Shiva.

“We’ve got company!” shouted McKenzie.

He saw eight fe’lorian commandos emerge from a platform above him, shooting fusion beams. This was the moment where he had to be a shield for his comrades. It was easy being in a UHAT, but what truly mattered was facing fear head on as an infantryman. McKenzie thought, I won’t let fear hold me back this time. He stood before the commandos, aiming at them.

Keith and the others took cover. In the meantime, McKenzie threw an HG-88 grenade and fired his MP-98. The grenade blew up half of the catwalk the fe’lorians stood on. It didn’t kill any of them, but one fell and hung from the edge. McKenzie gunned her down. Nesha then fired several fusion beams via her FG-500, annihilating a commando.

“Liagon is our messiah,” said one of the fe’lorians. “You will never reach him.”

“Keep dreaming,” said Keith, launching a thermal charge that blew her up.

Shiva jumped high in the air and used her sabatons to magnetically keep herself on the ceiling, blasting three of them with a PT-80. Nesha rifted through on her R91, beaming down another. She did a cutback over the Ouroboros and started rifting back. Shiva then ran along the ceiling while unsheathing her sword and jumped below, decapitating the last fe’lorian. When they realized it was silent, they regrouped.

“Now that’s what I call an ass kicking,” said McKenzie.

“Hell yeah,” replied Keith, reloading.

“Onward,” commanded Shiva, running forward. “The Ouroboros is beginning to generate energy.”

They followed Shiva into a tunnel, taking them to the final chamber of the vessel. Upon entering, they saw Earth in the distance with a pulsing bombardment resembling a dogfight and the frozen sun on the other side of Apeiron’s window.

“I’ve seen this place before in one of my dreams,” said Nesha.

The quartet suddenly heard someone clapping. Vreffith came out from the right corner, where they could see the imprisoned sun.

“Very impressive,” said Vreffith, grinning. “Shiva, you have somehow managed to get every race to battle against me...even the vels. This has truly been an epic show. And I see that you’ve brought some infamous friends with you. Sergeant Keith Wernn of Vindor: after that stunt you pulled on Heidegger, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Nesha Bisel, I’m sure you’ve come to avenge your father. And, well, I don’t know who you are,” said Vreffith, looking at McKenzie. “Nor do I care because you’ll be dead after witnessing the destruction of—”

McKenzie launched a thermal charge without waiting for Vreffith to finish talking. It blasted over him, his force field absorbing it. Not a second later, Vreffith lifted his MP-100 and also launched a thermal charge. The quartet tried to jump out of the way, but the thermal charge hit McKenzie’s ankles and melted his legs. He screamed in agony as his upper body flew over to Keith.

“What’s wrong?” asked Vreffith. “Can’t get back up?”

Keith dragged McKenzie behind the lower chamber’s balustrade and ported a medical device. The green aura radiated over McKenzie’s sizzling thighs, which stopped the thermal radiation from spreading.

“You are truly foolish, all of you,” said Vreffith. “To think you could defeat me!”

Shiva emerged with Nesha, shooting Vreffith with an MP-100 rifle. Keith also stood up from his hiding spot, launching a thermal charge that disrupted Vreffith’s force field. They then shot Vreffith with a hundred rounds of magnum-pulse bullets. He jolted back and landed flat on the floor with smoke fuming from his lifeless corpse.

“That’s it?” said Keith. “That’s all we had to do?”

“Stay here,” ordered Shiva. She walked up the ramp, over to a console that Vreffith activated after Hanuman had been destroyed. Within seconds, she hacked into the Apeiron’s system and neutralized the cryo-fusion cannons and Ouroboros. She then activated her vidlink and said, “Teri, it’s too narrow to bring the UHAT here, but we need you to come get Bryan. He’s badly injured.”

“Aye aye, Captain,” said Teri.

“I think this is it,” muttered McKenzie.

“Stay with us, man,” said Keith. “You’ve made it this far.”

“Di-did I do good?”

Keith patted him and replied, “You did great. Just hang on. Teri will get you back to the Malvakarian’s medical bay.”

“Is it over?” asked Nesha, stepping away from her firing position.

Vreffith’s corpse suddenly gripped Shiva’s leg. “I’m afraid it’s not!” he said, his body emitting a blinding light of immense heat. He shifted into his fe’lorian form and then spoke in a monstrous tone, “You will all die!”

Without hesitation, he flung Shiva across the room. Keith and Nesha launched thermal charges at him. His body absorbed them, healing the holes in his body. He roared ferociously while Shiva got to her feet and zoomed over to her comrades.

“You never told me he could do that,” said Keith, sweating.

“Stay back,” she said to him, unsheathing her sword.

In the meantime, Teri sneaked into the chamber and gasped. “Oh my gosh, Bryan!” she said, her eyes widening.

“He’s unconscious but stabilized,” said Keith. “Hurry, get him back to the ship.”

She nodded and dragged McKenzie out of the chamber.

Taking a step forward, Shiva said, “Your scheme is at an end, Liagon.”

“Don’t think for a second just because you’re an AI that you’ll be able to defeat me,” said Liagon. “This time you can’t pull a vanishing act on me.”

“I once questioned the reason for your imprisonment,” said Shiva. “But I am finally able to compute why you must be destroyed. The UEC created you, so it’s the UEC’s responsibility to terminate you. It ends where it began, Liagon.”

Shiva dashed forward with her indestructible blade and swiped upward several times. Liagon dodged each attack with a cackling hiss as he swiped at her with his claws and struck Shiva’s torso. She stepped away and used her phenomenal speed to overpower Liagon, yet he was just as swift as her. Liagon seized Shiva and flung her against the window, cracking it. He then leapt forward to rip Shiva apart, but as he reached her she pirouetted and slit his forearms. His yellowish blood glistened along Shiva’s blade while he roared in anguish.

“You don’t look so immortal to me,” said Shiva.

“Neither do you,” scowled Liagon.

He swooped his claws at Shiva. This time, instead of trying to maul her into pieces, he grabbed her wrists. He attempted to crush her hands with his immense strength.

“I think your battery needs to be replaced,” added Liagon.

Shiva was forced to drop the khlium sword, smashing her robust head against his face so hard that her own forehead dented inward. Liagon instantly fell to the floor. She then lifted him up and body-slammed him on the opposite side of the floor.

“You look like you need to rest after that,” said Shiva. “Allow me to help.”

She punched Liagon’s face six times. After the sixth strike, however, Liagon grabbed her hand and held it up.

“Thanks for the massage,” he said. “Let me know if mine’s just as soothing.”

He crushed Shiva’s fist and then clawed her face so brutally that all the skin of Niralus ripped off along with pieces of metal. Liagon twisted Shiva’s other arm and tore it off. Jittering, she tried to back away. That instant, Liagon shoved his claw into her chest. He plunged it into her so hard that it penetrated her fizzing chest and out through her back. Shiva rasped between Niralus’ voice and her own.

“Shiva!” cried out Nesha.

Keith stood stock-still, feeling helpless as he watched Shiva crumble to the ground in a gagging and fizzing screech. He had no idea what to do since none of his weapons could harm Liagon. Then he noticed Liagon staring at him.

“I heard about what happened to Lieutenant Bako,” said Liagon. “It’s a true pity. But don’t worry, you’ll soon be joining him along with everyone else.”

Keith stared at Liagon with a furious expression and replied, “Don’t count on it.”

He ported a void grenade and threw it at Liagon. The grenade engulfed him into a hole of oblivion. Within seconds, Liagon reappeared beside Shiva and laughed.

“That’s impossible!” shouted Keith.

“Impossible is you killing me,” said Liagon furiously. Without hesitation, he lunged forth and sank his claws into Keith’s chest. “Looks like there’s no one left to tell the legendary tale of Vindor.”

Nesha shrieked and blasted Liagon in the back with her FG-500. Liagon laughed while he let go of Keith, absorbing the fusion beam with his claw.

“Before I killed your father, I told him that his family would pay for his actions,” said Liagon, abruptly reflecting the fusion beam back at Nesha and blowing a hole right through her stomach.

“No,” she muttered, falling to the ground.

“Is that it?” said Liagon, laughing. “This was Shiva’s plan to defeat me?”

Keith groaned on the floor with tears, watching Nesha die near the corner of the opposite wall. Everything stopped in his mind—the pain and the battle. He stared at Nesha and thought to himself, If I could just hold you one last time before we die.

A glimmering light suddenly ignited from Nesha’s corpse. It was so bright that even Liagon’s eyes were sensitive to it, forcing him to wince away from it. He growled and hissed at the light.

“Remember who you are,” whispered Jalamelda within Nesha’s mind. “Use what you’ve learned in the Merge.”

Nesha’s eyes glowed as they once did on Sepas IX, and then she stood up. This time she was a fe’lorian; however, she didn’t look like a usual fe’lorian. Her complexion and skin were identical to Mother Fe’lora’s—a brilliant fleece as colorful as Earth’s blue sea, embroidering her like a radiant gem.

When the blinding light faded, Liagon was finally able to see her. He glared at Nesha, gritting his teeth. Nesha mirrored his vicious countenance and glared back at him, pointing one of her fingers at him.

“This is no longer about vengeance, Liagon,” said Nesha. “It’s about every living being’s freedom and happiness in this precious universe. This isn’t just for my father or my friends. It’s for the sake of all life. You will never harm another person again.”

“Bisel!” roared Liagon. “I’ll wipe you away from the cosmos as I did with your father, forever!”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she said.

Both of them lunged forward and collided in midair, clenching each other’s arms. They floated in the middle of the chamber as if there was no gravity. Nesha twirled and threw Liagon into the ceiling. She then held out her hands and blasted him with a power identical to an FG weapon series. Not a moment later, she rammed him through the Apeiron’s hull until they breached the soundless void of space.

The starship immediately sealed the hole with an emergency shutter as Nesha and Liagon fought above in space. It was like a battle between deities as both of them blasted each other with nuclear power from their hands. Their energy surged into explosions when their beams met. The collision eventually created a massive shockwave, which spread over them. It was as though two starships had ignited with an endless nuclear inferno, rippling between their power.

They were somehow able to hear the distant sounds of space battle as well as their fusion beams after the shockwave’s impact instead of the silence that plagued space. Nesha used all of her strength and succeeded in vaporizing his power, blasting him toward the icy sun. She then flew forward and slammed her fist into his face and continuously punched him. Yet that didn’t seem to do anything.

“Don’t you get it?” said Liagon, punching Nesha back. “We’re immortal, Bisel. We can’t die unless we choose to kill ourselves.”

“If that’s true, then I’ll protect Earth forever,” she said, blasting him again.

Liagon absorbed her power and yelled, “I’ve had enough! I shall have my revenge, you bitch! Even if it means suicide! Humans don’t deserve to live any longer. No one can stop me. Not even you. I shall be the death of you all!”

He gave out an ear-shattering roar while all the energy in his body emitted toward the sun. His body surged into pure nuclear energy and went into the hoarfrost sun as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Liagon had used all of his power—sacrificing himself—in an attempt to blow up the icy sun. His nuclear essence gradually melted the sun. Nesha stared at it, noticing that it was erupting into a supernova.

“This power I have,” began Nesha, glancing at her glowing hands, “it’s almost like the Merge…like Vortex. I can use it to save everyone.”

She lifted her arms gracefully while suspended in space. For a moment, she looked like an angelical demon. Her body began to glow and ignite in flames as she attempted to absorb the supernova’s devastating shockwave. Then she channeled all her power and hurled it back from where it came. It was a blinding blast of light that illuminated the Solar System. No one could see what was happening except Nesha.

Finally, when the stellar explosion and light diminished, everybody in space saw the birth of a star—the sun’s son—radiating anew.

Gleaming at the sight, Nesha felt relieved. She then turned around, noticing Keith by the window. Though clenching his wounded chest with one hand, he raised his other and gave Nesha a thumbs up. She smiled at him and thought to herself, It’s over, dad. Liagon is finally gone.

Feeling victorious, Nesha returned to the ship and joined Keith who limped over to Shiva. She was leaning against one of the columns on the floor and attempted to look at him.

“Did we succeed?” she asked faintly.

Saluting her, Keith answered, “Mission complete, ma’am.”

The mission was Shiva’s only purpose. Her activation, she believed, was nothing more than that. Yet she was a program that gradually grew into what some may call a soul. She was never one to have emotions. Though, she did experience a sense of completeness knowing that the mission was a success.

Nesha and Keith noticed that Shiva had no mouth structure left to smile, but it did seem like she was smiling at them because of the good news. Then her eyes gradually faded, and her programming terminated. Keith saluted Shiva again, giving her a silent praise of victory. Nesha, on the contrary, was too depressed to do anything. She was on the verge of crying, remembering that Shiva was the last remnant of her father. After a brief moment of silence, Keith established a vidlink connection with Zar’kara.

“We’re ready for pickup, Praetor,” he said grimly.

“I’m on my way,” replied Zar’kara.

He had just finished assisting the Eochaid Ollathair blow up the last Black Moon vessel. President Weldner, Malcolm Renfred, and many of the people on the starship cheered while the Malvakarian flew toward the Apeiron. Others stared—dazzled—at the new sun, which restored Earth to its original form and temperature. Billions of humans on Earth, as well as the soldiers in space, celebrated when they saw the new sun.

Even though Liagon had sacrificed himself in a forcible attempt to eliminate humanity, his plan failed. He’d finally been stopped, and the Black Moon syndicate was defeated. But best of all was that the dreadful Vel’pheasian Empire had become Earth’s newest ally. Yet this battle was never documented as a war. Instead it was forever known as Red Nova.