If the factions can unite…I believe we’ll be able to escape this dying world.

C. 6 days, 12 hours from the forging of the Remnant

Estingai smiled as she approached the suite she shared with Koruuksi and Uuchantuu. The stale, processed scent of their rations and the joy of their laughter drifted out into the hall.

She ducked through the curtain, making sure she didn't drop any of her burden, though a few of the plates slipped against what she wore.

Her brother and sister looked up as she entered, smiling. When they saw what she carried, what she wore, their eyes went wide, and they rose from their stone seats.

"This is what I've spent so much time on in the workshop this past week," she told them, carefully setting the pieces down on the table.

Estingai was busier than ever integrating the factions and working things out with the other leaders, but she'd spent every spare moment—some of which, she probably should have been sleeping during—shut away in the workshop, modifying and repairing the armor she'd taken off the Lightforged. She’d decided this would be her final project.

"These are for you," she said, handing the greaves and sabaton to Koruuksi. "They were light enough that I could move around easily enough with them on, but if the biogems run out, you'll need your greynodes to move in them. I made a few upgrades as well."

A few of the shipping containers they'd retrieved from Djeduu had contained crates of georaural technology, and Estingai had found a few that she'd been able to modify to suit her purposes.

Koruuksi grinned as he took the two leg harnesses, looking them over.

Estingai took the arm harnesses and handed them to Uuchantuu.

"These should work well with your fighting style," she said. "I modified the bracers to project hardlight shields if you press on one of the plates in the gauntlets, among other things."

Uuchantuu beamed as she took the pieces of armor. She didn't know why the Imaia hadn’t thought to add something like that.

They probably think the Lightforged are so unstoppable, they don't need any more special tricks.

"The gauntlets transfer sensation, too," she added. "I did some of the work on Koruuksi's pieces with them on."

Uuchantuu's eyes sparkled, a wide grin splitting her face as she looked them over.

"And those are yours, I'm assuming?" Koruuksi asked, gesturing to the armor she wore.

Estingai had taken the cuirass and tassets for herself, supplementing them with her old armor to cover her arms and legs. She hadn't decided exactly what to do with the helmet yet.

She nodded. "If everyone is going to see me as the Last Knight, I might as well look the part."

Koruuksi snorted, grinning. "I think that does it. Is it comfortable, at least?"

Estingai raised an eyebrow, then sat down on the stone bench before the table. The armor clinked and she was aware of its weight, but it wasn't too bad.

Nodding in appreciation, Koruuksi handed her a ration bar they'd set out for her.

Estingai shot him a half smile in thanks, then opened the resealable package and took out the bar, biting into it. She frowned.

"The Imaia really needs to send a chef to Darkside," she remarked. "Along with three or four cars full of ingredients for top-shelf dining."

Koruuksi and Uuchantuu smiled in agreement.

Estingai wet her lips, hesitating before her next bite, then took it, half shaking her head. She needed to ask something of them, but for now, she would just enjoy some time alone with her brother and sister.

They ate and talked for a while, Uuchantuu and Koruuksi joking back and forth. Estingai joined in a few times, teasing Koruuksi about Paiz. They made her smile, nearly breaking her resolve.

No. You need to do this. They're the only ones you can trust.

Estingai swallowed the last of her ration bar, washing it down with a few sips from the water bottle at her waist. She was about to get their attention when Koruuksi turned to her.

"Did you get a chance to take a look at the fighter Edendo stole? The one Uuchantuu flew in on?"

Uuchantuu shivered, making a face. "Please don't remind me of that. I'm still trying to convince myself that was just a nightmare."

Estingai half smirked at Uuchantuu, but shook her head at Koruuksi. "No, why?"

"Apparently it's one of their newer models," he said. “A 'Trident' or something like that, named for the shape—typical Imaia creativity. It's powered completely by a palladium reactor, and the Imaia apparently did something to the darklight georaurals that contain the radiation so that it's more efficient. We can use it for test flights, and it goes really fast. He asked if you'd like to fly it. I know you haven't had the chance in a while."

Estingai's throat felt thick, even after she swallowed a few times.

It was everything she'd ever wanted. To race through the sky, untethered, to soar like the legendary Draakon.

But I can't.

Her eyes were hot and her heart heavy as she glanced to her solitary bunk.

She held back the tears, shaking her head as she looked again to Koruuksi. “Tell him I appreciate the offer, but no thank you."

Koruuksi and Uuchantuu shared a look, then fixed their gazes on her, expressions wary.

"What's going on?" Koruuksi asked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Estingai took a deep, shuddering breath.

"You must have heard how poorly I dealt with things while you were gone," she said to Koruuksi, then nodded to Uuchantuu. "You saw firsthand. I was splitting myself in too many directions when I needed to focus. I need that focus even more, now. Paiz, Meik'ka, Uuldina, and Mahele are taking over the day-to-day workings of the Remnant."

She smiled a bit saying that. They finally were the Remnant.

"But I have to be the one that holds them together," Estingai continued. "I need to give us direction, to work on the bigger picture while they keep things going, and occasionally step in if they have any problems. I can't just worry about the next mission, or you two, or even just Frozen Phantom and Wolfden. And…" She took a deep breath. "With all the importance everyone places on me being the Last Knight, I can't take unnecessary risks like flying around on a joy ride, no matter how much I want to. I won't shut myself away, but I need to be careful."

Estingai paused, looking between Uuchantuu and Koruuksi. They frowned, but she could see that they understood.

"There are a few things I'll need your help with," she said. "The first one is Svemakuu's plan. I told you the basics, and gave the leadership and everyone else a general idea, but I never told you the details, or what I've worked out since then. Since finding his notes on the plan."

Her brother and sister leaned in.

"Svemakuu's plan was to shoot down an Imaia cruiser. A Draakon-class if possible. Once we have that, we salvage it, using Remnant One's hangar to rebuild it."

They'd decided Last Shadow's base was the most secure, and should be the Remnant's main base. Estingai and her family would be leaving this suite behind, soon.

"We don't have as much as I would have liked," Estingai said, "but the mining equipment we managed to steal from Memfoso will help with enlarging the cavern and its opening to fit the cruiser and eventually get it out. Once we're in the final phase, we should also be able to use their power cores to supplement anything we're missing on fighters or the cruiser. The fighters and ammunition you stole from Djeduu will help, as will the anti-air artillery, though we may need a few more of those."

"What's our timetable?" Koruuksi asked.

Estingai frowned. "I want to wait a few months before we do anything after the attention we drew at Djeduu. We need to stretch what we got from that as far as we can to make the Imaia think we've gone to ground or, ideally, started fighting amongst ourselves, as Kytai tried to achieve. After that, we start raiding again. Lightning strikes with as little breaks in between as possible. We need to provoke them into sending a cruiser out here." She looked to Uuchantuu. "I'll be asking a lot of your team."

Uuchantuu nodded. "They can take it. They'll have to."

"And if they send a Lightforged instead?" Koruuksi asked.

"That's where we come in," Estingai said. "You have your bluenodes."

She gestured to Uuchantuu's arm harnesses and pulled out a small, modified dagger from her belt, holding it so they could see.

"I made this and modified Uuchantuu's gauntlets so they could act as siphons if we encounter one. I'm going to hope that if we use enough fighters on our raids, the Imaia will send air support rather than a Lightforged. As far as we know, they can't fly."

Estingai frowned, shivering at the thought.

"Once we accomplish that," Estingai said, "then we really disappear, raiding only when needed. Hopefully, we'll have enough supplies stocked up from provoking the Imaia to last us. I want them thinking they broke us when they send the cruiser. We'll need to devote everything we can to getting the cruiser operational as fast as possible, since we have no idea when the Imaia plans on leaving. I'll try to keep track of that through our informant, but even then, who knows how much the Imaia will share with their people."

After she was silent for a moment, Uuchantuu and Koruuksi shared a look, then nodded at Estingai.

"We'll do whatever you need," Koruuksi said. "Ideally, working together if we can."

Estingai smiled at that. "Of course. You two usually work better together, anyway." She took a deep breath. "There is something else. Something only you two can help with. For now, at least." Estingai looked between them, hesitating. "I ran into Nevisi."

Their eyes went wide.

"When?" Koruuksi's voice was tight.

"When everyone was unloading the supplies in Remnant One," she said. "I followed her and she cornered me. She…" Estingai took a deep breath, still a bit shaken by what the woman had asked of her. "She found Kweshrima. Found the Throne. She needs our help."

Uuchantuu frowned.

"What kind of help?" Koruuksi asked.

"We need to hide her," Estingai said. "She can help hide us in return. Nevisi said something is wrong with her. She was weakened after… after the Destruction, but apparently she should have started to regain her power by now."

"And she hasn't." Koruuksi said.

Estingai shook her head. "Apparently not. Nevisi wants us to shelter her, then take her with us when we leave Efruumani. Kweshrima is weak, but she should still have enough power to help us escape and find somewhere beyond the Imaia's reach." Estingai paused. This next part, she still didn't entirely believe. "Apparently Kweshrima saw something when she Destroyed Yrmuunthal," she forced out. "Something of the future. Nevisi says she may be able to guide us, that there are things she will want us to know."

Koruuksi snorted. "We saw how well that worked out last time. How can we even trust her sanity?"

Estingai shrugged. "I don't know that we can. I got the feeling Nevisi might not even trust her that much, but she said that hiding her, at the very least, is important. And in our best interests."

Koruuksi and Uuchantuu were silent. Estingai let them think.

"Would this be a secret from everyone?" Uuchantuu asked.

Estingai shook her head. "The leadership would know. As far as everyone else… I think it would cause too much trouble." She took a deep breath, meeting both their eyes. "I know this is a lot to ask. I—"

Koruuksi shook his head and reached out to take her hand. "If you think we should, then we'll do it. We’re family, and… well, you're the only one that's actually met and spoken to Kweshrima besides Nevisi, Matsanga, and Phantom."

"We've lost a lot." Uuchantuu said. "We need to do whatever we can to make that worth it. If sheltering Kweshrima helps, then we'll help you do it."

Estingai beamed at them, eyes hot again.

There was one last thing, but—

No. This is the most important. You have to tell them.

"Estingai?"

She took a deep breath, "There's something else. Something I haven't decided if anyone should know beside you two. If it got out—"

"What is it?" Koruuksi asked, squeezing her hand.

Estingai looked at the two of them and steeled her resolve.

She told them about that night. When the Deathknight had come to shatter the Remnant before it could take its first breath. When she had taken Svemakuu from them. Uuchantuu’s eyes widened as she raised a hand to her mouth, and Koruuksi’s knees gave out as he sat with a thud on the stone bench. Their horror steeled Estingai’s resolve.

As Estingai told them of the face she'd seen that night, the face of Kojatere, their mother, the woman who had been the best of them, who had faced down the God King himself, she made a promise.

If nothing else, she would seek vengeance for those taken from her. She would destroy the god who had taken them, and the mother who betrayed her. If she could not cling to hope, then she would let anger provide her fire.

But Estingai hoped she could do better.

She would do whatever it took to ensure Koruuksi and Uuchantuu knew something of peace. Not just for Svemakuu, but for her family, and the whole of the Remnant. She would give up tinkering with georaurals and her dreams of soaring through the air and even to the stars. She would give up all distractions, no matter how much she loved them. As a Knight, she was exceptional by default. She would push herself to be even more than that. She would carry the burdens of a goddess and the legacy of warriors far greater than herself. Because the Remnant needed her to. More importantly, her family needed her to.

Even when Estingai wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and weep or squeeze her eyes shut and escape the horrors of this ravaged world, she would resist. She would look to the love that burned inside her, to the need that pulled at her. She would remember all she owed to the family that took her in and gave her everything, though she still felt she didn't deserve it. She would make sure Koruuksi and Uuchantuu escaped this world and lived to see a world untouched by war or the folly of gods.

She would be a leader worthy of the Remnant, the watchful protector of all those who stood against the Imaia.

Estingai looked to Uuchantuu, then Koruuksi.

For those who didn't think they needed her protection. For her brother and her adopted sister. For her husband, and all the others she had lost. She would lay down her life as they had laid down theirs. She would stop at nothing to prove herself worthy of their sacrifice.

Estingai would become the Last Knight.