Back at Beyond's Headquarters...
Saphyra stood alone in the R&D Department, staring at the frozen casing holding Kiala's arm. Her thought processing had been in haywire, ever since Kiala's kidnapping.
Her duty was to protect the people of Earth, take over Sarah's duties and expand Beyond's forces in any way possible. However her highest priority given to her, was to protect her little sister and guide her.
Failing this priority, left a void she could not process, without her creator's advice. Although the past version was close by, the sense that those she had known and was familiar with all her life, were now gone, which had begun to seep a numb feeling into her. She had struggled to hide it from everyone around her, but once she was alone, she always found herself coming back to the room and staring at the arm.
Suddenly the door, hissed open, parting away as Sarah walked in. "Saphyra!" She called out, seeing her standing there all alone.
Saphyra turned around looking at her, with her usual expression, however Sarah could tell there was something wrong. "Yes, Sarah? What can I help you with?" The android replied
Sarah walked up to her and looked her over. "I've been looking for you..." She noticed Kiala's arm, behind her, then realized what she had been up to. "Are you ok?"
Saphyra smiled, slightly. "I'm doing ok, my systems are fine and I'm operating at 98% efficiency."
Sarah looked past her, at the arm once again. "I... I know how you feel. I might be the only one that knows what you're going through right now."
Saphyra looked at her confused. "Why is that?"
Sarah looked at her feet, shifting it, as she thought of what to say. "Before you arrived in our time, whenever I lost someone, I understood the loss, but could never feel it. We are capable, of understanding feelings, but never truly feeling it. We know that there should be something there, when something good happens or something bad happens, yet we stay indifferent..." Sarah smiled as she paused for a moment, then continued.
"And that's because we are machines first. We weren't born, we were made, so we're at a disadvantage compared to those around us. Saphyra..." She started to tear up. "You're allowed to cry too, you know? You just lost your sister and that's something that would devastate anyone..." Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box.
Within it on a soft cushion, was a core, similar to the children of Atlas's. A perfect ball of circuits and versillium, entwining together harmoniously, giving the feeling of real artificial life. Saphyra stared at it, feeling drawn to it by a strange pull.
"It breaks my heart... That's why I've been trying to hurry up and finish this. You and my future self, gave me the best gift I could ever ask for and I never did anything for you." She handed the box over to her. "I may not survive this raid, but if we don't come back, I don't want you feeling lost. I want you to cry, laugh and grow past it. Lead humanity with your new heart, if you decide to take it."
Saphyra was surprised by the gift, but didn't show it, as she kept looking the core over. "Thank you, Sarah."
Sarah smiled once again, then gave her a long tight hug. "Of course, you're my daughter too, you know?" She replied, then pulled away, holding back her tears and left the room. Leaving Saphyra alone again, holding on to her first gift.
Back on Kiros Alta...
Namia watched as a maid, finished dressing Kiala up, with a white veil over her head, finishing the white executioner gown, used for women on their planet. She had been keeping close tabs on her, ever since her attempted escape.
"The final hour is approaching. We'll meet the Kings at the executioner square and witness Tose's funeral, before we finally lop your head off." Namia said in disgust, as Kiala glared back at her. She couldn't see her eyes through the veil, but she knew she wasn't looking at her fondly.
"What? You have something to say?" Namia asked, beckoning her.
Kiala turned back to the mirror. She fallen quiet ever since she woke up and they decided to torment her. With Dema leading the torture and Namia overwatching it. Leaving her bruised and swollen until they treated her before the execution. They couldn't let the people see that they had mistreated a prisoner.
She sniffled as she held herself together. Her hope had faded, but her pride was still intact. She wanted to go out strong, like Osei, her father and their other comerades in battle.
Namia, escorted her to the car. A hovering vehicle, they had innovated with Azurian blueprints. A procession of guards, waited outside of their vehicles in formation, for them to enter.
They were all dressed in black, battle uniforms, looking like reapers, here to deliver her to death.
The car took off, along with the rest of the vehicles, heading to the a large execution ground outside of the capital city. There awaiting them were crowds of people, overflowing the seats and stands, then pouring outside of it, as far as the eye could see.
This was one of the biggest events to happen on Alta for a while, with both the funeral and execution becoming a hot topic, spreading across Kiros. A world telemonitors, was broadcasting to both worlds and switched its view to Kiala exiting out of the vehicle along with her escorts. Jeers and taunts, resounded across the worlds, while the quiet ones murmured. Tose was a beloved hero.
Dozens of soldiers, greeted them, parting ways to keep the people back, as they walked onto the platform. Eight of the Dai Hito were seated nearby. Namia, walked Kiala with two guards, to the large podium, standing at the center, of the circular like stadium. Then she went and sat down with her comerades.
Kiala looked around her, seeing the hordes of screaming crowds all there with one motive. She felt helpless, counting down the minutes she had left and thinking of everyone she had ever known.
A tall woman with a black robe, rose out of the podium, along with a head post, with a built in blood-dried bucket. Kiala stared at her soulless eyes. She could tell that the woman was her executioner. Her heart started to beat even faster, as panic started to settle in, but she remained composed.
Suddenly out of nowhere, the two Kings of Kiros appeared before her, erupting cheers from all the people, like A-star celebrities. "Now settle down, everyone." Mado asked his people and they obeyed quieting down in a ripple.
Rael stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Thank you all for tuning in and coming here today. We are at an impasse in history, one that may decide the fate of our people and one that might also determine our futures." He looked back at Kiala, glaring at her. "As you may know, our beloved general Tose, was killed yesterday night in cold blood, by a prisoner, we treated with generous hospitality." He paused as the people once again jeered at Kiala, screaming death threats and words that should not be used in a civilized setting.
"Please, our anger may not subside, but let us take the moment, to honour him and send him off properly." He gave a signal, as even amount of the soldiers, broke off from guard duty, while a coffin, rose out of the podium, in front of Rael.
The guards, walked up to it surrounding the coffin, then spread it evenly, some distance away from the coffin. A few performers, walked onto the podium, beating drums in an upbeat fashion. Keeping a constant rhythm as one-fifth of the soldiers surrounding the coffin, stepped forward and taking a stance. Then threw their fists forward, summoning twelve spheres of ignitable rocks, floating near the coffin.
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They then stepped back as the spheres rotated to the next soldiers, freezing them over, with a light sheet of ice. Then rotated over to the next soldiers, setting them on fire, keeping a constant temperature to not fully melt the ice. The next soldiers, that the spheres were passed to, shot them into the air sky high, as the last ones, called down lightning exploding the spheres, like fireworks, into tiny pieces. Raining down a myriad of different colours.
Everyone remained quiet, giving Tose a moment of silence, while the drummers, began to slow down the beat, with the last one hitting one last loud drumbeat. Then they stepped away, walking off the platform, along with the soldiers going back to their posts.
Rael cleared his throat as all attention resumed back to him. "Tose was one of the finest warrior I had ever picked to lead our worlds. He will be missed, however the last thing we can do for him, is to deliver him justice!" The audience cheered insensitively once again, as soon as they heard those words.
He looked back at Mado, as his brother stepped forward. "People of the realm. As you know, the threat of Dark One looms before us evermore with each passing day. That the Great Hero, helped vanquished them, from our Galaxy, however. It was an entity, far older and more powerful than it was thought to be." He shifted his position and looked back up around the crowd and cameras.
"It still paid us a visit almost 100 years ago and without Akio's help we wouldn't have been able to drive them off. Now that threat looms over us again. As I fought a certain human of Earth, after I killed them, the Dark One brought him back. It seems they have picked an heir and he leads his people on the path of darkness." He looked over at Kiala, then back to the crowd.
"That man now is now missing after the events on Rennaya, but he left his offspring in charge as she was the next most powerful warrior they had. Even managing to kill Tose. There's no telling, when they might lose themselves and become a great threat to the galaxy, but we can't allow them to go unchecked, because there is a great amount of them." He unsheathed his sword and raised it to the sky.
"That is why I'm invoking the Arsaleyk. They've refused to bend the knee, for us to show them the way. So we must defend ourselves. Every being on that planet must be purge off the face of the galaxy, for the sake of the realm." He raised his sword even higher, as he ended his words, while Kiala horrifically witnessed the people cheer in support for genocide. They feared the unknown, she knew that, but to not question his words, left her stumped.
Mado sheathed his sword as he walked towards Kiala, then whispered. "I knew you'd kill someone, but one of our strongest? That was unexpected." He turned around to join his brother, leaving her with the realization that she played into his agenda.
"Kiala of Earth, do you have any last words?" Rael asked with disdain.
Kiala, looked around the crowd, surrounding her and at the cameras, then sighed. "People of the Kirosian Realm, despite, what your leaders may have you think, our peoples are not so different. We love, we hate, we fight and fear. We're new to the Galactic stage, just like you and all we want is peace. Attacking us twice and unprovoked is not the way to go about that. I don't regret killing Tose, and neither would he. I was trying to escape and he was just doing his job." She sighed as she thought of how her words might just be falling on deaf ears.
"Despite that, after my death, I hope one day our worlds could come to an agreement in peace, because if what Mado says about the Dark One is true. Then we have both Atlas and them to worry about, the true villains to our way of life... That is all I have to say." She looked over at Mado and Rael, who grinned as the other shook their head.
Mado pointed towards the reaper, stationed by the head post. "Kneel before your executioner."
Kiala did as she was told, walking over slowly, as her life started to flash before her eyes. Every thought she had, every feeling and every regret, ran through her head over and over as she kneeled down, then placed her head on pedestal and exposed her neck.
"By order of the Kirosian Realm, I demand that this criminal be put to death." Mado stated, as the executioner nodded back then raised her axe up high.
People were at the edge of their seats watching her final moments. Then suddenly, there was a rumbling, causing the people to look around.
"What's happening?" Rael asked his brother, as another rumble shook the planet around them even closer.
"I don't know." Mado replied, just as a soldier teleported before them kneeling and whispered to them, before disappearing a second later.
Rael pointed at the executioner, who paused as she lost her balance. "Behead her now!"
The woman nodded, and reraised her axe, but this time was interrupted by someone teleporting in and stabbing her through the heart. She staggered back and fell over, as Kiala looked up wondering what was going on.
"Mom?" She asked, but she knew it wasn't her, she was glad to see her face again, but the relief turned into instant worry. "Why are you here!"
Sora looked her dead in the eye, then smiled. "They couldn't abandon you."
"Who?" Her question was answered in the next second, as hundreds of shuttles, drones and fighter jets, swarmed the skies, with the Prometheus dropping in, releasing its hull, then dove back into space.
Six figures were skydiving towards them at an incredible speed. She looked up in awe, feeling the familiarity of their iko, as they all yelled out to her. "Kiala!!"
She spread her senses as far as she could, feeling the lives of countless millions of people, from Earth, invading the planet. Tears started stream down her cheek.
All of her life, she had been hidden from the public, she never thought she could make a friend, much less have other people care about her. However, the scene she was seeing in front of her, made her too emotional to speak. She had given up all hope and was ready for her death. Now a small spark, had started to glimmer and it was too much for her to bear.
"Dai Hito!" Mado called out, as the crowd started to panic and run for their lives. The soldiers tried their best to keep order, as more explosions sounded off all around them and rumbled the earth.
"Yes, your majesty!" The were already at attention and on high alert.
"Defeat the Novas coming towards us and keep them away from the people."
"Yes sir," they responded then disappeared, encountering the falling Novas in the sky.
He then turned back to Sora, who had already disappeared with Rael charging at her, both engaging in a violent fight, not too far away. Mado sighed and walked up to Kiala, who was still on her knees.
"I guess, I'll just have to do it myself." He said to her as he unsheathed his longsword.
She glared at him, wishing there was something she could do. But her cuffs, were on too tight and they chained her legs this time, to make sure she doesn't run. Suddenly Rael appeared slamming Sora's face down into the podium.
"You're gonna watch and understand how badly you failed!" He spat at her.
Mado shook his head. "I commend your people for their bravery, but this is as far as you go. Forty million isn't enough to defeat us and you have no ally stronger than we are this time. This is the end for you."
Kiala, began to cry uncontrollably. They came here to save her and there was nothing she could do. Her mother was in danger again and there was nothing she could do. She looked around her, wanting to ask for help, seeing the Novas held back by the Dai Hito in the sky.
It dawned on her. There was no one that could help. This was it, this was the end. She found herself uttering words, she had never thought she would say in her life. "Dad, I wish you were here..."
Mado raised his sword up. "But he's gone and no one can save you now."
A wave of energy stopped him cold. A feeling he had not felt since the Battle of Rennaya, as if his life was in danger. He dropped his sword to his side, looking up at the sky, along with Rael, Sora and even Kiala.
It wasn't just those on the podium, everyone on the planet, running for their lives, fighting and dying, all looked up, wondering what was coming.
The Coalition from Earth all began to feel enormous amounts of energy swell up within them, especially those wearing Nova and Nova lite suits. A phenomenon they hadn't felt since the first Battle of Earth.
"He's here." Some of the soldiers started to say. Then chant. "He's here! The Commander is back!"
Morale skyrocketed.
At the executioner podium, Rael asked in disbelief. "There is no way he's still alive?"
Mado shook his head. "We only heard that he'd been lost in space." He grinned, content. "Knowing him, he'd somehow find a way to survive, but to gain this much strength in such a short amount of time-"
He was cut off as an elemental spear, appeared out of nowhere and took Rael with it flying far away and freeing Sora. She got up but still fixed her attention to the sky, while protecting Kiala.
"MADO!!" A voice, yelled at the top of their lungs from high above them.
Mado could not stop grinning, then broke out into laughter. He readied his sword to his side, gathering up unfathomable amounts of energy and shifted into third gear. Then leaped up in the sky after his assailant. "Tobi!" He yelled back, as the two finally clashed blades, bringing utter destruction to the ground below them.
Earthquakes ripped through the city, as the shockwave and tremors, receded and rose sea levels higher. The two continued with their battle of strength until Tobi, shifted into a new gear, gathering darkness around him, with his veins and hair gaining a tint of black. Before he twisted his blade further and sent Mado flying by surprise, into the distance.
Tobi descended down to Sora and Kiala, as she ran to hug him.
"Is it really you." She asked dumbfounded. Tobi gave her a smile, he had changed a lot since the last time she had seen him. He now had a scruffy beard, and an aura of strength, she had never coming from him.
"Hey kiddo, of course it's me... Sorry I'm late."