Inevitable Ascension

Chapter 15 - The End of All Things

Kali departed to carry out Violina's orders, but Lux sat frozen as she stared at the gruesome scene before her. Violina couldn't stand to be there any longer. As repulsed as she was by the sight, the thought that the images had forever burned themselves into Lux's brain was vastly more painful to her. In Violina's mind, Lux represented all that was left of innocence in the world, and only because of her loyalty to Violina had she been thrown into the horrific events of these past days.

"Come on, Lux. We'd better keep moving."

Lux slowly pivoted her mech and lowered her goggles. "I don't understand," she lamented. "How can human beings do something so abhorrent? Is it because the Second Sun is gone? Do people just think that because they have no more hope for salvation, they can commit whatever atrocities they please?"

"That wouldn't explain why people still act as they do in our own time where the Second Sun sits daily for all to see." Violina led the way into another deserted alley. "God didn't create this hell—people did. I'm sure that's why the Second Sun killed the world and left. I mean if it were me, I wouldn't want to stick around either."

It was uncomfortably quiet as they continued their march. Aside from the screeching of mortar-ship ballistics overhead, the distant sounds of the battle were but echoes. It was as if the city emptied itself to go defend the northern streets, though Violina was certain some stayed behind to cower under their beds.

At last the girls came into sight of the bay, its waves scarlet in the setting sun. A typical person from the Steam Age would have found it difficult to even fathom that people could build vessels as massive as the mortar-ships and Capital Ship, but Violina had seen Kza's Dreadnaught firsthand and by comparison, these were only mildly impressive.

"We'd better dismount from our mechs and take a full-on stealth approach," suggested Violina, "but blast your terminal just in case. We're on a one-way trip, and we don't want to inadvertently hand free Taloc-Mechs over to the Separatists."

Lux did so, then skipped the last few steps of her ladder to the ground. "By 'one-way trip', I presume you don't mean you plan on getting killed here."

"Of course not. But our part in this ends in the Capital Ship. That's where we're going to win or lose this."

The girls edged around a wall and scanned the coast. Judging by the piers extending from a warehouse to where several smaller ships were docked, Violina was certain this was the place to which Kali had referred.

"Shall we commandeer us one of those boats?" proposed Lux.

"Hmm, I think that would look too suspicious. We need to get into the Capital Ship without anyone seeing us coming. Let's find a couple of those underwater-breathing gadgets that Kali mentioned."

Lux's eyes lit up for the first time since seeing the Separatist altar. No doubt her mind was filled with blissful thoughts of underwater ninja-ness.

Keeping low to the ground and ensuring the coast was clear, the girls darted across the shore to a garage labeled "LOADING BAY 1". With their backs to the wall, they then contemplated their next move.

"How about we break a window?" suggested Lux.

"But we haven't even checked to see if the door is unlocked."

"True, but there are several reasons why breaking in through the window is a better option. Firstly, it'll make for a more exciting story later."

Violina couldn't help but be amused. "Because all this craziness with the Resistance traitors and the Eden invasion doesn't make for an exciting enough story as is?"