Chapter 9: Facing the End

Rami stepped back, allowing her to draw arrows from a second quiver. She and the other Resistance archers had the advantages of height and cover over the Imperial forces and were using them to pick off the enemy archers and the advance soldiers. It was all they could do to help their fellows on the ground.

“Pace yourselves!” she ordered down the lines on either side of her. “Use your arrows where they’ll count!”

She stamped down a sense of hypocrisy as she kept drawing her arrows, not even slowing her pace. If she ran out, she could always join the battle on the ground. A lot of the other archers were not trained for that.

Not for the first time, she cursed the Council and its myopia. The elders had spent years ignoring the advice and warning of the group leaders like herself. They believed their years and wisdom were more valuable than the fighters’ experiences and sacrifices.

‘But they aren’t here to reap the repercussions,’ she thought bitterly. ‘Once again, we, the fighters, pay for their mistakes.’

She took a deep breath and released with it all her bitter thoughts. The Council was not her enemy at the moment. She drew the arrow back, found a target, and then fired. Rami was drawing her next arrow by the time the previous one had reached its target.

* * * * *

“Galactic Gale!”

An arctic blast screamed from the hand of Sailor Boreas. Warriors were preserved mid-attack. Grass and shrubs were entombed in ice. Everything in front of her was frozen.

The repeat attack on Jupiter had taken them by surprise. But at least there were sufficient men to mount a defense. At least Boreas hoped so.

She risked a glance at her contingent of the royal guard from the palace. Many of the men were bleeding, but none of their wounds appeared particularly serious. She hoped that meant they could fight a while longer. She couldn’t do this alone.

“Get ready,” Boreas called. “The others will strike quickly. They’ll try to catch us off guard.”

As if to prove her right, figures were already surging toward them. They were using their frozen comrades as cover. ‘Good idea,’ she thought with a smirk, ‘but it’s not going to be enough.’

“Boreas Wind Tunnel Blast!”

* * * * *

Edoru jerked his sword free, already attacking another soldier with his other blade. The enemy, just only a few years older than himself, was unaware of the second weapon. It was a fatal mistake.

The next one was more experienced. But Edoru was a Brioch. His family had produced the best swordsmen of Cignus for generations.

After a few exchanges, he gained the upper hand and finished his opponent off quickly. But he had little time to enjoy the victory. As in the first battle, more enemies stepped up to take the place their fallen comrade’s place.

‘If that foreign princess’s going to do something, she’d better do it soon,’ he thought. The now smaller Resistance force wouldn’t hold out long against the reinforced Imperial army.

* * * * *

“My sister picked a hell of a time to take a little holiday.”

This battle was different from when Naffid had attacked the palace. This time they had only had a few Sailors and there were no Guardians. It meant that more of the fighting fell to the palace guards, who were meeting the challenge very well.

“My father would be so proud,” Io murmured.

“My lady, your father is here.”

She turned to the guard. “What!”

“Your father, my lady, is here, fighting,” he stated. “He’s leading a group of guards just west of us.”

“The old fox,” she said, shaking her head, “I should have known.”

“He said he was tired of sitting around while his daughters battled. That he still had some fight left in him.”

“For that, I am grateful.”

“Me, too, my lady.”

Another wave of soldiers topped the ridge, heading toward them. Io didn’t need to call to her men to ready themselves. She could feel the change sweep through them.

She gathered her powers, feeling the earth under her, before her, and underneath the invading soldiers.

“Deep Fissure!!”

* * * * *

With a scream of pain, Evna stumbled backwards. The Imperial soldier leered at her, advancing on her slowly. He had no fear of her.

‘With pretty good reason,’ she thought. She had run out of throwing knives just minutes ago, and he had bested her in close combat. She clutched her wounded arm tighter to her body as her mind raced through possible attacks.

Suddenly a wall of fire erupted between her and the soldier. Evna glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Brenan. However, Brenan’s eyes remained fixed on the soldier.

With a swirl of his fingers, Brenan closed the wall of fire behind the soldier. Realizing he was trapped, the man began pleading for life. He promised riches, servitude, anything to spare him.

“You would not spare her life,” Brenan said, “so I will not spare yours.”

The fire wall then constricted, encasing the soldier in flames. Evna turned from the sight, refusing to make the sign of quick journey. May the gods forgive her, but she felt no pity for him.

Brenan took her good arm and began leading her away. “Stay close to me. I’ll try to get you to the healers.”

“But your men!”

“They’re gone, Evna.” His usually passive face took a haunted look. “If we’re not careful, we may soon join them.”

* * * * *

“What the hell!” Galen held onto the doorframe as the floor danced under his feet. The palace groaned under the stress and cracking sheetrock sent plumes of dust into the air. Then, as quickly as it came, the shaking stopped.

“Doctor, what’s going on?” a wide-eyed nurse asked.

Galen headed down the hallway, coughing on the dust-filled air. “That’s what I would like to know.”

He quickly checked patient areas. None of the walls had given away. Yet, in a couple of the rooms, the appearance of the walls made him uneasy. He quickly had the rooms cleared and the patients placed elsewhere.

‘Ilene, what are you doing?’ he wondered as a smaller quake rattled the palace. ‘How bad are things out there?’

Galen quickly found the head of the guards that were left behind to guard the patients. The woman appeared annoyed at the doctor’s appearance. However, he didn’t have time for niceties.

“Your men are needed out there,” he said without preamble. “You need to join the battle.”

“Our orders are to stay here and guard the patients.”

“If they lose out there, you and your men are not going to be enough to protect them from anything!”

“I have my orders.”

“And there is a time when common sense overrides orders. You are needed out there. Go where you can do some good.”

The guard’s iciness thawed some. “Are you that worried?”

“Aren’t you?”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then she nodded. “Guards, we’re moving out. It’s time we join the others outside.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied. Then she smirked. “Of course, you’re on your own now.”

Galen smiled. “I think we’ll manage somehow. Good luck to you.”

“And to you, doctor.”

* * * * *
Monea grabbed the enemy soldier’s wrist and twisted the woman’s arm with a savage force. The soldier could only gasp as her own blade was forced into her body. The Guardian moved to the next enemy, letting the woman fall lifelessly to the ground.

The soldiers had regrouped, trying to take her as a group. There were too many to take one at a time. Monea tried to ignore the pain in her hands as the barely healed skin once again cracked under the heat and strain of her powers.

But the blast did its work. As the light faded, the soldiers were gone. She glanced around the field and saw that Ren was fighting three men.

Without another thought, she ran towards him. She took out the furthest one with another painful burst of light. Ren capitalized on the distraction, eliminating the other two quickly.

She smiled at him as she breathed a sigh of relief. His smile quickly vanished as he pointed beyond her. “Monea!”

The Guardian turned to become face to face with a huge Imperial captain. With a menacing grin, he stabbed her, running the sword through her until the hilt rest against the skin of her abdomen. She screamed as she fell to her knees.

“Monea!” Ren’s voice seemed so far away.

The captain bent down, still leering at her. “I don’t know why you Guardians are such a big deal. You seem easy enough to kill.”

He grabbed a hold of the choker around her neck. The pressure was strangling her as he used it to pick her up. But the jewelry was not meant to stand such pressure and it broke. Monea dropped to the ground, back in her Resistance uniform.

“I guess you aren’t so much without this either.”

“She doesn’t have to be.” Ren jabbed both of his swords in the captain’s chest. He yanked them out as the captain stumbled backwards.

Monea raised her hand, finishing him off with a light blast. She had had her powers long before she had become a Guardian. She didn’t need the jewel to use them.

“Monea.” Ren dropped beside her, gingerly holding her. His eyes were wild and lost. “You’re not dying on me.”

She guided one of his hands to the hilt. “Take the sword out, Ren.”

“No, I won’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I can get you to one of the healers.”

She clenched her fist, tightening his grip on the sword. “Please, Ren. I don’t want this thing in me.”

“You’re not leaving me, Harmonea Melion!” But the tears in his eyes detracted from the conviction in his voice.

She pulled, using his hand to draw out the blade. The pain of it all made her gasp, but she forced herself to keep going. Ren finally took over and put it out completely.

She sagged back into his arms. He was holding her tighter, his face buried in her hair as he argued and pleaded with both her and the gods. Whispering his name, she closed her eyes.


Facing the End Rami stepped back, allowing her to draw arrows from a second quiver. She and the other Resistance archers had the advantages of height and cover over the Imperial forces and were using them to pick off the enemy archers and the advance soldiers. It was all they could do to help their fellows on the ground. “Pace yourselves!” she ordered down the lines on either side of her. “Use your arrows where they’ll count!” She stamped down a sense of hypocrisy as she kept drawing her arrows, not even slowing her pace. If she ran out, she could always join the battle on the ground. A lot of the other archers were not trained for that. Not for the first time, she cursed the Council and its myopia. The elders had spent years ignoring the advice and warning of the group leaders like herself. They believed their years and wisdom were more valuable than the fighters’ experiences and sacrifices. ‘But they aren’t here to reap the repercussions,’ she thought bitterly. ‘Once again, we, the fighters, pay for their mistakes.’ She took a deep breath and released with it all her bitter thoughts. The Council was not her enemy at the moment. She drew the arrow back, found a target, and then fired. Rami was drawing her next arrow by the time the previous one had reached its target. * * * * * “Galactic Gale!” An arctic blast screamed from the hand of Sailor Boreas. Warriors were preserved mid-attack. Grass and shrubs were entombed in ice. Everything in front of her was frozen. The repeat attack on Jupiter had taken them by surprise. But at least there were sufficient men to mount a defense. At least Boreas hoped so. She risked a glance at her contingent of the royal guard from the palace. Many of the men were bleeding, but none of their wounds appeared particularly serious. She hoped that meant they could fight a while longer. She couldn’t do this alone. “Get ready,” Boreas called. “The others will strike quickly. They’ll try to catch us off guard.” As if to prove her right, figures were already surging toward them. They were using their frozen comrades as cover. ‘Good idea,’ she thought with a smirk, ‘but it’s not going to be enough.’ “Boreas Wind Tunnel Blast!” * * * * * Edoru jerked his sword free, already attacking another soldier with his other blade. The enemy, just only a few years older than himself, was unaware of the second weapon. It was a fatal mistake. The next one was more experienced. But Edoru was a Brioch. His family had produced the best swordsmen of Cignus for generations. After a few exchanges, he gained the upper hand and finished his opponent off quickly. But he had little time to enjoy the victory. As in the first battle, more enemies stepped up to take the place their fallen comrade’s place. ‘If that foreign princess’s going to do something, she’d better do it soon,’ he thought. The now smaller Resistance force wouldn’t hold out long against the reinforced Imperial army. * * * * * “My sister picked a hell of a time to take a little holiday.” This battle was different from when Naffid had attacked the palace. This time they had only had a few Sailors and there were no Guardians. It meant that more of the fighting fell to the palace guards, who were meeting the challenge very well. “My father would be so proud,” Io murmured. “My lady, your father is here.” She turned to the guard. “What!” “Your father, my lady, is here, fighting,” he stated. “He’s leading a group of guards just west of us.” “The old fox,” she said, shaking her head, “I should have known.” “He said he was tired of sitting around while his daughters battled. That he still had some fight left in him.” “For that, I am grateful.” “Me, too, my lady.” Another wave of soldiers topped the ridge, heading toward them. Io didn’t need to call to her men to ready themselves. She could feel the change sweep through them. She gathered her powers, feeling the earth under her, before her, and underneath the invading soldiers. “Deep Fissure!!” * * * * * With a scream of pain, Evna stumbled backwards. The Imperial soldier leered at her, advancing on her slowly. He had no fear of her. ‘With pretty good reason,’ she thought. She had run out of throwing knives just minutes ago, and he had bested her in close combat. She clutched her wounded arm tighter to her body as her mind raced through possible attacks. Suddenly a wall of fire erupted between her and the soldier. Evna glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Brenan. However, Brenan’s eyes remained fixed on the soldier. With a swirl of his fingers, Brenan closed the wall of fire behind the soldier. Realizing he was trapped, the man began pleading for life. He promised riches, servitude, anything to spare him. “You would not spare her life,” Brenan said, “so I will not spare yours.” The fire wall then constricted, encasing the soldier in flames. Evna turned from the sight, refusing to make the sign of quick journey. May the gods forgive her, but she felt no pity for him. Brenan took her good arm and began leading her away. “Stay close to me. I’ll try to get you to the healers.” “But your men!” “They’re gone, Evna.” His usually passive face took a haunted look. “If we’re not careful, we may soon join them.” * * * * * “What the hell!” Galen held onto the doorframe as the floor danced under his feet. The palace groaned under the stress and cracking sheetrock sent plumes of dust into the air. Then, as quickly as it came, the shaking stopped. “Doctor, what’s going on?” a wide-eyed nurse asked. Galen headed down the hallway, coughing on the dust-filled air. “That’s what I would like to know.” He quickly checked patient areas. None of the walls had given away. Yet, in a couple of the rooms, the appearance of the walls made him uneasy. He quickly had the rooms cleared and the patients placed elsewhere. ‘Ilene, what are you doing?’ he wondered as a smaller quake rattled the palace. ‘How bad are things out there?’ Galen quickly found the head of the guards that were left behind to guard the patients. The woman appeared annoyed at the doctor’s appearance. However, he didn’t have time for niceties. “Your men are needed out there,” he said without preamble. “You need to join the battle.” “Our orders are to stay here and guard the patients.” “If they lose out there, you and your men are not going to be enough to protect them from anything!” “I have my orders.” “And there is a time when common sense overrides orders. You are needed out there. Go where you can do some good.” The guard’s iciness thawed some. “Are you that worried?” “Aren’t you?” They stared at each other for a long moment. Then she nodded. “Guards, we’re moving out. It’s time we join the others outside.” “Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” she replied. Then she smirked. “Of course, you’re on your own now.” Galen smiled. “I think we’ll manage somehow. Good luck to you.” “And to you, doctor.” * * * * * Monea grabbed the enemy soldier’s wrist and twisted the woman’s arm with a savage force. The soldier could only gasp as her own blade was forced into her body. The Guardian moved to the next enemy, letting the woman fall lifelessly to the ground. The soldiers had regrouped, trying to take her as a group. There were too many to take one at a time. Monea tried to ignore the pain in her hands as the barely healed skin once again cracked under the heat and strain of her powers. But the blast did its work. As the light faded, the soldiers were gone. She glanced around the field and saw that Ren was fighting three men. Without another thought, she ran towards him. She took out the furthest one with another painful burst of light. Ren capitalized on the distraction, eliminating the other two quickly. She smiled at him as she breathed a sigh of relief. His smile quickly vanished as he pointed beyond her. “Monea!” The Guardian turned to become face to face with a huge Imperial captain. With a menacing grin, he stabbed her, running the sword through her until the hilt rest against the skin of her abdomen. She screamed as she fell to her knees. “Monea!” Ren’s voice seemed so far away. The captain bent down, still leering at her. “I don’t know why you Guardians are such a big deal. You seem easy enough to kill.” He grabbed a hold of the choker around her neck. The pressure was strangling her as he used it to pick her up. But the jewelry was not meant to stand such pressure and it broke. Monea dropped to the ground, back in her Resistance uniform. “I guess you aren’t so much without this either.” “She doesn’t have to be.” Ren jabbed both of his swords in the captain’s chest. He yanked them out as the captain stumbled backwards. Monea raised her hand, finishing him off with a light blast. She had had her powers long before she had become a Guardian. She didn’t need the jewel to use them. “Monea.” Ren dropped beside her, gingerly holding her. His eyes were wild and lost. “You’re not dying on me.” She guided one of his hands to the hilt. “Take the sword out, Ren.” “No, I won’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I can get you to one of the healers.” She clenched her fist, tightening his grip on the sword. “Please, Ren. I don’t want this thing in me.” “You’re not leaving me, Harmonea Melion!” But the tears in his eyes detracted from the conviction in his voice. She pulled, using his hand to draw out the blade. The pain of it all made her gasp, but she forced herself to keep going. Ren finally took over and put it out completely. She sagged back into his arms. He was holding her tighter, his face buried in her hair as he argued and pleaded with both her and the gods. Whispering his name, she closed her eyes.


Chapter 10: Tranquility's Song Jupter's Gone