Arcturus's towering stature stood out as its own landmark within the command deck of the Imperium. The glow of the tactical displays silhoutted him with their many hues, his structure a privacy filter in its own right.

  His silver eyes fixed on the display as though willing it to break beneath his stare. The image of Paleon’s surface was busy with activity as the Nexus forces deployed en masse. Troops, armored vehicles, and aerial drones swarmed toward the planet’s lower regions.

  “I’ll see to it that you never get the chance to use it, Aetherveil,” he murmured to himself.

  He knew that Aetherveil was a formidable opponent, but he also knew that she could be reckless in her pursuit of victory.

  He crushed any doubt as quickly as it surfaced, his jaw tightening until the sinews in his neck stood out like steel cords.

  Turning sharply, he began to make his way to the hangar deck. Each step he took was delivered with the message to clear a path as he marched through the cavernous ship.

  “I will savor every beat as I crush your heart.“

  As he neared the hangar, he clenched his fists so tightly his gauntlets bent beneath his fingers.

  >>>>>***********************<<<<<

  Within the chamber, Aetherveil stood over the console. Her hands trembled as she traced the schematics of the conduit with her hand. She activated another display. It revealed a network that stretched far beyond Paleon, weaving a web across unfamiliar systems.

  She could feel the energy in the chamber. It was a rhythmic sensation that was syncronized with the beat of her heart.

  Locke, stationed near the entrance, kept his rifle trained down the tunnel beyond the chamber.

  “They’re getting closer,” he muttered, listening to the distant sounds of battle. “We’re running out of time.”

  Aetherveil remained quietly focused. She began interacting with the controls, redirecting the power flows. Red lines turned green, and the chamber began to tremble. The vibrations grew stronger, shaking loose the dust and debris on the walls. The ground beneath their feet rumbled violently, and cracks began to spiderweb across the chamber floor. The hum of the conduit grew louder. It was a deep, resonant roar that reverberated through the room.

  She knew what came after. She remembered the cataclysmic wave of energy that destroyed the surface of Paleon.

  She also knew it was their best chance.

  With a deep breath, she pressed her hands firmly against the console. The light if the symbols intensified as she completed the activation sequence. With a sudden flash, the chamber was plunged into darkness.

  For a moment, Aetherveil thought she had failed.

  Slowly, the lights began to return. A red beam pierced through the chamber ceiling, instantly vaporizing the thousand feet of stone above.

  Aetherveil covered her face with her hands, bracing herself for the wave of blistering heat that never came. The air remained the same damp, hot feel it had been the moment she entered.

  She slowly lowered her arms, scanning the room for an explanation.

  There wasn't one.

  The holographic display reactivated, but it was different now. The map zoomed out, revealing a distant planet shrouded in darkness. A single word appeared beneath it written in an ancient, unfamiliar script.

  Origin

  She couldn't tear her eyes away from the display.

  Big D stepped into the chamber, his eyes training on her line of sight.

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  "What the hell is 'Origin'? What did we just connect to?" he asked.

  Aetherveil stared at the image.

  "The conduit isn’t just a defense system,” she replied. “It’s a beacon.“

  Big D’s eyes widened. "A beacon to what?"

  Aetherveil didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on the display, the vastness of the network now fully revealed to her.

  It was an interconnected system that predated even her own millennia of existence. Big D leaned in closer to Aetherveil.

  "So, what’s the plan? We just pack up and fly to this ‘Origin’ place?“ he asked.

  "We'd have to know where it's at, first," Locke said, squeezing in between them. "And I'm guessing it's not close."

  Aetherveil took a deep breath.

  “This must be what he's really after,” she whispered to herself. “What's so important about it?“

  Another explosion echoed through the tunnels—closer this time. Shouts and screams followed. Aetherveil snapped her head toward the entrance, her eyes narrowing.

  “Listen to me,” she said, turning back toward Locke and Big D. “Fight—Fight your way back to your ships. You won't survive what comes next.“

  Locke and Big D exchanged glances.

  “What about you?“ Locke asked.

  Aetherveil smiled.

  Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of Lilyon—her friend, her loss.

  “There’s something I need to finish,” she said softly.

  The thoughts of Lilyon were slowly replaced with Arcturus.

  As Locke and Big D exited the chamber, Aetherveil's smile was replaced with a deep frown. Her orange eyes glowed with a fiery intensity. Her fingers curled into fists, hands trembling. The chamber shook violently as the hum of the conduit reached a deafening crescendo.

  Aetherveil stood tall. She was unshaken as she prepared to face what came next.

  “You’ve come all this way for nothing,” Aetherveil said, still focused on the console.

  At the chamber entrance, Arcturus loomed. He was framed by the red glow of the conduit's beam.

  “You overestimate yourself. This world, its power—it belongs to me,” he responded.

  Aetherveil turned, finally facing him. Their eyes locked.

  She studied him. The glow from the conduit cast deep shadows over his face that made him appear hollow.

  “What took you so long to get here?“ she asked. "You don't look so certain anymore.“

  She took a step closer, keeping her blade at her side.

  "Are you afraid, Arcturus?" she asked.

  She inhaled deeply, taking her time before exhaling.

  "You should be," she said.

  Without another word, the battle between the two titans began.

  Aetherveil lunged first. Her sword cut through the air, its edge singing as it closed the gap between them.

  Arcturus twisted away, barely evading its arc. The blade caught his pauldron, sparking as it glanced off it's surface.

  Her back facing him, he reached out to grab her—a move she had anticipated. She pivoted sharply, her blade already swinging in a follow-up arc toward his side.

  In a blur of speed, Arcturus deflected the blade with his vambrace before driving his fist into her gut. Her armor groaned as it bent inward, his fist imprinting into it's surface.

  His fingers curled behind her gorget and combat belt—lifting her over his head.

  With a grunt, he hurled her into the floor. The impact jarred her entire body, pain shooting up her spine.

  She rolled, barely evading his boot as it came down where her head was a moment ago, cracking the stone floor.

  Aetherveil forced herself up, spitting blood. With both hands clasped around the hilt, Aetherveil thrust the blade toward Arcturus's chest.

  Arcturus caught it at the last second, his hand wrapping around the blade's edge. Sparks hissed where metal met metal. With his free hand, he slammed his fist into Aetherveil's head.

  Her skull was rocked by the impact, the force sending her skidding across the chamber floor. She staggered, her ears ringing. She forced herself upright, shaking off the dizziness.

  Arcturus gave her no time to recover. He charged.

  Aetherveil moved forward to meet him, dropping low.

  She rolled beneath his outstretched arms. Spinning back around, she saw the opening—his weight was shifting, his imperfect stance revealing a gap in the plating.

  She swung her blade with everything she had. It shrieked as it scraped past the edge of the plating, cleaving clean through his knee. Arcturus let out a snarl as his leg collapsed beneath him, blood pooling around his knee.

  Aetherveil didn't miss the opportunity. She wrapped her arms around his massive frame, flipping herself backwards. His head slammed into the chamber floor with a loud crack, shattering the stone. The impact sent a tremor through the ground.

  Aetherveil rolled off, landing in a crouch. She wiped the blood off her mouth and rose, her sword still tightly in her grip.

  Arcturus was sprawled out on the floor, his eyes focused on Aetherveil. His gaze was no longer a cold indifference.

  He knew.

  She grabbed him by his chest plate and dragged him to the crimson beam, lifting him off the ground.

  Arcturus let out a shuddering breath.

  “You can't kill me,” he slurred, his silver eyes dimming. “I am forever in the Nexus.“

  Aetherveil leaned in, their foreheads almost touching.

  “You could have been so much more.“

  Her eyes ignited into an inferno.

  “You could have been me.”

  She shoved his head into the beam. There was no scream. No final words.

  The flesh vaporized instantly. White tendrils of heat curled from the edges of his skull.

  The metal skull underneath glowed red hot before liquefying, molten slag dripping away and evaporating.

  Aetherveil yanked what was left of him back in, staring at the smoldering remains. Without another thought, she tossed the husk into the beam. The body disintegrated before it could reach the bottom.

  Aetherveil watched as his body vanished, knowing that she hadn't truly defeated him. She fell to the ground releasing a deep, hollow laugh.

  It choked off into sobbing before she even realized it.

  “I'm sorry, Lilyon,” she whispered.