Chapter 179 - Epilogue: Part 3

　　Kal turned off the holo display of Lying Jack`s trial with a sense of dismay. At the end, the recording had caught his daughter`s request, broadcasting her desire to join the expedition to Andromeda.

　　It would forever be immortalized in history, the first noble scion of a Ducal House to willingly step forward and volunteer to settle a new galaxy and fight against the Vore.

　　Kal would look to have not aged a day to an outsider since he had faced the Vore himself. Now in his mid-forties, his superior genetics and medical technology had all but ceased the aging process. He was in his prime but had no desire to fight the Vore again.

　　He had barely survived his first encounter with the strange aliens. He had nearly lost Atlas and his life and that of Mare`s cousin, Katherine. If it hadn`t been for the assistance of Praxis, he wouldn`t have returned home.

　　But how could he explain to his daughter what she would be facing in Andromeda? The young woman wanted adventure and to be free of her parent`s control. Kal couldn`t blame her. Every young person wants to forge their own path. The harder he tried to stop her, the more he would drive her away.

　　"She`s not going." Mare spoke up from where she sat in front of the display. She had been quiet for too long, a worrying sign if there ever was one. Kal let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair.

　　"You know that we can`t forbid her from going. She`s a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. If we tried to interfere, the entire galaxy would learn of it. Flo has already committed to the fleet, and we can do nothing about that." Kal replied.

　　"I`ll speak with Uncle Argyle. He can deny her. He`ll even assume all the blame if it comes down to it." Mare countered, and Kal scoffed at the notion.

　　"Do that, and she`ll hate you forever." Kal explained.

　　"At least she`ll be alive! Six Titans faced those monsters, and none of them returned!" Mare shouted, standing from the couch and pacing the room.

　　"I`m aware of that." Kal replied dryly. "But this time will be different. With the information Aurelius gave to me, we can now build more Titans than ever. The fleet will be ten times as strong as the one we had before, with dozens of Titans and a new Dyson Sphere. Our technology is better, and we understand the Vore." Kal retorted.

　　"She`s not ready for this, Kal. She and Katherine are going to be on their own! I can`t believe that Mason agreed to allow his daughter to go. What was he thinking?"

　　"The same thing as us. We have no choice. It`s not our decision what they do. Pleiades and Hyperion were given to them to do with as they saw fit." Kal stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his wife.

　　"They`ll be all alone." Mare whispered, and he could see tears in her eyes.

　　"Perhaps not." Kal said cryptically, and Mare turned to look at him.

　　"How would it look if her parents followed her? She would say we didn`t trust her abilities and were overbearing. Duke and Duchess Caledon cannot go to Andromeda." Mare explained.

　　"No, they can`t. But Merit of Caledon could, along with his wife, Ella." Kal said with a smile. Mare`s eyes widened at the suggestion. Leave Caledon for Andromeda and the inevitable conflict there? To see an entirely new galaxy and possibly create a new life there?

　　"What about Emeritus?" Mare whispered.

　　"He`s to begin his schooling on Terra soon, and we would be back in a few decades. With Samuel watching over Caledon, we`ll barely be missed here. I`m sure Tamara could support as well."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

　　"She would know it was us. Atlas and Ouroboros stand out. Everyone knows who their Pilots are." Mare said with doubt. She was keen on the idea of travelling to Andromeda, but she didn`t want Flo to feel stifled by their presence. They just wanted to keep an eye on her.

　　"Atlas and Ouroboros will need to stay in Caledon. With the improvements to its systems and its onboard computer, Samuel can use Atlas to defend the sector if needed, and Ouroboros can go to Emeritus when he`s ready. They`re too distinctive for Merit` and Ella` to use. But I have a surprise." Kal said with a grin.

　　Taking his wife by the hand, he led her through the halls of the Caledonian Ducal Estate. Taking an elevator, they arrived at the deepest level of the structure where Atlas had once been stored by his grandparents.

　　Coming to the vault, Kal pressed his hand against the metallic doors. The cold metal lit up, forming an array that scanned him before the doors silently opened.

　　"When I found out about Argyle`s intention to build a fleet to pursue the Vore shortly after we returned from the Dyson Sphere, I had Aesir commission new Mechs. It was the only way I could be sure that the technology that Aurelius left us would be put to good use. After rebuilding the lost Titans and creating additional ones for our allies, Elric designed something else." Kal explained.

　　They entered the large vault, where Atlas and Ouroboros stood waiting along the large, bare walls. The ceiling could retract, allowing the Titans to leave if called upon. Ignoring them, aside from a fond look at the rebuilt Mobile Suit, Kal led Mare through another series of doors to a new location.

　　"The Titans are too iconic and would draw too much attention. But I am loathed to travel to Andromeda without the power to protect our family. I think these will allow us to fight while maintaining a low profile." Kal opened the last door, revealing the contents to his wife.

　　A pair of Mobile Suits were positioned inside at the very center of a newly constructed vault. Painted black and red in the Caledonian colours, the Aesir designs were visibly in their structure.

　　The one on the left was winged and humanoid, with a long spear grasped in its hands. This one was clearly female, unlike many mobile suits that leaned toward a masculine frame. Its armour was light and graceful, while Mare could see the individual feathers that made up its wings.

　　"Valkyrie. It`s classified as an Assault Class, but its reactor and capabilities are on par with Atlas or Ouroboros. It`s frighteningly agile, and the feather segments of its wings are detachable, each capable of piercing ten meters of steel." Kal explained before pointing at the next.

　　This one was noble and elegant. Humanoid as well, it was festooned with weapons. Lasguns were attached to its waist, while it wielded two PPCs in its hands and had twin cannons on its shoulders.

　　"Tyr. It can output more energy than even Atlas while maintaining its shields. We will be sending five hundred of each of these Mechs to Andromeda, along with the Pilots assigned to them. But these two will belong to Merit and Ella." Kal clarified.

　　"The Vore aren`t going to stand a chance. And with these, we will keep Flo and everyone else safe." Mare replied, gazing up at Valkyrie.

　　Page Break

　　The Dyson Sphere humanity built was nearly a carbon copy of the A.I. Collectives. Designed using plans obtained from the destroyed structure, it was no surprise that the Empire made minimal changes during its construction.

　　A vast city, curving upwards as it stretched into the distance, spread out in front of Merit and Ella as they descended the shuttle. Landing in an open plaza, they were greeted by a throng of people.

　　The Sphere was to be inhabited originally by the soldiers and specialties required to fight the Vore. Tens of millions of troops would be carried across the galactic void between the Milky Way and Andromeda in the Sphere. That number had skyrocketed once the Houses and the Imperial civilians had learned that they would also be settling new worlds.

　　Each house sent millions of settlers and their own House Guard to protect them. Civilian businesses and corporations, seeking new worlds to inhabit, also sent their employees. Along with the families of the troops and settlers, the Sphere now held tens of billions of people.

　　The Sphere could easily accommodate the numbers, and the City was packed to the brim when the cut-off was finally reached. Every building and accommodation was filled, along with the warehouses and storage areas.

　　Following the Sphere would be the fleet, a hundred thousand Starships that would allow war to be waged against the Vore and aid in the settlement efforts.

　　Merit and Ella made their way to the Caledonian section of the City. As one of the great Ducal Houses, Kal had allowed any of his citizens to make the journey and provided millions of troops to protect them. Buildings and streets were coloured black and red in the Caledonian livery to indicate their allegiance.

　　Talha Sun, the Guard Commander of House Caledon and Merrick Tan were leading them, two of the only people onboard to know Merit and Ella`s true identities. Talha had brought her husband, Micah, as well as her son. She was indifferent to the journey, but Micah was the driving force behind their decision to join.

　　In contrast, Merrick Tan hadn`t needed much convincing, not after Kal had described how an entire galaxy of riches and opportunity was waiting. When he learned that Kal and Mare would be joining in secret, he leapt at the chance.