Chapter 175

　　The Starships emerged from the Jump approximately one hundred and fifty million miles away from the Dyson Sphere. Far enough away to be protected from the detonation of the artificial sun but close enough to observe its effects in a reasonable timeframe.

　　Similar to the distance from Terra to its own star, the Hive and the Dyson sphere were orbs of sparkling light in the darkness of space as a hundred Starships suddenly appeared in the void. The survivors easily filled its storage holds.

　　They were all that remained of the once mighty fleet, the greatest gathering in the history of the Empire.

　　A little over half of everyone who had left the Empire for this endeavour had lost their life to see it succeed, and no one wanted to wait hours to determine if it would work. In a few minute`s time, their sensors would record the detonation and its effects on the Vore Hive.

　　And over eight minutes later, they could watch it happen with their own eyes.

　　Argyle stood with his parents and brother on the command deck of the lead Starship. His stomach was filled with a mix of nervousness and cautious excitement. They had done everything they could to see this moment, and nothing the Vore did could stop it now.

　　"Sir, we`re detecting another Jump signature." A crewmember reported, and an image appeared on the holo in front of them. The distortion was warped and on the verge of collapsing when two Mobile Suits appeared.

　　Atlas was in critical condition, its systems dead and frame on the verge of collapse, while a Throne had its arms wrapped around the Titan. The Earl of Praxis appeared on their viewscreen, his scarred face showing flashes of pain as he laboured to operate the Mech.

　　"Bring them on board." Argyle ordered.

　　Landing in the storage hold, Kal used the manual release to open the cockpit. He had to push it open the last bit physically. The lack of power meant the mechanism wasn`t fully operational. Climbing down the Mech, he raced toward the Throne to assist Praxis.

　　Both of them sported injuries that would kill anyone but a noble. The two of them hobbled together to a viewport to watch the detonation.

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　　Patrick Grandster stared at the collapsed Jump portal with hatred and disappointment. Caledon and whoever had been Piloting the Heavy Mech Throne` had escaped. But no matter, there were still Vore to be destroyed.

　　His mind felt wrong, and he found that it was hard for him to focus on anything aside from the desire to bring death and destruction to everything around him. If an outsider were to stare inside the cockpit, they would find its Pilot unrecognizable as a human.

　　Patrick resembled a shrivelled corpse than the handsome young man he had been before the infection flooded Sovereign`s systems. The Link between them was the only thing keeping him going.

　　Coughing wetly and ignoring the black liquid splattered against his helmet`s glass, Patrick was interrupted by the appearance of another Vore Monarch.

　　Laughing wildly, he disregarded everything as he shot toward it, intent on taking out his rage on another opponent. Patrick was the Irreproachable Sovereign, and no Vore could stand against him! He would rule the galaxy as the new Emperor from a throne forged from dead Vore!

　　 All the while, Patrick felt that he was forgetting something important.Stolen story; please report.

　　He had nearly reached the Monarch when the Silver Pyramid, abandoned by humanity only minutes before and overrun by Vore, shot a line of pure silver energy into the sky toward the swollen red sun. Like a needle piercing a balloon, the sun collapsed onto itself. It hung in the center of the Dyson Sphere, a tiny pinprick of light before it rapidly expanded.

　　Patrick Grandster and Iris Naice`s last sight was of being awash in white light and the relief of being free of the infection.

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　　The artificial sun went supernova, a bursting white light that destroyed everything in its path.

　　The Dyson Sphere and hundreds of millions of Vore inhabiting it were vaporized in a flash. The legacy of the A.I. Collective was gone, having finally fulfilled its purpose.

　　Expanding beyond the boundaries of the Sphere, the white light crossed the distance to the Vore Hive in an instant, destroying all of the creatures still in the process of traversing the void to assault the now-departed humans.

　　The surface of the Hive smoked and cracked as the detonation swept across its exterior. The hard carapace that had been formed over tens of thousands of years couldn`t resist the terrible destruction. Like water evaporating under intense heat, the ground melted away.

　　Deeper beneath the surface, the tunnels filled with Vore creatures burned from the radiation and superheated plasma. A trio of Monarchs on their way to support the attack on the Sphere, attempted to halt the destruction with their psychic powers.

　　Forming a bubble around themselves, it lasted for only a split second before they were overcome.

　　The Sphere`s detonation scoured the surface away from the Hive, digging deeper into the Core of the Vore`s living colony. Millions of miles below, at the center of the structure, something stirred awake in response to the unprecedented danger the Vore were facing.

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　　Argyle could hear the cheers throughout the Starship as the detonating artificial sun blew away the Sphere and the Vore Hive. Disappearing in the harsh white light, the expanding wave of destruction would stop well before it reached their fleet.

　　Sensors onboard read the increased cosmic radiation, and from their calculations, there was no possible way that anything could survive within the supernova.

　　"It`s over. It`s done." Aurelius whispered, and his legs gave out. The Emperor of humanity collapsed onto the ground and wept tears of joy and relief. The burden he had been living with since his father had taken him to meet the Envoys millennia ago was finally gone.

　　He could rest at last.

　　"Father!"

　　"Aurelius!"

　　"Medic! Someone fetch the doctor!" Argyle ordered, and the crew began to scramble. The euphoria over the Vore`s defeat was immediately replaced with concern as Aurelius was carried away to one of the private quarters on board while Amelia attended him.

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　　Kal leaned back against the ship`s hull, bone tired and finished. Atlas was collapsed on the storage hold floor, its systems dead as its reactor was destroyed. The cost of victory had been immense. Tens of thousands of deceased, along with a thousand Starships and six Titans.

　　The Titans were the only thing keeping the borders of the Ducal Houses intact, and Kal let out a sigh at the thought that the next few years could consist of endless wars and conflicts. Havencroft may have the forces necessary to stave off defeat, but Caledon would be at the mercy of its neighbours.

　　Kal rested his head against the cold hull of the ship. He had sacrificed so much for his homeland and the Empire. Without Atlas, it may no longer matter.

　　"You`re awfully depressed for someone who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, Caledon." Praxis said. He winced as he lowered himself to the ground.

　　His scarred and injured body was horrific to see, and Kal was impressed that the man was still alive. He would need years of rejuvenation to recover from his wounds.

　　"I`m just picturing what`s waiting for us back in the Empire." Kal responded tiredly.

　　"A hero`s welcome and a comfortable bed?" Praxis retorted before shaking his head.

　　"I know exactly what you`re worried about. No Atlas or Prometheus. Hyperion, Luminous, Sovereign and Wraith&irreplaceable Titans. While the others still survive. At least you have Ouroboros to defend your borders." Praxis retorted.

　　"For now. Until Augustus or some other Prince demands its return at the head of an Imperial Guard army. Things need to change, Praxis." Kal whispered.

　　Usually, the Earl of Praxis would fly into a rage at the notion of disobedience to the Emperor. Sacrifice and loyalty to the Empire was paramount for a Noble. But now, after everything he had experienced and the loss of their guardian Titan?

　　Praxis shared the same sentiment. He was about to reply when Amelia approached them from the front of the Storage hold. She looked tired and pale, and Kal was struck by just how old she seemed at that moment.

　　"Kalen, he wishes to speak with you. To make amends before the end."