Chapter 113

　　"Ouroboros." Kal whispered as they gathered in front of the view screen.

　　The image was of the ancient, massive Titan. It had been cannibalized for parts millennia ago, each given to one of the Ducal houses and combined with their own Titans to make new Mobile Suits.

　　Despite its stark and unfinished appearance, the Mech stood in the middle of a patch of untouched land, the large circle of the concrete floor beneath its feet the only thing remaining of the underground storage warehouse where it had been stored.

　　The Original Titan was held upright by a large platform connected to its back torso. It was missing both legs, its arms, a large section of its chest piece and half of its head. Kal could see the wires and frame where those pieces had once connected before they were removed and placed in the other Titans.

　　He wondered what piece of the Ouroboros was in Atlas for a moment, but the current situation drove the thought from his mind.

　　"It`s shielded." Mare said, looking at the telltale blue glimmer of the protective shield surrounding the Mobile Suit. It had protected the Mech and the ground beneath it from the destructive energy of the Engine`s detonation.

　　"Is it being Piloted?" Kal asked, turning to the technicians present in the command center. They had various readings on their terminals.

　　"Unknown, it`s shields are too powerful to penetrate." One said, pointing to the energy readings on her display holo. They were significantly higher than even a Starship, showing that whatever variant of Engine the Ouroboros used, it was more powerful than anything currently used in the Empire.

　　"But it`s a possibility, and only a member of the Imperial Royal family would be capable of using the Ouroboros." The Captain replied.

　　"The Emperor?" Mare asked, turning away from the image and looking at the Captain. "We need to make contact."

　　"We`ve tried all bands. No response." The Captain answered, shaking her head at the question.

　　"Then we need to go down there and try again. Prepare a shuttle." Mare ordered.

　　"Princess, it`s precarious on the surface at the moment. It would be much safer if you waited and-" The captain was cut off as Mare was already leaving the room.

　　"No waiting. We`ll use the shuttle we brought with us. Kal, could Talha pilot it for us?" Mare asked, turning to the Baron.

　　"Of course." Kal replied, following her out of the command center. Whatever comments the Captain was about to make went unheard.

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　　The air was dry, and the ground crunched under foot as they stepped off the shuttle. Joining Mare and Kal was Talha, who stayed inside the shuttle, ready to lift off as soon as possible. Two other Guard members followed closely behind them, lasguns ready while their spotless Exosuits gleamed black in the sunlight.

　　It was hard to believe that less than two hours ago, this was pristine land where the Imperial Palace stood. It was unrecognizable, the ground sloping sharply to the explosion`s epicentre. The Titan Ouroboros stood on a platform jutting out from the destruction, its strong shields protecting the small area it was stored in.

　　"Do you think the Emperor made it to the warehouse? Could he really be inside?" Kal asked quietly to Mare while they walked forward, careful not to slip and fall on the uneven ground.If you come across this story on Amazon, it`s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

　　"I don`t know. Theoretically, anyone in the Royal family can pilot Ouroboros, but it`s keyed to the Emperor. He`s never used it. It`s more of a symbol than anything. But the fact remains, if it functions, then he would be the only one to use it." Mare confessed.

　　"It could be remotely operated. Perhaps it automatically reacted to the threat of destruction?" Kal replied, thinking of Atlas and it`s ability to travel to him from anywhere in the galaxy. It only had limited functionality without a Pilot, but it could do some things.

　　"Perhaps." Mare stated, focusing on the glowing blue orb of energy before them. Ouroboros rested in its harness through the shields, its body scavenged of most of its parts. Kal was honestly surprised it still worked, given the state it was in. He had thought it was merely a relic when Amelia had revealed it too him.

　　Sliding down the crater, they landed on the edge of the shield. A trail of dust followed them, kicked up by their slipping boots.

　　Kal and Mare stood before the Titan while the Guard hung further back, waiting to see if it was the Emperor inside. After nearly a minute of the Mobile Suit`s silence, Kal turned to Mare.

　　"Perhaps the internal sensors are disabled? Maybe he can`t see us." Kal said. Mare took a deep breath, calming her nervousness before stepping forward and calling out to the Mobile Suit.

　　"Grandfather, if you are Piloting, please lower the shield. The danger has passed." Mare shouted. The seconds ticked by, and the wind stirred up the loose dust and gravel around the crater. No response came from the Mech.

　　"Try speaking directly to the Titan." Kal advised on a hunch. Mare nodded, turning back to the Titan.

　　"Ouroboros, I am Marella of Terra, Granddaughter of Emperor Aurelius. Please lower the shield so we may retrieve your Pilot." Mare shouted, removing her helmet so that the Mobile Suit could see her face. The Guard behind them stirred at her actions, about to step forward and intervene when the Titan reacted.

　　Its remaining eye flashed a bright blue, shining a beam of light over Mare through the shield. Scanning her face, it spoke.

　　"Identity confirmed. Pilot Aurelius, deceased. Transferring ownership. New Pilot registered. Marella of Terra keyed to Ouroboros." The mechanical voice of the Titan sounded out, its tone flat and robotic. Before Mare could question what it meant, the shield dissipated.

　　The Titan rested in its restraints, not moving or speaking. Mare stepped forward, shouting a question.

　　"What do you mean? Where is my Grandfather?" Mare asked, turning away from the stubbornly silent Mobile Suit to look at Kal. She couldn`t read his emotions with the helmet left on his battered Exosuit. But from the slump of his shoulders, she could sense his sadness.

　　"It means the Emperor is dead. Ouroboros is yours now, Mare. If I understand what you explained correctly, no one else can use it now. Not while you`re alive. It`s tied to you, just as Atlas is bound to me." Kal explained.

　　"That`s impossible. It`s supposed to be bound to the next Emperor. It`s symbolic." Mare said in disbelief. Kal looked behind him at the guards conferring with each other through a private communication channel. He could imagine the information from the surface was being relayed directly to the Starships in orbit.

　　"Mare, we need to go. If Argyle or Augustus were behind this attack, then Ouroboros just made you a target. And the Guard knows it." Kal whispered, coming up next to her and looking at the two Guards behind him.

　　"What about Ouroboros?" Mare asked, looking at the restrained Mech. Kal lifted his wrist, tapping on the communicator and linking it to Talha.

　　"Talha, prepare the towing harness. We`re taking Ouroboros with us. Did you manage to contact Caledon?" Kal asked. When he was on board the Starship, he had tasked Talha with connecting to their homeland and securing transport back.

　　"Roger that. No contact. The Guard is blocking all external communications." Talha responded, the shuttle already powering its thrusters to lift off.

　　"What are you thinking?" Mare asked.

　　"I don`t know what will be waiting for us on the Starships, but I told you there`s a place for you on Caledon. Until everything settles, I think you and Ouroboros should come with us. It`s your decision, and I`ll respect your wishes if you want to stay here and hope for the best." Kal explained.

　　Mare thought for a moment, running through what happened quickly. She had lost so many people today, and the possibility remained that one of her uncles was behind this. Could she trust the Guard to keep her safe?

　　"Alright. We`ll go to Caledon. I`m sorry to put this burden on you Kal." Mare agreed. Kal gripped her arm tightly.

　　"I`ve lost everyone I`ve ever cared about, Mare. I`m not going to lose you too. I promise that we`ll get through this together." Kal declared, holding her for a moment before speaking to Talha again.

　　"We`ll use plan B. Contact Micah and John, and have them prep Cid and Ty for departure." Kal ordered.