Metal doors slammed open as Athena charged in, filled with rage. She tossed her weapon aside as she sat down on the bench of the briefing room. Soon after, a man walked in.

“Care to tell me why you’re so angry?” He asked.

“No.”

The man then rested on a wall as he faced her.

“Look, we will get the terrorists eventually. It is only a matter of ti-

“You don’t get it, Orion. I was placed in charge of this specific operation. It took me months to track them down and I lost them again!” Athena slammed her hands on the table in front of her.

The man, Orion, remained calm. He let her cool down before he began again.

“Follow me. I have something to show you.” He walked, opening the door and leaving it open. Without hesitation, Athena followed.

~

Orion had his hands rested on a railing as he loomed over a hangar bay. Athena joined him and witnessed this too.

“Aren’t these the villagers from the operation?” She asked, calmer this time. 

“Correct. While you and your unit engaged the enemy, another unit came in to extract the villagers out to safety.”

Athena looked closer and all she could see were people. They almost seemed like her when she first joined the New Allegiance. Children running around in fresh clothing and families enjoying full meals, far from pillage.

“I suppose there are some things that succeeded.” Athena spoke softly.

“The Director or Ava or even me sometimes pressure you to try and succeed in your mission. But you’re a leader now.” Orion explained himself while Athena looked up to him.

“Sometimes, you must lose so that others can win. The bigger victory is the return of people from the chaos that erupted from our doing. Yes, our enemies could potentially escape our grasp but we are rewarded with this.” He pointed back at the villagers.

“A future.” 

Athena looked back to the villagers. A tear formed in her eye.

“I’m sorry if I overreacted earlier, it’s just that I’m tired of feeling like I’m not strong enough.”

“Athena, I trained you since you first joined the Allegiance. Since then, you have grown stronger than I have ever anticipated. Even I was not given such a responsibility at your age. Come on, this is just your story arc, isn’t it? Would make a great story to tell people.” Orion replied.

She chuckled. This was, after all, the beginning of her ascension. For what? For it to end?

~

Athena’s attention strayed back into where she is now, amidst the smoke and destruction.

“Communications array is gone. Severe casualties in the base. Aircraft hangars destroyed. Information vault destroyed. Munitions locker destroyed. Signal blockers near the base are gone but those scattered in the fields still function. We’re fucked.” Ajay laid out all their gathered information.

All of them sat down on the rubble of what once was their homebase on Tessa. Athena, on the other hand, was standing up and stared into the rubble that scattered around her. 

“Are we able to use our ship to contact nearby colonies for aid?” Ryan asked, desperate for something good.

“Without the long range radar, we won’t know if there are any GLF ships lurking in Tessa space.” Ajay replied.

“What if we just send a coded frequency to nearby bases to step up defenses?” Destoria continued.

“The base is gone. So much as a small comm message will be picked up if there is a ship up there.” Ava replied.

“Well, we aren’t going to just sit here.” Destoria replied with frustration.

“We can just fuck off and leave Tessa for good. There’s nothing for us here. We can regroup at other Allegiance colonies and rebuild.” Kal eased himself in.

Ajay stood up, looking at Kal. “You make it sound easy.” 

“Oi, what other choice do we have here? I'm stating the only solution. I’d rather go out ballsy and fight them dead on but the team captain would disagree.” He turned to Ryan.

Ava then stood up, walking to Kal. “Kal, shut your mouth.”

Athena slowly turned back to them.

“Ballsy…” She mumbled.

Destoria turned to Athena, hearing her words.

“Anything to add, Athena?”

She walked back to the group.

“For the first time ever, I’m agreeing with Kal.”

“This really is the end of us.” Ajay sat back down on the rubble.

“Athena, we are in no position to do anything. We’ve lost everything. Everyone.” Ryan turned to Athena.

“And because of that, Monarch will not expect an attack from us.” 

“She has a point.” Ava grabbed Ryan’s shoulder, making him turn to her.

“We can’t go to another base because if he found us here, he could be tracking one of us. Only we had encountered enhanced troops from the GLF. Monarch took everything from us. We all know he will bask in this victory.” Slowly, everyone turned to her, for lead.

“I have a plan. It’s very ballsy. If it works, we can turn this day around.” Athena continued.

“What if we lose?” Destoria asked, softly.

Athena looked to her, then to the rubble of their homebase, then back to her. 

“What more can we lose?”

~

The chambers of the Supreme Leader were covered in a dark aura. The dark space outside was covered in his glass dome. All that remained was his table and himself.

“I underestimated you.” A voice talked to him. There was no figure, but a frequency transmitter.

“With the New Allegiance shattered, the GLF awaits the Council’s next meeting to declare totalitarian rule of the sector.” Monarch spoke.

“It seems you were capable of managing such a task…Good…” 

“Does your response indicate that the promise you made shall be fulfilled?” The Supreme Leader asked.

“Indeed. Your victory has given me and my master much to think of. Your leadership will not only be useful in the promised sector, but other sectors that require…an alternative point of view.”

“But your highness, the leaders of those sectors won’t agree.” Monarch replied with shock.

“Leave that to me. For now, prepare a ship to rendezvous with my beloved on the Royal Port.”

“Yes, Mighty Emperor.” Monarch nodded.

Monarch stood up, proud of his achievement.

“Do not let this victory cloud your judgement, boy…”

Monarch turned to the source. Two crimson orbs glowed. Slowly, a figure was formed and those orbs turned into glowing eyes. The figure’s skin had streaks that glowed red. It wore a Samurai Kobuto. Its face slowly formed, but only a skull remained.

“The Emperor thinks highly of you. But you should not.” Dunamis, the man who trained Monarch, stepped out of the darkness.

“I have achieved what other sector leaders did not.  I destroyed the insurgents purging my rule.” 

“Resistance can never die. There will always be one who disagrees with you.” Dunamis continued.

“I expected my own teacher to be proud of my achievement. Something you did not even achieve.”

“Do not impugn me with your victory. Carry on like this and you may not be able to bask in your glory. This…is my warning.” Slowly, Dunamis faded back into the darkness. Disappearing like a ghost.

In an instant, the aura in the room faded and Monarch was presented with a telecall from high command.

“What?” Monarch asked, his voice sharper than usual.

“Supreme Leader, sir, one of our captains picked up this frequency message. It was relayed in the public frequency across the sector.” Admiral Eclion replied, transmitting the message as he spoke.

“I am Athena Shou. Operator of the New Allegiance. Former protector of Earth.” She sighed. Almost hesitant to say it. “Firekeep Warrior.”

The Message played as Monarch turned to stare into the oblivion of space.

“I have encountered the Supreme Leader and he left matters unattended. A duel, in his words. I challenge you, in front of the entire sector and perhaps the galaxy, to finish what we started. Unless, of course, he intends to cower in his throne and ignore this request. You know where to find me, Monarch.”

Instantly, Monarch turned to the chest where he kept his weapon. He pulled his blade out by force and walked up to the bridge of his ship. Admiral Eclion stood there at the helm.

“Get me to Tessa.” Monarch demanded.

“With respect, sir, we shouldn’t entertain mere weaklings. She couldn’t possibly be a threat to the armada.”

“It is not about being a threat, it's about respect when it is required. If I recalled properly, I gave a direct order.” Monarch stared out to the dark abyss, not even turning to Eclion when he gave the order.

“Very well, Supreme Leader. All hands, make way to Tessa.” Admiral Eclion ordered, sighing under his breath.

Monarch looked out as the Ordinance entered deep space. He softly mumbled.

“You want a challenge, you shall have it.”