Alex – Heart Of The Vanguard

Wrex: "...do it, open it." He nodded to me. I glided my hand in front of the door, hacking it and forcing it to open. My arm quickly leveled to sight the only thing and the only person in the room...

Skylen was sat at the far end of the room, no great big hulking armour protecting him this time like back at the palace in Axis Mundis. He was just sat there, sat upright, like a dog, his tail wrapped around his right side. He was facing out of the window, gazing out over the damaged valley of egg shaped cells beyond. I looked to Wrex and he looked back as we stood in the open doorway. I knew he couldn't see my face, but we sensed each other's confusion. Wrex notioned us to each circle around the sides of the room towards Skylen in a pincer movement. I nodded in agreement, keeping one arm trained on him as we stepped into the room.

I spun on the spot, checking the ceiling, edges and corners of the whole room, but nothing was there. No booby traps, no SkyTech Dragons or soldiers, or Executioners, nothing lying in wait to pounce on us. So my focus shifted back to Skylen, arm trained on him once more. We were both halfway around the room when Skylen finally acknowledged our presence.

Skylen: "Hello, brother." He said in a dull tone, unmoved from his gaze out of the window.

Wrex: "I didn't think we were related anymore." He replied, I could tell from his tone, he was keeping his anger in check, but he was rightfully wary as we closed in on Skylen.

Skylen: "I tried to deny it, but you will always be family to me... I have... Nothing else..." Wrex didn't respond this time, leaving Skylen in silence for a good 10 seconds as we both neared the glass window, perpendicular now with Skylen. Skylen's plasma cannon lay on the floor in front of him, a foot from his reach, so he was armed, so my other arm raised on him as well and I halted my approach.  I wasn't taking any chances and neither was Wrex I guess, as he had stopped as well.

Skylen: "Are you here to kill me?"

Wrex: "Well, the thought might've crossed my mind."

Skylen: "Hmph..." He half snorted a snigger. He reached forward slowly grabbing his gun by the barrel.

Me: "Whoa, Whoa, WHOA! HEY, HEY, HEY!!" I jumped 2 steps closer to make it known that whatever move he was about to make was going to be a bad one. Skylen paused looked over to me, snorted again.

Skylen: "Easy..." He gripped the cannon by the barrel end and slid the weapon slightly in my direction before skidding it across the floor to Wrex, who stopped it's slide with his foot, hurriedly picked it up and aimed it at Skylen. My technical mind quickly analysed it, checking it for any traps that might backfire onto Wrex. But from what I could see, it was in good working order and didn't seem to have been tampered with in any way.

Wrex: "What gives? You've been at this for decades, centuries even. Why has it taken all this for you to give up so suddenly and so easily? What are you planning?"

Skylen: " 'Planning'?..." He asked, he seemed dazed as he returned to staring out of the window, "... Noo... I'm not planning anything. ... Brother, do you understand why I did this? Why I went to all this effort? The things I've had to sacrifice?"

Wrex: "Like your morals?" Wrex jabbed.

Skylen: "Exactly..." He surprisingly admitted, "...I knew it was wrong, everything. From the moment I pushed you away, my life became an empty slog. But I had to do it. She meant everything to me. I had to carry on her wishes, and when I found out there was a way I could bring her back..." He fell silent, continuing his unmoved stare.

After a few seconds, I felt as though he needed me to finish his sentence,

Me: "You loved her. You'd try and do anything to bring her back."

Skylen: "Yes... I don't know who this thing is, claiming to be my Reikon. But she's not my beloved I lost hundreds of years ago and although you look like her old Humanoid form..." He sideways glanced at me, "...you're clearly not her either. So my Reikon is still dead..." A tear escaped his eye closest to me, rolling down his cheek. I lowered my arms - he wasn't a threat, he was hurting, for the first time ever I actually felt a bit sorry for him... Only a tiny bit though. "...I am sorry about Star Light, her death was unnecess-" Wrex jumped forward, smashing the barrel of the cannon in an upward swipe to Skylen's jaw with a loud crunch, knocking him back to the floor.

Wrex: "Don't you dare! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE MENTION HER NAME!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!!" He growled jabbing the end of the barrel hard into Skylen's cheek as he groaned and slowly slithered in pain on the floor.

Me: "Wrex..." I stepped over, placing one hand on his shoulder, the other giving a gentle tug on the gun, "... Wrex, leave him. He's not worth it... Wrex, he's not worth it!" My volume increased as Wrex resisted my attempts to remove the weapon. He finally snatched the gun away from my hands, threw it at full force at Skylen's flank.

Wrex: "FUCK YOU! Worthless piece of shit..." He growled at Skylen, as he stepped back. Wrex then looked at me as he turned, "...I'm surprised that you, of all people, would defend HIM!" Without any further word or emotion given, Wrex limped away, over towards the viewing window. With a spud thump punch against the glass, causing it to rattle slightly, he then proceeded to lean against it and stare out over the valley.

Skylen pulled himself from the floor, spitting a large dollop of blood out along with one of his pointy carnivorous teeth, clearly knocked out from point of impact to his jaw, a large split lip giving it away.

Skylen: " *Grunt* I suppose I deserve that..." He looked to me crouching near him. "...I am sorry for what I put you through Alex..." He looked back at Wrex, "...He's a good man. Emotional, but good. He needs someone strong to look after him..." He returned his gaze to me, "...please, look after him better than I looked after my family."

Me: "Speaking of family, Skylen, where is mine? Please." I begged.

Skylen, snorted slightly, I think more down to the blood still oozing from his jaw, but he pulled himself off the floor with a groan. I stepped back to give him room and I noticed Wrex cautiously watching him from the corner of his eye as Skylen walked over to the side of the room. He touched a panel which lit up, pressed 2 buttons and the floor clicked under me and it started rising up from under me so I leapt back. A large oval boardroom table rose from the floor. The floor itself, provided a protective cover over the dark oak table top and black executive looking chairs, thr floor panels folded in half in the center like butterfly wings and withdrew itself away into the centre of the table.

Skylen rounded the head end of the table as it locked into place, the end closest to Wrex and the window. He pulled out the head chair and from in front of the chair, then pulled out a very large plastic case from in front of it. He undid the latches, opened the lid and picked it up, facing the opening to me. My bloodied helmet flicked open and back to my collar line, almost on instinct, I fell weak, my knees trembling slightly and I whimpered at the sight presented to me.

Skylen: "I can't atone for what I've done, but consider this a peace offering."

Wrex, who was stood behind Skylen still by the window, passed him to stand by my side and look into the case as well. It was our eggs, I knew they were ours, I could feel it. All 3, well protected and nestled in foam inside the case.

Skylen: "I'm not sure what Reikon had planned for them, but for all intensive purposes, these are my nieces and/or nephews... I couldn't allow them to come to harm, so I managed to persuade Reikon to let me hold onto them."

I reached forward, grabbed one handle on the side of the case, Wrex grabbing the other side.

Me: "Thank you." I whispered, close to tears, but my mood was quickly interrupted, 6th sense kicked in, causing me to gasp, slam the lid of the case down with my free hand and snap my helmet back into place.

Reikon: "TRAITOR!!!" That horrible skeleton-esque creature screamed from the doorway. A massive pulse of energy emitted from her, blowing us all off our feet and the case from our grips and we were blown through the window. My time slowed once again, allowing me to quickly assess what was going on... Wrex was still getting his bearings in midair, as we were flung out over the valley. Skylen? No idea where he was, my main concern was our eggs! The case had flipped, opened, and launched our eggs far apart as they fell through the air. I had little time, I didn't know if I could catch them all! But I just had to!

The first was close, a quick blip of my jets and I caught up to it in a second and grabbed it. I spun in mid air, eyed Wrex trailing a few meters behind me...

Me: "WREX!" and lobbed him the egg. He reacted quickly, thankfully, gently catching and clasping the egg.

That's 1...

My jets spun me back round again and down after the second... The eggs weren't so much traveling horizontally anymore, but more vertically, dropping now at a great rate. I caught up to the second quickly, but not so quick that I collided too hard with it and cause damage...

That's two...

Wrex was to far away now, I'd have to try and grab the 3rd while holding this one, but there was no time! It was already so far away! I pulsed my jets one more time... This was happening too fast, I was starting to panic, I couldn't think clearly! I needed to catch it gently to not crush it, but I still needed to catch it and also think about trying to pull up or land before we crashed to the floor. But the floor of the valley was approaching disgustingly quickly now, I wasn't going to make it. My brain was telling me to pull up, save the one I already had in my clutches and accept the third's fate... But as a mother, I couldn't live with myself if I did that, I had to try... But what would it cost if I failed, would I lose both of these??...

There was a mere couple of meters between me and my unborn child and the floor when suddenly a black blur blew past underneath me, the egg vanishing as it did. I slammed the anchors on, throwing my jets in opposite directions to pull up so as not to crash into the concrete slab below, though still scraped it ever so slightly. As soon as I was righted and hovering, I turned in the direction the black blur went to see a Jarvie-tech armour crash to the floor, hitting debris as it slid to a stop.

My head darted this way and that, checking the floor, checking all round where the egg should have fallen, even to the empty handed armour now pulling itself from the floor. It was Ember, skull carved helmet and black and gold colour scheme, now dirty and scuffed up here and there, but it was definitely Ember.

Me: "Where is it?, WHERE IS IT?!" I asked anyone who might be listening as I frantically hovered from spot to spot in search.

Crystal: "Relax... relax, I have it." The black and gold armour replied as it stepped closer to me.

Me: "Crystal? What do you mean??" The skull engraved helmet opened, only there was no head inside, but an egg! MY EGG!The helmet tipped forward, tipping the egg out into the waiting cupped gloved hands and presented it to me as the helmet closed back up.

I dropped down quickly in front of the armour and hurriedly, and gratefully, accepted my child.

Me: "Thank you!, Thank you, thank you!"

Wrex landed nearby, the egg I threw him earlier still in his clutches. He hurried over, as best as his injured knee would allow him. Sarah then landed behind us, in her arm, a very knackered looking Ember, struggled to even hold herself upright.

Ember: "Trust both of us now?" She said rather weakly. I nodded frantically,

Me: "Yes, yes, thank you, both of you."

Ember's armour, or rather, Crystal, walked past me to Ember's side.

Crystal: "Do you require assistance?" Ember nodded weakly. Crystal's idea of assistance entailed of the entire front of the armour opening up, from head to toe, to allow for easy access. Rather unlike my old armours or Fury's current set up, having to be bolted or clipped on piece by piece, it made sense, a lot quicker and probably easier.

Though I was confused how the tail and wings would work... But that question answered itself. Once Ember stepped away from Sarah, holding on to Crystal for support and turned, it was obvious. He body was riddled with scars, but most notably, the diamond shell section on the end of her tail that would normally house a Dragon's tail blades, was completely missing, and so were her wings actually. All that remained between her shoulder blades were small mounds that traced down her back, the same area that the base of her wings would be positioned.

She stepped back into her armour and it closed around her, encasing her in, except for her faceplates.

Sarah: "We should go, it's not safe here."

Wrex: "I agree, we got what we came for, we need to get them to safety." I looked up to the window we were blown out from,

Me: "I still need to kill Reikon..." Wrex gave me a disappointed look, "...Wrex if I don't stop her, she'll just come back, again and again. Right now she's weak, I can finish her off."

Ember: "I'll come with you. It's too dangerous for you to be alone."

Me: "That's very sweet of you, but I can do this on my own, thank you. If you want to help, I'll open a Jump, get these guys out of here."

Ember: "Not happening."

Sarah: "Oh for goodness sake!..." She came over, snatched both my eggs from me then stepped back.

Me: "Hey! Careful!"

Sarah: "Alex, open me and Wrex a Jump, anywhere safe. Come back and get me when you're done and we'll go back for Jinx and 42."

Me: "But-"

Sarah: "Get on with it! You're wasting time! Ember, keep her safe please."

Ember: "You know I will."

I sighed and opened a Jump next to Sarah,

Wrex: "Alex-"

Me: "We'll be fine Wrex, I promise."

Wrex: "Just promise me you'll come back."

Me: "I will." I tiptoed up and gave him a kiss.

Both Sarah and Wrex passed through the Jump, eggs in hand and I closed the portal behind them, leaving just me and Ember stood on the valley floor.

Me: "Sure you're up for this?"

Ember: "I've been worse." She flicked her faceplates closed, so I did too.

Me: "Alright then." We both engaged our jets and in an instant were launched back up to the window, both of us with our arms raised as we landed just inside the window... But there was nothing to shoot. The board room looked as though a bomb had detonated, any objects in the room had been blown out of the window along with us earlier, including the table and chairs. The once white walls were blackened, charred, dented and rippled.

The only thing left in the room was the lifeless husk of the last version of Reikon that screeched at us. The semi metallic sunken skin and skull like head laid limp and lifeless on the floor to one side of the room. I skirted around it, keeping my arms trained on it. Once I got close enough, I gave it a kick. The corpse shifted slightly from the touch before quickly crumbling to dust.

Ember: "Was that Reikon?"

Me: "Yeah... But I don't get it. What happened? And where's Skylen?"

Ember: "Skylen was here?"

Me: "Yeah. But I don't understand. Where's he gone? And what happened to Reikon?" Pointing back to the pile of dust.

Ember: "You said she was weak, maybe her attack on you finished her off?"

Me: "Just seemed too easy, again..." I opened a channel, "...Alex to all Vanguard forces. I'm evacuating with wounded, Proceed into the base with caution, Skylen, Reikon and some Executioners possibly still at large. If Reikon or Skylen are found, call me back, I will deal with them personally. Also note, there are still converted Humans still in the base, some released from SkyTech control, some not. Take them into care. Apprehend and detain those who aren't cooperative, Fury can free them when we can."

Withers: "Understood, proceeding in."

Me: "We need to get Sam, 42 and Jinx, come on." I replied looking at the pile of dust left by Reikon once more, then back out the window.

Ember: "You go. I haven't got what I need yet."

Me: "What's that?" I turned back to her when I got no answer, but she had gone, disappeared from where I last saw her, she wasn't even in the room when I looked around for her. I sighed in mild frustration,

Me: "Well this has all been a bit anticlimactic." I said looking down at the pile of dust again before calling a Jump to go and retrieve Sarah.

( (Mikoshi ending) -Marcin Przybyłowicz)