Dissolution and Necropsy

> "*Silence has finally arrived to Cestia, corpses litter the streets of countless worlds as youth and elderly alike clutch the festering fate of death arm in arm; silent in their rotten forms. Imperial landmarks and historical centers burn into smouldering ruins and yet the fire makes no sound, everyone and everything holds its breath in anticipation for the final battle which will plunge the falling Empire into the mass grave it helped form.*"
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> **- Unknown**
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**Year**
31 NAC

## Dissolution and Necropsy

### Deaths Gambit

Leaning over the main battle map, King Ko'ak holds his helmet under his left arm while glancing about at the different strike points of his fleet; the words of admiral Jafa and Zacev becoming muffled by his own thoughts. Zoscia prepared for its final battle against the Cestian Empire and yet he felt anxious nonetheless, it only took one defeat to change the course of the war or his entire nations fate. Pacing around the circular table his officers sit at, Ko'ak glances about at the men who helped make this victory possible, including his own wife who sat in attendance next to his chair. Hearing Jafa continue to explain the plan, Ko'ak waits for him to finish before pointing at the Imperial capital which orbits Cestia.

"What is the plan in regards to the capital station? I doubt we will be able to breach it electronically like the others."

Jafa looks up at him, his voice changes to a more explanatory tone "Your majesty, we will have to board the station with soldiers or break it apart from our ships. Unlike the smaller substations, it most likely utilizes advanced cyberware and won't be so easily disabled."

Nodding at his words, Zacev adds in with a more projected and course voice "Similar to our plan for handling substations that we can't disable with cyber warfare, we'll send an elite contingent into the facility and secure the command center which should allow us to disable defensive capabilities."

Satisfied by their answers, Ko'ak sits back down in his seat.

"Thank you gentlemen, it appears everything is in order then for the coming assault."

Giving a respectful nod, Jafa stands with Zacev to bow before turning off the battle map.

"Zacev and I will make sure to coordinate our offensive while officer Qashen helps the cyber teams hit their targets. Unless Emperor Tyvius III has amassed hundreds of ships in our short respite from the last battle, the Cestians should be forced on the defensive with every vessel granting us a step to victory."

Smiling slightly, Ko'ak watches his officers and admirals leave the meeting room until only him and Quila remain. Looking at him, she takes one of Ko'aks hands and speaks in a soothing voice "There is no need to worry dear, the Cestian armada was devastated in the invasion of Selta and I doubt many worlds remain under their Emperors influence."

"My worry is not just the coming battle, our nations fate also clouds my mood."

Quila raises an eyebrow as he continues "A supposedly eternal empire has been ground into soil by forces from within and outside its control, centuries of progress battered away in only a few short years and yet we think ourselves to be any different."

"Your concerns are well founded dear, however there is one difference that separates us from the Cestians, Aoshanti and all the rest; Corona. Just like our ancestors, it has and will continue to guide us throughout the ages and I doubt anything could sway us from its loving embrace."

Ko'ak remains silent after hearing her words, him patting Quilas hand he's currently holding.

"Perhaps so, but there is no need to discuss this further; I must prepare for battle."

Holding his hand more firmly, she looks up at him and says "Surely you could allow the Holak to handle this one? We have come so far, there is no need to risk your own life in the fires of war."

Chittering his mouthpiece, Ko'ak shakes his head.

"Rulers must clash sword to sword, it is only right for his nations passing to be by my blade and no one else's. This war was originally incensed by his treatment of us, it is only right I return the favor."

"If he dishonored us as you say, why give him the privilege to face you in combat?"

Moving a hand to her worried face, he rubs it "Your stubbornness is a marvel to behold."

"It better be, because I am not willing to lose you in a war we already won."

Sighing, Ko'ak says "My plan is to be accompanied by Zoscias finest so do not worry, I have quite the reason to survive anyways. You would drag me back from Heos if I failed."

Quila gives a halfhearted chuckle at his joke, worry resting in her deep eyes as she nods.

"Alright, you have convinced me, but I nonetheless hold reservations about all of this."

"All I wish is for your blessing, not uniformity."

Looking at her slight smile, Ko'ak savored the moment with loving eyes concealing his own doubts.

 It's over.

Silence filled the halls of the Celestial Throne as Tyvius III strolled about the observation wing overlooking Cestia, his beautiful homeworld which held bygone relics beneath its deathly cold surface. His empire awaited a similar fate, him living in the twilight of his reign and his own peoples freedom. Soon the Coronans would arrive and it was all going to end, the symphony slain in its seat and the grand marvel that was Cestia falling into obscurity. Defeatism wafted from his slumped form, his health still waning and trickling back to recovery as he pumps life back into once slumbering limbs. Followed by his procession of devoted Saints, no one spoke a word as the God-Emperor mulled over his circumstance. That is until he looked out upon the homeworld once more and found his right sleeve tugged on gently.

Looking down, Saint Archimedes looks up at his eyes from two metallic lens' and speaks "My God-Emperor, please don't despair over the loss of Selta for you are all that matters. I understand that this is still overwhelming to take in after your short respite, however we must act before the Coronans arrive."

Glancing at the Saints behind Archimedes, Tyvius III gives a wry smile before saying softly "Thank you, however there is nothing left for us to do."

Taken aback by his words, Archimedes raises a metallic finger "The west and east hold, we can take a small fleet to Karn and escape the coming battle; we'll continue the fight from one of the Empires greatest strongholds. No one has ever fully breached the Unions defenses and I doubt this time will be any different."

Diverting his eyes back to Cestia, Tyvius shakes his head "This is the Celestial Throne, it is the heart of our civilization and so it will be the heart of our defense. I fight as my nation falls, just like we did centuries ago upon Cestia. Xeno and weather alike will not stop us and this time will not be any different."

Nearly convincing himself with his own feigned bravado, Archimedes and the other saints took his words with strides whether out of desperation or certainty he wasn't sure. Speaking amongst themselves, he left an impact and allowed himself another moment of silence. One step after the other, he began walking down the hall and away from his saints that found themselves satisfied by his short speech. He was free of their judgement for now and decided to make his way to vault. Secured behind thick metal walls and a large door which wouldn't budge under any abnormal circumstances, Tyvius gazed upon it with mournful eyes. Placing a hand on the door scanner, latches began to undo themselves as the door spun itself open to reveal its treasures hidden within.

Relics from his ancestors lined the walls and battle worn armor stood at attention in their stands, his peoples greatest history lied within these walls and one stood above the rest in its elevated display. The First Imperial Decree written by his grandfather faced him motionlessly almost like a parent looking down upon its disappointing child; a feeling he immediately began experiencing. Walking towards it, he drops to his knees at the marble steps leading up to its parchment and begins to weep.

"I'm sorry, I have failed all of you. I was weak, time was against us and yet I failed to reform before it was too late. Now our people will be butchered like livestock and everything will fall into darkness once more, had I the gall do it, I'd kill myself right now."

Looking up at the parchment almost in hopes of a response, he hears silence and lowers his head.

"Cestia deserved better, my people deserved better. Yet I was picked, but why? I am no God!"

Tearing at his outfit, he begins to yank portions of it off in anger.

"I am no Emperor, I am no man!"

Lying down upon the cold floor, he continues to cry as time becomes lost to him.

"Why me?"

His words echoed throughout the room, silence being his response as the relics of his ancestors judged him silently and without remorse. The Gods whether real or not wouldn't entertain his grief either for surely such a pitiful man was undeserving of divine attention. He was lost and alone with his thoughts, until a blaring noise broke his unfocused sorrow.

"Attention, Coronan forces have been spotted in the system! All men report to your battlestations for further instructions, may the God-Emperor bless us all" is heard over the intercom as the siren continues.

Pulled back to reality, Tyvius III slowly stands to his feet and takes his downed battleaxe from beside him. Looking at the blade gleam with light, he wipes his eyes and stares back to the exit.

"May he indeed."

### Celestial Decay

Making his way onto the bridge of Admiral Jafas capital ship, Ko'ak passes several busied crewmen who rush about with Quila trailing behind closely. Workers bow and give respectful nods as they pass them by, everyone taking a moment to recognize their monarch while Jafa finds himself too preoccupied with the ensuing battle to greet them. Gunfire rings out from the turrets outside, groups of obsidian vessels engaging the azure Cestians who appear to be woefully outnumbered this far from the main station. Keeping in contact with Zacev, the two appeared to be coordinating their efforts against the Imperial scouting force and were tearing it to pieces. Explosions graced the dark void which lied beyond the confines of the ship, Ko'ak watching the Cestians scatter and be cut down ship by ship.

Satisfied with the results, Jafa takes a moment of pause and bows to Ko'ak and Quila deeply.

"My apologies your majesties, I wanted to make sure none escaped back to the main armada."

Adorned in intricate battle armor that clings to his form, Ko'ak holds an ornate helmet under his left arm with a crimson plume. Stern approval graces his features, him nodding and saying "Is the enemy aware of our advance?"

"Without a doubt, two scout fleets have gone radio silent in a matter of minutes with no sign of their return; if we haven't tipped them off yet than nothing will."

"How long until we reach the main station?"

"Give it three weeks, you've got a while before that armor will see action."

"The first station we hit will see the breastplate, I want our first victory to be inspiring for the men."

Nodding at his words, Jafa looks over his map and says "It will extend our time here, but I can reach an outlier post in the day."

"See to it, the more time we take allows us to form up and reinforce the ranks; the God-Emperor will not get far if he tries to flee."

Setting the coordinates for the closest outpost, Jafa begins to form up his fleet and speak to Zacev once more. Satisfied with the state of affairs so far, Ko'ak gives leave with Quila to his right and speaking in a quiet voice "Such a risk is not necessary, seeing you here with them is good enough for the men."

"True, but it has been sometime since I have led from the front, I must hon my skills if I am to face Tyvius."

Making their way to the royal quarters, Ko'ak begins to arm himself with his personal weapons. Taking his long sword out from its scabbard, he shines it in the light to make sure no dirt or grim had graced its cold surface. Behind him and to the right, Quila sits on the bed and watches him prepare.

"It has been years since you have donned that armor, I almost dread looking upon it."

"Nearly fifty and yet it still fits like a glove."

"I prefer the hunting set better" Quila says while crossing her arms, her trying to lighten the mood.

"That one is extravagant for sure, but it was meant to taste the blood of beasts, not man; this suit on the other hand has slaked quite the thirst for sentients."

Hearing Quila stand, Ko'ak continues to observe his weapon as two slim arms wrap around his abdomen. A head follows soon after against his back, him putting his sword away.

"Ko'ak."

"Yes?"

"We should end this war before it goes any farther."

Confused by her words, he twists around in her embrace and stares at her.

"You heard me, we won already; this final hurrah is just a display of dominance. The majority of Cestia rests within our palms and yet we drive the dagger deeper just to prove a point."

"Tyvius brought this upon himself, he threatened us remember? Had we not acted, he would have surely invaded us or impeded upon our interests, an example must be made of him and his arrogance."

"Mmhm and he has surely paid the price with his entire Empire collapsing, there is no need to press this further."

Ko'ak shakes his head, "Until their Emperor falls, the people will continue to resist our reign; this is the only way if we wish to know peace."

He hugs her back and adds "You have been invaluable in this war Quila and at times you have seen what few others have, I am not going to stand here and act as if I have all the answers. I just want to do our people right and more importantly you, so that we may return to how things used to be."

"We still can, but you just need to make the right decision."

Raising an amused eyebrow, Ko'ak says "Is that listening to you?"

"Of course, but if not me than your conscience."

"I will certainly take that to heart" he says before leaning down and kissing her.

"Care to accompany me to the hangar?"

Blushing softly, she nods.

The remainder of the day was uneventful, until the announcement was finally made "Attention all Holak forces, ETA to Outpost Ad-4 is one hour; prepare for deployment." Already geared to go in the hangar with Quila, Ko'ak had spent the afternoon meeting his brothers in arms while partaking in the occasional card match to pass the time. Forming bonds with his kinsmen and exchanging tales, the news only furthered their resolve for the coming conflict as Holaks began pouring into the hangar to gear up.

Seeing the waves of soldiers pouring in, Ko'ak waited for the majority to arrive before heading up to the local intercom and speaking into it.

"Soldiers, today is going to be our first incursion into the Cestians defenses and I am honored to fight alongside you as a brother in arms. Our journey has been one marked with many trials and tribulations, but this war is finally coming to a close with its final chapter. We shall be the heralds of a new era for both Cestia and Zoscia, so I ask you all to fight with honor and make the Light proud to have chosen us as his champions. May he and Corona bless us on this day so that we may return to our families as heroes deserving of praise. Holak, it is our time to gain a victory for Zoscia, may your blades strike true!

Clapping and chanting ensues in the hangar, Ko'ak standing on an elevated level looking over the mass of soldiers who beat spear tips upon the metallic floor in unison and fly Zoscian flags overhead.

"Prepare yourselves, we leave in an hour."

Hanging up the intercom, Quila smiles at him as the men prepare to depart. As the final minutes tick by and boarding parties prepare in the drop pod chamber, Ko'ak being confronted by Quila one last time who walks up to him with a necklace. Having her personal symbol upon it, the horn and circle is quickly draped across his neck and as the medallions dangles against his armor.

"Now I will stand beside you even in battle."

Ko'ak nods and places his helmet on.

"I could never ask for a better companion into the fray."

"May you return safely to me, dear King" giving a curtsy, she heads towards the chambers exit and gives a wave which Ko'ak reciprocates. Bringing his attention back to his drop pod, the warrior King boards alongside his men as a single window reveals the cold darkness outside and the firefight taking place above the station. Cestian fighters engage Zoscian forces above the ivory white station with unmatched zeal, their small numbers making up for it in experience and determination. Buckling in, the soldiers all stare down at the station as the room goes dark aside the windows light.

"Five. Four. Three. Two."

 Light protect me.

"One."

Five weeks of fighting had seen the Zoscian Navy behind Jafas original prediction, several skirmishes having stalled their advance and suicidally zealous defenders causing a need for a more methodical invasion. Willing to overheat their stations systems and consume any and all in an inferno of death, it had costed the Coronans several fine squadrons before an effective counter was produced. Having to fight in a manner they considered dishonorable yet reactive to the Cestians own methods, Zoscian forces began pressuring crews into overheating their systems through intimidation and false flag invasions. Saving lives and time, stations began exploding before Zoscian boots even tread across their cold metallic floors; stations that caught on being barraged by firepower until their destruction.

Tasting the call for battle after several successful station captures, King Ko'ak stood to Jafas right in the main control room and awaited the coming bloodshed. Having heard the announcement of their approach over the intercom, he quickly geared up and made his way to the bridge. Glancing about at his obsidian armada through the reinforced windows, Cestian forces had already engaged his approaching vessels and the Cestian capital itself defiantly stood in the background in wait. Massive in its size, centuries of construction had to have gone into the once minuscule station if Cestian records are to be believed and its countless lights illuminated it in the darkness of space almost like a city lost at sea. Elegant in its design yet practical, it orbited the dead homeworld of Cestia as its final defender and last remnant of a bygone era lost to its people.

He would see to the destruction of this beautiful work of art and even in his spite there lied a ball of hesitation that thumped against his heart. Looking at Jafa, he says "Once we have a clear shot at the station, do not hold back; only do so when I give the order."

Nodding, the Admiral informs the other fleets about his new order.

Sitting down in a recliner seat, the King watched his forces with a strategists glare and did so for days unending as the beast thrashing against his victory grew closer. Assisting as best as he could, there wasn't much left to do besides wait and a week into their fighting finally graced him with an opportunity. Nearly scattering the Cestian armada, its remnant regrouped around the main station and began drawing the Zoscians in for a final confrontation; them giving Ko'ak a clear shot as well for his drop pods. Holak forces once more amassed in the hangar and geared up, eagerness thumping through the soldiers hearts and a sense of closure following each beat. Numbering among them was the King, him having his combat helmet adorned and an honor guard of white cloaked figures trailing his every move. A squad of twenty elites rested under his direct command and were unwavering in face of their task to breach the stations command center.

Waiting for the all clear to launch, Holak forces began loading up into their respective pods as commanders and officers mulled over their objectives and announced them to their respective groups. Just like his first launch in the system, the pod chamber was bustling with noise and he found his squad the odd one out in this regard. Silence and reflection overtook Ko'aks pod, his men waiting inside and offering up silent prayers or speaking in low voices to one another. Each and every one was a White Coronan and perhaps that played a part in their muted tongues around Ko'ak, however their respectful nods and attention given to his stature certainly ruled out spite as the cause. Closing their hatch to deafen the noise outside, Ko'ak sits down and looks at his men before speaking.

"I would never ask for a finer group to fight alongside, your courage is commendable to follow your liege into the fires of battle and I pray that each and everyone of you returns home safely. Light as our witness, today we will strike the Cestian menace down and plant this flag upon their home."

Unveiling the Zoscian flag which was wrapped around his spear, the soldiers beat the blunt end of their spears on the floor and cheer in agreement. Returning to silence, the noise outside began to give way and the sounds of spacial combat replaced the void as everyone waited in their pods for the green light. Thirty minutes pass by before Admiral Jafa comes over the intercom and with a confidant tone announces "Holak, the all clear has been given. Commencing countdown."

Counting down, the whole world feels as if its gone silent besides the admirals voice and the inevitable "1" is given before the pods latches unhook and a propulsion is felt guiding them from the safety of the ship and towards the massive station. Guided automatically, it begins to rapidly approach its destination with countless pods flanking its left and right; a swarm of insects gathering to claim its prey. Several pods off to the right explode, their occupants chatter going silent and invasive maneuvers being taken by the surrounding groups which found themselves going off course to avoid several fighters. Coronan fighters protecting the pods approach quickly pursue the Cestians, the result of the conflict being a mystery to King who found himself locked to the ever approaching wall. Hearing the drills and laser weaponry of his pod activate, the main view port is wracked by metal which crumples and gives way to deeper into the facility like a rapid procession. Cutting and drilling quickly through layers of metal, the pod finds an exit point and lodges itself in its burrow to prevent exposure to the environment outside; the main port bursting open and the blood finally spilling.

Amassing in the corridor with squadrons on both sides of the foreign pod, Levment soldiers mixed with several Legionnaires settle themselves in behind makeshift cover. Aimed down their sights, silence fills the hall as everyone holds their breath in wait for the inevitable foe. The suspense is nearly palpable and doubts about the enemies survival are nearly entertained before the dreaded twist is heard. Sickening and metallic in its tune, the droning noise is soon replaced by a loud bang that sends the pods front flying off and armored figures following in suit. Gunfire rings out and soon black figures descend upon the two sides with potent firepower and blades to match. Knives gracefully flow through the air and into their targets skulls with energy rounds pelting the corpses not long after. Spear tips bleed their Levment victims dry and the few shielded legionnaires duel crimson coated invaders before meeting their end.

A maelstrom of death envelops the video feed, Tyvius III grinding his teeth at the sight as he looks away and glances back to Admiral Nistra. Weathered and stressed, he seemed to share the same opinion as Tyvius through expressions alone, both were helpless and yet in different ways. Standing, the God-Emperors Saints crowd around him as he says calmly "I'm going to help the stations defenders, prioritize targeting the pods for all forces."

Nistra gives a salute, Tyvius taking his leave and donning his battle axe in both hands.

"My God-Emperor, leave the bloodletting to us, we shan't force you to dirty yourself so early into the fray."

"Archimedes I appreciate the concern, however this is no time for idleness."

Marching to the closest breach echoed over the intercom, Tyvius arrives to the carnage in disgust. Bodies litter the floor and Coronan forces seem to be finishing off the remaining defenders which fight valiantly from room to room. Utilizing his robotic appendages to pick up weapons, Tyvius rushes forward and fires on the battle hardened soldiers which reciprocate the gunfire. Saints begin shooting off electrical rounds and take cover, the Coronans surrounded on both sides.

"Hajut" says one of the white soldiers, him dual wielding blades and sprinting towards Tyvius with covering fire. Taking electrical rounds which hit off his armor, several burrow in and barely impede the soldiers quick assault on the God-Emperor which deflects a flurry of blade attacks. Several other Coronans begin to run to and fro in cover as they rapidly approach and close in on Tyvius' position. Saint Dashey takes out a electrically charged grenade and throws it at the approaching soldiers, them dodging or moving back with several now exposed to shots that riddle their armor. Plates begin to be shot off and exposed points of entry become apparent to both Cestians forces, one Coronan in particular finding themself shot in the leg before being downed by a rifle round to the chest.

Tyvius uses his metallic arms to push back the white Coronan and swings his battle axe down on the soldiers head, the xeno failing to react in time and finding itself cleaved by the hefty blade which settles in. Falling over motionless, the God-Emperor lets out a bellowed roar of triumph at the sight of the whites death and helps suppress the scattered Coronans which are pelted by rounds and chopped down thoroughly. A struggle persists, but the original vigor and advantage of the invaders quickly peters out under surrounding fire and the last of the soldiers find themselves looking at a grave of their kin before meeting their untimely demise.

The remaining Cestian defenders cheer at the sight of their God-Emperor, them leaving cover to meet their divine leader accompanied by his most loyal of saints.

"Thank you God-Emperor" says the commanding officer, Tyvius giving a gleeful nod.

"We fight together men and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Of course, however we've been devastated and I doubt we'll survive another encounter; is it possible we could accompany you for the time being?"

Giving a wave to the doors, Tyvius says "Of course, just make sure to weld the two exits from this hall in case another pod nestles in. It'll give us time to react."

The weary soldiers silently agree and weld the coffin of corpses closed, them afterwards following the God-Emperor who goes onto the next breach.

Sometimes they arrive to a winning group of Cestians and other times its a silent pile of corpses with Coronans running about, however Tyvius continues nonetheless in his pursuit to purge the station of invaders. His small entourage proves its worth over several encounters, the God-Emperor retaining a winning streak until news of the stations dire state finally reached him once more. In the flurry of battle he had little time to pay attention to the extent the invaders had breached, he only reacted up until news of the western wings fall. Hurrying himself to the front lines, Tyvius linking up with several veteran squadrons to defend a linear hallway leading to the western wing.

Setting up ambush positions and an extensive fallback plan, they all sat in wait and found themselves growing uneasy by the time which passed them by. Sirens continued to blare and conflict echoed throughout the halls and beyond, Tyvius felt uneasy about the whole scenario and as he began to speak; a drop pod hammers its way into the corridor and discombobulates a good portion of soldiers. Coronan shouts can be heard afterwards, Cestians firing down the hall which was now obscured somewhat by the pod unleashing new invaders into the fray.

The struggle down the hall is swiftly snuffed out, grenades and smoke bombs enveloping entire corridor which either forces the Cestians into melee or to retreat from the area. Tyvius and the remaining soldiers chose the second option and rushed to better positions while ambush teams took their short lived shots. Meeting a fork in the hall, the God-Emperor attempted to keep some form of cohesion in the forces, but failed after the sound of Coronans rushing down the halls broke the Levment into a scattered retreat between both paths. Going right, Tyvius gives covering fire and his Saints throw explosives to help lighten the enemies numbers, the Emperors forces weaving themselves back to the main throne room to regroup.

Bursting into the cold and sterile room, Tyvius motions to the door and says "Bar it" after the last soldier trickles their way in. Catching his breath and glancing about at his entourage, the squadron he had adopt now number only half of its original size and looked beaten. They scurried to weld the door and Tyvius allowed them to work while watching their distraught demeanor. It was silent aside their breathing and the sirens still going off, the throne room was designed to block out noise and for once Tyvius wished that wasn't the case. Going over to his throne and feeling the headpiece, he looks out the observation window for a moment as his breath stops in shock.

Outside he sees a graveyard of Cestian ships, battered and torn to pieces by the fires of war. Debris filled the blanket of space and Coronan vessels fly about hunting down the few remaining Cestian ships that continued their desperate defense. All focus was on the station and soon not even that would remain.

"Sir" says a Levment soldier in a tired voice.

Looking back, Tyvius looks down upon the soldier with a drained expression and then at the welded door.

"Excellent soldier, make your way to the bridge and report to Admiral Nistra."

Giving a confused expression, the Saints and remaining soldiers do the same.

"Your duty is done here, go."

Biting back a response, the soldier simply nods.

"That goes for the rest of you as well."

Confused and yet understanding his reasoning to some degree, the soldiers depart with his Saints now crowding around Tyvius.

"We refuse my God-Emperor, the Saints are your last line of defense and will never abandon you" says Saint Ilop.

Giving a scowl, Tyvius looks at them and says "So be it!"

Sitting back in his throne, Tyvius stares ahead as the Saints form a ring around him. The sounds of violence growing ever closer.

Gracefully gliding down the halls, King Ko'ak splits from the ensuing conflict with the scattered Levment forces and makes his way to the throne room. Guided by his newly downloaded map, the entire facility was at his finger tips and all he had to do was claim the prize. Cutting his way through the halls of foolhardy and desperate soldiers alike, Ko'ak doesn't press his advantage into the side rooms and allows his trailing soldiers to clear out the halls. Several halls are passed through before the gilded door of the throne room finally comes into view and newfound tension wafts over the group. Slowing their pursuit and cautiously approaching the door, Ko'aks men check for any trap mechanisms before attempting to open the door which is found to be welded shut.

"Plant explosives" says Ko'ak quickly, the elites obliging his orders before retreating to a safe distance. Rocking the door yet not busting it down, a large indent is left behind which still bars them from their goal. Giving an annoyed grunt, a second set is ordered which further breaks in the door before a third finally blasts it open. Electrical fire greets their success, the Ko'ak and his men ducking into cover as mechanical husks waltz out in azure robes.

"You will not sully the God-Emperor with your presence wastrels, the Saints forbid it" says a mechanical voice which only has a hint of life left in it.

Six azure robed figures move into the hall with mechanical appendages added to their already cursed forms. Ko'ak looks at his men and speaks to them over their communications.

"Draw them away or end their lives, I need to reach Tyvius."

"Enough" is heard from the inner chamber, a metallic thud being heard soon after.

"Bring them to me."

The saints hesitant before slinking back into the room, Ko'ak and his men cautiously approaching before entering a large observation chamber with grey metallic flooring and a main golden throne which sits atop a slightly elevated platform. Entering without resistance, Ko'ak motions for his men to hold fire and look upon the armored God-Emperor, the damnable Tyvius who held the same expression as the day he met him. Having a hint of defeat concealed behind eyes of stern authority, he stands and grabs his battle axe before looking down at the King of Zoscia.

"You are here for me, not them; I won't let my beloved Saints come to harm over our personal conflict."

Raising his axes head towards him with one hand, he says loudly "I challenge you to a duel."

"I accept."

Nodding, the God-Emperor places a golden mask upon his face and walks forward to do a cleave attack. Ko'aks men stand off to the side, their King ducking and going for an abdomen thrust with his sword. Feeling a metallic boot across his stomach, his counterattack is thwarted by a large kick which sends him back and barely able to recover before an overhead attack is done. Moving off to the left, he does a swing attack which is met by a low guard by Tyvius' axe. Ko'ak moves back, his mouthpiece chittering as he observes the room and begins running towards the elevated throne; a large explosion soon after wracking the room.

"Warning, spacial exposure in sectors five and six, immediate evacuation required. Integral damage reaching critical levels."

Tripping up the stairs, Ko'ak nearly collapses as Tyvius keeps his balance and faces him. Recovering, Ko'ak quickly kicks off the platform and goes for a lunge attack which the God-Emperor deflects with a guard. Grappling onto the God-Emperor with his legs, a spin from the momentum occurs which allows for a thin cut into the Emperors armor. Shaking him off, a pommel strike is done to force the King back which hits him square in the left jaw. Following up with a charge cleave, Ko'ak avoids the charge and cuts into the Emperors side which draws a layer of blood onto his blade. Flicking the droplets upon the spotless floor, the Saints gasp as Tyvius faces the King once more and awaits his move. Another explosion wracks the station, everyone holding their balance this time.

"Spacial exposure in sector three, repeat, spacial exposure in sector three!"

Hearing that causes the God-Emperors demeanor to change as he orders his Saints forward who open fire on Ko'ak and the Elites. Caught off guard, Ko'ak runs to cover with Elites rushing to guard him; several dying with shrill screams as they attempt to keep their king safe.

"Dishonorable bastard!"

Tyvius ignores Ko'aks words and rushes out of the blast door with the Saints following behind. Looking over his map, Ko'ak takes a different route and his remaining Elites and attempts to tail the Emperor. Fires erupt throughout some of the halls, electrical systems beginning to fail after prolonged firefights and integral damage, some areas even lacking power all together. Flashlights are turned on and the hunt continues, Ko'ak keeping in pace with the sounds of Tyvius' entourage which rapidly approaches the escape pod area. Metal clacking echoes throughout the halls, the Zoscians own suddenly becoming the only noise.

"Stay sharp."

Beginning to slow to a crawl, two Elites spot Tyvius enter the escape pod chamber and begin advancing rapidly again. Hearing a loud clink, bursts of smoke fill the room and obscure the Coronans vision; electrical rounds flying through the thick grey cloud and towards them. Ko'ak finds himself with his entourage one moment and alone the next as the sounds of melee surround him and gunfire rings out from all around. Focused on his objective he continues in the direction he originally faced and rushes out of the smoke. Several other elites seemed to have made it out as well, Ko'ak glancing over and seeing Tyvius' pod already gone and rapidly approaching Cestia.

"Fight off the saints and fall back for evacuation; I need to follow the Emperor."

"As you command" says one of the Elites, them heading back into the fog while Ko'ak enters an escape pod and activates the launch sequence. Hearing the gears and pressure shift, he stares out at the blazing pod ahead of him and feels the latches finally release. Aiming himself directly at Tyvius' pod, Ko'ak begins to accelerate towards it.

### Cestian Winter

Following behind the God-Emperors escape pod, Ko'ak rapidly descends towards the planet and dodges spacial debris as best as he can, Ko'ak speaking over his channel with Admiral Jafa.

"Admiral, I am following Tyvius III to Cestia; keep up the assault and refrain from destroying the station."

"Understood, I'll also dispatch an evacuation team to your location. Cestia is a frozen world, you won't last long without heat."

"Thank you Admiral" he says before turning his attention back to Tyvius III. A blazing inferno that begins to enter the atmosphere, Ko'ak follows a considerable distance behind and begins to feel his pod rattle in approach to the planets surface. Keeping the controls steady, hate filled streaks of color pass his view port as it engulfs his vision before giving way to a sleek cold landscape. Powdery white, Cestia is a frozen graveyard with the ruins of cities scattered across its flat endless plains. Battered by centuries of wind and snowfall, not much remained of the ancient Cestians aside the few city towers tall enough to survive the onslaught; the rest having been covered eons ago in tightly packed snow. Similar to a museum, the world had preserved beneath it a bygone civilization with most likely corpses and all still frozen in the fixed expressions the ice coated them in.

It was a morbid and solemn experience to witness such a dead world first hand, ships still fighting overhead and exploding in brilliant arrays of light with some even hurling back towards Cestias surface. Ko'ak focused his attention back on Tyvius who was now approaching a maze of skyscrapers and attempting drastic maneuvers to throw the Zoscian king off. Neither were the best of pilots and it was a clunky and awkward pursuit that ended in Tyvius' pod being clipped while committing to a sharp turn. The front of his pod in reaction hits into the building as it nearly fishtails and begins to rapidly descend towards the snow. Smoke begins puttering from the flimsy pod, the failing vessel continuing for some distance before crashing into a bank of snow outside the city. The engine still runs despite its wedged state, it being stuck and seemingly motionless in its desperate struggle to be free.

Seeing his chance, Ko'ak lands near Tyvius' pod and quickly dons his weapons before proceeding out of the warm confines and out into the bone chilling cold. Making sure to power off the pods systems to prevent a quick getaway, Ko'ak took a gamble with removing his only source of heat. Slinging his spear over his left shoulder and taking out a sword, he trudges through the trench deep snow as a wave of wind passes over him and nearly knocks him off his feet. Snow kicks up in his face like a dust storm and his vision is concealed by a storm of snowflakes that quickly give way to his opponent before him. Standing at the entrance of the downed escape pod was Tyvius himself, having received several scraps and bruises from the crash, his body seemed to heal before Ko'aks eyes as two robotic limbs come forth and snap menacingly in the kings direction.

Overhead Tyvius' pod continues whir and gust heat into the air, it keeping the majority of the windchill away. Approaching carefully, Ko'ak enters the engines radius before saying "You have run out of places to hide your majesty" he says in a spiteful tone "now face me like the 'God-Emperor' you are."

Remaining silent, Tyvius motions him to approach and gets into a combat stance with his battleaxe trailing behind him. Chittering his mouthpiece and feeling the cold slowly sapping his energy, Ko'ak charges at the God-Emperor with his spear in his left hand and a sword in the right. Swinging the battlaxe upward, Tyvius kicks snow up in Ko'aks way and a mechanical arm goes to clasp his head. The spear misses its mark and the sword deflects the arms attempt, him returning the gesture with a leg swipe that downs Tyvius into the cold snow. Grunting and using his arms to quickly raise himself back up, Tyvius does a cleave attack to draw some distance between them.

"In face of the impossible, my people reached the stars when our world died beneath our own feet. We crossed into the abyss above and forged countless worlds in the image of Cestia, the mother that abandoned us to the wolves. I did not hide by coming here, I came home."

Doing a series of upward strikes in Ko'aks direction, Tyvius uses his mechanical arms to lessen the exertion as he cuts his way forward. Dodging off to the right, a quick spear strike is deflected by a mechanical arm. Sweating underneath his helmet, Ko'ak curses under his breath and looks around before beginning to draw himself away from the pod engine. Following, Tyvius leaps forward with his arms and goes for an overhead strike that Ko'ak blocks with his sword. Forced onto his back and holding off the encroaching blade, Tyvius' claws start ripping at his armor and attempting to expose portions to the cold air. Kicking and holding back, Ko'ak jerks his sword to the right to slide the axe off of it and hurls himself upward and at the God-Emperor. Clasping on and getting in close, the king opens his mouthpiece to reveal his sharp teeth and bites down on the Emperors neck viciously. Hearing a scream, Ko'ak pulls back not long after sinking his teeth into the Emperor and quickly kicks off his chest.

"D-degenerate animal, you bit me!"

Spitting out blood, Ko'ak closes his mouthpiece and watches the wound fail to heal quickly as frost and cold begins to set in for both of them. Hearing the sound of heavy winds in the distance, Tyvius' fury is drawn back to the approaching storm which brings a sliver of urgency to his demeanor. Using his mechanical arms to move quickly, he goes back towards the engine which Ko'ak counters by strike at one of the arms and forcing him into melee. Using his robotic arms, Tyvius blocks the sword strike and uses the blunt end of his axe to hit Ko'ak back; him dodging the thrust attack and thrusting his spear into the Emperors abdomen. Barely nicking the flesh, Tyvius grabs the Kings right arm with a claw and throws him back.

Reaching the heat and starting to heal somewhat faster, Tyvius takes a defensive position and forces Ko'ak on the offensive. Rushing forward, the crimson plume on the kings head flails in the wind as he slides up to the Emperor and does another forward thrust attack. Using his momentum to help in the strike, Tyvius hits it off course with his axe and feels Ko'ak headbutt him soon after. Pain fills the Emperors skull as he staggers back and feels Ko'ak grapple and hurl him back away from the engine. Almost deafening in its arrival, the storm surrounds them and obscures their vision in the new found darkness. Blotching out the soon and all light, only Ko'aks glowing eyes and the roaring engine are visible in the darkness. Ice grips Ko'ak and Tyvius' forms and the risk of frostbite sets in, the two rushing closer to the engine which roars in response to the snow and sends a stream of heat into the air. Cutting through the bitter temperature, those under its protection found a better chance of survival which Ko'ak coveted more easily compared to his more distance foe.

Coming out of the shadows is Tyvius, snow coating his azure outfit and his arms limply working in their frozen state. Ko'ak quickly meets him in combat and strike ones of his claws off with a sword chop. A battleaxe soon after connects and disarms Ko'ak who sacrifices his sword instead of his hand. Resorting to the spear alone, Ko'ak kept Tyvius at bay and allowed the cold to sap his opponent of any and all fighting spirit; the axe wielding foe making headway inward and becoming weaker with every consecutive strike. Ko'ak himself feels his strength waning as both men desperately fight for survival. Nearing his breaking point, Ko'ak almost buckles before an eerie sound graces his ears. Tyvius grunts before falling over silently, the sudden silence bringing dread instead of relief to him.

Looking down upon the broken and defeated Emperor, Ko'ak felt the boiling urge to finally finish his foe off. He'd be doing a service to his people and those that lost their lives in this dreadful war. However in his pitiful and motionless state, Tyvius instead brought about an unsuspecting emotion to the Ko'aks heart; choking sadness. Feeling his adrenaline drop and his breath catch back up, Ko'ak hesitates before slinging the spear over his shoulder and picking up the Emperor. Looking around, he finds the engines warming lights and marches his way back to Tyvius' pod. Opening the door, he grunts and throws himself inside with the Emperor who is dead weight by this point.

Placing Tyvius in one of the pods seats, Ko'ak looks over his bloodied spear and frowns before unveiling the flag and wrapping it around the Emperor. Closing the hatch, he sits next to his foe and embraces him while the wind outside continues to batter against the struggling pod. Surrounded by death, the two sit in silence as the light of their very souls finds itself slowly snuffed out by encroaching darkness. Alone and lost with only his thoughts for company, Ko'ak begins to despair over what he had done.