Star Warden 3: CC. Chapter 16

 

Epilogue

Far away on another world in another system. Daimos sits upon his hover throne as he sees trails of light streak across the stars. Holy light. The signal was clear. The Celestial Powers have made their move, called their banners, and placed Daimos on notice.

“So be it then,” he said while petting Nightshade. It kept him calmed and focused. Trying to keep his mind clear and not fall into his anger. Anger is too soft a word, fury would be much more appropriate. Aetherium was lost to him now and for the duration of the war. The Sentinel defense system would be too strong to take head-on. Its power was devastating and the Dark Lord was sure that was only a taste of what it could truly do.

While the loss of one world was hardly a blow to his war efforts. Aside from the fact that his enemies now had a base of operations deep in his own territory. The symbolism of the defeat was ruinous to him personally. Aetherium was Kaguya's home and held many people who opposed his creator. Turning the world into a blasted industrial wasteland was his way of taking revenge. An act of long and tortuous revenge that would last forever. Now the world would be a beacon of hope and rebirth.

Kaguya would now have her country back, her throne back, her world back. She would smile and whisper sweet nothings in the ear of her husband. The Star Warden would laugh and enjoy her company with no need to fear SWAT-bot patrols or monsters. Aetherium would be their safe haven where they can be happy.

The very idea that they would be safe and happy inspired revulsion of the highest order. His rage slipped its leash. Claws pierced her scales deeply.

“Ouch,” she yelled.

“The Star Warden will die for what he's done!”

Nightshade responded. “Can you leave the pain for him then?” She licked away the blood from her wound. While Daimos's claw cleaned itself.

“I don't understand how! How did he survive?! I didn't make a single mistake! He should nothing more than a pile of ashes!” Even in the most fanciful of optimistic scenarios his survival was improbable!” He slammed his fist on his armrest.

“Its the Powers screwing you over.” She hissed the words with all the disgust she could muster. “They're cheating.”

“No matter,” Daimos said as he calmed down. “This is only a temporary setback. The Powers can make him their champion and the Templars can give him all the toys to play with. But just because a boy wears a suit it does not make him a man.”

“So what's the plan?”

“The core objective has not changed. I will simply have to make an unscheduled adjustment to my plans.”

Daimos then shifted his consciousness to the digital realm. While his body laid dormant on his throne. Being a digital entity Daimos could rapidly divide himself into multiple data streams working on several tasks at once. One part of him activated the forge pits while looking through his research notes on Wraiths. They were somehow resistant to Excalibur and thus would be a better base for the next generation of Archons.

Simultaneously he entered one of his research computers to catch up on a project he had set on the back burner. Project Janus: the research into the Starlight Speedway. From Bruno's notes to the Tuatha Archives every source of information that mentioned those words was processed by this computer and sent to others to run simulations.

The simulations were promising enough to be moving into the practical stage of this project. If reality cooperated with the simulations then he would be able to move across space in ways even the Codex could not. It would allow him to access what he once thought was impossible, the Celestial Realm itself, and if he could access the Celestial Realm. Then Avalon could be found and if he could find Avalon and breakthrough its defenses and pilfer its treasures.

Then the universe would howl in despair for at that point hope would be all but lost.

Chapter 15