The Tower.
ABBESS: Why are you still here, Samael?
Zayd-Neil looms over Janriel.
SAMAEL: This is the place I fled
because I love it most.
ABBESS: You love this world of
thieves and killers?
You are strange, indeed.
SAMAEL: There is far more at war
with them than any war
will ever bring. I will make
certain that the Republic
saves them first from the
coming calamity.
ABBESS: And what about saving yourself?
SAMAEL: You know the truth.
I have no such power.
ABBESS: I know you have orchanstrated
your own demise. You are no
savior, Samael. You must realize.
SAMAEL: The seed of the Order's demise
is planted today. That is salvation
enough for one generation, I think.
ZAYD-NEIL: (speakers) Samael, show yourself
or I will rain destruction down on Janriel.
ABBESS: So I cannot convince you to flee?
SAMAEL: It is already too late.
The signal has been sent.
Chapman from orbit around
Janriel sends a toned code.
The blockade.
HELMSMAN: Sir, the controls are not responding.
OPERATOR: Sir, the other ships in the blockade
are reporting more of the same.
We're getting locked out of our computers.
The officer turns to someone unseen.
OFFICER: What do we do, master?
A white light illuminates the officer's face
and his eyes become pale as if blind, but
turns back to his crew without any such
disability after answering...
OFFICER: I understand.
The Lethchor recoils from Chapman's cruiser
and absorbs into the Atlas, which decloaks
and draws closer to the planet.
Zayd-Neil stands on the bridge of the Atlas.
ZAYD-NEIL: We have coordinates.
The Shadow's Heart crew happen upon Erimentha and Desdine in the corridors on the cruiser, but Desdine grips Erimentha in a clawy vice and rains suppressing fire on the others long enough to reach an escape pod and sends Erimentha and the rogue drone rocketing down to the planet.
The metal of the cruiser groans beneath the
sudden evacuation of Zayd-Neil's Lethchor
and the crew scramble back for the Shadow's
Heart in the event that it decompresses.
Aaron and the others scramble for the cockpit.
AARON: Tell me you have
a trace on that escape pod.
RUNE: I have a trace.
TULIA: Desdine took Erimentha.
VALORY: Why did he tell us where
to come in the first place?
AARON: Something's gone very
wrong with that tin can.
Safe ejects from Desdine's back and between
the drone's legs to land in the middle of the pod.
ERIMENTHA: Safe?
Shadow's Heart cockpit.
RUNE: It's all starting to get a little
heavy out there. The blockade is
closing in on the system.
TULIA: They saw the Atlas.
They must think the
Prestmoor invasion has begun.
NICODEMUS: That pitiful blockade of theirs
wouldn't stand a chance.
AARON: Safe bet Zayd-Neil's making
his move. We need to recover
Erimentha and try to find out what it is.
The Shadow's Heart dives into the atmosphere.
RUNE: It's going to start
getting a little
warm in here.
After a brief glow the heat tapers off and the
Shadow's Heart is in free fall. The wind whistles
amidst the distinct absence of the engines.
No warning lights inside. All the controls are
completely dark. The crew feel every
turbulent tremor that buffets the
plummeting brick of a space craft.
Aaron stumbles forward and grips the back
of the co-pilot chair so he doesn't fall back again.
He kneels down and incidentally breathes on a console.
The control panel faintly blinks to life and Aaron
slides into the co-pilot chair to join Rune
in controlling their descent down.
They land and the escape pod billows smoke
lying at the base of an immense tower
only a matter of a few meters away.
The crew rush down the loading ramp
while just ahead Desdine is helping
Erimentha from the escape pod as
she coughs pitifully amidst the smoke.
Aaron draws both pistols.
AARON: Hold it! Stay right there!
ERIMENTHA: Wait.
She pleads hoarsely and coughs some more.
ERIMENTHA: It wasn't Desdine.
TULIA: We saw it.
He took you.
There is a distant chirp. From the top of some steps
leading to the entrance at the base of the tower Safe
waits there for them.
AARON: Who are you?
His question echoes off the masonry
and with another short beep Safe turns
for the large door at the base of the tower.
The crew assemble at Erimentha's side
and look up to see storm clouds gathering
around the looming Atlas over the tower.
A cloaked figure looks down on them
from a neighboring roof top. She descends
and catches herself in Lethchor and keeps
out of sight of the crew as they cautiously
approach the base of the tower.
ERIMENTHA: We have to go in.
NICODEMUS: You're in no condition...
Lightning arcs between the Tower and Atlas
and the storm clouds begin to collide with
one another. In pushing against each other
similar destruction spills over onto the
buildings below amidst the terrified
screams of a deafening number of people.
ERIMENTHA: We're out of time!
It has to be now.
ELAN: Give her to me.
The crew spin around to face her as she
removes her hood and stares at them.
ELAN: I'll take her up there.
I warned you, didn't I?
Everything you knew was
soon going to come to an end?
Here we are. It was inevitable.
RUNE: How did you...
ELAN: I want to thank you for the
use of your sensor probe.
It made a decent lifeboat.
But then again I wouldn't
ask for who found me.
There's no changing that now.
ROSS: Come with us.
ELAN: You're sweet. I didn't get to
know you, but your sweet.
There's no guardian angel
to save you this time.
It's all over. At the end
of today Zayd-Neil
will have won.
TULIA: We'll do it together.
AARON: We'll take'em both out.
ELAN: I'm afraid I can't allow that.
Zayd-Neil is my master now.
She conjures Lethchor around her body
and disappears in the cloak that it creates.
Amidst the still somewhat distant howling winds
the crew is confronted with an eerie silence.
Aaron takes a couple of potshots at the steps
behind them and only creates a couple of
divots in the pavement for the trouble.
Tulia sees something move in the corner of her eye
and glances left to be met with Sweets angrily
marching toward her. He extends a clawed hand
about to swipe down on her and she raises her weapon.
TULIA: There!
Everyone turns and fires in the direction
she is shooting. The bolts cause Elan's
cloak to falter, but her shield holds.
Elan emanates a pulse that causes shards
of dead blood to imbed in their skin.
Simultaneously, this drop in defense
leaves her vulnerable to their onslaught
and she falls back desperately wounded.
Her gashes are already closing as Esben
and Nicodemous stalk toward her.
Esben pulls a chunk from his side and draws
the sword from off his back. Nicodemus is
reduced to a limp and braces his knee out
to make use of his heavy gun.
Elan casts a frayed stream of Lethchor at
Nicodemus, but Desdine side steps into its path
and spins up the counter measures briefly to disperse
the attack. Esben chops once in the air and part of the
mist solidifies into a dead block. The remainder retreats
back into Elan as she lies gasping.
NICODEMUS: No where left to hide.
ELAN: You're right.
Something begins to fall from the Atlas.
For the length of the Atlas' underbelly the city
is blanketed in Zayd-Neil's drones. At the base
of the tower the black blood around the Atlas
follows after them and some drones land near
Elan and envelop her.
Nicodemus blisters the black wall with his
minigun, but surely realizes the opportunity
has passed. Desdine taps his shoulder.
DESDINE: Time to go.
Nicodemus leans on Desdine as they retreat.
Erimentha, who leans against one large door,
is surprised to be met with the other one opening.
And the implacable Abbess directs a hand inside.
ABBESS: Come in.
If you please.
As Erimentha and Nicodemus are being helped inside
Tulia glances over and sees Ross lying on his back.
Rune stands stupefied at the sight. And before his eyes
the black blood envelops Ross and he vanishes.
Tulia pulls him away in time from being absorbed
as well, but the doors close behind them.
Aaron, seeing the doors has closed, turns to the Abbess.
AARON: What have you done!
ABBESS: I hold no power over you.
Tulia lays her eyes on the loading ramp of the
Shadow's Heart and there stands Sweets waving
for her to come to him.
She pulls Rune down briefly to avoid a sweeping strike
of the black blood against the door and draws him up
to make a run for the Shadow's Heart.
Inside the tower.
AARON: Who are you?
ABBESS: I ask the impossible.
ERIMENTHA: And what is that?
ABBESS: Please do not kill Samael, child.
Please save him, if you can.
Just as he did you.
Please save him, if you can.
Just as he did you.
ERIMENTHA: Save him?
NICODEMUS: What do you mean he saved us?
ABBESS: He closed the door just as
Zayd-Neil was about to enter in.
AARON: What about our friends outside?
NICODEMUS: We've got our own problems.
Behind them the center is filled by black
blood to the full length of the tower.
Erimentha illuminates her hands.
ABBESS: Stay your ire, child of the Order.
It will not serve you well here.
Samael will not tolerate it.
And you would be overwhelmed.
ERIMENTHA: Does he expect to hold us as prisoners?
ABBESS: I think not. Such a luxury
of time has come to an end.
He awaits your arrival at
the top of the spire.
AARON: Why are we here?
ABBESS: Truthfully, I do not know.
This child of the Order has the blood
of the Masters on her heart. And I always
suspected that she would seek blood in turn.
That she would do so before understanding.
Though I wish she wouldn't. But against my
council, Samael has shepherded the present
culmination for the fate of the Republic.
Please, do not make the child of Janriel
go any further with you. She will find
perfect sanctuary with me until you
return for her. As I am certain
Samael intends for you to do.
AARON: Valory?
VALORY: I don't want to go.
ERIMENTHA: Why did you give sanctuary
to Samael?
ABBESS: The battle rages without you,
child of the Order. And your friends
outside will not wait for its conclusion.
Spare this world the prolonged struggle.
You may yet learn the truth of why you are here.
AARON: Did Samael send us
looking for Erimentha?
ABBESS: You know enough to ask.
ERIMENTHA: He's waiting for us up there.
Waiting for me. She's right.
Valory shouldn't go with us.
something at the Abbess.
ABBESS: I'm sure you would.
Esben turns for the steps.
ERIMENTHA: I can transport us up.
AARON: This is the least opportune time
for you to wear yourself down.
The crew have just started up the steps
when Abbess calls after them while
resting a hand on Valory's shoulder.
ABBESS: Beware. Zayd-Neil's machines
have already breached the tower.
Samael could not keep them out.
The battle is up there. I will take
the child down to the cellar.
The crew rush up the stairs.
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