Alyss finally noticed, that something happened to her core programming, saying with slight signs of fear in her voice: "How did they do that? I didn't even notice them fiddling with me." I reassured her while finishing the repairs in the programming: "I've repaired it, so don't worry. I have to improve your firewalls soon, so this won't happen again next time." She seemed to be reassured by that, so she immediately started her inner defense protocol, activating many anti-boarding turrets inside every room there was.
"I hope this will clear the enemy that has escaped into the other parts of me. Also, I recommend going to help Annie, as she seems to have problem clearing the enemy, which took control over the main shield room." I nodded, agreeing with my ship, and went and opened a portal to Annie's location.
After I went through that portal, I saw a scene, that was not clearly very good, in terms of Annie's success. She was disarmed, lying on the floor, with many wounds all over her body. She was fortunately enough, alive, but the enemy was not there. "Alyss, where is the enemy that did this?" I was filled with anger, like never before and I really did not wanted Annie to be hurt like this. I've never imagined the fact that the enemy really brought gear to take me out. She took that instead of me. I've moved closer to her, lifted her up in my arms, and chanted a healing spell.
After around five Mis, she lifted her head, wounds healed, to me: "Hey there, Dorian. Sorry for that. I lost your twinblade."
"I'm just happy to see you alive, even it's bad that they have my twinblade now." I said to her with a gentle tone. "Now I'll go and kill them all, if you don't mind." I've lifted her from the ground in my arms, and she stuck her head in my chest, resting. Enemy or not, I decided I'll bring her over to my own room, which is the most secure room aboard Alyss, to let her rest and make the healing spell do its job. Right before the reinforced door of my room, she fell asleep. She looked very cute, sleeping like this. I've double-checked that we're clear from the enemy for now and entered my room.
After I was sure that there is no immediate danger to her, I placed her upon my bed, covering her with my soft blankets. And then I re-entered my rage mode, running out of the room in a faster-than light speed, jumping over dead bodies of the enemy and turrets sticking out of the floor, which were "looking around" for their next target.
I took my two-handed greatsword from my back, running to the location Alyss pointed me to, where the enemy from the shield control moved to. They were now at the bridge and I did not even know how they got there.
That was very bad. If they hacked into control, they were able to run self-destruct protocol, or mark me and Annie as hostile, and Alyss wouldn't be able to stop that.
I've added up to my already fast run, and jumped straight through the closed gate to the bridge, ripping it to many pieces with my three Ems-long sword. I'll apologize to Alyss later, as now, I was not able to think clearly. The enemies that were on the bridge, jumped, startled by my sudden aggressive entrance to the scene, as they were obviously trying to take over my ship.
That was another fact that added up to my now huge rage, as they tried to take away my only friend before I met with Annie.
I've thrown the first enemy in front of me with my left hand through the room, smashing him onto the walls with such force, that he made that sound when your bones break from a very heavy impact. Then I've run my blade through the next two that stood next, slicing them in half.
I've barely noticed that some of them grabbed their rifles, which were heavily modified by some unknown means, as I ran through the next three who came on me with their combat knives drawn. Their heads dropped from their bodies, as I slashed at them.
Aside from the six enemies I've killed, there were twenty more of them, and one of those twenty, which now was occupying my control chair, which was probably their commander, he was holding my twinblade and examining it very carefully. He also had a strange pendant on his neck, with a purple triangular gem embedded in it. He later noticed that his subordinates were slaughtered so he got up, lifting his left hand, commanding his subordinates to halt their actions: "Finally, the one and only Dorian Tornelis showed up. I can test that weapon of yours on you too. It did a pretty nice job on that black haired girl that I slashed up in the shield room."
I stopped. I looked at him, anger and rage bursting through me with black aura of death around me. "What did you just say?" As I stood there, looking at him, the rest of his followers started to burn in deep blue flame, just ignited by my thought. I repeated: "What did you just say? That was you who did hurt Annie, right?"
"Of course I did. I was not able to resist hurting someone dear to you."
And with that, I snapped. I lunged upon him, with my sword at the ready, crossing it with my own stolen twin blade, which was now split into two one-handed swords. He smiled, as he blocked my strike with them.
"I've gotta admit, your blades are strong. With my own, I wouldn't stand a chance against such a strike." He was probably right. About him not being to be able to defend against my strike. I just ignored him as he spoke: "Well, time to finish you up."
He just rotated his grip on one of the blades to reversed one and slashed me. I've felt my gold blood pouring from my chest, fueling my rage even harder. I stopped thinking clearly and attacked him furiously with great speed. As I slashed and slashed, he laughed: "I've never seen or known that you had that kind of side to you, snapping like this."
I've simply said: "You've written your death sentence by hurting her. You'll die here. Soris! Al'Eleni!" And with that, I've called upon my ultimate powers and started disassembling time around him.
He stopped attacking, and opened his mouth with shock: "What did you do to me?!" He dropped the twin blade and that pendant fell from his neck, screaming in pain as he started to disappear completely.
With that, there were only bodies to be cleared and one wound on my chest, which I am unable to heal for now, due to the nature of my now reacquired twin blade.
I've picked up that pendant along withy weapon and examined the gemstone. It radiated strange, but very familiar power. I immediately knew from what, or more like by who it was made.
The first Ancient Shard was found. Nine remained to be discovered.
That battle took over two Heris from the start to the end.