"I must insist that we are not your enemies. The Luminary Collective seeks to maintain order and stability in the galaxy." Selena spoke, her voice firm and unwavering.
"Order enforced through oppression is no order at all," The Protoss leader replied, his voice carrying a weight that transcended the words themselves. "The suffering caused by the Luminary Collective's reign cannot be ignored."
Selena's resolve remained unshaken, her duty as a representative of the Luminary Collective clear in her mind. "The galaxy is a vast and complex place," she said, choosing her words carefully. "We must make difficult decisions to maintain harmony and protect our people."
Protoss leader's voice softened slightly, as if acknowledging the complexity of the situation. "Difficult decisions should not come at the expense of innocent lives," he stated firmly. "We seek balance and justice, not indiscriminate destruction."
"You didn't say that when the Terrans wrecked havoc on the Zorian system few days prior. You didn't come to advocate for their justice." Selena by now was slowly getting irriated with this to and fro and was actively trying to look for solutions while pointing at the advisors to come with some solution to the predicament.
"We as the observers are not here to debate. We have acted after much judgement and consideration but if you want to educate yourself about the reason of our brutal onslaught than you can ask the Zorians of the reason behind their first aggression."
"Just shut your mouth. Just say that your with those invaders and carry on. Don't take the high road." Selene roared. Losing her cool by now because she couldn't find any solution to the problem. She was a young High Admiral to begin with and she had never faced this kind of situation or simulation in her life.
Her family was one of the founding families of Luminary Collective and thus she had always lived a privileged life. The only reason she was so far from home was because the family chief wanted her to go far and get experience by living 'independent'.
But this had now backfired as she lost her cool quite easily. She wasn't able to think straight after losing many of her men and she too might lose her life. There would be no reinforcements for the next week or so and though the message had been sent, it would take much time to send army from the various parts of the galaxy to the zorian star system.
While this was happening, Robin was easily able to listen to the conversation as the Protoss had already contacted the Terrans. Hearing such high and mighty words, Robin had his hand on his forehead in embarrassment.
"I didn't know your creations are so much good at acting."
"Yeah, maybe they can join the Alien franchise and help save the movie."
"I would love to see actual aliens acting. It will be just like those two Americans who had defected to North Korea long ago and they acted as bad people in the movies. Would be fun."
"Supreme Commander, who is leading the Protoss." Duke just smile hearing the jokes being cracked by the friends of Robin but he did want to know whose voice it belonged to.
"It's Artanis."
"Oh such a serious individual had such a humorous side. That is good to know."
While the jokes were cracked in the battleship the Motherships were pointing their weapons at the different spaceships as it seemed like there would be no conclusion to the debate. And so did the Terrans.
"General Duke, I think it's due time we close the curtains." A holographic message came from the Mothership.
"Absolutely, we need to share drinks after we finish this." Duke replied.
"I only want the finest of wines. The Terrans wine are the best that I have ever drank."
"Glad that you like them." Duke said.
As the alliance of Terrans, Guardians, and Protoss forged a united front, they unleashed a devastating assault upon the Luminary Collective's fleet. The once-mighty spaceships of the Collective found themselves outmatched and overwhelmed by the combined might of their adversaries.
Terran Battlecruisers, with their imposing size and advanced weaponry, rained down torrents of plasma and laser fire upon the Luminary's forces. The nimble and agile Guardian fighters darted through the chaos, using their Light powers to pinpoint weaknesses in the enemy's defenses and strike with lethal precision.
Amidst it all, the Protoss Motherships displayed their awe-inspiring prowess, their psionic attacks tearing through the Luminary Collective's ships with unparalleled accuracy. The Protoss' advanced technology, combined with their ancient mastery of the psionic arts, proved to be a force that the Luminary Collective had never encountered before.
The Luminary Collective, though had the upper hand against Terrans, didn't mean that they didn't suffer at all. Now with the Protoss joining and encircling them had become too much for the Luminary Collective and for the sanity of Selena.
The exchange went on for an hour. A battle that was supposed to got a few days didn't last long at all. It was overwhelming and frightening for the Zorians and the Luminary Collective. The Zorians had already started making activating their retreats where the population could survive.
As the battle reached its climax, a symphony of destruction engulfed the stars. Luminary Collective spaceships, once symbols of power and dominance, were reduced to fiery wrecks, their bioluminescent cores flickering like dying embers in the vastness of space.
High Admiral Selena, aboard the "Imperial Ascendant," found herself at the heart of the maelstrom. Her ship, once a formidable force, now suffered grievous damage. The bridge trembled under the relentless onslaught, sparks and alarms filling the air.
"We can't withstand this!" Selena shouted to her crew, her voice laced with determination. "Send out a distress signal and initiate emergency protocols!"
But even in the face of such dire circumstances, Selena refused to surrender. She knew that the Luminary Collective's survival hinged on her ability to endure and find a way to rebuild their shattered fleet. She was sure that the Luminary Collective would come and rescue her. But she was also a bit afraid.
Not because of her life. But because their galaxy would soon embroil in a galactic war. She had only heard tales of them and now there was one again in the horizon.
As the battle continued, the allied forces pressed on with unwavering resolve. The Luminary Collective's once-proud armada was reduced to mere remnants, scattered like cosmic debris.
Finally, as the last Luminary ship disintegrated into oblivion, the echoes of the conflict faded into the vastness of space. The battle was won, but the cost had been great.
Amidst the debris and carnage, the "Imperial Ascendant" remained functional, though half-destroyed. Selena surveyed the wreckage with a heavy heart, the weight of responsibility resting heavily upon her shoulders.
"High Admiral," Duke Edmund's voice came through the comm system. "The battle is won. We've neutralized the Luminary Collective's fleet."
"Do whatever you want." Selena said and her voice had a sense of defeat for the first time.
Robin slowly rose to his feet and walked away. He had been holding back all this time, but now it was time to confront them face to face and understand what was going on.
"You don't need the mask?" Cathrin asked, noticing Robin putting away his mask while getting up.
"I think it's time we let go of the masks. Regardless of the situation, we need to show proper respect to the fallen, and after all, it's a galactic empire we're dealing with. We can't just turn a blind eye and walk away," Robin replied. Sauvik and the others agreed. He had requested a 'no mask' policy long ago, but Robin had wanted to maintain a more private life.
Now he was glad to see his friend finally seeing reason. The last Colonel had been furious the last time when Robin didn't show his face; it was seen as a sign of disrespect, rightfully so.
Robin had arrived at the hangar, which was open to facilitate the exits and arrivals of the Valkyries and Medvac. After reaching the hangar, he simply flew out and headed straight for the Imperial Ascendant.
Although the spaceships were 'close' in a broader sense, it didn't mean they were close in human terms. After leaving the hangar, he decided to go at light speed and arrived at the half-wreckage in less than a second.
Robin then maneuvered through the wreckage and reached the blast doors of the spaceship. He could sense that there were many men on the other side of the blast doors. Wreckage and destruction were everywhere. Wires were sparking, debris floating freely, and liquid particles were suspended in the air. Robin even saw some alien bodies that were severely injured or worse.
"You should open the blast doors before I decide to break them down," Robin said. Every spaceship, including their own, had blast or cut-off doors. In times of emergency when the spaceship was severely damaged, one section of the spaceship could be cut off and the blast doors would work as the doorway.
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