Having burnt the Illixi corpses to ash, Mirror must now turn her attention to the factory hovering in Xindyria's atmosphere which casts a horrible shadow over the city of Arcsin.
"It's time to finish the job," Mirror says softly, her eyes focused on the floating machine.
"How are you going to destroy it?"
"My powers are growing stronger by the day. If I can rip through the skeleton of the factory with plasmatic energy, I should be able to overload the systems and ultimately destroy it from the inside out."
"What about the captive humans?" Castor asks. Mirror pauses.
"I don't know what condition they'll be in, but… I'll try to evacuate as many as I can."
"Can I help in any way?"
"...I don't want you to see what's inside."
"I know, I just… I don't like thinking about you being alone up there."
"You've done as much as you could here." Mirror places a comforting hand on his left shoulder. "Please, Castor… return home. I'll call you when my mission is completed."
"All right. Just… be careful, please."
"I promise." Mirror leans in and kisses him on his cheek, then smiles at him. Castor blushes bright red, an embarrassed laugh climbing up his throat. She can practically see the hearts in his eyes. Her expression shifts to something neutral yet resolute. She will drive Illixi forces out of Xindyria if it's the last thing she does.
***
After Mirror drops him off at his apartment, Castor changes into pajamas to try and relax. Her plasma rifle and an Illixi skin suit are still with him. He's too scared to turn on the television, especially after what happened the last time he did. The more he imagines Mirror fighting alone inside that infernal contraption, the sicker he feels. Has he really abandoned her when she needs his help most? God, he's so helpless. He couldn't save her from being tortured almost to death, and now? Now she's going off to fight that very same woman.
What if she dies? Oh God, no. No no no, please!
Before he even realizes what's happening, tears spill from his eyes which are squeezed shut trying to block out all negative thoughts. He shivers. Suddenly his toasty apartment feels so horribly cold and lonely.
Please, Mirror, I'm begging you. Stay safe out there, and come home to me!
***
Now en route to the space factory, Mirror mentally prepares herself for what she will witness. She's kept the full details of what she saw under wraps, trying desperately to bury her horror, her grief, and her disgust. Yet despite all her efforts to keep her composure, her stomach twists violently at the mere thought of seeing humans ripped apart again. How could anyone be so inhumane? She has to learn more about Echthra at all costs. She is the one who started this, and Mirror will be the one to end it.
As her ship begins to leave the atmosphere of the planet, she closes her eyes and opens her mind's eye. Could Wrivin be listening right now? She waits in silence, but nothing comes to her. She sighs. She supposes it's silly to think Wrivin would answer everything for her. She's still new to the scene of goddesshood, so she isn't sure what to expect from Wrivin. Mirror decides to clean herself up before her arrival. Of course, she's bound to get dirty again after the fact, but she might as well not be covered in blood and gore before she reaches her destination. Setting her ship to autopilot, she removes her bloodstained clothes and steps into the glass shower inside the bowels of her ship. As she bathes, memories of the horrible screaming and crunch of metal against flesh fill her mind. The more she tries to block out those gut-wrenching memories, the stronger they become.
"Make it stop," she murmurs to herself, clutching her head. Eventually, the visions grow so vivid that tears spill down Mirror's face. She wants to scream, but if she does, she fears she'll never stop. She lifts her face to the showerhead, allowing the hot water to pour over her. Eventually, its soothing heat quells her sickness. She takes a deep breath, then turns off the water and steps out of the shower, drying herself off and pinning her wet hair up off her neck.
When Mirror returns to the controls, she realizes she has arrived just outside the factory. She can smell the burning flesh, even from within her ship. She brings herself ever closer until she reaches the opening of the shipyard. Dozens of Illixi vessels lie dormant inside. Unlike the factory's machinery, this room is completely sterile. No trace of the Illixi atrocities can be found no matter where she looks. She sets her vessel down, then walks silently deeper into the facility. The further in she goes, the more her senses awaken to the dangers and terrors she will soon face once more.
***
Within the factory's heart, Sholi stands in the center of the massacre, her pitch-black eyes cold and unforgiving. How could she have let Juno escape her clutches? Echthra will kill her if she finds out about this. She cannot allow her to learn of her failure. Her blood boils with rage, but her clenched fists tremble with fear.
"Juno…" she seethes. She breathes in and out, trying to calm herself. If Juno does appear, she can't risk her anger giving way to a reckless attack pattern. Sholi decides to check in on the humans who are still alive and working the machinery. One of them is a young woman around 21 with long wavy black hair and grey eyes. Her naked body is covered in blood, feces, and other bodily fluids. Hearing footsteps behind her, she stops her work and turns around, only to be spooked by Sholi's icy grip around her throat.
"H-How may I help you, M-Mistress Sholi?" Her voice is barely above a whisper despite the excruciating sounds around her. Echthra's factories are no stranger to violence, but an uneasy silence sweeps the room as a certain familiar presence makes herself known.
"Release her!" Juno shouts. She stands in the entryway of the main room, her hands coated in glowing purple plasma. All of the human slaves stop what they're doing and stare at her with wide, dead eyes. Sholi's grin fades into an angry scowl.
"Back for more, are you?" Sholi says, her cold gaze unflinching.
"Step away from the girl."
"Or what? You'll kill me?"
"I don't want to, but I must. You've assaulted Xindyria and I won't stand for it."
"And you truly believe you can subdue me? After the countless lives I have taken?"
"You haven't seen my true power yet. Care to find out?" Juno's chest shines with a golden light as she raises her armored fists in a fighting position. Meanwhile, Sholi uses her magic to create a sword out of nothing, one rippling with bluish-green flames. She stands ready, awaiting her opponent's first move. Juno sprints forward and slams her fists into the shiny blade of Sholi's sword. The humans inside the room all move out of their way as metal clashes against metal. After her initial move, Juno blocks the first few strikes from Sholi's weapon with her gauntlets. Opening her fists, she releases bursts of lightning which singe Sholi's skin. However, she is undeterred. She lunges at Juno, slashing across her chestplate which still wears the now white-hot magical sigil from their last encounter. She still doesn't know how to remove it, but hopefully, by killing Sholi, the curse will lift itself off her.
Her magic is still beyond my comprehension…
With Juno now on the defensive, Sholi grows more aggressive in her attacks. She makes a few calculated stabs into unprotected spots on her opponent's body and, because she doesn't have a sword herself, Juno's torso and legs get covered in open puncture wounds. She struggles to keep up with Sholi's raw strength and speed. Clearly, she's been waiting for this moment. Juno goes on the offensive, launching punches left and right. Only a few of them land.
"You're becoming reckless, Juno. And here I thought my hatred for you would cause me to lose to you should I ever face you again! How foolish I was to doubt myself!"
"I wouldn't wear that smug smile just yet."
Juno creates a pair of swords of her own, crackling with electricity. Sholi sprints with teeth bared and jumps on top of Juno. At the same time, their swords release a violent clang upon colliding with each other. Sparks fly off Juno's weapon. Using her great arm strength, Juno pushes Sholi off her and over her head, slamming her into the ground behind her. Now prone, she struggles to stand. Juno waits for her opponent to strike back. Something inside Sholi snaps.
"YOU BITCH!" she screams, rising off the bloody floor and swinging her sword viciously at Juno. She slices just under her right eye, leaving an open wound on her face. Ignoring the pain of shattered bones in her body, Sholi now relies on her psychic magic to do damage. She creates multicolored crystalline shards around her and, spreading her hand wide, sends them flying toward Juno. They impale her. She drops to the floor, her hands slick with red viscous liquid. Now Juno is prone. Sholi laughs maniacally and goes for the killing blow, when…
"Come now, did you really think you would beat me so easily?" Juno smirks. Sholi steps back fearfully. Slowly rising from the floor, she squeezes her hands and calls on Wrivin's divine energy. Her entire body turns golden and her hair flows freely around her in a wavy halo.
"I-Impossible! You're…"
"Metuis?"
Juno raises her hands and blasts Sholi with a solar flare, blinding her just as before. She then takes the opportunity to grab hold of her sword which has clattered to the ground and stabs her right through the center of her abdomen. Sholi gasps and collapses to the floor, her hand gripping the blade. Juno transforms back into her human self and stands over Sholi.
"You—!"
"Give up yet? Or shall I continue to beat you until your ears bleed from the sound of your own agonizing screams?"
"N-Never," Sholi spits venomously.
"Very well. Goodbye, Sholi. I'll make sure that you suffer as much as the humans held captive in this infernal contraption have." Juno closes her eyes and listens to her body's rhythm. A new power is emerging, and she plans to use it. She creates a shield around the two of them so as not to harm the humans watching them. Sholi's eyes widen as Juno summons the power of one of the rarest cosmic objects: a magnetar. Ordinarily, these celestial bodies are so hidden that no one ever encounters one up close but since Juno's standing right in front of Sholi, the magnetic field surrounding her is strong enough to disrupt the molecular structure of cells, tissues, and atoms within Sholi's body. She cries out as her body falls apart at its seams, leaving behind a pool of inky blood. Juno collapses to her hands and knees. The sigil on her chest vanishes in a white flame. She gasps for breath.
I… I've become a killer…
The humans who have been working the machinery gather around her. The young woman with wavy black hair and grey eyes kneels in front of Juno and lifts her face to her own.
"A-Are you okay?"
"Y… Yes. You're safe now."
"Thank you. We owe you everything."
"I need to get all of you out of here. I'm going to destroy the factory. There are ships stored away down below. If you board them, you should be able to return to your homeworlds. Hurry, now. I don't want to inflict any more pain and suffering on you."
"How do we pilot the ships?"
"Illixi ships have an autopilot system. Look for the big red button on the main control panel. You can't miss it."
"Thank you. How can we ever repay you?"
"You need only live on for me. I promise the Illixi will never harm you again."
"What's your name?"
"Juno. Juno Graves."
"I'm Imogen. I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me, for all of us."
"Imogen… I'll remember that." Juno looks into her soft, stormy eyes for a moment. "Would you… like to come with me?"
"Huh? Where?"
"Xindyria. I've defeated the invading army and its leader, El'ur. We could be safe here."
"I'd like that, but…"
"What's wrong?"
"I just have so many questions."
"Here, I'll bring you to my ship. I'll explain more there, I promise you."
"All right. Lead the way."
With Imogen and dozens of other humans behind her, Juno wanders down the halls of the messy factory until they reach the hangar in which the Illixi vessels lie. While everyone piles into individual ships, Imogen and Juno linger behind to make sure they leave before she releases her magic on the facility.
"My ship is the white one there. Climb in and decontaminate. I should have some fresh clothes inside that you can wear. Once you're ready, I'll wait for your signal. I will only begin my work when you are safe. I don't want you to get hurt by my spells."
"But what about you? Are you able to escape in time?"
"Yes. I thrive in space."
"How is that possible?"
"Like I said, I'll explain everything in time. Now, go!"
"Very well. Good luck, Juno."
"Thank you. I'll see you soon."
Imogen follows Juno's exact instructions. After climbing aboard the ship, she wanders around looking for the decontamination shower, which she quickly finds, and cleans herself off. She then uses the navigation console to plot a path away from the factory. She flashes a light through the glass, signaling for Juno to begin.
"All right. Now to send a message to the Illixi: Xindyria will survive as long as I am here! No one under my protection will die!"
And thus, Juno closes her eyes and, with her palms pressed against the mess on the floor of the main room, she sends the cosmic energy of a supernova throughout the factory which soon begins to shatter upon impact with the sheer dizzying strength of the supernova explosion. She makes a run for it, sprinting down the halls and out where she came in. Releasing her true form, she leaps out into open space and swims through the sparkly night over to her ship, her latent power fueling her journey until finally she reaches the ship, turns around, and watches the monstrosity explode into tons of shrapnel. She breathes a sigh of relief but her work isn't over yet.
Now, she must dispose of the debris and the remains of all who died here.
Creating a vast shield around the area where the factory had once hovered, Juno collects all of the scrap metal and other materials in midair while Imogen watches. She manages to collect several useful materials from her scavenging that she's sure Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows can study and implement in their defenses against the Illixi.
As for the charred remains of the bodies…
Juno sighs. Her supernova has taken care of that. The humans who suffered here are now only ash floating aimlessly in the beauty of space. Once everything is in order, Juno returns to her ship, still in her true form. She changes back into her human appearance before entering the cockpit.
"Wow, Juno, that was… incredible! H-How did you do that? I have so many questions!"
"And I shall answer them. Let's head down to the surface."
As Juno and Imogen fly down through the atmosphere of Xindyria, she tells her everything from her initial arrival to now. She intentionally leaves out details about her past before coming to this planet as she's not sure how Imogen will react to such stories. Castor is the lucky one; she has shared, and continues to share, everything with him, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
When they land, Juno chooses to see Imogen off. They both know that it's best if their paths do not cross again. Unfortunately, as kind as Imogen is, Juno could never allow her to be in such danger as she was because of her.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Trust me; I wish you could, but you and I both know that any more association with me would cause you harm. I would never forgive myself if you died on my watch. You're a beautiful and kind soul, Imogen. I hope that if we do meet again someday, the Illixi will have been defeated."
"I wish you all the luck in the galaxy. You'll need it," Imogen says. Juno smiles faintly. She reaches in for a hug and Imogen reciprocates.
"I'm sorry we couldn't be together. I really do think you're wonderful. I'm afraid the Illixi threat and my status as a diety are too great for any other human to be friends with me."
"Oh, nonsense! You may be immortal, but I don't care about that. You saved my life. I am indebted to you."
"I don't need anything from you. All I want is for you to stay alive and live a peaceful life. I'll make sure the Illixi never hurt you again."
"Thank you, Juno. So… I guess this is it, huh?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. Goodbye, Imogen."
"May we meet again."
As Imogen leaves, Juno watches her go, her heart squeezing in her chest. She loves Castor, that much is true, but… that same guilt, that same shame, that same loneliness is coming back to haunt her. What if she loses everyone she cares about, all because she's a reincarnated goddess? What if Dr. Graves and Ms. Hallows turn their backs on her? What if Castor stops loving her? She shakes her head to clear her thoughts when an alarm goes off inside her mind.
What if the Illixi kill her?