The flagship of Valkyria, the "Hammer of Truth," transformed into a moving coffin. The judge's scorpion tail impaled the ship's energy core, converting the entire vessel into an subspace beacon. The crystalline bodies of the crew members merged into a massive eight-pointed star, slowly rotating on the bridge's floor.
"For the Emperor!" The last three loyal crew members detonated the thermite bombs. The explosion blew off the judge's crystal crown, revealing a writhing cluster of compound eyes beneath. Valkyria grinned wickedly, ripping open her abdomen, unleashing thousands of violet crystal moths, which swarmed toward the surface of the Blackstone Planet.
At the Arctic observation station, Captain Grek held his body up with a broken sword. His right leg had crystallized into amethyst, and Carlel's roar came through the communicator: "Aim the thermite drill at the core fissure!" When the captain pressed the button, instead of flames, a torrent of star tears, sealed by Aeselene, erupted.