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Location: Alexandria â€" Athenus Palace

"We have a duty to remember those that have given their lives in a great sacrifice to protect our galaxy, our peace and our way of life."

Queen Songbird stood on the plinth overlooking the magnificent city of Athenus, the capital of Alexandria. Athenus was covered with beautiful stone architecture which was a testament to this great race.

Alexandria had however a dark and uncivilised history before the world found peace finally almost one thousand years ago. Back then the nation of Alexandria was divided with different species all factioned off into their respective groups with intensive racial crime and destruction. The planet itself was being choked to death from the mass industrial waste that was being produced from all the factions in a deadly arms race.

Finally, after the planet had been polluted to the point that extinction and mass starvation seemed a real possibility. The leaders came together and decided to unite the planet and put aside years of hatred and mistrust.

Queen Songbird's ancestors had taken on the role of being the figurehead for the council, being a family of hybrids that could relate to most of the factions. They were installed as a ruling family for the new united state of Alexandria.

What followed after was a series of initiatives that changed the world gradually, cleaned up the polluted air and cleansed the soil. Space travel was then invented but the Alexandria's took years after developing faster-then-light travel to actually travel out of their solar system.

Now after one thousand years of peace, the planet had finally recovered from its dark and brutal history. The planet was a lush green paradise with beautiful buildings that were rebuilt after the destruction of the planet's original cities, the most impressive by far was the huge imperial palace of Athenus that was carved out of a mountain face.

Queen Songbird stepped down off the platform, she was wearing a white dress that was both beautiful and elegant. She was a half-breed, a perfect mixture of fox and wolf that gave her a dark orange colour and sharp blue eyes. She was the youngest leader in the history of Alexandria during the accidental death of her mother when she was only ten years old.

She looked out over the city from the balcony, the people cheering at her as she finished her speech and stepped down. She then looked at both Colin and Munchy who were both dressed in uncomfortable but formal uniforms. She walked over to Colin, glancing her powerful eyes over him.

"I was sorry to hear that you lost a lot of friends in the battle..." she smiled at Colin making him almost feeling like he was going to blush. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, so completely flawless in complexion however he still looked sad.

"Yes... I did you-you-your majesty" he stuttered.

Queen Songbird took Colin's hand and smiled at him. "Fear not... we are rebuilding the Valkyrie at the moment."

"It is not the ship your majesty" spluttered Colin, Munchy looked up at him. No sort of training could prepare you for the harsh reality of loosing a friend. There was hardly any emotion to Colin, he was even more withdrawn then usual.

"A broken man" thought Munchy

Location: Titan Hospital Station â€" Alexandria

"Ma'am... If you will just wait outside I can..." shouted a doctor who chased down that hall towards the ward after a woman.

"I am going to see him now..." shouted Ultraviolet back to the doctor as she entered the ward. It was small and overrun with about twenty patients each with horrible injuries from the battle. She approached a bed and leant over to see Eclypse laying there, a large gash was in his chest.

Ultraviolet recalled how when the explosion ripped through the ship and Eclypse has grabbed her and protected her from the flying shrapnel that had impaled him in the chest.

Ultraviolet sat down by his bed and watched him softly. She looked over at all the monitors which all read that he was dead. A single tear fell from her eyes, this rat had protected her life and she had no idea why...

Why save her?

She looked over at the doctor, he just stood there and sighed to her. "He died earlier today... I'm sorry the damage was just too severe."

Ultraviolet turned to the doctor, her wings twitching as she took Eclypse's cold hands. "I would like a moment alone with him please" she muttered looking back at the doctor who nodded;

"Of course..." he confirmed, turning to attend to another patient.

Ultraviolet suddenly felt a few huge shock-wave as she touched Eclypse, the feeling rippled through her body. She began to see things in her mind, distant stars, planets and other celestial bodies. She witnessed Alexandria slowly burning, the Queen murdered in the palace...

She suddenly returned to the room, looking down at Eclypse. Her eyes widening in terror of the impending doom of this planet as well.

She got up and stumbled down the hall, feeling light-headed but she needed to see Colin...

Something terrible was going to happen... again...

Location: The Raven â€" Terra

The white anomaly had grown larger and larger out of the annihilated planet of Terra. Nearby was a huge vessel that appeared to look like a huge set of knives, the contours of the ship were incredibly sharp and seemed to move about the black mass of the ship as it was almost alive, conduits seemed to move with almost an organic feel, weaving in and out of the ship.

On board, there was a huge black chamber with what appeared to be "oil-slicks" that dripped from the inner walls. The "oil" on the wall twisted and took on any shape needed, a metamorphic alloy.

Kestra entered the room, focusing on the centre of the room which seemed to be a raised mound of the same substance. She watched Galladia with her dark eyes appear from inside the mound and be lowered to floor connected to the mound by black, organic tentacles that dug into her head and body.

"Mother..." she said feeling uncomfortable in this horrible room. It reminded Kestra of her first encounter with the infamous Dark Collective, Galladia's scientific legacy. They had invaded the Valkyrie and converted most of the crew, Kestra was successful at cutting Galladia off from that making them unable to function without a Queen. "The portal is widening but not by much..."

"Shuss..." chanted Galladia while staring down at Kestra. "I can hear my children calling... You are correct, we will never get access to Yggdrasil in this manner... Prepare the ship for an attack. We are going to attack Alexandria..."

Kestra spluttered, she was wearing a white tunic and was embroiled with the rage and hatred that Galladia was feeding her. However deep inside, she regretted the destruction of Terra and deep down inside, hated Galladia for just using her. Galladia had used remnants of Dark Collective technology to allow them to see "The Light of the End." Kestra and Ada had been implanted with a Dark Collective parasite which linked them to Galladia. .. altering their perception and allowing them to remain constantly connected to Galladia.

"But attacking Alexandria would be pointless..." protested Kestra immediately, despite her corruption, she still retained a lot of her memories and feelings. She still had no wish to cause further destruction.

"Not necessarily..." smiled Galladia, her skin was almost a pale green now from her interaction with her "Perfect Race". "After all... my children need expanding and Alexandria offers a wide variety of individuals. You are still resisting my daughter... stop it... take pleasure in this!"

"I will not take pleasure in the... destruction of a race" Kestra thought through the corruption that had spread through her body. She was still resisting it, despite how seductive and powerful the Collective felt.

"Terran sentiment!" shouted out Galladia, ascending herself above Kestra. "Compassion is not important... But do not fear, my daughter. I have another reason for attack Alexandria."

"And what is that?" asked Kestra, feeling herself sinking into the Dark Collective's grasp like quicksand. She knew that she would not be able to resist this for much longer. She hated her mother so much.

"The dimensional pillars that hold up the barriers between this universe and Yggdrasil are four planets. Terra was one and Alexandria is one... if we destroy Alexandria as well... it will give us access to Yggdrasil." she spoke commandingly. "Then... we will merge and release the one, true Goddess of time and remake the universe for perfection."

Kestra felt a little part of herself die inside, she was Terran but now that identity had almost been completely ripped from her. She was powerless...

The will of the Collective was absolute.