“Have you ever just stared at them? Have you ever tried to understand what makes them tick?”

“No, Legatus. It is not worth our time to study such inferior lifeforms,” Nova replied, standing beside him with her black metallic wings folded neatly away.

The two stood within a mountaintop observation deck that overlooked the Sorathean capital of Kyron. A translucent metal dome separated them from the elemental fury that raged outside. Stealthed with the very best Dyn technology, to all eyes, the observation post looked like mere mountain rock.

“Neither have I, Artificer. Yet, as I stand here now, surrounded by this blizzard that assaults the city below, I cannot help but wonder. The Zevan are such miserable creatures. Short-lived, primitive, and utterly lacking all of the qualities that make the Dyn so great. So how is it, then, that those very organisms that we bred possess powers we haven't even begun to understand? What cosmic irony could be responsible for this farce?”

“Legatus, I assure you that the Zevan are completely unaware of the workings of their powers. I myself have studied them in great detail in my centuries of life. If they had any idea, we would have extracted that information long ago.”

“And yet, it matters little, does it not? Ordinarily, I would agree with you, Artificer. But there is one among them who exceeds all of their petty limitations. One among them that easily trumps our most powerful soldiers.”

“You speak of the anomaly—Magnus?” Nova asked.

“Indeed. His powers astounded me before, but after all that you’ve divulged, I am simply in awe! To be able to teleport objects with a mere thought? Without any visible energy source to power it, and that too, in quick succession? Not to mention his barrier abilities. It is… marvelous, is it not?”

“His abilities are certainly impressive, Legatus. If he could be made to serve the Dyn, he would no doubt become a powerful asset. However, I must warn you that his mind is strong. He will not break easily. It is not my place to say, but I feel as though you should have activated his kill switch long ago.”

“And destroy such a perfect specimen? What a tragedy that would be! No, his destiny is greater than that. I understand your concerns, Artificer, but his place is here, with us. With the Dyn. And you will be the key that leads him to me.”

“Yes, Legatus. Your will is my command,” Nova said as she gazed dispassionately at the oblivious Zevan far below, desperately rushing into their homes to avoid the biting cold.

“Sir, it is time to meet with the Council.”

“Come, let us be off. Time is always against us.”

They entered an antigravity lift, descending down its diagonal shaft to penetrate deep into the rocky mountainside. Within seconds, the elevator breached the central area of the Dyn headquarters, bathed in bright white light.

A hive of ordered chaos, the facility’s many levels bustled with Dyn and Indoctrinated Zevan going about their business, all for the glory of the Dyn. As they descended, the Legatus swelled with pride—a scarce commodity in the recent days.

The lift slowed, halting at the floor that housed the hovercraft tram system that eased transit within the miles-long facility. The Dyn waiting in line to board immediately made way for the Legatus and Nova, saluting them as they passed.

The bullet-shaped tram hummed to a stop, its doors whirring open to admit them—and no one else. One of the perks of authority. One of the only perks. Soon, the pair sped along the dark tunnel, the tram car’s inertial dampeners canceling any vibrations.

Less than a minute later, they arrived at their destination, nestled deep within the complex. Four fearsome Ultimators stood still like statues, protecting the entrance to a room immediately adjacent to the tram’s platform. Apart from these guards, the area was completely deserted.

The Ultimators saluted as the Legatus strode through the autodoors into the great room beyond. After passing through a short corridor, the Legatus found himself in a hemispheric dome entirely devoid of light, save for a glowing ring-like table that occupied most of the room. Around it, eight Dyn stood in waiting, their grave countenances illuminated from below by the light of the table.

The Commandariate Council. The Legatus’ most elite leaders were like extensions of the Legatus’ will.

“My generals,” the Legatus began, steepling his hands upon the table. “It may sound ridiculous to mention it, but this is our planet. This planet belongs to Ubiquity Prime, and Ubiquity Prime alone. It was entrusted to me by the Consilium to oversee. It is therefore my planet.”

The Legatus paced with his arms behind his back in parade rest, circling behind the backs of each of his generals.

“And yet, we struggle!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the large space. “We struggle to maintain our dominance, despite our overwhelming resources.”

“Resistance scum,” someone murmured.

“Yes! My commanders, we have failed!” the Legatus exclaimed, sweeping his arms across the room. “We have failed Ubiquity Prime in a spectacular fashion. And now, His fleet journeys to Kelruhn. Because we could not police this planet on our own. Tell me, what will he feel when he sees the planet as it is today? How do you believe he would react?”

The silence in the room at that moment could have frozen the suns.

“As you are all aware, as Legatus, I enjoy some privileges in life. I have known the joy of rearing a child. Like the Zevan, but with greater purpose. To have been given the honor of grooming the next generation of Dyn leadership? Words cannot begin to describe the satisfaction of such a privilege.”

The Legatus stopped pacing. “I will be honest. My life is forfeit if Ubiquity Prime learns of our failures, along with the life of my son. Even now, he toils away for the glory of the Dyn, unappreciated.”

“Several of us have met your son, Legatus. 9076-𝝉, while once promising, has proven less so in recent years. Regardless,” the commander hurriedly continued, “we would all of course lament both your passing and his. Yet the situation we find ourselves in was your doing. It is only right that you take responsibility for your reckless actions. Fielding the fleet in an open battle was a folly. We should have leveraged 9076-𝝉 to launch a covert assault.”

“Oh?” Sarcasm dripped from the Legatus’s voice like venom. “You speak as if this is not your problem. Tell me, what do you think Ubiquity Prime would do to you, as my highest field commanders? If you believe that you are safe from his retribution, you are all blissfully naive.”

Glances were exchanged and fists clenched. Not one dared to respond, but there was no need to; the tension was palpable.

“No, my friends,” the Legatus smiled wryly, “for better or for worse, we are in this together. You have all suffered defeat after embarrassing defeat against the anomaly and his forces. If matters stand as they are, we will all be executed in one year’s time when the Prime’s fleet arrives. Of that, you have my word.”

“My Legatus, we simply cannot afford to lose any more of our forces. We have now lost two Tensas and over half of our Chariot fleet in pursuit of this anomaly. I advise extreme caution in any further offensive engagements. Activating the kill switch would be a prudent course of action.”

“Rejected,” the Legatus said immediately.

“It is the only logical course of action!” another commander argued. “With every passing day, the anomaly amasses more terrorists to his side. Their agents have even begun to sew discord within our own ranks! There is talk of a budding Dissident faction—those who believe that the Legatus’ actions here fly in the face of Ubiquity Prime’s directive. If left unchecked, we will splinter from within long before we run out of military assets.”

“No. No no no! By focusing on the anomaly’s threat, you are all missing the other side of this equation: the opportunity of a lifetime!” the Legatus exclaimed.

“The anomaly will be our demise!” one of his commanders said. “He has already caused so much destruction. What opportunity could there possibly be here?”

“Think! Imagine that we deliver Magnus intact to Ubiquity Prime? If we capture him, dismantle him, and learn of the secrets behind his great powers? Magnus is the super soldier of our most far-fetched dreams! With a single thought, he can eradicate dozens from the face of the planet! Both his offensive and defensive capabilities outstrip our greatest Ultimators by leaps and bounds!”

“True, if we were to reverse engineer the anomaly’s powers, we could construct Ultimators unlike ever before. It would be enough to upset the entire power balance within the Forum of Primes.”

“It would do more than upset the balance, 3465—η! Ubiquity Prime would become an unstoppable force in the galaxy. He could single-handedly wipe out the other Primes and claim sovereignty over the entire Dyn empire! And we would be the ones to enable it. My commanders, forget about punishments! Your promotions would only be the beginning.”

3465—η nodded. “If successful, our prior transgressions would be nothing compared to such a leap in Ultimator combat potency. Even if we fail to learn of the anomaly’s secrets, merely cloning him would also suffice. But the anomaly is hard enough to kill, and capturing him alive represents a far more difficult feat. I still say that we activate the killswitch and recover the corpse for experimentation.”

The Legatus shook his head. “No. Sadly, the kill switch melts the host’s entire nervous system, including the parasite itself. There would be nothing left to analyze, and I suspect that the parasite is somehow enabling his powers. It is far too risky.”

“I would like to add that it is highly improbable that cloning him would reproduce his powers,” Nova said. The metal-winged angel had remained quiet until now, though her black-and-yellow eyes drew more than a few looks from her peers. “His abilities were due to mutations to both the parasite and his own brain. I am unsure if the subsequent mutations to his DNA would yield the same results.”

“Thank you for volunteering this information, Artificer. As I said, we must capture him alive.”

“Legatus, I assume you have a solution?”

“My commanders, I am disappointed! Surely, you did not believe that I would have come to you without a strategy in place? Fear not. Plans are already in motion. We have seen how he fights like a cornered animal on his home ground. We have witnessed his formidable powers. Even with our undercover agents embedded within his ranks, organizing a successful ambush would take time, resources, and would ultimately be riskier than the alternative.”

“The alternative?”

The Legatus grinned. “Let him come to us.”

“And how do you intend to shepherd him to a location of our choosing?”

“Simple. Our dear Artificer was kind enough to reveal that the anomaly intends to strike at Ubiquity Prime’s Zevan indoctrination pool in the arctic north. They plan to destroy the source of the mutagen that prepares all life on Kelruhn for Ubiquity Prime’s arrival.”

“And? What then?” 3465—η asked.

“I ask that you allow me to hold some matters in confidence. My trust in you is absolute, but the fewer people who know the details, the greater the likelihood of our success. And I think you would all agree that right now, what we need most is success. Put your minds at ease, for with the Artificer on our side, we wield an absolute trump card. The anomaly will dance in the palm of my hand. Whether he wants to or not.”

A notification icon on the Legatus's HUD prompted him to hold up a hand as he read its contents.

“I have just been informed that the anomaly has begun to act. Our time is nigh! Let us retake what is rightfully ours. We shall crush these terrorists once and for all! The Dyn above all!” he shouted.

“The Dyn above all!” the room chorused in reply.