“Two hundred years?” Kronos exploded. “What am I supposed to fight him in? A terran style suit of armor?”

The titan started pacing around the medbay. “And what am I supposed to kill him with? A broadsword?” He was struck by the absurdity of the situation that only increased when Raylee commented.

“Actually, she likes to use sickles.”

He swung toward her, “sickles?”

The diminutive woman shrank back from Kronos’ glare. He saw the pupils of her hazel colored eyes shrink in fear.

Kronos forced himself to call down. He hadn’t meant to frighten her. He looked over his shoulder at Astra.

“Can you please explain?” He wearily asked.

Astra gingerly touched the healing wound on her ribs before replying.

“It might be better if I show you,” she suggested before glancing at Sean.

“Can you grab Aegis?”

Sean nodded before slipping around Kronos and exiting the room. When he left, Astra turned her gaze back to Kronos.

“Titans were designed to operate within a special type of symbiotic armor.”

“You mean it’s alive?” Kronos felt frankly disgusted by the idea. He imagined a slug-like creature that covered his body.

“Sort of,” Astra admitted. “Aegis isn’t just a suit of armor, it’s the name of a fully sapient AI. Well,” she paused. “We think she’s fully sapient. We don’t have a lot of information on her.”

Kronos frowned. “If she’s been around for over two hundred years, then how haven’t you collected enough data?”

“Because cowboy, she kills everyone she’s bonded to. The last time she was in use, it was to protect the original Triplex Corp from Imperial invasion. Her abilities to regenerate and replicate drawn from her host. For a titan, that’s fine. Their natural strengths allow her to reach her max potential. Back in those days, there weren’t any titans. We had gene enhanced warriors, but they weren’t able to keep up with the demands of Aegis’ technology.”

“If she uses my own regenerative ability, then doesn’t she pose the risk of turning me into a Tyrant?”

“That’s the risk,” Astra agreed. “We only have her aboard as a last resort. This whole operation has gone sideways. We were supposed to slip out of here without the Imps finding out.”

As Kronos was thinking, Sean reentered the room with a large metal canister. The titan saw that there were two crossed sickled embossed on the surface. The rebel didn’t say anything as he carefully carried it and set it down on the other operating table.

Kronos stared at the canister for a long moment. He couldn’t help the sour feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“What kind of risks are we talking about?”

Astra shrugged. “ Honestly, we don’t know. It’s either this, or we get out now and leave Nico and Rhian behind.”

Kronos felt stunned, “That’s not a solution.”

“No cowboy, it isn’t.” The woman looked old and worn out. “But I understand if you don’t want to take the risk. You don’t know these people, and it would be easier if we get out while we still can.”

Kronos looked around the room. He saw the same sad expressions mirrored on their faces. He realized how far they were willing to go to save him. They would let their friends be captured by the Empire if it meant that he got away from them. He knew he didn’t have a choice. Not if he wanted to be able to go see his family with a clean conscience. He was supposed to be god-touched. He was supposed to be the hero. He wouldn’t let that go because he was afraid.

“Okay,” he decided. “I’ll do it.”

He watched as relief flooded the faces of his companions and he knew he made the right decision. Sean walked over to the table and picked up the canister. He turned and presented it to the titan.

“All you have to do is hold the canister and I’ll do the rest,” he said.

Kronos nodded and dismissed the lingering fear. He had already committed to his decision, he just needed to push the residual emotions behind him. They wouldn’t help him in his current situation.

He stepped close to Sean and gingerly lifted the container. Sean’s blue eyes met his own and he nodded.

“Initializing Aegis Protocol. Authorization code, victor-zero-one-two-five-two.”

Kronos stared down at the canister when Sean finished. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he didn’t think the canister was going to melt into a viscous liquid in his hands. He looked over at Astra in barely concealed panic, but the woman just nodded.

“It’s fine, cowboy. That’s what it’s supposed to do.”

Reassured, Kronos watched the rest of the transformation. The liquid metal started flowing up his arms. When it crossed his PCD, the bracer started to melt and join the same metal as the canister. When it was completely consumed, the tendrils started to dig into the biosuit itself. He watched as it started to flow into the embedded circuitry and the golden color began to glow more brightly.

The glow of the circuitry started to expand throughout his biosuit until he shone as brightly as the sun. The light seemed to hurt the other’s eyes, because they shielded them with their arms or hands. To Kronos, it was a warm and soft illumination that made him feel comforted and protected. He couldn’t explain the sensation other than the fact that he felt safe. He felt like he was retuning to a home that he had never visited.

The light faded away and the others unshielded their eyes.

Kronos looked around the room feeling slightly confused.

“Is that it?” He asked.

[Aegis Protocol initializing]

An abrupt burning sensation flooded his veins. He felt like every bone in his body became molten metal while his heart pumped fire throughout his body. He felt every muscle in his body tear and reform over and over as his flesh crawled like boiling water. He collapsed to his knees and started screaming through clenched teeth. The others rushed toward him but held their distance as visible steam started pouring through his biosuit.

[Foreign technology detected. Nanite hive assimilated. Deviance inhibitor assimilated. Neural enhancements assimilated. Waste materials rejected.]

The biosuit surrounding Kronos’ head peeled back and he vomited the content of his stomach onto the deck. Through tear-filled eyes he noticed a dull metallic substance mixed within the acids of his gut. Once his insides were fully emptied, the pain in his body started to recede. He took great gulping breaths and the coolness of the medbay felt like a refreshing plunge in an arctic lake.

[Aegis upload initalizing.]

A stabbing pain in his skull replaced the fire in his body. He screamed as he squeezed his hands against his skull. This time it didn’t feel like fire, it was all ice. The sensation pierced his brain like a hundred thousand needles filled with frigid water. The agony was so excruciating that he tried to throw up again but nothing came up. He dry heaved as he felt his brain melting and freezing an infinite amount of times. The pain shifted from his brain and flowed along his optic nerves until it coalesced in his eyes. He felt like the soft surface of the orbs were being ground down with sandpaper and he weeped tears of blood.

After long moments the pain started to fade away and he felt his insides gnawing on themselves as his regeneration started to heal the damage to his body. He felt a hunger like he had never experienced before. The desire to consume ground out any other thoughts and he started to fantasize about every delectable thing he had ever eaten.

“Food,” he whispered.

Raylee sprinted from the room as he staggered to his feet. He stumbled over to the unoccupied table and leaned against it with one arm while holding a hand to his face. When he pulled his palm away, he noticed that it was sticky with blood from his face.

[Hello, Kronos.] A familiar voice whispered in his mind. He realized that it spoke with the same language of his home planet. Her voice sounded eerily like an amalgamation of his wife and his mother.

[Who are you?]

[I am Aegis. I have run an initial diagnostic and discovered multiple foreign bodies. I have disabled them and integrated them into my systems. You are now combat ready.]

Kronos used his hands to wipe the blood off his face, but he suspected he only succeeded in smearing it further. He looked around for something to clean his hands and Astra handed him a nano-fiber towel. He nodded his thanks and cleaned the rest of himself off.

“Are you okay, cowboy?”

“I feel like I’ve been chewed up by a daima and the shat back out.” He grumbled.

[That is an incorrect statement. My sensors indicate full combat effectiveness. Your regeneration is already healing any residual damage from the initialization.]

Kronos snarled and Astra drew back in confusion. “Not you,” he said to her unspoken question.

[If I’m combat effective, then why do I feel like my stomach is trying to eat itself?]

[The initialization process caused stress on your body. Your natural regeneration is healing the damage by consuming excess calories. You have dangerously low levels of body fat. Suggestion: replenish caloric deficit or face degeneration.]

As if summoned, Raylee breezed through the door with an armload of ration packs. Kronos growled as he snatched one from her hands and ripped open the contents with his teeth. He started sucking out the nutrient-dense sludge without any care to how he looked. He downed the first one and discarded the wrapper. He grabbed a handful of others and inhaled them just as quickly. When he had exhausted the sixth pack, his reason started to return.

“Thanks,” he told Raylee. She was looking at him in horrified fascination.

“Your eyes are yellow,” she blurted.

Kronos frowned and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Yellow?”

“More like polished gold.” Astra affirmed. “They look like their glowing with their own illumination.”

[That is an effect of the initialization process. I can now see through your eyes just as you can see through my sensors.]

Kronos consumed another packet of sludge as he considered Aegis’ words. He looked down at his body, but didn’t discover any other changes besides glowing eyes.

[How am I suppose to defeat power armor. You haven’t done anything except change the color of my eyes.]

[Initializing defense protocols.]

Kronos could have sworn the voice sounded offended. He was going to make a jab at the AI, but he became distracted by the the sight of silvery liquid metal pooling from the synthetic muscles of his biosuit.

He felt the metal began to harden and reinforce the connections at every muscle head. They seemed to ground the synethic muscle with his body underneath. He experimentally swung an arm and was surprised at the power behind it

After that, the same liquid started extending from each muscle head and created reinforcements along every tendon and ligament. He raised one arm and held it parallel from the deck. He relaxed his conscious control over the limb but it remained suspended in the air without any effort. He dropped it slowly to his side before feeling a bubbling sensation suffuse his entire body.

He felt an itching on his skin as metal started to cover his more delicate bones. His collar bones became sheathed in liquid metal. An organic-looking chassis covered his ribcage and he could feel tiny plates began to grow out of each vertebrae. They started from the middle of his back and descended until they reached the bottom of his tailbone. When they reached the bottom, he felt new plates rising up from the center od his back until they covered his neck and then connected to the back of his head.

The armor continued it’s journey as it grew to cover his back in an impenetrable layer of metal before coiling around his shoulders to create thin pauldrons. More of the liquid metal climbed over his trapezius to connect with the parts protecting the ligaments in his neck.

Once those connected, material from his pauldrons began to flow down his arms and connected them with the protection on his upper arms and elbows. The flowed together to create slim gauntlets of metal and then tendrils crept down the tops of his fingers until they were covered in protective armor. Extra panels covered his elbows, wrists, and knuckles to protect them from impact.

He felt a bubbling sensation as silky metal plates rose from his chest and created hardened protection over his pectorals. Small plates rose to cover each muscle in his abdomen before a reinforced girdle covered his groin and hips.

More plating appeared down his thighs and over his shins before delicate pieces started appearing along his heels and toes. Instead of confining his toes into a boot like he expected, they changed the sock-like biosuit until it resembled a mechanical version of an actual foot. Having completed their initial layer, thicker panels sprouted over his knees and shins for extra protection.

When he was finally covered in armor, small golden sensors popped out all over his body. He felt four grow from his chest underneath each collarbone, and four more grow between his shoulder blades and trapezius.

There was a moment of confusion as his vision connected with the sensors and he realized that he could see all the way around him. He had already experienced the increased range in his Frumentarii armor so he quickly adapted to it.

As a final touch, his bio suit grew over his face once more, and a metal helmet manifested over it. It was a smooth skull like shape with a large gold glowing eye directly in the center. When his Aegis was finally sealed, he realized that he could smell, see, and hear even better than before.

“Woah,” Sean said.

Kronos smiled underneath his helmet and looked around the medbay with new eyes. If he focused on any particular thing in the room, Aegis fed him information and diagnostics on the item. It didn’t appear on a HUD like in his old armor, instead he just knew what the item was for and what condition it was in.

He took a couple tentative steps and he felt like he was almost weightless. There was so much power rushing through his body that he felt like he could sprint for days and crush stone into powder.

“Woah is right,” he said in awe. He noticed that his voice didn’t come from a tinny external speaker, instead it sounded like he was speaking normally.

[Are you satisfied now?] Aegis asked him.

[Fuck. Yes.] He crowed.

The titan reached down to where his pistols had been mag attached to his thighs and fumbled at empty air.

[Where are my weapons?]

[I need more material to generate better weapons. The pistols you previously utilized are insufficient.]

Kronos frowned at Aegis’ declaration.

[Where do I get more materials?]

[I can convert any metallic substance into my own material. However, the condition of the substance effects the conversion.]

[Wait, does that mean you can absorb other materials into the armor as well?]

[That is correct. I was designed to grow alongside my host.]

“Okay,” Kronos mused aloud. He looked at Astra, “Is there an armory aboard?”

Astra quirked an eyebrow at his question.

“I need weapons,” he clarified.

“Sure,” she nodded before glancing at Sean.

“Get us to node six,” she turned to Raylee, “and I need you to take Kronos to the armory. I need to rest up here before I’m ready to go. Hopefully, by the time we get to six, I’ll have recovered enough to be useful.”

The two rebels both replied with an “aye, Captain” before Kronos turned to follow Raylee out of the medbay. She led him through the main cabin to another hallway running opposite the one that held the medbay. She didn’t say a word as they walked toward the armory, and Kronos felt like he had been to harsh on her.

“Hey,” he started. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. All this shit is a little weird and it’s coming too fast.”

The woman shot him a look over her shoulder. “It’s fine,” she shrugged. “We dedicated our lives to this mission. To you,” she stressed.

Instead of making him feel better, that only made him feel worse.

“Why would you do something like that?” He asked her honestly.

She stopped at a door and waved her PCD across the access panel. It glowed green before opening. She gestured inside and he entered the armory before clinically looking around.

“You’re the best chance we have of regaining some kind of independence from the Empire,” Raylee finally answered him.

“Everyone on Titan and Enceladus has lost someone to the Empire. You’re like a lost legend to us. You and Aegis are a symbol of what everything used to be.” She frowned. “More than that, you’re a symbol of what life could be like.”

Kronos turned toward her. She was still hovering outside the armory.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” he said helplessly.

“I know you didn’t,” she said softly. “But neither did we ask to be invaded and conquered. I think you’ll find that we’re more alike than you imagine.”

Kronos didn’t know how to respond to that, but Raylee didn’t give him an option.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you to it,” she gestured to the armory before walking off.

When the door closed and silence reigned, Kronos thought about her words.

Maybe we aren’t so different, he mused.

[You’re not. In fact, you come from the same origin.]

Kronos froze in place. [Did you just read my thoughts?]

[Of course, I’m embedded into your mind. Your thoughts are just electrical currents running through neurons in your brain.]

The titan felt violated. Even his thoughts we’re safe from prying. Fuck, he thought.

[I’m not sure what sexual intercourse has to do with it]

The AI genuinely sounded confused and that pissed off Kronos even more.

[Nevermind, just tell me what you need to craft me some weapons.]

[I need eight rifles worth of material. Four will be used for your pistols, and another four for your sickles.]

[That’s the second time someone mentioned sickles. Why do I need them? I prefer pistols.]

[Directed energy weapons are suboptimal for piercing shields. Sickles will allow you to pierce and then shatter the protections of your foes.]

Kronos frowned and granted that Aegis had a point.

[Yeah, but why sickles,] he wondered.

[Each of my kind is unique. We are individually assigned to our hosts. I was always meant for Kronos. The first of his kind and the leader of all the other titans. My creators gave me the affinity for sickles because they’re the weapons the Kronos of legends used. They will serve you well.]

Kronos shrugged at the new information before crossing to the nearest rack of weapons. He had always used two short swords to fight. He didn’t think sickles would be too far from what he already knew. If Aegis had some peculiarities then that was less annoying than her ability to read his thoughts.

[So what do I need to do?]

[Simply place your hands on the rifles. I’ll do the rest,] Aegis instructed.

Kronos followed her instructions and was fascinated at the effect. The two rifles under his palms rapidly corroded like time was accelerating hundreds of years in mere seconds. They’re mettalic surfaces began to pit and corrode. A cloud of black dust started to pour off of them like a whirlwind of sand. As they peeled away from the rifle, they flowed into his palms like umbral tornadoes. In a matter of seconds they were completely consumed. He repeated the process four more times before Aegis informed him that she had enough material.

He strode into the center of the room and looked at his empty palms in wonder. He was already calculating what he could do using this newfound power. As he stared, he noticed two whirlwinds of silver particles manifest into the center of his hands. They coalesced until they created two identical pistols that matched the same luster as his armor.

There were no complicated parts, just smooth metal that looked like it was crafted from one piece. The minimalist pistols didn’t even appear to have a trigger or a receptacle for ammunition. The grips were the same black as his biosuit and they felt perfectly molded for his hands. When he studied them closer, he noticed golden lines of energy that traced their way through the metal like tiny circuitry.

[Do they fire plasma like Imperial pistols?]

[No, these fire projectile made from my own metal. You will need to absorb material as you fight to maintain my structural integrity while providing you ammunitiion.]

[Doesn’t that make them poor weapons for armor?]

[Not at all, each projectile carries a limited portion of my absorption abilities. Imagine them like a poison or an acid that will eat through armor and turn it into more material.]

Kronos grinned at Aegis’ explanation. He had been thinking about how to use the absorption qualities of his armor, and now he learned that he could use them at range.

[These are perfect!]

[Of course, I created them. I am Aegis. I was designed to be perfect. Now behold your sickles.]

Kronos mag locked his pistols to his thighs as he heard mini sandstorms appearing on his shoulder blades. He shifted his vision to look through his rear sensors and found sickles manifesting on his back. The points of the sickles faces inward while the handles peeked over his shoulders. He reach up to grab the handles and the weapons smoothly disengaged from his armor.

He drew them fully and studied them like he did the pistols. They were the same dull silver color with black handgrips. He found similar golden circuitry etched into the metals.

[Observe]

A humming sound emanated from the sickled as bright golden lights lit up the inward edge of the sickles.

[These weapons will slice through most known materials in the system. The more you use them, a cloud of black nanites will manifest from the blades like a shadowy afterimage. That is the visible sign of my absorption abilities at work. Wherever these sickles pass, they’ll create more material for my consumption.]

Kronos gulped before returning the sickles to their place on his back.

[Okay, they’re way more useful than I thought they’d be.]

Aegis didn’t reply, but he thought he sensed a satisfied feeling come from the AI.

“Alright, let’s get to work then,” he said to himself before leaving the armory.

He heard the granitic engines firing up and with a thought, he linked with the ship itself. He could sense the condition of the ship, how long it would take for the engines to finish warming up, and a host of other information that he couldn’t even begin to discern. His mouth opened up in awe. It was like using his omni-tool but on a scale that couldn’t be comprehended.

He reached out to connect with the station itself while walking to the cockpit, but he realized that it was closed off to him.

[Why can’t I connect with the station?]

[Their communications are disabled, I cannot penetrate their systems until power is restored]

Kronos nodded and dismissed it from his mind. It would be damn near a superpower if Aegis could get inside the Imperial’s systems.

When he reached the cockpit, he found Sean and Astra at the controls. The woman looked a little worse for wear but her gaze was determined.

“You ready, cowboy?”

“As ready as I’ll always be,” Kronos replied.

“Good, we’re detaching from the station. We’ll be at six in just a couple minutes. After that, we’ll start a soft dock.”

“Sounds good, I’ll get ready by the hatch.”

“Good hunting. Bring our people back so we can get out of here.”

“I will,” Kronos said before nodding.