Before Zoey could come up with a solution to help Athena, the fight in the distance suddenly became more intense, causing the Stella Tenebris to shake violently from the shockwaves. Not even 704’s piloting and the systems that Zoey had installed to prevent things like this could counteract the violent power that was being released in the distance.

“704, find a spot nearby to set down for now… We need to stay out of the air until this mess is over,” Zoey ordered as she watched the data scrolling across her interface. The Stella Tenebris was well-built all things considered, but these shockwaves were not normal, and they passed right through the armor of her ship while messing with the power distribution through the conduits. They were not concussive in nature, instead carried some form of magic energy that wreaked havoc to the stability of the Stella Tenebris while in the air.

Thanks to 704’s piloting, a nearby landing spot was quickly identified and the cruiser was landed safely. By chance, the landing zone was atop a natural hill formation, and allowed the passengers aboard the ship to still observe the titanic battle taking place in the distance after they landed.

As for Zoey, she had determined that the only way she could assist Athena was at long range. She had her DAAC in her storage ring, and the long range weapon configuration she had dubbed FAMR was the only thing she had that could come close to covering a kilometer of distance accurately. So she recovered the Mk1 Prototype Armament from the still sleeping Max, and headed up to the upper hull of her cruiser to get set up.

Meanwhile, the Asurai clan gathered around the open cargo bay door as they somberly watched the ongoing battle. Markus was among them, and he knew that in the distance, his sister was fighting against the woman known as Athena, a rumored powerhouse that had no known equal on this continent. He was worried and anxious, his emotions an uncontrolled mess in his mind as he watched the shockwaves ripple through the air.

Is this still my sister? Or is she still that monster she became? He wondered, his hope that Athena could save her dwindling away. I don’t know what is happening out there, but please… don’t die Volaia!

Once Zoey got to the upper hull, she quickly put together the FAMR configuration using the Mk1 and the DAAC, setting the weapon on the ground and lying down in a firing position as she looked through the optic at the distant battle. There was still the issue of her not being able to see through the incredible speed that the two combatants were moving, but all it would take was one instant, one shot, and the tide of battle could turn. All she had to do was make sure that the battle turned in Athena’s favor. However, she had barely lain down when her interface beeped with a call from 704.

“Miss Zoey, it appears that Taigen has left the safety of the ship and is now heading into the city again.”

“What?! What the hell is he doing?” Zoey exclaimed, pulling up her interface to see where his Eve was. Sure enough, she could see his signal on the map getting further away, heading in a different direction from where the battle was on his own.

“He has ordered that nobody from the clan follow him, and appears to have seen something in the city,” 704 helpfully provided as Zoey looked on in confusion.

She had no idea what could have spurred this action from Taigen, and she could not go after him right now. Looking at Viridi sitting next to her licking her paws, Zoey sent a though her way. Viridi, can you follow him and make sure he comes back safely? I have no idea what is going through his head, but he just lost someone very important to him, and is still coping with that pain. Just make sure he stays safe for me, okay?

Viridi responded to Zoey’s request with a comforting nuzzle, then with a huge leap, took to the sky as she unfurled her shadowy wings in a burst of particles. In moments, she had disappeared into the distance, following Taigen into the city. Though they had been successful in shutting down the factories that produced thousands of androids, the city was one made of machinery, and just like it had taken time to start the factories, it would take time for them to shut down completely, so many were still operational. Not only that, there were plenty of androids still out there, and Taigen’s foolish actions would end up getting him killed if he ran off on his own like that.

But with Viridi following him, Zoey had a little peace of mind. Unless they ran into something crazy, they should be able to return safely. However, she was still confused as to what had prompted Taigen to run off like that. What did he see out there? She wondered as she got back down into a firing position. I’ll know soon enough I guess. For now, I need to focus on helping Athena if I can