The first bolt of light flies past me and just barely misses as I lower my stance and strafe sideways. I send a shell back in the direction tearing the head off of my attacker, not killing the pilot, but effectively blinding a mass-production model of AMS. The driver obviously freaks out and runs into another AMS knocking them both to the ground, not defeating them, but taking them out of the fight for now. The firey one lungers forward and I the sword digs deep into my shoulder causing me extreme pain but I pull away before a second cut can do more damage.

I was mostly lost armor but a little bit of internal structure was damaged, but no loss of efficiency. I kick the bladed attacker away as a volley of shots rain down on me from the many AMS, most splash harmlessly against my shield but a few manage to breach the shield while riding on the curtails of another shot. I feel the ablative armor shred off as the extreme heat hits it, but thanks to the nature of the think leaflets of metal and ceramic it doesn't hurt any more than a sharp pinch and no damage. while I swivel to face the shooters the firey swordswoman goes on the attack once more.

The opening strike goes wild due to my continuous movement but the second one on the backswing comes for my leg, losing any mobility in this situation means I am dead, and as of right now I don't want to kill any of my current attackers. I jump over the flaming blade just as it swings under me. I feel the heat radiating off of it, I bring one of my fists forward in a hard jab before she can recover from her large swing. This causes her taller AMS to stumble backward a few steps giving me space to distance further and empty the rest of my magazine into the firing line. I only disable two but severely damage six during my shooting, but due to my quick draw, I wasn't able to aim with my usual precision. A second sword-wielding AMS, one I recognize from the arena comes at me from the other side of the firey one, now I am trapped between two melee specialist AMS.

I duck the first swing from the new opponent as the one wreathed in fire comes at a lower angle, I take a glancing blow but lose my balance during my dodge attempt and I fall onto my side. I quickly get back up by barreling into the legs of the firey AMS. This causes her to fall but a plume of bright red flame flies from her wrist. Due to the closeness of the situation the fire starts from within my shield which works to trap the flames inside with me. I feel my skin be engulfed in fire and it feels as if I am burning alive, I might actually be since I am trapped in a metal box. The fire subsides and I stagger away dazed by the sudden extreme pain, the ablative armor did wonders to protect me from that attack as I should have died, but it still almost overheated every single system, which means those flames were easily hot enough to melt steel, thankfully most of my AMS is made of composites of ceramic and titanium which really helped out.

I start to shake off the pain of just living through the bread baking experience but get impaled in the right arm. The new attacker took their chance but squandered it. I raise my left arm and extend the large wrist blades and then I drive them into the enemy and separate them from their two arms, by ripping into the weak shoulder joints, then I sweep the legs out from under them and tear one, off at the knee. I remove their sword from my arm and feel a reduced efficiency of ten percent due to artificial muscle having been severed. I cuss and drop the sword to the ground and raise the cannon again. The firey one is about to stand up as I reload the empty magazine. It's too late, they got up and are leaping towards me in vengeance for their comrade, spewing fire and slashing they relentlessly press me backward, I keep moving back to stay out of their range, my shield can handle the flames but are quickly depleting and will soon be useless, that's when they suddenly stop. I jump back and see their right leg has frost forming around the knee joint. This causes me to let out a laugh over communications as two new AMS appear and slam into the side of the mass of shooters.

Behind me from around some nearby buildings, two more AMS appear, one a pale blue with blade-like hands, and the other a dark black and made of sharp angles and covered in missile-pods. The ones who attacked the firing line from the side appear now next to us. One a monochromatic piebald and the other a bright turquoise covered in runic symbols and built almost like a gorilla. I then say over the communications,

"Well, looks like you aren't the only one with friends in this fight." {Author note: No one mention the avengers I will cry}

I look around at the new arrivals, Eloise, Genevieve, and the other two who I don't immediately recognize. I ask over communication,

"Alright which ones are you two?"

The dark-colored one responds,

"It's me Liberty."

The large muscular one responds,

"Dusty here."

I nod towards them all but ask out loud,

"Thanks for showing up, but why the hell did you come to stand near me? This isn't some show, this is kinda a fight to the death, its war, absolutely stupid to leave cover and advantageous positions. Liberty, you literally went to West Point, why the fuck are you acting like some kind of superhero?"

She responds,

"I dunno, thought you just needed some help and a morale boost? Why arent you appreciative?"

I respond,

" I am in a lot of pain, and really don't want to die, or kill any of these folks. I'm not in the best mood to be silly, again I appreciate the help and was in need, just this isn't the time to act like heroes of justice."

There is silence which I take as agreement and the fight continues.

The others branch off and begin easily obliterating our foes while I focus on the vessel of flame in front of me. They have unfrozen their leg and are now facing me ready to fight. The female pilots voice rings over the comms channel,

"I don't know what your goal is. The empress's attendant and the daughter of the high priest are both supporting you. Just what the hell is going on?"

I shake my head and reply,

"You never gave me time to explain, but I have done nothing but protect the empress as it is my job, those imperials you are supporting have fired upon her and attempted to arrest her as well. I still don't know the full story and I'm figuring it out still, but I assume Titan is a political nightmare at the moment.

You have lost, I strongly recommend you surrender, and possibly join me if you wish to protect the empress."

She is quiet for a while as the sounds of metal clashing and weapons firing ring out around us. No one dares interrupt our staredown. This gives Wendigo enough time to partially recharge the lost portion of the shields. She is deep in thought about what I have said, she then responds,

"Will you let me speak to the empress?"

I nod and reply,

"She's back on US soil in a safe place, I can bring you there. I have to secure the hangar ahead but after the mission is complete you can follow me."

She nods her AMS head in agreement and the battle is over. I am relieved that this situation could be resolved mostly without violence, but especially without anyone dying. At least I hope none of these people died, at the end of the day, they are just college students, technically adults, but far too young to be soldiers in a war their fathers waged, but I think the same can be said about any war, but I want to avoid the involvement of younger people, and for once, I want this war to cause those responsible to suffer the consequences, not the youth whom they use to achieve their goals.

We make our way to the hangar and find it empty of AMS. Well, functioning AMS, there are many that have been destroyed but most of all there are dozens of people in there. Along with multiple imperial soldiers, who are not armed with any form of anti-armor weapons, they don't surrender, instead, they corner some students and staff and threaten to kill them if we come any closer. I simply say to the firey AMS,

"Do you see the kinds of cowards we fight now? They use others as human shields when they fear their own deaths. These aren't people who care about the people, they are people who prey upon others for material and political gain. The prime minister of your empire is the greatest example. I have a strong suspicion that he is the one who is behind this attack and attempt on the empress's life due to us finally cornering him through his sons' cruelty.

So tell me, what do you think of your brave imperial soldiers?"

She is silent for a moment before she responds,

"I see... I guess I have been too blind to see these things, or maybe this hasn't happened before this, regardless I will only take the empress's word on this, not some earth-born."

I sigh and reply,

"You've just lost your AMS privileges."

She makes a shocked noise but before she can react, my right arm with the wrist blades extended rips through the torso of her AMS, I am careful not to hit her human body on the inside but I manage to destroy the most important piloting systems. Her AMS collapses to the floor causing the panicking imperial soldiers to just stand there in surprise. The sudden silence after the sound of metal being ripped apart is broken by the sound of an infantry machine gun. Fire leaps from the small gun attached to Libertys AMS wrist and the imperial soldiers are torn to bits by the incoming fire. After all armed foes are eliminated silence returns to the hangar. I then open up my speakers and announce to everyone inside in a booming voice,

"Listen up, I come in the representation of the empress of the Solar Empire, and for the United States of America. All imperial forces are to surrender to me per order of your empress. I will not accept anything less, I do not care about your family titles, or what your daddy does to make his money, I expect cooperation or you will face elimination.

Your empire is embroiled in a horrible civil crisis at the moment, there are those who wish to remove or puppet the empress. As the head of her personal order of knights, I will not allow this no matter what. This is the one and only warning I will give to any who stand against me, anyone from this point on who speaks or acts against me will be met with lethal force. That is all."

With that, I turn off the speakers and dig through the destroyed AMS and pull out its wriggling pilot. I turn on my heel and begin walking back to the camp as a flier of troops deploys its cargo. I am getting really sick and tired of politics, and since I am going to have to play that game no matter what, I decide here I will not play by the house rules, instead I will make this game mine, and follow my rules alone.