"89P13, so this is where you ran off to."
"Do I know you?" Rocket bared his teeth.
"Test subject 89P13, you will be the finest gift the Sovereign can offer to the High Evolutionary." The arrogance and contempt in Ayesha's gaze trembled ever so slightly when she spoke the High Evolutionary's title. It was the instinctive reverence of a creation toward its maker.
"You said who?!"
Rocket froze in place. His raccoon face scrunched up like a wet rag, his black bead-like eyes narrowing sharply. The fur on his arms bristled like steel needles. He had gone straight into the fiercest possible stress response, as if he might go mad and lunge forward to bite at any second.
Ayesha slowly walked up to the raccoon. Her elegant, form-fitting robes were adorned with jeweled tassels, and her radiant golden face looked like some ancient sacred icon.
Such a stunning beauty, and yet when she spoke of the High Evolutionary, she bowed from the bottom of her heart.
"The one I speak of is your creator. The one who gave you life, and gave you intelligence. Everything you are belongs to him. He is the exalted master who governs the fate of civilization. We noble Sovereign are nothing more than his humble creations." Ayesha trembled as she looked up toward the heavens.
"Go to hell, go to hell!" Rocket screamed. "I'm a free being!"
"We act in the name of the High Evolutionary to reclaim his property. Not even the Nova Corps has the right to interfere." Ayesha waved a hand, and the soldiers closed in around Rocket.
Groot stepped in front of the raccoon, only to be met with concentrated fire from the advanced civilization's plasma rifles. His body rapidly carbonized.
"I am Groot!" the tree-being roared, swinging both arms. Thick vines extended from his hands and violently pierced through the Sovereign soldiers' armor, skewering them like candied fruit on a stick before whipping them around to either side. The display frightened the lofty High Priestess Ayesha so badly that she crouched down and covered her head.
"Kill that tree!"
With both legs carbonized, Groot could no longer run. He could only stand there and endure the barrage. Plates of bark peeled from his body, while the vines inside him caught fire.
"Hang on, Groot!"
Rocket dove into a shuttle, kicked the Nova mechanic who was inspecting it off his seat, fired up the engine, and pushed it to maximum output. This was his best possible chance to escape.
But Rocket Raccoon would never abandon a friend.
So he piloted the shuttle straight at the Sovereign.
"Die, you Sovereign bitch!!!" Through the cockpit glass, Rocket flashed Ayesha a crazed grin. "To hell with your damn creator!"
The crowd cried out in shock.
The Sovereign did not panic. They opened fire in rapid succession. The Nova shuttle's outer shields overloaded and shattered, and the ship then broke apart in midair.
Boom!
Rocket crashed out of the cockpit and hit the ground like a little burning furball. He rolled frantically, trying to extinguish the flames on his body.
By then, the raccoon's small frame was scorched and mangled. Melted fur and charred skin stuck together. His arm had been sliced open by flying wreckage, and deep in the long wound, white bone showed through. He looked like a burned chick fresh from a fire.
Rocket whimpered in pain like a crying puppy and rasped, "Groot! Are you okay?" One of his eyes was sealed shut by melted fur. The other was red from smoke and could only open to a slit.
"I am... Groot." All that remained of the tree-being was a single head, and clear tears like drops of dew rolled down his face.
"No, I'm not leaving alone! I'm not going to be alone!" Rocket gritted his teeth, roaring hoarsely as he raised his gun and fired back. But his vision was too damaged for him to aim properly, and every shot went wide of the enemy.
The Sovereign soldiers jumped at first, then burst into laughter at Rocket's futile last stand.
Groot's head was kicked away, rolling across the ground until it stopped at Jojani's feet. The girl was terrified by what she was seeing and did not know what to do, but she still instinctively bent down and picked Groot up.
"I am Groot!" New vines slowly extended from the neck of the severed head. His species was incredibly resilient, like weeds that refused to die. But now Groot was the last of his kind. All the others were already extinct.
Jojani seemed to understand what Groot was saying. She hurriedly said, "You can't go, ah!"
The tree head bit into her arm. The sharp pain made her let go, and Groot dropped to the ground. The vines at his neck moved like spider legs as he rapidly crawled toward the surrounded Rocket, absolute and unwavering in his resolve.
A little blood ran down Jojani's arm as she stared blankly at the scene before her.
Rocket was pinned beneath High Priestess Ayesha's foot. The smug, sharp-tongued little raccoon who was always acting so cocky now had his back crushed down under her heel. Every bit of air had been forced from his lungs, and he could not even speak anymore, only wheeze in ragged breaths. The one eye he could still open remained nailed to the Sovereign.
On Groot's desperate path toward his friend, another black gun barrel had already swung into aim.
"Mr. Rocket!"
Jojani had only just stepped forward when someone behind her grabbed her by the shoulder.
It was Tony.
He had already changed into his arcane armor. He floated in midair, six vector thrusters behind him blazing with blue exhaust like long wings of light. Standing there, he was a disciple of Kamar-Taj, an archangel of steel.
The Sovereign soldiers fired at Groot's head.
The plasma beams burst from their barrels at four times the speed of sound, leaving streaks of pale blue light in the air.
The last surviving member of Groot's race was about to die right there, when a little snake suddenly appeared and swallowed the plasma beam whole.
Lady Moonshadow floated in the air as lightly as a feather and lifted Ayesha with a wave of her hand. The two women hovered in the sky, one with purple skin like a dark moon, the other with golden skin like a blazing sun. Yet before Lady Moonshadow, Ayesha's brilliance was as dim as a firefly.
"A lovely creation, but your mind is simple and crude, far inferior to that little raccoon." Lady Moonshadow gently stroked the top of Ayesha's head. "You are rather pretty. Have you considered becoming my follower?"
"Who... are you?"
"I am Moonshadow. Hello there, mortal."
The Sovereign soldiers raised their guns at her, but Tony flew above them, and rings of seven-colored arcane missiles unfolded from his arms, surrounding the Sovereign like a swarm of bees.
"Don't move, boys." Tony's tone was relaxed. "Nobody wants their head blown apart, right?"
Gali pushed through the crowd and gathered the dying Rocket into her arms, softly trying to soothe him. "Oh, little raccoon, don't be afraid."
"Screw you... I'm not a... raccoon..." Rocket bared his teeth. "Why save me?"
"Because you're cute." Gali smiled with narrowed eyes.
Lady Moonshadow gazed at Ayesha. "Have faith in Azura."
Ayesha shuddered violently. "No, the High Evolutionary would never allow it. The Sovereign are his property. You can't do this..."
"No free life is anyone's property." Lady Moonshadow gently stroked Ayesha's cheek. "Do not be afraid, child. In Azura's name, I make this covenant with you. If your people place their faith in her, then she will protect them."
In her eyes was reflected a magnificent divine realm. Its beauty was blinding, and deep within its highest palace stood a vast and solemn throne, where the radiant figure of Azura sat enthroned.
"I believe in you." Through tearful joy, Ayesha made her oath to the goddess.
Lady Moonshadow smiled in satisfaction. "Then I shall bless you."
Ayesha's brilliant golden skin suddenly dimmed, like the sun during an eclipse. Her rounded ears lengthened, and her eyes turned a deep blood-red.
Every Sovereign underwent the same transformation.
"From this day on, you are Dunmer, Dark Elves."
The former Sovereign all bowed obediently and said in ringing voices, "May the great Azura guide your path."
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