After violently breaching the swirling atmosphere of the planet, I touched down in the courtyard of a massive Coalition Foundry built directly into the jagged walls of a canyon.
The heavy, purple storm clouds raged above us, but down here in the eye of the storm, it was all organized chaos. The Coalition soldiers stationed at the base—the ones who had just survived the orbital bombardment thanks to my interference—rushed out to meet me and helped get Oliver into their highest-grade medical bay.
A couple of hours later, the base's heavy hangar doors parted to allow a Coalition reinforcement ship to dock. Allen, Zoe, and a squad of elite soldiers stepped off, having rushed to Sector Four the moment successful contact was established during the tail-end of the fight with Kregg and his forces.
Now here I was standing silently outside a heavy glass medical pod, watching as automated surgical arms stitched together the massive thermal burns and internal trauma Oliver had sustained.
As I watched his chest rise and fall with agonizing slowness, my mind raced with the Viltrumites' next set of moves.
Thragg is a master tactician, so he wouldn't just launch this ambush to take out supply lines, I mused. Capturing Nolan wouldn't be just about punishing a traitor. Maybe he wants to use Nolan as bait to draw me out into some kind of heavily fortified death trap. Or maybe he'll publicly execute him to shatter the morale of every rebel planet in the Coalition, to show that even someone who was very loyal to their cause until recently wouldn't escape punishment. Either way, the Empire would win.
"Mark," a voice broke my train of thought.
I turned to see Allen walking down the sterile corridor, his single eye narrowed in frustration.
"How's the kid?" he asked, glancing through the glass.
"Stable," I replied, crossing my arms. "What's the situation with the prisoner?"
Allen sighed, rubbing his orange temple. "Frustrating as hell. We locked her up in the dampening cell, but she's refusing to talk. She won't even look at our interrogators."
"Well she is one of their Empire's best," I said, my eyes never leaving Oliver's resting form. "It'd be more concerning if she did just start spilling."
"As true as that is, we need any intel we can get our hands on right now," he said, then turned fully towards me. "Do you think you could give it a go?"
I said nothing for a moment before responding in a dangerously calm manner. "Yea, alright. I'll see what I can do."
I followed Allen down into the maximum-security sub-levels of the Foundry. They had placed Anissa in a holding cell specifically designed to contain Viltrumites. She was bound to a weighted metal chair by high-frequency sonic shackles. If she flexed a muscle to try to break them, the shackles would emit a sonic frequency that would disrupt her inner ear and cause excruciating equilibrium loss.
When I originally caught her out of the sky, she'd been bruised and battered from the impact of my blast, but her Viltrumite healing factor had already done its work.
Allen swiped on an access pad, opening the heavy blast doors to the observation room, but I gestured for him to stay outside. I stepped into the room alone, the heavy doors sealing shut behind me with a hiss.
As I observed her carefully, I was able to quickly deduce that she was as calm as could be, which immediately made me suspicious. Instead of being angry or humiliated about being captured, she was practically glowing. When she saw me step into the room, her posture shifted. She leaned back, lounging as comfortably as the heavy sonic restraints would allow.
"You seem rather comfortable for someone who could be executed at a moment's notice," I said, my voice flat. "Aren't you even a tad bit worried?"
Anissa scoffed. "We both know that's not going to happen," then a dark, amused smile played on her lips. "Besides, what do I have to fear? The pathetic creatures guarding the perimeter?"
"Even creatures you consider lesser than you can make a giant impact," I retorted.
She shook her head slowly. "It appears that that backwater planet still has its chains wrapped around you."
"Ha," I scoffed. "That's ironic coming from you."
"So, you finally grace me with your presence," she purred, completely ignoring my jab. Her tone was playful, almost tantalizing. "Tell me, Mark Grayson... what do you plan to do with your spoils of war? Are you going to mount my head on your wall? Or are you looking for a different kind of trophy?"
I got right in her face in an instant. "Enough with the games," I warned. "I know that you being here is part of some elaborate plan Thragg's cooked up, so spill and tell me where they took my dad."
Anissa chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about your father. Our Grand Regent has been eagerly waiting to show him... proper Imperial hospitality. I'm sure he's screaming his apologies as we speak."
A cold, blinding fury spiked in my chest.
"Maybe you didn't hear me," I said, grabbing her by the throat and squeezing. "If he dies, I wipe out your entire Empire. And If you think what the 'Great Betrayer' did to your people was barbaric, then I'll make y'all experience something you can't even comprehend."
She didn't struggle against my grip. She didn't even gasp for air. She continued to radiate an eerie air of calmness. But as I stared into her eyes, I noticed something deeply disturbing. Her pupils were dilating and her face was flushing from the thrill of the violence.
"Harder," she breathed out.
I immediately let go of her throat, taking a step back.
Hahaha, what the fuck, I thought, internally shaking my head in utter disbelief.
"I have a proposition for you," she rasped before clearing her throat.
I raised a brow. "Yea, what is it?"
"I'll give you the exact coordinates of the Empire's staging ground where General Kregg is holding your father. But... only if you promise to bear a child with me."
I froze, genuinely caught off guard. "What?!"
What's going on here?! I contemplated internally. It's like her priorities have taken a massive turn since we last met on Earth... but why?
I could tell by the smile she was giving me that she was dead-serious. Her eyes were burning with a certain type of lust I couldn't quite figure out.
"After this little war is over, expect me to come to you without a preamble," she commanded softly. "Be ready, and make sure this energy you're exhibiting is still with you."
I shook my head, recovering my composure. "And what makes you think your Empire is gonna survive this 'little war' for that scenario to take place?"
Anissa leaned forward against the sonic shackles, her gaze intense and unwavering. "Because I guarantee that before this war is over, you're going to realize the value of our Empire. I can picture it now... you fighting alongside your true people. Utilizing your incredible strength to spread the glory of our great Empire."
The indoctrination is crazy, son, I thought, my jaw near dropping. It's almost as bad as religious psychosis.
"I highly doubt that," I said dismissively. "But even if I did agree to your terms, what guarantee do I have that this staging ground you're mentioning isn't another trap?"
"You don't," she said, giving me another taunting smile. "But if it will soothe your mind, then I will accompany you as your prisoner."
Willingly making herself a prisoner... yeah, it's a trap for sure, I noted.
Then, Anissa narrowed her eyes, asking a question of her own. "Why do you align yourself on the side of someone like that?"
I raised a brow, looking in the direction of the observation glass. "Allen the Alien?"
"The Betrayer," she corrected, venom lacing her words. "The one called Thaedus. Do you honestly believe he has your best interest at heart?"
My outward expression didn't change, but inwardly, I paused.
She's got a point, I thought. Thaedus would go to any length to completely eradicate the Viltrumites, even at the cost of my family or other Coalition members.
"And what's the alternative?" I shot back. "Joining y'all in wiping out the galaxy in the name of the Empire?"
"You may have grown more powerful, but you still have a ways to go," She said with an intensity in her tone. "Joining your true people is not the punishment you have been deceived into believing."
"It is if those people are the worst of the worst," I retorted.
"I can see that this conversation of ours is leading nowhere," she said as her tone changed again into a slow, dark purr. "So I'll await your answer to my previous offer, Warden. Don't take too long... empires are built on swift decisions, after all."
"Yea, you do that," I scoffed, turning my back on her and walking out of the cell.
I walked back into the observation room. Allen looked at me expectantly.
"She's willing to give out information," I told him.
Allen's face lit up. "Seriously? That's incredible! What does she want in return?"
"She wants something from me that only I can do," I replied flatly.
Allen scrunched his face in confusion. "What does that—"
"SOMETHING ONLY I CAN DO!"
"Okay, okay," he said with a gesture of surrender. "Then all we have to do now is let the guys back at HQ know."
We headed to the base's secure communications room and got in contact with Thaedus and Talia. I reported that Sector Four was technically secure, but that the entire ambush was just a decoy to capture Nolan.
Allen quickly relayed the news of the possible intel Anissa was willing to provide.
Thaedus frowned hearing the news. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It's most likely a trap," he declared instantly. "A painfully obvious one. We cannot blindly follow her coordinates."
"I'm aware of that," I said, leaning over the console. "But we have to take some kind of initiative. We can't continue to be reactionary to them or they'll slowly win this war. Plus, getting my dad back also takes priority."
Thaedus's expression hardened into something cold and calculating. "Mark... we cannot risk our greatest asset to save a single soldier, even if it is your father. If this is a snare set by Thragg, walking into it would jeopardize the entire Coalition."
He's basically saying fuck him, huh? I thought briefly.
"I understand where you're coming from, but I have to disagree wholeheartedly," I said, my eyes never leaving him. "If we're gonna win this war we're going to need both my brother and my father. It's not only his strength that's invaluable, but his knowledge from his time with them."
And I truly believe that, I thought. Thaedus left the Empire and set off a critical period in their history, but Nolan was able to witness them recover and rise from that. And most importantly, he's also witnessed the rise of Thragg even closer than Thaedus. He might not be anywhere near Thragg's level of power, but he has incredible insight into what he's capable of and the many changes in the Empire's infrastructure since Thragg's ascension.
"But if you're truly worried about risking the Coalition, then I'll go alone," I continued, not budging from my stance. "In fact, I think it'd be easier than sending an entire fleet with me."
"Like hell you're going alone," Allen finally chimed in, stepping up beside me. "Mark just saved this entire sector. If he says going after Nolan is the play, then I'm backing that up."
"Mark, you don't have to do that," Talia interjected quickly, trying to defuse the tension. She looked at Thaedus. "Going along with Anissa's offer of overtaking the staging grounds could actually be a great idea. It would give us unprecedented intel on how the Viltrumites are planning to move their armadas. If we take her with us, keeping her heavily restrained at all times, we maintain leverage. Even if it is a trap, having one of Thragg's top officers in custody gives us the upper hand."
"A trap only works if the one walking into it isn't prepared for it," I added, staring directly at Thaedus. "And I'm fully prepared for whatever they wanna throw at us."
Thaedus stared at me for a long, tense moment.
"Very well," he reluctantly agreed. "May the cosmos be on your side, Mark."
The transmission cut out.
I turned around and made the long walk back down into the high-security sub-levels.
Anissa looked up at me. As I stepped up to release some of her restraints, a twisted smile spread across her face.
"So, a decision has been made," she purred, the smile never leaving her face.
"Seems that way," I replied, pulling her up from her sitting position.
"A wise choice," she replied, flexing her hand. "One that I expect will lead to others."
Is this a bad idea? Most definitely, I thought, sighing internally. Thaedus is right on a few accounts, and walking into a great unknown is ridiculously naïve, but something's gotta give. One way or another.
I firmly grasped the tether I attached to her sonic shackles and led her out of the holding cell. The walk to the hangar was anything but quiet.
As we entered the main corridors of the Foundry, the bustling activity abruptly stopped. Coalition soldiers—many of them wrapped in fresh bandages, sporting plasma burns and broken limbs from the orbital battle—stared in silence. Their eyes locked onto Anissa.
The silence didn't last long.
"That's her!" a soldier shouted, his voice cracking with rage. "That's one of the butchers!"
Within seconds, dozens of plasma rifles were raised, the hum of their energy cores echoing through the metal hallway. A blockade of furious soldiers formed between us and the hangar doors.
"Stand aside," I commanded, my voice projecting clearly over the rising tension.
"With all due respect, sir," a battle-scarred squad leader stepped forward, his rifle pointed directly at Anissa's chest. "She slaughtered our men without an ounce of remorse. There's no telling what she might do."
Anissa didn't even flinch. In fact, she leaned slightly closer to me, a sickeningly amused smirk playing on her lips.
"These lesser lifeforms surprisingly make a great point," she purred in my ear, making the soldiers even more furious by her complete dismissal. "What's going to be done about me, hero?"
I stepped forward, placing myself between the firing squad and my prisoner, letting the latent, ambient energy of my suit flare up just enough to illuminate the corridor.
"I said, stand aside," I repeated, my tone dropping, leaving zero room for argument. "She's my prisoner. She's vital to the survival of this Coalition, and to the rescue of my father. If any of you fire a shot, you won't just be answering to Thaedus. You'll be answering to me. Now lower your weapons."
The squad leader stared into my eyes, searching for a bluff. He found nothing but cold certainty. Swallowing hard, he slowly lowered his rifle. The rest of the soldiers reluctantly followed suit, parting to let us pass.
"My, my," Anissa whispered, her breath hot against my shoulder. "Such a commanding presence. You really know how to put the cattle in their place. A Viltrumite through and through."
That made me pause briefly. Are my actions really becoming like theirs? I contemplated.
I shook my head to clear the thought. "Shut up and move," I muttered, yanking her tether forward.
Before we reached the hangar, I stopped at the entrance of the medical wing. I handed the tether to Allen, who had just caught up with us.
"Watch her. I need a minute," I said.
I walked over to the heavy glass pod where Oliver was resting. He was still unconscious, his breathing finally steady and normal. I placed my hand against the cold glass.
Zoe was standing nearby, her arms crossed tight against her chest as she watched Oliver's sleeping form. Against the backdrop of the massive, sterile medical machinery, she looked incredibly small—a stark reminder of just how young some of the people fighting this universal war actually were.
"It's pretty jarring seeing him like this," she said quietly, not looking away from his unconscious form. "It really puts it into perspective... we're literally fighting for the fate of the universe."
"Yea," I replied softly. "But he's alive. And I intend to keep it that way. For both of you."
Zoe finally looked up at me, offering a small, grateful nod. "Bring your dad back, Mark."
"I will," I promised with a nod.
I might be becoming like the other Viltrumites, I mused. But that's okay. If I'm able to stop this war before any heavy casualties pile up—before anyone else their age has to bleed for it—then it'll be worth it.
I turned around and headed back into the hallway. I grabbed Anissa's tether from Allen and we proceeded into the hangar.
A black Coalition stealth frigate was already prepped on the launch pad, its sub-light engines humming quietly. We marched Anissa up the boarding ramp and directly into the cargo hold, forcing her into a specialized kinetic-dampening crash seat in the center of the room. Heavy magnetic clamps locked over her shoulders and wrists, syncing with her sonic shackles.
Allen walked past her to head to the cockpit, refusing to make eye contact.
"Is this your trusted pilot?" Anissa taunted, eyeing Allen's orange, muscular frame. "A genetically modified Unopan? How tragic. Tell me, mutant, how does it feel to play lapdog to a Viltrumite? Does it sting knowing you're taking orders from the very bloodline you were built to destroy?"
Allen stopped, his fists clenching at his sides. I could see the anger bubbling up in his single eye.
I stepped directly into Anissa's line of sight, completely blocking her view of Allen.
"I didn't give you permission to speak," I said, my voice dangerously low. "You are here to provide coordinates, not commentary. Keep your mouth shut until we reach the staging ground, or I'll set your sonic shackles to a frequency that will make you bleed from your eyes. Understood?"
That twisted thrill returned to her eyes as she gave a slow, obedient nod, leaning her head back against the seat. "Loud and clear."
I turned to Allen. "Whenever you're ready."
Allen let out a breath he had been holding, giving me an appreciative nod. "Right away."
I walked up to the co-pilot's seat and strapped myself in as the hangar doors above us parted. The stealth frigate lifted off the pad, engines flaring as we blasted away from the swirling purple planet, and headed straight into the lion's den.