The Last Heroes

[Macavity116]

did all of the Amadii get killed and resurrected, or were they just brainwashed?

Brainwashed, and very badly at that too. If we were playing Stellaris, every Amadii would now have the Servile trait.

The ISO is going to go rogue as soon as Etienne is no longer Sec-Gen, aren't they?

The ISO's actions post-election will be dictated by a few things, but the big one will be if Akira/Scarlett decides to remain in her post once a new Sec-Gen takes over. If a successor (like Blake, perhaps) attempts to replace her, then Scarlett's allies would have to be dealt with. (Rafi Bakir, Ingrid Tsijotso, and David Sepulveda to name a few)

There's also one very, very unlikely candidate that would be a huge surprise - the Beast itself. I don't think we got full confirmation that it was totally destroyed

Damnit, you made me go back and re-read the ending of The Stormbreakers and double-check my own writing. You might be right about the lack of confirmation. In Chapter 47: Apotheosis, Jericho claimed to have wiped out the Beast all across the Galaxy, then in her very next breath, she confessed that she was "getting used to not being omniscient anymore."

Aside from Jericho's claim, the Epilogue makes a direct reference to "Beast derelicts," meaning the physical remains of infected ships are drifting around in deep space.

And as Humanity proved in its decades-long quest to annihilate Smallpox, causing a virus to go extinct is very difficult. A bio-mechanical virus like the Beast? Doubly so.

 

[Staehr]

I'm halfway through the introductory chapter and can already tell this will be a good time.

 

[Macavity116]

Attention all readers!

We have reached the end of Act Two: Fallen Savior. The final chapter of the Act has been broken up into 2 parts.

• Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace will be posted on Saturday, June 25th.
• Chapter 29: Fallen Savior will be posted on Thursday, June 30th.

The story as a whole will take a short hiatus before launching into the third and final Act.

Now I wrote both of these chapters back-to-back, and let me assure you, dear readers: These two chapters are going to be a very wild ride.

Chapters 28 and 29 are going to be very trippy and cerebral, and will contain a very large number of callbacks to previous entries in the Stormbreaker Universe. In fact, nearly two dozen characters from earlier entries in the series will briefly re-appear. Most will be named and positively identified, while a few will have unnamed cameos and long-term readers may be hard-pressed to remember them. So to prepare you for this, I have some recommended reading.

Chapters 28 and 29 of The Last Heroes will contain references, callbacks to, and characters from the following:

• Faith in Chaos - Interlude #4
• Stories from the Front - Echoes of Another Story
• Stories from the Front - Parting of the Ways
• Stories from the Front - The Mortals Conquer Olympus (YouTube video)
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 5: Psionic Storm
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 6: Explain Yourself
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 20: A Horrible Truth
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 45: Our Last Stand
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 46: Time Trap
• The Stormbreakers - Chapter 47: Apotheosis

As always, thank you for reading The Last Heroes and I hope you'll join me for the big finale of Act Two!

 

[Macavity116]

The Last Heroes will be going on hiatus after Chapter 29 is posted next week, but you will have a chance to chat with me after that. A handful of AAR Writers, including myself, are planning to have a virtual hangout to shoot the breeze for the afternoon/evening hours (Eastern US time) on Sunday, July 3. If you want to meet half-a-dozen AAR writers and talk about the best stories on the forum, why not join us? Visit the thread I linked and see if you're able to join us around 3pm EST on the third.


Anyway, trivia time!

Chapters 28 and 29 of The Last Heroes will re-use a story idea that was cut out of The Stormbreakers. I was really disappointed I could not make this series of events happen back in 2020, and now I'm absolutely jazzed that this abandoned concept will actually see the light of day!

<=== Chapter 27: Faith Enforced

Chapter 29: Fallen Savior ===>​

Chapter 28
The Crystal Palace

​

June 29, 2086
Arcadia Bay, Oregon


The Stormbreakers marched double-file through the underground cavern, using flashlights and Corder’s plasma sword to light the way. At any moment, they expected to find the back of the cave, but it just kept sloping downhill, going deeper and deeper into the darkness.

Corder, being half-feline, found navigating the dark passageways to be very easy. Her whiskers twitched on each movement of the air, and her eyes rapidly focused on the smallest of movements.

Cetla, by contrast, was having a hard time. He was nearly as tall as the cavern itself, and he kept brushing his head against the ceiling. Ninu regularly clambered down from Varian’s shoulders to check on his reptilian comrade. Kingi and Maui were much more interested in the tunnel itself rather than its destination. Kingi brushed his hands against the rocky wall while Maui scanned it with his smart glasses.

After about an hour and a half of walking in silence, Maui made an announcement.

“Guys, this cave is not natural.”

“Oh, really?” Corder said. “What gave it away? The fact that it just keeps going on forever?”

Maui unsheathed his own plasma sword and activated it. Greenish blue light flickered from the blade as he held it close to the walls.

“Look at how smooth the walls are.” Maui said. “This tunnel was dug with an industrial machine… judging from the way the soil has settled, between sixty and seventy years ago.”

Varian did the math in his (or her) head.

“So that means this was done during the Occupation.” Varian concluded. “So, did ADVENT dig this out? There’s no way the Resistance would have had access to stuff like excavators back then.”

Cetla spoke up.

“Now hold on, I remember reading in history books that XCOM had a series of underground bases at the beginning of the war. Could this be one of them?” Cetla asked.

Everyone looked at Varian, who shook their head.

“No way.” Varian replied. “The closest XCOM base is Site X, and that’s in southern Nevada, about six hundred miles from here. I’m starting to think we’re heading towards one of the old ADVENT Blacksites. My grandfather, Blake, he blew one to hell during the war. He said it was hidden away in the middle of nowhere, and that’s basically where we are now.”

“An ADVENT Blacksite hidden away in the mountains.” Kingi mused. “It would make sense of that was the case. I heard the Sacred Coil would take over old ADVENT bases and turn them into cathedrals.”

“Oh, shit. You’re right.” Varian said. “Maybe we’re about to walk right into whatever’s left of Sacred Coil.”

“Yeah right.” Corder snorted. “I heard they fell to bits after Bellus Mar was killed by the UN. We might find a couple of devotees, but they’re no Cult of Jericho.”

The team pressed on, moving deeper into the tunnel. There were no branches or tributaries, just a single path into the darkness. There were a few indications that the elevation was changing. Varian, Maui, and Kingi all had to pop their ears as the air pressure changed.

The Stormbreakers had no way to know how long their march took them beneath the mountains of Oregon, but eventually, hunger and exhaustion set in and everyone agreed to stop and rest.

The team had set out from Arcadia Bay in such a hurry that only a small amount of food and water was available. Each Stormbreaker had a single meal and two bottles of water in their packs. But instead of digging in, the group sat down to pool their food and water, and then ration it out reasonably.

Each species had their own dietary requirements, and the Stormbreakers distributed their supplies to make sure everyone was accommodated. Ninu and Cetla, being reptiles, could survive up to a month without a proper meal. Ninu could also snack on insects, but without fruit, he would be miserable. The Humanoids: Varian, Maui, and Kingi, could survive for roughly three weeks, and even longer with rationing. The most urgent need was Corder. As a half-Levakian, her body had a very high metabolism. Like all other Levakians, Corder would not be able to survive without food for more than a few days.

On Varian’s direction, all high-protein meats were given to Corder, who accepted the food with a kind of grim seriousness. She knew that if things went south and the supplies ran out, she would be the first to perish. As everyone dug into their dinner rations, Corder and Maui looked at one another. The Partogan and half-Levakian were thinking about how their own ancestors had fared during the Wars of the Famine hundreds of years ago.

After the short meal, everyone found a stretch of tunnel floor and tried to get some sleep. Cetla and Ninu both curled up alongside Corder, using her fur-covered body for warmth. Ninu yawned and then pressed his face into Corder’s flank, losing himself to a troubled sleep.

…

Sometime later, Ninu was awoken by a rustling sound. He sat upright. There was something moving around in the tunnel, but he was not sure what it was. Ninu’s first thought was that somebody was sleepwalking. He knew that Humanoids were liable to do such a thing.

“Maui?” Ninu quietly called out. “Varian? Kingi?”

No one answered. Whatever was shuffling around also stopped moving. It knew it was caught. After a moment, a noise drifted out of the darkness, a feline growling.

Ninu realized this was a stranger and quickly stood up, reaching for his laser pistol.

“Who is there?” Ninu called out. “I warn you, I’m armed!”

Ninu found his laser pistol and powered it on. The weapon barrel started to glow, and a dull red light filled the cavern. All around Ninu, the other five Stormbreakers were somehow managing to sleep through this racket. Meanwhile, a wildcat froze in the light, looking up at Ninu.

The animal was roughly the same size as Ninu, and had messy brown fur and yellow eyes. Ninu was puzzled to see that this newcomer was not casting a shadow. The light from Ninu’s weapon simply passed through the wildcat as though it was not even there.

But perhaps most strangely of all, was what was riding on the creature’s back. Waving its wings ever so gently… was the blue butterfly.

What happened next is difficult to describe in words. An unspoken conversation passed between Ninu and the wildcat. Somehow, Ninu was able to understand the animal completely.

Quickly, Ninu scrambled to wake the other Stormbreakers.

“Everyone up!” He yelled. “We need to move out, now!”

“What’s the emergency?” Kingi said, bolting upright.

“We need to follow that animal!” Ninu said, pointing down the tunnel. “She’s going to show us the way.”

Everyone stared in the direction Ninu was pointing.

“There’s no one down there.” Maui said, adjusting his smart glasses. “No life signs at all.”

Varian, however, reached into his (or her) pocket and pulled out the Psionic Energy detector they stole from the UN earlier. Varian looked down at the tool and their eyebrows shot up.

“Guys…” Varian said. “I’m detecting Psionic Energy down the tunnel… so much the needle is going off the scale. We should follow Ninu.”

The team quickly scrambled to their feet and followed after Ninu, while Ninu followed the lead of a creature only he could see.

The wildcat led the group even further underground. As they went, the temperature rose. It was getting very hot, and the laser weapons only made things worse. One by one, everyone powered down their laser rifles, until the only source of light came from plasma swords held aloft by Corder and Kingi.

Varian asked Ninu to describe the creature leading them on, but before Ninu got a chance to reply, there was a noise. A deep, booming voice echoed its way up the corridor, like a roll of thunder:

“You have come far little humans. Boldly pushing forth into the unknown. If only you knew the truth of this place you would scurry back to the shadows where you were spawned.”

Weapons were drawn and powered up. Ninu looked around at his comrades.

“Wait, you all heard that?”

“You’re damned right we did.” Corder said. “Do you hear the weapons fire, too?”

Straining his ears, Ninu realized that he could in fact, hear the sound of laser and gauss weapons echoing up the tunnel. Somewhere, not too far ahead, a gunfight was playing out. Everyone looked at Ninu, who in turn looked at the wildcat.

“We have to go on.” Ninu said.

“How do we know this isn’t a trap?” Cetla complained.

The team pressed on, following the creature until they came upon a massive chamber. The tunnel widened out and became a great cavern. Unlike the tunnels that came before, this place was very well lit, and decorated like one of the Occupation-era ADVENT cathedrals, with ornate gold and silver plating on the walls, ceiling, and floor. And in the midst of this suddenly grand setting, there was huge slab of solid Elerium, standing almost thirty feet in height. And a battle was raging around it.

A group of Humans was locked in combat against a group of aliens, all battling viciously for control of the monolith in the center of the room. Gunfire left the opulent décor in smoldering ruin while blood streamed over the floor. Red for the Humans, yellow for the aliens.

Standing atop a smashed altar, a tall and muscular alien with purple skin taunted the attacking Humans.

“Come to me! Like a moth to flame, you will be consumed by my brilliance!”

Corder, Ninu, Cetla, Kingi, and Maui all raised their weapons, ready to join the fight.

“We should help the xenos!” Corder said. “They might be from the Galactic Defense Force.”

“Agreed!” Maui said. “Let’s give the UN something to cry about!”

But before the Stormbreakers could join the battle against the Humans, Varian leapt forward and blocked the way, arms outstretched.

“Guys, stop!”

“Varian, move out of the way!” Cetla boomed. “We have to help the GDF before the Humans wipe them out!”

“That’s not the GDF, and those guys are not Blueheads!” Varian said. “Look closer! It’s ADVENT and XCOM!”

The Stormbreakers hesitated. Corder took another look at the purple alien who was leading the defenders. Then, in a moment of realization, she gasped:

“Holy mother of Jericho! That’s… that’s…”

Now that Corder said something, everyone looked at the alien leader. The tall, purple, muscle-bound alien was not fighting with a weapon. He reached out with his hands and engaged his enemies with Psionic attacks. Purple Soulfire erupted from his body like a flamethrower and engulfed the underground battlespace in an inferno. One by one, all of the Stormbreakers remembered their history lessons.

Ninu remembered seeing a gallery of pictures that depicted military leaders from the Second Hyperspace War. Maui remembered absent-mindedly flipping through a history textbook in school. Cetla remembered seeing the alien’s face on television.

The alien leader who lashed out with Soulfire was none other than Kon-Mon Dessurik, the Elder’s Chosen Warlock.

“But…” Maui stammered. “He’s been dead for fifty years!”

“My grandparents knew the guy who killed him.” Varian said. “Grandpa Blake and Grandma Chihiro were friends with Bernard von Unfal… and there he is!”

Varian pointed towards one of the Human combatants. A skinny German man with a gaunt face charged across the battlespace, gunning down a Sectoid before turning his weapon against the Chosen Warlock.

“Have we gone back in time?” Kingi asked.

“No.” Varian said. “I know what’s going on here… Grandma Chihiro told me about this. When a powerful Psionic being dies, they leave some of their Psionic Energy behind.”

Ninu quickly turned his attention to the wildcat, who was standing very close the battle but did nothing to acknowledge the gauss rounds and laser bolts zipping past. Ninu and the wildcat locked eyes again and a silent message passed between them.

“This is the place where the devil sleeps.” Ninu said in a cryptic tone.

He pointed to a point on the far side of the room, where the blue butterfly was circling around a second tunnel entrance. Standing there, waiting for the Stormbreakers, was a four-legged creature that Ninu could not make out from here. He gulped and turned to face the other Stormbreakers.

“We have to cross.” He told them.

“What!?” Corder said. “You want us to just walk through an active battlezone? We’ll be killed in the crossfire!”

“Crossfire of what?” Ninu said. “This battle happened fifty years ago! It’s an echo, a reflection of the past, it’s probably playing out in our minds and nothing is happening at all. Now let’s go!”

Without waiting for the others, Ninu leapt out of the tunnel and started scurrying his way across the Cathedral of the Chosen Warlock. Varian swore.

“Follow him, and don’t engage!” he ordered.

The Stormbreakers broke into a run, following Ninu straight through the middle of the battle. To them, everything felt and looked very real. Celta’s ears twitched as gauss rounds flew by his head, and Kingi slipped on some blood. Then, when the team was about halfway cross the chamber, the monolith in the center of the room suddenly cracked and splintered, sending Elerium shards flying across the room. Corder was struck by a few small pieces and cried out:

“This feels pretty real to me you guys!”

Seeing his precious artifact smashed to bits, the Chosen Warlock lost his composure and went berserk, screaming and shouting:

“Impossible! The Elders… they are silent! NNAAARRRGGHH! DEMONS! I WILL DESTROY YOU FOR THIS OUTRAGE!”

Dessurik wept his hands in a downward motion and a telekinetic force descended upon the chamber. All six Stormbreakers were swept off their feet. Varian, who had heard this story before, knew that they were less than a minute away from its ending.

“Everyone on your feet!” Varian yelled. “We’ve gotta move!”

Only a few meters away, Bernard von Unfal (or rather, his Psionic echo) shouted the exact same words and grabbed for his laser rifle. Another wave of Soulfire rippled across the chamber and Corder’s tail caught fire! She screamed in panic but Cetla grabbed her around the middle and carried her along.

“Keep going!” Varian shouted. “It’s about to happen!”

Behind him, the soldiers of XCOM regained the initiative. Holding off a crew of Vipers, Mutons, Specters, and Archons, the fighters bought just enough time for von Unfal to draw his weapon on the Chosen Warlock! Bernard fired twice, hitting Dessurik once in the center of the chest and once in the forehead. The Chosen Warlock keeled over, dead.

At that moment, the Stormbreakers reached the far side of the chamber. The second tunnel entrance was on a ledge, about five feet up. One by one, each member of the team clambered onto Celta’s back, reached the top, and then turned around to help the next person.

“Here it comes!” Varian called out.

At that moment, the damaged monolith activated. Dessurik’s body vanished in a column of purple light, only to reappear moments later. The Chosen Warlock was alive, but the Elerium Sarcophagus had failed to heal his wounds. Mortally injured, Dessurik staggered away from the Sarcophagus, which was now shaking violently as though it would shatter apart at any moment.

“At long last…” Dessurik coughed. “I hear their voice… unobstructed!”

Varian reached the ledge and all five Stormbreakers turned around to grab Cetla by the arms and pull him up. Meanwhile, von Unfal drew his Arc Blade and closed in towards the Chosen Warlock. Dessurik did not see the XCOM soldier coming. He was looking to the ceiling as he fell to his knees, arms raised toward the heavens!

“They… they are so near!” The Chosen Warlock declared. “THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!”

Starting at his feet and working upward from there, the body of the Chosen Warlock began to turn into stone. He was becoming a statue right there in the middle of the hall!

Just as the Warlock’s torso and arms were petrified, he gasped:

“They come for me.”

Then Bernard von Unfal swung his sword. In one clean stroke, Kon-Mon Dessurik’s head was severed from his shoulders. The remainder of his body turned to stone, and the Elerium Sarcophagus exploded! Varian pulled Cetla into the tunnel just as a wave of debris and Psionic energy crashed over the scene. For a moment, Varian was afraid that the shockwave would follow the Stormbreakers into the tunnel, but before any bits of debris could reach the team, a shimmering haze filled the air, and as the Stormbreakers watched in disbelief, each and every bit of shrapnel that came flying toward them was incinerated by a Psionic shield!

Finally, there was silence again. The Stormbreakers peered out of the tunnel entrance and saw a completely different scene now.

The Cathedral of the Chosen Warlock had been restored to the way it looked in the present day. Dark, cold, and abandoned. The gold and silver trimmings long stripped away, while a headless statue of Kon-Mon Dessurik languished in a corner, having been moved there by the Progeny during their short stay in this place fifty years ago. There was no sign of the battle just witnessed. For all the Stormbreakers could tell, their crossing of the room was the first thing to have happened here in half a century.

Turning back into the tunnel, Ninu was speaking to thin air once again. Ninu, finally came face-to-face with the creature he spotted earlier, a fully grown gray wolf.

“Why can’t my friends see you?” Ninu asked. “They were able to see and feel everything that happened in the last room.”

Maui pointed his laser rifle at the ceiling, allowing the glow of its barrel to light up the tunnel. The Stormbreakers, aside from Ninu, were still unable to see their mysterious guide. Just like the wildcat, this wolf was not casting shadows. In fact, left no footprints on the tunnel floor.

The Stormbreakers could only watch as Ninu had a seemingly one-sided conversation with the wolf.

“So… you are not a living creature of flesh and blood?” Ninu said. “A Psionic life form, like the Ethereals or the people resurrected by Jericho?”

The wolf cocked its head to one side and regarded Ninu, its tail wagging vigorously. Then it turned around and began to walk up the tunnel, leading Ninu along. The rest of the Stormbreakers followed, still very confused.

“So here’s what I think is happening.” Cetla said. “Arcadia Bay is alive and is talking to Ninu via Psionics. Does that sound right to you guys?”

Corder shrugged.

“Dude, we have sentient plants and talking rocks in the Outer Limb. This is not as farfetched as you make it sound.” She said.

“Yeah, but at least the Morbuzakh and Praku are kind enough to be visible.” Kingi grumbled.

“I wonder…” Varian said, her (or his) voice trailing off. “Ninu’s people worship their Homeworld. They always say the planet Kelta is alive and has feelings. Maybe, if Jericho didn’t destroy the Gift, Ninu might have been… I dunno, predisposed to have Psionic connections to the Earth.”

“Now that is farfetched.” Corder said.

…

The tunnel began to slope upward. In the distance, a tiny pinprick of light could be seen. Ninu jogged to keep up with the wolf.

The tunnel rose up very steeply. Panting and sweating, the Stormbreakers followed Ninu until they came to another open chamber. This time, Varian did not need to explain what this was. The previous chamber gave away the existence of this one. The team had emerged inside the Fortress of the Chosen Warlock, and the light was coming from a hole XCOM had blown into the ceiling fifty years ago. The moon and stars shone brightly, lighting up the wreckage below.

One more time, the Stormbreakers carried out a team climbing exercise, extracting themselves from the hole in the ground one by one until everybody was standing outside once more. For the first time in what felt like days, everyone breathed in fresh mountain air and took in the beautiful sight of the sky above. Maui was the first to look at their surroundings.

“What the…” he gasped. “Where are we?”

Looking around, the team began to appreciate just how far they had travelled.

The Arcadia Bay coastline was gone. Now, instead, the Stormbreakers were standing on an island in the middle of a glassy lake. The lake itself was smooth and calm, and in every direction they looked, the shoreline of the lake was made up by tall rocky mountains. The island itself was cone-shaped, rising up to a summit that appeared flat until one stood in its edge, only to see the familiar indentation that betrayed the presence of a dormant volcano.

Ninu, however, had eyes for something on the island’s western shoreline.

A beautiful glittering structure stood on the shore. Varian took one look at it and was instantly reminded of European crystal palaces. It was very out of place on an uninhabited island, surrounded by wilderness on all sides. The building was also lit up from the inside, and it shone more brightly than the moon.

Ninu turned to face the Stormbreakers.

“That is the prison.” He said. “We have to go there.”

It was a mark of how much the team had grown to trust Ninu, and how much faith they had in his abilities, that nobody objected.

…

June 30, 2086
Crater Lake, Oregon


There was only one way into the Crystal Palace, a grand door made from large panes of frosted glass. As the Stormbreakers approached, Ninu spotted the doe from earlier. It was curled up on the ground quietly watching the same butterfly from earlier. As Ninu approached, the doe, butterfly, wolf, and wildcat all locked eyes with him. The four animals lowered their heads in a mournful way, and then they turned. One by one, each creature moved away from the light and warmth of the Crystal Palace before vanishing into the cold darkness of the surrounding night.

Ninu looked at his comrades.

“Okay.” He said. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

The Stormbreakers stepped across the threshold, and as soon as they entered the Crystal Palace, a voice spoke from above… a voice everyone could hear.

“Sometimes... all I want to do is shut my eyes and tell the world to go to hell.”

The Stormbreakers froze. Instinctively, Corder tried to turn around and leave the way she came in, but she discovered that the door was gone. Only a solid glass wall remained. Growling, Corder put her claws the glass but Ninu said:

“That’s not going to work.”

The little lizard was shaking, almost vibrating from head to toe, and it was clear why. Varian looked down at his (or her) Psionic Energy detector. The device had gone haywire, and was no longer working correctly.

“Ninu…” Varian said. “Before, you called this place a ‘prison.’ This isn’t an actual building, is it?”

“No.” Ninu said. “We are inside a Psionic prison. We’ve fallen into some kind of telepathic trap… and there’s someone else in here with us. The prisoner this very place was made for.”

“Prisoner?” Cetla repeated. “Who builds a prison for just one person? Psionic or otherwise.”

“I have a hunch.” Ninu said. “But I pray to the Homeworld that I am wrong.”

…

The only way to go was forward. The path through the Crystal Palace was just as narrow and cramped as the underground tunnels, but now, instead of the path being too dark, there was now too much light. Every surface was shiny and reflective. It was like walking through a hall of mirrors, except the floors and ceiling were also mirrors. The Stormbreakers saw dozens of copies of themselves all around, and frequently walked into the walls, unable to find their way.

Cetla quickly lost his temper and tried to smash a mirror, only to find they were indestructible. The group had no choice but to move slowly and cautiously. After about five minutes of walking, the strange voice spoke again:

“Fire blinds us, just like darkness. But darkness blinds with absence. With loss.”

It was the voice of a woman. Maui called back:

“Hello? Who’s there?”

At once, a fire erupted just in front of the Stormbreakers. But this was not like the wildfire that appeared in the forests around Arcadia Bay, this was Soulfire. Bright green flames burned so brightly that every wall was blinding. Ninu jammed his eyes shut and yelled:

“Blow through, go right through it!”

The Stormbreakers ran, as fast as they could, through the Soulfire. As the heat died away, Corder opened her eyes and dared to look back. The emerald inferno was gone, as quickly as it had arrived.

“Another illusion?” She asked.

Maui took off his smart glasses. For some reason, they had stopped working.

“Ninu said this was a telepathic trap. Perhaps we effected it by expecting the fire to be fake.”

“Maybe…” Ninu started to say, but at that moment there was a shuffling sound and someone dove on top of him from above!

The Stormbreakers screamed in panic as they were suddenly ambushed from all sides. One assailant for each member of the team appeared, and desperate hand-to-hand combat began. After just a few seconds of frantic punching, kicking, clawing, biting, and blocking, the Stormbreakers slowly realized that they were in a fight for their lives against opponents who simply should not have been there: Every single one of their attackers was a historical figure from the Second Hyperspace War!

Ninu was attacked by the famed Kelt engineer Dolim Dehuri. The two lizards grappled furiously, each trying to suffocate the other.

Corder was nearly overwhelmed as the Levakian Queen Nomsa pounced on her. Nomsa slashed Corder with her forward claws, drawing blood!

Maui ducked and weaved as Kailani Kalili, a Partogan madwoman, assailed him with a flurry of attacks, cackling and laughing as she went along.

Cetla held his hands over his eyes, trying to save himself from Reepi Imvu. The colorful Vanian flew in circles above the giant Micore and dove, clawing at Cetla’s face with his talons.

Kingi was grabbed from behind by Temirzhan. He reached for his weapon, but the Assurian warrior was faster and locked his arms with his own.

And finally, Varian found himself (or herself) fighting their own grandmother. Chihiro Tachibana was not as Varian knew her: a frail old crone who was permanently hunched over… no, this was Chihiro in her prime, young and strong. Before Varian knew what was happening, Chihiro had thrown Varian to the ground and was crushing their neck in her hands.

Varian grabbed at Chihiro’s wrists, trying to break her vice-grip, or at the very least, free up their own windpipe to say something, but nothing worked. Just when the corners of Varian’s vision started to turn black, there was a painfully loud cracking sound! Chihiro’s hands released Varian and she keeled over sideways. Varian sat up to see that she was dead, shot in the head by a laser weapon.

“Bāchan!” Varian shouted in Japanese.

They tried to scramble on their hands and knees towards Chihiro, but Maui grabbed her. (or him)

“It’s a trick!” Maui yelled above the din. “She’s not real, none of them are real!”

The tables turned quickly. None of the attackers were armed, and fought with their fists. The Stormbreakers, on the other hand, were carrying guns and swords and knives. One by one, the attackers were slain. After a bloody fight, the six Stormbreakers stood over the broken forms of the enemy.

“What…” Kingi panted. “What the hell is all this? That guy died fifty years ago!”

He pointed at the corpse of Reepi Imvu.

“And she bought the farm at the War in Heaven.”

He pointed at the body of Kailani Kalili.

Varian was shaking, looking down at Chihiro. They had seen pictures of their grandmother as a young woman before, but to see her like this… it shook Varian’s resolve very badly. But things only got worse.

Right before everyone’s eyes, the six corpses began to change. It was like watching a sped-up film of a tree growing. Bodies changed shape and size until the slain enemies were completely transformed. Now… the corpses of six different people were laid out on the ground for the Stormbreakers to see:

Inez Espinosa, Cera Roberts, Lawrence Ridge, Jay Lansing, Piper Russel, and Cassandra.

They had all died the same way, shot multiple times in the chest, as though they were executed by a firing squad.

This was too much for Cetla. The giant reptile fell to his knees and began to weep. The other five Stormbreakers moved to console him.

“The others, I can accept.” Cetla sobbed. “But the little one… not the little one. No.”

“We won’t let it happen.” Corder reassured him. “That’s why we’re here.”

…

It took some time for the team to get moving again. Varian and Cetla in particular were quite shaken up. Corder and Maui hung back to give them shoulders to lean on while Ninu and Kingi led the way, moving deeper into the Crystal Palace.

It was getting easier to navigate now, as Ninu figured out how to recognize the difference between an illusion and the actual path forward. Just as he was starting to regain his confidence, Ninu walked headlong into a wall.

“Now what!?” Kingi groaned.

It was a dead end. The path simply stopped, leaving mirrors to the front, left, and right.

Ninu cautiously looked around while Kingi raised his laser rifle.

“I’m gonna blast through!” He declared.

Kingi fired two rounds into the mirror directly in front of him, but nothing happened. The reflective glass simply absorbed the laser bolts, leaving no sign of damage. Kingi roared and tried to smash the mirrors, only to be frustrated. His pride injured, Kingi stepped aside as Cetla took his place.

“It can’t be that hard.” Cetla said.

And with that, the five-hundred pound Micore thundered forward and threw himself against the mirror. With a jarring crash, Cetla stumbled backward, stunned. He did not even leave a mark on the glass. Cetla sat down next to Kingi, head in hands.

“I don’t understand.” He said.

Nobody did, and for about ten minutes, the Stormbreakers were stuck. Everyone tried forcing the mirror, until Ninu stood in front of it, glaring at his own reflection. Then, his eyes widened.

“Of course.” He said. “It all makes sense!”

Everyone looked at Ninu.

“The mirror doesn’t shatter because it’s not there!” Ninu declared. “It’s impossible for a flimsy piece of glass to stand up to Celta, so that means it’s an illusion.”

“Illusions are mind tricks.” Corder said. “That’s a solid object, Ninu.”

“No it’s not.” Ninu replied. “Stop believing it’s real… and it just disappears.”

Then, Ninu stepped through the mirror and vanished.

The other five Stormbreakers jumped in fright! Ninu had left no mark on the mirror, and there were no lights or sounds to accompany his sudden departure. He had simply vanished. Varian looked at the mirror too, and then he (or she) smacked themself in the forehead.

“I really am an idiot.” Varian said. “I’ve gotta trust Ninu more often.”

And Varian stepped through the mirror as one casually steps across a room. One by one, all of the Stormbreakers followed, each one in an increasing state of astonishment.

…

They were in a chamber unlike anything else in the Crystal Palace. While the rest of this place was bright and vibrant, this place was dark and foreboding. A door could be seen on the far side. Like the rest of the building, it was made of frosted glass, and shapes could be seen moving on the other side. Someone was pacing back and forth in the next room.

As for this chamber, there was no feature of interest. Just like the maze outside, the walls, ceiling, and floors were all made from mirrors. Cautiously, the team advanced across the wide-open chamber. But just as they made it halfway, they were stopped by a voice.

It was the very same voice the team heard earlier, that of a woman.

“You have entered the Chamber of Death. The next room is your destination, the Chamber of Life. The door is locked.”

The voice fell silent. Corder quickly sprinted across the room and tried the door. Sure enough, it was barred. As the rest of the team approached, Corder stared hard at the door and then tried to walk through it. She bounced off the glass and fell back into Varian’s arms.

“It was worth a shot.” She grumbled.

“I think we’ll have to play whatever game the disembodied voice wants to play.” Maui said.

Reluctantly, Maui aimed his voice at the ceiling and said:

“Tell us how to unlock the door... uh… please?”

The woman’s voice replied immediately.

“The door will open when one among you volunteers to be sacrificed. Those of you who remain will proceed to the Chamber of Life and reap the benefits of your comrade’s death.”

Kingi dropped his rifle.

“No!” Maui shouted. “We are not letting you kill one of us!”

The six Stormbreakers huddled up in the center of the room, keeping their backs to one another and looking for any sign of a lethal ambush. No one was stepping forward to volunteer.

“Very well.” The disembodied voice replied. “You are, of course, free to depart the way you came in…”

A light emanated from the trick mirror the team had just passed through. Suddenly, the Stormbreakers were able to see through it to the other side. As for what they saw…

There was movement. Because the Crystal Palace was seemingly made of mirrors, it was possible to see just about anything that even slightly moved. Varian narrowed their eyes at a flurry of color swiftly moving across the glass panels. A green cape with gold trimming could be seen.

Erin Hyatt was inside the Crystal Palace. Along with a few members of the Progeny.

“Oh, no!” Kingi gasped. “Hyatt’s still after the...”

Everyone looked at the doorway to the Chamber of Life. They could see a Humanoid shape pacing around through the glass.

“The prisoner!” Varian gasped. “That’s the source of power Hyatt wants. That person in there is Gifted! Find a way to force the door!”

The Stormbreakers sprang into action. Everybody brought his or her weapons to bear against the glass, but nothing worked. Lasers weapons were no good, so Corder hacked and slashed at the door with her Plasma Sword until it broke. Cetla slammed headfirst into the door to no effect.

Meanwhile, Erin Hyatt had reached the trick mirror. Varian could see her through it! Kingi and Maui took up defensive positions by the trick mirror, waiting for Hyatt to pass through it. The situation was so desperate that for a fraction of a flicker of a moment, Varian seriously considered volunteering for whatever fate the ghost voice was planning.

Varian would have volunteered, but they hesitated a moment too long.

Ninu threw his weapon down and declared in a defiant voice.

“Fine then! Take me!”

The five remaining Stormbreakers objected simultaneously.

“Ninu!” Corder cried out. “What are you doing!?”

“You’re at the end of the Psionic prison.” Ninu said. “You don’t need me anymore, and what good will a tiny translator be after this anyway? Get to the next chamber and save the prisoner. Don’t let Hyatt get there first!”

Ninu shook his fist at the ceiling and called out to the disembodied voice.

“Can you hear me!? If it gets my friends through that door and saves a life, then I’ll volunteer for your sick game! Take me and do your worst, but you let my friends go!”

The reply was short.

“So be it.”

It happened instantly. There was a powerful crash like an explosion! Maui, Cetla, Corder, Varian, and Kingi were all struck blind and deaf before being knocked to the ground by a shockwave. A moment later, the Stormbreakers found their eyesight and hearing returned. The doorway to the Chamber of Life was open, and Ninu Dokunle was lying flat on his back, arms stretched out on either side, and a final expression of defiant rage etched on his face. Ninu’s eyes were unfocused and glassed over.

He was dead.

<=== Chapter 27: Faith Enforced

Chapter 29: Fallen Savior ===>​

 

[Von Acturus]

This chapter reads like an expanded cave-of-dagobah experience, except far more deadly (poor Ninu, how will the Stormbreakers navigate this psionic labyrinth now that they lost their psionic member?) and with a true great prize inside. I hope all stormbreakers manage to keep their sanity, reach the prisioner (whoever she is ) and outwit both Scarlett's men and Hyatt, and make it out of there alive.

 

[Macavity116]

This chapter reads like an expanded cave-of-dagobah experience, except far more deadly

How on Earth did I not think of that Empire Strikes Back scene when I wrote this? Man, I would have had Varian kill Shadow Chihiro outright! Now that's a missed opportunity! XD

how will the Stormbreakers navigate this psionic labyrinth now that they lost their psionic member?

Next week is going to be the other half of the wild ride. Keep your seatbelt fastened.

I hope all stormbreakers manage to keep their sanity, reach the prisioner (whoever she is )

Oh, next Thursday is going to be fun...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Hopefully, you can rest your voice. That was one mammoth recording. Ninu died nobly. Thank you and enjoy your vacation.

 

[Macavity116]

Hopefully, you can rest your voice. That was one mammoth recording. Ninu died nobly. Thank you and enjoy your vacation.

Thanks, it's actually half of a mammoth recording, as I did the Voice Over for chapters 28 and 29 on the same day.

Cool trivia, I started my vacation two days ago. Yesterday's chapter was posted from a gas station in Ohio, about 6 hours after I left Michigan. I'm currently in West Virginia, waiting out a really bad thunderstorm before taking my tent down and moving on to the final destination. Chapter 29 will, with luck, be posted from Savannah, Georgia.

 

[Macavity116]

Good morning! Welcome to the final chapter of Act Two: Fallen Savior. By a neat coincidence, Chapter 29 is being posted on my 29th birthday. It's almost like this was planned over a year in advance... but no, I would never do that.

Speaking of which... did you know that six out of seven main characters in the Stormbreaker Universe mark their birthdays on June 30?

• Whetu Kealoha (1499)
• Toa Wahine Mami Tamihana (1914)
• Blake Robinson (1993)
• Akira Robinson (2045)
• Inez Espinosa (2064)
• Mira Mihaka (2165)

I'm going to post this chapter a couple hours ahead of schedule because I am on vacation and my little sister has the whole day planned out already. Enjoy and as always, thank you for reading!

The Last Heroes will hiatus for the remainder of the summer, so I'll see you again at the end of August!

<=== Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace

Chapter 30: Broken Mirror ===>​

Chapter 29
Fallen Savior​

​

June 30, 2086
Crater Lake, Oregon


Cetla, Corder, Maui, and Kingi were too stunned to move. They needed more time to process the sudden death of Ninu, but Erin Hyatt and her Progeny lackeys were not going to let them have it. Hyatt heard the commotion and were now throwing herself against the trick mirror. There was a loud smashing noise as the Cult leader fell backwards into her own Acolytes, unable to figure out the mirror’s secret. Varian sprang to their feet and yelled:

“Everyone through the door!”

The Stormbreakers made a break for the exit. Varian paused just long enough to grab Ninu’s body and sling it across their shoulders. Then he (or she) charged through the door of the final chamber while Kingi slammed it shut behind them!

A warm breeze lifted Varian’s hair, and they had to blink as their eyes watered from the intense sunlight.

Wait… sunlight?

Varian, Corder, Kingi, Cetla, and Maui were standing on the shores of a tropical island. Blue seawater crashed onto pristine, sandy beaches while colorful birds fluttered between trees. A wooden dock extended into the water and above it was a great red sign that declared:

Aloha! Welcome to Kauai Island!

Varian’s jaw dropped, and it took all of her (or his) effort to avoid dropping Ninu’s corpse.

“Kauai!” He (or she) said. “This is close to the island where I live!”

Cetla looked around, confused.

“Are we in your home, Varian?” He asked.

“We’re close by.” Varian said. “Oahu and Kauai are part of the Hawaiian island chain, out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.”

Now that Varian knew where they were, they looked around some more and positively identified the team’s location. The Stormbreakers were standing on the shores of the Kalapaki Beach, on the eastern side of the island. Only a short distance away, the small town of Lihue was in peak tourist season.

Very strangely, the town and beach was filled with thousands of people going about their day, yet none of them acknowledged the sudden appearance of five battered-looking warriors and a dead alien. Children continued playing in the water, adults compared surfboards, and no alarms were raised.

Slowly and cautiously, the Stormbreakers started to move off the beach and into the town. They had no idea where they were going, only that they felt a powerful compulsion to move forward. Just as her paws left the beach and stepped onto hot asphalt, Corder looked around to try and see the doorway from the Death Chamber.

There was none. It was simply gone.

“What kind of prison is this?” Kingi breathed.

“If it really is a telepathic prison, then perhaps it was made specifically for the prisoner we’re looking for.” Maui said

“And how are we going to find him in a place as crowded as this?” Corder said. “There are thousands of people here.”

Varian stepped out onto the main street of Lihue and saw a vast crowd of people. For the first time, it was just too crowded to walk without bumping into someone. For just a moment, Varian was worried she (or he) was going to be bowled over and trampled by the horde of people, but to their great surprise, the citizens of Lihue simply passed through Varian as though they were made of smoke.

“That’s the key.” Varian said. “We’re like ghosts in this world… or in this mindscape, I guess. We just have to find someone who can see us. That’ll probably end up being the prisoner Hyatt is after.”

The team fanned out and started to search. They quickly discovered that not only were they in a different place, they had also managed to land in a completely different time. Peacekeepers of the long-defunct ADVENT Coalition roamed the streets, while in a public park, a police van was broadcasting a pre-recorded speech through its loudspeaker:

“We must never allow these insurgents to fill our hearts with fear. These criminals and traitors seek to destroy all we have built! To return us to the chaos of the Old World. Only together can we oppose them. United in the Elders’ love for us we shall prevail, no matter the cost! Your loyal ADVENT Peacekeepers will stop at nothing to prevent further attacks by criminal elements such as the one that occurred today. The Elders have total faith in our ability to overcome any and all threats to our peace! So remember, fellow citizens: Only together can we build a better tomorrow. Long live ADVENT. Long live the Elders!”

Kingi snorted in disgust.

“Okay, so this is what Hawaii was like during the Second Hyperspace War fifty years ago.” He said. “Do we know anyone who was alive at the time, and is old enough to remember this?”

Trading theories and ideas, the team pressed on. Soon, they came to an alleyway, where a gap existed between two large buildings. They were planning to regroup and brainstorm a new search pattern. Also, Varian needed to give someone else a turn carrying Ninu’s body. His corpse was starting to get stiff.

But before anyone could speak, Corder’s tail suddenly twitched, her ears went flat, and her eyes narrowed into slits.

“What is it?” Maui asked.

Corder very slowly nodded towards something just over Varian’s shoulder.

“That girl can see us.” Corder hissed.

Very slowly, everyone turned around to look.

A human girl, possibly 9 or 10 years old, was sitting cross-legged in the alleyway. Everything about this human was dirty and worn… she was clearly homeless. She wore a bright yellow tee shirt that was several sizes too big for her, meaning it looked a little like a ragged dress on her. The girl’s blue jeans were faded and torn, and her toes stuck out of her shoes. The girl had brown skin that suggested African ancestry, but her round face and straight hair seemed to be more Asian than anything else.

The homeless child was carrying a cardboard sign; it displayed a message written in very poor English:

“Will du anithing 4 food”

The homeless girl was staring at the Stormbreakers, slackjawed. Varian started to speak, but before they could get a single word out, the small child yelped in fright, sprang to her feet, and ran away. The Stormbreakers hesitated.

“Is that the prisoner?” Corder said. “Another Gifted child like Cassandra?”

The team gave chase, following the girl out of the alley and onto the main street. They were expecting her to have a head start on them, but the scene waiting for them was far worse.

As soon as the homeless girl ran onto the main boulevard, every single person in sight turned to look at her. Hundreds of people stopped what they were doing to react to her sudden appearance. Before the Stormbreakers could do anything, the crowd of shoppers, tourists, and business people rapidly transformed into an angry mob!

“It’s her!” a woman cried out

“The freak is back!” a man yelled.

The little girl, terrified, crouched down on the ground and covered her head. A moment later, the mob descended upon her with violence! All five Stormbreakers screamed as the girl was punched and kicked by the first people to reach her. The homeless child fell onto her side, wailing as dozens of men and women started to stomp and kick every part of her body they could reach.

“Stop them!” Varian yelled.

The Stormbreakers drew their weapons, and without hesitation, opened fire on the crowd. To their dismay, the laser bolts simply passed through the angry mob as though they were simply holograms. Desperate, the team lunged forward to try and grab the girl instead. However, as soon as they reached her, the Stormbreakers fell forward into a gaping abyss that suddenly opened up in the ground before them!

…

The team opened their eyes. The violence and action had stopped as suddenly as it started. They were now standing on a grassy hilltop, overlooking a rocky shoreline. According to Varian, it was the same island, just a different region.

“More telepathic trickery.” Cetla said.

This time, it was Maui who spotted the Prisoner.

“There she is!” he called out.

A great distance away, they spotted a girl sitting alone on the hillside. They could tell it was the Prisoner because she was wearing the same yellow tee-shirt as earlier, but for some reason, she looked older. Varian assumed she was now eleven years old. The girl twirled cheerfully on the spot and a wave of Psionic energy exploded out of her. Purple light swept across the hillside, and wherever it struck, flowers began to bloom. Soon the entire ridgeline was ablaze with color as vibrant red, blue, and yellow blossoms were coaxed into revealing themselves.

The Stormbreakers barely had any time to appreciate this display of Psionic power before something terrible happened. With a deep rumbling sound, several ADVENT transport ships appeared over the horizon. The homeless girl screamed and started to run away, but a gigantic purple alien lept from one of the ships and crashed to the ground in front of her. The poor child only came up to the Chosen Warlock’s knees. She looked up at Kon-Mon Dessurik, her face full of horror.

“You have told us how to find your mother, little one.” The Chosen Warlock said. “We are grateful. Now be a good girl and wait here while we take away everyone you ever loved.”

Corder lost her composure.

“Run, kid!” she shrieked. “Run!”

Once more, a seemingly bottomless pit appeared beneath the Stormbreakers and they fell out of the scene and into darkenss. Kingi nearly lost his grip on Ninu’s body but just managed to hold on as they landed in yet another scene.

…

The Stormbreakers were on the same island, but in a third location. This time, the action had already started, and there was even less time to familiarize themselves with the surroundings.

The homeless girl was a teenager now, and she was being accosted by three teens older than her. A boy and a girl were pinning her hands behind her back, while another boy was forcing the homeless girl to kiss him against her will. Squirming and resisting, she bit her attacker and shouted:

“Get away from me, Duane!”

“You don’t even know what you want!” The offending boy retorted. “You can’t speak up for yourself if your life depended on it! If you’re not taking orders from someone else, you’re useless! That’s how you’ve always been!”

This time, both Cetla and Maui lunged forward to defend the homeless girl. And as soon as they attempted to intervene, the scene ended with the now-predictable black portal to the next one. But as the Stormbreakers fell away, Varian could only feel a sense of shock. The name “Duane” had stirred something in them. A memory.

…

The Stormbreakers appeared somewhere completely different. Varian had no idea where they were, but it was most certainly not the Hawaiian islands. They were now in some kind of grassland, or maybe a steppe. It was hard to tell because all of the surrounding land was covered with snow and ice.

They were on the outskirts of a small village. There were no permanent buildings here. Instead, tents and yurts lined the streets. Taking a few cautious steps through the snow, Varian could hear an argument coming from inside one of those tents. A woman and a man were shouting at each other. The Stormbreakers drew nearer until they could plainly hear what was being said:

“Have you never heard the phrase ‘don’t kiss and tell?’ Duane, we were both kids back then! Neither of us knew what we were doing, and now here you are, making people think we were like freakin’ Helen and Paris! You ever stop to think I might not wanna share my love life with half the god-damned planet!?” The woman shouted.

The man called Duane tried to say something, but the woman wasn’t done scolding him yet. She carried on.

“Look, you wanted to find me, there’s nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is that you built a mostly fake cult of personality around me just to figure out where I am! What the hell were you thinking was going to happen when you found me, anyway!?”

“Well,” Duane stammered. “I thought, I guessed that you would… When you saw how many followers I got for you…”

“Lemme get this straight…” The woman sounded like she was running out of patience. “You convinced people to worship me, damn near built a fucking religion around me… just so I could get back together with you!?!?”

There was a dull smacking sound, followed by a shrill gasp. Duane had just slapped the woman across the face.

“You think I did this!?” He roared. “These people are here for you! For the blue-haired angel who will deliver our people from the Elders! For Jericho!”

Varian, Corder, Kingi, Cetla, and Maui all froze, struck dumb. They had heard the name. Slowly, inexorably, the gears started to turn in their heads. The dawning realization was so powerful that the team hardly noticed they were being sucked into yet another moment in time.

But now Varian and the others knew the truth. The lone prisoner of the Crystal Palace was…

Jericho.

Not the mysterious phony who masqueraded around in a white cloak… this was the real girl who killed the gods, who liberated the Earth and saved the Galaxy fifty years ago.

“Chamber of Life, now it makes sense!” Maui said. “She’s been imprisoned within her own life! She’s being forced to relive everything!”

“And her experiences are being twisted.” Varian added. “I’m confident of that. My history books would have mentioned if our savior went through this much abuse. Hell, my grandparents would have said something!”

Another scene materialized around the Stormbreakers. Now that they knew the Prisoner’s identity, they could quickly figure out which moment in Jericho’s life they were witnessing.

…

It was the Second Battle of Pyongyang. Varian gawked at his grandparents, having never seen them looking so young and fit. Blake Robinson and Chihiro Tachibana fought together like a well-oiled machine, supporting each other flawlessly. And then, Mira Mihaka, the Elder’s Chosen Assassin, appeared from the shadows and assaulted the first generation of Stormbreakers before Jericho appeared to turn the tide.

Just as the team witnessed before, the event did not play out according to the historical record. Mira defeated Jericho and grabbed the teen by her iconic blue hair.

“Now you realize the truth!” Mira hissed. “Everything you’ve done has only served to embolden the worst of your kind. The people you call your allies today will become the next enemy. The consequences of your ill-advised friendships and alliances, that is what lies ahead.”

Jericho’s entire life played out around herself and the Stormbreakers, twisted and warped to make her miserable. Varian felt his (or her) heart sink as Blake and Chihiro turned against Jericho at every opportunity, blaming her for everything wrong with the world. All of the original Stormbreakers had something nasty to say about Jericho too; including a vile comment from her abusive ex-boyfriend Yutaka Yamamoto about how she was not “worth the effort”.

Meanwhile, Varian and the others were trying to brainstorm a way to break Jericho out of what they assumed as a cycle. The team tried intervening in certain moments again, but this only resulted in Jericho running away into the next scene. Cetla tried to simply leave, to storm out of the moment in time… but instead, he triggered an early transition to the next one.

As Jericho and the Stormbreakers fell into her daylong visit to the Galactic Council, Corder threw out her arms.

“Wait a moment!” She said. “Let’s just wait this out. I have an idea.”

Corder’s suggestion to wait was a painful one. For an unknowable length of time, the Stormbreakers had to simply stand and watch as Jericho was beaten and verbally abused by all of the people she knew to be her friends, comrades, and allies. Finally, they came to the crucial moment:

The War in Heaven.

All five of the Stormbreakers had seen movies and documentaries about this, the most important battle in the history of the Galaxy. But nothing compared to witnessing the great conflict through Jericho’s eyes. The scale and scope of the fire, death, and destruction was beyond anything the Stormbreakers could comprehend. Varian struggled to understand how anyone had survived a battle that destroyed the Rings of Saturn, shattered the Galilean worlds, permanently scarred the face of the Moon, and left a silver ring of wreckage around Earth.

The team watched in awe as Jericho, Blake, and Chihiro led the final desperate assault on the Trinity superweapon.

The epic final battle against Akira Robinson and her Templars played out, and finally, Corder’s patience paid off. Corder knew it was coming. Her four comrades knew it was coming. They were counting on finally being able to take some kind of action when it happened.

Blake Robinson, Chihiro Tachibana, and Mira Mihaka clambered down a ladder to try and stop Akira from reaching the Time Core. Up above in the central chamber, Jericho struggled to pull the body of Duane Gardner out of the integration assembly. Even from up here, Jericho and the Stormbreakers could hear the confrontation playing out below as Blake and Chihiro confronted their daughter for the final time. Jericho, along with the Stormbreakers, paused to listen:

“I don’t think you’ve been hearing us, but now that I’ve got your attention, I’ll say it again.” Blake Robinson declared, “There will be no more time travel. No more Cycles or resets. We want to make our own future; we want to live with our own choices and consequences. Whatever happens today, we’re going to live with it, understand? You are not going to make our future for us anymore.”

“Or what?” Akira hissed. “You’ll destroy the Time Core?

“To stop you, absolutely.” Blake replied.

“Right. Before you do that, maybe I should give you a lesson… tell you precisely why I know for a fact that you would never do that, Blake.” Akira hissed. “Time is a fundamental component of the Universe. The Time Core, when used as a Hyperspace Module, lets you jump across vast reaches of time, so long as you’re moving in the same direction as time itself. When you weaponize the Core, like this, you can slow down time as much as you like, but you can’t actually stop it. Time is inexorable and irreversible. It keeps the entire Universe running like an engine.”

Up in the central chamber, Corder gestured to Jericho, who was paying close attention to Akira’s speech and ignoring the Stormbreakers.

“When time breaks, go for Jericho.” Corder breathed.

“Now imagine that someone takes a hammer and smashes that engine.” Akira went on. “You’d better pray to God, or maybe Jericho, that you completely vaporize the Time Core; that it utterly ceases to exist in a single moment… because if you don’t, you’re going to find out what happens when time itself breaks. Your past, present, and future will all exist at once. Minutes, seconds, and hours will fold up on one another, and every possible timeline will merge into one unholy mess! Imagine, mom: your body being trapped between days. Half of you getting older while the other half turns back into a child! Causality itself would be meaningless! You could kill me right now, and I’ll just walk into yesterday or tomorrow and avenge myself! Your future will be in the past, and the present a century ahead of you! Plans and memories would be the same thing! You’ll never die! You’ll never be born!”

Akira’s speech was reaching its crescendo. The Stormbreakers braced themselves, ready for what was about to happen. Kingi took one optimistic look at Ninu’s corpse, sling over Cetla’s back.

There was a pause… mumbled voices came from down below… followed by a shriek and the last words Akira Robinson was known to have said:

“It’s not your future, it’s mine!”

And just as Corder was expecting… time and space itself suddenly broke.

…

Corder, Kingi, Varian, Cetla, and Maui found themselves standing, once more, on the sandy beach of Kauai. But something was different. Gone were the sounds of wind and surf. The city was still and silent.

Yet… the beach, the road, the city, and the jungle beyond were crowded. There were people here, crammed together by the tens of thousands. For as far as the eye could see, there was an endless mass of people. There were Humans and aliens here, with every sapient species that ever lived represented.

Despite the incredible density of the crowd, the Stormbreakers were able to navigate with ease, moving down the beach towards Jericho.

“Did you notice?” Kingi said. “Everyone is frozen in place. They’re all like statues.”

There were easily millions of people in the area, yet nobody moved. It was like the Stormbreakers had broken into a still photograph. And in the center of it all, there was Jericho. She was no longer the girl or a battle-weary teen who spent her youth enduring the nightmares of war, but a fully-grown woman who looked completely and totally defeated.

She walked slowly through the crowd of motionless people, looking into every face as she went by. As she did so, something curious happened. A voice, matching the frozen person she gazed at, cried out in tones of desperation:

“Don’t bring us back! Please!” A Partogan pleaded.

“We’ve lived already, please don’t make us live again.” Protested an elderly Levakian.

Jericho’s eyes filled with tears. She moved on.

“My children have just learned to accept my death.” A Human said. “What will happen to them if I appeared alive, only to vanish again?”

“Shit, Jericho. I thought we were on the same team.” Grumbled an XCOM soldier. “You do this, and you’ll resurrect the Progeny along with us. Your followers might start a real cult, worse than whatever Duane was doing.”

Jericho was slowing down. The pleading from the statuesque figures was overwhelming her.

A Scyldari child said:

“I hope you do the right thing, Jericho. I hope.”

“Let us rest, Jericho.” A Hiigaran begged.

“This is the wrong choice, girl.” Said a Vaygr. “You do this, and you’ll regret it for fifty years.”

“The dead are gone, Jericho.” A Blorg chimed in. “We are gone. Don’t give false hope to the Galaxy. Don’t destroy the living.”

“Please, I can’t go back.” Said an Assurian. “It would destroy my parents all over again.”

Jericho was crying now. She stopped walking and started sobbing into her hands. She fell to her knees and wailed, and the four remaining Stormbreakers very slowly gathered around her. Maui gently laid Ninu in the sand before kneeling next to Jericho. Slowly, Varian reached out…

And gently put their hand on Jericho’s shoulder. She did not pull away. No portals appeared. The chase was over.

Jericho sniffed, and finally spoke to the Stormbreakers.

“I keep coming here… and playing it back. But it always ends the same.”

Varian felt their heart flutter. The girl who became a god sounded… well… ordinary. Cetla shuffled forward and allowed Jericho to lean back on his massive flank.

“It’s all my fault.” Jericho cried. “Hyatt and her Cult, the Progeny. Etienne and his fucking Sol Invictus… this whole damn war is my fault! I had so many chances to stop all this from happening… and I blew it.”

“Jericho…” Corder breathed. “You’re a hero. We owe you… well… everything.”

Corder wrapped her tail gently around Jericho’s middle, but Jericho looked away.

“You’re wrong.” Jericho said. “I let Duane and Geist and Violet start up the Templar Order. Then I resurrected half the damn universe and gave everyone a toxic religion that revolves around my own species. I’m not a hero, I’m a coward. Worse than the Elders.”

“You are a very brave woman.” Kingi said, placing himself directly in front of Jericho. “Braver than any of us.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jericho looked down at the sand. “I won the war, but none of you have peace… and it’s all because of me. I’m so sorry.”

Varian and Maui, moving with great care, gently set Ninu’s body in the sand, just in front of Jericho. She looked at Ninu’s cold body, and she seemed to break down completely. Weeping and sobbing uncontrollably, Jericho brushed Ninu’s face with her hand, as though wiping away a tear.

“This was our friend, Ninu Dokunle.” Maui said. “He grew up on a beautiful world very far away from here.”

“He had a home and a family because of you.” Varian continued. “And although he never met you, he loved you.”

"The Galaxy he lived in was not perfect.” Corder admitted, “By any stretch of the imagination, but Ninu worked his little tail off trying to make it better.”

“He was a little like you.” Kingi said. “Ready to sacrifice himself for something so much bigger. And in the end, he followed through. We would not be here now without Ninu.”

“If Ninu were alive, he would have been grateful for the Galaxy you left for him, flaws and all.” Cetla finished. “Ninu Dokunle would forgive you.”

Jericho picked up Ninu’s body and cradled him in her arms. Still crying, she wordlessly embraced him.

Then, for the first time since arriving on the scene, Varian and the others felt a gust of wind. Corder looked around, alarmed to see that the island, the sea, and the sky were all starting to lose their color. At the same time, Ninu’s body seemed to be glowing faintly, as though a light had been turned on somewhere inside of him. All five of the Stormbreakers looked around in a panic. The world was quickly fading away, becoming foggy and ill-defined. But Jericho’s voice caught their attention:

“Sorry. Can’t help your friend and hold this place up at the same time.”

All five of the Stormbreakers started to exclaim, but they never got the chance to utter a word. At that very moment, the Crystal Palace collapsed.

…

The transition from Jericho’s mindscape into the real world was sudden and jarring. For Varian and the others, it felt like being dropped through a glass floor, only for it to shatter and the fall continued. Varian’s feet hit solid ground and she (or he) collapsed. The noises around told Varian the others had failed to stick the landing as well. Varian gingerly got onto their knees and sat upright.

They were once again on the shores of the island in Oregon. The surrounding lake was undisturbed, and the Moon was still in its place, as though no time had passed at all.

“Is everyone okay?” Varian called out. “Sound off.”

One by one, the Stormbreakers replied. As Varian’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, they realized the Crystal Palace was gone, and nothing remained to show it had ever been there. There was no wreckage or debris, not even a hole in the ground. It was like the structure never existed in the first place.

And there was Jericho. Her yellow dress made her stand out in the darkness quite plainly. She was still holding Ninu in her arms like a newborn baby, and as she stood up, Varian saw Ninu’s tail curl.

“Corder…” Ninu mumbled. “What happened to your fur?”

Varian’s heart leapt! Corder actually did leap. The Stormbreakers descended upon Ninu, cheerfully welcoming him back to the land of the living and asking Jericho how she had done it.

“Not the first time, remember?” Jericho muttered. “It’s just different when there’s actually a… you know.”

Ninu tried to jump down from Jericho’s arms, but found he was still very weak. Jericho gently placed him onto Cetla’s shoulders.

“I cannot apologize to you enough, Ninu.” Jericho told him. “I was really hoping you would turn back at the Death Chamber. No one was supposed to volunteer for that.”

“Next time, write it on the wall or something.” Ninu said. “I was ready to become one with my Homeworld in there.”

Jericho winced, then turned to Varian.

“Alright, then.” She said. “I’m confident I know who you are, but why don’t you tell me anyway?”

Varian started to introduce the Stormbreakers to Jericho, but he (or she) was interrupted by a shout.

“I’ll tell you who they are! Heathens trying to abduct you!”

Against all odds, Erin Hyatt somehow survived the collapse of the Crystal Palace. Her Acolytes were nowhere to be seen, and as she staggered toward the Stormbreakers, she raised a magnetic pistol, aiming squarely at Varian. Jericho took one look at Hyatt and recognized her instantly.

Fifty years ago, Jericho and Hyatt fought side by side in the Battle for Earth, and all these decades later, they could still recognize one another on sight. Hyatt looked at Jericho and addressed her in a lofty voice:

“Oh great Beastslayer! These xenos are part of a campaign to subjugate this world a second time. I will take you back to the safety of my people in the Cathedral of Jericho! Your devoted servants await!”

Then, Hyatt pointed her pistol at Varian’s head and pulled the trigger.

Varian’s heart skipped a beat. He (or she) could see the ferrous slug hovering in midair about two feet away from their face. It was frozen much like the people in Jericho’s mindscape. Varian blinked and saw Jericho.

She had her left arm outstretched, and was pinching an invisible object in between her fingers. Then the Stormbreakers realized together, she had caught the round using Telekinesis. Jericho opened her hand and the bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. Hyatt tried to move, but it was too late.

Jericho closed her fist again, and this time, all six of the Stormbreakers could feel the telekinetic force pressing down on the cult leader, pinning her hands to her sides. Hyatt squirmed and tried to free herself, but all she managed to do was fire her gun a second time, sending a round flying high over Cetla’s head.

“I remember you.” Jericho said, her voice icy. “I know your cult and what you’ve done in my name.”

Jericho took a step towards Hyatt.

“You’ve terrorized the Galaxy. Abducted countless children.”

Jericho grabbed Hyatt by the front of her robes.

“Indoctrinated your victims and corrupted my words and actions.”

Jericho force-marched Hyatt to a nearby outcropping of large rocks partway up volcanic cinder cone.

“Turned my people against their friends and allies, and helped my enemies take over the Earth.”

Jericho grabbed Hyatt with both hands. The cult leader pleaded:

“Wait! Stop!”

But Jericho was done.

“I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!” she yelled.

And with superhuman strength, Jericho threw Hyatt off the mountainside! Screaming and tumbling through the air, Erin Hyatt cleared the island and sailed on for another one hundred feet, before crashing hard into the surface of the Crater Lake below. The dark waters churned and frothed for a moment, and slowly became still once again.

Panting, Jericho fell to her knees. The six Stormbreakers gathered around her and put their hands on her shoulders. She looked to her right and found Ninu staring back. The little lizard was very week, and his limbs were shaking. He took Jericho’s hand in his own and said:

“Please… everything you worked so hard to give us is in danger. The Paradox lives, and her allies are numerous. Will you help us?”

Jericho looked down at the lake, hesitating. Ninu tightened his grip.

“I promise you, on my honor as a Stormbreaker: you will not be asked to resurrect anyone.”

Jericho leaned over and gave Ninu a hug.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

…

July 1, 2086
Cape Canaveral, Florida


It was time to leave. Piper Russell and her companion, Corsair the Faceless, looked out of the window one last time. They had planned out their escape for the past twenty-four hours. Knowing they would almost certainly never get an opportunity to enter the Cape again, the two had agreed to steal technologies, documents, and anything else of value they were able to actually transport off-site.

In the absence of Grey Phoenix teams, the heist was executed slowly and quietly. A military cargo truck was parked between a pair of trees next to the Apollo Center, partially hiding it from view. Since Scarlett Freeman and Inez Espinosa were both in space, the Apollo Center was deserted. With their truck in position, Piper and Corsair stripped the place. The actual burglary, while carried out slow and quiet, was a sloppy job. The building was trashed by the two thieves as computers were pulled out of their nooks and experimental weapons dismantled.

The workshop was too big to be completely dismantled, so Piper and Corsair had to make some choices about which items to steal and which to destroy. Corsair was just bringing the thermite explosives downstairs when Piper found something very interesting.

It was a holographic design studio, the type engineers used to plan out a new invention before physically constructing one. Corsair bypassed the fingerprint sensor by shapeshifting into Scarlett Freeman herself. Then the two searched for Scarlett’s secret off-the-books personal project.

It took Corsair and Piper about an hour to find it.

When they did, Corsair was deeply confused and had no idea what he was looking at. Piper, however, stared at the design schematics, then she read the descriptions of what each component did. Then, a look of realization dawned on her face, and she burst into hysterical laughter.

“I don’t believe it!” Piper gasped. “The whole time, the whole freakin’ time!”

Then, Piper ran up and down the rows of workshop projects, searching for Scarlett’s secret project. When she found it, Piper picked up the device and yelled:

“It’s real! Holy mother of Jericho, Freeman actually made this thing!”

And Piper instantly called an end to the burglary.

…

About fifteen minutes later, the other three Wolverines arrived in Titusville. Jay, Lawrence, and Cera had been warned in advance that Piper and Corsair were going to stage a noisy exit from Canaveral, and that they would need help. The city of Titusville was swarming with UN soldiers and Shrike mercenaries. Today, however, it was also crawling with American resistance fighters.

Cera clambered out of Lawrence’s truck and bolted down to the riverbank. She raised a set of binoculars to her eyes and kept a sharp lookout for any sign of activity from the Kennedy Space Center. She did not have to wait long. From across the Indian River, Cera heard the sound of sirens, followed swiftly by a rising column of black smoke coming from the Apollo Center.

The black smoke was the signal.

Throughout the city of Titusville, sharp cracks rang out as American snipers opened fire on both the UN and Shrike troops. The occupation forces redeployed to engage the guerillas, leaving the NASA Causeway bridge undefended. With tires squealing, an armored truck raced across the bridge and back onto the mainland, pursued by an electric motorcycle. Cera quickly ran back to Lawrence’s truck and threw herself into the bed.

“Go!” She yelled.

Lawrence slammed on the accelerator and gave chase! Piper and Corsair pushed their truck to its limits, speeding right through Titusville and into the countryside. A Shrike mercenary was chasing them on a motorcycle. Using a submachine gun, he tried to shoot out the back of the truck, spraying the highway with gauss slugs. In the passenger seat, Jay leaned out the window and started taking potshots with his laser pistol. Cera stood up in the bed and opened fire with her own weapon, a Stuttermag.

Both shooters found their mark. The motorcycle swerved dangerously and spilled its rider onto the side of the road. As the Shrike mercenary was left behind, Cera, Lawrence, and Jay all cheered in triumph.

…

Corsair and Piper did not stop their truck until they got all the way back to Orlando. Pulling into the Grey Phoenix base, Piper stumbled out of the cab and started making her way to the back door, giggling incoherently the whole way.

“You guys…” Piper wheezed. “You’re never going to believe this! Look at what we found in the Divine Atelier!”

Lawrence, Jay, and Cera called out to their allies to gather around. General Osmer, Colonel Sharp, Professor Espinosa, Shipbreaker Karfu and Crew Chief Magra joined the Wolverines to see what had Piper so excited.

“What is it?” Colonel Sharp asked.

“This better be worth all the trouble you caused for it.” Lawrence added.

Piper grabbed two metal objects that were connected to each other via thick electrical cables. One was a cuff meant to be worn on the wrist while the other was some kind of backpack. An Elerium power cell could be seen emitting green light on the outside of the pack.

“Uh huh.” Crew Chief Magra grumbled. “And what is this thing, exactly?”

Unfazed, Piper donned the backpack and tightened the straps. Then she attached the cuff to her own wrist. With the two pieces of gear in place, Piper pressed a button on the cuff. Six tiny hologram emitters came to life, two on the backpack and four on the cuff. As the illusion started to take shape, Piper did a dramatic flourish and said:

“Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to… The False Jericho.”



END OF ACT TWO

<=== Chapter 28: The Crystal Palace

Chapter 30: Broken Mirror ===>​

​

 

[Von Acturus]

And Jericho (the real) is back! And Jericho (the false) is dead! I say, one of the best things in your histories are how you manage to make your heroes, despite their unbelievably powerful super-human abilities, relatable and human. I actually felt really sorry for Jericho and her plight. Imprisoned, her life twisted and played to her again and again, her name used as an excuse for power mad men and women to exert brutal tyranny upon the galaxy. Poor Jericho.

Now some questions appear: how widespread will the shock waves be once the true Jericho returns and denounces the Cult, the Progeny, the UN and all those who pretended to be her successors? The galaxy is in for quite a shock I presume...

And who imprisoned Jericho? Akira? The Progeny? Herself?

And Scarlett, her worst enemy free once more, does she know? What shall she do?

 

[Midnite Duke]

Happy Birthday! Have you driven out to Tybee Island?

 

[Macavity116]

I say, one of the best things in your histories are how you manage to make your heroes, despite their unbelievably powerful super-human abilities, relatable and human. I actually felt really sorry for Jericho and her plight. Imprisoned, her life twisted and played to her again and again, her name used as an excuse for power mad men and women to exert brutal tyranny upon the galaxy. Poor Jericho.

It took literal years to get to this point and I am so happy I managed to get you to feel for Jericho.

how widespread will the shock waves be once the true Jericho returns and denounces the Cult, the Progeny, the UN and all those who pretended to be her successors? The galaxy is in for quite a shock I presume...

Not just how widespread the shockwaves are... but how lethal will they be? Particularly to whatever is left of the Progeny once Jerico and the GDF are done with them.

And who imprisoned Jericho? Akira? The Progeny? Herself?

It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it line, but right before she resurrects Ninu, Jericho pretty much confirms she did this to herself.

And Scarlett, her worst enemy free once more, does she know? What shall she do?

The final act of this story is going to be a bloodbath for good reasons.

Happy Birthday! Have you driven out to Tybee Island?

Thanks! I was out there earlier this morning. I was on the North Beach for a few hours after sunrise and I still have salt in my hair. XP

 

[HistoryDude]

Ninu's death was a shame... I wonder if anybody else among the Stormbreakers is a possible psionic once the Gift is restored?

Why didn't they just find where the Progeny was and sacrifice one of them? I mean, it would be cruel... but there was nothing stated about friendship being required.

Jericho is free... which is very good. Jericho-Akira rematch?

I knew it was Jericho as soon as the "mother" part was mentioned.

And it's nice to know that Ninu lives again.

 

[Macavity116]

Why didn't they just find where the Progeny was and sacrifice one of them? I mean, it would be cruel... but there was nothing stated about friendship being required.

That would have required waiting for Hyatt and her Progeny goons to get past the trick mirror seen in Chapter 28. The risk would have been that a fight erupts as soon as they enter the Death Chamber, leading to more than one person losing their life. The Stormbreakers weren't interested in such a risk.

Jericho-Akira rematch?

The temptation to write one is so strong, you have no idea.

 

[HistoryDude]

Oh, additional Deus Ex Machina guess: Jericho herself. She is in the story now, and she is worshipped as a god. And, in literary terms, a Deus Ex Machina is the plot being resolved by an outside factor (usually a god) with little or no input from the main characters. Of course, all of the previous guesses are still on the table. However, the chapter could feature Jericho's (re)debut in the war against Paradox.

 

[Macavity116]

You know what's really frustrating? Like, really... really frustrating?

Real Life.

I was planning to include the mysterious Georgia Guidestones in a future chapter of The Last Heroes. They were supposed to be a rally point for a combined force of GDF and American forces who would attack Cape Canaveral together. Plus, I wanted to imply the Old US Government in Columbus was actually getting some use out of the enigmatic structure.

Then this happened yesterday:

Well ****. Back to the drawing board.

 

[Macavity116]

Hiatus
​

This is Macavity116, here out of character to discuss my plan for the third and final act of The Last Heroes.

First, I want to thank you for reading The Last Heroes thus far. In Act One: The Divine Atelier, you were introduced to Inez Espinosa and followed her journey into a much larger world, filled with intrigue, conflict, and mystery. In Act Two: Fallen Savior, you witnessed the War of the Paradox consuming everyone around it, and dragging Inez further down a path she cannot return from.

Act Two is now over, and all that remains is the final Act: Journey’s End.

This upcoming slate of chapters will not just be the ending of The Last Heroes, but the grand finale of the Stormbreaker Universe as a whole. Now, I’m sure those words have lost some weight, given that I’ve tried to end this series once before. However, this time will truly be the conclusion of the series.

Act Three will see all five of the remaining story arcs drawn to a close:

• The Espinosa family (Inez, Cassandra, Emanuel, Scarlett)
• The Berlin Revolution (Blake, Marka, Pascal, Scarlett, Rafi)
• Jericho and the Stormbreakers (Varian, Ninu, Jericho)
• War of the Paradox (Eerabik, Himawari, Hahli, Ruunhan)
• Rescue at Cape Canaveral (Inez, Cassandra, the Wolverines)

There’s a lot of story to write here, and it’s going to take time. At this moment, I believe Act Three will consist of sixteen chapters:

30. Broken Mirror
31. See All, Know All
32. Trojan
33. Mutatis Mutandis
34. Deus Ex Machina
35. Bellator in Machina
36. Someone Your Own Size
37. The Espinosa Children
38. Endgame
39. Reichstag Revolution
40. Angel of Death
41. Hell is for Heroes
42. Rescue at Cape Canaveral
43. Phoenix Down
44. Now I Am Become Death
45. Mother vs Daughter
46. Journey’s End

I have started to write these final chapters, but it will be some time before they are ready to be posted online. So to that end, I will be putting The Last Heroes on hiatus for the rest of the summer.

And don’t worry, I’m not going to take a break from writing because I already did. I finished writing Act Two at the beginning of June and enjoyed an incredible vacation just recently. I’m eagerly looking forward to finally writing down the ending of a story I’ve had in the back of my mind for almost fifteen years.

As always, I want to thank you for reading my stories. I have no real expectations for this series, and sharing it with you is fun enough for me.


The Last Heroes will return on Saturday, September 3.

 

[Macavity116]

Happy hiatus, dear readers!

I want to let you know the Q2 2022 ACA's are underway. The Quarterly awAARds are the perfect time and place to shine a spotlight on the AARs you love. Any AAR that was updated between April 1 and June 30 is eligible for nomination. Don't forget to cast your ballots before voting ends on August 7th!

Can't think of an AAR to vote for? Why not try one of these:

Stellaris

1. Songs of the Saiiban- A Poetic AAR by @Chilango2
2. Shattered Glass: A Narrative Stellaris AAR by @Von Acturus
3. Commonwealth of Man by @Staehr
4. Stellaris Wars: A Nemesis Ironman Saga II - Rebellion: The Imperium at War by @Arithmetician

CK3:

1. The Life of Brian, and Other Stories by @TheButterflyComposer
2. Roman Resurgence - Eastern Rome Rises by @Nikolai
3. Car-sader Kings - Medieval Motor Tycoons AAR by @uhhhscizo
4. Born to Breed: House of the Prophets by @Peter Ebbesen

CK2:

1. Avon Las Observes by @Midnite Duke

 

[Macavity116]

If you have been reading Shattered Glass: A Narrative Stellaris AAR by @Von Acturus, you might have noticed that he is currently using short worldbuilding posts to fill in the void caused by a pre-planned break from writing. I thought this was such a good idea that I decided to steal it while @Von Acturus had his back turned.

So here's what's up:

In Act Three of The Last Heroes, one of the important storylines I intend to wrap up is the 2086 UN Secretary-General (s)election: Blake Robinson vs Pascal Etienne. I've got a handful of worldbuilding posts for any reader who is invested in that particular part of the story: a series of history lessons about the Office of the Secretary-General and all of the people who came before Etienne.

Enjoy these short history lessons, and I'll see you in September for Act Three!

​

---

The 1946 Selection of the UN Secretary-General
​

The United Nations was founded by the Allied Powers during the aftermath of World War Two. At the San Francisco Conference of April 1945, the UN Charter was drafted and signed by fifty nation-states. The Charter went into force after it was ratified by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council:

• The Republic of China
• The Forth French Republic
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
• The United States of America.

The Office of Secretary-General was established by Article 97 of the Charter, yet the language was extremely minimalist, containing only this one line:

“The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.”

This single line has governed the selection of Humanity’s leaders from 1945 all the way to the most recent selection in 2080. This series of history lessons will attempt to document how each Secretary-General came into office, all the way from the inaugural holder Trygve Lie (1946 to 1952) to the current incumbent, Pascal Etienne. (2072 to the present) We will also track the transformation of the office into the powerful executive role it was never meant to be.

Let’s begin.

To start, no formal qualifications for the office of Secretary-General have ever been established. In the past, both China and France have attempted to create a set of qualifications by vetoing any candidate who fails to meet their own benchmarks. For instance, France will automatically veto any candidate who cannot speak French, which is currently the third most widely used language on Earth, behind English and the Galactic Common. The United States and United Kingdom consistently refuse to acknowledge or abide by these requirements. From 1945 until 2015, nobody from a P5 nation was ever nominated for the office, as doing so was typically seen as a power grab. This tradition was finally broken in 2036 by Laura Harper, an American, but we’ll get to her selection later.

With the question of qualifications out of the way, it is time to remember how the very first Secretary-General of the UN was picked.

In October 1945, mere weeks after the ending of the Second World War, the United Nations were established in San Francisco. A British diplomat named Gladwyn Jebb was appointed Acting Secretary-General by the UN Security Council. At this time, there were only the Permanent Five in the council, as the non-permanent rotating seats had not been filled at the time. Jebb was expected to serve as a caretaker of the UN Secretariat until a Secretary-General could be appointed for a full term. This selection occurred in January of the following year.

Back in the 1940’s the office of Secretary-General is nowhere near as powerful as it is here in 2086. Instead, the dominant office of the international order was the President of the General Assembly. The very first contest for the office was a heated challenge between Belgian statesman Paul-Henri Spaak and the Norwegian Trygve Lie. The Soviet Union tried to elect Lie to the Presidency by acclimation, which would have skipped the voting process entirely and instantly installed Lie as President, but the motion was defeated. The vote went ahead and Spaak won the Presidency with a result of 28 to 23.

With these results in mind, the five Permanent Members of the Security Council could only watch as the General Assembly voted to elevate six of their own members. Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Poland, Egypt, and the Netherlands were elected to the non-permanent seats of the Security Council, filling out the most powerful body in the UN. With the Security Council ready, it was time to pick the Secretary-General.

The United Kingdom attempted to nominate a war hero named Dwight Eisenhower for the top job. Eisenhower served as a General in the United States Army during World War 2 and scored several crucial victories against the German foe. The United States rejected Eisenhower’s candidacy, saying that “no national of the Big Five should be selected for the post.”

On January 20, 1945, the Security Council met for consultations. During the meeting, the United States attempted to nominate Lester Pearson, a Canadian official. This decision was heavily opposed by the Soviet Union, and in return, the USSR nominated Stanoje Simic, the Yugoslav Ambassador to the United States. France nominated Henri Bonnet, their own Ambassador to America. Over the course of the day, four more candidates were suggested, and the French added a second nominee of their own in the form of Norwegian minister Trygve Lie.

While all of this was happening, the General Assembly laid down a new rule stating that the Secretary-General would serve a five-year term of office, which could be renewed. By the 25th of January, there were just two frontrunners for the top job. Trygve Lie from Norway and Lester Pearson of Canada.

Pearson was a veteran of World War One, having served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He saw action in the Salonika Front alongside the Siberian Army. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and survived an airplane crash. After the war, Pearson received an advanced education at both the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. Afterward, he taught history at the University of Toronto. During World War Two, he served the Canadian government as a member of their diplomatic service and he was hired as a messenger by the enigmatic spymaster Sir William Stephenson. Due to the role he played in the founding of both the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Pearson was nominated for Secretary-General by the United States and United Kingdom.

His main rival was Trygve Lie. Lie was a career politician in Norway, where he served as Minister of Justice during the outbreak of World War Two. When the German Army invaded, he fled to England where he continued to serve as a member of the Norwegian Government-in-Exile until the defeat of Germany some five years later. Lie was favored for the role of Secretary-General because of the role he played in the creation of the Security Council itself. (He wrote Article 3 of the UN Charter) Lie’s inability to speak French hampered his candidacy with the P5, yet he remained the strongest candidate in the field besides Pearson, who would almost certainly be vetoed.

Which brings us to the Selection itself. On January 28, the Security Council assembled again, where France once again tried to defeat Lie’s candidacy by reminding the body of his inability to speak French. The situation changed however when the Soviet delegate announced his intentions to veto Pearson, which effectively removed the Canadian from all consideration. After some haggling, China agreed to accept Lie, which caused the French and Soviet delegates to change their own tune. The next morning, the Security Council held their final vote, which was unanimous.

Trygve Lie was then recommended to the General Assembly, and on February 1st, he was elected Secretary General in a vote of 47 to 3. Lie took office and became the first UN leader the following day.

 

[Von Acturus]

Very nice! I'll get to know more about real UN history and the Stormbreaker universe, 2-in-1, count me in!