/Vanguard Headquarters, the Tower/
Kaworu Nagisa and Variks both blinked in unison. The former ran a hand through his black hair, muttering beneath his breath. The latter slowly worked his jaw, crimson eyes wide with shock. "One blow...one
blow..."
"...the amount of power needed to undo the bonds for
that much energy had to leave
some kind of residual feedback. I
refuse to believe otherwise," growled Akagi-80.
xxxx
Over three million miles away from Mars, the Exalted slowly turned, flying back towards the Cabal Home Fleet.
Dominus Ghaul's very soul ached. To focus his spirit so finely, to direct the Light in such a manner...had all but exhausted him. Even now, willing his weapon to move was...tiring. But it had sent a message. One that, judging by the projected images he could see of his many soldiers,
everyone had gotten it. And so he focused, and spoke with his usual firmness. "You have witnessed the power that awaits us all. We are all called to seize our destiny...and the Cabal Empire's destiny is to conquer the stars, as was decreed so long ago by the Everlasting Flame to the First Emperor! With the fullness of the Traveler...it shall be
so." He raised his fist, slowly clenching it to mask the faint tremors. "With the Exalted,
I have dealt first blood! I now turn you all to Umun'arath, Primus of All Legions; treat her orders as if they came from me! GO FORTH, AND
OBTAIN GLORY!"
The moment the screen projections cut off, Ghaul slightly sagged within the Core of the Exalted. It would take some time for him to recover...but the Consul and Freeborn Otzot would keep him appraised of ongoing events. It would hardly be fair, for him to do everything; all Cabal would play their part in the great struggle.
It would be
sublime.
xxxx
/Altar of Oryx, the Dreadnaught/
The Taken King's wings twitched as the connection with his Vanguard was eliminated. It was not with anger...a faint bit of irritation, perhaps...but
curiosity. Such power had carried the foul taint of the Sky...yet it had
also been bound by the Deep. Another example of the strange heresy that his Bride had perpetuated? How did it work? How did it access such energy?
He chuckled, feeling the strange weight of that unusual four-legged creature as it rested within the bowels of the Deep. It wanted to loose itself, to rip and tear. Perhaps the opportunity to do so would come sooner than even he had anticipated!
So it was that Oryx gazed up, feeling the presence of numerous warships approaching his fleet. "
So the Cabal Empire wishes to test itself." He grinned savagely, as dark fire concentrated in his claws. "
Then I shall Take them."
He would Take them
all.
xxxx
/Caloris Basin, Mercury/
The loss of Sahaquiel was keenly felt. Yet he did not begrudge the creature that had done the deed; the Turned Progenitor had turned his gaze on these 'Cabal', and their apparent champion had answered with superior might.
Right now, his attention was...elsewhere. The presence of familiar war-moons - rank with the wretched stench of Hive! - and unfamiliar warships were approaching this world's vicinity. Their battle would consume them.
It was time to prepare.
And so he gazed upon the gathered Eliksni, speaking to their very souls. The millions that had gathered on this planet, belonging to all of the varied Houses of yore, listened intently.
++PREPARE FOR BATTLE++
xxxx
/The Oversoul Throne/
Rei Ayanami frowned; the sheer amount of paracausal powers that had descended upon this system was clouding her foresight, her very connection to other timelines. "
An inescapable event horizon...drawing all fates into an inescapable vortex..." The Hive Triad. Dominus Ghaul - wielding Unit-04 - and the vast majority of the Cabal Empire's forces. And somehow, she couldn't escape the sneaking suspicion that things had yet to reach their climax. But why?!
xxxx
Elsewhere, amidst foggy starlight inside a terraformed Jovian moon, a booming voice spoke, and his peers listened, even though they were not within physical sight. After everything that they had done over these past centuries...it was mere child's play to communicate over such distances, compared to their greater powers. "
Given such a conflux of hostiles...I do not believe playing it safe will suffice, this time." Leaning back, the creature let his equals speak.
"
Let them duke it out and bloody each other up. It'll make it easier on us!"
"
Mystery has been our ally for all these years, and prudence has been our best tool. We have managed to prepare a number of contingencies."
"
And what of the First Child? She has yet to show her face as of late."
"
No doubt she had a hand to play in Evangelion Unit-04 somehow ending up in the hands of a foreign empire."
"
An interesting display of power, I must say!"
"
We have scoured all available records that we have been able to purloin from the Awoken...based on that, it is my belief that the Hive and Cabal, once entrenched, would be difficult to remove."
"
So it is all down to a matter of surprise?"
"
...it would be fun."
"
I dare say it would. And honestly, do you really want this overgrown pachyderm coming in and claiming the Traveler without our say-so? We still had so much Light left to eat!"
"
I actually have a perfect song for the occasion. Something appropriately ironic."
"
Are you going for Tchaikovsky?"
"
No...more like a pre-Collapse classic, from 1970."
"
Cultural philistine."
"
Snooty prude."
It seemed that they were all of one mind on the matter. "
Very well then," said MP-01, first among equals, with a toothy grin. "
We have an accord."
xxxx
/Vanguard Headquarters, the Tower/
The projected image on the table was going haywire; long-distance sensors and observational data from Seele's scouting vessels were providing updated locations for the Cabal's ships and the Hive's war-moons, seemingly appearing without end and without relent within the Inner Planets. There was no telling what the Outer Planets looked like.
Cayde-6 was out of jokes to tell. "...I'm out of material. I can't think of a way to make this any better."
At that moment, the image of the Solar System was replaced by the ghoulish grin of a Mass Production Evangelion. "
Greetings!"
"...that wasn't a
dare," growled the Hunter Vanguard.
"...how curious, for one of the Nine to make their appearance," said the Speaker looking intently at the image. "I only imagine that you intend to take advantage of the current situation."
"
But of course! It's not like we're ignorant of the little rumors floating about the City and the Reef about what awful brutes we were, crippling your precious Traveler. And far be it from us to leave a job unfinished." The sheer cruelty and malice was unmistakable in its joy.
'
My my. The Chairman's let himself go after all these years.'
Delusions of godhood will do that to anyone, wryly thought Gendo.
"What do you want?" asked Osiris.
Number One grinned. "
Did you know that there are over fifty thousand centaurs floating throughout the Jovians? I should know, we counted them. Many were too small and too isolated to make much use of, but when you have godlike power and plenty of time to play...well, I suppose all of you will see. Ah, can't forget the Jupiter trojans as well!"
The astronomical terms brought Akagi-80 to stunned befuddlement. "Wait...no, no no
no...if...no,
no! How many of them?!"
"
Hmm...at our last count...fifteen thousand, four hundred and thirty-three. That should be enough to mix things up, don't you think?"
"...what do you mean?" demanded Misato Katsuragi.
"
Well, I think you'll get my meaning...when you hear this one question." The Mass Production Evangelion sneered. "
I think some will like our answer. Can't say for sure what you'll think." At that moment, the projected image died.
xxxx
Within the Outer Planets, the Nine manifested their will, broadcasting a signal from their fortresses on the largest Jovians.
Within minutes, fifteen thousand, four hundred and thirty-three centaurs and Jupiter trojans - ranging from tiny asteroids to large bodies over several hundred kilometers in diameter - hummed with sentient energy, called to action, so to speak. Some were mobile gunships, bearing terraformed cannons that were ready to unleash stellar radiation absorbed over hundreds of years. Others...had a far more blunt purpose.
As the first lines of the Cabal and the Hive encountered each other...the smallest and closest centaurs and trojans streamed among their ranks. The two sides were quick to respond, firing at each other and these unusual interlopers. Most were shattered, creating clouds of debris that pelted Cabal warships and the vessels of the Hive...but these fragments still carried the energy of the Nine. And that energy shined like beacons.
With horrific wails, dark Blights erupted into existence upon these vessels, spewing forth the monstrosities that had been created and Taken by SEELE after all these years.
Right as these Blights flashed into existence...
a single song began to play, which could be heard by the various peoples and fleets of the Solar System.
"WAR! HOO-AH! Yeah! What is it good for?!"
The lyrics were accompanied by the amused laughter of the Nine.
xxxx
/The Oversoul Throne/
Rei Ayanami visibly twitched.
