Chamber of Elders
"AARRGHH... why, Zaria... why?" Kravik choked out as he watched his fellow council members fall one by one, slain by the very weapons they had sanctioned—soldiers forged from enslaved Kryptonians for the glory of the Hegemony.
Zaria stood amid the carnage, her face an expressionless mask. "What choice did I have? If you want to blame someone, blame Fyraa for exposing my plans."
The tension between Fyraa and Zaria had been building for months. Fyraa was fiercely protective of her work and didn't appreciate interference with her experiments. But Zaria's recent breakthroughs in weapons development and technological advancement had won the council over, securing permission to restart the hybrid experiments—this time incorporating berserker protocols she'd spent the past month developing.
The initial testing had been catastrophic. Fyraa's precious Kryptonian and hybrid specimens died brutal deaths. She'd used every ounce of authority to shut the project down, haunted by nightmares of what her hybrids became once the protocol activated. During that first trial, she'd been shocked—even impressed—by the energy readings. For a moment, she'd reluctantly conceded defeat.
Then the transformed hybrid went on a rampage, nearly killing her and the other council members who'd come to witness the test. Only the combined efforts of their Kryptonian guards and scores of Hegemony soldiers barely managed to stop it. The creature's monstrous appearance and raw power were frightening, but what truly terrified Fyraa was its uncontrolled rage, the failure of the subjugation neural chip, and worst of all, how impossibly difficult it was to kill.
After that, she'd adamantly demanded the protocol development be terminated. The rest of the council agreed. She still remembered the change in Zaria when the decision was announced—the cold indifference in her eyes made her almost unrecognizable.
Fyraa had noticed changes in Zaria for some time. Her demeanor had shifted, becoming cold and distant. She brought forth brilliant yet unsettling ideas and knowledge the Psions had never conceived before. After the shutdown, it was as if Zaria couldn't be bothered with anything, always sequestered in her research labs.
Something felt off, but Fyraa had never been on good terms with Zaria, so frankly, she didn't care if the other scientist kept to herself. Still, Zaria hadn't remained idle. Enhancement after enhancement poured from her laboratories. Just weeks ago, during a rare council appearance, Zaria had presented significant upgrades for their Kryptonian guards and hybrids.
Fyraa reviewed the data thoroughly, grudgingly finding no fault and even feeling admiration for the enhancement protocols. She approved them, and soon the guards and her developing hybrids were being enhanced, their power levels increasing dramatically.
Shortly after demonstrating these improvements, Zaria brought up the Berserker Protocol again. Despite Fyraa's vehement objections, Zaria's recent achievements had earned enough credibility that the other council members gave her the benefit of the doubt. They wanted to expand their armies in preparation for extending the Hegemony's reach and hunting down the remnants of Oa. Another round of experiments began.
Reluctantly, Fyraa allowed Zaria access to a few initial hybrids, half-hoping to see her fail again and finally knock her down a peg. But this round succeeded. Even Fyraa was astonished. Though the protocol needed a few more improvements—since the hybrid emerged from transformation as a drooling, mindless shell once the berserker state subsided—the power it displayed and its obedience to commands was undeniable. Her expression turned grim as she accepted defeat.
Then something strange happened. During a council meeting discussing intelligence reports—news that the exiled Tamaranean princess had returned to Tamaran and defeated the Citadel Empress in combat—Fyraa noticed Zaria's expression turn ugly.
The intercepted footage made it clear: their plan to capture the exiled princess had failed. The Czarnian bounty hunter Lobo, whom they'd hired for the task, was nowhere to be found. That's when Zaria's demeanor shifted even more noticeably, and Fyraa's unease deepened.
While the others dismissed it, Fyraa decided to investigate. There was too much strangeness surrounding Zaria's laboratories. Until now, the results and simulations Zaria presented had earned unanimous approval for her projects—especially the tower.
During the initial developments in prior months, Zaria had theorized the existence of exotic energy previously unknown to their people. She'd shown experimental logs demonstrating how, in highly controlled environments, she could tear open portals to unknown space and harvest this exotic matter. Even minuscule amounts could enrich organic life and power their weapons and technology. The applications were limitless. The tower—designed to create a larger, stable portal for harvesting—had received unanimous approval.
Fyraa had always found Zaria irksome, but when she saw clear benefits to the Hegemony, she didn't interfere. Now, recalling that expression on Zaria's face—the unsettling, almost alien look in her eyes—Fyraa decided to dig deeper.
The day before, under the pretense of discussing enhancement and berserker protocol distribution, Fyraa and her staff entered Zaria's workshop. While she engaged the visibly annoyed Zaria, she sent trusted team members to investigate.
One managed to trace a massive energy conduit to a hidden laboratory. What he discovered shocked him to his core. He exited with recordings, his face a mask of barely contained terror as he forced himself to appear calm and rejoined Fyraa's group unnoticed.
Later, back at their own laboratory, the team member broke his facade and revealed everything. Shock rippled through Fyraa and her team as they learned the real purpose of the tower, the ships, the weapons, the soldiers. Zaria had betrayed the Hegemony.
The realization struck hard. Fyraa's gaze turned to her own work—the hybrids growing in their containment tubes. After a moment, her expression hardened. She knew her subordinate's infiltration wouldn't go unnoticed for long, so she acted quickly. She ordered the Tamaranean specimens relocated and prepared the hybrids to receive a new command protocol while she created it.
Her goal was simple: since she'd created these hybrids for the Hegemony, she wouldn't let Zaria use them for her own purposes. Fyraa would compile a code implanted deep within the hybrids—a final safety protocol in case she failed to bring Zaria down.
Hours later, after delivering the code to her team, she called an emergency High Council meeting. She made sure to summon Zaria, so that even if Zaria had discovered the infiltration and exposure of her plans, Fyraa could buy her team time to implement the new protocols.
Thus began the longest night in the Psion Hegemony's history. As the High Council assembled in the Elder Hall, Fyraa stood before them and exposed Zaria's treachery, presenting evidence of her betrayal.
As morning broke and tension filled the chamber, the High Scientists—disturbed and shaken—demanded an explanation from Zaria.
Zaria maintained her calm demeanor, listening silently. Only when they finished did she chuckle, then laugh loudly, shaking her head.
"He was right," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "You are all unworthy of my time and effort."
A chill swept through the room. Who was "he"?
Zaria continued, her voice cold and measured. "Yes, the tower is not what I claimed. It's not merely a harvesting station. It's a gateway—a means to transcend this lower realm and ascend to the higher realms, to gain knowledge and power beyond your comprehension. I would have taken you all with me, despite your limitations. But now?" She smiled coldly. "Now you're all going to die."
Before anyone could react, Kryptonian guards burst into the chamber. The slaughter was swift and merciless as Zaria tapped commands into her datapad.
Now, as Zaria watched coldly while the last council members fell, her guards dragged in Fyraa, who was in terrible condition—one arm torn from her body, leaving a bleeding stump. They threw her at Zaria's feet.
Fyraa screamed in agony. Zaria's tail wrapped around her throat, lifting her into the air.
"You really are too clever for your own good," Zaria said, her voice devoid of emotion. "But as thanks for creating the soldiers my benefactor and I will need to establish our foothold on the other side, I'll let you in on something."
She brought the struggling Fyraa closer, leaning in to whisper. "Your little plan failed. I already sent guards to dispose of your team, the Tamaranean specimens, and anything else that could interfere with what we need."
Their eyes met at close range. Zaria could see confusion, anger, disbelief, and sadness warring in Fyraa's expression.
Just as Zaria prepared to end her life, a massive shadow fell over the capital. The light dimmed, and an unnatural darkness spread across the city.
Startled, Zaria released Fyraa, letting her collapse as she rushed to the window. What she saw made her blood run cold.
A large dark orb hung in the sky—like a second sun eclipsing their own star—casting an ominous shadow over the capital. There was no explanation for its presence, and something about it made her deeply uneasy.
Before she could issue orders to investigate, the dark sphere began to descend, growing larger and closer, as if the heavens themselves were falling.
"What... what is that? How did an enemy get past our patrols?" Zaria's eyes narrowed as she watched, then activated her datapad and pulled up the sensor readings. The numbers made no sense—energy signatures off the scale, spatial distortions rippling outward from the sphere.
"Sound the alarm," she commanded. "Bring all defense systems online. All guards deploy immediately and engage the enemy. Protect the tower at all costs."
Behind her, Fyraa coughed up blood, managing a weak, bitter laugh. "Looks like... someone else... had other plans for you, Zaria."
Zaria glanced back at her dying rival, then returned her gaze to the descending darkness. Whatever was coming, it was far beyond anything she'd anticipated.
And somewhere deep in her mind, a consciousness stirred with recognition—and perhaps, for the first time, something approaching concern.
A few minutes earlier
Rachel hovered high above the city, her eyes narrowing. "Kara's right. Something about this planet feels wrong."
"Raven, we're in position," Kara's voice crackled through her earpiece.
"Same here," M'gann added.
"Good. Get ready to move when you see your opening. This will pack a punch and make a lot of noise, so stay clear of the blast radius," Rachel warned.
"Got it," came the unified response from her team.
She brought her hands together and channeled her Ki. "Dark Sun," she whispered. Her inner realm churned as power flooded through her. Dark magical flames coalesced between her palms, forming a sphere that grew hotter with each passing second.
The sphere expanded rapidly, forcing the clouds to churn and part. Those watching from below could only stare in horror as the dark orb swelled until it eclipsed the sun itself. Rachel had used this spell only once before in actual combat—in an alternate universe where she'd miscalculated and nearly destroyed that reality's Themyscira. Since then, she'd practiced it exclusively in controlled environments. But now, she needed overwhelming force to test their enemy's defenses.
When the spell reached critical mass, she thrust her hands downward and launched it at the tower.
The world held its breath. Psions across the city froze as the dark sun descended, its sheer size threatening to engulf not just the tower but the entire surrounding area. This was deliberate—Rachel wanted to force their true enemy to reveal their capabilities.
As the attack closed in, temperatures skyrocketed. Everything in its path simply ceased to exist, incinerated before contact. The energy radiating from the sphere distorted space itself. Then, moments before impact, a shining grey multi-layered force field materialized around the tower.
The collision came—a massive release of energy that turned the world white. For a heartbeat, everything went silent. Then a thunderous explosion consumed everything around the tower.
Rachel slipped into a dimensional pocket and watched from above, her expression cold and calculating. Through the holographic display floating before her, she monitored the tower's energy readings.
"As expected," she murmured.
"Mother Empress, can you disable those shields?" Rachel asked.
Her display flickered, then went dark. The tower's data vanished.
Mother Empress materialized from Rachel's terminal, her expression grave. "We have a problem. The moment I attempted to interfere, my connection was severed and the bug destroyed. They have an AI."
Rachel's eyes widened slightly. "On par with you?"
"Not entirely—otherwise our infiltration would have been detected. It appears to be a specialized defensive AI triggered by the attack. It's basic in many ways, but with formidable protective protocols." She paused. "Without the Void Sentinel or my main body, I cannot breach it. I apologize, princess."
Rachel shook her head. "Don't apologize. I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy. We'll simply go to plan B."
"Understood. Communicating the change now," Mother Empress replied, her eyes briefly glowing.
Outside
As the dust and flames settled, the protective dome around the tower flickered with residual energy. Scorch marks radiated outward from the impact point, several outer shield layers completely vaporized. But the tower still stood intact within a massive crater.
Kara hovered above the devastation, her enhanced vision piercing through the smoke. "Sheesh. You weren't kidding about how much punch that attack would pack." She assessed the damage. "Looks like it didn't fully break through though—and it's likely running on backup power." The blast had severed the surface power cables, yet the tower's shields remained active.
"Raven, please promise me you'll never use that attack on Earth," M'gann said, her voice tight. Nearly half the city had been annihilated. She couldn't help imagining what would happen if someone pushed Rachel that far on Earth—though she knew Rachel would never resort to such devastation there.
Rachel's silence on the comms made M'gann's stomach drop.
"Come on, Miss Martian. You know she wouldn't rampage like that back home unless there was no other choice. With her father and Wonder Woman around, she'd never need to." Kara's eyes narrowed as movement caught her attention below. "Anyway, looks like we're on plan B. Multiple hostiles emerging from central command. We've got their attention."
"Good," Rachel's voice returned. "Miss Martian, what's your position?"
From her vantage point opposite the tower, M'gann raised advanced binoculars. "I've got eyes on them. Converging on the tower as expected. At least seven enhanced Kryptonians and ten Hybrid signatures. They must have gotten some Hybrids deployed in time. Damn it, I should have risked sabotaging those chambers."
"Save the regrets. Even if you'd tried, we'd have been exposed too early. And given what we're facing, you probably would have failed anyway," Rachel said. "Battle parameters are still within expectations. Supergirl, Miss Martian—proceed as planned."
Mother Empress's voice chimed in. "But exercise caution. I can no longer provide real-time tactical data on the tower's internal systems."
Kara tracked the first wave of enemy soldiers bursting through the dust clouds, their eyes glowing with unnatural light—the telltale precursor to heat vision. They moved with unnerving coordination, spreading into a defensive formation around the structure.
"As expected, the stealth cloaking is still working—they're prioritizing tower defense over searching for us." Kara paused. "I still can't believe Lor actually survived and ended up as a Tuffle carrier. I know I've said this before, and I know he's General Zod's son, but no one deserves to be possessed like that. We have to stop this, whatever it takes."
"Then, as planned, we force their hand," Rachel's voice cut through, cold and decisive. "Supergirl, you're up. Engage the guards as planned and draw them away from the tower. Miss Martian, find me Zaria."
Kara cracked her knuckles, a determined grin spreading across her face. "Finally. I was getting tired of spectating." She glanced back at the two figures who had descended from the Javelin. "You two ready?"
Faora-Ul and Jer-Em—two of the four prisoners recovered from stasis in the med bay. Rachel and Mother Empress had freed them from their subjugation chips and briefed them on the situation. The other two had been too injured to fight. When Rachel had initially proposed recruiting captured Kryptonians, Faora and Jer-Em had attacked her, attempting to seize the ship. She'd subdued them easily in their weakened state before revealing her identity. Learning that Rachel was the daughter of General Zod's killer had made Faora shiver with fear and laugh hollowly at the cruel irony. Jer-Em, a zealot who'd learned of Zod's death from Faora in the Phantom Zone, had looked at Rachel with murderous intent—but stood no chance against her power. After forcefully establishing order, Rachel had recruited them for the mission. Now, as Kara prepared to engage, both nodded. They despised Rachel, but their loyalty to Zod meant rescuing Ursa and Lor-Zod took precedence. Faora, who had endured Psion experiments alongside Ursa, burned for vengeance—a hatred that rivaled even her hatred for Orach, Zod's killer.
Kara and the two Kryptonians dropped rapidly toward the guards, her aura flaring bright gold as she powered up and disabled her suit's stealth mode. The guards locked onto her position instantly, heads turning in perfect unison—an eerie display of synchronized control. They ignored Faora and Jer-Em, who still bore signs of subjugation.
The first guard rocketed forward, heat vision blazing. Kara met him head-on, crossing her arms as the crimson beams struck her golden aura and scattered toward the guards behind him. She drove her fist into his helmet, cracking it and sending him crashing into his comrades. The impact rippled through the air in visible shockwaves.
"That the best you've got?" Kara taunted. As the guards recovered and advanced, she shot forward like a missile, driving both feet into one guard's jaw and launching him into two others. Before they could react, she buried her fist in another's chest, shattering his armor, then twisted mid-air to kick an attacker approaching from behind. "I can do this all day!"
Faora and Jer-Em, momentarily stunned by the raw power displayed by the daughter of Zor-El and Alura In-Ze, shook off their shock and split to either flank, engaging the encircling forces. Free from the subjugation chips, their combat expertise showed. Faora moved with lethal precision, each strike calculated to exploit weaknesses in enemy formations.
"Stay focused," Faora snapped at Jer-Em as three guards converged on him. "They may be mindless, but they're coordinated and powerful."
"I noticed," Jer-Em growled, deflecting a strike and countering with a devastating blow that sent one guard spiraling earthward. Even as he fought, his gaze kept drifting to Kara, golden energy crackling around her. "What is that power? How did the daughter of those weaklings become so strong? Arrggh—" A fist connected with his jaw, cutting him short.
"I'd like to know that myself," Faora replied, launching upward before dropping onto Jer's attacker and driving him into the ground. "She shows no augmentation or obvious genetic enhancement. Whatever that armor is, it's blocking deeper scans."
Jer reset his jaw and rejoined the fight, firing heat vision at an enemy about to blindside Faora. "She clearly cares about being Kryptonian. We could use that—get our hands on whatever enhanced her, then we—"
"Shut up and focus," Faora shouted, elbowing an enemy's face hard enough to crack his helmet's outer layer before launching him backward with a punch. "First we survive this hell and rescue our people. We'll worry about the rest later."
"Shit. Right," Jer grunted, blocking another strike.
More guards poured from the tower's perimeter, movements synchronized as they attempted to overwhelm Kara's position. They formed tactical patterns—three engaged directly while two provided covering fire with heat vision, rotating seamlessly.
"They're adapting fast," Kara muttered, weaving through a barrage of heat vision before countering with her own. Her eyes blazed blue as a more concentrated beam lanced out. The beams collided mid-air in a blinding explosion that sent enemies stumbling back, formation breaking.
Kara seized the opening, rocketing upward to establish high ground. She looked down at the regrouping enemies. "Alright. Time to shine." She brought her hands forward and closed her eyes, channeling her inner realm. Golden energy crackled at her fingertips as she focused Ki into her palms. The energy swirled and compressed into a single point, forming a spinning sphere with arcs of electricity dancing across its surface. The sphere expanded as sweat beaded her forehead. She'd conceived this technique by fusing elements from Rachel's Dark Sun and Virgil's electrical attacks. Her eyes snapped open, excitement flooding through her. "Yes! I'm actually doing it!" She stopped when the sphere reached basketball size, conserving Ki for the real fight ahead.
With the crackling orb between her palms, she bent her knees and launched herself downward, golden sparks trailing in her wake. Rotating mid-dive, she drew her hands back and hurled the sphere at the regrouping enemies. Her momentum amplified the attack's velocity. When it struck the first target, a deafening thunderclap split the air. Massive bolts of golden lightning erupted outward, arcing through the entire formation and striking every enemy in range. Armor shattered, bodies convulsed, and one by one they dropped unconscious.
Faora stared, speechless.
Jer's mouth hung open. "…Monster."
Rachel blinked twice, stunned into silence.
Mother Empress said nothing.
M'gann, just arriving at the Elder Hall, witnessed the scene and froze mid-step.
Diana, monitoring the battle feed from the Javelin, went still.
Kara blinked, murmuring, "Did I… actually just do that?"
Her comms buzzed. "Ka—uh—Supergirl, what was that technique? Why haven't I seen or heard about it before?" Rachel's voice carried genuine surprise.
Kara's face twitched. "You haven't heard about it because I literally just invented it. I couldn't grasp your Dark Sun spell when you used it on that alternate Earth, but here it was large enough for me to understand the underlying concept. So I gambled on combining what I learned from Dark Sun with Static's electrical manipulation, and… well, this happened. Honestly didn't expect it to be this effective."
"You really are a battle genius," Rachel replied, honestly impressed.
"Hey now, did you seriously have doubts before?" Kara shot back with a hint of pride.
"Stop it, both of you. This is a battlefield. Get back to the plan," Diana's sharp reprimand cut through from the Javelin.
"Got it," came the unified response from both friends.
Meanwhile, M'gann phased through the Elder Hall's walls and navigated the corridors, seeing droves of Psions rushing out. Her telepathic senses locked onto Zaria's mental signature—scattered, panicked, afraid.
"Rachel, I'm inside," M'gann reported through the comms. "The guards seem to have all been deployed to the battlefield. Tracking Zaria now. She is… panicking. I can actually read fragments of her thoughts."
"Good. Stay on her, but be careful," Rachel's voice echoed back. "We don't know what's in her mind or what it's capable of when cornered."
"Got it." M'gann's expression hardened. She pushed deeper, following the frantic mental trail through the different chambers. Then she felt it—Zaria's emotional state shifting, panic mixing with sudden determination.
Ahead, Zaria stopped mid-corridor, head tilting as if listening to something only she could hear. M'gann watched from her concealed position as Zaria's expression transformed from fear to unsettling calm.
"Yes... I understand," Zaria whispered. "The core chamber."
"Rachel, something's wrong," M'gann tapped her earpiece. "She's talking to herself—or someone I can't sense. She appears to be changing course toward something called the 'core chamber'—could be the tower's core you mentioned. What do you think? Should I capture her or follow?"
"Probably. Can you follow without being detected?"
"I think so, but Rachel... her mind feels wrong. There's definitely something in there with her. I'm going to look deeper."
"Stop! Don't engage mentally. Miss Martian, respond!"
But M'gann had already closed her eyes and disengaged the comms, knowing this would require her full attention. She reached out into Zaria's mind with her telepathic abilities. Almost immediately, she heard them—whispers, faint and almost imperceptible, unlike anything she'd encountered before. Intrigued and determined, she pushed deeper. "What are you—"
However, just then, excruciating pain hit.
M'gann's eyes flew open. Blood burst from her mouth. Her knees slammed into the floor, and she convulsed as searing agony tore through her skull. Blood poured from her nose. As her mind reeled from the experience and her vision blurred, she recalled how, in that split second before the backlash struck, she'd seen it—a terrifying presence that had simply looked back at her, obliterated her mental defenses, and sent her flying out of Zaria's mind.
Ahead, Zaria whirled around. "What was that?"
'Don't bother. Just go,' whispered the voice in her head.
"Right... right." Zaria turned back, pressing her hand against a hidden wall panel. A floor section slid open, revealing descending stairs bathed in eerie blue light—part of the planet's emergency evacuation network connecting key locations.
Zaria descended quickly, pulling a datapad from her robes. "T-1, execute Doomsday Protocol. Deactivate defensive protocols around the remaining maturation pods in sectors three through eight. Release all viable hybrids. Full combat activation."
"Acknowledged," a synthetic voice responded. "Protocol Doomsday executing. All hybrids releasing in thirty seconds. Warning: premature activation may result in reduced efficiency—"
"I don't care about efficiency!" Zaria's composure cracked. "Just do it! Buy me time!"
"Understood."
Meanwhile, outside high in the air, Rachel's expression went cold as M'gann's vitals plummeted on her terminal's display. She broke from her meditative stance and exited the dimensional pocket, shooting forth toward the Elder Hall building.
"Princess, this adds significant risk," Mother Empress cautioned. "You haven't recovered the Ki expended in your previous attack."
"I know." Rachel's tone was firm. "We'll adapt. But if I leave M'gann like that, we'll lose her. I'm not losing anyone on my team if I can help it."
Mother Empress smiled faintly, saying nothing more as she continued monitoring the battlefield.
Rachel deployed her helmet mid-flight, watching M'gann's readings fluctuate wildly. "No time to waste." She concentrated on M'gann's life force signature, locked onto the spatial coordinates, and tapped into the Primordial Laws of Space. Reality rippled before her, and in the next second her figure vanished from the scene. A moment later, she materialized beside M'gann's convulsing form.
"That must have been one hell of a backlash," Rachel muttered.
Seeing the severity of M'gann's condition, her expression turned grave. She knelt beside her friend and pressed her fingers to M'gann's forehead, closing her eyes as she delved into her consciousness.
Inside M'gann's Mindscape
"So this is what it looks like inside her head," Rachel muttered as she materialized within M'gann's mindscape. The landscape of Mars stretched before her—rust-red deserts under a fractured sky. "I honestly thought it'd be all cotton candy and rainbows with how cheery she is. But I guess her homeworld makes sense."
She looked up. The Martian sky was splintered with cracks, as if reality itself had been torn. Storm winds ravaged the desert surface, and the cracks were spreading.
"This isn't normal." Her expression hardened. "If I don't save her now, we'll lose her forever."
Rachel raised her hands, eyes glowing as she extended her senses across the mindscape. Deep beneath the surface, she detected a single life signature. She took flight, cutting through the storm-wracked skies until she found a ravine. Descending into its depths, the howling winds gradually faded.
An underground city emerged—alien architecture and towering Martian statues. But something felt off. No mental constructs, no manifestations of people M'gann knew. The city was completely empty.
Following the life signature, Rachel found a small dwelling. Inside, a child trembled on the floor, crying.
"Please forgive me… please forgive me… please…"
"What did you see to break you like this?" Rachel whispered. This was the backlash—M'gann's consciousness had intruded on something that didn't appreciate being observed.
She knelt down, eyes glowing as her Ki enveloped the trembling child. The moment she tried to connect with M'gann's consciousness, the world shifted.
Rachel found herself in a different space—metallic structures stretching endlessly under blood-red skies. Before her loomed a massive throne, and seated upon it was a shadow with burning red eyes.
"Kneel before this emperor."
The voice reverberated through the space. Pressure slammed down on Rachel, forcing her toward the ground. Her knees buckled, but she gritted her teeth, Ki flaring as she fought back with everything she had.
The shadow's red eyes narrowed, then a wicked smile spread across its face. "A powerful ant, I see. To think this lower realm would harbor a cultivator." It extended one hand and twisted its wrist downward. "But even a powerful ant is still just an ant."
The pressure magnified. Rachel's knees hit the ground, arms braced to keep from collapsing completely. She forced herself to look up.
"Much better. That's where you lower realm beings belong. If you'd all just realized that sooner, things would've been easier."
"You're… a Tuffle," Rachel managed through gritted teeth.
The shadow's smile vanished. Its eyes went cold. "Who are you? What connection do you have with the Higher Realms?"
"Ha… haha…" Rachel let out a mocking laugh despite the crushing weight. "Scared that I know what you are? You think I attacked the Psions without knowing what I was up against? You're a survivor of the sinner race from the First Great War. And I—" her eyes blazed, "—am a daughter of Sadala! Now get out of my friend's head!"
For a moment, the shadow's eyes widened. Then the pressure intensified again.
"AARRGGGHH!" Rachel's arms gave out. She was forced flat to the ground.
"Big words, 'Daughter of Sadala'? What a joke." The shadow sneered. "You lower realm creatures lie so easily. Do you think I'm a fool? I've fought countless Saiyans, and you—you pathetic weakling—are no Saiyan! How dare you threaten me? I'll kill you and this little bitch you call a friend!"
It raised its hand. But before it could strike, a powerful voice erupted from Rachel's mouth.
"You dare!"
The soul shard within Rachel pulsed. Crimson God Ki erupted from her body, canceling the oppressive force and healing her wounds as it lifted her to her feet. The crimson energy coalesced into a whirlwind, and when it cleared, a child stood protectively before her—her father in child form, his cold crimson eyes locked on the shadow.
"A soul shard." The shadow rose from its throne, its massive form casting darkness over them. "That armor, that tail… you." Its face twisted with rage as it gazed at the boy before it. "Filthy savage Saiyan!"
"Rich, coming from the race the God Realm declared sinners," Orach replied in his Super Saiyan God form with a mocking smile. "I'd heard you Tuffles were lunatics, but to hurt my daughter?" His aura intensified. "Rejoice, Tuffle, for my true body isn't here. You only have to deal with me."
The shadow sneered. "Big words, savage. But I can see you're only King Rank. I may not be at my peak, but I'm more than capable of handling you trash." Its gaze shifted to Rachel, wicked smile returning. "So this ant wasn't lying. She truly is a daughter of Sadala. Oh, I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart, filthy Saiyan, and your filthy daught—"
CRACK!
A thunderous impact reverberated across the space. The shadow stumbled backward into its throne. Before it could finish speaking, Orach now surrounded by a faint layer of dark blue Ki had vanished and reappeared directly in front of its face.
He slapped it.
"You—!"
Orach's form expanded, growing until it filled the entire realm. "I told you, Tuffle. You're lucky it's me and not my true body."
He raised his foot and brought it crashing down.
"You dare look down on me?!" The shadow roared, launching itself upward to meet the descending foot. "I'm a late-stage Emperor Rank! I won't be treated like some insect!" It unleashed a massive energy beam.
"Heh. That tickles."
Orach's foot continued its descent, treating the attack as nothing. The shadow's expression shifted from rage to desperation as it crossed its arms against the crushing pressure. Its knees buckled—first one, then the other—until it was forced completely to the ground.
"No… no… this can't be happening…"
"Daughter," Orach said, his warm eyes turning to Rachel below, "do you know what the one true thing this idiot said was?"
"What, Dad?" Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A powerful ant is still just an ant to be crushed."
He brought his foot down completely, crushing the shadow's consciousness.
In its final moments, the consciousness had only one thought, "I must… inform the main body… there's a saiyan in this realm…" As its form crumbled, a sliver of Ki escaped, carrying fragments of what had transpired.
"Hmm?" Orach noticed the escaping trace and narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand. "Just die."
Crimson God Ki flames engulfed the sliver, burning it away until nothing remained but purified energy that merged with his own Ki.
The space began trembling. A massive tear opened in the sky. Orach released a trace of his God Ki upward, stabilizing the collapsing mindscape. His form shrank back to its original size.
"With that consciousness gone, this space will heal and your friend will recover. But you need to leave now, or this mindscape will start attacking you as a foreign presence."
"Got it." Rachel stepped forward and scooped the stunned child Orach into her arms, closing her eyes as she channeled her Ki.
They vanished, reappearing in the outer layer of M'gann's mindscape beside the trembling child form of her consciousness. The child began to grow, transforming into an adult White Martian. Clarity returned to her eyes.
"Huh? Why am I…?" M'gann's consciousness blinked, then started at the sight of Rachel holding a five-year-old child. "Um… Rachel, what's going on?"
"You suffered a severe mental backlash when you tried to probe a consciousness far more powerful than you expected." Rachel smiled gently. "I keep telling you—reading minds isn't always a good idea."
"Right…" M'gann's expression twitched. She sighed, then shifted into her humanoid form. "And who's that?"
"Hmm? My dad, obviously." Rachel hugged Orach closer.
M'gann blinked twice, staring at the young Orach, who had his eyes closed, apparently resigned to being his daughter's teddy bear. She gulped. She knew Orach's reputation well—even in this adorable form, she wouldn't dare think too much about it. She simply nodded.
"Good. Now that Dad's removed that foreign consciousness, you need to wake up. I'm sending you back to the ship. You'll need time to recover before you can rejoin the mission."
"No, Rachel. I can still help." M'gann shook her head. "I'll hide somewhere to recover, then rejoin you on the field. You already spent extra energy saving me when you were supposed to be recovering for the real fight. Once I'm back to full strength, I'll follow the plan and get to the core chamber—"
"And do what, exactly?" Orach opened his eyes, meeting M'gann's startled gaze. "Listen. You were extremely lucky just now. Return to your ship and assist the others from there. Use the Javelin's weapons array against enemy forces. If you stay here, you'll only be a liability."
The words were blunt, but both M'gann and Rachel understood he meant no harm. M'gann couldn't deny the truth in them either. After a moment's consideration, she nodded. "Alright."
"Good." Rachel closed her eyes and channeled her Ki. "I'll see you when you wake up."
They vanished from M'gann's mindscape.
Back in the Elder Hall corridor
Rachel opened her eyes and withdrew her hand from M'gann's forehead. Relief washed over her as she watched M'gann's vitals stabilize. "That was too close."
"You handled it well, my princess. This experience will make you stronger," Orach's voice resonated in her mind.
"I know, but it still hurt like hell," Rachel muttered, pushing herself to her feet. A question nagged at her. "Dad, when did you wake up? And how did you defeat an Emperor Rank consciousness?"
"Have you forgotten? When my true body ascended to Primordial God, the transformation affected me as well. While I'm limited to King Rank output in this shard form, I can temporarily draw on Primordial essence to amplify my strength." His voice carried a note of regret. "I didn't want to intervene yet. Each time I act, I deplete significant amounts of God Ki. But when I sensed you reaching your limit, I had no choice."
He paused before continuing. "This means what comes next falls on you, daughter. I need to return to dormancy, but I'll leave a channel open between the shard space and your inner realm. During your upcoming battles, you'll be able to draw on my God Ki when necessary. Use it wisely."
"Understood." Rachel nodded, absorbing the weight of his words.
The young Orach's presence faded as he slipped back into deep slumber. Within Rachel's inner realm, the soul shard flared brilliantly, sending a crimson thread of Ki that connected to her core. Her soul manifestation looked up to see a blazing red star materialize in her inner world's sky.
Power surged through her body, filling the reserves she'd exhausted. "I'm back to full strength again," she whispered, a smile crossing her face.
M'gann stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Their gazes met for a moment—no words needed. Rachel raised her hand, opening a spatial ripple that enveloped M'gann and transported her back to the Javelin.
The corridor trembled as shockwaves from the ongoing battle rippled through the structure. Rachel turned toward the exit, feeling the distant clash of powers.
"Alright then," Rachel said, stretching her neck as Ki began to flare around her. "Time to join the fun."