Explosions rumbled through its hull, echoing like thunder in the cathedral chamber where Kael and Taren clashed. Plasma fire flickered against steel walls, casting their shadows as giants locked in eternal struggle.
Kael's knife met Taren's blade again and again, sparks falling like embers. Each strike jarred his bones, each parry numbed his arm. But he refused to falter.
Taren's voice was a storm, booming above the clash of steel."You can't win, Kael! You never could! You were always the weak one."
Kael growled, shoving back, sweat stinging his eyes. "If weakness means I still feel—still fight for something greater than myself—then I'll wear it proudly!"
Rhea fired from cover, her bullets pinging harmlessly off Taren's armor. "He's not breaking!"
Darius spat blood, dragging himself up from where Taren had thrown him. "Then we'll crack him together!" He hurled himself forward, swinging his weapon like a hammer.
Taren barely shifted, catching the strike with his blade, then slamming Darius across the chamber with a burst of energy.
Kael lunged, seizing the opening. His knife scraped across Taren's armor, gouging a line that hissed with sparks.
For the first time, Taren bled.
A thin rivulet of crimson dripped from the seam, and his eyes narrowed with fury.
With a roar, Taren unleashed his full power.
The implants along his armor flared, crimson energy rippling out in a shockwave that cracked the chamber floor. Drones swarmed from the walls, their metallic claws screeching as they fell upon Kael's team.
"Cover Kael!" Rhea shouted, blades flashing as she cut through the first wave.
Joran's voice thundered through comms from outside. "We're holding the line, but it won't last! Havenreach shields are collapsing!"
Lyra's voice cut in, urgent. "Kael, if you don't stop him now, we lose everything!"
Kael gritted his teeth, eyes locked on Taren. "Then this ends now."
Their blades clashed again, but this time Kael pressed harder, fueled not by anger, but by sheer will. Every strike was a memory—training under starlight, promises whispered as boys, the bond they once shared.
"Taren!" Kael shouted between blows. "Do you remember our oath? To protect the helpless? To fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves?"
Taren's strikes faltered, hesitation flickering for an instant. His jaw tightened. "That was before I saw the truth."
Kael's blade locked against his, sparks flying as they pushed against each other. Kael's voice broke with pain and fury. "Then let me show it to you again!"
Taren slammed Kael into the ground, his blade poised for the killing strike. But Kael rolled, his knife slashing across Taren's arm. The crimson glow sputtered, flickered.
For the first time, Taren staggered.
Kael rose, chest heaving, knife trembling in his hand. "I know you're still in there. The brother who saved me when I was too afraid to fight. The man who swore we'd never become like them."
Taren's hand shook on his blade. His eyes flickered, the crimson dimming, revealing a flash of raw humanity—pain, regret, love buried under years of war.
"Kael…" he whispered.
The chamber shook violently. A massive explosion tore through the dreadnought, sending debris cascading from the ceiling.
Lyra's voice rang in Kael's ear. "Enemy reinforcements are overwhelming us! Kael, Havenreach has minutes at best before collapse. If you don't make the call, I will fire the Ark."
Kael froze.
Taren looked up, eyes burning again with renewed fire. "She's right. You have no choice. End me, or we all die."
He raised his blade once more, though it trembled in his hand. "But if you kill me, brother, you kill the last hope this galaxy has."
Kael's heart hammered.
His brother stood before him, broken and monstrous all at once. His people screamed across the comms, Havenreach burning, the Ark trembling with the power to end everything in one terrible strike.
He had two paths.
Destroy Taren. End the Ghost Admiral. Save Havenreach, but damn his brother.Or hold back. Risk everything—for the chance to bring Taren back from the abyss.
Kael's grip tightened on the knife. His voice was steady, filled with a quiet, unshakable resolve.
"I'm not giving up on you. Not now. Not ever."
The chamber blazed with crimson and fire as the brothers clashed once more. Sparks rained, steel screamed, and the fate of Havenreach hung in the balance.
Outside, the Ghost Admiral's fleet pressed harder. Havenreach's shields flickered, breaking piece by piece. The Ark's main cannon charged, a star waiting to be born.
And in the heart of it all, Kael made his stand—not just against his brother, but for him.
For family. For love. For the galaxy's last chance.