World Tree MUSH

    Mounting the steps, and exiting the Fragmentum-corroded streets of the northern part of Belobog, the group exit out into the Ice Plains, and start climbing a meandering path up the side of the mountain. The blizzard here is even more intense, the cold bitter, the wind biting, and the snow somehow even more cold than anywhere else on the planet... they are approaching the very source of this unnatural Eternal Freeze and everlasting winter, and the end of the road for this expedition.

    March grouses. "It's f-freezing here -- the blizzards so fierce! The power of the Trailblaze Path isn't enough to stop the cold..." she says, rubbing her shoulders and shivering a little.

    Dan Heng seems unbothered, though he is rubbing his hands occasionally. "It means we're getting closer to the Stellaron... and the heart of the Eternal Freeze."

    The group come across frozen figures, crumbling effigies of ice... or perhaps something more. One is laying face down in the snow, like it had just fallen in battle moments before... the figure and those surrounding it, look oddly like Void Rangers, the blade-armed creatures from the Herta Station attack so long ago.

    "Look... they're like, insects, trapped in amber..." remarks Dan Heng, kneeling to inspect the body.

    "I bet the Antimatter Legion wasn't counting on being swalled up by the Eternal Freeze when they invaded this world huh?" she then frowns a bit. "Even in the ice... could these guys still be alive...?" she asks, causing Dan to look at her sympathetically.

    Stelle, ever the gremlin, and oddly quick of wit on occasions like this, declares stridently. "I hereby name him, March 8th!" hands on hips, looking proud of herself.

    This seems to lighten the mood just a little between the three Nameless. March even managing a soft chuckle. "I'm impressed you can still think up jokes right now..."

    Pressing on further, signs of civilisation can be seen. A staircase leads up further... with a strange archway covering it, caked in layers of snow and ice. It's oddly, metallic, and seems to be hinged in places.

    Clara is having trouble. She's not built for this intense cold. And it is COLD. The fact that it gets colder the closer to the Stellaron they get though means they are heading in the right direction, but a girl like Clara probably shouldn't be getting too close to the source of the eternal freeze.
    Svarog however, has removed his oversized super cool coat and well...
    Clara is now wearing a coat meant for a ten foot tall mechanical man as she shuffles after the party.
    Svarog says nothing in regards to the frozen Antimatter Legion soldiers, but Clara does speak up.
    "... If they thaw will they wake up... Or...?"
    It's as the group moves on though that she purses her lips.
    "Why does the arch look like a hand?"

    Jessica is bundled up as best she can be, which means... her cat parts aren't even seen. Just a pair of eyes peering out from the makeshift scarf, which SOMEHOW look even more sad and pathetic than they look when matched with her face.
    "How old is this place?" she suddenly blurts out curiously. She knows the freeze has been going on for a while, but the remnants of different civilization are getting pretty wild.

    Talia hands Stelle one of those handwarmers you get at sports events when it's chilly out. The kind you rub together so you don't run the risk of losing feeling in your mits. She's glad she got that handy cloak, or she'd be in the same boat.

    She also hands out hand warmers to the rest too, when she notices everyone's having trouble here. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge..." Talia rattles off the code under her breath as she keeps trudging through the snow.

    "There is no Death. There is only the Force." Talia says, upon seeing the soldiers. The look on her face indicates she may not be buying that one anymore.

    While Bi De can, to some degree, use Qi to warm himself up, the intense cold of this place means he's thankful for the fox fur jacket he normally wears. Even so, he's shivering a bit, and tries to put on a brave uh... face... under the onslaught of cold. Fortunately he's light enough that he can somewhat walk atop snow as long as it isn't too powdery.
    Affixing a hand warmer to his comb, the rooster bawks, "We should move swiftly, before we become sluggish."

    The Nameless look as Clara points it out, frowning softly and looking between each other, but press on regardless.

    Stelle looks appreciative as she clasps the hand warmer tightly... like a death grip on the only lifeline left to someone lost at sea.

    March pipes up again. "If Cocolia threatens us by taking Bronya hostage..." she begins, being cut off by Seele who states in a firm, if slightly desperate tone. "We have to save her. The Underworld... not the entire planet is relying on her."

    Dan Heng drops a Space Anchor at the foot of a large, broad staircase, leading up to the summit of this icy mountain... a large structure can be seen jutting up from the plateau above, and an eerie, otherworldly glow flickers over the crest of the peak. Supplies are extracted from the Anchor, passed around, and then, the group can venture upwards.

    Two figures stand before a large construct with a glowing trapezoid held within, energy waves like distorted time and twisted space lick out from within its confines, and even those not sporting their own Stellaron can now hear ghostly whispers all around, a million voices just out of earshot, speaking of things unknown, unknowable, unwanted.

    The two figures, are Bronya and Cocolia, they look like they've only been here a short while, but Bronya suddenly drops to her knees, holding her head as if trying to will it not to explode. "--N--No..." she whines, shaking from more than just the cold.

    Cocolia looms over her daughter, staring down with a mix of sadness, and anger. "Do not resist, Bronya. Accept the common will!"

    Bronya rallies, perhaps much like Cocolia did early in her life, when the voices first started. "No! I... I don't want this!"

    Cocolia turns away, looking up at the caged Stellaron. "Look upon their promised future, Bronya! A world without poverty, without cold, without suffering! A world where people no longer have to pray like prisoners for survival... A world that we can guard..." she turns, and kneels, placing a hand on Bronya's shoulder, her voice dropping to a stage whisper that still carries across the area. "For all eternity..." She stands then, "Seven hundred years ago, we tried and fought unceasingly, believing that the radiance of human nature could shepherd us toward rejuvenation... but to what end? A crushing defeat!" she sweeps her arms across the area, to the frozen figures, both Antimatter Legionnaires, and ancient Silvermane Guards, and Robots, all frozen equally by the Eternal Freeze. "Why, when faced with irrefutable strength, is our first thought to resist? To cover our ears instead of hearing the call?"

    Cocolia's voice becomes sinister now, a slithering snake's tongue, feeding poison into the younger woman's ears. "It is the conceit and cowardice entrenched in the depths of human nature -- so difficult to efface. Cast them aside! Break free of the chains that bind you! The Stellaron will lead humanity to evolve, and they will..."

    Seele suddenly darts forward, her scythe flashing faster than the human eye can see... but Cocolia jumps back before the strike lands, sneering at the underworlder.

    "Your brainwashing ends here, you witch!" snarls Seele, placing herself between Cocolia and Bronya.

    Clara has acquired a hand warmer!
    "Thank you." She says to Talia and proceeds to warm her hands with it. But... When the party reaches the end of the road, the silver-haired girl hangs back.
    This is about to be a fight isn't it.
    "Good luck." She says as Svarog starts to march towards Cocolia and Bronya.
    "Supreme Guardian Cocolia stand down." He says as calm and monotone as can be. "Your daughter does not want this. If you still hold any positive emotions towards her you will cease this."

    Jessica isn't sure quite what to do, but she'd rather not shoot Bronya's mom in front of her. So there isn't much debate internally before she rushes over to Bronya, checking to see if everything is all right. "Let's get you away from here," she says, trying to ensure that any mental damage isn't going to linger, or retaliation won't mess things up.
    Maybe Bronya is fine, which would be nice, but Jessica isn't going to assume.

    Talia makes sure to grab her coat and gloves before she returns from the Space Anchor. And now, the staircase. Talia ascends, lightsaber unlit but in hand as she watches the scene up at the top of the stairs.

    They've finally found the Stellaron, and it looks like so did Cocolia and Bronya. Mother and daughter fight, and it's clear that Cocolia's lost to her ambitions. Tweaking the nature of people will do that.

    "Cocolia!" Talia calls out, "Enough of this! There's been too much violence, too much suffering! Just walk away, Cocolia. Please, for your own sake and your daughter's, for everyone's sake."

    Time to play protector! Bi De isn't going to try to reach Cocolia... there are others making just as good a speech as he could. Instead, the chicken darts in front of Bronya with Stelle, wings spread, as if to block any attacks that come despite having a much smaller body. With his Aegis, perhaps he can!

    "This is not what you want, it is the corruption speaking," he says, firmly.

    Bronya blinks, "... Seele?" she asks disbelieving, as if this could be another falsehood forced on her by the Stellaron, twisting her memories. The grey-haired young Guardian allows herself to be drawn back by Jessica, grey eyes staring intently at the bundled up Feline Ancient... as if willing her to disappear right there... and then glad that she doesn't.

    Cocolia sneers, her pink irises darting across the assembled offworlders and 'outcasts'. "... You came. I thought the blizzards had entombed you..." she says, folding her arms over her chest. Talia's plea falls on deaf ears... the Supreme Guardian fully lost to the Stellaron's influence, it seems.

    Seele snarks. "You wish, we're not going down before you do." she then glances back at Bronya. "Bronya! I don't know what happened between you, and even if you explained it, I probably wouldn't understand all the crazy details... but there are two things I know for certain." she says, gripping her scythe a bit tighter. "One, these people, these outsiders, have come through hell to get here, to seal the Stellaron and help us save our world... and two: I meant what I said back in Rivet Town, before you came back up here. If anything happened, I'd come to save you." She backs away from Cocolia, as Bronya is eased away from the front of the group. "Do you understand?" she asks, turning and gently taking Bronya's shoulders, staring into her eyes. "Even if the damage is done -- even if you've completely forgotten our promise, then... I'll just have to knock the sense back into you myself."

    Stelle summons her bat, interposing herself between Seele, Bronya and Jessica. "Belobog needs you, Bronya." she says, glaring daggers at Cocolia, who only sneers in return.

    "Finished? I think I've given you long enough to say your final farewells." comes the corrupted Guardian's voice, condescending. "It's time I told you the other reason for bringing you here, Bronya. I want to witness your choice." Her tone shifts... closer to her original tone, the caring, motherly tone, the tone that was corrupted and used in the first meeting with the offworlders. "I have told you all the truths there are to tell: The deal with the Stellaron, the wish I made to it... there are no more secrets between us." she looks up at the Stellaron, ignorant of the outsiders around her, secure that they cannot harm her because her 'god' is there, within reach. "Many years ago, the voice of the Stellaron sounded in my ears for the first time. I railed against it, withdrew, bitterly defending the Architects' so-called 'Preservation'..." Her voice drops, dark, brooding, sinister. "My conviction was once steadfast, unparalleled... until a change arrived, bringing chaos. Another choice appeared to me -- a subversion of the old order... and the birth of a new world..." her voice dips even more, barely a whisper that somehow still reaches those on this grand, frozen stage. "And compared to the illusory, evermore distant Preservation, this was so... tangible..." She turns back. "I want you there with me, to watch over that new world by my side... the thought of you not being there... I would descend into enduring torment, Bronya..." she laughs dryly. "I should probably be thanking you, Outsiders. The pressure you have imposed has driven me to face my final... weakness. Bronya, throughout your life I have never once forced my will upon you. You have always, will always have a choice... as then, so now. Choose... my daughter."

    Bronya gently eases Jessica and Seele off of her, standing up tall, taking on the air of the Supreme Guardian she is destined to be. She clears her throat, and with a step, gently parts Stelle and Bi De so she can face Cocolia directly, not approaching, but standing in the open. "Madam Cocolia... I am grateful for you raising me, and for allowing me the privilage of choice." There's a pause, eyes close, a breath is taken, puffing out in a cloud of white vapour that blows away on the wind. "But I am sorry, Mother... on this, our final occasion. I cannot stand with you

    She shakes her head. "You have overlooked places, where life still thrives, where the vices of humanity are distant echos, and the virtues shine all the brighter. On the Frontlines, in the Underworld, places you have been blind to for ten years, even longer. Our ancestors built this city, striving in the bitter snow for a better tomorrow... Even if this world is doomed to fall apart, descend into darkness and despair... we will not hand it over to this... seed of ruin and Destruction."

    The Voice echos across the expanse, those million whispers growing more intense for a amoment, and Cocolia's face hardens.

    "We are Guardians, mother. Chosen from among the masses! Our duty is to preserve the world build by humanity! We are not gods! We are not arbiters! You are masquerading as both while trying to crush human nature underfoot! I cannot let you! I will not!"

    "So... this is your choice. I understand, Bronya... a pity you will not see the new, resplendent world... You were meant to be the mother of that world."

    The ground starts to shake, and Cocolia begins to float up into the air. "You will become the foundations of the new world!" she bellows, summoning an ice-covered lance, its luster, the flames within a pale shadow of their former radiance, locked within the everlasting ice... unable to fight against it. "You must destroy the old to rebuild the new. The supreme guardian commands you! RISE ENGINE OF CREATION!"

    The mountain shudders, as a truly massive hand reaches over the edge, and comes crashing down onto where the fighters stand.

    Talia's gaze is steely and unflinching as she stares at Cocolia. Unfortunately nothing she could say could cut as deep as it does from Bronya's lips. So she just activates her lightsaber and adopts a stance with Stelle, as if to say "Come at us, bro."

    And then Cocolia breaks out the big guy. The mountain is...well, definitely a lot. But size is nothing to a Jedi. She stares up at it, and glances to her friends. "I hope you have a plan..." She murmurs softly.

    Yeah it's... It's probably for the best Clara hung back with her handwarmer.
    DEfinitely for the best as Cocolia... Does not stand down as requested. Instead, when Bronya denies her mother, the woman chooses violence.
    Rather than peace she calls upon a robot FAR larger than Svarog.
    "..." Clara watches on in rapt awe from far back while Svarog decides now is the time to start backing down.
    Especially as that hand comes down upon the group.
    "Suggestion: Evade!"

    One might think Jessica would be a bit cowed by this. Certainly she looks it! Squeaking faintly, stepping back, staring at the huge hand. But when it's asked what to do about it... well...

    "I-I guess... shoot it?" It's as good an answer as any! But before she can do that, Jessica has to scamper out of the way, dive-rolling to get out from under the oncoming uh... robo-swat?
    She'll come up with her pistol out, but she's not shooting until she can spot a target that might be a little more vulnerable.

    Right now, 'getting out of the way' seems like the best thing Bi De can do. Once again he draws on some techniques, though, darting forward and splitting into two. Copy going one way, the real Bi De going the other, the twinned light and dark chickens are moving to flank the hand if it doesn't turn to focus on one of them.

    This may interfere with Talia's moment of Topper Harley but he hasn't been told about that plan.

    Bronya summons her rifle, staring up at the floating Cocolia, and the giant machine as it rises over the edge of the summit. "It's one of the Architect's ancient machines! Scatter!" She grabs Seele's arm, and drags her into running out of the arc of the giant hand swiping across the summit arena. It retracts its hand, and seems to 'stand up', its four optics glowing red, and its running lights glowing a dull orange-yellow as it looms overhead... then, Fragmentum monsters start climbing up the far side of the arena, corrupted Silvermane Guards, one of those Guardian Shadows, a few of the strange crystaline humanoids, many floading sphereoid things.

    Stelle frowns, pointing her bat at Cocolia, then joining the frontline with Dan Heng, Talia, Seele and the other melee fighters. March hangs back with Bronya and Jessica, nocking an arrow while the gun fighters take aim.

    Somewhere, the faint strum of a guitar wafts through the air.

    After evading the giant hand, Svarog rushes to the front line with Stelle and the others.
    "Analysis: With the Engine of Creation under her control our chances of survival drop precipitously." It's a little bit of a bleak assessment, but Svarog calls it as he sees it, as he starts fighting off Fragmentum monsters in a vicious fray, trying to keep them from swarming the others so they can focus on Cocolia.

    Okay, that may be too big for a lightsaber or moving rocks around to take out. Talia does however help herself with the Fragmentum creatures. She cuts through one of the spherical ones by running, jumping off of Svarog like a platform, and then leaping at the Fragmentum to split it in half with her lightsaber. For the moment, they don't even know what the weak point on this titan is, or how they're gonna get the Stellaron away from Cocolia. C'mon, Talia, think!

    Bi De shakes himself free of some snow before looking at the crawling lines of corrupting power, narrowing his eyes. "If the odds are not in our favor, then we must, as they say, defeat the odds themselves."

    No, Bi De, that's not what 'beat the odds' means. But still, he's trying, okay? And really, it might not be a bad strategy. His clone disperses as the 'real' Bi De concentrates his Qi, trying to slice off the 'channel' of that corruption so it doesn't spread further. Well, one of them, anyway.

    Jessica doesn't have any huge weapons, but that's okay. Like Svarog, she recognizes that getting swarmed by the little guys will be tough. "Mn... Bi De, you and Talia and Stelle should concentrate on the big stuff I think!" Well, maybe the whole plans to cut the corruption off will work, which might change that, but for now it's a reasonable guess!

    Svarog can only be in one place at one time though, so she goes back to back(not literally) with the robot to start capping off any of the rousing monsters, while the others focus on the source of the problem.

    "Then we need to break her control over it." states Stelle, darting in and smashing a Fragmentum monster with her bat. "But how're we gonna reach her up there with the big robot flailing around?!"

    More creatures come in, continuing to swarm, as if attracted by the fray... and the now unfettered Stellaron, its prison broken apart by the Engine of Creation's giant swipe.

    Talia splits one of the spherical monsters, and in its death throes, it bursts into an invigorating wash of energy, that helps regenerate the stamina of the whole team.

    Bi De's Qi burst helps to suppress the Stellaron's grip on the local Fragmentum, which helps by banishing some of the swarming monsters... they jerk oddly, then seem to implode, as their anchor points are severed.

    Jessica's shots help keep the swarm in check, bullets swatting down corrupted humans, and other monsters, helping keep the pressure off the group.

    Even as the group fight off the monsters, Cocolia stands on the mighty construct's frame, and points her lance down. "Engine... BREAK THEM!" she commands. The Engine shifts, rising up and locking its optics on the arena... and fires a sweeping laser that causes the ground to erupt in burning flames in its wake. "We have to stop it... somehow!" says Seele, sweeping her scythe and reentering the fray after the burst subsides.

    That's when a Decaying Shadow emerges... it looks related to the Guardian Shadow from before, but this one wears a tall black hat, and its alabaster face mask is set into a cruel sneer. It fires off a volley of golden spikes, then states firmly. "Sagacious Discernment!" An Imaginary Wheel constructs behind her, 9 spikes slowly swirling around. They look like they could be easily broken.

    Meanwhile, in Orbit.

    Himeko hums to herself. "Looks like our little ones are in a spot of trouble... I think its time for that, out-of-field support." she muses, taking a sip of her coffee, the laser drone-sat angling, and beginning to charge up... a baleful red and blue glow forming in its firing chamber.

    The burst of flames has Talia leap from the ground to avoid getting caught in it, landing just after the flames dissipate. Talia sees Seele and rushes over to her, the stamina boost from killing that sphere has given her a pep in her step. Talia goes back to back with Seele, fighting off Fragmentum. "Targeting those spikes might be a start!" She calls out, pointing to the wheel behind Cocolia.

    It is a testament to Svarog's situational awareness in the middle of battle that he does not squash Jessica while punching fragmentum monsters with the force of a mack truck.
    But when Cocolia calls upon the engine to 'break' the party, the massive mechanical man shifts to shield Jessica with his own body as that laser comes down.
    

    "I will do so!" Bi De calls out after Talia says something about the spikes. It was his thought, too, so that makes for a good idea. Now higher up as his dash carried him upward, the chicken flaps wings and leaps, flaring with moonlight again! AT least in battle it's easier to fight off the cold of the air.

    But the important part is the spinning axe-kick with imbued talons toward the spikes, aiming to try to snap at least one of them.

    It's not hard to find targets at least! Jessica's bullets are flying, and she's reloading with quick, professional motions. "Um, they might be a BIT too small for me to hit," Jessica mumbles, eying the spokes.

    She snaps off two shots as something shambles upward, then takes a hesitant snap shot at one of the spokes which... actually happens to be pretty on target. Dumb luck, or is the kittycat still suffering from some severe self-doubt?

    Stelle forces her way forward, taking laser shots from some of the spheroid monsters for the trouble, but comboing with Seele, Bi De and Dan Heng to disrupt the Decaying Shadow's attack. Jessica's shot strikes true, and 6 spokes shatter in quick succession. Bronya fires and disables another, and March lands a shot which destroys the 8th... "Pillory of time!" announces the Shadow, firing off its sole remaining spike, and striking March in the chest, locking her in some kind of swirling golden ribbon that leaves her floating, stunned and unresponsive.

    The Decaying Shadow doesn't last much longer under the barrage... but the Engine fires its laser again, with Cocolia demanding it "RAZE THEM TO OBLIVION!"

    "How are we going to bring something this big down?" asks Bronya, shielding March from the shockwaves, as the archer is released by the Shadow's destruction.

    The Engine then raises its mighty left fist, its optics flashing red as it winds back to strike... and then a pulse of red light flashes overhead. As the Engine starts to strike downwards, a lance of brilliant laser fire smashes down on its shoulder, punching clean through its armour plating and disabling the mighty machine, causing it to slump over and go still.

    March shakes herself out, looking up blearily. "H-Himeko? It's Himeko!" she chirps.

    Stelle's radio crackles to life. The signal is terrible. "Hello? Can you hear me? Urhg, this signal's terrible..."
    "Himeko! You finally spared a thought for us." admonishes March.
    "What are you ta--- --out... Welt and I have been on the-- -- --ole time! You've got qui-- ---lazing expedition..." The signal cleans up a little bit. "So, how does this big guy work... or more importantly, how do you get him to stop working? Over to you I guess~."

    Stelle then breaks for the fallen hand, charging in head first and leaping up onto the robot as it starts to rise and recover.

    Bronya nods, and brings up her rifle, taking aim along the Trailblazer's path. "I'll cover you!" she says, firing and disrupting more of those floating sphere-like monsters.

    The arm straightens up, and Seele darts in, using her teleportation to get up and give Stelle a boots onto the elbow joint as the arm rises.

    The Engine tries to grab at Stelle, but she leaps for the shoulder platform... only to come up a little bit short. Dan throws his spear, and it allows Stelle to redirect her momentum back up... coming to land before Cocolia... just as the Guardian is engulfed by the raging storm winds, freezing solid. "BEHOLD. THE POWER GRANTED BY THEM!" What emerges, is a monsterous thing, ice and a scintilating galaxy of stars for a body... the only thing left of Cocolia, the faint blond hair at the roots... bleaching into white and glacial blue toward the tips. "Listen to the power surge... sing... The Stellaron's promise, is the ONLY hope for this world!" She gathers freezing lances around her, pointing at Stelle, and whoever else made it up too. "Just as it dispelled the Antimatter Legion 700 years ago, so too will it wipe you from the face of this world!"

    It seems like the plan is working, as the spokes get shattered by Stelle, Seele, Bi De, Dan, and Jessica's efforts. Talia meanwhile is deflecting laser shots from the Fragmentum, trying to cover for her friends as she bats the beams away with her saber.

    But it's pretty clear a fist that big is beyond a lightsaber. Talia's about to face the music when suddenly, an orbital strike manages to damage the machine.

    "Himeko, is that you?" Talia whips out her commlink and tries to get to the signal. "Hold on a second-"

    Talia leaps up at the Engine's arm, running along it nimbly as she rushes towards Cocolia. Reaching out, Talia channels the Force, intent on grabbing and shoving the frozen lances aside.

    The signal is terrible but Himeko... Pulls through. The orbital satellite bombardment that strikes the Engine of Creation with stunning force is all the group needs to rally. And as Stelle goes to ascend the great robot, Svarog baseball slides and scoops Bi De up.
    "Do not let her engage Cocolia alone." The gigantic robot says. "Are you ready?"
    Bi De should know what's coming next as Svarog HUCKS him up the Engine of Creation after Stelle.

    Well this is a pickle isn't it? "Seven hundred... mn..." Jessica has some thoughts about this! But she is too busy with... other things. Like scampering about! It's actually kind of neat to see her tail free and flitting as she bounds about, taking potshots to try to keep Cocolia from focusing on a single place. She doesn't shout out her plans but it's pretty obvious...

    Keep the pressure on, and from multiple angles. Though with some going close in she has to pick her shots carefully.

    AWK! Bi De flutters, but when Svarog grabs him and begins to speak, the rooster calms. "Yes, good idea." He... kind of knows what's coming because it isn't the first time he's been pitched. So he braces, tucking wings in and his head down, becoming a ball of feathers and foxfur as he wiggles in grasp and prepares to fly!

    With his Qi wrapping around him, the chicken becomes a silver streak as Svarog hurls him! Partway through his wings unfold to guide his path, and it's those, this time, that strike! He's focusing on forcing that pure, moonlight-based energy into the corrupted Cocolia. She's probably too far gone for him to purify, especially given that... isn't really his skillset. But perhaps it will disrupt things enough that it will throw her off her game.

    Cocolia cackles. Lances lash at Talia, fending off the Jedi with almost contemptable ease. The ice is dense enough that it fends off the lightsaber, and even seems to resist being grabbed by the Force... it's almost like they're covered in oil, slippery. Cocolia throws a super-cold ball of ice at the Jedi, even as Jessica's shots land, and deflect off of the frozen galaxy body that is now Cocolia's body.

    Even Bi De's Qi attacks seem to not find purchase. The Stellaron is at its apex, and even the moonlight strike... doesn't do more than make a tiny ripple in her form.

    Cocolia then laughs viciously. "Humanity... so weak and foolish. Always overestimating their abilities! Let me bestow upon you. DESPAIR!" she then aims one of those freezing lances, the same one she used to control the Engine... the one that felt like it had some kind of fire within... and fires it like an arrow straight through Stelle's chest.

    She falls, tumbling backwards off the ENgine's shoulder, impaled by the lance. Her bat falls from her grasp, and she appears lifeless.

    INTERLUDE Read cutscene 20/283
    The Engine reaches up, catching the falling Stelle, as she rights her fall, landing with a skid, and holding something... it's the Lance, restored, and burning within as flames rekindle.

    Talia tries to bat at the ice spears, but unfortunately one misses her by a mile and seems to impale Stelle. The Jedi reaches out futilely, only for...something to happen!

    "You lose, Cocolia." is all Talia can say. "The flame is restored."

    Jessica phews, keeping her gun at the ready for any trouble, and advancing slowly! "Is it... did that do it?" That's something she isn't sure about because, well... this whole mess is WAY more over her head than she's used to. "Does this mean the world will thaw out?"

    Bi De settles, slowly approaching the limp body. "Mn. I know little of this kind of corruption. Is there any chance she may have survived?" It's unclear how much of this was Cocolia's own greed, and how much was her losing the battle of wills with the whispers of temptation after all. The chicken clucks softly, turning to look at the lance, then fluffing lightly.

    "If not... at least there is one who is able to replace her, I should hope." At least, he thinks Bronya is capable?

    Cocolia hangs there, floating, and looks somehow incredulous without a face. "No... It can't be..."

    Bronya and the others step up. Bronya states firmly. "The will of Preservation has made its choice..."

    Cocolia rages, the ice storm picking up again... but it's nothing even remotely close to the peak it was a few moments before... the tide is turning, but it's not over yet. "You know nothing of the plight of this world! Nothing of the wait for its final end!"

    Bronya is resolute though, buoyed by the return of the Lance to its rightful state. "Even if we are doomed to destruction, we will go bravely, walking hand-in-hand into the darkness..."

    Stelle steps forward, planting the tip of her Lance into the ground. "They never give up. Now it's our turn." she looks at March and Dan, and the others. Talia. Jessica. Svarog and Bi De. "To do what we gotta do, to tell them they made the right choice!"

    March nods. "That destructive end won't come to pass while we're around!"