The world returned to Lyra Kain slowly, in agonising fragments. Her last memory was the blinding, searing intensity of the Terminal's power, fused with the ancient will of the Aether Fragment. The first sensation was cold, smooth stone beneath her cheek and the constant, reassuring presence of Ascendant-Alpha-1.
She opened her eyes. Rheon knelt beside her, his face grim but focused, illuminated by a single low-powered synth-lantern. They were in a temporary, cramped storage compartment that reeked of industrial solvents.
"You are awake," Rheon stated. His tone was military and measured, masking his relief. "The Aether Scourge was a success, Lyra. You crippled the local command structure."
Lyra pushed herself up, feeling the immense physical cost of the integration. Her body was weak, and the regenerative nanites were working overtime, but the Aether Fragment felt stronger, quieter, and terrifyingly integrated.
"Vance?" she rasped. Her throat was dry.
"His command ship is offline. His local forces are decimated. More critically, he is fighting a digital civil war against Morn inside the Chronos Vault," Rheon confirmed. He handed her a high-nutrient synth-pack. "The Federation's command chain is paralysed. It focuses entirely on containing the internal digital threat. We have a window, Lyra. A precious, critical moment of chaos."
Lyra drank the nutrient pack quickly. The synthetic blood sugar fueled her recovery. Rheon's assessment was precise and perfect.
"The soldier saved the Queen, and the Queen unleashed the chaos. Now the Queen must rule the chaos," Lyra declared. Her voice regained its resonant strength. "Lead us, Ascendant. To a permanent base. Where can we issue the First Command?"
Rheon guided Lyra deeper into the hidden network of tunnels. They travelled through ancient, non-mapped service conduits. They bypassed the industrial sprawl entirely and eventually emerged into the oldest, forgotten sector of the Aeternum Underworld, a place the Sanguis Order called The Crypt.
The Crypt was a massive, naturally occurring cavern lined with ancient, expertly preserved carvings dating back to the first generation ships. It was cold, shielded, and immense.
The surviving Red Guard were already there, organised by a capable Sanguis Lieutenant. The cavern was filled with salvaged gear, data consoles, and the grim, determined faces of the fanatics. They fell to their knees the moment Lyra entered. Their devotion was absolute.
Lyra walked to a raised platform of polished black stone, an ancient altar. She stood there, her crimson eyes scanning her assembled forces.
"Rise," Lyra commanded. Her voice was amplified by the natural acoustics of the cavern and imbued with the deep resonance of the Aether Fragment.
"The Federation is a lie built on weak foundations. They believed they could use me, clone me, and then erase me," Lyra proclaimed. "We showed them the folly of their arrogance. We shattered their physical strength and fractured their digital mind."
She looked directly at Rheon, who stood at a respectful, commanding distance from the platform. His bearing was that of a general reporting to his Queen.
"General Vance is now fighting a ghost, and the Federation is bleeding resources. We will not wait for them to heal. We seize their strength while they are weak."
Lyra issued her first operational decree. Her strategic vision merged with Rheon's tactical knowledge.
"First Command: Strategic Seizure. The Federation's collapse is driven by a lack of power and data. Ascendant-Alpha-1, your task is to identify and seize the three closest Regional Power Generators and the five most accessible Federation Data Storage Hubs in the middle sectors."
Lyra paused. The command was absolute. "We do not destroy these assets. We seize and integrate them. The Sanguis Order provides the manpower. You provide the strategy and the discipline. We will use the Federation's own power to fuel our counter-empire."
She turned to her loyalists. "The time for hiding in the shadows is over. The time for Ascension is now. Every seized asset strengthens our throne. Every captured terminal extends our eyes."
Lyra focused entirely on Rheon, her partner in treason and her devoted general.
"Ascendant-Alpha-1, Commander Rheon Vale. You are the sole voice of the throne on the physical battlefield. Your authority over the Sanguis Red Guard is absolute. You will use their faith as your sword and their lives as your defence. Bring me the resources, and I will bring you the dominion."
Rheon dropped to one knee without hesitation. He offered his allegiance in the most absolute terms. "Your will is my command, Lyra. The assets will be seized before dawn."
The confirmation was immediate and profound. Rheon had been formally granted absolute military authority over the Sanguis Order. This solidified his position not just as a protector, but as the reigning General.
Lyra knew that fear alone was not enough. She needed to rally the scattered, underground factions and confirm the defeat of the Federation's immediate strike.
She closed her eyes, and the Aether Fragment resonated outward. It sent a massive, focused psychic broadcast aimed not at the sophisticated Federation mind, but at every single soul in the Underworld: the displaced, the forgotten, the devoted, and the terrified.
It was a single, terrifying, unifying message:
Hear me, children of the darkness. Look up at your masters' cold, dead lights. They are failing. Their empire is fractured. I am the Crimson Mother. I have awakened. I have struck down their general and shattered their strongest shield. My shield, the Ascendant, walks among you, bearing my authority.
The time for hiding is done. The time for Ascension is here. Rise, take their power, and claim your domain. I have returned.
The message pulsed through the deepest, forgotten levels of Aeternum. It was a psychic signal of absolute conquest. In every hidden corner and every shadowed tunnel, the scattered, frightened populace heard the command.
The Federation's rule, built on decades of fear and suppression, was about to be challenged by a single, powerful, unified wave of chaos.
Lyra opened her eyes. Exhaustion was replaced by pure, cold triumph. The Aether Scourge had announced the beginning of the war. The First Command would win it.