"Sol Invictus"

[BagaturKhan]

All of Owen's fears were confirmed. The shuttle's main screen showed an image of Cadmus. It was none other than Admiral 1st Rank Artandir and future head of the Coalition Security Council, Hero of the Galaxy and winner of the League.
The naval commander stood before him with a proud posture and an arrogant look. He was dressed in his signature blue uniform with all the regalia. A golden saber hung at his side, and a miniature pistol stuck out of a brown holster. Owen remembered very well how this pistol was presented to the admiral by President Cedric.
- Admiral Cadmus! - Owen exclaimed loudly.
His comrades from the Salvation Army quickly advanced towards the Scorcher. They were all amazed at what they saw. No one had captured Sol Invictus. No one had seized control. All these horrors were created by the naval commander himself. - What happened to you, sir? - the captain continued his sentence, - Why did you attack the allies? These are our ships! Our flotilla!
- Your flotilla, - Florin croaked furiously.
His gaze changed dramatically. Now he looked at Owen and his comrades with undisguised hatred. It literally overwhelmed him.
- No, our flotilla! - the Scorcher retorted, - You are the Admiral of the Coalition! The winner of the League! The Hero of the Galaxy! Why did you allow yourself to do this? To turn against everyone! This is treason, sir!
- Treason? - Cadmus shouted angrily, - This is justice! All these bastards deserve to die! Those who sold us out to the Elfurr Empire. The entire Coalition is an integral part of it. The Elfurrs do as they please with us. And we listen to them every now and then and bow to their leaders. Enough of this evil! Over the long years of serving the Coalition, I have learned one skill remarkably well... Lies. I have learned to lie. I pretended to serve you, but I never forgot... I never forgot who you are. And what you are made of.
Owen was beside himself with horror and amazement. Florin did not speak at all like the Admiral of Artandir, nor like his loyal brother in arms. These were the words of a traitor, a provocateur and a supporter of the League.
"For what purpose is all this?" Totkhemris, standing not far from Owen and observing the conversation, decided to ask.
"Have you ever felt pain?" Cadmus rasped at this.
The Scorcher noticed that the Admiral was no longer speaking with hatred, but with a deeper feeling. Tears quickly appeared in his eyes. He tried not to show these emotions. But the tears spoke of many things. Of grief. He clearly had some kind of secret. Perhaps the question about pain was not without reason.
- You do not know me... At all, - Florin continued to speak, - You do not know what I have been through. Elfurr took everything from me. You have no idea what it is like to live with pain. Every day. And it does not go away. And all these initiates only repeat that life is suffering.
- What do you want? - Owen shouted at the top of his voice, - Pain is not a reason for betrayal!
- Betrayal? - Cadmus immediately broke into a shout, - You are committing betrayal by serving Elfurr! They killed everything I knew! And only He! Only He can help me! Can save her! Can give her back to me!
A moment later, Florin coughed. He realized that he had said too much. The admiral scolded himself for not holding back. But apparently, all this had been sitting inside for a long time. And now it decided to break out.
- So you are... a heretic... - Totkhemris said barely audibly, realizing it all at once.
Owen and the others were unable to respond. The gift of speech simply vanished into oblivion. Florin was far worse than just a traitor. He had arranged all of this. This entire war. This entire cruel and bloody massacre.
He knew about it all from the very beginning. All of his victories were just a show.
- Enough! - the admiral said more dryly, - Our conversation is over. Farewell.
After that, the image of Cadmus dissolved. The connection between the ships was broken.

[BagaturKhan]

- You shouldn't have been frank with him.
Dalotl didn't like the way Cadmus behaved at all. He almost burst into tears in front of Owen. He allowed himself to be weak.
If She had seen everything now, Her rage would have known no bounds. N-sai even wanted to shoot the admiral for this. That's how angry he was with him.
But Cadmus didn't like the first mate's behavior either. Dalotl was acting more and more confidently. It was as if he felt more important than the naval commander.
- I know what to do myself! - Florin growled menacingly, putting the assistant in his place, - And you have no right to tell me what to do! I hope I made myself clear?!
N-sai recoiled. He realized that the admiral was terribly angry. It was better not to provoke him in such a state.
- Forgive me, sir... My lord, - Dalotl squeezed out.
He even bowed slightly to the commander. Although inside, he already felt a strong disgust.
- My Lord Phantom, - Zheng's voice was heard.
For the first time in a long time, Farrukh addressed Cadmus not by rank. This was how they communicated in private. But now there was no point in hiding anything. Pointless and useless.
- I'm listening, - Florin answered coldly.
- What about the new strikes? I noticed that you stopped using the "Ravagers". We have warheads ...
- No, we will deal with the rest with the help of the "Dragonflies".
Cadmus felt that the pain was slowly weakening. Clarity of mind was returning to him again.
- Prepare the drones! - Phantom soon commanded, - Kill everyone except Ahmanet User-Kaf. We will save her for dessert.
- Yes, my lord! - Zheng answered obediently.

There had long been a special deck on the Invictus. Its code name was "X-systems". It was there that all sorts of technical devices were placed. They did not require maintenance personnel. The main inhabitants of the "systems" were androids.
Recently, by order of Cadmus, they had constructed no less than 10 thousand small insectoid probes. Probes that brought death to all living things. These were demolition drones, designed to destroy enemy defenses.
Thanks to Inna and her acolytes from the Esoteric Conclave, the drones were reinforced. Moreover, they were reinforced masterfully. It was not only a matter of technological improvement, but also the use of a special code, the language of Marfur-Nirari. Inna had been taught this during her stay at the Monastery of Dawn. She was not only an experienced coder, but also possessed secret knowledge. All the relevant sigils were drawn. It was these drones that in turn carried out a large-scale attack on the Coalition. They could appear out of nowhere and disappear into nowhere. This was their main secret. Inna prescribed them the necessary coordinates. The drones struck, some of them were shot down, others exploded. The rest retreated back.
The products worked almost the same way as the "Ravagers". They could destroy any ship, and then teleport to another system - and strike there. Cadmus liked her inventions. He called them "Dragonflies".
And now, hundreds of such "Dragonflies" were released. Multiple dots appeared in space, which were constantly shimmering. They were heading straight for the remaining Coalition ships. All they wanted was to kill. Killing and the pleasure of it. Inna managed to give them these emotions ... inherent in living beings. - Well, now they'll all definitely die, - the witch smiled ominously, looking at the hundreds of dots that had appeared.
There was no need to monitor the drones. They didn't require it at all.

[BagaturKhan]

Seeing the approaching armada of killer probes, Ahmanet immediately warned all the surrounding ships. The devices no longer recorded the activation of the "Ravagers". But what came out of the "Invictus" was much more terrible. These drones were so fast that they could fly to the desired target in a matter of moments.
- Prepare the missile defense! - User-Kaf's commands were heard throughout the bridge, - Release 3 divisions!
Dozens of "Honor" class combat drones burst out of the ship's special compartments. They were supposed to hold back the blow and prevent the "Dragonflies" from approaching. These miniature but dangerous scarabs could stop the attack for some time.
But most of all, Ahmanet was afraid that the enemy beasts would rush towards Owen. The shuttles on which the Burner and his team were flying simply would not withstand it. These creatures would destroy them all in a couple of seconds. - Pilots ready! - Arxes' voice rang out, - Should we release fighters?
- No! - the admiral shouted sharply, - Do not use manpower! Only drones and missile defense systems!
- Yes sir! - the ship's captain saluted.
Very soon, the scarab drones entered the battle with the huge armada of "Dragonflies". The operators tried not to lose sight of a single target. They shot and shot, pressing special buttons. Several scarabs fired "paralyzer missiles". They managed to disable at least 40 enemy drones.
But this was still not enough. The "Dragonflies" began to split up. Akhmanet's fears were quickly confirmed.
Several divisions quickly turned around and headed towards the remaining ships that had not managed to leave the subsector. Several more Artandir frigates came under attack. Their captains opened fire from all available weapons.
The first to fall was "Doramino". The drones hit him right in the bridge. The disabled consoles immediately deprived him of control. Some of the probes hit the frigate's reactor and caused a powerful explosion. The entire crew died in literally twenty seconds. It was a real massacre. Some burned alive. Others, due to depressurization, escaped into open space.
Ahmanet looked out the portholes in horror. She saw how hundreds of people flew out... into the abode of death and cold. They died there in moments. Their lungs were torn to pieces.
- "Invictus" will pay for this... - User-Kaf growled quietly, swearing that she would find all the culprits.
The second to be destroyed was the "Tol-Fiorrin". This was the ship of Byzantiana, who always helped Artandir. Captain Sklir tried with all his might to rectify the situation. His missile defense even managed to destroy several groups of approaching "Dragonflies". But others went around the ship from behind and hit the reactor.
- Two more ships destroyed! - the disappointing data came to the bridge of Akhmanet.
- The drones have broken up into three more divisions! - the voice of the young communications officer was heard, - Heading towards the shuttles!
User-Kaf's heart sank. All these creatures are flying towards Minegard... Straight to Owen's positions.

---

- There are dozens of these monsters heading our way!
The pilot's conclusions were full of despair. The transports weren't combat ships. They would simply be blown apart. The Phantom knew what it was getting into. He definitely knew. He had already signed Owen's death warrant and was going to carry it out.
- We have weapons! - concluded the Scorcher, - We're not flying on barges!
- Sir, we don't have enough strength to resist these creatures, - the pilot didn't let up, - We're screwed.
This guy had clearly given in to panic. His whole appearance betrayed the hopelessness and senselessness of continuing their journey. But panic is the worst thing that can happen in such a situation.
- Stop it! - Owen cried almost in a frenzy, - I'm the captain here! And as long as I'm in command, none of this crap will touch us! Prepare for battle!
The pilots had to obey. Inside, they knew that they would hardly be able to withstand the Dragonflies. But what was the solution then? No one was going to just fly and wait for death. They had to at least try to engage in battle.
Totkhemris had already prepared the appropriate spells. As a psionic, she had to ensure the ships' protection. Her power could destroy a dozen of such creatures. But deep down, she felt that the drones were "enchanted". This was the only word that came to the elfurka's mind.
Someone or something used forbidden knowledge to design the probe-demolition devices. They could resist psionic influence, and this was what was really scary.
As far as the pilots calculated, the Dragonflies were already 600 kilometers away from the shuttles. They were rapidly approaching the Scorcher's positions. A few more minutes would pass, and they would be very close.
- Everyone to the guns! - Owen shouted, - Fight to the end! Phantom can't break us!
He said Admiral Cadmus's real name for the first time.
The crew members quickly began to take up their combat posts. Ishken and Kerret went to the main gun turret. The rest took control of the missile and plasma launchers. No one in the squad wanted to surrender.
- They're flying towards us! - the pilots reported, - At breakneck speed, sir!
- Gun turret! Fire! - the Scorcher immediately commanded.
Ishken and Kerret did their job. A powerful shot rang out. They managed to hit at least five enemy drones.

[BagaturKhan]

Ahmanet knew that Owen was finished. She suddenly realized that she might never see him again. And suddenly she felt so much pain that she could barely stand on the deck.
The officers on the bridge noticed her anxiety. Many of them understood that the admiral was afraid for his comrades. But no one could have guessed about her secret feelings for the human captain.
- Send 2 divisions to the shuttle positions! - the admiral's order was heard.
- This is impossible, mistress! They won't make it in time!
- I'm afraid our friends are finished.
User-Kaf tried her best to save Owen. But she didn't know how to do it. The order seemed rather stupid. The scarabs simply wouldn't have time to fly to their targets. The enemy drones would have destroyed the shuttles by then.
However, fate did not seem to favor Cadmus. Literally a second later, it became clear as day. Everything that Phantom had planned had gone wrong. All his plans had turned into nothing.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of ships began to appear near the orbit of Maingard. One after another, they emerged from non-space. These were not only corvettes, but also battleships, frigates, and even caravels. Imagine Ahmanet's surprise when she noticed the Maingard symbols on their hull.
Suddenly, an entire armada appeared in space. It seemed that it was the Union government fleet. Apparently, its representatives had finally decided to recapture their home world.
One of the Maingard corvettes fired a dozen salvos at the flying Dragonflies. The drones were not ready for this. They did not have time to plan their next steps, and this led to a failure. Within a few minutes, not a single piece remained of the enemy's three divisions.
Then the caravels entered the battle. Dozens of fighters and attack aircraft flew out of their hangars. They instantly headed towards the approaching armada of probes. The pilots were prepared for such a battle, and immediately opened fire. They destroyed drones by the hundreds. They shot them down with plasma turrets and missile carriers.
- We are being called! - soon the voice of the communications operator was heard, not taking her eyes off the monitors.
Ahmanet felt an unprecedented relief. The Mainguardians saved Owen and his team. The "Dragonflies" were eliminated. This surprise saved thousands of lives.
- Answer! Immediately! - User-Kaf shouted.

---

"Paladin"
The flagship battleship of Patriarch Erwin Telamon of Maingard.

The Patriarch of the Khatonian Church of Maingard had long suspected Cadmus Florin of everything. But since the Maingardians always preferred to act only in their own interests, they were not eager to cooperate with the Coalition's intelligence. Blessed Erwin Telamon, nicknamed the Fat, had been studying the behavior of the Artandir admiral for a year. And an interesting thought occurred to him. The famous naval commander of the Coalition could well be playing a double game.
Erwin had been friends with Geront Agesilaus for a long time. He even allowed himself to touch the very Sphere that was still kept in the dungeons of the elders' palace. And one day, the patriarch admitted to his friend that Cadmus was not the hero he was considered to be almost everywhere. He had noticed one interesting detail. All of Florin's military campaigns resulted in a large number of victims. Both his soldiers and the enemy's were dying. And there were always problems with intelligence.
The truth was revealed only when Erwin decided to attach one of the reconnaissance probes to the hull of the Invictus. This happened immediately after the Coalition fleet advanced towards Maingard. The Patriarch carefully monitored everything. And finally, he had an epiphany. Cadmus was the Phantom that had been sought for so long. The reconnaissance probe transmitted all the necessary information to the cleric's headquarters.
The Patriarch was incredibly sorry that it was done so late. If he had discovered the Phantom earlier, there probably would not have been an attack on Maingard. An attack that led to the deaths of tens of thousands.
The Maingardians always acted only in their own interests. And Erwin was one of them. But without a doubt, he was incredibly sorry about how people died in other states. The mysterious drone attack made him turn pale with horror.
After Cadmus began bombarding his own comrades, Erwin raised the entire Mainguard fleet, concentrated in the Annasios system. Preparations were made quickly enough, and soon the fleet was sent to battle. There was no longer any doubt that Cadmus was Phantom-13.
It was lucky that the Mainguardians left in time. They managed to defeat the Dragonfly armada and deprive Florin of his main trump card.
- Admiral Akhmanet! - the patriarch addressed him with feigned sycophancy.
On his orders, the elfhurr flagship was called in. He saw the alarmed face of the beautiful alien.
- Patriarch! We did not expect to see you here! - the admiral admitted honestly.
The bearded confessor gave the elfhurr woman a low bow. Captain Stovan, standing nearby, repeated his movements. All the other officers on the bridge also bowed to User-Kaf.
- Mainguard is our land, - Erwin noted, - I admit that we did not come for you, but to take our world back from Phantom. Let it be known to you that the name of Phantom-13 is Admiral Cadmus Florin.
Ahmanet did not know what to answer. The words spoken by the confessor shocked her. But deep down she understood that there was no need to lie to the patriarch.
- It was he who arranged everything, - the Mainguardian continued his speech, - It is a pity that we did not understand this earlier. Now we want to help you. And at the same time, to take back our home. Or did you think that we were cowards?
- Not at all... your holiness, - the elf answered this.
Although at the same time, Ahmanet understood that most of the Artandirians considered the Mainguardians to be cowardly.
- Well, now we'll send you all the data on the Phantom, - Erwin said soon, - And then we'll arrest him. We have some way of getting onto the Invictus. I don't think you'll object.

[BagaturKhan]

- Fuking Mainguard bastards!
Dalotl understood everything immediately. He preferred not to use such dirty expressions. But after he saw the Mainguard army crushing the Dragonflies, he simply could not hold back. N-sai was filled with rage and hatred.
However, Cadmus had the same emotions. His eyes flashed when several enemy caravels appeared in his rear. As it turned out, Erwin had brought almost the entire flotilla of the republic with him. His ships took aim at the Invictus. As soon as they twitched, the Mainguards would immediately open fire. From such a distance, any shot was fatal for the ship.
The Invictus was sucked into a trap. And not even the Phantom could get out of this trap. Erwin outplayed him. Cadmus always considered the Mainguards cowards, hedonists and egocentrics. What was the cost of their idea to hide the Sphere. The mysterious alien device could easily cure any disease in moments. But the old "seniles" declared it theirs.
Now the Mainguard fleet was fully determined to destroy the Invictus with its entire crew. Erwin and his comrades had every opportunity to do so. But Cadmus assumed the worst. He was afraid not of death, but of a cage. A cage in which he would never find his Yuriko. Never find the way to his beloved.
Phantom did everything to get her back. But Marfur-Nirari left him to be torn apart by the Mainguards. Florin looked around in horror. All members of his team were in a panic. They did not think that everything would turn out like this.
- What to do now, my lord? - asked Zheng.
Farrukh knew that for such crimes he would be imprisoned in a pagoda. Dalotlya - the death penalty. Inna would most likely be sentenced to life imprisonment. She was a citizen of Artandir, namely the planet Trinacrine. Although, Elfurr could have easily come to an agreement with the republic and handed the sorceress over to the Inquisitors.
- Bastards! Bastards! - Cadmus screamed at the top of his voice.
He wanted to smash everything on the bridge. Turn every console into a pile of rubble. Rage overwhelmed him.
- Dirty, worthless embryos! Placenta rats! Degenerates!
Inna already knew what awaited her for her crimes. Without thinking twice, she raised her pistol and shot herself in the chin. A moment later, her lifeless body lay on the deck. Blood oozed profusely from the horrific wound.
But Cadmus did not even notice how his comrade had passed away.
- Never mind... This bug will still pay! I will destroy this Erwin! I will rip out his guts!
A moment later, glowing rings appeared all over the bridge of the Invictus. Within seconds, heavily armored fighters began to jump out of them. They belonged to the Arsenalotte-Legio, the Mainguard Special Forces. All these warriors looked more like ancient knights than space marines.
The specialists held plasma rifles in their hands. They appeared with such speed that the members of Cadmus' team did not have time to react. The Mainguards had already eliminated several criminals.
Cadmus and his remaining comrades clearly understood what fate awaited them now. The Mainguards would not leave them alone until they avenged the dead. And there were a great many killed at the behest of Florin.
The knights surrounded the admiral from all sides. One of the Mainguards, a stern commander with a tattoo under his eye, did not have a helmet on his head. He pulled a pistol from his bosom and pointed it at the Phantom's forehead. He hadn't forgotten to cock it first. All that was left was to pull the trigger and knock the admiral out of his mind.
- In the name of the Maingard Union! - the officer said menacingly, not taking his eyes off the criminal, - In the name of His Holiness, the Blessed Patriarch Erwin Telamon, temporary ruler of Maingard! You are under arrest!
Florin spat contemptuously at this. Drops of his caustic saliva almost touched the commander's boots.
- Curse you... - Cadmus shouted furiously.
But it seemed that the officer was prepared for this.
A second later, he brought the barrel of the pistol down on the admiral's head. Cadmus fell to the ground unconscious.
- Clear the rest of the decks! - the Mainguardian commanded, - "Invictus" is now the property of the Union. We confiscate this ship for the glory of His Holiness!

[BagaturKhan]

---
Joy... Of course there was. But not as much as he would have liked.
Owen the Scorcher and his crew survived. They managed not only to repel the wave of the enemy approaching the transporters, but also to wait for help. It was not for nothing that they said that help usually comes from where you least expect it.
The Mainguardians have long been called cowards and hedonists. Their army was considered the weakest in the galaxy. But for some reason, it was Mainguard that won the terrible massacre. It was Erwin and his troops who prevented a catastrophe.
Owen knew that Artandir was now in debt to Mainguard. Only unresolved issues remained regarding the confiscation of the Invictus and the capture of Admiral Cadmus.
Florin, in the opinion of the Scorcher, should have been brought to trial on Artandir Prime. The Mainguardians made it clear that they would not give it to the Coalition... At least for now.
They also talked about an unknown weapon found on the flagship. The Mainguardians also decided to take it.
But all these matters had yet to be resolved. And not at this moment, but later, after all the victors returned home.
The Scorcher was unspeakably happy when he found himself on Ahmanet's flagship. In the unforgettable Elfurr hangar. The commander herself reacted rather strangely to the appearance of the captain. Owen was amazed by her emotions. She almost hugged him. But then, strangely, she pulled back and simply shook his hand.
- Thank you, - Owen bowed slightly, - We thought that they would finish us all off there.
A strong relief was felt on Ahmanet's face. And just recently, she was afraid that she would lose the captain forever. Lose him forever. - We are all happy... - User-Kaf answered reservedly, - Happy that you are alive. But the Maingardians are cunning. Frankly, I could not even imagine that they would do everything. Erwin is a real scoundrel. But today we are indebted to him.
- Yes, indeed, ma'am, - Ishken, who was standing nearby, allowed himself to speak, - They are not so bad. Only Snofru says that Maingard is a black hole. A hole in the galaxy. I wonder what he will say now?
Snofru was standing very close. He heard fragments of the conversation out of the corner of his ear, and immediately hurried to intervene.
- Who mentioned me here? - his grumbling was soon heard, - When did I call Maingard a hole? Quite a nice place... And the guys are good. If it weren't for them, we would no longer exist! Our asses.....
- In general, I understand, - interrupted his comrade Balderan, - You changed my opinion of them.
The first mate really did not want to hear another curse.
Ishken and Owen smiled. This "gnome" had long been famous for his quirks. He would always do something like that. Or get drunk to death before the battle. But nevertheless, he was a devoted member of the team and a brave fighter.
- It's a pity that there were too many dead, - said Ahmanet, and her beautiful eyes lit up with sorrow, - Cadmus must appear before our court. Before the Empire. But we will sort this out.
Owen's smile immediately disappeared. He remembered at what price they achieved victory. Dozens of Coalition ships were destroyed. Thousands of sons and daughters will never see their families again. Thousands of husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. What the Phantom did was beyond reason.
- Never mind, we'll deal with Cadmus Florin later, ma'am, - the captain said after a moment, - By the way, when exactly are we scheduled to return to the ship? To the Salvation Army.
Ahmanet was surprised to discover that she didn't want Owen to leave her ship. But he simply couldn't help but return. Srilankur and many brothers in arms were waiting for him.
- Whenever you like, - User-Kaf responded to this, - But I would recommend not rushing with this. You are very tired. You have worked well today. Allow me to show you to the rest rooms. Elfurr hospitality will not upset you.
Totkhemris had already ducked between Ishken and Snofru and quickly found herself next to Owen. She winked at him. This meant that Ahmanet had better not refuse.
- Well... We accept your offer, - the Burner finally gave in.

[BagaturKhan]

Epilogue.

"Good morning, Artandir!"

Sam Valarti sits at her favorite table. There are texts and data-tablets on it. The mug of water is only half full.
The woman looks worried. Her pupils are constantly running. Not long ago, she received sad news from Maingard. But this is not what shocked Sam the most.

More than anything else, she believed in the power of the legendary admiral of the Coalition - Cadmus Florin. This continued throughout the war with the League. Now her faith has turned to nothing. She no longer saw Cadmus as a protector. Her former feelings turned into terrible hatred.

Despite the fact that Fernand tried to counteract the leak of information, Patriarch Erwin calmly leaked all the necessary data to the network. The entire galaxy learned about Cadmus Florin.

Sam (towards the cameras):
- Good morning, Artandir! True, today it is not so kind.

She nervously touches the mug and takes a few sips.

Sam (continues speaking):
- We are all shocked by what happened. Each of us. We all, without exception, believed in the strength and courage of the legendary naval commander. The naval commander who turned out to be the embodiment of evil. We thank the Maingard Union for transmitting this information.

The camera then displays three photographs. Three prisoners appear on the screen. All in Maingard prison uniforms.
On the left is Admiral Cadmus Florin. The marks of beatings are clearly visible on his gloomy face.

A little to the right is the Farrukh military leader Zheng Chupalorkhorn. He looks down dejectedly. One can tell from his gaze that he is in the deepest despair.
In the far right corner is N-sai Dalotl. His gray face is literally filled with pain and fear.

Sam (voiceover):
- At the moment, three of these criminals are on the territory of Minegard Prime. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Coalition and the new ruler of the Union, Patriarch and Lord Protector Erwin Telamon, the cities of this planet are being restored. But there is still destruction. According to analysts, the damage from the attack of the criminal group led by Cadmus Florin amounts to at least 700 quadrillion denarii. The death toll exceeds 30,000. Many citizens of Minegard still have to be pulled out from under the rubble.

The camera shows the monstrous destruction on Minegard Prime, caused by the psi-detonation. Now everyone in the galaxy knows that all this is the work of Cadmus. Cadmus and his criminals.

Sam (continuing):
- It will take at least six months to fully restore the capital. Patriarch Erwin promises to speed up the process. But only one question remains open. The trial date for Cadmus Florin and his henchmen has not yet been announced. Artandir and the Elfurran Empire have already made a request. The Republic demands that Florin be handed over to the Artandir court. The Elfurran side has made similar statements. At this stage, all our requests remain unanswered.

The image changes abruptly. It shows Admiral Florin in full battle gear. But here artificial red lines appear. They cross out the photo of Cadmus.

Sam:
- Cadmus Florin will forever go down in history as the greatest criminal in the Galaxy. Personally, I hope that ex-President Fernand will be able to return him to Artandir. The criminal must be convicted for all his deeds. Let's hope and pray that the Mainguardians will meet us halfway.

-----

The end.

[BagaturKhan]

If you want to see the rus-lang version, just write me here.

Sorry again for translation bugs. But i made it quite readable. If you have some questions and issues, feel free to write here, friends.

This work i have finished in the spring of 2024 year.

[BagaturKhan]

All ways turn to Shatsk-Prime

(small scenario, after "Sol Invictus" story)

Stage 1.

Coalition holdings.
Shatsk star system.

A small dark blue starship is rapidly approaching a green agricultural planet. As it approaches the Nogdis Force security station, it slows down. It cannot fly any further without scanning.

Several inspection drones quickly fly out of the station, surround the starship, piercing it with scanning beams, and then return to the base at the same speed.

The shuttle pilot's name is Ishken Derkh. He is dressed in a uniform of the same color as his ship. The stripes and symbols of the Galactic Coalition are clearly visible. His gaze is calm, despite everything.

Ishken (towards the console):
- Ishken Derkh. Captain Owen's team. The Coalition psionic fleet.

The operator's voice from the console:
- Landing is authorized. Proceed to the Averich terminal. Escort recalled.

Ishken:
- Accepted.

For a moment he considers visiting Nogdis. But given the busy schedule of the Shatsk-Prime administrator, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Ishken's starship picks up speed again. The drones have left. His ship has been scanned. There is no threat. So, we can land. The main thing is to reach the terminal safe and sound.

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 2.

The Averich spaceport is already behind us. The ship is under reliable protection. It will be refueled, cleaned and prepared for departure.
But this will not happen right away.

Ishken Derkh continues his journey on foot. He is on the territory of the settlement. He would like to stay here for a month, but now it is impossible. Only five hours, and not a minute more.

Many of the villagers are still asleep. Mostly, of course, these are visitors or those who were drunk in the evening and in the morning are still in the world of Dreams.

Only a few people are awake: those who can safely be called "locals". Someone needs to go to the garden, someone to the temple, someone went to pick mushrooms in the Grove, and someone to go fishing.

Older people usually always get up early: to find out the morning news, check the chicken coops and all sorts of livestock. And where would they be without morning prayer. Without it, you can't take a step here.

Along the way, Ishken managed to greet several villagers. But his main goal was the House of Nyura Kolobchikhen.
That's where he was heading.

Ishken (towards the visible red house):
- Pyatkin house.....

He looks towards the house, the walls of which are painted red. He remembers that it belongs to the famous Pyatka Family.

It is worth giving credit to Ivon Pyatka, who half a century before all these events fought on the side of Kraskovo against the Nargon Republic. At one time, Nargon threatened not only Kraskovo, but also Shatsk. However, in Shatsk they immediately said that "if the Nargon army appears, it will get the full treatment." And Ivon Pyatka himself became famous for the phrase - Whoever comes to us with a spear will fall from it.
Unfortunately, Ivon has long since died. But the memory of him remained among the villagers, as well as of the noblewoman from the House of Lida-Vasilna, who loved to gather on holidays and tell interesting stories. And her life was no worse than Pyatka's.

Passing by a small temple with blue paint, Ishken approached the cherished goal.
The house of Nyura Kolobchikhen towered before him. But the porch was empty. So, Nyura was somewhere in the garden or inside the house.
The Kolobchikhens usually did not stand out among the villagers. And this was their main feature. They lived quietly in the central part of the settlement, did not bother anyone and were friends with everyone. But their family was much more ancient than that of all who lived on Shatsk.
And Nyura herself in the past was an extremely interesting person with a very long life story.

Ishken (towards the house of Kolobchikhen):
- Why without security.... Times are hard.

A voice from somewhere on the left:
- I told her too, don't refuse.

Ishken turns around. He didn't even notice how Sasha was next to him. An elderly man in a simple white shirt and with a small basket.
Derkh also knew him well, as well as Nyura. He lived on the outskirts of the village, a little further from the Vyselik district.

Sasha (smiling):
- Nogdis offered a robot for every house. But Nyura, as always...

Ishken (joyfully):
- Glad to see you!

Sasha (nods):
- And I see you too! I remember you when you were so little, when you came with your grandfather. Ah... those were the days.

Ishken and Sasha hug and pat each other on the shoulders. Derkh hasn't seen the village and its inhabitants for too long. But it's good that none of them have forgotten him.

Sasha:
- I went to Yandova. They say there are so many mushrooms there now that you can take them out in trucks.

Ishken notices that Sasha's basket is empty. Someone would now say that it's a bad sign. But considering all the years that have passed, Derkh understood perfectly well that such superstitions are nothing more than fairy tales.

Ishken:
- I would go too. But there's no time. I need to go see someone here.

Sasha (nodding towards Kolobchikhen's house):
- Of course... I already understood everything right away.

Ishken:
- Is Bab'Nyura at least home now? Have you heard anything?

Sasha:
- Home... Who will evict her from here. She's always home.

Ishken (with some regret):
- I would like to talk some more. But I need to go to her already.

Sasha (with understanding):
- Look, be careful. She's become too strange lately... Although... Maybe it's all of us who have become strange. Especially after what we heard from Fernand.

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 3.

Ishken on the porch. While Sasha went to pick mushrooms, hoping to return with a "rich catch".
Derkh wasn't interested in mushrooms. He had to check on Nyura. And what would she say after seeing what Ishken would show her.

The Kolobchikhens had long been cooperating with the Coalition, namely with the Artandir Security Council. Sasha was a retired liaison. He received some information, but did not have "red access", which cannot be said about Anna Romashken, Nyura Kolobchikhen or Serge Nogdis.

After the appearance of mysterious reconnaissance drones in the Rovoam system and several strange and even frightening events, Captain Owen sent Ishken to Shatsk Prime to negotiate with Nyura. Especially since Derkh was known there and had not been seen for a long time. Nyura had information that was of great interest to both Owen and the Artandir Security Council. Perhaps she could give at least part of the answer to the riddle. And that was worth a lot.

Ishken stood there for half a minute, and then decided to call. Nyura was definitely inside the building. Being a psionic, he clearly felt it.

Ishken (loudly):
- Bab`Nyur! It's me!

Kolobchikhen was already well over 80. They said that her hearing was sometimes poor. But her "brain" worked at full capacity.

Not even a moment had passed before Nyura opened the door. She was dressed in her usual village clothes, and her head was wrapped in a white kerchief. Her age was already making itself felt, and she could not walk calmly without the help of a cane.

Ishken (loudly):
- Bab`Nur.....

Nyura (joyfully):
- Aaaaaah! Who came to visit us! I was peeling potatoes today.... And suddenly I heard a voice.... It seemed familiar.... I was wondering who it was, but it was he who......

Ishken (with the same joy):
- I really won't be long.....

Nyura:
- I just happen to have morning tea..... Come in.

Ishken:
- I have..... "red". I decided to say it right away so there wouldn't be any questions.

Nyura (shudders for a second, then smiles again):
- So, something serious.... Otherwise, you would have come to rest. And you, I see, are on assignment.

Ishken (nods):
- Yes..... On assignment. And I'm afraid it's very serious. Do you have the book?

Nyura:
- Come in, come in..... Where would it go.......

The old woman goes through the corridor into the depths of the house, to the kitchen. Her voice gradually fades away.

Nyura (from the kitchen):
- That I would miss the book... No way. Let Ara-ni, or the Khazar khans... Or the Nargon alamgirs come here. I will cherish it until my very death. Like the apple of my eye.

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 4.

Nyura has already poured tea into cups and sat down. Her cane is standing by a small cupboard.
Ishken is sitting at the table, tea and candy nearby. He looks at the kitchen of the house with interest and understands that he would have stayed here for a long time if not for the task.

The kitchen looks more like a living room than a place for a meal. There are cupboards, pictures with photographs of Kolobchikhen's departed relatives on the walls, a lot of different dishes, there are even exotic souvenirs.

Ishken pays attention to a small wardrobe standing almost by the window.

Nyura, meanwhile, sat down at the table and checked the tea for warmth. Ishken followed her example. To his surprise, he discovered that her tea was Nargonian, although Nargonians are not digested in these parts.

Nyura (towards the cupboard by the window):
- Everyone thinks, an old granny.... Good for nothing... But I was not always like this. Want me to show you?

Ishken (with interest):
- Oh, come on... No one thinks so. What you should show?

Not even a second has passed before Nyura has a strange device in her hands, similar to a remote control for a TV screen. Without thinking twice, she presses a button, and the doors of the cabinet standing by the window swing open wide.
Ishken shudders. In front of him, he sees a ceremonial weapon made of a foreign material, carefully nailed to the inside of the cabinet. He notes with surprise that this is an Elfurran plasma "Jet". A weapon given to Nyura by someone from the top management, maybe even from Fernand herself.

Nyura (towards Ishken):
- A gift from Fernand, by the way. I, too, like you... From the psi-squad. When I was 20, I dreamed of getting something like this. It would have been useful in battles with the Nargonians when they decided to encroach on us...

Ishken:
- This is the "Jet". Amazing firepower! Light, simple, convenient and deadly strong.

Nyura (smiles):
- Of course..... It took out the queen cockroach Ara-Ni in a matter of moments.... A precise shot to the head. Bedbugs, cockroaches... It kills everyone. When these beasts attacked our ship, and we were protecting the colonists then..... Wow... There was so much fire... It used up almost the entire supply. We sweated a lot then, but we drove the beasts away. Three years have passed, and I'm already retired. But everything remains in my memory.....

Ishken (remembers that he came on business):
- Are you ready to use it again?

Nyura (laughs):
- If necessary......

Ishken:
- Considering what we saw..... I don't know anymore. Anything is possible.

Ishken himself did not notice how his voice became serious. After all, he did not come to chat about the "good old days". Nyura, realizing this, poked the button on the remote control, and the cabinet doors quickly slammed shut, leaving the relic safe and sound as a keepsake for posterity.

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 5.

Ishken pulls a portable data device from his bosom. It was made in Artandir for Owen's squad.

It stored all sorts of records and materials from past operations. The device looked like a small transmitter. But the amount of information it held was too large. It could hold the entire database of Shatsk's defensive stations.

Owen entrusted Ishken with the "keeper", knowing that he was going to meet with Nyura. Perhaps she would be able to give the necessary answers. If, of course, luck is on Ishken's side.

Nyura (looking at the "keeper"):
- They used these at Fernand's headquarters about 20 years ago. Now you have them too?

Ishken (nods):
- I'll show you something.... Owen thinks that you can give an answer.

Nyura (in a more serious voice):
- Why did you ask about the book? Could this be related?

Ishken:
- And if it can? We are talking about reconnaissance ships.... obviously not from our galaxy.

Ishken performs several manipulations with the device and shows everything to Nyura Kolobchikhen.

He turns on the holo-projector and puts the "keeper" on the table. Several holographic projections of ships appear in the air. Only 3 pieces.

In appearance, they are similar to the bio-constructs of Ara-Nia, but these are clearly not those ill-fated insectoids.
The ships are made of strange minerals, probably mined outside the Milky Way. Ishken increases the clarity and shows details. One of them is a mysterious symbol. A crying face. Creepy, ugly.

Ishken (without taking his eyes off the images):
- What you once showed me in a book.... The symbolism is similar.

Nyura turns pale. She looks at the ships in detail, and her heart fills with horror. For a second, her mouth falls open.
It is clear that this was a surprise for Nyura, and not the most pleasant one.

Nyura (with the same emotion):
- Holy cow...

Ishken:
- They were discovered in the Briony system, then disappeared. And then in several worlds at once. 7 probes within the Rovoam system, where leprosy is rampant. And the symbolism is the same again.

Nyura:
- Rovoam.... There seems to be a plague there. Fernand scared us all.

Ishken (correcting her):
- Leprosy. And they say there are no cures. For now, anyway. The governor hopes that the Elfurran healers will cope with everything.

Nyura (towards Ishken):
- And the number of sick? How many already?

Ishken (anxiously):
- Yesterday there were 50,000 in the central region. The governor closed this part. But these are the official figures.

Nyura:
- And the unofficial ones.... There are even more of them. Everything is clear....

Ishken:
- And these ships. Three more probes were spotted within Nargon.

Nura (irritated):
- Damn these Nargonians..... I'm worried about Rovoam. There's a population of 10 billion there.

Ishken (in an excited voice):
- Leprosy..... Unknown ships..... I think there's a connection.

Nura (nodding):
- Yes..... Have you finished your drink?

Ishken looks at the cup. There's no tea left. He didn't even notice how he drank it all.

Nura:
- Let's go. I'll show you.... You were looking for this, right?

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 6.

Nyura and Ishken find themselves in a spacious living room. It was also full of all sorts of furniture and exotic dishes. There were cabinets, sideboards and a large round table. Nearby was an armchair on which the old woman liked to relax. Bright daylight penetrated the room through the square windows, so there was no need to turn on the lamps.

On the table, Derkh noticed, in addition to blood pressure medication, a book in a black cover. On its cover was clearly engraved the symbol of the Shatsk Empire. Ishken knew that in ancient times, Shatsk made itself known to all the nearby powers. No one dared to encroach on the power of the monarchs. But there was something else.

At one time, the empire faced an unimaginable threat. And therefore, not far from the Yards, in the old era, the "Yandovy" system was created. Yandova is not only a district on Shatsk Prime, where there are only meadows, hills and plantings. These are also the most powerful battle stations left over from those times. One of them was ordered to be activated after the war with the League began by Nogdis, the planet's administrator.

Nyura (towards the book):
- That's why you asked about it. You already knew that we would be talking about an ancient threat.

Ishken (nods):
- Exactly. You told me about the creation of "Yandova".

Nyura:
- Oh yes... "Yandova" was invented back in the time of the Caesars. Then the sovereign of sovereigns ordered the chief Architect of Ships to create the most powerful structures for the war with......

Nyura does not dare to pronounce this word. She remains standing in place. It is clear from her face that the old woman is thinking about whether to continue further or to stop in time.

Ishken:
- With the Horrific Horde. That was the name of this threat. I remember....

Nyura (looking at the book again):
- Tear. I saw the symbol in the book. You too. Father Gordy from our temple also knows the legend. He even told us about it after the service. But he mistakenly believes that everything is gone. And that they will not return. And when it started with the League... I already knew that this was preparation.

Ishken (alarmed):
- Preparations?.... For what?

Nyura:
- Then, thousands of years ago, everything also began with a war between kingdoms. But then they showed up.... It is always more effective to seize what is fragmented... Broken.... Destroyed.... What is engulfed in sedition.

Ishken (with the same emotion):
- Do you think this is connected? This is what Owen wanted to know?

Nyura (shaking her head):
- These ships did not just appear out of nowhere. Why did the war start first, then they captured Cadmus, the whole galaxy was reduced to dust... And now they... These strange ships. Don't you think? There is a connection, Ishken. There is a connection....

Ishken:
- We also forgot about leprosy.

Nyura:
- All this is one crazy plan. The plan of our ancient enemy.

[BagaturKhan]

Stage 7.

Nyura opens the book in front of Ishken. The psionicist clearly sees ancient paintings.

In those days, Shatsk artists preferred to apply images by hand. The fight between armored warriors and terrible six-eyed monsters catches the eye. Moreover, the eyes of some monsters had double pupils.
All weapons are firearms, but not like what is used now. Shatsk warriors have long shooting rods, probably plasma guns of a bygone era. The monsters have strange dark-colored devices, more like severed limbs of arthropods, but with energy flashes.

Ishken continues to examine the paintings. He turns over several pages and finds the same ships.

The psionicist shudders and turns pale. He had recently seen the same ships on the monitors. It was not for nothing that Owen raised the alarm, and Fernand along with him. There was something mysterious and very evil coming from these ships. Just their image made me shudder.

Ishken (without taking his eyes off the pages):
- The terrifying Horde..... But who are they....

Nyura (with anxiety in her voice):
- Their names were forbidden to be spoken back in the time of the Caesars. In many countries, all this is fairy tales. And in vain... There is a grain of truth in every fairy tale. The same is true here. You are looking at the Book of Legends of the Shatsk Empire. And you see the truth....

Ishken:
- Have they already invaded the galaxy? It's just that when you showed me this... I thought I was reading a fairy tale.

Nyura:
- Their invasion was stopped. But at what cost... They destroyed dozens of star kingdoms, Ishken. The Shatsk Empire survived only thanks to its alien friends... Elfurr helped. Nicomedes, Draconians. But will they help this time?!

Ishken:
- Invasion is inevitable?

Nyura (bitterly):
- It looks like that. The same ships from the book. And these are scouts. First came the scouts, then the horde. It didn't happen all at once. In Shatsk they thought it was a new contact. Another race wanted to negotiate. They thought these beasts just wanted to chat. But it wasn't that way.

Ishken (towards Nyura):
- Intelligence teams. Scanning our defenses. Now everything fell into place.

Nyura (nods):
- The Horde invaded suddenly. But some knew it was inevitable. Sedition, illness... Before the invasion, Shatsk fought with three kingdoms. With Amphora. With the ancestors of the Artandirs. With the Nicomedians. Before invading, our enemies sow discord and illness. But then all the kingdoms of people united when the Horde began to capture system after system... When their ships landed millions of fighters. When their gunshots pierced the surfaces of worlds to the lava... It was a war that is not spoken of. There is no such event in history... It was erased. So that everyone living in the galaxy would forget about the Ancient Nightmare, destroying stars and burning hundreds of planets.

Ishken:
- But you won then.....

Nyura:
- We won. But the price was high. My father told me about it, and his father told him, and he told him.... And so from generation to generation, the House of Kolobchikhen kept this book. Lide-Vasilna offered to give it to the museum, saying that "the old woman was stubborn". But I will never give it... To anyone. This book belongs to my House. And it will belong.

Ishken:
- So, the invasion was stopped. Otherwise, none of us would be here anymore.

Nyura (thoughtfully):
- Only this time... Will it be possible to do it? Our galaxy is fragmented. Recently, a war thundered. And now the disease is spreading to Rovoam. So my question is very timely...