The great Odyssey neared its end at last! In the control room, Daisy stared forward, captivated by what lay ahead. Zeemos, one of Mavor's most impenetrable strongholds, was mere meters away! The United Planets scrambled around the room, preparing for the critical battle. But as the anxiety arose, Daisy remained calm and determined, knowing her destiny was to fight for justice in the name of Mavor's victims!

  "On my Pa's grave, all the families you ruined will get their justice, Mavor," Daisy said.

  "Cool your jets, Damara! Taking this place was an impossible task when we were at full strength. Let's focus on hitting a few smaller targets first," Carter said.

  Like lightning, red lights and alarms flashed through the room.

  "Is the enemy attacking already?"

  "It can't be! We would have seen something!"

  Athena ran to the couple."No, it's not the Nemesis! The vessel's experiencing minor technical difficulties!"

  Carter pinched his forehead, nursing a migraine."Define minor?"

  An explosion went off in the corridor outside the room, drawing Athena’s worried gaze.

  "Please, I'll handle it! Just focus on the siege!"

  On Zeemos, much like her enemy Damara, Evelyn stared forward, captivated by an image before her as her comrades scrambled around the war room. The Argonautis washed across all the screens and holophone panels in the room. But like Daisy, Evelyn remained calm and determined, knowing her destiny was to serve her emperor in the coming battle!

  "They survived! The emperor was correct yet again! This Damara is quite strong!"

  Palos ran to Evelyn."Orders, General?"

  "No more half-measures! Use every single anti-aircraft battery we have on that vessel!"

  "At once, ma'am!"

  The United Planets made their final preparations, nearing Zeemos's atmosphere. But among the soldiers, there was one not fit for duty. Norn fought to stand by herself as Lev helped, drawing concerned looks. Their faces shared a worry that the soldiers dared not speak. Morale was dropping, seeing one of their leaders struggling before the battle. However, she finally willed the strength to stand, calming their nerves!

  "My friend, can you fight? Just say you can't, and I'll put you on sickbay," Lev said.

  "For the cause, General Lev, I can endure any pain!"

  "I'm right there with you, Lieutenant Norn," Daisy said.

  "Thank you, Damara!"

  Unexpectedly, yellow lights and an alarm flashed through the air.

  "Akanie, what's happened?"

  "Anti-aircraft batteries are locking onto us, General Lev!"

  "Ready countermeasures immediately!"

  "The rest of you, finish final preparations while we navigate the barrage! This siege needs to be flawless," Carter said.

  Hearing Carter, the United Planets quickly tripled their efforts, readying for the siege. But as Akanie typed in the commands for countermeasures, none appeared, and instead, the word error flashed on her screen. And as she tried again, the same happened! So, the Argonautis quickly tanked the first round of fire. Lights flooded the ship as it shook like it were still in the solar storm!

  "Akanie, where are those countermeasures?"

  "I don't know! I swear, I'm typing in the right keys, but it won't work!"

  Lev swallowed a lump of anxiety, trembling in fear."Because the ship's damaged!"

  "Athena, fix this!" Carter shouted.

  "I'm trying, General Carter!" Athena hurriedly typed away on her holophone panel.

  Lev looked over to a window, horrified, seeing the lights of another massive bombardment."Too late!"

  The barrage hit the Argonautis far worse than before! The vessel endured an onslaught of a thousand miniature suns. Energy surged into the control room from the attack, shattering screens. And as explosions spread over its haul, the ship fell towards Zeemos, captured in its gravitational pull!

  "Athena, Damage report!"

  "One moment, General Carter!"

  Athena checked her holophone panel, her eyes widening with terror.

  "The vessel's been drawn into the planet's gravitational field. And at this trajectory, we'll be burned to ash on entry!"

  "Athena, can't I just go out there and stop us?" Daisy asked.

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  "At this speed, any sudden movement would destroy the ship!"

  "So land us the old-fashioned way," Carter said.

  "The bombardment disabled the navigational computer!” Athena placed her hands over her face in despair. “I'm afraid all is lost!"

  "We'll just land it manually!"

  "At this speed? That's impossible! Nobody’s that good!"

  "Is that so? Someone get Lucas Fortis in here now!"

  Daisy dashed out of the room at a blurring speed, returning on her stallion with Lucas!

  "You need my help, General Carter?"

  "Land this rig, soldier!"

  "Sir, yes, sir!"

  Lucas jumped off Flaremane, running to the control panel at the center of the room. He swiftly steeled himself, working against the ticking clock of the rising heat. Taking a seat, he worked like the wind, pressing buttons. Before him, a joystick appeared, giving him manual control. But fighting to correct the vessel's approach, gravity triumphed, continuing its fiery descent!

  Doomsday neared as fires sprang around the Argonautis. But amongst the calamities, Lucas remained calm! He knew he had to summon more courage and focus than ever. So, ignoring fear and the burning sensation on his skin, Lucas continued his work! Using all his knowledge of flight from years of battle, he jetted toward their last hope, firing the ship's rockets at full power! He corrected the vessel's approach, grabbing a one-in-a-million chance, narrowly evading fiery doom!

  Athena checked her holophone panel."You've worked a miracle, Captain Fortis! We're on a safe trajectory now!"

  "Lucas, you're the best pilot in the galaxy! I don't know what we would do without you!"

  "Just doing my part, Damara!"

  An alarm flashed in the room.

  "What is it now?"

  "The instruments say we're still going too fast!"

  "Can't you do anything?"

  "Loosening all shock absorbers and steering us towards the softest dirt pile I can find!"

  "What?"

  "It's our only chance! Everybody brace for it!"

  The Argonautis swiftly descended near the surface of Zeemos, increasing speed. It crashed into the land with tremendous force, kicking up a dust cloud expanding for miles. And like a sword, it cut across its flesh, propelled forward from its momentum. But finally, it stopped, smashing into an immovable object, a colossal mountain of four thousand feet!

  Inside, the United Planets lay on the floor, debilitated by the crash landing. However, the first to recover was Daisy, who witnessed Lucas lifeless. She ran to him, shaking him vigorously."Stay with us!" Finally awakening him from his slumber, clutching his head in pain.

  "Thank god! You're okay!"

  "Okay, is stretching it, but at least I'm not dead!"

  "I'm thankful for anything!" Daisy giggled.

  An alarm flashed in the room.

  "Another alarm! What's this one about?"

  "Enemy troops are closing in! You have to wake everyone else up!"

  "But is it safe to leave you alone like this?"

  "Probably not! But it's for the cause, Daisy!"

  "I understand!"

  The Nemesis soldiers arrived at the crash site by the hundreds. They surrounded the vessel in a circle, moving to block all escape. They aimed their tanks, preparing to destroy their enemies inside the ship. But pulling their triggers, a portion of its haul flew from it, crashing into them. And Sarah emerged from the hole, leading the United Planets in a counterattack!

  "For liberty," Sarah shouted.

  The United Planets swiftly poured from the vessel by land and air, attacking with the fury of a desperate, injured beast. Tired and hurt from the long odyssey, they summoned the strength to fight superior numbers, knowing all would be lost otherwise. The soldiers knew in their hearts that setting foot on the stronghold meant their fate was victory or death!

  The army tore into the Nemesis with slashing blades and plasma fire. Sarah leaped to the Nemesis in her giant size, stomping across their ranks. But as the United Planets gained momentum, the Nemesis launched a counteroffensive! "Oh, no!" Forcing them back with reinforcements, a firing squad of armored tanks!

  The Nemesis tanks led an advance, pushing the United Planets back to the ship in a circle of fire. From all directions, their Gatling guns shot down the soldiers in the air, and their barrels blasted away at the ones on the ground. But again, the tide shifted as Daisy flew from the Argonautis, flinging her giant shield at the enemy!

  "Sarah, order everyone back as far as possible!"

  "You heard the woman! Move!"

  The United Planets soldiers hastily retreated to the Argonautis, taking shelter inside. With her comrades safe, Daisy ignited her shield with the flames of the Divinus, sending it through the enemy. The shield cut through the Nemesis army like paper, spreading flames across the battlefield and decimating their forces!

  "Great work, Damara!"

  To Sarah's shocked eyes, Daisy dropped off flaremane as the stallion disappeared into the divinus's light. But as she fell through the air, Sarah caught her in her giant hands.

  Sarah moved her face closer to her to talk in a whisper."Daisy, are you okay?"

  "The crash took more out of me than I thought!"

  Gazing at Daisy with concern, Sarah heard a sonic boom travel through the air. She quickly looked skyward, finding that it was a Nemesis squadron approaching. Glaring at the incoming ships. "Enough!" Gently placing Daisy on the ground, she summoned all her strength, ripping out a rock pillar. And tossed it at the squadron with speed too swift to dodge, destroying them!

  Sarah shrunk down, dropping exhausted beside Daisy."Did it!"

  "We won the battle?"

  "Yeah, but now it's time to worry about the war!"

  Later, a dreadful silence washed over the battlefield, the calm before the storm. The silence louder than any war cry forced the United Planets to endeavor tirelessly. Athena and her staff labored to fix the Argonautis, lying in shambles. The soldiers erected a barrier around it, tearing down the rock pillars. They raced against time, knowing an attack mightier than the one they had endured was imminent!

  Inside was a turmoil greater than the combined anxiety of the coming battle, a military general with a human heart. Carter walked through the halls horrified, seeing the injured. Each brought him pain that was the equivalent of the most grievous wound. Soon, he ran down a corridor into a room, enraged! "Lev!" However, he calmed down, seeing her sitting on the floor, depressed!

  "Have you come to say I told you so?"

  Carter took a deep breath."Forget it! Let's figure a way out of this!"

  "There's nothing to figure out! All is lost!"

  "How can you say that?"

  "The ship is utterly crippled, our forces decimated, and even Damara is unwell!"

  "Sister, I've been here and done that! We can't give up!"

  "I-I just don't know if I can muster the strength to fight! I ruined all these lives!"

  "You have to, if not for yourself, do it for the right thing!"

  "The right thing?"

  "All the people, that son of a bitch Mavor, will kill if we don't!"

  "I want to, but I've seen too much death! Now, the very thought of it robs me of my strength!"

  "Again, I've been there and done that. So, I know you can't give up!"

  "But-"

  "Even in the face of certain death! The things we do in this life matter!"

  Lev took a deep breath."You're right!"

  "I know!"

  Lev slowly stood up, wobbly."I would still like to apologize, General Carter. I should have listened to your advice!"

  "Make it up to me by finishing this mission!"

  "Agreed, and thank you!"