(i’ve tracked it to the belt. hopefully it won’t come back until our reinforcements arrive.)

“If they arrive.”

(…)

“I only hope Simon and the others haven’t been swayed by—”

(simon would never betray us.)

“Kilbourne could have told him anything.”

(he wouldn’t betray us.)

“I’m staying with you.”

(you can’t. if i can’t eject the drives… you’ll be safe on the surface.)

“How long?”

(seven cycles until implosion.)

“Are you sure we’ll be undetected?”

(i’ve found a safe area to planetfall. there’s a trench in the largest ocean.)

“Can your shields withstand the impact?”

(we’ll see.)

“Maggie, I—”

(failure of primary containment system. shadow drive’s going critical. i’m launching your lifeboat, reynald. prepare for—)

“Maggie—identify phase space disruption at seven-five, nine-five, bubble one eight!”

(it’s one of them. enemy pattern.)

“This When’s crawling. We have to—”

(launching lifeboats.)

“Magdalene, don’t!”

(goodbye, jean.)

The four lifeboats of the Judas Magdalene rocketed from her hull and fell to the planet beneath them: innocent blue, unaware of the impending invasion from above. Magdalene calmly tracked the Enemy vessel as it swept closer. Within her, hidden servos and force fields readied themselves.

The Enemy surged at the Judas, the furious mind-essence reaching, reaching.

The center of the Judas erupted in hellfire as Magdalene ejected the deadly Shadow-powered phase drive into the face of the Enemy. Waves of energy rippled outwards, and the vessel was torn apart in the wake of spilt pattern. Magdalene, drained of energy, drifted languidly into the atmosphere. An immense shard of the Enemy cut through the air and fell to the surface.

Magdalene spun, watching the debris fall to the surface. She struggled to maintain position, felt herself being pulled into the drop corridor being torn into the planet’s atmosphere by the wreckage.