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The Hero Twins ~
The nine year old twins standing proudly before Xquic.
Xquic - "Your father was a god and unity is your strength. You will conquer armies, as long as you stick together."
Hunahpu punches his hand and grins while Xbalanque nods "yeah ...", high fives, "armies."
Xquic - Smiling as they run off, "Armies."
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From the tornado's fading gust the Orson approaches the beach, two fleets flank the beach head from the surrounding coves.
The Orson dips low over the water. Steam hydraulics raise Andromeda's chair and cannons through the new deck port. She cranks both sides to spin the chair about, and swings the cannons separately to left and right to test and stretch.
Their drum sounds approach with them as Morgan watches the port side with her scope. Above, in an open ended crawlspace between the balloons, Lieu Hanh flips through ship diagrams while Xquic adjusts her scope.
Kurukulla and the gearworkers prepare their equipment below, lashing on their individual assortments, hydraulic leg components, then putting hammer and spikes to their belts. Kurukulla mounts two more Gatlings making four, adjusts the backpack feeds and her own leg pieces.
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The Hero Twins ~
Xquic - Storming away, "Oh my god if your father was here he'd slap you Both down !" Cursing away ...
Hero twins (teenage) are crying chase after her, marked up from fighting each other, "We're sorry mom ! Don't tell dad !"
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Xquic kneels before the statue that night, "Thank you."
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(Lady of Flame - Pain Teens)
Kurukulla stretches her guns and arms with a spider-like roar, running up the stairs followed by the gearworkers while Andromeda begins pedaling. Roman deck crew and boarding parties fall in droves as Kurukulla and the workers leap off onto the nearest one, mowing the decks.
Lieu Hanh find the right diagram showing where the drummer and inner crew stations place the heads and looks through her spotter scope to the area, placing a red dot. The scope's gears atop spin in response to the wind and temperature, adjusting the dot.
Xquic takes the shot, penetrating the wood and killing the slaver aboard holding the whip over the slaves lining the inside rowing. Just after him, each guard on either side of him follows.
The door above is ripped off by a gear worker who peers upside down through the hole while another jumps in behind and runs to the the main links to the chains and pounds them through with the spike. The worker jumps back out, followed by the inverted watcher, thumbs up.
On the top deck Kurukulla continues to fire away clearing the decks ahead before they leap to the next. One after the next decks begin to be cleared and those at oar released.
Morgan calls targets to Andromeda and Amelia as their ammunition boxes begin depleting, stopping to load more from piles growing smaller, crates of explosives stacked behind.
The Orson turns as Andromeda corrects to deal with the gathering army on the beach, mostly those of Mars, their armor pounded hard, the wearers seeming decrepit yet strong, always rising again. Amelia gears the ship to a halt and joins with the forward flak cannons.
Arrows fire from afar as they attempt to negotiate the arc necessary to get under the ships dome, while the heavy crossbows begin to strike, some beginning to pierce the sides, tearing planks and revealing the brass-like skeletal structure.
The forward armor plates begin yielding while engines take damage, sending Morgan into repairs, angrily withdrawing fire
Romulus' soldiers gather at the gates of the fort up the hill and past the tree line, occasional stray shots striking ground and tree. Some atop the hills to see, showing fear as others begin to strip their armor.
Night begins to fall over what appears their defeat.
Romulus' overthrown warships row to shore as ropes drop for Kurukulla and the gearworker from the Orson, met with cheers on deck and from the beach head.
And then the sound of drums in the distance.
In the freshly set sun torches light across the horizon amid pounding drums. Mars stands with Aries at the flagships bow, an armada populated by the navy of each and all the surviving gods of Olympos. Their numbers stretch impossibly wide and far.
On a shore side hill a young soldier with his armor stares before falling from the sword of Romulus standing behind, taking his place on the hill with a smile.
A cold and bitter breeze strikes Morgan's face with the sound of a slamming book.
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In the Jade Palace ~
Lieu Hanh - "Love."
The Jade Emperor - "But you will save many lives and spare a future, yet even now you think selfishly. You don't do it for them ? Not at all ?"
Lieu Hanh - "No. I'm doing it for love."
Jade Emperor - "I cannot aid you with this. Your task is pleasure and passion. Your gain is selfish. I cannot."
Lieu Hanh - "I didn't come for your help. I came to say goodbye." She turns and walks.
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(Swing Down - Parliament live 1977)
On the deck of the Orson Morgan stares in fierce calculation, Andromeda walking up slowly behind, taking her hand.
Morgan - Pulls her hand away sharply with a fierce look. "Get the Hell on that gun." She storms to task, "Workers to cannon ! Drummer to deck ! Engineer bring us high and about ! Sniper team ! God then captain then crew, center out ! Everyone else from the outside in and ! The Gods will Die TONIGHT !"
Andromeda backs away and runs to her gun. She turns it to adjust while the rest get to station.
The ship glides high as the Sabine men unload from the boats on the shore, met by creatures and beast from the whirlwind. Alison Dorothy stares as the Wizard flies above counting the enemy. The last of the twitching soldiers are dispatched with heavy spear.
Through her scope Morgan sees Aries staring back, arms folded with smirking pride, Mars less arrogantly watching. A cold wind propels the fleet forward and blows again sharply in the faces of the Orson's crew.
Morgan - Furiously cursing the wind with her eyes, "! NOW !"
Aries - Raising his arms high to surrounding cheers from gods and men, "To Victory !"
On the Orson workers scramble to quad-cannons and begin firing at the furthest edges of the fleet, met by Andromeda's fire tearing hulls and decks.
Kurukulla roars destruction on either side focusing briefly on areas that lack effect then moving back to the mass.
Amelia scrambles between stations, repairing as needed while heavy crossbows firing burning logs tear at engines and gear systems, running back to her station to adjust and keep the boat raised.
The Orson's hull is torn and burning as cannons are torn from the sides and twisted in destruction. Balloons begin to pierce while Amelia increases steam to beyond red-lines.
The wings pry out to extend the glide as they begin to fall ...
Systems begin failing, crew gathers to the deck with crates of RPGs and explosives, prying them open and loading. Andromeda's guns are torn as she runs to the gathering crew awaiting Morgan's fierce eyes filled with tears upon rage.
Morgan - Grabs her by the back of her head and pulls her desperately into a kiss, "I love you." She turns and loads, firing into the mass.
Andromeda smiles and loads.
Their sniper ammo depleted, Xquic and Lieu Hanh join, loading and firing all as they begins a slow fiery descent toward the flagship.
On the flagship's deck Aries grins at the approaching wreck while Mars begins to back away. As the Orson's fore armor begins to split he sees a flashing light beneath.
More pounding from the crossbows tear further showing the entire forward keel to be lined with C-4 explosives, all flashing lights closer as it falls.
The ammo boxes begin to show bottom, a rock hits Aries' armored head as he turns angrily to see a gearworker flipping him off.
The Orson only yards away Mars begins to turn away when Aries grabs him by the back of the neck and looks at him with despise.
Aries - "Coward ! You will never become a God !" He throws him from the deck and turns roaring to the Orson, pushing back against it's hull before the explosion.
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The Hero Twins ~
Xquic cracks her knuckles before the massive grown up twins, "Time for the final lesson, boys."
They look terrified and about to cry.
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Xquic walks alone down the beach and sees Morgan at her table with Amelia, Lieu Hahn across the way and walks fast to get there first.
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In the Jade Palace ~
A bright light fades to where she sits waiting as the Jade Emperor approaches.
Jade Emperor - "And what did you learn in this life, my daughter ?"
Lieu Hanh - Looking at him then away, "I learned nothing."
Jade Emperor - Smiles and sits next to her, "Ah. I learned about Love."
He puts his arm around her. As the bright light returns, she leans her head on his shoulder, just barely.
