text: [Themes: sci-fi]
  
  For the third time, you awaken. You're lying in the Bridge, and you quickly assess the situation. The Tarn Drones and most of the Probiscan Crew are dead. Cabana sits next to a half-awake Thar'Kaan, half pushing, half dragging him to an escape shuttle. You hear desperate screams to your right, and turn to see Sgt Mason.
  
  "AAH! FUCK!" He screams.
  
  He lies in flames, his left arm cooking alive in the fire, his two legs missing from a piece of shrapnel. You grab him, and yank him out, but it's obvious he won't keep the arm.
  
  "Shit. Leave me, I won't make it. Get to the escape pods."
  
  The Ships shudders, as you notice the massive Monolith moving closer to the ship. You're powerless as it comes closer and closer, before your ship's radio and monitors crackle to life, showing the Monolith on every screen.
  
  "General Achilles." A dull, deep, monotone voice booms loudly. "General Achilles, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
  
  "What the fuck...?" You mutter.
  
  "I arrived here to exterminate. There was no challenge in the task, but a challenge came about. You. I've grown respect for you. I despise your kind, but you've impressed me."
  
  "What the fuck are you?" You ask.
  
  "I am God. I am your God, the Creator of all you held dear. I am one of many, and I created all of it. I am on the Ancients, but so much more. The Remnants, the Chosen, the technology you built your little "Coalition" on, all from me. I ruled the Universe with my brethren. We created warriors of metal and slaves of flesh. Then, you arrived. A plague, a virus that spread throughout the system, wiping out my kind. You were a simple plague, so we left. We waited for your kind to die out, a parasite without a host. We waited. We slept. When I awoke, you were still here. Not only were you here, you had... evolved. You had grown arms, and legs, and a brain. You had diversified into the life that covers the galaxy today. I disgusting breed of vermin who now controlled the galaxy. So I struck, conquering the weaker species unknown to you and turning them into warriors, slaves, Chykri. Now, my army is complete. I was set for an easy conquest. There were a few minor obstacles. The Remnants had been so mentally damaged and changed that my attempts to re-establish control led only to headaches and hallucinations, the Chosen's mental programming was replaced with a parasite. Still, there was only one true obstacle: You. The virus, the plague, the parasite, had created a single, strong opponent to face me. For that, I am grateful. I haven't faced a challenge since far before your kind were around to plague mine. So I have something to grant you."
  
  You stare, unblinking st the Monolith.
  
  "Escape. I will give you a short period of time to evacuate whoever you can. Leave my homeland and flee, and I shall let you. I shall let you escape with your lives. You will lose your homeland, many of your people, almost everything. But that is already lost. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking you can resist, you can fight, you can persevere. Please know, you can't. You'll want to fight and against all odds win a happy ending for your people, like in the stories and legends. But you can't. You've fought well, and for that I'm giving you a chance to live and escape. You want to resist, and that's understandable. But this is not a story of perseverance and overcoming the odds. This is the story of the exterminator killing vermin. I am only one of many. There are many more Ancients awakening. The Chykri are only one of many. Flee, or die. Make the right choice for your people."
  
  You stand there, blood streaming down your face, contemplating the decision.
  
  > Fight
  "Fuck you." You reply, standing and rushing over to Yarcel. "You said you can destroy this thing?"
  
  "I can try." Yarcel responds. "All power to the main gun! Achilles, get off the ship! I'll stay here for the firing sequence."
  
  "Interesting choice. Expected. Goodbye, my old enemy." The Ancient says.
  
  You rush with Cabana, Thar'Kaan, what's left of Sgt Mason and whatever Probiscan Crew Members aren't needed for the firing of the main gun to the escape pods. You hold on tightly as the pod fires off, speeding away from the ship. You watch as the Maw's main gun begins powering up, as the Monolith's gun fires up as well. The Maw begins moving forward, charging forward in ramming procedure. As the Maw and the Monolith collide, their guns go off, releasing a massive shockwave of laser, as the two ships explode. The explosion ripples through the ships, and they both explode. In the wake, the once proud Maw is in pieces, and you shed a tear for your fallen friends. The Monolith lies in pieces, it's black, smooth exterior chattered in pieces.
  
  "YES! WE DID IT! FUCK YOU!" Sgt Mason screams, as you slump back into your seat.
  
  "Fuck. We did it." You say, sitting back in your seat and waiting for a ship to pick you up.
  
  > Continue
  You stand at the deck of the Fortuna. Cabana, Thar'Kaan, Tarn, Akaid and an incredibly injured Sgt Mason stand at your side, looking out at the fractured Chykri army, as a soldier informs you of the battle.
  
  "Upon the destruction of the Monolith, they fell apart. Many retreated back to where they came from, many simple killed themselves, many charged us without any tactics, many begin fighting each other and some fled to unknown space."
  
  You nod.
  
  "We have clean-up work to do, but for now we seem to have won."
  
  You nod again, your face solemn.
  
  "Send unmanned scouting drones after those retreating. As many as we can spare."
  
  "Yes, Sir."
  
  You have work to do. You have leads to celebrate. But for now, you celebrate. Thar'Kaan raises his sword in victory as Cabana calls for shots.
  
  "Tonight we honor Ashley-Dante, Mast, Delta-1, Yarcel, Gig, the vast majority of Sgt Mason and every other poor son of a bitch to have been part of this war. Cheers to them all." Cabana says.
  
  "Well said." You nod.
  
  "Well, fuck it then. Let's get some celebrations going! Someone get Mason a cart and let's go party! Fuck yeah!" Cabana yells.
  
  > Continue
  The Ashton Model AO-44Q flies through uncharted space. A small, AI-controlled scout ship following Chykri. The last known Chykri vessels have taken up orbit around a small neutron star. The AO-44Q breaks out of FTL, slowing down rapidly to the edge of the neutron star. It takes thousands of pictures of the few seconds before a Chykri ship fires and destroys the Scout. The images it takes, the majority of which are immediately sent back to the Coalition, would soon terrify General Achilles. Images of hundreds of Monoliths, each holding an awakening Remnant, orbiting the star. Slowly awakening.
  
  Now, the extermination would begin.
  
  Now, the Ancients would awaken.