Sanctuary II

Varla walked through the empty shipyards, to a hidden corner, white The Wild Rose sat, powered down.

"There it is" Varla grinned, slowly making her way toward the airship, as she arrived at the hold door, she reached her hand out to touch the button, only to find the Airship was very much, still powered up, and surrounded by an energy field.

The door slid open and Celeste was stood inside with a grin on her face.

"Hey there, Varla, don't think we've met" She waved sarcastically, Varla's face turned red with anger. "Pretty swanky place to control a resistance from, huh?" She winked.

"Get out here, or I will destroy this ship along with you" Varla threatened.

"No, I don't think I will" Celeste shrugged.

"You think your shields can hold against an imperial bombardment?" Varla grinned, as she signalled for the Valkyrie to power up its cannons. "Allow me to make some distance between us" She said, as she slowly stepped back around 200 metres. Celeste watched casually, then looked up at the cannon and chuckled.

The Dreadnought fired its main cannon, and the shipyards rocked from the impact of the shot, as the smoke cleared, the area in front of The Wild Rose was destroyed, but there was no damage to the ship or the area behind it.

"Impossible!" Varla roared as she walked angrily towards the ship. "A ship this size should have been decimated by the impact" She continued. Celeste shrugged.

"Probably something to do with that power plant behind me" Celeste winked, as she looked at her nails. "Oh, and before you waste another shot, that whole area is also shielded, sorry" She laughed.

"You took over a whole power plant just for this airship?" Varla pondered. "Unless you left a small hole in the energy shield for say... a cable?" She grinned.

"Sorry, but no" Celeste replied. "It's also being used to shield several other key points in the city, not including the lab, which has its own power plant" She continued.

"Why are you telling me this?" Varla narrowed her eyes.

"To annoy you. You can't break through, the resistance HQ should now have its energy shields operational too" Celeste smiled.

"Then I will destroy the city" Varla threatened.

"No you won't" Celeste sighed.

"And how do you know that?" Varla asked.

"Because you came here to retake the Empire. If you destroyed the city, there would be nothing left for you to rule, no one left to kill, it'd be pointless. It wouldn't even be sport" Celesta replied, as she looked Varla in the eyes.

"Damn you!" Varla snarled.

"When the sun comes back, this city will be ours once more. You never overtook it, not really, we just let you have it. The moment the light returns, the Empire dies. For good" Celeste stated, before closing the door.

Varla was left standing in front of the Airship, looking like a fool. Bartholme walked over slowly.

"Shall I fetch the car?" He asked.

"Yes, we're heading to the lab" Varla said, as she stormed out of the shipyards.

"But it isn't 3pm yet" Bartholme protested.

"I'm breaking my schedule" Varla growled.

"But ma'am!" Bartholme frowned.

"No arguments, get the car, Bartholme" Varla slammed her first against a wall, breaking a nail. Bartholme nodded, and ran ahead. Varla roared as she took out her anger on a nearby broken shuttle.

A guard nearby headed over, he had come to check out the source of the explosion.

"Excuse me!" The trooper called out, as Varla turned her head in his direction he raised his hands. "I am sorry, your Radiance, I did not know it was you" He said as he knelt before her.

Varla grabbed an old spanner and walked over to the trooper.

"You are forgiven, soldier" She shrugged, before bringing the spanner down on the trooper, covering herself in blood. "You are godsdamned forgiven" She said, as she killed the trooper.

As the car approached, she threw down the spanner and got in, Bartholme did a double take as Varla got in.

"Do... you want to go back to the apartment before we head to the labs. ma'am?" Bartholme asked.

"No" Varla replied, as she looked out of the window and at the body lying on the ground. "Go" She grunted as she cast Bartholme an evil look.