It wasn't difficult to find the place Ophelia had spoken of. From up in the air Decker and Aranarth could see the heptagon-shaped building that had been unearthed by the gargantuan crater. All around it the ruins of Old Ones battlesuits were splayed. They looked like the wreckage of starships. The polyp-like bodies of the Old Ones had boiled in the sun. There were at least a dozen.

Far more numerous were the gug-gug-gug bodies strewn about. They had been blown into so many pieces it was impossible to estimate how many there were. Their vital fluids had soaked into the sands and stained them yellow-green.

Both rangers dropped from the sky, blasting sand into the air as they landed.

The heptagon in front of them was at least 50 meters tall. It was made of some kind of transparent material that glimmered in the desert sun. It almost looked like it was built by twisting the sky into a geometric shape. As the rangers approached this strange edifice a large section of it slid up to reveal an entryway. Apparently they were being invited inside.

"Well this isn't ominous at all," said Decker.

"Come on, squire," said Aranarth, trying to ignore him.

They walked through the doorway and into the heptagon.

Inside they found alien architecture of an indescribable form. It seemed to spit in the face of euclidean geometry and hyperspace physics. It was like reality itself had been molded into impossible shapes, an optical illusion given physical form. Every angle seemed to imply a different shape.

At the center of all this, if it could be said to have a center, near a glowing spire of unknowable dimensions, was Ranger Helios. Her Suit looked different, more streamlined and thinner, and she wasn't wearing her helmet. Decker had no idea how she was able to breathe like that.

"Hello Dane," she said. "I've been expecting you. I hope we can have a calm discussion."

"Your squire just told me you shot her," said Aranarth.

"She's right. I did. I didn't want to, it was unfortunate, but I couldn't let her get in the way. I did what I had to do. One life is nothing in the grand scheme of what I am doing here. Is she alright?"

"She's alive. In spite of you."

"I'm glad. You know me Dane, I didn't want to hurt her. I think in time she will come to see the value in what I am doing."

"I thought I knew you. What are you doing? What was so important it was worth attacking a fellow ranger?"

"I'm securing the future of the human race. Do you know what this place is? It's an Inxon data tomb. Dane, the legends about Inxon technology are all true. But even fairy stories fail to capture the potential it represents. It's hard to believe. The technology doesn't even require physical machinery to function. It's a perfect technology made of pure information. Human language lacks the sophistication to even describe it. The more of it I absorb the more power I'm gaining over the fundamental forces of the universe."

Aranarth unconsciously backed away a little.

"It's doing something to your mind, Usagi. You need to fight it."

"No. No, Dane, you don't understand. I'm not being influenced by any outside forces. I came here specifically to find this place. Everything I have done since the Old Ones tipped their hand by attacking such worthless planets has been in service of this. I have been searching for the power necessary to set humanity free for years and I finally have it."

"Usagi..." said Aranarth, his voice wavering, "don't do this."

She laughed. She still had the same laugh.

"Don't empower our species to take its rightful place among the great powers?" she asked the question like Aranarth had been joking. "Whose side are you on?"

"Whose side are you on? You sound like an Old One!"

All the mirth drained from Helios' voice.

"You don't understand, Dane. Please, you have to understand. This is exactly what we need. This is what humanity needs to finally be free of the Parliament of Stars. You've seen how difficult they make even the smallest concessions to our defence. We can't thrive under their thumb. We have to rule our own destiny. To never fear our enemies again. Inxon technology is the key to all of that."

"It's not too late Usagi. You can still stop all of this. Your squire is fine. We can destroy this place together."

There were tears in her eyes. She blinked them away.

"Please Dane. Don't make me do this. You, of all people, have to see the value in what I'm trying to accomplish."

Aranarth took a step forward.

"Don't!" shouted Helios.

He took another step.

"Dane don't."

"This isn't you, Usagi. You need help."

"If you don't think this is me then you never knew me at all. You were always too sprelling stubborn."

She reached out with her hand and arcs of electric, primordial energy burst from them. Anarath had guessed her intention and started to warp in an ion pistol but he was too late. The energy struck his chest and he flew backwards, slamming into a wall. The weapon clattered to the ground. His Suit fell apart into it's constituent components like the forces holding it together had ceased to be.

"Now do you get it?" Helios asked. "What I could accomplish with this technology?"

"Squire, run!" said Aranarth, deathly serious.

"But..." Decker began.

"RUN!" yelled Aranarth.

He dove for the pistol, snatched it, rolled to his feet, and fired it at Helios five times in rapid succession. The beams simply ceased to be as soon as they came within a few centimeters of her.

"It's useless, Dane," said Helios.

Aranarth continued to fire. Decker finally ran.

"This is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do. Goodbye, Dane. I'll always remember you."

She reached out with her hand again and another blast of energy struck Aranarth. He melted into dust. All that remained was his deathward, which fell to the ground with a thud.

Helios walked over and picked up the deathward. There was no turning back now.

Unfortunately the squires would never be won over now that she had killed Dane. Too many emotions were involved. It would be necessary to tie up that loose end. This isn't how she imagined things would go  but every great work required sacrifices. 

As she inspected the deathward she suddenly had an idea.