Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Kothar could have recognized the orange jumpsuit from miles away, let alone within the confines of the control center.

But the broad, handsome face that Kothar had met was now gone, instead, the pale skin was now a patchwork of dark blue, pink and yellow, a mess of bruises. 

The dark hair which had been curly and shining was dull, thanks to the sweat and blood that caked it.

A swollen and torn lip, as well as a small gash on one corner of his head completed the look. 

When Kothar had first seen the invaders arrive, he had thought long about how he would punish the man who had given up Eclat's location, somehow using Kothar to find it.

"I'll go, I'll go." Xerev whimpered as he heard Kothar's footsteps approaching him. It seemed that he had already experienced more suffering than Kothar had been imagining he would exact against the crumpled mess of a man before him. 

Standing over the softly wheezing figure, Kothar removed his demon mask, clutching it in his free hand, his Skysteel sword held tightly in the other.

"Hey! Remember me?" Kothar murmured, as he knelt before the crumpled figure, keeping quiet as he looked at the doorway on the other side of the room, a tall door currently keeping it closed. There was a high chance of soldiers being posted there, and Kothar quickly sent a burst of mana to his Mana Sensing Lens.

[Kothar, don't let him call out!] Silane warned, as Kothar's Mana Sensing Lens revealed the mana less silhouettes of the guards posted at regular intervals beyond the door on the far side of the control center. 

"Huh, you're not an Aemos?" Xerev mumbled, his eyes swollen shut, as he desperately squeezed them open, fumbling at one of the many pockets on his orange jumpsuit. 

Kothar watched the man who had supposedly saved him from Idwa, his face looking like it had seen the worse end of multiple fistfights, struggling to even pull something from his jumpsuit.

Kothar watched as Xerev bulled out a familiar cylinder, and began turning rings all along its length, then raising his hands to lift the headset that hung around his neck and placing it over his ears. 

"I thought I recognized that language. What are the chances, huh?" Recognition dawned across Xerev's face, and Xerev twisted his swollen and bruised face into the semblance of a smile, as his eyes peered through swollen and teary eyelids at Kothar. 

Kothar just stared at Xerev, not saying anything, his youthful face as expressionless as the mask he had been wearing moments ago, but his piercing blue eyes were filled with emotion. Rage, sadness, betrayal all filled his eyes, Kothar had spent so long thinking that Xerev had been his savior from the insectoid plane, and a few hours ago, he had realized that Xerev had betrayed him, leading an invasion force right to Eclat.

"Will you take my life? Or torture me in retribution? There isn't much you can do to me that my people have not already. Look at me, boy! This is my reward for selling out you and your plane. This is how the great ruler of the Aemos treats a loyal member of his own family! This is the fate of you and your home if he is victorious." The cut on Xerev's lip split open as he talked , blood oozing out of the wound, spilling down his chin and into his mouth.

"The great ruler of the Aemos shall find a use for this plane, he will squeeze it dry of anything in the slightest bit useful, then he shall beat it and break it, just as he has done to me." Xerev continued to croak, his device translating his throaty language into perfect Ursten.

All the while, Kothar said nothing, his sword clutched tightly in his hand, as a swirl of emotions filled his head, he knew that torturing or punishing this wreck of a man would do nothing but fill him with guilt and regret.

But he couldn't walk away without doing anything.

"I was once his right hand man! After the Supreme Ruler of the Aemos, the name on the tongue of all the Aemos was mine, my name! Ptuh!" Xerev spit, a blob of congealed blood flying out of his mouth and landing to one side. He seemed delirious, his head waving from side to side as he clutched the translating device tight in one hand, his other gesturing wildly at Kothar.

"I would have done anything for the Aemos, but then, all was taken from me! All becau-" Xerev continued.

"Urk." The Aemos scout's words were cut short, as blood began to bubble out of his mouth, his wheezing fading to silence. 

Kothar slipped the sword out of the broken man's throat, he felt a sense of bitterness in killing the man, but he was sure that if he had taken the time to torture or punish him, he would've been filled with a sense of hollowness. 

[You did the right thing, Kothar.] Silane said softly, as Kothar wiped his sword clean on the orange jumpsuit, slipping it back into its sheath.

[I guess that confirms it, Silane. This invasion, all the killing and turmoil going on around my home, it is my responsibility. Somehow, I led these invaders right to my home.] Kothar's head was bent down, and there was a sinking feeling in his stomach and a tightness in his throat. 

If only he had been more careful, more aware, if he had never found that damn Spatial Artifact, maybe things would be different today.

[Perhaps I would still be studying naively under that madman Krieg.] Kothar said to himself, and then shook his head. 

He turned away from the corpse laying slumped against the wall, and swept his gaze all around the room. 

Now, it was time for him to take control of the enormous ship, and make sure that none of the invaders would leave.