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In the name of the Heroes, I will be chivalrous
The words buzzed over his comms as Jace took a final look at his squadron—his brothers— through the blurry camera feed. There was no way to tell what they were thinking, none of them showed it on their faces, but he could guess it wasn't too dissimilar to how he felt. Any apprehension or fear had given way to a determined fire mirrored back at him in their eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wished he could hold them at the end. He remembered briefly what he had asked Varus when they made their decision.
"If we all become faceless, how will I find you?"
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling for the last time. Reaching up, he gripped the Harmonite pendant and held it close to his racing heart.
Four buttons were pushed simultaneously.
Jace squeezed his eyes closed and braced for the coming impact.
The light was blinding, even with his eyes shut. A sickening pull resonated deep in his chest, causing his stomach to turn. For a moment he was engulfed in silence and the shimmering gold dancing in his eyelids. It was almost beautiful, in a twisted way. Almost familiar. The world seemed to turn violently around him, as if he was spinning out in the Aether.
He jolted as his back hit a surface, and he waited. Waited for the burn, for the force, for the darkness. Whatever sensation came with dying in this manner. He waited and waited, but nothing came.
He allowed himself a breath, lowering his hands to the ground below him. He was lying on his back. As he gathered his bearings, he noticed the warm breeze that moved around him and the sand that shifted beneath his fingers. He hesitated, then opened his eyes.
The sky above him was a brilliant blue, fading into the warm hues of sunset. He raised a hand above his face, closing and opening his fingers around the air. Beside him, quiet shuffling caught his attention. He bolted upright, causing his head to spin again.
A beach. They were sitting along the shore of a beach, more beautiful than anything he'd seen on his home planet. Small waves gently coasted over the sand, underscoring everything with a gentle rhythm.
The others were scattered around him, looking similarly stunned. Renn had his face hidden in his hands, his body swaying slightly where he sat. Varus was seemingly checking himself over, disbelief written all over his face. It was Mylo that caught Jace's eye. His eyes were wide and glassy and his ears were flattened to his head.
"Wha—Jace?" was all he could muster, looking at him like he might disappear if he blinked.
Hearing his voice seemed to break Jace from his haze. He stood shakily, trying his best to make it to the others.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked, looking them over and trying to keep his voice steady.
"Is this… the Harmony?" Varus asked quietly.
"Are we dead?" Mylo was visibly shaking. He wrapped his arms around himself, eyes still glued to the others.
"I don't—I don't feel dead," Jace stated, "I don't feel dead." He repeated the sentiment like it would make more sense the second time.
There was a long pause before he barked out an incredulous laugh, which startled his squad. He laughed, crumpling in on himself until he felt tears begin to stream down his cheeks. The laughter quickly morphed into painful sobs as everything he'd felt in the last few days came crashing down on him. All the anger, the despair and the soul-crushing fear overtook him like a wave. Mylo joined him, lurching forward and falling into Jace's open arms. He wailed as Jace held him close to his chest.
Varus hovered around them, his face grim. He was clearly unsure of how to react. Renn was staring at the rest of the group, expression blank and body stiff. It felt like an eternity that they sat on the shore, trying to make sense of everything that had happened too fast. Processing the decisions they'd been forced to make and the emotions they'd had to push down. All the pain from injuries they hadn't been able to address was making itself known.
An uneasy stillness settled over the group as the exhaustion set in. Mylo was reduced to sniffling against Jace's shoulder, staring at the sand. The adrenaline was wearing off and Jace felt like he was going to pass out. Renn had laid back down and closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing. Every so often a breath would hitch in his chest before he got himself back under control. Varus, ever the protector, watched the beach and allowed the others to pick up the pieces of themselves in their own time.
"Varus?" A voice called from further up the beach, "Varus! Boys!"
They all spun to face the noise, and there she was. Qiri was sprinting across the sand toward them. She nearly tackled Varus as she reached them, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could.
"You're here!" she cried, "you made it!"
"Qiri?" Varus returned her embrace, obviously shocked, "how did you—where are we?"
"Far, far from the Empire and the Dynasty." She pulled back and looked at all of them, tears welling up in her eyes as well. "I was… afraid something might happen to you, so I gave a fail-safe in the necklaces. I just didn't know if it was enough to tether to my remaining gem tech. I didn't know if it would work."
Jace got to his feet with a considerable effort and ran over, wrapping his arms around Qiri and spinning them both. "You saved our lives!"
She laughed, balancing herself against Varus as Jace placed her back down. "Resonance with the Harmony saved your lives. I only gave you a conduit."
"We all made it," Mylo murmured, taking in his surroundings with tired eyes. "It's warm…"
"The Empire will believe us dead," Renn said suddenly.
Jace sighed, nodding as he considered the situation from an outside perspective. They had no connection back home to find out what the Empire was saying about the incident.
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing."
Jace offered Renn a hand, hauling him up off the ground. For the first time since entering their mechs, a small smile graced his face as he mulled it over.
"Maybe not."
Qiri smiled. "Let's get you settled and you can fill me in. You all look exhausted."
A bittersweet realization struck them all at once. The knights in those mechs had died that night. They stood on the beach reborn, not as soldiers, not as pawns but as something new. Free from orders and commands. Able to rest and grieve what they'd lost.
Able live the life they had fought hard for.
The five of them had finally found peace.