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Here lies TRINITY KISMET HOPELAND, soldier of the ARC. May he dine with the LORD.

Rank: 4th Principality

Squadron: Squadron 16 of the ARC Mechanized Corps

Dates of Service: 9/11/452-5/20/454

He will be remembered for EXCEPTIONAL VALOR AT THE BATTLE OF GETHSEMANE.

ARC Form 42-C, Headstone Processing Form, EID: MATT26v48-52KJV

GETHSEMANE Complex, deep interior, Corpus Christi, Texas, Axis Mundi, Earth, UCF 05/20/454, 1500 hours

Hanabi receives a transmission from her wrist commslink.
Core reactor complex found. Location information attached.
A holographic map lights up the commsline. Hanabi smiles. The People, at the threshold of victory.

Hanabi converges upon the core reactor complex at the same time as about a dozen other members of the PLAA. Already, technicians are at work on the reactor terminal, attempting to hack their way through the safeguards, hoping to locate a way to disable the machine gracefully.
“Ka Hanabi! It’s good to see you alive and well!”
Ka Zhengming is here, smiling and waving at Hanabi. Ka Zhengming is bloodied, mildly bandaged, but altogether healthy. Hanabi is flooded with affection.
“Ka Zhengming! How are you? Your wounds, are they…?”
“Nothing more than a few cuts and bruises. I will be fine. You fought like a true warrior! Disabling that other mechanized armor saved hundreds of lives. You have shown true commitment.”
“Thank you, Ka Zhengming.”
“Ka Zhengming!” One of the technicians calls out to the officer. They look concerned. Ka Zhengming walks over to the technician.
The two of them confer for a moment, before Ka Zhengming makes a grim face.
“I see. So it must be again.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Hanabi asks Ka Zhengming, concerned.
“Ka Jiě Fāng here has offered us the options we have to proceed. All of them are costly.”
“The first is to destroy the facility with charges. Ka Jiě Fāng says this will have a 95% chance of failure, which would result in the reactor going critical, and releasing doloric radiation across the Gulf.”
“The second option is to continue attempting to break through the reactor’s central defenses. This will be safe, but it will take time. Hours, to days. We do not have hours to days. The enemy will undoubtedly send reinforcements soon. This is not ideal.”
“The third option is that a volunteer must offer themselves to the reactor. That a sufficient blowback would create a feedback loop which would cause the reactor to consume itself. This is the safest and fastest option. It has a 12% chance of failure. It would take minutes, at most. It would also cost us one of our own.”
Ka Zhengming looks sadly at Hanabi. “It also requires that the volunteer be trained in esoalg synchronization. If we had an ARC soldier alive with us, it would be possible for us to use him. As of right now…”
The reality of what Ka Zhengming says hits her. Her dreams of a long life, among the People, spending her days with Venus and Ka Zhengming. Playing ball with the children of Yan’an. Laying flowers at a grave for her mother, for Ka Kailani, for Trinity. Watching the clouds overhead with Venus. All of these futures, gone. She grieves them, for a moment. Apologizes to the future selves she could have been. Reaches out, hoping that Venus can hear her thoughts. I’m sorry. I won’t be able to see you again after all.
“I am the only one here capable of interfacing with esotech. I understand.”
“Ka Hanabi, we will not force you to do this. Perhaps we can find an alternative. It is still possible.”
Ka Zhengming looks at Ka Hanabi with genuine love and pain in their eyes. Ka Zhengming does not want to lose another friend today. Ka Hanabi smiles gently. She offers a hand to Ka Zhengming. The officer shakes it firmly.
“Ka Hanabi. It has been an honor to be your friend.”
“Ka Zhengming. Thank you for taking me in. Thank you… Thank you for giving me a home among the People.”
The dozen or so comrades around Ka Hanabi each approach her, offer her a hand or a hug. Thank her in their respective native tongue.
Ka Hanabi faces the reactor core. Curling wisps of violet energy dance across its mass.
Ka Hanabi turns to face her comrades one final time. No tears from her eyes. She grins at them, and salutes her comrades.
“Save me a cigarette, when it’s all over.”
Hanabi opens the lock to the reactor core.
She walks in.