Book 5- Chapter XXXIV
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The moment she stepped off the bridge, Morrigan had sealed herself in her quarters the entire trip back to the Void Star. Not even Nora and Mo’Emori were allowed in, seeing as she used her Inquisitorial override to lock the door. Despite protests, Sister also refused to hack the door since Morrigan’s vitals were relatively normal.

Nora had tried Taylor’s trick in convincing the A.I. to let her in for the sake of Morrigan’s mental health, however Sister informed everyone periodically that Morrigan did nothing but sit on the mauled remains of her sofa that hadn’t been replaced since Skoll had destroyed it.

That is what Morrigan had done for days, sit and stare blankly at the coffee table, her mind as blank as her emotions. She never heard the various fists that had pounded on her door, nor the high-pitched whines that came from Skoll. She just sat unmoving; if it wasn’t for the faint rhythmic beat of her heart, she would have thought she died.

However, the moment the Archangel docked with the Void Star, everything came crashing down her. Her heart thundered in her chest as she blinked, taking in the room she sat in for the first time since entering. Everything she had gone through, everything she had done, the monumental weight of the countless deaths bore down on her shoulders, and she realized she didn't want to be there.

“Mori, are you alright? Your blood pressure and heart rate have risen significantly,” Sister asked.

Morrigan breathed rapidly as she looked wildly around the room. She had read that there was a personal escape pod attached to her room and she needed to find it.

“Pod, escape pod, where the hell is it?” she demanded as she tossed an end table across the room.

Sister took a moment to consider informing Morrigan of the escape pod’s location. Morrigan’s entire shift in vitals was unlike her; well, not unlike her but Sister could not determine any external stimuli that may have caused it. On the other hand, despite part of the ship being covered by the Void Star’s artificial atmosphere, if she were to use the escape pod, she would land safely within the central courtyard of Sector Alpha in the station.

“The escape pod is in the corner of the room, hidden behind the faux air vent,” Sister informed her.

Morrigan followed the system’s instructions and tore the vent from the wall in a rush to reveal a small hatch with a hand scanner on it. She slammed her palm on the scanner and waited for it to beep, unlocking and flipping open with a pneumatic hiss.

In a fit of hyperventilation, Morrigan crawled into the cramped escape pod before realizing she had crawled into it the wrong direction. Frustrated, she glanced around to find the emergency lever that activated the pod next to her foot.

She growled and kicked at it only to realize it was a pull lever. With a sudden surge of power, she slammed the toe of her boot into the metal beside the lever and winced in pain as the metal toe of her boot crumpled and bit into her foot as it dented the wall. Her crumpled boot caught the handle and she wretched it back.

The shift in momentum caught her off guard but not as much as the sensation of falling. The escape pod launched from the Archangel and sailed over the dockside buildings and vehicles helping unload her ship before crashing down hard. Morrigan was jostled around painfully in the pod as it slid to a stop.

She succumbed to her panic and anger as she heard people begin to gather in confusion outside the pod. In a burst of large shrapnel that crashed to the ground nearby, the pod tore apart with a metallic shriek revealing Morrigan’s crimson wings cascaded around her.

She looked at her surroundings with wide eyes as people stared in fear before recognition of their Lord Inquisitor stood in the center of the small crowd.

“No, no, no,” she growled to herself, the last place she wanted to be was surrounded by those who would paint her to be the monster she was. She had to escape, to find solitude; she needed silence.

Her gaze fell towards the Cathedral remembering that she had a private office within its walls; she just needed to get there. Quickly summoning energy, she soared into the sky like a nightmarish bat from hell and arced toward the centralized base of the Inquisition.

The pain began to set in. Not physical pain, but the pain of realization, of loss; her entire career as an Inquisitor had been filled with death, death caused by her own hands. It made her reality difficult to cope with as she did her best to ignore the devastation around her.

Streets were war torn and buildings were partially collapsed. Whatever had happened on the Void Star had degraded into full blown urban warfare and the survivors, wounded or not, spent their time picking up the pieces; and it was all her fault.

Morrigan rocketed towards the open doors of the Cathedral, slamming into the edge of one of the doors and causing it to crash into the wall before its giant hinges cracked and came loose, causing the door to fall with a thunderous boom.

Solomon and those operators who attempted to salvage their system and reestablish the network across the Inquisition looked surprised to spy a crimson rocket flying overhead.

Morrigan saw Solomon look up from the massive terminal that took up the center of the dais. Fear gripped her spine at the sight of the older man as a new reality dawned on her. She had to get away, she couldn’t be near him and turned her gaze towards the statue that hid the secret hallway to her office.

Avoiding the need to stop,  she summoned her crimson claws and launched them forward. The ornate stone sculpture shattered in a spray of rock and Morrigan’s crimson form slipped into the tunnel.

Solomon stared at the hole the statue once covered with raised eyebrows as everyone in the room panicked. Others may not have noticed, or even remembered Morrigan’s power but he couldn’t deny it was her and as much as he wanted to follow her in and find out what that was about, he had more pressing matters to get sorted before he could divert his attention. No matter how curious he was, the Inquisition came first, and he suspected finding out the details of the war would be a big help when it came to confronting Morrigan.

Morrigan threw the door open and slammed it closed before clutching her head. Her stress had reached an all new high and it threatened to bury her under its weight. Her gaze set on the first thing in the room, the  ornate, solid wood office desk that sat in the middle of the room that she could have used to document investigations. Instead, in a torrent of emotions, her claws tore into the front of it before hurling into the far wall with a thunderous crash that resonated within the small enclosed room.

She screamed… and screamed some more until that scream of rage bled into a cry of desperation. Solomon would have her arrested, she had condemned an entire planet to death on the off chance it would end the war. It had been nothing but a poorly educated guess and the fact that it worked wouldn’t change the fact that she had committed genocide; a capital crime in the eyes of the Inquisition.

She couldn’t run either, she would be hunted for the rest of her life if she tried just like the rogue inquisitor of the past. She sealed her own fate and soon she would end up public enemy number one; she would be the monster, the tyrant, the world-ender… and she would find herself back to square one, back in prison.

She leaned against the wall and sank down into she hit the ground, her face buried in her hands as she looked her knees up.

“What did I do?” she began to cry and the tears of her despair and pain began to unleash.

◇◇◇

Several hours had passed and most of those hours she had spent bawling her eyes out. She couldn't anymore though, she was just so damned tired so instead, she sat against the wall and stared at the crumpled toe of her boot that still dug into her foot. She welcomed the pain if she were being honest. The pain helped her stay awake, and was the smallest of penance for her crimes.

She could hear the crunch of small stones under foot before there was a knock on the door.

“Can I come in?” A voice asked, though she knew it was Solomon.

“Yeah,” she called out despondently.

The door creaked, slightly crooked from when she slammed it closed but to Solomon’s surprise, it still worked. Having spent the last few hours receiving reports from not only Shepard, as well as the other Inquisitors, but also the Eskarii fleet commander, Saerah. Once he had a full picture of what had transpired, he found that it had been time to confront Morrigan.

Her head sank into her knees as he stepped into the room. His gaze focused on her for a moment before realizing the redecorating she had done as he saw the cables that fed the desk’s power strewn across the floor along with several large splinters of wood that belonged to the mostly intact desk that was now laying against the far wall.

He sighed in disappointment, “That's a shame, they're not cheap,” he commented handedly before looking over Morrigan's curled form.

He didn't say anything else though but instead, waited for her to say something. He didn't need to wait long as the suspense ate away at her nerves. She locked her fingers together haphazardly and pulled them taut and asked in a deadened tone, “Are you here to arrest me?”

Solomon didn't answer right away but instead he looked to a painting that hung on the left wall. It depicted a vibrant prairie on one of the Eskarii worlds, its multi-hues of warm colors blending into a thing of beauty. It had belonged to the rogue inquisitor, but he hadn't removed it when he promoted Morrigan to the rank of Inquisitor since she loved the Eskarii so much.

“Now, why would I do that?” he mused, causing her to look up at him in confusion.

She noticed the painting for first time, curious as to why she hadn’t noticed it before she considered the fact that she never really had the chance to use her office since her promotion.

There was a plaque on the frame which read “Meadows of Calador, Agri-world of the Eskarii Empire” and her heart dropped at the realization that she would never be able to see the Eskarii world in the picture, or any of their worlds again.

Her voice broke as tears threatened to spill once more, her face bearing the flaking trails of dried blood she had already cried, “Because… I put my home world to the torch. I committed genocide… and destroyed Earth.”

Solomon had known about the fate of Earth, it had been in every report he received but there had been so much more than simply an accusation that the young Lord Inquisitor had committed an atrocity.

He looked to her, and could see the dark red liquid welling up in her eyes as she held her bottom lip in her mouth. He sighed, knowing just how pained the girl was. He found her chair that had sat behind the desk and righted it, surprised that it had still been in one piece and sat down near her.

“You did,” he stated factually causing her to wince,  “But, you did so much more than that.”

She refused to look at him but, though he had never experienced the position she found herself in he could still see just how guilty she felt, as she should.

“You feel guilty, and it weighs heavily on you,” he pointed out, which had been enough to make her head snap towards him.

“Of course it does!” she said pointedly before inhaling sharply, “I didn’t want this, they should’ve surrendered when I killed him… but they didn’t, they forced my hand,” she stated in a pleading tone.

Solomon nodded, “I know.” He leaned back, his body and mind exhausted from the events caused by the Federation and knew she had to be even more exhausted.

“You did so much more than that though, Mori,” he added drawing her attention, “You gave them every ample opportunity to do the right thing and they refused. Every report I read highlights every exploit of yours, not just the battle of Earth…” He paused, letting her absorb the implications he gave her. “You have done wondrous things, Morrigan. You gathered your allies, assembled a fleet, and came up with plans and contingencies to put an end to this war.”

He watched as she shook her head in disbelief and he raised his hand to abstain her from sinking into her thoughts, “There is an old saying, “the lives of the many outweigh the few”, and there is a universal truth to that saying. Your heart, even before joining the Inquisition, had been set on the many… I can’t say what you did was the only option, but it was your final option. You tried, Mori, and according to Shepard’s report you shouldered it in its entirety. Everyone knew your plan and you’ve taken the full weight of it upon your shoulders, and it’s crushing you.”

Morrigan sucked in her lower lip and looked away, nodding painfully.

A soft smile formed on Solomon’s face. The Inquisition was the ultimate code of justice, and as unethical as it may have seemed, what she had done was technically within her rights as an Inquisitor. Not because the Inquisition had the right to destroy planets, but he had received a special report from her retinue detailing the reasons why she had the weapon built. Despite it all, Earth had been a Federation planet, the capital and base for all of its misdeeds. In war, it’s hard to focus on the individual when the outcome serves so much more.

There had been something else, something she seemed to have no concept of outside the walls of her office, or even the walls within herself; but it had been something else that occupied Solomon’s time and he believed that she needed to understand what exactly her actions have wrought.

“Come with me,” he said as he stood, putting his hand in his jacket and retrieving a piece of cloth.

She looked up in horror only to see that he held the cloth to her. He chuckled, “But you may want to clean up a bit…” he paused noticing the crumbled toe of her boot and winced at the thought of the pain that had to cause, “And there should be new boots somewhere around here,” he commented looking around the room.

She reached up and took the cloth with the faintest hint of a smile and watched him search for another pair of boots while she rubbed the dried blood off her face.

Instead, what he found were her old shoes and grunted as he reached under the toppled desk to retrieve them.

“These will have to do,” he said with a tired grunt before showing her what he had found. The notion actually made her giggle lightly as he held out the white sneakers she had acquired after arriving on the Void Star for the first time.

“Wow, I haven't seen those in forever…” she commented lightly before taking them from him and sitting on the chair. Solomon and Morrigan both grimaced when she pried her ruined boot off with a wet sucking sound. The sock stayed in the boot revealing a massive gouge across the top of her foot, several of the bones of her foot having cracked and splintered by the impact and made an audible popping sound as he energy began to heal her wound at a rapid pace.

She sighed in relief once her foot finished healing before she slipped the shoe on, the fresh blood smearing on the inside.

She looked up to see Solomon’s paled face and smirked. “I know, it's unusual to watch,” she commented in amusement. The comical relief the situation gave was something she needed as she felt the weight of her soul lighten.

She followed Solomon to the door and together they made their way towards the center of the Cathedral. Beyond the threshold that used to be the secret door, she could hear a cacophony of chatter as if there were a stadium of people crammed inside as well as the sound of scattered raucous laughter.

Her brow furrowed as she slowed. “What’s that?” she asked, her worry creeping into her voice as her anxiety began to rise. Her negative thoughts resurfaced at the prospect of seeing people; they would demonize her, and demand her head for what she had done, she had barely gotten comfortable being near Solomon despite being the one capable of throwing her in chains.

Solomon smiled though as he stopped before the threshold and looked at her, attempting to disarm her defensiveness with his genuine calmness.

“I think… it’s best if you saw for yourself,” he said.

Morrigan shook her head and backed up a step only to stop as her senses expanded to feel the crashing wave of jubilation coming from the main hall. She froze as she absorbed the emotions, scrunching her face in utter loss as her vision focused to see Solomon holding out his hand.

“Bear witness to the fruit of your labor, Mori. It’s okay, I promise,” he said sincerely and lifted his hand slightly in gesture.

Deep down she knew he had been telling the truth, that he of all people would never purposely put her in harms way or lie to her for that matter; but her nerves screamed for her to run away at the idea that she would find a mob waiting outside prepared to lynch her for her crimes.

Tentatively, she reached out taking a step forward and gently slid her fingers into the palm of his hand. Brief static of energy exchanged between their hands as her anxiety tried to defend her yet he didn’t flinch. Instead, his hand gently curled around her fingers and with the slightest of pressure, he ushered her towards him. If he felt any pain from her bodies defenses, he never showed it.

Each step she took, he mimicked slowly pulling her closer to the entrance until the blinding light of a star shed beams through the vaulted ceilings window panes.

She raised her free hand to protect her eyes until her eyes focused to see a massive crowd of people that filled the lower section of the Cathedral, stunning her to a standstill.

“What is this?” she mumbled as she realized it wasn’t just a crowd of people, but it was four columns; the Marmuro’k filling the left section of the great hall followed by the pirate clans, then the Inquisition and finally, the Eskarii which took up the right side of the hall.

She watched as everyone came together as one, whether they talked, laughed or embraced in comradery, they had all been getting along.

“This…” Solomon began as he stood next to her, “This is unity. Something that you created…” he paused as he looked at the shocked look on her face, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. He smiled, “Each and everyone of them are here because of you, Mori. Whether it’s because you saved them, or they believed in you, they all have come together with a common purpose and now, they can finally breathe their freedoms and share the happiness that brings with each other.”

Morrigan stood stock still, her eyes wide as her heart refused to process what his words meant. She had never seen, or heard of anything like what she saw, unless she included the pirate clans who got along with anyone that didn’t threaten their freedom.

He chuckled in amusement and nudged her with his elbow, “Come on, let’s not keep the masses waiting,” he said with a smile pulling her from her stupor but her face was still an expression of being startled.

“What?” she inhaled sharply only to let out a ragged breath.

Solomon stepped forward hoping to entice her to follow, “They’re here for you, Ms. Clarke, we all are.”

A wave of uncertainty coursed through her but seeing how at ease the crowd was, she couldn’t deny that it was likely okay. “Um… okay,” she said tentatively as she took a cautious step forward.

Her eyes widened in surprise as her vision crested the horizon of the dais. Everyone she held dear to her heart were at the front of the crowd. Lakai, Xitzocland the rest of the chieftains stood at the fore of the Marmuro’k, Lakai’s lumbering size that towered over everyone, only having been hidden by Solomon’s massive supercomputer in the center, spoke quietly though she could pick up the low bass of his voice. Nora laughed wildly, and spoke with exuberance as she held onto Yekku gesturing to the exceedingly social S’randin who enjoyed the company of the pirates around him. The rest of the Inquisitors huddled together chatting with themselves as Inquisition personnel mingled with the other factions, their happiness showing with bright smiles despite their obvious exhaustion, and to their right, was Queen Myshkali, Mo’Emori, and Saerah, who had an arm strapped to her chest with a tight sling, mingled with Inquisition personnel.

She continued to stare across the crowd in utter surprise, but more so, with pulsating joy to finally see all of her friends and loved ones all in one place getting along, enjoying the hard fought peace they had earned.

Someone’s throat cleared, the sound echoing around the Cathedral as if spoken into a microphone. Morrigan’s gaze shifted from one side to the other to I identify the source of the sound only to see Shepard, her Admiral, standing off to the left of the dais with Skoll laying down next to her panting his heart out. His restraint spoke volumes as she noticed he radiated as much excitement as there was happiness flowing through the room, yet he lay there like a good boy before he glanced at the older woman.

To see Shepard off the Archangel was surprising, since as far as Morrigan had known, she had never set foot off the ship ever since becoming its captain.

“Marmuro’k, representatives of humanity, and the Eskarii…” she said before glancing at Morrigan’s stunned form with a smile, “I present to you, Lord Inquisitor Morrigan Clarke, your hero of the Federation War.”

The crowd's attention shifted to Morrigan, all going silent for the briefest of moments before Nora cheered, “There’s my baby!” The crowd erupted into a deafening cheer, Lakai and Skoll’s own voices nearly drowning out the crowd’s collective voice.

One thing stuck out that boggles Morrigan as she turned, “I thought you’re the Lord Inquisitor?” she asked barely loud enough to be heard by him even though he was merely a foot and a half away.

The older man laughed heartily and shook his head, “No, child. I think it’s time someone younger took that position,” he told her pointedly with a wide smile before holding his hand out.

She looked down at his palm to see an ear piece resting in it and looked up at him with confusion as the crowd’s cheers began to wane.

“You shouldn’t keep your people waiting,” he said in amusement as he gestured the ear piece closer.

Morrigan looked at the crowd as it began to calm down before looking at the earpiece. They wanted her to speak, or he wanted her too; she wasn’t sure but she hated public speaking. But she was in the spotlight now and despite her nerves beginning to rise, she knew she couldn’t run.

Nervously, she took the ear piece and inserted it into her ear and moved front and center of the dais. She could feel herself pale as the crowd stared at her and went silent. In that silence though, she heard the device beep in her ear telling her it connected to whatever sound system the Cathedral had.

“Hi… Um, for those who don’t know… I’m Morrigan Clarke,” she stuttered out, instantly regretting every word that came out of her.

The crowd cheered once more, drowning out her sharp breath that would’ve echoed throughout the hall if they hadn’t.

As the cheers died down once again, Nora’s voice called out, “The next person to interrupt her is getting my boot up their ass!” Soft laughter sprinkled through the crowd as Nora turned to Morrigan and gave her a massive grin with two thumbs up.

Morrigan couldn’t help but smile, at the same time though, she fought the urge to cry as the spotlight ate away at her courage. She glanced to Solomon who inclined his head indicating for her to continue, and then to Shepard, who gave her an encouraging nod and smile, the older woman’s expression being nothing but pride in her.

Morrigan let out a sigh that resonated throughout the room as she collected herself, peering down at her blood encrusted uniform and bright white sneakers that stood out like a sore thumb. A chuckle slipped from her lips and it too echoed around the room.

“Ever since I was a little girl…” she started, looking up at the crowd, “I had always dreamed about becoming friends with the Eskarii people. I had been in love with their culture and I always wished to see their world of Gelia with my own eyes…” she paused, and saw the hurt looks that spread across the Eskarii people, a fresh wound that she felt as well, “But the Federation had taken away that dream… but losing one dream… it wasn’t the end. I made my first friend of Eskarii descent as I struggled to survive in the Federation nation, Mo’Emori,” she said watching as Mo’Emori’s eyes shone brightly as she grinned.

Morrigan smiled back, “My beautiful fiancé, and her brother, Torvil, had opened their arms and let me achieve my childhood dream of open friendship with their people.”

She looked back at the crowd and saw many were chomping at the bit to cheer for her once more, but she smiled a little wider as Nora’s threat seemed to work.

“But during the darkest moment in my life, the torturous servitude I had been forced to suffer by the hands of the Federation, also opened up a new possibility. Xol, previously the strongest warrior of Clan Tau…” She paused and searched for Xol. The crowd of chieftains parted to allow the white Kêzi’kân step forward and he nodded respectfully as he crossed his arms in pride. She smiled and continued, “Xol became Xol-Clarke of Clan Clarke, and my ever vigilant protector, and Yekku-Clarke, my adorable S’randin.” Yekku covered his face with his long claws in embarrassment which made her chuckle under her breath before he peered through his fingers and let out a croaking sound.

“With their help, they gave me the chance to prove myself to the Marmuro’k, a proud and noble species… tribal in nature but sophisticated in their beliefs and technological advances.” Morrigan stopped and smiled at them all, catching Xitzocl’s glance as the female Kêzi’kân gave her an appreciative nod.

With rising gusto, Morrigan continued her ill-prepared speech. “I never got to learn about the Marmuro’k, no one did, except for what the Federation wanted us to know. But these two had given me the chance to learn, and I found out just how truly amazing the Marmuro’k truly were and given the chance to prove myself… they accepted me as one of their own.”

Morrigan could feel tears begin to well up but she fought the emotions that threatened her. “There I met my beloved companion Skoll,” she gestured to the creature who sat up on his haunches and greened, “A majestic creature of legend… and the goodest of boys.”

Skoll panted happily at the praise which only made her emotions strike back harder, many of the crowd awing and giggling at the charismatic creature.

Morrigan turned to the crowd and looked down, “At the same time, that brings me to Nora, princess of the pirates…” Morrigan was interrupted by the rowdy cheers. Nora sighed exasperatedly, shaking her head and shrugging, her clans openly disobeying her to praise both their princess as well as their queen, before giving Morrigan a wide grin and winking at her.

The Morrigan spoke over them which calmed them down, “She had been the love I found in the deepest, darkest depths… she was my guiding star, and not only had she pulled me out of the worst I had ever been, but she introduced me to a new way a life, a proud, free people who may have been feared across the galaxy, but turned out to be surprisingly wonderful and wholesome.”

Morrigan watched as embarrassment spread across the pirates like a plague, many of them blushing and fidgeting nervously as she had turned the table on them all.

She smiled, feeling her nerves calm before turning to Solomon and gesturing to him, “And finally, Solomon… the previous Lord Inquisitor I guess…” The man chuckled at that and took a step into the spotlight with her with his hands held behind his back, as if accepting an award though in reality she knew he did it to share in the burden with her. It was the least he could do.

“Without him, and without the Inquisition,” she said, turning slightly to address the crowd and gesture to that column of the Inquisition. “Without his belief in me, and the support of the Inquisition and my fellow Inquisitors, none of this would have been possible for me…” she turned and took in the full scope of the crowd before her.

“They gave me the tools, and the freedom necessary to meet every single one of you here. Without them, I would be rotting in the deepest pit of a mining colony right now… they gave me the opportunity to chase my dreams and make a connection with each faction standing in this room right now…” Morrigan paused, letting her words sink in with those who watched her. At the same time, she knew she had been rambling.

“I’m sorry, I’m terrible with speeches.” Her comment caused scattered chuckles throughout her peers  before she continued, “What I’m saying is… the Federation was a virus, one that ate away at our homes, one that for the most part, hunted me…” her tone becoming solemn.

Guilt began to creep back in, “If it wasn’t for me, the Federation War may not have… it may have been slower. But I was the spark, and because of you all I had a reason to fight.” Her tone picked back up as pride in those who followed her into battle began to rise. “After meeting you all; the Marmuro’k, the Eskarii, the pirates and the Inquisition, I had a new dream, one of unity between our species. You too shared my beliefs, and shared my dream and together we achieved what should have been an impossibility. We defeated the Federation!”

The crowd erupted once again but this time, it was in both pride and celebration. Despite the odds, they had prevailed.

Morrigan raised her hand to calm them down, “But we can’t stop there. We must honor those who have fallen, our brothers and sisters who fought beside us and gave their lives for our dreams of peace! For those who were sac…” she choked on the word for a moment, forcing down the guilt that rose up in her throat, “Those who were sacrificed… if not for them, we would know no peace.” The crowd remained silent as her sudden shift in tone sank in.

“It was my plan… those allies who followed me into battle… my finger that pulled the trigger and put my own home world to the torch…” Her words were filled with a certain kind of sadness born from regret. “We can’t forget them. We must do better, and continue to strive and work together to build a better future that nothing but their memory will be a part of. Together, we can give ourselves lasting peace, all three of our species… we must honor their sacrifice.”

Morrigan struggled against the despair that grew in her heart as she watched the emotional, contemplative expressions form across the crowd.

It had gone silent for several long moments before Lakai’s heavy footsteps echoed throughout the great hall, his staff punctuating his movement with a sharp crack on the stone floor.

Va Marmuro’k çokçûn danin Mirina Sor!” Lakai bellowed, addressing her though his voice addressed those around him. Morrigan knew what it meant; the Marmuro’k kneel before Red Death.

As true as his words, Lakai had been the first to kneel, his tree trunk thick knee touching down hard and bowing his head in reverence. Morrigan’s eyes widened as she watched the Marmuro’k take a moment to look at one another before Xol kneeled, then Xitzocl and then the rest of the Marmuro’k chieftains and their clans.

Before she could question it, she heard a mass of shuffling, turning to see all of the Eskarii had knelt, including Queen Myshkali. Myshkali looked up at her and gave her a soft knowing smile and called out, “Cennall gyd Morrigan, Y Di’wedd ta yr Federation!”

All hail Morrigan, The End of the Federation, is what the queen had said.

Panic began to settle in as she heard the entirety of the Inquisition honor her with a salute with a fist over their hearts before kneeling.

“Wha…” she said, hearing herself over the speakers. “What the hell is going on? Why are they doing this?” she asked herself in shock and confusion.

The pirate clans, the last people she ever expected to show any signs of mutual honor, began to kneel. She looked down to see Nora already down on one knee, grinning up at her as her icy blue eyes shimmered with excitement.

Apollyon chuckled in her mind, the deity ever present, but silent until then. Don’t you remember what I told you? This is what your revolution has brought you, through fear and respect; it’s time to take hold of your dream at long last and turn it into a reality.

Morrigan's eyes shimmered as everyone in the room, including Solomon, bowed their head in fealty and she finally realized what it meant; they submitted to her will.

Loyalty.”

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