Present Time
Raw energy from the frozen beams poured through Rachel's soul. Her inner world churned, transforming the unrefined power into something Kori's body could accept before flooding it into her.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
Kori's eyes flew open. Power surged through every nerve, every fiber of her being. Veins lit up beneath her skin in brilliant patterns that grew brighter as the energy spread—seeping into her cells, awakening something dormant, pushing her beyond limits she never knew existed.
"Ra—ven, wh—at is this?" Her voice shook as orange light erupted from her skin in rhythmic waves. To everyone watching below, she looked like a newborn star burning brighter with each heartbeat, pushing back the darkness that had swallowed the sky.
"Power," Rachel said steadily, despite the mounting strain. Her inner realm churned—filtering and converting massive amounts of raw energy while funneling contaminants into a pocket dimension. At the same time, she sustained her 'Forever's Echo' spell, channeling Ki to slow its decay and manipulate the Primordial laws of space and time.
"The kind you'll need to end this in one strike." Rachel kept her focus locked. "Star—no, Kori… I could've destroyed those ships whenever I wanted. But when you chose to face your sister, everything changed. Right now, we have a real chance to strike a devastating blow and drive the Citadel off your world. But it has to be you, Kori. Not me. Not any of us. This system needs a legend—someone from here who stands and fights back. Seeing you deliver that final blow will mean everything to your people in a way none of us ever could. Today, I'm going to help you become that legend—the light that pierces through the darkness. But you have to hold on. Don't let it consume you—control it."
Kori's body trembled as raw energy flooded through her. Every nerve blazed. Every muscle screamed as her dormant potential awakened. Yet despite the overwhelming power, she never felt lost. Her determination—to protect her homeworld, to not fail those who believed in her—anchored her through the pain.
As her transformation deepened, she felt something else. A subtle presence, barely perceptible through the agony. The more her body adapted, the clearer it became. Woven through the rushing torrent was Rachel's steady Ki, guiding her transformation like a gentle current. It had been there all along, keeping her from being torn apart. The realization strengthened her resolve—she couldn't let her friend down, not after everything Rachel was doing for her.
"I… I feel it," Kori whispered, her voice steadying. "Don't stop, Raven. I can handle this." She paused, gritting her teeth as another surge tore through her. "No—I WILL handle this."
Rachel nodded and pushed through. By the time she'd converted about 90% of the energy, sweat beaded on her forehead and her left hand trembled. Beneath her hood, her jaw tightened.
'Damn it.' Pain shot through her hands and up her arms. 'Mother Empress was right—I underestimated the strain. My body's hitting its limit.'
As her mind raced, searching for a solution, a tempting thought flickered through her mind. 'Should I just stop this and end the battle myself?'
But she dismissed it instantly. 'No. The Vega system doesn't need an outsider saving them—they need one of their own to rise up. Star has to be that symbol.' Another wave of pain lanced through her arms, making her stifle a groan. 'Besides, stopping now isn't an option. The backlash would cripple us both… There has to be another way!'
Then, in the midst of her struggle, her father's face flashed through her mind.
'Right! What would Dad say right now?'
Even through the pain, she closed her eyes and took a slow, steadying breath. She focused her mind, recalling all her lessons from her father. In those few moments, a memory surfaced—the day they first met, when he'd taught her something that changed everything she thought she knew about the nature of power itself.
Flashback
"NO! Never! I won't use that power! It's evil. If I use it, I'll turn into a demon!"
"How can any power be evil, Rachel? Your understanding seems flawed. While there are different types of power, none are inherently evil. In reality, all types of power originate from the same source. It's not the power or laws that are evil, but the misuse of them by people. However, it's indeed possible to be overwhelmed by the laws, which can lead to changes in them. Therefore, a cultivator must prepare adequately before advancing through the various stages of their journey."
Rachel listened, confused. It contradicted everything her mentors had taught her. Yet her empathic abilities confirmed he wasn't lying.
"Let's try this. Since you carry his blood, you can tap into the same power source. You may not be able to control the full power release, but for our experiment, release a small amount and fire a blast at me."
"What if you get hurt?"
Orach responded with a bitter smile, "If I let that weak level of power hurt me, I wouldn't be able to call myself a Saiyan warrior."
Rachel took a deep breath, choosing to trust him. She loosened the seal on her demonic power. As the energy released, her hand turned red, her nails grew longer. "Orach! Here. Take it!" She fired the energy shot.
Orach merely smiled, raising a single finger. The demonic energy stopped at his fingertip, hovering submissively.
"Rachel, the power you fear and try to suppress is insignificant to me. Whether it's an attack from you, a young girl, or from your father, the source of your bloodline, the outcome would remain the same. Observe."
A ball of his Ki materialized beside her demonic energy. "This energy ball matches yours in power. However, see how they interact."
Rachel watched as her energy ball shrank in the presence of his.
"I assert that I am more powerful than your father, not just because I have more power, but because the quality of my power surpasses anything your father could ever hope to achieve."
Upon understanding this, Rachel felt moved, and her hope in Orach grew stronger.
"But that's not all. Look." Orach revealed something that made her question her teachings.
Her demonic energy morphed from fiery red to a soothing, warm energy, mirroring his Ki. He released both balls outside, and where they landed, grass and flowers bloomed.
"Every type of power or law leads back to the same source. There's no evil or good power. There are just different types of power. It's the individual wielding the power that can be classified as evil or good, depending on the situation. Remember, Rachel, good and evil are relative to the situation."
End of Flashback
Rachel's eyes snapped open. By now, her body screamed in protest, but a wry smile tugged at her lips beneath her hood.
'That's right. Even after coming so far, why am I still being stupid about this?'
Just then, Mother Empress's urgent warning cut through her thoughts. "Princess, your vitals are spiking. Your body can't sustain this much longer. Unless you release your full power, I'm pulling you out—"
"No," Rachel cut in. "I've got this. Just… give me a second."
Mother Empress fell silent. But after a moment, she spoke again, her tone grave as she monitored the fluctuating readings from Rachel's battle suit. "I trust you, Princess. But you only have moments before I pull you out."
"I know," Rachel whispered. "Thank you."
She closed her eyes and steadied herself through the pain.
'No power is evil.'
Lub-dub.
Lub-dub… lub-dub.
Lub-dub… lub-dub… lub-dub…
Heat surged through her veins as she activated her bloodline, her heart pounding in her chest. Her transformation began instantly. Muscles rippled and expanded beneath her skin as crimson color spread across her flesh. Her fingernails lengthened into claws. A pair of horns broke through her forehead, and beneath her hood, four eyes snapped open—all gleaming with demonic light. Her dark Ki flared outward, now tinged with murky crimson.
Ever since reaching the High Integration Realm in her cultivation, she'd believed she wouldn't need to use her bloodline unless absolutely necessary—and for the most part, she never had.
She'd enjoyed that new normal. But she understood now that her reluctance had been the last ember of defiance against her biological father, the demon Trigon—the source of this bloodline she'd always despised. In this moment, having underestimated the strain of handling such contaminated power, she didn't hesitate.
The effect was immediate. Power flooded through her, and suddenly the strain vanished. Her body stabilized, finally strong enough to handle the massive influx of contaminated energy. Rachel took a steadying breath and continued the conversion, channeling the purified stream into Kori with renewed control.
In her cyberspace, Mother Empress sat upon her throne, monitoring Rachel's vitals. When they stabilized, a proud smile crossed her face.
"She figured it out." Mother Empress spoke softly, resting her head on one hand while her fingers tapped the opposite armrest. Her smile turned wistful. "Young Master, I'll send you my logs later—but I wish you were here to see this. Our Princess just conquered one of her deepest demons. You'd be so proud."
She glanced at a display floating beside her, showing Diana's proud expression as she watched the battlefield from her quarters aboard the Javelin through her. Mother Empress could already imagine her young master wearing that same look when he reviewed the logs. Then her attention then shifted to the data she'd acquired from the Psions and her eyes narrowed.
"We should wrap this up quickly," she muttered. "Something tells me we'll need to visit the Psionic Hegemony homeworld soon. I need to confirm my suspicions before I contact the young master."
Below, the Titans stared upward in shock.
"Uh, is it just me," Virgil said, shielding his eyes from the radiance, "or is Starfire about to go supernova?"
"It's seriously bright!" Donna complained.
"What is Raven doing?" Kara muttered, her expression shifting from confused to pensive. Her enhanced eyesight cut through the blinding light, revealing the changes in both her friends. 'She actually used her bloodline? Rach…'
Barbara tapped her helmet, activating a special visor layer that turned red as it filtered the intense glare. "Damn, that light is insane. I can barely see them now. Supergirl, what are you seeing?"
"Rachel is… doing something crazy," Kara answered, diverting her eyes as the light became too much even for her. "She's channeling the energy from those dreadnought beams and transferring it to Starfire!"
"WHAT?" The others recoiled in shock at what Rachel was attempting.
"That's insane," muttered the injured Gar. "Even for her."
"Is she crazy?" Jaime blurted out as his HUD showed the the energy levels readings. "Those beams are packing nearly 865 pentajoules—that's the equivalent of 200 megatons of TNT! We're talking multiple thermonuclear warheads here, enough to wipe out a continent!"
A chilling chuckle cut through their alarm. The group turned to find Komand'r watching them, her expression cold. The dark sorceress's actions had initially filled her with dread, but hearing the Titans' panicked mutterings restored her confidence. As her thoughts settled, she sneered, understanding the impossibility of what they were attempting.
"Even after your loss, you dare laugh, Empress?" Barbara asked, her eyes narrowing.
"How can I not laugh when your friend is attempting the impossible?" Komand'r's voice dripped with mockery. "In fact, I should thank her—she's killing my sister for me. Hahaha!"
"You—!" Barbara started, but a massive shockwave rippled through the air, cutting her off. Blinding light flooded the dark world, and reality itself seemed to crack. Everyone averted their eyes from the brilliance, lowering their heads. In the next instant, the darkness shattered completely.
"As I thought, they failed—" Komand'r began to sneer as she lifted her head, feeling the brilliance dying down enough, but in the next instant, her words died in her throat. As the darkness dissipated and normal spacetime reasserted itself, she expected to see the beams annihilating everything. Instead, her eyes widened in disbelief. The beams were gone. In their place, a radiant ethereal figure hovered in the sky.
Kori hovered in the sky, transformed and blazing with power. With a casual raise of her hand, she fired two starbolts that punched through the dreadnoughts' hulls, sending them crashing to the ground in flames.
Komand'r's mouth fell open—not because of the raw power on display, but because her sister's current form bore an unmistakable resemblance to the ancient legends of Tamaran.
The ethereal, shining figure looked up and shot toward the upper atmosphere, leaving only a trail of fiery energy in her wake. As she breached the topmost layer, she spotted the ships forming the planetary defense grid. In this transformed state, she had transcended her mortal limitations—she was now a being of pure blazing energy, capable of surviving in space for a limited time.
She came to a stop just beyond the atmosphere. With her world behind her, she took her stance, bringing her hands together and channeling every ounce of power as she aimed at the perimeter grid.
Moments earlier—on the command ship of the perimeter grid
"General, we have a bogey incoming… from the planet," an operator reported, confusion evident in his voice as he monitored the orbital sensors.
"From the planet?" The General's brow furrowed as he studied the tactical display. "Impossible. We have everything locked down—"
"Sir, energy readings are spiking!" another operator interrupted, her voice rising in alarm. "Whatever it is, it's moving fast and putting out massive amounts of thermal radiation."
The General's eyes narrowed as he watched the sensor data. A single bright dot was ascending rapidly through Tamaran's atmosphere, leaving a trail of energy in its wake. "Get me a visual. Now."
The main viewscreen flickered, zooming in on the approaching figure. When the image resolved, several bridge officers gasped.
A being of pure radiant energy hovered in the void—humanoid in shape but blazing like a living star. Golden-orange flames wreathed its form.
"What is that?" the General breathed.
"Unknown, sir," the tactical officer replied, his fingers flying across his console. "But energy output is… General, those readings can't be right. It's putting out more power than our dreadnoughts' main reactors."
The General's face paled. "All ships, battle stations! Bring weapons to bear on that target!"
Before the order could be carried out, the glowing figure made its move. It raised its hands and brought them together. Light began gathering between its palms, forming a growing sphere of brilliant golden fire that started expanding.
"Sir, energy spike detected!" the sensor operator shouted. "It's charging something big!"
"Fire! Fire everything at that thing!" the General roared.
The perimeter ships opened up with everything they had—plasma cannons and missile salvos—all converging on the single glowing figure. But the attacks never reached their target. The sphere of energy between the figure's hands had grown to enormous proportions, and it seemed to drink in the incoming fire, growing even brighter.
"Sir, the energy buildup is…" the other officer's voice trembled as he reported, "it's impossible!"
The General gripped the armrests of his command chair, his knuckles white. "All power to forward shields! Brace for—"
The figure released the sphere.
For a split second, the bridge crew watched in horror as the miniature star shot toward them, expanding as it came. Then the viewscreen went white.
The explosion tore through the perimeter grid like a tidal wave of pure energy. Ships caught in the direct blast vaporized instantly—their shields and hulls offered no resistance against the flames. Those on the periphery fared only slightly better. Hulls buckled, systems overloaded, and reactors went critical in chain reactions that claimed dozens more vessels.
When the light finally faded, nearly a third of the Citadel's orbital fleet was gone. Debris and escape pods drifted through the void—all that remained of a portion of the once-proud armada.
On the Javelin, Dick and the others on the bridge rose from their seats in shock, witnessing the scene unfold. If Rachel had done this—or their trump card, Wonder Woman, who had accompanied them on this mission—they would have understood. But seeing Kori pull off such a devastating attack left them stunned.
Meanwhile, Kori narrowed her eyes as she assessed the situation. She had expended a tremendous amount of energy in that attack, simultaneously countering incoming fire from the ships by modulating and absorbing their assaults into her own blast. Her temporary transformation was already beginning to wane. Yet when the remaining ships hesitated, making no move despite the destruction of their fleet, her expression hardened with resolve. She brought her hands together once more, taking aim at the survivors. But just as she began channeling energy, the ships ignited their engines and fled toward the Citadel stronghold in full retreat.
"It worked!" Kori sighed in relief, relaxing her stance. "Raven was right."
But almost immediately, the strain caught up with her. Pain lanced through her body, and she gritted her teeth to stifle a groan. She took a steadying breath and turned her gaze downward to her homeworld below. In all the chaos, focused entirely on her mission, she hadn't truly looked at it. Now, hovering in this transformed state, she finally did. The view was breathtaking—the familiar swirling clouds, vast oceans, and continents she'd longed to see for so long. For a moment, she simply let herself take it all in.
Then her expression hardened with resolve. "It's time to end this."
Present—Surface of Tamaran
On the surface, the Titans, rebels, and Tamaraneans looked up as a golden flash lit the sky. Even from the ground, Kori's attack was visible—a brilliant explosion that resembled a sunrise in the wrong part of the sky, followed by a cascading series of smaller explosions as Citadel ships detonated one after another.
"Wow…" Gar muttered through his injuries.
"Amazing…" Barbara whispered in awe. Her terminal lit up with new data from the Javelin. Her eyes widened as the ship's sensors revealed that many of the surviving Dreadnought-class ships from the perimeter defense fleet were retreating.
'So that's what she meant,' Barbara thought, understanding Raven's plan at last.
"Did she just..." Virgil's voice trailed off in awe.
"She did," Donna confirmed with a nod, a proud smile spreading across her face. "She actually did it."
Kara's enhanced vision tracked the descending figure, her expression mixing relief and admiration. "She's coming back down. Looks like the energy's dissipating."
The ethereal glow surrounding Kori faded as she descended through the atmosphere. By the time she reached the battlefield, her form had become more visible despite the lingering radiance. She landed near her friends, her gaze fixed on her sister, who stood eerily still with her head slightly lowered, her hair covering her face. No one could know what thoughts raged through Komand'r's mind. But the moment Kori's feet touched the ground, something strange happened.
One by one, every Tamaranean among the rebels dropped to their knees, facing her direction.
The Titans turned in shock, watching the scene unfold. At first, they assumed the Tamaraneans were simply recognizing their returned heir. But then they noticed something unsettling in their eyes—something that looked like worship.
"What… is going on?" Kara muttered, frowning as she surveyed the scene.
"I don't know, but this gives me a bad feeling," Donna whispered, her expression turning solemn.
"Yeah… this development seems off. It's almost like—" Barbara paused, a suspicious thought striking her.
"Like they're welcoming a god," Rachel said, narrowing her eyes as she appeared beside Barbara through a spatial ripple. She had reverted from her adult form to her base state, her face concealed beneath her hood.
Jaime nodded, taking in the sight. "Yeah, it really looks like that."
"Do they really believe Starfire is a god?" Virgil asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Even Kori was startled by her people's reaction. After a moment of stunned silence, she hurriedly said, "Please, all of you—don't do this. There's no need to kneel before me."
"Mighty X'Hal, you have returned to us!"
"Mighty X'Hal, you have returned to us!"
No one knew who started it, but soon the chant spread. One by one, every Tamaranean took up the words, their voices rising in unison with each passing moment.
Starfire's eyes widened in alarm as she saw the fervent devotion in her people's faces.
"No, please—I'm not—" she tried to protest, but her voice was drowned out by the continued chanting.
Off to the side, Barbara moved closer to Rachel, keeping her voice low. "Was this part of your plan?"
Rachel shook her head slowly, her expression unreadable beneath her hood. "No. I intended to make her a legend—not a god. The transformation I gave Kori wasn't just a power boost. I temporarily awakened her full potential. But seeing this reaction…" She paused, studying the kneeling masses. "It seems to have had an unintended side effect. To the people here, she's become what they would call an 'Aspect' of their god, X'Hal."
"I see. But who is this X'Hal? If she resembles Kori, I'm guessing she was a goddess—but a goddess of what?" Barbara asked.
Even as Barbara spoke, Rachel was already pulling up data on her terminal. Within moments, she had her answer. "According to Mother Empress's files, X'Hal is their sun goddess." She paused, her eyes widening slightly. "Wow. I can see why they'd mistake Starfire for X'Hal. If I'd seen this without knowing Kori beforehand, I'd believe it too." She turned her wrist, projecting a small holographic display that showed information about X'Hal, including several portraits of the legendary figure.
"Wow. No kidding," Kara remarked, landing behind them and peering at the display over their shoulders.
"The resemblance is uncanny," Donna added, moving closer to get a better look.
Barbara found herself surrounded by her teammates—Kara on her right, between her and Rachel, with Donna to her left. She studied the holographic portraits and sighed. "I can see how, to them, this isn't just symbolic. It's literal divinity."
"But she's not a goddess," Donna said firmly. "I didn't sense any divinity from her. She's our friend—our teammate."
"Try telling them that," Jaime muttered, gesturing toward the kneeling masses after overhearing their discussion.
Kara's enhanced hearing picked up fragments of conversation among the rebels. "Even the Omega Men are calling her the 'Returned One,'" she reported. "They're debating whether this is real and how they should respond."
"Great. Just great. So what do we do now?" Virgil muttered.
"The bigger question is how Starfire's going to handle this," Donna said quietly.
The team exchanged glances, nodding in silent agreement as their gaze landed on the flustered Kori.
Kori at present, was raising her hands, her voice taking on a commanding tone despite her exhaustion. "Everyone, please! Listen to me!" The glow around her body had faded almost completely now, revealing her normal appearance. "I am Koriand'r, daughter of King Myand'r. I am not X'Hal."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, but no one rose from their kneeling position.
Commander Taryia, took this chance to get up and speak. "Princess Koriand'r, we witnessed what you did. We felt the divine presence. You channeled the power of X'Hal herself—power that hasn't been seen in ten thousand years."
"That was just—" Kori faltered, searching for words. "It was a technique. My friend helped me access my full potential—energies I didn't know I had. But that doesn't make me a goddess."
"The ancient texts speak of this," another voice called out—a younger man, his battle wornd armor bearing the old insignia of the royal guard. "X'Hal doesn't replace us. She becomes one of us when we need her most. And you, Princess—you are her vessel. Her chosen."
Rachel observed the scene, her mind racing with thoughts. "This development might actually work in our favor, she thought. If we handle it correctly, this could be even better than making Kori a legend. Having the people view her as divine—as an embodiment of X'Hal—would give her words real weight. They wouldn't just be inspired; they'd believe."
Just then, Barbara leaned closer to Rachel and whispered, "Hey Raven." She glanced at her meaningfully. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Rachel's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Looks like it."
The two friends exchanged a crafty look and nodded in silent agreement before stepping forward together.
"No, that's not—"
"Starfire," Rachel said quietly, interrupting her friend and moving beside her. "Don't fight this too hard. Not right now."
Kori turned to her, clearly frustrated. "But they're wrong! I can't let them worship me like—"
"I know." Rachel's voice dropped lower her expression serious. "I know it feels wrong. But look at them. I mean really look at them." She gestured at the kneeling masses. "They've been beaten down for years. Right now, they don't need nuance. They need something absolute to believe in."
Barbara approached from the other side, her expression troubled. "We can correct the theology later, Starfire. But if you shatter their hope right now, in this moment..." She trailed off.
Kori's hands trembled. "You're asking me to lie to them."
"No," Rachel said firmly. "We're asking you to let them believe what they need to believe—for now."
Before Kori could respond, a slow, mocking laugh cut through the air.
All eyes turned to Komand'r, who had finally raised her head, revealing an expression of cold mockery.
"X'Hal?" Komand'r's voice dripped with contempt. "You actually think my pathetic little sister is X'Hal incarnate?" A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "This is perfect. This is just perfect."
"Komand'r—" Kori began, but her sister cut her off.
"Tell me something, dear sister." Komand'r's voice took on an eerie calm. "Do you believe those old stories? X'Hal in those stories was nothing but a myth—a fairy tale for desperate people clinging to hope in dark times. And now you're going to play along with this charade?"
"That's enough," Donna said sharply, stepping forward.
Komand'r's sneer deepened. "Or what?" She turned back to Kori. "Don't let it go to your head, little sister. Unlike these fools, I know what X'Hal truly was. I'll give them this much—you do share something with that legend." She paused, her expression darkening. "Or rather, what she really was, a sla—"
But just then her eyes rolled back. She slumped forward, unconscious.
"Komand'r!" Kori shouted, stepping forward to catch her fallen sister.
Rachel's instincts flared the moment Komand'r began speaking about X'Hal with such unsettling confidence. Something in the empress's tone—a certainty that suggested dangerous knowledge—could easily undermine their plans. Rather than risk the position Kori had gained through her efforts, Rachel didn't hesitate. She extended her Ki and struck, knocking the weakened Komand'r unconscious before she could finish her sentence.
"Was she about to say X'Hal was a slave? Interesting… Vega's history runs deeper than I thought. I'll need a private conversation with this little empress later."
Barbara leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Raven, that was you, wasn't it?"
Rachel met her gaze. "She was about to undermine everything we just accomplished. Whatever she knows about X'Hal, we can hear it later—in private."
Donna leaned in, her expression conflicted. "That's... one way to handle it." The words came out carefully, as if she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about what had just happened.
"It was necessary," Barbara said quietly. She trusted her friend, though a flicker of doubt crossed her face as she studied Rachel.
Rachel turned to Kori, her voice softening. "She's fine—I can sense her life force. The strain from your battle finally caught up with her." She paused, studying the unconscious empress. "Let's get her back to the ship. She needs rest, and you and your brother have a world to stabilize."
"Raven, I…" Kori's expression grew troubled, but then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before nodding. "You're right. Everyone here needs rest, but first this day must come to an end." She picked up Komand'r's body and rose to meet Commander Taryia's gaze, speaking with authority. "Commander Taryia."
"Here, Princess," Commander Taryia said, saluting and taking a deep breath.
"You are hereby field promoted to General. Your first task is to round up the traitors, the remaining Citadel stragglers, and those frozen collaborators from all over the system. Throw them in prison and get me full intelligence on each of them," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" Taryia saluted and went off to make arrangements with her soldiers. Though happy about her promotion, she was more excited to finally serve the true heir to the throne.
Kori didn't stop there. She turned to her brother. "Ryand'r, I need you to take charge here and lead the cleanup." She glanced at the Omega Men, who wore mixed expressions of nervousness and battle-readiness. "Have our guests meet us at the palace in an hour."
"Sister, you—" Ryand'r began, but was interrupted.
"I'm taking our sister to our ship. The equipment there is better suited to treat her," Kori interjected.
With that, Kori nodded at Rachel.
Rachel nodded back and waved her hand, opening two spatial ripples. Most of the Titans—except for Donna and Jaime—walked through the first portal, returning to the Javelin. Donna and Jaime stepped through the second ripple, arriving at the shuttle's landing site.
The moment they vanished through the portal, a voice rang out across the battlefield.
"PRIMUS!"
The Omega Men spun around to see a group racing toward them, led by a figure Primus had longed to see.
"Kalista..." Primus breathed, his body trembling.
Suddenly, Broot and the others shoved him forward. He stumbled and turned back in confusion, only to find them grinning at him.
"What are you waiting for, leader?" they called out.
"Yes, leader, go!" Nimbus urged.
"Look at her running to you like that. GO ALREADY!" Tigorr added with a laugh.
Primus needed no further encouragement. He broke into a sprint toward his beloved.
The second team of Omega Men, it turned out, had breached the dungeon's outer defenses but found themselves trapped in its depths. When Kalista felt tremors shaking the ground beneath her feet, she realized Rachel and her friends had begun their assault. Seizing the opportunity, she fought her way free and discovered her teammates caught in various traps. After liberating them and battling past the remaining guards, they emerged onto the battlefield just as the final moments of the conflict unfolded. Having learned of Primus's plan to sacrifice himself, Kalista had torn free from her comrades' restraining hands and raced toward the battlefield. Now, arriving in the aftermath of victory, she ran straight into her beloved's waiting arms.
Primus caught Kalista mid-stride, nearly stumbling as their momentum collided. For a moment, neither spoke—they just held each other, her face buried in his shoulder, his pressed against her hair.
"I thought—" Kalista's voice broke. "When I heard you were planning to—"
"I'm here," Primus murmured into her hair. "I'm here, and you're safe. That's all that matters."
Behind them, the other Omega Men exchanged knowing smiles and quietly stepped back to give the reunited lovers their moment.
Meanwhile, Donna and Jaime piloted their shuttle through the atmosphere toward the Javelin on the moon, as the Omega Men celebrated their reunion.
On the Javelin
Back on the ship, Kori carried her unconscious sister to the med bay and gently laid her in a pod. The scanners activated, analyzing Komand'r's vitals as healing liquid flooded the chamber. Within moments, she floated in suspension while Barbara worked the console, keeping her sedated.
"Energy levels are critically low. Vitals are unstable," Barbara said, studying the readouts. "Whatever she used to patch herself up after your fight put her body under serious stress. She'll stabilize, though." She tapped commands into the console. "Full recovery in a few hours. I'm keeping her under until we're ready to talk."
Kori stared down at her sister. "I never thought it would end like this."
"What will you do with her?" Donna asked quietly, entering the med bay with Jaime.
"That's a problem for later," Rachel said, cutting in. Her gaze locked with Kori's. "Right now, we need to address what just happened down there. They think you're a goddess."
Kori's shoulders sagged. "I know what you both said before, but this feels wrong. I'm not X'Hal. I can't let them believe—"
"There's something else to consider," Barbara said, glancing at Rachel.
Kori turned to them. "What do you mean?"
"Your people have been oppressed under Citadel rule for years," Rachel said. "They need something powerful enough to unite them. Something that can restore their hope."
"Yes, and I agreed to be their legend—their beacon of hope, like you suggested. But this?" Kori's expression hardened. "They think I'm X'Hal herself. You're asking me to let them worship a lie."
"Not quite," Barbara said. "We're just asking you not to contradict what they already believe—at least not right now." She pulled up a holographic display showing the crowds below. "Look at them. They're already organizing themselves." The images shifted to scenes from across the capital. News of the day's events was spreading fast. People filled the streets—embracing, celebrating, moving with renewed purpose. "And there's more. Word is spreading across the entire planet. In fact, we've started to pick up signals reaching other worlds in the system. I didn't expect it to be this soon. Soon everyone will know about the 'Returned One' who destroyed a third of the Citadel fleet." She met Kori's eyes. "I don't think you can stop this anymore. You might as well use it to help your people."
Kara pushed off the wall. "They're right, Kori. I know it feels wrong, but sometimes people need symbols more than truth."
"This isn't about being a symbol," Kori said. "They're worshipping me."
"And that belief could unite scattered rebels into a real army," Rachel said. "We drove the Citadel off this planet, but the system's still divided between them and the Psions. Real change requires unity."
Rachel paused. "At first, I thought we could build you into a legend as Tamaran's princess—strong enough to rally the resistance cells across these worlds. But today changed everything." She met Kori's eyes. "The legend of X'Hal spans this entire system. As her aspect, you could forge every scattered cell into a unified army. When word spreads about what you did—when they see that form—even more will find the courage to fight."
"Kori, you don't have to claim to be a goddess," Rachel continued, her voice softening. "Like Barbara said, just don't contradict what they believe. Let them see what they need to see—whatever gives them the strength to keep fighting."
"For what it's worth, Starfire," Virgil said, breaking his unusual silence, "I get it. You just destroyed a third of their fleet in orbit. If I didn't know you—if I'd only seen gods visit Earth the way I have—you in that form would look just like them. I'd probably react the same way your people did. To people who've lived under tyranny? What you did wasn't just impressive—it was miraculous."
Kori looked around at her teammates, understanding their logic even as doubt gnawed at her. "I don't know if I can do this—"
"Because it feels like manipulation?" Donna said softly. "Like you'd be no better than your sister if you did this?"
Kori's jaw tightened, but she nodded.
"Maybe you're right," Donna said, holding her gaze. "But from one princess to another? Leadership means making impossible choices. Your people need hope right now. They need you to be their strength. And whether you like it or not, you've become both."
Silence filled the med bay. Kori's gaze drifted to the viewport, where Tamaran's scarred surface stretched below, city lights flickering back to life.
"I need time to think," she said finally. "But first, we meet with the Omega Men. Whatever I decide, we need to prepare for when the Citadel returns." She glanced at her sister in the pod. "After all, we have their Empress."
"They won't return soon," Dick said, entering the med bay. "I've been tracking their fleet. The survivors are in full retreat. They're terrified."
"Good," Kara said. "Let them be."
"We have an hour before the meeting," Rachel said. "Use it wisely. Think about what you'll say to them—and to your people."
Kori took a deep breath. "I will. Thank you. All of you." She paused. "I know you're trying to help, even if I don't fully understand this path."
"We're not suggesting anything," Barbara said with a slight smile. "Just presenting options. The choice is yours."
Kori exhaled slowly and nodded. The others exchanged glances, recognizing she needed time to process everything.
The team dispersed, leaving her alone in the med bay. Even Dick decided to wait for Kori in their quarters. Her gaze lingered on the med pod for a long moment before she finally turned and headed toward her quarters.
The med bay lights dimmed after she left. A moment later, a spatial ripple opened and Rachel stepped through. She approached the med pod and placed her hand on its surface, closing her eyes. Today had been exhausting—she desperately needed rest—but curiosity about what Komand'r knew of X'Hal drove her forward. Now seemed the perfect time to extract that knowledge.
After a few moments, she opened her eyes and withdrew her hand, her expression thoughtful. "Interesting… they've deliberately buried their own history. Second planet in this lower realm where I've seen that—first Krypton, now Tamaran." She paused, piecing together what she'd glimpsed. "And there's this secretive project called 'The CITADEL Project,' led by what she calls 'wretches.' From their features… definitely Psions. She actually has Psion defectors from the Hegemony working for her." Her brow furrowed. "Defecting over concerns about where the Hegemony's headed, is it? Yeah, definitely strange. Something major must be brewing there."
Her thoughts shifted to what she'd seen behind those mental defenses—fragments of the CITADEL Project, blurred blueprints of something massive. "Whatever she's building, we'll need to deal with it before we leave." Her gaze drifted back to the med pod. "I could push deeper, but not without risking permanent damage to her mind." She sighed after a moment and turned toward the viewport, seeing the planet below. "If just a handful of Psion defectors made the Citadel this formidable… how powerful is the Hegemony now? And those guards the two Psions used against Kara—if what I suspect about them is true, we might need to involve Mom." Her eyes narrowed. "The Psions keep getting more interesting."
In the next moment, she stepped back through a spatial ripple that opened behind her, arriving in her quarters. But as she turned to collapse into bed, she met a familiar embrace.
"Welcome back," Diana said, pulling Rachel close.
Rachel allowed her accumulated fatigue to wash over her all at once. "I'm back, Mom. I'm seriously tired…" She rested her head against her mother's chest. "I need a quick power nap."
Diana smiled and guided her daughter to bed, tucking her in. "Then rest well. You did good out there. We'll have words later about the unnecessary risks you took, but for now, sleep. I'll wake you in an hour."
"Thank you…" Rachel murmured, and within moments, comforted by her room and her mother's presence, she fell asleep.