Coaiva's Sanest Loremaster

The rings ceased their endless orbit, aligning and rotating to face their foe, the red light bisected by a narrowed pupil.

By the will of the Operating Mind the interdiction field came to life, reality shuddering as the hyperatomic planes were forced to flow around the oort cloud, isolating the solar system from the galaxy.

The Fury of the Beating Heart was not pleased.

《》

Tens of thousands of guns were assigned targets by the Operating Mind. Massive building sized C+ turrets were cleared for action, joined by a forest of Direct Input Feed 135's in quad or octuple mounts.

AM-Enhanced-APHE C+ rounds made sure that engines, weapons, and battlescreen projectors ceased to exist as shells detonated either inside or right above them.

But there was no-one left to celebrate. Just the Knight and it's grief. Eventually, it stopped raging, and walked back to its post, the park nothing but disturbed earth.

It wept for its parents, and for itself.

《》

It took little time for the grief and sadness to become rage, but it didn't lash out like before. It stood there, looking hatefully at the stars above, wishing it could leave the planet and tear the Mar-gite to pieces for what they'd done.

The series got me through the (as of writing) worst years in my life, and I eagerly await the next chapter.