Third Contact: The instant when the total or annular phase of an eclipse ends, the moment the sun becomes visible again.

Overview

The Church of Sovereign Light and the Molten Legion are on the verge of reconciliation, a feat many thought impossible. But there are those within the legion who have not forgotten. A pair of rivals face off over the course of the conflict - the clashing of their ideals will change the course of both civilizations.

Cast

Every Westerna - Lauren.

• The Sovereign Suns. Member and eventual leader of the Armor of the Prophets, pilot of the Daylight Armor.

Lady Titania - Adora.

• The Molten Legion. Leader of the Eclipse, pilot of The Light Undone.

Synopsis

Premise

The Sovereign Suns and the Molten Legion are working on reconciliation. The leadership of the Molten Legion has declared their conflict over, and are moving troops to support Sovereign interests. The population of the Molten Legion is not all convinced. A group the calls themselves the Eclipse accepts their transfer into Sovereign space, then turns and attacks from the inside. Their first target is the holy lands of light, a set of planets at the edge of a star nursery. Sacred to both the Church of Sovereign Light and the Legion, they have been outside the Legion's reach for a millennia.

Questions for the pilots

How long have you been piloting a mech?

     Every: Seven years

     Lady Titania: Fifteen Years

How do you feel about your own faction? Who knows this?

     Every: The Church of Sovereign Light was at fault for the loss of the Legion, and it was right for them to ask forgiveness. But the actions of the Molten Legion have gone far past the original    failures of the church. Few have heard this opinion.

     Titania: The leaders of the Molten Legion have forsaken their people to return to grovelling at the feet of the Prophets. They are traitors and fools - only the children of the legion can claim the Throne Among the Stars. She proclaims this wherever she goes.

First Contact

Every and Titania meet for the first time on one of these planets. Every is assigned as an escort to an emergency relief team who is evacuating civilians in the face of uncontrolled Eclipse invasion. When Eclipse forces threaten to advance on her charges, she draws a line in the sand and stands alone, challenging their leader. Titania almost calls the charge anyways, but her mentor encourages her to accept the challenge. The two meet in battle, Every in their slim class one mech, armed with a lance, and Lady Titania in a class three centaur mech, wielding a glaive. Every barely manages to hold her own against the larger machine, but does her best to stall for time. When the refugees are ready to take off, Every abandons the battle and retreats into the stars along with them. The Eclipse have taken another planet with little resistance, and their momentum grows.

Questions for the pilots

How would the universe be worse if your faction was victorious?

Every: The Molten Legion is a gifted people, skilled in battle and full of true fire. It would be a shame to put out that light.

Titania: An end to war would mean an end of the Legion's truest calling.

What has life in the war shown you that you never would have seen otherwise?

Every: The war has made them understand the true resilience and goodness of humans. It is one thing when times are easy, but to go through the horrors of war and remain strong and kind is one of the greatest gifts of humanity.

Titania: The war has shown her the face of the enemy, and that it isn't so different from hers. She might have spent her whole life envisioning them as monsters if she hadn't gone out to kill them.

Do you respect your rival?

Every: Yes. It is noble to stand for what you believe in, especially against odds such as these.

Titania: Yes.

Second Contact

Their second encounter is on the front lines of a space battle. Titania heads her forces, and Every stands with the rest of the Armor of the Prophets. The Eclipse attacks with an aggressive charge used for shattering enemy lines, but the Sovereign Suns are not broken. They unveil their new weapon - a single Prophet at the center of their line spreads its arms, and rays of light reach out to the troops, who suddenly move with uncanny speed and prescience - the Prophet's vision is with them all. Every flies straight for Titania, who draws a new weapon - an enormous beam saber - and engages. The two clash, and Every's lance is quickly melted and sliced through by the black light of Titania's blade. Every pulls back, and reveals a beam saber of her own, a prismatic long sword. To their surprise, Titania drops into a duelist's stance, and gestures for them to come at her. The two fight on, and Titania lands a gruesome blow on Every, leaving them forever weakened. But the power of the Prophet's new weapon proves too much for The Eclipse, and Titania is forced to abandon her fallen opponent and retreat with the remainder of her force.

Questions for the pilots

What does your pilot want from their rival?

Every: An admission of wrongdoing, and acknowledgement that all of this death has been caused by her stubbornness and bitterness.

Titania: For them to bend the knee.

What would you have thought of each other, had you met in more peaceful times?

Every: They may never have been friends, but they would have felt less need to push down the admiration they feel for Titania's conviction.

Titania: She would always have thought Every to be an idealistic fool, but perhaps she would not have been forced to crush that innocence into dust.

What would be waiting for you, if you left the war right now?

Every: After their last duel, they aren't sure. A family who loves them, but will never understand them. And the common knowledge that they abandoned their ideals and their duty.

Titania: A court marshal, and a firing squad. She comes out of this a queen, or a traitor.

Third Contact

The forces meet again, in the sky above one of the sacred planets, now abandoned to the ravages of the war. Before the battle can begin, Every steps forward. Using her new authority as captain of the Armor, she calls Titania to parley one more time, in the hopes of stopping this bloodshed before it begins. Lady Titania accepts, and the two descend to the planet below. They meet on a great plaza centered around a stone ring, made to frame the sun as it rises and sets. Every approaches, facing toward the setting sun. The light reveals a new addition to the Daylight Armor - a nearly invisible hard light shield that billows like a cape behind them. Lady Titania appears, stepping through the ring, and eclipsing the setting sun as she comes. Every appeals to Titania, asking her to call off her crusade. They emphasize that few people in history have had this power in their hands - to save the lives of so many with a few words. Titania rebukes them, refusing their logic. If she gives up now, her people may live, but they will be slaves again. Every does not argue further, but advances. One way or another, this war will end today.

Their blades meet. Titania comes at Every with all the force and ruthlessness she has in her, but the other pilot has grown accustomed to the tactic, and her new shield is unyielding, even against the towering power of The Light Undone. Titania grows frantic, and after a narrow escape unveils her trump card - a precious phial of (goop). She drinks the lifeblood of a sun, and lights with power. Lady Titania renews her attack, terrifyingly fast, and the two fight desperately for their causes. At the mechs dance, the audience sees scenes of what both have lost - their comrades and squads falling in battle, the death everyone who made them what they are today. Every begins to lose ground, narrowly avoiding strikes again and again, unable to get in a blow edgewise, and aware that their first mistake will be their last. Then, as the sun finally dips below the horizon, they stop, and Titania's blade pierces the Daylight Armor. Titania feels a surge of elation, the first taste of victory - but Every is not dead yet. And the Light Undone has finally stopped moving. They hold Titania close, by the hilt of her sword, and plunge their own blade through the cockpit of the Light Undone. It shines for a moment in the new dusk, then flickers, and disappears, the handle crushed by the force of their blow.

The battlefield is dark and still at last.

Developments and Implications

The Sovereign Suns and the Molten Legion have reunited, and will move forward as one faction.

The Molten Legion secures a significant measure of autonomy, more so than any other group of humans under the rule of the Prophets.

The Prophets are developing a method for conferring their future sight to large numbers of their soldiers at once, a technology that could give huge advantages in combat.

The Eclipse have been established as a sub-faction of Molten Legion loyalists who are unhappy with the reconciliation.

The Armor of the Prophets has been established as an honor guard of the Prophets, with a role similar to that of the Radiant Few.