"Interesting pendant, Colonel Marito."

"The woman I loved left it for me," This with the vengeful ghost of a smile, "Something to remember her and her brother by."

Sure enough, I knew some of the souls my rise had crushed by name. To think how many I didn't know was fearful–almost as bad as meeting Colonel Marito's eyes.

"I...know you've suffered terribly," Asseylum spoke up, "I'm sorry for you.."

"We remember you well enough, Seylum-San." Magbaredge broke in, "No need for disguises or sympathy." The highest resistance leader for the Northern hemisphere preserved a clipped tone, and a steel-cold manner. Over eight years she had smuggled thousands of 'suspected terrorists' from Russia to Japan, and from the Near East to Arabia. If the UFE reformed, she would be a lead candidate for Secretary General.

"Of course, it was only five years ago that you last met Empress Asseylum, Marito." My voice was just as cold, "May I ask why you took two years to reveal my lie to her?"

"You hardly made her easy to get to," Marito grated, "We had to blow up an entire palace as a distraction. And we weren't certain she'd even believe it, until she'd had two years to see what a murderous hypocrite manchild she'd married." I'd been ready for it, but I still flinched. Asseylum didn't. "Tell me, Empress, are the rumours true about him banging your crippled sister?"

"No! You know that!"

"Shame. Maybe then you'd have done your job and killed him. Since it seems his murder of Kaizuka Inaho wasn't too much for you to forgive." Now, my Queen flinched. Some of the children behind Marito snickered.

"Are you here to talk terms, or not?" The guard captain hissed, "You Terran–!"

"Silence!" I swept out my hand. Slowly, two dozen automatic weapons were lowered. "Colonel. General. You know Asseylum only ever wanted peace. None of my people here had any part in the war, or the purges. I ask you to guide Her Majesty, the Princess Royal and her escorts to the territory of Count Mazuurek. In your hands, they will be safe from the Resistance. In return…you can deal with me as my crimes deserve."

Several of my party shouted words like 'never!' and 'impossible!' I silenced them with a look that said, nothing is impossible.

I could feel Asseylum's eyes. She didn't speak, for the sake of our wide-eyed little Princess, she couldn't. She understood. Repentance wasn't words alone, it was justice. It was accepting the agony we felt, as the sword of Damocles came down.

"Why shouldn't we simply kill you all?" Magbaredge narrowed her eyes, "What has that Barbie doll ever done to stop you raping our planet, and killing everyone we ever loved?"

I took a holograph projector from my pocket, and showed them the speech my Empress was due to give at the Rihadya conference.

Vers would return independence to all Terran nations, and give up her claim to their lands. We would provide the Terrans with charged Aldnoah drives and Vers Kataphrakts; defeat the Separatists at their side. Before we lifted off to return to Mars. All colonists would be gone within a year–only a few Landing Castle bases would remain.

In return, Terra would fight until the Separatists were finished, and send us every resource that we needed, until terraforming made Mars green again. If they refused, the Separatists would wipe them out, within a year. If they cut off the resources, then every Aldnoah drive they possessed would deactivate with the reigning monarch's death.

"With the forces en route from Mars, we could defeat the Separatists without you. With perhaps five more years of bitter, pointless fighting. But fighting them together would give us a miracle. The second chance we don't deserve, but need."

"Did you really write this?" Magbaredge glanced at Asseylum.

"She will deliver it. She's the peacemaker. I'm the bloodstained devil."

I showed them the speech I had prepared for myself, and the full deal. Free trade for Aldnoah, freedom, and my abdication. My full responsibility for every failure and crime. I asked if that was enough.

"Could be." Marito's dark eyes were like glass.

I turned to my men, the grimmest men I'd ever seen. Smiled at them.

"Thank you for protecting my family. You showed perfect courage; all the shame of this day is mine. My course is played out, today, but for the future of Vers, I only feel hope. She still has her Majesty, my Princess, and men like you."

In the silence, one of them sniffed. My guards lowered their weapons. Then Marito gave a sign, and the children behind him opened fire.

-0-

"Mummy? Mummy, I'm scared..."

Asseylum was untouched, burying Allieria's eyes in her chest. All our guards lay dead about the church. I stood there, hand frozen on my gun, as Marito walked forward, weapon out.

"Understand? You're no messiah, dying to save his people. You're a murdering scumbag, getting what he deserves! A stupid child who couldn't protect anyone! Not his comrades, not even his family!"

Magbaredge strode around Marito, reaching for Asseylum. She rushed back to the wall, still holding Allieria. Aiming a handgun I'd never known she carried at the Resistance leader's face.

"Hold fire!" Magbaredge snapped. She turned back to Asseylum, "You have a conference to get to, your Majesty. Put down the gun."

Blue eyes, wide with terror–I had to protect them! My princess, my daughter, Asseylum, my light! I had to draw my gun, blow apart that vile face, then shoot those rats down at Asseylum's side and protect her. All for her, my soul for her–

Slowly, I took my hand from my gun.

"No!" Asseylum shouted, "Not my child! Not Slaine! If you hurt them, I'll–!"

"Start a war? Some peacemaker." Magbaredge's voice was clipped and savage, "You would've had to execute that fool anyway, or imprison him for life, the hour he renounced the throne. That's called taking-responsibility-for-your war crimes! You fired the first shot. We have to take the last!"

"So if you ever cared a straw for peace, put that gun down and come with us!" Marito roared, "You're going to live, however much you suffer! We're going to show you more mercy than your husband had for Kaizuka Yuki!"

"Put the gun down, Asseylum."

She stared at me. I had to protect her. I couldn't protect her. It was the hardest thing I ever did, to raise my hands above my head.

"Put the gun down. Please don't hate…I'm sorry, Asseylum. Sorry, Alliera. Thank you, for everything, and goodbye."

Asseylum shut her eyes. Our daughter made a little uncomprehending noise. Asseylum silently took her finger off the trigger.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Marbaredge took the gun as my queen gave it to her, "By the by, why isn't that child on Mars already?"

"I knew…when Slaine abdicated, I would have to arrest him." Asseylum whispered. "I wanted to give her one chance to see her daddy."

Slowly, beautiful in every motion, still, she was taken away from me. Clutching our daughter to her pure chest, stepping over twisted bodies–the last of all the comrades I would sacrifice. Our eyes met, and then she was hidden, by the crowd that had gathered in the church to see me die.

I was smiling through tears, when Marito punched me into the floor. He kicked me until he got tired, then he levelled his gun at my head.

His children with guns grinned down at me. Asseylum had told me what he had been. The monster my folly had made him glared into my swollen eyes.

"Don't think I'll miss you, Troyard. Plenty more Martians to kill. There's going to be war on earth forever, thanks to you."

"Perhaps. But we still pray for peace." I struggled to my knees, "Colonel…one day, you may be a teacher again. Asseylum said you were a good man. His sister…said your name." I looked at pendant my mother had worn, and my father had given me. The future? You can never tell.

I looked up at the battered crucifix. The king of the Jews, descending to this darkened planet; to live without sin and die in agony for the world's salvation. Even for mine? A great many kings have thought they were Jesus. But I can tell you of one who might have been the penitent thief.

Asseylum's eyes, in that last moment, told me all I needed to know. I was her husband. Allieria was our daughter, and I could finally come home, because she forgave me. I wept for joy through the pain, and I was about to die at twenty-three, but the joy would never end.

Her eyes were clear, her steps strong–above the stench of blood, her head was raised. She would be a great Empress. She had never needed protecting, I'd just needed her…if only we could all start again, and love until we were old. I knew I loved her, finally knew I was sorry, the moment I let her go.

Would I see her again, beyond the prison of the grave? I believed I would. Praise God.

I looked back, at Marito's gun. Had Orange felt this fear? Had poor Harklight? On the other side, would I finally meet them again? It might not be a happy meeting, but I was ready.

This was the price of peace. Only blood could wipe out blood. Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

-0-

Epilogue, a century later

Mama gave her speech in Rihadya, and told the world that father was killed by independent militants; Terra and her leaders bore no blame. She played a recording father had prepared–after Novosibirisk he was always prepared–resigning his position as Emperor and crown consort. Taking the blame for everything he could, and hoping only for final peace.

No one stood against the Empress after that. Even the Versian colonists, losing their blue world, could see that she herself had lost more. She told the Terrans that if they cut off the resources Mars needed, or used their gifted Aldnoah drives to attack us, she would take her own life. Every drive they possessed would die with her. No Terran leader doubted her words; Mars got her tribute.

The Separatists were defeated within two years; some returned to Vers, some fought to the death. The last war was certainly the most terrible, but it ended; no more labour camps, no more meteor strikes, and the energy fences came down. Then Mama and me and all Vers, apart from Clans Mazuurek, Massingherry and Zebrin-Rafia, said goodbye to Earth, the cradle of humanity.

Mama was sad for a long time, but Aunt Lemrina helped her get better. Mars remembers Empress Asseylum and the last Emperor as a tragic couple that failed in much, but did their best. She asked me to end the final lie, after her death, and tell Vers what she did at Novosibirisk; there was some anger, but finally understanding. And Mama had me promise never to hate the Terrans for killing my father. That was hard, for a long time. But I used to have hard feelings for my absent Terran daddy too. So I knew that people can change.

As yet, though, Earth is getting on as well or as badly as it ever was. Life on Mars remains hard–authority and discipline are still the only possible government on the cold frontier. But there is more plenty, a little more freedom. Humility and compassion, even penitence. And unity as one nation, helping each other–not thirty seven clans. That was father's best legacy. Versians for Vers, whoever 'Versians' might be. Before the last war, as Mama tried to end Terran serfdom, the Orbital Knights moved thousands of their Terrans to Mars. Toiling beside the common Martians, the serfs became citizens in time. Their grandchildren are knights. The hatred of Terrans that Daddy suffered and first overcame is all but dead.

Mama never remarried, and I preferred hinting to any number of Counts that I might marry them, rather than actually doing it. So Mars has been an oligarchy since I retired. Father, at least, wouldn't have been displeased. Thanks to the late unlamented Dr Troyard's research, more of us have heritable Aldnoah–but not all humanity, yet, until they're finally ready.

Great-grandfather and his followers believed that humanity would be reborn on Mars, throwing off national and religious division to wield the power of the gods. But all the old human problems still have the same answer; not Aldnoah, but love, as Mama always said. Christianity still isn't so trusted on Mars that I could speak of more than my faith an individual, but it's there. We have more books, films and ideas every year, as people meet and love, as their children grow. As two worlds that knew so much hatred begin to talk and trust.

Most of all, Mars has the hope of new beginning. The terraforming project will be finished in five years. I won't live to see a blue Mars. But for forty years of strong, wise rule, they tell me, the reborn planet will be called Minerva in my honour. I'm sure father would have been proud. I've been called the last and greatest sovereign of Vers–but I owe that title to so many good people, and two lovely, long-suffering people above all.

I hope they let me spend my final days at Castle Mazuurek on Terra. I must sadly say that I never really knew my father. The Terran traitor, the truest son of Vers. The last Emperor, the villain and the hero. But I long to meet him again, beyond the stars, and I long to see his blue planet one more time. Just as my Mama longed until the end, to meet again with the two Terran boys who were part of her soul.