Deathstalker 05 - Deathstalker Destiny

their armada, to turn them against our mutual enemies, the Hadenmen and the Recreated. Examine your communications, and you will find proof of all I say.
    The nanotech plague is also at an end. The nanos have been rendered inert. The AIs cannot restore those already destroyed, but there will be no more victims.
    The long war between us is over. Rejoice." Daniel turned to Valentine. "Only you remain, Brother; one last piece of unfinished business. I asked for the privilege of shutting you down, now that I am my own man again, and they agreed.
    So goodbye, Brother. Enjoy your time in Hell."
    And with those words, every piece of Shub nanotech in Valentine's body shut itself down. All his wounds burst open at once, and Valentine fell screaming to the bloodied floor, as much in shock as in pain. He'd been so close to winning everything… In moments he was soaked in his own blood, as he writhed helplessly at the feet of those he'd wanted so much to see crawling before him. He tried to lift his sword, to strike one last blow for spite's sake, but there was no strength left in him. He bled to death, and no one made any move to save him.
    When it was over, Daniel bowed formally to Constance.
    "Hello, Stepmother. I'm home, at last. Congratulations on your wedding. Hope you
    like the present I brought. I'm sure my father would look favorably on your new life. Shub never really had him, you know. They only had his body; his spirit has always been at rest."
    "I always knew that," said Constance. "I'm glad you've come to know that too.
    Welcome home, Daniel. What the hell happened to the AIs? Is the war really over?"
    "Oh yes. Diana Vertue… opened their minds to new possibilities. Shub are our allies now."
    Captain Eden Cross appeared suddenly on a floating viewscreen, hanging above everyone's head, breaking through Security on an emergency channel. "This is Captain Cross of the Excalibur. Since Shub is no longer a threat, we're going to face the Recreated. But my ship is the only survivor of my fleet, and it's in terrible shape. The Last Standing isn't much better off. We're calling in every ship we've got, and Shub is sending everything they've got to back us up, but the sheer size of the Recreated fleet is almost unimaginable. We can't hope to stop them on our own. We need every ship that can fly and aim a gun. And we need every able man and woman left to crew them. This message is being broadcast all across Golgotha. If you can hear my voice, your Empire needs you. It's time to make our stand."
    The screen went blank, and disappeared, and there was a long silence. Then Robert raised his voice, and all eyes turned to him. "You heard the man. We're all needed. I'm reinstating myself as Captain, and taking my old ship out to face the Recreated. Let every man and woman here for whom duty and honor are more than just words, follow me. No ship is too small, no aid too slight. We must fight, or fall, together. And if we must fall, let whoever or whatever remains to write the history books declare, This was Humanity's finest hour."
    He strode out of the House, Constance at his side, and in ones and twos, and then in great streams, everyone in the House followed them out. Even the barely recovered Finlay Campbell, fresh out of the regeneration machine, brought up the rear, leaning heavily on Evangeline and Adrienne. By the time Toby Shreck made his way down from the control gallery, only Flynn was left, checking his camera for damage.
    "Tell me you got all that, Flynn!"
    "Every second, Boss, going out live to every planet in the Empire. Damn; if everyone else follows King Robert's lead, we're going to have an Imperial fleet of a size not seen since the days of the old Empire!"
    "Damn right," said Toby. "And we're going to be a part of it. I've commandeered a news ship, and it's waiting for us on the Parliament landing pads. I'm not missing out on the biggest story of my career."
    And then they both looked around sharply at a sudden noise behind them, and there was Kit SummerIsle, Kid Death, staggering out of one of the private rooms, bleeding from a dozen terrible wounds. They started toward him, and he tried to say something to them, but he collapsed, betrayed by his own dying body. Toby knelt beside him, looking almost in awe at the great wounds killing the most notorious assassin the Empire had ever known. None of them were due to Valentine; the Wolfe hadn't been able to touch him. The whole of Kit's body was soaked in blood, and