Disclaimer: I don't own Worm or Supreme Commander. They belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's created with no commercial purpose in mind.

Redemption

Prologue: Opening moves

Time: Irrelevant

Location: Irrelevant

"A chance to redeem yourself." Lilith, my companion for the past two hundred years purred. "Oh, I can see you needing to uphold our oath. But redemption? You did nothing wrong! Any other commander would have cheerfully triggered the Black Sun at first opportunity. You gave them all a chance to surrender. The destruction of the other factions Core worlds is on their leader's heads alone!"

It was an old conflict. Ever since the last battle of the Infinite war, she has been trying to convince me that I wasn't a monster. That I wasn't the greatest mass murderer humanity ever saw. And that was something on the background of a one thousand years long total war and all the megadeaths that came with it.

I knew her reasoning. That of my superiors, the damn psychiatrist I had to visit. Hell for once even the media agreed.

I was a hero, they said. Tried to convince me that in the long run I've saved more lives by finally ending the war.

"They are right, you know." Lilith mused quietly.

I was ready to snap at her, but stopped myself at the last moment. She didn't need any shit from me. Lilith was my eternal companion. My salvation. And she will be with me unto the moment of my death, sharing my thoughts and feelings.

The smart AI lurking within my implants grinned impishly. "Ah, you care!"

"He does!" a child's voice echoed in the vast void surrounding us. The sound was full of boundless energy, soothing my aching heart."You crave redemption!" she said in a sing-song voice. "I know just the place!" she skipped through the void, a beaming smile on her angelic face. "A world that can use someone like you two!" she waved a hand and everything went blank. "Go forth and release my little sister from her torment… Uphold your vow and nothing will be the same again!"

=RD=

January 11, 2011

High Orbit

Earth Bet

The being some called Ziz, floated on the edge of the aether, plotting. Plans within plans flashed through her mind, all discarded when she checked the odds.

She glanced at the world below her, frown marring her features.

She hated it. All that she was forced to do. At least her siblings were simple beings, unable to truly comprehend… Just beings following their nature. However Simulator was different. Blessed and cursed in equal measures. She was self aware. Not only intelligent but sentient. A claim Behemoth and Leviathan couldn't make, no matter that they were just as far above mere beasts as the inhabitants of the world below.

Those so interesting and entertaining humans. She could spent eon watching their antics, while free to tinker at her leisure. Instead she was forced to rampage every few months. Little more than a slave. At least her brothers didn't have the capacity to care. In a way, Ziz envied them. They were simple beings, one content to slumber in the hot depths of the earth. The other currently was leisurely swimming and playing with a shoal of dolphins.

She smiled sadly. On the bright side, they would be left alone in the coming months. The smile vanished. It was her turn to do as commanded. To sow destruction and despair, making new parahumans. So her master, the parasite that he was could learn and feed.

Ziz turned her sight to the stars, wondering what secrets they hid. She checked the odds. As things stood, the chance of her ever finding out was 0,051 percent. Her wings fluttered in resignation. Simurgh glanced up one more time and returned to crunching numbers. She wouldn't have it! There must be a way! Plans withing plans, simulated futures… all useless. Not that it stopped her from trying to find a path froward.

Her feathers fluttered in frustration. She looked down trying to distract herself from the futility of it all.

A jet was flying a long way down, one of the few coming anywhere "near" her chosen sanctuary. She extended her senses, finding nothing interesting within. Just couple of pilots and cargo.

Her mind drifted, seeking a distraction. Shards were raining again, invisible for the humans on this world. Nothing new there either. Just run of the mill… Ah, what do we have here?! Ziz smiled. The Queen Administration shard was tumbling through the air, seeking a host. Numbers danced, probabilities shifted and the Simurgh smiled, sending chills down the spines of the people who could see her watching the Earth with such an expression on her face.

Ziz was going to have a new sister! Perhaps the future wouldn't be so lonely and boring after all! Her mind coiled, the precog jumping up a notch. Her wings sagged, a hint of regret worming its way through her core. A part of Ziz felt bad for her her future sister, for what she was enduring in order to win the attention of the Queen Administrator shard… Yet she couldn't help it. For there was a new feeling she was experiencing. A pure, unmarred joy!

Soon enough, she wouldn't be alone! Just few months, a year at the outside and she would have a little sister! Her wings shook with excitement, sending few stray feather tumbling down to Earth.

=RD=

January 11, 2011

Winston High School

Brockton Bay

Earth Bet

They didn't care… She screamed herself hoarse, yet no one came… Taylor shuddered, too exhausted to do anything more. She felt numb. The crawling, the biting, the stench… They were all distant. She was cold, freezing even. Too tired to fight.

She simply didn't care any more. All she wanted was for everything to end. The constant torment, the sneers, laughter… That no one seemed to believe her. She was so tired from it all. A part of her wanted to scream and rage. To struggle and get away from the locker. But what was the point? No one would do a thing about it. It would only get worse… Taylor drifted, gripped by despair.

Her world narrowed, then sped up. She was staring at vast shapes, huge beyond comprehension. They were swimming through an endless, expanse covered with countless glittering stars. A rain of jewels all in different shapes and colors rained from those beings. One of those glittered brighter and brighter, like a falling star.

Taylor blinked. It was coming closer.

"It's fine little one. Everything is going to be all right." an inhuman voice, firm yet gentle whispered in her mind.

Her whole world went white and Taylor knew no more.

=RD=

January 15, 2011

Trainyard

Brockton Bay

Earth Bet