Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 56 - Operation Starfall (Part 1)

"We really did it."

Miku's voice is filled with a sense of wonder as she and the other onlookers gaze at the wreckage of Cosmos station in its final resting place through the floor-to-ceiling monitor of the command center.

Portions of the station had remained intact upon reentry and the fan-shaped structure is now fragmented across several miles of barren terrain. Larger chunks had collected near one of the island's few remaining rivers, the repugnant water stained a golden hue by the silt and cracked earth flowing around and over it. The dome of Cosmos' central hub had been crushed nearly beyond recognition, having landed face down after bearing the brunt of the impact when the station fell from the heavens.

In spite of the path of carnage left in the wake of the fallen space station, something unexpected makes its presence known on the monitor. APE forces crawl over every nook and cranny of the wreckage, clearly searching for something, while more still are erecting some sort of defenses to surround the debris. Modular parts have allowed them to rapidly assemble a star fort around the remains of their guiding star that grows by the hour.

"What do you think they're doing?" Zorome asks of those assembled.

Ikuno pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, causing a bright reflection to hide her eyes. "They're looking for something, that's for sure."

"They're worried we might try to stop them as well," Mitsuru adds, biting his upper lip while focusing on the ramparts.

Several seconds pass with only the humming of the command center's electronics to break the silence.

With a snort Terra crosses her arms. "It is like humans to cling to false hope, clawing in the dirt like younglings searching for a lost toy. They seek their gods."

"Nothing could have possibly survived that kind of impact," Hiro says with a minute shake of his head. The young man's tone sounds more like he's trying to convince himself than anyone else.

You rub your chin, considering the situation at hand. Believing Hiro is something everyone desperately wants, but life had never been kind enough for any of you to feel comfortable doing so.

In the meantime Freya replies to the young man, saying, "I calculate the odds of survival at less than one percent. No escape pods that were launched survived reentry and the station was never designed to withstand an impact of such magnitude as the rail cannon. However, Cosmos Station was most heavily reinforced at its core and there are gaps in the schematics even I am unable to explain."

"It is unfortunate that the railgun is no longer in our possession," Hachi states matter-of-factly. "Another shot would surely have destroyed all that remains of the station."

From her position across the holotable the reigning Klaxosaur monarch raises an eyebrow. She silently dares him to question her last minute decision to render the railgun inoperable and withdraw alongside the majority of her brethren.

"I mean no disrespect," the man clarifies. "Destroying the railgun was certainly preferable to allowing it to fall into APE's hands once again. A weapon of such magnitude should never have been with them to begin with."

Now placated, Terra returns her attention to the projection.

"One thing is clear. If they think the council is still alive somewhere in that wreckage and are trying to dig them out... we have to put an end to it."

Murmurs of agreement accompany your declaration, though no one is enthused about fighting yet another battle in such a short span of time. The soldiers of the rebellion are weary and exhausted, even with the head having been cut off the snake. Nevertheless, ensuring that the council is dead is a vital step in removing the remaining plantations from their clutches and establishing a new world free from their corruption.