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John obliterates the more-injured golem.
For the first time, a frisson of annoyance crosses Khaim's face.
"That was inconvenient, but losses in war are to be expected. I have changed my mind; I may, indeed, use part of you to craft a replacement for the construct that you just destroyed..."
...this time, both Khaim and his remaining golem score solid hits.
John (-166)
General Khaim (-181)
Honour Guard (-45)
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John rips into the remaining golem, leaving it clinging to existence by the faintest of threads.
"Worm! I am General Khaim! I am undefeated, and undefeatable!"
...this time, both Khaim and his remaining golem score solid hits, Khaim's shot shattering John's right eye!
John (-259; missing Right eye)
General Khaim (-181)
Honour Guard (-179)
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With a deep, ragged breath, John takes the hot rod, and heads up to the top floor, where he inserts it, and turns off the tethers.
He then uploads security footage of the General being disintegrated, and beams it to the Archipelago, on every hailing frequency.
"This is what happens to those who threaten the Archipelago! It is DEFENDED!"
He then settles down to rest, and take over the computer system here.
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As as John powers down the tethers...
The machinery generating the planar tethers ceases creating the green energy and black motes, cycling down to a dull hum. The fetters tying the Far Portal to the Crucible dissipate. As they do, the portal bobs upward, disappearing into the solar plasma.
Both tethers start to shudder and shake; the high tether starts to overheat rapidly, whilst the low tether gets even colder. Eventually, both break away from the main structure.
When John's gruesome message reaches the Archipelago, the Efreet forces retreat in disarray, those capable of doing so fleeing into the Drift, whilst others take their ships deeper into the Sun, open their airlocks, and let the ships disintegrate, whilst they flee via Plane Shift.
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The minor structural damage to the Burning Archipelago allows life to go back to normal after short repairs and cleanup. Several defending starships are lost, but the death toll is low. After a period of mourning and honoring the dead, everyone acknowledges that, despite the odds, the battle favored the defenders.
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John is eventually able, with Rikard's help (thanks to his Akashic Record connection), to gain root access to the computer system, allowing him to officially take over the complex.
With no-one else able to physically access the Crucible Bubble at this time, John is also able to lay claim to it, citing obscure 'space salvage' laws to normalise his ownership of the site...
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John is more than happy to set-up some more defenders.
He sets about setting-up the manufacturies on the Crucible to make the parts for another two robots, then sets about assembling the other three whilst he waits.
When all five are completed, he sets them to patrolling the facility, with strict instructions to attack anyone who he has *not* explicitly granted safety to (that definitely includes the Girstens and the Major).
Once that is done, he escorts them back to the Anassanoi city, to link up with his DCI contacts, giving them an 'exclusive' on the Crucible, and inviting them to set up a permanent research outpost there ; John rationalises that making official connections with a recognised institution will help to normalise his claim to the Crucible).
When they are ready, he escorts them all back to the Crucible, ready to stimulate the heck out of the local economy.
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The Robots patrol the facility with brutal efficiency.
The DCI is delighted to have an even *deeper* facility to work from, and is very happy to send a delegation to the Crucible, officially recognising John's claim to it.
Eventually, the Archipelago government likewise recognises John's claim to the Bubble, in no small part due to his brave actions on their behalf... but also because no-one else can actually *get* there, at least for the moment.
The Major goes back into retirement, whilst the Girstens are overjoyed to discover that both of their sons survived the invasion.
For now, John is a free agent - he can go back to running transport missions, it is true, especially since the Breath of Embers was recently refurbished for him, so he has a sun-resistant ship that is unequivocally his and his alone, but with his new home, and business interests in the Archipelago itself, it might be wise to enjoy a long holiday...
...at least until the Pact Worlds have need of him again!