For several seconds, Ironcrest forgot the battle.
The severed mouth of Sunshear slid along its barrel, struck one of the rotating arms beneath it, and fell.
BOOOOM!
Stone split beneath the enormous piece of metal. The six silver rings shuddered around the remaining barrel, their light flickering as the energy flowing through them lost its direction.
No one moved.
The humans closest to the weapon stared at Simon standing upon it. Some still held their weapons against their shoulders, but their fingers had gone still around the triggers.
Inside the command chamber, the silence was worse.
Chief Gunner Mirela's hands remained suspended above the bronze control frame. Three of the miniature rings had stopped rotating. The others turned unevenly, releasing sparks that crawled across her fingers.
"The mouth..." an officer whispered.
Another stared at the observation mirror.
"He cut it off."
Varga heard them, but he could not tear his eyes away from Simon.
