By the time the announcement was made that the Planet would be abandoned and destroyed to deny it to the Resistance, most of the RoC's troops and minions had already began to pile into the various ships and transports reserved/pulled in for the evacuation while the officers and elite soldiers would enjoy the benefits of having access to the base's teleporter relay stations to send them off directly towards their [i]real[/i] headquarters hidden deep within the darkest recesses of the Multiverse.

Among the officers and elites waiting in line in an orderly manner was several members of the Licht Gruppe, about a one and a half dozen or so of their order and none of whom weren't sporting an injury or battle damage of some kind; as they held their heads down in shame and mourning due to having experienced some none-too-insignificant casualties, numerous officers and their entourages openly sneered at the "elite" warriors; taking immense pleasure at the fact that the proud and self-righteous golden boys of the RoC's ministry of propaganda had been reduced to such a humbling and pitiful state, crying about losing a farcical battle that wasn't even supposed to be "won". Some even went as far as to take pictures with their gadgets and uploading said images of their shame to the intermultiversal network, never to be forgotten.

Alas, the brotherhood of warriors were above such pettiness and simply stood there and took all of the abuse, their sorrow for their fallen and the massive yet completely foreseen loss of life for both sides leaving even the prouder and more hotheaded of their number numb to the provocation of their allies. Among the morose collection of defeated warriors was a familiar squad of man, digital creature and demi-human, looking a little more worried than sorrowful since one of their own still hasn't reported back... One of the two hooded mages, now with its hood down is revealed to be a dark elf of indeterminate age and gender tiredly and meekly asks the eight-winged angel regarding their lost comrade.

"Do you think he didn't make it?"

"Pieter is too stubborn to die, madman must have tried to fight a mech with just his sword and guts."

At what the angel said, the puppet wizard, despite his cranium hurriedly wrapped in bandages to keep his fractured skull in one place had decided to humor his comrade's response.

"Like you're any different Magnus."

At that, the squad's spirits were lifted; if only for a tiny bit since the two six-wings and even their captain scoffed at the jest. Knowing that the wizard held no malice or resentment in his remark, merely to make the situation just a bit less depressing; Magnus decides to entertain him.

"Charming, but the difference between him and I is that he only focuses on what's in front of him like the bull that he is."

"And that makes you a mosquito I guess? You're about as hard to swat out of the sky."

Just as the angel was about to retort, something big and heavy barges into the room; having bowled over a few soldiers in the process.

"Oh thank the Kaiser... You all made it."

Turning towards their formerly missing comrade the squad visibly relaxes at his presence, as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders... All except for the Captain who walks to meet his wayward subordinate, quietly thanking that angel who had healed him since his grilling wouldn't have to wait until he was capable of standing up without assistance.

"Care to explain yourself knight?"

"I was preoccupied with a duel, Captain Loyola."

"With who?"

"An alchemist officer. Human. But It was constantly interrupted by his craven allies."

"Why?"

"He sullied our honor, saying we were cowards who preyed upon the weak."

At that, the captain suddenly smacks the side of Pieter's helmet with his armored knuckle; causing the younger knight's ears to ring.

"That was for proving him right. We may be proud and honorable warriors, but we are not to be completely controlled by them; for that leads to ruination. Now that you'll know what to expect from me when we return to base, fall in with the rest."

"Yes captain."

The Mage-Knight then quietly and rather carefully positions himself with his squad, not speaking to any of them save for gently patting the head of the other hooded magician, which turned out to be a twin to the other one and in response to the sudden contact rather impotently smacks the side of the Knight's armored leg with its staff before he and his comrades steps into the relay station and towards refuge...