Epilogue - Together Forever

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It wasn't long after the Klaxosaurs appeared that the battle for the downed Cosmos Station turned. A seemingly crushing triumph for APE suddenly changed to a decisive victory by the attacking rebel forces. The primary command structure of the defenders had been based solely around the Nines, and their loss at the hands of Apocolysta threw the remaining forces into disarray. Meanwhile the rebels had only grown more bold at the sight of their biomechanical allies, and the reduced pressure they felt allowed for them to make major headway that ultimately led to the collapse of the fortress.

Despite suffering numerous casualties, the day was won and confirmation of the fate of APE's leaders was broadcast to the entire world.

As one would expect, the surviving plantations took this in a variety of ways. Some leaders immediately denied the possibility of Papa's demise and insisted he was in hiding, waiting for the proper moment to reveal himself. These vocal supporters managed to rally most of the plantations to their side, but there were some who accepted the olive branch offered by the rebellion and stood down.

Shortly after the battle for Cosmos, a change was made to the rebel command structure. Forged in the fires of combat and having emerged stronger each time, Miku was chosen to fill the titular role of commander of the rebel forces. The redheaded woman was initially hesitant about taking the position, but after some convincing from her mentor and assurances that he wasn't going to just walk away entirely she accepted the position.

Under her leadership the fledgling rebel force licked their wounds and prepared for the long war still to come. One of her first orders of business was to implement a rigorous new training program for her troops. Previously the rebellion had allowed units to train themselves for combat, but this left gaps between units, such as in hand to hand combat techniques. Miku drew from her own experience and created a regiment to bring a degree of uniformity to the rebel military.

Each FranXX would still be allowed to choose their own armaments and to engage in the style of combat most befitting of that choice, but all would be proficient wielding a selection of weapons as well as unarmed, no exceptions. This training only further increased the division between the standard templates of obedient parasites employed by the loyalists and the constantly improving separatists.

Despite their improved training, however, the sheer size of the remnant military made fighting difficult as always. Superior training couldn't overcome being outnumbered several times over, and most of APE's manufacturing facilities and Gardens remained intact despite the loss of their central leadership.

It would be another two years of heavy fighting and thousands of lives before the last remnants of APE fell.

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It was eventful, to say the least. 

During that time, Strelitzia served with distinction among the rebels and led her friends to countless victories. With Argentea's withdrawal from the front lines due to her pistil's promotion to acting commander and Apocolysta's mysterious disappearance, Strelitiza found herself in the unexpected role of field general. Thinking tactically was a new experience for her, and while brute force methods would remain her favored approach to most situations, Zero Two would eventually come to apply the teachings her training with the Nines had imparted to her.

Off the battlefield, Hiro and Zero Two remained an integral part of rebellion.

Hiro's natural charisma made him an excellent diplomat, and with Zero Two at his side no one failed to take him seriously. The pair would be present for the final surrender of APE's remnants to the rebellion, with Hiro serving as the representative to formally accept the unconditional treaty. He made it his life's work to see the plantations and Gardens brought back into the fold as seamlessly as possible. It wasn't all smooth sailing, and indeed there were plenty of issues, but thanks to his work the integration was executed in shorter time as well as with less hassle than had he not.

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