The US government had learned as much as it could from Bennu and Mira about Yago's probable course of action, likely increases in his power, and vulnerabilities. The first two were more than disquieting. He truly would attempt to take over the world, and despite the best efforts of the Two and those they had Taught, might well succeed.
At least his body was vulnerable. Germs were useless - his immune system could readily deal with anything in the biowar arsenals, to say nothing of his healing powers. Gas was theoretically possible, but he was much too likely to be able to use his Power to cause it to chemically fall apart before it could work. Slipping in a subversive, even one on a suicide mission, was useless against a telepath. Still, there was one way.
The leaders of the Peruvian government were contacted. They were utterly terrified as it was, with Yago now having allied with the Shining Path (until he had no further use for them), and the conflict between the traditional churches and the Nativist Church, though finally somewhat muted, still ongoing. They asked no questions and told the US to do what it thought necessary. Fortunately, he was now radiating enough Evil for Healers sent to Peru to easily locate him, and spy satellites fixed the actual position.
Yago's Cave was located in the countryside, well away from any population centers, but near a Shining Path stronghold. The Peruvians were told to begin bombing the stronghold, sometimes sending the planes in on paths that took them near the Cave. They were also told to ask for volunteers, as Yago would probably become angry and cause some of the planes to crash.
After a few weeks of this, occasional downed planes and all, the US sent a single intercontinental bomber out from its base in the American west. It flew a water path south past the latitude of Yago's Cave and then hooked to the northeast. Another bombing flight was sent out, this one to pass directly over Yago. It would distract him from what was far above it, and as it approached, the bomber, flying high overhead, matched the flight path.
As they approached their drop point, the bomber crew continued the conversation they had begun on the long flight down.
Bombardier: "Navigator, please repeat that!"
Navigator: "I said, we're flying over Peru. P-E-R-U."
Bombardier: "Pilot, did you copy that?"
Pilot: "Yup. He's right, you know. Look, don't ask me. I don't write the orders, I just fly this thing."
Bombardier: "But why would we be simulating a bombing run on Peru? They've got more than enough trouble as it is!"
Pilot: "Hey, you think we might be targeting that weird alien - oops, here comes the authenticator code. What the ...? Hey, guys, do you read what I do?"
Bombardier: "Yeah, I do. I think you're right."
Business took over, and the codes were formally authenticated. The necessary preparations were made and the bomber flew on. The bomb-bay doors were opened, a handle was pulled, and a modest-sized object fell out of the plane.
Yago, meanwhile, was enraged. How dare they fly right over him! He strode out and began directing Mindblasts at the pilots. First one, then another lost control and crashed. He tried for a third, but jet planes fly fast and the pilot was able to regain control of his mind as he passed out of Yago's effective range.
Yago was still not happy. Why, this was almost like those "harrassment attacks" he had staged on Bennu! He remembered the words spoken to him at his Initiation by the Shadow Lords: "Beware the Power of the Sun, lest it destroy you." Well, of course! What else could? Suspiciously, he looked up at the Sun, but even he could not see the object falling towards him. Though neither as elegantly sophisticated nor as small as the later model W-88, it was effective enough.
That object contained a variety of sensors - radio altimeter, timer, radar. At a point some 400 feet above the local ground level, they agreed that their settings had been reached. A few pulses of electricity were released.
Much happened in the next fraction of a second, and, briefly, the literal Power of the Sun - hydrogen fusion - spoke upon the Earth. Yago suddenly found his mind trapped in a turbulent white light as his body, caught in the fireball of a one-megaton thermonuclear detonation, vaporized instantly. His SunTrap was similarly destroyed, and even the condensed Unlight became destabilized.
Any Sensitives in Peru were briefly struck with horror as the Evil that was the power of Yago's mind dissipated. Despite the much greater distance, conditions in the US were much worse. Trained Healers became physically ill from the foulness that passed through them. Those actually engaged in Healing or other activities involving the opening of their minds were often rendered briefly unconscious, and some of those they were working to aid suffered additional harm. And any using Mindsmoke or similar substances had the visions briefly blanked out by a horrifying Unlight.
As for Mira - and most especially Bennu - they felt a malicious Blackness reaching out for them, reaching, reaching ... and fading away. They looked at each other.
Bennu: "Yago is dead. I cannot be glad about that, but at least the threat to this race has been removed and the decision to accept or reject Maturity has been returned to them."
Mira: "We can thank The Light for one thing, though - we did not have to do the Killing."
People noted, with varying degrees of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, that the instrument that had saved their race was that normally thought of as Mankind's most terrible creation. Many had sought to have it banned, but then, they were thinking of its use against other Men. Who could have seriously imagined the need for an attack against a single Evil alien?
Truly, when The Light made Good out of Evil, He sometimes not only displayed a sense of humor, but a sick one, at that ...
As for Yago, when the light faded, he found himself at the center of a "triangle". The power of his mind, and its ties to the Shadow Lords, allowed him to remain in the Planes of Existence if he so chose, and Shadowland was a legitimate option. Otherwise he could accept The Light - being a Mature Adult, even if a corrupted one, made this a genuine, if unlikely, possibility. Or he could reject The Light, but he was reluctant enough to surrender to the Shadow Lords, never mind the Lord of Hell.
Whatever he chose, though Eldebran may not have seen the last of him, Earth certainly had!
Copyright March 25, 2001 Three Cheeks Productions (Richard Kaplan)