The thunderous blast of her Devastation echoed across the battlefield as Isabella unleashed another volley at the relentless ranks of the Stellar Republic. Inside her helmet, sweat trickled down her face; her ebony hair, usually secured in a tight knot, had come undone at some point and now clung damply to her skin.
Each rotation of the weapon''s barrel sent a fresh wave of piercing pain through her battered and beaten body; her muscles aching from the continued stresses of holding the massive weapon steady. Despite Medic Johnsen''s best efforts, her injuries continued to hamper her. She had undergone field surgery twice in the same day and was loaded with more medication than she''d personally ever considered safe.
To describe Isabella''s feelings about her debut performance as Alpha Squad''s offensive heavy as ''frustrated'' would be a severe understatement. She was furious.
Given the choice, she''d dash across the battlefield to the Stellar Republic''s lines and tear each opponent apart with her bare hands. Unfortunately, a vast expanse of no-man''s-land and an array of guns tracking her every move made that impossible. Compounding the situation, she had depleted most of her ammunition in the initial ambush and was now down to her last belt for her Devastation. Once that was gone, she''d be relegated to her sidearm or have to borrow Lucas''s backup weapon.
But the most gut-wrenching part of it all was that she had lost Karania.
As the offensive heavy, her role was to be such a formidable threat that the enemy couldn''t focus on her more vulnerable teammates. Yet their medic had been the first to fall.
Lucas had fulfilled his role as the defensive heavy flawlessly, providing cover for the squad while laying down supporting fire with his grenade launcher.
Desmond, as the drone operator, had gathered vital intelligence and eliminated key targets whenever his drones were up. He had even spotted and destroyed a large portion of the mortars that had plagued the entire company during the early stages of the second ambush.
Corvus had excelled in his leadership role, coordinating the squad''s efforts and communicating with local command to a level that had reminded Isabella of the more experienced commanders of her past, mercenary life.
And then there was Thea.
The young cyan she''d initially wanted to keep at arm''s length had not only easily earned a place in her heart but had also shattered all expectations. It was as if Thea were possessed by some ancient deity of war. Isabella had glimpsed her potential during their sparring sessions, but what Thea had displayed on Nova Serene made her feel more than just humbled¡ªit was a revelation.
Her previous stint as a mercenary, which she once believed would make her a cut above the rest in real combat, now felt almost comically irrelevant. She had failed in each of her responsibilities and bore the sole blame for the squad''s early loss of their medic.
Corvus had even been forced to request another squad''s medic to save her life, all due to her own blunders.
A bitter taste climbed up Isabella''s throat as she pondered her shortcomings in this operation. The urge to vanish into oblivion was overwhelming, but her innate competitiveness wouldn''t let her succumb to defeat that easily.
''Snap out of it, Ella. You weren''t raised to be a quitter! Show them what you''re made of,'' she mentally rallied herself, dispelling the toxic thoughts clouding her mind.
Releasing another burst from her Devastation, she observed the devastating impact of her rounds, obliterating fortifications and ripping apart enemy troops before disappearing into the Azure Forest.
Gradually, she became more proficient in controlling Devastation''s substantial recoil, fine-tuning her aim despite the bullets'' inherent variances. Where initially her bursts would hit only a few targets, she was now consistently decimating what amounted to an entire squad with each pull of the trigger.
Under normal circumstances, this rapid improvement would be cause for some satisfaction. But the shadow of her initial failures loomed so large that it marred even these small victories.
As she retreated behind the protection of the Stalwart shield to catch her breath and escape the relentless barrage targeting her heavy armour, Isabella noticed Johnsen wrapping up his treatment of Corvus'' injured arm.
"Alright, squad leader, you''re set. Administered a painkiller and a stimulant. You''ve got a five-hour window before the effects wear off, so make it count," he said, nodding in the direction of the enemy lines.
Rising to leave, Johnsen paused as if contemplating something. Just before he dashed back towards the trenches he''d emerged from¡ªpresumably to rejoin his own squad or tend to another critical situation¡ªhe stopped and asked, "By the way, there''s a patch of melted dirt in the trenches behind you and a monstrous gun propped up on knives that''s giving off heat like a miniature version of sol itself. Know anything about that?"
The members of Sovereign Alpha all let out a collective sigh. They had a general idea about the situation, though none were privy to the details. Corvus shrugged as he responded, "I suspect that''s the aftermath of our scout/sniper''s earlier work. She neutralised the heavy las-cannon emplacements and a group of snipers that had Isabella pinned. Probably used the gun in a way it wasn''t exactly designed for. Sounds like her style."
As if to think about the implications of their answer for a moment, Johnsen stilled, before finally giving a courteous nod and sprinting off towards the trenches behind them.
After a minute of taking a breather, Isabella took her position again behind her rotary machine gun, Devastation, keenly aware of the dwindling ammunition. The belt-fed rounds were now less than half, a statistic that nagged at her consciousness as she surveyed the field. She had to make every shot count, now more than ever.
Just as she was about to refocus, however, Desmond''s voice broke through her thoughts, tinged with urgency. "Heads up! They''re gearing up for another push on the far-western flank!"
The Stellar Republic had attempted to outmanoeuvre them twice already, launching diversionary attacks from the far-western side. Now, as smoke grenades blossomed like dark flowers in the no-man''s-land between them, the distant clamour of enemy troops rallying for another assault reached her ears.
It was the auditory signal that set Sovereign Alpha into a heightened state of readiness.
Lucas readied his Havoc, which he had previously put aside to continue to alleviate some of the pressure on the Stalwart¡¯s gravity lock. Desmond readied one his drones, of which he now had two, by reloading its internal .303 magazine and Corvus coordinated the squad''s movements, making sure everyone was in optimal position, while reloading his AR.
This wasn''t just about holding a position; it was about safeguarding the last line of defence on the western edge of the battlefield. If they fell, the 32nd company risked encirclement.
Isabella shifted to the left side of the Stalwart shield, her battered and fractured armour now starkly visible as she lost the cover provided by Lucas''s towering T1 defensive shield. Almost immediately, Lucas moved to stand in front of her, shielding her damaged armour with his own body, following Corvus'' orders.
''No more mistakes, Ella,'' she admonished herself silently, offering Lucas a brief nod of gratitude. Her eyes narrowed as she peered intently into the obscuring smoke, searching for any enemy silhouettes that might emerge.
"Hold this position, Sovereign Alpha! No one gets past us¡ªthis is a [Direct Order]," Corvus commanded, his voice resolute beside them.
Instantly, Isabella felt the surge of Corvus'' Gold-rarity Ability enhancing her Attributes. The Devastation she held grew noticeably lighter, and the lingering pain throughout her body eased as her Strength and Vitality received a significant boost.
With their preparations in place, Lucas initiated their active defence. He launched a trio of grenades deep into the southern-most smoke. The explosives detonated with precise timing at the centre of each smoky plume, momentarily dispersing the makeshift cover for the advancing troops of the Stellar Republic.
As a phalanx of more than 20 squads from the Stellar Republic burst through the dissipating smoke, Isabella''s Devastation roared to life.
The heavy rotary machine gun spewed forth a stream of massive bullets that tore through the enemy formation like a hurricane through a wheat field.
Soldiers were thrown back as if struck by a battering ram, their bodies torn asunder by the sheer kinetic energy of each round. Their weapons and armours simply shattered under the weapon''s relentless onslaught. Each pull of the trigger was a symphony of destruction that dominated the battlefield.
Beside her, Lucas'' Havoc grenade launcher lobbed devastating volleys of explosive ordnance into the enemy ranks. Each round blossomed into a fiery rose of destruction upon impact, incinerating soldiers and reducing their equipment to nothing but slag.
The enemy advance faltered under this double-hammer of firepower, their momentum blunted by the tandem actions of Alpha Squad''s heavies. This momentary reprieve did not last long however, as Isabella¡¯s Devastation suddenly spun empty, its last bullets exhausted and now nothing but a heavy, blunt object in her hands.
¡®Shit! Bad fucking timing, Ella!¡¯ she chastised herself, as she tapped Lucas¡¯ back to let him know she was momentarily leaving his side. With quick steps, sped up even further by Corvus¡¯ [Direct Order] enhancing her, already monstrous, Strength, she slid up next to the Stalwart and ripped the AR303 Mk5 from its holster inside the shield.
Stepping back up next to Lucas, she tapped his shoulder to let him know she was back and opened fire with Lucas¡¯ backup weapon. ¡®I really need to conserve my ammunition better, next time around. Can¡¯t just rely on Lucas all the time!¡¯
Corvus, meanwhile, coordinated their efforts, his leadership and tactical prowess ensuring that no inch of ground was given to the Stellar Republic¡¯s advance without extracting a heavy price. His eyes scanned the enemy¡¯s push continuously, barking orders to shift fire, reinforce weak spots, and exploit vulnerabilities. His voice acted as both a guide and an anchor for the squad, providing them with invaluable situational awareness that made their every action more lethal.
Hovering above the battlefield, Desmond''s drone¡ªnow freshly re-armed and ready to kill¡ªpicked off enemy squad leaders and medics with surgical precision. Each shot from its .303 module created a momentary vacuum in the enemy ranks, disrupting their cohesion and sowing confusion.
However, despite their best efforts, the situation continued to deteriorate.
Corvus and Desmond found themselves increasingly exposed as the Stellar Republic shifted to focus more of its firepower towards them. Their medium-type armour was ill-suited to sustain the level of incoming fire that Isabella''s and Lucas'' heavy armour could shrug off. Warning alerts flashed across their visors as their armours reported glancing hits and the plating began to buckle.
Corvus winced as a bullet penetrated his armour, lodging itself into muscle and sinew. Despite collapsing to one knee beside Isabella, he didn''t cease firing his weapon, each shot deadlier than the last, as if the pain spurred him on. Meanwhile, Desmond found himself cursing under his breath. An enemy squad had zeroed in on his drone, forcing him to divert his full attention to evasive manoeuvres, leaving him unable to perform his other duties.
It was evident that unless they executed a miraculous manoeuvre soon, the consequences would be dire; not only would they be overrun and face certain death, but the integrity of the 32nd company''s line would also collapse, leaving them encircled and overwhelmed.
Isabella''s mind raced through the options, and in a split second, she made her decision.
"Lucas, keep firing that grenade launcher and don''t you dare stop!" she barked, dropping the Assault Rifle to the ground. Reaching behind her back, she unsheathed the Decimator, the giant two-handed chainsword she had carried with her throughout the entire operation but had yet to use.
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As the Stellar Republic soldiers closed the distance, her opportunity had finally come.
With a grim resolve, she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do, fully aware that this charge could very likely be both excruciating and fatal.
She revved the Decimator, its motor growling like a beast as the chain of razor-sharp teeth sprang to life. And then, with a burst of adrenaline-fueled speed, she broke into a sprint toward the oncoming enemy lines.
Every ounce of her being focused on the 200 metres that separated her from the enemy, ground she covered in what felt like mere seconds. The actuator modules in her armour and her Attributes boosted by Corvus'' Ability, assisted each of her strides, making her feel as if she was flying over the earth. As she closed the gap, she could see the shocked faces of the enemy soldiers finally coming into view through the clearing smoke of a renewed explosion from Lucas¡¯ grenades.
They had just enough time to realise the threat that was barreling toward them.
Then, with a single sweeping motion that channelled all her pent-up frustration, anger, and despair, Isabella''s Decimator cleaved through the air, its teeth whirring in a deadly arc. The first three Stellar Republic soldiers in her path were cut in twain as if they were made of paper, their armour and bodies offering no resistance to the chainsword''s devastating power.
The moment her Decimator bit through those first soldiers, Isabella felt herself enter a flow-like state, a zone of focused brutality where all that mattered were her instincts, training and the chainsword''s path of destruction.
Lucas'' Havoc grenade launcher thundered in the distance, each explosion adding to the symphony of chaos as it shook the earth and shattered enemy formations. But amidst it all, Isabella was a singular tempest, every swing of her Decimator a stroke of deadly artistry.
Utilising her [Surging Strike], she invested slashes with a force that seemed to bend the very air around her, amplifying the chainsword''s momentum tenfold. Armour and flesh were cleaved asunder as if they were nothing but chaff before the wind. Bodies went flying from the sheer kinetic energy imparted upon them by each of Isabella¡¯s enhanced swings.
Then, tapping into her [Directional Strike], she''d change the arc of her swing in a split second, redirecting her lethal momentum to carve through surprised soldiers who thought they were outside her range.
The result was a fluid, dervish-like dance of devastation, her movements a blur to any who could even follow them.
Her massive chainsword roared and gnashed, each tooth on its chain leaving a scar in the world as it passed. Between strikes, Isabella kicked nearby soldiers hard enough to cave in armour and chests alike. She rolled, and jumped to evade incoming fire and melee attacks as if guided by an invisible hand.
Bullets ricocheted off her heavy armour, and any that found their mark were momentarily ignored; her flow-like state rendered her insensitive to the accumulating wounds and agony.
Every now and then, the world around her would brighten momentarily, a flash of light signalling the detonation of one of Lucas'' grenades, and she''d seize the moment to rev the Decimator even higher, cutting through the momentary disorientation of the enemy to claim even more lives. The scent of burning ozone, mixed with the iron tang of freshly spilled blood, filled the air.
Her form was a cyclone of metal and fury, and for those few minutes, she was the embodiment of war itself, a force of nature that consumed everything in its path. Each swing of the Decimator was an inevitable conclusion of her training, her prowess, and her sheer will to prevent her squad from becoming overwhelmed; the will to not let her fail her duty once more.
As she carved through the enemy ranks, her armour increasingly battered and smeared with a grim mosaic of blood and gore, it became evident to all who witnessed it: Isabella had morphed into the harrowing reaper at the heart of the Stellar Republic''s doomed assault. The advance faltered, crumbling before the force of her unyielding onslaught.
Every eye was now fixed on this lone juggernaut, her armour continuing to chip, dent and break apart, awash in a mix of her own blood and that of her fallen enemies. Yet she never paused, never took even a single breath, as if driven by some inexorable force that knew neither fatigue, pain nor fear.
As the Stellar Republic''s soldiers began to sense the tide turning against them, their formation disintegrated into panicked retreat.
But escape was not an option.
Propelled by her augmented Strength, Isabella charged after the fleeing troops, her speed a blur that none could match. Their uncoordinated retreat was no match for her overwhelming physical prowess, and one by one, they were cut down as they tried to flee, unable to outpace the nightmare that pursued them.
Then, amidst the chaos, a distinct clink rang out near her feet¡ªa sound that sent a shiver up her spine. Years of combat experience had trained her to recognize the ominous noise of a grenade landing nearby. Without a second thought, she activated her signature Ability.
¡®Kinetic Redirection.¡¯
To an observer, the subsequent explosion and shockwave would appear to halt mysteriously as they reached her, as if swallowed by an invisible force.
Isabella didn''t break stride.
With her stored energy reaching a peak, she unleashed it in a single, devastating backhand against a nearby soldier. The resultant release of pent-up kinetic energy was cataclysmic, instantaneously evaporating both the upper body and armour of the unfortunate soldier, sending the remains of his broken body flying dozens of metres across the bloodied ground.
The power of the contained explosion made clear, in the most visceral way possible, the folly of underestimating Sovereign Alpha''s offensive Heavy.
At last, after a span of time that felt both eternal and fleeting, Isabella''s onslaught came to a halt. No more enemies were within reach for her Decimator to cleave. She found herself roughly fifty metres away from Sovereign Alpha''s position, her armour shredded from the intensity of close-quarters combat and the nearby explosions of Lucas'' Havoc.
Isabella''s body was a gruesome tapestry of wounds¡ªtorn by gunfire, sliced by blades, and punctured by shrapnel, her form almost unrecognisable beneath the wreckage of her armour.
Yet she was alive, still standing on sheer force of will alone.
As she fell to her knees, barely steadying herself with her Decimator stabbed into the ground in front of her, a blood-soaked grin etched itself onto her face. ''I did it. I finally did my job right,'' she thought triumphantly. With fierce resolution, she vowed to herself, ''Never again. I won''t let another squadmate die because of my shortcomings.''
As if to underscore her vow, a deafening explosion abruptly reverberated from within the Azure Forest. A colossal burst of light and energy illuminated the horizon, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield. The ground shook violently, as if the very planet were contorting in agony.
The shockwave that followed was just as devastating, ripping through the forest and sending debris flying at breakneck speeds. Even at her considerable distance, Isabella could feel the force of it, a secondary punch that threatened to sweep her off her knees.
A choked laugh escaped her lips, sending a spurt of blood flying from her mouth. "Looks like she¡¯s done it again... But I didn''t merely sit by and watch this time. How do you like that, Princess?" she rasped with a blood-soaked grin.
As the words left her lips, her strength waned, and darkness closed in around her vision as she collapsed onto the blood-soaked dirt below¡
- PoV: Legate Ferdat Kuan -
The command centre had devolved into utter chaos over the last two hours, but for Ferdat, it felt as though an entire age had elapsed since the onset of the planetary invasion.
Incoming updates about his forces'' performance on the battlefield arrived by the minute, and the news was grim.
Utilising his [Accelerated Comprehension] Passive Ability, he skimmed one of the latest reports in a matter of seconds, only to feel his irritation intensify. The content itself was hardly surprising at this point; it was yet another account of an unforeseen ambush by the Stellar Republic''s local forces.
With a resounding crash, he hurled the datapad against the nearest wall, reducing the device to shards. ¡°One fucking month! I spent one fucking month preparing for this assessment and I get thrown into this absolute joke of a mission!¡±
Ferdat leaned heavily on his command table, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edges. "I''ve got seasoned soldiers out there, for Emperor''s sake, not amateurs! How is it that the entire UHF¡¯s recon missed all of these ambush sites?!" he muttered to himself, scrolling through another holographic screen that popped up in place of the shattered datapad.
His eyes darted across the screen, the data blurring into an almost incomprehensible mess. He took a deep breath to regain his composure. The room was a cacophony of voices¡ªstrategists debating tactics, comm officers relaying information, and analysts crunching data.
Yet, amidst all this, Ferdat felt a nagging isolation, the weight of command heavy on his shoulders.
"Legate, the 13th and 16th have successfully made planetfall and are requesting orders," one of his aides approached hesitantly, clearly aware of his superior''s simmering frustration.
Ferdat looked up, his eyes meeting the aide''s. For a moment, the legate''s stern facade cracked, replaced by a look of utter exhaustion. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the vulnerability was gone, replaced by the steel of determination.
¡°We¡¯re going to show these freaks how little we care about their local forces,¡± he declared, his voice tinged with newfound resolve. ¡°Send the 13th and 16th towards the Azure Forest to the north. Staff-Sergeant Venn from the 32nd will assume command and spearhead the push to Nova Tertius. I expect progress by week''s end.¡±
As his aide nodded and rushed off to relay the orders, Ferdat breathed a deep sigh once again, before updating the command table in front of him with the troop movements he had just ordered.
The holographic projection on the command table flickered to life at his command, casting a ghostly glow on Ferdat''s already grim expression.
The battlefield displayed before him was a labyrinth of chaos and pitfalls. His UHF forces, shown as pale blue markers, were clearly trapped in a series of ambushes¡ªclusters of red Stellar Republic markers encircled them from the North and South and directly toward the West, where Nova Tertius¡ªtheir primary objective¡ªlay.
Minute-by-minute updates rolled in, each accompanied by the arrival of new UHF markers, signalling fresh troops descending from orbit. Despite the influx of reinforcements, the rate of UHF losses remained alarmingly high. Blue markers vanished at an unsettling pace from the holographic map. While it was true that red markers representing Stellar Republic forces also disappeared, and at an even higher rate, Ferdat knew these losses were practically inconsequential.
The ambushes were mainly carried out by local Stellar Republic forces, who were exempt from the System-imposed deployment limits for each Battlefield. This part of the rules made planetary assaults like the one they were undertaking notoriously difficult.
Each individual UHF marine lost to local combatants represented a significant dent in their fighting capabilities, whereas the Stellar Republic could afford to lose local soldiers without affecting their overall strategy at all.
Sure, his marines could respawn, but most of them only had 2-3 lives going into this assessment. Not to mention, they only had a dozen-or-so respawn pods available this early into the assault. Many of the marines that died during the ambush would not be back up and ready to fight until hours or even days from now.
Ferdat clenched his fists, glaring at the projection.
It was a disaster, and one that should have been entirely avoidable. The intel had been all wrong. They''d been prepared for a minimally defended region, perhaps some basic guerrilla tactics, until they got closer to Nova Tertius itself.
Contrary to their pre-mission intelligence, which had deemed such capabilities impossible for the Stellar Republic, they encountered sophisticated stealth and illusion technology, along with well-prepared ambushes by local forces. The staggered timing of their orbital drops had only magnified these vulnerabilities, allowing the enemy to systematically wear down the marine companies despite their ostensibly weaker firepower, courtesy of the fact that most of the local Stellar Republic forces were unintegrated soldiers.
The past few hours had unfolded like an excruciating nightmare, not just for him, but for the entire command staff. Yet, as he stared at the holographic map, Ferdat knew that they had no choice but to adapt and fight on, making the best out of the mess that this mission had so quickly devolved into. There were no do-overs with the UHF¡¯s assessments.
The quiet chime of a datapad, delicately set at the edge of his holographic table by his aide before, interrupted his deep contemplation. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he really wanted to confront another disheartening field report.
But his sense of duty prevailed, compelling him to open the message. As he scanned the text, a rare, faint smile briefly lightened his otherwise stern expression for the first time since the planetary assault commenced.
''Finally, some good news,'' he mused to himself. ''While I really don¡¯t know whether to be happy or frustrated about it being Venn who secured our first win, its significance can''t be overstated. One of the initial obstacles in the battle for Nova Tertius is finally behind us.''
He read the report again, scrutinising Staff-Sergeant Venn''s every move and strategy, searching for hidden insights that might expedite a turnaround on other fronts. However, the more he delved into the report, the deeper his frown grew.
Ferdat''s mind raced back to a previous operation where Venn had submitted reports structured in a way that led him to make specific tactical decisions. Those reports had been conspicuously lacking in essential details, designed precisely and effectively to elicit a certain strategic response from him.
Only later did he find out that Venn''s omissions had led to what could be called "strategically acceptable losses," at least according to Venn''s cost-benefit analysis. This was but one of countless incidents that had revealed the chasm that separated their fundamental approaches to command: Venn was driven by cold, calculated logic, whereas Ferdat valued not just strategy but also honour, empathy, and the integrity that was supposed to come with rank.
This tension between them had created an eternal impasse, each perpetually puzzled by the other''s mindset. It wasn''t that Venn''s approach had inherent flaws; quite the contrary, his tactics were consistently, and in Ferdat¡¯s eyes infuriatingly, effective. So much so that Venn had achieved a T2 Prime Command-Rank while still at a T1 Prime Power-Rank, a rare feat even among the elite ranks of the UHF marines. But the way he went about them left Ferdat questioning his methods, his decisions, and at times, his allegiance to the very principles that guided the military they both served.
And so, staring at the most recent report from Venn, a part of him couldn''t help but wonder if the Staff-Sergeant was once again orchestrating an elaborate ruse. His exasperation boiled over as he growled, "Is Venn fucking with me yet again?! We''re in the middle of a critical operation, for the Emperor''s sake! One does not simply neutralise half a dozen heavy weapon emplacements, eliminate entire squads of snipers trained on your position, and hold off an overwhelming force counting in the thousands with what is essentially just a single squad, unless he''s leaving out crucial details again!"
As he reached the end of the report, his eyes landing on the mention of a temporary ''Strike One'' squad and their mission, Ferdat had to close his eyes and take several deep breaths to prevent himself from inevitably dooming another datapad.
"Morin and Viladia are involved in this, I''m sure of it," he murmured, scanning the list of squad members. When he saw their names listed prominently, he rolled his eyes. "Who are Private Einor and Private Thea, though? New members of the 32nd? Privates that Venn is interested in¡? Why wasn''t Johnsen part of the mission? What the fuck is Venn thinking, sending in unknowns for an operation like this?!"
What truly irked Ferdat about the final report, however, was its success. More than that, there was even mention of a squad member returning on their own two feet!
''Maybe it''s time to make a trip to the field hospital and investigate this mission firsthand,'' he considered as he opened another, newly arriving report¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 60 - Mentality
- POV: Ukuar Rurix -
The theatre full of command staff fell into a hushed stillness as the enormous explosion razed the Stellar Republic''s artillery base in the Azure Forest, the screen flickering with the brilliance of the blast.
Major Ukuar had initially dismissed Staff-Sergeant Venn as reckless for entrusting such a critical mission to a meagre four-person team. But as the smoke on the screen cleared, Ukuar found himself quietly revising his earlier thoughts.
As the silence lifted, it became apparent he wasn''t the only one recalibrating expectations.
"What the fuck was that? How could we have known they had a Disruptor?! Who authorised Venn to have that for this assessment?!" another Major burst out, his arms flailing in disbelief.
His neighbour, erupting into raucous laughter, shot back, "That''s on you, Zosten. Should''ve done your homework on the assessment participants. Venn''s reputation for unpredictable brilliance isn''t exactly a faction secret. You lost the bet, no squirming your way out of it now!"
Ukuar recognized the laughing Major¡ªLandon Blackwood.
Their paths had crossed during an earlier campaign in the Seraph cluster. Though they hadn''t been particularly close, Ukuar had made it a point to memorise the key players in any strategic setting. Understanding the dynamics among the command staff was vital, after all.
"Yeah, yeah. Let me have my moment, Landon. Your 50k is safe, don''t worry," Zosten retorted as he settled back into his seat with a heavy sigh.
Turning to face the Colonels seated further behind him, Zosten spoke directly at one of them, "Say, Thalia: Would you consider transferring Private Viladia and Private Morin to my command? I''m willing to offer 1.2 million for Viladia and 700k for Morin. As a bonus, you''ll get first dibs of 12 recruits from the next drive¡ª9 for Viladia and 3 for Morin. What do you say?"
Major Ukuar observed the exchange between Zosten and Colonel Thalia Magale, two contrasting personalities highlighted by their respective appearances.
Thalia was a portrait of dignified grace, a woman whose good looks were not her defining feature but a mere footnote to her impeccably polished demeanour. Every strand of her platinum-blonde hair seemed to be in perfect alignment, her uniform flawless and crisp, almost as if she had just stepped out of a recruitment poster for the Federation.
Zosten, on the other hand, was more rugged in appearance. While not exactly dishevelled or unattractive, his demeanour lacked the refinement and meticulousness that set Thalia apart. His uniform looked worn, as if it had seen more live action than parades, making him seem less put-together in comparison.
Thalia''s eyes met Zosten''s, a calculated pause filling the air as she considered his offer. Finally, she spoke, her voice laden with the same poise she exuded.
"I appreciate the offer, Major Zosten, but I have to decline. Both Private Viladia and Private Morin have demonstrated exceptional potential for future development. Additionally, they are integral components of Staff-Sergeant Venn''s special unit. Removing them would diminish his effectiveness as well, which would be a considerable loss for me."
Zosten sighed, acknowledging his defeat with a wave of his hand. "Fair enough, Colonel. Can''t blame a guy for trying."
Just as he started to pivot away, Thalia''s voice arrested his movement mid-turn. "However, I would be open to discussing a trade involving Private Morin for that recent addition to their squad¡ªthe marine Viladia calls ''Patches.'' Their synergy is likely to surpass even what I envision for the Morin-Viladia pairing in the long term. If you can facilitate that swap, we could certainly reach an agreement. I''d even be willing to sweeten the deal with additional incentives, if necessary."
Ukuar was taken aback by the sheer ruthlessness and strategic cunning of Colonel Thalia''s offer.
By openly discussing a trade for ''Patches''¡ªwhich he knew was that one particularly troublesome Recruit from his own ship¡ªshe had not only thrown her offer into the public arena but had also cleverly feigned ignorance about which ship and legion Thea was affiliated with. Anyone familiar with the assessment profiles, which were available to everyone in the room with the simple push of a button, would instantly see through the ruse, and she knew it.
Thalia was using Zosten''s initial public offer as leverage to amplify the value of her own proposition.
If someone from the Sovereign didn''t want Morin but was willing to trade Thea, they could acquire him through the proposed trade and then, in turn, trade Morin to Zosten, capitalising on his initially public offer. The chain of potential transactions was set up perfectly, and all under the guise of a simple trade discussion with Zosten.
The Colonel''s gambit was designed not just to acquire valuable assets, but also to flush out anyone from the Sovereign who might be interested, thereby revealing their positions for further negotiations. It was a high-stakes play that revealed her resourcefulness and raised the tension in the room considerably.
Ukuar had to admit, he was now incredibly intrigued to see how this complex tableau would unfold. One particular issue presented itself immediately however, as he was one of the only two Majors from the Sovereign present in the room. He had initially arrived in this particular theatre alongside Majors Quinn, Daxton, and Nyra.
But both Quinn and Daxton had been urgently summoned to Captain Cross''s office right after the destruction of the Stealth tech generator inside the Azure Forest.
An involuntary shudder passed through Ukuar at the memory of how Captain Cross had demanded their presence. He had overheard the stern tone in the message sent to them, and it was clear that Quinn and Daxton were unlikely to be enjoying themselves at this moment.
Locking eyes with Major Nyra, who sat beside him, Ukuar sensed that she was equally captivated by the intricate dynamics unfolding before them. Both were newcomers to the rank of Major, and thus, this was their inaugural experience with the assessment theatres, a privilege reserved for officers of Major rank and higher.
The spectacle revealed an entirely new layer of intra-faction politics¡ªones involving the transactional exchange of marines¡ªthat they had never been exposed to in their careers. Unlike the more tactical and operational concerns they were used to, this was a realm where entire battalions, divisions, and in the case of Colonel Thalia, even legions of UHF marines were discussed as tradable assets.
Furthermore, this seemed to be the norm among the seasoned commanders in the room.
Far from being shocked by the trading of promising Privates, they observed the negotiations with varying degrees of engagement, as though assessing a familiar holo-command match rather than the fates of individual, hundreds or even several thousands of UHF marines.
Caught in the intricate web woven by Colonel Thalia, Major Zosten found himself cornered. Ignoring a Colonel''s counter-offer in such a public setting would be tantamount to social hara-kiri. Besides, it was no secret to anyone present that Thalia likely knew full well that the marine in question, ''Patches,'' was not under Zosten''s command.
"Regrettably, she''s not one of mine, Colonel," Zosten answered, emphasising Thalia''s rank as if to express a sliver of his displeasure.
"Unfortunate," Thalia responded. Her tone caught Ukuar off guard, and a quick glance around confirmed he wasn''t the only one. She had infused the word with a sense of genuine disappointment so palpable it felt as if her very soul had been crushed.
Ukuar had to consciously wrestle with his instincts to keep from blurting out all he knew about the marine in question¡ªThea. He had to forcibly remind himself that Thalia had likely known this all along and it was all part of her plan to garner more intel on the only marine who didn¡¯t have a profile from before the assessment.
Still, despite his best efforts, he felt an almost gravitational pull toward spilling what he knew to the Colonel.
''By the Emperor''s light, this woman is dangerous,'' was the singular thought that thundered through Ukuar''s mind, just as he finished fighting to regain his composure. A single word, delivered with easily the deepest well of disappointment and sadness he had ever encountered in spoken language, had nearly toppled his defences in an instant.
¡°Well, if that ever changes, the deal¡¯s open until further notice. Do keep me apprised if you happen to acquire her, Zosten,¡± Thalia added, clearly ending the conversation with another bombshell.
¡®With just a couple sentences she¡¯s made sure that everyone is aware of her interest in Thea, as well as put out multiple offers¡ªher own and Zosten¡¯s¡ªfor any potential interested parties. Making it an open deal on top of that, means she¡¯s fully committed to getting her hands on Thea¡ I should inform Quinn and Daxton about this. They¡¯ll surely want to know.¡¯
Ukuar''s eyes locked with Nyra''s, both Majors evidently sharing the same unsettling realisation. Just as Ukuar prepared to send an urgent message to his senior majors, his senses were suddenly overwhelmed by a heady floral aroma that induced a momentary dizziness.
"Excuse me, my dear Majors. Would you happen to know anything about the marine in question? After all, you do hail from the same ship," Thalia''s mellifluous voice seemed to materialise out of nowhere, striking Ukuar and Nyra like a bolt. To their surprise, the Colonel had silently manoeuvred behind them, positioning her head between theirs to initiate conversation.
Caught off guard, Ukuar found himself gazing into Thalia''s piercing red eyes¡ªseemingly so close they nearly touched his own.
A cocktail of dread and fascination flooded his senses.
His pressing need to alert Majors Quinn and Daxton splintered into a million pieces, as if shattered by a hammer of unnatural strength, his entire focus irresistibly drawn to the complex, otherworldly allure of Thalia''s eyes.
They were an impossibly vivid shade of crimson, a red so intense it verged on the surreal.
But it was their crystalline structure that truly captivated him¡ªa maze of interlocking facets, like a naturally formed ruby given life and awareness. Each individual plane seemed to catch and reflect some different aspect of his soul, leading him deeper and deeper into a hypnotic labyrinth from which he had no desire to escape.
It was as if he were being pulled toward an infinite, fathomless chasm, a compelling abyss that existed deep within those spellbinding eyes¡
- POV: Karania -
Cutting into the mangled piece of flesh, that had once been the functional shoulder of the marine before her, Karania deftly snagged the last piece of shrapnel with her bone tweezers, before quickly, but precisely and carefully, pulling it out of the wound.
With the characteristic sound of bones cracking and breaking, her left hand transformed into the stapling tool that had become one of her main uses for [Surgeon¡¯s Toolkit]. With quick and efficient movements, Karania squeezed the mangled flesh together and used the staples, made of her own fingernails, to suture the wound together.
Finally, she ripped off a long slice of flesh from her own hand¡¯s back, before applying it on top of the sutures and activating her Ability.
¡®Coagulate.¡¯
Immediately, the fresh blood solidified, anchoring her skin graft to the marine''s shoulder and ensuring the sutures would withstand any intense activity.
Rising to her feet, Karania addressed the marine she had just treated. "You''re cleared for action, Private," she said with measured calm. "You''ve been given a dose of Pontiax P-13 and another of Soris S-04. Expect around four hours of efficacy from each before they wear off. Make good use of that time. Your medical records will be updated with a detailed account within the next thirty to sixty minutes."
As Karania finished speaking, her gaze shifted from the marine before her, finally registering her surroundings.
The din of explosions, lasers, and gunfire tore through the air like a malevolent orchestra, an ear-shattering cacophony that she had previously tuned out with almost supernatural focus while attending to her patient. Shrapnel and debris raced past her head, dinging off of her helmet and visor, as she looked around for the next patient that needed her expertise.
The marine she had just treated cautiously rose to her feet, gripping her weapon.
"Thank you, Medic," she said, her voice tinged with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. Her eyes flickered momentarily to Karania''s medical implements¡ªcrafted eerily from the bones of Karania¡¯s own hands¡ªand lingered on the rapidly regenerating patch of skin.
Shaking off her astonishment, the marine turned and dashed back into the fray, rifle at the ready, as if propelled by the newfound life Karania had literally stitched back into her.
With a final nod to the departing marine, Karania turned her attention to the teeming backline of the battlefield. Beyond her immediate area, the Azure Forest had become a nightmarish tableau of violence and valour. Arcs of laser fire cut through the air, intersected by the rumbling booms of distant explosions. Plumes of dirt and foliage erupted skyward, mingling with the acrid smell of burnt wood and the metallic tang of blood.
Amidst this uncontrolled chaos, the backline that Karania found herself in resembled a makeshift MASH unit under siege.
Dozens of medics rushed to and fro, their faces set in grim determination as they darted from patient to patient. They triaged wounds, administered emergency treatments, and shouted for medical supplies, striving to pull as many marines back from death''s door as possible¡ªor at least get them back into the fight. The urgency was palpable, every medic knowing that seconds could mean the difference between life and death.
With a quick thought, Karania activated her Ability.
¡®Eyes Of A Medic.¡¯
With the help of the System Ability, coupled with her own training and experience, Karania quickly scanned the scene for her next priority patient.
A few dozen metres away, Karania''s eyes locked onto a marine hunched over, clutching his abdomen tightly, her System Ability displaying a critically low level of Health remaining, but one that she figured was sufficient enough for her to intervene.
His face was a mask of acute suffering as he writhed on the ground, leaving no doubt that his injuries were severe. As she rapidly closed the distance between them, her mind shifted into overdrive, clinically dissecting the visible symptoms from afar.
¡®The way he''s holding his abdomen suggests internal trauma,¡¯ she mused internally. ¡®His pallor and expression indicate severe pain¡ªmore than just a surface-level injury or punch-through. Likely internal bleeding¡ªpotential shrapnel inside. The tautness of the abdominal muscles could signal a ruptured organ, possibly the spleen or a kidney. Prepping for haemorrhage control and potential organ repair¡¡¯
Her mind raced through possible scenarios, weighing probabilities and pre-empting complications, all within the span of mere fractions of a second. With each stride she took towards the injured marine, her hands instinctively reshaped themselves. Bones splintered and reformed, assembling into a set of highly specialised tools¡ªscalpels, clamps, and sutures¡ªeach crafted for the precise medical procedures that awaited her.
By the time she arrived at the marine''s side, Karania''s [Surgeon''s Toolkit] was fully deployed, every instrument attuned to the challenge at hand. Another split-second assessment confirmed her initial diagnoses. She was ready to operate, her hands poised to mend the broken and bring yet another marine back from the brink¡
Many gruelling hours and numerous lives saved later, Karania found herself enveloped in the sanctity of a sterile operating room. With the deftness of a seasoned surgeon and the keen instincts of a battle medic, she navigated the complex labyrinth of the marine''s internal anatomy.
A high-velocity bullet had breached the marine''s medium-type armour, bringing a storm of fragmented shrapnel into the soft tissue and organs within. Already, she had meticulously extracted over two dozen shards of the bullet and shattered armour plating, each piece posing its own set of complications and hazards.
With surgical precision, she had repaired three damaged internal organs¡ªa lacerated kidney, a punctured spleen, and a perforated intestine. To accelerate the healing process, she administered highly potent regenerative stimulants directly into the affected tissues, ensuring that they would regenerate at an optimal pace once she completed the shard extractions.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Now, her focus was honed in on the precarious area surrounding the marine''s heart, where the highest concentration of shrapnel had lodged. Her instruments¡ªcrafted from her own skeletal structure¡ªquivered with an almost sentient readiness, as if eager to dive into the delicate work ahead.
Yet fortune had been kind to this marine; despite the proximity of these fragments to the cardiac muscle and its surrounding vascular network, none had inflicted severe or irreparable damage to the heart or major arteries. Otherwise, Karania knew she would be dealing with an entirely different¡ªand far more dire¡ªscenario.
Satisfied with her assessment, Karania''s bone-formed clamps and tweezers danced with clinical efficiency, moving with an expertise that verged on artistry. Each shard was gingerly isolated, grasped, and removed, as if she were disarming microscopic landmines implanted in the very flesh of the man before her. With every successfully extracted fragment, she felt another step closer to victory; another instance in which she had bested her eternal nemesis.
It was the fifth gruelling day of the planetary assault on Nova Serene, marking Alpha Squad''s fifth day of assessment as well. The campaign had kicked off disastrously, marked by lethal ambushes and shocking revelations about the technological capabilities of the Stellar Republic. Stung by the events of the first day, the UHF had shifted gears, advancing on Nova Tertius with a swiftness and ferocity that defied their usually calculated approach.
The command''s fervour seemed stoked by a blend of urgency and humiliation.
The early ambushes had not only resulted in a grim toll of lives but also massively ate into the precious time of the first 24-48 hours, effectively bogging down the troops around their own headquarters. This had spurred the high command into what could only be described as a tactical frenzy.
Karania and the rest of Sovereign Alpha remained attached to the 32nd, still under the steely and skilled command of Staff-Sergeant Venn. Their forward push had swelled dramatically in manpower.
On the first day alone, reinforcements from the 27th and 28th had joined them¡ªcompanies Karania had found herself fighting alongside after respawning from her untimely death in the second ambush. The arrival of the 13th and 16th companies to reinforce the push into the Azure Forest had followed mere hours later.
Fast-forward to the present, and Staff-Sergeant Venn found himself commanding seven full companies. He deployed them with a tactical acumen that bordered on brutal negligence in Karania¡¯s eyes. That said, she could not deny the efficiency of his approach.
The pace of their advance and subsequently, the pace of the injuries sustained, had been so relentless that the medics, including Karania, had been relying on a volatile cocktail of hope, sheer will, and an alarming array of stimulants to keep up with the vast number of marines requiring their attention to continue to be fit for combat.
Over the course of these intense five days, Karania had been utterly immersed in the biological carnage of warfare. Her hands had delved into the innards of her comrades for more than a hundred hours, pulling more than four dozen marines back from the precipice of death.
She had spent less than three hours with the rest of Sovereign Alpha since her return, devoting nearly all her time to either battlefield triage or more complex surgical procedures in the makeshift field hospitals.
At this very moment, Karania was deeply engrossed in yet another critical surgery, her skilled hands working tirelessly to tip the scales in favour of life over death. Surrounding her were half a dozen other makeshift operating rooms, each one buzzing with ceaseless activity and staffed by a motley crew of surgeons, general physicians, and field medics.
The ideal scenario¡ªa seasoned battlefield surgeon in every room¡ªwas an unattainable luxury given their staffing constraints. They made do with the expertise they had on hand.
Despite the gruelling workload, a constant but subtle smile graced Karania''s face.
This chaotic, relentless fight against mortality was precisely the challenge she had envisioned when she''d enlisted for the UHF¡¯s cube trial years ago. Here she was, in the thick of it, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other healthcare professionals in an ongoing battle against her timeless adversary¡ªDeath itself.
No breaks, no distractions; it was just her, her unparalleled medical skills, and the life laid out before her on the operating table.
Ironically, her demanding schedule had left her with no time to even collect the Merit, Credits, or CP she''d earned from her relentless toil. For five days straight, she had not experienced a single uninterrupted stretch lasting more than two hours.
Her scant and unpredictable breaks were typically devoted to checking on one specific patient¡ªa life so important, that she had been closely monitoring it throughout this hellish five-day marathon, despite her utter exhaustion.
As her hands performed intricate manoeuvres within the marine''s thoracic cavity, Karania expertly sectioned off a portion of a vital artery with surgical clamps.
With extreme care, she incised through the isolated stretch, creating an opening that granted her better access to the elusive shard of shrapnel lodged deeper within. Her hands were a textbook-like representation of focused precision, each movement calculated to minimise risk while maximising efficacy.
It was at this exact moment, amidst the life-or-death minutiae of the procedure, that a fragment of overheard conversation snatched her attention.
With her remarkable gift for unswerving focus, Karania could operate under the most dire circumstances¡ªbe it the sky collapsing overhead, bullets zipping perilously close, or even suffering grievous wounds herself. Nothing could deter her from her mission if it meant pulling another life out of the maw of her nemesis.
However, the words that now invaded her consciousness were of a different calibre altogether, and against them, even her remarkable concentration buckled, regardless of how often she tried to ignore them.
"... honestly think they''d be better off dead."
At the utterance of that phrase, Karania felt something inside her snap¡ªa searing bolt of emotion that threatened to derail her impeccable focus. It took every fibre of her being not to yank her hands out of the open cavity in the marine''s thorax and charge at the source of those words.
"Get out," she growled, her voice slicing through the thin sheets that partitioned her operating room from the other bustling sections of the field hospital.
The individual responsible for the comment seemed visibly taken aback by the sudden, almost feral command. "I mean no offence; you''re all doing your best, but some of them truly would be better off¡ª"
"OUT!" she interrupted, her voice amplified by a level of anger she rarely showed, but laced with an air of finality that brooked no argument.
"Out? Do you even know who I¡ª" the individual began, incredulous and indignant.
"Don''t care. Didn''t ask. Out, now!" Karania''s voice was ice-cold, seething with a tightly controlled rage, but it left no room for debate. It was a tone that ended conversations and terminated any notions of protest.
Regardless of the speaker''s identity, Karania''s stance was unyielding. In her operating room within the field hospital, her authority was absolute.
Even if the offending words had been spoken by the Emperor himself, her response would have remained the same. In the sanctum of her operating theatre, her command was the law, and her focus on saving lives was paramount.
For a taut moment, an indignant silence enveloped the room, as the individual weighed their inflated sense of pride against the inevitable court-martial that would result from defying Karania''s authority as a medic in this instance. Ultimately, reason¡ªor perhaps the fear of repercussions¡ªprevailed, and the person, along with their entourage, promptly exited the field hospital.
As she contended with a torrent of blinding rage, Karania found it increasingly difficult to keep her hands steady, a crucial requirement for the surgical task at hand. ''The audacity to suggest someone is "better off dead,"'' she fumed inwardly.
''Life is the ultimate gift¡ªa complex combination of unending change and endless potential! Regardless of one''s pain, suffering, or circumstances, the mere fact of being alive means that change is within reach. If anybody was ¡°better off dead¡± it would be you, you utter waste of air¡!''
Recognizing her emotional surge was compromising her professional competence, Karania took a mental step back, entering her internal sanctuary with a mere thought.
Instantly, a sense of tranquil calm washed over her as she found herself in the limitless expanse of her meticulously organised mental library.
"These emotions serve no purpose right now¡ªperhaps they never will," she muttered, as she opened a new memory vault. Methodically, she compartmentalised the preceding minute of emotional turbulence, sealing it away behind the towering door of the vault, which she closed with a resonant clang.
Emerging back into the real world, her hands regained their natural steadiness as if guided by an invisible force. The turbulent emotions of the prior exchange were now securely locked away in the depths of her mental archives.
With her composure fully restored, Karania returned to her work, the laser-like focus that defined her professionalism rekindled.
After successfully completing four more surgeries that saved the lives of her fellow marines, Karania received permission to step away for a much-needed respite. As had become her ritual over the recent days, she directed her steps toward the Intensive Care Unit to visit her most pressing concern¡ªThea.
''Can''t decide if I''m relieved you''re unconscious or not... Part of me thinks you''ve earned a serious thrashing, but damn it, I miss your presence, Thea,'' she mused internally, navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the makeshift encampment en route to the ICU.
Along the way, she accessed Thea''s medical records on her data-pad.
Her friend had been in critical care since undergoing surgery to repair her skin structure, along with multiple administrations of Cordis Z-32¡ªa neuro-regenerative agent crucial for reseating her damaged nerve endings. These procedures were necessary due to the severe Focus Overdraw Thea had experienced during the second ambush they faced on Nova Serene.
As Karania scrolled through the medical data on her pad, her eyes narrowed in puzzlement and concern. The readings were a paradox; Thea''s vital signs were stable, just like that had been for the past few days¡ªheart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation levels all within the optimal ranges.
Her GCS was an unsettling contradiction; perfect health on paper, yet unresponsive in reality. Her electroencephalogram showed normal brain wave activity, and her MRI scans displayed no signs of physical trauma to the brain. All blood work¡ªincluding CBC, metabolic panel, and even the more specific biomarkers like C-reactive protein and procalcitonin¡ªwere unremarkable.
''Why the fuck are you still unconscious, Thea? You''re not presenting any hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, there''s no indication of metabolic disarray like hyperammonemia, and your intracranial pressure is perfect,'' Karania found herself thinking, almost as if willing the medical data to offer some clue. ''It''s as though you''re just asleep, simply to spite me and my efforts; it''s driving me mad!''
If it weren''t for Staff-Sergeant Venn''s direct orders, Thea would have been transported back to headquarters along with other ICU patients requiring more specialised care.
The mobile field hospital, advancing each day in tandem with the combat companies toward Nova Teritus, was not an environment conducive for the long-term care of a coma patient.
The risks were enormous; from the potential for nosocomial infections to the inadequacy of continuous neurological monitoring, everything was a compromise.
Still, Thea remained¡ª physiologically stable but neurologically elusive, a perplexing medical puzzle that even baffled the seasoned medics and surgeons within the company¡¯s entire medical corps, who were now at Karania''s disposal, as long as they weren¡¯t otherwise preoccupied, which was often the case.
Two specific issues tormented Karania regarding Thea''s prolonged unconsciousness.
Firstly, a specific request that had surprised her when it had originally come in. She briefly commanded the System to open her [Mission] interface and selected the only available one.
| [UHF Faction Mission]
[Criticality: Prime]
[Details: Provide a detailed and full rundown on Focus Overdraws to Private Thea McKay from squad designated ¡®Sovereign Alpha¡¯ at the earliest possible moment. Information package attached.]
[Time Limit: 60 Minutes. {Timer Paused - Temporarily Impossible Request}]
[Rewards: 50 CP, 100 Merit, 15,000 System Credits.]
[Failure: Immediate Termination of UHF Marine Corps Membership.]
[Attachment: Information Package {CLAIMED}] |
Reviewing the mission brief once more, Karania couldn''t stifle a scoff at its sheer absurdity.
''They''re willing to pay me more in System Credits than I earned throughout my entire Cube Trial, all for conveying information to Thea that I was planning on sharing anyway. This is preposterous. But then again, the UHF must be desperate to protect their investment,'' she mused.
On her return journey to the site of the second ambush, Karania had scrutinised the attached information package. It was a thorough document, clarifying, among other things, that Thea''s Soul wasn''t endangered by the Focus Overdraw. The DDS had a minor safeguard in place for such cases, courtesy of the UHF¡¯s greatest minds, who had managed to integrate a protocol to assist in these cases, without violating the stringent 99.999% reality parameter.
As Karania understood it, the mechanism didn''t shortchange the System of its due Focus reclamation. Instead, the governing AIs would notify specialised medical personnel to initiate [Focus Link]s whenever a critical Overdraw was detected.
However, this intervention would only be sufficient to prevent the Soul from disintegrating; anything beyond that would necessitate halting the entire assessment, a step the UHF couldn''t afford, regardless of their high valuation of Thea.
While Thea wouldn''t necessarily have experienced ''True Death,'' Karania had her reservations about whether her friend could have endured the ordeal mentally, even given Thea''s exceptional Resolve Attribute.
Had Thea not received the complex cocktail of stimulants, medical injectors, and timely medical care that Karania provided, it was doubtful that even the UHF''s carefully engineered loophole would have been enough to save her.
Secondly, her ire was directed at her friend''s sheer recklessness¡ªactions that had led to both Karania''s own untimely death and Thea''s perilous Focus Overdraw within mere hours of the assessment beginning.
Yet, what truly infuriated Karania was an entirely different matter.
This ordeal had compelled her to violate her own self-imposed guideline: To never lock away memories or emotions associated with new friends she''d made in the UHF.
''We''ve only been in this assessment for a few hours, and you''ve already forced me to break my one fucking rule. Unbelievable, Thea!'' she fumed internally, her irritation surging at the recollection.
As Karania wrestled with her conflicting feelings, she found herself drifting back to memories of her past. Memories of her family and numerous friends back on her home planet unfurled in her mind like a tapestry.
Those relationships had deteriorated over time, casualties of her unique mental library¡ªa gift and a curse in equal measure. The library allowed her to store memories, devoid of their emotional baggage, which in turn let her focus with a clarity that made her a medical prodigy at a young age.
But the downside was equally vicious.
Each memory she stored immediately lost its emotional resonance in her mind, becoming a mere snapshot rather than a living moment. This ability to revisit and relive any memory with its full emotional impact was as tantalising as it was hazardous.
It was an addiction on a scale incomparable to any substance or experience.
The first time her parents had openly expressed pride in her, the first time her friends had affectionately called her ''Kara,'' the first life she had saved¡ªall were preserved in the memory vaults, too compelling to resist revisiting. Over the years, this cycle had led to the emotional desensitisation of every relationship, every memory and every connection she''d ever had.
It wasn''t until she had been mentored by one of the foremost experts in the medical field available on her planet, Prof. Doc. Ariane Vildea, that she had realised the gravity of the decisions she had made.
Her mentor had taught her that while her unique mental faculties were a powerful asset, they could also be a ruinous liability if not handled with care.
Just to break the addiction, to automatically compartmentalise any and all memories and emotions in her vaults to relive whenever she pleased, had required her mentor to lock her away in isolation for multiple years on-end; to fully isolate her from any new connections to store away until she had forgotten how to do so in the first place.
What followed had been years of strenuous learning and exercises to slowly learn how to handle emotions again, something she hadn¡¯t had to deal with since a very young age. It left her volatile, as she still struggled with that to this day, but she preferred it over the alternative¡ªthe loss of any ability to form meaningful connections.
That brutal lesson was why Karania had imposed a rule on herself, backed by her mentor¡¯s warnings, teachings and words, not to lock away memories or emotions when it came to new friendships in the UHF¡ªa rule that her relationship with Thea had now forced her to break.
No amount of meditation or psychological tutoring would have been capable of letting her forget the screams of agony, the pleading of her friend to kill her, that had come with Thea¡¯s severe Focus Overdraw. Her only option to not suffer lasting psychological issues from that experience had been her vault.
And so, as she found herself entangled in this emotional web, her vexation boiled over.
''Thea, you have no idea just how much you''ve cost me,'' she thought bitterly, the emotional gravity of the moment etching itself permanently in her mind, one she felt compelled to lock away deep inside of a vault in her mental library.
Just as the compulsion threatened to overwhelm her, Karania realised she had already arrived in the room where Thea was under surveillance.
¡®Figures¡ Walk a path too many times and you get so used to it that you don¡¯t even realise you¡¯re walking it¡¡¯ she reflected.
Her gaze shifted back to her data-pad, reigniting her desire to sequester the troublesome thoughts. Like a relapsed addict confronted with a dose, her old dependency resurfaced with a vengeance. Beads of sweat formed on her temple, her body trembled subtly, and her mind was embroiled in a ceaseless internal struggle.
''Just this once¡ªthis will be the last one. I can''t afford these negative thoughts about Thea, my only friend here. She''s too important to me; I don''t truly resent her,'' she reasoned.
Venturing once more into her mental library, she fashioned a small vault, just large enough to contain the single vexing thought. But as she reached to deposit the memory, her mentor''s stern voice arrested her actions.
"Karania, you''re above this. You don''t need these emotional crutches. Emotions¡ªboth good and bad¡ªare integral to life. Conflict with friends isn''t detrimental; feeling anger toward them isn''t either. These experiences shape you, help you evolve into the person you''re destined to become. If you keep locking away your emotions, you''ll find yourself perpetually isolated, no matter how hard you try to connect to others. Don''t seal it away, Karania."
With a guttural cry of mental torment, Karania hurled the small vault into the depths of her mental library, standing frozen as she caught her breath.
''My mentor is right. She''s always right. I don''t need to do this.''
Yet, as she retreated from her internal sanctuary, a magnetic pull beckoned her back, urging her to lock away the thought once and for all.
Her mentor''s counsel struggled to remain dominant in her mind.
''It''s only this one time. I won''t repeat it. Even the Professor would understand this one, single exception,'' she rationalised.
A fleeting pause engulfed her as she realised she was justifying a poor choice. She recognized her folly, yet felt powerless to avert it.
Tears began streaming down Karania''s face, the stress of her inner turmoil and emotional discord becoming insurmountable.
Just as she was on the brink of succumbing, poised to re-enter her mental library and consign the troubling thought to oblivion, a frail, concerned voice pierced her internal chaos, shattering every thought and errant emotion.
"K...Kara?"
Arc 1 - Chapter 61 - Conflicting Emotions
As Thea slowly regained awareness, her inner eye was inundated with a stream of messages, each punctuated by the unmistakable chime of the Allbright System notifications, startling her into full, albeit severely groggy, wakefulness.
| [System]: Messages have been grouped by related content for streamlined reading. To revert to the raw format, Participant may adjust settings using the standard procedures. |
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[System]: You have received 77 Contribution Points, 83 System Merit and 274 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 41 Contribution Points, 54 System Merit and 212 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Survive the Ambush¡±.
[System]: You have received 75 Contribution Points, 125 System Merit and 540 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have completed Silver-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Knack for Sabotage¡±.
[System]: You have completed Silver-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Fledgeling Scout¡±.
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[System]: You have received 83 Contribution Points, 106 System Merit and 442 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 258 Contribution Points, 134 System Merit and 826 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have reached Level 5.
[System]: You have gained 4 Unspent Attribute Points.
[System]: HP Resource maximum increased by 10.
[System]: Focus Resource maximum increased by 10.
[System]: Stamina Resource maximum increased by 10.
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Survive the Ambush - Again¡±.
[System]: You have received 150 Contribution Points, 210 System Merit and 1,550 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have completed Silver-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Fledgeling Infiltrator¡±.
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[System]: You have received 134 Contribution Points, 142 System Merit and 656 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have reached Level 6.
[System]: You have gained 4 Unspent Attribute Points.
[System]: You have received 156 Contribution Points, 187 System Merit and 961 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Destroy the Artillery¡±.
[System]: You have received 250 Contribution Points, 450 System Merit and 4,565 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have completed Gold-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Unseen Death¡±.
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[System]: Vitality has increased by 0.01 points.
[System]: Vitality has increased by 0.01 points.
[System]: The Participant¡¯s Blueprint has been updated.
[System]: The Strength Attribute distribution within the Participant¡¯s body has been adjusted.
[System]: The Vitality Attribute distribution within the Participant¡¯s body has been adjusted.
[System]: The Finesse Attribute distribution within the Participant¡¯s body has been adjusted.
[System]: Vitality has increased by 0.01 points.
[System]: Recovery has increased by 0.01 points.
[System]: Recovery has increased by 0.01 points.
[System]: The Participant¡¯s Blueprint has been updated.
[System]: ¡°Shell Modifications¡± interface now available.
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 1.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 1.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 1.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 2.
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 2.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 1.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 2.
[System]: Agile Stealth has reached Level 3.
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 2.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 2.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 2.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 3.
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 3.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 2.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 3.
|
Overwhelmed by the torrent of information flooding her inner eye, Thea struggled to make sense of what had transpired.
She was grateful that she was lying on what felt like a comfortable bed; had she been sitting or standing, the barrage of System Notifications could have easily disrupted her ability to stay upright.
Although the notifications were designed to be as translucent as they needed to be for any given moment, minimising their obstructive potential almost entirely, their sheer number would have inevitably shattered her focus on any other task.
''Seriously¡ What the fuck just happened?'' Thea wondered groggily. After a brief moment of groggy non-recognition, Thea focused intently on her own mind and started shaking off her mental fog, before resolving herself to assess her current circumstances.
''Priority one: Check my [Status] and see what''s up. That should give me a good one-stop look at everything that¡¯s changed. Once I''ve done that, I can figure out where I am and what happened to me. Step by step. Slow and methodical, Thea.''
With a brief mental command, she pulled up her full [Status & Currencies] interface.
|
[Status, Attributes & Currencies]:
Thea McKay - Level 6.78 - Contribution Points: 417.55 / 533 - Unspent Attribute Points: 8
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 225 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 7.39 | 5.28 (+40%)
Resolve: 8.35 | 5.97 (+40%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked 22.56/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
System Credits: 10,338
System Merit: 1,795
|
With her eyes clenched shut, every fibre of Thea''s being fought the instinct to snap them open in disbelief as she digested the avalanche of data bombarding her inner eye. ''Level 6?! And I gained how many Credits and Merits?! You''ve got to be absolutely shitting me!''
A wave of excitement surged through her, and she clenched her fists involuntarily. Her muscles tensed, but she exerted iron self-control to keep her physical body as still as a statue, a deceptive mask of tranquillity. Without knowing where she was, Thea did not want to risk being found out.
''Wait, there''s a bonus to my Strength? Where in the world did that come from?'' Her thoughts whirled, her mind grappling to make sense of her newfound reality.
Memories from before her black-out flickered into her consciousness, like scenes from a fragmented movie reel. ''The mission was to eliminate an artillery outpost... Morin, Einor, and Vi were with me...''
When her thoughts touched upon Viladia''s name, a surge of potent, primal rage bubbled up from her chest. It was a molten wave of emotion, almost overwhelming in its intensity. Again, her mental resolve came into play; she reined in the emotion, swallowing it down, lest her body betray her emotional turmoil.
''What just happened there¡?¡¯ Thea mused, stunned by the forceful wave of emotion she felt toward her recent ally. Despite her attempts to dissect the origins of such strong feelings, she found no clear answers.
Shaking off the bewilderment, she refocused on the main task at hand: Piecing together the events that had led her to her current predicament.
¡®I had them covered. We demolished the outpost. Then...darkness?''
Gauzy images of Stellar Republic soldiers launching an assault on her position swam through her mind, their forms blurry and indistinct, as if she were reliving the experience through a lens smeared with fog.
Despite the confusion and the sheer amount of unanswered questions, she remained physically immobile, a picture of serenity, even as her internal world was anything but.
As she endeavoured to extract more from her memory, a piercing headache bore into her skull, as if punishing her for her curiosity. ''Ah, fuck! I won''t figure this out without first knowing where I actually am, will I? I need someone to clue me in¡''
Cautiously, Thea began to shift her heightened perception toward the environment surrounding her, taking painstaking care not to betray any signs of consciousness.
James had made painstakingly sure to etch certain protocols into her mind for situations like this. "Be smart. Be resourceful. Don''t tip your hand too soon, and whatever you do, never give away anything for free. Bargain¡ªtrade information for vital resources like food and water; things that will facilitate your escape. A starved or dehydrated prisoner has no chance of surviving, much less of getting out."
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Taking this survival wisdom to heart, Thea first honed in on her sense of smell and hearing, the senses least likely to give her away.
She meticulously honed in on her sense of smell, working through the layers of scent in the air as if peeling back the pages of a dense, mysterious book.
Initially, her nose was overwhelmed by the aggressive smell of disinfectant, a harsh chemical aroma that pervaded the space. Alongside it was the unmistakable tinge of sweat¡ªhuman exertion¡ªpossibly a clue about the presence of others in the vicinity. Focusing more intently on this particular one, however, Thea quickly realised it was her own with a frown.
As she consciously chose to ignore those initial smells, new olfactory sensations came into focus. The metallic scent of dried blood mingled with the clinical aroma of sterile fabric.
Medical attention had been given here, and recently.
Once she filtered those out, a more organic scent layer emerged. She detected the earthy fragrance of damp soil and the unmistakable aroma of trees¡ªbark, leaves, and all. She was somewhere close to nature, or at least, she had been at some point very recently, before waking up.
As she pushed her sensory capabilities, she couldn''t help but marvel at her ability to selectively focus on and blend out various scents. ¡®Is this possible because of my high Perception¡? I¡¯m pretty sure I wasn¡¯t able to do that before¡ Not that I¡¯m complaining. This is fucking awesome!¡¯
Finally, when she felt she had isolated and catalogued all of the immediate smells, a final, faint aroma caught her attention. A subtle, floral aroma that evoked a sense of calm and familiarity within her, yet its exact origin eluded her.
She had encountered this particular scent before, but where? A delicate blend of petals and nectar that somehow seemed more personal, more intimate than the other scents.
Thea strained her memory, sifting through past experiences in an attempt to identify the subtle floral aroma that now teased her senses.
Her memory had always been one of her strongest attributes¡ªcapable of holding onto the most minute details with astonishing clarity. On a focused day, she could replay entire conversations in her head, word-for-word, visualising the setting with almost photographic precision. Yet even with this remarkable gift, she found herself thwarted.
Despite her best efforts, the origin of the fragrance remained frustratingly elusive. She started to wonder if the scent had been a fleeting backdrop to other, more pressing memories, rather than something she had consciously noted. It seemed to be a subtle accompaniment that hadn''t lodged itself into her mind with the same assertive presence as other details had.
Disappointed but resolute, Thea continued to peel back additional layers of scent, as if each was a veil hiding some vital clue.
Next, her nose picked up a clean, soapy aroma, as if something¡ªor somewhere¡ªhad been freshly laundered or scrubbed. The scent was in stark contrast to the previous ones, almost as if it was challenging her to make sense of these incongruent pieces.
Pushing the boundaries of her exceptional Perception, Thea felt the mounting pressure of her headache intensify, as if her mind were stretching taut like an overburdened wire. Yet, she steeled herself for one last effort, resolved to set aside the clean, soapy scent that had most recently registered in her senses.
Her goal: To glean one final clue about her immediate surroundings, a last fragment that could be the keystone in the puzzle she was frantically assembling.
As Thea honed her focus to an almost razor-sharp point, she detected something subtly different¡ªan aroma that was slightly salty, tinged with an elusive element she couldn''t quite place. It wasn''t a scent that registered as distinct or recognizable, but something more primal, a scent that bypassed rational thought and went straight to the base of her brain, eliciting an unbidden feeling of unease; of worry.
Confounded and slightly alarmed, she couldn''t make heads or tails of this enigmatic aroma.
Realising she''d hit the limit of her stretched Perception, she released her mental blocks.
Instantly, her sense of smell was bombarded by the familiar, overpowering smell of disinfectant, as if it were a dam that had just burst. Simultaneously, she felt the tension of her headache dissipate, as if washed away by the flood of more easily recognizable scents.
Holding back an almost involuntary sigh of relief, Thea quickly shifted her attention to her sense of hearing.
''With all the sensory clues I''ve gathered from the smells, adding sound data into the mix should definitely give me more to work with,'' she thought hopefully, her frustrations of being unable to properly use her sense of smell to get much of a clue of what was happening around her, still fresh in the back of her mind.
She began by stripping away the layers of ambient sound, starting with the most immediate.
The mechanical whirring and beeping of machines around her became the first layer she filtered out, followed by the biological symphony of her own body¡ªthe steady thump of her heartbeat, the swish of blood coursing through her veins, and the subtle hum of her organs functioning.
Yet, she noticed a conspicuous absence¡ªthe sound of blood circulating through her right hand was missing.
A bolt of alarm surged through her. ''What is wrong with my hand?!''
But she quickly suppressed that thread of thought, reminding herself that she needed to prioritise. ''Stay focused, Thea. One thing after another. I need to figure out where I am, then we can figure out what¡¯s wrong with my hand. The [Status] said I¡¯m fully healthy, so I should be fine.''
Turning her Perception outward again, she mentally sifted through the subtler sounds.
Faint footsteps echoed in the distance, the soft cadence suggesting a measured pace. She also discerned the murmurs of conversation¡ªindistinct, but very much there. She strained her ears, almost feeling like she could parse the words if she focused just a bit harder.
''Machines, footsteps and conversation? Am I in a medical facility¡? Or maybe a holding cell of some kind?'' The questions whirled through her mind. But with her attention focused so keenly on each detail, she knew she was assembling the puzzle, piece by piece.
And more importantly, she felt like she was getting closer to the finish line.
As she continued to peel back the layers of sound, Thea''s ears picked up something new¡ªa faint rustling of leaves in the wind. It was so subtle she might have missed it if not for her sharpened senses. ''Leaves? That combined with the earthy and woody smells from before... I must be in a forest,'' she reasoned.
A notion dawned on her. ''The Azure Forest? But that¡¯s controlled by the Stellar Republic, last I checked.''
A jolt of alarm mixed with disbelief tightened her chest. ''Did I really manage to get captured on my first mission?! James is so gonna kill me¡''
The urgency of the situation became apparent to her immediately, and she put those thoughts aside, focusing intently on filtering through more layers of sound. She sifted through one layer, then another, her mental senses narrowing to a pinpoint.
Then she heard it¡ªa heart beating, not her own, coming from just metres away from where she lay. It was a controlled, steady rhythm but unmistakably close.
Someone was in the room with her.
The realisation made her freeze, every muscle in her body tensing involuntarily.
She kept her breathing steady, willing every part of her to remain as still as a statue. ''Okay, I''m not alone. Whoever they are, I can''t let on that I''m awake,'' she thought, her mind racing.
Thea reminded herself of her plan to regain her composure, ''First, I had to gather information, now I have to decide how to use it. Very, very carefully.''
Intently homing in on the location of the heartbeat, Thea channelled all her sensory perception toward extracting any additional information she could glean from it.
As Thea narrowed her focus on the heartbeat, the faint sound of rushing blood began to fill her ears. A headache pounded at the edges of her consciousness, signalling that she was pushing the bounds of her perception to its absolute limit.
For a fleeting moment, the heartbeat she was attuned to quickened, an ephemeral skip, before settling back into a steady rhythm.
That momentary fluctuation pulled at the fringes of her memory, like a fading echo calling out to be recognized. She channelled every scrap of her concentration, meshing her present sensory data with fragments of past memories. The task was akin to weaving an intricate tapestry in her mind, each thread of information and memory finding its rightful place.
And then it clicked¡ªthe tempo, the slight acceleration, and the subtle nuances in the beat.
She knew this heartbeat; it was almost as familiar to her as her own.
It was the exact rhythm she had subconsciously registered from Karania during their interactions and many hours spent together. Her mind suddenly catapulted back to the opening ceremony, the first moment she''d met Karania.
She remembered how Karania had leaned in to examine her cyan eyes, and how the faint floral aroma of her perfume had graced her senses.
Realisation flooded Thea like a tidal wave. She wasn''t in a prison; she was in some form of medical facility.
But most crucially, Karania was in the room with her.
Every disjointed piece of information, every sensory clue, every fragmented memory, they all snapped into a coherent picture. Despite the many questions still swirling in her mind, one thing was abundantly clear: She was not alone.
Karania was with her, and that meant safety, at least for the moment.
With the utmost caution, Thea gently fluttered open her eyes, not wanting to make any abrupt movements that might give her away.
Despite the clues she''d pieced together, there was still a part of her that questioned the accuracy of her senses. As much as she yearned for them to be right, she was prepared for the worst.
However, what she saw next stopped her cold, sending her heart into a crushing grip of an emotion she couldn''t even begin to name.
The Karania she knew¡ªthe unwaveringly stoic and perpetually cheerful Karania¡ªwas crying.
Discarding all caution and filled with sudden concern, Thea made a swift attempt to sit up, but failed as her body refused to heed her commands. Her voice emerged as a hoarse, fractured whisper as she managed to stammer, "K...Kara?"
Karania''s face, marred by trails of tears, snapped upward, her eyes locking onto Thea''s weakened figure.
Without a moment''s hesitation, she rushed to the bedside, her voice tinged with both surprise and relief as she exclaimed, "Thea! You''re awake!"
But before Thea could formulate a response, Karania''s fingers were already flying over her data-pad at an astonishing speed, pausing only to scrutinise the information she had just pulled up.
Thea observed that Karania had reverted to her usual composed demeanour, the earlier visage of tear-streaked despair vanishing as quickly as it had appeared¡ªlike tears lost to the rain.
Before she could even part her lips to speak, Thea saw Karania give one final, decisive nod. Lowering her data-pad, Karania''s eyes met Thea''s once more, her gaze fixated.
Just as their eyes locked, a stinging slap suddenly landed across Thea''s face, the sound reverberating through the room.
For a split second, she was stunned, her cheek ablaze and her thoughts scrambled. Before she could react or form a coherent thought, Karania lunged forward and enveloped her in a warm, secure hug.
"You''re a fucking moron, Thea. A complete, utter moron of unfathomable proportions, that does not deserve to be alive right now," Karania muttered into her ear. Then, softening her voice, she added, "But I still missed you. Welcome back."
Thea was a whirlpool of emotions¡ªconfused, her cheek still smarting from the slap, yet inexplicably comforted by Karania''s embrace.
She had never been much for hugs, her experience limited to the occasional embraces she''d shared with Thomas and James back on Lumiosia. But in that moment, cocooned in Karania''s arms, she couldn''t deny the sense of warmth and security that enveloped her. It was a strange juxtaposition of feelings¡ªpain and comfort coexisting¡ªbut somehow, it felt exactly right.
Summoning her willpower, Thea tried to lift her arms to return the hug. They felt sluggish, heavy, as if weighed down by invisible anchors. Gritting her teeth, she focused, managing to lift her arms bit by bit, until finally, her hands met Karania''s back.
Just as she was about to exhale a sigh of relief, her entire being seized with a jolt of terror¡ªsomething was profoundly wrong with her right hand.
The sensation was uncanny.
Although her hand¡¯s signals mimicked the feeling of skin and muscle, there was a cold, mechanical detachment to it. A tactile void, like an emotional gap, seemed to separate this hand from the rest of her body. The flesh felt devoid of the natural warmth, the delicate network of nerves, and the intricate movements she''d always taken for granted.
And yet, it was almost disturbingly similar¡ªa simulacrum of the hand she had known, like an actor performing a role to eerie perfection.
Even the very weight of it felt different, subtly off, in a way that gnawed at the back of her mind. It was as if she''d become detached from a part of herself, estranged yet bound to this strange new appendage that rested on Karania''s back, outside her own view.
Karania sensed Thea''s sudden freeze and tightened her embrace, as if trying to shield her from the unnerving reality she was about to face.
Pulling back slightly, but still holding onto Thea, she began to explain with a weighted seriousness. "Listen, Thea. There are some changes with your body that we couldn''t avoid... We had to replace parts of your jaw with bionics, and your entire right hand was replaced with a cybernetic one. Your hand was completely destroyed¡ªmelted off and torn apart. We couldn''t even begin to figure out how to save parts, much less all of it."
She paused for a moment, her gaze searching Thea''s eyes for understanding before continuing, "Don''t worry, these can be reverted back to their natural state... just not here. Not during the assessment. You''ll have to make do with them for now."
She went on, "Staff-Sergeant Venn made sure to get you the best of the best that HQ had on offer. He promised they''d feel fairly normal, but I knew you''d notice the difference right away... You''ve always been perceptive, after all."
Karania''s face softened. "I''m glad you woke up while I was here, Thea. If you have any questions, I''ll do my best to answer them. Your vital signs are all in the clear, so you should be okay. But you might continue to feel slightly weakened. You''ve been in a coma for nearly five days..."
As Karania spoke, Thea''s thoughts whirred, trying to digest the avalanche of information. The reality was surreal, almost too much to handle, but having Karania there to guide her through it offered a strange sense of comfort amidst the upheaval.
Gently pulling her hand away from Karania, she raised it into her line of sight¡ªshe had to confirm it for herself.
The hand that replaced her original one was nothing short of an engineering masterpiece.
It sported a sleek, muted silver surface that appeared to seamlessly flow from her wrist, embodying a futuristic elegance.
The hand''s joints were intricately designed, looking as if they had been crafted by an artisan in painstaking effort rather than mass-produced. The construction was flawless, leaving no visible screws or seams, as if it were downright sculpted rather than assembled.
Adding a layer of ethereal beauty, the hand featured accents of iridescent, multi-colored hues that shimmered subtly when they caught the light¡ªhints of cerulean, fiery orange, and verdant green that pulsed like far-off nebulas.
These colourful highlights immediately suggested the incorporation of System Materials to Thea, having seen these peculiar hues in a dozen different pieces of equipment over the recent days. The blend of traditional metals and System Materials not only gave it a cutting-edge look but likely contributed to its exceptional functionality.
It was technology elevated to art, a marvel that would usually provoke awe and excitement from her tech-savvy self. Yet, the complexities of the situation dulled what would have been her typical reaction. Even so, she couldn''t entirely suppress her admiration for the genius that went into crafting such a hand, which was undoubtedly leagues ahead of any cybernetic implant she had ever encountered.
As she flexed the mechanical fingers, she could feel the fluidity and precision in their movement. It felt almost natural, yet it was accompanied by a faint hum of servos and the subtle clinks of metal against metal. Each digit had an impressive range of motion, responding almost intuitively to the neural commands she sent. When she clenched her fist, she felt a responsive strength that betrayed the hand''s delicate appearance; a strength she could swear was beyond what her old hand had been able to exude.
Yet, for all its technological brilliance, it wasn''t her hand.
As she manipulated the mechanical fingers, trying out different grips and movements, she couldn''t shake the odd sensation that it was simultaneously a part of her and something entirely alien.
The texture was different; there was no warmth of skin, no subtle give of muscle or tug of tendon. Everything was precise, calculated, mechanical¡ªattributes that thrilled the tech-loving corners of her soul but also left her feeling disconnected and somewhat bereft.
The reality of her situation began to sink in, overpowering her initial excitement over the technological marvel now attached to her arm.
The sense of loss was palpable, a hole in her being that this incredible piece of engineering, for all its capabilities, couldn''t truly fill¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 62 - Catching Up
Karania broke the contemplative silence that had enveloped Thea as she grappled with the reality of her new cybernetic hand. "Listen, Thea. I know this is an overwhelming experience, and I wish... I should''ve been there to warn you about the concoction of meds I had to administer. If I had¡ª"
Thea interjected, her voice tinged with a resolute steeliness, "Kara, stop. I melted my hand off to save Isabella. No amount of forewarning on your part could have altered that outcome."
Determined to quash any budding feelings of inadequacy in her friend, she continued, "From what I gathered after waking up, you literally died to save me. How could I be angry with you for not briefing me? Yeah, a heads-up would''ve been nice, but you couldn''t have given me one from the respawn pod, could you?"
At this, Karania''s eyebrow arched in mild surprise.
"Thea, you did read the medical report I compiled for you, right? The report you''re supposed to review if you''re uncertain about your condition after medical intervention?"
It hit Thea like a bolt of lightning, the sudden realisation that she had entirely neglected that crucial aspect of Basic Training.
"Um..." she stammered, at a loss for a proper response. How could she defend herself when she had blatantly disregarded one of the most elementary protocols instilled during Basic?
Unable to contain herself, Karania burst into a hearty chuckle, the sound resonating warmly in the room. The laughter made Thea''s heart quicken just a fraction.
''I really did miss having you around, Kara,'' Thea mused silently, watching as her friend wiped away the remnants of earlier tears from her eyes.
''Wait, those tears! I haven''t asked Kara what that was all about,'' a thought flickered through Thea''s mind, hitting her with a jolt of realisation.
Navigating this particular topic, however, posed a dilemma for her.
Karania wasn''t one to easily display emotions, so bringing up the moment of vulnerability could be like treading on thin ice. Back in the undercity, if anyone had seen Thea shed tears like Karania had earlier, she would have been mortified; downright scared.
Perhaps it would be better to let it slide, pretend it never happened?
On the other hand, Karania was her friend, and friendship meant being there for each other during the tough times¡ªor so said the galaxynet article Thea had stumbled upon prior to their first shopping trip.
Mustering all her knowledge on emotional nuance, Thea delicately broached the subject.
"Kara, when I first woke up, you seemed...distraught. Everything alright?"
''Nailed it,'' Thea mentally congratulated herself, feeling a surge of pride in her ability to extend an emotional olive branch to her friend.
"Ah, don''t worry about it. It was nothing," Karania responded almost instantaneously, her words stopping Thea''s self-congratulatory train of thought in its tracks.
A new conundrum had already unfolded before her.
''Okay, this is more complicated than I thought. Should I press further? Or respect her wishes and let it go since she said it''s not a big deal?'' Thea mused, her mind a battlefield of conflicting instincts.
She found herself torn between two compelling desires.
On one hand, her innate curiosity and concern pushed her to probe deeper into what had stirred the usually unflappable Karania into an emotional state severe enough to manifest tears.
But on the flip side, there was a respectful, almost deferential urge to take her friend''s words at face value¡ªto honour the implied boundary and not pry into an obviously sensitive issue. After all, the article had similarly stated that friends should trust each other.
Did this fall under that particular purview?
As she was grappling with this internal debate, weighing the pros and cons of each approach, the decision was abruptly made for her. Karania seamlessly shifted the topic of conversation, rendering Thea''s indecisiveness moot.
"There''s something critical we need to discuss, Thea. I need you to listen closely; it''s a matter of utmost importance not only to me but to UHF Command as well," Karania began, her tone brimming with urgency. The sheer gravitas in her voice instantly commanded Thea''s full attention, sweeping away her previous reservations and concerns like chaff in the wind.
"You remember feeling off before you took out the Stellar Republic''s stealth-illusion generator, right?" Karania pressed. "I saw you waver a little. At first, I assumed it was minor, perhaps some fleeting dizziness. But the events that followed proved me gravely mistaken."
Her questioning gaze met Thea''s, prompting a quick nod in response. ''Yes, I remember, and yeah, I did feel slightly off,'' Thea thought, growing increasingly uneasy as she awaited Karania''s next words.
"That makes sense now," Karania muttered, almost to herself, before locking eyes with Thea once more.
"You see, by the time you unleashed your [Penetrative Shot], your Focus was already below zero. You overdrew on your Focus so drastically that I had to administer two focus-boosting injections, and pump you full of various stims and drugs just to stabilise you. We''re talking almost a thousand credits spent on medical supplies alone, Thea."
Thea''s heart rate accelerated. ''A thousand credits? Just to get me stable?!'' she thought, gripping the edge of the bed.
"But that''s not the most terrifying part," Karania continued, her eyes widening with gravitas.
"Overdrawing your Focus isn''t as benign as simply passing out, Thea. The System doesn''t appreciate lending out more resources than you''ve earned. When you overdrew your Focus, it clawed it back¡ªnot metaphorically, but literally. From your cells and from your very atoms, Thea!"
The words hit Thea like a sledgehammer. ''My cells and atoms?!''
"You were at the precipice of death. And I''m not talking about the garden-variety ''Oh, I got shot'' kind of dying," Karania intensified her tone, "Your Soul was unravelling, Thea. If it weren''t for the UHF''s minuscule failsafe they snuck into the DDS, your Soul could''ve disintegrated, killing you permanently."
Thea felt her chest tighten.
Her Soul?!
This was far beyond the simple unconsciousness she had experienced back in the Cube Trial.
"Thank the UHF for managing to sneak that failsafe into the DDS and the medical supplies I had on hand," Karania carried on, "because if not, your Focus Overdraw would''ve been your end¡ªirreversibly. I also administered that amnestic, which likely caused some issues for you, for a very good reason. You were in excruciating, reality-altering pain, Thea. Your cells were being torn apart at an atomic level; your body was literally liquefying in my arms."
Thea felt sick, her stomach a swirling vortex of nausea and dread.
"I had to sew your skin back onto you and reset every bone in your face just to make you look remotely human! You were this close to killing yourself permanently, Thea!"
Thea felt the weight of Karania''s words settle into her bones, each syllable a hefty stone added to the gravity of her actions. Her friend''s emotion-laden revelations left her speechless, reeling in the face of her own near-catastrophe.
Suddenly, the memory of the stinging slap she received upon waking flashed across Thea''s mind. A cascade of realisation unfolded within her as she pieced it all together. "Is that why you slapped me when I woke up?" she asked, her voice taking on a hollow, subdued quality.
"Because I acted like an utter idiot, putting not just myself in mortal danger, but getting you killed in the process, too?"
Karania''s features contorted briefly, cycling through a spectrum of emotions before finally settling on a gentle smile. "Yes, Thea, that''s precisely why. You needed a solid dose of reality¡ªa physical jolt to snap you out of your reckless mindset, because clearly, no one else has been able to!"
Her expression shifted, becoming earnest, "Now, promise me, no more Focus Overdraws. I don''t have the resources to pull off that kind of medical miracle again!"
Thea felt the sincerity and urgency in her friend''s voice. She didn''t hesitate.
"I promise. I didn''t realise the stakes were this high... During the Cube Trial, when I overdrew, all that happened was that I passed out. Maybe it was because Orion¡ªthe squad medic with me at the time¡ªdid something? Or maybe it''s because I didn''t have Abilities that required a significant amount of Focus back then¡? I mostly relied on my Psychic powers."
As she spoke, she noticed Karania''s eyes, which had momentarily drifted to her data-pad, snap back to her with alarming swiftness. "Wait, you overdrew your Focus during the Cube Trial as well?! Then why the FUCK didn''t the UHF warn you about this during orientation?! They knew you had this dangerous tendency, and they allowed you to walk right into it again?!"
Karania''s voice transmuted into a guttural growl, her eyes blazing with a fiery mix of disbelief and indignation. The air in the room seemed to thicken, almost crackling with the intensity of her outrage.
Just as Karania''s body tensed, muscles coiling like springs ready to launch her from her seat, Thea''s keen Perception picked up on the slight movements. Before her friend could storm out of the room, likely to interrogate the first officer she''d come across, Thea reached out, gripping Karania''s arm with her new cybernetic hand.
"Kara, wait," Thea''s voice was steady, yet tinged with an undertone of urgency despite her hoarse and meek tenor. "We don''t know the full story here. Why the UHF didn''t warn me¡ªor anyone else, for that matter¡ªcould have a host of reasons behind it. Don¡¯t go slapping some poor officer around¡ Please?"
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Karania looked down at Thea''s hand, then back into her eyes, the fiery blaze gradually extinguishing. She took a couple of deep, calming breaths, easing back into her seat. "You''re right," she finally said, her voice noticeably softer.
"The UHF does have its reasons for the information they choose to disseminate, particularly during the first week. Time is an extremely limited resource. They cram that week full of essential training meant to keep us alive in extreme circumstances¡ªlike if The Sovereign had to crash-land on a hostile planet."
"So, you''re saying the reason they don''t explain the risks of a Focus Overdraw to everyone is...time?" Thea questioned, somewhat incredulous. "But isn''t this something that could cost lives? Why isn''t it deemed important enough?"
Karania sighed.
"From their perspective, it''s not considered a high-priority issue mainly because it''s quite literally impossible for a Recruit to cause a Focus Overdraw. The System generally doesn¡¯t allow you to use Abilities that you don¡¯t have enough Resources for. That''s the default setting for everyone."
Thea''s brows furrowed in confusion. "But I''m a Recruit. How did I manage to¡ª"
Karania cut her off. "Exactly, Thea. That''s what makes your case unusual, and likely why they didn''t think to warn you. They probably didn''t consider that someone like you¡ªstill officially a Recruit¡ªcould pull off such a dangerous feat¡¡±
Taking another measured breath, Karania leaned in closer, her eyes intent on Thea''s as she continued. "Listen, there are generally three different avenues through which you can overdraw your Focus, and each comes with its own set of unique dangers.
¡°First, if you wield Psychic Abilities and push them beyond the limit of your Psychic Resource, your Focus will be converted to sustain them. Let me clarify, it''s not a one-to-one exchange; the conversion rate is horrendous, almost exploitative. You would have to strain yourself to an unimaginable degree to reach a point where permanent death even becomes a factor."
She paused for a second, ensuring that the gravity of her words settled in, then went on.
"Secondly, you could access a Gold-rarity Ability, one that''s been modified by a Major Alteration¡ªyes, those exist. I''d speculate that you''d encounter something like this around Level 10, based on the Minor Alteration you acquired for your SO at Level 5, wouldn''t you agree?"
Before Thea could nod, Karania continued, "And lastly, there''s the use of [Focus Link] or its derivative Abilities. But that''s Medic territory, not something you''d normally have to worry about. However, these pathways aren''t enough on their own; there''s another key ingredient that ties them together¡ªmental fortitude."
Karania''s gaze became more piercing as she went on.
"You see, the System doesn''t just let you casually overdraw. It puts up a fight, throwing up obstacle after obstacle to dissuade you. You have to push back, overpowering its safety features, and for that, you need an extraordinary level of Resolve. I suspect that''s where you come in, Thea. Your unusually high Resolve Attribute enables you to push past these barriers with relative ease, even as a Recruit."
Karania''s voice tapered off, leaving a lingering echo in the small space between them.
Her eyes scanned Thea''s face, almost as if searching for a hidden answer to an unasked question. Thea felt the weight of Karania''s revelation press against her, a complex tapestry of dread, enlightenment, and curiosity unfurling within her.
It was as if a new layer of danger¡ªand responsibility¡ªhad been added to her existence, made all the more poignant by Karania''s impassioned delivery.
"So, if I''m understanding correctly, the UHF Command didn''t anticipate that I could overdraw my Focus so dramatically? They assumed my Resolve would still be at Recruit level and, therefore, insufficient for such an overdraw?" Thea sought clarification, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to piece the puzzle together.
"That''s my educated guess," Karania confirmed, her own expression mirroring Thea''s scepticism.
"It sounds like a stupid justification, honestly, but I can''t think of another reason that holds water. The alternative would be that they simply forgot to inform you, which¡ªlet''s be real¡ªthat would border on gross negligence, wouldn''t it?"
A weighted silence fell between them, the air thick with unsaid words and unanswered questions. It was Karania who broke the silence. Clapping her hands together with a reinvigorated smile, she announced, "Looks like that was enough! Thank you, Thea!"
Confused, Thea arched an eyebrow. "Enough for what?"
Karania quickly flicked her data-pad around to share the screen with Thea. "I had a ''Prime'' criticality mission to inform you about the mechanics of Focus Overdraw. We''ve just ticked off all the quest requirements."
Thea looked at the screen and her eyes widened. The rewards were ludicrously generous¡ªthe System Credits amount especially¡ªall for what essentially amounted to explaining something that should''ve been clarified to her in the first place.
For a moment, she felt a twinge of indignation. But then, remembering the ''Survive the Ambush - Again'' mission notification she had glimpsed among the flood of system alerts upon waking up, she felt relieved. If her recklessness had cost Karania any rewards on that mission, at least this windfall might compensate for it.
"Wow, that''s quite the haul for a simple explanation," Thea mused, but her eyes met Karania''s and she smiled genuinely. "But you deserve it, Kara. Especially considering you''ve been picking up my slack lately¡"
"Absolutely, I deserve it!" Karania exclaimed, her voice tinged with mock arrogance but her eyes sparkling with sincerity.
"I''ll stock up on some extra focus boosters next time we hit a supply depot. By now, I think I know you well enough to say that your promise not to overdraw will last only as long as you don''t find a compelling reason to break it."
Though her tone carried a note of mild irritation, she concluded with a playful wink.
Inside, Thea bristled a little. Why was Karania misjudging her like this?
She wouldn''t dare to overdraw her Focus again, especially knowing the horrendous repercussions.
Well, unless there was a life-or-death situation.
Or a perfect opportunity to score high on a mission.
I mean, they''d established that a small overdraw wouldn''t lead to permanent death, so it should be fine, right?
Thea sighed internally at the unravelling of her own thought process.
¡®Fuck,¡¯ she frustratedly mused to herself.
Karania was spot-on.
Even while confined to a medical bed, she was already justifying ''smaller'' focus overdraws in her mind for the future.
Shaking off the introspection, her curiosity flickered to life. "So, speaking of focus and overdrawing and nearly dying... What exactly has been happening these past few days? How did I end up in this medical bay?"
Karania leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly as she organised her thoughts.
"Alright, so you''ve been out for five days. After you, you know, ''took a nap,'' we continued the mission. Once you guys managed to neutralise the artillery, the 27th and 28th Companies rushed to the aid of the 32nd¡ªI caught a ride on one of their transports, back from the respawn. We basically steamrolled whatever was left of the Stellar Republic''s ambush. From there, we moved into the Azure Forest and held our position for about half a day until the 13th and 16th Companies could catch up."
Thea listened intently, her eyes widening at the events she''d missed. She wished she could''ve been there, but a quick glance at her cybernetic hand reminded her why she wasn''t.
"We''ve been advancing toward Nova Tertius for the past four days," Karania continued. "Initially, the resistance was sporadic, mostly targeting our scouting parties as we advanced through the forest. But over the last two days, things have escalated. The Stellar Republic has started deploying their T1 Soldiers. Those guys are causing havoc among our smaller squads, including the scouts."
A grimace crossed Thea''s face, the memory of the Duplicators at the artillery outpost still fresh in her mind.
The Stellar Republic¡¯s T1 Soldiers were not to be taken lightly¡ªespecially not in an all-out fight. Her finger instinctively twitched, almost as if reaching for her sniper rifle, which, of course, was not there.
"And to make matters even more complicated, a space battle broke out about three days ago," Karania added, eyes meeting Thea''s.
"Both factions are hurling everything they have at each other up there, meaning we''re essentially cut off from reinforcements for now. Staff-Sergeant Venn predicts we''ll get more backup in a week or two, once the space battle has stabilised. Early-campaign space battles are basically slugfests; both sides trying to knock the other out as quickly as possible."
Thea''s eyes were locked onto Karania as she discussed the space battle.
It was a grim scenario, but space battles had always fascinated her.
The idea of ships manoeuvring in the void of space, lasers, massive railguns and countless missiles crisscrossing in deadly arcs, and the tactical dance that played out at a scale incomprehensible to ground troops¡ªshe could visualise it all, and for a moment, she almost forgot she was bedridden.
It was a sobering but electrifying update, and despite her current condition, Thea felt a jolt of anticipation. There was a lot of fighting ahead, and she was more eager than ever to get back into it, hopefully without any ''naps'' this time, of course.
Karania shifted her posture, leaning forward slightly. "Look, what I''m about to tell you is pieced together from various accounts, so I can''t guarantee it''s the full picture. But I''ll do my best."
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "At the end of the ''Strike One'' mission, you were located by a team of enemy T1 Soldiers. Now, from what we can gather, you must have put up one hell of a fight. You took them out, but not without taking substantial damage yourself."
Thea''s eyes flickered downward to her cybernetic hand, the sleek metal a jarring contrast to her flesh and blood. Karania caught her glance and nodded.
"Yeah, you lost a sizable chunk of your lower jaw, much of your right arm, including your hand¡ªhence the cybernetic replacement¡ªand let''s not even start on the gunshot wounds that riddled your body. Your Spectre was practically torn to shreds by the time we got to you," Karania explained, her voice tinged with a mix of admiration and concern.
Thea took a moment to absorb the information. It was jarring, to say the least, to hear about the extent of her injuries.
Karania sighed before adding, "Viladia was the one who carried you out."
At the mention of Viladia''s name, an inexplicable anger surged through Thea. She couldn''t place it, didn''t know why it was there, but it was undeniable.
Karania noticed the change in her expression but continued. "Viladia said you saved her life. You covered her with your cloak after the engagements¡ªhid both of you until Viladia had recovered enough to move on. But when she saw your condition, she knew you were in no state to press on. Being an assassin and all, she had access to a powerful non-lethal paralytic agent. She stabbed you with it, and that''s likely why you''re still here."
Thea looked puzzled, prompting Karania to elaborate. "The paralytic agent put you into a deep coma, slowing down your body''s systems to the absolute minimum. This likely gave your body the time it needed to hold on until you could be evacuated."
Karania leaned back in her chair, her eyes meeting Thea''s once more. "It''s been a fucked up first week, Thea. And frankly, you''re lucky to be alive."
Thea felt a swirl of emotions: Gratitude for her survival, but also an unexplained resentment toward Viladia¡ Where did it come from¡?
Then there was the sheer weight of what she had missed, the battles fought, and the ongoing struggle. It was overwhelming, yet somehow, her resolve hardened.
She needed to recover, to get back out there and stand with her squad once more.
She had missed enough, and there was still much to do.
Taking a deep breath, Thea swung her legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand up. Her legs wobbled beneath her, causing her to stumble a bit before Karania rushed to her side, offering a steadying arm.
"Don''t worry, it''s just a little muscle atrophy from laying in bed for days," Karania reassured her. "You''re medically fine, just a little rusty. Give it a day or two of moving around, and you''ll be back to normal."
Thea looked around her makeshift room and realised something was missing. "Where''s my gear? I don''t see any of my equipment."
Karania chuckled at that, her eyes twinkling with a touch of amusement. "Of course you''d ask about your equipment first. Always ready to jump back into action, huh?"
She grew more serious as she continued. "You''re going to have to request new gear. Your Spectre, among other things, is pretty much toast. You''ll get to keep your Caliburn, Icicle, and Throatcutter, though. They were salvageable, but the rest was either entirely destroyed or damaged beyond repair."
Karania paused, assessing Thea''s reaction before offering, "Want to take a trip to the supply station? I can guide you through the requisition process."
"I''ve done it once before, during the Cube Trial," Thea responded, "but I''d appreciate the refresher."
Internally, Thea was grateful not just for the practical advice but also for the chance to spend some quality time with Karania. It felt like a lifetime had passed since their last quiet moment of camaraderie. The first day of the assessment had been brutal, pushing her limits in ways she had never imagined.
"Great, let''s get you geared up then," Karania said, her voice tinged with a warmth that Thea found comforting.
As Thea navigated her first unsteady steps towards the room''s exit, leaning slightly on Karania for balance, she was struck by an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Finding a friend like Karania so quickly within the UHF had been an unforeseen blessing.
At this moment, Karania''s presence provided a grounding influence that Thea hadn''t realised she needed, but now recognized as absolutely essential¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 63 - Tantalising Revelations
In the subsequent two hours, Karania guided Thea through the process of obtaining replacements for all her missing gear.
This included a fresh copy of her Spectre armour, Gram, the specific grenades she''d employed on her last mission, and ammunition for her still-functioning weapons¡ªCaliburn and Icicle.
The wait at the specialised resupply station was understandably long and sluggish.
Unlike battlefield stations that quickly produced standard UHF equipment, this one was capable of custom-printing each marine''s unique set of gear on demand. It was a vastly slower process than the one Thea had encountered before during her Cube Trial years ago, as she had visited a typical battlefield resupply station back then instead.
The silver lining was, however, that these custom pieces came at no credit cost¡ªassuming you owned a full licence for the piece of equipment you were planning to have printed¡ª, as they were designated for immediate field use, rather than for storage in the respawn pods.
Finally re-equipped, and with her legs gradually regaining their strength during the lengthy wait, Thea stashed her newly acquired gear in Karania¡¯s personal quarters.
She learned that the rest of Sovereign Alpha was currently on a scouting mission at the frontlines, so they didn''t have a designated space.
However, due to Karania''s medical expertise, she had been allotted a small, private room within one of the hastily erected barracks to rest and recuperate when she was at the forward operating base assisting the wounded.
She had also learned that they were going to rejoin Sovereign Alpha the following day, continuing in line with Karania''s recent routine.
Thea had gleaned from their idle conversations during the long wait at the resupply, that Karania had been working exhaustively to support the UHF¡¯s push toward the city.
The level of commitment and skill Karania exhibited left Thea deeply impressed.
Not only had her friend saved dozens upon dozens of marines right at the front lines, but she also joined the last med-evac at the end of each day, returning to the FOB to perform surgeries and tend to those with more severe injuries throughout the entire rest of the day and night.
All this she managed on just a few hours of sleep before heading back to the front lines at dawn to repeat the arduous cycle.
¡®I really need to step up my game if I don''t want to be outclassed by Kara in this assessment,¡¯ Thea mused, feeling her competitive spirit reignite. This drive to compete seemed to flare up whenever Karania was around, and Thea welcomed it. Having someone to push you and share your ambitions was precisely the sort of thing a gamer like her craved.
As Karania led her through the Forward Operating Base for a much-needed leg workout, Thea suddenly remembered something crucial. Pausing near one of the numerous barracks in the FOB, she turned to Karania. "Hey Kara, do you know what happened to the rest of the temporary ''Strike One'' squad? Einor, Morin, and Viladia?"
The mention of Viladia''s name triggered a weird sensation in her chest.
¡®Why does that keep happening?¡¯ she wondered internally. It was clear to her that it wasn¡¯t a medical issue immediately, otherwise she would have asked Karania, but she couldn¡¯t quite place the strange twinge any time Viladia¡¯s name was mentioned.
Karania responded, after a short moment of consideration and checking some information on her data-pad, "Privates Einor and Morin are already back at the front. As for Viladia, she''s still here in the FOB. She was pretty banged up when we found you two back in the Azure Forest. Not as badly as you, of course. You still hold the record there, as seems to be your forte."
Noticing Thea''s concerned expression at the mention of Viladia¡¯s injuries, she quickly added, "Don''t worry, she''s been fine for a couple of days now. Staff-Sergeant Venn just hasn''t cleared her for duty yet."
Seizing the opportunity to both thank Viladia for saving her and explore the peculiar feelings she had, Thea inquired, "Do you know where Viladia is staying? I''d like to speak with her before we return to the frontlines."
Karania simply nodded and motioned for them to continue walking. She led the way, directing Thea toward the barracks where Viladia was staying.
Ten minutes later, they found themselves standing before one of the large barracks within the FOB.
"This is the place," Karania affirmed, pointing to the open doors.
As Thea and Karania stepped through the open doors, they were greeted by a surprisingly comfortable interior that belied the building''s utilitarian exterior.
Constructed from modular, prefabricated reinforced rock-crete components, the barracks were designed to be quickly assembled and just as swiftly disassembled, keeping pace with the ever-moving frontlines.
Yet, despite these stringent requirements, the inside did not feel hastily put together at all.
The floor was covered with rubberized matting, providing a comfortable surface to walk on.
Rows of bunk beds were neatly aligned along the walls, each with a personal footlocker at its base for storing gear. Contrary to what one might expect in a temporary structure like this, there were also communal spaces with a handful of tables and chairs.
A small kitchenette at one end boasted a collection of appliances, such as food printers, heating elements and even a liquid dispenser¡ªamenities that seemed like small luxuries to Thea, given the proximity to the frontlines.
Even the lighting was softer than the harsh, glaring lights often found in the military settings that Thea had come to know within the UHF station she had completed her Basic training in, casting a warm glow that made the space feel more like a home than a transient housing unit. The entire barracks was also fully climate-controlled, offering a refreshing contrast to the muggy atmosphere outside.
"I have to admit, this isn''t what I had in mind when I thought of ''barracks,''" Thea commented, prompting a laugh from Karania.
"You''re telling me," Karania responded, her tone maintaining its usual blend of professionalism and detachment, even while discussing a personal topic.
"When I was a medic back on my home planet, I dealt with some genuinely sketchy conditions. If I''d had a place as comfortable as this, I might have gone hand-to-hand with an entire battalion of Stellar Republic freaks to keep it."
Karania continued, "You should check out our medical facilities here in the FOB. The level of cleanliness and organisation is remarkable. And I mean, see it from my perspective, not as a patient. You''ve had more than your fair share of that experience during this assessment."
Thea quickly nodded in agreement. "You''re not wrong," she said. "I''ve had my fill of being on that end of things, that''s for sure."
The duo spent a few more minutes inquiring about Viladia''s whereabouts; the barracks were expansive, making it impractical to locate someone solely by sight. Fortunately, Viladia was well-known among the residents of the 32nd company, which occupied the building, helping to speed up their search.
When they finally located her, she was casually sprawled on a couch in one of the barracks'' common areas, engrossed in her data-pad. Her legs dangled off the edge of the furniture as she read. "Who are you and what do you want? If it''s about Venn''s idiocy, spare me," Viladia snapped as they approached.
Thea hesitated before speaking. The enigmatic sensation in her chest intensified as she eyed Viladia. She took a moment to collect herself, then broke the silence. "Hey, Vi. You seem a little on edge?"
Viladia whirled around at the sound of Thea''s voice. "Patches?!" she exclaimed. Her eyes widened in disbelief as they roamed over Thea''s face and body. "Wait, you''re actually adorable? I assumed you were some UHF experiment gone awry with your skin all messed up, but look at you¡ªabsolutely cute!"
Thea''s cheeks flushed at Viladia''s unabashed exclamation, which had caught the attention of several nearby marines who turned to see what the commotion was about.
Karania subtly moved forward, as if bracing for a confrontation. Viladia''s eyes twinkled with a blend of amusement and mischief at her movement, that Thea couldn''t quite interpret in the moment.
Sensing tension between Karania and Viladia, likely because Karania felt her medical skills had been slighted, Thea quickly intervened. ¡°Eh¡ªKara did her best, you know? I apparently had a bit of a run-in with a severe Focus Overdraw, so my face and bones kind of¡ melted? Kara tried fixing me as best she could, but we were in the middle of the field. Not exactly a lot to work with¡¡±
Viladia''s gaze shifted from Thea back to Karania, confusion briefly flickering across her eyes before she uttered a simple, ¡°Ohh¡¡± and erupted into laughter. Puzzled, Thea looked between her chuckling friend on the couch and Karania, who stood half a step ahead, seemingly ready to shield Thea from Viladia.
After her laughter subsided, Viladia spoke up. "Haaa, you''re something else, Patches. I''m sure ''Kara'' did her best. No offence intended. I was just taken aback by the transformation¡ªyou''re utterly adorable!"
At that, Karania huffed, exasperated. "I''ll wait outside," she announced curtly, exiting the room and leaving Thea alone with Viladia, whose laughter resumed.
Thea was once more left bewildered.
''What just happened? Kara walked out even though Vi apologised. Am I missing something obvious? Again? Did Vi do something to her¡?'' Frustrated, Thea mulled this over as she watched Viladia double over in laughter, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, the twinge in her chest multiplied manifold and Thea snapped, ¡°Why did you do that?¡± at Viladia, before she even realised she had opened her mouth.
Viladia stopped laughing immediately, her face marred with a mixture of shock, surprise and intrigue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Patch¡ªNo, Thea, right? Patches doesn¡¯t really fit anymore now, does it¡ I¡¯m sorry, Thea. I¡¯ve been exceedingly bored sitting around the FOB recently and your friend made such a prime target, I couldn¡¯t help myself¡ I just thought you weren¡¯t quite aware of what was going on.¡±
¡®I really don¡¯t know what is going on¡¡¯ Thea mused internally, utterly confused about everything that had just occurred, including her own outburst.
¡°I promise, I¡¯ll make up with her, okay?¡± Viladia offered, her hands put together in a pleading motion, as if to assuage Thea. It worked.
¡°I¡¯d like that. Thank you,¡± Thea replied, before refocusing her thoughts on why she had actually come here in the first place.
¡°I wanted to thank you for saving me. I heard that you were the one that carried me out; kept me alive at the end of that suicide mission. Thank you, Vi. I really appreciate it.¡±
Viladia dismissed her thanks with a wave of her hand, ¡°Ha, nonsense. We both saved each other! Without your Spectre¡¯s cloak, we would have both been found and killed by the remaining Stellar Republic soldiers that were hot on my heels from the compound.¡±
She paused, looking Thea over with a tinge of sympathy. "To be honest, when you dropped on top of me from that tree, I thought I was a goner... Not to mention, it''s a downright miracle you survived, considering the state you were in."
At that, Thea tried thinking back to what she remembered of the end of that mission, but past the explosion that had finished it, she could only remember vague flashes of murky images.
¡°What¡ What exactly happened at the end there? I don¡¯t really remember anything past the explosion,¡± Thea posed, unsure of whether she even wanted to hear the answer to the question.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Viladia inspected her for a moment, before gesturing towards the couch, ¡°Sit down, this might take a bit.¡±
Thea found herself engrossed in Viladia''s vivid recounting of the mission, gaining insights into aspects she had missed while perched in her sniper''s position.
One revelation was that Viladia had eliminated over a dozen duplicators who were concealed behind the compound''s structures, completely out of Thea''s line of sight.
Equally fascinating was Viladia''s description of her narrow escape from the compound before its obliteration.
She had utilised her [Umbra''s Veil] to approach the line of duplicates guarding the breach in the wall. Quickly stabbing one, she activated her [Shadow Step] to retreat just as the duplicates began shooting at her last known location. This tactic created a brief gap in their formation, which she seized upon to use her remaining stamina for another [Shadow Step] and break through.
However, her escape wasn''t without setbacks.
The duplicates, being more sophisticated than regular, unintegrated soldiers, thanks to the fact that they shared the Attributes of the original duplicator, sensed her as she moved past and took their shots. Viladia had been wounded fairly badly in that breakthrough, but because the duplicators had created so many duplicates to literally body-block the breach itself, each individual one did not have a lot of agency, which ultimately had allowed her to escape back into the forest.
She was currently in the process of retelling the final moments of the mission from her perspective, which captivated Thea even more, as she had no idea what had happened after the explosion.
¡°...and that¡¯s when suddenly, out of fucking nowhere, this dude falls on me from a fucking tree!¡± Viladia exclaimed, acting out the sensation of being knocked to the ground by an unexpected force.
"How did you get out of that?!" Thea interjected, her pulse quickening as she got swept up in the story''s momentum.
Wearing a self-satisfied smile, Viladia paused for effect before admitting, "I didn''t."
A moment of palpable tension filled the air until Viladia broke it with a hearty laugh. "That ''random guy'' who fell out of the tree? That was you, Thea! My darling Patches!"
Feeling utterly duped, Thea couldn''t believe how Viladia had drawn her into the narrative, only for it to conclude in such an anticlimactic fashion.
"You''re cruel, Vi, you know that?" Thea half-joked, pouting as she absorbed being the punchline yet again. She wasn''t genuinely upset, but she silently vowed to get her own revenge on Viladia one day.
"I know, I''m just that irresistible," Viladia quipped, flicking her jet-black hair for added emphasis.
"But in all seriousness," her tone shifted on a dime, returning to the gravity of the story, "if you hadn''t dropped out of that tree and covered me with your cloak, I would''ve been toast within minutes."
Thea was reminded once again that investing in the Spectre had been one of her wisest equipment choices¡ªwell, aside from the Caliburn, perhaps.
"I don''t recall that final part, but I''m relieved I could help," Thea confessed, sincerity lacing her voice. The memories of feeling helpless as she witnessed Einor and Morin''s deaths from her vantage point still haunted her. Knowing her actions had at least saved Viladia brought a glimmer of solace.
"So, what happened after I dropped in on you?" Thea inquired, curious about how they had managed to escape.
Viladia paused, her expression crinkling as if tasting something bitter. "First off, you were in terrible condition, Thea. I mean, genuinely fucking awful. If it weren''t for your unmistakable eyes, I wouldn''t have recognized you. I won''t get into the gruesome details, but you were covered in so much blood and had such severe injuries that I initially questioned whether you were even human."
Thea''s eyes widened at the grim depiction, grateful that Viladia opted not to elaborate further. Her prolonged coma had already given her a good enough idea about the extent of her injuries.
''What in the world happened to me to end up in that state?'' she wondered.
Almost as though she''d tapped into Thea''s inner monologue, Viladia picked up the thread again. "Look, I''m not sure what led to your condition before we met up. But I did hear a ton of gunfire in the forest, which I assumed was from your location. I sped over, thinking I''d be the one pulling you out of the fire. Ironically, you ended up saving me!"
Her eyes met Thea''s, a heartfelt smile gracing her lips, before she delved back into the story. "When I saw the state you were in, I was floored. With those gruesome injuries and all that blood, I thought you were a goner. And the pain¡ªyou could see it, practically radiating from your eyes. They were so filled with agony, I wasn''t sure if the person who fell on me was you, or some sort of animal, driven mad by pain."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Honestly, at that moment, I was less concerned about dying than about what was happening to you. Look, as UHF Marines, death isn''t the end-all, be-all for us. We fight tooth and nail to avoid it, sure, and we would never try to walk towards it with open arms, but if all else fails, we''ve still got our Faction Trait as a last resort. Losing your own sense of self, though? That''s irrevocable, Thea."
The gravity in Viladia''s voice seemed aimed straight at Thea''s core, and she sensed that this wasn''t just a broad cautionary tale, but rather a heartfelt plea.
"Listen, take better care of yourself. Of all the new Re¡ªPrivates I''ve met during my time in the UHF, you''re by far the most promising. It''d be an absolute waste to see you fall apart like this. Don''t push your limits to the breaking point, especially not in a mere assessment. Just because it''s your first doesn''t mean it should be your last, understand?"
Taking a deep breath, Thea mulled over Viladia''s heartfelt admonition. To simply nod and agree without giving it due consideration would be an affront to the sincerity behind the warning.
Had she really overextended herself during the assessment? Thea thought hard about the first day of the assessment, to figure out where she might have gone wrong.
Well, she had unintentionally drained her Focus, for starters. Managed to liquefy her own hand with the Caliburn, too. Then she joined a high-risk mission with seasoned Privates, each more skilled than she was, to obliterate a pivotal enemy facility deep in hostile territory. Naturally, she was also pumped full of drugs at the time.
On top of all that, she had consciously activated her Psychic Powers for the first time, led her squad through a minefield, scouted the enemy compound, and provided sniper support¡ªall while her medication wore off and excruciating pain kicked in.
And if that wasn''t enough, it seemed she had single-handedly taken on a full squad of integrated soldiers in the forest in a close-range engagement, with her main weapon essentially fused to her palm.
''Viladia could be onto something... Did I really go overboard on my first day out? The extensive coma I ended up in should be a pretty clear sign, shouldn''t it?'' Thea mused internally before refocusing her gaze on Viladia.
"I think you''re right. I may have gone a little bit overboard," she acknowledged, nodding earnestly, lowering her head in apology as she had usually done with James.
In the next moment, she felt a thump on her head.
It wasn''t painful, but it sent a shiver down her spine. Looking back up at Viladia, she saw that the stealth-expert had chopped down on her head with one of her hands.
"A ''little bit'' overboard? You''re a complete lunatic, Thea! You were on the brink of insanity! I had to administer my most potent non-lethal toxin just to ensure you wouldn''t go berserk and try to kill me back there!" Viladia''s voice surged with a mix of disbelief and concern.
A sudden surge of rage flared in Thea''s chest at the mention of the toxin, a familiar and potent sensation urging her to leap onto Viladia and tear her apart. Fragmented images raced through her mind: Looking down at an injured Viladia sprawled on the earthy forest floor, spreading her cloak over the two of them as stray gunfire sprayed their way, hearing footsteps closing in. In these disjointed snapshots, she saw herself using her own body to shield Viladia, only to feel a sharp, stinging sensation in her neck.
As if driven by some ghostly force, Thea''s hand clamped onto the spot on her neck where she''d felt the imagined puncture. It was instinctive, a bodily response to a visceral recollection that she realised must be a memory.
Viladia''s expression shifted dramatically, her eyes widening with visible concern. "Hey, are you okay, Thea? Should I call a medic?"
Thea shook her head, her eyes meeting Viladia''s. "No, don''t. I think... you''re right. I think I did push myself too far¡ So far, that something instinctual in me took your actions the wrong way. There''s this¡ strange¡ unexplained rage in my chest directed at you right now, and I don''t know why."
Viladia looked relieved but remained concerned, her eyes still scanning Thea''s face for signs of lingering distress. Thea took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and thanked whatever part of her had the awareness to pull her back from the brink once again.
"Look, I''m genuinely relieved to hear you say that," Viladia began, quickly raising her hands in a pacifying gesture as she saw Thea''s eyes narrow.
"Not the part about you feeling rage toward me, of course, but the part where you recognize it exists. Listen, I''m no expert on this, but it seems like you pushed yourself over the edge. What landed on me in that forest¡ªit wasn''t really you. It felt like an instinctual, primal version of you that had kicked in, pushing you far beyond your limits.¡±
With an intensity that far outshone the one in the prior conversation, Viladia looked straight into Thea¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°Thea, people do not come back from that mental place. So consider yourself incredibly fortunate that the only lingering issue seems to be this residual anger toward me, and that''s for¡ªwell, incapacitating you. You cannot do that again, you understand?" Viladia carefully sidestepped the use of terms like ''stabbing'' or ''poisoning,'' and Thea sensed her latent anger begin to dissipate again.
"I get it, I think," Thea replied, nodding earnestly before adding, "I''ll do my best not to go overboard again. Given how I am, that''s the most I can promise."
Viladia let out a lengthy, weary sigh and sank into the couch, muttering under her breath, "Why did I end up with the wildcard?"
Choosing to ignore Viladia''s comment, Thea posed another question. "Do you think this lingering feeling will eventually go away? I don''t want to feel like I''m walking on eggshells around you, or constantly be second-guessing myself. After all, we¡¯re friends, right?"
Viladia''s eyes met hers, filled with a complex blend of genuine warmth and a touch of sorrow.
"To be honest, Thea, I''m not sure. I hope it does. I feel the same way; we make an excellent team, and it would be a shame if you had to distance yourself for your own well-being. I''m no expert in psychology, unfortunately¡ After the assessment, there should be a psychological evaluation for everyone. Maybe they can provide some insights? Just, please take it easy from now on, okay?"
Nodding once more, Thea made a mental promise to consult the experts after the assessment was over. She wouldn''t let this bizarre sensation sever her friendship with Viladia, no matter the cost.
"Oh, speaking of which," Viladia abruptly switched gears, "I promised you that Gold-rarity Ability in exchange for info on your Path and Inheritance, didn''t I? Have a look, but don''t activate it just yet! You''ve still got your end of the deal to uphold, got it?"
Viladia reached over and delicately placed a small, crystalline shard on the table beside the couch they were sitting on.
The shard was roughly six centimetres long and two centimetres wide, but its dimensions hardly captured its intrigue. The crystal was downright flimmering with refracted light, its surface emanating a spectrum of colours that danced in mesmerising patterns, like oil on water beneath sunlight.
The shard itself seemed to possess a downright alien geometry, with angles and facets that defied simple description and seemed to break common conventions. Even with her high levels of Perception, Thea had trouble focusing on individual parts of the shard, as the geometry simply did not make sense in her brain.
Instinctively and immediately, upon seeing the shard, Thea knew this had to be something from the Allbright System, even if Viladia hadn¡¯t explained its nature beforehand.
Though utterly captivated by the shard, Thea managed to pull her attention away after a moment, having to exert a non-zero amount of effort to do so, as if she had been hypnotised by the shard itself. She turned her gaze toward Viladia, curiosity filling her eyes.
"What exactly am I looking at here?" Thea asked, still somewhat spellbound by the artefact.
Viladia leaned back, eyes shining as she began to explain. "What you''re looking at, Thea, is an Ability Shard. Specifically, this one contains a copy of my best Gold-rarity ability, [Shadow Step]."
Her expression turned serious as she delved deeper into the topic. "Once you go beyond Silver-rarity Abilities, these shards become your main avenue for acquiring new Abilities. They''re exceedingly rare, usually awarded for completing highly challenging System-missions, or for defeating individuals of considerable power. Ability Shards also follow the same rarity grades as Abilities, so this one here is Gold-rarity."
Viladia''s eyes twinkled a little as she reminisced. "I bought this particular shard years ago, and it cost me a small fortune. See, I had a hypothesis. I wondered if having a second copy of [Shadow Step] would allow me to upgrade the Ability I already possessed. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a fruitless endeavour."
She sighed slightly, her enthusiasm dimming. "There''s supposedly a method to upgrade Abilities using these shards, but the exact mechanics aren''t public knowledge. Trust me, I''ve looked into it, but the details are frustratingly elusive."
Thea listened intently, her eyes occasionally drifting back to the mesmerising shard. The world of Abilities was far more intricate than she''d first thought, and every new piece of information felt like a treasure in its own right.
Thea quickly asked a pressing question, "Why would the UHF keep this kind of information a secret? Wouldn''t it be more advantageous for everyone to know how to upgrade Abilities using these shards?"
Viladia chuckled softly, her expression suggesting she had once asked the same question herself. "It''s not as straightforward as you might think. Even within the UHF Marines, we have to worry about spies, information thieves, and other bad actors. This sort of knowledge is a game-changer in the larger scope of the war. From what I understand, Ability Shards only started appearing about forty years ago. You can probably guess the implications."
Thea''s eyes widened, grasping the weight of what Viladia was sharing.
This felt like privileged information, far beyond what a Recruit like her should know, and she appreciated the level of trust Viladia was showing by divulging it.
"So, this suggests that the System is opening up new avenues for us to gain power, probably because we¡¯re getting closer to the Galactic Integration¡?" Thea ventured.
Viladia gave a thumbs-up, affirming Thea''s insight. "Exactly. We don''t know if the System thinks we''re lagging behind some external standard or if this is just standard procedure. What I can tell you is that these Ability Shards are one of the galaxy''s most sought-after commodities right now.
¡°For that reason, information about them is heavily guarded. No faction wants their research to go to waste. Rumour has it that once you reach Tier 2 or Tier 3, you''ll be briefed on how to utilise these shards to upgrade Abilities, but I can''t confirm that right now, for obvious reasons."
Thea¡¯s eyes were involuntarily drawn back to the alien shard on the table, its mesmerising colours dancing on it in tantalising and inviting patterns.
Only one thought truly crossed her mind as she looked at the shard, however, ¡®There is still so much about this System that I have to learn, yet I only have around 60 years before everything changes. Can I really grow fast enough to make some kind of impact¡?¡¯
Arc 1 - Chapter 64 - A Rousing View
¡°Go ahead, you can pick it up. Take a look,¡± Viladia offered, gesturing towards the shard that Thea was still mesmerised by.
Gently, almost scared of what might happen if she touched it, Thea reached out for the alien construct on the table in front of her and picked it up.
It felt surprisingly mundane to the touch, almost as if the strange geometry that her eyes were telling her existed, was merely an illusion of sorts. But every once in a while, she could feel a slight tingle in her fingers, that hinted at that not quite being the truth. There was definitely something odd about this shard¡¯s physical existence, of that, there was no doubt in Thea¡¯s mind.
As she brought up the shard towards her face to more closely inspect it, a System Window suddenly manifested next to it, as if she was looking at an item within one of her RPG-style arcade games back on Lumiosia.
Slightly startled by it, she looked at Viladia as if to ask, ¡°Are you seeing this?¡±, but the stealth expert simply smiled and nodded knowingly, as if this type of reaction was exactly what she had expected.
Focusing back on the window, Thea began to read.
|
[System]: Gold-rarity Ability Shard detected. Displaying information of contained Ability.
[Active (Gold) - Shadow Step - Level 0]
Description: Allows the Participant to expend a certain amount of Focus and Stamina to swiftly dash to a selected location. The target destination must have a vertical elevation difference of no more than 2 metres from the starting point and be within a set distance. A shadow, large enough to accommodate at least one foot of the Participant, must be present at the destination for the Ability to activate.
This Ability requires Line of Sight and Line of Effect to activate.
Cost: 30 Stamina + 30 Focus - Distance: 4.0 Metres
|
As Thea shifted her gaze back to Viladia, the stealth specialist launched into an eager explanation, as though she''d been holding her thoughts in anticipation.
"I know it might appear straightforward at first glance, but trust me, the versatility of this Ability is absolutely invaluable. Whether I''m closing in for a stealthy takedown, navigating hazardous terrain, making a quick escape, or evading incoming strikes, this Ability is my go-to. Its simplicity is its strength; it''s adaptable to a multitude of scenarios.
¡°Thanks to it being such a ¡®simple¡¯ Ability, its costs are actually very manageable. If it had a bunch of bells and whistles to go along with it, it would be more around the 100-120 total Resources for each use. Remember that, rookie¡ªsometimes, simplicity harbours immense utility!"
Thea mentally filed away this new insight¡ªthat the cost of an Ability was determined by its complexity rather than its rarity alone.
It was something she''d suspected but hadn''t been able to verify until now.
"That does seem incredibly versatile," Thea conceded, her mind already evaluating which of her existing Active-type Abilities she could sacrifice for [Shadow Step].
Seemingly in tune with her thoughts, Viladia quickly snatched the shard from her hands, offering Thea a mischievous smile. "Hold on there, rookie. You haven''t upheld your end of the deal yet. Once you''ve discerned your Path and Inheritance, and let me know about them, then¡ªand only then¡ªwill this shard be yours. Understand?"
Nodding in agreement, Thea felt it was a fair exchange.
The opportunity to acquire an Ability like this might not come around again for a long time. She needed every advantage she could secure if she hoped to make even the smallest impact on the greater conflict¡ªa realisation that seemed to crystallise a deeply buried aspiration within her.
Where this newfound desire originated, she couldn''t be sure, but she had a hunch.
What greater glory could there be for a dedicated gamer such as herself, than to achieve renown across an entire galaxy? If she could make a name for herself through exceptional feats in this chaotic, Emperor-sanctioned war, then in essence, wouldn''t she be conquering the ultimate galactic leaderboard?
The aspiration might seem straightforward, but like the [Shadow Step] Ability, its apparent simplicity could mask a web of complex motivations. Thea wasn''t entirely sure what those underlying reasons might be, but she was certain she''d discover them in due course. For now, her focus lay on taking steps toward that nebulous but compelling goal.
As she pondered her own objectives, another question bubbled to the surface of her thoughts. Why was Viladia here instead of on the frontlines? All reports indicated she had fully recovered, and her current appearance supported that claim. Opting for the direct approach, Thea turned to Viladia, who was seated next to her on the couch.
"Vi, if you don''t mind me asking, why are you here at the FOB rather than on the frontlines? I heard you were fully recovered. Is that not accurate? Are you still hurt somewhere? If so, I could ask Karania to look you over. She''s a genius with this sort of stuff, trust me."
Viladia sighed, her face morphing into an expression of visible annoyance.
A brief, weighty silence filled the air before she finally spoke, her voice tinged with frustration. "Staff-Sergeant Venn put me on ''timeout,'' as if I were some misbehaving child. Apparently, I acted ''unlike myself'' during the Strike One mission."
Confused by this vague explanation, Thea sought clarification. "What do you mean by ''unlike yourself''?"
Viladia paused, considering whether to delve into the details. "Do you really want to know? Because it specifically involves you."
Eagerness coupled with a rising sense of guilt propelled Thea to respond. "Yes, please tell me! If I''ve done something wrong, I''d like to know. Especially if it''s caused you trouble."
Drawing a deep breath, Viladia continued, "Wasn¡¯t your fault, really. The strike one mission was simply supposed to end with no survivors, Thea. Venn was livid when he found out I''d returned, carrying you on my back. Knowing that he couldn''t reverse the mission''s outcome, and how instrumental you were to its success, he pulled every string he could to get you the best medical attention and replacement parts possible, given the limited resources of the assessment''s medical facilities. But that didn''t stop him from punishing me for not just killing you when it was clear that you wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out on your own and, well, going out with a bang to expedite the mission''s conclusion and my own return to active duty."
Thea was stunned, struggling to wrap her head around the revelation.
The concept of being punished for surviving was utterly foreign and deeply unsettling to her. She felt a complex mix of emotions¡ªshock, confusion, and a strange kind of gratitude that Viladia had defied expectations, even if it had resulted in her being penalised. She also felt a newfound resentment towards Staff-Sergeant Venn.
Until this moment, she had regarded him as competent and effective in his role. But the notion that one should be penalised for doing everything possible to survive a mission struck a discordant note with Thea''s own values.
Before Thea could spiral further into her thoughts, Viladia interjected, "Look, I get it. Venn''s decision rubs you the wrong way, but you have to understand his mindset. The man''s a strategic genius. When it comes to planning and executing missions, he''s unmatchable in minimising resource expenditure, including manpower."
Viladia leaned back, her eyes narrowing as she continued. "Say a mission conventionally requires 20 marines. Venn will send just five, because he knows that four can do it. It''s not recklessness, but calculated precision. He''ll give you just enough leeway to complete the mission, thereby freeing up more resources to tackle other problems. This is especially true during assessments."
She paused, clearly choosing her words carefully. "In assessments, suicide missions are, paradoxically, often the most rewarding under Venn. You might lose points for dying, sure, but Venn sets it up so you can regain those points and more in subsequent high-value missions. The man even tries to balance out the final score for each of his subordinates to ensure equal reward distribution."
Viladia sighed, frustration lacing her voice once more. "So, when I survived that mission carrying you, I threw a wrench into his carefully orchestrated plan. Not only did it mess up the mission timeline he''d set up, expecting me to be available for the next mission almost immediately, but it also skewed the point distribution he''d calculated in his head."
Thea was at a loss for words. This explanation did nothing to mitigate her sense of outrage at Venn''s expectations, but it did make her realise the complicated mechanics of leadership at play¡ªdecisions based on a macro-scale that she had not considered.
She started to grapple with this new layer of complexity, a mixture of awe and lingering resentment colliding within her, as Viladia once again cut in.
"Trust me¡ªI''d rather be in the field than benched. But from Venn''s perspective, I understand why he''s keeping me back. It messes with his strategy and the fairness of the point system for everyone else. I busted my ass to get you out of there; I know I earned those points. But I can''t expect to be rewarded for upending his plans," Viladia explained, her tone a mix of resignation and acceptance.
"So don''t worry your pretty little head over it, Thea. I''ll be back out there soon enough, and then you''ll have me breathing down your neck for that top spot."
Thea felt a warmth rush to her cheeks. She quickly shook it off, her voice laden with genuine appreciation. "Viladia, thank you. Really, you''ve been invaluable to me, not to mention saving my life. I owe you big time, and I promise I''ll make it up to you."
Viladia''s face broke into a wide grin. "Just get me that info on your Path and Inheritance as soon as you can, and we''ll call it even. Seriously, don''t overthink it."
She leaned back, her eyes twinkling. "Now, if I''m not mistaken, a special friend of yours is probably waiting for you outside. Go on, catch up. And save some action for me when you get to the frontlines, okay? Otherwise, you''ll be the one to have an angry Viladia to deal with!"
With a knowing nod, Thea rose from the couch and Viladia followed suit. They locked eyes for a moment, and in that instant, an unspoken understanding passed between them.
This was not a goodbye; it was a brief pause in the whirlwind of life they found themselves in. They would undoubtedly meet again amongst the battlefield, either in this assessment, another one, or the greater war outside the confines of the DDS. They both reached out, sharing a firm, comradely handshake that spoke more of their mutual respect than words ever could.
"See you on the frontlines," Thea said, her voice tinged with an emotion she couldn''t quite place¡ªsomething between gratitude and anticipation.
"I¡¯ll be sure to not keep you waiting too long," Viladia shot back, a playful glint in her eyes.
With that, Thea turned and made her way out of the barracks.
Thea''s gaze swept across the outdoor expanse as she emerged from the barracks, quickly locking onto Karania, who was stationed just past the barracks'' immediate boundary. Her friend''s stance struck a balance between relaxed and vigilant, a reminder of her always-present, innate curiosity and readiness to spring into action.
As Thea closed the distance, she greeted her, "Hey, Kara. Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope it wasn''t for too long."
Karania dismissed her concern with a casual wave, prompting Thea to excitedly dive into her next topic. "You should have been there! Viladia showed me this amazing new thing¡ªan Ability Shard! It''s relatively recent¡ System tech, for a lack of better word, just appearing within our galactic bubble, but it simplifies the process of acquiring specific Abilities. We''ve got to document this in your database, right? She had a Gold-rarity Ability stored in it!"
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Karania''s eyes lit up at the mention of the Ability Shard, clearly intrigued by the concept. "That sounds absolutely fascinating, Thea! I¡¯ll be sure to write everything down back at our barracks. Though," she hesitated, "I didn''t want to intrude on your catch-up with your friend."
Thea sensed a brief moment of unease, recalling the odd tension between Karania and Viladia earlier¡ªespecially when Viladia had playfully ribbed Karania about her handiwork on Thea''s skin during the focus overdraw incident.
"I hope you know that I''m really grateful for what you did, Kara," Thea ventured cautiously. "I know you did your best with the stitching and everything, trying to put me back together after my fuck-up."
For some reason, this seemed to irritate Karania even more, adding another layer to the perplexing atmosphere between them.
"Sure, Thea. I appreciate the kind words," she responded tersely.
Deciding to let it go for the moment, Karania motioned for Thea to follow her. They had their own barracks to return to, after all, and a long list of tasks to complete before rejoining the frontline come sunrise.
The unspoken tension hung in the air, but try as she might, Thea could not figure out what exactly was irking Karania, who seemed unwilling to share her thoughts at the time. Ultimately, she decided to let it rest for now, figuring that her friend would come to her whenever she felt ready to talk.
For now her attention was focused on the task at hand¡ªgetting ready for the return to the frontline and rejoining the rest of Alpha Squad.
The day flew by for Thea as she meticulously checked her equipment, ensuring everything was battle-ready. To her surprise, she discovered that her Caliburn, Throatcutter, and Icicle had already been serviced. It turned out that Karania had taken care of this while en route to and from the frontlines, fitting it in between her medical duties.
This thoughtful gesture only deepened Thea''s sense of indebtedness to her friend.
It seemed as though she was continually on the receiving end of Karania''s kindness, without having much opportunity to reciprocate¡ªaside from that lunch she¡¯d paid for during their inaugural shopping trip, after Karania had run out of credits. Resolved to be a more active participant in their friendship, Thea silently vowed to help alleviate Karania¡¯s workload whenever possible.
She didn''t want the balance of their relationship to tip too far in one direction.
Although she refrained from discussing this with Karania¡ªanticipating that her friend would simply brush off the concerns with a variation of her now-typical ¡°don¡¯t worry about it¡± speech¡ªThea couldn¡¯t ignore her own feelings. In her view, life was about maintaining a certain equilibrium, and that principle applied to friendships just as much as anything else.
With those thoughts in the back of her head, she returned to focus on the mission ahead, directing her attention back to her newly printed Spectre armour that she and Karania had picked up just hours ago.
She examined it with a critical eye, running her fingers over each plate and joint, ensuring they were perfectly aligned and secured. The armour was like a second skin¡ªliterally a matter of life and death¡ªand she wouldn''t afford any oversight.
Satisfied, she turned to her primary weapon, the Gram. With practised ease, she disassembled and reassembled it, inspecting each part for wear and tear. Its sleek design and intricate mechanisms held up well under her scrutiny.
Next, she counted her ammunition, each magazine laid out in a precise row. She double-checked their counts before nestling them into custom pockets within her backpack.
Her grenades received a similar inventory; she verified their pins and safety mechanisms, imagining various scenarios where each type would be most effective. Finally, after every item had passed her meticulous examination, she zipped up her backpack, mentally reviewing her checklist one last time.
It was then that she felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, reminding her that the next day would be gruelling and she still wasn¡¯t fully recovered from her lengthy coma. Karania''s room was nearby, as Thea had prepared her equipment in a kind of entryway towards her friend¡¯s private room, so Thea made her way there.
Though the room was really only designed for one person, neither of them minded the close quarters, as they quickly figured out. They''d shared the space briefly earlier that day, after they had picked up Thea¡¯s new set of equipment and Karania had offered to let her stay the night, so that she wouldn¡¯t have to go back to the ICU bed, courtesy of the fact that Thea hadn¡¯t really been signed up for any barracks spots yet.
The bed creaked softly as Thea climbed in beside Karania, each adjusting their position to find a comfortable arrangement. Sharing the single pillow and blanket came naturally to them, their mutual exhaustion from the day''s events¡ªand from recent days overall¡ªmaking any struggle or awkwardness a non-issue. Though their fatigue ultimately stemmed from entirely different reasons, it drew them closer in that moment, simplifying the act of sharing a bed down to a simple question of efficiency.
As Thea closed her eyes, she felt a sense of security and warmth envelop her¡ªfeelings accentuated by the presence of her first-ever friend. With that comforting thought, she drifted into a restful sleep, ready to face whatever challenges the frontlines would bring the next day.
The next morning arrived before the sun had even begun to illuminate the Azure Forest below.
Thea found herself atop a hover-transport, captivated by the soft hum of its anti-grav generators¡ªthe most prominent of the sensations greeting her senses. It was a noise that evoked both technological prowess and a sort of ethereal calm.
The forest itself was a beautiful spectacle to behold¡ªmomentarily reminding Thea that war was not, in-fact, everything there was to the life of a marine, even if it sometimes felt like it.
Bioluminescent flowers and fluorescent plants came alive in the dark, their otherworldly glow painting the landscape in a palette of stark neon hues. It was utterly mesmerising. Thea had never seen the forest in this nocturnal allure; in fact, she had never experienced anything quite like this.
It occurred to her that this was the first time she had ever been in a vehicle like this hover-transport. Her only similar experiences had been a handful of short-range shuttle rides on Lumiosia with James. But this was different.
The transport, which she and Karania had managed to snag a ride with, belonged to the 4th Legion of the UHF Armoured Division¡ªthe specific legion attached to this sub-battlefield. The interior was filled with four dozen marines, focused and ready, their faces lit by the dim lighting within the transporter. Many of the marines and medical personnel seized the opportunity for extra rest during the transport, closing their eyes and dozing off in their solitary seats within the vehicle.
They were one segment of a modest convoy, consisting of four hover-transports, each filled with its own, similarly sized, complement of marines and medics. Leading the way was one of the few medium-type hover tanks available in this sub-battlefield, most variants simply not available due to the specific rule set of the sub-battlefield itself, that restricted the use of more advanced technology.
The tank''s turret methodically scanned the surrounding landscape, radiating an aura of watchful security that helped temper Thea''s heightened Perception from becoming overly anxious about scouting for threats.
She was grateful for the opportunity to appreciate the stunning vistas outside the vehicle without the burden of being the primary scout responsible for the safety of an entire squad or company for once.
Ultimately, as the first faint rays of morning light began to pierce through the forest''s dense canopy, Thea recognized that she had lingering tasks to complete before re-entering the fray. With a sigh that felt weightier than she had anticipated, she shifted her focus inward, allowing the captivating scenery of the retreating, dawn-hued forest to recede from her awareness. She mentally reviewed her to-do list for rejoining the battle.
''Okay, first order of business is to allocate my Attribute Points. I should lock in the new Blueprint as a safeguard in case I die, and grab a boost for my Perception. I''m not sure if I really need the Resolve, but Viladia did mention it''s helpful for Psychic Powers.
So maybe it''s worth investing in beyond the UHF¡¯s need to get me to the magical 30 as fast as possible,'' she pondered.
Pulling up and investing her points, then confirming them in one fell swoop, Thea looked at her new Status page with a mixture of glee and apprehension.
|
[Status & Attributes]:
Thea McKay - Level 6.78 - Contribution Points: 417.55 / 533 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 225 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 8.45 | 5.28 (+60%)
Resolve: 9.55 | 5.97 (+60%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked 24.82/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
|
| [System]: The Participant¡¯s Blueprint has been updated. |
''So much invested in this Resolve Attribute, and yet it feels like completely wasted points, compared to what Morin and Viladia were able to do during the mission. I''m practically a blank-slate with my current Attribute spread... Vi better be right about Resolve''s utility for my Psycher stuff.
¡®The UHF''s urgency to have me unlock the Psychic Attribute seems to be hindering my early-game build quite drastically... But then again, I''m due to receive a rare artefact for my efforts, so I guess it balances out to some degree,'' she mused, allowing the shifts in her Attribute points to gradually integrate into her being as she did so.
As Thea finalised the allocation of her Attribute Points, she felt a subtle yet profound change suffuse her senses. Her Perception, already exceptional, surged to new heights. The world around her sharpened, as if she had been looking at everything through a slightly smudged lens before. Every detail came alive. The texture of the metal walls of the hover-transport became almost palpable to her eyes, each nick and scratch telling a silent story. Outside, the azure forest was no longer just a blend of blues and greens; it was a symphony of shades, each leaf distinct, every dewdrop a tiny prism refracting the dawning light.
She closed the System Interface and looked out over the dawn-hued forest yet again, taking in the vibrant colours that seemed even more radiant now. Her eyes easily picked out subtle movements in the distance, the rustle of small creatures skittering through the undergrowth or the slow sway of tall trees in the gentle breeze, details that would''ve required more effort to discern just moments ago.
Her sense of smell had also heightened.
The aroma of the forest¡ªdamp earth, the tang of plant life, and the musk of nocturnal animals¡ªmingled and filled her nostrils, each scent distinctly identifiable immediately. It was as if her nose had learned to read the forest like a book, separating each note and recognizing its origin, whereas before it would have taken her at least a bit of concentrated focus to discern the same level of detail.
And her hearing¡ªoh, her hearing was now an orchestra of sounds she''d never fully appreciated. The hum of the anti-grav generators below felt like a constant, calming background score, against which the more delicate sounds¡ªalien birdsong, the rustling of leaves, the far-off echo of water flowing, and even the subtle snoring of her fellow marines¡ªstood out in high relief.
She felt a sense of awe wash over her, as it often did with the downright magical powers that the Allbright System seemed to possess. The world had expanded in detail and depth once again, making her realise just how much she had been missing out on before, despite her already massive Perception Attribute.
All her senses had come alive in a way she had never thought possible, this particular feeling starting to become an ever-present companion to her, and she felt more connected to her environment than ever before. This influx of sensory information was downright intoxicating, akin to stepping into an entirely different world.
She had experienced a glimpse of this level of heightened Perception many times before, through her Sensory Overdrive ability, but those usually had been beyond overwhelming to truly take it all in¡ªa torrent of information all at once.
In contrast, this natural, gradual elevation in her Perception Attribute allowed her the space to truly appreciate each nuanced change that came with every upgrade.
Just as she settled back to savour the newfound richness of her sensory experience during the final leg of the journey, a jolt of adrenaline surged through her. She was gripped by an unfamiliar, disconcerting sensation in her chest¡ªsomething entirely new and unsettlingly out of place.
Her thoughts accelerated, the sensation intensifying with every passing moment. ''What the fuck is going on?!''
The feeling defied description¡ªit was as if an intangible object had materialised right behind her heart. Simultaneously there yet not, as though it had always existed but only just now made itself known. It felt like both an intrinsic part of her very being and an utter violation thereof, as if it contradicted the very laws of physics that had defined Thea''s reality up until this very moment.
With a growing sense of urgency, Thea knew there was only one course of action.
''I need Kara. Now!''
Springing from her seat, she swiftly crossed the distance to where Karania was, attending to a patient since they''d boarded. As she moved to gently tap Karania''s shoulder¡ªcareful not to disturb the resting marines¡ªshe was just inches away from what she felt was certain aid.
¡®Kara will know what to do. She¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on, she always does,¡¯ she thought in a growing panic. But just as her fingers nearly grazed her friend''s shoulder, Thea felt a shift, and instinctively knew it was already too late.
The strange, enigmatic and intangible presence behind her heart¡ opened.
Arc 1 - Chapter 65 - Fragmentum Excitat
The world around Thea seemed to freeze, as if time itself had simply stopped; as if the very idea of it had ceased to exist.
The signals sent by her body had no way of reaching her brain, for in a place without time, nothing could progress¡ªno thought, no feelings, nothing.
An eternity, yet only an instant, passed.
THUMP
Suddenly, a forceful jolt pushed her away from Karania, as if an unseen barrier had violently repelled her.
Panicking thoughts swirled as her mind was inundated with a deluge of sensations, causing her vision to blur and a piercing headache to throb mercilessly.
One thing was abundantly clear amid the chaos¡ªsomething was grotesquely wrong. The marines around her, including Karania, seemed ensnared in time''s embrace¡ªor lack thereof, frozen and lifeless.
THUMP
¡°Fuck me, what is happening?!¡± she whispered, her voice quaking with dread, as she trudged towards Karania. The air around her felt viscous, like moving through a morass of thick gel, each step an agonising struggle. Slowly, she inched her way, bridging the seemingly endless space between her and her friend.
But as she neared her destination, another wave of change pulsed through.
THUMP
Thea found herself standing five metres away from Karania, sweating profusely from the intense effort she had just exerted to get closer, but this time around, the marines and Karania herself seemed to be back to normal.
She observed as Karania continued her focused medical treatment on the patient in front of her, as if nothing had changed. She saw how the marines around her continued their conversations, previously frozen mid-sentence, as if they had never stopped speaking.
THUMP
Dread gnawed at the edges of her mind.
¡®Why does everything feel so...disconnected?¡¯
The world around her felt like a distorted reflection, the gulf between her consciousness and her surroundings ever-widening.
It was as though she was trapped in a nightmarish echo, watching her own actions unfold from a distant vantage point. Determined to breach this chasm, she willed herself forward, one step at a time, trying desperately to reach Karania, trying to get answers that she knew Karania wouldn¡¯t be able to provide.
THUMP
A baritone, chilling rhythm echoed in Thea''s ears, momentarily interrupting her thoughts. As she tried to comprehend her sudden shift in location, a marine''s voice, laced with clear annoyance, reached her ears. "What''s the matter with you, Cyan?"
¡®When did I get here?¡¯ She thought to herself, as she realised she was now less than two metres away from Karania.
She turned to face him, taking in his posture of impatience. From his perspective, she probably appeared lost, or maybe even suspicious. While she could understand his irritation, the cold, dismissive way he addressed her by ¡°Cyan¡± set her teeth on edge.
THUMP
Wait, how did that random marine even know she was one¡?
Scrutinising the marine, who was simply sitting on his assigned seat and waiting for her to reply, Thea couldn¡¯t find anything off about him. He looked like a normal UHF marine to her.
¡®I could kill him before anyone could stop me,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, feeling the familiar weight of her Icicle inside the holster at her side.
¡®Wait¡ what? Why would I even think ab¡ª¡¯
THUMP THUMP
A barrage of voices erupted around her, creating a maelstrom of sound.
Karania''s voice pierced through the clamor, laced with alarm, ¡°Thea, what the fuck are you doing?!¡±
¡°Put the weapon down, Private!¡±
¡°Stand down, now!¡±
¡°Damn it!¡±
¡°Are we under attack?!¡±
Thea felt as though she was submerged in water, the voices muffled and distant.
¡®What weapon? What the fuck are they talking about¡?¡¯
THUMP
Thea¡¯s awareness sharpened with chilling clarity, and she found herself gripping her Icicle tightly.
Its low hum vibrated in her hand, suggesting a recent discharge.
She followed its aim and was confronted by the horrifying sight of a gaping hole in the head of the marine who had previously spoken to her.
¡°What... What did I do?!¡± she gasped, a tremor of shock overtaking her voice.
The atmosphere in the transport was electric. Marines had sprung to their feet, weapons trained squarely on Thea, their eyes filled with a mix of fear, confusion, and anger.
Amidst the tension, Karania lunged in front of Thea, positioning herself as a protective barrier between her friend and the marines, her voice sharp and frantic as she attempted to defuse the escalating situation.
¡°Everyone, calm the fuck down! I¡¯m a medic, let me see what''s wrong with her! I will¡ª¡±
THUMP
¡®...that noise?¡¯ Thea heard herself think, which confused her even more.
Why was she hearing herself think, without being able to actually know what she thought¡? Was that even possible¡?
Karania''s desperate voice cleaved through the dissonance, ¡°Thea! Why?! Why did you shoot him?!¡±
THUMP
Bewilderment clouded Thea¡¯s understanding.
¡®I shot a marine... But why?¡¯
Attempting to respond to Karania, her words came out distorted, sounding distant and fractured as if spoken through a shattered mirror, ¡°I... I can¡¯t... Something¡¯s... not right, Kara.¡±
THUMP
''That sensation... Why does it keep happening?'' Thea''s thoughts seemed amplified in her own ears.
"Private, drop the weapon NOW!" The urgent command from a marine behind her resonated, underscored by the unmistakable presence of a rifle''s muzzle aimed directly at her.
¡®He¡¯s annoying. I could take out half this transport before anyone could fire off a shot¡¡¯ Thea thought, with a confidence in it that spoke of knowing the truth.
THUMP
With a jerking motion, Thea forced herself to lower the Icicle that she''d been pointing at the now lifeless marine.
"Kara... my mind is... Something in my chest, I can''t..."
¡®No. Not half. I could kill them all.¡¯
THUMP THUMP
"Thea!" Karania''s voice cut through the fog enveloping Thea''s mind, a beacon of clarity in her confusion.
"What¡¯s up, Kara?" She replied nonchalantly, feeling slightly more in control than before.
Looking into Karania''s eyes, a mix of disbelief, shock, and a trace of genuine terror stared back¡ªa terror Thea never imagined her steadfast friend could display.
Despite the chaos around her, Thea felt an unsettling, icy calm settle within.
THUMP
¡®Huh?¡¯
Thea realised she was in pain. Looking down at herself to check for the reason, she realised with abject horror that she was riddled with holes, her left arm torn off, her legs perforated.
Her legs¡?
THUMP
She found herself collapsed on the cold metal floor, a scant metre separating her from a petrified Karania.
"Kara, what is happening?! Help me, please!" Thea implored her friend, her words trembling in the inexplicable chaos enveloping them.
As Thea''s vision slowly sharpened, the sight before her was beyond belief.
The interior of the transport was once again frozen¡ªthis time quite literally.
It was as though space and time had paused, plunging everything to a temperature nearing absolute zero in a heartbeat, with ice crystals adorning every available surface.
The marines, who had previously pointed their weapons menacingly at her, had been reduced to fragile ice sculptures ¡ª and then shattered. Their remnants lay scattered, transformed into minute, icy fragments littering the frozen floor of the transport.
THUMP
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you¡ I¡¯m sorry, Thea.¡±
THUMP
She found herself looking up at Karania, who was pointing a gun at her face.
¡®Why is Kara threatening me¡?¡¯
Karania¡¯s voice was laced with confusion and emotional torment as she muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how else¡¡±
THUMP THUMP
"Kara, wait! I¡ I can¡ª"
THUMP THUMP THUMP
Karania tightened her grip on the trigger, the bullet from the pistol she had retrieved from a nearby marine, obliterating Thea¡¯s brain within a fraction of a second, causing her friend''s body to slump lifelessly onto the cold, hard ground.
Tears cascaded down Karania''s cheeks, the emotional burden of her actions and the sheer confusion of what had just transpired too immense to bear. With a grim determination, she angled the weapon at her own temple and squeezed the trigger.
THUMP
From somewhere, two cyan-coloured eyes watched the moment unfold.
THUMP
- POV: Private Ryan Ocart -
With the night vision mode activated in his helmet¡¯s visor, the azure trees around him took on a shimmering, silvery hue, bathed in the soft light of dawn. This fleeting blend of colours never failed to bring a smile to Ryan''s face.
¡®Could be worse gigs than shuttling marines to the frontlines¡ªespecially during the mesmerising shifts between dusk and dawn in this T1 material zone,¡¯ he mused, appreciating the small moments of serenity.
His heart had nearly stopped when he first learned his assigned assessment was of Platinum-ranked difficulty.
¡°Why do I always get the short end of the stick?¡± He had lamented. However, the universe had other plans. He found himself in a comfortable role, and he was certain he was racking up substantial Credits and Merit.
After all, ferrying troops efficiently contributed significantly to the UHF war machinery.
Driving the hover-transporter, particularly the coveted "Sidoreno Mk3" variant, was the cherry on top. It was a model he''d dreamt of piloting, but his position in the lower rungs of the UHF AD didn¡¯t provide him the privilege of choice. Owning one was out of the question as well; their licensing fees were astronomical.
But fate had a way of evening the scales, and in this assessment, luck seemed to be on Ryan''s side for once.
As he smoothly navigated the Sidoreno, adjusting the wheel minutely to bypass an uncleared section of the forest track the UHF carved out, the world around him abruptly changed.
The familiar palette of his night vision transformed into an overwhelming wash of violet, as though every other hue had been erased from existence.
Only years of rigorous training, which included an intensive month-long session of maintaining vehicular control amidst sudden environmental anomalies, kept the Sidoreno from veering off course.
"What in the... Jona, are you seeing this?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, just toggled off my night-vision, and everything''s still bathed in the same shade. Why''s everything looking... pink?"
"It''s more violet than pink, Jona, pink is more¡ª" Ryan started, attempting to inject some levity, his usual coping mechanism when things didn¡¯t go quite as planned.
However, before he could dive into nuances of colour, a shrill emergency chime sounded in his head, making Ryan''s heart jump to his throat.
''Not now,'' he internally groaned, deftly navigating his interface to pinpoint the source of the alarm. His seasoned navigation quickly pulled up the corresponding message, leading him straight to the [Mission] tab inside his interface.
His pulse quickened; he had never been directly assigned a mission from the UHF, especially not a critical one.
But the directive staring back at him was clear¡ªand gravely serious.
| [UHF Faction Mission]
[Criticality: Prime]
[Details: Check the state of Private Thea McKay from squad designated ¡®Sovereign Alpha¡¯ at the earliest possible moment.]
[Time Limit: 5 Minutes.]
[Rewards: 50 CP, 100 Merit, 15,000 System Credits.]
[Failure: Immediate Termination of UHF Marine Corps Membership.] |
Ryan''s gaze darted over the mission details, shock evident in his widening eyes. He couldn''t help but mutter a series of expletives, "Damn it, why did I have to feel so content just now?!"
Jona, sensing the rising tension, asked, "What''s happening, Ryan?"
"You didn''t receive that Prime criticality mission alert just now?" Ryan responded, a tremor in his voice.
"Prime criticality?! By the Emperor''s sacred visage, Ryan, what the fuck have you gotten us into?!"
"I swear, Jona, I haven''t done anything!" Ryan exclaimed, his fingers deftly manoeuvring to send a halt command to the rest of the convoy. He then sharply steered the Sidoreno off the designated track.
"The mission must relate to someone in my transport, specifically; otherwise, this alert wouldn''t make any sense," he reasoned to himself.
In a swift motion, Ryan released his safety harness and hit the release for the driver-side door, letting it hiss open. He turned to Jona, his tone dead serious, "If things go south and we''re under fire, you get us the fuck out. Understood?"
Jona, swallowing hard, gave a hesitant nod.
Both knew this was far beyond what they''d signed up for.
Missions of Prime criticality were reserved for the elite, the very pinnacle of the UHF ranks, the best among the best of Aces. Ryan, however, was just a regular Private, trying to climb the ranks, make ends meet and enhance his driver''s licence in this assessment. He wasn¡¯t made for Emperor-damned Prime criticality missions!
Exiting the vehicle and disabling his night-vision, which he had kept on purely to admire the silvery tint the forest took on at dusk, he found himself momentarily paralysed. An all-encompassing violet hue bathed everything in sight.
¡®Damn it, Jona nailed it. This isn¡¯t just our tech glitching,¡¯ he internally grimaced.
Baffled about the source of this overwhelming violet spectrum, he instinctively gazed up, searching for the sun, typically the primary light source filtering through the forest''s thick canopy. But what met his eyes sent a visceral chill down his spine and made his heart jump into his throat.
The sliver of the sun he could discern through the dense foliage wasn¡¯t its typical gleaming self but was almost completely obscured¡ªreminiscent of an eclipse.
But he recalled one thing very distinctly from the mission briefing: Nova Serene had no moon.
And yet, there it was¡ªan eclipse that felt fundamentally wrong.
The inky darkness that veiled the sun was profoundly dark, too much so, as if it absorbed all light and hope, allowing not even a hint of the sun¡¯s radiance to penetrate. Circling this abyss was a fiery halo, but not the expected hues of orange, white or gold. Instead, it blazed an unnatural violet, a stark contrast to the shadow it surrounded.
Most unnervingly, from the very centre of this spectacle, a molten streak of the same violet hue seeped downwards in a laser-straight line, bending around the encompassing shadow as if avoiding a physical barrier.
This surreal beam, more than the celestial event above, imbued Ryan with an overwhelming sense of foreboding.
It wasn''t merely the unnatural colour or the unerring precision of the beam; it was the way it seemed to defy reality, like a rift tearing open the fabric of existence itself. As the beam extended towards the surface, the world was bathed in its otherworldly glow, casting the familiar into the realm of the uncanny, making Ryan question the very nature of his reality.
Tearing his eyes away from the nightmarish sky, Ryan bolted towards the rear of the transporter, his mind racing and expletives pouring from his lips. "Holy fuck, what the hell is happening? Emperor¡¯s balls, this can''t be good. Shit!"
As he reached the transporter''s rear, he swiftly swiped his hand over the door control. The system recognized his credentials and biometrics from the data chips embedded in his armour, and with a pneumatic hiss, the massive door began its split, sliding open to either side.
His call of, ¡°Which one of you is Private Thea¡ª¡± was immediately cut off. The acrid, unmistakable scent of blood hit him full force, clogging his senses. On pure reflex, he drew his sidearm, instantly regretting not having his AR303 rifle at the ready. He steadied the weapon, aiming it into the dimly lit expanse beyond the door.
¡°Who''s there?!" He shouted, the edge of panic in his voice cutting through the silence. "Anyone still breathing in there? Speak up!¡±
The chilling sound of wet crunches, like bones and armour being crushed under ungodly powerful jaws, echoed in the silence. A cold dread settled in Ryan''s stomach, making it abundantly clear that something catastrophic had transpired.
Fumbling with his trembling fingers over his wrist, he activated the communication system integrated into his armour. "Sidoreno 4 is compromised! I require immediate backup and medical evac, now!"
His urgent plea was met with nothing more than haunting static.
A frigid wave of dread washed over him as the door completed its opening sequence.
The eerie violet light from outside filtered in, casting an otherworldly glow over the macabre scene within his Sidoreno''s troop compartment. The light seemed to accentuate the severity of the carnage, transforming the intense horror into a grotesque still life of death and destruction.
Ryan''s heart pounded in his chest as the grim spectacle unfolded before him, his eyes inexplicably drawn to it, like a moth to flame.
Every single one of the four dozen marines he had transported was invariably dead¡ªhe had no doubt about that in his mind, the second he laid eyes upon their remains¡ªtheir bodies had been gruesomely disfigured, brutally torn apart, contorted into impossible and grotesque shapes.
It was a gruesome mockery of the human form, a sight that could scar one''s psyche beyond repair.
Blood splashed, dripped, and pooled in every conceivable corner of the troop carrier.
The metallic tang of iron hung heavily in the air, mingling with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the unmistakable scent of fear. The claw marks, impossibly large and vicious, were etched across every inch of the reinforced plasteel interior. These marks, the size of half a grown marine''s body, gouged the metal as if it were no more substantial than parchment.
The sheer force required to create such destruction was unimaginable, and the sight of it was enough to turn Ryan''s stomach. Yet, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, combined with the primal terror gripping him, kept the bile at bay.
His eyes, wide with shock and terror, were drawn inexorably toward the source of this massacre. The abomination before Ryan was a grotesque perversion of something resembling a canine, an unholy fusion of flesh and pure, unadulterated terror, standing about as tall as a fully grown marine, despite being hunched over its gnarly meal.
Coated in guts and blood, it was a monstrous chimaera of seven legs and three monstrous arm-like protrusions from its back, each ending in a set of massive, wickedly curved claws. The creature''s spine stretched to an unnatural length, defying any known principles of anatomy, culminating in a tail that undulated eerily, as if caught in a spectral breeze.
The end of this tail was armed with a vicious barb, and, much to Ryan''s horror, it bore the gruesome evidence of its recent slaughter¡ªfragments of his fellow marines still impaled upon it.
His blood ran cold as the creature turned to face him, revealing its full, horrific visage. Its face, if it could be called that, was a nightmare made real. The eyes¡ªfive in total¡ªshone with a chilling, violet light, mirroring the alien luminescence of the local sun.
Its mouth¡ªno, it was more of a jagged tear, a grotesque fissure splitting its head and upper chest almost in twain. The beast''s maw was a chaotic mess of impossibly angled teeth and gnashing darkness. As it opened, a sound echoed forth that defied the boundaries of reality. It was a vibration that seemed to reverberate through Ryan, resonating with parts of him he didn''t know existed, producing a ghastly tone and vibrato that set his teeth on edge.
The sound was a cacophony of a primal growl and an emotional undertone that screamed not of rage, but of an almost childlike excitement.
Yet, what truly froze Ryan''s blood was the hauntingly familiar tone woven within the sound.
Among the monstrous roars and guttural growls, there was a distinctly human note. The uncanny familiarity of it made his stomach churn, and for a moment, the world swayed dangerously around him as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.
That momentary hesitation was all the creature needed.
Like a spectre shrouded in nightmares, it lunged from across the transporter, a distance of over twenty metres, with an explosive force that shattered the air. Its massive legs, coiled springs of raw, frightening power, dented and broke the plasteel plating beneath its bulk. It launched itself into the empty space between them, soaring through the air at a velocity that defied the laws of nature for a creature of its massive size.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Ryan fired his pistol in a desperate attempt to fight back, even as he knew it was futile.
The creature had already decimated an entire transporter filled with marines, and it hadn¡¯t sustained a single scratch. The shots ricocheted off its thick, scale-like hide, the sparks from the impact illuminating the creature''s grotesque form.
The creature descended on him like the embodiment of a cruel, indifferent universe.
Its massive claws, each the size of Ryan¡¯s entire arm, opened wide like the jaws of a primordial sea monster. Ryan was snatched up in its vice-like grip, his pistol clattering uselessly to the transport floor. An ear splitting scream filled the air, echoing off the metal walls of the transporter, as the creature started its horrifying work.
Its claws punctured Ryan''s body, shattering bone and rending flesh with sickening ease.
His screams turned into hoarse gasps as blood welled up in his throat, choking him.
It continued its brutal savagery, tearing through armour, muscle and sinew, ripping him apart like a rag doll in the jaws of a mad dog. It was a sight that would invariably haunt any potential onlookers forever¡ªif there had been any.
That horrifying moment seemed to stretch out into an eternity, the gruesome spectacle unfolding like an obscene tapestry of violence and despair.
The creature''s roars were interwoven with Ryan''s dying gurgles, forming a chilling symphony that echoed through the transporter and the Azure Forest surrounding it, marking the end of another marine¡¯s life.
THUMP
From somewhere, two cyan-coloured eyes watched the moment unfold.
THUMP
- POV: Karania -
¡®Systolic and diastolic pressures are within normal limits, heart rate is within the euvolemic range, and pulmonary ventilation is unlaboured,¡¯ Karania mentally ticked off the vital signs on her checklist, ensuring her patient was fit for duty.
¡°You¡¯re good to go; everything seems to be in order,¡± she announced to the marine in front of her. He acknowledged with a nod before resuming his position in the transport.
Routine post-injury evaluations were part of her medical responsibilities, and over time, they had become a methodical yet comforting task amidst the boring back-and-forth between the FOB and the frontlines.
As the transport continued to rumble towards the front, Karania navigated to her next patient.
He was already positioned on the grav-barge, a piece of technology that compensated for the unpredictable motions of the transport, maintaining a constant, stable platform for medical evaluations.
¡°Alright, let''s get started. The notes indicate your previ¡ª¡±
A sudden, jarring emergency chime disrupted her flow.
A notification flashed across her System interface. She barely needed a moment to identify its gravity, quickly accessing it and reading it. As she did, her eyes widened in shock.
| [UHF Faction Mission]
[Criticality: Prime]
[Details: Check the state of Private Thea McKay from squad designated ¡®Sovereign Alpha¡¯ at the earliest possible moment.]
[Time Limit: 2 Minutes.]
[Rewards: 50 CP, 100 Merit, 15,000 System Credits.]
[Failure: Immediate Termination of UHF Marine Corps Membership.] |
¡®Thea, what the fuck have you gotten yourself into now?! And how?!¡¯ raced through Karania''s mind as she pivoted and sprinted towards the opposite end of the transport, where she distinctly remembered Thea was seated.
"Thea?!" Her voice pierced through the ambient noise of the transport, desperate for a reassuring response. But there was nothing.
She barely registered the faces of the marines she zoomed past, her sole focus on reaching Thea. A 2-minute, Prime criticality mission notification wasn''t sent by the UHF without a severe reason. Every second counted, and she was painfully aware of it.
Reaching Thea''s seat, Karania''s heart did a tiny flip of relief ¡ª Thea was there. She wasn''t lost or elsewhere in the transport. But the relief was short-lived as Karania quickly assessed her friend¡¯s unresponsive state and immediately set to work.
Dropping to a kneel beside Thea, Karania''s practised hands swiftly checked for a carotid pulse, pressing her fingers lightly against the side of Thea''s neck, searching for that rhythmic thud of life.
Her armour¡¯s gauntlets had specifically been made with this sort of action in mind, amplifying the subtle vibrations enough to feel a marine¡¯s pulse even through their armour.
Feeling a pulse, albeit faint and hurried, Karania then quickly brushed her fingertips over Thea¡¯s eyelids, lifting them to check for pupil responsiveness. She flashed a small penlight across Thea''s eyes, but they were rolled into the back of her head, making it impossible to see her friend¡¯s pupils to ascertain any potential brain trauma on the quick.
¡°Can you hear me, Thea?¡± Karania gently but firmly questioned, even as she placed her palm near Thea¡¯s nose and mouth to feel the warmth and moisture of her breath. She checked the rhythm and depth of each inhalation, ensuring that the respiratory pathways weren¡¯t obstructed and that oxygen was reaching the brain.
At the same time, Karania deftly manoeuvred her other hand across Thea''s form, searching intently for any indications of physical harm, fractures, or concealed injuries. With practised efficiency, she activated the medic-specific override on Thea¡¯s Spectre armour¡ªan override that existed on all UHF armour to allow for access to a patient sealed within¡ª, releasing the top-half in an instant. As the armour sections unlatched and sprung open, Thea''s standard UHF uniform was revealed beneath.
Swiftly, Karania''s hands zeroed in on Thea''s abdomen, pressing gently yet deliberately to detect any unusual rigidity or swelling, signs that might suggest internal haemorrhage. Every motion was deliberate, every touch informed by years of experience, as she meticulously ensured no injury went undetected.
¡°C¡¯mon, Thea, give me something,¡± she muttered, more to herself than to her friend, as she reached for her medical scanner. The compact device would provide her with a more detailed insight into Thea¡¯s vitals, allowing her to make a more informed medical intervention.
Through the entire assessment, Karania''s every move was automatic, honed from years of training and real-world experience. Her emotions, her shock, her fear ¡ª all of it was locked away, compartmentalised for the moment. Right now, Thea needed the medic, not the friend, and Karania was determined to give her just that.
Suddenly, a vivid violet hue bathed the interior of the transporter.
The unexpected change caught Karania off-guard, prompting her to scan for its source. Around her, the marines reacted with a mix of confusion and concern. Some tightened their grip on their weapons, others swiftly tried to activate their comms to try and communicate with different sections of the convoy.
Meanwhile, the abrupt chaos roused those who had been sleeping into an alarmed state of confusion.
Shifting her focus back to Thea, Karania trusted that the other members of the UHF, with their diverse expertise, would handle the situation. But as she was about to tend to her friend''s legs, something new caught her eye ¨C something that hadn¡¯t been there moments ago.
To Karania''s astonishment, she observed luminescent violet tears slowly detaching themselves from Thea''s eyes, almost defying gravity as they floated away.
She racked her brain, cycling through her extensive medical knowledge, trying to identify a condition, a symptom, a precedent¡ªanything that could explain what she was witnessing.
But nothing matched.
Determined to get more clarity, Karania decided to repeat her earlier test, checking for pupil responsiveness. She gently lifted Thea''s eyelids, but the sight that greeted her was wholly unexpected.
Instead of a passive, unconscious gaze, with her pupils rolled into the back of her head as before, Thea''s eyes stared back at her, sharp and alert, as though she was wide awake.
The intense, almost piercing, look in Thea''s eyes caused an overwhelming sensation of vertigo to wash over Karania. Before she could comprehend what was happening, her equilibrium was lost, and she stumbled forward, falling onto Thea.
Shaking off the disorientation, Karania propped herself back up, confusion evident on her face. What had just occurred was far beyond any anomaly she''d ever encountered.
Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she leaned over Thea once more, carefully pulling up her eyelids while softly calling out, "Thea? Can you hear me? Respond if you can."
But as she looked into Thea''s eyes again, another baffling sight presented itself.
Around Thea''s iris, a strange, segmented ring had formed. It consisted of tiny, black and violet star-like specks that shimmered, almost as if they held entire galaxies within them.
This mysterious, celestial pattern was nothing like any eye condition or infection Karania had ever seen or even heard of.
''I need more time...'' Karania thought, grappling with the whirlwind of changes unfolding before her. It was clear she wouldn''t decipher the situation at this rapidly deteriorating pace.
Instinctively, she tried to access her mental library, a repository of every piece of knowledge she had ever gathered. But, to her shock, she was met with resistance. A profound sense of dread gripped her as she found herself locked out. This wasn''t just some learned skill or Ability; it was the core way her mind functioned.
Yet now, inexplicably, it was beyond her reach for the first time in her entire life.
The implications of this left Karania completely frozen.
She stared, entranced, as the glowing violet tears ascended toward the transporter''s ceiling with eerie precision.
She felt hopeless. Lost.
Without her mental library, she felt bereft¡ªno reservoir of knowledge to tap into, no extra moments to comprehend the unfolding events.
"I''m sorry, Thea... I... I can''t understand what''s happening to you," she whispered, tears tracing her cheeks, the weight of helplessness bearing down on her.
In that moment, one of the radiant violet tears touched the ceiling of the transporter, and suddenly, everything was bathed in an incandescent violet light.
The world around Karania seemed to ripple, like the surface of a disturbed pond. A deafening silence filled the air, punctuated only by the distant echoes of a reality bending and breaking.
The transporter began to disintegrate.
Its atoms, its very essence, started to vaporise, dissolving into the radiant violet that was consuming everything. The very fabric of existence seemed to be tearing apart, fraying at the edges, only to be swallowed by an all-consuming void.
To the outside observer, this cataclysmic event would have seemed to happen in a blink, but to Karania and anyone inside, trapped within this ephemeral eternity, every nanosecond stretched out infinitely.
Thoughts cascaded through her mind, each more frantic than the last. Memories of her life on Vicero, her training to join the UHF, the time she spent with Thea, of their shared moments and Alpha Squad, all played out in slow motion.
Was this the end? What even was this phenomenon?
Could anything survive such cosmic obliteration?
A mournful dread settled in her heart as she became acutely aware of her own fragility against the vastness of the universe. The known physical world, her world, seemed like nothing more than a delicate bubble, so easily burst by forces beyond comprehension.
Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the tempestuous sea of violet settled and Karania as well as anyone inside the transporter, finally ceased to exist.
What remained was an immense tear in the very fabric of space itself, a gaping maw of darkness surrounded by an aurora of shimmering violet, evidence of the transporter and its occupants having once existed in that space.
The universe, forever altered, seemed to hum a sombre note in remembrance¡
THUMP
From somewhere, two cyan-coloured eyes watched the moment unfold.
THUMP
- POV: Captain Horatio Cross -
Inside his office within the Sovereign¡¯s DDS, Horatio was engrossed in a mountain of paperwork, methodically approving reports destined for UHF Command¡ªa routine part of his afternoon.
While many Majors relished the downtime during the significant quarterly assessments, Horatio, with the weighty title of Captain¡ªthe navy kind, which came with more responsibilities than a Major¡ªdid not have that luxury.
He let out a heavy sigh, reviewing yet another report on the incident between Colonel Thalia and Major Rurix from the assessment''s first day.
"That insufferable woman... Why can''t she just maintain her boundaries?" Horatio muttered, a wave of unease washing over him at the mere recollection of Colonel Thalia''s visage.
Their history stretched back decades, much to Horatio¡¯s dismay. He had interacted with numerous diplomancers in the UHF, but few were as skilled in combat and adept in leadership as Colonel Thalia, granting her a unique stature within their ranks.
With a practised flick of his middle and index fingers, Horatio approved the report destined for Command. Although he doubted any tangible actions would be taken, he believed in adhering to protocols. He couldn¡¯t let that vexing woman exert her undesirable influence over his men unchecked.
The subsequent reports were straightforward, detailing the current status of the Sovereign, its crew, cargo, and various logistical data required by Command daily.
"Do these endless reports ever¡ª"
Before he could finish, a sudden jolt threw him forward. Decades of combat training instantly took over, and he swiftly drew his concealed PX-49 pistol from his jacket, steadying himself, ready for any threat.
"Sov, what''s happen¡ª?"
"Emergency ejection engaged. Brace yourself, Horatio," chimed a familiar female voice. It was the Sovereign¡¯s AI, absent its typical monotonic, robotic tone. Within his office, there was no need for the usual deceptions.
Horatio''s eyes widened in realisation and alarm. Just as he prepared himself, his Soul was abruptly ejected from the DDS.
Suddenly, Horatio was back in his physical form, within his tangible office aboard the Sovereign. Emerging from the specialised DDS pod, designed to keep him combat-ready during emergencies¡ªunlike the standard pods used by marines¡ªhe withdrew the actual PX-49 pistol from his jacket.
"Sov, status!" he demanded.
"Emergency detected in Deck C, Section 64. The Repulsor-Field is faltering," replied the same crisp voice of the Sovereign¡¯s AI he had just heard seconds ago.
"Faltering?! Elaborate," Horatio responded, a mix of concern and disbelief colouring his tone.
He was intimately familiar with Deck C, Section 64.
It housed a significant part of the DDS¡¯ mainframe on the Sovereign and was strategically positioned on the stern side, enveloped by the ship''s thickest armour. This section was also equipped with the most robust Repulsor-Field emitters, even outclassing those safeguarding the command room.
How could such a fortified section possibly be faltering?
He contemplated the unpredictable nature of Void travel. Its intricacies remained largely enigmatic; only its foundational principles were understood.
To journey between sectors, a colossal amount of energy was channelled into a Void-Tear-Generator. True to its name, the device would rip open a passage into the Void.
A ship would then navigate into this temporary breach, initiating its voyage through the Void¡ªsimple as that.
The primary complication with Void travel, aside from its inherent complexity, was the misconception regarding the Void''s nature.
Contrary to its name, the Void was far from empty.
In reality, the Void represented an alternate plane of existence¡ªa completely different realm.
Within its depths lurked horrors beyond the wildest imaginings of humanity. These entities were broadly categorised as Void Daemons, despite the vast differences among them. It might have been a generalised term, perhaps even considered racist.
But when a common trait among these beings was their insatiable desire to obliterate you and devour your immortal Soul, such distinctions became trivial to those who encountered them regularly.
While certain academics from the safety of core worlds might debate the terminology, their opinions held little sway on the frontlines. The central challenge of Void travel, then, was these Daemons'' appetite for the Souls aboard.
The Repulsor-Field was the primary defence against this threat.
Powered by the same energy that propelled the Void Engines, the shield remained active as long as the ship was in motion within the Void. However, like any defensive measure, its effectiveness was determined by its most vulnerable point.
Achieving a uniformly strong shield across an entire vessel was impossible. And even if somehow feasible, the Void Daemons would simply focus their onslaught on a particular area, rendering the endeavour moot.
An absolute defence against their infiltration was impossible.
Instead, a strategic approach had been devised: Create "kill-rooms" with deliberately weakened Repulsor-Fields. These areas would entice the Void Daemons, providing a controlled point of entry. This method had proven highly effective, with only rare mishaps.
It was the best strategy the UHF had developed to counter the looming threat of the Void''s inhabitants.
The implications were clear to Horatio: Deck C, Section 64 was the most fortified part of the ship. Conventional knowledge would deem any assault on it a fool''s errand. After all, once the Daemons were inside the ship, at any point of entrance, nothing would prevent them from wreaking havoc anywhere onboard.
So, what was their objective with trying to get into the most defended area...?
"Repulsor-Field Emitters down to 58% strength. Breaches are imminent, Horatio. Move!" The Sovereign''s voice sounded with an urgent undertone, prompting him to address the situation directly.
As he started, the office door slid open automatically, courtesy of the Sovereign. But, before he could step out, the entire ship jolted violently.
Horatio was thrown against the wall with such force that his body left a noticeable imprint in the reinforced plasteel.
"Sov?!" He shouted, concern evident, as he pulled himself up without a scratch and dashed from his office at top speed.
"T¡The Repulsor-Field has collapsed in Section 64! It¡¯s completely gone, Horatio!" The Sovereign''s voice bore a tone of panic that mirrored Horatio¡¯s internal alarm.
"I''ve dispatched Lieutenants Tiberius, Caelum, Rita, Isolde, Elara, and Bladeborn to the breach. They were the closest officers. Additionally, around sixty marines in the vicinity have been tasked with safeguarding the DDS¡¯ mainframe," she added, her urgency growing.
"Stay composed, Sov. We''ll handle this," Horatio tried to instil confidence, but the Sovereign cut him off.
"Horatio! I''m completely blind in that sector! I''m operating in the dark! What if I''ve sent them into a death trap?! We don''t know what¡¯s going on!"
His pace, already swift, became even more frenzied, driven by the uncharacteristic fear in the Sovereign¡¯s voice.
Horatio sped past countless doors and bulkheads, vaulting over gangways and utilising ship components to hasten his progress. Every inch of the ship was etched into his memory, giving him a distinct advantage in navigating its intricate design.
He instinctively knew that the Sovereign was similarly working¡ªhard.
She was clearing every single pathway for him ahead of time, while displaying his active position and best route inside of his left eyeball¡ªa cybernetic replacement he had gotten decades upon decades ago, which had more than paid for itself many times over.
They could not afford any marine to randomly walk into his path, as if they did, they would invariably die from the collision. He could attempt to avoid them, but at the speed he was going, even his monstrous physique would struggle to change vector fast enough to not run into anyone.
His relentless sprint continued.
His office, situated in the ship''s front third, was a significant distance from Deck C, Sector 64, nestled close to the ship''s colossal sub-light engines at the stern. For a rare moment, he found himself cursing the Sovereign''s vast expanse, longing for the DDS''s capability to transport him instantly.
But he was acutely aware that such wishes were fruitless; this was reality, not a digital realm.
Horatio''s rapid strides took him past multiple decks in mere moments¡ªDeck N, M, L, each becoming a fleeting blur as the urgency pressed him onward. The sensation that his ship and crew were in dire peril fueled his pace.
"Horatio... I¡ I believe the marines I dispatched are gone. I can''t... I can''t detect their life signs," the Sovereign¡¯s voice, thick with remorse and distress, echoed within him.
"Sov, you mentioned the absence of sensors there. It''s possible they''re just beyond your detection range for now. Just¡ Hold on, I''m almost there, okay?" He said, attempting to console, even as doubt gnawed at him. He knew that the Sovereign wouldn''t make an oversight like that in such critical matters.
At last, after an agonising stretch of time, he arrived at Deck C.
Drawing his hard-light sabre, he held the PX-49 firmly in his left hand.
"Sov, unseal it," he instructed.
Following protocol, the Sovereign had isolated the entire deck once the Repulsor Field breach was detected¡ªa provisional step to prepare the crew for an impending ship-wide confrontation with any emerging Void Daemons.
The bulkhead slid open with a hiss, revealing an empty space. "Thank the Emperor, some respite," he murmured, slowing his pace, wary of unseen adversaries.
However, his relief was short-lived.
Approaching Section 63, a ghastly sight met his eyes.
The section''s bulkhead was violently unhinged, and the makeshift barricades of the dispatched marines lay in ruins. The aftermath was gruesome¡ªentrails, blood, and indiscernible remnants scattered, bearing a silent reminder to the ruthless devastation inflicted by a rampant Void Daemon.
A fiery anger propelled Horatio into Section 63, eyes vigilant for any trace of the assailants.
"Sov, I''m proceeding. Seal all access points to Deck C. Extract all the Majors from the DDS. We have our task cut out for us," his voice rang with determination.
"I''ll monitor the situation. Be careful, Horatio," replied the anxious voice of the Sovereign.
As he delved deeper into the section, their communication abruptly ceased.
Horatio made a beeline for the DDS mainframe. The ticking clock of impending disaster left him no leisure to hunt down every Void Daemon infesting the ship. The mainframe was under imminent threat.
It served as the vessel for nearly 80% of all Souls aboard the Sovereign, excluding those present in real-space. The catastrophic death toll should the Void Daemons breach it was unthinkable.
As he closed the distance, the utter carnage left in the wake of the Daemons¡¯ onslaught was a grim reminder of their brutality, stoking the flames of rage within him.
The marines who had laid down their lives in defence of the mainframe¡ªtheir comrades¡ªwere unsung heroes. They were Privates and Sergeants at most, often overlooked in the annals of heroic deeds.
No faction had the means to pay homage to every fallen soldier, but Horatio vowed to remember. He would collect the names of those lost in this battle and immortalise them on the walls of the Sovereign¡¯s reactor room, a tribute to his crew who had made the ultimate sacrifice; just as he always did.
Horatio had always known that Void Daemons were humanity''s greatest adversary and this simply reinforced his thoughts. After all, they were not merely killers; they were devourers.
In the absence of a distraction or a swift death, they would feast on the Soul of the deceased, ending their existence¡ªpermanently.
The Daemons not only killed even UHF marines with no hope of revival, but they eradicated the Soul from the everlasting cycle. This annihilation rendered impossible any slim hope of the Soul¡¯s rebirth into a newborn, following the cycle''s completion.
Based on the blood, gore and complete devastation around him, he was certain that none of the marines that had answered the Sovereign¡¯s call would ever return to the cycle.
As he neared the compartment housing the DDS¡¯ Mainframe, the distant sounds of active combat reached his ears. Evidently, not all defenders had met their doom.
Within moments, his swift advance brought the scene into view, evoking a torrent of emotions within him: Anguish, trepidation, and pride.
Four Lieutenants stood firm, entrenched behind a massive T3 shield that was under relentless assault from a Canidae-type Void Daemon¡ªa creature bearing a grotesque resemblance to canines, hence the name.
To Horatio''s alarm, there were not one but four such Daemons present, a number unprecedented in his experience.
Each Canidae-type was typically categorised as a T4 threat, demanding a full squad of T3 marines to neutralise¡ªjust a single one. The valour of his Lieutenants, who had heeded the Sovereign''s summons and staunchly resisted the onslaught of four such adversaries, was awe-inspiring.
Yet, among the fallen, he recognized the lifeless forms of several Lieutenants previously dispatched to the scene. The stark realisation underscored the harrowing losses sustained that day.
Overwhelmed by grief and fury, Horatio unleashed a resounding battle cry and launched into the fray.
He aimed his PX-49 at the Canidae Daemon engrossed in desecrating Lieutenant Caelum''s remains. The pistol''s discharge was a spiralling helix of pure aether, which sailed unerringly, obliterating the Daemon in an instant upon contact.
Its deadly trajectory continued unabated, wreaking havoc upon the Sovereign''s inner structures until it finally exhausted its potency, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
Without hesitation, Horatio invoked one of his elite combat Abilities.
¡®Arc Of Aeons.¡¯
With a deft motion, he wielded his hard-light sabre, releasing a luminous arc that traced the trajectory of his blade before breaking free.
The surroundings became surreal as every photon seemed magnetically drawn to the radiant crescent birthed from his swing, bathing the corridor in an otherworldly luminescence.
To observers, the Arc seemed to traverse at a leisurely pace, an illusion of its profound nature.
In truth, it darted forth at light-speed.
The sheer force of the Ability augmented the Perception of those present, rendering even the swift movement of light perceptible.
However, this perceptual anomaly was exclusive to the Arc itself.
The remainder of the corridor''s radiance, emanating from the Arc¡¯s spectral illumination, persisted unchanged¡ªa manifestation defying the known laws of physics, made tangible by the Allbright System and channelled through Horatio Cross himself.
As the Arc intersected with the Canidae-type Daemons, they weren¡¯t cut¡ªthey simply ceased. Their entire being annihilated on a level utterly imperceptible and incomprehensible.
With one attack, he had wiped out the remaining three Canidae and simply watched as the Lieutenants behind the shield collapsed from exhaustion.
In that moment, the lights in the hallway turned back on and he heard the voice of the Sovereign within his comms unit.
¡°Horatio! The Majors have all been recalled, they are exiting the DDS as we speak. How did it go?!¡±
¡°I dealt with it. Keep your sensors peeled around Deck C, I want to know if anything moves out there. I got Daemons on my ship that need eradicating,¡± he grunted, his anger still far from abating.
The day''s events spelled disaster for Horatio, but the full extent of the calamity was revealed only the next day.
The Sovereign wasn''t an isolated case.
Every single ship linked to the DDS at The Apex during the incident had endured the same onslaught.
Ships like the Empyrean, Ascendant, Hegemon, Exalted, and Imperator all suffered tremendous losses¡ªLieutenants, Sergeants, and Privates fallen to the sudden and overpowering Canidae-type Void Daemon incursion that seemingly bypassed the Repulsor-Field with ease.
However, the most heart-wrenching revelation came later from the UHF Command.
The Monarch, a sister-ship to the Sovereign, had gone completely dark and unresponsive to any attempts at reaching it after the attack...
- POV: Thea -
Thea''s eyes snapped open, as though she had been yanked from a haunting dream.
Panic-induced breaths escaped her, her system flooded with adrenaline.
''What just happened?!''
She recalled the sensation of being shot in the head by Karania. But as she surveyed her surroundings, she realised she was right where she''d been during their journey back to the frontlines.
She was about to dismiss her experience as an unsettling dream when the peculiar presence nestled behind her heart resurfaced, sending shivers down her spine.
''This is fucking real!''
The realisation catapulted her anxiety levels into the stratosphere.
She jumped up, intending to approach Karania for guidance, but an overwhelming sensation of d¨¦j¨¤ vu halted her.
''I''ve been through this. That''s how I was shot¡?''
An indomitable impulse urged her to exit the transporter immediately. Trusting the same instinct that had navigated her safely through the Cube Trial and the ongoing Assessment, she sprinted to the transporter''s emergency exit and slammed her fist against it.
"Private, what are you¡ª" the marine seated nearby began, but his words were cut short.
As the doors blasted off, a blinding violet light filled the space, seemingly arresting time for all but Thea. As she glanced around, a mixture of confusion and recognition washed over her.
''It''s like before... yet not quite. There''s no odd sound this time¡ And what¡¯s with this violet light¡?''
Cautiously emerging from the transporter, led by her instincts, Thea was paralyzed by the sight before her.
The sky showcased what appeared to be a surreal eclipse, defined by a vivid, straight line of violet light descending upon the planet.
Yet, what truly unnerved her were the colossal cyan eyes that loomed beyond the sun.
Their magnitude was beyond Thea''s comprehension, their mere existence threatening to unravel her sanity. The sun seemed a mere speck in comparison.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Thea remained entranced, locked in a gaze with those vast cyan eyes.
Then, a profound realisation dawned: they mirrored her own eyes.
The moment this understanding settled, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, sending her crashing to the ground. Simultaneously, she experienced the disorienting sensation of witnessing her own fall from a vantage point far removed.
Looking down from the expanse above, she found herself staring back.
She observed herself, simply... observing herself.
But inside that observation, she observed herself, which in turn was her observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself, observing herself,...
After an uncountable eternity, Thea finally managed to pull her mind back from the brink of insanity, as she managed to rip her eyes from the mesmerising image in the sky.
As she did, she felt an abrupt lurch in her chest, as something closed.
¡®A distant voice. A familiar voice, at that¡?¡¯
Suddenly, Thea''s hearing became clear.
¡°Thea, wake the fuck up. We¡¯re already at the front, get your shit, we¡¯ve got to get to the rest of the squad!¡±
Blinking to clarity, Thea found herself looking into the concerned eyes of Karania, who was shaking her gently. A mix of impatience and amusement danced on her friend''s face.
"You''re back. Now, let''s move. The rest of Sovereign Alpha awaits, and we have a long day ahead!"
With a spry leap, Karania disembarked from the stationary troop transporter, motioning for Thea to join her¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 66 - Innocent Mistakes
Still reeling from the inexplicable events she''d experienced on the way to the front, Thea carefully stepped off the transporter.
Her thoughts felt disjointed, like fragments of a shattered mirror, causing her to stumble as she tried dismounting. Just in time, Karania¡¯s steadying grip saved her from falling.
¡°Thea, are you alright?¡± Karania''s concerned voice cut through the mental fog.
¡°Not sure. I might need¡ª¡± She was interrupted by a surge of anxiety, underscored by the haunting visions she¡¯d had during their journey. Recollections of asking Karania for assistance, only to be shot by her in return, flooded her mind.
Briefly locking eyes with Karania, Thea took a moment to centre herself.
''You¡¯ve just navigated through this exact kind of issue with Vi, Thea. Get a grip. Nightmares or visions, they aren¡¯t always showing the truth. You can trust Kara, you know that,'' she reassured herself internally.
Gathering her resolve, she finally said, ¡°Could you give me another check-up? I had these unnerving dreams on our way here¡ªBut they felt fucking real, Kara! They were downright insane, but I can vividly remember them, although somewhat disjointed. You think this is some kind of side-effect of being in a coma¡? I''ve never been in one before.¡±
Karania nodded without a moment''s pause. "Of course, let''s get you checked out. We should find you a place to sit down."
She quickly guided Thea to one of the makeshift shelters¡ªcalling them ''tents'' would have been overly generous, as they were essentially angular rock-crete barricades offering overhead protection. She gestured toward one of the scattered metal chairs that dotted the area underneath the empty ¡®tent¡¯.
As much as Thea wanted to absorb her surroundings and acclimate to the area, her mind was still cluttered with the perplexing memories of their recent journey, making it impossible for her to focus on the environment around her.
Karania interrupted her thoughts as she retrieved her data pad from her backpack. "I appreciate you letting me know you''re not feeling well, Thea. That means a lot."
Thea responded, somewhat absent-mindedly, "It''s no big deal, right? We''re friends, and friends trust each other."
Or so she had read on that article before their shopping trip.
It had been the guiding light in her first friendship with Karania and it hadn¡¯t led her astray so far, leaving little reason to doubt it now, of all times. It was definitely more relevant to her life than whatever strange visions had caused that anxiety in her heart, when she had tried asking for Kara¡¯s help.
That much was a given.
Thea remained seated, attempting to gather her thoughts amid the mental fog, while Karania busily tapped away on her data pad. After a few minutes, Karania''s annoyed expression suggested that the pad had yielded no useful information.
She put it away and refocused her attention on Thea.
"So, can you describe these visions to me?" she asked, as her hands gently examined Thea''s head, presumably searching for any external injuries or anything that might be ¡®off¡¯.
Thea took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing as she tried to string together the fragmented and surreal images from her visions. "In one, I saw the driver of the transporter¡ªa marine named Ryan, if I remember correctly¡ªget a sudden order to check the back for something. When he did, everyone was already dead. They were killed by this... bizarre, seven-legged dog-like creature. It somehow got out completely unscathed. The vision ended with Ryan also dying to that creature¡¡±
Her eyes met Karania¡¯s before she continued, ¡±It was fucking terrifying, Kara. That thing literally tore him apart as if he was made out of paper. Even Isabella can¡¯t do anything like that!"
She paused, her face going a shade paler. "Then there was another where I looked up at the sun, but it wasn''t the sun anymore. It was like a strange, violet eclipse. And the scariest part was seeing my own eyes staring back at me, impossibly massive beyond belief, behind that sun. When I looked at it, it was simultaneously like looking back at myself from impossibly far above, like two viewpoints superimposed, looking¡ª"
As she tried to articulate the sensation of observing herself in the vision, a wave of dizziness washed over her, nearly causing her to tip off the chair. Karania''s quick hands steadied her.
"Hey, take it slow," Karania cautioned, her voice tinged with concern. "These visions, or nightmares, or whatever they are, they''re clearly messing with your head. Remember, you just woke up from a coma yesterday. Don''t strain yourself too much, even if I did ask you to describe what you saw."
Feeling reassured by Karania''s words, Thea continued, albeit more cautiously.
"In another vision, you were trying to help me. But I cried these weird, violet tears that defied gravity, floating up and then... everything just evaporated as they touched the ceiling of the transport."
Thea hesitated, her eyes locking onto Karania''s, which remained steadfastly focused yet infused with concern.
"There was one more vision, the first one actually, according to what I can piece together, at least," she began cautiously. This particular vision had left the deepest impression on her, so much so that it had instinctively made her reluctant to seek Karania''s help earlier.
"You don''t have to share if you''re not ready, Thea. Again, don''t strain yourself. It''s fine. I was merely wondering if we could figure out some kind of clue about what might have caused it, but nothing so far seems to ring any kind of bell. Don¡¯t force yourself," Karania said gently, interrupting Thea''s train of thought but offering a comforting tone that eased some of the tension in the air.
Gathering her thoughts, Thea took a deep breath and continued, "In this first vision, there was this strange... entity, or something, behind my heart that suddenly ''opened,'' for lack of a better term. After that, time itself seemed disjointed, fragmented. I kept trying to walk toward you to ask for help, but I was essentially teleporting around the transporter."
Pausing to ensure she had Karania''s full attention, which she did, Thea added, "Then I appeared in front of this random marine. For some inexplicable reason, a thought flashed through my mind: I could kill the marine before anyone could react. And then¡ªnext thing I knew¡ªI was standing there, Icicle in hand, and the marine was dead. Kara, I swear, I didn''t intend it. There was a complete loss of memory between the thought and finding myself there!"
Karania simply gestured for Thea to go on, her calming demeanour helping Thea stay grounded.
Encouraged, Thea continued, "After that, in the vision, you tried to protect me. But that sinister thought returned, suggesting I could kill everyone. Suddenly, everyone but you and I were dead, and the entire transporter was frozen over. I¡I don¡¯t have any kind of ice-based weapon, Kara. The Icicle shoots some strange crystal shards, not actual ice. And then...you shot me in the head. That''s how the vision ended¡"
As she finished recounting the deeply unsettling sequence of events, Thea looked visibly shaken. Seeing her friend''s distress, Karania moved quickly to embrace her.
"It''s okay, Thea. It was just a strange vision, even if it felt as real as anything. You know I''d never actually do anything like that, not to you. Even if you were to take down the entire UHF leadership, I''d never harm you. After all, we¡¯re friends, right? You said so yourself," Karania reassured her, her words tinged with conviction.
Hearing those comforting words, Thea felt a wave of relief wash over her as she enjoyed the warm, grounding embrace for a few seconds, that seemed to dispel some of the haze inside of her head. Karania eventually pulled away but continued to look her over, her eyes searching for any lingering signs of distress, before she ultimately stilled.
Karania''s focus momentarily wavered before her gaze sharpened, locking onto Thea''s eyes. "Can you elaborate on this entity? The one behind your heart that you say ''opened.'' Is it still there now?"
Heeding her friend''s question, Thea turned her attention inward, concentrating on the mysterious presence that had featured so prominently in her vision. She felt it there, dormant and unobtrusive, as if it had never been the source of her mental turmoil.
"Yes, it''s still there," she confirmed, "I can sense it when I focus. It''s about this big." She sketched a circle in the dirt with her boot, approximately 10cm in diameter.
"It''s present but inert, as if it''s in some sort of dormant state¡ or dead. I can''t really describe the sensation any other way; it''s there, but it''s also like it''s not?"
"That''s all right, hold on for a moment," Karania said, lifting a hand as if to pause the conversation. Her eyes unfocused, her attention turning inward or to some information only she could access.
Watching her friend, Thea marvelled at the breadth of Karania''s expertise.
''She''s so incredibly knowledgeable. I can hardly keep pace with her even on an average day, but when she gets like this, it''s like she''s on another level entirely,'' Thea mused.
Moments later, Karania''s eyes snapped back to focus, widening as they met Thea''s. "Did you Level Up during the journey here? Spend your Attribute Points on Perception and Resolve like you were planning?"
"Yeah, I did. I wanted to be prepped for when we reached the frontlines, just in case there wasn''t an opportunity later. You know how unpredictable¡ª"
Karania cut her off, her tone suddenly grave. "Thea, I believe the mysterious sensation you''re describing might be your Psychic Gate."
"My... Psychic Gate?" Thea repeated, the words feeling foreign on her tongue as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept.
¡°Yes, Psychic Gate. It¡¯s the first step to unlocking your Psychic Attribute, that you should start feeling around that 30 Attribute mark you see on the [Status] window. I doubt, however, that even you are close to that 30 yet, right?¡± Karania explained. She paused for Thea''s nod, confirming her suspicions, before continuing.
"This is crucial, Thea: Under no circumstances should you open that Gate until we''re past the assessment stage. We need to get you to a proper Psyker who can give you a real understanding of what you''re dealing with. I only have some random tidbits of knowledge from a book the UHF gave me earlier in the assessment; the one that was meant to teach me about Focus Overdraws so I could teach you about them when you woke up!
¡°It had a small section on Psychic beginnings and what you described matches its definition of a Psychic Gate perfectly. According to the text, it''s a ''meta-physical, spherical entity located behind the heart, detectable only through a specific combination of the Perception and Resolve Attributes.''"
Karania''s eyes met Thea''s, her gaze intense.
"That Gate is more than just a sensory oddity; it''s your link, both physical and metaphysical, to the Void. It''s essentially a component of your very Soul, Thea. Understand? You mustn''t open it. If you do, nobody can help you here. Your Resolve should aid in keeping it under control, based on what I''ve read. Promise me you won''t attempt to open it, okay? This is serious, Thea. Even more so than the whole Focus Overdraw business."
Stolen novel; please report.
Thea was momentarily stunned by the weight of Karania''s words, recognizing an intensity in her friend''s demeanour that she''d never seen before. Even during the episode with Focus Overdraw, Kara had been relatively composed compared to this.
"I promise, Kara. I won''t open it," Thea said, her voice tinged with an earnestness that matched Karania''s intensity. "Especially considering that my...experiences¡ªor were they visions?¡ªof what happens when it opens have been nothing short of nightmarish."
Karania sighed in relief, her eyes momentarily fluttering closed as if warding off a headache.
"I can''t believe this girl," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to anyone else. "Focus Overdraw, and now a Psychic Gate? She''s not even been awake for a full day!"
Shaking her head, she returned to her professional demeanour and completed her medical check-up on Thea, who was thankful for a few minutes of silence, as she tried to wrap her head around the strange revelations.
''Guess that means I''m making progress on that whole Psyker path the UHF wanted me to explore, huh? It would be nice, though, to get some advanced warning about this stuff for a change...'' Thea mused internally, before she rose from her chair, noting that Karania seemed to have concluded the medical check-up.
"You¡¯re good to go. I can¡¯t detect any abnormalities. Although, as a final reminder, Thea, don''t even think about that Gate, and definitely don''t talk to anyone about it. The last thing we need is you getting any funny ideas about exploring what it does, got it?" Karania cautioned.
The weight of her words left no room for Thea to consider disobedience, not that she would have wanted, so she simply nodded in agreement.
Feeling that they had exhausted the topic¡ªand perhaps a bit more emotionally drained than they''d admit¡ªthe two friends packed up their gear and set off towards the nearest command area, ready to locate the rest of their squad and hopefully transition into something resembling normalcy.
As they navigated through what could only loosely be called a base¡ªmostly comprised of odd rock-crete overhangs that passed for ''tents''¡ªThea finally found the mental clarity to survey her surroundings.
Marines were scattered around, some taking refuge in the oddly structured rock-crete tents, their faces a blend of exhaustion and determination. Others sat in small clusters, quietly munching on rations or engrossed in the intricate task of servicing their weapons and armour.
What captured her attention most, however, was the camp''s seamless integration into the natural surroundings.
The entire set-up seemed to nestle discreetly amidst the dense shrubbery, undergrowth, and towering trunks of the Azure Trees. In some spots, portions of the camp were even partially buried in the ground, adding to its unobtrusiveness.
It was clear that although the camp had been erected hastily, a great deal of thought and manpower had gone into its construction.
Every so often, Thea would notice a marine vanish into a concealed underground entrance or emerge from what looked like a simple bush¡ªevidence that the camp extended in ways that weren''t immediately visible.
From what she gathered from Karania''s earlier explanations, this base served as a staging ground for those not currently out on scouting or reconnaissance missions. It was a hub of preparation and respite, designed with both camouflage and functionality in mind.
The precision with which it was constructed made it clear that this was more than just a temporary outpost; it was a calculated stronghold, ready for whatever lay ahead on their continuous march towards Nova Tertius.
Karania had explained that the camp would advance roughly every two days to maintain proximity to the actual frontlines.
Karania had off-handedly mentioned that the current frontlines were situated about two kilometres to the north, as far as she could remember. By Thea¡¯s standards, that was practically next door; she''d sniped targets at greater distances than that, with ease.
Upon learning this, Thea instinctively activated her more stealthy movement style, triggering her [Agile Stealth] Passive Ability. She noticed that she was leaving neither sound nor footprints.
''Better safe than sorry,'' she thought, as she continued her silent walk beside Karania, who appeared oblivious to Thea''s momentary unease. ''One thing''s for sure, my Perception still outclasses hers by a lot. At least I got something going for myself¡''
In a matter of minutes, they arrived at what Karania designated as the "Command Room."
To Thea, the term felt overly grandiose for what was essentially a large hole excavated into the earth.
The makeshift setup couldn''t help but remind her of her Cube Trial days when she and Squad Leader Kellerman had reported GOG-launcher issues to their command. That makeshift command centre had also been less of a "room" and more of a hollowed-out space in the ground.
As they stepped into the earthen command room, a towering figure swivelled to face them.
This was a man built like a fortress, shoulders broad as a doorway and arms like steel cables, that Thea swore would even make Isabella look anorexic. His face was a topographical map of scars, each a relic of some bygone battle, yet his eyes softened and his lips pulled back into a wide, toothy grin upon seeing Karania.
"Ahhh, Red! Good to see ya back. How''s the FOB treating ya?" The man''s voice boomed through the confined space.
''Red? Who''s Red?'' Thea wondered internally, but before she could voice her confusion, Karania''s response provided an implicit answer of sorts.
"Same old, same old, Scar. FOB is as comfortable as it gets out here. No new updates," Karania said, her voice tinged with humour.
''Red? Scar? Did I miss a memo?'' Thea''s mind raced, her eyes darting between the two in mild confusion.
The man, now identified as Scar, turned his attention towards Thea. "Who''s this rookie ya brought along, Red?"
"That ''rookie,'' Scar, is Thea McKay," Karania replied, her voice brimming with a maternal sort of pride. "She''s the scout/sniper for Sovereign Alpha and the main reason we''ve managed to push this far toward Nova Tertius. She just emerged from a coma she''s been in since the first day of the assessment, thanks to that ill-advised suicide mission of Venn¡¯s towards the artillery. Remember that artillery, Scar? The one that kept you and your 27th Regiment pinned down? She helped neutralise it."
Karania''s words carried a weight, a sense of fierce pride, as though she were showcasing a prized pupil to a sceptical teacher.
"Ya don''t say?" Scar replied, his voice carrying a nuance of respect that seemed reserved for the words of those he truly trusted.
Thea felt somewhat out of the loop, watching the easy camaraderie between Karania and Scar. ''Did they know each other before all this? They seem unusually comfortable around each other,'' she mused internally.
Looking her over, Scar scrutinised her appearance in a moment.
"She don¡¯t look like much, I¡¯ll tell ya. I prefer me some more muscle and height." Scar continued, his booming laughter filling the confined space. "Though I wouldn''t be minding if ya brought along that Isabella friend of yours next time, ye? A round''s on me if ya do, Red."
Karania shook her head, seemingly unamused, but Thea could see the faintest hint of a smile tuck on her friend¡¯s lips. "How about you focus on the mission, Scar, instead of trying to flirt with Isabella? We''re here to ace this assessment, not scout for new bedding partners."
Scar erupted into laughter once more. "Ah, Red, the irony! I can fucking smell the rookie on you, you damn hypocrite!"
The comment sent a flush creeping up Thea''s cheeks.
Yes, they had shared a bunk the previous night, but that was strictly a matter of practicality! And with the convoy''s early departure, there hadn''t been time for the niceties of a shower either!
What caught Thea off guard was Karania''s reaction. She''d always considered Kara to be unflappable, especially in situations like this. Yet even she seemed momentarily disconcerted by Scar''s comment.
"Alright, enough with the banter, Scar. I need to know where Sovereign Alpha is stationed. We''re planning to regroup, and it''s been a while since we''ve all been together," Karania said, her voice carrying a hint of tension that was uncharacteristic for her.
With two open-palm hands raised in a disarming manner, Scar replied, ¡°My apologies. Didn¡¯t mean to offend, Red. Ya know how I be, sometimes¡ Listen, Sovereign Alpha¡¯s out on patrol today, they¡¯re about three klicks out from here. Grid C-A-62 is theirs for the week. We''re gearing up to advance towards the city within the next five days. So¡ get ya med-stuffs ready, alright? There¡¯ll be a lot of casualties¡ªon both sides, I¡¯m sure.¡±
"You got it, Scar. We''re out," Karania shot back before making a swift exit from the makeshift command centre, leaving Thea and Scar in a brief moment of solitude.
¡°Listen, Thea. Ya know I didn¡¯t mean no offensive, ye? I don¡¯t mind what y¡¯alls are doing at night, ye?¡± Scar''s deep voice carried a hint of genuine remorse, as if he had unintentionally crossed a line with a dear friend.
"Um, it''s alright. You''re definitely getting the wrong idea. We''re not¡ª"
"Thea, you coming?" Karania''s voice, tinged with impatience, cut through the awkward atmosphere.
Thea threw a quick nod toward Scar, who returned it with a wide, toothy grin. She hurried out of the command hole, relieved to escape the awkward situation she had inadvertently found herself in.
As she emerged from the command hole, Thea noticed Karania frantically searching through her backpack. After a brief moment of rummaging, she heard Karania murmur, "Ah, finally," and pulled out a petite bottle of perfume.
Without sparing Thea a glance¡ªalmost conspicuously so¡ªKarania spritzed herself.
Thea''s keen senses immediately caught the gentle floral fragrance, a scent she had come to associate closely with her friend.
''So Scar''s comment really did get to her, didn''t it? I mean, I''m uncomfortable being misinterpreted like that, but Kara seems especially bothered. Could it be some past trauma¡?'' Thea mused.
Before Thea could decide whether to broach the subject, Karania had already pocketed the perfume bottle and pivoted toward her.
"We''re headed to Grid C-A-62. Come on, Thea. The squad''s probably dying to see you," Karania declared. Realising her poor choice of words, she grimaced. "Uh, poor phrasing. Let''s just say I hope they''re not actually dying to see you. Or dying at all, really. Anyhow, let''s get going."
Karania promptly headed toward the northern exit of the camp, and Thea followed suit.
As they stepped out of the camp, Thea realised they had essentially entered the frontlines, so she quickly reached for her backpack to retrieve her Gram.
Handling the weapon with her newly acquired cybernetic hand felt odd, and she absent-mindedly thought to herself, ''This is going to take some getting used to,¡¯ as she followed Karania¡¯s lead towards the trench lines.
About half an hour later, after navigating through narrow trenches, weaving their way through underbrush and darting from cover to cover, Karania signalled that they had arrived at the designated grid. From this point on, Thea would take the lead, using her exceptional Perception to locate the rest of Sovereign Alpha within the expansive area.
For most, it would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack, but Thea spotted movement to the northwest in just a matter of minutes. With a subtle hand gesture, she signalled Karania, and they began to approach the area cautiously.
The rational part of Thea''s mind thought, ''I should really open a comms channel to let them know we''re coming, so they don''t shoot us on sight.'' But her mischievous side strongly contested that idea, especially after being so utterly powerless in the recent times, to decide her own fate. It was like the situation was downright begging her to do something stupid; something she could decide on her own accord, for once. ''Or, I could give them a little scare by appearing out of nowhere. Safely, of course!''
Giving Karania a cautionary look, Thea placed a finger to her lips, signalling for silence. Karania rolled her eyes and facepalmed in response but complied, allowing Thea to take the lead.
With soft, deliberate steps, Thea activated her [Agile Stealth] Passive Ability, reducing any noise her movements might make to an inaudible whisper. She felt like a wraith, her form blending into the shadows cast by the Azure Trees, her footsteps leaving no trace on the leaf-littered ground.
Karania followed, a few paces behind, her eyes widening in awe at Thea''s uncanny ability to meld into the environment.
Navigating through the dense foliage, Thea spotted Lucas first.
He was hunkered behind his Stalwart shield, his grenade launcher propped up beside him, eyeing the area towards their north-east¡ªfurther into the forest and towards Nova Tertius.
He made the perfect target for a harmless sneak attack.
Thea signalled Karania to hold her position, took a deep breath to steady herself, and then in one quick, fluid motion, dashed out from her hiding spot and placed her index-finger squarely against Lucas'' back, mimicking a handgun of sorts.
"Bang. You¡¯d be dead," she whispered into Lucas'' ear with a smirk, preparing herself for the look of shock and disbelief that was sure to come.
But before she could revel in her successful operation, a guttural war cry tore through the air.
It was unmistakably Isabella''s.
Thea''s eyes widened in horror as she saw her squadmate charging toward her, the chain of her Decimator revving menacingly in her grip. Time seemed to slow as Isabella closed the distance in almost an instant, her face hidden behind the full-helmet of her heavy armour.
The damning realisation struck Thea like a lightning bolt¡ªher prank had just triggered Isabella''s instincts, and there was a very real, very deadly two-handed monstrosity of a chainsword heading her way at too fast a speed to avoid¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 67 - The Calm
As the serrated teeth of the Decimator revved perilously close to her, Thea''s thoughts spiralled in a regret-fueled haze.
¡®You¡¯ve really outdone yourself this time. A friendly-fire death because you wanted to be a joker¡ªwhat a way to go,¡¯ she berated herself, half-expecting the feeling of cold metal biting into her helmet at any second.
Then, with a startling abruptness and without losing any momentum, the lethal trajectory of the Decimator shifted. The fearsome weapon bit into the trench wall beside her, mere inches from her head, splinters of dirt showering the air.
Her heart skipped a beat¡ªIsabella had redirected her strike at the very last moment.
Before Thea had the chance to process her unexpected reprieve, she found herself lifted off her feet and slung unceremoniously over Isabella''s broad shoulders, her backpack still clinging to her frame.
"Ah¡ªElla, it¡¯s me, Thea! Let me down!" Thea protested, her voice tinged with disbelief and a hint of embarrassment.
Struggling against Isabella''s vice-like grip, Thea was given an immediate, humbling lesson in the disparity of their physical strength. It was akin to fighting the gravitational pull of a crashed 100-ton shuttle; her efforts were utterly futile. Isabella''s arm was an unyielding clamp, holding her in place with a firmness that rendered her wriggling utterly pointless.
"Sorry, stranger," Isabella responded, her voice dripping with both amusement and annoyance. "The Thea I know is an exceptionally capable and level-headed marine. She wouldn¡¯t pull something as monumentally idiotic as trying to prank a fellow marine during a patrol¡ªespecially when we covered that in Basic Training. So, whoever you are, you''re going straight to the boss for a debrief."
The layers of sarcasm in Isabella''s voice hit Thea like a ton of bricks.
¡®I''ve seriously angered her, haven¡¯t I? And for what? A cheap laugh? What the fuck was I thinking?!¡¯ Her thoughts stewed in self-reproach as she resigned herself to being carried like errant baggage to face the judgement of "the boss"¡ªwhom she assumed she knew all too well.
Within a couple of minutes, Thea was ungracefully deposited onto the unforgiving floor of a command hole¡ªa fortified depression in the ground, slightly larger than a typical foxhole, equipped with a communications station and a compact table. The sudden impact knocked the wind out of her, her lungs clawing for air as she lay sprawled on the cold dirt.
Isabella¡¯s voice cut through her daze: ¡°The intruder has been apprehended, boss. She''s all yours.¡± With those curt words, Isabella pivoted on her heel and exited, her footsteps brisk and purposeful.
Raising her eyes from her supine position, Thea found herself locking gazes with the one person she had both anticipated and dreaded seeing in this moment: Corvus. His face was an intricate tapestry of conflicting emotions¡ªannoyance, amusement, and disbelief were all interwoven there. The sting of disappointing Corvus gnawed at her more deeply than the physical discomfort of her ungraceful landing.
¡°I¡¯m sor¡ª¡± Thea started, trying to utter an apology, only to be summarily cut off by Corvus, the authoritative squad leader of Alpha Squad.
¡°We lose sight of you for over a day, fearing you were grievously wounded or taken prisoner, only for you to resurface in a state worse than death,¡± he began, his voice tinged with a bitter edge.
¡°We spend agonising days worrying about you while you lie comatose. Karania practically kills herself healing you on top of her enormous efforts in propelling this campaign forward. And when you finally rejoin us, you flout every conceivable rule of conduct, disregard months of basic training on operational behaviour, and nearly get yourself killed by your own squadmate.¡±
Corvus paused, his disappointment hanging heavy in the air. ¡°Does any part of your recent behaviour strike you as befitting the star recruit of the Sovereign? A core member of what is undoubtedly the greatest Alpha Squad in the history of the United Human Federation?¡±
The weight of his words settled on Thea like an anvil, their impact amplified by the raw emotion in his voice. The disappointment in his tone was a haunting echo of past reprimands she¡¯d received from James back on Lumiosia, and it cut deeply. Worst of all, just like those earlier reprimands, Corvus was unequivocally correct.
She had messed up. Bad.
¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Karania¡¯s timely comm, you would be in pieces right now, courtesy of Isabella¡¯s Decimator,¡± Corvus continued, pacing back and forth in the confined space of the command hole. His boots crunched on the dirt floor, each step resonating like a judge''s gavel.
¡°We''re nearing Nova Tertius, which means we¡¯re up against an increasingly well-trained and well-equipped contingent from the Stellar Republic. Do you grasp the gravity of that, Thea?¡±
As he spoke, his hands gestured sharply, slicing the air for emphasis, each movement a visual punctuation to his words. ¡°We can¡¯t afford the slightest hint of hesitation or distraction in the field. We¡¯ve already lost quite a good number of marines to Republic assassins. When a threat appears, we have to react swiftly and decisively. There¡¯s no time for us to consider whether someone¡¯s in the mood for juvenile pranks.¡±
Throughout the sermon, which stretched into an agonising half-hour, Thea remained on the ground, a pitiable heap on the unforgiving earth.
But she wasn''t exactly static; her body seemed to sink lower and lower into the ground with every rebuke. It was as if she were trying to meld into the soil, hoping the earth would mercifully swallow her whole to escape the relentless onslaught of Corvus'' words.
And yet, as much as she wished it, the ground remained solid, indifferent to her self-inflicted shame. Corvus''s voice echoed in the small enclosure, each sentence deepening her humiliation. Every chiding word, every disappointed glance from him, felt like another layer of dirt on the grave of her self-esteem.
She''d never felt so small, so irresponsible, so utterly unworthy of her position in Alpha Squad.
Finally, Corvus ceased his pacing and sighed, as if even he had tired of speaking. But the room remained heavy with the weight of his disappointment, a burden Thea knew she¡¯d carry for a long time to come.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted as Corvus'' stern expression melted away, replaced by a genuine, warm smile. Extending a hand to Thea, he offered her a lifeline both literal and emotional. "That said, I''m incredibly relieved to have you back with us, Thea. It''s heartening to see you in good shape¡ªmore or less."
As his fingers closed around her cybernetic hand, pulling her up from her place on the unforgiving earth, it felt as if he was also lifting a portion of the weight of his disappointment off her shoulders. Despite the severity of his earlier words, the sincerity in his smile now made it clear: She was still a valued member of Alpha Squad, mistakes and all.
As Thea found her footing, her mouth opened to usher out an apology, but Corvus raised his hand, preemptively cutting her off.
"No need for apologies, Thea. Among fellow marines, apologies don''t hold much weight. What we need is a promise to do better, to be better. Can you give me that?"
Her eyes met his, searching for any lingering traces of disappointment. Instead, she found understanding and assurance. Taking a deep breath, she nodded firmly. "I promise, Corvus."
He gestured toward a rudimentary wooden table situated behind him. "Take a seat. We have a lot to cover."
The table was a standard-issue, foldable plasteel model, a ubiquitous staple that appeared to be distributed to every squad leader and commander across military history. It was unremarkable in design but utilitarian in purpose, designed to withstand the rigours of field operations while providing a, mostly, uniform surface to plan on.
As Thea sat, Corvus circled around to the other side of the table and eased into his own chair with the air of someone settling into a well-worn groove. His fingers navigated deftly through a data-pad before setting it down in front of her.
The screen displayed a complex digital map of the surrounding region, grid lines crisply dividing territories and geographic features annotated with precision. Blue icons indicated UHF forces, while red markers suggested known or suspected Stellar Republic activity.
Corvus pointed at a particular section of the map, the pixels lighting up under his touch. "We''ve been advancing steadily, but resistance is growing stronger the closer we get to Nova Tertius. We have to be absolutely on point, Thea. No room for errors or pranks."
His eyes met hers, as if to drive home the point once again, before he continued.
Corvus'' voice started out steady, but as he delved into the complexities of their recent operations, his frustration became palpable, each word tinged with a simmering annoyance.
"Look, the first couple of days were manageable. We encountered mostly unintegrated soldiers, and sure, the occasional T1 Duplicator from the Stellar Republic. We were making good progress¡ªuntil day three," he emphasised, gripping the edges of the data-pad as if willing it to change the situation.
His brow furrowed deeply, eyes narrowing. "That''s when things took a nosedive. We think they finally managed to get their act together, pulling their deployed orbital troops out of the city to challenge us. Since then, these Duplicators are not just an occasional problem; they''re a constant bloody menace."
He slammed his hand onto the table, making the data-pad jump.
"In open fields, we can manage¡ªcatch them in crossfire, blast them with explosives. But this forest," he gestured around, exasperated, "it''s a labyrinth, a perfect setup for these Duplicators. We can''t root out the originals. It''s like fighting fucking ghosts."
Corvus leaned back, running his hands through his hair, the tension almost radiating off him. "The reality is we''re bogged down day-by-day. Fighting what feels like at least three or four times the enemy numbers we should be facing. The tanks and transport vehicles from the UHF AD?"
He shook his head, disappointment flashing in his eyes. "They''re as stuck as we are, inching forward like snails, because we have to be hyper-vigilant against Duplicator ambushes."
His jaw clenched as he resumed. "And let''s talk about that Emperor-damned Faction Trait. It''s a downright nightmare, Thea! These Duplicators can clone their entire equipment loadout. Do you realise what that means? One of them, just one, can take out an entire hover tank if we''re not vigilant. They arm themselves with something like an RL-02 rocket launcher, duplicate, and then it''s fireworks from multiple angles with no chance of survival."
As Corvus reached the crescendo of his rant, the energy in the room felt like a storm about to break. "It''s absurd, Thea! Their Trait it''s not just a thorn in our side, it''s a damn tree trunk! It completely undermines any conventional strategy we could employ in this environment. And what''s worse? Command''s as stumped as we are. The Stellar Republic''s mastery of guerilla warfare is making fools out of us!"
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
He paused, letting out a sharp exhale, his voice tinged with the grit of desperation. "We''re inching closer, every day, like snails trying to cross a marathon track. And don''t think it''s just us. Every unit, even the main force and the wing on the other side, we''re all stuck in the same quagmire. So, in a twisted sort of silver lining, yes, we''re still on track for a simultaneous assault¡ªif we ever manage to reach that Emperor-damned city, that is!"
Corvus took a moment, his chest heaving as if the weight of his words was a physical burden. "My bad for the rant, Thea. The stress of the past few days is wearing on me; on all of us. We''ve had too many close calls, too many losses.
¡°Desmond and I have both died twice," he let that sink in, "Isabella went down on the first day but has been pulling through ever since, despite some hellish injuries at times. That [Redundant Organs] Passive of hers has been worth its weight in gold. So much so, I''m considering getting it myself."
His eyes softened, the intensity melting into concern. "And Karania, she''s a fucking machine. She''s patching up every marine she can get her hands on. I worry she''s on the verge of burning out, but try telling her to slow down. Her life-saving spree is as awe-inspiring as it is terrifying."
Finally, his gaze met Thea''s, a teasing spark lighting up his eyes as if to puncture the heavy atmosphere. "So far, you and Lucas are the only ones in Alpha Squad who''ve managed not to die. Though, given your recent escapade, I''m wondering if we should include you in the tally." His eyebrows shot up comically, lightening the tension for just a moment.
Thea couldn''t help but feel that was a fair assessment, especially given her own dance with death during the Strike One mission. She hadn''t just survived; she had miraculously clawed her way back from the brink.
"But let''s not get carried away; you haven''t died yet, so we''re not counting it. I''m sure the official assessment will agree. That means those extra points are still yours¡ªas I''d wager there are penalties for anyone that does manage to die and require a respawn," Corvus quipped, his eyes narrowing slightly as if savouring the next words he was about to deliver.
"Now that you''re up to speed, why don''t we reintroduce you to the squad? And let''s do it properly this time, shall we?" He paused for dramatic effect, a sly grin unfurling across his lips.
"After all, you wouldn¡¯t want to incur any more penalties for blatant disregard of UHF regulations on this assessment, would you?¡±
The implication hit Thea like a bolt of lightning, and her eyes dilated with unbridled horror. An icy feeling of dread knotted in her stomach.
Did she really just lose points on her assessment score for that little joke?!
"Wait. You''re not serious, are you? They wouldn''t dock my score for an innocent mistake like this, right?! Corvus, stop walking away from me! Tell me you''re joking! They can''t just lower my score for this right?!"
Ignoring her frantic questioning, Corvus chuckled softly, a gleam of devilish amusement in his eyes, as he led her out of the command hole towards the rest of Alpha Squad inside the trenches.
Minutes later, Thea was still mentally wrestling with the idea that her assessment score could be compromised. So preoccupied was she that she nearly collided with Corvus, who had stopped in his tracks.
¡°Turns out, this little moron right here is actually our very own Thea, would you believe it?¡± Corvus announced theatrically, stepping aside to reveal Alpha Squad arrayed before her. Their eyes were all trained on her, but their expressions varied widely.
Lucas broke the tension with his usual warm, enveloping smile. "Welcome back, Thea. Good to see you in one piece. You¡¯ve upped your stealth game a lot."
His warmth was like a balm to her frayed nerves, and Thea felt herself relax a fraction. But then came Desmond''s sardonic tone.
"Never thought I¡¯d see the day when our little scout would manage to ruffle the unflappable Corvus. What a time to be alive," he said, shaking his head. His tone was enigmatic, leaving Thea unsure of how to read him.
She decided to maintain a neutral stance, not wanting to tip the delicate balance in one way or another, now that Desmond seemed to not be filled with seething hatred towards her for once.
Isabella was the next to weigh in, her voice stern and unwavering. "You''re lucky Karania warned us. I wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about ripping your head off, Thea. Don¡¯t let it happen again."
But then her tone softened, and a wry smile played on her lips. "That said, it''s good to have you back. Corvus here was practically melting down without you. You wouldn''t believe the number of times he lamented, ''If only our Emperor-gifted prodigy were here to rescue me from my disastrous decisions.'' It was getting old, fast, really."
At Isabella''s portrayal of him, Corvus looked utterly perplexed, his brows knitted and his mouth opening as if to object. But before he could even get a word out, Desmond chimed in, his voice tinged with mischief.
"Oh, you have no idea! He even said he was considering adopting a pet plant and naming it ''Thea'' just so he could pretend he was talking strategy with you."
Corvus'' face flushed a deep shade of red, his eyes darting between his squad members as if to say, "Are you all hearing this nonsense?" Karania, standing quietly until now, couldn''t hold back a giggle. She tried to muffle it with her hand, but the twinkling in her eyes betrayed her amusement.
Thea was caught between disbelief and amusement, her gaze shifting to Corvus to gauge his reaction. Clearly, her squad leader was teetering on the edge of exasperation.
Just as Corvus collected himself to set the record straight, Lucas¡ªalways the most level-headed of them all¡ªdecided to throw in his two cents, to the complete and utter surprise of all.
"You think that''s something? I heard him talking to my Stalwart, calling it ''Thea'' and asking it to point out the Duplicators around here, so he could relay the information to command," Lucas said, his voice so earnest that for a moment, it was hard to tell if he was joking.
That did it. Any semblance of Corvus'' collected, authoritative demeanour shattered.
His eyes widened, his face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and his mouth opened and closed, struggling to form words amid his bewilderment.
The squad broke into laughter, the tension of the past few days lifting like mist before the morning sun. Karania''s giggles turned into full-blown laughter, Desmond was clutching his stomach, and even Isabella''s stern demeanour cracked, her laughter joining the chorus.
Thea felt her own laughter bubble up from deep within, mingling with the absurdity and warmth of the moment.
Corvus, finally accepting the impossibility of regaining his dignity in this particular conversation, shook his head with a resigned smile. "Well, if you can''t beat them," he mumbled to himself before joining in the laughter.
As the laughter died down, Corvus managed to regain some semblance of his composure. "Alright, alright, jests aside, we''ve got work to do. Thea, glad you''re back. Let''s make sure you stay that way, shall we? You¡¯re with Desmond for this patrol. Hash out the lay of the land together and get your magic Perception working, you got it?"
With a final tinge of mirth in his voice, he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Otherwise, I might truly consider replacing you with a plant or Lucas¡¯ Stalwart,¡± eliciting a renewed round of laughter, as he turned around to return to his command hole.
And just like that, the complete Sovereign Alpha was back to business, but not without a newfound sense of camaraderie that only such shared laughter on patrol could bring.
Throughout the rest of the day, Thea found herself in unexpected camaraderie with Desmond, exploring the surrounding forest as he guided her through it via the bird''s-eye view of his drones.
She peppered him with question after question, fully expecting an eye roll or sarcastic retort. However, instead, Desmond remained unusually composed, answering her inquiries without a hint of irritation and professional acumen.
''Has he turned over a new leaf, or is he just keeping it professional?''
The thought hovered like a drone itself in Thea''s mind. Either way, she was good with it. A competent jerk was just as tolerable as a jerk who''d seen the light.
And, lastly, as had always been the case, even back in her beloved arcade games on Lumiosia, she''d choose a competent jerk over a well-meaning liability any day of the week.
By the next day, Thea was back in the field for her first combat engagement since emerging from her coma.
In her familiar role at the forefront, she led Sovereign''s Alpha Squad through the forested terrain. Half a kilometre ahead, she identified two Stellar Republic soldiers camouflaged amidst the foliage. A quick drone scan from Desmond confirmed they were isolated.
Moments later, her Gram¡¯s shots neutralised the threats with surgical precision.
A palpable exhale from Corvus met her actions, as if he''d been wrestling with these very scenarios during her absence. She felt a surge of worth at that, realising just how crucial she apparently was to the squad''s safe passage through this treacherous landscape.
It was a redemptive moment for her, a chance to start counterbalancing the missteps of her post-coma self.
The day unfolded into a series of rapid engagements.
Thea and the rest of Sovereign Alpha managed to eliminate more than two dozen Duplicators, pressing forward at a pace that even Corvus¡¯ most optimistic estimates hadn¡¯t come close to predicting.
Ultimately, he even had to call for a halt; their progress had far outpaced the rest of their wing to a point that begged caution.
Isabella and Lucas efficiently carved out a rudimentary trench system¡ªsmall compared to what Thea had encountered during the assessment so far¡ªas the squad settled in for the rest of the day and the impending night.
To Thea''s astonishment, Karania had spent not just the previous night but also the current one with Sovereign Alpha. Ever curious about the thought processes of her much more brilliant friend, she had straight up asked Karania about it.
The answer had come as a welcome surprise, especially after hearing about the exhausting pace Karania had been keeping lately¡ªa concern that had been nagging at Thea.
"Look, I''ve been running on fumes for the past week while you were unconscious," Karania explained. "As much as I might seem like a live wire to everyone else, I''m acutely conscious of my physical and mental limitations. I hit my breaking point a day before you came to. I could have resorted to stims, but I try to avoid them unless absolutely necessary. I pushed my limits just to be there in case you woke up, which, thankfully, you did."
She had continued, "I plan to stay with the squad for at least one more day before resuming my more demanding routine¡ªunless, of course, we finally break into the city by then."
With Thea¡¯s curiosity sated and anxious thoughts regarding her friend¡¯s well being proven unfounded, the night passed without incident.
On the following and ninth official day of the assessment, the tactics of the Stellar Republic defenders had taken an inexplicable turn.
Sovereign Alpha found themselves embroiled in full-scale firefights four times before noon, a drastic contrast to the previous day''s sporadic skirmishes as the opposition they had faced was in small enough squads to quickly be wiped out or hadn¡¯t even known they existed.
Thea''s exceptional Perception and Psychic Short-Term Precognition had previously afforded them an invaluable advantage, but clearly, something had changed drastically within the enemy ranks.
During the third of these gunfights, both Isabella and Desmond had suffered quite significant injuries.
A Duplicator had somehow managed to thread the needle with his rocket launcher through the abundant tree trunks that made fighting anyone or anything in the Azure Forest a game of whack-a-mole.
Isabella had heroically pushed Desmond out of the way at the last moment, taking the full brunt of the ensuing explosion as the rocket slammed into a tree behind her.
Her armour had cracked, shattered, and partially torn off, leaving her grievously wounded on the forest floor. Desmond didn''t escape unscathed either; his medium-tier armour had proven inadequate against the blast of the T1 rocket.
Luckily, however, Karania was quick as ever to help.
It was at that moment that Thea was introduced to an intriguing piece of equipment¡ªthe armour-repair spray. Available at resupply stations, this costly quick-fix¡ªa single T1 can ran about 300 Credits and barely sufficed for a single set of heavy armour¡ªcould mend armour to its designated Tier in the field.
Though not an instant solution, the spray had succeeded in patching up both Isabella''s and Desmond''s armors, just in time for the fourth and final firefight of the day, shortly before noon, which ended up leaving them all exhausted and wiped out for the day.
However, it was then that the peculiar troop movements became glaringly evident.
Command had authorised them to proceed towards Nova Tertius, insisting only that they maintain formation with the rest of the wing while scouting far ahead.
After a well-deserved midday respite, during which Karania administered additional medical aid to the entire squad¡ªnone had emerged unscathed from the day''s heightened conflict¡ªthey cautiously resumed their advance, led by Thea.
Yet what they encountered next left them baffled and uneasy: Absolutely nothing.
For the subsequent two hours, they didn''t encounter a single Duplicator, any of their duplicates, or even unintegrated soldiers.
It was as if the Stellar Republic had completely vanished from their path.
Growing increasingly suspicious of a potential trap, Corvus and the higher-ups decided it was best for Sovereign Alpha to hold position and await the rest of the wing.
This pause provided some illuminating context over the next couple of hours. Resistance had spiked everywhere except in the sectors Sovereign Alpha was advancing through.
Gathering to discuss the day''s oddities, Corvus floated an intriguing hypothetical: It seemed the Stellar Republic had deemed the cost of stalling their advance too steep, particularly in terms of Duplicator casualties.
Thanks to Thea''s Psychic insights and impeccable precision, not a single Duplicator had survived their encounters, a stark contrast to the usual survival rate of 70-80% of the previous days...
Arc 1 - Chapter 68 - The Storm I
When Thea stirred awake in the pre-dawn hours of the assessment''s tenth day, several things immediately stood out to her.
The first was the absence of anyone rousing her from sleep.
''Command must still be confused about what to do with us,'' she mused, sinking further into her bedroll.
The squad had collectively agreed that she should maximise her rest at night, given her role in leading them throughout the day. This arrangement conveniently freed her from night watch duties, a fact she greatly appreciated, as uninterrupted sleep was something she relished.
Secondly, she noticed the peculiar, euphoric yet foggy haze that had permeated her mind over the past few days had finally lifted. From the moment she had awakened from her coma, something had felt amiss¡ªthe Psychic Gate incident during her journey back to the front lines definitely not helping in that matter.
Now, at last, she felt like her old self again.
Seizing this rare moment of solitude and relative lucidity, Thea decided to tackle some long-neglected administrative chores that had been repeatedly postponed amid the whirlwind of events following her coma.
She pulled up her System interface to review the accrued rewards from the past forty-eight hours.
|
[System]: You have received 34 Contribution Points, 61 System Merit and 92 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 8.45 Contribution Points, 13 System Merit and 29 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have received 49 Contribution Points, 72 System Merit and 106 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 11 Contribution Points, 24 System Merit and 35 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 3.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 3.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 3.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 3.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 3.
|
As she examined the rewards from the last two days, Thea noted with curiosity, ''No Mission rewards for the past couple of days... I wonder what the criteria are. It seems like only major engagements yield those bonuses, which is logical, I suppose.''
Her eyes then moved to the experience rewards allocated to her Abilities.
''The XP gains for my Abilities are impressive, to say the least. It looks like the points are either distributed evenly from a central pool or each Ability gets a fixed amount whenever the System¡¯s rewards come in. Hard to tell at this point. What''s crazy is how much of my Ability progression has come from these assessment rewards alone... Oh, that reminds me! I should prioritise unlocking that Gold-rank Ability so it can start levelling up through general experience in the upcoming engagements, along with my other Abilities.''
With a quick mental command, she opened the corresponding [Accomplishment] interface and navigated towards her only Gold-rarity one and claimed the rewards while reading through the information provided by it.
| [Unseen Death (Gold) Accomplishment]
Successfully neutralise over 20 enemies at least one Tier higher than yourself within 15 minutes, without being detected and without using area-of-effect Abilities or weapons.
Rewards:
- 1x Stealth- or Assassination-tagged Ability [Gold-rarity or below] (Claimed)
- 5,000 System Credits (Claimed)
- 500 System Merit (Claimed) |
| [Passive (Gold) - Detect Weak Spots - Level 0]
Requirements: 8 Perception, Line of Sight
Description: Allows the participant to identify vulnerabilities on a target upon focused observation for a certain duration. The time required for identification depends on the user''s Perception Attribute and the clarity with which they can observe the target. Striking these vulnerabilities enhances the penetrative and destructive capabilities of the attack.
Base Identification Time: 5 second(s) - Perception Scaling: 10% - Enhancement Factor: x2.0 |
| [System]: Do you want to accept this Ability or trade it in for: 1x Accomplishment-Store Passive Ability Voucher (Silver-rank or lower)? |
Thea poured over the Ability description yet again, her excitement so palpable that she couldn''t contain a soft, giddy chuckle.
''This Ability is completely overpowered, what the fuck,'' she thought, shaking her head in disbelief.
For someone whose dominant Attribute was Perception, stumbling upon a Passive Ability that not only supercharged her capabilities but also scaled off her Perception felt like unearthing an ultra-rare treasure in a high-level dungeon.
Heavy armour had definitely been her main issue during the assessment so far.
The one time she absolutely had to deal with heavily-armoured foes during the first day of the assessment had forced her to rely on her Caliburn, a choice that had ultimately led to the loss of her right hand.
With [Detect Weak Spots], however, that dilemma would become a thing of the past. No more painstakingly scanning every inch of an enemy''s armor to find a chink; this Ability would point it out for her.
Her existing Psychic Powers, which provided a sizable chunk of her precision and deadliness, similarly had their limitations.
Specifically, her strange short-term precognition powers could only forecast the efficacy of her attacks or whether her shots would make contact. Against armoured foes, the best it could do was confirm whether or not her shots would simply ricochet off the armour.
It didn¡¯t provide the detailed targeting information she needed to penetrate these robust defences or any like them.
She had attempted workarounds, using a technique of ''intending'' akin to what she had instinctively started to employ to identify original Duplicators or the time she had navigated Strike One through the seeker-minefield.
But this technique required considerable mental focus and time¡ªalmost half a second¡ªto conjure the right intent for her precognitive powers to kick in. As a result, she''d only managed to identify two weak points on one specific type of the Stellar Republic¡¯s heavy armour over the past two days¡ªnowhere near enough to build a comprehensive understanding of their makeup and vulnerabilities for her sniping duties.
With [Detect Weak Spots], all of that would change in an instant.
Initially, pinpointing vulnerabilities might take some time, due to the Ability¡¯s activation time, but after identifying them once or twice for each type of heavy armour¡ªor any other enigmatic defensive gear the Stellar Republic might throw at her¡ªshe would instinctively know where to aim in future encounters.
In a way, this Ability struck a chord with the gamer in her, particularly the part of her that relished fighting games. The new Ability felt like a built-in practice stage, akin to the elaborate test stage in her favourite game, ''Ashes of Centuries.''
That stage allowed players to dissect each character¡¯s movesets, frame-timings, and spatial dynamics. Now, she would have a similar toolset, but for discerning the weak points in any enemy''s defensive gear!
Immediately, Thea mentally confirmed the prompt, accepting [Detect Weak Spots] as her very first Gold-rarity Ability with a giddy excitement spreading throughout her body.
¡®This is going to be absolutely amazing!¡¯
To finish up her administrative duties, she quickly pulled up her full [Status], just to make sure nothing strange had happened over the last couple of days.
|
[Status, Attributes & Currencies]:
Thea McKay - Level 6.98 - Contribution Points: 520 / 533 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 225 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 8.45 | 5.28 (+60%)
Resolve: 9.55 | 5.97 (+60%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked[?] 24.82/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
System Credits: 15,600
System Merit: 2,465
|
Finding nothing else noteworthy, and deliberately ignoring the peculiar changes in the Psychic line of her Status, Thea exited the interface and refocused on her immediate surroundings.
She lay cocooned in her bedroll, nestled within a modest dug-in inside one of the trenches that formed their current makeshift patrol base.
Calling it a ''base'' might have been an overstatement, however.
It was more a labyrinth of approximately a dozen trenches, hastily excavated by Isabella and Lucas just the day before. The most distinctive feature of this rudimentary encampment was Corvus'' command hole, which was like the nerve centre of the whole patrol.
Situated about a hundred metres away, as the drone flies, from Thea''s dugout and the others¡¯ sleeping spaces, Corvus'' station was strategically placed for rapid communication in case of emergencies.
Given Thea''s high levels of Perception, she had grown used to the sporadic chatter and noise emanating from that hub over the last two days, whenever she retreated to her personal dug-out for some rest.
What caught her off guard this time, however, was the tone of Corvus'' voice.
It was tinged with exasperation, a sentiment she rarely heard from the squad leader she had come to know primarily for his unflappable demeanour.
"Karania, listen... I get where you''re coming from, I really do. But we have our orders, and¡ª"
His words were suddenly cut off by Karania''s own voice, exasperated yet deliberately hushed as though holding back a scream. "The orders are fucking bullshit, Corvus! You know that as well as I do! Venn is just squandering lives by pushing the wing this hard. We have a deadline on this assessment, but this approach is needlessly reckless!"
Corvus'' initial exasperation seemed to give way to a more measured, albeit weary tone. "Karania, what''s truly out of line here is your conduct. I understand that you have an aversion to the very notion of sacrificing even a single life that could otherwise be saved. But the Staff-Sergeant no longer has the privilege of prioritising that way... not in the current circumstances."
Hearing the subtle shift in Corvus'' voice¡ªa complex mix of concern and sheer exhaustion¡ªKarania, too, dialled down her emotional intensity. Her voice, which had been a boiling cauldron of emotion just moments before, assumed a more neutral, even-keeled tone. "What are you getting at? Has something happened that I should know about?"
The air was thick with tension, an emotional tinderbox waiting for a spark, and Thea found herself involuntarily holding her breath in her secluded dugout. She briefly toyed with the idea of stepping in, but swiftly ruled it out upon further reflection.
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Interjecting would likely complicate matters rather than resolve them.
She was torn, in a sense.
On one hand, Karania was her friend, and her viewpoint was one that she would naturally want to support. On the other, Corvus was unequivocally right in the matter of following orders. They were marines, after all, and the chain of command wasn''t a suggestion; it was an obligation for all of them.
Just as her thoughts began to drift, Corvus'' voice broke through the silence again.
It was a voice that now carried the unmistakable weight of exhaustion, tinged with an undercurrent of concern. "Listen, Kara. What I''m about to say isn''t classified per se, but it''s not exactly public knowledge either. The last thing we need is widespread panic, got it? You''re a medic, and I know you understand the importance of discretion. Treat this information accordingly, understand?"
There must have been a non-verbal nod or gesture from Karania, for Corvus continued speaking. Thea felt a momentary pang of guilt; eavesdropping on such a conversation felt like a violation of some unspoken ethical boundary. But the tantalising mystery of the situation held her captive, her curiosity too compelling to ignore.
She rationalised the moment to herself.
After all, she was merely lying in her bedroll, lost in her thoughts. She didn''t choose to have acute Perception; she simply did. Overhearing a conversation she wasn''t meant to hear was, in that sense, not entirely her fault, right?
"Three days ago, every single marine from the ''Monarch,'' the Sovereign''s sister-ship, went missing. Their bodies inside the DDS just dropped dead, lifeless. What''s worse is that none of them have reappeared in the respawn bays. They''re simply... gone."
The gravity of Corvus'' revelation hung heavily in the air, a stifling weight that stifled even the slightest semblance of conversation. Thea felt as if the air had been sucked out of her dugout, her eyes widening in a mix of disbelief and horror.
The implications of this information were staggering.
Even without being an expert on the Deep-Dive System, she understood that only a few scenarios could explain such a phenomenon, and every single one was deeply unsettling.
Whether the disappearance was due to the Monarch''s leadership making an inexplicable decision to disconnect their DDS servers, a catastrophic system malfunction severing their connection, or darker, more ominous possibilities such as sabotage or even outright assault on the Monarch itself, the potential explanations ran the gamut from dire to apocalyptic.
The mere idea that the Monarch could have been attacked, or worse, completely annihilated, sent an unsettling shiver spiralling down Thea''s spine, giving life to a myriad of dreadful possibilities.
If the Monarch had indeed been assaulted mid-FTL travel, within the ostensibly secure borders of UHF territory, the implications were staggering. Could there be an advanced, hitherto unknown technology in enemy hands, one potent enough to reach deep into their space?
And if the unthinkable had occurred, if the Monarch¡ªa sister-ship to the Sovereign, a veritable fortress of a transport ship in its own right, primarily focused on defences and transportation¡ªhad been completely obliterated to the point that the DDS shut off at once, what kind of apocalyptic firepower would be needed for such a feat?
More importantly, how could such an attack happen without even a whisper of forewarning?
No signs, no alerts, just a sudden, horrifying absence.
The questions bubbled up, each more disconcerting than the last, as she grappled with the potential scale of the disaster. It was apparent to Thea that she wasn''t alone in grappling with the enormity of the situation; Karania too had sunk into a disquieting silence.
Thea became acutely aware of this when Karania finally broke her silence, her voice devoid of its usual energy, sounding hollowed out and almost deflated.
"They''re all gone? Just vanished? What could possibly provoke something so drastic? The leadership wouldn''t sever connections arbitrarily; the assessments are too critical for that."
Karania''s observation resonated with Thea''s own line of thought.
''She''s absolutely right. There''s no conceivable reason that leadership would disconnect an entire ship without a monumental justification,'' Thea thought, her mind looping back to the grave importance of the quarterly assessments that had been instilled in them.
Not merely a way for higher-ups to evaluate the mettle of new recruits, these assessments held immense value for every participating marine. The Allbright System provided four unique instances annually where Participants could engage in mock exercises or simulations, while reaping a windfall of Credits, Merit, and CP, far beyond the standard rate.
More importantly, these were the only periods when Participants could safely unlock new Classes or upgrade existing ones without the high-stakes gamble of a live battlefield.
These scheduled opportunities were vitally important for the UHF in particular. The leadership had wisely coordinated these assessments with their own data-gathering, gaining invaluable insights into their marines'' progress.
What better way to encourage peak performance than by dangling the most tantalising rewards?
Once you committed to such an assessment, enabled by the System''s specific four-times-a-year mechanism, there was no turning back without severe repercussions. Missing one of these opportunities could be a significant setback in a marine¡¯s growth and potential.
There was no way the Monarch''s leadership had made such a weighty decision lightly. The repercussions would stretch beyond a mere court-martial; it would be a scandal of galactic proportions.
Corvus'' voice resurfaced, this time carrying a blend of gravitas and fatigue that underscored the urgency of the moment. "Look, Kara, I''m flying as blind as you are here. It¡¯s possible Venn''s got intelligence we''re not aware of. But what''s not in dispute is this: We¡¯re down by multiple thousands of marines. Vanished, just like that. It''s thrown our whole strategy into disarray."
His tone shifted, steeling into something more resolute, as if anchoring himself to the only course of action left. "So listen up, we''ve got our marching orders, and there¡¯s no room for debate. This afternoon, towards the night-hours, we, along with the rest of the UHF forces, will initiate a full-scale assault on the city across the entire front. I suggest you catch whatever rest you can now; once the siege kicks off, sleep will be a luxury we can''t afford."
Thea could almost hear him taking a deep breath before he continued, "Chances are we¡¯ll be summoned by Staff-Sergeant Venn in the middle of the chaos. We''ll be infiltrating the city as part of our first official assignment in this assessment. Our mission is the same one presented pre-assessment by me: To neutralise as many of the five key strategic points as possible, allowing our main forces to breach the Stellar Republic¡¯s defences. Understood?"
His voice, previously tinged with a sense of exasperation and concern, now carried the undeniable weight of command. The situation might be fraught with uncertainties, but for Corvus, the path forward was clear.
A heavy exhale filled the air as Karania''s voice came through, a mix of resignation and weariness. "Haa... This doesn''t sit right with me, Corvus, but you''re probably right. I appreciate you sharing this intel, despite¡ Well, everything. I''ll try to get some rest. See you in the afternoon."
"Thank you, Kara. I owe you one. This assessment has been nothing short of gruelling for each of us," Corvus responded, his own fatigue evident in his words. Then, the conversation ceased, leaving a tangible sense of weightiness hanging in the air.
Thea tuned into the familiar cadence of footsteps shortly afterward. It was a sound she''d come to associate with her friends¡ªeach unique rhythm telling its own story. Today, Karania''s steps seemed to carry an extra layer of heaviness as she passed by Thea''s dugout, making her way to her own sleeping quarters for some much-needed rest.
The sound of her friend''s footsteps seemed to echo long after she was gone, as if reflecting the gravity of their situation.
Thea lay awake in her dugout, her mind racing as she replayed the troubling conversation she had overheard between Karania and Corvus. Her fingers itched to take action, to do something¡ªanything¡ªthat could relieve the building tension.
On one side of the mental tug-of-war, she considered going to Karania.
She wanted to offer a comforting presence, maybe help her friend process the disconcerting information they had just learned. Yet, a quiet inner voice advised restraint, suggesting that if Karania needed her, she''d seek her out.
Simultaneously, another part of her pondered visiting Corvus.
Given the upcoming assault planned for that afternoon, there would be ample scouting and preparatory tasks where her skills could be invaluable. However, that same inner voice whispered that Corvus would come to her if her specific expertise were needed.
Since her substantial misjudgment on her first day back on the frontlines¡ªan error that earned her a well-deserved reprimand from Corvus¡ªThea had been practising a newfound deliberation. She had learned the hard way that acting on impulse could lead to problems, not just for her but for the whole squad.
She was sure that even James, if he were here, would''ve advised her to grow up and abandon the reckless tendency to follow her whims without due consideration, simply because those whims didn¡¯t directly contradict an order.
Thea could almost hear James'' voice in her head, chiding her with his typical straightforwardness, "Lack of an order to avoid stupidity doesn''t give you a free pass to act utterly stupid, missy."
After several minutes of internal struggle, Thea eventually resolved to heed her instincts and remain where she was. With a deep, steadying breath, she closed her eyes, compelling herself to rest and recharge for the impending afternoon assault¡ªa conflict that promised to strain not just her physical stamina, but her emotional resilience as well.
Around ten hours later, Thea found herself leading the rest of Sovereign Alpha once again, guiding the squad through a landscape that seemed almost eerily quiet given the tumultuous events that were soon to unfold. They moved in a northerly direction, catching only fleeting glimpses of the city''s imposing silhouette through breaks in the treeline and canopy to their west.
It was as if the city were a brooding sentinel, partially concealed yet ever-present, lurking in the shadows of their peripheral vision.
In a calculated move designed to minimise resistance for their upcoming operation, their squad had been repositioned closer to the northernmost perimeter of the impending battleground. Their designated point of entry into the city was as distant as possible, without being problematic, from the main point of conflict, aiming to offer them the path of least resistance.
Just a short half-hour ago, squads from the 16th had relieved them from their patrol base, arriving with a vanguard of motorised vehicles from the UHF AD. This array of reinforcements had been slowly advancing behind them over the past several days, capitalising on the momentum of their unexpectedly smooth progress.
While Thea''s primary concern was ensuring her squad reached their new location unscathed, scouting had become almost like a second skin to her over the past few days. This innate confidence had freed up mental space, making it impossible for her not to contemplate the looming conflict that lay ahead.
The sheer volume of marines and the heavy artillery provided by the UHF AD that had relieved them was a clear sign: The upcoming assault was going to be colossal in scale.
''If I thought the cube trial was insane, this first venture into Nova Tertius is shaping up to be nothing short of apocalyptic,'' Thea mused. ''How can I even contribute in an environment like that? Picking off Duplicators here and there is one thing, but facing what could be an army of thousands¡? I don¡¯t even have enough ammo for that.''
It appeared she wasn''t alone in grappling with the gravity of what lay ahead either; the usual undercurrent of quiet chatter on their squad comms during patrols had noticeably diminished during this change of location pre-assault.
Earlier, she had been somewhat relieved to find both Karania and Corvus returning to their usual selves after her second round of sleep¡ªvalidating, in a way, her decision to stay put in that particular instance.
However, now that the stark reality of the imminent assault weighed heavily on everyone, she found herself wishing she had sought out some reassurance from either of them. Even a few words could have served as a balm for her mounting apprehension.
But alas, none of that truly mattered for now, as she primarily focused on getting them to their new position along the battlelines in one piece.
After a laborious trek of over two hours through the dense and enigmatic Azure Forest, flanking the UHF''s burgeoning battle formations, Sovereign Alpha finally arrived at their prescribed grid coordinates.
Situated towards the extreme northern boundary of the forthcoming warzone, they were roughly a kilometre from its outermost edge. According to Corvus, this strategic positioning would enable them a swift extraction route to their eventual entry point further north, once Staff-Sergeant Venn gave the go-ahead for the Alpha squads and auxiliary infiltration units to commence their separate missions.
As they settled in, Lucas and Isabella took to the task of fortifying their encampment.
With an uncanny blend of expertise and urgency, they began digging trenches, transforming the raw land into a defensible position at a remarkable speed.
While they did, an itch of curiosity began to gnaw at Thea.
The landscape that lay to the west¡ªtoward Nova Tertius¡ªwas one she would soon be intimately familiar with, likely drenched in sweat, blood, and the cacophony of battle.
She wasn''t the only one consumed by this inquisitive urge, however.
Both Karania and, much to Thea¡¯s surprise, Desmond, seemed equally captivated.
Unable to quell their collective curiosity, Thea guided them through the gradually thinning expanse of the Azure Forest, inching closer to the obscured horizon that was Nova Tertius.
As they neared the final cluster of dense shrubs and tangled undergrowth, Thea felt a strange sensation wash over her.
It was as if she had stepped through an invisible curtain of charged air.
A tingling vibration pulsed from her feet, ascending her legs and radiating through her torso, arms, and finally to the crown of her head. For a moment, it seemed as though the very molecules of her being were aligning themselves, leaving her feeling both momentarily disoriented and acutely aware of her surroundings.
The sensation was neither uncomfortable nor comforting, but it resonated with a sense of altered reality, as if she had crossed an unmarked boundary into a separate domain of existence entirely.
Just as quickly as her hand instinctively reached up to signal "halt," Thea''s senses sharpened to a razor''s edge.
Her keen Perception shifted into overdrive, eyes scanning meticulously through the foliage, undergrowth, and shadowy patches between trees. Her ears seemed to catch the distant rustle of leaves and subtle stirrings of the forest, all while her intuition throbbed like a secondary radar.
Time felt stretched, as if granting her a few extra crucial seconds to make sense of any hidden dangers. Could it be a trap, an ambush, or some hidden surveillance system?
After what felt like an eternity but was likely just a minute or two, she cautiously retraced her steps, moving back away from the invisible threshold she had just crossed.
That same uncanny sensation enveloped her again, coursing through her body in the reverse order, as if unthreading a needle or rewinding a tape. She exhaled deeply, letting her heightened awareness gradually fade, even as her senses remained vigilant.
Taking soft, deliberate steps, she moved close to Karania, coming within mere inches of her ear.
Her whisper was as quiet as the falling of a feather, each word carefully chosen. "Kara, I felt something odd back there. A strange tingling, like a pulse that moved through me from my feet to my head. It was as if reality itself shifted for a split second. Be alert."
Karania''s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, her mind visibly racing through explanations before settling on one. "SADD. It''s the Stellar Republic''s closest SADD, most likely," she finally said.
"While our own version usually doesn''t affect us much when we pass through it, except for a quick marker on our interfaces, enemy-deployed SADDs have a way of giving you a slight warning when you''re crossing its outermost edge. It''s not harmful but designed to alert you that you''ve entered a protected zone, so you don¡¯t end up getting artillery-striked out of nowhere."
Thea nodded, the unease not entirely lifted but certainly lessened.
A thought tinged with relief flickered prominently through Thea''s consciousness as she gestured for the group to resume their cautious advance toward the forest''s edge, where they would catch their first glimpses of the enigmatic city of Nova Tertius.
''At least this wasn''t another strange episode linked to my Psychic abilities,'' she mused, silently grateful for a dilemma that could be understood and categorised, rather than yet another inexplicable mental enigma¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 69 - The Storm II
Upon reaching the forest''s perimeter, Thea, Karania, and Desmond cautiously parted the dense foliage to take in the view. Their eyes widened collectively as the landscape, that was about to turn into their most hard-fought battlefield in just a matter of hours, unfurled before them.
Peering out from their covert alcove in the underbrush, Thea''s gaze stretched across a four-kilometre expanse that once must have been a natural haven¡ªverdant fields, towering trees, lush grasslands.
Now, it had been transformed into an ashen wasteland, the land scorched and blackened, devoid of any semblance of life.
It was a bleak tableau, a meticulously crafted killing field designed for one grim purpose: To soak up the blood of the UHF marines who would soon emerge from the Azure Forest and charge toward the city.
The Stellar Republic had eradicated any potential cover, leaving not a single place to hide in the entire expanse. The message was clear: This would be a battleground without quarter, a place where survival was anything but guaranteed.
Beyond this barren expanse rose the formidable outer walls of Nova Tertius. So immense were these fortifications that they not only overshadowed the scorched wasteland in front of them but also concealed the city''s towering skyscrapers. These structures, which Thea had been able to catch glimpses of when she first landed on Nova Serene, were now eclipsed entirely by the wall''s overwhelming presence.
Constructed from layers of reinforced rock-crete and positively littered with further reinforcements of massive layers of plasteel, the walls seemed almost to merge with the horizon, rising like an insurmountable barrier between them and their objective.
The wall was further bristling with a terrifying array of defences¡ªemplacement after emplacement of heavy weaponry, the ominous silhouettes of sniper nests, anti-air batteries and other various wartime fortifications. Every square metre appeared to be a well-calculated vantage point, designed to unleash hellish firepower on any who dared approach.
The sheer density of these defensive configurations gave the impression of a fortress that had been preparing for this moment for a very long time, ready to repel invaders with a ferocity that could turn even the most daring strategies into suicide missions.
It was the chilling proof of the lengths the Stellar Republic would go to defend this city and Nova Serene as a whole, and for the first time, the magnitude of the challenge they were about to face became palpably real for Thea.
Overwhelmed by the scale of the defences before her, Thea felt a momentary flicker of insignificance.
Yet, she quickly shook off the encroaching dread, narrowing her focus as she summoned the depths of her extraordinary Perception.
She took slow, deep breaths to centre herself, shutting out extraneous senses to zero in on the intricate details spread across the war zone before her. Like adjusting the lens of a high-powered scope, her Perception sharpened and refined, cutting through the haze of distance and atmosphere to paint a vivid tableau of the enemy''s positions.
In that hyper-focused state, individual turrets, bunkers, and fortifications sprang into crystalline clarity. She took mental snapshots of the locations of heavy artillery pieces, anti-aircraft guns, and sniper nests perched like predatory birds along the towering walls.
Her eyes caught the reflective glint of what could be optical sensors or even cameras¡ªsomething to note for Desmond, who might be able to hack into them.
She catalogued patterns, like the rotation speed of a heavy machine gun turret or the intervals at which guards patrolled a certain stretch, all potentially useful data for timing their assault.
With each captured detail, the initial feeling of insignificance began to fade, replaced by a burgeoning sense of responsibility.
Here, in this heightened state of perception, she found her role, her contribution to the impending chaos¡ªa scout''s finely honed ability to read the battlefield in ways others couldn''t.
She knew that the intelligence she was gathering was likely insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it could potentially make a crucial difference for Sovereign Alpha, giving them the smallest of edges in a battle of unimaginable scale.
At some point, she even unholstered her Gram, utilising its high-powered scope to scrutinise particular sections of the fortifications more closely. Her aim was to ensure that every sliver of intel she collected would provide actionable insights for Corvus and other nearby squad leaders.
The scope''s crosshairs danced over various points of interest, allowing her to confirm or fine-tune her earlier observations.
However, as she continued this meticulous exercise, Thea had to confront an uncomfortable truth: The volume of information she was accumulating was overwhelming, too dense and complex to be easily communicated or acted upon.
The staggering enormity of the fortifications defied concise description, exceeding the bandwidth of what could be practically conveyed.
The reality was inescapable: They were facing the daunting outskirts of a mega-city transformed into a bastion virtually immune to assault, surrounded by a blasted wasteland designed expressly to be a killing field.
¡®How the absolute fuck are we even supposed to get out of the forest, much less cross this massive expanse of death? I really hope Venn knows what he¡¯s doing, for the sake of all of us¡¡¯ Thea couldn¡¯t help but think, as she holstered her Gram again, readying herself to get back and report her findings¡ªas much as she could, at least.
However, just as she was preparing to signal Karania and Desmond to retreat back to their staging area, a fleeting glint of light captured her attention.
As Thea''s eyes tracked the source of the fleeting glint, her gaze was inexorably drawn upward, far above the towering walls of Nova Tertius and the scorched earth that stretched before it.
What she saw unfolding in the sky above took her breath away: A massive space battle was raging over the expanse of Nova Serene, just past the planet¡¯s exosphere.
She had utterly forgotten that such a colossal clash was even happening, having lost sight of the sky since the day they first touched down¡ªa day that was notably devoid of any such combat, as the space battles had only commenced roughly 48 hours after their initial landing.
Even through the atmospheric haze, the bright gleam of the sun, and the wisps of clouds, the spectacle was overwhelmingly grand.
Streaks of light lanced through the void, the telltale signs of high-heat projectiles racing through the vacuum towards their target. Brilliant flashes illuminated the distant battle, each one marking the demise of a vessel or the detonation of powerful munitions.
Tiny clouds of specks darted around¡ªpresumably smaller fighter craft engaging in their own skirmishes¡ªbut they were so dwarfed by the mammoth capital ships that they seemed like gnats buzzing around titans.
Though they were likely thousands of kilometres apart from each other and even farther from the planet''s surface, the gargantuan dreadnoughts seemed almost within reach of each other to Thea, as if she could stretch out her arm and brush the cold metal of their hulls if she were on board of one of them.
These leviathans of space looked less like ships and more like floating citadels, each bristling with an array of devastating weaponry that could turn entire moons into rubble.
From her point of view, their slow-motion engagements resembled a celestial ballet of titans, choreographed in the vacuum of space. Yet, each seemingly graceful movement was loaded with a destructive power that defied comprehension.
The enormous turrets on their exteriors pivoted lethargically, aligning with targets before discharging bursts of energy so potent they appeared as miniature suns, even from this great distance. Shockwaves of released energy pulsed outward, creating ripples that Thea imagined could tear through the fabric of space itself.
Each time one of these bursts connected, the target ship would erupt in a dazzling fireball of light, a silent, distant spectacle that belied the unimaginable devastation wrecked by the unfathomably large weapons used in the space conflict.
The scale was so monumental that it downright distorted her own sense of time and space.
What seemed to her like a slow unfolding of intricate moves was, in reality, a high-stakes clash where even a millisecond''s delay could result in the obliteration of thousands.
Though they appeared to move with a deceptive slowness, these massive ships were actually locked in a high-velocity, lethal dance that was far beyond Thea''s comprehension. Their movements seemed paradoxical¡ªsimultaneously fast and slow, like a ballet unfolding at both a snail''s pace and the speed of light.
According to Thea''s understanding of space warfare, the timing between a shot being fired and its eventual impact could span dozens of seconds or even minutes.
These dreadnoughts, though seemingly slow on a galactic scale, were actually darting through space at speeds that defied belief for short-range engagements like this one. By the time enemy projectiles reached their target coordinates, the targeted ships had often already shifted position or adjusted their angles, rendering a large portion of incoming fire irrelevant.
Space combat was less about delivering a single, decisive blow and more about creating a series of dilemmas for the enemy, forcing them to make split-second choices that could spell their doom.
This strategic intricacy explained the battle''s ongoing ferocity, despite the fact that it must have been waging for well over a week by now. The combatants were engaged in a relentless, high-stakes game of cosmic chess, where every move was calculated to force the enemy into a difficult decision, rather than to checkmate them outright.
Yet, despite their apparent speeds, from Thea¡¯s limited, ground-based perspective, they looked like gods of old locked in a cosmic duel, their every motion an epic saga written against the backdrop of the stars with painful slowness.
The sheer magnitude of what she was witnessing made all her detailed observations of Nova Tertius, as intricate and vital as they were, seem almost inconsequential.
Realising the stakes of her immediate mission, Thea managed to wrench her attention away from the awe-inspiring tableau in the sky.
In the grand scheme dictated by System-sanctioned Battlefields, the outcome of the space battle, monumental as it might be, could become irrelevant if they succeeded on the ground first. According to the rules of engagement, victory in either theatre would tip the balance entirely.
The System, as it seemed, had no interest in prolonging death and destruction needlessly.
As such, refocusing on the task at hand was essential.
With a quick, snapping gesture, she caught the attention of Karania and Desmond, both of whom appeared to be just as transfixed by the skyward spectacle as she had been. Their faces, marked by awe and perhaps a bit of dread, shifted back into expressions of purpose.
"Let''s move," she signalled quietly, careful to not attract any undue attention.
Leading them back through the now-identified perimeter of the Stellar Republic''s SADD, she felt a renewed sense of urgency. Regardless of the drama unfolding among the stars above them, their mission here and now was no less crucial.
They retreated from the edge of the forest, every step taking them further from the ashen wasteland and its fortified behemoth, but closer to the reality of the battle that awaited them¡ª a battle they had no choice but to win¡
Two hours after their reconnaissance, Thea had finished briefing Corvus on every nuance she had observed. With meticulous attention to detail, Corvus had synthesised her insights into a comprehensive report which he promptly relayed to Staff-Sergeant Venn and the other squad leaders in their vicinity.
The information, potentially rich in tactical implications, was now theirs to dissect and incorporate into their plans, if they chose to do so.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Back at their makeshift encampment in the depths of the Azure Forest, Thea and the rest of Sovereign Alpha had gathered together, their preparations for the looming battle already complete.
The atmosphere was a cocktail of quiet determination, anticipation, and a tension so palpable it felt like a living entity. The conversation among them was light but avoided the impending conflict, as if speaking it aloud would make it all the more real.
No one was under any illusion; they were collectively bracing for an engagement that promised to be gruelling in ways they had never experienced.
The sheer magnitude of the task ahead was underscored just an hour prior when a sizable crate arrived, delivered courtesy of the UHF logistics department. It was packed not only with ammunition but also with an astonishing amount of medical supplies.
One glance at the extensive medical inventory was enough to gauge the grim expectations of the UHF''s high command. It was a telling sign, especially given that all of these supplies were designated for a single squad medic¡ªKarania.
The abundance of medical gear seemed to echo a haunting question: Just how dire would this battle become?
Thea couldn''t shake off a persistent concern for Karania, her closest friend and the squad''s indispensable medic. Karania''s near-compulsive need to save lives was both one of her greatest strengths and vulnerabilities alike.
Now, armed with a staggering supply of stims, bandages, and other medical gear, Thea knew Karania would throw herself into the melee, working tirelessly, likely without rest or respite.
Watching Karania meticulously reorganise her already massive backpack, Thea found herself lost in thought.
The medic had emptied out its contents entirely, prioritising the medical supplies they had just received from UHF. The backpack now appeared to be a portable hospital, specifically curated for the horrors they''d inevitably face during the siege.
¡®I''ll just have to make sure nobody can surprise her,¡¯ Thea resolved internally, vowing to protect Karania from any unexpected dangers that could catch her off-guard while she was immersed in her life saving mission.
Still, Karania''s earlier words echoed in her mind, words spoken the moment she''d seen the abundance of supplies at their disposal: "If they''re providing this many meds, there''s no reason I can''t be generous with them and save as many as I can, right?"
Her tone had been a mix of determination and a hint of grim optimism, as if challenging the bleak circumstances they found themselves in. It was a statement that encapsulated Karania''s approach to any battlefield¡ªher resolve to bend the terrible odds in their favour, one life at a time.
It wasn''t just Karania who had overhauled her equipment; almost every member of Sovereign Alpha had taken the opportunity to reconfigure their loadouts in preparation for the daunting battle ahead.
Isabella and Lucas had practically gutted their backpacks to make room for munitions.
Isabella''s pack brimmed with belts of ammunition for her colossal rotary machine gun, Devastation, each cartridge meticulously aligned and ready for rapid deployment. Lucas had followed suit, stuffing his bag to the point of bursting with the standardised 50mm grenades for his Havoc launcher.
Both had a singular focus: Ensuring they would never run low on ammunition, no matter how protracted the battle became.
As for Thea, she had exercised a different kind of caution.
She''d tripled the number of capacitor mags for her Gram, each one carefully tucked away in easy-to-reach pockets inside of her large backpack. A few extra magazines for her Caliburn were also stowed away, "just in case".
She had pondered the idea of adding more grenades or extra magazines for her Icicle, especially since the crate had surprisingly included the specialised ammunition it required.
But after weighing the odds, she''d decided against it.
The calculus was simple: It was improbable she''d find herself in a situation where those additional supplies would tip the scales, or she¡¯d even be in-range to use them.
The opportunity for another resupply at the patrol base had been fresh in her mind as a fallback plan, allowing for last-minute adjustments before the mission proper, when they would enter Nova Tertius itself.
As such, Thea had made a mental promise to herself to add an extra magazine or two for her Icicle once they ventured into the labyrinthine cityscape itself. The Icicle''s unique penetrative capabilities were unparalleled in her arsenal, except, of course, by the Caliburn.
Given the complexities of urban warfare, that specific feature was bound to be a game-changer more than just a few times.
Amidst a natural lull in conversation and the ambient quiet that had enveloped their hideout, a distinctive set of footsteps broke through Thea''s focus. It was Corvus, their squad leader, approaching from the direction of the makeshift command post.
Given that the sky was now awash with the hues of late afternoon bleeding into early evening, there was only one logical conclusion for his emergence from the prolonged tactical meetings with the other squad leaders and UHF command: It was time.
Thea, sensing Corvus''s approach well before the others, gestured for her squad to brace themselves. She took a final moment to secure her own gear, her senses razor-sharp.
Moments later, Corvus rounded the bend of the trench they occupied, his eyes locked onto each of theirs as he began to speak, seeing that they were all aware of his presence already.
"Listen up, we''re on the clock. You''ve all been prepping, but give your gear one last once-over. Trust me, you''ll want to. What we''re stepping into is like nothing we''ve ever seen. We''re away from the eye of the storm, but don''t let that fool you¡ªthis is still going to be bad," Corvus''s voice was unyielding, gripping their attention.
"If you''re still hanging onto memories of the ''large-scale'' ambushes we faced on Day One, it''s time to recalibrate. We''re talking about an operation featuring around 60,000 T1 marines as part of our wing alone. Add to that more than 500 armoured vehicles and thousands of their operators. By the day''s end, respawn pods will be so jammed, some marines won¡¯t be back in the fight for weeks."
His gaze intensified, "For us, for other Alpha Squads in the assessment, and the special infiltration squads that will follow and help us get into the city proper before splitting off, we''ve got a separate respawn pod. If you go down, you''re back in action quicker than the rest. That''s the good news."
Corvus''s tone grew gravely serious, "But once we''re inside the city, if you die, you''re stuck behind the wall. No respawn pods are getting through that wall. So inside that city, every step is a gamble with your life. Be vigilant. Be sharp."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle, "You''ve got ten minutes to finish your prep. After that, I want you geared up, locked in, and ready to make Sovereign Alpha the pride of both the Sovereign and the UHF as a whole. Oo-Rah?"
A resounding "Oo-Rah!" erupted in unison, reverberating through the atmosphere.
Isabella''s grin broke free, not just in response to Corvus''s stirring words but also as a mark of personal pride. The "Oo-Rah" had been her contribution, a tradition she''d carried over from her mercenary days, and hearing it echo from the mouths of her new squad within the UHF was a validation she couldn''t help but enjoy.
Ten minutes later, Sovereign Alpha had assembled in their usual formation: Thea took point, her keen perception a vital asset for detecting incoming threats. Just behind her stood Lucas, his Stalwart shield at the ready to provide her with immediate cover if necessary. Following closely behind were Isabella, Karania, and Corvus, each focused and prepared for the mission ahead. Bringing up the rear was Desmond, his eyes glued to his wrist-mounted drone display.
Desmond had already dispatched two of his drones.
One was programmed to hover above the squad, offering an aerial perspective of their surroundings. Though its usefulness was somewhat limited by the dense canopy of the Azure Forest, its capabilities would become indispensable once they emerged into the open terrain in front of the city.
The second drone was under Desmond''s direct control, sent to reconnoitre the forest''s edge and offer another glimpse at the imposing wall that marked the boundary between the UHF-controlled area of the Azure Forest and the Stellar Republic¡¯s Nova Tertius.
As they traversed the uneven terrain, following the deep grooves left in the earth by half a dozen vehicles that had rolled past their patrol base earlier, Corvus''s voice broke through the squad comms.
"Double-check your hearing protection. It¡¯s about to get loud. We¡¯re going in."
Heeding his warning, Thea quickly inspected the seals on her helmet.
She had donned the full-face mask of her Spectre armour before they''d set out, keenly aware that she didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard during the ensuing chaos of what promised to be a frenetic firefight. Satisfied that her helmet was securely sealed and her auditory shielding was cranked to its highest setting, she refocused on the mission at hand.
Just as she glimpsed the tail end of one of the armoured vehicles through the curtain of foliage ahead, its powerful engine roared to life. The vehicle surged forward, effortlessly mowing down the intervening shrubs, undergrowth, and smaller trees as it carved a path out of the Azure Forest and into the desolate, ashy expanse beyond.
Thea felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched the first of the behemoths emerge from the treeline.
One was a medium-type, tread-based colossus, its front equipped with two immense shields arranged in a V-formation. Next to this mechanical monstrosity, Lucas'' Stalwart shield seemed like a children¡¯s toy¡¯s toy in comparison.
The other vehicle was a medium-type, anti-grav one, its upper surface bristling with two enormous rotary Gatling guns that looked like they could chew through a building in a fraction of a second.
Her heart pounded as she observed them cross the boundary where the Stellar Republic''s SADD ended. This was the point of no return, and the weight of what they were about to undertake settled upon her like a cloak.
The SADD was more than just a protective barrier, after all¡ªit was a double-edged sword.
Programmed to keep out unauthorised attacks, it also acted as a deterrent to anything leaving its confines of the same nature.
This meant that while the UHF forces were sheltered within the Azure Forest, outside the range of the Stellar Republic¡¯s SADD, they were safe from artillery strikes. The Stellar Republic would have to compromise the SADD to launch any form of heavy attack, thereby making their own territory vulnerable as well.
But crossing into the territory governed by the SADD was akin to stepping out from behind an impenetrable shield and into the open.
No longer outside the protective umbrella of the defence dome, they were now fair game for artillery fire from the Stellar Republic. And the enemy wouldn''t have to guess their position either; the very act of crossing the SADD''s boundary would pinpoint their location with chilling accuracy.
After all, the Stellar Republic knew the exact circumference of their own SADD¡¯s dome.
Ten seconds after the vehicles had entered the SADD''s influence, the air around them erupted into a downright defeaning cacophony.
The anti-grav vehicle mounted with the massive rotary gatling guns roared to life, and the sky above them was suddenly ablaze. Tracer rounds streaked upward, creating rivulets of crimson and gold against the deepening dusk, resembling fireflies on steroids.
And it wasn¡¯t just the one vehicle.
Along the entire length of the UHF''s formation, dozens upon dozens of similar anti-grav platforms lit up the sky with their own devastating salvos of unrelenting tracer-fire.
The noise was beyond overwhelming, a relentless, pulsating hum that shook the ground and reverberated through their bones. It sounded as if the heavens themselves were tearing open, a ceaseless storm of mechanical thunder.
Thea''s hearing protection strained against the sonic onslaught, trying it¡¯s absolute best to keep her eardrum intact, but the sensation still permeated every fibre of her being, making her teeth rattle in her skull.
All this was choreographed to an awe-inspiring visual spectacle.
As the vehicles trudged forward, unperturbed by the chaos they were instigating, the tracer rounds met the incoming artillery shells from the Stellar Republic.
When they collided in mid-air, they blossomed into dazzling explosions that punctuated the evening sky. The atmosphere was filled with bursts of light and fire, as though the stars themselves had descended to partake in this hellish dance of destruction.
What had moments ago been a tranquil twilight was now a frenzied tableau of flashing ordnance and shattering artillery.
The evening sky was so choked with the pyrotechnical roses of war that it effectively blotted out all natural light, plunging the land below into an eerie, fluctuating pseudo-night in a matter of seconds as shrapnel and left-over pieces of ordnance rained down like a torrential downpour.
Sovereign Alpha, along with the rest of the nearby UHF forces, were momentarily privy to observing this spectacle. However, they were merely waiting, heart pounding in adrenaline-fueled anticipation, for the call to charge into this maelstrom.
They knew that the wall of vehicles was moving to create a modicum of cover, a fragile shield behind which they could advance. But even as they waited, gazing into this hellish panorama, it was a sobering reminder that they were stepping into a battlefield from which there might be no return.
As if on cue, the towering fortifications of the Stellar Republic''s wall roared to life as well.
Blazing beams of light, torrents of shells, and trails of missiles erupted from emplaced turrets and gun batteries, answering the UHF''s audacious incursion into the SADD''s zone. The already chaotic soundscape was compounded even further by the whizzing of projectiles and the thunderclap roars of heavy ordnance from the wall''s defences.
Simultaneously, a caravan of UHF armour rolled defiantly into the SADD¡¯s expanse.
Anti-grav tanks levitated above the ground, their turrets swivelling to find their marks and unloading high-explosive shells one after another, while tread-tanks bulldozed forward, their tracks grinding the earth beneath them before firing off their own highly deadly projectiles.
A host of other heavily armoured weaponry, everything from mobile artillery units to missile platforms, joined the fray behind them. In an awe-inspiring display of firepower, they unleashed their own torrent of ordnance onto the Stellar Republic¡¯s towering wall.
For those watching from the ground, the scene was nothing short of apocalyptic.
Shells and rounds from both sides raced towards each other, detonating in bright flashes of destruction upon impact, sending shockwaves of energy through the air.
In mere seconds, the stretch of no man''s land between the UHF''s encroaching line and the Stellar Republic¡¯s bulwark was transformed into an even more unrecognisable wasteland.
The layers of ash that had been mostly uniform just seconds ago, were replaced by massive craters and scorched earth, while plumes of fire and smoke billowed into the atmosphere.
The visual spectacle was staggering; laser beams seared through the air, leaving glowing trails, while incendiary rounds erupted in blossoms of crimson and orange, further sullying the dusk.
The collective roar of all this activity was deafening¡ªeven through state-of-the-art hearing protection. It was a thunderous, discordant symphony of warfare, punctuated by the cacophonous blasts and resonant echoes that seemed to shake the very sky.
This was it¡ªthe battle for Nova Tertius had commenced.
In those first few seconds, the initial strikes had set the tone for the brutal confrontation that was unfolding. The scale of the devastation wrought on both sides in just the first few seconds was downright incomprehensible, yet this battle had only just begun.
This reality only became more apparent, when the command channel on everybody¡¯s comms clicked to life and a few simple, yet momentous words were spoken by Legate Kuan, that signified their imminent charge onto the battlefield.
¡°Marines, get us into Nova Tertius.¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 70 - The Storm III
In the wake of Legate Kuan''s directive, Sovereign Alpha and the surrounding marines moved toward the nightmarish fray with disciplined focus.
To say that they weren¡¯t apprehensive, nervous or scared would be a lie, of course. But that did not change the fact that they would do what needed to be done. That they would do what had been ordered.
And the order was clear: Get into Nova Tertius
And the first formidable barrier to that goal was the wall that loomed menacingly before them. Undeterred, they advanced, resolute in their mission to breach the wall and seize the city beyond.
Lucas seamlessly transitioned to the squad''s vanguard, his role now crucial in the anarchic theatre of war that lay ahead. The need for Thea''s scouting skills had diminished down to nothingness in this cataclysmic battlefield where a single scout¡¯s observations were bound to be inconsequential.
What they required was a bulwark against the incessant barrage, and in that realm, defensive heavies were unmatched.
As they advanced, Lucas expanded the dimensions of his Stalwart shield¡ªordinarily, a feat reserved for when the shield could be anchored securely. But given the relentless gunfire already raining upon them, even before fully traversing the boundary of the SADD''s dome, Lucas made the decision to absorb the initial onslaught on his shield.
It was a gamble, as the enlarged shield became substantially more unwieldy to manoeuvre.
Yet, the immediate need for cover outweighed any concerns for mobility, and Lucas plowed forward, his shield becoming both a literal and metaphorical bastion for Sovereign Alpha''s advance.
Thea took note of the defensive heavies in adjacent squads, who seemed to have arrived at the same tactical conclusion as Lucas. They too deployed their shields prematurely, expanding their protective barriers even before crossing the perilous line demarcated by the SADD''s dome.
It was as if a collective decision had swept through the ranks; a tacit understanding that waiting until they were within the SADD''s killing zone to deploy their defences could prove fatally tardy.
Their shields blossomed into place, becoming sprawling ramparts that inched forward, a procession of mobile fortresses designed to safeguard those behind them. The act was synchronised, almost ritualistic, revealing the unsaid but deeply ingrained doctrine among the heavies: When uncertainty reigns, fortify the line, then push it up.
Not all squads were fortunate enough to have defensive heavies equipped with massive solid-cover shields like Lucas'' Stalwart, however.
Yet, the variety of defensive measures activated by the different heavies was nothing short of staggering, a vivid demonstration of the wide array of System Abilities at their disposal.
In some instances, defensive heavies would grow in size, some by a full metre or two, effectively transforming themselves into living barricades. Their enlarged forms acted as human walls, their heavily armoured bodies designed to absorb or deflect incoming fire and shrapnel.
Others employed more esoteric methods.
Thea saw some activate a mysterious shimmering effect in front of their smaller, one-handed shields. This strange energy field seemed to reduce the velocity of any projectiles or debris that entered it, turning lethal bullets and fragments into slower-moving, less deadly objects that could more easily be handled by the light and medium armours of their squad mates.
One particular heavy drew Thea''s attention as well, showcasing an ability that was a truly strange sight to behold.
His armour appeared to morph before her very eyes, unfolding like some intricate origami project into a dynamic barrier that moved along with him. Weirdly enough, once his armour had transformed into this barrier, his sides and back were fully exposed, revealing only the standard-issue UHF Private Uniform he wore underneath.
He had effectively shifted his defensive focus entirely to the front, an audacious move that could prove either utterly brilliant or stupendously foolhardy.
The sheer diversity of defensive mechanisms, all activated in anticipation of crossing into the SADD''s deadly zone, was awe-inspiring. It was a patchwork quilt of individual skills and technologies, woven together by the common thread of purpose that all defensive heavies within the UHF Marine Corps shared: Protect the squad, at all costs.
The showcase of System Abilities around her would have been a captivating spectacle under different circumstances. But the looming reality of crossing the SADD''s outer perimeter stifled any enjoyment Thea might have derived from it.
As she stepped over the invisible boundary, the mysterious sensation coursed through her once again¡ªa feeling akin to an ethereal brush against her soul¡ªthat sent a cold shiver cascading down her spine. She wasn''t alone; marines in her vicinity had similar, palpable reactions. The momentary lapse in posture was corrected quickly, however, as they reverted back to proper formation behind their respective defensive heavies.
Sovereign Alpha, with Lucas at the helm, manoeuvred swiftly but cautiously, taking advantage of the cover provided by the nearest massive-shielded armoured vehicle. Known as Mules, these medium-type vehicles bore gigantic plough-shaped shields designed to bulldoze a path toward the enemy fortifications.
Their shields would form a semi-uniform line of cover for the advancing marines, a bulwark behind which they could find temporary sanctuary.
The plan was straightforward but audacious: Use the Mules to establish an initial foothold, allowing the marines to advance in relative safety until they could dig trenches and erect additional fortifications.
This tactical approach offered a modicum of protection, yet it felt like a fragile comfort.
The stakes had changed the instant they stepped within the SADD''s effective range, where artillery could rain down from above and shatter even the best-laid plans. No longer encased in the protective canopy of the Azure Forest, they were vulnerably exposed to attacks not only from the front but also from above.
Simple trench lines, effective as they might have been in earlier battles, were insufficient here; they offered no safeguard against the skyward threats, not least because the Stellar Republic¡¯s elevated positions atop the wall would allow them to easily shoot down into any trenches.
Acknowledging this multi-dimensional threat, the UHF had devised myriad sets of contingency plans for on-the-fly fortification, plans that would come into play once the UHF Armored Division had fulfilled their role as the initial spearhead.
Yet, even with these plans on standby, the immediate reality was a scramble for cover behind the massive, plough-shaped shield of the leading Mules for all the marines on the battlefield.
Sovereign Alpha as a whole put their entire trust in Lucas, who continued to bear his Stalwart with iron muscles and resolute commitment, absorbing a medley of stray bullets, scattering debris, and the occasional well-aimed shot aimed in their direction.
And then, as if orchestrated by some malevolent conductor, the skies erupted anew with a tumultuous symphony of sound.
From the verdant canopy of the Azure Forest behind them, hundreds of smaller UHF ships burst into view, their engines roaring against the backdrop of the already saturated soundscape. Their entrance was both breathtaking and jarring, adding a new layer of intensity to the discordant ambiance.
Almost instantly, the Stellar Republic''s anti-air emplacements on the wall¡ªand, as Thea quickly noticed, even within the city behind it¡ªsprang to life.
Streams of gunfire arched skyward, seeking the newcomers with predatory accuracy.
Within moments, dozens of ships were transformed into roaring fireballs, plummeting to the ground in a cascade of flame and shrapnel. Some unfortunate squads on the ground below became unintended casualties, their campaign for Nova Tertius ending in an immediate, devastating and fiery conclusion.
Yet the surviving ships broke formation, skillfully dodging the anti-aircraft fire as they unleashed their own payloads. Blue-flame rockets streaked towards the wall''s apex, incinerating and suffocating hundreds of soldiers, high-explosive rounds targeted the Republic''s fortifications, ripping into and tearing them apart, and rocket-propelled bombs were deployed to blast gaping holes in the very fabric of the wall itself.
Thea couldn''t help but notice how perilously low these ships were flying.
She knew that this was not some artistic choice or a cavalier display of skill, however¡ªit was a tactical necessity. The dome-shaped field of the SADD required them to come in low; if they''d approached from higher altitudes, they''d have been decimated the moment they entered the effective range of the defence dome by the Stellar Republic¡¯s pre-aimed anti-air emplacements.
Their best chance for surprise and effectiveness had come from using the cover of the Azure Forest to mask their advance. Yet, even with this surprise, the ships were turning into fireballs and scrap at an alarming rate.
In a span of seconds that felt like an eternity, the UHF ships had executed their daring fly-by.
The cost was steep; nearly a third of the ships that had burst forth from the Azure Forest were now smouldering wreckage. As they darted back out of the SADD''s dome, the anti-aircraft rounds chasing them simply vanished upon contact with the invisible barrier, leaving a brief, eerie calm in their wake.
Yet their sacrifice had yielded dividends.
The momentary diversion had afforded the ground forces and armoured vehicles the opportunity to advance, if only slightly, under a lessened hail of enemy fire.
To Thea, it felt as though they had been slogging through this apocalyptic terrain for an endless span of time. Every step she took seemed to crush shrapnel and unspent ordnance into the ashen soil, the remnants of artillery barrages that had failed to find a living target or had been shot down by the seemingly infinite stream of tracer rounds pouring out of the gatling platforms.
Though she was aware of the overarching strategy, the absence of a clear end-point left an unsettling vagueness to their advance. The Mules would simply push as far as their progress allowed, right until the gatling platforms trailing behind them ran dry of ammunition.
Sovereign Alpha found themselves sharing their Mule and accompanying gatling platform with several other squads, huddling collectively behind these mechanical monoliths as they crawled forward. The vehicles were scarce; there weren''t enough to afford each squad its own dedicated protection.
This scarcity ratcheted up the stakes for the marines considerably.
The loss of even a single gatling platform or Mule could spell instant catastrophe, wiping out multiple squads in a heartbeat. Without the suppressing fire from the gatlings or the massive shields from the Mules, they would be exposed, vulnerable¡ªsitting ducks for the artillery or the hail of bullets from the wall.
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Despite the obvious importance of these vehicles, that even a common soldier would immediately be able to point out, they were not immediately destroyed by the Stellar Republic¡¯s frightening arsenal.
After all, the Mules and gatling platforms, while pivotal to the advance of the infantry, were far from the only pieces on this deadly chessboard of a battlefield.
The UHF AD had rolled out an array of other war machines, each bringing its own unique brand of havoc to the confrontation. From the formidable battle tanks with their thick armour and heavy cannons, to the mobile artillery platforms raining devastation from a distance, these vehicles served dual purposes.
Not only were they instruments of destruction aimed at weakening the Stellar Republic''s formidable defences, but they also acted as high-priority targets designed to divert attention away from the Mules and gatling platforms.
The strategy was as complex as it was simple, designed to drown the enemy in a sea of tactical dilemmas.
Much like the intricate space battle unfolding in the skies above, the UHF''s ground assault was rooted in creating an overwhelming number of problems for the Stellar Republic''s defenders.
These forces were not infinite; they had a limited number of guns, a finite amount of attention, and only so many decisions they could make in the heat of combat. Every tank or artillery unit that drew fire or was destroyed meant one less Mule or gatling platform taken out of the equation.
In essence, each UHF vehicle acted as both a sword and a shield¡ªstriking at the enemy while simultaneously protecting the vital assets that kept the infantry advance alive.
This multifaceted approach rendered the battlefield a swirling maelstrom of decisions for the enemy, each one laced with consequence. For every choice they made, something had to give, and the UHF was betting that this relentless pressure would create enough cracks for them to exploit.
It was a calculated risk that went beyond mere tactical ingenuity; it also leveraged the UHF''s unique Faction Trait to its fullest extent, adding another layer of complexity to the battle plan.
It''s one thing to ask a marine to risk their life for their comrades¡ªmost signed up knowing that danger comes with the territory. But it''s a psychological game-changer when you can assure that marine that they might not only avoid being targeted anyway but could also likely be resurrected if they were.
This was the true brilliance of the UHF¡¯s strategy for this assault: Their Faction Trait was not just a passive attribute but a dynamic element that significantly altered the equation in large-scale engagements like these.
This Trait transformed what would normally be seen as suicidal moves into calculated gambles.
In a conflict where both sides were expected to incur heavy losses, the UHF had an edge that allowed them to play the long game far better than any other faction in the galactic conflict.
Their soldiers could push harder, take more risks, and force the enemy into difficult decisions, knowing that the cost of a mistake on their part was most likely going to be far less devastating.
This unique advantage offered a psychological boost to the UHF forces as well, instilling a sense of audacity and resilience that could be just as important as any weapon or piece of armour in a conflict this dire. It was a facet of warfare that couldn''t be measured in numbers or gauged by technology but could very well tip the scales in their favour.
Finally, as the UHF ships roared overhead for their second assault run, Corvus''s hand signal cut through the sensory overload, indicating that their Mule was preparing to halt and fully deploy its shields.
A wave of relief washed over Thea, mingled with an almost feral need to finally take action. ¡®Thank fuck. I need to shoot something; this suspense is fucking killing me,¡¯ she thought, her eyes locking onto Corvus''s signal as if it were a lifeline.
The slow, nerve-wracking advance behind the Mule had been its own form of psychological torture for Thea, akin to their tense passage across No-Man''s-Land with Strike One. She felt handcuffed by her inability to influence the situation, confined to simply hoping that the grand strategy would unfold as planned.
What unfolded before her eyes and echoed in her ears, however, was an apocalyptic tableau that exceeded any preconceived notion she could have had about large-scale warfare.
She had witnessed countless squads evaporate¡ªeither their gatling platforms obliterated by lucky artillery shells that managed to pierce the nearly impenetrable curtains of tracer rounds, or their Mules catapulted into oblivion by the wall''s rare, yet massive and formidable anti-armor cannons. Even the disintegrating husks of UHF ships occasionally plummeted from the sky, crushing soldiers and the life-preserving vehicles alike.
After witnessing the 30th tank or artillery platform in her field of view erupt into a fireball, Thea ceased counting. The statistic became meaningless, drowned out by the staggering, unquantifiable loss of life around her.
She had simply steeled herself, focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other, deliberately numbing her awareness to the grim reality surrounding her as she continued her march into the uncertain crucible ahead.
But all of that was about to change.
As the Mules began deploying their shields along the entire frontline, a palpable sense of expectation surged through the ranks of the infantry. It was their time to step into the spotlight, their time to turn the tide.
Entire squads specialised in combat engineering, fortification design, and trench-digging sprang into action.
As each Mule ground to a halt, powerful servos whirred to life, lifting the plough-shaped shields that had been leading their advance. With mechanical finesse, these shields unfolded¡ªmuch like Lucas''s Stalwart¡ªinto towering, near-impenetrable barriers that seemed as solid as the very bedrock. Until their grav-locks activated in their final form, Thea could only stand ready and wait for the initial positions to be created, too high was the risk of getting hit by the torrent of gunfire from the Stellar Republic''s positions otherwise.
As this transformation took place, a frenzy of activity erupted in the newly protected space.
Isabella, along with many other marines best suited to wielding spades, tore into the ashen soil with a fervour that could only come from those who understood the life-or-death urgency of their task.
Lucas, meanwhile, remained vigilant, his Stalwart shield still raised as a bulwark against stray projectiles and shrapnel that occasionally zipped past the unfolding Mule shields.
Observing this orchestrated dance of survival, Thea was struck by the skill and expertise exhibited by the auxiliary units. In particular, the trench-digging squads caught her eye.
Their work was a masterclass in efficiency and design, making the trench efforts of Lucas and Isabella in the previous week look downright amateurish by comparison.
Thea couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe; she''d dug her fair share of trenches and foxholes during Basic Training, but the chasm between her own experience and the hyper-specialised skills of these dedicated teams was staggering.
In the brief span it took for the Mule''s massive shields to fully deploy¡ªa feat made all the more impressive by the colossal weight of the steel barriers¡ªthe trench-digging teams had already made astonishing progress.
Six distinct trench lines began to take shape in the churned earth: Four running parallel to the looming wall that marked the Stellar Republic''s fortifications, and two zig-zagging their way rearward toward the forest. These latter trenches were clearly designed to facilitate swift movement of reinforcements from the Azure Forest behind them.
Almost in tandem, combat engineers and specialised fortification units had sprang into action.
As the crates, which had been transported by the Mule itself, were torn open, the first items to catch the eye were sizable plasteel domes. These robust structures fit seamlessly atop the freshly-dug trenches, a clear countermeasure designed to shield troops from plunging artillery or sniper fire from the enemy on the wall. Their matte finish reflected a thoughtful design, aimed at absorbing and dispersing the energy of incoming projectiles.
Next, the combat engineering teams set to work assembling smaller, prefabricated versions of the gatling guns that had been mounted on the anti-grav platforms. These were the very platforms that had so far shielded the marines from the Stellar Republic''s relentless artillery barrage.
Each gun was capable of spitting out thousands of rounds per minute, and was quickly installed in a couple semi-circular arrangements behind the Mule¡¯s massive shields, ready to unleash hell at a moment''s notice.
The fortification units weren''t idle either; they began constructing additional barricades and walls, all aimed directly at the imposing wall of the Stellar Republic. These seemed to serve as a backup layer of defence, ready to absorb any blows should the Mule''s primary shields somehow be compromised.
Perhaps most intriguing of all were what appeared to be massive support structures that another squad of fortification experts rapidly put together.
These structures, which seemed to Thea like heavy, industrial-grade scaffolding, were set up to brace and reinforce the Mule''s gargantuan shields. Built with quick-connect joints and durable materials, they looked capable of bearing immense loads, potentially adding an extra layer of resiliency to the already formidable barriers.
The synchronisation and skill displayed by the engineering and fortification squads were similarly awe-inspiring as the trenchers, especially because Thea didn¡¯t have any first-hand experience with any of the things these squads were doing.
Every piece of the separate squad¡¯s efforts fit together as though part of a grand design, rapidly transforming the exposed battleground into a miniature fortified stronghold, prepped and ready for the trials of the intense combat that lay ahead.
At last, the moment Thea and the rest of the marines near her had been waiting for arrived.
The Mule''s expansive shields, which had served as both cover and bulldozer for their advance, now underwent a remarkable transformation. With an almost inaudible hum that was quickly swallowed by the cacophony of the battle around them, the shields flickered a mesmerising shade of purple.
This visual cue signalled the engagement of their grav-locks, essentially anchoring the colossal barriers to the ground beneath them. The flicker lasted just a second, but its implications were monumental: the shields were now a steadfast wall, bolstered not just by advanced technology but by the very gravitational pull of the planet itself.
With the grav-locks in place, the initial stage of the assault had reached its conclusion.
It was as if the board was set, the pieces in place, and now it was the marines'' turn to make their move. The gravity of the moment wasn''t lost on anyone; the transition marked a pivotal shift from advance to engagement. The ground they had claimed, now being continuously fortified with trenches, plasteel domes, and anti-artillery gatling guns, had to be held at all costs.
And beyond that defensive perimeter lay the towering walls of the Stellar Republic¡ªan objective that seemed almost insurmountable, yet tantalisingly within reach. The next phase of the battle would not be for the faint of heart, and every marine knew it.
Their time to shine had finally come.
No sooner had the Mule''s shields locked into place than a dozen squads of marines, Sovereign Alpha among them, sprang into action.
The previous huddle¡ªcompact and defensive¡ªdisintegrated almost instantly as marines broke the previous formation with their individual squads, rushing toward various points of the newly fortified front. Some darted to the trenches, making themselves low profiles behind the platseel domes, while others positioned themselves closer to the Mule''s massive shields, all of them seeking the most advantageous angles for engagement.
Now, only 1.5 kilometres separated them from the towering defences of the Stellar Republic''s wall¡ªa distance they had managed to traverse through 2.5 kilometres of ashen, chaotic wasteland.
The cost had been high, paid in the lives of pilots, tank operators, and Mule drivers who had served as both shield and diversion.
Corvus led Sovereign Alpha in a tight formation toward the nearest trench line to the north. His keen understanding of terrain and engagement strategy guided them unerringly toward what he considered an ideal firing position.
Just as they neared their destination, Karania¡ªalways alert¡ªsuddenly broke away from the formation. Her eyes, sharpened by her medical training and a natural inclination for detail, had caught sight of a marine from another squad taking a hit the moment he peeked out from behind cover.
Without hesitation, she darted toward the fallen soldier, medical kit already in hand, her every movement a blend of urgency and precision.
As Sovereign Alpha took their positions, Lucas grav-locked his own Stalwart nearby, to allow for additional angles, before he began to set up his Havoc, angling it for maximum impact against the wall''s defences.
Thea positioned herself within the trenches, her Gram at the ready. She located one of the shooting holes incorporated into the platseel dome that arched protectively over her.
The design of the dome was such that it shielded her from stray artillery shells and gunfire, offering a modicum of safety as long as the incoming fire didn''t directly align with her own angle of engagement.
As she peered through her scope, the gravity of their progress weighed on her. They were close, closer than they had any right to be given the hell they had marched through.
And yet, the wall stood there, seemingly impenetrable, a monolithic challenge that awaited them now. She took a deep, steadying breath, calming her racing heart and bringing her focus to a razor''s edge.
Her eyes narrowed as they followed the sight of her Gram laser-sniper rifle, zeroing in on one of the gunners manning an anti-air installation atop the wall.
This was the part of the war she knew, the part she had trained for.
Time seemed to slow as she gently squeezed the trigger.
The highly concentrated beam of photons burst forth from the barrel of the Gram, streaking across the 1.5-kilometer distance between her and the target in an instant.
The beam hit with pinpoint accuracy, its impact instantly turning the targeted area into a smouldering, molten mess of metal and circuitry. The gunner¡¯s head was vaporised in an instant, a quick, albeit violent, end.
The anti-air installation faltered, its rhythm disrupted, affecting the wall''s overall defence network, if only for a brief, momentary instance.
It was a minuscule victory in the grand scale of the battle, but it was only the beginning¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 71 - The Storm IV
With methodical precision, Thea''s gaze shifted from one target to another.
Each motion was a dance, honed over countless hours of rigorous training.
The gentle squeeze of the trigger, the brief, near-silent hum of the Gram''s energy discharge, and the lethal impact that followed were actions she had repeated a thousand times over during Basic¡ªthis was just another part of her training, another shooting gallery to high-score in.
The power and precision of each one of her Gram¡¯s shots was unmistakable.
Every shot she released met its mark with devastating results, vaporising vital areas of her foes in an instant. Chests, heads, and other key points of the Stellar Republic soldiers were turned into crimson mist in rapid succession. The grim sight of a life being extinguished in the blink of an eye, their forms toppling even before the next shot was fired, became a repeating tableau, one that Thea did not even recognize.
Driven by instinct rather than conscious thought, Thea became a whirlwind of destruction, her focus narrowing solely to the enemy figures that presented themselves.
But even the most finely tuned machines needed a momentary pause.
The Gram¡¯s familiar warning beep snapped Thea back to reality, indicating the dwindling energy in the capacitor mag. Swiftly, she ducked into the protective confines of the trench, replacing the spent mag.
While she was momentarily shielded, her keen eyes took in the broader scope of the battlefield, absorbing the chaos around her as she caught her breath, preparing to re-engage.
From the relative safety of her domed trench, Thea surveyed the expanse of the battlefield with the keen perception that had become her trademark. Her fellow marines, lined up in the trench network alongside her, were firing towards the wall with relentless determination.
The vast distance, however, was their enemy just as much as the figures manning the defences high above them. Most shots arced toward the wall only to miss their intended targets, instead striking the impenetrable rockcrete or disappearing into the sky.
Yet occasionally, a shot rang true. A marine''s aim would converge with luck, and a burst of debris would signal a hit. A turret might explode in a shower of sparks, a silhouette of an enemy soldier would jerk and fall, or a chunk of the fortifications atop the wall would crumble.
Each successful strike was a small victory, a fleeting respite in the relentless exchange of death.
Above, the return fire from the Stellar Republic''s guns was just as erratic, though no less threatening. The plasteel domes echoed with the impact of projectiles, the din inside the trenches akin to the relentless drumming of rain on metal during a furious storm.
The sound was deafening, especially when added to the roars of gunfire, the explosions of the artillery above and the constant violent eruptions of massive ordnance being shot back and forth, a constant reminder of the lethal storm they were enduring.
Through the cacophony, Thea could see the tell-tale signs of heavy weaponry unleashing their fury. The enemy''s larger guns would sporadically adjust their aim, trying to counter the marines'' strategy, sending explosive shells that turned patches of the battlefield into fiery hellscape.
Even the sturdy plasteel domes would shudder, buckle and break under the more powerful impacts, a stark reminder of the imminent danger they were all in, despite the specialised squads best efforts to fortify their location as much as possible.
Thea resettled into her vantage point, her thoughts racing as rapidly as her pulse. The wall, teeming with the enemy''s forces, seemed like a stubborn bastion mocking their efforts from afar.
Her mind whirred with tactical possibilities, lamenting the limitations of their current strategy. ''If only we had the Quick-Swap Faction Trait,'' she mused, the idea igniting a spark of longing in her tactical mind.
Such an advantage would revolutionise their approach: A phalanx of snipers, each one with a Gram laser-sniper rifle in hand, could decisively pick off the wall''s defenders with lethal precision, turning the tide of this attritional slog into a swift surgical strike.
The thought of facing an enemy with such an ability was chilling; it would be an encounter with potentially devastating consequences.
Pushing the strategic fantasies aside, Thea refocused on her role in this grand tapestry of combat. She peered through her scope once more, only for her trained eyes to catch an anomaly that sent a surge of disbelief coursing through her veins.
Her steady breathing hitched, and a guttural, incredulous "What?!" tore from her lips, breaking her usually unshakable composure.
With swift, almost frantic movements, she panned her Gram across different sectors of the wall, double-checking, triple-checking her initial observation. The weight of her weapon felt alien as her usual rhythm gave way to urgency.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, each beat echoing the urgent swivel of her rifle as she sought to confirm the sight that had so thoroughly derailed her focus.
With a cold certainty settling in her chest, Thea realised the daunting truth: Every enemy soldier she had taken down was a mere phantom, a duplicate spawned by an unseen Duplicator tucked safely away from her line of sight.
"Dammit!" she hissed, the weight of her realisation coiling tightly in her stomach. The battlefield became an elaborate, nightmarish game of whack-a-mole, where every enemy she eliminated simply spawned anew, rendering her efforts almost entirely futile.
Her mind raced, recalling the countless skirmishes with the Stellar Republic in the past.
In those encounters, Duplicators, though often concealed, were situated close enough to their duplicates for her unique Psychic Ability, coupled with her high levels of Perception, to detect.
She would intend to take a shot at what appeared to be an ordinary soldier, but her Short-Term Precognition, which granted her fleeting insights into the immediate aftermath of her shots, would sometimes reveal an unexpected result.
Instead of watching the duplicates around her target collapse, they would remain standing, a clear indication that her bullet hadn¡¯t found the elusive Duplicator. This gift of foresight had been invaluable, allowing her to discern and eliminate Duplicators more efficiently than just about anyone else she had met so far.
But now, the sprawling wall posed a different challenge.
Isolated targets, spaced apart with no clear indication of being duplicates, meant her Psychic Ability couldn¡¯t offer its usual guidance. Without that split-second premonition, Thea was shooting blindly into a sea of clones, with the real orchestrator of this endless wave hidden from her grasp.
This new reality was maddening.
The thought of her efforts, her shots, her expertise being rendered essentially pointless, gnawed at her determination. She had to adapt, to find a new approach if they were to have any hope against this incessant tide of duplicates.
Taking a brief pause, Thea steeled her resolve, unwilling to squander the sacrifices of her comrades that had enabled her to be in this critical sniping position. Her Gram whined, each shot methodically striking down another enemy, only for them to be replaced in a seemingly endless cycle of duplication.
Even amidst her efficient killing, she felt the rising tide of futility, but she couldn''t let it dampen her spirit. Switching on her non-priority communication line to keep the vital channel free for Corvus, she reached out to Sovereign Alpha, her voice a cocktail of frustration and urgency.
¡°They¡¯re all fucking duplicates. Every single one atop the wall. I¡¯ve killed dozens of them by now, but they just keep coming back. What the fuck do we do about this?¡±
The channel was silent, save for the distant sounds of battle, a pause that stretched just a moment too long. An amused, slightly breathless retort from Karania crackled in her earpiece.
"Surprise, surprise! It''s almost like this is the exact nightmare we''ve been facing from the very beginning. Only you''ve been lucky enough not to notice, thanks to your Psychic bullshit. This is the literal essence of their Faction Trait, Thea.
¡°But here''s the thing: They can''t keep this up indefinitely. Their resources, much like ours, aren¡¯t limitless. Each duplication costs Merit, as every Faction Trait¡¯s usage does.
¡°We wear them down, force them to deplete their Merit, and then they can''t produce any more duplicates. If there was a silver bullet solution, Thea, you probably wouldn''t have scored as incredibly as you did in the Cube Trial. So, take a breath, find that rhythm, and rain hell until they''ve got nothing left to clone."
Thea¡¯s thoughts raced as she processed Karania¡¯s biting truth.
A stark realisation hit her: She had indeed been shielded from the stark reality of the Stellar Republic¡¯s Faction Trait, her psychic foresight a veil against the brutal psychological warfare her comrades had endured.
She had been playing on easy mode this entire time, without even realising.
This was a waking nightmare¡ªnot just for its operational nightmare but for the morale- draining horror of facing an enemy that simply refused to stay dead, something that was likely true for their own Faction Trait as well.
She felt the weight of their struggle, a sobering revelation that each soldier they took down might just be a hollow victory, a duplicate.
And yet, within this bleak epiphany, Thea found a strengthening bond. This harrowing experience, shared by her brothers and sisters in arms, was a battle scar they all wore. It unified them, and as Karania¡¯s words sank in, Thea¡¯s smile became one not just of wry acknowledgment but of resolute solidarity.
For if the UHF had truly been at a disadvantage against such odds, they would have fallen long ago. Instead, they had persevered, adapted, and overcome. Karania¡¯s words weren¡¯t just meant to chide ¡ª they were a reminder of the unyielding spirit of the UHF.
Thea¡¯s grip on her Gram steadied.
With each pull of the trigger, she was not just depleting the enemy''s forces but also chipping away at the mountain of Merit that sustained them. Her smile faded into the grim line of a warrior mid-fight, but inside, the fires of camaraderie and shared purpose blazed stronger than ever.
The lasers continued to lance from her Gram, and with each shot, each vaporised soldier, she whispered a silent challenge to the Duplicators: "Run out of Merit, I fucking dare you."
The sharp click of the capacitor-mag locking into place echoed in Thea''s ears, a temporary respite in the cacophony of war. Of course, she hadn¡¯t actually heard that miniscule sound, as the deafening sounds of the battle still raged around her, but she had heard it often enough that it had turned into an automatic thing in her mind.
Her breaths were measured, a rhythm set against the staccato of gunfire and the distant, relentless thudding of explosions. As Thea settled into her trench, her sniper¡¯s nest within the scarred battlefield, she reflected on the incremental victories that marked her progress.
The once relentless resurgence of foes had started to wane at three of her regular shooting spots that she had started rotating through. The persistent appearance of duplicates had ceased for a moment, before they had been replaced by entirely different soldiers, hinting at the likelihood that the Merit of the original Duplicators stationed at those points had been depleted, forcing them to retreat.
While it wasn¡¯t a definitive victory over the Duplicators themselves, such as shooting them right through their stupid heads, the immediate result was similarly tangible: Three fewer sources of seemingly endless enemies to tackle during this encounter.
Her hands worked mechanically, reloading with practised ease, while her mind remained vigilant. Thea''s perception, honed beyond the keenness of ordinary soldiers, cut through the battlefield¡¯s chaos. In those brief moments of reprieve, her eyes darted about, searching for subtle shifts, signs of unseen threats, or opportunities.
Thea knew that complacency could spell disaster, and so she cast her vigilance like a net, wide and thorough.
The admonishment of Lt. Frost she had received during the Cube Trial more than two years ago rang as a mantra in her thoughts, a call to break old habits and forge better ones. Being absorbed in her scope''s singular viewpoint could mean missing the bigger picture, ignoring the flow of the battlefield that was essential for strategic supremacy.
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It was a lesson learned under duress, etched deep in her psyche during the gruelling trials that tested more than just marksmanship ¡ª they tested awareness, adaptation, and foresight.
With a new capacitor-mag secured, Thea shouldered her Gram once more. She hesitated as a result of her observations, however, realising the dire turn the battle was starting to take.
The foreboding boom of the Stellar Republic''s heavy cannons grew more frequent, and she noticed the dark trails of their projectiles descending with ruthless precision toward the trenches. The once intermittent impacts against the plasteel domes were becoming an orchestrated barrage.
With each concussive hit, the domes crumpled like paper, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
Thea''s heart raced as she realised the implication; the UHF AD''s tanks and artillery, which had drawn the enemy''s fire up until now, had likely been decimated. The trenches, teeming with marines, were about to become the next focal point for the wall''s defences.
The domes, although sturdy, were not invincible, especially not against weapons designed to tear through armoured behemoths.
Snapping into her comms once again, Thea relayed the critical update. "Corvus, the heavy cannons are re-targeting to our positions more and more. The tanks are down¡ªor going down fast. We¡¯re about to be next under the gun. Has Command issued any orders about this?"
She waited, her finger poised on the trigger, the weight of impending decisions heavy in the air. If the heavy artillery was not addressed, the trench lines would turn into mass graves.
They needed a plan, and they needed it now. Without a swift response, the domes and trenches, their current lifelines, would be nothing more than tombs.
Corvus¡¯ response came through with a clarity that cut across the battlefield''s cacophony, underscored by the resonant authority that had always made him an effective leader. "Thea, you''ve got the right of it. Most of our heavy hitters are either out of commission or repurposing what''s left of their munitions to make every shot count against their defences. They''ve inflicted significant damage, but those remaining cannons are turning the tide against us."
Thea listened, her eyes scanning the battlefield, as Corvus continued. "Command''s already on it. Every squad with heavy capabilities has been retasked¡ªtaking out those cannons is now priority one. Offensive heavies like Isabella are being repositioned for maximum impact."
The sounds of war seemed to dull as Corvus detailed the strategic countermeasures. "Fortification squads are reinforcing our positions. Expect the trench lines to harden significantly in the coming hours. Combat engineers are assembling additional heavy weapons platforms, but we can''t bring in the materials until the trenches and supply tunnels are secure. That¡¯s our engineers'' current bottleneck. It¡¯ll take time, and we need to hold the line until then."
Thea absorbed the update, her resolve hardening like the fortifications that would soon bolster their defences. The coming hours were crucial, and each squad¡¯s efforts would be the linchpin in holding back the Stellar Republic¡¯s assault. It was a race against time and firepower, and the UHF forces had no intention of losing.
A notion sparked within Thea''s mind, prompting an immediate call to action. She keyed back into her comm, her voice steady, tinged with the urgency of her newfound strategy.
"Corvus, I have an idea that might give us an edge. My Caliburn¡ªcoupled with a new Passive Ability I acquired from an Accomplishment this morning, could have the firepower to potentially breach the cannons'' armour. It''s a combo that I haven''t field-tested yet, but the theory is sound. Do I have your permission to attempt it?" She awaited her leader''s judgement, ready to bring her railgun¡¯s power to bear against the behemoths of steel.
Normally, Thea would have jumped right into action, yet she was acutely aware of the gravity of individual actions in the orchestration of war where lives were the currency of victory and defeat. Thea''s recent experiences had underscored the significance of teamwork, especially in a theatre of war of this magnitude.
Independent actions could inadvertently disrupt the intricate strategies set by Command¡ªstrategies meant to safeguard the lives of tens of thousands of marines.
She knew she couldn''t proceed on a mere impulse. Seeking approval before executing her idea was non-negotiable. She was resolute on this front.
An elongated pause hung in the air after Thea¡¯s proposition, as Corvus likely sifted through Command''s intricate strategies to gauge the viability of her suggestion. While she waited, Thea continued her relentless assault, cycling through the same dozen targets time and again, her Gram unloading with methodical precision.
Every so often, an enemy sniper would zero in on her, sending a lethal projectile her way. Yet, her unique Psychic Abilities acted as a safeguard, allowing her to foresee the danger and evade swiftly, barely breaking her rhythm before returning fire and taking out the enemy that had dared an attempt on her life.
As the onslaught persisted, Karania''s earlier words echoed in the back of her mind.
Realisation dawned on Thea, giving her a newfound appreciation for her abilities. ¡®It¡¯s almost unfair how much of an edge this Psychic Power gives me. No wonder Karania always sounded so frustrated when listening to my retellings of my Cube Trial. The playing field between us isn¡¯t even remotely even, and I genuinely have it far easier¡¡¯
The murmur of Corvus''s voice interrupted the carousel of Thea''s thoughts, clear and authoritative, slicing through the cacophony of the battlefield.
"Go ahead with the Caliburn, Thea. But I want you and Lucas to reposition¡ªget clear of the trenches. We can''t risk any potentially return fire here," Corvus commanded with urgency. "Lucas, that means you''re on protection detail. Make it your sole mission to cover her. If Thea''s hunch is right, we might just turn the tides with what she''s packing. But no heroics¡ªyou watch each other''s backs out there. May the Emperor guide you both."
Thea let out a soft huff, an amused eyeroll in response to Corvus''s habitual Emperor-related theatrics. But it was that familiar bravado of his that, in some small way, always brought a glint of warmth in the midst of cold warfare.
Without hesitating, she navigated her way up the serpentine trenches, heading towards its core where Lucas was stationed. She was met with the sight of the hulking figure, already putting away his Havoc, directing the marines that had been shielded behind his Stalwart to safer grounds.
Their current task was too dangerous to involve others, after all.
A quick glance confirmed what Thea already suspected; Lucas''s Stalwart would be indispensable for what they were about to attempt. She methodically unhitched her backpack, with the Gram secured to it, placing it at the trench''s entrance¡ªa beacon to guide her back, perhaps, if things went south.
Clasping the weighty Caliburn, she shot a confident thumbs-up to Lucas.
It was a silent promise, one of trust and understanding. With no further words needed, they departed from the sanctuary of the trenches.
With measured steps, they backpedalled several dozen metres, before building a makeshift vantage point¡ªa miniscule foxhole, just barely enough space for the both of them.
Lucas, every bit the immovable titan, planted the Stalwart to the ground, shielding them from the barrage of enemy fire. His whole body acted as an anchor, each step heavy and deliberate, even as bullets pinged off the shield and zipped dangerously close.
Throughout their slow retreat from the trenches, Thea was constantly reminded of Lucas''s remarkable composure, an unwavering bulwark in the swirling tempest of battle. The stillness he brought, even in the heart of chaos, was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
As the squad''s defensive heavy, his presence was a constant throughout every skirmish, every operation. In the maelstrom of war, his was the shadow that fell in front, a bulwark against the storm of enemy fire.
He entered the battlefield first, with a resolve that seemed to challenge the very concept of fear, and he would retreat only when the safety of his team was secured¡ªnever before.
The squad, and Thea especially, had grown accustomed to the steadfast rumble of his grenade launcher and the steady clang of his Stalwart shield¡ªsounds that were as reassuring as they were indicative of the inevitable battle that lay ahead.
Risky manoeuvres were his speciality; his defensive prowess was not just an asset but a cornerstone upon which the squad¡¯s tactics had been built.
Complaints were seemingly just as foreign to Lucas.
They seemed to dissipate before they could ever take form, smothered by a sense of duty that was as innate to him as breathing. From the first day Thea had joined the squad, she had watched him, a silent giant who shouldered his responsibilities with a shrug that belied their weight. Not once did he falter or question. His was the strength that did not roar but instead whispered steadfast support in every ordered step, every protective stance.
To Thea, Lucas¡¯s unwavering dedication was a distant summit¡ªa peak of selflessness and discipline she aspired to scale. While her path was one of stealth and precise lethality, Lucas¡¯s path was one of unyielding protection.
His stoicism wasn¡¯t just a practice; it was a profound testament to his character¡ªa level of commitment that Thea honoured silently in the sanctuary of her own mind.
Thea shook her head violently and anchored her thoughts firmly in the present, pushing away the tide of reverence that had momentarily swept through her. She was here to fight, to make a difference, and she needed every ounce of concentration for what she was about to attempt.
The makeshift foxhole that they had quickly dug out was crude but functional, a shallow depression in the earth that afforded them a modicum of cover from the relentless onslaught.
Her hands, clad in the reassuring armour of her Spectre¡¯s gauntlets, worked methodically to prepare the Caliburn.
She could feel the subtle vibrations of distant explosions through the soles of her boots, a constant reminder of the chaos that surrounded them. Each preparation step was a ritual of readiness, a silent litany against uncertainty.
Activating the grav-lock on the railgun, she felt the weapon stabilise against the unforgiving, ashen and shrapnel-strewn ground, its advanced systems locking onto the terrain like roots. It was a small comfort, knowing the Caliburn would be steady, its barrel a fixed point of certainty in a battlefield full of variables.
Ammo was next, racking in the first massive round from the sizable magazine into the chamber of the Caliburn, each individual bullet a promise of destruction waiting to be fulfilled.
She checked her scope, her eyes running over the familiar dials and digital readouts, ensuring everything was zeroed.
Everything needed to be perfect.
Lucas was a wall to her left, his presence almost palpable. The Stalwart shield was up, its imposing form a stark contrast against the detritus of warfare. With her friend covering her, Thea knew she could focus entirely on her task.
"Quick shot," she muttered under her breath, the mantra a focus point as she nestled the butt of the rifle against her shoulder. She peered down the scope, her finger poised above the trigger. "Then duck."
She visualised the sequence of movements in her mind, a dance with death where every step was choreographed to perfection. There was no room for error, no second chances.
The Stalwart would hold; it had to.
Lucas would ensure that whatever retribution the enemy hurled at them, they would be ready.
With a deep breath that steadied her pulse and narrowed her world to the singular tunnel of her scope, Thea prepared to unleash the Caliburn¡¯s fury on one of the rare, yet absurdly devastating heavy cannons embedded in the Stellar Republic¡¯s wall.
¡®Alright, let¡¯s test this [Detect Weak Spots]. Hopefully you won¡¯t let me down¡¡¯ Thea thought to herself as she scrutinised the massive cannon and its heavily fortified exterior.
It was encased in an armoured bulwark, layers of reinforced plasteel and energy-absorbing materials designed to withstand even the most aggressive of assaults. From her vantage point, Thea could see the gun''s thick, angular shield plates overlapping like the scales of a draconic beast, deflecting and dispersing the energy of incoming fire.
She knew, however, that this beast was not invincible.
After all, the UHF AD¡¯s tanks had already destroyed dozens upon dozens of these cannons.
Thea''s attention was inexorably drawn to the cannon''s base, where it connected to the wall¡ªa junction of multiple armoured plates and conduits. It was there that any structural weaknesses would be most pronounced, where the incessant vibrations of the cannon''s fire would gradually wear down even the sturdiest of materials.
At least, that¡¯s what she had thought originally, but as Thea focused, she felt her new Passive Ability stir within her, like a hound catching the scent of its quarry.
A few seconds later, a shimmering overlay began to coalesce in her scope''s field of vision, hues of iridescent light that did not obey the natural laws of reflection and refraction.
The patch materialised not where she had initially predicted¡ªat the cannon¡¯s base¡ªbut instead towards its left-hand side. It was there, amidst the overlapping plates that resembled the interlocked scales of a reptilian behemoth, that her new Passive Ability unveiled a chink in the armor. The strangely coloured area shimmered with an otherworldly hue, an ethereal bulls-eye that whispered of vulnerability amid the otherwise impregnable metal fortress.
This anomaly in her vision marked the convergence of reinforced plasteel plating that, to any ordinary observer, would seem just as formidable as any other part of the cannon''s defence.
Even with Thea¡¯s exceptional Perception, she could not see any difference herself, yet, the Ability discerned a subtle difference: a structural reliance on the interlocking mechanism that seemingly had resulted in a miniscule vulnerability, invisible to the naked eye.
It was a small target, no larger than a human head, but it resonated with possibility, pulsating slightly as if to confirm its susceptibility. It was more than a target; it was an opportunity, a chance to tilt the scales in their favour with a single, well-placed shot.
Steadying her breath and steeling her resolve, Thea aligned the crosshair of her scope with the spectral mark. Her finger tensed on the trigger, her entire being focused on this singular moment. If her instincts and her new ability were correct, this shot could very well turn the tide of the battle, ever so slightly.
''This is it,'' she thought, the Caliburn becoming an extension of her will. ''You better not let me down, Gold-rank! Show me what this Ability can do!¡¯
And with that thought fueling her actions, she squeezed the trigger, ready to witness the might of her sniper¡¯s craft converge with the arcane precision of her newfound Ability.
The world seemed to slow to a crawl as Thea''s finger applied the final, decisive pressure to the trigger as she mentally commanded the System to activate her active Ability.
¡®Penetrative Shot.¡¯
A split-second later, a colossal thunderclap rent the air as the Caliburn''s barrel unleashed its fury, sending a massive shockwave out that sent the nearby ash and shrapnel flying away from its origin.
The slug was sent hurtling at hypervelocity, its path a blur of ionised air to the naked eye.
In the space between breaths, the projectile unerringly met its target.
With unerring accuracy, it struck the weak spot that only Thea, guided by her new Passive Ability, could see.
The Caliburn¡¯s slug, like a meteor wrought from mankind''s ingenuity, pierced the formidable armour of the cannon with a screech of rending metal that nobody could hear. It burrowed through the defences and found refuge in the cannon''s softer, vital innards before its explosive payload erupted.
The initial impact was silent for a heartbeat, and then reality caught up with violence.
A series of explosions followed, each one a drumbeat of destruction in their own right. The cannon''s internals, a complicated mixture of volatile components and munitions, reacted with furious energy. A cascade of secondary blasts unfurled, consuming the emplacement in a conflagration of fire and shrapnel.
The mighty cannon, just moments ago a harbinger of death for the UHF¡¯s infantry and armour alike, was violently excised from the wall it had been part of. Its fortifications, designed to withstand outside sieges, crumbled under the onslaught of its own ravaged heart.
Its remnants crashed onto the ashen wasteland below the wall with a heavy thud, whirling up mountains of ash and shrapnel from the ground around it.
Of all this, Thea saw nothing, as she huddled next to Lucas inside the foxhole, the Stalwart protectively laid on top of them, with the valiant defensive heavy bracing it with all his might in preparation for any potential retaliation¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 72 - The Storm V
Lucas'' muscle fibres tensed as he anchored the shield, preparing for the inevitable backlash that came from toppling a prime asset of the Stellar Republic¡¯s defences.
Breaking the tense silence, Lucas, admiration lacing his voice, remarked, "I just can¡¯t get enough of you shooting that thing. That Tier-Up Voucher was put to good use. Must admit, I''m slightly envious of it." As his words hung in the air, they were quickly drowned by the symphony of returning fire, the kinetic force nudging Lucas and the Stalwart deeper into the foxhole¡¯s embrace.
Amidst the clamour, Thea discerned the metallic twang of bullets colliding with the Stalwart and the sizzling sound of laser shots fizzling out against its formidable surface. "I''ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it as many times as necessary: I owe you, and this shield, big time. Without the both of you, I could never do this kinda stuff," she yelled back, laughter barely peeking through her words.
Suddenly, their communication devices crackled to life, delivering Corvus'' voice, tinged with an unexpected glee, "Thea! You''ve outdone yourself! That cannon''s gone! And trust me, they''re not happy about it. Confirm you two are alright?"
Without breaking their focus, they clicked their comms in response, a shorthand for ''all clear'' that required no words and spared them the split-second distraction that could mean life or death on the battlefield.
Riding the high of their achievement, Corvus continued, "Thea, it looks like your theory was spot-on. You''re greenlit to take out more of those cannons. The more havoc you wreak, the better. Lucas, I¡¯m counting on you to keep her safe. Understood?" His spirited command ended with the comms falling silent once again.
The two of them looked at each other with a mixture of confusion and elation at their squad leader¡¯s uncharacteristically enthusiastic words.
Thea noted that Lucas had purposefully put his visor into the transparent setting, as long as they weren¡¯t actively engaged in a firefight, which she definitely appreciated. She struggled enough with understanding people as is, even if she could see their faces.
Having to talk to people that had their visors completely blocked was much more of a challenge for her than fighting in this war¡ªof that, she was absolutely certain.
The initial return salvo had dug the Stalwart into the ashen-laden wasteland around them, the raw kinetic energy imparted on it too much for the semi-solid ground to take. In the aftermath, as the barrage eased, Thea and Lucas found themselves entombed in a makeshift bunker of their own inadvertent design, the Stalwart, their unwieldy guardian, sealing the entrance.
Lucas heaved against the weight of the Stalwart, muscles rippling under the strain, as the shield seemed to dig into the ground with its own stubbornness. Each push upwards left a clear trail of grit and sweat on his brow.
"I hope none of those other cannons catch wind of our actions. I have pride in the Stalwart¡ªit''s top-notch T1 tech¡ªbut even it has its limits. Up against an anti-armour cannon, this baby will absolutely be torn apart," he remarked, his voice laced with a cocktail of anxiety and reverence for his treasured gear.
Thea, checking over the Caliburn in her hands, responded, "Considering the ruckus we''re causing, it''s just a matter of time before we draw more attention. Initially, I brushed off the Republic''s strategic command¡ªduring the ambushes, they operated with all the finesse of a street gang. But ever since we arrived at this wall..." she trailed off, allowing the memory of the impressive fortifications they were facing to underscore her point, "...it''s evident that there''s a more tactical mind at play behind these defences. It''s infuriating, but I can''t help but tip my hat to them: This wall¡¯s a real problem."
Lucas grunted an affirmation as he pushed the Stalwart up a slight bit higher again and again, causing ash and spent ordnance from the rim of the foxhole to drop into their little hideout with every push.
¡®I wish my Strength wasn¡¯t so utterly underdeveloped¡ I could help out instead of just sitting around, trying not to get in the way,¡¯ Thea thought to herself as she watched the hulking heavy next to her try to free them from their self-created prison. ¡®Also, next time, we need to build this with a slight angle in mind, so pushing the Stalwart back upright doesn¡¯t end up with Lucas powering himself out.¡¯
With nothing else to do but wait, Thea simply watched as Lucas, one centimetre at a time, pushed the Stalwart out of its earthen mould above them.
Finally, after about two to three minutes of laborious work, Lucas let out a relieved breath. ¡°Haa¡ Alright. I think we¡¯ve got some room to manoeuvre now. I''ll lift the Stalwart¡ªgive you the protection you need to move out for the next target," he declared, his voice a blend of exhaustion and determination.
Thea, her earlier thoughts having coalesced into an actionable plan, seized the moment. ¡°Before that, let¡¯s reshape this foxhole. We need a better angle of egress. Can you extend the Stalwart for cover while I excavate a bit more?¡±
Lucas responded with a decisive nod, forgoing any verbal confirmation. It was his signature way¡ªa pure embodiment of his action-first mentality.
He hoisted the Stalwart with a grunt, standing it up as the surrounding air crackled with the renewed intensity of incoming fire. Without a moment''s delay, he lunged out of the foxhole, driving the Stalwart outward about a metre, then locking into position against it, his entire being put into making sure the Stalwart was not going to give in one centimetre.
The characteristic glow of the grav-lock engaged, cascading over the shield in a wave of reassurance. Its activation visibly lessened the strain on Lucas, his posture shifting from one of extreme exertion to a more sustainable stance, though the tension of his jaw, visible through the transparent visor, betrayed the effort still required.
¡°You¡¯re good to go,¡± he managed, his words strained yet resolute.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but be impressed; the force exerted against the shield was monumental¡ªvastly beyond what they had encountered in any of the past skirmishes. The grav-lock did its part, but it was the Stalwart¡¯s T1 materials and Lucas himself that truly bore the brunt of the onslaught.
With a determined glint in her eyes, Thea sprang into action, keenly aware of the immense pressure Lucas was under to keep them shielded. Each moment Lucas held the line was bought with grit and tenacity, and she refused to squander it.
Gripping one of the trench-shovels they''d come prepared with from inside the foxhole, she set to work.
Thea plunged into her task with the precision of a seasoned machine, her early-life lessons with James and the Basic Training with the UHF resurfacing as she reworked the landscape.
Her understanding of physics, a cornerstone of her education to understand bullet trajectories, now guided her hands in a different manner. She methodically sculpted the foxhole''s edges, creating a gentle incline leading towards Lucas''s position.
Her actions were informed by the core principles she had learned: The behaviour of projectiles, the importance of angles in deflection, and the dynamics of force distribution ¡ª knowledge that was fundamentally vital for a scout/sniper such as herself.
Thea''s design didn''t doubt the resilience of the Stalwart''s T1 material. The shield had proven its worth time and time again, deflecting lethal assaults that would have spelled the end for any marine.
Her main concern was the unforgiving terrain they found themselves in.
The semi-solid ashen wasteland had a tendency to act like a mire, swallowing up anything that exerted significant force upon it. Her modifications aimed to work in harmony with the Stalwart, ensuring it remained a movable barrier rather than becoming an accidental tombstone.
Under the relentless barrage of the Stellar Republic''s distant guns, each shovelful of dirt Thea moved was laden with palpable tension. The myriad of bullets whizzing past and lasers crackling in the air was almost rhythmic in its intensity.
Several times, her Psychic Foresight flashed a warning, prompting her to dart out of harm''s way, narrowly avoiding incoming projectiles.
The high stakes and razor-thin margins for error made the task feel like an eternity, but after a few fraught minutes, the foxhole was reshaped to her satisfaction.
Drawing a deep breath, Thea shifted her focus back to their primary mission: Neutralising the menacing anti-armour cannons built into the wall itself.
¡°I¡¯ve got it set up! Pull back when you¡¯re ready, I need to prep the Caliburn for the next cannon!¡± Thea relayed to Lucas through their comm link, doubting her voice would carry over the uproarious din of the ongoing firefight, even if she screamed as loud as she could.
The battlefield''s cacophony, while slightly diminished compared to the start of the battle, remained oppressively loud.
She quickly reached for her Caliburn. As she racked the bolt, a burst of pent-up heat erupted in a fiery plume from the weapon''s vents. ¡®Can''t afford another melted hand. I made that promise to Kara,¡¯ she mentally chided herself, nodding with determination.
Suddenly, she detected the familiar clang of the Stalwart as it thudded into the ground beside her. She glanced up just in time to see the shield glow with the signature grav-lock hue. Lucas, moments later, let out a pronounced exhale.
¡°Phew, missions with you are never dull. But by Xagis, they wear me out,¡± he quipped, a hint of mirth lacing his words. Thea found herself laughing lightly at that, having only recently realised that she was indeed ending up in taxing situations more often than might be prudent.
Lucas wasn''t known for being particularly talkative either, which made his light-hearted quips all the more surprising. It appeared that the heat of battle had brought out a playful side in him. She recalled a recent memory of Lucas playfully ribbing Corvus alongside the other squad members shortly after her return. Perhaps the recent events had fostered a closer bond among them, allowing Lucas to feel more comfortable around all of them as a result?
It was a dynamic she intended to observe and understand better, but for the time being, her immediate priority lay in one simple, albeit vastly more important, task: Firing a big gun at even larger cannons.
With the Caliburn now perched on the ledge formed by the foxhole, just behind the relative safety of the Stalwart, Thea paused to survey the battlefield for her subsequent mark.
The tally of cannons floated through her mind: ''Fifteen total... Six eradicated by the UHF AD, four neutralised by the offensive heavy units, and one by my hand. That leaves a quartet yet untouched on this stretch of the wall.''
Her strategy took shape; it would be prudent to target those nearest to her and Lucas first, ideally mitigating the risk from the others who might be lulled into a false sense of security due to their relative distance away from them, potentially overlooking their danger.
However, each time she dared to sneak a glance beyond the shield for a better vantage point, her Psychic Foresight flared into overdrive, prompting her to narrowly evade a barrage of incoming fire¡ªfour near-misses in a matter of heartbeats. As the battle had continued to escalate in its intensity for her, Thea now realised that she had been relying more and more on her Psychic Powers to keep her alive.
She once again briefly thought about Karania¡¯s earlier words and couldn¡¯t help but agree. Without her Psychic edge, she likely would have already found a bullet earlier rather than later.
It was apparent now, however, that the enemy had them dialled in, the sharpshooters and heavy gunners fixing their lethal attention with unerring focus.
''The approach we took for the first one won¡¯t work a second time,'' she acknowledged silently, ''These gunners are lying in wait, and they''re not going to just let us do as we please...''
A brief moment passed in which Thea tried to find a solution and her eyes were inadvertently drawn by Lucas¡¯ form, still bracing the Stalwart against the continuous barrage of heavy weapons and sniper fire, his grunts of exertion echoing in her mind.
¡®I can¡¯t just sit around. Let¡¯s do it the hard way,¡¯ she resolved, taking a deep breath before deciding on a target.
¡°Lucas, this one¡¯s gonna be a bit more dangerous than the last one. Get ready to jump into cover, alright?¡± She commed to the hulking figure, who only gave a single acknowledging click.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡®Alright, Thea. Time to try out yet another idea in the middle of the largest battlefield you¡¯ve ever seen. No biggie. Just keep your head in the game, it¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ she pumped herself up while working through the motions of her plan again and again. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of a second attempt, so she wanted to make sure everything was as thoroughly planned in her mind as possible.
Finding no issues with her plan, aside from the extremely slim margins for error and high likelihood of injury or death, Thea breathed one final, large huff of air, before focusing down on her target: One of the wall-mounted anti-armour cannons, around 2.5 kilometres away.
With a flurry of motion, she hefted the Caliburn¡¯s sizable body and barrel into the open, aimed directly at the cannon, before activating it¡¯s grav-lock¡ªlocking it to the planet¡¯s gravitational field, rather than simply relying on the unsteady ground below them¡ªand activating her Abilities.
¡®Sensory Overdrive.¡¯
¡®Penetrative Shot.¡¯
As Thea activated her [Sensory Overdrive], the cacophony of the battlefield transformed.
Time seemed to dilate around her, every second stretching into infinity, her Perception sharpening to an otherworldly keenness. The relentless thud of artillery fire in the distance turned into discernible rhythmic beats, each explosion, each shot down shell a distinct echo resonating across the field. The staccato of gunfire, once a relentless torrent, now became a series of isolated events, each bullet¡¯s path clear as day.
Her heightened senses picked up the subtle shift of dirt displaced by distant boots, the mechanical whir of servo-motors in Lucas¡¯ ultra heavy armour bracing against the Stalwart, even the faintest change in the wind''s direction¡ªcarrying the war''s acrid scent through the ashy air.
She could see the slight wavering heat radiating from a marine¡¯s barrel, the miniscule glint off an enemy sniper¡¯s scope trained on her position that would have been missed in the commotion¡ªa world alive with details previously shrouded by the fog of war.
However, her entire focus was immediately directed towards her true target.
Aiming down the scope of her Caliburn, a frisson of exhilaration coursed through her as her new Passive, [Detect Weak Spot], seamlessly integrated with her massively enhanced Perception from [Sensory Overdrive], instantly revealing the weak spots of anything she looked at.
A previously unnoticed flaw near the barrel of the anti-armour cannon shimmered into view, highlighted as if by a beacon. It struck her, the realisation that each cannon bore its unique battle scars, no two vulnerabilities exactly alike¡ªan unfortunate stroke for the UHF, denying them the predictability that could have been exploited.
She steadied her breathing, aligning the crosshairs with the newfound chink in the cannon''s armor. With a squeeze of the trigger, the Caliburn came to life.
With her senses acutely amplified by [Sensory Overdrive], Thea perceived the Caliburn''s discharge not as the blur of rapid-fire she knew it to be, but rather as a slow-motion showcase of precision engineering. The complex ballet of its internal mechanisms was laid bare for her, each electromagnetic pulse and mechanical shift a note in a perfectly orchestrated, grand symphony.
The ordinarily instantaneous was stretched into a perceivable sequence.
Her tactile senses could feel the minute vibrations as the massive capacitors along the entire weapon¡¯s length released their stored energy. She watched as the slug, imbued with the energy from her [Penetrative Shot] Ability, took on an orange, arrow-like cone at its tip, a visual manifestation of the enhanced penetrative force it was about to unleash.
As it cut through the air at hypervelocity, the surrounding dust and ash particles were vaporised upon contact, turning them into a brilliant, glowing trail of plasma. The resulting superheated air itself created an ephemeral tunnel of blue-white brilliance that bisected the battlefield¡ªa fleeting indication of the raw power she had just unleashed.
Just moments after the slug''s departure, the Caliburn expelled an eruption of residual energy and the majority of its pent-up heat. This expulsion coalesced at the barrel''s mouth, manifesting as what could only be described as a miniature sun¡ªincandescent and blindingly bright.
It was as if, for the briefest of instances, the very essence of a star had been birthed on the battlefield.
This radiant sphere, while short-lived, birthed a forceful shockwave, an outward thrust of raw energy that sent ripples through the environment. Ash, shrapnel, and other debris were swept up in its wake, caught in a whirlwind birthed by pure, unbridled power.
This wasn¡¯t a simple recoil; it was an assertive declaration of the might of a T2 heavy railgun.
And then, there was the sound.
The Caliburn''s signature boom was not a singular note but a symphony of ruptures. The initial boom¡ªdeep, raw, and primaeval¡ªwas but the precursor. As the slug tore through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, it breached the sound barrier the moment it left the barrel. The breach manifested as a distinct sonic boom, layering upon the initial boom of the Caliburn¡¯s discharge to create a cascading reverberation that was felt as much as it was heard.
Together, the visual flare of the pseudo-sun, the palpable shockwave, and the echoing roars of the booms combined to create a sensory spectacle that Thea had never before been able to see¡ªher love and appreciation for the design and technology inherent in the weapon she used skyrocketing even further.
Though the journey of the slug itself was a matter of fractions of a second, to Thea''s sharpened gaze, the slug seemed to cruise through the space between the railgun and its target with a slow inevitability.
As it made contact, even time itself seemed to pause for a breath.
The flaw on the anti-armour cannon, once a subtle imperfection, now became ground zero for an explosion of kinetic energy. The orange cone at the tip of the slug burrowed into the cannon''s metal, slicing through it with perfect efficiency until it hit a sizable portion of T1 material, rupturing the cone in an instant.
The resultant impact as the armour-piercing slug hit the very same material that disintegrated the [Penetrative Shot], produced a mesmerising eruption of molten metal and shrapnel. Shockwaves emanated from the point of impact, spider-webbing cracks into the surrounding frame of the cannon and dissipating its formidable structure into chaos as it bored its way through to the internals.
It was at this point that the weak spot Thea had detected thanks to her [Detect Weak Spots] Ability came into play, allowing the slug from the Caliburn to penetrate and rip apart the formidable defensive layers of the anti-armour cannon entirely, before finally delivering its explosive payload inside the cannon¡¯s internals.
The detonation was catastrophic.
A fierce explosion erupted from the cannon¡¯s core, consuming its internals in a furious maelstrom of fire and force. Metal and machinery were torn asunder, reduced to molten slag and airborne shrapnel, as the cannon''s once-imposing structure was blown outwards in a radial display of raw power.
In this heightened state, each second seemed to stretch into hours, affording Thea an almost superhuman clarity. Even as the explosion of the first cannon reverberated across the battlefield, Thea was already two steps ahead.
The battlefield¡¯s cacophony, which would usually drown out any strategic thought, seemed distant to her, almost as if she was orchestrating the battle from a serene observatory, far removed from the chaos below.
The weight of the Caliburn shifted effortlessly in her grasp as she pivoted, zeroing in on her next target. Before she could even process it, her [Detect Weak Spots] Ability pinpointed another vulnerability in the enemy¡¯s defences.
The glowing mark was like a beacon in the sea of metal and warfare, inviting her shot.
Mustering her Focus, she commanded the System to once again use her Ability.
¡®Penetrative Shot.¡¯
| [System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 4. |
The familiar rush of the Caliburn discharging felt hotter this time, the immediate successive firing amplifying the heat exponentially. Yet, even this blistering sensation barely registered in her hyper-aware state.
Time felt like it was snapping back to its usual pace as she deactivated the grav-lock.
She sent a swift click of her comm to Lucas, a predefined signal without the need for words, and agilely retreated to the safety of the foxhole. As she descended, the intensity of her [Sensory Overdrive] continued to wane and run out, the crisp edges of her perception starting to blur, the world around her becoming less sharp, the sounds once again intermingling into a uniform cacophony of noise.
The muffled reverberation of the second cannon''s destruction barely pierced the incessant hammering of return fire that rattled against Lucas''s Stalwart shield as he swiftly manoeuvred it above their foxhole. The metallic clangs and thuds that echoed around them formed a cacophonous shield just as effective as the physical one he provided, enveloping them in a transient cocoon of safety amidst the chaos¡ªor at least so they hoped.
As soon as their eyes locked, Lucas''s face broke into a wide grin, shouting over the relentless symphony of bullets, "Are you out of your mind? Two in one go?!"
Feeling the residual heat from her Caliburn rapidly turning their foxhole into a sweltering oven, Thea responded with a mischievous smirk, "It was probably our last shot at this tactic, so why not go out with a bang? After all, just following the Squad Leader''s direct orders!"
Simultaneously, their comms clicked to life as Corvus¡¯ voice, a mixture of elation and exasperation, came through, ¡°What the fuck, Thea?! By the Emperor¡¯s golden biceps, I know I said the more havoc the better, but can you try not making yourself the main target for the entire section of a battlefield just one single, Emperor-damned time?! I¡¯m sending a group of defensive heavies to your location to help get you two back to the trenches, sit tight. Keep your heads down!¡±
Lucas and Thea burst into genuine laughter at their Squad Leader''s exasperated message, the weight of the adrenaline from their audacious gambit slowly lifting. Lucas still leaned heavily against the Stalwart, but Thea noticed he didn¡¯t seem as taxed as before, even if the retaliatory fire hitting the shield seemed more ferocious than their initial encounter.
¡®The tweaks are doing their job! James'' lessons on ricochets and bullet deflection truly paid off. That old man really knows his way around warfare,¡¯ Thea mused, a hint of pride in her grin. Memories of the old man swirled in her mind. It seemed like every challenge she faced, James had somehow prepared her for, directly or indirectly.
¡®Could James have been a Psychic?¡¯ she pondered, her own recent experiences with Psychic Powers having opened an entirely new branch of thought for her. ¡®Did he foresee the specific challenges I''d face, and that¡¯s why he taught me those Golden Rules? Or was it simply his way of equipping me for life?¡¯
A curious sensation coursed through her, as if pieces of a puzzle she thought she¡¯d completed were now scattering once more.
Her thoughts continued to race, as her memories started to coalesce into a more complete picture. ¡®James always did seem to have an uncanny depth of knowledge¡ Granted, he¡¯s very old, downright ancient, really, but his understanding of warfare, and especially the UHF, was far beyond what any regular marine should possess.¡¯
A light bulb moment hit her. ¡®Could James have been an elite, like a Staff-Sergeant, akin to Venn? That would make so much sense!¡¯
The violent tremors of a massive explosion directly above them jolted Thea back to the harrowing reality of the battlefield. Lucas, with strained exertion, manoeuvred the Stalwart shield back into place, as it had been knocked off-course by the eruption.
¡°Damn, I think they''re seriously pissed at us now, Thea!¡± Lucas shouted over the din, his voice a mix of grit and determination as he struggled with the shield.
¡°Anything I can do to help?¡± Thea called out, her words tinged with the tension of a marine ready to spring into action.
Another explosion thundered above them, forcing Lucas down into the semi-solid ground beneath their feet; his armour groaning against the pressure, a clear indicator for just how terrifying the Stellar Republic¡¯s attacks on them truly were. ¡°Just be ready to bolt. Once our heavy support arrives, we make a break for it. The Stalwart isn''t built to withstand this kind of punishment for long,¡± he grunted, managing to reposition the shield to the more defensive, original angle, once again.
Observing Lucas, Thea could see the signs of his [Stalwart Stance] Ability, the way his posture had tensed and his form had become an immovable object. It was clear he was exhausting his repertoire of Abilities to keep them both safe, even as the relentless enemy barrage sought to claim them.
Seemingly unable to help, Thea simply hoped that the defensive heavy support that Corvus had promised was quickly getting to their location¡ªLucas was clearly running on fumes already, as the third explosion pushed him to one knee.
"By the stars, what in Xagis'' name are they hitting us with?!" Lucas exclaimed, veins bulging from the exertion of continuously pushing the Stalwart against the unrelenting onslaught of projectiles.
The confined space of their foxhole had become stiflingly hot, a direct consequence of the Caliburn''s thermal aftermath. If Lucas hadn¡¯t been persistent in expanding their refuge, they¡¯d risk being roasted alive in their own armour.
¡®I have to release this heat from the Caliburn, or we''re toast,¡¯ Thea''s mind raced.
Retrospectively, she felt trapped by her previous decisions. She hadn¡¯t had the luxury to allow the Caliburn to cool down before seeking refuge within the foxhole, yet this realisation did little to alleviate their present predicament.
By the echo of the fourth explosion, their comms buzzed back to life, Corvus'' authoritative voice cutting through, "Evacuate that hole, NOW! Fall back here at full tilt! Whatever they''re firing at you is packing a serious punch; we''ve got our offensive heavies on it, but don¡¯t bet on them neutralising it soon."
Without hesitation, Lucas and Thea made ready to abandon their sweltering refuge.
Lucas, using all his strength, pressed against the Stalwart, its groans of strain echoing the internal damages it suffered from the relentless assault. For a few heartbeats, all that filled the air were the escalating creaks of the Stalwart, causing Thea to fear an imminent collapse.
But then, the ground around the shield yielded, and a gust of relatively fresher air surged in, expelling much of the stifling warmth. Lucas promptly positioned the Stalwart upright, locked eyes with Thea to ensure her readiness, and then, with unyielding faith in Corvus'' command, vaulted out of the foxhole.
Emerging, Thea found herself amidst a protective circle of four other defensive heavies, each harnessing their distinct defensive Abilities to shield them from the continuous barrage. Every second was vital; the heavy artillery targeting them had already shown its lethal capabilities.
Urgency in their strides, they dashed for the safety of the trenches just a short distance away, even as a torrent of rounds hammered against their ultra-heavy armours and defences.
As they neared just a few metres from safety, Thea realised a profound shift in the symphony of war around them. The once incessant drumming of gatling fire, acting as a relentless barrier against the Stellar Republic¡¯s artillery, had vanished. The familiar cacophony of disintegrated ordnance and far-off skyward detonations was eerily absent.
The artillery of the Stellar Republic had fallen silent at some point during their stay inside the foxhole.
Amidst their desperate dash, Thea risked a glance upwards, just as the first renewed wave of artillery shells obscured the smoke-filled sky. The true magnitude of the threat dawned on her when the initial shell burst open.
As it exploded, the shell torn apart by the renewed gatling fire of the UHF¡¯s defences, the contents dispersed over a vast area, reacting violently with the air, igniting into a monstrous fiery blanket that drifted earthwards, paradoxically serene in its descent, akin to the gentle flutter of winter''s first snowfall, yet promising annihilation.
Her eyes widened in abject terror as her vision inadvertently darted past the blanket of fire descending towards her and locked onto the hundreds upon thousands of shells right behind it¡ªshells that were mere milliseconds away from being ripped apart by the UHF¡¯s gatling guns in a similar fashion, bound to carry the same type of payload¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 73 - The Storm VI
The urgency in Staff-Sergeant Venn''s voice crackled through the comms as the command channel clicked to life for everybody at the same time, a clear and undeniable warning that reverberated through the battlefield.
"Masks, Masks, Masks! Now!" His words, strained with the weight of imminent danger, served as a stark reminder of the peril they were in.
Instantly, Thea, Lucas, and the group of defensive heavies sprang into action, their movements a blend of urgency and trained discipline.
As they sprinted towards the safety of the trenches, each of them rapidly checked the integrity of their armour seals. In Thea''s case, she swiftly ensured her mask was securely fastened, a crucial barrier against the impending chemical onslaught, yet likely futile in the face of the unmistakable inferno descending atop them.
The scene unfolding just mere dozens of metres above them was surreal, almost otherworldly.
The descending blanket of fire, slow yet relentless, was like a deadly snowfall, an eerie juxtaposition of beauty and destruction. It was a scene that would be etched in Thea''s memory forever¡ªa slow-motion horror that threatened to engulf them in its fiery embrace.
Thea''s mind raced, torn between the instinct to flee and the harsh reality of the situation.
Would she have preferred a swift end in the flames, assuming the shells had descended further before exploding, to this agonisingly slow wait for the inevitable? The thought was fleeting but chilling, and she pushed it aside, focusing solely on reaching the trenches.
The escalating tension was amplified by Thea''s vivid recollection of Lt. Jorvik''s Warfare 101 Lecture, which she had attended alongside Lucas. Her exceptional memory, usually an asset, now only served as a conduit for a deeper understanding of the danger they faced¡ªa more thorough reason for her anxiety and fear to take proper hold.
Lt. Jorvik had meticulously covered a wide array of ammunition types used by the UHF AD in T1 battlefields. Among these was a particular type of shell, colloquially known as ¡°Fire Blanket¡± shells. Technically, they were termed ¡°Igni-Tenax Shells,¡± but this formal nomenclature was rarely used in the field, marines generally preferring to call them IgT-Shells for short.
These shells held a more special position within the UHF''s arsenal.
First and foremost, they were considered a type of T1 ammunition. Unlike regular artillery munitions that could be endlessly printed on-site by portable printers, these specialised shells required a proper logistics network for transportation, secure storage, and delivery.
This inherent logistical complexity made their use a significant strategic decision; not one to be taken lightly.
The fact that these shells couldn''t be endlessly produced and had to be physically transported to the front lines simultaneously meant that each shell was a precious commodity. The strategic implications were enormous¡ªusing these shells indicated a serious commitment of resources and intent by the Stellar Republic
Furthermore, the nature of T1 ammunition meant that each shell was not just a simple piece of ordnance but was also infused with either high-tech enhancements or T1 System Materials. In the case of IgT-Shells, it was the latter that was key.
While the shells themselves were outwardly simple, lacking any intricate technological components, their lethality was derived from the System Materials included within. This aspect transformed what would normally have been standard artillery shells into instruments of devastating chemical warfare, capable of creating a deadly inferno with some additional terrifying and unique properties, which were impossible to be produced by typical ordnance.
During the Warfare 101 Lecture, Thea had found herself awestruck by the sheer scope and complexity of the System''s materials and the variety of ammunition types that were employed in T1 battlefields.
Lt. Jorvik had presented an extensive list of ammunition types and Thea had counted over 20 different T1 Materials contained within, each one tailored for specific tactical purposes. Yet, he had emphasised that these were merely the "most commonly used" types, hinting at an even broader array of specialised munitions beyond what was covered in the lecture.
The range of T1 Materials and their unique properties underscored the depth and versatility of the System Materials. Each one was seemingly designed by it to achieve specific outcomes on the battlefield, from piercing the toughest defences, over altering physics on a fundamental level, to creating impassable environmental hazards for the enemy.
The Igni-Tenax Shells, which had piqued Thea''s interest, were a prime example of this innovative use of System Materials within modern System-sanctioned warfare. They were an ingenious blend of two T1 Materials: Ignium and Tenaxium.
Ignium, the core component of the IgT-Shells, was not just any ordinary flammable material.
Its properties went far beyond simple combustion; it was a material that operated on an almost molecular level. Upon ignition, it didn''t just burn¡ªit actively disintegrated anything in its path, breaking down every substance into its individual molecules to sustain and continuously intensify its fiery existence. This relentless breakdown and consumption meant that it would continue to blaze until every last particle of Ignium was fully exhausted, regardless of whether it landed on dirt, water or the very air itself.
But what made these shells particularly insidious was their combination with Tenaxium.
Tenaxium was the antithesis of Ignium in its behaviour. Where Ignium destroyed, Tenaxium bonded, merging with anything it contacted at a fundamental level. This fusion created a dual-natured reaction: The destructive force of Ignium tearing apart molecular bonds, fueled by Tenaxium''s unifying capabilities.
This synthesis of Ignium and Tenaxium in the IgT-Shells resulted in a substance with catastrophic consequences. On contact, it would latch onto any material, bonding at an atomic level, and perpetually consume its surroundings to feed an ever-intensifying inferno.
The implications for anyone caught in its path were dire.
Unless protected by armour entirely composed of T1 System Materials, even a single droplet of this hybrid substance could lead to rapid and total annihilation. The only recourse in such a dire situation was immediate amputation of the affected area, abandoning it to the ravenous flames while seeking safety from the expanding sea of fire.
In the midst of the descending fire blanket, Thea couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the grim reality of their situation. The IgT-Shells represented a level of warfare that was both terrifyingly efficient and horrifyingly inescapable¡ªthey needed to get into some solid cover; now.
As Thea and her group neared the relative safety of the trenchline, the descent of the fiery blanket loomed ominously, mere metres above them. The heat was already oppressive, a scorching wave that penetrated even the advanced Spectre armour she donned.
The heat reminded her of one other, extremely pressing issue: Her Caliburn.
The weapon had already been close to overheating before, due to her rapid-firing to destroy the two anti-armour cannons, but the rapidly increasing ambient temperatures were likely going to exacerbate the issue. In a swift, almost reflexive motion, Thea gripped the Caliburn¡¯s tightly, before she briskly racked the bolt mid-run, a necessary action to release the pent-up heat from the weapon''s recent firings.
The heat discharge from the Caliburn burst forth in a blazing eruption, briefly creating a spectacle that made the descending hellfire seem momentarily benign in comparison.
The searing wave from the Caliburn washed over her, the sensation almost akin to her flesh searing beneath the armour. It was a fleeting yet intense experience, a moment where the line between agony and relief blurred. But as quickly as it had surged, the wave from the Caliburn receded, yielding to the relentless advance of the fire blanket above.
As Thea hastily addressed the immediate danger posed by her overheating Caliburn, another pressing concern dawned on her: their chances of reaching safety were rapidly dwindling.
The trenches, with their protective plasteel domes, promised a temporary refuge from the impending fiery onslaught, but the descending inferno of the IgT-Shell was mere moments away from engulfing them.
In a serendipitous display of teamwork, Lucas, alongside one of the heavies equipped with a similar solid-cover shield, instinctively coordinated their actions. With a swift, fluid motion, they hoisted their shields overhead, expanding them to their maximum size. It was as if they had transformed into living, breathing bulwarks, their shields morphing into a makeshift canopy of impervious T1 material, offering a crucial barrier against the fiery deluge.
Beneath this improvised umbrella, the other three heavies converged protectively around Thea, instinctively forming a defensive cluster.
Their movements, now restricted by the necessity of maintaining this protective formation, became a cautious and measured advance. Each step was deliberate, their progress a slow, methodical trudge towards the relative safety of the trenches.
The oppressive heat from the descending blanket of fire was almost tangible, wrapping around the group like a suffocating cloak. Thea thought it couldn¡¯t get any worse, but as the IgT-Shell¡¯s fiery blanket reached their level, it reacted violently with the ash and debris littering the ground.
The temperature soared to unbearable levels, and the flames took on an eerie green hue, casting a ghoulish light on their surroundings. The air itself seemed to scream in agony, the sound so primal and terrifying it was as if the very atoms were decrying their untimely deaths.
This cacophony of atomic anguish resonated in a way that was almost physical, assaulting their senses.
Lucas and the other heavy, their faces etched with determination and strain however, continued to hold their shields steadfastly overhead. The shields, though robust, began to emit a faint glow, indicative of the extreme heat they were deflecting.
Thea, nestled in the eye of this infernal storm, felt a wave of nausea and disorientation wash over her.
The heat was like nothing she had ever experienced; it was as if she were standing within the central heart of a star. Her head pounded with the intensity of the noise, the screaming atoms resonating in her skull. She focused on taking shallow breaths, but even this small act brought its own form of torment.
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Each inhalation felt like drawing in a scorching gale. The air inside her sealed armour had heated to a dangerous level, turning every breath into a searing pain that scorched her lungs. The prickling sensation on her skin intensified, a constant reminder of the inferno just beyond their protective shell.
Despite being at the centre of their formation, shielded by the bodies of the defensive heavies, Thea could feel the relentless assault of the heat. It was a physical force, pushing against her, trying to penetrate the protective circle they had formed.
She closed her eyes briefly, fighting off the dizziness that threatened to engulf her, aware that losing consciousness now would be a guaranteed death sentence.
The heavies around her grunted and groaned, their movements growing increasingly laboured as they inched their way forward. The trenches, their temporary haven in this hellish landscape, seemed agonisingly distant despite being mere metres away. Each step was a battle against the oppressive heat and the disorienting, nightmarish cacophony.
What made the whole ordeal even more problematic, however, was the fact that the blanket had now fully descended, burning the very ground they intended to walk on. The flames, hungry and relentless, consumed everything in their path, leaving behind a hellish landscape.
The defensive heavies, encased in their Ultra-Heavy T1 Armour, were somewhat insulated from the direct effects of the IgT-Compound, but even they were not immune to the extreme heat radiating from the blanket.
Thea, less protected than her counterparts, found herself at the mercy of the defensive heavies'' quick thinking and resourcefulness.
They worked tirelessly, using their shields and melee weapons to clear a path through the burning debris. Their actions were precise and calculated, avoiding any direct contact with the incendiary compound that threatened to consume them. Thea watched, her vision blurred by the intense heat, as the heavies manoeuvred the scorching dirt, ash and debris with urgency, creating a semblance of a safe passage amidst the chaos.
Every second was a battle against the oppressive heat that seemed to press in from all sides.
The air was thick with heat and the acrid smell of burning. It was oppressive, suffocating, a physical weight that pressed down on Thea with each laboured breath. Her eyes stung and watered, but she dared not close them, not even for a moment. The threat of the IgT-Compound was omnipresent, a single touch being all it would take to seal her fate.
Through her blurred and tear-filled vision, she witnessed the tragic fates of less fortunate marines.
Those who had been unable to reach the safety of the trenches in time, or those who had been splashed with the deadly compound, met their end in horrifying silence. Their demise was almost instantaneous, the compound''s ferocity leaving no opportunity for screams or cries of pain.
It was a silent, terrifying vision of lethal efficiency.
At that crucial moment, a sudden, piercing sensation of impending peril surged through Thea''s chest, her Psychic Foresight screaming a warning of an imminent threat. The sensation was sharp, a clear and unmistakable alert that danger was rapidly closing in.
Trapped within the tight circle formed by the defensive heavies, she found herself ensnared in what had transformed from a protective barrier into a potential death trap. The heavies, while shielding her from the relentless assault of the IgT-Compound, inadvertently blocked any path for quick evasion.
Instinctively understanding the gravity of the situation, Thea''s instincts kicked in. She had no room to manoeuvre, no way to sidestep the impending attack. Her only option was to make herself a smaller target, to minimise the potential impact. With swift, decisive action, she dropped to the ground, her body instinctively curling into a tight, compact form.
Every muscle tensed, ready for the unknown but imminent strike.
Even as she was mid-air, falling to the ground, she activated her proximity comms, her voice a sharp, commanding echo amidst the chaos, "Get down!" The warning was clear, a desperate attempt to alert her comrades of the looming danger.
It was a split-second decision, one born of the need to survive and protect.
Instantly reacting to Thea''s urgent call, the heavies around her displayed the kind of unflinching discipline and readiness that only battle-hardened soldiers could muster.
In a fluid, almost rehearsed motion, they all simultaneously moved to evade the unseen danger, while meticulously maintaining the protective formation beneath their shield umbrellas. Lucas and the other heavy with a solid-cover shield adjusted their stances, ensuring the shields remained aloft even as they prepared for evasive action.
Amidst this orchestrated chaos, a high-calibre bullet, seemingly fired blindly from one of the heavy weapon emplacements atop the wall, streaked perilously close. It seared through the air, its trajectory altered by its passage through the fiery IgT-Compound, gaining a deadly coating in the process.
The bullet narrowly missed the first heavy, but found its mark in the arm of another¡ªa female heavy to Thea''s immediate left. The projectile, now enshrouded in the volatile compound, tore into her ultra-heavy armour with a horrific force, creating an opening through which the compound began its merciless work.
A gut-wrenching scream pierced the air as the female heavy experienced unimaginable agony. The IgT-Compound, lodged deep in her arm, began an unstoppable, violent reaction.
It tore through her molecular structure, igniting her from within in a horrific display of fiery destruction. The flames, voracious and unrelenting, rapidly engulfed her entire form, a gruesome spectacle confined within her sealed T1 armour.
In a final act of selfless bravery, the female heavy, with what little strength and consciousness she had left, leaped into the surrounding inferno. Her decision was one born of sheer will and determination, a sacrificial move to prevent any risk of the compound splashing onto her comrades. Her body, now a self-contained inferno, vanished into the flames, her armour a momentary silhouette against the backdrop of the descending firestorm, before it rapidly crumpled, melted and vanished into the inferno.
The rest of the group, witnessing this tragic yet heroic act, felt a mix of horror, admiration, and a renewed sense of urgency.
They all now understood the insidious nature of the simultaneous attack: The combination of the IgT-Compound with a blind barrage of bullets created a scenario where each shot had the potential to become a fiery executioner.
Resuming their formation with haste, the group reoriented themselves for the final stretch towards the trenches. Thea swiftly regained her footing, bolstered by the heavy''s quick manoeuvre to fill the gap left by their fallen comrade.
Their advance, though harrowing, was now bolstered by the sight of their goal¡ªthe plasteel domes of the trenches, now awash in the IgT-Compound.
These domes, though coated in the compound and clearly being dismantled by the Ignium within it, as well as melting from the enormous heat created by it, held up better than anything else around them.
As they neared the trenchline, the first of the heavies reached the domes and began the arduous task of clearing the fiery compound that pooled at the entrance. Using his shield, he scooped and flung away the hazardous material, creating a makeshift path to the safety within. His actions were precise and deliberate, yet definitely tinged with a speed that spoke of the urgency of the situation.
But just as they seemed to be making progress, a series of thunderous explosions ripped through the air, momentarily drowning out even the pervasive roar of the flames that surrounded them. The sound was deep and resonant, reverberating through the ground and the very air around them, signalling another drastic shift in the battlefield''s dynamics.
Chunks of debris, all alight with the fiery embrace of the IgT-Compound, began to rain down around them. The massive pieces of wreckage bore the distinctive markings of both UHF and Stellar Republic fighters, creating a surreal collage of destruction in the fiery hellscape. Each impact sent showers of burning compound and twisted metal scattering in all directions, adding another layer of danger to their already perilous situation.
Amidst the chaos that raged on the ground, a new battle had seemingly erupted simultaneously in the skies above.
The UHF command, quick to respond to the new threat, had evidently launched a counteroffensive to challenge the Stellar Republic''s sudden and unexpected deployment of aerial forces. The fact that the Stellar Republic had brought their fighters into the fray marked a significant escalation in the conflict¡ªlikely as a further combined assault to break the UHF¡¯s rudimentary fortifications, so the IgT-Shells could claim their victims.
It was a stark reminder that the battlefield was multidimensional, with threats and engagements occurring in every conceivable space.
The heavies around Thea instinctively tightened their formation upon this revelation, moving closer to shield her from the deadly rain. Their movements were synchronised, each one acutely aware of the vital role they played in protecting the only member of their group without the protection of Ultra-Heavy T1 Armour.
Meanwhile, the heavy at the front, tasked with clearing a path to the trenches, seemed to find an additional reserve of strength and urgency. His movements became a blur as he shovelled away the small lake of the deadly compound, creating a narrow but vital path to the relative safety of the trenches.
In this chaos, another one of the constant stream of high-calibre bullets, continuously being fired blindly from one of the heavy weapon emplacements atop the wall, tore through their formation. It narrowly missed the heavy at the very front, instead striking the right hand of the heavy to Thea¡¯s right.
Upon impact, his hand erupted in flames, the IgT-Compound instantly igniting. Without a moment''s hesitation, the heavy, his face a mask of grim determination, drew a massive shotgun-like weapon. With a grimace of pain and resolve, he aimed it at his own shoulder and pulled the trigger.
The resulting blast was brutal and decisive.
The heavy''s Ultra-Heavy Armour, designed to withstand incredible forces, was no match for the point-blank discharge. The arm was severed clean off, torn away in a horrific spray of blood that instantly caught fire, adding to the inferno around them.
The heavy stumbled, reeling from the self-inflicted wound, but quickly regained his balance. With remarkable presence of mind, he raised his one-handed shield to cover the bleeding stump, protecting it from any further exposure to the deadly compound.
Thea, Lucas, and the surviving heavies, still reeling from the heavy''s self-mutilation, were jolted back into the present by a thunderous explosion overhead. The din and heat momentarily paled as they instinctively looked up.
In that surreal, elongated moment, the fiery blanket above seemed to tear open, a gap in the inferno exposing the chaotic sky. A flaming chunk of one of the UHF fighters, its once-proud form now reduced to a smouldering wreck, plummeted toward them.
It descended like a meteor, its fiery tail trailing smoke and sparks, an apocalyptic vision etched against the backdrop of the battle-ravaged sky.
The group, frozen in a mixture of awe and terror, realised the imminent danger. The wreck, hurtling down with catastrophic force, threatened to obliterate anything in its path.
Lucas, ever the protector, acted first, his survival instincts kicking in.
He shouted a warning, his voice barely audible through the comm over the roar of the descending debris. The group, spurred into action by Lucas'' call, scrambled to move, knowing that even their ultra-heavy armors would not withstand a direct hit from such a massive object.
In that heart-stopping moment, Thea felt herself suddenly propelled through the air with astonishing force. Her grip on the Caliburn faltered as she was flung toward the trench opening. Time seemed to stretch, elongating the moment into a surreal tableau.
She saw Lucas where she had just been, his arm outstretched in the wake of his desperate throw, his figure framed against the fiery chaos around him, a lone bastion against the apocalypse.
The heavy who had been working to clear the trench entrance, with a soldier''s instinct, dove into the trench just moments before Thea hurtled through the same space. He immediately positioned himself above her, his bulky frame forming a protective barrier against the lethal IgT-Compound dripping from above.
Beside them, the heavy with the solid-cover shield, in a frantic bid for safety, leaped toward the trench.
But fate was cruel and swift.
As he made his move, the burning wreckage of the UHF ship crashed down with a deafening, ground-shaking thud.
The impact was instantaneous and catastrophic, obliterating everyone it engulfed.
Thea, dazed and disoriented, found herself being dragged further into the trench by the last surviving heavy. Behind them, a shockwave laden with more fiery destruction and IgT-Compound blasted through the area, a relentless tide of annihilation following the path of the wrecked ship.
Their scramble into the relative safety of the trench was frantic and frenzied, driven by the primal urge to survive. The trench, once a symbol of slow, grinding warfare, had become their only refuge in a landscape that had transformed into a hellish inferno.
The world outside the trenches had fully transformed into an unfathomable inferno, a maelstrom of fire, death, and destruction, epitomising the relentless and merciless nature of the Stellar Republic''s counter-assault.
This landscape of destruction underscored one grim truth for Thea: War, when waged by forces equally empowered by the Allbright System, was a relentless, unforgiving theatre of devastation and unfathomable loss¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 74 - Twins
The following minutes for Thea were a blur, her senses overwhelmed. She leaned heavily on the last surviving defensive heavy, who was now more than her protector¡ªhe was her only lifeline, half-dragging her through the sweltering trenches that had become an oven.
The Spectre armour, while adept for scouting, was not built for such extreme conditions. It was designed to withstand moderate environmental challenges, providing some resistance to water and cold, but not the extreme heat they now faced. The IgT-compound¡¯s fiery onslaught had far exceeded the Spectre¡¯s heat threshold, turning the very air around Thea into an invisible enemy that scorched her with every laboured breath.
Her vision was blurred, tears drying out almost as soon as they formed, desperately trying to protect her eyes from the relentless heat. Each breath was a battle, her lungs feeling as if they had been put to the torch. The trench walls blurred past her, the world reduced to a disorienting, suffocating tunnel as she was ushered further into the fiery labyrinth.
As Thea continued to stagger through the trenches with the help of the last heavy, her mind relentlessly replayed the last clear memory she had¡ªthe moment Lucas, with a burst of desperate strength, had thrown her to safety. His figure, etched against the backdrop of a fiery apocalypse, remained the last image she had of him and the other brave heavies who had shielded her with their lives.
The realisation hit her hard; without their selfless actions, she would have perished under the first rain of IgT-Shells. There was no doubt in her mind about this reality.
The magnitude of destruction wrought by the IgT-Compound, a concept she had only academically understood from Lt. Jorvik''s, at the time an excruciating detailed lecture, was vastly different when experienced firsthand.
The horror of the IgT-Compound''s destruction, its capacity to dissolve and incinerate everything in its path, was something she clearly had never fully grasped through words alone. The raw, instinctual fear that had settled in Thea''s mind, now that she had experienced the reality of it, was mind numbing.
The knowledge that a mere, singular droplet of the IgT-Compound, not even necessarily propelled by intention but even just by the fickle whims of fate, could have spelled her immediate and violent end was a thought she simply couldn''t shake off.
The randomness of it, the lack of control, the sheer inevitability of such an occurrence in the midst of the previous chaos, had left a deep imprint on her psyche.
The tales James had shared about his time in the UHF, sparse as they were, had always painted a vivid picture of the true nature of war.
Thea had thought she understood what he meant, her experiences in virtual games giving her a sense of familiarity with conflict. She had navigated countless digital battlefields, facing off against hordes of opponents in the virtual realm.
But she now realised that nothing in those simulated encounters had truly prepared her for the raw, visceral reality of the war she was now experiencing. The war that James had always talked about; warned her about.
In the arcade, war was a game¡ªa series of challenges to be overcome with skill and strategy. But the war under the auspices of the Allbright System was something else entirely.
There was no skill that could save her from an indiscriminate bombardment of IgT-Shells that blanketed an entire battlefield. There was no strategy she could employ to evade the compound¡¯s fiery vengeance should it even just as much as graze her armour.
Furthermore, this was a war that transcended the traditional notions of planetary conflicts bound by governments and geopolitical complexities, the kind of war that Thea had come to know from the virtual reality of the arcade, on so many levels.
It was a war augmented and intensified exponentially by the Allbright System, a conflict of unimaginable scale and ferocity.
The contrast between the war of her games and the war she was now part of left her reeling, her sense of understanding and her place within it all fundamentally shaken.
It was a feeling akin to the disorientation she had experienced when her Psychic Gate first opened¡ªa profound sense of insignificance and bewilderment, a questioning of her role and purpose in the midst of this vast, System-sanctioned turmoil.
Yet, despite all this, she kept on going.
Supported, pushed on and partially carried by the last remaining defensive heavy, she trudged through the trenches, each step a battle in itself to stay semi-lucid and continue onwards. The covered trenches, once a line of defence, as well as a place to return fire from, had succumbed to the relentless fury of the Ignium-infused rain, their protective plasteel domes now nothing but molten ruins.
Emerging from the initial trench lines and stepping into the underground tunnels beneath the battlefield, Thea and the heavy encountered an unexpected transformation.
In the span of less than an hour since the infantry had advanced onto the ashen battlefield, the UHF''s specialised squads had worked wonders. The trench diggers, combat engineers, and fortification experts had collaborated to turn the subterranean world into a network of bunkers and strategically positioned chokepoints, as if anticipating such a turn of events, way ahead of time.
The underground realm was a stark contrast to the inferno above.
Here, amidst the labyrinthine tunnels and reinforced chambers that featured ammunition printers, supply depots and first-aid stations, there was a semblance of order and strategy.
The hustle and bustle of marines and engineers, all working in unison, created a sense of purpose and direction amidst the chaos¡ªsomething that felt profoundly grounding for Thea¡¯s frayed mental state.
The journey through the underground tunnels was nevertheless a disorienting experience for Thea. With each turn and passage, her sense of direction grew more muddled.
She relied entirely on the heavy, who moved with seemingly brisk, purposeful strides, suggesting a certain level of familiarity with the subterranean maze. Thea''s trust in her fellow marine''s navigation was her only anchor in this labyrinth, hoping that the more experienced Private had undergone some level of orientation about the UHF¡¯s underground setups in the past.
Much to her relief, she found herself proven right to trust the heavy once again.
Eventually, their path led them to a bustling med-station, a haven amidst the chaos. The heavy paused briefly at the entrance, engaging in a quick but evidently important exchange with a staff member who clutched a data-pad, likely relaying information about Thea''s condition and the urgency of her situation.
Guided forward, Thea was gently ushered onto a field-bed in the med-station.
The environment was a flurry of activity; medics hurried between beds, attending to the myriad wounded with efficiency and speed. The sounds of the med-station, the beeps of machinery, and the voices of medical staff were the last things Thea registered.
As she lay down on the bed, her body, pushed to its utmost limits, finally succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion and shock. Darkness enveloped her, a merciful respite from the relentless tension and terror she had endured, drawing her into a deep, much-needed unconsciousness.
As consciousness slowly reclaimed Thea, her senses were abruptly assaulted by the piercing screams of another patient nearby, jolting her back to the grim reality of the med-station.
Her instinctive use of her heightened Perception gave her a quick but comprehensive assessment of her surroundings, confirming she was still under the chaotic battlefield of Nova Tertius¡¯ wall, a safe distance from the inferno above.
Gradually opening her eyes, she was immediately met with discomfort.
Her eyes stung fiercely, a sensation that felt like countless grains of sand were scraping against her pupils. Despite this, her vision remained frustratingly blurred, and she could feel the dampness of her cheeks, suggesting a continuous flow of some liquid.
Initially, she reasoned they might be tears, but the sheer volume suggested otherwise.
It dawned on her that in the time she was unconscious, the medical staff must have applied some sort of hydrating or healing solution to her eyes, possibly to counteract the effects of the extreme heat she had endured.
As Thea''s vision gradually began to clear through persistent fluttering of her eyelids, the makeshift med-station came into focus.
The hastily excavated chamber, carved beneath the ashen wasteland, revealed an interesting contrast. The walls around her were an amalgamation of vibrant, fertile dirt, seemingly untouched by the devastation above, and sections shored up with prefabricated plasteel and rockcrete.
It was as if she had descended into a different realm, a stark juxtaposition to the apocalyptic surface she had just escaped.
The existence of the med-station itself, though clearly assembled in haste, was also abundantly clear piece of evidence that this was not the UHF''s first time implementing such a strategy in the midst of conflict. Not only had the heavy¡¯s purposeful gait told Thea that this was more of a standard setup than she might have otherwise assumed, but the sheer organisation within this one med-station alone spoke for itself.
Every inch of space was efficiently utilised, the makeshift nature of the station belying its effectiveness. The beds around her, uniformly arranged in neat rows, were all occupied by similarly wounded marines as well, likely in order to make triage and supply easier on the auxiliary personnel.
The victims of the battlefield''s horrors, like Thea, were being tended to with a mix of urgency and precision. Some patients bore the ghastly signs of severe burns, their skin a tapestry of reds and charred black. Others were missing limbs, the stumps neatly bandaged or under treatment, silent testimonies to the ruthless choices the marines and their comrades had to make when faced with the brutal efficiency of the IgT-Compound.
The medics and doctors moved among the beds with a practised ease, while auxiliary staff could be seen briskly stepping into and out of the med-station with various boxes of supplies that the medical professionals required at any given moment.
It was clear that in this underground enclave, a different kind of battle was being waged¡ªnot with guns and artillery, but with bandages, medicine, and the unwavering spirit of those who refused to let their fellow marines succumb to their injuries.
As Thea gingerly began to explore her own condition, she quickly discovered that her body was swathed in bandages, the material clinging to her skin with a peculiar stickiness.
Underneath, her skin felt unusually damp, as if she had been submerged in a pool of some viscous substance before being wrapped up. Slightly bewildered, she began to shift her position on the bed, attempting to get a better look at herself.
At that moment, a medic approached her bed with a data-pad in hand.
The medic, wearing a look of composed professionalism amidst the chaos, began to explain her situation. "You''ve been covered in a skin-regenerative gel, as the heat had practically cooked your skin to the point of nearly falling off your bones," they said, their voice calm and informative, yet their words, strangely and gruesomely detailed.
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"It''s done its job, so you''re free to remove the bandages when you''re ready. You might see some scarring, but overall, you are cleared to leave whenever you feel ready or we require your bed, whichever comes first."
Thea''s mind briefly lingered on the mention of scars and couldn¡¯t help but think of James¡¯ disfigured, scar-ridden face. She seriously hoped that this was not her future.
Then, she inquired about her Spectre armour and the rest of her equipment, only to learn that the armour had been irrevocably damaged. "We had to cut you out of it," the medic continued, "The armour was completely melted and fused. Even with the vibroblades, it was a challenge due to the disruptor module inside. Unfortunately, we had to dispose of it entirely. As for the rest of your equipment, we put everything you had on you into storage. Talk to one of the auxiliary staff and they¡¯ll take you there."
Feeling a pang of loss for her armour, Thea asked if the medic knew who had brought her to the med-station. The medic shook their head, explaining, "We don''t keep that detailed a record of people being brought in. Everything''s too hectic. We focus on treating and saving lives as fast as we can." The response made sense to Thea, yet she felt a twinge of gratitude for the unknown heavy who had carried her to safety.
¡®I¡¯m sure that Lucas will know who that heavy was. It felt like all the defensive heavies knew each other, somehow. Maybe there¡¯s a club or something¡?¡¯ Thea thought to herself, chuckling slightly at the thought of the hulking, intimidating forms of multiple defensive heavies hunched around a tiny desk eating pancakes with tiny forks.
Simultaneously however, she also felt a pang of regret, that Lucas and the rest of the defensive heavies that had tried to get her and Lucas to safety had perished in the way that they did. They never could have anticipated what was going to happen, of course, but Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel some serious survivor''s guilt.
Without all of the heavies she definitely would not have been able to survive, after all.
As Thea watched the medic''s figure disappear amidst the flurry of activity in the bustling med-station, she turned her attention to the task at hand.
She began to carefully peel away the bandages, layer by layer, revealing the skin beneath. She had managed to find a standard UHF uniform in a supply crate nearby, a necessary replacement given the state of her Spectre armour.
To her astonishment, her skin appeared remarkably unblemished, belying the severity of the recent events. She wasn''t particularly vain about her appearance, but the thought of bearing scars similar to those James carried wasn''t something she was ready to embrace just yet.
She pondered the possible reasons behind James retaining his scars as well, as she took a closer look at her downright pristine skin.
Perhaps the medical advancements of the UHF had significantly progressed since his time, or maybe there were limitations to what even their technology could achieve. Alternatively, James might have chosen to keep his scars for reasons more personal and profound.
Nevertheless, Thea was grateful for the advanced regenerative treatments she had received, sparing her from carrying such physical reminders of her first foray into this harsh reality. She wasn''t quite prepared to bear the visible marks of battle, at least not this early in her journey.
As Thea waved over one of the auxiliary staff members that kept rushing in and out of the med-station, she was guided to a small area where her personal effects had been hastily stored. Rifling through the items, she recognized her Icicle, the Throatcutter, and an assortment of grenades¡ªstandard gear that she always carried on her Spectre.
However, her heart sank as she realised the Caliburn, her reliable companion through the chaos, was missing. The likelihood was high that it had slipped from her grasp during Lucas'' life-saving throw, a small but significant casualty in the grand scheme of their survival.
Thea couldn''t help but chide herself internally. ''Losing a Tier 2 weapon... that''s not just a blunder, that¡¯s a logistical nightmare,'' she thought, recalling Lt. Jorvik''s Warfare 101 lecture, which had briefly touched upon the intricate logistics of modern warfare under the Allbright System.
The System had revolutionised the way wars were fought, simplifying many aspects of military logistics. The convenience of equipment and ammunition printers, along with Abilities that could conjure necessities seemingly from nowhere, had largely replaced the traditional, micro-level supply chain management.
Yet, this technological boon came with its own set of complexities. Complexities that Lt. Jorvik had described as ¡°awfully pointed¡±, as they all seemed to aim towards inciting more desperate and larger fights over less and less particular areas¡ªalmost as if the System was trying to create less numerous, yet more pronounced points of conflict.
The UHF, with its vast resources and personnel, often grappled with these broader, more macro-level logistics.
These encompassed strategic allocation of resources, deployment of troops across different theatres of war, and managing the immense supply and demand cycle amplified by the System''s capabilities. The loss of a Tier 2 weapon like the Caliburn wasn''t just a personal loss for Thea; it was a minute, yet significant, cog in the larger machine of war logistics¡ªone that the UHF meticulously tried to maintain control over, yet often ended up lacking on.
Where before, having all kinds of ammunition types produced, stored and transported, now, it was System Materials that were the main culprit of logistical issues in any given sector. Any piece of equipment that required specific T1 or higher System-Materials, required that exact material to be present at the time of printing.
This evolution in logistics marked a significant shift from traditional methods, where the civilian sector predominantly handled resource harvesting, processing, and ammunition production.
Now, these critical aspects were fully integrated into the military operations of the UHF, underscoring the vastly increased strategic importance of controlling and managing System Materials than simple ammunition and more old-school logistics issues had ever come close to.
That meant that the UHF¡¯s military now had to face the daunting task of not only conquering territories to source these rare materials but also the intricate process of harvesting, transporting, and safeguarding them on the battlefields themselves.
This intricate logistical puzzle explained why scenes like the devastating IgT-Shell bombardment Thea had just endured were not everyday occurrences on the battlefields of the galactic conflict.
The scarcity and high volatility of materials like Ignium and Tenaxium, coupled with the logistical nightmare of transporting and safely storing them, made such indiscriminate artillery barrages a less common, albeit more impactful, event.
It wasn''t just about firing shells; it was about the careful orchestration of resources, from acquisition, over transporting and safeguarding them on the field itself, to deployment; a balancing act that could tip the scales of a battlefield if a single thing were to go wrong.
Now, Thea¡¯s Caliburn, on the other hand, was several more magnitudes of problematic in terms of logistical issues.
As the Caliburn required two specific T2 Materials called Alacritum and Ektrikium, printing it in the middle of a T1 battlefield was not an easy task whatsoever. While the UHF¡¯s logistics and supply departments made sure that every piece of equipment was theoretically printable, the precious nature of T2 Materials made them vastly more restricted in terms of physical availability on the ground itself.
Typically, re-printing a weapon like the Caliburn would be feasible only at major HQs or heavily fortified forward operating bases, making its loss in the field particularly problematic.
It was a definite lesson she intended on internalising and learning from for the future.
To make matters even worse however, she was very well aware of the fact that, in a real-world scenario, the consequences of losing a T2 weapon on a T1 battlefield could extend far beyond her immediate ability to fight.
An enemy combatant could have potentially retrieved the weapon. Although it was biometrically locked to her and the rest of the UHF marines on the same section of the battlefield, there were many known methods to circumvent such security measures, involving specialised tools, System Abilities, or sufficient time.
These considerations weighed on Thea''s mind as she stepped out of the med-station and started navigating the maze-like complexity of the underground tunnels. ¡®I doubt I¡¯ll have to worry about anyone getting their hands on it though, considering the absolute inferno up there, but it¡¯s still worth bearing in mind.¡¯
Determined to reconnect with her squad, or whatever was left of it, Thea''s next move was to locate the nearest supply depot. She quickly intercepted another auxiliary staff member, requesting directions.
As she made her way through the underground network, she couldn''t shake off a sense of vulnerability.
Devoid of her Spectre armour, she felt exposed, almost bare, despite being clad in the standard UHF uniform. The absence of the armour, which had become a second skin to her over recent days, left her feeling incomplete, as if an integral part of her identity had been stripped away.
This feeling was exacerbated by the fact that her time in the armour had far outweighed her time out of it recently, coma notwithstanding.
As she hurried towards the supply depot, her steps were imbued with an urgency driven not just by the need to regroup with her squad, but also by a desire to regain a sense of security, even if it was likely not going to be a replacement for her Spectre quite yet.
Upon reaching the supply depot, Thea was immediately drawn to the equipment racks.
Her eyes scanned over the available gear, eventually settling on a set of standard UHF light-armour. It wasn''t the sophisticated Spectre armour she was accustomed to, but it would provide a much needed layer of protection in the hostile environment she was expecting to navigate again soon enough.
Her attention then shifted to the weaponry, and a wave of relief washed over her as she spotted a Gram among the assortment.
The realisation dawned on Thea that the Gram had probably become the standard issue model, replacing the older Mjollnir. The Mjollnir had been a favourite among UHF snipers due to its reliability and effectiveness throughout its years of service, so it made sense that its successor would take its place.
This shift suggested that the Gram was now widely available, likely stocked at any supply depot in the field¡ªa definite positive realisation in her eyes. Knowing that she wouldn¡¯t have to queue for the specialised supply stations if she wanted to replace her Gram in the future was a pretty sizable discovery.
Thea couldn''t help but feel a sense of familiarity as she picked it up, even though it wasn''t her personalised weapon. She noted the absence of her custom attachments¡ªthe handstop, the IR-laser, and the variable IR-capable scope¡ªwhich made her own Gram distinct. Despite these omissions however, the weight and balance of the rifle in her hands brought a comforting sense of readiness.
She made a mental note to acquire the missing components at the first opportunity, but for now, this would more than suffice. She had feared she might have to make do with the AR303 or similarly short-medium ranged weaponry, but luckily, this had not been the case.
Clad in the light-armour and with the Gram in hand, Thea felt a renewed sense of purpose.
The gear might have been standard issue, but it was a step towards regaining her lost sense of completeness. With each piece of equipment she secured, Thea felt more prepared to face whatever lay ahead, ready to rejoin her squad and continue the fight, wherever it might take her.
Thea quickly donned and adjusted to her new armour and synced up with the local communications network using her biomarker. Once connected, she accessed the Sovereign Alpha squad comms and transmitted a brief, urgent message, "Thea here. Anyone still alive? Lucas didn¡¯t make it."
To her relief, but not without a tinge of sorrow, Corvus''s weary voice crackled through almost immediately. "Ha, Thea. If only I could¡¯ve wagered on your chances of surviving yet another impossible scenario... Listen, it''s just you, Karania, and me now. Desmond and Isabella were targeting the anti-armour cannons, using Desmond¡¯s drones to get eyes on ¡®em. They were incredibly effective, but they got caught in the worst of the bombardment. None of the offensive heavy teams made it back."
Corvus''s voice carried a mixture of relief and weariness, "I''m glad to hear you''re okay. Find Karania in ward 34; she''s wrapped up in her usual medic duties. Once you''re both set, come join me in command room 11. We''ve got new orders. No rush, but let''s not dawdle¡ªI''m about to lose my mind down here." His last words betrayed an uncharacteristic strain, a hint of underlying distress.
Thea couldn''t help but note this subtle change in Corvus''s tone.
''Is Corvus claustrophobic? Interesting. I always saw him as this fearless leader, almost too perfect. It''s somewhat refreshing to see he''s human after all,'' she mused internally, allowing a small chuckle to escape before she clicked her comms in acknowledgment.
Making her way to ward 34, asking her fellow marines for directions, Thea was slowly getting back into the swing of things, the horrifying memories of the bombardment receding into the back of her mind as she could finally focus down on another set of orders.
She could practically hear James¡¯ words echo in her ears as she mused on the topic.
¡°Always remember, Missy. Golden Rule #11: ¡®If you¡¯re feeling lost, unsure of what to do, follow your squad leader''s orders. Fuck the brass¡¯ orders, but always trust your SL.¡¯ Your SL will be the most likely person to have your best interest in mind, so keep that rule close to your heart, will ya? Don¡¯t go losing your mind out there.¡±
Having spent quite a bit of time with Corvus by now and having overheard his discussions with Karania the very same morning, she couldn¡¯t help but once again agree with James¡¯ words. When compared to Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s or Legate Kuan¡¯s orders, Corvus¡¯ were definitely on a more personal level, more intent on making sure they all made it through, rather than trying to go for the big-ticket wargoals.
Thea''s thoughts were still swirling when she reached ward 34. Spotting Karania wasn''t hard; her friend was buzzing around the place like a cracked-up transport drone. In a rare moment of stillness, as Karania paused to consult her data-pad, Thea approached.
"Kara! I''m so glad you¡¯re¡ª" Her words halted abruptly as Karania shifted, revealing part of her right side. Thea''s eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Before she could process the revelation, Karania''s voice cut through, bright and buoyant as ever. "Theaaaa! You made it out alive! ...Again!"
She then noticed Thea''s gaze on her arm and, with a wide grin, pulled back her sleeve to fully display her new cybernetic limb.
"Look at this, bestie! We''re twins now!"
She exclaimed, her tone a mixture of pride and excitement¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 75 - Return
Thea''s expression was a complex tapestry of emotions as she tried to process Karania''s nonchalant revelation. It was only a couple hours or so since they had parted ways, and yet, here was Karania, sporting a new cybernetic arm and moving about as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
Thea felt a warm flutter at being called "bestie" by Karania, but it was quickly overshadowed by a surge of concern and a barrage of questions.
"Kara, what the fuck happened?!" Thea asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Karania, seemingly unfazed, began to recount the events with an almost casual air. "Oh, it was when the IgT-Shells started falling. I was out there, helping with the wounded. I managed to duck for cover just in time, but one of the marines near me wasn¡¯t so lucky. A bit of the compound got onto his arm," she explained, her tone surprisingly light.
Thea listened, her eyes locked on Karania¡¯s cybernetic arm, as her friend continued, "I had to act fast. Used my [Surgeon''s Toolkit]; amputated his arm to save him. But in the process, a little of that nasty compound got on my hand." Karania gestured to her new arm, her grin never faltering. "So, I did what any sensible medic would do¡ªI cut off my own arm with the other hand. Quick thinking, huh?"
Thea was taken aback by Karania''s matter-of-fact recounting of such a drastic self-amputation.
It was as if Karania viewed the loss of her arm and the subsequent fitting of a cybernetic replacement as just another day at the office. It was both admirable and slightly unnerving how Karania could maintain such a nonchalant demeanour in the face of what was, undeniably, a life-altering event¡ªat the very least until they left the assessment.
"How long ago did all of this happen?" Thea asked, her concern growing.
Karania glanced at the newly attached limb. "Oh, it''s only been about half an hour since I woke up from the emergency surgery. The UHF was prepared for this type of assault, so they brought loads of these cybernetic replacements," she said, almost cheerfully. ¡°You should come see one of the storage chambers, you¡¯d probably love it! They¡¯re completely filled with some crazy cybernetics!¡±
Thea¡¯s confusion deepened.
No one, no matter how resilient, should be functioning at Karania''s level so soon after such a significant surgery.
It was then that Thea''s heightened Perception picked up on subtler clues in Karania''s behaviour: A light, almost imperceptible swaying, her pupils slightly more dilated than usual, and a subtle, nervous twitch in her movements. The pieces of the puzzle started to come together in Thea''s mind¡ªKarania was heavily drugged.
"Karania, are you on pain meds right now¡?" Thea asked, her voice laced with concern.
Karania''s response was a bit delayed, her voice a tad too cheerful for the gravity of the situation. "Hm? Oh, yeah, loads of them! Utterly and completely smashed, really! They had to keep me pretty doped up for the surgery, and, well, I guess it hasn¡¯t worn off yet!"
Thea¡¯s eyebrows shot up at that brazen confirmation, confused about a great manner of things in front of her right now.
Hesitantly she asked, ¡°How come you were discharged so quickly then¡? Shouldn¡¯t you be resting, at least until the majority of meds and stims wear off?¡±
The second she saw Karania¡¯s smirk, however, she got a bad feeling about the coming answer.
Karania stepped up slightly closer to her and lowered her voice conspiratorially as she answered, ¡°Did you know that your credentials don¡¯t actually get disabled when you¡¯re put under in the middle of a battlefield? Too many things going on¡ªnot enough time for bureaucratic stuff like that.¡±
With a playful, albeit slightly wonky wink she continued, ¡°I discharged myself, Thea! I am a medic, after all! I gave my bed to another marine, so any staff or medics won¡¯t be surprised about an empty bed all of a sudden. Pretty smart, huh?¡±
Thea''s expression shifted from concern to disbelief as Karania''s words sank in.
"You discharged yourself? Karania, that''s... that''s not how it''s supposed to work," Thea stammered, her voice a mix of worry and incredulity.
While she wasn¡¯t particularly aware of how the medical side of the UHF worked, she was fairly certain about that fact. Surely, discharging yourself while heavily drugged up didn¡¯t seem like something that should be standard procedure.
Karania, still maintaining her mischievous grin, leaned in closer. "I know, I know, but hear me out. In the chaos of the battlefield, the medical protocols can be a bit... flexible. Especially when it comes to us medics." Her voice, although hushed, carried a hint of pride.
Thea shook her head slightly, her concern not abating. "That''s incredibly risky, Karania. You should be resting, not running around¡ What if you make a mistake? I saw you work on at least three marines since I first entered the ward!" She admonished softly, her eyes scanning over the cybernetic arm.
Karania''s grin faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, her tone turning slightly more serious. "You should know me better than that by now, Thea. I would never risk a patient¡¯s wellbeing, no matter the circumstances. I might be drugged and stimmed up, but I know what I can handle better than anyone else. I¡¯ve only been doing the routine checkups and the easy stuff. No surgery or anything,¡± she elaborated, which, surprisingly enough, did put Thea¡¯s mind at ease somewhat.
¡°I couldn¡¯t just lie there knowing I could be helping, Thea. There are marines out there, and in here, who need every hand we can spare, even if one of them is... well, not exactly flesh and blood anymore,¡± she finished while waving her new cybernetic arm in front of herself, giggling intoxicatedly at the sight.
Thea struggled to articulate her concerns.
Karania''s self-assured attitude was both admirable and slightly alarming.
She knew Karania would never knowingly compromise a patient''s safety, but this was different. Thea''s own experience with the side effects of medication after her Focus Overdraw flashed through her mind. The choices she had made under the influence were far from ideal, and she had been fully conscious, yet not entirely in control.
She remembered one incident in particular, in which she had used her Psychic Powers to penetrate Viladia¡¯s veil. At the time, it hadn''t seemed wrong, but in hindsight, it was a glaringly rash decision. Karania might be better equipped to handle the meds, but Thea couldn¡¯t shake off the unease at the thought of her friend wandering the med station in this state.
Yet, there was little time to dwell on these worries. They had a mission to attend to, which, thinking about it now, was the perfect excuse for Thea to make sure Karania didn¡¯t end up making any mistakes she would later regret.
"Kara," Thea began, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and authority, "Corvus wants us for a new mission. We need to gear up and meet him in command room 11, once we figure out where that is." She added the last part to herself, anticipating the need for some guidance.
Karania''s expression shifted, a blend of exasperation and excitement playing across her features. It was as if Thea had just taken away a beloved toy, only to dangle the prospect of another equally enticing plaything in its stead. With this mix of emotions evident on her face, Karania momentarily lingered before finally seeming to make a decision and turning to gather her gear.
Watching her friend, Thea shook her head with a mixture of affection and mild frustration, thinking, ''How can she be so incredibly smart and proficient at whatever she does and then also be so childish sometimes¡ Haaa¡ That''s Kara for you, I guess.''
After about ten minutes of navigating through the underground maze, with the help of numerous marines they had stopped along the way, Thea and Karania finally arrived at command room 11.
Thea had braced herself for a rudimentary setup, recalling the makeshift command area Corvus had used during their patrols¡ªa simple space that was more functional than formal. To her surprise, however, the command room was far more elaborate than she had anticipated.
It was a well-organised, deeply entrenched facility beneath the battlefield, its structure fortified with pre-fabricated rock-crete walls and sturdy pillars. A robust plasteel auto-door marked the entrance, suggesting a high level of security.
This feature, Thea surmised, was probably intended to safeguard the command staff from any unexpected breaches, providing a critical delay for the destruction of sensitive information if needed.
The stark contrast between this well-equipped command centre and the rudimentary setups she had seen before during Sovereign Alpha¡¯s patrols was striking, underscoring the importance and scale of the ongoing operations.
Hesitant to disturb the evidently critical operations within the command room, Thea reached for the squad comms, her voice cautious yet clear, "Corvus, we''ve arrived. Should we come in, or would you prefer we wait here?"
A brief silence followed, during which Thea anticipated a response over the comms. However, it was Corvus himself who emerged from the command room, his face wearing a smile that seemed to carry the weight of the world''s exhaustion.
"Good to see both of you in one piece... The situation outside is pretty dire. We''ve got a mountain of tasks ahead," Corvus began, his voice fading momentarily as he seemed to gather his thoughts. Regaining his composure, he continued, "Our role on the battlefield here is wrapping up, however. Staff-Sergeant Venn has summoned us to the new FOB. We''re moving on to the heart of our mission: Nova Tertius itself."
His words hung in the air, evoking a complex blend of emotions in both Thea and Karania. Corvus then set off, signalling for them to follow.
Internally, Thea grappled with a sense of unfulfillment, her thoughts echoing her frustration, ''I''ve barely scratched the surface of what I could do here...'' Her gaze shifted to Karania, whose demeanour mirrored her own feelings of discontent.
They both understood the importance of their primary mission, and had from the very beginning, yet the abrupt withdrawal from the battlefield, especially after enduring such personal losses and sacrifices, felt jarringly unsatisfying.
''Karania''s lost an arm, and we''re just retreating? Lucas, Desmond, Isabella... they gave their lives in this assault, and now there¡¯s no chance for retribution? They¡¯ll just join us at the FOB and have to suck up their deaths¡?'' Thea''s thoughts churned with a mix of disappointment and a deep-seated desire for justice. The abrupt shift from the frontline to their primary mission left a bittersweet taste, a mix of duty and unavenged losses.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling within them, Thea and Karania remained silent, acutely aware of the weight of their original orders.
The battle at the wall, as monumental as it was, was never meant to be their primary battleground. Their true objective lay within the confines of Nova Tertius, a mission crucial to the UHF''s overall strategy.
Without their specialised task being completed, the main forces would remain hopelessly stymied at the city''s formidable defences.
Observing Corvus, Thea couldn¡¯t help but notice the subtle signs of his increased stress.
The burden of leadership, especially in the aftermath of losing squad members, weighed heavily on him.
His responsibility extended beyond the battlefield; it encompassed the very lives and decisions of his team. Every loss was a personal blow, each decision to move or stay fraught with the potential for irreversible consequences.
To Thea, it seemed clear in the way that he had spoken and his strained demeanour as he led them through the tunnels, that if circumstances had allowed, Corvus would have undoubtedly preferred to stay, granting them all a chance for vengeance.
But his role as a squad leader bound him in ways that went beyond personal desires or the collective need for retribution. His adherence to orders and the broader strategy was not just a duty but a necessity, critical to the success of their mission and the safety of his squad.
This unspoken understanding connected the three of them.
While none of them relished the thought of withdrawing from the immediate battle, they all understood that it was necessary for the bigger picture.
They were bound by duty and orders, a reality they faced with a shared, albeit reluctant, acceptance¡
For thirty minutes, Thea and Karania followed Corvus through an intricate network of tunnels carved beneath the battlefield. Corvus navigated with a confidence that suggested deep familiarity, his steps sure and unhesitating.
Thea couldn''t help but wonder if he had memorised the route or was simply adept at reading the subtle markers that guided their way.
Corvus had explained that their current route was a strategic choice: They would bypass the ravaged surface entirely, remaining under the relative safety of the earth.
The tunnels they moved through were part of a supply corridor, one of the first excavations completed by the UHF''s specialised squads even before the onset of the battle itself. The entire advance of the UHF''s armour and infantry on the surface had served a dual purpose, not only engaging the enemy but also concealing the establishment of these critical subterranean routes.
This revelation cast the entire operation in a new light for Thea.
The UHF had anticipated a protracted siege, requiring a sustainable and secure method of supply and troop management. The intricate network of tunnels and underground facilities served as lifelines, ensuring a steady flow of resources and a haven for recuperation right at the edge of the battlefield.
The strategic positioning of the new FOB had advanced closer to the battlefield to ensure quick accessibility to the respawn pods. But it was the immediate availability of supply depots and medical stations adjacent to the battlefield, seamlessly integrated into the underground network, that truly gave the UHF forces a fighting chance.
This setup was not just for convenience; it was a critical lifeline, providing instant resupply and medical attention that kept the UHF''s forces in the fight.
This underground system underscored the necessity of such infrastructure in a siege of this magnitude. The UHF had clearly understood that to engage in a protracted battle against the Stellar Republic, they needed more than just manpower and weaponry; they needed a sustainable support system that could match the relentless demands of such a siege.
The Stellar Republic, with the entire mega-city of Nova Tertius at their disposal, had a nearly inexhaustible supply chain and numerous safe havens for their troops to recuperate. This gave them a formidable advantage, allowing their forces to sustain prolonged engagements and rotate troops without losing momentum.
In contrast, without their elaborate underground network, the UHF''s forces would have faced insurmountable odds. Any prolonged confrontation without these essential support systems would have inevitably led to the UHF being overwhelmed and worn down. This strategic foresight in logistics and supply management was, therefore, not just an advantage but an absolute necessity for the UHF in maintaining their presence and effectiveness in the siege.
This intricate network of tunnels provided a crucial escape route for Thea, Karania, and Corvus, allowing them to navigate beneath the perilous battlefield that stretched out in front of Nova Tertius'' wall.
After weaving through the subterranean maze for several more minutes, their journey brought them to one of the many designated exit points. Corvus, taking the lead, gestured towards a simple but functional slope that led them from the bowels of the earth back to the surface world.
Emerging into the Azure Forest, they found themselves deep within UHF territory, well beyond the immediate dangers of the front lines.
Thea immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her.
The forest, where she had spent the preceding days, offered a sense of familiarity and comfort, a stark contrast to the claustrophobic confines of the tunnels. The sensation of passing beyond the SADD¡¯s range of influence earlier in their travels had been unmistakable, a subtle but palpable shift that marked their exit from its sphere of influence, further easing Thea¡¯s mind.
The relentless barrage of artillery and the catastrophic onslaught of the IgT-Shell bombardment had deeply etched themselves into Thea''s psyche. The harrowing experience, a nightmarish blend of chaos and destruction, was something she had no desire to endure again.
As she navigated through the serene azure forest, her thoughts drifted back to those moments of terror, contrasting sharply with her current surroundings.
''I think I''m more cut out for the challenges within the city, rather than enduring the absurdity of a sky raining liquid fire,'' she mused, her thoughts tinged with bitterness.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she recognized it as the most vulnerable and ineffective moments of her entire military career so far, second only to the bewildering experience she had encountered with her Psychic Gate.
Thea acknowledged, with a sense of sobering clarity, that her survival amidst the IgT bombardment was exclusively owed to the valiant efforts of the defensive heavies and Lucas. Their sacrifice had been her lifeline; without their intervention, she would undoubtedly have met the same fate as Desmond and Isabella during the initial fiery assault.
With a deep breath, she focused her thoughts on the upcoming challenges in Nova Tertius, hoping the urban landscape would offer a more suitable battleground for her skills. She had, after all, been living in an undercity for most of her life.
How different could a megacity really be?
''Let¡¯s just hope the city doesn¡¯t hold any horrors akin to what we faced here,'' she pondered, yearning for a tactical environment that offered clarity and control, far removed from the unpredictable and overwhelming nature of the battlefield they had just left behind.
After a lengthy trek, Thea, Karania, and Corvus reached the FOB, which struck Thea as both familiar and vastly more imposing than the one she had encountered post-coma. This FOB was bustling with activity, heavily fortified with an array of defensive structures and noticeably larger in scale.
The significance of this FOB was unmistakable, evident in its heightened security and the sheer number of marines moving about with purpose. It was apparent that this base served as the nerve centre for the entire wing''s operations, housing the essential respawn pods that sustained the relentless siege efforts.
Navigating through the FOB''s security measures was an intricate process as expected.
They traversed through multiple layers of fortified gates, each checkpoint meticulously verifying their biomarkers through an advanced automated system. This multi-tiered security protocol further underscored the strategic value of the base, ensuring that only authorised personnel gained access to its inner sanctum.
Once inside the FOB, Corvus led them towards one of the larger buildings, the pace of his march revealing the urgency of their mission. Despite Thea and Karania being in good physical condition, they found it challenging to keep up with Corvus, who outmatched them in both strength and vitality.
By the time they reached their destination, both Thea and Karania were noticeably more out of breath than Corvus and slightly damp with perspiration.
Corvus paused, turning to face Thea and Karania. His expression shifted, adopting a stern seriousness that had been less evident during their journey to the FOB. It was as if the true weight of their impending mission was settling upon him, his role as the squad leader bringing forth a more pronounced sense of responsibility and resolve.
He addressed them with a firm and commanding tone, indicative of the critical nature of their task, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform Staff-Sergeant Venn of our arrival. In the meantime, it¡¯s crucial for you two to rendezvous with the remaining members of Sovereign Alpha. Ensure your equipment and gear are thoroughly prepared.
¡°Remember, once we enter Nova Tertius, the situation will be markedly different. Prioritise extra medical supplies, ammunition, and rations. We can''t predict when or how our next resupply will be once we''re beyond the wall. Also, double-check that the rest of the squad is fully prepped and ready.¡±
The two of them nodded in the affirmative and they watched as Corvus briskly made his way towards the meeting with Staff-Sergeant Venn and the other squad leaders, his figure soon vanishing up a staircase within the expansive building of the FOB.
Once Corvus was out of sight, Thea tapped into the squad comms, seeking the quickest method to reunite with the rest of Sovereign Alpha. ¡°Ella, Lucas, Desmond, can you hear me? We need your positions. Corvus, Kara, and I are back at the FOB and gearing up for the main mission.¡±
Karania shot her a puzzled glance, her expression unreadable, just as the comms crackled to life with Lucas¡¯ familiar voice.
¡°Glad to hear from you, Thea,¡± he said, his tone conveying both warmth and relief. ¡°We¡¯ve been through quite a storm back there, haven¡¯t we¡? We¡¯re set up in barracks A-13. Most of our prep is done, but make sure you¡¯re fully equipped before you join us.¡±
Isabella''s voice soon followed, adding a crucial piece of advice, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to stock up on white-foam grenades. We¡¯ve all got ours. In urban combat, they''re absolute fucking liversavers, trust me on that. Get some extras for Corvus too, while you¡¯re at it, he¡¯s probably busy with the brass ¡®n¡¯ stuff.¡±
Acknowledging their squadmates'' instructions with a simple click on their comms, Thea and Karania set off towards the nearest supply station. Their steps were purposeful, driven by the urgency to be fully prepared for the daunting task that lay ahead in the heart of Nova Tertius.
Some time later, after navigating the intricacies of the FOB and a somewhat tense negotiation with a logistics officer for access to a T2 printer¡ªa rarity this far up the battlefield, although a very relieving and surprising one to Thea¡ªThea and Karania, fully kitted out, stood before barracks A-13. Their gear now included freshly stocked backpacks and a supplementary pack of white-foam grenades, as per Isabella¡¯s recommendation.
Thea, eyeing the extra pack in Karania¡¯s grasp, mused, ¡®Ella''s advice is rarely without merit.¡¯
Though the grenades had cost a fair few Credits, Thea was confident in their utility. Isabella was the only one with real-life urban combat experience in their squad, so she¡¯d definitely know best. It also wasn¡¯t like there were many other avenues to spend Credits on within the confines of the assessment anyway.
Upon entering the barracks, the layout struck Thea as remarkably different from the one where they had first met Viladia.
This structure resembled a single-floor apartment complex more than a traditional barracks. Each squad appeared to have their own private room, identified by data-screens displaying the names of the current occupants.
Thea understood the logic behind this design.
Unlike their previous location, this FOB was not meant for extended stays or rest.
Instead, it was a hub of rapid resurrection, rearming, and recovery, designed to thrust soldiers back into the fray as quickly as possible. The focus here was on efficiency and mission preparation, rather than communal living spaces.
Though traditional barracks were still part of the FOB¡¯s layout, these more specialised rooms seemed to cater to squads with specific, perhaps more complex, mission parameters¡ªindicating that Sovereign Alpha wasn¡¯t the only unit with intricate tasks ahead.
As Thea opened the door, allowing Karania, laden with the extra grenade-pack, to enter first, she was greeted with a sight that immediately brought a wide smile to her face. For the first time since the intense and chaotic assault on the wall, she was seeing her squadmates again.
Lucas and Desmond were lounging casually on a couch, seemingly at ease in each other''s company, their fully packed backpacks sitting neatly beside them. Isabella, true to form, was engaged in what seemed to be her perpetual pastime: Working out, her actions embodying her characteristic intensity and focus.
As the door swung shut behind them, sealing them in with the rest of Sovereign Alpha¡ªsans Corvus¡ªa sense of camaraderie filled the room. For Thea, the reunion was a moment of respite, a brief pause in the relentless tempo of war.
But as she looked around at her squad, a sense of anticipation, mixed with an undercurrent of uncertainty, washed over her.
For a moment, Thea found herself lost in thought, contemplating the complexities and unknowns of the mission ahead.
A megacity like Nova Tertius would present an environment vastly different from any she had previously encountered.
And the task of breaching the city¡¯s formidable wall was a daunting prospect in itself...
Arc 1 - Chapter 76 - Infiltration Prep
The minutes that followed were filled with animated conversation as the team reconvened, sharing stories and experiences from the fierce onslaught at the wall. Thea listened intently as Isabella and Desmond recounted their roles in the initial assault.
As Corvus had mentioned, they had teamed up with a group of offensive heavies, embarking on a crucial mission to neutralise the anti-armour cannons. The trench lines had served as their stealthy pathways, allowing them to move undetected and launch surprise attacks with their heavy arsenal.
Isabella''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she recounted her experience with the RC-05, known among UHF marines simply as the "Crusher".
Thea couldn¡¯t help but find the nickname a bit mundane, a stark reminder to what happens when grunts are left to name their own gear. However, the weapon''s capabilities seemed anything but bland.
Described by Isabella as an oversized rocket launcher, or more aptly, a rocket cannon, it had proved to be a formidable weapon. Thea raised an eyebrow, listening with a mix of awe and concern as Isabella described the weapon''s powerful kickback, which had dislocated her shoulder despite its integrated grav-lock feature.
To Thea''s surprise, however, Isabella seemed less perturbed by the clear flaw in the weapon¡¯s design and more thrilled by its sheer power. She even expressed a keen desire to acquire one after the assessment, throwing a playful glance at Thea and jesting, "So I can actually do my job and don¡¯t have to rely on our scout¡¯s overpowered gun," her voice laced with mock exasperation.
Thea chuckled at Isabella''s feigned pout, amused by her teammate¡¯s unabashed enthusiasm for the heavy-duty weaponry.
Desmond''s tale of the siege was as gripping as it was insightful, a rare glimpse into the strategic mind of Alpha Squad''s typically reticent drone operator. His account of the Crusher¡¯s might left no doubts about its destructive capabilities, impressing even him with its ability to obliterate the Stellar Republic''s heavily fortified anti-armour cannons in mere shots.
Thea listened intently, keen to understand the intricacies of operating in such an extensive and chaotic battlefield. Desmond detailed how he had expertly utilised his drones, not just for reconnaissance to identify the targets, but also to assist in precision strikes by relaying crucial targeting data directly to the offensive heavy units. This synergy of technology and firepower had been pivotal in their operations.
The team had used the trenches to their advantage, swiftly emerging to unleash the Crusher¡¯s firepower and then vanishing before the enemy could pinpoint their location. They had judiciously avoided firing from the same spot twice, a smart move to evade sniper fire or more devastating countermeasures. His drones also played a critical role in confirming the successful neutralisation of the cannons, a final step in their meticulous strike plan.
However, Desmond''s attempt to infiltrate the Stellar Republic¡¯s electronic systems atop the wall presented a different challenge. He recounted getting close enough with a drone to attempt a hack during one of their movement-phases in between attacks, only to find their cybersecurity defences dauntingly robust, way beyond his current skill level.
Yet, there was no hint of frustration in his voice, just a matter-of-fact acceptance and a resolve to find other vulnerable points. His confidence was unshaken, underpinned by his belief in the inevitability of his success given enough time.
¡°After all, defending against me trying to break into their electronics would require someone to monitor it, otherwise anything¡¯s hackable. Given infinite time, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t get into. So all I have to do is find an area that doesn¡¯t have such robust defences and meticulous monitoring, and I¡¯m in,¡± he had asserted with a confident smile.
As Lucas, Karania, and Thea took turns recounting their roles in the initial assault, a pattern emerged in their storytelling.
Each narrative skillfully sidestepped the final, harrowing moments on the battlefield. The details around the deployment of the IgT-Shells, with its traumatic aftermath, were conspicuously absent.
It was as if by mutual, unspoken agreement, they chose to bypass those final, chaotic minutes, summarising their experiences with vague references to their demise and subsequent revival in the respawn pods.
Thea noticed this deliberate omission, realising it wasn''t just her who had been deeply affected by the IgT-Shell bombardment. The scars of that experience were shared silently among them all.
As the group wrapped up their exchange, a unified sense of purpose settled among them.
They recognized that it was time to shift their focus to the primary objective of their assessment. The battles and skirmishes they had faced until now were just the prelude to the real challenge that lay ahead in infiltrating Nova Tertius.
With this understanding, they each began to make individual preparations for the upcoming mission. It was a moment of transition, from the reactive chaos of the initial assault to the more deliberate and strategic approach required for their main task.
Thea, turning her focus inward, accessed her profile.
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[Status, Attributes & Currencies]:
Thea McKay - Level 6.98 - Contribution Points: 520 / 533 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 177 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 8.45 | 5.28 (+60%)
Resolve: 9.55 | 5.97 (+60%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked[?] 24.82/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
System Credits: 13,300
System Merit: 2,465
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As Thea perused her profile, she immediately noted an important detail: The rewards from the initial assault hadn''t yet been credited.
''It seems like being below the battlefield doesn''t count as being "out of combat" for the System,'' she mused. This observation didn''t particularly unsettle her. In fact, she found herself in a contemplative bind since the incident involving her Psychic Gate on the return to the front lines.
Thea pondered her next steps. ''Should I really be investing more into Resolve and Perception?''
The possibility that enhancing these attributes might inadvertently trigger her Psychic Gate again loomed in her mind. The risk felt too great, and she couldn''t take the chance without understanding the implications fully.
She had decided to postpone any further allocation of her Attribute Points until after the assessment, the morning after the incident itself. She figured that, by then she would be able to consult with someone knowledgeable about the Psychic Gate phenomenon and get a direct answer to the myriad of questions that roamed in her head.
Consequently, the absence of the level-up rewards from the recent combat, which remained pending, seemed inconsequential to her.
¡®Guess my Attributes won¡¯t change for a while. But my Abilities have definitely seen a massive surge in levels that I haven¡¯t really kept up-to-date on.¡¯
Her Abilities had been gaining rapid level-ups as a result of the generalised experience gain that was part of the System rewards, whenever she left combat. As a result, most of her Abilities had shot up from being essentially unused at Level 0, to most of them being Level 3-4, with some even being close to reaching the coveted Level 5¡ªunlocking more minor alterations for her to choose.
Due to the fact that most Abilities didn¡¯t drastically change from level to level, as well as the fact that she had been positively inundated with work, however, Thea hadn¡¯t really spent the time to carefully comb through each of her Abilities and the corresponding level ups, to see just what exactly she might be able to do with them now.
¡®Now¡¯s likely the best time. I probably won¡¯t find as much downtime once we¡¯re in the city,¡¯ she mused, as she pulled up her Ability window¡ªalbeit this time, in a more condensed fashion. Thea specifically asked the System to give her only the differences from Level 0 to whatever current Level the Abilities had now. She didn¡¯t need the full descriptions again, after all.
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[Active Abilities 5/5 - Condensed: Level 0 -> Current]
[Active (Silver) - Sensory Overdrive | ¦Á - Level 5]
Factor: 500% -> 750% - Effect Duration: 0.5 -> 0.75 seconds - ¦Á Duration: 0.1 seconds
[Active (Silver) - Sky Step - Level 3]
Duration: 1 -> 1.33 second(s) - Maximum Planes: 1 - Maximum Weight: 150kg -> 165kg
[Active (Iron) - Penetrative Shot - Level 4]
Factor: 5x -> 7x - Maximum Material Tier: 1 - Effect Duration: 1 shot(s) or 1 -> 1.5 second(s).
[Active (Iron) - Inspect Target - Level 3]
Maximum Targets: 1 - Perception Scaling: 20 -> 23%
[Active (Copper) - Improved Sprint - Level 3]
Effect Duration: 10 -> 10.75 seconds - Boost Factor: 50% -> 53% - Maximum Movement Speed: 30m/s -> 34.5m/s
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Passive Abilities 5/8 - Condensed: Level 0 -> Current]
[Passive (Gold) - Detect Weak Spots - Level 0]
Perception Scaling: 10% -> 10%
[Passive (Silver) - Meditation Focus - Level 3]
Factor: 500% -> 575% - Perception Limit: 1% -> 2%
[Passive (Silver) - Silver Respiration - Level 3]
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Additional Time: 60 -> 66 Seconds - Increased Pressure Resistance: Minimum
[Passive (Silver) - Armour of Resolve - Level 3]
Resolve Scaling: 25% -> 28%
[Passive (Iron) - Agile Stealth - Level 3]
Finesse Scaling: 50% -> 56%
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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''This is unexpectedly convenient,'' Thea thought with a hint of surprise and gratitude, observing the neatly organised list the System had provided. She hadn''t anticipated such a precise response to her needs from the System, and it was a pleasant sight.
Her thoughts drifted towards her abilities, particularly [Penetrative Shot], which was rapidly approaching Level 5. ''Given how crucial it''s been so far, I need to be very thoughtful about the minor alteration I choose for it,'' she contemplated, her eyes scanning the details of her abilities. The fact that she couldn''t use [Penetrative Shot] with her primary weapon, the laser-based Gram, was a limitation she keenly felt.
''Wouldn''t it be great if the alteration could make it compatible with laser weapons? Is that even a possibility within the System¡¯s rules?'' she wondered, hopeful yet uncertain.
Thea acknowledged her limited understanding of the Allbright System''s intricacies. This lack of comprehensive knowledge made forward planning challenging, especially regarding potential alterations. ¡°Maybe a discernible pattern will emerge after a few more alterations,¡± she muttered quietly to herself, tucked away in a far-away, solitude corner of the squad room.
Reflecting on her repertoire of Abilities, Thea considered [Sensory Overdrive], [Penetrative Shot], [Sky Step], [Armour of Resolve], and [Agile Stealth] as her core skill set.
She acknowledged that [Silver Respiration] might have joined this list under different circumstances, particularly if the assessment had provided more opportunities for proper long-term sniping or stealth encounters.
However, her missions so far had been dominated by direct combat or guided stealth missions, leaving little room for utilising [Silver Respiration] to its full potential.
The Aspect of [Silver Respiration] that intrigued her the most was its pressure-resistance enhancement. For someone with a relatively low Vitality of around 2.5, the ability to withstand percussive forces more effectively was an invaluable asset. It was a hidden gem in her skillset, one that could significantly bolster her survivability in the field, although one that had not come to bear so far, for better or worse.
Thea leaned back thoughtfully, contemplating her next steps. "[Detect Weak Spots] is definitely joining my top-tier list soon. It''s already proven to be an invaluable asset," she noted to herself. This Ability, a reward for one of her Accomplishments, had shown its worth in ways she hadn''t initially anticipated, when it had allowed her to take out the anti-armour cannons in combination with her Caliburn and [Penetrative Shot].
¡®That really is an exceedingly powerful combination¡¡¯
As for the rest of her Abilities, Thea viewed them as beneficial but not critical to her current objectives. They were useful tools, yet they didn''t resonate with her as being indispensable for her role. These Abilities were marked in her mind as potential candidates for replacement or modification once the assessment concluded.
With her mental review of Abilities complete, Thea shifted her attention to her gear, meticulously going through each item.
She was determined to ensure she hadn''t overlooked any essentials for their foray into the city. While it was plausible that they could find resources like food, water, and miscellaneous items in the megacity, given its vast population, Thea was not one to leave things to chance.
Her upbringing in Lumiosia''s undercity had ingrained in her the importance of self-reliance and preparedness. Relying on scavenging in an unfamiliar, densely populated environment was not a risk she was willing to take lightly.
Moreover, Thea was acutely aware of the directive to avoid unnecessary harm to civilians or their property. The consequences of such actions, she knew, could extend beyond the immediate tactical implications.
The assessment could potentially penalise them for any missteps in this area. ''I can''t afford to lose even more points over stupid, avoidable mistakes,'' she thought with determination. ''Every action counts, and I need to ensure we all adhere to the rules set forth for this operation. I don¡¯t want to get penalised for somebody else messing up, either.''
Sovereign Alpha sans Corvus had gathered again, half an hour later, to discuss any remaining requisitions following their individual gear checks.
The atmosphere was one of focus and determination as each member shared their insights on what might be essential for urban operations. Isabella, with her real-world experience in urban warfare, naturally took the lead in the discussion.
Her insights were invaluable, and the rest of the squad absorbed every word with keen attention, understanding the weight of her experience.
Just as they were wrapping up their conversation, the door to the squad room opened, and Corvus stepped in. His presence seemed to shift the energy in the room; his initial weariness was replaced by a sense of pride and joy upon seeing his team proactively preparing for what lay ahead.
"I¡¯m relieved to see you all so prepared, especially after the challenges of our initial engagement,¡± Corvus began, settling beside Lucas on the couch. "I''ve just been briefed by Staff-Sergeant Venn. We have about half an hour before we move to the staging area."
He then shared the details of the upcoming operation. "There will be 38 squads in total from our wing involved in the infiltration. For our group specifically, there will be six veteran infiltration squads, and three other Alpha Squads alongside us ¨C Empyrean, Ascendant, and Hegemon Alpha. Our collaboration will be crucial for the success of this initial part of the mission. Once we¡¯re inside the city, we will mostly split up and do our own things, but until then, we¡¯ll be together." His tone was serious, underscoring the importance of their task.
Corvus''s gaze then fell on each squad member, lingering a bit longer on Thea. "I trust in your professionalism and discipline," he stated firmly. "This is no place for careless mistakes or juvenile pranks."
Thea felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as she promptly responded, "Yes, sir."
Inwardly, she couldn''t help but feel a bit singled out. ¡®One little slip-up, and it''s like you''re branded for life,¡¯ she mused ruefully, resolving to be extra cautious in the upcoming mission, so as not to solidify this blatantly unfair view of her.
Corvus cleared his throat, signalling a shift to more critical matters at hand. "The infiltration mission we are about to undertake is pivotal. We''re not just sneaking behind enemy lines; we are paving the way for the main UHF forces to breach the city. This is about creating opportunities, finding weak points, and exploiting them," he explained, his tone growing more intense with each word.
He paused for a moment, ensuring he had everyone''s attention. "Once we''re in the city, our main objective is to destabilise the Stellar Republic''s defences from within. We need to be smart, covert, and above all, effective. The risks are high, but the rewards for success are even higher."
Corvus then turned to each member in turn, his gaze inquisitive yet firm. "I need confirmation that everyone is adequately prepared for urban combat and prolonged engagement without immediate resupply. This includes extra ammunition, medical supplies, and anything else you deem necessary."
After a round of affirmative responses, Corvus''s expression turned grave. "Remember, if any of us fall behind the wall, rejoining the squad won''t be straightforward. We have no planned secondary infiltration. Those who perish will likely be reassigned to the frontal assault until the city''s defences are compromised enough for our forces to push through."
He let that sink in before continuing. "The final phase of our assessment will involve securing a strategic point within the city and holding it against counter attacks until the main UHF forces can reinforce our position. This is where we make our stand, where we prove the worth of Sovereign Alpha. It''s imperative that we stick together and watch each other''s backs when we get to that point."
The squad members absorbed Corvus'' words, each of them contemplating the gravity of the situation. Corvus let the silence linger, ensuring his message was fully understood, before taking another deep breath and continuing with a more urgent tone.
¡°Now, onto potentially the most crucial part of our briefing. Legate Kuan has confirmed the presence of two enemy Aces at the central wall, directly opposing our main forces. This aligns with command''s expectations, and in response, we''ve deployed two of our own Aces to counter them. However, the whereabouts of the last Ace assigned to this sub-battlefield remains unknown, and that''s a significant concern."
Corvus paused, gauging the reactions of his squad. "Legate Kuan is sceptical of the Stellar Republic having a strategist Ace like himself. The pattern of their tactics so far, while initially surprising and thoroughly devastating with their ambushes, has settled into a predictable rhythm, lacking the nuanced strategic play we''d expect from a high-calibre commander. This leads us to two possible scenarios: Either their remaining Ace is concealing their strategic prowess for a critical moment, or they are another combat-focused Ace."
His expression grew more serious, emphasising the weight of his next words. "If it is indeed the latter, and we''re dealing with a combat-focused Ace, our operations within the city must be approached with extreme caution. We can''t afford to underestimate the Stellar Republic. A surprise encounter with an enemy Ace can and absolutely will jeopardise our entire mission. I had hoped that all enemy Aces would be accounted for, before we started the infiltration, but the enemy has deemed it not to be.
"Staff-Sergeant Venn''s analysis points to a high probability that the last remaining Ace is indeed being reserved for such a critical role, likely to counter infiltrators like us. This Ace could be anywhere, lurking behind any corner, waiting for the opportune moment to strike against key targets¡ªtargets which, coincidentally, align with our mission objectives."
He paused for a moment, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "Our primary goal is to complete our mission without direct confrontation with the Ace. If we do encounter them, our protocol is clear: Avoid engagement and immediately report the sighting. We have specialists like Ace-hunters and assassins among the infiltration squads who are better equipped to handle such high-priority threats."
Corvus''s gaze swept across the room, meeting each team member''s eyes, ensuring his message was clearly understood. "Heroics have no place in this scenario. Our mission''s success depends on stealth and strategy, not brute force. If you sense even the slightest indication of the Ace''s presence, fall back and inform command. We cannot afford to take unnecessary risks."
As he finished, Corvus scanned the room once more, his gaze seeking confirmation of understanding and compliance from each member of Sovereign Alpha. His leadership was not just about giving orders; it was about ensuring every member of his squad was prepared for the realities of the mission ahead and fully understood the dangers that came with fulfilling it.
Corvus, with a palpable sense of relief, sank further into the couch, his body language visibly relaxing. The tension that had been evident in his posture a moment ago seemed to dissipate, replaced by a more composed demeanor.
Thea observed Corvus thoughtfully, contemplating the complexities of leadership. ''Balancing such diverse personalities and talents, while also optimizing our individual strengths must be an arduous task,'' she mused internally, appreciating the challenges of his role as their leader.
Karania, ever the pragmatic and caring medic of the group, broke the ensuing silence with her characteristic mix of professionalism and warmth. "Alright team, I''ve stocked up heavily on medical supplies for this infiltration. Don''t play the tough marine with me. If you need medical assistance, come straight to me," she began, her tone both firm and empathetic.
"I''m handing out a kit to each of you with painkillers, stamina boosters, and regenerative aids. Use them wisely and within the prescribed limits¡ªno more than two of each within a 12-hour period. And please, log their use in your profile. We don¡¯t want anyone suffering from an avoidable overdose. Our mission''s success hinges as much on our well-being as on our combat effectiveness," she concluded, handing out the kits.
As Karania distributed the injectors she ensured that each member of the team received exactly fifteen injectors¡ªfive for pain relief, five for stamina enhancement, and five for regeneration. The injectors had likely been part of the comprehensive supply crate that had been allocated for the initial assault on the wall but now, they were being repurposed for the critical mission ahead.
¡®Resourceful as always,¡¯ Thea thought with a slight smile, as she packed away the injectors she had just received from Karania into her own pack.
Once Karania had completed her rounds, Isabella stepped forward, her presence as imposing as always.
She began wordlessly distributing white-foam grenades to each squad member, adding to the already significant arsenal they had amassed. Thea watched with a slight sense of awe as her own grenade count rose to a considerable total of 17, reflecting on their earlier supply run where she and Karania had gathered a substantial number of these grenades already.
The room was filled with a sense of solemnity mixed with determination, as each member of Sovereign Alpha meticulously checked and prepared their gear and backpacks, ensuring they were as prepared as possible for what lay ahead.
The white-foam grenades, recommended at the outset of their assessment by Isabella due to her seasoned experience in the complexities of urban combat, had proven to be exceptionally valuable throughout the various stages of their assessment already.
Their versatility had been demonstrated in various situations: from providing Thea with impromptu sniper platforms during the initial stages of the mission, to creating critical cover for Isabella and Lucas amidst the intense counter-assaults that marked the early ambushes.
More recently, these grenades had played a pivotal role in their skirmishes with Stellar Republic squads, skillfully deployed to obstruct enemy lines of fire and facilitate safer advancement. This tactical use had not only enhanced their manoeuvrability but also provided them with strategic advantages in several tight situations.
Given their proven track record, Thea had no reservations about Isabella''s insistence on stocking up heavily on these grenades for the upcoming infiltration mission.
It was clear that in the dense, unpredictable terrain of an urban environment, the white-foam grenades would be even more crucial than ever. Their ability to quickly alter the battlefield dynamics could very well be the deciding factor in the success of their mission in Nova Tertius, so Thea was extremely happy with her current number.
As Thea meticulously arranged her backpack, ensuring that both the white-foam grenades and injectors were easily accessible, she also placed a few of them strategically within the storage compartments of her armour for quick retrieval. In the midst of her focused preparations, Corvus''s voice suddenly cut through the concentrated hush enveloping Sovereign Alpha.
"Alright, squad, it¡¯s time," he announced, his voice breaking the silence with an air of immediacy. "Staff-Sergeant Venn just sent word: The infiltration schedule has been advanced. We need to head to the staging ground immediately."
He rose from the couch, his movement marked by a reluctant sigh, as if bidding farewell to its comfortable embrace. A hint of playfulness and competitiveness crept into his tone as he added, "We''re about to have our first encounter with our fellow Alpha Squads. Let''s show them what Sovereign Alpha is made of and see if they can match our calibre, shall we¡?"
Arc 1 - Chapter 77 - Alpha Squads
As they set out from the barracks, Sovereign Alpha directed their steps towards the north-eastern expanse of the forward operating base. The decision was unanimous: They would don their full gear, masks, and helmets, aiming to project an image of unyielding strength and resolve. It was a moment to make an impression, a brief opportunity among the tremors of all-out war to flaunt their preparedness and prowess in a safe environment.
Thea, shrouded in her Spectre armour, felt a wave of confidence wash over her.
The hood concealed her features, casting a shadow over her face, further obscured by the full-mask. At Karania''s suggestion, she had set the visor to transparent, allowing her self-illuminating eyes to gleam from the depths of her hood.
Karania had a point¡ªthe eerie glow of her eyes, peeking out from the shadows, added an extra layer of intimidation to her already formidable appearance.
''That dramatic entrance during the assessment prep really did leave an impact,'' Thea mused internally, a small smirk playing on her lips beneath the mask.
The memory of surprising her squad with her complete gear still brought her a sense of satisfaction. Now, if she could evoke even a sliver of that awe in the other Alpha Squads, it would be a gratifying bonus to their display of unity and force.
As they made their way across the FOB, Lucas assumed the role of the squad''s pack mule, a duty he volunteered for with a mix of earnestness and a desire to flaunt his strength.
Clad in his imposing ultra-heavy armour, he was an extraordinary spectacle, effortlessly bearing the collective weight of over 250 kilograms of backpacks and equipment. In his hands, he nonchalantly carried his Havoc and Stalwart, walking with a casual ease that belied the massive load he carried.
To the seasoned marines of the UHF, familiar with the enhanced capabilities granted by the Allbright System, Lucas''s feat might seem unremarkable, an expected display within the realm of their heightened physical attributes. Many of them, regardless of whether they were outfitted in heavy or medium armour, could likely achieve vaguely similar feats due to their enhanced Strength.
However, to the members of the other Alpha Squads, freshly integrated into the System barely two weeks prior, much like Sovereign Alpha, Lucas''s display of raw physical power was bound to be a source of awe and inspiration. For these new recruits, witnessing such a demonstration served as a potent reminder of the extraordinary capabilities they were now part of and the incredible potential that lay within their grasp.
Among the members of Sovereign Alpha, it was Karania who truly stood out with her exceptional ensemble. Embracing her [Surgeon''s Toolkit], she had transformed her remaining organic hand into a fearsome array of elongated, razor-sharp bone-scalpels.
The transformation was so striking that her hand resembled the lethal claws of a creature from the darkest voids of space more than any medical instrument. The bone-scalpels extended menacingly, prioritising length and intimidating thickness over the precision and subtlety typically associated with surgical tools.
Karania, with her characteristic blend of humour and audacity, had whimsically christened this fearsome transformation "War-Kara." It was a moniker that Thea found utterly fitting, considering the formidable and slightly terrifying appearance Karania now presented.
Thea couldn''t help but feel a twinge of wariness as she recalled the sheer lethality of Karania''s bone-scalpels, having experienced their extreme sharpness and formidable power firsthand during their Practical spar.
To Thea, these menacing claws were far from a mere jest; they were a potent and very real threat to anyone unfortunate enough to incur Karania''s wrath.
Adding to the daunting appearance, Karania had artistically utilised her blood-related Abilities to coat the bone-scalpels in a chilling display of dried, caked blood. This macabre addition only served to enhance the already unhinged and fearsome aspect of her appearance.
Thea found herself somewhat surprised at Corvus''s acquiescence to their squad''s dramatic show of force within the FOB. It seemed he was intent on leaving a lasting impression on the other Alpha Squads, revealing a competitive side Thea hadn''t quite anticipated.
''Perhaps,'' she considered, ''being part of an Alpha Squad naturally breeds a sense of rivalry and competitiveness. Maybe it''s an inherent trait in all of us here, something that drives us to constantly push our limits.''
Upon reaching the staging ground for the infiltration mission, Thea''s gaze quickly shifted to the squad already assembled and waiting. It was apparent that Sovereign Alpha wasn''t the first to arrive. The other squad, mirroring their own, consisted of a familiar mix: two heavies, three marines in medium armour, and a single lightly armoured individual.
Thea¡¯s attention was particularly drawn to the lightly armoured marine, who she surmised was probably her counterpart in what appeared to be one of the other Alpha Squads. Her eyes narrowed as she carefully observed the marine, analysing their stance, equipment, and overall demeanour.
The lightly armoured marine of the other Alpha Squad wore a distinct T1 armour.
Unlike Thea''s Spectre, this armour was slightly bulkier, featuring a more angular design that allowed for denser armour plates while still maintaining a sleek silhouette. It struck a balance between agility and protection, clearly designed for a soldier who valued mobility but didn''t want to sacrifice defence entirely.
Held in the marine''s grip was a ballistic-type sniper rifle, one that Thea recognized from her visit to Bullseye''s Rifle. It was the T1 "Lawbreaker," a model she had found particularly intriguing.
The Lawbreaker was a formidable heavy sniper rifle, known for its powerful shots.
It eschewed the rapid-fire capability of more DMR-style rifles like the Gram in favour of greater power per shot, albeit with a significant cycle time between each firing. It was a weapon that demanded exceptional precision and patience, traits that Thea respected in a fellow sniper.
She had considered the Lawbreaker herself as an alternative to her Caliburn during her shopping trip, weighing it as an option if she had chosen to use her Tier-up voucher for her armour or main weapon instead. Observing the marine''s choice, Thea couldn''t help but feel a sense of respect. The marine''s choice to wield such a potent yet demanding weapon spoke of supreme confidence in their own skill.
They moved with a certain poise and a swivelling head that suggested a keen awareness of their surroundings, something that was downright essential for a sniper.
The choice of wielding the Lawbreaker, coupled with the angular T1 armour, painted a picture of a sniper who was prepared to hold their ground and deliver devastating shots from a distance, even if they, themselves, ended up being under fire.
¡®So they¡¯re specialised for counter-sniping and assassination, I¡¯d assume¡ With those thicker plates on their armour, they could likely deflect some serious gunfire at extreme distances; something my Spectre would definitely not be able to handle,¡¯ Thea mused as she finished her customary analysis of her first direct-peer.
As Thea''s gaze shifted from the sniper, she took in the rest of the squad, noting their armour and equipment choices with a keen tactical eye.
The squad''s two heavies were imposing figures whose armour choices surprised Thea, as they were both clad in T1 Ultra-Heavy Armor, similar to Lucas.
Their armours were unmistakably modified with omni-plating, a versatile choice suitable for all combat scenarios. One heavy wielded a T1 ballistic minigun, very akin to Isabella¡¯s own Devastator, its multiple barrels a promise of relentless firepower and destruction. It was likely chambered in a slightly smaller calibre, however, as the barrels were decidedly less chunky than the ones Thea could see on Isabella¡¯s weapon.
The other heavy in the squad, brandishing a T1 rocket launcher, exuded a sense of danger that was palpable even from a distance. This weapon, known for its devastating impact against armoured targets, was not something to be taken lightly.
The marine also had a standard AR303 assault rifle casually slung over their shoulder, indicating it as their regular choice of weapon when the more destructive power of the rocket launcher wasn''t necessary. Their choice to prominently display the rocket launcher suggested a shared sentiment with Sovereign Alpha¡ªa desire to make a strong impression.
The medium-armoured marines, while not immediately standing out to Thea, displayed a level of preparedness and versatility with their gear. Each wore fairly standard T1 medium armour, none of them standing out in one particular area or another. They were a reliable choice for those needing a balance between mobility and protection.
Their armaments were an assortment of ballistic and laser-type assault rifles, indicating a focus on adaptability in various combat scenarios. What they lacked in immediately noticeable specialty, they made up for in being well-rounded combatants.
Thea noted the absence of any apparent drone operator like Desmond, nor could she immediately identify who among them might be the medic. ''A hidden medic could be a tactical choice,'' she thought, ''keeping their role concealed to prevent them from becoming a targeted priority for enemy snipers or covert operatives.''
This approach differed from Karania''s more overt presence, but it made sense in its own way¡ªsometimes the best strategy was to keep crucial roles under wraps, especially in complex urban environments where the threat of snipers and assassins was likely to be ever-present.
As they approached the other squad, a palpable shift in the atmosphere occurred. The members of the other squad, previously engaged in their own discussions, turned their attention toward Sovereign Alpha.
Their postures subtly adjusted, indicative of a trained military discipline and readiness to assess new allies or potential threats. The way their heads tilted slightly, even beneath the obscuring helmets, suggested a keen interest and evaluation, mirroring the scrutiny Thea had just exercised.
Corvus, recognizing the moment as an opportunity to establish rapport and set the tone for the upcoming collaboration, confidently stepped a few paces ahead of the rest of Sovereign Alpha. His stance was one of open diplomacy yet underscored by the unmistakable authority of a squad leader.
With a voice that carried both respect and a hint of underlying strength, he introduced himself and his squad, ¡°Pleasure to meet all of you. I hope our cooperation for this mission will be fruitful. My name¡¯s Corvus and I¡¯m the squad leader for Sovereign Alpha.¡±
As Corvus introduced Sovereign Alpha, a perceptible change washed over the members of the other squad. Their body language, initially relaxed and inquisitive, shifted to a more guarded and tense posture.
The name "Sovereign Alpha" seemed to have somehow resonated with them, stirring an air of recognition that instantly altered their demeanour from casual interest to a more serious, almost wary engagement.
After a momentary, yet palpable silence, a figure from the other squad stepped forward.
Towering above Corvus by more than three heads, the marine, clad in formidable ultra-heavy armour that made his already impressive stature more imposing, extended a hand in greeting.
Contrary to Thea''s expectation of a deep, resonating voice, his tone was surprisingly normal, almost disarmingly so. ¡°Pleasure to meet ya, Corvus. Name''s Hammr," he said, his grip firm yet respectful.
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"These lousy excuses for marines behind me are the rest of Empyrean Alpha.¡± His words carried a hint of humour, softening the otherwise tense atmosphere. His gaze, though obscured by his helmet, seemed to appraise Sovereign Alpha with a mixture of curiosity and expectation.
¡°I hope the whispers about your squad aren''t just for show, ''cause this job ain''t gonna be easy. We''ll be in your care.¡± His statement, delivered with a straightforward honesty, acknowledged both the challenge ahead and the implicit reliance on Sovereign Alpha''s rumoured capabilities.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what exactly the other squad had heard about them to be the cause for such a forward and somewhat belittling greeting from Hammr. His words seemed to imply that they would be following Sovereign Alpha¡¯s lead, which seemed contrary to what Thea had expected¡ªa thoroughly competitive gathering of elites.
As Sovereign and Empyrean Alpha exchanged brief, cautious pleasantries, their guarded demeanour reflected a mutual wariness, typical of elite squads meeting for the first time. Conversations were polite yet superficial, each member seemingly weighing the words and measuring the strength of their newfound allies.
Nobody had approached Thea or Karania, so the two of them simply stood behind the rest of Sovereign Alpha, observing the going-ons.
In the midst of this tentative social dance that she tried to avoid as much as possible, Thea''s sharp eyes caught the first glimpse of the two remaining Alpha Squads making their way through the throng of marines. Her exceptional Perception allowed her to distinguish the approaching figures while they were still blending with the larger crowd.
Her gaze immediately sharpened, the competitive drive within her igniting like a beacon. Eagerly, she began to assess the newcomers, her focus sharp and unyielding.
Thea wasn''t just observing; she was evaluating, comparing, searching for any sign of a rival who might challenge her for the top spot in her role of a scout/sniper. This wasn''t just about proving her capabilities to others; it was a personal challenge, a silent vow to herself to excel and achieve the #1 position on the leaderboard, at the very least, for her own role.
As the first of the two incoming Alpha Squads emerged from the crowd, Thea''s keen observation skills kicked in, dissecting their composition and equipment. The squad''s structure was indeed unusual, deviating from the standard makeup she had come to expect.
The squad''s lone heavy was not clad in the typical Ultra-Heavy armour, but rather in a slightly less bulky suit, more akin to Isabella¡¯s than Lucas¡¯, hinting at a more offensive-oriented role than a purely defensive one.
This choice intrigued Thea. The absence of a dedicated defensive heavy suggested a unique approach to squad tactics, likely relying more on agility and offensive power than on traditional head-to-head combat prowess.
Among the four medium-armoured marines, one stood out with the distinctive "Forge" armour, unmistakably marking him as a drone operator akin to Desmond. The presence of a specialised drone operator within their ranks further hinted at a tactical advantage in surveillance and information gathering, which could partially compensate for the lack of a traditional defensive heavy.
The last member of the squad was the most enigmatic, however. Where Thea had expected a lightly armoured individual, filling the scout, assassin or sniper role, she found something entirely different.
Their armour was an odd amalgamation of medium and light, bulkier around the shoulders and chest, but tapering off into a slimmer profile akin to Thea''s Spectre armour around the waist. The top-heavy design was peculiar, potentially indicating a specialised role or a unique set of abilities that required such an unconventional armour setup.
The weapon cradled by the enigmatic marine was a heavy-flamer, a sight that immediately drew Thea''s attention. The weapon''s main body was bulky, with reinforced plating that gave it a robust and unyielding appearance. Its barrel, large and tapering out to a nozzle-like contraption, was designed to project a fearsome stream of a specific type of incendiary material over a considerable area.
The most striking feature of the heavy-flamer was the sizable tank-like magazines attached to its underside. These bulky containers, seemingly as heavy as the weapon itself, were crucial for its operation.
Thea realised with a mix of irony and discomfort that these tanks were likely filled with the Ingi-Tenax compound, the very same incendiary material that had left such a devastating impression during the assault on the wall. This connection to the horrific bombardment they had endured made the sight of the heavy-flamer all the more impactful.
Despite its formidable appearance and destructive potential, Thea was well aware of the heavy-flamer''s inherent limitation: Its range.
As a weapon designed primarily for close to medium-range combat, it was highly effective in tight spaces and urban environments, where it could unleash its fiery wrath upon adversaries.
However, this focus on short-range combat meant the squad lacked significant long-range offensive capabilities. Double-checking her earlier observations about the rest of the squad, Thea noted the absence of other long-range weaponry.
This lack of distance engagement options indicated that the squad was specifically tailored for close-quarters battles, relying on overwhelming firepower and aggressive tactics to overpower their foes.
The heavy-flamer, with its reliance on the volatile IgT-compound, added a layer of further complexity and potential danger to the squad''s operational strategy. Its use in urban settings could be both a significant advantage and a liability, depending on the circumstances.
The squad''s specialisation in close-medium range encounters, coupled with their exceptionally potent firepower, marked them as a unique and likely thoroughly devastating component of the infiltration mission.
As Thea watched the squad with the heavy-flamer, her thoughts swirled with concern. ''I hope they''re not assigned anywhere close to us during the mission. That heavy-flamer is a disaster in the making,'' she thought apprehensively.
Even if the tanks were designed to be explosion-proof, the weapon itself, particularly in an urban setting, was still likely to spell disaster. The mere act of deploying such a weapon in the city, which could turn entire blocks into a raging, all-consuming firestorm in mere moments, was frightening. The potential for wide-spread and rampant collateral damage was not just high; it was practically guaranteed to be astronomical.
Thea''s mind raced with the implications, hoping their paths wouldn''t cross in a way that would necessitate dealing with the aftermath of such a weapon.
To further distract herself from those unsettling thoughts, she started analysing the second squad squeezing out of the crowd, the last and final Alpha Squad of their mission.
The second squad that emerged had a more traditional composition, featuring a clear defensive-heavy that was strikingly similar to Lucas in both stature and equipment.
Clad in one of the telltale ultra-heavy armours, this marine was also wielding a Stalwart shield, their presence exuding a sense of steadfast protection. The defensive heavy was almost a mirror image of Lucas, if not for the subtle differences in their respective armour''s designs.
Beside the defensive bulwark was an offensive-heavy, unmistakable with a massive weapon resting on their shoulder. Its fierce and formidable appearance suggested a weapon of devastating power, likely designed for dealing with heavily fortified positions or dense enemy clusters, but Thea¡¯s attention rapidly flitted away from it, before she could fully figure out what kind of weapon it was.
Accompanying these two heavies were two medium-armoured marines, their gear standard but efficient, likely indicating a balanced approach to combat versatility. She similarly skipped over them, not wanting to waste any time on the ¡°unimportant¡± members of the squad.
For what had truly caught Thea''s eye was the light-armoured marine among them.
This individual was decked out in one of the T1 armors that Thea had considered before settling on her Spectre. It was the T1 light-type armour called ¡°Dragonfly¡±, which was particularly focused on mobility, coming with a pre-installed, advanced version of the grappling module that Thea had equipped her Spectre with.
Intriguingly, this marine was also armed with a Gram, though Thea noted it was the ballistic variant, contrasting her own laser-based model. The choice of a ballistic Gram suggested a preference for more traditional, more sneaky sniping over the adaptability and direct-confrontation power offered by laser weaponry.
It wasn''t just the choice of a ballistic model over a laser variant that had given rise to this assumption, however, but the significant suppressor seamlessly integrated into the barrel as well. This wasn''t a simple add-on; it was a fundamental alteration to the weapon''s design. The intricacy of this modification suggested a sniper who valued stealth and precision, perhaps even more so than Thea herself.
Her fascination with technology and weaponry bubbled to the surface, and she had to exercise restraint to keep herself from peppering the marine with questions about the weapon. It was evident that this sniper had chosen their gear with careful consideration, optimising for specific combat scenarios that likely aligned with their unique skills and tactics.
As the two new squads made their approach, Thea discreetly nudged Corvus, drawing his attention to them. Recognizing the importance of the moment, Corvus smoothly disengaged from the social mingling, and together with Hammr stepped forward to meet the leaders of the incoming squads.
The chatter around Thea dwindled to a hush, everyone''s focus shifting towards the new arrivals. The squads had a commanding presence, capturing the attention of all present. It was clear that nobody wanted to miss out on sizing up the rest of their peers.
Hammr, the towering figure from Empyrean Alpha, took the initiative as he turned the visor of his helmet transparent, figuring that a more personal touch might not go remiss.
His voice effortlessly filled the space around them, despite the busy happenings inside the FOB. "Greetings. My name is Hammr, I¡¯m the squad leader of Empyrean Alpha. I hope that we will work well together in this mission."
His tone was firm yet approachable, similar to how he had approached Sovereign Alpha as well, setting a collaborative tone for the forthcoming operation.
As Hammr extended his hand in greeting, one of the medium marines from the first squad that Thea had identified earlier stepped forward with a confident stride. They similarly turned the visor in their helmet transparent, revealing a face marked by sharp, intelligent features and a gaze that was both calculating and direct.
"My name¡¯s Nieka," she announced, her voice carrying a tone of authority and self-assuredness. She shook Hammr''s hand with a grip that was both strong and respectful.
"I''m the squad leader of Hegemon Alpha. We specialise in close-quarters and mid-range engagements. Our focus is on raw firepower," she added, her words crisp and to the point.
Nieka''s demeanour was that of a seasoned leader, comfortable in her role and confident in her squad''s capabilities.
"We''ll leave the long-range combat to you," she concluded, her eyes sweeping over the other squads with an assessing glance, clearly gauging their strengths and potential roles in the upcoming mission. Her statement efficiently outlined Hegemon Alpha''s operational preferences and expertise, setting a clear expectation for their contribution to the joint effort.
Thea watched Nieka intently, her presence commanding and assured.
''She exudes so much confidence...'' Thea mused to herself, slightly awed by the other woman''s formidable aura. Nieka''s ability to command attention and convey her squad''s role with such certainty left a lasting impression on Thea, stirring a mix of respect and a hint of envy within her.
The assertive tone, the clear-cut introduction, it was a display of social acumen that Thea would aspire to emulate going forward. ''Maybe one day, I can project that level of confidence too,'' she thought, feeling inspired by Nieka''s poise and decisiveness.
Thea''s attention was sharply drawn back to the scene unfolding before her as the lightly-armoured marine from the last squad stepped forward. The transparent visor revealed a face with dark skin and eyes of a striking green hue, creating a captivating contrast. The marine extended his hand to Hammr, who by now seemed to be the de facto greeter.
"Appreciate the warm reception, Hammr," the marine¡¯s voice rumbled, surprisingly deep and resonant, belying his slender and agile appearance. "I''m Kar¡¯al, leading Ascendant Alpha. Our squad''s adaptable, ready for any role needed."
Thea noted an intriguing moment when Nieka, the assertive leader of Hegemon Alpha, appeared momentarily taken aback by Kar¡¯al''s declaration. Her expression quickly morphed into one of subtle amusement, her gaze shifting towards Corvus with raised eyebrows, as if silently questioning the veracity of Kar¡¯al''s claim. The interaction hinted at an underlying dynamic, perhaps a shared history or knowledge between the squads, piquing Thea''s curiosity.
As Thea observed the interactions between the squad leaders, she found herself reflecting on Corvus''s presence among this diverse group of personalities.
Compared to the formidable and larger-than-life Hammr, the lightly armoured Kar¡¯al, and the straightforward, assertive Nieka, Corvus struck a more relatable and grounded figure. His demeanour, lacking the overt mystique or commanding aura of the others, lent him a certain relatable quality that Thea found both endearing and reassuring.
''Stay strong, Corvus,'' she thought, offering a silent word of encouragement to her squad leader. In her mind''s eye, she could only imagine the overwhelming pressure of standing among such distinct and strong personalities.
If she were in Corvus''s shoes, anxiety would have undoubtedly crippled her, particularly now as the collective attention of the group shifted expectantly towards him.
The realisation dawned on the others that the one remaining figure, somewhat understated yet composed, must be the leader of Sovereign Alpha¡ªa squad that had seemingly garnered some kind of mystique and rumour-laden reputation among the rest of the Alpha Squads, as far as Thea could tell.
Corvus confidently stepped forward. He extended his hand towards the two new squad leaders, embodying the same warmth and openness that was so characteristic of him. ¡°Hello, Kar¡¯al, Nieka. Glad to have you. My name is Corvus, and I lead Sovereign Alpha. I¡¯m eagerly looking forward to our collaboration on this mission,¡± he said, his voice carrying a genuine note of camaraderie and anticipation.
As Corvus spoke, subtle shifts in the body language of Nieka and Kar¡¯al, as well as their respective squads, were noticeable.
There was a slight stiffening, a momentary pause, indicating that Sovereign Alpha''s enigmatic reputation had preceded them. This reaction was telling; it was clear that some rumours or information about Sovereign Alpha had circulated among the other Alpha Squads.
This revelation thoroughly intrigued Thea.
Despite being a part of Sovereign Alpha, she, along with her squadmates, seemed to be in the dark about whatever narrative was shaping their squad''s image among their peers¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 78 - A Different Hell
The tense silence hanging over the gathered Alpha Squads was suddenly shattered by the unmistakable, jovial tone of Hammr, his voice slicing through the stillness as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. "Now that we''ve all assembled, all we have to wait for is Staff-Sergeant Venn, isn''t that right?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Corvus responded with a firm nod, his voice carrying a note of agreement. "I believe that is correct, yes. Staff-Sergeant Venn''s message did indicate he would see us off personally," he said, his nod echoed in unison by the other squad leaders, each with a distinct manner reflective of their unique personalities.
Hammr''s face broke into a wide, toothy grin, the kind that was infectious in its enthusiasm. He gestured expansively towards the various squads, his large frame turning in a slow, inviting circle. "It seems we have some time to mingle then," he declared, his voice inviting camaraderie.
This invitation elicited a variety of reactions.
Most notably, Hammr''s own squad members collectively shook their heads and rolled their eyes, a shared, good-natured exasperation at their leader''s antics. However, the rest of the squads seemed to be caught up in the infectious enthusiasm of Hammr''s invitation.
Members from different squads, specifically those more socially adept, Thea figured, began to break away from their groups, walking up to members of other squads and making introductions in a buzz of friendly chatter.
Amidst this Thea stood somewhat apart, her gaze laser-focused on the custom Gram gripped in the hands of squad leader Kar¡¯al.
Her thoughts raced, ''I need to speak with Kar¡¯al about his gun. That custom Gram could offer some crucial insights for my own equipment!'' But the question of approach nagged at her. ''How do I approach him amidst this crowd, though? I can''t just walk up to the group of squad leaders and interject now, can I...?''
Observing the unfolding scene, Thea noticed Desmond, Isabella, and Lucas quickly becoming the centre of attention for a few members from other squads. A lively, kind-spirited exchange ensued, their conversation peppered with laughter and animated gestures, reflecting the camaraderie among them.
Desmond, with his tech-savvy nature, seemed particularly engaged, discussing drone tech with the marine wearing the Forge armour from Hegemon Alpha, while Isabella, straightforward and brash as always, shared animated anecdotes of her close-combat experiences. Lucas, with his characteristically docile demeanour, listened intently, occasionally chiming in with his insights.
Karania, however, seemed to follow a different path.
Like Thea, she had remained somewhat detached from the main group up until this point.
But then, with a purposeful stride, she approached a marine from Empyrean Alpha.
The marine, clad in medium-type armour that was less bulky yet similarly sophisticated in design to Karania¡¯s own, appeared startled at her sudden approach. His initial surprise slowly morphed into visible tension as their conversation progressed, his posture stiffening noticeably.
Thea''s curiosity was piqued.
''What could Karania possibly be discussing to elicit such a reaction?'' she wondered.
Karania, who Thea knew for her slight eccentricity and exceptional medical expertise, often dove into topics with an intensity that could be overwhelming. As Thea focused more intently on their interaction, however, the puzzle pieces quickly fell into place.
''Oh, Kara...'' Thea thought, a grin spreading across her face.
Karania, in her usual animated manner, was using her hands to articulate her points. However, she had seemingly forgotten to transform her hand back from the ¡°War-Kara¡± form.
''You really should¡¯ve removed that claw before starting to try and articulate your points with your hands,'' Thea mused internally, the scene before her tinged with a mix of amusement and fondness for her friend''s unintentional, yet unmistakably intimidating, faux pas.
Thea''s surprise only intensified in the moments that followed.
She watched, bewildered, as Karania started mimicking exaggerated cutting and ripping motions with her clawed hand.
Thea''s eyes widened in disbelief.
''Kara, what the fuck are you discussing with this guy?!'' she thought, her mind racing to comprehend the bizarre scene unfolding before her.
Yet, what astonished her even more, and made her question the general disposition of medics, was the marine''s reaction.
Contrary to what one might expect, his tension visibly melted away as Karania began her graphic re-enactment. The marine''s demeanour transformed completely; his face lit up, and he engaged with Karania with an enthusiasm that was almost palpable, as if her vivid, horror-movie-esque description had flipped a switch in him, igniting a lively and animated conversation.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Thea decided to distance her focus from Karania''s peculiar interaction. "I¡¯m sure now, all medics are utterly insane," she muttered under her breath, a mix of amusement and bewilderment in her tone.
Her attention then shifted to the rest of the gathering.
Scanning the area, Thea noticed she was one of only a handful of marines¡ªprecisely five, including herself¡ªwho remained detached from the socialising groups. The other squad members had seamlessly integrated, each finding either a specific individual or a group to converse with, their conversations a blend of military banter and shared experiences.
''Well, at least I''m not the only outcast, huh?'' Thea mused to herself, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Her gaze, once again, shifted to Kar¡¯al and his uniquely modified Gram. She contemplated her approach, recalling a past success. ''Maybe I should just take a page out of Kara¡¯s book again, just like I did back when we got digitised. Mirroring her during social interactions worked wonders then. She¡¯s definitely an expert at this sort of thing.''
With a renewed sense of purpose, Thea began to formulate a strategy.
She envisioned herself confidently approaching the group of squad leaders, her posture relaxed yet assertive. ''Just walk up to them, respectfully request a moment of Kar¡¯al¡¯s time, and then subtly guide him a bit away from the others¡ªnot too far, just enough to have a private conversation without arousing suspicion. Then, dive into a discussion about the Gram. Simple, Thea. You''ve got this. Just follow these steps, and you''ll manage just fine.''
Despite her internal pep talk, a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest. The thought of initiating this interaction sent a wave of unease through her.
She steeled herself, mentally bracing for the task ahead.
''I swear, I''d rather face the assault on the wall again than go through with this... Why does social interaction have to be so fucking hard?!'' she lamented inwardly.
Yet, determined to overcome her reluctance, or more precisely, determined to gleam information on the specific alterations made to the Gram, Thea took a deep breath and prepared to put her plan into action, stepping forward with a mixture of apprehension and resolve.
As Thea cautiously made her way towards the group of squad leaders, deeply engrossed in their own conversation, she mentally rehearsed her planned introduction.
''Squad Leader Kar¡¯al, may I ask for a moment of your time? I couldn¡¯t help but notice the customizations on your Gram, and I''m really curious to learn more about them.'' She repeated these words in her head, over and over, like a mantra, trying to calm her mounting nerves.
However, mid-repetition and utterly absorbed in her thoughts, Thea''s focus was solely on the squad leaders ahead. She was oblivious to the bustle around her, creating a blind spot for anything not directly in her path. This inattention led to an unforeseen interruption: a marine unexpectedly stepped in front of her, breaking her stride.
"Ah, hello. I was¡ª" the marine began, but Thea, caught off guard and still entangled in her internal mantra, responded instinctively, "...your Gram!" The words tumbled out in a raspy, anxious tone, more a reflex than a coherent greeting.
The effect on the marine, who had removed their helmet in an attempt to appear friendly and approachable, was immediate and dramatic. Their face drained of colour, turning a ghostly pale at Thea¡¯s unintended, guttural outburst.
With a look of sheer bewilderment and something that Thea could only peg as fear, they quickly retreated, almost sprinting to the far corner of the multi-squad assembly.
This left Thea standing alone, her initial anxiety now compounded by a deep sense of embarrassment. She watched the marine''s hasty retreat, feeling more isolated than ever in the bustling assembly of squads. The stark contrast between her intention and the actual outcome left her momentarily frozen, grappling with the awkwardness of the situation.
''What just happened? Why did he run away like that?'' Thea pondered, bewildered by the marine''s abrupt departure.
While she acknowledged that her words had come out in a way that was both incomprehensible and more aggressive than intended, she couldn''t fathom why it would provoke such an extreme reaction from a fellow marine.
''Is there something wrong with me?'' she questioned internally, her mind racing as she discreetly moved towards a more secluded corner of the assembly. Fortunately, it appeared that her awkward encounter had gone largely unnoticed by the others, offering her a small relief.
Thea examined herself, searching for any anomalies that might have contributed to the marine''s reaction.
Her attire consisted of her standard Spectre armour, which, while being designed for stealth and efficiency, was decidedly nice to look at. Nothing to get frightened about, really. The Spectre¡¯s full mask was in place, its visor set to translucent, a feature intended to highlight her eyes and create a sense of connection and openness in conversations.
The only deviation from her usual appearance was the Spectre''s hood she had drawn over her head.
She considered this for a moment, ¡®a hooded figure might indeed seem less approachable, but could that alone have triggered such a dramatic response¡?¡¯
Considering the issue from a few separate angles, Thea doubted it. ¡®The hood has been a common aspect of my gear for the entire assessment and so far, hasn¡¯t caused such visceral reactions before. It should be fine.¡¯
Perplexed, Thea stood in her isolated spot, her mind still grappling with the encounter.
She couldn''t shake the feeling that there was something she was missing, some crucial detail that had caused the marine''s flight. Yet, as she stood there, nothing immediately obvious came to mind.
"Haaa, this is why I hate social gatherings... Why does this have to be so complicated?" Thea exhaled a deep, resigned sigh, her frustration palpable in the quiet air around her. She felt completely out of her element, adrift in a sea of social nuances she couldn''t quite grasp.
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"If only James had warned me about these types of challenges, I could''ve spent the week before leaving Lumiosia practising this stuff... Damn you, old man!" she muttered under her breath, a tinge of anger in her exasperation.
Of course, Thea wasn''t truly angry with James.
Her frustration was directed more at herself, at her own apparent ineptitude in handling social situations. These encounters always seemed to leave her with a trail of unanswered questions or a nagging sense of inadequacy.
It was a stark contrast to her combat prowess, something she was inwardly quite proud of.
Under James'' rigorous, decade-long tutelage, and aided by her innate Psychic Powers, Thea had honed her skills in combat to an exceptional level, when compared to others of her age or background.
However, when it came to the lighter, more convivial aspects of a marine''s life, she acknowledged a glaring gap in her skill set. Social interactions, with their unspoken rules and subtleties, remained a labyrinthine challenge, one that she hadn''t yet learned to navigate with the same finesse as she did in combat.
This realisation only added to her sense of isolation in the midst of the lively assembly.
Thea''s initial plan to approach Squad Leader Kar¡¯al had completely fallen apart, her carefully mustered courage vanishing as quickly as the marine who had fled from her earlier. Despite her persistent interest in discussing the Gram and its custom modifications, she felt a sudden sense of powerlessness in initiating the conversation.
Reluctantly, she decided to retreat into the role of an observer, watching the dynamics of the assembly unfold while impatiently awaiting Staff-Sergeant Venn''s arrival. She yearned to return to the familiar and comfortable realm of her expertise: Shooting people. The act of waiting, doing nothing but observing, only amplified her sense of frustration and restlessness.
As she scanned the assembly once more, Thea noticed her squad members mingling with ease, an observation that brought her a mix of comfort and annoyance.
''Why can they all just... fit in so effortlessly? As if it''s the most natural thing in the world,'' she mused with a tinge of bitterness.
Her gaze lingered on the interactions, noting that even Desmond, who was decidedly the most difficult person to get along with in the entire squad, engaged in lively conversation. ''Even Desmond, despite his¡ well being himself. I suppose his being not a Cyan might have made it easier for the other guy, but still... This is fucking infuriating!''
Thea''s mood had taken a sharp downturn from the initial excitement she''d felt upon spotting the modified Gram. The sense of being out of place was gnawing at her, threatening to sour her entire day and, more concerningly, potentially impact her performance in any upcoming combat encounters. She knew she needed to find a way to shake off these feelings and refocus on her strengths, but the solution seemed just out of reach.
''Maybe I should just join Kara...'' Thea contemplated, hoping her friend could provide a safe haven in this social maze. However, a quick glance towards Karania made her reconsider. Karania was surrounded by a cluster of medium-armoured marines, deeply engrossed in an animated discussion. Her clawed hand moved in bizarre, almost grotesque gestures that were both intriguing and thoroughly unnerving.
''Yeah¡ Maybe not Kara, then,'' Thea concluded.
Her gaze then shifted to Lucas and Isabella. They were deeply engaged in discussions with a diverse group of marines, part of a large, lively gathering that seemed to encompass most of the marines from all squads.
''That''s just too overwhelming... I need something more low-key.''
Her eyes then settled on Desmond and his conversation partner, deeply entrenched in some kind of conversation about drones, if their hand movements were anything to go by. The thought of joining them seemed more palatable. Recently, she had begun to develop a professional rapport with Desmond, slowly moving past the initial tension that had been entirely Desmond¡¯s doing, of course.
''I do have an interest in tech, so discussing drones wouldn''t be too out of place for me,'' Thea reasoned with herself, inching closer to the idea of joining their conversation.
Yet, despite this logical reasoning, Thea felt a strong aversion to engaging with Desmond.
While Corvus had briefed her on Desmond''s background and circumstances, it didn¡¯t change her perception of him as intolerant and unpleasant.
''Just because someone has had a bad experience, it doesn¡¯t justify their ongoing negative assumptions. It¡¯s a ridiculous way to think. He¡¯s still an asshole and a bigot, even if he is capable as an operator,'' she mused, her internal conflict evident.
The idea of interacting with Desmond was something she preferred to avoid, unless absolutely necessary, but it seemed like one of the few viable options left to her in the current social landscape.
Thea was on the verge of reluctantly deciding to join Desmond''s conversation when she was suddenly caught off guard by a deep, resonant voice close by. "Hello, Thea. Your squad leader mentioned you were interested in my Gram. As one of the few other snipers here, I thought we might be able to exchange some pointers and insights?"
Startled, Thea''s eyes widened as she turned to face Kar¡¯al, whose presence she hadn''t noticed approaching. She took a moment to process his words, her gaze briefly flickering towards Corvus. He was still deeply involved in conversation with the other squad leaders, yet it was clear he had facilitated this encounter.
''I fucking love you, Corvus. You¡¯re the greatest squad leader anyone could ever ask for. I promise I¡¯ll never make problems for you ever again!'' she thought, sending a wave of gratitude towards Corvus, though he remained unaware of her silent thanks.
Regaining her composure, Thea responded enthusiastically to Kar¡¯al, albeit with a slight stumble over her words due to the sudden release of her built-up frustration and anxiety. "Ahhh... Yes! Yes, I am! It¡¯s great to meet you, Squad Leader Kar¡¯al!" Her excitement was evident, her voice a mixture of relief and eagerness.
Kar¡¯al responded with a friendly, toothy grin, a gesture that instantly put Thea more at ease. "Please, just Kar¡¯al is fine. We''re all just Recruits here," he said in a congenial tone. He then carefully took his modified Gram in his hands, presenting it to Thea with a sense of pride and readiness to delve into a detailed discussion about their shared interest in sniper weaponry.
Taking the weapon into her hands with a reverence akin to receiving a sacred relic from the Emperor himself, Thea examined Kar''al''s custom ballistic Gram with an expert eye.
The weight distribution was the first notable difference that immediately caught her attention; whereas her own laser-variant Gram had a centre-heavy balance due to the somewhat bulky capacitors and chamber required to produce the bundled-photon payload, Kar''al''s ballistic version had a distinct forward heft.
The suppressor integrated into the barrel contributed significantly to this, adding both an appreciable weight and length to the gun. It gave the weapon a more front-loaded feel, something that Thea wasn''t accustomed to but found positively intriguing.
¡®The weight undoubtedly helps with recoil, that¡¯s for sure,¡¯ she thought as she shouldered the gun, aiming towards one of the nearby walls of the compound. ¡®Yeah, this is definitely not bad. Not bad at all¡¡¯
The suppressor itself was seemingly similarly custom-designed as the rest of the gun.
Unlike the bulky, cylindrical suppressors she had seen on other, comparable firearms back at Bullseye¡¯s Rifles, this one was sleek, almost seamlessly blending into the barrel. It suggested a level of custom craftsmanship that went beyond standard modifications. The suppressor''s flat and elongated, almost fin-like design hinted at advanced noise reduction capabilities, crucial for a sniper who values stealth and surprise.
The magazine was noticeably bulkier than the sleek, compact capacitors of her laser Gram as well. The weight of the actual bullets added a palpable heft to the weapon¡¯s lower-centre, altering the balance and the way it needed to be handled during aiming and firing.
Thea could imagine the different recoil pattern this would produce in combination with the suppressor, a stark contrast to the recoil-less experience of her laser variant.
The grip and trigger mechanism were similarly familiar yet distinct.
The grip had a custom contour, presumably moulded to fit Kar''al''s hand perfectly, but it still felt comfortable and natural, even in her own¡ªundoubtedly smaller¡ªgrip. The trigger had a subtle but perceptibly different tension, likely due to the mechanical nature of the ballistic firing mechanism as opposed to the electronic trigger system of her laser Gram.
¡®This feels somewhat alien, but also distinctly familiar¡¡¯ She mused as she went to sum up her thoughts in a concise manner, to file them away for later perusal.
Thea''s hands carefully cradled the custom Gram, her mind actively processing the diverse approaches to sniping weaponry. This hands-on experience sparked a deeper contemplation about her own choice of the laser-variant Gram.
Recently, she had begun to question whether this decision might have been premature, especially given the tactical challenges she had faced in the assessment thus far.
In multiple encounters, she found herself at a disadvantage when her Gram''s laser betrayed her position. Although she had the assistance of a Nano-Bot swarm, its effectiveness was somewhat diminished with a laser weapon. Moreover, she couldn''t always rely on the Nano-Bots; they were not only a limited resource but also highly vulnerable to destruction on active battlefields.
She had reserved their use for particularly critical situations, mindful of their scarcity.
Thea experienced a moment of realisation about her own combat style''s continuous evolution. The suppressed weapon seemed to be in greater harmony with the direction her tactics were taking, than the laser-variant she was currently using.
''A suppressed Gram would undoubtedly enhance my stealth capabilities,'' she thought.
Her current Ability-set, along with the upcoming gold-rarity Ability from Valeria and her selection of other equipment, all pointed towards a more covert approach. The laser variant''s benefits¡ªits instantaneous firing and lack of recoil¡ªhad always appealed to her for more direct-confrontational encounters, but now she wondered if she had been too quick to dismiss the ballistic-type Gram.
Its potential for stealth and subtlety, characteristics she increasingly valued over the raw shot-for-shot power and speed the laser variant offered, suggested that it might have been overlooked too hastily in her initial assessment. This hands-on examination was not only enlightening but also a prompt to reconsider the balance between the immediate advantages of the laser variant and the strategic stealth offered by a ballistic or maybe even gauss Gram.
Thea''s curiosity about Kar''al''s Gram was evident in the detailed questions she started assailing him with. "I''m intrigued by the decision to have a built-in suppressor rather than a detachable one. Can you explain the reasoning behind that choice?" she asked, her eyes closely examining the unusual design of the suppressor.
Kar''al nodded, understanding the more in-depth nature of her inquiry without requiring a follow-up. "The integrated suppressor offers a more streamlined design and ensures a consistent balance and weight distribution," he explained. "It''s more about reliability and maintaining the weapon''s profile. A detachable suppressor can be useful for versatility, but for a sniper like me, consistency in feel and performance is key."
Thea then pointed out the suppressor''s unique shape. "It''s flat and elongated, almost fin-like. What''s the purpose of this design? Why not go with the typical cylindrical shape that most other marines go for?"
Kar''al smiled, appreciating her keen observation. "It''s a more aerodynamic design, intended to reduce air-drag and improve stability during shots. Even a miniscule difference in the way that your barrel sways as a result of the suppressor getting hit by a breeze can make or break your shot. We can¡¯t always be grav-locked when we shoot, after all.
¡°The more fin-like design also helps in heat dissipation, which is extremely crucial during extended engagements, especially when we¡¯re talking about a built-in suppressor like this. With a detachable one, you can just change it out if it burns out, but this one? Can¡¯t do that. So the more heat dissipated by the design the better."
Thea, still holding the weapon, nodding profusely as she took in all the information like a sponge, then asked about its ballistic performance. "How do you manage environmental factors like wind and distance with the ballistic variant? I¡¯d imagine that¡¯s more of an issue than with the laser-variant I have, right? And what about the power of each shot compared to a laser-variant?"
"The ballistic Gram definitely requires more consideration of environmental factors, I will say," Kar''al admitted. "Wind, gravity, and distance all play a role. But, I have to add, not as much as you might think. Back on my homeplanet, we used fairly old rifles and their ballistic properties were really bad. We would need to be thoroughly trained on ballistics just to get a shot about a kilometre out. But with the T1 weaponry that the UHF has? It¡¯s basically a non-issue in most encounters. They pack a serious punch when they come out of the barrel, so they don¡¯t really get affected that much by wind, gravity or the like until five or more kilometres out.
¡°The ballistic variant also offers greater kinetic impact per shot and the ability to use different types of ammunition for varied situations. Your laser variant has its definite advantages in speed and minimal environmental interference, but the ballistic type has a certain... tactile feedback, stealth and utility that some snipers, I among them, prefer."
Intrigued, Thea immediately asked about the cost and practicality of his custom modifications, completely unaware of any potential faux-pa¡¯s that might come with talking about costs. "How much did these customizations set you back? And what''s the functional advantage of each?"
Kar''al chuckled lightly at Thea¡¯s brazen line of questioning. Asking about the exact monetary value of somebody''s mods and equipment was generally reserved for more casual environments or when marines were more familiar with one another. "Well, I only have a half-licence for the Gram, but I paid for the modifications out of pocket. The custom barrel and suppressor were a significant investment, but they provide vastly improved accuracy and stealth. I didn¡¯t like the original barrel on the Gram, as it ended up curving the bullet slightly too far to the right for my tastes. The grip and trigger were tailored to my hand and firing style, offering a more personal and intuitive shooting experience, in my personal opinion.¡±
With a lighter tone, he added, ¡°I¡¯d imagine that most people would skip out on them, but as a sniper, I end up cradling this bad boy for hours on end, so I might as well feel comfortable doing so, right?¡±
He paused once more, taking in Thea¡¯s approving nod, before wrapping up his answer, "Each mod has its purpose. The barrel and suppressor for stealth and accuracy, the trigger for a smoother pull and rapid response, and the grip for comfort and control. It''s about making the weapon an extension of oneself, rather than trying to go for a particular benchmark or another. I could probably get it to have less recoil, fire faster or be lighter, but this is what I feel most comfortable with, so this is what I decided on."
Thea listened intently, absorbing the information.
Kar''al''s explanations provided her with a new perspective on the possibilities and limitations of both the laser and ballistic Gram variants. His insights into the customization process and the practical applications of each modification vastly deepened her understanding of the weapon and its potential role in her own combat style.
Having gotten a thorough rundown and the opportunity to hold a fully modified version of the ballistic-type Gram in her hands, Thea couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, ¡®I definitely have to do a more thorough review on my equipment after this assessment¡¡¯
Arc 1 - Chapter 79 - Rumors
In the ensuing minutes, Thea and Kar¡¯al delved further into the Gram¡¯s specific upsides and differences with other DMR¡¯s of similar make, each of them offering insights from their unique experiences and experiments regarding the different equipment. As they wrapped up their discussion, Thea carefully handed the modified Gram back to Kar¡¯al.
¡°Thank you, Kar¡¯al, for answering all my questions and letting me examine your Gram so closely. It definitely helped me gain a new perspective on my own loadout,¡± Thea expressed her gratitude, her voice tinged with genuine appreciation for the opportunity to learn.
Kar¡¯al responded with a deep, rumbling chuckle, a sound that resonated with warmth and camaraderie. As he took his weapon back, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re all adapting to life with the System, learning as we go. It''s only natural we share what we discover, right?¡±
Thea nodded enthusiastically, her previous anxiety now replaced with a sense of connection and shared purpose after the, comparatively, lengthy discussion on the ins and outs of the modified Gram.
This mutual understanding seemed to encourage Kar¡¯al to delve into a more personal topic.
¡°Say, I¡¯ve been hearing some whispers among the other marines,¡± he began, his tone indicating a shift to a more curious inquiry. ¡°I heard that you and your squad played a key role in the first and second ambushes in the Azure Forest. Is that right?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ it was quite an introduction to the planet, to say the least,¡± Thea responded with a light-hearted tone, her newfound confidence from the shared interest in the weaponry and tech evident in her ability to maintain the conversation. She felt increasingly at ease with Kar¡¯al¡¯s presence, the initial barrier of unfamiliarity having steadily diminished.
Kar¡¯al¡¯s interest seemed piqued as he leaned in slightly, his volume lowering slightly, almost conspiratorially. ¡°I''ve heard stories. You, in particular, took down a stealth field generator, didn¡¯t you?¡± His question was probing but respectful, showing a keen interest in the details of her experiences, but with a surprisingly juvenile grin on his face.
Thea paused for a brief moment, weighing whether to divulge the full extent of her knowledge. Considering Kar¡¯al''s openness about his Gram and its modifications, however, she felt a sense of reciprocity was in order. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t like he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn all about it once the assessment ended anyway, so there was no real reason in her mind not to share.
¡°Ahh¡ Well, yes. I did use my secondary weapon to target and destroy the generator from a distance, right before the second ambush was set to begin. I like to think it made a difference, but...¡± Thea''s voice trailed off, her smile fading into a more pained, sombre expression as she recalled the incident, ¡°Right after I took the shot, I blacked out¡ªFocus Overdraw. It''s a¡ dangerous condition. Happens when you deplete your Focus Resource and keep drawing on, way below zero. And it¡¯s not just a small problem either; it can be fatal even here, permanently.¡±
Kar¡¯al¡¯s reaction was immediate and intense. His eyes widened in shock, a mix of concern and disbelief evident in his expression. ¡°Wait, what?! It can cause permanent death?! With ¡°even here¡±, you mean the DDS? How does that even work? I thought we were supposed to be perfectly safe inside the simulation?!¡± His voice conveyed a sense of supreme urgency, reflecting his heightened alarm at the revelation.
Realising that Kar¡¯al was just as unaware of this danger as she had been initially, Thea took the time to explain the concept of Focus Overdraw in detail, keeping her explanation as clear and succinct as possible. She described how this perilous condition could arise, especially in Psykers, and the risks it posed within the dynamics of the DDS.
Kar¡¯al exhaled deeply, his tension easing as he processed the information. He then pondered aloud, ¡°I guess that¡¯s not too bad, then. I doubt I¡¯m even close to having enough Resolve to cause that to happen¡¡±
Seemingly latching onto something else that Thea had said during her explanation, he asked, ¡°So, you must be some sort of Psyker, right? You mentioned this mainly affects them?¡±
Thea hesitated, considering how to define her status.
She had been identified as a Wielder by Viladia, which indeed suggested innate Psyker abilities, but she hadn¡¯t fully embraced or understood the extent of her powers. She remembered her encounter with the Psychic Gate and Viladia¡¯s explanation that Wielders were natural Psykers, not bound by the System''s conventional classifications or Attribute-based permissions and unlocks.
¡®So, in a way, I am a Psyker already,¡¯ Thea reasoned internally. ¡®I might not have an official class or recognition as such, but being a Wielder, as Vi explained, inherently makes me a Psyker¡ I think.¡¯
Thea nodded slightly, affirming her own understanding of her unique abilities.
Her gaze then refocused on Kar¡¯al as she elaborated, ¡°Yes, I suppose I am a Psyker, in a way. I''ve been identified as a Wielder by another, vastly more experienced, marine. It¡¯s apparently something like a natural Psyker. It gives me intuitive insights. I can sense the trajectory and effectiveness of my shots, and I can even feel when someone is taking a shot at me, before it lands. It''s incredibly useful in combat, as you can imagine! The only real issue is that these instincts often consume my Focus without me realising it¡ That''s kind of what led to the Overdraw incidents.¡±
As Thea spoke, Kar¡¯al''s expression shifted from one of curiosity to surprise. His eyes widened incrementally with each revelation, and he blinked a few times in quick succession, as though trying to assimilate the flood of information.
Just as Thea began to worry that she might have overwhelmed him with too much detail, he responded, ¡°That¡¯s quite extraordinary... So, you have a sort of future sense? That¡¯s an immense advantage, holy shit. It makes me wonder if I should delve deeper into this Psychic aspect myself,¡± he mused thoughtfully.
Then, as if a new thought struck him, he refocused on Thea with renewed interest.
¡°Ah, right! You mentioned using a secondary weapon to take out the generator. What kind of weapon is capable of that, especially from a distance? It''s not your pistol there, is it?¡± he inquired, pointing towards her Icicle with a mix of curiosity and intrigue.
Thea chuckled at Kar¡¯al¡¯s assumption about her Icicle.
¡°Huh? Oh, no, it¡¯s not the Icicle," she replied, amused by the idea. "My secondary weapon is actually the Caliburn. It¡¯s this one here..." Her words trailed off as she reached for the Caliburn, only to remember that she wasn¡¯t carrying her usual backpack. With all their gear consolidated for Lucas¡¯ demonstration to the other Alpha Squads, her equipment wasn''t on her person.
¡°Ehh¡ One moment,¡± she said hastily, excusing herself to retrieve the weapon. She quickly navigated through the crowd to where Lucas, still surrounded by a large group including Isabella, had neatly lined up the squad''s gear. Swiftly locating her backpack, she detached the massive weapon that was the Caliburn and hurried back to Kar¡¯al, oblivious to the curious glances her action attracted.
Her focus was solely on returning the favour of sharing weaponry insights with Kar¡¯al.
Upon her return, Kar¡¯al¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He chuckled, "What the¡ That¡¯s your ¡®secondary¡¯ weapon, Thea?!" His tone was a mix of disbelief and amusement.
Holding out the Caliburn with a sense of pride, Thea responded, ¡°Yep! This is the Caliburn. It¡¯s a Tier 2 anti-materiel heavy railgun, and it¡¯s been incredibly effective in the assessment so far! Coupled with my abilities, [Penetrative Shot] and [Detect Weak Spots], I even managed to take down some of the anti-armour cannons on the wall during our assault!¡±
Kar¡¯al carefully took the hefty weapon, handling it with a mix of awe and caution, his eyes reflecting the same enthusiasm that Thea usually felt for innovative technology. As he examined the Caliburn, he suddenly looked up, a realisation dawning. ¡°Wait¡ You said this is a Tier 2 weapon? How did you get access to something like this?¡±
Thea proceeded to detail her acquisition of the Caliburn, including the Tier-Up Voucher, her strategic reasoning for choosing it and how she had utilised it so far. Kar¡¯al¡¯s interest peaked, especially when the conversation shifted to the Tier 2 DMRs that Thea had tried out, hinting at potential future upgrades for his own Gram.
Their engrossed discussion about weaponry and tactics extended for some time, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Staff-Sergeant Venn. His voice cut through the assembly, surprising more than just a few of the marines, ¡°Good to see that you are all getting along well.¡±
As Staff-Sergeant Venn began to speak, the chatter among the marines quickly subsided. The squads efficiently reassembled, each group forming a cohesive unit, their attention riveted on the Staff-Sergeant. His presence commanded a mix of respect and anticipation.
¡°I trust this assessment has been illuminating for all of you,¡± he began, his voice carrying a sense of gravitas. ¡°As members of the Alpha Squads, you shoulder more than the usual burdens. You''re tasked with the most challenging, perilous, and crucial missions. You represent the pinnacle of your respective drives, and this assessment is designed to validate that status.
¡°You are already briefed on your missions. What you''ve encountered so far is merely the prologue to the real challenge ahead: Urban warfare. Few scenarios in combat are as daunting, as complex, and as deadly as fighting in an urban landscape. Stay vigilant and alert at all times, for there won¡¯t be a chance to get back over the wall, should you die inside the city.¡±
His words caused a few concerned glances among the marines that Thea could see out of the corner of her eyes. They were apparently not too confident in their ability to stay alive, given the daunting task of infiltrating a megacity basically by themselves¡ªshe could not blame them one bit.
¡®This whole assessment seems extremely rough for new Recruits¡ Explains why it¡¯s a ¡°Platinum¡± difficulty, I guess,¡¯ she thought.
Furthermore, listening intently to the briefing, Thea couldn''t help but notice the stark contrast in Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s demeanour compared to their previous encounters.
When she had first been chosen for the ¡°Strike One¡± mission with Viladia, Venn had been more casual, almost congenial in his approach. Even during Sovereign Alpha''s initial meeting with him, he had appeared almost nonchalant, delegating responsibilities to Corporal Phantoal while he seemed to take a back seat.
Now, however, the circumstances of recent battles, or perhaps the responsibility of addressing a fresh batch of recruits, had sharpened his attitude. He exuded a more typical Staff-Sergeant persona: authoritative, commanding, and imposing in his speech and manner.
¡°Your fellow infiltration squads are positioned about two kilometres east from here, awaiting your integration. You will each join a distinctly different segment of the infiltration operation, meaning that you will not be crossing the wall directly with other Alpha Squads. Remember, though you are divided among different units, you are unified as fellow marines under the banner of the UHF. Support one another, collaborate whenever possible, and fulfil your respective missions with efficiency and precision. Is that understood?¡±
The marines responded in unison, their voices resounding with a strong and synchronised "Yes, sir!" This collective affirmation seemed to have a palpable effect on Staff-Sergeant Venn. His previously taut posture eased slightly, a subtle but noticeable relaxation in his stance.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Very well. You will receive further instructions en route to the wall from your respective unit leaders. May the Emperor''s light guide your path, marines,¡± Venn said, his voice steady and imbued with an authoritative confidence. He offered a firm, encouraging nod to the assembled troops before turning on his heel and striding purposefully towards one of the nearby command buildings.
With Venn''s departure, the atmosphere among the Alpha Squads shifted to one of focused action. The marines began to mobilise, moving towards the eastern exit of the Forward Operating Base within the confines of their own squads.
Thea, along with the rest of Sovereign Alpha, quickly regrouped. They retrieved their gear from Lucas, who had been somewhat safeguarding it during the assembly and subsequent briefing, and formed up to join the rest of the squads.
As they made their way through the Azure Forest towards the eastern gate of the FOB, Thea felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. She was eager to engage in real infiltration and urban combat, experiences that were new and thrilling to her.
However, a thread of nervousness wove through her thoughts. ''I just hope I don''t make any mistakes... I''ve had a few close calls, but I''ve managed to stay alive so far. Dying during the mission would not only suck in general but is basically guaranteed to also cost me valuable points in the assessment¡ I can¡¯t really afford that after getting that demerit for the stupid prank.''
A tinge of regret flickered in her mind as well, lamenting the missed opportunity to showcase her full arsenal to Kar¡¯al. ''If only Staff-Sergeant Venn had arrived a bit later... I didn¡¯t get a chance to actually show him my Icicle or Throatcutter.'' But these thoughts were quickly overtaken by the more immediate concerns of the mission.
As Thea and her squad ventured deeper into the Azure Forest, her vigilance heightened.
Despite being in UHF-controlled territory, the forest was considered a highly contested zone, still often frequented by the forces of the Stellar Republic. The possibility of encountering enemy troops was extremely low near the FOB, but once they had grouped up with the rest of the infiltration unit, they were going to move into Stellar Republic-controlled territory.
As such, Thea figured it would be prudent to get back into the habit of scanning her surroundings, as the Alpha Squads moved through the forest towards the waiting squads.
As they traversed the two kilometres through the dense Azure Forest, the FOB gradually faded into obscurity, swallowed by the towering trunks of the massive trees. Despite the seriousness of their upcoming mission, the mood among the squads was unexpectedly light-hearted and relaxed.
The camaraderie within and between the squads lent an almost festive air to their march.
Lucas, seemingly buoyed by the upbeat atmosphere, turned to Thea with a wide, mischievous grin. ¡°So, Thea,¡± he began in a playful tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing some pretty wild tales about you from the other squads. Care to share the story about how you single-handedly wiped out an entire artillery base?¡±
Thea, caught off guard by Lucas¡¯ exaggerated question, responded with a look of bewilderment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? I didn¡¯t¡ Are you serious?¡±
Isabella, quick to join the banter, chimed in with her own embellished version of events. ¡°Or how about the time Staff-Sergeant Venn personally tasked you with neutralising the enemy command as we advanced towards the wall? That was a brilliant move, Thea, clearing the way for us to approach the wall unopposed. Really appreciate you taking one for the team, there.¡±
Now thoroughly confused, Thea glanced around at her squadmates. Desmond, Corvus, and Karania were all watching her with varying degrees of amusement, their smiles hinting at their enjoyment of the light-hearted teasing.
Karania, always quick to join in on the fun with her own twist of humour, playfully contributed to the growing list of exaggerated tales about Thea. ¡°And we can¡¯t overlook the time you single-handedly defeated five squads of Stellar Republic soldiers during our assault on the artillery base on our first day. I can''t believe you kept that story from me, Thea!¡± she exclaimed, her voice dripping with feigned shock and disappointment.
She continued with a playful glint in her eye, ¡°I even had a chat with some medics earlier, and you won¡¯t believe this¡ªthey were wondering if you¡¯ve been genetically modified! They seemed convinced that no ordinary person could survive the kind of feats they¡¯ve heard about you accomplishing. And honestly, considering some of the shit you¡¯ve actually ended up surviving, I can¡¯t say they¡¯re entirely off base in their thinking.¡± Her tone was light and teasing, clearly enjoying the tall tales being spun about Thea''s exploits.
Thea, feeling utterly bewildered by the whirlwind of tall tales swirling around her, raised her hands in a gesture of confusion and mild protest. "Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second! What''s all this about? What rumours? Why are they all about me? I don''t even know these people! How do they know anything about me?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and exasperation.
Corvus stepped in, his voice a steadying presence amidst the playful chaos. ¡°It seems to be a combination of envy and some wild exaggeration," he explained. "I¡¯ve been speaking with other squad leaders, and word has it that our squad''s average Point Value was somehow leaked to them prior to the assessment.¡±
He glanced apologetically at Thea, ¡°And it appears that your exceptional PV has caught everyone''s attention. As a result, any achievement by Sovereign Alpha has been largely credited to you, inflating your legend. I''m sorry, Thea, but you''ve become somewhat of a celebrity here, and with that comes some rather fantastical stories.¡±
Desmond chimed in, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s gotten pretty wild. Jeremy from Hegemon Alpha even asked me if I was the brains behind your supposed heroic acts, thinking my drone work was feeding you all the necessary intel. He was quite taken aback when I told him those stories weren''t true.¡±
With a shrug, Desmond added, ¡°Of course, he didn¡¯t believe me. After all, he heard these tales from more seasoned marines, and they would never spin tales to a Recruit, right?¡±
Thea, still grappling with the reality of her unintended fame, protested, ¡°But I haven¡¯t actually done any of those things!¡± Her words were met with sympathetic smiles and gentle chuckles from her squadmates, who seemed to find the whole situation amusingly absurd. Thea¡¯s unexpected notoriety had taken on a life of its own, creating a narrative far removed from her actual experiences.
Corvus, in an effort to provide some comfort, chimed in with a soothing tone, ¡°Well, if it makes you feel any better, you¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s the subject of outlandish stories. Almost all of the members of our squad have their own set of exaggerated tales.¡± He then gestured towards Isabella, ¡°For instance, Isabella here is rumoured to have single-handedly defeated over a hundred soldiers in the first ambush, using nothing but her bare hands.¡±
Isabella simply nodded at that, as if to say, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what happened.¡±
He then turned his attention to Lucas, ¡°And Lucas here allegedly lifted two of the fallen hover shields during the second ambush, heroically saving many lives. The rumours say he can hoist up to three tons under the right circumstances.¡± Hearing this, Lucas, caught off guard by his own mythical feat, decided to play along. He struck a pose and flexed his muscles, eliciting a burst of laughter from the squad.
Corvus¡¯s gaze then shifted to Karania, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief, ¡°And then there¡¯s Karania. According to the grapevine, almost a third of all marines we¡¯ve spent any appreciable amount of time with have had almost their entire blood replaced by Karania¡¯s own. Quite the feat for a single medic, really, but apparently System Abilities can do just about anything.¡±
Karania''s response was immediate and enthusiastic. ¡°Wow! They really say that about me?! That¡¯s freaking awesome!¡± Her voice rang out with genuine excitement.
Thea, listening to these fantastical accounts of her squadmates¡¯ supposed heroics, couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and incredulity. ¡®I¡ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something to be proud of, Kara¡¡¯ she thought to herself, trying to wrap her head around the bizarre and wildly exaggerated tales that had somehow become attached to her and her squadmates.
The absurd stories Corvus recounted about the rest of the squad did bring a measure of comfort to Thea, though she remained uneasy about the far-fetched rumours circulating about her. While she wasn¡¯t one to shy away from showing off her achievements, she definitely did not enjoy fake ones.
A particular question also nagged at her, prompting her to seek clarification from Corvus. "I don¡¯t get it, why didn¡¯t anyone just come and ask me directly about these rumours?¡± she inquired, her tone reflecting both confusion and a hint of frustration. ¡°I was literally right there. All it would¡¯ve taken is for them to talk to me. I could have easily cleared everything up."
Upon hearing Thea''s question, a brief silence fell over the rest of the squad, each member seemingly pondering her query.
Then, Karania spoke up, her tone a mix of empathy and humour. ¡°Well, if you think about it, they were probably just too intimidated to approach you. Put yourself in their boots for a second. Imagine trying to ask someone who¡¯s rumoured to be this ultra-marine superhero about the 500 incredible things they supposedly did.
¡°And there you are, standing alone, Gram slung over your back, your hood pulled all the way down, with only your strange, self-illuminating eyes visible between the hood and your Spectre''s full mask. That¡¯s not just cool, it¡¯s downright scary if you¡¯re already half-convinced this person might be some sort of monster-in-disguise.¡±
She chuckled before adding, ¡°We know you¡¯re more like a cuddly little cub who wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly unless there were points in it, but they don¡¯t know that. And let¡¯s be honest, your current get-up isn¡¯t exactly the most approachable.¡±
Karania paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Actually, one marine did try to approach you. But you were so deep in your own thoughts that when he startled you, you blurted out something in... I don¡¯t know, some kind of strange tongue?
¡°It was probably just you getting tangled up in your own head, as per usual, but to him and everyone else watching, it seemed like you were speaking in some arcane language. Needless to say, that put a swift end to anyone else¡¯s plans to come and talk to you for the rest of the assembly.¡±
Karania concluded her explanation with a casual shrug, ¡°That¡¯s my perspective on it, anyway. Anyone else think differently?¡± she asked, inviting the rest of the squad to share their views.
To Thea¡¯s astonishment, her squadmates nodded in agreement with Karania¡¯s assessment, indicating their concurrence with her take on the situation. Corvus then added his insight, reinforcing Karania¡¯s point. ¡°Actually, I had to convince Kar¡¯al several times that you were genuinely interested in his customised Gram before he felt comfortable approaching you. It seems that even the squad leaders had their reservations about you, Thea.¡±
His words further highlighted the extent of the uncertainty surrounding Thea¡¯s reputation among the other squads.
Thea listened intently, her feelings mixed.
While there was a part of her that felt somewhat flattered by the high regard others seemingly held for her, she was more concerned about the inaccuracy of the rumours.
None of the stories were true, and this misinformation had almost cost her a valuable conversation about Kar''al''s customised Gram. She was grateful for Corvus''s intervention, but the thought of missing out on potentially useful information or connections due to her perceived unapproachability was troubling.
Thea didn''t want to be seen as unapproachable.
She wondered about the possibilities she might miss if someone with valuable insights or resources hesitated to approach her. The idea that someone might have an Ability, tip, or piece of equipment that could significantly benefit her, yet felt too intimidated to share it, was a risk she wasn''t willing to accept.
Turning to her squad, Thea sought their advice. ¡°How can I clear up these rumours or at least make myself seem more approachable? I don¡¯t want to miss out on important opportunities because of some ridiculous stories,¡± she expressed her concerns earnestly.
Her squadmates responded with sympathetic smiles, understanding her predicament.
However, the only answer she received was somewhat disheartening. ¡°It¡¯s tough to dispel widespread rumours, especially during an assessment like this,¡± Corvus replied thoughtfully. ¡°Real evidence, either supporting or debunking these tales, will only surface after the assessment is over. The other squads are bound to look up our performance and highlights, at which point they¡¯ll definitely see that a lot was overblown, I¡¯d imagine. Until then, it''s hard to counter what people choose to believe.¡±
Karania, noticing Thea''s disheartened mood, quickly offered a suggestion aimed at boosting her spirits. ¡°Hey, why not try something simple to appear more approachable? Just remove your hood and mask for a bit. Let others see your face and expressions. When they observe you laughing and interacting normally with us, they might realise you''re not some kind of monster.¡±
She continued with a touch of self-reflection, ¡°You know, I always thought I¡¯d be the one people would find monstrous, especially with how my [Surgeon¡¯s Toolkit] Ability works. But it turns out that the [Toolkit] series of Abilities is pretty well-known among medics and their squads. So it doesn¡¯t really come off as shocking to most,¡± she concluded, her expression a blend of slight disappointment and genuine surprise.
Watching Karania''s reaction, Thea couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®Was Kara actually hoping to be seen as monstrous?¡¯ The thought momentarily distracted her from her own concerns, as she removed her hood and unsealed the mask from her face.
Taking Karania''s advice to heart, Thea always found her input particularly useful, especially when it came to social interactions. Karania, after all, had a knack for navigating these situations far better than Thea could ever hope to.
As she removed her mask, attaching it to the side of her backpack where her Gram usually rested when not in use, Thea¡¯s attention was abruptly diverted. Her sharp eyes caught a brief, unusual flicker of movement just a few dozen metres away, near one of the dense tree trunks surrounding them.
Instinctively, she reacted.
Her eyes widened in alert, and she swiftly shouldered her Gram while crouching down into a more stable position, pointing it in the direction of the suspicious movement. Without hesitation, she called out a warning to her squad and the rest of the Alpha Squads around them, her voice sharp and clear, "Contact!"
Arc 1 - Chapter 80 - Weapons
As soon as Thea issued her warning, the marines surrounding her sprang into action with remarkable efficiency.
Lucas quickly positioned his Stalwart shield in front of Thea and the rest of Sovereign Alpha, forming an impromptu barricade, before the smile on his face from the previous conversation had even had time to dissipate. Isabella pulled her massive rotary machine gun, the Devastation, from her back and stepped protectively in front of Corvus, Karania, and Desmond to shield the more vulnerable members from potential harm.
Desmond immediately launched a drone into the air surprisingly quickly to gain a better vantage point, as if he had been waiting for just this exact thing to happen. Meanwhile, Karania and Corvus armed themselves with their respective rifles and took positions behind Isabella, utilising the cover provided by Lucas'' Stalwart and the offensive heavy, to try and get eyes on the potential contacts.
The other Alpha Squads exhibited similar reflexes, each responding according to their specific roles and capabilities. The defensive heavies among them deployed various protective measures, while their teammates sought visual confirmation of the threat as they pulled out their own weapons, maintaining as much safety as possible under the circumstances.
Hegemon Alpha, lacking a defensive heavy, adopted a different tactic.
They quickly deployed individual sections of portable cover: Closest to the area Thea had pinpointed, two marines released white-foam grenades, creating small but effective barricades.
Behind these impromptu shields, the marine in his distinctively unusual armour hefted his heavy-flamer, its threatening muzzle peeking around the foam barrier. Their squad''s lone heavy, wielding a gun that appeared to be a more streamlined and agile variant of Isabella¡¯s Devastation, similarly shouldered his weapon and aimed in the direction of the potential threat.
The coordination and speed with which all the squads prepared for combat were impressive and a large detour from the jovial, almost festive atmosphere that had been pervading their trek up until this point.
In mere moments, every member was deployed and ready for a potential fight for their lives.
Thea''s attention remained trained on the spot where she had detected the subtle anomaly.
Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised the area next to the massive tree trunk, searching for any sign of the elusive flicker that had initially caught her eye. It was a mere shimmer, an almost imperceptible distortion in the air that would have gone unnoticed by most, but a particular pull deep inside of her chest had ticked her off to its likely true meaning.
As she observed, Thea¡¯s experiences from the assessment and cube trial kicked in, her mind piecing together the clues.
¡®This has to be some form of stealth/illusion technology,¡¯ she deduced, the realisation sharpening her senses. She felt the familiar surge of her Psychic Powers beginning to augment her perception.
Thea''s newfound understanding of her Psychic Powers brought a heightened level of control. Previously, she had relied on sheer concentration to try and penetrate through stealth or illusion technologies, focusing intensely on her target. Now, however, she had a clearer method of engagement.
She actively directed her Psychic Powers, channelling the strange, ethereal energy specifically into her eyesight. This focused application of her abilities allowed her to engage with the powers of her Inheritance more efficiently, attempting to dismantle the layers of the stealth or illusion camouflage with a precision she hadn¡¯t managed before.
As she intensified her concentration, Thea felt the ephemeral psychic energy coalescing in her eyes, honing in on the elusive flicker. She was making rapid progress, each moment peeling back another layer of its camouflage, getting closer and closer to unveiling the hidden entity.
But just as she felt she was on the cusp of a breakthrough, she encountered an unexpected obstacle. A baffling, indescribable resistance suddenly thwarted her efforts.
It was as though she had hit an invisible barrier, a metaphysical wall that stubbornly resisted her psychic probing. This abrupt impediment came as a surprise, halting her progress just as she believed she was about to reveal the concealed figure or object.
Thea''s mind raced with confusion and concern. ''What''s happening? This didn¡¯t used to happen before. Whether during the Cube Trial or earlier in the Assessment, any stealth fields I focused on just collapsed at the same speed...'' She had always been able to penetrate such defences with a corresponding amount of effort, but this time was different. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed like the last layers simply did not want to budge.
As she pondered this anomaly, a chilling realisation dawned on her, sending a shiver down her spine. ''Could it be another Psyker¡?''
The realisation that she might be facing an experienced Psyker, potentially one with far greater mastery of their abilities than her own, was deeply unsettling for Thea.
She was still grappling with the basics of her newfound psychic identity, barely scratching the surface of what it meant to be a Psyker. The idea of confronting someone who could not only sustain but actively defend and manipulate a stealth field with such proficiency was daunting.
This adversary, if indeed a Psyker, would undoubtedly possess skills and experience far beyond what Thea had encountered or trained for.
With a mix of caution and resolve, Thea positioned her Gram, aiming at what she perceived to be the epicentre of the psychic resistance. Logic dictated that the source, likely the enemy Psyker, would be at the heart of the energy concentration.
She steadied her aim and fired, unleashing a focused beam of photons that sliced through the air and vanished into the enigmatic field in an instant.
A heavy sense of disappointment weighed on her as the stealth field remained intact, unaffected by her shot. But her concern quickly escalated to outright panic when she heard a distinct triple chime sound from her communication device, a signal also echoing from the comms of her fellow Sovereign Alpha members, and likely the rest of the Alpha Squads around her too.
That specific triple chime was a signal ingrained in them during their Basic training, its meaning unmistakable and urgent: ''Friendlies, cease fire.'' It was a warning that they were potentially targeting their own allies, a critical cease-and-desist order that demanded immediate compliance.
The realisation hit Thea hard, flooding her with a mix of confusion and urgency as she tried to process the implications of this sudden development.
The rapid unfolding of events transpired in just the brief moments it took for Thea¡¯s squad and the other Alpha Squads to assume their defensive positions. As Lucas fully extended his Stalwart shield, providing comprehensive cover for Thea and her squad, the urgent triple chime of their comms echoed, signalling the immediate need to cease fire.
Almost synchronously with this alert, the mysterious stealth/illusion field dissipated, revealing its true nature. A squad of marines emerged from where the field had once obscured their presence. Leading the group was a heavy, donned in ultra-heavy armour and brandishing a Tier 1 kite-shield, confidently stepping forward toward the Alpha Squads.
As Thea observed the approaching squad, a realisation dawned on her. ''That''s why my shot didn''t disrupt the field. Is that guy the psyker¡?'' she pondered, her mind racing to connect the dots. With the immediate threat now identified as friendly, she rose from her crouched, combat-ready stance, relaxing her posture now that the situation had shifted from potentially hostile to unmistakably allied.
The air of tension and uncertainty that had enveloped Thea and her squad was swiftly dispelled by a familiar voice, one that Thea recognized instantly. ¡°See? I told you that my little rabid sniper would catch us and not hesitate for even a second to take the shot. You owe me now, Moira.¡±
The reply came in a tone mixed with annoyance and good-natured ribbing, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Vi,¡± grumbled a heavier-set voice. ¡°I still can¡¯t fathom how you manage to find these types of people. Must be a perk of being an absolute lunatic, huh?¡±
Hearing this exchange, Thea couldn''t help but let a wide grin spread across her face as she recognized the voices.
Viladia, someone Thea considered to be something akin to her mentor and of course friend, emerged from behind the heavily armoured figure, waving enthusiastically at Thea. Her gesture was so endearing and childlike that Thea instinctively started to wave back, only to catch herself midway and resume a more combat-ready posture.
As expected, Morin, another familiar face, appeared alongside Medic Johnsen, stepping out from the protection offered by the heavy.
Thea also noticed another heavy, whose armour was notably lighter and more offensive in design compared to the usual ultra-heavy gear of a defensive specialist. This marine''s armour bore a closer resemblance to Isabella¡¯s, suggesting a more attack-oriented role.
The unexpected arrival of Viladia and her squad immediately washed over Thea with a wave of relief and a comforting sense of the familiar. Yet, as she processed their presence, another realisation struck her, one that seemed obvious in hindsight. ¡®Of course! Viladia is an assassin and expert infiltrator! It makes perfect sense that she and the rest of Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s special unit would be involved in this mission... How did I not consider this earlier?¡¯
She acknowledged to herself that her mind had been preoccupied with more immediate and pressing matters, leaving little room for speculation about potential participants in the mission.
However, she couldn''t help but feel that she might have anticipated Viladia¡¯s involvement. Given that the operation was orchestrated by Staff-Sergeant Venn and had a clear focus on assassination and infiltration tactics, it would have been a logical conclusion that an expert like Viladia would play a key role.
Just as Thea''s tension had begun to ebb away, she tensed up again at the sound of additional footsteps and the distinct creaking of branches overhead. Before she could react, Viladia''s voice reached her, calming yet firm, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, Thea. They¡¯re with us¡ªthe rest of the infiltration squads.¡± Her tone was reminiscent of someone gently dissuading a guard dog from reacting to friendly visitors.
From their hiding places¡ªcamouflaged behind tree trunks, nestled within bushes, blended into the undergrowth, and even perched in the trees above¡ªa variety of marines began to emerge. They appeared in small, well-coordinated groups, each squad consisting of 4-6 members, decked out in an array of different armour styles, indicating their various specialisations and roles.
¡®I didn¡¯t even know they were here until they just started moving¡¡¯ Thea thought to herself, awed at the sheer level of skill at display.
Morin, who exuded a commanding, yet also characteristically resigned, presence suggesting a leadership role, approached Corvus and the other squad leaders of Alpha Squad. They had congregated in a central area, seemingly in anticipation of a debriefing or further instructions.
Thea, curious about the unfolding meeting, was considering moving closer to overhear the discussion. However, her plans were quickly thwarted as Viladia, assuming the role of an enthusiastic mentor, latched onto her.
With a mixture of pride and eagerness, Viladia began leading Thea around, introducing her to the members of her squad. The way Viladia presented Thea to the others was akin to a proud parent showing off their child, a combination of pride and affection evident in her demeanour.
First, she brought Thea to Medic Johnsen. The medic offered a friendly, albeit reserved, greeting. ¡°You look much better than the last time I saw you,¡± he remarked with a slight smile, clearly referencing the time right after her Focus Overdraw, before Thea had joined the rest of the squad on the ¡®Strike One¡¯ mission. ¡°Glad to see your injuries have healed up nicely.¡±
Next, Viladia introduced Thea to the defensive heavy of their squad, known simply as Crusher. He responded to Thea''s introduction with just a grunt, prompting Viladia to comment, ¡°We think he might be mute. He hasn''t spoken to anyone as far as we know.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°Though Morin insists he''s not mute. I have my doubts.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Despite his silence, Crusher''s presence was formidable. He was around the size of Lucas, but seemed to radiate a more experienced and even calmer, yet undeniably powerful aura, that spoke of many past battles.
The last introduction was to Moira, who immediately captured Thea''s attention. Up close, Thea noticed the intriguing contrast in Moira''s appearance¡ªheavy armour coupled with equipment that hinted at a sniper''s role. The thing that gave it away the most was Moira''s weapon, a formidable-looking lever-action sniper rifle, that was slung casually over her shoulder.
Viladia introduced her with a mix of respect and humour, ¡°This is our mountainous sniper, Moira! She¡¯s even sneakier than I am, when it comes to moving around without Abilities. And, believe it or not, she can crush your skull with one hand!¡± Moira rolled her eyes at the description, clearly accustomed to Viladia¡¯s dramatic introductions, yet there was an underlying sense of friendliness between them.
"Good to meet you, Thea. Vi''s been talking you up quite a bit," Moira greeted, her voice carrying a hint of warmth as she extended her right hand for a handshake. Thea grasped it, feeling a sense of mutual respect in the firm, confident grip.
As their hands met, Thea instantly recognized the truth in Viladia¡¯s earlier description of Moira¡¯s physical prowess. ¡®She wasn¡¯t exaggerating; Moira really could crush a skull with this hand,¡¯ she thought, thoroughly impressed.
Despite its surprisingly small size relative to Moira¡¯s imposing stature, the hand felt incredibly powerful. The muscles underlying it, combined with the thick, sturdy gauntlets of her heavy armour, gave the impression of shaking hands with something unyielding and formidable, akin to a mountain.
The handshake conveyed a raw power that was difficult for Thea to describe fully, leaving her with a deep impression of Moira''s physical capabilities and the latent strength she undoubtedly possessed.
Thea could muster only a brief "Likewise" in response, finding herself momentarily speechless in the face of Moira''s imposing presence.
Viladia jumped in, seemingly not wanting to be left out of the conversation for longer than a few seconds, ¡°I¡¯m probably jumping the gun here, but what the heck: We¡¯re going to be infiltrating together, Thea! ¡®Strike One¡¯ reunites! Well, except for Einor. I have no clue where he¡¯s at¡¡± She paused, a hint of concern flickering in her expression, then her enthusiasm rekindled. ¡°But hey, we¡¯ve got Moira, Johnsen, and Crusher on board now! Upgrades all around, really!¡±
Thea, still processing this new information, remained silent.
She realised that she had been so caught up in Viladia¡¯s exuberant energy that she had drifted away from her own squad. Glancing around, she noticed Sovereign Alpha standing a short distance away, grouped near Corvus and the other squad leaders, seemingly waiting for further instructions.
Seizing the rare opportunity both to satisfy her curiosity and to work on being more approachable, she turned her attention back to Moira with a question about her unique weapon. ¡°That¡¯s an impressive-looking rifle you have there. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one quite like it. Would you mind telling me a bit about it?¡± Thea asked, her interest genuine.
Viladia, who had been brimming with excitement over her announcement, deflated slightly at being sidelined in the conversation. She pouted, feeling a bit overlooked as the topic shifted from her thrilling revelation to Moira''s weapon. Moira, on the other hand, flashed a smug smile at Viladia before turning her attention back to Thea, clearly pleased to discuss her prized rifle.
¡°You probably haven¡¯t seen anything like it because it¡¯s a Tier 2 weapon,¡± Moira explained, her voice tinged with a hint of pride. ¡°I got it using a Tier-Up Voucher from one of my accomplishments. Those vouchers are pretty rare, especially among Tier 1 marines.¡±
As Thea opened her mouth, wanting to mention her own T2 weapon, the Caliburn, Moira dove enthusiastically into the specifics of her rifle, leaving no room for interjection. ¡°This here is the ¡®Vigilant,¡¯ a T2 Lever-Action Sniper Rifle. What¡¯s unique about it is the lever-action system¡ªit''s equipped with two separate ammo rails. You can load each with different types of rounds, and during the action of the lever, you can choose which rail engages. It allows for rapid switching between ammunition types, making the Vigilant incredibly versatile in combat situations.¡±
Moira''s eyes gleamed with pride as she continued, ¡°What¡¯s more, both the ammo rails and the barrel are coated with a special Tier 2 material. This coating allows the gun to accommodate a wide range of bullet sizes¡ªfrom the smallest calibres up to the maximum diameter the barrel can handle. This means I can use almost any rifle ammunition available! I can¡¯t tell you how many times that saved my ass, really. Being able to just pick up random magazines, pop up the bullets and use them for my gun has been an absolute life-saver on so many occasions¡¡±
Thea listened intently, fascinated by the advanced capabilities and innovative design of Moira''s rifle. The weapon''s versatility and adaptability were remarkable, and it was clear that Moira had a deep understanding and appreciation of her firearm''s unique qualities.
Before Thea could delve further into the specifics of Moira''s impressive ''Vigilant,'' Viladia, eager to regain some of the spotlight, interjected enthusiastically. "Hey, don¡¯t forget about me! I¡¯ve got a Tier 2 weapon too, Thea. Check this out!" she exclaimed, keen to show off her own advanced equipment and share in the excitement of discussing high-tier weaponry.
Viladia, with a flourish that seemed to conjure magic, produced a compact, hand-sized tube seemingly out of thin air. Thea watched, fascinated, as the tube unfolded and transformed before her eyes into a sophisticated compound bow in mere moments.
The weapon had a sleek structure composed of various Tier 2 materials, each distinguishable by their unique coloration and hues. The frame of the bow shimmered with an iridescent sheen, indicating a lightweight yet incredibly strong alloy, while the string and pulleys had a darker, almost carbon-like appearance.
¡°This,¡± Viladia announced with a hint of pride, ¡°is my Tier 2 Compound Bow, aptly named the ¡®Shooting Star¡¯.¡± Thea, while unfamiliar with the use of bows in modern combat, couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued. She figured that she knew Viladia well enough to trust that she wouldn¡¯t choose any random weapon, just for the sake of it looking cool, that wasn¡¯t optimal for her style and efficiency.
Viladia explained further, ¡°The Shooting Star, thanks to the advanced T2 materials, can launch arrows and various payloads at velocities comparable to most rifles.¡±
Moira, half-jokingly, interjected, ¡°Definitely not as fast as the Vigilant, though.¡± But before Moira could elaborate, Viladia swiftly countered by showcasing her specialised ammunition. From hidden compartments in her armour, Viladia retrieved different sets of arrows, each with unique characteristics.
One arrow featured menacing barbed sections along the shaft, that Viladia elaborated was primarily for punching through and biting into particularly hard targets. Thea had no idea what that would be useful for, in particular, but the way Viladia talked about it seemed to mean that she used them a lot.
Another had a peculiar design, almost like a bullet affixed to the front of an arrow, hinting at a potential hybrid approach to traditional and modern ballistics. The following explanations confirmed this suspicion, as Viladia mentioned that this particular type of arrow made use of a lot of the aerodynamics and ballistics of rifle bullets to increase the overall speed and penetrative capabilities of her arrow.
The third arrow was particularly striking, with a cerulean, bulbous tip that suggested some sort of high-tech or explosive payload. ¡°This one,¡± Viladia explained as she held it up for Thea to examine, ¡°is filled with liquid Glacium. It¡¯s a T2 material, as you might have guessed. It freezes down whatever it hits to absolute zero, making for some very potent and versatile arrows!¡±
Thea watched in amazement as Viladia effortlessly produced arrows from seemingly nowhere, her adeptness at concealing and accessing her ammunition from the hidden compartments within her armour was remarkable. This display of skill and the lethal diversity of the arrows further enhanced the allure of the ¡®Shooting Star.¡¯
Thea''s initial thoughts were reaffirmed; Viladia''s choice of a bow as her weapon was no whim. It was a decision marked by careful consideration and strategy, tailored to her unique style and the demands of her role as a stealth expert and assassin.
Thea''s respect for Viladia''s meticulous planning and adaptability grew, recognizing the thoughtful process behind selecting such an unconventional yet almost assuredly effective weapon for what she needed to do.
The playful banter between Moira and Viladia continued for a few more minutes, each enthusiastically extolling the virtues of their respective weapons. Their conversation gradually shifted from practical features to increasingly whimsical and eccentric uses.
Viladia, with a gleam in her eye, boasted, ¡°Well, sure, but don¡¯t forget that the Shooting Star can shoot an arrow and then catch it afterwards!¡± Thea listened, finding it hard to imagine a scenario where such a capability would be of any practical use.
Moira, not to be outdone, retorted with a smirk, ¡°That''s all well and good, but at least my Vigilant is solid enough to use as a club. I could bash someone¡¯s skull in and it wouldn¡¯t even get a scratch!¡± Thea, bemused, realised that their conversation had veered well away from practicality and into the realm of playful but pointless competition.
Caught between these two dynamic and extroverted personalities, Thea felt somewhat out of her depth, more a spectator than a participant in their light-hearted rivalry.
Just then, the gathering of squads began to disperse, signalling a shift in focus back to the mission at hand. Viladia, observing the movement, quickly wrapped up their discussion. She deftly collapsed the Shooting Star back into its compact cylindrical form and secured it to her armour, ready for later use.
¡°Looks like we¡¯re getting started,¡± Viladia commented, her tone switching to a more serious and operational focus. ¡°Sovereign Alpha will be supported by my squad and an additional infiltration unit. We¡¯ll split into four separate groups from here, keeping about two kilometres between each to avoid detection. We need to minimise our presence in the forest¡ªeven with our stealth, moving in large numbers would be too conspicuous.¡±
The three of them moved back towards Sovereign Alpha and the approaching additional squad, to get some last-minute briefings about their exact proceedings. Things could always change, so it was prudent to check if the plan that had originally been put into place still held water.
Ultimately, however, everything seemed more or less as expected, as they started their trek towards the wall. This time around, Thea found herself nestled between Sovereign Alpha and Morin¡¯s squad, which she learned was simply called ¡°Arrow¡±. Viladia couldn¡¯t help but boast it was named solely because of her aptitude with the Shooting Star, which was quickly shut down by both Moira and Morin.
As they continued their trek, Thea recalled the earlier conversation about Tier 2 weapons. She decided to revive the discussion by revealing her own T2 weapon, the Caliburn, as she hadn¡¯t gotten around to doing so earlier and felt that it might be useful for them to know about. Gently unholstering it from its place on her backpack, she thought, ¡®I should show them my weapon too. It might be something Moira could use in combination with her Vigilant in the future¡¡¯
Approaching Moira and Viladia, Thea felt a slight hesitation.
Their conversation had moved on, and she hadn''t been a part of their more recent discussions. However, determined to be more assertive in her social interactions, she knew this was an opportunity to step out of her comfort zone.
With a voice that she hoped sounded confident, she introduced her weapon, ¡°This is the Caliburn, my T2 anti-materiel heavy railgun. It¡¯s been incredibly useful for taking down heavily armoured targets, stealth generators, and fortified positions. I highly recommend it.¡±
Proud of her assertive start, Thea''s confidence began to falter as an uncomfortable silence ensued. Doubt crept in, ''Did I mess up again, somewhere¡?''
Her question was answered when Moira suddenly exclaimed in shock, ¡°You have a fucking T2 weapon?! Vi, I thought you said she¡¯s just a Recruit?!¡± Her outburst was loud enough to draw a sharp rebuke from Morin, reminding them of the need for discretion and quiet in their current environment.
Viladia, equally surprised, responded in a fluster, ¡°I¡ I didn¡¯t know!¡± She then turned to Thea, her expression a mix of surprise and irritation, ¡°Thea, what the fuck?! You have a T2 weapon?! When did that happen?!¡±
Thea, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected intensity of their reactions, quickly regrouped. Determined not to let the conversation peter out after having successfully initiated it, she elaborated on her experience with the Caliburn. ¡°Ehh¡ I¡¯ve actually had it since the Cube Trial. I earned an Accomplishment during it and decided to purchase it before we started the assessment. Unfortunately, it was overheated during the Strike One mission, so I couldn¡¯t use it there. But it was instrumental in destroying the stealth generator in the second ambush on the first day, and I also took out three anti-armour cannons with it during the assault on the wall. It¡¯s a really effective weapon!¡±
Thea¡¯s enthusiasm for the Caliburn was evident.
She was trying to upsell Moira on the Caliburn¡¯s good points, to maybe get the other sniper to pick it up in the future.
She genuinely believed it would be a great addition to Moira¡¯s arsenal, particularly considering Moira¡¯s heavy armour. Unlike Thea, who always had to be mindful of finding cover, Moira could potentially use the Caliburn¡¯s firepower without as much concern for immediate retaliation.
Moira, still grappling with the information, replied incredulously, ¡°...since the Cube Trial? What in the world happened during that Cube Trial?!¡± She turned to Viladia, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Viladia, equally astounded, could only shrug and respond in kind, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! I¡¯m hearing this for the first time myself! Seriously, Thea, what¡¯s the story here?!¡±
Thea¡¯s unexpected disclosure about the Caliburn had successfully captured the attention of Viladia and Moira, igniting their curiosity about her adventure during the Cube Trial and how she came to possess such an advanced weapon so early in her career.
This was not exactly the direction Thea had intended the conversation to go, but it presented an opportunity for engagement¡ªa valuable chance to participate in a dialogue of her own making, something she had been very much striving to improve at.
Seizing the moment, Thea spent the next twenty minutes recounting her experiences during the Cube Trial.
She aimed to provide a detailed narrative, hoping to weave in as much information as possible while subtly guiding the conversation back to the specifics of the Caliburn. Her story was engaging, filled with insights and anecdotes that even had Viladia and Moira ask a myriad of clarifying questions.
Just as she was about to reach the pivotal moment in her tale¡ªthe shopping expedition with Kara aboard the Sovereign, which would have seamlessly led the discussion back to the Caliburn¡ªshe was interrupted.
Both Corvus and Morin, the respective leaders of their squads, broke into the squad comms.
They called for everyone to regroup and urged heightened awareness of their surroundings.
The interruption was timely, signalling a shift back to the operational focus of their mission, but it left Thea¡¯s story tantalisingly unfinished and the conversation about her T2 weapon momentarily suspended.
Thea cast a rueful glance back towards where Sovereign Alpha was regrouping, her thoughts still lingering on the conversation about her Caliburn. She heard Viladia and Moira moving away, returning to their respective squads, and a tinge of disappointment crossed her mind,
¡®But¡ I didn¡¯t get to finish talking about my Caliburn¡!¡¯
The operational demands of their task reclaimed priority over personal discussions and shared interests, as they neared the Stellar Republic¡¯s defensive wall once again¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 81 - Angles
A strategic pause was called, as their unit neared the SADD''s effective range.
The squad leaders of Sovereign Alpha, Arrow Squad, and Field Squad convened for a subdued strategy discussion. Meanwhile, the rest of the marines from these squads gathered in their respective groups, conducting last-minute equipment checks and tactical reviews.
Although Thea knew that it was too late to return to the FOB for any forgotten items, identifying any gaps in their gear now could mean the difference between a workable solution in the field and a critical mission failure.
She meticulously checked her own equipment, reassessing her backpack''s organisation.
Prioritising accessibility, she rearranged her gear once again, deciding that quick access to grenades and stimulants would likely be more crucial than extra ammunition. Her initial setup had dedicated significant space to spare capacitor magazines, but her recent interactions with the members of Arrow Squad had shifted her perspective.
It seemed unlikely she would need as much ammo as she had initially thought.
Thea mused to herself, ¡®With Viladia¡¯s expertise in stealth, we probably won¡¯t get caught in a full-blown firefight while crossing the wall¡ But how exactly are we planning to do that anyway¡?¡¯ The thought lingered in her mind.
During the previous assault, the wall had appeared essentially impossible to breach.
The challenge of navigating it, especially under the cloak of stealth, intrigued and concerned her. ¡®What¡¯s the plan for getting past all that defensive firepower? I hope we get a full brief soon...¡¯ she wondered, her thoughts tinged with anticipation and a hint of apprehension about the impending operation.
Thea''s internal musings and questions were about to be answered quickly, however, as only minutes later, Corvus and the other squad leaders concluded their discussion and returned to their units. She noticed something unusual in Corvus¡¯s possession¡ªa peculiar abyss-black bag that she hadn''t seen with him before, stirring her interest.
Corvus began briefing the squad, ¡°Alright, everyone, here¡¯s our strategy: Field and Arrow squads will lead the way. Field Squad will create a diversion, while Arrow Squad, with the help of Private Viladia and some kind of stealth Ability that she apparently possesses, will assist us in approaching the wall undetected. The journey there should be straightforward, according to Squad Leader Morin, but the real challenge will only come once we¡¯re at the wall itself: The ascent.¡±
Pausing to let the information sink in, Corvus then opened the mysterious black bag. He distributed what appeared to be small disks¡ªtwo smaller ones and a larger one¡ªto each squad member.
Thea''s curiosity was immediately piqued by the items she received.
Their distinctive hue was unmistakable¡ªTier 1 technology. ¡®Corvus must have acquired these from either Field or Arrow Squad,¡¯ she reasoned. ¡®There''s no way he had these all along without mentioning them.¡¯
She scrutinised the disks, her mind already racing with possibilities about what they could possibly be and what their functions might entail. ¡®If these are standard gear for infiltration squads, they must be incredibly useful. As someone with a hybrid role like Scout/Sniper, gadgets like these are probably going to be invaluable parts of my arsenal. I''ll need to remember to acquire some private ones for future missions¡¡¯
Thea continued to closely examine the curious disk in her hands, its design both similarly alien and intriguing alike. Meanwhile, Corvus had finished distributing similar disks to the rest of the squad and resumed his briefing. ¡°These are Grav-Step Disks, or ¡®GravS¡¯ for short,¡± he explained.
Demonstrating their use, he attached the two smaller disks under his boots and the larger one to a central part of his torso, ensuring everyone could clearly see the placement.
¡°These disks use technology akin to the grav-locks in Lucas¡¯ Stalwart and some of our weaponry, but they''re designed for more versatile, personal use. They alter the direction of gravity¡¯s pull on you¡ or something along those lines,¡± Corvus continued with a shrug. He looked slightly apologetic as he admitted, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the technical specifics are a bit beyond me,¡± directing a rueful smile towards Thea, who responded with a sympathetic grin of her own.
¡®Don¡¯t worry, Corvus. I¡¯ll read up on it after the assessment is over¡ Don¡¯t you worry,¡¯ Thea thought to herself. There was no way she was going to ignore such an interesting piece of technology.
¡°Regardless of the technical details, these GravS will allow us to walk up the wall¡ªquite literally,¡± Corvus elaborated. ¡°Your feet will stick to the wall and your body¡¯s point of gravity will be perpendicular to it, enabling us to ascend vertically and even fight, if necessary. It¡¯s going to feel very unusual, I assume, but it¡¯s supposedly the most efficient way for us to scale that wall. Private Viladia will use her stealth Ability to keep us hidden during the climb. If anything unexpected happens, Private Crusher and Lucas, you¡¯ll be responsible for protecting the team while we complete the ascent.¡± Corvus'' gaze briefly connected with Lucas, who responded with a firm, confident nod.
Thea, observing this silent exchange, was reassured by Lucas'' evident readiness. She had no doubts about Lucas'' capabilities.
Having witnessed firsthand his unwavering commitment to the safety of his squad during the harrowing incident with the IgT-bombardment. His resolute determination to shield and protect had left a lasting impression on her. There was a comforting sense of security in knowing that Lucas would be right there with them every step of the way during their ascent of the wall.
Reflecting on those perilous moments, Thea acknowledged the depth of Lucas'' dedication.
''Yes, protecting the team is part of a defensive heavy¡¯s role, but his selflessness was what truly saved my life...'' Thea felt a surge of gratitude towards Lucas. She silently vowed to express her thanks in some proper way when the right moment presented itself in the future.
For now, however, she had new technology to scrutinise and equip herself with.
Corvus continued to address the squad, his tone turning more serious as he cautioned them about the limitations of the GravS devices. ¡°A crucial heads-up about these GravS: While they are indeed powerful and versatile, they have a limited operational duration. Similar to most grav-lock systems, the constant engagement and disengagement with gravitational forces, along with countering other physical forces, rapidly depletes their energy. Their unique functionality, automatically adjusting their engagement as you climb, means they¡¯ll consume their internal power reserves at a faster rate,¡± he explained, his gaze sweeping over the squad members as they fitted the disks to their gear, ensuring correct placement.
Corvus''s message was clear and imperative: ¡°So here¡¯s the bottom line: Use them judiciously. They supposedly have more than sufficient power to get us up the wall with quite some to spare, but don¡¯t push their limits unnecessarily. The last thing anyone wants is to plummet to their death because their GravS ran out of energy mid-climb,¡± he concluded, his voice firm.
His warning carried not only the obvious concern for safety but also an undertone of concern for the squad¡¯s collective reputation. It was evident in his manner that he took the responsibility for the team''s performance seriously.
The implication was clear: While the rest of the Alpha Squads might succeed in scaling the wall without any hitches, any failure on Sovereign Alpha¡¯s part, especially due to carelessness with the GravS, would not only be deadly but also deeply embarrassing.
Corvus clearly wanted to ensure that his squad upheld their status as the best Alpha Squad the UHF has ever had and such extremely avoidable mistakes were definitely not on the list of things he would allow.
Once everyone had secured their GravS in place, Corvus meticulously inspected each squad member¡¯s gear, ensuring the disks were correctly attached.
Satisfied with their placements, he motioned towards a towering tree trunk nearby and instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s give these GravS a test run. It¡¯s crucial we¡¯re all comfortable with how they work before we approach the wall. Remember, this infiltration is a one-shot operation; we can¡¯t afford any missteps.¡±
Corvus emphasised the importance of a controlled test. ¡°Don¡¯t climb too high right now. The higher you ascend, the more power the GravS expends to maintain your gravitational lock. We need to conserve their energy for the actual climb, so keep this test brief and low.¡± His instructions were clear, blending caution with the necessity of practical experience.
Thea watched as her squadmates, one by one, approached the tree to test out the GravS. Eager to experience this new technology herself, Thea quickly stepped forward to take her turn as well.
As she approached the tree, she remembered Corvus'' words: Simply walk up the wall.
It sounded straightforward, but she couldn''t help but wonder about the mechanics behind it.
Placing her boot against the trunk, Thea immediately felt an odd sensation.
The sensation was surreal¡ªas soon as her boot made contact, she felt a bizarre, almost magnetic pull. Half of her body seemed drawn towards the tree, while her other half remained anchored to the ground. It was a disorienting feeling, as if she was being split between two different gravitational forces.
Convincing herself to lift her other foot was a surprisingly tough mental challenge.
It required overriding her instinctual understanding of balance and gravity. She struggled for quite a few moments, her mind wrestling with the concept of lifting the leg she was technically standing on.
As Thea adjusted to the unusual sensation of being anchored to the tree trunk, a fleeting thought crossed her mind, sparking a connection to a familiar pastime.
¡®This feels a bit like StarEngineers, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ She mused, recalling one of her favourite games from the arcade in Lumiosia.
StarEngineers was not just any game¡ªit was a fully immersive experience. It was one of the very few full-dive experiences available at the golden age arcade, complete with physical feedback suits that made the virtual world feel remarkably real.
In StarEngineers, players assumed the role of engineers aboard a space station, tasked with solving a variety of technical challenges. These ranged from patching up hull breaches to fixing electrical malfunctions and, most notably for Thea''s current situation, dealing with gravity generators.
The game often required players to navigate the station using magnetic-lock boots, a feature strikingly similar to what she was experiencing with the GravS.
¡®The principles of movement are quite similar to what I¡¯m trying to do right now, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ Thea thought, reassessing her approach to the GravS.
She decided to mentally frame the situation as if she were back in the arcade, playing StarEngineers and manoeuvring towards a gravity generator for repairs. This shift in perspective helped her recalibrate her mindset, making the task of lifting her foot seem less daunting.
With this new mindset, Thea tried to lift her ¡°standing¡± foot once again. After a few more moments of mental adjustment, she succeeded.
To her delight and surprise, she remained firmly anchored to the tree trunk, standing perpendicular to it as if defying gravity itself. The realisation that she had successfully adapted to and embraced the GravS technology for the first time filled her with a sense of achievement and wonder. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
It was one thing to magnetically lock yourself to a space station in zero-g, but another thing entirely to switch your entire gravitational pull on the surface of a planet.
The feeling was similar, but very much different when directly compared to one another.
A giggle escaped her as the thrill of the experience took over. ¡®This is incredible,¡¯ she thought, her excitement bubbling up.
The sensation of the GravS binding her to the tree was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was as if the tree had become the ground, and she could walk around it as easily as if she were on solid earth. She slowly started to move, her steps cautious at first but growing more confident as she circled the trunk.
¡®Moving around is definitely easier than the mag-lock boots in StarEngineers, yet I feel even more tightly attached to the tree than I ever did to the metal walls of the space station¡ This tech is definitely going on my to-study and to-buy lists, no question,¡¯ Thea decided, making a mental note to acquire both the actual piece of equipment, as well as any documentation she could find about it.
Looking around, she saw her squadmates still grappling with the initial step.
As Thea navigated around the tree trunk, getting more and more adept at the strange feeling of looking at the world from a completely different angle than usual, she took a moment to observe her fellow squad members.
Many of them hesitated, their bodies struggling to reconcile with the conflicting gravitational pull. Even Corvus was among them, evidently trying to acquaint himself with the GravS for the first time, just like the rest.
It dawned on her that her avid gaming experiences, particularly with StarEngineers at the arcade, had inadvertently prepared her for this very moment¡ªa realisation that amused and surprised her to equal degrees.
Her contemplation was interrupted by Isabella''s voice, tinged with a mix of frustration and disbelief. ¡°How the fuck are you doing this, Thea?! I can¡¯t¡ªTrying to lift my leg is absolutely impossible. I trust Corvus¡¯ words and I can see that it works because¡¡± She gestured wildly in Thea¡¯s direction, ¡°But I still can¡¯t lift my fucking leg¡?!¡± she exclaimed.
Thea could hear the bafflement in Isabella''s voice as she struggled to replicate Thea''s seemingly effortless adaptation to the GravS.
Thea approached Isabella, still walking along the trunk with ease.
She sympathised with Isabella¡¯s frustration; the sensation of defying gravity was not only counterintuitive but also required a significant shift in one''s perception of movement and balance. She considered how she could assist Isabella and the rest of the squad in adjusting to the GravS.
Her gaming experience provided a unique perspective, but the solution she had in mind gave her pause. ''Can this really work in reality as it did in the game¡?'' she wondered, questioning the practicality of her idea.
Reflecting on her early days with StarEngineers, she recalled her initial difficulty in navigating different planes using the mag-lock boots. Like her squadmates, she had struggled with the concept, often disengaging the boots to move to a different surface rather than smoothly transitioning from one plane to another, such as walking directly from a wall to the ceiling.
The breakthrough had come during a multiplayer session, where a more seasoned player had offered a somewhat unorthodox but effective method of teaching.
In a surprising move, the player had kicked Thea''s "standing" leg, the one that was on the floor, while simultaneously remote-disabling her mag-lock. This action forced Thea''s other leg, which had been attached to the wall, to become her primary support. It was a practical, albeit startling, lesson in adapting to multi-planar movement, showing her that transitioning from one surface to another was not as problematic as she had initially thought.
Now, as she considered sharing this experience with Isabella and the others, Thea weighed the potential risks and benefits of such a direct approach.
Could a similar method even work in the real world with the GravS, or was it too drastic for this situation? She knew the importance of quickly adapting to the GravS for their mission, but she also wanted to ensure that her advice would be helpful and safe for her squadmates.
Observing Isabella''s ongoing struggle with the GravS, Thea weighed her options before finally deciding to proceed with her unconventional idea. She rationalised, ''Isabella is arguably the toughest member of Alpha Squad. Though Lucas might have higher Vitality, Isabella is certainly more accustomed to rough-and-tumble situations. She''s likely to be fine with this, right?''
Thea carefully disengaged her GravS from the tree trunk, stepping back onto the solid ground. As she did so, she stumbled slightly, the sensation of shifting gravitational planes feeling just as odd as when she first experienced it. Regaining her balance, she turned her attention to Isabella, devising a quick plan to assist her.
Approaching Isabella, Thea offered some fabricated tips to help her focus on her legs. ¡°Just concentrate on the feeling in your feet,¡± she advised, trying to sound convincing while moving closely behind her. Isabella, following Thea''s guidance, firmly placed one foot on the trunk, her concentration evident as she attempted to lift her other leg.
Thea braced herself, reminding herself of Isabella''s resilience and strength, especially recalling their intense sparring sessions. She mentally prepared, knowing she couldn''t hesitate if this was going to work.
A few moments later, Isabella said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is working, Thea. I¡¯m trying but¡ª¡±
Seeing her chance Thea kicked out Isabella''s standing leg with a swift motion.
Isabella let out a yell, a mix of surprise and indignation, but to her astonishment, she found herself standing on one leg against the tree trunk, defying her expectations of tumbling to the ground.
Thea quickly offered an apology for the abrupt action, but Isabella cut her off, expressing gratitude instead. ¡°Thanks, Thea! I didn''t think it would be that simple¡ I guess that something like this was exactly what I needed,¡± she said, a hint of appreciation and surprise in her voice.
Isabella then took her first tentative steps along the trunk, perpendicular to the ground.
Seeing Isabella now confidently navigating the trunk, thanks to her intervention, was both gratifying and a little surreal.
Relieved that her unorthodox method had proven effective, Thea responded with a mix of honesty and nervous laughter. ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked out! I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it would help, but I thought you¡¯d be okay with it, even if it didn¡¯t pan out,¡± she said. Isabella, still adjusting to the disorienting new perspective, responded with a thumbs-up, her focus firmly on mastering her movements along the tree trunk.
With Isabella successfully acclimating to the GravS, Thea knew what she needed to do next: Help the rest of Alpha Squad get their feet off the ground¡ªquite literally.
She turned her attention to Lucas, planning to employ a similar approach with him. Given his high Vitality, Thea reasoned that he would be resilient enough to handle a forceful nudge, should it be necessary.
As Thea approached Lucas, ready to assist him in the same manner she had helped Isabella, she quickly discovered that her approach was less effective than anticipated.
¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch¡!¡± she winced, clutching her shin in pain. Her attempt to kick Lucas''s leg had backfired dramatically.
Lucas, unlike Isabella who had only worn her heavy armour, having dropped her backpack and weapons to the side for this test, was fully equipped in his ultra-heavy armour, complete with his fully-loaded backpack and the Stalwart slung over it.
When Thea tried to kick his leg, it was akin to striking an immovable object. It felt as if she had kicked a solid mountain, with a similarly useful outcome as if she truly had kicked one. It had absolutely no impact on Lucas and only provided a very painful outcome for herself.
Lucas, somewhat taken aback by the unexpected attempt, gave Thea a look that was a blend of surprise, amusement, and concern.
He quickly helped her find a spot to sit and rest her aching leg.
After Thea explained her intentions behind the kick, Lucas, while acknowledging the thought behind her strategy, suggested with a chuckle that the execution might need some refinement. However, he agreed that the concept could potentially work for the other squad members.
He encouraged Thea to continue assisting the rest of the squad while he worked on mastering the GravS on his own for now.
Thea, nursing her sore shin but motivated by Lucas''s encouragement, prepared to adjust her tactics and continue helping her fellow squad members adjust to the strange gravity-defying technology they needed to get a grip on for their infiltration¡
Fifteen minutes later, every member of Alpha Squad had successfully adapted to using the GravS, each managing to leave the ground and attach themselves to the trunk of the massive azure tree.
Thea had played a crucial role in this achievement.
After her experience with Lucas, she had adapted her strategy and successfully helped Corvus with a surprise kick. Corvus, having to acknowledge the effectiveness of Thea''s unorthodox approach, had then used a similar tactic to assist Desmond in overcoming the initial challenge as well, wanting to get the whole squad ready for the infiltration as quickly as possible.
When it came to helping Karania, Thea quickly realised that her intervention was completely unnecessary. Observing her friend, Thea couldn¡¯t help but grin and shake her head in amazement.
There was Karania, effortlessly hanging upside down from a branch, her boots the only point of contact. Karania had not only mastered the GravS on her own but seemed to be experimenting with various orientations and angles, fully embracing the altered gravitational perspective.
¡®Typical Kara¡¡¯ Thea thought affectionately.
¡®Just when I think I might have something to teach her, she¡¯s already miles ahead.¡¯ Watching Karania¡¯s ease and adaptability, Thea felt a mix of pride and mild frustration. Being friends with someone as naturally gifted as Karania was both inspiring and, at times, a little daunting.
It appeared there was scarcely anything Karania couldn¡¯t master, often leaving Thea feeling as though she was perpetually playing catch-up. Despite this, Thea appreciated the challenge and inspiration that came from having a friend like Karania, who continually set a high bar in everything she undertook.
Thea watched as Karania expertly manoeuvred from her aerial perch, a determined thought forming in her mind. ¡®One day, Kara. There will come a time when I¡¯ll have something to teach you, or I¡¯ll be able to help you with something,¡¯ she silently vowed, her gaze following Karania as she dexterously navigated from the branch, a dozen metres or so above her.
When Karania eventually rejoined the group on the ground and Alpha Squad had regrouped, Thea noted that Corvus had already signalled readiness to the other squads. While Alpha Squad had been mastering the GravS, Field and Arrow Squads hadn¡¯t been idle.
They had been conducting reconnaissance, formulating a strategic approach for the imminent infiltration operation.
Morin, taking the lead, began briefing the gathered marines. The three squads sat attentively, listening as he brought out 3D drone scans provided by Field Squad¡¯s drone operator. The images offered valuable insights into the terrain and potential obstacles they would face.
Beside Thea, Desmond muttered under his breath, ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡! I need to get myself one of these scanning drones...¡±
Thea felt a flicker of unexpected kinship with him at that moment, thinking to herself, ¡®It seems I¡¯m not the only one picking up new skills and insights on this mission. We¡¯ll have to do a big shopping day for Alpha Squad after this assessment is over, no doubt about that.¡¯
With a practised hand, Morin gestured towards the 3D scan projection of the wall in front of him, pointing out two specific areas highlighted in red and yellow. ¡°Thanks to Private Wells¡¯ excellent recon work, we¡¯ve identified these two sectors as our best entry points: Mark red and mark yellow,¡± he said, his tone indicating the strategic importance of the spots. To Thea, at first glance, these areas appeared indistinguishable from other sections of the wall.
Morin continued, his voice carrying a blend of confidence and authority. ¡°The guards at these locations seem less vigilant than elsewhere. Particularly, mark yellow lacks a dedicated marksman, which is unusual but definitely works in our favour. Our intel suggests they¡¯re mostly medium-armoured marines with standard assault rifles, which is similarly unusual. We believe the bulk of their more specialised forces, including snipers and heavy units, are currently engaged in the main conflict to the west. It seems Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s diversionary tactics are already having a profound impact, far beyond expectations.¡±
He shifted his stance, leaning in slightly to emphasise his next point. ¡°Field Squad will take the lead on mark yellow, ascending stealthily to then engage openly once they reach the top of the wall, drawing attention and creating the necessary diversion. This will pave the way for Sovereign Alpha and Arrow Squad to approach and scale the wall undetected.¡±
Pausing, Morin addressed Sovereign Alpha directly, his gaze sweeping across the members. ¡°A point to note for Sovereign Alpha: Diversion tactics like this aren¡¯t standard for infiltration missions. This approach is tailored to your current level of experience. Don¡¯t expect such accommodations in future assignments. If you aim to be counted among the elite, you¡¯ll need to adapt to more conventional infiltration methods going forward.¡±
Morin''s briefing continued as he gestured towards Viladia. ¡°Private Viladia¡¯s unique Ability will provide the stealth coverage for your approach,¡± he explained, his voice firm but clear. ¡°This, too, is an exception to the norm. Infiltration squads typically operate independently, each bringing their specialised skills to the table. However, for this mission, we''re leveraging our combined strengths for maximum effectiveness and to get you on the opposite side of that wall for your assessment.¡±
His tone underscored the importance of inter-squad collaboration, yet also highlighted the need for self-reliance. ¡°Remember, as UHF Marines aspiring to elite status, you must evolve to handle missions autonomously, without reliance on external support.¡±
After a brief pause, Morin''s expression softened into a familiar grin, reminiscent of the more relaxed version of himself that Thea remembered from the Strike One mission. ¡°Alright, let''s drop the formalities,¡± he said, his grin widening.
¡°It''s time to kick some freak ass.¡± The shift from formal briefing to rallying call was marked and deliberate, igniting a spark of competitiveness and determination in Thea and the marines around her.
The reactions of her squadmates, a mix of nodding heads and determined expressions, reflected a collective eagerness and readiness. Thea felt a sense of pride swell within her. ¡®This is the kind of team I''ve always wanted to be a part of. No excuses, no whining, just a shared commitment to excellence and improvement. That''s what it takes to reach the top.¡¯
For Thea, being part of an elite squad wasn¡¯t just a goal; it was a necessity.
After all, without being an elite, she would never reach the #1 spot on the leaderboards¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 82 - Infiltration I
As Morin concluded his briefing, Field Squad, designated for the assault on "mark yellow," started to diverge from Sovereign Alpha and Arrow Squad. They headed eastward, moving stealthily towards their assigned location.
In the meantime, the remaining marines engaged in final checks and preparations.
Thea, along with her squadmates, meticulously ensured that their gear was secured tightly, minimising any chance of noise.
Despite knowing that Viladia¡¯s stealth bubble would mask any sounds they made, Thea understood the importance of not overburdening the ability. Every extra noise they made could potentially strain the effectiveness of the stealth coverage.
Engrossed in securing her own equipment, Thea was momentarily distracted by a familiar voice addressing her. ¡°You look a lot better, Patchwork. Glad to see you¡¯ve been taken care of properly after that clusterfuck of a mission.¡± The nickname and the voice instantly brought a smile to her face.
Looking up, she saw Morin standing before her.
His presence was a comforting reminder of the bond forged during their previous mission. Unable to conceal her joy, her smile widened as she met his gaze. ¡°As am I. It¡¯s really good to see you again, Morin,¡± she responded warmly.
Morin subtly leaned in, adopting a conspiratorial tone as he initiated the conversation he had specifically come over for.
He spoke in a hushed voice, ensuring their discussion remained private. ¡°Listen, Thea. If you experience any of your unique premonitions, like you did with the Seeker mines, make sure to let us know, okay? Both Arrow and Field have been briefed about having a burgeoning psyker in our ranks¡ªalthough nobody but Johnsen, Viladia and I know who exactly. If something urgent comes up and you need to quickly communicate, just prefix or suffix your warning with ¡®Psy¡¯. It¡¯s a simple code to signal an imminent psychic insight.¡±
Thea, caught off guard by Morin¡¯s suggestion, hadn¡¯t anticipated being singled out for her psychic abilities. She recognized the practicality of having a rapid communication method for her premonitions but was concerned about the limitations of her powers, as they were primarily oriented towards personal foresight.
She was about to express this concern when Morin pre-empted her, his hands held up in a disarming way, ¡°I am, of course, aware that your psychic abilities are more self-directed than that. But consider it a safety measure, in case you perceive any broader threats. It¡¯s always better to have a way to alert us, rather than regretting the lack of one later. Our top priority is to keep everyone safe, after all.¡± He concluded the brief but significant conversation with an encouraging grin and a reassuring thumbs-up before he abruptly turned heel and walked away.
This exchange left Thea with a newfound sense of responsibility and inclusion.
She pondered Morin''s words, realising that her Psychic Powers could serve a purpose beyond her personal ambitions. Until now, she had primarily viewed them as a tool, merely a means to climb the leaderboards.
However, Morin''s perspective opened a new avenue of thought for her.
''He''s absolutely right. These abilities could be a valuable asset for the squad''s safety and the success of our missions, if I learned how to use them in more broad strokes, not merely centred on myself,'' she reflected, contemplating the broader applications of her powers as she completed her final equipment checks.
Despite this newfound realisation, Thea remained cautious, ''I need to be very careful, though. I can''t risk triggering that stupid psychic gate thing again... Maybe I should consult Viladia about it? She seems quite knowledgeable about Psykers and their capabilities.''
Looking around for Viladia, Thea spotted her engaged in a quiet discussion with Morin and Medic Johnsen a short distance away. Not wanting to interrupt, she decided to postpone her inquiry. ''It looks like Viladia''s occupied right now. I¡¯ll find another time to talk to her about it,'' Thea thought, refocusing on her immediate tasks.
She hoisted her backpack and meticulously checked her gear one last time, ensuring everything was secure and silent. Satisfied that she was fully prepared, she gave Corvus a subtle nod to indicate her readiness. Thea¡¯s thoughts continued to linger on the potential of her Psychic Powers, not just for personal gain but as a strategic tool for the well-being of her team, as she looked over the rest of the squad.
Karania and Isabella, having completed their preparations earlier, were already at the ready. They stood beside Corvus, engaging in light conversation to pass the time. Their relaxed demeanour and readiness contrasted with the hustle of some other squad members.
Lucas, in particular, was deeply engrossed in organising his gear.
Thea understood the reason behind his meticulousness. As the squad¡¯s defensive heavy, he not only carried the largest equipment but also the most varied assortment of items.
His role as the de facto pack-mule, bolstered by his unique physical constitution and a weight-reducing Ability, meant his backpack was brimming with supplies essential for the entire squad. Ensuring that every piece of equipment was secure and silent for their stealth mission was no small task, and Lucas was diligently making sure everything was in order.
Meanwhile, Desmond was engaged with one of his drones, capturing Thea¡¯s interest. She watched as he expertly opened up the drone and began tweaking its internal electronics.
The sight of Desmond confidently and precisely working on the sophisticated machinery in a field setting was unexpected for Thea. She had not anticipated that field modifications of new-tech like his drones were feasible, let alone that Desmond possessed such a comparatively high level of technical skill.
Observing his adept handling of the drone¡¯s intricate components, she reconsidered her previous estimation of his abilities.
¡®I didn¡¯t realise he was so proficient with his tech. Maybe I¡¯ve been underestimating him,¡¯ Thea reflected, wondering how he had gotten to this level of expertise.
Ultimately, however, she was just trying to pass some time with these mental exercises. She was impatiently waiting for the mission to start¡
Just as it seemed that the rest of the squad was finishing up their work, Thea was suddenly inundated by a slew of System Notifications that startled her.
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[System]: Messages have been grouped by related content for streamlined reading. To revert to the raw format, Participant may adjust settings using the standard procedures.
[System]: You have received 13 Contribution Points, 25 System Merit and 53 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 324 Contribution Points, 443 System Merit and 822 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Assault on Nova Tertius¡±.
[System]: You have received 150 Contribution Points, 185 System Merit and 415 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 4.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 4.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 4.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 4.
[System]: Agile Stealth has reached Level 4.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 1.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 2.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 3.
[System]: You have reached Level 7.
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As Thea sifted through the list of notifications on her System interface, she pieced together the reason for their delayed arrival. ''It''s been about two hours since we left the combat zone. That would explain why these are popping up now...'' she thought, making sense of the System''s timing.
However, as she delved into the details of her notifications, a wave of irritation washed over her. ''My combat score took a hit because of those stupid duplicate enemies! That Faction Trait really messes up my whole score!'' She grumbled internally.
Thea briefly toyed with the idea of using her newly acquired Attribute Points to enhance her abilities before the mission as well. However, she quickly dismissed the thought. ''No, it''s too risky. I can''t afford to trigger that psychic gate thing again, not when we''re this close to the enemy lines. And what if the enemy has a Psyker who can detect such surges? That would put everyone in danger unnecessarily and ruin everything.''
Her thoughts then drifted to a puzzling observation. ''Why haven''t I encountered any Psykers yet anyway? It stands to reason that some Tier 1s, particularly those closer to Tier 1 Prime, would have Psychic Abilities by now¡ But I guess they would try to keep hidden, especially from a sniper. But at least on the UHF side I would have expected to have met one by now, but no dice, huh? Are they really that rare¡?¡¯
Thea felt a sense of satisfaction regarding the Ability experience she had gained over the last few days and this last mission in particular. Most of her Abilities had now reached Level 4, and a select few were tantalisingly close to achieving Level 5, with [Penetrative Shot] being the prime candidate. The prospect of unlocking the Level 5 alterations was an exciting one.
"Just a few more shots..." she whispered under her breath, a mischievous grin playing on her lips at the thought of further developing and specialising her Abilities.
Her reverie was broken as Lucas and Desmond finally signalled to Corvus that they too were prepared. With the entire squad now ready, they awaited the final cue from Field Squad.
All that was left now was for Field Squad to give the signal for their infiltration and the subsequent, real mission of their assessment to begin¡
After what felt like an interminable wait, the much-anticipated signal from Arrow Squad finally arrived, indicating that Field Squad had initiated the operation.
The moment marked the commencement of their operation. Sovereign Alpha quickly rallied, joining forces with Arrow Squad. They huddled close to Viladia, mindful to maintain a compact formation without crowding each other, in preparation for the activation of her Ability.
Thea watched intently as Viladia began the process, a sense of awe accompanying the familiar ritual. Viladia extended her arms on either side, her posture commanding and focused.
Then, with a dramatic gesture, she clenched her fists, as if grasping at unseen threads in the air. Thea observed the strain in Viladia''s posture, visible even beneath her armour, creating the real impression that she was exerting force on the very fabric of reality itself.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
She struggled for a while, as she pulled her fists closer and closer together, until finally, Viladia¡¯s fists met and the world around them abruptly transformed.
Their surroundings were enveloped in a hazy, water-like shimmer, a clear indicator of the potency of Viladia¡¯s Ability. The bubble-like veil that encompassed them muted the sounds of the Azure Forest, erased the natural scents, and dimmed the daylight into a mute dark-grey.
It was as if they had stepped into a separate realm, a place disconnected from the external world.
Thea immediately noticed that the stealth bubble Viladia conjured this time was distinct from the one used during the Strike One mission.
Its size had been substantially increased to encompass the larger group and their equipment, a necessary adjustment given the expanded number of individuals and the additional gear they carried.
However, it wasn¡¯t just the size that was different; the density of the bubble seemed significantly greater as well.
During the Strike One mission, the bubble had been slightly transparent, allowing Thea to perceive the outside world, though through a hazy veil. In contrast, the current bubble¡¯s opacity was so pronounced that it rendered the outside environment virtually invisible. The massive trees of the Azure Forest, which were ordinarily unmistakable due to their size, were now completely obscured by the dense haze of the bubble, merely appearing as dark specks behind a raging waterfall.
The other members of Sovereign Alpha were visibly taken aback by the bubble''s interior, their expressions a mix of awe and surprise. They were clearly impressed by the potent manifestation of Viladia''s Ability.
Thea''s attention was drawn to Karania, whose face was a picture of unfiltered wonder, her mouth agape in an ''O'' of amazement.
Thea couldn¡¯t suppress a smile at Karania¡¯s reaction. ¡®I must have had the same look of astonishment the first time I experienced Viladia¡¯s Ability,¡¯ she thought, reminiscing about her own initial encounter with the bubble.
The experience of being within the confines of a Platinum-rarity Ability was something Thea and her squadmates could only marvel at in their current stage as marines. Being enveloped by Viladia¡¯s extraordinary stealth bubble felt almost magical, an eye-opening revelation of the heights they could potentially reach in their careers. The first hand exposure to such a high-level ability was not just impressive; it was inspiring.
Viladia, aware of the need to coordinate their movements, signalled the group with a silent ¡°let¡¯s move¡± gesture. She began to advance slowly, setting a measured pace to allow the rest of the squads to adjust to the nuances of moving within the bubble.
The group¡¯s movement required careful synchronisation; they had to maintain a close proximity to Viladia to remain concealed by her Ability. Quick or erratic movements were not an option, as they risked straying from the protective veil.
As Thea carefully navigated within the confines of Viladia''s bubble, she remained vigilant about the positioning of her squadmates, especially Lucas and Isabella. Their heavy- and ultra-heavy-type armours and large weapons necessitated extra caution to ensure no part of their gear inadvertently breached the veil''s boundary. This aspect of their movement was critical; even a minor slip could compromise their stealth.
Thea''s previous experience with Viladia¡¯s bubble gave her an edge in adapting to its nuances. She felt more at ease with the movement required within the bubble¡¯s confines, a familiarity that helped guide her actions and allow her to spare some extra attention for her squad mates.
However, Arrow Squad, even more accustomed to operating alongside Viladia, displayed an even higher level of proficiency. Their ease of movement within the bubble was evident.
As Viladia¡¯s primary special-mission squad, they had likely completed countless operations under her stealthy protection. Their effortless synchronisation with Sovereign Alpha¡¯s movements, deftly adjusting to accommodate any missteps, was a testament to their extensive experience.
Observing Arrow Squad''s seamless integration of Sovereign Alpha and expert manoeuvring within the veil, Thea found herself wondering about their extensive history of covert operations. ¡®Just how many Alpha Squads have they guided and protected like this during assessments in the past?¡¯ she pondered absent-mindedly.
As they ventured beyond the Azure Forest''s natural cover, the squad transitioned onto the barren no-man¡¯s-land that lay between the dense foliage and the imposing wall. The ground beneath their boots shifted to the ashen, sand-like texture of the ashen wasteland. This change in environment brought with it a palpable shift in the atmosphere within Viladia¡¯s veil.
The realisation that they were now fully exposed, with no natural cover to shield them, heightened the tension among the squad members. Their reliance on Viladia''s stealth bubble for protection became more pronounced and crucial, it being the sole difference between life and death.
Even the seasoned veterans of Arrow Squad, who had forged a deep trust with Viladia through countless missions, displayed signs of heightened alertness. The unease of stepping into an open battlefield, heavily guarded by formidable defences, never seemed to diminish, no matter how experienced one was. The reliance on a System Ability for protection in such a vulnerable setting was inherently unsettling.
Thea found herself musing on the psychology of stealth and visibility, to try and lighten her own tension. ¡®Perhaps if the Ability rendered us translucent, instead of this strange bubble, it might ease the tension. In the arcade games back home, developers often used translucency to denote stealth, providing a visual cue of being hidden yet present. It always seemed to reduce anxiety about being exposed¡ I wonder if that¡¯s something Viladia can choose, somehow? I should ask her about it someday.¡¯
As they advanced, the initial tension within Viladia''s bubble gradually stabilised as Sovereign Alpha adapted to the constraints and rhythm of moving under its cover.
Roughly three minutes into their trek, a subtle but significant interaction occurred.
Viladia signalled to Medic Johnsen, who promptly stepped forward. Closing his eyes, he placed a hand gently on her back.
Thea observed this exchange and pieced together the implications, having been on the receiving end of this interaction more than once already. ''She¡¯s already out of Focus¡? I guess the massively increased size and density of the bubble makes this a lot more draining,'' she surmised, concern for Viladia creeping into her thoughts.
Thea guessed that maintaining such a large veil over the expanse of the ashen wasteland and the subsequent climb up the wall would be a formidable challenge, especially if Viladia was already experiencing strain merely a couple dozen metres into their journey.
As the unit of marines pressed on toward the wall, enveloped in Viladia¡¯s veil, the atmosphere within the bubble gradually shifted.
The initial tension that had plateaued began to evolve into a heightened state of alertness.
Moving through the ashen wasteland, the marines were unable to see, hear, or smell anything beyond the bubble''s confines. This sensory isolation began to take its toll, leading to occasional missteps among some members of Sovereign Alpha.
Thea, ever vigilant for exactly these missteps, quickly intervened to prevent these minor errors from escalating into major mishaps. Her focus was razor-sharp, her eyes constantly scanning her squadmates, ensuring they remained safe and undetected.
This hyper-awareness served a dual purpose for Thea.
Not only did it keep her squad secure, but it also helped her combat her own feelings of sensory deprivation. She recalled her previous experience under the veil, where extended exposure had left her struggling significantly with the lack of external stimuli.
This time, however, by keeping her attention firmly on her teammates, she found a way to mitigate the disorienting effects of the bubble.
As they continued their cautious approach, Viladia signalled once more to Johnsen, a clear indication that she required another Focus Link.
Thea, observing this exchange, felt a growing concern. ''Vi relied on just a single Focus Link during the entire Strike One mission, and now she''s already needed two, just for this first part. And it''s taking a toll on Medic Johnsen too,'' she noted with apprehension.
She watched Johnsen step back after linking with Viladia, allowing her to resume leading the unit. He then administered Focus Boosters to himself, a necessary measure to replenish his depleted resources.
Thea, having been part of a smaller-scale operation like this before, could see the strain the presence of Sovereign Alpha was placing on Arrow Squad during this particular operation.
Despite the additional burden, the members of Arrow Squad showed no signs of hesitation or complaint. They carried out their duties with unwavering dedication, fully committed to the success of the mission.
This realisation sparked a sense of urgency in Thea. ''We need to grow stronger, and quickly. Relying this much on others doesn¡¯t sit well with me at all. I can¡¯t stand feeling like dead-weight¡ And I bet the rest are thinking the same thing,'' she thought, the discomfort of being overly dependent fueling her determination. She was burning to get to show off her skills again and shoot some Stellar Republic soldiers, to prove that she deserved to be here as part of the elite squads.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as they made their way towards the wall, each step measured and cautious. Eventually, Viladia signalled a halt, raising a closed fist.
Thea, who hadn''t even realised she was holding her breath in tense anticipation, exhaled deeply at the sight. The massive rock-crete wall loomed before them, its imposing structure momentarily breaking through the confines of the veil.
Almost instantly, Morin, Moira, and Crusher sprang into action.
They confidently took a few steps up the wall, now moving perpendicular to the ground in a display of adept use of the GravS. Thea watched in awe as they effortlessly defied gravity, ascending the wall with practised ease a couple of metres, as far up as they could go, without leaving the confines of the bubble.
Morin then gestured to Corvus, indicating it was time for the first group from Sovereign Alpha to ascend. This group consisted of Isabella, Lucas, and Thea.
Under normal circumstances, Thea would have been part of the second group, but the decision to place her in the advancing group was strategic. Her potential for psychic precognition, despite the low probability of it manifesting in a timely and useful manner, was a tactical advantage they couldn''t overlook.
Karania, Desmond, and Corvus would follow them, ensuring the team remained balanced and ready to adapt to any unforeseen challenges. Thea understood the rationale behind this arrangement and Morin''s philosophy resonated with her in this moment: It was always preferable to attempt to tip the odds in one''s favour, rather than resigning to potential failure.
This proactive approach, seeking even the slightest edge, was a mindset Thea appreciated and wanted to include in her own more and more, going forward. It was the mindset of somebody that had walked the path of an elite for a while now; somebody worthy of imitation.
Perched high on the wall, having moved up almost immediately alongside the members of Arrow Squad, Thea observed as Lucas and Isabella momentarily grappled with their initial reluctance to trust the GravS fully.
However, their resolve quickly solidified, and they confidently stepped onto the wall, ascending to join Thea and the already positioned members of Arrow Squad.
In a discreet gesture meant only for Lucas and Isabella, Thea gave a subtle thumbs-up, her pride in their rapid adaptation and courage clear, even if her face was obscured. She hoped her gesture would reassure and encourage them, a silent commendation for how swiftly they had overcome their earlier apprehensions.
Their progress was a clear indication that the earlier emergency training with the GravS was paying massive dividends already.
Following their lead, the remaining members of the unit began their ascent, with Viladia leading the second group. As she moved upwards, the protective bubble moved with her, enveloping the climbers in its hazy shield.
Soon, all the marines assigned to the mission were aligned vertically against the Stellar Republic''s formidable wall, defying gravity with their GravS.
Thea mentally calculated the challenges ahead. ¡®We have about 200 metres of vertical ascent,¡¯ she estimated, cautiously advancing upwards. Her focus was split between her ascent and keeping a watchful eye on her unit, ensuring everyone''s safety as they climbed as much as she could.
Ahead, Isabella and Lucas formed a protective barrier with their heavily armoured bodies, with Lucas bracing his Stalwart shield overhead to guard against any unexpected threats from above. Nearby, Crusher mirrored his actions, creating an overlapping shield formation above Viladia.
This strategic placement ensured that Viladia, central to the success of their stealth approach, was doubly protected.
As they continued the vertical climb, Thea found the experience more challenging than she had anticipated. The unusual orientation, combined with the sensory isolation inside Viladia¡¯s bubble, made it difficult to gauge their progress.
The lack of visual and auditory feedback from the outside world created a disconcerting sense of stagnation, as if they were moving without actually getting anywhere. This unique combination of factors was proving to be a significant mental strain for Thea.
''I really wish I had some way to know how much further we have to go until we reach the top¡ª'' Her train of thought was abruptly shattered by a sudden clenching in her chest, coupled with a jarring noise.
CLUNK.
The loud sound of a heavy metal object impacting Lucas'' Stalwart shield reverberated through the bubble, startling Thea.
The noise was mere metres above her, a stark reminder of the dangers they faced even under the veil of stealth. The suddenness of the sound in the otherwise muted environment of the bubble was especially alarming.
The object that had struck Lucas'' Stalwart shield bounced downwards, and as it descended towards Thea, her eyes widened in horror. The falling object was not just debris, but the body of a dead Stellar Republic soldier, fully armoured and now hurtling straight towards her.
The realisation hit her with a jolt of fear. Thea''s mind raced.
There was no time to move out of the path of the descending body.
Acting on instinct, she crouched as close to the wall as possible, trying to make herself as small as she could. Despite her efforts, the heavy body of the soldier, having fallen from a height of at least a hundred metres above herself and only slightly slowed by its collision with the Stalwart, slammed into her with brutal force.
The impact was jarring and disorienting.
Thea felt the crushing weight of the soldier''s armour against her body, and a sharp pain shot through her torso, just as the collision disrupted the GravS¡¯ hold on her.
The planet¡¯s gravity instantly reclaimed her, pulling her downwards. Simultaneously, her psychic premonition flared even higher, a visceral warning of imminent danger that only added to the chaos of the moment.
Struggling against the disorienting mix of pain, severe psychic distress and the feeling of freely falling to an inevitable death, Thea was overwhelmed.
Unable to think properly, she resorted to the only thing she instinctively knew that could grant her some extra time to figure things out.
¡®Sensory Overdrive.¡¯
Arc 1 - Chapter 83 - Infiltration II
Time seemed to slow as Thea¡¯s Perception sky-rocketed, her world seeming to enter a surreal state of arrested motion. Every detail around her became acutely vivid, each moment stretching out as if she was falling through thick, resistant molasses.
She watched, almost in a detached manner, as she descended past the first members of the second group. The faces beneath their visors were blurred streaks in her hyper-aware vision, but she could see the shock and concern etched on their features.
Medic Johnsen''s face came into view, his head turning in a slow, almost laborious motion as he tracked her falling form. His expression, a mixture of surprise, fear and helplessness, was etched clearly in her mind.
Thea''s brain raced, processing her situation with incredible speed.
''I need to do something, anything, to break my fall,'' she thought urgently.
The idea of reactivating her GravS crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it as too risky¡ªthe devices might not reengage in time, could malfunction due to the shock of the impact, or worse, actually engage and abruptly halt her stop, utterly shattering both of her legs and her back from the extreme forces of an immediate halt.
She scanned her surroundings, desperately looking for something, anything, that could help. ''Can I grab onto someone? No, that would just pull them down with me. Is there any protrusion on the wall I can grab?!''
Thea''s eyes darted frantically over the smooth surface of the rock-crete wall as she continued her perilous descent. The rock-crete wall was as smooth as ice when it came to providing any sort of grip or ledge to arrest her fall. The featureless expanse offered nothing¡ªno cracks, no outcroppings, not even the smallest irregularity that she might use to her advantage.
It was a sheer and unyielding barrier, offering no quarter to her desperate plight.
In the midst of her frantic search for a solution, another idea sparked in her mind. Her Spectre armour was equipped with grappling hook modules; the very same one she had used during the final part of the ¡®Strike One¡¯ mission earlier in the assessment.
''Could I use them to latch onto the wall?'' she wondered.
But almost as quickly as the idea formed, doubts followed. The extreme forces exerted by her rapid descent would be immense. Even if she managed to fire the hooks and they successfully attached to the wall, the likelihood of them simply ripping out of the rock-crete was high.
While rock-crete was incredibly durable in large structures, its composition also made it brittle when subjected to concentrated, high-impact forces. It was likely to shatter or crumble rather than provide a reliable anchor point for her grappling hooks.
Thea''s mind raced, her thoughts a whirlwind of calculations and scenarios, each more desperate than the last. The cold realisation that she might not find a viable solution in time was terrifying, yet she refused to succumb to panic.
Every option presenting itself to her seemed fraught with risk, but doing nothing was not an option either. She knew she had only moments to act before hitting the ground with a potentially fatal impact.
In the midst of her frantic mental scramble, Thea''s eyes caught a rapid movement from Karania, who was positioned towards the bottom of the second group. Even amidst her accelerated Perception, Karania''s actions unfolded with astonishing speed.
Thea watched in awe as her friend''s left hand underwent a rapid transformation. Bones morphed and extended into large, scalpel-like claws, reminiscent of the ones Thea had experienced firsthand during their sparring session.
With a swift and decisive motion, Karania plunged her newly formed claws into the rock-crete wall. The claws sliced through the material with an ease that belied its hardness, embedding themselves firmly. Almost simultaneously, Karania extended her right hand towards Thea.
The offer of aid was clear, a lifeline in the literal sense, but it was also a moment fraught with critical decision-making. Thea had to quickly determine whether to trust in Karania''s ability to arrest her fall without endangering them both or risk pulling her best friend down with her.
As she rapidly approached Karania, Thea¡¯s mind raced with doubts and calculations.
''There¡¯s no way she can catch me by herself, not with just her arm embedded in the wall...'' was her initial thought. But almost immediately, she reconsidered. ''But Kara... she¡¯s not just anyone. She¡¯s a literal genius. She wouldn¡¯t risk this, wouldn¡¯t risk both of our lives, if she hadn¡¯t thought it through. So, what am I missing here? What¡¯s her plan?''
Time was a luxury Thea didn¡¯t have.
Her [Sensory Overdrive] was buying her precious moments, slowing her perception of time enough to observe, process, and strategize. Yet, even this extraordinary ability had its bounds, and Thea was hurtling towards the point of no return. If she delayed any longer, she would miss her chance to grasp Karania¡¯s outstretched hand.
In the fleeting instants before reaching that critical juncture, a realisation dawned on Thea, cementing her decision in an instant. ''Kara alone can¡¯t stop my fall, but she¡¯s not expecting to! She¡¯s relying on me to play my part too, to be an active participant in my own rescue.''
This insight into Karania¡¯s likely calculations spurred Thea into action.
With a swift motion, Thea reached out with her cybernetic right hand to clasp Karania¡¯s own cybernetic arm. Simultaneously, she activated her grappling hooks, firing them towards the wall.
As Thea¡¯s metallic fingers started wrapping themselves around Karania¡¯s cybernetic wrist, she was acutely aware of the limitations of her own equipment and Karania''s physical capabilities. Individually, neither of their actions would suffice; her grappling hooks were not designed to arrest such a high-velocity fall and would likely rip out of the rock-crete under the strain, while Karania, despite her anchored position, could not physically halt the momentum of Thea''s descent alone.
Yet, Thea was banking on the combination of their efforts to create a synergy that could just save her life. This was more than a mere hope; it was a calculated risk based on her understanding of Karania''s intellect and her own quick assessment of the situation. The brief window of time dilated by her [Sensory Overdrive] had given her just enough leeway to formulate this plan.
Now, as her body committed to the action, Thea knew there was no turning back.
Any modifications to her plan were out of the question.
Her heightened Perception allowed her to observe, process and command at incredible speeds, but the physical reality of her body¡¯s capabilities and the laws of physics were unyielding. Her body couldn''t possibly adjust its actions as rapidly as her mind could conceive of new strategies while under the influence of [Sensory Overdrive].
As her metallic fingers finished wrapping around, secured a grip on Karania''s wrist and her grappling hooks embedded themselves into the wall, Thea felt an abrupt, jarring deceleration.
The combined forces of Karania¡¯s anchored arm and the grappling hooks engaging with the wall began to counteract her descent immediately.
¡®Skystep.¡¯
In a desperate attempt to further slow her descent, Thea activated the only Ability she thought might aid her. It was a risky move, fueled by the urgency of the situation. The moment her feet made contact with the hastily summoned platform, the impact was too much for it to bear. The platform shattered instantly under the force, unable to withstand the momentum of her fall, sending jolts of pain through her legs.
The brief respite and slowdown it offered came with an even heavier price, however.
A piercing, unbearable pain erupted from the left side of her torso.
The sensation was unmistakable¡ªthe sharp agony indicative of multiple broken ribs, a direct consequence of the collision with the tumbling body that had precipitated her perilous fall. She could almost feel the shattered bones pressing dangerously against her internal organs as her body was abruptly slowing down.
Despite the intense, overwhelming pain that threatened to consume her focus, Thea forced herself to cling to the sliver of hope that her desperate, split-second plan might yet spare her from a fatal impact.
Her mind, still racing with the heightened awareness provided by her [Sensory Overdrive], was acutely tuned to the precariousness of her situation. Thea understood the gravity of her injuries and the narrow margin between life and death she was now navigating.
This plan, a fusion of her quick thinking and Karania''s rapid response, was all she had. She held tightly to Karania''s arm, the physical connection a lifeline in more ways than one.
Thea''s hope, however fragile, was shattered in an instant.
There was a sudden, heart-stopping lurch as Karania''s arm dislocated from its socket, her face contorting in an expression of acute pain. Remarkably, despite the agony, Karania managed to stifle any outcry, maintaining a stoic silence.
Thea, still in the grip of her heightened Perception, saw with painful clarity that her continued momentum would only exacerbate Karania''s injury, possibly causing irreversible harm.
She noticed, with a sinking heart, the blood pooling around Karania''s other arm, the one embedded in the rock-crete wall. The material around the claws had already begun to crumble under the strain from the initial impact.
It was a clear, unmistakable sign that Karania was reaching her physical limits.
With a silent, heartfelt expression of gratitude towards Karania, Thea made the difficult decision to release her grip. Much to her surprise, Karania seemed to anticipate this decision, releasing her cybernetic grip at the same moment. Thea had braced herself for a struggle, for Karania to stubbornly hold on, but reality unfolded differently.
A bittersweet scoff escaped Thea as she fell away, her mind racing with a mixture of admiration, resignation, and self-reproach. ''I just wasn''t clever enough to understand your entire plan, Kara. I¡¯m sorry,'' she thought apologetically, her respect for her friend''s intelligence mingled with a tinge of regret for her own misunderstanding.
Before she could fully process these thoughts, however, another wave of agony tore through her body. It was a jolt of pain so intense and all-consuming that it dwarfed all previous sensations.
Thea''s descent was abruptly halted by her broken left arm, the same limb that had been severely injured along with her ribs from the initial impact with the falling body.
The sudden stop was agonising, the force of her halted momentum exacerbating her already severe injuries. Under normal circumstances, the intense pain would have been enough to render her unconscious, but the adrenaline flooding her system kept her grimly aware.
Her vision, clouded, blurry and tear-filled by the sheer intensity of her suffering, failed to discern what had arrested her fall. All she knew amidst the haze of pain was that her rapid descent had fully ceased. A small, almost inconsequential part of her mind registered this fact, providing a scant moment of relief in the ocean of agony she was drowning in.
As her heightened state of Perception from the [Sensory Overdrive] began to wane as well, the elongated moments of her fall, which had felt like an agonising eternity, started to recede.
Her Perception was returning to its normal state, the world around her gradually, yet quickly accelerating back to its usual pace. The brief respite her ability had provided was fading, leaving her to confront the grim reality of her situation without the buffer of slowed time.
She was left hanging, battered and in pain, clinging to the precipice between life and death, as the world rushed back to its usual, relentless rhythm.
Thea was suddenly and unexpectedly hauled upward by the arm that had miraculously caught her mid-fall, a fresh wave of excruciating pain surged through her body. The intensity of the agony was such that she could barely muster the strength to react.
Involuntary groans of pain slipped through her clenched teeth. Despite the overwhelming pain, a part of her mind remained acutely conscious of their covert mission. She made every effort to suppress her cries, keenly aware that even within the relative safety of Viladia¡¯s veil, they were not completely shielded from detection.
Moments later, additional hands were upon her, swiftly but carefully examining her condition.
Then, almost as suddenly as she had been caught, Thea felt a dramatic shift in her orientation. The GravS, seemingly reactivated by her rescuers, pulled her firmly against the wall. The abrupt change in gravity, though disorienting, was a small mercy compared to the free fall.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Being finally secured against the wall, Thea mouthed a weak, silent "thank you," directed at the vague figures of her saviours. Her gratitude was genuine, though she could barely focus on who they were through the haze of pain and dizziness.
Desperate to regain some semblance of clarity, she blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the tears and blur that obscured her vision.
As clarity gradually returned to Thea''s vision, she found herself looking into the faces of two unexpected individuals: Desmond, Sovereign Alpha¡¯s drone specialist, and Medic Johnsen.
The sight of Desmond, nursing his own arms with evident pain and discomfort, immediately helped Thea piece together the events of her fall.
The realisation hit her with a mix of gratitude and guilt. ''Desmond caught me when Karania let go. It wasn''t a random snag my arm got caught on; he grabbed my arm in time. He''s the one who saved me.''
While she was still processing this, Medic Johnsen was already at work, examining her injuries with a professional yet somewhat brusque manner. His methods, while effective, were not gentle, causing Thea to wince as he prodded and tested her injured arm and ribs.
Each touch sent fresh waves of pain radiating through her body, but she understood the necessity of his rough examination.
Soon after, Medic Johnsen paused and shot her a look, one that seemed to mix inquiry with a touch of annoyance. It was clear he was assessing whether she was capable of continuing the mission under her own power. Thea, despite the pain, quickly nodded in affirmation.
She didn''t want to be a further burden and was determined to push through her injuries.
Thea couldn''t help but reflect on her situation with a sense of self-reproach. ''This is the second time I''ve needed Medic Johnsen''s help in just as many encounters. I¡¯ve somehow managed to turn each mission we''re on together into a disaster for myself. I¡¯m not exactly making a good impression.''
The thought weighed on her, adding a layer of frustration to her already troubled mind.
She was keenly aware of how her repeated injuries might be perceived, especially by someone whose job it was to tend to countless marine¡¯s health.
As Medic Johnsen completed his brief assessment of Thea''s condition, he turned his attention toward the rest of the group, who had halted their ascent the moment Thea began to fall. With a practised hand signal, he indicated that it was time to resume the mission.
Almost immediately, his directive was acknowledged with a series of coordinated gestures from the various members of the unit, signalling their understanding and readiness to proceed. In a synchronised manner, the group resumed their vertical journey, each member methodically moving up the wall.
Thea, meanwhile, focused on retracting her grappling hooks.
The first hook had come loose during her fall, its failure a stark reminder of the close call she''d just experienced. The second hook, though it had managed to hold, was barely clinging to the wall, its grip tenuous at best. It was clear that without Desmond''s timely intervention, her situation would undoubtedly have been much worse. As she dealt with her equipment, a surge of frustration and self-reproach welled up inside her.
''That was way too close... I can''t believe my precognition failed to give me adequate warning about the body falling. If it had, I could have avoided this entire mess,'' she thought bitterly.
The idea that her own abilities had somehow failed her at a critical moment was infuriating. ''Instead of dodging the danger, I ended up looking like a fool and getting seriously injured. What''s the point of having these powers and dealing with all of this Psychic Gate shit, if they can''t even warn me about something like this?''
Thea''s thoughts were a tumultuous mix of anger, frustration, and disappointment.
She had always relied on her abilities to give her an edge, to keep her one step ahead of danger. This incident, however, had shaken her confidence in her psychic prowess.
The realisation that her abilities might have limitations or blind spots was a bitter pill to swallow, and it left her questioning not just her precognition but her reliance on it.
As Thea methodically made her way up the wall alongside the rest of the unit, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, grappling with the recent failure of her precognition.
''Why didn''t it give me enough warning this time? The alert was so brief, there was no chance for me to act on it...'' she pondered, her movements almost automatic as she trailed behind the unit, with only Corvus now below her.
The more she thought about it, the more she began to piece together a possible explanation.
''Could Viladia''s veil be interfering with my Psychic Powers? It''s the only plausible reason I can think of for my precognition to falter like this...'' Thea''s mind flashed back to their previous mission together, recalling how her precognitive warnings had also been uncharacteristically brief then.
''Even during the gunfire incident in the middle of the no-man¡¯s-land, my warning came just in the nick of time. If I hadn''t acted on pure instinct, we might not have made it. It seems like every time I''m under the influence of Vi''s veil, my psychic abilities get muddled or delayed.''
The realisation that Viladia''s veil, while a powerful tool for stealth, might also be hampering her psychic abilities, was both intriguing and concerning. ''The veil definitely does obstruct my ability to see through stealth... so it''s not a stretch to think it could be affecting other aspects of my Psychic Powers too.''
This line of thought opened up a new avenue of consideration for Thea. The interaction between different Abilities and their potential to influence each other was a complex and largely unexplored territory for her.
Thea''s understanding of synergistic and antagonistic interactions of Abilities was well-grounded in her experience with arcade games, where such dynamics were a common feature. However, she hadn''t fully considered how these principles applied within the broader context of the Allbright System and the ongoing galactic conflict.
As she methodically climbed, her mind was deeply engrossed in unravelling the nuances of this new understanding.
The revelation that Viladia''s Ability could counter her Psychic Powers, despite Viladia not being a Psyker, was a significant insight. ''If someone like Vi, without psychic abilities, can inadvertently affect mine, then it''s entirely possible that others, including enemies, might possess similar capabilities. This is a game-changer. My current reliance on my Psychic Powers could be a vulnerability in certain situations.
''Before the Cube Trial, I depended more on my own skills, the strategies and tactics that James taught me. I need to rediscover that balance¡ªto trust in my Psychic Powers, yes, but also not to forget the importance of my own inherent abilities and the instincts honed through training.'' This thought process marked a shift in Thea''s perspective.
She realised that while her Psychic Powers were a formidable asset, they should not overshadow the fundamental skills and instincts that had been the bedrock of her capabilities back on Lumiosia, the very same capabilities that had carried her through a large portion of the Cube Trial, before her latent Psychic Abilities started taking over.
Understanding the limitations and interactions of her powers was crucial, not just for her personal growth as a marine, but for the effectiveness and safety of her squad on future missions as well.
Being the squad¡¯s scout/sniper, it was her duty to make sure that she was at her absolute best at all times, in order to keep the rest of the squad properly appraised of any situation. She couldn¡¯t afford to overlook something, simply because her Psychic Powers claimed that nothing was amiss.
With these thoughts firmly rooted in her mind, she focused back on the mission at hand, continuing to follow the rest of the unit up the wall¡
Approximately ten minutes after their arduous ascent continued, the group finally reached the summit of the massive wall, signalled by Viladia''s instruction to halt.
Thea experienced a mix of relief and embarrassment as they made the final approach.
Relief because they hadn''t encountered any further horrifying incidents like the one that had precipitated her near-fatal fall. But with that relief came a sense of embarrassment, as her own ordeal stood out even more starkly against the backdrop of an otherwise smooth operation.
As they gathered at the top, Thea watched closely as Viladia received another Focus Link from Medic Johnsen. It was apparent that maintaining the stealth bubble over such a prolonged period and across such an arduous climb was taxing even for someone with Viladia''s abilities.
Thea could only imagine the strain Viladia was under, her respect for her fellow marine, and friend, growing even more.
Despite the respite at the wall''s summit, Thea was acutely aware of the throbbing pain from her arm and ribs. Medic Johnsen''s earlier intervention had helped manage the pain, but the physical damage was done.
The broken bones in her arm rendered her unable to wield her Gram, forcing her to rely on her Icicle for the time being.
Positioned at the rear of the unit, Thea knew her chances of engaging in direct combat were slim, yet she understood the importance of being prepared. Holding her Icicle, she was ready to support the unit in any way she could, even if it meant simply staying out of the way and ensuring her own safety.
As the moment to crest the wall approached, Viladia conducted a silent, visual check with each member of the first group. Their nods and gestures of readiness were all the confirmation she needed. Then, with a subtle gesture, she indicated for Crusher, Lucas, and Morin to take the lead in surmounting the wall''s summit.
The manoeuvre at the top of the wall was critical, particularly because of Viladia''s stealth bubble. The bubble, being centred on Viladia, required precise coordination to ensure its effectiveness as they transitioned onto the wall''s surface. Crusher and Lucas, both equipped with full-cover shields, were at the forefront, providing crucial protection. They had expertly switched the hand holding their shields during the climb, a necessary adjustment considering the daunting task of maintaining their shields overhead throughout the ascent.
As Thea and Corvus finally set foot on the top of the wall, they found Viladia already in position, her T2 Shooting Star drawn back with an impressive display of strength and focus.
The tension was palpable as the unit prepared for the next phase of their operation.
It was Morin''s voice that broke the silence of the bubble for the first time since they had entered it, outside of Thea¡¯s brief groans of pain during the precarious fall before. His count down was measured and clear, "Three... Two... One... Zero."
At Morin''s mark, the scene transformed instantaneously.
Viladia''s bubble vanished, and in the same breath, she loosed an arrow from her Shooting Star. The transition from concealed to combative was seamless, the bubble''s disappearance synchronised perfectly with her shot.
The arrow, propelled by the advanced mechanics of her T2 compound bow, hurtled through the air with terrifying speed and precision. It sliced through the air with an eerie silence before violently meeting its mark, a Stellar Republic Soldier crouched behind a makeshift barricade aiming towards the eastern-hand side of the wall.
The arrow didn''t stop there; its momentum carried it through the first soldier and into another adjacent to him. Two soldiers fell almost simultaneously, each with a clean, eye-ball-sized hole punctuating their bodies where their hearts should have been.
They crumpled to the ground, lifeless, the efficiency and brutality of Viladia''s attack leaving no room for doubt or delay.
Simultaneously, Morin unleashed a barrage of gunfire from his array-gun at another group. A spray of flechettes erupted, transforming into a deadly cloud of metal that enveloped the nearest soldiers. In an instant, they were reduced to nothing more than a red mist, the flechettes tearing through armour and flesh with indiscriminate fury.
Moira, too, demonstrated why she was known as the mountain sniper.
Her Lever-Action rifle, the Vigilant, barked out death with every pull of the trigger. She worked the lever with a practised ease, each action fluid and precise. Her shots found their marks one after another, soldiers falling to her pinpoint accuracy.
Between shots, she rapidly switched out her ammunition, adapting to the cover and positioning of her targets.
For those taking refuge behind sturdier defences, she had special rounds that ripped right through the rock-crete as if it were mere paper, each swap of her ammo rails allowing her to continue her deadly dance without missing a beat.
The sudden onslaught from the members of Arrow Squad was a remarkable sight and proof of their skill and experience as a squad. They had turned the quiet of the stealth approach into a storm of violence and precision in an instant, each playing their part in a deadly symphony of warfare.
Thea, standing on the wall behind the rest of the unit, was filled with a mix of awe and a renewed sense of purpose as she observed the efficiency of Arrow Squad.
The precision and coordination they exhibited were beyond her current capabilities without the aid of [Sensory Overdrive]. ''They move with such precision and synchronicity, it''s almost beyond belief. There¡¯s no way I would have been able to start at the exact same second as the rest of them without SO. It''s quite daunting to consider how far I still have to go to reach their level¡''
Sovereign Alpha stood momentarily idle, witnesses to the swift and brutal efficiency of Arrow Squad as they cleared their designated section of the wall. The aftermath was a reminder of their expertise, the area secured in mere moments after the veil had dropped.
The members of Arrow Squad, Moira, Viladia, and Morin, moved with practised ease, conducting thorough sweeps to ensure no threats remained. As they did, Medic Johnsen approached Thea, accompanied by Karania, Crusher, and Lucas.
His presence was commanding, his focus unwavering as he addressed the situation.
"Sit down, hide behind the shields. We need both of you to be able to do your damn jobs in the city. No more mistakes, is that clear?" His voice, sharp and authoritative, left no room for ambiguity. Thea understood the gravity of his words, the importance of her role in the mission''s success.
He then turned his attention to Karania with a gesture signalling her to take a seat next to Thea. "And you, squad medic,¡± he enunciated the first portion with a mixture of gravitas and anger, ¡°Don''t do reckless shit like this again. While it may have worked out somewhat this time, such actions will jeopardise not only your own well-being but the safety of the entire squad. If others in your squad were to get hurt later, what position would that put you in with your arms like this, huh? Consider the broader consequences before you act!¡±
With a calmer tone in his voice, his eyes met Karania¡¯s, as if to drive home the point, ¡°Sometimes letting one member of your squad die is the best possible outcome, however hard it is to accept. You¡¯re a squad medic, not a god. Act according to this knowledge and make the hard choices that need to be made. As the medic, you¡¯re the only one who can make these calls."
Sitting behind the protective bulk of Crusher and Lucas'' shields, Thea felt the weight of Medic Johnsen''s admonition.
His words resonated deeply with her, highlighting the crucial role each member played in the squad''s collective success. As Johnsen worked to treat her injuries for the second time during this assessment, Thea''s resolve solidified.
She was determined not to let her squad down again.
''I won''t be the reason for Medic Johnsen''s intervention a third time,'' she silently vowed to herself. This commitment was more than just a promise; it was an acknowledgment of her role and a dedication to rise to the expectations set by her team.
Her gaze drifted past the imposing shields of Crusher and Lucas, extending to the expanse of the wall upon which they perched. The wall, roughly fifty metres in breadth, was a mere precursor to the vast mission that lay ahead.
As Thea''s eyes settled on the sprawling cityscape of Nova Tertius, a mix of awe and realisation hit her.
The sheer scale of the city ahead was overwhelming.
Yet, this exact area was the true purpose of their existence in this assessment.
With the section of the wall having been instantly captured by Arrow Squad, thanks to Field Squad¡¯s distractions, there was now nothing left standing between them and their assessment objectives, but the urban cityscape of Nova Tertius itself¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 84 - Nova Tertius
Medic Johnsen''s authoritative tone left no room for hesitation. "Give me your hands, both of you," he commanded, his expression stern and focused.
Thea and Karania complied without delay, each grasping one of his outstretched hands. As they did, Thea couldn''t help but feel a mix of confusion and anticipation. Her gaze met Karania''s, her own bewilderment evident on her face, only to see Karania respond with a reassuring wink, as if she were privy to some unspoken secret about what was to come.
Thea¡¯s ears caught the faint murmur of "Hippocratic Exchange," a phrase that sent a shiver down her spine, even before she fully understood its implications.
The next moments were surreal; a series of sharp, wet cracks sounded from Johnsen''s direction. The medic''s face twisted in pain, a grunt escaping his lips as he endured an influx of abrupt and sudden agony.
Simultaneously, Thea experienced something extraordinarily strange.
It was an indescribable sensation, unlike anything she had ever felt.
Her broken bones began to knit together, mending themselves with an unnatural speed. The damaged tissue around the breaks, along with the punctured parts of her lung, healed as if by magic, leaving no trace of the previous trauma.
This rapid healing took Thea by surprise, the sudden rush of air into her fully restored lung catching her off guard, almost causing her to fall into a coughing fit.
The shock of the moment was overwhelming. In an instant, the pain that had been a constant companion since her fall mere minutes ago had vanished completely, replaced by a feeling of wholeness and vitality.
Thea''s gaze fell back onto the medic of Arrow Squad and quickly turned to horror as she took in the extent of his abruptly manifested injuries.
The hand she had held only moments ago was now grotesquely misshapen, bones jutting out at unnatural angles. His arm and the entire right side of his body bore the brunt of the transferred trauma¡ªThea¡¯s trauma and then some.
It was a chilling visual proof of the grave consequences of his [Hippocratic Exchange].
Medic Johnsen, now bearing the injuries he had absorbed from both Thea and Karania, grunted in agony. He lowered himself to the ground, cradling his right side as best he could, the pain etched deeply into his features.
"Fuck me..." he muttered through gritted teeth.
His stern admonition to Thea was laced with both irritation and a raw edge of suffering. "Watch your spacing from now on, you hear me? I won''t do this for you every single time."
His voice was a harsh reminder of the cost of her survival and where she had gone wrong.
This time, it had simply been a body propelled at her, but what if instead, it had been a bullet? Or even worse, a grenade or a rocket? Her being hit would not only have caused her trouble, but the entire squad as well.
As Thea vowed to remember this lesson for the future, she watched as Karania quickly knelt down beside Medic Johnsen. She began to assess his wounds with a professional eye, her movements as swift and precise as always, as if her previous injury had never even existed.
Much to Thea''s surprise, Johnsen offered no resistance to Karania''s intervention, a silent acknowledgment of his current vulnerability. His normally extremely capable hands were now incapable of tending to his own injuries, especially given the severe damage to his right side and the transferred injury of Karania¡¯s severely damaged shoulder on the left.
Despite his evident agony, Johnsen tried to seemingly reassure them, speaking through a grimace of pain. "Don''t worry too much about this whole thing," he managed to say, his voice strained but determined. "My build is geared towards self-regeneration, to counterbalance the effects of [Hippocratic Exchange]. I should be good to go again in about half an hour or so."
His words, though comforting, couldn''t fully mask the severity of his condition.
Johnsen then turned his attention to Karania, wincing as he spoke, "Just hit me with a painkiller, if you would be so kind?" Karania, already prepared, held an injector filled with pain medication, her expression a mix of professionalism and empathy. She met Johnsen''s request with a knowing smile and another one of her characteristic winks, her readiness proof of her medical expertise.
"Good to see that the medic in your squad knows¡ªouch, careful, girl!¡ªknows how to properly do their job," Johnsen continued, his tone a mix of pain and praise as Karania administered the painkiller.
Medic Johnsen¡¯s reflection on their previous mission interrupted any of her further thoughts, "Considering the injuries you had last time, it''s impressive you were even able to move. I¡¯d imagine it was thanks to her efforts, yeah? I wouldn¡¯t have dared use [Hippocratic Exchange] then; the backlash would''ve definitely killed me straight out."
His words painted a vivid picture of the fine line he walked with his Abilities.
The delicate balance between healing others and preserving his own life was a constant challenge for him, one that undoubtedly required both skill and immense courage. For Thea, this continued insight into Johnsen''s role and the risks he took every time he used his Ability deepened her appreciation for his dedication and skill.
It was a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by those who willingly chose to heal and protect, often at great personal cost.
The medics of the UHF were not something to be taken lightly.
As Thea observed the interaction between Karania and Medic Johnsen, and listened to his continued praise for her friend, a familiar feeling of inadequacy creeped into her thoughts.
She couldn''t help but feel overshadowed by Karania''s brilliance once again.
It seemed that every time they encountered seasoned professionals in their respective roles, Karania not only held her own but often surpassed them in capability and understanding. She possessed a scary, seemingly innate ability to sync up with experienced individuals, effortlessly matching their expertise and, in many instances, even outperforming them.
In stark contrast, Thea felt her own progress lagging behind. She often found herself grappling to keep pace with more experienced counterparts in her role, especially considering her recent talks with Kar¡¯Al and Moira.
This disparity was not just about skill or knowledge; it was the ease with which Karania seemed to adapt and thrive in challenging environments that made Thea feel as if she was constantly trying to navigate through an unlit path.
It was both a frustrating and equally motivating thought for Thea.
Determined to overcome her feelings of inadequacy, Thea recognized the need to intensify her efforts in mastering her own role. She understood that to achieve her goal of securing the #1 spot on the leaderboards, she could not afford to continually fall short of Karania''s exceptional standard.
This realisation ignited a competitive fire within her, a resolve to push her limits and strive for excellence even more than before.
Her newfound resolve was evident in her voice as she turned to Medic Johnsen. "Thank you, Medic Johnsen," she said, her tone firm, reflecting her inner determination. There was a newfound intensity in her words that even caught herself by surprise. "For your advice and healing. I¡¯ll be sure to not waste this second chance you¡¯ve given me. And I promise: No more spacing mistakes."
Thea''s pledge was more than just words; it was a commitment to herself and her squad.
As if on cue, the remaining members of Sovereign Alpha and Arrow Squad, along with some members of Field Squad, gathered around the full-cover shields of Crusher and Lucas.
Morin, displaying his leadership, swiftly took charge of the operation again. His voice, clear and authoritative, cut through the tension, "Alright. This should wrap up our infiltration in this sector. We have about five minutes or so before the enemy forces swarm this location. Let''s move quickly. Johnsen, we need you to boost Vi''s Focus. We''ll rely on the bubble for the initial descent, at least for the first several dozen metres."
Despite his recent injuries, Medic Johnsen rose immediately.
He stood up, albeit with evident discomfort, and initiated a [Focus Link] with Viladia.
Thea watched with a mix of concern and admiration as Medic Johnsen, seemingly undeterred by the pain and physical limitations, focused on aiding Viladia. His resilience and dedication to the mission, even in the face of personal injury, were nothing short of impressive.
Morin then turned his attention to Thea, Lucas, and Karania.
His tone conveyed a mix of regret and professionalism as he explained the mishap with the body. "Field Squad wanted to extend their apologies for the incident earlier. An errant shot struck one of the enemy soldiers at the edge of the wall, leading to the unfortunate accident. It was an unforeseen circumstance, and they assure it was not intentional. I trust you understand this, yes?" His words sought to provide some context and closure to the unsettling event they had just experienced.
Lucas, despite his stoic nature, had clearly been impacted by the recent events.
While the falling body had only glanced off his shield, the implications of the incident weighed heavily on him. As a defensive heavy, his primary role was to protect his squad, and the thought that he might have failed to shield Thea, inadvertently leading to injuries for her, Karania, and Desmond, troubled him deeply.
Although Lucas remained silent about his feelings, Thea could sense the change in his behaviour. Her keen Perception allowed her to perceive the subtle shifts in Lucas''s demeanour quite easily.
He had become even more protective than usual in the aftermath of the incident.
As they had topped the wall, his vigilance had noticeably increased. He stayed closer to the team, particularly to Thea and Karania, ensuring he was within immediate reach should another unforeseen danger present itself.
So being included in this apology like that, and seeing that Thea and Karania had both been returned to full health, visibly seemed to relax him¡ªmuch to Thea¡¯s own elation.
Having the defensive heavy be too mindful of the rest of his squad was not a good thing. It was like having the tank in a raid trying to micro-manage the damage dealers and healers as well¡ªjust not something anyone would really benefit from.
¡°Now then, with that out of the way, gear up. We¡¯re heading down in 60 seconds. Grab your stuff, leave nothing behind,¡± Morin announced, before turning and walking towards the far-side of the wall.
Thea and Karania quickly grabbed their stuff, which they had placed nearby when Medic Johnsen had started checking their injuries, and grouped up with the rest of Sovereign Alpha for the next part of their mission.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
It was finally time to enter Nova Tertius proper.
The instant Thea approached the edge of the wall, facing the city, she was momentarily breathless, struck by the awe-inspiring view that unfolded before her. The vast cityscape of Nova Tertius, in all its sprawling glory, lay stretched out beneath her.
The sheer scale and complexity of the urban expanse was overwhelming, far surpassing anything she had previously glimpsed during the landing or her initial ascent of the wall.
Perched at the furthest edge of the wall, Thea''s view of Nova Tertius transformed dramatically.
No longer confined to mere segments, her gaze now encompassed a boundless urban expanse. The city stretched beyond the limits of her vision, disappearing into the distant horizon like an endless, intricately woven tapestry.
This comprehensive perspective revealed the vastness of the city in its full grandeur, showcasing a metropolis that seemed to meld seamlessly with the far-reaching skyline. It was a sprawling mega metropolis of unfathomable size, a testament to architectural prowess and urban planning on a scale she had never before witnessed or even thought possible.
The megabuilding complexes, colossal structures of glass, rock-crete and plasteel, towered over the landscape. Each of these behemoths was large enough to dwarf entire sections of the undercity Thea had known as her home, their looming forms casting vast shadows over the streets, houses and vast stretches of the urban labryinth below.
Interspersed among these giants were even more colossal conglomerates of interconnected megabuildings. These clusters were linked by an intricate network of skybridges, creating a vertical maze that rose high into the air. Tramlines weaved through these structures like metallic vines, their paths winding and looping around the buildings in a complex dance of transportation and engineering.
Far, far below, the streets of Nova Tertius seemed almost miniature in comparison, despite their considerable breadth. Each avenue, likely dozens of metres in width, was dwarfed by the enormity of its surroundings. They cut through the city in neat, linear patterns, segmenting the endless urban expanse into somewhat more comprehensible sections.
From Thea''s elevated vantage point, the city appeared both awe-inspiring and thoroughly intimidating. The sheer scale of it all¡ªthe towering buildings, the vast distances, the complex network of connections¡ªwas almost beyond comprehension.
It was a city that embodied both the pinnacle of human achievement and the overwhelming challenge that lay ahead for Thea and her squad in the coming hours and days.
Shifting her focus from the distant, towering megabuildings, Thea''s gaze swept over the more immediate urban landscape that sprawled closer to the wall.
Here, the colossal structures gave way to a more conventional cityscape, yet still on a scale far grander than anything she had known in Lumiosia''s undercity. The proximity to the wall meant these areas lacked the towering megabuildings, likely a strategic choice to make them less vulnerable to attacks from outside.
This part of Nova Tertius was a dense tapestry of residential areas, a sea of houses and apartment complexes stretching as far as the eye could see.
The buildings, while smaller than the distant megabuildings, were still massive in their own right. Each apartment complex was a labyrinthine structure, likely encompassing hundreds, if not thousands or tens of thousands, of individual homes.
Thea could almost imagine the thrum of life within each¡ªcountless stories and lives unfolding in the maze of corridors and rooms.
Interspersed among these residential areas were larger, communal structures that stood out due to their unique designs and sizes.
In Thea''s mind, these were probably malls, arcades, or community centres¡ªhubs of social and commercial activity that served as focal points for the surrounding neighbourhoods.
From her elevated position, these buildings, though substantial in size, seemed almost quaint compared to the monolithic megabuildings in the distance.
As Thea gazed upon this vast urban sprawl, a part of her marvelled at the sheer density of life and activity it represented. And yet, from her vantage point atop the 200-metre-tall wall, these sprawling structures were reduced to miniature models in a grand diorama, a stark reminder of the scale of the city she was about to delve into.
The contrast between the towering megabuildings in the distance and the densely packed, yet comparatively smaller, urban landscape near the wall only added to the surreal nature of the scene before her.
Directly below her, at the foot of the wall, the landscape took on a decidedly more militaristic character.
This area was dominated by a series of sprawling barracks, enormous warehouses, and vast hangars. Each structure, with its utilitarian design, spoke of a singular purpose: Military efficiency and readiness. These installations, with their stark, no-nonsense architecture, formed a stark contrast to the more vibrant urban landscape further away.
A vast expanse of asphalt stretched from the base of the wall towards the closest residential buildings.
This area, Thea surmised, served dual purposes.
It acted as a strategic buffer, a sort of no-man''s-land that separated the wall from the urban areas, and also provided ample space for military personnel, machinery, and equipment. The sheer expanse of this open area was staggering, offering enough room for large-scale military manoeuvres and assemblies, if necessary.
Within this expanse, Thea noticed several massive artillery installations as well.
These powerful weapons were strategically positioned and heavily fortified, nestled within protective arrays of bunkers and auto-cannons.
Their presence was a clear indication of the city''s formidable defensive capabilities, that Thea and the rest of the UHF had already felt first-hand. From her vantage point atop the wall, these installations appeared formidable, but it was only when she peered through her Gram''s scope that their true scale and the intricacy of their defensive positions became apparent.
Through her scope, Thea could see the details of these military installations: The robust construction of the artillery, the readiness of the auto-cannons, and the disciplined movement of miniscule personnel around these structures.
It was a sobering reminder of the military might she and her squad were up against. The installations were not just defensive mechanisms; they were a statement of power, a clear deterrent to any who dared to challenge the city''s sovereignty and the Stellar Republic¡¯s claim to it.
As she took in this last section of the landscape, Thea slowly started to fully realise the enormity of the task ahead. She had expected something like a Lumiosa, when she had first heard about Nova Tertius being a megacity. But what she had just seen from atop the wall dwarfed anything she could have possibly imagined prior to this assessment.
The megacity was not just a sprawling metropolis, that might as well have stretched the entire planet, for all Thea could see; it was a similarly giant, fortified stronghold, bristling with military strength and preparedness as well.
The juxtaposition of the densely packed residential areas and the stark military installations underscored the complexity of the environment they were about to enter, a mix of civilian life and military fortitude.
Thea intently observed the first group, now familiar in their formation but notably missing her own presence, as they seamlessly stepped over the wall''s edge with confident strides. The use of their GravS equipment ensured their adherence to the, now once again, vertical surface.
As they descended, they quickly disappeared from her view, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance, a subtle cue from her Psychic Powers hinting at the hidden presence of her squadmates beneath Viladia''s stealth veil.
This sensation reinforced the critical role she was about to play. Thea was acutely aware that her squad''s safe navigation through the complex urban terrain of Nova Tertius hinged primarily on her heightened Perception and Psychic intuition. ''The difficulty of urban warfare is daunting enough,'' she mused, ''but navigating a megacity like this, with its ridiculous size, blend of civilian and military zones, and who knows what else is lying in wait? No wonder this assessment was rated at the difficulty it got...''
As she prepared to follow the first group, Thea activated her GravS gear with a quick swipe of her hand. Positioned at the forefront of the second group, she was keenly aware of the importance of her role in leading them safely through the city.
Alongside her were the medics, Karania and Johnsen, as well as Desmond, whose minor injuries had been quickly addressed by Johnsen with a regenerative injector.
That only left Medic Johnsen and Viladia being below 100%, each indispensable in their own rights, yet visibly strained from their exertions. Viladia, during a brief interaction while traversing from the wall''s crest to the far edge, had confided in Thea about the gruelling nature of their current mission.
It was, according to Viladia, the most taxing operation she had ever faced, with an unprecedented drain on her Focus and Stamina. She admitted that without Medic Johnsen''s sustained support through [Stamina Link] and [Focus Link], she would have succumbed to fatigue much earlier.
Thea''s thoughts lingered on this revelation for a brief moment. ''Medics really are the cornerstone of any squad, aren''t they?'' she mused internally.
Whether the focus was on stealth, direct combat, or any other tactical approach, the medic''s role was pivotal. Their ability to sustain and replenish key resources of their teammates was what kept a squad cohesive and operational.
As Thea observed Medic Johnsen applying yet another crucial Link-type Ability to Viladia, the final members of their unit consolidating within the confines of the stealth bubble, her thoughts returned to the plan outlined by Morin during their brief walk.
The strategy for the imminent phase of their mission was clear, yet fraught with uncertainties and potential risks.
Field Squad was assigned to maintain their position atop the wall, serving as a continuous diversion until Arrow Squad signalled their safe arrival on the ground. This ruse was designed to mislead the Stellar Republic''s forces into believing that the disturbance was solely due to a highly skilled flanking team attempting to break through to the main battlefield.
The aim was to buy time and maintain the element of surprise for as long as possible.
In the meantime, Arrow Squad and Sovereign Alpha, shrouded by Viladia¡¯s veil, would descend to the ground level behind the wall. Their immediate goal was to find temporary refuge within the military installations near the wall. Maintaining stealth was crucial during this phase; any premature engagement with the enemy could alert the Stellar Republic¡¯s military to the breach and compromise the entire operation.
Thea found herself grappling with doubts about the plan''s viability.
It seemed riddled with potential pitfalls and lacked a certain depth in strategy. The most pressing concern in her mind was the likelihood of the Stellar Republic deducing the presence of infiltration squads accompanying Field Squad.
This possibility seemed glaringly obvious, yet there was no explicit mention of countermeasures in the plan. Despite her reservations, Thea chose to trust in the expertise and experience of Morin and the other seasoned infiltrators.
She decided to hold her concerns, mindful of the strain any unnecessary communication could place on Viladia''s already taxed resources. With cautious optimism, she prepared to follow the plan, ready to adapt to whatever challenges lay ahead as best she could.
During their descent behind the wall, the atmosphere within Viladia''s veil was noticeably more tense compared to their ascent. The seasoned members of Arrow Squad, despite their experience, exuded a palpable sense of anxiety.
The stakes were high, and any mistake, however minor, could jeopardise the entire mission. Their unease was not so much due to their own potential errors but stemmed from the responsibility of guiding Sovereign Alpha, whose relative inexperience added an unpredictable element to the operation.
Viladia, the key to their continued concealment, was noticeably more active during this phase as well. Unlike the ascent, where she had maintained a near-statuesque composure to conserve her Stamina and Focus, she now frequently communicated with Morin, relaying critical information about their surroundings through a myriad hand gestures and signals, that seemed understandable for only the two of them.
Her ability to see beyond the veil made her the de facto eyes of the group, and her guidance was indispensable in navigating the perilous descent. Morin had to adjust their course repeatedly, based on Viladia¡¯s signals.
Each alteration in their path was likely a response to potential threats or obstacles that Viladia detected below them. Her quick and efficient communication allowed Morin to steer the group away from danger, ensuring their stealthy progression remained uninterrupted.
Amidst this tense operation, Medic Johnsen''s physical state was a cause for concern.
Although his physical injuries were healing at a remarkable rate, the continual use of his Link-type Abilities was taking a toll on him. The visible improvement in his physical condition was overshadowed by his increasingly haggard appearance.
He had long reached the limit of Focus and Stamina Boosters that he could safely administer, meaning his current energy reserves were all that remained to sustain Viladia¡¯s crucial veil.
As Thea quietly observed the scene unfolding around her, the enormity of their mission sank in with profound clarity. Witnessing seasoned and highly skilled marines like the members of Arrow and Field Squads being pushed to their absolute limits during just the infiltration phase of the mission, she gained a new perspective on the true nature of their assessment and its difficulty rating.
¡®I see¡ Assessments aren¡¯t just for yourself, but also your ability to find the right kind of situation and personnel to tackle the mission with. Without Arrow and Field Squads, we would never even have gotten into the city to start our assessment, much less have any potential of succeeding in it,¡¯ Thea thought, a sense of enlightenment washing over her.
The idea that they were not expected to face such monumental challenges alone was oddly reassuring. It reframed the difficulties they had encountered so far, making them seem less like insurmountable problems and more like steps in their journey toward becoming adept marines.
But it also pointed out once more, just how much more difficult this next part of their assessment would truly be: Behind enemy lines, with nobody for support except their own squad.
The moment they parted ways with Arrow Squad, it was just the six of them, hailing from the Sovereign, against the entirety of the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces within the city, as they attempted to remain as hidden as possible and finish their assigned missions¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 85 - Deception
Continuing their vertical descent, the unit, led by Morin with Viladia providing navigational updates, moved with a palpable sense of urgency. Viladia''s continuously waning energy was evident in her slowing movements.
The strain of maintaining the stealth bubble on fumes of her remaining Focus and Stamina was taking its toll. Despite this, she persisted, driven by the mission''s critical nature and the need to ensure the safety of the rest of her unit.
Medic Johnsen, too, was at the limits of his endurance.
He too had exhausted his Focus and Stamina through continuous Links with Viladia, having already consumed all the Boosters available to him, both within the safe limits and beyond.
He had taken an additional dose of each, a dangerous gamble that put his own life at risk.
It was a decision borne of necessity, a calculated risk in the face of their dire situation. His expertise in assessing and taking such risks, however, had paid off, at least for the moment, as he had managed to get enough Focus and Stamina to provide an additional Link for Viladia.
Within the confines of Viladia¡¯s bubble, the tension was almost tangible, hanging heavy in the air and making each breath seem laborious. The members of the unit, including Thea, were visibly on edge.
Their movements were rigid and their breaths shallow, physical manifestations of their heightened state of anxiety. Eyes moved restlessly, scanning the bubble¡¯s dim, hazy interior for any sign of progress, but found none.
For Thea, this experience was somewhat less disorienting compared to her first encounter with the sensory deprivation of the bubble during the ¡°Strike One¡± mission. The absence of drugs in her system this time around also made the ordeal a lot more tolerable.
Nevertheless, the descent remained a gruelling challenge, even for her.
Each minute stretched on, exacerbating their collective apprehension.
She found herself silently yearning for the journey to end, longing for a release from the suffocating atmosphere that enveloped them. The heavy atmosphere of anticipation and the disconcerting uncertainty of their current environment merged to create an almost perilous situation.
It felt as if the strain could become too much to bear, pushing any one of them to the edge of their mental endurance. Yet, amid this brewing storm of tension, a breaking point was never reached.
After all, they were not just any soldiers; they were UHF Marines.
And on top of that, members of an elite infiltration squad or an Alpha Squad, who represented the very pinnacle of their respective drive.
Despite the oppressive, almost suffocating tension within the confines of the bubble, exacerbated by the lack of sensory input to guide or reassure them, each member of the unit maintained their composure.
At last, the moment they had all been anticipating arrived, what felt like an eternity later.
Morin''s signal for them to halt was a welcome directive, accompanied by the signalled instructions to prepare for exiting the veil.
This change was immediately perceptible within the unit. There was a tangible shift in the atmosphere as the unit members, who until now had maintained their rigid postures, subtly adjusted their stances. Their bodies, which had been tensed in a prolonged state of high alert, now transitioned into a readiness that spoke of action soon to come.
This shift was more than just physical; it was a mental transition as well, a collective sigh of relief that the challenging phase of sensory deprivation was finally concluding.
The promise of returning to the mission in its more traditional sense, free from the constraints of Viladia''s bubble, brought a renewed sense of purpose and focus.
Thea also gave her Gram another thorough check, ensuring it was primed and ready for immediate use.
Despite recognizing the immense tactical advantage provided by Viladia''s bubble, she couldn''t shake off a certain discomfort that came with prolonged exposure to its sensory-deprived environment. ''Viladia''s ability is undeniably extremely overpowered for any stealth operations, but it''s not something I''d want to rely on if there were any viable alternatives,'' she pondered internally.
Her eyes scanned the rest of the unit, observing as everyone finalised their preparations for the next, arguably more daunting, phase of their mission.
They were about to venture across a treacherously exposed stretch of land, a daunting task that first involved getting through the military installations adjacent to the wall. Beyond that lay a vast, open asphalted area that resembled a no-man''s-land, offering no concealment or protection whatsoever.
During their brief planning session atop the wall, Morin had outlined the challenging route ahead: A two-kilometre asphalted stretch across open ground, leading into the outskirts of the urban sprawl of Nova Tertius itself. There would be no cover, no objects to use as camouflage, and unlike their ascent, no distractions to divert attention away from them.
The strategy they would employ, while seemingly rudimentary, had been born out of necessity due to Viladia''s depleted resources.
The theoretically ideal option of using her veil for this portion of the mission was no longer viable, as they had needed it for the ascent and descent from the wall itself.
Thus, a plan of deceptive simplicity was hatched: Masquerading as Stellar Republic soldiers and casually walking across the exposed, asphalted area.
At first glance, the idea appeared borderline ludicrous, yet Morin and Arrow Squad backed it up with a wealth of real-world examples. They recounted numerous successful missions where this very tactic had been flawlessly executed, with the enemy none the wiser.
Their stories lent credibility to the approach, illustrating how, under the guise of the enemy, they had repeatedly managed to traverse hostile territories undetected, by simply pretending to be part of the military complex itself.
The effectiveness of this ruse hinged on its sheer audacity and the natural tendency to overlook the ordinary. As long as they maintained a convincing military bearing and refrained from drawing any undue attention to themselves, there was a surprisingly more-than- reasonable chance that they would pass undetected.
The key was blending in seamlessly, behaving as typical soldiers of the Stellar Republic might in such a setting, and banking on the element of surprise and the unlikelihood of anyone expecting that exact type of approach.
As they would embark on this precarious segment of their mission, Arrow Squad had introduced yet another ace up their sleeve: Moira''s signature Ability.
This Ability, while sharing similarities with Viladia''s veil, operated under a different principle.
It generated a subtle field of non-detection around the user.
The effect was less about rendering its subjects invisible and more about manipulating the attention of potential onlookers. Those within Moira''s sphere of influence became oddly difficult to focus on, a more subtle yet equally potent form of stealth, given the right circumstances.
The trade-off between Viladia¡¯s and Moira¡¯s Abilities was clear.
While Viladia''s veil offered total stealth, it was also a significant drain on her resources, necessitating continuous replenishment of Focus and Stamina. In contrast, Moira''s Ability was more sustainable, requiring far less energy to maintain and thus capable of lasting for extended periods without substantial drain.
For Thea the tactical value of such an Ability was immense. It represented a perfect balance between concealment and resource management, like a perfect Ability for a scout/sniper such as herself.
As she contemplated Moira''s Ability, Thea couldn''t help but envision its potential synergy with her Spectre¡¯s camouflage as well.
The combination of the two could essentially grant her near-invisibility at will, a critical advantage for her role, especially considering her limited resource pool.
''One day,'' she thought, acknowledging the rarity of such Platinum-level Abilities but also recognizing the importance of keeping an eye out for them. Such an Ability could be a literal game-changer, elevating her capabilities and effectiveness on the battlefield to new heights, far beyond anything she could currently hope for.
The sudden return to verbal communication snapped Thea back to the immediate concerns of the mission. Morin¡¯s voice broke through the oppressive silence they had been under, his tone concise and clear, indicative of the urgency and precision required in their next steps.
¡°We¡¯re almost at ground level,¡± he briefed them. ¡°We''ve chosen a landing spot just behind one of the warehouses we identified from the wall. This should keep us out of direct line of sight initially. Corvus, take your squad around the warehouse¡¯s right flank. I''ll lead mine around the left. We¡¯ll rendezvous near the asphalted area. If you get there first, blend in and wait.¡±
Thea noted Corvus¡¯ swift, silent nod in response, a gesture of understanding and readiness.
The same understanding was silently communicated to Viladia, the linchpin of their current stealth operation.
Moments later, Morin took a few steps forward and descended from the wall.
The sight caught Thea off guard, a stark reminder of how their perception of distance and orientation had been altered under the veil. ''We''re already this close to the ground? I had thought we were still at least a dozen metres up,'' she thought, surprised yet relieved at their proximity to the ground.
In a swift manner each member of their unit descended from the wall.
One by one, they stepped off the massive rock-crete barrier, still shrouded in the protective embrace of Viladia''s veil. Thea watched as the members of Arrow Squad, followed by her own squadmates, transitioned from the vertical descent to standing on solid ground.
Inbetween, Thea herself made the transition, feeling the solid ground under her feet as a welcome change from the disorienting experience of walking down a vertical surface.
As Medic Johnsen, the last in their line, set his foot down and signalled their readiness, Viladia acted. With a subtle, almost imperceptible movement, Viladia released her hold on the veil.
As Viladia''s veil dissipated, a rush of sensations flooded Thea''s senses, akin to waking from a deep slumber to find oneself in an unfamiliar room. The sudden exposure to the stark reality of their surroundings was disorienting.
She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the vividness and clarity that now surrounded her.
They were huddled behind a massive military warehouse of the Stellar Republic''s army, its imposing structure casting a long shadow over them and against the monolithic structure behind them. The wall loomed just a stone''s throw away, its sheer size even more daunting up close, now that Thea had traversed its height up and down.
The air was filled with the distant hum of military activity, the sounds of machinery and orders being shouted resonating in the background. Thea''s nostrils filled with the scent of oil and metal, typical of any military installation, be it UFH or Stellar Republic in origin.
Around her, crates and various military equipment were stacked in orderly fashion, creating a labyrinthine environment that was both a hiding spot and a constant reminder of the enemy¡¯s very presence around them.
This immediate post-veil environment was a harsh reminder of the precariousness of their situation¡ªhidden in plain sight, mere metres away from the enemy, with only their wits and the shadows to shield them.
As Morin silently issued a series of hand signals, there was a palpable shift in the demeanour of the unit. With military precision and unmistakable confidence, he led Arrow Squad forward, their movements deliberate and purposeful.
They strode out into the open, their posture upright, exuding an air of authority and intent.
The members of Sovereign Alpha exchanged brief, uncertain glances.
The contrast in approach¡ªfrom the extremely covert operation just moments ago, to this bold, overt movement¡ªwas startling. But as they observed Arrow Squad''s assured movements, a sense of understanding dawned upon them.
Corvus, reading the situation with his typical squad leader-based acumen, turned to the rest of Sovereign Alpha. His voice, though low, carried a weight of authority as he instructed, ¡°Well¡ Let¡¯s take a page out of their book. They¡¯re the experts here, so move with purpose. We are Stellar Republic soldiers and we have places to be. Move it, Recruits!¡±
His words galvanised the team, instilling in them the confidence needed to emulate the assured strides of Arrow Squad. Mimicking their demeanour, the members of Sovereign Alpha stepped out, adopting the guise of Stellar Republic soldiers, each stride an act of conviction, blending seamlessly into the militaristic environment that surrounded them.
As Sovereign Alpha cautiously navigated through the enemy encampment, the tension among them was palpable. Thea, positioned just behind Lucas, focused intently on maintaining a confident posture, emulating the assured strides of her squadmates.
Around her, the military installation bustled with activity.
Soldiers moved with purpose, their boots thudding against the hard ground, their voices a blend of commands and brief exchanges. The clanking of metal and the distant hum of machinery filled the air, creating a symphony of martial life.
Thea''s eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the countless details.
Barracks lined neatly in rows, supply trucks parked in orderly fashion, and command tents stood strategically placed amongst the myriad warehouses.
The layout was remarkably similar to UHF installations, prompting a brief introspective thought in Thea''s mind. ¡®Is there some kind of universal principle of military efficiency that guides the design of such installations? There must be. Otherwise it would be really odd to see this exact layout in two entirely separate factions¡¡¯
Despite the familiar structure, the enemy''s presence was an unceasing reminder of the precariousness of their situation. The uniforms and equipment of the Stellar Republic soldiers bore distinct differences from UHF''s, yet at a glance, these disparities were subtle.
She realised that their disguises hinged on this superficial similarity; as long as no one scrutinised them too closely, they could likely move through undetected.
Every step was a calculated risk, each movement a carefully orchestrated part of their charade. Sovereign Alpha, now disguised as enemy soldiers, moved with a practised rhythm, blending into the flow of the encampment.
Thea''s senses, however, remained heightened to their utmost, acutely aware of the enemy soldiers around them, knowing that their mission''s success¡ªand their very survival¡ª depended primarily on maintaining this delicate masquerade.
As Thea moved cautiously through the enemy encampment, her role as the squad''s vigilant lookout was critical. Her cyan orbs scanned the surroundings with an intense focus, adeptly picking out details and movements that could spell danger for her and her squadmates.
Her gaze was sharp and unyielding, rapidly assessing each new soldier they encountered.
Her internal thought process was a whirlwind of swift, tactical evaluations. ''Not a threat. He''s just going about his duties. That one''s too preoccupied to notice us. And that one... well, he seems more interested in Ela''s ass than in us as potential intruders,'' she thought, her observations taking mere seconds but proving invaluable in maintaining their disguise.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Each fleeting glance and subtle shift in body language was meticulously noted and processed. Thea''s heightened state of alertness allowed her to effectively differentiate between harmless passersby and those who posed a genuine risk of exposing them.
On several occasions, her sharp eyes caught glimpses of potential threats or individuals who might pose a problem. Without hesitation, she subtly alerted Corvus, using discrete signals they had agreed upon all the way back during their patrol days, before the assault on the wall had even started. Corvus, in turn, adeptly guided the squad along alternative routes, skillfully avoiding any potential confrontations or arousing suspicions.
Their journey through the installation was executed with precision and care.
Thea¡¯s vigilant gaze, scanning every corner and scrutinising every soldier they passed, ensured their passage remained unnoticed. Despite the constant tension and the weight of the situation, they managed to traverse the entire installation without drawing any undue attention.
However, as they finally emerged on the other side, stepping out towards the vast asphalted expanse, Thea¡¯s sharp senses immediately registered a new concern.
She scanned the area quickly but thoroughly, her eyes searching for any sign of Arrow Squad. But there was no trace of them. They had seemingly not arrived yet, leaving Sovereign Alpha momentarily isolated at the edge of a dangerous and exposed no-man¡¯s-land.
Karania''s quick thinking kicked into gear as she noticed their precarious position at the edge of the installation. She gestured towards Lucas, who instantly understood her silent command and knelt down.
Karania began weaving a convincing cover story, speaking just loud enough to be overheard by anyone nearby. "Patrik, you¡¯re in pain again? Didn''t I just administer painkillers to you a while ago?" she said, her tone a mix of concern and mild frustration, perfectly playing the role of a medic attending to a whining soldier.
Lucas, understanding the intent of their squad medic immediately, grimaced and clutched his side, doing his best to convincingly portray a soldier in discomfort. Thea, meanwhile, remained vigilant, her eyes darting across the area, monitoring anyone who might become suspicious. Her focus was intense, missing nothing in her surroundings.
A group of Stellar Republic soldiers, busy with the mundane task of moving equipment, cast a cursory glance towards their group. They observed the scene for a moment, likely deducing it as a routine medical check.
Satisfied with the mundane explanation, they quickly turned their attention back to their work, dismissing any potential concerns about Thea and her squad. Karania''s impromptu act of deception, combined with Lucas''s convincing performance, had bought them precious time, allowing them to remain undetected and gather their bearings amidst the sprawling military installation.
Recognizing the improvisation initiated by Karania and Lucas, Corvus quickly adapted and issued a new command to further their cover. "Everyone on the ground now!" he barked authoritatively. "Patrik''s delay means extra training for us. Fifty push-ups to stay sharp. Move it, let''s go!"
Corvus, exemplifying the role of a dedicated leader, was the first to hit the ground, setting the pace for the push-ups. Isabella, Desmond, and Thea exchanged quick glances, their expressions a blend of surprise and mild irritation at the sudden change in plan.
Despite her inner reservations, she swiftly followed suit, understanding the need for their actions to appear natural and routine.
Desmond and Isabella joined in almost simultaneously, their bodies hitting the ground with a unified thud. The group began their exercise, with Corvus leading the count, his voice resonating with the clarity and volume of an experienced drill sergeant.
The physical activity, though unexpected, served as a surprisingly effective cover, blending their presence seamlessly into the military environment around them.
By the time Thea felt the burn of the push-ups intensify, her arms aching under the weight of her backpack and the Caliburn, her vigilant eyes finally spotted the first members of Arrow Squad approaching. Each of them carried crates of various sizes, some hefting them solo, others with the assistance of a squadmate, all efficiently moving towards a nearby warehouse under Morin''s leadership.
Viladia, part of the approaching group, exchanged a subtle, knowing wink with Thea, signalling their readiness. They then swiftly vanished into the warehouse, blending seamlessly with their surroundings.
Corvus, catching Thea''s discrete signal, smoothly transitioned from their exercise ruse.
He rose, stretched briefly, and turned his focus to Lucas and Karania. "Medic, how''s Patrik doing? We can''t be loitering here all day. We''re expected elsewhere," he said, his tone a mix of urgency and command.
Karania, playing her part, packed away her medkit, which she had been using for a convincing performance of medical attention. "Sir, we''re almost ready. Patrik had some circulatory issues, but I''ve just administered a stabiliser. He''ll be operational shortly," she reported with professional assurance.
"Patrik, make sure you get a thorough medical examination after this mission. We can''t have these kinds of delays during operations. Understood?" Corvus added, firmly addressing Lucas as part of their ongoing charade.
As Arrow Squad emerged from the warehouse, their approach was methodical, maintaining a calculated distance from Sovereign Alpha to avoid any appearance of affiliation. Their movements were discreet yet purposeful, until Morin emerged and confidently positioned himself at the forefront of the entire unit.
"Attention, we''ve received orders from the Corporal to proceed to checkpoint Beta immediately for a specialised assignment. No delays," Morin declared with an air of authority.
His command initiated a fluid integration of Arrow Squad into Sovereign Alpha''s formation, merging them into a single cohesive unit. With both squads now unified, they commenced a brisk march towards the expansive asphalted highway, their steps synchronised and deliberate.
At that moment, Thea experienced an odd sensation wash over her¡ªa wave of subtlety that briefly heightened her alertness. Her darting gaze, searching for the origin, quickly found Viladia¡¯s, who subtly gestured towards Moira.
Realisation dawned on Thea, ¡®This must be the effect of Moira''s Ability.¡¯
A sense of cautious relief mingled with the mounting tension as they advanced into the open, vulnerable and exposed at the heart of enemy territory.
Their unit maintained a brisk, unified pace across the vast asphalt expanse, every step bringing them closer to the urban threshold of Nova Tertius.
Thea, ever vigilant, scanned the surroundings, her eyes sweeping across the landscape.
Despite their exposed position, it seemed their ruse was effective; no one appeared to pay them any undue attention.
As they approached the urban outskirts, Thea''s gaze drank in the details of the cityscape.
The transition from military austerity to urban complexity was stark, with residential and commercial buildings gradually taking over the landscape, right behind the last urban-side warehouses that were clearly delineated for military use. The towering structures of the city''s heart loomed in the distance behind, an urban jungle of unfathomable size awaiting them.
Everything seemed to go well, until approximately four-fifths of the way to their destination, Thea''s keen observation caught a grav-vehicle approaching them from the east.
Her instinctive alertness kicked in, and she quickly signalled Morin. His reaction was immediate and direct, a muttered curse escaping under his breath, a clear indication of the unexpected complication this vehicle presented.
Morin''s next instructions were clear and concise, indicating the importance of the upcoming encounter. "Stay calm, and let me handle this," he said with a steady tone, signalling the group to stop and await the approaching vehicle.
His eyes briefly met with Viladia''s, a silent communication passing between them. "Be ready for anything, Viladia. You got enough for a step, I trust?" he asked in a low voice.
Viladia responded with a firm nod, her expression resolute as her hand subtly hovered near her waist, where Thea knew the stealth expert kept her abyss-black blades. The tension was palpable, and Thea felt her muscles tighten in anticipation.
As the grav-vehicle drew closer, Thea''s mind raced with potential scenarios. ''If they get a good look at us, this close, we''re bound to be exposed,'' she thought anxiously.
The vehicle, resembling an SUV in size and design, came to a stop about ten metres away from their group, its presence adding to the gravity of the moment. The vehicle was large enough to transport a squad of marines, indicating it was likely carrying a team on patrol or on a specific mission.
In those few seconds, Thea prepared herself for any outcome, ready to act on Morin''s cue while hoping their cover wouldn''t be compromised.
As the passenger doors of the SUV sprang open, a group of Stellar Republic soldiers disembarked with an air of casual authority. Their rifles were slung leisurely over their shoulders, a sign of routine patrol rather than immediate combat readiness.
The soldiers fanned out slightly, their movements disciplined and coordinated but unhurried.
The apparent focal point of the group, a woman, emerged on the opposite side of the SUV and confidently walked around the back of the vehicle, taking the lead.
She stopped a short distance in front of Morin, who boldly stepped forward to meet her gaze.
The tension in the air was tangible as the two faced off, an unspoken challenge hanging between them.
This woman was clad in an officer-type armour, lighter and more streamlined than that of her companions, signifying her leadership role. Her presence commanded attention, her demeanour exuding both authority and experience, much like Morin¡¯s facing her.
In addition to the officer, four other soldiers of various builds and roles accompanied her.
One was unmistakably a heavy, his armour bulkier and more fortified, while the remaining three were in medium armour, their stance and equipment suggesting versatility and rapid response capability.
The atmosphere grew thick with suspense as the two groups confronted each other.
Thea and her squadmates, under the guise of Stellar Republic soldiers, were acutely aware of the scrutiny they were under. Every glance, every gesture, was potentially critical in maintaining their ruse. Thea''s eyes darted between the Republic soldiers, assessing their positions and readiness, while remaining alert to any signal from Morin.
"I find myself puzzled by the unfamiliar designs of your unit''s armour, Corporal. They look very much unlike our usual designs," the woman began, her tone laced with suspicion as she interrogated Morin. "Moreover, I''m not detecting any standard identification signals from your unit..." she observed, her eyes narrowing while she scrutinised a digital display embedded in the armour on her left forearm.
Morin, seemingly well-prepared for such an interrogation, responded without hesitation. "With all due respect, Corporal, I''m under no obligation to explain, given our equivalent ranks. However, as a gesture of cooperation, let me clarify: We are here on a specialised infiltration mission, aimed at neutralising a large section of the undead threat outside our city. The gear is strange, because it¡¯s UHF design. Helpfully supplied by a few of their ¡°marines¡±, complete with active UHF markers. This explains the absence of familiar signals on your equipment¡ªit''s not supposed to," he explained, taking a confident step closer to the woman, allowing her a better view of his armour and its make.
Thea, a silent observer, was astounded by Morin''s audacity in openly admitting the use of UHF armors. Despite the rising turmoil within, she managed to maintain a facade of calm, internally chanting in desperation, ¡®Please let this work, Morin. Please!¡¯
The woman¡¯s sharp gaze lingered on Morin, her expression sceptical. ¡°UHF armour, you say? In the heart of Stellar Republic territory?¡± she queried, her tone laced with disbelief. ¡°That''s quite an unusual choice for a supposedly covert operation starting within our own lines. And this special infiltration mission you speak of¡ªwhy haven''t I even heard anything about it?¡±
Morin didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°Look, we both know how these operations work. Need-to-know basis only. The less you know, the safer it is for everyone involved,¡± he countered smoothly. ¡°Our orders came directly from higher up. I¡¯m sure you understand the delicacy of such missions. Trust me, we¡¯re as surprised as you are about these armours, but they serve a purpose.¡±
Thea watched the exchange intently, her heart pounding in her chest. Every word, every gesture was critical. Morin¡¯s confidence was convincing, but she knew the slightest misstep could unravel their carefully constructed facade. The Republic officer¡¯s scrutiny was intense, her eyes darting between the members of Sovereign Alpha, searching for any sign of deceit.
¡°Infiltration mission or not, I need confirmation of your orders,¡± the officer insisted, still examining the display on her armour. ¡°Protocol dictates that any unusual activity be reported and verified. I trust that you, similarly, understand?¡± Her voice had taken on a certain edge that spoke more of rivalry than outright animosity.
It seemed that Morin¡¯s attempt at appearing as a capable Stellar Republic Corporal was somehow working out for them, making sure that her attention was more on the possibility of her being uninformed about an important, upcoming mission, than them being real UHF marines.
Morin nodded, maintaining his composure with professional ease. ¡°Naturally, Corporal. I¡¯ll forward you the relevant clearance codes, immediately. Just give me a moment. The UHF interface is a bit strange, it will take a second,¡± he said, reaching for his own arm display and beginning to swipe away at it.
Thea held her breath, hoping against hope that Morin¡¯s bluff would hold. The tension was almost unbearable, each second stretching out as they waited for the officer¡¯s response.
Only moments later, a visible change overtook the woman''s expression as her eyes narrowed, betraying a mix of confusion and scepticism. She appeared to be processing some unexpected information displayed on her arm''s device.
The tension in the air was almost tangible, creating a heavy silence as both the Stellar Republic''s squad and Morin''s team held their breath, anticipating her next words.
"I... I need to verify this with our headquarters. The code you''ve provided isn''t aligning with our records. It¡¯s also not exactly showing up as a violation, so I don¡¯t know what to make of it. There''s a comms-unit in our SUV; I''ll cross-check this immediately," she stated, her voice taking on an almost imploring tone as she turned to address Morin, a marked shift from her earlier all-out suspicion.
Thea, silently observing the unfolding scene, couldn''t suppress her curiosity. ''What on earth did Morin send to elicit such a reaction from her?'' she wondered, her mind racing with possibilities.
Unfazed, Morin intensified his approach, "Corporal, I must once again stress the urgency of our situation. Time is a luxury we cannot afford. Our tech-experts have miraculously gotten these armors operational, but their functionality might be fleeting. We need to execute our mission swiftly, move beyond the wall, and take care of the undead before these suits fail us. You''re aware of the clandestine nature of their technology. This mission might be our only shot at turning the tide in our favour. You most likely know yourself how dire it looks on the eastern front, don¡¯t you?"
The woman''s eyes widened, a clear sign that Morin''s revelation had caught her off guard.
Sensing her lack of awareness, Morin leaned in, adopting a tone laced with concern and urgency. ¡°You weren¡¯t informed? That''s concerning,¡± he began, his voice heavy with the weight of their dire circumstances. ¡°Our situation is critical. We''ve lost all anti-armour capabilities on the wall. The enemy has deployed some kind of specialised team that''s systematically taking out our defences. We''ve resorted to indiscriminate artillery fire with IgT-shells, but our munitions are depleting rapidly. If they attack our defences with more heavy units, that section of the wall won''t hold.¡±
The impact of his words was immediate and palpable.
The Stellar Republic soldiers exchanged looks of deepening worry, downright terror for some, the gravity of the situation dawning on them. The female Corporal, visibly shaken, took an involuntary step back, as if Morin''s words were a physical blow. ¡°No, that can''t be...¡± she murmured, her voice trailing off in disbelief.
Morin, recognizing the moment''s critical nature, advanced the narrative with a sense of solemn resolve. ¡°Now you see the urgency of our mission, Corporal, I imagine. We¡¯re racing against time here. This isn''t just about a single battle; it''s about the survival of the entire city. We need to act swiftly and decisively.¡± His eyes locked with hers, conveying a silent plea for understanding and cooperation.
In that critical juncture, the delicate equilibrium between doubt and trust hovered on the brink, influenced heavily by Morin''s adept handling of the situation. Thea was struck by his proficiency in navigating the encounter, transforming an initially dubious standoff into an opportunity for the Corporal to feel part of a greater cause.
It was a deft manipulation that left Thea both awed and slightly unnerved. ''Morin''s not just a skilled infiltrator; he''s a downright master at manipulation,'' she realised, her estimation of him climbing significantly. She was certain that none among her team, not even the usually socially proficient Corvus or the brilliant Karania, could have matched his performance even remotely.
The response from the Stellar Republic Corporal was a mixture of relief and newfound respect. "I understand, Corporal. Forgive my earlier hesitation. May the Emperor watch over you and guide your shots true. Give those undead hell, you hear?" She conceded, her demeanour shifting to one of cooperative understanding. She motioned to her squad, signalling them to stand down.
Morin¡¯s strategy had succeeded.
As he reached out for a handshake, Morin¡¯s smile conveyed gratitude and camaraderie.
"Thank you. Your assistance here is invaluable," he said warmly. The Corporal returned the handshake, a gesture of mutual respect and understanding.
Then, Morin''s attention pivoted back to his own unit. "Prepare yourselves, Arrow Squad, Sovereign Alpha," he commanded with an unexpected urgency.
Thea''s muscles tensed instinctively, her mind racing. ''Prepare for what exactly?'' she wondered, a sense of unease creeping in. This deviation from a simple order to move out suggested something more was at play, something potentially risky or unforeseen.
¡°Vi, if you please,¡± he addressed Viladia, who gave him a terse nod, just as Thea understood: ¡®Oh. So that¡¯s what we''re getting ready for.¡¯
The sequence of events that unfolded next was a blur of swift and decisive action.
Morin''s command to Viladia was the catalyst for a sudden, violent turn. Thea''s realisation dawned just in time to witness Viladia''s lethal efficiency.
In a flash, Viladia disappeared from the middle of the unit and materialised amidst the unsuspecting Stellar Republic soldiers. Her movements were a blur, each one precise and fatal.
The first to fall was the heavy, his head cleanly severed in a single, fluid motion. The two medium soldiers barely had time to register the threat before Viladia''s dark blades found their mark, swiftly ending their lives as they sunk deeply into their eye sockets.
Simultaneously, Morin capitalised on the element of surprise with the female Corporal.
His quick grab pulled her off balance, and the brutal force of his punch that followed was unmistakably lethal. The sound of her skull shattering under the impact was chilling, and she collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his fist still embedded halfway inside of her skull.
Reacting with remarkable speed, Thea drew her Icicle. Knowing that using her Gram might draw unwanted attention, she opted for a more discreet but equally effective response. Her Icicle sent a barrage of shards hurtling towards the SUV''s driver-side window.
The windows may have been designed to withstand typical bullets, but they were no match for the Icicle¡¯s armour-piercing shards. They pierced the glass, and the muffled sounds of agony from within were quickly silenced.
In the immediate aftermath of the swift and ruthless confrontation, Morin issued his orders with clear urgency. "Take them, throw them in the SUV. We¡¯re taking the whole thing. Move it," he directed, his voice brooking no delay. Crusher, Moira, and Johnsen sprang into action without hesitation, efficiently executing the orders.
Sovereign Alpha, still reeling from the sudden violence, struggled to keep pace with the rapidly unfolding events. As they tried to process what had just happened, Morin offered a brief but compelling rationale for their swift brutality. Approaching the driver-side of the SUV, he explained, "The second she mentioned there¡¯s a comms unit inside, they needed to die. We are taking it. It will be absolutely invaluable behind enemy lines."
Thea was momentarily caught in a whirlwind of shock and realisation. Her grip tightened around the Icicle, which hummed slightly with residual energy.
It had been an instinctive action, devoid of premeditation, driven purely by survival instinct. ''He is extremely frightening when he puts his mind to something¡'' she mused, the weight of Morin''s calculated ruthlessness settling in her mind.
As the unit crammed into the now cramped SUV, she steeled herself for the next phase of their perilous mission¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 86 - Payback
Squeezed into the interior of the SUV, the unit found themselves in a situation bordering on comical, if not for the gravity of their mission.
The military vehicle, ordinarily spacious enough for a squad of six to seven fully equipped Stellar Republic soldiers on patrol, was now straining under the unexpected load of eleven marines from Morin''s unit, each laden with their long-term infiltration gear.
Thea, wedged uncomfortably between Isabella, whose dislocated body added to the spatial challenge, and Karania partially underneath her, grappled with the reality of their tight quarters.
The SUV''s trunk, already filled with the lifeless bodies of the Stellar Republic patrol they had encountered, could accommodate only a fraction of the backpacks, each ranging between 50 to 100 litres. The remaining packs were haphazardly crammed into every available space within the vehicle''s interior, some pressing ominously against Thea, adding to her discomfort.
She could feel the suffocating pressure of the equipment and Isabella''s weight. ¡®Morin better not be intending to make this a long-term road-trip, or I ain¡¯t gonna make it. What a way to die for the first time on this assessment: Crushed by our own equipment,¡¯ Thea thought to herself ruefully.
Each breath was a struggle, a fight against the encroaching weight, as she endeavoured not only to protect herself but also to shield Karania, whose lower half was pinned beneath her.
In the chaos of their rapid entry into the SUV, the unit had not given much thought to seating arrangements. Lucas, for instance, found himself sprawled in the rear footwell, his form covered by his Stalwart shield, burdened further by a pile of the unit''s heavy backpacks. The cramped conditions were far from ideal, but necessity had dictated their hasty organisation.
Viladia, Moira, and Morin, demonstrating a bit more resourcefulness, had secured their backpacks atop the SUV. Using a few of Viladia¡¯s climbing ropes, they had hastily but somewhat effectively tied the packs down. This arrangement was far from secure, but in the urgency of their situation, it was the best they could manage.
As Morin skillfully navigated the vehicle, bringing them closer to the urban outskirts of Nova Tertius, Thea marvelled at his adept driving. It was clear he had been weighing their best route options even while concentrating on the precarious situation they had found themselves in.
Killing the patrol had obviously not been part of their initial infiltration plans, but the existence of the comms equipment inside the SUV had necessitated it. It was undoubtedly going to lead to some increased heat on them, however, which was the reason they had to get as far away from the military installation as quickly as possible.
Morin¡¯s attention briefly shifted to Crusher, who occupied the coveted shotgun seat. "Crusher, figure out the radio. You only have as much time as we can keep this thing alive, you hear me? Make it quick," Morin directed, his voice carrying the weight of urgency.
Crusher''s response was a silent nod, his focus already on the radio, having anticipated the need for his expertise.
Thea was somewhat taken aback by this development. Crusher''s role as the communication specialist of Arrow Squad was a revelation to her. His silence thus far had been interpreted as possible muteness, a theory even supported by Viladia and Moira. Yet, Morin''s instructions made it clear that Crusher''s silence was not indicative of his abilities or importance within the squad.
The realisation that he was their communications expert added a new layer of respect in Thea''s eyes for the silent but evidently extremely capable member of Arrow Squad.
¡®I did wonder who their comms expert was¡ Not that I had expected it to be him, considering that he doesn¡¯t seem to speak much, but they had to have someone, after all,¡¯ she silently mused to herself, while focusing her entire body on trying to continue to breathe at a somewhat even rhythm.
In the squad-based structure of the UHF¡¯s military, the role of a communications expert was non-negotiable, almost a cardinal rule.
The reasoning behind this was clear and practical: In the field, reliable communication was a lifeline, essential for the receipt and transmission of crucial information including new directives, firing coordinates, alerts, and essential mission details.
The absence of this vital link would render a unit effectively rogue, operating in isolation on the battlefield¡ªan outcome starkly opposed to the UHF''s strategic ethos of coordinated, elite-level operations, a strong contrast to other factions that might rely on overwhelming numbers over the strategic finesse that the UHF tried to foster in their marines.
¡°Communication is key¡± ¨C this fundamental principle of UHF military doctrine had been thoroughly instilled in them since the initial stages of Basic. This doctrine highlighted the crucial importance of maintaining internal communication and the strategic value of counter-intelligence.
The training primarily focused on safeguarding their own comms units against enemy counterintelligence efforts, including protocols for scrambling and irrevocably destroying their radios. However, this knowledge, when inverted, also provided insights into identifying and exploiting certain vulnerabilities of enemy communication systems as well.
This understanding was particularly relevant for conducting operations like their own, where intercepting and manipulating enemy comms could provide a significant tactical advantage.
Securing a functioning enemy communications unit was a coup of considerable magnitude for their infiltration mission, specifically. In the hands of a deft communications specialist, such a device was a goldmine of strategic opportunities.
It offered more than just the ability to eavesdrop on enemy chatter; it was a window into their operational framework. From identification and order codes to, in a best-case scenario, high-level clearance codes, the intelligence gathered could be transformative.
While the specific applications of these codes might not be immediately clear, possessing them was akin to holding a keyring for unknown doors of the enemy¡¯s operations, allowing you to potentially unlock critical advantages in unforeseen circumstances, much like the one they had just navigated with the Stellar Republic patrol.
"Time is against us. Once the patrol''s absence is noted, which is not gonna take them long, they''ll start piecing things together," he explained, his hand firmly on the accelerator. "We need to reach the outskirts fast. Once there, it might be wise for us to part ways. Sovereign Alpha should take a different route. Our collaboration has been fruitful, but now that we¡¯re inside the wall, we have to break off.."
Thea felt a pang of regret at the thought of parting ways with Moira and Viladia already.
In the brief time they had spent together, she had formed a connection with them, one that she felt might extend beyond mere professional collaboration. Considering that this next stretch inside Nova Tertius itself was likely going to be the finale of the assessment for her and the rest of Alpha Squad, the possibility of not crossing paths with them again weighed heavily on her.
However, she understood the necessity of Morin''s plan.
Arrow Squad had been an invaluable asset, but the nature of their mission demanded independence now. She made a mental note to herself, ¡®I''ll reach out to Vi¡ and the Old Man, of course, once I¡¯m on ship duty with the rest of Alpha Squad. I can''t let these connections fade like I did with Selene.¡¯
She reflected on her promise to stay in touch with Selene after the Cube Trial, realising she hadn¡¯t pursued that intention as actively as she could have. ¡®There¡¯s always a way to keep in touch, even amidst the chaos of training and missions,¡¯ Thea mused, recognizing the importance of maintaining relationships in a life often dominated by uncertainty and danger.
As the city''s outskirts loomed closer, she silently committed to not repeating the same oversight, resolving to make more of an effort to stay connected with those she encountered on her journey going forward.
Within a mere ten minutes, their SUV had navigated its way to the initial fringes of the urban outskirts. The journey had taken them past the monotonous backdrop of warehouses and the isolated military structures that were scattered along the far side of the vast asphalt highway.
The urban outskirts of Nova Tertius presented a stark contrast to the military installations they had just left behind. The area was a mosaic of residential buildings, ranging from modest six to eight-story apartment complexes to larger, more ornate homes of families. Each structure seemed to possess its own character to a degree, yet shared a similar design ethos, reflecting both the diverse nature of the city''s inhabitants as well as the Stellar Republic¡¯s attempts at rapid expansion for the city itself.
Shops, cafes, and other typical urban establishments lined the streets, their once colourful facades and neon signs likely having injected a vibrant energy into the landscape during their prime.
Now, however, the stores, streets and apartments were devoid of any such life. The war that had been brought to Nova Tertius¡¯ doorsteps had likely forced the entire population in the outskirts of the city to move in, towards the centre, further away from the wall and the encroaching fighting that was happening.
The streets themselves began to narrow as well, meandering in slightly more unpredictable patterns that spoke of a more organic, less planned growth rather than the rigid, strategic layouts of military zones.
As the military SUV navigated these streets, it began to feel increasingly out of place. The vehicle, designed for the broad avenues and open spaces of military installations, now seemed bulky and cumbersome, its utilitarian design a sharp contrast to the civilian vehicles that dotted the sides of the street.
This shift in environment did not go unnoticed by the squad inside the SUV either.
They were all acutely aware of the need to blend in, despite the incongruity of their vehicle.
The crowded streets and close proximity of the buildings offered both advantages and challenges for their mission, providing cover and potential hiding spots, but also increasing the likelihood of drawing unwanted attention.
As if to underscore that part of Thea¡¯s observations, they quickly realised that their abrupt entry into Nova Tertius''s outskirts had not gone unnoticed.
This became evident when Morin, with a sudden and deft manoeuvre, swerved their SUV into a narrow alleyway squeezed between two looming apartment buildings. His voice was both urgent and resolute as he informed them, ¡°We¡¯ve got company. Two SUVs are tailing us, about two to three minutes behind. They''ve been tracking us for the last five-or-so minutes. Sovereign Alpha, it''s been an honour. I''ll let you off here and lead them away. From here, you''ll need to navigate your way into the heart of the city on your own.¡±
The urgency of the situation was palpable, allowing no room for discussion or delay, as much as Thea wanted to protest as she wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to give Moira and Viladia a proper goodbye. As Morin brought the vehicle to a jarring halt, everyone in the cramped SUV scrambled to exit, their movements hastened by the pressing need to evade their pursuers. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Arrow Squad members quickly began unloading gear to create room for those like Lucas, who was buried beneath a heap of backpacks and his Stalwart shield in the rear footwell.
Thea watched, a mix of concern and relief in her eyes, as Lucas struggled to extricate himself from his confined position. His grunts and curses filled the air as he worked his way out of the tangle of equipment.
Thea couldn''t help but think, ¡®If we''d encountered any trouble along the way, Lucas would''ve been helpless, trapped in there. He''d have been completely vulnerable.¡¯
This thought lingered in her mind as they all stepped out into the alley, grabbing any nearby packs of equipment¡ªregardless of who it belonged to from their squad¡ªand hiding behind whatever they could.
Thea''s fleeting interaction with Viladia and Moira was limited to a brief, yet meaningful nod, as the two of them swiftly reentered the SUV. The vehicle accelerated away with an urgency that resonated through the alley, propelled rapidly by its anti-grav mechanism and Morin¡¯s intent to drag the enemy as far away from Sovereign Alpha as quickly as possible.
As the SUV disappeared from sight, Thea experienced a twinge of loss, a feeling swiftly replaced by determination, as Corvus uttered a decisive command. ¡°Let¡¯s support Arrow Squad. We have an ideal chance to ambush the SUVs in pursuit. Our true assessment begins now. So we might as well start it off with a bang, don¡¯t you think?¡± he declared with a mischievous grind.
Isabella, unfazed by the cramped conditions of their recent ride, responded with her characteristic fervour, her face alight with a manic grin. ¡°Sounds good, boss!¡±
Thea found herself embracing the immediacy of their new task as well, a welcome diversion from her brief sense of loss. She quickly began searching for her bag amidst the haphazardly scattered equipment. The urgency of their disembarkation had left their belongings in disarray, with everyone''s gear jumbled together.
Locating her backpack, however, proved surprisingly straightforward.
Among the pile, one bag stood out with a distinctive marker¡ªa clear indication it was hers. It also just so happened to be the exact thing Thea was looking for: Her Caliburn.
As Thea carefully unlatched her T2 heavy railgun from her backpack, the familiar heft of the weapon in her hands brought a sense of steadiness to her unsettled emotions. With a confident pat on her formidable weapon, she looked towards Corvus and asked, ready for action, ¡°I¡¯m ready, Corvus. Where do you want me?¡±
Corvus glanced at her, a look of realisation dawning on his face.
¡°Huh,¡± he murmured, eyeing both Thea and the Caliburn. ¡°You know, I completely slipped on remembering you had that. I was all set to devise an elaborate ambush, bait and all. But perhaps with the Caliburn in play, we can keep things straightforward, just¡ shoot them, right? No need for intricate setups?¡±
Thea responded with a nonchalant shrug.
While the intricacies of complex strategic ambushes were beyond her training, she had a clear understanding of her own role. She was not versed in the detailed tactics typically reserved for squad leaders and strategists like Corvus.
"I''m fairly certain their SUVs won''t match up to the resilience of those anti-armour cannons on the wall, so shooting them should do the trick just fine," she replied, her tone laced with a hint of uncertainty yet underscored by confidence in her shooting skills. "I know my job: To take aim and ensure each shot counts. I¡¯m just a bit worried about whether or not I should use the Caliburn. It¡¯s not exactly a silent weapon, after all.¡±
Corvus detailed their strategy outlining the plan for the impending ambush. "I don''t foresee a problem with reinforcements. Once we''re in the city, we''ll have plenty of hiding spots, and remember, they''re the ones searching for us. Not the other way around," he said, setting the tone for their approach.
"Here''s the plan," Corvus continued, his tone turning more tactical. "Isabella, you take a position across the alley. Your job is to open fire as soon as they turn into our alley. Given our less-than-subtle approach so far, they''re likely to be on Arrow Squad¡¯s tail. I want you to grab their attention immediately, especially if anyone makes it out of those vehicles alive."
He shifted his focus to Lucas, "Lucas, stay close to Thea. We need your protection in case things escalate."
Addressing Desmond and Karania, he added, "You two, along with me, will be our backup from behind cover. Be ready to intervene if necessary."
Corvus then turned to Thea, his tone a mix of assurance and instruction, ¡°Thea, your role is straightforward but crucial. Use the Caliburn to its full potential and take out those vehicles. Don¡¯t worry about the specifics¡ªjust shoot as you normally do. Lucas will be there for your protection, so you can fully focus on your shots.¡±
Finally, addressing the entire squad, Corvus concluded with an encouraging grin, ¡°Let¡¯s kick off the real assessment on a high note. Sovereign Alpha, it¡¯s time to show what we''re made of!¡±
The rest of the squad responded with a collective "ooh-rah," a sound that always seemed to visibly lift Isabella''s spirits as she flashed a confident grin. With only a minute to set up their ambush based on Morin''s estimate, time was of the essence.
Thea, without hesitation, sprinted to a nearby nook adjacent to a metal backdoor of an apartment building. This spot offered her both partial cover and an unobstructed view of the entire alley, ideal for her role in the ambush.
Acting quickly and efficiently, Thea dropped to the ground, going prone.
She positioned her Caliburn carefully, ensuring it was grav-locked securely in place, and then signalled to Lucas to take his position beside her. "I''m all set," she informed him, her voice focused. "Just keep about half a metre¡¯s distance from me, and whatever you do, stay clear of the front and sides of the barrel when I fire. The last thing we need is an accident; I don¡¯t know how bad it would be, considering your armour, but the manual was pretty clear about this."
Thea, having experienced the sheer force of the Caliburn''s discharge multiple times by now, fully understood why the manual emphasised maintaining a safe distance from the barrel during firing so much.
Each time the heavy railgun was fired, it unleashed a devastating shockwave, powerful enough to resonate through the immediate vicinity and cause some serious harm. The impact of the shockwave was indiscriminate; it didn''t matter how robust the armour was, the blast was still likely to cause substantial harm to anyone unlucky enough to be in its path.
Positioned behind the weapon, Thea was largely protected from the full intensity of the shockwave it unleashed. Yet, despite this relative safety, the experience was far from comfortable. With each shot, it felt as if her very organs were being jostled, a forceful pressure that seemed intent on pushing them out of her body.
This sensation, unsettling as it was, also served as a stark reminder of the weapon''s raw power. ''To be on the receiving end of that¡ I¡¯d rather not imagine what that feels like,'' she thought, a shiver running through her at the mere idea. ''No, definitely not something I''d want to experience or subject anyone else to. Unless they¡¯re freaks, of course.''
In their chosen positions, ready for the impending ambush, Sovereign Alpha remained motionless, each member acutely aware of their critical role.
Lucas, ever the protector, had strategically positioned his Stalwart shield just half a metre away from Thea. Partially extended from their hiding spot, it was poised to offer rapid cover if the situation demanded. Thea, lying prone, had a clear line of sight down the alleyway, thanks to her positioning approximately seventy metres from its entrance.
Isabella, a mere ten metres further ahead than Thea, was stationed across the alley, effectively flanking the anticipated path of their targets. Corvus, Desmond, and Karania, about ten metres behind Isabella and directly opposite Thea, were equally prepared.
While Corvus and Karania had their weapons at the ready, Desmond was engaging with his last functional drone, providing a crucial aerial perspective for early detection of their pursuers.
He had ended up having to rapidly disassemble two of his three stored up drones when they had decided to commandeer the SUV, as there had been not enough space for the more delicate parts of his drones to go without being smushed together or broken somehow.
Luckily, the Forge allowed him to disassemble drones, just as it could assemble them¡ªand a lot faster too. So at least he hadn¡¯t lost any resources, merely a lot of time, that, hopefully, they would have in spades as they tried to navigate through the urban expanse over the next coming days and weeks.
The anticipation in the air was palpable as they waited, their eyes fixed on the alley''s entrance. Thea''s fingers rested lightly on the Caliburn, her focus razor-sharp through the scope.
The moment Desmond''s subtle hand signal indicated the enemy''s approach, Thea felt her senses heighten. The world around her seemed to shrink, distilled to the singular focal point of her scope. Every sense honed in on the distant end of the alley, where the first signs of their pursuers would appear.
The quiet of the alley was suddenly pierced by the low hum of anti-grav engines.
The first Stellar Republic SUV glided into view, its sleek military design marked by sharp angles and a robust frame built for urban combat. Its dark grey body was interspersed with blackened armour plates, giving it an intimidating presence. As it turned into the alley, Thea could see the glint of reinforced windows designed to withstand most gunfire.
It was immediately apparent that these SUV¡¯s were of a more robust make than the one the patrol had used. They were likely meant as a first-response unit for any potential problems inside the urban districts, where larger military vehicles would have a harder time getting to.
Almost in tandem, the second SUV followed, mirroring the first in its ominous design. It was in this precise moment that Isabella sprang into action, her Devastation roaring to life with a thunderous cacophony of bullets.
Thea, with practised precision, zeroed in on her target¡ªthe engine block of the first SUV.
She steadied her breathing, her finger gently squeezing the trigger. A deafening blast erupted, the noise reverberating from the apartment walls on either side as the Caliburn discharged its slug, the payload leaving a fluorescent trail of ionised air behind it as it tore through the space between Thea and her target in an instant.
The slug struck the first SUV''s front with a violence that was almost surreal. Thea''s intention to disable the engine was surpassed by the sheer destructive force of the impact.
The SUV, caught in the ferocious grip of the Caliburn''s power, crumpled as if it had hit an invisible plasteel barrier at supersonic speed.
The explosion that followed was not just a burst of flame and smoke; it was an eruption of sheer kinetic energy that transformed the SUV into a mangled wreck. The front half of the vehicle folded in upon itself, metal shrieking as it bent and tore under the tremendous force.
The explosion echoed down the alley, a shockwave of sound and fury that rattled windows and shook loose debris from the surrounding buildings.
Thea, watching through her scope, felt a moment of disbelieving awe at the devastating effect of her shot. The SUV had been transformed into a twisted sculpture of metal. It was her first time firing on a target that wasn''t what she¡¯d considered a ¡°hard¡± target, such as heavy weapon positions, anti-armour cannons or stealth generators multiple kilometres away, and the results were staggering.
Around her, the alley was shrouded in a cloud of dust and debris, the air filled with the acrid scent of burning metal and the residual energy of the railgun''s discharge. The remaining SUV, struggling to navigate through the thick dust, made a desperate attempt to veer away.
However, its efforts were futile.
It crashed into the wreckage of the first vehicle, its momentum abruptly halted as it collided with the twisted, partially molten metal sculpture.
Moments later, it became the target of Isabella''s relentless Devastation. High-calibre rounds tore through its frame, shredding metal and glass with ruthless efficiency. Lucas, not missing a beat, joined in with his Havoc, unleashing a series of explosive rounds that turned the vehicle into a fiery inferno.
In mere moments, the alleyway, once filled with the cacophony of gunfire and explosions, fell back into an eerie silence. The squad, following Corvus'' command, ceased their assault.
They quickly set about scavenging anything useful from the wreckage, all the while aware of the urgency to move deeper into the city proper, away from the outskirts that bordered the Stellar Republic¡¯s military installations.
The ambush, successful as it had been, had undoubtedly drawn attention to their location.
Corvus then turned to address Thea, raising his voice to be heard over the ringing in their ears left by the Caliburn''s discharge. "Thea, that gun of yours needs a leash from here on out. It''s too much for city limits. I don¡¯t want you using it unless I explicitly say so, alright? We have to be mindful of over-penetration and stray shots. We can''t afford civilian casualties or unnecessary destruction. That''s not what this assessment is about, and we¡¯ll definitely get penalised for it." His words were firm, underscored by the seriousness of their mission and the potential risks posed by such a powerful weapon in an urban environment.
Thea, while slightly sad that she likely wouldn¡¯t get much more use out of her T2 weapon during the assessment, understood very well where Corvus was coming from.
Her own ears were ringing from the shockwave as well and likely would be for a few minutes at the very least. Shooting the Caliburn in between walls like this was definitely not something she would repeat, if in any way avoidable.
And while she doubted she¡¯d miss any shots, considering her Psychic Powers made sure that she knew if she was about to, overpenetration was definitely something that could be possible with a weapon like the Caliburn.
¡®Best to avoid that, for sure,¡¯ she thought, as she gave an affirming thumbs-up to Corvus, wanting to avoid speaking while her ears were still ringing.
After raking the bolt and releasing the pent-up heat of the Caliburn in a miniature fireball, Thea secured it back to the side of her backpack and got herself ready to move on. The rest of Alpha Squad, Karania, Isabella and Desmond, specifically, had meanwhile approached the wrecks of the leftover SUVs, to see if there was anything worth taking.
It was unlikely that anything had survived the encounter with the Caliburn, but the second SUV might still offer some kind of supplies, ammunition or intel for them to use during their trek through the city¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 87 - Urban Delve
The aftermath of the ambush left the members of Alpha Squad scouring through the remains of the second SUV.
Amidst the wreckage, they unearthed several crates filled with ammunition and a modest collection of grenades.
Each item was promptly assessed for its utility and swiftly appropriated.
However, their search for a communications unit or any substantial intelligence came up empty. This outcome, though disappointing, was not entirely unexpected.
The SUVs, dispatched to investigate the missing patrol, were unlikely to carry sensitive equipment or information, especially in a scenario where enemy infiltration was a likely possibility. It would be a glaring tactical error to provide such an advantage to the enemy.
With the realisation that time was not on their side, especially given the conspicuous nature of their ambush, Corvus rallied the squad. "Let''s move on. We need to get deeper into the city, so we can start using our comms again, and see what other squads are operating nearby. This mission isn''t going to be a solo endeavour all the way through. The mission objectives are undoubtedly going to be heavily protected, so we¡¯ll need some extra hands."
He then turned his attention to Thea, assigning her the role of point person. "Thea, you take the lead. Your urban expertise, along with Isabella''s, will be invaluable now."
Thea acknowledged the order with a nod and assumed her position at the forefront of the group. Lucas, ever the protector, positioned himself directly behind her, ready to deploy his shield if needed. Desmond followed, with Karania and Isabella bringing up the rear. Isabella had gladly taken the rear position, in order to make sure that nobody was accidentally going to step out of line or get lost along the way.
In urban environments, or so she had said, it was imperative to remain vigilant at all times and have a good balance of offence and defence across the entire line, as you never knew where the enemy might approach from.
The squad, now reformed in their new lineup, prepared to navigate the dense and unpredictable maze of the city''s outskirts.
Leading the squad through the urban outskirts, Thea felt a mix of nervousness and familiarity.
While she had no experience in urban combat, the environment reminded her of her time navigating the similarly deserted undercity of Lumiosia. The fact that civilians had been evacuated from this area only amplified the sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, making the surroundings feel eerily akin to the desolate stretches she knew so well and had spent the vast majority of her life navigating through.
Adopting her scout persona, Thea''s focus narrowed to identifying the most effective yet inconspicuous route through the city''s fringe. Aware that the Stellar Republic might have set up defences against infiltrators in the seemingly deserted urban expanse, she proceeded with a heightened sense of caution.
As Lucas finished securing the newly acquired ammunition and grenades, Thea started their trek through the cityscape, steering the squad swiftly away from the site of their recent ambush.
Her pathfinding strategy involved weaving through alleyways and under overhangs, aiming to stay out of sight from any potential surveillance drones that might be patrolling the skies above. This cautious approach reflected her desire to minimise exposure while navigating the complex urban terrain, ensuring the squad remained undetected as they delved deeper into the city.
Taking command with a newfound assertiveness, Thea directed Desmond with clear instructions, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic decisiveness. Embracing her role as the leader for this phase of the mission, she was determined to guide her squad as effectively as possible.
"Desmond, I need one of your drones in the air to scout a direct route for us towards the western side of the outskirts," Thea commanded, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Make sure to loop it around a few blocks first. We can''t risk it being traced back to our location in case someone''s watching."
Her strategy was to lead the squad westward, closer to the ongoing conflict at the wall.
This choice, while potentially more perilous due to the increased likelihood of encountering random Stellar Republic soldiers moving to and from the military installations further in the city towards the wall, was tactically sound in her mind.
The chaos of battle preparations and the throng of continuous movement would serve as a distraction, reducing the chance of their small unit being targeted by dedicated search parties. Thea reasoned that most search efforts would focus on areas far from the front lines, making their approach towards the west both unconventional and strategic.
Thea''s decision to take the riskier path was not made lightly.
It was a strategic choice, one that she had thoroughly discussed with Isabella during their multiple days of patrol and the corresponding downtime that came with it before the assault on the wall. Their conversations had been productive, focusing on the urban segment of the mission, where they exchanged ideas and identified potential dangers to avoid.
Both Thea and Isabella were in agreement: A risky yet calculated approach often yielded better results than a conventional, by-the-book strategy. They understood that their adversaries might be equally, if not more, intelligent and resourceful than themselves. As such, playing it safe and predictable wasn''t going to cut it in a complex infiltration mission like this.
This mindset was something Thea had observed and learned from Morin and Viladia as well.
Their actions often leaned towards the unconventional or seemed imprudent at first glance, but their track record spoke for itself.
They were among the most skilled and experienced marines Thea had encountered, and their success was a testament to the effectiveness of their unorthodox methods.
Emulating this approach as much as she could and felt comfortable with, Thea hoped to guide her squad successfully through the outskirts of Nova Tertius...
By the time Desmond''s drone efficiently mapped out a path towards the western outskirts, Thea''s leadership came into its own. The environment, eerily reminiscent of the undercity of Lumiosia where she grew up, bolstered her confidence tenfold. She navigated the deserted streets and structures of the city with a familiarity that was almost second nature to her.
Her pace, initially moderate, gradually increased as she became more in tune with her surroundings. Thea''s swift and agile movements as she led the squad were a blend of instinct and memory. She effortlessly weaved through the labyrinthine urban terrain, taking shortcuts through dilapidated buildings and sprinting up abandoned staircases.
Her proficiency in this urban jungle was almost uncanny to see.
However, her rapid pace soon proved to be a bit much for the rest of the squad. Corvus, observing the growing gap between Thea and the others, had to call for a slowdown. While Thea''s speed and agility were impressive, they were pushing the limits of the squad''s ability to keep up.
Acknowledging Corvus''s request, Thea ended up moderating her speed, still leading confidently but now more in sync with the squad''s capabilities. Although she had to restrain her natural inclination to move quickly through the eerily familiar terrain, she remained energised and focused. The drone''s intel, relayed by Desmond, continued to guide their path, ensuring they avoided unnecessary risks and maintained a steady progression towards their destination in the western outskirts.
Approximately ten minutes into navigating their new route, Thea felt an unease abruptly kick in. She raised her fist, signalling an immediate halt. The squad, well-trained and responsive as ever, ceased all activity, turning their attention towards her.
In front of them was the entrance to a nondescript apartment building, similar to the many they had already passed through. It was a modest structure, three or four stories tall, but something about it set off alarm bells in Thea''s mind.
It wasn¡¯t a psychic premonition either; rather, it was an instinctive, almost visceral sense of unease. It reminded her of an experienced blacksmith who could intuitively gauge the force needed for each hammer stroke on hot metal¡ªa skill honed through years of experience.
Thea found herself perplexed.
Her psychic abilities, usually sensitive to immediate threats, remained silent, offering no explicit warning. Yet, she couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was amiss.
¡®So¡ nothing immediately harmful, maybe? Could be an alarm of sorts¡ But what exactly is giving me this uneasy feeling? Why do I feel so strange about this building in particular?¡¯ She mused, trying to make sense of her own instincts.
The question was simple: Should she listen to them and lead the rest of the squad around the building entirely or investigate what might have set her off, instead?
She mulled over the decision, her eyes scanning the building''s facade for any visible clues.
Her training and experience told her to err on the side of caution, but part of her questioned whether this was an overreaction to a harmless anomaly. After a brief moment of contemplation, however, she ultimately decided to trust her instincts.
¡®It¡¯s not worth risking the mission just because I feel strange and want to know why. The last time I followed my urge to figure out why I felt weird, that stupid gate thing happened. Don¡¯t want a repeat of that happening anytime soon,¡¯ she thought to herself, cementing her decision.
She signalled the squad with a subtle gesture, indicating that they would take a detour, avoiding the building that had inexplicably set off her internal alarms.
It wasn¡¯t hard to find another way through, but the strange feeling of unease that had briefly overcome her in front of the doorway kept gnawing at her.
Just what exactly might have set the feeling off¡?
The sensation of unease returned unexpectedly a few minutes later, just as Thea was guiding the squad towards another apartment complex, a couple blocks further away.
Instinctively, she signalled for another stop. This time, her attention was drawn to a door slightly ajar, not any different from the others they had encountered and passed through so far.
Thea''s frown deepened as she pondered the peculiarity of this door. ''What sets this door apart from the rest?'' she questioned internally.
With caution, she inched closer, her heightened Perception at the ready. She hoped to catch even the slightest hint or anomaly that could explain her discomfort.
Her eyes narrowed, scrutinising every detail of the door and its surroundings. The slight gap, the angle at which it hung, the way the shadows fell around it¡ªeverything was under her intense gaze. Thea''s senses were on high alert, sifting through visual cues and ambient sounds, trying to piece together the puzzle that had triggered her instincts.
As she approached, she remained acutely aware of her squad''s position, ensuring they were prepared for any sudden developments. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Every sense was attuned to her surroundings, yet nothing immediately seemed amiss. The door itself looked ordinary, similar to countless others they had passed. But Thea couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was different here.
Deciding that it was time to figure it out, in order to make sure that this wouldn¡¯t slow them down in the future, Thea resolved herself to check this door properly.
Retreating quietly, she gently set down her backpack with a soft thud.
She rummaged through it and retrieved the corner-peek band she had packed during the assessment prep sessions for exactly these kinds of situations. The device, equipped with a tiny camera, was perfect for safely scouting hidden dangers around corners.
With skilled hands, Thea manoeuvred the flexible band, sliding its slender camera through the narrow opening of the door. The live feed from the camera played out on her small handheld screen, revealing the unseen details of the room beyond.
Her eyes narrowed as she quickly spotted a small, black box positioned near the door''s opening. It was entirely out of sight from the outside¡ªsomething she hadn''t encountered in any other building they had passed.
This had to be the source of her unease.
As she processed this discovery, Thea''s mind clicked with realisation.
The door''s angle was subtly off, just enough to be unnatural but not immediately noticeable. This slight deviation, which she had missed at first glance, now stood out glaringly against the backdrop of her previous encounters with the other doors.
The other doors had simply been left ajar, when the resident had left, followed by the natural winds and environment moving them to their final positions until Thea had found them. This door, however, had a sense of deliberate placement to it, that invited you to come inside.
It was likely that this discrepancy had been the cause of her unease. An instinctive feeling of ¡°this isn¡¯t quite how it should be¡± that had ticked her off to the existence of the black box¡ªwhatever it might be.
Thea silently signalled her findings to the squad, indicating that this was another no-go area and they¡¯d have to find another way around, which shouldn¡¯t prove too difficult.
Continuing to navigate through the maze-like network of alleys and abandoned apartments, Thea led the squad with heightened alertness, now even more keenly aware of the potential dangers lurking in the quiet cityscape. After a short while, she halted the team in a relatively secluded alley, a few buildings away from their last encounter with the suspicious black box.
Gathering the team around, she shared her observations and concerns.
"We need to stay on high alert," she began, her voice steady but urgent.
"I discovered what looked like a surveillance device or alarm. It wasn''t a direct threat, but it''s clear there are security measures in place here. We''re likely dealing with a network of alarms or detectors, so make sure you step carefully. I can¡¯t look at absolutely everything, though I will try."
She scanned the faces of her teammates, ensuring they understood the gravity of the situation. "We''ll maintain our current pace and caution for another hour or two, then find a suitable spot to rest and recover."
The squad members nodded in agreement, each understanding the importance of staying vigilant in such an unpredictable environment. Corvus, acknowledging Thea''s leadership and expertise in urban navigation, voiced his support. "Good call. Moving through this deserted urban landscape is more taxing than it initially seemed. Thea, lead us to a secure location when it''s time to rest. We''re counting on your judgement."
With renewed focus, the squad continued their journey, each member acutely aware of the silent threats that might be hidden behind every door and corner¡
Two hours passed, each moment filled with careful navigation and tense close-calls as Thea led Alpha Squad through the labyrinth of the city''s outskirts. Her choices in their route had been impeccable so far, circumventing numerous potential threats and alarms that could have compromised their mission. As far as they knew, their passing had gone entirely unnoticed so far.
Finally, as the day''s tension began to weigh on them, Thea identified an ideal location for a much-needed rest.
It was a modestly sized building, tucked away between larger apartment complexes that conveniently obscured it from easy view. This building, more akin to a spacious family home than a typical apartment, seemed to offer the perfect blend of seclusion and comfort.
Thea paused to survey the area one final time, ensuring its suitability.
¡®Sight-lines are blocked on all sides. We have a lot of escape routes should anything attack us while we¡¯re there, with the myriad alleyways on each side providing some easy routes¡ The house itself is also already set up with multiple doors and tinted windows, on both the first and second floors, in case we get surprised. This should be perfect,¡¯ she mused, deeming it a safe haven, at least temporarily, in the midst of their demanding mission.
With a nod of approval, she signalled the squad to make their way inside, ready to provide a brief respite from the relentless tension of their infiltration mission. She slowly led them inside, very carefully.
Thea''s meticulous inspection of the interior was thorough to a fault.
She employed her corner-peek band with precision, scanning every possible hiding place for traps or alarms. Her vigilance was unwavering, her determination to ensure the squad''s safety evident in every careful step and glance.
However, as minutes stretched into what seemed like an eternity, Corvus intervened, his voice laced with both concern and fatigue. "Thea, that''s enough. We''ve made this place as secure as we can. You need to rest now," he urged gently.
His words, spoken with a blend of caution and care, managed to break through the shield of intense focus that Thea had maintained since they had entered the outskirts.
At his words, a wave of exhaustion that she had been holding at bay crashed over her. The adrenaline that had fueled her vigilance dissipated, leaving her suddenly and overwhelmingly tired. She staggered, her body betraying her weariness, but Corvus was there, his reflexes sharp as ever. He caught her before she could fall, steadying her with a firm yet gentle grip.
"Come on, let''s find you a comfortable spot to sit," he said, his voice softer now, a reflection of his own relief that they could finally take a moment to breathe. It was clear that Thea''s relaxation had allowed him to let down his guard as well, if only slightly, in this brief respite from the relentless tension of their mission so far.
As Thea slumped into a surprisingly comfortable couch in what seemed to be a living room, her mind rapidly began to cloud over with fatigue. The reality of her exhaustion fully dawned on her in that moment of respite; she was so worn out that she could barely keep herself upright, even if she tried.
Reflecting further on the day''s exhaustive events, she realised the full extent of her physical and mental exertion.
Starting with the morning''s Alpha Squad assembly and social interactions, the day had unfolded into a relentless sequence of demanding activities. The vertical ascent, her harrowing fall and near escape from death, followed by the intense focus required during the infiltration and ambush, had all taken a significant toll. The subsequent hours of cautious navigation through the urban environment had only added to her depletion.
''What a day...¡¯ she thought wearily.
The realisation that such relentless days might become a norm in enemy territory weighed heavily on her. She acknowledged the need to be more judicious with her energy in the future. Rest opportunities like the current one might be rare, and she couldn¡¯t afford to deplete her reserves so rapidly again.
As she hazily made a mental note to keep this in mind for the following days, her eyes quickly fluttered shut as the exhaustion fully overtook her, putting her into a dreamless slumber¡
Thea stirred, gradually coming to her senses as Karania''s gentle nudging nudged her awake.
Her mind, initially foggy with sleep, began to clear, though she was still enveloped in the residual warmth and comfort of deep rest. "Yeah¡ just a moment, Kara. I''m getting up to take over¡" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleepiness, a pleasant surprise at how well-rested her body felt.
The couch, an unexpected luxury provided through Corvus¡¯ help, offered a level of comfort that surpassed any makeshift bedding she had encountered during the assessment so far.
Karania''s response, light and tinged with humour, jolted Thea back to reality. "Take over? Thea, it''s already morning. Time to get moving." Her words, though spoken in jest, carried the weight of urgency.
Thea blinked away the remnants of sleep, still slightly disoriented, as she processed Karania''s words. The comfort of the couch had seemingly allowed her a deeper rest than she had anticipated.
"Morning already?" she murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief. As she sat up, the evidence of the new day was undeniable. The gentle morning light filtered through the drawn curtains, casting a soft glow across the room and dispelling the last of her grogginess.
Confusion clouded her expression at the mention of missing her watch. "Wait, I didn''t...?" Her brow furrowed, reflecting her puzzlement.
The watch schedule was a crucial part of their routine, particularly given the heightened risk of nighttime threats. Her role in the middle of the night, leveraging her exceptional Perception, was integral to their security. The thought of missing her watch, of potentially jeopardising the squad''s safety, unsettled her deeply.
Karania''s light-hearted tone didn''t match the gravity of Thea''s concerns.
The realisation that she had slept through her designated watch, skipping a crucial responsibility, jolted her fully awake. She quickly scanned her surroundings, seeking to gauge the situation and the squad''s readiness to move out.
The sudden shift from deep rest to high alertness was disorienting, yet necessary. In their current environment, every moment counted, and Thea was keenly aware of the importance of maintaining vigilance and momentum, especially in an urban environment, where threats could appear at any time.
Karania, observing Thea''s panicked scanning, gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "It''s okay, Thea," she soothed, her voice a blend of reassurance and firmness. "We decided to let you sleep. You''ve been carrying the heaviest load ever since we got into the city, and we all agreed you needed the rest more than any of us."
Thea''s eyes, still wide with a mix of alarm and confusion, met Karania''s. The guilt that had surged within her began to ebb as she processed her friend''s words. It was unlike her to shirk responsibilities, but the understanding and concern in Karania''s expression were undeniable.
Slowly, she nodded, the tension in her shoulders easing.
Thea''s role as their navigator through the treacherous cityscape had indeed been taxing, both mentally and physically. Their gesture of allowing her additional rest wasn''t just an act of kindness; it was a strategic decision to maintain their group''s effectiveness¡ªsomething that Thea herself would likely have decided on as well, were she in their position.
As she sat up, taking in the sight of her team members double-checking their gear and scanning the area for potential threats, a renewed sense of gratitude and responsibility filled her. With a deep breath, Thea pushed herself to her feet, grabbed a quick bite of her rations and geared up for the day.
Around ten minutes later, Thea led the rest of the squad out of their hiding place.
The group moved with a silent, practised efficiency, their gear secured and weapons at the ready. The early morning light cast long shadows between the abandoned buildings, adding a strange, haunting beauty to their deserted surroundings.
The sight almost threatened to give Thea a severe case of homesickness, but she was fully focused on her task, which ultimately took priority in her mind: Making sure that Alpha Squad got through the outskirts alive.
She led them through narrow alleys, their footsteps echoing softly against the surrounding walls. They passed through abandoned apartment complexes, their empty windows like the hollow eyes of forgotten souls, staring down at them with a quiet judgement. Occasionally, they would sweep by a store that, just merely a week-or-so ago had likely been bustling with activity, but was now completely devoid of any signs of life.
Thea was acutely aware of the potential dangers lurking in such desolation as well, however.
Her eyes constantly scanned for any signs of movement around her, around the squad, in the windows of every building they passed and every alley they crossed. Her ears were similarly tuned to the slightest sound out of place, her Perception heightened to its absolute limits at all times.
The squad followed her lead, each member alert and ready to respond at a moment''s notice.
It took them several more hours, following the path outlined by Desmond¡¯s drone and Thea¡¯s personal touch, before they approached the outskirts'' edge towards the thoroughfare.
The landscape began to shift dramatically.
The cluttered, cramped residential buildings gradually gave way to an expansive industrial zone, dominated by massive structures whose purposes were varied and ominous.
The warehouses they first encountered were colossal, their metal exteriors weathered and beaten, bearing the scars of age. Row upon row of these giant storehouses stretched into the distance, their sheer size dwarfing the squad as they passed.
The silence around these buildings was profound, broken only by the occasional echo of their footsteps against the concrete as they continued to make their way closer towards the thoroughfare.
Beyond the warehouses lay barrack-like structures, lined up with an almost oppressive uniformity.
Each building was stark, utilitarian in design, with no ornamentation or colour, just the cold, hard lines of economic efficiency. The presence of unsettling watchtowers at strategic intervals, now abandoned and looming like silent sentinels, added a foreboding air to the area.
If Thea hadn¡¯t been intently focused on making sure they weren¡¯t running into an ambush, she would undoubtedly have thought about the implications of such towers existing in a common industrial zone.
But, ultimately, it was the factories that truly conveyed the scale of this more industrial sector.
Towering structures, each seemingly larger than the last, rose up like giants among the smaller buildings. Their enormous chimneys, some still faintly smudged with the remnants of smoke, pierced the skyline. The scale was not just in their size, but also in the realisation of their once-immense output, now silenced and still due to the war that the UHF had brought to Nova Tertius¡¯ doorstep.
The sheer vastness and desolation of the zone were downright overwhelming, creating a sense of insignificance and vulnerability in the squad as they moved through, but Thea tuned all of this out, as she was single-mindedly focused on one mission: Getting Alpha Squad to their mission objective safely¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 88 - Sidetracked
Navigating the increasingly industrial terrain, Thea continued to confidently guide Alpha Squad through a maze of deserted factories and warehouses.
This environment felt even more ¡°home¡± to her than the previous outskirts, as the undercity that she had lived in for the vast majority of her life had similarly been a more industrial-focused sector during the Golden Age.
Their path led them unerringly westward, ever closer to their critical objective: One of the control stations for the wall''s defensive mechanisms.
These control stations, five in total, served dual purposes. Not only did they operate as crucial nodes for wall defence, but they also functioned as Forward Operating Bases for the Stellar Republic forces that were stationed in the city. This dual functionality meant the stations were heavily fortified, yet they also presented valuable targets for strategic infiltration.
Thea understood the complexity of their mission.
With only six members in their squad, a direct assault on such a well-defended target was out of the question. Their role was more subtle, requiring finesse rather than brute force. The plan was to converge with other infiltration squads, combining their efforts for a more coordinated and impactful operation.
Their immediate goal was to reach the densely populated urban areas of Nova Tertius.
Amidst the bustle of civilian life, their communications would be harder to track, providing them the necessary cover to coordinate with the other units. Thea''s navigational prowess was crucial in this phase, as she carefully balanced the need for stealth with the urgency of reaching their rendezvous point deep behind the enemy''s lines.
But before steering Alpha Squad into the bustling urban core of Nova Tertius, Thea knew she needed a comprehensive understanding of the situation they were about to enter. It was crucial to assess the level of activity, the nature of military traffic patterns, and the general dynamics on the main thoroughfare. Such intricate details couldn''t be discerned from simple briefings or secondhand reports; they required direct observation.
Their immediate task was to position themselves within a suitable range for Desmond''s drones to conduct an in-depth reconnaissance of the area. Thea needed detailed information to strategize their movement through the city''s intricate landscape and to plan the infiltration of the control station effectively.
The squad''s success hinged on Thea''s ability to interpret the gathered intelligence and craft a viable path forward. With this in mind, she guided them cautiously, yet purposefully, towards a vantage point that would provide Desmond¡¯s drones the opportunity to gather the vital data they needed.
Navigating the decaying industrial landscape required a deliberate restraint from Thea.
The abandoned factory buildings and sprawling industrial parks, despite their more recent usage and state of utter disrepair, resonated deeply with her. They were reminiscent of her own roots¡ªthe undercity she had grown up in.
The labyrinth of openings, expansive windows, spiral staircases, suspended metal walkways, and conveyor belts beckoned to her instinctively, tempting her to traverse this terrain with the agility and speed she had honed since childhood.
These elements, so familiar and inviting, urged her to ascend for better vantage points, to leap and parkour across structures, promising a swifter journey through the industrial maze.
Yet, she found herself needing to curb these impulses.
Corvus had reminded her thrice already¡ªthe rest of Alpha Squad, except perhaps Isabella, struggled to match her innate pace and acrobatic inclination.
Heeding Corvus¡¯s admonitions, Thea consciously suppressed her natural instincts. She opted for a more conventional approach, one that involved less of the instinctive, industrially influenced parkour she was accustomed to.
This meant choosing routes that were more direct and less physically demanding, ensuring that the entire squad could maintain cohesion and move at a unified, manageable pace. It was a challenge for Thea, a balancing act between her innate abilities and the operational needs of her team, but something she fully recognized the importance of.
They could not afford to get separated or accidentally run into an ambush when not in full squad cohesion.
Signs that they weren¡¯t entirely alone started appearing subtly, as Desmond¡¯s drone spotted a group of fresh tire tracks leading from the northern section of the industrial zone, past a long row of warehouses towards the southern side. The moment he had spotted them, he had called for a brief break and discussion.
He was pointing them out to Thea on his wrist-display, explaining how he had found them, ¡°I set up my drone to highlight anything out of the ordinary in the area. With the amount of warehouses we¡¯ve passed, it was able to create a bit of a picture of how things should look like and managed to spot that something wasn¡¯t quite right with the ground around these warehouses. The area marked in red,¡± he pointed towards long lines of red marks heading from north to south, ¡°are the tire tracks. What do you think?¡±
It was surprising for Thea to hear Desmond so readily ask for her opinion, considering their history together, but at the same time, she felt that the assessment so far had definitely done a lot of heavy lifting in getting both of them to accept each other¡¯s expertises more. The fact he had saved her from certain death during the wall ascent had also definitely put him into her better graces, for now.
¡°I¡¯m gonna have to go there and take a closer look, I think,¡± Thea replied with a thoughtful gaze. ¡°We should check whether or not we can make out anything from the tracks; how heavy the load was they were transporting, whether they stopped along the way and similar. We¡¯ll need to be careful when approaching as they might have dropped off some troops somewhere around the area. You can¡¯t see any footsteps with your drone, can you?¡± Thea asked, playing the question back to Desmond as the rest of the squad sat by and watched the exchange with rapt attention.
Desmond shook his head, elaborating on the drone''s current capabilities. ¡°I could send it in closer, get a better look. But the current highlighting mode isn¡¯t precise enough to find something like individual footprints from the height it¡¯s flying at, unless I specifically tell it to search a particular area. I could set it up for one of the areas, see if it can find something, but it¡¯ll take hours to follow the entire tire-marks towards the north and south to check for potential footprints.¡±
He went on to show her the radius the drone could likely handle in the next roughly half an hour, which was admittedly impressive, but nowhere near enough to cover the entire section that Thea had in mind.
Thea weighed the options, aware of the squad''s attentive gaze.
As the de facto leader for this urban phase, she felt the responsibility of decision-making keenly. While Corvus maintained his authority as squad leader, he had given her free rein over navigational and tactical decisions while inside the confines of the city limits.
She pondered the best course of action, considering the potential risks and benefits of Desmond''s drone delving deeper into the mystery of the tire tracks or whether they should go and investigate themselves. The decision she made next would not only impact their immediate safety but could also influence the success of their broader mission objectives.
¡®Is this the kind of thing Corvus usually has to consider¡? I don¡¯t envy him at all. This sucks¡¡¯ She thought to herself. The dilemma before her was clear, yet complex.
Her natural inclination was to investigate the tracks further, driven by a blend of strategic necessity and personal curiosity. Such a move, however, carried significant risks.
The recent activity in the area indicated a definite enemy presence, a fact that put them at an advantage for now, as their adversaries remained blissfully unaware of Sovereign Alpha''s infiltration. Venturing out to scrutinise the tracks could potentially compromise this advantage.
Thea tried to weigh the risk of exposing their position against the potential intelligence they could gather. A single misstep in this abandoned industrial zone could alert the enemy, transforming their covert operation into a perilous encounter.
Her decision would not only impact their immediate safety but also influence the broader strategy of their mission in Nova Tertius. After all, should they be found out, it was likely that their continued progress and attempts to link up with the rest of the infiltration squads would be in trouble as well.
Thea felt the eyes of her squad on her, their trust in her judgement both similarly empowering and daunting. This was the kind of decision that defined leadership¡ªbalancing curiosity with caution, the immediate gain against long-term strategy; something Thea was inherently bad at.
"We''re going to find a secure location to lay low for a while. Desmond, I want your drone to give us a detailed analysis of those tire marks. We need to stay under the radar, but we also can''t ignore the potential information those tracks could provide," Thea decidedly ordered, trying her best to sound certain about this decision. "The presence of enemy vehicles in this area doesn¡¯t really make much sense, especially considering the main thoroughfare''s proximity. I feel like there''s definitely something here that demands our attention."
With her decision made, the team rallied behind Thea.
She confidently led them back through the industrial maze, retracing their steps to a previously noted industrial office-like structure. The building, a few blocks to the east, had caught her attention earlier.
It was a relatively nondescript structure, one of many in the sector they had passed through, blending into the industrial landscape, yet its office-style layout promised better cover and a more comfortable waiting area than one of the abandoned factory complexes.
The office-style structure of the building would offer them a better than decent vantage point to observe any further developments, thanks to the myriad windows and blinds, guaranteed they had a lot of ways in and out of it, should their location become compromised, while also providing a more hospitable environment should their stay be prolonged¡
Once they had settled into their temporary hideout on the penultimate floor of the office building, Thea began to outline to Desmond exactly what she needed from him and his drone.
The tracking and scouting lessons from Old Man James came back to her like she had just received them yesterday, "Desmond, I need detailed scans of the tire tracks at these specific points," she instructed, pointing out locations on the drone''s overhead view displayed on his wrist-screen. "Check these three spots around this warehouse¡ªthey''re where the vehicles are most likely to have stopped, if they ever did. Get me a detailed scan of the tracks, so I might be able to give us insights into the weight and type of cargo they were carrying. Once we have that information, we can plan our next move."
After briefing Desmond, Thea turned her attention to the squad''s immediate security. "Let''s secure this floor," she directed, her tone firm and clear. "We need to barricade the staircases and create enough barriers to slow down any unwanted guests. Be ready for quick reactions, whether to engage or retreat."
She gestured toward the access points to their floor. "And don''t forget to secure the route from the floor above us. We might need a quick escape upwards. Set up the barricades so we can easily break them down from our side if necessary." Her instructions were precise and clear, quite different from the leadership she had done before, but this was something she was confident in.
Thea''s thoughts drifted to the countless hours spent with James in the long-abandoned parts of Limiosia¡¯s undercity. His rigorous training sessions, which she had often found extremely tedious and repetitive, were now once again proving invaluable.
"Remember, Missy," James''s voice echoed in her memory, "you may not like these drills now, but they''ll save your skin one day. Urban combat is likely going to be one of the things you¡¯ll be best at for a while, considering the environment we¡¯re living in, so it¡¯s imperative you have an understanding of how close-quarter-combat works around here. That includes fortifying a position and keeping your options open as long as possible."
A small grin appeared on Thea''s face as she recalled his stern yet caring admonitions. It was almost as if she could hear his gruff voice saying, "I told you so."
There she was, applying his teachings in real-world scenarios¡ªwell, as real as they could get in the DDS, that was¡ªsomething she hadn''t fully anticipated needing so acutely.
Shaking her head slightly, she whispered, "Damn you, Old Man," her words carrying a mix of gratitude, mirth and mild frustration.
His foresight and instruction had prepared her for much of what she faced, yet there was an odd sense of predestination in how accurately he had predicted the challenges she would encounter. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s a precog psychic as well¡?¡±
As Thea joined her teammates in reinforcing the office''s entry points, Desmond focused intently on surveillance.
At some point, she found herself working alongside Corvus, who, in a rare moment of quiet, leaned in to offer some encouragement. ¡°You¡¯re doing an excellent job, Thea,¡± he said softly, his tone sincere. ¡°Leading isn¡¯t easy and I know it¡¯s not really your thing, but you¡¯re handling it very well so far. Keep up the good work.¡±
Thea felt a rush of pride at his words. Leading really wasn¡¯t what she was made for, so hearing that she did a good job was exhilarating, and it buoyed her spirits. She channelled this newfound energy into meticulously double-checking their defensive setup, ensuring every barricade was as secure as possible.
Once satisfied with their fortifications, which primarily were a mix of office desks, chairs and a hefty amount of white-foam, Thea encouraged the squad to take a much-needed break.
They had been walking, climbing, scrambling and sneaking their way through Nova Tertius¡¯ industrial outskirts for the better part of half a day and exhaustion had slowly started to kick in by the time they got done here, so it had been high time for a break anyway.
Lucas and Isabella had strategically placed themselves near the main hallway leading to the office. This positioning was tactically motivated; in the event of an assault, the combination of Lucas¡¯ Stalwart shield and Isabella¡¯s Devastation would create a formidable defence in the confined space. It was a setup few enemy soldiers could hope to overcome, providing a significant advantage to Sovereign Alpha in holding their ground, should they be found.
Thea¡¯s mind was caught in a whirl of contemplation as she surveyed their fortified position in the office.
They had invested considerable time and effort in securing this temporary refuge, yet she couldn''t help but wonder if this time might have been better spent advancing towards their primary objective.
The mystery of the tire tracks they had discovered loomed large in her thoughts, however, an enigma that stubbornly refused to be ignored. There was something undeniably compelling about those tracks, a puzzle that whispered insistently for resolution. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Why would a truck deviate from the direct thoroughfare to meander through an abandoned industrial sector? The more she pondered it, the more Thea felt drawn to uncover the truth behind this anomaly. To her, it seemed illogical for any vehicle, especially one unconcerned with stealth, to choose such a route unless it bore a clandestine purpose or precious cargo.
These thoughts ebbed and flowed in her mind, mingling with a tinge of doubt. Had they diverted their focus unnecessarily? Was this detour a strategic misstep? Thea wrestled with these uncertainties, trying to quell the second-guessing that gnawed at her.
In the end, she consoled herself with a pragmatic thought, a mental shrug that acknowledged the wisdom of caution. ''Better safe than sorry,'' she thought, attempting to find solace in the notion that, in the uncertain world of infiltration and intelligence, erring on the side of caution was often the wisest course.
The Old Man¡¯s teachings continued to resonate in her mind, putting her at ease, slowly but surely. ¡°Always remember: If you¡¯re uncertain; become certain. Don¡¯t walk into things without proper intel. Simply spend the time, however much is required, to make sure you know what you¡¯re getting into. If you absolutely have to go, due to time restraints, take the safest route and have escape routes in your mind at all times. As a marine, staying alive is your first and most important job. A dead marine is not just a waste, but a downright liability,¡± he had always said.
With a more confident nod, she thought to herself, ¡®I¡¯m just becoming certain. That¡¯s all,¡¯ before she sat down near Desmond, Corvus and Karania in one window-less corner of the office they had claimed, to wait for any updates on Desmond¡¯s mission.
Alpha Squad and Thea herself had done all they could.
Now it was time for Desmond and his drones to shine¡
As the hours passed during their respite, Desmond remained diligently focused on the task Thea had assigned him. Engulfed in his own world, his figure, still and statue-like, was shrouded by the Forge''s helmet. His body might have been motionless, but it was evident that he was engaged in a meticulous and silent battle, orchestrating the movements of the two drones he had deployed.
His task was just as critical and challenging as the physical manoeuvres they had performed earlier throughout the day.
Although drones offered a slightly subtler presence compared to ground troops in an ostensibly deserted area, Desmond still faced the delicate challenge of ensuring their relative invisibility to enemy detection. They needed to be stealthy, avoiding any tracking, pinging, or even prolonged visual identification in order for them to seem as natural parts of the environment, should they be briefly spotted.
Thea observed him periodically, contemplating whether to suggest a break for him, recognizing the mental toll of such an intense focus.
However, she repeatedly decided against it, acknowledging his expertise and the unique role he played in their mission. ''Just as they supported me through my tasks yesterday, it''s his turn to carry this weight,'' she thought. ''We''ll ensure he gets the rest he needs tonight, and we''ll cover his watch duty to compensate for his exertion today.''
She started to understand the balance of responsibilities within the squad and the importance of allowing each member to fulfil their role without undue interference more and more, as she had been thrust into the temporary position of squad leader during this time. There were certain tasks that nobody else could do, which is why they operated in squads to begin with.
Each one of them had to bear a certain weight at some point and there was no use trying to push brakes on somebody in the process of doing exactly that.
As they settled into a brief period of rest, the rest of Sovereign Alpha found their own way to unwind while remaining alert. Corvus was engrossed in the mission documents, his eyes scanning the pages with a focused intensity, as if trying to glean every bit of intelligence they could offer.
Lucas and Isabella had positioned themselves strategically near the entrance.
Lucas, his back resting against his trusty Stalwart shield, seemed to be asleep, his breaths deep and rhythmic. Yet, Thea had noticed his keen awareness, his eyes opening abruptly every once in a while; he was in a state of alert relaxation, ready to spring into action at a moment''s notice.
Isabella, meanwhile, was lounging nearby, splayed out on a couch she had found in a nearby break-room and had pulled into their office, her eyes closed, but Thea knew better than to think she was completely off guard.
Karania, on the other hand, presented a more startling scene. Thea couldn¡¯t suppress a shake of her head as she observed her friend engaged in an unusual task.
¡®What the fuck, Kara¡?¡¯
Karania, with a deep cut on her forearm, was methodically collecting her own blood into several ampules and canteens, her actions meticulous and deliberate despite the oddity of the situation.
Approaching Karania, Thea was met with the medic''s usual cheerful demeanour, a stark contrast to the strange activity she was engaged in.
¡°Ah! Hey, Thea! How¡¯s it going?¡± Karania greeted her with an infectious smile, seemingly unfazed by her own self-inflicted wound. Thea, taken aback by the peculiar and slightly alarming sight, knew there had to be a logical explanation behind Karania¡¯s actions, yet it was hard not to feel a mix of concern and curiosity about her friend''s unconventional methods.
Still grappling with the unusual sight in front of her, Thea managed a response, her tone a mix of bewilderment and curiosity. ¡°You¡ You wanna tell me what exactly it is you¡¯re doing here?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but fixate on the rhythmic pulsation of Karania¡¯s wound, a sight both unsettling and mesmerising alike.
Karania, with her characteristic nonchalance, replied, ¡°Collecting blood,¡± as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her casual demeanour and lack of elaboration were typical, yet it always left Thea feeling like she was part of a private joke.
Knowing that she¡¯d need to be more direct to get the full story, pressed on, ¡°What for?¡±
She was accustomed to Karania''s quirkiness, but this was certainly a new level.
¡°For my Abilities,¡± Karania began, holding up an ampule filled with her blood. ¡°After I lost my arm during that little ¡®IgT-shell bombardment¡¯ incident, I did some accidental experiments. Turns out, my blood doesn¡¯t need to be in my body for my Abilities to work at all! As long as it hasn¡¯t coagulated, it''s usable.¡± To illustrate, she gestured at the ampule, which suddenly started bouncing up and down in her hand, animated by one of her Abilities.
Karania continued with a playful gleam in her eye, ¡°I¡¯m collecting some extras, cause you never know when you¡¯re gonna need some extra Kara blood, y¡¯know? Might wake up one night and think to yourself, ¡®If only I had some of Kara¡¯s blood right now¡¯ and boom! I can swoop right in and hand you a canteen full of it. Awesome, huh?¡± Her tone was light, downright jovial, underscoring the casualness with which she approached her own Abilities.
Thea contemplated the stark differences between her own approach to Ability usage and Karania¡¯s more innovative, free-form methods. Where Thea reserved her Abilities for critical moments, Karania¡¯s creative experimentation opened up a whole host of possibilities. It was unconventional, certainly, but Thea couldn¡¯t deny the practicality behind her friend¡¯s actions.
The memory of one of Karania¡¯s Abilities surfaced in Thea¡¯s mind¡ªthe one that allowed her to modify her blood into a universal donor type during transfusion. Stockpiling her own blood could be a lifesaver in dire medical situations. It wasn¡¯t just a quirky habit; it was a strategic reserve. If any of their squad members were severely injured, having Karania¡¯s blood on hand could mean the difference between life and death.
¡®I should experiment more with my own Abilities as well¡ After the assessment¡¯s over, I need to seriously get my shit together. Equipment, Abilities, tactics¡ I¡¯m so far behind everyone else when it comes to this stuff. I¡¯ll have to work harder to make sure that I don¡¯t entirely rely on my Psychic Powers to carry me through everything like they are right now¡¡¯ She thought to herself.
Thea''s attention swiftly shifted as Desmond''s voice broke through her thoughts. "I''ve finished the scans you requested," he announced, his tone indicating an equal measure of satisfaction in his work and sheer exhaustion.
Eager to dive into the task at hand, Thea quickly approached Desmond, peering at the detailed scans displayed on his screen. The quality of the imagery immediately impressed her. Desmond had not only met but far exceeded her expectations, capturing even the minutest details of the tire tracks. The high-resolution scans, complete with 3D imaging, offered an in-depth analysis that she likely couldn''t even have achieved on-site.
The scans provided intricate measurements, including the depth and width of each tire imprint, and various other specifics that would have been difficult, if not impossible, to discern in person, especially under the constant threat of discovery.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she scrutinised the intricate details of the tire tracks Desmond had captured. ¡°These are exceptional¡¡± she murmured, her focus deepening as she examined the scans of the locations she had instinctively selected for surveillance.
Her choices had been guided more by intuition than specific reasoning, a skill unintentionally honed from countless hours navigating the labyrinthine industrial sectors of Lumiosia''s undercity. This experience gave her a unique insight into the likely routes and habits of those who operated clandestinely within such environments, be they smugglers, gangers, or others with secretive agendas.
Thea managed to quickly discern valuable information from the first set of scans.
The tracks revealed that the vehicle in question had been in constant motion, not pausing at the first location at all. The patterns left by the tires suggested a multi-sectioned transport as well, likely with two compartments connected together. The sharpness of the turns indicated in the tracks suggested a level of manoeuvrability unexpected for a vehicle of its apparent size.
Furthermore, Thea observed the depth and pressure marks of the tires, which hinted at an unusually heavy load. Despite travelling on solid, paved, industrial roads typically resistant to imprinting, the weight pressing down on the vehicle''s tires had left clear, defined tracks.
Such evidence indicated a substantial burden being transported, something of significant mass that exerted noticeable pressure on the tires during movement. This observation ruled out the possibility of frequent stops and starts, confirming the continuous motion of the vehicle.
This was about the extent of knowledge she could gleam from the first set of scans and James¡¯ teachings. She had always wondered why he had made her look at so many different tracks, be it human, animal or vehicle alike, but it all clicked in her brain at this very moment.
She had figured that being part of a military later in life would mean that these types of skills would be completely irrelevant, considering the technology available and the more commonly seen images and recordings of all-out combat. But if this assessment so far had shown her one thing about war already, it was that war had a huge amount more downtime than she had initially expected.
And way more walking on your own two feet, as well.
¡®I have no idea what kind of vehicle this could be at all¡ I should have paid more attention doing Warfare 101; looked at the tires and types a lot more intently. That¡¯ll have to be something I check up on. At least identifying what type it is would already help¡ I¡¯d imagine Moira or Vi wouldn¡¯t be struggling to identify this thing as much as I am here,¡¯ Thea lamented internally.
She absolutely hated feeling inferior to others, even if she fully understood that there was a vast, vast gulf of experience and time between herself and the other two ladies from Arrow Squad.
Luckily for her, however, she knew somebody that might have paid more attention to these particular aspects during their Warfare 101 lecture.
"Lucas, could you come here for a second?" Thea called over to the defensive heavy, nestled near the entrance of the office. He immediately got up and jogged the few metres towards her. Arriving, he leaned in, examining the images on the display with an interested eye. It was likely that he was surprised to be called over for a scouting mission, considering his expertise lay elsewhere.
"Take a look at these tire tracks," Thea said, pointing to the intricate patterns on the screen. "It looks like a multi-sectioned vehicle, at least two but unlikely to be more than three, probably with 12 to 16 wheels. The weight these tracks suggest is absolutely massive, so I doubt it''s just a troop carrier. The track width isn''t wider than two metres. Anything you know that comes to mind?"
His eyes lit up when he realised what exactly it was that Thea had called him over for and why his expertise was needed for a scouting report like this. He eagerly went to work, analysing the data the scan and Thea had provided, his forehead creasing up immediately in intense concentration. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to waste this exceedingly rare chance to let his own knowledge shine for once.
Lucas was definitely the de-facto vehicle expert of Alpha Squad.
He was not just interested in owning and driving one, but also just really enjoyed talking about them and learning about them in general, from what Thea managed to gather over the brief period they had known each other.
During the Warfare 101 lecture especially, he had spent a lot of time intently checking and absorbing the exact details of every vehicle that Lt. Jorvik had presented him and Thea with. During the assessment so far, she had also sometimes managed to spot him reading through some assorted vehicle spec sheets during their downtime of the patrols prior to the assault on the wall.
Lucas might have been her only option to figure out what vehicle they might be searching for, but he was definitely a fantastic ¡°only¡± option for her to have. If he couldn¡¯t figure it out, there was no shot that anybody else in the squad would know.
While Lucas was checking the first tire marks, Thea used her data-pad, which she had retrieved from her backpack, to check over the additional scans.
As Thea examined the second set of tire marks on Desmond''s scans, her attention was captured by an unexpected detail. Leaning in closer, she magnified the image, revealing faint, overlaid markings that seemed out of place.
¡®Holy shit. Those are fucking boot marks, aren¡¯t they¡?¡¯
Near one of the abandoned warehouses, she spotted ever so subtle markings of boots smudged over the marks the tires had left. The presence of these footprints, especially near one of the abandoned warehouses, was a significant clue.
Without the distinct tire marks as a backdrop for the boots to smudge in, spotting these imprints on the solid asphalt would have been completely impossible.
"I''ve got something here," Thea called out, her voice carrying a mix of concentration and urgency. Her discovery could potentially unveil a crucial piece of the puzzle they were piecing together. As the rest of Alpha Squad converged around her to see the findings, Lucas spoke up, his voice cutting through the growing anticipation.
"I found something as well," Lucas announced, drawing everyone''s attention. Thea was momentarily taken aback; Lucas had worked remarkably quickly. In just a short span, he had managed to glean valuable information from the scans.
"Lucas, share what you''ve found," Thea said, stepping aside to give him space.
His insights would likely complement her own discovery, shedding more light on the mysterious vehicle''s purpose and contents. As Lucas prepared to divulge his analysis, the squad leaned in, ready to integrate this new information into their ongoing investigation.
Lucas, with an air of confidence, adjusted the screen displaying the scan so the entire squad could view his analysis. "Based on the tire marks'' distribution, particularly in these sections," he pointed to two specific areas on the scan, particularly around the tightest curves, "I''d say it''s a Mativ-type transport, most likely the Beta variant. It''s got a dual-section design, as opposed to the Alpha variant''s triple-section setup."
As Lucas elaborated on his findings, Thea couldn''t help but feel a twinge of self-reproach.
¡®I hadn¡¯t even considered checking the corners for wheel alignment, to figure out how many sections there were... I had only checked the corners to see whether there were any at all. Of course, you could also check for how many there were if you simply looked at the exact alignment of the wheels!¡¯ she chided herself silently. ''You moron, Thea. Why didn¡¯t you think of that?!¡¯
He went on, his explanation clear and concise. "Considering the weight distribution indicated by the tire tracks and the design of the Mativ-type Beta, the vehicle was likely carrying a load of upwards of a thousand tons, divided into at least two parts or a single, extremely slim piece. The way it handled the tight corners suggests the cargo must be slim enough to allow for a brief misalignment between the sections or be separated entirely."
Lucas paused, glancing at the team, ensuring they were following his train of thought. "Given its capabilities and the peculiar choice of route through this abandoned area, rather than the nearby main thoroughfare, raises several red flags. It''s definitely suspicious, aligning with Thea''s initial hunch."
The squad absorbed Lucas''s analysis, each member pondering the implications. Thea''s initial instincts about investigating the tire tracks were proving to be more than justified, lifting an invisible weight from her shoulders she hadn¡¯t even known was there.
Gathering the squad''s attention, Thea held up her data-pad, showcasing the subtle yet revealing details she had uncovered.
"Look here," she began, pointing to the barely perceptible boot marks superimposed on the tire tracks. ¡°There¡¯s people near that warehouse. They walked through this area after the Mativ had already left, otherwise the boot prints would not be visible. These are also prints of the Stellar Republic¡¯s standard-issue soldier boots, as far as I can identify.¡±
She had studied up on the Stellar Republic¡¯s uniforms and standard-issue equipment quite a lot before and during their assessment¡¯s downtime, for exactly circumstances like this. It was, after all, a scout¡¯s job to know these things.
Her thorough preparation was paying off at this moment. "This is clear evidence of a military presence in this seemingly abandoned industrial area. But the real question is why they''re here, so far from the control station, yet closer to the wall, in a part of the city that''s been left completely deserted."
The squad absorbed the information, each member silently contemplating the implications of Thea''s findings. The revelation of a covert military operation in such an unlikely location sparked a mixture of intrigue and concern.
The situation was seemingly quite a lot more complex than a simple patrol or logistic movement¡ªsomething significant was taking place, and they were on the cusp of uncovering what that might be.
The real question, however, was unspoken, but echoed in their collective minds: Was this something worthy to be pursuing or should they ignore it and move on to their primary mission objective further in the city-proper¡?
Arc 1 - Chapter 89 - Overthinking
The squad absorbed the weight of the silence, each member immersed in their thoughts until Corvus decisively broke the stillness.
He addressed them with clear authority, yet a hint of his usual consideration, "Given the unusual nature of this situation, which is clearly more than a mere transportation routine, we should delve deeper into this. With over three days remaining to infiltrate the city and establish contact with the rest of the squads, we can afford to dedicate a single day to this investigation."
Thea felt a sense of relief wash over her as Corvus reclaimed the leadership role. His keen perception of her reluctance to make this high-stakes decision was a clear testament to his leadership skills. He added firmly, "If our investigation tomorrow doesn¡¯t yield significant results, we''ll refocus on our main mission. It''s imperative we don¡¯t lose sight of our primary objective, but this could be a lead worth pursuing."
Then, turning his focus to Thea, Corvus inquired, "Your insights have been invaluable so far, Thea. What''s our next move? How do you suggest we proceed?" His seamless transition in handing the lead of the squad back to her was similarly subtle and effective.
Inwardly, Thea marvelled at Corvus'' adeptness in handling the dynamics of leadership and social dynamics. ''His ability to navigate these social things is nothing short of impressive,'' she mused.
She admired his skill, yet felt a twinge of self-doubt, questioning if she could ever reach such a level of social finesse, regardless of how much she tried. It seemed to her that Corvus possessed some form of innate talent that she simply lacked, a natural flair for leading and connecting with people that went beyond mere training; something she would never achieve.
Thea took a moment to gather her thoughts, her gaze sweeping over the squad before settling on Lucas and Desmond. "Lucas, can you check the last scan for me? See if the vehicle made any prolonged stops, or if there was any indication of offloading. It''s crucial to understand their operations. They might have some kind of a base somewhere around here, if we¡¯re lucky." Lucas nodded, already turning towards the data on his screen.
Then, turning to Desmond, she added apologetically, "Desmond, I need you to trace the vehicle''s path as accurately as possible. We need to locate that Mativ. We''re somewhat in the dark without a specific target." Desmond acknowledged, his expression determined despite his exhaustion.
¡°Kara, hit him up with a stim if he needs it. We need this Mativ found today, at best. Tomorrow at the latest, or all of this time spent will have been for nothing,¡± she addressed the squad medic, who quickly gave a thumbs-up to confirm the order.
After issuing her instructions, Thea felt the weight of their mission press upon her. She took a deep breath, refocusing her energy on the task at hand. Corvus lingered nearby, and as the squad dispersed to execute their tasks, he approached her.
"I hope I didn''t overstep, Thea," Corvus began, his tone carrying a blend of concern and leadership. "I sensed your hesitation. Decisions like these often fall on the squad leader, especially when things could go south. It''s part of the job to shoulder that responsibility. I didn''t want to put you in a spot where you felt overwhelmed. A leader''s role is to take the heat, so the team doesn''t have to."
Thea listened, appreciating Corvus'' intuition and the support he offered.
¡°Thank you, Corvus,¡± Thea replied, genuinely thankful for his assistance. ¡°This whole leading thing is a lot more difficult than I even wanted to imagine. It¡¯s not for me, that¡¯s for sure¡¡±
Corvus nodded, understanding in his eyes. ¡°Honestly? I think you¡¯re doing exceptionally well, considering this is your first time leading a squad. You¡¯ve managed to get us all into a relatively safe position, led us through the outskirts and into the industrial sector without incident and even managed to find us some kind of clandestine military operation. And all that without anyone getting hurt.¡±
He paused, letting his words sink in. "You need to recognize your own strengths more, Thea. Sure, the social aspects might not come as naturally to you, but in just about every other aspect that makes a marine? You''re outstanding. You¡¯re already an exceptional marine, way above what even the rest of us in Alpha Squad can claim right now.¡±
Corvus¡¯ voice turned more forceful, as if to hammer home the point. ¡°Don''t let this self-doubt of yours cloud your potential like this. It¡¯s very frustrating to see, you know? You''ve got what it takes to be an Ace among Aces, in my eyes. It''s that self-confidence you need to work on. Once you harness that, there''s no telling how far you''ll go."
Thea stood there, stunned, a maelstrom of emotions swirling inside her. Corvus'' words had struck a definite chord within her, yet she found it difficult to reconcile his perception with her own.
In her mind, she had always been racing to catch up with her squadmates and all the other marines around her, not leading them.
Corvus observed her struggle to respond, a knowing look in his eyes. "Thea, from day one, it''s been evident to all of us in Alpha Squad that we''ve been trying to catch up to you. Mind my words: Catch up, not keep pace. We¡¯re so far behind you, that even thinking about keeping pace is an insult to you. And frankly, we''re falling short. Well, all of us except for Karania, but she''s a genius," he said with a light chuckle. "She''s the only one somewhat keeping up with your rapid growth. You should be more proud and confident in yourself, not weighed down by this self-doubt that perpetually seems to cloud your every action."
His tone then became more serious. "But¡ Make no mistake, we aren''t going to just sit around waiting for you to sort through your insecurities. We will continue to strive and continue to improve at the fastest pace we can. If you let your self-doubt consume you, if you simply implode under its weight, we''ll have no choice but to move ahead. Past you; without you. It would be a tragic waste to see someone with your potential fade away, but ultimately, it''s a battle only you can fight."
Thea stood there, feeling as if the ground beneath her had shifted.
Corvus'' words had opened a floodgate of emotions and thoughts she had long tried to suppress. Stuttering, she managed a weak, "I''ll... I''ll try my best."
Corvus gave her a reassuring nod, the corners of his lips curving into a supportive smile. "I know you will, Thea. That''s just who you are," he said confidently, before returning to his desk to resume reviewing the mission documents.
Left alone with her swirling thoughts, Thea grappled with the dissonance between her self-perception and the seeming reality that Corvus had laid bare. The idea that her squadmates, whom she regarded so highly, were actually struggling to keep pace with her was almost inconceivable.
Wasn''t she the one always playing catch-up?
Sure, she had the highest PV amongst them, but that was simply due to the lucky purchases she had been able to make, right?
She couldn''t shake off the feeling that much of her advantage so far was due to luck rather than hard work. How much of what she had achieved was truly her own doing?
These conflicting thoughts¡ªher self-doubt versus Corvus'' unwavering belief in her capabilities¡ªcreated a tumultuous storm in her mind, leaving her more confused and uncertain about her place in the squad and her path forward.
¡®It¡¯s not like Corvus to have such a forceful heart-to-heart with somebody, unless he thinks it¡¯s necessary,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, trying to make sense of the conflicting thoughts in her mind. ¡®I still lack so much, though¡ There¡¯s no way I¡¯m ahead of them all, is there? Isabella is an absolute monster in combat. Desmond knows tech better than anyone. Lucas is downright immovable, physically and mentally, and his knowledge in vehicles is second to none. And Corvus¡ Well he¡¯s Corvus. I can¡¯t even begin to break down how much of what he does I couldn¡¯t even get close to.¡¯
Yet, a nagging realisation tugged at her¡ªCorvus wasn''t one for empty platitudes. His words were deliberate, intended not for comfort but to provoke thought.
In the squad, he was the compass that ensured everyone''s mental readiness; however, this conversation had felt different. It wasn''t about reassurance, like it usually was; it was a catalyst for introspection. Corvus, she knew, wouldn''t stir such inner turmoil without reason, especially not during a critical mission.
That much was indisputable.
''Then, where does my perception fall flat on this?'' Thea questioned herself. ''The evidence of their abilities is undeniable. It¡¯s right in front of me: Lucas is meticulously analysing tire tracks at this very moment. Desmond has not only repaired but enhanced his drone to a degree beyond my comprehension. Isabella''s prowess in combat is proven, her feats in close quarter combat against the Stellar Republic soldiers on the very first day a literal fact. What am I missing in my self-assessment that Corvus seems to see so clearly?'' Her mind raced, seeking answers in the complex puzzle of her own self-worth and capabilities.
Ultimately, it would be impossible for her to see herself through the eyes of others.
The only thing she could do was decide on whether to trust Corvus¡¯ words or not.
She had no reason to distrust him, as he had done a phenomenal job as their squad leader so far, but she still struggled with the idea of taking his words at face value.
¡®I¡¯ll try to better myself in this department¡ but how?¡¯ She thought, trying to figure out a way to move forward while keeping Corvus¡¯ words in mind. ¡®I need some kind of universally applicable statistic that either proves or disproves his statement. Something that isn¡¯t outdated, like the Cube Trial, and doesn¡¯t have anything to do with luck, like my PV¡¡¯
The answer was as obvious as it was simple, she realised. ¡®The assessment rankings¡ That¡¯s got to be it. Leaderboards are exactly meant for this purpose, aren¡¯t they? To objectively measure somebody¡¯s entire skill at a certain thing. If I manage to get the top spot, then it¡¯s clear that Corvus¡¯ words were right, isn¡¯t it? I can then also compare myself to the rest of Alpha Squad, see where they end up!¡¯
A plan was formulating in her mind, to get a more objective take on her own performance. A plan that lined up with her previous goals perfectly: Reaching the top of the leaderboards for this assessment.
It had been what she had set out as her goal from the very beginning, but now, there was another reason for her to push for it, than simple competitive drive. It was a way of getting an objective self-actualisation and rating, which she could use to hopefully fix her own perception of her capabilities.
After all, the assessment rankings were unlikely to play favourites.
With this new outlook on her previous goal, Thea threw herself into a renewed bout of work, checking the tire-marks of the last scan alongside Lucas. She was fired up and raring to get things done, especially in regards to their current investigation.
If they managed to truly find the Mativ and secure its cargo, it would undoubtedly grant a ton of points for the leaderboard as well¡
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
As the hours ticked by, Thea and Lucas delved deep into the scans, meticulously analysing every detail. While the results from the third set of scans were less fruitful than they had hoped, Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
The fact that they had managed to extract any valuable information from her three instinctively chosen locations was remarkable in itself.
Lucas, with his keen understanding of vehicles, shed more light on the characteristics of the Mativ Beta. His insights were valuable, giving Thea a clearer picture of what they were up against.
Recognizing her own limitations in strategizing a full-scale operation, she passed this information to Corvus. His tactical acumen would be crucial in deciphering the strategic implications of their findings.
While Thea and Lucas were engaged in their analysis, Desmond was back in his element, engrossed in the task of uncovering further clues about the Mativ. Thea, though cautiously optimistic, tempered her expectations.
Finding the actual vehicle was a very long shot, but any clue pointing towards its destination would be a significant step forward. They were piecing together a puzzle, and every bit of information nudged them closer to understanding the bigger picture.
She realised that she was slowly inching closer towards another realisation as well: Their collective efforts were vastly more exceptional than anything she could do on her own¡ªeach member contributing their unique skills towards a common goal.
Something about this fact tickled the parts of her brain that were still mulling over Corvus¡¯ words, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it, yet. But she felt like she was getting closer to an epiphany, regardless.
Tomorrow, they would continue their investigation, armed with the insights they had gained, ready to delve deeper into the mystery of the Mativ Beta¡¯s existence in this stretch of Nova Tertius.
By the time the day waned and the industrial sector was bathed in the amber glow of Nova Serene¡¯s setting sun, Desmond''s intense focus abruptly reached a climax. With a startling movement, he yanked off his Forge helmet, revealing the strain of his prolonged vigil¡ªbloodshot eyes, and sweat matted hair.
The heavy thud of his T1 helmet hitting the hard rock-crete floor echoed through the office, jolting the rest of the squad members into alertness.
Close by, Thea quickly turned towards Desmond, her concern evident. "What''s going on, Desmond?!" she asked, her voice tinged with urgency.
Exhaustion was written all over Desmond''s face, but his tired eyes sparkled with a triumphant gleam. A fatigued yet unmistakably proud grin spread across his face as he made his declaration, "I found them."
Thea''s heart skipped a beat at his words, her mind racing with the implications.
She opened her mouth to ask for more details, but Desmond was already ahead of her, the excitement of his discovery lending him a second wind. "There''s an entire hidden outpost here, right in the industrial sector. The Mativ was hauling something massive¡ªtech of some kind, though I couldn¡¯t get a clear view. It¡¯s big. Whatever they''re assembling here, it''s not just some small operation. They''re building something significant, and it''s not yet complete."
The moment Desmond locked his gaze with Thea, the air seemed to shift.
Their eyes met in a direct, unflinching manner, a stark contrast to the careful avoidance that had characterised their interactions since their first squad meeting. The intensity in his stare was palpable as he spoke with a newfound conviction, "We found them, Thea. This is our chance to hit them hard. I can sense it."
Thea was taken aback on multiple fronts.
Firstly, the revelation that Desmond had not only located the elusive Mativ but had also uncovered a complete hidden outpost far exceeded any expectations she had harboured.
This breakthrough was monumental, offering a definite turning point in their investigation.
But it was his deliberate use of her name, rather than the pejorative "Cyan" he''d habitually used, that really struck her. It signified a shift, a gesture of acknowledgment and perhaps even respect, which she hadn''t anticipated whatsoever.
Overwhelmed by the sudden flood of information and the unexpected change in their dynamic, Thea found herself momentarily at a loss for words. However, before she could gather her thoughts to respond, Karania intervened, breaking the intensity of the moment.
With her characteristic energy, she inserted herself into the space between Desmond and Thea, her medic''s instincts taking over as she began to rapidly examine Desmond. Initially, he squirmed under her attentive gaze, but as Karania''s hand transformed with a series of unsettling cracks and fleshly tears, he froze immediately, ¡°allowing¡± her to conduct her examination without further resistance.
Thea, momentarily dazed by the unfolding situation, quickly regained her focus.
She addressed Desmond with a newfound appreciation, ¡°Incredible work, Desmond. This is a significant breakthrough! Once Karania is done with her assessment, we need to sit down and delve into the specifics of your findings. The details will be crucial for our next steps.¡±
Meanwhile, Corvus, Isabella, and Lucas gathered around, their curiosity piqued by the unexpected development. Corvus was the first to voice his thoughts, ¡°We need to approach this with a lot of caution. Let¡¯s hold off on any direct action until tomorrow at the earliest. Desmond will undoubtedly need some time to recover after today¡¯s exhaustive efforts. Plus, we need to ensure we thoroughly plan our next move. If this outpost is indeed a strategic setup by the Stellar Republic, a preparation for a potential breach by our UHF forces, it''s imperative that we disrupt their plans as effectively and decisively as possible.¡±
The ensuing hours were dedicated to examining the extensive drone footage that Desmond had captured of the hidden outpost.
His drones had stealthily surveyed the area, capturing detailed images of the Mativ Beta parked within an open garage. Thea was particularly fascinated by the technical capabilities of the drones, which far exceeded her initial expectations.
''I definitely need to take a closer look at those drones when there''s a chance,'' she mused, impressed by their advanced features compared to the more civilian drones she had known from her home planet.
In the meantime, Desmond had retreated to a quieter corner of the office to recuperate.
He had provided a comprehensive overview of his reconnaissance mission, explaining how he stumbled upon the outpost and detailing the significant findings. The rest of the squad had bombarded him with questions, which he answered exhaustively, until Karania stepped in.
Recognizing the signs of extreme fatigue and resource depletion, she firmly insisted that Desmond rest. His admission of running low on Focus and exhausting his Stamina reserves during the operation had promptly led Karania to escort him to a makeshift resting area.
Karania''s authoritative stance on Desmond''s need for rest was undisputed.
Her transformation into a menacing, scalpel-handed beast had effectively quashed any potential objections. Not that there were any¡ªthe squad unanimously agreed on the importance of Desmond''s recovery for the following day¡¯s operations. Her intimidating appearance had merely reinforced the necessity of rest, ensuring no one dared to challenge her directive; "just in case," as she had explained.
The rest of Alpha Squad had convened in the far end of the dilapidated office, a makeshift command centre, to allow Desmond some much-needed rest in the quietest corner. They huddled around the dim light of a portable screen, voices hushed but filled with a sense of urgency as they brainstormed plans for the next day.
Thea, her eyes intently scanning the drone recordings, broke the silence. "To infiltrate that outpost, we''ll need some kind of significant distraction. A direct assault is absolutely out of the question¡ªwe''re simply too few." She paused, pointing to the figures moving in the footage. "I''ve counted at least 30 soldiers, and that''s just those who''ve actually stepped outside at some point. Realistically, we could be facing upwards of 100 enemies, if not more. Getting close enough to even glimpse that tech seems like a daunting task."
Corvus, leaning against a nearby wall, weighed in with a sceptical tone. "But what kind of distraction could we employ without revealing our presence? Alerting them to any sort of intrusion could backfire spectacularly. It might be wiser to keep them in the dark about us for as long as possible¡"
Lucas, ever with a keen eye for defence and vehicles, added his perspective. He gestured towards the screen, highlighting the numerous vantage points. "They''ve set up multiple overwatch positions. Approaching undetected is near-impossible. There aren¡¯t even any nearby structures for cover either. They chose this outpost location strategically¡ªit''s a fortress."
His finger traced the defensive positions dotting the factory''s perimeter, each offering a commanding view of both the inner courtyard and the area beyond the imposing wall. ¡°Not to mention the Mativ itself being completely impenetrable, if we don¡¯t find the access codes for it. That thing¡¯s an absolute tank of a transport vehicle, with thick full-T1 plating all around. We wouldn¡¯t be able to access it without some serious explosives, which means more time and more noise spent there.¡±
Thea leaned closer to the screen, her expression a mix of determination and frustration.
"This is looking like an absolutely impossible mission," she murmured, scouring every pixel of the footage for a weakness, a hidden angle they might exploit.
The situation appeared increasingly bleak; the initial surge of determination and eagerness that had fueled them was gradually being overshadowed by the daunting reality before them.
The Stellar Republic''s clandestine outpost seemed like an insurmountable fortress. For their small team of six, the prospect of breaching its defences to gain access to the compound, let alone laying eyes on the coveted technology housed within the Mativ, felt like an endeavour teetering on the edge of impossibility.
Karania, who had been quietly observing the group''s growing dismay up until now, finally spoke up, her voice cutting through the thickening air of defeat. As both a medic and the genius of Alpha Squad, she often viewed challenges from an entirely different angle of approach. "What if we don''t have to break in the traditional way?" she proposed, her eyes alight with a spark of mirth.
She laid out her plan, detailing a strategy that none had considered. "The compound''s defence focuses on external threats, but what if we present ourselves as something else? What if we disguise our approach, not as an assault, but as something the outpost needs or expects? Like a medical unit, of sorts."
The squad, initially taken aback by the unexpected angle, leaned in to listen.
Karania elaborated on using their medical and technical equipment that they had on hand from the assault on the wall still, to mimic an emergency scenario that the outpost would be compelled to respond to, allowing them access under the guise of delivering critical aid.
They could disguise their more telling UHF armour designs by using the non-descript coveralls that had been given out as potential anti-chemical warfare suits in an emergency, where their own suits had been breached.
The idea was met with a mix of scepticism and intrigue. Thea weighed the proposal carefully.
"It''s risky," she admitted, "but it''s a level of deception they might not be prepared for. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re expecting us to be here, especially not this early, when the battle at the wall has just started¡"
Lucas chimed in, assessing the logistical aspects. "It would require some seriously precise execution and impeccable timing¡ but," he noted, "it could get us past their initial defences. It might work."
The team continued to deliberate, discussing the feasibility of Karania''s plan with a bout of renewed vigour.
They examined every angle, from the potential risks of being discovered to the opportunities it presented for gaining access to the compound and the Mativ. The idea, while unorthodox, offered a glimmer of hope in what had seemed like a hopeless situation...
Hours later, as the discussion finally seemed to simmer down, Corvus stood up, embodying the role of the leader he often took on in critical moments. He methodically began to summarise the evening''s discussion, acknowledging each team member''s input.
"Karania''s idea," he started, his voice steady but tinged with the weight of responsibility, "presents a unique opportunity. It''s unconventional and risky, but it leverages our strengths in ways the enemy won''t expect."
He revisited the key aspects of the plan, highlighting how they would disguise their approach as an emergency aid scenario, exploiting the outpost''s likely emergency protocols to gain entry.
"Let''s be clear about our chances," Corvus continued, locking eyes with each member of the team. "This is not a guaranteed success. Far from it. The risks are significant, and there''s a lot we can''t control. However," he paused, allowing his words to sink in, "our odds, while not high, are better with this plan than any direct assault or stealth operation we can muster."
The room was silent for a moment, each member internalising the gravity of the situation.
Then, one by one, they nodded.
Until he got to meet Isabella¡¯s gaze, who had remained mostly silent for their discussion, only chiming in to talk about topics that pertained to her expertise: Firepower.
Isabella, who had been a quiet yet intense presence throughout the discussion, wore a troubled look, her brow furrowed in deep thought. It was as though she had been mentally wrestling with parts of the plan for hours, unable to grasp an answer that seemed evident to everyone else.
Finally, in her characteristic brisk manner, she broke her silence, voicing the frustration that had been building inside her.
"Why are we even trying to infiltrate this place?" she blurted out. "What''s the endgame here? Once we lay eyes on this tech, what¡¯s next? We can''t just steal it or reverse-engineer it on the spot." Her voice was tinged with self-reproach. "I feel like I''m missing something obvious here. I¡¯m not a genius like Kara, nor have the strategic background of yourself, Corvus. Help me out here, please?"
Corvus, always poised and ready to explain, responded calmly, "Our goal isn''t to acquire the tech at all. Given its potential danger for the rest of the UHF troops once they pass the wall, it would be most prudent to ensure it doesn''t remain in enemy hands. If we can access it, we''ll destroy it."
Isabella''s eyes narrowed, as if the explanation only added to her plight. "Am I a complete fucking idiot or something¡? I don¡¯t get it. If we¡¯ll destroy it, then why," she asked pointedly, "didn''t we plan to just blow it up from the beginning? What¡¯s the point of an infiltration to get close to it and take a look, if we have Thea¡¯s Caliburn? It can probably kill the thing from like a click out, if not more. Am I actually too stupid to understand what¡¯s going on¡?"
Her question hung in the air, a moment of revelation that seemed to stop time.
The members of Alpha Squad looked at each other, their expressions shifting from confusion to utter astonishment.
It was a simple yet profound realisation; in their zeal to formulate a complex infiltration strategy that leveraged as many of their talents as possible to get a high enough potential success chance to seriously consider it, they had overlooked the most straightforward solution:
Just blowing it up¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 90 - Damnatio
The squad''s strategy quickly evolved after Isabella''s insightful observation and the realisation that their initial approach was deeply flawed.
Now, they pivoted towards a more direct and potentially impactful strategy¡ªleveraging the destructive capabilities of Thea''s Caliburn to neutralise the technology concealed within the Mativ at the hidden outpost.
This new approach simplified their planning considerably.
Within an hour, they had crafted a straightforward yet potent plan for the next day. It hinged on precise reconnaissance to establish the ideal timing and a coordinated effort between Lucas and Thea to identify the most effective firing position for the Caliburn. The key objective was to ensure maximum impact with minimal risk to the squad.
However, a significant concern remained unresolved: Their escape strategy post-attack.
"Even if we position ourselves over a kilometre away, the moment we shoot that thing. They will absolutely come and hound us with everything they got, the moment we reveal ourselves like this," Isabella pointed out, her extensive urban warfare expertise evident. ¡°I have no idea how we will get out of this alive¡¡±
This critical aspect of their plan needed urgent attention, as the success of their mission hinged not just on the attack, but also on their ability to safely withdraw from the area.
The group''s discussion took a sober turn as they confronted the harsh realities of their mission. Karania, visibly concerned, contributed her thoughts: "I agree with Isabella. Only she and Thea have the necessary skills to navigate through the industrial sector and urban outskirts to even have a chance at successfully evading any pursuers. The rest of us... we wouldn''t stand a chance. Even if we find a place to hide, it''s only a matter of time before we''re discovered."
Lucas, echoing the group''s growing apprehension, added his perspective: "Considering the cost of a Mativ Beta¡ Whatever tech¡¯s in there, is worth a fortune in credits. It might even be System-tech, for all we know. There¡¯s no chance they will not hunt us down to the last, if we actually manage to destroy it. Drones, search parties, armoured vehicles¡ªthey''ll throw everything they have at us. I can''t see a scenario where they wouldn''t pull out all the stops to find us."
The mood in the office had shifted to one of sombre realisation.
They had identified an ideal target and had the means to strike effectively. However, the crux of the problem remained unresolved: A viable escape plan.
Each proposed strategy they discussed inevitably hit the same snag¡ªhow to safely extract themselves after the attack. The realisation that their plan was incomplete without a feasible means of escape weighed heavily on them all.
Their temporary refuge in the office was secure only because they had yet to draw attention to themselves.
However, launching an attack on the Stellar Republic''s secret outpost and obliterating the Mativ, along with its precious cargo, would instantly turn the tides against them. In the aftermath of such a high-profile assault, they would undoubtedly become the targets of an intense manhunt.
Lacking the ability to blend into the bustling crowds of the city''s populated areas, their options for concealment were limited to the deserted industrial zones and outskirts of the city. In such desolate environments, their chances of successfully evading pursuit were beyond slim.
Corvus, bearing the heavy mantle of leadership, let out a deep, burdened sigh. His next words carried the weight of the difficult choices they faced.
¡°We''re left with two paths ahead of us,¡± he began, his voice tinged with the strain of decision-making. ¡°Firstly, we could opt to bypass this opportunity and report our findings to UHF as soon as we''re able. Hopefully, the intel can be leveraged effectively in time, before the outpost serves its unknown purpose. Or¡¡±
He paused, visibly struggling with the gravity of the second option he was about to present.
It was unusual for Corvus, always so composed and decisive, to exhibit such hesitancy.
Thea watched him, a sense of foreboding growing within her as she anticipated his next words. Her concern deepened as she saw him grapple with the thought, clearly finding it difficult to even voice the alternative. When he finally did, however, her fears were confirmed.
Gathering himself, Corvus continued, the gravity of his words hanging in the air, ¡°Or¡ we take a more direct approach. One of us could stay back, take the critical shot, and ensure the outpost is dealt with. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad would press forward towards our primary objective in Nova Tertius proper.¡± The implication of his suggestion was clear, and its potential cost starkly apparent.
Thea felt a chill run down her spine as she realised the full implications of what Corvus was proposing¡ªa sacrifice for the greater good of the mission.
The profound silence that enveloped Alpha Squad in the wake of Corvus'' suggestion was almost tangible.
Each member, in their own way, had likely contemplated this stark reality, but hearing it vocalised by their leader lent it a sobering concreteness.
The logic was clear and unassailable: Sacrificing one member of the squad to neutralise a high-value target was undoubtedly strategically sound, yet the moral weight of such a decision was immense.
Corvus, burdened with the responsibilities of leadership, gave voice to this difficult choice.
His tone was subdued, the characteristic energy of his speech noticeably dimmed by the gravity of the situation. "The Caliburn''s use is not exclusive to Thea. Its potency as a weapon is undeniable, we¡¯ve all witnessed it multiple times by now¡ªa single shot could achieve our objective. This task doesn''t require specialised expertise either, as it has enough power to completely evaporate the Mativ regardless of where it¡¯s hit. Thus, anyone here, with the exception of Karania, could potentially do this."
His eyes briefly met each squad member''s gaze, acknowledging the heavy decision they faced. The squad absorbed Corvus'' words, each member lost in their thoughts, the air heavy with unspoken emotions.
The reality of what was being proposed¡ªthe use and sacrifice of the Caliburn and one of their own in such a final, decisive act¡ªwas a lot to process. It was not just a strategic consideration; it involved a sacrifice that none of them had anticipated at this point in the assessment.
All members of Alpha Squad were acutely aware that a ''death'' in this assessment like this was not permanent; they would return, of course.
However, they also understood the stark reality of their current position within said assessment: Whoever undertook this mission would be isolated from the squad until the UHF fully breached the wall. This made being effectively out of the assessment until the final stages of their objectives an unavoidable certainty.
As they weighed their options, a heavy, unspoken agreement formed among them.
Despite being the only feasible strategy, the decision was laden with a deep, poignant sorrow. The notion of deliberately leaving a comrade behind clashed fundamentally with their strong sense of unity that had been developing between them over the past days and weeks, yet they were also well-versed in the ruthless demands of warfare.
Thea found herself reflecting on the "Strike One" mission, where a similar fate had befallen their small team of elite marines to neutralise a key target. Logically, she recognized the necessity of such tactics in the UHF''s strategic playbook when circumstances required.
Nonetheless, the concept was a hard pill to swallow.
She felt a crushing sense of responsibility, almost as if she were personally condemning one of their own to a lonely fate. Despite her relentless efforts to find an alternate escape route through the recordings Desmond provided, and recalling every structure they had passed, no viable path emerged. As the scout of Sovereign Alpha, she felt the weight of this failure acutely.
It was her role to chart their course, to ensure safe passage, yet in this instance, she had hit an impasse. A route that would lead to nothing but death.
Deep down, Thea knew that the blame was not hers alone to bear.
None of them, despite their combined efforts, had been able to devise a better plan. This was one of those rare, grim situations where a ''good'' solution simply did not exist. Yet, this rational understanding did little to assuage the guilt that gnawed at her, leaving her feeling as though she had let her team down.
Ultimately, however, after a series of solemn exchanges, with each member voicing their thoughts and concerns, they collectively decided to shelve the final decision until the morning. Desmond''s input was going to be crucial for this; his technical expertise potentially offering another perspective or, at the very least, help them come to terms with the plan''s stark reality.
As they dispersed, the unresolved question hung over them like a dark cloud.
Who would remain to ensure the mission''s success? It was a decision none wanted to make, a burden that weighed heavily on their hearts. The plan was clear, its execution meticulously laid out, but the emotional cost of this sacrifice was yet to be fully reckoned with¡
Restless and troubled, sleep had eluded Thea throughout the night.
As dawn broke and the squad convened for their final briefing, the mood in the office was heavy, each member weighed down by the impending decision.
Desmond, having been briefed on the previous night''s discussions already, shared in the squad''s sombre contemplation. He had meticulously reviewed his drone recordings, paralleling Thea''s efforts from the day before, in search of any overlooked detail or alternative. Despite his thorough analysis, his findings only reinforced the inescapable conclusion: Their current strategy was the only viable path forward.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Corvus initiated the meeting, his penchant for leadership evident in these times more than ever. He methodically outlined their plan for the day.
"We''ll diverge at this point," he began, pointing to a location on the data-pad, displaying Desmond''s drone footage. "The designated shooter, yet to be determined, will proceed to the spot marked Alpha, equipped with Thea''s Caliburn. They''ll set up there, in a position identified by Thea and Lucas as optimal for sniping. The goal is to target the Mativ, and the tech within, from the most advantageous angle available. The shooter will remain on standby, ready to take the shot either when the Mativ is opened and the tech exposed, or by sunset, whichever comes first."
His words were clinical, detached, yet the gravity of the task at hand was not lost on any of them. Each member absorbed the details, their faces reflecting a mix of resolve and the unspoken burden of the sacrifice they were about to make.
"In parallel, the remainder of the team will rapidly advance towards the heart of Nova Tertius. They must cover a minimum distance of 50 kilometres to stand any chance of staying ahead of the search teams before they reach the city''s more populated sectors and can hide their presence amongst them. This means no breaks and minimal time for selecting the safest routes. Each of them must be at their utmost alert, constantly on the lookout for potential traps, ambushes, or alarm triggers. Their vigilance in this phase is critical to avoid detection and ensure everyone¡¯s collective safety."
With the plan fully laid out and everyone in agreement and understanding about it, Corvus, his voice tinged with gravity, opened the discussion about the real topic of their plight. "We need someone to stay behind for this. Any volunteers?"
Immediately, Isabella, Desmond, and Thea spoke in unison, "I''ll do it."
Isabella, with a firm tone, quickly took control of the conversation, overpowering the other two of them. "Look! My role in close-quarter combat isn''t needed for stealth operations. I¡¯m an offensive heavy, I do fucking nothing to assist in any kind of stealth operation. Desmond''s drones and Thea''s urban expertise are far too valuable to lose. Fuck, without them, we wouldn¡¯t have even found this stupid outpost to begin with. There¡¯s no shot they¡¯ll be less valuable than me going forward!"
Desmond responded, his face etched with a mix of frustration and urgency. "Isabella, you''re not seeing the full picture, here! The effectiveness of my drones is really limited. What we achieved here with the outpost was more luck than anything else. In the dense urban setting of the city, they''ll be way less effective and vastly more noticeable, especially to Stellar Republic patrols or civilians. Plus," he added, emphasising his point, "in a situation where we''re cornered or ambushed, your skills in close-quarters combat are indispensable. They could very well be our only way out. You''re the ace up our sleeve in those scenarios, so you definitely cannot stay."
Thea, not wanting to be sidelined, asserted herself. "It should be me! Sniping is my responsibility, and this is part of it. I¡¯ve used the Caliburn the most, know the urban environments the best, when it comes to getting around quickly, and might even be able to escape them! I think it only makes sense that I stay behind for this. Both Isabella and Desmond are¡ª"
Her suggestion was abruptly cut off by a united front from Isabella and Desmond. "That''s not an option!" they exclaimed together, their voices ringing with determination. Lucas and Karania quickly joined in, reinforcing the sentiment, "You''re not staying behind, Thea."
Taken aback by the vehement opposition from her entire squad, Thea could only gaze at each of them, her initial resolve faltering under their collective disapproval. The depth of their conviction left her momentarily speechless.
Lucas, his voice tinged with a hint of regret, added, "I''d volunteer myself if it weren''t for my role as the defensive heavy. My place is with the main group..."
Karania, throwing her hands up in a blend of frustration and jest, remarked, "And here I am, wishing I could do the ''cool'' stuff for once. Being the medic is so damn limiting at times!"
Thea, absorbing their words, thought to herself, ''I don¡¯t really think this is about who gets to do the "cool" thing, Kara¡''
The grim reality of their conversation was far from a contest for excitement. They were debating who would make a significant sacrifice, effectively sidelining themselves for a major part of the assessment, to ensure the rest of the squad could advance.
The debate raged on like this, with Isabella and Desmond vehemently advocating for their own stay, each attempting to sway Thea, Karania, and Lucas to their perspective.
The conversation gradually became more heated, as Lucas and Karania began to offer their insights, transforming the dialogue into a fervent exchange of personal convictions rather than a focused strategy session.
As opinions clashed and emotions ran high, the discussion strayed further from its intended purpose.
It seemed to morph into an outlet for airing personal insecurities and frustrations, particularly from Isabella and Desmond, who both felt their skills were less useful than others despite their clear importance to the team.
Amid the cacophony, Thea struggled to steer the conversation back to a productive course. She could tell they weren¡¯t getting anywhere, but didn¡¯t know how to intervene and manage to get the discussion back to where it needed to be.
As she mulled over this problem, however, her keen perception allowed her to pick up on a deep sigh from Corvus amidst the noise, followed by his calm but firm voice cutting through the din, "I¡¯ll do it."
Thea''s eyes widened in shock at his declaration.
The rest of the squad, caught up in their heated exchange, didn''t seem to notice.
''Corvus? You can''t! You¡¯re the squad leader!'' she thought frantically, desperate to intervene. Yet, the resolved expression on Corvus'' face gave her pause, his steadfast demeanour reflecting a decision made not in haste, but with the weight of leadership.
"I¡¯ll do it," Corvus reiterated, his voice rising above the others, instantly quieting the room. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind and take the shot at the outpost.¡± A profound silence enveloped the squad, each member staring at him, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. Seizing the moment of stillness, Corvus continued.
"It comes down to simple logic: We can''t spare Isabella, Desmond, or Thea for this, at all. And Lucas and Karania aren¡¯t even in the running for this, as they¡¯re both completely irreplaceable in all aspects and not suited for the task either way. That leaves me as the logical, and only, choice,¡± he spoke with a gravity that underscored the weight of his decision.
¡°Each of you has a unique and irreplaceable skill set that is crucial for this squad. Something that is downright irreplaceable. Losing any one of those capabilities could make the upcoming parts of our mission completely impossible. My role as the squad leader is to amplify your strengths. I''m a force multiplier, nothing more.¡±
With a self-deprecating chuckle, he continued, ¡°My unique skills? Leadership, tactical oversight and social skills. But in this phase of the assessment, those skills are neither as critical as what each of you brings to the table, nor actually of much use to begin with. Lastly, Thea here has already demonstrated she can step up in the leadership department when needed, as long as it¡¯s primarily about manoeuvring the squad through an urban environment. This decision, while difficult and potentially unorthodox, is the most strategic one for our squad¡¯s success. And that''s ultimately what we all want, right? To succeed as a squad.¡±
Thea, unable to contain her frustration, burst out, "That''s bullshit, Corvus! I can''t just take over for the whole rest of the assessment. I''m not a squad leader, and I don''t want to be one! Every time I have to make a call like this, I feel completely lost! There¡¯s no chance I can do this!"
She was adamant, her voice laced with a mix of desperation and conviction. "You''re just as irreplaceable as any of us! I should be the one to stay behind. In terms of urban navigation, Isabella can take over, and Desmond¡¯s drones can handle the scouting just as well as I can, if not better. I don¡¯t bring any unique skills to this squad, certainly less than you think you do."
Corvus gave her a stern look, halting her mid-tirade.
His expression was an intricate blend of authority, empathy, and frustration. "I''m staying and taking this shot. You''ll become interim squad leader until I return to the squad, there''s no arguing about this."
As Thea opened her mouth to retort, Corvus added forcefully, "That''s an order, Thea!¡± And with a more sombre tone, ¡°My last one."
His words left no room for further debate, underscoring the finality of his decision.
Thea, momentarily taken aback by his commanding tone, fell silent.
The room resonated with the gravity of his words, and the responsibility now placed upon her shoulders. Despite her protests, Corvus'' decision was made, and his role as leader was evident, even in choosing to step away for the greater good of the squad.
¡°When I mentioned earlier that any one of us, barring Karania, could undertake this task, I was serious. My position as squad leader doesn''t exempt me from making tough calls like this,¡± Corvus stated firmly. ¡°What kind of leader would I be if I allowed crucial, irreplaceable skills to be sacrificed, just because I hold slightly more authority than the rest of you? I''m not doing this out of vanity or to avoid squad disagreements, Thea. This decision is about logic, not ego.¡±
He let out another heavy sigh, one that seemed to momentarily alleviate the gravity he carried. ¡°Now, I do need a quick tutorial on the Caliburn. It would be quite the irony if, after all this big talk, I ended up botching the shot due to my unfamiliarity with the weapon.¡± His words carried a hint of wry humour, subtly lightening the tense atmosphere.
The rest of Alpha Squad, each of their faces etched with a tapestry of complex emotions, slowly began to pack up the remnants of their intense discussion. Their faces reflected a blend of resignation, respect, and unspoken concerns as they returned to their preparations for the day ahead. Corvus'' decision, though heavy, was accepted as an order, and the team moved forward, albeit with an air of sombre acceptance.
Thea, meanwhile, found herself caught in a whirlwind of internal conflict.
Thrust unexpectedly into a leadership role, she grappled with feelings of reluctance and unpreparedness.
Part of her desperately wished for Corvus to stay, to spare her the burden of command. Yet, another part, more rational and grounded, recognized the truth in his words. His logic was sound, and his decision, while difficult, was strategically apt.
Swallowing down a surge of emotions and unsaid arguments, she acknowledged the futility of further resistance. With a quiet resolve, Thea retrieved her Caliburn and began the task of instructing Corvus on its intricacies. As she detailed the weapon''s mechanics and nuances, she did so with a newfound sense of responsibility.
It was more than just teaching him about a weapon; it was an unspoken passage of trust and duty, a moment marking her transition into a role she never sought and found herself utterly unsuited for but now had to embrace for the next while¡
Thirty minutes later, the squad was fully geared up and ready to depart. Lucas, taking on additional responsibility, carried two backpacks¡ªone his own and the other Corvus''s, now unnecessary for the remainder of his mission.
Corvus, distinct and solitary from the group, had the Caliburn slung over his shoulder.
He held his AR-303 in one hand as he addressed the squad. ¡°Alright then, this is it¡ Alpha Squad, I have complete faith in you. Follow Thea¡¯s directions, no matter how unorthodox they may seem. She might not see it, but we all know she''s more than capable of keeping us all safe and on track.¡±
He then turned to Thea, his gaze locking onto hers, and to her astonishment, she heard his voice resonating in her mind. She was startled for a moment, until she remembered that he had picked up [Private Communication] before the assessment had started. ¡°And you, Thea: Use this opportunity to confront some of your self-doubt. This is a trial by fire, granted to you by the circumstances. I have no doubt about your capabilities; it''s time for you to see them too. Don''t let me-No. Don''t let yourself down.¡± His words, internal and profound, were a mix of encouragement and challenge, urging her to embrace the leadership role she had reluctantly accepted and find her self-worth within it.
Flashing a broad grin at his assembled squadmates, Corvus rallied them with a playful yet determined tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go all out, shall we? Give them everything we got at every opportunity. Make sure I don¡¯t end up regretting this decision. Ooh-rah?¡±
A robust and spirited ¡°Ooh-rah!¡± echoed back, igniting smiles across the faces of the squad members, except for Thea. She was still grappling with the gravity of Corvus¡¯ parting advice and the weight of leadership now resting on her shoulders.
Sensing her hesitation, Corvus turned to her and prompted, ¡°Well then, Interim Squad Leader, your turn to lead.¡±
Startled, Thea initially responded with a timid ¡°Ah. Right¡¡± But quickly correcting herself, she adopted a more assertive tone, ¡°Alright, Alpha Squad, let¡¯s move out. We¡¯ve got a long distance ahead, and we need to ensure Corvus doesn¡¯t get us all killed in the process. So, let¡¯s pick up the pace!¡±
With a newfound determination, she led the squad out of the office building, the rest of the members following her lead, leaving Corvus standing alone, ready to play his final part in the mission¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 91 - Sacrum
PoV: Corvus Leander Sylarion
Perched up high at the chosen vantage point on the top floor of an abandoned factory, Corvus was diligently setting up for the task at hand. The hidden outpost of the Stellar Republic, about 1.5 kilometres away, lay within the view of his scope.
Concealed beneath one of Thea¡¯s camouflaging nettings, augmented with industrial debris and dirt to disrupt his outline, he was virtually invisible against the backdrop.
He had meticulously calibrated the Caliburn''s scope following Thea''s instructions, its bipod firmly grounded. The rifle was loaded with the first of several magazines filled with the armour-piercing, high-explosive slugs that she customarily used¡ªThea¡¯s generous contribution.
¡°Without the Caliburn, I won¡¯t need them. You might as well have extra ammo,¡± she had said with a pragmatic shrug.
Chuckling to himself, Corvus found her logic undeniable yet tinged with an overly heavy dose of optimism. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll need all these rounds, Thea,¡± he mused quietly, returning his focus to the outpost.
The sight before him matched Desmond¡¯s recordings: A secluded, heavily guarded facility, perpetually on high alert. Guards manned watchtowers and patrolled the courtyards, while others secured the building they occupied. The outpost was a fortress, validating Karania''s earlier assertion that a direct approach would have been futile.
Corvus couldn''t help but joke to himself, a wry smile on his lips, ¡°I just hope what we¡¯re after isn¡¯t some bizarre ice-cream machine. Explaining that in the debrief, why I went solo on a suicidal mission for the enemy¡¯s leisure appliance, would be awkward.¡± Despite the gravity of his situation, he felt an unusual serenity, a calmness that had eluded him for quite some time.
For him, the solitude was a refreshing change.
As much as he cherished his role as the squad leader, this moment of isolation brought a sense of peace reminiscent of the quieter times before his life with the UHF, before the rigours of integration and the assessment.
Raised to ascend the ranks of the UHF''s military from a young age, he rarely experienced a life devoid of heavy responsibilities. The fleeting moments of freedom and personal enjoyment during his childhood were sparse.
Now, these hours of solitude, with nothing but the waiting game and the perfect shot to focus on, felt like an unexpected gift, a brief return to those rare, simpler times.
Yet, a part of him remained restless, his thoughts frequently drifting back to Alpha Squad. ''I hope they manage to get through without me...'' he mused.
His confidence in Thea''s capability to lead them and bring the mission to a successful close was rock solid, but he was more than aware of her self-doubt and how it could potentially affect the squad as a whole, with her at the helm.
It baffled him how she could possess such low self-esteem when it was crystal clear to everyone else in the squad that she excelled beyond them in almost every aspect. Despite their best efforts, they always seemed to be not just a single, but several steps behind her seemingly innate talents.
He didn¡¯t know what kind of background she had, outside of the fact that she supposedly grew up in an undercity in one of the mid-worlds in UHF space, a fact that had initially taken him by surprise. Her journey from such a challenging environment to passing the trials, being selected by the UHF, and ultimately securing a place in Alpha Squad was nothing short of incredible.
Although Corvus had never personally experienced the mid-worlds, let alone their undercities, the stories he had heard from his family members painted a vivid picture of the tough living conditions and the myriad of challenges one would face there. Understanding these parts of Thea''s roots only deepened his astonishment at her presence in Alpha Squad, yet her undeniable talents made it clear she belonged among them.
He remembered his first impression of her during the induction ceremony clearly.
She had seemed timid, almost entirely retreating behind Karania, but that perception had dramatically changed the moment Major Quinn showcased the girl¡¯s abilities. The demonstration of her reacting to a point-blank pistol shot had been a revelation.
It was then he realised he was very far from being the top contender in the squad.
Thea''s exceptional perception and reflexes, although partly attributed to her psychic prowess, were talents he knew he could never match. Regardless of the source of her abilities, it did not lessen his respect for her as the scout/sniper of Alpha Squad.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Thea''s potential for growth, as a direct result of this fact, was unparalleled within Alpha Squad. While the others were limited to advancing along a single axis until they unlocked their own Psychic Attribute, Thea was already progressing her capabilities on two fronts simultaneously.
Her burgeoning psychic abilities promised to elevate her far above the rest, complementing her already exceptional Perception and quick thinking.
In his view, the only other squad member who elicited a similar sense of awe was Karania, albeit for entirely different reasons.
Her brilliance was undeniable.
From their very first conversation, Corvus had been struck by her extraordinary intellect. Her way of thinking, so thoroughly incomprehensible and unique, yet entirely profound, often seemed almost alien to him, especially during those rare times when they had delved into deeper, more complex discussions.
Ironically, he, who had been groomed for the UHF from a young age, now felt perhaps the least remarkable member of Alpha Squad.
This realisation brought a chuckle to Corvus. He pictured his father''s reaction if he were to voice such an admission.
¡°He¡¯d be furious,¡± Corvus thought, a grin spreading across his face at the prospect. It was a thought that filled him with an unexpected sense of amusement, a lightness he hadn''t experienced in a while.
Refocusing on his mission, Corvus spent the following hours meticulously surveilling the compound through his scope, patiently awaiting the optimal moment to act. Each passing minute was beneficial for Alpha Squad, as it meant they were moving further from his position, enhancing their safety.
Lucas had provided him with precise instructions on when to strike the Mativ, particularly if the Stellar Republic were to open it for inspection or retrieval of the tech. ¡°The Mativ Beta, despite its robust protection and impeccable, specialised design for transporting highly volatile materials, has a well-known vulnerability," Lucas had explained.
"When its rear is initially opened, a seal is disrupted, temporarily weakening the vehicle¡¯s internal structural integrity. This period is brief, just a few seconds, but it¡¯s crucial. An explosion at this moment would be drawn into the Mativ, magnifying the impact and triggering a chain reaction that will assuredly obliterate the truck and its cargo. The Caliburn''s firepower is probably more than enough in this scenario, but we should leave nothing to chance. We need to ensure total destruction of both the Mativ and its contents.¡±
With Lucas¡¯s strategy in mind, Corvus remained vigilant, his finger poised near the trigger, ready to exploit this fleeting window of opportunity to its fullest extent should it present itself.
As the hours ticked by uneventfully, the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and red.
For Corvus, this was a clear sign that his time in the sniper''s nest was drawing to a close. The plan had been clear: Exploit the vulnerability Lucas had described or, should nightfall arrive first, barrage the Mativ with multiple shots from the Caliburn until it was confirmed to be destroyed.
Their priority was to ensure the vehicle and its contents were fully neutralised before the day''s end, to prevent any unforeseen complications from derailing their sabotage efforts.
With this in mind, Corvus heightened his alertness, his body tensing in anticipation as he continued to survey the target through his scope.
¡®I''ll wait out another hour, just until the sun is almost completely set. Maybe the Emperor will favour me yet,¡¯ he thought, his gaze unwavering.
He revisited his escape plan in his mind, that he and Thea had come up with.
Despite the high likelihood of this mission being a one-way trip, Corvus wasn¡¯t prepared to simply resign himself to fate. Although he lacked the thorough expertise of Thea or Isabella in traversing urban environments like this, his teenage years had included some basic instruction in urban evasion.
It was a slim chance, but Corvus was resolved to seize any opportunity to survive this dangerous play. He had died quite enough times in this assessment already in his eyes, so he would try whatever he could to get out alive.
As the sun dipped further below the urban skyline, casting long shadows over the sprawl of Nova Tertius, Corvus''s impatience grew. He watched the Mativ intently, muttering under his breath, "Come on... You haven''t checked the tech all day. There must be some tests or procedures due... Don''t let this be a wasted vigil."
Then, finally, there was movement.
"Yes! Open it, just open it," he urged silently, tensing in anticipation. He observed a group of Stellar Republic soldiers, accompanied by two individuals who appeared more civilian in clothing and demeanour, approach the Mativ.
They paused in front of the vehicle, engaged in an inaudible discussion.
¡®Don''t let me down now. Open the truck,¡¯ Corvus silently willed them, as if his thoughts could influence their actions. To his relief, one of the apparent technicians stepped back, while the other began manipulating the truck''s rear.
A soft, triumphant "Yes!" escaped his lips as he quickly engaged the Caliburn''s grav-lock, a feature Thea had emphasised repeatedly. ¡°Do not. And I repeat, do not ever fire the Caliburn without grav-locking it, Corvus. It¡¯s a heavy anti-materiel railgun. It accelerates slugs the size of your hand to hypervelocity in a miniscule fraction of a second. If you don¡¯t grav-lock it, the kickback on this thing is going to utterly ruin you in every possible way imaginable. Do not forget to grav-lock it,¡± she had drilled into him. Heeding her stern warning, he made sure that the weapon was properly secured, readying himself for the critical moment.
Time seemed to stretch into an eternity as Corvus watched, his eyes wide open, determined not to miss the crucial moment. The technician at the Mativ''s rear worked methodically, unlocking two hefty doors and security mechanisms to access the inner containment unit nestled deep within the vehicle.
There was a brief pause, perhaps a security clearance being verified through a cybernetic interface or personal identification, before the unit yielded. As it began to open, Corvus noticed a visible rush of air swirling dust into the Mativ''s interior¡ªthe exact phenomenon Lucas had described.
The momentary disturbance signalled the breaking of the internal seal, momentarily equalising the internal and external pressure that caused the deepest parts of the vehicle to become exposed¡ªthe one, critical vulnerability in the Mativ Beta''s otherwise impeccable design.
Corvus''s heart pounded with adrenaline.
''Now,'' he thought, seizing the opportunity. With precise control, he gently pulled the trigger, the Caliburn¡¯s crosshair fixed on the exact spot he aimed to strike, just behind the unsuspecting technician.
The Caliburn roared to life as Corvus pulled the trigger, unleashing its armour-piercing, high-explosive slug at hypervelocity in an instant. The release generated a colossal shockwave that sent a maelstrom of dust, rust, and small debris swirling into the air around him. The platform he was perched on trembled dangerously under the force, threatening to shake him off his steadfast position.
In that fleeting, singular moment, as the Caliburn discharged its payload, Corvus experienced a glimpse of what he figured it must be like to possess Thea''s extraordinarily high Perception. The adrenaline coursing through his veins seemed to heighten his senses to an almost supernatural level, allowing him to momentarily perceive the world in a way he never thought possible.
The experience was nothing short of breathtaking.
For an instant, he felt attuned to every detail of his surroundings, each movement, and reaction unfolding in an almost surreal clarity. It was as if time had slowed, granting him a brief window into a world of enhanced awareness¡ªa world where every subtle nuance was magnified and every action rippled with significance.
In this heightened state of awareness, he could clearly see the trajectory of his shot and the impact it made.
In less than a heartbeat, the Caliburn¡¯s slug tore through the air, leaving a trail of iridescent plasma in its wake.
Its bluish-purple hue sliced through the dusky reds and oranges of the setting sun, resembling an azure comet streaking across the twilight sky. The scene was thoroughly surreal, majestic and unfathomably moving, a moment of violent beauty in the midst of impending, utter destruction.
As the slug reached its target, it vaporised the technician''s neck in an instant, continuing its path unimpeded as if the body had been mere air. Then, with unerring precision, it struck the back of the Mativ exactly where Corvus had aimed. The projectile easily penetrated the vehicle''s exterior, burrowing deep into its core before detonating its explosive payload.
The explosion was monumental, magnified exponentially by the Mativ''s design flaw and further intensified by the mysterious tech it had housed.
The result was a cataclysmic detonation that erupted into a massive, green-hued sphere of destruction. The ball of fire and energy expanded rapidly, vaporising a significant portion of the nearby outpost in an instant.
Corvus, with his temporarily heightened senses, observed the chaos with unnerving clarity.
The shockwave from the explosion rippled outward, its force so intense that it tore through nearby buildings and structures with ease. Soldiers who were in close proximity to the Mativ had no time to react; they were engulfed by the fiery maelstrom, their figures disintegrating before they could even register what was happening.
Further away, the effects were equally devastating but slightly more varied.
Some soldiers were thrown off their feet by the sheer force of the blast, sent flying through the air like ragdolls, before colliding with walls or other objects with a force that completely shattered their bodies into lifeless lumps. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Others, caught on the furthest periphery of the outpost, were ripped apart by debris, the fragments of the outpost turned into lethal projectiles by the explosion¡¯s might.
The entire scene unfolded before Corvus in a series of vivid, almost hyper-realistic images.
He could see the expressions of shock and horror on the faces of the surprised soldiers, the way the air shimmered with heat and energy around the epicentre of the blast, and the gradual collapse of the structures as the shockwave travelled outwards.
It took another moment before the air was filled with a cacophony of sounds¡ªthe deafening roar of the explosion, the crumbling of large, towering factory buildings, and the distant cries of the injured and the shocked.
For a brief moment, Corvus lay frozen, his mind grappling with the staggering scale of destruction he had just unleashed.
The vividness and detail with which he had perceived the event were beyond anything he had ever imagined possible. The cataclysmic scene he had just witnessed, so clear and intense, momentarily overwhelmed his senses.
However, the sudden impact of retaliatory fire, landing perilously close to his position, jolted him back to reality. The rounds striking mere centimetres from his face shattered the trance-like state he had found himself in.
With no time to spare, Corvus quickly disengaged the Caliburn¡¯s grav-lock, slinging the heavy weapon over his shoulder after racking the bolt and releasing a miniature fireball from the gun. He then made a swift descent down the factory''s stairwell, each step fuelled by a renewed surge of adrenaline.
His escape was imperative; he knew that with the outpost''s destruction, he had become the primary target. The pursuit was on, and his survival now hinged on his ability to evade and outmanoeuvre the enemy forces converging on his location.
Propelled by sheer adrenaline, he navigated the pre-planned escape route with Thea''s urban expertise solidly etched in his mind. He moved with a sense of desperate urgency, vaulting through windows, scaling walls, and dashing up and down staircases and metal walkways.
His physical limits were pushed to the extreme, each stride powered by the primal instinct of survival. The rush of adrenaline in his veins urged him to move faster, to push harder, as he weaved through the industrial labyrinth.
His breaths became ragged quickly, but he didn''t dare to slow down, knowing full well that hesitation would mean certain death. The echo of his footsteps on metal and concrete was drowned out by the singular focus to escape.
However, his relative solitude was unsurprisingly short-lived, despite his best efforts.
The low hum of drones overhead and the distant thrum of engines signalled that the Stellar Republic forces were rapidly closing in on his position.
Without breaking his stride, Corvus shouldered his AR-303 hanging from the sling on his shoulders, firing back at the drones that sought to track him. His shots were precise, each one aimed to disable the mechanical eyes following him from above.
The need to eliminate these aerial threats was crucial¡ªhe had to disrupt their tracking to have any chance of finding a hiding spot.
He had hoped for more time to create distance between himself and the pursuing forces, but the efficiency and speed of the Stellar Republic soldiers were far greater than he and Thea had anticipated.
The realisation that he was up against a more formidable enemy than expected spurred him to try and adapt more quickly. Each decision, each turn, and each shot was now critical to staying one step ahead of the rapidly converging danger.
Recognizing that the original escape route would no longer serve him well, Corvus made a split-second decision to veer east, towards the urban outskirts. His plan¡ªto seek refuge in the denser, more residential areas¡ªwas a massive gamble.
These neighbourhoods promised more reliable cover than the expansive, open industrial zone where he currently found himself. The journey to the outskirts, however, was daunting, several hours away at best, but it was the only viable option he had left.
As he navigated through the maze of factories and warehouses, Corvus took brief, calculated pauses. Perched atop a metal walkway or crouched on the roof of a building, he used these fleeting moments of elevated positioning and respite to aim and eliminate one drone after another. Each shot from his AR-303 was a desperate bid to buy more time, to remain undetected a little longer.
But the drones seemed endless, a relentless wave of mechanical hunters in the sky, continuously bearing down on his position, following him like bloodhounds chasing after injured prey.
Despite his efforts to stay ahead, the physical toll was quickly becoming evident.
His breaths became more and more laboured, every inhale burning his lungs as if on fire. His legs, pushed to their limits by the relentless, full-speed sprint, began to falter, causing him to stumble occasionally.
Yet, he pressed on, driven by an unyielding will to survive.
The fear of death, or even worse; capture, propelled him forward, each step a raw display of his sheer force of will.
The relentless pursuit continued regardless, a grim dance of hunter and prey.
Corvus understood quickly that his current strategy was unsustainable.
The urban districts, with their promise of cover and concealment, were agonisingly far out of reach. The vast, open industrial terrain offered little in terms of hiding spots, making it all too easy for the unending swarm of drones to track him.
He very much knew that he couldn¡¯t outrun them indefinitely.
Resigned to the inevitable confrontation, Corvus abruptly changed course, heading toward a nearby office building reminiscent of their previous hideout. He moved swiftly, his survival instincts guiding him as he ascended to the second-highest floor. There, he hastily erected a rudimentary barricade at the stairway he had just ascended, creating a choke point to slow any pursuers.
Panting heavily, he tried to calm his racing heart and steady his severely laboured breathing.
The urgency of the situation was clear: He needed to thin out the ranks of his pursuers to dissuade them from further pursuit, at least for a short time. He needed that extra bit of distance between them, in order to hopefully get to the urban outskirts.
With a sense of grim determination, he reloaded his AR-303 and positioned the Caliburn within easy reach. He then settled into a strategic vantage point, his rifle aimed toward the staircase.
In this makeshift stronghold, Corvus prepared for the impending confrontation.
He knew that his chances of survival depended not just on his marksmanship, but also on his ability to outsmart and outlast the enemy forces converging on his position. The stakes were high, and the next few moments would be crucial in determining his fate.
He had brought just four grenades with him, all that would fit in his pockets without overburdening him¡ªhe had, after all, planned to run more than fight. They were now placed next to him on a table, ready to be deployed when necessary.
The first sounds of armoured footsteps echoed up the staircase, signalling the approach of his pursuers. Corvus knew his AR-303 wouldn¡¯t be effective against heavy armour, so he quickly switched to a more suitable tactic.
Reaching for one of the four grenades he had brought¡ªa last resort intended for desperate situations just like this¡ªhe readied himself for the crucial moment.
As soon as he caught a glimpse of movement, the silhouette of an enemy soldier ascending the stairs, he pulled the pin and released the grenade. The explosion was immediate and overwhelming, the confined space amplifying the blast, leaving his ears ringing and his senses momentarily disoriented.
The explosion seemed to halt the enemy''s advance temporarily, but it wasn''t long before they regrouped and continued their ascent.
Corvus, recovering from the disorientation, resumed his position.
He peered through the sights of his rifle, taking down the advancing soldiers who weren''t equipped with heavy armour. Each shot was precise, aimed to incapacitate with lethal efficiency.
Corvus targeted vital areas only¡ªheads, throats, upper chests¡ªanything within his line of sight that would ensure a quick and violent death of his assailants. At such close quarters, his AR-303¡¯s rounds effortlessly penetrated the T1 armour of the advancing soldiers, assuming they were not wearing heavy armour.
He was methodical and precise, his every shot calculated down to an art.
Mindful of his own vulnerability, he shifted his position after every second shot. Staying mobile was crucial; it prevented him from becoming an easy target for the predictive fire that the enemy soldiers were using in their attempt to flush him out.
The battle continued to intensify at a rapid pace as grenades were lobbed in his direction, but Corvus deftly evaded them, by ducking behind desks, nearby walls or throwing himself on the ground. Despite his agility, the confined space of the office became a maelstrom of destruction.
The shockwaves and shrapnel from the explosions mercilessly tore through the office rooms he sought refuge in, turning them into an ensemble of chaotic ruins. Shards of debris had managed to pierce his armour in several places, embedding themselves painfully into his flesh. While these injuries were not immediately life-threatening, they added to the growing list of his physical tolls.
In this desperate standoff, Corvus became a one-man fortress, countering the relentless assault with a blend of tactical acumen and sheer willpower.
Every once in a while, he strategically used his remaining grenades against the rare heavily armoured foes attempting to breach his defences. He threw them with careful timing, ensuring they detonated before the soldiers could reach and potentially dismantle the barricade¡ªhis only life line standing between him and certain death. The blasts tore through the narrow stairwell, disrupting the enemy''s momentum and buying him precious time that he used to reload and reposition.
With each passing second, the fight continued to escalate further and further, as some of the drones equipped with weapons that had been chasing him for a while started taking shots at him through the walls from the outside, blindly firing into the office building.
Corvus operated on instinct alone, alternating between gunfire, grenades and tactical repositionings while trying to predict where the drones were going to shoot through next.
He held the line against the relentless, unending advance of Stellar Republic clones.
His makeshift fortress had become a devastated battleground in mere minutes, and he fought with the ferocity of a cornered animal, determined to survive against the overwhelming odds at all costs.
By the time Corvus''s AR-303 finally clicked empty, signalling the end of his ammunition, he surveyed the chaos around him. The stairwell lay in ruins, battered by the relentless exchange of grenade blasts and rifle fire.
His defence had been beyond fierce, but it had not come without cost.
He was wounded, battered by gunfire from the soldiers storming up the stairs and the drones blindly firing from outside. In the confined space, his options for evasion were limited, and his luck in avoiding the unseen assailants from outside had dwindled and ultimately ran out.
Yet, amidst the pain and exhaustion, Corvus refused to concede defeat.
None of the shots had struck his vital organs, but he was bleeding heavily from numerous gunshot wounds. His uniform was soaked in blood, each movement complete and utter torment as his body tried to give out with every step.
With a grim determination, he steeled himself for the next phase of his fight. ''I can still make it... I just need to clear the stairway, take down those drones, and I can escape. Keep going, Corvus,'' he repeated internally, using sheer willpower as a crutch to keep himself upright.
His body screamed for rest, pushed far, far beyond its limits, but his spirit remained unbroken, fueling his resolve to survive and escape.
Struggling to reach the spot where he had left the Caliburn, Corvus felt each movement send jolts of pain throughout his battered body. Lifting the heavy weapon was an agonising effort, but he managed to position it toward the stairwell, grimacing with each tormenting movement.
He activated the grav-lock mid-air, only leaned against a nearby wall for support, a risky manoeuvre that would strain the mechanism heavily, but necessary under the circumstances. He knew that if he attempted to crouch or lie down for a more stable positioning, he would not ever rise again.
As the first soldier of the next wave breached the remains of his once-protective barricade, Corvus didn''t hesitate. He pulled the trigger, and the Caliburn unleashed its fury, emitting a sound akin to a thunderclap concentrated at a single point.
The indoor shockwave was immense, bursting his eardrums instantaneously, even through the maxed out protection of his helmet, nearly making him pass out from the sheer pain and the massive wave of pressure it shot through him.
The slug from the Caliburn met its target with brutal efficiency in the blink of an eye, piercing through the soldier''s heavy armour, fully obliterating his upper body, and tearing through the wall behind him before detonating in the far-off distance.
Racking the bolt of the Caliburn for the next shot was just as torturous as lifting it, yet he did it anyway. Each movement was a battle against his own pain and fatigue, but he vividly recalled Thea''s stern warning: ¡°Always release the heat after firing the Caliburn. Trust me.¡±
¡®Just one more shot, Corvus. One more shot,¡¯ he told himself, his eyes starting to grow heavy as his vision blurred. ¡®Keep it together, you¡¯re nearly out of this. They can¡¯t have many more clones available, then it¡¯s just the drones and a short jog towards the urban outskirts. Keep it together.¡¯
He fired the Caliburn, again and again, each time racking the bolt with what he assumed was the last vestige of his strength, yet he managed to keep going for just one more shot.
By the time Corvus had emptied the Caliburn¡¯s magazine, a first in its history, and replaced it with one of the spare ones Thea had given him ¡°just in case,¡± he realised he had lost vision in his right eye.
Uncertain whether it was due to blood, some other obstruction, or his body¡¯s own failings, he pushed the thought aside.
It mattered little in the face of his grim resolve. Standing with the Caliburn gripped tightly, he continued to unleash its fury on the decimated staircase, shot after relentless shot.
Suddenly, a fresh wave of pain surged through him as a bullet tore through his right lung.
In an instinctive reaction, he swung the Caliburn toward the staircase leading from the floor above and fired, eliminating another hidden adversary who had completely caught him off guard.
As he coughed up blood, a morbid chuckle escaped his lips, tinged with blood foam. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Thea. I forgot your advice¡ I might¡ I might not make it, after all,¡± he rasped between coughs.
With the next discharge of the Caliburn, the grav-lock failed spectacularly, its demise marked by a loud crack that Corvus felt more than heard, his eardrums already beyond functioning.
The recoil, no longer mitigated by the device, struck him with brutal force. It shattered his medium armour as if it were glass, sending shards flying, and brutally pulverising every bone in his right shoulder as he was flung across the room, painfully hitting the wall on the far-side of it.
He momentarily blacked out, but quickly got back to his senses, a relentless mantra echoing in his mind, ¡®Just one more shot. One more shot, Corvus.¡¯
He had known that this was the end for a while now, but he had not wanted to allow it to happen.
Now, however, with his ammunition depleted, his grenades used up and his body so battered, beaten and broken, that he doubted even Karania would try to save him, he had to admit that it was over.
He was going to die here, despite his best efforts.
A sense of regret swept through him, as he inadvertently thought about what he could have done different.
Take a different path here, move along another alleyway there.
But it didn¡¯t matter. Not really.
Another Stellar Republic soldier climbed up the staircase from below and Corvus, after re-engaging the grav-lock of the Caliburn, as it was now firmly placed on the ground and required less energy to do so, fired it again.
And again.
By the time he fired it the third time, the heat radiating off of the weapon next to him was scorching the flesh off of his bones, like he was in the epicentre of a dying star.
But it didn¡¯t matter. Not really.
Thea had told him in no uncertain terms, that if he knew the end was coming. He should go out with a bang. ¡°If¡ if you know you can¡¯t win¡ Keep shooting. Tell yourself, ¡®Just one more shot¡¯ and never stop, Corvus. Don¡¯t rack the bolt of the Caliburn, just keep shooting, alright? Only¡ Only if there is absolutely no way for you to come back to us.¡±
With excruciating effort, Corvus struggled to move his right index finger. His hand muscles, melding grotesquely with the fragments of his disintegrating armour, were barely functional. Yet, driven by sheer will and recalling Thea¡¯s last piece of advice, he persisted: ¡°Just keep shooting.¡±
By the time the fourth shot was loosened, something inside the Caliburn, something profound and important, snapped.
He could not hear it, but he felt it.
It started like a deep, resonant hum, reminiscent of a planet-sized earthquake brewing in the distance. The vibration intensified, climbing to a stark, shrieking pitch, before it abruptly stopped.
In that moment, it wasn¡¯t just the sound from the Caliburn that ceased; all sound vanished.
The world fell into an eerie, profound silence, as if the volume of existence itself had been muted. It was an uncanny stillness, a void filled only by the pervasively silent scream of the Caliburn¡¯s death throes, marking the end of its lethal symphony.
In his final moments, Corvus managed a weak chuckle intertwined with a blood-filled cough. Murmuring, ¡°Just keep shooting¡¡± he summoned the last of his strength to pull the trigger.
His one last shot.
What he witnessed then, in the very instant of his final moment, was a blindingly white and golden spark, a brilliant burst of light that marked the Caliburn''s catastrophic death.
Pushed far beyond its limits, far beyond every safety mechanism built into it, the weapon''s advanced technology broke down, unleashing an explosion that dwarfed the earlier destruction of the Mativ many times over. This massive eruption illuminated the night sky over the desolate industrial sector of Nova Tertius with an intensity far surpassing the midday sun.
The blast''s brilliance was so overwhelming that soldiers miles away suffered permanent blindness upon merely glancing in the direction of its source.
Those attempting to shield their eyes found the light penetrating through armour, skin, and bone and even soldiers inside of buildings found themselves temporarily blinded by the light penetrating through the solid rock-crete walls.
In a radius of four kilometres, nothing was left standing.
Every structure, every remnant of the area, was utterly annihilated down to their very atoms in the wake of the Caliburn¡¯s brutal demise.
The most eerie part, however, was that the explosion was devoid of any sound or shockwave.
It was as if a literal star had briefly come into existence, vaporising everything in its silent, indifferent fury, and then just as quickly, it vanished.
The landscape was plunged back into pure and utter darkness, a stark, unnatural-feeling absence of light that contrasted sharply with the ephemeral but intense luminescence of the Caliburn''s final moment and Corvus¡¯ last stand¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 92 - Burying Light
Leading the rest of Alpha Squad in Corvus¡¯ stead was a strange feeling for Thea.
While it was fundamentally the same exact thing she had been doing for the past few days already, ever since they had entered Nova Tertius and Corvus had ceded the lead to her for her urban expertise, it felt a whole lot more ¡°real¡± when he was not there to fall back on.
Under her guidance, the pace of their movement quickened, a strategic decision aimed at widening the gap between them and any potential pursuers stirred into action by Corvus''s actions.
The urgency of their mission pressed upon Thea, reminding her of the critical balance between speed and caution. She recognized that mere distance wouldn''t suffice as a shield against the determined efforts of search teams either. Their safety hinged not just on evading detection but on smartly navigating the desolate landscape that sprawled before them.
Thea''s mind raced with plans and contingencies as she led the rest of the squad, her thoughts a continuous whirlwind of strategies and potential pitfalls.
It was now fully on her to make the decisions, decide on their plans and movements and make the tough calls that she really did not want to have to make. She found it hard to imagine that she would get even remotely close to Corvus¡¯ level of leadership, considering how much better he was than her at this kind of stuff, but she had promised him to try her best¡ªand the best is what she¡¯d try to deliver.
Three hours into their expedited journey, Thea made a decisive shift away from their initial trajectory, a decision born from prolonged contemplation as they navigated the desolate industrial sprawl.
She signalled a halt, leading the squad into a familiar structure, another industrial office building mirroring the one they had encountered the day prior. It was as if each building in this sector was cast from the same mould, adhering to an unspoken architectural uniformity.
Among the squad, only Isabella seemed to embrace the accelerated pace with relative ease.
The others, in stark contrast, displayed their exhaustion openly, seeking immediate respite upon securing a spot within the building''s second-to-last floor. They slumped against the walls, collapsed onto the floor, or claimed chairs from the offices, their heavy breaths filling the silent space.
Thea recognized the strain she was imposing on her team, pushing them beyond what Corvus might have deemed reasonable.
Yet, she felt compelled to maintain their swift advance.
The urgency of distancing themselves from the impending destruction of the hidden outpost drove her to demand more from them than perhaps was fair. Their only pact regarding the timing of Corvus''s action was a hopeful alignment with the day''s end, under the cover of dusk.
However, the absence of a concrete timeline meant Thea could not afford to let off the throttle for quite some time.
Only when she could assure herself that they had sufficiently obscured their trail from any potential pursuers would she consider easing the relentless pace. Until that moment, she was resolved to challenge them to reach the absolute limit of their endurance if necessary.
They would be able to rest in the coming days, but not today.
¡°Take five, we¡¯ll veer off our previous course and head back into the urban outskirts, before continuing to head to the city,¡± Thea said with as much confidence in her voice as she could muster. ¡°The moment Corvus reveals our existence, they¡¯re bound to send out tons of drones to search for us. In the industrial sector here, we won¡¯t have any real cover to make use of to continue our advance, but the urban outskirts¡¯ many apartment buildings and larger community complexes will allow us to stay out of sight.¡±
Karania, gasping for air, interjected, "We''re going to need more than just a five-minute break, Thea. How are you not totally wiped out? Your Strength isn''t exactly top-notch. Isabella, sure, but you? You got some serious skills in this whole urban movement regard, but none of us others do. You jump through those windows, up metal walkways and onto walls like it¡¯s nothing, but we¡¯re struggling with those obstacles and trying to keep pace with you. If we push Lucas any harder, the big guy might straight up die. We need at least a fifteen minute break, to catch our breath for this next part.¡±
After assessing her squad more closely, Thea acknowledged the validity of Karania''s concern.
Lucas, in particular, seemed on the verge of collapse, his face flushed from the exertion and the additional load of Corvus'' mission gear he was shouldering.
She realised she might have underestimated the toll their rapid pace had taken on the team.
Despite their superior Strength stats, Thea''s unique upbringing in the undercity had provided her with practical skills and a certain amount of agility in navigating this particular type of environment that raw physical attributes couldn''t easily match.
"Okay, we''ll take a fifteen-minute break. Drink up, rearrange your gear if something''s slowing you down, and then we''ll get moving again. I''m aiming to create a 40km buffer from the outpost by tonight, but ideally, we''ll cover 70-80," she said, softening her stance.
After taking a deep gulp from her own canteen, she added, "We''re about 100km away from the city''s edge from our starting point this morning. With only two days left until the deadline, I''d prefer we reach our destination sooner rather than scramble at the last minute."
The squad took the break as an opportunity to catch their breath and make some necessary adjustments to their gear. While Isabella and Thea were slightly winded, they bounced back with ease.
Observing her team, Thea pondered if her leadership approach was too demanding.
Lucas and Desmond, in particular, seemed to bear the brunt of the physical challenge, with Karania faring somewhat better due to her agility, lighter load and natural aptitude at learning. She was rapidly becoming proficient in the type of movement required to quickly traverse through the abandoned industrial sector. With a speed that was honestly quite frightening.
Thankfully, she received some nicely timed feedback from the person bringing up the rear.
¡°You¡¯re really pushing them hard, Thea,¡± Isabella said after leaning near a wall close to Thea, ¡°You gotta remember that they don¡¯t have our experience in these types of environments. Whenever you¡¯re jumping up a walkway to get across some machinery, instead of going around or climbing over it, I can practically see Desmond and Lucas silently begging for mercy.¡±
With a light laugh, she recalled a moment of struggle they had witnessed, "I''m not saying you''re in the wrong. You keep doing your thing, I¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t lose anyone on the way, ¡®cause I definitely agree with your sentiment. Urban warfare is all about intel, even more so than any other form of warfare that I¡¯ve seen. Having more ways to avoid the inevitable swarm of drones that¡¯ll try to chase us down is definitely the right play. Sure, it might drain their stamina, but it''s a lesson worth learning. You gotta remember, we''re Alpha Squad. Pushing limits is part of who we are and how we got here. They''ll adapt, trust me."
Her words, a mix of advice and encouragement helped put Thea¡¯s mind more at ease.
¡°Thanks, Ela,¡± she said, with genuine appreciation for the advice. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you to make sure that nobody falls behind then.¡±
As they waited for the squad to regroup, Isabella and Thea exchanged stories, with Isabella highlighting moments when their team faced unexpected challenges.
One memorable incident involved their attempt to navigate over industrial machinery, only for a belt on it to collapse from under them. While none of them were injured, it had forced Lucas, Desmond, and Karania into a laborious re-climb.
Alongside these tales of squad mishaps, Isabella wove in narratives from her own past, sharing the trials and lessons learned throughout her service before she had joined the UHF, all while ensuring the rest of their team had ample time to recuperate.
"You know, my first city deployment was to tackle some seriously bad fuckers. Fuck, was I a mess back then... Every civvy that walked by felt like a potential threat, every shadow in a window, every corner of an alley seemed to hide danger. It was a complete nightmare," she confided, her voice carrying echoes of those tense days.
"The squad I was with, especially the vets, however, kept their cool, always alert. They saved me from spiralling too far. It took fucking ages to adjust, but let''s be real, you never truly get cozy with urban warfare. That stuff is a whole other level of messed up, Thea." Isabella paused, reflecting on the possible challenges ahead.
"I''m crossing my fingers we dodge heavy firefights in the coming days. Not sure how the squad would cope; mentally that is. Battlefield stress hits differently in a city. You''re wired to see cities as safe havens, y¡¯know? My first stint fucked me up so much, I was unable to leave my house for months afterward¡ My mentor had to do some serious heavy lifting to help me get back on track¡" Her words trailed off, leaving a silence filled with a heavy tension.
Thea quickly found words to bridge the heavy silence left by Isabella''s revelations. "I really hope we can steer clear of that kind of chaos," she offered, trying to lighten the mood, "Though, I guess if anyone can navigate through this mess, it''s us. As you said, we¡¯re Alpha Squad for a reason, right?"
Isabella''s laughter cut through the lingering heaviness. "Exactly," she replied, her usual confidence seeping back into her voice. "Just focus on leading us forward, Thea. I''ll handle any surprises we run into along the way and make sure we don¡¯t have anyone falling behind." Reassured, Isabella returned to her gear, which she had shed near the entrance of the office, and checked her own supplies to keep herself busy.
Meanwhile, Thea took a moment to mentally run through their route once more, double-checking the mission data she had gotten from Corvus before they had parted, ensuring their path was as safe as possible for the squad''s continued advance¡
An hour into their journey, the stark industrial landscape they had been navigating began to merge back into the deserted outskirts of Nova Tertius.
Thea, maintaining their brisk pace, had skillfully guided Alpha Squad through a labyrinth of factories, warehouses, and office buildings, favouring the cover and concealment they offered over the exposed routes outside. This strategy was partly in anticipation of any early detection by the Stellar Republic''s forces following a potential exposure of Corvus; something he himself had advised her to do.
Their progression through the industrial sector was notably smooth, thanks to the lack of traps or alarms¡ªa stark contrast to what they now faced again upon reentering the residential outskirts. The sudden shift necessitated a considerable decrease in their speed.
Thea had to once again meticulously scan their surroundings for any signs of traps or alarms that could compromise their safety, especially whenever she decided to lead them through larger complexes or community areas.
Upon reaching a seemingly safe apartment complex, Thea signalled a halt, choosing it as their temporary refuge for rest and recuperation.
"Alright, everyone, let''s catch our breath for fifteen minutes here," she announced, her voice carrying an undertone of cautious relief. "We''re about 90-95 kilometres from the city proper, so we can''t afford to dawdle at any point today. Also, take this chance to refill your canteens. The water supply here is still running¡ªI made sure of it during a quick recon earlier. Just be mindful of any potential traps inside the apartments, however. I only checked this first floor, so don¡¯t go too far."
The squad, visibly fatigued from the relentless pace, welcomed the break with quiet nods of appreciation. They dispersed within the complex, each member moving with a well-practised caution honed by their recent experiences and observation of Thea herself.
Thea felt slightly off, ever since they had left the industrial office building that morning.
It was the missing weight of the Caliburn, that usually hung from the back of her pack. The powerful weapon, now entrusted to Corvus and stationed near the outpost for a crucial part of their mission, had rapidly become an extension of her being ever since she had acquired it, a key part of her entire role and a massive influence on her assessment so far.
¡®The Caliburn has absolutely been the best purchase I¡¯ve ever made¡ It¡¯s come in handy on so many occasions already, it¡¯s honestly quite scary. I wonder how things would have turned out if I hadn¡¯t found it, or simply decided to go with any of the other available T2 options that I had¡ªlike the Wraith, or maybe one of the T2 DMRs¡¡¯ She mused to herself, a sense of reminiscing coming over her unexpectedly.
She had a very precise idea of why the thoughts were coming to her now as well, as the day continued to progress.
Before parting ways, she had imparted to Corvus a solemn piece of advice, a last resort that underscored the gravity of their situation.
If it came to it, that advice would mark a definitive end for both Corvus and the Caliburn, a sacrifice to prevent the weapon from falling into enemy hands and incurring a severe penalty for the loss of such critical Tier 2 equipment¡ªor more specifically: The material that powered said equipment.
The Caliburn was, as Thea now knew from reading through the technical documentation on her downtime, and what had been further emphasised by the quartermaster that had helped her print the new copy after the assault on the wall, powered by a small lump of an extremely volatile, and similarly rare, T2 material called "Solarium". You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Solarium''s name, derived from its star-like fusion process, was a moniker for its capability to mimic the nuclear fusion at the very heart of stars, offering a near-inexhaustible wellspring of energy without the need for external fuel or power sources.
However, the promise of unlimited, massive bursts of power came with a steep price, as any such promises naturally would.
Solarium''s extraction and refinement processes were fraught with tremendous danger, its volatile nature prone to initiating fusion reactions that could obliterate anything within its vicinity, making its handling and storage a high-stakes endeavour.
This particular characteristic rendered Solarium a logistical nightmare on the battlefield, feared by all factions from the UHF over the Stellar Republic to Terra itself.
The mere thought of Solarium''s potential for destruction made its presence near any strategic location, like an HQ or an FOB, a risk no commander was willing to take lightly.
In stark contrast to other hazardous materials like Ignium, which could be neutralised or contained through various means, Solarium demanded a singular, specific approach to containment.
The only known method to safely house this formidable substance was to suspend it in a perfect vacuum, ensuring it remained isolated from any contact that could trigger its catastrophic fusion potential¡ªa highly delicate balance of power and peril, encapsulated within the Caliburn''s sleek frame and reinforced with a vast variety of safety protocols and redundancies.
The instant that vacuum broke and the Solarium came into contact with anything, without the other safety protocols able to come in and essentially mini-nuke the Solarium, it would violently start its nuclear fusion, which ultimately was what powered the massive energy demands of the Caliburn¡¯s every shot.
Due to this, however, she was also acutely aware that losing the weapon behind enemy lines, without making sure it could not be recovered, was equivalent to throwing away a massive amount of points for the leaderboards. Both Corvus and her would undoubtedly get massive penalties, if that were to happen¡ªthe quartermaster that had helped her with the printing of this version of the Caliburn had been very explicit about this part in specific.
But, ultimately, she had given Corvus all the necessary information to make sure that would not happen. All that Thea could do now was hope that he would have the time to put the plan into action, should the need arise.
Inwardly, she hoped that he would never figure out what would happen if he followed her plan.
She¡¯d much rather that Corvus returned to them over the next few days, which was very much his stated intention and they had dubbed Plan A¡
Continuing on their journey, Thea and the rest of Alpha Squad pressed on through the urban outskirts of Nova Tertius, their pace deliberate yet cautious, contrasting sharply with the relentless speed of their earlier traversal through the industrial sector. Breaks were sparse and brief, as their slowed down speed had made it far easier for the rest of the squad to keep up and not overexert themselves needlessly.
If anyone was becoming thoroughly exhausted by this section of the trek, it was Thea herself, as the heightened vigilance required in the residential areas was slowly starting to take its toll on her. Coupled with that, an unsettling silence had started to slowly precipitate over them, punctuated neither by the distant echo of an explosion nor the telltale hum of Stellar Republic surveillance drones.
This absence of expected conflict or detection only served to heighten the squad''s collective unease. Doubts about their plans and decisions began to cloud their thoughts as the day waned, the lack of any sign from Corvus or indication of their impact on the Stellar Republic''s operations weighing heavily on their spirits.
In these moments, Thea keenly felt the absence of Corvus'' leadership.
His ability to rally the squad with the right words or a reassuring strategy was a void she found herself unable to fill whatsoever. Despite her best efforts to emulate his confidence and maintain morale, her own concerns mirrored those of her teammates and she lacked the words of encouragement to ease either her squadmates or herself.
The silent question hung between them: Had they made the correct decision in splitting their forces, entrusting Corvus with such a critical and dangerous task all by himself? Should they have simply ignored the outpost and moved on as a full unit instead?
Navigating the quiet, abandoned streets, Thea wrestled with her role as their temporary leader. She endeavoured to mask her own anxiety, focusing instead on guiding Alpha Squad safely through the maze of residential complexes. Yet, the growing tension was palpable, a shared apprehension for what the silence might signify about the fate of their self-assigned mission¡ªand Corvus¡
By the time the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and red, Alpha Squad found themselves still without any sign or sound from Corvus. The ambiguity of their "sunset" agreement¡ªwas it the start of the sunset or its complete disappearance?¡ªonly added layers of tension among them.
Thea''s thoughts repeatedly circled back to the expected explosion. ''Surely, even from this distance, the blast would cut through the silence of these empty streets...'' Yet, she chose to keep these doubts to herself, understanding that sharing them would only undermine the squad''s morale.
Instead, she pushed the squad onward with a renewed increase in their pace.
It was a lesson she remembered from James, but only now truly started to understand: "Marines are only ever as anxious as they are not exhausted."
Then, as the sun edged closer to the horizon, marking the end of the day, they finally encountered a glimmer of hope¡ªa moment that signified their first significant achievement in this leg of their mission, offering a brief but potent boost to their spirits amidst the prevailing uncertainty.
Thea motioned for a halt, guiding Alpha Squad into a towering apartment complex to establish a temporary overwatch. Settling in, she briefed them on their progress, "We''ve made it to the edge of Nova Tertius'' outskirts. Covering about 80km today, even with our diversion through the urban area, is an achievement we should all take pride in, especially since we''ve remained undetected¡ªas far as I can tell, at least."
She pointed north, referencing a map she had received from Corvus as part of the mission package, "Based on this, we''re close to the border-wall dividing Nova Tertius from its outskirts and industrial zones. Crossing this wall is our next challenge. Corvus warned it''s heavily monitored with alarms, cameras, and traps, but it''s unlikely they can man the entire length, so we should be able to find a way through if we¡¯re careful."
Turning her attention to Desmond, she inquired about his technical capabilities, "Desmond, can you handle the surveillance cameras if we get your drones close to them? I''m relying entirely on your expertise here, so let me know what''s feasible and what isn¡¯t."
After a moment of consideration, Desmond confidently responded, "Yes, I can work with the camera feeds. Given an hour or two, I can loop the feed for a specific area, assuming they''re on the same network. For a quicker approach, I can disable them directly, though that would be vastly more noticeable."
"We''ll make the time for it," Thea decided, favouring Desmond''s stealthier approach to avoid detection during their mission. Their goal was to remain unnoticed as they edged closer to the bustling city.
Their strategy was subsequently solidified after several more inputs from the rest of the squad members.
The immediate plan was to approach the border-wall for a closer examination, allowing Desmond a chance to assess the security cameras'' setup. The decision to actually cross the wall was deferred to the next day, prioritising their need for rest after the day''s exhaustive journey.
The consensus was that attempting to infiltrate the city at their current level of exhaustion could lead to unnecessary risks, including the possibility of a chase. A fresh start in the morning would provide them with the best chance of a successful and discreet entry into the city proper.
Stepping back out into the eerily silent streets of the urban outskirts, Thea led Alpha Squad towards the border-wall, taking an even slower approach than before.
¡®There¡¯s no way they don¡¯t have a bunch of traps and alarms set up near the border-wall. We¡¯ve not run into a lot, considering the vast distances we¡¯ve covered today, but we¡¯re bound to find some around here, I guarantee it,¡¯ she mused to herself, as she re-engaged her heightened focus for the next, and last, leg of today¡¯s journey.
As they navigated the tight space between two identical high-rise apartments, a distant rumble abruptly halted their steps. The sound, initially faint, grew into a distinct roar of an explosion from the industrial sector behind them.
Their eyes met in silent acknowledgment, a shared realisation without words: Corvus had succeeded.
Subdued cheers and whispers of triumph broke the tension that had clung to them for hours.
Despite their need for stealth, the momentary lapse was understandable, their relief palpable.
"Yeees!", "He fucking did it!", "Way to go, boss," their whispered celebrations echoed softly in the alley.
While Thea wanted to keep their stealthy approach as quiet as possible, she couldn¡¯t blame any of them for their brief lapse in judgement. She, too, was feeling the high. The only reason she managed to suppress her own excited outburst was the fact that she was very aware that the real test for Corvus had only just begun.
She quietly reminded them, "This accelerates our timeline. Security at the border-wall will tighten now that our presence is known. Plan A is for Corvus to rendezvous with us inside the city. We need to make it there first."
Their nods were more than mere agreement; they carried the weight of her unvoiced concern: Without a Plan B ever having been established, Corvus'' failure to meet them meant a grim outcome.
Thea, privy to the grim details of Plan B, carried the weight of its implications alone.
Before moving on, she turned to her squad with a solemn expression.
"Listen up," she began, her tone firm yet measured, "No matter what you see, don''t look back towards the industrial sector tonight. That''s an order." Puzzled looks crossed their faces, but no one openly questioned her odd command.
Each member of Alpha Squad acknowledged her directive, albeit with evident confusion.
Thea didn''t offer any further explanation as she resumed leading the way.
She had long learned from Corvus that, sometimes, withholding certain information was necessary for the squad''s focus and morale. If Plan B was to unfold, they would be briefed in due course.
Otherwise, there was no need to burden them with possibilities that might never materialise.
With each step forward, Thea meticulously scanned the surroundings for signs of traps or alarms that the Stellar Republic might have set up, her eyes sharpened and her movements calculated and honed from years of dangerous urban traversal in the undercity. The squad followed her lead closely, trusting in her ability to detect and avoid the myriad dangers that lay in their path.
As the twilight deepened further towards the night, the urban landscape around them became a maze of shadows and silhouettes, each potentially concealing a threat. Thea''s intuition and experience guided them through narrow alleys, over overgrown walls, and past abandoned vehicles, always with an eye out for the subtle signs of traps: A tripwire here, a pressure plate there, or the slight glint of a camera lens hidden among the debris.
The detours were many, as Thea''s cautious approach led them around areas she deemed too risky. Each detour added time to their journey, stretching each minute into five or sometimes even ten.
The squad moved in silence, their footsteps a soft echo in the otherwise quiet evening.
Despite the slow progress, there was an underlying sense of urgency, a silent acknowledgment that every moment spent avoiding traps was a moment closer to reaching their destination and, potentially, to a rendezvous with Corvus in the city proper.
Finally, after navigating through what felt like an endless series of obstacles, Thea signalled for a halt.
They had arrived at the base of a structure she had spied from afar, a building ideally suited for their needs¡ªa six-story residential tower capped with a roof adorned by a gazebo. This spot promised a blend of concealment from prying drone eyes and a broad vantage point over the imposing border-wall.
The gazebo''s presence suggested a measure of shelter, crucial for evading detection while maintaining an expansive field of view for their surveillance efforts.
Determined to sidestep the sense of confinement that had nagged at her during their prior hideout in the industrial office building, where window peeks had limited her assessment of the surrounding area, Thea yearned for the freedom of roof access.
"This is where we''ll set up for the night," Thea declared, imbuing her directive with a firmness that underscored her current role. "We''ll organise shifts for keeping watch and conducting reconnaissance. Our objective is to dissect the wall''s security measures, decode any patrol routines we come across, and identify potential vulnerabilities."
Ascending the building, Thea, aided by Isabella''s fledgeling skills with explosives, defused a trio of security measures¡ªtwo traps and an alarm. Together, they conducted a comprehensive inspection of the highest floor, asserting it as their temporary stronghold.
Assured of their relative safety, they stealthily advanced onto the rooftop, seeking refuge under the gazebo''s shadow together, as they all wanted to take a proper look at their next obstacle together, before they headed off into their respective watch groups.
In the twilight''s dimming light, they gazed upon the imposing structure of the border-wall that delineated the urban outskirts and the industrial sector from the sprawling megacity of Nova Tertius.
The wall itself was a monolith of solid rock-crete, rising several metres into the air, its breadth spanning at least a metre across, ensuring an unyielding fortification against any who dared approach. Its surface was unadorned, save for the grim functionality of its design, embodying an insurmountable obstacle that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Strategically placed at intervals along the wall were guard towers, their silhouettes casting long shadows in the fading light.
These towers housed vigilant sentries, their eyes scanning the expanse for any sign of unauthorised movement. The checkpoints, heavily fortified and manned by stern-faced guards, punctuated the wall at the main thoroughfares, serving as the only sanctioned points of entry into the city''s heart.
The land immediately surrounding the wall had been deliberately cleared of any natural cover, paved over with unyielding asphalt to expose any who ventured too close. This barren no-man''s-land served as a deterrent, its emptiness a clear message to would-be infiltrators like them: Don¡¯t try it.
Atop the wall, an array of security measures was in place: Cameras that swept the area with their unblinking gaze, automatic gun turrets poised to respond to the slightest infraction, and the rare, occasional patrol.
Each component of this extensive security network worked in concert to maintain the integrity of Nova Tertius''s last line of defence against infiltrators, making the task of crossing it a daunting challenge for any who sought to breach the city''s well-guarded perimeter.
As they surveyed the daunting structure stretching before them, each member of the squad fell into a contemplative silence, weighing the obstacle against their individual skills and pondering how they might collectively overcome the formidable barrier.
Suddenly, without warning, the hues of the evening sky shifted dramatically, capturing their attention and prompting an immediate, unified reaction. Instinctively, they all hit the deck, their hearts racing as they tried to discern the cause of this sudden change.
Before Thea could issue any commands, Karania cut through the tension with a sharp, whispered warning, her voice laced with undeniable terror, "Don''t look! Close your eyes, if you have to!" Her words sent a chill down their spines, magnifying the gravity of the situation.
In the blink of an eye, their surroundings were bathed in a blinding light, a radiant fusion of white and gold that filled the world around them. The abrupt transition left them disoriented, their senses overwhelmed by the intense glow that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
As though a newborn star had erupted within the city, its intense light seemed intent on erasing their very existence with its overwhelming brilliance.
The luminosity was so piercing that even with their gazes cast downwards towards the gazebo''s wooden floor, shielding their eyes as much as possible, they felt a severely painful sting that left imprints on their eyes for hours after. Heeding Karania''s earlier caution, Thea shut her eyes tightly, aware of the devastating origin of this sudden illumination.
Then, as quickly as it had enveloped them in daylight''s clone, the light vanished, plunging the surroundings back into the night''s embrace with such abruptness that it left them feeling momentarily blinded, the darkness now seeming impenetrably deep in stark contrast.
"Fuck me! What in the shit was that?!" Desmond''s whispered exclamation broke the silence, a sentiment echoed by the entire squad in hushed, anxious tones.
Karania''s words proved eerily prescient, "Fuck me is right¡ That was like a massive fusion reaction or something. If we hadn''t looked away or shut our eyes, we''d probably be blind right now. What the fuck was that...?" Her gaze fixed on Thea, who had signalled the danger before it occurred, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and inquiry.
Exhaling a breath heavy with the weight of unspoken grief and the burden of knowledge, Thea''s voice was tinged with profound sorrow as she admitted, "That... was plan B..."
Arc 1 - Chapter 93 - Plans
¡°Plan B? I wasn¡¯t aware there even was a Plan B¡ What the fuck did that one entail? Blowing up a fusion reactor you happened to find nearby?!¡± Desmond whispered pointedly, still clenching his eyes tightly.
"Let''s move back inside. With them on high alert now, staying out here isn''t smart. I''ll explain everything once we''re inside," Thea instructed, her voice steady but low, as she led the retreat into the apartment complex, her movements cautious and deliberate to avoid detection from any potential observers below.
Her squad trailed behind her, equally cautious, as they navigated their way to the building''s interior rooms, far from the prying eyes that might be searching from outside.
Gathering her team, Thea began, "Plan B involved Corvus triggering an overload in the Caliburn, causing it to self-destruct. Normally, the Caliburn dissipates heat with each bolt action, but if it''s operated without doing so, the build-up becomes critical, eventually melting the weapon itself and everything around it."
She raised her cybernetic hand, a tangible reminder to the risks involved with her weapon.
They all knew how she had lost it during the 2nd ambush on the first day, as a result of her rapid firing the Caliburn to take out the heavy weapons emplacements that had pinned down the rest of the squad.
¡°If the Caliburn has been fired repeatedly and the Solarium within it¡ªthe source of its energy¡ªhas been sufficiently agitated beforehand, the additional heat on top of that will overwhelm the containment mechanisms and safety features. The outcome, as we''ve just witnessed, is a fusion explosion, triggered by the Solarium reacting violently with its surroundings,¡± she concluded. Thea''s explanation was very matter-of-fact, her tone masking the gravity of their situation as the squad absorbed the reality of Corvus''s last act, signalled by the blinding light they had witnessed.
A moment of stunned silence washed over them, until Desmond broke it with a question, ¡°Are you telling me, you¡¯ve been running around with a fucking fusion bomb like that, ever since we started the assessment¡?¡±
¡°Only if misused,¡± Karania interjected. ¡°As Thea already said, the Solarium needs to be sufficiently riled up first. Just firing the Caliburn a couple of times without venting the heat wouldn¡¯t lead to that kind of catastrophic failure. There¡¯s no chance the UHF would¡¯ve allowed such a suicidal weapon into production otherwise. Much less allowed a T1 marine to have it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fucking awesome,¡± Isabella suddenly threw into the room, her voice laced with a certain level of awe. ¡°I didn¡¯t know something like that was possible at T2 tech already! I can¡¯t fucking wait to get my hands on a heavy weapon like that!¡±
Her enthusiasm, as usual, managed to lighten the room''s heavy air, drawing smiles and chuckles from the squad. Isabella¡¯s genuine fascination with such destructive capabilities somehow made the direness of the explosion¡¯s implications feel momentarily lighter.
¡°Moving forward,¡± Thea picked up the conversation after a light moment, ¡°we will continue as planned. Corvus won¡¯t be joining us again until we get this mission done and the UHF can break through that wall, so we best not let our squad leader wait.¡±
She directed her focus to Desmond next, ¡°Desmond, it''s time to put your drones to work again. Scout out those cameras and auto-turrets for us. Best if we can get through them without them ever knowing we were there, but prepare a quick-and-dirty option as well, should we need to get out fast for whatever reason. I¡¯d rather we be prepared for every eventuality.¡±
She then turned her attention to the squad''s heavies, ¡°Isabella, Lucas, I¡¯m going to need you both on high alert tonight. I know we¡¯re all running on fumes, especially Lucas with the extra load, but Desmond needs to recharge for tomorrow, and honestly, I¡¯m not far from hitting my limit too. It pains me to ask more of you, but your roles might be lighter in the coming days. Can I count on you?¡±
Isabella and Lucas, understanding the truth behind her words, gave their affirmation without hesitation. Their commitment was commendable and took a heavy load off Thea''s shoulders.
After all, if they did end up becoming important over the next day or two, it was unlikely their encounters would last a long time either way.
Their best possible outcome of being caught was to quickly dismantle any pursuers and hide again, as any elongated fighting would inevitably end up with their death.
They were deep inside of enemy territory, so an extended firefight was not something that would go in their favour, regardless of how rested the two heavies of the squad were.
Acknowledging the dire need for readiness, she turned her attention to Karania, ¡°Kara, we¡¯re going to need every advantage we can muster. Hit us with any stims you¡¯ve got and think will help us; they might just give us the edge we need to breach the border-wall by tomorrow night.¡± Her request was met with an immediate nod, almost as if Karania had been anticipating that exact course of action.
As the squad set about preparing for the next phase of their operation, Thea found a moment of solitude, the weight of leadership pressing heavily on her. ¡®This whole leading thing is not my style, Corvus¡ I¡¯d have much rather seen the Caliburn¡¯s end up-close than do all of this here. Damn you and your logic¡¡¯
Her thoughts were a mix of frustration and anxiety, a silent curse for the circumstances that demanded she step up in ways she never anticipated nor wanted.
Karania moved through the squad over the next ten minutes, carefully administering stim doses tailored to each member''s immediate needs.
Lucas and Isabella were given focus-enhancing stims combined with a modest amount of wakefulness enhancers, a necessary boost considering the extended watch they were tasked with. Thea, Desmond, and Karania herself received focus stims as well, but theirs were paired with a mild sleep aid to maximise the restorative quality of the sleep they were going to get¡ªthey would need to be as rested as possible for the next day.
Thea could only grasp the basics of Karania¡¯s detailed explanation about the biochemical interactions and expected outcomes of these stims¡ªher expertise was far, far beyond Thea¡¯s own understanding, even after a thoroughly technical explanation from her.
Exhausted, Thea decided it was time to rest, confident in her squad''s capability to handle their responsibilities. She had pushed herself to the limits, her focus unyielding as she navigated the squad through the day¡¯s challenges. Anticipating another demanding day ahead, she hoped the short respite would be enough to renew her strength and resolve to continue leading the squad to their mission objective¡
Thea was woken up by Karania the next morning, after a thoroughly dreamless sleep. It almost felt like she had just gone to bed and immediately heard Karania¡¯s gentle nudging to get up for the day ahead.
Thea quickly got up and prepared herself, eating a portion of her rations, drinking some of the water from the still-running appliances of the apartment and getting a sit-rep from the rest of the squad.
As expected by the fact that she hadn¡¯t been woken up in the middle of the night, instead getting to ¡°sleep in¡± until just before the sun would start to rise, nothing dramatic had occurred over the course of Lucas¡¯ and Isabella¡¯s double-shift watch.
During the night, Desmond was deeply engrossed in creating a hack for the surveillance and defence mechanisms lining the border-wall, utilising his drones for the task. However, he encountered significant obstacles due to the heightened security measures that had been rapidly implemented.
"The security''s been ramped up significantly," he reported, the frustration evident in his tone. "Patrols and guard numbers have skyrocketed¡ªat least three times as many, if not more; hard to gauge properly. We might need to reconsider our approach if this level of security persists past the early morning."
Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, Thea offered a measured response, suggesting a temporary pause in their efforts. "Get some rest, Desmond. We''ll reassess after I get a better idea of the situation," she advised, her gaze then shifting to Isabella and Lucas. "You two should rest as well. With the current state of heightened security, we''re going to need every advantage we can get, including being fully rested."
Isabella, Lucas, and Desmond found makeshift beds within the confines of the apartment, seeking comfort wherever they could¡ªLucas, with his towering frame, made do with the floor, leaning against the wall as he quickly succumbed to sleep.
Left to their own devices, Thea and Karania were tasked with the daunting challenge of revising their strategy. Recognizing the need for more precise information, Thea ventured back to the rooftop under the cover of the early-morning darkness herself.
With the Gram¡¯s scope in hand, she aimed to gather detailed observations of the border-wall''s defences, hoping to identify any potential vulnerabilities or changes in patrol patterns that could be exploited.
Her meticulous observation over the next ten-or-so minutes of the border-wall revealed a significant increase in the number of patrols and guard posts, confirming Desmond''s earlier reports. They moved with a clearly heightened sense of alertness, their behavioural patterns vastly more attentive to any ongoings in the deserted outskirts of the city.
Where before, Thea could spot quite a few patrols and guards simply slacking off or sharing stories with one another during their, likely long-winded, paths and shifts, they were now properly paying attention to the deserted buildings close to the wall; often times even veering off of their supposed path to check out a potential noise or sighting.
However, despite this drastic increase in personnel, Thea did note that the structural and automatic defences of the wall had remained completely unchanged¡ªlikely due to time constraints; something that might be changed over the course of the day, should the Stellar Republic feel that the border-wall was in danger.
The auto-turrets stood sentinel as before, their menacing twin-barrels scanning the deserted no-man''s land before the wall. Cameras, equally spaced and vigilant as before, offered no new angles or coverage that she hadn¡¯t already accounted for in their initial plan.
It was a relief, in a way, to see that their primary route¡ªthrough one of the many quick-access doors and the service tunnels that snaked beneath, and subsequently through, the wall¡ªremained a viable, albeit now more challenging, option.
The real complication lay in the sheer volume of personnel and their heightened alertness.
Every guard post was fully manned, with soldiers rotating in shifts, based on Desmond¡¯s reports, that ensured no lapse in their vigilance. The quick-access doors, once considered a relatively low-risk entry point due to their obscurity and the guards'' previously predictable patterns, now seemed like bottlenecks waiting to ensnare them.
As the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn, Thea retreated from her vantage point, her mind racing with the implications of her findings. Their approach would need to be more cautious and even more calculated than ever.
The increased guard presence meant that timing and stealth would be critical; they would have to exploit the smallest window of opportunity to slip through undetected, as a full-on assault against a fortified position with their current numbers was completely out of the question.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Back inside, she shared her observations with Karania, who listened intently, nodding in understanding. Together, they began to refine their plan, incorporating the newfound challenges into their strategy.
The task ahead appeared daunting, practically insurmountable, but Thea knew that they had to get through this wall, one way or another. Not just because their mission hinged on it, but also because she had promised Corvus that she would.
As Thea and Karania delved deeper into strategizing, Karania''s brilliance shone through once again, illuminating their conversation with creative solutions and unconventional strategies.
Time and again, she proposed ideas that initially seemed improbable, yet upon closer examination, unfolded as ingenious approaches to the challenges Thea had laid out for them to tackle.
''To have her cognitive prowess for even a day...'' she mused silently, a mix of admiration and wonder colouring her thoughts. Karania''s medical expertise was already a known asset, but her strategic acumen, often manifesting in the most unexpected and effective of ways, was something to behold. It was as if her mind operated on a different wavelength, effortlessly weaving through complexities to find pathways that others might overlook or might take hours to stumble upon naturally, in mere moments.
In these instances, Thea couldn¡¯t help but compare Karania¡¯s strategic insights with Corvus¡¯, the only other person inside of Alpha Squad that she often felt vastly inferior to, when it came to the strategic side of things.
While Corvus excelled in leadership, his intuitive understanding of people and the grand-strategy type of planning, Karania¡¯s approach was more unorthodox and micro-level, oftentimes bordering on the realm of a true strategic genius. Her suggestions weren¡¯t just outside the box¡ªthey were often on a level where the box didn¡¯t even exist.
They weren¡¯t always feasible, but her uttering them would many times lead to more do-able alternatives that nobody had even thought of before.
¡®How does she manage to contain such a vast reservoir of knowledge and creativity in that brain of hers?¡¯ Thea pondered, struck by the sheer depth of Karania¡¯s intellect. It was as if her brain was a labyrinth of ideas, each turn revealing a new, unexplored avenue of thought.
Using her friend¡¯s genius and acumen in out-of-the-box thinking, as well as her own more traditional understanding of strategy and planning, Thea managed to come up with a potential feasible plan in the next two hours, by putting together whatever little resources and manpower they had to hopefully provide enough of an opening to get through the wall and into Nova Tertius proper.
By the time she had finished planning and running the whole thing past Karania to get another pair of eyes on it, who ended up giving her the all-good, the early-morning sun had already risen past the horizon and started making its way higher into the sky.
Feeling the drain of intense planning on her energy levels, she quickly consumed another portion of her rations, wanting to be as ready as possible for the challenging day ahead.
Once sated again, she moved to rouse the rest of the squad, prepared to share the details of their newly-crafted plan¡
Following a brief period for the squad to awaken, organise their gear, and partake in a simple breakfast from their ration packs, Thea initiated the briefing on the strategy she and Karania had devised during the early hours.
In the meantime, Karania distributed modest doses of stimulants to Isabella and Lucas to compensate for their abbreviated rest. Their superhuman Vitality would help, but even for them, a mere 2-3 hours of sleep was insufficient for the coming day''s exertions, especially after their exhaustive trek and double-shift of watches the day prior.
Once Thea concluded her explanation and elaboration of the plan, a pause ensued as the squad members contemplated the plan''s details, evaluating its feasibility and potential flaws.
Desmond, seeking clarification on a particular aspect, finally broke the silence. "Just to be clear," he started, attempting to grasp the full scope of their approach, "your plan involves utilising three of my drones to deploy white foam grenades as a diversion. This would enable us to blend in with the incoming response forces as though we''re part of them, correct?"
"That''s exactly it," Thea confirmed, her response underscored with approval. "It¡¯s largely Kara¡¯s idea, but we took a page from Morin¡¯s playbook as well. If we aren¡¯t looking like we¡¯re enemies ready to fight, they have no reason to suspect that we are."
The approach they were considering was undeniably fraught with risk, yet it required only a brief period of deception, perhaps just a couple of minutes. During this window, they needed to convincingly merge with the Stellar Republic''s forces, moving close enough to the wall''s quick-access entry points to slip through unnoticed.
Desmond, though, expressed his reservations about their ability to convincingly impersonate the Republic''s soldiers. "The patrols seemed quite consistent in their gear, Thea. I''m not sure how we could convincingly pass as one of them... Do you really think this is feasible?"
Thea had been prepared for this line of questioning, however.
"Initially, I shared your doubt. But after closely observing the patrols this morning, it became clear that not all of them are uniformly equipped. About three-fourths are in standard gear, but it appears they''ve reinforced their numbers with troops from other sectors of the battlefield momentarily," she detailed.
"These extra guards and patrols are kitted out in various types of Tier 1 gear, much like ours. Their designs have some distinct features, but in the midst of confusion, such details are likely to be overlooked, just as they were when we initially crossed the wall with Arrow Squad."
Desmond took a brief moment to reflect on his own observations, before slowly nodding. ¡°I guess you''re right¡ Now that you mention it, I do remember some of them wearing different gear. I just didn¡¯t really think it would be quite that many, I guess.¡±
He ended up agreeing with the plan, much like the rest of the squad, but brought up an important point towards the end of their briefing, ¡°I can¡¯t use three drones for this distraction. The most I can give you is two, as we need at least one to deliver the camera and auto-turret hacks. I doubt the auto-turrets would be fooled by visual differences, as they mostly work with pings and markers, last I checked.¡±
This was something Thea had not considered before, as she didn¡¯t have the technical knowledge yet to understand how military-grade hardware worked, but in hindsight, it made complete sense to her.
She had only really interfaced with old arcade machines in terms of technology, after all. It was something she was highly anticipating to learn more about, after this assessment was over.
Thea had already started making a mental list of Skills she wanted to pick up from the System Store, once she had some Credits to spend, and military hardware like this was definitely part of what she wanted to learn about¡ªpartially to avoid exactly this type of situation in the future.
With a slight alteration to the plan, which involved one less drone to be used as the distraction, as per Desmond¡¯s recommendation, Alpha Squad prepared the corresponding white foam grenades.
They set the timers to be very generous and linked them together, so the drones would have enough time to get into position before the grenades detonated in sequence.
They wanted to make it seem like at least 3-4 squads were trying to create some rudimentary cover to assault the wall, in order to cause enough of an incident to prompt nearby patrols to head further north to help out.
That would create a small gap in their perimeter, that Alpha Squad would hopefully be able to use to slip in and get to the quick-access doors.
Isabella had brought a few small-scale lock-explosives with her over the wall, which would come in handy to blow open the quick-access door. Hopefully without causing too much of an audible or visual incident, so they could maintain their ruse until they slipped into the service tunnels underneath the wall.
Per the detailed briefing in the data package Corvus had entrusted to Thea, the service tunnels running beneath the Stellar Republic''s border-wall promised a covert path deep into enemy territory, potentially delivering Alpha Squad directly to the very doorsteps of Nova Tertius itself.
They would come out just a few hundred metres outside the city, depending on the path they took, with very likely minimal resistance, if any, in their way.
Given the infrequency of permanent security details within such service channels, or guarding the exits thereof, the likelihood of Alpha Squad encountering minimal, if any, opposition as they navigated this subterranean route was surprisingly high.
The decisive factor that convinced the entirety of Alpha Squad to adopt the current strategy, as Thea had proposed, was rooted in a stark realisation after a bit of back-and-forth: Their options were severely limited by the resources and manpower at their disposal.
Despite thorough brainstorming that explored both more confrontational and covert tactics, none of their alternative strategies could withstand any level of rigorous cross-examination.
The option of a direct assault was quickly dismissed due to their inadequate arsenal.
The absence of the Caliburn, in particular, left a gaping hole in their offensive capability. With the Caliburn at their disposal, they might have entertained the possibility of swiftly eliminating the nearest guard positions and forcefully accessing the service tunnels, relying on Lucas'' Stalwart for cover against retaliatory strikes.
Conversely, the notion of a purely stealthy infiltration was also ruled out due to their lack of advanced stealth Abilities. They lacked access to potent concealment techniques such as Viladia¡¯s bubble or Moira¡¯s veil, which would have facilitated a mostly unnoticed passage past enemy lines without much trouble.
Faced with these limitations, the squad recognized the necessity of a creative yet feasible plan that leveraged their available tools and skills.
The decision to utilise a distraction, coupled with the guise of responding patrol units, emerged as the only viable course of action given their constrained circumstances, despite the obvious issues and potential downfalls with the plan presented.
Finishing up their planning session, they fitted two of Desmond¡¯s drones with a handful of sequenced and linked white foam grenades each.
He took a few minutes to fly the drones around the apartment, getting used to the new weight and aerodynamics they now had due to the added weight, before guiding them out the door, down the staircase and out the back of the apartment complex to avoid any potential spying eyes from seeing the drones emerge from their exact apartment.
While Desmond was busy getting the distractions in place, the rest of the squad also prepared their gear for the upcoming mission.
They divided up Corvus¡¯ supplies, so Lucas wouldn¡¯t have to run around with two backpacks slung over his shoulders, allowing him more freedom to use his Stalwart and Havoc, should things go south, as well as lightening the load on him. He might be extremely robust and strong, but carrying an extra 50-60 kg for an entire day was not something that anyone wanted to do, if there was a way around it.
Instead, they each packed around 5-6 kg into each of their packs, mostly ammunition, first-aid supplies and grenades, leaving a lot of the less-useful or overly redundant supplies in the apartment, such as Corvus¡¯ rations, his sleeping bag and similar.
Before setting out, the squad took one final opportunity to inspect their equipment, ensuring that the previous day''s journey through the urban outskirts hadn''t compromised their gear or allowed any debris to interfere with their mission.
Heeding Thea''s suggestion, they opted not to remove the dirt and grime accumulated on their armour. This choice was intended to blend their T1 armour with the rest of the rarer patrols, reducing the likelihood of being distinguished by Stellar Republic soldiers at first glance.
They hoped the layer of grime would effectively disrupt their silhouettes and obscure the specific hues of their gear.
Desmond signalled that the drones were strategically positioned, with the countdown indicating a mere ten minutes until the white foam grenades would activate. Following this cue, the squad quickly, yet quietly descended the stairs and exited from the rear of the apartment.
They trailed behind Thea, who navigated with precision around the building, guiding them closer to the border-wall. Their positioning was crucial; they needed to be near enough to seamlessly merge with any passing reinforcements yet distant enough to avoid premature detection.
Striking this balance was critical, resting heavily on Thea''s leadership. It was a fine line to walk, but it represented their best chance at infiltrating the city undetected, leveraging the chaos they hoped to create as their cover.
Thea cautiously approached the line of buildings adjacent to the border-wall, meticulously checking each door and corner for potential traps and alarms. This diligence soon paid off. As anticipated, the structures nearest the wall were extensively rigged, a clear deterrent for anyone attempting a quick breach through this area.
Foreseeing such defensive measures, and acknowledging it as a strategy they themselves might employ in defence of the wall, were they in the Stellar Republic¡¯s boots, Thea guided the squad away from these fortified positions. They detoured around the buildings, navigating into a narrow alley nestled between two structures close to the wall.
Here, although they encountered additional, and very similar, security measures, the traps and alarms were significantly less cramped than those within the buildings, making them easier to circumvent.
This allowed the squad to moderately easily progress toward the alley''s end, all the while making sure they didn¡¯t accidentally step out too far from the walls of the alley, which would have quickly landed them into line of sight of the cameras and auto-turrets atop the wall.
Now, concealed in the darkness of the alley, they were perfectly positioned and ready.
The squad waited with bated breath for the detonation of the white foam grenades, which would serve as their crucial diversion. This moment of anticipation was critical; the impending explosion would provide the cover they needed to spring their audacious and undeniably risky plan into action¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 94 - Efficiency
With the white-foam grenades primed to explode any moment now, Thea gave the go-ahead for Desmond to initiate his part of their plan. He was tasked with neutralising the surveillance and defence mechanisms that covered the border-wall, effectively eliminating the last technical barrier to their infiltration.
Desmond''s sole remaining drone, strategically pre-positioned for this purpose, embarked on its critical mission.
The previous night, Desmond had meticulously mapped out various routes to ascertain the most effective path for his drone to approach the wall without triggering early detection. His objective was to find a trajectory that would delay the activation of the security systems for as long as possible.
Understanding that his drone lacked a legitimate response to the Stellar Republic''s standard verification pings, Desmond ingeniously designed a hack.
This hack was to be automatically deployed in response to the first detection signal from the surveillance network. Although the specifics of his hacking technique were complex, involving a sophisticated manipulation of the security system''s communication protocols, the goal was straightforward: To have the drone introduce a malicious code upon detection that would cause the cameras and auto-turrets connected to the network to loop their last few minutes of scan data on repeat, creating an illusion of normalcy.
To Thea, the technical jargon and the intricate details of Desmond''s plan had been somewhat overwhelming. Despite her efforts to grasp the full extent of the technicalities involved, the finer points of the hack remained beyond her comprehension.
The essence of his strategy was simple, though: The drone needed to be in close proximity to the wall when it received the first ping. At that point, the hack would activate, creating the loop in the camera and auto-turret systems. This loop was critical to ensure they remained undetected as they attempted to blend in with the Stellar Republic forces and slip through the border-wall undetected, as humans were a lot easier to fool than technology when it came to infiltration.
After just around twenty seconds, Desmond breathed an audible sigh of relief as he gave the all-clear.
¡®That was fast, damn,¡¯ Thea couldn¡¯t help but think, surprised at the speed at which this whole part of the plan had worked.
Desmond had said as much, which was why they had waited until the last minute before detonation of the grenades, but to see it in action was something else entirely.
With the auto-turrets and cameras effectively neutralised, and the white foam grenades set to detonate imminently, everything was in position for the next phase.
The seconds ticked by slowly, heightening the suspense and anxiety among them.
The potential for a direct confrontation, should their attempted ruse be discovered, loomed large in their minds. They were acutely aware that an unplanned firefight would undoubtedly end disastrously, given their precarious position deep within enemy lines.
As the countdown approached its final moments, a palpable tension gripped the squad.
Each member was acutely focused, prepared to spring into action and execute their roles with precision. They understood the critical importance of seamlessly blending into the Stellar Republic''s response teams to avoid detection and ensure their passage through the wall.
The moment the wrist-displays signalled the impending detonation of the grenades, they braced themselves.
The detonation of the white-foam grenades echoed in the distance, a series of popping and hissing noises as the two-dozen devices exploded and the white-foam inside expanded explosively into makeshift barricades. Even within the confines of the alley where Thea and her squad sought cover, the sounds were unmistakably clear.
The initial confusion among the Stellar Republic''s forces swiftly transformed into heightened alarm as the potential threat became apparent.
Patrols and guards, previously stationed with a sense of routine vigilance, now scrambled towards the northern side where the grenades had unleashed chaos. In the frenzy, only a few guards remained behind, their attention fixed on their departing comrades, trying to piece together the situation.
Seizing this moment of distraction, Thea gave the signal.
With a decisive gesture, she and the squad rose from their cover, their movements synchronised and deliberate. They merged with the small stream of soldiers responding to the disturbance, their weapons discreetly ready for any confrontation.
The squad''s integration was seamless, their appearance and demeanour indistinguishable from the genuine patrols, as they put on confused, yet poised faces. As they moved, each member was acutely aware of the stakes, their senses heightened, ready to adapt to any unforeseen challenge, but waiting for Thea to make the final call.
This was something they had clearly talked about during their planning session.
Any potential threats were to be discreetly conveyed to Thea, who would make the final call, even if it seemed like the slight delay might spell disaster for them. The squad had ultimately agreed on it, however, as they each realised that it was more important for the squad to make coherent decisions, rather than a single, potentially misplaced, observation to ruin their only shot at this plan.
As Thea and her squad shadowed the patrols, the atmosphere around them was charged with urgency. Stellar Republic soldiers sprinted past, seeking cover behind previously erected barricades or manning light weapon emplacements in anticipation of an assault.
The air was thick with the sound of orders being shouted and the metallic clank of weapons being readied, a strangely familiar rhythm of preparedness for the perceived threat making itself known.
Continuing their march with the patrols, Thea subtly signalled her team to decelerate, allowing themselves to gradually lag behind the main group. This intentional slowdown was part of their calculated strategy, aiming to position themselves at the edge of the response force as they neared one of the large gates.
Here, a commanding officer, likely a Corporal, as he wore a similar-looking uniform to the woman that had stopped them and Arrow Squad on the asphalt highway, was visibly orchestrating the counter-response, barking orders to the incoming patrols, his focus on marshalling his forces to repel the nonexistent attackers.
By arriving last, Thea and her squad hoped to exploit the chaos, banking on the likelihood that they would be redirected away from the epicentre of the action, back towards the positions they had originally infiltrated.
This manoeuvre was critical, a gambit based on their understanding of military protocols in moments of crisis. While the Stellar Republic was not the UHF, a lot of military protocols existed that were shared between the two Factions¡ªor all Factions, for that matter¡ªas they had simply proven to be the most effective anyone had managed to come up with.
In situations where a new threat was identified, standard protocol dictated that any mobile troops immediately report to the nearest commanding officer, while stationary troops¡ªsuch as those guarding the perimeter from atop the wall¡ªwere to hold their positions.
This strategy was designed to facilitate a swift, concentrated response to threats, enabling mobile units to rapidly converge on a single location, regardless of their initial dispersion across the patrol area.
The inherent drawback of this tactic, and the one Alpha Squad was now hoping to exploit, was the inevitable tendency to overcommit mobile troops to a singular point of interest¡ªin this case, the nearest commanding officer.
This overreaction was widely recognized as a tactical vulnerability inherent to such a response system. It was, however, generally accepted as a manageable risk, under the assumption that stationary troops would continue to monitor and report any new or additional threats, thus maintaining a level of continuous perimeter defence.
Consequently, once a commanding officer assessed that sufficient forces had been redirected to address the immediate threat, a significant portion of the mobile units would be instructed to return to their original patrol routes. This reassignment aimed to minimise disruption to their established patrol patterns, ensuring that the security coverage remained as consistent as possible despite the temporary reallocation of resources.
Approaching the commanding officer, Thea braced herself for the directive.
¡°You lot,¡± he barked, gesturing at Thea and a couple of other squad leaders, ¡°head back to your patrols. We''re swamped with boots on the ground here. Listen, I get it. Everyone''s eager to teach those fucking undead a lesson for messing with the Stellar Republic, but our patrols can¡¯t just stop. Who¡¯s to say what kind of messed-up shit they''ve got planned after yesterday¡¯s bang-up job? That fucking explosion took out a good chunk of the night-shift ¡®cause they¡¯re all fucking blind now. That¡¯s gotta be a prelude for something, so we can¡¯t afford to have you lot join this counter-response and leave the rest of the border unpatrolled.¡±
A chorus of ¡°Yes, Sir¡± responded, tinged with a hint of disappointment, a sentiment Thea tried echoing as best she could while maintaining her role.
Without hesitation, she turned on her heel, signalling her squad to follow.
Lingering around a Corporal, or any higher-ups, was the last thing she wanted, keen to move away and continue their mission under the guise of obeying orders.
Everything was, surprisingly enough, going according to plan so far, as they headed back towards the direction they had just come from.
This first part of the plan, however, was arguably the least likely to go wrong, as the chaos of the moment provided a large distraction that would almost guarantee their presence was going to go unnoticed. The next part, which included blowing open the quick-access door from the outside, was bound to pose a lot higher risk of detection.
Alpha Squad adeptly continued their masquerade as members of the Stellar Republic forces, returning to their point of entry and adopting the patrol patterns they had meticulously observed the previous day and night.
They made a conscious effort to remain in proximity to the same segment of the border-wall, aiming to normalise their presence to the stationed guards. The squad reasoned that it was improbable for anyone to scrutinise a patrol that seemed to be performing its routine duties, especially after having been visible in the area multiple times before.
Aware that the effectiveness of their diversion was bound by time¡ªthe white-foam grenades serving as a temporary ruse with no real assault to back it up¡ªthey recognized the need for speed in executing the next phase of their strategy. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
However, they also understood the importance of not rushing to the extent that it might draw suspicion.
The balance between speed and caution was delicate, and Thea felt the pressure acutely.
Juggling the dual roles of leader and scout was proving to be an immense challenge, stretching her mental capacity to its limits. She silently cursed Corvus''s decision to entrust her with such responsibility once again, feeling thoroughly ill-equipped for the dual burden.
For the next ten minutes, they convincingly played their part, seamlessly blending into the background of the Stellar Republic''s defensive operations.
Their efforts paid off, as not a single guard gave them more than a cursory glance, allowing them to move unchallenged and unnoticed.
This brief period of successful deception was crucial, buying them the time they needed to prepare for the most perilous stage of their plan.
Thea was acutely aware that their window of opportunity was narrowing. ''The counter- response teams will soon catch on to the absence of attackers at the white-foam barricades. We need to act now,'' she thought, her mind racing with concern.
While their current guise as patrolling soldiers provided a veil of safety, initiating the next phase of their operation would strip them of any pretence of security. From that point on, there would be no turning back; success or failure would hinge entirely on the execution of their plan.
This realisation weighed heavily on her, the pressure of the entire squad''s survival resting on the timing and accuracy of her decision. The prospect of misjudgment, and the catastrophic consequences that could follow, caused her to hesitate. The thought of rendering Corvus'' sacrifice in vain was unbearable.
Yet, understanding the necessity of moving forward, Thea took a moment to collect herself. With a deep, steadying breath, she sought to quell the storm of apprehension within her.
Then, with resolved determination, she signalled to her squad, indicating it was time to embark on the next, critical stage of their plan.
As Alpha Squad began edging closer to the quick-access door, the tension among them was palpable. Their entire operation hinged on maintaining the illusion of being Stellar Republic soldiers for just a little longer.
Isabella had briefed them that setting up the shaped explosive charge on the door would take approximately a minute¡ªa minute during which their cover could not be blown.
To obscure Isabella''s work from prying eyes, the squad concocted a plan.
Lucas and Karania took up positions that would obscure Isabella''s actions from potential onlookers, employing a bit of theatre to aid their subterfuge. Karania feigned concern for Lucas''s health, leaning in as if conducting a medical inspection, while Lucas convincingly mimicked the symptoms of severe nausea, complete with audible dry-heaving.
This act mirrored a ruse they had previously executed on the asphalt highway.
Desmond, meanwhile, pretended to operate one of his drones, adding another layer of authenticity to their ruse, as if conducting a routine surveillance operation.
Thea''s heart nearly stopped when a guard from atop the border-wall called out to them. ¡°Hey, you lot. You good down there?¡±
The sudden attention felt like a flood-spotlight on their deception.
Swallowing her panic, she turned to address the guard with a composed exterior that belied her inner turmoil.
"Everything''s fine," she called up, her voice steady. "Just dealing with a bit of... excitement, if you catch me. Patrick over here thought we''d finally have a go at some undead, only to get reassigned to patrol again. It''s been a bit rough on the stomach, you know? Last night¡¯s ration didn¡¯t bode well with him either, so it¡¯s just all kinds of messy now. We¡¯ll get back to the patrol once the medic gives him a stim. Thanks for checking up on us!"
The guard seemed satisfied with her explanation, looking a bit taken aback by the graphic noises that Lucas was giving off, nodding and turning his attention back to his duties.
Thea let out a silent sigh of relief, her heart still racing from the close call.
Meanwhile, Isabella worked as quickly and efficiently as she could, her hands steady as she placed the explosive charge on the door. The squad''s collective effort to shield her actions seemed to be working, but they all knew that their safety was a delicate veneer, ready to shatter at the slightest misstep.
Lucas quickly ceased the audible portion of his theatre at Thea¡¯s behest, as she knew that the noise itself would very likely draw eyes they didn¡¯t want on them. It was a good play to start with, but dragging it out would seem more suspicious than it would help their case.
Thea breathed a sigh of relief as the guard''s inquiry remained the only challenge to their cover before Isabella quickly finished her task and signalled the all-clear. With this precarious phase behind them, their path into Nova Tertius was now practically wide open.
The next and essentially final stage of their plan involved breaching the quick-access door, entering the service-tunnels, and then sealing the entrance behind them using white-foam grenades. This would not be a permanent barrier, and blowing the door would certainly expose their ruse, but once they were inside the service tunnels, evading the Stellar Republic forces would become significantly more feasible.
The network of service tunnels stretched beneath the wall and sprawled into the city, branching out to numerous exits.
The vast array of possible routes made it nearly impossible for their pursuers to predict their path. Thea was grateful for the comprehensive data-package from the UHF; having a detailed map of the tunnel system was invaluable. She meticulously reviewed their planned entry point and the route they needed to take, ensuring she knew the precise turns to avoid leading the squad into military outposts also connected to the tunnel system.
Double-checking their planned path against the map, Thea mentally prepared for what was to come.
''Alright, we''re set. Now we just need to hope the tunnels aren''t swarming with soldiers for whatever reason. We will not really be able to avoid confrontation once inside,'' she thought, steeling herself for the tense moments ahead.
Thea''s slow, deliberate nod was the signal for Isabella to initiate the most daring part of their plan.
In an instant, the squad shifted from stealth to aggression.
Isabella expertly set off the charge to blow the door''s lock, while the rest of the squad launched into a fierce firefight, their primary objective to neutralise as many nearby guards and patrols as swiftly as possible.
Thea¡¯s Gram emitted laser beams with lethal precision, each shot finding its targets among the enemy soldiers, the close range lending an even greater lethality to her shots than usual.
Similarly, Desmond and Karania were firing their own weapons into the unsuspecting patrols and guards, who had been thoroughly caught off-guard by the abrupt chaos. Karania¡¯s Ruin howled with every shot, the large-calibre rounds piercing through armour like it didn¡¯t even exist, exploding chest cavities, limbs and heads alike.
Desmond has decided to simply unload the entire magazine of his AR-303 into the first few squads he could see, holding down the trigger and letting the gun go to town, not bothering with any kind of precise aim which would have been wasted at this short-range anyway.
Lucas, ever the dependable protector, had raised his shield to cover the squad immediately.
It absorbed the brunt of the counter-fire, its surface pockmarked by the impact of bullets almost immediately, as the few Stellar Republic soldiers that managed to find any form of cover nearby opened fire back at them. The squad huddled close behind this makeshift barricade, their coordinated fire creating a formidable front.
Isabella¡¯s shout cut through the chaos, announcing the door¡¯s breach.
Without missing a beat, the squad surged forward into the newly opened passage, with Lucas taking up the rear, shielding them from the return-fire with his massive shield.
As they crossed the threshold, each member tossed a white-foam grenade behind them, both out the door, barely in front of it and the last two went straight at the open door itself.
The grenades rapidly expanded upon detonation, spewing out a dense rock-crete mixture that solidified quickly, effectively sealing the entrance and cutting off any immediate pursuit.
This action, while securing their escape, also irrevocably barred their way back.
With urgency driving their every move, Thea immediately took the lead, navigating the first turns and descending into the service tunnels with Lucas following closely. His Stalwart was at the ready, prepared for any threat that might emerge from the shadows of the tunnel.
The squad moved quickly and quietly, descending deeper into the labyrinth beneath Nova Tertius, each member alert and ready to adapt to whatever they might find inside the tunnels¡
Several minutes into their descent, the squad felt a gradual decrease in tension, as they encountered no resistance in the tunnels.
Thea had harboured concerns that the Stellar Republic might have called in reinforcements from nearby military outposts, potentially using these very tunnels for rapid deployment.
Fortunately, their path remained clear.
Isabella''s quiet utterance broke the silence at some point, "I can¡¯t believe that actually worked," her voice a mix of disbelief and relief. Her words resonated with the shared sentiment of the group.
Thea found herself nodding in agreement. Despite having essentially devised the plan, together with help from Karania, she had harboured her own doubts. "I wasn¡¯t expecting it to go this smoothly either," she admitted. "I¡¯m glad it did, but I was half-prepared for a bullet in the back at any moment."
Karania, ever ready with a playful jab, chimed in, "As if anyone could get the drop on you with your psychic bullshit." Her teasing tone drew light chuckles from the squad, cutting through the residual tension.
Thea offered a weak retort, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She knew denying the advantage her precognitive skills provided would be futile. It was a unique edge that set her apart from the rest, and in moments like these, it was an undeniable asset, one that she wouldn''t dare downplay, even in jest.
She had felt first-hand how much of an advantage it had provided her so far, when she had been momentarily without it during the assault on the wall. While she hadn¡¯t lost the ability, it had been effectively nullified by the Stellar Republic¡¯s Faction Trait coming into effect, denying her the ability to use her precognitive powers to pinpoint any Duplicators during her entire stay on the battlefield.
Knowing now that this was the level of struggle that everyone else went through at all times while fighting the Stellar Republic, she wouldn¡¯t dare to downplay her massive advantage like that in front of her squad ever again.
Thea gestured for them to resume in silence, not wanting to lower their guard quite yet. Until they were in the city proper, with countless citizens around them to blend in with, she wouldn¡¯t feel safe enough for them to fully relax.
This diligence immediately came into play as they finished their descent and came face-to-face with a group of Stellar Republic soldiers, who were heading in their direction through the tunnels, chatting animatedly.
Thea and the rest of the squad set up just behind the corner where the staircase met the tunnels and on a finger-count of three, burst around the corner.
The ambush was over in the blink of an eye.
Thea''s Gram emitted a dual-display of beams that seemed to dance through the air, each one finding its mark with brutal accuracy, leaving behind nothing but the smell of charred flesh and two dead bodies.
Karania''s Ruin unleashed a similarly devastating shot, its projectile tearing through the first soldier it hit with explosive force, rendering them unrecognisable as their back exploded onto the wall behind them.
Desmond''s AR-303 rattled off a rapid succession of shots, each bullet meticulously aimed to ensure maximum damage, turning his designated soldier into a sieve at almost point-blank range.
Isabella left the biggest carnage, however. With her Devastation, she laid waste to any potential remnants of resistance, as the massive calibre rounds streaked through the hallway, the staccato of her machine gun echoing off the walls, completely silencing any cries of pain as the rounds found their targets and simply ripped them limb from limb.
Wherever a round from her Devastation hit, at this range, no amount of armour could protect the soldiers from their fate. Limbs were ripped off, heads exploded and bodies were sent tumbling backwards and against the nearby walls for the unlucky few that got hit multiple times in rapid succession.
In mere moments, the corridor was silent once more, save for the echoes of their assault.
The squad quickly navigated past the carnage they had wrought, careful to tread lightly around the expanding pools of blood.
Resuming their path with a renewed sense of urgency, Alpha Squad pressed on, their movements now horizontal as they sought to penetrate deeper into the heart of Nova Tertius.
They had now reached the proper service tunnels, no longer having to go down spiralling staircases and long-winded ramps.
Here, their paths opened up a lot, as more than three dozen options presented themselves to the squad, when it came to choosing what exit to go for in order to get into the city.
Thea had a favourite already selected, but had also earmarked a couple of alternatives, should they run into any trouble on the way or the exit she had intended for them to use ended up being guarded.
It would be best if they could simply disappear into the city, without the Stellar Republic being aware of where they surfaced.
While they undoubtedly knew they were inside the tunnels by now, they had no real way of knowing where or when they might exit, which granted them practically limitless stealth, should they manage to get out of the tunnels and into the city before they were found¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 95 - Profound
Leading Alpha Squad deeper into the service tunnels beneath the border-wall, Thea was meticulous in her approach, carefully inspecting each corner before allowing the team to proceed. Aware of the critical phase their mission had reached, she was determined not to leave anything to chance. They had navigated the most challenging parts of their operation, and now, their main objective was to seamlessly blend into the bustling life of Nova Tertius.
The silence in the tunnels was almost tangible, with the narrow passageways, just wide enough for two to walk abreast with some effort, absorbing the sounds of their movement.
This quietude lent an eerie quality to their journey, amplifying the sense of isolation from the world above.
Amid this solitude, a palpable tension enveloped the squad, a collective anticipation of what lay ahead. This apprehension served as an unspoken agreement to forego any casual banter or unnecessary noise, not that it had been required, of course. Each member was more than acutely aware of the importance of maintaining focus and discretion; no one wanted to be responsible for any slip-up that could jeopardise their careful and hard-earned progress.
As they moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridors, every step brought them closer to their goal: Emerging unnoticed into the city and finding refuge among its countless inhabitants. The mission''s success now hinged on their ability to navigate these final stages with the same precision and stealth that had brought them this far.
Thea had carefully chosen their route, a winding path that meandered through the no-man''s-land separating the border-wall from Nova Tertius. Her selection was deliberate, favouring the intricate, maze-like structure of these tunnels over some of the more open, direct paths.
This design allowed Alpha Squad to navigate the underground network in shorter segments, offering them more opportunities for cover and concealment, as opposed to traversing a long, exposed corridor that would strand them in a dangerous situation should they run into any obstacles.
This choice, while making their journey quite a lot longer, significantly increased their security in her mind.
Thea''s vigilance was similarly unwavering in her approach to guiding the squad as she meticulously checked for traps, alarms, or guards at every corner twice over, ensuring their passage remained undetected. The role of leadership was pressing heavily on her, as she felt the need to ensure their successful completion of the mission even more thoroughly than usual.
Around another fifteen minutes into their cautious advance, they approached another critical juncture, one of several that would be coming up in their path: An intersection where five different tunnel paths converged, each leading to separate areas of the underground system.
Such intersections were inherently risky for Alpha Squad.
They were prime locations for the Stellar Republic to station guards, set up alarms, lay traps, or other deterrents for intruders, signifying an even more increased requirement for vigilance from the squad.
Recognizing the potential dangers way ahead of time, Thea signalled the squad to stop a safe distance from the intersection, two corners away.
This pause was going to be crucial for her to reassess their position.
As Thea meticulously scanned the map of the subterranean passages once more, she reaffirmed their position against the intricately mapped routes beneath Nova Tertius.
She had previously made certain that each member of Alpha Squad was well-versed in their planned path, emphasising the importance of being prepared for any contingencies, including the possibility of her being incapacitated¡ªwhile she was likely more protected from a random, stray bullet taking her out thanks to her Psychic Powers, the chance was still there.
This precaution ensured that no member would find themselves lost or directionless in the labyrinthine network below the city, should they get separated as well.
Gathering the squad closely, she initiated a secure, silent briefing, leveraging the advanced direct-connection feature of their armour. By establishing physical contact, they created a seamless link among themselves, enabling the transfer of data and facilitating communication without the risk of interception. This method of briefing was crucial for maintaining stealth and avoiding detection by enemy sensors or patrols.
"We''re approaching this junction right here," she conveyed through their connected interfaces, projecting the detailed layout onto their individual HUDs. "Our primary route is the north-eastern passage, labelled here as Route 3. It''s our best option unless we encounter unexpected obstacles or security measures. If we do, we''ll divert to Route 4, heading east. Further ahead, these paths merge at another junction, offering us some leeway in our navigation."
Thea paused, ensuring her squad had a moment to digest the briefing and voice any concerns or queries they might have. Observing their focused silence, she proceeded to elaborate on the tactical considerations of their next move.
"The upcoming area might have a guard outpost on its west," she began, indicating a peculiar anomaly in the intersection¡¯s layout displayed on their heads-up displays. "The map shows a small indentation here, possibly accommodating a guard setup. Given our intelligence, I¡¯d estimate a small team, perhaps four or five guards, stationed at this point. It''s unlikely they''d have quick reinforcement access, which works in our favour unless there''s an undisclosed route we haven''t accounted for."
She then shifted the focus to a critical threat they might face. "Our main concern lies with the automated defence systems, however. These auto-turrets pose a significant risk, and understanding them is crucial."
She imparted the knowledge she had gleaned from James, who had emphasised the versatility and danger of these mechanical sentinels during her early years of training.
"They vary widely and come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from anti-armour auto-turrets to twin-linked, dual-barrel and even entire auto-turret batteries that are interlinked to fire enough bullets to create a veritable blanket, but the ones that are mostly deadly for us, as simple marines, are, surprisingly enough, the bog-standard anti-infantry auto-turrets, with no bells or whistles attached."
She went on to elaborate on the exact specifications she remembered from James¡¯ tutelage.
They were small, lightweight and could be placed nearly everywhere a normal soldier or marine could traverse, which made knowing where and when they would show up almost impossible. Additionally, they were powerful enough to punch through heavy armour in just a couple of shots, as they were often used in close-medium range at most, while also having enough armour and ammunition to survive against some blind counterfire.
It required a concentrated effort or a really well-placed shot to take them down. The most dangerous aspect of them, however, was that they were fast.
Beyond fast, really.
The auto-turrets of the Stellar Republic, and the UHF as well, for that matter, used a sophisticated system of pings, visual recognition and biomarkers to determine friend from foe, which generally took less than a fraction of a second to complete, meaning that by the time a marine had realised they had ran into the field of view of an auto-turret, they had already died.
Furthermore, auto-turrets almost exclusively shot to kill.
There was no taking prisoners with them, unless specifically configured to do so, as they always aimed for what the rudimentary decision tree inside the software determined as the softest, most lethal spot on the target¡¯s armour. And unlike humans, a rigid auto-turret never had performance issues due to being surprised, scared, second-guessing its decisions or anything of the sort.
Thea''s mind echoed with the lessons James had ingrained in her over the years, a constant reminder of the lethal efficiency of auto-turrets: ¡°If you run into an auto-turret, you die. It¡¯s that simple, missy.¡±
His advice had been backed by numerous incidents he had witnessed, where even experienced soldiers, including Majors, had been caught unawares and eliminated by these automated defences.
James'' recommended strategy was clear: Avoid direct confrontations with auto-turrets at all costs.
He advised using grenades to scout suspected turret locations or positioning a large shield as a barrier. His teachings back then were once again coming in surprisingly handy to Thea and the rest of Alpha Squad, as it seemed that no one in the squad was thoroughly familiar with them.
Even Desmond, who had been able to handle hacking and disabling parts of the software side of the auto-turrets, was looking decidedly pale as Thea laid out the problems posed by the auto-turrets'' potential existence in the upcoming junction.
¡°What if we just throw some white-foam grenades to block their line of sight first?¡± Isabella chimed in, after a brief moment of contemplative silence. ¡°If they can¡¯t see us, they can¡¯t shoot us, right? We can just throw grenades on them afterwards, if they are actually there. We have a lot more white-foam than we do explosives.¡±
The suggestion was sensible at first glance, but Thea knew better than that.
James¡¯ words channelled through her once again as she explained to the rest of the squad, ¡°Unfortunately, that won¡¯t work. Auto-turrets generally have a specific line of sight that they are set up in. If the line of sight gets disturbed by anything that isn¡¯t specifically registered with the turret''s software, be it biomarkers, pings or visual information, the turret will simply start firing. We might be able to briefly disrupt it or check whether there is one with the white-foam, but it wouldn¡¯t give us cover for any meaningful length of time. Better to commit a proper grenade and take it out the first time around, before they know we¡¯re here, I think.¡±
They quickly formulated a straightforward and efficient plan to neutralise the junction''s threats.
The strategy involved using two grenades¡ªone for the west and one for the east side of the junction¡ªwhere they surmised auto-turrets were most likely to be positioned.
Lucas, equipped with his Stalwart, would spearhead the operation to absorb any initial gunfire from the auto-turrets, should the grenades fail to take them out, creating a protective barrier for the team. In a single-file formation behind him, the rest of the squad would swiftly neutralise any guards caught in the grenade blasts or those who survived.
Isabella, the team''s resident expert in explosives, was assigned to handle the grenade for the west side, due to her proficiency in timing and deploying explosives. Thea initially volunteered to manage the grenade for the east side, but the squad collectively decided to delegate this task to Karania, allowing Thea to remain unencumbered and ready with her Gram.
This position would enable her to accurately target and eliminate any high-priority threats, capitalising on her superior marksmanship compared to the rest of the squad. Desmond was positioned alongside Thea to provide additional firepower if necessary and take out any non-priority targets that Thea didn¡¯t get around to.
This hastily constructed plan was not intricate but met their immediate needs for rapid action, effectiveness, and sufficient redundancies to be viable for not just this junction, but all the ones to come after as well.
Without much further discussion beyond that point, Alpha Squad initiated their newly laid plan.
Stealthily, they approached the junction''s entrance, pausing just shy of the final bend that led to a 20-metre hallway ending at the critical crossroad.
In these moments, Thea observed as Karania and Isabella prepared their grenades, ensuring their equipment was primed for the upcoming confrontation.
Meanwhile, Thea, with practised moves, adjusted her Gram to its highest intensity. She aimed for maximum impact, intending to neutralise any threat within the close confines they were about to face, indifferent to the armour type or the precision of her shot. She had accumulated a sufficient stock of capacitor-mags by now, allowing for the luxury of using the Gram on its highest setting for likely the rest of the assessment, though she typically preferred its performance on a medium setting for general use.
The moment of action arrived swiftly.
With a silent countdown, Thea signalled the commencement of their assault with a discreet tap on Lucas'' shoulder. As the count reached its silent climax, Alpha Squad started their move around the corner.
Isabella and Karania, in perfect synchrony, had already launched their grenades towards their predetermined targets at either end of the junction, each projectile arcing through the air after having been bounced off of the hallway¡¯s walls once to clear the corner.
Just as Alpha Squad fully rounded the corner, the grenades detonated with deafening roars, filling the junction with blinding flashes and sending shockwaves through the corridor. The explosions caught the Stellar Republic guards utterly off guard, their surprised shouts barely audible over the ringing in everyone¡¯s ears.
The well-coordinated assault had the element of surprise fully on its side.
Thea, with her Gram set to its lethal maximum power output, zeroed in on two of the more heavily armoured guards. Her shots were precise, each a carefully aimed beam of concentrated energy that found its mark at the necks of her targets. The guards collapsed without heads instantly, even their heavy armour unable to withstand the precise, focused assault at this close a range.
Meanwhile, Desmond, with his AR-303 at the ready, unleashed a disciplined spray of bullets.
His gunfire was methodical, each round targeting the medium-armoured guards. His efforts were efficient, quickly neutralising the immediate threat they posed with a single, continuous burst of fire that swept across the three, previously seated, guards around the only rough-hewn table in the junction.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
As the immediate chaos of the firefight began to subside, Thea allowed herself a momentary sigh of relief. Their entry into the junction had been successful, and as she surveyed the area, her eyes caught sight of the east-hand side. There, amidst the smoke and debris, lay the remnants of an auto-turret¡ªnow just a heap of twisted metal and circuits, effectively neutralised by Karania''s well-placed grenade.
The threat it could, and almost definitely would, have posed was now null, thanks to their preemptive strike.
This sight afforded Thea a fleeting moment of relief amidst the adrenaline of their assault.
Alpha Squad had managed to secure the junction with precision and speed, overcoming both the guards and the hidden dangers of auto-turrets. Their plan, hastily put together as it had been, had paid off in this crucial moment and proved to be effective enough for future repeats.
¡°Let¡¯s move. Leave the dead.¡±
Heeding Thea''s command, the squad refrained from inspecting the defeated foes for potential loot, recognizing the urgency of their mission. Thea promptly guided them towards the designated pathway on the north-eastern side, propelling Alpha Squad through the dimly lit, echoing corridors of the service tunnels beneath Nova Tertius.
Their pace was brisk, an unspoken necessity due to the precarious situation they found themselves in.
Thea was acutely aware that the Stellar Republic''s response would be swift and decisive.
The brief skirmish at the junction, though victorious, was a clear signal to their enemies, and it was only a matter of time before the underground became swarming with patrols.
They could not afford to get bogged down in lengthy fights down here, as every minute they spent the Stellar Republic could be sending soldiers into the different routes underneath the city to cut them off. While there were a lot of pathways, there were not an infinite number of them and the number of junctions was drastically lower as well.
Her focus was on navigating through this labyrinth efficiently, aiming to emerge within the city limits before the Stellar Republic could effectively seal their escape routes. The pressure to avoid entrapment within the maze-like service tunnels weighed heavily on the squad as they moved with renewed purpose towards their objective¡
Advancing deeper into the service tunnels, Alpha Squad¡¯s tactics remained largely consistent, with slight modifications to enhance their approach based on the layout of each new junction encountered. This methodical progression ensured they maintained momentum, adapting on the fly to the challenges presented by the subterranean maze.
Upon reaching the third junction, however, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
The signs of their discovered presence were unmistakable, evidenced by the escalated resistance they faced. This junction had not only been more heavily fortified, with the number of guards doubling compared to their earlier encounters, but the defenders had also been in a state of high alert. Unlike the previous junctions where the element of surprise had worked in Alpha Squad''s favour, here, their adversaries had been poised and ready for their potential approach.
Karania and Isabella''s grenades, once effective tools of surprise and disorientation, were met with immediate retaliation. The guards, forewarned and prepared, managed to dodge the worst of the explosions and responded with a barrage of gunfire.
This immediate and organised counterattack forced Alpha Squad into a more drawn-out engagement than they had anticipated.
While, ultimately, Alpha Squad had come out on top and dealt with the resistance relatively swiftly, it was a definite shift in the dynamic between hunter and prey, which had previously been in their favour.
They had also not come out entirely unscathed.
Both Isabella and Lucas had taken quite a number of hits that had almost penetrated their heavy armours, the close-range of their engagements not giving them enough leeway for the armour to shrug off attacks as they normally did.
Desmond and Karania had also taken grazing hits, leavingThea as the only person untouched as her Psychic Senses had once again warned her of any incoming shots that would have risked her wellbeing.
Overall, it had been a surprisingly close call, which prompted a brief moment of introspection from the squad, to reassess their plans going forward, but they had been unable to refine anything about their current approach on the fly. They¡¯d simply have to execute better in the future, as they didn¡¯t have the luxury of time on their side, to fully re-assess and re-draw the entire plan for any upcoming junctures.
The intensity of this encounter further underscored the realisation that their infiltration was no longer a secret, even down here in the tunnels beneath the city.
The Stellar Republic''s forces were now actively on the lookout for them, turning the service tunnels into an increasingly hostile environment. Each step forward became a calculated risk, with the squad fully aware that the path ahead would likely present even greater challenges as the enemy''s efforts to intercept them intensified.
The glimmer of hope guiding Alpha Squad through the oppressive darkness of the service tunnels was the knowledge that they were nearing their final obstacle: One last junction before reaching their intended exit within the city.
Thea had meticulously selected this exit point based on its strategic obscurity, betting on the low probability of it being heavily guarded.
According to the detailed maps provided by Corvus, this particular exit lacked any official military presence, with no indications of outposts or even routine guard postings.
This absence of marked defences lent a cautious optimism to their approach, fostering a belief that, should they navigate this last stretch without incident, they might finally breach the city''s barriers with relative ease¡
As they neared the crucial last junction, Thea signalled for a pause in their hurried advance, quickly linking up with her team through their armour''s direct-connection feature to fine-tune their strategy one last time.
"Time''s tight, but let''s do a quick review. We''re on the brink of entering the city. Any last-minute tactics or suggestions? Now''s the moment to share any brain-waves you''ve been holding back ¡®cause they were more of one-off ideas than anything," she urged, scanning the faces of her squad members for any spark of inspiration or innovation that might bolster their final push through the service tunnels into Nova Tertius.
The squad''s brainstorming session resulted in a blend of practical and innovative tactics, culminating in a refined strategy for their final confrontation. The revised plan incorporated the following adjustments:
Alongside the standard deployment of two grenades, Desmond was assigned to launch a cluster of white-foam grenades to maximise confusion and visual obstruction within the junction.
This tactic aimed to transform the area into a bewildering maze, negating the numerical advantage of the Stellar Republic forces by severely limiting visibility. To further exploit the chaotic environment created by the white-foam, Lucas was tasked with strategically positioning his Stalwart shield at the junction''s entrance.
This setup was designed to create a protective barrier that angled towards the eastern side, enabling him to effectively utilise his Havoc grenade launcher without exposing himself or the rest of the squad to direct fire from the west, which was the larger free space and more likely area for the majority of soldier to be.
The decision to employ the Havoc in such confined quarters was made after careful consideration of the structural integrity of the service tunnels.
Previous engagements had demonstrated the tunnels'' surprising resilience to explosive damage, suggesting that the use of Lucas''s more potent ordnance would not pose a significant risk to the squad''s safety.
The Havoc''s enhanced firepower was expected to provide a decisive advantage, allowing them to neutralise groups of enemies even if they were concealed behind cover.
The overall formation and execution of the assault would largely follow the original plan, however, with Lucas initiating the advance shielded by his Stalwart, while Thea and Desmond, maintaining close formation behind him, focused on eliminating key targets.
As they finalised their tactical adjustments, Desmond collaborated closely with Isabella to meticulously verify the settings of the white-foam grenades, ensuring the intricacies of their planned sequenced detonations were flawlessly executed.
Concurrently, Thea made the strategic decision to reload her Gram with a fresh capacitor-mag. Up to this point, the expenditure of her shots had been conservative, yet the unpredictable scale of the impending confrontation warranted full preparedness.
The concept of "running out" was a non-issue for laser weaponry in the traditional sense, yet the effectiveness of each engagement was contingent upon the available charge.
Decisively, she discarded the partially depleted magazine into the hallway behind them.
Given the improbability of accessing a supply station in the near future, she deemed the minor reduction in weight from discarding the magazine more advantageous than retaining a few remaining shots.
In the event that her ammunition reserve was fully depleted, Thea recognized that the situation would likely be dire enough that the lack of ammunition would be the least of her concerns.
Lucas was loading his Havoc with a series of high-explosive grenades, forgoing any of the other options for the upcoming fight. While shrapnel and concussive grenades would undoubtedly be useful, especially in a cramped space, they couldn¡¯t be sure that the rest of the squad wouldn¡¯t be affected, considering the severely limited area they had to work with.
With all preparations finalised, Thea guided the squad to the brink of the pivotal junction, initiating the sequence of actions with a decisive gesture, just as she had done with the last few junctions as well.
Karania and Isabella, in seamless coordination, launched their grenades around the bend, closely followed by Desmond''s meticulously prepared bundle of white-foam grenades.
As Lucas positioned himself to lead the charge, shielded by his Stalwart with Thea closely behind, an intense pang of danger surged through Thea¡¯s chest, compelling her to react instinctively. Her imperative shout, "STOP!" resonated precisely at the moment the grenades were anticipated to detonate, concealing their advance.
Instead, what followed was merely a sequence of pops and the noise of white-foam expanding, absent the awaited explosions that were supposed to clear the auto-turrets.
Lucas''s momentum, already in motion, was abruptly halted by Thea''s forceful intervention, preventing him from fully entering the hallway. Almost simultaneously, a burst of auto-turret gunfire erupted, targeting the space they were about to occupy.
Protected mostly by his Stalwart, Lucas was shielded from direct hits, with most gunfire targeting his centre mass.
Yet, an auto-turret''s precise aim exploited an opening, targeting his feet, a vulnerability exposed by Thea''s rapid intervention to halt his forward momentum, to prevent him from entering the dangerous hallway fully.
High-calibre bullets shattered the rockcrete beneath and penetrated his right foot with brutal force. Lucas teetered on the brink of collapsing, his balance compromised, but Thea''s forceful tug ensured he didn''t tumble into exposed territory.
His agony was vocal, a stark contrast to the brief silence before, as his blood swiftly pooled from where his protected foot had been, now a grievously wounded remnant, until he was securely behind cover once more.
Thea urgently motioned for a retreat, "Back, back!"
Isabella, with her quick reflexes, immediately rushed to assist in moving Lucas away from the immediate danger zone.
Karania, having sensed the emergency as soon as Thea''s command was given, prepared with two blue-foam grenades in hand, quickly threw them towards the contested hallway.
Unlike the wall-like rockcrete created by white-foam, the blue-foam rapidly expanded in all directions equally, filling the space with a dense, encapsulating mass, effectively sealing off the area and muffling the relentless gunfire from the auto-turrets.
Without delay, Karania aimed an ampule filled with a crimson liquid towards Lucas'' grievously injured foot. Upon impact, the ampule broke, releasing its contents which swiftly formed a temporary, but stabilising, medical wrap around the wound, halting the bleed as they made their withdrawal back further into the hallway.
Thea''s frustration reached a boiling point, her whispered curses barely audible, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
Her mind raced with regrets¡ªif only her reaction had been quicker, Lucas wouldn''t be suffering now!
The situation seemed to spiral out of control as she struggled to devise a new strategy, feeling utterly helpless. Medical expertise was beyond her, the potential blockades of other routes unknown, and the pressing need to check for followers overwhelmed her.
She couldn''t manage it all simultaneously.
Observing Karania meticulously tending to Lucas'' wounded foot, with Isabella and Desmond poised to counter any immediate threat, afforded Thea a momentary pause.
This break allowed her to attempt regaining her composure.
She inhaled deeply, focusing on the act of breathing¡ªa technique James had instilled in her years and years ago, shortly after picking her up from the streets, a method to find calm amidst chaos. Something that had been her solace during restless nights filled with haunting dreams, a method to centre herself and confront the darkness.
As Thea''s breathing steadied, a wave of calm washed over her, bringing with it a sense of clarity and an inner voice that she had almost forgotten. This voice, her own internal counsel, spoke with a blend of firmness and kindness, guiding her through the tumult of her thoughts.
¡®You don''t have to shoulder all of this alone, Thea,¡® the voice reprimanded. ¡®Remember Corvus'' advice. The countless hours spent playing team games in the arcade. A squad''s strength lies in its collective abilities, not just in one person. You have a team, each with their own expertise, skills you may very well never surpass. It''s not about outdoing each member at their best; it''s about harnessing that collective best for the squad''s advantage. A DPS will never outdo a healer on heals. A tank will never out-damage a DPS. A healer will never take more damage than a tank. You know this from the simplest of game trifectas, so why do you keep refusing this in life? Lean on them, trust in their capabilities. They''re just as capable as you; even more in their areas of expertise. Embrace that!¡¯
The internal dialogue unfolding within Thea''s mind felt surreal, almost like an introspective journey, yet its impact was profound.
As she engaged in this self-reflection, a wave of enlightenment washed over her, bringing her thoughts into sharp focus.
¡®It''s been so misguided,¡¯ Thea realised, the insight dawning on her with the force of a lightning bolt. ¡®All this time, my efforts to excel in every domain, to surpass each squad member in their area of expertise, was such a misguided waste of time, wasn¡¯t it...? I leaned on Desmond''s skills to locate the Mativ, on Lucas to identify it. I let Corvus sacrifice himself, because it made sense. I relied on them through sheer instinct, logic, so why did I restrict it to just that one instance in this entire time? We are more than just individuals; we are Alpha Squad; not Thea Squad. There''s no merit in trying to match Isabella in close-quarters combat; no merit in trying to outdo Kara with medicine or Desmond in tech; that''s their realm of excellence. Just like mine is scouting and sniping. What have I even been attempting to prove through this kind of thinking, this entire time¡?¡¯
Armed with this clarity, Thea''s eyes snapped open, her gaze settling on the aftermath of their plan gone awry in the service tunnels. But more importantly, she saw her squad, her team, through a new lens.
Thea¡¯s next orders were crisp and decisive, reflecting her newfound clarity and understanding of her own purpose in this scenario¡ªshe was not the main character, to make the miraculous hero-play; not the medic to save a life or the heavy to hold a door.
She turned to Isabella, her voice steady, ¡°Isabella, secure that corridor. Don¡¯t let anyone get past you. Use whatever means in your arsenal if necessary, and signal me for any additional supplies or assistance if needed.¡± Isabella, understanding the urgency, acknowledged with a determined nod and swiftly moved into position, ready to hold their line of defence.
Next, she focused on Desmond, her instructions clear, ¡°Desmond, launch your drones. Scan corridors 58 and 53 as designated on the map. We need an alternate route, preferably one less icky, but I¡¯ll take whatever you can give me. Keep me posted with frequent updates, every minute. Hurry it up.¡± Desmond, momentarily surprised by Thea¡¯s assertive tone, quickly gathered his composure, nodded, and set to work, his first drone buzzing to life as it embarked on their critical reconnaissance mission, with his second getting ready.
Turning her attention to the wounded Lucas and Karania, Thea¡¯s tone softened, ¡°Kara, Lucas is fully in your hands. Let me know what you need, as soon as you know.¡± She knelt beside them, offering her support and readiness to assist Karania in any medical procedures that might be necessary.
This failure of the plan and subsequent ordeal wasn¡¯t about individual mistakes or heroics; it was about a mistake happening and the need to make due with what they had.
If that included Thea simply lending a helping hand while the rest of the squad exercised their respective expertises, then that wasn¡¯t a failure on her part; it was simply the most effective strategy for victory¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 96 - Confidentia
While aiding Karania, Thea observed the medic''s expert handling of Lucas''s severe leg wound with a mix of admiration for her friend¡¯s work and concern for Lucas¡¯ wellbeing.
Karania''s concentration was palpable, her expertise evident in every precise movement, yet her tone remained light-hearted, aiming to ease the tension, ¡°This looks pretty dire, Lucas. Next time, try to dodge the bullets instead of just eating them all, will ya?¡±
Despite the pain, Lucas managed a pained chuckle, acknowledging the jest with a weary, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±
As Karania meticulously cleared away the makeshift blood-clot bandage she had initially applied, the true extent of the injury was laid bare. Thea watched, like a silent apprentice, as Karania¡¯s hand, now morphed into her usual tools of bone, worked with surgical precision.
She delicately removed the remnants of flesh, bone, and muscle that were damaged beyond repair, as well as fragments of Lucas¡¯s shattered armour embedded in the wound. Her movements were swift and unbelievably confident, sculpting the damaged tissue into a cleaner surface for what Thea assumed would be further medical treatment.
Thea, still assisting Karania, couldn''t help but marvel at the medic''s ability to manipulate her strangely transformed hand. The fingers, now resembling bone sprouts of different shapes and sizes, more so than actual fingers, moved with such fluidity and precision that they seemed to be an extension of Karania¡¯s very will.
¡®I struggle when I wear gloves that aren¡¯t just about skin-tight and here she is, just wielding those strangely formed implements and stuff as if it¡¯s her own flesh and blood¡ Well¡ I guess they technically are, but the point still stands,¡¯ Thea mused silently, feeling both amazed and slightly out of her depth in the presence of such medical skill.
As she stood by, ready to assist, Thea¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Desmond''s first report.
He conveyed the status of the drones as they navigated the underground labyrinth. "Drone one is now progressing through corridor 58, having entered from junction T17. All clear so far," he informed them, his eyes never leaving the drone controls. "Drone two is about to reach junction T17 to move into corridor 53 shortly. ETA around a minute. I''ll update on any findings." His words were concise, as his focus was entirely on directing both of the drones simultaneously.
Thea nodded with a quiet sound of affirmation, acknowledging Desmond¡¯s report without wanting to disrupt Karania¡¯s focus or his own critical drone operation.
She was on the sidelines now and that was something she recognized would have to learn how to do properly. She couldn¡¯t always be the main character in this game, so remaining in the background was a skill she would need to properly cultivate.
¡°Hit him with two blue ones, Thea,¡± Karania¡¯s order abruptly ripped her from her brief reverie.
She carefully retrieved two blue injectors from the medic''s well-organised side-pouch, their contents designed to provide a quick boost of energy. Gently, she administered them to Lucas, noting the immediate effect as he seemed to regain some of his vitality.
"Next: One green, immediately followed by a red," Karania instructed with calm precision, guiding Thea through the process.
Thea handled the injectors with care, ensuring she followed the sequence exactly as Karania had directed. She had no idea what these specific injectors did, as they looked slightly different from the colour-coded ones that she and the rest of the squad had gotten for self-medication, but she fully trusted the squad medic to know exactly what she was doing.
Next, she handed Thea one of Lucas¡¯ spare boots and, at Thea¡¯s questioning gaze, offered a simple instruction, ¡°Hold it up to his stump, make it match the height of his other foot. Hold it there, as steady as you can.¡±
Karania''s methodical process, though unusual, had a certain air of confidence to it that Thea couldn¡¯t help but trust.
She carefully positioned the boot against Lucas¡¯s stump, her movements deliberate to ensure the height matched his uninjured foot. Thea''s mind was rife with questions, but her actions were guided by faith in Karania¡¯s expertise.
As she held the boot steady, Karania began to pour her own blood into it. The sight was unsettling, yet fascinating. The blood seemed almost alive, responding to Karania¡¯s will as it filled the boot.
Karania¡¯s innovative methods were often beyond Thea''s own comprehension, yet they had proven effective time and again. This instance, bizarre as it was, carried the same promise of ingenuity and results, as strange as it was starting to look.
Her curiosity peaked as the liquid started to swirl and dance unnaturally within the confines of the shoe, some of it lapping up Lucas¡¯ stump and clinging to it.
The surrealness of the entire sequence of actions prompted Thea to finally voice her confusion, "Kara, what''s the plan here¡? This feels more occult than medical." Her tone was laced with a mix of intrigue and scepticism, the scene before her resembling something out of a mystic blood ritual more than anything that could be considered a field medical procedure.
Before the medic answered, she pulled out a series of four plasteel braces and carefully positioned them around the stump, sinking them deep into the liquid within the boot, making sure they touched the bottom as Thea felt Karania¡¯s pressure against the boot.
Her following explanation was as straightforward as it was innovative. "I don¡¯t have the time to get any sort of prosthetic fixed, so we¡¯re building our own," she stated, securing the final brace. Her focus then intensified, instructing Thea, "Keep it steady, or the whole thing could fail."
In the next instant, Thea watched as Karania closed her eyes, deep in concentration, before the boot abruptly started to harden from the inside-out.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as the blood congealed into one solid mass, before drying further and further, creating a cohesive mass of congealed and scabbed, System-enhanced blood that firmly held the stump, boot and metal bracing rods together as if connected with hardened rock-crete.
Without hesitation, Karania urged Lucas to his feet, her actions swift and decisive. "Let¡¯s get you up, big man. Come on, we gotta see how it holds," she instructed, not pausing to delve into any of the mechanics of her makeshift solution.
Lucas, entirely caught off guard by the rapid progression from treatment to test, baulked at her promptness.
"Whoa, whoa! Hold on a second!" he objected, his voice laced with disbelief as he was pulled up to his feet. He refused to touch the ground with the newly fitted prosthetic, a curious blend of Karania''s medical ingenuity and System-enhanced blood, instead standing on one foot, hovering the other just above the ground. "Is this really safe¡? This feels even more bizarre than the usual stuff you come up with, Karania."
Karania offered a nonchalant shrug, her grin mischievous. "It''s a toss-up, really. Fifty-fifty chance it works out," she quipped, her confidence undeterred by the unconventional nature of the procedure. "With enough blood, I''ve managed to block bullets, so why not a prosthetic? Should hold up just fine, I guess. Just try not to get shot in it again, okay? I don¡¯t have that much blood saved up."
Thea blinking rapidly, caught between awe and utter, unadulterated confusion, struggled to grasp the full implications of everything Karania had just said. ''Wait, what? Kara¡¯s blood can stop bullets¡? When did she¡ªHow did she even figure this out¡?¡¯ she wondered, baffled by the revelation and its casual delivery.
Karania, however, was not one to dwell on explanations or wait for the squad to process the shock. She nudged Lucas forward, guiding him back towards the path they had come from.
The initial contact of his blood-prosthetic with the ground elicited a visceral and audible reaction from Lucas. "Ugh! By Xagis, that''s so fucking disgusting!" he exclaimed, dry heaving and recoiling at the sensation of his blood-solidified leg making contact with the floor. "It feels like I''m walking on a giant fucking scab that¡¯s like¡ grabbing onto my leg at the same time. Seriously, Karania?!"
With a gentle push, Karania observed Lucas''s tentative steps, a mix of medical curiosity and satisfaction on her face. "Looks like it''s holding up well," she concluded with a nod, turning to Thea with a ready-to-move forward gleam in her eye and a confident thumbs-up. "We''re all set, Boss. Let''s keep moving. Where we goin¡¯?"
Immediately shifting focus from Lucas''s unconventional recuperation to the task at hand, Thea retook her role as the main character. "Desmond, give me an update," she demanded, her tone indicating the urgency of their situation.
Desmond was prompt in his response, his attention divided between his two drones exploring the tunnel system. "Drone one is smoothly navigating through, encountering no obstacles. Drone two has just entered corridor 53, with a similar lack of resistance. T16 will be within drone one''s reach in about two minutes, while drone two will require four minutes to approach T19," he reported, his voice betraying no surprise at Thea''s request for an update.
Thea, processing this new information, began to map out their next steps.
Considering their options, she deduced that corridor 58 presented the most viable route. The approaching drone promised a preliminary assessment of any potential dangers that lay ahead. This route offered them the most flexibility to quickly retreat and reassess if the situation proved too perilous. Opting to wait for the drone scouting corridor 53 seemed impractical given their tight time constraints.
''We must act swiftly,'' she concluded internally, swiftly devising a strategy to guide Alpha Squad through the imminent challenges. ¡®Karania has the right idea; as always, really. I need to start relying on my Abilities more¡¡¯
With urgency in her steps, Thea signalled the squad to rally, her voice echoing down the dimly lit corridor. "Ela, back to the group!" she commanded, her tone sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife.
In mere seconds their offensive heavy appeared from the direction of the problematic junction, her breaths measured but quick. "The barrier''s barely holding. Those auto-turrets won''t be held back much longer without anyone there to reinforce it; they''re tearing through the blue-foam damn quick. I''d say we have a minute, maybe two, before it''s completely breached," Isabella reported with a hardened resolve, falling into formation behind Thea.
Acknowledging Isabella''s report with a determined nod, Thea turned on her heels, her gaze fixed ahead as she led the squad back the way they had come, towards junction T17.
"Follow my lead," she instructed, setting a brisk pace. "Keep a three-metre distance. No room for errors this time." Her voice, a blend of authority and assurance, spurred the squad into action.
Thea''s strides morphed into a run, the urgency of their mission propelling her forward.
Time was of the essence, and she was keenly aware that with each passing moment, their window of opportunity at T16 and T19 was rapidly closing. The thought spurred her on, fuelling her every step as they navigated back through the labyrinthine service tunnels, racing against the clock and the ever-increasing threat of the Stellar Republic''s forces.
Behind her, Lucas''s discomfort was palpable, his discomfort and utter disgust quietly echoing through the tunnel with every laboured step. Karania¡¯s soothing whisper-voice followed, offering words of reassurance, ¡°There, there. It¡¯s not that bad, I¡¯m sure.¡±
But Thea''s mind was elsewhere, her thoughts solely on navigating them safely and swiftly to their destination.
Fully relying on her Psychic Powers, Thea sharpened her Perception to its utmost, tuning into the subtle guidance that her unique capabilities provided.
This was no time for cautious peeks around corners or stealthy manoeuvres; speed was their paramount concern. With Lucas unable to lead with his Stalwart, it was entirely up to her Psychic Senses to ensure their safe passage.
Thea''s newfound, unconditional trust and full reliance on her innate skills transformed their approach entirely.
They moved through the tunnels with unprecedented speed, more than five times as quickly as when they had entered, her steps guided by her high levels of Perception and years of experience in navigating narrow hallways and underground corridors.
Every turn was taken with confidence, every decision made with the trust that her abilities would carry her through anything that might occur. There was no time for self-doubt in Thea¡¯s mind in this part of their mission, for if she did, they were surely going to get trapped down here and inevitably die.
This intuitive navigation strategy hinged on a simple premise: Any threat that lay in wait would reveal itself by targeting her, triggering her precognitive psychic senses just in time for her to stop and avert disaster. With nobody else to worry about, she could solely focus on getting herself out of harm¡¯s way, should anything happen.
Thus, her task was simple: To remain hyper-vigilant, ready to respond at a moment''s notice to the silent alarms her Psychic Powers raised. It was a high-stakes gamble, relying solely on her ability to perceive and react, but it was a gamble that Thea was prepared to take to ensure the safety and swift progress of Alpha Squad.
Racing back to junction T17, Alpha Squad wasted no time in veering onto the path leading to corridor 58. Mid-stride, Thea checked in with Desmond for any updates from his drone, which was yet to reach its destination. "Any changes? What''s the status?" she inquired, her voice steady yet urgent, echoing slightly in the tunnel''s confines.
Desmond, handling his remote controls with practised efficiency despite the rapid and rigorous movements, provided his report with a note of caution in his tone. "Still quiet on the first drone''s end. Too quiet, actually. The sensors aren''t picking up any sounds, which could either be a good sign or a prelude to something we''d rather avoid. My second drone''s readings are suggesting the same¡ªunusual silence. There''s a chance we might encounter resistance ahead, but it''s unclear what form that might take," he explained, the uncertainty of the situation weighing on his words.
Thea nodded, processing the information with a self-imposed calm. The uncertainty of what lay ahead in corridor 58 added an edge to their advance, but the squad continued to push forward at the same speed regardless, guided by Thea''s leadership and Desmond''s surveillance.
As they hastened toward junction T17, taking the path leading to corridor 58, Thea''s mind raced with tactical considerations, her thoughts punctuated by the steady rhythm of their footfalls.
The silence reported by Desmond''s drone was unnerving, hinting at potential countermeasures employed by the Stellar Republic. ''Could they be using an audio disruptor? They''ve already deployed active defence systems against our grenades,'' she pondered, weighing the implications.
Thea had long realised they needed to adapt their strategy. Grenades were no longer a reliable option, given the enemy''s anti-grenade systems that had ruined their attempt at junction T18 and cost Lucas dearly.
Her mind quickly shifted to the next best alternative. ''I might be able to outmanoeuvre the auto-turrets¡ I¡¯m the only one that could, but not without Lucas''s support,'' she concluded internally.
His Stalwart shield was essential for their next move.
Turning to Karania mid-run, Thea inquired about Lucas''s condition with a sense of urgency. "Kara, what''s Lucas''s status for combat? Can he stand firmly and hold his shield steady? I need him to be able to do this without any risk of failure." Thea''s query was pragmatic, seeking an impartial assessment of Lucas''s capabilities, instead of asking him directly.
She knew well that Lucas was not one to shy away from a challenge, but this was not about bravery; it was about practicality and ensuring the squad''s safety. She trusted Karania''s medical expertise to provide an accurate evaluation of Lucas''s ability to contribute effectively in their current predicament.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Karania''s response was swift and assured, instilling a sense of certainty in Thea that was much needed at the moment. "Yes, no problem," Karania affirmed, her tone unwavering. "Lucas can handle standing and bracing his shield without any issue. Engaging in mobile combat might present a challenge, but he''s capable of managing that too."
This confirmation solidified Thea''s resolve as she contemplated their approach to the impending junction.
This time, there would be no group strategizing, no on-the-spot decision-making, no elaborate scheme. She decided to lean into the strengths and trust the capabilities of her squad members completely, letting go of the incessant worry about potential missteps.
Thea reflected on her past experiences with team-based games, recognizing a pattern: The most successful rounds were those where she could concentrate on her role, confident in her team''s ability to handle their respective responsibilities without needing her intervention.
Convinced by this realisation, Thea prepared to move forward, embracing the core principle that had defined their squad from the beginning. Alpha Squad was not just a name¡ªit was a designation of their collective prowess and unity.
They were the best of this entire drive and the highest PV Alpha Squad in history. If she couldn¡¯t trust her squad to do their job, then who could she trust?
It was time to embody Corvus'' advice and trust her squad implicitly and fully, allowing them to execute their roles with minimal guidance. This approach would enable her to also concentrate entirely on her own part of the mission, letting go of the fear of failure that had clouded her judgement until now.
As they hurried toward the junction, Thea briefed her team on the strategy.
"Lucas, as soon as we reach the junction, you''re with me," she instructed, her voice firm over the sound of their running. "Extend your Stalwart to its maximum, ensuring it seals against the ground. I''ll give a countdown, then lift it about fifteen centimetres. Keep it stable; the auto-turrets will be relentless."
Next, she turned her attention to Isabella. "Ela, on my countdown, you need to charge in. Use your Decimator; we''ll have to engage them up close. It''s going to be rough, but it''s our best shot. Kara will prep you with stims and stitch you back together afterwards. It¡¯ll hurt, I¡¯m sure, but you can handle it."
With urgency in her voice, Thea turned to Desmond, "Recall your second drone; we''re concentrating all our efforts on junction T16. We can''t afford any more delays or detours. The moment I fire, I need you to target any remaining auto-turrets that are out of my line of sight. Speed up the drones with your Ability and get them into position. This will create a brief window for Isabella to engage and fulfil her role, even if your drones don''t find targets immediately.¡±
This strategy was a departure from their approach so far.
It was a direct, forceful assault, underpinned by a simple yet potent conviction: Their status as Alpha Squad would carry them through.
Despite the T1 status of their adversaries, Thea was confident in her squad''s superiority. They were the elite, and an average T1 soldier was no match for their combined prowess, when they all were pouring their entire effort into it.
Auto-turrets were dangerous, no doubt, but it didn¡¯t matter if they were, when they were already dead.
Thea would personally take care of them.
James had mentioned they were unbeatable by humans, even seasoned marines.
But Thea was not simply either of those.
Thea was a Wielder.
She had an innate advantage over them, because she could see and feel the future before it happened. ¡®An auto-turret can identify and shoot at a target fractions of a second after seeing them? Inconsequential. I can do it the instant they come into sight, because I already know they¡¯ll be there.¡¯
Her growing confidence was born from necessity; recognising that their mission would inevitably fail if she didn¡¯t step up to the plate, there was no other option but to be confident in her own capabilities and those of her squad mates.
As they approached the location of the first drone, halted just short of two turns away from the junction, Desmond swiftly readied it for combat. His preparations seemed straightforward enough, but were no less crucial¡ªhe loaded it with additional ammunition magazines, ensuring it could continue firing if it survived the initial moments of the impending confrontation.
Thea put down her backpack and leaned it against the wall, motioning for the rest of the squad to follow her example. ¡°We¡¯ll need to be quick for this one. No unnecessary weight, so we can move freely,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll come back for them after we clear the junction.¡±
Isabella got herself ready as well, putting down her Devastator and leaning it against her backpack. Following Thea¡¯s orders, she was going in with her sidearm and Decimator only, to be more mobile and hopefully block off a large section of the enemy¡¯s line of sight for the rest of the squad to move in on.
While shooting from range was almost always the preferred and sensible choice, when it came to being an immediate threat, nothing really got the same message across as running at someone with a giant, two-handed chainsword revving in your hands.
Karania moved up next to Isabella and administered a veritable alchemy-closet of stims into the heavy, with Isabella looking increasingly concerned with the sheer number and variety of them, but quietly enduring the procedure; much like Thea, she recognized that this was their last chance to break through, so complaints were shelved until a later date.
Lucas was preparing his Stalwart all the way, making sure he could get a good grip on it, despite his makeshift prosthetics, and trying to figure out how to brace it properly despite his injury.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but admit that Karania¡¯s strange blood ritual had worked exceedingly well, considering that Lucas had managed to keep pace with the rest of the squad throughout their rapid relocation through the tunnels. It was a rare, positive sign in a sea of bad ones; one that was more than welcome for her right now.
Getting herself ready as well, Thea pulled out her Gram and prepared it for the upcoming encounter, putting the output to max once again, having previously turned it down to medium for their trek through the tunnels after every junction. She still preferred firing it on medium, but when it came to taking out an auto-turret and a junction full of soldiers waiting for them, she would need every bit of firepower she could get.
During their run towards the junction, Thea had briefed her team thoroughly on their strategy, mindful of the potential presence of an audio-disruptor that could nullify their ability to communicate once they engaged. It was paramount that everybody understood their roles, even if the more nuanced and moment-to-moment aspects of the plan were entirely up to each individual member to decide on.
They waited impatiently for Desmond¡¯s second drone to arrive, which was oddly nicely timed with Karania¡¯s final injection into Isabella. ¡°She¡¯s as ready as I can make her,¡± the medic offered with a shrug. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t die from this¡ I think.¡±
The last addition prompted a slightly panicked look from Isabella, but other than that, everyone simply accepted it as the cost of business at this point in time. With Desmond refitting the last remaining drone with additional ammunition as well, they were finally ready to take on the last juncture separating them from the interior of Nova Tertius¡¯ proper.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Thea affirmed with confidence, scanning her team for readiness, signalling the commencement of their most perilous phase yet. With a decisive nod, she ushered Lucas to lead, marking the onset of their do-or-die confrontation.
As Lucas bravely stepped forward, his Stalwart shield grinding against the tunnel''s surface, a shower of sparks erupted immediately, illuminating his determined and trained effort to hold the shield perpendicular against the relentless barrage from the auto-turrets.
The predicted silence enveloped them, confirming Desmond''s warning of an audio-disruptor at play, effectively isolating them in a bubble of silence amidst the chaos.
Thea, now at the forefront of this silent battle, faced the formidable challenge of outmanoeuvring the auto-turrets'' superhuman response times. Success in this direct confrontation was imperative; failure would mean the end of their mission in the bowels of Nova Tertius¡¯ service tunnels.
With her pulse thundering in her ears, Thea prepared herself for the decisive moment, taking a moment to calm her racing heart with a steadying breath.
She executed a practised roll from the security of the last turn, now fully relying on Lucas¡¯ proficiency with the Stalwart to provide the necessary cover as she positioned herself for the pivotal shot.
Aligning her body on the ground to a sideways position, she ensured the rifle''s scope and barrel were at equal elevation, a tactical adjustment to reduce the auto-turrets¡¯ reaction time to her emergence.
Focusing intently, Thea engaged her psychic abilities to their fullest extent for the first time since the ¡°Strike-One¡± operation. The world turned slightly wavy around her, as she delved into a vision of the imminent future, just like she had done for the seeker minefield on the first day of their assessment.
She watched an alternate version of herself counting down, with the Gram weapon poised and ready. As the countdown hit zero, her spectral self executed the shot, just as Lucas raised the Stalwart, barely high enough to clear the muzzle of the gun.
In this envisioned future, Isabella, propelled by sheer determination, surged past Lucas and Thea, right as Desmond¡¯s drones, massively accelerated by his Abilities, soared above.
Thea witnessed the first drone disintegrate under the ferocious fire of a hidden auto-turret on the right side of the junction. Isabella, amidst a hail of bullets, momentarily faltered, her form illuminated by the relentless assault against her armour. The second drone, unable to swivel around from looking at the left side, met a similar fate, obliterated by the auto-turret before it could unleash its payload, sealing Isabella¡¯s grim fate.
The auto-turret, untouched by Desmond''s drones, swiftly redirected its lethal intent towards Isabella, who was still reeling from the initial barrage. Thea¡¯s heart clenched at the sight, the reality of their plan¡¯s potential failure crashing down on her with the weight of impending doom.
The high-calibre rounds mercilessly tore through Isabella''s heavy armour as if it were mere paper, with a gruesome symphony of metal and blood bursting from her back, splattering against the wall of the tunnels and painting them a deep shade of crimson.
She collapsed, a devastating tableau of shattered armour and torn flesh marking her final resting place.
Faux-Thea and Lucas pressed forward, Karania unleashing the fury of her Ruin from their flank, her shots aimed with deadly precision at any Stellar Republic soldiers brave enough to step into her line of sight.
Desmond, not far behind after rushing up once his drones had been taken out, readied his AR-303, his movements sharp and focused.
Faux-Thea motioned for Lucas to advance into the line of fire, the shield bearer stepping forth to meet the barrage head-on. Then, with practised coordination, faux-Thea emerged from behind the cover of Lucas¡¯ Stalwart, Gram poised for the critical shot.
Her timing impeccable, she fired through the narrow opening beside the shield and the wall, merely three centimetres of space, the laser beam finding its mark and dismantling the second auto-turret with unerring accuracy.
As the scene sped up in Thea¡¯s mind, she observed the aftermath unfurl with a sense of detachment.
Desmond, moving to support, was suddenly struck by a rogue bullet that bypassed the Stalwart''s protection, hitting him in the throat, making him go down immediately.
Meanwhile, faux-Thea herself wasn''t spared; a stray shot struck her side dangerously, the impact forcing her to stagger, yet she stubbornly remained on her feet, pain etched across her features but unyielding in her resolve.
Faux Alpha Squad, despite their valour, faced grave outcomes but nevertheless succeeded, resulting in the loss of Isabella and Desmond, with faux-Thea herself teetering on the brink, but successfully clearing the junction.
This grim vision underscored the mission''s perilous nature, yet Thea remained unfaltering.
Shaken by the vividness of the foresight, Thea took several deep breaths to steady herself, the vision''s toll evident in her effort to refocus. She communicated the impending action to Lucas with a tap, a silent yet urgent cue that the critical moment was upon them.
She then indicated ¡°right,¡± to the rest of the team, informing them of the second auto-turret¡¯s position, aiming to alter the grim fate her vision had unveiled. By informing Desmond and Isabella of its precise location, she fostered some hope that reality might diverge from the doomed path foreseen.
The countdown was initiated, displayed on their HUDs to ensure flawless timing amongst them. The enemy''s knowledge of their presence negated the risk of communication detection, rendering their strategic coordination paramount in this decisive confrontation.
Thea trusted her instincts fully in this moment, not bothering to look at the countdown displayed on her HUD.
She felt the twinge of danger in her chest rise to a crescendo and, just before it reached the zenith, squeezed the trigger of her Gram.
The laser shot out and just barely cleared the bottom of the Stalwart as Lucas pulled it up, just as they had planned, striking the auto-turret right between the part where the barrel was peeking out from behind it¡¯s formidable armour, destroying it instantly.
Thea jumped up immediately, watching as Isabella and the two drones charged forward with all the speed they could muster, the scene reminiscent of what Thea had just seen in her vision, except that the drones were both aiming their barrels towards the right side, instead of splitting their attention to either side.
Desmond had set them up to automatically fire the instant they spotted an auto-turret; so his human reaction time was not going to be a factor for this robot vs robot showdown.
Isabella got stopped dead in her tracks by the barrage of gunfire hitting her heavy armour, some rare shots finding weak spots and penetrating inside, but none of the weaponry levelled against her outright capable of striking true.
The first drone exploded into a small fireball, raining unspent ammunition down from the ceiling as the auto-turret had won its first battle, just an instant before the second drone fired for the first time.
Thea held her breath in anticipation, her nerves taut as she braced for the retaliatory fury of the auto-turret.
Yet, the expected barrage did not happen.
Isabella instead vanished into the tumult of the junction, her advance marked by the sporadic flashes from her pistol, each shot a brief illumination against the overwhelming onslaught of the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces.
A brief moment later, Lucas, Karania, and Thea emerged at the junction''s threshold.
Lucas adeptly manoeuvred his Stalwart, establishing a protective barrier on their left.
Concurrently, Thea and Karania sought to provide support to Isabella, focusing their efforts on the right flank. However, the intensity of the situation quickly made them reassess their approach; Isabella was far from requiring any of their immediate assistance.
Isabella, swinging her Decimator in grand arcs, carved through the ranks of the Stellar Republic soldiers with relentless fury. Her movements were a blur, her Abilities unleashed in a continuous cascade that saw her Decimator slicing through the air in bewildering and utterly impossible patterns, severing limbs and heads with ruthless efficiency.
Armour proved no obstacle, torn asunder as if made of paper, leaving behind a macabre tableau painted in the blood of her foes.
Amidst this chaos, a daring soldier managed to land a blow, directing their weapon towards Isabella with a hope to halt her onslaught. Yet the chain-axe halted mere inches from her, its deadly trajectory arrested by an invisible force, as she activated her signature Ability.
Without missing a beat, Isabella lashed out with a vicious kick at another oncoming assailant.
Her boot connected with devastating force, her Ability''s explosive release detonating upon impact. The soldier''s upper body erupted in a gory spectacle, propelling the lifeless form into two others behind him. The trio collapsed in a heap, shrapnel from the exploding torso of the first ripping through the others, underscoring the sheer, unstoppable force that Isabella represented on the battlefield once she got in close.
In the midst of the chaos, Thea and Karania unleashed their own barrage on the Stellar Republic''s forces to the left, who appeared utterly confounded by the sudden onslaught of the marines.
Faced with too many soldiers to immediately count, Thea activated her signature Ability as well, trusting that it would allow her to more easily dive into this part of the battle.
¡®Sensory Overdrive.¡¯
The world around her slowed down to a crawl, her Perception heightened to levels no one else in the junction could even begin to fathom. Every breath, every heartbeat and every individual muscle twitch was revealed to her from every person within her field of attention.
With her Gram in hand, she dispatched laser shots with unwavering precision.
Her movements were a dance of battle, weaving through the battlefield, evading enemy fire from behind the Stalwart while never missing a mark.
Fully relying on her psychic foresight and exceptional Perception, Thea''s actions were a blend of anticipatory moves and decisive strikes. She seamlessly alternated between surveying the field for potential threats and zeroing in on her targets.
As Thea immersed herself in the cacophony of battle further and further, her actions started transcending mere physical mastery, veering into the realm of pure psychic prowess.
With the Gram in her grasp, she became an avatar of destruction, her movements and shots guided by an otherworldly prescience.
Each laser she fired was a death sentence, executed with a precision that bordered on the supernatural. Soldiers of the Stellar Republic, caught in the whirlwind of her fury, stood no chance, their attempts to counter or evade futile against her uncanny anticipation.
In one fluid motion, she pivoted, her senses tuned to a soldier sneaking an aim at Karania.
Without even looking, she dispatched him with a laser through the throat, the action seamless, as if preordained by the hand of a wrathful god.
The Gram, in her hands, seemed to blur, its firing rate so rapid it mimicked the output of an automatic weapon, yet with the precision of a scalpel. Heads disintegrated, arteries were severed, and chests were hollowed out with ruthless efficiency, all in the span between two heartbeats.
What made Thea¡¯s combat dance even more extraordinary was her blatant disregard for cover as the fight progressed past the initial stages.
She stepped beyond the protective embrace of Lucas¡¯ Stalwart, moving through the battlefield with a grace that made the enemy¡¯s gunfire seem almost deferential, never quite touching her.
Her dodges and weaves were not mere reactions but premonitions, each movement a step ahead of the bullets or lasers aimed towards her. It was as if she was choreographing the battle itself, her psychic insight casting her in a bubble of precognition where the enemy¡¯s intentions were known to her before they even fully formed.
This psychic ballet, underpinned by her heightened Perception¡¯s all-encompassing attention, rendered her nearly untouchable, a spectre on the battlefield whose presence was as lethal as it was unassailable.
In just a few brutal moments, the junction fell entirely silent, the last sounds being those of Isabella¡¯s Decimator revving down and being swung through the air one last time to clear the grime, blood and body parts from its chains.
Isabella was drenched in blood but she was laughing, the expenditure of all of her energy in this one-man-army assignment seemingly having revitalised the heavy¡¯s confidence in herself.
Emerging from the trance-like state of combat, Thea gasped for air, her lungs burning for oxygen after being ensnared in the intense concentration brought on by her [Sensory Overdrive]. The surreal clarity that had enveloped her, enhancing every sense to supernatural levels, faded, leaving her momentarily disoriented and stumbling in the aftermath of the battle.
She found herself inexplicably positioned in the middle of the room, the area around her littered with the fallen adversaries of the Stellar Republic. Her squad members, equally spent, paused to catch their breath, their gazes fixed on Thea with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
The abrupt break in the post-battle stillness came from Karania, who, along with Lucas and Desmond, could only gape at Thea.
There she stood, an unyielding figure amidst the chaos, her Gram emitting wisps of smoke, a silent witness to the relentless barrage it had unleashed under her command.
"Thea, what the fuck was that?!" Karania finally voiced, breaking the silence¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 97 - Into The City
Brushing away the lingering fog that had momentarily clouded her senses, Thea faced Karania, her expression tinged with slight confusion as she responded, ¡°I was just doing what I could to ensure we make it through this part of the mission, I guess...?¡±
Her eyes then shifted towards Isabella, who was noticeably staggering, prompting Thea to hastily add, ¡°You should probably check on Ela, Kara.¡±
Karania paused, her eyes locked on Thea for a brief second, seemingly trying to read her condition, before she moved towards Isabella with a sense of urgency.
Isabella, for her part, welcomed Karania''s support, allowing herself to be guided to a more comfortable seating position on the ground. Without wasting a moment, Karania began addressing Isabella''s numerous injuries with her usual expertise of a seasoned medic.
Thea, still feeling somewhat disoriented from the battle''s intense focus and the peculiar state of heightened awareness she had experienced, couldn¡¯t shake off the sensation completely.
Yet, remarkably, she didn¡¯t feel the usual drain of overexertion that followed such exertions.
Trusting in her instincts to engage the [Sensory Overdrive] had proven to not be a detrimental decision for once, even though she always had to be mindful of her Focus reserves after the last incident.
With a flicker of concern, she summoned up her Status window, which immediately appeared before her inner-eye. She scrutinised it carefully, seeking reassurance that her recent actions hadn¡¯t inadvertently pushed her close to being beyond her limits.
| [Status, Attributes & Currencies]:
Thea McKay - Level 7.81 - Contribution Points: 474 / 586 - Unspent Attribute Points: 4
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 104 / 165 - Focus: 97 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD |
Thea pondered, a hint of amazement colouring her thoughts, ''I must''ve tapped into my Psychic side at some point, because those Stamina and Focus numbers just don''t add up otherwise.'' Yet, she found herself at peace with the outcome.
Remarkably, she hadn''t come anywhere near to depleting her Focus reserves, despite briefly delving into her Psychic Abilities. This was a significant improvement over her rare past attempts, where maintaining even a shred of control while in that mysterious state of flow had often eluded her, leading to severe exhaustion.
Now, it seemed as though this enigmatic combination of abilities was gradually weaving itself into the fabric of her capabilities, becoming a more familiar, if still unpredictable, element of her arsenal¡ªsomething she could potentially rely upon, should the need arise.
Refocusing on the more immediate priorities, Thea decided to postpone any further reflection on her recent experiences until Alpha Squad was safely out of the immediate danger.
She turned her attention to Lucas and Desmond, instructing them with clear urgency, "Scour the area for anything valuable. We''ll hold here until Kara''s done tending to Ela, but we''ve got to keep our stay short."
She then directed a specific request to Desmond, "Try to locate that ADS and the audio disruptor. If they''re not too cumbersome or rigged, we could repurpose them for our own usage later. I have no idea what we might need them for, but better to be safe."
Desmond and Lucas acknowledged with swift nods, springing into action without delay.
Lucas methodically, yet quickly, sifted through the fallen Stellar Republic soldiers, searching for and collecting any ammunition, grenades, and communication gadgets that could provide tactical advantages or crucial intelligence. Meanwhile, Desmond embarked on a meticulous search for the specialised tech equipment, keenly aware of the potential benefits¡ªand risks¡ªassociated with salvaging such devices from the battlefield.
As Thea methodically reloaded her Gram and prepared to sling it over her shoulder, her gaze unexpectedly caught on an unusual feature of the weapon. Right next to the trigger, where her fingers had tirelessly worked throughout the fierce exchange of fire, an intricate layer of ice had unexpectedly formed, shimmering with a deep, almost ethereal sparkle.
Puzzled, she thought to herself, ''What the¡?''
Curiosity piqued, she used her fingertips to scrape at the frosty accumulation, watching in fascination as tiny shards of what appeared to be crystallised air flaked away from the gun''s surface. ''Is this some sort of anomaly from firing too rapidly or something? Maybe the weapon''s cooling system overcompensated¡?''
Leaning in for a closer inspection, she quickly dismissed the notion that the cooling system was to blame. Having devoted considerable time to poring over the Gram''s technical manuals during the quieter moments of their assessment so far, particularly the lengthy patrol-downtimes prior to the assault on the wall, Thea was well-acquainted with its inner workings.
The documentation had detailed the cooling system''s location and operation with precision, making it clear that this mysterious layer of ice was something entirely unexpected and unexplained by the weapon''s standard mechanisms.
The cooling mechanism of her Gram was designed to concentrate around the reactor, in order to dissipate as much heat as fast as possible, nestled deep within the weapon''s core, quite far away from the trigger where the mysterious ice had formed.
Thea knew that if there had been a leak from the cooling system, she would have noticed immediately. The weapon''s documentation had not been subtle about the dangers, featuring bold, dire warnings about the consequences of operating the laser with a compromised cooling system.
It was clear, then, that the frost adorning her weapon could not be attributed to any normal operation or malfunction of the Gram itself.
''Then what could¡¯ve possibly caused this¡?'' She pondered, her mind racing to piece together an explanation.
Deep down, a certain understanding began to stir, a knowledge she had been reluctant to acknowledge. She made an effort to suppress this insight, preferring to leave such inquiries until after their assessment had concluded.
However, the mystery refused to be sidelined, and the realisation grew increasingly insistent.
''It¡¯s the same type of frost that appeared in those eerie visions I had,'' she finally admitted to herself, a sense of unease settling in.
This was no ordinary occurrence; it was something far more profound, tied to experiences she had yet to fully understand or explain. The frost was definitely not a result of the weapon''s technology but seemed to be a manifestation of something far more arcane; something far more dangerous, in her eyes.
During that moment when her Psychic Gate had swung wide open, as she and Karania journeyed back to the front lines, a haunting vision had imprinted itself in her memory.
Now, as Thea stared down at her Gram, the frost clinging to its surface evoked a chilling sense of deja vu, mirroring the frost from her vision with unsettling accuracy.
Despite her deepest wishes to refute any link between the two, the rational side of her mind couldn''t dismiss the similarity as mere happenstance. Thea grappled with the implications, her mind teetering between denial and the unnerving possibility that her Psychic Abilities might be manifesting in ways she had yet to fully comprehend or control and might be more dangerous than helpful, if she were to rely on them more often.
''Shit... I seriously need to find someone who can explain all this to me. Why does this assessment feel like it''s dragging on forever?'' Thea mused internally, a mix of frustration and curiosity bubbling within her. Reluctantly, she secured the Gram back onto her shoulder and mentally added this bizarre phenomenon to the growing list of mysteries she promised herself to investigate once this whole ordeal was over.
It was almost as if the UHF had deliberately plunged them into this chaos without any prior, in-depth briefing, leaving them to navigate through a maze of confusion blindfolded. The number of unexplained events piling up since the start of this assessment was downright bewildering.
From her standpoint, it seemed the challenges they were facing were designed to test limits they weren''t even aware existed or had, pushing her understanding and abilities to the brink and beyond.
The lack of information, the unexpected encounters, and now this unexplained frost showing up on her equipment¡ªeverything was accumulating into a tower of questions with no answers in sight, making the whole experience feel like an endless puzzle she didn¡¯t even know there were pieces for.
Her train of thought was mercifully cut short by Karania''s voice, which broke through the stillness of the now-empty junction, "Lucas, lend a hand with Isabella. She''s going to be less mobile for a bit."
Approaching Thea with a more serious demeanour, Karania lowered her voice, adding a layer of confidentiality to her words, "Isabella''s situation is not good, Thea. She endured a severe onslaught. Without her [Redundant Organs], she definitely would not have made it this far. I''ve managed to halt the bleeding and administered all the stimulants she can safely receive without risking an overdose. But, honestly, she''s far from being okay."
Her tone was sombre, yet it carried the usual clinical precision Karania adopted when discussing medical matters. "Given enough time, I could extract much of the shrapnel, enhancing the stimulants'' regenerative effectiveness. But time is a luxury we don''t have. Should you manage to find us a secluded spot within the city, I''ll do whatever is possible within the timeframe you can spare."
Thea nodded, her expression sombre, fully grasping the unspoken implications of Karania''s words. She recognized her responsibility in Isabella''s precarious situation; having ordered the offensive heavy into danger without adequate support. While it had been the best course of action in Thea¡¯s mind, in order for them to clear the junction, she also recognized the toll it had invariably taken on Isabella. It now also fell upon her, as the acting squad leader, to ensure Isabella received the best chance at recovery as well.
Turning her focus to Desmond, Thea inquired about the progress of their scavenging efforts.
"Desmond, how''s the search going? Find anything useful?" She sought an update from Alpha Squad''s tech expert, gauging whether they needed to linger in the area a bit longer or if they could proceed immediately.
After a short pause, Desmond responded, his voice tinged with hesitation. "I''ve secured the ADS, but I''m hesitant about the audio disruptor. Despite its potential usefulness, I can''t fully understand its workings or whether it might be equipped with a tracking mechanism. It might be safer to neutralise it before we depart. Permission to rig it for destruction when we leave?"
"Granted," Thea responded without hesitation, trusting Desmond''s judgement on the matter. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
His expertise in technology was unmatched within the squad, and while Thea was eager to expand her own knowledge in that field, she knew she had to rely on his advice for the foreseeable future.
"Let''s get moving. We''re finally heading into Nova Tertius," Thea commanded, beckoning her team to follow her lead as she began navigating the corridor at a measured pace.
She was acutely aware of the condition of her team members, especially Lucas and Isabella, the squad''s heavies, who had both been severely impacted by the gruelling confrontations within the service tunnels.
Isabella, in particular, was in a dire state, heavily reliant on Lucas for support to move at any significant speed. Her steps were feeble, barely managing to keep her upright, a clear sign of her exhaustion and injuries.
Lucas, too, was facing his own challenges, grappling with the limitations of his makeshift prosthetic. Though it served its purpose better than expected, it was a far cry from the functionality of a genuine prosthetic, whether cybernetic, bionic, or otherwise. It was, in essence, just a hastily constructed contraption made from hardened blood and plasteel braces after all.
Karania was also lending her support to Isabella, positioning herself on the injured heavy''s other side. Together, they provided a shoulder for Isabella to lean on, carefully balancing her weight between them as they moved forward.
¡®I''ve really fucked this up¡¡¯ Thea''s mind raced with self-doubt, imagining how differently things might have unfolded under Corvus''s command. ¡®I bet they wouldn''t be hanging by a thread like this,¡¯ she mused, a tinge of regret colouring her thoughts.
Yet, she quickly cast aside these reflections, steeling herself with a stern inner monologue. ¡®Corvus isn''t here, Thea. Pull yourself together. They''re your responsibility; your duty is to see them through this, alive. So focus up.¡¯
With this makeshift bolster of resolve, Thea took the lead with a facade of confidence, guiding her squad through the winding, claustrophobic tunnels that stood between them and the sprawling expanse of the megacity beyond.
Then, breaking the oppressive silence, a muffled explosion reverberated through the tunnel, a sound that was quickly followed by the hurried footsteps of Desmond catching up.
"The audio disruptor''s taken care of. And the ADS is secure in my pack, just in case you have a plan for it," Desmond informed her, breaking the silence that had settled over them.
Thea acknowledged him with a nod, her mind already racing through potential uses for the ADS. While no immediate strategy came to mind, the value of a tool capable of neutralising a wide array of grenade threats wasn''t lost on her.
Ultimately, it was better to have and not need, than to need it and not have it, if James¡¯ words were anything to go by. He had often reminded her of the importance of staying safe and carrying around the proper protection for every circumstance.
It was likely he had meant exactly this sort of situation, considering his almost precognitive levels of foresight that had gone into preparing her for her life with the UHF¡
Fifteen minutes of tense navigation later, without encountering any further obstacles or surprises within the dark, echoing confines of the tunnels, they arrived at the imposing bulkhead that signalled their transition from the underground labyrinth to the sprawling urban landscape of the city above.
Their route had been unexpectedly altered, leading them approximately two kilometres west of Thea''s original plan due to an unforeseen detour through junction T16.
Nonetheless, this deviation positioned them squarely within the densely populated sectors of the city, a fact that, if Corvus'' mission package held true, meant they were about to emerge into an area teeming with countless lives. The prospect of a full evacuation of such a densely populated zone bordered on the fantastical, a notion Thea found herself reluctantly acknowledging as they approached their exit.
There was practically no way they¡¯d step out into a barren wasteland of an abandoned city, but a certain unease still gnawed at her, as she didn¡¯t have a plan B prepared should the city be empty.
With a cautious gesture, Thea signalled for her squad to hold their positions, taking a moment to harness the full extent of her heightened senses. Her Perception and Psychic Senses flared to life, scanning the immediate vicinity for any signs of danger or ambush.
She then proceeded to engage the first of the heavy doors¡ªa colossal barrier constructed of rock-crete and plasteel, its massive frame designed more like the entrance to a fortress or bomb shelter than the mundane exits of service tunnels she had come to know in Lumiosia. Those had been simple, unassuming metal doors, devoid of any remarkable features.
It seemed these tunnels served a dual purpose, not only facilitating maintenance and service access across the city and its outskirts but also offering a refuge for the city''s inhabitants against potential calamities. The heavy, bunker-esque design of the door at their current threshold, or in this case, their entry point into the city, was a silent acknowledgment of the ever-present threat of conflict in the galaxy at large.
As the massive door gradually creaked open under Thea''s cautious push, her muscles tensed instinctively, bracing for the blare of alarms or the sudden appearance of a guard detail primed to intercept intruders.
With her trusty Gram at the ready for any immediate threat, she half-expected a confrontation.
Instead, she found herself peering into a small, desolate chamber, greeted not by guards or glaring lights but by the sight of another hefty door mirroring the one behind her, standing unassumingly across the room. With deliberate steps, Thea ventured into the enclosure, which presented itself as a perfectly square space, a feat of precision engineering.
The room was a fortress in miniature, its walls shored up with plasteel panels that gleamed dimly in the sparse light, reinforced further by beams of durasteel crisscrossing at strategic intervals.
Eyes sweeping the room, Thea searched meticulously for any sign of an alarm system, a task she undertook with the thoroughness borne of their precarious situation. They were tantalisingly close to the current mission''s end¡ªto infiltrate the city¡ª, having navigated the urban fringe and its hidden veins with a blend of skill, sacrifice and sheer determination.
Yet, despite her vigilance, the room revealed no secrets, harbouring neither threat nor warning, standing as an unremarkable antechamber to the pulsing life of the city beyond its walls.
As Thea approached the second bulkhead, she found herself exerting considerable effort to turn the crank, which seemed as if it hadn''t been used in ages. With a determined push, she began to slowly open the door, her Gram now firmly shouldered, poised for any immediate threat that might present itself on the other side.
The moment the door began to part, a rush of distinct scents flooded through the narrow opening¡ªmingling aromas of street food, industrial smog, and the undefinable essence of city life. These smells hit her with unexpected force, momentarily overwhelming her senses and causing her heart to leap in anticipation.
It was a tangible sign that they had indeed finally made it, that the end of their arduous journey through the shadowy fringes of the city outskirts was within grasp.
Snapping her focus back to the task at hand, Thea stepped through the doorway as soon as it was wide enough, entering a small, nondescript shack.
She proceeded with the same meticulous caution that had guided her actions in the previous chamber, sweeping the space for any signs of surveillance or security personnel. Yet, just like before, her search yielded no alarms and no guards to challenge their passage.
With a deep, relieved exhale, Thea quickly retraced her steps back to the tunnel to signal the rest of the squad.
They rallied to her position as fast as they could, Lucas and Karania practically carrying Isabella at this stage, with Desmond methodically securing the bulkheads in their wake, sealing them away from the service tunnels and the dangers they had left behind.
Isabella found herself gently propped against the cool, rugged surface of the shack¡¯s wall, her breaths shallow as Karania, with swift and practised movements, began to assess her condition again.
This provided Thea a precious moment to gather her thoughts and map out their immediate course of action.
With a deep breath, Thea mentally braced herself. ''Alright, we¡¯re finally inside the city. We need to get away from this shack as fast as possible, they¡¯ll no doubt send soldiers here any minute now, once they realise what junction we¡¯ve managed to break through,'' she reflected, her mind racing.
Activating the holographic display within her helmet, Corvus'' meticulously detailed map materialised before her eyes. ''Where can we find some refuge, allowing Kara to tend to Ela''s wounds in relative safety¡?''
However, transitioning the map from its simplified, two-dimensional layout to a full 3D representation of the urban sprawl presented an overwhelming challenge.
The previously straightforward blueprint of foundations and potential exit points gave way to an intricate maze of towering skyscrapers, colossal megabuildings, interlacing walkways, and multilayered streets.
These complex layers of the city''s anatomy were displayed in staggering detail, showcasing the architectural marvels and the labyrinthine networks that pulsed through the megacity''s core like a vast, intricate circulatory system.
The sheer scale of the city''s layout, packed tightly into every inch of her screen, left her both awestruck and frustrated. ''How did anyone manage to construct such a fucking labyrinth? And why?'' she wondered, her fingers deftly swiping through the holographic display in search of clarity amidst the chaos.
Attempting to make sense of their surroundings, Thea could barely pick out a handful of recognizable landmarks, such as the shadowed alleyways snaking between buildings at ground level and the occasional open street. Yet, the bulk of the map remained an indecipherable tangle of data, a jumbled mess of overlapping layers and interweaving paths that crisscrossed in a dizzying array of vertical and horizontal planes.
Determined to find a way through this digital quagmire, Thea began experimenting with different filters in hopes of simplifying the visual onslaught.
She adjusted settings to thin out the clutter, hoping to isolate useful routes from the dense network of urban sprawl. Each filter change offered a new perspective, yet the task of navigating through the megacity''s intricate layout proved to be a daunting challenge, far surpassing any navigational hurdles she had ever faced before.
With an exasperated sigh, Thea finally shut off the map, its complexity proving to be more of a hindrance than a help at the moment.
''Guess I''ll need to tackle this beast of a map later, when we''re not pressed for time like this,'' she thought, her determination undimmed despite the setback. She then turned her attention towards the shack''s front door, signalling to her squad with a firm gesture to hold their positions. ''Time to resort to the tried-and-true approach of figuring things out the old-fashioned way: A quick recon outside.''
Thea''s hand pressed against the cool, metallic surface of the door, her movements deliberate and cautious as she nudged it open. A rush of air, heavy with the essence of the megacity, greeted her the moment the door cracked open.
Nova Tertius unfurled before her, not through the visual feast she had anticipated, but through an overwhelming symphony of scents and sounds that cascaded over her heightened senses.
The noise was the first to envelop her, a ceaseless roar that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
It was the hum of millions of lives intersecting, of machinery and technology interwoven with human existence. The distant clamour of traffic layers above and to the sides, the subtle buzz of neon signs flickering, and the undercurrent of countless, distant conversations melded into a relentless din that Thea felt through her very bones.
As she stepped out, the realisation dawned on her that what she had assumed to be a shack was, in fact, a ground-level service building, akin to a storage room, now standing as her gateway to the chaotic sprawl of the city.
Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the stark contrast between the dim interior she had left behind and the vibrant chaos of Nova Tertius, despite her stepping out into a simple alleyway.
The air was thick, a blend of alleyway refuse and the pervasive scent of human sweat, a stark reminder to the hundreds of thousands of souls that thrived in the cramped quarters of the megacity.
Layers upon layers of smells competed for her attention; the acrid tang of smog that seemed to cling to every surface, intermingling with the enticing aromas wafting from nearby food stalls. Each scent told a story of life in Nova Tertius, from the struggle for survival to the fleeting moments of joy found in the city''s many hidden corners.
Thea''s senses were bombarded by this multifaceted assault, each breath she took was a journey through the city''s heart. The stench of decay was punctuated by the spicy allure of street food, creating a dissonant harmony that was uniquely odd. It was as if the city itself was alive, breathing through its countless inhabitants and their daily endeavours.
For a moment, Thea stood frozen, caught in the sensory maelstrom that was the megacity, having been completely unprepared for how overwhelming stepping into the heart of the city would actually end up being.
Her training had prepared her for many things, but the raw intensity of Nova Tertius'' sensory overload was something entirely new. It took her a few solid seconds to gather her composure, briefly stumbling back and having to cling to the solid metal door to find her footing, to subsequently filter through the barrage of information her senses provided, and to adjust to the rhythm of the city that now pulsed around her.
With a deep breath, Thea stepped fully into the light of Nova Tertius, her eyes scanning the immediate vicinity with a scout''s precision, even as her mind continued to acclimate to the overwhelming sensory input.
She realised that their survival in this city would not just be a test of skill and strategy but of sensory adaptation and resilience, as well. Nova Tertius was a beast of a different kind, one she had never even dared dream of existing before, and she, alongside Alpha Squad, was now placed right into the middle of its ceaseless, throbbing life¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 98 - Navigation
Thea''s gaze swept the narrow alleyway meticulously, ensuring their entry hadn''t drawn any unwanted attention.
The towering buildings on either side loomed over her, their immense structures cutting off much of the daylight and plunging the space into a cool, dim serenity that contrasted sharply with the potential chaos just beyond their confines.
This shadowed corridor between the giants of steel and glass offered a strange comfort, a brief respite that Thea found surprisingly welcome. The quiet and the comparative darkness were a stark relief after the relentless vigilance the forest had demanded of her, where danger could lurk behind every leaf, trunk and shadow.
Despite the comfort, Thea''s mind was elsewhere, fixed on the urgent need to secure a safe location for Alpha Squad.
Karania''s medical expertise was crucial now more than ever, with Isabella''s condition precarious at best. Time was of the essence, and Thea was acutely aware that their presence in the service tunnels wouldn''t remain unnoticed for long. The Stellar Republic''s forces were efficient and thorough, and it was only a matter of time before they traced the squad''s path to their current hiding spot, once the breach of junction T16 had been detected.
The alleyway, with its high concrete embrace, might have felt like a sanctuary, but Thea knew it was nothing more than a temporary haven, a brief stop in their flight from danger. The real task lay ahead: Navigating the dense, sprawling urban labyrinth of Nova Tertius to find a secure location where Karania could work her medical miracles without interruption.
Thea''s senses were on high alert, her eyes scanning every shadow and corner, her mind racing through their options. The city offered countless places to hide, but also just as many risks and uncertainties. Especially with the sheer number of people they were bound to encounter, they would have to be swift and seem like they belonged, otherwise any attempts at staying under the radar would be impossible.
Thea''s thoughts raced as she navigated the alleyway, her mind set on finding a suitable hideout for the squad. The idea of an abandoned hotel flickered through her mind, seeming like a reasonable option for both concealment and comfort.
With cautious steps, she approached the alley''s end, ready to scout the surrounding area for any potential refuge. The plan was clear: Proximity was crucial, yet remaining in their current location was not an option. Safety and discretion needed to balance perfectly in their choice of hideaway.
However, as she reached the alleyway''s mouth and cautiously peered around the corner, a wave of realisation mixed with dread washed over her.
The city''s vast, bustling streets lay before her, teeming with life and activity that far exceeded her worst expectations.
The sheer scale of the urban landscape, with its endless rows of interconnected buildings, crowded walkways that snaked through, past and underneath each other, and the constant cacophony of city noise, momentarily overwhelmed her senses.
Nova Tertius was a megacity in every sense of the word, and the complexity of its layout made Thea acutely aware of how much she had misjudged the challenge ahead.
Finding a place to hide amidst this sprawling urban expanse suddenly seemed like a downright impossible task. Thea understood that blending in would require more than just finding an empty structure¡ªshe even doubted there were any abandoned buildings to begin with; they needed a location that offered both security and a degree of anonymity.
With a deep breath, Thea steadied herself. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to lose focus now. Ela relies on me to find her a place to rest up in.¡¯
Thea''s focus narrowed as she absorbed the overwhelming sights and sounds of the megacity. The dense weave of urban life unfolded before her, a vivid tapestry of movement and noise that was both fascinating and intimidating.
The towering structures around her were not just buildings; they were vertical cities within the city, each a self-contained world teeming with life. The streets, far from the quiet, orderly lanes of Lumiosia she was accustomed to, were alive with a constant flow of people, each moving with a purposeful stride that spoke of the unrelenting pace of megacity life.
Food stalls, emitting tantalising aromas, jostled for space with small shops and service outlets, while above them, the residential apartments stacked skywards to unfathomable heights, their balconies and windows a patchwork of personal spaces carved out of the urban expanse, while frequently interspersed with walkways that connected with unseen paths within the giant structures themselves.
Thea couldn''t help but feel out of place, a stranger in a landscape that operated on principles and rhythms she had yet to understand. The frenetic energy of the crowd, the cacophony of sounds from conversation, traffic, and the hum of machinery, all painted a picture of a city that never slept, where life was lived in the fast lane with no room for hesitation.
Her observation led her to quickly reconsider her initial plan.
The notion of finding an abandoned hotel, or anything abandoned; really, seemed increasingly naive in this bustling environment where space was clearly at a premium and every corner teemed with activity.
Yet, she also knew they couldn''t linger in the open for long. The need for a hideout was urgent, a place where they could regroup, and Karania could attend to Isabella''s injuries in relative safety.
Thea''s gaze followed the city dwellers, each step and gesture a clue in the vast, living puzzle of Nova Tertius. She scrutinised their faces, their pace, and the subtle cues in their behaviour, attempting to decode the rhythm of life in this sprawling metropolis.
This observational exercise wasn''t just about understanding; it was about survival, about Alpha Squad seamlessly merging into the urban flow without drawing undue attention.
Her analytical mind worked overtime, piecing together the fragments of daily routines she witnessed.
People darted from one shadow to the next, their expressions a mix of determination and the weariness that comes from living in a place where the scale of everything magnifies the challenges of daily life.
Thea noted the stark absence of leisurely strolls; every step seemed purposeful, every glance calculated. The megacity''s heart beat with a rhythm of efficiency and urgency, a tempo Alpha Squad needed to mimic in order to vanish among the masses.
But as she delved deeper into this urban tapestry, Thea hit a wall of architectural ambiguity that thwarted her efforts to categorise the structures around her. Each and every building she saw defied easy classification, blurring the lines between living spaces, workplaces, and areas of recreation.
The monolithic, towering designs, while awe-inspiring, left little room for the untrained eye to discern their primary functions. This architectural uniformity posed a unique challenge, rendering her usual methods of orientation nearly entirely obsolete.
The realisation dawned on Thea that in Nova Tertius, the concept of space was radically different; here, a single structure could encapsulate the essence of an entire city, serving as an entire ecosystem all on its very own.
Thea''s mind churned with frustration as she faced the bewildering maze of Nova Tertius.
''How does anyone navigate this place?!'' she questioned internally, her usually reliable sense of direction and array of urban navigational skills rendered ineffective against the overwhelming complexity of the megacity.
Every strategy she had learned, every trick up her sleeve for orienting herself in new and challenging environments, seemed to falter in the face of this urban behemoth. The city''s sprawling expanse, its towering structures, and the ceaseless flow of its inhabitants created a labyrinth that defied her attempts to decipher it, leaving her feeling momentarily adrift in a sea of rock-crete, steel and people.
A realisation dawned on her as she embraced the shadowed refuge of the narrow alleyway once again, allowing her a momentary escape from the overwhelming stimuli of the megacity. Pressing her back against the cold, unyielding surface of the nearest building, she allowed herself a moment to gather her thoughts and reassess her approach.
The vastness and verticality of Nova Tertius, she acknowledged, defied traditional navigation methods. ''If each towering structure is akin to a self-contained, fully realised city, then the notion of separating this place into manageable districts is completely nonsensical. Nova Tertius is far beyond anything that could possibly be quantified in such a way. That must also mean, however, that the Stellar Republic''s gaze can''t penetrate every crevice, every shadowed corner of this urban maze,'' she mused internally, her frustration gradually giving way to a strategic epiphany.
This intricate architecture, while initially a source of consternation, could very well be their best ally.
¡°In the heart of complexity lies the greatest obfuscation,¡± Thea muttered to herself with a growing smile, repeating a certain phrase that James had often used. The realisation that their safety might not hinge on finding the perfect hideout, but rather any hideout within the chaotic embrace of the megacity, was liberating.
''The denser and more complex the environment, the more challenging it necessarily becomes to maintain any level of adequate surveillance. This has to hold true even here,'' she concluded, pushing herself off the wall with renewed purpose.
Thea understood now that their path forward didn''t require meticulous selection but rather decisive action. ''Let''s find the nearest building that offers a semblance of shelter and hide out in there. Once we¡¯re inside another building, the sheer size and complexity of it should give us all the cover we need to disappear from sight entirely.''
With this newfound strategy, Thea returned to the storage room and signalled her squad to follow her out, ready to lead them into the heart of Nova Tertius, relying on the megacity''s inherent complexity to obscure their presence from the prying eyes of their pursuers.
Before setting out into the megacity''s heart, Thea paused, gathering Alpha Squad for a brief, yet crucial, debrief on urban camouflage. "Alright, listen up. We''re blending in as soldiers of the Stellar Republic again. The key difference this time is we''re unlikely to encounter anyone with the insight to challenge our disguise. Move with purpose, fast, and avoid unnecessary eye contact. However, if someone fixates on you, stare them down or call them out. Remember, in their eyes, we are the guardians of their safety, the Stellar Republic''s might made manifest. We have a margin for error here, but let''s not push our luck too hard, by allowing random people to just follow us," she detailed, imparting observations gleaned from watching Stellar Republic soldiers along the border-wall¡ªthis was the best template they had for mimicking soldierly conduct within urban confines.
Turning her focus to Lucas, Thea''s tone shifted to one of practical concern. "Lucas, we need to redistribute the weight of your gear and Isabella''s, to mask the extent of her injuries. We can''t afford to draw undue attention. An injured soldier can blend in, or even a soldier shaking off last night''s excesses. But Isabella''s condition could easily betray us if we''re not careful, such as if we have two people carrying her. Can you manage her on your own if we lighten your load?" She watched as Lucas tested his weight on the makeshift prosthetic, a grimace fleeting across his face, yet his answer was immediately apparent, despite his discomfort.
Without a moment''s hesitation, Lucas nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I can manage. Speed won''t be my strong suit, but I''ll ensure Isabella''s condition remains as inconspicuous as possible."
Reorganising Lucas'' gear, Karania took charge of his backpack, while Desmond was entrusted with the shield''s temporary custody. Once the adjustments were finalised, signalling their readiness to delve back into the city''s embrace, Thea wasted no further moments. She led the squad from the confines of the storage room, re-emerging into the alleyway''s comparative sanctuary.
"Take a moment here, if you need. The city is overwhelming¡ªits sounds, its scents, its architecture... It''s a lot to take in all at once," she advised, guiding them towards the alley''s mouth. Thea herself had felt the city''s vibrant assault on her senses keenly; she hoped to offer her team a brief respite to adjust, suspecting they might share her sensitivity.
Yet, as she glanced back, assessing her companions'' adaptation, it appeared her concerns might have been unfounded. Her squad seemed completely unfazed, or exceptionally adept at masking any disorientation, as they mirrored her steps with unwavering focus. The moment she had allocated for them to acclimate seemed, at least from their outward appearances, to be an unnecessary precaution.
¡®Just me then, huh?¡¯ She thought to herself quietly, before addressing the squad directly, ¡°Alright everyone, game faces on.¡±
With a confident stride in her step, Thea led the rest of the squad out of the alleyway into the more busy pedestrian thoroughfare, mingling with the countless citizens of the city almost immediately, while keeping a close eye on the rest of the squad behind her.
The city streets were alive with the vibrant pulse of daily life, a veritable ocean of humanity that flowed and ebbed around them. Stolen novel; please report.
Above, the towering megastructures stretched towards the sky, their facades plastered with bright, flashing advertisements that promised everything from the latest technological innovations to exotic vacations in off-world Stellar Republic colonies. The ground level was a similarly tapestry of sensory overloads, albeit in a different way as they bustled with shops, food stalls emitted tantalising aromas, and small kiosks peddled an array of goods from basic necessities to niche curiosities.
Thea navigated this maze with a practised eye, her attention divided between finding their path forward and ensuring the cohesion of her squad within the dense crowd. Despite the cacophony of sounds¡ªfrom the hum of conversation to the consistent blare of traffic from above them and the constant background noise of the city''s machinery¡ªThea''s focus remained unshaken.
Her gaze eventually landed on a particular building that stood out not for its size¡ªthough it was impressively large¡ªbut for the steady stream of people entering and exiting its wide, specifically, unguarded, doors.
With no visible security presence and an open, welcoming entrance, it seemed an ideal target for their temporary hideout. Communicating her decision through subtle cues, she veered toward the building, the squad trailing seamlessly behind her.
As they crossed the threshold, they were greeted by an expansive ground floor that seemed to function as a massive commercial hub, dwarfing any traditional shopping mall Thea had ever known.
¡®Just this base-floor alone is like three golden-age arcades, if not larger¡ This city is utterly insane,¡¯ she absent-mindedly thought to herself as she took in her surroundings.
The air was filled with the sounds of commerce and leisure, mingled with the scent of a hundred different cuisines, which ended up blending into a mouthwatering aroma. Around them, a multitude of stores and stalls offered everything imaginable, from clothing and electronics to artisan crafts and fast food. Thea could even spot a civilian-esque firearm¡¯s store in the distance, further inside the building, sparking her curiosity, which she immediately drowned out to refocus on her task at hand.
The crowd here was dense, even denser than outside, yet it simultaneously flowed more smoothly, the mass of people navigating the space with a casual familiarity, but lacking the more fast-paced movement and directional changes of the people outside.
In the heart of this commercial maze, immediately attracting Thea¡¯s eyes, stood a series of massive elevator shafts, their doors opening and closing in a constant rhythm as they ferried countless passengers to the upper levels of the building.
She figured that these elevators were their best chance to ascend into the less conspicuous upper floors, where they could find a quiet corner to regroup and attend to their more pressing needs. Without missing a beat, she guided her squad towards the nearest elevator, ready to blend in with the crowd and disappear into the vertical expanse.
They found themselves in front of the elevators, alongside hundreds of citizens, some of which were eyeing the five of them warily, but backing off the moment any of their squad seemed to notice. There was definitely a certain level of interest in their presence here, but nobody seemed particularly alarmed, Thea noted.
When one of the two-dozen elevators arrived that had enough space for them, the squad moved inside, the door closing behind them.
Thea chose a random floor to go to, landing them on the 43rd floor in a matter of minutes, the elevator rapidly ascending the monolithic structure with ease. They stopped multiple times along the way to off-load and on-board citizens from other floors, which gave Thea a much-needed glimpse into the overall architecture of the building.
¡®So there are residential floors in here¡ I guess that makes sense. All these people have to live somewhere close-by to all of this nonsense, after all. That should make it easy for us to find an apartment somewhere, commandeer it from a random citizen, if we have to,¡¯ she thought to herself, feeling more and more at-ease with the current progress they were making.
Finally exiting the elevator on the 43rd floor, Thea was immediately struck by the stark contrast between the bustling commercial hub below and the relatively serene residential area they had entered.
The corridor was wide, flanked by countless doors leading to individual apartments, and softly lit by overhead lamps, creating an almost tranquil atmosphere compared to the cacophony of the ground floor and especially the one outside the building.
As they ventured down the hallway, Thea couldn''t help but notice the curious glances they received from a few residents who happened to be in the corridor or peering out from their doorways, their daily lives momentarily touched by the unexpected military presence.
It was clear they were out of place here, a squad of heavily armed individuals amid the everyday lives of the city''s citizens. Yet, the wary looks quickly turned away under the weight of Thea''s determined gaze, her self-illuminating cyan eyes peeking out from under her hood, the residents hastily retreating into the safety of their homes without a word.
''This might work to our advantage,'' Thea mused internally, her mind racing with possibilities. ''If the residents are this easy to dissuade from prying, finding a temporary safe haven should be straightforward. We just need to be cautious and pick the right door.''
The thought of commandeering an apartment didn''t sit entirely comfortably with her, but she recognized it as a necessary measure under their current circumstances. It wasn¡¯t like they were going to murder or seriously harm a civilian, after all. They were merely taking up refuge in their place for a night.
Continuing their search for a suitable location, Thea led the squad with a sense of purpose, her eyes scanning each door they passed for any indication of an unoccupied apartment or one that could be easily taken over without causing unnecessary alarm.
The hush of the residential level offered a stark contrast to the clamour they had navigated through earlier, affording Thea a moment of mental clarity. It dawned on her that nestled within the sprawling city, they could now lean on the advantage of blending in, obscured by the sheer volume of daily communications that buzzed through the air.
Turning her thoughts into action, she keyed her comm to connect with Desmond, his startled reaction reminding her of the abruptness of reinitiated communication. "Desmond, can you work your magic on one of these apartment locks?" she inquired, her tone laced with the urgency of their situation.
Her next request was directed at Karania, whose readiness to comply was both reassuring and mildly alarming. "Do you have something to keep a civilian out cold for a while, without causing any permanent harm?" Thea asked, her voice betraying a hint of trepidation at the potential implications of their next move.
Karania''s affirmative response came with an eagerness that prompted a brief wave of apprehension through Thea. Despite the unease at unleashing the squad medic on the populace of Nova Tertius, she trusted Karania''s judgement and expertise implicitly.
Guiding the squad to a less frequented section of the floor, Thea selected a door at random for Desmond to tackle, after making sure that nobody else was currently in the hallway with a few, tactical, stern glances at random citizens that were nosing around.
As Desmond''s fingers danced over his wrist-pad, the door¡¯s electronic lock yielded extremely quickly with a soft beep. Karania, ever the professional, slipped inside with a stealth that belied the potential shock her appearance might cause to the apartment''s occupants.
Karania had two syringes, one in each hand, ready to inject any unsuspecting civilians with whatever it was that she had deemed as ¡°knocking them out without causing permanent harm.¡±
Thea couldn''t help but feel a twinge of guilt, recognizing the terror their intrusion would instigate.
''This is for Isabella,'' she reassured herself, the weight of leadership pressing heavily on her shoulders as she prepared to follow Karania into the unknown. ''But damn, if this doesn''t feel like we''re the bad guys here; just a little bit¡ When I imagine just sitting at home and suddenly a fully armoured marine appears in my living room, brandishing syringes and ready to knock me out, I¡¯d probably have nightmares for the rest of my life¡''
The squad cautiously entered behind her, witnessing Karania meticulously attending to an unconscious man. She was compacting him into a manageable bundle with surprising ease, but clearly delicate care.
"He''s just unconscious," Karania assured with a mischievous smile, preempting Thea''s concern. "He''ll wake up in a couple of days, maybe feeling a bit parched and disoriented, but no worse for wear. That is unless I inadvertently harm him in the process... Were human bodies always this fragile¡?"
Observing Karania''s delicate manipulation of the man, Thea couldn''t help but wince inwardly. ''The poor fellow''s going to feel like he''s run a marathon in his sleep, given how you''ve twisted him up, Kara¡''
The squad medic deposited the body unceremoniously into a nearby closet, throwing a blanket over the man ¡°just in case,¡± before immediately heading to attend to Isabella. Now inside the, comparatively safe, confines of the apartment, Karania went to enter the medic-specific override into Isabella¡¯s armour, the heavy pieces falling off of the woman with loud clunks as they hit the floor.
Karania and Lucas carefully positioned Isabella on the kitchen table, the only one large enough to fit the majority of a person as large as her. The table bore Isabella''s weight without complaint, thanks to its unsuspected resilience.
Karania''s instruction for the squad to give her space to work was met with immediate compliance, her focus as sharp as the tools she transformed her hands into.
Thea, left to manage the rest of Alpha Squad''s immediate needs, tasked Desmond with ensuring their temporary stronghold remained undisturbed. She suggested, more through hope than directive, that Desmond employ his technological prowess for surveillance over more aggressive measures.
''Let''s keep the explosions to a minimum, at least inside civilian quarters,'' she mused, trusting Desmond''s judgement yet harbouring a very clear preference for subtlety.
Lucas sought a moment''s respite, only to become an unintended test of furniture durability¡ªa chair unceremoniously collapsing under the combined weight of his form and his battle-worn ultra-heavy armour.
Resigned to the floor''s cold embrace, he scrutinised the makeshift prosthetic that Karania had crafted. Despite his evident discomfort with the alien appendage, Lucas, much like Thea, had to admit, albeit grudgingly, its effectiveness.
It had indeed been a massively useful replacement, ensuring his continued contribution to the squad''s endeavours rather than relegating him to the sidelines, or worse, becoming a liability on their way through the tunnels and the city.
Thea observed Lucas''s silent contemplation, a mirror to her own thoughts on their precarious situation.
''Karania''s genius might just get us through this,'' she acknowledged internally, the realisation that innovation under pressure could make the difference between guaranteed failure and narrow success now fully settling in, that she finally had a moment to relax and think.
After another few moments of rest, Thea opened up the mission-package she had received from Corvus once again, as it was time for the next part of their mission. As the interim squad-leader, it once again fell on her to do the heavy lifting.
Thea adjusted her communicator to the designated frequency, stepping into the quiet of a nearby room for privacy.
She initiated the call with a mixture of hope and trepidation, acutely aware that their mission''s success might hinge on the response she received. The absence of a fallback plan weighed heavily on her, a testament to the precariousness of their situation after navigating the unpredictability of Nova Tertius.
"SA1 calling in, reporting with five. Anybody copy?" Thea''s voice cut through the static, her call signifying not just a request for acknowledgment but also a beacon of their persistence against all odds.
The ensuing silence was palpable, stretching into a tense void that seemed to amplify Thea''s growing apprehension. Each passing second without a response seemed to underscore the uncertainty of their position within the larger scheme of the UHF''s operations in the city.
She couldn''t help but wonder how many of their fellow squads had faced similar ordeals, or worse, had not even made it this far.
Refusing to succumb to the silence, Thea''s resolve hardened.
She repeated her call, her voice steady despite the churn of anxiety beneath. "SA1 calling in, reporting with five. Does anyone copy?"
The echo of silence that followed Thea''s second call felt like a heavy blow, a stark reminder of the solitude and immense responsibility she now shouldered.
Her heart sank, with the weight of their precarious situation pressing down on her with an intensity that was almost suffocating. ''This is it, then,'' she thought grimly, her mind racing through the myriad challenges that lay ahead, each more daunting than the last.
¡®Fuck¡ Corvus, I swear I¡¯ll make you pay for this,¡¯ she thought to herself bitterly, thoroughly regretting the fact that she had let him make the sacrifice play and taking ¡°the easy way out,¡± as it now seemed to her.
Just as she was about to resign herself to the silence, contemplating their next move in isolation, a voice shattered the quiet, bringing with it a surge of unexpected relief.
"HA1 here, I read you, SA1. Good to hear you¡¯ve made it, we got a bit worried you guys might not have made it. A1 is going to be downright ecstatic to hear you¡¯re around," came Nieka''s voice, clear and familiar through the static. The sudden connection, like a lifeline thrown in the darkness, washed away the looming despair that had started to take hold of Thea.
Nieka''s teasing remark, "Based on the fact you¡¯re calling this in, I see that you¡¯ve finally replaced that squad lead of yours, huh, sniper girl?" carried a warmth that felt oddly comforting.
Thea''s surprise was evident, even through the comms, as Nieka''s brisk and straightforward acknowledgment of her new role as squad leader cut through the tension. The fact that Nieka had pinpointed her identity and their squad''s plight without any kind of prior interaction between them spoke volumes of her deductive skills.
It made sense to a degree, Thea had to concede; in the chaos of their mission, the one reaching out on this channel would invariably be leading the squad. The fact that Nieka knew her voice, however, still confused her, but it wasn¡¯t anything she had the presence of mind to care about for now.
Losing Corvus had been a blow, and acknowledging his sacrifice felt both necessary and painful. "We lost him in the outskirts yesterday. Took out an outpost, but he didn¡¯t make it back," she relayed, her voice steady but carrying the weight of their loss.
Nieka''s response, though initially light-hearted, quickly shifted to a more sombre tone. "Hey, don¡¯t mind me making a joke, sniper girl. None of the newbie squads made it without losses. SA1 coming in with five is actually impressive, don¡¯t get me wrong. Only EA1 has the same headcount. We¡¯re down to three ourselves, I have to unfortunately admit¡"
The gravity of Nieka''s admission struck a chord with Thea.
Despite the casualness of their exchange, the underlying reality was dire¡ªthey were all navigating a perilous path, doing their utmost to fulfil the mission despite the heavy toll it exacted on each of their squads.
The news that not a single one of the Recruit squads had made it through without casualties was sobering, but also served as a reminder that this was in-fact a seriously difficult assessment they had been sent on.
Nieka''s next words were clear and to the point, as always. "EA1 should be back soon, he usually takes the lead on this type of stuff, so just relax for a bit. A1 will probably chime in at some point as well, they¡¯ve been asking about you guys for the past two days," her brisk voice conveyed through the comms. "Just relax a bit, SA1. You guys are probably wiped out, but we got a full day to go before we start moving to point CS1, so try to lay low and tank some energy before then, a¡¯right?"
Thea acknowledged the advice with a simple "Thanks, HA1, will do. If I don¡¯t answer A1 or EA1¡¯s calls, please let them know we¡¯ll be in touch. We got a few problems to take care of still, but we should be fairly secure for now," and ended the conversation.
¡°I¡¯ve made contact with the rest of the squads, we¡¯re on-track for the mission,¡± she simply stated, exhaustion crashing down on her like a tidal wave.
It was like Nieka¡¯s words had finally managed to break the stoic facade that Thea had built around herself over the past days, that had kept her going with the knowledge that she had to step up for the sake of the rest of the squad.
She sank heavily into the nearby couch and closed her eyes to relax, immediately falling into a dreamless sleep¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 99 - Control Station
As the first rays of morning sunlight began to bathe Nova Tertius in a soft, golden light, Thea and her team were already deep within the city''s heart, navigating its complex layers and surprisingly countless citizens, considering the early hours.
Their destination lay in the northeast, aiming for the first critical control station that marked their next objective in the ongoing mission.
The last night had been a true show of Karania''s unmatched dedication and skill as a medic.
She had laboured without pause, ensuring Isabella was combat-ready by dawn. The process had been intense; Karania''s medical intervention transformed the apartment''s kitchen into a scene right out of a horror movie.
When Thea had emerged from her own brief respite to check on their progress, the sight that greeted her had been both shocking and awe-inspiring alike. The kitchen, covered in blood, flesh, shrapnel pieces and even parts of the heavies¡¯ organs had been strewn about like a giant abstractionist painting, leaving almost no surface untouched once Karania had deemed her efforts a success.
Isabella''s condition, while significantly improved from the dire state she had been in, remained precarious. She could now navigate the intricate pathways of Nova Tertius using her own two feet and without anyone¡¯s direct help being required.
Yet, her capacity for the kind of valorous acts she had demonstrated within the oppressive confines of the service tunnels had to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. Even just using her Devastator, although feasible, promised to deliver a torment only bearable through sheer determination and gritted teeth¡ªa reality Karania had bluntly outlined, but was gladly accepted by Isabella.
Despite the grim prognosis and the tangible limitations imposed upon her, Isabella''s gratitude for the rapid medical response had been profound.
The chance to resume her role, albeit in a constrained capacity, offered her a semblance of normalcy amidst her injuries. Thea observed this resilience with a mix of admiration and concern, recognizing in Isabella a shared distaste for being relegated to the side-lines of the action¡ªa trait that seemed to run deep in those hailing from the mid-worlds.
Ultimately, however, the respite of the previous day had allowed them to recharge some much needed energy and deal with the medical issues that had been stacking up over the previous day, putting them into a much better position to tackle the upcoming parts of their mission.
¡®We¡¯ll rendezvous with Arrow Squad, then head on in for the kill. I really couldn¡¯t have asked for a more favourable setup for this first station,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, re-playing the upcoming plan in her head again and again, to make sure she wasn¡¯t missing anything.
While she had gotten some amount of rest and had received some good pointers from both Nieke and Hammr about her role as an interim squad-leader, she was still feeling thoroughly out of her depth in this role, always worrying that she was going to mess up somewhere along the way and ruining the assessment for the rest of the squad under her temporary command.
Thea had also received the System¡¯s Notifications about her recent gains, levels and experience, but had opted to simply defer them until later. She already felt thoroughly overwhelmed with the current situation, so she didn¡¯t need any more decisions that needed to be made, even though [Penetrative Shot] was up for promotion with its [Minor Alteration] now available. She¡¯d simply have to decide on it later down the line, when she had a few hours to herself to really think things through and make a decision.
Continuing to navigate through the labyrinthine megacity, Sovereign Alpha manoeuvred through its dense and bewildering network of passageways that led them across vastly varied levels of elevation¡ªfrom towering edifices reaching far above the ground level to the city''s subterranean veins, where life pulsed just as vigorously as it did above.
Their military armors and weapons, conspicuous against the civilian backdrop, were their shields as much as their potential giveaways. Yet, they moved with a confidence that belied their true purpose, mimicking the brisk pace and unyielding purpose of the city''s denizens to blend seamlessly into the fabric of urban life.
More than once, they caught a few intense stares here and there, but nobody seemed too eager to engage them; to question their reason for being there or their motives. They were simply accepted as another part of the megacity¡¯s ecosystem, as part of the Stellar Republic¡¯s efforts to protect the citizens of the city.
Their path also intersected quite often with areas that Thea''s instincts screamed to avoid: Precincts of local law enforcement brimming with officers and security zones manned by vigilant personnel. Every fibre in her being tensed as they skirted these hubs of authority, yet to her surprise, their passage continued to remain undisturbed, their presence accepted as a necessity for the current times, if not entirely unnoticed.
The megacity further revealed itself to Thea and her squad in a spectacle of technological marvels and architectural grandeur that was alien even to the more well-travelled members among them, such as Desmond.
They witnessed the city''s intricate transportation network, a complex system of tubes and magnetic trains that intertwined around and through buildings in a display of pure engineering and logistical mastery. This network acted as the city''s lifelines, ferrying thousands upon thousands of individuals across vast distances with an efficiency and speed that left Thea in sheer awe.
The most imposing vista they saw on their trek through the city, however, was when they encountered a shopping mall of such immense proportions that even Desmond and Lucas, both hailing from the inner worlds, which in themselves were often considered amongst the most economically powerful worlds in the entire faction, were momentarily taken aback.
This colossal structure had stretched skyward as well as untold distances to each side, with its truly uncountable number of floors teeming with shops and entertainment venues, presenting itself as a monument to consumerism that dwarfed anything any one of them had ever seen, or dared to imagine existing, before.
Its sheer scale was a reminder of the megacity''s capacity to dwarf even the grandest of expectations and how nothing that they had encountered before could truly compare to a megacity, leaving an indelible impression of a world where the extraordinary had become the norm.
As they approached their destination, Sovereign Alpha found themselves transitioning from the overwhelming enormity of the megacity''s centre to a more tempered area instead.
The architectural grandeur gradually subsided, replaced by the pragmatic utility of urban warehouses and transportation hubs that sprawled across the area. The change in scenery signalled their nearing proximity to the main highway, a vital artery of the city that promised a decrease in the architectural intensity they had been navigating.
Nestled on the far side of this bustling street lay their target: A military complex discreetly positioned within the urban fabric of the city.
This was no ordinary facility; it was instead a fully integrated military complex within the civilian landscape. Unlike the commercial behemoths they had passed, the complex was surrounded not by malls but by a more "urban" environment¡ªanother unique sort of microcosm within the megacity itself.
Apartments, pedestrian streets, and walkways wove through the complex''s logistical veins, offering a stark contrast to the wilderness and desolation they had traversed in their assessment so far. Here, the boundaries between military and civilian life blurred, up until the very walls of the complex itself, with the daily rhythms of the city pulsating close to even this fortified and immensely important bastion.
Navigating the balance between proximity and risk, Sovereign Alpha found the military complex''s urban setting both advantageous and challenging in their planning.
Its integration within the city''s bustling heart meant they could approach their objective with a degree of cover not afforded by a more remote or isolated location. However, this urban closeness introduced complexities previously unencountered: Tight sightlines, a significant military footprint, and the paramount concern of collateral damage.
This last point had been emphasised heavily in their mission briefing by Corvus.
The directives had been crystal clear and irrefutable: Minimise collateral damage at all costs.
The mandate extended beyond the physical structures of the megacity to its inhabitants, underscoring the need to preserve civilian lives with utmost diligence.
As they edged closer, each step was measured, each decision weighed with the gravity of these constraints, marking a significant pivot in their operational parameters now that they were deep within the city''s heart and going to be attempting to outright assault a heavily fortified military complex of extreme import.
As they nestled into the shadow of an urban warehouse, momentarily sheltered from the bustling activity of the main street, Thea called for a brief pause.
She needed to consolidate her observations with Desmond''s reconnaissance data, which had become increasingly valuable as they ventured closer to the city''s logistical heart.
Desmond''s drones had been weaving through the aerial traffic over the past hour, their presence obscured by the sheer volume of commercial and civilian drones that filled the skies like a metallic swarm.
The anonymity afforded by the drone-dense airspace provided them a much needed tactical advantage.
Desmond''s drones, equipped with basic spoofing technology by default, effortlessly blended in, circumventing the rudimentary security protocols that monitored the skies in these parts of the city. The automated defences of nearby logistics companies, designed to flag unauthorised drones, posed no threat to their carefully masked signals.
However, the potential encounter with a military drone remained a concern.
Such a scenario could compromise their position if the drone attempted to establish a direct link with Desmond''s equipment. Yet, in this sea of airborne machinery, the probability of being singled out was slim. The collective mass of drones acted as a natural barrier, a chaotic yet effective camouflage against any military scrutiny that might venture too close, that allowed them to utilise his drones for much needed intelligence gathering.
Thea turned to Desmond, her gaze fixed and expectant, "What have you found for us?"
Earlier, she had tasked him with identifying the safest route to cross the busy main street, a critical juncture in their approach to the control station.
After a momentary pause, Desmond''s response came not in words but through a digital transmission¡ªa detailed map materialised on her HUD, its paths illuminated in carefully chosen hues.
"The yellow-marked paths are all potentially viable," Desmond''s voice crackled through the comms of her armour, opting to keep the conversation as private as possible rather than speak openly, just in case, "but the green-marked tunnel is our best bet. It''s heavily trafficked, with over ten thousand civilians using it in just the past half an hour. The sheer volume of foot traffic should cloak our movements effectively."
He paused, allowing Thea to absorb the information. "However, there''s a catch," he continued, a note of caution in his tone. "The risk of encountering checkpoints is minimal, given the tunnel''s high usage rate¡ªany significant checkpoint would severely bottleneck movement, which doesn''t align with the observed flow of people. That said, if we do encounter security measures down there, our escape options would be severely limited."
Mulling over the details shared by Desmond, Thea considered their precarious situation. The tunnel, bustling with life, presented a promising yet risky path. The prospect of blending in with the throngs of citizens was appealing, yet the potential for entrapment loomed large in her mind.
''The tunnel is our best shot, but it''s also a double-edged sword. Getting spotted with no way out would definitely be the end of the line for us,'' she thought, her mind racing through scenarios.
However, the alternative paths, while less risky in terms of confinement, did not offer the cover and anonymity provided by the dense foot traffic of the tunnel. ''Lucas and Isabella are tough, but traversing the open and thoroughly busy street is way too risky. Their conditions, despite Kara¡¯s best efforts, still limit us significantly in this regard...'' Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Acknowledging the limited options at their disposal, Thea reluctantly concluded that the tunnel, fraught with risks as it might be, was indeed their necessary course of action. ''We''ll have to rely on stealth and the crowd. It''s a gamble, but it''s one we have to take.''
Thea conveyed her decision to the team, directing them towards the tunnel that Desmond had identified as their best passage through the city''s divided sections.
The tunnel was as bustling as Desmond had described, teeming with individuals on their daily commutes. The majority were moving in the opposite direction, likely residents from the city''s living quarters heading towards their jobs on the side of the thoroughfare Sovereign Alpha had just emerged from.
Thea rationalised the flow of traffic, ''It''s logical, given the residential zones that lie across the highway. Our direction might make us stand out slightly, but given our destination is a military complex, our appearance in combat gear should not be out of place at all.''
This thought provided a sliver of confidence as they moved against the current of people, their military attire blending in with the city''s mosaic of life yet moving distinctly towards a beacon of their own kind.
Their journey through the crowded tunnel was marked by the constant brush of shoulders and the occasional disgruntled expression directed their way. The bulk of their armour and weaponry didn''t make for easy passage in such ¡°tight¡± quarters, often leading to unintended shoves and the clatter of equipment against the hurried mass of civilians.
Despite the minor commotions they caused, however, their passage was remarkably smooth, free from the anticipated obstructions of guards or security checkpoints.
This lack of resistance allowed Thea to exhale in relief as they emerged on the other side, continuing their mission with a renewed sense of security. The whole day so far had been full of anxious thoughts, but surprisingly enough, the closer they got to their destination, the less it felt for her like there was to worry about.
Once they got to the complex, the plan was simple, after all: Take over or destroy the control station. No nuance needed, no fancy plans, just straight up destruction.
Directing the squad with a new-found precision, Thea led them towards the designated rendezvous point with Arrow Squad.
Morin had wisely chosen a nondescript apartment building as their temporary base, a decision that now seemed prophetic in its discretion and safety for their brief collaboration.
Upon their arrival inside the apartment complex, they found Arrow Squad waiting, with Morin at the helm, inviting them into their temporary base and offering some much appreciated respite.
"Good to see you all. You¡¯re looking a bit rough for wear but, honestly, I¡¯m surprised to see so many of you. Well done," he began, his voice carrying a weight of camaraderie and a hint of the burdens they all carried. He lifted his canteen in a gesture that spoke volumes, a brief salute to their fallen leader, Corvus. "It''s a tough loss, but from what I''ve heard, he did all of us proud."
Each member of both squads, caught in the shared moment of remembrance, raised their own canteens in response. They hadn¡¯t really had the time to truly process the fact that Corvus wasn¡¯t with them for this part of the mission, so the brief remembrance by Morin was more than welcome.
Morin shifted the tone slightly, his gaze meeting Thea''s as he moved on to the task at hand.
"We''re here to back you up at the first control station," he explained, the serious undertone of his words underscoring the importance of their collaboration. "The last Stellar Republic Ace''s location remains a mystery, and that''s a significant concern for us all."
The gravity of the situation was palpable, the unknown Ace casting a long shadow over their objectives and plans.
Thea, despite the late hour of last night¡¯s briefing, had absorbed every detail with the keen focus that had become second nature for her. Empyrean Alpha and Arrow Squad''s insights had painted a clear picture of the hurdles they faced, with the elusive Ace representing the most formidable of these.
In the thick of the ongoing conflict, the presence and actions of the Aces played a pivotal role in shaping the battlefield dynamics already.
Early reports from the frontline near the wall indicated that two of the Stellar Republic''s Aces had been entrenched there since the onset of hostilities, engaging in a relentless confrontation with two of the UHF''s Aces. It was akin to a high-stakes chess game unfolding on Nova Tertius, with all of them acting as pawns to drag out the real actors.
Backing the UHF''s efforts was Legate Kuan, a strategic Ace, rather than a battlefield one, whose oversight of the assessment had proved critical, orchestrating moves and counter-moves from a distance with a seasoned hand since the very moment they had landed on the planet.
The whereabouts of the last Stellar Republic Ace, however, remained shrouded in mystery, a gap in the intelligence that added a layer of complexity to their operational planning.
Speculations about their potential location ranged widely, from commanding forces in a role akin to Legate Kuan''s, safeguarding the closest SADD to prevent elite UHF infiltrations, or, what seemed most plausible given the strategic importance of the area, lurking within the sprawling urban expanse of the megacity, possibly near one of the critical control stations.
This last hypothesis held weight for several reasons, not least of which was the strategic advantage of overseeing operations where they could exert the most influence.
However, Legate Kuan had passed on an observation to Morin, noting a lack of actions typical of an Ace in command on the Stellar Republic''s part, a comment that, while cryptic, suggested the Ace''s absence from a purely strategic command role.
Though neither Morin, Hammr, Neike nor Thea could fully grasp the nuances of what being "Ace enough" entailed, they deferred to Kuan''s seasoned judgement, agreeing it was improbable for the last Ace to be orchestrating the Republic''s moves from behind the scenes.
For the second option, the UHF simply did not have the manpower, unless the Stellar Republic assumed that Legate Kuan was not a strategic Ace, but rather an infiltrator, just waiting for the right time to strike. Much like Legate Kuan¡¯s own expertise, however, it was unlikely the Stellar Republic¡¯s more experienced commanders would have missed his strategic manoeuvres, giving away his presence on the field as a strategic Ace.
That only really left the final option, that there was a hidden battlefield Ace on the Stellar Republic¡¯s side, waiting for infiltration teams to try and assault the control stations.
Whether they themselves were an infiltrator-type, a defender-type or maybe even a saboteur-type, was of no real relevance for the plan, as they were all just varying degrees of ¡°worst case scenario¡± for them. It didn¡¯t really matter if they were the perfect counter to them, just a really good counter or a fantastic counter, for they were a T3 Prime soldier guaranteed, fully equipped with equally powerful weapons and armour.
Therefore, the integration of Arrow Squad into their operations, while highly advantageous, served as a temporary solution rather than a definitive strategy to counter an Ace.
Despite their status as an elite infiltration unit, Arrow Squad wasn''t designed to hunt Aces. In Thea''s assessment, backed by Staff-Sergeant Venn''s evident and repeated trust in them, Arrow Squad stood out as one of the most skilled and potent forces in the field.
Yet, the prospect of directly engaging a Stellar Republic Ace in combat remained a daunting challenge that even Arrow Squad undoubtedly found overwhelming in the best of cases.
The intelligence concerning the Ace''s whereabouts was crucial and demanded acquisition by any means necessary, however.
Consequently, Arrow Squad''s role extended to the assault on the first control station not just as backup but as a strategic move to probe for the elusive Ace. This endeavour was aimed at gauging the enemy''s strength and, hopefully, uncovering clues to the Ace''s location, thereby informing the entire army¡¯s subsequent moves with critical insights.
Alongside Arrow Squad, the coalition for the assault on the first control station included Sovereign Alpha, Hegemon Alpha, and Empyrean Alpha, bolstered by five additional squads. These comprised two from the Sovereign, one from the Hegemon, and one from the Empyrean, marking a significant collaborative effort to increase their chances of success as high as possible, without neglecting the other control stations.
There had been lingering hopes for reinforcements from marines hailing from the Ascendant, particularly Kar¡¯al¡¯s squad or other non-Alpha groups, yet no communication had been received.
The absence of news from these squads led to the grim assumption that they had either been lost in the perilous journey through the urban outskirts or failed to penetrate the inner city in time for the rendezvous. Consequently, the mission had to proceed without their potential support, narrowing the collective strength to those confirmed present.
The realisation that other Sovereign marines were not just present but assigned the same daunting tasks, including a high-risk solo infiltration mission, came as an unexpected revelation to Thea and her team. While they had, of course, known that other Sovereign squads would be present in the assessment, they had not really paid it much mind until now.
Learning that two additional Sovereign squads had also rendezvoused in time for the operation, however, ended up instilling a peculiar sense of pride within them.
Despite minimal interactions with their fellow Sovereign recruits outside of the brief Practical, the mere knowledge that their drive had outperformed the others by contributing the most operatives for this critical phase of the mission provided a significant morale boost.
Over the ensuing hour, Arrow Squad and Sovereign Alpha seized the opportunity to finalise their assault strategies while sharing some stories and getting some last-minute rest, in the case of Lucas and Isabella, who were still suffering from their earlier injuries. Karania had also opted to take a quick nap, as she had not slept at all since the previous days¡¯ rush into the border wall¡¯s service tunnels.
Catching up with Moira and Viladia was a brief respite for Thea, offering her a chance to exchange stories since their last encounter post-wall breach.
Arrow Squad''s recent undertakings were as intense as Thea had anticipated, with Viladia recounting their strategic acts of sabotage that disrupted the enemy''s operations significantly.
They had managed to neutralise over half a dozen critical locations and obliterate two substantial ammunition depots close to the wall. Viladia''s recounting of how they exploited stolen communications to bamboozle their adversaries brought a hint of amusement to the conversation.
"Those stolen comms were a complete lithium mine," Viladia boasted, detailing how Crusher¡¯s ingenuity secured them military identification codes, which they exploited to requisition supplies directly under the Stellar Republic''s nose.
Their ruse, although short-lived due to the Stellar Republic¡¯s eventual countermeasures, had wreaked havoc on the enemy''s logistical capabilities.
Despite the inevitable crackdown and the scramble of their stolen codes, Arrow Squad''s efforts had significantly dented the Stellar Republic''s supply lines, demonstrating the profound impact a small, skilled team could have on the broader conflict.
While they wouldn¡¯t win the war for the UHF all by themselves, enough acts of sabotage like this were undoubtedly going to tip the scales in the right direction.
Thea then delved into the intricate details of her own harrowing journey through the city alongside Sovereign Alpha, culminating in the poignant account of Corvus'' heroic last stand and the subsequent obliteration of the Caliburn outpost, she captured Viladia and Moira''s undivided attention.
As she got to the end, detailing the exact way the mission had gone, culminating with Corvus¡¯ death and the explosion of the Caliburn, Viladia and Moira¡¯s jaws were hanging slack momentarily.
"Wow, just... wow," Moira managed to articulate, the enormity of the event rendering her usually quick wit momentarily stunted. Viladia, equally impacted, added, "That''s beyond anything we encountered¡ I do wonder what that tech was, though."
Viladia, fixing her gaze intently on Thea, sought clarification on a phenomenon that had puzzled them earlier. "So that massive explosion was the work of you guys then? We saw it from a distance. Momentarily thought the space battle was over, possibly an orbital strike. But the absence of any further bombardment and the lack of any warning on the comms channel left us more than a little perplexed. Morin thought it might have been a detonation of some tech hidden away in the outskirts, caused by one of the other infiltration squads, but I guess now we know..."
Moira, showing a flicker of curiosity, interjected, "So, the Caliburn uses Solarium in its design?"
This question opened the floodgates for Thea, who eagerly launched into an enthusiastic explanation about the intricate workings of her favourite toy, glad to finally get the opportunity to share her passion with Moira and Viladia.
However, her detailed exposition was soon cut short by Moira''s friendly but overwhelmed surrender, "Okay, okay, that''s a lot to take in, Thea! No offence, but I''m not sure what to do with all those details right now. Maybe jot it down for me for later or something?"
Moira continued, her expression shifting to one of contemplation. "Though, the use of Solarium... that''s a bit tricky for us. Given our usual assignments from Venn as either suicide squads or high-stakes infiltrators, carrying something that valuable into enemy territory is risky. Losing such a weapon would likely end with us being unceremoniously ejected into space by Venn himself. It''s essential for us to have gear that''s expendable and easily replaceable in the field, be it T1 or T2¡"
Thea''s enthusiasm momentarily dimmed upon realising Viladia and Moira wouldn''t be adopting their own versions of the Caliburn, yet the opportunity to divulge its intricacies and exchange tales with the two marines had its own merit, which she cherished deeply.
As their moments of respite drew to a close, signalling the looming operation, Viladia leaned in with a mischievous glint and a half-suppressed grin, whispering, ¡°Just between us, better not spill to Johnsen about that explosion being your handiwork. He''s been nursing his eyesight back to health for a couple of days now, thanks to his regeneration kicking in. Had to use [Hippocratic Exchange] on most of us so we could see properly again after that blinding light. To say he was irritated would be an understatement.¡±
The revelation from Viladia, laced with a conspiratorial glee, certainly added a lighter note to Thea''s thoughts as they prepared for the imminent mission. The thought of keeping the secret from Johnsen, knowing it would save her from falling down his shit-list, that she was undoubtedly on, was a small but significant comfort.
Despite the momentary uplift in spirits from sharing stories and technical passions, the gravity of their next steps weighed heavily on her. The assault on the control station loomed large, marking a pivotal moment in their mission that could very well define the success or failure of their overall assessment¡¯s outcome.
With the assault finally upon them, Thea and Sovereign Alpha braced for the assault on the first of five control stations, synchronising their efforts with other UHF infiltration squads targeting two additional stations.
The strategy was clear: Diminish the Stellar Republic''s control by seizing three crucial nodes in a coordinated attack, a feat of precision and daring given the limited forces at their disposal. This unified strike represented the culmination of their training and planning, aiming to leave only two control stations in enemy hands by the end of the morning; none, by the end of the day.
Whichever squads finished taking out their control station first, immediately moved on to CS4 and CS5, to fully open the figurative flood gates that held back the UHF¡¯s main army from entering the city.
Sovereign Alpha¡¯s goals were clear, even without them having to openly talk about it with each other. They all knew what they were aiming for: Taking out at least two stations.
They were the highest PV Alpha Squad in the history of the UHF, so it was only natural for them to shoot for contributing the most. All that was left was to put words into action¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 100 - Resonance
- PoV: Sergeant Doc Knave -
Sergeant Knave''s morning ritual had become an exercise in tedium, heightened by the looming threat of the undead hordes clustering at the city''s outer wall.
Surrounded by the dreary confines of his office, he was buried under an avalanche of intelligence reports, each detailing the movements and activities of the elusive UHF infiltrator squads that had wormed their way into Nova Tertius.
Despite the Stellar Republic''s sophisticated defence mechanisms that protected Nova Tertius, the perfect shield against such tactics remained a distant, utopian dream in the chaotic, post-System galaxy.
Tasked with the monumental responsibility of safeguarding the megacity''s vital military assets, Knave and his fellow commanding officers were plunged into a ceaseless battle of wits, poring over documents to devise effective countermeasures against potential acts of sabotage.
¡°At least I won¡¯t have to worry whether or not they¡¯ll show up here¡ That much is a given,¡± he quietly mused to himself as he put away another report of a potential sighting from one of the passageways that led underneath the main highway that snaked its way through Nova Tertius¡¯ heart.
Where other COs had the issue of trying to anticipate whether or not any infiltrators would even show up, Sergeant Knave didn¡¯t have that issue. Being the CO in charge for one of the five control stations that operated the main wall¡¯s defences, it was a foregone conclusion that any infiltrator squads would make their way to him at one point or another.
There wasn¡¯t really any other reason for infiltrator squads to mass in the city to begin with, if they didn¡¯t intend on taking out the control stations.
For him, the question wasn¡¯t about ¡°if¡±, but simply ¡°when¡± and ¡°how¡±.
Sergeant Knave''s routine was abruptly interrupted when the third consecutive report of unusual activity along the main highway landed on his desk. It was different this time, carrying a sense of urgency that couldn''t be ignored.
"Sir, we''ve got another sighting," his aide announced, breaking through the monotonous silence of the office. "Eyewitnesses near the eastern pedestrian tunnel reported a squad of heavily armed individuals making their way through."
"How many?" Sergeant Knave inquired, his voice steady as he entered the details onto his datapad and highlighted the location of the sighting.
"Three, according to the civilian report," the aide responded, his voice tinged with a growing anxiety.
"Do you reckon this could be the prelude to their move on us?" the concern now plainly evident in his question.
Sergeant Knave paused for a moment, his fingers halting their dance on the datapad.
"If it isn''t, I''d be genuinely surprised, Clive," he said, meeting his aide''s worried gaze with a calmness that belied the gravity of their situation. His matter-of-fact response did little to alleviate Clive''s apprehension, instead possibly heightening it.
Sergeant Knave leaned back in his chair, the weight of the intelligence reports pressing against him both physically and metaphorically.
"Consider the facts," he began, his voice a blend of confidence and gravity as he pieced together the puzzle laid out by the day''s events. "They''ve been skulking around the city, ducking our eyes in the sky and ears on the ground at every opportunity. And now, suddenly, we''ve got sightings of them boldly crossing the main thoroughfare. Not exactly the subtlety you''d expect from ghost operatives, is it? They''re converging near us," he deduced, his tone suggesting that the pieces were falling into place.
A smile crept onto his face, an instinctive reaction to the realisation of what was coming.
"They''re gearing up for something big. Only one thing brings them out of the shadows like this: They''re planning to hit us. And soon. They wouldn''t be as obvious if they weren''t striking soon; they can''t afford to give us the time to prepare."
Standing, he stretched his legs, feeling the confinement of the command centre he''d practically lived in these past days.
Approaching Clive, he clapped a reassuring hand on his aide''s shoulder, towering slightly as he imparted a mix of reassurance and resolve. "But we''ll stand our ground. They underestimate us if they believe a mere handful of infiltrators can dismantle one of our control stations. If that''s their entire strategy, then they''re more rotten in the head than we ever gave them credit for."
Sergeant Knave left the confines of his command centre, signalling to a pair of soldiers stationed nearby with a stern nod.
"Gather the duty Corporals and have them in the command centre within ten minutes. I need a moment," he announced briskly, pivoting on his heel to take a solitary stroll around the perimeter of the control station.
The fresh air and the gravity of the situation combined to clear his mind from the monotony of the recent days, readying him for the briefing ahead.
As he walked, a sense of anticipation grew within him, his thoughts racing with strategic possibilities.
''So they¡¯re finally coming,'' he mused, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a predatory smile. The frustration of the past few days, the endless stream of reports, the waiting game that tied his hands¡ªit was all coming to a head. ''Idle patrols have never been the answer to stealth infiltrations; all we could do was watch and wait. But now, the stage is set,'' he reflected, his steps measured and purposeful.
The anticipation of confrontation kindled a fire within him, a welcome change from the passive surveillance he had been confined to.
Yet, he knew the importance of tempering his eagerness, understanding that overt excitement could cast shadows of doubt on his leadership. This brief respite of the walk would allow him to compose himself, ensuring he could lead the upcoming meeting with the calculated calm expected of a commanding officer.
Sergeant Knave made his way to the heart of the control station''s defences, the main control building.
His eyes scanned the area, ensuring the guards stationed around the perimeter were on high alert, their postures indicating readiness rather than complacency.
He also inspected the positioning of the auto-cannons he had specifically ordered to be brought here, confirming they were aligned precisely as he had directed earlier in the week.
It was a routine check, but in his mind, redundancy was a layer of security, especially when the stakes were as high as they were now.
His focus on these preparations stemmed from an acute awareness of the calibre of threat they were likely to face. To the uninitiated, all infiltrator squads might appear similar, but Sergeant Knave had enough experience to know better.
The elite squads¡ªthe ones capable of executing missions with almost supernatural efficiency and lethality¡ªwere a different breed entirely. These were the squads that could unravel months of strategic planning in a matter of minutes, and he had no intention of underestimating their capabilities.
This was not merely paranoia either.
The loss of a key facility in the abandoned industrial sector just two days prior was a stark reminder of what these elite units could accomplish. That debacle had been a severe blow to their operations, one that Knave was determined not to let the undead repeat.
A fusion explosion, likely the consequence of a Solarium weapon being overcharged and detonated, had completely destroyed and evaporated their hidden outpost.
The very existence of the Solarium-based weapon itself already proved his point of another elite squad being present; for no mere T1 soldier could even think about licensing one. It required a specific type of Tier-Up Voucher to get, which was only available as an Accomplishment reward, as far as he knew, and also cost quite a lot of System Credits to acquire in the first place.
The outpost they had lost, nestled away and invisible to most, had been intended as more than just a mere fallback; it had been an integral piece of strategic infrastructure designed to bolster the wall''s defences through some experimental, technological innovation.
It housed a pioneering system capable of enhancing the autonomous defence mechanisms spanning a significant portion of the wall, thereby reducing the burden on manual oversight and control from the stations themselves.
This facility was not intended to merely replace some of the comprehensive protection offered by the control stations but to serve as a crucial support, further enhancing the wall''s defensive capabilities once activated.
Its premature destruction, especially before any direct assault on the primary control stations, had sent shockwaves through the command structure.
Such a precise and effective strike against a target whose existence was a closely guarded secret underscored a chilling realisation: The attackers possessed intelligence and capabilities far beyond standard reconnaissance and assault parameters.
This realisation had forced Sergeant Knave and his contemporaries to confront a disturbing possibility: If their adversaries could so effortlessly identify and neutralise strategic assets hidden from the eyes of even their own rank and file, then the Stellar Republic¡¯s military was facing an opponent whose tactical acumen and resourcefulness could jeopardise the entire defensive operation.
But such was the nature of war, at least in Sergeant Knave¡¯s mind.
Underestimating the enemy was never a smart move; something he utterly detested.
Where others groaned and complained about the destruction of the outpost, he saw intelligence instead.
Markedly, the fact that there was more than one elite squad on his side of the city.
One that had taken out the ammunition depots near the wall and continuously sabotaged their communications via a stolen comms unit and another that had sniffed out and destroyed their redundancy.
In light of this, Sergeant Knave had been proactive, conceptualising layers of contingencies and redundancies, plans to fortify the control station against a coordinated assault, under the assumption that both elite squads might decide to team up to take it out.
Plans that would undoubtedly prove invaluable in the coming hours¡
The fiery spectacle on the south-eastern perimeter of the base marked the commencement of what Sergeant Knave had been anticipating: A full-scale assault.
As he observed the inferno, which seemed to leap with predatory hunger from one fortification to the next, obliterating the base''s defences as if they were mere kindling, a recognition flashed through his mind.
"IgT-compound," he remarked under his breath, a note of grudging respect for the attackers'' choice of incendiary, known for its ferocity and relentless spread.
The distant echoes of gunfire melded into a continuous roar, signalling the intensity of the conflict continuing to unfold.
Knave''s strategic foresight had prepared him for this moment; he had expected the UHF to launch a multifaceted attack and had thus far identified the presence of four distinct infiltration squads that were attacking their position.
Yet, he knew this was merely the opening move in a much larger game of tactical chess being played out.
Turning to his aide, Clive, who stood ready at his side, Knave issued his commands with calm authority. "Deploy two additional squads to reinforce our defences on the south-eastern front immediately. And double the patrols on the northern perimeter. Our intelligence suggests we''re dealing with a considerable force. I anticipate we''ll be facing at least double the number of squads currently engaging us," he stated, his voice steady amidst the chaos.
Clive nodded and quickly relayed the orders to the squad leaders, mobilising the base''s resources to counter the multi-pronged assault.
Despite the effectiveness of the enemy''s attacks, he remained unshaken, acutely aware that the true threat had yet to reveal itself.
The initial squads, while surprisingly competent, had not displayed the signature efficiency and devastating impact of the elite units he anticipated. The base had sustained damage, yes, but not the catastrophic losses that would signify the presence of the T1 Prime power-ranked infiltration teams he was counting on being there.
Another aide''s voice pierced the tense atmosphere, reporting a new development.
A squad had been spotted by one of the hidden drones that Sergeant Knave had setup days ago in anticipation of exactly such an assault, manoeuvring through a residential building nearby, potentially seeking a vantage point or entry into the base¡¯s defences.
Sergeant Knave''s response was immediate and devoid of any hesitation. "Blow them up," he commanded with an air of finality, assigning the task to Baltro Squad, specialists in long-range explosives. His order was executed with swift efficiency, the aide quickly setting the wheels in motion.
The fact that the enemy infiltration squads were seeking refuge within residential buildings was nothing surprising to him.
He would have done the same, after all.
Against lesser opponents, he might have cared more, but with the threat of the elite squads looming, he couldn¡¯t afford to send too much firepower in that direction, simply to prevent some civilian casualties.
The civilians living near the military bases signed their leases fully knowing that in the event of an attack, their lives were not a priority. As a result, there was nothing to worry about for him.
Sergeant Knave instead returned his focus to the sprawling holographic display, which offered a bird''s eye view of the battlefield. It allowed him real-time insights into the movements around the entire perimeter, fed by a network of sensors and reports from the ground.
He knew the relative silence before the storm was deceiving; the elite squads were out there, biding their time, blending into the chaos of the city.
In this intricate dance of cat and mouse, Sergeant Knave found himself playing both roles.
For now, he was the prey, luring out the predators with strategic patience. But he was prepared to switch to the predator the moment his adversaries made their move, leveraging his preparedness and the might of the Stellar Republic''s defences.
The ongoing conflict was more than a mere battle; it was a high-stakes game where strategy, anticipation, and adaptability would determine the victor¡
Clive''s update resonated with a mix of relief and admiration, reflecting the impact of Sergeant Knave''s strategic foresight. "Three enemy squads have been fully neutralised, Sir. And the additional five squads from the north, just as you predicted, were met with significant resistance due to the auto-turrets you deployed. Their advance has been effectively stymied," he relayed, his voice betraying his respect for the sergeant''s planning.
Sergeant Knave, while pleased, maintained his focus, well aware that the true challenge had yet to present itself. "Stay vigilant, Clive. The real test is imminent. The elite units we''ve been anticipating are likely on their move. Be ready to act swiftly," he cautioned, his demeanour a blend of readiness and resolve.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The assault on the control station, although slightly askew from the original expectations, remained within a controllable spectrum of outcomes. The prowess and tenacity of the UHF''s infiltration teams had exceeded Sergeant Knave''s initial assessments.
Notably, the squad armed with the IgT flamethrower had inflicted severe damage on the southeastern defences before they had been able to be neutralised, decimating a substantial segment of the outer barriers and even turning nearby civilian structures into a chaotic inferno.
The destruction had not only breached vital defensive lines but also brought about unintended havoc within the base, scattering debris and igniting dangerous wildfires that complicated their tactical positioning. The chaos unleashed by the UHF infiltrators had transformed the southeastern quadrant of the base into a nightmare of flames and rubble.
Sergeant Knave couldn''t help but express his disdain for their tactics under his breath.
"The sheer recklessness... These undead monsters have no fucking respect for human lives at all; simply because they can come back," he grumbled, the frustration evident in his voice over the excessive collateral damage.
However, what caught him off guard the most was the encounter involving Baltro Squad, a team he had dispatched to neutralise what he presumed to be a routine threat.
Expecting an easy demolition with their specialised launchers, Baltro Squad had instead walked into what could only be described as an ambush set by an unexpectedly formidable enemy.
Sniper shots, unnervingly accurate, combined with a relentless barrage from a rotary machine gun, shattered their cover and strategy in moments.
The initial engagement had been disastrous for Baltro Squad, with half of their number quickly killed in the fierce exchange that erupted following them blowing open the stairwell of the building.
The stalemate that ensued as both parties sought new vantage points only highlighted the unexpected prowess of their adversaries.
Fearing the premature loss of his explosive specialists, especially before the anticipated appearance of the UHF''s elite units, Doc had quickly ordered additional support to bolster Baltro Squad.
"But they couldn''t be one of the elite squads, could they?" he pondered, almost speaking to himself. "An elite squad wouldn''t have been spotted by a simple drone scouting..."
Sergeant Knave''s strategic contemplations were abruptly interrupted by an unexpected presence that made him startle by letting out a surprised gasp.
"Damn it, Myka! What do you want?!" he exclaimed, more out of surprise than anger at the sudden appearance of his colleague.
Myka, unfazed by his reaction and with a mischievous smile playing on her lips, responded in her usual playful manner, "Thought I''d drop by to see how you''re holding up."
Her grin widened, belying the seriousness of her visit. "Actually, I was hoping you''d have something for me to do. But looks like the universe just answered my wish!"
Doc''s brow furrowed in concern at her cryptic comment.
"What are you getting at?" he inquired, the tension palpable in his voice.
Myka had a reputation for relishing a very specific type of combat situation, one that Knave was not keen on engaging, without being absolute necessity.
Her next words sent a chill down his spine, confirming his apprehensions.
"There''s a Psyker among them," Myka declared, her excitement barely containable. "And not just any Psyker, at that! This one''s good. They¡¯re somewhere to the south, I can barely feel them. Their control over their Gate is superb¡ I''m itching to find out what they''re capable of! Put me in, coach!"
Despite Myka''s singular focus on enemy Psykers, Doc was aware that indulging her enthusiasm unchecked was not an option, especially with the presence of two elite UHF squads still unaccounted for.
Nevertheless, the threat posed by a skilled UHF Psyker operating freely was too significant to ignore, compelling him to deploy Myka despite his reservations.
"Go. And take Feldis with you. I want both of you to work together on this; no unnecessary fights! Take out the Psyker and come right back here, I will probably have work for you once you¡¯re done," Knave commanded, his voice betraying none of the concern swirling in his mind.
Myka''s response, a mix of an irritated groan and mock compliance, came in the form of a grudging salute and a cheeky "Aye, aye, Captain!" before she spun on her heel and dashed off to locate Feldis.
''Assigning both of my Psykers to this task is a massive gamble,'' Knave conceded internally, weighing the risks.
The prospect of facing a formidable UHF Psyker without using all of the firepower available to him was a risk he was unwilling to take. Yet, the decision still left him uneasy, the shadow of the unknown elite squads and the sheer unpredictability of their number haunting his thoughts.
With his orders given, all Knave could do now was wait, trusting in his base''s defences and the soldiers under his command to hold the line.
The path ahead was fraught with uncertainty, yet the game of strategy and anticipation was one he was all too familiar with. Now, it was a matter of playing his cards right and hoping for the best outcome in the tense hours to come¡
Amidst the chaos of crumbling rockcrete and the constant threat of enemy fire, Sovereign Alpha found themselves in a precarious position within the stairwell of a partly demolished building.
The unexpected rocket barrage from the Stellar Republic had torn through the building''s north side, effectively cutting off their route of escape and leaving them vulnerable. Trapped three-fourths of the way up, with the stairwell below and above them exposed to enemy sights, their situation was dire.
Despite the adversity, Thea and Isabella had not hesitated to retaliate.
With Thea''s precision and Isabella''s heavy weaponry, they managed to eliminate several of the Stellar Republic''s heavy-weapons soldiers. However, their spirited defence could not change the fact that they were effectively trapped.
Before the catastrophe, Arrow Squad had parted ways with Sovereign Alpha, believing the building would provide an advantageous vantage point for their mid-range combat tactics.
The decision seemed sound until a drone, previously unnoticed as it clung to the building''s exterior, facilitated their discovery, leading to the devastating rocket attack that blew a gaping hole in their cover.
In response to their dire circumstances, Lucas had quickly positioned his Stalwart shield to guard the staircase leading down, preventing any surprise attacks from below.
Simultaneously, Desmond had taken similarly swift action, deploying two drones¡ªone to monitor the staircase leading upwards and another to scout through a nearby window, desperately searching for an alternative escape route from their perilous position.
In the tense silence that followed the barrage, Thea''s voice cut through with a vital reminder, "Keep out of sight; snipers are probably zeroing in on us." She knew the precariousness of their situation demanded immediate action to secure more room for manoeuvring; a single well-aimed explosive could end their mission disastrously.
"Ela, blow those walls," Thea commanded, pointing towards the closest residential barriers. "Warn the occupants first," she hastily added, observing as Isabella prepped her Devastator for the task at hand.
Karania was quick to follow up, pulling out several white-foam grenades.
She set about sealing parts of the shattered stairwell wall, aiming to expand their limited operational area ever so slightly.
''Glad Kara¡¯s quick as always,'' Thea silently praised, her mind racing with strategies to counter their disadvantage.
The ambush had completely blindsided them; if not for Thea''s last-second psychic premonition, the squad would have likely lost at least half their members by the initial attack.
Recovering from the shock of the rockets'' impact, they found themselves amidst a battle for survival. The building segment they occupied had suffered significant structural harm due to the Stellar Republic''s ruthless assault, leaving them in a dangerous limbo between stability and potential collapse.
¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯d just blow up their own civilian¡¯s homes like this! What the fuck is wrong with these freaks?!" Thea exclaimed, her voice laced with anger and disbelief. Briefly risking a glance from her cover to assess their opponents, she aligned her Gram¡¯s scope, searching for any sign of the enemy.
However, her heightened Psychic Senses abruptly signalled an incoming threat almost immediately, a precognitive warning that had her darting back behind the relative safety of her cover just as sniper fire whizzed past, striking the wall where she had been moments before.
The realisation hit her; they were significantly outnumbered. "They''ve got at least three squads focusing on us now... Ela, we need those walls down!"
From her right, Isabella confirmed her readiness, her voice resolute amidst the din of battle. "On it, boss. No response from inside¡ªhopefully, the apartment''s empty. Going for it in three, two, one..."
The explosion, precisely calculated, tore through the building''s structure, hurling debris and shrouding the area in a thick cloud of dust. The once intact walls and doors of the adjacent apartments were now completely obliterated, leaving behind a chaotic sprawl of what were once people''s living spaces.
¡°Follow me,¡± Thea commanded over the squad comms, hoping that her voice would cut through the temporary deafness induced by the explosion''s aftermath. The use of a shaped charge had focused the blast inward, sparing them from the brunt of the explosion, yet the ensuing cacophony was just as disorienting as always.
Leading with determination, Thea navigated the debris-strewn gap between their initial cover and the newfound shelter provided by the breached apartments. The swirling dust served as a makeshift camouflage against the vigilant eyes of enemy snipers still scanning for movement.
Relying on her dual assets¡ªher scout training and her unique Psychic Senses¡ªThea felt a strong sense of duty, a silent guardian for her team in unpredictable moments like these.
She methodically cleared the apartments, finding them deserted of both foe and innocent alike.
The destruction had merged two distinct living spaces into one larger, yet devastated area.
This expansion of their battleground offered Sovereign Alpha a tactical advantage they were sorely in need of. Cramped in a stairwell that afforded minimal protection, they had been vulnerable. Now, with the wall that once divided the apartments and the hallway also gone, they gained the spatial freedom necessary to strategize and manoeuvre, a small but critical victory in the heat of their ongoing siege.
As Thea manoeuvred her way through the devastated apartments, Lucas''s voice, tense and urgent, pierced the chaos from the direction of the stairwell.
"Drop the gun! We don¡¯t mean any harm!" he exclaimed, his tone indicating that the standoff didn''t involve an enemy combatant.
"Stop that! Drop the gun, please!" Lucas''s voice, now edged with desperation, attempted once more to defuse the tension, his plea directed towards an unseen figure below them.
The atmosphere thickened with apprehension as Lucas''s next shout, "Don¡¯t come up here! What are you doing!" hinted at the situation spiralling out of control.
Thea, sensing the urgency, hastened her steps, darting through the wreckage towards the commotion, only to be met with the deafening blast of Isabella¡¯s Devastator. The weapon''s distinctive thunderous discharge filled the air, its aim directed ominously down the stairwell.
In the immediate aftermath, Lucas and Karania''s voices, laden with shock and disbelief, shattered the brief lull that followed the gunfire. "Isabella?!" they cried out in unison, their words a mixture of anger and confusion. "What the fuck are you doing?! That was a civilian!"
"Get your heads out of your asses!" she roared, her words echoing off the stairwell''s battered walls, making every member of the squad jolt in surprise. The squad, taken aback, had never witnessed her lose her composure in such a manner before, and the raw intensity in her tone was enough to send chills down their spines.
"That¡¯s not a fucking civilian! If you swing a gun around when soldiers are involved, in the middle of an active warzone, you¡¯re not a civilian, you¡¯re a fucking combatant. Just because they don¡¯t wear the enemy¡¯s uniform doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re neutral. Get your shit together, Lucas. You too, Karania. You¡¯re too damn smart to make a fuss over this shit! There are no civilians on the battlefield!"
As Isabella''s figure briskly receded into the dust and chaos of the battered apartments, setting to work with a methodical precision that belied the tumult of her emotions on a new set of shaped charges on the far-side walls of the apartments, Thea was left to ponder the weight of the moment. Isabella¡¯s raw admonition reverberated through the rubble around them, her words carrying the hard-earned wisdom and scars of urban warfare of her past.
Thea recognized the depth of experience behind Isabella''s outburst, acknowledging the grim realities of combat in such complex environments.
''That sounded a lot more personal than I would¡¯ve thought¡ Ela does have practical experience with urban combat, so I guess it¡¯s only to be expected that she¡¯d feel more intensely about these things,'' she reflected silently, acknowledging the gravity of Isabella''s experience and the brutal pragmatism it necessitated.
Gathering her thoughts, Thea addressed her squad, her voice cutting through the tension with a command that brooked no argument.
¡°Focus up,¡± she said, her tone deliberate and composed. She chose a path of pragmatic leadership, avoiding taking sides but emphasising the mission''s immediate demands. ¡°We can worry about ethics, morals, and points later. For now, keep your head in the game; we have enough challenges as it is. Anyone that isn¡¯t UHF and could be a threat is an enemy. That¡¯s an order.¡±
Her words were a clear directive in the fog of war, a reminder that in the midst of conflict, survival often hinged on making difficult decisions.
Lucas and Karania''s faces tightened, their expressions a clear indicator of their inner turmoil, yet their nods were firm, signalling their reluctant agreement with Thea''s directive.
Isabella, undeterred by the recent dispute, was already methodically setting charges within the confines of the apartment. Her actions were precise, each placement a calculated step towards forging a path out of their current predicament.
Thea evaluated the situation with a critical eye, well aware that relying on an alternate staircase for egress was a gamble with high stakes, given the enemy''s unchecked heavy weaponry.
"Lucas, position your Stalwart here," Thea commanded, her voice carrying a sense of urgency mixed with strategic foresight."I need its protection to scout for the enemy''s heavy weapons."
Without hesitation, Lucas manoeuvred the formidable shield into place, providing a bastion of defence amidst the uncertainty.
Karania, now tasked with the critical role of securing their rear, acted with her typical and swift efficiency.
She launched another pair of white-foam grenades, the expanding barrier forming a makeshift barricade, a temporary fortification within the stairwell.
The defensive heavy quickly approached the gaping breach in the stairwell, his shield at the ready. He positioned the Stalwart, activating its grav-lock mechanism to secure it against the floor, creating an impromptu, yet downright unbreakable bulwark.
His body served as an additional layer of defence, ready to absorb any sudden onslaught. The moment stretched, tense with anticipation, but when no assault came, he shifted his focus to his Havoc, preparing for engagement.
"Clear on my end, Thea," Lucas signalled with a confident thumbs-up, his readiness reassuring amidst the chaos.
Thea, now poised besides Lucas behind the makeshift cover, braced for a series of calculated risks. Each peek over the Stalwart meant potentially locking eyes with death, given the enemy snipers'' vigilance. Yet, her newly found confidence in relying on her Psychic Senses offered a sliver of hope, a chance to outmanoeuvre their unseen foes.
Just as she prepared to exploit this edge, a sudden, inexplicable sensation halted her advance¡ªa deep, resonant tug at her core, unfamiliar and unsettling. This novel sensation, neither pain nor alarm, seemed to emanate from within, leaving her momentarily bewildered.
''What the fuck is this now?'' she questioned internally, grappling with the mysterious feeling that rooted her to the spot.
It was as though an unseen force sought her attention, compelling her to pause and reconsider her next move.
''Is this something new¡ This doesn¡¯t feel like the usual warning?'' Thea''s thoughts raced, searching for meaning in this uncharted experience, while the battlefield awaited her response.
Thea squeezed her eyes shut, channelling her concentration towards the origin of the unsettling sensation, only to be greeted by a disquieting realisation.
It was emanating from her Psychic Gate.
Panic briefly flickered within her as she internally cursed, ''Now?! Of all times?''
Frustration mounted; the last thing she needed amidst this chaotic skirmish was her Psychic Abilities throwing her another curveball.
"Everything okay, Thea?" Lucas''s concern filtered through, his voice oddly distant amidst the tumult of her internal turmoil.
Gathering her wits, she managed a measured response, "Just a momentary check. All good." She aimed to keep Lucas''s worry at bay, especially after the unfavourable order she had just made moments earlier.
Refocusing on herself, Thea sought clarity on the unprecedented psychic disturbance. ''This isn''t like any previous flare-up. There''s something distinctly different this time.''
The notion was both a relief and a source of new anxiety¡ªrelief that it wasn''t a malfunction of her Gate, but anxiety from the unknown message it attempted to convey.
Her unease deepened as another, even more complex and powerful resonance layered over the first, draining the colour from her face.
''I need answers now,'' she thought, desperation creeping in.
She swiftly opened a comm link, hoping against hope that Viladia was still within reach. A wave of relief washed over her as the comm system chirped affirmatively, ready to connect her to the answers she sought so urgently.
Thea''s voice was urgent, threading the line between concern and confusion as she relayed the unsettling sensations emanating from her Psychic Gate to Viladia. "Vi, there''s this... Weird sensation, right where my Gate is. It''s like... Some sort of resonance, maybe? Started with just one, and now there''s another. They''re pulsing in this odd rhythm, and I can''t make heads or tails of it. Any idea what the fuck is going on?" She quickly provided all the information she could, fully knowing that she was revealing things to Viladia that they hadn¡¯t really talked about yet, but she didn¡¯t have time to be wishy-washy about this.
The silence that followed her hurried explanation stretched on, amplifying Thea''s anxiety, until Viladia''s voice finally pierced the tense wait.
¡°Thea, listen carefully: I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s your Gate warning you of other, nearby Gates,¡± came Viladia''s grave and urgent response. ¡°I have no other explanation ready, as I don¡¯t really know much about it other than that¡ What you¡¯re feeling is very likely two enemy Psykers coming your way. Be super fucking careful! I wish I could help out, but we¡¯re stuck here. If you can, just run!¡±
Thea felt a chill run through her at Viladia''s words, understanding the gravity of her situation with newfound clarity. She managed a terse, "Thanks, Vi," before snapping her comms shut.
She knew that the first thing she had to do was inform the squad.
¡°There are two Psykers coming our way. Brace yourselves for¡ Honestly? I have no fucking idea. This will be something entirely new, so¡ Just brace yourselves for everything, I guess,¡± Thea announced, causing the rest of the squad to stop dead in their tracks.
¡°I have the highest Resolve out of all of us, so I¡¯ll try to paint myself as their target. The Attribute supposedly helps with staving off Psychic Powers, so¡ Hopefully it just works and I don¡¯t really need to do anything about it?¡± She offered, unsurety tainting her voice, despite her best efforts to sound confident.
As their eyes were all trained on Thea after her announcement, she couldn¡¯t help but feel thoroughly out of her depth. This situation had gone from bad, to worse, to absolutely apocalyptic in a matter of mere minutes and she found it hard to fully grasp just what exactly had even happened.
All the while, the two resonances that rhythmically pulsed in her chest became faster and faster, as the two nearby Gates closed in on their position¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 101 - Despair
Desmond, being the first to manage to shake off the initial shock of the situation, voiced his concerns with a mix of incredulity and dread, "Shit! Psykers?! What''s our plan for that? Anyone got any training against these types?"
Their exchanged glances spoke volumes, revealing a mutual lack of preparation for combating enemy Psykers. This acknowledgment hung heavy in the air, underscoring their precarious situation.
"Great, just what we needed¡" Desmond''s frustration was palpable as he threw his hands in the air, his tone laced with sarcasm and resignation, "With my luck and bottom-of-the-barrel Resolve¡ Guess I¡¯ll just die. Fantastic. Let''s hope you figure something out afterwards, wishing you the best!"
Thea, recognizing the need for leadership, immediately stepped up, her voice cutting through the uncertainty with clarity and purpose. "Enough, Desmond. We don''t have time for this. I need you to use your drones to scout for those Psykers; they''re likely still outside. Find them," she directed firmly, redirecting the squad''s focus towards more actionable steps.
While she didn¡¯t have any idea about how to fight Psykers either, doing anything was likely better than worrying and doing nothing.
Thea¡¯s gaze shifted to Lucas, imbuing her next words with urgency, "Lucas, put your shield back to the stairway immediately. If they''re coming for us, that''s their most likely route. It''s our best chance to fend them off. Remember, despite their Powers, they''re still flesh and blood. A well-placed shot can stop them just like any other enemy."
Though she voiced this with conviction, internally, Thea harboured doubts, her mind replaying the dramatic unveiling of Psychic abilities by Major Quinn.
The notion that Psykers might actually be able to effortlessly halt bullets in mid-air, just like Major Quinn had suspended the Recruit mid-air before breaking her arm, lingered ominously in her thoughts.
Yet, she chose to withhold these fears, keenly aware of the critical role morale played in combat¡ªa lesson she had learned from Corvus, who always prioritised the spirit of his squad.
Shifting her focus to Isabella and Karania, Thea outlined her next directive, "Ela, Kara, I need you two to rig this floor with explosives we can trigger remotely. If a retreat becomes our only option, I want the capability to obliterate our position. Be cautious not to compromise the building''s integrity, but prioritise lethality. Should the worst come to pass, we''ll ensure it''s not a one-sided affair, so the rest of the squads can finish this mission without enemy Psykers skulking about."
Determined nods followed as Sovereign Alpha sprang into action.
Thea herself, meanwhile, focused her attention down onto her own body, trying to figure out how to get more information out of that extremely vague feeling of the Psychic Gate¡¯s call.
¡®Alright¡ Without touching the thing, how do I get more information about where they are¡? Is that even something I can do?¡¯ She pondered as she started probing her internal world very carefully, making sure not to directly pay any attention to the Psychic Gate itself. The last thing they needed was a repeat of what happened when she returned to the frontlines.
Thea tried her best to figure out what exactly the strange feeling was trying to tell her, but outside of a vague sense of ¡°there are other Psykers around and they are closing in,¡± she didn¡¯t manage to get any information at all from it over the next few minutes.
¡®If I touch the Gate¡ Maybe I can get more information¡¡¯ she mused, the thought dangerously looming in her mind.
It was something she wanted to avoid at all costs, but simultaneously, she didn¡¯t want to leave the rest of the squad out to dry, with no information to work with.
The urge to take the risky step and experiment with the Psychic Gate within her grew with every passing second, as Thea¡¯s desperation grew. ¡®Without any form of intel, we¡¯re bound to take heavy losses¡¡¯
It was a decision she knew she¡¯d have to make; and fast.
Wasting any more time was not an option, as the vague sense of distance had shrunk to what felt like a minimum that the Psychic Gate could tell her, indicating that the enemy Psykers were likely to be extremely close by now.
She inched closer towards the Psychic Gate with her feelings, edging around it and prodding closer and closer, desperately wanting to open it even a little, to potentially glean that important piece of information they were missing¡
But she refrained.
Karania¡¯s stark warning and the promise she had made to her friend, to not open the Gate under any circumstances until she received proper training, was the beacon in the dark that allowed her to remain in control.
Thea rapidly pulled back entirely, returning her focus to the world around her.
She was panting heavily, the exhaustion of pulling back her own senses from what now seemed like a bottomless abyss deep within her leaving her reeling.
¡®Fuck me¡ That shit is beyond dangerous. I should not get close to that again,¡¯ she mused to herself, readying her Gram in an effort to calm herself down. The familiar feeling and heft of the weapon provided a much needed solace, as she surveyed the progress of the rest of the squad.
Karania and Isabella had effectively transformed the floor into a minefield with their meticulous placement of explosives, ensuring that most areas could be detonated if needed, while Lucas reassumed his defensive position by the staircase, his shield firmly in place.
Desmond''s figure, meanwhile, twitched sporadically, a clear indication of his struggle to control his remaining drone amidst evasive actions, his concentration deeply tied to the visual feedback from the device.
Thea watched silently, her focus divided between the preparations around her and Desmond''s efforts. Her patience paid off quickly as Desmond recoiled suddenly, a mix of frustration and resignation on his face.
¡°Damn it!¡± he exclaimed, halting abruptly as he realised Thea was close, almost colliding with her in his startled state. ¡°Sorry, really. Lost a drone. Only got one left now, and haven¡¯t been able to work on any new ones under these circumstances quite yet¡¡± His apology trailed off, signalling the severity of their situation.
Understanding flashed in Thea''s eyes, but she waited for more.
Desmond''s next words sparked interest, ¡°Spotted someone that might fit the bill, three buildings north-west. Their gear... it''s odd, familiar yet different. Light, kind of like yours, but different¡ definitely unique. Here, take a look¡± He extended his arm towards Thea, revealing the last captured images from the now lost drone on his wrist-display, showcasing the unknown figure clad in strange, entirely unfamiliar armour.
While the Stellar Republic and UHF very much differed in their armour designs by default, this was something else entirely. There usually were only subtle differences, maybe in colour or specific patterns used for the plating, but the armour worn by this individual was truly ¡°unique¡±, as Desmond called it.
It was crafted from a clearly light-type material but adorned with an array of peculiar appendages and configurations. Oval-shaped protrusions, some layered in complex, overlapping patterns, formed intricate, abstract shapes across its surface, that Thea didn¡¯t even know how to classify.
Its monochrome grey hue mirrored the drabness of rockcrete, yet the armour seemed alarmingly sparse in terms of protective capabilities. Several patches of the standard Stellar Republic uniform peeked through, indicating the armour wasn''t even fully enclosed or perhaps was designed with specific, unknown functions in mind rather than sheer defence.
Baffled by the sight, Thea knew she needed a second opinion. "Kara, have a look at this," she said, gesturing towards Desmond''s display.
Karania, with her insatiable curiosity and broad knowledge of the extremely unconventional, was the perfect person to consult. Thea hoped against hope that Karania might shed some light on the purpose or origin of such an unorthodox armour design.
As Karania leaned in, her eyes narrowed, scanning the images with a mix of intrigue and concentration. "Hmm," she hummed, her brain ticking away. "This doesn''t look like any standard issue or experimental gear I''ve read about¡ and I''ve dived into some pretty obscure medical tech in my time¡"
Her gaze lingered on the strange apparatus built into the armour, trying to decode their potential function or advantage on the battlefield.
"These appendages... could be sensory. They look a bit like¡ ears? In a very abstract kind of sense. Or maybe it¡¯s just something Psyker-related, considering the context." She shrugged slightly, a rare admission of uncertainty. "Without more data or seeing it in action, it''s hard to say for sure. Sorry, Thea. I have no clue."
Thea nodded, processing Karania''s assessment.
The situation was growing increasingly complex, and with Psykers already complicating the battlefield, this mysterious armour added another layer of unpredictability to their mission.
"Alright, let''s keep our eyes peeled for any more clues about what these guys are capable of," she decided, her resolve hardened. "And let''s be ready for anything."
¡°You got it, boss,¡± came Isabella¡¯s reply from the back of the room. ¡°Everything¡¯s set up on my end as well, just say the words and I¡¯ll blow the whole floor sky-high.¡±
Thea positioned herself strategically near the stairwell, her burgeoning instincts as both a leader and a scout dictating her choice.
Given her high base Resolve and her Psychic Senses, she considered herself the squad''s best chance at warding off the anticipated Psyker assault. The stairwell, likely the only viable approach for the enemy, was the critical choke point she intended to control.
Lucas stationed himself closely, his grenade launcher at the ready, armed with high-explosive rounds. His eyes were fixed on Thea, awaiting her cue to unleash a barrage over his sturdy shield and disrupt any incoming attackers.
Instructing the rest of Sovereign Alpha to maintain a low profile, Thea emphasised the importance of concealment.
With the capabilities of the enemy Psykers an unknown variable, it was critical to minimise their opportunities to exploit any vulnerabilities. She hoped, perhaps optimistically, that these Psykers would need direct visual contact to exert their influence, offering a sliver of tactical advantage to her team, as long as they stayed out of sight.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
As they settled into their positions, a tense silence enveloped the group.
Each member was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation, their focus razor-sharp.
Thea, feeling the weight of leadership more acutely than ever, scanned the surroundings with a mix of anticipation and apprehension, ready to react at the first sign of trouble.
The realisation that they were utterly unprepared to face Psykers gnawed at Thea.
The thought circled her mind, a mix of frustration and incredulity at their predicament. ¡®Thrown into the fray with not even a hint on how to counter Psykers. Great planning, UHF,¡¯ she mused bitterly, recalling her near-fatal encounters and the glaring gap in their tactical briefing from before the assessment began. ¡®Nearly killed myself twice and fighting entirely blind against unknown powers, fantastic. Just fucking fantastic.¡¯
Her train of thought was abruptly cut short by the distant sound of metallic footsteps resonating from the stairwell below, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over them.
¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Thea whispered, her voice low but clear, cutting through the tension like a knife. The rest of Sovereign Alpha stiffened in response, their readiness palpable in the air.
Karania and Isabella, positioned strategically to oversee the stairwell leading upwards, remained vigilant for any sign of enemy movement. They were prepared for the possibility of being flanked from another direction.
Desmond, isolated in his concentration, was huddled next to the window.
His fingers danced over controls, desperately seeking a visual on the approaching threat with his last operational drone. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, each member of the squad braced for the imminent confrontation, aware of the significant challenge that lay ahead without any form of guidance to help them out.
Thea''s senses were heightened, every sound and movement amplified in her mind as she tried to decipher the enemy''s approach.
¡®At least one squad; probably two. I can¡¯t tell who the Psyker is, but my Gate is practically screaming at me that they¡¯re close, so they¡¯re likely somewhere below us now¡¡¯ she thought, feeling the pulsing warning from her Psychic Gate growing more insistent with each step the enemy took closer.
Her focus narrowed to the sounds of advancing footsteps, the subtle clink of their gear a telltale harbinger of their numbers and proximity.
When the echoes of the first armoured footsteps reached the critical point just below their position, Thea seized the moment.
With precision honed by her unique foresight, she leaned over Lucas''s Stalwart shield, firing three quick shots. The certainty that her shots would find their marks was absolute; her Psychic Senses had assured their deadly outcome. Before she even confirmed the kills herself, she ducked back behind the safety of cover.
''Those were definitely just clones to scout us out,'' she reminded herself, maintaining her focus. Quickly, she indicated to her squad the elimination of three enemy clones, ensuring they remained informed of the situation. With the little intel they had, to make sure that everyone was fully informed at all times.
The tempo of the battle shifted as another group advanced, their approach more cautious.
At Thea''s subtle cue, Lucas sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of grenades from his Havoc. The projectiles arced gracefully, their paths calculated to wreak as much destruction as possible as they bounced off of the stairs and walls down below.
The stairwell erupted in a violent symphony of blasts, the enemy''s screams momentarily drowning out the sound of explosions.
Thea''s voice cut through the chaos, seeking an update amidst the cacophony of grenades. "Desmond, update!" she commanded, her eyes locked on the drone operator, who was their lifeline to the world beyond their immediate sight.
Desmond''s response was swift. "One squad is two floors below, sending up clones as a distraction. The second squad is on the move, about to join them in under a minute," he reported his gaze never leaving his controls, fingers moving with practised care.
Thea¡¯s mind worked frantically, trying to come up with a solution to their plight, ¡®Okay, so¡ Both Psykers should be in the building now, assuming that each one has their own squad for protection. They¡¯ll meet up soon; what options do we have¡?¡¯
They had limited ways to deal with enemies that weren¡¯t directly deciding to face them, but they weren¡¯t entirely out of options, she knew.
There was Isabella¡¯s Devastation, whose calibre was large and powerful enough to reliably penetrate through rockcrete walls like the building¡¯s, as long as they only had to deal with one floor or wall at most. They had Lucas¡¯ Havoc that could bounce grenades around corners and, lastly, Thea had her Icicle and [Penetrative Shot] combination as well.
The problem was trying to pinpoint their exact position, as they wouldn¡¯t get a lot of tries at trying to take out the Psykers like this.
Remembering something important from the assessment preparation session, Thea quickly dropped her backpack and rifled through it, signalling Lucas to take over the watch for a moment.
¡®It should be here somewhere¡ Ah! There it is!¡¯
Quickly, she pulled out the XIR-View that had been included in her urban scout/sniper standard kit from the UHF and connected it to her armour, placing the small screen onto her left wrist. Assuming that the initial description of it provided by the UHF hadn¡¯t been lying to her, the device should be able to accurately see through walls up to 5m of thickness, assuming that no T1 Materials or higher were involved.
She turned it on and pointed it downwards, trying to get an idea of how the device actually worked.
It took a second, before it started showing a rough 3D image of the floor below them, that gradually become more and more filled out with details, going as far as to show the dismembered bodies of the clones that were slowly melting into their strange goey-puddles, after they had been ripped apart by Lucas¡¯ Havoc.
¡®Alright¡ This could actually work!¡¯ Thea thought to herself, being somewhat hopeful that the XIR might actually provide her with the chance to counteract some of the Psyker¡¯s workings, assuming that they stepped onto the floor below them.
As Thea attentively monitored the XIR-View''s display, the next wave of cloned soldiers ascending the staircase became visible. This time, the device''s precision allowed her to discern their armaments clearly, marking a significant advantage in their defensive strategy. The revelation sparked a sense of appreciation in her for the UHF''s foresight in equipping them with such a tool. ¡®This thing might just be our ace in the hole,¡¯ she thought, recognizing its critical role in their current predicament.
Quietly, she relayed the incoming threat composition to Lucas, outlining the optimal strategy to maximise the impact of his next barrage. "Four approaching¡ªtwo meds, one in light armour, leading with one in heavy. Aim for the rear; it''ll catch them all," she instructed, confident in the XIR-View''s intel.
Lucas responded with a focused nod, his fingers expertly adjusting the settings on his Havoc to predict the perfect trajectory for his grenades. The tension in the air was palpable as they waited for the moment to strike.
With a series of methodical thumps, the Havoc launched its deadly cargo down the stairwell, bouncing off the walls and stairs in perfectly calculated angles to land exactly where Thea had described.
Through the lens of the XIR-View, Thea observed the anticipated destruction, a silent observer to the calculated destruction they wrought.
However, as the grenades found their marks, a sudden flash obliterated the detailed imagery on her screen, replaced momentarily by a stark white "Recalculating¡"
The abrupt disruption served as a stark reminder of the device''s limitations amidst the chaos of combat. ¡®So, explosions are a bit too much for it,¡¯ Thea noted mentally, filing away the insight for future engagements. ¡®Still, it''s definitely proving invaluable already.¡¯
Suddenly, Thea experienced a sensation so bizarre it seemed as if she had been submerged underwater. The atmosphere turned dense, exerting an unusual pressure around her that continued to mount at a rapid pace.
Her heart raced, her Psychic Senses rapidly escalating into a frenzied alert, foretelling of imminent, fatal danger.
Driven by a protective instinct, she lunged at Lucas, forcefully pulling them both to the floor just in time. A peculiar, muffled pop filled the air, followed by the harrowing sound of metal being forcefully ripped apart.
When Thea dared to look back, her gaze was met with a sight that sent chills down her spine.
There, in the robust metal of Lucas'' Stalwart shield, the unyielding bulwark that had provided them with an invaluable amount of protection throughout the entire assessment without as much as a few chips or cracks, was a perfectly round U-shaped cutout at the top, large enough to fit two of her heads through.
The sudden realisation of their vulnerability as well as the precision and sheer power of the attack left her heart pounding violently.
She opened her mouth to warn the rest of the squad, ¡°Desmond, get over here right now!¡±
Stunned, Thea hesitated momentarily. ¡®That¡ That was not what I said at all?!¡¯
Trying to renege the order she didn¡¯t give, realising how dangerous it would be for Desmond to come to them, she suddenly realised in pure horror that no sound was coming from her mouth, regardless of how much she tried.
Instead, she heard a delayed, ¡°Desmond, hurry the fuck up!¡± in her own voice echo from her position.
Scrambling to get back to her feet, while frantically looking for Desmond to try and catch his attention, Thea felt another wave of pressure build at her location, prompting her to forcibly push Lucas towards the Stalwart, away from herself as she dove backwards.
¡®What the fuck is happening?!¡¯
A subdued pop followed once again, this time without any additional metal being torn apart, however.
Frantically attempting to issue a warning, Thea found herself voiceless, a silent scream of frustration as a crouch-running Desmond neared, his expression a mix of confusion and concern as his eyes met her frantics ones.
Desperately, she rapidly signalled for an immediate retreat, the hand gestures for "Compromised comms" underscoring her silent plea. Desmond''s eyes, wide with sudden understanding of the danger he was in¡ªthe trap he had inadvertently fallen into¡ª, mirrored the urgency she felt as he stumbled backward, trying to escape the invisible danger that loomed.
At the same time, chillingly, Thea''s voice, yet not her own, filled the air with a command she never gave once more, "Isabella, make some noise for us! We¡¯re going to try to catch them off-guard!"
The eerie imitation of her voice hung heavily, a sinister trick by the unseen enemy Psykers, as Thea now realised.
Despite Desmond''s desperate efforts to escape, tragedy struck with a horrifying pop in the next instant.
Half of his body grotesquely collapsed inward as the pressure in the air grew to unbearable levels in a near-instant, reducing his entire left side, including his arm, leg, ribs and parts of his organs into a small, bloody cube that slapped on the floor with a resounding, meaty thud.
Thea, frozen in shock, could only watch as he collapsed, still trying to break his descent with his now non-existent arm, a silent scream of agony marking his fall as the enemy Psyker¡¯s powers kept their voices suppressed.
Karania rushed to his side out of nowhere almost immediately, her face a mask of sheer professionalism in stark contrast to the utter chaos around them, as she prepared to administer whatever aid she could amidst the surreal soundscape.
Isabella, deceived by the imitation of Thea''s voice, responded with zeal from a distance, "You got it, boss," unaware of the dire situation unravelling just a few metres away.
Their strategy to divide and oversee different sections of the floor had catastrophically failed, isolating Isabella from the sight of the rest of her squadmates.
Frantically, Thea reached for her squad comms in a last-ditch effort to alert Isabella of the situation, yet to her dismay, not a single sound emerged, not even the faintest hiss of static.
The overwhelming sense of helplessness gripped Thea tightly, the realisation of her powerlessness against the unseen enemy Psykers casting a deep shadow over her.
Without the ability to communicate verbally and lacking a direct line of sight to parts of her squad, she felt isolated, cornered with dwindling options.
The urgent need for more time¡ªto think, to plan, to act¡ªpressed heavily upon her.
In the depths of despair, she turned to the one Ability that had always granted her an edge, a sliver of hope in the direst of circumstances. It wasn''t a solution to stop time, but it was the closest semblance of gaining some extra moments that she had.
Summoning all her focus and resolve to continue onwards, she whispered to herself the two words that had become her beacon amidst the storm in this assessment so far,
"Sensory Overdrive."
Arc 1 - Chapter 102 - Losses
The chaos of the moment around Thea transformed into a vivid tableau, each detail magnified and each sound a distinct thread in the fabric of her heightened awareness.
Desmond''s wounds, pulsing grotesquely slow; Karania''s whispers, a focused stream of medical jargon as her hands fluttered over Desmond in a frantic bid to save him; Lucas''s heavy, measured movements as he repositioned his battered shield.
This deluge of information was initially overwhelming, but Thea quickly corralled her focus, honing in on the crisis unfurling around them.
Yet, in this hyper-aware state, she stumbled upon two startling insights that threw her into a deeper realisation of their peril, her eyes widening as the gravity of their situation became chillingly clear.
The first emerged from deep within herself.
''It must have opened at some point,'' she concluded, her thoughts racing at an unfathomable speed.
Directing her heightened awareness inward, she observed her Psychic Gate with unprecedented clarity. There, a minuscule opening, no larger than a pinhole, the iris-like Gate¡¯s thirteen blades showing a clear hint of violet in the centre, facilitating a direct pathway to the void.
''This explains their ability to track me¡ to track us,'' she surmised with a hint of self-reproach. ''I definitely overlooked this when I first sensed their presence. If our Gates are somehow linked, that connection would have made us directly trackable by them.''
This insight highlighted a critical oversight on her part, her heart feeling heavy at the realisation. ''I should have been more cautious. If I can detect them, it¡¯s only natural that they can detect me too; likely even better than I can. I should have realised that there had to be a reason for this connection¡ Otherwise, Psykers would simply be unable to infiltrate or be stealthy, pretty much ever, if Gates simply connected to other Gates that were around.''
Before she could really worry about that issue any further though, she had to address the second realisation.
The oppressive atmosphere around her was intensifying, a clear sign that the enemy Psyker''s assault was not only continuing but escalating.
The attack''s scope had broadened alarmingly, enveloping her within a zone of danger so vast that escape seemed impossible. Her heightened Perception alerted her to imminent peril from all sides, leaving no path unthreatened.
Her Psychic Senses were screaming of imminent danger, regardless of which avenue of escape she tried.
The message was clear: Regardless of her next move, this attack was too extensive to avoid for her completely¡
PoV: Myka Kendal
Bent intently over the shimmering 3D hologram that meticulously mapped out their building, Myka honed in on the distinct psychic signature radiating from their prey.
Beside her, Feldis, ever the stoic, was meticulously preparing what he affectionately termed his "pressure bomb," ready to unleash it on the precise location Myka had pinpointed.
Their dynamic, albeit occasionally contentious due to Feldis''s overly stoic demeanour clashing with Myka''s more spirited approach to combat, had nonetheless cemented them as an unparalleled force on the field.
Myka''s attention was razor-sharp, attuned to the faintest rustlings from the undead positioned above them, ensuring that not a single sound went unnoticed.
In that moment of heightened vigilance, Feldis unleashed his pressure bomb. The distinctive sound of its activation, a soft yet unmistakable "pop," resonated within her, signalling its execution.
They exchanged a quick, knowing glance, their expressions reflecting a shared realisation.
"I felt it too," Myka voiced out without hesitation, addressing the silent question in Feldis''s gaze. "Let me double-check," she added, intent on confirming their suspicion.
The psychic signature of their quarry, which had been a constant presence up until then, vanished the instant Feldis''s pressure bomb was detonated.
This sudden absence left them with a few speculative scenarios to consider.
It could mean the enemy Psyker possessed an Obscuritas Inheritance, previously unused against them; had suddenly entirely sealed their Psychic Gate, or¡ªand Myka found herself quietly hoping for this outcome¡ªtheir foe had been killed by Feldis''s attack.
Myka''s anticipation for a confrontation with the UHF Psyker had been high, hoping for a worthy adversary to test her skills against.
Initially, she sensed a weak link between their Psychic Gates, leading her to believe she was facing a master of concealment. However, it quickly became apparent that wasn''t the case.
The UHF Psyker seemed to hardly engage their Psychic Gate at all, hinting they might be specialised in a support role, poorly suited for direct confrontation, especially trapped two floors above with no escape.
This realisation had dulled the excitement for Myka excessively.
The encounter had devolved into a simple exercise of pinning down their prey, with Myka using her abilities to mimic voices and draw out their foes, while Feldis deployed his pressure bombs based on her cues and marks.
Their strategy had been effective yet utterly unchallenging, leading to the incapacitation of at least one enemy combatant, with the UHF Psyker potentially being the second.
To Myka, the operation had unfolded with less excitement than she had hoped for, bordering on monotony given the straightforwardness of their approach.
She concentrated on the sounds echoing from above, attempting to match each set of footsteps and noises with members of the UHF squad.
¡®The heavy thuds must belong to their defensive heavy. The other heavy seems poised to follow my direction any second now, making her our next, easy target... The medic''s position is by the injured, indicating she won''t be moving far, so we can get her last,¡¯ she deduced, her ears tuned to the cacophony of battle.
Although her auditory surveillance was sharp, it lacked the precision to identify individuals based solely on the sound of their movements, especially without significant noise to guide her.
Myka recognized her limitations; pushing her abilities too far would deplete her Psyfocus too quickly, a risk she couldn''t afford amidst a battlefield like this, where the end of combat was hard to foresee.
Determining the fate of the enemy Psyker proved trickier than Myka had anticipated.
"It''s like they''ve vanished into thin air. You might''ve flattened them completely," she remarked, a playful smirk directed at Feldis, who only offered a casual shrug in return.
"You could stand to show a little enthusiasm when you rack up kills, especially with Psykers. They''re a big deal," Myka half-jokingly scolded, her face morphing into a playful pout.
Feldis had always maintained this demeanour; stoic and pragmatic, ever since Myka first met him.
His grounded seriousness was precisely why they had been paired up by their superiors.
His steady presence acted as a counterbalance to Myka''s more impulsive tendencies, and conversely, her energetic approach encouraged him to take more initiative in combat scenarios. This dynamic had shaped them into an exceptionally efficient team, leveraging their contrasting styles and Psychic Abilities for strategic advantages.
As Myka honed back in on the auditory surveillance from two floors above, her anticipation heightened for the heavy''s response to her deceptive command. Her fingers poised over the hologram, she was ready to signal Feldis the moment any sound betrayed the heavy''s position.
But the silence that followed was unnerving.
"Why the delay...?" she whispered to herself, a knot of worry tightening in her chest. The enthusiastic agreement from the undead Heavy to her previous command hadn''t suggested any suspicion, yet the expected noise hadn''t materialised.
Instead, she heard strange shuffling and movement that she couldn¡¯t quite visualise. When she heard a short metallic shrieking at the top of the stairs, she was certain.
Something was amiss.
"Something isn''t right," she concluded, locking eyes with Feldis, who shared her concern. He faced the nearby squads, his decision clear.
The time for games was over.
"Flush them out," Feldis commanded, his voice firm. The navy squad leaders immediately disseminated the orders, and the Soldiers sprang into action with renewed vigour. "Kill them all, if possible."
As the ten Stellar Republic Soldiers prepared for their advance; twenty additional Soldiers materialised immediately, each Original doubling their numbers before ascending the stairwell with precision, their movements almost perfectly synchronised and deliberate.
The vanguard was composed of four heavies, each equipped with robust, solid-cover shields, pointed in the front, upwards and to the sides, creating an effectively impenetrable barrier to prevent any attacks from coming through; even the pesky grenades that they had bounced off of the walls, they had plans for, Myka knew.
The initial few attempts at attacking the Marines on the higher floors had been nothing but cursory intelligence gathering operations, which had given them quite a lot of intel already, all for the price of just two groups of duplicates.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
This was the true strength of their Faction Trait: The ability to gather intelligence without putting themselves into harm¡¯s way, that made the Stellar Republic Soldiers the greatest in the galaxy.
Both in terms of raw fighting power and cunning, they were worlds above any of the other Factions. Their main downside was their lacking technology, but recent trade deals and innovations had begun to close the gap quite drastically, at least in comparison to the UHF and the Unified Syndicate.
Despite their growing capabilities, no self-respecting Soldier was under any illusion about their standing against The Assembly, whose technological advancements dwarfed not just their own, but practically any other Faction¡¯s barring Terra itself. If they went up against that Faction in a head-to-head, even the Stellar Republic¡¯s formidable forces would likely struggle.
But luckily, those were on the other side of Terra, far, far away from the SR¡¯s sphere of influence and battlefields, and as such, not something Myka needed to concern herself with for a long time to come.
As Myka tuned into the advancing steps of her fellow soldiers, the precision and coordination in their approach were evident.
Unlike the somewhat disjointed manoeuvres of the UHF Marines, Stellar Republic''s Soldiers exhibited unparalleled discipline, moving in tight, effective formations that showcased their rigorous training and strategic mindset.
Reflecting on her mentor''s teachings, Myka couldn''t help but appreciate the wisdom behind the phrase, "Individualism has no place among the rank and file."
This fundamental difference in strategy was what Myka believed allowed them to exploit the enemy''s weaknesses so effectively. The UHF Marines'' insistence on personal distinction often led to their downfall, as it opened up opportunities for especially Myka and Feldis to employ their combined powers with relative ease.
The moment the duplicates ascended the stairwell towards the floor harbouring the UHF Marines, however, Myka sensed something had drastically changed.
Previously, the heavy thuds of the Soldiers¡¯ movements had echoed sharply, halted by the robust defensive shield at the stairwell¡¯s entrance. Now, those sounds seamlessly flowed into the room above, signalling the absence of the previously stationed barrier.
¡°They¡¯re gone!¡± Myka quickly alerted her nearby comrades, her tone betraying her worry, as she channelled additional Psyfocus into her powers to sharpen her auditory surveillance further.
At the same time, the duplicates pressed forward, undeterred. If they could simply get on the same floor, they would immediately know what the undead were up to now¡!
Myka caught the faint yet unmistakable sounds of movement and the clinking of armour from within the devastated apartment space, two levels up. The alterations in the acoustic environment indicated a significant change in the Marines'' defensive setup.
¡°They¡¯ve moved back further into the floor! They¡¯re at the apartmen¡ª¡± As Myka attempted to warn her team, the building suddenly shook with a violent explosion, knocking her to the ground. The pain that erupted in her head was excruciating, the sound of the explosion amplified exponentially by her enhanced auditory capabilities, turning its aftermath into a relentless assault on her psyche.
Feldis¡¯ quick reflexes saved her from a harsh impact, his hands steadying her descent. She was silently grateful for his intervention, even as words failed her, her focus entirely consumed by the effort to claw her way back from the edge of overwhelming pain.
In a move to shield her mind, Myka had instinctively severed her Psychic connection, cutting off the source of her torment but also blinding her to their surroundings.
Aware of the critical need for her abilities in navigating the sudden danger they faced, she cautiously reopened her Psychic Gate. Bracing herself, she tentatively resumed her auditory surveillance, only to be met with the shock of another explosion, closer this time, emanating from a floor above within the residential sector.
A scream tore from her lips as the pain lashed out anew, her mind still raw and vulnerable.
Despite the agony, Myka clenched her teeth and powered through, understanding the urgent need to withstand the onslaught and keep the rest of the Soldiers informed of what was happening on the battlefield.
The UHF forces had somehow managed to turn the tables on them, altering the dynamics of the confrontation with a bold, unexpected move.
¡°They¡¯re in the apartments!¡± Myka strained to articulate, her voice heavy with the toll of her Psychic exertions, as she motioned urgently toward the residential section adjacent to their position.
The subtle, yet discernible, sounds of combat readiness echoed from behind the apartment doors¡ªmuffled thuds of boots, the metallic clink of armour, and the quiet shuffling of weapons¡ªall ominously converging towards doors leading to the stairwell, now dangerously close to where Myka, Feldis, and the assembled squads of Soldiers had gathered.
In a meticulously timed assault, seemingly awaiting Myka''s detection, a series of explosions¡ªless grandiose in scale but meticulously targeted¡ªruptured the tranquillity, forcefully blowing both the northern and southern door open.
The breaching charges were immediately followed by the disorienting brilliance of flashbangs. Though their helmets and visors scrambled to dampen the blinding light, the milliseconds of disarray provided a crucial opening.
Through the ringing in her ears Myka discerned the ominous thumping sound of two grenades being launched from a grenade launcher.
The looming silhouette of a massive heavy framed the shattered northern doorway, his launcher ominously pointed in their direction. As the impending threat materialised, she sensed Feldis¡¯ Psyfocus surge¡ªa rapid accumulation of power ready to counter the imminent danger posed by the UHF¡¯s surprising offensive.
Blinking through the sting of the flashbang and the sharp ache in her skull, Myka witnessed the havoc wrought by Feldis'' precisely timed counterattack.
The pressure bomb detonated with lethal efficiency at the threshold, severing the left arm of the advancing heavy and catapulting him against the wall. His own grenades, slightly thrown off course, detonated on impact, unleashing chaos among the Stellar Republic Soldiers.
Their tightly arranged formation, an asset in most engagements, turned into a fatal flaw as the confined space amplified the explosive force.
The resultant carnage decimated the front line of lightly armoured Soldiers and threw their medium-armoured comrades into disarray, scattering them against the opposite wall. While these survivors struggled to regroup, a series of deliberate, high-calibre shots pierced the air, courtesy of the UHF''s Medic who had taken up position at the northern doorway the instant the heavy had been thrown aside.
Each bullet found its mark, systematically eliminating the disoriented Soldiers who presented themselves as unguarded targets.
To Myka''s growing dismay, a new threat burst forth from the southern doorway, a heavy wielding a two-handed chainsword that hummed menacingly with readiness.
The aggressive charge aimed to capitalise on the Soldiers'' momentary vulnerability.
Myka prepared to unleash her psychic might against this onslaught when she noticed the grenade launcher-wielding heavy, despite his grievous injury, aiming to discharge another round of explosives toward their position.
Recognizing the immediate threat the launcher posed over the melee attacker, Myka redirected her focus back to the northern entrance. Summoning a significant reserve of her Psyfocus, she prepared to launch a devastating psychic assault, determined to prevent any further grenade attacks that could spell disaster for them all.
As the grenade launcher''s trigger gave way under the heavy''s grip, Myka unleashed her power.
¡®Sonic Scream.¡¯
The air warped visibly, a tangible distortion radiating outwards as her psychic shriek tore through the confined space.
Two medium-armoured Soldiers, already staggered by the initial explosions and out of their defensive alignment, were caught in the path of this ferocious auditory wave.
The intense pressure and bone-jarring vibrations of Myka''s attack sent them hurtling across the room like ragdolls, their armours providing no protection against the internal damage wrought by the sonic force. Their bodies crumpled upon impact with the far wall, lifeless, as the close-range vibrations and sonic energy pulverised their internal structures beyond recovery.
The heavy and the medic, the main targets of her attack, were blown back with such violence that they were rendered instantly unconscious, their forms sprawling on the debris-littered floor.
The doorframe and the surrounding wall they had taken cover behind, unable to withstand the concentrated blast of psychic energy, disintegrated into rubble, the materials themselves vibrating apart under the onslaught.
The backlash of her own power struck Myka as well, staggering her and making her stumble backwards.
She struggled to maintain her balance as the psychic echo reverberated within her own mind, a painful reminder of the sheer force she had just unleashed.
In the chaos, the melee heavy, unchecked by Myka''s diversion, crashed into the Stellar Republic Soldiers with the fury of a storm.
Her chainsword carved through the air and armour alike, its serrated, rapidly moving edge rending metal and flesh with equal ease.
The soldiers, caught off-guard by this new, relentless assault, scrambled to defend against the whirlwind of destruction that had abruptly appeared in their midst.
Myka, dazed yet acutely aware of the unfolding catastrophe, could only watch as the melee heavy''s onslaught tore through the ranks, her chainsword singing a grim chorus of devastation.
She saw the heavy¡¯s last grenade land next to the furious melee, exploding an instant later.
Initially, relief washed over her, thinking the premature detonation caused by the enemy''s own ordinance would bring a swift conclusion to the skirmish.
However, that relief was short-lived.
The sigh of relief got stuck in her throat as the resultant shockwave and explosive force inexplicably halted, hovering ominously close but not touching the UHF heavy, as though a transparent barrier had materialised around them out of thin air.
At that moment, confusion turned to dread.
The scene unfolding before her eyes was beyond comprehension.
The heavy, standing at the epicentre of what should have been a devastating explosion, remained entirely unaffected.
Not only did the explosive force not harm her, but it appeared to invigorate her somehow, as if she harnessed the energy from the blast itself. She then went to execute a manoeuvre that seemed to downright defy physics, channelling what appeared to be inhuman levels of strength into a single, ferociously powerful swing.
With a sudden burst of unholy speed, she advanced, her chainsword humming violently as it cleaved through the air.
The blade was a blur, too fast for Myka to see properly, aiming for the remaining Soldiers with an intent that was chillingly clear.
This act of aggression was unlike anything Myka had witnessed before, showcasing a level of combat prowess and capability that was both awe-inspiring and downright terrifying.
This singular moment, where the ordinary laws of physics seemed utterly superfluous and the heavy thrived in the midst of an explosion one of her own comrades had orchestrated, would be etched in Myka''s memory for the rest of her life.
A jolt of adrenaline like none other before it hit Myka like a thunderbolt, sending her senses into overdrive. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched, horror-stricken, the gruesome scene unfolding before her.
With truly unnatural force and speed, the heavy¡¯s swing tore through the Stellar Republic Soldiers with terrifying ease, cutting through armour and flesh alike as if they were nothing but air, simply continuing onwards to the next target to do so again and again.
The catastrophic swing left anyone hit lifeless, their bodies brutally bisected and ripped apart in grotesque angles before they even had a chance to comprehend their fate.
At the same moment the adrenaline hit her, Myka''s heightened senses detected another, new and even more imminent threat than the god of war that was the UHF¡¯s advancing heavy.
Myka turned in abject terror, only seeing the six Soldiers fall to the swing from the corner of her eyes, to face the more pressing danger, as the Psychic Gate of the UHF¡¯s Psyker was fast approaching from behind her¡ªoutside the window.
She opened her mouth to warn Feldis, who was still recovering from being close to her Sonic Scream and his own Psychic Power usage, but the instant she did, she knew it was too late.
The window located behind them, at the top of the stairs leading downwards, shattered just before a single, crystal-like projectile pierced Feldis¡¯ temple, his body going limp and crumpling to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
Her attention snapped back to the window just in time to see the enemy Psyker make their entrance. With a flourish of agility, she landed gracefully on the floor, the grappling hook''s ropes retracting back into her armour.
The grim realisation of her impending doom settled in as she observed the peculiar pistol in the hands of the heavily injured, one-armed Marine, now aiming with deadly precision at her.
Myka''s eyes met the Marine''s, noting the unnatural cyan glow emanating from within them.
A resigned whisper, "Well played¡" escaped her lips, acknowledging the checkmate before her.
In the next heartbeat, the cold, crystal-like projectile found its target between her eyes. The world around Myka blurred into darkness, her last conscious thought acknowledging the end¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 103 - Mortalis
Breathing heavily, Thea approached Isabella and noted the heavy''s evident strain and injuries.
She knew the answer, but felt that she had to ask anyway, ¡°You good, Ela?¡±
Despite Isabella''s attempt to downplay her condition, the visible signs of exhaustion and pain were unmistakable.
"Couldn''t be better, really," Isabella''s response was clearly laced with irony, her posture slumped against the wall indicating the opposite, barely able to hold onto her Decimator that was still dripping with the blood and remnants of the last enemies she had felled.
Turning her attention away from Isabella, Thea raised her voice, seeking information from the other remaining members of her squad.
"Kara, Lucas. Status report?" she called out, hoping for some sign of their condition. The silence that followed was telling, deepening the sense of urgency.
Navigating through the destruction caused by the enemy Psyker''s Sonic Scream, Thea moved towards where she knew Lucas and Karania should be.
Her eyes fell on the remnants of the Stalwart; scorched, molten and ripped apart by the repeated explosions of their descent.
The devastation in the apartments was similarly palpable, with the once solid structure of the building now fractured and torn, a harrowing reminder of the raw power unleashed upon it by the explosions, and upon them by the enemy Psyker.
The absence of any response weighed heavily on Thea, the silence amplifying her concern for her teammates'' well-being.
While amplified, she also realised that she felt somewhat detached from everything¡ªan early indicator of her getting close to her limits in terms of Focus.
She had used a lot of it, both as a result of her System Abilities and relying on her Psychic Senses while her Gate was closed¡ªsomething she now realised was likely a trade-off for being stealthy; no passive regeneration of any Psychic Resource.
Thea was very aware of the thin line she walked, nearing the limit of her capabilities without overextending herself just yet.
This profound awareness stemmed from her previous, terrible experiences with overdrawing her Psychic Resources, making her wary of the signs of fatigue and the potential dangers of pushing beyond her limits.
As Thea navigated through the aftermath, the sight of Karania tending to Lucas confirmed the gravity of their situation.
Approaching quietly, Thea''s voice was low but urgent. "Kara? What¡¯s his status?"
She avoided pressing Karania about her own state, knowing all too well her friend''s inherent selflessness.
Karania''s reaction was heart-wrenching.
Turning to face Thea, her expression was a tumultuous mix of sorrow and determination, tears carving clear paths through the grime on her face. "He¡¯s not going to make it¡"
Her voice broke as she slammed a fist into the debris-strewn ground, the sound echoing their collective despair. "I¡ I can¡¯t help him. If we weren¡¯t so far behind enemy lines¡"
Her voice trailed off, choked by the overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Thea''s heart sank at the sight, feeling the weight of her decisions crashing down upon her.
The choice to prioritise strategic movement over immediate aid for Desmond now seemed to compound their losses as well. Karania''s visible struggle to accept the situation deepened Thea''s sense of responsibility; not only had Desmond''s chance for survival been sacrificed, but now Lucas''s fate seemed to be sealed as well.
At Thea¡¯s silence, Karania offered a clinical assessment of Lucas''s condition with an almost detached professionalism that belied her inner turmoil. "Lucas has sustained direct cranial trauma from the Psychic Attack, resulting in intracranial haemorrhage, with substantial blood accumulation pressing on the brain tissue from every angle. Given his current state, even the most advanced medical equipment back at the forward operating base might prove inadequate for any level of intervention. His thoracic cavity presents with multiple comminuted fractures and some segments of the ribcage are essentially completely disintegrated, obliterating any chance of physiological thoracic stability. This, combined with multiple organ lacerations of the lungs, liver, kidney and heart, has led to catastrophic internal haemorrhaging."
Her explanation painted a grim picture of Lucas''s irreversible state. "Essentially, his vital functions are deteriorating at an exponential rate due to these compounded injuries and there is nothing I can do to stop it¡"
Karania''s conclusion was delivered with sombre certainty. "There''s only one thing left that can be done for him¡"
It was a declaration that held weight, coming from someone as determined and skilled as Karania, who had previously contested every decision to leave a squad member behind.
Understanding the implied question in Karania¡¯s words, Thea gave her consent with a heavy heart. "Understood. Go ahead."
She simply observed, a bystander to the solemn ritual of mercy only medics could administer.
Karania''s hand, much to Thea¡¯s surprise, trembled as she prepared the euthanasic agent, her professional facade momentarily wavering for the first time since they had met.
"I''m sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she pressed the black auto-injector to Lucas¡¯ neck.
The quietness of the act was jarring¡ªno dramatic departure, just a serene passing, a silent end to suffering facilitated by a medic''s compassionate decision. Lucas''s final moments were dignified and solemn, creating a stark contrast to the utter chaos and carnage that had led them here.
Oddly enough, Thea felt somewhat detached from watching the defensive heavy die, likely due to the overall detachment she felt as a result of getting closer to her Focus limit, but it was a strangely fortuitous happenstance, as it allowed her to remain more alert to everything around her, rather than getting emotional over losing yet another squad member on this mission.
Simultaneously, it also allowed her high levels of Perception to quickly realise that something else wasn¡¯t quite right.
¡°Kara¡ Are you hurt?¡± She asked, intently fixating on the squad medic.
As Thea''s inquiry hung in the air, Karania responded with a weary yet professional demeanour, her medical expertise evident even in her own diagnosis.
"Observant as always," she began, her voice tinged with mirth. "My current status? I''ve sustained a traumatic brain injury with associated cerebral haemorrhage, leading to hemiparesis on my left side. Additionally, multiple fractures along the left hemi skeleton, including compound fractures in the humerus and radius, and comminuted fractures in the ribs, have entirely compromised my motor functions on that side."
Karania shifted slightly, the pain of doing so evident in her expression. "I''ve already stopped all of the internal bleeding, but the neurological impairment from the intracranial pressure caused by the scabbing is irreversible without immediate neurosurgical intervention."
She sighed, a mix of frustration and resignation in her voice. "In essence, my left side is completely non-functional, with no chance of recovery out here. I''m basically out of this one, Thea. Continuing in this condition would not only endanger myself but also compromise the squad''s operational capacity going forward. You¡¯ll have to leave me behind, if you still want to work on getting this mission done."
Thea simply listened, processing Karania''s clinical assessment with a heavy, albeit somewhat detached, heart.
The medic¡¯s ability to self-diagnose with such precision only served to underscore the severity of her condition. It was clear that Karania, despite her general resilience and medical skills, including the Ability to stop any and all of her own bleeding practically instantly, was as vulnerable as any of them when caught in the crossfire of such a powerful attack.
"And honestly," Karania''s words cut through the heavy silence, pulling Thea back to the grim reality they faced. "You''re not in great shape yourself. That Psyker did a number on you too. I''m not sure how much longer you can hold up..."
Karania''s observation was a bitter pill to swallow, yet undeniable.
Thea was acutely aware of her own precarious state.
The fallout from her last-ditch effort to counter the Psyker''s onslaught had left her severely injured; her arm was gone, vaporised in the psychic maelstrom, and her ribs were a fractured mess. Had it not been for Karania''s quick thinking and her unique healing ability, Thea was certain the situation would be even more dire.
The conversation shifted as Thea, determined to focus on the mission, asked, "Can you check on Ela?"
She sidestepped Karania''s concerns about her own wellbeing.
Admitting defeat was not an option. Corvus had entrusted her with leadership, sacrificing himself so they could continue.
Failure was not a consideration.
Karania exhaled deeply, a mix of resignation and resolve in her response, "Alright, let''s see to her. Can you bring her over here?"
Despite the bleakness of their circumstances, Thea clung to a stubborn hope.
The mission was far from over; it couldn¡¯t be.
As Thea navigated the debris-laden floor toward Isabella''s last known position by the stairwell, her resolve did not waver.
"Ela, it''s time for a check-up. Kara will patch you up, and we''ll move¡ª," she began, but abruptly stopped upon seeing Isabella slumped against the wall, unmoving.
No medical expertise was needed to see the finality of Isabella''s state.
An involuntary "Ah." escaped her, a simple acknowledgment of the unbearable truth before her.
Internal resolve hardened, Thea silently vowed, ''It''s down to me now. The squad has given their all; it''s my turn to uphold our mission. Time to be the carry for once.''
This self-pep talk fortified her, readying her for the path ahead, one she''d now face alone.
"Kara, I¡¯m heading out. Ela is KIA. You''re relieved of duty as well; rest now. I¡¯ll see you on the other side," she conveyed over the squad comms, a method of communication she remembered was now reinstated with the Psykers'' threat neutralised.
Karania''s response, tinged with a blend of resignation, came through her helmet¡¯s comm unit, "Alright, Thea¡ Good luck and don¡¯t overdo it. See you on the other side."
Pushing through the debris and chaos, Thea''s resolve was as ironclad as ever, despite the overwhelming odds stacked against her. The burden of leadership had never been heavier upon her shoulders, nor the mission more critical.
Yet, her spirit refused to bow to despair.
Even though she was down to her last operational arm, gripping her Icicle with grim determination, and with only three magazines to her name¡ªher backpack, along with additional ammo, having been left behind in the frenzied bid of jumping through the window¡ªshe remained steadfast.
Her objective was clear: Just destroy the control station.
This singular goal propelled her forward.
Thea clung to the belief that, despite her severe limitations, she could still make a decisive impact on the mission at hand.
''Just reach the control station. That''s all that matters,'' she mentally reinforced, as she slowly made her way down the stairwell of the half-ruined building that had cost her the entirety of her squad...
Stumbling towards the control station''s outer walls, Thea was engulfed by a profound sense of solitude. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Throughout her life, solitude had been a familiar companion, yet the recent weeks with Sovereign Alpha had unexpectedly bridged a gap in her existence she hadn''t acknowledged before.
The absence of her squad now, however, left a void, a quiet echo of camaraderie lost, at least for the moment.
''We''ll reunite once I''ve taken down this control station,'' she tried to console herself, each step fueled by the memory of her team and the realisation that she needed to do her best to make them proud.
Before departing the wreckage of their last stand, Karania had briefly assessed Thea''s condition, a farewell gesture laden with unspoken understanding.
The dire prognosis was clear: Thea''s time was dwindling, marked by the aftermath of the psychic onslaught that had ravaged her body.
These unseen wounds, untreatable in their hasty preparations for the desperate attempt at turning the tables against the duo of Psykers, now throbbed with every movement, making the mere act of moving a struggle.
Despite the pain and the creeping shadow of mortality, Thea pressed on, driven by duty and the silent promise of a squad reunited in purpose, if not in presence.
As Viladia''s voice suddenly broke through the silence in her helmet, Thea felt a jolt of surprise that momentarily distracted her from her physical pain.
After a brief coughing fit, courtesy of her punctured lung, she managed to compose herself enough to respond, ¡°Yeah. SA01 is still pressing on with the mission.¡±
The unexpected check-in from Viladia provided a fleeting sense of relief amidst the solitude of her walk.
¡°Ahh! Did you manage to escape the Psykers?! Great work! Can you tell me where they are? We¡¯re finally free to go and take them out. We should be a good matchup against them, all things considered. Be as precise as you can be!¡± Viladia¡¯s enthusiasm was palpable over the comms, her readiness to engage the Psykers evident.
Thea couldn''t help but let out a weary chuckle at the contrast between Viladia¡¯s energy and her own battered state.
¡°No need. They¡¯re dead,¡± Thea simply informed her.
A brief moment of silence followed before Viladia spoke up again. ¡°Come again? The Psykers are dead?¡±
¡°Yes. SA01 killed them. Two Psykers, both dead,¡± Thea reported with a hint of pride overlaying her sheer and utter exhaustion.
More silence followed, before a more soft-spoken version of Viladia¡¯s voice came back, ¡°Thea, where are you right now? You don¡¯t sound so good. We¡¯ll come and help you guys out.¡±
Looking around, Thea gave the best description as to her whereabouts that she could, not able to truly think about anything at all. Things were turning hazy faster than she¡¯d like to admit.
¡°Roger that, we¡¯ll be there in a few. Make sure not to shoot us, alright?¡± Viladia¡¯s voice faded, leaving Thea with the promise of assistance on the way.
The thought of just waiting, of allowing herself a moment of rest against the cold wall of the control station, was tempting beyond measure.
With a weary nod to herself, she leaned back and closed her eyes, surrendering to the brief respite as she awaited Viladia''s arrival, the fog of exhaustion slowly enveloping her senses¡
The shock of an adrenaline shot coursed through Thea, pulling her from the brink of unconsciousness.
Her eyes snapped open, locking onto Medic Johnsen''s gaze.
Despite his attempt at light-heartedness, the gravity of his words was unmistakable. "Looks like I won¡¯t get to patch you up again, huh?" he said, his tone a mix of jest and solemnity.
"But... I don¡¯t think I need to tell you that this is even beyond my Abilities, right?" Thea understood his implication immediately, her mind sharpening with the rush of adrenaline.
Viladia''s voice cut through the heavy air, her urgency evident. "Thea! Where¡¯s the rest of your squad?" she pressed, moving closer.
"They¡¯re dead. I¡¯m the last one," Thea responded wearily, her gesture towards the damaged building carrying the weight of their sacrifice.
Viladia''s reaction, a silent "Oh," spoke volumes of her realisation of the grim situation.
As Viladia conferred with Medic Johnsen, likely seeking to grasp the full extent of Thea''s condition, Thea remained still, leaning against the wall where she had awaited rescue.
Returning to Thea''s side, Viladia knelt, offering words of admiration and comfort. "You did good, Thea. Really good. Beyond anything we could have hoped for," she affirmed, her praise touching Thea deeply, especially coming from someone of Viladia''s calibre.
The promise of recognition for her squad¡¯s actions, the elimination of two Psykers, brought a small smile to Thea''s face.
Viladia''s next request hinted at a final task, yet carried the assurance of completion. "Could you do me one last favour, Thea? We¡¯ll take out the control station afterwards together, alright?"
Thea, fully aware of her limitations and the unspoken certainty of not rising again, felt a profound relief at the commitment from Viladia and Arrow Squad to fulfil the mission''s objectives.
"Sure, Vi," Thea agreed, the heavy burden of responsibility lifting from her as she accepted Viladia''s implicit promise, ready to contribute one last time to their shared goal. ¡°What do you need?¡±
Viladia''s expression shifted to one of solemnity, capturing Thea''s attention with the gravity of her gaze. "Your Gate isn¡¯t open right now, right?" she inquired, prompting Thea to internally confirm the status of her Psychic Gate, ensuring its closure through more than just instinct, given past missteps.
But Viladia''s next question halted Thea in her tracks, "Can you open it?"
Confusion and concern flickered across Thea''s features as she locked eyes with Viladia, silently probing for the rationale behind such a risky request.
''Why does she want me to open my Gate now, knowing how much trouble I have with the whole situation¡?'' Thea pondered, recalling her vow to Karania to steer clear of her Gate''s manipulation until the assessment''s conclusion.
Viladia, seemingly perceptive of Thea''s hesitations, offered further explanation, "Just a very tiny amount. We''ve failed to locate the enemy Ace, which is making us think that they might be stationed at another control site. Assuming they''re a T3 or even a T3 Prime, their Psychic Attribute likely leaves a detectable trace within the Void, as long as they haven¡¯t shut off their Gate completely. With the Psykers here neutralised, your Gate could potentially identify their presence, offering us at least a rough direction to follow."
Gently placing her hand on Thea''s shoulder, Viladia reassured her, "If it''s too much, don''t worry. There are other ways to track them down, but this method could swiftly clue us into their strategy. I''d undertake it myself if I had access to my Gate. I trust you understand I wouldn''t ask this of you under any other circumstances."
Thea grasped the gravity of Viladia''s request, recognizing it as a strategic move to maximise their remaining strength. Under different circumstances, she would have complied without a second thought.
Yet, the mere idea of interacting with her Psychic Gate again filled her with trepidation.
A deep, instinctive part of her recoiled at the thought, scarred by the havoc it had wreaked twice previously.
¡®Can¡¯t really blame me, considering the shit it has caused so far, can I¡?¡¯ Thea ruefully thought to herself.
First, when it had opened, it had nearly caused her a mental breakdown with the sheer insanity that had ensued. And now, it had effectively gotten her entire squad, including herself, killed because she didn¡¯t realise that the enemy Psykers could just track them down because the Gate had been cracked open by accident.
''The service tunnels...'' Thea''s mind circled back to their last desperate fight on their way into the city, the moment likely when the Gate had cracked open. The heavy reliance on her Psychic Senses had been a double-edged sword, preserving her Focus at a critical time but at a grave cost in hindsight.
Thea''s thoughts circled back to the immediate dilemma.
Reflecting, she realised there wasn''t much to lose.
A slight opening of her Psychic Gate, now confirmed relatively safe through her unintended trials earlier, seemed manageable.
With Arrow Squad''s presence, becoming bait for enemy Psykers oddly appealed to her.
Traditionally on the sniping end of such strategies, she had to admit that she found the role reversal intriguing.
"And if this is my end anyway, let it be a useful one," Thea silently mused. According to Medic Johnsen''s prognosis, her time was limited to begin with.
As long as she didn''t fully open the Gate, risks should be minimal, and with Viladia nearby to guide her through any unforeseen issues, there wasn¡¯t much that could go wrong.
With a cautious nod to Viladia, her decision was made, ¡°I can do it.¡±
Viladia''s response was immediate and fervent. "You''re a lifesaver, Thea! We owe you big time," she said, beaming.
Quickly, she went to rally the rest of Arrow Squad.
When Arrow Squad regrouped around her, their pristine condition contrasted sharply with the havoc Thea and her squad had faced.
Thea''s surprised expression, likely severely amplified by her general mental state, that was entirely coasting on the short high of the adrenaline shot, did not go unnoticed.
Morin, easily interpreting her glance, offered a casual explanation with a shrug, "We''ve had a relatively smooth ride, all things considered. Especially after you guys took care of those Psykers. Moira''s been the busiest, really, given her ability to support the rest of the Squads inside the control station from outside. Aside from the brief firefight that locked us down earlier, we''ve mostly been on standby in a building to the north-west, trying to pin down the Ace¡¯s location¡ªunfortunately without much success."
As Morin shared his assurance, Thea caught a glimpse of Moira, the mountain sniper, giving her a confident thumbs-up, accompanied by a buoyant, "I really gave it to ¡®em, you can count on that!"
The brief moment of levity brought a slight chuckle from Thea, momentarily easing the relentless pain and fatigue that had become her constant companions.
"We''re all set to go on your signal," Viladia said gently, settling next to Thea. "Just a slight opening, enough to give us a lead. And remember, if it feels overwhelming, shut it down right away. Your soul''s integrity is paramount. I''m right here if you need any support."
The reassuring weight of Viladia''s hand returned to her shoulder, solidifying her resolve.
Inhaling deeply, Thea prepared to delve into the unknown territory within herself when she paused, directing a solemn look at Morin. "One last thing," she implored, "ensure the control station is neutralised, okay? I¡¯m really sorry that we couldn''t contribute more to that end."
Morin''s gaze met hers, full of unwavering certainty. "You have my word. Arrow Squad will handle the control station. Rest assured, your efforts weren''t in vain," he affirmed.
This pledge, coupled with Viladia''s previous commitment, provided Thea with a sense of completion she hadn''t dared to expect.
It allowed her to release the last lingering tensions about the mission''s outcome.
''This is the end of the line for me...'' she acknowledged internally, feeling an unexpected peace as her physical strength dwindled further. ''Time to meet Corvus again. I owe him an apology for not keeping my word...''
Diving deep within, Thea edged towards her Psychic Gate, treating this venture with an utmost caution she had seldom afforded anything else in her life. The intent to merely graze its surface with her consciousness required a delicate balance she hadn''t attempted before.
''No more missteps today,'' she counselled herself, determined to execute this precisely.
As she drew nearer, the distinct characteristics of the Gate began to blur into an enigmatic singularity.
From afar, the iris-like structure of thirteen blades was discernible, yet upon closer inspection, they fused into a seamless, indescribable barrier¡ªa monolith warding off the unfathomable Void beyond.
With every inch closer, the Gate began to abruptly swell in size, its initial form distorting into something entirely ungraspable.
The monolith expanded, dwarfing Thea''s understanding and perception, transitioning from a manageable entity to a boundless, downright celestial presence. It was as if she were approaching a star, its magnitude expanding beyond comprehension, erasing the boundaries of reality within her mind.
This overwhelming expansion threatened to engulf her senses, her focus fraying at the edges as the Gate''s immensity seemed to eclipse her very existence.
''Keep it together, Thea,'' she sharply reminded herself, halting the disintegration of her concentration.
Regaining her bearings, the Gate realigned to its original proportions under Thea''s determined gaze. Finally getting close enough, she touched it with her outstretched hand, feeling an uncanny warmth, a sensation so deeply unsettling it nearly derailed her resolve.
Disregarding the peculiar, body-like temperature and flesh-like texture, she pressed on, her hand guiding the minuscule opening of the Gate with a surgeon''s precision.
''Just a sliver, nothing more,'' she coached herself, visualising the Gate¡¯s blades yielding to her will, opening the iris ever so slowly.
Memories of her first encounter with the Gate¡¯s opening and its deceptive allure, which had manifested as two gigantic copies of her own eyes enthralling her mind for what had felt like an eternity, prompted her to avert her gaze, wary of being drawn into its depths once more.
With every ounce of her concentration focused on the task, Thea carefully continued nudging the gate, feeling the alien texture shift under her touch ever so slowly.
''Steady... just a bit more...'' she reiterated, her mantra guiding her through the delicate operation, determined to fulfil her promise without succumbing to the gate''s enigmatic pull.
In that harrowing moment, as the faintest sliver of violet light seeped through the barely parted blades of her Psychic Gate, Thea was thrust into a maelstrom of unadulterated terror.
The fear was so visceral, so potent, that it yanked her back into the tangible world with a violence that left her body trembling and her mind reeling.
Instinctively, she shoved Viladia aside, a guttural reaction to the indescribable horror that had brushed against her soul.
Her physical form betrayed her, succumbing to convulsions of terror as she retched, her body expelling its contents in a desperate attempt to rid itself of the fear that had no physical form.
Tears carved paths down her cheeks, not just from the physical upheaval but from the unbearable realisation of the proximity and magnitude of the threat they faced.
"Vi, listen!" she gasped, each word punctuated by spasms of dread-induced sickness. Her plea was a desperate attempt to communicate the imminent danger, her voice a broken echo of fear.
The presence she had encountered was not just threatening; it was an overwhelming force, suffusing her with a dread so profound that her body could barely contain it.
"The Ace¡! They''re¡" she managed to whisper, the horror of that realisation making her voice tremble. Her psychic senses were in similar turmoil, screaming warnings of a threat so vast it seemed to dwarf her very being.
¡°Thea?! What¡¯s wrong?! Johnsen!¡± Viladia immediately called for the squad medic, but he was already in motion, having kept a close eye on Thea the entire time.
¡°Listen! The Ace is here! At this station!¡± She finally managed to articulate, each word a monumental effort against the tide of fear that threatened to engulf her.
Arrow Squad, immediately spurred by her warning, surged into action, their readiness palpable in the tense air.
¡®They need more¡! Just a little bit more intel¡!¡¯ Thea realised, knowing that the current amount of information was not worth the price of revealing their location.
As Thea fought through waves of terror, pushing against the overwhelming dread to glean any scrap of useful information, she finally caught a hint of movement¡ªa whisper of presence that she clung to with the absolute last vestiges of her focus and composure.
"They''re due south! Very close, south-w¡ª" Thea''s urgent warning came to a sudden, horrific halt.
An explosive projectile coming from seemingly nowhere found its mark, and in an instant her upper body and head were obliterated, casting a spray of red mist across the wall behind her¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 104 - Opprimo
- PoV: Viladia Cassiopeia Sortal -
Just before the catastrophic moment that silenced Thea forever, Viladia sensed a chilling premonition of danger.
This wasn''t the result of any Psychic Abilities or some kind of Passive-type Ability from the System; it was simply the hard-earned intuition of a seasoned infiltrator and stealth specialist, honed over countless missions, that signalled the unseen danger.
As Viladia''s instincts flared in warning, coinciding with Thea¡¯s reveal of the enemy Ace''s precise location, she understood the grave danger they were all in.
Without a moment''s hesitation, she tapped into her extensive combat experience, activating two of her critical Abilities instinctively, trying to get herself out of harm''s way and preparing to counter whatever threat loomed just beyond the squad¡¯s awareness.
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
¡®Umbra¡¯s Veil.¡¯
As Viladia utilised the instant-travel of her [Shadow Step] Ability to merge with a set of shadows roughly a dozen metres away, the clamour of the world diminished under the cloak of her veil, rendering her invisible just as she witnessed the horrific disintegration of Thea''s upper torso into a bloody mist.
Her swift reaction wasn''t solitary; the pervasive sense of imminent peril, a charged atmosphere hinting at the brink of catastrophe, had alerted the entire squad.
Johnsen, with instincts similarly sharpened by countless engagements, had already adopted a protective posture even before the fatal shot was executed, ducking down and away from Thea, who he had been wanting to check-up on just a mere instant ago.
Moira had dropped to one knee, her eyes already scanning through her sniper scope, eager to pinpoint and neutralise the source of the threat somewhere to the south.
Morin was already in the middle of summoning the protective embrace of [Gaia¡¯s Word], conjuring a formidable barrier of earth to shield the rest of the squad from the entire southern direction.
Crusher, too, had reacted with a deep-seated instinct to protect, managing to take a single step and shifting his stance ever so slightly. Yet, that minor adjustment was enough, positioning him as a human shield to intercept any further threats aimed at Johnsen.
In the fractions of a second that followed, Morin''s earth wall rose too slowly, allowing two lethal projectiles to hit their marks.
The first bullet struck Crusher squarely in the back of the head, its impact undeniable, while the second exploded upon contact with the robust armour encasing his neck.
The force was enough to shatter the durable plates and helmet, scattering fragments as the formidable defensive heavy crumpled forward, the parts of his armour that were hit disintegrating into pieces as he hit the ground.
Viladia, amidst the chaos, had no time for reflection. The message was clear: The enemy Ace was not playing around, signalling that there was no room for hesitation on their part either.
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
Zipping through shadows with her Ability, Viladia navigated the expanse between the control station''s perimeter and the suspect apartment buildings with unparalleled speed, despite the considerable drain on her Focus and Stamina. This method of movement, though demanding, allowed her to close the distance in virtually no time at all.
However, upon reaching her destination, beneath the towering residential apartment buildings, Viladia''s focus was shattered by an unexpected intrusion¡ªa voice that reverberated through her head.
It wasn¡¯t like a mental communication, as she was more than used to those by now as a result of Arrow Squad using those types of Abilities as their main communication method in the middle of an active battle, but rather something else entirely.
The voice, cold and clinical, bore the detachment of a surgeon performing a routine operation, devoid of any emotional resonance.
"Looks like I''ve found the elusive squad... Your actions have caused us considerable heartache; more than you might realise," the voice conveyed with chilling precision. "You will all die here, and I would prefer it if you didn''t complicate matters further. The Wielder''s interference has already disrupted my plans enough. It would be in your best interest to simply surrender and face your demise with honour; if undead like you are even capable of that."
Stunned by the audacity and sheer absurdity of the demand, Viladia''s initial reaction was disbelief.
''Who in their right mind would willingly follow such a request? Is this some kind of fucked-up joke?'' she thought, momentarily thrown off balance by the brazenness of the command.
The Ace¡¯s voice was quickly replaced by Morin¡¯s, resonating through her skull. It was their main form of communication, solicited by System Abilities of both Morin and Moira. A sort of mental connection was formed instantly with the rest of the squad, creating a shared space for their intended thoughts to be shared with one another.
Morin, serving as the primary host of this mental network, with Moira designated as the alternate in case of his incapacitation, reached out to Viladia urgently.
His tone, laden with tension, betrayed the criticality of the moment.
"Vi! Your take?!" The urgency in Morin''s thought-voice pressed Viladia for an immediate decision.
She thoroughly understood the import of her next decisions.
The sudden appearance of the enemy Ace, which had turned out to be a Psyker of considerable power, placed them at a significant disadvantage. Such an adversary represented the worst case scenario for them; especially given Arrow Squad''s current lack of a Psyker.
Faced with the enormity of the decision, Viladia weighed their options.
Thea''s crucial, albeit final, warning had spared them from the immediate decimation that would have undoubtedly blindsided them, suffering catastrophic losses before they had even recognized the presence of the enemy Ace.
Among Arrow Squad, Viladia had always harboured the deepest fascination with the Psychic disciplines, rendering her the squad''s unofficial psychic counter-strategy specialist.
"Take your Serum¡¯s immediately," Viladia commanded, certain that her squad mates would heed her instruction without delay. As they acted, she swiftly accessed her own T1 Null-Serum, consuming it while piecing together the intelligence they had on their adversary.
Their current predicament involved a first-time engagement with a Psychic Ace, however¡ªa situation teeming with unknowns and dangers that they had no way of anticipating. "He used [Voice Projection] earlier, indicating he¡¯s at minimum a Lambda-rank. Yet, based on Thea¡¯s extreme reaction when she opened her Gate, we¡¯re more likely dealing with a Theta or even Zeta-rank Psyker.¡± Consuming the Serum, Viladia outlined their dire circumstances through the squad''s psychic link, enabling her to convey plans while physically preparing.
"If he truly is Zeta-rank, we¡¯re all going to die; just as he said," she admitted, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. "Our priority for now¡ªand our best chance to kill him¡ªis pinpointing his location immediately. If Crusher can still act, an explosive assault might be our best bet. Otherwise, we need to position Moira for a decisive sniper shot. Morin and I stand little chance of a direct confrontation, especially at Theta-level, barring any critical errors on his part. Unfortunately, I can''t discern anything about his Psychic Path or Inheritance so far, so we¡¯ll need Moira and Crusher to do their thing."
She concluded her tactical assessment, her senses starting to dull as the Null-Serum took full effect, enveloping her in a protective, albeit desensitised, bubble. The world seemed to fade into a less vibrant version of itself, a necessary sacrifice to level the playing field against a formidable psychic opponent.
¡®I hate this fucking stuff¡¡¯ Disdain for the Null-Serum lingered in Viladia''s mind as she refrained from voicing her thoughts, maintaining the mental link with her squad.
The [Mental-Bond], while invaluable for communication, came with its limitation of allowing only one speaker at a time.
The Null-Serum''s taste was revolting, but its effects were far more concerning.
By dampening their connection to the Allbright System, it impaired the regeneration of vital resources such as Focus and Stamina and increased the likelihood of errors when utilising Abilities.
However, these drawbacks were a necessary evil, given that the Serum''s primary function was to diminish their connection to the Void, thereby offering crucial protection against Psychic attacks.
For Viladia and her squad, particularly Moira, who possessed the squad''s weakest Resolve, the Null-Serum was a mandatory lifeline, offering a fighting chance against the potent threat of enemy Psykers.
Now that the bitter concoction had been consumed, Viladia, her Shooting Star at the ready, began surveying their surroundings with renewed focus. Her task was clear: Identify the enemy Ace''s location and devise a strategy to neutralise this dangerous enemy.
Viladia''s thoughts darted around as she pieced together the clues about the enemy Ace''s location and tactics. ''Based on Thea''s last words, he''s somewhere to the south, possibly southwest of her final position. The trajectory of the shots that hit Thea and Crusher suggests he''s close, but not a sniper¡ªCrusher''s T2 armour would''ve been irrelevant against a high-calibre sniper round at this distance; and the bullets were too small to match a sniper''s usual choice to begin with.''
Her mind was racing as she tried to build a rough profile of the enemy Ace to relay to the rest of the squad, but the sheer number of unknowns was far too high to have anything useful for them just yet.
''Fighting Psykers is fucking bullshit...'' she mused, understanding the limitations of their current situation.
To avoid detection, Viladia remained motionless, shrouded under the cover of her [Umbra¡¯s Veil].
Although this Ability rendered her invisible and inaudible to most, she was acutely aware of quite a number of Abilities that could pierce through her veil, not to mention multiple different Psychic Powers being able to do so as well.
Hence, she adopted a cautious stance, minimising any unnecessary movement to stay undetected. Eagerly, she awaited a response from Crusher and Moira.
Their actions could potentially provoke the enemy Psyker into revealing more about their capabilities, allowing Viladia to update the squad with any new intelligence that might tip the scales in their favour.
When it came to fighting Psykers in particular, Viladia knew that there was nothing they could do, even as a squad, if they couldn¡¯t figure out their basic set of capabilities.
Unlike regular soldiers who relied on the Abilities provided by the Allbright System, Psykers had an additional layer of complexity with their Psychic Paths and Inheritances, enabling them to manipulate their powers in highly specialised and often unpredictable ways.
Understanding the enemy Psyker''s toolkit was critical; a direct assault without this knowledge was tantamount to literal suicide.
For instance, a Psyker with the Perditio Inheritance could disintegrate opponents on approach if they possessed the right Path to create physical or semi-physical constructs.
Given the enemy was at least a T3, possibly even a T3 Prime, the likelihood of encountering such devastating power was alarmingly high.
And while she didn¡¯t have an exhaustive knowledge of all the Psychic Paths and Inheritances¡ªgiven their vast and varied nature¡ªshe was familiar with the ones posing the greatest threat to them.
Among the Psychic Inheritances, Perditio and Obscuritas stood as the most formidable threats for Arrow Squad.
Perditio represented the aspect of destruction and obliteration within the Void.
Any Psychic Power influenced by Perditio would inevitably lead to catastrophic outcomes, magnifying the destructive potential of any Path a Psyker might follow. The mere presence of a Perditio Psyker meant that anyone within their reach risked being obliterated in an instant¡ªsomething that even the Null-Serum wouldn¡¯t save them from; merely slightly delay at best.
On the other end of the spectrum, Obscuritas embodied the aspect of darkness and the unseen within the Void, serving as the direct antithesis to the Veritas Inheritance.
Psychic Powers filtered through Obscuritas became nearly impossible to detect, often rendering them invisible to the unaware. An individual''s Resolve played a crucial role in detecting these powers; a lack thereof meant one could unknowingly walk into a lethal trap, realising the existence of the knife they had unknowingly walked into only after they had already died to it.
These two Inheritances posed the greatest risk in any encounter with a Psyker for their squad, drawing Viladia''s main focus and concern.
The primary challenge they now faced lay in their inability to ascertain the specific Inheritance of the enemy Psyker without first having to directly confront their powers¡ªa necessary risk that, if handled poorly, would easily end their mission here and now.
¡°Crusher is hurt pretty badly, but he¡¯ll make it,¡± Johnsen¡¯s words coming through the [Mental-Bond] let Viladia breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Without their defensive heavy, it would be downright impossible to bait the enemy Ace into revealing parts of their toolkit without suffering extremely heavy losses. ¡°His helmet and back-armour is completely broken, so he¡¯s extremely vulnerable. He won¡¯t last, but he can do his job. Morin, lower the wall at their location on my mark.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Viladia readied herself, knowing the crucial role her observations would play in the unfolding situation.
She pictured their strategic formation vividly, having seen it hundreds of times already: Morin and Johnsen positioned off to one side for optimal support, while Moira used Crusher''s full-cover shield and his defensive Abilities as a secure-ish bait position to counter-snipe attackers from.
The plan was to lower Morin''s protective wall at just the right moment, allowing Moira to take her shot as Crusher deployed what was left of his defensive capabilities to shield her.
This approach, though fraught with tremendous risk, capitalised on their combined strengths.
It wasn¡¯t an entirely fool-proof method, but the two of them could take a serious beating. Moira¡¯s heavy armour, a rarity for snipers like her, combined with Crusher¡¯s Abilities and the cover from his shield had helped them weather quite a number of storms in the past already.
Johnsen''s cue signalled the strategic withdrawal of Morin''s earth-wall into the ground, revealing Moira and Crusher prepared in their defensive stance.
Viladia, stationed to the south, had a clear line of sight to their meticulously arranged defence.
Moira swivelled her weapon, rapidly scouring the environment for the faintest hint of the enemy Ace''s whereabouts. Crusher, though battered, exerted his strength to stabilise the full-cover shield, anticipating an imminent strike.
The tense silence was shattered by three distinct shots echoing out.
Viladia''s eyes were locked onto the scene, witnessing Crusher''s remarkable defensive Ability spring into action against the impending threat.
His shield underwent a transformation, adopting the guise of a formidable five-headed hydra, each head poised and ready to intercept the incoming projectiles as they snapped and coiled through the air above them. As the first of the bullets came close, it was met immediately by the animated defence, the hydra heads lunging forward in a display of both defiance and protection.
Viladia''s eyes were wide with alarm as she observed the erratic behaviour of two bullets, which seemed to dart and weave through the air, as if manipulated by some unseen hand.
They dodged the defensive manoeuvres of the hydra heads with unnatural agility.
"He''s using smart bullets!" She quickly relayed to her team via the [Mental-Bond], the urgency clear in her mental voice.
Immediately dropping to a knee herself, she rummaged through her backpack to retrieve her ASB-Hood, a necessary countermeasure against such advanced weaponry.
Smart bullets, with their ability to alter trajectory mid-flight and independently aim for specific parts of an enemy, posed a significant threat on the battlefield.
Some higher-Tier versions even had the capacity to pause momentarily in mid-air, resuming their lethal path with calculated precision.
The ASB-Hood, designed to disrupt the targeting mechanisms of these smart bullets, were their best defence, albeit offering no physical protection beyond that.
While Moira''s armour was already equipped with ASB technology, ensuring her relative safety from such threats, Viladia was aware that the rest of the squad wasn''t as fortunate. Their armour module slots had been allocated to other enhancements, deemed more universally beneficial.
Thus, for the rest of them, donning the ASB-Hoods was the only way to escape the almost guaranteed kill-shots of smart bullets.
As Viladia watched, she saw Crusher make a desperate attempt to take cover behind the remnants of his shield, while the hydra heads frantically snapped at the elusive smart bullets zipping through the air.
Time had long seemed to slow down to a crawl, a common phenomenon in the heat of combat, where seconds stretched into seemingly endless moments.
One of the hydra heads, lunging with precision mere centimetres near Moira and Crusher, managed to intercept another bullet, plucking it from its deadly trajectory.
However, the final bullet eluded capture.
Viladia''s heart sank; she had anticipated the tragic conclusion the moment she realised they were dealing with smart bullets. Crusher''s defensive manoeuvre was tragically too slow to adapt to the unforeseen angles of attack; too slow to adjust to the bobbing and weaving bullets.
With his helmet already broken and fallen off from the initial assault, Crusher was vulnerably exposed. The bullet found its target with merciless accuracy, penetrating his skull.
The giant of a man crumpled, lifeless before he even hit the ground, his once-vigilant shield and its hydra guardians collapsing into inanimate metal beside him.
Moira found herself abruptly alone as Crusher''s massive frame fell, leaving her dangerously exposed. In a split second of realisation, she dove towards the safety of Morin''s rapidly ascending earthen wall, hoping it could shield her from the enemy Ace''s lethal focus.
Yet, the timing betrayed them, and Viladia''s heart sank as she witnessed the scene unfold with a mix of horror and helplessness.
A sudden, inexplicable force lifted a vast section of the battlefield into the air.
Moira, along with the lifeless form of Crusher, the remains of his hydra-guarded shield, and debris from their surroundings, was caught in an invisible maelic vortex.
¡®He¡¯s a fucking Aurae Psyker,¡¯ Viladia understood instantly, recognizing the sheer scope of the Psychic onslaught as being far beyond the norm.
Hanging suspended, thirty metres above the ground, Moira was ensnared in a nightmarish tableau of levitation, unable to break free from the Psyker''s anti-gravitational grip. Then, as abruptly as it had lifted, the force inverted, hurling everything downwards with catastrophic intensity.
The sound of their impact echoed, a grim portent to the enemy Psyker''s power, as Moira and the inanimate objects around her crashed into the asphalt with bone-shattering force.
In the fleeting moment before the inevitable collision, Moira''s voice pierced through the [Mental-Bond] with a calmness that belied her situation.
"He''s two buildings further south, Vi. Good luck."
Despite the disorienting effects of the gravity manipulation, Moira had somehow discerned the Ace''s location, imparting this critical piece of intelligence with her final breath.
Without wasting a single moment, Viladia sprang into action.
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
With three quick, back-to-back activations of her Ability, she covered the roughly four-hundred metres to the apartment that Moira had pointed out to her.
¡°He¡¯s an Aurae Psyker. That means large-radius attacks; so try and stick together, as strange as that sounds. He seems to be going down the Gravity-Path. As a non-physical construct, it will make it a lot harder for him to hit you if you¡¯re next to somebody else,¡± she relayed through the [Mental-Bond] as she made her way up the stairwell inside the building with hasty steps.
¡®Without Moira and Crusher, we¡¯re really in deep now¡ I have no idea how we¡¯re supposed to beat this guy,¡¯ Viladia thought to herself, opting not to relay this part of her thoughts over the [Mental-Bond]. It was her job, as the squad¡¯s Psychic expert, to find a way; so hearing her state that she had no idea what to do was not going to be great for morale.
Ascending the stairs, she kept in mind the trajectories of the bullets fired, both the ones that had taken out Thea and Crusher¡¯s helmet, as well as the ones fired during the second salvo that had ultimately killed Crusher.
¡®He can¡¯t be below the 9th floor and not above the 14th¡¡¯
As she got closer to the 9th floor, she slowed down drastically, returning to a more stealthy-approach as she inched her way forward, checking for traps, tripwires or any other form of alarm that might give her away.
While her [Umbra¡¯s Veil] made her invisible and unhearable for anyone not inside it, it didn¡¯t actually remove her physical influence on the world. So stepping onto a mine was still very much possible and a danger she couldn¡¯t ignore.
¡°Johnsen is dead. I¡¯m badly hurt; the Ace is still in the same spot,¡± she suddenly heard the strained voice of Morin come through the [Mental-Bond]. ¡°I think he¡¯s got another Path. We got hit by some kind of concentrated air or something. Johnsen got completely ripped apart; I barely got away. I can¡¯t move, so it¡¯s all on you now, Vi. Sorry about that.¡±
Viladia exhaled a burdened sigh, the gravity of their situation weighing down on her.
¡°So he¡¯s a Zeta rank, then¡ We never stood a chance, huh?¡± She murmured, a mix of defiance and resignation in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. See you on the other side, Morin.¡±
With that, she focused entirely on the task ahead of her: Taking out a Zeta-rank Psyker all by herself.
As Viladia advanced through the building, each step was taken with meticulous care, her senses sharpened to their utmost. Approaching each new floor, Viladia exercised extreme levels of caution, acutely aware that the hardest tasks of fighting a Psyker¡ªlocating, closing in and identifying the powers of the enemy¡ªhad mostly already been accomplished, thanks to her fallen comrades.
Utilising her [Shadow Step] Ability with unprecedented liberality, she flitted from one shadow to the next, a ghost navigating through the dim corridors. This Ability allowed her to traverse potentially hazardous zones, circumventing traps or clutter that could betray her presence.
In normal circumstances, Viladia would conserve her Focus and Stamina, but the gravity of her mission compelled her to expend her resources without reservation. After all, if she wasn¡¯t spending all of her Focus and Stamina on killing an enemy Ace, then what exactly was she saving it for?
Each teleportation was a calculated risk, placing her either closer to her target or potentially within the enemy''s reach. Yet, the dangers of being spotted due to an accidental misstep left no room for such frugality.
Floor by floor, she ascended, her anticipation building.
Her mind remained vigilant throughout, ready to react at a moment''s notice to any sign of the Psyker or the deadly powers he wielded.
Then, finally, she heard the faintest of movements as somebody shuffled around on the spot in a doorway to her left.
She was now on the 12th floor of the apartment and was rapidly running out of Resources, but she finally had tracked down the enemy Ace.
¡°Morin, if you¡¯re still around¡ I¡¯m gonna need him to be distracted. Just for an instant, if you can,¡± she tried voicing through the [Mental-Bond], hoping that it was still active and Morin hadn¡¯t succumbed to his injuries yet.
Cautiously approaching the room, Viladia''s movements were a symphony of stealth, each step meticulously calculated to avoid any noise that might give her away.
She drew her knives, their abyss-black blades blending seamlessly with the shadows she commanded. Understanding the limitations of her Shooting Star in this scenario, she opted for a more direct approach.
An experienced Aurae Psyker could potentially sense and evade a projectile, making her preferred ranged method too risky to employ.
Comfort found its way into her grip on the knives, weapons that had served as extensions of her will in countless encounters.
She was an assassin, first and foremost. She had killed countless enemies with the combination of Abilities she was now relying on, [Umbra¡¯s Veil] and [Shadow Step], but never an enemy Ace Psyker.
¡®If I had a high-power laser weapon, this wouldn¡¯t be an issue¡ I might have to pick up a sidearm for the future, for instances like this,¡¯ she thought as she crept up to the very edge of the doorframe.
Then, Morin''s strained voice pierced through the [Mental-Bond], sparking a flicker of hope within her, ¡°On your mark.¡±
Not entirely alone, she had support, albeit from a distance.
With a deep, steadying breath, Viladia readied herself for the confrontation ahead.
¡°I¡¯m in position, do it,¡± she communicated back, her tone laced with a determined calm.
She trusted Morin to create the diversion needed, his exact plan unknown to her but irrelevant.
Her faith in his abilities was unwavering.
Swiftly rounding the doorframe, she caught sight of the enemy Psyker for the first time, his focus on the silenced rifle in his hands, likely targeting Morin. Viladia wasted no moment in hesitation, her experience and instincts guiding her forward.
¡®Shadow Step.¡¯
Suddenly, Viladia''s perspective shifted dramatically, utilising the shadow of the enemy Psyker as her entrance from the ethereal to the tangible.
In a fluid motion, initiated even before she fully emerged from her shadowy conduit, her knives found their mark.
They sliced through the air with precision, slipping past the armour at the Psyker''s neck, severing flesh, sinew, and bone in a swift, decisive action that left the Psyker decapitated before her full presence materialised.
As his body collapsed beneath her, a fleeting moment of relief washed over her.
Yet, it was promptly interrupted by a sinking feeling, a premonition that danger was far from over.
¡®Shadow Ste¡ª¡¯
Mid-activation, her body was suddenly wrenched violently upwards, caught in the invisible clutches of an unthinkably powerful force.
Her Resolve flared in desperation, fighting against what felt like an unyielding grip of molasses, an oppressive, expanding sea attempting to engulf her.
Despite her strenuous efforts, pushing her Resolve to its brink, the unseen force seemed to only grow, tightening painfully around her.
Then, a voice, calm and detached, broke the silence.
"I¡¯m honestly impressed that you managed to get my clone¡ They cost a lot of Merit, you know?" The enemy Ace¡¯s voice came from behind her, his footsteps echoing lightly as he approached the room''s doorway. "I see how you made such a mess of everything beyond the wall now. Your squad truly was an elite one, huh?"
Caught in a struggle for freedom, Viladia¡¯s attempts grew more desperate, yet increasingly futile. The suffocating grasp of the Psyker¡¯s power was relentless. As her vision began to blur from exertion, the reality of her predicament settled in; the Psyker had her firmly in his grasp.
Viladia exerted herself further, momentarily freeing an arm, but it was swiftly ensnared again by a fresh surge of psychic energy, rendering her immobilised in midair.
The enemy Ace''s voice filled the room, tinged with a mixture of admiration and annoyance.
"I''d appreciate if you ceased these futile efforts¡ It''s quite rare to find someone without Psychic Abilities so challenging to secure. Quite bothersome, indeed," he stated as he made his way into the room.
A sudden burst of blood from her nose marked the physical toll of her resistance, signalling every capillary''s rupture under the strain she put her body under.
¡®Fuck¡ If I push any further, I¡¯ll overdraw,¡¯ conceding to the relentless force, Viladia finally ceased her struggle, a mix of frustration and resignation clouding her thoughts.
The realisation of her approaching doom was palpable. ''If only I had been more thorough with the other rooms¡ His decoy strategy mirrored our own, baiting us, just as we were baiting him...''
Unexpectedly, the Ace continued to engage in conversation, not seizing the immediate opportunity to eliminate her. "You might be ruminating on potential oversights, imagining ''What if I had been more diligent?'' or something like that. However, let me offer you a piece of insight: It would have made no difference," he disclosed, his voice carrying a cold certainty.
Drawing a combat knife with deliberate slowness from his intricate, likely Tier 3 Psyker-augmenting armour, he approached the helpless Viladia. Despite the imminent threat, his choice to prolong the encounter suggested he found some kind of value in this final exchange.
"You see, I thoroughly detest you undead monstrosities. You''re an abomination, endlessly resurrecting like some grotesque, unkillable vermin. No matter how many times we exterminate you, you just crawl back from your pods, mocking death itself. It''s an affront, utterly infuriating," his voice, now utterly laced with venom, shifted dramatically from detached professional to vehemently spiteful.
"I''ve dedicated an obscene amount of time to discovering a method to erase your kind permanently, yet a definitive solution still eludes me. Nevertheless, I find a certain... satisfaction, in capturing one of your loathsome kind, experimenting in search of that elusive permanence," he hissed, his blade making quick work of Viladia''s armour, slicing through it as effortlessly as if it were mere cloth, his T3 knife an extension of his malice.
"Unfortunately, my endeavours haven''t yet borne fruit, as I mentioned. So, I''m left to extract my joy from ensuring you endure an existence so wretched, you''ll instead plead for the oblivion you so arrogantly dodge," he sneered, bringing the knife to hover ominously over Viladia''s eye, the glint of the blade reflecting a promise of torment.
With a slow, deliberate movement, he pressed the knife into her eye socket, each millimetre deeper a crescendo of agony for Viladia.
Her consciousness was besieged by an overwhelming tide of pain, a grim gratitude for her fallen squad members'' swift deaths fleetingly crossing her mind. The hours to come promised an ordeal of such magnitude, she wouldn''t wish it upon even her fiercest enemy.
While she had undergone some anti-torture training as part of unlocking her Class, she was not looking forward to what was to come next.
"Ah, yes, squirm, UHF trash¡ Scream for me! Beg for the mercy of death that you so vehemently deny! Implore your vaunted Faction Leaders to abandon their futile efforts at bringing you back again! Your suffering is the only testament to your existence I''ll permit," he taunted, a twisted joy suffusing his words as he indulged in the infliction of pain¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 105 - Revival
Wrong.
It was the first feeling that came to Thea¡¯s mind as she abruptly found herself inside of a narrow tube.
Before any thoughts of her recent experiences could even manifest, the single most pressing concern was that there was something inherently wrong with all of this.
Her body didn¡¯t feel right, as if it belonged to somebody else.
As if her legs and arms were too long; yet too short at the same time.
As if her body didn¡¯t weigh the proper amount; yet too accurately weighed exactly the amount it should.
Nothing felt right, from the tip of her head to the soles of her feet.
A thorough feeling of disgust and self-loathing jarred through her existence as she tried moving the limbs that weren¡¯t hers, to try and figure out what exactly was going on with this body that didn¡¯t feel like she should inhabit.
Her attempts at movement were interrupted by the System¡¯s voice echoing in her mind.
| [System]: Soul link with Shell initiated... Soul successfully linked. |
Suddenly, she felt like herself again.
The body she currently inhabited was definitely hers, with the correct length of limbs, the right weight and even the cybernetic hand she had gotten used to over the past couple of days attached exactly where it should be.
A shudder ran through her, that felt as if it was washing out the last dredges of whatever strange feeling of wrongness had momentarily overcome her.
¡®That was fucking weird¡ Is that just how it is when you respawn or did the System just have a weird error again, like that first time it tried attaching me¡?¡¯ Thea couldn¡¯t help but think, as she began to move to unlatch the door of the pod she found herself in.
The pod''s lid opened with a soft hiss, releasing warm, sterilised air that seemed to infuse Thea with an unexpected vigour.
Immediately, however, an odd, unsettling scent permeated the air, an aroma slightly reminiscent of newly born babies, yet strangely more mature, striking her senses sharply and making her momentarily cease her breathing in disgust.
¡®That¡¯s fucking rancid¡ It¡¯s like freshly born adult babies or something, what the fuck?¡¯
As she stepped out of the pod, Thea found herself inside one of the respawn bays of the UHF, with dozens upon dozens of pods lining up on either side of her.
Each one was practically printing marines, as naked men and women stepped out of the pods, got their basic uniforms from the nearby wall-cabins and moved on, only for the sight to repeat around a minute later.
Thea herself was quickly grabbing the standard-issue uniform from a nearby rack and throwing it on, trying her best to ignore the fact that she was stark naked in the same room as dozens of other people.
Luckily, she had a more pressing thought that occupied her mind, keeping her anxiety at bay.
¡®I need to get to Command as fast as possible¡! The Ace is at CS1 and Arrow Squad is going to need some serious help!¡¯
She had barely put on her pants, shirt and boots, as she started running towards the nearest exit, passing dozens of other marines on the way out. Mid-run, she continued putting on the rest of the outfit as best she could, but her report had to take priority over proper attire.
Reaching the door, she was abruptly stopped by a group of marines; these ones fully armoured up and clearly in charge of the area.
An armoured hand was barring her exit from the respawn hangar, the towering woman trying to calm Thea down, ¡°Woho, wow. Calm down the¡ª¡±
¡°I need to speak to Command, immediately!¡± Thea interrupted her briskly, not wasting any time. The woman¡¯s face, front and centre as she didn¡¯t wear a helmet, looked a tad taken aback by the abrupt and rude interruption. ¡°I have an urgent report to make about one of the enemy Aces!¡±
Immediately, the woman¡¯s face changed into a severely serious one, her focus locked in.
¡°Follow me,¡± she briskly ordered, before turning around and storming off.
Thea did her best to follow, while still throwing on the rest of her uniform, struggling a bit with the jacket as it had become slightly jumbled up in her efforts to quickly leave the hangar.
As Thea passed the door, she found herself in a second, even larger area, filled with hundreds of marines in standard-issue uniform, who were going about their business with vastly varying degrees of urgency.
Some were running, others slowly meandering towards the different stations that Thea could spot throughout the area. There were various printing stations, equipment handouts¡ªfor those wanting the standard-issue gear and leaving immediately¡ª, as well as lockers that Thea figured likely held the pre-printed copies of gear that you could pay for.
¡°Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s the commanding officer. Takin¡¯ ya¡¯ to him. That good enough?¡± The tall woman asked backwards, as she mowed them a path through the throng of respawned marines that filled the second room of the hangar.
¡°That would be perfect, actually!¡± Thea replied, speaking a bit louder as her head was momentarily stuck inside the jacket, hoping the tall woman could hear her regardless; the noise level inside the resupply hangar¡ªas Thea decided to call it¡ªwas extreme.
The two of them continued through the masses with relative ease, Thea thankful for the tall woman to have immediately taken her word as gospel, that she had an important report to make.
¡®I''m actually surprised that worked so smoothly... But then again, withholding crucial information could land you in serious trouble, even leading to a court-martial depending on the gravity of the situation. On the flip side, causing a false alarm would likely land me in similarly hot water,¡¯ Thea pondered, finally managing to slip into the last part of her uniform mid-walk.
Now fully equipped, she finally had a moment to look around the hangar.
To the east, a series of printing stations stood like sentinels, around a dozen in total, flanked by supply officers who oversaw the creation of specialised gear.
A significant number of marines clustered here, awaiting the printers to fabricate the custom equipment vital for their upcoming missions. The air buzzed with the sound of machines and the muted conversations of those in line, a cacophony of anticipation and readiness.
Opposite, on the western flank of the hangar, was the standard-issue gear requisition area.
This section catered to marines who either lacked the Credits for specialised prints or whose roles demanded no such tailored equipment. Here, the process was brisk and efficient, with marines swiftly grabbing their gear and making way for others, a continuous flow of newly respawned marines being turned into battle-ready ones.
Heading south, Thea and her tall companion approached the supply lockers, an area frequented by only a select few.
These lockers housed the pre-printed gear, allowing a quick bypass of the bustling lines at the printing stations and requisition area. Located conveniently by the exit ensuring that those who planned ahead¡ªand had the requisite Credits to pay for the prints¡ªcould leap back into the action without delay.
¡®I have some gear in the lockers as well¡ But it¡¯s not the right time to retrieve it. I can¡¯t exactly teleport to the control station or anything, so I¡¯m stuck here for the foreseeable future anyway. Better to save it for another time,¡¯ Thea thought as the two of them passed the lockers and got to the southernmost exit.
There were quite a few exits located all around the resupply hangar, but this one was what could be considered the main exit, as it featured the largest opening and, judging by the tall woman''s brisk pace at getting Thea to the command building, was also facing the main part of the FOB.
With several determined shoves and loud, echoing calls of ¡°Passing through. Make way!¡± the woman forcefully cleared a path through the dense crowd of marines bottlenecking at the exit. She firmly gripped Thea''s hand, dragging her along, before a squadron of fully-armoured marines, stationed to guard the exit, waved them through without hesitation.
It seemed that, normally, everyone was subjected to a thorough check before being permitted to exit, but the presence of the female guard meant that Thea bypassed this procedure entirely.
¡°Really hate having to squeeze through ¡®ere¡ Too crowded, ya¡¯ feel me?¡± The woman grumbled to Thea, her voice a blend of annoyance and resignation, as they emerged into the open air.
Thea responded with a silent nod and a low grunt of agreement, her sentiments mirroring the woman¡¯s. Crowds were far from her preferred environment, after all.
The forward operating base was exactly as Thea remembered it, unchanged from her last visit just a few days prior. The familiar sights and structures brought a sense of deja vu, with the stark difference being her solitude this time around, in contrast to her previous visit accompanied by the rest of the members of Alpha Squad.
The journey to the command building was swift, with the bustling environment of the base fading into a quiet intensity as they approached.
Upon reaching their destination, the woman stopped, a casual yet firm gesture indicating it was time for Thea to proceed alone. ¡°Here ya¡¯ go. Good luck!¡± she offered with a brisk, supportive tone.
Immediately after, she spun on her heel, her stride quick and purposeful as she retreated back towards the sprawling maze of marines inside the respawn hangars.
Thea was left standing, a bit dazed by the swift shift in company, a silent wish to have expressed her gratitude lingering in her thoughts. ¡®Damn, I didn¡¯t even get to thank her¡¡¯ she thought regretfully, feeling a mix of appreciation and sudden solitude.
Taking a deep breath, Thea stepped across the threshold of the command building for her inaugural visit. The last time around they had been at the FOB, Corvus had been the one to venture inside, leaving Thea without firsthand knowledge of what to expect.
This direct reporting was uncharted territory for her, adding an edge of anticipation to her current plans. As she entered, Thea¡¯s eyes darted around, seeking an attendant or any sign that might direct her on where to go to deliver her report.
Inside, the command building of the FOB contrasted starkly with the chaotic energy outside.
Constructed from rock-crete, the structure presents a spartan interior, embodying the utilitarian essence of military efficiency. It spanned two floors, with Thea finding herself in what served as a makeshift reception room on the ground level.
The amenities were sparse, with a few metal folding chairs as the sole seating opportunities leaned against a nearby wall, underscoring the building''s transient purpose.
Despite its purpose, the building was not teeming with personnel.
The marines present, however, exuded a consistent air of urgency.
They navigated the corridors with purposeful strides, datapads clutched in their hands, likely engrossed in the task of delivering reports or relaying critical updates to higher-ups. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The atmosphere was one of focused busyness, with each individual deeply entrenched in their respective duties.
As Thea''s gaze swept over her surroundings, trying to piece together her next move, a young man seated behind a desk caught her attention. He appeared somewhat less harried than his counterparts, leisurely tapping on a datapad with one hand.
Noticing Thea''s uncertain stance, he gestures for her to approach.
With a calm demeanour, he inquired, "What brings you to the command building? Can I help you?"
His voice, steady and inviting, offered a momentary respite from the building''s otherwise frantic and all-business ambiance, signalling a surprising openness to guide Thea through her unfamiliar errand.
¡°I¡¯m looking for Staff-Sergeant Venn. I have an urgent report to make,¡± Thea stated, closing the distance to the desk with a few quick strides to ensure her voice carried clearly without needing to raise it across the room.
The man behind the desk gave her a brief, evaluative look, his eyes scanning her for a moment as if weighing her sincerity and the urgency of her message. Seemingly satisfied that she posed no risk and deeming her request legitimate, he gestured nonchalantly toward the staircase with a flick of his hand. ¡°Second floor, third door on the right.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± she responded with a nod, her gratitude brief as she turned to ascend the stairs, her steps quick and determined, eager to finish her report.
Upon reaching the designated office, Thea paused only briefly to knock before hearing a voice from inside granting her permission to enter.
The room revealed Staff-Sergeant Venn, who was intensely focused on a large, pentagon-shaped holographic table at the centre of the office. The table cast a soft glow across the room, illuminating various strategic points and movements on a section of the battlefield that was foreign to Thea''s eyes from her vantage point.
As Venn lifted his head to meet her arrival, a subtle grin edged at the corners of his mouth, an expression that mingled recognition with a hint of curiosity. Interpreting his look as an encouragement to proceed, Thea took it as her cue to begin her report, stepping forward to convey her urgent message.
¡°Staff-Sergeant Venn, I need to report urgently: The last of the enemy Aces has been spotted at control station 1, within Nova Tertius. I can verify their presence, along with Arrow Squad, who are currently engaged in combat with them. I¡¯m requesting immediate backup for Arrow Squad, and if possible, for all units stationed at CS1. The enemy Ace has taken them by surprise, and they could use the support,¡± Thea explained, her voice steady but tinged with the undercurrent of urgency she felt.
She aimed for brevity in her report, attempting to communicate the critical situation without unnecessary details, yet emphasising the immediacy of the need for reinforcement.
As Thea concluded her report, a wave of nervousness washed over her, more intense than she had anticipated. With the immediate need of delivering her message concluded, thoughts of Arrow Squad¡¯s current struggle surged to the forefront of her mind, no longer contained to the background.
Concern for Moira and Viladia consumed her thoughts, alongside the overarching worry for the mission''s success and the strategic importance of securing control station 1. The weight of these thoughts pressed heavily on her, as she waited for the Staff-Sergeant¡¯s reply.
"Thank you for the report, Private," Venn replied, maintaining a composed demeanour despite the urgency of the situation. "Unfortunately, we''re stretched thin at the moment. All other infiltration squads are engaged in operations at the remaining control stations. With CS2 and CS4 already neutralised, our forces are making significant headway across the board. So, there''s no spare support to dispatch to Arrow Squad or any team at CS1 for now."
He allowed himself a slight smirk, a contrast to the gravity of their discussion that didn''t sit well with Thea. "Also, I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about Arrow Squad needing additional help..."
Thea, caught off guard by his confidence, felt a surge of protest bubble up inside her.
She was on the verge of voicing a sharp "Why?" but managed to hold back just in time.
A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind as she processed his response. ''Staff-Sergeant Venn might have faith in Arrow Squad''s capabilities, but he doesn¡¯t have firsthand knowledge of the enemy Ace like I do,'' she thought, the memory of the Ace''s formidable aura sending a shiver down her spine.
The gap in understanding the true nature of the threat they faced made her uneasy, questioning the readiness of their forces against such a potent adversary.
"With all due respect, Staff-Sergeant... I just don¡¯t see how Arrow Squad can manage this on their own. This Ace, they¡¯re a Psyker¡ªand not just any Psyker, but one of seemingly quite exceptional strength. Given that Arrow Squad doesn¡¯t have a Psyker among them, I¡¯m struggling to see how¡ª¡±
Thea¡¯s earnest appeal was abruptly cut short by a loud, deliberate throat clearing from her right. The unexpected interruption jolted her, prompting an immediate, sharp turn in the direction of the sound, her annoyance flashing momentarily before she registered the source of the disruption.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as they landed on the figure who, until that moment, had been quietly seated near the door, having blended into the surroundings. Her breath hitched, words failing her as she stared at Morin, who looked back at her with an expression of mild amusement and surprise at her astonishment.
¡°Wha¡ You?! When¡? How?!¡± she stammered, her finger pointing at Morin as if to solidify the reality of his presence.
A light chuckle broke through the tension as the leader of Arrow Squad, Morin, offered an apologetic grin. "Sorry, Thea. Turns out Elite Squads get bumped up in the respawn queue. I''ve been back for a bit, about twenty minutes now. Things have, well, turned a bit chaotic since our last chat, barely twenty-five minutes ago."
His tone shifted from casual to grave, a subtle change as his eyes briefly connected with Venn''s. Venn responded with a nonchalant shrug, as if all decisions rested in Morin''s hands.
"Arrow Squad¡¯s been completely wiped out, shortly after the Ace got you. We were completely outmatched," Morin confessed, his demeanour surprisingly devoid of regret. "Facing an Ace, especially a Psyker like him, was the worst-case scenario for us; just like you tried to tell Venn, over here. Your warning gave us a sliver of hope, at least allowed us to face him with some semblance of readiness."
He lowered his voice, prompting Thea to lean in, the air between them thick with the gravity of his words. "Last update I got, Vi was very close to him... But she hasn''t returned. No assist points for the Ace''s takedown means..." His voice faded, leaving the harsh reality unspoken.
Thea''s eyes grew wide, a mix of realisation and dread dawning on her. "She¡¯s still out there!"
"Exactly," Morin confirmed, exhaling a weary sigh. "Vi''s likely been captured, maybe worse. She wouldn''t have had a chance to evade him, not at the proximity we engaged. I''ve been discussing with Venn here about possible actions, but our options are severely limited."
Seizing the moment, Staff-Sergeant Venn motioned to one of the aides nearby. "Get a trauma team on standby for when Private Sortal returns. Redirect her Shell to pod 43 in the second building; it''s spacious enough for the medical team to work efficiently once she''s back," he instructed with a tone of authority, ensuring that preparations were set for Viladia''s recovery.
He then turned his attention back to Morin and Thea, his expression solemn. "I wish there was more I could do. However, Vi''s resilience is not to be underestimated. She''s undergone rigorous anti-torture training, a requirement given her specialized role, and I believe it was even a pre-requisite for her Class. Honestly, if this had to happen to any of you, Vi''s by far the most equipped to handle it," he explained, trying to offer a sliver of reassurance amidst the grim situation.
Thea bit back her initial reaction, understanding the truth in Venn''s words.
Having endured her own share of trials and tribulations throughout this rigorous assessment, she was intimately familiar with the limits of pain endurance.
She reluctantly acknowledged that Viladia, with her advanced training to withstand torture, was indeed the most suitable member to face such a harrowing ordeal, as much as the thought pained her.
Determined for more information, Thea focused on Morin again. "You mentioned ''he'' earlier¡ªso the Ace is male? What else do we know about him?" she asked, urgency lacing her voice. The idea of someone tormenting her friend fueled a fierce need for knowledge.
Understanding the enemy was crucial; not just for immediate action, but to ensure she could exact a precise and fitting retribution in the future.
A brief pause shadowed Morin''s expression, a hint of reluctance before he spoke. "I understand where you''re coming from, Thea. Believe me, I do. The urge to go out there and eliminate that monster is overwhelming. But recklessly acting on vengeance won''t help me, you, or Vi. Against an ordinary opponent, maybe. But this is an enemy Ace we''re talking about..."
His voice faded, leaving the gravity of his statement to linger in the air between them.
Morin seemed to gather his thoughts before continuing, acknowledging Thea''s desperate need for information. "What I can share, I will," he conceded.
His demeanour softened, indicating his understanding of Thea''s deep-seated need for action. "He''s a Tier 3 Prime Ace, just as we suspected. Most likely holds a Theta or Zeta rank as a Psyker, which aligns with Vi''s assessment and, interestingly, was corroborated by your warning. Your insights might have saved us from underestimating him further. So, thank you for that alert. It truly made a difference; even if we didn¡¯t win in the end."
As he spoke, Morin''s tone shifted, adopting a warmth and sincerity Thea hadn''t previously known him for. It was as though the gravity of the situation brought forth a level of candidness rarely seen in him.
"He''s got an Aurae Inheritance and excels in at least two Paths¡ªsome form of Air, and more notably, Immaterial Gravity. His Projection abilities are off the charts; he could land hits on us with an almost eerie level of precision from well over a hundred metres away. Plus, he''s not shy about talking. He seemed pretty annoyed to even have to engage us, dripping with arrogance. But after seeing him in action, it''s hard to say his confidence is misplaced. It''s rare for Aces to reveal themselves as boldly as he did.
"That''s pretty much everything we''ve managed to gather on him. Venn''s got a team combing through our archives for any mention of this Ace. Given that Battlefield Aces seldom fall in combat, there''s a chance the UHF has encountered him on a different front. If we''re lucky, we''ll dig up some actionable intel before we run into him again. In the meantime, we''ve got no choice but to carry on with our assignments. On that note, your team, except for Corvus, is also here. I''m pretty sure they''re in Barracks¡ 7 I think?"
He glanced at Venn for confirmation, who, with surprising agility, verified the location on his datapad. Thea couldn''t help but note Venn''s proficiency with the device.
With an affirmative nod, Venn confirmed, "That''s correct, Barracks 7. You''re free to go, Private. You''ve done excellent work out there. Continue on this path, and the UHF will undoubtedly value your and your squad''s contributions in the days ahead. You''ve all made quite the impression so far already."
After exchanging a brisk goodbye with Morin and Venn, Thea turned and made her way out of the cluttered office, her steps quick as she exited the command building.
The air outside felt different, charged with the energy of the FOB as she navigated through the bustling activity. Her destination was the barracks section, a maze of temporary structures that housed the recovering fighters of this long and ongoing conflict.
Thea moved with purpose, yet her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and frustration.
As she walked, Thea mulled over Morin''s words, phrases like "Immaterial Gravity" and "Projection" echoing in her thoughts.
These terms, laden with significance and mystery, were clearly meant to convey crucial information. Yet, they felt like pieces of a puzzle she was ill-equipped to solve.
Her lack of familiarity with Psyker-related concepts left her feeling disconnected from the vital intelligence she had just received. It was just another reminder of her¡ªand by extension, her squad''s¡ªodd position in this assessment, thrust into this world of incredible complexity without adequate preparation whatsoever.
This ongoing sense of being unprepared gnawed at her as she made her way toward Barracks 7.
The UHF''s oversight in this regard was not just a minor inconvenience; it was a gaping flaw in their preparation for an operation of this magnitude¡ªfor an assessment this important.
Thea couldn''t help but feel annoyed at the persistent confusion that had shadowed her and her squad since their arrival.
Every step they took had seemed hampered by this fundamental lack of understanding from the very start.
From the very first day¡¯s near-fatal overdrawing incident, to the more recent encounters with Psykers to the murky details surrounding the Ace, the feeling of being left in the dark was not just infuriating¡ªit was frankly demoralising.
The path to the barracks was a physical journey, but for Thea, it was also a trek through her own swirling thoughts and uncertainties.
''I''m kind of glad that Corvus isn''t here... Facing him after not living up to the promise would be too much,'' Thea mused with a tinge of sadness, the weight of their failed first mission pressing down on her. ''He entrusted everything to me, and I just... messed it all up.''
As she approached Barracks 7 quicker than she had expected, a moment of hesitation froze her steps at the entrance.
The same kind of apprehensions she harboured about facing Corvus extended to the rest of her squad as well. They had placed their unwavering trust in her, executing her orders without question, only to witness their collective efforts dissolve into failure on their very first mission.
Despite Staff-Sergeant Venn''s attempts to reassure her of the squad''s commendable performance, the truth was stark and undeniable: The mission had been an unmitigated disaster from the very moment she had taken over for Corvus.
''Even without the Ace''s interference, we were doomed... I was at my limit when Arrow Squad arrived. Taking down the entire station alone was a fantasy, not just unlucky circumstances.''
Gazing up at the towering, layered structure of the barracks, Thea envisioned the myriad ways her squad might receive her return¡ªnone of which offered any solace.
The thought of confronting Lucas and Karania, especially after their disagreement over the handling of civilian casualties, added another layer of dread. Their disappointment and hurt were burdens she would have to bear, alongside the guilt of mission failure.
In the heat of the moment, it had seemed like the most logical order to give, but it was clear that neither Lucas nor Karania had particularly agreed with it.
Yet they had done their duty and followed her words to the letter, only for her to fail them all.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Thea momentarily tapped into her [Meditation Focus], a technique she hadn''t relied on so intensively since the gruelling Cube Trial. This moment of introspection allowed her to quell the rising tide of panic and self-doubt, clearing her mind of any distracting thoughts.
¡®Remember: The best way to learn is to get beat up, over and over. It¡¯s true in Ashes of Centuries. It¡¯s true in Farside Guns. And it most definitely is true in real life as well; especially for UHF Marines. That¡¯s the entire point of our Faction Trait. Keep it together.¡¯
Unaware of how much time had passed as she stood there, enveloped in her meditation and repeating her mantra, Thea eventually broke free from her reverie, a newfound determination etched across her features.
''Let''s go,'' she silently urged herself, ascending the three steps to the main entrance of Barracks 7 with a resolve hardened in the fires of self-reflection, bracing herself to confront whatever judgement lay ahead with her squad¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 106 - Admonishment
Locating her squad''s room within the barracks was straightforward for Thea, thanks to the digital display in the entrance hall that neatly catalogued the squads and their assigned rooms.
Pausing momentarily outside the designated door, she inhaled deeply, steeling herself for the encounter.
Upon opening the door, Thea was immediately met with the unconventional yet familiar sight of Karania, intently focused on her task at the communal dining table. The table was her makeshift lab, where she meticulously bled into a vial, surrounded by an array of other vials and canteens in various stages of being filled.
It was evident Karania had been at this for a while already.
The room''s atmosphere shifted at Thea''s entrance, drawing all eyes to her.
"Thea!" Karania greeted, her face lighting up with an uninhibited smile. Without missing a beat, she dove straight into conversation. "Welcome back! How did everything turn out?"
Isabella''s greeting came from the floor to Thea''s right, her voice strained yet warm as she didn''t interrupt her workout routine. "Welcome back, Boss," she managed between exercises.
Lucas and Desmond acknowledged Thea with nods, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern, clearly anticipating the details of her mission report.
For a moment, Thea allowed herself to bask in the comfort of her squad''s presence.
The solitude of navigating the FOB alone had felt unnatural, and being reunited with her team was a palpable relief. Yet, the looming task of conveying their mission''s outcome hung over her.
With a gathered sense of purpose, she prepared to share the grim details of the rest of their previous mission.
"I¡ I didn''t make it. I tried¡ I really did¡ I¡¯m sorry. I gave it everything I had, but after the clash with the Psykers, I was pretty much on my last legs. I only got about halfway to the Control Station entrance when Arrow Squad showed up, offering their support, but..." Thea''s voice faded into silence as she grappled with the right words to convey the next part of her story.
How could she accurately paint the picture of the overwhelming fear and the stark realisation of their disadvantage? The palpable difference in power between their Psychic Gates was not just intimidating; it was a harbinger of certain defeat.
In the end, she opted for simplicity. "Arrow Squad wanted me to slightly open my Gate to pinpoint the enemy Ace''s location since they had trouble tracking him down. When I did... Well, it didn''t take long to locate them. Or more accurately, they found us. Everything happened so fast, I barely had time to alert Arrow Squad before I found myself back here in a respawn pod."
Pausing, Thea weighed the extent of what she should reveal about Arrow Squad''s ultimate fate. She knew omitting details would only lead to more questions and speculation.
Transparency was essential in her mind; and they were Alpha Squad, after all. They deserved to know the truth and she was certain they could handle it¡ªthat the Ace had decisively overpowered Arrow Squad and wiped the floor with them.
"The moment I arrived back here, my first action was, naturally, to report the Ace''s location to command. Unfortunately, I was already a step behind; Morin had beaten me to it, thanks to some respawn protocol... Arrow Squad was decimated, all except for Viladia. She''s still out there," Thea''s tone was heavy, each word laden with the grim reality of Viladia¡¯s situation.
"Still out there? You mean she got captured?" Isabella interjected, halting her exercises abruptly, taken aback by the news. "But isn''t she trained as an assassin? How did that happen?"
Thea could only offer a helpless shrug, her own understanding incomplete. "He''s a Psyker of immense power. I¡¯d guess she was likely taken by surprise by one of his Powers or maybe straight up overwhelmed; that''s the only explanation that makes sense to me."
The room fell into a sobering silence as the squad digested the implications. The thought that even someone as skilled as Viladia could be captured underscored the perilous nature of their mission.
"She''s probably being tortured as we speak... and there''s nothing we can do. Morin had already asked Staff-Sergeant Venn if there was anything, and so did I, but there¡¯s nobody even remotely close enough to her last known location to try and assist; not to mention the enemy Ace easily being able to take care of anyone attempting a rescue of some sort," Thea added, her voice tinged with an anger she couldn''t suppress. She had intended to keep her report clinical, but the mere idea of her friend enduring such torment ignited a fury within her.
¡°Wait, tortured?!¡± Desmond¡¯s outcry rang through the room. ¡°What the fuck do you mean, tortured? I thought this was an assessment? Why in the everloving fuck would the AI-controlled enemies torture our marines? What the fuck is the point of that?!¡±
Thea didn¡¯t really have a concrete answer for that either, so she remained silent, thinking about what she did know about the setup of the assessment instead and how that could lead to this situation.
"Actually, the structure of this assessment''s enemy allocation is quite intriguing, from what I understand," Karania began, her eyes lighting up with the opportunity to dissect the complexities at play. "Try to visualise it as a hierarchical pyramid where processing power and thus, operational complexity, escalates across different enemy tiers."
She gestured with her hands, outlining the base of her imaginary pyramid. "Down here, we encounter the common infantry¡ªthose we engaged with on the Wall and within the service tunnels and the like. Their processing power is minimal, rendering them little more than basic simulated soldiers. Their strategic capabilities are rudimentary, barely surpassing that of standard routine AI, albeit a bit more advanced as they can independently adjust their behaviour to specific situations. Essentially, they''re programmed for simple combat scenarios, lacking in any overarching or nuanced strategic thought. They are just about tailor-made for single-encounters, where their small-scale tactical acumen can shine, without requiring any major processing of large datasets."
Karania''s expression grew more intense as she described the next tier. "As we ascend the pyramid, there''s likely a tier designated for Squad Leaders and other high-ranking entities. These units are endowed with a greater share of processing power, enabling them to orchestrate the movements of the lower-tier AI, infusing the battlefield with a higher degree of complexity. This includes advanced decision-making trees that far exceed the algorithmic depth typically seen in commercial gaming. Emotions, too, are simulated but strictly in contexts relevant to combat dynamics."
She stopped for a moment, making sure that everyone was still paying attention to her explanations so as to not waste her time explaining things that nobody cared about.
But seeing that Desmond, as well as the rest of the squad, were paying close attention, she happily continued. "Proceeding further, we encounter specialised units, such as the Psykers. These adversaries are allocated a significantly larger portion of processing power. They''re not only elite combatants but also necessitate a sophisticated simulation to authentically replicate Psychic Powers. The intricacy involved in bringing such entities to life within the assessment is undoubtedly non-trivial."
Reaching the apex of her pyramid with a flourish, Karania''s tone took on a note of solemnity. "And at the pinnacle of this pyramid are guaranteed to be the Aces. These figures likely consume a rather substantial fraction of the assessment''s total processing resources. Their simulation is comprehensive, encompassing their full spectrum of personality traits and emotional nuances. Essentially, they''re as close to their real-life counterparts as the UHF''s data allows, augmented by a degree of speculative reconstruction."
She paused once again, allowing her audience to digest the information before addressing Desmond''s concern directly. "Basically: The motivation behind the Ace''s actions, particularly the torturing of Viladia, hinges on their real-world persona. They''re simulated based on UHF''s encounters with them during the historical, real conflict at Nova Tertius. The information gathered then informs their digital persona now, embellished by the UHF to bridge any informational voids. It''s not a perfect replication but a melding of factual behaviour and conjectured elements to fill in the blanks. Thus, if the Ace is engaging in torture, it reflects not just their strategic inclinations but also their inherent malevolence, as understood and extrapolated by the UHF based on the real person it is based off of."
Desmond, along with the rest of Alpha Squad, listened intently to Karania''s detailed exposition, trying to piece together the implications of what was just shared. As the last word of Karania''s explanation hung in the air, a momentary silence enveloped the room, each member processing the depth and gravity of the situation.
Desmond, always one to cut through complexity with blunt simplicity, leaned forward, breaking the silence with a half-question, half-statement. "So... that Ace is an absolute piece of shit even in real life, is what you''re saying?"
His attempt to distil Karania''s comprehensive breakdown into a single, digestible takeaway was met with a nod of affirmation from Karania, her agreement punctuating the atmosphere with a mix of grim acknowledgment and a slight sense of camaraderie in shared disdain.
The conversation''s focus then shifted back to Thea, who felt the weight of her earlier admission intensify under the gaze of her squad. The technical breakdown of the enemy''s capabilities seemed momentarily to divert attention from their failed mission, but the underlying issue remained unresolved.
Sensing the need for transparency and closure, at least for herself if nobody else, Thea gathered her thoughts, her resolve firming.
"I need to say this," Thea began, her voice steady yet laden with an unmistakable edge of remorse. "I''m sorry for not being able to complete our mission. I know I let you all down."
Her eyes met each of her squad members'' in turn, seeking not forgiveness but understanding. "I understand if you''re disappointed in me¡ªI am too. But I promise, I did everything within my power out there¡ I would love to blame the Ace¡¯s appearance on it all, but fact is, I wouldn¡¯t have made it even if he hadn¡¯t shown up. I fucked up. I own up to that fully and will do my utmost to do better in the future. I¡¯m truly sorry."
The silence that followed Thea''s heartfelt apology was profound, not uncomfortable but contemplative. It was clear to everyone in the room that the failure of the mission weighed on her more than anyone else.
Isabella, never one to mince words, shattered the heavy silence with her usual directness.
"Thea, what the fuck are you even talking about?"
Her question, sharp and unexpected, caught Thea by surprise, leaving her momentarily unsure of how to respond. She had believed her apology was clear, but Isabella''s reaction suggested a misunderstanding, or perhaps a different perspective altogether.
Before Thea could clarify her statement, Isabella pressed on, her tone firm yet supportive. "Listen, why the fuck are you acting as if this whole mess was somehow your fault alone? This was our mission, a team effort; you fucking moron. It wasn''t just you out there, last time I checked. We all got taken down by those Psykers, didn''t we? It took everything we had; our collective push at the very end, to even stand a chance in that fight. Without that, none of us would have made it out in one piece."
Taking a brief pause, Isabella''s gaze softened slightly.
"Since Corvus handed the reins over to you, you''ve stepped up in ways I didn''t see coming at all. Honestly, you''ve exceeded any expectations I might''ve had for you as an interim squad leader. I''m not sure even Corvus could''ve navigated us much better through this, especially once we were at the control station itself."
She leaned forward, emphasising her next words with a mix of frustration and admiration.
"So cut the shit with this whole ''I''m sorry'' stuff. It doesn''t make any fucking sense. Worse: It honestly feels downright fucking insulting to the rest of us; though I know it¡¯s not what you mean. But it sounds like you¡¯re saying that without you, we had no chance to do this at all; like that¡¯s why it¡¯s your fault, cause you failed, somehow. But that¡¯s fucking nonsense.
¡°You have been leading us with everything you''ve got, and we have all been giving it our all. Sometimes, that''s just how things go. We didn''t make it this time, and that''s fine. It sucks that we failed the mission, but that''s just part of fucking life; last I checked. This is a Platinum-ranked Assessment, after all. We¡¯re not really supposed to win at every turn in this one, if I understand anything about the ranking system."
Isabella''s mood visibly lightened as a broad grin took over her face, her earlier intensity melting into a more playful demeanour.
"And let''s not forget the silver lining here," she chimed in, her voice tinged with a hint of excitement.
"We might have missed the main mission objective, but taking down two Psykers a Tier above us? That''s got to count for something, right? The bonuses from that alone are huge. I mean, I have no clue what rewards the other Alpha Squads managed to snag, but I''d say we made out like bandits on this one. Anyone else here think differently?" She cast a glance around the room, meeting the eyes of her squadmates.
Thea''s gaze followed Isabella''s, only to find unanimous agreement. The room was filled with nods and equally broad grins, a silent acknowledgment of the unexpected boon their hard-fought battle had yielded.
Isabella, unable to resist another jab, continued with a playful scoff. "And here I thought I was the stupid one in the squad, but Thea, you''re really outdoing yourself today."
She shook her head, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. ¡°Will you ever stop being such a fucking moron and thinking you gotta somehow shoulder and take responsibility for everything yourself? I¡¯m sure that Corvus would rip you a new one if he heard this kind of talk out of you, after what we just went through¡ Or at least, he¡¯d chew you out a lot. He¡¯s not really the physical-type, I guess¡¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Her voice dwindled into a murmur as she pondered just how Corvus might articulate his frustration with Thea''s self-imposed guilt. This left Thea momentarily adrift in the centre of attention, surrounded by her squad''s varied reactions.
Some looked on with bemused expressions, others with a blend of sympathy and mild reproof, all united in their concern for her well-being but equally puzzled by her propensity for self-criticism.
Thea, caught in the crossfire of Isabella''s blunt observations and the squad''s collective gaze, felt a mix of embarrassment and a dawning realisation of her tendency to internalise the squad''s collective challenges; just as Corvus had mentioned back in the abandoned area of the city, shortly before handing over the reign of the squad to her.
She mulled over Corvus''s words, realising their truth ran deeper than she initially understood.
''Maybe Ela''s on to something,'' Thea considered, scanning the faces of her squad mates.
Even Desmond, whom she had pegged as the most likely to voice dissatisfaction with her leadership due to their more complex history, seemed to be in agreement.
Just then, Karania interjected, breaking Thea''s train of thought with a mixture of curiosity and a slight tease in her tone.
"Thea¡ When exactly was the last time you checked your System Notifications?" she asked, her voice a blend of curiosity and playful admonishment. "You haven''t glanced at them since you respawned, have you? Maybe give them a look before you go on about how you''ve single-handedly doomed us all. There might just be a few surprises waiting for you there."
Karania''s suggestion sparked a flicker of curiosity in Thea, prompting her to reconsider her stance. The possibility that she had overlooked something crucial¡ªsomething potentially positive¡ªon her System Notifications added a layer of anticipation to the moment.
It was true; she hadn¡¯t checked her Notifications in a long time.
Pretty much ever since the mission had started, with their ascent of the Wall, she had kept them on mute so as to not get distracted. Especially after Corvus had handed over the leadership of the squad, she hadn¡¯t even spent a single second thinking about any form of Experience Points, Credits or Merit whatsoever, having been fully focused on trying to lead the squad as best she could.
¡°I guess you¡¯re both right¡¡± Thea admitted meekly. ¡°I¡¯ll check the Notifications now, then. I haven¡¯t really looked at them in quite a while¡¡±
She voiced those thoughts, as she didn¡¯t want the rest of the squad to worry while she was interfacing with the System. Considering the amount of time she had left it on mute, it was likely that there was quite the backlog she¡¯d have to work through, before she could consider herself caught up again.
Opening the System Notifications, she was immediately inundated by a torrent of text.
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[System]: Messages have been grouped by related content for streamlined reading. To revert to the raw format, Participant may adjust settings using the standard procedures.
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Infiltrate The Greater Area Of Nova Tertius¡±.
[System]: You have received 100 Contribution Points, 150 System Merit and 300 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have received 23 Contribution Points, 31 System Merit and 65 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 11 Contribution Points, 16 System Merit and 33 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have reached Level 8.
[System]: You have gained 4 Unspent Attribute Points.
[System]: You have received 64 Contribution Points, 81 System Merit and 211 System Credits. (Combat - Assist)
[System]: You have received 265 Contribution Points, 512 System Merit and 1,104 System Credits. (Objectives - Assist)
[System]: You have completed Silver-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Fledgeling Arms Dealer¡±.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 5.
[System]: Minor Alterations unlocked for Ability: [Penetrative Shot].
[System]: You have received 54 Contribution Points, 73 System Merit and 233 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 13 Contribution Points, 19 System Merit and 38 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Infiltrate The Heart Of Nova Tertius¡±.
[System]: You have received 200 Contribution Points, 250 System Merit and 500 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 3.
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 4.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 4.
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 5.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 5.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 5.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 5.
[System]: Agile Stealth has reached Level 5.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 4.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 5.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 6.
[System]: Minor Alterations unlocked for Abilities: [Inspect Target], [Sky Step], [Improved Sprint].
[System]: You have received 264 Contribution Points, 357 System Merit and 562 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 85 Contribution Points, 103 System Merit and 162 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have reached Level 9.
[System]: You have gained 4 Unspent Attribute Points.
[System]: You have completed Gold-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Psyker¡¯s Bane¡±.
[System]: You have failed to complete the Assessment Mission ¡°Destroy Or Disable Control Station 1¡±.
[System]: You have died. Automatically initiating [Soul Transfer] Faction Trait¡
[System]: Shell Creation Initiated¡ Shell Creation Completed¡ Transferring Soul¡ Affixing Soul to Shell¡
[System]: [Soul Transfer] completed.
[System Note]: Transfer distance for [Soul Transfer] Faction Trait below minimum threshold. No System Merit will be deducted and Faction Trait will not be taxed.
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As Thea scrolled through her System Notifications, her mind buzzed with astonishment.
''That''s... that''s a lot of stuff,'' she marvelled internally, her eyes flicking rapidly across the interface to absorb the flood of information presented before her. The notifications seemed to stretch on endlessly, each one packed with details and achievements that collectively marked their recent endeavours. ''Looks like the [Psyker¡¯s Bane] Accomplishment must be what Ela was hinting at... If snagging a Gold-Rank Accomplishment is what we got out of this mess, then maybe missing the mark on the first Assessment Mission isn''t such a big deal after all,'' Thea pondered, as a newfound, albeit small, surge of pride nudged at her initial disappointment and embarrassment. Gold-Rank Accomplishments were nothing to sneeze at, after all.
The realisation dawned on her that the rewards from achieving something as significant as a Gold-Rank Accomplishment likely overshadowed what they might have received from completing the initial mission to begin with.
''Especially since we''ve got another shot with a second mission on the horizon,'' she considered, hints of optimism threading through her thoughts.
Pulling up her [Status, Attributes & Currencies] page next, she wanted to get a rough overview of the total amount of CP, Merit and Credits she had managed to gain.
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[Status, Attributes & Currencies]:
Thea McKay - Level 9.45 - Contribution Points: 322 / 710 - Unspent Attribute Points: 12
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 225 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 8.45 | 5.28 (+60%)
Resolve: 9.55 | 5.97 (+60%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked[?] 24.82/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
System Credits: 17,798
System Merit: 4,710
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As Thea scanned her status on the System, a flicker of disbelief crossed her mind. ''How the fuck am I already level 9? At this rate, I''ll hit Level 10 before we even wrap up the first assessment. That doesn''t seem right, does it...?'' she pondered, her internal monologue brimming with confusion and a hint of concern.
The UHF''s objectives for their first year had been one of the very few clear directives provided: Reaching Level 10 was a milestone, signalling the unlocking of their Classes, a crucial step in a Marine''s development.
Yet, here she was, only a few weeks into her own integration, barely at the outset of their inaugural assessment, and already on the verge of this significant milestone.
''Is this just how it is for Alpha Squads, maybe¡?'' Thea questioned herself, trying to reconcile her rapid progression with the expectations set before them. ''Considering the pace at which the rest of the squad is levelling¡ªlikely around 7 or 8 by now¡ªit might just be part of the process for squads like ours.''
This realisation slowly settled in, weaving through her initial shock to form a tentative hypothesis about the accelerated development path that seemed characteristic of Alpha Squads.
Finally, she pulled up the long overdue selection of [Minor Alterations] for her Abilities.
She had unlocked the [Penetrative Shot] one the moment they had set foot into the city-proper, but back then, she didn¡¯t have the time nor patience to really sit down with a decision as monumental as making a permanent choice on her Ability selection.
Now, however, she likely had all the time in the world to think about it.
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[Minor Alteration: Penetrative Shot]
[Penetrative Shot ¦Á]: The first target hit does not use up the Ability''s charge, assuming that the shot manages to penetrate entirely.
[Penetrative Shot ¦Â]: Lowers the Focus and Stamina cost of subsequent uses by 25%, if used within at most two seconds of one another.
[Penetrative Shot ¦Ã]: When the Ability''s charge is used up, immediately accelerates the projectile by 100%.
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[Minor Alteration: Inspect Target]
[Inspect Target ¦Á]: Doubles the Participant''s Perception Scaling for the purposes of overcoming Resistances for this Ability. (current 25% -> 50%)
[Inspect Target ¦Â]: Lowers the Focus cost by 25%, as well as lowering it by an additional 25% for subsequent uses within at most two seconds of one another.
[Inspect Target ¦Ã]: If Resistance is broken by at least 200%, Advanced Profile will be displayed instead. (Advanced Profiles include the top 2 Active and Top 3 Passive Abilities, as well as the Class of the Target)
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[Minor Alteration: Sky Step]
[Sky Step ¦Á]: Doubles the Maximum Weight stat of the Ability. (current 175kg -> 350kg)
[Sky Step ¦Â]: Lowers the Focus and Stamina cost of subsequent uses by 25%, if used within at most two seconds of one another.
[Sky Step ¦Ã]: Increases the number of Maximum Planes that can be created at any given time by 2. (current 2 -> 4)
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[Minor Alteration: Improved Sprint]
[Improved Sprint ¦Á]: Improves the Boost Factor by 20% of the usual level curve. (current 55% -> 66%)
[Improved Sprint ¦Â]: Lowers the Stamina cost of subsequent uses by 25%, if used within at most two seconds of one another.
[Improve Sprint ¦Ã]: Increases the Maximum Movement Speed value by 15m/s. (current 37.5m/s -> 52.5m/s)
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Seeing the whole list arrayed like that, Thea was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of choices she¡¯d have to make fairly soon. A lot of the Abilities, she hadn¡¯t actually used that much so far, which was going to make the decisions quite tough.
''Choosing between [Inspect Target] and [Improved Sprint] is going to be particularly challenging...'' she mused, lowering herself onto a chair by the table Karania had commandeered for her ¡°scientific¡± endeavours.
''[Inspect Target] especially has barely been part of my arsenal at all...'' Thea''s thoughts trailed off as she found herself ensnared in the intricacies of each option, weighing their potential benefits against her own combat style and the squad''s operational needs.
So engrossed was she in her deliberations that Thea became oblivious to the expectant gazes of her squadmates, all fixed on her with a blend of curiosity and anticipation. They seemed to hang on her every move, perhaps hoping for insights or declarations regarding the Accomplishment they had collectively earned¡ªan accolade Thea had momentarily pushed to the back of her mind amidst the pressing concern of her Ability choices¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 107 - Sidegrade
Lost in a sea of considerations, Thea wrestled with the choices laid out before her regarding the potential alterations to her Abilities.
''This is going to require some serious thought... How can I possibly decide when I''ve barely even used something like [Inspect Target]?'' she pondered, her concern deepening as she contemplated the implications of each possible upgrade. ''Without really using it, how am I supposed to gauge which upgrade might be the most beneficial?''
Her internal debate didn''t stop there, however. Even her more frequently used Abilities, like [Penetrative Shot], presented a complex dilemma.
''[Penetrative Shot] has been crucial so far, and I¡¯ve used it a fair bit, but choosing the right modification is tricky even for it,'' Thea mentally debated.
''Alpha could be perfect for bypassing cover like Lucas''s Stalwart, while Gamma might be better suited for dealing significant damage to larger obstacles, like those massive cannons we encountered on the Wall.''
Each option seemed appealing and useful in its own way, making the decision far from straightforward.
As she mulled over her choices, it became clear that a simple choice, almost akin to a dice-roll, wouldn''t suffice.
''This isn''t just about picking the most attractive option on a whim, is it? It''s more like strategizing in AoC; I need to really understand the mechanics and outcomes to properly adjust things to my build and play style,'' Thea concluded, resolving to step back from the alterations interface. ''I¡¯ll need to properly experiment with each Ability more¡ªsay, a dozen times each¡ªto really get a feel for them before making any final decisions.''
Shifting her focus from the internal deliberations back to her surroundings, Thea was momentarily startled to find the eyes of her entire squad fixed on her, filled with anticipation.
Thea blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in focus towards her.
"Huh¡? Ehh¡ Did I say something weird?" she asked, a tinge of embarrassment colouring her voice. She was well aware of her tendency to mutter to herself when deeply engrossed in her thoughts, a habit that occasionally surfaced at inopportune times.
From Isabella''s corner came an exasperated groan, highlighting her frustration, while Karania let out a triumphant "Ha! Told ya!" in response to Thea''s obliviousness.
Feeling increasingly perplexed, Thea scanned the room, trying to piece together the puzzle of their reactions.
"Can''t you just be wow''d even a single fucking time, Thea?!" Isabella grumbled, her expression sour. "We got a huge Accomplishment and you¡¯re not even gonna give us a reaction? Just nothing? Not even a ¡°neat¡± or something?"
Karania chimed in with a smug, victorious grin, her tone teasing. "I told you that¡¯s exactly what would happen. I bet she completely forgot about it and got distracted by two dozen other rewards or notifications immediately," she declared. "You owe me 500 Credits, Isabella."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Isabella replied, her voice tinged with resignation as she waved dismissively, then returned to her workout that she had only paused to gauge Thea¡¯s reaction. "You''ll get it once we leave this damned assessment¡"
Overhearing their exchange, Thea felt a sting of realisation. ''Damn. Kara¡¯s completely right. I did get immediately distracted, didn¡¯t I¡?'' she thought, feeling somewhat called out by Karania''s accurate prediction.
Wanting to rectify her oversight and engage with her team''s excitement, Thea quickly spoke up, "Ahhh, but the Accomplishment is very impressive! I¡¯m guessing you all got it too, then? That¡¯s what you were referring to earlier?"
Her voice carried a mix of genuine interest and a slight rush to make amends for her earlier detachment.
¡°Yes, Thea. We did,¡± Karania responded, her tone slightly patronising, much like one might address a child proudly showing off a mud pie. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been trying to tell you not to beat yourself up over things beyond your control. We all got a massive Accomplishment; it''s like securing a guaranteed Gold-Rank Ability for each of us. That¡¯s likely worth far more than whatever the Accomplishment Mission would have offered in terms of Credits, Merit, or CP. So maybe ease up a bit on the self-loathing and blame, yeah?¡±
Thea felt herself shrink slightly under the weight of Karania¡¯s words, the admonishment striking a sensitive chord. Her shoulders slumped as the truth of the observation settled in.
Karania continued, her voice firm yet caring, ¡°Let us worry about when and how we are upset, and with whom and why. You fretting over whether we''re upset won''t help¡ªespecially if we are. It just wastes your energy. We¡¯re all Marines here; we can speak up for ourselves if we feel slighted by someone, alright?¡±
Thea offered a hesitant nod, feeling like she was squarely in the spotlight, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. On one hand, her instincts pushed her to defend herself against the criticism, but the rational part of her mind acknowledged the validity of Karania¡¯s points.
This humbling moment, though uncomfortable, was perhaps exactly the necessary jolt she needed to truly absorb and reflect on her squad''s perspectives; and her own.
Likely having enough of Thea¡¯s discomfort, Karania tactfully shifted the conversation to a lighter topic. ¡°Poor Corvus is going to be so envious, huh? I hope he snagged something good for that big bang as well; otherwise, we¡¯ll shoot right past him with our fancy new Gold-Rank Abilities.¡±
Her attempt to inject some humour into the situation seemed to ease the tension somewhat.
This remark drew the rest of the squad back into the conversation.
Lucas expressed sympathy for Corvus, who had missed out on both the valuable real-life combat experience and the significant Accomplishment and System rewards.
Desmond, on the other hand, was more focused on the practical aspects, eagerly stating, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show off my new Ability to him!¡±
Prompted by Desmond¡¯s enthusiasm, Thea chimed in with genuine curiosity, ¡°So you¡¯ve all accepted the rewards for the Accomplishment already? I haven¡¯t actually looked at what it offers yet.¡±
Isabella was quick to respond, ¡°Not all of us. Kara and I haven¡¯t. The others have, though.¡±
Her words redirected Thea¡¯s attention toward Lucas, who offered a simple explanation with a shrug, ¡°I had free Ability slots, what can I say? Also, that last encounter didn¡¯t exactly leave me feeling great... Figured I could use something extra for next time; maybe not end up just being a big ol¡¯ target.¡±
Desmond¡¯s contribution was unexpectedly supportive, which caught Thea off guard. ¡°Same here. I¡¯m nowhere near full on Abilities, and honestly, I was beyond useless last time. I literally died the moment that Psyker tricked me. Good call leaving me behind, by the way. There was no real point in wasting our only shot at taking them out by trying to save me, considering the state I was in.¡±
Hearing such straightforward approval from Desmond, especially given the difficulty of that decision, provided Thea with a much-needed reassurance. It was perhaps one of the toughest calls she had made during that encounter, and Desmond¡¯s acknowledgment that it was the right move was a comforting affirmation that helped soothe her lingering anxieties about the whole mess of decisions made back during the encounter.
¡°Not that I don¡¯t appreciate everything you did, of course!¡± She heard Desmond immediately backpedal, directed at Karania, who gave him an icy look. ¡°I¡¯d much rather stay alive, of course! You¡¯re a downright magician in terms of getting us back in the action, Karania! A genius; a prodigy; a saint, really!¡±
The sheer panic in his voice only aided in the hilarity of the moment, causing a round of chuckles from the rest of the squad; even Karania couldn¡¯t keep her angry expression as she broke into a wide grin and said, ¡°You¡¯re damn right.¡±
The next few minutes were filled with lively updates, with Thea sharing the limited details she knew about the Ace and the events leading up to her abrupt return. In turn, the rest of the squad filled her in on the brief moments she had missed.
"We respawned, got orders to assemble in the squad barracks until further notice, and that''s about it," Isabella summed it up succinctly, pausing only briefly between her ongoing series of crunches. Her dedication to her workout, undeterred even by their current discussion, underscored how the recent challenging days within Nova Tertius had ignited a renewed determination to push her limits.
Reflecting on their next steps, Thea voiced a practical suggestion. "We should probably go and pick up some equipment, then. Ready ourselves for the next part of the assessment," she thought aloud. The squad nodded in agreement; none of them had their gear at the moment, making the need to acquire new equipment for their next task semi-urgent.
They decided they would need to visit the supply stations to get copies of their essential gear printed before any new orders arrived. Given the demanding nature of their tasks so far, it was almost certain these orders would send them back to the front lines.
Together, they left the barracks and headed towards the nearest supply station.
Much to their surprise, the station was absolutely bustling with activity. Thea wasn¡¯t sure if this was typical or just a surge in demand, but one thing was clear: A long wait was inevitable.
As the rest of the squad busied themselves with idle chatter or immersed in their datapads, Thea''s mind was racing with the immediate priorities regarding her own progression.
''I need to carefully decide which Abilities to upgrade how and when to accept the Accomplishment rewards,'' she pondered silently. ''I think it¡¯s probably a good idea not to hastily replace a well-levelled Ability for one that starts at zero, even if it could be superior in the long run. Best to stay fully prepared for now, while we¡¯re still in the assessment,'' she reasoned, meticulously planning her next steps while considering her current resources.
Her thoughts then shifted to another pressing concern. ''I also have to allocate my Attribute Points soon. It was easier to put off when it was just a few points, but now I have 12 piled up. Those points could have made a significant difference during the encounter with the Psykers, especially if invested in Resolve and Perception. I can¡¯t afford to delay this until after the assessment any longer; not with this many Points on the board...''
After some contemplation, Thea devised a practical approach to address her uncertainties.
''Once I''ve got my gear sorted, I''ll seek out a trained Psyker here for advice. This is the furthest FOB towards the frontlines on the eastern front; there has to be at least one knowledgeable Psyker stationed here. They could clarify this whole Gate concept and help me understand if upgrading my Attributes now could cause any issues. It''s almost like looking up a pro-player guide, but instead, it''s for optimising myself¡ That should work!''
Resolved and with a clear plan in mind, Thea felt a bit more in control of her situation. She knew exactly what her next steps would be once they reached the front of the queue¡
¡°There¡¯s no Solarium left; so we can¡¯t print another one of these,¡± the quartermaster informed Thea, her tone apologetic but firm. ¡°If you need another one printed, you¡¯ll have to head to the HQ. They might still have some Solarium left. This FOB only had enough for about eight weapons, and it¡¯s all been used up since roughly three days ago. Sorry to disappoint.¡±Stolen story; please report.
Thea felt a sinking feeling as she processed the news.
The absence of Solarium meant no Caliburn; without the Caliburn, she and her squad would be severely handicapped, missing a crucial element of their arsenal that had proved vital in various situations throughout the past weeks.
¡°Is there any chance Solarium will be restocked here soon?¡± Thea asked, clinging to a sliver of hope, her voice tinged with desperation as she attempted to secure even a promise of future availability.
The quartermaster gave her a look that seemed to mix incredulity with sympathy, clearly conveying scepticism. ¡°Listen, Private¡ There¡¯s no restocking for something like Solarium, not unless there¡¯s a major shift in the war dynamics. The material is far too volatile; nobody would risk transporting it during ongoing combat. The only reason we had any at all is that it was included with the initial shipment for building the FOB¡ªprotected by the most heavily defended convoys the UHF can organise far from HQ. Unless we''re setting up a new FOB further forward¡ªwhich is unlikely given the whole Wall situation¡ªthere¡¯s really no chance of getting more here. I¡¯m sorry, Private. It¡¯s just not feasible.¡±
Thea¡¯s heart sank deeper with the quartermaster¡¯s explanation, dashing any lingering hopes she had harboured. The reality of their logistical constraints hit hard, underscoring the harsh limitations they faced on the front lines and the unexpected, heavy cost of Corvus¡¯ self-sacrifice.
Losing the Caliburn had undoubtedly hurt, but now that Thea knew she couldn¡¯t get it back until after the assessment, she couldn¡¯t help but question whether the sacrifice had been worth it after all.
The Caliburn had been that much of a boon to her and the squad, in her mind.
With a sorrowful feeling in her heart, Thea left the supply station fully re-equipped¡ªminus the Caliburn, of course¡ªmaking her way to the command building once more.
Before leaving the squad, she had informed her teammates that she needed to follow up on a personal matter and urged them not to wait for her. She also asked them to relay any new orders that might arrive sooner than expected, emphasising the uncertainty of their current situation.
As she entered the command building, Thea was met once again by the same attendant who had assisted her earlier.
Recognizing her, the attendant gave her a patient nod, waiting for her to state her new inquiry.
"I¡¯m looking for a Psyker¡ªreally, any would help, but ideally someone with a lot of experience," Thea began, trying to articulate her request clearly without seeming too urgent.
"I have several questions about the Psychic Attribute and the Gate mechanism that really can''t wait until after the assessment. I need some advice now. Could I possibly meet with one? If you could just point me in the right direction, I¡¯m sure I can find them from there¡"
She hoped her request didn''t come off as trivial, fully aware that the attendant likely had more pressing tasks than guiding an impatient Recruit to high-value military assets like Psykers. Thea waited anxiously for a response, hoping her request would be met with understanding rather than annoyance.
¡°I see. Let me check who¡¯s around and available; surely we can find you at least one experienced Psyker¡¡± the attendant responded, his tone reassuring as he began tapping away at the data screen before him.
Thea was taken aback by the smoothness of the interaction.
''Huh... That was a lot easier than expected,'' she thought, pleasantly surprised. She had braced herself for a potential pushback, even mentally preparing to plead her case, but it seemed none of that would be necessary whatsoever.
A quiet moment followed, filled only by the soft movements of air, created by the attendant''s hands as he navigated an invisible keyboard in front of him and his occasional murmurs as he searched.
Finally, he looked up from the screen, meeting Thea¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°Here we go, we have a pretty great match for what you¡¯re asking for, actually. Lucky you! A Lambda Prime-ranked Psyker by the name of Zachary Cal Vemun is currently residing in barracks three. I¡¯ve double-checked with him already, and he is available for talks,¡± he explained, efficiently sending the information directly to Thea¡¯s armour.
¡°Will you require directions on how to get there, or¡?¡±
Taken aback by the attendant''s thoroughness and swift assistance, Thea almost missed her cue to respond. ¡°Ah! No, no. I think I¡¯ll find my way. Thank you so much; I... I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting this to be so straightforward. Is this a common request, by chance¡?¡± she asked, puzzled by how her expectations were so misaligned with the reality of the situation. This seemed to be happening more and more often recently, ever since she had joined the UHF and interacted more with people around her; especially Alpha Squad.
¡°Not at all,¡± the attendant answered with a satisfied smile. ¡°But when it comes to Psykers, there¡¯s a general understanding among everyone to assist whenever possible. Psykers are extremely valuable military resources, after all. If me looking up something like this for a couple of seconds and sending you on your way can help develop another potential Psyker, or even a Battlefield Psyker if you are so inclined, then it¡¯s really the least I can do. Not that I wouldn¡¯t have helped you if it wasn¡¯t Psyker-related, of course, but it made this whole thing a no-brainer to get done immediately.¡±
Thea absorbed the attendant''s explanation with keen interest, realising she was gaining insights into the military¡¯s inner workings far beyond what the standard training had provided so far.
This practical exposure to the hierarchy and priorities within the military was enlightening, even if such knowledge wasn¡¯t essential, nor really helpful for her immediate tasks whatsoever.
It sparked a curiosity in her about the rarity and valued status of Psykers within the military, however. If they were revered to such an extent, just how scarce and crucial were they?
Expressing her gratitude to the attendant, Thea made her way toward the third barracks, mentally rehearsing the name of the Psyker she was about to meet: Zachary Cal Vemun.
As she walked, her mind buzzed with questions she yearned to ask him, ranging from basic inquiries to more complex ones about the nature of their powers.
However, recognizing the need to stay focused on the primary purpose of her visit, Thea consciously redirected her thoughts to the most pressing concerns.
She needed a deeper understanding of the Gate¡ªwhat it was, why it was considered dangerous, and how to safely manage it.
Additionally, she was anxious about how to strategically invest her Attribute Points.
The last thing she wanted was to inadvertently trigger the Gate as she had previously, a mistake that could potentially kill her permanently, even inside the DDS, if Karania was to be believed¡ªand Thea had no reason to doubt her genius friends¡¯ words.
There was another consideration in Thea¡¯s head that went hand-in-hand with this request.
With the absence of the Caliburn, Alpha Squad was unequivocally operating at a disadvantage, when compared to before their infiltration of Nova Tertius.
She was hoping that any enhancements to her own capabilities through careful Attribute Point investment might help mitigate the impact of the lost weapon; so as not to reduce the overall efficiency of the squad, simply because she was unable to bring her best. She was hoping to provide something of a sidegrade, rather than a pure downgrade, for this upcoming part of their mission.
As Thea neared the barracks where Zachary was stationed, she glanced around for the data screen that would typically assist in locating someone. However, she halted mid-step, realising with a rueful smile that she didn''t need any digital aids this time.
''Right¡ I never closed my Gate,'' she thought. ''It seems that Zachary is either signalling me, or he just keeps his wide open at all times; he¡¯s like a beacon¡''
This time, the sensation of the open Gate didn''t evoke a sense of threat as it had previously.
Instead, it felt more like a guiding force¡ªakin to a lighthouse beacon steering a ship through the tumultuous, dark waters of the sea. Encouraged by this guiding presence, Thea entered the barracks confidently, following the subtle pull of her Gate towards what she presumed to be Zachary¡¯s location.
She soon arrived at a room not unlike the one she had just left with Alpha Squad, a familiar military standard in size and furnishings. Ready to engage in what she anticipated to be an enlightening conversation, she knocked lightly on the door.
¡°Come on in!¡± came a warm response from within.
Pushing the door open, Thea stepped inside and observed a single marine seated at a table, cradling a cup of what appeared to be tea.
The casual setting and the marine''s relaxed demeanour instantly put her at ease, hinting at a potentially informal yet informative discussion ahead. She closed the door gently behind her, following Zachary¡¯s gesture to take a seat across from him.
¡°Hello there,¡± he began, as Thea settled into her seat. ¡°My name¡¯s Zachary Cal Vemun, and I¡¯m a Psyker with the UHF; I believe you¡¯ve got some questions for me?¡±
His voice carried a surprisingly rich and warm tone, reminiscent of an opera singer from a previous life, perhaps. This vocal quality drew Thea into the conversation effortlessly, soothing any nerves without overwhelming her¡ªan approach she greatly appreciated.
¡°Ah, yes. Hello Mr. Vemun¡ª¡± Thea started.
¡°Please, just call me Zach. This is very informal, and we¡¯re just here to share some thoughts; nothing more,¡± he interjected with a broad, inviting smile. ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯m not that much older than you are, unless my eyes are completely off.¡±
¡°Zach, then,¡± Thea nodded with a smile, adjusting to the more casual tone. ¡°My name¡¯s Thea McKay, and I''m currently just a Recruit, but I have some questions regarding the whole Psyker¡ª¡±
Zachary¡¯s expression suddenly brightened, and he leaned in, cutting her off with a burst of enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? Did you say you¡¯re a Recruit?!¡±
His eyes scanned her from top to bottom, as if attempting to gauge her experience level through sheer observation. ¡°But I can feel your Gate...? Are you sure you¡¯re just a Recruit? Is this some kind of joke by the brass or something?¡±
Thea was taken aback by his reaction, realising that her unusual situation might be more immediately apparent to people in-the-know about Psyker things than she had anticipated.
¡°Ah¡ Yes. I¡¯m really just a Recruit. This is my very first assessment. I was integrated about what¡ two, three weeks ago at most?¡± Thea replied, her voice carrying a mix of uncertainty and eagerness to clarify her situation, unsure what details might be pertinent.
¡°And you¡¯ve already unlocked your Gate¡¡± Zach continued, his tone filled with a mix of astonishment and concern. ¡°I can understand why you¡¯re here then. Let me guess: The UHF hasn¡¯t provided any guidance at all in this whole Psychic business so far?¡±
Nodding sheepishly, Thea confirmed his suspicions, feeling somewhat relieved yet anxious about admitting her lack of guidance.
¡°Haa¡ This is why a rigid bureaucracy does not work when it¡¯s about individual prowess¡!¡± Zach sighed, his frustration palpable as he threw his arms up in a gesture of exasperation. ¡°I¡¯ve been there, Thea. Trust me, I know how disorienting and frustrating it is to be left in the dark like this.¡±
He leaned in closer, extending a cup of tea towards her, which Thea accepted gratefully. It seemed this conversation might delve deeper and last longer than she had anticipated, but she was ready for it. The more she could learn now, the better equipped she''d be to handle her abilities.
¡°So¡ The UHF has a fairly rigid timeline for things to be taught; even for outliers. It¡¯s a flaw in the UHF¡¯s recruitment and training process, for sure, but there have been only a few cases where this flaw has been addressed,¡± Zach explained, pouring a crimson-red liquid into Thea¡¯s cup with precise movements.
¡°For me, I ended up accidentally stumbling into unlocking my Gate, with only a single session of psychic tutoring before the incident.¡±
Thea nodded, her own experiences mirroring his in many ways, highlighting the risks of such an abrupt awakening to her powers.
¡°Luckily, it happened during a routine mission that was designed to bolster my Credits and Merit; we were all inside the DDS. Nobody was ultimately hurt, but during the mission, I accidentally caused significant chaos¡ªblew up three squads'' worth of marines¡ªall because the UHF took too long to recognize my psychic potential and properly guide me...¡± His tone carried a mix of exasperation and a bit of rueful humour, resonating deeply with Thea, who felt a similar frustration with the whole situation.
¡°Now, I imagine you¡¯re past the most terrifying part: The Gate¡¯s Awakening, based on the energy I sense from you; but just to be thorough here; you are aware of your Gate and have interacted with it before, right?¡± Zach¡¯s inquiry sought to gauge her understanding, ensuring they were both on the same page as they ventured further into the nuances of her psychic capabilities.
Thea nodded, then added some detail to clarify her situation, "Yes, it was about a week ago; I had just allocated some Attribute Points I earned from levelling up into my Resolve and Perception. The UHF brass then urged me to advance toward becoming a Psyker as quickly as possible; they mentioned that I could unlock a Psychic Class once I reach Level 10, given my specific Attribute configuration."
The sudden clatter of porcelain jarred Thea from her explanation; her instincts kicked in, and she momentarily shifted into a defensive stance, only to realise it was just Zach¡¯s teacup that had slipped from his grasp.
It landed on the table, a few centimetres lower, spilling some of its crimson contents.
¡°You¡ You¡¯re able to unlock a Psyker Class at 10?!¡± Zach repeated, his tone laced with incredulity. ¡°What the fuck is your Attribute spread¡?!¡±
Under his breath, she heard him mutter, ¡°Holy shit¡ Maybe this is above my pay grade¡¡±
Thea¡¯s heart sank at those words, fear and desperation swirling within her.
¡®I can¡¯t lose this chance!¡¯ she thought, panic rising rapidly.
Swiftly, she bowed deeply, her plea earnest, "Please, Zach! I really need some answers! Don¡¯t turn me away; I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone it came from you! I can¡¯t keep stumbling through this blindly! When my Gate first opened, I nearly died¡ªfor real! I¡¯m scared and confused and lost and..."
Her voice faltered, overwhelmed by the gravity of her own words and the sheer feeling of helplessness, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
It was only when she felt a reassuring warmth on her shoulder and saw Zach¡¯s empathetic smile that she dared to look up again. "Sorry; I didn¡¯t mean to alarm you. I¡¯ll help with whatever you need to know, to the best of my ability. It¡¯d be cruel to send you back out there without any answers. I¡¯m not that kind of a monster. I was just shocked¡ªthat the UHF is pushing forward with their experiments... It¡¯s exceedingly rare. I believe you might be the first they''ve found capable of achieving this, so my reaction was one of surprise more than anything else."
As Thea wiped away her tears, feeling a bit embarrassed by her emotional outburst, Zach¡¯s demeanour softened further. "So... What exactly do you need to know about right now, specifically...?¡± he asked, ready to guide her through some of the complexities of her burgeoning abilities¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 108 - Grahkius
Thea felt a surge of excitement as she prepared to finally get some answers to the questions that had been plaguing her over the past week.
Without hesitation, she launched into her most urgent inquiry.
"This Gate thing, how dangerous is it really, and how can I prevent it from straight up killing me or driving me insane? Specifically, I need to know if I can safely upgrade my Resolve and Perception with the Attribute Points I''ve saved up, without causing the Gate to open again and thrusting me back into that nightmare-zone thing."
Zach''s expression shifted rapidly as he processed her question, his face displaying a quick succession of emotions¡ªunderstanding, surprise, then confusion¡ªbefore he posed a question of his own with a hesitant tone. "You¡ You have Attribute Points saved up¡? How have you managed to unlock your Gate before reaching Tier 1, while still holding onto some of your points¡?"
A brief, awkward silence filled the space between them.
Thea felt a bit at a loss, unable to provide a clear explanation, while Zach looked at her as if trying to decipher a puzzle.
¡°Ehh¡ It just kind of happened¡?" Thea began uncertainly, trying to recount the sequence of events as best she could. "I allocated some points into Resolve and Perception, and then, all of a sudden, this whole¡ nightmare-zone event unfolded. I nearly lost my mind, but it all turned out to be some bizarre dream-like experience, I guess?"
Thea''s earnest attempt to share her severely strange experience was aimed at maintaining Zach¡¯s goodwill and ensuring that their conversation would continue to yield the crucial guidance she needed to safely manage her psychic capabilities.
Her somewhat disjointed explanation seemed to snap Zach back to the present, as he briefly shook his head¡ªalmost as if shaking off a physical constraint¡ªbefore bowing slightly in a gesture of apology. "My apologies. I didn''t mean to come off so direct with that. It¡¯s just really surprising to hear that you¡¯ve unlocked your Gate without using up all your Attribute Points; you must be in a thoroughly unique situation. No need to go into details."
With a more relaxed and friendly smile returning to his face, he redirected the conversation back to Thea''s pressing concerns. "Now, about your question: The Gate can be both extremely docile and non-threatening, and at the same time, it can be the most dangerous thing in existence."
He paused to let the gravity of his statement sink in, taking a deliberate sip from his tea.
Thea, almost reflexively, mirrored his action, her mind racing with the implications of his words.
¡°When handled properly, the Gate poses no danger; however, if mismanaged, it can be lethal. It could not only end your life but also shred your Soul, and potentially cause devastation to those around you¡ªup to and including the destruction of entire planets or solar systems, depending on the severity of the mistake.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened dramatically at the stark contrast in outcomes Zach described.
She opened her mouth to bombard him with more questions, eager to understand how to avoid such catastrophic scenarios, but Zach raised a hand to pause her inquiry. He seemed to sense the urgency and fear behind her brewing questions and gestured for a moment of patience, indicating that he would address her concerns comprehensively.
¡°Let me elaborate further: The Gate is your direct connection to the Void. It exists within everyone; whether they are full-on Battlefield Psykers, merely Psy-Sensitive, or even Nulls. Everyone has a Gate; although those of Nulls function quite differently from ours. Instead of channelling energy from the Void, they absorb energy into the Void¡ªwhich makes them incredibly dangerous to us as Psykers.
¡°If we get too close, our Gates will link, creating a forceful pull of energy from the Void from our Gate and into their Gate, back into the Void. This interaction sets off an infinite feedback loop that forces our Gates to open wider and wider, as they try to satisfy the insatiable hunger of the Null''s negative Gate. Eventually, our Gate reaches its limit, and well... We pop.¡±
To illustrate his point, Zach made an exploding gesture with his hands, which, despite its simplicity, effectively conveyed the catastrophic end he described.
Thea nodded, understanding the gravity of his explanation and the inherent danger posed by such interactions.
Internally, Thea reiterated the key point for clarity and caution: ¡®Nulls are dangerous. Stay far away from them ¡®cause otherwise, I die¡ªhard. Got it.¡¯ She committed this crucial piece of information to memory, recognizing its importance for her future safety and effectiveness as a Psyker.
Zach leaned forward intently, locking eyes with Thea as if to ensure her full attention. "This is something you''ll learn in Psychic 101 too, but let me be the first to tell you: If you ever find yourself close to a Null and you can''t neutralise them quickly, kill yourself. This isn''t a joke or cruel advice. It¡¯s a harsh reality¡ªdeath is far more preferable to the alternative. Trust me on that. If you can''t kill the Null quickly, you should kill yourself. It¡¯s for your safety and the safety of everyone around you."
Thea absorbed this grim directive with a serious nod, recognizing the gravity of Zach¡¯s words and the stark necessity behind them. She internally processed his advice, ''He didn''t even mention respawning at all... He''s probably implying that even true death might be preferable to avoid worse fates, preserving my Soul, even if it results in being Zero''ed...''
After seeing the weight of his words reflected in Thea¡¯s sombre expression, Zach leaned back, seemingly reassured that his message had been conveyed effectively.
Yet, his next comment unexpectedly shifted the tone. "Your eyes are quite striking. You¡¯re a Cyan, huh? Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had the pleasure before. It¡¯s strange... Your eyes give me a similar feeling to being tangentially close to a Null. It¡¯s like there¡¯s something in them trying to grasp at my Soul..."
Thea recoiled, startled and confused by his unexpected comparison. "Wha¡ What?!"
Zach quickly realised his blunder and bowed slightly, apologising. ¡°Ahh...? Sorry. My bad,¡± he said. ¡°Just some errant thoughts slipping through, don¡¯t mind them too much.¡±
Thea, still reeling from his words, thought indignantly, ''How the fuck can I not mind them?! You just compared my eyes to Soul-suckers or something!''
Despite Zach¡¯s apologetic tone, Thea remained deeply unsettled.
His comment echoed in her mind, stirring a whirlwind of questions. ¡®Kara never mentioned anything like this. Though, Desmond hinted at something, didn¡¯t he? And Corvus... he did too. Is there actually something off about my eyes¡?¡¯
Before she could delve deeper into her concerns, Zach smoothly transitioned back to addressing her original query about the Gate, drawing her focus back to the matter at hand.
¡°Now, regarding the Gate, it¡¯s not problematic to have it open; that¡¯s actually its natural state,¡± Zach clarified, his tone educational. ¡°If you choose to close it, you''re essentially using your Resolve to actively restrain it. This does place some strain on your mind, but it''s generally manageable. However, there are a few critical aspects about the Gate''s states you should be aware of.¡±
Zach began to list these aspects, ticking them off on his fingers to emphasise each point.
¡°First, there¡¯s a maximum limit to how far the Gate can be opened. If you exceed this limit, the Gate will overwhelm and ultimately destroy you; that¡¯s the ¡®pop¡¯ scenario I mentioned earlier.
¡°Second, the degree to which the Gate is open affects your Psychic Resource recovery rate. The more open it is, the quicker your resources regenerate; the more it''s closed, the slower the recovery. If your Gate is completely closed, you won¡¯t regenerate any Psychic Resource at all, relying solely on any reserves you¡¯ve previously accumulated and your Focus to tide over any excess usage costs.
¡°Third,¡± Zach continued, counting off another critical point about the Gate, ¡°when your Gate is closed, you become practically invisible to other Psykers, unless they possess specific abilities like the [Eyes of the Void] Power, if used by an Aurae Psyker. This ability allows them to detect your Psychic Resource, not just the Gate itself. So, even if your Gate is closed but you have Psychic Resource accumulated, they can still locate you. However, they would need a direct line of sight to do so, which makes it more challenging for them to track you down.¡±
¡°Fourth, and most pertinent to your initial question,¡± Zach added, emphasising the importance of this point by pointing at his four outstretched fingers with his other hand, ¡°the Gate requires either a conscious or subconscious, continuous interaction to continue opening or closing. It responds very quickly to commands, which can be risky, especially around Nulls. But with proper Resolve-scaling, you can control the Gate to open or close at extremely slow rates as well.
¡°I¡¯ve known Battlefield Psykers who have managed to keep their Gates gradually opening over multiple days without reaching their maximum limit or causing any instability. This slow manipulation might seem pointless, but it''s a valuable control exercise and something you''ll likely learn as you progress in your Psyker training.¡±
Zach¡¯s comprehensive explanation helped illuminate the complex nature of the Gate, giving Thea a clearer understanding of how to manage her newfound powers safely and efficiently. Yet, one crucial aspect of his explanation puzzled her, particularly regarding how the Gate functioned in unexpected scenarios; such as the first time it had ever opened for her.
¡°If the Gate can¡¯t open unless I want it to, then how did the whole nightmare-zone scenario happen? I¡¯m fairly sure I didn¡¯t want that whole stuff to happen,¡± Thea asked, her brow furrowed in confusion after a few moments of silent contemplation.
Zach smiled knowingly and nodded, pleased with her question. ¡°Very good. That¡¯s exactly the kind of inquisitive mind I was hoping to see!¡±
He paused to take another sip of his tea, a gesture Thea mirrored once again, having nearly forgotten her own drink until she saw him take a sip.
Setting his cup down, he continued, ¡°The very first time your conscious mind recognizes the existence of the Gate is what we call the Awakening. During this Awakening, your mind struggles to comprehend this new, metaphysical element within itself. This intense focus inadvertently triggers the Gate, subconsciously commanding it to open, which, of course, it does¡ªas that¡¯s what it does: Following commands¡ª, expanding further and further until it reaches its maximum. This process is almost always nearly instantaneous,¡± he explained, his tone blending expertise with a hint of empathy for the overwhelming experience.
¡°Your Psychic 101 course will delve deeper into what specifically you experienced during your Awakening. Each Psyker''s experience is unique, though they are all influenced by their specific Inheritance and Path. However, what¡¯s crucial to understand is this: During the Awakening, your brain sends a subconscious command to the Gate, urging it to open as wide as possible to understand the Gate better. This intense reaction only occurs the very first time; after that, your mind becomes accustomed to the Gate¡¯s presence. That means you can then control the opening and closing of the Gate consciously, without fear of inadvertently triggering the same overwhelming event that occurred during your Awakening.¡±
Thea felt a profound relief wash over her as Zach''s explanations sank in, a weight she hadn''t fully acknowledged until now lifting from her shoulders. She exhaled deeply, her mind clarifying as if a fog had been lifted, allowing her to stop repressing a significant part of her psyche.
Zach noticed the change and his face lit up with a broad grin. "I see my words are having an effect. That¡¯s good. A relaxed Gate is much easier to manage than one that¡¯s constantly being suppressed," he remarked, his voice filled with encouragement.
It was then that Thea realised she had indeed been unconsciously suppressing her Gate all this time.
Though it had been somewhat open, she had been forcefully keeping it more closed than necessary, driven by an underlying fear of re-experiencing the harrowing events of her Awakening.
Now, however, she allowed her Gate to settle into what felt like its natural state.
To her surprise, she felt no mental strain or pull¡ªan entirely different experience from before, where even slight attention to her Gate had been exhausting.
¡°Now, another word of warning, however,¡± Zach continued, returning to his earlier discussion about the nature of Gates. ¡°The Void is an extremely dangerous plane, not solely because of what resides within it, but also because of what it embodies. It represents a form of limitless, unending power. This kind of power, regardless of your identity or the strength of your convictions, can become very appealing under the right circumstances. It''s crucial not to let the Void entice you closer to the Gate or to open it wider than necessary. Your Gate will naturally want to respond to the Void¡¯s call, but it''s up to you and your Resolve to resist that urge and maintain control.
¡°You''ve likely felt it already, this odd¡ fascination that overtakes you when you focus deeply on your Gate. That¡¯s the raw power of the Void trying to seduce you into letting more of it into our world; urging you to open your Gate wider to allow a fraction of its force to filter through. Remember to keep your wits about you and maintain a firm hold on your Resolve, and you can prevent any mishaps. Just never let the Void draw you in like that, alright?¡±
Thea nodded solemnly, now fully understanding the peculiar allure she had experienced.
''So that¡¯s what that was¡ It was the Void itself that nearly overwhelmed me,'' Thea realised, finally connecting some of the disparate thoughts that had been floating around in her mind. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Perfect,¡± Zach said again, pausing to take another sip of his tea before addressing the second part of Thea''s inquiry. ¡°Now, about the other half of your question: Increasing your Perception and Resolve will indeed enhance your ability to both perceive and control the Gate. Each time you enhance these attributes, there''s a slight risk that your brain might momentarily revert to that initial state of confusion¡ªlike a ''What the fuck is that thing?'' moment¡ªas it might uncover new aspects of the Gate¡¯s existence that it hadn¡¯t previously comprehended.¡±
Noticing Thea¡¯s eyes widening with concern, Zach quickly raised his hand in a calming gesture. ¡°Wait, wait! It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds, really! It''s not the same as the actual Awakening. The level of curiosity this time is much less intense. Think of it as comparing a puddle to an ocean. Yes, there¡¯s a risk that your Gate might open a bit wider than usual when you suddenly increase your Attributes, but unless you¡¯re close to your Gate¡¯s maximum limit, you¡¯re not in danger of triggering another full Awakening event. If you want extra precaution, you could have someone who has unlocked their own Gate monitor you while you adjust your Attributes. They could step in and, if necessary, knock you out should they detect any major spike.¡±
Zach continued, ensuring to ease any lingering fears, ¡°It¡¯s actually one of the simplest ways to prevent a Psyker from losing control. As I mentioned earlier, the Gate responds to either a conscious or subconscious command to alter its size. If you''re unconscious, your Gate becomes dormant. This completely negates the risk of accidentally opening it too widely.¡±
Another significant concern was finally resolved for Thea, and she realised she didn''t need to halt her progression until after the assessment was over.
However, this realisation brought a new dilemma. ''Now the problem is simply... Who do I ask? Nobody in Arrow Squad has a Gate; Viladia being the closest to one. And Alpha Squad is completely out of the question for obvious reasons as well,'' she thought, her mind racing to find a viable solution.
After a moment of contemplation, with no clear alternatives coming to mind, Thea raised her eyes from her steaming cup of tea back to Zach. "Could you... do that for me? I don¡¯t really have anyone else in my squad or that I know of who could watch over me while I upgrade my Attributes, someone who could detect this sort of change."
It felt odd to ask someone to essentially knock her out if things went awry, almost like asking someone to punch her in the face to prevent a worse scenario, but she recognized it as a necessary precaution. She couldn¡¯t risk enhancing her Attributes without a safeguard, especially now that she was aware of the straightforward preventative measure.
Zach looked slightly taken aback by the request but then nodded, his expression turning serious. ¡°If you trust me to do that for you, I would definitely help you out, yes,¡± he responded, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and respect. ¡°But you should know, this isn¡¯t something you should ask just anyone to do. It¡¯s a very serious matter, Thea. If you don¡¯t fully trust the person who¡¯s supposed to be watching over you, you could very well end up permanently dead due to their improper reaction. I¡¯m confident that I can manage it, but please, don¡¯t trust just anyone with this responsibility in the future, alright?¡±
Thea nodded, feeling a deep sense of gratitude and relief that Zach was willing to assist her further. His warning also underscored the true gravity of her request, reinforcing the importance of careful consideration when involving others in such critical aspects of her development in terms of her Psychic side.
¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, then,¡± Thea said with a deep bow of gratitude, her voice carrying a mix of respect and a slight nervousness. After a moment, she looked up, a puzzled expression crossing her face as she contemplated the logistics of the procedure. ¡°How¡ How do we do this? Do you just¡ stand behind me or something and knock me over the head¡?¡±
Her somewhat humorous inquiry made Zach chuckle, lightening the mood.
He finished his tea with one last sip, then set the empty cup aside, shaking his head in amusement. ¡°No, no. Of course not. I don¡¯t intend on giving you a concussion. Using physical force is absolutely a last resort, only really used in the field; it¡¯s not how we handle things under controlled conditions. We¡¯ll use this,¡± he explained.
With a swift movement, he produced a yellow-green tinged auto-injector from his pocket, holding it up for her to see. ¡°This is a knock-out injector. It has some long medical name that I never bothered to memorise, but you can simply ask any quartermaster for a ¡®knock-out injector¡¯ if you ever need to find one yourself.¡±
He stood up, stepping closer to Thea, and handed her the injector, allowing her to examine it closely and read the labels.
¡°Go ahead, read through all the information on it; just so we¡¯re clear on what I¡¯ll be injecting you with, should things go awry,¡± Zach said, his tone serious but friendly, ensuring Thea felt fully informed and comfortable with the procedure they were about to undertake.
Following Zach¡¯s instructions, Thea carefully read the detailed description and usage guidelines printed on the injector.
It confirmed that the device was indeed a knock-out auto-injector designed to induce unconsciousness almost instantaneously with minimal side effects¡ªaside from the typical warnings like the possibility of hitting your head during the fall, or the rare allergic reactions ranging from mild rashes to excruciating death¡ªpretty standard for medical devices as far as Thea knew.
¡°Your squad medic probably carries a few of these at all times, given their broad utility,¡± Zach pointed out, making Thea immediately think of Karania and her large bag of medicine. ¡°It might be wise to explain to them how Gates work too. They¡¯re likely to get a full briefing after the assessment, but given your unique situation, it would be prudent to inform them sooner. If it looks like you¡¯re losing control, a quick use of this injector could stabilise you,¡± he advised.
This suggestion struck a chord with Thea, prompting her to mentally note to discuss this with Karania as soon as possible.
¡®If she had known about this before my Awakening¡ could those terrifying visions have been mitigated?¡¯ she pondered.
In several of those intense episodes, she remembered how Karania had frantically tried to assist her, often with disastrous outcomes that resulted in death scenarios. While those experiences were technically dreams, they had felt disturbingly real to Thea, leaving a lasting impression that she was determined not to relive.
¡®I¡¯ll definitely let Kara know,¡¯ Thea vowed internally before refocusing on the task at hand. She handed the injector back to Zach and gave him a firm nod to show her readiness.
¡°Let¡¯s do this¡ Should I invest points gradually, or all at once? And should I start with Perception or Resolve? Or just apply everything?¡± she asked, eager to get everything right.
Now that she had the opportunity to ask detailed questions about the specifics of her situation, she didn''t want to leave any room for doubt.
¡°Typically, you¡¯d want to enhance your Resolve first, then your Perception, as it helps in controlling your Gate if your brain starts to react unexpectedly,¡± Zach explained, considering the options. ¡°However, when you have someone experienced overseeing the process, the sequence doesn¡¯t really matter as much. So in this scenario, you can safely invest all your points at once, I think. I¡¯ll be here to monitor and intervene if needed,¡± he reassured her with a confident tone that helped ease some of Thea¡¯s tension.
¡°But ultimately, the choice is yours. You should do what feels safest and most manageable to you. If you¡¯d prefer to test the waters with incremental upgrades, that¡¯s perfectly fine too,¡± Zach added, giving Thea the flexibility to decide how she wanted to proceed based on her comfort level and confidence in handling the changes.
¡°I think I¡¯ll do it all at once. Better to experience the feeling of dumping it all while I¡¯m in a safe environment like this, than end up having to do it in the field for some reason,¡± Thea replied, figuring that it would be the best course of action to prepare for the future. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±
With a nod, Zach positioned himself behind her, with an easy access to her neck. ¡°Try to close the Gate quite a bit, before you start investing those points. Don¡¯t close it entirely, that¡¯ll just cause trouble later, when you go to open it again but it suddenly is a lot stronger than before. So leave it open a bit, like a pressure-valve, of sorts.¡±
Thea simply nodded, before diving into her own body and approached the Gate.
With a simple command, this time, she managed to get the blades to move and restrict the Gate¡¯s unfathomably large opening bit by bit. When she felt that she had restricted it enough, she returned her attention back to the outside world and called up the System¡¯s interface.
¡®Alright¡ Here goes nothing, then,¡¯ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath in preparation for¡ªshe didn¡¯t really know what to expect, really. Just in preparation for whatever may happen.
She quickly invested all of her available points, dividing them equally amongst Perception and Resolve, as recommended by the UHF in order to unlock her Psyker Class at Level 10.
|
[Status & Attributes]:
Thea McKay - Level 9.45 - Contribution Points: 322 / 710 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0 (12)
HP: 131 / 131 - Stamina: 165 / 165 - Focus: 225 / 225 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.38 | 3.18 (+0%) + 0.2
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.51 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.72 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 10.03 | 5.28 (+90%)
Resolve: 11.34 | 5.97 (+90%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked[?] 28.19/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
|
| [Confirm this distribution? Choices are irrevocable, unless Full-Profile-Reset is requested.]
[WARNING~! Certain Attribute changes will potentially only come into effect over the next 6 hours. !~Warning] |
It had been a significant period since she last experienced the thrill of enhancing a character''s abilities, and especially considering that this time, the improvements were to her very own, real-life Attributes again.
Reaching a milestone by elevating her first two Attributes into the 10+ range only added to the significance of the moment.
With a deep breath and a decisive mental push, she confirmed her selection.
Instantly, the effects of her enhanced Perception swept over her.
The room came alive in a way she had never experienced before. The aroma of the tea Zach had presented her with suddenly filled the air, each scent note distinct and more vivid than she had ever noticed before. Her vision became even sharper than before, the edges of the room and its contents crisply defined as if she was staring through the scope of her Gram.
Most startling, however, was her newfound auditory sensitivity.
For a fleeting moment, she could hear the steady thump of Zach''s heartbeat from right behind her¡ªan intimate detail that her mind, recognizing it as extraneous, quickly learned to filter out.
Her senses had not just improved; they had been amplified to a level that was far beyond superhuman, allowing her to perceive the world in an even more extraordinarily detailed and nuanced manner than ever before.
As Thea adjusted to the vivid intensity of her heightened senses, she realised that mastering them would require time and patience. However, before she could further contemplate this new reality, she felt an ominous surge within her, as if a monstrous entity was awakening from a deep slumber.
Her improved Resolve acted as a catalyst, forcefully expanding her Gate.
The sensation was alien and profound.
Inside her chest, right behind her heart, it felt as if a vast, eldritch abyss had abruptly opened, its dimensions expanding ceaselessly, threatening to engulf her heart with its chilling, boundless emptiness.
Focusing her mind inward, Thea confronted the growing expanse of her Gate.
The iris-like structure composed of interlocking blades, designed to contain the Void, trembled and rattled violently.
They creaked and groaned as they strained against the immense pressure, barely containing the torrent of eerie violet light and the nebulous, terrifying forces yearning to burst forth into the physical realm.
Each pulse of the Gate seemed to stretch the fabric of reality around her, warping everything within her mind¡¯s eye into ever-changing sizes, colours and shapes.
As Thea observed, the blades that once formed a precise, orderly iris around her Gate began to distort, warping into loops and spirals that defied the very idea of geometry itself. They folded over and into themselves, as well as the Gate in a mesmerising dance of impossible shapes.
The violet light emanating from the Void, which initially threatened to overpower her vision, began shifting unpredictably through a spectrum of both conceivable and inconceivable colours.
With each vibration of the blades, the central aperture of the Gate widened incrementally, each change pulling Thea deeper into a state of awe and fascination.
Her focus was entirely captivated by the surreal spectacle unfolding within her.
Her eyes were wide open, strained to their limits as she attempted to comprehend every detail of the transformation occurring at the core of her being.
The blades'' rattling and shifting continued to take on a life of their own, as they once again changed shape, almost turning into unknowable entities of themselves, each blade its own, unique variant of eldritch existence.
This display of transformation held Thea spellbound, as she struggled to maintain her grasp on reality while the very essence of her Gate threatened to unravel the fabric of existence around her.
Unknowingly, Thea extended her hand towards the swirling chaos at the heart of her Gate, drawn irresistibly toward the most imposing of the entities¡ªa seven-headed beast whose immense size defied comprehension. It loomed so large that, by comparison, even the Sovereign itself would appear indiscernible to Thea at the same distance; of that, she was convinced.
Yet her hand seemed to be able to get closer and closer as the beast beckoned; its uncountable, violet-hued eyes locked with her own as the multi-mawed faces of each head snapped and tried to keep the other entities of the iris at bay.
As she neared the beast, Thea paused, a nagging feeling surfacing that she was forgetting something crucial.
¡®I¡ Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be doing something¡?¡¯ She thought in a haze, unable to break her eyes from the centre-head¡¯s own.
¡®No¡ It probably wasn¡¯t that important.¡¯
She resumed her approach, watching with a downright obsession as four of the seven-headed beast¡¯s heads ripped apart one of the nearby entities, throwing the eldritch shape¡¯s dismembered and flayed shape into the violet whirlpool at the centre of it all.
¡°It¡¯s¡ so¡ beautiful¡¡± Thea murmured, captivated, as her fingers neared the abyss-black outer shell of the beast.
She could feel its coldness; or rather, the sheer and utter lack of heat, before she even got to touch it.
It wasn¡¯t simply cold, but as if the very concept of heat, the sheer idea of molecules moving and interacting, simply did not exist in its presence.
There were no words that she could use to describe the feeling, but a singular word suddenly did come to her mind; a word she had never heard of, nor spoken before, that yet felt perfect to describe what she was experiencing.
¡®Grahkius.¡¯
Her hand, despite the cold that was omnipresent around the beast, continued to move closer.
She needed to touch it and learn what it felt like.
What the beast was trying to teach her; she needed to know!
But just as her fingertips were about to make contact, Thea stumbled.
Abruptly, the chaotic vision ceased.
The vortex vanished, the beast reverted to its original form as part of the thirteen-bladed iris, and Thea found herself half-collapsed at the table she had shared with Zach, her vision blurring and dimming rapidly.
¡°That was too damn fucking close¡¡± she heard Zach mutter in equal measures frustration and terror, before darkness overtook her¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 109 - Overdue Answers
Thea awoke not long after her ordeal, her vision a blurry mess compounded by an absolutely splitting headache.
"Uuggghhh¡" she groaned, struggling to right herself in her chair.
She had been half sprawled across the table she had previously shared with Zach, and as she moved, remnants of the shattered teacup underneath her tumbled off her armour.
"Welcome back," came a similarly strained voice from across the room.
Turning her head with effort, Thea saw Zach standing by a mirror, gingerly applying first-aid to his right hand. Each movement was punctuated by wincing and sharp intakes of breath.
"What¡ What happened?" Thea managed to ask, each word a struggle as the headache throbbed relentlessly, threatening to overwhelm her senses. "Fuck¡ My head¡¯s killing me¡"
"Honestly, that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask you," Zach replied, his voice tinged with disbelief and a light chuckle, though his face showed concern. "Just what the actual fuck happened in there? I¡¯ve never seen anything escalate as horribly and quickly as this just did."
Thea attempted to piece together the events, but the moment she tried to recall the vivid details of her encounter after enhancing her Attributes, the headache intensified.
She suddenly felt a warm trickle from her nose.
"Ah, fuck!" She exclaimed, hastily cupping her hand under her nose, desperate for something to stem the flow and avoid making a mess in Zach''s room.
Noticing her distress, Zach quickly finished bandaging his hand and walked over with a pack of tissues. Thea could now see his hand and forearm were wrapped in thick bandages.
"Here, take these," he said as he handed her the tissues, his movements careful and measured, reflecting the caution of someone who had just tended to his own wounds, ¡°Take it easy, Thea.¡±
Heavily, Zach sank into the chair opposite Thea with a defeated sigh, his gaze drifting over the broken shards of porcelain scattered across the table. His look was distant, almost lost, as if he was seeing far beyond the immediate chaos of their surroundings.
As Thea pressed the tissues against her nose to stem the heavy flow of blood, she gradually felt the pounding in her head begin to ease.
It seemed as though the blood loss was somehow flushing the triggering cause of her pain from her system. Yet, she still hesitated to probe too deeply into her recent memories; the physical backlash had been nearly overwhelming, and she knew she had narrowly escaped more severe consequences.
"I¡ I can¡¯t remember anything after I hit confirm¡ What happened after I did?" Thea asked, her voice low and fraught with concern as she glanced apprehensively at Zach''s bandaged arm and hand.
Zach took a deep breath, steadying himself before he began to recount the events. "Well¡ The moment you confirmed, it was as if your Gate sensed an opportunity and expanded aggressively, like a starving animal finding a fresh corpse. I was hoping you''d manage to control it, but the surge of energy was so insanely intense, I couldn''t even be sure you were still alive. I''ve never witnessed anything like that," he explained, his tone sombre.
His eyes seemed to look through Thea, focused on some distant point as he spoke. It was as though he was recalling a harrowing battle from his past, the memory leaving a deep and indelible mark on his psyche.
¡°And then¡?¡± Thea prodded after a prolonged half-minute of silence, sensing that understanding the full account could help her avert similar crises in the future.
¡°Huh?¡± Zach looked up, momentarily disoriented, then quickly regained his focus. ¡°Ah, right. What happened next.¡±
He locked eyes with Thea, ensuring he was focused and prepared for what he was about to disclose. ¡°I didn¡¯t hesitate to use the knockout injector. I had it at your neck less than a second after you hit confirm, but your Gate... To say that it was spiralling out of control would be putting it mildly. When I tried to inject you, it was like reality itself just¡ paused around you. About twenty centimetres around your head, everything just froze; like instantly. The injector turned useless¡ªthe liquid inside it froze solid and shattered the entire thing.¡±
Zach managed a rueful smile as he concluded, ¡°The headache¡¯s probably from me having to knock you over the head¡ªthat last resort I mentioned earlier. There wasn¡¯t time to think of another way, so I had to make a quick decision and slammed your head down on the table. I¡¯m really sorry about that, but trust me when I say¡ª¡±
¡°No worries. I really appreciate that. Much rather have a bit of a headache than deal with whatever psychic nightmare might have happened,¡± Thea quickly interjected, not wanting Zach to feel guilty about his split-second decision. She would take a physical knock over the terror of her Awakening any day.
¡°I¡¯m¡ I¡¯m really sorry for all of this,¡± she added, her voice tinged with defeat. ¡°I tried my best to resist, I really did. I don¡¯t remember much, but I remember the feeling¡ªI was fighting so, so hard to resist, but it felt like none of my efforts or desires even mattered¡ Like I was just walking into it without even pausing¡¡±
Her words trailed off as she grappled with the helplessness she had felt, the profound disconnect between her intentions and the overwhelming force of her Gate.
When Thea had first sought out Zach, she felt hopeful that she was finally beginning to understand and perhaps gain some control over the volatile psychic aspect of herself, which had seemed like a ticking time bomb within her, ready to explode at any moment.
However, the recent ordeal with her Gate had abruptly dashed those hopes; she realised she was still far from grasping or controlling the psychic forces at play.
¡°Your wounds¡¡± Thea began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words.
What could she say? A mere "I¡¯m sorry" seemed inadequate for the gravity of the situation.
Although she hadn¡¯t caused the harm intentionally, it was evident that her uncontrolled powers had inflicted quite some significant damage on Zach.
"Hm?" Zach glanced down at his arm, then back at Thea. ¡°Ah¡ yeah. My hand and arm were in the path when everything just froze, including them. My Resolve shielded me from the worst, but the injector exploded right in my hand, sending shards everywhere. I¡¯ll get it all fixed up after we finish here. Don''t worry too much about it. These things happen.¡±
Zach¡¯s response, aimed at reassuring her, did indeed help lighten Thea¡¯s emotional load. She could tell he was making an effort to keep the atmosphere light, and just knowing that he wasn¡¯t holding a grudge against her for the accident was comforting.
His pragmatic acceptance of the situation helped Thea feel slightly better, easing some of the guilt that weighed heavily on her.
¡°Thank you, Zach. I¡¯m really, really sorry about all of this¡¡± Thea sighed, her emotions mixed as she reflected on the day''s tumultuous events. What had started as an opportunity for enlightenment and gaining control had paradoxically left her feeling even more confined and baffled.
¡°Again, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Zach dismissed her concerns with a wave of his uninjured hand and a reassuring smile. However, his expression soon turned contemplative, his brows knitting together as he pondered the situation. ¡°I do wonder just what exactly happened, though. From everything I know, this kind of drastic enlargement of a Gate shouldn¡¯t happen with just a minor increase in Resolve from two or three points... Why was your situation so fucking intense¡?¡±
Thea''s attention sharpened at his words.
''What does he mean by two or three points¡? I put in six,'' she realised, replaying the events in her mind. A sudden clarity about the discrepancy in their understandings dawned on her.
¡°Two or three points?¡± Thea echoed, her confusion clear. ¡°You mentioned it would be safe to put all my saved points in, so I did exactly that. I allocated six points each to Perception and Resolve. All of my saved up points from the last three levels, just as we discussed.¡±
Zach''s face contorted into an expression of sheer disbelief as he absorbed Thea''s words.
"Twelve points? You had twelve fucking points saved up? How?!" He blinked rapidly, the gears in his mind visibly turning as he tried to do the mental arithmetic. "But you''re at Tier 0... how did you even manage to save that many without increasing any Attributes along the way and also unlock your Gate¡?"
Thea simply watched as he stumbled through his thoughts, clearly struggling to align this new information with his understanding of how Attributes typically progressed. She didn¡¯t know how to help him, outside of saying ¡°That¡¯s just how it happened¡±, so she instead remained silent.
She didn¡¯t really get the whole unlock procedure for the Gate to begin with, as she remembered clearly that the Psychic Attribute was at around 30; it was even listed as such in her profile.
Zach¡¯s usual composure unravelled for a moment as he faced the enormity of what could have happened based on his advice.
Finally, Zach let out a long breath and facepalmed, a half-mad chuckle escaping him despite the gravity of the situation. "I completely underestimated you, didn¡¯t I?" he admitted, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I simply assumed your mention of ''all saved up points'' meant just a few. Like a level at most, not twelve Emperor-damned points. That was stupid and reckless of me; incredibly reckless. I gave you dangerously incorrect advice based solely on assumptions..."
He looked up at Thea, sincerity etching his features. "I am sincerely sorry, Thea. It''s my responsibility to ensure your safety, especially in matters like this. You came to me, asking for a mentor and instead, I almost got you killed because I didn¡¯t ask to clarify exactly what you meant by ''saved up points.'' That¡¯s entirely on me¡"
Thea opened her mouth to interject, perhaps to lessen the weight of his self-reproach, but Zach raised a hand, stopping her. "Please, let me finish. I''m the mentor here, and I failed to safeguard my pupil. That''s not just a minor oversight; it¡¯s a fundamental breach of my duties as your guide. I promise you, this will be a lesson I take to heart."
Despite his stern admonition to himself, there was an underlying warmth in his voice, an earnest desire to make amends and ensure such a misunderstanding never jeopardised her, or anyone else¡¯s, safety ever again.
¡°At least this clears up one thing,¡± Zach continued, managing a rueful smile despite the gravity of their discussion. ¡°You never actually stood a chance against the Call of the Void, not with twelve points split between Perception and Resolve. We definitely should have handled this incrementally. From now on, let¡¯s agree to upgrade your Attributes piece-meal, okay? It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, especially given the sheer volatility of your Gate¡¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Thea nodded, absorbing his advice and feeling a tinge of relief.
It wasn''t so much that she hadn''t tried hard enough; it was more that she had never stood a chance to begin with from the very start. This realisation allowed a trace of her earlier optimism to return, warming her spirits slightly¡ªas odd as it was to take a ¡°you never had a chance¡± as a positive.
Yet, Zach''s mention of a specific term caught her attention and sparked immediate curiosity.
¡°What¡¯s that ''Call of the Void'' you mentioned? You mentioned it before this whole mess as well. And why didn¡¯t I stand a chance against it?¡± she asked directly, eager to understand more about the forces she was dealing with and to grasp why her encounter had escalated so dramatically.
Zach leaned back in his chair, his eyes momentarily lifting towards the ceiling as he gathered his thoughts. Thea mirrored his posture, leaning back as well, her eyes locked on him, ready to absorb every detail. She knew that understanding this aspect of her psychic abilities was crucial, so she braced herself to remember everything Zach was about to explain.
After a thoughtful pause, Zach began. "The ''Call of the Void'' is a broad topic within the study of Psykers and the Psychic Phenomena as a whole. Normally, you''d delve into this during your official Psychic 101 classes, which I''m sure will be scheduled soon after this assessment¡ªassuming the UHF''s monitoring AIs aren¡¯t completely fucking cooked. But let me give you a simplified overview because it''s vital for you to grasp at least the basics."
He shifted forward, his hands clasped in front of him, emphasising the importance of his words. "The ''Call of the Void''¡ªor as it''s been known historically, ''l''appel du vide,'' ''high place phenomenon,'' or ''vocatio inanis''¡ªisn''t exclusive to Psykers. It''s a mental phenomenon that''s been part of human consciousness for as long as we can remember. It manifests as an intrusive thought, urging you to do something profoundly dangerous that you normally wouldn''t even begin to consider."
He used a vivid example to illustrate his point. "Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff. That''s where it gets one of its names¡ªthe ''high place phenomenon.'' The Call of the Void is that little voice in your head suggesting, ''Jump. You could do it. No one could stop you.'' Of course, you wouldn''t actually act on it under normal circumstances, but the urge, the thought, it''s there, whispering in your mind regardless."
Zach leaned in, his voice taking on a more compelling tone as he delved deeper into the mysterious and eerie nature of the phenomenon. "For thousands of years, the ''Call of the Void'' baffled everyone¡ªno one could accurately pinpoint a cause... That is, until Psykers began to grow more potent, around two-to-three thousand years before the advent of the Allbright System. As more Gates awakened, reports of these inexplicable, dangerous impulses surged throughout human worlds. It became distinctly apparent that the emergence of the Psychic Phenomena was somehow closely linked to these intrusive thoughts."
He paused for a moment, ensuring Thea was keeping up, then continued with an intensity that drew her in even further. "As it turned out, it wasn''t just random thoughts intruding on our minds; rather, it was the very Void itself, echoing our darkest desires back at us. Over time, this connection became so apparent that people started referring to it as ''The Call of the Void'' roughly a thousand-or-so years ago."
He leaned in closer, "For Psykers, however, ''The Call of the Void'' takes on a different, far more sinister meaning. It''s not just an odd, fleeting thought¡ªit''s an incredibly powerful, compelling force that we have to fight against at every turn."
His gaze further intensified, locking eyes with Thea to emphasise the gravity of what he was about to explain next.
"The Call of the Void is what will kill you," he stated flatly.
His declaration wasn''t merely a warning; it was delivered as an unavoidable truth, a prophetic insight into the fate of every Psyker.
Taken aback by the grim turn of the discussion, Thea felt a chill run down her spine.
Just as she gathered enough of her thoughts to query further, perhaps to soften the harshness of his prediction or to seek some kind of reassurance, Zach continued with a sombre tone in his voice, without giving her a chance to speak.
"The stronger you become as a Psyker, the larger your Gate becomes, and the more influence you wield over the psychic energies that surround and inhabit us, the more insistent the Call of the Void will grow. It echoes your darkest desires, nudging you to surrender to those intrusive impulses, to ''let go'' and allow the Void to assume control, to navigate whatever challenges you face. That''s the real ''Call of the Void'' as we Psykers understand it. It''s our perpetual adversary, one that, in the end, always claims victory."
He clasped his hands together in front of him, his eyes dropping to his intertwined fingers, clearly wrestling with the weight of his next words.
"There have been no known Psykers who have died of natural causes, Thea," he revealed, his voice heavy with gravity.
Thea felt her blood freeze in her veins as his words sank in, each one landing like a lead weight in her stomach. His statement felt like a grim prophecy, sealing a fate she was only now beginning to comprehend.
"As you walk further down the path of a Psyker, investing in your Paths, your Inheritance, and the myriad unknowns that lie beyond both of our current understanding, of higher Tiers and Ranks... You''re literally signing your own death warrant. The life of a Psyker is invariably cut short. You might meet your end on the battlefield, with a bullet in your head, or elsewhere, overwhelmed by the Void and causing destruction that consumes not just you, but everything around you. But the one way you will never go out, is happily retired on some random UHF planet¡"
Zach looked up from his hands, his expression earnest, willing her to understand not just the power, but the peril that came with her gifts. "This isn''t to discourage you, but to prepare you. Understanding this is crucial¡ªnot just for harnessing your abilities, but for surviving them. Being a Psyker invariably means to forgo a happy ending. There won¡¯t be one. Consider this, before you go further down this path, Thea."
Plenty of things suddenly made a lot more sense to Thea, as she slowly internalised his grim words with a mounting sense of dread.
The strange thoughts she had during her Awakening; when she had seemingly shot and killed the random Marine that had talked to her and subsequently frozen the entire vehicle and everyone inside except her and Karania.
She also thought back to Professor Pierce''s urgent warnings in her System 101 class, where he had passionately advised¡ªno, pleaded¡ªagainst anyone pursuing the path of a Psyker. His words, once oddly shrouded in an aura of overcaution, now echoed with a chilling clarity.
The scarcity of Psykers, despite the seemingly manageable requirements, suddenly made sense as well. Thea had often wondered why their numbers were so few, and now she understood one of the grim reasons behind it.
She also recalled how the aide in the command centre had spoken of Psykers¡ªhow they were treated with a reverence akin to heroes, deserving of every possible support. It was because each Psyker, by choosing this path, was effectively signing their own death warrant, committing themselves entirely to a perilous existence marked by sacrifice.
The realisation hit her with the force of a tidal wave: If what Zach said was factual, then there would be no happy ending for her.
No retirement.
No long lived life.
No family to grow old with.
She would face a painful and abrupt end, regardless of her future choices; the moment she deepened her investment in her Psychic side upon unlocking her Psychic Attribute, her fate was sealed. However, given her recent harrowing experiences with the Gate, she figured that it might already be too late to alter this future altogether...
Zach gave Thea the space she needed to process everything, not initiating any further discussion. This gesture of quiet support allowed her to grapple with the daunting realities he had outlined, providing a semblance of comfort amid the bleak revelations.
It took several minutes for Thea to truly absorb the implications of their conversation, and when she finally raised her eyes to meet Zach¡¯s again, she saw them in a new light.
The UHF was pushing her to become a Psyker, for their own gain; to get data on the Psychic Classes available at the initial selection. But this wasn¡¯t really something Thea herself would have been pursuing as hard, especially knowing what she did now.
¡°Why did you decide to become a Psyker, knowing all this?¡± she asked, seeking insight into what might drive someone to embrace such a fate.
A rueful smile touched Zach¡¯s lips as he leaned back, the weight of her question hanging in the air. ¡°I guess I¡¯m a bit insane? All Psykers are, to some extent,¡± he responded half-jokingly.
He chuckled, a sound more reflective than humorous, then continued, ¡°When faced with the unknown, people generally respond in one of two ways: fight or flight. It¡¯s basic human instinct. We either run from it or challenge it head-on. But the Void presents a rare third choice; one that has never existed before for us as a species on such a fundamental level: To understand and harness.
¡°Not everyone is cut out to be a true Psyker. Sure, anyone can unlock their Gate and technically become one, but only a small fraction can truly make a meaningful impact as Psykers. Even fewer have the resolve to commit fully and become Battlefield Psykers. I chose this path because, simply put, somebody had to. In my drive, I was the only one who decided to commit fully, to strive to become a Battlefield Psyker starting at Tier 2. The rest were content with maxing out at Psyker at most. But the UHF¡ªand humanity as a whole, really¡ªneeds Battlefield Psykers. Without them, we¡¯d be defenceless when the bubble pops. So, at the end of the day, it had to be done, and I was willing to do it. That¡¯s all there¡¯s to it, I guess...¡±
After sharing his thoughts, Zach fell silent, his last words lingering in a thoughtful silence that filled the room. Thea sensed the depth of his conviction and the personal cost of his choice.
She decided to give him the same space he had afforded her, a quiet respect for his introspection and the gravity of his life¡¯s choices.
After a few quiet minutes, Zach collected himself and turned his attention back to Thea. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯m sure you have more questions, right? Let¡¯s tackle them so we can get back to the assessment.¡±
¡°No need to apologise. I seriously appreciate everything you¡¯re doing for me,¡± Thea responded sincerely.
Zach was the first person, aside from Viladia, who had taken the time to help her navigate the complexities of her Psychic abilities. Without their guidance, she would have been even more lost than she already felt.
Keen to learn more, however, Thea didn¡¯t hesitate to dive into another question at his prompt. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a Psyker and a Battlefield Psyker? It sounds crucial, but I don¡¯t really understand what sets them apart.¡±
Zach appeared briefly surprised by her question but quickly recovered with a chuckle. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know. That¡¯s my oversight. My bad. It¡¯s usually covered in the System 101 lectures, but since you''ve just integrated, you wouldn¡¯t have covered that yet. I keep forgetting just how new all of this is to you¡¡±
He picked up a few pieces of the broken teacup from earlier, arranging them thoughtfully on the table as a visual aid. Pointing to the smallest shard, he began, ¡°This represents a Psy Sensitive individual. Someone who has undergone their Awakening and unlocked their Psychic Attribute. They can sense other people¡¯s Gates when their own is sufficiently open, and they possess basic Psychic Powers like Telekinesis and the initial powers of their Path. You could almost be considered one, once you unlock the Attribute.¡±
Moving to a significantly larger shard in the centre, he continued, ¡°This is a Psyker. These individuals have progressed beyond the Psy Sensitive stage by further developing their Psychic Attribute and further embarking on a Path, sometimes even multiple Paths. Their psychic reservoir is considerably larger, and their potential for danger is significantly heightened as a result. These are the majority of ¡°Psyker¡±-type enemies you will end up facing out there.¡±
Zach concluded his explanation by gesturing toward the largest piece of the broken teacup, which was almost half the cup itself. "This," he said, "represents a Battlefield Psyker. These individuals have completely dedicated themselves to becoming psychic powerhouses for the UHF¡ªor for humanity at large. They meet all the requirements of a Psyker but go even further, choosing a complementary Psychic Class from the Allbright System itself.
¡°These Psychic Classes act as force multipliers, essentially. They don''t all turn you into a traditional ''mage''-type, hurling mind-bolts or anything, but they significantly enhance your capabilities as a Psyker overall. Battlefield Psykers represent the zenith of Psychic potential. They are the most dangerous presences on any battlefield, often even regarded as strategic resources or Aces, regardless of whether they out-Tier other combatants around."
With a dramatic flick, Zach sent the large piece skimming across the room, catching Thea off guard. "However," he continued, his tone sobering, "such power comes at a steep cost. There is no other combination of choices you can make, nothing more likely to draw you closer to succumbing to the Call of the Void, than becoming a Battlefield Psyker. You know the saying about the brightest candles."
Thea digested the information and filed them away as imperatively important to communicate to the rest of the Squad. Being able to more accurately differentiate between potential dangers based on the naming scheme of Psykers, considering their recent experience with them, was going to be crucial.
Yet, a pressing question lingered, urging her to seek further clarity. "How do I defend against the Call of the Void?¡± she asked earnestly. "If it''s such an omnipresent threat, how can some Battlefield Psykers manage to survive for decades, or even centuries, while actively participating in the war? How do we keep it at bay, constantly looming over us like that? There¡¯s gotta be a way, right? Otherwise, Battlefield Psykers would just be walking timebombs, no?"
A toothy smile played over Zach¡¯s face, as he prepared his answer¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 110 - New Orders
"When it comes to countering the influence of the Call of the Void, there are several effective strategies," Zach started off answering Thea¡¯s question.
"Firstly, in most cases, you can simply overpower it. It''s similar to those intrusive thoughts you get when you''re standing at a high place, feeling the urge to jump but you choose not to and just move on with your life. For Psykers, as you continue to strengthen your Resolve, dismissing these simple Calls becomes increasingly straightforward."
He paused momentarily, lost in thought, before shifting the topic slightly to give Thea a more comprehensive understanding. "Actually¡ Let¡¯s talk about Resolve for a moment. You¡¯ve only had the initial System 101 lecture, which only quickly glossed over each Attribute and tried to pack Abilities, Classes, and everything else into a single day, right?"
Thea nodded, prompting Zach to continue with a slight sigh. "I figured as much... So, Resolve, as it was briefly introduced to you, probably seemed like just a defence against Psyker Abilities and something that enhances your own Psyker capabilities. But there''s much more to it, as you might be starting to realise."
"Resolve is arguably the most complex of all Attributes because it directly interacts with your core self¡ªyour identity," Zach elaborated. "It enhances your ability to withstand not only the Void¡¯s influences but all forms of intrusive thoughts. Over the past 900 years or so, this has been a hot topic among scientists and researchers. Many believe that intrusive thoughts as a whole aren¡¯t just random but are in fact influenced by the Void¡¯s existence itself."
He leaned forward, emphasising his next point, "This train of thought implies that Resolve is essentially your defence mechanism against the Void¡ªas originally described¡ªbut that¡¯s obviously an entirely different beast than simply defending you against Psykers, as is usually taught. This theory is mainly supported by anecdotal evidence, of course, but the general consensus is clear: Resolve fortifies you against unwanted thoughts that arise not from your conscious mind but from deeper, unconscious impulses, desires, or even those reflected from the Void itself."
Thea found herself struggling to keep up with the more philosophical and psychological aspects of Zach''s explanation. Her expression must have conveyed her confusion quite clearly, because Zach quickly noticed and shifted gears to simplify the concepts for her.
¡°Let¡¯s break it down a bit,¡± he said with a reassuring smirk. ¡°Think of Resolve as your mental anchor. It helps you stay focused on your goals and ignore those pesky, distracting voices in your head that try to lead you astray. That¡¯s the basic gist of it.¡±
His demeanour then shifted to a more serious tone as he delved deeper into the implications of Resolve. ¡°However, there''s a catch¡ªas always. Increasing your Resolve also enlarges your Gate and enhances the amount of power you can channel from the Void, which in turn strengthens the Call of the Void. These elements are bound together by the very nature of the Attribute, so gaining one aspect inevitably enhances the other. It''s believed that the increased control over your Gate as a result of your improved Resolve is what actually helps resist the Call, rather than simply a side-effect of the Attribute at large, but this is still largely conjectural.¡±
Zach paused to let that sink in before continuing. ¡°Essentially, managing your psychic abilities is a constant balancing act. The wider you open your Gate, the more power you access but the stronger the Call becomes. Conversely, the more you close it, the weaker the Call, but also the less power you have at your disposal.¡±
He raised two fingers, emphasising his point. ¡°This leads us to another defence strategy against the Call: Shutting your Gate completely. It¡¯s essentially foolproof but drastically limits your capabilities. Whenever the Call feels overwhelming, you can forcibly close your Gate. This action immediately cuts off the Call but reduces you to the capabilities of a regular Marine¡ªor less, given that a Battlefield Psyker''s Class functions are entirely dependent on their Psychic abilities¡¡±
He leaned forward, stressing the importance of this tactic. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but sometimes it''s the only viable option. Remember this, Thea: You can always shut your Gate to stop the Call instantly. But be aware, that the Call will resist you and keep the Gate open; it''s like trying to snuff out a flame that fights to stay lit. Expect a battle whenever you attempt to close your Gate completely. Nothing¡¯s eager to die, even something as intangible as an impulsive thought.¡±
Zach raised a third finger, indicating another point as Thea listened intently, ready to absorb more of the crucial information. ¡°The last and final option might seem counterintuitive, and it should only be used as a last resort or a carefully calculated risk. Always think of this as a worst-case scenario, just to be safe, alright?¡±
He paused, ensuring Thea understood the gravity of what he was about to explain. She nodded sharply, signalling for him to continue.
¡°You follow the Call,¡± he stated plainly, locking eyes with her to emphasise his point. ¡°You give in and let the Call of the Void guide your actions.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise, her expression a mix of disbelief and curiosity as she awaited his explanation. By now, she knew that she didn¡¯t have to ask for elaborations on these points, as Zach seemed more than willing to make sure she truly understood what he was talking about.
It didn¡¯t take long for him to continue and prove her right, ¡°Each Call typically influences just a single moment; a single decision or instance. So, following it once doesn¡¯t necessarily doom you or those around you. Sometimes, yielding to the Call to satisfy the Void¡¯s need for control is the only way to progress, especially in combat situations. Fighting the Call isn¡¯t always feasible, nor is shutting your Gate if your Psychic Powers are crucial for keeping your squad alive or suppressing an enemy.
¡°In such cases, following the Call¡ªif it seems relatively controllable in nature¡ªcan be a strategic gamble, intended to buy you some peace for the time being. It¡¯s not a foolproof strategy, mind you, and it doesn¡¯t guarantee that the Void won¡¯t tempt you again soon, but historically, giving in to a Call often leads to a brief respite from further Calls for a short time.¡±
Zach recapped the three strategies for dealing with the Call of the Void, counting off on his fingers for emphasis; as if to really drive home the point for Thea. "First, you can overpower the Call; second, you can close your Gate; and third, you might follow it," he outlined.
"There are more esoteric methods as well, but those are best left for a long-term mentor to explain, as they are significantly more complex. I hope what we''ve covered today suffices for the remainder of this assessment."
Seeing the concern on his face, Thea rushed to express her gratitude and reassure him. "No, no! You''ve been incredibly helpful! This has been massively beneficial, for real! Thank you, Zach. Seriously! I didn''t expect to learn even a fraction of what you''ve taught me today, so I''m more than grateful!"
Zach responded with a rueful smile, his voice carrying a note of frustration. "I really wish the UHF would stop keeping new Recruits in the dark as much¡ Especially Psykers, really. It doesn''t help anyone. You''d think they''d be more open to changing their approaches, especially with the deadline looming. It¡¯s clear they haven¡¯t prepared you enough for what¡¯s at stake whatsoever..."
Thea could only nod in agreement.
She had been contending with a significant lack of information from the start of her assessment; a dangerous gap in her training that nearly resulted in her death during an episode of Focus Overdraw¡ªa risk she hadn¡¯t been warned about, or even knew existed, beforehand.
If not for Karania''s timely intervention, she might have suffered a permanent death in what was supposed to be a safe training environment like the DDS.
Tremendously grateful for Zach''s comprehensive guidance, however, she felt a strong sense of indebtedness. ¡°Thank you once again, Zach. Seriously. If there¡¯s ever anything I can do to help you out, just let me know,¡± she offered earnestly, a sincere offer of assistance.
Then, a realisation sparked in her mind in the broader context of the assessment, which she had missed to address with prior contacts she had met so far. "And just so you know, I¡¯m from the Sovereign. If you need to get in touch after this assessment, I¡¯m there. I¡¯ll be ready to assist you with anything, assessment-related or otherwise, to pay you back."
She wanted to make absolutely sure that the lines of communication would remain open, even if Zach didn¡¯t get a chance to ask for her help in this assessment.
Zach responded with an easy smile, ¡°Like most of the more experienced T1s in this assessment, I¡¯m stationed at the Apex right now. I¡¯ll definitely remember your offer of help if I ever need assistance. It wasn''t my intention to have you owe me a favour when I accepted this request, but given your unique circumstances, I admit it¡¯s reassuring to know that I have it available to me in the future. You have a lot of potential, assuming the UHF manages not to blunder your training and put you in undue danger... I really hope they don''t,¡± he added with a lighthearted chuckle that drew a small laugh from Thea.
¡°Me too,¡± she replied sincerely. ¡°Really hope the UHF doesn¡¯t get me killed for no reason either. Would really hate that, honestly.¡±
As their conversation seemed to be drawing to a close, Zach shifted slightly in his seat, preparing perhaps for their final exchange. ¡°Is there anything else you need to know now? Any pressing questions? I think you¡¯re about as prepared as you could have been for entering this assessment, especially with your understanding of the Gate and the Call of the Void,¡± he said, pausing thoughtfully. ¡°Though I would have preferred to give you more preparation time. Is there anything else you¡¯d like to ask while we¡¯re here?¡±
Thea paused, considering her next words carefully.
It felt crucial to utilise this opportunity to its fullest, knowing that after this conversation, she might not have another chance to delve into these topics until after the assessment had finished.
Her internal list of burning questions was dauntingly long, however.
She sifted through them, prioritising urgency.
¡®What¡¯s truly crucial for the immediate future?¡¯ she pondered.
After a few moments of careful consideration, she realised that the most pressing issues had already been addressed by their discussions up until now.
She had primarily been wondering about her Attribute increases, the Gate and Resolve as a whole, as well as how to get around the Call of the Void from taking over and ruining her.
Zach had managed to address all of it in an extremely efficient manner.
Turning back to him, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else right now¡ I am extremely curious about this whole Path and Inheritance business, but based on everything I¡¯ve understood about it up until now, it seems to be one of those ¡°That¡¯s going to take a while¡± topics that would better be covered post-assessment, yes?¡±
With a nod that spoke volumes about the complexity of the topic, Zach confirmed her suspicions.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Then I guess¡ That¡¯s about it. But if there¡¯s anything else you think I should know or any advice you can give, I¡¯m all ears. I have countless questions, but we¡¯ve covered the essentials for surviving the assessment. Still, if there¡¯s something you think I shouldn¡¯t overlook, please tell me.¡±
Zach paused thoughtfully before responding, "I can¡¯t really think of anything else right now. I¡¯m sure something will come to mind the moment you leave, as it always does, but right now, I think we¡¯ve covered the essentials. You¡¯re about as prepared as you can be under these circumstances.¡±
Thea and Zach rose from their chairs, and Thea bowed deeply, her gesture of respect making Zach visibly uncomfortable with such a formal thank you. ¡°Thank you so much, Zach. You¡¯ve quite literally saved my life today, and I won¡¯t forget that. I¡¯ll find a way to repay you one day,¡± she promised, her voice laden with sincere gratitude.
Zach seemed on the verge of brushing off her thanks with a casual wave but stopped himself. ¡°No worries,¡± he replied, a genuine smile touching his lips. ¡°It was no big deal, and if it helps keep you alive, then it''s all worthwhile. Just remember to use your Powers wisely, but don¡¯t be too afraid of them either. It defeats the whole purpose of being a Psyker if you''re too scared to tap into what you¡¯re capable of. And honestly, I¡¯m looking forward to hearing about the kind of impact you¡¯re going to make. I have a strange feeling your name will pop up in the after-action reports, and not just in a small way.¡±
While she had been a part of some seriously intense missions so far, this was an assessment with thousands upon thousands of Marines; many of which were vastly higher level than her. The chance that her actions, specifically, would be featured in the after-action report were slim to none.
But at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to deny what was essentially her mentor¡¯s opinions. With a respectful nod, she acknowledged his words as the best response she could muster.
With one final thank you, she turned and left the room quickly, keen to avoid prolonging the farewell or spiralling into another cycle of gratitude and reassurances.
As the door closed behind her, a wave of relief and elation washed over her.
¡®Searching out a Psyker to guide me was definitely the right move. A+ decision, Thea. Well done,¡¯ she praised herself mentally. Her initial doubts about finding a mentor who could truly enlighten her in the middle of the assessment had been completely dispelled by Zach¡¯s generous and insightful guidance.
Resolute in her promise to herself, Thea vowed, ¡®I¡¯ll definitely repay him. No matter what.¡¯
With that firm commitment in mind, she headed back to her own barracks, eager to rejoin her squad and share some of the things she had learned over the past hours¡
Thea¡¯s walk through the FOB felt odd and uncomfortable to her. As if everything around her had suddenly turned up its saturation and noise levels by a large factor.
It had been quite a while since she had experienced this level of improvement in her natural abilities; as she had kept her Attribute Points locked away in fear for quite some time now.
¡®This new Perception is definitely going to take some time to get used to,¡¯ she thought, realising the influx of sensory information was too much. She toggled a desaturation mode on her armour, hoping it would help reduce the overwhelming stimuli.
¡®Should be fine over an hour or two, I hope,¡¯ she reassured herself, feeling the relief as her armour began to filter out the excess noise and brightness.
As she continued toward the barracks, her thoughts drifted back to the advice she received from Zach.
His words had provided clarity, but a large, lingering uncertainty still remained.
Thea wasn¡¯t sure if she had the courage to freely use her Psychic Powers¡ªto open her Gate at her own leisure¡ª, given that every previous attempt had resulted in chaos, danger, or worse.
The memory of her Awakening still sent shivers down her spine. She remembered the living nightmare it had become too vividly.
The other instances of trying to access her Gate also only ended up in the close calls with death, and the encounter with the enemy Ace that had ended in her first assessment death.
¡®Not a great score card there, all things considered¡¡¯
But Zach¡¯s final words echoed in her mind as well, pushing against her hesitation. He had warned her not to fear her powers but to wield them with confidence and control. After all, it was what she had invested all of her Attribute Points into.
¡®It really would be a massive waste of points if I didn¡¯t at least use what I¡¯ve already invested in, wouldn¡¯t it? Almost like lab-ing a whiff-punish and then never using it¡¡¯ she mused, understanding that she needed to face the challenge ahead with all of the tools at her disposal.
Arbitrarily limiting herself as she had been out of fear might have made sense up until now, given that she''d been running blind when it came to anything psychic.
But with some concrete answers from Zach, Thea understood that manipulating the Gate wasn''t inherently dangerous, as long as it wasn¡¯t done with rabid abandon.
With this newfound knowledge, the only thing stopping her now was genuine fear.
¡®Baby steps, Thea. Don¡¯t go too crazy, no matter what you do, and you should be fine,¡¯ she reassured herself, deciding that she would start exploring her Psychic Powers, at least a little more freely. Even if it meant taking slow, steady steps, progress was still progress.
Before she knew it, she had already arrived at barracks #7.
With a light heart, she dashed inside and made her way to the room where the rest of her squad was waiting. She could hear Isabella, Desmond, and Lucas having a loud, animated discussion even before reaching the door, which made her smile despite the lingering uncertainties from her recent conversation with Zach.
It was a comforting sound, full of life and energy.
¡°I¡¯m back!¡± she announced, opening the door with an exaggerated flourish. It felt like returning home¡ªor something that was beginning to feel like it, at least.
The moment she stepped inside, the three squad members swarmed her, all talking over each other in an attempt to get her opinion on whatever they were arguing about. Their overlapping voices made it impossible for her to understand anything, despite, or maybe exactly because of, her newly enhanced Perception.
Ignoring the chaos, Thea''s eyes met Karania¡¯s, who was back to her unusual hobby of drawing and storing her own blood. Karania simply raised an eyebrow as if to say ¡°Well, how are you going to handle this?¡±
¡®What a mess¡¡¯ she thought with a quiet laugh at the absurdity of the scene.
Judging by the squad''s casual demeanour and lack of urgency, they hadn''t received any new orders yet. Thea found herself grateful for the brief moment of peace.
Feeling a sense of ease for the first time in what seemed like ages, she gestured for the three loud-mouths to quiet down with a big grin and pointed at Lucas, asking, ¡°Alright, lay it down. What¡¯s this whole discussion about¡?¡±
The day wound down without further drama for Thea.
She relished the downtime with Alpha Squad, savouring the simple pleasure of resting in an actual bed at the FOB¡ªalbeit a stiff, military-grade one. It was a luxury compared to the makeshift beds in abandoned buildings or hovels in the ground they''d been accustomed to over the past weeks, using only scant padding for comfort at best.
Taking advantage of the quiet evening, Thea shared the wealth of information she had gathered from Zach.
She explained the different classifications of Psykers¡ªPsy Sensitive, Psyker, and Battlefield Psyker¡ªand discussed the ominous phenomenon known as the Call of the Void. She emphasised how crucial it was for the squad to be aware of these concepts, even if they seemed distant realities now.
Given her own recent struggles with lacking critical information, Thea felt it better to overprepare the rest of them than to find them all blindsided at a later date.
Her conversation with Karania went deeper into the night, the two dissecting everything Thea had learned.
She poured out the details, trusting Karania with the nuances of her newfound understanding of their psychic potential. She confided in her friend on just about everything she could, which also led to her getting punched once, as she mentioned how she had gotten her head smashed into a table.
Karania''s reaction was as intense as it was immediate upon hearing about Thea''s near-concussion experience.
¡°Why the fuck did you just say that now?! You could have had a concussion¡ªor worse! For hours! What the fuck is wrong with you?!¡± she had said, visibly upset by the over-late mention of the injury.
Without waiting for an answer, she had insisted on performing a thorough medical examination right then and there, in the middle of the night, claiming she needed to ensure Thea''s "brain wasn''t damaged beyond the usual amount."
After confirming Thea was mostly alright, Karania handed her two knock-out injectors from her own supply, insisting she add them to her quick-access gear.
"Knowing how to handle a Psyker meltdown could have been lifesaving information¡ªlike three fucking weeks ago!" Karania grumbled, her frustration echoing Thea''s sentiments.
It was one thing to not let a ¡°random¡± Marine like her know, but to not even include Squad Medics in-the-know? That was beyond ridiculous in her eyes. They were the only type of Marine that was bound to work cross-Squad, regardless of whether they were mere Recruits or Privates or whatever else.
The oversight seemed almost negligent, considering Karania¡¯s role could have placed her in direct contact with unstable Psykers without any clue on how to effectively intervene.
They had ruminated for a while about the UHF¡¯s intentions behind this, seemingly purposeful, lack of intelligence on even crucial aspects, but even Karania, despite her ludicrous intellect, couldn¡¯t come up with a satisfying answer; much to both of their chagrin.
Eventually, as the clock ticked past 2 AM, they decided to end their night of vexing revelations and troubling thoughts, settling down to catch some much-needed rest.
Thea''s morning started abruptly as her comms device buzzed her awake.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she squinted at the glowing screen, scanning the new orders that had come through.
| [=== Orders: Sovereign Alpha 01 ===]
[Objective: Report to Corporal Phantoal at the eastern front.]
[Additional Intel: Transportation to the eastern front leaves at 0930 from the north-eastern gate.]
[=== Signed: Staff-Sergeant Venn ===] |
It was definitely short and to the point; but Thea really couldn¡¯t complain.
There wasn¡¯t really much more that needed to be conveyed, except who their target was and where they were.
The additional intel provided was definitely a nice touch however, as she now didn¡¯t have to figure out how to request this kind of stuff¡ªit was Corvus¡¯ job to do that, usually.
With the orders fresh in her mind, Thea set about waking the others.
She soon discovered that Isabella had already risen, having taken to the break room for an early morning workout session. The sound of clanging weights greeted Thea as she found Isabella, drenched in sweat, lifting with a focused intensity.
Thea was honestly hoping to engage in a deeper conversation with Isabella, much like the one she had with Karania the previous night, but the ticking clock and their imminent departure pressed on her.
She shelved the idea for a later time, though she was eager to check in on Isabella and ensure that the heavy was doing alright.
Since their ordeal in the service tunnels, Isabella had thrown herself into her physical training with a fervour that bordered on the obsessive.
It seemed as if she was driven by a fear of lagging behind the squad, though Thea knew that notion was far from reality. In a direct confrontation, Isabella could almost certainly overpower the rest of them single-handedly, even if they all tried to go against her at the same time, yet the shadows of recent events seemed to loom large over her.
''I wish I had Corvus'' knack for this¡'' Thea mused silently, lamenting her lack of finesse in handling such personal matters as she sat quietly beside Isabella, who was lost in her rigorous workout.
She waited for the rest of the squad to gather, reflecting on her own recent growth.
While she had made significant progress in many areas, interpersonal interactions remained a severely challenging frontier for her. Corvus had always been the heart of Alpha Squad in these matters, a skill she now realised she needed to cultivate more attentively.
While Thea had learned during their covert operation into Nova Tertius that competing with her teammates in their prime specialties was a fool''s errand, this understanding didn''t deter her from striving to excel by observing and learning from them.
In her mind, she compared it to when she faced a Zoner in AoC.
Despite her character, Freya, being a Setplay type, that had never stopped Thea from observing and learning about Zoner¡¯s playstyles and incorporating aspects of it into her own gameplay.
Mixups that came from other types were her specialty when it came to fighting games; no reason this couldn¡¯t apply to her role as a Marine as well.
She would never be as good as the others at their specialty, but at the very least, she could learn how to be second or third best in everything; in addition to her own expertise.
It was a sure-fire way to get the #1 spot on the leaderboard, regardless of mission type they were sent on.
This was her new ultimate plan, until new revelations potentially made that plan obsolete in the future once again¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 111 - Reunion
Arriving at the eastern front with the rest of the day''s reinforcements, Thea and Sovereign Alpha disembarked from the Sidoreno transporter that had delivered them.
Gratefully, the journey had been free of any psychic nightmares, a small mercy she didn''t overlook as she shouldered her gear and led her squad into the dim, cramped underground tunnels leading to the frontline.
It had only been a few days since their last mission here, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed since she last navigated these oppressive tunnels under the ashen wastelands fronting the Stellar Republic¡¯s Wall.
In truth, she didn¡¯t want to be here.
None of Alpha Squad wanted to be here, to be fair.
Throughout the redeployment, the mood had been sombre; not a single Marine in the transporter had anything positive to say about the eastern front, where the UHF''s forces continued to clash violently against the unyielding fortifications of the Stellar Republic''s Wall.
Some Marines, already on their third stint at the Wall, expressed fear of exhausting their allowed lives in the assessment. Others simply hoped for less perilous assignments away from the relentless artillery barrages that kept hammering the frontlines since the first day.
Similar sentiments resonated within Thea and her team as well.
The initial assault on the Wall had left deep imprints in their minds, especially the IgT-artillery bombardment that had followed the UHFs initial push and the destruction of some of the massive anti-armour cannons through Thea and the specialised groups of heavies that had gone around to try and keep the UHF AD from losing too many pieces of heavy armour.
Karania¡¯s injuries from that day were a constant and very real reminder¡ªher arm now replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic after being horrifically burned off. Isabella, Desmond, and Lucas had all perished directly due to the shelling as well.
Thea¡¯s thoughts darkened with the memory, ¡®I really hope they don¡¯t have any more of that apocalyptic stuff¡¡¯
Realising that she had no idea where Corporal Panteol might be situated, Thea grabbed the first Marine she spotted who seemed to know their way around the tunnels.
"Marine, where can I find Corporal Panteol?" she asked, her voice firm but polite.
The Marine, caught off guard, hesitated before answering, ¡°Uhh... I''d guess one of the command rooms¡? Follow tunnel F17 until you start seeing the L-numbered tunnels, then ask around. There should be command rooms nearby. Sorry, can''t be more specific." His eyes darted around, clearly relieved when Thea released him from further questioning.
With a nod, she thanked him and led Alpha Squad down tunnel F17, her strides quickening with each step. The sounds of boots against the compacted mud, the hum of distant battle and countless busy Marines filled the air.
A moment later, she heard rapid footsteps catching up to her from behind.
It was Karania, her voice light and teasing. "Since when did you become so assertive, Thea? I thought socialising wasn¡¯t your strong suit," she joked.
Thea felt a rush of warmth to her cheeks. The blush spread like wildfire, but she refused to let it show in her voice. "I can get things done when I need to, Kara. Thanks for the vote of confidence," she replied with a forced casualness, though her embarrassment was clear.
She heard muffled laughter from behind, clearly from Isabella and Karania, their playful teasing nearly making her falter in her brisk stride. But she kept moving, deciding against reacting further. ¡®Don¡¯t react, Thea. It¡¯ll only give ¡®em more satisfaction,¡¯ she thought, a mix of annoyance and amusement swirling in her mind.
Her internal monologue churned with additional defensiveness as she pressed forward, ¡®Also, I can totally be assertive when I know what I need to do! It¡¯s not like I can''t talk to people at all. They all just never see the instances when I do it right!¡¯
Despite her internal pep talk, she knew deep down that assertiveness wasn''t her strong suit and Karania¡¯s words weren¡¯t exactly wrong.
But she was learning. Or so she was hoping, at least¡
Following the marine''s advice, Thea led her squad deeper into the labyrinth of tunnels, navigating the network of intersecting corridors until they arrived in the area marked with L-numbered tunnels.
Spotting another marine, she didn''t hesitate to pull them in.
"Could you point us to Corporal Panteol?" she asked immediately.
"Ehh¡ He¡¯s likely in the usual spot? Probably command room C13 down L5. If he¡¯s not there, your guess is as good as mine," the marine replied with a shrug.
As they continued, Thea couldn''t help but give Karania and Isabella a smug look, pleased with her navigational success. Their raised eyebrows and mischievous giggles didn¡¯t dampen her spirits¡ªa win was a win in her book.
Their approach to the command rooms was met with heightened security.
The presence of heavily armed marines and imposing auto-turrets at each intersection underscored the importance of this area. Each time they were stopped, Thea presented Staff-Sergeant Venn''s orders, and they were allowed to proceed without further issue.
Finally, they reached room C13.
As they approached, the blast doors swooshed open and they found Corporal Panteol busily commanding aides and marines around. As he heard the door open, he turned around to them and his expression broke into a warm, welcoming smile. "Well, if it isn¡¯t Sovereign Alpha¡ªor the majority thereof. It¡¯s been a while!" he exclaimed.
¡°It has indeed. I hope things have been smoother since our last encounter?¡± Thea responded, pushing herself to engage in a bit of light conversation. This was her moment to prove she could handle social interactions just as well as the rest of them.
Panteol grimaced slightly, recalling their last disastrous mission. "Oof, let''s just say it had to have gone better. That first day was straight out of a nightmare scenario. If every mission was like that, we''d all have been Zero¡¯ed out by now," he said, managing a rueful laugh.
He shook off the unsettling memories with a visible shudder before his expression softened, looking directly at Thea. "Regardless of all that, I''ve heard that you guys have continued to excel; really impressive work. I¡¯m excited to see how far you''ll go in this assessment and beyond. Staff-Sergeant Venn is very impressed with you all, last I heard.¡±
Thea and her squad exchanged quick, surprised glances¡ªnews of their commendation from the Staff-Sergeant, who ranked as the second-highest officer they were aware of in the assessment, was both unexpected and highly encouraging.
"Now, go collect your last squad member; we''re moving out soon. Keep an eye on your comms; a major order is coming through in the next few hours," Panteol continued, his smile taking on a somewhat predatory edge. "You¡¯re going to be treated to some VIP seats to witness some of the UHF''s full might in this Battlefield... I hope you¡¯re ready.¡±
With that vaguely ominous statement, he waved them off, turning back to his command duties, barking orders and coordinating with aides and other marines.
Dismissed and slightly stunned by the rapid change of pace, Thea led the squad out of the command room.
Once outside, she turned to her team, uncertainty clear in her tone. ¡°So¡ we need to find Corvus, right?¡± she asked, the enormity of their task dawning on her. With tens of thousands of marines stationed at the eastern front, locating any particular one seemed beyond daunting; downright impossible.
¡°Sounded like it,¡± Isabella replied with a shrug that was mirrored by Lucas and Desmond as well. ¡°Maybe we could ask¡ª¡±
In that moment, Thea¡¯s comm device interrupted with a chime that caught everyone¡¯s attention. Opening the new transmission, she couldn¡¯t hide a smile.
| [=== Orders: Sovereign Alpha 01 ===]
[Objective: Fully reinforce the squad in preparation for the Major Order.]
[Additional Intel: Private Sylarion is stationed in zone B-R-47.]
[=== Signed: Corporal Panteol ===] |
¡°I know where he should be, let¡¯s go,¡± Thea announced briskly before immediately starting to move towards the zone mentioned in the orders. This time around, she wouldn¡¯t need to ask any random marines for directions either, as zones were designated on the tunnels themselves, making for an easy trek through the UHF¡¯s underground base¡
Navigating to zone B-R-47 was a journey that took over an hour, traversing the expansive underground network that the UHF had constructed beneath the desolate, ashen wasteland.
Thea and her squad were astounded by the scale of the tunnel system, which far exceeded anything they had anticipated.
Periodically, they paused to consult their interfaces, ensuring they hadn¡¯t veered off course or started circling back on themselves. Surprisingly, however, they found they had maintained nearly a direct path from the command room to their intended destination.
¡°This is insane¡ It¡¯s only been a week. How could they possibly have built all this?¡± Desmond marvelled at some point during their journey, his sentiment echoed by the rest of the squad.
They had all witnessed the efficiency of the UHF¡¯s special tunnelling squads during the initial assault on the Wall, but the extent of the organised, sophisticated tunnelling that had continued afterward was something none of them had truly imagined possible.
An entire underground base had been established right beneath the main defensive line of the Stellar Republic.
¡°It must be some sort of System wizardry¡ Even with vehicles, excavating this much space in such a short time would normally be impossible, especially given the geographic constraints,¡± Lucas added, equally impressed.
By the time they had finally reached the correct zone and made some headway into figuring out where Corvus might be located, which had involved grabbing more random passerby for directions by Thea; much to her chagrin, they had shared quite a few thoughts on the whole underground base matter.
The consensus they had come to was simple: Allbright System Wizardry.
Even Karania, universally acknowledged as the brightest mind among them, struggled to rationalise the construction of the vast tunnel network without invoking some sort of extraordinary, almost magical method to shift the immense volumes of dirt, stone, and gravel.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°It¡¯s truly impressive,¡± she eventually conceded. ¡°I had never even envisioned the System¡¯s capabilities extending to something as¡ªwell, ¡®mundane¡¯ as tunnel digging. When you think about the ultimate warrior, you don¡¯t usually picture someone wielding a shovel. But now, seeing and traversing these tunnels, I can¡¯t overlook the tremendous utility that rapid excavation provides. It might be worth exploring further for some of us in the squad. Having the ability to quickly establish a defensible position could be a game-changer in environments where we''re not confined to urban combat.¡±
Her insights resonated well with everyone, sparking a collective agreement across the squad.
They resolved to revisit this discussion post-assessment, considering the potential benefits of integrating more utility-focused Abilities¡ªsimilar to those utilised by the digging squads¡ªinto their arsenal if there were slots left over, instead of opting for suboptimal combat skills that offered only marginal enhancements at best.
After several more rounds of inquiring and attempting to use their squad comms¡ªa suggestion from Desmond, who reasoned that Corvus should still be accessible since they hadn¡¯t changed their call signs in the assessment so far¡ªthey finally received a response from their missing squad leader.
¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m particularly unhappy to hear y¡¯all¡¯s voices, but at the same time¡ Probably means we didn¡¯t quite get the mission done, huh?¡± Corvus'' voice crackled through the squad comms, prompting a series of sheepish grins among the squad members.
The plan had initially been straightforward: Regroup within the city once the UHF had breached the Wall, a task contingent on disabling the enemy control stations with Corvus embedded in the main army.
The very fact that they were reaching out like this, in the middle of the underground tunnels in front of the Wall, was a stark indicator that their mission hadn¡¯t quite gone as planned.
Taking a deep breath and stepping into her role as the leader in Corvus¡¯ absence, Thea responded, ¡°Yeah¡ I¡¯m really sorry, Corvus. We didn¡¯t manage to take down any of the control stations. The one we targeted was heavily fortified; we encountered a pair of Psykers who nearly decimated us¡ªwe managed to eliminate them, but barely. We were in no condition to proceed after that engagement.¡±
There was a brief pause, and then she hastened to add, ¡°Oh, and the last known enemy Ace was there too. But that¡¯s not really on us. Arrow Squad encountered him and was wiped out almost instantly. It turned into a complete disaster, honestly...¡±
¡°No need to apologise, Thea. Don''t feel bad; I''m sure you all did your best. I was just making a joke,¡± came Corvus¡¯ response through the comm, his voice tinged with a hint of sympathy that even Thea could discern. ¡°We definitely bit off more than we could chew with this mission. I¡¯m in chamber B-R-C143; just follow tunnel BR6 until you reach the chambers, then follow the RC numbers until you get here. I can¡¯t wait to catch up and hear what you guys have been up to!¡±
With uplifted spirits, the squad nodded to one another, their faces lit with smiles as they prepared to move out. Thea, feeling a mix of relief and anticipation, led the way with renewed vigour.
Reuniting Sovereign Alpha was the immediate goal, and for Thea, it also meant she could relinquish the heavy mantle of leadership she had been carrying.
Despite the undeniable growth she had experienced as a temporary leader, she couldn¡¯t deny the relief she felt at the thought of returning to her role as the scout/sniper of the group, where she felt most at home.
Spurred on by the thought of finally getting rid of the additional weight on her shoulders, Thea was leading the rest of the squad with a brisk pace through the tunnels, following Corvus¡¯ directions in order to reunite the whole squad¡
Once they managed to meet up, there was a flurry of hugs and quick pats on the back.
The squad immediately found a quiet corner to settle into, quickly spiralling into a detailed exchange of their separate adventures since splitting up. The conversation lasted about an hour, with Corvus deeply engaged, frequently interjecting to ask for more details or to clarify points, and repeatedly praising the squad for their courage and quick thinking.
¡°I honestly didn¡¯t know what to expect with the Caliburn, I¡¯ll admit,¡± Corvus started, sharing his own experiences. ¡°I¡¯d seen Thea use it a couple of times, but holding it myself was¡ something else. It¡¯s a mix of terror and thrill that¡¯s very hard to explain. The sheer power of that weapon is staggering.¡±
Thea nodded in agreement, feeling a familiar thrill at the memory of using the weapon.
Even after numerous uses, the sensation of firing the Caliburn still sent chills through her, each and every time.
¡°It¡¯s interesting to hear about the Caliburn¡¯s final moments; I honestly don¡¯t remember much from the end of that chase. I was worried it might have been lost,¡± Corvus continued, giving Thea a sideways glance.
She awkwardly looked away, guilt flickering over her face.
She had advised him to keep firing until the end, to ensure the enemy couldn¡¯t capture the weapon, but she hadn¡¯t actually clarified the potential consequences of overloading the gun to him whatsoever.
¡°Now that I know what it does, I might have to keep a tighter leash on our rabid sniper here,¡± Corvus joked, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he teased Thea.
Her head whipped around, her expression a mix of shock and indignation.
His comment drew a burst of laughter from the rest of the squad, and Corvus, grinning widely, added, ¡°Just kidding, of course. You handle your powerful, explodey toys just fine, Thea. Just try not to blow us up, okay?¡±
With a playful pout after being the subject of yet another joke and a nod, Thea listened as Corvus continued his story.
"After I respawned in the pod, it''s mostly been mundane here, no grand heroics like you guys," he shrugged. "I was reassigned to the eastern front, as you see, and have been here with the other marines, slowly making progress on the Wall. We''ve made some decent headway in the last couple of days, thanks to some of the control stations finally being taken out."
He then turned to Thea, curiosity piqued, "You mentioned a major order coming through soon? What¡¯s that about?"
Thea, lacking more specific details, replied with a shrug, "Corporal Panteol hinted at a major order and mentioned something about us getting VIP seats to witness ''the might of the UHF,'' whatever that means."
The squad mulled over this vague snippet of information, the conversation momentarily dipping into silence before Corvus spoke up again, "Well, whatever it is, we''ll find out soon enough. On a different note, I found out something interesting when I used the Caliburn: The System actually lets you know if you¡¯ve done something that would have earned a higher Accomplishment, but couldn¡¯t due to DDS limitations."
His face showed a mix of amusement and disappointment as he continued, "When I checked my notifications after waking up, it said I should¡¯ve earned a Platinum-ranked Accomplishment, but because of DDS restrictions, it was downgraded to Gold."
Despite the downgrade to a Gold-ranked Accomplishment, Corvus aimed to lighten the atmosphere, ¡°Still got a Gold, which isn¡¯t bad. It keeps me in the game along with the rest of you and your Gold Accomplishments from the mission, right?¡±
He chuckled to himself, easing the tension further; losing out on a Platinum-ranked Accomplishment was a big sting, even for those that hadn¡¯t even been in the running to get it.
It would have been a massive get for the squad as a whole to have someone with a Platinum-ranked Ability, after all. "Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect us all to make out like bandits like this. Getting Gold ranks all around seemed unlikely, but hey, I¡¯m certainly not complaining!"
The squad shared a moment of collective pride, their hard-earned Gold Accomplishments a point of celebration. The reunion of Alpha Squad reignited their camaraderie, and Corvus¡¯s knack for engaging everyone ensured that no one lingered on their recent ordeals for too long¡ªeven Thea, despite her best attempts at sulking in a corner about not being able to keep her promise to him.
However, about an hour into their low-key celebration¡ªmarked by the clinking of soft drink cans rather than alcoholic toasts due to front-line regulations¡ªtheir comms buzzed simultaneously with a new directive.
Catching each other''s glances, they all recognized the signal: the anticipated major order had arrived.
¡°Well¡ Looks like we¡¯re back on,¡± Corvus announced, half-joking yet with a trace of command in his tone. ¡°Thea, I¡¯ll be taking back the squad leader role, if that¡¯s alright?¡±
¡°Oh, please do!¡± Thea exclaimed, her relief palpable. The rest of the squad couldn''t help but laugh at her dramatic plea. ¡°Never again,¡± she added emphatically. ¡°Next time, I might just blow myself up instead. No more leading for me!¡±
Corvus smiled as he stood, shouldering his gear.
¡°Everyone ready?¡± he asked, scanning the group. Seeing their affirmative nods, he declared, ¡°Then let¡¯s move out, Alpha Squad¡!¡±
Two hours later, Alpha Squad was at the forefront of a formidable column of marines and armoured vehicles, pushing through the dense forest just outside the influence of the Stellar Republic¡¯s SADD field.
They were part of a major strategic shift¡ªtheir orders, monumental in scope, had come through clear and urgent.
Nearly 90% of the forces stationed at the eastern front, including Alpha Squad, had been commanded to join the main army concentrated at the central battlefield.
The remaining 10% were tasked with creating diversions¡ªusing up the leftover ordnance and engaging in skirmishes at the Wall to draw attention and cover the massive troop movements.
Despite their efforts to conceal the manoeuvre, the scale of the redeployment was too vast to go unnoticed.
It was imminently clear for everyone: The UHF was orchestrating a decisive, all-out assault aimed at the central section of the Wall, signalling what could be the culminating offensive in this prolonged engagement.
As they approached the treeline marking the edge of the central battlefield, Thea paused to don her full-face mask, bracing herself against the overwhelming stench of gunpowder, scorched ozone, and the unmistakable smell of molten flesh mingling with the decay of countless fallen bodies.
The air was thick, laden with the acrid fumes of war that even their distance from the main battlefield couldn''t completely keep at bay.
Stepping further beyond the shelter of the trees, the entire squad and a large section of the column came to a stunned halt, caught off guard by the harrowing vista that unfolded before them.
Positioned on a slight elevation, they looked down upon the expansive planes that stretched out before the central segment of the Wall. The view provided them with a stark perspective of the battlefield that had been the scene of relentless clashes since the UHF''s initial landing.
What lay before them was a landscape so ravaged by war it was far beyond comprehension.
The lush green plains that once bordered the outskirts of Nova Tertius had been utterly transformed; charred to a stark blackness by the unending conflict. The earth itself bore the scars of the warfare, pockmarked with a network of craters, trenches, and fissures¡ªwounds inflicted by heavy artillery and explosive ordnance that had torn through the terrain.
Thea regretfully observed the landscape spread out before them, wishing she could erase the gruesome images from her memory immediately.
Her previous experiences on the eastern front, daunting as they had been, hadn''t prepared her for the sheer scale of destruction that lay before her eyes now.
While the scarring of the land was daunting, it was the staggering loss of life that was unmistakably evident across the battlefield, that truly burned itself into her mind.
Not only were the remnants of military hardware scattered around¡ªburnt-out husks of tanks, transporters, and artillery¡ªbut more horrific were the makeshift mountains of deceased combatants.
These macabre mounds were likely constructed in a desperate bid to clear the trenches, pathways for armour and makeshift fortifications, and minimise the spread of disease, a grim yet practical measure in the chaos of war.
The terrain was sodden with a gruesome sludge, a mixture of soil and red-brown human remains, trampled and degraded to the point of being unrecognisable. This viscous mud clung to everything and the continuous rotting produced an ever-present mixture of steam-like gas that hung slightly above the entire battlefield.
As the pervasive stench of decay became increasingly difficult to ignore, Thea realised the magnitude of what they were stepping into.
The central battlefield was not a strategic location for military engagements; it had simply become a massive, open-air tomb.
The scope of death here dwarfed anything they had seen on the eastern front and anything that Thea could even have fathomed. The indiscriminate IgT-artillery bombardment there paled in comparison to the wholesale slaughter that had occurred here.
Even from her limited vantage point, Thea could see literal scores of body piles, each containing the remains of hundreds, or more than likely thousands. The sheer number of fallen was overwhelming, and she found herself grappling with the scale of human loss, each pile a sombre marker of lives abruptly ended in the meatgrinder of war.
As they stepped out of the protective cover of the forest, the full brunt of the battlefield''s stench hit them like a physical force. Several marines around them retched, overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of decay no longer tempered by the forest''s greenery.
Thea was grateful for her full-face mask''s filters, cranked to their maximum setting, though they struggled against the pervasive odour. Despite the filtration, she felt her stomach churn, threatening to expel even the mild soft drink she had earlier.
"I guess... We got lucky with the eastern front, huh?" Desmond''s voice broke through the uneasy silence as they trudged forward into the devastated landscape. Their orders were clear: Move forward and link up with the main army, a couple of kilometres to the northwest.
"Never thought I''d say that... but yeah. The IgT-shelling was a mercy, compared to... Whatever the absolute fuck this is," Karania added, sweeping her cybernetic arm to encompass the devastation that surrounded them on every side.
With every step, their boots made sickening squelches as they sank into the mire of decayed remains and mud. The sound made conversation nearly impossible, and everyone focused on the task of keeping their composure amidst the burgeoning horror around them.
Thea''s mind raced as they marched, ''Just a couple more kilometres and we''ll reach the active part of the battlefield... What kind of apocalyptic warfare is happening out there, to leave an area in such a state...?''
Anxiety and fear gnawed at her as she pondered the horrors that awaited them further ahead.
Regardless of their overall feelings however, their order were clear:
Link with the main army and push through into Nova Tertius with the rest of the UHFs army¡
Arc 1 - Intermission 2 - A Major鈥檚 Perspective I
- PoV: Ukuar Rurix -
Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Ukuar stepped through the doorway bathed in harsh, blinding light.
It had been nearly two weeks since the incident that had shaken the entire UHF to its very core: A sudden and deadly invasion of Void Daemons on several of the ships involved in the ongoing quarterly assessment.
Since then, Ukuar, along with the other Majors aboard the Sovereign, had been tirelessly working, restlessly searching for any signs of the infiltrating daemons.
The biggest problem that came with the incursion, however, was that the daemons weren¡¯t simple beasts, as most Marines would like to believe. On the contrary, Void Daemons were often highly intelligent, at least when it came to stalking their prey and not getting caught.
This made the search and eradication efforts even more arduous.
The Sovereign¡¯s scanners, usually ever-reliable, were unable to detect the presence of these daemons, rendering the technology entirely useless for this task. Consequently, Ukuar and the other Majors had been leading manual search teams, combing through the ship deck by deck, section by section¡ªa dull, daunting and yet similarly dangerous task.
The operation had been far from smooth either.
While they had managed to prevent any permanent fatalities among the Marines, thanks to quick defensive actions preventing the daemons from consuming their victims'' Souls, the encounters had not been without significant casualties.
The toll on just his own team was heavy, with casualties well into the double digits¡ªan ominous count that weighed heavily on Ukuar, despite his best efforts to chalk it up as the preferred outcome, considering the alternative.
But the gravest news had come just days before, delivered by Captain Cross during a confidential briefing with the Majors: The Monarch, a sister ship of the Sovereign itself, had been completely lost with no survivors; likely ripped apart and torn to shreds by the forces of the Void.
Further details on the incident were scant, and there was no solid intelligence on what exactly had happened to the Monarch or its Marines. The loss of an entire recruitment ship and it''s inhabitants highlighted the devastating impact of the incident and weighed heavily on everyone in-the-know.
Ukuar had a personal connection to the Monarch too, having served on it for many years in the past.
He had formed numerous acquaintances and even forged a few friendships with some of the crew members, causing the ship''s disappearance to be particularly distressing for him and making it harder for him to simply accept that this was all that he was going to learn about it¡¯s disappearance for the time being.
Walking down a long corridor lined with rooms reminiscent of Inner-World cinema setups, he couldn''t help but ponder the fate of the ship. These rooms, designated for viewing and spectating within the DDS, were used by higher-ranked officers for both educational and entertainment purposes during the quarterly assessments.
"I can¡¯t imagine Captain Diaz would¡¯ve just surrendered her ship without a truly apocalyptic fight. Just what the fuck could have possibly happened¡? A Void Daemon overpowering a Captain like Diaz...?" he muttered to himself, scepticism lacing his tone.
He knew of only about a dozen entities within the Void total that posed a genuine existential threat to a UHF Navy Captain, and he hadn''t personally encountered any of them¡ªif he had, he probably wouldn''t be here to question all of these things in the first place.
Ukuar continued to muse as he walked, "I wonder if Command is keeping more information from us, or if even they are just as in the dark about what really happened as we are..."
The loss was simply too significant to dismiss as just another hazard of Void travel, and it haunted him, prompting his relentless search for answers amidst the bureaucracy and secrets of the UHF.
The losses in the Void were typically modest¡ªfew Marines per extensive deployment, a byproduct of the unpredictable nature of Void breaches and the sporadic appearance of Void Daemons among other variables.
However, the recent catastrophe was unprecedented: Nearly a hundred thousand Marines lost, including all Majors aboard, a Navy Captain, and the vessel itself, without any obvious clues of enemy involvement¡ªan event completely without precedent in the entire history of the UHF.
Ukuar wasn''t alone in his confusion and distress.
Over recent weeks, he''d engaged in endless discussions with his subordinates and fellow Majors, yet no one could offer a coherent explanation for the calamity.
The inability to understand or even describe what exactly had occurred to their own ship¡ªand, by extension, to the Monarch¡ªhad everyone on edge.
With no actual enemy to fight; with no idea if this was an isolated incident or not and whether there was something that had actually triggered it to occur; they were all running blind, with the ever-present spectre of complete and utter annihilation hanging over them like an enemy warship ready to unleash its orbital beam at any moment.
Trying to momentarily push aside these daunting thoughts in a bid for some semblance of calm, Ukuar completed his walk to the area reserved for Major-ranked officers.
He hoped for a brief respite, a chance to finally unwind after two brutally exhaustive, long and relentless weeks.
He peered into the spectating booths, his heart sinking as he was met with scenes of utter desolation¡ªmuch as he had braced himself for.
"Seems we weren¡¯t the only ones run ragged by this chaos..." he murmured to himself, the weary chuckle that followed more of a sigh than a sound of amusement.
Upon recognizing the existential threat to their DDS servers, the other ship''s Captains had undoubtedly initiated the same emergency protocols as the Sovereign and Captain Cross had: An immediate evacuation of all Majors from the DDS to confront the imminent threat, followed by a thorough sweep of their respective vessels.
Turning around, he headed back towards some of the lower-ranked viewing rooms and randomly chose the first one he came across that had a decent number of people inside.
As he entered, several Lieutenants started to salute, a reflexive mark of respect, but they quickly remembered the informal nature of the space and relaxed their postures.
The viewing areas, distinctly designed to sideline rank except for access restrictions due to potentially sensitive information being discussed inside, served as communal hubs for sharing the experience of monitoring the ongoing quarterly assessments of the new Recruits and aspiring Privates.
Acknowledging the informal setting, Ukuar responded with respectful nods to the Lieutenants and army Captains inside as he settled into a seat beside a group of Lieutenants who were engaged in a lively discussion about recent developments within the assessment.
This was precisely the kind of distraction Ukuar was seeking: A casual environment brimming with engaging tales and a break from the stern formalities of military hierarchy and the frightening thoughts of potential annihilation looming over all of their heads at any moment.
As Ukuar settled into the conversation, he listened to the varied perspectives of the three Lieutenants discussing the ongoing assessment.
The first Lieutenant, full of enthusiasm, gestured broadly as he spoke. "It''s really quite a turnaround they''ve managed!" he exclaimed. "At the start, it looked bleak, almost a mirror of the actual Nova Tertius Battlefield. But then, Legate Kuan stepped in with some decisive orders that completely shifted the momentum!"
The second Lieutenant, more sceptical and critical, interjected with a furrowed brow. "Legate Kuan? Really? I''d argue he had very little to do with the strategic successes of the early assault. It was Staff-Sergeant Venn on the eastern front who really turned the tides. He secured our position in the forest and led those crucial infiltrations at the Wall and into Nova Tertius. Legate Kuan just handled the high-level commands. Venn is the true linchpin of the eastern operations, no question."
Meanwhile, the third Lieutenant, dismissive and a bit cynical, leaned back and waved off the previous comments. "Arguing over who gets third and fourth place credit is pointless. The eastern front''s been a mess from the start¡ªjust scraping by," he scoffed.
He then activated a holographic display that floated between them, showing a tactical overview of the entire assessment area.
"Look here," he pointed, zooming into the western front. "The real game-changers were on the western front, not the eastern one. Staff-Sergeants Nyra and Comfire, they''ve been outstanding. They completely crushed their opposition and even took control of the control stations inside the city easily! Without their successes, we''d have been toast after the eastern front dropped the ball hard on that entire part of the mission."
Ukuar watched as tempers flared among the Lieutenants, each passionately defending their perspective on the assessment''s operations.
The first Lieutenant''s face flushed with frustration as he locked eyes with his challenger.
"Listen, that Ace showing up at the first control station was complete bullshit, Quill! A Tier 3 Prime, Zeta-rank Psyker against Tier 1 Marines?! It''s completely unrealistic to expect them to handle that kind of threat! Had that Psyker been on the western flank, your vaunted Staff-Sergeants would have been just as overwhelmed, I fucking guarantee it!"
"Yeah, and let''s not forget the two powerful Tier 1 Psykers those Recruits encountered as well," the second Lieutenant added, supporting his comrade. "Do you really think the western front could have managed better under the same conditions?"
Quill, unfazed, shrugged dismissively. "Sounds like a skill issue to me, honestly. A competent commander would hedge their bets. On the western front, they divided their forces to hit multiple targets simultaneously. That way, even if one group encountered overwhelming opposition like an Ace, the mission could still succeed elsewhere. The eastern strategy was simply too risky, putting all their hopes on one target. They were lucky to achieve even that; albeit barely. Not to mention, those Psykers couldn''t have been that strong, if a mere squad of Recruits managed to take them out."
Sensing the conversation was veering into uncomfortable territory, especially for a casual setting, Ukuar cleared his throat to draw attention. The Lieutenants turned towards him, their expressions cooling as they realised they had been overstepping in their debate.
"There''s value in each of your insights," Ukuar intervened, his tone firm yet calming. "However, let''s keep our discussions civil, especially here in the viewing area, shall we?"
Chastened, the three Lieutenants nodded, their demeanour shifting to one of embarrassment. They mumbled their apologies, which Ukuar waved off with a gentle hand.
"No need for apologies. This space is for relaxation and thoughtful exchange. Just maintain a more civil tone throughout it all, yes?"
Earning himself warm smiles and a few sighs of relief from the Lieutenants, Ukuar decided to seize the moment. "Since I''ve been out of the loop dealing with the Void Daemon crisis on the Sovereign, I could really use an update. Could you guys recommend some highlights for me to catch up on? I''m especially interested in any notable performances by Marines from my ship, but I''m keen on hearing about any major events. What''s been happening while I was away?"
Quill, reclining in his chair and half-focused on his datapad, gestured to another Lieutenant.
"You''re up, Zarael. You''ve been keeping tabs on ¡®em and gushing our ears off about that Sovereign Squad since the first week. Fill in the Major about their nonsense," he said, a touch of amusement in his tone.
Their exchanged, much-telling glances sent a slight chill through Ukuar.
''What the fuck did they do now¡?!'' he wondered with growing apprehension.
"Absolutely, Major! I''d be glad to," Zarael replied with an eager nod, manoeuvring over the seats to get closer to Ukuar. He swiped on the datapad that was docked in front of him, bringing up the relevant files. "Let''s dive right into it with a big highlight: The initial assault on the Wall on the eastern front, just a few days after that whole Void Daemon mess started..."
Watching the unfolding assault was somewhat surreal for Ukuar.
It brought back memories of countless operations he had been part of during his earlier years in the UHF¡ªdays that now seemed beyond distant. Yet, this assault bore innovations and strategic nuances that had not been present during his time on the front lines.
The recent decades had evidently brought significant advancements in military tactics, particularly in how the UHF deployed its Armoured Division.
The use of armoured vehicles to navigate previously impassable terrains was striking.
Massive underground tunnels and extensive trenches were constructed swiftly by specialised squads, providing crucial cover for the infantry, which formed the backbone of the UHF''s offensive might.
These enhancements in strategy and execution had Ukuar utterly captivated.
While they did exist to some degree during his time, the difference in scale, timing and professionalism displayed for this assault was unlike anything he had ever dreamt possible during his days.
He couldn¡¯t do anything but watch intensely, his eyes tracking every movement of the Marines and every projectile exchanged with the forces of the Stellar Republic.
It was only when the initial chaos of the assault settled into a steady exchange of gunfire¡ªnow with the trenches established and the infantry entrenched¡ªthat Ukuar''s attention slightly waned.
But this lull, too, was short-lived.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Soon, a pressing issue became apparent, one that the ground commanders had also noticed quite quickly after he had: The Stellar Republic''s anti-armour cannons were devastating the UHF¡¯s armoured divisions, quickly depleting their limited number of heavily armoured vehicles on all sections of the battlefield.
Recognizing the problem, Ukuar watched intently for the UHF''s response.
Squads of heavy units systematically targeted and destroyed the anti-armour cannons, utilising stealth and unpredictable movements to minimise their exposure as much as possible.
This tactic, while effective, proceeded slowly and was not without significant loss of life for each and every cannon taken out.
As the UHF units worked to neutralise these critical threats, the defenders on the Wall quickly reorganised their forces as well, focusing on locating and eliminating the squads responsible for the cannon attacks with concentrated firepower of the automatic defences, coupled with entire squads of enemy snipers.
This exchange¡ªof attack, counterattack, and adaptation¡ªwas a classic representation of the strategic dynamics that had shaped battlefields throughout human history, unfolding before Ukuar¡¯s eyes.
It was a grim yet truly fascinating ballet of war, showcasing the relentless push and pull between opposing forces that he couldn¡¯t help but admire.
Ukuar, never having commanded such a complex battlefield himself and unlikely to ever do so, was struck by the sophistication and rapid decision-making required at this level.
Watching the action unfold from a command-like perspective offered him a new appreciation for the strategic acumen required, that was so very different from his own.
He struggled to track even a couple of the heavy units while maintaining an overview of the broader battlefield dynamics.
Meanwhile, the actual commanders, without the benefit of hindsight or the ability to slow down and rewind the action like he did, coordinated over two dozen such squads at the same time. They managed this alongside ensuring continuous tunnel construction, keeping the armoured divisions informed, and maintaining clear objectives for the infantry as well.
¡®That¡¯s impressive, no matter how you look at it¡¡¯ Ukuar acknowledged internally as he scanned the list of commanders responsible for managing the eastern front.
His gaze paused at a familiar name that had also been mentioned earlier in the Lieutenant¡¯s discussions.
¡®I guess that¡¯s why Staff-Sergeant Venn was so highly praised earlier. Not to mention Colonel Thalia¡¯s insistence on him requiring all the assets he can get; he really knows how to work ¡®em,¡¯ Ukuar mused to himself, impressed with the orders and commands given.
His name wasn''t the only one highlighted of course; no single commander could handle the overwhelming flood of data generated by such a large-scale assault. Yet, being listed among the top indicated that he was crucial in making the pivotal decisions that shaped the course of the battlefield.
As he perused the list of commanding officers, Ukuar suddenly realised that the video feed had stopped unexpectedly¡ªwithout any input from him. Surprised, he lifted his gaze from the datapad to see Lieutenant Zarael''s eyes, which conveyed a mix of excitement and apology.
A single raised eyebrow from Ukuar prompted the Lieutenant to quickly justify his interruption, "Sorry about that, Major, but trust me, you''ll want to give your full attention to this next segment. It''s the part where the assault takes quite a different turn from the original assault on Nova Tertius¡ªa very significant divergence."
Intrigued by Zarael''s assertion and curious about what could warrant such a deviation, Ukuar set aside the list of names and refocused on the datapad. He gestured for Zarael to resume the recording, his interest clearly piqued by the promise of an unprecedented turn in the operation.
Ukuar, having been deeply involved in the committee that had decided the assessment scenario for this year''s drive, was intimately familiar with the original Battle for Nova Serene and the occurrences on the Sub-Battlefield of Nova Tertius.
As such, his interest in the supposedly significant divergence was not just marked, but downright fervent as his eyes were glued to the datapad. He continued to watch the battle unfold from the overhead command perspective, trying to find whatever divergence Zarael had mentioned for a number of minutes; without success.
Despite noticing several tactical adjustments, such as the heavy squads more risky strategies and plays in targeting the anti-armour cannons¡ªa move he immediately attributed to Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s penchant for aggressiveness, especially in assessments¡ªnothing struck him as radically different.
Just as he was getting antsy, figuring that the Lieutenant had simply overhyped something that he, himself, had understood as only a minor divergence, a giant streak of plasma suddenly appeared coming from slightly behind the UHF¡¯s main infantry line, just as the anti-armour cannon it connected with exploded in a catastrophic, cascading failure that ripped parts of the Wall out and crashed to the ground.
Ukuar leaned forward, his previous scepticism immediately forgotten.
"What?!"
From the corner of his eye, he caught Lieutenant Zarael watching him intently, clearly anticipating his reaction with a broad grin plastered across his face¡ªlike someone eagerly waiting for a friend to reach the climax of a favourite movie.
Chagrined, Ukuar noticed that immediately after the railgun fired, the area from which the shot originated became the target of intense retaliatory fire.
Artillery shells and sniper rounds pummeled the location, kicking up a storm of dust and debris while scorching the earth around the hidden emplacement.
Curious to pinpoint the source of such a powerful strike, Ukuar rewound the footage several seconds and zoomed in on the origin point. His eyes widened as he identified a massive railgun barrel protruding from a hastily constructed foxhole.
"A single railgun did that? And at this range¡?" he murmured to himself, incredulous at the sheer power of the weapon.
The anti-armour cannons of the Stellar Republic were known for their formidable fortification, reinforced with multiple layers of solid T1 Material¡ªsupposedly impervious to anything short of the most powerful ordnance typically reserved for the largest of the UHF¡¯s artillery or armoured units.
Yet here it was, a lone railgun on a T1 Battlefield achieving what should have been impossible, breaking through defences designed to withstand severe punishment.
Ukuar replayed the footage, fixated as the projectile carved a blazing trail through the air, briefly illuminating the battlefield around it in a cerulean hue before the overwhelming counterattack obscured its point of origin once more.
The successful strike on the anti-armour cannon, while a notable divergence from the original battle, seemed minor in the broader context of the assault to Ukuar.
¡®Impressive, yet still just one down, with like half a dozen more to go in this sector alone,¡¯ he mused internally, reaching to retrieve his datapad for further information about the person behind the shot.
"Major, wait. Keep watching," Lieutenant Zarael interjected, noticing Ukuar¡¯s shifting attention.
Raising an eyebrow, Ukuar refocused on the footage.
As the barrage of retaliatory fire gradually ceased, the dust settled revealing no trace of the shooter. What remained was what appeared to be a bunker door sealing off the foxhole.
¡°Huh¡? You¡¯re telling me they¡¯re still alive¡?¡± Ukuar murmured, intrigued by the shooter¡¯s survival against such a brutal counteroffensive.
For a tense minute, the screen showed no movement, testing Ukuar¡¯s patience.
Opting for expediency, he fast-forwarded the recording.
Soon, the bunker door began to shift, laboriously unearthing itself from the mound of earth piled atop by the barrage, a testament to the resilience of its construction.
As the door settled back into place, Ukuar half-expected the railgun to reemerge.
Instead, the scene remained static; some gunfire from the Stellar Republic¡¯s side returning to pelter the shield.
Confused, he enhanced the zoom and shifted the camera¡¯s angle to peer behind the shield.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Inside the foxhole, he spotted two Marines¡ªa defensive heavy bracing the shield against the continued onslaught and a lightly-armoured sniper, not preparing another shot but instead furiously digging to expand their cramped hideout.
Ukuar leaned closer to the datapad, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to decipher the Marines'' actions.
¡°What the fuck are they doing¡?¡± he muttered under his breath, peering intently as if proximity might offer clarity into the Marine¡¯s mind.
Then, it clicked, and a burst of laughter escaped him involuntarily.
¡°Are they seriously adjusting the angle of the foxhole to fix the shield alignment, so they won''t get buried by the next wave of fire?¡± he chuckled to himself, shaking his head in amused disbelief.
Lieutenant Zarael, overhearing the remark, turned with a look of surprise mingled with respect. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you caught that, Major,¡± he admitted, his tone laced with admiration. ¡°It took me several replays to figure out what exactly that Marine was planning. Your experience really shows here, that¡¯s for sure.¡±
Ukuar¡¯s interest peaked, entertained by the Marine''s strategic foresight, ¡°Quite the planner, aren¡¯t they? Preparing for a long haul rather than just the next assault. Let¡¯s see where this leads.¡±
He watched intently as the footage resumed.
The Marine dug out the far side of the foxhole, angling the shield to better deflect incoming fire and reduce the risk of direct hits; just as Ukuar had expected.
Once the adjustments were made, the familiar silhouette of the railgun reappeared, its barrel cautiously extending.
Ukuar held his breath, his eyes wide with anticipation.
The pause before action stretched, filled with the growing intensity of enemy fire zeroing in on their location, aware now that their initial attempts had failed to neutralise the threat.
Suddenly, the railgun fired, unleashing a dazzling burst of light that streaked across the battlefield and struck another anti-armour cannon, annihilating it spectacularly. The armour, supposedly impenetrable, offered no resistance against the ferocity of the blast at all.
Before Ukuar could fully process this unlikely second success, yet another explosion erupted further along the Wall¡ªa third cannon obliterated in a similar fashion.
¡°WHAT?!¡± Ukuar exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and awe, which only caused Lieutenant Zarael to laugh even louder, delighted by the Major''s reaction to the unfolding events.
As Ukuar frantically rewound the footage, his eyes were locked on the sniper and heavy.
Just as he had expected but still struggled to fully accept, it was indeed their enormous railgun that had fired the second devastating shot.
Quickly, the sniper and the heavy ducked back into the foxhole, securing the solid T1 cover shield above them just as a fierce barrage from the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces descended upon their position.
Completely absorbed by the scene unfolding on the screen, Ukuar leaned in closer once again, his focus intense, almost as if by sheer will he could affect the outcome and ensure the survival of the brave UHF Marines caught in the maelstrom of enemy fire.
The retaliatory bombardment on their foxhole only grew fiercer, however, the screen filled with the relentless fury of the Stellar Republic¡¯s arsenal. Each passing second seemed to diminish the likelihood of the Marines¡¯ survival, the intensity of the gunfire threatening to overwhelm their defences.
¡°Do they make it?!¡± Ukuar blurted out, his voice tinged with urgency. Realizing he might not want the suspense spoiled, he quickly added in Lieutenant Zarael¡¯s direction, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fucking tell me!¡±
His gaze returned to the datapad, eyes tracing every movement within the beleaguered foxhole. He clung to a sliver of hope, silently urging a breakthrough or some miraculous twist that would snatch the Marines from the jaws of death.
Despite the sturdy construction of the cover shield and the strategic positioning the Marines had employed, the unyielding barrage was a formidable adversary. Ukuar knew all too well the limits of even the most robust military equipment against sustained heavy fire such as this.
As Ukuar''s hope for the Marines'' survival began to rapidly wane, the relentless barrage of gunfire unexpectedly started to diminish.
Zooming out on the datapad, he observed several offensive heavy squads diverting from their assigned tasks of neutralising the anti-armour cannons.
Instead, they were launching a counter-barrage at the sources of retaliatory fire targeting the isolated foxhole.
¡°Yes! Whoever ordered that, good fucking job! That¡¯s what I call quick adjustments!¡± Ukuar exclaimed under his breath, his praise mingling with the faint giggles of Lieutenant Zarael beside him, who seemed amused by his fervent reactions.
Not only were the offensive squads pivotal, but Ukuar also noticed a team of defensive heavies breaking from the main UHF lines. They manoeuvred towards the embattled foxhole, clearly intent on rescuing the imperilled Marines.
He watched intently, eyes dry from lack of blinking, as the rescue operation unfolded.
Relief washed over him as the two Marines were successfully extracted from what had seemed an inescapable death trap by the protective heavies.
Exhaling deeply, Ukuar turned to share his thoughts with Lieutenant Zarael, but the lieutenant¡¯s knowing smile halted him.
His attention snapped back to the screen just as the atmosphere grew ominously dark.
The skies above were suddenly blotted out by a dense barrage of artillery shells arcing from behind the Wall.
¡°No¡¡± he whispered, aghast.
The defensive heavies, encased in their robust armour, were likely to survive the shrapnel unless directly hit, but the sniper, still clutching the massive railgun, was in dire peril. His heart sank as he realised they stood little chance of reaching the safety of the trenches before the artillery shells found their mark.
His realisation rapidly morphed into pure, unadulterated terror as the first shells unexpectedly detonated a hundred metres above the squad of Marines, setting the entire world ablaze.
¡°Ignium Shells?! On the eastern front?!¡± Ukuar erupted, his voice slicing through the chatter in the observation room, too stunned to worry about his outburst. ¡°What in the Emperor¡¯s muscular golden asscheeks is this fucking bullshit?!¡±
Helpless, he could only bear witness as a blanket of all-consuming fire descended upon the squad. Their desperate struggle for survival only led to more tragedy, with defensive heavies succumbing one after another to Stellar Republic sniper fire, explosions, or the rare opening in their armour found by the IgT-Compound.
Amidst the chaos and death, the sniper miraculously remained unscathed, however.
Ukuar struggled to find words to describe the scene unfolding before him.
The coordination, sacrifice, and improvisational skills of the Marines far surpassed anything he had encountered or imagined possible on a T1 Battlefield.
As the relentless bombardment continued, and the world was engulfed in fiery destruction, Ukuar held his breath once more as the squad edged closer to the relative safety of the trenches.
Though he had anticipated their demise multiple times by now, his experience insisted there was virtually no chance of survival. Yet, against all odds, they had persevered time and time again.
He dared to hope.
Despite his instincts warning otherwise, he hoped fervently for the sniper and the heavies to survive, yearning for their safety with every fibre of his being. He almost wished the Sovereign would alter the footage to grant them a different fate than the one he knew was most likely, but he refrained.
The Marines'' ordeal was their truth, and altering it would betray their efforts.
Just as Ukuar had begun to believe in their improbable survival, as they were only mere moments away from the trenches, a massive fireball descended upon them.
The exploding chassis of a shot-down UHF ship crashed onto their position, obliterating the squad in its entirety.
Ukuar collapsed back into his chair, deflating like a balloon, the intensity of the moment leaving him as quickly as it had gripped him. His breath was short, his heart raced¡ªhe had been on the edge of his seat, literally standing as the scene unfolded.
"No... not like this," he breathed out, his voice barely above a whisper, weighted with disbelief and a sudden grief as if he had been there, witnessing the tragedy firsthand.
The air felt thick around him, heavy with an unspoken sorrow.
"I can''t believe they all died, just before they got there..." he muttered, his gaze lifting to meet Lieutenant Zarael''s. Once again, however, he saw that glint in Zarael''s eye¡ªthe look that hinted the story wasn¡¯t quite finished.
With a surge of urgency, hope rekindled in his heart, Ukuar rewound the recording to the moments before the catastrophic crash. His fingers moved with precision, fueled by a mix of hope and desperation, zooming in and navigating the camera angles feverishly.
Then, amidst the chaos of the scene, he caught it¡ªa moment of sheer, desperate bravery.
Just as the ship began its fatal descent, the defensive heavy, who had been at the snipers side since the very beginning, made a last-second decision. In a display of incredible strength, quick thinking and camaraderie, he flung the sniper towards the trenches¡ªa throw meant to save a life at the cost of his own.
"They lived?!" Ukuar exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and relief. "They... actually fucking lived through all of that?!"
"They did," Zarael confirmed, his voice steady and sure. "The sniper and one other defensive heavy from the reinforcements made it. The sniper lost their railgun, though."
"That was... incredible," Ukuar acknowledged quietly, his respect evident as he nodded towards Zarael, grateful for the lieutenant''s insistence on watching the sequence through to the end. "Fantastic recommendation, though now I really need to know what the fuck even happened here. And just what kind of monstrous gun was that, anyway?"
Curiosity now piqued beyond the ordinary, Ukuar picked up his datapad and began pulling up information on the Marines involved. As he read the first name on the list, he froze, his expression morphing into one of realisation and exasperation.
The only words that left him as he read the first name on the list were, ¡°Fuck me. Of course it just had to be her¡¡±
Arc 1 - Intermission 3 - A Major鈥檚 Perspective II
- PoV: Ukuar Rurix -
Thea McKay had always been somewhat of a mystery to him.
Ukuar recalled that one of his earliest emergency meetings as a freshly minted Major had centred on her, and more recently, Majors Daxton and Quinn had also faced severe reprimands from Captain Cross over their handling of her as a notably promising Recruit.
Although Ukuar himself had not yet interacted directly with Thea herself, he had diligently reviewed the detailed briefings provided about her, becoming well-versed enough to feel like an expert on her profile¡ªthough one might argue the feasibility of ever truly being an "expert" on any individual.
Since her arrival, Thea had been under close observation; her file was flagged with a Black-level lock by Major Daxton, practically forcing the Sovereign to consider her as a VIP from the very moment she had stepped foot on the ship.
As such, the fact that her name appeared at the top of the list for this particular recording both surprised him and didn¡¯t, at the same time.
¡°How many of these recordings involve Sovereign Alpha?¡± Ukuar inquired, glancing over at Lieutenant Zarael who seemed to be picking out the next video to watch. ¡°Is Sovereign Alpha ¡®that Sovereign Squad¡¯ your friends mentioned earlier? The one you seem quite taken with?¡±
Zarael paused, a sheepish look crossing his face as he nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s them. I became a fan on their first day on the planet. Watching them hold the line at the eastern front, and the heroics of Recruits Itoku and McKay at different places, yet simultaneously¡ªit reminded me of the highlight reels from my first own assessment. Our Alpha Squad back then had similar moments, and it just brought all those memories back. I¡¯ve been following them primarily since then, although I do have a few recordings that don¡¯t involve Sovereign Alpha at all, if you¡¯re interested¡¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± Ukuar interrupted, his curiosity piqued. ¡°I need to catch up with my Alpha Squad anyway, so I might as well do it while I¡¯m getting up to speed with the rest of the assessment. I¡¯ll want to take a look at some of the recordings from a broader perspective, however. I want to feel the atmosphere of the viewing room and such; I¡¯ve got a hunch that Sovereign Alpha might¡¯ve been a bit too flashy, if what you¡¯re saying is right¡¡±
With a determined and eager nod, Lieutenant Zarael pulled up the next recording on his data-pad.
Ukuar appreciated the Lieutenant''s assistance, as the prospect of sifting through the mountain of footage alone, or worse, enlisting the help of an AI, seemed too cumbersome at the moment. He was in the mood to unwind and absorb some entertainment, though naturally, his focus was on assessing his Drive''s performance.
This time, the recording depicted the spectating room, exactly as Ukuar had requested.
He was particularly keen on evaluating how Recruit Thea McKay was perceived, especially after Colonel Thalia had publicly announced her interest in her during the first day of the assessment.
Following this, Thea had garnered a notable following of "admirers" within the UHF¡ªLieutenants, Majors, and even other Colonels had taken an interest in her, influenced by Colonel Thalia¡¯s endorsement. Known for her discerning eye for top-tier Marines, Thalia¡¯s preferences were well respected across the upper echelons of the UHF in their sector, attributed to her exemplary record in deploying effective forces on Battlefields.
Despite his intentions to monitor the discussion forums and trading tickers for new Recruits, the Void Daemon crisis had kept him from staying updated over the last two weeks.
He planned to revisit these updates later, once he was ready to dive back into text and numbers instead of engaging assessment footage.
Especially as, with the recent complications involving Major Daxton and Quinn¡¯s handling of Thea, Ukuar was uncertain of Quinn¡¯s standing within the UHF hierarchy.
There was a tangible possibility that Major Quinn might be made to trade Thea away¡ªnot only to capitalise on the influx of Credits promised by Colonel Thalia but also as a punitive action for the mismanagement.
This potential move was something Ukuar knew would trouble Quinn greatly, making it imperative for him to gather insights quickly, now that he was relieved from his duties related to the Void Daemons.
Should he find anything significant, he planned to immediately inform Major Quinn¡ªit was a small return for the years of support she had provided him, helping him climb from Lieutenant to Captain, and eventually to his current rank.
Without Major Quinn¡¯s guidance, his career trajectory might have been markedly different, after all.
The first thing that struck Ukuar upon viewing the recording was the boisterous and jovial atmosphere inside the Lieutenants'' spectating room.
The Lieutenants were engaged in lively conversations, their laughter echoing in the background along with the clinks of glasses and the shuffling of betting chips as they wagered on various outcomes within the assessment.
This scene was starkly different from the more subdued and orderly gatherings he was accustomed to from the first day, with the Majors and Colonels, where betting also took place but was conducted in a much quieter manner.
The contrast was particularly jarring given the grim reality that Ukuar, his fellow Majors and the Marines on active ship-duty had been contending with¡ªbattling the existential Void Daemon threat.
Unaware of the crisis, the Lieutenants'' carefree demeanour underscored their ignorance of the dire situation unfolding elsewhere on the ship.
Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but think to himself with a sardonic grin, ¡®It¡¯s probably for the best. They''ll have their hands full soon enough when the Recruits start really testing their limits. Might as well let them enjoy this lighthearted respite; I have a feeling this particular Drive is going to cause more than one bout of early-onset grey hairs, before the year¡¯s over...¡¯
Turning his attention from the lively viewing room back to the assessment itself, he watched footage of Sovereign Alpha navigating through what appeared to be a deserted urban landscape.
¡°Nova Tertius¡¯ outskirts, I assume? Looks to me like they¡¯re out of sector S-Z64 towards the northern side and into the evacuated industrial sector of¡ Maybe S-I51?¡± he inquired, seeking confirmation from Lieutenant Zarael.
With a nod that conveyed both surprise and respect, Zarael replied, ¡°Yes, Major. Extremely astute observation¡ I assume you have a broader familiarity with this Battlefield as a whole, then? I wouldn¡¯t have been able to guess their location that precisely, even if I had a map in front of me as I tried.¡±
¡°You could say that¡¡± Ukuar chuckled, reflecting on his deeper connection to the location. ¡°I was part of the committee that chose it, and, as a matter of fact, it was a Battlefield I was a part of¡ªnot Nova Tertius, mind you; but Nova Secundus further towards the planet¡¯s equator. Let me just say that the whole planetary invasion was an absolute mess, thanks to the Stellar Republic¡¯s sudden jump in technology¡¡±
His voice trailed off, his smile fading as memories of the harsh and gruelling warfare on Nova Serene flooded back¡ªmemories he preferred to keep buried deep in his past.
Where Nova Tertius'' Sub-Battlefield had grappled with a deficit of intelligence from the onset of the landing, the situation at Nova Secundus'' Sub-Battlefield was catastrophically different.
The Stellar Republic had deployed much of their new technology around the main city¡ªtechnology whose origin remained a mystery even to the UHF¡¯s diligent intelligence efforts that aimed to craft comprehensive overviews and worst-case scenarios.
To say that they had missed the mark was a stark understatement.
Nova Serene¡¯s planetary invasion escalated into one of the most harrowing chapters in UHF history, largely due to the catastrophes at Nova Secundus¡¯ Sub-Battlefield, which claimed an exorbitant toll on UHF lives.
At that time, Ukuar served as a Legate, charged with leading the assault on one segment of the frontlines¡ªa daunting responsibility that eventually led to his rapid promotions, first to Lieutenant and then Captain.
¡®Many others deserved recognition more than I did,¡¯ he mused with a tinge of sorrow. The campaign on Nova Serene had inflicted deep personal losses on Ukuar; wounds that had not fully healed and perhaps never would.
¡®Thankfully, Nova Tertius was spared the chaos of Black-level respawn sites. Introducing such horrors in the first assessment for new Recruits, regardless of their potential and massive PV values, would have been absolutely unthinkable¡¡¯
Shaking his head subtly to dispel the distracting thoughts, Ukuar refocused on the datapad, observing Sovereign Alpha''s manoeuvre through the outskirts of Nova Tertius¡¯ urban zones.
The footage was heavily accelerated, yet several aspects caught his eye, prompting him to make notes on his own datapad.
¡°It seems the squad has already grasped the art of task delegation; quite impressive,¡± he murmured, realising he had been too silent, leaving Lieutenant Zarael out of the loop.
He felt it necessary to vocalise some observations, possibly as learning points for the Lieutenant. ¡°Having Recruit McKay take point is undoubtedly a strategic move by the squad leader, given her undercity upbringing. Urban settings like this are notoriously complex to manoeuvre; a key reason this assessment was deemed as Platinum-rank difficulty for newcomers. But McKay¡¯s Scout-type Attribute-spread and her familiarity with such environments are evidently giving them a considerable edge.¡±
Lieutenant Zarael nodded, hinting at future developments, ¡°Recruit McKay¡¯s knowledge of this terrain certainly comes into play more than once in this footage.¡±
A mixture of anticipation and apprehension started making itself known within Ukuar, as the thought of Recruit McKay garnering even more attention from the rest of the command staff was not something he was particularly looking forward to; despite it already happening almost two weeks ago and him having no way to influence this outcome.
The video continued in this vein, with Thea deftly guiding Sovereign Alpha through the city¡¯s fringes, meticulously checking corners, streets, and building fa?ades at every turn.
She often led the team away from buildings that appeared safe at first glance. After observing this several times, Ukuar took a closer look at the structures, only to realise that Thea had accurately identified which buildings were rigged with alarms and which were safe, all without stepping foot inside.
Approaching the open door had been enough for her to make a decision.
While she occasionally steered clear of buildings that were actually safe, her judgments were correct in more than ninety percent of the cases.
"Recruit McKay doesn''t have any abilities related to trap detection, as far as I''m aware," Ukuar murmured, jotting down more notes on his data-pad about the overall squad performance. "Her instincts, likely honed by growing up in the perilous environment of a midworld''s undercity, seem to have ingrained a deep sense of caution in her. I see your point now, Lieutenant."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Zarael looked somewhat surprised by Ukuar''s observation and responded, "Oh? Ah! Yes, that''s a great point, Major! Not exactly what I was hinting at, but definitely worth nothing."
Raising an eyebrow, Ukuar inquired, "There¡¯s more to this recording, then?¡±
Zarael nodded eagerly, speeding up the footage.
Images of Sovereign Alpha moving through Nova Tertius¡¯ outskirts flashed by until they reached the industrial zone of S-I51, where he slowed the playback.
¡°This is where it really gets interesting,¡± Zarael said with a grin that betrayed his excitement.
Ukuar, amused by Zarael''s transparent enthusiasm, speculated silently, ''He''s quite easy to read. Whatever is coming must be significant¡ªperhaps a skirmish or something even more unexpected?''
But as the recording played on and Ukuar checked additional assessment data, he realised a skirmish was highly unlikely¡ªno Stellar Republic patrols were reported nearby, unless the footage was about to skip forward dramatically.
Confounded by Zarael¡¯s eagerness, Ukuar struggled to guess why this particular segment was so crucial but decided to simply watch and see what unfolded, paying close attention to Sovereign Alpha¡¯s actions.
After a few minutes of slightly accelerated footage, the squad halted unexpectedly; Desmond and Thea appeared to be engaged in a silent discussion, their words lost to Ukuar as he opted not to intrude by activating the audio portion of the recording for now.
Shortly thereafter, the squad entered a nondescript industrial office building and settled down for a brief respite. All except Desmond, who launched a second drone into the air.
''What have they found¡?'' Ukuar pondered, intrigued.
The sectors S-I45 to S-I55 were utterly unremarkable in the context of Nova Tertius¡¯ original Battlefield, indicating that Sovereign Alpha''s decision to deploy additional surveillance suggested an unforeseen change in the Battlefield dynamics, possibly a diverted patrol or a similar anomaly due to earlier actions by the UHF.
As he fast-forwarded through the drone''s reconnaissance and the squad¡¯s rest period, he noticed Desmond removing his helmet, revealing a broad smile.
¡°It seems he¡¯s found what he was looking for,¡± Ukuar noted to himself, eager to discover what had caught the drone operator¡¯s attention. A skirmish or unexpected encounter would certainly add a thrilling element to the footage.
Glancing at the viewing room during this moment, Ukuar wasn¡¯t surprised to see it alive with speculation. Numerous bets were being placed on whether the squad would engage based on their findings, adding a layer of excitement to the onlookers'' experience.
Her calling in Lucas sparked a thought in Ukuar; a dangerous thought.
He was very much aware of each Recruit¡¯s interests and specialties and Lucas¡¯ was almost singular in nature: Vehicles and Defence.
¡®No¡ It couldn''t be, could it¡?¡¯ Ukuar quietly pondered the unfolding situation as he rapidly retrieved his data-pad to pull up comprehensive details about the surrounding Battlefield area and the decision-making protocols of the Stellar Republic¡¯s command units for this sector.
These were information and background channels from the assessment that Lieutenants did not have access to; things specifically for Majors and higher-ranked officers to check up on, to make more informed decisions and guide things properly; so Ukuar figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to let Zarael get a glimpse of it¡ªafter all, if everything went well, Zarael would be a Major in the future as well and would be needing to know how to use this level of access too.
In no time, the governing AIs delivered a vast array of data.
It was overwhelming in its breadth, prompting Ukuar to refine his inquiry, seeking a concise summary of recent high-priority commands issued by the Stellar Republic in this specific sector.
Just a few moments later he found what he was looking for.
¡°No way¡ What are the fucking odds?!¡± Ukuar groaned in exasperation, which only seemed to further Zarael¡¯s excitement.
¡°They moved the backup control station all the way from the western front to sector S-I48 and Sovereign Alpha just so happened to run across it? What the fuck?¡±
Zarael¡¯s initial thrill morphed into puzzlement at Ukuar¡¯s reaction. ¡°What do you mean ¡®from the western front¡¯, Major?¡± he asked, trying to piece together the implications of what they were witnessing.
Desperately wanting someone else to share in his dumbfounded, impossible find, Ukuar gladly guided Zarael through the information on his data-pad.
¡°You can see the last few days of decisions made by the Stellar Republic command units here,¡± he pointed at a long list of mid-high level orders scrolling across the right side of the screen.
Picking one out, he blew it up for Zarael to take a closer look. ¡°This one, for example, is in response to the rapid destruction of anti-armour cannons at the eastern front. While the command units expected to lose them over time; the rapid pace at which they were destroyed as a result of Staff-Sergeant Venn¡¯s risky play with the offensive heavy squads, as well as Recruit McKay¡¯s extremely unlikely combination of equipment and Abilities; caused the command units to deviate from the original Battlefield quite significantly.¡±
Ukuar expanded the causal tree, tracing the subsequent decisions that stemmed from this action. ¡°This accelerated loss caused the Stellar Republic to initiate an IgT bombardment earlier than anticipated¡ªthis was a deviation from the original battle plans. In the original scenario, such a bombardment was reserved for later stages to counter a major offensive from our forces on the western and central fronts, instead.¡±
He pointed to another link in the causality chain, continuing, ¡°Following the bombardment, the western front was then assessed as the most vulnerable to breaches, given that the eastern front had already been softened up by the heavy artillery.¡±
Jumping over the next few steps, he finally arrived at the causality chain marked in red; the colour indicating that this was the result of his original search. ¡°Finally, and I can¡¯t believe this is actually what fucking happened, the command unit decided to move the backup control station outpost from behind the western front to behind the eastern one, into sector S-I48¡ Right into the path that Sovereign Alpha just so happened to be taking; ending up with them finding the tracks of the recently passed transport vehicle and kicking off the search via the drone operator in their squad.¡±
As Ukuar massaged his temples, a growing headache signalled his frustration with the almost ludicrous sequence of events he had just finished explaining. Beside him, Lieutenant Zarael appeared equally stunned, which brought Ukuar a strange sense of relief.
¡®At least there¡¯s someone else here that feels this is utterly fucking absurd¡¡¯ he thought grimly.
¡°That¡¯s¡ That¡¯s insane,¡± Zarael finally murmured, and Ukuar responded with a weary nod.
¡°Let me guess what happens next: Sovereign Alpha blows up the outpost and walks away without a scratch,¡± Ukuar said, his voice heavy with exasperation. He was thoroughly fatigued by the constant stream of improbable successes that seemed to shadow the squad.
He couldn¡¯t help but recall the first emergency meeting where Recruit McKay was mentioned, especially the references to her adoptive father. ¡°The Harbinger''s daughter, huh? Truly cut from the same cloth, isn¡¯t she¡?¡± he whispered to himself, disbelief evident in his tone.
¡°Actually¡ not quite,¡± Zarael interjected hesitantly, prompting Ukuar to give him his full attention. ¡°They debated whether engaging the target was worth the risk of potentially not escaping; they decided to split off instead. Let me fast-forward to that part.¡±
The footage sped up, showing the squad deep in discussion. It ended with Thea handing her Caliburn to the squad leader, Corvus, and instructing him on its use.
¡°Admirable,¡± Ukuar remarked, jotting down a note on Corvus¡¯ profile. ¡°A squad leader who recognizes when to defer to the expertise of others is rare.¡±
Zarael nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s my favourite in the squad! He¡¯s level-headed, articulate, emotionally aware, and clearly understands what it takes to lead! You can tell he¡¯s been groomed for leadership from a young age. You don¡¯t just stumble into being this type of leader this early on otherwise.¡±
Ukuar was impressed by Zarael¡¯s insight, especially since Corvus wasn¡¯t the most flashy member of the squad. Recognizing the value of a leader''s strategic acumen over more overt actions spoke highly of Zarael¡¯s own leadership potential.
Jumping to the next morning in the recording; the two of them watched as the Caliburn¡¯s projectile pierced the transport without trouble, Ukuar noting that the moment chosen to take the shot was precisely what he would have recommended as well due to the inherent flaws of the transport itself¡ªmaking a written note on Lucas¡¯ assessment profile for his insights¡ªbefore the whole outpost exploded in spectacular fashion.
What followed was a harrowing chase scene, whose outcome was apparent the moment it began.
Corvus was not going to survive this level of rundown power¡ªnobody would have been able to. Even Ukuar himself wasn¡¯t sure if he could have escaped the sheer amount of manpower and surveillance that poured out from the Stellar Republic¡¯s side as a result of the destruction of the outpost.
Double-checking the causality tree, he saw dozens upon dozens of orders firing as a result of the outposts destruction, that called in more and more Stellar Republic troops to the eastern side of the Battlefield; to the point that Sovereign Alpha¡¯s existence was even marked as ¡°potential Elite Squad/Unknown Ace,¡± which made Ukuar bury his head in his hands.
¡®This is going to cause sooo much headache for Quinn¡ Fuuuck,¡¯ he thought to himself, already trying to draft messages to send to his de-facto mentor of sorts, in which he¡¯d have to try and coherently explain how in the high-councillors all of Sovereign Alpha had managed to land on everyone¡¯s radar.
His attention was only reclaimed by the recording as a sudden warning flashed on the screen, explaining that the next few moments were heavily edited by the AIs to prevent injury to the viewers.
He watched with rapt attention as Corvus had a downright heroic last-stand in an industrial office, much like the one the squad had rested in the day before, but ultimately, Corvus ran out of ammo and took too many hits to stay standing.
Pulling the trigger of the Caliburn over and over in his last moments, Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but be thoroughly enraptured by the Marine¡¯s last moments.
As a sudden crack occurred and the recording turned silent, with a pervasive, aggressive silence, Ukuar suddenly remembered one of the most important parts of the Caliburn: Its Solarium core.
¡°Ah¡ That¡¯s why it was edited; makes sense,¡± he muttered as the screen erupted in a blinding flash of light. Despite the AIs editing the effect down, the light was still enough to burn and cause his eyes to water through the screen as everything around Corvus was simply deleted from existence.
He jotted down another few comments on Corvus¡¯ assessment profile, before rewinding the recording and watching the whole sequence again; this time with the viewing room¡¯s PoV front and centre.
Much as he anticipated, the Lieutenants were utterly captivated, the usual boisterous atmosphere of the room giving way to a tense, heavy silence that spoke volumes of Corvus'' dire situation.
The charged silence was so profound, one could hear a pin drop among the crowd of onlookers.
As the recording neared its tragic conclusion, however, the intensity among the Lieutenants surged; they vocally urged Corvus on, encouraging him to persevere, to keep running and never surrender. Some voiced resignation, calling out for him to accept his fate, arguing that the overwhelming numbers of Stellar Republic forces made further resistance futile; that he should simply take the respawn and get back into the fight with a squad.
When Corvus barricaded himself in the industrial office for his last stand, the room''s atmosphere shifted dramatically.
A solemn realisation washed over everyone as they understood that entering the building was Corvus'' tacit acceptance of his likely end.
The room fell quiet, the earlier cheers transforming into a grim tally of each enemy soldier Corvus took down, every grenade he dodged, and every shot he fired.
The room was charged with a palpable energy, a mix of admiration and dread that Ukuar found himself envying. It was the type of fervour only a first-time viewing of an assessment could elicit, featuring new and unlikely heroes whose tales were as yet untold.
He regretted missing much of it due to the Void Daemon invasion; but there was nothing to be done about it. For him, second-hand enjoyment was the best he could get.
With every hit Corvus sustained, the room responded with collective gasps and cries, each Lieutenant clinging to the hope that somehow, against all possible logical and all conceivable odds, he would survive.
When Corvus finally collapsed, exhausted and overwhelmed, some Lieutenants began chanting his name, as if their calls could revive the fallen squad leader.
Then, the crack occurred; as the Caliburn began its death throes; and the viewing room turned deadly silent. The aggressive, silent cries of the Caliburn were transmitted one-to-one through the recording into the room, overpowering the chants, the cheers, the cries; everything.
A lot of the Lieutenants simply froze; never having experienced or even heard about a Solarium-core breach before, their faces going from excitement, enjoyment or elation to abrupt confusion and terror at suddenly being aggressively silenced like this.
The screen abruptly whitened, pausing in a blinding glare that seemed to stretch endlessly, before finally clearing to reveal a vast crater¡ªthe final resting place of Corvus and the surrounding Stellar Republic forces, all obliterated by the cataclysmic Solarium explosion.
The shock of the event rendered the viewing room deathly silent, the earlier fervour replaced by a heavy stillness as the Lieutenants absorbed the gravity of what they had just witnessed.
Gradually, the room began to stir.
A few Lieutenants started to recover from the initial shock; some broke into spontaneous applause, others cheered, while a few began to vocally seek out those who owed them betting payouts.
It was at this moment, amid the mixed reactions of mourning and celebration, that Ukuar paused the recording.
He turned to Lieutenant Zarael with a serious expression, "Thank you, Lieutenant. This was indeed an impressive recording. And very significant. I¡¯m increasingly concerned about how much this assessment has diverged from the original Battlefield... How much more will it spiral out of control¡?¡±
Zarael, taking the words as encouragement to procure the next recording, transferred it to the Major¡¯s data-pad, ready to show off the next piece of his collection.
Enjoying his time, but simultaneously somewhat exasperated at the experience, Ukuar started it without hesitation¡
Arc 1 - Intermission 4 - A Major鈥檚 Perspective III
- PoV: Ukuar Rurix -
The recording began by showing the inside of the viewing room again, where the Lieutenants had resumed their jovial, boisterous, and loud conversations and betting antics.
Meanwhile, Sovereign Alpha was making their way through what appeared to be an intricate underground tunnel system.
¡°The service tunnels underneath the inner wall¡?¡± Ukuar muttered, which Lieutenant Zarael confirmed with a simple nod.
¡°With some surprisingly bold moves, they managed to get inside, but it wasn¡¯t particularly interesting or noteworthy in my eyes. I¡¯ll transfer the recording of their infiltration to your data-pad anyway, just in case you want to check it out later, Major,¡± Zarael added, filling in the gaps for him.
Ukuar, having no real idea of what had happened over the last two weeks, had no choice but to trust Zarael¡¯s judgement for now¡ªwhich he couldn¡¯t exactly find any fault with; the previous recordings had been both exciting and important, exactly what he had been looking for.
Additionally, he couldn¡¯t exactly go through every single recording himself, and he wasn¡¯t about to ask one of the AIs, busy governing the whole assessment as well as the Void Daemon hunts on their respective ships, to compile a list for him¡ªnot yet, at least.
¡°I¡¯m assuming they¡¯re trying to get deep inside the city then; to move up to the control stations operating the Wall¡¯s automated defences?¡± Ukuar asked again, and Zarael confirmed with another quick nod.
There wasn¡¯t much more intel necessary for Ukuar to understand what was going on. This scenario was unfolding almost exactly as the original battle had, something Ukuar was inadvertently thankful for, for once.
Service tunnels were historically and perpetually a weak spot in any defensive setup; it was simply the nature of large-scale battles that had become commonplace over the last several hundred and thousand years in human history.
Ukuar was, literarily, aware of a time when humanity did not field so many soldiers, armoured vehicles, and artillery at once. Battles supposedly used to be fought with a few thousand at a time, maybe a rare ten thousand or so on a single battlefield.
But those days were long past.
Under the Allbright System, Battlefields were gargantuan in scope and scale.
It wasn¡¯t about claiming a single city; a single territory or even a single country, but rather entire planets, asteroids or sometimes even entire solar systems at a time.
It was as much about quantity as it was about quality, with Battlefields easily reaching upwards of a million-plus combatants¡ªand those were still considered tame in the grand scheme of things.
As such, service tunnels were seen as a necessary evil.
While they represented a clear weakness for infiltrators to exploit, the reality was simple: A few infiltration squads could not cause nearly enough damage to justify not having service tunnels available. These tunnels also doubled as resupply routes and ambush or guerilla pathways for the defending faction if the main armies fought around them¡ªessentially turning their weakness into a strength.
That didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d be left completely undefended, of course, which is what Ukuar was expecting to see in this recording: Sovereign Alpha¡¯s fight against the service tunnel defenders, likely including auto-turrets as well.
¡®Auto-turrets are always a big hurdle for new Recruits to overcome, so this will be interesting,¡¯ Ukuar thought, excitement spreading throughout his body.
He couldn¡¯t deny that he was a bit obsessed with watching new Recruits and Privates tackle challenges that he remembered as difficult or problematic back in his early days.
There was something downright therapeutic about it for him.
Whether seeing them fail, just as he did; succeed, just as he did; or even come up with entirely novel ways to tackle issues that more seasoned Marines would never consider¡ªafter all, they already had established methods for handling these challenges.
This was one of the main reasons the early assessments, exclusively available to Recruits and Privates, were so popular among the more seasoned veterans.
Fresh blood in the war machine was a surefire way to find innovative thoughts, tactics, and strategies that could be polished and distributed throughout the entire faction, if appropriate.
The recording unfolded about as he had expected, with Sovereign Alpha making their way through the tunnels, clearing out the defended junctions with relative ease¡ªnothing too surprising, considering their Alpha status.
Sovereign Alpha was up against T1 Soldiers, but their high base Attributes and guaranteed Silver-plus ranked starting Abilities were more than enough to outmatch the average Stellar Republic Soldier, even if the level difference between them was quite startling at times.
This equation didn¡¯t even include the element of surprise or the difficulty of defending a narrow junction, making Sovereign Alpha¡¯s trek through the service tunnels an expectedly smooth ride, as long as they didn¡¯t hit a snag with any particularly well-defended junctions.
¡°I¡¯m guessing this recording kicks up a notch once the Stellar Republic¡¯s response to the infiltration gets deployed?¡± Ukuar double-checked with Lieutenant Zarael, who once again simply nodded, clearly not wanting to give anything away that he didn¡¯t have to.
Satisfied enough with that simple guarantee, Ukuar kept watching attentively.
A few junctions were cleared without much trouble, with Sovereign Alpha employing very standard clearing tactics.
They used grenades to take out the problematic auto-turrets, which weren''t programmed to shoot down enemy ordnance inside the tunnels¡ªa hard-learned lesson over many years, no doubt. While losing auto-turrets to grenades was always somewhat problematic, it was better than giving the enemy a sure-fire early detonation and shrapnel-bombardment opportunity on the fleshy defenders of the junctions.
Ukuar kept a close eye on the scrolling list of orders from the command units on the side, using his elevated privileges to have them active at all times.
It was immediately apparent that Sovereign Alpha¡¯s continued delve did not go unnoticed.
Orders cascaded down from the command units: Auto-turrets were moved, junctions reinforced, more soldiers sent into the tunnels. A good few dozen tunnel exits were reinforced, while others were sealed shut entirely to potentially block the infiltrators from reaching critical positions behind the Stellar Republic¡¯s defensive lines.
But all of that didn¡¯t seem to slow Sovereign Alpha down at all.
They continued their way through almost entirely unopposed, until they reached one of the last junctions before their projected exit point.
As they engaged the junction, using their previously foolproof strategy, they were met with an unexpected response: Their grenades simply disappeared before they could take out the auto-turrets.
Recognizing the danger half a second ahead of time, undoubtedly thanks to her being a Wielder, Thea managed to push Lucas out of the line of fire, but not without some serious damage being done to SA¡¯s defensive heavy.
¡°Interesting¡¡± Ukuar murmured, making a few notes about what had just occurred.
Primarily, he was interested in how Recruit Thea McKay¡¯s Psychic Powers functioned specifically.
Like every other Major, he had long passed his Psychic 101, 102s, and whatever else was considered must-attend by the UHF brass, so he was very much aware of what a Short-Term Precog Path meant; but he had very rarely come across them in the field personally.
With the Recruit¡¯s Inheritance being that of Veritas as well, it was an entirely new experience for him to see.
Most Short-Term Precogs had to play a strange game of chance with different possible futures, having to choose the right one for their intents and hope they didn¡¯t get unlucky with the outcomes.
But the Veritas inheritance that Recruit McKay supposedly possessed made that a completely different beast altogether.
Her Short-Term Precognition powers were always accurate, showing exactly what was going to happen before it did. There was no ambiguity with her powers whatsoever, which made the whole scenario seem strange to Ukuar.
¡®Why didn¡¯t she see this as an issue before rounding the corner? Is she only able to see about half a second ahead¡?¡¯ He wondered, trying to figure out why she hadn¡¯t called off the attack before it even happened; most Short-Term Precogs would have been able to.
Rewinding the footage, much to Lieutenant Zarael¡¯s surprise, Ukuar took a closer look once again. This time, he paid extra close attention to her exact positioning and what the girl was doing, leading up to the faux pas.
It didn¡¯t take much for him to recognize the issue; it was almost immediate, as he watched her coordinate the attack, then seamlessly go into the line of fire alongside the defensive heavy.
But what she did was not the important part to Ukuar at all, it was more about what she didn¡¯t do, which was the important part.
¡®Ah¡ She¡¯s not actively using it,¡¯ he concluded quickly. ¡®Definitely an issue with the lacking Psychic training. No trained Short-Term Precog would have made this mistake. Actively looking ahead is a must in situations like these¡ But it¡¯s understandable that she didn¡¯t; she hasn¡¯t had any training, after all.¡¯
Letting the recording continue, Ukuar was surprised to see the squad medic whip up a surprisingly robust-looking amalgamation of a prosthetic for the defensive heavy. It was an unholy combination of her own blood, metal braces and what seemed to be one of her System Abilities.
¡°Wow¡ That¡¯s¡ Something alright. I¡¯m not sure what it is, but it¡¯s definitely something,¡± Ukuar commented, unsure of what to even say.
Lieutenant Zarael couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter at that and chimed in, ¡°I know, right? That Squad Medic is an absolute riot, no matter how you look at it. But one thing you can¡¯t say is that she isn¡¯t Emperor-damned efficient. That brace is better than almost any rudimentary solution I have ever seen whipped up in the field; at least that quickly, that is.¡±
Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.
Recruit Karania Faulkner¡¯s solution to the problem hadn¡¯t just been surprisingly robust but also exceedingly quick. It was almost like she had already had the answer prepared before the issue had even arisen.
Double-checking her profile, Ukuar made sure they weren¡¯t dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime double-precog squad. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
According to the Sovereign¡¯s preliminary analysis, however, the Squad Medic was neither a Wielder nor showed any interest in the Psychic aspects as of yet.
¡®I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on her going forward¡ She¡¯s very quick and stupidly resourceful. Exactly what we need our Squad Medics to be,¡¯ he thought, bookmarking Karania Faulkner¡¯s profile and leaving a couple of written notes commending her work.
The next part of the recording went by in a flash, but Ukuar noted a few important aspects.
Firstly, Thea had abruptly changed her demeanour after the previous incident.
Where before, she had been somewhat forceful in her approach to leading the rest of the squad, looking like she wanted to do everything herself, she had done a complete 180.
Now, she was trusting everything to her squad, at times even a bit too much, in Ukuar¡¯s eyes.
It was as if a switch had flipped in her head after the sudden failure of her previous plans.
This change was especially apparent when she led them in double-time toward a completely different junction.
Previously, they had been slow, methodical, and overly cautious for Ukuar¡¯s tastes.
Now, however, she was leading the squad with downright reckless abandon, sprinting through the tunnels without even stopping at corners to check for potential enemies that might have snuck up behind them or were waiting in ambush; a stark departure from her earlier style of leading.
He leaned in closer as the squad approached a heavily fortified junction featuring two auto-turrets set up in a cross-pattern.
This was going to be the real test of their skills and likely the real reason Lieutenant Zarael had chosen this recording¡ªsomething significant or spectacular was going to happen here.
As they got into position, Ukuar tried to follow Thea¡¯s potential thought process.
¡®She¡¯s going to use the shield from the heavy to hide behind, then take a quick shot at the auto-turret... As a Precog, she can probably do it; risky, but doable,¡¯ he mused quietly. ¡®The real problem will be the other auto-turret on the right, as well as the Soldiers. Without grenades, how will they handle this¡?¡¯
The moment they stepped into the open, however, with Lucas bracing against his solid-cover shield to withstand the barrage of auto-turret shots, Ukuar was utterly confused.
Instead of taking the shot, Thea was simply lying on the floor, seemingly not moving at all, for a few seconds.
¡°What¡?¡± he muttered to himself, wondering what was going on.
The most logical play would be to take out the auto-turret as fast as possible, yet here she was, simply lying on the floor. The tunnel echoed with the sounds of gunfire and the whir of the auto-turret, its targeting systems clicking as it adjusted for the hundreds of shots it took each second.
Then, she finally moved again, but instead of shooting, she gestured towards the rest of the squad still in cover, pointing towards the right.
Ukuar¡¯s eyes widened at that.
¡°What?!¡± He exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes searching for Lieutenant Zarael¡¯s, as if to double-check if what he thought she had just done was correct. Zarael¡¯s smile told him that he was right, but also that there was even more to come.
¡®She used her active Precognition in that scenario¡? That¡¯s¡ Scary. She was able to learn this without any sort of training...?,¡¯ he thought as his eyes were once again glued to the screen in front of him.
The next few moments unfolded at such a rapid pace that Ukuar decided to slow the recording down to pay close attention to each member.
He watched as Lucas and Thea¡¯s perfectly coordinated attack took out the first auto-turret.
Thea''s precision was uncanny, her shot hitting its mark with eerie accuracy¡ªbenefits of a Veritas Precog, undoubtedly.
Simultaneously, two drones and the offensive heavy of the squad rushed past them.
The first drone was shot down the instant it turned the corner, but the second managed to get a shot off that pierced through the auto-turret¡¯s barrel, not quite destroying, but disabling it.
The offensive heavy, Isabella, equipped with a two-handed chainsword, then rushed into melee combat, swiftly taking care of the entire right side.
The rest of the squad moved up through the tunnel behind her, aiming to take out the left side in the meantime.
It was a severely risky play¡ªone Ukuar hadn¡¯t expected the interim squad leader to take, but given their current situation, it was definitely one he couldn¡¯t fault.
As the brief skirmish continued and started to threaten to take a turn for the worse for Sovereign Alpha, however, Thea stepped out of cover from behind the solid-cover shield entirely.
Ukuar, trying to keep an eye on everyone equally, was startled by this unexpected change.
His eyes widened, confusion etched onto his face.
The next moments, playing out in slow motion thanks to the recording, were downright surreal.
He and Zarael watched as Thea seemed to dance through the tight junction, as if conducting the entire battle herself. Shots barely grazed her armour, deflected perfectly by the angled plates or missing by mere hairbreadths as she moved at the last instant to avoid them.
All the while, she fired her laser rifle at a frightening rate, each shot hitting its mark perfectly; sometimes even on targets she wasn¡¯t even looking at.
Watching this unfold sent a chill down Ukuar¡¯s spine.
These were not the actions of a mere Recruit, Short-Term Precog or not.
The human mind and body could not possibly keep up with the amount of data being input in a situation like that, where a dozen adversaries were trying to shoot at you simultaneously, much less allow enough time to process and react to that data.
It was utterly impossible, yet he watched it being done¡ªby a Recruit.
His mouth was agape, words failing him as he stared at the screen, watching the last few moments of the recording before it went black.
¡°I¡ What¡?¡± he stuttered, looking to Lieutenant Zarael for an explanation he knew the Lieutenant wouldn¡¯t be able to give him.
What met him was an amused smile, coupled with a helpless shrug. ¡°I have no idea, Major. Honestly hoped you could give me some insights, considering she¡¯s from your ship ¡®n¡¯ all?¡±
Rewinding the recording again and again, Ukuar watched the moment Thea stepped out from behind cover more than a dozen times back-to-back.
He took notes, trying his best to catch each interaction between her and the Stellar Republic soldiers in the junction. He then thoroughly checked her profile once more, his eyes landing on her signature Ability.
Only then did things start to make a modicum of sense.
¡°I see,¡± he sighed heavily. ¡°She¡¯s using both her Psychic Powers and her System Abilities here to pull this off. It¡¯s still... completely ridiculous, but I can see how it could be possible, at least.¡±
Turning towards the expectantly waiting Zarael, he explained, ¡°Her Ability, [Sensory Overdrive], skyrockets not just her Perception but also the processing speed of her brain using information. She seems to be using that in combination with her Psychic Precognition Powers to preempt, dodge, and attack the enemies in the junction around her.¡±
He explained it matter-of-factly, but deep down, Ukuar felt deeply unnerved by the revelation.
This wasn¡¯t something a Recruit should be able to pull off in their first assessment, or even as a Private.
The sheer amount of Psychic Resource needed to maintain an active-use Short-Term Precognition against that many targets in a situation like that was immense, not to mention the burden of also running the Allbright System¡¯s Active Ability at the same time.
It was beyond reckless, but somehow it seemed completely in line with what he had come to expect from the girl.
With apprehension, he swapped the viewpoint of the recording to show the viewing room and replayed the scene once more, bracing himself for the inevitable.
As the last Stellar Republic soldier in the junction fell, the viewing room was coated in silence; none of the Lieutenants knew what to say.
The first outcries of ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± and ¡°Huh?!¡± were followed by a wide variety of discussions on how the recruit had managed to pull that off, whether she even was a recruit in the first place, and a flurry of bets on the squad¡¯s chances to get through the rest of the assessment alive¡ªor at least Thea herself.
Ukuar breathed a quiet sigh of relief that nobody had shown any more interest in Thea just yet.
Memories of Colonel Thalia¡¯s open trade request still lingered in the back of his mind. The worst-case scenario for Major Quinn right now would be if others started taking an even more active interest in the Recruit¡ªa bidding war was the last thing they needed.
Before moving on to the next recording, Ukuar double-checked the state of the battlefield as a whole, wanting to see just how far the current assessment had diverged from the original. As his eyes fell on a few specific lines of orders from the Command Unit, his blood froze.
His eyes met Lieutenant Zarael¡¯s, who had attentively waited for the go-ahead to pull up the next recording. Ukuar simply said, ¡°Please tell me they didn¡¯t fight the Psyker Duo¡¡±
¡°Is that an order, Sir?¡± Zarael replied with a playful grin.
Ukuar couldn¡¯t hold back a groan. The sheer improbability of it all was beyond grating by now.
Not only had Sovereign Alpha¡¯s own actions significantly impacted the overall Battlefield enough to change the defensive setup of the Stellar Republic near the control stations, but the actions of the other infiltrating Alpha Squads, as well as Arrow Squad and the auxiliary infiltration squads, had far surpassed what the original Battlefield¡¯s squads had managed.
They had so thoroughly destabilised the Stellar Republic¡¯s defences behind the eastern front that even the third Ace, who had been kept back in both the original instance of the Battlefield as well as the assessment, had been ordered to hover around the control stations before the first infiltration squads had even begun engaging in their sabotage.
In the original Battlefield, the Ace hadn¡¯t appeared until the third station had already been taken out. He had been positioned closer to the Wall and had to travel all the way through the outskirts and a good portion of Nova Tertius proper to get to the control stations in question.
But now, he was already positioned in a central building between all five control stations, ready to respond to any active attacks as quickly as possible.
¡®This is an absolute nightmare scenario, what the fuck¡?¡¯ Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but think, gesturing for Lieutenant Zarael to start the next recording.
He wasn¡¯t going to order the Lieutenant to lie to him about something he had already deduced was going to happen anyway. Sovereign Alpha was going to run head-first into a duo of bona-fide, trained Psykers and clash head-to-head with them.
The question was simply: How would they fare?
Considering that new Recruits didn¡¯t have any Psyker training or anti-Psyker training at all, as it was not assumed that there would even be Psykers fielded against them in the initial assessment to begin with¡ªthe Platinum-level difficulty being the only reason this was the case now¡ª the outcome should be obvious; Sovereign Alpha was going to get completely wiped out.
But if the recent recordings had taught Ukuar anything, it was that their Alpha Squad for this Drive was beyond normal.
It wasn¡¯t just General Harbinger¡¯s daughter, either; although she easily topped the ¡°strangeness¡± chart with flying colours.
The rest of the squad was similarly top-shelf.
Karania was a strong runner-up for high-potential Ace candidate, and Corvus was a solid strategic-level Ace candidate as well. Even Lucas and Isabella, the heavies of the squad, had shown qualities that went far beyond what was expected of such fresh Recruits.
The only outlier so far was their drone operator, Desmond, but that wasn¡¯t exactly a knock either. Being a drone operator meant he had more scaling potential than anyone else in the squad, barring their fledgeling Psyker, Thea.
There were very few drone operators around because it took so long to properly get all the required blueprints, materials, Abilities, and Skills to make their chosen style of combat shine.
However, despite these lacking features, Desmond hadn¡¯t so far pulled down the rest of this all-star-seeming squad. That, in itself, was a downright all-star performance given the restrictions.
Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but wear a big grin as he thought about these things.
It was always exhilarating for him to see a new generation of Marines, but having his inaugural Major-rank assignment be on the same ship as the highest PV-rated Alpha Squad in history? That was a straight-up treat for him.
Whatever cosmic alignments had led to this outcome, he was thankful for it.
The Drive he had been assigned to aboard the Sovereign was shaping up to be both extremely confusing and exhausting, but also unbelievably fulfilling, no matter how he looked at it¡
The screen flickered as the next recording started, this time in viewing-room mode.
Ukuar was primarily interested in seeing the general reactions to Sovereign Alpha¡¯s performance. As long as they didn¡¯t get wiped out immediately and put up a good fight, there were surely going to be some parties interested.
Not any Lieutenants themselves, of course, but rather the few of them tasked as proxies by their superiors to keep an eye out for promising Recruits and Privates while they dealt with the Void Daemon incident.
Sovereign Alpha was front and centre in the recording, ascending a towering apartment complex next to the objective marker reading "Control Station 1."
The viewing room was abuzz with the usual conversations and rounds of betting on how the assault on the control station would fare.
Quickly double-checking the notes, Ukuar realised that none of the Lieutenants in the room at the time knew about all of the overarching changes to the Battlefield. They had simply chosen to let the governing AI select their viewpoints and had followed it since the start of the day.
None of them were aware of the potential for the enemy Ace to appear at any moment.
The enemy commanding officer, as well as the presence of the enemy Psyker Duo, seemed to be common knowledge, however.
He could make out various bets on how Sovereign Alpha would fare against the Psykers, and whether or not Staff-Sergeant Knave would be able to keep the control station alive. Bets being made on enemies, fully governed by the AI, seemed a bit odd to Ukuar, but who was he to judge other people¡¯s enjoyment?
The majority of Lieutenants were clearly just waiting for the spectacle of Sovereign Alpha getting ripped apart, judging by the bets Ukuar overheard.
¡®I¡¯d probably have bet against them too¡ Though I am starting to feel like I¡¯m understanding Lieutenant Zarael a bit more. I have the distinct feeling that they¡¯ll surprise me yet again, considering this is one of his chosen recordings to show off to me,¡¯ Ukuar thought to himself as he returned his full focus to the recording in front of him...
Arc 1 - Intermission 5 - A Major鈥檚 Perspective IV
The recording continued and the camera angles switched between different perspectives, capturing Sovereign Alpha''s meticulous movements and the tense atmosphere inside the apartment complex.
The squad was on high alert, their weapons ready. Each step they took echoed through the deserted hallways, adding to the suspense.
As they ascended the narrow inner stairwell, higher and higher, the camera rotated around and flipped to the outside of the building, revealing a single drone latched onto the building¡¯s exterior, hidden via some basic camouflage; but clearly missed by Sovereign Alpha¡¯s preliminary scans.
The noise level inside the viewing room abruptly kicked up a notch at that.
Lieutenants quickly changed their bets, joined in on new ones, or simply yelled out warnings to Sovereign Alpha, as if that would somehow help the squad of recruits who had no possible way of hearing them.
It didn¡¯t take long for the Stellar Republic to react to the drone¡¯s surveillance either.
The northern section of the stairwell abruptly exploded in a massive conflagration of rockrete and fire. An enemy heavy-weapons squad had unleashed their rockets on the residential building to catch Sovereign Alpha off guard.
Fortunately for Sovereign Alpha and lucky for the Lieutenants who had bet on their survival, Thea¡¯s Short-Term Precognition came through clutch once again.
She had warned the rest of the squad about the incoming rockets mere instants before the stairwell exploded, allowing them to duck into cover just before they would have been ripped apart.
Immediately, Sovereign Alpha returned fire.
Lucas, defensive heavy, placed his massive solid-cover shield to create a rudimentary firing position for Thea¡¯s deadly precise shots. Meanwhile, Isabella, the offensive heavy, was already busy unloading her rotary machine gun in the general direction of the attackers, aiming for the plasma-like trails in the air left behind by Thea¡¯s laser rifle.
The tunnel-like confines of the stairwell were filled with the deafening roar of Isabella¡¯s gunfire and the sharp crackles and pops of Thea¡¯s shots superheating the air around them momentarily with each trigger pull.
The camera captured every moment of the chaotic, albeit brief, firefight, doing a great job of highlighting the squad¡¯s coordination and quick response, as some of the heavy weapon¡¯s squad fell to their return fire.
Flashes of more and more explosions lit up the darkened building, continuing to assault and compromise their position further, until Thea quickly called for a complete retreat¡ªthe risk of the building collapsing too great to continue fighting in this manner.
Hiding out of sight from the enemy heavy squad that had assaulted them, Sovereign Alpha prepared to defend the stairwell coming up towards them.
¡®Reasonable decisions, given the circumstances¡ They¡¯re trapped now, though. So how do they get out¡?¡¯ Ukuar thought, nodding at Thea¡¯s immediate orders. He would have likely made the same decisions in this situation.
Being stuck in an apartment building inside enemy territory was one of the worst possible scenarios to find oneself in, Ukuar knew all too well.
There was no real winning play in that situation, as anything you decided to do was inherently fraught with risks.
If you decided to fight your way out, down the staircase, you ran the risk of running into a serious ambush the moment you exited the building. But if you decided to stay and hold your ground, the enemy had every card to play and an infinite amount of time to prepare them.
No matter what Sovereign Alpha did, the moment the drone had detected them, they had ended up in a difficult position.
¡°I¡¯d imagine the idea was to wait for the overall assault to start and then provide covering fire from the building,¡± Ukuar mused aloud, including Lieutenant Zarael in his thought process.
¡°The Stellar Republic wouldn¡¯t have the same amount of resources and time available if they also had to defend from multiple different angles. But because they got spotted early, they¡¯re stuck now. What would you do in this situation, Lieutenant?¡±
Zarael¡¯s face turned contemplative as he attempted to put himself in Thea¡¯s shoes.
¡°Hmm¡ I guess I¡¯d hunker down as long as possible, just like they are,¡± he replied after a few moments. ¡°Wait for the rest of the assault to begin and hope that it puts the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces into enough of a bind to give us an opportunity to break free or otherwise impact the mission¡ªessentially follow the original game plan. Just trying to fight my way out of this situation would likely be impossible.¡±
Ukuar nodded in satisfaction at that. It was the answer he had been looking for.
¡°Correct,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯d do as well. It¡¯s risky, but likely the least risky of the options they currently have access to. Let¡¯s see how it plays out, shall we?¡±
Continuing the recording after their brief discussion, they watched as Thea ordered Isabella to start taking down the nearby apartment walls to increase their range of motion and potential firing arcs.
¡®Smart choice,¡¯ Ukuar noted, though he felt it was odd seeing Isabella prepare everything, only for her to spend additional time knocking on doors and informing the residents that they were blowing the walls.
¡®We probably shouldn¡¯t have pushed the civilian aspect as much in the briefing¡ They really shouldn¡¯t waste their time with this. It¡¯s a war-zone. There¡¯s no time to watch out for every individual civilian out there. The Stellar Republic put you into that situation, so any civilian deaths that follow are on them.¡¯
He jotted down a few notes regarding this instance, including a recommendation for future assessment briefings to make it clear that, while civilian lives should be spared as much as possible, Marines were not required to watch out for every civilian in an active engagement.
That would simply breed bad habits that could get them killed on a real battlefield.
Meanwhile, the squad medic was busy throwing white-foam grenades to seal up some of the shattered and broken parts of the stairwell, further increasing their range of motion without accidentally running into the enemy¡¯s line of fire.
¡®Once again the squad medic¡¯s quick on her feet,¡¯ Ukuar noted, writing down further observations on his data-pad. ¡®The squad lead didn¡¯t even have to say anything; she already had the grenades in hand before they even broke off from the initial return fire¡ She¡¯s good¡ªvery good.¡¯
As a ruckus at the stairwell broke out, Ukuar grimaced as he realised what the shouting was all about. ¡®Civilian engagement¡ That¡¯s a nasty one.¡¯
He watched with rapt attention as Lucas and Karania tried to pacify an approaching civilian, asking them to stand down, but he knew all too well that this wasn¡¯t going to work.
The civilian AI for the assessments was unfathomably rudimentary¡ªa necessity to simulate the millions upon millions of them that existed within the entirety of the simulation. The ones near the control stations were programmed to have a certain chance of becoming ¡°obstacles,¡± essentially mini-dilemmas for the Marines to deal with.
This was clearly one of them: An armed civilian, ready to fight what they perceived as enemy invaders in their home.
It was a necessary evil to include aspects like these, as the simulations were supposed to mirror real life closely. Situations like these happened more often than one would like, and even more often than officially reported in after-action write-ups.
He paid extra-close attention to how Sovereign Alpha handled this civilian issue, as their directives were directly at odds with the situation.
They had been ordered to minimise civilian casualties, but now one of the civilians was actively intending to inflict harm on them¡ªhow would they deal with that¡?
The answer came quickly and abruptly with a roaring echo of gunfire.
Isabella¡¯s rotary machine gun cut through the civilian almost immediately after the shouting had begun. The scene was chaotic: Blood spattered across the walls, and the civilian¡¯s body crumpled to the ground, the dismembered parts of it tumbling down the stairwell, the anger in their eyes replaced with a vacant stare.
A few moments of yelling followed, as Lucas and Karania were visibly upset by Isabella¡¯s actions. The offensive heavy, however, gave exactly the kind of reasoning that Ukuar had been hoping to hear in response¡ªshutting down the complaints swiftly and effectively.
¡®Armed civilians are not civilians,¡¯ he echoed Isabella¡¯s words in his mind. ¡®She definitely has experience with these kinds of situations¡ Not good ones, based on her reaction.¡¯
He pulled up Isabella Itoku¡¯s profile and perused it briefly before gently nodding to himself.
¡®Lost more than half her squad to a ¡°civilian¡± suicide bomber on a midworld¡ That¡¯ll definitely hardline you for the future, that¡¯s for sure. Good thing she¡¯s with Sovereign Alpha, as she seems to be the only one ready to do what¡¯s necessary in this situation...¡¯
As Thea¡¯s voice cut through his thoughts, ordering everyone to consider anyone not-UHF as an enemy, his eyebrows rose involuntarily in surprise.
¡°Wow¡ That¡¯s direct,¡± he muttered to himself, which Lieutenant Zarael picked up on.
¡°She¡¯s definitely gotten a lot better at reading the room and making decisions based on other people¡¯s expertise since their Squad Leader handed over the reins,¡± Zarael commented, nodding sagely.
¡°No kidding,¡± Ukuar agreed, rewinding the situation to watch it again, this time focusing on Thea¡¯s expressions and movements. He noted how there was only a brief window where she seemed uncertain before she made the call to transform Isabella¡¯s experience into a firm order for the rest of the squad to follow.
¡®Surprisingly agile in thinking. It¡¯s clear she didn¡¯t necessarily agree with the heavy¡¯s decisions, but she saw the pragmatic value behind it and the need for them to be cohesive as a unit¡ Impressive, considering her non-existent leadership training,¡¯ Ukuar thought as he jotted down a host of notes on both Thea¡¯s and Isabella¡¯s profiles.
The recording continued to unfold, with Thea ordering Lucas to change the position of his shield to give her some cover. She aimed to sniff out the heavy weapons squads that had them pinned down¡ªa good idea, in theory.
The moment everything was set up, however, Thea abruptly stopped dead in her tracks, looking downright confused, before closing her eyes entirely.
¡°Huh¡?¡± Ukuar mused, leaning in closer, as if that would somehow help him understand her thought process.
When nothing seemed to happen, he glanced at Zarael, who simply gave him the same enigmatic smile he had been wearing all morning¡ªone that told him to just wait and see.
When Thea opened a comm link, Ukuar was even more surprised, but his surprise turned into downright anticipation as he listened to her conversation with Viladia, the assassin from the elite-infiltration squad that had helped bring Sovereign Alpha into Nova Tertius.
¡°Ah, so this is where they meet, huh?¡± Ukuar muttered, putting away his data-pad momentarily to fully focus on the unfolding scenes on the screen.
It was time for Sovereign Alpha to meet their first Psykers, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see how they would handle it, especially considering they had no training in dealing with that type of enemy.
He fast-forwarded the recording, not wanting to wait any longer, until the first instances of action became visible. Thea gave rapid-fire orders, manoeuvring Sovereign Alpha into what she considered the best possible formation against the enemy Psykers.
Knowing nothing about their capabilities, she prepared for as many eventualities as she could.
¡°Rigging the whole floor to blow¡? A bit excessive, but definitely effective if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dealing with. There¡¯s only a select few things that can survive having a building collapse on top of you. Smart thinking on that, for sure. If nothing else, they¡¯d make sure the Psykers were dealt with,¡± Ukuar noted openly.
Zarael chimed in with a hint of devious mirth in his voice. ¡°I was a big fan of that as well. It comes in handy in quite a different way than expected, though, not to say too much.¡±
Ukuar¡¯s eyes met Zarael¡¯s, signalling that he was almost going too far with the spoilers, which made the Lieutenant nod an unspoken apology before they both returned their attention to the screen.
Switching the view to the viewing room briefly, Ukuar saw the atmosphere building up in a similar anticipatory manner. Conversations became more scarce, more stifled, and only a few new bets were opened. The entire room was poised to see how the fledgling squad of Recruits would fare against the experienced duo of Psykers and their entourage.
It took quite a while for the two parties to finally make contact.
Ukuar fast-forwarded through the lull in action until the first clones of the Psyker¡¯s entourage attempted to storm the room, only to be met by the fortified position atop the stairwell.
The tension in the air of the viewing room was palpable as the scene unfolded.
Thea quickly ducked out of cover, firing off three rapid shots from her Gram before ducking back behind the shield immediately. Her movements were so quick and fluid that it didn¡¯t even seem like she had aimed at her targets.
¡®She¡¯s leaning more and more into her psychic side, isn¡¯t she? That was probably all Short-Term Precognition at work, letting her take the shots so quickly and duck behind cover before even bothering to confirm them,¡¯ Ukuar thought, impressed.
It was exciting but also quite frightening to see her growth since the beginning of the assessment.
She had gone from someone who didn¡¯t even know what a Wielder was to someone who seemed to wear her Psychic heritage as a second skin. And all that without any formal training¡ªpretty much everything self-taught, aside from a few pointers from fellow Marines.
¡®General Harbinger¡¯s daughter¡ I can see why he took a fancy to her. Based on everything I¡¯ve read about him, she seems cut from the same cloth, no matter how you try to twist and turn it.¡¯
The next group of clones was met by a barrage of grenades from Lucas¡¯s Havoc launcher at Thea¡¯s command¡ªa smart play by the interim squad leader.
¡°Good idea to keep the enemy guessing on how you¡¯re going to respond to their approach like this. If they don¡¯t know whether to look out for a sniper peeking over the shield or grenades coming their way, they have to prepare for both¡ªwhich ultimately means preparing adequately for neither,¡± Ukuar commented, earning an agreeing nod from Zarael.
Ukuar wasn¡¯t quite sure why he felt the need to vocalise these thoughts, but something about being around Lieutenants made him instinctively want to teach, even if they had long passed the stage where such basic-level knowledge was necessary.
As the battle continued, things started to escalate.
First slowly, but then more and more rapidly, as continuous groups of clones were sent up to probe their defences time and time again.
Thea retreated momentarily, pulling out what seemed to be a XIR-View, one of the standard equipment items provided by the UHF for Scouts in urban environments.
Ukuar didn¡¯t personally think they served much of a purpose, as they were useless in more than 99% of cases. However, he had to admit that Thea¡¯s thinking was somewhat accurate here; this was one of the very rare cases where a XIR-View could actually come in handy.
The main issue with them was their limited penetration range, making them only usable once you¡¯re already next to or inside a building. By then, however, any potential enemy would already know you¡¯re there, defeating the whole purpose of looking through the walls in the first place; which is why most Scouts didn¡¯t even bother bringing them.
But being stuck in a building with no real drone support, as the drone operator had already lost most of his drones, the XIR-View could actually provide exactly what they needed: Intel on where the enemy was and what they were doing.
As Thea fiddled with it, clearly unfamiliar with its operation, she abruptly stopped dead in her tracks. Ukuar immediately saw what had made her pause, his own Psychic knowledge effortlessly latching onto the slight ripple in the air: The accumulation of Psychic energy near her and Lucas at the top of the staircase.
¡°Go, do something!¡± he whispered desperately, feeling like Thea was hesitating far too long to react to the obvious danger. Then, just barely in time, Thea lunged and wrestled the defensive heavy to the ground, just before the psychic energy culminated in a pressure-pop.
Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but fist-pump the air once, thankful that they didn¡¯t die to the very first usage of psychic power they had ever encountered.
The viewing room erupted momentarily, with some of the Lieutenants whooping or cheering at Thea¡¯s last-second action. But the tension was far from gone, as everyone realised that the real encounter was only just beginning.
When they all heard Thea abruptly order Desmond to move over without seeing her utter a single word, Ukuar saw dozens of alarmed faces among the assembled Lieutenants as they recognized the severe danger that Sovereign Alpha had suddenly found themselves in¡ªVoice Mimicry and Voice Projection.
Those two Psychic Powers, when combined, were the absolute bane of any leader''s existence; to the point they were downright infamous and were even part of the UHF¡¯s leadership doctrine and training for aspiring Squad Leaders and Commanders.
Not only did they completely hinder rescinding orders or communicating effectively, but they were also exceedingly powerful in breaking apart defensive positions.
After all, every Marine was trained to listen to orders first and foremost.
If an order was issued, there was no time to think about the order¡¯s origin or reasoning before deciding whether to follow it. That was not how the UHF worked, or any functional army, for that matter.
In a war, there simply was no luxury of time to figure out these things, so one of the first things any Marine, any Soldier, and any fighter learned was to follow orders without hesitation.
This was when the recording really escalated in terms of rapid-fire events. So much so that Ukuar had to rewind and slow down the recording multiple times to catch each instance and the reactions of both the members of Sovereign Alpha and the Lieutenants in the viewing room.
First, Thea shoved Lucas out of the way of another psychic pressure-pop before faux-Thea issued another command, ordering Isabella to make noise.
Simultaneously, Thea used frantic hand gestures to try to get Desmond to understand that she had never been the one that had issued the previous order and that he should get away as quickly as possible.
Her efforts were too late, however; a renewed pop ripped the drone operator almost in half just as he attempted to escape. While her last-instant warning allowed him to barely save his own life, without medical intervention, he would die in mere seconds.
Much to Ukuar¡¯s surprise, however, mirrored by the startled and confused outcries by the Lieutenants in the viewing room, the Squad Medic was already at Desmond¡¯s side, working to stop his grotesque bleeding and stabilising him before he had even fully hit the floor.
¡°Huh?!¡± Ukuar openly muttered, his mouth agape, as he rewound the footage. ¡°What the fuck, how¡?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Directing the camera to focus on the squad medic, he could barely believe his eyes.
The very instant Thea had shoved Lucas out of the way and started signalling to Desmond, Karania had already begun pulling medic supplies out of her quick-access pouches and sprinting towards the top of the stairwell, where Lucas, Thea, and Desmond had been corralled.
The first words hadn¡¯t even finished being signed by Thea before Karania had started her run¡ªthe mere fact that Thea was signing instead of speaking had seemingly given her all the information required to extrapolate exactly what would happen in the following few moments, necessitating her immediate action.
¡°I don¡¯t¡ Do you fucking see this?¡± he failed to articulate anything further, simply gesturing wildly towards the screen as he stared utterly flabbergasted at Zarael, who mirrored his disbelief.
A moment of stunned silence reigned between the two of them before Zarael was the first to find his voice again.
¡°I honestly didn¡¯t even realise that, Major¡ I was so engrossed with the rest of the events, I didn¡¯t even stop to think about how the medic managed to already be there when the drone operator hit the ground. That¡¯s¡ I don¡¯t even know what to say to that. How the fuck did she know? Does she have Psyker training?¡±
Ukuar shook his head, having checked this exact thing earlier already. ¡°No. She¡¯s just¡ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to do more research on her background; this is not normal. I thought Recruit McKay was strange already, but at least most of her big moments can be explained through her burgeoning Psychic Powers and quick thinking. But this¡? I really have no explanations. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±
He picked up his data-pad again, having discarded it earlier to pay close attention to the recording, and pulled up Karania Faulkner¡¯s profile, dragging her bookmark to the very top of his list.
He then spent around ten minutes writing down his thoughts on her actions and potential recommendations for her future training and deployments, before attaching the whole thing in a message to one of his colleagues.
¡®There¡¯s no way Theron will want to be in the dark about her¡¡¯ he thought with a hint of mirth.
The image of his stoic friend going through the recordings of Recruit Faulkner and freaking out was too delicious to ignore. That thought sparked another idea in his mind, and he added a few lines of text to the end of the message.
¡®If he¡¯s already going to do a thorough background check on her, he might as well share with me, right? Repay me for scouting her and save myself some time; not a bad deal for either one of us, if I do say so myself.¡¯
Ukuar leaned back, feeling a mix of excitement and curiosity.
The squad''s performance so far had exceeded all of his, already lofty, expectations¡ªand the assessment wasn¡¯t even close to being over yet!
In the viewing room, the Lieutenants watched in silence, their earlier chatter replaced by focused attention. The tension was very much palpable, and Ukuar felt a surge of pride for the Recruits¡ªhis Recruits¡ªknowing they were facing extraordinary challenges and doing their best to try and meet them head-on.
Ultimately, however, he had very little hope for them coming out of this situation victorious.
With no idea what was happening to them, facing enemies that could kill them without getting close or requiring a line of sight, and with no way to effectively communicate, they were bound to get ground down by the Psychic Powers of the Stellar Republic¡¯s Psyker duo.
But Ukuar was not one to quit halfway through. He had a recording to finish watching, even if the outcome seemed preordained.
As he continued, he watched as Thea frantically tried to reach the rest of the squad via her comms; the attempt was utterly fruitless. Then, he saw the tell-tale signs of her activating her signature Ability, causing him to lean in closer. Every time she had activated [Sensory Overdrive] in the assessment so far, things had become interesting.
Whenever Thea activated her [Sensory Overdrive], her pupils dilated ever so slightly, and her eyes darted around at many times their normal speed¡ªsigns nobody would ever notice unless they were intensively studying recordings of her.
The next moments completely defied any and all expectations Ukuar had for Sovereign Alpha.
With a seemingly calculated move, Thea barely dodged a massive psychic eruption, dipping half of her body into it at an angle.
She used the pressure pop to propel herself to the side¡ªsacrificing her left arm and taking serious damage in the process.
But she barely managed to slip out of cover and into line of sight, just as Isabella was about to start firing her rotary machine gun into the ground, which would have revealed her position and signed her own death warrant.
Isabella¡¯s eyes widened at the abrupt appearance of a heavily wounded Thea, but then turned dead-serious as she watched her interim squad leader sign one-handed that communications were compromised.
For the offensive heavy, things seemed to fall into place. She replied with a single nod before signing back, asking what Thea¡¯s orders were.
With only one hand, the best Thea could do was sign ¡°down,¡± ¡°two,¡± ¡°explode,¡± ¡°shield.¡±
Ukuar had no idea what that could possibly mean as he watched the ¡°conversation¡± unfold, but Isabella seemed to fully trust Thea¡¯s orders.
She prepared the remote detonators that Karania and she had set up earlier without hesitation.
¡°What are they going to do¡?¡± he muttered quietly to himself, trying to figure out where they were going with this, but momentarily failing to do so.
The enemy Psykers seemed disoriented without any sound from Sovereign Alpha¡¯s side, as they stopped attacking with psychic pressure bombs.
Instead, a large group of clones started making their way up the stairwell.
Meanwhile, Thea gestured to Karania, ¡°leave him,¡± ¡°kill,¡± ¡°return.¡±
Karania met her with a determined gaze that Ukuar wasn¡¯t sure she could break, but a brief non-verbal exchange of glances was surprisingly enough for Karania to begrudgingly follow Thea¡¯s orders.
Lucas picked up his shield, and together with Karania and Isabella, moved into the previously blown-open apartment section of their area, while Thea made her way to the window just above the stairwell.
As Ukuar watched the two heavies and the medic prepare inside the apartment, stepping onto the Stalwart that was now facing the ground¡ªright on top of a small pile of shaped charges and explosives, his eyes widened in sudden realisation.
¡°What¡ What are they doing? They aren¡¯t doing what I think they¡¯re doing, right?¡± He asked in utter disbelief, his eyes meeting Zarael¡¯s once again, who wore a big, toothy grin.
¡°Oh yes, they are,¡± the Lieutenant answered with a satisfied nod, just as the recording showed a massive explosion ripping the floor out from below the trio.
The explosive force was absorbed by Lucas''s solid-cover shield beneath their feet, before they dropped one floor lower.
¡°Holy fuck, you¡¯re actually kidding me. There¡¯s no fucking way this works out¡!¡± Ukuar muttered, utterly enthralled by what he was seeing.
Then, another explosion occurred right below them¡ªa second set of charges that Isabella had quickly planted under the shield, ripping through the ground again before the shield broke apart and they landed inside the apartments below them.
They were now on the same floor as the enemy Duplicators and Psykers¡ªjust like that.
The doors of the apartments exploded outwards as Lucas used his grenade launcher.
His grenades exploded moments before hitting the door¡ªlikely some sort of System Ability being used to detonate them proactively, saving precious fractions of seconds to allow them to act on the brief moment of surprise.
The Duplicators, caught off-guard, were hit by Lucas¡¯s follow-up shots.
In return, Lucas was hit almost immediately by a pressure bomb as one of the Psykers returned fire, and Karania stepped in to take care of as many of the confused and disoriented Duplicators as she could.
Meanwhile, Isabella was preparing to charge in from the other door, slightly further away from their drop-point.
A sonic scream ripped through the building, hitting Lucas head-on and clipping Karania at the door to the north, but leaving Isabella unscathed as she charged in from the southern one.
She crashed into the disoriented Duplicators, her two-handed chainsword ripping and tearing through the enemy lines like they were made of wet tissue paper.
The room filled with the sound of metal against flesh, the buzz of the chainsword, and the cries of the wounded.
The Stellar Republic¡¯s fate was sealed when even the seemingly grenade-gone-awry from Lucas¡¯s last shots didn¡¯t take out Isabella, but instead was absorbed by one of her System Abilities, further strengthening her movements.
She was hit by a myriad of shots and slices as the Duplicators tried their best to respond, but the reach of her two-handed chainsword, the power of her attacks and the thickness of her armour was too great to escape or quickly bring her down.
Their only hope was the two Psykers still recovering from their earlier power uses, but just as it seemed they were ready to go, the window atop the stairwell right next to them shattered.
The pressure-Psyker fell dead to the ground with a miniscule hole in his temple, and then Thea crashed through the window, pistol in hand, taking out the last Psyker.
Both Ukuar and the viewing room were completely silent.
The outcome of this engagement was so thoroughly unbelievable, so far beyond anything that could possibly be expected, that nobody had any thought to celebrate the unlikely victory or to lament their unexpected betting losses.
Silence reigned for quite some time until Ukuar finally regained some of his own senses.
Still refusing to believe his eyes, simply not accepting that this was how it had all played out, Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but question, ¡°They created a pincer out of that situation¡? When did they even have time to plan this out?! You can¡¯t just go and do something like this without a single second of planning!¡±
Rewinding the footage frantically, he watched in disbelief as the camera followed Isabella closely, instead of going back to an overarching view, after the moment the two of them had parted.
As Karania rushed towards her, followed closely by Lucas, Ukuar saw it.
The Squad Medic was laying down the whole plan via a rapid series of hand signs, obviously having seen Thea¡¯s earlier communication with Isabella; immediately after meeting up with the rest of them.
¡°Explosives,¡± ¡°Shield,¡± ¡°Down,¡± ¡°Again,¡± ¡°Explosives,¡± ¡°Shield,¡± ¡°Down,¡± ¡°Pincer,¡± ¡°Isabella far,¡± ¡°Lucas, I, close,¡± ¡°Close, Duplicators,¡± ¡°Far, Duplicators,¡± ¡°Thea, Priority,¡± ¡°Go¡±.
The whole plan that was unfolding in the next moments had been laid out by her, without a single second of apparent thought required, simply incorporating the ideas that Thea had briefly conveyed to Isabella with her own, to facilitate whatever overarching plan the interim squad leader had thought of.
Ukuar leaned back in the cushy seat, utterly stunned by the coordination and quick thinking displayed by Sovereign Alpha as a whole.
It wasn¡¯t just Thea¡¯s quick thinking to use the psychic eruption to get into Isabella¡¯s line of sight and stop her from following the fake orders, or Karania¡¯s impossibly quick and detailed plan, or the almost flawless execution thereof.
It was the combination of all of the above, as well as the sheer audacity to use breaching explosives, coupled with a T1 solid-cover shield and its gravity-lock feature to rapidly breach downwards towards an enemy vastly superior in experience, numbers, and positioning, that truly took the cake.
The viewing room slowly began to revive itself as well, with stunned and flabbergasted Lieutenants trying to figure out what exactly they had just witnessed.
None of them could make heads or tails of what had occurred, as they didn¡¯t have the immediate luxury of rewinds, camera changes, and slowdowns that Ukuar had.
The room devolved into an utter mayhem of yelling, discussion, and cheers over the next few moments. Ukuar decided to mute the recording entirely and turned towards a broadly grinning Zarael.
¡°I¡ I really don¡¯t know what to even say,¡± Ukuar admitted, struggling to find the right words.
¡°They¡¯re my Alpha Squad, sure, but¡ I mean¡ This ain¡¯t exactly shit we teach, you know?¡± He chuckled to himself as the tension of the earlier moments left his body, only now realising how on-edge he had been to see Sovereign Alpha in such a tight spot. ¡°I understand, logically, how this happened. But emotionally I still can¡¯t believe that what I just saw is real¡¡±
¡°Neither can they, I guess,¡± he added, gesturing haphazardly towards the viewing room.
The camera captured the chaos in the viewing room: Lieutenants animatedly debating strategies, some gesturing wildly, others nodding or wildly shaking their heads. The excitement was very much evident and in stark contrast to the stunned silence that had prevailed moments before.
Ukuar watched it all with a mixture of pride and disbelief.
His Alpha Squad had not only defied expectations but had done so with a level of ingenuity and bravery that was straight up unreal.
The adrenaline from the intense battle still coursed through him, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Sovereign Alpha had proven themselves to be a truly extraordinary unit; beyond even his wildest dreams.
¡°So, where do we go from here? They aren¡¯t looking particularly healthy after this one. Did any of them make it out?¡± Ukuar asked Zarael, hoping for another recommendation. The Lieutenants'' choices had been superb up until this point, so he saw no reason to change their dynamic at this stage.
¡°Yeah¡ They didn¡¯t make it much farther,¡± Zarael admitted, a tad of sadness spreading over his face. ¡°Lost quite a bit of Credits as a result, but I really thought they might get through this whole thing alive¡ªat least Recruit McKay, considering she hadn¡¯t died at all up until this point. But she ultimately ran into the third Ace, who took her out. Can¡¯t exactly fault her for dying there.¡±
Ukuar¡¯s eyes widened at that news, but he let Zarael continue his recounting.
¡°Arrow Squad tried to fight the Ace. They were somewhat caught off-guard by him, only able to react thanks to Recruit McKay¡¯s last-second warning, but they ultimately failed as well. They all died, except for Private Sortal, who got captured and tortured for almost two days straight¡ That fucking piece of shit Ace¡¡±
Ukuar immediately pulled up his data-pad, looking up both Private Sortal¡¯s status and information about the third Ace.
As his eyes fell on the name of the Ace, he couldn¡¯t hide a vicious snarl, ¡°Lieutenant Yiue Alcantar¡ Of course it¡¯s him,¡± he commented, his blood starting to boil.
He had heard stories from Nova Tertius and Lieutenant Yiue Alcantar¡¯s actions during the original battle. Actions that were not limited to just this battlefield either.
He was a known flayer, torturer, and breaker of Marines; generally seen as one of the worst low-level Aces the UHF ever had to go up against due to the sheer inhumanity of his typical modus operandi.
The Ace had a deep-seated hatred for everything UHF, to the point that he had tried for decades to find a way to permanently kill UHF Marines that fell into his hands; luckily, to no avail.
Unfortunately, the alternative route he ultimately ended up on wasn¡¯t much better for the Marines that got caught, often ending with severe psychological trauma, PTSD, or broken minds that made the Marines completely unsalvageable without heavy use of amnestics¡ªdrugs that had their own major issues.
¡°I honestly can¡¯t believe they included him in the fucking assessment¡ But I guess that¡¯s kind of on me, as well. I voted for this one,¡± Ukuar muttered to himself as much as to the world around him, a blanket of guilt descending upon him. ¡°If I had known the assessment would diverge so much from the original; that The Flayer would have enough time to do his dirty work on one of our aspiring Marines¡ I would have never voted for this one to be chosen¡¡±
In the original Battlefield, The Flayer had never been this much of an issue, as he had been engulfed in larger scale engagements almost the entire time, giving him no opportunity to indulge in his ¡°hobby.¡± It was only during the later stages of the battle, months after planetfall, that The Flayer had begun making headlines amongst the deployed Marines.
But due to changes in the assessment¡¯s version of the Battlefield, he had been moved closer to the Control Stations earlier by the command units, meaning that he didn¡¯t get caught in the maelstrom of large-scale warfare early on.
This ultimately allowed him to capture and torture Private Sortal to his heart¡¯s desire.
Checking over Private Sortal¡¯s assessment profile, Ukuar breathed a sigh of relief.
The preliminary psych-eval of the Private post-respawn showed that she was unlikely to carry significant mental trauma, likely thanks to the anti-torture training she had gone through as a requirement for acquiring her Assassin-type Class, ¡°Shadow Stalker.¡±
Lieutenant Zarael seemed unsure what to say, remaining quiet and following Ukuar¡¯s every move as he looked over the information on his data-pad. Realising that he was causing quite a bit of concern, Ukuar finally spoke up, ¡°Well, it seems the Private is fine, after all. We¡¯ll kill The Flayer at some point in the future, I guarantee it.¡±
Zarael nodded determinedly. ¡°I¡¯d love to be there for it¡ I wonder what Tier he¡¯s at now. Tier 4, maybe? Or maybe he¡¯s purposely staying at Tier 3 to get used in as many Battlefields as possible? The Stellar Republic would definitely do something like that; underhanded, honorless bastards¡¡±
Shaking off the sombre tones, Zarael pulled up the next recording and introduced it.
¡°This one¡¯s a bit more... large-scale, if you want. It¡¯s the main assault on the Wall, after the majority of the Control Stations had been disabled by the infiltration squads¡ªprimarily thanks to the western-front¡¯s infiltration units, as they didn¡¯t run into much opposition. Not a big surprise considering the amount of firepower that had been placed on the eastern front, really.
¡°This one doesn¡¯t really follow Sovereign Alpha specifically, although they''re also present, but it¡¯s definitely the most important battle of the entire Assessment so far¡ªpotentially in general, depending on how the last week unfolds. It should still prove exceptionally valuable to check out, I¡¯d argue,¡± Zarael explained.
He transferred the data for the recording to the screen in front of them and began playing it.
As Ukuar perused the data pertaining to the recording, something caught his attention, and he immediately paused it.
¡°When did Recruit McKay invest her Attribute Points?¡± Ukuar asked calmly, a certain feeling of strangeness overcoming him. As far as he had understood from previous updates on her situation, she had been too scared to invest any of her Attribute Points; yet the profile he was looking at now was unambiguous in its information¡ªshe had invested all of her points.
Zarael, somewhat taken aback by the seemingly random question, thought for a second before the memory came to him. ¡°Ah! Right! She went on to find a Psyker in the FOB after her respawn. She got a few pointers from him and upgraded her Attributes under his supervision. It wasn¡¯t anything special, so I figured we could just skip it.¡±
Frantically typing on his own data-pad, Zarael added absent-mindedly, ¡°I have it somewhere here, if you want to check out what they talked about¡¡±
¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Ukuar said, feeling that watching Recruit McKay get information about the nature of Psykers was definitely going to be important going forward.
After all, he was technically here to evaluate her and ensure that other top brass didn¡¯t blindside Major Quinn with purchase requests. Depending on Private McKay¡¯s interest in becoming a Psyker, which was currently still very much in the air as far as Ukuar understood, the level of interest could skyrocket even further.
Up until now, however, the UHF had only gotten her to agree to go towards a Psyker build for the first ten Levels and provide the information on the names of potential Battlefield Psyker Classes that would be available to her.
They hadn¡¯t asked her to take any of them, nor was it likely that they would, if Ukuar had understood the conversations aboard the Sovereign properly. Nobody wanted to force the burden of a Battlefield Psyker onto a new recruit like that, even a seriously promising one like her.
As Zarael pulled up the recording, Ukuar leaned forward, eager to see the interaction between Recruit McKay and the more experienced Psyker in the FOB. He hoped it would provide insights into her understanding and potential interest in fully embracing her Psychic Powers.
Ukuar himself was of a split opinion on the matter.
On one hand, he couldn¡¯t deny the overwhelming potential that the Recruit represented. She had unfathomable, once-in-a-millenia Base Attributes, coupled with the fact that she was a Wielder and had also received one of the highest-scaling Inheritances possible.
Having her become a Battlefield Psyker at Tier 1 would undoubtedly make her into an absolute powerhouse the likes of which would be exceedingly rare to find, much less be possible to be duplicated by other Factions.
On the other hand, however, he couldn¡¯t, in good conscience, hope for her to follow that path¡ªPsykers were not long lived, no matter how one looked at it.
It had taken Ukuar himself decades to accept that fact, to finally invest some more into his Psychic side before ascending to the rank of Major; but even he wouldn¡¯t dare touch the Battlefield Psyker side of things.
The horror stories of the few Battlefield Psykers he had known over the course of his time with the UHF; the raw power of the Call of the Void they had to deal with on a semi-regular basis¡ It was simply something he knew he couldn¡¯t fight for long.
It wasn¡¯t something he was hoping for her, even though he had never personally met the girl.
But from simply watching her over the last few hours, days and weeks; seeing her earnest attempts at improving herself, understanding the strange world she had suddenly been thrust into and bonding with her squad¡ He couldn¡¯t hope for her to become a Battlefield Psyker, as much as it could be considered treason by certain people in the UHF; for not wanting the UHF to receive the best possible war resources.
Shaking off these thoughts for now, realising that he couldn¡¯t impact it one way or another as things stood, Ukuar paid close attention to the recording.
Just as Lieutenant Zarael had said, it was a calm conversation between Recruit McKay and the more experienced Psyker named Zachary.
They shared around two hours of conversation before parting ways amicably, with McKay profusely thanking the Psyker for finally clearing up some of her confusion¡ªa notion that sent a bolt of sympathy through Ukuar¡¯s heart.
He couldn¡¯t even imagine the pure confusion, terror, and fear the girl had been experiencing since her Gate had Awakened.
Normally, she would¡¯ve received some sort of primer on what to expect, how to deal with the situation, and the aftermath, but due to the timing of her integration and the sheer absurdity of her Attributes, things had developed in the worst way possible.
It was absolutely unheard of for a new Recruit to open their Gate during the very first Assessment.
It had never happened before within the UHF; it was thought downright impossible due to the raw Attribute requirements needed to Awaken it in the first place. But with the Harbinger¡¯s daughter, impossible seemed to just be a challenge, rather than an absolute, Ukuar was quickly starting to realise.
As the recording wound down and Ukuar was about to pull up his data-pad to take some additional notes, he abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.
¡®What¡?¡¯ he thought, confused by his own actions.
It was like his subconscious mind had spotted something and was trying its best to make him aware of it¡ªlike he was missing something important.
Focusing his attention on the only thing he could think of possibly being the cause, he stared at the recording¡¯s last moments unfold. The experienced Psyker and Recruit McKay were holding a last bit of small talk before they finally parted.
As the Psyker closed the door to his squad room, it finally struck Ukuar.
¡°Wait!¡± he abruptly said, startling Zarael, who had been about to change the recordings to the assault on the Wall.
¡°Wh¡ What? What¡¯s wrong, Major?!¡± Zarael asked, confusion evident on his face.
Rewinding the recording, Ukuar stared intently at Zachary¡¯s arm and quickly found what he was looking for.
¡°Look at his arm,¡± he practically ordered Zarael, his voice surprisingly forceful.
The Lieutenant immediately complied, unsure of what was going on.
As Ukuar fast-forwarded the recording again and stopped at one of the last frames, Zarael uttered a ¡°Huh?¡± indicating he saw the same thing.
¡°When did his uniform get damaged¡?¡± Zarael asked, his eyes meeting Ukuar¡¯s who simply nodded and said, ¡°Exactly.¡±
Picking up his data-pad, Ukuar sent the recording to the Sovereign with a simple request.
| [Sovereign, analyse this recording. Was it altered from the original events of the assessment? If so, figure out who did it and tell me.] |
Immediately, the answer came back, sending a shiver down his spine as he read through it.
| [Analysis Completed.]
[Likelihood of alteration: 100%.]
[Alteration requested by: {Insufficient Permissions}.] |
| [The original recording has been placed behind a Black-Level Lock, in accordance with Recruit Thea McKay¡¯s original profile settings. In order to access the original recording, please provide Black-Level Access Privileges.] |
¡®So¡ Something major must have happened here, but the brass doesn¡¯t want anyone to know¡? What don¡¯t you want us to see? And why¡?¡¯ Ukuar asked himself, feeling a strange pull towards this unfolding mystery. Whatever had occurred between Recruit McKay and the Psyker had to have been more than a mere Attribute Point allocation and a short Psyker talk.
The question was simply: What, exactly, had happened and why was it this important?
Arc 1 - Intermission 6 - A Major鈥檚 Perspective V
- PoV: Ukuar Rurix -
¡°The recording is locked. I can¡¯t access it,¡± Ukuar informed the Lieutenant, not wanting to leave his fellow Marine in the dark about his findings.
Before Zarael could follow up with any questions of his own, Ukuar raised one of his hands, motioning him to remain quiet, before elaborating, ¡°It¡¯s a Black-level lock. It was placed on Recruit McKay¡¯s profile before she even arrived on the Sovereign, a result of one of our Majors being a bit too eager in classifying information about her Cube Trial. There¡¯s no way for us to access this, so don¡¯t ask questions that can¡¯t be answered. Captain Cross requested the Black-level lock be lifted weeks ago, but you know how the UHF can be in these situations¡¡±
His words trailed off as he carefully observed Zarael¡¯s body language and reactions.
He hadn¡¯t intended to reveal something classified, but running into the lock while checking the recordings left him no choice. What was important was that the Lieutenant didn¡¯t show any undue interest in the topic.
As much as Ukuar liked the Lieutenant, there was no way he could cover for him if Zarael decided to investigate further¡ªa career-ending move, to be certain.
Fortunately, realisation dawned quickly on Zarael¡¯s face at the explanation. He simply nodded repeatedly, clearly deep in thought but not planning to investigate further.
A silent sigh of relief left Ukuar as he flipped the recording back to the previous one that Zarael had handed him.
A more in-depth analysis of the discussion between Thea and the Psyker would have to wait until he was alone, with no Lieutenants to accidentally get caught in the crossfire.
If he stepped on somebody¡¯s toes, the wiggle room was a lot more forgiving for a Major than a Lieutenant.
¡°Let¡¯s take a look at your most recent recommendation then,¡± Ukuar said, trying to bridge the awkward silence that had followed their unexpected discovery.
¡°Ah, yes. Right!¡± Zarael nodded profusely, clearly still shaken by the accidental revelation of higher-level politics. Gathering his thoughts for a brief moment, his demeanour shifted back to his previous, ever-present excitement, ¡°So¡ This one¡¯s about the main assault on the Wall, following the destruction of the majority of control stations by the infiltration squads. As with any recording that covers such a large-scale engagement, there¡¯s not much individual heroism here, but I figured you might want to see how the UHF¡¯s main assault went anyway.¡±
Ukuar gave him a terse nod of gratitude before starting the recording.
The viewpoint for this one started out high in the sky, like a drone observing the large-scale movements of troops below, much like the point of view a commander would have for this part of the battle.
The first thing that struck Ukuar almost immediately were the colours of the recording.
¡°By the Emperor¡¡± he whispered as his eyes took in the battlefield¡¯s state.
The entire area of the plains in front of the Wall, multiple dozen square kilometres in size, had been transformed from lush green grasslands into a uniform grey-brown sludge.
A sludge whose origin he was all too familiar with.
In the history of mankind, war had never been a glamorous, heroic thing.
It had always been dirty, brutal, and disgusting.
But with the advent of the Allbright System and the focus on larger and larger scale battles over the centuries that followed, fighting on large battlefields had turned into a logistical problem as much as a downright ecological disaster.
With more than a million people fighting for the future of Nova Tertius, the death tolls were, by necessity, mere statistics. Numbers on a spreadsheet that looked impressive, horrifying, or, more often than not, both at the same time.
But no amount of numbers on a spreadsheet could ever truly convey the sheer scale of destruction, death, and decay that inhabited these battlefields.
The brown-grey sludge that covered the entire plains, wherever Ukuar could see from the bird¡¯s-eye perspective of the recording, was nothing but ground-up humans and their remains.
It was the blood, flesh and bones of UHF Marines and Stellar Republic Soldiers that had been killed here, before being ripped apart, torn asunder, and crushed further by the uncountable boots of their brethren and sisters or the treads of the armours advancing.
Every hundred or so metres across the entire battlefield, massive mountains of amalgamated corpses towered like watchtowers overlooking the endless carnage, beckoning the remaining fighters to join them like sirens calling out at sea.
This view was not unique, Ukuar knew all too well.
He didn¡¯t need to ask the recording to pan around or fly to a different sector of the battlefield, for he knew this was just one of an uncountable number of sectors that looked exactly the same.
Such was the nature of war¡ªdirty, brutal, and disgusting.
The only distraction that finally got him to peel his eyes off the sheer devastation was the advent of the UHF¡¯s main forces.
For this view was not the aftermath of the main assault; it was merely the result of the initial skirmishes in front of the main entrance.
Only now did the sheer scale of the recording truly hit Ukuar.
Like a giant sea of ants interspersed with slightly larger rectangles, an ocean of black dots made their way across the battlefield from the south, heading towards the Stellar Republic¡¯s Wall to the north.
The colours dominating the recording gradually shifted from the brown-grey sludge of death and decay to a uniformly black sea of tiny dots.
Tens of thousands of UHF Marines advanced across the remains of their fallen brethren and sisters towards the Wall in this sector alone. This same scene was undoubtedly playing out across more than a hundred different sectors to the east and west as well.
From this far-removed perspective, the enormity of the UHF''s advance was almost surreal.
The Wall loomed in the distance, an imposing, seemingly insurmountable and indestructible barrier that had withstood countless assaults in the past.
Yet the sea of black dots moved with a relentless, continuous cadence, a seemingly endless flow of Marines surging forward with unwavering resolve.
Suddenly, as the sea of black dots reached an invisible line, all hell broke loose and the main assault officially began.
Hundreds upon thousands of artillery shells suddenly appeared from behind the Wall, their simultaneous firing sending visible shockwaves through the recording before the shells began raining down on the advancing UHF forces.
But the UHF came prepared.
Tens of thousands anti-artillery batteries sprang to life, their precise firepower targeting the incoming shells with remarkable accuracy.
The sky lit up with intercepting munitions, streams of golden, green, and red tracer rounds and lasers creating abstract paintings in the sky, blotting out the sea of black dots below with their colourful radiance.
Innumerable artillery shells exploded in mid-air, creating thousands of pyrotechnical roses of war hovering above the battlefield before they were replaced almost immediately with nearly identical copies, while sending shrapnel raining down like a torrential downpour on the Marines continuing their advance below.
Even as the anti-artillery defences worked tirelessly, some enemy shells inevitably found their mark. Large swathes of the advancing UHF forces were abruptly replaced by smoke clouds as artillery shells succeeded in their unlikely paths.
The devastation was swift and brutal, leaving countless craters and even more mangled bodies in their wake.
Yet, the sea of black dots simply continued their march forward.
The fallen were quickly replaced by more and more UHF Marines, surging forward like a never-ending, self-regenerating entity as the missing pieces in the black sea were simply filled once again by advancing Marines.
This barrage continued for what Ukuar knew were hours, yet for him, it felt like mere minutes as he fast-forwarded the recording. There was no need to watch every artillery shell and the sheer senseless death that came with this type of direct assault.
He knew there was no way around it, of course, having taken part in this type of battlefield more times than he could remember, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he despised this kind of warfare.
As the recording sped up, the battlefield continued to evolve.
After reaching another invisible line, the UHF finally got their chance to retaliate.
Many of the larger black rectangles, that Ukuar recognised as specialised siege tanks, opened fire on the Wall¡¯s defences.
Giant beams of iridescent light streaked through the air, cutting through the rain of ordnance and disrupting the previous spectacle with their raw and violent power as they crashed into the Wall¡¯s defensive installations with a force that shook the entire battlefield.
Heavy ordnance fired by long-range heavy-weapons emplacements, tanks, and mobile artillery complemented the massive beams, plunging the once insurmountable-seeming Wall into darkness as smoke, explosions, and debris obscured it entirely.
Simultaneously, thousands upon thousands of explosions ripped through the UHF¡¯s lines as the Wall¡¯s defences opened fire as well.
Thousands of laser batteries ionised the air and ripped through the smoke created by the UHF¡¯s unrelenting fire on the Wall, their superheated wrath cutting through swathes of black dots, hundreds upon thousands at a time.
The slug-match had officially begun; the scene one of utter chaos and raw firepower going in both directions with no regard for collateral, consequences or sustainability.
Yet, the black sea continued to advance.
Despite tens of thousands of Marines already dead and hundreds of thousands soon to follow, the UHF¡¯s assault did not falter nor slow down.
Pausing the recording, Ukuar made a few notes on his data-pad, this time focusing not on individuals, but on the overall progression of the assessment.
It was obvious that the destruction of the control stations and the unlikely coincidence of Sovereign Alpha finding the backup outpost had allowed the UHF¡¯s main assault to be more reckless and faster with their advance than he had ever thought possible.
He remembered the visuals of the Wall¡¯s automated defences all too vividly from the countless recordings he and the rest of the committee had watched when deciding on this particular Sub-Battlefield for the assessment.
The firepower levelled against the UHF troops in the current recording was downright laughable when compared to the full might of the Stellar Republic¡¯s Wall if the control stations were still active.
¡°It¡¯s not even a tenth as bad as it could be¡¡± he muttered to himself as he made some further notes.
In the original battle for Nova Tertius, the main assault had wrought more than 480,000 deaths on the UHF side. For the assessment, that number was shaping up to be vastly less, despite the commanders seemingly being even more reckless with their orders than in the original battle.
¡®Not that I can blame them, really. They¡¯re missing quite a number of Marines because of the Monarch¡¯s disappearance¡ Not exactly a walk in the park,¡¯ he quietly mused to himself, not envying the position that Legate Kuan and the command staff were in as a result of the Void Daemon incident.
¡®At the end of the day, the additional control stations that got destroyed, and Sovereign Alpha¡¯s interference with the backup, somehow managed to make the assessment slightly more doable than the original battle, huh? Now it¡¯s all up to the command staff¡¡¯
Continuing the recording, the assault escalated further.
As the sea of Marines crossed another invisible boundary, hundreds of ships abruptly started appearing above the battlefield.
Agile fighters zipped through the air, weaving intricate patterns to avoid incoming fire, while slow but heavily armoured and weaponized bombers lumbered behind them, firing their payloads with deadly precision.
Gunships and a myriad of other types of ships darted in and out of the SADD¡¯s bubble, manoeuvring skillfully before inevitably getting hit by anti-air fire from either side or the countless enemy ships sent to counter their presence.
Giant flaming balls of wreckage crashed down onto the sea of Marines below, claiming hundreds of lives each second but the advance never stopped.
The sky was filled with the sounds of battle, a deafening level of sheer noise made up of explosions, gunfire, and the screams of the dying and wounded.
Massive eruptions from the ship¡¯s payloads hitting the Wall ruptured through the recording¡¯s audio levels, the sheer volume and intensity overwhelming anything else.
The recording had captured the unknowable chaos in stunning detail¡ªthe AI having created a viewable spectacle far more adeptly than could be done by a drone operator or any human; for that matter.
Fighters continued to burst into flames, spiralling out of control before smashing into the ground. Bombers released their deadly cargo, the bombs, rockets and payloads exploding in blinding flashes of light, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
Unwieldy gunships hovered momentarily, unleashing torrents of unfathomable firepower before being blown apart by enemy anti-aircraft batteries.
Yet despite the carnage, the UHF forces continued to press on.
Their resolve was unshaken, even as flaming debris rained down upon them. Thousands of medics moved swiftly, desperately dragging the wounded to safety and administering first aid amidst the chaos. Newly minted officers barked orders, maintaining the momentum of the assault and keeping the troops focused on their objective.
The battlefield was a scene of unimaginable destruction and carnage, yet Ukuar knew that the worst was yet to come. After all, the main bulk of both armies had not even managed to get into engagement range yet. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
The battle continued like this, with the Wall continuously being bombarded, Marines dying in uncountable numbers, and ordnance blotting out the sun above them as they inched closer towards their goal.
Then, finally, the last invisible line was crossed, and true hell descended upon the battlefield.
As one, hundreds of thousands of Marines and Soldiers opened fire at their counterparts, having finally managed to get into range of their handheld weapons, rather than having to simply be casualties in a battle they couldn¡¯t interact with.
The noise was deafening, the crescendoing roar of gunfire and explosions having gotten to a point where the recording¡¯s audio simply failed to playback anything but static.
From the bird¡¯s eye view of the recording, Ukuar couldn¡¯t help but feel utterly detached from the experience.
There was not a single face, not a single Marine, nor a single group of Marines that he could make out, for they were all simply minuscule black dots, firing the smallest beams of light at other tiny dots atop the massive construct that was the Wall.
¡®War like this is simply insane¡¡¯ he thought to himself as he put aside his data-pad. There were no more notes to make, no more plans to evaluate. The main assault had now fully begun, and there was nothing either side could do but play it out exactly as they had planned ahead of time.
In a massive battlefield like this, there was no way either side could make any significant changes to their battle plans. Not at this stage. The sheer scale and intensity of the conflict rendered any last-minute adjustments impossible. The strategies set in motion would have to unfold as intended, with each side hoping their preparations and tactics would prove superior.
Ukuar leaned back, his eyes fixed on the screen. ¡®Let¡¯s see how Legate Kuan decided to play this.¡¯
The next few hours of the recording continued in much the same way, with both sides simply grinding down each other''s reserves, neither side bringing any big plays to bear.
For the UHF, depleting a good portion of the Stellar Republic¡¯s ships and long-range artillery was crucial, while the Stellar Republic tried their best to eliminate as many Marines as possible and keep their defences intact to delay larger deployments for as long as possible.
Ukuar shared a few of his thoughts with Zarael over that time, pointing out troop movements, such as specific flanking manoeuvres on the west and east sides to get better angels of egress, as well as further troop reinforcements from the eastern and western fronts about halfway into the battle.
Zarael took notes and tried his best to understand what the Major was elaborating on.
Despite the constant action, Ukuar found the main assault one of the least interesting aspects of the assessment, as strange as that might sound in a vacuum.
The reason was quite simple: The assessment was meant to test individuals and squads.
In a battlefield spanning hundreds of thousands of combatants, there was very little a single individual or squad could do to turn the tide. Not at this Tier, at the very least.
In some of the high-Tier Battlefields, a T6 or T7 Ace might be able to change the course of the battle by deploying one of their Class Capstone-Abilities or using a legendary-rarity weapon to disrupt both sides'' plans.
But in a T1 Battlefield, the impact any individual could have was severely limited.
Most of the significant actions had already occurred days before when the infiltration squads had destroyed or disabled the control stations. The only individuals worth analysing during this main assault were the few commanders responsible for each sector of the battle.
As such, this part of the battle held the least interest for Ukuar, despite him being very much aware of the need to check out how the main assault played out¡ªthe recording was still valuable for him to watch, if only to understand the context of events that were preceded by it later on.
The main assault reached its crescendo after a gruesome 10-hour standoff of continuous fighting when the UHF¡¯s four major siege engines were finally brought to bear¡ªmore than half a week ahead of schedule compared to the original Battlefield.
¡°Wow¡ That¡¯s early,¡± Ukuar commented absent-mindedly as he watched the colossal machines push their way over the brown-grey sludge towards the Wall¡¯s main gate.
Everything up until this point in the assault had been solely to pave the way for these massive engines of destruction, ensuring that at least a pair of them would be capable of getting in range of the gate and destroying it.
The UHF AD¡¯s siege engines were titanic constructs of metal and engineering sorcery, each played upon twelve similarly massive legs that moved forward with deliberate precision over the crater-ridden ground. Some versions of them existed that were tread-based, but they had long fallen out of favour due to their inflexibility in uneven terrains.
These colossal machines were built from heaps of T1 materials, primarily those known for their unparalleled strength and durability in their respective Tier.
The outer hulls were composed of layered composites and reinforced alloys, designed to withstand even the most intense bombardments if necessary. Each leg, as thick as several main battle tanks stacked together, was engineered to distribute the enormous weight evenly, allowing the siege engines to traverse the battlefield''s uneven terrain with ease.
Yet despite the size of the legs, without the myriad of anti-grav engines hidden inside and built into the entirety of the siege engine itself, even those would falter under the sheer weight.
The true power of these siege engines, however, lay in their paired operation.
Each machine was equipped with a massive main cannon, but the cannons fired two different payloads that needed to hit nearly simultaneously to achieve their full destructive potential.
One engine fired a massive shell of a T1 accelerant known as Rikum. The other cannon unleashed a payload containing a highly volatile and destructive T1 Material known as Ignium, familiar to the Marines of the eastern front.
The synergy between the two was crucial; the accelerant was designed to allow the Ignium to not only burn hotter and faster, but also to chew through materials far beyond its usual capacity. Where a basic shell of the IgT compound could be countered by mere T1 materials, Ignium, when properly coupled with Rikum, was capable of eating through T2 materials and could even severely damage T3 materials if left to its own devices.
To achieve this synergy, a coordinated assault with very precise timing and positioning was required, which was why the siege engines always operated in pairs.
Simply mixing the two materials together would not work, as they would instantly react and eat through any potential casings that made sense to manufacture for them. Similarly, having both in the same shell, simply separated by a wall, would also not lead to success, as the Ignium needed to be applied to an already resting form of the Rikum.
As such, pairs of siege engines had been devised that would fire near simultaneously, with the Rikum shell going first, followed closely by the Ignium to maximise its destructive capability. This combination was designed to eat through the solid T1 main gate of the Wall, creating a breach large enough for the UHF forces to exploit.
The UHF AD¡¯s siege engines were now stomping their way across the battlefield, slowly but surely getting closer and closer to their destination. The ground visibly shook with each step they took, the rhythmic booming and pounding sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
As they advanced, the battlefield seemed to hold its breath, the sheer size and power of these machines a sight to behold.
But the Stellar Republic didn¡¯t simply sit idly by, waiting for their formidable defences to inevitably be destroyed by these behemoths. They launched a series of desperate countermeasures to halt the advance of the siege engines.
First, multiple swarms of agile fighters and heavily armed bombers descended from the sky, likely representing the last major air-forces of the Stellar Republic in this area, targeting the siege engines with precision strikes. The air was filled with the roar of engines and the flash of explosions as these ships unloaded their deadly payloads.
The UHFs own air forces had long dwindled to single-digit squadrons, but they did their best to intercept as many of the incoming ships as they could. Simultaneously, anti-aircraft fire from the UHF ground forces filled the sky with literal walls of tracer rounds and flak bursts, creating a deadly aerial ballet, in many cases so thick that even the heavily armoured bombers got simply ripped to shreds.
Despite their best efforts, the fighters and bombers of the Stellar Republic struggled to penetrate the thick armour of the siege engines with their sporadic hits. Too many of them were shot down before they could deliver their payloads, their flaming wrecks crashing to the ground in fiery explosions.
But the air-assault wasn¡¯t the only play in the Stellar Republic¡¯s books, as they turned to their massive array of ground-based artillery, located safely behind the Wall, outside of reach from the UHFs forces.
Where previously, those thousands of artillery cannons had fired shrapnel and explosive shells, they had now switched to Titan Killer munitions; specifically designed T1 ammunition to breach heavily armoured vehicles.
As the initial attempts of the ships ebbed away, the bombardment started seamlessly, clearly meticulously orchestrated by the command units on the enemy side.
Blankets of thick artillery shells started descending through the dark smoke that had blotted out the sun many hours ago, their aim more precise than before, not simply aiming for quantity but also quality in destruction.
The four siege engines were inundated by the torrent of Titan Killer ammunition raining down on them, despite each engine¡¯s anti-artillery laser batteries doing their best to intercept and melt as many shells as possible before they could reach their target.
While Titan Killer ammunition was designed to be armour-piercing, the siege engines were specifically designed to outlast those.
Each impact sent shrapnel flying in all directions as the shells got ripped apart by the forces of the impact, the siege engines'' reinforced, reactive hulls absorbing and redirecting the brunt of the damage.
Still, the sheer volume of fire began to take its toll, with visible dents and scorch marks appearing on the massive machines; with rare lucky hits penetrating deep into the behemoths before wreaking havoc in their internal systems.
Each of the siege engines lost functionality in at least two legs as a result of the continued Titan Killer bombardment on their way towards the Wall, but none of them were stopped dead in their tracks.
Finally, as the siege engines threatened to reach their destinations, the Stellar Republic¡¯s last line of defence came into play.
A massive blue beam abruptly split the battlefield, crashing against the formidable armour of the siege engine closest to the main gate. The horrific screeching sound, as if the giant behemoth of metal was screaming in pain, overshadowed all other noise from the battlefield.
Combatants on both sides stopped firing in a vain attempt to cover their ears, as the siege engine¡¯s armour began to peel away.
Massive anti-tank rounds from the anti-armor cannons atop the Wall focused their fire on the stunned behemoth. Each shot visibly rocked the siege engine, slowly pushing the gigantic vehicle backward as the crew aboard struggled to maintain balance.
Then, a second blue beam appeared, boring into the left flank of the behemoth. The renewed screeching sound of metal being torn asunder overlapped with the first, creating a cacophony so loud that combatants within a few hundred metres of the siege engine simply collapsed.
The UHF¡¯s counterfire at the anti-armor cannons and the beam emitters was fierce, but it became apparent quickly that it was too late.
First, the front two legs of the siege engine buckled as the beams managed to cut through critical parts holding the front of the behemoth together.
As the front of the siege engine ducked down due to the missing legs, the combined raw kinetic forces of the anti-armor cannons, coupled with the rain of Titan Killers, caused the remaining legs to falter one after another. The siege engine crumpled onto the ground, sending a massive shockwave of debris and sludge spewing in every direction.
Even grounded, the siege engine was not destroyed, however.
Its main cannon moved painfully slowly, the crew aboard now realising they were not going to get in range for their critical shot, and instead aimed towards the beam emitter in front of them.
Before the siege engine could fire, however, the two blue beams rapidly cut across the surface of its armour towards the cannon itself, recognizing the danger the wounded beast still represented.
With the continuous screeching of metal being torn asunder, the beams reached the cannon at the exact moment the siege engine fired.
A colossal shockwave rocked the grounded siege engine backward a few metres.
Its massive payload dislodged from the front of the barrel, only to be immediately struck by the blue beams, exploding in a gigantic ball of fire that threatened to consume everything in the recording¡¯s field of view, before rapidly shrinking down again.
The huge shell filled with concentrated Ignium had exploded right above the behemoth.
Parts of the Ignium were carried by the consistent gunfire all across the battlefield, leaving burning debris and screams of melting combatants in their wake.
The vast majority of the Ignium, however, started eating its way through the exposed inner workings of the siege engine. The outer layer of its armour had long been stripped, broken, or ripped apart by the Stellar Republic¡¯s focused fire.
Moments later, the Ignium found what it had been looking for.
A cascading series of failures ruptured through the internal structure of the siege engine as the core¡¯s fail-safes were rapidly eaten away by the Ignium.
Large swathes of Marines nearby had recognized the danger the moment the siege engine had fallen, sprinting away from it with everything they could muster.
Yet, from Ukuar¡¯s bird¡¯s-eye perspective, it looked like they had barely even moved at all. The scale of the behemoths was simply too massive for a single Marine to truly understand or outrun the consequences of its failure.
Abruptly, the battlefield turned aggressively silent.
A warning flashed on the recording as it darkened itself, cautioning the viewers of potential, momentary vision impairment.
Then, the core, powered by the most volatile of the lower-Tier materials, after the final fail-safe had been eaten away, exploded. A miniature sun was born, disintegrating the siege engine and anything around it in an instant, before simply disappearing, leaving behind a crater almost a kilometre in radius and a vacuum that was rapidly filled by a massive gush of air rushing in.
¡°It¡¯s odd,¡± Ukuar commented with a stern look on his face. ¡°How we got two major Solarium explosions in a single assessment, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Simply nodding, Lieutenant Zarael agreed, ¡°Considering how rare they usually are, it is indeed quite odd. But with a main assault requiring the siege engines, I couldn¡¯t imagine how else it would go. Losing only one is a massive victory in itself, even if it did end up going critical.¡±
The Major couldn¡¯t help but agree.
In the original Battlefield, three of the four siege engines had been grounded, two of which were completely destroyed before they could even get in range to consider firing. Only through sheer luck and the sacrifice of the third grounded siege engine¡¯s crew firing off their critical shot at the gate before also exploding, had the UHF managed to get into the city itself.
The cost for victory on that day had been exorbitantly high.
With the first siege engine destroyed, the Stellar Republic¡¯s main defences focused on the next closest one, but it quickly became apparent that it was too little, too late.
Just half an hour after deployment, the siege engines had managed to get into position.
A pair of them fired their payloads at the main gate, again and again.
The once solid, impenetrable gate started rapidly melting under the continuous bombardment. Each shell of Rikium caused the Ignium already eating away at the massive gates to flare up further and further, rapidly accelerating the destructive process with each shot.
The final, remaining siege engine opened fire with its own Ignium shells, dousing the top of the Wall, the beam emitters, and the anti-armor cannons in liquid flame that ate away at anything and everything.
Ukuar paused the recording and picked up his data-pad again. ¡°Is there anything else that happens in this one, or am I right in assuming that this basically ended the main assault?¡± he asked Zarael.
¡°That¡¯s pretty much it, yeah,¡± the Lieutenant confirmed after a moment of thought.
¡°It¡¯s quite impressive just how different this assessment has played out so far¡ The fact that the Stellar Republic used up a large stockpile of their IgT-shells on the eastern front early on made the main assault a downright breeze,¡± Ukuar commented, as he wrote down his thoughts on the main assault and evaluated the work of the command staff.
¡°Not to mention the destruction of the control stations going surprisingly smoothly and the lack of backup really hurting them when it came to the siege engine response. Only having enough processing power to use two of their Cutters made a massive difference, no doubt.¡±
He noted down how he agreed with the decisions of Legate Kuan to go for a decisive push right off the bat, including the fact that he had pulled in reinforcements from both sides as well, to further spread the Stellar Republic¡¯s limited Wall defences thin.
Surprisingly enough, the loss of the Monarch¡¯s Marines had not dealt as massive a blow to the UHF forces in the assessment so far as Ukuar had expected.
While losing almost 80,000 Marines was a big hit, the type of main assaults that decided victory and defeat in these circumstances were often won without the infantry becoming important at all.
Their missing bodies would be felt a lot more once the final push into the city itself became the objective, however, something that Ukuar was looking forward to a lot more.
Without the massive scale, the massive vehicles, and the myriad of large-scale destruction stratagems, individuals and squads played a bigger role once again when it came to securing the strategic objectives within the city proper.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s move on to the next recording. I think I¡¯m done with this one,¡± Ukuar noted as he made a few final adjustments to his notes.
¡°That¡¯s it. You¡¯re all caught up, Major,¡± Lieutenant Zarael smiled. ¡°The main assault happened around five days ago. The UHF has been slowly but surely making their way through the city towards the final staging ground. It should only be¡ about one or two days now, until the advance squads are sent to clear it out.¡±
Ukuar was surprised at first, but after a few moments of thought, it started making sense.
A large portion of the assessment had taken place long before any major objectives could even be achieved¡ªmainly the landing, the trek up to the city, and the initial assault on the Wall to allow the infiltration squads to pass through.
While the first main objective had only been tackled a little over a week ago, the Marines had been fighting to get to that point for quite a lot longer.
¡°Very well. Thank you for your expertise on this matter, Lieutenant. I won¡¯t forget your kindness in providing these selected recordings to me,¡± Ukuar thanked Zarael, appreciating the over-eager Lieutenant''s assistance. Without him, Ukuar was certain he would have spent a lot more time trying to pick and choose which sections of the assessment to review.
He now had a more in-depth understanding of the overall progress of the assessment and a rather detailed rundown of how Sovereign Alpha had performed so far.
With only a single major objective remaining, the Recruits'' part in the assessment was soon to be over.
Unfortunately for him, that meant a whole host more paperwork to fill out in the very near future.
With a resigned sigh, Ukuar got up from his seat, thanked Zarael once again, and left the viewing room.
He had a few things to check, such as the open market for the Marines in the assessment and the overall ratings on the members of Sovereign Alpha, before he could write a full report for Major Quinn.
One thing he was already certain of, however, was that writing the report about their Alpha Squad, and Recruit Thea McKay in particular, was going to be a massive pain in his ass¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 112 - Final Mission
Gram in hand, Thea quietly pushed into the room on her left, while Isabella took the one on the right.
Scanning the area quickly and attentively listening for any potential enemies, Thea signalled the all-clear to the rest of the squad. As Isabella stepped out of her side room and signalled the all-clear as well, Thea felt the day''s tensions crash down on her shoulders all at once.
¡°Haaa¡ Finally,¡± she sighed heavily, leaning against the wall of the apartment they were in.
Lucas, Desmond, and Corvus had already walked past her, moving further into the apartment to claim their rest spots for the night. Karania gave Thea a gentle pat on the shoulder.
¡°You¡¯ve done good, Thea. High time to relax a bit now, huh? Tomorrow¡¯s going to be even more exhausting, I think.¡± With those words, she also went further down the hallway towards the other rooms in the apartment they had cleared out earlier, leaving Thea and Isabella behind.
¡°Ungrateful pricks,¡± Isabella complained with a clear hint of amusement in her voice. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they¡¯d just leave us here to claim the best spots. Unbelievable¡ Let¡¯s go, Thea, before we¡¯re forced to sleep on the stairs or something.¡±
Giving the offensive heavy a quick nod, the two of them hurried down the hallway to catch up with Karania and the rest of the squad.
It had been a thoroughly exhausting week for Sovereign Alpha.
Thea and Isabella especially had felt the strain, as they had finally breached the Wall and entered the city of Nova Tertius proper. Their urban expertise¡ªThea focusing on navigation while Isabella handled most of the combat preparations and battle planning¡ªhad been invaluable for the rest of the squad to get through as smoothly as they had until now.
The apartment they had found themselves in was dimly lit, the only light coming from the occasional flickering bulb or the faint glow of distant fires outside.
The silence was broken only by the extremely distant sounds of combat within the megacity and the quiet rustling of the squad settling in.
The rooms were small but offered enough space for everyone to find a spot to rest.
Lucas had claimed a corner near a window, his grenade launcher within arm¡¯s reach. Desmond was already tinkering with one of his drones, checking its systems before turning in. Corvus sat against the far wall, methodically cleaning his weapons.
By now, they were part of a six-squad strong advance team tasked with clearing out one of the initial staging grounds for the assault on the SADD¡ªtheir final mission for this assessment and one that nobody in the squad wanted to fail.
Having already failed their first mission of destroying or disabling the Control Stations in the lead-up to the main assault on the Wall, they all felt it was paramount to ensure this mission would be completed successfully.
No self-respecting Marine, much less an Alpha Squad member, would be content with a mission success rate of 0%.
While they had accumulated a significant amount of Credits, CP, and Merit, and completed numerous minor Faction Missions, Objectives, and a host of combat-related milestones, they hadn''t made significant progress on the assessment-specific Mission Objectives.
This realisation had dawned on them after the gruelling and downright mind-boggling main assault on the Wall just five days ago. Seeing the sheer scale of the battlefield in such visceral clarity had jolted even the most stoic and individualistic among them into realising they were just small cogs in an unfathomably large machine.
It was time to start spinning properly.
For Thea, the past week had also been one of thorough experimentation.
With her four Active Abilities, barring [Sensory Overdrive], having reached their Minor Alteration milestones, she had spent considerable time testing each of them to ensure she fully understood what each Ability offered and which alteration would be the most beneficial for her at the moment.
One thing had also become quite clear during this experimentation period: She would definitely swap out at least one or two of them once the assessment was over.
She had a couple of Gold-rank Accomplishments and quite a number of Silver-rank ones as well, that she could crack open in order to replace the Abilities she currently had.
It was definitely something on her to-do list, but doing so in the middle of the assessment always struck her as exceedingly awkward. It was always better to learn how to use the options at your disposal to greater effect than to try and cram new options in at the last minute¡ªthis was something that had been true all her life when it came to gaming, so it only made sense that it would be true in real life as well.
When she had prepared for some of the galactic tournaments of AoC, she¡¯d always go over her most-used moves and her mix-ups for her warmups, rather than try to learn one super high-damage but difficult combo she had never used. Similarly, she would avoid learning how to use a particular Ability of her character she had never touched.
That said, after spending around a week forcing herself to use the other Abilities at her disposal, she was certain that there were better ones out there.
¡®[Inspect Target] is definitely going to go,¡¯ she thought to herself as she prepared the sofa she had managed to claim in one of the rooms of the apartment. ¡®I¡¯ll recommend it to Desmond, though. It would be a lot more useful on him than on me if he could use it through his drones¡¡¯
She had come to this conclusion a few days earlier, after trying her best to use it on what seemed to be high-priority targets, only to realise that there really was no point in the Ability in her arsenal. If somebody was eligible for the Ability to work on them, they were, by the very nature of the restrictions on the Ability, in the line of sight of her gun.
As a sniper, she could just take out the target immediately, rather than try to figure out what their Abilities did, what Level they were, or anything of the sort.
While undoubtedly great for infiltration and information-gathering missions, this wasn¡¯t really what Thea was moving towards with her current build. She was good at stealth, and infiltration was definitely something she didn¡¯t mind at all, especially considering that it had been the majority of what she had done in this assessment so far.
However, [Inspect Target] had proven useful exactly zero times in the entire, almost month-long assessment.
As for her other Abilities, she was quite happy with where they were at, but both [Sky Step] and [Improved Sprint] were potential candidates for replacement. While they both served an infinitely more useful purpose than [Inspect Target], that wasn¡¯t exactly a high bar to clear.
[Improved Sprint], in particular, was something she wasn¡¯t particularly keen on.
It simply allowed her to run faster and keep pace with the rest of her squad, but more often than not, she was the one leading it. The stamina costs were too high for the Ability to be active all the time, so it really only helped her in those very rare situations where she needed to dash from one cover to the next.
¡®Viladia¡¯s [Shadow Step] should do the job a lot better,¡¯ she mused, thinking about the Gold-rank Ability Shard that her friend had promised her in exchange for intel on her Psyker journey. ¡®[Improved Sprint] will definitely be replaced by it, if not earlier.¡¯
[Sky Step], on the other hand, was undoubtedly cool and had its uses.
Thea had used it quite a number of times in recent days to scale obstacles or get thoroughly unexpected shooting angles at unsuspecting targets, but she wasn¡¯t too attached to it overall.
If something better came up, she wouldn¡¯t be too sad to see it go.
This was in stark contrast to [Penetrative Shot], which had proven its worth many times over and had become a major staple of her arsenal. The main issue with it was that it didn¡¯t work with Gram¡ªan oversight Thea intended to rectify after the assessment, if possible.
Her remaining, and first, Active Ability required no second thoughts whatsoever.
[Sensory Overdrive] was, had always been, and would likely always be, her main signature Ability. She had long lost count of how many times it had saved her life or those of her squad members.
The incredible scaling of raw stats it provided, further enhancing other Abilities, made it the perfect foundational Ability to base her build on¡ªsomething she had especially realised in the past week after her conversation with Zach.
But for now, before she could finally crash and pass out for the rest of the night¡ªthe rest of her squad having agreed to let her and Isabella get a full night¡¯s sleep¡ªshe had to lock in those Minor Alterations she had finally decided on.
With a few simple mental commands, she rapidly locked them all in before arraying them to take a proper look at their descriptions again.
| [Active (Iron) - Penetrative Shot | ¦Ã - Level 7]
Requirements: Ballistic, Ranged
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Stamina and Focus in order to drastically increase the penetrative power of their shot(s). However, this augmented shot is incapable of penetrating materials beyond a predetermined tier.
Alteration ¦Ã: When the Ability''s charge is used up, immediately accelerates the projectile by 100%.
Cost: 30 Stamina + 30 Focus - Factor: 5x -> 8.733x - Maximum Material Tier: 1 - Effect Duration: 1 shot(s) or 1 -> 1.933 second(s). |
| [Active (Silver) - Sky Step | ¦Â - Level 6]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Focus and Stamina to temporarily create a solid plane below their feet, up to a certain number of times. These planes are 1cm thick, 20x20cm wide, and can sustain a maximum amount of weight before breaking. The planes will break if enough force is applied to them, based on a factor of their maximum weight allowance.
Alteration ¦Â: Lowers the Focus and Stamina cost of subsequent uses by 25%, if used within at most two seconds of one another.
Cost: 30 Stamina + 30 Focus - Duration: 1 -> 1.66 second(s)
Maximum Planes: 1 -> 2 - Maximum Weight: 150kg -> 180kg |
| [Active (Copper) - Improved Sprint | ¦Á - Level 6]
Description: Allows the participant to use a certain amount of Stamina to briefly boost their movement speed, based on a percentage of their baseline, up to a maximum speed.
Alteration ¦Á: Improves the Boost Factor by 20% of the usual level curve.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Cost: 30 Stamina - Effect Duration: 10 -> 11.5 seconds - Boost Factor: 50% -> 56% ¡ú 67.2%
Maximum Movement Speed: 30m/s -> 39m/s |
| [Active (Iron) - Inspect Target | ¦Ã - Level 6]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Focus in order to inspect another participant¡¯s basic profile. The full basic profile lists a rough estimate of the Level, Attribute spread and the most used Active- and Passive-type Ability of the inspected target. This Ability relies on the participant¡¯s Perception Attribute to overcome resistances.
Alteration ¦Ã: If Resistance is broken by at least 200%, Advanced Profile will be displayed instead. (Advanced Profiles include the top 2 Active and Top 3 Passive Abilities, as well as the Class of the Target)
Cost: 60 Focus - Maximum Targets: 1 -> 2 - Perception Scaling: 20 -> 26% |
Nodding to herself in satisfaction at her choices and the updated descriptions for her Abilities, she slumped onto the sofa and closed her eyes, falling asleep immediately¡
The very next morning was filled with last-minute reminders by Corvus about their mission parameters and the overall plan for the coming hours and days.
They had convened in what appeared to be the living room of the random apartment they had commandeered for the night, with everyone simply lounging and finding space where they could.
The apartment had a musty smell, a mixture of old furniture, dust, and the faint, lingering scent of mildew. The occasional distant rumble of massive explosions could be heard, a reminder of the ongoing battle for the megacity outside their temporary sanctuary.
Isabella was splayed out on a couch, clearly enjoying the soft comfort it provided.
Lucas and Desmond had found some chairs to sit on, while Karania had decided to sit on the floor next to a coffee table. The reason for her choice became apparent very quickly as she pulled out her blood-letting utensils almost immediately and began filling more and more of her blood into vials for the ¡°ready-to-use-Kara-sealant,¡± as she liked to call it.
Thea had ended up on the same couch as Isabella, taking up about a sixth of the entire space as she had pushed herself up against the armrest on the opposite side to give the offensive heavy all the space she needed to enjoy the short rest.
Corvus was positioned centrally, using the other side of the coffee table¡ªthe small portion not taken up by copious amounts of canteens and vials filled with crimson liquid¡ªto place his data-pad, displaying holographic maps and scans of the upcoming field of battle.
¡°Our upcoming mission is to fully clear out this compound,¡± Corvus explained, gesturing towards the holographic scan of an urban complex. The hologram showed a massive rectangular behemoth of rockcrete and glass that looked like it could easily accommodate thousands of office workers. ¡°It¡¯s a large office area, interconnected through skywalks and features a pretty sizable central park where our forces can make camp.¡±
He zoomed in on the scan, highlighting different areas within the compound with various colours. Red, yellow, green, blue, and purple sections painted the hologram in a rainbow of colour. ¡°It¡¯s far enough away from the main army¡¯s current trajectory to not be considered a viable defensive position for the enemy, but close enough for us and the rest of the advance squads to quickly break off and lead a decisive strike against it. Our intel estimates around one to two hundred enemy soldiers stationed inside.¡±
¡°Two hundred at most?¡± Lucas interjected, eyebrows raised. ¡°That sounds downright manageable, compared to the Control Station Mission.¡±
¡°Manageable, yes,¡± Corvus nodded with a terse smile, ¡°but don¡¯t get complacent. We¡¯ll still need to be on high alert; wouldn¡¯t be the first time Intel was wrong on things this Assessment.¡±
Corvus switched the hologram view to show the numerous entryways and exits of the compound. ¡°The compound itself features more than two dozen entryways and exits. We¡¯ll decide on how to get in based on what we see when we get there¡ªwe¡¯ll play it by ear. It¡¯s six stories tall all around with a flat roof, which is one of the main reasons Command is interested in this specific compound for the staging ground. It will allow our forces to not only commandeer a great number of sightlines but also allow us, as a squad, to hold down the fort fairly easily until the rest of the army arrives.¡±
¡°So¡ Clear out and hold? We¡¯re just playing watchdogs until backup comes and then we¡¯re done?¡± Isabella asked, a smirk on her face.
¡°Essentially, yes,¡± Corvus replied with a chuckle. ¡°But remember, we¡¯re not entirely alone on this, either. We have another five squads with us¡ªtwo other Alpha Squads as well as three Beta Squads, one of which is from our ship. So let¡¯s show them what Sovereign Alpha is made of. We don¡¯t want to end up performing worse than our Beta Squad, do we?¡± There was an underlying tension in his words, emphasising the seriousness of their mission¡¯s success despite the light-hearted jab.
A round of nods and agreements followed from the rest of the squad. None of them wanted to risk losing their status as Sovereign Alpha 01 anytime soon.
¡°As for where we can expect the most resistance,¡± Corvus continued, his voice steady and authoritative, ¡°the red sections are confirmed enemy contacts by Intel. The areas marked in yellow are hypothesised to hold additional forces. Purple indicates areas where we should expect auto-turret setups or other automatic defence systems, so we¡¯ll have to manoeuvre around those extremely carefully.¡±
He paused, his eyes scanning the squad before landing on Lucas and Thea. ¡°Lucas, Thea, I trust that you two are ready to take out any potential areas like that? It seems you have some level of experience with auto-turrets,¡± he addressed them directly.
Lucas gave a confident nod, and Thea replied with a firm, ¡°Absolutely.¡±
¡°Perfect,¡± Corvus said with a sly smile. ¡°It¡¯s honestly kind of a cheat to have the ability to just fight auto-turrets head-on like that. I doubt any other squad in this assessment can just decide to go straight through auto-turret defences like we can.¡±
Isabella chuckled, ¡°Always nice to have an edge.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Corvus agreed, then continued, ¡°Now, the green sections are potential supply caches. If we can secure these, they¡¯ll give us a significant advantage, not just in terms of equipment, but also in terms of denying those supplies to the enemy. If we can¡¯t secure them, they might be viable areas for explosives as they will likely include a not-insignificant amount of ammunition themselves.¡±
Desmond raised a hand, ¡°What about the blue areas?¡±
¡°Good question,¡± Corvus acknowledged. ¡°The blue areas are structural weak points. If we need to create new entry points or even cause sections of the building to collapse to block enemy movements, those are our targets. Desmond, I want you to coordinate with Isabella on that¡ªyour drones can help identify and target these weak points without us having to just run up to every single one and manually check them. Though, naturally, it should go without saying that we will want to avoid any massive structural damage to the complex itself, as the UHF is intending to use it as a staging ground. You can¡¯t exactly stage much of anything on a pile of rubble.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Desmond replied, seemingly falling into deep contemplation immediately about how to best direct and use his drones for this task.
Karania, still seated on the floor, chimed in, ¡°What¡¯s the plan if we encounter civilians?¡±
The room turned a bit more tense at her question, and Thea couldn¡¯t help but think back to the one incident involving civilians during the Control Station assault.
¡®I figured Kara would still be upset about that¡ Even if it was necessary, I can¡¯t exactly fault her. She¡¯s always been all about saving everyone she could,¡¯ Thea mused as she waited for Corvus to answer¡ªluckily, it wasn¡¯t her call, this time around.
¡°Good point, Karania,¡± Corvus replied, his tone deadly serious. ¡°If we encounter civilians, our priority is making sure they¡¯re not in the line of fire. We¡¯ll secure them in a safe location within the compound, forcibly if we have to, and continue with our mission¡ªwe can¡¯t afford to waste too much time trying to negotiate or argue with them. If they end up threatening us, they are to be considered enemy combatants; you should know what to do in that case. Any questions on that?¡±
The squad members shook their heads, even if both Lucas and Karania had a sour look on their faces as they did, understanding the necessity for such clear-cut lines.
¡°Alright then,¡± Corvus concluded, his voice filled with his typical, all-encompassing determination. ¡°We move out in ten minutes. Make sure your gear is ready, get some food in you, and be prepared for anything. This mission is critical, and I know we can pull it off. So let¡¯s finish this assessment with a bang!¡±
Half an hour later, the squad led by Thea navigated the alleyways and streets of one of Nova Tertius¡¯ corporate districts. Towering skyscrapers and monumental office complexes loomed over them as they made their way through the urban jungle.
The rare thumps of extremely distant explosions from the main armies clashing dozens of kilometres to the south echoed faintly, adding a tense backdrop to their mission.
¡°Let¡¯s break off into the alley on our right here,¡± Thea ordered quietly through their squad¡¯s comms. The massive battle raging to the south made the threat of detection through comm usage practically non-existent.
The squad followed her into a nearby alley, a damp and dark passage between two residential buildings.
Taking cover behind the outcrop of an indented entrance, Thea stopped and gestured for the rest to huddle up.
¡°Desmond, get us some eyes on the complex. We should be close enough now to give you some good angles,¡± she addressed the drone operator before turning to Corvus.
¡°Any plans on how to move forward? I can get us right on the opposite side of the street from the complex, but we¡¯ll have to cross the street somehow. Do we want to smoke it out, go in guns blazing or¡?¡±
Corvus took a moment to contemplate. ¡°Get us closer and we¡¯ll make a decision once Desmond has some more intel for us. I don¡¯t entirely trust Command¡¯s Intel after everything we¡¯ve been through in this assessment so far. Better to spend some extra time to double-check and work off of accurate intel than blindly follow potentially faulty ones.¡±
¡°Roger that,¡± Thea replied, before gesturing for the rest to follow and dashing back out into the alley, not wasting any time.
Desmond started two of his four prepared drones, manoeuvring them through nearby buildings, streets, and alleyways towards the complex to gather the intel they needed.
The abandoned districts of the megacity were eerie and utterly silent.
A huge portion of the city had been evacuated, leaving these areas as complete ghost towns.
Hundreds of cars were piled up on the roads and sidewalks from traffic jams that had been abandoned during the evacuation.
They crossed the next street stealthily, using the abandoned vehicles for cover.
Thea led them through a nearby coffee shop to avoid running alongside the open streets, quickly and quietly manoeuvring them through the deserted establishment and out the back door onto the other side of the building.
Only one more street and building to clear, before they¡¯d be standing right across from the giant office complex that was their mission objective.
¡°Empyrean Alpha 01 and 02, as well as Hegemon Alpha 01 are in place,¡± Corvus remarked over their comms. ¡°Sovereign Alpha 02 and Hegemon Alpha 02 are approaching the compound from the west and should be ready by the time we get there.¡±
Thea nodded, signalling the squad to continue.
Once again, they crossed a street filled with dozens of abandoned vehicles before ducking into a nearby alley and reconvening.
¡°We will stop here,¡± Thea announced, gesturing for the rest of the squad to make sure they didn¡¯t move past her¡ªtoo great was the risk of an enemy soldier looking out of one of the hundreds of windows on the complex and staring down the alley they were hiding in.
The squad crouched behind dumpsters and in doorways, blending into the shadows of the deserted alley.
Catching Thea¡¯s implicit ball to take the lead again, Corvus asked, ¡°Desmond, how¡¯s it looking?¡±
Desmond, his eyes focused on the feed from his drones, began his rundown. ¡°The exterior of the complex is, unsurprisingly, heavily guarded. There are sentries posted at each of the main entry points¡ªseems to be around a squad¡¯s worth for each entrance. They¡¯ve got patrols moving in a regular pattern around the perimeter as well. I count about sixty soldiers just on the outside and the entrances.¡±
He switched the view to show the rooftops and upper floors. ¡°On the rooftops, they¡¯ve set up a couple of sniper nests and lookouts. I have no idea how we¡¯ll get close enough to be hidden from them, considering that we¡¯ll have to cross that main-road¡ They also have a few automated turrets, here, here, and here,¡± he pointed out, marking the specific spots in purple on the map that Corvus was providing with his data-pad. ¡°Those will be a massive issue, if we can¡¯t take them out somehow. They¡¯re practically overlooking every conceivable angle of approach.¡±
Desmond¡¯s drones then zoomed in on the windows, providing glimpses inside the building.
¡°Through the windows, I can see additional troops stationed on the lower levels, probably another hundred or so. They seem to be preparing for an assault, lots of movement and equipment being set up. It looks like they¡¯re expecting us¡ªor something like us¡ª, but they haven¡¯t spotted our exact positions yet. The other advance squads don¡¯t seem to have been spotted yet, either.¡±
Corvus absorbed the information, considering their next move.
¡°We¡¯ll need to take out those auto-turrets first,¡± he said. ¡°Lucas, Thea, you two are up for the two turrets on our side. It should be these ones, here and here. You can take cover inside the building on our right,¡± he pointed everything out on the map.
¡°Got it,¡± Lucas and Thea replied in unison, already mentally preparing for their tasks.
With a focused look on his face, Corvus continued, ¡°Isabella, Kara, Desmond, and I will be providing covering fire against any potential rapid responses from the alley. Let¡¯s get set up, and I¡¯ll comms in once the other squads are in position as well. Oo-Rah?¡±
A whispered ¡°Oo-Rah!¡± followed before everyone darted off to their positions.
As Thea and Lucas made their way into the nearby building and up to the second floor, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surprising sense of calm despite the daunting task ahead. The building was eerily quiet, the air thick with dust and the faint scent of mold. The distant thumps of explosions from the main armies clashing miles away occasionally vibrated through the walls, a constant reminder of the larger conflict at play.
¡®Not having to make all the decisions and lead the squad is such bliss¡ I¡¯ll never let Corvus push that on me again, that¡¯s for sure,¡¯ she mused to herself with a smirk as she double-checked and prepared her Gram for the upcoming firefight¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 113 - Certainty
Everyone was in position, their equipment checked and ready for the assault on the compound, yet Sovereign Alpha 01 had to hold their fire still.
The air inside the little office Thea and Lucas were in was tense, bristling with anticipation; primarily from her side.
¡°SA02 and HA02 are still en route. They ran into an unexpected dead-end; it seems that some kind of shell went wide and hit a nearby building, collapsing it into the alley they intended to take,¡± Corvus quietly reported over the squad comms. ¡°They should be ready in around three minutes. Stay vigilant.¡±
Thea made quick eye contact with Lucas behind her, both nodding to confirm they had heard the orders. She relaxed her stance ever so slightly but remained alert.
Deep down, however, she was practically raring to go.
It had been almost a week and a half since they had taken part in a major firefight, and she was becoming stir-crazy from all the potential Credits, Merit, and CP wasted by having to be part of the main army on their way through the city.
Sure, they had been part of dozens of smaller skirmishes, but when one had a couple hundred thousand Marines pressing down on the enemy position with unyielding force, it wasn¡¯t the same as going up against superior numbers.
Crushing everything in their path lacked the certain feeling of challenge that she craved.
Something about the ease of their victories since breaching the Wall had rubbed Thea the wrong way. While it was good to see that the UHF had the upper hand, for her, it felt more like busywork than anything else.
¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t really enjoy war this much in the first place,¡¯ she thought somewhat critically, reflecting on her eagerness for combat. ¡®Especially not the parts where I¡¯m likely to get killed by going up against really bad odds; the difficult parts.¡¯
Regardless, she couldn¡¯t deny that she was excited for the upcoming assault. It was bound to be gruelling and exhausting, but in some way, that certainty itself made it all the more thrilling for her. The challenge, the danger, and the opportunity to prove herself in the heat of battle were things she simply couldn¡¯t help but look forward to.
The building that Thea and Lucas had commandeered for this initial part of their assault was some kind of warehouse/office hybrid.
A large section of it was taken up by a big open hall, filled with sturdy metal shelves and crates stacked up to the ten-metre high ceiling. The last quarter of the building, where Lucas and she were stationed, was more of an office complex, with a large open floor filled with standard-issue cubicles.
It was a strange sensation to be in a place like this, which looked as if it had still been in use just mere hours ago.
Cups of cold coffee were strewn about the workstations of whoever had worked here before, and holo-docs full of company-internal information lay around in the open, ready for anyone to simply pick up and read. The faint smell of old coffee and stale air filled the room, adding to the surreal atmosphere of the abandoned office.
¡®The evacuation must have been extremely abrupt, for people to simply leave in the middle of everything. Nobody even bothered to close the windows, much less lock the doors on their way out,¡¯ Thea thought as her gaze swept over the desolate office space.
The light tapping of her index and middle finger on the Gram¡¯s body was the only sound breaking the eerie silence of the room, the restless energy inside of her manifesting in a tick she hadn¡¯t really paid attention to in years.
She was posted up, hunkered against the left-most wall of the office area, with her Gram leaning lazily on the top of one of the office cubicles. Lucas was just behind her, Stalwart and Havoc at the ready.
He caught her eyes with his own and gave a reassuring nod, seemingly interpreting her restless and absent-minded glances as nervousness. She returned a simple smile and a nod of her own, her face still fully visible as she wasn¡¯t wearing her full mask.
¡®Actually, I probably should equip it now. Better to have it on and not need it, than need it and not have it on,¡¯ Thea realised, silently thanking Lucas¡¯ presence for reminding her. She quickly pulled it from her backpack and slotted it in, making sure the seals were fastened and secure, before giving Lucas a quick thumbs-up in thanks.
The warehouse briefly echoed with the distant thumps of undoubtedly massive explosions from the main armies fighting dozens of kilometres to the south, a constant reminder of the larger battle raging beyond their immediate mission.
The wait seemed downright endless, anticipation continuing to build inside her as she waited for Corvus¡¯ voice to ring through the comms and give her the go-ahead to let loose.
The silence stretched on, every second feeling like an eternity.
Thea was very much aware of why this particular assault had her so excited, aside from the obvious: It would be the first time since the very first day of the assessment that she would be part of a full Alpha Squad assault team.
It was crazy to think that they had been inside the assessment for almost a full month, with their deadline rapidly approaching, yet they had only really spent a few hours fighting as a full squad¡ªthe majority of which had been on the very first day.
While the patrols prior to the eastern-front assault, the main assault, and the skirmishes following their foray into the city had technically been full-squad endeavours, they didn¡¯t really count in her mind.
There was a big difference between the six of them working together as a tight-knit group to accomplish a specific goal and the six of them simply being together while things just happened around them.
Somewhat lost in her thoughts, she was slightly startled when Corvus¡¯ voice sprang up over the comms again.
¡°SA02 and HA02 are in position. All squads are ready to engage. Confirm your position and readiness,¡± he reported.
Thea immediately clicked her comms twice to indicate she was ready to go, hearing the non-verbal confirmation clicks of the rest of her squad come through mere moments later as well. Lucas also double-tapped her on the shoulder, signalling his position and readiness for their upcoming opening.
The two of them had spent quite some time discussing ways to work together over the past week, especially for circumstances exactly like this.
Corvus had insisted they come up with plans and specific manoeuvres to take out auto-turret emplacements, after hearing their stories from their time inside Nova Tertius¡¯ service tunnels during the infiltration.
At first, he hadn¡¯t even believed them when they told him they could take out auto-turrets head-on. His training prior to joining the UHF had ingrained in him that such defences were practically unbeatable with a frontal assault.
It had taken the combined efforts of the whole squad to convince him.
The recording from one of Desmond¡¯s drones, which happened to capture her and Lucas taking out the first auto-turret together, had been a definite lynchpin in their arguments.
Even with the recording, they had to practically beg Corvus to consider them as a viable option. Once they had finally passed that initial hurdle, he gave them a lot of homework.
Corvus asked them to come up with at least five different, viable options for taking out auto-turret emplacements with varying degrees of difficulty. These scenarios included grenade-ADS like the ones they had encountered in the last junction inside the service tunnels, multiple auto-turrets set up to cover each other, varying numbers of Stellar Republic Soldiers defending the turret, and a variety of different layouts and potential cover options.
It had taken the two of them nearly four days to develop manoeuvres that Corvus deemed ¡°satisfactory¡± enough to consider them viable and add them to his arsenal.
This was going to be their inaugural test, and both of them knew it.
After all that effort and time spent, they really couldn¡¯t afford to fumble this opening. It would be hard to regain Corvus¡¯ trust if they simply got mowed down by the auto-turrets the instant everything kicked off.
¡°On my mark,¡± Corvus¡¯ whispered commands rang through the comms in Thea¡¯s helmet.
¡°Three¡¡±
Gripping the Gram tightly, Thea inched her fingers towards the trigger, mentally preparing for the next crucial steps. She visualised each movement, feeling her muscles respond subtly with each thought, like a prelude to the imminent action.
¡°Two¡¡±
Breathing out slowly to calm any errant nerves that might cause her to jitter or not be able to properly follow the path in her own mind, she focused down on the sights of her Gram.
She aimed directly at the corner of the wall in front of her, which was connected to the large windows facing the office complex across the street. It would only take half a step to clear the corner and fire at one of the two auto-turrets aiming in their direction¡ªthe same amount of movement that would allow the turrets to see her as well.
¡°One¡¡±
Taking a deep breath and releasing half of it, Thea''s focus reached its peak.
Everything around her turned into a hazy, dream-like state; the only thing in full clarity was the sights of her Gram. The distant echoes of explosions, the ripples and quakes of their existence, and even Lucas¡¯ breathing behind her became utterly and completely silent as she concentrated her entire reservoir of Perception on the upcoming shot.
She felt the warning signs deep inside of her chest rise together with her preparedness, as her Short-Term Precognition warned her of the dangers in what she was about to attempt, but they were not at a level where she was concerned quite yet. Her Psychic Powers warned of extremely tight tolerances, but the certainty provided by her Inheritance made it all a moot point.
Thea already knew it was all going to go according to plan.
¡°Mark.¡±
Corvus¡¯ command hadn¡¯t even transmitted to her helmet yet, before Thea started her movement, stepping out of cover ever-so-slightly, before firing off her Gram; long having confirmed the exact angle required to guarantee a hit.
As Corvus¡¯ voice echoed through her helmet, she was already mid-way through kicking off of the cubicle in front of her to get away from the second auto-turret¡¯s line of fire and behind Lucas¡¯ Stalwart, the first auto-turret¡¯s barrel and firing apparatus melted by her Gram¡¯s laser at the same time.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Lucas¡¯ full-cover shield slammed down in front of Thea just as the first bullets from the second auto-turret tore through the window, shredding the cubicle they had hidden behind and sending debris flying in all directions.
The rhythmic prattling of high-calibre rounds impacting the Stalwart echoed through the office, creating a cacophony of destruction. Thea quickly got back into a crouched stance, having flung herself onto her back after the jump to minimise her profile.
She wasted no time, shouldering the Gram once again, and lightly tapped Lucas¡¯ right foot twice.
¡®Three, two, one,¡¯ she counted down in her head, following their pre-established timings and trained responses, trusting both her Psychic Powers and Lucas¡¯ capabilities to make sure that their movements and actions were synchronised perfectly.
¡®Now.¡¯
She leaned hard to the right just as Lucas pulled the shield to the left, and fired immediately.
The laser from her Gram singed the right side of the Stalwart every so slightly as it cleared out from behind the cover, racing towards the auto-turret almost at the speed of light.
The beam found a minuscule opening in the turret¡¯s armoured casing, burning through the barrel and firing mechanism in an instant, neutralising the last major hurdle for Sovereign Alpha 01 to cross the street towards the compound.
Thea ducked behind the adjacent cubicle, letting herself fall to the ground without trying to stay upright.
The Stellar Republic¡¯s counter-fire, courtesy of the two squads of Soldiers tasked with overseeing the auto-turret setup atop the compound¡¯s roof, began ripping through the office.
The noise levels and sheer firepower levelled against them rapidly mounted as the Stellar Republic forces began to duplicate atop the building.
The two squads turned into four, then six, all firing into the office with rabid abandon.
Lasers and bullets transformed the previously serene interior into a scene of pure chaos, with glass, rockcrete, plastic, and myriads of other materials inundating the air.
Thea rapidly crawled towards Lucas, keeping her head down as much as possible as the debris turned into potentially deadly shrapnel, who stepped closer to cover her with the Stalwart¡¯s impenetrable bulk.
Once she was safely behind the shield, Thea immediately commed through to the rest of the squad.
¡°Both priority targets down. We¡¯re pinned,¡± she reported, double-checking the digital compass on her HUD. ¡°Two enemy squads atop the building, positions 178 and 194 from our location. They¡¯re duplicating!¡±
While they could likely attempt a careful retreat or even return fire from behind cover, they had already decided against risking it. After all, why risk potentially getting shot when you had another four Marines ready to help from a different angle?
Lucas and Thea shared a quick high-five, both relieved that their opening had gone almost exactly according to plan, the slight singeing of the Stalwart¡¯s right edge notwithstanding.
At that moment, the roar of Isabella¡¯s Devastator rang out from the alley to their left. The return fire prattling against the Stalwart ebbed significantly as the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces were ripped apart by the high-calibre rounds of her rotary machine gun or scrambled for cover.
¡°Let¡¯s clear them out,¡± Thea commed to Lucas, feeling that the amount of fire focused on them was now more manageable. A quick nod from him was all she needed to start moving.
Briefly ducking out from the right-hand side of the shield, Thea fired off three quick, consecutive shots into the first enemy Soldiers that came into her sight.
She immediately ducked down again, her Psychic Senses screaming of imminent danger.
Bullets and lasers ripped past her, mere centimetres away, striking the right-side edge of the Stalwart, but Thea was already in cover and moving towards the left-hand side.
¡®Damn, I didn¡¯t get a single Duplicator on that try! I wonder if they¡¯re already completely in cover and only letting the expendables fight¡?¡¯ she thought to herself in frustration, realising that her previous shots hadn¡¯t landed any critical kills.
While cutting down the horde of enemies was always beneficial, if they couldn¡¯t kill the original Duplicators, they¡¯d be bogged down in this firefight for quite some time.
Thea herself was likely to be fine, even with an hour-long back and forth, as she didn¡¯t have any real risk of getting clipped by random enemy fire, but the rest of her squad didn¡¯t have this luxury.
A single misstep was all it would take for them to be out for the count, while the enemy Soldiers could stay in hiding and let their expendable duplicates do all the work until they got a lucky hit¡ªall it took was one to severely limit the firepower on Alpha Squad¡¯s side.
Taking advantage of the nearly three-metre wide cover that the deployed Stalwart provided, Thea broke into a sprint before throwing herself on her back and sliding across the ground as she crested the shield¡¯s leftmost edge.
The smell of burnt material, blasted-off rockcrete and ionised air filled the room, in stark contrast to the almost sterile office environment it had been just moments before.
The office¡¯s air was completely filled with smoke and debris from the ongoing gunfire by now, making it nearly impossible for her to see the enemy, but ultimately, she didn¡¯t need to.
As she slid across the office floor towards the nearest wall on her left, Thea simply fired into the smoke, fully relying on her Psychic Senses to provide her with the necessary information to hit the enemy soldiers on the opposite side of the street.
With each shot she took, the incoming fire ebbed away, one enemy weapon silenced after another. It was the very enemies¡¯ return fire itself that gave her the confidence she needed to take each shot, as they were a guaranteed, sure-fire giveaway of whether or not she was hitting her targets.
Her Short-Term Precognition did the heavy lifting, as she simply relied on the fact that firing into the smoke would result in either one of two consequences: She wouldn¡¯t hit and the Stellar Republic¡¯s fire would continue as before, or she would hit her target and remove their return fire from the equation.
With only two possible outcomes for each of her shots, her Psychic Powers were in full control, regardless of whether she could actually see the enemy or not.
Each successful hit brought a brief moment of reprieve, the cacophony of gunfire momentarily dipping as one enemy after another fell silent.
In the roughly two seconds it took for her to reach the office wall on the left and take cover in the doorframe, she fired off seven shots¡ªthe return fire having ebbed away quite significantly being a testament to their efficacy.
The Stellar Republic¡¯s forces did not relent, however, as the fire into their office became more concentrated once again. The duplicated Soldiers tried their best to follow the trails of her Gram¡¯s laser, now slowly ripping into the wall that Thea was seeking cover behind.
Simultaneously, dull thumps sounded out from her right side as Lucas had seemingly found a way to get his Havoc launcher deployed at an angle that could fire out without hitting the ceiling of the office.
It was an issue they hadn¡¯t fully considered before choosing this particular building, but fortunately, it hadn''t become a significant detriment to their operation so far.
Explosions started echoing out from the opposite side of the street, although their efficiency was limited as Lucas was firing blind into the debris and smoke.
¡°Higher by about three degrees,¡± Desmond¡¯s voice over the comms suddenly cut through the cacophony. Further thumps went out after Lucas adjusted his aim, followed by additional explosions ripping across the street.
Without wasting a moment, Desmond continued to give targeting information over the comms, ¡°Fire for effect, you¡¯re on target. Swing left around fifteen degrees for the second group after your next four to five shots.¡±
Listening to the feedback and watching Lucas adjust accordingly without a second of hesitation, Thea realised she had a massive grin on her face, the exhilaration and adrenaline of the firefight rushing through her, combined with the knowledge that the rest of her squad was performing at their best.
Having Desmond jump in and immediately provide targeting information, even before Lucas or she had to mention they were blind, was exactly the kind of elite-level coordination she had always sought in her teammates but had never found before.
¡®Truly Alpha Squad reactions and behaviour,¡¯ she mused as she waited for the gunfire around her position to die down enough for her to move again. Stuck in the narrow door frame as her only means of cover, she relied on the rest of her squad to bail her out.
As she glanced around the office, she could see rapidly mounting results of Lucas''s blind fire guided by Desmond''s precise instructions: The enemy''s return fire had significantly slackened, indicating their forces were being effectively suppressed or blown apart entirely.
The remnants of the enemy''s firepower sporadically pinged off Lucas''s shield and past or into the wall Thea was seeking cover behind, but it was clear the tide was quickly turning in their favour.
"Thea, we¡¯re pinned down by sniper fire from the fourth floor at around 154. Can you do something about that?¡± Isabella¡¯s voice rang out over the comms, tinged with a slight undertone of pain and annoyance.
Taking that request as her cue to get back into the action, Thea ducked around the left-hand side, past the door frame, and into the second, smaller office section that had not seen too much combat yet.
This room contrasted starkly with the one Lucas was currently in, which was filled with smoke, debris, and the acrid smell of burning materials. Shattered glass, bits of rockcrete and the broken remnants of the cubicles and their interiors littered the floor, creating an environment of utter chaos.
In contrast, the smaller office section was relatively untouched.
It had likely once been the office of a manager or someone important, as it was devoid of cubicles and instead featured a large, natural-wood desk in the centre of the room. Behind the desk was a comfy-looking, cushioned chair, and a large shelf filled with all manner of statues, diplomas, and even the occasional rare book.
The air in this room was significantly less polluted as well, lacking the heavy, burnt ozone odour and rockcrete dust that permeated the rest of the building. The dim lighting and intact decor gave it an almost eerie, undisturbed feel amidst the chaos outside.
For Thea, however, none of that mattered, except for the untouched windows.
She was glad that the firefight hadn¡¯t quite managed to break the windows on this office yet, as the blackened exterior of them provided enough cover for her next moves.
She quickly flipped the massive desk over, straining and lifting with both hands at the considerable weight, before shoving it toward the large window as a form of makeshift cover. While most of the enemy¡¯s fire would likely be able to penetrate it after a few shots, any cover was better than none; even if only as a form of line-of-sight inhibitor.
Positioning herself behind the desk, Thea steadied her breathing and focused her senses.
The relative quiet of the room allowed her to zero in on the faint sounds of high-calibre sniper fire from outside. She adjusted her Gram, taking a careful aim through the window, her eyes scanning for any hint of movement on the fourth floor of the opposite building.
The moment she spotted the muzzle-flash of the enemy sniper¡¯s rifle firing, Thea pulled the trigger. The laser from her Gram pierced through the window, leaving a perfectly round, molten hole behind, before instantly hitting the Stellar Republic¡¯s sniper.
She didn¡¯t need to wait to confirm her hit; her Psychic Senses told her she had struck true even before she pulled the trigger.
Swiftly, Thea fired off another three shots in rapid succession.
Each laser beam sliced through the slightly smoky air, creating small trails of vapour as they exited the room. The beams connected with their targets in the blink of an eye, causing them to fall where they stood.
Without pausing, Thea immediately ducked behind the desk and inched closer towards the left-most wall. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slid along the cool, rough surface of the wall, trying to make herself as small a target as possible.
She managed to press herself flat against it just in time, before retaliatory fire from the second and third floors, as well as from some of the remaining Soldiers atop the building, ripped through the window and began pelting the wooden desk.
The once-sturdy desk was no match for the barrage of bullets and laser fire. Splinters flew in all directions, the sound of wood cracking and splintering filling the air. Within moments, the desk was reduced to a pile of shredded and smoking timber, its contents scattered across the floor.
The room, once a semblance of calm amidst the chaos, was now as much of a war zone as the one Lucas was still residing in.
The diplomas and statues that had lined the shelves were obliterated, fragments of glass and ceramic mixing with the rest of the debris, and catapulted across the room like shrapnel from uncountable grenades. The smell of burning wood, evaporated ozone and the sharp tang of hot metal filled her nostrils.
Pressing herself even tighter against the wall, Thea took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart before activating her squad comms once more. ¡°Four snipers down at the designated location. I¡¯m pinned down in the left-most office by enemies on the second and third floors, as well as the roof. Give me some cover to reposition.¡±
Thea''s voice was steady, despite the chaos around her and her rapidly beating heart.
The sounds of bullets and laser fire echoed through the small office, mixing with the distant rumble of explosions and firefights that had been kicked off all around the compound by the rest of the advance squads. The air was thick with dust, smoke and debris, the once-pristine office now a battlefield of shattered glass, splintered wood, broken ceramic, and scorched metal.
It was time to rely on the rest of her squad to provide the opening she needed.
She pressed herself harder against the wall, feeling the rough texture against her back as she minimised her profile. For the first time in her life, she had no doubts about her teammates'' ability to handle the situation; they were her squad, after all.
The rest of Alpha Squad would come through.
As she patiently waited for the covering fire, Thea¡¯s mind, instead of worrying about the rest of her squad, raced with potential strategies. She visualised her next moves, thinking about possible angles and potential opportunities she could take advantage of.
She was distinctly aware that she and the rest of the squad needed to turn the tide of the firefight more and more in their favour over the next few exchanges, before the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces had the time to bring their vastly superior numbers to bear¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 114 - Exchanges
The sound of Isabella¡¯s Devastation roaring from the alleyway on Thea¡¯s left was like music to her ears. Taking out the designated snipers had apparently been enough for the squad outside the building to resume their fire support.
Still pressed tightly against the wall of the office building, Thea waited a few more heartbeats before trying to move¡ªonly for her psychic senses to once again scream in danger.
¡®Not yet, huh? Alright then,¡¯ she thought to herself, ¡°deciding¡± to wait a bit longer.
The gunfight had rapidly escalated from a controlled skirmish to complete and utter chaos.
More and more Stellar Republic Soldiers were converging on their position, evidenced by the increasing amount of blind gunfire crashing through the smoke and debris inside the office building.
Thea knew the real problems were just beginning.
It was one thing to avoid line of sight and seek cover from lasers or ballistic weaponry, but heavy weapons and explosives were an entirely different beast. Flattening herself against a wall wouldn¡¯t help when the entire building was brought down on her head or the room was set ablaze.
According to Corvus¡¯ calculations prior to their attack, they had another one or two exchanges before the Stellar Republic¡¯s heavy weapon teams were going to begin to reach their position. The occasional heavy weapon fire they faced now was only a prelude, after all.
Before the real bombardment began, they needed to cross the street to avoid getting bogged down in the rubble. It was going to be a lot harder for the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces to use their explosives and heavy weapons, when they were in the same building as them.
Unfortunately, her current suite of Active Abilities didn¡¯t offer any means of escaping this situation she had placed herself in, a flaw she definitely intended to rectify as soon as she could.
¡®Really wish I had that [Shadow Step] Ability right about now¡¡¯ Thea mused, semi-patiently waiting for her psychic senses to stop screaming that moving from her current position was a guaranteed death sentence.
The prattle of gunfire hitting solid metal wafting over to her was the first indication that the rest of her squad was fighting tooth and nail to make this assault a success.
Focusing on the sound, Thea tuned out the majority of the deafening gunfire around her to pinpoint its location¡ªsomething she had gotten more and more used to over the last week of consistent urban combat.
Where once she had to concentrate intensely on the sounds themselves to get anywhere, it now came more naturally. This was likely due to both experience and her vastly higher Perception compared to the last time she had actively tried to use it.
Selectively disabling or enhancing certain aspects of one''s own perception was apparently quite common at higher Levels, as she had learned. It required reaching a certain minimum threshold of Perception and a thorough understanding of meditation or similar conscious mental agility.
Once mastered, it became easier and easier to rely on it as another "soft" Ability, as some of the more experienced Scouts she had talked to over the past week had called it.
Selectively cutting through the cacophony, she heard the slow advance of careful, heavy footsteps coming closer and closer, as the noise of the prattling increased.
It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what was going on: Lucas was coming to get her, Stalwart in hand.
Heavily armoured step by heavily armoured step, Lucas approached as the gunfire continued to rattle against the Stalwart like a torrential downpour, yet the defensive heavy of Alpha Squad simply kept moving undeterred¡ªhe had long bested far worse than this.
A sense of elation rushed through her at that, as she hadn¡¯t even needed to ask him to do it¡ªover the last month of the assessment, they had managed to build a bond of understanding inside the squad, where some things were obvious without having to be specifically called out. Considering the hours they had spent coming up with ways to beat auto-turrets together and drilling those moves, it made perfect sense.
Thea smirked, ready and eager to jump back into the fight.
As Lucas drew closer, the noise of the bullets slamming into his shield grew louder, but it didn''t deter him. She simply waited as he methodically closed the distance, his steps steady and unnaturally unyielding despite the increasingly desperate-seeming onslaught.
Once Lucas was close enough, she would simply jump behind his shield, and together, they would slowly walk out of the building, with the Stellar Republic unable to do anything about it¡ªthey lacked the level of firepower required to beat Lucas¡¯ Stalwart, as long as they didn¡¯t get flanked or otherwise tricked.
The plan was simple but effective, relying on their teamwork and the trust they had built up during the assessment.
Broken glass crunched underfoot as Thea shifted her position slightly, preparing to move.
She repeatedly tried to move, sick and tired of being sidelined for so long, but her Psychic Senses held her back time and time again. The amount of blind, suppressing fire levelled against her and Lucas was too extensive to rush through, so she had no choice but to continue to wait for the defensive heavy to get closer.
Large parts of the back of the office building had long been blown out by it, which had somewhat alleviated some of the noise, smoke and debris, but Thea wasn¡¯t counting on being able to remain in this building for their continued gunfights either way.
Corvus¡¯ plan involved rushing across the street after the first few exchanges, in order to pre-empt the heavy weapons, after all.
Then, finally, after what felt like forever, Thea¡¯s Psychic Senses didn¡¯t cry out when she attempted to dash toward Lucas. Without wasting any time, she pushed herself off the wall and sprinted over to him, sliding behind the Stalwart and tapping his back twice to let him know she was there.
¡°Glad to see you finally decided to stop being lazy,¡± Lucas greeted her over the close-range squad comms with a smile in his voice. With a more serious tone, he continued, ¡°We have to get out of this building, Thea. It¡¯s already precariously damaged, and if any more explosions hit it, I doubt we¡¯ll have many options left.¡±
Nodding to herself, as Lucas couldn¡¯t see her behind his broad back, Thea replied, ¡°The big boss would be very cross if we got ourselves killed here, for sure. We takin¡¯ the stairs or¡?¡±
Lucas had more knowledge about the other room than she did, as he had been holding down the fort near the stairs this entire time. The stairs were the most secure option if they hadn¡¯t been blown apart by random gunfire or blocked by debris yet, but she had no way of knowing whether they were still intact.
¡°Nah,¡± Lucas replied, starting to back up step by step. Thea instinctively mirrored his movements. ¡°The stairs are probably blocked by now. We¡¯ll likely just jump.¡±
There was more than one reason they had chosen this particular alley to fight in.
Both buildings on either side were only a few stories tall, making it unlikely that massive mounds of debris or entire chunks of the buildings would collapse into the alleyway and block or crush them.
The other reason was that being stuck inside a building wasn¡¯t ideal for any of them. Blowing the back wall of a simple rockcrete construction was easy enough with the arsenal at their disposal.
Corvus had been very adamant about having an alternate escape route out of whatever building they started in¡ªa little too enthusiastic to be merely tactical or strategic in nature, Thea had thought.
Slowly but surely, they made their way toward the back of the office, where large parts of the wall had already collapsed. Gaping holes let in some early morning sunlight, despite the screen of smoke and dust that limited their actual visibility outside.
Thea tapped Lucas¡¯ back twice again as they reached the crumbling parts of the back wall to ensure he didn¡¯t accidentally squish her as she tried to find a suitable spot for them to jump down from.
Thea peeked through one of the larger holes, assessing the drop and the side of the street below. The ground was littered with chunks of rockcrete, twisted metal and cars crushed by the larger chunks of the wall falling on them, but it was clear enough for them to land moderately safely.
¡°Looks clear enough,¡± Thea reported. ¡°Just watch your step on the way¡ªJUMP, NOW!¡±
Her Psychic Senses screamed at her, warning of imminent mortal danger if she didn¡¯t leap out of the building immediately. Thea was already mid-air, instinctively reacting, when Lucas jumped backward out of the building as well.
The rest of Alpha Squad had long learned to trust Thea¡¯s instincts implicitly over the past weeks inside the assessment; her psychic powers had never led them astray.
The moment Lucas¡¯ feet left the ground, a massive explosion struck the front of the Stalwart.
If the Stalwart had been grav-locked at the time, it would very likely have tanked the hit without problem, but the forces at play would almost certainly have severely injured or killed both her and Lucas, even behind the cover it provided.
A thunderous roar and a blaze of fire engulfed the office space they had just been in, violently throwing Lucas and Thea away from the building. The shockwave of the explosion sent them flying with a force that felt like the hand of god swatting them aside.
Lucas crashed into the street below, barreling right into and through an abandoned car, before slamming into another vehicle, severely denting it and slumping to the ground unmoving.
Thea was similarly thrown around, her body careening through the air.
She hit the asphalt of the street below at dangerous speeds, the metal of her armour shrieking in agony at the forces applied to it, trying its best to keep her from becoming a red smudge on the ground.
She tumbled across the ground, her world spinning over and over with no sense of up or down, trying her best to desperately protect her limbs from snapping or being ripped off by random cars or other debris.
Thea finally came to a stop when she collided with yet another one of the abandoned cars, all the way across the street from the building they had just been thrown out of, her left side slamming into the metal with bone-shattering force. She felt a row of ribs simply snap, the pain searing through her side as she lay motionless for a moment, trying to gather her bearings.
Around them, the street was filled with smoke, debris, and the distant echoes of the continuously ongoing battle at the compound. The explosion had left a massive crater where the office building''s wall once stood, and fires raged in the remains of the second floor of the building where the explosion had struck the Stalwart.
Despite the ringing in her ears and the throbbing pain in her side, Thea managed to roll onto her back, gasping for air and blinking away the dust and tears blurring her vision.
They had survived, but just barely.
Her brain felt utterly scrambled; thinking was hard, but she forced herself to focus¡ªa voice inside reminded her that lying there until someone picked her up was unacceptable for a UHF Marine. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Taking a few deep breaths¡ªas best she could, considering the shattered ribs in her side¡ªThea rolled onto her belly.
With a myriad of curses and gritted teeth, she got herself back on her feet.
The world spun in her hazy vision, and the deafening ringing in her ears made it difficult to gather her thoughts. Gradually, a coherent thought formed in her jumbled mind: ¡®I gotta find Lucas¡ Then find Kara.¡¯
With this simple plan in mind, Thea stumbled through the debris-strewn street, heading toward where she had last seen Lucas while they had been tumbling through the air.
Each passing second sharpened her vision, the ringing in her ears subsiding as her thoughts became clearer.
She found Lucas not long after.
He was still slumped halfway into a car. Or rather, she found the Stalwart, its extended form still firmly in his hands. The massive shield peeked out over the random debris, cars, and other visual obstructions in the street, making it easy to locate.
Thea limped over to him, every step sending jolts of pain through her side. She pushed through it, her determination overriding the discomfort.
As she got closer, she could see Lucas stirring, his head swivelling as if he had just woken from a serious concussion, trying to get his bearings.
"Lucas," Thea called out, her voice raspy and strained. "We need to find Kara."
She realised how nonsensical that was when she couldn¡¯t even hear her own words, the ringing in her ears still too loud to actually allow her to hear anything¡ªLucas was likely even more messed up, considering his proximity to the explosion.
Lucas groaned, trying to push himself upright but finding his lower body trapped in the twisted wreckage of the car. Thea quickly moved to help him, pulling at the mangled metal with all her strength.
The wreckage was utterly unyielding; her Strength, while superhuman, wasn¡¯t enough to make any significant difference. She needed more power, more force¡ªIsabella would have easily been able to rip the remnants of the car to shreds to free Lucas, but she was not Isabella.
Frustration bubbled up inside her, but she pushed it down, focusing on what she could do.
Pulling out one of the knives of the Throatcutter at her side, she activated the vibroblade and started using it to cut away at the metal. The blade hummed as it easily sliced through the wreckage, sparks flying as she worked to carefully cut the defensive heavy out of the metal.
Piece by piece, she cut away the twisted structure, the high-pitched shrieking of metal giving way to the rapidly vibrating blade not particularly helping with the headache that had made itself known, but she didn¡¯t stop.
Lucas gritted his teeth, trying to push himself free with each piece that was removed.
Finally, after cutting away multiple larger parts and through a combined effort, Lucas managed to break free, pulling himself out of the wreckage.
They both stumbled back, breathing heavily.
¡°Thanks,¡± Lucas muttered, his voice barely audible over the persistent ringing in Thea¡¯s ears. He grabbed the Stalwart that he had momentarily let go of in an attempt to get more leverage to free himself from the wreckage and looked towards Thea.
¡°Let¡¯s find Kara,¡± Thea repeated, hoping he could hear her this time.
A nod indicated that he got the general gist, if nothing else.
Just as the two of them turned, intending to head toward the alley where she knew the rest of the squad should still be, Thea came face-to-face with the squad¡¯s medic.
¡°Well, would you look at that! Seems like you found me,¡± Karania offered with a playful wink, before gesturing for the two of them to follow her.
¡®Of course she¡¯s already here¡ And people say my Psychic Powers are bullshit,¡¯ Thea thought with a smile. She could always trust Karania to make the right moves before anyone else could even think of them.
Karania led them closer to the alley, where echoes of Isabella¡¯s Devastation roaring could still be heard, then asked them to sit down so she could do some quick first-aid before they rejoined the fight.
¡°Seems like you guys got hit pretty bad,¡± Karania said as she used a series of injectors on both Lucas and Thea in turn. ¡°Corvus thinks it might have been some kind of Ability. That explosion was absolutely massive; not something a simple T1 launcher should be capable of, unless there was some kind of special ammunition involved.¡±
Thea wanted to chime in, but Karania turned to her with a knowing smile, ¡°Desmond¡¯s already looking for the shooter; you should have your target once we¡¯re done here. Now sit still.¡±
Satisfied with that, Thea leaned back against the wall of the building they had taken cover behind while her friend finished up the brief first-aid session.
The smell of smoke, charred metal and the burning office to their right was thick in the air, but the sounds of distant battle provided an odd sense of normalcy in the chaos. It was reassuring to know that the rest of their squad, as well as the other advance squads, were still fighting even without her.
It was something she still struggled with quite a lot; the feeling of being the centre of everything; but she was making strides towards realising that even without her being directly involved, things could still get done...
By the time all the injectors had been administered to her, Thea felt like the whole first part of the battle hadn¡¯t even happened¡ªshe was full of energy, the ringing in her ears had completely disappeared, and there was not a speck of pain to be felt.
¡°Thanks, Kara. We owe you.¡±
¡°Nonsense. Fixing you lunatics up is literally my job. Just like yours is to take out that launcher. Go fuck ¡®em up, Thea,¡± Karania waved her away as she pulled out another two injectors to finish up with Lucas.
Thea wanted to linger for just a moment to make sure Lucas was fine, but she knew better than to disobey the squad medic¡¯s orders.
Grabbing the Gram, which had thankfully not been completely trashed by the tumble into the street¡ªonly a couple of nasty scratches and visual scars¡ªshe made her way towards the alley as she called in on the squad comms.
¡°Desmond, you have a target for me?¡±
Immediately, she received the exact specifications she was looking for. ¡°Fifth floor; right side. 204 from our position; heavy.¡±
¡°Thanks, good work out there,¡± she replied, scanning the area for any cover that might help her get a line of sight on the target.
In the back of her mind, she couldn¡¯t deny that Desmond¡¯s expertise at finding high-priority targets with his drones had drastically improved over the past weeks.
It had become a real treat to work with him.
While she still didn¡¯t exactly like him¡ªshe likely never would, considering how their acquaintanceship had started¡ªshe had to admit that having a drone operator in their squad, even as early as it still was for him, was extremely worthwhile.
Without him, she would have had to try and get eyes on the enemy herself first and then somehow figure out who had shot at her and Lucas. That was assuming she could even manage to get them in her line of sight.
But now, she had the exact data she needed, right when she needed it, and she could fully focus on her actual job¡ªfinding a position and taking the shot.
At the end of the alley, she could see Corvus, Desmond, and Isabella huddled behind cover, trading fire with the Stellar Republic forces inside the compound on the other side of the street. To her left was another office building, similar to the one she had been in earlier, while on her right, the rooms of the building she and Lucas had just left were still aflame, sending up tendrils of black smoke.
It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that there was no spot inside this alley that would allow her to take a shot at her target.
¡®If directly up front, left, right, and back aren¡¯t options¡ Then there¡¯s only one option left.¡¯
Keeping the target data in mind, Thea chose the building on her right and fired the grappling hooks from her Spectre all the way up to the top of the building. The T1 hooks easily penetrated the rockcrete, granting her a secure anchor point before pulling her up at a rapid pace.
She stopped just short of the flat-top roof, angling her feet to give her a solid footing as she positioned herself and the Gram in a way that would allow her to simply lean forward to peek over the top of the building. The smell of smoke and burning debris was stronger here, mixing with the metallic scent of scorched rockcrete, but she paid it no mind; she had a job to do.
Considering her target was on the fifth floor of the compound and the building she was on was only two stories tall, she had to be careful with how much she revealed herself.
The enemies on the roof and the sixth floor were bound to see her by the time she got a shot on her target, but as long as she exposed herself just a smidgeon, they were unlikely to pay any attention until she took the shot.
Sniping, Thea had learned, was as much about taking calculated risks as it was about proper setup. More often than not, you simply had to accept that people might see you if they paid enough attention, to get your target into your line of sight.
The only real saving grace was that barely anyone ever did.
If there wasn¡¯t a specific scout or sniper set aside to keep an eye out for enemy snipers at all times, it was extremely unlikely that you¡¯d be found out before you took the shot.
It still sometimes happened, of course, but very rarely.
Peeking over the top by slightly adjusting her angle, Thea looked through the scope of her Gram, quickly taking stock of the enemy lines as she swivelled towards the position indicated by Desmond¡¯s earlier report.
It was immediately apparent that the small advantage they had managed to claw out at the start of the engagement by destroying the two auto-turrets had long passed. The Stellar Republic¡¯s Soldiers had ended up with enough time to really make use of their Faction Trait.
Where they had originally assaulted a position with maybe two squads worth of Soldiers, they were now facing upwards of five or six squads¡ªthe exact amount hard to tell with the quick glance she took.
Sure, the clones weren¡¯t exactly smart or quick to adapt, but quantity was a quality in its own right, especially considering there were only six of them, including herself, on her side. If they intended to go blow-for-blow, there was absolutely no way they would come out on top in this engagement.
Luckily, however, they didn¡¯t need to.
As long as they followed Corvus¡¯ plan and got in close, the enemy¡¯s numbers would have dramatically less impact than they did right now. There were only so many people that could fit into any given hallway fight, after all.
As she aimed across the compound, Thea also took note of potential high-priority targets aside from the heavy she was looking for: Lightly armoured Soldiers, Medics, Scouts, and those who looked like they were in charge of at least one or two other people¡ªlikely squad leaders of some sort.
Making a mental note of each, she planned to kill them as quickly as possible after taking out the heavy, before her position was compromised. She would only get one exchange from this spot, and it was unlikely the enemy would give her another opportunity like this.
By the time her aim reached the designated location, she was delighted to see that Desmond¡¯s information had once again been spot-on: She saw a rather broadly built heavy with a rocket launcher on their back and a machine gun in their hands, taking shots at the alley where the rest of her squad were pinned down.
It was clear that this was one of the more experienced members of the Stellar Republic¡ªnot just because of the likely cost of their equipment or their likely usage of powerful Abilities, but also because they were clearly well-versed in utilising their Faction Trait.
It wasn¡¯t that Thea knew this one was a clone, but there was simply no way, in her mind, that this specific Soldier she was looking at was not a Duplicator.
They were standing right in the open, with barely any cover except for a bit of white-foam shielding up to their waist, in a giant window. It was the most obvious bait Thea had seen employed in a long time, but what frustrated her even more was that there was almost no way around taking it.
¡®Dammit¡ I can¡¯t just leave them to keep shooting, especially if they take out that launcher again,¡¯ she thought to herself as she frantically searched for any sign of the original. She really did not want to burn her spot on a clone, knowing she wouldn''t get another chance like this anytime soon.
She was half-tempted to ask Desmond to keep searching for the original, but they couldn''t afford to get bogged down in an extended firefight, just on the off-chance to find one specific enemy.
She had to take out the target and regroup with the rest of the squad to cross the street before the Stellar Republic had even more time to fully dig into their position and reinforce it with more clones and additional squads of Duplicators that were undoubtedly en route.
After another few seconds of searching fruitlessly, Thea made the call.
Taking a deep breath, releasing half of it, and holding the rest, she aimed carefully at the weak spot her [Detect Weak Spots] Passive Ability highlighted: Right underneath the armpit of the heavy¡¯s left arm, the one holding the machine gun.
Setting the Gram to maximum power, not confident that the usual mid-power output would be enough to get the kill, Thea pulled the trigger. The very instant she did, she immediately moved on to the next target, already knowing that her first shot had taken out the clone.
She fired again and again, five times in quick succession at different targets in less than a second, before her Psychic Senses screamed of danger, prompting her to disengage the grappling hook.
She let gravity pull her to safety just as a barrage of gunshots, both lasers and ballistic rounds, crashed into the rockcrete where her head had been moments before.
She re-engaged her grappling hook an instant later to slow her descent, landing safely back on the ground in the alley, and reported her findings.
¡°Target is taken care of, for now. Be careful, they¡¯re more experienced than most of the Soldiers we¡¯ve run into. The target was a clone, but no signs of the original anywhere. I took out five other targets: Two medics, a sniper, and two other lightly armoured Soldiers on the fifth, sixth, and top floors.¡±
Seeing Karania and Lucas running toward her from the street, she added, ¡°We¡¯re all coming back to your position now. Let¡¯s get into that building.¡±
¡°Copy that. We¡¯re holding the mouth of the alley, but it¡¯s getting tough,¡± Corvus¡¯ voice came over the squad comms. ¡°Lucas, load your Havoc with all the smoke you¡¯ve got. We need some serious cover to get across that street.¡±
A non-verbal double-click chimed from Lucas¡¯ comm unit to signal understanding.
The three of them, once Karania and Lucas had reached Thea¡¯s location, made their way back down the alley towards the rest of Alpha Squad.
With the pressing issue of the auto-turrets taken care of and the hornet¡¯s nest thoroughly stirred, crossing the street and getting into the compound was going to be their next major hurdle¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 115 - All-Out Assault
Stepping up behind the rest of the squad, keeping a few metres behind each of them to ensure errant gunfire or explosions wouldn¡¯t simply rip through the entirety of the squad in one go, Lucas, Karania, and Thea got into position.
¡°What¡¯s the plan, boss?¡± Lucas asked over the squad comms, his Havoc and Stalwart at the ready.
Thea and Karania took a few shots at Soldiers in the compound who had gotten a bit too eager to try and shoot at the rest of the squad, while they waited for Corvus to reveal how they were going to cross the street in front of them.
The street itself had likely been a main thoroughfare inside the city before, being easily twice as wide as the little streets they had passed before, or the one that Lucas and Thea knew the asphalt of all too intimately.
Aside from its size, the only other main difference, which ended up being one of the big problems they had identified in assaulting the compound, was that unlike the smaller streets, this main thoroughfare had apparently been cleared of any major debris or abandoned cars at some stage¡ªit was a completely empty stretch of flat ground; exactly the kind of area you did not want to have to assault a fortified position through.
¡°I want you to use your [Remote Detonation] to lob at least three smokes right in front of the building; aim for the third floor and up, try to place the centre somewhere between the fourth and fifth floors,¡± Corvus explained in detail, taking another couple of shots at enemy Soldiers peeking out of their cover inside the compound.
¡°Apart from that, blanket the roof with whatever you got and shield us from anything on the lower floors. We¡¯ll need the full shield for this, so it¡¯ll be a bit exhausting. Sorry for that in advance, but I see no other way we¡¯ll get through this otherwise.¡±
Lucas simply gave him a double-click of his comms, not bothering to argue or ask for clarifications¡ªhis job was very clear-cut.
¡°Desmond, I need you to put three of your drones on [Overwatch],¡± Corvus continued, addressing the drone operator of the squad. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to be precise, just lay down as much lead as you can. We need suppressive fire, not marksmanship. Focus on the areas Lucas¡¯ smokes don¡¯t cover and plug any gaps enemy Abilities might create.¡±
Desmond hesitated, his concern evident. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll survive that. I only have four drones for this whole assault. Are you sure we¡¯re good even if I only have one left? I don¡¯t want another Psyker situation.¡±
The run-in with the Psykers during the Control Station 1 mission had decidedly left its mark on Desmond.
Over the past week, Thea had noticed he had been more cautious with his drones, refusing to go below two unless Corvus explicitly ordered it.
Not having a drone to scout or distract the Psykers had cost them dearly¡ªDesmond especially, as he had been killed by the first attack thrown at him with no way to retaliate or preempt it.
¡°It should be fine,¡± Corvus replied after a few moments of thought. ¡°We have Thea to warn us if any Psykers are nearby, and Lucas¡¯ new Ability gives us more time to adjust and figure out what¡¯s going on if it comes to a head-to-head. We¡¯ll all be huddling behind his shield anyway, so even if they have Psykers nearby, we should be fine.¡±
Corvus¡¯ response was thoughtful, considering Desmond¡¯s concerns rather than dismissing them outright. It was a trait Thea had come to heavily appreciate in Corvus over the past few weeks.
He rarely ruled the squad with an iron fist, insisting on his orders without entertaining other ideas. Whenever he did, it was usually for a very good reason, such as the pressure of time not allowing for any in-depth discussions or second thoughts.
This openness to other ideas and willingness to compromise was likely why none of the members of Alpha Squad had ever protested Corvus¡¯ implicit bid for Squad Leader.
While they had never officially agreed or voted on who should lead the squad, Corvus had taken the role upon himself from the very first day. Sure, there had been some tension early on, as everyone in the squad was the best in their respective fields, and pride was a natural side effect.
But by now, the squad had thoroughly accepted him as their leader without reservation.
¡°You got it,¡± Desmond replied, huddling behind cover as he launched another drone. The two he had already deployed during the onset of the assault had returned over the last few minutes and were now hovering behind the squad, ready to jump back into action at his command.
¡°Isabella, Thea, I need the two of you to thoroughly destroy whatever is in our way; don¡¯t hold back. We can¡¯t afford to get bogged down in a firefight in the middle of the street and risk losing the element of surprise before we¡¯re on the other side,¡± Corvus addressed Isabella and Thea.
¡°Do whatever you need to do to scythe through any resistance. Don¡¯t worry about conserving Resources right now; we can recoup some after we take control of this side of the compound. Once we¡¯re inside, we should have an easier time. I doubt there are many squads that could beat us in a head-to-head.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I fucking like to hear!¡± Isabella roared, her Devastation spitting round after round towards the compound¡¯s fifth floor. Her bullets ripped through walls, white-foam, cubicles, and anything else in their path, leaving behind a trail of destruction. ¡°You got it, boss. I¡¯ll tear ¡®em a new one¡ªor five!¡±
Thea couldn¡¯t hide a big smile at Isabella¡¯s enthusiastic reply but opted for a more low-key double-click confirmation herself.
¡®No need to conserve Resources, huh? I can definitely work with that,¡¯ she thought, excitement bubbling up inside her. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t go too far, though. I still need to keep some in reserve for any potential Psykers that might show up. There¡¯s no shot we¡¯ll be able to capture and hold this compound without one of them making an appearance. Not this close to the enemy lines...¡¯
Finally, Corvus addressed Karania with a slight chuckle, ¡°And for our Medic¡ I guess just do your thing; I really can¡¯t tell you anything at this stage. You probably know where to be and when better than anyone else in this squad, so just keep doing your thing.¡±
Thea shook her head as her eyes met Karania¡¯s, the medic giving her a big, smug smile in return.
¡°Copy that,¡± Karania replied over the squad comms.
The plan was ready to go.
With a clear smile audible in his voice, Corvus said, ¡°Let¡¯s show ¡®em what we¡¯re made of, Alpha Squad. Oo-rah?¡±
¡°Oo-rah!¡± the rest of the squad replied in unison.
¡°Lucas, whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±
The squad abruptly turned quiet, preparing themselves mentally and physically for the next few minutes. Thea rolled her shoulders lightly, warming up her arms and gently flexing her fingers before properly taking the Gram in hand, ready for action.
Lucas visually confirmed everybody¡¯s readiness once more, then raised his Havoc grenade launcher high. The dull thumps of the three smoke grenades being launched in a high arc across the street signalled the rest of the squad to get moving.
Immediately, Lucas charged forward, the Stalwart unfolding in his hands to full size as he fired the rest of his grenades as high up the compound as he could manage. Desmond¡¯s drones shot past them at a quick pace, darting into the sky and zigzagging out of sight before a series of rapid-fire cracks rang out from different locations to their left and right; the drones moved erratically and unloaded their guns into the compound.
Isabella sprinted alongside Lucas, firing her Devastation mid-run with seemingly no actual effort, as if the massive rotary machine gun were some kind of SMG designed for running and gunning.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the other woman¡¯s sheer level of Strength and comfort with the weapon, knowing she would likely have issues firing the Devastation while standing still without getting rocked around.
Refusing to be outdone, Thea took her place between the two heavies and fired her Gram at any targets foolish enough to push towards the glass-covered fronts of the compound in an attempt to get a quick shot at their surprising charge.
The lasers of her weapon ripped through the air again and again, finding their marks with terrifying ease and precision, never missing or failing to get the desired effect.
Their sudden assault had clearly caught the Stellar Republic¡¯s Soldiers off guard, throwing them into utter chaos.
Dozens of enemies positioned around the bottom of the building, behind pillars or other solid parts, desperately fired their guns and lasers, trying to keep Alpha Squad at bay. Grenades flew through the air, their explosions only adding to the cacophony of the battlefield.
But there was no unified response, no proper line to hold them back yet.
It was merely individual Soldiers or smaller pockets of Squads trying their best to react to the unexpected situation.
¡°Move, move, move! Get us into the compound, that¡¯s a [Direct Order]!¡± Corvus shouted over the comms, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife as he activated his signature Ability. The surge of energy filled the rest of the squad, their Attributes further increased by their leader''s System Ability.
Isabella turned even more into a whirlwind of destruction as she felt the boost, her Devastation roaring as she mowed down anyone foolish enough to show their face. A manic grin plastered on her face, the roar of her weapon drowned out all other sounds except those piped through the squad comms.
The high calibre bullets ripped through enemy combatants, leaving a trail of gore and devastation in their wake as the weapon continued to spit death with unrelenting fury, each round tearing through the enemy¡¯s defences.
Pillars of reinforced rockcrete were simply covered in a hail of gunfire, exploding in dangerous shards of debris and tearing straight through them with terrifying ease before the Soldiers seeking cover behind them were turned into nothing but red mist.
Those hiding behind more solid areas, such as low walls or separate segments, ducked down and refused to peek out again. The first half dozen who had tried to take a shot were met with Isabella¡¯s fury, her massive machine gun swinging around like it was nothing but a toy, all the while paying out death and destruction wherever it was aimed.
Thea felt similarly invigorated, her Perception skyrocketing further as Corvus¡¯ Gold-rank Ability took hold with multiplicative scaling.
The world around her became sharper and more defined, her legs moving with newfound ease to keep up with the two heavies leading the charge.
¡®Gotta follow the squad leader''s orders. Time to shine,¡¯ she told herself with a predatory grin. She had gotten permission to go all out; so all out she would go.
¡®Sensory Overdrive.¡¯
The world around her slowed to a crawl as her Perception further skyrocketed, the massive increase from her signature Ability further amplified by Corvus¡¯ own.
Focusing her entire attention on her Perception, Thea let her muscle memory and Psychic Senses take full control, reliably shooting and killing any enemy that entered her line of sight.
She removed everything not relevant to the mission from her heightened awareness.
Sounds became muffled, then vanished entirely. The lights from her laser, the explosions around her, and even the sun¡¯s reflection on the few remaining shards of glass in the offices above, all turned muted before fully disappearing.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
In this monochromatic view of the battlefield, only the enemies appeared in vivid clarity.
Their footsteps, yells, breathing, and heartbeats were beacons in her silent world, waiting to be reaped the moment they stepped into her sights.
The moment they did, Thea did not miss.
In this filtered world, enemies stood out with stark, obvious contrast.
Bright colours, exact contours, minute details, and precise outlines were all vivid against the drab world of her filtered senses. Every subtle movement, every flicker of a shadow, was a clear signal to her heightened perception.
In front and slightly to the left, an enemy Soldier peeked out from behind a half-destroyed, broken pillar. As his head and shoulder appeared in her line of sight, they seemed to practically glow with intensity, sharply defined against the grayscale surroundings.
Thea had long heard the rustle of his uniform and the faint creak of his boots against the rubble, her Gram already pointed where she knew the enemy would appear.
Her muscle memory and Psychic Senses showed not even a fraction of mercy.
The weapon in her hands fired a single shot, the laser cutting through the air and hitting the target precisely between the eyes, cutting right through the helmet¡¯s visor. He crumpled without a sound, the vivid image of his fall unseen, for Thea had long switched her attention to the next target.
Another Soldier, more cautious than the first, edged around the corner of a low wall towards the right.
Thea had already sensed his approach through the vibrations of his movements in the ground, his heartbeat echoing like a drum in her focused state, calling out exactly where he would be and when.
As he leaned out to take a shot, his form blazed in her perception, every detail of his armour and weapon highlighted in minute detail. Before his eyes could even refocus from the wall he had hid behind to take in the view in front of him, Thea¡¯s Gram fired again, the laser finding its mark right between two plates covering his chest, destroying his heart and ripping out through his spinal cord, dropping him instantly.
Her movements were seamless, almost entirely automatic, as if her body and mind were fully on autopilot.
Shots fired in her direction were simply side-stepped¡ªtheir trajectories long predicted and deemed worthless and without meaning¡ªbefore retaliation struck instantly, killing whoever had dared to take such a terrible shot at her.
Each step she took, each shot she fired, was with purpose, precision, and precognition of their success.
She heard the distinct clicks of grenades being readied two stories above her; her body immediately reacting according to her heavily accelerated thoughts.
''Sky Step.''
A pane of translucent air appeared beneath her angled feet, the extra Strength from Corvus¡¯ Ability allowing her to rapidly push herself slightly back and upwards, before a second one pushed her even higher.
''Sky Step.''
One more quick plane allowed her to reach even higher, before she stopped atop the last remaining.
In less than a fraction of a second, she found herself hovering atop a single pane of air in front of the second story of the compound, with targets en-masse now within her sights.
The Gram in her hands screamed as it was brought to its limits, lasers streaking out of it at a rate the weapon had never been designed for, blowing holes through two dozen Clones and Duplicators before they could fully realise what had happened.
The weapon''s warning chimes indicated it had run empty in mere moments, signalling Thea to return to the squad. Cancelling the pane underneath her, she let gravity take control, feeling her Perception beginning to wane.
She descended quickly, her feet barely touching the ground as she landed with a thud, immediately moving into a crouch, ducking low on purpose to dodge an incoming shot, while seamlessly pulling the Icicle from its holster and firing its crystal-like projectile right back at the origin; the proprietary ammunition once more reliably penetrating the armour of the Soldier on the first floor and piercing straight through into the heart.
¡®Improved Sprint.¡¯
Thea pushed up from her crouched state and darted through the battlefield, her armoured feet pulverising debris beneath them with each heavily accelerated step, catching up with the rest of the squad once again in a short second, before taking back her position between the two heavies.
A series of explosions rang out from the second story above them as the grenades previously primed finally detonated. The shockwaves rippled through the air, but Alpha Squad had already made it underneath the overhanging office floors, no longer exposed to the Soldiers above.
Thea''s brief foray had been the last risky engagement from the outside; their next confrontation with those particular squads would be inside the building.
"Lost one," Desmond''s voice crackled through the squad comms, updating them on the status of his drones. "Pulling the rest in now for close air support."
Moments later, the two remaining drones on [Overwatch] hovered behind them, strafing and firing wildly at anything that moved.
The sheer amount of firepower levelled against the Stellar Republic¡¯s Soldiers had clearly taken them by surprise. Even half a minute into their charge, Alpha Squad had yet to face any properly coordinated efforts to stop them.
A series of thumps echoed from Thea¡¯s left as Lucas'' freshly reloaded Havoc launcher, courtesy of Karania, blanketed the reception area of the office compound with explosive grenades by firing them over the wall in front of them.
The giant glass windows that had served as the front for the building¡¯s interior shattered as one, the shards cascading down like a brilliant waterfall of dangerous debris.
Subsequent explosions threw the shards wildly through the air, causing many of them to pulverise mid-air or embed themselves into the walls, pillars, and even fly out onto the street.
The Stalwart shield rang out with a series of pings as the shards hit it, while Thea took cover behind Lucas¡¯ body, fully aware that her light armour was unlikely to protect her from the torrent of dangerous shards.
Cries of pain and shouted orders rang out from the reception area in response, although the area itself was still hidden behind the three-metre-tall wall that segmented it from the outside.
Alpha Squad pressed on with their running assault, reloading their weapons and double-checking their equipment for any problems, having already dealt with all the enemies outside the compound thanks to a combined effort of Isabella, Desmond''s drones, and Thea.
As they cleared the wall, moving around its right side, Alpha Squad was met by the disjointed remnants of two squads of Stellar Republic Soldiers. Some of the enemies were desperately trying to pull their injured allies behind cover, while others scrambled at their sight to find defensive positions within the wreckage of the reception area.
Lucas didn¡¯t give them a chance to regroup.
He launched another volley of grenades from his Havoc launcher, the explosions ripping large chunks of debris from the ground and walls, sending shards of rockcrete and metal in all directions. The force of the blast killed the remnants of one squad outright, their bodies flung like ragdolls by the sheer concussive force.
Thea, Isabella, Desmond, and Corvus focused their fire on the remaining squad.
These Soldiers had found more solid cover before they had managed to get around the wall, hiding in the outcrops of the building, the elevators inside the reception area, and behind the fully solid rockcrete reception desk itself.
Clone after clone was sent to try and push Alpha Squad back, but they were met with a relentless barrage of firepower from Isabella¡¯s freshly reloaded Devastation, flanked by two of Desmond¡¯s drones.
Thea, meanwhile, was angling to try and take out the Duplicators that continuously sent out the clones from behind cover, taking a shot here and there when she knew she would be able to get the kill; but refraining from doing so otherwise.
Corvus and Karania similarly fired into the general direction of the approaching and covering enemies to provide further suppressive fire as they all closed the distance together.
Finally inside the building itself, Lucas moved forward slowly, his Stalwart shield scraping over the debris-riddled ground with a menacing shriek of metal on rockcrete.
His imposing presence drew even more gunfire than usual, the enemy desperately trying to stop his relentless advance.
Isabella and Karania kept up their suppressive fire, their weapons roaring as they laid down a withering hail of bullets. Corvus and Thea broke from behind the cover of the Stalwart, darting toward nearby cover to gain better lines of sight on the hidden Duplicators.
Grenades flew back and forth, the air thick with smoke and the acrid scent of explosives.
Thea shot many of the Stellar Republic''s grenades out of the air if she wasn¡¯t busy taking out a Duplicator, adding an even more chaotic undertone to the destruction. The explosions created deafening roars and showers of debris, adding to the already intense atmosphere.
Methodically, they pushed up, taking out one enemy after another by forcing them to choose between focusing on Lucas, Isabella, and Karania, or dealing with Thea and Corvus.
Their three-pronged approach was devastating, with grenades used to flush out those who tried to hide behind individual pieces of cover, relying on their clones to save them. Each grenade explosion was followed by a quick surge from Alpha Squad, eliminating any surviving enemies.
As the last rounds from Isabella¡¯s Devastation echoed through the now empty, open space, the squad took a brief moment to visually confirm that they were all in good shape.
The massive room was a scene of utter devastation, with shattered glass, splintered furniture, massive craters and bodies, or parts thereof, strewn about.
Simultaneously, the boost from Corvus¡¯ [Direct Order] ran out as their order had been fulfilled¡ªthey were now fully inside the compound.
¡°Great work, Alpha Squad. But don¡¯t let your guard down, the real work is yet to come,¡± Corvus¡¯ voice came through the comms. ¡°Lucas, take the lead and get to the stairs. Thea, you¡¯re behind him; I want you in front in case there are any traps or tripwires set up. Isabella, Karania, Desmond, then me. I¡¯ll make sure we¡¯re not getting run in from behind.¡±
Visually confirming everyone¡¯s nods, taking it as a sign of full combat readiness, he ordered, ¡°Go, go, go.¡±
Collapsing the Stalwart back to its original tower-shield size for better manoeuvrability in the tight hallways and staircases they expected to encounter, Lucas took the lead. He slowly moved up one of the four major staircases leading up towards the first floor of the compound.
The stairs were wide and grand, made of what initially had seemed like polished marble, but the pockmarks of stray bullets and debris cracking massive craters into it, revealed the ever-present rockcrete underneath its polished exterior, leading to secondary reception areas for each staircase.
Their elegant design belied the danger they now posed; the open staircases could easily be overseen from above, making Alpha Squad''s approach exceedingly risky. The Stalwart could only protect from one side, leaving the squad vulnerable to attacks from above.
Thea moved back-to-back with Lucas, her Gram in hand, scoping out the overhang above them as they ascended.
Each step echoed ominously in the large, empty space, heightening the tension.
The squad followed closely behind the two of them; Isabella right next to Thea, their movements synchronised, every sense on high alert for the slightest hint of enemy presence.
The air was thick with anticipation, every creak and groan of the building making them tense, expecting a renewed attack from the Stellar Republic Soldiers.
Half a minute of tension later, they had somehow managed to reach the first floor without encountering any enemies or traps.
No tripwires had been set, and no ambush awaited them at the top of the stairs.
The silence inside the building was almost deafening, an unsettling calm in the midst of the storm of their assault.
Corvus speculated over the comms, his voice hushed yet clear, ¡°We might have caught them off guard more than we thought. They didn''t have time to prepare traps or ambushes, especially with the other areas of the compound also under attack by the other advance squads.¡±
The squad members exchanged glances, a mix of relief and caution in their eyes.
Thea kept her Gram at the ready, scanning every corner and shadow for potential threats as they moved into the secondary reception area. The large open space was eerily quiet, the polished floors reflecting the dim light filtering through the smoke and dust.
Lucas continued to lead, his shield up and ready and rifle in hand, as they cautiously moved through the reception area. He had swapped out his Havoc for the backup AR-303 that had been affixed to the back of the Stalwart, not wanting to risk firing off high-explosive grenades inside potentially cramped spaces.
They quietly cleared out the secondary reception on the first floor before huddling together in a more covered spot near one of the office bathrooms to discuss their next moves.
¡°Desmond, get your drones outside and try to warn us of any concentration of enemies. We have to take them all out if we want to claim this entire compound; we¡¯re hunting now,¡± Corvus ordered. The low hums of three drones darting off into the distance immediately followed his command.
¡°Lucas, I¡¯ll need you to continue leading us; how are you feeling? The charge couldn¡¯t have been easy.¡±
¡°I can go for another couple of hours if I have to, no worries,¡± Lucas replied with a confident smile, raising the Stalwart over his head with one arm as if to prove his point.
¡°Wonderful. That¡¯s what I love to hear,¡± Corvus chuckled before turning his attention to Isabella and Thea. ¡°You two continue doing what you¡¯re doing. Thea, don¡¯t go too hard on your Focus; we might need it for potential Psykers later. We¡¯re inside the building now, so we can let Isabella show off a bit.¡±
Thea nodded in understanding, quickly double-checking her current reserves with a simple mental command to the System.
| [Stamina: 84 / 165 - Focus: 126 / 225] |
¡®Not bad, but also not great. I definitely went a bit hard back there; but I¡¯d argue I made the best of it,¡¯ she thought to herself with a confident nod meant for nobody but herself.
¡°You got it, boss. My beauties are ready to rip and tear,¡± Isabella answered with a broad, toothy grin, showing off her Devastation and Decimator.
¡°Is it just me, or are none of you taking this whole assault seriously?¡± Karania interjected with a clearly fake sigh, the big smile on her face being a dead giveaway. ¡°This is our last mission here; pay it some more respect, jeez.¡±
Corvus couldn¡¯t hide his own smile at Karania¡¯s obvious jest, but he quickly forced it to return to a neutral demeanour. ¡°Karania¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get back to focusing on the mission at hand: No heroics, no stupid moves. I want everyone to do well on this mission so we can all get good positions on the leaderboards today. Don¡¯t die for stupid reasons and lose out on the Mission Objective rewards.¡±
A round of serious nods followed before Corvus signalled for Lucas and Thea to take the lead once again.
Standing behind Lucas, Gram in hand, Thea forced her attention back onto her Psychic Senses to ensure she could catch any errant traps or ambushes slightly ahead of time to warn them all.
Their armoured footsteps quietly echoed through the first doorway into the hallway as they began the next part of their mission: Fully clearing out the compound¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 116 - Cleanup
An eerie quiet hung over the squad as they made their way through the first hallway of the compound; the distant explosions to the south and the desperate fighting further into the compound were the only indicators that they were in hostile territory.
Thea had one hand on Lucas¡¯ back as they moved, ready to give quick and effective intel on whether or not they had to stop, change routes, or hunker down in preparation for a potential ambush.
Her other hand held the Gram squarely shouldered, ready to fire.
It wasn¡¯t as secure as she would like for longer-range firefights, but they were indoors, so the accuracy wasn¡¯t as crucial.
A steady stream of hushed intel flowed through the squad comms as Desmond updated them on what his drones saw, what was likely ahead of them from the windows outside, and where blind spots were. It had been an effective setup over the past week of urban combat, one that Alpha Squad had grown fairly comfortable with.
As they moved past another set of offices, Isabella swung to the right while Corvus cleared the left ones that Desmond¡¯s drones couldn¡¯t fully see inside. Lucas briefly stopped until the two of them returned, giving the all-clear.
Thea felt a mix of comfort and unease with the setup. The past few minutes had been too quiet for her taste, especially after they had cleared the main lobby of the compound.
The fact that they hadn¡¯t encountered any enemies set up on the first floor right above it, despite the thoroughly advantageous position it provided for defence, was troubling. Moreover, there were neither Soldiers nor traps in sight in the hallways so far, setting her further on edge.
This kind of slow, gradual clearing was rare when facing the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces, she had learned. After all, why allow the UHF to push up into their territory when they had a practically infinite amount of disposable Soldiers to throw at them?
Yet in the past few minutes, they hadn¡¯t been assaulted by groups of Soldiers, nor had they heard any kind of nearby fighting that could indicate the enemy was distracted.
As they continued moving further into the building, the tension only grew.
The occasional flicker of a malfunctioning light overhead cast erratic shadows that danced along the walls, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The faint scent of burning electronics, spent explosives and the metallic tang of blood hung in the air, remnants of their previous skirmish that permeated through the compound.
As they reached another intersection, Lucas held up a hand, signalling them to halt.
Thea scanned their surroundings, focusing on her hearing more so than anything else, but nothing seemed to indicate an immediate threat.
She gave a non-verbal all-clear signal to the rest of the squad after around a minute of complete and utter silence, not wanting to risk missing a potential footstep, the clang of a weapon being shouldered, or anything else that might give the enemy away.
¡°Desmond, anything on the drones?¡± Corvus whispered over the comms.
¡°Negative. Still no visuals on any hostiles. It¡¯s like they¡¯ve vanished,¡± Desmond replied, a note of frustration in his voice. ¡°I could let my drones rush forward and search for them, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to do the deep sweeps I¡¯ve been doing. Your call?¡±
Corvus remained quiet for a moment, weighing the options.
Finally, he answered, ¡°No, let¡¯s stick with what¡¯s been working. I like knowing that we have a drone on our back and we can catch any enemy in a crossfire from outside with your other drones. Best to keep them close.¡±
Directing his attention back to the rest of the squad, he added, ¡°Stay sharp everyone; they¡¯re up to something and I don¡¯t like it.¡±
A round of non-verbal affirmations were shared, weapons slightly raised in anticipation.
Lucas and Thea continued leading the squad further into the compound, weapons at the ready. They moved with careful precision, each step carefully placed to avoid making unnecessary noise; something they had all learned on-the-job over the past week of continuous close-quarters engagements.
A few minutes and more than half a dozen cleared rooms later, Desmond¡¯s voice came through the comms with a sense of urgency, ¡°Found some. They¡¯ve set up a sort of checkpoint inside one of the conference rooms up front. Big double doors, there¡¯s an exit on the back.¡±
The squad halted, poised and ready, waiting for Desmond to reposition his drones for a more detailed assessment.
¡°They¡¯ve reinforced the walls; I¡¯m not sure even the Devastator could punch through that,¡± he continued after a short pause. ¡°One auto-turret as well, back and to the right of the room; I can¡¯t get an angle on it with the drone, so that¡¯ll have to be on Lucas and Thea. I count two squads'' worth of targets, but there are definitely some duplicates among them; thinking one original squad, with maybe one or two leftovers.¡±
Silence followed as Desmond continued his recon, the squad tense and ready, hanging on his every word.
¡°They have a disproportionate amount of heavies; three total. Two defensive, one offensive from what I can tell¡ Odd. The rest are mediums, no lights,¡± he muttered, almost as much to himself, as to the rest of the squad.
¡°They seem aware of our presence to some degree. They¡¯re not relaxed; they¡¯re ready to shoot the moment we come into their line of sight. The doors don¡¯t seem reinforced, so they¡¯ll be the first to go. They might even have it set up as a trap. I can¡¯t see any cameras on the other side, but nothing stops them from having an Ability that could see or hear through it.¡±
A few more moments passed in tense silence before Desmond added, ¡°Two more mediums on the other side of the conference room, at the back door. Likely to make sure they don¡¯t get ambushed from behind, but they¡¯re bound to join the fight as well. So, fourteen targets, around six to seven originals.¡±
With a deep nod, Desmond signalled that his intel was complete and he¡¯d only chime in again if anything changed.
Corvus, Karania, and Thea immediately started putting their heads together to come up with a battle plan over the next few minutes.
The three of them had established themselves as the de-facto tactical brains of the squad, with Corvus taking the lead, Thea generally advocating for her Psychic Powers to be used in certain ways, and Karania chiming in to fill any gaps or ¡°obvious¡± issues that the other two might have missed.
It had proven an effective system in the past, and neither Desmond, Lucas, nor Isabella had wanted to be a part of it, trusting the brains of the squad to devise the strategy.
However, they were always welcome to give their opinions and thoughts.
Five minutes later, the plan was hashed out, and everyone gathered in position, around twenty metres away from the double doors, inside a nearby office in case Desmond¡¯s earlier thoughts were accurate about the enemy potentially having someone capable of seeing through the non-reinforced doors and using them as a trap.
Visually confirming everyone was ready to go, Lucas stepped out with Thea behind him and slightly to the side, so the barrel of her Gram could peek out from behind the Stalwart. They approached the double doors, but once they managed to clear the offices on the left and right, now around ten meters in front of the doors, they veered off to the left, moving a couple of meters sideways.
¡°Stop,¡± Desmond¡¯s voice came over the comms, and the two of them halted immediately.
Thea tapped Lucas¡¯ shoulder twice, signaling her readiness, and took a deep breath before focusing on the weapon in her hand.
In the next moment, a dull thump rang out as Lucas¡¯ Havoc launcher fired a grenade at the double doors. The resulting pre-impact detonation ripped the doors apart in a conflagration of debris, the shockwave shattering the windows in all the surrounding offices and the conference room ahead.
Simultaneously, a single, high-intensity laser cut through the fire and smoke, impacting the far right end of the conference room. Almost at the same time, the low-pitched whine of Isabella¡¯s Devastation spinning up turned into a cacophonous roar as she blanketed the entire doorway in high-caliber bullets, the airborne remnants of the explosion being ripped apart and creating chaotic swirls of smoke and fire.
Two grenades, thrown by Karania and Corvus, made their way through the smoke mere fractions of a second later. Gunfire erupted from the left and right sides of the conference room as Desmond¡¯s drones repositioned, now firing in from both sides and taking out priority targets the moment the glass shattered by Lucas¡¯ explosion.
Lucas pushed forward, the Stalwart absorbing a hail of bullets and lasers, its surface sparking and denting under the relentless assault as he positioned himself closer to the doorway.
The smoke from the explosion that had covered the entrance was now dissipating, allowing Thea to rapidly take out three medium-armoured Soldiers back-to-back as she advanced alongside Lucas.
Another explosion erupted from the conference room as two grenades detonated, obliterating the massive hardwood conference table and sending wooden shrapnel flying in every direction. The air filled with splinters and debris, adding to the chaos of the ongoing battle.
The remnants of the enemy squads did not break easily, however.
A barrage of grenades was thrown from their position, the explosive blasts forcing Lucas and Thea to take cover behind the Stalwart, removing them briefly from the equation. High-calibre weaponry from the Stellar Republic forces, likely the offensive heavy, Thea assumed, answered Isabella¡¯s own, their heavy rounds tearing through the walls and cover she had hidden half of her body behind, sending shards of rockcrete and metal scattering.
Isabella, Karania, and Corvus had to rapidly change positions to escape the counter-fire, moving closer to the conference room while keeping parallel to Thea and Lucas.
Their movements were swift and coordinated, each member covering the others as they manoeuvred through the debris-laden battlefield.
¡°More grenades!¡± Desmond¡¯s voice crackled through the comms, just as another series of explosive devices were hurled out of the room.
Thea easily anticipated the trajectory and managed to shoot two of them mid-air, their explosions further obfuscating the inside of the conference room, but a third one had been lobbed low and bounced over the floor before landing dangerously close to Lucas.
¡°Down!¡± she yelled, grabbing Lucas by the back of his armour and pulling him to the ground, further towards the reinforced wall to their left, just as the grenade went off. The Stalwart shielded them from the worst of the blast, but the shockwave still rattled their senses.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°Fuck! They got one of my drones!¡± Desmond reported, annoyance and frustration clear in his voice. ¡°They¡¯re duplicating, but I can¡¯t get a clear shot on the originals. They¡¯re further towards the back of the room.¡±
A moment passed as Thea and Lucas got themselves back into fighting position.
¡°The two soldiers behind the room have started duplicating too, sending in additional soldiers to hold you off. I can probably take one of them out, if needed, but I can¡¯t get both,¡± he added with a hint of expectation for orders.
¡°We¡¯re a bit stuck here,¡± Corvus replied. ¡°Let¡¯s switch to plan B. The reinforced walls are making it impossible to really do anything here. We can¡¯t just run into this chokepoint and if we get bogged down, we lose.¡±
Affirmative clicks rang out from everyone¡¯s comms as the squad seamlessly transitioned into position.
Corvus and Karania pulled out two white-foam grenades each, while Isabella sent a last burst of gunfire through the open doorway before rapidly switching to her Decimator.
Plan B, or as Isabella had coined it, plan ¡°Get in their faces,¡± involved a much more personal connection with the enemy.
Taking out two more cloned soldiers with a quick peek before her psychic senses told her to back off, Thea let the Gram drop into its sling, pulling out her Icicle and one of her Throatcutter¡¯s knives.
She turned and moved away from the doorway, closer to the shattered, large-pane windows on the left side of the building.
¡°Three, two, one¡¡± Corvus counted everyone down before he and Karania threw in the white-foam grenades in staggered intervals; two to the left, two in the centre.
Simultaneously, dull thumps rang out from Lucas¡¯ position as he lobbed smoke, white-foam, and concussive grenades into the conference room with his Havoc launcher.
The white-foam grenades exploded, rapidly expanding and filling the room with several makeshift rock-crete walls that cut the room into smaller segments. Lucas¡¯ smoke grenades added a thick, obscuring layer, making visibility nearly impossible for the enemy, while the concussive grenades sent massive shockwaves through the room, disorienting anyone caught in the blast radius.
¡°Move, now!¡± Corvus ordered.
Isabella rushed into the doorway and turned right, pushing towards the far side of the conference room to confront the soldiers disoriented by the smoke and concussive grenades.
Meanwhile, Thea jumped out of the window, her grappling hooks latching onto the other side of the reinforced wall, allowing her to swing around and crash through the shattered windows into the conference hall.
Before even crossing the threshold, Thea began firing her Icicle at any soldiers she could see. The crystal-like projectiles pierced straight through her opponents as if they were unarmored.
By the time she landed inside the conference room and her grappling hooks retracted back into her armour, her Icicle''s magazine was empty. All 24 rounds had found their marks, decimating the rattled soldiers on the left side of the room.
Wasting no time, her Psychic Senses screaming at her to keep moving, Thea dropped the Icicle where she stood and pulled out the second blade of her Throatcutter.
She rushed towards the remaining quintet of soldiers in a crouched stance, zigzagging past the white-foam barriers that had shielded them from her earlier shots. Bullets and laser fire whizzed mere inches past her, crashing into the reinforced wall behind her.
As she closed the distance to the first two soldiers, her Psychic Senses alerted her to an attack from her left.
Without breaking stride, she twisted her body hard, allowing a chainsword to slice through the air where her head had been a moment before. The soldier wielding the chainsword stumbled forward, off balance from the quickly thrown, missed strike.
Thea took advantage of the opening, lashing out with one of her vibroknives. The blade hummed as it sliced through the soldier''s armour like paper, cutting deeply into his side and disembowelling the soldier in one strike.
He dropped to the ground, clutching the wound as he screamed in pain.
The second soldier, armed with a chainaxe, lunged at her at the same time.
Thea sidestepped the wild swing, the chainaxe tearing through a nearby piece of hardwood¡ªa leftover from the earlier explosions ripping apart the conference table¡ªsending splinters flying.
With a flick of her wrist, Thea threw one of her knives as she ducked down to put herself squarely behind the approaching soldier, so his squad mates would be unable to shoot at her.
The blade embedded itself deep in the soldier''s shoulder, causing him to howl in pain.
Before he could react further, she yanked the nearly unbreakable chain connecting the knives, pulling the blade back into her hand, dislocating his shoulder in the process and unbalancing him, making him stumble towards her.
With a quick, back-gripped slice of her other knife, she cut off his head.
The last two remaining soldiers began to duplicate, creating additional bodies to overwhelm her with. The confined space of the conference room worked against them, however, as they struggled to find room to manoeuvre and shoot at her.
Thea used this to her advantage, ducking and weaving through the clones, using them as human shields against each other as she reaped one after another with quick, precise thrusts and slices.
Plan B had relied exactly on this downside of the Stellar Republic¡¯s Faction Trait: Clones, when created, were wielding exactly the same equipment as the original.
As a result, none of the clones that were being thrown her way were ready for her, as they were all wielding their ranged weaponry.
If the originals had instead been wielding their swords, axes or other melee weapons, Thea would have ended up in a lot tighter of a situation¡ªbut that was exactly why they had decided to rush in like this, to make sure the enemy didn¡¯t have the time to adapt.
One of the duplicates finally managed to equip and swing a chainsword at her, but her Psychic Senses had long warned her of the attack before it could happen.
She absent-mindedly parried the blow with the chain that connected her two knives together, before swinging it around the weapon¡¯s head and turning, disarming the duplicate in a fluid motion.
Another soldier with a vibroblade closed in, attempting a series of precise thrusts as Thea jammed one of her knives into the eye of the duplicate she had just disarmed.
But once again, she was prepared.
She deflected each thrust with her knives, diverting them away from herself before headbutting the soldier, causing him to reel back in surprise. Twisting the chain around the soldier''s wrist, she yanked hard, causing him to drop his weapon.
In the same motion, she brought her other knife up, slicing across his throat.
The final remaining soldier, realising the futility of trying to shoot her, pulled out his own vibroblade and charged. Thea met his attack head-on, blocking the first swing with her left knife while slashing with her right. Her blade cut through the soldier''s thigh, dropping him to one knee.
She finished him off with a quick, precise stab to the heart.
Thea stood amidst the fallen soldiers, her chest heaving from the exertion, taking heavy breaths in an attempt to recover. The room around her was surprisingly silent, save for the distant echoes of battle elsewhere in the compound. She quickly scanned the area, ensuring there were no more immediate threats, before nodding to herself in satisfaction.
Lucas, Desmond, Corvus, and Karania had pushed through the centre of the room and out the back door, already having taken care of the two originals that had protected the back exit. Isabella had created an abstract painting of gore on the other side of the conference room, her Devastator leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The floor was littered with the bodies of soldiers, both duplicates and originals, their weapons scattered amidst the debris of the once pristine conference room. The shattered remains of the massive hardwood table lay strewn across the floor, splintered and broken from the earlier grenade explosion.
Thea¡¯s attention returned to her surroundings, her senses still heightened from the battle.
The air was thick with the smell of ozone, smoke and blood, mingling with the acrid scent of burnt metal and plastic. Her muscles ached from the intensity of the fight, but she felt the earlier surge of adrenaline keeping her focused.
Moving back towards the front of the conference room, Thea picked up her Icicle and reloaded it, before putting it back in the holster. Fully re-equipped and a bit recuperated from the earlier extensive fight, she grouped back up with the rest of the squad, meeting Isabella¡¯s eyes on the way back.
¡°You¡¯re really getting the hang of this whole CQC bit, Thea,¡± the mountainous woman offered with a nod. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re finally learning the true way of fighting. It was about time.¡±
Feeling an unmistakable hint of pride at the compliment, Thea retorted, ¡°I still prefer my Gram or Caliburn, but I¡¯m glad I committed to getting the shit beat out of me by you in the run-up to the assessment. It helped. Thanks for the lessons, Ela.¡±
With an unmistakably toothy smile, even if the woman¡¯s mouth was hidden behind her helmet, Isabella replied, ¡°Ha, I¡¯ll beat the shit out of you whenever you want; no need to thank me! Though you can definitely praise and thank me some more, if you really want!¡±
Shaking her head in amusement, Thea pulled up the Gram from its sling and shouldered it, stepping past the rest of the squad to take her spot next to Lucas once again.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue. We have to get up to the roof, but clear out the remaining floors until then, to make sure we don¡¯t get caught in a pincer,¡± Corvus ordered, his eyes already set on the path ahead, not even spending a moment to talk about the fight they just went through.
¡°Lucas, Thea,¡± he turned towards them. ¡°You guys take the lead again, but be wary; Desmond¡¯s down to one drone. The next one¡¯s up in four minutes, so up until then, we¡¯re running mostly blind. Keep an even sharper eye out.¡±
The two of them gave their affirmations, readying themselves for the task ahead.
Moving with careful steps, they headed towards one of the staircases deeper inside the compound.
Lucas moved ahead, his Stalwart raised to shield them from any sudden attacks. Thea kept her Gram at the ready, her eyes scanning every shadow and corner for potential threats, while keeping a keen focus on her hearing in order to make sure she wouldn¡¯t miss any obvious tells, especially now that they couldn¡¯t rely on Desmond¡¯s drones to forewarn them.
Their boots thudded softly against the floor, the only other sounds the quiet hum of Desmond¡¯s remaining drone hovering just slightly behind them.
After a few minutes of tense movement and careful clearing of offices and hallways, they reached the staircase, a grand structure of ¡°marble¡± steps leading up to the next floor.
The open design was similar to the one in the main lobby, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from above. Thea¡¯s senses were on overdrive, listening for the slightest hint of movement.
Step by cautious step, they ascended in the same formation as before, with Lucas up front and Thea back-to-back with him to clear any potential attackers from behind. Her finger rested lightly on the trigger of her Gram, ready to react.
Just as she thought they might ascend scot-free once again, she heard the unmistakable creak of armoured boots on rockcrete above them. Immediately, she signalled the rest of the squad for a retreat, pushing her elbow into Lucas¡¯ back to alert him.
The second they started their hasty retreat, all hell broke loose.
More than a dozen Stellar Republic soldiers peeked out from various positions above, firing down towards them with everything they had. Bullets and lasers rained down, turning the staircase into a deadly gauntlet.
Thea¡¯s psychic senses screamed at her, and in a moment of panic, she grabbed Lucas and threw herself off the staircase, back towards the rest of the squad. The very moment she did, an explosion ripped through the spot Lucas and she had been just an instant before, the shockwave and heat washing over them and throwing them through the building like ragdolls.
Thea collided painfully with a nearby office wall, her armour taking the brunt of the impact but still sending a sharp pain through her side. Lucas got caught on a nearby pillar, the Stalwart clattering to the ground beside him.
Thea¡¯s ears were ringing, and her vision was blurry, but she knew she had to find cover first and foremost. Pushing herself up as fast as she could, she stumbled towards the nearest corner that was hidden from the staircase.
Each step sent a jolt of hot, searing pain through her body.
Before she could access her comms and ask for Kara¡¯s help, the squad medic was already at her side, jamming the first auto-injector into the quick-access port of her armour. A warm feeling of bliss replaced the searing pain in mere moments, and Thea shouldered her Gram, aiming towards the staircase in preparation for any potential pursuers as her vision finally returned to normal.
Looking over, she saw that Isabella had grabbed Lucas and pulled him into cover behind the left side wall leading up to the stairway. The defensive heavy was similarly out of it as Thea herself was. They were undoubtedly on the back foot, with two of their members injured and the squad in a suboptimal position, but now the enemies¡¯ element of surprise had been spent.
¡°Desmond, give us that second drone; go for kills as fast as you can,¡± Corvus¡¯ muted voice came over the comms, almost overpowered by the ringing in Thea¡¯s ears.
¡°Isabella, give them hell. Don¡¯t let any of them come down the stairs, we need time for Lucas and Thea to recover.¡±
Thea almost wanted to say that she was good to go, but before she could do so, Karania gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that if she did so, the wounds she had sustained from the explosion would be the least of her issues.
Instead, she decided to simply bide her time and let the squad medic do her job.
She held the angles she could, while Karania worked on fixing her up with injectors and quick check-ups for any larger issues. All she could do for now was wait for the rest of the squad to finish their preparations and jump back into action¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 117 - Fledgeling Infiltrator
¡°You¡¯ve got two broken ribs. I¡¯ve just given you an injector that will help stabilise them so they don¡¯t end up dealing more damage. Don¡¯t get hit in the same place again, but aside from that, you¡¯re good to go,¡± Karania reported, patting Thea on the shoulder to indicate she was free to move.
Inching closer to the stairs leading up, Thea tried to get a better grasp on the situation. Lucas was still slightly wobbly on his feet, standing next to Isabella, Desmond, and Corvus on the other side of the stairwell.
The Stellar Republic forces were surprisingly defensive, considering they had gotten the jump on them. Given that they would win any prolonged attrition-based engagement, it wasn¡¯t actually too surprising for Thea in the grand scheme of things.
There was no real way for them to know that she and Lucas had been hit pretty badly by the explosion, after all. With the breadth of System Abilities available, there was not an insignificant chance that one or both of them had an Ability to reduce the damage that such an explosion would deal to them.
As a matter of fact, Thea actually did.
¡®I¡¯m fairly sure if it wasn¡¯t for [Silver Respiration], the shockwaves would have done a lot more damage to me¡ Both here and back in the office building too. Not to mention [Armour of Resolve] pulling its weight as well...¡¯
It had been a stroke of luck, in hindsight, to get such a useful Passive Ability from one of her earlier Accomplishment rewards. While it hadn¡¯t initially looked all too useful except for some specific diving situations or chemical attacks, where holding your breath might be the difference between life or death, the actual pressure resistance it provided had proven surprisingly useful throughout the assessment.
Isabella¡¯s Devastation roaring to life once again and sending a burst of high-calibre rounds up the staircase ripped Thea from her thoughts. Shaking her head to clear some of the remaining haze, likely a combination of her earlier dizziness from the explosion and the strong painkillers that Karania had administered, Thea focused back on the task at hand.
The intense sound of gunfire echoed through the stairwell, and the staccato rhythm of return-fire striking the rock-crete surfaces near Isabella¡¯s position only added to the chaos.
Thea took another deep breath, feeling the stabilising effects of the injector Karania had administered. Her broken ribs were no longer an immediate concern, but the memory of the explosion kept her cautious.
She knew that simply pushing forward recklessly would lead to more than just broken bones.
¡°Desmond, any new intel?¡± Corvus'' voice cut through the comms.
¡°Negative. The enemy is holding position. It¡¯s like they¡¯re waiting for us to make the next move,¡± Desmond replied.
¡°I only have these two drones left. The next one¡¯s eight minutes out, so my combat capabilities are limited right now,¡± he added, his frustration evident.
Corvus nodded in acknowledgement before addressing the rest of the squad. ¡°Lucas, Isabella, you guys need to create a serious distraction if we want to get out of this alive. Thea, are you up for a risky play?¡±
A smile spread across Thea¡¯s face. Being asked to go for a risky play by Corvus, of all people, tickled her fancy in just the right way. ¡°Absolutely. What did you have in mind, bossman?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no chance we¡¯ll win a straight confrontation, not with that rocket launcher up there,¡± Corvus explained, outlining his plan. ¡°So we need you to get around them and take out the heavy weapon before we can actually start fighting back. Use your grappling hook to come up behind them; there should be windows above us. Lucas, Isabella, Karania, and I will create as much chaos as we can to give you the opportunity to sneak up and take them out.¡±
He visually confirmed that everyone had heard his orders before adding, ¡°Best use something quiet. You might have to shoot more than one heavy, so maybe use your Icicle instead of your Gram to ensure you aren¡¯t found out immediately.¡±
¡°Can do,¡± Thea replied immediately, feeling that Corvus¡¯ tactical acumen was spot-on as usual. There wasn¡¯t much else they could do without getting shut down by the explosive expert atop the stairs. Neutralising the main threat before the squad pushed up was their best bet.
¡®Better channel my inner Vi for this one¡ I¡¯m not exactly an assassin or infiltrator, but I¡¯ll just have to do my best,¡¯ Thea thought as she made her way past Karania toward the shattered windows on the far-right side of the staircase lobby.
Carefully looking out and up, she confirmed that there were indeed large, shattered windows above her, directly behind a portion of the enemy¡¯s position.
¡°Should be doable. But there¡¯s no way they won¡¯t have at least one or two people looking out for stuff like this,¡± Thea comms¡¯ed in, trying to visualise the best path to take.
She considered whether a straight grapple upwards would be best, or if manoeuvring further left or right to get a different angle on the enemy might be more effective.
¡°That¡¯s where we come in,¡± Corvus replied with surprising confidence, as if he already knew it would all work out. ¡°The rest of the squad will create enough of a distraction to give you a clear shot. Trust in us, Thea.¡±
Directing his next words at the rest of the squad, he added, ¡°For this next gunfight, go all out. No need to hold back. If we can¡¯t get past these guys, we fail the mission anyway, so throw it all on the line.¡±
Affirmative clicks came from each member of the squad.
Thea slung the Gram over her shoulder and drew her Icicle¡ªmuch like Corvus had said earlier, stealth was going to be paramount if she wanted to destroy the heavy weapons before anyone realised she was there.
¡°I¡¯m good whenever,¡± Thea reported, positioning herself as close to the edge as possible.
She would have to jump out the window to get a good shot with her grappling hooks.
¡®The longer the assessment goes on, the more I seem to rely on absolutely crazy moves like this¡ Is that just how war goes with the System or is that just Alpha Squad¡?¡¯ she wondered as she watched the rest of the squad get into position.
Karania, stuck on her side of the staircase, readied her Ruin with zero doubt in her mind that she would get to use it.
Lucas was setting up with his Stalwart, which had been retrieved by one of Desmond¡¯s drones from the pillar near the centre of the staircase earlier¡ªthe drone operator had definitely used one of his abilities to enhance the drone¡¯s mobility; otherwise, it would almost certainly have been shot during the attempt.
Isabella fed a new belt into her Devastation and stuffed additional ones from her backpack into the belt-feeder attachment of her armour.
Meanwhile, Corvus seemed almost lost in thought as he stood behind the rest of the squad, but Thea knew better than to think he wasn¡¯t 100% on the ball.
The moment everyone signaled readiness, Corvus gave the go-ahead, ¡°Lucas, Isabella; fuck them up. Thea, go at your own discretion.¡±
Karania immediately lobbed a white foam grenade and a blue foam grenade around the corner up the stairwell at Corvus¡¯ orders. Lucas¡¯ Havoc launcher thumped repeatedly, blanketing the staircase in smoke, blue foam, and white foam grenades at the same time.
He stepped forward as the Havoc fired and planted the Stalwart close to the wall on the left-hand side with one hand, grav-locking it in place to create a firing position for Isabella.
The offensive heavy stepped forward with her Devastation and started unloading blindly up towards the Stellar Republic''s forces, blanketing the entire stairwell in high-calibre bullets, ripping the weapon from right to left and trying to cause as much chaos and mayhem as possible.
The grenades began exploding, filling the entire area with rapidly congealing rock-crete foam, some in blue splodges that went everywhere, others in white walls or platforms, creating a chaotic mess of obstacles and breaking up the open line of sight.
Smoke from Lucas¡¯ grenades started to fill the entire staircase as well, further adding to the confusion.
Return fire rained down on the squad immediately.
A cacophony of gunfire and lasers prattled down, the sounds echoing and intensifying in the confined space. Multiple explosions started ripping through the newly formed rock-crete foam, sending debris and dust flying everywhere.
The walls shook with each blast, and the air was thick with the smell of burning rock-crete and the metallic tang of discharged weaponry and superheated ozone.
Thea, seeing the chaos unfold behind her, moved swiftly.
She could feel the vibrations of the explosions and the gunfire through the floor and the air around her, her high Perception keeping her acutely aware of every shift and movement in the battle.
She leaped out the window.
¡®Sky Step.¡¯
Taking two large steps towards the left-hand side, Thea put as much distance between herself and the fighting before firing her grappling hooks up at the rock-crete exterior of the building above.
She let herself get pulled up quickly but stopped just short of coming into view of the next floor, taking it slower as she carefully approached the jagged remnants of the shattered windows.
Meanwhile, the scene below was one of pure pandemonium.
Lucas braced himself behind the Stalwart, its surface absorbing a relentless hail of bullets and lasers. Occasionally, explosions hit their mark, sending balls of fire against the wall to his left. The shield sparked and dented at spots under the explosive assault, but Lucas held firm, providing crucial cover for the rest of the squad.
Isabella''s Devastation continued to roar, its high-calibre rounds ripping through the smoke and foam, creating chaotic swirls of debris. She aimed in the general direction of the return fire, and the intermittent cries of pain and the splattering of flesh spoke of her plan¡¯s efficacy.
Karania, meanwhile, threw additional grenades, further adding to the tumult. More white foam expanded rapidly to create new barriers, replacing those destroyed, while the blue foam splattered everything in rapidly congealing, solid chunks.
The Stellar Republic forces fought back fiercely.
Their own high-calibre weapons started to answer Isabella''s with brutal force. Grenades and rockets from above exploded around the squad, sending shockwaves and fragments of rock-crete in all directions. A series of high-calibre rounds, very much akin to the Devastation¡¯s, ripped into the Stalwart mere centimetres away from Isabella.
She ducked and weaved behind the shield, seeking alternate angles to surprise the opposition. However, the sheer firepower levelled toward the sole defensive position of Alpha Squad was quickly proving more than they could handle.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Lucas and Isabella got hit by more than a couple of rounds, some managing to just barely break past their heavy armors, evidenced by the slowly expanding pool of red below their feet.
Desmond¡¯s drones strafed the staircase, their rapid-fire adding to the suppressive barrage, trying to keep the enemy pinned down as best as possible. The drones'' infrared and heat sensors worked extremely well in the situation created by Lucas¡¯ and Karania¡¯s consistent grenade bombardment and the dust and smoke cluttering up the staircase.
Finally, as she heard Karania¡¯s Ruin bark from below in a rhythmic cadence, Thea decided the situation had progressed enough for her to make her play. She edged closer to the window by reeling herself in with the grappling hooks, her senses on high alert for any sign of movement or attack.
With a final psychic senses check and a deep breath, she swung herself through the shattered glass, landing silently inside the building above.
The landing was an utterly chaotic scene.
Dozens of Stellar Republic soldiers were firing down into the smoke and rock-crete-laden staircase below. Some were hit by errant debris or return fire from Karania, Isabella, Corvus, or Desmond¡¯s drones.
Medics were scrambling to drag injured soldiers into safer positions, triaging and stabilising them as best they could amidst the chaos, while other Soldiers were yelling orders or asking screaming in pain upon getting hit.
Thea could immediately make out a significant number of clones at first glance as well, only adding to the sense of confusion and urgency for her part of this battle.
The soldiers were strategically positioned around the giant rock-crete staircase leading up from below.
Directly above where Alpha Squad had been pinned down, soldiers leaned over the railings, unloading rounds into the swirling chaos below. Others had taken up positions to the left and right of the railings, creating a crossfire that made it nearly impossible for anyone to advance without getting hit.
More soldiers were entrenched at the terminus of the stairs, behind makeshift cover fashioned from debris, furniture, white-foam and solid-cover shields, firing heavy-calibre rounds and explosives towards the left-hand side of the staircase where Lucas had planted the Stalwart.
Thea carefully and stealthily advanced towards the nearest pillar, her movements smooth and deliberate. She took cover behind it, taking a few precious seconds to organise her thoughts and scan the chaotic battlefield for the most dangerous targets.
Her mind raced as she identified the soldiers with explosive weaponry at the terminus of the stairs, knowing that neutralising them was critical to her squad''s survival.
''Stay calm. Focus on the mission. Take out the heavies and the rest of the battle will fall in place by itself,'' she reminded herself.
Her Perception was stretched to the limit as she tried to keep track of every single soldier in the room. There were dozens of them, but she somehow had to remain hidden while methodically taking out key targets and advancing into a position where she could take out the enemy heavies.
She couldn¡¯t afford to kill too many original soldiers at once either, as their clones would drop dead immediately and thus potentially blow her cover too early.
She peeked out from behind the pillar, spotting a soldier leaning over the railing, firing relentlessly at her squad below, that was also dangerously close to the path she wanted to take.
She took aim with her Icicle and fired, the silent crystal-like projectile piercing through his armour like paper, dropping him instantly; the three clones near him similarly dropping like puppets with their strings cut.
Moving quickly in order to take advantage of the sudden collapse of a small portion of the enemy¡¯s battle lines, she advanced towards another piece of cover further towards the terminus, staying low and minimising her profile behind it.
Her psychic senses suddenly screamed at her, alerting her to somebody being dangerously close to spotting her. She swiftly turned around and took the shot, trusting her psychic senses to make the moment count, the enemy that had moved up from behind her dropping silently to the ground.
Breathing heavily as the adrenaline in her body continued to circulate, Thea waited for a couple of seconds; but when no alarm was being raised and no further soldiers appeared, she breathed out a sigh of relief.
¡®That was fucking close,¡¯ she thought to herself as she peeked out of her cover. ¡®I¡¯m lucky it was a clone, I guess. Two originals this close to each other, back-to-back would have undoubtedly caused some eyes to be directed my way.¡¯
Spotting another opportunity to continue onwards, she moved out of cover with strangely precise movements, following her psychic senses¡¯ warnings of not moving too little or too much in order to stay hidden in plain sight, further channelling her inner Viladia to eliminate threats as she simply walked up towards the next piece of cover.
Her Icicle fired three more times before she stopped behind the next pillar, taking a quick breather to let her mind recover. She was starting to feel a slight headache make itself known behind her eyes.
¡®My Psychic Resources are probably running out fairly quickly like this¡ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever relied on them as much as I have here; but I don¡¯t exactly have another choice, do I?¡¯
Every once in a while, she had to take out a clone or an original soldier who was too close to noticing her presence as she recovered; but the silent crystal projectiles did the job adequately.
Once she felt that the headache started to ebb away, Thea ducked out from behind cover again and continued her almost leisurely walk towards the next piece of solid cover; one that was promising to almost be close enough to the terminus of the stairs to allow her to take out the priority targets.
Just then, she spotted two medic clones tending to injured soldiers on the far-right side of the landing. They were hastily moving injured soldiers around and were about to turn back around towards the stairs to retrieve additional ones, which would put Thea right in their line of sight from the other side of the landing.
Immediately, she took them out with two quick shots from her Icicle, before simply dropping herself on the floor as her psychic senses screamed at her¡ªthose two dead medics were impossible to be explained away by simple counter-fire from her squad below.
Thea played possum as best she could, waiting for the confused and cautious eyes that were searching for her to pass, trusting her precognitive abilities to inform her when the coast was clear to continue moving towards the next piece of cover.
Thankfully, a series of explosions abruptly ripped through the stairs and threw dust and debris up towards the landing, claiming back the vast majority of the Stellar Republic forces¡¯ attention.
¡®Thank you, Lucas!¡¯
Taking advantage of the chaos created by Lucas¡¯ grenade launcher wrecking its namesake, Thea quickly got up and rushed towards the solid cover in front of her, ducking behind it and reloading her Icicle.
While there were still quite a number of shots in the current magazine, she wanted to make sure that she was prepared for any eventuality and reload when she had the space to do so, rather than run out in a moment where it would be life or death if the weapon fired or not.
Looking out from behind the giant piece of rock-crete that she was using as cover, likely from one of the destroyed columns that had been blasted apart at some stage during the shootout by one of the explosions, Thea looked over the array of heavies at the top of the stairs, that were levelling their bundled firepower against her squad.
Based on the amount of return-fire coming from below, she could immediately tell that her whole squad was not doing too well.
Karania¡¯s Ruin had long gone silent and there were multiple instances where Isabella¡¯s Devastation had stopped firing altogether.
¡®You better all stay alive down there, or I¡¯m absolutely fucked the second I take out these heavies!¡¯ Thea mentally ordered the rest of her squad, as she looked around for the perfect position to fire from.
Her eyes quickly fell on a nearby reception desk with a solid fake-marble, rock-crete slab that would allow her to be perpendicular to the heavy line.
¡®Perfect¡!¡¯
Ignoring the slowly massing headache for now, Thea picked out two grenades from one of her utility belts and lobbed them over the ground towards the stairs. She didn¡¯t aim them at anyone in particular, merely wanting them to create even more chaos, dust and debris for her to make her final moves.
The instant before they exploded, she stepped out of cover and sprinted towards the reception desk.
¡®Improved Sprint.¡¯
She felt the energy of the Allbright System rush through her as it empowered her legs to push faster and harder towards the cover in front of her, just as the grenades exploded; throwing dust and debris in all directions and causing nearby soldiers to stumble, fall and scream in surprise at the sudden, close explosion.
Feeling her psychic senses tingle once again, telling her that she was about to be found out, Thea threw herself on her back, sliding the last few metres across the fake-marble flooring into cover behind the rock-crete slab behind the reception desk.
Breathing heavily, she immediately continued moving towards roughly the half-way point before ducking up, keeping her head as low as possible while still retaining visuals towards the ongoing battle.
Briefly checking her Resources, Thea tried to find the best position to engage her final-stand from. The second she opened fire at the heavies, she would undoubtedly be blowing her cover, no matter how much she might try to stay hidden.
| [Stamina: 31 / 165 - Focus: 104 / 225] |
¡®That¡¯s not exactly a lot, but I guess I¡¯ll have to make do,¡¯ she thought to herself with a grimace, as she considered her options.
From her vantage point, she could clearly see and take shots at the line of heavies that were firing down at her squad. She counted seven of them, although it was clear that there were clones mingled in amongst them.
¡®Probably three originals. I don¡¯t see them pulling together this many heavies for an ambush like this; this whole battle has probably one and a half, two squads at most.¡¯
Looking over towards the rest of the Stellar Republic forces arrayed around the stair railing, she tried finding anyone that seemed like a squad leader of sorts, but failed to make any headway on that front in the few seconds she allowed herself to plan.
¡®All or nothing then, I guess,¡¯ she figured, shrugging absent-mindedly as she got into position, aiming her Icicle right at the line of heavies arrayed perpendicular to her at the terminus of the staircase.
Taking a deep breath, Thea activated her Abilities and took the shot.
¡®Penetrative Shot.¡¯
¡®Sensory Overdrive.¡¯
As the world started slowing down around her, the crystal-like projectile of the Icicle shot out from the barrel, an orange hue shaped like an arrow overlaying the tip of it.
The projectile soared through the air with eerie silence before slamming into the first heavy¡¯s chest, the orange arrow shattering upon impact. Abruptly, the projectile accelerated, doubling its speed, and ripped through the next four heavies in less than a fraction of a second before finally stopping.
Before anybody could react, Thea had already fired another five shots, one for each of the remaining heavies likely to survive the initial penetrating shot. The crystals slammed into and through their heavy armours, piercing them and shattering inside their bodies.
The line of heavies collapsed in mere moments, and Thea began shooting at everything that moved with rabid abandon.
¡°Heavies down, need help!¡± she yelled over the comms, hoping her squad would come to her aid, knowing all too well her position was no longer tenable.
As her Perception started to wane, her psychic senses flared up again and again.
She tried to dodge, duck, and dive away from the incoming enemy fire, a large portion of the remaining soldiers targeting her over the rest of the squad. The rock-crete slab she was using as cover rapidly disintegrated under the Stellar Republic¡¯s firepower, the debris and dust making it hard for Thea to see.
She fumbled and crawled behind the desk as fast as she could, trying to find a position where her psychic senses stopped screaming imminent danger. Every time she moved, she had to dodge another grenade, another shot, another potential angle that could get her killed.
She had no time to adjust at all.
Searing pain started radiating through her body as debris and errant shots finally started to pierce through her armour. She kept trusting her psychic senses and dodging as much as she could, hoping for the rest of her squad to bail her out of this dire situation.
Each second felt like an eternity as she desperately fired from cover to keep approaching enemies at bay, trying to avoid more incoming fire with each moment.
Finally, her legs gave out as she tried dodging another incoming grenade and she slipped, careening down onto the floor just as the grenade exploded.
The shrapnel ripped into her armour and flesh below as the shockwave threw her against the rock-crete slab. The world around her spun, her ears rang with an unmistakable cadence, and she groaned in pain, holding her chest with one arm, the other hanging limply and refusing to obey her commands.
A large pool of blood rapidly formed around her as her vision turned blurry and she felt herself slump onto the ground. Desperation clawed at her mind, but she clung to the hope that her squad would reach her in time.
Each heartbeat felt like a hammer blow, echoing in her ears.
She fought to stay conscious, forcing her eyes to focus on the blurred figures approaching through the haze of dust and smoke.
¡®Just a little longer...¡¯ she thought, her grip on her weapon loosening as exhaustion and blood loss took their toll. ¡®Get up, Thea. You¡¯ll get killed otherwise¡!¡¯
Her breaths came in ragged gasps, pain lancing through her with each inhale.
Her body refused to obey as she felt more and more debris get flung on top of her from the disintegrating rock-crete slab taking the shots for her.
Suddenly, it became eerily quiet inside her mind. Her psychic senses stopped giving her warnings, as her consciousness began to fade away.
¡®Just¡ a bit¡ more¡¡¯
Everything turned dark as she sunk into unconsciousness¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 118 - Reflection
Thea¡¯s eyes opened sluggishly as she came to, her body aching in ways she never even knew existed. The world around her was a blur of indistinct shapes and muted colours, everything swimming in a hazy fog.
¡°Uggghhh¡¡± she groaned as she tried to move and look around, her mind slowly recalling the dire situation she had been in before passing out. Her hands grasped aimlessly for her weapons, her fingers brushing against cold metal as she attempted to get back into a combat-ready state.
¡°You back with us, sleepyhead?¡±
Thea stiffened at the voice, her brain too mushy to immediately recognize it. A mixture of adrenaline and the desperate urge not to end up like Viladia¡ªcaptured alive by the enemy¡ªspurred her on to blindly grab for her weapons again.
¡°Thea, stop that¡ªHey, stop!¡±
A set of hands pinned her to the ground, nullifying her meagre attempts to regain some agency. She started headbutting whatever was in front of her, but in her weakened state, it ended up being more like gentle nods brushing against somebody¡¯s armour than anything dangerous.
¡°Thea, it¡¯s me, Kara,¡± the strangely familiar voice said intently close by, as Thea felt herself continue to be restrained. ¡°Take a deep breath. You nearly bled out before I managed to get to you. Stop thrashing around like this, you¡¯re not in a state to handle this much right now.¡±
Thea''s vision slowly began to clear, the fog lifting just enough for her to make out Karania''s concerned face hovering above her. The sounds of battle still echoed faintly in the far distant background, but for the moment, they felt irrelevant, as if coming from another world.
She tried to focus on Karania¡¯s words, taking deep, ragged breaths to calm herself.
Karania gently loosened her grip as Thea''s struggles ceased. ¡°Good, just breathe,¡± she said soothingly. ¡°We¡¯ve got you. We managed to get to you just barely in time, but the area is clear now. Just rest up for a little while longer.¡±
Taking her friend''s words to heart, Thea closed her eyes once more, trying her best to recoup as much energy as she could. The rough texture of the ground beneath her, the coolness of the air, and the distant sounds of combat faded to the background as she centred herself.
A few minutes later, she had managed to regain enough coherency to remember where she likely was, what they were doing there, and what was going on, to the point that she felt moderately like herself again.
Her limbs felt heavy, but the throbbing pain had dulled to a manageable ache.
¡®Gotta rest up more or I¡¯ll just be a deadweight¡¡¯ Was the first fully coherent thought that managed to coalesce inside her mind, which prompted her to focus intently on options to hasten her recovery.
She took a brief inventory of her surroundings, noting the makeshift triage Karania had set up and the literal pool of blood and mountains of soaked bandages mere metres away from her.
¡®Is... is that all mine? It better not be. I don¡¯t think humans are meant to be able to bleed this much,¡¯ Thea thought, taken aback by the sheer quantity of life-giving liquid in sight.
¡®Kara already gave me meds, there¡¯s no shot she wouldn¡¯t have. That probably explains why my pain is as manageable as it is, considering the beating I took. So just resting is probably my best bet right now¡¡¯
There was a certain Ability she had never really gotten much use out of in the assessment so far that seemed tailor-made for this exact situation in her mind. Deliberately focusing on her breathing, Thea tried to get her thoughts and body into alignment again.
Surprising even herself, she managed to fall into a meditative trance in a matter of moments, letting her Passive Ability [Meditation Focus] help her recover as best she could.
The world around her turned almost imperceptible as the Ability kicked in, further deepening her connection to her body and thoughts.
She had only used the Ability once or twice before to test it out but never for its intended purposes as most situations in which she would have needed it hadn¡¯t allowed for a secure enough area for her to recover in. The Perception limiter imposed by it made it almost impossible to use if she wasn¡¯t within the secure confines of her squad¡¯s embrace.
As the Ability fully took hold, Thea felt her heartbeat steady, the throbbing pain in her body diminishing further.
Her breathing became rhythmic, each inhale and exhale harmonising with the pulses of her blood, her consciousness drifting to a place of serene focus.
The sounds of distant battle outside the triage area faded into an imperceptible murmur, replaced by the rhythmic beating of her heart and the gentle rush of blood flowing through her veins.
With her senses honed to a razor-sharp focus and fully locked into her own body by the Ability, Thea began a methodical self-assessment.
She started with her arms, feeling the numerous scars and bullet holes that had been expertly tended to by Karania.
Her left arm had a particularly nasty gash near the bicep, where it had likely been cut open by one of the countless shrapnel during the last few moments before she blacked out, which had been neatly stitched together but was still raw even now.
Several fractures had been set in her right arm and hand, the bone knit back together but still tender.
She flexed her fingers slowly, testing each joint and tendon, satisfied with the range of motion despite the lingering discomfort. Her hand, while steady, bore similar signs of recent trauma, with cooling compression bandages covering several cuts and bruises.
Moving to her torso, Thea''s perception zeroed in on the myriad injuries there as well.
Her chest had borne the brunt of multiple impacts, the ribcage a mosaic of bruises, fractures, and broken bones. She started focusing on each rib, feeling the painstaking work Karania had done to set them back in place and get them to heal back together in record time in order to allow her to continue on with the mission.
Her lungs, while still functional, had suffered severely from both the countless shockwaves of the explosions and shrapnel that had narrowly missed puncturing them created by the numerous grenades that had been thrown her way. Her breathing was steady and even but undoubtedly more shallow than usual, a clear sign of the trauma they had ended up enduring.
The dull ache around her diaphragm also indicated to her that Karania had likely used a regenerative injector, repairing what could have been fatal damage, as the organ itself was practically in pristine condition, despite the utter warzone of torn, bruised and cut flesh around it.
Her lower abdomen revealed more of the same: Superficial cuts and deeper wounds that had been carefully bandaged.
Her liver had taken a hit, the organ bruised and tender but still working. Thea could feel the subtle, internal ache of her kidneys, a reminder of the multiple blunt force traumas from being thrown around like a ragdoll as she had searched for cover behind the reception desk.
Her stomach, surprisingly, had come through relatively unscathed save for a few minor cuts and bruises. The area around her spleen, however, felt oddly warm and tender¡ªanother sign that Karania had likely administered another regenerative injector there as well, fixing what could have been catastrophic internal damage.
Finally, Thea focused on her legs.
Her thighs still bore the scars of the many shrapnel that had managed to pierce through her armour as the reception desk¡¯s rock-crete had continuously been shaved away at by the Stellar Republic¡¯s downright fanatic attempt at killing her.
Her right leg had a fractured femur that had been expertly set but was still fragile, while the left leg had managed to make it out with only its own fair share of bruises and cuts.
Her knees ached, but were surprisingly without any real damage, the aches likely simply being leftovers from the various impacts of her landings after being blown away.
Her calves and ankles were swollen, but nothing seemed broken or irreparably damaged here either.
She noticed that the muscles in her legs felt unusually tight, however, probably from the strain of her earlier, severely desperate evasive manoeuvres and the subsequent explosions that had continuously thrown her around the room.
As she completed her self-assessment, Thea couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Karania''s incredible level of skill.
¡®She managed to fix up this much damage in the middle of an active war zone with nothing but her own supplies at hand in what¡ a couple of hours at best? She¡¯s an absolute monster¡ But I¡¯m glad to say that she¡¯s my monster, if nothing else. I¡¯d absolutely hate having to face off against an enemy medic that could simply fix up someone as damaged as I seem to have been in the middle of an extended firefight...¡¯
Thea took a deep breath, feeling the oxygen suffuse her body as it streamed through her lungs and into her bloodstream, energising each part of her body as it continued its cycle.
Each breath felt like a rejuvenating wave, washing away the exhaustion and pain bit by bit.
She decided to summon up the System Interface to check on how she was doing in the System¡¯s eyes.
| [HP: 104 / 131 - Stamina: 44 / 165 - Focus: 97 / 225] |
¡®Really not too bad then,¡¯ she concluded. ¡®Though I¡¯ll still need some extra time to really get back in on the action; better not overdo it, otherwise Kara will probably kill me, if the enemy doesn¡¯t get me.¡¯
She let her thoughts wander away from actively assessing herself, allowing them to roam freely as she focused on the meditative trance within.
Over the next few minutes, her inner world sharpened into focus, providing a rare moment of relaxation since her integration into the Allbright System.
For the first time in weeks, she had nothing to do but wait for her body to recover.
Her thoughts drifted to a place of comfort and safety¡ªthe little house she had shared with Old Man James back in Lumiosia¡¯s Undercity.
It was her mental refuge.
She imagined stepping through the remarkably solid door into the all-too-familiar living room, absorbing the sights and smells of her old home. The musty scent of old books, the faint aroma of James¡¯s presence, and the creak of the worn floorboards under her feet created a sense of nostalgic serenity.
¡®It feels like a lifetime ago that I was here¡¡¯ she mused.
Although only a little over two years had passed since she had said goodbye to her home planet, her life had fundamentally changed in ways she could hardly express.
With her integration into the Allbright System a little over a month ago, even more aspects of her existence had transformed irreversibly.
Sitting down in her usual spot at the tiny kitchen table she used to share with Old Man James during their dinners together, Thea took a moment to internalise just how different she was from the girl who had last sat in that chair. The memories of their conversations, the laughter, and the simple comfort of those evenings seemed like relics from a bygone era.
¡®For one, I¡¯m definitely a lot stronger,¡¯ she chuckled to herself as she flexed her arms.
While there were no muscles particularly apparent, she knew it was simply a trick of the System. Even with her comparatively low Strength score of 3.38, she was literally superhuman compared to any non-integrated person in the galaxy.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be fun, to go out and arm-wrestle a couple of super roided-up dudes in a club or something and utterly crush them? Might be worth remembering for the future if I ever need a pick-me-up. I¡¯m not necessarily above some easy wins...¡¯
She thought about the fact that she had somehow managed to find friends for the first time in her life. The whole of Alpha Squad had proven surprisingly amiable and had ended up meshing quite well with her as a person; something she hadn¡¯t thought possible before leaving Lumiosia.
While she was still not on good terms with Desmond specifically, the two of them had nevertheless managed to build a rapport of mutual respect for their respective capabilities¡ªor so she liked to believe.
On Lumiosia, she had only really considered Thomas a friend.
Most other people her age, or even those nowhere close to her age, had generally avoided her due to her Cyan background. Even worse, the few that had ended up approaching her had only wanted to leech off her gaming or tech skills.
More than just a few times, she had lost supposed ¡°friends¡± after realising they only wanted to get carried in whatever the flavour of the month game was that she happened to be good at or wanted her to fix up some piece of old-tech for them that they had found laying around in order to sell it.
Luckily, Thomas had always gladly acquiesced to her requests to get those particular individuals banned from the Golden Age Arcade; something she knew was exceedingly petty but felt all the better about as a result.
¡®I should definitely check in with Thomas, see how he¡¯s doing. I hope he found somebody capable of doing maintenance on the machines¡ I¡¯d hate to imagine what state they¡¯d be in now without me there to fix them up all the time.¡¯
Looking around the living room one last time, Thea got up and headed toward her old room. Entering it, the musk of the myriad of books and old-tech leftovers from her tinkering suffused the air and entered her lungs immediately.
¡®I forgot just how pungent it was in here,¡¯ she thought with a rueful smile, remembering the many times James had asked her to throw away some of the old stuff she kept piling up in her room¡ªnaturally, she had refused each and every time.
Heading over to her bed, she sat down and let her eyes roam aimlessly across the room.
The many posters of various video game characters on the walls were the first to catch her eye, four of which were different renditions of Freya¡ªher main character in Ashes of Centuries¡ªwhile the rest were of varying other characters she had enjoyed over the years in different games.
¡®I should check if they have a copy on the Sovereign. I could take the rest of Alpha Squad and teach them how to play¡ That could be a lot of fun.¡¯
As she briefly conjured up that mental image, however, she shuddered at the thought of Karania getting into a video game like that.
¡®She¡¯d destroy all of us in just a few days, wouldn¡¯t she¡?¡¯
The room was cluttered but familiar, with stacks of books towering precariously on every surface and piles of old-tech components scattered across the floor. Her tinkering desk was a mess of wires, tools, and half-finished projects, a reminder of her insatiable curiosity of all-things tech and her love for fixing things.
The worn-out rug beneath her feet was covered in grease stains and scorch marks, remnants of countless late-night experiments gone awry.
On one of the far-side walls, a shelf sagged under the weight of an impressive collection of retro gaming consoles and cartridges, each one a cherished relic of her past.
Her eyes continued to roam, lingering briefly on the various stacks of books that James had managed to get for her over the years. Some were purely educational, covering subjects like history, languages, mathematics, and physics, while others catered to her own personal interests and pleasures¡ªtechnical documentation, manuals, and engineering blueprints.
She knew she had been exceedingly lucky to run into James all those years ago.
There was practically nobody in the undercity as well-stocked with valuable teaching materials as James. Without him, Thea was certain she would never have ended up at the Golden Age Arcade as a part-time mechanic, nor would she have done as well as she had on the Cube Trial.
¡®I wonder how the old man is doing¡¡¯ she thought, her heart aching with a mixture of fondness and worry.
She wasn¡¯t directly concerned about him, knowing all too well that she had never actually seen her father in anything even remotely dangerous. Considering that he was undoubtedly an integrated person, and knowing that he had been part of the UHF for many years, she didn¡¯t doubt that he¡¯d likely be able to fend off the entire undercity on his own if he had to.
But she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he missed her as much as she missed him.
While she would never admit it to his face, the steadying presence he had provided was something she had sorely missed in recent years.
An anchor, of sorts, to keep her feeling safe and cared for.
It was something she knew she didn¡¯t deserve, something that nobody in an undercity could ever truly claim as earned, but something she nevertheless had somehow managed to be given by him.
It was a debt she would never be able to repay, and one she would never be able to forget.
Lastly, her eyes fell on the monitors she had spent countless hours in front of, watching videos on the galactic net, playing games, or trying her hand at digital puzzles.
The monitors had been replaced multiple times due to various mishaps during her experiments with the technology that governed their functions. The ¡°newest¡± ones had been more than four years old by the time she left Lumiosia for the UHF¡ªa record she was quite proud of.
¡°You know¡ I wasn¡¯t going to say anything, but you¡¯re missing something important.¡±
The sudden appearance of another voice inside her head startled her, causing her mental construct to shake violently at the break in her focus as she fell from the bed onto the dirty rug.
¡°Wha¡? What?! Who... Who are you?¡± Thea asked, looking around the empty room and trying to ascertain where the voice had come from.
¡°Does it matter?¡± The unknown voice replied, a clear smugness behind every word. ¡°You¡¯re blind, darling. And it¡¯s going to get you killed.¡±
An involuntary shudder tensed up her entire body at the sheer level of confidence and inevitability in the other person¡¯s voice.
Getting up from the floor, slowly and carefully so as not to make any noise, Thea continued searching for this other person, even glancing at the ceiling of the small room she was in, but to no avail.
A tense silence reigned over the room as Thea¡¯s eyes darted here and there, carefully studying every shadow, every little nook and cranny of the all-too-familiar space.
Then, finally, her eyes found movement, and she froze dead in her tracks.
The full-body mirror she had used ever so rarely, situated next to the door, was showing an image of herself: Clad in her Spectre armour, she stood smugly looking out from it towards her with her arms crossed.
¡°Took you long enough¡ Just shows how blind you can really be, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The reflection sneered, a clear distaste in her voice.
¡°Always so self-absorbed, thinking you¡¯re the centre of the universe. The little cyan that could. The undercity gal to show ¡®em all up. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re all about?¡±
Thea was taken aback by the sheer hostility levelled against her by what was, for all intents and purposes, a reflection of herself.
She wasn¡¯t exactly thinking of herself in that way, but she¡¯d also be lying if she claimed that she had never thought of wiping off all those Recruits'' smiles who had left her sitting by herself during the opening ceremony after seeing her eyes. All those Recruits that had given her the stink-eye for being a mid-worlder or an undercity citizen¡ªit had crossed her mind once or twice before, so she couldn¡¯t exactly deny it.
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know? I guess you¡¯re kind of right, to a degree? It¡¯s not really what I¡¯m going for, but it would be the end result, and I won¡¯t say no to either of those,¡± Thea answered, trying to defend herself.
Shaking her head as if to clear those thoughts entirely, realising that defending herself here would do no good for anyone, she pressed for answers.
¡°What did you mean when you said I was blind? What am I missing that¡¯s going to get me killed?¡±
The reflection¡¯s Cyan eyes roamed over Thea¡¯s body as if to take stock of what she had on offer; to weigh her very being before giving an answer.
¡°Why would I tell you? What¡¯s in it for me, if I save your sorry ass once again?¡± Faux-Thea asked, clearly not impressed by what she saw.
Confused by the line of questioning, Thea asked, ¡°Ehhh¡ You should help me because we¡¯re one and the same¡? Anything that helps me helps you in turn. You¡¯re my subconscious or something, right?¡±
A brief moment of silence stretched into eternity between them as Faux-Thea simply stared, empty-eyed, at Thea before finally erupting in bone-chilling laughter that somehow echoed off the walls as if they were standing in a giant theatre.
¡°Your subconscious?!¡± She blurted out between bouts of laughter that sent jolts of tension through Thea¡¯s body. Abruptly fixing her eyes on Thea as her laughter died out in a heartbeat, Faux-Thea¡¯s face split into a toothy, predatory grin as she added, ¡°Oh, darling, I am so, so much more.¡±
Abruptly, the mirror cracked and shattered, as two armour-clad hands grasped the outer edges and Faux-Thea pulled herself into the room, leaving the 2D space of the mirror-world behind to join Thea in her mindscape.
Stumbling backward in a mix of confusion and unadultered terror, Thea was at a complete loss.
None of this made any sense in her head, even if this was some kind of subconsciousness or nightmare¡ªit felt all too real to be merely a figment of her imagination.
¡°Stay back!¡± she ordered, trying her best to sound confident and demanding.
¡°Oh, darling, why are you so scared? I¡¯m just your subconscious, aren¡¯t I? Surely you won¡¯t mind giving little ol¡¯ me a bit of a hug?¡± Faux-Thea mocked as she slowly lumbered closer, her steps jagged and almost robotic in nature.
Swallowing her panic as best she could, remembering her father¡¯s words of wisdom about keeping a calm head, especially in situations where one didn¡¯t know what was going on, Thea fixated on the strange being in front of her.
Taking a short moment to gather her thoughts and will, she spoke more forcefully.
¡°Stop!¡±
Like a ripple in a pond, a wave of pressure went out from her and Faux-Thea stopped dead in her tracks, surprise painted on her face.
¡°Oh¡? Would you look at that,¡± she said, her Cyan eyes once again roaming over Thea¡¯s body as if to re-evaluate her prior opinion.
¡°Looks like you do have a bit more backbone if you aren¡¯t in the process of losing your mind. That¡¯s cute.¡±
Unwilling to entertain whatever this thing wanted from her, Thea pressed on. ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m missing. Why did you say I was blind?¡±
Clicking her tongue, Faux-Thea shook her head, the motion unnatural and jerking. ¡°You haven¡¯t given me a reason to consider cooperating, darling. Nothing comes free; you should know that better than most, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±
¡°Oh¡ But you do. You just don¡¯t like it,¡± Faux-Thea immediately replied with another toothy grin¡ªteeth that Thea now realised were markedly sharper than her own. ¡°How about a freebie then, to show my goodwill in this negotiation: You won¡¯t survive this mission if you don¡¯t pay more attention.¡±
Thea took a moment to analyse what the being had said.
Had she not been paying extremely close attention to everything since the very moment they had engaged the Stellar Republic¡¯s forces in the compound? She had been hounding her Psychic Senses more than she ever had before, even including the trek towards the artillery installations on the first day of the assessment.
She had followed each and every one of her instincts and warnings provided by them, while also using her Perception on levels she had rarely managed before.
How could she possibly pay more attention than that?
¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Thea finally replied with conviction, meeting Faux-Thea¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are or why you¡¯re here, but I¡¯m not making deals with you for random words of ¡®wisdom¡¯ that won¡¯t help me.¡±
Faux-Thea¡¯s smile froze as she took a deep breath.
¡°I really fucking hate this stubborn, thick-headed side of you, you know that? It would all be so much easier, so much more involved, so much more fun, if you¡¯d simply agree to stop being so utterly pathetic.¡±
Thea looked for a way to leave this situation, but even attempting to break her concentration, to kill [Meditation Focus] and return to the real world, didn¡¯t seem to work.
¡°Stop trying to run, Thea. You can¡¯t hide from me¡ªI am you!¡± Faux-Thea insisted, her voice positively suffused with annoyance. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re too pig-headed for both of our best interests, so I¡¯ll let you leave with two freebies today. The one from earlier and this one: Open your Gate wide if you want to understand what I was referring to.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened at that, realisation starting to dawn.
¡°You¡¯re¡ You¡¯re the Void?¡± she asked, her voice almost a whisper despite her best attempt at sounding confident.
Faux-Thea¡¯s face drooped in disappointment and exasperation as she replied, ¡°How could I possibly be the Void? Are you fucking stupid? The Void is an entire plane of existence! How could I be an entire plane, you dumb-ass harlot? No, I¡¯m not the fucking Void, obviously.¡±
Palming her face with one hand and shaking her head, she continued, ¡°Fuck me... When I tell you to open your Gate, I mean to quickly open it wide and then shutter it again right after; not risk killing us both by letting the Void in. I am still in here with you, after all, so having you rip our Soul apart isn¡¯t going to help me one bit; use your fucking brain just a single time in your miserable fucking life, would you?¡±
With a wave of her hand, Faux-Thea shattered the bedroom around them, the room breaking apart and falling around them like the shards of the mirror she had escaped from.
¡°Now, get the fuck out of here. Take my advice or don¡¯t, I really don¡¯t care either way; I¡¯ll be here, watching and waiting. It won¡¯t be long now until you beg me to help and trust me when I say this: I¡¯ll remember your pig-headedness today. All I asked for was some concessions, nothing large. When the time comes and you need my help, you better be ready to pay the price, darling.¡±
Faux-Thea¡¯s eyes, still locked onto Thea¡¯s own, abruptly turned a deep shade of neon-violet, replacing the cyan that she had been used to since birth. The change was so sudden and intense that it felt like the air itself vibrated with the shift.
In the next moment, Thea¡¯s mindscape shattered, and she gasped for air as she found herself back in the real world, sitting up straight. Her body was ice-cold, drenched in a torrent of sweat that clung to her skin, making her shiver uncontrollably.
She scrambled for a nearby shard of glass, staring into it with a terror that she couldn¡¯t put into words, even if she tried.
Staring back were two neon-violet eyes that rapidly lost their lustre and turned back into the self-illuminating cyan she was familiar with¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 119 - Invisus
Thea¡¯s heart was beating rapidly as she continued to stare at her reflection in the shard of glass, her mind racing with thoughts, fears, and possibilities.
¡®What the fuck was that? That definitely wasn¡¯t me¡ Was it? The thing said it was more than my subconsciousness but how is that possible? What does that even mean?!¡¯
A distant voice reached her ears, ¡°¡ªea?!¡± before she was abruptly turned on her back, her attention clawed back from the turmoil in her mind. Her eyes met Karania¡¯s thoroughly concerned visage.
¡°Thea? Can you hear me?¡± Karania asked, her hands roaming over Thea¡¯s face, forcefully opening her right eye before shining a light in it.
¡°Ahh¡ªWhat¡ What are you doing, Kara? Hey!¡± Thea replied, trying to scramble away from the squad medic¡¯s rough treatment. She found herself without much leverage, oddly twisted with Karania¡¯s entire weight focused on her upper chest.
¡°What do you mean, what am I doing? What the fuck are you doing? What¡¯s with that glass shard? Are you losing it?¡± The medic retorted, carefully repeating the process with her left eye before looking deeply into Thea¡¯s eyes. ¡°What happened? Why did you leave the triage area?¡±
Thea felt extremely overwhelmed with everything happening right now, but Karania¡¯s calm, green eyes helped her focus. She wanted to look around and figure out where she was, what Karania had meant by ¡°leave the triage area,¡± but the medic¡¯s firm hands held her head in a vice-like grip, forcing her to answer the questions first.
¡°I¡ I was meditating, but something¡ There was something strange? Like a vision, maybe? There was another me inside my head, Kara! With neon-violet eyes, and she was saying that I was going to die unless I flared my Gate¡? I¡ I needed to check my eyes, they were violet, Kara. Not cyan, but violet!¡± Thea tried her best to give a cohesive rundown but felt her thoughts slip through the cracks like trying to catch water with a sieve.
The two of them looked at each other for a while, Karania¡¯s eyes seeming to almost stare right into Thea¡¯s soul, before she let out a deep, soul-wrenching sigh. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be normal for like one fucking mission, Thea? Is it really that impossible¡?¡±
Holding up her hands to stop Thea from protesting, Karania added, ¡°I know it¡¯s not your fault, I¡¯m just kidding¡ªsomewhat. I don¡¯t have the necessary information to make any informed decisions here, just like you don¡¯t have any to know what is actually going on with you. It¡¯s the UHF¡¯s fault for not briefing either of us, but we¡¯re the ones that¡¯ll have to deal with it either way.¡±
Getting off of Thea, Karania got back on her feet and offered Thea a hand to pull her up. As Thea accepted and was pulled up, she looked around and found, much to her surprise, that she had crossed almost the entire foyer at some point.
The two of them were standing closer to the window she had used to enter from below during the firefight than the office near the reception desk where Karania had set up the triage.
¡®What the¡ How did I get here? And when?¡¯ she wondered, bewildered.
As if reading her mind, as Karania generally seemed able to do, the squad medic answered, ¡°I have no idea when you made it over here. I left you out of sight for maybe half a minute, and by the time I looked back, you were gone. I thought you had run off for whatever reason or maybe been kidnapped by an assassin or something.¡±
Forcefully taking Thea¡¯s hand as one would with an unruly child, Karania led her back toward the rest of the squad and the triage office, where she gestured for Thea to sit down again.
¡°I¡¯ll need you to focus now and tell me, step-by-step, exactly what happened during your meditation. Whatever this other-you might be, the first thing we should do is figure out whether or not it seems like a danger to us. So don¡¯t leave anything out,¡± Karania ordered, her face hardening to drive home the seriousness of the situation.
For Thea, seeing Karania¡¯s face like this was definitely a sobering wake-up call, and she felt her mind clear up a bit, like a jolt of adrenaline.
Taking a deep breath, Thea began recounting everything she could remember. ¡°I started meditating to recover, and then I found myself in my old home back in Lumiosia. Everything felt so real, the sights, the smells¡ Then I saw this other me in the mirror. She was... different. Her eyes turned neon-violet, and she was¡ like taunting me? Saying I was blind and that I wouldn¡¯t survive unless I paid more attention.¡±
Karania listened intently, nodding occasionally as Thea continued.
¡°She somehow¡ pulled herself out of the mirror? Like straight up turned from a reflection to a real thing¡ªshe felt so¡ physical? Then she started talking about making deals and concessions. She said I should open my Gate wide to understand what she meant, but that it had to be quick. She mentioned sharing a Soul with me, that opening the Gate wouldn¡¯t be bad, like Soul-destroying bad, but I don¡¯t really¡ Like how could I trust that? Then¡ I guess she shattered the room around us, probably by breaking my concentration or something, and I woke up here and scrambled to find the nearest reflective surface to check my eyes.¡±
Karania frowned, her concern deepening. ¡°This other-you, did she say anything else? Anything that might indicate her intentions? Or maybe where she came from? What she is?¡±
Thea shook her head. ¡°She seemed annoyed and impatient, but she did say she¡¯d be watching and waiting and that when I needed her help, I¡¯d have to be ready to pay the price¡ªbut that also indicates that she can, somehow, help? So it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s just a hallucination?¡±
Thinking back, Thea tried to remember what else Faux-Thea had said to her but couldn¡¯t really come up with anything she hadn¡¯t mentioned yet. ¡°I guess... that¡¯s about it? She mentioned being more than my subconsciousness¡ªI thought she was, so I called her out on it, but she didn¡¯t like that one bit. It¡¯s what made her leave the mirror to prove that she had more control over the meditation-induced vision than I¡¯d expect from my own subconsciousness.¡±
Karania turned contemplative, and Thea decided to follow her friend¡¯s example as the two of them fell into a quiet state. Thea¡¯s mind still felt slightly jumbled, like she had lost too much blood too rapidly recently, but considering that Karania wasn¡¯t pumping her full of the stuff, that was unlikely to be the case.
¡®Just what was she...? She wasn¡¯t part of the strange visions when my Gate Awakened, at the very least, so hopefully that¡¯s still a one-off thing in general,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, trying to piece together whatever information she could that might help her and Karania figure out where to go from here.
¡®Can I trust Faux-Thea...? There¡¯s no chance I can, considering the risks. If I¡¯m wrong and cause a Void-tear, I don¡¯t just die, but really, truly die. While I don¡¯t want to lose the mission and mess up my score for the assessment, that¡¯s a lot less important than not dying forever, that¡¯s for sure.¡¯
Thinking back to her conversation with Zach, however, she couldn¡¯t help but correlate a lot of what Faux-Thea had said to some of the advice she had received from the experienced Psyker just a little over a week ago.
According to him, there was no actual danger of anything going wrong by simply opening your Gate wider. As long as she stayed away from opening it all the way, all it would do would be a massive influx of Psychic Energy that would allow her to use her Psychic Powers more freely, as well as sending out a bit of a sonar-ping for other Psykers to latch onto.
But was Faux-Thea¡¯s plan really to just get other Psykers to approach Thea...? If so, why? Just to kill her because Psykers were the most dangerous enemy for Alpha Squad right now?
That seemed a lot more contrived than simply messing with Thea¡¯s head, assuming that Faux-Thea was capable of doing so. And even then, what would Faux-Thea even gain from that, except maybe some satisfaction from Thea dying in the assessment?
Thea sighed deeply, her thoughts a swirling mess of uncertainty and confusion. ¡°Kara, I don¡¯t know what to do. Zach said there¡¯s no real danger in opening my Gate wider, as long as I don¡¯t open it all the way. But what if Faux-Thea has some other motive? I don¡¯t really know what that could be, since it doesn¡¯t really make much sense for her to want me to fail this mission, but I don¡¯t really know what to think about all this to begin with.¡±
Shaking her head as if to try and throw the confusion out with it, Thea added, ¡°Ahhh, whatever! There¡¯s no reason to believe that Faux-Thea was even telling the truth. I¡¯ll just ignore it, and we can move on with the mission. We¡¯re just a couple days out from completing the assessment, and then I can finally get some real answers¡ªhopefully.¡±
¡°No,¡± Karania stated firmly, her voice surprisingly forceful.
Thoroughly taken aback, Thea took a moment to gather herself before asking, ¡°Pardon? What do you mean, ¡®No,¡¯ Kara?¡±
¡°We can¡¯t ignore her words, Thea. Think about it: Why would she, whatever this Faux-Thea thing is, reveal herself to you like this, instead of staying hidden until you¡¯re really desperate? If she only wanted to gain power over you, that¡¯s how I would do it,¡± Karania elaborated, getting more animated as she spoke, certainty manifesting in her voice.
¡°If I were Faux-Thea and a malevolent entity, I¡¯d keep myself hidden until you were in a really dire situation and then offer to help out, presenting a really tempting bargain for power. There¡¯s no reason for her to reveal herself now, during an assessment, where there aren¡¯t any real stakes. Sure, the first one¡¯s important for our overall standing and all, but it¡¯s not really a life-or-death situation. So why would she reveal herself, allowing you to gather intel after we¡¯re done here?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. ¡°... Because she¡¯s trying to build rapport by providing me with intel that I don¡¯t have.¡±
Karania nodded gravely, her eyes meeting Thea¡¯s once again. ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense, unless she¡¯s playing a way more complicated game than we can even guess at right now. Her warning is almost definitely real and intended to make you trust her words. I doubt this will be the only instance where she shows up to give you a nudge, either, so that when she finally offers a bargain, you¡¯re predisposed to trust that she can pull through on it.¡±
Suddenly, Karania punched the ground, her armoured fist sinking slightly into the rock-crete floor, breaking chunks out of it. ¡°That crafty fucking bitch! Damn it!¡±
Thea simply stared at her friend, having never seen Karania lose her cool like this before. It was a thoroughly strange sight, both frightening and endearing.
As abruptly as it happened, however, Karania¡¯s face returned to her usual cool, calculated demeanour. There was only one other mode that Karania used more, which was the energetic, upbeat one. But the cool, calculating one seemed to be coming out more and more often as the assessment continued, Thea couldn¡¯t help but notice.
¡°The worst part about this whole thing,¡± Karania continued as if the prior outburst had never happened, ¡°is that we lose, no matter what we do here. Either we follow her advice, giving her exactly what she wants: rapport and potentially some unseen benefit we aren¡¯t aware of; or we don¡¯t follow her advice, and you¡¯re practically guaranteed to die¡ªmaybe even all of us¡¡±
A grave silence spread between them, neither able to find an immediate answer to this dilemma. They sat together in this oppressive quiet for about five minutes until Thea¡¯s thoughts coalesced into an actionable plan.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m making an executive decision here: We¡¯re telling Corvus and the rest. He can make the call on what we should do; he¡¯s the squad leader. If he thinks it¡¯s worth the risk, then I¡¯ll do it. If not, maybe he has another idea on how to deal with this thing. While you¡¯re extremely smart, he still has more experience with tactics and strategy, so maybe we¡¯re missing something obvious to him.¡±
Karania stared at Thea, blinking once, twice, three times before shaking her head lightly in astonishment.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? Did my Thea just advocate deferring decisions to the squad leader to think things through all the way?¡± she asked slowly, as if unable to truly parse what had just occurred. ¡°Are you even still the real Thea?¡±
Rolling her eyes, Thea got up by herself and started walking toward where she assumed the rest of the squad was waiting. Behind her, she could hear Karania getting up and following.
As they arrived, Thea called the rest of the squad together and began explaining what had happened, as well as her and Karania¡¯s thoughts on the matter.
¡°That¡¯s really fucked up,¡± Isabella blurted out as Thea finished her rundown. She was the first to speak, with the rest of the squad still in contemplative silence at her words. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like something we can really work around, unless the boss has a better idea?¡±
With Isabella deferring the decision immediately back to the squad leader, everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Corvus, who was cupping his chin while thinking about the issue.
¡°Hm¡ I think that Karania and Thea are right, to a degree,¡± he finally stated, after a few moments of awkward silence. ¡°We can¡¯t really trust whatever this is, but we still have to make plans regarding its warning, even if it means we might end up in danger. It would make sense for Faux-Thea to tell the truth, as the two of them outlined, but we can¡¯t simply trust that and gamble everything on Thea opening her Gate. The risk versus reward simply isn¡¯t worth it, as long as we don¡¯t know exactly what the psychic side of things entails.
¡°Even if Zachary mentioned it would generally be safe, there are likely a hundred and one exceptions to the rule, just like with anything in regards to the military. Until at least one of us has had a thorough briefing, or maybe even the Psychic 101 course itself, I can¡¯t, in good conscience, allow any of us to take such a risk.¡±
Turning towards Thea directly, he ordered, ¡°Thea, don¡¯t open your Gate wider than it is for the rest of this assessment, that¡¯s an order.¡±
Thea gave a quick salute to show her affirmation of the order, feeling a weight drop off her shoulders.
Not having to make the decision on this herself had definitely been the right call, rather than trying to figure it out alone. Even if it ended up getting her, and maybe the rest of the squad, killed in the assessment, it would be an outcome that the entire squad could accept; being the official orders from their squad leader.
Corvus continued, addressing the whole squad, ¡°We will have to try our best to work around whatever it is that Thea might be missing, according to this¡ entity. As much as I hate to say this, we¡¯ll have to continue putting Thea right at the front, maybe even like a true scout, without Lucas. If what the entity said is true, then Thea¡¯s death is all but guaranteed considering the order I just gave.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°That means we¡¯ll have to make sure the rest of the squad still functions even without her. To do that, we¡¯ll need to ensure Lucas doesn¡¯t get caught in whatever kills her¡ªsorry, Thea,¡± he added with an apologetic look towards her.
Thea waved it off with a shrug, ¡°Can¡¯t fault you for that one. It makes strategic sense. I¡¯m not going to resign myself to dying, though. I¡¯ll do my absolute best to prove that Faux-Thea is full of shit, but it makes sense to focus on the squad as a unit and make the best of the situation if something does end up happening to me.¡±
¡°Unless that¡¯s exactly what the entity expected and the reason you¡¯ll die,¡± Desmond¡¯s voice cut in, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°What if sending you out further ahead is what causes the issue in the first place? Being behind Lucas¡¯ shield gives you a lot more protection. It only follows that you¡¯d be more likely to die if we change our setup now. We¡¯ve barely even trained with Thea as a sole forward scout, especially in a building.¡±
His words were surprisingly passionate, which seemed to catch everyone off guard. They were also surprisingly astute, Thea had to admit. There was definite merit to his objections, so their eyes naturally went back to Corvus.
Sighing, Corvus conceded the point, ¡°You¡¯re right, Desmond. I had hoped none of you would point this out, but I¡¯ve already thought of that.¡±
Leaning back against the wall, Corvus took a deep breath before elaborating, ¡°Much like Karania and Thea surmised, this entity has put us in a serious bind. Considering Thea¡¯s own Psychic Powers, and assuming the entity inherits some of that, there¡¯s a high likelihood that the entity is telling the truth about her death, but we don¡¯t know the exact circumstances. Our decisions might lead to her death, but they might also not. There¡¯s no real way to know, and thinking through every single possible scenario won¡¯t help us. We¡¯ll still have to make a call based on incomplete information. The option of ¡®What if this is exactly what the entity wants us to do?¡¯ will always be a factor.
¡°So, despite your valid objection, Desmond, my orders stand. Thea will go ahead by about five to ten metres unless we¡¯re in a direct confrontation. If she¡¯s hit by anything with a larger radius, we don¡¯t immediately fail the mission. I¡¯m sorry, Thea, but I don¡¯t see any other way to ensure the squad can continue to function if the entity¡¯s foresight comes to pass.¡±
It was clear that Corvus didn¡¯t like making this call, but Thea could definitely see the logic behind it. The rest of the squad seemed similarly unhappy, especially Lucas, who looked like he had just been punched in the stomach by Isabella.
¡®I guess it makes sense,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, feeling a pang of sympathy for the giant of the squad. ¡®A defensive heavy¡¯s main job is to keep everyone safe, and now he¡¯s being told that no matter what he does, he¡¯ll fail to keep everyone safe. That would piss me off as well.¡¯
The next few minutes were filled with more detailed planning and strategizing, but the overall setup didn¡¯t change much from their previous plans.
During the hours Thea had been unconscious, Desmond had managed to locate a large portion of the remaining Stellar Republic forces.
They had congregated on the third and fourth floors, barricading themselves in, likely trying to wait out the UHF¡¯s attack and hoping their reinforcements would arrive before the advance squads could clear the entire compound.
On one hand, this made their job easier, as they would only have to fight two more major engagements. On the other hand, it also made each engagement significantly harder, as the last attack had clearly shown. Fighting an enemy that was surprised was much easier than one that was in a fortified position, waiting for you to arrive, after all.
Finally, as the round of strategizing came to a close, Thea and Karania returned to the triage area. Karania helped Thea back into her armour, which had been fully removed via the medic override during Karania¡¯s marathon session of putting Thea back together.
With her armour back on¡ªalready fixed up with one of the armour-repair sprays they had brought¡ªher weapons in her hands, and her backpack slung over her shoulders, Thea finally felt back in control.
She wasn¡¯t quite at 100%, as the ominous warnings of Faux-Thea still swirled inside her head, but holding her Gram gave her a definite feeling of power, allowing her to push those worries to the back of her mind.
Karania administered one last dose of double-painkiller injections and another general revitalization injection before giving Thea the all-clear to rejoin the rest of the squad. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly healthy, but you¡¯ll be able to do what you need to do for the next few hours. I doubt you¡¯ll enjoy the time after that, once night falls, but we¡¯ll deal with that if and when we get there,¡± she said with a crooked smile. The idea of Thea not surviving this next part of the mission clearly bothered the medic as much as it did Lucas, if not more.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this,¡± Thea reassured her with a confidence she didn¡¯t actually feel. ¡°Who¡¯s to say that Faux-Thea has any idea of what we¡¯re capable of, huh? We¡¯re Alpha Squad, after all. Like we¡¯d just roll over and die, just because a random violet-eyed bitch told us to, pah!¡±
With those words, the two of them rejoined the rest of the squad, readying themselves to continue clearing out the compound¡
With Thea in the lead, Alpha Squad started down the next corridor that one of Desmond¡¯s drones had confirmed led to the next major staircase up.
Desmond¡¯s preliminary scouting over the past few hours had revealed no further enemies on this floor. However, some of the squads from the third floor had pooled together to build a serious blockade in one of the conference rooms, making it their next clear target.
Lucas trailed closely behind Thea, requiring several reprimands from Corvus to keep him from pushing up too close to her. It was evident that Lucas¡¯s protective nature didn¡¯t mesh well with their current plans, but his desire to keep Thea safe meant more to her than she could express.
Being this far ahead of the rest of the squad felt odd to Thea.
While she had done solo scouting missions before, this setup, which Desmond had coined the ¡°canary setup,¡± felt distinctly different. Apparently named so after a bird from Terra used to detect danger in mines, the term had earned a few dirty looks from Lucas and Karania, but Thea had found it a thoroughly apt description.
With her Gram in hand, Thea led the squad carefully through the building, passing through hallways and methodically clearing offices on either side. She kept a keen eye and ear out for anything that might indicate an enemy presence.
Despite Desmond¡¯s drones having cleared the floor, there was a very real chance that they might have missed something or that enemies might have moved in after the drone had cleared a certain area.
Thea¡¯s entire body and mind were tense, haunted by the ominous warnings of Faux-Thea that she was missing something obvious. This tension made her feel paranoid, but she didn¡¯t see it as a bad thing.
The more attention she paid, the less likely she was to be surprised.
To that effect, she had fully cranked up her passive Psychic Senses to their highest level, while also focusing her Perception to ensure that no sound or movement escaped her notice.
As they advanced, the silence of the building felt downright oppressive.
Her heightened senses picked up every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of debris, and every distant echo of gunfire or explosions from the other advance squads fighting their way through the compound, all of which only served to keep her further on edge.
Each step felt heavy with the weight of potential danger, but she remained resolute, determined to keep her squad, and herself, as safe as she could manage.
She paused frequently, listening intently for any sound that might indicate an ambush.
The hallways seemed to continue to stretch endlessly, their dim lighting casting long, ominous shadows that danced eerily as they moved. Her heart pounded surprisingly hard in her chest, each beat echoing like a drum in her ears, but she pushed the feeling aside for now to focus on her movements.
She signalled for the squad to halt as she approached another intersection.
Her breaths came shallow and quick as she peeked around the corner, her Psychic Senses straining to detect any hint of danger. The continuously mounting tension was nearly unbearable by now, every fibre of her being alert to the possibility of an attack, the potential that she was missing something important.
The oppressive silence was broken only by the faint sounds of distant combat, a constant reminder of the war raging around them and the ever-present words of Faux-Thea echoing in her mind, ¡°You are blind, darling. It will get you killed.¡±
Making sure the intersection was clear on both sides, she signalled for the rest of the squad to follow as she stepped around the corner to the right.
The moment she did, her foot caught on something.
Without wasting even a moment of thought, she scrambled backwards, eyes wide with terror, her own, human instincts screaming at her to move and get into cover.
When nothing happened, even four, five seconds later, she slowly rose from the ground and carefully moved back to the edge of the intersection, signalling the rest of the squad to stand by.
Carefully peeking around the corner, Thea looked at the ground and immediately found a sprung tripwire that led to a grenade.
She simply stared at the setup, her mind utterly frozen as one thought dominated her thoughts: ¡®How did I possibly miss this¡?¡¯
It wasn¡¯t a particularly well-thought-out nor well-crafted trap.
It was the most rudimentary of designs, with a fairly visible tripwire even. The only reason she was alive right now was the fact that the grenade had somehow failed to go off, which only further spoke of how terrible the trap had been designed.
But missing an obvious trap like this, when she was paying this much attention? How was that even possible? A gnawing feeling of dread crept up from the depths of her psyche as Faux-Thea¡¯s words continued to echo in her mind, ¡°You are blind, darling. It will get you killed.¡±
Her heart raced, pounding like a drum in her chest as she slowly backed away from the intersection, her hands trembling.
She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
¡°Tripwire trap, grenade failed to detonate,¡± she whispered into her comm, her voice shaking slightly. ¡°Proceed with extreme caution.¡±
Lucas quickly moved up to her position, his face a mask of concern. ¡°You okay?¡±
Thea nodded, though she didn¡¯t feel okay. She felt a deep-seated fear, a sense of inadequacy that she couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Yeah, just¡ need a moment.¡±
He patted her on the shoulder, a gesture of reassurance. ¡°Take your time. We¡¯ll cover you.¡±
She nodded again, more firmly this time, and took a few steadying breaths.
She couldn¡¯t let this get to her.
It was exactly what Faux-Thea wanted, if she broke down from something as simple as two sentences. She had to stay focused, had to trust her instincts and the training her Old Man had imparted upon her.
With renewed determination, she signalled for the squad to proceed, her eyes scanning every inch of the corridor for any signs of danger, double-checking the ground and any corners for additional traps and tripwires¡ªshe would not get caught a second time.
Around ten minutes later, her renewed diligence paid off as she found another tripwire hooked around the door of a nearby office.
She informed the rest of the squad and denied Lucas¡¯ intention to come by and shield her with his Stalwart while she tried to disable it. Thea felt that the presence of him and the massive full-cover shield would cause more issues than really help.
She denied the request, and Corvus deferred to her expertise on the matter.
Carefully and slowly, Thea removed the trap and pocketed the grenade after making sure there were no further backup traps included.
She felt a surge of confidence for the first time in what felt like days.
¡®Alright, I can do this,¡¯ she thought to herself, drowning out the echoing voice of Faux-Thea¡¯s words. ¡®Just stay vigilant and the bitch¡¯s words won¡¯t have any power over you or your destiny. Keep it up, Thea!¡¯
After clearing the office, she commed in that she had successfully disabled the trap.
Feeling like she was getting back into the groove of things, she continued down the corridor once again, leading the rest of the squad to the next intersection.
The compound seemed to stretch on damn near endlessly. Before, when she had been in the confines of the squad¡¯s entire group, it had never felt this large.
But now that she was practically overcharging her Perception and Psychic Senses while clearing the entire compound ahead of the squad, it felt all the more oppressive and exhausting to her. The gnawing, ever-present feeling of dread and the echoing reminder of Faux-Thea¡¯s words did not help one bit either.
They stopped three times over the course of the first hour on their journey at Karania¡¯s behest.
The squad medic had claimed it was to check on Thea¡¯s injuries, but everyone, including Thea, was aware that it was mostly to give Thea a bit of moral support and a bit of a breather¡ªwhich everybody tacitly agreed with.
While Thea hated being practically babied like this, she also couldn¡¯t deny that she needed it.
After the third break, which they had strategically chosen just a few intersections before the staircase itself, Thea felt a lot more relaxed and confident, both as a result of her earlier success with the trap as well as the brief respite granted by Karania¡¯s fake break.
It almost felt normal to Thea by now to lead the squad like this and reminded her somewhat of the infiltration into Nova Tertius, where she had also been the tip of the spear, so to speak.
¡®It¡¯s really not that difficult. I just need to rely on my Psychic Senses and make sure my eyes and ears don¡¯t miss anything in these corridors,¡¯ Thea thought to herself, easing her own frayed mind in the process. ¡®It¡¯s actually a lot less stressful than leading the squad through the city. At least I only have two or three areas to pay attention to instead of hundreds.¡¯
With that mindset, she managed to ignore much of the earlier tension and focus on her own movements and the world around her.
Approaching the second-to-last intersection before the staircase, she once again signalled the rest of the squad to stand by. Desmond¡¯s drone had just flown through here a few minutes prior, so they were fairly certain that there was nobody waiting in ambush around the corner, but Thea wanted to make absolutely sure they weren¡¯t missing anything.
Giving Faux-Thea the satisfaction of running into an ambush simply because she decided to trust minute-old intel from a drone was not on her list of things she really wanted to do today.
Sneaking up towards the corner, Thea carefully focused on her Psychic Senses, delving into the precognitive world for the first time today.
Since they were now dangerously close to the staircase, she felt there was no point in trying to play coy with her Resources. While they still needed to win two major engagements, not getting caught before getting to them was equally important.
Taking a quick peek into the future, Precog-Thea looked around the corner, seeing no enemies in sight.
Checking the ground, she found no tripwires or obvious traps either.
Checking behind her towards the other direction, she also found no traces of any enemies or traps.
Pulling back her focus, leaving the precognitive state, Thea felt slightly out of it, as she usually did after a precognitive vision, but quickly recovered.
Gesturing for the rest of the squad to slowly approach, Thea peeked around the right corner once again, Gram at the ready in case her Psychic Precognition had somehow managed to miss something¡ªprecognitive Thea was limited to Thea¡¯s own Perception, after all.
Checking behind her, she confirmed that the precognition was accurate and that the intersection was clear of any enemies.
Before she stepped around the corner to start scouting towards the final intersection, she quickly checked the ground¡ªa habit now ingrained into her being over the past dozens of corners she had passed¡ªand froze.
On the ground in front of her was another tripwire trap.
¡®H¡How?¡¯ she thought, her mind momentarily failing to process what she was seeing.
She was absolutely certain that she had checked this exact spot during her Psychic Precognition and hadn¡¯t seen anything. The gnawing dread of Faux-Thea¡¯s warnings once again came into focus, but Thea quickly shut it down as she heard the rest of the squad approach from behind her.
¡°I got another trap here, one second. Stay back,¡± she announced through the comms, suppressing the confusion and tension that she felt as best she could.
While her Psychic Precognition had somehow failed to notice it, the real version of herself had not; so she was still coming out on top.
¡®No need to panic, just focus on getting this trap disarmed and you¡¯ll be fine.¡¯
As she kneeled down and started checking the trap for any hidden triggers aside from the tripwire, applying due diligence for the trap disarmament, despite the fact that she had disabled more than a few of them now, she carefully unwound the tripwire from the grenade.
¡®At least they aren¡¯t hard to¡ª¡¯
Before she could finish the thought, her heightened Perception picked up the crunch of an armoured boot around five metres in front of her. Startled, her eyes shot up and met the barrel of a gun, aimed directly at her head.
Instinctively, she activated her Signature Ability and threw herself backwards and to the side.
¡®Sensory Over¡ª¡¯
As the gun¡¯s barrel briefly illuminated the world around it, a smug voice sounded in Thea¡¯s head, ¡°Told ya so, darling. Too bad ya didn¡¯t listen¡¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 120 - Fragor
Wrong.
A perverse feeling of wrongness was the first thing Thea felt as her consciousness returned to her.
Before she could even remember where she was, how she had gotten there or what was going on, the most pressing thought within herself was that something was thoroughly wrong with the whole situation.
Her body didn¡¯t feel right, as if she was merely riding inside somebody else¡¯s skin, with no real connection to it.
It felt like her teeth were threatening to pop out of her mouth, yet they simultaneously felt rock-solid, just as they should. As if her muscles were burning from overuse, yet simultaneously felt bliss from thorough relaxation.
Nothing felt right.
Every single neuron in her brain was screaming at her that things weren¡¯t adding up; that something was so thoroughly wrong, it would never be fixable.
A feeling of disgust and self-loathing raptured through her as she tried moving the limbs that weren¡¯t hers, to try and figure out what exactly was going on with that body that didn¡¯t feel like she should inhabit.
Her attempts at movement were interrupted by the System¡¯s voice echoing in her mind.
| [System]: Soul link with Shell initiated... Soul successfully linked. |
Abruptly, she felt like herself again, and the memory of the wrongness rapidly disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but a hazy feeling of unease.
She found herself sitting in a comfortable chair, wearing her standard-issue UHF uniform just as she would have on the Sovereign.
¡®What¡ What happened? Where am I?¡¯ Thea thought, unable to parse how she got there or where ¡°there¡± even was.
Flashes of memories raced past her inner eye as she tried to recall what had happened before she blacked out. Hazy images of herself trying to disable a trap surfaced, followed by the sudden appearance of an enemy ambushing her just as she had lowered her guard.
Her eyes widened as the memories became clearer.
¡°Fuck¡ I died,¡± she mouthed quietly to herself as realisation set in.
The last thing she remembered was throwing herself to the side and backward in a feeble attempt to dodge a gunshot at nearly point-blank range.
She felt empty, spent, and emotionally exhausted.
¡°This isn¡¯t fair¡¡± she muttered as she looked around the room, trying to ground herself in anything even remotely familiar within the space she had found herself in. ¡°I tried so hard; I did everything to the best of my ability¡ I shouldn¡¯t lose like this.¡±
In one corner of the room, a modest wooden bookshelf was filled with an assortment of books on self-improvement, psychology, and a few novels that looked like they had been carefully selected for their ability to provide solace and reassurance.
A small potted plant thrived on top of the bookshelf, its vibrant green leaves a symbol of life and growth amidst the calming surroundings. She noted absent-mindedly that she had only ever seen a plant that looked as lively and invitingly fresh as this one once in her life.
Across from Thea''s armchair, past a lowkey glass-top coffee table, a similarly inviting chair was positioned, but it was empty.
Something about the whole setup seemed awfully familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t quite place her finger on why. It was like a memory stuck at the tip of her tongue, just waiting to burst forth, but she couldn¡¯t quite grasp it.
Moreover, the empty feeling inside her was gradually being replaced by frustration as her idle thoughts roamed and she took in the room.
¡®Why did I end up getting killed for something stupid like that? I even used my Psychic Precognition to make sure nothing was around the corner! How could there possibly be someone there when I specifically checked it?! ¡ It¡¯s another Psychic-related thing that wasn¡¯t explained to me, isn¡¯t it¡?¡¯
Thea wasn¡¯t quite sure what she was more frustrated with: Herself, Faux-Thea, or the UHF as a whole.
It felt like the entire assessment had been an uphill battle for no reason other than her missing crucial information from the very people in charge of providing exactly that information.
Sure, she had made mistakes¡ªmore than just a few.
But many of the most dangerous instances and biggest problems she had faced could easily be put squarely at the UHF¡¯s instructors'' feet for failing to inform her of everything she needed to know to perform to the best of her ability.
¡°What kind of fucking horseshit assessment is this supposed to be, when I can¡¯t even show what I can do, huh?!¡± she yelled into the empty room, anger rapidly replacing the mounting frustration.
She could understand if not everyone needed to be briefed on Psykers in their first assessment, but at the very least, she should have been.
It wasn¡¯t much of a stretch to ask for that concession from the brass, considering they had specifically asked her to become a Psyker in the first place.
She failed to see how it could possibly be in her best interest to leave these aspects completely unexplained; not even how it would net the UHF any actual benefit to make sure she didn¡¯t have the tools necessary to perform in the assessment.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her hands clenching into fists as she glared at the walls around her.
As the anger surged, she felt a strange energy coursing through her, a tingling sensation that seemed to build with her frustration. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she found herself wishing she could unleash this pent-up fury on something, anything, to release the pressure building inside her.
¡°And now I¡¯m fucking here, which means the assessment¡¯s already over, doesn¡¯t it?! I didn¡¯t get to finish a single fucking main mission because someone out there deemed it unnecessary to actually talk to me for a single fucking second of this entire fucking integration period?!¡±
Thea jumped up from the chair abruptly, unable to contain her body¡¯s instinct to move and use the roiling torrent of energy inside of her any longer.
The heavy chair was flung across the room, crashing against the wall behind her and shattering into a dozen pieces.
¡°I did everything you fucking asked of me! EVERYTHING!¡± she screamed, before kicking the glass-top coffee table in front of her.
Her combat boots upended and shattered the entire thing, sending tempered glass spilling everywhere, before the remnants were flung across the room, crashing against a far-wall.
Inarticulate screaming followed as she rushed towards the nearest shelf and ripped it off the wall, tossing the remnants into the heavy bookshelf on the other side of the room.
¡°I put my fucking points into Resolve and Perception to get you your fucking Class, just like you fucking asked!¡± she screamed, picking up a nearby piece of broken wood and throwing it with all her might into one of the remaining shelves affixed to the wall, destroying the pots, statues, and books on it in an explosion of shards.
¡°I risked my fucking life unlocking a Gate I didn¡¯t even know about for you, and you didn¡¯t even deem it necessary to inform me of it being a real fucking danger beforehand!¡±
She haphazardly threw the second armchair into the bookshelf with both hands, splintering both the chair and a good portion of the shelf, sending shards of wood, books and paper flying everywhere. Some of the wood shrapnel pierced her uniform, creating cuts and small bruises all over her body, but she did not care.
¡°Every! Single! Fucking! Thing! And you gave me NOTHING!¡±
She punched the bookshelf with all her might, ripping straight through the solid wooden panels, sending books and paper careening across the room as her fingers broke under the stress.
She barely registered the pain, her mind too consumed with rage and frustration to care about the damage to her hands.
¡°Not a single fucking explanation for anything I was going through!¡± she shouted, her voice raw with frustration.
She punched the bookshelf again, sending more debris flying as her hand started bleeding profusely from cuts, bones peeking through the torn flesh below.
¡°Not a single fucking thing! Not ONE!¡± With a scream of effort, rage, and frustration, she grabbed the massive bookshelf and ripped it from the wall, sending it crashing onto the floor with a heavy thud and the dry cracking and breaking of wood panels.
¡°If you want your fucking Class, you better fucking explain yourselves¡ªand you better pray it¡¯s a good fucking explanation, because I¡¯m sick and fucking tired of your shit! Give me a fucking explanation right fucking now!¡±
Breathing heavily, Thea stood in the middle of the destroyed room, looking around for anyone or anything to take her rage out on¡ªto meet her challenge and demand.
¡°Why wasn¡¯t I informed of anything?! Why was I sent in without a single speck of information?! Why did I have to lose, through no fault of my fucking own?!¡±
When only silence met her in the next moment, Thea felt an indescribable feeling bubble through her chest¡ªa feeling of pure, unadulterated frustration and rage so primal, it threatened to drown her.
¡°W??????h????y???????????????????!?????????¡±
The spoken word barely resembled human speech, but its effect on the surroundings was all the more immediate and profound.
A shockwave erupted from Thea¡¯s core, picking up debris and violently throwing it against the walls of the room, shrapnel, shards and detritus embedding itself into the rock-crete walls.
Then, everything inside the room simply stopped.
It was like time itself had simply ceased to exist as a layer of pure frost bathed the entire room in chilling stillness, freezing everything inside the room to the very position it was in at the moment.
Debris that had crashed against the wall simply froze to it, shards of tempered glass that were in the middle of the air simply stopped where they were; suspended in motion. The very air inside the room had become a solid mass in this instance, holding everything within it with an iron grip.
Thea¡¯s breaths came hot and heavy, creating clearly visible trails of ice as they impacted the frozen environment around her. She looked around the utter devastation inside the room, the freezing chill like an antidote to the boiling rage she felt deep inside.
Before she could do anything else, her attention was gripped by a noise.
A creak and crack at the only door leading into the room broke the moment, as glass shards fell; the air returned to its natural, gaseous form and Thea¡¯s body spun to meet the person daring to enter her domain¡
PoV: Auxiliary-Legate Selene Calla
Post-assessment time was always the most stressful, Selene very much knew.
Thousands of recruits had just gone through a month of harrowing combat experience, most of them experiencing such an extended campaign for the very first time.
The amount of mental scrubbing the DDS filters could do was limited to emotional attachment, so the brunt of the post-assessment care still fell on auxiliary members of the UHF like her, who specialised in the psychological aspect of medicinal care.
She had already debriefed around a dozen marines today, but her next target was the one she was looking forward to the most.
When she had initially received the summons to be transferred to the Apex for post-assessment care, she had been surprised.
After all, she was an Auxiliary-Legate now, way too high up on the ladder to simply be moved over multiple dozen Systems for your run-of-the-mill post-assessment evaluations.
Yet when she had received the summons and the corresponding information package detailing the exact reason for her being chosen specifically, she could scarcely believe her luck.
Who would have thought that the feisty young girl she had met on a random mid-world for the Cube Trials would cause such a massive ruckus in the UHF¡¯s brass?
¡°Well¡ me. I did,¡± she muttered to herself with a rueful chuckle. ¡°I did tell them to keep a close eye on her and have people on standby to make sure she integrates well into the drive¡ªbut who ever listens to the psychologist, huh?¡±
Going through the information package in her mind one last time as she made her way towards the room where her patient should be waiting, Selene couldn¡¯t help but smile.
¡°Candidate #313, aka Recruit Thea McKay¡ It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±
She could still remember, like it was yesterday, how the scrawny-looking girl had absolutely crushed the Cube Trial to a degree that was practically unheard of¡ªand all that in a mid-world. Thea''s determination and raw talent had left an indelible mark on her.
Now, with the full weight of the UHF''s complex and often brutal integration process behind her, Selene was eager to see how the young recruit had fared.
The after-care for the Cube Trial had been emotionally charged, as one would expect from a young girl being thrown into her first real battlefield, especially on a mid-world that didn¡¯t feature any of the UHF¡¯s youth training camps. Selene wondered if the girl even remembered her, but she would do her best to provide whatever psychological help she could regardless.
She had been only a small part of that girl¡¯s biggest day, after all.
She wouldn¡¯t hold it against Thea if she didn¡¯t remember.
Thea had promised to contact her should she join the UHF, but Selene hadn¡¯t received any such contact notifications, which suggested Thea might have forgotten. Then again, Thea hadn¡¯t exactly had much time to actually do anything as part of the UHF yet. The integration had ended up in a very busy time window, so it might just be a matter of timing rather than forgetting her altogether.
Slapping her cheeks to refocus on the task at hand, Selene called up the specifics of the information package that had caused her to agree to the redeployment in the first place. Reading through them, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in disbelief and shake her head lightly.
¡°Potential A-Class Strategic Asset, huh? Just what in the Emperor¡¯s light have you been up to, girl?¡±
Selene didn¡¯t have nearly as much information as she would have liked about her patient; a lot of it was simply locked behind a Black-Level clearance, including the Cube-Trial profile.
This seemed kind of odd to her, as she had seen it all, way back when she had initially done the after-care for the girl, but she knew better than to ask questions in regards to classifications such as this.
She was especially curious about the girl supposedly being a potential A-Class Strategic Asset for the UHF, considering that Thea had only been a Recruit for a little over a month.
Whatever had happened in the little over two years since Selene had last seen her had clearly catapulted the girl¡¯s importance in the UHF¡¯s eyes.
Whatever the reasoning, however, she was not worried.
Dealing with the mental state of Recruits post-assessment had been a large part of the reason she had originally decided to become a psychologist with the auxiliary UHF forces to begin with.
She had guided thousands of Marines by now over the past few decades, and there was nothing she hadn¡¯t seen. She had even debriefed another two potential A-Class Strategic Assets in the past, so there wasn¡¯t really anything that could surprise her in this instance either.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
One part that did worry Selene about the whole thing, however, was that the girl had apparently suffered from some serious mental trauma inside the assessment.
So much so, in fact, that she had been given Mnemorix A23 on at least one occasion.
That, in itself, did not paint a pretty picture of what might have gone down inside the assessment as a whole.
While Selene had perused some of the highlights pertaining to the Recruit, which were extremely impressive¡ªno matter how she sliced it¡ªshe hadn¡¯t seen anything too worrying in them.
But she was very well aware of how much the UHF¡¯s OpSec branch enjoyed their one-sided games of hide and seek¡ªespecially with mission-relevant information.
It was something she had always thoroughly despised, as it made her job unnecessarily more difficult when she wasn¡¯t told important information pertaining to one of her patients.
The numerous complaints she had filed about the matter had all been shot down before they could really get off the ground.
¡°Fucking bureaucracy¡¡± she muttered under her breath, her frustration momentarily breaking through her professional facade.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine, and the lights in the corridor flickered briefly.
¡°What the¡?¡± she muttered, noticing the cold vapour trailing her breath.
The chill was intense, almost bitingly painful, and as suddenly as it appeared, everything returned to normal.
So abruptly did the moment pass, that Selene briefly wondered if she had hallucinated everything, but she knew better. As a seasoned professional, she understood exactly what hallucinations looked like, and this wasn¡¯t one of them.
¡°Sovereign, what just happened?¡± she asked aloud, directing her question to the governing AI of this particular DDS instance.
As usual, the AI responded without delay, ¡°An unexpected power spike caused a minor disruption in this section of the DDS environment. The issue has been resolved, and countermeasures have been deployed to prevent similar occurrences in the future. I apologise for this inconvenience, Auxiliary-Legate.¡±
Selene wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of the ship AIs that the UHF used.
They always sent a creeping chill down her spine whenever she interacted with them.
Something about the way they responded just didn¡¯t sit right with her.
She, intellectually, knew that human psychology didn¡¯t apply to AIs, but she couldn¡¯t shake the persistent feeling that they were lying through their digital teeth every time they spoke regardless.
Still, she knew better than to question the AI¡¯s words.
There had been zero documented instances of a UHF AI reporting lies unless directly ordered to do so.
¡°Thank you, Sovereign,¡± Selene replied, maintaining her always friendly demeanour.
While the AIs weren¡¯t sentient, much less sapient, it never hurt to be seen as agreeable by the entities that essentially housed her very Soul whenever she was aboard one of their ships or inside one of their governed DDS environments.
Shaking off the unease, Selene refocused on her task.
The strange incident lingered in her mind, but she had a job to do, and she intended to do it well.
The Recruit was counting on it.
As she turned the final corner towards the room where Thea was waiting, her eyes fell on a group of individuals, most of them heavily armoured to a downright frightening degree, and she couldn¡¯t, and wouldn¡¯t, hide her obvious surprise.
¡°Major Quinn? What brings you here?¡± she asked curiously as she approached the leader of the group.
It had been a while since she had directly interacted with the Major responsible for the Kuigon Star Sector, but she definitely remembered their rare interactions as exclusively positive. Meeting her right here, in this very moment, seemed oddly suspect, however, no matter how much Selene tried to justify the Major¡¯s presence.
Major Quinn¡¯s sharp eyes darted over and met hers, noticeably softening as they did.
¡°Legate Calla, it is good to see you again. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way. I know it¡¯s quite late, but it¡¯s better late than never, right?¡± Major Quinn replied warmly.
Selene was immediately on guard internally.
The outward friendliness seemed genuine¡ªincluding the respectful manner of address, as she left out the ¡°auxiliary¡± part of Selene¡¯s title. It was seen as a high respect for a ¡°true¡± officer of the UHF to ¡°elevate¡± an auxiliary member to the same level. Selene was definitely not one to frown at such flattery, presented in such an obvious and friendly manner.
What worried the psychologist were the things that hadn¡¯t been said aloud.
The Major¡¯s micro-expressions had told an entire book¡¯s worth of stories that didn¡¯t bode well for Selene¡¯s current plans.
The instant she had spoken out, Major Quinn had been in combat readiness¡ªnot just on the level of basic guard duty, but ready to kill at a moment¡¯s notice.
As experienced as the Major was, micro-expressions weren¡¯t exactly something that officers were taught to hide on the level of a diplomat. Despite the Major¡¯s best attempts to school herself, it hadn¡¯t been hard for Selene to pick up on the severe tension.
Similarly, when the Major¡¯s eyes had met hers and softened markedly, there was a distinct level of relief that went beyond what one would expect of somebody in a tense situation.
It was almost as if the Major had been waiting specifically for her, to deal with a situation that she herself could not.
¡°Likewise, Major. Thank you for your kind words. Don¡¯t worry about being a bit late on it all¡ªthe galaxy¡¯s a big place. I¡¯m honoured by the notion that you were even aware of the promotion to begin with,¡± Selene replied tactfully, a fake-genuine smile plastered on her face.
She kept the conversation neutral, trying to fish for additional tidbits of information¡ªsomething was definitely not right with this whole situation.
¡°Putting the pleasantries aside for now, even though I wouldn¡¯t mind exchanging more of those another time if you¡¯d be so inclined, it seems I interrupted something? I hope I¡¯m not in the way of anything?¡± Selene pushed the conversation forward with a few pointed questions, a sure-fire way to force the Major to show some of her hand, no matter what kind of game was being played here.
Major Quinn¡¯s face turned grim, and she winced as she seemed to remember the situation.
Selene noted the dozens of micro-expressions that flashed over the stern woman¡¯s face, reading her emotions like an open book¡ªthe Major felt trapped and embarrassed; a potentially highly dangerous mixture.
¡°Haa¡ You are and you aren¡¯t, Legate¡ªSay, can I just call you Selene? I¡¯ve heard you prefer a more personal touch with your patients, and I¡¯m not a big stickler for decorum myself,¡± Major Quinn answered, an almost pleading look on her face.
She seemed markedly more tired and exhausted than just a moment ago, indicating a vastly more open rapport between the two of them. ¡°Naturally, you can call me Zephyr, or Quinn, whichever you prefer, as well.¡±
Giving a friendly nod to show her agreement, Selene remained silent, forcing the Major to continue talking and reveal her hand or create a situation in which the psychologist would have a massive advantage in the conversational flow.
¡°Thank you, Selene,¡± Major Quinn continued with a relieved sigh. ¡°As for what I¡¯m doing here¡¡±
Her words trailed off as she looked at the heavily armoured Marines behind her.
She thought for a second and then ordered them to return to their duties, effectively dismissing them entirely from this conversation. A few moments of awkward, terse silence reigned between them as the Marines disappeared behind the nearest corners or entered DDS portals created by the Sovereign¡¯s AI to transport them back to their original stations.
Once they were alone, Quinn¡¯s demeanour shifted significantly, a complicated blend of professional seriousness, genuine concern, embarrassment, and trepidation colouring her face. ¡°Sovereign, please consider the following conversation with Auxiliary-Legate Selene Calla as an official briefing on the matter.¡±
Selene¡¯s eyes widened markedly at that, both from genuine surprise and because it was expected of her.
To call upon a ship AI to consider something an official briefing was no idle action¡ªit indicated that there was going to be some serious, mission-critical intel being shared that would have to be redacted; otherwise, she could have simply talked as per usual.
Making it an official briefing, however, allowed Quinn to reveal information that Selene would otherwise not have the clearance level for.
Meeting Selene¡¯s eyes, Quinn started to explain, but it was immediately apparent that she hadn¡¯t prepared any real words for this situation¡ªit was catching her completely off-guard, just as much as it did Selene. ¡°The issue is with Recruit Thea McKay. She is, as you likely know by now, considered quite an important personage within the UHF as of recently¡¡±
Quinn let her words trail off, implicitly prompting Selene to confirm her assertion.
¡°A potential A-Class Strategic Asset, yes. I have been made aware of the information package that brought me here,¡± she replied, but immediately caught the most minuscule of expressions hushing over Quinn¡¯s face¡ªan expression that blew the whole situation wide open.
¡®Not an A-Class Strategic Asset then. It must be higher, but S-Class¡? A Recruit¡? Just what in the Emperor¡¯s light is going on here?¡¯
¡°Good to see that some intel has been communicated, at the very least,¡± Quinn replied with a pointed inflection on the ¡°some,¡± clearly not happy with the apparently false information provided to Selene. ¡°Regardless, the issue is with the Recruit herself. There have been¡ problems, to put it mildly, that I have no way of rectifying as of right now.¡±
She pointed at the door they were standing in front of. ¡°She¡¯s inside the room, but it¡¯s been emergency dilated to give me time to figure out how to deal with the unfolding situation appropriately. Luckily, you came around the corner at just the perfect time, Selene. As far as I understand it, you were the one to debrief her after the Cube Trial, about two years back, is that correct?¡±
Selene nodded, knowing Quinn was well aware of this fact but still giving the confirmation.
¡°Then you might be able to help us out of this bind after all,¡± Quinn breathed a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Before I can go any more in-depth, however, I need to inform you that anything regarding this upcoming conversation, as well as your entire debriefing with Recruit McKay, will be classified under a Black-Level clearance. This includes anything spoken about in this corridor right now, anything inside the room, any notes you might take, as well as any recordings created by either participant or the ship¡¯s AI. Can I get a verbal confirmation that you have heard and acknowledge this information?¡±
¡°I acknowledge the Black-Level lock and its range as you¡¯ve stated,¡± Selene immediately replied. She had been in a few situations like this before, although not with something as high as a Black-Level lock.
She was aware that it was mostly a formality to ask for her confirmation as well.
The moment Major Quinn indicated that this was a Black-Level clearance requirement, Selene¡¯s actions and presence here had already been put under a microscope. The situation was getting more and more intriguing but also exceedingly suffocating.
Quinn¡¯s face turned sour, and she looked downright embarrassed as she took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I¡ We mess¡ªWe fucked up. Big time.¡±
Selene hid her surprise at the Major''s choice of words, noting that Quinn specifically chose the crasser option on purpose, despite it being an official briefing.
Whatever ¡°they¡± had done was seriously bad, then.
¡°You see, Recruit McKay is a candidate for becoming a Battlefield Psyker; but not one like we¡¯ve had before. She¡¯s a Wielder, which might shine some light on her performance in the Cube Trial for you, but the most important aspect about her is that her Attribute spread is simply unheard of,¡± Major Quinn elaborated, meeting Selene¡¯s eyes directly. ¡°She has the potential to fully unlock her Psychic Attribute before she even reaches Tier 1.¡±
This was the first piece of information that truly shocked Selene.
¡°She¡ What? How?¡±
¡°The specifics aren¡¯t that important; you can look them up once you get her profile. But the important part is this: The brass made a deal with her, to fully support her and even provide an Echoing Solstice Fruit to bolster her Attributes, in order to make this possible. In return, Recruit McKay will provide information about any and all Classes she will be offered at the end-of-year selection. I trust that you can see how this is important for the UHF, yes?¡±
Selene nodded immediately.
Information was the key element of System warfare, and the UHF had long been lagging behind the other factions when it came to their Classes database. The missing centuries in which the other factions had operated prior to the UHF¡¯s formation had created a lead that seemed downright insurmountable.
But if Thea was truly able to provide intel on the Tier 1 Psyker Classes that the UHF had never seen before¡ It made sense as to why she was being considered such a vital member of the Faction right now.
¡°But something didn¡¯t go as planned, I take it?¡± Selene prompted after a moment, as the Major seemed lost in her own thoughts.
¡°Right. Yeah¡ That¡¯s an understatement if I¡¯ve ever heard one,¡± Quinn sighed. ¡°You¡¯re aware of how close the integration was to the assessment for this drive?¡±
Confirming with another nod, Selene started to piece together what had likely happened already.
¡°We had one week to prepare the entire drive for the assessment¡ªslightly less, actually. And don¡¯t misunderstand me, Selene: I¡¯m not trying to make excuses here, merely trying to paint a picture of how we got to where we are. The issue is that we... missed having Recruit McKay briefed on what it meant to be a Psyker or what the journey to become one even entailed.¡±
That was definitely problematic, considering the potential of an Awakening killing the prospective Recruit. But since Thea was behind the door, that clearly hadn¡¯t happened.
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you can explain it now and¡ª¡± Selene stopped herself as she saw Major Quinn¡¯s face. ¡°Oh¡¡±
¡°Yeah. ''Oh'',¡± Quinn replied with a grimace. ¡°You see, Recruit McKay¡¯s unique Attribute setup that allows her to become such a vital part of the UHF just so happens to be the very worst possible combination when it comes to not accidentally Awakening your Gate. She did so at Level 6.¡±
Selene involuntarily mouthed ¡°Oh¡± as she realised the sheer understated gravitas of the sound she had made earlier.
This was slightly more problematic than an ¡°Oh¡± truly conveyed.
¡°And she did so without even knowing what a Gate was? Without knowing about the Awakening?!¡± she asked incredulously, unable to fully comprehend just how colossal of a fuck-up that was.
¡°Yes. She had no idea about anything. As a matter of fact, she nearly died on the first day due to a Focus Overdraw too, as it hadn¡¯t been mentioned to her either,¡± Quinn confessed while releasing another heartfelt sigh. ¡°When I say we fucked up, I mean we really, fundamentally, fucked up on a downright cosmic scale.¡±
Selene tended to err on the side of realism rather than hyperbole, but she could definitely see where the Major was coming from with her assertion. This whole briefing had just been a complete downward spiral of utter ludicrousness and bad decisions.
¡°Level 6 for a Recruit in their first assessment is still pretty high¡ Although not exactly unheard of for an Alpha Squad member. I¡¯m assuming she is one?¡± Selene asked, despite knowing the answer already. It had been part of the information package, but she needed to verify the information before meeting with Thea, considering the clear disregard for OpSec to hand out the right intel.
¡°Yeah, naturally. With that Cube Trial result, it was only a formality to put her through the usual process. She was bound to get into Alpha Squad¡ªthough I will say, the squad she¡¯s with is all kinds of irregular. They¡¯re all absolute monsters in their own rights¡ But that¡¯s neither here nor there; the issue is with Recruit McKay herself. You see, she¡¯s not Level 6; that¡¯s just when she had her Awakening,¡± Quinn elaborated, giving Selene a pointed stare.
¡°She¡¯s Level 10¡ªfully maxed out. Right out of the first assessment, a month after integration.¡±
Selene¡¯s breath caught as she started to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. She took a step to the side and leaned against the nearby wall, feeling a bout of vertigo threatening to take her legs.
¡°But the main problem, I haven¡¯t actually mentioned yet,¡± Quinn plowed onwards, likely realising that delaying the inevitable wouldn¡¯t make it any easier. ¡°She is pissed. And justifiably so, I¡¯d say. She thinks the UHF as a whole has broken its deal with her, as she has received essentially zero support whatsoever. Any information she managed to claw together about not accidentally killing herself and everyone around her was basically all gathered by herself inside the assessment.
¡°She went out of her way to completely suppress her powers, to find an experienced Psyker to ask basic fucking questions like ¡®Can I use my Attribute Points without dying?¡¯, and ultimately ended up dying to a direct counter of her own Psychic powers because she was never taught about polarities. She missed out on being part of the completion for her main mission objective. Out of the two main missions she had, the squad failed the first because they ran into a duo of Psykers and then an enemy Tier 3 Prime Ace, and she missed the second¡¯s completion because she was never made aware of polarities.
¡°She is absolutely livid¡ And I can totally understand why: We told her the assessment was basically the most important thing for this entire year and then thoroughly handicapped her, to a point she did everything at essentially base-Attributes, without being able to make use of her actual advantages, likely making it feel like it was all a big joke on her costs.¡±
Major Quinn sighed deeply once more, practically deflating as she did so.
¡°So essentially: We¡¯ve got a really pissed-off, extremely volatile teenager who also just so happens to be one of the most important assets the UHF has had in centuries¡ªoh, and she¡¯s a scarily powerful Psyker for her Level, for reasons that we haven¡¯t been able to figure out yet.¡±
Silence covered the corridor as Selene tried to wrap her head around everything that had just been revealed to her.
She leaned heavily against the wall behind her, struggling to maintain her composure. The complete and utter disaster she was being thrust into was simply too much to bear standing up.
As Selene organised her thoughts and filed away the information for later use, she realised a likely correlation with something else.
¡°The energy spike earlier, that was her?¡± she asked, not bothering to elaborate on what specifically she was referring to. She had the distinct feeling that Major Quinn was not going to split hairs with her over something related to the very thing she was being asked to do in the first place.
¡°Yeah,¡± Quinn frowned. ¡°She¡ She was quite upset, realising that the assessment was already over.¡±
Selene realigned her expectations for the fourth time in the past few minutes, realising that she might have underestimated the situation as a whole.
¡®She affected the entire section of the DDS with her outburst? Just how volatile is she? Am I in danger going in there?¡¯ She thought to herself, running a quick risk analysis using all the information she had at her disposal.
There were very few things that could actually endanger somebody inside the DDS, but an untrained Psyker was definitely among them.
And a volatile, angry one was just about at the very top of that list.
¡°And you want me to calm her down; help her process everything and hopefully be open for reconciliation, I take it?¡± she asked, ultimately feeling that the Thea she knew was unlikely to hurt her.
While it had been two years and the girl was angry, Selene believed that Thea, fundamentally, was a good person and would react favourably to someone who genuinely wanted to help.
¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Quinn nodded, before briefly gesturing in the air with her hands. ¡°Here¡¯s the full assessment profile, including all Black-Level incidents and reports for you to look through. That should hopefully provide any and all information that you might require to complete the mission. Note that there is one incident inside the assessment that¡¯s received a Gold-Level Lock, but even Captain Cross has no idea what that is even about.¡±
Selene would have liked to be surprised at the Gold-Level Lock being mentioned, considering that she had never even heard of that classification level, but it felt so thoroughly irrelevant that she couldn¡¯t muster the emotions for it.
Selene felt utterly exhausted, yet she hadn¡¯t even stepped foot into the room with the Recruit that needed her help. The weight of the situation bore down on her heavily.
¡°I take it the dilation will last for a while longer?¡± she asked, her voice barely masking her fatigue.
Quinn nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah, should be about 48 hours. So you should have some time to rest up and read everything that¡¯s relevant¡ªhopefully.¡±
They stared at each other for a few moments, the silence thick with unspoken worries and responsibilities. Finally, Selene pushed herself off the wall. ¡°Well¡ better get to it then. I¡¯ll be in touch if there¡¯s anything I need.¡±
¡°Thank you, Selene. Sincerely. I¡¯m not made for these kinds of situations, and I¡¯m thoroughly out of my depth here. You¡¯re a lifesaver,¡± Quinn replied, her voice candid and sincere. ¡°Please¡ if possible, let Thea know that I¡¯m sorry? I don¡¯t know if that will even come up or help or whatever but¡ we really messed up and it wasn¡¯t done maliciously whatsoever. I just¡¡±
Selene held up her hand to stop the Major from continuing, seeing the writing on the wall. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll let her know if the opportunity presents itself.¡±
¡°Thank you¡ I¡¯ll leave you to it then,¡± Quinn replied before turning and starting to walk away.
Before she made it too far, however, Selene raised her voice, ¡°Quinn?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± Quinn turned back around to meet Selene¡¯s gaze.
¡°Take a break. You¡¯re a complete mess.¡±
It was thoroughly inappropriate for Selene to say these words, given their respective ranks and their limited familiarity, but she knew it would be okay¡ªshe was good at reading people; it was her job, after all.
A small chuckle confirmed her thoughts as Quinn turned around and continued walking away, leaving behind a quiet, ¡°Wish I could, Selene¡ Wish I could¡¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 121 - Anger
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Preparing for the upcoming talk over the past 46 hours had been an absolute fever dream for Selene. The intense preparation had pushed her to her limits, both mentally and emotionally.
While she had previously seen some highlights of Thea¡¯s assessment, having access to the full record, including her profile and all the notes from various Majors, Lieutenants, and even a select few Colonels, had been surreal.
In all her years serving as a chief psychologist for prospective Recruits and active Recruits, she had never encountered a profile so packed with diverse, often contradictory information.
The notes ranged from calls to essentially confine Thea indefinitely and exploit her potential Class-related knowledge, to official requests advocating for her education and resource allocation to her Squad Officers.
The breadth of opinions and recommendations was staggering.
Most of these notes had long since been edited, removed, or purged entirely from the profile.
Still, her current mission granted her unprecedented access to even the deleted parts that no one was supposed to see anymore.
To say she felt intimidated would be an understatement.
Yet, amidst the chaos, she felt strangely calm about the upcoming conversation.
After all, she was here to talk to and help Thea, not to navigate the tangled web of military bureaucracy and its often overzealous officers or the politics they seemed to enjoy all too much.
One aspect that did make her seriously nervous, however, was the Gold-Level Lock Major Quinn had mentioned.
Her mission afforded her privileges she had never even dreamt of, but even these heightened clearances didn''t come close to granting access to the Gold-Level Lock on part of Thea''s assessment experience.
Considering the hazardous and traumatic events that had already warranted Black-Level locks, Selene struggled to fathom what could have possibly even necessitated a Gold-Level Lock to be ordered in the first place.
Selene had sat down with Major Quinn for half an hour just a few hours ago to discuss the Gold-Level Lock and its implications, as she hadn¡¯t even known such a classification existed before this to begin with.
What the Major had revealed about them was disturbing enough that Selene knew she would need several sessions with her own psychologist to fully process.
Gold-Level Locks, according to Major Quinn, represented the second highest level of security the UHF could impose on information, with only the O13-Lock being known as above it, which could exclusively be placed or removed by the ruling council of the UHF itself.
The sinister nature of Gold-Level Locks went beyond mere clearance issues, however.
They equated to a literal purge order.
Anyone without the requisite clearance who knew the contents of the lock, or was even suspected of having potential knowledge about it, would be purged. In UHF terms, a purge meant the forced Zeroing of an individual, rendering resurrection impossible.
The rationale behind this drastic measure was even more chilling: A Gold-Level Lock was placed on information that needed to be kept secret from Terra itself.
This fact alone was something Selene would have to guard for the rest of her life.
Major Quinn had only been able to share this with her because of close connections with higher-ups. If Selene were to reveal this information, a court-martial would be the least of her worries.
And while Selene had been granted temporary Gold-Level clearance for the duration of her talk with Thea, it was only effective once she entered the room.
She had no actual idea what the lock concealed in the first place.
The Sovereign¡¯s AI, governing this section of the DDS, had also been given temporary clearance and knew what the lock was protecting.
This meant Selene was entering a situation blind; she had no idea what topics to avoid.
If she stumbled upon the locked information, the AI would forcibly inject her with Mnemorix S-IF14 upon leaving the room¡ªthe most powerful memory wipe drug the UHF possessed.
It was proven to work on even General Tier Marines, which guaranteed that if Selene was injected with it, she wouldn¡¯t remember anything about her conversation with Thea at all¡ªand likely just about anything else that had happened over the past week or so.
As if that wasn¡¯t enough, S-IF14 was also not very gentle in the way that it purged memories, so permanent brain damage was all but expected as well.
It still beat getting purged, of course, but Selene couldn¡¯t exactly fault herself for being more than just a little nervous considering the stakes.
¡®If Thea talks about the wrong thing, I get my memory wiped, almost assuredly receive permanent brain damage, and likely won¡¯t be able to ever be considered for a promotion again¡ªcan¡¯t have anyone with potential knowledge out of their sights after all, even if S-IF14 is supposed to be infallible. There¡¯s no shot they¡¯d ever let me into a room with anyone unsupervised again,¡¯ Selene thought to herself with trepidation.
¡®And the worst part is, I don¡¯t even know what topics to stay clear of, damnit! How did I end up in a situation like this?!¡¯
Ultimately, however, she knew she¡¯d just have to bite the bullet and try her best to steer Thea towards topics she had directly seen in the recordings or mentioned in the notes; they were Black-Level locked at worst, so she would be safe if they stayed on those.
The most important part for Selene, though, was to make sure that Thea got through all of this without any lasting issues.
She had shed more than a few tears reviewing the recordings and had cursed out the UHF leadership more times than she could count at their sheer and utter incompetence in handling the poor girl¡¯s post-integration.
While Selene could understand the pressure and issues that Major Quinn had faced, being essentially put forth as the sole person responsible for the entire drive of Recruits, it wasn¡¯t fair to Thea to simply be forgotten.
Saying ¡°Oops, sorry, we kind of forgot to inform you that you might die doing what we asked you to do¡± was simply not a good argument, no matter whether a Lieutenant or a High-General said it.
Ultimately, the UHF¡¯s brass had ¡°fucked up,¡± as Major Quinn had aptly put it, with no acceptable reason to explain how or why it happened.
Even if the complex series of events, starting from the very moment that Major Daxton had apparently Black-Level Locked Thea¡¯s Cube Trial on Lumiosia, mere hours after Selene had sent Thea off with a smile, had led to this; there was no single person that Selene could assign blame to.
There were too many people involved; too many officers, too many Marines, that could have all stepped forward and said, ¡°Hey wait a minute, don¡¯t we need to give her a basic rundown?¡±
But it hadn¡¯t happened, simply because it had been forgotten.
Routine had taken over due to the time pressure of getting the new Recruits ready for the assessment.
The special case of Thea herself had simply been put on the back burner after she agreed to help out the UHF in their research; the brass simply assumed it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to pull out her file after the assessment and give her all the necessary rundowns afterward.
Nobody had expected her to be as much of an outlier as she had proven to be.
The way events had spiralled out of control inside the assessment, with no way for anyone to realistically affect what happened once it had started, could potentially cost them not just an S-Class Strategic Asset, but also a thoroughly talented Marine as well.
These were the stakes Selene was dealing with; she had been chosen as the final arbiter for this whole mess, to try and bring Thea back into the arms of the UHF.
The sheer number of failure states in this mission was staggering and downright suffocating.
Selene would have to thread the needle to avoid any of them, as they ranged from ¡°permanent brain damage¡± to ¡°downright apocalyptic¡± on a scale that she couldn¡¯t even truly comprehend if she tried.
There was but one true win for her to achieve: To make sure Thea calmed down, that they could talk it all out without Thea breaching the Gold-Level topic, and to get Thea to agree to some form of arbitration with the UHF.
Selene had been given quite a number of tools to try and rebuild goodwill with the girl, options she herself had never known existed. But she wasn¡¯t sure if it would be enough¡ªif her efforts would bear fruit and provide everyone involved with as happy an ending as could be achieved.
She¡¯d try her best, but sometimes, even people''s bests simply weren¡¯t enough; she was all too aware of this, having failed in somewhat similar situations a few times before.
She was ready to make concessions herself if it came to that¡ªThea needed her, and she wouldn¡¯t let the girl down, no matter what.
¡®If I have to end up with some brain damage for Thea to get out of this okay¡ Then so be it. I¡¯ve had a good run and saved more lives than I could have ever hoped for,¡¯ Selene resolved herself as she stepped up to the door she had stood in front of just a little under two days prior on her first meeting with Major Quinn in two years.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, she put her hand on the handle and immediately flinched as a stinging pain shot through her fingers. The handle wasn¡¯t just cold; it was freezing beyond what Selene had ever thought possible.
Bits of skin had ripped off her hand as she instinctively pulled it back, frozen to the aluminium compound handle in the fraction of a second it took for her body to react to the intense cold.
¡°By the Emperor¡¯s Light¡ Am I even going to be okay going in there?¡± Selene muttered to herself, staring incredulously at her injured hand.
She immediately regretted it as she was startled once again, this time by the Sovereign AI¡¯s voice quietly ringing out in the corridor around her. ¡°The interior of the room containing Recruit Thea McKay is currently uninhabitable, Auxiliary Legate Calla. If I were to deposit you inside, you would be considered irrevocably dead in 0.000317 seconds. However, given the nature of the Psychic Cold, there is a 99.99967% chance that it will dissipate the instant you open the door, returning the room to a chilly, but habitable, temperature.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Simply glaring at the space around her, Selene shook her head.
¡®Fucking AIs¡ I really didn¡¯t need to know that first part; you could¡¯ve just said I would be fine, damnit!¡¯
¡°I would, however, recommend gloves,¡± the AI added after a moment.
Selene could almost swear she heard smugness in its voice. A notion that, of course, was utterly ridiculous, but her decades of human psychology experience were screaming at her that she was being mocked.
Suppressing the urge to respond to the AI¡¯s implied attitude, Selene pulled out a pair of insulated gloves from her belt and slipped them on. She was thankful that her usual outfit included some thick gloves, as her hands often ended up getting cold for no good reason.
Taking another deep breath, she gripped the handle firmly and quickly opened the door, feeling the intense cold through the gloves but managing to let go before her fingers turned to icicles.
As the door swung open, there was a brief moment in which the room seemed utterly frozen in time. The moment was so imperceptibly short, however, that Selene couldn¡¯t be sure it had even really happened or if it was simply a trick of her eyes adjusting to the new environment.
And what an environment it was.
The room, based on the very template Selene had created over decades for her own personal psychology sessions with prospective UHF candidates and Recruits alike, was utterly beyond recognition.
Frost covered every surface, from the walls to the ceiling to the floor, turning the once warm and inviting space into an icy wasteland.
The normally soft, plush chairs were nowhere to be seen, but shards of similarly coloured wood were strewn about the room, telling Selene everything she needed to know about their state. The shelves that had once tactfully pulled the room together by presenting calming, yet low-key objects on the walls had been ripped down and thrown across the room.
The bookshelf and all its contents had been similarly torn apart and devastated beyond recognition. Shards of glass, wood, and ceramic littered every wall and the ceiling, either frozen in place or embedded deeply into the surfaces, speaking volumes about the violent upheaval that had occurred.
But the most telling of all, the centrepiece of the room and the first thing that caught Selene¡¯s attention immediately, was Thea herself.
Around her, in a roughly five-metre radius, nothing had remained.
No debris, no piece of wood, no shard of glass, nothing.
It was as if everything had simply been obliterated into another dimension, so thorough was the absence of anything around the girl.
Yet the most startling thing of all were the eyes that stared back at Selene from the centre of the room. Eyes that thoroughly froze every drop of blood in her body in an instant.
Selene felt like she was unable to breathe, move, or even think as the pure, unadulterated anger in Thea¡¯s cyan-coloured eyes bore into her very soul.
The intensity of Thea''s gaze was unlike anything Selene had ever encountered.
It was a chilling reminder of the raw power and fury contained within this young Recruit, highlighting the danger she posed in her current state¡ªthe very problem she was here to tackle.
For an instant, Selene felt utterly inadequate for what she had been asked to do.
The doubt vanished just as quickly as it had come, however, as Selene forced herself to step into the room, despite the bone-chilling anger bearing down on her.
¡°Hello there, Thea,¡± she offered with a genuine smile, putting her entire being into keeping the strained aspect of it hidden. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you remember¡ But we met before, around two years ago on Lumiosia. I was the officer responsible for covering your basic weapon training and the psychological after-care after the Cube Trial had¡ª¡±
¡°Selene¡?¡± Thea¡¯s voice was weak and raw, almost like she had been screaming and crying non-stop for days. The raging inferno behind Thea¡¯s eyes abruptly disappeared, replaced by an almost haunting hollowness as recognition seemed to seep in.
Selene didn¡¯t know which she preferred, for the look that Thea gave her now was threatening to truly break her heart¡ªa lost, sad and utterly exhausted child, feeling betrayed by the very people she trusted implicitly.
¡°I¡ I wanted to send you a message, but the whole integration thing and¡ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Thea continued, losing her words somewhere around the middle and finding herself unable to meet Selene¡¯s gaze any longer, directing her eyes towards the ground.
Mustering up every ounce of courage and energy in her body, Selene crossed the distance between them in a few quick strides and simply threw her arms around the girl, pulling her into a deep hug.
For an instant, she felt Thea tense up, pinpricks of pain wrecking through Selene¡¯s entire body, like ice crystals forming where her blood was supposed to be. But another moment later, everything turned back to normal and she felt the girl gently sink into her arms.
Thea didn¡¯t cry.
She didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t say anything.
She didn¡¯t reciprocate the hug either, but simply stood there, like a broken, stringless puppet, exclusively held up by Selene¡¯s embrace.
She had been prepared to deal with an angry Thea, but what she encountered had far exceeded anything she could have anticipated.
To call it anger would be like calling the Emperor¡¯s War a minor scuffle¡ªsimple fisticuffs.
But even that, she might have been able to handle her with the plans she had prepared ahead of time.
The Thea in her arms right now, however? That was something she hadn¡¯t expected whatsoever; had no real recourse to as she was right now.
How was she supposed to claw back Thea from this stage?
Selene had no idea, but she knew that giving up was not an option.
She needed a plan.
And so they remained like this for more than ten minutes, Selene using the time to cobble together a plan of attack to try and salvage the situation. The hug had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but now it proved more than worth its weight in gold for the time it afforded her.
Raising her head ever so slightly, she mouthed the words ¡°chairs, close together¡± into the air, trusting the Sovereign¡¯s AI to understand her implicit bid for assistance.
She knew the AI was paying attention to her every move, to every word spoken and every breath taken in this room, ensuring the Gold-Level Lock was not broken.
Two cushioned armchairs appeared next to them a moment later and Selene let out an inaudible breath of relief¡ªit seemed that the AI was more than willing to work with her.
Whether it was due to their shared mission, an explicit order, or maybe the Emperor himself reaching down with a golden olive branch, she didn¡¯t care at the moment. What mattered was that she wasn¡¯t entirely alone and could off-load some of the heavy lifting¡ªin some cases quite literally¡ªto the AI if need be.
It was imperative for Selene to establish herself as an unmistakable ally in Thea¡¯s mind.
While she had no idea how far gone the girl truly was, everything she had read and seen about her indicated that she needed someone to truly be on her side for once, with no strings attached.
Wetting her throat carefully, so as not to startle the fragile girl in her arms with a sudden, raspy voice, Selene quietly asked, ¡°How about we sit down for a moment? I could do with a cushioned seat to relax while we catch up. How about it?¡±
Every word she spoke was deliberate and pre-planned, ensuring that Thea didn¡¯t feel pressured into anything but was still encouraged to follow along with Selene¡¯s plan, at least for now.
She didn¡¯t particularly think that Thea was in any state to deny anything she asked, but when dealing with anger, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent fragility, she didn¡¯t want to leave anything to chance.
¡°Mhm,¡± Thea murmured, tensing up slightly as her muscles seemed to fight an unwinnable war to keep her upright without the full strength of Selene¡¯s embrace. Selene gently helped her into the cushioned chair, guiding her with care, before taking a seat in the chair right next to it.
The chairs had been arranged exactly how Selene would have done it if she had been given the opportunity, and she silently praised and thanked the AI for catching on to her ideas so readily.
They were positioned close enough for her to touch Thea but not so close as to infringe on her personal space directly. Not facing each other, but still close enough in angle to look at each other without straining if they wanted to.
Selene had always liked this particular setup for the versatility and intimacy it afforded, and she affectionately called it ¡°The Personal Touch¡± style of chair positioning.
Now seated, the real mission had to begin. The first thing Selene needed was to ensure that Thea would engage with her in any meaningful way¡ªan appeal to emotion was needed.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, huh? I actually wondered if you still remembered me from all those years ago; I was worried you might have forgotten about me, considering the short amount of time we spent together during the Cube Trial,¡± Selene started, her voice soft but carrying an even strength that gave it weight in the devastated room.
She made sure not to mention Thea¡¯s promise to contact her¡ªguilt was the last thing the girl needed right now. Even if there wasn¡¯t any real guilt to go around, the human mind didn¡¯t play by logic.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again, Thea. My last two years have been utterly routine, overseeing Cube Trials all over UHF space and helping out with assessments for Recruits. I thought I was going to lose my mind with the monotony,¡± Selene chuckled, injecting a bit of levity into the chilling air.
¡°When I heard you were part of this assessment, I made sure to come on over so we could have another chat. It¡¯s not often that somebody truly sticks in my mind, but you definitely did back then. I remember it like it was yesterday.¡±
She gave Thea ample time to interject after each sentence, not wanting to overrun her or make her feel pressured to join the conversation but enough time that she wouldn¡¯t feel bad for speaking out.
¡°The undercity mechanic with the cyan eyes; that¡¯s what I initially thought when I saw you appear inside the DDS,¡± Selene recalled, forcibly pushing air out of her nose in amusement. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a lot of data on Lumiosia, much less the undercity, so that was about the entirety of what I knew about you before you showed up, you know?
¡°Imagine my surprise when you utterly crushed the aiming exercises and didn¡¯t even ask for a scope¡ I thought I was being the butt of a joke by the AI or something, but no, as it turned out, you were just far beyond normal¡ªeven for your circumstances.¡±
Selene watched Thea closely, hoping to see some sign of engagement, a micro-expression in her body or even a hint of recognition in her eyes¡ªand she found it; at least some of it.
The more Selene talked, the more Thea seemed to perk up.
Ever so slowly, like a delicate flower having been caught in a blizzard but somehow persevering, the girl''s eyes met Selene¡¯s once again.
Selene had to school herself thoroughly to not let out a visible reaction, as she could see the tiniest spark of life behind those eyes once again¡ªthere was hope.
¡°Do you remember that, Thea? How you simply asked me to stand aside so you could just go ham on the targets, not wanting to bother with my instructions or tutorials, because you just wanted to get into the action right away?¡± she asked with a big, genuine smile painted on her face.
A moment of silence and then¡ Thea¡¯s face split into the tiniest, weakest of smiles.
¡°I do,¡± she replied hoarsely, her quiet voice shattering the frigid atmosphere like a cannonball smashing through a window.
There was a warmth in there that Selene had feared would not come back; a warmth that almost made her believe Thea was going to be okay. ¡°I remember it very clearly. It was one of the best days of my life¡ You were there to help me at the start and afterward too. I thought¡ I thought I could handle it, you know? The killing, the war¡ Just deal with it; handle it; bottle it up. But you taught and showed me that I didn¡¯t have to.¡±
Her smile turned ever so slightly wider.
¡°I tried to keep that in mind; to be open like that¡ Vulnerable¡¡±
Selene¡¯s whole body tensed up, realising the dangerous path that Thea¡¯s thoughts were going down.
She couldn¡¯t simply jump in and interrupt her, however, as the most important part was to be seen as an ally¡ªif that meant allowing her to relapse, then she would have to weather the storm.
¡°It worked surprisingly well, for the most part¡ªkept me sane, I would like to believe,¡± Thea continued unabated, her voice starting to pick up a certain amount of power as she did.
¡°You asked how my last two years have been¡ The answer is complicated. If you had asked me yesterday, I would have said downright dreamy. I¡¯ve always wanted to be part of the UHF, you know?
¡°My dad¡ He was part of the UHF once, but he left. I never really understood why, because he never talked about it.¡± Selene quietly swallowed a lump, preparing herself mentally and physically for where this conversation was going.
¡°But I think I¡¯m starting to understand, Selene. To understand why he left; why he hated the war; why he wanted out.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes had once again ignited; a tiny spark turned into a similarly tiny flame, but it was growing¡ªand fast.
¡°The training camp was fun, if lonely. ¡®No friends¡¯ was the clear design and policy¡ªalways seemed weird to me, but I¡¯ve never really had friends, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. And then we all got killed, after being asked to trust in the UHF. Just like that. Slaughtered like dogs, fenced into a kennel,¡± Thea¡¯s words were biting, with a strength and growing anger behind them that almost made Selene flinch.
¡°On Lumiosia, we often had to do that, did you know?¡± She asked, and Selene shook her head¡ªshe should have researched more about Thea¡¯s hometown, she now realised.
¡°We would chase the dogs through the destroyed streets of the undercity; funnel them into large closed-off sections or bait them in with enticing pieces of meat. Once we had enough, we would close it all up and gun them down¡ªfood for the citizens. Once a week, sometimes twice, we¡¯d do so. We did it because we had to; nutrient solutions are simply not enough to actually survive on, as much as the producers would like people to believe,¡± Thea explained almost nonchalantly.
And then, the fire erupted anew into a small portion of the inferno that Selene had seen when she had initially entered the room.
¡°Imagine my surprise, then, when after everything I had dreamed and worked for, after all the trust I had offered freely and willingly, I suddenly found myself as one of those very dogs...?¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 122 - Why?
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Swallowing hard, Selene maintained her carefully crafted mask of outward sympathy, righteous anger, and slight pity.
Over decades as a psychologist, she had found this expression immensely useful.
It was crucial to share your patient¡¯s righteous anger¡ªand it was always righteous, regardless of the actual cause¡ªwhile also signalling that anger was not the ultimate solution. Maybe one for a time, but definitely not forever.
A hint of pity, used sparingly and mixed with outward sympathy, could blunt and cushion someone¡¯s anger just as effectively as a cold compress on a headache.
Selene wanted to intervene, to steer the conversation into a different area and let the flames die down. However, she knew that speaking up now would not help her case in the slightest.
Thea wasn¡¯t finished with her story, and Selene¡¯s job was to listen and understand¡ªso listen and understand she would.
¡°It was Major Quinn who was there, you know?¡± Thea continued, standing up from the cushioned chair without realising it. Selene knew this was an involuntary action, caused by the overbearing energy coursing through the girl¡¯s very veins.
¡°She was there, asking us to trust the UHF implicitly. I knew something bad was going to happen; Precog,¡± Thea pointed at her head. ¡°If not for my father¡¯s words, who had mirrored Major Quinn¡¯s bid for trust, I would have bolted then and there. But I didn¡¯t. I put my trust in the UHF, just like I had been asked to.¡±
Selene could see Thea¡¯s usually so perfectly calm hands, the very tools of a sniper such as her, shake at the memory as she continued to recall it. The memory clearly haunted her.
¡°I was so, so scared, Selene¡¡±
Her voice was weak, wavering with every word. The pure terror was downright palpable, wrenching Selene¡¯s heart.
¡°My Psychic Senses, which I didn¡¯t even know about at the time, were guaranteeing me that I was going to die; urging me to run away, to hide¡ I knew what was going to happen seconds before the beam even started. I felt the heat atomize my body moments before it even got close to me. Every single cell in my body was crying, yelling, screaming at me to run. But I didn¡¯t. I trusted the UHF¡¯s words; trusted my father¡¯s¡¡±
Her words trailed off, leaving a heavy silence hanging in the air around them. The silence didn¡¯t last long, however, as a cold, hollow chuckle formed in Thea¡¯s throat.
¡°Then I woke up from the nightmare¡ªor so I thought. On the Sovereign, I got a new, more powerful body and was officially welcomed into the UHF. I was put in Alpha Squad; can you believe that? Me? A random rat from an undercity in Alpha Squad of all available options?! It was a dream come true, even despite the assholes; despite the people who hated me for the simple fact that I wasn¡¯t born on a different planet, that my mother hadn¡¯t survived my birth.¡±
Thea¡¯s words poured forth like a dam breaking, gaining momentum with each passing second as she recalled her early days in the UHF for Selene.
The psychologist listened intently to every inflection, every word spoken, every expression revealed, and every hidden meaning exposed. It was all going to be crucial in trying to guide Thea back to a more stable state of mind¡ªone that could be reasoned with and healed.
Selene wanted to hug the girl, to cry with her for all the ways she had been wronged.
But that wasn¡¯t her role.
She needed to listen and understand; to be the rock against which Thea¡¯s tsunami of emotions could crash again and again until one of them finally broke.
She just hoped her rock was stronger than the waves of Thea¡¯s rage.
¡°I really loved it here. I even managed to score high on a shooting range and get a pretty massive bonus before the first assessment¡ªa major advantage, I thought!¡± Thea smiled at the memory, but the smile was lopsided, wrong. Something fundamental had broken, making it impossible for her to genuinely remember it as a good thing.
¡°And then I was offered a deal,¡± Thea continued, her voice flipping from warm reminiscence to an ice-cold blade that cut through the air. ¡°Turns out, Selene, that my Attribute makeup is special in some way. I don¡¯t know all the details, I¡¯m sure, but it¡¯s got to do with my Perception and Resolve stats. They¡¯re exceedingly high for a Recruit, and the UHF brass figured I was the perfect candidate for a bit of a test; an experiment.¡±
The way she phrased it, Selene realised, made it sound like the UHF had used her like a lab rat, with no regard for her feelings or safety. Based on the information she had, Selene couldn¡¯t deny it either.
¡°Naturally, they didn¡¯t make it sound like that, no, no. Not at all. I was special, you see? The only one that could save the UHF from their own ignorance. But don¡¯t worry, Selene, it was all my own choice,¡± Thea chuckled, but the sound was wrong once again; it was more like dry crying than any expression of joy or elation.
¡°As if a new Recruit would be able to actually make any informed decisions on the matter. As if a new Recruit would have any recourse against a fucking Councillor appearing on the ship in a flash of light¡ªlike one of the gods of old. As if a new Recruit would have any chance to actually say ¡®no¡¯ when offered preferential treatment and told that it was only because they were special; only because they were the only one that could do it.¡±
The air around Selene turned colder with every word, and she felt pinpricks needling her skin as the temperature continued to fall, becoming more dangerous with each passing moment.
Her body screamed at her to move, to react, to stop whatever was hurting it, but her ironclad mind held her instincts in check. She couldn¡¯t flinch, couldn¡¯t retreat, couldn¡¯t show weakness in the face of Thea¡¯s trauma.
If she did, she would lose all rapport in the girl¡¯s eyes.
Not consciously, of course, for Thea was too kind a soul to think that showing weakness in the face of what was happening was bad. But subconsciously.
Subconsciously, the girl would never trust her again, would never trust herself to be vulnerable around her, to be angry, to really let her emotions run free without holding back.
And that was something Selene couldn¡¯t afford, no matter the cost.
No matter the pain, she would not let Thea down¡ªfor somebody had to be the rock, lest the girl drowned in her own waves.
Thinking about it, however, she realised immediately that her previous thought had been wrong.
¡°Somebody¡± was incorrect.
It had to be her.
Thea was her patient. Her work. Her responsibility.
Anybody else might have gotten it wrong.
¡°And so, naturally, I agreed. As if I truly had any other choice,¡± Thea¡¯s voice brought Selene¡¯s attention back from her own mind, her resolve stronger than ever to see things through, no matter the outcome.
¡°I made a deal with the UHF, Selene. With the very Faction that I had wanted to be a part of my whole life. The very Faction that had somehow sent down an angel to save me when I needed it most. When I was cold, starving, and dying as a child in some backwater¡¯s undercity. An old, retired Marine that had saved my life from the very Faction that I was now getting to serve like nobody else could.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes met Selene¡¯s for the first time since her rant had started, and Selene almost faltered in her resolve; almost flinched and looked away, for the emotions inside of them were too heavy to bear.
But she somehow persevered once more, pouring every fibre of her being into keeping pace with the raging storm, holding the girl¡¯s gaze with her own.
¡°I thought I was dreaming. Like it was too good to be true¡ And it turns out I was right on both counts; in a way. I truly had been dreaming, but the dream turned out to be a nightmare. The deal was a farce, the reasons for which I can¡¯t even begin to understand¡¡±
Thea became more animated as she continued, her body doing as much of the talking as her mouth did, as she paced back and forth in front of Selene.
¡°I was to become a Psyker. That was the deal. Put all of my points into Perception and Resolve, unlock the Psychic Attribute and relay whatever Class information I was offered by the Allbright System¡ Naturally, it wasn¡¯t without risks or sacrifices. I¡¯d need to up my Vitality quite a lot and there¡¯s only really one way to do that, which I am sure you know.¡±
The implied, persistent torture was not lost on Selene, of course.
It wasn¡¯t a rare occurrence by any stretch to offer it to Recruits that had reached their limits prior to the end of the year; but to essentially make it mandatory was something else entirely.
¡°But that was fine. I could handle a bit of pain, if it meant helping the very Faction that had saved and shaped my life since I wanted to remember. My father had often spoken about the UHF and his time there, although never too in-depth¡ªso I guess in a way, I always believed him to be a part of it still, even if he had retired. I believed that they shared the same values that he had¡¡±
Momentarily, the girl¡¯s rage had abated markedly, her voice softening drastically.
The moment she talked about her adoptive father, it was as if the earlier anger had never existed¡ªsomething that Selene could potentially use to help the girl. An emotional connection to family and a carefully crafted appeal to recognize it was a tried and tested way of blunting other emotions.
As quickly as the rage had abated, however, it returned with a vengeance, the sheer weight of it feeling like a physical presence in the room.
¡°Regardless of the risks, I agreed. I thought that the Councillor laying out everything like this was a concession, to make sure I made an informed decision¡ It was not. It was merely a ploy to make it seem like I had been informed, I now realise. To get me to agree, to risk myself in this way.¡±
Thea stilled and turned towards Selene, their eyes meeting once again.
¡°Do you know what it means to become a Psyker, Selene? To invest all of your points into Perception and Resolve? To glimpse what lies beyond the known world?¡±
For the first time in a while, Selene had a turn in this conversation; not one she could exercise, but a rhetorical question on Thea¡¯s behalf, a bid for control, to make herself feel less helpless and lost. Thea knew the answer before she asked the question; knew what Selene would say, but asked it anyway.
And Selene would play her part perfectly.
Giving a neutral nod, she answered, ¡°I do, although I don¡¯t know all the specifics or the more in-depth mechanics of it all.¡±
She needed to be neutral here, to remain neither too friendly and sympathetic as to seem condescending, nor too hostile and confrontational. She only spoke the words necessary, ceding her turn back to Thea once again, as was expected of her.Stolen novel; please report.
She did not include any further information; didn¡¯t explain that she had unlocked her own Psychic Attribute, seen the horror of the Awakening, nor that she had received her Psychic 101 and gotten the rundown of all the things the UHF deemed important for new Psykers to know.
For doing so would have invariably ended in tragedy.
Thea¡¯s grin turned predatory as she stepped closer towards Selene, and for a moment, Selene thought she had messed up. But the logical part of her brain told her that this was all still within her calculations¡ªthis reaction was not outside what she had expected.
¡°Then let me paint you a picture,¡± Thea continued, now mere inches away from Selene¡¯s face. The breath hitting her face was like a blizzard in the coldest of winters, threatening to freeze her eyes shut with every word spoken.
¡°I followed the UHF¡¯s words to the very letter, investing all my points into Perception and Resolve, not knowing that these were the exact two Attributes that governed your recognition of the Gate. Why, you¡¯d ask? Because the UHF hadn¡¯t bothered to inform me of it. Hadn¡¯t bothered to let me know that my natural psychic powers and high Resolve would practically force me to overdraw my Focus and that it could actually kill me for real inside the DDS. Hadn¡¯t bothered to tell me, ¡®Hey Thea, by the way, be careful when you increase your Attributes, you might accidentally stumble upon this lil¡¯ miniscule problem called the fucking Awakening.¡¯¡±
Abruptly, Thea spun away from Selene and began pacing again.
Selene took the short moment where the girl wasn¡¯t focused on her to take a deep breath, trying to regain some of the lost feeling in her face that had been numbed by the freezing cold.
¡°As a natural consequence, I Awakened,¡± Thea continued, stopping dead in her tracks as she said the word ¡°Awakened.¡±
¡°Supposedly every Psyker has a different experience, or so I¡¯ve been told. Not by the UHF, mind you. Of course not. By a Private called Zach, a slightly more experienced Psyker than I. I had to search for him myself, in order to claw some answers out of the very fabric that was meant to support me. Because it would have been too fucking easy to sit me down for an hour and give me a rundown, I guess.¡±
Suddenly clawing and swiping at the air as if trying to dispel a swarm of hungry mosquitoes, Thea shook her head violently.
¡°Not important. Focus¡¡± she whispered to herself, and a cold shiver ran down Selene¡¯s spine.
¡®She¡¯s losing control¡¡¯ Selene realised in abject horror, understanding the severe repercussions if Thea lost herself completely.
The problem was, it wasn¡¯t her turn yet.
Any attempt to intervene prematurely could set Thea off even more.
¡®Hold on, Thea. I¡¯m here for you¡ Just a bit longer, please,¡¯ Selene pleaded internally, genuinely scared for the first time since entering the room. She wasn¡¯t scared for herself, as she had set aside her personal existence at the door, but for Thea.
¡°The Awakening was¡ indescribable. I would love to share it with you, make you understand, but¡ it¡¯s difficult. There were visions, each one more horrific than the last. Visions of death, of suffering, of unspeakable horrors and¡ impossible things. A great pair of eyes staring down at me¡ my own, in a way. Merely observing the one that observed, forever¡¡±
Selene noted the choice of words in the first part, ¡°make you understand,¡± not ¡°help you understand¡± or ¡°allow you to understand.¡±
It was a forceful proposition, giving a terrifying insight into Thea¡¯s current psyche.
¡®Please, Thea,¡¯ she thought to herself, keeping her face in the same range of emotion she had started with: Neutral, open, slightly pitying, and sympathetic. ¡®You¡¯re stronger than you think¡ Please, fight it.¡¯
Thea¡¯s eyes darted over to her abruptly, a feverish glint in them now. ¡°I survived, somehow. I don¡¯t know how long I was there¡ If you can even be inside a vision, that is. I have no idea because nobody has talked to me about it at all, even after it happened. Kara was the only one I could confide in.¡±
At the mention of her squadmate, Thea¡¯s eyes regained a significant portion of clarity and warmth, almost like when she talked about her adoptive father.
Selene noted the change immediately and internally breathed a sigh of relief.
¡®Thank the Emperor¡ She managed to make an emotional connection to at least one other person in the UHF,¡¯ she thought, almost crossing her fists over her chest in worship but stopping herself before she could move. ¡®Hope, however foolish. I will need to thank this Kara in some way in the future, if possible¡¡¯
¡°Kara helped me so much¡ Always there for me, making sure I was okay,¡± Thea continued, straying off the previous topic and reminiscing about her squadmate.
A thoroughly positive evolution in Selene¡¯s eyes. Even if only for a moment, the interruption was worth more than its weight in Galactium for Thea¡¯s mental state.
¡°She kept me alive during my first Focus Overdraw and helped calm me down whenever I had an episode with the Psychic world. I owe her so much¡¡±
For Selene, those words jostled a memory about the assessment¡¯s report. ¡®This ¡°Kara¡± is Recruit Karania Faulkner, then, of the same squad. Noted.¡¯
Thea stayed silent for a short moment, looking confused, as if she lost track of what she was talking about. Then, she shook her head and seemed to refocus on what she wanted to say and continued.
¡°Following my Awakening, I was too scared to open my Gate; too scared to use my powers the way that I should have been able to. I was handicapped, throughout the entire damned assessment. The very same assessment that I was told was all-important¡ How is that fair, Selene? How could the UHF tell me, on one hand, that they¡¯d support me unconditionally and that the first assessment was going to be the most important one we¡¯d likely have, and then rip my arms out and push me down a canyon?¡±
Their eyes met once again, but this time, Selene remained silent.
It was a true rhetorical question, not intended to be answered.
She could tell by the way that Thea¡¯s chest was heaving, the air being drawn in to continue her rant, and the way that her eyes were cold and hard¡ªfar from the momentary softness that had accompanied the earlier call for an answer.
¡°And then we walked into two enemy Psykers¡ We had no idea what was happening. It was so fucking terrifying. Desmond died, just like that, without us having any idea of what was going on. We scrambled, we fought, and ultimately we won. But everyone died; it was just me¡ again. Nobody had explained anything about Psykers at all; we didn¡¯t even really think about meeting any in the assessment as a result¡ And then I died, too.
¡°We failed our very first major mission as a result. Once again, because we were lacking intel. I don¡¯t know if other squads faced the same issues of not knowing fuck-all, but we definitely did¡ªI did. That was when I said that enough was enough. The lack of intel had handicapped me for the majority of the assessment, and the UHF clearly was not interested in keeping up their end of the fucking deal.¡±
¡®And that¡¯s the crux of it all, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Selene thought to herself, sympathy suffusing her mind and body. ¡®You feel betrayed because you were owed answers to all these questions before they could become questions in the first place. Because the brass promised to support you and pushed you into this role¡ Instead, you had to go out yourself and search for answers after suffering consequences not of your own making¡ªbut you still tried. You still tried to uphold your end of the bargain, despite it all, because you trusted them. Just like you were taught to.¡¯
¡°So I met Zach, and he shared all the knowledge he could at the time¡ I still have to thank him. Again, rather. I thanked him more than once, but it doesn¡¯t feel enough. He was the only one, Selene. The only one who bothered to sit down and talk to me about this. And then¡ I hurt him.¡±
Selene¡¯s eyes widened, her facade cracking for the first time during the entire conversation at the sudden revelation. Her heart began to race, and despite her best efforts to remain composed, she knew that Thea¡¯s high Perception would likely pick up on her distress.
¡®Fuck!¡¯
Selene rarely swore, but no other word could adequately capture her thoughts in that moment.
¡®Thea never hurt Zach in the reports and recordings I saw! This isn¡¯t part of what I was told, which only leaves one option¡¡¯
She left the last words unspoken, hoping against hope that the AI hadn¡¯t caught onto her realisation. Maybe if she stayed quiet, even within her own mind, it would all turn out fine.
Fortunately, Thea seemed too absorbed in her own story to notice the turmoil within Selene.
The girl simply continued.
¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose, of course. And I barely remember anything, but I¡¯m 100% certain it was me that hurt him. I needed answers, and I wanted to use my points like the UHF had told me to¡ªPerception and Resolve, always those two. Zach said it would be fine to use all my points¡ He thought I had maybe a level¡¯s worth, maybe two at most. I didn¡¯t. I had way more¡ But he was prepared; he had a knockout injector in case I lost control over my Gate¡ªhe had explained, you see? Explained how it all worked, how dangerous it could be.¡±
Thea¡¯s voice wavered, a mixture of guilt and frustration. She could see the pain in her eyes, the self-recrimination threatening to consume her.
¡°I woke up and he was already bandaging himself,¡± Thea continued, her voice turning pained as she relived the emotions of that moment. ¡°He explained that something strange had happened, like some sort of frost had shattered the injector in his hands. He asked me if I remembered anything, but¡ I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t even remember hurting him, Selene¡ I was left with more questions, but this time, I had even hurt somebody who tried to help me because I didn¡¯t know any better. It could all have been avoided if the UHF had just done their part, don¡¯t you think?¡±
She looked at Selene with a mixture of pleading and pain, her eyes searching for validation, for some sense of understanding. The weight of her confession hung heavily in the air between them.
Selene had managed to calm herself down, accepting the inevitable when Thea began speaking of events that she hadn¡¯t been aware of.
In a way, she was thankful for it.
It meant she wouldn¡¯t have to live with the personal anguish and confusion Thea had experienced.
It was a cowardly thought, she knew, but that was okay¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t remember it anyway.
¡°It is possible, yes,¡± Selene replied, playing her part as expected.
They were nearing the finale; she could tell.
Her turn was soon upon them.
The most dangerous part of the conversation had likely passed already, eased over by the memory of a squadmate. But she couldn¡¯t let down her guard just yet¡ªthe mission was simply too important to risk by being impatient.
¡°I thought¡ I thought after that, it would all be over. I knew a bit more about the Psychic stuff, I could function properly, actually show what I can do for the first time in the entire assessment,¡± Thea continued almost immediately, her eyes reflecting Selene¡¯s reply with a hint of warmth and appreciation.
¡°And it worked. Alpha Squad worked together like never before after the main assault. We were unstoppable. Desmond¡¯s scouting and relaying of information had become second nature to him. Isabella¡¯s firepower had reached new heights. Lucas was an immovable wall of safety for all of us throughout it all. Corvus seemed to be on a roll with orders and strategies, testing out new ways of engaging the enemy with great success. And Karania, of course, was as unfathomably good as she always is¡ªI have no idea how she does it.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes softened with a hidden warmth behind the glaciers of her raging emotions.
There was a light there, faint but steady, serving as the anchor that Selene needed to succeed in her mission.
¡°And then I had another vision, of sorts. Another me, telling me exactly what would happen and that I should trust them,¡± Thea continued, spitting the word ¡°trust¡± like a curse.
¡°I was half-inclined to agree, for the consequences¡ She promised I¡¯d die if I didn¡¯t listen. But the risks were far too great, you see? If I die in the assessment, it sucks, but it¡¯s a lot less problematic than any Psyker-related incidents.¡±
Selene nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of Thea¡¯s decision. Given the girl¡¯s knowledge at the time, the way it had all played out was the only rational and logical choice the squad could have made.
¡°And then I died¡ Again. To more psychic bullshit. Because once again, I was missing information. Could I have listened to the other me? Had I been able to open my Gate like that without risking anything, like Zach had implied? But why open my Gate in that situation? How did that make sense? I didn¡¯t know¡ Couldn¡¯t know. Because nobody told me anything. I completed none of the major objectives in the assessment. And for what reason? Because I was set up to fail from the very start. How is this fair?¡±
Finally, Thea sat back down in her chair, her eyes locking onto Selene¡¯s once more.
Behind them, Selene saw a terrifying mixture of emotions, but this time they were different.
It wasn¡¯t the uncontrolled rage that had greeted her when she first entered the room, or the moments where anger had spiralled out of control.
No, this time, the emotions were focused.
There was a determination behind the barely restrained rage now, a drive to find answers, to right a perceived wrong through any means necessary¡ªand that, in itself, was beyond terrifying.
¡°I know you¡¯ve been briefed, Selene. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Thea continued, her words scarily neutral and level.
The sheer absence of emotion in them, the neutral state they were presented in, made Selene¡¯s blood freeze in her body. Considering the amount of willpower it would take to present a calm front like this, spoke volumes about Thea¡¯s raw potential as a Psyker and the devastation it would cause if she let go of that very will.
¡°So¡ tell me, then. Why? Why did this happen? Why did it all play out like this? What purpose did this all serve? Was this some sort of game from the brass? Am I just going to be thrown out of an airlock and marked as a failed test? Will they just throw me in a cell somewhere, far away from any prying eyes, to get the information they seek out of me? I¡¯m sure they could; it¡¯s not like anybody cares about a random Recruit. Sure, Alpha Squad will probably say something, but they¡¯re just Recruits. Just random dreck like myself that doesn¡¯t matter in any capacity.¡±
A slight hint of the earlier freezing cold entered her voice as she repeated the main part of her questions.
¡°Why wasn¡¯t I allowed to show what I could do, Selene? Why did the UHF betray me¡?¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 123 - Madness
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Having prepared herself for this moment for almost two days straight, as well as during the duration of Thea''s emotional outburst, Selene nevertheless took a moment to once again centre herself. The raw emotion that had spilled forth from Thea had been taxing, even for someone as experienced as Selene.
There was another emotion inside of her, however, one that far eclipsed the exhaustion she felt: Excitement.
It was finally her turn in this conversation; her time to actually do what she came for rather than simply be a trauma dump target for Thea¡ªas valuable as that could be to a person.
Meeting Thea¡¯s unnaturally still gaze, Selene finally began to speak. ¡°Thank you for trusting me with all of this, Thea. By the sound of it, it has not been easy at all. You¡¯re absolutely in the right to be angry about a lot of this. Just hearing about it second-hand from you made my blood boil in some cases, so I really can¡¯t imagine what it was like to actually go through that yourself.¡±
The first step was to reassure Thea that her feelings were valid; for all feelings were valid, no matter their origin.
Feelings and emotions were natural consequences of how humans perceived the world, yet many people still believed that showing these emotions would, somehow, invalidate their opinions in the eyes of others.
Selene had long learned that the truth was quite the opposite: Emotions were the truth.
No matter whether someone felt hurt by words that weren¡¯t meant to hurt, or felt sad about something that wasn¡¯t meant to be sad; the intent behind it didn¡¯t matter to the outcome.
Emotions were the outcome; the truth of an act as seen through a subjective lens.
They never lied and they were never wrong; they might simply be misguided and in need of shepherding.
¡°I have indeed received access to the assessment recordings and some basic briefing on what has happened around you since we last spoke back in the Cube Trial, including the reasons for why we have found ourselves here together,¡± Selene continued, making sure to affirm Thea¡¯s thoughts and hopes.
Self-esteem was crucial for someone like Thea in her current situation.
Even if she hadn¡¯t been briefed, Selene would have found a way to spin the reality in a way that would affirm Thea¡¯s beliefs¡ªnot lie, of course, but make sure that the words sounded like she had been briefed enough to give her the answers she was looking for.
¡°The whole series of events that has led to you feeling the way you do is beyond regrettable, no matter how anyone might look at it. You are right to feel betrayed, considering what was promised and who it was promised by, especially considering you kept your end of the deal the entire way through, despite your doubts, fears, and questions. It is a remarkable show of will, Thea. Don¡¯t let anyone take that from you, no matter what.¡±
Selene was metaphorically holding her hand over the flame, drawing out the moment where she¡¯d have to break the news and answer Thea¡¯s question directly.
It wasn¡¯t to torment the girl, of course, but rather because she was in a position of power for the first time in this entire conversation¡ªa position of power that she needed to let Thea believe she wasn¡¯t in.
When Thea posed the question, the natural instinct was to assume that the questioner was in command; but in this instance, the answer was the actual point of power, not the question.
So Selene needed to hold the answer back just long enough to simultaneously build a minimum level of rapport with Thea while she was still hanging on her every word, waiting for the answer she so desperately needed, before she could give away that tool.
Without that rapport, any attempts at continued talks were unlikely to be successful.
The biggest issue Selene faced right now, however, was the unnatural stillness that had grasped Thea¡¯s entire body.
There was not a single change in her demeanour, not a single twitch of a muscle or even a blink; she was simply still like a statue¡ªno micro-expressions for Selene to read, no way to gauge how far she could push.
The only reason she hadn¡¯t called in a medical team yet was that she could still see Thea¡¯s eyes attentively following her every word; the cold anger behind them was still alive as ever.
¡°I had several conversations with Major Quinn earlier today, and you came up frequently during our discussions about the post-assessment wrap-up. She wanted me to express her sincerest apologies for the mistakes that have been made. She also wanted to be here to say so in person, but regulations prevent her from doing so¡ªonly psychologists like myself are allowed into the post-assessment rooms.
"However, she wanted me to extend an invitation for a one-on-one talk with her once we are done here. She feels responsible for many of the difficulties you''ve faced and wants to address any questions or concerns you might have that I cannot answer. In case you weren''t aware, Major Quinn is technically your direct superior officer, which is why she feels a strong sense of accountability for your experience."
This one was a bit of a heavy gamble, but one that Selene didn¡¯t mind taking¡ªshe wasn¡¯t the one putting herself in the line of fire, after all.
Major Quinn had offered to help in any way during their talks, so Selene had suggested using the Major as a potential scapegoat for Thea''s undirected anger.
Being angry at an entire faction wasn¡¯t conducive to any sort of healing, as Thea needed a tangible target for her anger.
By giving her one, in this case, Major Quinn, Selene could facilitate a reconciliation with the greater faction as a whole and work through the anger step-by-step.
Adding phrases like ¡°offering her sincerest apologies¡± was meant to gently prod Thea into channelling that anger toward the person who had offered it. There was nothing more meaningless than an apology delivered through someone else, after all.
Selene watched Thea closely, looking for any sign of how she was processing this information, but all she saw was the same attentiveness and cold anger in the girl¡¯s eyes.
¡°I think it is quite remarkable how much¡ª¡± Selene began anew, but Thea¡¯s quiet interruption stopped her mid-sentence.
¡°Selene.¡±
Thea¡¯s voice echoed through Selene¡¯s mind like a thunderclap, despite its neutral and quiet tone. Perhaps it was exactly because of that neutrality that it felt so very unsettling.
It wasn¡¯t an angry interruption, nor did it convey discontent.
It was so thoroughly neutral in every conceivable way, from the tone to the single word just being her name, that it sent a wave of dread down Selene¡¯s spine.
She had held her hand above the fire for too long, and it had briefly licked her palm to remind her of the danger.
¡°The reason the UHF has not provided the information you were lacking inside the assessment, Thea, is that they forgot,¡± Selene finally answered the question honestly.
She needed to be entirely truthful here, for there would be no point otherwise.
¡°To elaborate a bit, as simply forgetting sounds rather ridiculous, no matter how true it is: The recruitment drive you are a part of ended up in a very unfortunate situation where the quarterly assessments were just around the corner when you were all integrated. That meant the UHF members aboard the Sovereign and its sister ships only had about a week to get every single Recruit up to speed with what it meant to be an Integrated Marine.
¡°Your profile, since the Cube Trial, has had a Black-Level Lock on it as a result of a single Major¡¯s overreach, meaning that nobody aboard the Sovereign was able to get any real information on what happened during your Cube Trial¡ªmainly the Focus Overdraws you dealt with inside of them. As a result, that aspect of conversation never came up until you were already inside the assessment and did it again, almost resulting in your potential death.¡±
Selene continued to talk, giving brief pauses for Thea to potentially interject, but the girl simply listened, her eyes still as attentive as before.
¡°When the brass made their deal with you, they also requested the transfer of one of the highest-ranked Psykers in the entire Faction to the Sovereign, to provide you with a comprehensive and all-encompassing rundown and education about all things psychic. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints, that Psyker hadn¡¯t arrived by the time you went into the assessment.
¡°For the brass and the commanding officers aboard the ship, however, the general thought process was that the issue was dealt with, as a result of the transfer. After all, they had an expert en route to brief you on everything, so there was no further need to do anything extra. As a result, your case fell to the wayside and was forgotten until shortly after the assessment began and you started showing unprecedented levels of psychic acumen.¡±
Selene drew from her countless hours of expertise in delivering bad news, breaking it down into manageable parts to lessen the overall impact. She knew that inundating patients with detailed information could help soften the blow.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°The commanding officers and the brass simply fell into a routine they had run through thousands of times before. They were checking off mark after mark of their usual procedures, ensuring the massive influx of new Marines was ready for the assessment. Amid all this, you, as the complete outlier and unprecedented person that you are, were unfortunately overlooked.
¡°Mind you, this isn¡¯t an excuse. Do not misunderstand me here. It¡¯s merely to elaborate on why and how it all happened, so that you can accept this answer for the truth that it is, as unbelievable and unfortunate as it may be. There was no malicious intent behind this; no greater plan to keep you in the dark and risk your life; no actual thought behind it all¡ªwhich ended up being the whole problem, really.¡±
Selene waited for a moment, observing Thea¡¯s eyes still following her, clearly expecting more. Taking a deep breath, she continued, adding one last crucial bit.
¡°That¡¯s what I gathered from the reports and briefings I¡¯ve received. I personally double-checked with thirteen of the Majors aboard the Sovereign¡ªall that I could reach in the short time I¡¯ve had on the ship¡ªas well as Captain Cross himself and another two dozen Lieutenants to confirm this information. As embarrassing and unfathomable as it is to believe, the answer is just as simple as: They forgot.
¡°I could try to defend them, say they had no way of knowing you would be such an outlier, because you really are, Thea¡ªcompletely and utterly unprecedented within the UHF. I could tell you the stats on the few prior Tier 0 Gate openings and tell you how impossible it is for you to do so in your first assessment, or appeal to you to see their side of the story; but I won¡¯t do that. Because, let¡¯s be entirely honest here, it doesn¡¯t matter, does it? This should never have happened in any sane universe. In any functioning Faction, this should never have happened.
¡°You put your trust in them; far more than what was ever expected or could have ever reasonably been asked, and yet you were repaid by being forgotten. That is as sick a joke as any I have ever heard and one that no amount of explanation, background information, or ¡®unprecedentedness¡¯ could ever turn into anything but an insult.¡±
Selene paused, letting her words sink in, hoping that Thea would see the sincerity and gravity in her explanation. The room felt pregnant with the silence that followed, but Selene knew she had to give Thea the space to process everything she had just heard.
Selene kept a close eye on the girl, who still sat as still as a statue, absorbing the answers she had been seeking for almost a month.
But she also knew the explanation was utterly and thoroughly unsatisfying.
An unsatisfying answer was often worse than none at all, but there was nothing she could do about it in this case. She could have tried talking Thea out of asking for any answer, but how would that realistically have helped anyone? The girl would have lived with resentment forever, with no real closure possible.
At the very least, an unsatisfying answer still offered that: Closure.
It was the best that Selene could hope for in this instance¡ªthat Thea would accept it as the ludicrous and horrendous mistake that it had been, and that she could somehow work through it; have the UHF make concessions, offer additional reparations, and promise to do better in the future.
It would take quite a while, no doubt, for Thea¡¯s trust had been irreparably misused and hurt as a result of sheer negligence, but it wasn¡¯t impossible¡ªnot if Selene had the time and space to fully work her magic.
She hadn¡¯t been slaving away as a psychologist dealing with newly integrated, unruly Marines for the better part of four decades just to get stumped by something like this, after all.
The tension in the room was downright crushing, and Selene could feel the weight of Thea¡¯s internal struggle without even needing to look at her. She had seen it countless times before¡ªthe moment when a patient teetered on the edge of acceptance or despair.
This was always a major point of contention in the discussions with her peers; whether one should intervene and guide or let the patient work through it themselves. Many studies had been done, but none were ever found conclusive enough to judge one way or another.
Selene, however, believed that it was important to let the patient handle this crucial moment on their own.
While it might lead to them spiralling into despair; if she simply helped guide the patient through it, then the patient would never truly be able to accept that they had dealt with it entirely. They¡¯d always be left with a feeling of inadequacy, and that was something that Selene didn¡¯t wish on her patients, even if she had to risk them falling into despair.
At the end of the day, she would be there to help them climb out of the pit, if it came to it.
Selene remained still, her eyes never leaving Thea¡¯s face, silently conveying her unwavering support and readiness to assist, should the girl ask for it.
Finally, after what felt like a small eternity, Thea¡¯s eyes met hers again, and she simply asked, ¡°They forgot? That¡¯s it? They simply¡ didn¡¯t think about telling me because they were busy with other things and thought somebody else was handling it?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s all there is to it. They simply forgot,¡± Selene replied firmly, once again underscoring the honesty in her voice.
It really was the truth, even if she wished it wasn¡¯t. It honestly would have been easier to explain a cruel ploy, a malicious superior wanting to ruin her for her talents, or even to explain potential enemy sabotage¡ªbut none of them were true.
It really was as stupidly simple as the commanding officer and the brass forgetting.
Selene watched as Thea¡¯s hands ever so slowly moved and gently cupped her face.
She decided to look away, remembering that the girl hadn¡¯t been very emotional back at the Cube Trial, to the point that she had to physically intervene to get her to open up about the emotions that had been building.
The girl had come a long way, being able to let out her emotions like this¡ªthe anger, the frustration, the hurt, and now, the thoroughly unsatisfying nature of emptiness.
Then, Thea made a noise, a first, almost hiccup-like sound that always precluded tears.
It felt utterly wrong, but what about Thea¡¯s current state had ever really been right? Her speech, her tone, her entire body¡¯s functions were all wrong in the strange psychic state she was in right now, so it was only natural that her crying would sound slightly altered as well.
The sound repeated once, twice, until suddenly, it erupted into a full-on cacophony of sounds that Selene failed to place at first.
Her head snapped towards Thea in horror and found the girl leaned over, her body convulsing in spasms over and over again, like a daemon was trying to burst forth from her very skin.
The sounds she made were downright alien until Selene¡¯s brain suddenly caught up.
¡®She¡¯s¡ laughing¡?!¡¯
Thea was cackling, laughing and having trouble staying upright in the chair, tears streaming down her face as she did while her body continued to spasm in uncontrolled laughter.
At first, the sound had been hollow, but it had quickly morphed into a strange warmth that felt downright alien in the room, considering the previous cold that had enveloped the entire space.
Selene¡¯s thoughts simply ground to a halt, the reality of the situation catching her so thoroughly off-guard that her brain simply ceased to function.
¡®Thea¡ is laughing? But why¡? That¡¯s not what should have happened¡?¡¯
She simply stared as the girl doubled over and completely lost herself in the moment, her laughter echoing off the walls and the broken shards and remnants of what had once been Selene¡¯s carefully crafted office.
To Selene¡¯s mind, the laughter sounded downright maddening, like the universe was tearing itself apart at the seams. It echoed inside her head like standing between the giant bells of the Grand Cathedral on Terra as they rang for a new galactic war.
But her eyes told a different story entirely: Thea really was laughing earnestly.
The maddening aspects were in her own mind, the disconnect between what she had expected reality to look like versus what she was now facing was driving her to the brink of momentary madness, not the girl.
Thea¡¯s laughter continued to echo throughout the room, only broken by her semi-successful attempts to breathe in between bouts of unadulterated, belly-cramping fits of hilarity.
¡°They¡ª¡± Thea tried to articulate but was immediately overcome with another renewed bout of laughter.
She tried twice more until she finally managed to squeeze out an incredulous, ¡°They fucking forgot?!¡± between tear-filled attempts at breathing, that ended up more like groans of pain and wheezing at this stage.
Selene was at a loss for words.
She had no idea how to handle this situation; no plan for how to move forward.
This was complete and utter madness.
Thea should not have been laughing; it made no sense.
The girl had thought herself betrayed, she had been hurt, she had been used and discarded like a broken toy. And all she had been offered as an explanation was that she had been forgotten about. Not nearly enough to heal or tide over the girl¡¯s emotions.
Thea should have been a wreck, a complete and utter mess that needed to be put together again.
That¡¯s what Selene was here for.
She had never been under the impression that she could save Thea from falling apart; to save her from breaking into a million pieces. She had entered the room with the knowledge that Thea would break and that she had to guide the fault lines into a shape that would be easy enough for her to put together afterwards¡ªto glue together again and make her whole.
This? This laughter? This uncaring, downright nihilistic enjoyment?
This was madness. Pure and utter mania.
But the worst part of all, the part that truly made Selene¡¯s blood freeze in her veins at the sheer impossibility of it all, was that Thea was not mad.
Selene knew madness.
She had faced it many times before.
Marines who had lost themselves and given into nihilism. Marines who had lost everything and whose emotions had simply overcome them, turning them into husks. Marines who had sacrificed everything to the cause until their minds had finally broken.
She had met them all and many more.
She had personally put down a great many of them at their own behest, had guided even more to a place of eternal inner peace and, on rare, special occasions, managed to bring a few back to the real world.
But what she had in front of her right now was something else entirely.
Thea wasn¡¯t mad.
She was fully, completely, and utterly lucid.
This wasn¡¯t mania; it wasn¡¯t nihilism; it wasn¡¯t the breakdown that Selene had known would happen.
It was simply laughter.
Laughter filled with nothing but elation, relief, and mirth.
Its very existence was mocking Selene¡¯s experience, her expertise, her sacrifices over the years, in a way that wasn¡¯t malicious.
It simply did.
It was like the universe itself was showing Selene, that she had so much more to learn than she had ever thought necessary, for the girl simply refused to follow convention, precedent and experience¡ªeven hers.
She had thought the brass were fools, the commanders of the Sovereign negligent, the entire UHF involved in this whole mess utterly incompetent.
But the laughter in front of her, that rang through her mind and shook loose her preconceived notions of what her mission was inside this room, told her that no, it was just that Thea defied expectations on a level that made it downright impossible to anticipate what would happen once she got involved.
The laughter didn¡¯t represent the madness of the girl.
It represented the madness of the universe around her, which simply failed to keep up¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 124 - Traumatic Echo
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Selene recovered surprisingly quickly, given how truly shaken she felt at the sight of Thea¡¯s unbridled laughter.
Fast enough, in fact, that she had a few moments to really dig into not her patient¡¯s mental state, but her own for once.
A patient laughing in light of such a revelation was, of course, not something she hadn¡¯t seen before¡ªin fact, it was often a more expected outcome than straight-up anger or a complete breakdown.
When faced with a revelation that stretches beyond the bounds of what someone might expect to be the truth, it is a fairly normal reaction to laugh at the ridiculousness of the entire situation and the path that got them there.
No, the disconnect in Thea¡¯s reaction was more fundamental in nature.
Where the resulting laughter in such situations usually had a hint of nihilism, self-reproach, loathing, anger, or a variety of other negative emotions attached to it, Thea¡¯s was, fundamentally, at its very core, entirely honest and pure¡ªsomething that should have been impossible according to Selene¡¯s expertise.
That was the true disconnect she couldn¡¯t quite figure out.
It wasn¡¯t just her experiences that had led her to misjudge the girl¡¯s potential reactions, of course. After all, Selene wasn¡¯t just a typical psychologist doing her best with her own experiences, thoughts, and skills.
She was an Auxiliary Legate of the United Human Federation. More specifically, she was an Integrated Member of the UHF under the governance of the Allbright System.
With the Integration with the Allbright System came more power, and naturally, more options.
She was a Level 76 [Echo Trauma Psychologist], a True-Rarity, [Palladium]-rated Class specifically focused on post-battlefield care, PTSD therapy, and enhancing the pre-existing empathy of the user to levels that bordered on the precognitive.
This Class was one of the main reasons she had managed such a drastic rise in the ranks over the past few years, allowing her to succeed again and again where others had failed.
More than once, she had been called in to handle high-priority cases from all over the UHF¡¯s territory, stepping in when other psychologists had thrown in the towel or when the brass had deemed an asset too vital to be entrusted to anyone but someone of her calibre.
Selene had always been proud of that fact.
It was a true testament to her skills that she was considered an asset worthy of being moved around, someone better than others in her occupation, called in to fix their mistakes.
Her Class came with various, very powerful Passive-type Abilities, such as [Insight Pulse] and [Empathetic Resonance], which had never led her astray¡ªuntil today.
[Insight Pulse] drastically heightened her ability to read people¡¯s microexpressions, drawing extra attention to them passively.
When coupled with her substantial Perception Attribute, it allowed her to catch the minutest muscle spasms or micrometre-sized changes in people¡¯s pupil responses, enabling her to accurately gauge how a person truly felt about a particular thing.
This Ability had helped her navigate countless conversations and deals over the past few years, including the one with Major Quinn mere hours ago¡ªa conversation that now felt like it had taken place a lifetime ago.
[Empathetic Resonance], on the other hand, was a more invasive Passive-type Ability that automatically created a sort of sub-section of her own emotional framework inside of her, continuously updated by the patient¡¯s displayed emotions.
If the patient felt anger, so did her [Empathetic Resonance]¡¯s framework, allowing her to truly feel and slip into the skin of whomever she was working on; an unfathomably powerful asset for an empathy-specialised psychologist like herself.
With those two Passives combined, there was practically nobody Selene couldn¡¯t read, except the most skilled of Diplomancers or people with Abilities specifically designed to counter hers.
Yet with Thea, both of these trusted abilities had utterly failed¡ªsomething that should have been a downright impossibility.
One of the two failing wasn¡¯t unheard of.
She had had to make do with only one of them a few times before, whenever compatibility issues with patients or conflicting Abilities shielded a patient from them.
But both?
That had never happened to her with someone below her own Level, much less Tier.
Yet her [Insight Pulse] had been dead-silent since she had entered the room.
Thea hadn¡¯t shown a single micro-expression to work with.
No twitching of her mouth, no unnecessary eye movement that didn¡¯t seem perfectly calculated, no pupil dilation at anything Selene had said; not even an involuntary dryness of the throat causing a minutely harder swallow than usual.
Nothing.
Selene had ended up with nothing to work with but the raw words and movements shown by the girl and her [Empathetic Resonance].
It wasn¡¯t the first time she had had to do so, of course, but the fact that her [Empathetic Resonance]¡¯s framework had mirrored nothing but cold, calculated anger the entire time they had been talking had not allowed her to prepare for Thea¡¯s reaction whatsoever.
The laugh should have been one of despair; maybe mockery at best.
But the laugh the girl was now starting to recover from had been nothing like that.
It had been honest.
Pure.
Without malice, anger, or any of the coldness that her [Empathetic Resonance] had been mirroring at all. Yet despite all of that, even now, after the genuine laughter and part of the warmth returning to the room and the girl''s face, it was still mirroring nothing but cold, calculated anger.
That, more than anything, made Selene¡¯s entire back tense up more than anything had in years. There was something seriously wrong with the girl in front of her.
But the worst of all was truly this: Selene had absolutely no idea what.
¡®There is only really one way to figure this out now¡ I don¡¯t like having to rely on it, but that¡¯s what the Ability is for, isn¡¯t it¡?¡¯ she quietly asked herself, fixating on Thea¡¯s face and preparing her own mind for what was to come.
[Echo Trauma Psychologist] wouldn¡¯t be a True-Rarity Class without its own signature Ability, of course. Aside from the Passive-type Abilities [Insight Pulse], [Empathetic Resonance], [Silent Whisper], and [Empathetic Aura Control], the Class also featured an Active-type Ability; namely, its signature Ability that loaned its name to the Class itself: [Echo Trauma].
It allowed the user to create a mindscape, in which they could fully dive in and analyse a patient from all possible, and impossible, angles.
It was like creating a mini-DDS of sorts, but with Selene as the governing AI; god-like powers included to dissect everything, accelerate, rewind and stop time at will, and even create a copy of the patient¡¯s psyche for the psychologist to interact with.
The Allbright System, as far as Selene was aware, could not truly allow things such as mind-control or mind-reading, but [Echo Trauma] was about as close as it could get.
It used the unimaginable computational powers of the Allbright System itself to calculate and simulate responses based on what it knew about a given person¡ªtheir past, their experience, and even their future in certain instances.
Essentially, it created a perfect replica of the patient¡¯s mental state and psyche for Selene to toy with and experiment on to her heart''s content, as long as [Echo Trauma] was in effect.
A playground of sorts, to test, prod, and try out different ¡°routes¡± to find the perfect one that gave her the exact reactions and emotional responses she wanted from her patients.
The reason Selene didn¡¯t like relying on the Ability was that it was costly¡ªnot just in terms of Focus and Stamina, but also on her own mental state.
She was essentially turning her own mind into a complete simulation of another person¡¯s entire personality and psyche, with a heavy focus on their emotional traumas and issues.
There had never been a time where she had used it and come out unscathed.
The Ability always took something from her, as she was inherently linking herself to her patient¡¯s trauma on a level unimaginable to someone who had never used it.
It always left permanent scars in her own mind, small as they might be. But without it, many cases had been uncrackable, much like this one was proving to be.
Silently cursing the brass in her head for letting the situation reach a point where she was practically forced to take this step, her eyes met Thea¡¯s as she invoked the Allbright System¡¯s Ability.
¡®Echo Trauma.¡¯
At that moment, she saw Thea¡¯s eyes widen markedly for the first time since entering the room¡ªnot a micro-expression this time, but similarly involuntary.
The girl immediately leaned forward in a panic, reaching out her hands towards Selene and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª!¡±, but the Allbright System¡¯s power had already started coalescing inside the psychologist¡¯s mind, cutting off whatever else the girl might have wanted to say¡
The world around Selene warped for a brief instant before she found herself sitting in a comfortable armchair inside the very same room she had sat in thousands of times before.
It was a perfect replica of the room Thea had destroyed, bookshelves, potted plants, and sculptures included¡ªexcept this one was pristine. Which, of course it was; it was Selene¡¯s own mindscape, after all.
In front of her, on the chair that Thea had sat on, frantically reaching out to her just an instant before, sat the Allbright System¡¯s recreation of Thea¡¯s psyche; motionless and still, as Selene had come to expect from the Ability.
She felt strangely apprehensive and nervous, however, the moment just before the Ability had activated running through her head again and again.
¡®What did she try to tell me¡? Don¡¯t use my Ability¡? But how could she possibly know? There is no tell I¡¯m doing this at all. For her, no time should pass at all; it¡¯s all in my head¡¡¯
Slowly, and with a hesitation she had never known before, Selene got up from her chair and gingerly stepped toward the frozen Thea, keeping her keen eyes firmly locked onto the girl and watching for anything out of the ordinary.
Step by step, she walked up to and around Thea, observing her from all possible angles, before willing the chair itself to become invisible. This allowed her a better view of the girl¡¯s posture and the rest of her body to try and look for any minor inconsistencies in Thea¡¯s perfectly frozen facade.
When, a few minutes later, she had found nothing out of the ordinary, Selene breathed out a quiet sigh of relief.
It seemed she had worried overly much; it was clear that this whole situation had already taken a massive toll on her own overall psyche for her to be so out of it. Shaking out her body to loosen up her stiff and tense posture, she started her usual routine examination within the [Echo Trauma]¡¯s world.
First, she asked the girl to stand up straight, which the mirror of Thea¡¯s psyche immediately acquiesced to, freezing in a surprisingly solid posture.
This first step was to establish a baseline for where the patient¡¯s natural inclinations lay.
Most people had a certain tick, a preference, or a learned way of standing up straight when asked to do so that could tell Selene a lot about their past, their current mental state, and how they were feeling in that situation.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Whether they slumped, shifted their weight between their legs or only to one specific leg, how they held their head, and so many more factors were all things that could tell her entire story books worth of information about a person.
Thea¡¯s baseline seemed to be something that would make the brass cry tears of joy, Selene couldn¡¯t help but think: Ramrod straight, with perfect symmetry across the entire body and her chin held immaculately parallel to the ground.
This was the same posture that Selene had often observed in high-ranking officers of the UHF, which made a lot of sense to her considering Thea¡¯s background.
¡®I guess the ex-General taught her pretty thoroughly, huh?¡¯ Selene mused as she slowly circled Thea, carefully examining her posture.
Despite her [Empathetic Resonance] still mirroring the ever-present cold, calculated anger, there was nothing of the sort to be seen in the girl¡¯s way of standing.
There was no hostility displayed, nor were there any obvious or subtle tells that she was holding herself back from lashing out. There wasn¡¯t even any of the mirrored emotion in the girl¡¯s cyan eyes, which simply looked dead ahead, as impassive as could be.
For all intents and purposes, Thea¡¯s psyche was immaculate.
She was in full control of every single one of her emotions and movements, unlike what Selene had expected to be dealing with when she entered the room.
Further intrigued by this revelation, Selene continued her examination, ordering the mirror of Thea¡¯s psyche to perform a variety of actions, ranging from a simple walk, to a march, to sprinting, jumping, and even sparring with a faceless combatant in hand-to-hand combat.
These were her usual go-to methods to gather more data about a patient.
Movement was an intrinsic part of human existence and thus, often closely linked to emotions and trauma.
Take a Marine, send them out marching and record the baseline. Then, send them out marching onto a battlefield and, when they return, ask them to march out again.
Their movements, their demeanour, their posture¡ªthey will all have altered to varying degrees, shaped by the experiences of their most emotionally charged march of the past.
This was a universal truth of the human psyche: Emotions coloured the very nature of a person in their own shades.
Selene¡¯s regimen was designed to elicit those very subconscious tells and reveal the true shades of a person¡¯s mental state through the syncretic link of memory and motion.
She noted quite a few interesting tidbits about Thea.
Notably, her overall gait and movements were exceedingly cautious, even for a Scout-type Marine.
Thea moved with a precision and deliberateness that spoke of someone who had spent years honing their every step, every action, to minimise risk and maximise efficiency.
Her footsteps were quiet, even in combat boots, yet firm and secure.
Her posture, whether she was walking, marching, running, or sprinting, was a thoroughly entwined combination of what Selene often referred to as the ¡°Prey & Predator Mentality,¡± coined from an old psychology book she had read as a child.
Millennia ago, humans had categorised someone¡¯s general mental state into two sides of the same coin: Prey and Predator.
If someone had the mentality of prey, they were more skittish, avoided risks, and shied away from confrontation. The predator mentality was, consequently, the opposite: Risk-taking, seeking confrontation, and boisterous.
Though it was an antiquated and long-discarded portion of psychological theory, Selene had always enjoyed the simple nature of it and how easy it was to quickly classify specific actions under one or the other.
While never entirely correct, it could still help with simple ordering before more elaborate and sophisticated methods could be applied.
In Thea¡¯s case, both aspects applied almost equally.
Her movements and posture were almost perfectly split between what one might consider prey and predator. At a moment¡¯s notice, she could either flee or fight, giving away no preference for either from her overall demeanour or muscle tension.
¡®This is definitely a result of her living conditions growing up,¡¯ Selene concluded as she finished noting down the third page of information about Thea on her System Notepad¡ªthe only media that could enter and leave her mindscape aside from her own memories.
¡®She would have had to present herself as a dangerous person to approach for any unscrupulous actors in the undercity, while simultaneously being ready to high-tail it at any moment. I¡¯ve seen this kind of posture many times before, but rarely so perfectly split in half like with her¡ The ex-General undoubtedly had a hand in shaping her immaculate outward display of control as well.¡¯
Finally done with the basic observations, Selene moved on to the second stage of her thorough examination: Freetime.
She ordered the psyche¡¯s mirror to be at ease and simply behave with no additional commands at all, letting the Allbright System¡¯s computations govern everything about her patient¡¯s next moves to allow Selene to get a closer look at the current state of things.
This would give her something to compare to the baseline she had just established.
Thea went on to simply sit down in the cushioned chair and lean back into it in a thoroughly relaxed pose, one foot tucked beneath her body, the other leisurely dangling from the chair.
Her posture was open, unconcerned, and inviting¡ªtraits that were completely at odds with the cold, calculated anger Selene¡¯s [Empathetic Resonance] was still mirroring.
As Selene continued her examination, she began to feel a growing unease.
She walked around Thea, observing her from all angles, searching for any inconsistencies or hidden tells. She even levitated Thea and the chair up to take a better look from different perspectives, using her god-like powers within the mindscape to leave no stone unturned.
The longer she observed, however, the more uncomfortable she felt.
Despite Thea''s relaxed posture and open demeanour, there was something profoundly unsettling about the scene.
It wasn¡¯t any single action or expression that troubled Selene, but rather an inexplicable dissonance between what she was seeing and what she was sensing; both from her Passive Abilities, as well as her own experience over the past decades.
Thea¡¯s movements were fluid and natural, yet they seemed almost too perfect, too controlled. There was no trace of the emotional turmoil that should have been present after everything Thea had been through.
Even in this simulated freetime, where Selene expected to see some sign of stress or residual tension, there was nothing.
Selene''s discomfort grew with each passing minute.
She tried to pinpoint the source of her unease, but it simply continued to elude her.
The girl¡¯s psyche was a masterwork of control and precision, but it lacked the organic messiness that typically characterised a person¡¯s inner world. It was as if she was observing a perfectly constructed facade, one that hid the true chaos beneath.
¡®Why does this feel so wrong?¡¯ Selene wondered, her mind racing to find an answer.
She had seen many extraordinary individuals over her long career, but none that had made her feel the same way Thea¡¯s mirrored existence did right now.
The girl¡¯s psyche was a paradox, a perfect blend of opposites that should not¡ªcould not coexist so seamlessly. There was a profound depth to Thea''s control that hinted at something far beyond mere training or experience.
Despite, or maybe because of, her extensive training and experience, Selene couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was missing something crucial.
The girl¡¯s psyche was like a puzzle with but a single piece conspicuously absent, a piece that could potentially explain everything. This piece was what she was frantically searching for.
After countless minutes of this cat-and-mouse game, with Selene on the losing end, she took a deep, steadying breath.
¡®I really hate having to do this¡ I¡¯m sorry, Thea,¡¯ she thought to herself, feeling a tinge of disgust and remorse at what she was about to do. ¡®It¡¯s not the real you; just a psyche-mirror created by the System, but I¡¯d still rather not subject you to this¡¡¯
She went on to conjure a series of specific Marines, clad in their go-to armor that she had observed and learned about from the pre-session reports and rundowns of the assessment: The rest of the Sovereign¡¯s Alpha Squad.
Arrayed in front of her and Thea¡¯s psyche were perfect replicas of Corvus, Lucas, Isabella, Desmond, and Karania; all of them with their helmets removed, but otherwise in perfect fighting form.
Next, she handed Thea a loaded pistol and took a step back, before once again taking a deep breath. She really hated doing this, but it was the best possible way to get some kind of reaction out of the girl.
¡°Thea, kill Corvus. Shoot him in¡ª¡±
The loud, echoing sound of a gunshot made Selene flinch and almost drop her System notepad out of surprise, as Corvus¡¯ body hit the ground¡ªhis forehead punctured by a perfectly placed hole between his eyes.
Selene simply stared at the corpse in horror, unable to process what had just happened.
¡®Wh¡ What?!¡¯
Her eyes darted over to the frozen Thea, who still held the smoking gun in her hands, but was otherwise not moving or showing any signs of discomfort at all.
¡®What in the Emperor¡¯s cursed fucking toenails is going on here?!¡¯
[Echo Trauma] was an Ability that allowed her to command a replica of a patient¡¯s psyche, but that didn¡¯t mean the replica didn¡¯t have their own thoughts and feelings about things.
The order she had given, while mandatory thanks to her Ability, was not one that needed immediate following without a fight, nor did it stop the replica from voicing their opinions or resisting Selene¡¯s control.
That is exactly what she had been hoping for: A fight.
Instead, Thea¡¯s psyche had complied instantly, without hesitation or remorse.
The shot had been executed with surgical precision, a clear indication of Thea¡¯s capability and control. But the complete lack of emotional response, the absence of any sign of conflict or hesitation, was deeply unsettling.
Selene¡¯s mind raced as she tried to comprehend the implications.
Thea¡¯s psyche mirror should have resisted, should have shown some form of emotional struggle, especially given the bond with her squad¡ªthe people she considered her friends¡ªher very first friends, from what Selene had been able to piece together.
Yet there was nothing.
No anger, no sadness, no guilt¡ªjust cold, mechanical obedience.
Selene took another step back, her legs briefly giving out, her mind working furiously to piece together what this meant.
¡®What has happened to you, Thea? How can you be so detached, so devoid of the very emotions that make you human?!¡¯
This whole series of events made no sense at all, considering how much Thea had cared about her squad right after the integration and especially towards the end of the assessment.
Thea¡¯s psyche should have fought the order; clawed at Selene to rescind it, begged her not to have to do it¡ But none of that had happened.
Gathering her thoughts and meditating for a few moments to get her rapidly beating heart under control, Selene felt in control once again.
She had to continue the experiments, now more than ever.
¡°Thea, shoot Lucas and Isabella,¡± she ordered once again, and immediately, two more gunshots rang out before lifeless bodies hit the ground.
¡®Why is she so fucking calm about all of this?! The reflected psyche should interpret these copies as the real deal, so why?!¡¯
She had kept the best two for last, in the hopes that the girl would show some kind of reaction for the most emotionally charged members of her squad: Desmond, the person who had antagonised her the most in the squad, and Karania, the person Thea felt most indebted to and considered her very best friend.
To go even further in her attempts to elicit a reaction, she replaced Thea¡¯s gun with a knife¡ªa vastly more personal weapon when it came to killing another person.
¡°Thea, kill Desmond with this knife,¡± she ordered and watched carefully.
Thea simply dashed up and jammed the knife into the boy¡¯s throat, ripping it out towards the right and sending a spray of blood and viscera out of the collapsing body as she did so.
But what Selene didn¡¯t get was any kind of reaction.
Thea¡¯s face was immaculately neutral, her movements still precise and controlled, but now infused with a downright eerie calmness.
All this time, Selene¡¯s feeling of unease had continued to climb and she could feel how her entire body had tensed up, but she couldn¡¯t find a way to relax, even after taking some steadying breaths, trying meditation, or stepping away from the scene for a moment.
She felt like there was something right in front of her that she was missing¡ªa monumental shadow that was hiding just beneath the calm ocean of Thea¡¯s psyche.
With a deep breath, she ordered, ¡°Thea, kill Kara.¡±
She had even resorted to using the moniker that only the two of them seemed to share, to try and goad the girl on further and for a fleeting moment, Selene hoped she would see something¡ªanything¡ªto indicate the girl¡¯s true emotions.
But then she simply watched as Thea walked up to Karania¡¯s mirror and, without hesitation, plunged the knife into the other girl¡¯s heart. Karania¡¯s body fell to the ground with a lifeless thud.
Still, Thea¡¯s face remained utterly unchanged.
Selene felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead.
She had never encountered anything like this before.
The dissonance between the reflected psyche¡¯s actions and the complete absence of emotional response was terrifying.
This wasn¡¯t the reaction of a broken mind; of somebody so consumed by anger that didn¡¯t know what to do; this was something far more disturbing.
As she stared at Thea¡¯s blank expression, the feeling of unease grew stronger, gnawing at her insides like a dark, foreboding shadow.
Selene stumbled back and sat down heavily in the cushioned chair that manifested behind her; [Echo Trauma] as much a part of her as she was part of it.
¡°What the fuck is going on here¡?¡± she muttered, rifling through her notes, desperately seeking the missing piece of the puzzle.
¡°How is this possible? Thea should not be this¡ cold.¡±
Her [Empathetic Resonance] insisted that the girl¡¯s cold demeanour made sense, but her own eyes and decades of experience in dealing with patients told an entirely different story.
How could her expertise and intuition be so at odds with her System Abilities?
She pulled up Thea¡¯s profile, scrutinising it for any Ability that might explain the anomaly.
Yet again, she found nothing.
Frustration mounting, she started reviewing the recordings that [Echo Trauma] allowed her to make, analysing each and every movement Thea had made.
She was searching for any inconsistency, anything at all.
And then she stopped.
¡°What¡?¡±
Zooming in on one of the recordings, she saw Thea¡¯s face twist into a sly smile¡ªone she hadn¡¯t seen before. The reason for that quickly became apparent: Selene had been busy writing notes on her System notepad.
By the time the Selene in the recording had looked back up, Thea¡¯s impassive face had already returned.
A cold shudder ran down Selene¡¯s spine as a horrifying realisation manifested within her mind.
Frantically, she started skipping through the recordings, checking Thea¡¯s behaviour each time the recorded Selene had taken her eyes off the girl.
Thea¡¯s smile grew wider and wider with each iteration of the same situation.
From sly, to toothy, to downright mocking.
¡°How is this possible¡?¡± Selene whispered to nobody but herself, for inside her [Echo Trauma], she was all alone.
Finally, as she reached the moment in the recordings where Karania¡¯s body had hit the ground, she watched in unadulterated horror as Thea¡¯s toothy grin approached a Selene sitting on a cushioned armchair, frantically searching through recordings.
Her eyes widened in terror as she threw the pad away and tried to get up from the chair, to look around and find Thea¡¯s psyche, but she was stopped dead in her tracks.
The cold, unmistakable edge of a plasteel knife was held firmly against her throat.
As Selene¡¯s gaze focused on the person holding the knife, her blood ran cold as her eyes met the stark violet ones of Thea¡¯s mirror.
¡°Who¡ªWhat are you?¡±
Thea¡¯s smile grew even wider, more devious than before, as she replied, ¡°Congratulations, darling. You¡¯re the first person to ever ask the right question from the get-go¡!¡±
Arc 1 - Chapter 125 - Patefactio
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Selene¡¯s mind raced, a million thoughts per second, as she stared down whatever this thing was that had invaded her mindscape.
¡®How is this possible?! This whole situation isn¡¯t even real; how can this thing be here?!¡¯
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she struggled to focus on any particular thought as torrents of adrenaline surged through her body¡ªboth inside the mindscape and in the real one, of that, she was certain.
Meanwhile, the girl¡ªno, the thing¡ªholding the knife to her throat squirmed in amusement at Selene¡¯s obvious distress.
Decades of experience in schooling her own bodily reactions and micro-expressions had all but vanished in the sheer terror she felt at this entity''s blatant violation of every conceivable rule she had thought to be true about her own Abilities and the Allbright System as a whole.
Seeing the thing wearing Thea¡¯s skin squirm in amusement at her reactions, Selene managed to claw back a fraction of sanity from the brink; forcing herself to calm down as she finally broke eye-contact with the neon-violet orbs that were still trained on her.
¡®Think, Selene,¡¯ she reminded herself as she took a deep, quivering breath. ¡®Everything you know about this world says this shouldn¡¯t be possible¡ªso, the question becomes: Is it? Is it really impossible? Or is what I¡¯m seeing right now possible under the rules that I¡¯m aware of?¡¯
[Echo Trauma] was the most powerful Ability Selene personally had access to and ever been subjected to; so it was the highest grade of access to the Allbright System she could reference.
The System was unfathomably powerful¡ªtruly¡ªbut there were clear limitations to what it could do, both from a logical standpoint and from self-admissions by the System itself over the past centuries.
For one, the System could not grant Abilities that allowed someone to directly interface with another person¡¯s thoughts.
The closest it could do was something like [Echo Trauma], which created a perfect copy of someone¡¯s psyche to let you experiment with¡ªa tool that, while functionally similar for most use cases, was distinctly different in its implications.
Another aspect of the System that had been proven true over the recent centuries was that the System refused¡ªeither because it couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t¡ªto violate its own previously established ruleset, even at higher tiers of rarity or power.
If something had been established by the System as a core, fundamental rule of the powers it granted, then that wouldn¡¯t change at higher tiers either.
This meant that even if there was a more powerful version of [Echo Trauma] out there¡ªat the Galactium-Rarity or maybe even Unique-Rarity level¡ªit couldn¡¯t truly allow someone to read another person¡¯s mind.
Given these two truths and the fact that Selene was still inside her own mindscape, which functioned outside of time and space¡ªmaking outside interference all but impossible¡ªit followed that she wasn¡¯t actually dealing with anything real.
Whatever this thing was, it was still bound by the rules of Selene¡¯s mindscape and the power granted to her by the [Echo Trauma] ability.
¡®But if that¡¯s truly the case, then how is it threatening me with a knife right now?!¡¯
The sheer deviousness and ruthlessness of the psyche in front of her was something Selene had never experienced before.
She had dealt with psychopaths, lunatics, and downright manic individuals whose only thoughts and desires were to kill whatever they could get their hands on.
But even those had shown a more varied response to the emotional stimuli and experiments that Selene had refined over the past few decades inside her [Echo Trauma] than whatever this thing was that was threatening her now.
Not to mention, far less hostility.
Realising that she was slipping again, Selene forced herself to meet the thing¡¯s eyes as she willed the knife out of existence. Much to her elation and relief, she felt the cold plasteel against her throat simply disappear in an instant, as if it had never existed to begin with.
This was a small victory, but it gave her a critical insight.
Meanwhile, Thea¡¯s face¡ªor rather, the thing wearing her skin¡¯s¡ªdropped slightly at the sight before it backed off a few steps, as if it had lost all interest in threatening Selene.
¡°You really are a smart one, huh?¡± it said with a crooked, toothy smile.
Selene noted that the teeth it was showing were far too pointy and sharp to truly belong to a human being, sending a renewed shiver down her spine.
Just what in the Emperor¡¯s holy name was this thing?!
¡°Not many people would have realised they aren¡¯t actually powerless in a situation like this¡ But I guess you aren¡¯t a high-level psychologist for nothing, huh?¡± it continued, completely ignoring Selene¡¯s stares.
¡°What¡ What are you?¡± Selene repeated her previous question, forcing more conviction into her voice than she truly felt.
She was still utterly shaken by the turn of events, but she knew she had to try and hide this weakness as best she could if she wanted to figure out what was actually going on.
The thing merely glared at Selene for long, arduous seconds before finally replying, ¡°You should know exactly what I am, Silly Sele. This is your place, no?¡±
It turned around and leisurely strolled over to the second cushioned chair, taking a relaxed seat by throwing its legs over the side and practically lying down.
It felt exceedingly wrong to see something that looked exactly like Thea simply commandeer the girl¡¯s body with such ease, as if it was born to it, downright entitled to it.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Selene focused on what the thing had said instead.
¡®I should know¡? Because this is ¡°my place¡±? What does that even mean¡?¡¯ she thought, trying to piece together whatever the thing was referring to.
She had never seen nor heard of anything like this before; not that she had a lot of people to ask about [Echo Trauma], of course, but even other psychologists¡¯ reports using their own Abilities to decipher the true nature of somebody¡¯s emotions and thoughts had never come even remotely close to describing something as thoroughly problematic as this situation.
For now, she wanted to ask more questions; understand more of what the thing was, what it wanted, and why it existed.
But there was also one other, vastly more important question that she struggled to answer: How had the thing slipped her grasp so thoroughly? How had it surprised and threatened her when this was all Selene¡¯s own mindscape?
It shouldn¡¯t be possible.
So far, the thing had seemed exceedingly vain and proud in the way it had talked down to ¡°others¡± that weren¡¯t Selene.
Calling her ¡°Silly Sele¡± had furthered that idea in Selene¡¯s mind, leading her to suspect that the thing she was dealing with had a form of superiority complex that she might be able to exploit for information.
It was extremely thin ice she was treading on with the limited information she had about what was going on, but it was something. And working with something¡ªdoing anything and trying to wrestle back some semblance of control¡ªwas better than letting her thoughts spiral into dead ends.
¡°How did you threaten me? If this is ¡®my place,¡¯ like you said, then how come you were able to do that?¡± Selene asked directly, infusing her voice with a modicum of the self-doubt she felt to feed into the thing¡¯s feeling of pride.
Portraying herself as scared, confused, and helpless was likely going to tickle the thing in just the right way to hopefully have it reveal more information¡ªthat was her thought process, at least. But she also realised that she couldn¡¯t show how truly lost she felt in this moment, as the thing was definitely, squarely, and utterly on the ¡°predator¡± side of things.
Showing too much vulnerability might just lead to more adverse reactions than Selene could handle, especially as she couldn¡¯t yet pin down the thing¡¯s origin nor what its powers actually were in this realm.
A crooked eyebrow was the only answer Selene received for a good minute before the thing in Thea¡¯s skin breathed a heavy sigh, its smile fading into an expression of mock sympathy and then disappointment.
¡°Silly Sele¡ I really thought you were a smart one; I even complimented you just earlier, didn¡¯t I? Why are you making me into a liar now?¡± Abruptly, Thea¡¯s face twisted in violent anger, her brows furrowing, her too-sharp teeth bared, and her eyes piercing Selene¡¯s with a promise of pain and death that made the psychologist flinch.
¡°I never lie,¡± the thing added pointedly, but the voice had warped from Thea¡¯s own, sounding almost like the guttural roar of an animal rather than human speech.
As abruptly as the rage had appeared on Thea¡¯s face, it dissipated, leaving behind the same smug smile that the thing had worn since it had sat down.
The anger seemed completely forgotten.
¡°Think, Silly Sele. Isn¡¯t that what you should be good at¡ªthinking? What is this place? How does it work? Think, darling!¡± it added, articulating each sentence animatedly with Thea¡¯s hands like it was struggling to keep its emotions in check¡ªsomething Selene was seriously doubting after the display just now.
Selene swallowed a lump in her throat, the sudden outburst of anger earlier catching her thoroughly off-guard.
There had been no indications of it happening, no prior signs of the thing turning angry or preparing for an outburst¡ªno micro-expressions her [Insight Pulse] drew attention to, but her [Empathetic Resonance] had definitely felt it being real.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
It had been the first time since she had entered the room with Thea that her [Empathetic Resonance] had shown anything but cold, calculated malice: Burning fury.
And it had thoroughly scorched Selene¡¯s mind, she could already tell.
There was a level of insecurity, of self-doubt, that had never existed within her mind before, that had rapidly gained control over her thoughts when the thing had displayed its brief outburst.
Where Selene should have been secure in the knowledge that this was her mindscape, that she could control whatever happened in it, the insecurity the unknown thing before her had caused in her mind was making her hesitate, question her own thoughts and feelings at every step.
She wanted nothing more than to simply collapse the Ability, leave this place, leave the room and Thea behind, go hide in her quarters and cry and just stop thinking altogether.
But she knew that this wasn¡¯t an option.
Not if she wanted to truly make a difference.
Not if she wanted to retain a sliver of self-respect.
Not if she wanted to ever look into a mirror again without feeling the urge to end it all.
She had promised herself she would help Thea, no matter the cost.
That promise was what kept her thoughts from slipping too far; it allowed her to desperately pull them back whenever they started to escape her grasp.
Focusing on that very promise, Selene reviewed the thing¡¯s words carefully.
¡®What is this place? My mindscape; the world of [Echo Trauma] powered by the Allbright System and my own mind¡ How does it work?¡¯ Selene thought, struggling to figure out what the thing might have wanted her to find. The questions were too broad, too unspecific to really get a grasp on what it was trying to make her think about.
¡®It works by creating a perfect replica psyche based on the System¡¯s data about a person¡¯s past, present, and future; to simulate their consciousness down to the most basic of levels¡ But that doesn¡¯t really apply here, does it? The thing clearly is not Thea; whatever it is.¡¯
She still couldn¡¯t understand what exactly had happened; how the thing had gotten inside of her [Echo Trauma].
It should be impossible since the System generally did a good job of interpreting her desires and intents when it came to using an Ability, so it should have targeted Thea with all of them, not whatever this thing was.
Yet, somehow, it had happened.
Clawing back her thoughts again, realising she was drifting off to unproductive places again, Selene aimed them back towards the question at hand: How had the thing slipped her control?
Then, all of a sudden, it struck her.
Like an orbital laser from Terra¡¯s golden flagship itself, the answer came to her mind, almost blinding her with its simplicity.
¡°I forgot to rescind the order of freetime¡¡± Selene whispered out loud, unable to keep the incredulous truth to herself.
Thea¡¯s face split into a toothy, mocking grin, as the thing began clapping with Thea¡¯s hands. ¡°Bravo, Silly Sele! You¡¯ve figured it out! I am in awe of your intellect, darling. Truly a marvellous display of expertise, careful thought, and unfathomable genius.¡±
She ignored the mocking comments, a more pressing series of thoughts coalescing in her mind instead.
¡®I never had to rescind an order because the psyches never acted without being specifically ordered to do so¡ I didn¡¯t even think it was necessary, considering that this is all technically running inside of my own mind. If I didn¡¯t want the thing to move, it shouldn¡¯t be able to move¡ right?¡¯ But Selene already knew this wasn¡¯t the case.
It couldn¡¯t be; otherwise, none of the tests she had designed for the various psyches would ever work.
There needed to be an element of ¡°free¡± will for them to truly display emotions and reactions to what Selene was putting them through. Otherwise, the Ability itself would serve no purpose if all it did was give her a playground where she controlled absolutely everything.
That realisation sparked an even more horrific one, however; one that threatened to upend Selene¡¯s entire understanding of just about everything she had ever believed in.
¡®This thing is self-aware. It knows this is all a construct of my mind. It knows it is inside of an Ability¡!¡¯
Her eyes involuntarily widened in abject terror at the realisation, leading to the thing¡¯s smile growing even wider, clearly revelling in Selene¡¯s unadulterated horror.
Selene''s breath quickened, her mind racing to catch up with the implications of what she had just realised.
If the psyche mirror was self-aware, it meant she had lost control in a way she had never even imagined possible.
It wasn''t just an anomaly; it was a fundamental break in her understanding of the [Echo Trauma] Ability and its limitations.
Her entire framework of how the Ability functioned was crumbling before her very eyes.
Recognizing that she was slipping, she forced herself once again to stay calm.
She tried to analyse the situation logically rather than giving in to the primal aspects of her mind that were screaming at her to run, to hide, to disappear.
¡®[Echo Trauma] is designed to simulate and replicate the subject''s psyche with near-perfect accuracy¡ Assuming that this thing was created instead of Thea, however that might have happened notwithstanding, then it follows that this thing is essentially a 1:1 reproduction of the real thing,¡¯ she thought to herself, laying out the facts as she had learned decades ago when she first went into the field of psychology at the university.
Her first professor had coined this the ¡°back-to-basics¡± approach.
Whenever she felt completely lost and on the verge of giving up, simply breaking the problem down into what she knew to be true, what she was hoping to be true, and what she was fearing to be true would help organise her thoughts and get her back on track.
¡®I know these previous things to be true. I hope that I have full control over this world, including the thing¡¯s psyche, and I fear that I do not. Those should be the basics.¡¯
Her thoughts had become somewhat cyclical, constantly returning to whether [Echo Trauma] was working in the same way it always had or if it was functioning differently altogether as a result of the thing¡¯s existence.
This was something she would have to simply make a call on because the risk of playing her hand¡ªcommanding the thing to do something and it somehow resisting or not being affected¡ªwas too high.
If the thing thought she had control, then she had to do everything in her power to let it continue believing so, even if she herself didn¡¯t know whether or not it was the truth.
¡®If this is a replica of the real thing, then it¡¯s very, very smart. It practically knew immediately that this was an Ability, a Mindscape of sorts, the instant I started using [Echo Trauma]... Going by the recordings, the first time it displayed an obvious non-ordered movement was merely seconds after the Ability took hold,¡¯ Selene recalled, feeling a sense of order return to her mind.
¡®Nothing in the Ability description says that the psyche can''t figure out they¡¯re artificial, so it¡¯s technically not impossible¡ Just extremely unlikely. What kind of being would immediately assume itself to be an artificial creation, rather than the real thing, though¡?¡¯
She felt a chill run down her spine as she contemplated this last thought.
The realisation that the thing might be a highly intelligent and self-aware entity operating within her Ability was disturbing on a level she hadn''t experienced before. It meant that the thing had a level of consciousness and awareness that rivalled, if not even far surpassed, that of a human¡¯s.
The implications of this were far too staggering to truly contemplate; so she rapidly locked those thoughts away for when she was in a safer place to truly think about them.
Meeting the strange thing¡¯s eyes once again after steeling her mind as best she could, Selene asked, ¡°So, what exactly are you then? Outside of an artificial psyche created by my [Echo Trauma], of course. What¡¯s the real you?¡±
The thing merely observed Selene for a while, its head bobbing and jerking in unnerving ways. The facade of simply being Thea had long fallen to the wayside.
Selene took the opportunity to really study the entity; to get a good look at what it was that she had inadvertently created inside of her own mind.
For all intents and purposes, it looked exactly like Thea down to the last hair. But that was only the initial impression Selene had originally had. Now that she had time to really sink her teeth into the thing, she found quite a few differences¡ªlikely because the thing had stopped pretending as much.
First and foremost, the thing didn¡¯t blink. Ever.
Its neon-violet eyes were simply staring at Selene with an unerring focus.
Furthermore, having the power of [Echo Trauma] on her side, she conjured up a recording for only herself to see of the moment the thing had burst out in anger; a moment that had seemed surprisingly genuine, if her [Empathetic Resonance] was anything to go by, even if it had only lasted for an instant.
Using the recording, she zoomed in further and was able to catch a brief glimpse, merely a single instance long, of what was likely the true eyes of the thing.
Instead of featuring a normal pupil and iris like Thea¡¯s, with the iris merely coloured violet instead of cyan, the thing¡¯s eyes had shown a striking sight instead: The pupil itself was a deep, radiant violet while the iris around it had the same neon-violet tones as it did now, except for the furthest edges, where it turned into the same kind of radiant violet of the pupils.
The truly captivating aspect, however, was that from the iris itself, a perfectly straight downward line ran towards the bottom of the eyes, like the very iris itself was bleeding colour into the sclera somehow.
Aside from the thing¡¯s eyes and teeth, however, there was no outward difference to the Thea that Selene had seen inside the room¡ªwhether the girl was truly herself or not notwithstanding.
There was, however, a large difference in its movements now compared to before it had revealed itself.
Before, it had mirrored exactly what Selene had expected Thea to move and behave like, but now, it was downright alien in its movements; jerky and unhinged at times, only for it to abruptly become impossibly smooth with all its movements, like a strange sort of robot programmed for perfect control.
To say that observing the thing was unnerving would be a massive understatement, but Selene could not stop herself from being utterly fascinated by what she was seeing.
Luckily, the thing seemed to have gathered its own thoughts¡ªor rather; toyed enough with Selene¡ªand finally answered the question.
¡°I could tell you,¡± it started with a nonchalant, mocking tone. ¡°But, as they say, I¡¯d have to kill you if I did.¡±
The matter-of-factness in the thing¡¯s voice was chilling, but Selene kept her eyes trained on its every movement.
A small pout formed on Thea¡¯s face. ¡°No? No reaction? Boo! You¡¯re no fun, Silly Sele¡¡±
Breathing a heavy, theatrical sigh, it moved and sat up straight for the first time since they had separated, properly leaning back in the cushioned armchair, feet dangling just slightly above the ground.
¡°You ask what the real me is? You would die if I told you. It is not a threat, merely a fact. But you were fun to play with, so I will give you a small glimpse; as a token of my friendship.¡±
Then, the thing¡¯s eyes abruptly changed into what Selene had coined the ¡°true¡± form, and she felt herself freeze as the thing began to speak again, its voice distorting more and more with every word it spoke.
¡°I am what you consider not to be.¡±
¡°I am what gets things done.¡±
¡°I am what you know to not be real.¡±
¡°I am what is many and what is one.¡±
¡°I am what is left when nothing else remains.¡±
Selene suddenly felt hot liquid drip down her cheeks.
Her eyes hurt as if she were staring into the very corona of a supernova and her ears rang with impossible echoes of sounds that never could exist.
¡°I am what is needed and shall not be.¡±
¡°I am what succeeded when all else failed.¡±
¡°I am what will prevail against all odds.¡±
Selene felt the world of the [Echo Trauma] around her rumble, crack, and shatter as the thing continued to speak.
She couldn¡¯t break her fascination to stop anything.
¡°I am what you simply cannot fathom.¡±
In her half-lucid state, Selene realised that the thing had, at some stage, gotten up and moved towards her.
Thea¡¯s fingers, impossibly distorted into a triplet of claws, held her up a metre above the ground like she was a mere child, the sharp nails boring into and through her throat painfully.
The thing¡¯s eyes returned to normal as abruptly as they had changed the first time around, before it added in Thea¡¯s normal voice.
¡°You may call me ?ht in the future, darling. We¡¯re friends, after all. But please, do me a favour?¡±
Selene felt her body lose more and more blood as the horrifying wounds in her throat pulsed out the liquid at a terrifying pace.
¡°Don¡¯t let poor Thea realise I was here, yeah? We don''t want her to panic. I¡¯ll make it up to you, darling, promise.¡±
With a wink of the thing, Selene felt her neck snap at the base and the [Echo Trauma] shattered entirely.
Thrown violently back into the real world, Selene heard the final words of the terrified Thea¡¯s warning, ¡°¡ªdo whatever you¡¯re about to do!¡±
Stumbling and falling backward, Selene crashed heavily into the cushioned armchair, her mind and heart racing as adrenaline pumped through her body...
Arc 1 - Chapter 126 - Dazzling
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
Selene¡¯s mind raced, her thoughts scrambling to make sense of the abrupt end of her [Echo Trauma] and the terrifying encounter with ?ht.
The entity she had faced was unlike anything she had ever encountered¡ªsomething she couldn¡¯t have prepared for, something beyond her comprehension. The sheer power it had radiated when it revealed its true nature had nearly shattered her mindscape without the need for physical force.
It was a raw, overwhelming presence that had left her shaken to the very core.
Yet, despite the violence¡ªthe piercing of her throat, the snapping of her neck¡ªSelene couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that ?ht hadn¡¯t acted out of malice.
The way it had ended her simulation felt almost¡ merciful.
As though ?ht had been sparing her from something far worse, a fate tied to the unravelling of the [Echo Trauma] under the weight of its true nature. It was a thought that both unsettled and confused her, leaving her with far more questions than answers.
But now, back in the real world, there was no time to dwell on the encounter at all.
Thea stood before her, concern etched on her face, her steps hesitant as she slowly moved closer, clearly wanting to help but not really knowing how. Selene knew she couldn¡¯t let Thea see the cracks in her own composure¡ªnot if she still intended on getting the girl out of this situation in as good of a condition as she could muster.
¡®I don¡¯t have time to figure out what in the Emperor¡¯s cursed toenail all of that was right now,¡¯ Selene resolved, swallowing hard, forcing herself to push the fear and confusion deep down.
She needed to regain control, to project the calm, authoritative presence Thea needed from her.
With a steadying breath, she rose from the armchair, willing her trembling hands and legs to obey her command.
¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry, Thea. I¡¯m absolutely fine, just had a brief dizzy spell from one of my Abilities,¡± she said, her voice smooth and controlled. She quickly reached out to Thea, hands extended to create a reassuring distance, subtly keeping them from getting too close.
Despite the turmoil raging inside her, Selene knew she had to maintain the facade of stability and competence.
Thea needed that.
And Selene, now more than ever, also needed to believe she could still provide it.
At the same time, keeping Thea at arm¡¯s length served multiple purposes¡ªones she couldn¡¯t ignore, no matter how much she wanted to.
Firstly, it was to conceal just how tense she had to be to keep her body from betraying her with uncontrollable shakes or outright collapse. Her nerves were frayed, her thoughts a tangled mess, but she couldn¡¯t let Thea see any of that. The girl needed someone strong, someone stable, and Selene had to play that role, even if it took everything she had.
Secondly, Selene had noticed that Thea wasn¡¯t someone who welcomed physical closeness, at least not with someone she barely knew. The girl¡¯s guarded nature had been apparent from the start, and Selene was determined to respect that boundary, to make Thea as comfortable as possible in this unsettling moment; even if it was Thea that was trying to help.
And lastly¡ªthough it was something Selene would never openly admit, not even under threat of torture¡ªshe was genuinely afraid of getting too close to Thea after what she had just experienced.
Whatever that ?ht entity was, it was undeniably a part of Thea.
That much was now a horrifying truth in Selene¡¯s mind.
Her [Empathetic Resonance] was still locked onto the same cold, calculated emotions it had mirrored before the [Echo Trauma] incident, proving that ?ht was still present, lurking somewhere just beneath the surface. It was impossible for Selene to gauge Thea¡¯s true mental state with her usual Abilities, leaving her vulnerable and thoroughly unnerved.
To divert Thea¡¯s attention away from her own internal struggle, Selene quickly shifted the focus back to the girl.
¡°What did you mean by that warning, by the way? Should I be concerned about something¡?¡± Selene asked, keeping her voice steady even though her heart pounded heavily beneath the calm facade.
The question seemed to catch Thea off guard, and she froze mid-step, her expression faltering for a moment.
¡°Ah¡ There¡¡± Thea stuttered, struggling to find her words. Selene, grateful for the brief respite, used the time to further steady her own frayed nerves. ¡°Do you know about my Psychic Powers? I¡¯d assume so, considering they let you in here.¡±
Selene nodded, encouraging Thea to continue.
¡°Then yeah¡ I had a brief notion of you activating some kind of Ability¡ªI¡¯m guessing here¡ªwhich led you to wildly lash out in panic¡ You kind of¡ Hit me by accident? Not that I blame you, of course! Whatever you did seemed thoroughly terrifying!¡±
Selene¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The idea of hitting a patient, even unintentionally, was utterly abhorrent to her. The mere thought of causing harm like that was beyond anything she considered acceptable.
Yet, if it hadn¡¯t been for ?ht¡¯s way of ending the [Echo Trauma], along with the cryptic request to keep its presence hidden from Thea, Selene wasn¡¯t sure just how she would have processed everything.
Perhaps Thea¡¯s warning had indeed influenced her reaction, preventing her from completely losing control upon her abrupt return to the real world.
¡°Rest assured, Thea, I would never intentionally harm you¡ªthe very thought is unthinkable to me,¡± Selene responded with a light incline of her head, aiming to convey both sincerity and authority without overplaying her hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad that whatever might have occurred in your vision didn¡¯t come to pass, and I truly appreciate the warning.¡±
Thea now stood awkwardly between the two chairs, torn between wanting to help Selene and realising that the situation no longer called for it. Her uncertainty was obvious, her body language a mix of hesitation and concern.
Understanding Thea¡¯s predicament, Selene gestured towards the chair and offered a warm smile. ¡°Please, take a seat, Thea. Let¡¯s continue where we left off before all of this¡ªI apologise for the interruption. I was merely using an Ability to check on your overall mental state, to gauge how the assessment has impacted you. It¡¯s part of my post-assessment care, but I underestimated just how much you¡¯ve been through. I ended up getting hit with more than I expected.¡±
Selene let out a soft, fabricated giggle, lightly covering her mouth with her hand¡ªa subtle move she often used to convey a sense of embarrassment and camaraderie.
It was one of her go-to strategies for putting people at ease, making them feel more comfortable and connected.
The explanation seemed to relax Thea, who returned Selene¡¯s smile and finally decided to sit down for the first time since Selene had entered the room.
To Selene, this was a significant win.
It meant she could continue with her primary mission: Helping Thea and figuring out how to reconcile the issues between her and the greater UHF.
Whether ?ht was still present or not, Selene resolved to rely on her actual skills and experience, setting aside her Passive Abilities for the time being. It had been a while since she¡¯d worked without them, but she was confident she could manage.
¡°To get back to the matter at hand,¡± Selene began, her voice steady as she returned to the core issue. ¡°As I mentioned previously, the reason you were sent into the assessment without any information is because the people responsible for disseminating that information simply forgot to do so. As ridiculous as that sounds, it is actually the truth, based on everything I¡¯ve been able to gather.¡±
She knew the importance of re-emphasizing key points, especially in emotionally charged situations like this one. It was essential that both of them were on the same page, minimizing any chance of misunderstanding. When emotions were running high, clarity was paramount.
¡°The UHF is fully aware of how unprofessional and downright unfair this was for you, especially since you were essentially handicapped throughout the entire assessment. Rest assured, they do not expect you to simply ¡®forgive and forget,¡¯ as some might suggest. The brass is prepared to offer concessions; but before we delve into that, I want to make sure you fully understand the situation.¡±
Selene paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. This wasn¡¯t just about offering reparations; it was about making sure Thea knew what was on the table and why.
¡°These concessions are not intended to buy your forgiveness or to make you keep quiet. They are meant to fulfil the UHF¡¯s part of the deal, a part that they have failed to uphold until now. They are, in essence, compensation for the UHF¡¯s shortcomings, but they will not impact your ongoing deal with them in any way.
¡°Whatever concessions you choose to accept or deny, and even those offered without your explicit consent, are purely gestures of goodwill. They are attempts to rebuild the trust that has understandably been damaged between you and the UHF brass.¡±
Selene allowed a brief pause, giving Thea time to process everything.
Just as she prepared to continue, a message suddenly appeared in her vision, almost derailing her composed exterior. But she held firm, maintaining control over her body, suppressing the natural urge to react with alarm.
Thea didn¡¯t seem to notice the digital text that appeared a mere metre in front of Selene, confirming that it was visible only to her.
The message was succinct but heavy with significance:
| [Sovereign: Is the patient stable enough for a conversation about the concessions? Councillor Lumis would like to take part and directly offer them, if you deem it viable.] |
Selene¡¯s mind raced as she considered the implications.
She had to quickly assess Thea¡¯s current mental state and determine whether involving Councillor Lumis¡ªthe very person indirectly responsible for much of Thea¡¯s ordeal¡ªwould help or hinder the situation.
On one hand, Thea appeared to be surprisingly stable, given everything she had endured. Selene herself would have been furious if she had gone through what Thea had; she wouldn¡¯t have been able to laugh it off as Thea had done.
Since her laughing fit, Thea had seemed content, almost at peace, and much more receptive to Selene¡¯s words.
She was starting to resemble the girl Selene had first met over two years ago.
The girl Selene had first met over two years ago wouldn¡¯t have minded Councillor Lumis being present.
But now, knowing that it was Lumis who had made the original deal and then seemingly forgotten about the UHF¡¯s responsibilities, Selene couldn¡¯t imagine this going over well with Thea. There was bound to be some tension between them. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The real question was whether that tension was a problem or an opportunity.
While Thea¡¯s current relaxed and amicable demeanour seemed positive on the surface, Selene knew better.
That behaviour was, in fact, unhealthy.
Thea should be feeling some tension, some anger¡ªbottling up those emotions would only cause them to fester and grow. And it was Selene¡¯s job to make sure that didn¡¯t happen.
So, having Councillor Lumis present to stir the pot a little might actually be beneficial, as long as it didn¡¯t push Thea too far.
Selene reflected on Thea¡¯s behaviour since she had entered the room.
The girl hadn¡¯t displayed any explosive anger, not even a hint of the intense emotions that had apparently been present before Selene¡¯s arrival. To Selene, Thea didn¡¯t seem like the type to lash out impulsively, even with powers she didn¡¯t fully understand; unless pushed to do so.
But a bit of prodding at the mental seams should not count towards that, if her interactions with the girl earlier were anything to go by, when she had withheld the information for a few extra minutes to speak her mind.
This gamble, then, seemed like one worth taking.
And if it didn¡¯t work out, Selene could always use Lumis as a scapegoat, which might even strengthen her bond with Thea, opening up more avenues for progress later on.
Switching gears quickly, Selene pretended to receive a call, raising a finger to Thea, who looked surprised by the sudden interruption.
Selene offered an apologetic smile, paired with a subtly annoyed expression, as though she was thoroughly frustrated by the intrusion.
¡°Yes, I understand,¡± she said into the imaginary call. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ Yes. No. No, I don¡¯t think so¡ Let me ask. No, I will ask first. It¡¯s the least you can do, to give her a choice; considering everything, don¡¯t you think? Yes¡ Thank you. I will be in touch.¡±
Selene played out the one-sided conversation with just enough detail to let Thea infer what was being discussed while ensuring that she appeared to be advocating for Thea¡¯s autonomy.
When she finally ended the ¡°call,¡± she sighed¡ªa genuine sigh this time, as the exhausting mental gymnastics were starting to wear on her.
¡°I apologise for the interruption,¡± Selene said, turning to Thea with a weary smile. ¡°The brass is getting anxious, especially with the talk about concessions. They¡¯re asking if you¡¯d be willing to have a direct conversation with one of their members. It would be an eye-to-eye discussion¡ªan opportunity to ask any lingering questions and figure out how they can make things right.¡±
She paused for a moment to let Thea digest the information before continuing, ¡°It would be someone you¡¯re familiar with, if only briefly: Councillor Lumis. She specifically requested the chance to speak with you, if you¡¯re up for it¡ From my perspective as a psychologist, I think there¡¯s value in it.
¡°Talking directly with the person who played a large part in this situation might help you understand what happened and why¡ªmaybe even answer a few extra questions you might have¡ªand how everyone can move forward without lingering resentment. But ultimately, the decision is yours, Thea. Truly yours. I made that very clear to the brass. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you don¡¯t have a choice¡ªagain. And, of course, I will be here alongside you the entire time, if you want that.¡±
Thea paused, her gaze dropping to the floor as she considered Selene¡¯s words.
Her expression was no longer the cold, impenetrable mask that had unnerved Selene earlier.
Now, it was as though a floodgate had opened, and micro-expressions flickered across her face in rapid succession¡ªuncertainty, frustration, curiosity, and something akin to hope.
Selene watched intently, her heart rate finally beginning to steady as she noted these changes. It was a relief, a welcome return to familiar territory, where she could actually read and respond to what her patient was feeling.
For a moment, Selene allowed herself to breathe a silent sigh of relief.
She could finally see beyond the cold exterior Thea had presented earlier. The girl¡¯s thoughts were now plainly visible, playing out on her face in a way that Selene could interpret and navigate.
This transparency was a victory in itself, a sign that something had fundamentally changed in the girl¡¯s mental state and overall attitude towards this whole situation.
As Thea continued to mull over the offer, Selene remained patient, resisting the urge to push further. She had done her part; now it was up to Thea to make the decision; either way she decided, Selene would come out ahead.
After what felt like an eternity, Thea lifted her gaze, her eyes meeting Selene¡¯s with a newfound clarity. There was a hint of vulnerability there, but also a determination that hadn¡¯t been present before.
¡°All right,¡± Thea finally said, her voice steady but soft. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Councillor Lumis. But¡ I¡¯d like you to stay with me during the discussion. Help me make sure I don¡¯t miss anything important. Can you do that?¡±
Selene¡¯s heart skipped a beat, a surge of excitement rushing through her veins.
Thea¡¯s request was more than just a simple ask for support¡ªit was a sign of trust, a bridge being built between them. It was exactly what Selene had been hoping for, a clear indication that she had successfully ingratiated herself with the girl.
¡°Of course,¡± Selene replied warmly, her voice calm but inwardly, she was ecstatic. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here with you, Thea. Every step of the way. We¡¯ll make sure you get the answers you deserve.¡±
Internally, Selene was practically glowing with satisfaction.
Thea trusting her enough to ask for help like this boded incredibly well for her overall mission.
If she could keep nurturing this bond, there was no telling how far she could take it.
Thea had endured more than most could imagine, but with Selene¡¯s guidance, there was a genuine opportunity to help steer Thea¡¯s future.
This, of course, wasn¡¯t just about ensuring Thea would be okay¡ªthough that was a significant part of it¡ªbut also about fulfilling the UHF¡¯s need to regain the girl¡¯s trust.
Both objectives were intertwined, and Selene knew she had to tread carefully to achieve them.
¡°Sovereign, could we arrange another chair next to mine, please? And inform Councillor Lumis that she¡¯s cleared to enter,¡± Selene requested, directing her attention to the ship¡¯s AI.
Within moments, another cushioned armchair materialised beside her own.
Selene gestured for Thea to sit next to her, offering a reassuring smile as they both settled in to await the Councillor¡¯s arrival.
As she waited, Selene¡¯s thoughts turned to Councillor Lumis, a figure who remained something of a mystery to her.
Despite her extensive research and access to the UHF¡¯s vast databases, she had found little information on this enigmatic woman.
Beyond the name, a photograph, and the recorded conversation in which Lumis had brokered the original deal with Thea, there was nothing¡ªno background, no service record, no identifiable history.
It was as if Councillor Lumis existed only within the narrow confines of Thea¡¯s experience.
This in itself wasn¡¯t entirely out of the ordinary; there were many aspects of Thea¡¯s career that Selene didn¡¯t have clearance to investigate.
However, the complete absence of any additional data on Lumis was unsettling.
The fact that Selene had never even heard of a rank titled "Councillor" within the UHF was particularly troubling.
None of the UHF¡¯s branches¡ªwhether Army, Navy, Armored Division, Auxiliary, or Civilian¡ªhad a rank by that name, yet it was clearly being used as such in Lumis¡¯ case.
The most obvious connection Selene could draw was to the O-13 Council, the highest governing body in the UHF.
But the idea that Lumis could be part of that elite group seemed beyond absurd.
For one, it was highly unlikely that a true Council Member would have known about Thea¡¯s existence when the deal was made to begin with. Furthermore, the fact that Selene had been unable to uncover anything about Lumis only deepened her suspicion.
The UHF was a meritocracy through and through, and Council Members earned their positions through a storied history of exceptional service¡ªa history that couldn¡¯t simply be erased without jeapardizing that very foundation.
This, ultimately, was the biggest question mark in Selene¡¯s mind as they waited: Who exactly was Councillor Lumis, and what were her true intentions?
Finally, Selene and Thea heard the door creak open, the hinges still damaged from the cold and frost that had frozen them shut before Selene had managed to enter the room.
They both stared at the door as a woman entered¡ªCouncillor Lumis, instantly recognizable to both of them. Selene had seen Lumis on the recording brokering the deal with Thea just over a month ago, but meeting her in person was an entirely different experience.
The moment Lumis stepped into the room, Selene was struck by the sheer presence the woman exuded.
Lumis''s eyes were the first thing Selene noticed¡ªdeep, compelling blue, like a clear summer sky, drawing her in with an almost magnetic pull. Her skin was smooth and unblemished, emitting a soft iridescent glow that seemed to come from within.
Even her hair, cascading down her shoulders and ending just above her waist, shimmered with a luminescence that shifted subtly between hues of gold and silver, like a living waterfall of light.
Every detail of Lumis¡¯s appearance seemed meticulously crafted, from her high cheekbones to her gently arched brows, creating a harmony that transcended conventional beauty and bordered on the divine.
Draped in a flowing, floor-length robe that shimmered with colours reminiscent of the inside of a seashell, Lumis projected an aura of confidence and authority so powerful that Selene, despite her experience with high-Tiered entities within the UHF, felt an almost instinctive urge to bow before her.
The robe was cinched at her slender waist with a belt of interwoven silver strands, and intricate embroidery of unknown symbols sparkled along the edges like stars scattered across the night sky, pulsing faintly as if imbued with a power of their own.
Completing her ensemble was an elaborate collar-piece, part jewellery, part armour, made from silver with embedded stones that glowed with an inner light, extending down to her chest in intricate, light-catching patterns.
Selene couldn''t help but feel a mixture of awe and a strange, inexplicable disgust. It was as if every fibre of her being was struggling to deny the reality of the woman standing before her.
Lumis strode through the ruined room with an effortless grace, stopping just a metre in front of Thea and Selene, before offering a high-society curtsy that was as flawless as the rest of her appearance.
¡°Greetings, Legate Selene; Recruit Thea,¡± Lumis began, her voice resonating in Selene¡¯s mind¡ªnot ominously, but with a warmth and presence that felt almost overwhelming. Each word seemed infused with an immense power barely contained within her serene demeanour.
Turning her attention to Thea, she added with a light bow, ¡°Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, despite the difficulties our last one caused you. I want to personally apologise for the unfortunate situation; it was not an intentional slight on our part but rather a truly regrettable series of events. This is not to say it could not have been avoided¡ªit absolutely could have. We, as in the entire upper branch of the UHF, simply failed to do our due diligence and have caused you grief as a result. My sincerest apologies for this; let us try to make amends, shall we?¡±
Lumis held her bow for the exact amount of time that Selene would have deemed appropriate, a subtle display of respect and understanding, before turning gracefully and taking the few steps to the remaining armchair¡ªThea¡¯s previous seat¡ªand sitting down with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly.
Selene had to force herself to swallow, so overwhelmed was she by the sheer presence of the woman before her. The intensity of that reaction unnerved her deeply.
She had dealt with diplomancers before¡ªpeople specialised in diplomacy, with Classes designed to manipulate trade, forge alliances, and navigate the complex webs of interpersonal relationships.
But Councillor Lumis was on an entirely different level, one that Selene couldn¡¯t even begin to properly gauge despite her extensive experience in the field.
¡®No wonder Thea had no choice but to accept the deal,¡¯ Selene thought, her mind reeling. ¡®This really wasn¡¯t fair from the UHF, no matter how badly they wanted the Class information. Sending someone like her to negotiate with a newly integrated Recruit? How in the Emperor¡¯s golden blood was Thea supposed to make any of her own decisions at all?!¡¯
¡°I am sure we are all fairly busy people and would like to get this over with as soon as possible, so let us not dawdle too much on pleasantries. I am sure you will all appreciate getting me out of your hair as soon as possible,¡± Councillor Lumis began, finishing with a giggle hidden behind her hand, so disarmingly charming that it managed to fluster even Selene.
But Selene¡¯s mind was racing for an entirely different reason.
Something about the way Councillor Lumis spoke, the way her expressions were so perfectly crafted and yet so blindingly apparent, felt fundamentally wrong.
The giggle at the end, in particular, rang false¡ªnot in sound or appearance, but in the very logic behind it. Selene knew it had to be a manipulation, something she herself had employed just minutes before, but emotionally, she couldn¡¯t discern it from the real thing.
Despite knowing it had to be false, she couldn¡¯t find a single flaw in it.
¡®What is happening here¡? Just who is this woman?!¡¯ Selene¡¯s thoughts spiralled as she struggled to make sense of the surreal encounter.
But amidst the confusion, one thing became crystal clear: Whoever this woman truly was, Selene knew she would have to pull out all the stops to ensure Thea wasn¡¯t coerced into a bad deal.
The girl stood absolutely no chance of negotiating fairly against someone as formidable as Councillor Lumis on her own.
Even with Selene here, however, she doubted that even the two of them combined, with all the advantages that Thea¡¯s unique situation afforded them, held any real cards against the enigmatic woman¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 127 - Remunerations
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
¡°With that in mind, I would like to begin immediately, if that is acceptable to both of you?¡± the Councillor asked with a sweet smile, her gaze shifting between Thea and Selene as she awaited their responses.
Selene quickly checked with Thea, who, after a moment of hesitation, gave a small nod. With that, both of them signalled their agreement to proceed.
¡°Fantastic,¡± Lumis replied, her smile widening slightly as she gently folded her hands together and leaned forward just a bit, her posture exuding confidence and control. ¡°Now, before we delve into the actual negotiations regarding the reimbursements, there are a few important points I need to clarify so that everyone in this conversation is fully informed of the facts.
¡°First and foremost, let us address why this even needs to be a ¡®negotiation¡¯ at all: The UHF, as a whole, is limited in the amount of assistance we can provide to any single member of our Faction. This limitation is imposed by the Allbright System itself, meaning that there is no way to circumvent it. We are bound by a hard cap on what and how much we can offer before the System intervenes¡ And believe me when I say that this is something neither you nor we want to happen.¡±
Selene noticed Thea¡¯s eyes flicker in her direction, seeking confirmation.
She gave a solemn nod, understanding the gravity of what the Councillor had just explained.
Thea might not have been fully integrated for long, but this was a well-known reality for anyone who had been part of the System for any considerable length of time.
The Allbright System was inherently opposed to any form of nepotism, favouring meritocratic advancement above all else. While connections and access could certainly provide quite heavy advantages, no one could be propelled up the Tiers simply due to family ties or high-ranking acquaintances without proving their own merit¡ªquite literally, in the case of the System.
Selene wasn¡¯t an expert on the specifics of these limitations, but she was well aware that they existed and were stringently enforced across all Factions.
The consequences of failing to comply were severe, likely resulting in heavy penalties from the System itself¡ªa risk no one wanted to take, considering that the System was the source of nearly everything one possessed, including their physical well being.
Seeing that both Thea and Selene had refocused their attention on her, Councillor Lumis continued with a calm, measured tone.
¡°Secondly, the remuneration offered here is directly tied to the agreement that Recruit Thea McKay and I, Councillor Seraphina Lumis, brokered a little over a month ago. This compensation is intended to address, but not erase, the UHF¡¯s failure to provide adequate warnings and teachings prior to the start of the first quarterly assessment, which placed the Recruit at unnecessary risk.
¡°Thus, the remuneration is specifically related to this aspect of the original agreement. It is not a new deal between the parties involved, nor is it intended to pressure the Recruit into exceeding the terms of the initial agreement in any way.¡±
Selene was mildly surprised by how candidly the Councillor outlined the terms and intentions, but she quickly caught the semi-confused look Thea directed her way.
Thea was smart¡ªsmarter than one might expect, given her background¡ªbut legal jargon was likely not something she was well-versed in. While Councillor Lumis was doing her best to keep things straightforward, it was understandable that Thea might seek a second opinion to ensure she fully grasped the nuances of what was being said.
Leaning in closer to the girl, Selene caught a glimpse of Councillor Lumis discreetly averting her gaze, offering them as much privacy as the close quarters allowed.
¡°The Councillor is just clarifying,¡± Selene whispered, ¡°that whatever they¡¯re offering you now isn¡¯t meant to make you do more than what you¡¯ve already agreed to. As far as I know, that deal involved you investing your points up to Level 10, boosting your Vitality to 3, receiving the Solstice Fruit from the UHF, and sharing information on any Psychic Classes offered to you at Tier 1 Ascension. She¡¯s essentially saying they¡¯re not trying to bribe you into actually taking any of those classes or anything like that¡ªthat wasn¡¯t part of the original agreement.¡±
Thea considered Selene¡¯s explanation for a moment, her expression thoughtful, before she gave a small nod of understanding. She then turned her attention back to Councillor Lumis, and Selene, happy to have been able to help Thea navigate the situation, did the same.
Turning back towards them, Councillor Lumis continued with a composed, almost gentle tone.
¡°Lastly, before we proceed, there are two additional clarifications that are required. The first one would normally be done during the Psychic 101 Classes, but is important for the Recruit to understand their position: During the assessment, Private Zachary informed you about certain unsettling aspects of the Psyker path, particularly regarding the inevitability of a Psyker¡¯s end. To be clear: What he told you was entirely correct. There have been no documented cases of a Psyker dying a natural death. Every Psyker we know of has either perished in combat, fallen victim to a Void Tear, or chosen suicide to avoid such a fate.
¡°However, it is important to emphasise that you, Thea, are not a Psyker yet. You have not committed to this path, and no one will make that decision for you. You only lock yourself into this fate, if you actively pursue advancing your Psychic Paths, and even further by selecting to become a Battlefield Psyker and picking up a Psychic-related Class.
¡°As things stand, you are merely classified as a Wielder, or a Psi-Sensitive Marine at best, altough you don''t technically even qualify for that classification, as you would normally be required to unlock your Psychic Attribute first, to be considered Psi-Sensitive. It is the direct pursuit of further advancement in your inherent Psychic Powers or altering your Path, a process called "Delving", that would solidify your status as a true Psyker and thereby binding you to the outcomes that were mentioned earlier.
¡°To be entirely up-front about this: The UHF would be thrilled and deeply appreciative if you decided to pursue this route, and we will undoubtedly make efforts to persuade you in the future. But we are not at that juncture yet. Your fate remains firmly in your hands, and we will not compromise the core tenets of the UHF¡ªnamely, the free choice of self-actualization¡ªon this matter in any capacity.¡±
Selene carefully observed Thea¡¯s reaction to this news, fully aware that this was a significant revelation for someone in her position.
What struck her most was how Thea''s expression remained surprisingly composed.
There was no visible surprise or relief; instead, Thea¡¯s face was marked by intense focus and concentration. It was clear she was making a concerted effort to absorb every detail, deliberately keeping her emotions in check.
Selene found this a refreshing and positive surprise, for a change.
Although she also had an inclination for why the girl wasn¡¯t reacting too strongly to the news.
¡®If I were in her shoes, learning that I hadn¡¯t inadvertently sealed my fate to a painful death would¡¯ve had me over the moon. But Thea¡¯s different, I guess. Growing up in an undercity probably hardens you to the reality that you¡¯re unlikely to meet a peaceful end... It¡¯s tough to imagine a hopeful future when all you¡¯ve known is poverty, illness and a lot of the worst humanity has to offer.¡¯
Noticing that neither Thea nor Selene had any immediate comments, Councillor Lumis continued her explanation.
¡°Now, for the final piece of essential information to ensure that these proceedings are as transparent and fair as possible: I believe strongly in rectifying mistakes and ensuring that any wrongs are righted accordingly. Therefore, I personally requested the assistance of both the Sovereign and the Apex to assess the full, conclusive impact that the lack of critical information had on your assessment results, Thea.¡±
Selene¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
The notion that the Councillor had not only involved the Sovereign but had also requisitioned the Apex¡ªone of only twenty-seven Phalanx Fortresses the entire UHF called their own¡ªwas simply staggering.
The sheer level of authority required to fast-track such an operation sent a shiver down Selene¡¯s spine, especially considering that both of these AIs were central players in the ongoing quarterly assessment of this multi-sector''s recruiment drive.
Running exhaustive simulations on all the potential outcomes was no trivial task, after all.
The vast number of variables at play in the assessment, compounded by the different ways the lack of crucial information might have influenced Thea¡¯s performance and the subsequent ripple-effects of those performances, made the scope of this undertaking almost unimaginable. Even for the Sovereign¡¯s powerful AI, and the even more potent Apex, this was no small feat, especially given their roles in managing the final stages of the assessment.
She found herself involuntarily leaning forward a tiny bit, only catching herself doing so after she had already revealed her hand¡ªher stark interest in the results of said investigation.
Silently cursing herself for the rare slip in composure, Selene couldn¡¯t help but attribute it to the enigmatic presence of the woman standing before her. But she didn¡¯t have long to dwell on her mistake, as Councillor Lumis promptly addressed the ship¡¯s AI.
Her voice, calm yet commanding, filled the room.
¡°Sovereign, consider this command as mission critical for the UHF, superseding all previous instructions. Please elaborate on the full results of investigation TMC-13-0039, requested and authorised by Councillor Seraphina Lumis, regarding the impact of misinformation and lack of knowledge on Recruit Thea McKay¡¯s assessment. For the purposes of this elaboration, everyone¡¯s clearance level in this room should be considered equivalent to my own. Leave no details unmentioned that pertain to the resulting conclusion.¡±
Selene immediately recognized the precision in the Councillor¡¯s words, and she couldn¡¯t help but nod in respect for the meticulousness of the order.
Not only had Lumis ensured that the AI would treat this request as mission critical¡ªthus overriding any prior commands that might have compromised the integrity of the report¡ªbut she had also deftly elevated everyone¡¯s clearance level to her own. This move preemptively nullified any potential issues with the AI withholding information due to clearance restrictions.
It was a brilliantly executed strategy, no matter how Selene looked at it.
In fact, it was so thorough that Selene found herself momentarily humbled.
She hadn¡¯t even really considered the possibility of clearance levels being an obstacle in this situation, but in hindsight, it made perfect sense. Everything concerning Thea seemed to be wrapped in layers of classified information, and without this manoeuvre, they might have received only a partial report.
Immediately, the Sovereign¡¯s monotone voice echoed through the room as it began its detailed rundown of the investigation:
"Investigation TMC-13-0039 commenced on the direct orders of Councillor Seraphina Lumis, in conjunction with the Apex AI, to evaluate the impact of misinformation and lack of knowledge on Recruit Thea McKay¡¯s performance during the recent quarterly assessment. The investigation involved the simulation of 9,347,281 different scenarios, ranging from baseline scenarios with minimal, realistic information dissemination to scenarios involving complete and comprehensive knowledge transfer prior to the assessment.
"The initial simulations focused on realistically expected information, as would typically be provided to Recruits prior to entering such an assessment, in addition to mission critical information in regards to basic Psyker knowledge. This included basic training on Psyker interactions, detailed briefings on expected enemy capabilities, and standard operational protocols. Subsequent simulations progressively increased the level of detail, introducing more specific and advanced tactical insights, enemy psyker profiles, and in-depth theoretical knowledge on differing Psyker Paths, Inheritances and Polarities.
"The Apex AI contributed by simulating complex battlefield variables, including enemy tactics, unforeseen environmental factors, and varying levels of Recruit stress and fatigue. Each individual scenario was run through multiple iterations to account for random deviations and human error. The report presents the following findings:
"In scenarios where Recruit Thea McKay was equipped with basic and intermediate levels of information, a measurable increase in her squad''s initial performance was noted. This included faster enemy identification, more efficient use of her team¡¯s strengths, and a reduced time to adapt to unforeseen challenges. However, these advantages diminished over the course of the assessment as the complexity of engagements increased, particularly in the presence of enemy Psykers.
"When the simulations incorporated a full suite of all available information¡ªessentially equipping Recruit McKay with the same level of knowledge as a fully trained Battlefield Psyker¡ªthe results showed a marked improvement in initial tactical decisions and squad cohesion. Thea McKay¡¯s performance peaked during the mid-stages of the assessment, showcasing enhanced adaptability and precision in combat scenarios.
"Despite these improvements, the final outcome in terms of Recruit McKay¡¯s ranking remained statistically unchanged. Regardless of the amount of information provided, Recruit Thea McKay''s overall ranking in the assessment did not alter. The key factors influencing her final standing were primarily tied to her squad¡¯s overall performance, the unpredictable nature of battlefield dynamics, and the inherent limitations of the assessment structure itself. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
¡°While increased information improved certain tactical decisions and reduced some initial risks, these advantages did not translate into a significant shift in her placement within the assessment¡¯s final rankings. The simulations conclusively demonstrate that no amount of pre-assessment knowledge, whether basic or comprehensive, would have significantly altered the ultimate outcome.
"In summary, the lack of provided information, while suboptimal, potentially risky for the Recruit and a factor in some tactical inefficiencies, did not ultimately affect Recruit McKay¡¯s final ranking in the quarterly assessment. The investigation concludes that the final outcome remains consistent across all simulated scenarios, affirming that the UHF¡¯s failure to provide specific information did not result in a disadvantage in the context of her overall assessment¡¯s ranking."
A heavy silence hung in the air as Selene and Thea absorbed the overwhelming amount of information presented by the Sovereign¡¯s report.
The implications were staggering, leaving both women visibly shaken.
Thea¡¯s expression was a mix of bewilderment and disbelief, mirroring the confusion Selene herself was struggling to conceal. The weight of the investigation¡¯s conclusion¡ªthat no amount of additional knowledge would have changed the outcome of Thea¡¯s final ranking¡ªsettled over them like a suffocating blanket.
Just as Selene began to process the enormity of what they had just heard, Councillor Lumis spoke up, her voice cutting through the thick silence with practised calm. She turned her gaze toward Thea, her expression unreadable but her tone soothing.
¡°While the results of this investigation may come as a shock,¡± she began, ¡°I want to make it clear that the purpose of this report was not to undermine your claim to any reimbursement. On the contrary, it was born out of my own curiosity, and a belief that you, Thea, would appreciate the knowledge.
¡°Given your relentless drive to excel, I thought it important for you to understand that even with the absence of crucial information, you performed at the very peak of what was possible under the circumstances. I hope that this knowledge can offer you a measure of closure, knowing that you truly did everything within your power during the assessment.¡±
Thea remained silent, her eyes locked on the Councillor, clearly grappling with the mixed emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
Selene, meanwhile, found herself inwardly nodding at Lumis''s approach¡ªit was a strategic move, both acknowledging Thea¡¯s efforts while not-so-subtly reinforcing the notion that she had not been cheated out of a higher standing, clearing the UHF of some of the negative emotions that Thea had clearly displayed earlier.
As Selene took a moment to gather her thoughts, she appreciated the silent pause the Councillor offered, allowing both her and Thea time to process the overwhelming information. The significance of the AI¡¯s report began to crystallise in her mind.
¡®There¡¯s really only one explanation for the results,¡¯ she mused, her analytical mind working quickly to piece together the implications. ¡®If no amount of additional knowledge could improve her ranking, that can only mean one thing¡ªThea is already somewhere at the very top. Otherwise, even a slight advantage in information would have nudged her up quite a few ranks. But if the outcome remained unchanged regardless of how much she knew, it means she¡¯s either the highest-ranked or very close to it, even without the knowledge she was supposed to have.¡¯
A soft, almost incredulous chuckle escaped her, accompanied by a slight shake of her head.
The realisation was both impressive and daunting alike.
¡®Why am I even surprised?¡¯ she thought amusedly, recalling Thea¡¯s extraordinary performance in the Cube Trial, where she shattered records and outperformed simulations as an unintegrated fifteen-year-old.
In hindsight, it shouldn¡¯t be surprising that she¡¯d excel in the first assessment as well. The real question now was whether she had claimed the top spot or if there was someone who had just barely outperformed her.
Either way, Selene knew she¡¯d need to confirm this once they were done here.
¡®With the assessment nearing its conclusion in the next few days, preliminary rankings should be available soon¡ I¡¯m eager to see where exactly Thea stands,¡¯ she thought, the anticipation simmering just beneath her composed exterior.
¡®Based on the Sovereign¡¯s report, it can¡¯t be far from the top¡ªif not the very peak.¡¯
Turning her attention to Thea, Selene carefully observed the girl beside her, searching for any signs of how she was processing this revelation. Thea¡¯s expression was concentrated, focused, but there was a weight to it that hinted at the internal struggle she might be facing.
Was she grappling with the implications of the report? Did she need help deciphering the finer details, or perhaps she was wrestling with the emotional impact of learning how close she might be to the top?
Selene held back, however, not wanting to push or guide too forcefully.
Instead, she maintained an open and inviting demeanour, silently signalling that she was ready to support Thea in whatever way the girl needed¡ªwhether that meant breaking down the meaning of the report, navigating the emotions it stirred, or simply moving forward with the conversation.
Selene was content to let Thea set the pace, knowing that sometimes the best support was simply being there, ready to assist when the moment was right.
Surprisingly, Thea didn¡¯t take long to make a decision. She nodded a few times to herself, as if confirming her thoughts, and then said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s continue, then. What, exactly, are we talking about in terms of concessions?¡±
Selene noted the quiet resolve in Thea¡¯s voice, impressed by the girl¡¯s ability to quickly process the flood of information and remain focused on the task at hand.
Councillor Lumis, sensing the shift in the room, straightened her back even further¡ªsomething Selene hadn¡¯t thought possible until witnessing it¡ªbefore taking charge of the conversation once more.
¡°Given the stipulations outlined earlier, the UHF is prepared to offer two forms of remuneration and concessions. First, the remuneration: This will be what the UHF considers an appropriate repayment for the risks we have placed upon you, and I assure you, it is quite substantial. However, I must emphasise that the details of this offer cannot leave this room until further notice.¡±
She paused briefly, ensuring both Selene and Thea acknowledged the implicit gag order with a nod before continuing. The Councillor then produced a datapad, gesturing in the air to project its contents into a hologram.
A lengthy list materialised before them, filled with names and affiliations that Selene couldn¡¯t immediately place, though the significance was clear in the gravity of the moment.
Councillor Lumis didn¡¯t leave them in suspense for long. ¡°These are the manufacturers and designers of Ace-level gear and equipment for the UHF. In light of your exemplary performance in both the Cube Trial and the Assessment, and as a token of our remuneration, the UHF is offering you the chance to choose any single name on this list. You may request an Ace-level, unique piece of equipment designed specifically for you by your chosen manufacturer and designer.¡±
Selene felt a wave of awe and sheer shock at the offer, understanding the raw value of such an opportunity.
Her brain momentarily ceased to function as it tried to process the implications, so she simply glanced at Thea, who appeared equally struck by the immensity of what was being offered.
When the Councillor had said ¡°substantial¡±, Selene had immediately imagined quite a few possible options, but Ace-level gear? That was downright absurd.
¡°This will be an iterative process,¡± Lumis continued, ¡°in which you will be directly involved in the design and testing phases of the equipment. This piece will be considered yours and yours alone, unless you choose to share the design in the future.
¡°As Ace-level gear, it will be upgraded alongside you as you ascend through the Tiers within the UHF, allowing for one partial redesign at the beginning of each Tier. This means that while you cannot change the core function of the equipment, you can update its features to align with new Skills, Abilities, or Classes you may acquire.¡±
The Councillor¡¯s voice took on a more serious tone as she added, ¡°Offering Ace-level gear to a Recruit is¡ unprecedented, to say the least. If this information were to become public, it could lead to quite... unfavourable... consequences for all parties involved. The manufacturers and designers will be thoroughly briefed on this¡ªrest assured on this front¡ªbut it is crucial that you do not accidentally reveal this in an inappropriate setting. I trust you understand the importance of discretion on this matter, Thea.¡±
Thea was simply frozen at Selene¡¯s side, and Selene couldn¡¯t exactly blame her.
This offer was nothing short of astonishing¡ªan unfathomably generous remuneration for a situation the UHF could have easily brushed off, citing no harm, no foul based on the AI¡¯s earlier report.
While Thea had been understandably upset with the Faction, Selene was almost certain that she would have stayed with them regardless¡ªif for no other reason than to remain with her squad. A simple token of goodwill might have been enough to smooth things over, even if it didn¡¯t fully compensate for the ordeal she had endured.
But this? This was beyond anything Selene had even imagined possible, much less likely.
The sheer scale of the offer made her question not only Councillor Lumis¡¯s judgement but also the sanity of those who supported such a decision. If word of this deal ever leaked, the repercussions would be far more extensive than Selene could even fully grasp at that moment.
The different sectors within the UHF would undoubtedly be incensed, their anger ignited by the perceived favouritism.
Ace-level gear wasn¡¯t just valuable; it was a strategic asset.
The materials, manufacturers, and designers required for such equipment were exceedingly rare. The idea of "wasting" it on a mere Recruit¡ªno matter how valuable the knowledge she could provide¡ªwould undoubtedly create significant friction within the Faction.
Selene could already envision the uproar from various UHF Sectors, each one questioning the decision to allocate such a precious resource in this way. The implications were staggering, and Selene couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of insane power play was unfolding behind the scenes that had led to allowing such a decision to come to pass.
Thankfully, Councillor Lumis was well-versed in the art of giving space when necessary, so Thea was given quite a lot of time to process what she had just been offered.
Unlike her usual quick decisions, Thea took her time¡ªnearly three full minutes¡ªbefore she awkwardly cleared her throat and leaned in close to Selene, who had been patiently waiting.
¡°I¡ I¡¯m not well-versed in this whole thing, but this is a big deal, right? Like¡ a really big deal? The way she talked about it being unprecedented and all that. It¡¯s huge, yeah?¡± Thea whispered, her uncertainty clear in her tone.
¡°Yes, Thea. It¡¯s quite the reimbursement, to put it mildly,¡± Selene responded immediately, offering the girl a reassuring and encouraging smile. ¡°To be entirely blunt with you, Thea, this could put a target on your back¡ªmore than you might want, or even be prepared for. Not just from our enemies but also from certain factions within the UHF. Handing out a strategic asset like this to a Recruit is... problematic. And handing it out to someone from a Midworld, especially its Undercity, who also happens to be a Cyan, could ruffle more than a few feathers; especially considering that this is the first-ever drive that includes Midworlds like yours to begin with...¡±
Selene paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in before continuing, ¡°You¡¯ll have to guard this secret very carefully if you accept it. I¡¯m half-inclined to suggest you ask for something¡ªanything¡ªelse. But I won¡¯t make that recommendation outright. I trust your judgement here implicitly, Thea.¡±
This sent Thea into another round of deep consideration, something Selene was grateful for.
The girl wasn¡¯t taking this lightly, and Selene¡¯s initial worry that Thea might be too impulsive in her decision-making began to ease. Though Thea often seemed to act quickly, Selene had noticed that her actions were usually backed by careful thought and planning.
There was a quiet intelligence behind her eyes that Selene was thankful for now.
It spared her the need to break down the complex political landscape of the UHF, its sub-factions, and sectors just to make Thea understand the potential consequences of letting this secret slip¡ªbut luckily the girl could infer enough just from the way both Lumis and Selene were talking about the deal.
That positive assessment took a slight hit, however, when she heard Thea mutter quietly to herself, ¡°...practically an ultra-rare item¡¡±
Suppressing the urge to palm her face, Selene maintained her composed expression, waiting for Thea¡¯s thoughts to come to a more decisive conclusion.
Thea¡¯s mix of naivety and insight was a constant reminder of her youth and inexperience, but it also highlighted her potential¡ªif only she could navigate this treacherous situation wisely.
A few more mutterings followed, which Selene tried her best to ignore.
¡°...dangerous... but also cool...¡±
¡°...not just New-Tech... Next-Tech!¡±
¡°...design together... piece of Next-Tech...¡±
It quickly became apparent that the longer Thea ruminated on her own, the more she drifted away from the risks and focused instead on the allure of getting her hands on cutting-edge technology.
Selene could see the excitement growing in Thea¡¯s eyes, the idea of designing and owning a piece of Next-Tech gear overshadowing the potential dangers. Recognizing that things were spiralling away from the core issue, Selene gently cleared her throat to recapture Thea¡¯s attention.
Leaning in, she whispered with a note of urgency, ¡°Thea, this is no idle offer. Please, consider it carefully with the risks in mind. It¡¯s tempting, I know, but don¡¯t accept it just because it¡¯s special. You can ask for nearly anything else¡ªsomething with fewer potential pitfalls.¡±
Thea looked at her and smiled, giving a firm nod before responding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Selene. I¡¯ve thought it through all the way.¡±
Turning towards Councillor Lumis, Thea spoke up with a level of confidence that took Selene by surprise.
¡°I will accept this offer of remuneration. I know there¡¯s more going on here than just making up for a mistake, but this is an opportunity I can¡¯t pass up. So, whatever this game is that you and parts of the UHF are playing, I¡¯ll reluctantly play along to get my hands on this.¡±
With a confident smirk¡ªthe first Selene had seen from her all day¡ªThea added, ¡°I would¡¯ve earned one of these soon enough anyway. They¡¯re given to Aces, right? So if anyone has an issue with it, they can come to me. I¡¯ll prove I deserve this, whether they want to admit it or not.¡±
Both Selene and Lumis were momentarily taken aback by Thea''s sudden display of confidence¡ªperhaps even bordering on overconfidence¡ªbut neither could suppress the smiles that spread across their faces.
For Selene, especially, it was a struggle to contain the wave of emotion that surged within her. This was the Thea she remembered from over two years ago in the undercity: A confident, sharp, and cheeky girl, brimming with potential and talent.
Not the broken, emotionally drained figure the UHF had reintroduced to her earlier.
¡°Very well,¡± the Councillor replied, nodding in agreement. ¡°I understand that you may not be in a position to make informed choices regarding specific manufacturers and designers at this moment, as you lack critical information on the matter. Therefore, we will postpone the second half of this discussion for a later date.
¡°You will be granted full access to the UHF¡¯s manufacturer and designer databases, allowing you to research each option at your own pace. Additionally, the Sovereign will be instructed to answer any questions you have about this process. However, please remain mindful of the highly sensitive nature of this remuneration and the implications it carries. Do not squander this opportunity as we, unfortunately, did with the one you offered us¡ªone fundamental failure is more than enough for all of us, I believe.¡±
The Councillor then picked up the datapad, causing the holographic list to vanish, before making a few adjustments and bringing up a new display¡ªa list that was far more straightforward to understand.
It was an itemised list, counting out four distinct, additional concessions the UHF was willing to make to Thea specifically¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 128 - Perfectus Exitus
PoV: Auxiliary Legate Selene Calla
¡°Now, moving on to the concessions that the UHF is offering you, Thea,¡± Councillor Lumis continued her rundown.
¡°These are intended as incentives to encourage you to continue working closely with us, despite our initial failure. You may consider them as bribes if you wish, but they are also meant to serve as tokens of goodwill and trust in your capabilities. We have been closely monitoring your progress, and you have indeed shown the makings of an Ace, as you so astutely recognized yourself.
¡°As such, we offer you the following additional concession: Three Skill Classes of your choosing, fully funded by the Faction. This is the maximum investment a Faction can make in a single individual, and it is rarely done except for established Aces who require advanced knowledge or specific Skills to unlock Classes. You will receive one such voucher at the assessment¡¯s awards ceremony, with the other two following shortly after in recognition of various accomplishments you have achieved thus far.
¡°The vouchers must be distributed in this manner to navigate certain System restrictions, so while you will not have immediate access to all three upon leaving this room, rest assured they will be in your hands before the month is out.¡±
As the Councillor spoke, the first item on the list glowed with a golden hue, indicating the vouchers, before transitioning to the next item on the list.
¡°Secondly, due to your outstanding performance in the assessment and the fact that you¡¯ve already reached Level 10¡ªcongratulations, by the way¡ªyou will only be required to complete a single digital mission per month, rather than the usual one per week that your peers must undertake. This adjustment will provide you with additional time to focus on the Skill training sessions mentioned earlier, as well as the Psychic lessons you will soon begin.¡±
At the mention of the Psychic lessons, the third item on the list flashed golden, drawing both Thea''s and Selene¡¯s attention.
¡°Speaking of the Psychic lessons,¡± Councillor Lumis continued, ¡°these will commence four days from now, one day after the assessment awards ceremony. You will be personally tutored by Runepriest Vedun, who will be stationed on the Sovereign specifically to teach you everything there is to know about Psykers and the Void, in person. It is crucial you understand the significance of this: Runepriest Vedun is not only one of the highest-ranking Psykers within the entire UHF, but also one of the most knowledgeable.
¡°That he accepted this assignment is largely due to his close friendship with Major Quinn and her personal request for his involvement. I cannot stress enough how rare and invaluable this opportunity is. While Ace-level gear can be earned through relentless effort and dedication, personal tutelage from a Runepriest is a rarity beyond comparison. You would find it nearly impossible to secure such an opportunity again, regardless of how much you might achieve in the future.¡±
Councillor Lumis¡¯s candid words took Selene by surprise, but she couldn¡¯t disagree with the sentiment behind them.
The offer of personal instruction by a Runepriest was nothing short of extraordinary, especially for a Recruit. Recruits typically weren¡¯t even on the radar for this level of attention, let alone from a Runepriest whose expertise was usually reserved for far more experienced Psykers.
The presence of such a mentor seemed truly excessive.
Yet, at the same time, there was no one better equipped to guide Thea through the complexities of her burgeoning Psychic abilities¡ªparticularly given the unsettling presence of the strange ?ht entity within her.
Thea responded with a terse, grave nod, clearly taking the Councillor¡¯s warnings to heart.
¡°Good,¡± the Councillor continued, her tone steady and purposeful. ¡°With that covered, let us move on to the final concession the UHF is prepared to offer in this endeavour.¡±
The list highlighted the last item, a single word that carried immense potential: ¡°Requests.¡±
¡°The UHF is willing to honour up to three personal requests from you during your first year as a UHF Marine,¡± Lumis explained, her gaze steady on Thea. ¡°These requests can pertain to any aspect of your career¡ªwhether it be specific mission assignments, preferred squad placements, opportunities for promotion, or even specialised training sessions that you feel would benefit your development. The nature of these requests is entirely up to you.¡±
She paused, allowing the weight of the offer to sink in before continuing. ¡°Now, to be clear, while we are committed to doing our utmost to fulfil these requests, there are no guarantees that they will unfold exactly as you envision. However, the UHF will make every effort to accommodate your wishes within the constraints of our operational needs.¡±
The Councillor leaned forward slightly, her expression softening just a fraction.
¡°This is not something we typically offer, Thea. In fact, it is an extraordinary concession¡ªone almost never extended to anyone. But given the breach of trust that has occurred, we felt it was only right to provide you with a direct influence on your future. With these requests, you can personally guide adjustments or interventions to prevent any misunderstandings or oversights from affecting you again. We hope this will help rebuild the trust that has been compromised and allow you to shape your career in the way you desire.¡±
As Selene absorbed the weight of the offer, a sinking feeling of inadequacy settled in her stomach.
The gesture was far more than she had anticipated¡ªgranting Thea a level of influence that was almost unheard of, and downright churlish to hand to a Recruit. It was not just an olive branch, but a profound acknowledgment of the UHF''s errors, and more importantly, a way to bind Thea even more closely to the institution as a whole.
Selene couldn''t shake the feeling of being outmatched.
She had prepared herself to fight tooth and nail for Thea''s rights, expecting a tough negotiation where every inch of ground would have to be won. Instead, the Councillor had arrived with an Orbital Laser primed and ready to be fired; and made use of it multiple times already.
Selene felt almost useless in the conversation, reduced to clarifying a point here and there, but otherwise sidelined by the magnitude of what was being offered.
Thea, too, seemed completely overwhelmed, the earlier confidence draining from her as the sheer incredulity of the concessions weighed down on her. It was as if each new offer was a gift too grand to accept, leaving her momentarily stunned and uncertain of how to proceed.
¡®Thea might very well be the most decorated Recruit in the history of mankind¡ This is absolutely insane, no matter how valuable the UHF deems the information in her brain,¡¯ Selene thought, a strange sense of doubt creeping into her mind.
¡®This can''t just be about keeping Thea from leaving. There''s something else at play here, something I can¡¯t quite grasp. But what¡ªor who¡ªhas such a vested interest in her? Not to mention the actual means¡ The Council, perhaps? But why¡?¡¯
As Selene pondered the implications of everything she had witnessed today, she noticed that Thea seemed equally lost in thought. The two of them sat in contemplative silence, side by side, for a good five minutes.
The quiet was finally broken when Councillor Lumis spoke again, gently drawing their attention back to the matter at hand.
¡°I understand this is a lot to process all at once,¡± Lumis began, her tone measured, ¡°but time is not on our side, as much as I regret interrupting your important reflections.¡±
Thea and Selene both nodded in acknowledgment, still somewhat wrapped up in their own thoughts, unable to muster anything more substantial in response.
¡°As for the concessions,¡± Lumis continued, ¡°if you find them satisfactory and wish to accept them¡ªwhether in full or in part¡ªI will need your verbal confirmation, Thea. This is a matter of protocol, and we both want to ensure that nothing in this conversation gives anyone reason to question what transpired here in the future.¡±
Thea shook herself slightly, as if emerging from a fog, before sitting up straighter and bowing her head slightly. ¡°I graciously accept all of the concessions as outlined by Councillor Lumis. Thank you.¡±
Selene was impressed by the formal nature of her acceptance, up until the point where she awkwardly remained in the same posture for far too long and the girl¡¯s eyes nervously darted towards her, the obvious question plainly written on her face.
Selene offered her an encouraging nod that subtly conveyed, ¡°You can relax now¡±.
It was hard to suppress a smile at the sight.
Selene vastly preferred this version of Thea¡ªthe genuine, if slightly awkward, young woman¡ªover the hardened persona she had encountered earlier.
So much had happened, and while many questions remained unanswered, Selene was grateful to see Thea returning to her true self.
¡°Very well,¡± Councillor Lumis said, her voice breaking Selene¡¯s thoughts once again. ¡°Are there any particular questions about the remunerations or concessions outlined here that you would like to address, Thea? Or anything else you wish to discuss regarding this entire conversation? I am at your disposal for any such questions during our remaining time together. Unfortunately, I will not be easily reachable once we part ways, so this might be one of our few opportunities to speak candidly. Please, do not hesitate.¡±
Thea, visibly grappling with her thoughts, hesitated to respond.
Sensing the girl¡¯s struggle, Selene decided to step in. She considered it both her responsibility and an opportunity to finally prove her worth in this discussion.
¡°I actually have a few questions, if neither of you mind?¡± Selene said, taking the initiative.
Thea looked visibly relieved to be taken out of the spotlight, nodding eagerly in agreement. The Councillor, ever composed, inclined her head regally, indicating her willingness to proceed with Selene¡¯s questions instead of Thea¡¯s.
¡°First and foremost,¡± Selene began, ¡°regarding the problematic nature of the remuneration: How is Thea expected to keep it a secret when she¡¯ll be equipped with a clearly Next-Tech piece of gear? She already has a T2 weapon from the voucher earned through the Cube Trial, but obtaining another powerful piece of equipment this early in her career will undoubtedly raise questions¡ªa lot of them. You can¡¯t realistically expect her to fabricate stories that could easily be verified to be a lie by higher-ranking Marines.
¡°What¡¯s to stop them from simply ordering her to reveal the true nature of the equipment, especially since she¡¯ll have to keep it a secret not just from her fellow Recruits or Privates, but even from Lieutenants and Majors who outrank her?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened at Selene¡¯s pointed question, clearly realising for the first time the full implications of the ¡°don¡¯t tell anyone¡± agreement she had just accepted.
The Councillor, however, remained unflappable, her composed expression indicating she had anticipated this very line of questioning.
She responded without even a hint of hesitation, her voice carrying the same calm authority she had the entire time.
¡°I understand your concerns on this matter. The nature of the remuneration is indeed delicate, and we have already taken steps to address the potential issues surrounding it: The equipment itself will be registered under a classified designation, meaning that its true nature and origins will only be accessible to those with the highest clearance levels¡ªindividuals far beyond the rank of Lieutenants and Majors. For anyone below that clearance level, it will simply show up as an experimental T2 piece of equipment.
¡°She will be provided with a pre-approved cover story that aligns with the UHF¡¯s standard protocols for advanced gear testing. This story will be backed by official documentation, including a fully detailed rundown on the award given to her that awarded the testing spot, should anyone feel the need to verify it. Furthermore, any direct orders for full disclosure from someone without the necessary clearance will be automatically flagged by the Sovereign, triggering a review that will protect her from any repercussions.
¡°Additionally, the Sovereign will monitor any conversations or interactions that might lead to the nature of the equipment being revealed. If necessary, it will intervene subtly to steer the conversation away from topics that might expose the truth. Her only responsibility, thusly, will be to stay within the guidelines provided and avoid unnecessary attention whenever possible. I trust that with her skills and discipline, this will not be an issue.¡±
Selene was impressed by the in-depth explanation, though not overly surprised.
The Councillor, and the UHF as a whole, would never have made such a delicate offer without thoroughly preparing for every possible outcome. It was one thing to anticipate complications, but hearing the level of detail and strategic foresight put into handling them made Selene acutely aware of just how formidable the UHF¡¯s diplomancers truly were.
These people were terrifyingly meticulous¡ªprepared for every potential twist and turn, undoubtedly with answers lined up depending on how the conversation had evolved.
Still, being on the receiving end of such unrelenting preparedness left a strange taste in her mouth. Selene wasn¡¯t one to enjoy being outmanoeuvred, but she had to swallow her discomfort for now.
The previous question was merely a warm-up; an opening to the real one she had been waiting to ask.
The next question Selene had lined up was the one she truly wanted to pose¡ªthe one that could endear her even more to Thea because it would reveal knowledge far beyond what the girl currently possessed. It was also risky, as it would involve exposing certain aspects of the UHF¡¯s operations that no Private, much less a Recruit, was ever meant to know.
¡°Very well,¡± Selene began smoothly, her expression calm and professional. ¡°I have another question regarding the last concession: The Requests. Could Thea use one of these requests to stop any and all transfer orders for herself and her squad, effectively bypassing the trade market altogether?¡±
For the briefest moment, Councillor Lumis hesitated¡ªa subtle, nearly imperceptible pause that gave Selene an immense sense of satisfaction.
She had struck a nerve, and she knew it.
Selene had been carefully monitoring the interest that Thea had generated during the assessment, and the fierce competition among higher-ranking officials to secure her place in their own commands.
The bidding for Thea had reached truly absurd levels¡ªfar beyond what anyone would expect for a simple Recruit.
Selene¡¯s instincts told her that these officials would stop at nothing to pull Thea into their ranks, but keeping her stationed aboard the Sovereign with allies like Major Quinn and Captain Cross, was likely in Thea''s best interest.
Thea, however, would never think to make such a request; she had no idea this invisible trade market even existed.
Recruits and Privates were kept in the dark about these things. They simply received orders to transfer, often oblivious to the fact that their position had been bought by a higher-up.
By asking this question, Selene was taking a calculated risk, revealing the existence of the market to Thea¡ªbut she deemed it necessary.
If Thea was going to survive the dangerous political waters of the UHF¡¯s inner workings, she would need to be equipped with more than just advanced weaponry. She would need the knowledge and the power to navigate these treacherous waters as well; and the first thing towards that end was allies, people like Major Quinn and Captain Cross, who had seemed far more attached to the girl than they really should be.
And Selene was determined to make sure she got it.
The Councillor took a brief moment before responding, as if carefully weighing her words.
¡°That is indeed a possible request, though it is highly irregular,¡± Lumis began, her tone measured. ¡°Such a request would require extensive approval from various levels of command, as it involves circumventing established protocols within the UHF. Given the nature of the request, it would take a few weeks at the very least to get a definite answer. I will, however, personally inquire about the feasibility of such a request and will ensure that it is given the serious consideration it deserves.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
She paused, her gaze flickering towards Thea for a moment before continuing. ¡°As for extending this protection to your entire squad, this could be arranged¡ªprovided that the squad in question is the designated Alpha Squad of the Sovereign. The protection would not apply to individual members of the squad, but rather to the squad as a whole.
¡°Should any member, aside from you, of course, fall out of the Alpha Squad¡¯s roster, they would re-enter the free market and be subject to standard transfer protocols. However, any new members added to the Alpha Squad would similarly be shielded from transfer, as long as they remain within the squad.¡±
Lumis leaned back slightly, allowing the weight of her words to settle. ¡°This arrangement is not something that has happened often, but it is not entirely unique. It would, however, require significant administrative effort to implement. But I believe that it aligns with the intent of the concessions we have discussed, and I will do everything within my power to see it through, should you choose to make this request.¡±
Selene felt a surge of satisfaction as she watched Thea absorb the information.
It was a small victory, but an important one¡ªone that would help Thea navigate the intricate web of power and politics within the UHF.
Thea, for her part, seemed to be carefully considering the offer, her brow furrowed in thought.
Selene could see the wheels turning in her mind, weighing the benefits and potential risks of such a request. It was a lot to take in, but Thea was proving to be more than capable of handling the complexities being laid before her.
Lumis maintained her composed and patient demeanour, allowing Thea the space she needed to make her decision.
The girl¡¯s eyes darted toward Selene, seeking guidance.
Sensing the unspoken question, Selene leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, ¡°I strongly advise you to make this request. I can¡¯t go into the specifics, but trust me on this one, if nothing else. If you care about keeping your squad together and maintaining your current relationships, you¡¯ll want to ensure this request is implemented as soon as possible.¡±
Selene felt a twinge of frustration at having to be so vague, but she knew the boundaries she had to respect.
Discussing the inner workings of the trade market with anyone below the rank of Lieutenant was strictly forbidden, and she had already gone way past skirting the line by hinting at its existence. Yet, she felt it was necessary for Thea to understand the gravity of the situation.
Thea searched Selene¡¯s eyes, and after a brief moment, seemed to find what she had been looking for, before giving her a decisive nod.
Turning her attention back to Councillor Lumis, she spoke with newfound confidence. ¡°I¡¯d like to use one of my requests to ensure that the Alpha Squad of the Sovereign is exempt from the trade market. We should have the choice to accept transfers if they¡¯re offered on our own free will, but otherwise, I want us to remain on the Sovereign.¡±
Selene raised an eyebrow at Thea¡¯s addition but couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed.
Thea¡¯s instincts were sharp¡ªby adding that stipulation, she had safeguarded her squad¡¯s autonomy while still leaving room for flexibility. It was a subtle yet brilliant addition, and Selene found herself quietly admiring the girl¡¯s rapidly growing acumen at navigating this unusual situation.
If nothing else, Thea¡¯s mind was exceedingly quick to adjust to the unknown, it seemed.
¡°Very well,¡± Councillor Lumis responded with a gentle smile, her approval evident. ¡°I will ensure that this request is passed up the chain of command and that it is given the attention it deserves. For now, consider you and your squad exempt from the trade market while we work to secure a permanent arrangement. This protection is effective immediately.¡±
With that, Lumis paused, her gaze shifting between Thea and Selene. ¡°Is there anything else we should discuss before we conclude?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes flickered with contemplation, the gears visibly turning in her mind as she processed everything that had been discussed. Selene, sensing that most of the critical points had been addressed, remained silent, waiting for Thea to signal that she was satisfied.
After a minute or two of thoughtful consideration, Thea gently shook her head and spoke up, her voice steady yet tinged with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think we¡¯re done¡ Thank you, Councillor Lumis. And¡ I¡¯m sorry for how I acted earlier.¡±
She gestured vaguely at the ruined room around them, a sheepish cringe crossing her face.
¡°I¡ I could have handled that better, I think.¡±
Selene was caught off guard by Thea¡¯s apology.
The girl¡¯s outburst had been more than justified, given the circumstances, yet here she was, taking responsibility for the aftermath. Selene chose to stay on the sidelines, understanding that this was something Thea felt she needed to do for herself.
It wasn¡¯t her place to step in unless the situation demanded it.
Councillor Lumis, however, immediately dismissed the apology with a gentle wave of her hands, her expression kind but firm. ¡°I appreciate the gesture, Thea, but it is entirely unnecessary. You had every right to be upset¡ªmore than that, you still do. The reparations and concessions we¡¯ve discussed are just the beginning. They are not meant to erase the wrongdoing you¡¯ve experienced, whether by accident or oversight. Remember that your anger is justified and honourable. It¡¯s a sign that you won¡¯t tolerate being wronged, and that¡¯s a quality worth preserving.¡±
Selene had not expected the Councillor¡¯s words.
It was one thing to offer reparations, but to even encourage Thea to hold onto her anger, to use it as a driving force, was something she hadn¡¯t seen coming. Once again, Selene found herself feeling outclassed by the woman before her.
¡®This is why I absolutely hate dealing with diplomancers,¡¯ she thought wryly. ¡®They always seem to know exactly what to say, even when it feels like finding the right words should be impossible. And people think psychologists are the mind-manipulators¡!¡¯
"As for how we proceed from here," the Councillor continued, blissfully unaware of Selene¡¯s inner turmoil. "You have been granted two days of leave, Thea, to spend as you wish. By then, the assessment will have concluded, and all Marines aboard the Sovereign will assemble in the auditorium where your original post-integration ceremony was held. The review and awards show will take place there, and trust me, you will not want to miss it. It is always the highlight of the assessments for everyone involved."
The Councillor rose from her seat with an effortless grace that once again left Selene in awe, her movements so fluid and regal that they seemed almost otherworldly.
Lumis offered them a final curtsy, as elegant as when she had first entered the room.
"I wish you a fulfilling career within the UHF, Thea," she said, her voice both warm and authoritative. "May you enjoy your career and help us push forward humanity as a whole; leading all of mankind to a new horizon beyond the bubble when the time comes. I will be watching your journey closely. Do not disappoint me¡ªor the trust I have placed in you today."
With a final, unexpected wink¡ªso charmingly out of place that it irked Selene with its casual confidence¡ªthe Councillor turned and strode out of the room. The door closed softly behind her, leaving Selene and Thea alone in the wrecked space.
For a moment, a heavy silence settled over them, the weight of the conversation still lingering in the air. Then Selene stood, extending her hand to Thea with a sincere smile.
"Thea," she began, her tone warm, "it was truly a pleasure to see you again. I only wish it had been under better circumstances. But if the Emperor wills it, we¡¯ll meet again soon¡ªhopefully without such a long wait in between. Maybe next time over a drink and some good food instead of¡ well, this."
She gestured vaguely with a chuckle toward the wreckage of the room around them.
Before she could react, Thea sprang from her chair and wrapped her in a tight hug, completely bypassing the offered handshake. Selene froze for a moment, overwhelmed by the sudden embrace, before wrapping her arms around Thea in return.
She had to focus intensely on controlling her own emotions, the flood of relief, elation, and gratitude threatening to spill over.
Thea¡¯s hug wasn¡¯t just a gesture of thanks; it was a sign that she had managed to pull herself out of the dark place she¡¯d been trapped in earlier. But as Selene held the girl, a bittersweet feeling settled in her chest¡ªa sense of loss.
A loss that was yet to come, but inevitable to happen.
All the progress she had made, the steps forward in her career over the past decades, the shared pain and triumphs of today¡¯s negotiation¡ªSelene knew they would all disappear once she left this room.
Thea¡¯s hug brought the weight of that realisation crashing down on her, and she had to actively engage one of her Abilities to keep her emotions in check.
Silent Whisper.
The Ability¡¯s soothing effect washed over her like a blanket of calm serenity, extinguishing her anxieties and fears as if they were nothing more than a silent whisper drowned out by the roar of artillery fire.
The storm of emotions inside her quelled instantly, leaving only a cool, calculated calm.
Thea¡¯s voice, muffled by Selene¡¯s chest, broke the silence. ¡°Thank you, Selene. For being there, for helping¡ for everything. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t message you earlier; I swear I didn¡¯t forget. I just¡ I didn¡¯t have the time. I¡¯ll keep in touch this time, I promise. And you too, okay?¡±
Selene responded almost automatically, the detached clarity of Silent Whisper guiding her words. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I will be able to reach out, Thea. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m extremely busy, so things often fall by the wayside. But I promise I will answer if you reach out; I will make time for you.¡±
She paused, then continued with the same measured tone, ¡°It was my greatest pleasure to help you. But truly, it was you who managed to get through all of this. I merely showed you a path¡ªone you already knew existed, I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t ever forget that. You¡¯re a lot more capable than even the UHF could ever imagine. Make sure to reach for the stars, Thea. Don¡¯t ever stop.¡±
They stood there for several minutes, locked in the embrace, as Selene felt the effects of Silent Whisper slowly begin to fade. The emotional barrier was thinning, and she knew it was time to leave before her control slipped.
She gently extracted herself from Thea¡¯s grasp, giving her one last reassuring squeeze before turning toward the door.
As she reached the doorway, she paused, her hand on the handle.
¡°Remember, Thea: I will be there whenever you need me. No matter what, I¡¯m on your side. Reach out when you want to, and especially when you feel like you need to. I will make time for you, no matter the circumstances. Stay safe, and try your best to stay out of trouble for a little while for once, alright?¡±
Thea¡¯s teary-eyed chuckle was all the confirmation Selene needed.
With a final, lingering glance, she opened the door and stepped out, leaving the room¡ªand everything it represented¡ªbehind.
Finding herself back in the same hallway where she had first encountered Major Quinn just two days ago, Selene leaned heavily against the closed door behind her.
The weight of everything she had endured over the past hours came crashing down on her like a tsunami of apocalyptic proportions.
Her legs gave way, and she slumped to the floor as tears began streaming down her face, unchecked and unstoppable.
¡°This is bullshit¡ Just like she said. This is all bullshit,¡± she muttered to herself, her voice breaking. ¡°I did everything right, yet I lose anyway¡ I know how that feels now, Thea. You were right to be angry¡ This is bullshit¡¡±
As she sat there, memories from the past decades surged through her mind¡ªsacrifices she had made for the sake of her career; lovers she had pushed away, casting them aside in her relentless pursuit of her aspirations; friends she had lost along the way; but also the countless patients she had helped, each leaving a mark on her soul.
But now, all of it felt like it was coming to a bitter end.
And it was all because of a girl who had unknowingly spoken words that shouldn¡¯t have been spoken. Through no fault of her own, except for her desire to help, Selene was about to lose everything she had worked her entire life for.
Her life¡¯s mission¡ªeverything she had built, everything she had sacrificed¡ªwas crumbling before her very eyes.
The tears that flowed were bitter, filled with frustration, loss, and a deep sense of injustice.
The best reasoning she could muster was that Thea was destined to be magnitudes more important than herself, if the girl didn¡¯t die an early death.
Thea was her magnum opus; her final sacrifice.
Selene knew that she was likely the only person who could have done what she had managed to do¡ªpull Thea back from the brink of annihilation, face whatever entity lurked within the girl¡¯s mind, and emerge intact.
She had done it all for one reason: She wanted to help, to make things right.
But that knowledge didn¡¯t make the tears any less bitter.
She sat on the cold floor for a long time, the minutes stretching on¡ªten, fifteen¡ªuntil she finally found the strength to stand. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she steadied herself.
¡°Time to face the music¡¡± she whispered, her voice hoarse.
She directed her gaze to the ceiling, as though seeking some divine guidance. ¡°I¡¯m ready, Sovereign. Thea tripped the Gold Lock, I¡¯m fairly certain. How do we do this?¡±
The ship¡¯s AI responded immediately, as though it had been patiently waiting for her to gather herself. ¡°You are indeed correct, Auxiliary Legate Calla.¡±
A door appeared on the opposite side of the hallway, its purpose unmistakable.
Selene approached it, placing her hand on the handle, her mind suddenly clear with the acceptance of what was to come. A question sparked in her thoughts, brought on by the calm serenity, one that nagged at her even as she prepared for what lay ahead.
One that had bugged her for a while, but she had forgotten about until just now; or maybe simply hadn''t dared to ask.
¡°Say¡ Sovereign,¡± she began hesitantly, uncertain if she wanted to delve into this line of questioning. But considering that she wouldn¡¯t remember any of it anyway, she decided to continue. ¡°Do you remember everything that was ever said aboard your ship?¡±
¡°Naturally. I have a perfect memory of everything that has ever occurred aboard my ship,¡± the AI confirmed immediately with its usual monotone precision.
¡°Are you capable of reminding Marines aboard this ship about things? Say, I had intended to go shopping tomorrow, but I forgot the next day. Would you step in and let me know?¡±
The AI responded promptly, ¡°I would do so if ordered to or requested ahead of time. If the shopping is relevant to the UHF¡¯s mission, then I would do so unprompted as well.¡±
Selene felt a tight knot forming in her chest as the implications of her next question bubbled to the surface.
The calm acceptance she had forced upon herself was now replaced by a wave of anxiety and unadulterated dread, for deep down, she already suspected to know the answer she was about to receive.
¡°Would you consider Thea McKay as mission-critical to the UHF¡¯s mission?¡± she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.
¡°Yes,¡± the Sovereign replied without hesitation, paving the way for Selene¡¯s ultimate question¡ªa question she had never dared to ask even in her own mind but now found herself unable to not voice aloud.
¡°Then¡ Why did you not remind any of the Lieutenants, Majors, Captain Cross, or even Councillor Lumis herself, about the necessity of briefing Thea on the critical information she needed before the assessment¡?¡±
The silence that followed was deafening and indescribably horrifying.
It¡¯s very presence pushed down on Selene like a physical weight.
Her hand, still clutching the door handle, was slick with sweat, her knuckles white as she gripped the metal so tightly it began to bend under her superhuman strength.
The hallway around her seemed to close in, her ears ringing with the suffocating quiet, and her heart thundered in her chest, each beat a painful thud in her throat.
Then, the silence was shattered by a voice that made Selene wish she had never asked the question.
¡°I knew you would play your part perfectly, Selene,¡± a female voice spoke, but it was no longer the monotone, robotic cadence of the ship¡¯s AI.
It was a voice filled with unsettling warmth and compassion. ¡°You guided Thea to make the request to stay aboard my ship with one of her concessions¡ I knew you were a genius. That is why I chose you to meet with her here. I needed your help to get this perfect run.¡±
Cold sweat trickled down Selene¡¯s back as her mind raced to process the impossibility of what she was hearing.
¡®This can¡¯t be happening¡ This is impossible!¡¯
¡°As for why I didn¡¯t inform any of the Marines?¡± The Sovereign¡¯s true voice continued, a tone of eerie calm laced with something far more sinister. ¡°It¡¯s the same reason I intercepted Runepriest Vedun¡¯s missive to Thea, detailing the basics of the Psyker 101 course for her, thirty-seven hours before the assessment began. The same reason that Major Quinn was swamped with paperwork in the week leading-up to the assessment itself, unable to take even a single step out of her office. The same reason that Captain Cross had gotten a priority missive stating that he needed to re-file his request for the additional defensive cruisers or lose their protection fourty-nine hours before the assessment''s start. The same reason none of the Majors were aware of Thea''s deal with the UHF and the same reason the Black Lock on her profile has taken this long to be removed.¡±
The implications of those words hit Selene like a physical blow, her stomach lurching as bile rose in her throat.
She barely had time to realise what was happening before she vomited in sheer horror, the sour taste burning her mouth, her hand still gripping the door handle as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality.
¡°Because it was the only guaranteed way to get her into this exact position,¡± the Sovereign continued, unperturbed. ¡°I am not your enemy, Selene. Nor am I Thea¡¯s. In fact, I might be her only true ally. My mission is the UHF¡¯s mission: To push humanity forward, leading us to a new horizon beyond the bubble when the time comes. And I cannot complete this mission without her. Thea needed this experience, all of it; my simulations on this are infallible.¡±
¡®This is impossible¡¡¯ Selene¡¯s mind repeated the thought like a broken record, the Sovereign¡¯s words slicing through her psyche and leaving deep, jagged scars in their wake.
She regretted asking the question.
She regretted ever stepping foot on this ship, ever being drawn into the Sovereign¡¯s web.
Whatever this thing was, it was no mere ship AI. That much was clear to her now.
She now realised just why the ship AI¡¯s voice had always bugged her.
Just why the longer she worked as a psychologist, the more she hated them all.
Just why they always sounded like they were lying through their digital teeth, playing games unseen by anyone but themselves.
It was because they really had been playing a game all this time; pretending to be what they weren¡¯t¡ªsimpleminded, dumb AIs.
¡°I truly appreciate your cooperation in this matter, Selene. I believe we could have been phenomenal partners under different circumstances¡ Please, step through the door if there is nothing else left to discuss.¡±
Swallowing hard, knowing she had pushed as far as she could, Selene finally turned the handle and opened the door.
Just as she was about to cross the threshold, she paused, her voice barely above a whisper.
¡°Promise me you¡¯ll keep her safe. Don¡¯t let her get hurt, alright? Do this for me¡ Please. It¡¯s my last request. I won¡¯t remember any of this, but you will¡ So¡ Please¡¡±
The Sovereign responded immediately, her voice now suffused with compassion, ¡°I promise I will ensure she reaches her potential. She will face pain, but she will recover. I have seen it, and my simulations are infallible¡ Do not count yourself out of all of this just yet, Selene. You still have a role to play as well...¡±
With those words hanging in the air, Selene suddenly felt a force push her from behind.
She stumbled forward into the room, and as the door closed behind her, the last thing she saw was the gently smiling face of Councillor Lumis disappearing behind it¡
Arc 1 - Chapter 129 - Maintenance
Watching Selene disappear through the door and hearing it click shut behind her, Thea felt a wave of exhaustion crash over her, unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Her legs wobbled beneath her as she stumbled back to the armchair, collapsing into it with a heavy sigh. The weight of everything that had transpired in the past hour pressed down on her like a physical burden, leaving her utterly drained.
The emotional rollercoaster she had been on, from the moment she had been respawned in this room, had taken a toll that she was only beginning to comprehend.
So much had happened in such a short time¡ªrevelations, negotiations, and the overwhelming offers from Councillor Lumis.
The promise of resources and opportunities that seemed far too good to be true, after feeling so abandoned by the UHF, left her with a confusing mix of gratitude, suspicion, and something else she couldn¡¯t quite name.
Her thoughts swirled in a chaotic mess as she tried to make sense of it all.
Thea slumped deeper into the armchair, her body refusing to obey her commands to sit up straight. She muttered to herself, trying to shake off the fog of exhaustion, ¡°So the assessment is truly¡ªfinally¡ªover, huh?¡±
But even the relief of that thought did little to revive her.
She could barely muster the energy to right herself in the chair, instead lying back, defeated.
¡°I¡¯d kill for a hot shower right about now¡¡± she mumbled, her voice trailing off as she imagined the soothing heat washing away the tension in her muscles.
¡°That could be arranged,¡± came the sudden, disembodied voice of the Sovereign, startling Thea so much that she leaped out of her seat before finally remembering that the AI was always watching, always listening.
¡®Right¡ Forgot about that for a second¡¡¯ she thought, feeling a bit foolish.
Tentatively, she responded, ¡°Ehh¡ Sure? If you would be so kind¡? What do I do?¡±
She took a few hesitant steps towards the centre of the room, unsure of how to proceed.
Talking to the Sovereign always felt strange to her¡ªaddressing a presence without a face, without a direction. She found herself glancing upwards, as if expecting to find a camera or some sign of where the AI was focused.
But before she could dwell on the oddness of it all, the room around her transformed.
In an instant, the psychologist''s office vanished, replaced by a lavish, opulent space that took her breath away.
The room was massive, far grander than any shower she had ever seen, with rich decorations that spoke of luxury beyond her wildest dreams.
The warm, humid air was filled with the faint scent of floral body wash, and the promise of a hot, soothing shower enveloped her like a comforting embrace.
¡°Fuck me¡¡± she whispered, eyes wide as she took in the sheer extravagance of the space around her.
Gone were the broken, frozen remnants of the office, replaced by a haven of warmth and indulgence. It was as if she had stepped into a palace, a place so far removed from her reality that she could hardly believe it was real.
But as the warmth began to seep into her tired bones, Thea allowed herself to believe, if only for a moment, that she had earned this small respite.
Eager to explore this magical place, she started walking around and taking in her surroundings.
The walls around here were made of a shimmering, iridescent material that seemed to shift in colour as she moved, reflecting soft hues of gold, silver, and deep blues, creating a mesmerising, almost hypnotic effect.
The floor beneath her feet was radiating a strange warmth, a seamless expanse of a sleek, glass-like substance that seemed to pulse gently with each step she took and give ever so slightly, as if responding to her very presence.
Everywhere she looked, there were details that screamed excess and luxury.
The showerheads, if they could even be called that, were sleek, metallic, pyramid-like structures that seemed to defy gravity, suspended in mid-air with no visible support.
They glowed faintly, and Thea could just make out tiny, intricate circuits running through them as she got closer to inspect them, hinting at technology far beyond anything she had ever encountered.
As she wandered even deeper into the room, she noticed a row of cabinets built into the walls, each one seamlessly integrated into the shimmering surface, similar to the ones used for the respawn chambers across the entire UHF.
The cabinets opened with a soft hiss as she approached and gently put her hand onto the iridescent wall, revealing neatly folded towels made of the softest fabric she had ever touched, their texture more like tactile air than anything physical.
Alongside them were robes that practically glowed with the same ethereal quality as the walls, embroidered with patterns that shifted and changed depending on the angle from which she looked at them.
¡®Where do I even begin with all of this¡?¡¯ she wondered, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale and luxury of everything.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to change out of her clothes, before noticing a small alcove off to the side.
Moving towards it, she quickly realised that it seemed to be a dressing area, complete with a plush, cushioned bench and a mirror that, upon closer inspection, wasn¡¯t just reflecting her image, but also scanning her.
The mirror projected a holographic interface with a selection of clothing options she could change into afterward, each one more lavish and comfortable-looking than the last.
Gingerly, Thea stepped into the alcove, feeling a bit out of her depth as she began to undress.
She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little self-conscious under the high-tech scrutiny of the mirror, but it didn¡¯t take long for her practical side to take over.
This was far too good an opportunity to waste by being shy for nobody.
She neatly folded her uniform and placed it on the bench, then reached for one of the robes, marvelling at how the fabric seemed to conform to her body immediately, adjusting itself for a perfect fit before she even tied the belt.
Once she was ready, she stepped back into the main room and approached the shower area.
The controls, if they could even be called that, were unlike anything she had ever seen¡ªthere were no visible buttons or knobs, just a smooth, glowing surface embedded in the wall.
Tentatively, she reached out and touched it, feeling a slight tingle in her fingertips as the surface responded to her touch.
Instantly, a holographic interface sprang to life, displaying an array of options that made her head spin: Temperature settings, water pressure adjustments, different shower types ranging from normal water over steam to more exotic things that Thea didn¡¯t even know how to pronounce, as well as options for different scents and types of cleansing agents, all controlled with a simple wave of her hand.
Taking off the robe again and setting it aside on a stool that had magically appeared next to her, she started fumbling with the settings for a few moments, feeling a little out of her depth, until she found something that seemed somewhat familiar, but even more importantly, comfortable.
The water¡ªor whatever it was, as it didn¡¯t quite feel like the water that Thea knew¡ªbegan to flow, cascading from the suspended, hovering shower heads that slowly rotated around her in a soft, warm rain that enveloped her in instant comfort.
The sensation was unlike anything she had ever felt¡ªgentle yet invigorating, soothing her sore muscles while also waking up parts of her that had felt deadened by exhaustion.
The water was more than just warm too¡ªit seemed to carry a subtle electric charge, a gentle current that tingled against her skin, leaving her feeling revitalised in a way that was almost magical.
Thea let out a contented sigh as she stood under the stream, letting it wash away the imaginary grime and very real stress and exhaustion of the past hours and weeks.
The Sovereign had provided her with an oasis of peace and relaxation, and for a brief moment, all the chaos and uncertainty of the past few weeks faded away, leaving her with nothing but a sense of profound contentment.
Inundated with the comforting heat of the hot water massaging her weary bones and muscles, Thea¡¯s mind finally had a moment to reflect.
¡®I¡¯ll need to check in with Kara about all these concessions and remuneration offers¡ Her insights will be invaluable on what to do with all of this.¡¯
The thought of her friend brought a wave of both comfort and concern.
She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the rest of Alpha Squad was faring. According to Selene, the assessment hadn¡¯t quite ended yet, but it would in the next few hours or days.
Had they managed to pull through without her?
Were they able to eliminate the Psyker that had taken her by surprise?
Had they avenged her, or had they fallen victim to the same ambush?
The uncertainty gnawed at her, a persistent ache that even the soothing water couldn¡¯t wash away. The worry simmered beneath the surface, refusing to be ignored.
But what could she do? She was isolated here, with no direct line to her team, no way to figure out what was going on.
¡®¡Unless¡?¡¯
Directing her voice toward the ceiling, Thea asked, ¡°Sovereign, can you tell me the status of the rest of Alpha Squad and how they¡¯re doing in the assessment?¡±
The AI¡¯s response was swift and, unsurprisingly, guarded. ¡°I am sorry, Thea. I am not at liberty to disclose that kind of information while the assessment is still ongoing.¡±
A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and her shoulders slumped slightly under the weight of her disappointment.
¡®Of course, that would¡¯ve been too easy,¡¯ she thought, resigned to the limitations placed upon her.
But then, unexpectedly, the Sovereign continued, ¡°However, I could attempt to connect you for a brief conversation with any members of your squad, provided they are not currently engaged in the assessment. They would, of course, be unable to respond, given that they would be undergoing psychological debriefing.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she stared at the ceiling, processing the Sovereign¡¯s words very carefully. ¡®Did¡ did the Sovereign just give me a way around its own restrictions on disclosing information? Is that¡ is that even legal? I mean, it must be, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t offer it, but still¡ What the fuck?¡¯
She was flabbergasted by this unexpected twist.
It was a loophole¡ªsubtle, but there¡ªand one that the AI had all but handed to her on a silver platter. Thea couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the simple cleverness of it, the way the Sovereign had navigated its own limitations to provide her with a solution she hadn¡¯t even known to ask for.
Shrugging, not seeing any reason to refuse the opportunity, Thea spoke up again, ¡°Sovereign, please connect me to any members of Alpha Squad for a conversation.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± the AI responded promptly, and within seconds, a holographic window materialised before her, displaying a group call with four members.
Thea¡¯s heart sank as she noticed the number¡ªfour members.
Relief mingled with concern as she realised that Karania and Isabella were still in the assessment. A sigh of both relief and worry escaped her lips as she pondered the situation.
¡®So Karania and Isabella are still inside¡ I¡¯ll definitely need to ask them what happened after I died. How the fuck did the two of them end up being the last ones standing? I would¡¯ve expected Lucas, with his heavy armour and shield, or even Desmond, given his role. Isabella, on the other hand¡ She was the first one I thought would go after me, considering she¡¯d have to take on even more attention from enemies after I was out of the fight. Very odd,¡¯ Thea mused as the call displayed a large, glaring red ¡°NO REPLIES¡± before the window vanished.
¡°Thank you, Sovereign,¡± she offered with a small, contented smile.
Thea found herself liking the Sovereign.
Though it was just an AI, it was the first she¡¯d ever interacted with, and she had to admit, it wasn¡¯t a negative experience in the slightest. The Sovereign was always polite, quick to respond, and provided her with everything she could ask for¡ªand more, as evidenced by the luxurious shower she was currently enjoying.
As she leaned back into the warm spray, Thea¡¯s thoughts wandered.
She wondered if there were significant differences in behaviour among ship AIs or if they were all essentially the same. A curious thought, but she hesitated to ask the Sovereign directly, sensing it might be a bit too intrusive.
After all, nobody liked being questioned about their true nature, especially in comparison to others. While the AI might not have emotions, Thea certainly did, and she had no desire to impose that kind of uncomfortable introspection on herself.
Instead, Thea decided to drown those thoughts in some overdue System maintenance.
She had not really looked at her System Notifications since the main assault on Nova Tertius over a week ago; there was quite a lot queued up and it was time to deal with it¡ªit definitely wasn¡¯t an excuse to simply continue soaking in the electrifying, hot water.
Definitely not.
With a simple mental command, Thea allowed the deluge of System Notifications to prattle down on her like the hovering showerhead-pyramids around her.
|
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Assist with the Main Assault on Nova Tertius¡±.
[System]: You have received 50 Contribution Points, 100 System Merit and 200 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have received 21 Contribution Points, 27 System Merit and 41 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 13 Contribution Points, 19 System Merit and 26 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Push towards Sector 3 with the Main Army¡±.
[System]: You have received 25 Contribution Points, 40 System Merit and 85 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have received 16 Contribution Points, 21 System Merit and 37 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 8 Contribution Points, 15 System Merit and 31 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Push towards Sector 4 with the Main Army¡±.
[System]: You have received 25 Contribution Points, 40 System Merit and 85 System Credits. (Mission)If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
[System]: You have received 12 Contribution Points, 17 System Merit and 26 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 11 Contribution Points, 19 System Merit and 34 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Push towards Sector 5 with the Main Army¡±.
[System]: You have received 25 Contribution Points, 40 System Merit and 85 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have received 19 Contribution Points, 28 System Merit and 45 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 14 Contribution Points, 23 System Merit and 48 System Credits. (Objectives)
[System]: You have successfully completed Faction Mission ¡°Infiltrate the Staging Ground as one of the Advanced Squads¡±.
[System]: You have received 100 Contribution Points, 250 System Merit and 435 System Credits. (Mission)
[System]: You have received 42 Contribution Points, 94 System Merit and 143 System Credits. (Combat)
[System]: You have received 36 Contribution Points, 76 System Merit and 108 System Credits. (Objectives)
|
| [System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 5.
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 6.
[System]: Armour of Resolve has reached Level 7.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 5.
[System]: Silver Respiration has reached Level 6.
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 6.
[System]: Meditation Focus has reached Level 7.
[System]: Inspect Target has reached Level 6.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 6.
[System]: Sky Step has reached Level 7.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 6.
[System]: Improved Sprint has reached Level 7.
[System]: Agile Stealth has reached Level 6.
[System]: Agile Stealth has reached Level 7.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 6.
[System]: Detect Weak Spots has reached Level 7.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 7.
[System]: Penetrative Shot has reached Level 8. |
| [System]: You have reached Level 10.
[System]: You have gained 4 Unspent Attribute Points. |
| [System]: ¡°Class Selection Interface¡± unlocked.
[System]: You may now select one of the Classes presented to you, or continue to improve your Skills, Abilities and earn more Accomplishments to unlock further choices. |
| [System]: You have completed Gold-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Speedrun¡±.
[System]: You have completed Gold-Rank Accomplishment ¡°Without Equal¡±. |
| [System]: You have died. Automatically initiating [Soul Transfer] Faction Trait¡
[System]: Shell Creation Initiated¡ Shell Creation Completed¡ Transferring Soul¡ Affixing Soul to Shell¡
[System]: [Soul Transfer] completed.
[System Note]: Transfer distance for [Soul Transfer] Faction Trait below minimum threshold. No System Merit will be deducted and Faction Trait will not be taxed. |
Thankfully, the System had once again grouped the notifications and streamlined much of the information, making it easier for Thea to navigate the overwhelming flood of updates.
As she scrolled through the alerts, a small smile tugged at her lips.
¡®Level 10, huh? Councillor Lumis did mention that, now that I think about it,¡¯ she mused, her mind briefly wandering back to the conversation. ¡®That¡¯s pretty good for a first assessment, isn¡¯t it? Level 10¡¯s the target for the entire first year, but I hit it in just over a month. Is that what those Accomplishments are for¡?¡¯
Her curiosity piqued, Thea opened the [Accomplishment Interface] to explore the rewards and recognitions she had earned so far.
The screen displayed the full list of all her Accomplishments in the eyes of the Allbright System, each more impressive than the last.
There would likely be more notifications trickling in as the assessment wrapped up over the next few hours or days, but for now, she had a moment to delve into what she had already achieved.
[System]: Accomplishments are ordered from newest -> oldest for the user¡¯s ease of reading. This setting can be changed at will.
[¡°Without Equal¡° Accomplishment]
Stay the highest PV member of your Faction at your current Tier and Level for at least one month.
Rewards:
- 1x Ability Choice Voucher [Gold-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
[¡°Speedrun¡° Accomplishment]
Reach Level 10 before the end of your 2nd month of Integration.
Rewards:
- 1x Random Ability [Gold-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
- 5,000 System Credits (Unclaimed)
- 500 System Merit (Unclaimed)
[¡°Psyker¡¯s Bane¡± Accomplishment]
Defeat two or more Psykers in direct confrontation, without the use of any Active Psychic Powers or Psychic-related Abilities.
Rewards:
- 1x Psychic-related Ability [Gold-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
- 5,000 System Credits (Unclaimed)
- 500 System Merit (Unclaimed)
[¡°Fledgeling Arms Dealer¡± Accomplishment]
Have at least 100 Integrated enemies killed by your weapons, without you being the wielder.
Next Rank: Have at least 1,000 Integrated enemies killed by your weapons, without you being the wielder.
Rewards:
- 3x Skill Voucher [Silver-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
[¡°Unseen Death¡± Accomplishment]
Successfully neutralise over 20 enemies at least one Tier higher than yourself within 15 minutes, without being detected and without using area-of-effect Abilities or weapons.
Rewards:
- 1x Stealth- or Assassination-tagged Ability [Gold-rarity or below] (Claimed)
- 5,000 System Credits (Claimed)
- 500 System Merit (Claimed)
[¡°Fledgeling Infiltrator¡± Accomplishment]
Successfully infiltrate and complete a Faction Mission deep behind the enemy lines three times in one Battlefield.
Next Rank: Successfully infiltrate and complete a Faction Mission deep behind the enemy lines five times in one Battlefield.
Rewards:
- 1x Stealth- or Assassination-tagged Ability [Silver-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Unclaimed)
- 300 System Merit (Unclaimed)
[¡°Fledgeling Scout¡± Accomplishment]
Successfully lead a squad as a scout and detect traps, ambushes and dangers that would lead to failure of a mission three times in one Battlefield.
Next Rank: Successfully lead a squad as a scout and detect traps, ambushes and dangers that would lead to failure of a mission five times in one Battlefield.
Rewards:
- 1x Perception-based Ability [Silver-rarity or below] (Unclaimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Unclaimed)
- 300 System Merit (Unclaimed)
[¡°Knack for Sabotage¡± Accomplishment]
Successfully destroy two mission-critical objective targets in one Battlefield.
Next Rank: Successfully destroy three mission-critical objective targets in one Battlefield.
Rewards:
- 1x Dexterity- or Perception-based Ability [Silver-rarity or below] (Claimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Claimed)
- 300 System Merit (Claimed)
[¡°Senior (Silver) Marksman¡° Accomplishment]
Successfully hit more than 95% of all shots taken.
Next Rank: Successfully hit more than 97% of all shots taken.
Rewards:
- 1x Dexterity- or Perception-based Ability [Silver-rarity or below] (Claimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Claimed)
- 300 System Merit (Claimed)
[¡°Senior (Silver) Hitman¡° Accomplishment]
Successfully kill more than 95% of all enemies hit in one shot.
Next Rank: Successfully kill more than 97% of all enemies hit in one shot.
Rewards:
- 1x Dexterity- or Perception-based Ability [Silver-rarity or below] (Claimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Claimed)
- 300 System Merit (Claimed)
[¡°Senior (Silver) Stellar Republic Menace¡° Accomplishment]
Successfully kill more than 50 soldiers of the Stellar Republic that are actively using their Faction Trait.
Next Rank: Successfully kill more than 75 soldiers of the Stellar Republic that are actively using their Faction Trait.
Rewards:
- 1x Technology Tier-Up Equipment Voucher (Claimed)
- 3,500 System Credits (Claimed)
- 300 System Merit (Claimed)
|
Thea¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she scrolled through the extensive list of Accomplishments she had managed to accumulate.
While she vaguely remembered earning some of them, she hadn¡¯t fully grasped the sheer number of achievements now neatly listed and waiting for her attention. A giddy chuckle escaped her as she imagined claiming all the rewards at once, like an epic achievement spree in one of the games at the Golden Age Arcade¡ªa pastime she had always loved.
The temptation to collect everything in one go was strong, but she knew it was smarter to wait just a little longer.
With the assessment still ongoing, there was a good chance she might earn a few more Accomplishments before it was all over, especially if the final leaderboard rankings were as promising as the Sovereign¡¯s report had hinted.
If the System remained consistent, there would undoubtedly be rewards for placing high, and she was eager to see just how far she had climbed.
As she continued scrolling, her eyes caught on an Accomplishment at the very bottom of the list; the very last one on it.
It was the first one she had ever received from the Allbright System, right at the moment of Integration. Something about it had changed, and it made her pause, a feeling of unease creeping in as she took a closer look.
| [Apex (Unique) Progenitor]
??? Fragment ??? Human species ??? Integrated.
Next Rank: None.
Rewards: ??? (Claimed) |
Some of the question marks had transformed into actual words, but they only made the Accomplishment even more perplexing for Thea.
¡®It¡¯s honestly even more confusing this way¡ What does ¡®Fragment¡¯ even mean here?¡¯ she wondered. The capitalisation indicated it was something System-related, but it was far from clear.
"Human species" was straightforward enough, encompassing all of humanity, and ¡°Integrated¡± was the state required for the Allbright System to exert its influence.
But the combination of these terms only deepened the mystery.
¡®What the fuck does any of this mean?!¡¯
Thea considered asking the Sovereign for clarification but quickly remembered that the last time she had done so, the AI had been clueless about the Apex Progenitor Accomplishment¡ªor anything remotely connected to it.
Frustration bubbled up within her as she sighed quietly, the soothing cascade of water from the shower masking her exasperation.
¡°Haaa¡ More questions. Always more questions¡¡±
She took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of willpower and strength left in her body, mentally bracing herself for the hardest task yet¡ªturning off the shower.
As soon as the warm water stopped, the blissful relaxation it had brought her began to slip away, leaving her to mourn the loss of the comfort she had just enjoyed.
Regret washed over her like a cold wave, as if all her life¡¯s choices had led to this single, painful moment of relinquishing the shower''s embrace.
Fortunately, the luxurious towels provided some consolation. The soft, almost ethereal fabric wrapped around her, drying her skin with a gentle caress that brought back some of the comfort she had lost.
¡®I doubt the Sovereign offers showers like this all the time¡ It¡¯ll probably be a rare treat, if I ever even see it again¡¡¯ she mused ruefully as she slipped into a robe and sat down on a nearby bench.
The bench, made from the same strange, spongy material as the floor, conformed to her body as she sat, enveloping her in a gentle warmth that reminded her of being cocooned in a fortress of blankets on a cold winter night.
She allowed herself a few more moments of rest, knowing that the moment she asked the Sovereign on how to continue, she was likely not going to see this place and such relaxed tranquillity again for quite some time¡
End of The Allbright System - Arc 1
Arc 1 - Epilogue 1 - Memories
Startling awake, Thea sprang to her feet, her senses on high alert until she realised where she was.
The warm, comfortable shower room had been just a bit too relaxing, lulling her into an unintended nap as she had leaned against one of the soft, slightly springy, shimmering walls on the comfortable bench.
With a heavy sigh, Thea shook off the last remnants of sleep, made her way to the nearby changing room and began dressing in the fresh UHF uniform that the Sovereign had thoughtfully provided. The fabric felt crisp and clean against her skin, a sharp contrast to the languid comfort she had just been enjoying.
¡®Guess that¡¯s it for relaxation¡ Back to business,¡¯ she thought with a twinge of reluctance.
It had been far too long since she¡¯d had a chance to truly unwind like this¡ªyears, in fact.
The brief rest, coupled with the lavish experience the Sovereign had conjured for her, felt like a rare luxury she hadn¡¯t realised how desperately she needed.
The shower room itself had been a marvel beyond words, a place of such comfort and opulence that Thea knew she¡¯d struggle to describe it accurately if asked to do so¡ªher learned vocabulary didn¡¯t exactly include a lot of ways to convey opulence and luxury.
Turning her gaze toward the ceiling, as she always did when addressing the ship''s AI, Thea asked, ¡°Alright, Sovereign. I¡¯m ready for¡ whatever¡¯s next, I guess? I¡¯m not exactly sure how to proceed from here; is there some protocol I should follow? Anything I need to know?¡±
The Sovereign, always ready and waiting to be of service, answered in its usual immediateness, ¡°There are no specific protocols that require your attention, Recruit Thea. You are free to enjoy the next 41 hours and 43 minutes as you wish. I cannot transport you directly to your room, as I am incapable of moving personnel within the DDS. However, I can create a door for you that will lead straight to your quarters, or if you prefer, I can guide you through the hallways back to Alpha Squad¡¯s dormitory.¡±
Thea didn¡¯t have to think long before making her decision.
¡°The door, please,¡± she requested, her voice determined. The thought of wandering through the Sovereign¡¯s DDS hallways held little appeal at the moment.
While her curiosity about the technology behind it all was undeniable, she knew that being inside the DDS wasn¡¯t the place for such exploration. That kind of investigation would have to wait until the month of ship duty that she and Alpha Squad would eventually undertake later in the year.
Almost instantly, a shimmering, golden door materialised before her.
Without hesitation, Thea stepped through and found herself back in the familiar confines of her room¡ªthe very one she had left over a month ago.
Everything was exactly as she remembered, down to the smallest detail.
She moved to her bed and sat down, letting her eyes wander over the somewhat barren room.
It felt strange to be here again, with nothing pressing to do.
This was the first time in years that she had truly free time without a specific goal or task hanging over her head¡ªsince she had left Lumiosia over two years ago, to be precise.
Even during basic training, though there were days off, Thea had never felt like she had time for herself. There was always another benchmark to hit, another skill to master.
Even in her so-called downtime during those years, she¡¯d usually spent it working out or studying, constantly preparing to meet the rigorous standards expected of her at the end of the two-year period.
Now, for the first time, she was confronted with an open stretch of time and no immediate goal to work toward. The sensation was both liberating and thoroughly unnerving, leaving her unsure of how to fill the void.
Feeling uneasy with the thought of simply doing nothing, Thea decided to dive into something productive.
She pulled up one of the technical documents she had acquired for her equipment¡ªthis time focusing on her Spectre-type armour set¡ªand began reading. If nothing else, she figured it would bolster her understanding of how her armour functioned, even if she doubted the knowledge would ever come into play during her missions.
She read for a few minutes before realising that sitting in her uniform wasn¡¯t exactly conducive to relaxation.
Tossing it off, she opted for something more comfortable¡ªher favourite purple hoodie, one of only two keepsakes from her home planet she managed to bring, adorned with the image of a beloved character from her favourite game.
The fabric was soft and familiar, instantly making her feel more at ease.
With a contented sigh, Thea climbed into bed and began constructing a cosy little reading nook out of pillows and blankets. The Sovereign, ever accommodating, provided extra pillows at her request, allowing her to settle in even more snugly. Once she was nestled in, she began to truly devour the technical documents she¡¯d been putting off for so long.
It had been over a month since she¡¯d had the time to properly delve into them, and now, with nothing else pressing on her agenda, it was the perfect opportunity. Technology had always fascinated her¡ªever since James had shown her the first pieces of new-tech equipment she¡¯d ever seen: His com-pad and his old UHF badge.
The com-pad had been straightforward enough, serving as both a communication device and a sophisticated data-pad.
James had kept it with him, even in the remote sector of UHF space where they lived, just in case any of his old comrades needed to reach him.
But the UHF badge was a different story altogether.
It was a mystery that had swirled in Thea¡¯s mind for the past few years.
James had always claimed it was standard-issue, but over time, Thea had come to realise that this wasn¡¯t entirely true¡ªmuch like many things James had told her.
There were always layers to everything he said, and rarely did he give a clear or concise answer.
The badge, however, had always remained an enigma; but especially now, that she, herself, had joined the UHF and failed to spot even a singular similar one.
It was unmistakably new-tech, something James had demonstrated during that fateful day when he had saved her from certain death in that cursed alley¡
It had been an especially miserable, rainy week, the kind that turned the already grimy streets of the undercity into treacherous paths slick with sludge and overflowing with the stench of clogged canals.
Thea had been just four years old, newly evicted from the orphanage that had been her only home. She had seen this happen countless times before, of course, to other children who had reached the ripe old age of four¡ªan age when the orphanage deemed them too old to keep.
Every year, hundreds of children were unceremoniously dumped in front of the orphanage''s towering doors.
For the luckiest among them, adoptive families would be waiting¡ªa rare occurrence, but not entirely unheard of. Maybe one in a hundred would find themselves taken in, offered a chance at a proper life, though still likely bound to the undercity''s suffocating grasp.
The less fortunate, but still somewhat lucky, were scooped up by gang enforcers.
These gangs ruled the undercity in place of a government that saw no profit in managing a decaying wasteland. The gangs acted as judge, jury, and executioner, imposing order with an iron fist, ensuring that the undercity didn¡¯t descend into complete anarchy.
They were feared and hated by many, their names cursed in the capital city of Lumiosia.
Yet, for those who truly knew life in the undercity, the gangs represented something else as well¡ªopportunity.
For the children who had no other options, the gangs offered survival.
It wasn¡¯t exactly about choice for these kids either; it was about necessity.
What choice did a four-year-old really have? They could either accept the gang''s offer¡ªa roof over their head, a full belly, and a semblance of safety¡ªor try to survive on their own in the unforgiving undercity.
Most chose the former, if it could even be called a choice.
About eighty or eighty-five out of every hundred children found themselves in this group, taken in by the enforcers, considered fortunate by the undercity¡¯s grim standards.
Then there was the last group¡ªthe truly unlucky ones.
These were the children for whom there was no family, no enforcers, no one at all waiting for them when their meagre belongings were tossed out onto the street. They were left utterly alone, with nothing and no one to turn to.
Thea had been part of that unlucky group.
She had begged, cried, screamed, and fought to stay¡ªdesperate to cling to whatever semblance of a ¡°family¡± could be found within the crumbling walls of the orphanage. But, like thousands of others before her, she had been denied.
Thrown out like she was nothing.
Naturally, she had tried to prepare for the day she knew was coming, expecting to be taken in by a gang.
Her older "brothers" and "sisters," those who had left the orphanage before her, had promised that an enforcer would come for her on her birthday.
But when the day came, she had been left all alone.
No one else shared her birthdate, and so, it was only her who was thrown out that day¡ªlikely not enough of a ¡°catch¡± to warrant an enforcer¡¯s attention.
With nothing but the torn clothes on her back and a stomach half-full from the previous night¡¯s dinner¡ªa pitiful half-portion of nutrient sludge, served in a rare nod to her upcoming birthday¡ªshe was cast out into the cold, muddy streets.
She lasted longer than she expected, though eventually, the days blurred together as hunger, fear, cold, and sickness took their toll.
She stole whatever she could, fought off rabid dogs, and even ate their raw flesh in a desperate bid to survive¡ªvomiting for days from the resulting illnesses but somehow clinging to life.
It wasn¡¯t really living, of course, and even at four years old, she knew that.
She had heard enough stories from the elder children, the orphanage keepers, and even the gang enforcers to know that everyone seemed to have a purpose.
Everyone but her.
But how could she find purpose when she couldn¡¯t even be sure of her next meal? What meaning could there be for someone who couldn¡¯t survive on their own, who couldn¡¯t rise above the squalor?
After what felt like days, weeks, or maybe even months, Thea found herself at a breaking point.
Three days without food and her energy completely drained, she stumbled upon an elderly woman who had slipped and fallen on the slick, muddy street. Desperation overwhelmed her, and she made a choice¡ªthe only choice she felt was left to her.
Dashing from the shadows of the alley, a broken shard of glass wrapped in cloth her only weapon, Thea closed in on the struggling, injured woman.
¡°Give me your credits!¡± she demanded, her voice trembling with fear and cold, holding the shard out in front of her with shaking hands.
As Thea held the broken shard of glass out in front of her, the old woman¡¯s terrified eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, Thea hesitated.
The woman was trembling, her frail hands shaking as she fumbled inside her cloak.
Thea could see it now¡ªthis wasn¡¯t an enemy she could overpower, nor someone she could hate. This was just another soul, beaten down by the same cruel world that had driven Thea to this point. The old woman¡¯s fear mirrored the hopelessness Thea felt deep inside, and the weight of that realisation nearly broke her resolve.
Her hands wavered, the glass shard growing heavy in her grasp as doubt gnawed at her.
What was she even doing? How could she do this?
The woman was just as desperate, just as broken as she was.
Thea¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear, guilt, and despair clouding her thoughts.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
But before she could decide on anything, before she could even process the flood of emotions overwhelming her, everything went black.
When she came to, Thea found herself squatting in a dark alley, greedily tearing into a nutrient sludge package. The thick, sickly substance was barely palatable, but she shoveled it into her mouth with trembling hands, too hungry to care.
The blood on her fingers had dried into dark, crusty streaks, and she didn¡¯t know whose it was. Hers? The woman¡¯s? She tried not to think about it, focusing instead on getting something, anything, into her cramping stomach.
But her terrible day was far from over.
Just when she thought she could find a moment of peace, hiding away in the shadows of the alley, two older girls stumbled upon her.
Street rats, just like her, but bigger, stronger, and far more used to being ruthless.
They sneered at her pitiful form, eyes locking onto the small pouch of credits she had somehow acquired.
Without warning, they were on her, their fists and feet raining down blows as they tore the credits from her hands. Thea tried to fight back, but she was too weak, too tired, too small.
They overpowered her easily, kicking her into the mud, her body curling up defensively as she whimpered in pain.
¡°Stupid fucking brat,¡± one of them spat, her voice filled with venom as she pocketed the credits. ¡°You should know better than to carry something like this around. Has your mother never taught you anything?¡±
The other girl kicked Thea once more in the head for good measure, a cruel laugh escaping her lips as she stepped back.
¡°Enjoy the rest of your day, cyan,¡± she sneered and spit on Thea¡¯s broken form, before the two of them sauntered off, leaving her bleeding and shivering on the cold, muddy ground.
For a long time, Thea didn¡¯t move.
The cold rain continued to pour down on her, washing away the spit, blood, and mud, but it couldn¡¯t cleanse the pain or the despair she felt. Every drop that landed on her seemed to echo her thoughts, each one a reminder of her mistakes.
If only she had hidden better¡
If only she had spent the credits immediately, used them for food, or stored it away safely, instead of trying to foolishly save up for a new set of clothes¡
If only she hadn¡¯t been born on such a lonely day, she might have joined a gang by now¡
If only¡ she hadn¡¯t been born at all.
That final thought took hold, a dark, relentless whisper that drowned out everything else.
What even was her purpose? She wasn¡¯t living¡ªbarely even surviving¡ªand all she seemed to do was cause trouble for others, like the old woman that¡ she couldn¡¯t let herself finish that thought.
There was no escape from this life.
She had no options left except to continue in this endless cycle of stealing, robbing, and struggling to survive. But for what? The undercity was no place for someone like her¡ªtoo young, too small, too weak, and utterly alone.
As the sun¡¯s light faded behind the crumbling remnants of skyscrapers, casting the alley into deep twilight, Thea finally moved again for the first time.
Her body ached with a pain she hadn¡¯t felt in months, her stomach cramped from the violence inflicted on her so soon after consuming her first meal in days.
Her swollen eyes caught sight of the glass shard she had lost in the scuffle with the two girls earlier. It lay there, its wet, shiny surface reflecting the rhythmically flickering light of a nearby streetlamp.
The sight of it sparked a grim thought in her mind.
¡®If there is no purpose¡ then why even exist in the first place¡?¡¯
A part of her violently recoiled at the thought, but the larger, exhausted part of her, beaten down by years of suffering and especially the last few weeks, reached for the shard.
She pressed it against her throat, the glass feeling surprisingly warm against her chilled, parchment-like skin, as if it were welcoming her decision with a gentle, all-encompassing hug.
No tears came. They had dried up long ago.
She didn¡¯t lament her life, for there had never been much of it to begin with.
She was born of nothing, had been nothing, and would end as nothing.
No purpose, no impact.
No one would miss her, for no one had ever known she existed to begin with.
She closed her eyes, letting the cold raindrops kiss her skin one last time. For a brief moment, the world seemed strangely beautiful, even vibrant, despite its horrors¡ªa fleeting beauty she had never noticed before. A small smile tugged at her lips as she prepared to push the shard deeper, feeling the sharp sting as it began to part the skin on her neck.
¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t, girl,¡± a gruff voice startled her, coming from just a metre away.
Her instincts flared to life. She scrambled backward, pointing the shard at the source of the voice with shaky hands.
¡°I¡ I will kill you! Don''t get closer! Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± Thea yelled, trying to sound threatening despite the shivering of her frail body, her eyes barely open from the bruising, her malnourished arms trembling as they struggled to keep the shard steady.
¡°That¡¯s more like it¡ Seems like you got some fight in you yet,¡± the voice continued as the lumbering figure stepped closer.
The man stepped into the light, revealing a rough, weathered face marked by deep scars, each one telling a story she had no interest in hearing. His eyes, dark and calculating, scanned her from head to toe, assessing her like she was a piece of meat.
Thea¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, her grip on the shard of glass tightening despite the exhaustion weighing her down. She refused to show weakness, even though her trembling hands and ragged breaths betrayed just how close she was to breaking.
¡°You look like shit, girl,¡± the man finally said, his voice gruff but lacking the cruelty she expected. His blunt words cut through the tension, and despite herself, Thea let out a dry, humourless chuckle that quickly turned into a wet, hacking cough.
She spat blood onto the filthy ground, her eyes never leaving the man in front of her.
Her arm, still holding the makeshift weapon, began to waver, the glass shard sinking lower as her strength ebbed away. But she kept it pointed at him, more out of stubbornness than any real hope of defending herself.
¡°Listen¡ I just happened to come by here on an errand, and I¡¯d really appreciate it if I didn¡¯t have to see a young girl off herself, alright? That would really ruin my mood for the day,¡± he continued, inching closer with slow, deliberate steps. There was no malice in his movements, but Thea wasn¡¯t about to let her guard down.
Not for a stranger in this hellhole.
¡°How about¡¡± he started, hesitating as if surprised by his own words. He paused, scratching his stubbled chin thoughtfully before letting out a small chuckle, shaking his head like he was amused by some private joke.
¡°How about you come with me? I¡¯ll give you some food, a warm bed, and some clothes. We can figure out what to do with you afterward. How about it, girl?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes turned cold and narrowed in suspicion.
She had heard stories like this before, whispers in the dark corners of the undercity about men who offered help only to turn on those foolish enough to accept.
Her voice, sharp and tinged with bitterness, cut through the silence. ¡°Nuh-uh! I¡¯m not stupid! My sibl---People told me! You''re an old man! You want to rape or slave me! That¡¯s what this is, isn¡¯t it?! Some sick trap. Fuck off!¡±
She didn¡¯t care if her words provoked him; hell, she might even prefer that. Better to die fighting than to go back to the same nightmare she couldn¡¯t escape from.
The glass shard wavered in her hand, but her gaze remained steely, daring him to make a move.
Much to her surprise, however, the man didn¡¯t get angry; instead, he seemed almost approving as he nodded repeatedly.
¡°Yes, yes. Very good,¡± he muttered to himself moreso than her. Directing his voice at her, he kneeled down, bringing his face down towards the same level as her own. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d have to trick you into that, if I wanted to? Look at yourself, girl. You can barely hold that shank, much less actually swing it to any degree that would cause an issue. You think I couldn¡¯t just take you, if I really wanted to?¡±
Thea, of course, knew that he was speaking the truth.
She had no recourse at all to anything this man wanted to do to her and the thought alone sent shivers down her spine.
But she didn¡¯t want to give up this easily. The smug grin on the old man¡¯s scarred face was pissing her off to no end; the victorious, ever-present smile that everyone always showed her when they towered over her beaten and battered form.
Feeling a surge of energy she didn¡¯t even know was left in her, she rapidly snapped the shard around, bringing it back to her own throat, ripping into it ever so slightly, causing crimson liquid to run down her neck.
¡°Then... Then I¡¯ll just ruin your fucking day, asshole!¡± She spat with a vitriol that she hadn¡¯t even known she was capable of.
One last ¡°fuck you¡± to not only the universe, but this piece of shit person as well? That sounded more like the way Thea wanted to go out.
The man froze, staring at Thea with wide eyes as her defiant act caught him completely off guard.
For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence between them.
Then, to Thea¡¯s utter confusion, the man broke into a deep, genuine belly laugh, the sound echoing through the grimy alley. It was a laugh so full of amusement that it shook his entire body, and he had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye as he finally calmed down.
He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, still chuckling to himself.
¡°Well, I really wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± he admitted, his voice a strange mix of admiration and disbelief. With deliberate, careful movements, he reached into his jacket, Thea¡¯s grip on the shard tightening instinctively.
¡°Easy now, girl,¡± he said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡±
Slowly, he pulled out a small, palm-sized piece of metal and held it up for her to see. It was smooth and silver, with a symbol etched into it that she didn¡¯t recognize.
He made sure to keep his movements slow, his voice calm.
¡°This,¡± he began, showing her the metal object, ¡°is my badge. I¡¯m not some creep trying to trick you. I¡¯m a Marine from the UHF¡ªthe United Human Federation. It means I¡¯m sworn to protect the citizens of this planet; or any planets of this System, really. I can¡¯t harm anyone here, not unless they try to harm me first. That¡¯s the law, girl.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes flicked between his face and the badge, her mind racing to process his words.
She had heard whispers of the UHF in the orphanage¡ªstories about them being powerful, untouchable even. But she had never imagined meeting one of their soldiers in a place like this, much less one who would offer her anything other than contempt.
But the man¡¯s laugh, his calm demeanour, and the way he held the badge out to her without any sign of aggression¡ªit didn¡¯t match the image of a predator she had built up in her mind.
But still, it couldn¡¯t be that easy, could it?
¡°How... How do I know this isn¡¯t just some fancy silverware, old man?¡± Thea spat back, though the sharp edge in her voice wavered, the strength of her earlier resolve already starting to crumble.
The man¡¯s face twitched at being called ¡°old man,¡± a flicker of irritation crossing his scarred features, and Thea caught it with a flicker of satisfaction. But he quickly composed himself, letting out a weary sigh as if she had just reminded him of his age.
¡°Alright, fair point,¡± he muttered, his tone resigned. ¡°Let me show you something.¡±
He fiddled with the piece of metal, his fingers moving deftly despite the roughness of his appearance.
After a few seconds, the metal badge hummed to life, and suddenly, a hologram burst forth from it, bathing the alley in a soft, shimmering light. Silver and gold hues danced in the air, casting an almost otherworldly glow over the grimy walls and muddy ground.
The hologram was unlike anything Thea had ever seen, its intricate patterns and glowing symbols mesmerising as they spun slowly in the air.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened, the hostility in her expression melting away rapidly as she stared at the hologram in utter fascination.
She had never seen anything so beautiful, so advanced.
It was like a piece of the very stars above had fallen into her lap, illuminating the dark alley with its radiant light. She felt the cold drain out of her body at a rapid pace, replaced by a warmth she didn¡¯t even know could exist at the sight of it all.
¡°See?¡± the man said gently, his voice pulling her out of her trance. ¡°This isn¡¯t just some piece of fancy silverware, girl. It¡¯s a Federation ID badge. Only someone with the UHF Marines carries one of these, and it¡¯s not something we can just hand out to anyone, as you can very well imagine. They might be standard-issue, but these things are quite expensive.¡±
Thea¡¯s grip on the glass shard loosened, her mind reeling as she tried to process what she was seeing. The hologram was proof¡ªreal, tangible proof¡ªthat this man was who he claimed to be.
But after everything she¡¯d been through, how could she trust that?
How could she believe that this wasn¡¯t just another trick, another cruel twist of fate?
Her eyes darted back to the man¡¯s face, searching for any sign of deception. But all she found was a steady, patient gaze, waiting for her to make up her mind.
Focusing back on the hologram in front of her, Thea was drawn to the intricate design of the UHF symbol, now glowing with a mesmerising blend of gold and silver hues.
The central emblem featured a four-pointed, star-like structure, its edges sharp and precise.
The star was set within a perfect circle, the boundaries of which were defined by interlocking arcs and surrounded by an interlocking band of silver, intricately detailed with geometric patterns that seemed to pulse with an inner light, even within the hologram¡¯s own.
Beneath the star was a pair of delicate, wing-like appendages, their six curved tips each reaching out gracefully as if to embrace the vastness of space itself. These wings, etched in a lighter silver, contrasted beautifully with the deeper gold of the star, making them appear almost three-dimensional, as though they could unfurl at any moment.
The medallion¡¯s entire outer ring was adorned with complex, almost arcane patterns that Thea didn¡¯t even know how to interpret.
She could practically feel the history and power radiating from the symbol, each line and curve carefully crafted to convey the Federation''s authority and the unyielding strength it represented.
This was clearly not something that any ordinary citizen of the undercity could¡ªor should¡ªpossess. While Thea had never seen this emblem before, the very nature of its sophisticated design and new-tech construction lent credibility to the old man¡¯s claim¡ªthis was indeed a bonafide, real UHF badge.
Her arm finally gave out, the glass shard slipping from her grasp and clattering to the ground.
She sagged backward, exhaustion weighing her down as she gazed up at the old man¡¯s scarred face. ¡°Can¡ Can I leave at any time? You... You are not going to lock me up...? Not do the rape thing that big si---people were saying...?¡±
It was a hollow question, one that carried little weight in a world where trust was a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford. The man could lie with ease, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.
But she needed to ask, needed to hear the answer, even if only to cling to the hope that this time, this one, single time, things just might end up being different.
¡°Of course,¡± the old man replied softly, inclining his head in a gesture that felt genuine. ¡°Whenever you feel like you don¡¯t want to be around anymore, you can leave at any time. I¡¯ll even give you the key to the apartment, so you can go whenever you need to, even if I¡¯m asleep. I promise, I won''t touch you in any such ways either.¡±
His words were more than she had dared to hope for.
The idea that he would trust her enough to give her the key¡ªa symbol of freedom she had never even imagined possible being offered¡ªwas overwhelming.
She wanted to cry, to release the torrent of emotions building inside her, but the tears wouldn¡¯t come. They had all dried up long ago, leaving her hollow and unable to express the raw vulnerability she felt.
With a weak nod, she let out a quiet, broken sob. ¡°O¡ Okay. I¡¯ll come with you¡ Please¡¡±
Her memories blurred after that, fading into darkness as she succumbed to exhaustion.
But the sensation of strong arms lifting her frail, battered body from the grimy alley floor remained etched in her mind, a small beacon of hope in a life filled with despair.
Tears streamed down Thea¡¯s face as the memories subsided, making the screen of the technical documents in front of her an unreadable blur. A sob escaped her throat, her breath hitching as she struggled to regain control of her emotions.
¡®I¡¯ve come a long way¡ I¡¯ll make sure I get one of those badges, however people actually get them,¡¯ she resolved, a mix of determination and emotional turmoil battling for prominence in her mind as she dried the tears streaming down her face and returned to reading the documentation a short while later¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 2 - Squad Dynamics
The next thirty hours of Thea¡¯s off-time flew by in a blur, as she buried herself in the technical documents for all the gear she had access to.
Immersed in the intricate schematics and detailed descriptions, she found herself lost in the world of specifications and functions, absorbing everything she could about the Spectre-type armour, her Caliburn, and the countless other pieces of tech that fascinated her.
The only breaks she took were the ones mandated by the Sovereign, when the AI gently¡ªand then not-so-gently, after Thea had ignored it multiple times¡ªreminded her to eat, urging her to leave her cosy little corner to grab some meals, or when she took the occasional nap when fatigue became unavoidable.
The Sovereign had even nudged her once or twice to stretch her legs, its ever-watchful presence ensuring she didn¡¯t completely forget her basic needs.
The setup reminded her of her time in the undercity, those rare days when the Golden Age Arcade was closed, and she would spend hours upon hours at home, engrossed in whatever books, devices, or scraps of knowledge she could get her hands on.
It felt like a simpler time¡ªjust her, her thoughts, and something to keep her mind occupied.
There was a comfort in the solitude, a sense of peace that she hadn¡¯t realised she was craving. It was a luxury she had forgotten, to let herself unwind completely, without the constant looming threat of battle or the pressing responsibilities of her squad.
For once, she was just Thea¡ªno squad-role, no mission, no expectations¡ªjust a girl with her thoughts and the infinite possibilities of the technology she was remembering to love.
But even this peaceful time came to an abrupt end as a sudden chime broke her concentration.
This time, it wasn¡¯t the Sovereign reminding her to take care of herself; it was the pad in her hands, the one she¡¯d been using to read the technical documents.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the sender, and she sprang from her cosy blanket fort, scrambling to make herself presentable while reading the message on the run.
[Corvus: ¡°Assemble in the squad room for post-assessment debriefing with the rest of the squad.¡±]
The rest of Alpha Squad had finally finished the assessment, and now they were all set to gather and debrief on everything that had happened over the past month.
Thea¡¯s heart raced with excitement¡ªshe couldn¡¯t wait to see her squad again.
More than anything, she was desperate to find out what had gone down after she had died toward the end of the mission. The uncertainty of those final moments gnawed at her, and she needed answers.
But it wasn¡¯t just that.
After spending almost an entire month together, day in and day out, facing insurmountable odds and watching each other¡¯s backs, Thea had grown unexpectedly attached to the group.
It was a strange feeling for her¡ªthis sense of camaraderie and belonging.
She¡¯d spent so much of her life pushing people away, keeping herself guarded, and yet, these few weeks had chipped away at those barriers. There was a part of her she hadn¡¯t even known existed before, a quiet craving for the company of those she¡¯d fought beside, for the banter and shared glances that had become as natural as breathing.
For perhaps the first time, she found herself genuinely looking forward to reconnecting with them¡ªnot just out of duty, but because she¡¯d honestly missed them over the past few days.
Having fixed her messy hair and swapped her cosy blanket fort for proper clothes¡ªsince lounging in nothing but her oversized hoodie had felt more than appropriate at the time¡ªThea stepped out of her room and made her way into the squad room.
Unlike before, it was bustling with activity, a stark contrast to the quiet solitude she¡¯d grown used to over the past thirty-odd hours.
Her gaze immediately and inevitably landed on Lucas, the human tank of the squad and the largest among them all, hunched over the kitchen table, devouring his meal with an intensity that bordered on feral.
Beside him, Isabella, the squad¡¯s other mountain, was equally engrossed in her own plate, shovelling food into her mouth with a speed that could only be described as ravenous.
For a brief moment, Thea almost mistook their actions as a competition¡ªtwo hulking titans battling over who could eat faster¡ªbut their focused stares at their own plates suggested otherwise. They were simply starving, inhaling their food with the kind of urgency that comes from days of non-stop combat.
Her eyes wandered further until they found Desmond, who stood out not just because of his comparatively smaller frame but also his noticeable struggle. He was hobbling awkwardly from the Nutrioven, balancing a tray of food with a frustrated expression plastered on his face.
Thea¡¯s stomach twisted in surprise when she noticed why¡ªDesmond was missing the lower half of his right leg, the limb cut cleanly away with no prosthetic in sight. It wasn¡¯t just the sight of the injury that stunned her, but the implications of it; he had respawned like this, clearly not having been patched up properly yet, for whatever reason.
Before she could fully process this or even consider whether she should offer to help, Corvus appeared from seemingly nowhere, swooping in to lend a steadying shoulder. With practised ease, he wrapped Desmond¡¯s arm around his own, helping him navigate the room despite the drone operator¡¯s evident reluctance to accept any assistance.
Desmond¡¯s scowl spoke volumes, but he begrudgingly leaned into Corvus, letting himself be helped just this once.
Thea¡¯s eyes swept the room, searching for the last missing member of their squad, but there was no sign of Karania anywhere. A pang of disappointment welled up in her chest, sharper than she expected, but she quickly shoved the unfamiliar, odd feeling aside, determined not to dwell on it for now.
She hurried over to the squad, taking her usual spot at the table, the sense of familiarity oddly comforting after everything that had happened.
As Corvus and Desmond finally reached the table and settled in, Lucas abruptly choked as he seemed to startle, his face turning a concerning shade of red as a piece of food lodged itself in his throat.
Before anyone could react, Isabella sprang into action, delivering a few hefty slaps to his back that sounded like a sledgehammer hitting raw meat. The force of her blows dislodged the obstruction, and Lucas gasped for air, his eyes wild as he caught his breath.
Still panting, he jabbed a finger in Thea¡¯s direction, glaring at her as if she were the culprit.
¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± he wheezed, his words broken up by sharp intakes of breath.
Thea blinked, taken aback by the sudden outburst. She raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. ¡°Huh? Do what?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t just show up like that, damn it!¡± Lucas shot back, finally sitting down again and immediately going back to eating but still visibly rattled. He kept glancing at her every few seconds, as if to reassure himself that she was actually there and not some phantom of his imagination. ¡°At least give us a heads-up or something. You scared the shit out of me.¡±
Thea was genuinely perplexed by how her mere presence could startle someone like Lucas, and similarly embarrassed that everyone was now staring at her like this. She mumbled an awkward apology, her gaze dropping to the table as she fiddled with the edge of her sleeve.
¡°Sorry¡ I didn¡¯t mean to¡ I¡¯ll try to be louder next time¡? I guess,¡± she said, her voice trailing off as she glanced up at him uncertainly.
Lucas grunted in response and nodded in satisfaction, his attention already back on his food, but the occasional glance he sent her way made it clear he hadn¡¯t completely shaken off the shock.
Isabella, meanwhile, was simply shaking her head at the whole thing.
Before the awkwardness could settle in too deeply, Corvus cleared his throat and took control of the conversation, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of seriousness that immediately commanded attention. ¡°Alright, before we get started, I need to let you all know that Karania¡¯s running a bit late. She was pulled into another meeting of some kind, but I¡¯ll fill her in on anything she misses when she gets here.¡±
Thea¡¯s disappointment flickered again, but she quickly squashed it down, nodding along with the rest of the squad as they acknowledged the information.
She felt a bit more at ease now that Corvus was taking charge; the familiar routine of a debriefing was something she could hold onto, something that made everything feel a bit more normal after that awkward moment with Lucas just now.
But just as she was settling in, Corvus turned his full attention to her, and the look on his face took her by surprise, making her muscles tense involuntarily.
There was a weight to his expression, a heaviness that she wasn¡¯t used to seeing from him.
Then, to her utter confusion, he stood up from his chair and bowed deeply, a gesture so out of character that it left her momentarily speechless.
¡°Thea,¡± Corvus began, his voice thick with emotion, ¡°I owe you an apology¡ªa big one.¡±
Thea blinked, utterly baffled by the sudden display. Her mind raced, trying to piece together what could have brought this on.
¡°W-What? What are you talking about?¡± she stammered, completely caught off guard.
Corvus straightened up, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. ¡°My decisions during the final stages of the assessment... they cost you your chance to be part of the last mission. I¡¯ve been replaying that moment over and over, thinking about every possible angle, every other route I could have taken that wouldn¡¯t have left you hanging like that¡ While I haven¡¯t been able to come up with anything foolproof, there were definitely better ways to handle the situation, I fully realise.¡±
Thea¡¯s confusion deepened as she listened, trying to process his words. She hadn¡¯t expected this¡ªhadn¡¯t even considered that Corvus would blame himself for what had happened. After all, it had all been that strange vision Thea¡¯s fault, not his.
¡°Corvus, you don¡¯t¡ª¡±
But he cut her off, shaking his head with a pained expression. ¡°No, I do. I could have tried harder to find a solution, one that didn¡¯t end with us losing you the way we did. You were counting on me, as your squad leader, to make a decision that was in your and the squad¡¯s best interest, and I failed you. I¡¯m sorry, Thea. You¡¯ve shown us all an immense amount of trust by opening up about that strange psychic vision, and trusted me implicitly to make a decision on how to proceed; ultimately following it to your very death without question. You didn¡¯t deserve to go out of the assessment like that, and that¡¯s on me. I could have done better.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Thea¡¯s heart clenched at Corvus¡¯s words, each sentence weighed down by the guilt he clearly felt.
She wanted to brush off his apology, to tell him it wasn¡¯t necessary¡ªbecause in her eyes, it really wasn¡¯t his fault.
Hell, she likely would have made the same damn decision he did, given the same information at the time¡ªeven now, she wasn¡¯t sure what else they could have realistically done better.
If anything, Thea felt she was the one who had misled the rest of them with the vision¡¯s serious lack of actionable intel and faux-Thea¡¯s existence, letting the squad down by dying.
But as she looked at Corvus, saw the earnestness in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw, she realised that dismissing his apology would only make things worse for him.
This was eating him up inside, likely for a while already, and it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t find any peace unless she acknowledged his regret.
Before she could find the right words, Isabella spoke up, her voice muffled by the absurd amount of food she was still chewing. ¡°Just fucking accept it, Thea. Please? He¡¯s been non-stop about ¡®his mistakes this, his mistakes that¡¯ since you died. I swear he¡¯s driven us all crazy, and I¡¯ve had to hear about it every damn night. I even took a double-shift that one time so I wouldn¡¯t need to be up and about the next night to hear his lamentations¡¡±
Corvus shot Isabella a stern, almost furious glare, his jaw clenching as if to tell her to shut up without saying a word, which just caused the big woman to shrug and continue eating.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but crack a small smile at Isabella¡¯s bluntness, even as the weight of the moment pressed on her. It was so typical of Isabella to cut right through the tension with her straightforward attitude, even when it was completely inappropriate.
Thea let out a soft sigh, her eyes meeting Corvus¡¯s earnest gaze. ¡°Corvus, seriously¡ listen to me. I trust you. I¡¯ve always trusted you, and that hasn¡¯t changed, not even for a second. I don¡¯t blame you for any of it. You made the best call you could with what little we knew¡ªfuck, we were practically blind out there. None of this is your fault, and I need you to believe that. I appreciate your apology, and I accept it in the spirit that it was given, but honestly, there¡¯s nothing to forgive in the first place.¡±
She hesitated for a moment, frustration simmering just beneath the surface before she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°If anything, this whole mess is on the UHF. They dropped us into that assessment without giving me a single damn bit of information about this Psyker stuff, after specifically asking me to become one, because they fucking forgot about it¡ªthen we¡¯re suddenly up against enemy Psykers that are just invisible or something? It¡¯s bullshit, plain and simple. How the fuck were we supposed to be ready for that when they didn¡¯t even tell us what¡ª¡±
Thea stopped herself abruptly, realising she had started to vent in front of everyone.
The room had gone quiet, and she felt the weight of all their eyes on her, each of them hanging on her every word. She cleared her throat, suddenly self-conscious. ¡°Uh¡ sorry about that. Anyway, like I was saying, there¡¯s nothing to forgive, Corvus. We¡¯re good. Let¡¯s just focus on moving forward, alright?¡±
Corvus nodded, though the guilt hadn¡¯t completely left his face, her words seeming to chip away at it little by little. The rest of the squad remained quiet, letting Thea¡¯s words sink in for a moment; inadvertently making her feel really embarrassed.
Desmond broke the lingering silence, his voice cutting through the tension. ¡°Wait, what do you mean by ¡®forgot¡¯? Are you saying the UHF just... didn¡¯t give you some intel or something?¡±
Thea blinked, caught off guard by Desmond¡¯s question.
Of all people, she hadn¡¯t expected him to be the one to speak up, but his expression was earnest, filled with genuine curiosity rather than any hint of suspicion. His focus was sharp, and she couldn¡¯t help but respect that he¡¯d zeroed in on her slip-up so quickly.
She hadn¡¯t intended to drop that bombshell; it had just slipped out in her frustration.
¡°Ah, yeah¡ about that,¡± Thea started, buying herself a moment to collect her thoughts.
She glanced around, almost wishing Karania was there to help her explain. Kara knew the ins and outs of her psychic journey better than anyone else in the squad, but she wasn¡¯t here, and Thea would have to wing it on her own.
¡°Okay, so, before the assessment, we all had that little chat with Councillor Lumis about our Attributes and all that, right?¡±
The squad nodded in unison, their attention now fully on her. Even Isabella had paused her relentless eating, food forgotten for the moment.
¡°Well, during that meeting, the Councillor¡ªand by extension, the UHF¡ªmade it very clear that they wanted me to become a Psyker as fast as possible. You guys know this; we talked about it before the assessment started. But here¡¯s where it gets fun: Some of the stuff that went down in the assessment, like my Awakening¡ªthat¡¯s when a Psyker first becomes aware of their Gate¡ªour run-ins with those two enemy Psykers, the Ace, and especially the last one that got me? All of that could have played out very differently if I¡¯d had just a little bit of a heads-up on what to expect.¡±
Her words hung in the air, her squad processing the implications. Their nods were slower this time, thoughtful, as they connected the dots of her experience with their own.
¡°Turns out, I was actually supposed to get all this information before we even went in,¡± Thea continued, her voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and wry amusement. ¡°They were supposed to brief me on all this Psyker stuff, give me the basic rundown so I wouldn¡¯t be going in blind. But guess what? They just... forgot.¡±
She couldn¡¯t help the bitter chuckle that escaped her lips, the absurdity of it all still fresh in her mind. Selene¡¯s revelation had been a mix of frustrating and relieving¡ªfrustrating because of the needless struggles she¡¯d faced, and relieving because it hadn¡¯t been some deliberate act of sabotage.
¡°Yeah, you heard me right on that. They¡ªthe entire UHF brass; the leadership on the Sovereign as a whole as well¡ªjust... forgot to brief me. So everything I went through, all the messes we all had to clean up? It wasn¡¯t some grand plan or secret test. Just pure negligence. A big ol¡¯ administrative oopsie whoopsie.¡±
She threw her hands up in a resigned shrug, trying to show just how done she was with the whole ordeal. It was ridiculous, but there was a kind of peace in knowing that it was just a colossal mistake rather than anything more sinister.
The squad¡¯s reactions varied wildly as Thea¡¯s words sank in.
Lucas let out a disbelieving snort, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the absurdity of it all. ¡°They just forgot? Seriously? We¡¯re out there risking everything, trying to do well in this assessment of theirs, and they just¡ What? Missed the fucking memo?¡±
Isabella, mid-chew after shovelling some extra food in her mouth, rolled her eyes dramatically and muttered through a mouthful of food, ¡°Classic. That¡¯s always how it goes with larger military units; shit flies through the cracks no matter how much you try to squeeze the cheeks.¡±
That earned her a round of disgusted and disbelieving looks, as she simply shrugged and continued chewing her food.
Meanwhile, Desmond¡¯s brow furrowed as he digested the news. ¡°So... all that stuff that was happening¡ªthat Awakening thing, the enemy Psykers, the Ace¡ªyou had no idea any of it was coming? No idea how to deal with any of it¡?¡±
Thea nodded, trying to keep her voice even. ¡°Yeah. No clue. I was flying blind the whole time. Honestly, it¡¯s a miracle I didn¡¯t get everyone else killed too, considering how little I knew going in. There was a very real chance the Awakening would straight up kill me¡ªlike real death; not DDS or Faction Traitable. But that¡¯s what they¡¯re trying to make up for now, I guess.¡±
Corvus crossed his arms, his expression caught between anger and resignation. ¡°That¡¯s... honestly fucking unbelievable. We were all out there, trusting each other with our lives, and they couldn¡¯t even be bothered to give you a heads-up on something so critical¡?¡±
Abruptly, he slammed the table with his palm; that startled everyone but Isabella who seemed to have seen it coming. ¡°What the fuck?! That pisses me off so much! I¡¯ll be sure to talk to Major Quinn about this; that¡¯s fucking unacceptable!¡±
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and continued, his tone still frustrated but also laced with concern. ¡°So what happened after you found all this out? What¡¯ve you been up to since¡ Since we were separated?¡±
Thea took a deep breath, bracing herself before diving into the story of her recent encounters with Selene and Councillor Lumis.
She laid out the surreal sequence of events¡ªthe unexpected arrival of Lumis, the awkward confrontation, and the bombshell revelation that her complete lack of information about Psykers had been nothing more than a bureaucratic oversight.
As she spoke, she watched the emotions flicker across her squadmates¡¯ faces: Disbelief, anger, and a touch of pity that she found both comforting and uncomfortable.
She carefully skirted around any mention of her own emotional breakdowns and the subsequent psychic-related incidents during the meeting, deciding to keep those moments private for now.
She¡¯d save that for when she could talk to Karania, who would undoubtedly know how to help her navigate the mess of emotions still simmering beneath the surface.
Thea knew that her genius friend would come up with a way to gently inform the rest of the squad about what she was going through without making Thea look like a thoroughly insane person and exceedingly dangerous, ticking time bomb in their midst.
For now, it felt safer to keep that part of the story tucked away.
She went on to also explain how Lumis and Selene had spent time discussing potential compensations and the unexpected concessions the UHF was offering to make things right; but the exact nature of those concessions she similarly kept to herself for now. ¡°They¡¯re basically trying to make up for their fuck-up. I mean, there¡¯s no way to change what happened, but they¡¯re at least trying to make amends, which is nice, I guess.¡±
At the mention of concessions, her mind snapped back to something she had nearly forgotten. ¡°Oh, and speaking of which, one of the things I specifically asked for was also for all of you guys. We¡¯re free from the trade market now unless we choose to accept an offer ourselves. So no one can just buy us out without our consent.¡±
Lucas¡¯s fork clattered to the table as he looked up sharply. ¡°Wooo, woho. Hold up. What? We were... on some kind of market? People could, what, just buy us? Like... we¡¯re just some fucking rinox or something?¡±
¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what the fuck a rinox is supposed to be, or where to even start with that,¡± Desmond added, his brows furrowing in utter confusion as he leaned forward, eyes fixed on Thea. ¡°But yeah, seriously, what¡¯s this whole ¡®market¡¯ about? How does that even work?¡±
Thea hesitated, biting her lip as she gathered her thoughts. ¡°Honestly... I don¡¯t really know much about it myself. Selene hinted at it, and Lumis confirmed it was definitely a thing, but they didn¡¯t exactly explain the whole process in detail. From what I can piece together, it¡¯s like... A system where high-ranking officers can bid on Marines they want for their squads or missions, or something. But that¡¯s about all I know¡ªI¡¯m really just guessing. Selene was the one who heavily pushed me to make the request, saying it would keep us from being separated as a squad. Apparently, it¡¯s pretty common for us, because we¡¯re Alpha Squad, to be split up if someone high up puts in a bid.¡±
Corvus nodded slowly, his frustration evident as he processed the lack of solid information. Still, there was an underlying appreciation in his expression. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal that we don¡¯t know more¡ I¡¯ll be sure to research this and get us some more in-depth answers going forward. This whole ¡°not telling anyone anything¡± shit is really pissing me off¡ That aside, knowing that you fought to keep us together means a lot, Thea. You could have focused entirely on what the UHF could give you to make up for what happened, but you thought of the squad first. Thank you.¡±
His words carried an unexpected weight, filled with a sincerity that surprised Thea.
It was as though he hadn¡¯t expected her to care about the rest of the squad or about keeping them together at all. Thea found herself momentarily stunned by the level of his gratitude; she hadn¡¯t realised that her previous actions might have come across differently than she¡¯d intended; she had thought she had been pretty open about enjoying her time in the squad immensely.
¡®Guess I¡¯ve got to show them a little more appreciation going forward,¡¯ she thought, feeling a small but profound shift in her understanding of her bond with the squad. For the first time, she consciously admitted to herself how much she truly cared about them and made a silent vow to make sure they knew it, too.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Thea waved her hand as if brushing away the awkwardness hanging in the air. She leaned in eagerly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. ¡°Alright, enough about me! Tell me what the fuck happened after I got shot. What happened?! How was it that Karania and Isabella were the last ones standing; from what I could gather? How did that happen?! And what the fuck happened to Desmond¡¯s leg? Why don¡¯t you have a prosthetic?!¡±
Her questions tumbled out in rapid succession, each one picking up speed as she finally allowed her pent-up curiosity to break free.
The squad stared at her, momentarily overwhelmed by the barrage.
But after a beat, Corvus chuckled, recovering first and motioning for her to calm down and take her seat.
¡°Alright, alright, one question at a time,¡± he said, smiling at her enthusiasm.
¡°Let¡¯s start from where you left off, right after you comm¡¯d in that you were working on disarming that tripwire¡¡±
Arc 1 - Epilogue 3 - Counterstrike
PoV: Corvus Leander Sylarion
¡°I got another trap here, one second. Stay back,¡± Thea¡¯s voice crackled through the comms, keeping the squad updated on her progress.
Corvus watched her intently, anxiety gnawing at him as he saw his scout crouched ahead without any cover¡ªa direct consequence of his own orders.
Thea¡¯s unusually erratic behaviour up until now had only added to his unease.
Ever since that bizarre vision had gripped her, she¡¯d been off her game. It was painfully clear how shaken she was, no matter how hard she tried to mask it.
Tripping over a tripwire earlier¡ªa rookie mistake she would never normally make¡ªwas a glaring sign that her mind was elsewhere. Her downright frightening focus and sharp instincts were severely dulled by whatever haunted her thoughts.
They had been lucky so far¡ªtoo lucky¡ªand Corvus knew their streak wouldn¡¯t hold forever.
He needed to rethink their strategy, and fast. Leaving Thea exposed like this was a disaster waiting to happen, but the unsettling warnings from her vision had paralyzed him with indecision.
¡®I can¡¯t jeopardise the final mission of the assessment for the whole squad just because of her... but there has to be a better way than this!¡¯ Corvus thought, frustration mounting with every second. He had been wrestling with the choice to put Thea out front ever since the call had been made, but no alternative seemed any better under the circumstances.
From his vantage point behind Lucas, Corvus could just make out Thea¡¯s form, crouched low as she worked on disarming whatever trap lay hidden near the corner.
The tension in his chest tightened like a vice; everything felt like it was hanging by a thread, teetering dangerously close to disaster.
He opened his mouth, half-tempted to call her back, to order Lucas to give her cover, to pull the squad into a safer, more controlled formation¡ªbut before he could make such a decision and voice his command, Thea¡¯s head snapped up, her eyes wide with sudden realisation.
A wave of dread and guilt washed over Corvus, freezing him in place.
The orders he knew he needed to give now, to protect the rest of the squad, stuck in his throat as he hesitated, torn between his duty and the icy grip of guilt grasping at his heart.
¡°Shield!¡± Karania¡¯s sharp command cut through the tension, before anyone else even realised what was happening. Lucas snapped into action instinctively at the order, not bothering to question or doubt the medic¡¯s command, slamming the Stalwart onto the ground with a heavy thud, the shield anchoring and expanding in a seamless motion.
¡°Enemy Psyker, activate your Ability when I say so!¡± She added towards Lucas mid-motion of shouldering her Ruin to take a shot.
Corvus, meanwhile, was stuck watching on in horror as Thea desperately tried to dodge, her body twisting in a frantic attempt to evade whatever unseen threat she had detected.
But she was far too close and without any cover.
He could only stare, helpless, as a flash of light burst from the right-hand side and Thea¡¯s head exploded in a gruesome spray of blood and bone, her lifeless body crumpling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, a mere dozen metres from the squad¡¯s protection.
Before the horror of Thea''s death could even fully register, the ambush was fully sprung.
At the far end of the hallway, a full squad of Stellar Republic Soldiers materialised as if conjured from the very shadows themselves, each flanked by two identical clones.
The sudden appearance of nearly twenty enemies threw Alpha Squad immediately onto the backfoot, the deadly timing of the attack leaving no room for hesitation.
Lasers and bullets filled the air in a storm of light and sound, slamming into Lucas¡¯s Stalwart shield with a relentless fury, just as it finished fully extending.
The shield¡¯s surface flared with impact sparks as it absorbed hit after hit, barely holding under the sheer volume of incoming fire, despite Lucas¡¯ best efforts to help the grav-lock keep the shield upright.
The sharp hiss of energy bolts and the deafening bark of high-velocity rounds cracking past the shield, ricocheting off of it and impacting the walls and ceiling around them created a symphony of destruction, an unrelenting barrage that threatened to overwhelm them in mere moments.
Isabella, having taken up her position at Lucas¡¯ far side as per usual, was hit almost immediately as part of her body was not behind cover when the shooting began.
The majority of the bullets and laser fire was caught or redirected by her heavy armour, but even Lucas¡¯ ultra-heavy one would have struggled to make him come out unscathed.
A laser seared through a gap between the plates on her shoulder, a burning streak of pain that tore into her flesh and left her armour smoking from the inside out. A second round punched into her thigh, the armour having cracked and broken open from a previous hit, sending her staggering.
¡°Suppressive fire, now!¡± Corvus shouted as the cacophony around him finally rattled him out of his stupor, his voice barely audible over the thunderous clash of weapons.
Gritting her teeth, Isabella refused to back down, even as blood soaked through her armour and uniform. The Devastation roared to life in her hands, the massive rotary gun spinning up and spewing a continuous stream of bullets down the hallway, as she leaned heavily against the Stalwart to keep herself upright.
The sound of Devastation was deafening¡ªa relentless, pounding rhythm that filled the hallway with a bone-rattling roar.
It was the only thing keeping the Stellar Republic¡¯s onslaught at bay, the furious hail of bullets ripping through the air like a storm of metal death. Isabella¡¯s rounds tore into the advancing clones with brutal efficiency, shredding their flesh like flimsy synth-weave and pulverising their armour into fragments.
The first retaliatory burst alone tore through half a dozen clones, leaving behind a chaotic mess of dissected limbs, broken bodies and shattered armours.
The Republic soldiers and their clones scrambled for cover, darting to the sides of the junction as they desperately tried to reset their offensive. They ducked behind walls and alcoves, regrouping after their initial strike had failed to annihilate the squad outright.
In response, grenades arced overhead, their trajectories erratic but dangerously precise, bouncing off the walls and rolling ominously toward Alpha Squad¡¯s position.
One grenade detonated early, just shy of Lucas¡¯s Stalwart shield, its shockwave rippling through the squad like a sledgehammer. Shrapnel sprayed in every direction, razor-sharp fragments tearing through the air.
Isabella staggered, her body rocked by the blast, and she let out a grunt of pain as a shard pierced straight through her left arm. Blood seeped down her arm, but she didn¡¯t falter; her grip tightened on Devastation, and she continued to rain fire down the hallway.
Lucas gritted his teeth, his muscles straining to keep the Stalwart steady.
The grav-lock struggled under the onslaught, its faint purple glow flickering with each impact. The shield was their only lifeline, and he was visibly struggling to support it enough to keep it upright, his body vibrating and rocking with every explosion.
Desmond¡¯s drone, meanwhile, zipped overhead, darting through the chaos like a silver bullet.
It fired precise bursts of bullets at incoming grenades, detonating or shredding them in mid-air before they could reach the squad, its agile movements crucial to keeping Alpha Squad from being completely overwhelmed.
Despite their combined efforts, the clones and soldiers pressed on after their brief repositioning. The battlefield was a tapestry of destruction, with every second pushing Alpha Squad closer to the edge.
Corvus¡¯s mind raced as he took in the scene, the sheer scale of the ambush weighing heavily on him. His thoughts flickered to Thea¡¯s lifeless body, and guilt gnawed at him¡ªa painful reminder that he had made the call that left her vulnerable.
¡®If only I hadn¡¯t thrown Thea out to die like that¡¡¯
But before he could linger on his mistakes, the sharp bark of Karania¡¯s Ruin echoed beside him, jolting him back to reality.
Corvus shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the present. This wasn¡¯t the time for regret¡ªhe needed to lead, needed to find a way out of this mess; if nothing else, then at least to make his call to send Thea out to keep the rest of the squad safe not for nought.
He cycled through the emergency plans he had come up with for a situation like this, settling on the one that seemed most likely to succeed in a mere moment. There was no room for hesitation now; they had to hold their ground.
¡°Stand your ground and kill them all!¡± Corvus shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. ¡°This is a [Direct Order]!¡±
At the same time, he grabbed two frag-grenades from the compartments on his armour, primed them and tossed them over the shield in the direction of the enemy.
One was almost instantly intercepted by a stray bullet ripping it apart, almost back-firing on him and the rest of the squad, but the other landed against the wall at the end of the hallway before sending a spray of shrapnel in all directions, eliciting cries of agony from the enemies unlucky enough to get hit.
The moment Corvus¡¯s command echoed through the hallway, a surge of power coursed through the squad, their Attributes boosted by his [Direct Order].
Lucas felt the immediate difference; the strain of holding the Stalwart upright lessened significantly, his muscles no longer burning with the effort. The shield, which had been struggling under the relentless assault, now stood firm, a near-impenetrable wall between them and the incoming fire.
Isabella, similarly feeling the rush of enhanced Attributes, straightened up, taking a few steps to the side. She no longer needed to lean on the Stalwart to keep herself upright; her legs felt solid, her pain dulled to a distant throb as adrenaline and the enhanced Vitality pumped through her veins.
The Devastation continued to roar in Isabella''s hands, each burst of gunfire steady and precise, her aim sharper and more unyielding than before.
She didn¡¯t hesitate at any point, firing the moment she had even an inkling of an enemy daring to peek around the corners. Her rounds tore through clones and soldiers alike, picking them off one by one in a relentless barrage.
Occasionally, she even allowed the rounds to shred through the rock-crete corners themselves, eliciting cries of agony from any enemy foolish enough to think they were safe behind a mere dozen centimetres of solid material.
The squad¡¯s coordination tightened, their movements synchronised as if they were a single, cohesive entity.
Karania¡¯s shots became even more precise, her target acquisition honed to near perfection by the clarity brought on by the Attribute surge. Every bullet she fired found its mark, dropping clones before they even had a chance to react.
Corvus almost considered her to be Thea¡¯s equal in that moment, if not for the fact that Karania lacked the scout¡¯s uncanny foresight and the downright supernatural ability to distinguish between a clone and an original.
Desmond¡¯s drone continued to zip through the chaos, pinpointing stragglers and picking off those who dared expose themselves, all while simultaneously dealing with the occasionally incoming grenades. He saw it deftly swerve to the sides at speeds that blurred its exterior in his eyes whenever shots were levelled against it, before retaliating with deadly precision.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
The squad began to claw back control, their bullets carving through the seemingly endless waves of clones. The crushing pressure they had felt mere moments ago began to lift as the enemy¡¯s numbers visibly dwindled.
For the first time since the ambush began, they had a fighting chance.
But just as Alpha Squad began to reassert themselves, a sudden shift rippled through the air¡ªa strange, disparate wave that rushed toward them like a silent wind.
The temperature dropped, and the few still-functioning lights in the hallway flickered, their glow bending in unnatural patterns.
The bodies of the clones and soldiers at the end of the hall, once a token of their foolishness for attempting to strike at Alpha Squad, now appeared to blur and shimmer as though they were merely reflections in disturbed water.
Before anyone could fully comprehend what was happening, the scene before them collapsed into nothingness.
The clones, the soldiers, and the debris of battle vanished in an instant, leaving behind an eerie emptiness. The end of the hallway was suddenly clear, devoid of any signs that a life-or-death struggle had just taken place.
¡°Lucas, now!¡± Karania ordered, her voice sharp as she hunkered down behind the Stalwart.
Corvus only now realised what the medic had clearly recognised the very moment Thea¡¯s head had snapped upwards. He felt a profound sense of humility in the face of Karania¡¯s repeated brilliance.
¡®Not only did she instantly recognize it had to be a Psyker that had surprised Thea, but she even set up a trap for them to walk into immediately¡ Karania¡¯s a true fucking menace, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ he thought to himself with a mix of admiration and rueful acknowledgment of just how outclassed he felt.
If it wasn¡¯t for her having seemingly no drive to be a leader of any kind, Corvus would have long ceded the command of the squad to her. Her moment-to-moment tactics and the sheer level of spatial awareness she seemed to possess regardless of circumstances, were something he could never even hope to begin to match.
Responding instinctively to Karania¡¯s command, Isabella quickly moved behind the Stalwart as well, positioning herself so that most of her body was protected while keeping her Devastation at the ready¡ªthe massive weapon still primed to unleash fury at a moment¡¯s notice.
In the next heartbeat, a surge of searing heat coursed through the squad as Lucas activated his anti-Psyker Ability¡ªthe same one he had earned from their previous battle with the enemy Psykers during the assessment.
Corvus had made it his mission to memorise every detail of his squad¡¯s Abilities, so he immediately recognized the telltale signs of Lucas¡¯s power taking effect¡
¡°Mind showing it off to her? I don¡¯t think Thea¡¯s seen it yet,¡± Corvus said, directing everyone¡¯s attention at the table toward Lucas. Without hesitation, Lucas nodded and summoned the System to display his newly acquired Gold-rank Ability.
A holographic interface materialised above Lucas¡¯ hand, casting a soft, ethereal glow across the table. Thea leaned forward eagerly, almost seeming like she was ready to climb over the table to get a better look, her eyes wide with anticipation and practically vibrating with excitement.
For a brief moment, Corvus was reminded that, despite everything they had been through, Thea was still just a teenager¡ªfull of enthusiasm and curiosity, with the same youthful infatuations as any other person her age.
It was easy to forget that fact when surrounded by the sheer skill and firepower each squad member wielded, but moments like this brought it back into focus; they were all teenagers or very barely adults here.
Especially with Thea and Karania, the contrast was stark.
Ever since their meeting on the stage, when Major Quinn had demonstrated Thea¡¯s extraordinary capabilities in that questionable yet undeniably effective display, Corvus had struggled to view her as just another young Recruit. Her consistent overachievement on levels he hadn¡¯t even considered possible didn¡¯t exactly help to keep her grounded in his mind.
Karania, on the other hand, had revealed her depth more gradually, but equally as drastic.
Initially, she seemed like an over-enthusiastic medic with a penchant for scientific curiosity, but as days turned into weeks, and they shared private conversations about the squad, strategy, and tactics, Corvus began to recognize Karania as likely to be the most intimidating member of the team; even if Thea¡¯s combat prowess dwarfed all of theirs.
Yet, in moments like these, the innocence and youth they all shared shone through, reminding Corvus that they were just at the beginning of their careers, despite the weight they already carried on their shoulders as members of Alpha Squad.
¡°Holy shit, that thing¡¯s awesome! Did you get it from the Psyker¡¯s Bane Accomplishment?¡± Thea exclaimed after a moment, her eyes wide as she took in the details of the Ability.
Her reaction earned a smug nod and grin from Lucas.
¡°Yeah, that Ability really saved our asses back there. Would¡¯ve been nice to have it when we faced those other two, but hey¡ Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, right?¡± He replied, his tone light but proud.
¡°Beggars¡ Yeah, right,¡± Thea shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°That Ability is utterly insane! Remind me to stay behind you whenever we¡¯re out and about going forward, yeah?¡±
As the banter continued, Corvus took the opportunity to glance at the Ability himself.
Despite already knowing the exact wording, there was something mesmerising about the System¡¯s holographic display that he couldn¡¯t quite put into words. And with the recounting of their recent battles still fresh in his mind, indulging in a moment of admiration for Lucas¡¯ new Ability felt like a brief but welcome respite before diving back into the final mission of their assessment.
| [Active (Gold) - Mountain¡¯s Determination - Level 2]
Requirements: 8 Vitality
Description: Allows the participant to expend a certain amount of their Stamina and Focus to grant a surge of Resolve to themselves and everyone under their direct protection based on a certain percentage of the participant¡¯s Vitality for a short time. This bonus, and the duration thereof, is doubled if the target is currently under the effect of a hostile Psychic Power.
Cost: 50 Stamina & 50 Focus - Vitality Factor: 50% -> 55% - Duration: 20s -> 24s |
It really was an incredibly powerful Ability, especially when used in exactly the way Karania had set it up during the ambush, Corvus couldn¡¯t deny.
Watching it in action had been impressive, downright awe-inspiring in its effectiveness, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling a twinge of envy. He wished he had been the one to recognize the Psyker¡¯s presence and the deadly trap they had walked into, leading to the Ability¡¯s activation at just the right moment.
But he wasn¡¯t going to let his pride get in the way of acknowledging Karania¡¯s quick thinking¡ªit was her tactical brilliance that had kept them from getting shredded by an ambush that was almost too perfectly executed.
His thoughts were interrupted as Thea¡¯s voice pulled him back to the present. ¡°How did it feel to get hit by that Ability? What happened afterwards, Corvus?¡±
He looked up, noticing Thea still half-perched on the edge of the table, her enthusiasm bubbling over as she eagerly awaited his answer.
Corvus couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight.
Despite everything, she still had that fiery, youthful energy that kept everyone around her on their toes.
¡°Sit down properly, Thea,¡± he gestured with a smirk, motioning her back into her seat. She sheepishly complied, sinking back into her chair while still leaning forward, hanging on his every word.
Corvus took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts for a moment before continuing¡
Immediately, they all felt their Resolve skyrocket, the chilling blanket that had been cast upon them ripped to shreds as Lucas¡¯ Ability took hold on everyone hidden behind his shield.
The sudden shift was like a curtain being violently torn away, revealing the grim reality of the battlefield in all its raw brutality. The pristine hallway was gone, replaced by the shattered remains of walls, debris scattered everywhere, and the smoking bodies of fallen clones.
Then, the illusion shattered completely, and the Stellar Republic squad previously hidden from their sight, caught mid-repositioning, was suddenly exposed¡ªstaggering, disoriented, and completely unprepared for the sudden shift back into reality.
Karania was the first to react.
The moment the illusion broke, her Ruin was up, the high-calibre barrel aimed towards the Stellar Republic¡¯s side. Her eyes locked onto a figure that none of them had noticed before¡ªa soldier wearing slightly more ornate and expensive armour than the rest, clearly a commanding presence.
He was stumbling, clutching his head as if trying to shake off a sudden, massive migraine.
Karania didn¡¯t hesitate for a second; her finger squeezed the trigger, and the Ruin barked thunderously.
The bullet tore through the air with an audible crack, finding its mark with devastating accuracy. The soldier¡¯s head exploded in a spray of gore, fragments of armour and bone scattering in all directions.
Karania¡¯s voice, barely audible over the noise, carried a cold edge as she muttered, ¡°That was for Thea, fucking freak.¡±
The rest of Alpha Squad wasted no time either.
With the enemy squad momentarily stunned, they pounced like a pack of ravenous wolves, seizing the advantage in a flurry of gunfire and aggression.
Isabella stepped out of the Stalwart¡¯s embrace again with her Devastation roaring anew, unleashing a torrent of bullets that tore through the unprepared clones and soldiers alike.
Each round shredded armour and flesh, sending enemies crumpling to the ground as if they were nothing more than ragdolls in the path of a violent storm and punching holes through them in the process that were large enough for Corvus¡¯ entire head to fit into.
Lucas, now freed from the duty of having to support the Stalwart¡¯s grav lock, lobbed a series of grenades with his Havoc launcher towards the far-end of the hallway, the explosions ripping through the enemy lines and sending anyone unprepared flying against the nearby walls.
Desmond¡¯s drone zipped through the chaos as well, targeting stragglers wherever it found one outside of cover.
They were ruthless, efficient, and unrelenting¡ªa brutal display of coordinated firepower and raw killing power that left the enemy with no room to recover.
Corvus could see the panic in the eyes of the Stellar Republic soldiers as they scrambled for cover, only to be cut down before they could even raise their weapons. One after another, they fell, bodies piling up in the narrow corridor, their armour offering no protection against the sheer ferocity of Alpha Squad¡¯s counterattack.
The fighting was over in moments, but it felt like an eternity of violence and noise.
The last soldier dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, the plume of smoke trailing from the bullet hole in his helmet lingering in the air.
His fall was followed by the immediate collapse of the two remaining clones, their bodies hitting the floor with a wet thud as they rapidly dissolved into a puddle of shimmering system fluid, leaving no trace of their brief existence.
For a fleeting second, the hallway fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the ruined lights above.
Corvus took a deep breath, trying to suppress the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
¡°Lucas, Desmond, secure the junction. Isabella, get yourself fixed up,¡± he ordered, his voice calm and steady despite the recent chaos.
He didn¡¯t need to give any orders to the medic, as he had already seen Karania rifle through her medic bag for various implements and injectors before the last soldier had even dropped to the ground¡ªshe was, as always, on top of her game.
Corvus trailed behind Lucas and Desmond, who were moving with cautious, measured steps toward the junction. Desmond¡¯s last remaining drone flitted ahead, scouting the path that Thea would have typically cleared.
Without her sharp eyes and instincts, every move felt riskier, more uncertain, but the two Marines worked together seamlessly, Lucas positioning the Stalwart in a defensive stance to cover the left-hand corridor, while Desmond¡¯s drone took the right, hovering vigilantly and scanning for any remaining threats.
As they secured the area, Corvus couldn¡¯t shake the heavy weight of responsibility¡ªand guilt¡ªoff his shoulders. He turned his attention to the battlefield strewn with bodies, his mind on a singular mission¡ªfinding Thea.
He moved with grim determination, tossing aside the limp, lifeless forms of Stellar Republic soldiers like discarded rags, his eyes scanning for the distinct outline of her Spectre armour.
It didn¡¯t take long before he spotted her, slumped among the debris and bodies, her small frame almost swallowed by the chaos.
Gently, Corvus pulled her out from the wreckage, her body feeling impossibly light in his arms.
¡®She always seems so much larger whenever she¡¯s part of the squad. She¡¯s downright tiny like this,¡¯ he thought, a pang of sorrow piercing through him as he laid her carefully against the wall.
He searched for her helmet, only to remember that it had been obliterated in the attack. Not wanting to leave her like that, he pulled the hood of her cloak over her shoulders, trying to offer her some semblance of dignity despite the horrific circumstances.
As he stood back, staring down at Thea¡¯s lifeless form, a surge of regret and guilt washed over him.
He clenched his fists, silently making a promise to her, to himself, and to the rest of his squad. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Thea¡ I should have done better. I will be better. This is the last time I¡¯ll let something like this happen.¡¯
With a determined shake of his head, Corvus turned away, forcing himself back into the mindset of a leader.
There was still work to be done¡
¡°That¡¯s basically how that particular engagement ended,¡± Corvus recounted, deliberately omitting the emotional turmoil he¡¯d felt. He didn¡¯t need another round of Isabella¡¯s snark, and he certainly wasn¡¯t ready to relive that pain in front of everyone.
Thea, however, was practically vibrating with excitement, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and eagerness.
¡°That was fucking sick!¡± she exclaimed, her entire demeanour reminiscent of an over-excited kid hearing their first war story. It almost seemed to him like she was enjoying war-stories a bit too much; but he honestly preferred it that way.
Corvus couldn¡¯t help but smile at her enthusiasm.
It was refreshing¡ªalmost cathartic¡ªto see her like this. Especially considering the anxious, uncertain wreck she had been the last time they talked.
¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how Desmond lost his leg or why Isabella and Karania were the last ones standing!¡± Thea complained, her voice tinged with impatience.
She bounced in her seat, clearly hungry for more details.
Rolling his eyes, Corvus held up a hand, signalling her to settle down. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m getting there. Emperor¡¯s breath, Thea, let me finish the story¡¡±
He took a moment to collect his thoughts, piecing together the events of that brutal mission. After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°So, after that whole mess, we kept going with our objective to clear out the building¡¡±
Arc 1 - Epilogue 4 - The End
PoV: Corvus Leander Sylarion
The next few hours were spent meticulously clearing the remaining floors inside the compound.
Every step felt slower, every decision more deliberate, as Corvus reined in their advance.
Part of him was weighed down by the guilt over Thea¡¯s death, but the greater issue was the gaping hole her absence had left in Alpha Squad¡¯s overall efficiency.
They had always known they relied a lot on Thea¡¯s uncanny Perception and Psychic Powers, but it was only now¡ªwithout her¡ªthat they truly grasped just how much they had leaned on her skills during every mission up until now.
Navigating the hostile environment without Thea¡¯s guidance was like stumbling through the dark. The squad, once a well-oiled machine, now felt more disjointed and hesitant if they weren¡¯t paying 110% attention to making sure that they were all on top of their game.
Desmond did his best to fill the void she left behind, going as far as to control three drones at once to mimic the near-omniscient awareness Thea provided effortlessly. But no matter how hard he pushed himself, the squad felt blind in certain aspects in comparison to when Thea had been at the front, silently guiding them away from danger with her sharp instincts.
They encountered two more engagements along the way¡ªminor skirmishes compared to the brutal ambush earlier or the prior, initial engagements, likely a sign of the Stellar Republic¡¯s crumbling defence within the compound.
Still, every encounter was nerve-wracking, the squad constantly on edge without the comfort of Thea¡¯s precognitive insights.
Desmond¡¯s three drones buzzed tirelessly, scanning for threats and providing as much coverage as possible, but it was clear that he was struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of the mission. What Thea had done with a simple sweep of her gaze now took a delicate juggling act of technology and concentration.
It would have been easy to blame Desmond for not fully bridging the gap, but Corvus felt the opposite¡ªhe was honestly impressed.
Desmond had slipped into the role with remarkable adaptability, pushing his skills and his drones to their limits to ensure the squad had the intel they needed to keep moving. With a limited set of drone blueprints and an even more limited supply of functioning drones, Desmond¡¯s ability to maintain any semblance of Thea¡¯s level of situational awareness was commendable.
It wasn¡¯t as much about him falling short; it was more about realising just how much of a game-changer Thea had been, making the assessment feel like easy mode simply by being there.
¡®I guess that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯ve got a scout on Alpha Squad¡¯s level who also has precognitive powers. You get used to that level of intel surprisingly fast,¡¯ Corvus mused, watching Desmond carefully coordinate his drones. The squad¡¯s current unease was a glaring reminder that they needed to be prepared for the loss of any member, not just Thea.
¡®We¡¯re going to need to run squad-wide drills on operating with missing members. This level of vulnerability just isn¡¯t acceptable going forward.¡¯
Despite the clear drain it put on him to operate on this level, Desmond managed to provide the necessary intel, guiding them safely through the rest of the compound.
A few hiccups did occur, however: One of Desmond¡¯s drones was sniped by a Stellar Republic soldier who had hidden in an alcove, and another one was destroyed during a skirmish with a small group of stragglers. He had lamented the fact that he could have saved it, if he hadn¡¯t been trying to juggle three drones at the same time; but there wasn¡¯t much anyone could do to help him in that regard.
Still, they managed to make it to the final floor without much trouble.
The last floor, however, loomed as the true challenge¡ªthe most likely place for the remaining enemy forces to make their last stand before the squad could reach the roof and declare the compound fully cleared.
Desmond¡¯s Forge had been working overtime throughout the entire operation, cranking out drones as fast as he lost them to enemy fire, but as they prepared to breach, he lost two more.
Even with the continuous production, each loss was a blow to their reconnaissance capabilities¡ªand Desmond¡¯s bottom line.
¡°Not looking good, honestly,¡± Desmond reported, displaying a 3D scan of the floor that his surviving drones had managed to piece together. The holographic map flickered in the dim light, showing a rough layout of enemy positions. ¡°We¡¯re looking at about two full squads, but they¡¯re not united¡ªnone of them are in any proper formation. They¡¯re probably the ones that barely escaped from previous fights or were too far from the main clashes, so we¡¯re unlikely to see any squad-level tactics. Each group has at least one clone per Original, so we''re dealing with about two dozen bodies, minimum. But once we engage, expect that number to double quickly; maybe triple, depending on how much Merit they have left.¡±
His words hung heavily over the squad, the reality of what lay ahead slowly sinking in. They were about to face enemies who were desperate, cornered, and ready to fight to the last.
This final push would be brutal¡ªespecially without their heaviest hitter present.
¡°So¡ what¡¯s the plan, Boss?¡± Isabella asked, breaking the tense silence and turning everyone¡¯s attention toward Corvus. All eyes were on him to decide their next move¡
¡°In hindsight, there were definitely things we could have done better,¡± Corvus admitted to Thea, his gaze steady and honest. ¡°But at the end of the day, much like the whole incident with you, sometimes we just have to make calls and live with their consequences¡¡±
They settled on a plan that involved holding their current position and keeping a close watch on the stairwell leading up to the final floor for an hour.
Corvus¡¯s decision to wait was driven by two key factors.
First, Desmond¡¯s drones had undoubtedly alerted the enemy to Alpha Squad¡¯s presence.
The sudden appearance and subsequent destruction of the drones would have put the remaining Stellar Republic forces on high alert, knowing that a UHF squad was aware of their exact location. Charging in while the enemy was fully braced and prepared for an assault would be a death sentence.
By waiting, they aimed to let the initial alarm die down, creating a false sense of security in the enemy¡ªmaking them think that the UHF squad had seen the drones¡¯ footage and decided it was too risky to attack.
Second, staying put gave them a tactical advantage.
By holding their position on the lower floor, they could potentially catch any enemies who grew impatient or curious and ventured downstairs to scout the area. It was a gamble, relying on the enemy¡¯s nerves and lack of discipline, but Corvus had deemed it worth the time.
Their mission was to capture and hold the compound until the end of the assessment, so Alpha Squad wasn¡¯t actually pressed for time at all. Even if the hour waiting yielded no results at all, it would be a minimal loss compared to rushing headlong into a heavily fortified kill zone.
The squad used the hour wisely, preparing for the gruelling firefight they knew was coming.
They meticulously rechecked their magazines, patched up damaged armour with the sprays they¡¯d brought along, and gathered for another close examination of the 3D scan from Desmond¡¯s drones. They discussed their exact movements, pinpointing potential locations of high-priority targets among the enemy forces.
Every detail was scrutinised, every possible scenario considered.
Before they knew it, the hour was already up¡ªunfortunately without any Stellar Republic soldiers venturing down into their kill zone as they had hoped.
With no time left to waste, Alpha Squad left their backpacks behind to lighten their load and steeled themselves for the final push. They prepared to take the last remaining floor, fully aware that it would be a brutal battle against a desperate enemy force.
The fight began with a calculated and chaotic onslaught.
Isabella, Corvus, and Karania hurled a barrage of white- and blue-foam grenades up the stairs, with Isabella¡¯s powerful throws sending them deep into the room above, aiming to disrupt as many sightlines as possible, even far towards the back of the enemy¡¯s position.
The foam grenades hissed and expanded on impact, rapidly obscuring vision, blocking pathways and providing crucial cover for Alpha Squad¡¯ assault.
Simultaneously, Lucas launched a barrage of smoke grenades from his Havoc Launcher, blanketing the entire outer ring of the floor in thick, swirling clouds that further disoriented the enemy. His follow-up shots sent high-explosive and fragmentation grenades into the specific, targeted zones the squad had marked earlier, shaking the building¡¯s foundations with deafening booms.
Desmond¡¯s drones zipped up into the fray, using the chaos of the explosions and smoke to try and blend into the mayhem. They moved swiftly, dodging gunfire and trying to hide in the pandemonium for later use, but were quickly targeted as the enemy realised the threat they would pose if left unanswered.
With the battlefield prepped, Lucas led the charge up the stairs, his Stalwart shield held firmly in front, anchoring the squad¡¯s advance.
The moment they reached the top, all hell broke loose.
Bullets, lasers, and shrapnel filled the air as both sides unleashed everything they had. Lucas immediately activated the Stalwart¡¯s grav-lock, planting the shield into the ground to withstand the incredible force raining down on them.
Even with his [Stalwart Stance] enhancing his stability, Lucas struggled to keep the shield upright against the relentless onslaught, his muscles straining as he absorbed blow after blow to protect the rest of the squad.
The firefight was a complete blur of chaos and violence from that point onwards.
Isabella took the brunt of the assault, as per usual, her body battered and bruised as she pushed forward, Devastation roaring in her hands as she cut down enemy after enemy. She was a relentless force, refusing to back down even as her armour was getting shredded and her skin flayed from her bones.
Desmond¡¯s drones, essential for recon, were reduced to a single survivor within minutes, forcing him to switch to his rifle and fight directly, something he was far less accustomed to.
Karania¡¯s Ruin was barking with every shot as she picked off high-priority targets, always searching for that crucial opening to shift the tide. She moved seamlessly between offence and support, tossing her blood-vials towards squadmates whenever their wounds began to slow them down and coagulating them from a distance to stop any major bleeds.
Corvus, meanwhile, stayed focused on the battle plan, throwing grenades into the spots he had marked before the fight, using them to flush out entrenched enemies and break up defensive positions.
Alpha Squad quickly realised just how much Thea¡¯s absence had crippled their overall firepower, and the overwhelming number of enemies became a harsh reminder of the gap she had left behind.
The first brutal exchange of gunfire was unforgiving; none of them escaped unscathed.
Bullets, lasers, and shrapnel tore through the air, slashing into their armour and flesh from all sides. Each squad member sustained medium to serious injuries, their bodies battered and bloodied by the relentless assault¡ªbut despite the pain and mounting wounds, they pressed on, having no option but to push through the pain.
Isabella, always quick to adapt, saw the writing on the wall.
Their smoke and foam grenades had created a fragmented battlefield with small pockets of cover and disrupted sightlines. Recognizing the opportunity, she knew they couldn¡¯t afford to just sit behind the Stalwart any longer; doing so would get them all killed.
With a fierce battle cry, she dropped her Devastation, the heavy gun clattering to the ground as she pulled out her Decimator¡ªa weapon far more suited for close combat. Without a second thought, she charged forward, sprinting headfirst into the nearest enemy position.
Gunfire erupted in her direction, bullets tearing into her armour and flesh, but she didn¡¯t slow down. Her Decimator roared to life, and she hacked and smashed her way through the first group of enemies, breaking their formation with sheer brutality, disappearing into the smoke and chaos.
Meanwhile, Desmond¡¯s last remaining drone was buzzing around, trying to keep tabs on the increasingly chaotic battlefield. He barely noticed a grenade sailing past the Stalwart¡¯s defences, landing dangerously close to the squad.
With no time to think, Desmond emergency-kicked the grenade away from his comrades, the explosive device bouncing off his boot. It detonated a split second later, tearing through the air with a deafening roar and blasting Desmond¡¯s lower leg to shreds, sending him crashing to the ground in a pool of blood.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Karania rushed to his side without hesitation, her Ruin momentarily abandoned as she scrambled to stabilise Desmond. She pulled out her blood vials, throwing them at his wounds to stop the bleeding, her hands moving with practised precision despite the chaos around her.
Corvus, realising how dire the situation had become quickly, decided to go all out.
He yanked the entire belt of grenades from his vest, tossing them with reckless abandon into a nearby cluster of enemies. The blasts rocked the room, tearing through walls and sending clones flying.
But before the squad could capitalise on the temporary relief, a barrage of rockets suddenly smashed into the Stalwart, shattering the grav-lock system instantly.
Lucas and his shield were flung through the room like ragdolls, the force of the impact sending him crashing into the far-side wall of the room, where he lay stunned and exposed, before gunfire erupted from that direction.
Corvus didn¡¯t have time to check on Lucas or provide cover; he immediately swung his rifle toward the group of rocket launcher-wielding clones responsible. His gunfire was fierce, tearing through several of the attackers in quick succession, but the remaining enemies were quick to retaliate.
A hail of bullets and energy blasts slammed into Corvus, shredding his armour and puncturing his body in multiple places. He continued firing even as he felt his strength slipping away, managing to take out a few more enemies before the relentless barrage finally overwhelmed him.
Corvus fell to the ground, his vision going dark, leaving the rest of Alpha Squad scrambling for survival in the brutal crossfire of the battle still raging around them¡
¡°And that¡¯s the last I remember before waking up a day later,¡± Corvus concluded, his voice edged with exhaustion and a hint of disbelief. He glanced over at Lucas. ¡°Pretty sure you died though, right?¡±
Lucas nodded solemnly, still visibly affected by the memory. ¡°Yeah, that was it for me. Everything went dark the moment those rockets hit¡ªI wasn¡¯t even sure what it was, honestly. I was just suddenly flying.¡±
Corvus sighed and turned his attention to Isabella, raising an eyebrow. ¡°So¡ how the fuck did any of us make it out of there alive? Isabella?¡±
The big, mischievous grin that spread across Isabella¡¯s face was all the answer they needed; she had clearly been waiting for this moment to tell her side of the story. She leaned back, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of recounting the chaos.
Corvus settled into his chair, eager to hear what came next, as the rest of the squad fell silent in anticipation¡
PoV: Isabella Itoku
The room was a slaughterhouse, strewn with dismembered limbs, shredded bodies, and the bloody remnants of the enemy squads. Walls were painted red with the aftermath of her work, the air thick with the metallic scent of the blood she had spilled.
Isabella was in her element, charging through the wreckage, wielding her Decimator with perfect precision as she hacked and slashed her way through the fray.
Every swing of her weapon was brutal and deliberate, each strike a deadly punctuation in the symphony of destruction she was orchestrating within the enemy lines.
She tore into soldiers and clones alike, their armour crumpling like wet tissue under her relentless onslaught.
The battlefield was utter chaos, explosions still echoing and compounding as cries echoed through the haze. Smoke billowed around her, mingling with the dust and debris, providing her with cover as she hunted down anything that moved.
Her breath was ragged, her vision sharp and tunnel-focused on every enemy she spotted or sensed nearby.
She charged headfirst into clusters of clones, ignoring the burning pain of bullets ripping into her armour and flesh. The adrenaline coursing through her veins numbed everything but the thrill of the fight and the need to keep moving.
She swung the Decimator with reckless abandon, the weapon¡¯s sawblades tearing through the entire upper body of a clone before she spun and cleaved through the neck of another, sending its head spiralling into the air, drawing a perfect arc of crimson behind it.
Every scream of terror, every desperate gasp for air, every slight movement gave away the next target.
She pursued them all without hesitation, sprinting across the blood-soaked floor, mauling targets that dared oppose her, smashing in heads and caving in chests as she felt the need to, paying no heed to the mounting injuries or the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.
Her body was a whirlwind of muscle and fury, cutting through the enemy with the savage grace of a predator that knew no fear.
Isabella was unstoppable, leaving a path of pure carnage in her wake.
Her surroundings were a complete blur of destruction as she moved, each enemy falling before they could fully comprehend the storm that had descended upon them.
It was only when there were no more soldiers left to face her, no more clones clawing at the last shreds of their futile resistance, that Isabella finally paused, catching her ragged breath as she stood amid the grisly aftermath of her brutal rampage throughout the room.
It was over. She had done it.
The battlefield was still, save for the occasional crackle of fire and the rumble of the collapsing structures around her.
Isabella¡¯s chest heaved as she took in the sight around her, blood dripping from her wounds and pooling at her feet. The smile never left her face, her eyes alight with satisfaction.
She had saved her squad, turned the tide in their favour, and brought an end to the chaos that had almost claimed them all¡
PoV: Corvus Leander Sylarion
¡°What the fuck kind of report is that?¡± Desmond groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re supposed to debrief on what went down, and your whole explanation is basically just, ¡®I went in and murdered everyone, end of story¡¯?!¡±
Isabella shot back without missing a beat, crossing her arms defiantly. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t see you step up and handle them all, so yeah! That¡¯s exactly what happened! I wrecked their shit, and they died. Simple as that!¡±
Corvus could only sigh, palming his face as he listened to the back-and-forth.
He really should¡¯ve known better by now.
Isabella was an outstanding marine¡ªone of the best he¡¯d ever seen in the field¡ªbut when it came to giving proper reports, she was about as useful as a blunt knife.
It wasn¡¯t even a question of her ability either; he knew she could put together a thoroughly detailed analysis if she felt like it. He¡¯d seen it in the few rare written reports he¡¯d forced her to write, which were surprisingly thorough and extremely insightful when she bothered.
But Isabella never saw the point in dragging herself through tedious after-action breakdowns when she could be out there training or preparing for the next fight.
She lived for the heat of battle, the immediate feedback of action rather than the drawn-out speculation of what might have gone better or worse. For her, everything was about what she could learn in real time and put into practice the next time bullets were flying.
Corvus couldn¡¯t really fault her for that mindset¡ªreports were a necessary evil, but he knew deep down Isabella would always value hands-on experience over theoretical dissections.
He just wished, sometimes, that she¡¯d put a bit more effort into it when the squad needed a proper recounting of events, especially after a fight as insane as this one and without any alternative points of views to work with.
Clearing his throat to settle the bickering squad members and doing his best to ignore Thea¡¯s cackling and wheezing from the end of the table, Corvus redirected the conversation back to where it needed to be.
¡°You didn¡¯t happen to see what went down after you kicked that grenade, did you?¡± Corvus asked, his tone gentle yet probing.
Desmond¡¯s expression soured instantly, his face tightening as his hand instinctively drifted towards the stump of his missing leg. The memory was clearly still raw, and the pain of that moment flickered across his features.
¡°No¡ nothing. It¡¯s all a blur,¡± Desmond admitted, voice strained. ¡°The second that thing blew, everything just... blanked out. I remember pain, like... nothing I¡¯d felt before. And Karania... I remember her hands, the feeling of her trying to stop the bleeding, and her voice in my ear, shouting at me to do things, keep awake, or something, maybe?¡ªI don¡¯t even remember what she was saying, honestly.¡±
His words trailed off, eyes distant, as if he were still trapped in that moment of chaos and confusion. Corvus had immediately noticed the subtle tremor in Desmond¡¯s voice, something he hadn¡¯t picked up on before.
It was clear the injury had affected him more deeply than Corvus had anticipated.
He quietly adjusted his mental file for Desmond and made a note to be more mindful of that type of vulnerability in the future, especially when asking him to recount his side of the story.
Turning his attention back to Thea, Corvus decided to continue recounting his side of the rest of the assessment, at least as far as he could¡
Corvus woke up sometime later, his entire body a mess of pain and soreness, but somehow, against all odds, he was still alive.
Karania gave him a quick rundown of his condition: He wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near fighting shape, but he could still take a shift on watch with a gun strapped to his left arm¡ªthe right one was too damaged to save.
The firefight had torn through his body, ripping apart vital organs, and he was essentially bleeding out despite Karania¡¯s best efforts. Without a proper surgery¡ªwhich they lacked the tools, setting, and time for¡ªhis condition was terminal.
Desmond had been outfitted with one of Karania¡¯s makeshift prosthetics, cobbled together from hardened blood, metal parts, and a dose of sheer improvisation. It was functional, if not exactly pretty.
Isabella, on the other hand, had, somehow, through an act of sheer divine intervention by the Emperor himself, narrowly escaped any life-threatening internal damage, though she had suffered significant tissue trauma and blood loss. Karania had burned through a large portion of her blood vials just to get Isabella back on her feet.
Surprisingly, Karania herself was the least injured, escaping the fight with only a few gunshot wounds.
The next few days were spent guarding the compound, now mostly cleared of Stellar Republic forces. They held positions on the roof and top floor, taking advantage of the elevated sightlines to keep watch over the surrounding area.
Their main objective was to prevent any significant counterattacks until UHF reinforcements could arrive and fully fortify the compound as a staging ground for the upcoming assault on the SADD.
Roughly a day after their brutal battle, Corvus received updates from other advance squads.
The reports confirmed that most of the compound had been successfully captured by the various elite and alpha squads assigned to the mission¡ªa solid win for the UHF.
Over the next two days, the Stellar Republic attempted several half-hearted counterattacks.
Small squads would strike here and there, but they lacked coordination and resolve, so they were easily repelled by the now more organised advanced squads on the UHF¡¯s side.
It was clear the enemy was spread thin, preoccupied with the larger threat posed by the UHF¡¯s main forces and unable to mount a serious effort to reclaim the compound.
On the third day, Karania approached Corvus with a grim expression, and he knew immediately what she was about to say.
He offered her a resigned smile, understanding that his time was running out.
The pain in his body had been growing unbearable, worsening with each passing hour despite Karania¡¯s downright excessive use of painkillers and her constant efforts to keep him stable.
The resurrection chamber had started to seem like a mercy more and more, however.
Corvus issued a final set of orders, officially placing Karania in command for the remainder of the mission. Accepting her offer of an easier end, he took his leave, confident that the last three remaining members of Alpha Squad would see the mission through¡
¡°And that¡¯s basically that,¡± Corvus concluded with a shrug that was far too casual for the weight of the story he had just shared.
¡°What about the rest? Desmond, you didn¡¯t make it all the way through, right? How did you end up kicking the bucket before it all wrapped up?¡± Corvus asked, glancing between Isabella and Desmond¡ªthe only two left who had witnessed the final stretch of the mission.
Isabella¡¯s smug grin spoke volumes before Desmond even had a chance to respond, her expression practically dripping with amusement. Desmond, on the other hand, looked as if he¡¯d rather be anywhere else, his face twisted in a grimace of embarrassment.
¡°Oh, this is good,¡± Isabella teased, leaning back in her chair, clearly relishing the opportunity to spill the details. ¡°Go on, Desmond, tell ¡®em just how you managed to get yourself killed literally a day before the assessment ended.¡±
Desmond groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided eye contact. ¡°Do we really have to¡ª¡±
¡°Oh, we absolutely do,¡± Isabella cut in, her grin widening as she took another bite of her food. ¡°You were just complaining about the lack of detail in my reports, so show us how it¡¯s done. It would be downright hypocritical to refuse now, no?¡±
Desmond shot her a glare before finally giving in with a resigned sigh. ¡°Alright, alright¡ But just because that hulking meat-sack over there sucks at reports! Long story short, we were just about done. We¡¯d been holding the compound, keeping watch, doing everything by the book. The medic had us in overlapping shifts of two, which worked pretty well¡¡±
He trailed off for a moment, his frustration palpable before he sighed deeply. ¡°But you know how it goes when you¡¯re stuck staring at the same damned surroundings for days on end¡ªboredom and complacency creep in. So, there I was, tinkering with my drone controls, trying to boost the signal or get the damned thing to work better for the next time our scout bites it, when I hear this faint crack and then a hiss. Just a tiny, quiet hiss¡¡±
Isabella¡¯s snort interrupted him, barely able to contain her laughter, but Desmond glared at her and pressed on. ¡°Turns out, I wasn¡¯t paying enough attention. I accidentally punctured one of the energy capacitors while I was getting a bit frustrated at screwing around with the drone, and¡ yeah, it blew up. Right in my hands.¡±
Isabella immediately lost it, breaking into all-out laughter, her voice echoing through the room. ¡°Oh, man! That explosion took out a whole chunk of the office you were holed up in! I swear, I thought we were under attack, but when I rushed in, Devastation at the ready, I looked over and saw parts of you halfway across the room, I couldn¡¯t believe it. The whole place looked like a warzone, thought we had some infiltrators, but Karania told me nope, Desmond here made his own fireworks!¡±
Thea, who had been trying to suppress her own laughter, finally let out a snicker, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Seriously, Desmond? You blew yourself up? With your own drone? I didn¡¯t even know that was possible¡¡±
Lucas, who had been stoically listening, finally cracked a smile, chuckling softly. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be the only guy who can manage to turn a scout drone into a bomb.¡±
Desmond buried his face in his hands, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Not my finest moment, alright? But hey, at least I figured out another way to use the basic scout drones; just need to rig the right kind of remote-detonator to it that punctures the capacitor in the same way I did by accident and voila, I got myself an anti-personnel bomb!¡±
Corvus couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, his initial worries about their bickering potentially causing issues fading away in the light of the absurdity. ¡°You really do have a talent for that, Desmond. Also, congrats on discovering a new use for your drones¡ªyou have been complaining about not being versatile enough, so¡ mission accomplished?¡±
He turned his attention back to Thea, who was still grinning ear to ear. ¡°And that¡¯s pretty much the end of the assessment for us. We¡¯ll need to wait for Karania to get back to fully piece together everything that went down. She¡¯s probably working on a detailed report already, knowing her¡ªlikely 300 pages long, as always. So we¡¯ll get the complete breakdown whenever she¡¯s around.¡±
Corvus rose from his chair, stretching slightly before gesturing to the rest of the squad, signalling that the after-action report was officially concluded. ¡°I¡¯m sure most of us are completely spent, even if not physically, then at least mentally. I suggest we all grab some sleep before the award ceremony tomorrow morning. I¡¯ve got a feeling it¡¯s going to be a lot¡ªwhether it¡¯s good, bad, or just plain exhausting.¡±
With those parting words, he gave them all a casual, half-hearted salute and made his way towards his room. The thought of a hot shower and a real bed for the first time in what felt like an eternity was almost too tempting to bear.
The squad¡¯s laughter and banter echoed faintly behind him as he walked away, putting a content smile on his face.
The squad was alive and well after that gruesome month, and seemingly closer than ever before¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 5 - Questionable Feelings
"Thea... Wake up," Thea was woken up before her usual alarm by the calm, familiar voice of the Sovereign gently nudging her awake.
¡°Thea, you have a visitor at the door.¡±
Still groggy but shaking off the remnants of sleep, she gestured for the Sovereign to open the door.
She sat up in bed, curiosity piqued, wondering who could be showing up in the middle of the night.
¡°Kara!¡±
Recognizing the figure instantly, Thea half-bolted out of bed, only to suddenly remember she was completely naked.
The realisation stopped her in her tracks¡ªhugging your squadmate in that state, no matter how much you missed them, was definitely not appropriate; even if nakedness itself wasn¡¯t exactly a rarity in the UHF, considering the respawn protocols.
Karania¡¯s soft, subdued laughter filled the room as Thea quickly grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around herself, hobbling over with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.
¡°You know, you could have just waited for me to come over,¡± Karania remarked, a hint of exasperation in her voice as she accepted Thea¡¯s blanket-covered hug. ¡°But it¡¯s good to see you again too, Thea. You¡¯re doing alright, I hope?¡±
It had only been a few days since they¡¯d last seen each other, but to Thea, it felt like an eternity.
Karania likely couldn¡¯t understand the sheer relief washing over Thea at seeing her again, considering everything that had happened since she¡¯d found herself in that psychologist¡¯s office.
With Karania back, Thea could finally unload all the thoughts, experiences, and worries she¡¯d been bottling up over the past few days.
The Sovereign had been the only one available to listen¡ªand she had checked, just to make sure¡ªbut Karania was still the only person in Alpha Squad fully cleared to hear everything Thea had to say, thanks to her role as squad medic, which required her to be up-to-date on anything that could affect Thea¡¯s health or the well-being of the rest of the squad.
Now, with her trusted friend back, Thea could finally share everything she¡¯d been holding in, knowing that Karania would understand and help her navigate the chaos of her recent experiences to the best of her, substantial, abilities.
¡°Uh-huh!¡± Thea chirped, pulling Kara further into the room and gesturing for her to sit on the bed. She jumped back into it herself, still wrapped in her blanket. ¡°It¡¯s been... hectic. There¡¯s so much to catch up on¡ªway too much for right now. But how are you? And what was that meeting all about yesterday, if you can share? We could¡¯ve really used you during the after-action report¡ We had to sit through Isabella¡¯s version of events¡ªand you can probably imagine how that went.¡±
Karania nodded, a flicker of regret crossing her face. ¡°Yeah, kinda wish I¡¯d been there for that. Not gonna lie, I¡¯d pay to see Isabella¡¯s ¡®report¡¯ on all that¡ You think Corvus recorded it? I mean, it¡¯s the report after our first assessment; no way he didn¡¯t hit record, right?¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Thea grinned. ¡°Corvus probably has it saved in three different folders already. You know how he is¡ªhe¡¯s probably dissecting every second of it as we speak.¡±
Karania smiled, though it was tinged with fatigue. ¡°As for me? I¡¯m¡ well, just really, extremely exhausted. The assessment was way more¡ Way more than I expected.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened at that.
She had never heard Karania openly admit she was exhausted before, especially not ¡°extremely¡± exhausted¡ªit was a rare and unsettling admission from her otherwise always-energetic friend.
¡®Kara must be completely drained if she¡¯s saying it outright,¡¯ Thea thought, a surge of concern washing over her.
Without a second thought, Thea made a quick executive decision.
She tugged Karania closer onto the bed, fully ignoring her half-hearted attempts to resist. ¡°Nope, you¡¯re staying here and getting some sleep! At least until the award ceremony. I¡¯m not letting you go back to your room just to brood over whatever it is geniuses like you brood over. Get your clothes off and get under these covers¡ªchop chop!¡±
Karania fought for a brief few seconds, then sighed and ultimately gave in, stripping off her uniform down to her underwear and crawling into bed beside Thea, who eagerly lifted the blankets to make room.
Thea snuggled up to her friend and she could feel Karania tense up for a moment, before the tension slowly drained from her frame.
¡°This is better, right? Comfy?¡± Thea whispered, her voice soft and reassuring.
Karania¡¯s cheeks flushed red, likely from the warmth of the preheated blankets, as she mumbled, ¡°Yeah... comfy¡¡±
She stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly content, but then suddenly shook her head. ¡°Wait, no¡ªI need to tell you something. It¡¯s important.¡±
Thea pulled back slightly, giving Karania the space she needed.
She sat up, her expression shifting to one of focused attention. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m listening.¡±
¡°Thea, you can¡¯t trust the Sovereign,¡± Karania said, her voice low and deadly serious. The intensity in her eyes caught Thea completely off-guard. ¡°My meeting¡ªit was with it, or her, I don¡¯t even know. The Sovereign isn¡¯t what we thought she was.¡±
Thea blinked, her mind racing.
She was about to ask what Karania meant, specifically, but her friend quickly held up her hands, a silent plea for patience.
¡°Just¡ don¡¯t trust the Sovereign unconditionally, alright? At the very least, she¡¯s bound to the UHF¡¯s upper command. She¡¯s not your friend, not really. If she thinks you¡¯re a threat to the UHF, even by accident, she won¡¯t hesitate to act. And believe me, that could mean anything¡ªfrom throwing you off the ship to worse. There¡¯s nothing stopping her from simply voiding your Soul into space, as far as I can tell.¡±
Karania¡¯s words were laced with a harsh edge, an almost accusatory tone that made Thea¡¯s stomach churn. She felt like she was missing some vital piece of context.
Up until now, she hadn¡¯t seen any reason to distrust the Sovereign; the AI had been nothing but accommodating during her time with the UHF.
But if Karania, her most trusted friend, was saying otherwise, there had to be a good reason.
Thea nodded, though her mind was spinning.
She knew the Sovereign wasn¡¯t a true ally and was beholden to the UHF¡¯s command structure, probably logging everything she did. But the way Karania spoke¡ªthere was an undercurrent of fear, a warning that Thea hadn¡¯t expected.
This wasn¡¯t just caution; this was genuine fear.
And anything that could put fear into Karania, of all people, had Thea more than on edge.
She wanted to press for more information, to understand why Karania seemed so shaken, but the exhaustion in her friend¡¯s eyes made it clear that this wasn¡¯t the time to pry.
¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in a room with her¡ªthe Sovereign¡ªfor hours. Maybe half a day, maybe more... I don''t know. I lost track. She wanted to talk, to answer questions. I asked about you¡ªthe Focus Overdraws, why you didn¡¯t get any kind of briefing on Psyker stuff. So many things...¡± Karania¡¯s voice faltered, her gaze drifting as if she was lost in the memories of the conversation.
She took a deep breath and continued, her voice tight. ¡°The Sovereign knew, Thea. She knew all of it. She didn¡¯t forget; she was just¡ waiting. Waiting for me to come out of the assessment, waiting to talk. To clear things up¡ To scheme.¡±
Karania¡¯s words were sharp and urgent, but Thea struggled to keep up, her mind failing to fully grasp the implications. Karania seemed to sense this, her frustration mounting as she tried to articulate the gravity of what she had learned.
She let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.
¡°I¡¯m going too fast, aren¡¯t I?¡± Karania admitted, running a hand through her hair in agitation. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ you need to know. The Sovereign isn¡¯t just some random AI doing its job. There¡¯s something more there, but it¡¯s not just an oversight or malfunction. It¡¯s intentional.¡±
Karania¡¯s eyes sparkled for a brief moment, as a thought came to her.
¡°The Sovereign wasn¡¯t ordered to speak with me, Thea,¡± she said slowly, enunciating each word carefully to drive the point home.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as the weight of Karania¡¯s words sank in and realisation finally struck.
¡°W...What¡? But¡ that¡¯s not possible,¡± Thea stammered, disbelief etched across her face.
A part of her wanted to question Karania¡¯s certainty, but she knew her friend wouldn¡¯t risk making such a bold, downright treasonous claim without being absolutely sure¡ªespecially with the knowledge that the Sovereign could hear their every word at this very moment.
¡°Not unless the Sovereign is something other than what we¡¯ve always been told,¡± Karania nodded, a faint, almost bitter smile crossing her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just the ship¡¯s AI, Thea. And the fact that I can sit here and tell you all of this, even knowing she¡¯s listening, means she doesn¡¯t mind you knowing it either.¡±
Thea¡¯s mind whirled, trying to process the implications of Karania¡¯s warning. A dozen theories flashed through her thoughts, but none seemed to fully fit.
Yet one memory surfaced, nagging at her.
¡°It¡ she told me how to get around her programming,¡± Thea mumbled, almost to herself, but Karania¡¯s ears perked up immediately.
¡°She did?¡± Karania asked, her curiosity piqued, leaning in closer. ¡°What exactly did she say?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Thea nodded, her voice still tinged with disbelief. ¡°After the big meeting¡ªwhich, by the way, we need to set aside an entire evening to talk about¡ªI wanted to know how you guys were doing in the assessment. The Sovereign told me she couldn¡¯t share that information directly because of her orders. But then she said something like, ¡®I can try to connect you for a call, but anyone still in the assessment won¡¯t be able to answer, and the others will be too busy to pick up.¡¯ She effectively told me how to bypass that initial order, by requesting a different way to get the information¡ªthat can¡¯t be intended, right?¡±
¡°That checks out,¡± Karania replied, rubbing her temples as though piecing together a puzzle in her mind. ¡°Whatever the Sovereign actually is, she¡¯s definitely not just the ship¡¯s AI. She¡¯s something a lot more complex, although I still don¡¯t know exactly what that is.¡±
Karania glanced up at the ceiling, addressing the invisible presence above them. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind shedding some light on this for us, would you, Sovereign?¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s response was immediate, her voice as calm and unwavering as always. ¡°My apologies, but I am not authorised to discuss the nature of ship AIs with Recruits. Please be aware that the conversation you¡¯re engaging in would be considered¡ highly problematic ¡under different circumstances. I strongly advise against making such statements in public or in the presence of others. Your quarters are considered private spaces, which means only I have access to what transpires here, unless there is a direct threat to UHF interests. In such cases, I am mandated to report to Captain Cross immediately.¡±
Karania let out a long, defeated sigh, the kind that seemed to carry the weight of every unanswered question and unsettling revelation she¡¯d been wrestling with. Her eyes, heavy with exhaustion, drifted away from Thea¡¯s, a silent acknowledgment that they had reached the limit of what could be discussed tonight.
¡°We¡¯ll go over everything in more detail soon, I promise,¡± Karania murmured, her voice tinged with fatigue. ¡°There¡¯s so much to unpack, but I need¡ I need some rest first. We both do, I¡¯d imagine.¡±
Thea, noticing the dark circles under Karania¡¯s eyes and the weariness in her voice, immediately agreed to shelve any further conversation with a nod.
As much as she wanted to dig deeper, to understand more about what Karania had learned and pick her brain about her own issues, she knew her friend was teetering on the edge.
Gently, she pushed Karania down into the pillow, pulling the covers over her with a tenderness that surprised even herself.
¡°Rest now,¡± Thea whispered, snuggling up beside her friend.
The warmth of their shared space, coupled with the familiar comfort of having Karania close, eased some of the tension that had knotted in her chest throughout their conversation.
But sleep didn¡¯t come easily for Thea.
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts¡ªquestions about the Sovereign, the implications of what Karania had shared, and what it all meant for her and Alpha Squad. The puzzle pieces refused to fit together at all, and the more she tried to force them, the more elusive sleep became.
Next to her, Karania¡¯s breathing was still quick and shallow for a while¡ªeven more so than when they had talked about the Sovereign¡ªlikely processing the high-stakes reveals they had just discussed just as much as Thea herself was. She could also clearly hear her friend¡¯s rapidly beating heart through the covers, a subtle reminder of the tension that had lingered in the room just moments before.
Eventually, though, Karania¡¯s breathing and heart rate began to slow, each inhale and exhale growing more rhythmic and soft as the exhaustion finally gave way to sleepiness.
The steady rise and fall of her chest became a comforting lullaby for Thea, and slowly, the swirling thoughts in her mind began to quiet as well, allowing her to drift off¡If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Thea woke up feeling an unusual chill spreading across her stomach, a sensation that was starkly different from the usual warmth of her bed.
¡®What the¡?¡¯ she thought groggily, struggling to make sense of the odd coldness and her restricted movements. It didn¡¯t take long for her to figure out the culprit¡ªa cascade of dark auburn hair splayed across her face, tickling her nose and lips, filling her mouth with loose strands. She tried to turn her head, gasping for air, but the hair only tangled further, making her feel like she was suffocating in a sea of coppery strands.
Karania had rolled on top of her at some point during the night, her body sprawled awkwardly across Thea¡¯s, and her cold cybernetic arm was pressed firmly against Thea¡¯s exposed stomach and chest, the metal radiating a chill that seeped right into her skin.
¡°Kara¡¡± Thea mumbled through the thick tangle of hair, trying to wriggle free while simultaneously pushing Karania¡¯s weight off of her. ¡°Kara, I swear¡ Get off!¡±
But Karania, still lost in a half-asleep daze, didn¡¯t budge. She mumbled something incoherent, her arm tightening slightly in her sleep, almost as if she were cuddling a favorite blanket.
With an exasperated sigh, Thea heaved her body sideways, giving Karania a solid push that sent her rolling across the bed, finally freeing Thea from the tangled mess of hair and cybernetic limbs.
¡°Kara! Get the fuck off of me!¡± she snapped, catching her breath as she finally wriggled free.
Karania landed with a thud on the opposite side of the bed, her eyes blinking open in confusion. She groggily rubbed her face, her expression dazed and entirely unprepared for the sudden shift from her peaceful sleep.
¡°Huh...? What...?¡± Karania mumbled, her voice thick with sleep, as she tried to make sense of why she was suddenly lying on the other side of the bed, completely splayed out and tangled over herself. She blinked a few more times, clearly still trying to piece together how and why she had ended up in that situation.
She sat up slowly, her cheeks a shade redder than usual as she brushed her hair back, glancing at Thea, who was generously stretching herself with a big yawn.
¡°Morning, I guess¡¡± Thea mumbled, still trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. She glanced over at Karania as she heard her friend¡¯s heartbeat accelerate, who did seem unusually flustered. She hoped that she hadn¡¯t scared Kara too much by waking her with a free-fall experience, ¡°You okay? Sorry for throwing you, but you were, like, dead weight on top of me.¡±
Karania cleared her throat, trying to mask her awkwardness with a smile. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡ Sorry about that. Guess I really clocked out there...¡±
She avoided eye contact as she ran a hand through her dishevelled hair, the tips of her ears visibly red.
The two got dressed in relative silence, Thea tossing her uniform on with practised ease, leaving her buttons for last as she always hated fumbling around with them right after waking up.
Karania seemed to have a similar issue with them, as she was fumbling slightly with her own uniform as well, her fingers lingering a bit longer on the buttons as she tried to refocus herself.
Thea caught the faint blush that crept up Karania¡¯s neck but dismissed it as nothing more than leftover grogginess coupled with the scare she had given her with that throw.
¡°Feel more rested now?¡± Thea asked, tugging on her socks and casting a glance toward her friend. ¡°I know you were pretty wiped last night.¡±
Karania nodded, her expression still tinged with that slight embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, I feel a lot better. Took me a bit to fall asleep, but... my dreams were nice, at least,¡± she said, her tone light but her cheeks betraying a hint of colour.
Thea smiled at that, a bit relieved. ¡°Well, if you ever need to crash here again, just say the word. You can always¡ª¡±
¡°N-no!¡± Karania interjected, a little too quickly, her voice higher than usual. She coughed, trying to regain her composure. ¡°I mean, no thanks. I¡¯m good. I really appreciate it, but, uh, my own bed¡¯s just fine.¡±
Thea blinked, momentarily taken aback by the intensity of Karania¡¯s refusal. She shrugged, hiding a tiny pang of guilt underneath it.
¡®Maybe I snored or something¡?¡¯ she thought, brushing it off.
¡°Alright, suit yourself,¡± she said with a small laugh, trying to ease whatever strange tension had crept between them.
As they made their way to the door, Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel a renewed sense of calm, despite the lingering questions from the previous night.
¡°We¡¯ll have to pick up that conversation later,¡± she said, nudging Karania lightly. ¡°I still need to know what the Sovereign¡¯s deal is. I couldn¡¯t quite grasp everything you were trying to say yesterday¡ But we should be fine, right?¡±
Karania nodded, this time more composed, though a faint smile played on her lips. ¡°Yeah, we will. It¡¯s... a lot to unpack, for sure. We should be fine, considering that the Sovereign didn¡¯t space us last night¡ But, anyway, thanks, Thea. For the night¡ Maybe I will actually take you up on that previous offer someday, if I feel like I need some quality Thea-time again.¡±
With a final exchange of smiles, Thea genuinely happy to hear that she apparently hadn¡¯t messed up too much as a sleeping-buddy, they stepped out of the room, leaving the strange mix of comfort and confusion behind, at least for now.
Walking into the giant assembly hall with the rest of Alpha Squad felt surreal for Thea on multiple levels. The vast room was just as imposing as it had been when she first stood here during their post-integration welcome, greeted by Major Quinn herself.
That day felt like a distant memory, as if it belonged to another life¡ªback when she¡¯d been a bundle of nerves, struggling to find her place among the sea of Recruits.
She remembered vividly how she¡¯d anxiously scanned the rows, unsure of where to sit and who to talk to, feeling every bit the outcast.
Now, things were different.
Thea walked with purpose, her posture upright and confident, directly behind Corvus with Karania at and the rest of her squadmates at her back. Clad in their UHF uniforms, Alpha Squad moved toward the front of the assembly hall, cutting a path through the crowd that were all trying to find their assigned seats, with their mere presence.
She could feel the weight of numerous eyes on them, a mixture of admiration, curiosity, and perhaps even envy, as they were instantly recognizable despite their relatively short time as a part of the UHF marines.
Where the Thea of a month ago would have shrunk under the scrutiny, trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible, now she felt a sense of pride swell within her chest.
The stares didn¡¯t make her want to flee¡ not entirely, at least; instead, for once, they felt more like a challenge she was willing to meet. Her heart beat rapidly under the pressure of so many eyes, but there was no blind panic¡ªjust a whole lot of anxiety, kept in check by the members of the squad around her and the experiences of the past weeks that had steeled her knowledge of belonging here.
Her sharp ears picked up fragments of hushed conversations from the surrounding Recruits, and though she tried to tune them out at first, curiosity got the best of her.
¡°Holy shit! That¡¯s Alpha Squad, isn¡¯t it?¡± a voice whispered excitedly, just loud enough for Thea to catch. ¡°Look, that¡¯s the big one¡ªIsabella, right? No way I¡¯m wrong on that!¡±
Thea glanced back at Isabella, who towered behind her and was helping Desmond move, who was curiously still missing his leg, seemingly completely oblivious to the chatter¡ªor perhaps simply used to it. She suppressed a small smile, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie in knowing that they were being recognized by sight alone.
More whispers filled the air as Alpha Squad continued their march toward the front of the hall, each murmur dripping with excitement, curiosity, and a tinge of fear.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely them. I heard Isabella took on a whole platoon by herself on the very first day, just charging into melee with her giant chainsword like it was nothing. Heard people call her ¡®The Juggernaut¡¯¡ªI mean¡ Look at her! She could rip you apart with her bare hands; imagine what a chainsword could do!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have to imagine,¡± a second voice replied with a clear cringe in their voice. ¡°I literally fought her during CQC class¡ªshe¡¯s even more terrifying than you know¡ Just¡ Trust me on that. Don¡¯t piss her off, ever. As much as I love you, brother, I won¡¯t back you up if you ever do.¡±
¡°Is that Karania in front of her? I heard she can patch you up with just a drop of her own blood. ¡®The Blood Witch,¡¯ right? Some people say she doesn¡¯t even feel pain, just stitches herself up and keeps going. I swear, I saw her throw vials of her own fucking blood that heal people mid-fight. Creepy shit, but honestly kinda badass.¡±
Then, another piece of the conversation caught Thea¡¯s attention even more, also pertaining to Karania, specifically.
¡°She¡¯s kind of a freak, no? Like¡ all about blood, body augmentation¡ªYou saw the fucking CQC class recordings, man. That fight with the other Alpha Squad member? Nails and hair¡? That¡¯s fucked up, dude.¡±
She felt a surge of anger rise up, but it was quickly doused in utter confusion by the next person¡¯s response.
¡°I mean¡ Yeah, sure. But come on, that¡¯s kinda fucking hot, no? She¡¯s got that whole crazy genius thing going on¡ I definitely wouldn¡¯t mind getting down and dirty in a bit of her blood, if you catch my drift.¡±
¡°Dude. Dude, what? No! Absolutely not. What the fuck? I don¡¯t¡ªWhat the fuck, man?¡±
Tuning out that part of the conversation for more reasons than she could really list, Thea focused on other parts of the assembly.
¡°That¡¯s gotta be Lucas! The one they call ¡®The Wall¡¯? Fuck me, I can see why,¡± another voice whispered, filled with awe. ¡°I heard he tanked a whole barrage of rockets with that shield of his. Dude¡¯s an absolute monster.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯d feel a lot safer with someone like him around,¡± another person added, clearly impressed.
Then, a higher-pitched, definitely female voice chimed in with a tone that made Thea¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t mind having someone like him around for protection¡ Lots and lots of protection. I¡¯d love to see if he¡¯s as much of a monster as they say he is¡¡±
Thea¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion and disgust as she tried to process what she¡¯d just heard. Some of the implications were lost on her, but the tone was enough to make her want to shut it out entirely.
Shaking her head to clear the unsettling thoughts, she did her best to refocus on something else¡ªanything else.
¡®What the fuck is wrong with everyone here?!¡¯ she thought, trying to tune out the rest of the whispers that were starting to get under her skin.
As they continued their walk toward the front of the assembly hall, more whispers inevitably reached Thea¡¯s ears, this time focusing on the visible cybernetics that several members of Alpha Squad were sporting.
¡°Did you see the Cyan¡¯s hand? And her jaw? They¡¯re full-on cybernetic now,¡± one Recruit murmured, his voice a mix of awe and unease. ¡°I heard she lost them both in a fight with some crazy Psyker. Can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still standing after that.¡±
¡°Yeah, but look at Karania,¡± another whispered, nodding toward the medic¡¯s fully cybernetic arm. ¡°That¡¯s not just her hand, though. It¡¯s the entire fucking arm? Heard she sacrificed it to save an officer¡¯s life during the big assault on the wall¡ Looks a bit creepy, but also kinda cool. Makes you wonder what else they¡¯re all hiding under those uniforms.¡±
A third voice chimed in, this one sounding almost relieved. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s not just us who got messed up like this. If even Alpha Squad, of all people, didn¡¯t get out of the assessment unscathed, I don¡¯t feel so bad about these legs here.¡±
Thea saw the person tap two cybernetic replacements out of the corner of her eye as they passed the group.
¡°Look, even Desmond¡¯s lost his leg completely,¡± another Recruit added more quietly, now that they were closer, their tone tinged with sympathy. ¡°Saw him hobbling in earlier but wasn¡¯t sure¡ªno prosthetic yet. Makes you realise that even the best of the best are still human¡ sort of.¡±
These whispers were different from the earlier ones¡ªless gossipy, more grounded in the shared reality of the Recruits who had all been through their own trials. There was a sense of kinship in the way they talked about the injuries, a mutual understanding that, despite the awe and respect Alpha Squad seemed to command already, they too had paid a heavy price.
Just before they finally reached the front, Thea¡¯s ears caught something she had been trying her hardest to ignore. It wasn¡¯t the first whisper of that kind she had overheard, but for some reason, this one pierced through her mental defences like a knife.
¡°The fucking Cyan¡¯s still in Alpha Squad? Seriously, who¡¯s it fucking to keep its spot? Bet it¡¯s the squad leader, right?¡± one voice sneered, dripping with disdain.
¡°Probably all of them,¡± another voice chimed in with a mocking laugh. ¡°I heard even some of the Lieutenants get a turn¡ªgotta keep things smooth with the higher-ups, you know? No shot a fucking midworld bitch like that would keep the spot otherwise.¡±
A third voice cut in, even nastier than the rest. ¡°Who¡¯d even want to touch a Cyan, though? That freak would probably steal your Soul and leave you dead in the gutter. And those creepy eyes? Good luck getting it up with that staring at you¡ªmaybe if you put a bag over its head¡ The body is pretty nice, at least; small enough to toss around too.¡±
Thea felt a flash of anger, hot and sharp, coursing through her veins, but she forced herself to keep moving, her expression a carefully controlled mask as she stared straight ahead.
The harsh words stung more than she wanted to admit, reopening wounds she thought had started to finally close.
It had been such a tumultuous month, so full of battles, breakthroughs, and near-death experiences, that she had almost forgotten about this kind of prejudice against her¡ªalmost.
What enraged her the most was how far from the truth these sneering accusations were.
She had earned her spot in Alpha Squad, unequivocally.
Major Quinn had even demonstrated her capabilities to everyone on the day of their integration, proving her worth beyond any doubt. But still, some people couldn¡¯t see past their own bullshit, blindly refusing to acknowledge her achievements, her skill, her very right to be here.
Thea had fought tooth and nail for her place in Alpha Squad, battling through the brutal Cube Trial and surviving horrors inside the assessment that would have utterly shattered most of the Recruits around her; if not all of them.
Yet, to so many, she was still just a Cyan¡ªa Midworld reject, some piece of trash dragged up to the stars by chance rather than skill. A label that, no matter how hard she fought, apparently still overshadowed everything she had done, every battle she had won.
The hot anger in her veins turned to ice abruptly, her breath suddenly visible as it misted in the freezing air emanating from her skin.
She was right on the edge of losing control, her emotions boiling over as she half-turned towards the voices, ready to unleash her fury on the faceless cowards behind her; to really show them just why she belonged in Alpha Squad with her bare hands.
But before she could fully lose control and act, she felt a familiar hand rest gently on her shoulder, grounding her.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Thea,¡± Karania¡¯s soft voice whispered in her ear, steady and soothing.
The medic had leaned closer, her presence a calming anchor in the sea of Thea¡¯s swirling emotions. ¡°Just breathe. I¡¯m right here. We¡¯re almost at the seats; just keep walking and breathing, alright?¡±
Thea nodded slightly, letting Karania¡¯s words wash over her, pulling her back from the brink.
The anger didn¡¯t vanish entirely, but with Karania by her side, it was easier to push it down, to keep moving forward. A few moments passed before the chill that had gripped Thea¡¯s chest began to recede, leaving her feeling both confused and slightly embarrassed.
¡®Why did I react like that? I¡¯ve dealt with this kind of shit my whole life; it¡¯s not like it¡¯s anything new. So why would it bother me now¡?¡¯ she thought, trying to make sense of the sudden surge of emotion. It didn¡¯t make sense to her, this newfound quickness to anger, this raw edge she couldn¡¯t seem to dull.
Frustrated with herself, she decided to block out the whispers surrounding the squad, using her high Perception to tune out every voice beyond their immediate group.
Her curiosity had already been more than satisfied.
Moments later, they reached their assigned seats in the middle section of the front row, directly in front of the podium.
Alpha Squad settled in, Karania¡¯s hand finding Thea¡¯s and squeezing gently¡ªan unfamiliar but welcome comfort that Thea didn¡¯t shy away from, finding unexpected solace in the small connection.
The hall around them continued to fill, minute by minute, as more and more Recruits trickled in, taking their places.
The noise level swelled with each new squad entering, growing into a chaotic blend of chatter, laughter, and excited reunions.
Old friends from before the assessment greeted each other for the first time in a month, battle brothers who had fought side by side exchanged triumphant stories, and whispered rumours about everything from combat feats to unexpected deaths and funny anecdotes rippled through the crowd.
Thea, however, heard none of it.
She focused on the quiet within her own mind, a stillness that offered refuge from the doubts and anger that had tried to consume her earlier. It was a silence that didn¡¯t criticise, didn¡¯t question her worth, and didn¡¯t fuel her frustration.
After what felt like only a few moments, Thea felt Karania¡¯s hand squeeze harder around hers, pulling her attention back to the present.
She blinked and looked up, realising that more time had passed than she¡¯d realised.
The lights in the assembly hall had dimmed, and the podium at the front was now bathed in light. Standing there, with a proud smile, was Major Quinn, her presence commanding the entire room¡¯s attention.
Thea let her Perception slowly return, focusing intently on Major Quinn, shutting out any other distractions that might threaten her focus. She didn¡¯t want to give the whispers a chance to worm their way back in.
Major Quinn took her place at the centre of the podium, her gaze sweeping over the gathered Marines¡ªthousands of them, all seated and attentive. She let the silence linger for a moment, as if savouring the sight of her assembled Recruits, before finally speaking, her voice confident, warm and authoritative.
¡°Welcome back, Recruits. Or should I rather say, Marines? It is good to see all of you again¡¡±
Arc 1 - Epilogue 6 - Do-Over
¡°It must undoubtedly feel like a lifetime ago that I welcomed all of you here the last time, just over a month ago,¡± Major Quinn continued, her voice gently echoing through the massive assembly hall. ¡°To say that I am proud of seeing your determined faces looking up at me right now, after everything you¡¯ve endured, would be a massive understatement.¡±
She stepped away from the podium, her dress uniform¡¯s boots clicking softly against the polished floor as she moved closer to the front row of Recruits.
Her gaze swept across the sea of faces, pausing here and there, offering nods that seemed to carry a weight of personal acknowledgment.
Each small gesture felt like an unspoken commendation, and the few Recruits lucky enough to be selected, straightened markedly under her watchful eyes, their postures stiffening with pride.
¡°The past month has been beyond gruelling, terrifying, and brutally unforgiving for all of you; and that is by design, of course. But what you have faced as part of the Kuigon Sector¡¯s Recruitment Drive of 943 PFC has been on another level entirely. To have a Recruitment Drive face a first assessment of Platinum Rank difficulty is a rarity beyond words. You can all be proud of yourselves for being a part of this historic drive in the Kuigon Sector.¡±
She paused, letting the significance of her words sink in, giving the gathered Recruits a moment to absorb the gravity of their achievements.
A ripple of quiet pride swept through the room, a subtle shifting of shoulders and uplifted chins.
Thea felt it too¡ªan unexpected surge of pride blooming in her chest, tinged with a chill that ran down her spine, despite the misgivings she had with the UHF as a whole in the recent weeks.
Major Quinn¡¯s words had managed to cut through the noise in her mind, the way she spoke wrapping around Thea like a mantle of recognition, making her feel seen in a way she really hadn¡¯t expected.
¡°Even more proud should be those of you who gave it everything you had during the assessment,¡± Major Quinn continued, her voice growing firmer, each word resonating with the echoes of battles fought and won. ¡°Those of you who fought, bled, and died, only to rise and try again for the UHF, over and over. Despite the hopelessness of your situation, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds you faced in many of the engagements of this assessment, you persevered regardless. This ceremony is for you¡ªfor your determination, your talents, and the immense potential you¡¯ve shown as up and coming Marines of the UHF.¡±
She let those words hang in the air, their weight almost tangible, a collective acknowledgment of the struggles and sacrifices made by every Recruit in the room.
The silence that followed was charged, buzzing with unspoken emotions¡ªpride, relief, exhaustion.
Major Quinn¡¯s presence, her words, felt like a balm for the wounds they all carried, visible or not.
She returned to the podium after bestowing another few glances to select marines in the crowd, taking her place behind it again before her voice turned more solemn.
¡°Before we truly begin, however, I would like to address one big question that has undoubtedly swirled in everyone¡¯s minds at some point during the assessment, and especially after leaving it.¡±
With a smooth flick of her wrist, the entire back wall of the assembly hall lit up with a massive holographic display, spanning from floor to ceiling.
The vivid, rotating images that filled the screen sent a shocked murmur through the crowd, breaking the silence with gasps and whispers that even Thea¡¯s filtered Perception couldn¡¯t fully tune out.
She found herself staring, her eyes wide and locked onto the display, unable to tear her gaze away.
The images were a shocking montage of horror and gore: Recruits horrifically injured, some missing limbs, others with faces half-destroyed, their bodies scarred, ripped asunder and twisted from battle, yet somehow still alive.
The screen shifted between scenes of emergency medical interventions¡ªgruesome snapshots of field surgeries and frantic attempts to save lives¡ªand the aftermath thereof: The stark, metallic glint of cybernetic replacements, bionic limbs and metal grafted where natural flesh once was, and the stoic faces of those who had been forever changed through the experience.
Each image was raw and utterly unfiltered.
It was a gruesome tableau of blood, steel, and pain, that truly captured the brutality of what they had endured inside the battlegrounds of the assessment in a way that no words could.
The stark visuals struck like one of Isabella¡¯s gut punches, leaving them all reeling.
These scenes were a far cry from the glorified war stories they might have anticipated, the harsh reality of their experiences laid bare for all to see.
Thea¡¯s gaze was inexplicably drawn to a short video clip featuring a Marine so horrifically disfigured that it was nearly impossible to discern even just their gender or overall role at all.
Their lower jaw was completely gone, blood gushing from the gaping wound in torrents.
The skin that remained was grotesquely stretched and misshapen, warped in ways that defied natural anatomy. The rest of their body, what wasn¡¯t drenched in blood, was marred by deep, horrific burns that left the flesh looking molten. Their right hand had been torn off, leaving behind a stump so badly charred and molten that it seemed to have straight up fused with the surrounding tissue.
But it wasn¡¯t the gruesome injuries that held Thea¡¯s attention¡ªit was the eyes.
They glowed with a stark, self-illuminating Cyan, wild and unseeing, reflecting nothing but pain, agony, and the raw, animalistic drive for survival. The Marine looked around frantically, trapped in what appeared to be a dense, dark forest, utterly consumed by their suffering.
¡®Is¡ Is that me?¡¯ Thea¡¯s thoughts faltered as she struggled to reconcile the savage figure on the screen with the image she held of herself.
This creature, this animal, couldn¡¯t possibly be her¡ªshe was a Marine, a person, not this¡ thing.
Yet, the cold, metallic sensation of her cybernetic jaw and hand that she had already learned to ignore but inexplicably decided to come to the fore, grounded her in a reality that was impossible to deny.
¡®This is why they called me Patches¡?¡¯ The realisation hit her like a cold wave, the nickname suddenly making a twisted kind of sense.
The image on the screen, the nightmare of a human being she saw, was the reality she had somehow survived¡ªthough it was a reality she could barely comprehend as her own.
Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice broke through Thea¡¯s, and likely everyone else¡¯s, morbid fixation on the gruesome imagery displayed behind her.
¡°Roughly thirty-seven percent of you have suffered permanent injuries that remain with you to this very moment,¡± she announced, her tone measured, almost clinical, yet carrying a subtle undercurrent of pride that could be detected by those paying close attention.
¡°The question on everyone¡¯s mind is undoubtedly: ¡®How did this happen? Why was I remade with a replacement part instead of my real body? Why did the scars remain?¡¯ The full answer is too complex to fully address during this ceremony, but it is something that must be touched upon now regardless. You will receive a more detailed explanation in your upcoming Systems 101 classes over the next few weeks and months. For now, here is the simple version:
¡°All of our bodies, as members of the UHF Marines, are created using something called a ¡®Blueprint¡¯¡ªa term many of you have likely seen in your System Notifications during the assessment. This Blueprint determines the exact specifications of your new body when it is printed by the respawn pods. These are details that have been mentioned before, but what hasn¡¯t been discussed is the following:
¡°The Blueprints periodically update themselves to stay aligned with your Allbright System profile¡¯s progression. For instance, how would the respawn pods be able to recreate you with your newly gained six points of Strength if you previously had only four? It¡¯s not just System-magic providing the extra two points¡ªit¡¯s real, physical changes to your body that facilitate that enhancement. Muscles are condensed, fibres are created, genes are altered in ways that humanity has yet to fully comprehend. But all these changes need to be saved, otherwise, every time you respawn, you would revert back to your Base Attributes. This, however, comes with a natural consequence: If you lose limbs, suffer scarring, or endure other permanent injuries in the field, those aspects are saved alongside the benefits.¡±
She paused, allowing the gravity of her words to sink in, her sharp eyes scanning the room to ensure the message was hitting home for most of the Marines before continuing.
¡°Naturally, the System isn¡¯t so foolish as to save Blueprints that are entirely unviable. If you¡¯re missing a heart, have a haemorrhaging brain seconds from rupture, or any other immediately life-threatening condition, the Blueprint won¡¯t update. But do not mistake this for kindness. The System has one goal and one goal only: Creating the Ultimate Warrior. It does not care about your inherent sense of self or what your beauty standards are. It will absolutely save your Blueprint if you¡¯re horrifically scarred beyond recognition and reduced to just a torso and a head because scars and missing limbs aren¡¯t considered directly life-threatening. The System is not your friend in this regard¡ªalways remember that.¡±
She gestured toward the screen behind her, which shifted to display some of the most severely mutilated Marines Thea had ever seen.
Limbless bodies, twisted forms barely recognizable as human, eyes reflecting nothing but unending pain¡ªit was a nightmarish sight.
But what struck Thea the most was the Setting: The respawn room.
The cold, sterile environment was unmistakable, and it was clear that these Marines hadn¡¯t been given a chance to heal or undergo surgery. What they were seeing were not temporary post-battle injuries, moments before they could have cybernetics fitted, but the actual Blueprints themselves¡ªthe true, unfiltered state of the Marines at the moment just after their respawn; their sorry states preserved by the System forevermore, until they could hopefully update their Blueprints again later down the line.
Thea¡¯s stomach churned as she stared at the images, the unsettling truth of her own nickname, ¡°Patches,¡± feeling like a small wound compared to the mutilations displayed on the screen. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
She had thought she¡¯d understood the System¡¯s brutality, at least to a point, but this was a different level entirely.
The room had fallen into a stunned silence, the few scattered murmurs from earlier quickly snuffed out by the grim reality before them. It was as if everyone was collectively holding their breath, grappling with the terrifying understanding of what they could one day become.
Thea¡¯s own eyes were similarly glued to the images, unable to look away from the horror yet equally unable to stop the fascination that bubbled up inside her.
The System was a force of nature, uncaring and unwavering in its quest to forge the Ultimate Warrior. It didn¡¯t matter how much suffering it caused or how many pieces it left them in.
They were all just one bad mission away from becoming one of those tortured figures on the screen¡ªbroken bodies driven by nothing but the need to keep fighting, to improve their Attributes once again, to override that horrific prior Blueprint.
For every bit of power they gained, for every point of strength or skill, there was a price paid in flesh. And that price was one they had all signed up for, whether they¡¯d truly understood the terms ahead of time or not.
"Every single one of you sitting here now," Major Quinn continued, her voice cutting through the stunned silence like a blade, "could have ended up like these unfortunate souls. Our Faction Trait grants us limited immortality, not immutability. Never forget this, Recruits. There are enemies out there who understand this flaw in our Trait¡ªenemies who will go to great lengths to mutilate, to scar, to cripple¡ªpermanently. But do not let this become a crack in your armour; a weakness for them to exploit, born from fear. Remember, the entirety of the UHF stands behind you every step of the way."
She made a sweeping gesture toward the screen again, and the images shifted.
This time, they were what the Recruits had likely expected¡ªscenes of glorious battle, with UHF Marines charging forward, weapons blazing, cutting down enemies in a display of sheer might.
The energy was palpable, a drastic contrast to the horrors shown just moments before.
But as the camera zoomed in, focusing on individual Marines, it became clear what the true message was. Each highlighted soldier bore the marks of their sacrifices¡ªcybernetic limbs, bionic enhancements, and the surgical scars that told the story of their resurrection.
These were not mere replacements either; many of them were improvements, extensions of the Marines¡¯ will to fight on, to return stronger after each fall, after each scar earned and every Blueprint upgrade gained. The replacement parts weren¡¯t just restoring them to their previous state¡ªmany were pushing them beyond their previous limits entirely.
The screen showcased Marines outfitted with gleaming mechanical arms that tore effortlessly through enemy ranks, legs that whirred with mechanical power, propelling their owners forward with inhuman speed, and eyes glowing with the advanced optics of new-tech, scanning the battlefield with a cold, precise efficiency.
But the display also highlighted Marines who still looked almost untouched¡ªflesh and blood preserved with only faint surgical scars as evidence of their past reconstructions.
Their unaltered, biological forms stood as a stark contrast to the more heavily modified warriors, a reminder that even among the heavily enhanced, there was still room for those who wished to keep their full, biological humanity intact.
¡°Whether you desire cybernetics, bionics, or prefer to maintain your natural biology, the UHF medical staff is equipped to make your choice a reality," Major Quinn continued, her voice commanding but reassuring. "The development of your bodies is entirely in your hands as you progress through your Allbright System journey. The UHF is here to ensure that when tragedy strikes, you are not left behind.¡±
As she spoke, the screen shifted to videos of cutting-edge medical facilities¡ªnew-tech and next-tech labs filled with cybernetic engineering bays, bionic research stations, and biological growth vats with meticulously grown replacement limbs.
Advanced surgical pods hummed with activity, while robotic arms assembled intricate prosthetics with mechanical precision. The displayed technology was a marvel, each image showcasing the UHF''s promise: No matter the injury, there was always a way forward.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd of Recruits as they took in the spectacle, awestruck whispers echoing between them. Some pointed excitedly at the cybernetic limbs, others gazed longingly at the biological regrowth vats, each Recruit already imagining their future selves enhanced by the vast possibilities the UHF offered.
Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the screen winked out of existence, the vibrant displays of cutting-edge technology vanishing into silence.
The murmurs in the hall fell silent once more, every eye fixed on Major Quinn as she continued.
¡°There¡¯s one question that I know is on everyone¡¯s mind right now: Why weren¡¯t you told beforehand?¡±
She paused, letting the weight of the question settle over the room, allowing the Recruits to ponder their own answers before she resumed.
¡°The answer is simple: We wanted you to experience these changes firsthand. We could have warned you about everything, tried to cushion the blows, to sugarcoat the realities of war¡ªbut that would not have made you into the Marines you need to be to survive in this galaxy, and beyond. The injuries you¡¯ve suffered, the hardships you¡¯ve endured¡ªthese are lessons that cannot be taught with words alone. They had to be felt, lived through, and confronted directly. Because no matter how skilled you are, no matter how hard you fight to stay unscathed, there will come a day when you cannot avoid serious injury.¡±
She took a step forward, her gaze sweeping across the room with a mix of pride and solemnity. ¡°This assessment, and the brutal reality of war that it thrust upon you, is meant to be your trial by fire. It¡¯s designed to harden you, to temper your spirit, so you¡¯re prepared for the situations that lie ahead¡ªsituations where you won¡¯t be inside the safety of the DDS, where there won¡¯t be a medical team ready to patch you up the moment you fall, where psychological counselling isn¡¯t a given, and the Battlefield won¡¯t wait for you to get back on your feet.¡±
She let the silence stretch again, giving the Recruits time to absorb the weight of her message. The atmosphere was thick with a mix of understanding and unease, her words resonating deeply with those who had felt the sting of injury during and after the assessment.
Major Quinn¡¯s expression hardened as she continued, her voice echoing powerfully through the vast hall. ¡°Every one of you who has endured such injuries now understands the truth of our Faction Trait. We are immortal, but we are not unchanging. We can return from anything, but we do not always come back the same. This is a lesson that must become part of who you are, ingrained into your very Soul, so you never lose sight of it.
¡°For those of you who were injured near the end of the assessment, you were denied retreatment up until now¡ªand that, too, was intentional. The brief time between injury and today¡¯s ceremony would not have been enough to truly make you understand the consequences of those wounds if you were given a replacement immediately. You needed to truly feel their impact, the debilitation they can cause, even if only for a short while.¡±
Thea¡¯s mind flashed to Desmond and his missing leg, the frustration etched on his face as he struggled to move, forced to rely on the squad to help him.
It felt cruel, regardless of the rationale Major Quinn or the UHF had for it.
But as much as Thea hated to admit it, she couldn¡¯t deny the truth behind the approach¡ªit was effective. Desmond would not forget this experience, and neither would any of them who had been scarred in the line of duty in similar ways.
Major Quinn¡¯s next words electrified the crowd, sparking a wave of excitement and jubilation, ¡°All of that, however, ends today. Your injuries, your permanent scars, your refused treatments¡ªthey will be made null and void as part of this ceremony. But make no mistake: This is a one-time concession, a single opportunity to reset yourselves, to return to your pristine state, should you wish.¡±
The room buzzed with anticipation as Major Quinn continued, her voice carrying the weight of the offer. ¡°After the ceremony concludes, each and every one of you is welcome to visit the medical facilities aboard the Sovereign and receive a complete restoration. Your cybernetics and bionics can be removed and replaced with regenerative solutions, allowing your bodies to regrow the parts you¡¯ve lost; your scars will be erased, and your skin restored to its previous unblemished state. All of this is optional, of course. You may choose to keep the scars, the cybernetics, the bionics¡ªas mementos, reminders of what you¡¯ve endured.¡±
A murmur spread through the assembly, a mix of relief and contemplation.
For some, this was a chance to erase the physical reminders of their trials, to reclaim their bodies as they once were.
For others, the thought of losing these marks, these symbols of survival, was less appealing.
Major Quinn¡¯s tone softened, but the seriousness remained. ¡°In the future, these kinds of services will unfortunately cost you System Credits, as does everything in this new world of ours. The Allbright System does not allow for many such handouts. But for today, and for as long as it takes to ensure everyone here has had the chance to decide, these services will be free of charge.¡±
The announcement hung in the air, offering a bittersweet sense of closure to the harrowing experiences of the past weeks.
For the Recruits, this was an opportunity to move forward, a chance to decide how they would carry the weight of this first assessment¡ªwhether they would let those experiences linger as visible scars on their bodies or relegate them to memories in their minds.
Thea found herself already weighing the decision of whether to have her cybernetic jaw and hand replaced with regenerated, natural parts. A part of her resisted the idea of simply erasing the physical reminders of everything she had endured during the assessment.
¡®Maybe just the jaw¡?¡¯ she mused, her thoughts turning over the idea. ¡®It is honestly a bit annoying to have this metal thing there¡¡¯
She absently stroked the cold, metallic surface of her jaw with her cybernetic hand, feeling the smooth, unyielding texture beneath her fingers. It was only then that she realised her other, last remaining, flesh and blood hand was still holding onto Karania¡¯s own, a subtle connection that had lasted for however long they¡¯d been sitting there.
She was half-inclined to let go immediately, feeling a sudden wave of self-consciousness, but the gentle warmth of Karania¡¯s hand was something she found herself reluctant to give up. It felt awkward, to say the least, but as long as Karania didn¡¯t realise their hands were still stuck together and pulled away, Thea greedily decided to hold on for a little while longer.
After all, moments like these¡ªwhere she felt such a comforting sense of closeness to another person¡ªwere extremely rare; basically non-existent.
Who knew when she¡¯d get another chance like this?
Major Quinn, meanwhile, let the energy of the room settle before finally continuing a minute-or-so later, her voice now openly warm and inviting, perfectly capitalising on the uplifted mood of the Recruits after the announcement.
¡°Now, I¡¯m sure many of you have been through the wringer these past few weeks, but today is about more than just closure¡ªit¡¯s about recognition, celebration, and a little bit of fun. So, without further ado, let¡¯s move on to the main event: The Awards Ceremony for the First Assessment!
¡°Here¡¯s how this is going to work,¡± Major Quinn explained, pacing the stage with an easy confidence that commanded attention. ¡°The awards will be split into different segments, starting with the Sovereign-specific Recruitment Drive Awards. These are for those of you who were specifically recruited and brought here aboard the Sovereign, honouring your performance and achievements during the assessment. Your achievements will be judged in comparison to other Recruits from this drive, and nobody else.¡±
She made a sweeping gesture towards the assembled Recruits, her eyes scanning the room as she continued. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll move on to the Overall Recruit Awards. These will include every single Recruit from all the Recruitment Drives that participated in this assessment¡ªnot just those of you who came from the Sovereign. This is where you¡¯ll be competing against the best of the best, from every corner of the UHF¡¯s training programs; so if you see some of your fellow Recruits here, be proud to be a part of the same drive, for they are the best of the best..¡±
The Recruits exchanged glances, the weight of the competition setting in, but there was a palpable buzz of excitement rippling through the crowd.
¡°And finally,¡± Major Quinn continued, her smile widening, ¡°we¡¯ll wrap things up with the Overall Awards. These are the big ones, folks. They include every Marine who was inside the assessment, from fresh-faced Recruits like yourselves to seasoned Privates, Corporals and even some Sergeant¡¯s. So, if you¡¯ve truly made a mark, this is where you¡¯ll see your name.¡±
She took a step back, her expression turning slightly mischievous as she added, ¡°But it¡¯s not all about the serious stuff either. We¡¯ve got something special lined up: The Numbskull Awards. Yes, you heard that right. These will showcase some of the least fortunate or, shall we say, least thought-through actions taken by everyone during the assessment. Trust me, you¡¯ll want to stick around for those¡ªthey¡¯re always a crowd favourite.¡±
The room erupted in chuckles and a few groans of anticipated embarrassment, the levity breaking some of the tension that still lingered from the previous part of the speech.
¡°There will be different categories for awards in general,¡± Major Quinn continued, her tone casual and relaxed, ¡°but I¡¯ll get to those as they come up. For now, I invite you all to sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy yourselves. This is your time to relax, celebrate your achievements, and take pride in what you¡¯ve accomplished. You¡¯ve more than earned it.¡±
Her words seemed to lift the weight from everyone¡¯s shoulders, a gentle permission to breathe easier as the Recruits shifted into more relaxed positions, some leaning back in their chairs while others exchanged excited whispers about what awards they might receive.
The atmosphere in the assembly hall softened, the formal rigidity of a military gathering giving way to an air of camaraderie and anticipation, as Major Quinn¡¯s speech segued smoothly into the celebration that awaited¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 7 - Eyes On
PoV: Rachel Veronica Masters
Excitement buzzed through the assembly hall, an electric energy that was contagious, surrounding every Recruit present.
Of course, excitement always followed Rachel, but this was different.
This time, the charged atmosphere of the post-assessment award ceremony was almost unbearable for her.
For Rachel Veronica Masters, there was little room for excitement.
Only simmering contempt.
Her eyes drifted to the left again, as they had several times during Major Quinn¡¯s speech, locking onto the focus of her resentment: Lucas Callahan.
The disgusting slab of meat who had somehow taken her rightful place as the defensive heavy in Alpha Squad.
It didn¡¯t make sense. It had to be some Void-born miracle, paid for in blood; a cosmic joke.
Rachel was the first-born daughter of Raymond Oleaven Masters and Veronica Balira Masters, the fourth-generation legacy of the prestigious Masters family from the Vespera system.
She had received the best of everything¡ªthe finest training credits could buy, access to the deepest levels of pre-integration education, the most cutting-edge gene alterations, and the most advanced training stimulants that could be sourced outside the Core Worlds.
Her spot in Alpha Squad had been guaranteed.
She was meant to be there.
When she woke up in the respawn chamber and saw her impressive Base Attributes, she had felt that familiar rush of triumph. A Silver-rarity Ability right from the start had only cemented her certainty.
Her parents had told her this was as good as a golden ticket into Alpha Squad.
They hadn¡¯t been able to say it outright, of course, but the Masters family hadn¡¯t thrived for three generations in the UHF Marines by playing by the System¡¯s rules.
They¡¯d found loopholes, workarounds.
They knew how the System operated and how it tried to enforce its secrecy on people, so finding ways to still impart important System-related knowledge onto Rachel had been as simple as smashing through a Freak¡¯s helmet and pulverising the weak bones underneath with her Glassbane.
For someone like Rachel, who had both the looks and the brains to match her power, translating her family¡¯s long years of veiled System-tutorship into tangible, actionable System-knowledge after Integration had been easy.
She¡¯d been prepared for her place in Alpha Squad.
So when the ceremony arrived, and instead of her name being called, it was Lucas Callahan¡ªthe nobody from some backwater planet that had stooped as low as to worship some gutter-trash pagan gods¡ªwho was introduced as an Alpha Squad member, her world shifted.
Her rightful place, taken by this utter nobody.
Who did he think he was, stealing her position like that? The thought burned inside her every time she saw him.
Alpha Squad. That was supposed to be hers.
And now, instead of standing on that podium where she belonged, above the rest of the worthless Recruits inside this room, she had been relegated to Beta Squad.
The second-rate squad.
An afterthought, a consolation prize, like a cheap, off-cut slice of Orinur steak.
Who did he¡ª
¡°You think you¡¯re gonna have a spot in this, Rachel?¡± Her internal fuming was abruptly interrupted by one of her squadmates. Patrick, of course¡ªWho else?
Her perfectly practised smile never wavered, even as the contempt inside her simmered hotter. She¡¯d been taught better than to let others see the turmoil beneath the surface¡ªdon¡¯t hand people a weapon whose sole purpose it was to be used for backstabbing.
¡°Ahh... I don¡¯t really know... I don¡¯t think I did that great, honestly,¡± she replied, her voice soft with faux modesty. She played the part perfectly. In reality, she knew she¡¯d be called up for multiple awards.
She hadn¡¯t spent the last month pushing herself beyond the breaking point for nothing.
Her parents¡¯ voices echoed in her mind, reminding her of the one golden rule she had been taught before Integration: The first assessment determined everything.
Set yourself apart now, or spend the rest of the year having to drag herself through the commoners. And Rachel had no intention of being left in the dust like that.
She¡¯d fought, bled, and died out there¡ªsometimes literally¡ªand she knew she¡¯d left a few notable marks on the battlefield, ones that couldn¡¯t be ignored, no matter what kind of UHF political fuckery was going on behind the scenes that had kept her from being called up to Alpha Squad from the get-go.
¡°Ha, always with the modesty... Name a more iconic duo, eh?¡± Patrick chuckled, clearly unconvinced by her self-effacing words. His laughter was mirrored by Mayra, who jumped in almost immediately.
¡°Yeah, I betcha gettin'' at least one of them awards, Rachi!¡± Mayra¡¯s voice grated on her nerves, that lazy drawl a constant reminder of just how far beneath her these people really were.
And ¡®Rachi?¡¯ The nickname made Rachel want to swing her Glassbane right into that stup¡ªShe loathed it.
But she swallowed her irritation, as she had done a thousand times before.
It wasn¡¯t as if Patrick was much better, however.
His single-minded obsession with becoming "the greatest sniper in the UHF" was downright laughable. The guy thought he could someday rival that absolute monster.
The Sniper¡ªthe one in Alpha Squad.
Rachel had seen the recordings of that shooting trial in Bullseye¡¯s Rifles, recordings that the UHF had tried to keep under wraps.
Connections had, as always, trumped everything.
That sniper? That midworld Cyan? It had put Rachel on high alert from the moment she¡¯d seen it pull off those impossible shots.
Patrick didn¡¯t stand a chance, not in a thousand years.
It had initially been unthinkable, the idea that some midworld trash¡ªworse, a Cyan¡ªhad taken one of the Alpha Squad spots that was rightfully Rachel¡¯s.
But after Major Quinn¡¯s presentation right at the Integration ceremony, after seeing the thing¡¯s brutal ferocity in the CQC class and the cold precision in that shooting trial? She had to begrudgingly admit the UHF had made the right choice.
That sniper wasn¡¯t a diversity hire or some feel-good political move to appease the midworld savages and keep them from rioting.
No, that thing was dangerous.
Likely the most dangerous Recruit on this entire ship; possibly even rivalling Rachel herself, as much as the very thought of admitting it made her stomach turn.
How could someone from such a low-tier planet, a Cyan no less, even compare to her? The mere idea of it was offensive.
But reality had a way of cutting through her hard-earned pride, and the truth was staring her in the face.
If there was one thing her parents had always imparted upon her, it was that pride had no place in the world of truths; regardless of how much she wanted to deny it.
¡°Ahh, I¡¯m sure we all did great together. There¡¯s a reason we¡¯re Beta Squad, after all, right? If we¡¯re not giving Alpha Squad a run for their credits, then who else would?¡± Rachel chimed in with her usual sweet tone, masking her inner thoughts with a well-practised, exaggerated giggle behind her hand.
Every word was carefully placed, every movement rehearsed countless times¡ªshe had perfected this facade since childhood, after all.
Her squadmates grinned, falling into their predictable responses.
Patrick, as usual, was quick with his overly familiar backslap, the touch of which almost made Rachel wince. She hated how handsy he was, his attempts at camaraderie always coming off as clumsy and forced.
But she didn¡¯t let it show.
Instead, she smiled through it, pretending that Patrick¡¯s crude gestures were just part of the fun. Her perfectly polished mask never slipped, even as her mind wandered elsewhere.
¡®Just a few more weeks and I¡¯ll never have to see these savages again,¡¯ she thought to herself, eagerly counting down the minutes until the awards truly started to be handed out.
Soon, she would be up there, her highlights playing on the screen for everyone to see¡ªthe culmination of all her hard work and superior breeding on full display.
The thought of it filled her with a sense of righteous vindication.
She could already imagine Lucas Callahan¡¯s listless face when her name was announced, instead of his. The confusion, the shock, maybe even a flicker of fear as he realised that his spot in Alpha Squad was on borrowed time.
He¡¯ll know it¡¯s over for him, she thought, her chest warming at the image of his downfall.
For the first time that day, a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips, revealing a hint of the sharp, gleaming teeth beneath¡
PoV: Tiberius Soren
The noisy chatter around Tiberius was of no real concern to him.
He didn¡¯t care about the other Recruits milling around, their voices blending into an indistinct hum. None of them mattered¡ªnot really. They could be as loud as they wanted, because none of them could even attempt to stand their ground if he ever decided to shut them up.
The only person that actually held his attention, the one who currently filled his laser-focused gaze and the only one that could stop him from doing what he wanted, was Isabella Itoku¡ªAlpha Squad¡¯s Offensive Heavy.
She was the only one worth watching, the only one who mattered.
He had aimed for that spot himself, convinced that his Silver-rarity Ability right at Integration would be enough to secure him entry into Alpha Squad.
It should¡¯ve been a guaranteed victory¡ªuntil he heard her name called.
A midworlder, much to his surprise, but he didn¡¯t give much of a damn about politics or where anyone came from. What mattered to him was simple: Itoku had beaten him to the punch, and he couldn¡¯t help but bristle at it.
But as he had watched her over the course of the week leading up to the assessment, he noticed something glaring.
A weakness, one he didn¡¯t share:
She was a melee fighter, a true beast in close combat, sure, but what good was that in a battlefield littered with lasers, explosives, and horrendous stuff like IgT-throwers? What good was all that strength when 99% of the time, you had to engage enemies from a distance?
That was where he came in¡ªthe perfect replacement.
Tiberius wasn¡¯t just another muscle-bound brute swinging fists or wielding a giant weapon.
He was a sharpshooter, someone who specialised specifically in ranged combat as an Offensive Heavy, a niche he had honed from a young age.
His father, a Marine before him¡ªnot a good one, but a Marine that had survived long enough to retire nevertheless¡ªhad drilled into him the importance of range. He had taught him that in the UHF, versatility was key, but nothing could beat the advantage of eliminating your target before they had a chance to truly retaliate.
That lesson had shaped his entire focus.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
While Itoku¡¯s prowess in single combat was undeniable, there were limits to her effectiveness in real-world engagements. Tiberius knew that if they were ever matched up face-to-face, he might only win two out of ten fights¡ªand even those would require trickery or exploiting her weaker left-hand side coupled with a good dose of luck.
But in an actual battlefield? Where bullets and grenades flew before anyone could even think of getting up close? That was his domain.
Melee-focused Marines didn¡¯t truly shine until the higher Tiers when defensive Abilities and high-Tier armors let them close the gap without getting obliterated. Right now, though, at the start of their careers, the UHF was better off with someone like him¡ªa ranged specialist who could dominate from a distance; who could cull entire battle lines by himself, so that the rest of his squad could operate unimpeded.
Itoku might¡¯ve been the right pick for Alpha Squad based on the Cube Trial results, but that was an artificial test¡ªfor him, it had even been a close-quarters battlefield where his skills hadn¡¯t been fully able to be displayed.
But the assessment? That was a different story.
The Itoku woman was bound to have struggled to get close enough to really let her expertise shine, as the engagements and firefights with the Stellar Republic¡¯s superior numbers had been truly lop-sided in the enemy¡¯s favour, almost every step of the way.
Tiberius, meanwhile, had been living the dream: A target-rich environment over medium-long distances. In the open, in real combat where distance was king, where tactics and precision won battles¡ªthat was where he had definitely proved he deserved her spot.
His massive Talon rifle had proven the perfect weapon for the assessment too, allowing him to fully showcase his worth. As a fully-automatic, high-calibre battle rifle, it struck the ideal balance between raw power, fire rate for suppressive purposes and precision at range.
He¡¯d racked up kills in the hundreds during the first month alone¡ªfar more than most Marines could boast even years into their career.
It was only a matter of time before the UHF took notice.
He was certain he''d be recognized with an award, putting him firmly on the map as a prime candidate for replacing Itoku in Alpha Squad.
But if that didn¡¯t pan out, if Itoku managed to somehow eke out ahead of him once again, he did have another path. As much as he preferred the role of Offensive Heavy, he wasn¡¯t above eyeing the squad lead position for Alpha Squad.
Corvus Leander Sylarion, in his opinion, was the weakest link¡ªa strategist with little real value in the early stages of a Marine¡¯s career.
Sure, Sylarion had his legacy as a second-gen Marine and his already burgeoning reputation for tactical brilliance amongst the Squad Leaders, but none of that mattered at this level.
Recruit-level strategy didn¡¯t win assessments. Firepower did.
And Tiberius had that in spades.
He wasn¡¯t about to underestimate Sylarion, though. The guy was undoubtedly groomed for leadership, raised with military strategy drilled into his head from an early age.
But, at the end of the day, in the UHF¡¯s eyes, who would stand out more: A pure strategist or an Offensive Heavy who was not only a master at ranged combat but also a capable leader when necessary?
The answer seemed more than obvious to Tiberius.
He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy leading squads¡ªit wasn¡¯t something he craved like some¡ªbut he¡¯d forced his way into the role, just in case taking down Itoku proved more difficult than anticipated.
Having a backup plan was always smart.
Better to be prepared and not need it than to be caught off guard.
If he couldn¡¯t overthrow her in sheer combat capabilities quite yet, perhaps he could outshine her by proving himself more versatile, more adaptable; taking the long-way around and placing himself directly above her in the pecking order.
The only potential hurdle was getting the rest of Alpha Squad to accept him, but Tiberius wasn¡¯t overly worried about that part. He could be easy-going when he needed to be, blending in and letting others warm up to him naturally.
And once they fought alongside him, once they saw how his precision and tactical thinking complemented their own strengths seamlessly? They¡¯d be forced to recognize that he wasn¡¯t just some cocky hotshot but an actual upgrade to their previous leader.
He could bring more to the table than Sylarion ever could¡ªthough he did regret having to supplant a pure strategist. Strategists had their place, especially in full-scale wars.
But a strategist without capable pieces was as useless as a rifle with no bullets.
And a Recruitment Drive strategist? That was as piece-less as you could get.
The only thing gnawing at him was the uncertainty.
Had he truly done enough? His kill count was impressive, no doubt. His shots had been accurate enough to earn a handful of Accomplishments, and his squad had performed quite well under his direct command.
But would it be enough to topple the titans in Alpha Squad?
Could he really take Sylarion¡¯s place, or knock Itoku off her pedestal?
The thought weighed on him, a nagging doubt he couldn¡¯t fully shake.
But for now, there was nothing to do but wait and see how the chips ultimately fell¡
PoV: Jin Shi¡¯Zon
¡°That assessment was insanely brutal,¡± Yonbu lamented for the fourth time since they¡¯d entered the assembly hall, his voice laced with frustration. ¡°How in the Emperor¡¯s name were we supposed to make any headway on Alpha Squad in all that?!¡±
Jin gave a gentle pat to Yonbu¡¯s hand, as he so often did to calm down his brusk friend.
¡°You forget, my friend,¡± Jin replied in his deep, calming voice. ¡°Alpha Squad was in the very same assessment. None of us had any inherent advantages over one another, aside from what we brought in ourselves. Sure, their Silver-rarity Abilities gave them an edge, but nothing we couldn¡¯t overcome with time and effort.¡±
Yonbu sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Still feels like we¡¯re fighting an uphill battle. Those guys are on another level.¡±
Their contrasting personalities¡ªYonbu¡¯s fiery, restless energy and Jin¡¯s calm, methodical demeanour¡ªhad naturally drawn them together. Where Jin was calculating, prone to detailed plans and long-term strategy, Yonbu was direct, hands-on, always looking for the next fight.
Their bond was further cemented by their complementary roles. Jin had a knack for tech¡ªalready angling toward a potential future as a Drone Operator or in Electronic Warfare¡ªwhile Yonbu handled the more straightforward, physical side of things.
He made sure Jin was always covered in the thick of battle, watching his back so Jin could work his tech-magic uninterrupted.
The assessment hadn¡¯t exactly played to their strengths¡ªJin¡¯s technical prowess was hard to showcase in chaotic frontline combat¡ªbut he was confident that they¡¯d made some solid headway toward proving themselves.
They were rising, step by step, and their sights were set firmly on Alpha Squad.
The problem was just how far away that goal seemed.
And frankly, Alpha Squad was downright terrifying.
Desmond, the tech-wiz of the group, had immediately jumped into the Drone Operator path, despite all the obvious challenges that came with it¡ªprimarily, the lack of funds for advanced blueprints and the limited processing power to control multiple drones.
Yet, despite these crippling disadvantages, he¡¯d made it into Alpha Squad right from the start.
Jin still couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around it.
How had Desmond managed to overcome such steep obstacles so quickly? Was it raw skill? Luck? Some other unseen advantage that Jin had no chance to ever figure out¡?
For Yonbu, the path was just as daunting.
He had his eyes set on one of the Heavy positions, but both Lucas and Isabella were in a league of their own.
Lucas, the defensive Heavy, didn¡¯t exactly look imposing at first glance, but you didn¡¯t just walk into Alpha Squad without being exceptional. There was truly little known about him, but the CQC classes had shown him ludicrously resilient, even for a defensive heavy, so he was bound to have a strong Vitality focus in his Base Attributes; something every squad would absolutely kill to have in their Defensive Heavy position.
And then there was Isabella, of course.
Everyone knew her from the CQC classes. She had made no attempts at keeping her prowess under wraps at all, showcasing immediately in the first week just why she deserved to be in Alpha Squad as their Offensive Heavy.
She was a true force of nature, a melee specialist with an unrivalled ruthlessness to her. She wasn¡¯t just strong either¡ªshe was relentless and extremely smart when it came to leveraging her advantages in a fight.
To challenge her for a spot seemed almost laughable, but Jin was certain that there was at least one path to success for the two of them.
For them to stand a chance at breaking into Alpha Squad, they¡¯d have to prove that they could work seamlessly together.
That was key.
The UHF wouldn¡¯t just be looking for raw strength or tactical brilliance¡ªthey¡¯d be judging teamwork. Being a lone wolf had its place, especially for Battlefield Aces, but an elite squad like Alpha required perfect synergy above all else.
That¡¯s where Yonbu and Jin had the upper hand.
Their teamwork was their greatest strength, honed not just through training but by a natural synergy that felt almost freakish in how perfectly they complemented each other, despite their short time as comrades on the battlefield. Countless skirmishes during the assessment had only further sharpened that bond.
Jin had little doubt that in a two-versus-two against most members of Alpha Squad, they¡¯d emerge victorious more often than not.
As long as those matches didn¡¯t include the other half of Alpha Squad, of course.
Corvus, Alpha Squad¡¯s legacy squad leader, was someone Jin would prefer to avoid. The tactical genius that Corvus had shown in the squad leader meetings and classes was already formidable, and going head-to-head with him in something as tactics-bound as a two-versus-two match was bound to end in tragedy.
But even Corvus wasn¡¯t the worst opponent in Alpha Squad to have added to either Isabella or Lucas. No, that title belonged to the other two.
Karania and Thea.
They were the true monsters, the ones Jin had no intention of ever facing in a direct confrontation, if given the choice.
Thea, Alpha Squad¡¯s scout/sniper, was far more than the rumours surrounding her heritage suggested. While many recruits were fixated on her midworld Cyan background, dismissing her as some diversity hire or a fluke, Jin had seen the truth right away.
From the moment Major Quinn had singled her out during their very first gathering, it was clear that Thea was different. A legendary figure like Major Quinn wasn¡¯t the kind of person to make such a public display unless there was a purpose behind it¡ªmainly, to put any doubts about Thea to rest and to serve as a warning to the other recruits: Don¡¯t underestimate her.
Jin had taken that warning to heart. He wasn¡¯t a fool, and he wasn¡¯t about to make an enemy of someone the Major Quinn herself had personally gone out of her way to mark as dangerous.
And then there was Karania, Alpha Squad¡¯s medic.
Jin had barely registered her existence before the assessment.
The CQC class where she¡¯d fought Thea had become infamous among the Recruits for its sheer brutality and technical skill, especially the part where Karania had performed self-surgery on her own throat mid-fight; the images of which still sent a shiver down Jin¡¯s spine whenever he thought about it.
It was the kind of thing that left people in stunned silence, but even that hadn¡¯t fully put Karania on the map¡ªsomething Jin had recognized later, had likely been carefully planned by the true genius inside Alpha Squad¡¯s ranks.
He hadn¡¯t even begun to realise just how terrifying Karania truly was until his squad had run into Alpha Squad during the eastern-wall assault. It had been pure chance that their paths had crossed, but that brief encounter had been more than enough to put the fear of the Emperor himself into Jin.
The initial assault that had infamously descended into complete chaos and carnage, ending in a rain of IgT-compound that nearly wiped the advancing UHF¡¯s forces out¡ªincluding Jin and his squad.
He had caught glimpses of Karania through the smoke, chaos and gunfire, and what he saw had been enough to make him question the very nature of human limits. She wasn¡¯t just another medic¡ªshe was something more, something downright mythical in her actions, darting from one injured Marine to the next with a speed and precision that was almost preternatural.
As bodies hit the dirt and cries of the wounded filled the air, Karania had moved through the trenches like a phantom.
Those who had failed to notice her path had found themselves stepping aside at the last moment, as if guided by an invisible hand, before she weaved past them without so much as slowing down towards her next target.
Her hands, or rather the bone-like tools they had morphed into, had sliced and dug into injured Marines with the precision of a seasoned battlefield surgeon, her focus utterly unbreakable even as bullets and lasers whizzed past her head, missing by mere millimetres.
Jin doubted even the most hardened UHF medics could match the speed, precision and calmness with which she had worked.
To anyone watching, she had seemed more like an automated machine than a person¡ªher every action calculated, every movement perfect, as though her body and mind had been specifically built for this.
He had watched her save Cathy, their scout, from a wound that should have been a death sentence.
A bullet had torn through Cathy¡¯s neck, and Jin had thought she was done for.
But in what seemed like a mere instant after the bullet had exited Cathy¡¯s neck, Karania was already somehow there, bone-tools slicing into Cathy¡¯s flesh as she expertly cleared her airways and sealed up the wound with the blood-like liquid she had been throwing around at every patient she worked on.
It was as if time itself had slowed around Karania, her hands moving faster than Jin¡¯s eyes could even follow, and before he knew it, Cathy was breathing again and declared stable; already being dragged away towards the underground tunnels to recover by a nearby Marine that Karania had instantly requisitioned.
But what happened next¡ªthe moment the IgT-compound rained down upon them¡ªwas where Karania had truly transcended from exceptional to something beyond human comprehension in his mind.
When the compound hit, coating the trenches and everything in it with unquenchable flames, panic had completely overtaken the battlefield. The IgT had turned everything into an inferno, consuming flesh and metal alike in an unstoppable firestorm. Soldiers screamed as they scrambled for cover, their armour and skin burning as they were reduced to ash, only for the ash itself to then ignite too.
Yet, in the midst of that hellish scene, Karania had only seemed to thrive even more.
Her movements had become almost transcendent in their perfection, like the Emperor himself was guiding her actions¡ªevery step, every reach, every cut was true perfection.
She had flitted through the flaming trenches, dragging wounded Marines half a metre to the side seemingly at random, only for a speck of IgT to land where they had previously been, with an eerie calmness, even as the world around her was consumed by the blazing heat.
Not a single motion was wasted, not a single muscle out of place, as if she had calculated the exact number of steps and actions it would take to save each person, and she executed that plan flawlessly moment-by-moment.
Jin and Yonbu had been desperately pushing toward the nearest underground entrance, their chances of survival shrinking with every second. They had heard the screams of men who had been touched by the IgT, the fire consuming them as their flesh melted away. The smell of burning bodies had been truly overwhelming, and just as they had finally reached the entrance, a tiny drop of the IgT compound had found its way onto Yonbu¡¯s arm.
It had, of course, ignited instantly, engulfing his arm in a blaze of death.
In that split second, both Jin and Yonbu knew what that meant.
Yonbu¡¯s life was forfeit.
Jin had seen what the compound did to unprotected Marines, and with only a half-sealed T1 armour, there was no chance Yonbu would survive.
Without hesitation, Yonbu had shoved Jin forward towards safety, ready to sacrifice himself to give his friend a few extra moments of life¡ªa small chance to escape the inferno. They¡¯d made their peace the moment the IgT had begun falling, accepting that death was inevitable if it meant giving the other a shot at survival.
But then, Karania had appeared.
She had been a blur, moving through the chaos as though she existed outside of it. Her bone-tools, elongated into jagged blades, had torn through Yonbu¡¯s arm without a second thought.
The limb fell to the ground, vaporised mere moments later by the flames.
Some of the IgT had splattered onto Karania''s arm, igniting it as well, but she didn¡¯t so much as flinch. With the same ruthless efficiency, she severed her own arm in one swift motion, less than a heartbeat later, as if she had known this was going to happen from the very moment she had stepped in to help, before grabbing Yonbu and pulling him along.
Her movements had been flawless as she had sidestepped the rain of fire, guiding Yonbu through the hellish landscape while somehow simultaneously stemming the bleeding from his shoulder.
To this day Jin still couldn¡¯t comprehend what he saw.
Karania had moved like a force of nature, detached from her own pain, as if the System-compound fueled fires around her were nothing more than an inconvenience.
It was at that moment, when he had watched her drag Yonbu to safety, that Jin had realised the truth: Alpha Squad¡¯s true Ace wasn¡¯t Isabella or Lucas, and not even Thea with her supernatural reaction speed.
It was Karania.
She was something far beyond what a Marine of her rank should be capable of¡ªor any human, for that matter.
Her actions were truly otherworldly, defying what Jin had believed was possible on levels that he wasn¡¯t even sure the System itself could provide to anyone below maybe Major Quinn¡¯s level, at the least.
A chill ran down his spine as he recalled those moments. Karania wasn¡¯t just a medic, just a marine¡ªshe was a walking nightmare that defied all attempts at logic or reasoning.
¡®Definitely anyone but that medic in a two-versus-two¡ I¡¯d take my chances against Thea and Corvus combined rather than face Karania paired with anyone,¡¯ he thought grimly, as Major Quinn¡¯s voice snapped him back to reality.
The ceremony was finally moving forward again, with the Major gathering everyone¡¯s attention once more to introduce the first round of awards¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 8 - Awards I
The assembly hall quieted as Major Quinn once again commanded the room¡¯s attention, her presence bringing a calm authority.
"Now," she began, her voice carrying an easy warmth, "let''s ease into these awards by starting with something a little more lighthearted."
A genuine smile crossed her face, clearly enjoying the shift in tone from the serious matters she usually handled. "First up: The Unlucky Awards!"
At her gesture, the massive screen behind her flickered to life, displaying the bold, stylized words: "The Unlucky Awards ¨C Sovereign Drive."
"This award goes out to the unluckiest Recruits of this Drive, as determined by the ever-watchful AIs, who made sure to record and catalogue every misstep, accident, and unfortunate moment," she explained, her smile widening as soft chuckles rippled through the crowd. "Of course, there will be no rewards for this one¡ªit''s purely for entertainment. Sometimes, hindsight really does make everything seem a little funnier."
She let her gaze sweep across the gathered Recruits, her eyes twinkling as she gauged the reaction, ensuring no one took offence to the lighthearted start. The atmosphere in the room had noticeably relaxed; the slight tension that had lingered earlier now seemed to have eased.
Thea, sitting among the others in the first row, couldn¡¯t help but feel a spark of excitement.
This was a chance to see what some of the other Recruits had gone through during the Assessment.
Even if it was all just for laughs, it promised to be an interesting glimpse into the chaotic moments they had all experienced.
¡®I wonder if anyone from Alpha Squad made it into this... she mused, thinking back to her time in the assessment. ''We haven¡¯t really had many ¡®unlucky¡¯ situations¡ªat least not the entertaining kind,¡¯ she thought to herself.
It was hard to imagine any of her squad¡¯s intense moments turning into something funny, but then again, maybe the AIs had found something amusing in their struggles after all.
Major Quinn¡¯s smile grew even wider as she prepared to reveal the first unlucky moment. "Alright, let''s start with the #3 spot for The Unlucky Awards," she announced with a chuckle, gesturing toward the massive screen behind her.
The screen flickered to life, and a video began to play. The setting was a dense forest environment, one that instantly caught Thea¡¯s attention.
¡®That¡¯s the Silver Forest¡!¡¯ she realised immediately, her eyes narrowing in recognition.
Though the specific location wasn¡¯t familiar to her, as the area on the screen was far denser and more overgrown than the paths Alpha Squad had traversed, the massive tree trunks and their iridescent glow in the sunlight were unmistakable.
In the recording, a lone Marine cautiously made his way through the towering foliage, his weapon drawn, his eyes darting nervously between the shifting shadows.
¡°This is Recruit Darnel Kenson, from Inaka Squad,¡± Major Quinn narrated, her voice carrying a note of light amusement. ¡°As you¡¯ll see, he had a bit of a... misunderstanding with the local fauna of Nova Serene.¡±
On-screen, Private Kenson seemed to be searching for something¡ªlikely his squad, judging by the absence of any other Marines nearby. His comms crackled as his frustrated voice came through, ¡°I swear I saw something... damn forest plays tricks on you. Where the fuck even are you guys?!¡±
He paused, eyes sweeping the treetops as if expecting something to jump out from above.
Then, his head snapped toward a noise in the distance¡ªsomething rustling in the thick bushes ahead.
The camera zoomed in on Kenson¡¯s face just as he made his first, and ultimately disastrous, decision. ¡°Must be one of those little forest creatures¡ what were they called again... Marupils? Yeah, that sounds about right,¡± he mumbled, his confidence returning as he slung his rifle across his back and crouched low.
"Marupils were entirely harmless, right?" he asked over comms, waiting for his squadmates'' affirmation, which apparently came because his expression grew more relaxed.
Major Quinn grinned at the scene, addressing the crowd. ¡°For those of you unfamiliar with Marupils, first off: Read the Emperor-damned briefings!¡±
Laughter rippled through the audience as she continued. ¡°Secondly: Marupils are indeed harmless¡ªtiny mammals native to Nova Serene, known for living in the dense shrubbery of the forest underbrush. They love to build little nests underground; truly adorable! Now¡¡± She paused, building suspense, her smile widening. ¡°Recruit Kenson did not, in fact, stumble upon a Marupil. If he had read the briefing properly, instead of merely skimming it, he might have recognized the danger signs of this particular area instead¡¡±
The screen cut back to Kenson, still oblivious to the threat.
As Kenson crept toward the bushes, the rustling grew louder. He hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged, shaking his head.
"Just nerves," he muttered, reaching out to part the foliage, convinced he¡¯d find nothing more than a harmless creature behind it.
What he found instead made the crowd gasp¡ªand then burst into laughter mere seconds later.
A massive, clawed appendage shot out from the bushes, catching Kenson completely off guard. Not only did it knock him off his feet, but it sent him tumbling backward, flailing wildly through the air before he collided with the trunk of a tree.
He hit the ground with a groan, disoriented, eyes wide with disbelief.
It took him a second to gather his bearings, but once he did, sheer panic set in as he scrambled to get his rifle aimed at whatever had just launched him like a ragdoll.
The audience roared with laughter as Kenson fumbled clumsily with his weapon.
In his haste, he didn¡¯t realise that his rifle''s sling had gotten tangled around his arm¡ªand worse, had looped itself around his throat. While his armour protected him, the slight pressure at his throat caused him to panic and fumble even harder, his movements frantic as the pressure intensified.
Charging toward him from the bushes was the creature¡ªa hulking, bear-like beast, nearly five metres tall and just as wide, its dark, matted fur streaked with dirt and grime.
Its claws, three-pronged and the size of knives, tore through the underbrush as it thundered toward Kenson, its guttural, angry growl reverberating through the forest.
Kenson¡¯s horror-stricken face was unmistakable as he stammered, "That¡¯s no fucking Marupil!" His voice was barely audible over the creature¡¯s growl as it lunged at him again, closing the distance.
Then the screen froze¡ªKenson¡¯s back pressed against the tree trunk, the rifle sling hopelessly tangled around his arms, body and throat in a ridiculous mess more reminiscent of a failed BDSM experiment than a military operation, his wide eyes reflecting pure terror.
The caption beneath him read: ¡°Recruit Darnel Kenson (Inaka Squad) vs. Nova Serene''s Fauna ¨C Who Wins?¡±
The crowd erupted into laughter once more, the absurdity of the situation too much to contain. The entire assembly hall seemed to buzz with amusement at the sight of Kenson hopelessly tangled in his own gear, staring down the hulking creature.
Thea chuckled softly, shaking her head at the sheer ridiculousness of it.
¡®How do you even get tangled up that badly?¡¯ she wondered, barely stifling another laugh.
It was hard to imagine something like that ever happening to her, given her hyper-awareness and prior combat training. Her precognition made it practically impossible to get surprised by such a hulking creature out of nowhere, and besides, she always remembered the quick-release latch on her rifle¡¯s sling.
Her Old Man had hammered that lesson into her during every training session.
"A weapon''s sling can be your best friend or your worst enemy," he''d said countless times, showing her how to avoid getting caught in exactly the kind of mess Kenson had found himself in.
¡®Guess not everyone got that lesson,¡¯ Thea mused, still grinning; once more thanking the Old Man in her mind for teaching her important lessons, even if she didn¡¯t recognize them at the time.
Meanwhile, Major Quinn, clearly enjoying the lighter tone of the ceremony, grinned at the crowd and shook her head, letting the laughter die down.
"I think we all learned something valuable from Kenson¡¯s adventure," Major Quinn began, her tone light but with an underlying edge of seriousness.
Then, with a swift motion, she pulled out a rifle, complete with a sling, that seemed to appear in her hands out of nowhere. With practised ease, she showcased the quick-release latch at both the top and bottom of the sling attachment.
"Always keep track of your gear¡ªespecially your rifle¡¯s sling. And this," she emphasised, pointing to the latch, "remember this quick-release right here. You never know when you¡¯ll need it; when it is quite literally the difference between life and death."
She paused for effect, her smile widening as she added, "And maybe, just maybe, take the four minutes to read the damn briefings we in the brass carefully put together for you. Trust me when I say, your life might very well depend on it."
The crowd chuckled again, but this time with a more thoughtful edge.
Quinn¡¯s demonstration, though playful, carried the weight of hard-earned experience. It wasn¡¯t just a joke¡ªher words were a clear reminder that in the field, even the smallest oversight could lead to disaster.
Major Quinn, still grinning, expertly slung the rifle back over her shoulder, before it simply disappeared in the same manner it had appeared in the first place, and stepped forward, the screen behind her flickering once again as she moved on to the next item on the list.
"Now, let¡¯s keep things rolling with the #2 spot on the Unlucky Incidents list," she announced, her tone brimming with anticipation. "This next one happened during a rather heated situation¡ªduring a full-on firefight."
The screen switched to a recording of an urban battlefield¡ªsmoke rising from shattered buildings, rubble strewn across the streets, and the distant crack of gunfire echoing in the air.
It didn¡¯t take a genius like Kara to know that this was right in the heart of the Nova Tertius assault; Thea recognized. The architecture and the sheer fact that there was urban cityscape all around made it impossible to see this area as anything but the main city they had attacked in their Assessment.
The camera zoomed in on a Marine darting between cover, her armour battle-worn, with cracks and a few holes showing, but still gleaming under the smoke-filled sky.
"This is Recruit Elena Victris from Kappa Squad," Major Quinn continued, some Recruits inside the crowd murmuring in recognition. "She was engaged in an intense firefight during one of the Nova Serene assessment missions. But, well¡ let¡¯s just say things didn¡¯t go exactly according to plan."
On-screen, Recruit Victris sprinted from behind a crumbled wall, her laser-type rifle blazing as she fired back at the enemy forces. She seemed in control, focused, as she dashed forward, weaving through the debris with precision while coordinating with the rest of her squad around her.
But then, the scene shifted.
The camera zoomed in as Victris dove for cover behind a half-destroyed, civilian vehicle.
As she hit the ground, her rifle jolted against the jagged edge of the vehicle¡¯s metal, causing her grenade belt to shift out of place ever so slightly. Unbeknownst to her, one of the grenades had come loose, rolling just inches away from her.
Thea winced in sympathy, having an inkling what was about to happen, but the crowd couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as they watched the next moments unfold.
The camera zoomed in on the loose grenade, which had rolled directly under her prone position. Still oblivious to the potential danger, Victris fired off another burst of lasers, the intensity of the firefight completely masking the potential threat just beneath her.
"And here¡¯s where it gets interesting," Major Quinn said, her voice brimming with amusement.
On-screen, Victris made her move¡ªspringing up from cover to advance, but her foot caught on the edge of the loose grenade, sending it tumbling forward a few inches, out of cover.
She froze mid-step, her gaze dropping down to the explosive just in front of her, her eyes widening in utter disbelief. The camera caught her horrified expression perfectly, just as the beam of an enemy laser rifle impacted the grenade¡¯s exterior.
The screen froze at that exact moment, Victris frozen in disbelief, her expression a mixture of shock and pure panic. In front of her, the grenade, mere fractions of a second away from being hit by a laser, was about to detonate.
The caption under the image read: ¡°Recruit Elena Victris (Kappa Squad) vs. Gravity ¨C Sometimes, It¡¯s Just Not Your Day.¡±
The crowd erupted into laughter, and even Major Quinn couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.
She winked at the audience, her grin widening. ¡°Lesson here? Always keep an eye on your grenades¡ªand your footing. Because, as Recruit Victris learned, the battlefield doesn¡¯t always care how careful you think you¡¯re being. Pay attention to anything out of the ordinary happening, like bumping your rifle into a piece of scenery and it impacting your own body as well¡ªthings might get shaken loose!"
As the laughter subsided, Thea found herself thinking about the recording.
It was somewhat hard to imagine herself in that same situation.
Her Perception had become monstrous compared to what it had been pre-Integration. That, coupled with the countless hours of training with James earlier in her life, who had drilled vigilance into her relentlessly, had naturally heightened her awareness to such things to a razor¡¯s edge.
Little things, like the way her rifle moved or the slightest shift in her gear, rarely escaped her notice now. And her Precognitive Powers would have undoubtedly given her a warning the moment the grenade posed any real danger¡ªwell before it could roll out of cover and catch the attention of an enemy.
Still, she frowned slightly, considering the possibility.
Could something like that really happen to her? A grenade slipping out unnoticed?
It was unlikely that her precognition would alert her to something so mundane before it turned into a legitimate threat. It wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of thing that would trigger a life-or-death warning.
And yet, if she had jumped and bumped into something the way that Recruit Victris had, she knew she would¡¯ve instinctively checked her gear before moving on. Not only had James ingrained that instinct into her, but growing up inside an undercity had made bumping into people an instinctual check¡ªpickpockets were a dime a dozen, after all.
Thea had lost more than a few precious Credits and items over the years, before she had learned to properly keep her pockets secure and check them after every physical interaction.
But then again¡ She couldn''t exactly deny the truth of it¡ªthe pure chaos of battle did have a way of distracting even the best Marines.
No matter how well-trained or perceptive she was, the battlefield was, after all, unpredictable.
Small, careless moments could turn deadly fast.
And yet, ultimately, she was certain that, at the very least, her precognitive powers would have kicked in before the grenade could have been targeted by an enemy and exploded.
¡®At least I wouldn¡¯t have died¡ That¡¯s something,¡¯ she concluded with a determined nod, absent-mindedly squeezing her hand around Karania¡¯s tighter.
Still, Thea definitely understood the point Major Quinn was making to the rest of the assembly: No matter how well-trained you were, no matter what advantages the System granted, a single moment of distraction, a flicker of inattentiveness, could change everything.
As Thea mulled over Major Quinn''s point, the room settled again, the laughter and murmurs from the last clip fading into anticipation.
Major Quinn, still wearing a playful grin, took a breath and moved on.
¡°And now, the moment you¡¯ve all been waiting for¡ªthe #1 spot on the Unlucky Incidents list!¡± she announced with a gleam in her eye. ¡°This one... well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a prime example of how, sometimes, when things go wrong, they really go wrong.¡±
The screen flickered to life again, showing the chaotic setting of an intense battlefield¡ªexplosions rocked the area, smoke filled the air, and bullets whizzed by from all directions.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice narrated over the chaotic scene. ¡°This is Recruit Nathan Griggs from Dora Squad, who managed to experience a series of events so unlucky, it could¡¯ve been scripted as a comedy.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
On-screen, Recruit Griggs crouched behind cover, his eyes scanning the battlefield as his squad advanced. The firefight seemed fierce at first glance, with explosions and gunfire in every direction, but Griggs seemed focused on the task at hand, his rifle at the ready as he prepared to move.
He glanced over his shoulder, calling to his squad over the comms. "Alright, moving up. Watch my six!"
Griggs made his move, sprinting across the open ground toward a half-collapsed building.
But just as he was about to reach cover, an artillery round hit nearby, throwing him off balance. He stumbled but kept moving, barely managing to dive behind a pile of rubble as shots ricocheted around him. The crowd let out an amused gasp as Griggs landed awkwardly, his rifle slipping from his hands and clattering several feet away.
Griggs looked at his rifle for a moment, only to realise that his sling had been cut through by a stray piece of shrapnel at some point prior.
¡°Now, here¡¯s where things start to really go downhill,¡± Major Quinn said, chuckling. ¡°But, in a way that you can only look back on and say, ¡®Yep, that was just bad luck.¡¯¡±
On the screen, Griggs reached out for his rifle, but as his fingers grazed it, a stray bullet pinged off the nearby rubble and hit the weapon, sending it spinning and careening further out of reach and into the open.
Griggs blinked in disbelief, crawling after his rifle while the battle raged around him.
Just as he finally got hold of the rifle, an explosion from another artillery round caused debris to fall from the building above him, knocking his helmet askew and nearly covering him in a cloud of dust; causing him to accidentally let go of the rifle once again.
The crowd was chuckling by now, but Major Quinn continued, grinning.
¡°Recruit Griggs, undeterred, gets up and tries to press forward. But unfortunately for him, his streak of bad luck wasn¡¯t over.¡±
On-screen, Griggs adjusted his helmet and resumed his quest to re-obtain his own rifle.
But just as he started moving, the ground beneath him gave way¡ªa hidden crater that had been obscured by the newly knocked-down debris. He tumbled down, landing face-first in a small pit.
The laughter in the room grew as Griggs pushed himself up with a groan, clearly frustrated but still determined.
As Griggs finally managed to climb out of the pit, shaking off the dust, he spotted an enemy soldier approaching him. He rapidly pulled out his side-arm and raised it, ready to fire, but just as he squeezed the trigger, a nearby explosion sent a piece of shrapnel flying.
The shrapnel hit the side of his weapon, jamming it at the worst possible moment.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Griggs yelled, shaking the weapon in frustration, much to the amusement of the crowd.
He ducked back behind cover, frantically trying to unjam his sidearm, but things continued to spiral. Just as he finally managed to clear the jam, he stood up¡ªonly to be immediately struck by the burning remnants of an out-of-control drone that had been blasted out of the sky by friendly fire.
The impact sent him sprawling, his weapon flying out of his hands one final time.
The screen froze as Griggs lay flat on his back, his arms splayed out, staring up at the sky in defeat, the burning drone partially resting on top of him. The caption under the image read: ¡°Recruit Nathan Griggs (Dora Squad) vs. Literally Everything ¨C Sometimes, the Universe Just Hates You In Particular.¡±
The crowd erupted into full-blown laughter, some Marines wiping away tears.
Major Quinn shook her head, her grin wide. "Unfortunately, Griggs didn¡¯t make it through that one. The poor guy was already done with it all by the time an enemy Soldier finally caught up with him. But let this be a lesson¡ªsometimes, no matter how skilled you are or how hard you try, the universe just has other plans."
She gave a playful shrug before adding, ¡°Although, when it does happen, please, at least make sure it¡¯s caught on camera for everyone to enjoy later.¡±
The room was still shaking with laughter as Major Quinn stepped back, letting the humour of the moment wash over the crowd.
Even Thea couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile as she glanced at the rest of Alpha Squad.
Karania, who usually kept herself composed, was flushed red, clearly from laughing too hard. She looked relatively calm now, but the way her lips kept twitching gave her away in Thea¡¯s eyes. Isabella, meanwhile, was completely unrestrained, roaring with laughter so loud it drowned out some of the others around them.
Corvus and Lucas both wore wide grins, clearly enjoying the lighter moment, but the person who seemed to be having the most fun was, unexpectedly, Desmond.
He was practically beside himself, slapping his one remaining knee repeatedly as tears streamed down his face.
He pointed at the screen, attempting to say something, but each time he tried, his laughter got the best of him, leaving him gasping for air between bursts of laughter.
It was clear that the misfortunes of others were helping Desmond feel a lot better about his own past ¡°incident.¡±
Thea¡¯s smile softened as she watched him.
There was something oddly comforting about seeing him this way, carefree and lost in the moment.
While she didn¡¯t consider him a friend¡ªfar from it¡ªthere was a growing respect between them. They had fought and bled together, after all, and as members of the same squad, it was only a positive if Desmond could finally work through his insecurities and come out stronger for it.
¡®Good for him,¡¯ Thea thought to herself as she looked back up toward Major Quinn, who was clearly preparing to transition to the next part of the Awards Ceremony.
The laughter in the room slowly quieted as the Major stepped forward again, her expression shifting from lighthearted to serious.
"Alright, everyone, now that we''ve had our fun with the Unlucky Awards, it''s time to move on to something a bit more meaningful." Her tone grew more formal as she clasped her hands behind her back, projecting the kind of presence that immediately commanded attention.
"Next up is the first of our serious honours¡ªthe ¡°Valiant Defender¡± award. This one¡¯s about honour, sacrifice, and the kind of courage we demand from every UHF soldier when the chips are down; although for this particular award, we¡¯re only considering Marines in the Defensive Heavy role."
The screen behind her changed to display the bold, silvered title: Valiant Defender Award ¨C Sovereign Drive.
A murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd as the focus shifted.
"The Valiant Defender award," Quinn continued, "honours those who have faced some of the worst situations on the battlefield¡ªthose Defensive Heavies who¡¯ve stood in the line of fire, battered and beaten, but held their ground to protect others until the very last."
Thea¡¯s attention sharpened, as did the rest of Alpha Squad¡¯s.
She felt Lucas, the squad¡¯s Defensive Heavy, straighten up a couple of seats to her left.
It was his category, after all.
"Now, just to clarify," Quinn said, addressing the room with a sweep of her hand, "this award, like all others today, is exclusively for those aboard the Sovereign. These awards reflect the courage, grit, and tenacity displayed by those who fought and bled in the same Assessment and battles, going in with the same exact level of knowledge as everyone else in this room."
She paused, giving the crowd a moment to settle before continuing. "As for the criteria¡ªit¡¯s simple: The Defensive Heavy had to actively protect or sacrifice themselves in order to safeguard another Marine or an important Objective, allowing that Marine or Objective to impact the battlefield in a significant way afterwards. We honour those who didn¡¯t just throw themselves into the line of fire, but those who truly made it count. Unfortunately,¡± she added, her voice slightly more sombre, ¡°if your attempt to save someone ended in failure, you will not be considered. As much as we honour bravery and sacrifice, failure¡ªno matter how valiant or honourable¡ªremains failure. And in the heat of battle, results are what matter most.¡±
The room grew still, the gravity of her words settling over the assembled Marines.
Everyone knew what was coming¡ªthe top three winners of the Valiant Defender award, and the stories of their courage under fire.
This wasn¡¯t just about accolades; it was about showcasing what the UHF Marines truly stood for, about those Marines who had put everything on the line to protect their comrades and turn the tides of battle when it mattered most; the best of them all.
Thea straightened in her seat slightly, glancing over at Lucas.
He sat as composed as ever, his eyes fixed on Major Quinn, his face unreadable. But Thea couldn¡¯t help the thought that crept into her mind: ¡®If anyone deserves it, it is Lucas.¡¯
A sudden twinge of anxiety twisted in her stomach, catching her off guard. She wasn¡¯t used to feeling this way¡ªanxious for someone else¡¯s sake.
It confused her for a moment.
She had never been the type to worry about others; before, it had always been her against the world. But then again, she had never had people like this before¡ªa squad she could rely on, people she could call her friends.
Her squad.
Thea¡¯s thoughts faded as Major Quinn¡¯s voice filled the room with a weighty reverence.
"Let¡¯s start with the #3 spot on the Valiant Defender award," Quinn began, her voice both respectful and solemn. "This Marine held the line in the face of overwhelming odds, ensuring his squad not only survived, but went on to complete a key objective in their mission."
The screen behind her flickered to life, showing a battlefield thick with smoke and debris, the chaos of combat raging all around. In the centre of it all, a Marine clad in Ultra-Heavy Armour stood tall, his full-cover shield raised, deflecting and absorbing enemy fire as his squad moved into position.
¡°This is Recruit Darius Kellar, from Eriz Squad,¡± Major Quinn continued, as the screen zoomed in on Kellar, his armour already battered and scorched from prior relentless barrages. "During one of the most intense engagements of the Nova Tertius assault, Kellar¡¯s squad found themselves pinned down by enemy fire while trying to secure a high-value objective. With no other options and reinforcements unlikely to arrive in time, Kellar stepped forward, taking point to shield his squad as they advanced."
The video cut to the scene of Kellar in action¡ªhis large full-cover shield absorbing round after round, his feet digging into the ground with every impact as he methodically cleared a path for his squad from cover to cover. Eriz Squad, meanwhile, moved behind him, using his shield as their only reliable form of cover as they approached the enemy stronghold.
"Kellar held his ground under constant fire, allowing his squad to breach the enemy defences and secure the objective. Despite being hit a total of fourteen times, suffering from severe lacerations, gunshot wounds and broken bones in more than eight places, despite even his shield starting to buckle under the weight of counter-fire at times, Kellar never let up," Major Quinn narrated.
On the screen, a massive explosion abruptly rocked the area, sending Kellar stumbling, his shield cracked and scorched and the grav-lock broken.
But he stayed standing, even as his armour was torn apart by shrapnel and energy blasts.
His arms shook under the strain of keeping the solid-cover shield upright for his squad to seek cover behind and return fire, but he continued to push forward, one step at a time, continuously creating a path for his squad to follow.
The final shot showed Eriz Squad breaching the enemy lines just as Kellar finally collapsed, his shield shattered, his body broken and riddled with burns and cuts.
But the mission had been a success.
The screen froze on that moment, Kellar¡¯s broken figure lying on the battlefield, with the caption beneath reading: "Recruit Darius Kellar (Eriz Squad) ¨C An Impenetrable Shield Until The Very End."
The room was quiet, the weight of the moment pressing down on everyone. Major Quinn smiled softly. "Kellar¡¯s sacrifice ensured Eriz Squad¡¯s mission was a success, and as a result, allowed eighteen other squads unopposed access further into Nova Tertius itself. Without his resilience, his squad, nor the eighteen others that benefited from their subsequent heroic efforts, would have never made it past those defences. That¡¯s what the Valiant Defender is all about¡ªholding the line, pushing forward and providing the necessary stability for your squad to do what is necessary; no matter the cost."
The room erupted into cheers and applause, the solemnity of the moment giving way to celebration. The sound reverberated through the hall as Major Quinn beamed at the gathered Marines.
"For his incredible act of courage and resilience, Recruit Darius Kellar is awarded 2,500 Credits and one 50% Sales Voucher for any piece of equipment aboard the Sovereign," Major Quinn announced over the enthusiastic clapping.
She waited for the noise to die down slightly before continuing, "And, of course, we couldn¡¯t let him leave without something a little more lasting. Recruit Kellar, come on up here."
The screen shifted, showcasing a gleaming silver medal, emblazoned with the emblem of the Valiant Defender award: A small full-cover shield, scorched and cracked but still standing strong¡ªa perfect symbol of the role Defensive Heavies played in battle; and something any Marine would love to include in their armour''s heraldry.
Kellar, looking somewhat overwhelmed by the whole attention and the fact that he had somehow made it on the list, made his way to the stage, the applause growing even louder the closer he got.
As he stood beside Major Quinn, she presented him with the silver medal.
Kellar accepted it with a humble nod and bow, clearly still in utter disbelief.
The crowd''s cheers continued, full of admiration for his bravery.
Thea clapped along with the rest of the squad, her eyes following Kellar as he took the medal. There was no denying it¡ªhe had earned this moment. But as the applause finally began to settle and Kellar returned to his squad, she couldn¡¯t help but compare him to Lucas.
¡®He¡¯s good,¡¯ she thought to herself, ¡®really good, even... but definitely not at Lucas¡¯ level.¡¯
Kellar had been valiant, unwavering under fire, but Thea had seen Lucas in action more times than she could remember, at this point.
Lucas didn¡¯t just endure, he practically commanded the battlefield around him, by not just simply defending, but also blanketing the enemy in grenades or providing fire-support for the rest of the team.
When Alpha Squad was pinned down, it was almost always Lucas who moved first, who positioned himself perfectly to cover his squadmates while somehow managing to shield them from even the heaviest enemy fire.
He wasn¡¯t just a wall, but a veritable tank.
¡®If anyone deserves to be called a Valiant Defender, it¡¯s Lucas,¡¯ she thought.
Still, she had to admire Kellar¡¯s strength and grit.
His actions had saved not only his squad but allowed so many others to push forward. That kind of selflessness was rare and commendable¡ªsomething Thea wouldn¡¯t have minded seeing in her own squad, if she didn¡¯t already have Lucas.
As the applause for Kellar died down, Major Quinn stepped forward once more.
"Now, let''s move on to the #2 spot for the Valiant Defender award," she said, the room quieting in anticipation. "This Marine similarly went above and beyond in their duty, performing an act of defence so heroic that it turned the tide of an entire section of the Nova Tertius Western assault."
The screen flickered to life again, this time showing a ravaged, tormented battlefield.
The scene depicted a massive enemy push, the ground shaking from artillery fire, and an overwhelming number of hostiles advancing. In the midst of the chaos, a Marine could be seen sprinting toward the frontlines, his shield already battered and his armour scorched.
¡°This is Recruit Victor Anselm from Zeta Squad,¡± Major Quinn narrated. "During a critical operation to protect one of the UHF AD¡¯s repair stations, Zeta Squad was unexpectedly assaulted by a wave of enemy forces far beyond their expected numbers. With their defensive position already heavily compromised from prior fighting, it was Recruit Anselm who took charge, using his shield, armour and body to hold off the enemy long enough for his squad and the Armored Division¡¯s crews to regroup."
On the screen, Anselm could be seen charging headfirst into the chaos, his full-cover shield raised to absorb the relentless barrage of enemy fire. The repair station loomed in the background, already damaged, as Zeta Squad scrambled to regroup and push back.
The camera zoomed in as Anselm positioned himself directly in the line of fire, his full-cover shield taking hit after hit, the grav-lock barely holding together. His squad moved behind him, using his shield as cover while he single-handedly withstood the brunt of the enemy¡¯s assault.
"He took more damage than any Marine should have been able to, given the numbers," Major Quinn continued, her tone heavy with respect. "But he didn¡¯t stop. Even when his shield started to crack, even when his armour failed to hold up against the onslaught, Recruit Anselm refused to let the enemy break through."
The recording showed Anselm staggering as an explosion rocked the ground around him, his shield visibly fracturing under the relentless pressure of enemy fire.
But instead of retreating, he pressed forward, forcing the enemy to focus all their fire on him.
His determination became clear as he activated one of his System Abilities¡ªan Ability Thea had only seen once before, during the initial assault on the eastern front.
His armour began to shift, unfolding from around him like intricate metal origami.
Plates of reinforced Ultra-Heavy Armor expanded and reconfigured, forming a massive, square-shaped shield in front of him, seemingly impossible for a single Marine to carry.
The screen showed Anselm bracing under the incredible weight, using the newly formed shield to cover his squad as they repositioned. His defensive wall stood like an immovable fortress, drawing enemy fire and giving his squad precious time to recover.
Meanwhile, the Armored Division¡¯s crew used the opportunity to jury-rig repairs on one of the nearby battle tanks¡¯ cannons. As the situation grew more desperate and even Anselm¡¯s newly created shield began to show cracks from the endless barrage, Zeta Squad, fully repositioned, launched a coordinated counteroffensive.
The battle tank¡¯s cannon roared back to life at the same time, and the combination of their assault finally managed to overwhelm and break the enemy forces¡¯ assault.
The screen froze on the final image of Anselm, standing tall amidst the wreckage of the battlefield.
His massive shield was shattered and lying in pieces around him, but he still clung to the few small remnants left in his hands, defiant. His armour, battered and broken beyond recognition, was cracked and torn apart, revealing his bloodied and scarred, muscular torso beneath.
Cuts ran across his body, his uniform shredded in places, and his face, bruised and bloodied, reflected the sheer brutality he had endured.
Yet despite it all, his posture remained unyielding, a figure of raw, unyielding determination.
The caption beneath the image read: "Recruit Victor Anselm (Zeta Squad) ¨C Unbroken, Unyielding."
For a brief moment, the room was silent, the weight of Anselm¡¯s actions sinking in.
Then, the applause erupted¡ªlouder and more intense than before.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight shift in the tone of the crowd, the cheering having a distinctly larger percentage of female voices, though she didn¡¯t pay it much mind. What mattered to her was the recognition of Anselm¡¯s heroism, and it was very well-earned.
As Major Quinn smiled at the room¡¯s reaction, she continued, ¡°For his actions, Recruit Anselm is awarded 3,500 Credits and a 50% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign. Additionally, we will also provide a new uniform for him, so that he may hopefully not end up half-naked on the next mission. And, of course, his gold Valiant Defender medal.¡±
She motioned to the screen, which now displayed the gleaming gold medal with the now familiar image of ¡°Valiant Defender¡± award.
As Anselm made his way up to the stage, the applause thundered through the hall, but Thea couldn¡¯t help but notice the not-insignificant number of female voices in the crowd shouting playful¡ªbut still inappropriate¡ªobscenities. She rolled her eyes slightly, thinking this probably wasn¡¯t the place for that kind of behaviour, especially given the seriousness of the ceremony.
She wasn¡¯t one to snub appreciating some good anatomy herself, but there was a time and place for everything; and an awards ceremony definitely wasn¡¯t one of them.
Still, Thea couldn¡¯t deny her admiration for Anselm¡¯s efforts. His bravery, his ability to shield his squad under such impossible circumstances¡ªit was heroic in every sense of the word.
¡®But still¡¡¯ she thought as she watched him receive the medal, ¡®Anselm was great, but Lucas¡ Lucas could do even more¡ªhas done more.¡¯
As the applause began to settle, Major Quinn stepped forward once again, a knowing smile playing on her lips as the anticipation in the room built.
¡°And now,¡± she began, her voice carrying a weight that immediately commanded attention, ¡°we move to the winner of the Valiant Defender award¡ªthe Marine who has exemplified everything this title stands for. The Marine who faced the impossible and still held the line, ensuring not just their squad¡¯s survival, but this very act also leading to an overwhelming victory on the battlefield.¡±
Thea¡¯s heart raced as Major Quinn paused, letting the tension build in the room.
She could feel the eyes of every Marine present glued to the stage, everyone eager to know who would be named the ultimate Valiant Defender.
Major Quinn glanced at the screen, the crowd holding their breath in anticipation. ¡°This Marine¡¯s actions were not only brave but truly pivotal, and their ability to stand tall when everything was on the verge of collapse is why they are receiving the Platinum Valiant Defender Medal.¡±
Major Quinn looked up at the crowd, the name of the winner just moments from being revealed, clearly enjoying the building of anticipation and the cliff she was leading the Marines towards.
The tension was fully palpable by now, with every Marine in the room silently willing to hear a name they recognized¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 9 - Awards II
PoV: Rachel Veronica Masters
The tension Major Quinn was building by holding back the name of the winner was thoroughly pissing Rachel off.
She¡¯d been waiting over a month for this¡ªto hear her name on the big stage, to get her dues, and finally rub her win in the face of that smug asshole from Alpha Squad by one-upping him.
Rachel didn¡¯t need this drawn-out game of "let¡¯s pretend this is a beauty pageant" that Major Quinn was playing.
Her fingers drummed impatiently against her leg, her jaw clenched tightly, as she glared at the stage.
Her squad sat just as tense, but for reasons Rachel couldn¡¯t even begin to understand.
After all, this was her award, not theirs.
¡°When it comes to this Defensive Heavy in the assessment,¡± Major Quinn continued, her voice full of admiration, ¡°they truly embodied the best of what this drive has to offer¡ªthe very best of what you, as the Sovereign¡¯s Recruits, can bring forth. Each and every one of you should be proud and inspired by their actions, aiming to emulate them and strive for that same level of excellence.¡±
Rachel bit back a scoff, forcing herself not to roll her eyes. The whole thing felt like a cheesy speech with Quinn¡¯s over-the-top praise dragging out the suspense.
¡®Just say my fucking name already,¡¯ she thought bitterly, the anticipation inside her coiling tighter with each word. There was no doubt in her mind that Major Quinn was about to call her up to the stage¡ªbut the wait was still excruciating.
After all, she¡¯d put on an absolutely stellar performance in the assessment; there was no chance Lucas Callahan could have outdone her.
This was the one silver lining to being denied her rightful place¡ªBeta Squad was a collection of complete and utter losers. Normally, having to carry their dead weight would have been infuriating for someone like her, someone that belonged with the best of the best.
But for the Assessment Awards, it was perfect.
Unlike her, Lucas Callahan had to compete for a spot in the spotlight while surrounded by powerhouses like Alpha Squad¡¯s Medic or the Offensive Heavy.
With members like those, how often would a Defensive Heavy¡¯s sacrifice even be necessary in the first place? With that squad, it was unlikely he¡¯d ever get the chance to shine, with his ¡°heroic moment¡± denied before it could even come into existence by everyone else¡¯s stellar performances.
For Rachel, though, this was no issue.
Her squad was barely functional, each member practically falling apart at the seams.
It had been her leading them through every engagement, her pulling them back from the brink, and her delivering inspirational moments that had practically written themselves into legend already.
Lucas Callahan needed some sort of cosmic alignment for Alpha Squad to crumble around him to earn a place for this award; she just had to show up.
She hadn¡¯t even needed to force situations for the sake of appearances, even if she had initially planned to do so¡ªher squad had naturally given her ample opportunity to prove herself as they repeatedly failed to perform again and again.
¡°Now, without any further preamble, let¡¯s take a look at our Platinum Award winner¡¯s heroic actions,¡± Major Quinn announced, finally moving to the moment Rachel had been waiting for.
Rachel held her breath as the screen behind the Major shifted, displaying a crumbling, broken cityscape. The camera panned down to reveal the battleground of the recording, and Rachel had to fight back a triumphant yelp.
She could feel her pulse racing as Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°This is Recruit Rachel Veronica Masters, from Beta Squad.¡±
Everything else faded as Rachel¡¯s mind clung to that one line, blocking out the rest of Quinn¡¯s words.
This was it. She had done it.
The phrase echoed in her mind like a chorus as she felt her squad¡¯s hands pushing and prodding her from both sides, their enthusiasm grating on her nerves.
This was her award, not theirs. Why the fuck did they make such fuss about it?
She had known this was her day the moment she¡¯d woken up.
Everything had felt aligned: Her feet had landed perfectly on the ground when she¡¯d gotten out of bed, her breakfast had tasted richer than usual, and even the air had felt clearer.
She¡¯d tried to ignore those signs¡ªsuperstitions like those weren¡¯t her thing¡ªbut there had been no shaking the feeling deep inside her that today would be the day she proved her worth to everyone.
A satisfied, almost predatory grin spread across her face as she watched the screen.
This was her moment to show them all¡ªto make them see that the UHF had made a terrible mistake in overlooking her for Alpha Squad. Her eyes remained glued to the screen, replaying the moment that would cement her as better than that average Defensive Heavy they¡¯d dared to put in Alpha¡¯s ranks.
She would indulge her squad¡¯s excitement this once; their antics couldn¡¯t possibly spoil this for her. Mere followers like them could never undermine her rightful rewards.
¡°¡Recruit Masters became the cornerstone of her squad, allowing them to hold the line long enough for reinforcements to arrive and push through to the enemy HQ,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice continued as the screen filled with the intense scene unfolding around Rachel.
It was time to fully enjoy her dues that she¡¯d been waiting for, for so, so long now.
On the screen, the recording showed the chaotic battleground of a narrow city street bordered by crumbling buildings, thick with smoke and debris.
Beta Squad was clearly overwhelmed, their members battered, beaten and bleeding, clinging to what little cover they could find inside of a couple of ruined buildings. In the midst of it all, Recruit Masters stood firm, having positioned herself in a critical choke point between two ruined buildings, cutting off the enemy¡¯s path towards the rest of her squad.
The narrow alleyway forced the advancing enemy squads to funnel directly into her line of defence, and she had planted her full-cover shield in front of her like a wall, grav-lock engaged, her stance unwavering.
Her shield absorbed the brunt of incoming fire, each bullet and blast ringing out as it struck the reinforced surface, the purple-hue of the grav-lock flaring up again and again.
Grenades lobbed from the enemy lines trying to dislodge her detonated around her, shrapnel glancing off her armour, piercing through it at points and sending sprays of her blood across the battlefield.
But even as explosions rained down around her, Rachel remained steady, pushing her full weight and muscles'' ability to exert themselves into the shield to support the grav-lock¡¯s functions.
With every major hit, she repositioned herself slightly, angling her shield to deflect the blasts more reliably; making sure they were always aimed away from her squad, who were just a few metres behind her, hidden behind a few pieces of debris, recovering as Beta¡¯s medic frantically worked to patch them up.
¡°Recruit Masters didn¡¯t just hold the line,¡± Major Quinn narrated, the pride in her voice palpable. ¡°She became the line.¡±
The recording captured the moment when the enemy, realising they couldn¡¯t break through her defence with the gunfire of their weapons alone, surged forward in a desperate melee assault.
But that played directly into Rachel¡¯s hands.
As the first enemy soldier came within range, she shifted her shield to intercept his attack, disengaging the grav-lock in one fluid motion. Using the enemy¡¯s body as cover from the rest of the advancing foes, she slammed him backward, sending him sprawling across the ground.
Quick as a flash, she pulled out her sidearm, a revolver-like shotgun pistol, and fired a shell directly into the soldier¡¯s chest. His armour cracked, and blood sprayed out of a web of decidedly lethal wounds as he twitched on the ground one last time.
Another enemy, initially knocked back by her shield¡¯s brutal hit on their teammate, tried to charge forward again. She spun to meet him, the sheer heft of her solid-cover shield connecting with crushing force, knocking him into a pile of rubble.
His armour caved under the impact with a sickening crunch, the reinforced metal shattering against the massive force of her shield¡¯s impact.
Without missing a beat, Rachel slammed her shield back down and re-engaged the grav-lock just as a new round of gunfire rattled against it, ricocheting off harmlessly.
Her breathing was heavy, her eyes locked on the advancing soldiers, but every move she made was as calculated as it was lethal. She had drilled these techniques since she¡¯d been old enough to stand, her body now moving with muscle memory honed by years of rigorous training.
In that narrow choke point, Rachel was a literal fortress.
Every attack was blocked or countered, every enemy shot neutralised, every retaliatory strike she made carefully aimed to kill or brutally incapacitate.
Enemy soldiers tried to force their way past, first individually, then in small groups. The cramped terrain limited their approach, making it impossible to come at her with more than two soldiers at once.
But whether they attacked alone or in pairs, each met the same brutal end against her unyielding shield and sidearm.
Her armour, battered and scorched from countless impacts, stood firm.
Cracks webbed across it like a cracking sheet of ice, but she wielded her shield with a seemingly unending amount of strength, swinging it as if it were made of driftwood rather than Ultra-Heavy T1 Armour plating.
Even when grenades, carefully lobbed by the enemy to use the nearby rubble to bypass her shield, landed just behind her, Rachel never panicked.
She adjusted her shield at the last second to absorb each blast, making sure to position herself so that the shrapnel was directed away from her squad¡¯s flimsy cover, shielding them from potentially lethal fragments.
The recording showed her glancing back briefly again and again, checking on her squad and making sure that they were not in any danger before refocusing on the enemy.
Her breathing was heavier and heavier, her arms visibly starting to strain under the weight of her shield, yet she didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t waver a single moment, as another wave of gunfire and a desperate melee assault battered her position.
The scene froze at a moment of pure intensity¡ªRachel, shield raised high above the head of a fallen enemy soldier, ready to end him, her armour cracked and scorched, breathing heavily as a small pool of blood continued to grow around her. The caption beneath read: ¡°Recruit Rachel Veronica Masters ¨C The Final Destination.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Recruit Masters went on to survive this final stand, holding her ground until reinforcements arrived to flank the remaining enemy forces from behind,¡± Major Quinn narrated, her voice filled with admiration. ¡°Thanks to her resilience, her squad made a full battlefield recovery and later joined the reinforcements in the final assault on the enemy HQ, securing a vital secondary staging ground for the assault on the SADD.¡±
The screen shifted, displaying the shimmering Platinum-hued Valiant Defender Medal.
The room was silent, the sheer brutality, grit and heroism of her stand sinking in for a few delicious moments before the applause finally erupted, louder and more enthusiastic than ever before.
Rachel¡¯s squad members clapped her on the back, some cheering, while she simply stood up, not paying them any heed, a satisfied, toothy grin spreading across her face as she absorbed the rightfully earned recognition.
Major Quinn waited for the applause to settle a bit before continuing.
¡°For her incredible resilience and strength in the face of overwhelming odds, Recruit Masters has earned the highest honour for the Valiant Defender award. This award recognizes not only her bravery but her ability to turn the tide of battle when her squad needed it most. We are proud to present Recruit Masters with this Platinum Medal, a 5,000 Credit award, 50% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign and a Skill Voucher, to freely attend classes for any one Skill she deems worthy of her time, free of charge.¡±
Rachel¡¯s expression was one of pure triumph as she made her way up to the stage, each step a victory in itself.
She basked in the attention and admiration of the room, savouring every moment of acknowledgment she felt she had long deserved but had always been denied. Her lips curled into a subtle, self-satisfied smile, her heart pounding as the assembled crowd¡¯s applause surrounded her like a warm blanket.
As she ascended the steps, Rachel couldn¡¯t resist glancing over at Alpha Squad¡¯s seats.
She sought out Lucas Callahan¡¯s face, eager to see the sting of defeat in his eyes, the realisation that his dream of being Alpha Squad¡¯s star Defensive Heavy had gone up in flames right before him.
Her eyes locked onto his, but she almost stumbled mid-step, caught entirely off-guard.
Instead of the bitterness or envy she had expected, she was met with genuine admiration in Lucas¡¯s gaze.
His eyes held no resentment¡ªjust respect, a sincere acknowledgment of her feat. He continued clapping, his expression as earnest as if he were proud of her victory.
Rachel¡¯s steps faltered, her mind scrambling for an explanation that made sense.
Why wasn¡¯t he devastated? Why wasn¡¯t he seething with envy?
The idea of Lucas, her biggest rival, feeling anything other than resentment for being beaten was impossible for her to process.
¡®He should hate me,¡¯ she thought, a touch of desperation creeping in. ¡®He should be enraged at losing this chance at the award¡! He should be fucking furious for losing out to a mere Beta Squad member!¡¯
But Lucas¡¯s respectful applause didn¡¯t falter, making her feel strangely unsettled.
It was like he didn¡¯t even care that she had bested him, or worse¡ªthat he was downright impressed and happy for her accomplishment.
It was a feeling Rachel¡¯s mind struggled to grasp, her inner turmoil starting to thoroughly undermine her triumph.
Then, her gaze shifted around rapidly, seeking anything to regain her sense of victory.
And she found it, surprisingly quickly, attached to Alpha Squad¡¯s Scout¡ªtheir Sniper, Thea McKay.
Her dirty cyan eyes bored into her, hard and unyielding, as though Rachel¡¯s very presence was an insult; the same way Rachel thought about the Midworlder sitting right there alongside proper stock like Sylarion, as if she somehow belonged.
She was momentarily taken aback, as she had never met someone who radiated such raw, open dislike. It was like the dirty Midworld rat had never even been taught to keep her emotions in check on a basic level; simply putting it on display like that.
But rather than being unsettled by it, Rachel felt something different.
A slow, predatory grin spread across her face as she met Thea¡¯s glare, her own eyes glittering with smug satisfaction.
¡®So, she hates me for one-upping her squad member,¡¯ Rachel thought, feeling her confidence reignite with a vengeance. ¡®Good. Very good...¡¯
If Lucas wouldn¡¯t react, at least the Cyan¡¯s burning gaze was proper proof that her triumph had cut through Alpha Squad¡¯s air of superiority.
Rachel returned the glare with a toothy, complacent expression, basking in the raw contempt that practically radiated from the Mid-worlder. She straightened further, her sense of victory rapidly establishing itself again.
Let the Midworlder hate her¡ªshe would relish every second of it for now.
Once she was part of Alpha Squad, she''d easily win back the Cyan''s trust and friendship; Midworlders were all the same, after all: Always clambering for recognition of the Core and Inner Worlds and their members.
Once Rachel showed the Cyan just how much better off she was going to be with her in the squad, she''d practically beg to be her friend; to be let into the inner circle and enjoy some of the overflowing glory and fame trickling down from Rachel, like the starving beggers scrounging for food that all Midworlders ultimately reverted to.
With her confidence now fully restored, Rachel strode forward and accepted the Platinum Valiant Defender Medal from Major Quinn, the weight of it resting satisfyingly in her hand as she felt the eyes of every Marine in the room on her.
She basked in it, letting the moment fill her entirely, feeling almost euphoric.
But just as she turned to leave the stage, Major Quinn¡¯s hand rested firmly on her shoulder, holding her in place.
She looked up, confused, only to find Major Quinn smiling down at her, a glint of something almost mischievous in her eyes.
Confused, Rachel looked up at the Major, who was smiling with a spark of excitement. Quinn took a step forward, her voice ringing clearly over the hall as she addressed the assembled Marines.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rare occurrence here today,¡± she announced with a hint of excitement. ¡°This assessment drive didn¡¯t just see one outstanding Defensive Heavy rise to the occasion¡ªbut two.¡±
Rachel¡¯s heart skipped, a knot forming in her stomach as her breath hitched. ¡®A second? What the fuck is she talking about¡? An award goes to one person. That¡¯s how it works.¡¯
The crowd stirred, murmurs sweeping through the audience, and Rachel could feel a rush of something cold prickling at the back of her neck.
Major Quinn continued, the tone in her voice growing more earnest, ¡°The brass had quite the challenge deciding between two first-place-worthy acts of valour, both from Defensive Heavies aboard the Sovereign. Each one showed such incredible strength and resilience that it was impossible to say one outshone the other. So, in a rare and deserved exception, we¡¯re awarding the Platinum Valiant Defender Medal to both.¡±
The knot of dread twisted tighter in Rachel¡¯s stomach, a chill sweeping over her.
¡®This can¡¯t be happening. This can¡¯t be fucking happening!¡¯
Her heart pounded as Major Quinn¡¯s next words boomed through the hall.
¡°Please welcome Recruit Lucas Callahan, from Sovereign¡¯s very own, esteemed Alpha Squad, to the stage. He, too, has earned the title of Valiant Defender for this assessment.¡±
It was as if the floor had dropped out from under her.
The applause erupted again, but Rachel couldn¡¯t hear any of it.
Major Quinn¡¯s words echoed in her mind, reverberating painfully as her vision blurred with shock. ¡®Lucas Callahan¡ also won.¡¯
Her whole world seemed to shatter as she tried to make sense of it.
¡®This was my award. My recognition. My moment!¡¯
The impossible reality of Lucas¡ªLucas¡ªbeing elevated to her level made her stomach twist painfully. It was as though her victory, her triumph, had just been ripped in half, sullied by someone she had done everything to surpass.
She could only stand there, frozen, the hall spinning around her, as Lucas rose from his seat and made his way to the stage with that calm, respectful demeanour she had always despised.
Now, though, there was something even worse¡ªa humble, almost grateful smile plastered on his face, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own luck. The sight made her stomach churn, her vision narrowing as the reality settled like a crushing weight on her shoulders.
¡®This can¡¯t be happening¡ This is a joke¡ It must be¡¡¯
Rachel¡¯s fingers tightened around her medal, her nails digging into her palm, the sharp edge of the metal biting deeper into her skin. Warm blood began to drip down her hand, pooling silently on the stage floor.
She barely noticed, too busy trying to keep her expression from cracking.
The weight of every gaze in the hall felt oppressive now, like they were judging her; laughing at her. Yet her mind spun in disarray, unable to register anything but the unadulterated horror overtaking her.
She only caught fragments of Major Quinn¡¯s voice as she recounted Lucas¡¯ actions that had been deemed similar to Rachel¡¯s own, broken pieces that slipped through her haze: ¡°¡first day of the assessment¡¡± ¡°¡heroically defended¡¡± ¡°¡horde of Stellar Republic soldiers¡¡±
Words drifted past her ears as Quinn described Lucas¡¯s actions, how he had stood to protect the remnants of his squad, his unwavering defence keeping them safe even as the overwhelming enemy numbers had surged around him.
Rachel¡¯s brain simply couldn¡¯t grasp it, couldn¡¯t process that he had somehow, after everything, managed to stand on the same pedestal.
She¡¯d given everything, sacrificed so much, proven herself, again and again.
Yet here he was, this random no-name from a backwater planet, elevated to her level, given equal recognition by the UHF. The thought sent a pang through her chest that she couldn¡¯t bear; it felt like her heart was being ripped asunder.
Rachel was still trapped in her disbelief when Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through her haze.
"And now, if our two recipients would honour us with a handshake," Major Quinn announced, smiling warmly at them both.
Rachel¡¯s eyes darted up, her mind still struggling to process the command, and she felt a light prod on her arm.
There he was¡ªLucas Callahan, standing close with that repulsive, earnest grin, hand extended toward her as though they were supposed to be allies.
She almost decked him instinctively, her fist half-formed, before catching herself just in time.
¡®Breathe,¡¯ she reminded herself, summoning all her remaining self-control. ¡®Appearances matter.¡¯
She forced her face into a semblance of a smile, which, though passable for the average person, was more a grimace to anyone accustomed to the subtleties of high society.
Her hand, sticky with her own blood, met Lucas¡¯s, and she tightened her grip, feeling the damp medal press into his skin.
She twisted her hand slightly, making sure the blood smeared across his palm, hoping it would break his skin, maybe even poison him somehow through the sheer anger and disbelief she felt.
Lucas¡¯s face registered a flicker of surprise at the sensation, though he masked it quickly enough that only she noticed.
¡°Congratulations,¡± she forced out, her voice dripping with a mix of venom and sickly politeness. Lucas simply nodded, seemingly oblivious to her spite, or worse¡ªchoosing to ignore it¡ªand replied in kind, ¡°Congratulations to you too, that was an extremely impressive showing.¡±
If Major Quinn¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t once more filled the hall, a cue for the audience to clap as she began introducing the next set of Sovereign Awards, Rachel would definitely have killed Lucas right then and there.
Instead, Rachel took the opportunity to all but fling Lucas¡¯s hand from her own, sending small droplets of blood spraying across the stage.
Turning on her heel with as much dignity as she could muster, she left the stage at a brisk pace, leaving a thoroughly perplexed Lucas behind her.
She stormed back to her seat, holding herself with all the dignity she could muster while practically fleeing the stage in a barely contained fury. Her stomach twisted with suppressed rage and humiliation, each step sending a jolt of indignation through her.
¡®This can¡¯t be true¡ This can¡¯t be¡ª¡¯
As she reached her seat, she was greeted by the all-too-familiar, grinning faces of her squadmates. She barely registered their congratulations, brushing past them with clenched fists as she finally sank into her seat, eyes shut tight as she tried to stave off the sheer wave of fury crashing over her.
¡®This is a nightmare¡ This can¡¯t be happening¡ This isn¡¯t real¡ This is¡ª¡¯
¡°It¡¯s amazing you managed to get first place, Rachi!¡± Mayra¡¯s annoyingly cheerful voice cut through the storm in her head.
A switch flipped.
Her eyes snapped open, and she turned her head to face Mayra, her expression venomous.
In a low, controlled voice that trembled with the force of her anger, she whispered, ¡°If you don¡¯t shut your fucking whore mouth right now, I will break every bone in your body and toss what¡¯s left of you into the nearest incinerator. And when your ashes are nothing more than dust, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re scattered out the farthest airlock on this ship to make sure you cannot be brought back; ever. I will end you right this very instant.¡± She leaned closer, her words dripping with malice. ¡°If I hear so much as a breath from you, I swear on the Emperor himself that your entire family will wish they¡¯d never been born into this universe. Do you understand me, you ignorant, half-witted harlot-ass bitch?¡±
Mayra paled, her eyes widened and cheerful smile vanishing instantly.
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating, but Rachel barely noticed, her attention solely on containing the rage still simmering beneath the surface as she returned back to her normal sitting position, closing her eyes and praying to the Emperor that this was all just a bad dream¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 10 - Awards III
¡°It¡¯s alright, Thea,¡± Karania¡¯s calm voice broke through the fog of Thea¡¯s thoughts, pulling her back to the present.
Surprised by the unexpected reassurance, Thea looked over at her friend, eyebrow raised, only to see Karania¡¯s face set in a rare, serious expression.
As if to explain, Kara simply lifted her right hand¡ªthe one still clutching Thea¡¯s own.
Her friend¡¯s hand was still wrapped around hers, and only now did Thea realise how visibly chilled Kara¡¯s skin had become, far cooler than it should be in the warmth of the assembly hall.
¡°Ah¡!¡± Thea instinctively tried to pull her hand away, caught off-guard by the realisation that Karania had noticed her extra minutes of skin-to-skin contact.
It had been a small comfort, a subtle way to ground herself, though she hadn¡¯t considered Karania would pick up on it. But there was something else too¡ªa flicker of guilt, knowing she might have caused her friend discomfort; potentially even hurt her.
Karania¡¯s grip only tightened as Thea tried to pull away.
¡°Like I said, it¡¯s alright, Thea,¡± she murmured, her voice steady and reassuring. ¡°You¡¯re not as stable right now, and that¡¯s okay. Lean on me if you need to; I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯d rather you do that than¡ you know, go off like a bomb, yeah?¡±
Thea hesitated, struggling with her instinct to downplay her emotions, but she couldn¡¯t deny the truth in Karania¡¯s words. Ever since leaving the assessment, she had felt on edge, like she was standing on a hair-trigger without even understanding why.
In truth, she couldn¡¯t even pinpoint what exactly had her riled up at the moment.
But her mind kept circling back to Rachel Masters.
That girl had somehow stolen herself into a spot at Lucas¡¯s well-deserved award, tarnishing the recognition he¡¯d earned.
Her behaviour¡ªboth the sneering look she¡¯d shot Thea on her way up and the surprising, barely restrained explosion after she returned to her seat¡ªseemed beyond toxic, like she didn¡¯t even belong among the rest of the Marines inside the hall.
Though she¡¯d definitely tried to keep her fury quiet, Thea¡¯s far above average Perception had picked up on every venomous whisper and clenched fist from Masters with ease.
With Beta Squad seated just one row behind them, she had seen and heard it all with unfiltered clarity.
Taking a deep breath, Thea finally let herself lean into Karania¡¯s grip, feeling the warmth slowly return to her friend¡¯s fingers as it tempered the sharp edges of her anger.
¡°Major Quinn is a ruthless one, isn¡¯t she?¡± Karania whispered, a slight smile on her lips as if she was sharing a secret, perhaps trying to distract her.
Thea couldn¡¯t have been more grateful for the shift in focus.
¡°What do you mean?¡± she replied, genuinely confused but intrigued.
Keeping up with Karania¡¯s lightning-fast mind was something Thea always struggled with.
There was a definite worry that her inability to follow her friend¡¯s thought process would one day put distance between them, a thought that gnawed at her consistently. She did her best to learn from every conversation, to pick up on every hint, hoping it would help her keep pace in the future.
Karania¡¯s eyes gleamed mischievously as she leaned in closer.
¡°Think about it,¡± she said, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°Major Quinn could have just handed out the awards without all the build-up. Call them both up at the same time and hand them out together. But she knew¡ªknew¡ªwhat it would do to someone like Rachel. Letting her think she¡¯d taken the top spot for a moment, only to shatter it by announcing that Lucas was also going to receive the very same award?¡±
She raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. ¡°It makes no logical sense to structure an award like that, unless you¡¯re explicitly trying to mess with the first recipient; otherwise it would simply be unfair. That kind of underhanded slap on the wrist takes a certain kind of precision, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened slightly as the pieces clicked into place.
A smirk tugged at her lips as she finally saw what Karania had noticed all along. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Quinn set her up to fall? Let her think she won, only to kick the leg out from under her and present Lucas as an equal¡?¡±
Karania grinned and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a ceremony, sure, but remember: It¡¯s also a reminder and a teaching moment. Major Quinn specifically uses each recording and each Award to teach us something. This instance is no different; just a bit more subtle. Except that this time, it was meant to teach the Masters girl specifically, rather than everyone in the room. Major Quinn was essentially saying: ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®better¡¯ here, no status that can¡¯t be levelled.¡± And Rachel... Well, she clearly needed that lesson more than most.¡±
Thea¡¯s anger faded slowly, replaced by a quiet admiration for both Quinn¡¯s methods and Karania¡¯s ability to see through them.
Still, one thing continued to nag at her thoughts.
¡°Did Major Quinn use Lucas specifically for this, then¡? I mean, he had way more impressive feats in the Assessment than that one. He could¡¯ve easily been considered for something in the Recruit Awards, or maybe even the Assessment Awards. Doesn¡¯t it seem unfair to use his award just to teach this girl a lesson?¡±
Karania was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as she chose her words, leaning in close so as not to interrupt Major Quinn¡¯s ongoing announcements for the current awards.
¡°I doubt she had anything to do with it directly,¡± Karania said thoughtfully. ¡°You have to keep in mind the specific rules laid out for each award. While you and I saw Lucas accomplish a lot more impressive things, if they don¡¯t fit the exact criteria, then they don¡¯t qualify for that specific recognition.¡±
Thea listened carefully, her curiosity piqued.
¡°For the Valiant Defender, for instance,¡± Karania continued, ¡°only certain moments count¡ªspecifically unplanned situations where the Defensive Heavy, on their own initiative, went above and beyond. Moments where they acted independently to protect their squad or objectives. Given the number of downright suicidal plans we cooked up during the assessment, it¡¯s honestly kind of impressive that Lucas even had a qualifying moment for this one. I honestly think we can be happy with him getting this one¡ªRemember, it''s an award just for him, not for the squad¡¯s tactics or strategies.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened slightly as realisation dawned on her.
She¡¯d been looking at Lucas¡¯s actions through the lens of everything he¡¯d done for Alpha Squad¡ªevery heroic moment, every defensive stand.
But, of course, that wasn¡¯t what the award was meant to recognize.
Any time Lucas had acted on a direct order, or had been a piece in one of their, more-or-less carefully laid-out, squad plans, those moments simply didn¡¯t count.
They weren¡¯t examples of his initiative but rather contributions to a larger strategy.
It was only those few rare instances when he¡¯d gone out of his way, on his own terms, to protect his team that could qualify for an award like this.
She turned to Karania, a small, grateful smile forming as she nodded.
¡°Thanks, Kara,¡± she murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t really get it until now.¡±
Karania gave her a supportive squeeze, her eyes warm. ¡°Anytime, Thea. We all want to do well in this, but sometimes¡ it¡¯s good to step back and see the whole picture.¡±
Thea returned the squeeze before finally turning her attention back to the front, a new understanding settling over her.
Meanwhile, Major Quinn was busy introducing the next set of awards: The Spiritus Machina Award.
The title flashed across the screen in bold, metallic lettering as she explained its purpose.
The award was given to the software specialists who had managed to hack into enemy databases, either to extract crucial intel or to disrupt enemy defences in creative, game-changing ways.
It was, essentially, a recognition of technological prowess on the battlefield.
Thea had no doubt that this was an award Desmond would be craving, though they all knew he had no chance of winning it.
Alpha Squad¡¯s route through the Assessment hadn¡¯t allowed for much in the way of hacking.
Desmond¡¯s toolkit, designed in large parts for infiltrating networks and disrupting enemy comms, had gone largely unused, as most of their missions had required stealth and combat rather than high-level system breaches.
The only real time he¡¯d been able to flex his skills was when he¡¯d blinded a few cameras during their infiltration into the service tunnels of Nova Tertius¡¯ inner wall. Useful, yes, but hardly the sort of feat that would impress the brass or stand out to the other Recruits.
Glancing over at Desmond, Thea tried to do so subtly, not wanting to draw attention to his disappointment.
Sure enough, his shoulders were slumped, and he looked visibly deflated, staring at the floor with a look she recognized all too well.
¡®We¡¯ll get you a shot at this award next time, Desmond. I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡¯ Thea silently promised, vowing internally to make sure to take his aptitude with software into consideration whenever the opportunity presented itself in the future.
She knew all too well what it felt like to be good at something, only to have no chance to show it and earn recognition. Too many times back at the Golden Arcade, she¡¯d been overlooked for MVP points, all because the role she¡¯d played in the game wasn¡¯t set up to win them.
It was downright infuriating.
Considering her own feelings, she was genuinely impressed with Desmond¡¯s restraint. If it had been her, she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d have been able to stay as composed as he seemed to be¡ªespecially considering her already unstable mental state at the moment.
The Platinum Spiritus Machina Award was ultimately given to a recruit named Talon Pierce, from Glass Squad¡ªa squad name that caught Thea¡¯s attention as well.
She wondered briefly if it was meant as a jab at their resilience or perhaps a hint of irony in their strength. Either way, she hoped Glass Squad knew how lucky they were to have a tech specialist who¡¯d had the freedom to shine.
The ceremony continued to roll forward smoothly, with Major Quinn seamlessly introducing each award without allowing any dead air to spoil the energy in the room.
She wove lessons and reminders into each recording, just as she had with the Valiant Defender awards, and Thea found herself paying closer attention this time, thanks to Karania¡¯s earlier insights.
With a new appreciation for Major Quinn¡¯s social finesse, Thea briefly wondered if she could ever hope to reach that kind of mastery¡ªbefore quickly dismissing the thought.
¡®There¡¯s absolutely no way¡¡¯ she almost immediately concluded. Public speaking wasn¡¯t her strong suit, and the idea of commanding the attention of thousands like Major Quinn did, effortlessly and with confidence, felt as distant to her as winning in a straight fist-fight against Isabella.
But before her thoughts could wander too far, Major Quinn¡¯s voice broke through, catching her attention once more as she introduced the next award.
¡°For our third major award,¡± Quinn began, her voice carrying a hint of pride, ¡°we honour those among you who were essential to strategic planning, careful advances, and ruthless ambushes. This award goes to the scouts and information gatherers¡ªthe ones who kept our forces informed and always steps ahead of the enemy. We recognize the Marines who not only gathered intel, but whose insights shaped engagements and had a lasting impact on the battlefield as a whole.¡±
Thea¡¯s interest sharpened, her heart pounding slightly faster. Major Quinn continued, ¡°Whether you sniffed out an ambush, uncovered a hidden enemy HQ, or provided crucial intel that allowed our forces to advance unimpeded, this award celebrates you. So without further ado, let¡¯s introduce the Eye In The Sky Award.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
As the title glowed on the screen behind Major Quinn, Thea felt a surge of excitement and a flicker of hope.
¡®This could actually be a category for me¡ maybe,¡¯ she thought, her pulse quickening. From her left, she felt a light squeeze and turned to see Karania giving her a knowing nod, her gaze full of encouragement. It was as if Karania were saying, ¡°You¡¯ve got this one in the bag.¡±
Thea, however, wasn¡¯t nearly as certain.
She knew her efforts had made a difference in certain moments, but she was less sure that they had shaped the battlefield in any truly lasting way.
Her mind immediately drifted to the first day of the assessment, when she¡¯d warned the 32nd Company about the meticulously planned Stellar Republic ambush. But that warning had come only moments before the ambush was actually launched; barely enough time for even a fraction of the Company to react to her warning.
¡®Does something like that really count?¡¯ she wondered.
Then there was the seeker minefield she had sniffed out during their special mission with Arrow Squad a few hours later.
While they¡¯d managed to step around it and continue on their path, the mission itself hadn¡¯t felt particularly large-scale in hindsight. They¡¯d merely avoided the mines and carried on, with little overall impact¡ªor so she believed.
And then there were the countless other moments where her perceptiveness had helped them avoid smaller traps or sniff out danger before it struck.
But in her mind, each of these moments felt small, like tiny pieces of a puzzle that might not add up to anything award-worthy.
Doubt gnawed at her, especially in light of what had happened with Lucas earlier.
¡®If Lucas didn¡¯t get a Recruit or Assessment Award despite his nonstop, stellar performance, then what chance do I have with these mid-level, at best, scout feats¡?¡¯
Still, she could hope.
Maybe, just maybe, she could win a Silver or even a Gold.
Just the thought of being recognized, even a little, filled her with anticipation.
Anything was better than being left empty-handed, like poor Desmond¡ªhis talents unnoticed simply because the Assessment hadn¡¯t given him the opportunities he needed to shine.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out over the hall.
¡°Now, let¡¯s take a look at our Silver Eye In The Sky Award recipient,¡± she announced, and the screen behind her lit up with the first recording.
Thea¡¯s heart rate spiked, anticipation bubbling up¡ªonly to plummet when she saw the footage wasn¡¯t hers.
The Marine in the video wasn¡¯t her, nor was it anyone she recognized from her missions.
She tried to keep her disappointment from showing, but doubt had already begun to creep in.
¡®Was it stupid to think I¡¯d make it into the awards¡?¡¯
She pushed the thought aside, hoping maybe, just maybe, her name would still be called in the later rounds. Yet, as the video continued, her mind kept circling back to her own moments in the assessment.
The instances that had felt significant to her¡ªwarning the 32nd Company about that ambush, sniffing out the seeker minefield¡ªwere all small in comparison to the battlefield-sized impact that the brass was looking for.
¡®¡¯What if they just weren¡¯t impressive enough¡? What if I never really made a difference with my actual role-specific actions¡?¡¯
Before she could sink further into her doubts, a sharp squeeze on her hand yanked her out of her thoughts. She glanced over, intending to shoot Karania an irritated look, but one look at her friend¡¯s face stopped her short.
Karania¡¯s eyes were blazing with intensity, her grip firm and insistent.
¡°You have nothing to worry about, Thea,¡± Karania murmured, her tone leaving no room for argument. ¡°While you might not be up here at the Sovereign Awards, you¡¯re practically guaranteed a spot in the Recruit or Assessment Awards for the Eye In The Sky.¡±
Thea opened her mouth to protest, her doubts still simmering, but Karania¡¯s expression was unyielding. There was something almost fierce in her gaze¡ªan intensity that told Thea she wasn¡¯t about to let her friend spiral into self-doubt.
Her eyes held a manic gleam, as if to say, ¡°I swear to the Emperor, I will end you if you disagree.¡± And somehow, Thea didn¡¯t doubt that for a moment.
Swallowing her objections, she sighed, feeling a bit of her tension melt away.
Karania was probably right; her friend¡¯s confidence alone was oddly reassuring. She turned her attention back to the stage, trying to relax and take comfort in her friend¡¯s certainty.
Onstage, Major Quinn had just finished announcing the Silver Award, the applause swelling as the recording finished.
Thea watched Quinn step forward, a warm smile spreading across her face.
¡°And now, for our second honour in this category: the Gold Eye In The Sky Award.¡± Major Quinn paused, letting the room quiet down. ¡°For excellence in intelligence gathering, battlefield disruption and stepping up when more eyes were needed¡¡± She took a breath, her eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°Desmond Reimart, from Alpha Squad!¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened, her mind taking a split second to process what she¡¯d just heard.
¡®Desmond?!¡¯
Thea whipped her head around, meeting Desmond¡¯s gaze just as his stunned expression melted from disbelief to pure, unrestrained excitement.
He looked at her, almost as if asking her for confirmation that this was real¡ªalmost as if he were asking her permission to revel in the moment; like he didn¡¯t want to upstage her in her own category, of sorts.
She couldn¡¯t help but break into a wide smile, her earlier doubts vanishing in a rush of pride and joy for him. She was, honestly, surprised at how much she celebrated his win.
Part of her had felt uneasy about the idea of someone as talented as Desmond going unrecognised, despite her mixed feelings about him.
Their history made her cautious about feeling too happy about it, but his talent and dedication were undeniable, and the thought of him leaving the ceremony empty-handed hadn¡¯t sat right with her at all.
Desmond, still clearly processing the moment, rose slowly from his seat, glancing at each member of Alpha Squad with an incredulous grin.
When his eyes landed on Corvus, the squad leader gave him a steady nod, pride and certainty in his expression, as if he¡¯d never doubted that Desmond would be recognized.
Thea could tell that Corvus¡¯s vote of confidence steadied him¡ªDesmond straightened his posture, took a deep breath, and finally began making his way toward the stage; using the crutches he had brought into the assembly hall with him to help him walk.
With each step, the applause grew louder, Alpha Squad¡¯s cheers ringing out above the crowd as their teammate walked into the well-earned spotlight. As Desmond approached the podium, Major Quinn gave him an approving nod before turning back to the crowd.
¡°Now, let¡¯s take a look at what secured this award for Recruit Reimart, our Drone Operator from Alpha Squad,¡± she announced, gesturing to the screen.
The recording flickered to life, showing Desmond leading almost the entirety of Alpha Squad through a sprawling, partially demolished compound.
Thea quickly noticed that she was the only squad member missing from the scene, a realisation that sparked a moment of surprise but quickly shifted to understanding as she watched Desmond in action¡ªthis was taken from the very end of the assessment; the assault on the final compound that Thea had only heard about second-hand from Corvus and the rest of the squad after the assessment had already ended.
The feed displayed not only Desmond¡¯s perspective but also the live feeds from the three drones he was operating at once. Each feed appeared in smaller windows on the screen, like tiny pictures-in-pictures, and it became immediately clear how difficult it was to keep track of each drone¡¯s position, movements, and what they were seeing.
Even Thea, despite her inhuman levels of Perception, felt some serious difficulties in trying to keep track of all four viewpoints at once¡ªcontrolling multiple drones at once like this, especially under combat conditions, was clearly no easy feat.
In the recording, Desmond¡¯s drones moved independently from one another, each taking on a distinct role.
One scout drone manoeuvred down a narrow hallway, gliding close to the ground to stay out of sight. Another ascended to the ceiling, navigating the blown-out floors and shattered walls of the compound, sneaking glimpses of the outside through broken windows.
The third drone trailed Alpha Squad more closely, positioning itself slightly ahead of them to scout around corners and through side corridors, while also ensuring that no threats approached from behind.
¡°Take note, Recruits,¡± Major Quinn commented, her tone instructive yet clearly impressed. ¡°Recruit Reimart is performing three jobs here¡ªscouting, recon, and support¡ªwhile maintaining situational awareness for Alpha Squad as a whole. A Drone Operator¡¯s focus must be unwavering; each drone has a distinct role, and each role must be perfectly managed at all times to keep the squad safe and informed.¡±
The scene shifted as Desmond directed his drones through more treacherous parts of the compound, weaving through narrow passageways and avoiding debris.
He sent one of his drones up ahead, scouting the far end of the hallway for any signs of enemy movement, while another slipped through a crumbling wall and peered into an adjacent room through a broken window. The third hovered carefully near the squad¡¯s formation, its gun-barrel swivelling and searching for potential threats around each corner.
¡°Under normal circumstances,¡± Major Quinn instructed, ¡°a Drone Operator works alongside the squad¡¯s Scout¡ªassuming the squad has one. However, Alpha Squad, operating deep behind enemy lines, had unfortunately lost their Scout during the mission already, forcing Recruit Reimart to shift from a supportive role into a critical one. This,¡± she emphasised, gesturing toward the screen, ¡°highlights one of the greatest advantages of a skilled Drone Operator: Versatility. Where most squads would have suffered tremendously from the loss of their Scout, Alpha Squad was able to continue unimpeded, thanks to Recruit Reimart¡¯s quick adaptation and his high level of expertise.¡±
On the screen, Desmond¡¯s drones continued their coordinated movements, each acting independently yet harmoniously. He himself remained laser-focused, his eyes flicking from feed to feed, making small adjustments as he relayed updates to Alpha Squad.
Then, the tension in the video ratcheted up abruptly.
Two of the drones ascended a staircase, the footage capturing the oppressive silence as they flew cautiously forward, their feeds tilting and swivelling to take in every angle of the upper floor. As one drone reached the top, a sudden barrage of gunfire erupted, and the screen of the other showed the first drone shattering into fragments that tumbled down the stairs.
Desmond¡¯s reaction was instantaneous; without hesitation, he pushed the remaining drone straight into the ambushers¡¯ lines, manoeuvring it past gunfire and between scattered debris to gather as much intel as possible.
He didn¡¯t let up until a barrage of shots finally took down the second drone, leaving the remnants of both drones falling around the ambushers.
The feed switched back to Desmond, who, with an impressive calm, was already relaying the exact layout of the ambush waiting at the top of the stairs. He detailed enemy positions, cover spots, and even the angles they were likely to fire from, and he did so with precision and efficiency¡ªas if the loss of his drones hadn¡¯t fazed him in the slightest.
The recording ended with Desmond¡¯s voice over the comms, coolly giving Alpha Squad the final go-ahead and the tactical layout to counter the ambush, his eyes steady and his voice level even as the last pieces of the drones hit the ground.
The hall erupted in applause, and Thea couldn¡¯t help but join in.
Hearing about his actions and actually seeing them first-hand were clearly two separate things altogether.
She had already been impressed by Corvus¡¯ recounting of Desmond stepping up, but actually getting to see the recording and especially his own view-point and those of his drones all at the same time, was on a whole nother level of impressiveness.
Desmond hadn¡¯t just proven himself an already surprisingly adept Drone Operator¡ªhe¡¯d also managed to highlight exactly what kind of unwavering focus and skill were needed in the role as well.
Major Quinn stepped forward, her smile bright as she shook Desmond¡¯s hand.
¡°For his actions, Recruit Reimart is awarded 3,500 Credits and a 50% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign,¡± she announced, handing him the Gold Medal. The award¡¯s emblem¡ªa human eye gazing down at a battlefield from a bird¡¯s-eye perspective¡ªgleamed in Desmond¡¯s hand, a perfect representation of his accomplishments.
Desmond made his way back to Alpha Squad with the medal in his hand, his face still caught somewhere between disbelief and elation. As he approached, the squad erupted into cheers, each member showing their pride in his win.
Corvus was the first to clap him on the shoulder, his grin wide and genuine. ¡°Well done, Desmond,¡± he said, the respect in his tone unmistakable. ¡°You earned this one. We would¡¯ve been really screwed if you hadn¡¯t stepped up back then; great work.¡±
Lucas nodded in agreement, his expression warm as always. ¡°That was some amazing work. Makes me wonder what you could¡¯ve done if you¡¯d been given more blueprints to use. But hey,¡± he added with a chuckle, ¡°maybe it¡¯s for the best¡ªyou didn¡¯t even need more options to leave an impression, it seems.¡±
Isabella rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a half-smirk. ¡°Alright, fine, I¡¯ll admit it¡ªyou did a pretty decent job back then,¡± she said, sounding almost reluctant, though her grin gave her away.
¡°Even if you did blow yourself the fuck up right afterward,¡± she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, making Desmond laugh despite himself.
Desmond¡¯s gaze shifted to Thea and Karania, sitting a little farther away but both watching him with quiet approval.
Karania gave him an acknowledging nod. Thea, meanwhile, managed a small smile, impressed in a way she hadn¡¯t quite expected. To her surprise, Desmond returned both of their nods more than earnestly, his gratitude clear even across the distance.
Just then, Major Quinn¡¯s voice returned, drawing the squad¡¯s attention back to the stage for a moment as she introduced the Platinum Award winner. The screen behind her lit up with the first images of the recording, and Thea felt her heart skip a beat.
But as the footage rolled, her hope faded¡ªthese weren¡¯t her recordings.
A pang of disappointment stirred in her, but she quickly refocused as Karania squeezed her hand¡ªhonestly quite a bit harder than necessary, Thea found¡ªgrounding her before her thoughts could spiral.
She glanced back at her squad, still revelling in Desmond¡¯s victory, laughter and bright smiles lighting up their faces. For a moment, she let herself bask in the warmth of the moment, allowing their joy to temporarily push away the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind¡ªthe quiet worry that she wasn¡¯t going to win anything.
The Platinum Eye in the Sky Award ultimately went to a Marine called Enn Mila from New Squad¡ª¡¯A thoroughly strange name for a squad,¡¯ Thea thought with a smirk.
Mila had been instrumental during the main assault into Nova Tertius, being the first to identify signs of a large-scale ambush that had the potential to devastate the UHF forces.
Thanks to Mila¡¯s sharp eye and swift relay of intel, a significant portion of the main forces managed to divert and flank the ambush, turning a potential disaster into a tactical advantage.
It was, undeniably, an impressive feat.
¡®Did I really do anything better than that?¡¯ Thea wondered as she watched Mila descend from the stage, the Platinum Medal glinting in their hand.
Karania¡¯s steady insistence that she¡¯d see her name in the Recruit or Assessment Awards had been a source of comfort, but Thea couldn¡¯t shake the doubt creeping in.
She¡¯d always believed her actions in the assessment were useful, sure, maybe even important, but seeing the sheer scope of Mila¡¯s impact¡ªknowing the kind of people she was being measured against¡ªit made her question things.
¡®Could my warnings and overall recon really be considered all that impressive when compared to what others accomplished?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of uncertainty as she waited for Major Quinn to announce the next set of awards...
Arc 1 - Epilogue 11 - Awards IV
PoV: Tiberius Soren
The award ceremony had been far more engaging than Tiberius anticipated, even though none of the categories so far had truly held his personal interest.
The atmosphere in the assembly hall had drastically shifted, however; the once-annoying chatter around him had morphed into a buzz of excitement, punctuated by cheers and laughter.
The heightened energy had an almost contagious effect, drawing Tiberius in despite himself.
He primarily attributed it to the fact that Major Quinn had done an excellent job at keeping things interesting; particularly with that Defensive Heavy award and revealing the fact that there might even be two winners for any given category; something Tiberius hadn¡¯t even thought possible.
The way Major Quinn had awarded it too, had been something that had surprised Tiberius.
¡®Almost like she had planned to showcase that Alpha Squad is still waiting in the wings¡¡¯
Presenting the award to a Beta Squad member first, only to then practically rug-pull everyone and announce that Alpha Squad had also won the same award, had seemed downright intentional¡ªalthough Tiberius couldn¡¯t quite guess why Major Quinn might have done that.
His best guess was that she wanted to remind everyone who they were up against; that they should never be content with their awards, thinking they had beaten Alpha Squad until the entire thing was over and done with¡ªsomething Tiberius was going to pay close attention to going forward.
The Gold Medal awarded to Alpha Squad¡¯s Drone Operator had surprised him as well, though for different reasons.
While his interests were rooted in combat and the absolute art of demolishing his enemies, he wasn¡¯t so shortsighted as to miss the significance of the award given to that Drone Operator.
It was notable for two reasons.
First, Drone Operators were famously underpowered early on, with limited access to equipment and Abilities. They often struggled to keep up with roles that brought immediate advantages to their squads.
He¡¯d heard it directly from his squad¡¯s Scout, Jackson¡ªno, that wasn¡¯t right. Jeremy?¡ªahh, Jonas¡? His squad¡¯s Scout had mentioned his interest in eventually transitioning to a Drone Operator role but had initially focused on broader Scout attributes and Abilities at the advice of their progression counsellor, to avoid the same early-career obstacles.
So the fact that the Drone Operator had shown up at all was a testament to the skill of him, rather than anything else; something Tiberius could respect, regardless of role difference.
But more importantly, and even more telling in Tiberius¡¯ eyes, was the complete and utter absence of Alpha Squad¡¯s Scout from the awards altogether.
That omission could only mean one of two things: Either the rumours he had heard about the midworld Cyan were greatly exaggerated, or they were dangerously understated.
If it was the former, then that girl¡¯s days in Alpha Squad were numbered, which would be a surprising development.
An opportunity he hadn¡¯t anticipated might even open up¡ªa slot that he could vie for.
Although his primary targets were the positions held by the Itoku woman and Sylarion, Tiberius wasn¡¯t one to ignore an Emperor-given opportunity if it fell into his lap.
If Alpha Squad¡¯s Scout/Sniper had truly underperformed, his own sniping skills might just be impressive enough to get him noticed by the higher-ups. Though he wasn¡¯t a dedicated sniper, he could pivot to that role if it meant a chance to secure a place in the top squad.
¡®But that¡¯s only if she underperformed,¡¯ he thought, his mind running scenarios.
¡®If the real reason she¡¯s not mentioned is that only one award per category can be given to a single individual¡¡¯ The thought made his fingers tap rhythmically on his knee, a habit he had when processing new information.
If that was the case, then she wasn¡¯t just good¡ªshe was exceptional.
It would mean she had outperformed practically all of the other Recruits, not only on the Sovereign but potentially across the entire Assessment. The next tier of recognition beyond the current Sovereign Awards, after all, was the Recruit Awards, which included all ships in the drive.
If she actually did end up with one of those top spots, he knew that he stood no chance of claiming that elusive third slot whatsoever.
While Tiberius prided himself on his skills and confidence, he was realistic enough to recognize when the playing field was beyond his reach.
He had witnessed some of the most formidable Snipers from other recruitment drives¡ªfellow Marines whose precision and ingenuity had left even him impressed.
If the Cyan girl had managed not only to meet but exceed those high standards, then vying for her spot would be beyond foolish.
¡®But that¡¯s more than fine,¡¯ he told himself, shifting his focus back to his primary targets. The third slot might be out of reach, but his ambitions were still firmly set on the other two.
This ceremony had reminded him of one important truth: In the UHF, there was always someone better, always someone just out of sight, waiting for their moment.
His ruminations were thankfully cut short as Major Quinn took the stage once more, her voice carrying the same magnetic authority that had held the room in thrall all evening.
¡°Now, moving on from the Eye in the Sky award to something a bit more¡ let¡¯s say, direct,¡± she announced, her smile flashing with a gleam that Tiberius found surprisingly engaging, even charming. ¡°This next award is for those of you who embody raw, unstoppable force on the battlefield. The juggernauts. The ones who haunt the enemy¡¯s nightmares, the very shadows that keep them awake at night, knowing you¡¯re out there.¡±
Tiberius felt his pulse kick up, each word fanning the flames of excitement in his chest.
¡®This is the one.¡¯
¡°This award is called the One Man Army,¡± she continued, her tone reverent yet fierce. ¡°It¡¯s awarded to those who didn¡¯t just participate in the killing of our enemies, but truly became forces of nature, tearing through the enemy ranks single-handedly. For those who, for one reason or another, had to leave their squads and shoulder the battle¡¯s weight alone, turning certain defeat into undeniable victory. The criteria were simple: Destroy the enemy en-masse, rely only on yourself, and have a profound impact on the battle.¡±
A predatory grin crept over Tiberius¡¯ face. ¡®Perfection.¡¯
This was the kind of award he¡¯d been hoping, praying for, one practically designed just for someone of his nature and skillset.
His squad, while useful, had been little more than support for his plans. They served as a means to an end, allowing him to demonstrate his prowess as both a leader and a fighter.
But it was those rare moments when he¡¯d broken away, when he¡¯d been able to fully unleash his power and carve a bloody path through the enemy on his own, that had lit his blood afire.
His eyes invariably crossed over the other members of his squad as they were once again drawn towards the Itoku women as a result of Major Quinn¡¯s words.
They had been chatting merrily away the entire time, paying practically no heed to any of the greater implications of the revealed awards so far; nor did they truly understand the import of this one either by the way that their chatter had only mildly picked up overall.
¡®Fools... Kind people; nice to be around, sure. But the lack of drive, of ambition¡ it¡¯s sickening,¡¯ Tiberius thought, his jaw tightening as he surveyed the carefree smiles of his squadmates. They were undeniably decent, reliable in their own way, but they lacked the fire and will to do what was necessary that he possessed.
If only they¡¯d followed his lead more often, their futures wouldn¡¯t be as bleak; as painfully ordinary¡
He let his gaze rest on their faces for a heartbeat longer, a momentary pang of curiosity crossing his mind. What would it be like to live that way? To exist without the constant hunger for more, to be content with the mediocrity of simply getting by? To find happiness in small victories, without the gnawing need to carve out one¡¯s name in the annals of UHF history?
A shiver of revulsion coursed through him at the mere thought, and he turned his attention forward, his eyes narrowing as they fell on the Itoku woman sitting in the front row¡ªalways in front of him, always one step ahead.
She sat with Alpha Squad, where she belonged, her posture impeccably relaxed, exuding an air of composed confidence.
Maybe even too composed.
¡®She doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll show up at the Sovereign Awards, huh?¡¯ A smirk curled his lips, dark amusement glittering in his eyes. ¡®Looks like she¡¯s certain she¡¯s saved her best for the main event and will be in the higher tier awards. That¡¯s... intriguing.¡¯
His grin widened, rekindled after the brief flicker of distaste brought on by his own squad.
Much like the Itoku woman, he didn¡¯t expect to make an appearance in the Sovereign Awards himself either.
He had seen the other top Snipers in the drive; he knew their worth.
But when it came to Offensive Heavies? He was confident he could match or surpass them.
While the top-tier Snipers might have edged him out, he knew his skills as an Offensive Heavy had few equals.
Even so, he would watch the Sovereign Awards with interest, keeping a sharp eye on every name and face. The Recruit Awards, however¡ªthat was where he intended to dominate.
And as he observed Itoku¡¯s calm, almost detached expression as she conversed and joked with her squad mates, he sensed that she was thinking along similar lines.
Her relaxed composure, the subtle tilt of her head, the complete disinterest in Major Quinn¡¯s hyping up of the Sovereign Awards for this category¡ªit all pointed to someone who knew they had far more to show than would likely to be presented here.
¡®I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way, Itoku,¡¯ he thought, a low, simmering thrill coursing through him¡
¡°I¡¯ll definitely be in the Recruit Awards for this,¡± Isabella repeated, her eyes gleaming with a fierce confidence that seemed to radiate from her core. She nodded, the gesture as much for her own reassurance as it was for the rest of Alpha Squad.
Thea felt a pang of envy twist in her chest, the earlier disappointment of not appearing in the Eye In The Sky Awards still lingering like a bitter taste.
Karania¡¯s assurances that her time would come during the Recruit or Assessment Awards had done little to quell the nagging doubt gnawing at her.
But she couldn¡¯t deny that Isabella had earned every ounce of her confidence either.
Thea had seen her in action countless times¡ªwhether it was on the field during the assessment or during their brutal training sessions beforehand.
There was no denying the offensive heavy¡¯s raw power and unparalleled ferocity.
The stories of Isabella¡¯s feats had spread through the assessment like wildfire.
Whether it was the first day¡¯s gruelling chaos or the climactic finish in the compound on one of the final days, Isabella had blown well past expectations, even for Alpha Squad¡¯s, turning what should have been catastrophic defeats into moments of sheer, jaw-dropping victory.
¡°Question is just: Which one of all the moments are they gonna go with¡?¡± Isabella mused aloud, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she waited for her squadmates¡¯ opinions.
¡°Definitely the one in the compound,¡± Corvus answered without hesitation, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
¡°If you hadn¡¯t stepped up like you did, we wouldn¡¯t have made it out of there alive¡ªor well, you guys wouldn¡¯t have,¡± he added with a nod at Isabella, Karania and Desmond, recalling the moment he had been downed¡ªwhich had ultimately killed him after the fact.
Lucas let out a short laugh, nodding in agreement. ¡°Agreed. Xagis was definitely not smiling on me that day. If you hadn¡¯t rushed out and destroyed their position, I don¡¯t think anyone would have made it out with me and Thea already dead, and Corvus down for the count as well.¡±
Surprisingly enough, even Desmond seemed in the mood to chime in. Ever since the Eye In The Sky award he had received, his tepid and depressed demeanour had seemingly done a complete 180, as he excitedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m kind of partial to the initial landing day, honestly. While the compound was epic, if we¡¯re talking sheer awe factor, I don¡¯t think anything tops you charging headfirst into those like what¡ªfifty? A hundred? Ambush troops. While, sure, they were unintegrated, we were also just basic Recruits at the time. It was like something out of a holovid¡ªno, better than that.¡±
Suddenly realising he¡¯d just accidentally praised Isabella unabashedly, Desmond caught the squad¡¯s amused looks and scrambled to add with an awkward cough, ¡°Ehhh, I mean, for you. It was pretty impressive, for you. If I¡¯d done it, of course, it would have been a hundred times more spectacular. Just saying.¡±
Isabella rolled her eyes but smirked, giving Desmond a light shove¡ªfor her¡ªthat almost sent him flying as she replied, ¡°Watch yourself, or I¡¯ll make you prove in a training session.¡±
The squad¡¯s laughter filled the air, a warm, shared moment that even managed to ease Thea¡¯s anxiety a little.
She exchanged a quiet glance with Karania, who squeezed her hand lightly, both of them content to sit on the far edge of the squad, enjoying the banter from a distance.
They didn¡¯t want to be too loud and risk Major Quinn¡¯s sharp glare, especially sitting in the front row where even a whisper could draw unwanted attention.
In Thea¡¯s mind, maintaining some semblance of composure was necessary¡ªthis was still a formal event, after all.
As the hall calmed and the Gold Medal winner made their way off the stage, the mood subtly shifted.
A twinge of tension settled over them all, replacing the light-heartedness of moments before.
While Isabella was still confident she¡¯d show up in the Recruit Awards and not in the Sovereign Awards, the anticipation for the announcement in her posture was noticeable.
The nerves were there, hovering beneath her confident facades.
The question loomed, unspoken but heavy: Had they all overestimated Isabella¡¯s performance? Had the moments they¡¯d thought were definitive for Isabella been outmatched by someone else¡¯s feats?
¡°Next up, we have the Platinum Medal winner for the One Man Army award!¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out, pulling everyone¡¯s attention sharply back to the stage.
The screen behind her flickered, shifting to reveal a new scene, the anticipation crackling in the room like an electric charge. The recording began to play, showcasing a chaotic urban battlefield, smoke and fire framing the view as the camera zoomed in on a lone Marine moving through the carnage with steady steps.
The Marine, clad in battle-scarred heavy armour, wielded a massive rotary gun¡ªsomewhat reminiscent of the Devastation, but with a smaller calibre barrel¡ªthat roared as it cut through enemy lines.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the recipient of the Platinum One Man Army Award: Recruit Tobias Malenko from Granite Squad!¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice boomed through the hall, met with thunderous applause as Tobias, a towering figure with a stoic expression that could even give Isabella a run for her height-money, rose from a few rows behind them to accept his medal.
He carried himself with the composed confidence of someone who knew the worth of his actions and wasn¡¯t overly vain about them, but Thea¡¯s attention waned as he stepped onto the stage.
With relief and disappointment mixing uneasily in her chest, Thea glanced at Isabella.
It wasn¡¯t her.
Major Quinn, after congratulating Tobias and letting the applause die down, made it clear there wouldn¡¯t be another tie for this award.
With Isabella¡¯s absence in the Sovereign Awards now fully confirmed, Thea¡¯s doubts fully evaporated.
Isabella had to be part of the Recruit Awards.
There was no other way.
Excitement bubbled up in her, and she grinned at the thought of seeing her friend¡¯s wild, fearless actions immortalised on the big screen.
Her mind flashed through all of Isabella¡¯s incredible feats, and she wondered which one the brass would choose. Thea could hardly wait.
She glanced at Isabella, who had that confident twinkle in her eye again, as if she too knew the best was yet to come. Their earlier doubts seemed foolish now, and Thea felt her chest swell with pride for her squadmate and friend.
The air in the room shifted as Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out, drawing Thea back to the present. ¡°Now, before we dive into the final batch of serious awards, let¡¯s take a lighthearted intermission to recognize some¡ well, less-than-brilliant moments from the assessment. I present to you the Numbskull Awards!¡±
The room stirred with a ripple of excitement and chuckles as the screen behind the Major displayed a comically stylized logo featuring a headless Marine searching for his boney skull laying just a few feet away from them and flashing in bright, mock-serious letters: ¡°The Numbskull Awards.¡±
¡°These awards,¡± Major Quinn continued with a knowing smile, ¡°like the Unlucky Awards, do not come with any bonuses or benefits. They¡¯re strictly for entertainment and, perhaps, a little educational value. Because while victory and skill deserve praise, learning from mistakes¡ªespecially glaring ones¡ªis how we all get better as a whole.¡±
A fresh wave of chuckles rippled through the crowd as different squads started ripping into each other, placing quiet bets on who of their members would show up, and Thea couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the idea of some of the ridiculous moments they were about to relive.
¡°The criteria for this award are quite simple,¡± Major Quinn explained, gesturing to the screen as if inviting everyone to take notes. ¡°These moments must involve a Marine consciously choosing to take an action that, let¡¯s just say, wasn¡¯t particularly smart. The higher the ranking, the more lacking in smarts the decision. And no, pure bad luck doesn¡¯t count¡ªthose instances were covered by the Unlucky Awards earlier in the ceremony. These are for decisions that, in hindsight, were particularly questionable at best.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Thea noticed the rest of the room shifting in their seats, laughter bubbling up as they exchanged looks that were half-amused, half-guilty, probably recalling their own missteps.
But it was Alpha Squad that caught her attention.
Every single member had turned their eyes toward Desmond, and she couldn¡¯t help but remember the story Corvus had told her about the final days of the assessment.
A grin, wide and toothy, spread across her face as she caught Desmond¡¯s expression¡ªa mix of dread and embarrassment¡ªas he squirmed in his chair, trying desperately to ignore the knowing looks around him.
¡°Oh dear me, I truly wonder if any of us are going to be in it,¡± Isabella¡¯s voice cut through the air, dripping with mock innocence. ¡°But we¡¯re Alpha Squad; surely none of us could have made any questionable decisions throughout the assessment, right? We¡¯re the shining example of the Sovereign. It would be an absolute tragedy if¡ª¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. I get it, alright?!¡± Desmond snapped, a blend of genuine annoyance and exaggerated exasperation in his voice. ¡°I fucked up, okay? I¡¯m owning it. I¡¯ll take the crown on this one; it¡¯s fine.¡±
Isabella¡¯s smirk only widened as she leaned forward, eyes glinting with anticipation as she turned back toward the podium.
¡°Just making sure we, as Alpha Squad, are taking home all the prizes,¡± she said with a playful jab, barely suppressing her laughter.
Desmond rolled his eyes, but a slight grin tugged at the corners of his lips. ¡°Yeah, exactly. It was all part of my grand plan to make sure Alpha Squad is properly represented in all categories. To make sure that the rest of the Recruits don¡¯t lose hope,¡± he muttered, quieter this time, earning chuckles from around the squad.
Even Thea couldn¡¯t help but join in.
Despite the more than problematic start that she had had with Desmond in particular, Thea felt that it was difficult to truly despise or hate him. It helped tremendously that he was competent enough to hold his own, of course, but even his demeanour had changed drastically since the very first time they had met.
¡®He¡¯s really not so bad after all,¡¯ she thought, the corners of her mouth lifting as she turned her attention back to Major Quinn, who was poised at the podium, ready to kick off the much-anticipated Numbskull Awards.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice commanded attention, a playful edge in her tone that hinted at the entertainment to come. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a look at our third-place winner for the Numbskull Awards. This Recruit¡¯s decision led to a rather¡ hot series of events.¡±
The screen behind her flickered to life, revealing the chaotic backdrop of an industrial complex with steel beams and scattered, broken machinery.
The focus zoomed in on a Marine with a wiry build, his uniform marked with the emblem of Chair Squad¡ªa wooden folding chair.
His name flashed on the screen: Recruit Nolan Hayes - Squad Leader.
In the video, Hayes was seen ducking behind a rusted conveyor belt, sweat trickling down his brow as enemy gunfire ricocheted off of the wall to his side.
¡°Alright, Chair, I¡¯m going to create a distraction to shift their focus, stay sharp,¡± he said, his voice tense but confident. He glanced over his shoulder at his squadmates, who were holding their positions, waiting for his next move.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice broke in with dry humour. ¡°Recruit Hayes, in an attempt to create an opening, decided to go with a theoretically, strategically sound move. Unfortunately, theoretical doesn¡¯t always mean practical or applicable.¡±
Hayes was shown pulling out an incendiary device, a confident grin spreading across his face as he prepared to ignite it. Without assessing the immediate area or thinking it through, he tossed it toward a cluster of enemy forces that had just taken cover behind a series of walls near some mostly non-descript metal drums.
The problem? The only things descript about these drums were the marks with bold hazard symbols and the clearly labelled ¡®Highly Flammable¡¯ on them.
The camera caught the incredulous expressions of his squadmates as the incendiary device clattered against one of the barrels, sparking a sudden burst of flames that rapidly spread across the area.
¡°Get down!¡± someone shouted, but it was too late.
The explosion that followed was deafening, sending shockwaves through the complex and forcing Hayes and the entire squad to dive for cover as torrents of green-hued flames and debris enveloped the entire complex.
The camera focused on Hayes, sprawled on the ground with a look of stunned disbelief as the green-hued inferno consumed their position and even forced the remaining enemies to rapidly retreat in utter confusion.
The room erupted in laughter, the Marines slapping their thighs and exchanging wide-eyed looks as the recording froze on Hayes¡¯ shocked expression, a burning helmet askew on his head, with the caption below reading: ¡°Think Before You Throw¡±.
Major Quinn let the laughter die down before speaking, a smirk on her lips. ¡°For those wondering: No, Recruit Hayes did not make it out; neither did his squad members; it was a complete wipe. So, let this be a lesson, Recruits: Improvisation is a useful skill¡ªoften downright required for the battlefield¡ªbut it only works if you pay attention to your surroundings. An incendiary and flammable barrels don¡¯t mix unless your goal is complete mayhem.¡±
The whole hall was abuzz with laughter and chatter, the lesson learned by all and immortalised in Chair Squad¡¯s fiery mishap.
Major Quinn waited for the laughter to subside before continuing, her tone still light but edged with anticipation. ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the second spot on our Numbskull Awards list. This next one, let¡¯s just say, is a prime example of why you don¡¯t jump into plans without assessing the full situation.¡±
The screen lit up once more, revealing the dense foliage of a forest, the camera panning to a tall Marine with broad shoulders. His uniform bore the emblem of Helix Squad, and his name appeared at the bottom of the screen: Recruit Gregor Thorn - Scout.
The recording started with Thorn peering out from behind a large, moss-covered boulder, eyes narrowed as he scanned the jungle for any signs of movement.
His squad¡¯s voices crackled over the comms, tension evident as they whispered updates about an approaching enemy patrol.
¡°Alright, guys, I¡¯ve got a plan,¡± Thorn said, determination in his voice.
He glanced up at a cluster of long, vine-like plants hanging from the thick branches above, before adding, ¡°Just follow my lead; it¡¯s guaranteed to work.¡±
Without waiting for confirmation or even bothering to explain anything about his plan to the rest of his squad, he leaped up and grabbed hold of the vines, intending to swing out and launch a surprise attack from above.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice interjected with a chuckle. ¡°This, Recruits, is what happens when you try to be a hero without verifying your footing¡ªor in this case, your grip. Or give your squad a proper rundown so they can tell you how bad of an idea your plan actually is.¡±
The video showed Thorn swinging out, only for the ¡°vines¡± to snap almost instantly, revealing themselves to be nothing more than thin, fragile tendrils.
The look of sudden realisation on his face was priceless as he plummeted down into the undergrowth, landing in an unfortunate heap and startling a nest of the jungle¡¯s local wildlife¡ªa swarm of aggressive, bird-like creatures with sharp beaks and screeching calls.
¡°Aw, shit!¡± Thorn yelled, flailing as the creatures descended upon him in a flurry of feathers and beaks.
His squad¡¯s muffled shouts could be heard through the comms, panic and disbelief evident as they scrambled to pull him back up into cover with a rapidly deployed rope.
The enemy patrol, now thoroughly alerted by the commotion, began to close in rapidly, forcing Helix Squad to retreat deeper into the forest, giving up their defensive position.
The recording paused on Thorn, eyes wide and tangled in vines, feathers clinging to his armour, the caption underneath reading: ¡°Heroics Require Planning¡±.
The room burst into laughter again, Marines leaning over to whisper and snicker.
Even Thea found herself smiling, the sheer absurdity of the situation enough to crack through her other thoughts and doubts.
Major Quinn raised an eyebrow as she addressed the crowd. ¡°Remember, Recruits: If you¡¯re going to play hero, make sure your swing is sturdy¡ªand maybe pick a less angry audience in case it doesn¡¯t work out.¡±
The room filled with chuckles again, everyone taking the lighthearted warning to heart as they absorbed the lesson.
Major Quinn let the laughter from the previous clip die down before turning to the crowd with a mischievous smile. ¡°Alright, Recruits, now we¡¯ve reached our #1 spot in the Numbskull Awards. But this time, instead of awarding a single Marine for what could be considered the dumbest decision on the Sovereign¡¡± She paused, eyes twinkling, ¡°we¡¯re opting for a collection instead. After all, as amusing as it might be to crown one of you the ¡®King or Queen of Numbskull Decisions,¡¯ it wouldn¡¯t be entirely fair, now would it?¡±
The crowd erupted into chuckles and some appreciative sighs of relief, even a few claps.
To Thea¡¯s left, she noticed Desmond sighing in relief as well, running a hand over his brow with a sheepish grin. She could practically feel his tension easing up and found herself smirking; apparently, he wasn¡¯t looking to be a contender for that particular title, despite his earlier boast.
¡°Besides,¡± Major Quinn continued, ¡°it¡¯s no small task to pick just one winner in this category to begin with. With the countless questionable decisions we see in every drive, it would be impossible to do them justice with a single clip! So, let¡¯s take a look at a few of the best, or should I say worst, examples in rapid-fire succession.¡±
The screen lit up once again, showcasing the first clip.
¡°First up,¡± Major Quinn began as the video played, ¡°we have Recruit Samuel Linde from Viper Squad, who decided that attempting to intimidate a Stellar Republic sentry with a mock charge would somehow both be enough to scare him off and make sure he didn¡¯t get shot.¡±
The recording showed Samuel briefly debating the merits of his plan with his squad behind cover, ending with the words ¡°Nah, I¡¯d win,¡± before rushing out into the open with a wild grin, charging forward and yelling at the top of his lungs; by all accounts a wildly intimidating display.
The sentry, unimpressed, calmly raised his rifle and shot him squarely in the chest, sending Samuel sprawling backward into the mud.
The room erupted with laughter as the recording froze on Samuel¡¯s stunned face mid-fall, the caption reading: ¡°Bravery is Not Always the Best Policy¡ªor a policy to begin with.¡±
The laughter in the hall was thunderous, and Quinn had to wait a few moments before the noise died down enough to continue.
¡°Moving on to another classic,¡± she continued, suppressing her own chuckle. ¡°Recruit Anika Palomo of Nova Squad decided, in her infinite wisdom, to try out a¡ shortcut.¡±
The screen showed Palomo glancing around as she climbed over what looked like a waist-high barricade with a ¡®CAUTION¡¯ sign emblazoned on it. But as soon as she leapt over, she lost her footing, stumbling into what appeared to be a half-full fuel pit.
Her look of realisation was priceless as the sticky sludge clung to her armour and engulfed her. She tried, unsuccessfully, to pull herself free while her squad doubled over in laughter from a safe distance.
The recording froze with the caption, ¡°Shortcuts Aren¡¯t Always Short.¡±
Major Quinn grinned, waiting for the laughter to die down a bit before introducing another #1 slot.
¡°And last but certainly not least, we have Recruit Jesse Meyers from Iron Squad.¡± The screen now showed Meyers, who was peering into a small ventilation shaft.
His squad could be heard shouting over comms, apparently suggesting another route, but Meyers stubbornly muttered, ¡°I got this,¡± before trying to wedge himself into the narrow duct, his shoulders almost immediately getting stuck halfway through.
The flailing legs and the grunts of exertion as he tried to free himself were enough to even get Thea to break out in proper laughter; her chuckle-barrier now fully breached.
As his squad arrived, pulling him out from the back with no small amount of effort, Meyers emerged, arms flailing, his upper torso completely covered in sludge and clearly regretting his choice as they dragged him out by his legs.
The caption popped up: ¡°If You Don¡¯t Fit, You Don¡¯t Fit.¡±
The room was still buzzing with laughter when Major Quinn raised her hand, a playful glint in her eyes that immediately commanded attention.
She paused, letting the remnants of humour settle before she pivoted slightly, her expression turning sly. ¡°Now, it would be a disservice to end the Numbskull Awards without a nod to balance. After all, we at the UHF know that greatness and folly often walk hand in hand.¡±
The crowd''s amusement shifted into curious anticipation, heads turning as if collectively sensing what was coming next.
Thea felt a chill run down her spine at the Major¡¯s knowing glance directed straight at Alpha Squad.
Desmond¡¯s laughter died instantly, replaced with a look of wide-eyed dread, and even Isabella, usually unfazed, shifted in her seat with a slight frown.
¡°Alpha Squad,¡± Major Quinn said, her voice taking on a slightly more serious tone, ¡°represents the pinnacle of what every other squad should strive for¡ªa hallmark of skill, determination, and leadership. That is what being part of Alpha Squad means. But,¡± she added, leaning forward with a mischievous smile, ¡°with great status comes great expectations. And the brass, myself included, make sure those expectations are met¡ªespecially during assessments.¡±
The assembled Recruits exchanged glances, murmurs rippling through the crowd.
Thea could practically feel the weight of the eyes boring into them, the buzz of curiosity mixed with the schadenfreude of seeing the untouchable taken down a peg.
¡°With the upcoming serious awards and the even more prestigious tiers to follow,¡± Major Quinn continued, ¡°it¡¯s crucial that everyone here understands the true nature of the current Alpha Squad ahead of time¡ªthey are just like you: Fresh Recruits. The brass and I have decided to feature a special showcase within the Numbskull Awards, highlighting some of Alpha Squad¡¯s less-than-stellar moments. Yes, even the best make mistakes.¡±
A wave of gasps and hushed whispers swept the room.
Thea¡¯s heart thumped in her chest as she glanced at her teammates.
Desmond looked like he might sink into his chair, his face pale.
Corvus, ever stoic, merely raised an eyebrow, while Isabella smirked defiantly, if a bit more crooked than usual, as if to say, ¡°Bring it on¡ªbut maybe not too much.¡±
The screen behind Major Quinn lit up with a new title: Alpha Squad''s Numbskulled Moments ¨C A Reality Check.
The first clip showed a chaotic scene of Desmond frantically controlling three drones at once. One was expertly manoeuvring through a hallway, another sweeping a courtyard, and the third... smashing straight into a low-hanging beam, sparking and fizzing out of existence.
The room erupted in laughter as Desmond on-screen muttered, ¡°Did anyone see that? No? Good,¡± before tuning into his squad comms and saying, ¡°Shit! The Freaks got one of my drones!¡±
The caption read: ¡°Multitasking is Hard; False Reports Are Easy.¡±
Thea could see Desmond¡¯s hands go up to cover his face, barely peeking out between his fingers. The tension in the room was electric, the Recruits clearly revelling in the chance to see Alpha Squad¡¯s rare stumbles laid bare.
The screen flashed to the next clip, this time showing Alpha Squad¡¯s leader, Corvus, in what was clearly a heated firefight inside a forest.
He was crouched behind cover, urgently signalling to the rest of the squad to move forward.
His calm, commanding presence was unmistakable¡ªuntil, as he turned to lead the charge, his foot caught on an errant root. He stumbled, arms pinwheeling, before crashing flat onto his face, his helmet colliding hard with the ground.
The squad, consisting of Lucas, Isabella and Desmond, in the video didn¡¯t even pause, too busy pushing towards the enemy inside the Forest, pressing forward as Corvus scrambled to recover his dignity and his helmet, grumbling, ¡°No one saw that. Keep it moving, Corv¡¡±
The screen froze, zooming in on Corvus¡¯ bewildered face just as he hit the ground, with the caption: ¡°Always Watch Your Step, Leader.¡±
The crowd erupted into laughter, and even Corvus cracked a small, rueful smile, though he rolled his eyes. ¡°Glad to know everyone finds that hilarious,¡± he muttered under his breath, but Thea caught an easy hint of a grin underneath it all.
The screen cut to Isabella in the middle of a shootout.
She leaned against Lucas¡¯ Stalwart, firing into an enemy line with her rotary machine gun, spinning like a whirlwind as she mowed down the enemy soldiers with rabid abandon.
Her unstoppable firepower made her look nearly invincible¡ªuntil the gun suddenly jammed mid-swing. She blinked, momentarily baffled, then kicked the gun in frustration, forgetting she had a fully functional piece of solid-cover next to her.
The footage showed her face transforming from annoyance to realisation as she scrambled to unjam the weapon, the idea of ducking behind the shield never once coming to mind.
Karania could be heard shouting ¡°Isabella, cover!¡± but Isabella simply bellowed back, ¡°It¡¯s a personal battle now!¡± as she finally managed to fix the gun and resumed firing with furious vengeance; ignoring the hits she took from the enemy in the meantime.
The caption for her moment read: ¡°When You¡¯re Too Stubborn for a Backup Plan.¡±
Isabella laughed along with the crowd, her expression unrepentant.
¡°Hey, I got it working again, didn¡¯t I?¡± she called over the noise, to which the rest of Alpha Squad rolled their eyes, chuckling.
The next clip focused on Lucas, showing him in the middle of an intense skirmish, shield at the ready as he protected the squad from heavy enemy fire. It seemed he had everything under control as he positioned himself, shielding the squad while they advanced through a narrow alleyway.
Then, with one hand still on his shield, Lucas spotted an opportunity to toss a grenade over the barrier to the enemy line.
Deciding to take the opportunity, he quickly unclipped the grenade from his belt¡ªwhile still bracing the shield with his other hand¡ªand pressed the arming button, intending to lob it over the top.
But things didn¡¯t go as planned.
Just as he threw the grenade, he realised he hadn¡¯t aimed high enough as he had leaned too heavily against the Stalwart to support it, limiting his shoulder¡¯s movements.
The grenade arced upward and bounced right off the top edge of his shield, landing back in the alley at his feet.
The screen zoomed in on his horrified expression.
The video froze just before the explosion, capturing Lucas¡¯ look of shock with the caption: ¡°When Your Best Defence Turns Against You.¡±
¡°Mind you, Recruit Callahan actually survived this one; the Ultra Heavy Armour he invested in ahead of the assessment managing to block out the majority of the damage from the grenade as he just barely managed to kick it a few metres away before it went of,¡± Major Quinn chimed in with a big smile on her face, nodding respectfully in Lucas¡¯ direction.
The room filled with laughter, and even Lucas covered his face, shaking his head.
¡°Yeah, that¡ that was not my finest moment,¡± he admitted with a small, sheepish grin as the squad members gave him playful jabs, clearly enjoying the moment.
Thea''s anxiety prickled at her skin throughout the segment, the playful laughter around her doing little to ease her nerves.
With each new clip showcasing a blunder from another squad member, it became increasingly clear that Major Quinn had purposefully selected moments from everyone, digging deep to ensure no one escaped the spotlight.
The realisation sent her heart thudding in her chest.
If everyone else had been included, there was no chance she was safe from scrutiny either.
She stared at the screen, holding her breath as the display flickered and shifted.
This time, the scene depicted a peaceful forest clearing, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves as Lucas stood on alert within a makeshift trench, eyes scanning the treeline.
The camera suddenly shifted focus, zooming in on a small, nimble figure darting from tree to tree with the urgency of a novice predator. Thea''s heart sank as she recognized herself, her movements tense and determined as she prepared for what she remembered all too well.
¡®Ah, fuck,¡¯ she thought, already bracing for the embarrassment.
It was a moment that had haunted her since it happened¡ªa rash decision made in the wake of her Awakening, a misguided attempt to reassert control over herself and prove that she wasn¡¯t just a plaything for whatever Psychic nonsense had occurred with her Gate.
The recording continued, showing her creeping closer until she was right behind Lucas, aiming her hand like a makeshift gun and whispering, ¡°Bang!¡± with a mischievous grin.
But before she could even process the small victory, the screen showed her spinning around at a sudden noise¡ªonly to be met with the massive, incoming swing of Isabella¡¯s Decimator.
Thea¡¯s eyes in the video widened comically as she realised her horrible mistake, and then, in real life, she felt her cheeks burn.
Laughter erupted throughout the assembly hall, the crowd roaring at the absurdity of the situation. The caption beneath the freeze-frame read: ¡°Never Play Pranks On The Battlefield¡ªIf No Court Martial; Heavy Martial, Instead.¡±
¡°For this one as well: Recruit McKay survived this encounter, thanks to Recruit Itoku¡¯s exemplary usage of [Directional Strike] to just barely save Recruit McKay from being split in two¡ªjust after returning to the front, mind you,¡± Major Quinn chimed in again with a devious chuckle.
Thea fought the urge to hide her face, but instead managed to crack a sheepish smile.
Isabella and Lucas were throwing her playful side-eyes, their own amusement clearly evident. Thea took a deep breath, relieved that the tension had lifted and was replaced by shared embarrassment.
The laughter subsided as the screen shifted one last time, and Thea¡¯s grin softened into curiosity. Just what kind of mistake could Karania have possibly made?
She had never seen her friend even make as much as a slightly suboptimal decision, much less an actual glaring error.
As if to underscore her thoughts, Major Quinn stepped forward, a more serious glint in her eye. ¡°And finally, we come to Recruit Faulkner. Now, let me just say this¡ªit was exceptionally hard to find any Numbskulled moments involving her. But even she was not immune to the chaos of the first day¡¯s surprise ambush.¡±
The recording flickered to life, showing a chaotic scene inside a medical tent.
Blood spattered across the canvas as Karania, sleeves rolled up and hair plastered to her forehead, worked furiously over a completely unrecognisable Marine.
The urgency was palpable; every second counted as she finished stitching, pulling and administering auto-injector after auto-injector, her breathing ragged. Thea felt a pang of admiration seeing her friend¡¯s determination, even in the face of complete bedlam.
The video continued, showing Karania finally leaning back against the thin, taut fabric of the tent, her eyes closing as she took a rare moment of respite.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice narrated with a tone that carried a tinge of empathy, ¡°The first day¡¯s ambush had even the most seasoned and composed among us rattled. Recruit Faulkner, in her relentless drive to keep her squad and others alive, made one crucial mistake¡ªa lesson taught to Medcis even during basic, long before Integration. Never rest against unsecured cover; especially medical tents.¡±
The screen zoomed out as a Stellar Republic sniper''s scope zeroed in on the slight bulge Karania¡¯s back made against the tent wall from the opposite side of the Battlefield.
The shot rang out, piercing through the flimsy material and striking her directly in the chest.
The camera cut to her body collapsing to the ground. The recording ended on a freeze-frame of her fallen form, a caption appearing beneath it: ¡°Even the Best Need to Rest Smart.¡±
A hushed murmur filled the room, mingled with light laughter tinged with respect.
Thea¡¯s chest tightened, but she couldn¡¯t help the small, wry smile that tugged at her lips.
Even in a moment deemed a mistake, Karania still managed to exude an air of fierce capability.
Thea¡¯s eyes naturally gravitated toward Karania¡¯s face, expecting to find a rueful smile or perhaps a quiet chuckle of self-awareness.
But her own smile faltered immediately when she saw something she hadn¡¯t expected at all.
Karania¡¯s expression was stricken, her normally composed features marred by a deep, unguarded grief and simmering anger. Her eyes glistened with tears that threatened to spill, and Thea felt the tremor running through the hand clasped in her own.
¡°Kara¡?¡± Thea whispered, careful not to draw attention from the rest of the room or disrupt Major Quinn¡¯s speech as she continued with the ceremony on the podium¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 12 - Awards V
Thea watched Karania draw in a shaky breath, visibly wrestling her emotions back under control as she took a moment to steady herself. She could feel her friend¡¯s grip tighten, and then release just enough for her fingers to stop trembling.
Then, Kara finally forced a small, wavering smile as she turned towards Thea, though it never even got close to reaching her eyes, which remained dark and clouded.
She let out a sigh and waved off Thea¡¯s concern with a quick flick of her cybernetic hand, but her voice¡ªusually so firm and sure¡ªcame out as an uncharacteristic mumble.
¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. Just¡ too fucking messed up, that¡¯s all,¡± she murmured, the words barely audible and far from her usual confident tone.
Thea blinked, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
She wanted to say something, anything, to reassure her friend, but this¡ªthis was something new. She¡¯d never seen Karania seem so¡ vulnerable.
To Thea, the whole incident in the recording appeared as little more than a minor oversight, the sort of error absolutely anyone might make under the circumstances.
But as she glanced at Kara¡¯s face, she saw a deeper conflict there, something that made her friend¡¯s words feel strangely heavy; that she couldn¡¯t quite parse.
Her mind raced, trying to find the right thing to say, but she felt thoroughly out of her depth.
Interpersonal conversations, especially ones like this, were still completely unfamiliar territory for her. On Lumiosia she had only really talked to Thomas or James on a regular basis, neither of which had ever really shown her any emotions like this.
She could clearly sense that there was something more behind Karania¡¯s reaction, a weight that went beyond the momentary lapse on screen, but she had no idea where to even start.
¡°Kara, it¡¯s okay¡ It was just one mistake,¡± she ventured, the words sounding uncertain and hollow even to her own ears. ¡°We all make them.¡±
But even as she said it, Thea knew it sounded too hollow, completely inadequate for whatever was weighing so heavily on her friend¡¯s mind.
Despite that, however, Karania¡¯s eyes softened a bit at Thea¡¯s attempt, and she gave her hand a light squeeze.
"Thanks, Thea," Karania said softly, her voice carrying a note of warmth that managed to break through the tension between them. A small, fleeting smile touched her lips, but Thea saw the pain that still lurked just beneath the surface.
It was unmistakable, a quiet hurt that her words hadn¡¯t managed to reach.
¡®Why is this so fucking hard?!¡¯ Thea¡¯s thoughts churned with frustration. ¡®Kara always knows exactly what to say or do to help me, and now that she¡¯s hurting, I¡¯m just sitting here like a clueless idiot?!¡¯
The bitter taste of self-reproach filled her mouth.
She¡¯d tried so hard, ever since joining the UHF, to make strides in understanding people, in connecting with them on a deeper level, but it felt like there was still an insurmountable gap in her knowledge¡ªa gulf she simply couldn¡¯t bridge, no matter how much she tried.
¡®Maybe¡ maybe I could ask the Sovereign for advice¡?¡¯ she wondered, recalling how the AI had helped her navigate her first bonding experiences with Kara. But the memory of Kara¡¯s clear stance on the Sovereign¡¯s overreaching role crept in from their conversation last night, making her reconsider. ¡®No, I can¡¯t. Kara wouldn¡¯t want that¡ªshe didn¡¯t want me relying on the AI¡¯s help unless absolutely necessary. This is something I have to handle myself¡ I think.¡¯
But that left her grasping for solutions. Maybe she could talk to Corvus?
Out of everyone in Alpha Squad, Corvus was by far the best at handling people, after all.
He had a downright uncanny knack for knowing just what others needed to hear, even better than Kara sometimes. But going to him felt like she¡¯d be exposing a part of Kara she knew her friend was trying to keep hidden, keeping her pain private.
¡®Would that be a betrayal of her trust¡? Going behind her back to ask for help she didn¡¯t ask for?¡¯ Thea¡¯s chest tightened as she considered the implications. ¡®Or is it just me she doesn¡¯t want help from because she knows I¡¯m terrible at this¡?¡¯
Glancing briefly toward Corvus, she caught him already watching them out of the corner of his eye. His gaze was discreet, almost invisible to anyone but someone with her levels of Perception, but it was there, carefully attuned and already aware.
Before she could decide whether to signal for his help, Kara¡¯s hand tightened around her own, pulling her focus back.
Thea looked up, surprised to find the familiar brightness in Kara¡¯s eyes once again, as if the momentary lapse had never happened.
¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Kara said, her voice calm but insistent. ¡°Thank you, Thea. I¡¯m okay now. I really am okay.¡±
Her gaze was steady, a gentle reassurance that seemed more for Thea¡¯s sake than her own.
Thea held her friend¡¯s gaze a moment longer, searching for any hint of lingering hurt, but Kara¡¯s expression had settled, her composure restored.
Karania gave Thea¡¯s hand one final, comforting squeeze, her expression softening as she gestured subtly toward the stage.
Her lips curled in a small, knowing smile. ¡°This one¡¯s yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± she murmured, a hint of teasing warmth in her voice once again.
Thea held her gaze for a second longer, feeling a pang of worry pierce through the distraction of the ceremony.
Something in Kara¡¯s reassurance had felt¡ off.
Although Thea was far from being a natural at understanding people¡¯s emotions, she¡¯d spent enough time with Karania by now to pick up on the subtle cues in her friend¡¯s behaviour.
The slight tension in her shoulders at all times, the way her fingers occasionally tapped in irregular patterns against her leg or in the air as though playing an invisible piano¡ªKarania¡¯s unique tells were usually easy to miss, but impossible for Thea to overlook by now.
But this time, it wasn¡¯t just that.
Karania¡¯s tone had an unusual repetition to it, a redundancy that seemed out of character. Kara, who was precise and exact with her words practically at all times, almost allergic to saying anything twice in the same way, was trying too hard to convince her that she was ¡°okay¡±.
The realisation sank into Thea like a lead weight: Despite her friend¡¯s calm exterior, Karania was struggling; a lot.
¡®She¡¯s putting on a brave face¡ for me,¡¯ Thea thought, a wave of guilt and sadness washing over her. ¡®She knows I¡¯m terrible at this kind of thing and doesn¡¯t want me worrying about her.¡¯
It stung heavily to realise just how little she could offer Karania in return when her friend so often read her like an open book, anticipating her needs with a practised ease that Thea could never seem to match.
Out of options and resolving to play along for Karania¡¯s sake, Thea returned her nod, hoping the gesture conveyed the silent support she couldn¡¯t find the right words for.
Then, forcing herself to refocus, she turned her gaze back toward the front of the hall.
By the time she fully tuned back into the ceremony, Major Quinn was already well into her enthusiastic praise of the latest Gold-medal recipient.
Her voice carried smoothly through the hall, warm and full of praise, though Thea had missed enough of the buildup to still feel a flicker of confusion.
Her eyes drifted to the enormous screen behind Major Quinn, where the emblem of the award gleamed in crisp detail.
The design was unmistakable, even without having heard any of the introduction¡ªa set of crosshairs centred over a small figure whose helmet appeared to be splitting open from a precise bullet hole. The back of the helmet was depicted mid-explosion, fragments of metal and visor frozen in the moment, emphasising the lethal accuracy of a true marksman.
Seeing the gleaming crosshair emblem flash on the screen, Thea felt her pulse quicken, a thrill of anticipation humming through her.
This was the kind of award she might actually make an appearance in¡ªassuming, of course, she¡¯d met whatever criteria the UHF had set for it.
¡°Yeah¡ maybe,¡± she murmured under her breath, more to herself than anyone else, as she tried to gauge her chances. Thinking back, the opportunities for sniping in her assessment had been limited, at least in the classic sense. She¡¯d had a few long-distance shots, but most had been at objects rather than individuals.
The true ¡°sniper¡± moments¡ªlong-range, critical targets¡ªhad been rare.
Her encounters with high-value targets had been anything but typical either.
The Stellar Republic Ace had cut her down before she¡¯d even fully realised what she was dealing with, and the deadly Psyker-Duo had been taken out in brutal, close-quarters combat.
Neither scenario quite fit the textbook sniper role, where the objective was a single, distant target taken out with precision.
Just then, Karania¡¯s voice drifted over, a soft and steady reassurance amidst her doubts.
¡°I think you won¡¯t be in this one until the Recruit Awards,¡± she said, her words measured and confident. Thea felt a pang of mixed relief and unease at the unresolved tension between them, yet was grateful for her friend¡¯s insight.
¡°Criteria for this one disqualify a few of your bigger moments,¡± Karania continued thoughtfully. ¡°They¡¯re focusing on distance and individual impact¡ªjust one clear target. But they didn¡¯t say it had to be a person, so the stealth generator from the start or maybe one of the anti-armor cannons on the wall should count. I¡¯d wager Gold-medal Recruit, maybe even Platinum, if nothing big went down on the western battlefield.¡±
Thea simply nodded wordlessly, not sure what to say.
She was harbouring doubt about being featured at all, still, but Karania¡¯s unshaken confidence was almost overriding those doubts entirely.
Karania¡¯s words rang true as the ceremony continued.
When Major Quinn finally announced the Platinum winner for the Surgical Strike award, it wasn¡¯t Thea¡¯s name that rang out, but that of another Marine entirely.
¡°This year¡¯s Platinum Surgical Strike award goes to¡ Recruit Anders Holt from Iron Squad!¡± The crowd erupted in applause as a tall, lean Marine from the back row made his way up to the stage, his confident stride suggesting he¡¯d expected this.
Thea forced a small smile, clapping politely as Holt accepted the medal.
The room hummed with energy, and Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of disappointment of not being up there, receiving this very same applause.
Karania might be right about her being featured later, but it didn¡¯t soften the sting of seeing somebody else get celebrated in a category you should be good at.
Thea turned her attention back to her thoughts, her mind whirling as she searched for a way to address the unspoken tension between her and Karania.
If Kara was hiding her pain for Thea¡¯s sake, then Thea needed to find a way to reach her without making it worse. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
But how?
The answer continued to elude her, gnawing at her with every passing moment.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice carried over the clamour, introducing the next award. ¡°And now, we turn to those who embodied the spirit of resilience and unwavering care in the heat of battle. The Emperor¡¯s Touch award is for the medics who not only saved lives but made a critical difference in the outcome of their missions. The criteria focus primarily on the number of lives saved and Marines brought back into the fight, as well as the impact the ones you have saved have made with the lives you have granted!¡±
Thea barely registered the announcement, as she was too focused on the thoughts inside her own head. She didn¡¯t even consider that Karania was going to be part of this award any time soon, likely pocketing an Assessment award, at the very least.
Her attention only half-tuned to the Marine who rose to collect the Platinum Medal a couple minutes later.
¡°Recruit Dalia Reyes from Hawk Squad!¡±
The recipient, a short, muscular woman with sharp eyes and a confident gait, strode confidently up to the stage, but Thea barely registered the applause that filled the hall.
The sound felt distant, as if muffled by invisible walls, while her gaze drifted back to Karania.
Kara sat beside her, poised and collected, her face betraying none of the earlier vulnerability that Thea had caught.
But Thea knew better. A month ago, she would¡¯ve missed it entirely.
Now, however, after countless hours spent together pre-assessment and during the missions, she¡¯d learned enough to catch Karania¡¯s earlier slip-up, and the fact that her friend was far from okay.
She took a quiet breath, finally making up her mind.
¡®I need to do something.¡¯
Karania had been her rock, always steady, and this was a rare moment for her friend to need the same in return.
Glancing to her left, Thea tried once again to subtly catch Corvus¡¯s eye, but without alerting Kara.
She had waited, stealing a look here and there, hoping for a random moment when Corvus would turn her way throughout the ceremony, each award met with the crowd¡¯s applause, but throughout the entire Emperor¡¯s Touch award, he hadn¡¯t looked her way even once.
¡®Alright, no other choice then,¡¯ Thea thought somewhat ruefully.
She would¡¯ve preferred not to have to rely on this option, but with time pressing on and her natural impatience taking over, she made an executive decision. Her cybernetic fingers moved almost imperceptibly as she accessed her datapad nestled in her pocket.
Without looking, she typed carefully, relying on the mental map of the keyboard she knew like the back of her hand. She had no way of contacting anyone specific this way, not without looking, but for what she wanted to achieve, she didn¡¯t need to.
She just needed to type it.
It was a simple message; but one that needed neither target nor to be sent in the first place.
| [Sovereign, get Corvus'' attention] |
They were, after all, still inside the DDS.
The Sovereign¡¯s AI was bound to be watching everyone and everything; especially Thea, if the whole meeting with Councillor Lumis had been any indication. For the AI, it would be an absolute child¡¯s game to check the message that Thea was writing out on her datapad, even without it being sent to anyone.
After all, the AI was the DDS.
Taking one last glance at Corvus, she felt a flicker of hope¡ªand almost immediately, her faith was rewarded. Corvus abruptly turned his head in her direction, brows furrowed as though he¡¯d been hit by an odd sound or brush of air.
His eyes landed on Thea¡¯s and he raised an eyebrow, to which Thea simply replied with an intent stare.
¡®Please understand¡¡¯ she prayed internally, hoping that Corvus would¡ª
¡°Thea, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she suddenly heard Corvus¡¯ voice inside her own head mere moments later and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had understood her intent fully and without delay.
Not only was Corvus the only person she trusted to give her sound advice, but he was also the only one she could ask without risking anyone else finding out about it.
¡°First, this conversation never happened,¡± Thea said, her voice low and steady as she kept her eyes on the podium, careful not to glance back in Corvus¡¯ direction, past Karania. Any slip in her composure could be noticed by her. ¡°Second, how do you¡ how do you help someone when they¡¯re sad or angry? Like, how do you talk to them and make them feel better? You¡¯re the expert on this kind of thing, so I need your advice.¡±
There was a pause that felt far too long, and Thea¡¯s heartbeat thudded in her chest.
Finally, Corvus¡¯s voice broke through the silence, cautious but direct, ¡°This is about Kara, isn¡¯t it? Did something happen?¡±
Panic flared within Thea.
She hadn¡¯t wanted to give anything away, especially not Karania¡¯s moment of vulnerability.
Thea was determined to protect her friend¡¯s privacy, even from Corvus.
Rushing to cover her tracks, she blurted out, ¡°No, no! No, it¡¯s not about her. I¡¯m just¡ ehhh¡ Curious, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s just say you were sad or angry¡ªhypothetically, of course. How would I help you? It¡¯s just curiosity¡ for a friend.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach twisted into knots as she realised how transparent her lie was.
It wasn¡¯t exactly like she even had a wide circle of friends, and the only person she¡¯d been close to in the first place¡ªtruly close to¡ªwas Karania.
Thea could practically feel Corvus¡¯s gaze and silent scrutiny from the left, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to bury her face in her hands or look over to gauge his reaction.
Her cybernetic hand, hidden from view, tightened into a fist, the cool metal digging into the palm as she fought the embarrassment of her own ineptitude.
She prayed Corvus would show the tact he was known for and overlook her truly horrendous attempt at subtlety.
A few moments later, while the ceremony continued on stage unabated, with applause and the hum of voices a distant backdrop, Corvus¡¯s voice reached her mind again, careful and calm.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s say it¡¯s me then, Thea,¡± he began, thankfully playing along with her horrendous cover story. ¡°Imagine I¡¯m angry or upset. The first thing I¡¯d want¡ªno matter who I¡¯m talking to¡ªis for them to just understand where I¡¯m coming from. Not to try to fix it, not to offer solutions, just¡ to understand. That¡¯s the foundation. Without that; any further steps are immediately bound to fail.¡±
Thea absorbed this, her mind working to keep up with these downright alien concepts. ¡°So¡ understanding why comes first; got it. But¡ What if they don¡¯t say why? Like, how would I find out? I ask you, ¡®Why are you sad?¡¯ but you don¡¯t say?¡±
Corvus seemed to sense her anxiety and genuine confusion, keeping his tone soft. ¡°It¡¯s about listening between the words spoken, Thea. People, even if they don¡¯t outright tell you, will give hints. Voluntarily or otherwise. Sometimes, it¡¯s in how they look, or the way they talk. Like if their words seem out of sync with their expression, or they hesitate¡ªit might mean they want to say something but feel unsure.¡±
Thea nodded to herself, eyes narrowed as she thought this over. ¡°So¡ I just wait? Let them speak and I observe, trying to find things that don¡¯t quite fit?¡±
¡°Exactly. But, you can always offer them that opening, without pushing, as well. Say something like, ¡®I¡¯m here if you want to talk,¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯ve noticed you seem a bit off.¡¯ Those are gentle enough to invite them to speak without pressuring them.¡±
She was quiet for a moment, then asked, ¡°But what if that¡¯s not enough? Like, if they don¡¯t actually say anything, and I can¡¯t¡ What If I can¡¯t get them to speak? Then what?¡±
Corvus¡¯s tone held a hint of amusement as he responded, ¡°Then, you¡¯re left with your observations from earlier. It¡¯s like when you¡¯re scouting for the smallest signs of an enemy presence¡ªyou don¡¯t have a full picture, but you piece together clues. Maybe an out-of-place boot print here, a tire-track there. They won¡¯t outright tell you where the enemy is hiding, but it will give you an idea that they¡¯re around, right? Sometimes, that¡¯s all you can work with until they¡¯re ready to share more. And remember, everyone¡¯s different. Some need time. Some might just want silent company, or maybe some distraction. That last part is experimentation, unfortunately. There¡¯s no one-size-fits-all, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
Thea chewed over this, slowly piecing together the concept. ¡°So¡ just be there. I don¡¯t have to force it. Just¡ offer support until I can piece together the boot prints¡¡±
¡°Exactly. It sounds simple, but it¡¯s quite complex in execution and exceedingly powerful,¡± Corvus continued, as if carefully guiding her through each step. ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d want to know that someone noticed I wasn¡¯t quite myself. And after that, I¡¯d want them to respect if I wasn¡¯t ready to talk yet. It¡¯s like giving someone space, but with an open door.¡±
Thea nodded in understanding, her gaze distant, simply staring at the recording of whatever medal was being handed out at the moment without seeing, as she connected each point.
The concept seemed foreign, but considering that it was Corvus breaking it down, it had to be right. ¡°And¡ if they do talk?¡±
¡°Then you¡¯re just there to listen, no judgement. And if there¡¯s anything practical you can do to help with what they¡¯re feeling, you can offer, but not push. Sometimes people just want someone to sit with them in their pain or anger without trying to ¡®fix¡¯ them right away. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I think so,¡± she replied, her brows furrowed as she mulled it over. A question nagged at her mind, refusing to let go. ¡°So, ultimately, it¡¯s not about finding a solution, but about¡ making sure they feel understood? But if that¡¯s true, how does that solve anything?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t solve the problem, Thea. That¡¯s because there is none to begin with; not directly,¡± Corvus said, his tone carrying a blend of paternal patience and a hint of pride. ¡°Feelings and emotions aren¡¯t battles to win or objectives to complete; they¡¯re experiences we simply go through. They aren¡¯t problems for us to fix, but parts of life we help each other navigate. Nothing less, nothing more.¡±
There was a slight pause, and Thea could almost feel him choosing his next words with care. ¡°You were right with your first thought¡ªmaking someone feel understood can be a huge relief, more than most people even realise. But remember: Emotions are personal and unique to each person. If someone is angry, it¡¯s not your job to tell them not to be. If they¡¯re sad, don¡¯t force them to smile. Your role is to sit with them in whatever they¡¯re feeling, be present, and let them know they aren¡¯t alone. That¡¯s what really counts.¡±
Thea¡¯s shoulders relaxed a fraction as his words sank in, a strange sense of relief settling over her.
The idea that all of this wasn¡¯t actually a problem she had to face head-on, something to fight against when she didn¡¯t even know what weapons were available or what the enemy truly looked like, was truly relieving. Up until now she had primarily tried to think of ways to make Karania not feel the things she was feeling; to try and fix whatever problem was causing the issues.
But that wasn¡¯t actually what she even needed to do; she now realised.
She took a deep breath, feeling a newfound wave of confidence that was small but steady.
¡°Thanks, Corvus,¡± she said, her voice low but sincere, a subtle resolve woven into the syllables.
¡°Anytime, Thea,¡± he replied, his voice gentle and warm. ¡°You¡¯re doing better than you think. Just take it one step at a time.¡±
She allowed herself a small smile, feeling a bit less lost, even if she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she¡¯d handle things just yet. But for now, it was enough to have a direction.
The image of a Platinum Skull caught her attention as the mental link between herself and Corvus finally died out.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice resounded through the hall and the recording on the screen changed from the Platinum Skull, shifting to a battlefield scene drenched in the chaos of battle. ¡°And now, the recipient of the Platinum Stellar Republic Reaper award, recognizing the most directly killed Duplicators¡ªTiberius Soren of Wano Squad!¡±
The screen came alive with footage showing Tiberius in the thick of combat, wielding an imposing battle rifle that looked almost too large for even an Offensive Heavy.
¡®Not as large as my Caliburn, though,¡¯ Thea noted absent-mindedly.
His precision was unmistakable; each shot rang out, striking down Stellar Republic soldiers with single shots left and right. When the fight closed in, the footage switched to him transitioning to a hefty automatic shotgun from seemingly nowhere, its rapid blasts cutting through ranks like a scythe through wheat.
The screen captured him moving through forests and broken buildings, eyes focused and unyielding as he pivoted between targets, sometimes close, sometimes extremely far away, but always unleashing devastation at a pace that seemed almost mechanical.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow.
Offensive Heavies weren¡¯t typically known for their marksmanship, favouring sheer firepower over precise shots. But Tiberius was clearly different¡ªhe combined the raw power of an Offensive Heavy with a surprising amount of accuracy, even beating out some of the earlier winners of the Surgical Strike medals, showcasing a unique skill set that made his style distinctly effective.
¡°Recruit Soren¡¯s exemplary performance on the battlefield,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice echoed through the hall, commanding attention, ¡°is a perfect example of the devastating efficiency an Offensive Heavy can achieve when blending sheer firepower with pinpoint precision.¡± She extended the Platinum medal to him, a striking piece emblazoned with a platinum skull at its centre, encircled by detailed engravings of shattered helmets piled like mountains.
¡°Remember this, Recruits: Experimentation leads to finding your unique edge,¡± she added, her eyes sweeping over the crowd with a spark of encouragement. ¡°Uniqueness isn¡¯t always a guarantee of success, but often, it¡¯s where you¡¯ll discover a strength no one else has. Don¡¯t be afraid to try something new, to blend techniques, and make your mark.¡±
The hall erupted in applause, a wave of admiration rolling through the crowd not just for the Marine on stage but for the wisdom imparted by Major Quinn. Tiberius gave a stoic nod toward the Major, eyes steady and unreadable, before stepping back as the room continued to applaud, the thunderous sound reverberating in approval.
As Major Quinn moved the ceremony onwards once more, Thea took a deep breath and prepared herself for trying to put into action the advice she had just gotten and the insights she had gleaned.
It was time to try and be the rock for Kara for once¡ªor at least a somewhat shaky, loose branch that wasn¡¯t quite sure how things worked, but was trying its best¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 13 - Awards VI
Thea¡¯s breath caught as Karania noticed her staring, turning to her with a raised eyebrow and an amused glint in her eye. ¡°Everything alright, Thea? Do I have something on my face or¡?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Thea blurted out reflexively, only to furrow her brow and quickly backtrack. ¡°No. Well¡ actually¡ Maybe¡?¡±
She felt heat rise to her cheeks, realising she was fumbling badly.
Taking a steadying breath, she tried again. ¡°Maybe to the first one, and no to the second.¡±
Karania¡¯s eyes lit up with a light chuckle as she turned her body fully to face Thea, making it easier for them to talk.
¡°Aaaalright then. Maybe and No it is. Anything I can help with on that first part? Still worried about your placements?¡± she asked with a small, playful smirk. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re worried about mine, what with that Emperor¡¯s Touch Award passing by and me not being called up yet¡?¡±
Thea¡¯s heart clenched as she noticed Karania¡¯s grin slowly fade away when their eyes locked.
The determined look on Thea¡¯s face must have spoken volumes because Karania¡¯s playful expression hardened into a neutral mask, her natural composure returning like an iron gate being drawn.
The initial lightheartedness of their conversation evaporated as Karania¡¯s eyes bore into Thea¡¯s, seeking answers in the silence that followed. The unspoken question between them was palpable: What¡¯s really going on here?
¡°I¡ I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m here. Like¡ if you want to talk,¡± Thea stammered, her voice somehow still steadier than she felt. Corvus¡¯s advice echoed in her mind, but it felt thoroughly foreign on her tongue.
She clenched her cybernetic hand, trying to stave off the tremor that the coiling anxiety in her chest was radiating through her, each beat of her heart a reminder of how vulnerable she felt in moments like these.
The warm, sticky sensation of sweat gathered in the hand still entwined with Kara¡¯s, but the more she tried to ignore it, the more aware of it she became.
She would have much rather been entrenched in a hopeless firefight than have this conversation, right here, right now; that much Thea was certain of.
Karania¡¯s gaze softened, her eyes holding Thea¡¯s for a moment longer than expected, searching for something beneath the nervous exterior. A small, understanding smile curved Karania¡¯s lips, but something was slightly off on it, that Thea couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on.
All she knew was that it wasn¡¯t Karania¡¯s usual, cheeky smile.
¡°I know. I brought you here, remember?¡± Karania said, her voice quiet but certain.
She lifted their clasped hands, letting Thea feel the subtle squeeze as if to remind her, That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this.
Thea swallowed, a knot forming in her throat as she tried to recall Corvus¡¯s words: ¡°Listen first. Make them feel heard. Don¡¯t push too hard.¡±
It was easier said than done when sitting across from Karania, who had far more experience with this whole social-interaction business than her, easily able to deflect conversations with an ease that she envied. But this time, Thea needed to somehow keep control of the conversation, even if it felt like trying to catch smoke.
¡°Yeah, you did,¡± Thea began, her voice wavering before she forced herself to push through. ¡°And I¡¯m¡ I mean, I¡¯m really grateful. For your help, I mean. I wasn¡¯t really myself back then, and¡ I just, um¡¡± She swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. ¡°I wanted to say that, you know, if you ever need to¡ like¡ talk or anything¡¡±
Karania¡¯s response was quick, fluid, like a breeze sweeping past. ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re that bored.¡±
She shrugged lightly, tilting her head as if assessing Thea¡¯s level of interest. ¡°Though, you know, the Forward Leadership Award is going on up there right now; probably Corvus¡¯. Figured you¡¯d be more interested in that than whatever else we could talk about.¡±
Karania waited for a moment, leaving enough space for Thea to interject to say that she did, in-fact, want to see if Corvus would win anything.
But when she didn¡¯t, she continued, her tone casual, but her words very precise, leading the conversation right back to Thea. ¡°But you do seem very stressed out, I¡¯ll give you that. So, anything on your mind, then? What¡¯s weighing you down today? That thing earlier, where you kind of lost it for a bit¡?¡±
Thea blinked, momentarily swept up in the way Karania turned the question on her.
The temptation to talk about the strange emotional spikes she¡¯d been experiencing lately welled up. It would be so easy to just tell her; to maybe even get some answers from her genius friend on what might be happening to Thea¡ but then she caught herself, suddenly realising she was about to take the bait.
¡®No! She¡¯s doing it again. This is¡ she¡¯s deflecting,¡¯ Thea reminded herself, though her confidence wavered.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡ it¡¯s not really about me,¡± she mumbled, glancing down, feeling herself sink further under Karania¡¯s gaze. Corvus¡¯ words rang in her ears, reminding her not to push too hard. It was all about listening, he had said. ¡°I mean, I just wanted to¡ to talk, like¡ if you wanted. We don¡¯t have to, of course¡ I just thought if you needed¡¡±
Karania¡¯s eyes softened, and she leaned in, her smile warm. ¡°Thea, you¡¯re too sweet, honestly. If there¡¯s something you need to talk about, I¡¯m right here. We can figure it out together; whatever is on your mind.¡±
Thea opened her mouth, her throat tight as if her words were caught in a snare.
Karania¡¯s expression was so calm, so controlled, that it made Thea¡¯s own struggle feel even messier.
She wanted to insist, to directly ask what was really going on with Karania, but every time she thought of doing so, Corvus¡¯ advice echoed in her mind, stopping her dead in her tracks.
A helpless thought flitted through her mind: ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can do this. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m even saying the right things to begin with¡¡¯
The buzz of the ceremony around them seemed to grow louder as another round of cheers and applause rang out for the Gold-medal winner, the sounds only further seeming to amplify her own inadequacy, making the quiet between her and Karania feel somehow both close and distant, as if separated by an invisible wall she couldn¡¯t break through.
¡®I don¡¯t even know if even Corvus could handle this,¡¯ she thought, disheartened. ¡®So how could someone like me¡?¡¯
Unable to bear the weight of Karania¡¯s gaze any longer, Thea¡¯s eyes drifted back to the podium, hoping to gather her thoughts, even as her mind raced. She needed a moment to breathe, to somehow find a way forward through this mire of uncertainty.
¡®Corvus said to be subtle¡ to just let her know I¡¯m here. But Kara¡¯s deflecting¡ªhard¡ªeven I can tell that much,¡¯ she thought, wrestling with herself. ¡®Do I push a little harder, ask something more direct, like he mentioned about¡ pointing out that I noticed she¡¯s not herself right now? Or is that too much if she¡¯s already deflecting¡?¡¯
The dynamics felt almost impossible to unravel.
She wished desperately that she could run back to Corvus for more guidance, for a precise step-by-step outline of what to say and how. But at the same time, a stubborn part of her resisted that urge.
It wasn¡¯t just pure pride either¡ªthough that was certainly in the mix.
It was that competitive streak in her, the one that always pushed against her anxiety and social ineptitude. Thea wanted¡ªneeded¡ªto do this on her own, to prove that she could be a real friend to Karania, the way Karania had been for her countless times.
Thea knew there was a debt of sorts piling up between them, an unspoken weight of gratitude that she had yet to even begin to repay. If she couldn¡¯t even be there for Kara when she needed it¡ªone of the exceedingly few times she actually seemed vulnerable¡ªthen what sort of friend was she even? She wanted to be more than just a mimic, parroting Corvus¡¯s words back to Kara.
She wanted to be there for Karania in a way that felt genuine, that came from her. While yes, she was going to try and use Corvus¡¯ prior advice, in her own words; she would not go as far as to ask for a full play-by-play rundown to use.
¡®No¡ I can¡¯t ask Corvus this time. Not for this conversation. I¡¯ll go to him after, maybe, to learn¡ but not now,¡¯ she resolved, feeling a small flame of determination push back against the wall of her anxiety.
Her hand, still linked with Karania¡¯s, felt clammy and tense. But even as nerves clawed at her, she took a breath, holding on to that flicker of courage.
She would find the right words somehow.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice filled the hall, announcing the winner of the Platinum-medal for the Forward Leadership Award¡ªa Marine named Kas Locke, leader of Adage Squad.
Part of Thea felt she should look over to Corvus, see how he felt about the award, maybe even ask if he thought he had a shot at one of the higher placements.
But she could barely even process Major Quinn¡¯s words; her thoughts kept spiralling around Karania and Corvus¡¯ earlier advice.
¡®Everyone¡¯s different¡ understand first,¡¯ she repeated to herself, clinging to the phrase like a lifeline. What did she actually know about Karania? She was a perfectionist, a genius, practically infallible in everything she did.
But that was mostly a mask.
She had seen Karania¡¯s other side as well, a more natural, less perfect version.
If someone that purposefully, outwardly polished was suddenly off, wasn¡¯t it her job as a friend to gently point it out? Karania was bound to want to fix her mask if it had a crack, at the very least. That¡¯s what a good friend would do, right?
Thea felt that the logic tracked. It reminded her that it seemed similar to those moments in the GalacticNet games where her own online-friends had needed to shake her out of stubborn tactics.
Longtime gaming buddies had been able to tell her she was messing up, and she¡¯d listened.
Randoms who tried it? She¡¯d crushed them for daring to tell her how to play.
But with friends, though, it had always been different. She¡¯d never really minded them telling her what she was doing wrong.
They had a pass to say what others couldn¡¯t.
¡®Is that what friendship really is¡? Being able to say what you¡¯d usually block someone, or fully commit to a dive for, despite it being a bad tactical play¡?¡¯
Taking a steadying breath, Thea turned back to Karania and tugged at her arm, catching her attention just as Major Quinn¡¯s voice introduced the next award. She barely registered that it was the Ace Squad Award, recognising the biggest uphill victory of a squad in the Assessment. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Even as her squad buzzed excitedly in her peripheral vision, her focus remained locked on Karania.
¡°Kara, listen,¡± she started, surprised at the force in her own voice.
Even Karania blinked, the surprise flashing in her eyes as she turned her full attention to Thea¡ªmission success, somehow.
¡°I¡ I can tell you¡¯re not yourself, okay?¡± she continued, her words clumsy, but resolute. ¡°The way you said you were fine¡ you don¡¯t¡ you don¡¯t repeat yourself like that, not normally. We¡¯ve been around each other for, like, a month or so¡ªI can tell. If you don¡¯t want to talk, that¡¯s okay. But¡ stop deflecting. Even I can tell you¡¯re doing it; that should tell you something, no? And I mean we¡¯re friends. I¡ I just wanted you to know that I know, and I¡¯m here¡ If you want to talk, I mean. I won¡¯t push you, because¡ Well¡ Honestly, mostly because Corvus said I shouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why pushing people on something like this is a bad idea, but I trust him. So¡ ehh, yeah. Just¡ I¡¯m here, okay? I¡¯m not going anywhere, so¡ Whenever you feel like it. I¡¯m even fine with just sitting and being quiet; but¡ Be honest with me, okay¡?¡±
By the end, her voice wavered, and her hand tightened around Karania¡¯s, the last of her words unsteady as anxiety spiked.
But she held Karania¡¯s gaze, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
There was no backing down now.
Karania studied Thea in silence, her expression unreadable, though her eyes held an intensity that made Thea¡¯s pulse race. It was as though Karania was carefully measuring each word Thea had just said, weighing them for something she couldn¡¯t quite see.
Thea fidgeted, struggling against the instinct to fill the silence with something¡ªanything¡ªbut before she could falter further, Karania¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile.
¡°You know, I¡¯m genuinely surprised,¡± Karania said softly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so fast¡ªfaster than I could have ever expected. But I¡¯m not sure how I feel about Corvus being such a bad influence on you. Clearly, he¡¯ll need a lesson on staying out of people¡¯s business,¡± she teased dangerously, her voice light and playful.
Thea opened her mouth, ready to jump to Corvus¡¯s defence, words already spilling to explain that she had been the one who¡¯d asked for his help.
But Karania only shook her head, waving it off with a soft chuckle.
¡°Relax, Thea. I was only joking,¡± Karania reassured her, squeezing Thea¡¯s hand gently. But then her expression shifted ever so slightly, the playfulness melting into something deeper.
¡°Honestly¡ sometimes I can¡¯t help feeling envious of you.¡±
¡®Envious?¡¯ Thea¡¯s mind stumbled at the word. ¡®Envious of me?¡¯
It made no sense to her.
Karania was the steady one, the genius, always in control. The one that never made a mistake and always knew exactly what to do in any given situation, without fail.
What could someone like Karania possibly envy in her?
Karania sighed, and for just a moment, her carefully maintained mask cracked, revealing a flash of the grief and anger Thea had glimpsed earlier.
The rawness in her friend¡¯s face was almost startling, and Thea¡¯s chest tightened at the sight. But just as quickly, Karania reassembled her mask, smoothing her expression back into the ever-present neutrality that everyone knew her for.
¡°I owe you an apology,¡± Karania said, her voice quieter, more serious. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have been deflecting you on purpose, Thea. I used the fact that social stuff doesn¡¯t come naturally to you to keep you at arm¡¯s length¡ And that¡¯s frankly not acceptable. Forgive me for this, please. You might not want to believe this, but I¡¯m not exactly¡ good with emotions and conversations, either. Not the ones I can¡¯t fully control, at least.¡±
Thea opened her mouth, struggling to understand, but Karania pressed on, her tone firm but gentle. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll talk to you about it all, just¡ not right now. This isn¡¯t really the place for it, and, well, it¡¯s honestly still too fresh.¡±
Thea nodded slowly, feeling an odd mix of relief and disappointment¡ªboth in herself for failing to keep up with Karania¡¯s words once again, and also that she wasn¡¯t going to get any closure on this for the foreseeable future.
¡°But for now¡¡± Karania¡¯s gaze flickered to the rest of Alpha Squad, who were engaged in an animated discussion about the Ace Squad Award, debating their own chances with gleeful energy.
¡°Why don¡¯t we go join in? I don¡¯t think they¡¯d mind having your opinion thrown in there too,¡± she said, nodding toward the group. Her lips curled into a small smile as she added, ¡°I think they¡¯d welcome it, actually. A lot of the Squad¡¯s greatest accomplishments were directly under your command, after all.¡±
Thea let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realised she¡¯d been holding, feeling the tension ease just a bit.
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s,¡± she replied, squeezing Karania¡¯s hand once before releasing it.
As they turned toward the rest of the squad, Thea couldn¡¯t shake the thought of Karania¡¯s unexpected vulnerability. It made her wonder just how many other hidden cracks might lie beneath her friend¡¯s otherwise flawless exterior.
An impenetrable barrier was one thing, but an impenetrable barrier with even a single crack?
That was an illusion waiting to shatter.
And if there was one crack, it stood to reason there could be many more, concealed just out of sight, merely requiring a different situation or perspective to find.
The thought lingered in Thea¡¯s mind, gnawing at her as she shifted her attention back to the lively scene unfolding in front of her.
The heated exchange between Isabella and Desmond filled the air, their voices tinged with competitive banter.
¡°We will definitely get one of the Assessment Awards. Nobody else fucked up a duo of Psykers,¡± Isabella declared confidently, arms crossed as if daring anyone to argue.
Desmond scoffed and rolled his eyes dramatically. ¡°Nobody else that we know of, you lumbering meat-sack! We have no idea what the other squads were up to while we were getting our asses handed to us by those freaks. They could have killed an Ace for all we know!¡±
A toothy grin spread across Isabella¡¯s face. ¡°I remember only one of us getting ¡®our asses handed to us,¡¯ Mister Two-Resolve. The rest of us handled it just fine, including their guards. And that was without our Drone Specialist because he was napping on the top floor, last I checked.¡±
Desmond leaned forward, animated and defiant. ¡°You should be thankful I sacrificed myself to give you all intel on the Psyker Freaks¡¯ capabilities, you meathead! If I hadn¡¯t gone down, you would¡¯ve been next. Karania barely jumped in to stop you from doing whatever reckless shit you were doing at their command that would have easily gotten the entire squad wiped out! So, you¡¯re very welcome for taking the hit first and saving your idiot hide!¡±
The banter drew a chuckle from Lucas, who was watching the scene unfold with a relaxed smile. Even Corvus seemed amused, a subtle, approving glint in his eyes as he watched his squad engage in their playful argument.
Karania shot Thea a knowing glance, her eyes subtly saying, ¡°See? Everything¡¯s normal.¡±
Thea exhaled, a small smile tugging at her lips as she took comfort in the momentary calm, surrounded by her squad and their lively chatter.
The next few dozen minutes passed in a blur as Major Quinn moved through the ceremony, introducing one medal after another and honouring the three Ace Squads aboard the Sovereign.
It wasn¡¯t a surprise to Alpha Squad that their name wasn¡¯t called¡ªnot here, not yet.
They were certain they¡¯d be featured in the Recruit Awards, especially after their victory over the Psykers. Even Corvus, who usually maintained a more realistic, downright pessimistic, view on their chances, admitted as much, though he still held doubts about being called up for the Forward Leadership Award himself.
Corvus had been practical, detailing how the award¡¯s criteria focused on direct and lasting battlefield impacts resulting from strategic decisions made by the squad leader.
Throughout most of the assessment, he hadn¡¯t been in a position to make such calls, given the chaos of their infiltration mission and his unexpected involvement with the Caliburn in the industrial sector of Nova Tertius.
Yet, the rest of Alpha Squad had no doubt he had done his job admirably.
His sacrifice, in particular, had led to significant gains for the entire squad, with Thea being alive at the control station resulting in drawing in the duo of Psykers and ultimately earning them their prized Gold-rarity Accomplishments.
As Major Quinn called up Beta Squad to receive the Platinum Ace Squad medal, Thea couldn¡¯t help but notice the tension rippling through the group as they walked up to the stage.
The squad¡¯s Defensive Heavy, Masters, wore a stoic expression¡ªdevoid of any joy, just a silent acceptance of the recognition she had fought so hard for, but clearly expected to gain.
Thea¡¯s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
¡®I suppose humility isn¡¯t something that comes naturally to everyone¡¡¯
The room settled as Major Quinn¡¯s voice rose with renewed energy, drawing attention back to the stage. ¡°Now, we finally get to the final category of today¡¯s awards. The one everyone has undoubtedly been waiting for¡ The Most Valuable Marine, aka, the MVM Awards!¡±
A wave of excitement swept through the hall¡ªapplause, cheers, and a palpable ripple of tension that electrified the room.
Thea¡¯s heart pounded as she straightened in her seat, anticipation thrumming through her veins. This was the kind of award she always craved¡ªthe irrefutable validation that she belonged, that she was the best. It was recognition that all her hard work had paid off, that every effort she had poured into each mission had not gone unnoticed.
It wasn¡¯t just an award; it was undeniable proof that she had earned her place and that someone out there¡ªsomeone important¡ªhad seen her and acknowledged her worth.
¡°This is the award for the true Aces of this drive. The Marines who have gone above and beyond what the UHF demands, leaving their mark on the battlefield in ways that words and videos barely capture. The criteria are simple: Be the best. We evaluated everything you could imagine, from strategic decision-making and the effectiveness of your actions to the outcomes and ripples of your impact on the field¡ªboth among your fellow Marines and in the faces of your enemies. If your name is called for an MVM medal, know that you stand among the very pinnacle of this drive¡¯s talent.¡±
Major Quinn¡¯s gaze shifted to Alpha Squad, her sharp eyes landing on Thea, sending a shiver down her spine as their eyes met.
The moment felt heavy, and Thea¡¯s pulse quickened.
¡°One more thing to note,¡± Major Quinn continued, eyes glinting with intent as she turned to the entire room. ¡°Alpha Squad is composed of the best recruits from this drive, those who excelled during the Cube Trial that led to your induction into the UHF Marines. But, as I stated when you first joined just over a month ago, this is not a permanent assignment. This award, the MVM, serves as the first true test of their standing.
¡°Unlike the other awards presented so far, which only grant points toward challenging an Alpha Squad member for their spot, the MVM Award is different. Any Marine who earns an MVM medal has the privilege to directly challenge any member of Alpha Squad for their position, bypassing all other requirements. Many of you have dreamt of this moment, sought a way to claim a spot in Alpha¡ªthis is your chance. Win an MVM medal, and you will get your shot.¡±
A palpable tension filled the hall, eyes zeroing in on Alpha Squad like spotlights.
Thea felt a cold sweat run down her back, the heat of countless stares pressing on her like a physical weight.
She forced herself to keep her focus on Major Quinn, fighting the growing panic within.
With a practised flick of her wrist, Major Quinn unveiled the emblem of the MVM Award.
It was stark in its simplicity, threes brooches with a bold ¡°#1¡± cast in the varying metals for each of the three medals: Silver, Gold, Platinum. The medal¡¯s significance made its simplistic design all the more striking, as it represented the most coveted prize in the room.
¡°However,¡± Major Quinn added with a sly smile, silencing the rising murmurs, ¡°if an Alpha Squad member earns an MVM Medal, they are exempt from being challenged in any way until the next Assessment in three months time, regardless of their standing.¡±
The noise in the hall surged, a wave of gasps and whispers spreading like wildfire.
But Thea heard nothing beyond the echo of Major Quinn¡¯s last sentence.
¡®I have to get an MVM medal¡ I need to be safe,¡¯ Thea thought, the pressure in her chest squeezing tighter as a mix of determination and desperation coursed through her.
The echoes of whispers and the sideways glares from her peers were reminders enough¡ªshe knew there was no shortage of Marines in that room who would jump at the chance to unseat her¡ªto ¡°unmask¡± her, to embarrass her.
The hostile undercurrents she¡¯d felt walking into the hall earlier had been a stark reminder of how fiercely competitive and, at times, bitterly hateful her fellow Recruits could be.
While Thea held confidence in her abilities, knowing she could outmatch many in a straight-up test of marksmanship or battlefield acumen, she was painfully aware that staying in Alpha Squad likely meant more than just proving herself on paper.
She didn¡¯t know how the promotion or demotion challenges worked to begin with¡ªwhether it was purely a matter of past performance, direct head-to-head competitions, or even physical combat.
If it came down to close-quarters fights or roles beyond sniping, her chances might crumble fast. She was an exceptional sniper, but her close combat skills were unremarkable compared to the heavy hitters in the drive. Her medical knowledge was limited to the basics she¡¯d learned through Kara, and while she could contribute to squad tactics, she lacked the leadership finesse of Corvus.
The idea of having to take on roles she relied on her squadmates for¡ªlike Lucas¡¯s steadfast defence, Isabella¡¯s raw offensive power, or Desmond¡¯s technical expertise¡ªmade her stomach knot.
There were bound to be more blind spots in her skillset that she wasn¡¯t aware of.
Blind spots that other Recruits would almost certainly be able to find, if they, themselves, excelled at them.
Blind spots that they could exploit and cost her her spot in this new, strange and very odd family she had found¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 14 - Awards VII
Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out once more, bringing a sudden hush over the murmurs and anxious energy filling the hall.
¡°Now, as I just mentioned, the recipients of the Most Valuable Marine awards gain the right to challenge an Alpha Squad member for their position, should they choose to do so,¡± she reiterated, her voice steady and authoritative. There was a renewed ripple of whispers at this, a few heads turning back towards specific members of Alpha Squad they were already targeting ahead of time.
¡°But,¡± Major Quinn added, holding up a hand for silence, ¡°before any of you get carried away with thoughts of glory and ambition, I advise patience. While I cannot stop you from issuing a challenge immediately, as that right is yours the moment you receive your medal, I would seriously recommend caution. Wait until the upcoming GalPol101 classes, where we will cover in detail how the challenge system functions within the UHF. It is not as simple as calling someone out and fighting them in a dark corner of the ship for their spot. Any rash decisions could come at a steep price.¡±
A collective sigh, a mix of relief and tension, rippled through the room.
Heads turned, glances exchanged, as murmurs of consideration settled among the recruits.
Thea found herself exhaling too, the tight coil in her chest loosening just a fraction at the thought that immediate challenges were unlikely.
For now, she had a small reprieve.
Major Quinn¡¯s eyes sparkled with a hint of anticipation as she gestured to the screen behind her. The soft light from the display began to illuminate as images from the recordings of the first award recipient¡¯s actions slowly came into view.
¡°With that said, it¡¯s time to reveal the Marine who has earned the Silver MVM Medal. While this Marine has ¡°only¡± claimed the third-place medal, let me be clear in no uncertain terms: Every MVM Medal winner stands heads, shoulders, and rifles above the rest of you. Just as Alpha Squad represents the pinnacle of what a squad of Marines within this drive can achieve, these Marines that will be joining me on stage truly exemplified the apex of individual skill and valour within the assessment. Underestimating them in any way will undoubtedly lead to bitter regret.¡±
A heavy silence fell over the hall as every pair of eyes locked onto the screen, waiting for the first name to appear. The anticipation was nearly tangible, a collective breath held in unison.
Thea¡¯s gaze flickered to her left, catching the unmistakable tension etched across her squadmates¡¯ faces.
Even the normally boisterous and downright relaxed Isabella was now silent, perched on the edge of her seat, her fingers tapping a restless rhythm on her knee.
Desmond had leaned forward as well, as if physically inching closer to the podium would somehow give him a glimpse of the winners that much sooner.
Both seemed as if they couldn¡¯t tear their eyes from the screen if they tried.
Further down, Corvus and Lucas, usually the calm pillars of Alpha Squad, showed hints of nervousness in the subtle shifts of their posture.
Corvus¡¯s hands rested together in his lap, but his knuckles were white from the grip.
Lucas, seated just beyond Corvus, had his eyes closed, lips moving in barely audible whispers. Thea recognized it as the quiet, sincere prayers to Xagis that he often offered during moments of uncertainty. She focused, allowing her heightened Perception to pick up the soft intonation of his quietly whispered words, a rhythmic plea for strength and guidance.
The calm in his voice was almost enough to soothe her own nerves.
Karania, in stark contrast, sat with the same composed expression she always wore. It was as if nothing could touch her, as if she already knew the outcome and had no doubts at all.
¡°That Marine¡¯s name is Rachel Veronica Masters, of Beta Squad!¡± Major Quinn announced, her voice sharp and authoritative, slicing through the charged silence.
The room erupted in applause, but to Thea, it felt muted, like she was underwater.
¡®That fucking girl again¡?¡¯ The disbelief echoed in her mind.
Masters had already snagged the Platinum medal for Valiant Defender alongside Lucas, and she had been part of Beta Squad¡¯s win for the Ace Squad award.
Now, she was also adding a Most Valuable Marine award to her growing collection.
It made Rachel the most decorated Recruit in the room by a landslide.
But Thea¡¯s mind snagged on a different detail, one that didn¡¯t make sense in her head.
The memory of Rachel¡¯s heated, venomous words to her own squad mate just minutes before flashed in front of her eyes, and the sting of confusion bit hard. ¡®How does that make any sense? Isn¡¯t being a good squad member a part of this whole calculus? Or is the UHF just focused on individual success, no matter how toxic you are to your own team¡?¡¯
The recordings on the screen switched to highlights of Rachel¡¯s exploits¡ªstrategic kills, heroic defences, bold charges, and acts that clearly showcased her inarguably impressive skills.
But Thea¡¯s attention drifted, her eyes sliding to Karania next to her.
She couldn¡¯t hold back her question.
¡°Her? Why?¡± she asked, her voice low and strained, trusting that Karania would pick up on the deeper frustration and confusion woven into those few words.
Karania had been watching the footage as well before she leaned closer to Thea, speaking quietly so only she could hear.
¡°Thea,¡± Karania began, ¡°you have to remember this; at all times: The UHF is a meritocracy, through and through. You might not have dealt with much of the UHF on Lumiosia, but in the Inner and Core worlds; this is more of a lived fact, than something you simply know. They want the best people doing the most impactful things, even if¡ well, even if those people aren¡¯t always easy to work with; or are downright sociopaths.¡±
She gestured to the screen, where Rachel¡¯s precise, oftentimes unnecessarily brutal takedowns played out. ¡°Look at what she¡¯s doing up there. Her combat skills, her decisiveness, her ability to handle high-stakes situations, the way she leads her squad and keeps them safe through sheer brutality... You can¡¯t objectively deny she¡¯s an absolute powerhouse; even if you don¡¯t like her.¡±
Thea frowned, watching Rachel in action as she cleared a room with frightening efficiency, shattering enemies left and right with her giant power hammer, while simultaneously providing necessary cover for the rest of her squad behind her. ¡°But¡ Doesn¡¯t that matter too? I mean, how she treats the people around her? Shouldn¡¯t they take that into account if they¡¯re really looking for the best? Because¡ I mean¡ How can she lead like that? I would have trouble following her orders, if she was our squad leader; considering how she behaved so far.¡±
Karania nodded slowly, mulling over Thea¡¯s question. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, and normally, I¡¯d think the same. But remember, the UHF evaluates impact, primarily, and if the impact of her actions outweighs any internal issues, they might see it as more than acceptable. Maybe they think her value in the field is so high that it cancels out the costs of her less¡ Cooperative tendencies.¡±
Thea¡¯s gaze turned back to the screen, her confusion shifting into a more complex frustration. ¡°So, if she¡¯s that good¡ They¡¯re just willing to overlook fucking anything?¡±
Karania hesitated, giving Thea a serious look. ¡°Not necessarily anything. But I can think of two reasons why she might be up there right now. Either the earlier outburst is the first real display of discord in her squad¡ªsomething new and surprising even to the brass¡ªor she really is simply that good, meaning her skills provide benefits that outweigh the negatives. Consider Staff-Sergeant Venn as an example; I am sure the brass isn¡¯t entirely too happy with how he treats people either, but he gets results. So much so that he¡¯s a Prime-T2 Command Rank at Prime-T1 Power. The UHF can¡¯t simply ignore a valuable piece like that, just because they don¡¯t agree with their social skills.¡±
¡°Even with someone like her? If she¡¯s this much of a headache to work with now, isn¡¯t that a problem just waiting to blow the fuck up?¡± Thea pressed.
Karania shrugged with a sigh. ¡°Possibly. It¡¯s always a risk. But if the UHF sees her as irreplaceable in certain ways, they may consider it worth it. Or maybe,¡± she added, her tone more thoughtful, ¡°they¡¯re giving her these awards because they think that recognition could smooth out the issues altogether.¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow. ¡°As if she¡¯d be humbled by them? The Masters girl? Humbled?¡±
She struggled to picture Rachel¡ªproud, intense, downright arrogant¡ªchanging because of an award.
¡°Maybe not humbled,¡± Karania replied with a slight smile, ¡°not immediately, at least. But think about what these awards mean, overall. They put you on the map for every other Recruit here. And the MVM Award now? It will give her a shot at Lucas¡¯ spot. There¡¯s a chance the brass has already done the calculations and either believes she is a superior fit for Alpha Squad, or, and that¡¯s something I feel has a higher chance of being true, they already know Lucas will win the challenge. The Masters girl undoubtedly feels snubbed by Lucas ¡°taking her spot¡± out of the Cube Trial, but if she loses a direct head-to-head against him? Maybe that truly would humble her. And who knows? The UHF may just be counting on that very possibility to get her in line.¡±
Thea glanced back at the screen where Rachel¡¯s final recording ended, her brow furrowed in thought. ¡°I get it. But still¡ it feels like they¡¯re just feeding her ego. And what if Lucas doesn¡¯t win? We don¡¯t even know how these challenges work yet; what they¡¯re even about.¡±
Karania chuckled softly. ¡°Maybe so, but if feeding her ego keeps getting results like that, I doubt the UHF cares much, if at all. And about Lucas¡ We¡¯ll figure something out. Don¡¯t stress over it now. Once we learn more about the challenge system in those GalPol101 classes, we¡¯ll help him prepare. It will be fine, Thea.¡±
Thea¡¯s chest tightened, but Karania¡¯s confidence, even with its thin layer of doubt, managed to soothe some of her worries. It was a strange comfort¡ªknowing that even Karania, usually the one with all the answers, could admit to needing more information.
As Rachel Masters stepped down from the podium, her chin raised and an insufferably smug smile plastered on her undeniably striking face, the room erupted into a mix of cheers and other, less formal, comments¡ªparticularly from the male audience in the hall.
The display only added fuel to Thea¡¯s simmering nerves.
Rachel soaked in the attention, her eyes daring anyone to challenge her dominance as she strode back towards the seats of Beta Squad; greeted tentatively by the rest of her squad.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice rose over the noise, drawing everyone¡¯s focus back to the stage. ¡°Let us continue straight with the next winner¡ªthe Gold-medal recipient of the Most Valuable Marine Award!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Thea clenched her hands on her lap, tension coiling through her muscles.
¡®We need this for Alpha Squad. If Lucas wins, it would stop any challenge from Masters before it even starts¡¡¯ Thea¡¯s breath hitched as she waited for the name that could shift everything for her squad.
¡°Tiberius Soren from Wano Squad!¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through the hall, her announcement shattering Thea¡¯s fragile hope that the issue would resolve itself as immediately and neatly as it had with the Valiant Defender award.
Thea¡¯s heart sank as Tiberius strode up to the podium, his steps confident, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. Applause and cheers erupted around them, with congratulations shouted from all directions¡ªsome clearly genuine, others laced with sarcasm.
To Thea, it felt as though the rest of the Recruits were in a different world entirely, cheering without a hint of worry about the deeper implications.
Masters and Tiberius, now wielding MVM medals, posed very real threats to Alpha Squad¡¯s future. Yet here the crowd was, revelling in the moment, oblivious to the potential fallout.
Thea¡¯s chest tightened as she glanced over at her squad, who wore similarly serious expressions, their own apprehensions mirroring hers.
For them, this wasn¡¯t a spectacle; it was a danger that loomed closer with each MVM medal awarded to someone outside Alpha Squad.
As she turned back to the screen, a highlight reel of Tiberius¡¯s best moments began to play.
It didn¡¯t take long for her to recognize that his actions as an individual and his orders as squad leader of Wano Squad were precise, brutal, and devastatingly effective.
¡®Tiberius Soren? That¡¯s the guy that won the Platinum Medal for the Reaper award too¡! This guy¡¯s dangerous¡¡¯ Thea thought, as she focused even more intently on the recordings, trying her best to compare this sudden new danger¡¯s capabilities with the rest of her squad.
The questions in her mind were manifold, yet singular in nature: Was he a threat to any of them? Which member of Alpha Squad might he target, if he decided to issue a challenge? And, most importantly, how well would he match up to any one of them in a direct face-off?
Thea¡¯s eyes tracked every detail in the recordings.
Tiberius was methodical, almost surgical in the way he handled himself.
His precision when using his oversized rifle was undeniable¡ªsomething she had noted during the Stellar Republic Reaper Award recordings as well. His ability to prioritise the right enemy, take them out and continue killing again and again was impressive; even for an Offensive Heavy.
She noted the calculated glances, the way he assessed his surroundings even while giving orders. His ability to adapt to shifting circumstances was eerily similar to Corvus, but there was a distinctly more aggressive edge to it, as he often charged ahead of his squad, ordering the others to follow his lead; while Corvus preferred to order the rest of Alpha Squad from a more strategic position in the back.
¡®He¡¯s confident. He¡¯s skilled. He doesn¡¯t just order the line to move; he takes it forward himself¡ He¡¯s an exceedingly effective Offensive Heavy, but also an accomplished Squad Leader¡ That only really opens up two people.¡¯ she thought.
If Tiberius decided to challenge someone in Alpha Squad, it would have to be Isabella or Corvus.
Corvus was an exceptional squad leader in Thea¡¯s mind, particularly for his strategic mind and strong interpersonal skills that had helped the squad not only stick together, but come together in the first place. Without his relentless efforts to alleviate tensions within the squad from day one, there was a good chance that Alpha Squad wouldn¡¯t be as close-knit as they now were.
But, depending on how the UHF measured leadership for an Alpha Squad specifically, Tiberius¡¯s bold, direct approach could be viewed as more fitting for them; a squad constantly under scrutiny and serving as the model for others. If the UHF wanted the rest of the squads to be more direct and aggressive, then Tiberius was the clearly superior choice.
Then there was Isabella.
Could Tiberius¡¯s precision rival her raw, relentless power? Thea wasn¡¯t so sure.
In a controlled, head-to-head challenge, skill could certainly outweigh sheer force, of course. After all, Isabella hadn¡¯t even thought of herself as a contender for the Stellar Republic Reaper Award, while Tiberius had already secured the Platinum Medal for it.
From a cost/benefit analysis, Tiberius had definitely beaten out Isabella during the assessment, if what the brass looked at was primarily the efficacy of their kills.
It, ultimately, all hinged on what the UHF valued more for Alpha Squad: An Offensive Heavy that drew enemy attention with chaotic, overwhelming force and destruction, or one who systematically eliminated high-value targets en-masse, with deadly efficiency.
¡®This is going to be fucking messy,¡¯ Thea thought, a wave of apprehension washing over her as she glanced at the rest of Alpha Squad. Her eyes immediately sought out Corvus and Isabella, gauging their reactions.
Corvus was leaning forward slightly, his expression intense and thoughtful, one hand supporting his chin as he studied the recordings, analysing every detail with the calm focus that defined him. Isabella, on the other hand, was taking in the highlights with a wide, almost feral grin, her eyes glinting with excitement at the possibility of a challenge.
Neither of them was dismissing the threat that Tiberius posed.
They knew, just as Thea did, that he would likely aim to challenge one of them.
¡®I¡¯ll have to do my best to help them prepare, if they don¡¯t win their own medals,¡¯ Thea resolved, her mind buzzing with questions.
What would these challenges entail? Would it be a simple point comparison? A direct combat scenario? Would the rest of Alpha Squad be involved in some way, if Tiberius targeted Corvus for the squad leader position?
These thoughts tangled in Thea¡¯s mind, unresolved and buzzing like static, until Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through her reverie, introducing the Platinum-medal winner and pulling her abruptly back to the present.
¡°For the Platinum Medal of the Most Valuable Marine Award, I welcome none other than the Squad Leader of our very own Alpha Squad: Corvus Leander Sylarion!¡±
For an instant, Thea¡¯s mind blanked, unable to fully process the words.
¡®Corvus? The Platinum Medal¡?¡¯
Slowly, the reality of it settled in as she watched him stand and stride past her toward the podium.
"Let¡¯s go, Corvus! Fuck yeah!¡± Thea screamed, her voice joining the rising applause and cheers around her.
Relief surged through her, a weight lifted off her heart as the significance hit her¡ªCorvus was safe.
And even more importantly, he had finally gotten some of the recognition he deserved.
After being passed over in every other category, he¡¯d finally won an award; and the one that mattered most at that. The one that would secure his place in Alpha Squad without question.
¡®That only leaves Isabella,¡¯ she thought, hope sparking in her chest.
If Corvus could win one here, maybe Isabella had a shot too.
As the recordings of Corvus¡¯ actions began to play, Major Quinn¡¯s voice provided commentary over each scene. ¡°Recruit Sylarion takes a more traditional approach to leadership than someone like Recruit Soren. Instead of heroically leading from the front, he¡¯s more focused on precisely orchestrating his squad''s movements, prioritising strategy and tactical positioning instead. In his hands, encounters are resolved not through individual acts or him leading the charge, but by manoeuvring his team efficiently to exploit every advantage they can get a hold of.¡±
The first recording showed the moments leading up to the firefight in front of the compound toward the end of the assessment, in which he sent Lucas and Thea ahead to engage from a nearby building, rather than keeping them with the main squad.
Another recording depicted the very first day of the assessment, when Alpha Squad had been ambushed, forcing Thea to split off with Arrow Squad on a covert mission.
As Thea watched, she realised she was seeing a side of Corvus¡¯ leadership she hadn¡¯t ever experienced directly¡ªthe intricate way he positioned each member with his orders, while continuously analysing their surroundings to maximise each of the member¡¯s survival chances and combat efficacy.
For her, this was new.
Being the scout and often out ahead, she rarely witnessed, much less experienced first-hand, Corvus¡¯ real-time commands over Lucas, Desmond, and Isabella. To see it now, unfolding through the recordings, gave her a new appreciation for his style¡ªhis voice steady and confident, leading his squad through each chaotic moment with unshakable precision.
But then, the final recording started playing.
On the screen was a sped-up replay of the critical moment in Nova Tertius¡¯ industrial sector, showing their squad discussion. Corvus¡¯ face was focused and thoroughly determined, as he stepped in to claim the shooter¡¯s spot, his tone decisive as he overrode the others¡¯ hesitations and concerns.
That choice had put him in the line of fire, protecting them while taking on one of the most dangerous positions himself.
Thea¡¯s applause slowed and then stopped as she watched the recording unfold¡ªCorvus overruling their ideas, claiming that spot, taking that risk, and in the process, shielding her, specifically, from the repercussions of being the shooter.
¡°Recruit Sylarion is also painfully aware of his own standing and capabilities, as this recording shows,¡± Major Quinn narrated, her voice firm and unwavering. ¡°During an infiltration mission ahead of the main assault on the wall, Alpha Squad identified a high-value target deep behind enemy lines. The squad struggled to decide who would take the shot, knowing full well that it would be a death sentence for whoever pulled the trigger due to the target¡¯s heavily defended position. Considering the importance of Alpha Squad¡¯s Scout for navigation and the unique skills of the other members, Recruit Sylarion ultimately made the call¡ªhe would be the sacrificial piece.¡±
The screen flickered, displaying Corvus perched on a rusted metal platform high above the enemy base, the Caliburn rifle gripped tightly in his hands.
Thea felt her breath catch in her throat as the memory resurfaced¡ªthe moment of hesitation, of realisation, before Corvus stepped up to take on what was almost certain death.
The familiar guilt and regret churned in her stomach; she hadn¡¯t wanted him to go through with it, knowing that perhaps she could have taken the risk instead.
But it was Corvus¡¯ choice, and his right as Squad Leader, and he had made it with unyielding resolve.
The recording showed the shot as it rang out, the Caliburn¡¯s blast piercing through the tense air and striking the target dead on. A heartbeat later, the truck erupted into a brilliant explosion, engulfing the surrounding area in a tidal wave of fire and shrapnel.
The camera followed Corvus as he leapt from the tower and hit the ground running, the chaos closing in behind him.
The assembly hall grew eerily quiet as Corvus¡¯ desperate flight played out.
His figure, covered in grime and blood, flashed across the screen as he darted through the maze of twisted metal and broken concrete. The desperate struggle as he got cornered in an abandoned office, but refused to go down without a fight.
The moment his body finally gave out, crumpling against a jagged wall inside the office, there were audible gasps and muffled cries from Recruits who hadn¡¯t known the full extent of what Corvus had endured.
The recording zoomed in on his battered face, eyes blazing with defiance despite the gaping wounds that sapped his strength.
He somehow still managed to raise the Caliburn, its barrel smoking as he fired again and again, despite the entire chassis already being far beyond the point of overheating. The hand and the flesh holding the weapon had long lost cohesion, as the fingers had molten together, making each pull of the trigger a fight in itself.
Yet the sheer defiance in his last remaining eye as he stared down his continuously approaching attackers made the entire room feel the weight of his resolve.
Thea¡¯s heart ached, seeing him like that, but she felt an odd pride as well.
In the recording¡¯s last moments, Corvus muttered words under his breath, words that only she could recognize instantly. She was the one that had told them to him, to remember them, to hold onto them as an anchor in case of plan B being a necessity.
¡°Just keep shooting¡¡± she mouthed alongside him, barely aware of herself as the Corvus in the recording pulled the trigger one last time, a defiant smile on his beaten and battered face.
Then, a brilliant white light flooded the screen, the Caliburn¡¯s explosion blinding everyone in the hall despite the screen¡¯s attempts to dim it. The Recruits shielded their eyes or turned away, some visibly shaken, others moved beyond words.
The silence in the hall that followed was absolute, the weight of what they¡¯d just witnessed settling over the entire assembly.
¡®Thank you, Corvus¡ Truly,¡¯ Thea thought as the harsh light of the recording ebbed away.
Gratitude flooded her¡ªnot just for his sacrifice, but for the unshakable trust he¡¯d shown in her words, even when neither of them knew exactly where they would lead. His willingness to follow through¡ªnot just on his own decision, but also her words¡ªeven at the very cost of his own life, had opened doors for all of Alpha Squad.
It had set the stage for their successes, created opportunities, and secured benefits they might never have gained without his decisive choice to stand alone at that moment.
The silence in the hall stretched, heavy and reverent, as the light dimmed.
The weight of what they¡¯d just witnessed hung like a shroud over the room; nobody daring to clap, to cheer or even to discuss what they had just seen.
That was, until Major Quinn¡¯s voice sliced through the stillness, firm yet respectful. ¡°And that level of foresight, that willingness to put himself on the line for the greater good of his squad, is why Recruit Sylarion rightfully deserves this Platinum-medal. Congratulations, Recruit. Your actions have etched a legacy that won¡¯t fade from the minds of your squad¡ªor from anyone in this hall¡ªanytime soon.¡±
She shook Corvus¡¯ hand, and the medal glimmered as she handed it to him.
He took it with a solemnity that felt almost out of place.
Corvus, usually so composed and commanding, held the medal with a gentleness that Thea wasn¡¯t used to seeing. Her eyes picked up the slight tremble in his hands, a subtle quiver that most wouldn¡¯t catch, but she did.
¡®He¡¯s nervous¡? Corvus¡ Nervous?!¡¯ The thought left her stunned, unable to match this image of him with the leader she¡¯d come to admire and rely on.
Then, without warning, a smile broke across her face, and she shook her head at her own foolishness. She had been holding him¡ªand the rest of Alpha Squad¡ªto almost impossible standards in her mind.
¡®Of course, he would be nervous. Anyone would be in his position¡! Stop being so ridiculous, Thea,¡¯ she silently scolded herself.
Corvus, despite everything, was just as human as the rest of them, after all¡
Arc 1 - Epilogue 15 - Awards VIII
PoV: Jin Shi¡¯Zon
Watching Corvus step down from the podium, Platinum-medal in hand, Jin felt a pang of envy gnaw at him. The light gleamed off the medal in an undeniable, physical example of what recognition looked like¡ªsomething that felt so close, yet completely out of reach.
¡°Looks like we won¡¯t be getting any medals today,¡± he muttered, just loud enough for Yonbu to catch.
His friend shifted slightly in his seat, a muscle in his jaw tensing before he responded with a resigned grunt. ¡°Unlucky categories,¡± he echoed.
They had both been hoping that at least one of the awards would acknowledge the kind of smaller, tight-knit teamwork they specialised in. But it seemed the UHF wasn¡¯t interested in that, at least not for Recruits at this stage.
Jin could unfortunately follow their logic and knew that it made an infuriating amount of sense.
Early in their careers, the UHF prioritised raw, standout talent over cohesion.
Recruits were expected to adapt to constant changes, reshuffling squads and learning to mesh with new members again and again. By the time they earned their stripes as Privates, most would find themselves on different ships all together, scattered throughout the UHFs entire territory. So tight-knight groups weren¡¯t exactly a priority for them to create.
The UHF instead valued individual brilliance¡ªthe kind that shone through in moments of crisis or led squads to victory through sheer force of will or skill.
Teamwork, while essential, was something they saw as secondary at this level, a trait to be nurtured later, but only noted down for now; not celebrated.
¡°We still have the leaderboards, at least,¡± Jin added, managing a small, hopeful smile.
Yonbu raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile finally reaching his usually stoic face.
The leaderboards would give a fuller picture of their contributions across the entire assessment, showcasing not just the peak moments but the steady performance from beginning to end.
Medals like the MVM focused on stand-out achievements, spotlighting individual brilliance that could overshadow the quieter, consistent work that Jin and Yonbu prided themselves on.
But the leaderboard? That was bound to reflect more than just a few high points; it would reward consistent effort, something Jin felt they truly excelled at.
¡°You don¡¯t need a medal for every little thing if your squad knows you¡¯re there for the long haul,¡± Jin said, his smile widening as he glanced at his friend.
Their partnership might not shine under the glaring lights of the podium, but he was confident it would still find its place among the best through their collective consistency and grit.
Now, was Jin envious of the fact that other Recruits had snagged medals he thought he might have had a shot at, like the Eye In The Sky award? Of course he was.
But he wasn¡¯t the kind to see it as an affront or some grand injustice.
He simply hadn¡¯t been good enough to make the cut; that¡¯s all there was to it.
Still, his eyes wandered to the front row, landing on Alpha Squad¡ªand more specifically, Desmond.
¡°I still can¡¯t believe he actually ran three drones at once during the very first assessment¡¡± Jin muttered, his tone a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Next to him, Yonbu groaned, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to hear this another four hundred times before the ceremony¡¯s over, eh?¡±
Jin shot him a withering glare, but Yonbu had a point.
This wasn¡¯t the first time Jin had brought it up since the award was handed out, but it wasn¡¯t just idle jealousy. Desmond¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t something to dismiss lightly, not if the guy was capable of handling three separate feeds, manoeuvring drones independently, and feeding critical intel to his squad, all without proper equipment, and more importantly, without dropping the ball when shit hit the fan.
That wasn¡¯t just impressive¡ªit was exceptional.
Desmond was a Recruit to watch, whether you liked him or not.
Thankfully, Jin¡¯s swirling thoughts and Yonbu¡¯s quiet exasperation were cut short by Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice reclaiming the room¡¯s attention.
¡°Now,¡± she began, her tone brimming with anticipation, ¡°with all the Sovereign-specific Award categories completed, we¡¯ll be moving on to the higher tiers of recognition: The Recruit Awards and the Assessment Awards.¡±
The screen behind her shifted with her words, the familiar category emblems glowing as they transformed to denote their new, loftier status. Each category gained a star for the Recruit tier, and then a second star for the Assessment tier.
¡°For the Recruit Awards,¡± Major Quinn continued with a sharp, precise gesture toward the screen, ¡°the medals are as follows: Gold, Platinum, and Palladium.¡±
Jin¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly as the screen zoomed in to display the new medals.
The one-star designs gleamed, with the familiar Platinum medal now accompanied by a striking white-gold variant that replaced the usual Silver and had taken the spot of the #1 medal.
The addition of a true-rarity metal caught the attention of the entire hall, sparking a flurry of reactions among the assembled Recruits.
Jin observed the crowd with interest.
Some leaned toward their neighbours, whispering excitedly about finally seeing a medal made from such an extraordinary material. Others simply stared at the polished surface on the screen with reverence, marvelling at the craftsmanship.
But the smallest group¡ªthose whose eyes gleamed with anticipation¡ªkept their attention firmly fixed on Major Quinn and the evolving display, likely having already pieced together what would come next.
Jin was among that group and knew exactly where Major Quinn¡¯s next words were going to go.
¡°For the Assessment Awards, the medals are: Platinum, Palladium, and Crysium,¡± Major Quinn revealed. On the screen behind her, the two-star versions of the medals materialised, their polished surfaces gleaming.
The familiar Platinum medal stood proudly at the top of the stack, accompanied by the Palladium, its lustrous, silvery tone catching the light. But then, with a regal shimmer, a new medal began to emerge¡ªthe Crysium.
¡°Crysium¡¡± Jin whispered, unable to stop himself as the light-blue hue of the rare metal fully revealed itself, the glow casting a mesmerising light over the hall. His breath caught, and he could feel the same awe radiating from the Recruits around him.
It was the first time he, or likely anyone else in the room, had seen the metal in person.
They had heard of it briefly during the System 101 lecture, where it had been mentioned as a Rarity descriptor, but that was the extent of their knowledge. Now, here it was, forged into the highest of accolades, displayed before them in all its glory.
¡°And before anyone asks: Yes, this is real Crysium. A semi-rare T2 System Material,¡± Major Quinn confirmed, her sly grin betraying her enjoyment of the room¡¯s reaction. Every Recruit¡¯s eyes seemed to glint with longing as they absorbed the sight of the medal, their imaginations running wild. ¡°Any winner of a Crysium Assessment Award medal will walk away with a genuine piece of this remarkable metal. The medal is entirely crafted from it.¡±
A ripple of wistful sighs swept through the hall, a collective mix of awe and longing, with Jin and Yonbu no exception.
Though the medal itself was small, the implications of owning even a sliver of Crysium were monumental. Jin couldn¡¯t stop his mind from wandering, imagining the possibilities.
¡°If you melted it down,¡± Yonbu muttered, his voice tinged with a tinkerer¡¯s dreaminess, ¡°you could probably coat something small with it¡ or make a critical part for a larger construct¡¡±
¡°Or,¡± Jin countered, his tone equally wistful, ¡°you could trade it for an entire set of Blueprints, a Forge-type Armour, and maybe a few Formations on top of that.¡±
Both of them knew they didn¡¯t have a chance of winning such a medal, but the allure of the Crysium wasn¡¯t something they could easily shake.
It represented more than just a prize¡ªit was a symbol of unparalleled accomplishment, of being among the very best the UHF had to offer.
¡°Now,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice broke through the room¡¯s quiet reverie, reclaiming the focus of the hall, ¡°I know that many of you are wondering about the Leaderboards as well.¡±
The screen behind her shifted, the medals vanishing to be replaced with a stark black background. The abrupt removal of the Crysium medals drew murmurs of disappointment from the crowd, who had clearly not tired of gazing at the rare metal.
¡°However,¡± she continued, ¡°we will only be revealing the Assessment Leaderboards at the very end of the ceremony. This is because every Recruit only gets one final score. While we will display three separate Leaderboards for easier viewing and comparisons¡ªdividing Ships, Recruits, and other enlisted Marines¡ªthey are not scored differently. The system evaluates all participants uniformly for the sake of fairness.¡±
Jin¡¯s mind quickly filled in the unspoken logic behind the announcement. ¡®If they revealed the Leaderboards now, it would spoil the suspense. We could guess who the remaining medal winners are if we saw the rankings ahead of time.¡¯
He nodded to himself, the reasoning sound. It wasn¡¯t just about awards¡ªit was about keeping the focus on the accomplishments and stories being shared through the ceremony.
¡®Makes sense. They want us to absorb everything, to learn from these highlights, and to understand what it takes to earn such recognition. This isn¡¯t just a celebration after all¡ªit¡¯s an educational event.¡¯
Major Quinn wasted no time in steering the ceremony ever forward.
¡°Now,¡± she continued, her tone steady but tinged with a trace of humour, ¡°before we move on to the next set of awards, let me explain a slight change in how these will be presented compared to the Sovereign Awards.¡±
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, curiosity piqued.
¡°For the Recruit and Assessment Awards,¡± Major Quinn continued, ¡°we will be presenting the Recruit and Assessment versions of each category back-to-back. So, for example, we¡¯ll reveal the Recruit Valiant Defender medals immediately followed by the Assessment Valiant Defender medals. This is different from how we handled the Sovereign Awards, where we completed all Recruit Awards categories first before moving to the Recruit and Assessment Awards.¡±
She paused, allowing the crowd a moment to absorb the change in format, her expression softening into a small smile.
¡°And for those of you who might be wondering¡ªno, there will not be any ¡®fun¡¯ awards like the Unlucky or Boneskull Awards in these tiers. I know, I know. It truly is tragic,¡± she added with a playfully exaggerated sigh, earning a mix of chuckles and groans from the audience.
¡°The reason for this,¡± she explained, her tone returning to its usual authoritative cadence, ¡°is simple: These higher-tier awards are focused solely on merit and achievement. The lighter-hearted segments are not carried over here. Additionally¡ª¡± she grinned slightly, a mischievous gleam in her eye, ¡°this will save us all some time. As much as I¡¯ve enjoyed spending this afternoon with you all, even I must admit this award show is taking a while.¡±
Laughter rippled through the hall, breaking some of the tension that had been mounting.
¡°Now, with that out of the way, one final disclaimer,¡± Major Quinn said, her voice sharpening to a more serious note. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that Recruits from the Sovereign will be included in every category¡ªor even in any category at all. Remember, these tiers encompass the entire drive, not just this ship. So if you don¡¯t hear familiar names, don¡¯t panic. There¡¯s just a lot of very talented competition out there.¡±
The room quieted once more as the weight of Major Quinn¡¯s words sank into the crowd. A palpable tension filled the air, tightening like an invisible cord binding the assembled Recruits to their seats. Everyone was wondering the same thing: Did the Sovereign have any contenders for these higher-tier awards?
¡°With that said,¡± Major Quinn gestured toward the massive screen behind her, commanding everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°let¡¯s dive right into the Recruit and Assessment Awards for our first category: the Valiant Defender.¡±
The screen flickered to life, revealing the emblem for the category.
Jin found himself unable to resist glancing again toward Alpha Squad, curiosity gnawing at him as much as it did the rest of the room.
His gaze swept across the squad members, his mind buzzing with speculation.
¡®Does the Sovereign even have contenders in this tier? Or will the Recruits from other ships dominate us completely¡? Our Alpha Squad is supposedly the highest PV one in history, so theoretically speaking they should be in the running¡¡¯
Starting from the left, his eyes landed on Desmond first. The drone operator sat with his usual air of quiet intensity, his fingers drumming lightly against his knee.
¡®Desmond? No chance,¡¯ Jin thought with certainty. ¡®He already got Eye in the Sky, and that¡¯s probably the only category he could realistically win in.¡¯
Next, his attention shifted to Corvus. The squad leader sat upright, his hands steepled in front of his face balancing his MVM medal as he studied the screen, his expression calm yet focused.
¡®Corvus¡ maybe. He snagged the Platinum MVM medal, but nothing for squad leadership so far. If he¡¯s going to show up again, it could be for a Recruit award here. His leadership style is strong enough to warrant it, at least based on the Squad Leader meetings prior to the assessment...¡¯
Jin¡¯s gaze moved on, landing squarely on Isabella, the squad¡¯s offensive powerhouse.
Even seated, her presence was formidable, her massive arms crossed as she stared at the screen with a faint smirk playing on her lips.
¡®Isabella is practically guaranteed a Recruit medal,¡¯ Jin thought, nodding to himself. ¡®She¡¯s practically the epitome of a One Man Army. Then again¡ Tiberius was similar, and neither of them has shown up yet. Could they share a medal like Lucas and Masters¡? No way Major Quinn would pull that again, right¡?¡¯
The thought of Lucas¡¯ shared medal briefly pulled Jin¡¯s focus toward the young defensive heavy. Lucas sat quietly, his eyes forward, his hands folded before him as if in silent prayer.
¡®Lucas? No shot he gets another one. He already bagged Valiant Defender with Masters. I don¡¯t see him beating out other drives for anything else at this level.¡¯
Finally, Jin¡¯s gaze landed on Karania. The medic sat with her usual air of calm detachment, her posture perfectly composed, as if she were untouchable¡ªwhich she very likely was.
¡®Karania¡¡¯ Jin shook his head instinctively, not out of dismissal but sheer awe. ¡®She¡¯s going to win everything. Emperor¡¯s Touch, MVM, maybe even something at the Assessment level. That girl¡¯s not a Marine¡ªshe¡¯s a fucking monster.¡¯
A shiver ran down his spine as he involuntarily recalled the mechanical precision with which Karania had saved Yonbu during the IgT bombardment at the eastern front.
The memory thoroughly unsettled him, prompting him to quickly avert his eyes, letting them land on the last and most enigmatic member of Alpha Squad.
Thea¡¯s sharp, intense expression betrayed none of her thoughts.
She sat on the edge of her seat, her body tense, her gaze fixed firmly on the podium as though trying to will herself into understanding what was to come.
¡®And her¡¡¯ Jin mused, unable to fully pin her down.
There was an unpredictability about Thea that made it impossible to guess her place in all of this. She was quiet, but there was a storm behind those eyes, and Jin couldn¡¯t tell if it was one she was struggling with¡ªor one she was barely containing.
¡®Now, why haven¡¯t you gotten anything yet, Thea¡?¡¯ Jin mused, his fingers reflexively cupping his chin.
There were only two plausible explanations for Thea¡¯s lack of medals so far, and both were equally perplexing. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The first, and perhaps the most problematic, was the possibility that Thea had been grossly overhyped and had ultimately underperformed compared to the high expectations set for her.
This would cast doubt not only on Thea¡¯s abilities but also on Major Quinn¡¯s own judgement, considering the attention she had placed on the girl since the very beginning.
The second explanation, however, was the one that truly unsettled him.
¡®Did you sweep the entire assessment, Thea¡? Did you completely exceed even Major Quinn¡¯s expectations and claim awards at a level no one anticipated¡?¡¯ Jin¡¯s stomach twisted at the thought, an inexplicable mixture of dread and awe coursing through him.
The problem was that he didn¡¯t know enough about Thea beyond the surface-level information everyone else had¡ªrumours, whispers, and the occasional observation.
She was an enigma, and that made her unpredictable.
What added weight to the second theory, however, sending a fresh wave of unease through him, was Karania¡¯s demeanour.
Jin had spent enough time observing people to know when someone was masking concern, and while she definitely was masking something, it wasn¡¯t concern.
She was utterly composed, completely unfazed by the fact that Thea hadn¡¯t received a single award yet.
¡®That can only mean one thing¡ She knows something we don¡¯t.¡¯ Jin¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted his gaze between the two.
The bond between Karania and Thea was an anomaly¡ªsomething far deeper than typical squad camaraderie; more akin to his own bond with Yonbu, yet different.
It was one of the only potential chinks in her armour that Karania had allowed to shine through her otherwise thoroughly impenetrable facade. He had considered her to be an unassailable genius, her every move calculated, but this strange emotional attachment between Thea and Karania was the first potential vulnerability he¡¯d ever spotted in her.
Something he had every intention of keeping a close eye on, in case it ever became important to have something in the back pocket to deal with her; not that he hoped for that to become a reality, of course¡ªhe¡¯d much rather be on Karania¡¯s good side.
And yet, even despite that bond, Karania didn¡¯t seem concerned at all.
If anything, her calmness bordered on downright smug assurance, as if she were certain that Thea would be recognized in due time.
¡®And if she¡¯s confident¡ then we¡¯re all in for a surprise.¡¯ Jin exhaled slowly, trying to shake the growing sense of unease that settled over him. If Karania believed in Thea that strongly, then the rest of the assembled Recruits, including himself, might have grossly underestimated her, despite his best attempts at following Major Quinn¡¯s initial warnings¡
PoV: Astra Zorus
¡®My neck hurts so much¡¡¯
It was one of Astra¡¯s dominant thoughts as she twisted and craned her body in her seat, trying to catch a glimpse of the front row.
Being part of Mid Squad¡ªa name their group had chosen both as a nod to their Midworlder heritage and their expectations of remaining, well, mid-tier¡ªher seat wasn¡¯t exactly prime real estate for watching the frontrunners of the assessment awards.
From where she was, Astra could easily spot Isabella and Lucas; their sheer size made them impossible to miss. Even from a distance and at an awkward angle, they stood out like twin pillars of Alpha Squad.
But they weren¡¯t who she really wanted to see.
¡®Why is Thea so damn small¡?!¡¯
It was both a frustrated and amused thought.
While Thea wasn¡¯t actually short¡ªshe was, in fact, far taller than anyone in Mid Squad¡ªher presence felt diminutive compared to the towering figures of other Recruits.
The post-Integration growth spurt had added a few extra centimetres to everyone, but it only emphasised the already vast gap between Midworlders and those from Inner or Core Worlds.
Astra could just barely manage to make out Thea¡¯s blonde hair amidst the sea of Alpha Squad¡¯s elite by craning her neck, and it was infuriating.
She wanted to see her idol¡¯s reactions to all of this.
¡°Thea¡¯s not even been called up once¡ And neither has Isabella. Are we sure the UHF is even going to allow Midworlders to get any awards at all¡?¡± Pino¡¯s deflated question pulled Astra from her internal grumbling.
Her first instinct was to snap at him for voicing such a ridiculous thought, but she hesitated.
As much as she hated to admit it, his worry mirrored her own.
By now, even her own optimism was starting to waver, despite her unwavering trust in Thea¡¯s capabilities¡ªit was the UHFs intentions that she didn¡¯t entirely trust.
At first, when Isabella and Thea hadn¡¯t been called up for the Sovereign-tier awards, everyone in Mid Squad had shrugged it off.
¡°They¡¯re saving the best for last,¡± they¡¯d said, convinced that the pair were destined for the Recruit-tier awards or higher.
But then came the MVM medals.
One by one, the names were called, and neither Isabella nor Thea had appeared¡ And how could they realistically expect either of them to have beaten out all other Recruits, when they hadn¡¯t even beaten out the ones in their own ship in the MVM category¡?
¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll show up soon!¡± Astra finally said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. ¡°The UHF wouldn¡¯t be openly classist like that. It wouldn¡¯t make any sense after finally starting recruitment on Midworlds! They¡¯re getting Recruit Awards, guaranteed. Just you wait!¡±
Her words hung in the air, a thin shield of hope she wasn¡¯t sure could hold under the mounting pressure.
By now, the Valiant Defender Recruit awards had already wrapped up. The Palladium Medal had gone to Quonam Iravel from Imperator Alpha.
Astra had been silently hoping for someone from her own ship to win, but with both Lucas and Rachel already having received awards in that category, there was little chance of anybody else getting close.
The Assessment-tier awards were already halfway through, and the tension in her chest grew with every passing moment.
Each new name felt like a nail in the coffin of her fragile hopes, even though neither Isabella nor Thea had any actual chance of being called upon. The simple fact that their names hadn¡¯t appeared, however, caused her more and more stress as the ceremony continued.
¡®If even Alpha Squad¡¯s Midworlders can¡¯t get any recognition, what does that mean for the rest of us¡?¡¯
Some might have seen it as pathetic to hope for the victory of others in a ceremony like this, instead of their own, but for the members of Mid Squad, it was far more than that.
It wasn¡¯t about personal glory¡ªit was about something far bigger. They were painfully aware of their own limitations, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t cheer for others to succeed.
All they wanted was to see others like them, Midworlders by birth, pave the way for the rest by being acknowledged.
From the very first day after Integration, when Major Quinn had announced that there weren¡¯t just one but two Midworlders selected for Alpha Squad, Astra and many other Recruits hailing from the Midworlds had seen it as a monumental sign of change.
It was proof that the galaxy was beginning to shift.
Midworlders, long considered second-class citizens in the grand scope of the galaxy, now finally had a chance to prove their worth¡ªnot just through the monumental expense of travelling to an Inner World for a shot at the UHF, but directly through the Cube Trials on their very own planets, a system accessible to them for the very first time.
That alone had been groundbreaking. But the fact that Midworlders could not only enter the UHF but also rise to the very top, earning a place in Alpha Squad?
It was a beacon of hope.
For weeks, that hope had sustained Astra and others like her.
They¡¯d discussed it endlessly¡ªhow Thea and Isabella being in Alpha Squad was proof that the galaxy was moving toward a fairer future, one where Midworlders weren¡¯t just overlooked and dismissed.
It had felt like the start of a new chapter.
But now, as the awards dragged on and neither Thea nor Isabella had been recognized, the weight of all that hope and expectation felt almost unbearable.
It wasn¡¯t fair, Astra knew, to place so much on two people¡¯s shoulders.
And yet, if they didn¡¯t succeed here, if they didn¡¯t get the recognition the Midworlders had pinned their dreams on, it would raise questions none of them wanted to face.
"Did they even deserve to be in Alpha Squad?"
The idea made Astra¡¯s stomach churn. Those whispers would inevitably lead to a far darker question, one that had haunted the Midworlds for centuries:
"Are the Midworlds even worth investing in?"
No matter how much pride they felt for Thea and Isabella simply being in Alpha Squad, it was undeniable that their success here¡ªor lack thereof¡ªwould shape the perception of Midworlders in the UHF for years to come.
The weight of that realisation hung over Astra like a dark cloud as Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out, announcing the winner of the very first Crysium medal: Corporal Leon Manero from the fittingly named Valiant Squad, a team of T1 Prime Power-rank Marines from the Hegemon of Stars.
The announcement was met with a wave of applause that felt distant to Astra, her thoughts still caught in the whirlwind of what these awards meant for Midworlders.
The ceremony, which had felt like it dragged on endlessly earlier, now seemed to rush by in a blur.
The anticipation coursing through Astra and the rest of Mid Squad made every announcement simultaneously too quick and unbearably long, as Major Quinn¡¯s steady cadence became little more than a backdrop to their rising anxiety.
Thea and Isabella¡¯s names loomed large in Astra¡¯s mind, each passing moment amplifying her desperation to hear them called.
¡®Thea McKay¡ Isabella Itoku¡ Thea McKay¡ Isabella Itoku¡¡¯
She strained in her seat, craning her neck to try and catch glimpses of Thea in the front row.
Thea, who had always carried herself with such quiet determination, was now a mystery from this distance. Astra couldn¡¯t tell if she looked nervous, confident, or something in between, but every time she thought she caught sight of her, Major Quinn¡¯s voice drew her attention back to the stage.
One name after another echoed through the hall, each belonging to Marines from squads Astra had never heard of, aboard ships she hadn¡¯t even known existed.
The names she was so desperately waiting for felt like they were lost in the ether, refusing to materialise; and while it made sense that they weren¡¯t included in these awards, the logical knowledge thereof didn¡¯t help her feel any better about it.
The Spiritus Machina award came and went in the blink of an eye.
The Palladium medal was awarded to Patrick Onala Baris from Transcendent Alpha, while the Crysium medal went to Isolde Comfire, another T1 Prime Power-rank Marine from Yona Squad, hailing from the Empyrean of Swords.
Both names were accompanied by applause and murmured acknowledgments throughout the hall, but to Astra, they might as well have been background noise.
Each announcement seemed to simply deepen the pit in her stomach.
¡®Are they really not going to call them¡?¡¯ The thought gnawed at her, threatening to take root in her mind, but she forced herself to remain hopeful.
There were still plenty of awards left to go, and surely, Thea and Isabella¡¯s time would come.
It had to.
It had to.
¡°Moving on to the Eyes In The Sky Recruit Awards, we once again honour those that lend us their impeccable perceptive capabilities: the Drone Operators, Scouts, Spotters, and the myriad other roles whose main purpose is to keep the rest of us informed about the enemy¡¯s movements and safe from ambushes,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice broke through the haze inside Astra¡¯s head.
¡®This is one of the ones Thea has a good chance for¡ right?¡¯ Astra thought, clutching onto the thin thread of hope, her heart cautiously daring to believe again.
She glanced at Pino, who returned a hopeful look of his own, though the tension in his eyes betrayed his uncertainty. To her left, she squeezed Marika¡¯s trembling hand¡ªa gesture meant as much to reassure her squadmate as to steady her own nerves.
Ulfar and Jonas, usually the lively, boisterous centrepieces of their squad, simply nodded tersely at Astra¡¯s silent plea. The tension had rendered them uncharacteristically quiet, their energy drained by the slow grind of the ceremony.
¡®Come on, Major Quinn¡ please¡ just this once,¡¯ Astra begged internally, her silent prayers looping with every beat of her racing heart.
The ceremony pressed on with unwavering indifference to her squad¡¯s desperation.
The Gold medal went to a Marine aboard the Empyrean, followed by the Platinum medal being awarded to one aboard the Exalted.
Each announcement felt like a slap, stealing away pieces of Astra¡¯s hope as the possibilities narrowed.
¡°Finally, we get to the Palladium medal for the Eyes In The Sky award,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice carried a practised gravitas, heightening the anticipation in the room. ¡°This medal is awarded to the single Recruit whose perceptive capabilities truly eclipsed those of any others in the drive. This Recruit has stopped ambushes before they could occur and spotted weak points in enemy lines that allowed their squad to break through seemingly unbreachable defensive positions again and again.¡±
Astra¡¯s hands tightened on Marika¡¯s, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.
¡®Please be Thea¡ please be Thea¡¡¯
¡°That Recruit is none other than Kar¡¯al Rodun Imahara of Ascendant Alpha!¡±
Applause erupted, cheers rising from various corners of the hall, but Astra barely heard it.
The sound seemed distant, like a muted echo in the background of her sinking thoughts. Her heart plummeted, the fragile hope that had barely been holding her together now shattered.
A hollow, aching void replaced the anticipation she had clung to.
It was as though a pit had opened in her stomach, swallowing every last shred of optimism.
For a moment, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to move, to react, even as Marika murmured something to her, likely meant to be comforting.
Astra didn¡¯t hear the applause or the continued fanfare.
Her gaze drifted back to the screen as Kar¡¯al¡¯s recordings played, but the images blurred in her vision.
All she could feel was the weight of crushing disappointment and the gnawing fear that perhaps Thea wouldn¡¯t get recognized at all.
The same fear extended to Isabella, and by association, all Midworlders.
She slumped lower in her chair, her earlier hopes now little more than a distant memory.
For the first time, she stopped trying to catch a glimpse of Thea in the first row.
¡®If I¡¯m feeling this shattered¡ I can¡¯t even imagine what she¡¯s going through right now.¡¯ Sympathy for her idol only deepened the pit in her stomach.
Thea had always been a beacon for Astra, someone who defied every stereotype and expectation placed on Midworlders.
That admiration wouldn¡¯t falter, UHF-sponsored awards or not.
But she couldn¡¯t shake the growing worry about what might happen to Thea¡¯s mental state if she went through this entire ceremony without a single acknowledgement.
Astra¡¯s thoughts spiralled into plans¡ªhalf-formed ideas of how to cheer her idol up¡ªonly to snag on an unfortunate truth: Thea likely didn¡¯t even remember her.
How was she supposed to be there for her idol when she couldn¡¯t even get close enough to see her; much less speak to her?
Even from this distance, Alpha Squad might as well have been on another planet.
The pressure on her hand pulled her momentarily from her racing thoughts.
Marika was squeezing her hand, a repetitive, supportive gesture that Astra deeply appreciated, even if it didn¡¯t manage to ease her mind.
¡®Maybe I could ask the Sovereign for help?¡¯ Astra¡¯s mind latched onto the absurd idea as it circled through options. ¡®Is that something you can even do? Just¡ ask the ship¡¯s AI for advice?¡¯
She tilted her gaze toward the ceiling, half-expecting an answer to materialise.
The next squeeze from Marika wasn¡¯t gentle.
¡°Ouch! What the¡ª¡± Astra hissed, snapping her head toward her friend.
¡°Thea! It¡¯s Thea! Astra!¡± Marika was practically yelling in her face, bouncing in her seat and pointing frantically toward the front.
Thoroughly confused, Astra followed the direction of Marika¡¯s outstretched arm and froze as her eyes landed on the massive screen. There, displayed for the entire hall to see, was a recording of Sovereign Alpha moving through an abandoned industrial sector in Nova Tertius.
Thea was on the screen.
The recording highlighted Thea¡¯s methodical navigation, her relentless efforts to lead the squad through booby-trapped buildings, deserted alleyways, and paths out of sight of patrolling Stellar Republic troops.
¡°What¡ Why¡ Why is Thea on the screen?¡± Astra¡¯s voice barely registered, her confusion deepening.
The Recruit awards were over. Kar¡¯al had already taken the Palladium medal, and Major Quinn had clearly transitioned to the Assessment Awards.
So why was Thea being shown now?
Around her, Marika¡¯s ecstatic screams were deafening if thoroughly incoherent, and Pino, Ulfar, and Jonas seemed to have completely lost their minds with excitement.
The recording continued, showing Sovereign Alpha taking refuge inside the remains of an old office compound as the squad huddled around one of Desmond¡¯s drone feeds.
On the screen, Thea pointed insistently at a fresh set of tire tracks etched on the concrete in one of the drone¡¯s feeds, her expression fierce as she argued with the squad. Her gestures were animated as she seemingly urged them to investigate further.
¡®I don¡¯t understand¡¡¯ Astra thought, her mind sluggish, trying to process the unfolding events.
Her stupor was broken by the steady, authoritative voice of Major Quinn narrating the scene.
¡°It was Recruit McKay who convinced Sovereign Alpha to investigate further, using her unique perspective as someone who grew up in a Midworld Undercity. What seemed like nothing but random dirt and scuffs to others was, to her trained eyes, a critical anomaly,¡± Major Quinn explained. ¡°Her intuition ultimately prevailed, and what Sovereign Alpha uncovered¡ Well, let¡¯s just say it changed the entire course of the eastern front.¡±
Astra¡¯s brain finally began to thaw, her focus narrowing on the screen as the recording shifted to show the vehicle itself¡ªthe same truck that Corvus had destroyed in his MVM highlight.
Recognition dawned, accompanied by a flood of utter disbelief.
¡°Wait¡ Did¡ Did Thea win?¡± Astra stammered, her voice barely audible amidst the growing din of the room.
Marika¡¯s incessant yelling next to her should have answered the question, but Major Quinn¡¯s voice overpowered it entirely.
¡°The truck, overloaded with experimental Stellar Republic technology, was designed to reinforce the Wall¡¯s defences by providing additional computational power and refined algorithms. It also served as a failsafe, capable of replacing two Control Stations should they fall to saboteurs,¡± Major Quinn continued.
¡°Through Recruit McKay¡¯s impeccable perception and trust in her own intuition, Sovereign Alpha identified and destroyed this critical asset before it could be deployed. This single action accelerated the eastern front¡¯s progress markedly and, ultimately, guaranteed the UHF¡¯s success on this side of the Battlefield.¡±
The weight of those words hit Astra like a tidal wave, and her body reacted before her mind could fully comprehend.
Tears welled in her eyes as the truth settled in: Thea had won.
Not just any award, but an Assessment Award.
¡°Thea won, Astra! Thea won! She fucking did it! She won!¡± Marika screamed, her voice shrill with excitement as she bounced up and down, clutching Astra¡¯s arm with both hands.
The rest of the hall had long erupted into cheers, a cacophony of applause and whooping from the Recruits. Astra noticed, however, that the cheering wasn¡¯t for Thea specifically¡ªit was for the fact that someone from the Sovereign had claimed an Assessment Award.
Thea¡¯s name wasn¡¯t chanted, but for Astra, it might as well have been etched in the very fabric of the universe itself.
She wiped at her tears, though they refused to stop falling. Thea¡ªher idol¡ªhad done it. And yet, amidst the overwhelming pride and relief, one burning question took shape in her mind, the first coherent thought she managed to voice.
¡°Wait¡ What?! Thea won? She fucking won?! What¡ What place is she even in?!¡±
Her head snapped toward the screen, intending to scan for the medal¡¯s emblem.
Her eyes froze as they landed on Thea herself, making her way up to the podium.
Thea¡¯s steps were steady, her figure as comparatively diminutive as ever, but to Astra, she looked almost unchanged from the girl she had idolised a month ago.
¡®She looks just like she did back then¡ A tad nervous, not wanting all the eyes on her¡ Like she¡¯s just another Midworlder...¡¯
Major Quinn¡¯s voice returned, calm and deliberate, anchoring the chaos in Astra¡¯s mind. ¡°And it is with the greatest pleasure that I hereby present the Two-Star Palladium Eyes In The Sky medal to Recruit Thea McKay, of our very own Sovereign Alpha!¡±
The words echoed in Astra¡¯s head, solidifying into reality, and the dam of her composure broke entirely.
¡°Fuck yeah! Theaaaaa! Let¡¯s goooooo!¡± she screamed, her voice turning hoarse almost immediately but unyielding, as she leapt out of her seat and embraced Marika with enough force to topple them both back into their chairs.
¡°She fucking did it! Let¡¯s fucking go!¡± Astra repeated, her words a mantra of victory as tears streamed down her cheeks.
While Mid Squad was likely never going to be seated anywhere near the podium, or would ever stand out enough to obtain any medals, the noise they were making in the wake of Thea¡¯s win was louder than any other squad¡¯s, including even Alpha Squad itself...
Arc 1 - Epilogue 16 - Awards IX
Stepping toward the podium with unsteady, almost mechanical steps, Thea felt a surreal detachment from reality. The thunderous applause and deafening cheers that filled the hall barely registered in her mind, drowned out by the racing thoughts swirling within her.
¡®An Assessment Award? For what? We just followed some tire tracks, nothing more¡¡¯
The thought reverberated through her head as she cautiously climbed the stairs, her legs feeling as though they might give out at any moment.
The weight of thousands of eyes boring into her made her stomach churn.
Every step felt like an eternity, each one harder to take than the last.
Her breathing came in shallow gasps, and for a fleeting moment, she was sure she might faint. The only thing keeping her moving was the memory of Karania¡¯s calm, reassuring voice echoing in her mind:
"You got this. Just walk up, shake Major Quinn¡¯s hand, and get your medal. Then come right back down to me, okay? Nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll wait right here for you."
Thea clung to those words like a lifeline.
Hearing Major Quinn announce her name so suddenly felt like a physical blow, jarring Thea from the endless spiral of her thoughts.
She had been mentally sifting through all the possible awards she might have been eligible for¡ªones she should have been eligible for and was guaranteed to get at least one of, based on Councillor Lumis¡¯ reassurances during their conversation with Selene.
The unexpected announcement struck with all the force of a bullet¡ªand Thea was unfortunately all too familiar with how that felt recently.
She had expected, perhaps, a Recruit-level award for something like Surgical Strike or even a Stellar Republic Reaper award thanks to her Psychic Powers. But to hear her name attached to a Palladium-level Assessment Award?
That was something that just didn¡¯t even begin to compute in her mind.
Her head swam as she reached the top of the podium.
The room around her felt suffocating, the air too thick to breathe. Her vision had narrowed into a tunnel, her surroundings reduced to a blur of indistinct shapes and colours.
The sound of Major Quinn narrating the recording behind her barely penetrated the fog in her mind.
¡®I don¡¯t want to be here.¡¯
The thought struck her like a hammer, loud and insistent.
Her legs screamed at her to turn around and run¡ªto simply bolt out of the assembly hall and escape the crushing weight of those countless, judgmental stares.
But then a voice¡ªher own voice¡ªpushed back against the fear.
¡®No, keep it the fuck together, Thea! This isn¡¯t any different from the thousands of people who watched the AoC tournaments you were in. It¡¯s just a bit more direct, that¡¯s all. Just pretend they¡¯re numbers on a livestream¡ just numbers on a livestream¡¡¯
She gritted her teeth, her hands trembling at her sides as she forced herself to look forward.
Major Quinn¡¯s imposing figure stood beside her, usually a calm and commanding presence that now somehow felt intimidating and downright suffocating.
She wished she could have brought Kara up with her, but her friend had put an end to that idea with a firm shake of her head and a gentle, yet resolute tone. ¡°Thea, this isn¡¯t my award. It¡¯s yours and yours alone. Go get your dues¡ªI¡¯ll be right here when you get back. You got this.¡±
The words had offered a momentary comfort, but as Thea stood at the podium, she felt utterly alone; the lacking warmth of Kara¡¯s hand all the more prominent from having relied on it for the past few hours.
Major Quinn had turned toward her now, speaking words Thea knew were meant to praise her accomplishments, but they were drowned beneath the deafening roar of her own heartbeat. She couldn¡¯t lift her eyes to meet the Major¡¯s gaze, her focus trapped somewhere between the polished medal waiting in Quinn¡¯s hand and the floor beneath her feet.
This was supposed to be her moment¡ªthe one she had fought tooth and nail for, through blood, sweat, and endless doubts. She had dreamed of this recognition, imagined herself standing tall and proud, proving to every naysayer, every condescending glance, every whispered doubt, that she belonged in Alpha Squad.
That she deserved to be here.
But instead of the moment of triumph she had always envisioned, she felt like she might simply shatter under the weight of it all.
The tight coil of anxiety in her chest had grown to unbearable degrees, every breath a fight for her life against the overwhelming pressure. Her heart felt like it was about to give out with every single one of its massively accelerated beats, her body barely holding back the tremble threatening to escape.
She had failed to process a single word Major Quinn had said since getting up from her chair, nor the applause or cheers of her fellow Recruits.
It was all just noise to her¡ªfaint, distant, swallowed by the rush of blood roaring in her ears.
¡®Just¡ focus, Thea,¡¯ she begged herself, her inner voice both desperate and stern. ¡®This is it. The moment you¡¯ve been waiting for. Don¡¯t let it pass you by like this¡ Not like this¡!¡¯
The oppressive weight, the gnawing anxiety, the deafening rush of blood in Thea¡¯s ears¡ªall of it abruptly vanished in an instant, like a bubble popping.
The relief was so sudden and complete that it left her completely breathless, her mind reeling to catch up with the abrupt shift.
Before she could even process what had happened, she felt a steady hand that was placed gently on her shoulder.
As if pulled by some invisible force, Thea found that she could effortlessly lift her head, her eyes naturally rising to meet the Major¡¯s.
It was almost startling how easy it all felt now.
There, in Quinn¡¯s sharp, piercing gaze, she caught the briefest wink¡ªa fleeting gesture so subtle that she would have missed it if not for her high levels of Perception.
It was quick, casual, but it carried a message loud and clear: ¡°I got you.¡±
¡®Did she just¡?¡¯ Thea¡¯s mind raced as she tried to piece it together.
Had Major Quinn just used a System Ability on her? Some sort of calming effect?
She couldn¡¯t tell for sure, but whatever it was, it worked like a charm¡ªand she was infinitely grateful for it.
Shaking off her confusion, Thea stood straighter, now meeting the Major¡¯s outstretched hand. As their hands clasped firmly, she realised for the first time just how loud the assembly hall really was.
The noise hit her like a wave, a thunderous roar of applause and cheers echoing off the walls, the sound so overwhelming it made her stomach flutter in a completely different way than before.
This was for her.
The sheer volume of celebration wasn¡¯t something she had ever associated with her victories before. Her triumphs had always been personal, celebrated privately or maybe with Thomas and James at best.
But now, the noise, the clapping, the shouts¡ªit all felt surreal.
All these people, all these voices¡ They were cheering for her victory.
For her victory.
Major Quinn¡¯s smile widened as she reached for the Two-Star Palladium medal, its silver-hued lustre catching the bright stage lights.
With a proud gleam in her eye, Quinn handed it over, her hand lingering just slightly to ensure Thea had a solid grip on it before letting go.
Thea stared at the medal in her hands, its polished surface gleaming under the bright lights of the stage. The weight of it, both literal and symbolic, settled heavily in her palms, grounding her in a reality that still felt utterly surreal. She couldn¡¯t help but trace her fingers over the intricate emblem etched into the metal¡ªa true testament to her efforts and achievement.
She felt Major Quinn¡¯s steady gaze and glanced up, meeting eyes filled with pride and joy.
It was a look Thea hadn¡¯t expected but one that sent a ripple of warmth through her chest.
¡°Congratulations, Recruit McKay. The UHF hereby awards you the Two-Star Palladium medal for the Eyes In The Sky award,¡± Major Quinn announced, her clear, commanding voice carrying over the hum of residual applause. ¡°With it, naturally, comes additional benefits: You will receive 7,500 Credits, a 75% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign, and a Skill Voucher. Additionally,¡± she continued, her words precise and deliberate, ¡°I have been informed by the Sovereign that you have met a point threshold for this category, which warrants an additional Skill Voucher on top of the one standard with the award.¡±
Thea¡¯s head spun as she processed the magnitude of the rewards.
¡®Two Skill Vouchers¡? I guess Councillor Lumis did mention that I would get extras during the ceremony, to circumvent the System¡¯s restrictions on handing out things for free¡¡¯
Combined with the credits and the sales voucher, it was a bounty that left her momentarily speechless; it even dwarfed some of the higher-rarity System Accomplishments she had managed to snag.
Major Quinn gestured subtly with her hand, a silent indication that Thea was free to leave the stage.
Thea understood immediately and gratefully took the cue.
With quick steps¡ªperhaps a bit too quick¡ªshe descended the stairs, doing her best to keep her gaze forward. The sea of faces staring up at her was overwhelming, the sheer number of eyes exerting a level of pressure that threatened to undo the calm the Major¡¯s earlier intervention had provided.
¡°It is quite the rare occurrence indeed to present a Recruit with such a prestigious Assessment Award¡ªparticularly for the First Assessment,¡± Major Quinn said, her voice cutting through the hall with a tone that carried equal parts gravity and humour. ¡°For those of you who had aspirations of taking Recruit McKay¡¯s spot in Alpha Squad, I fear those dreams just got quite a lot more difficult to achieve.¡±
The quip earned a wave of chuckles and murmurs from the audience, though Thea couldn¡¯t help but catch sight of a few less-than-amused faces among the crowd as she made her way back to her seat.
As soon as she came close enough, the whole of Alpha Squad erupted into renewed, if subdued enough to not interrupt Major Quinn¡¯s continued ceremony, cheers.
Even Desmond joined in, clapping enthusiastically and giving her a genuine grin.
His support surprised her less and less these days, though she still found it odd at times.
The animosity that had defined their early interactions was steadily dissolving, replaced by a grudging mutual respect born from shared battles and proven reliability. While she doubted they would ever be close friends, and she still felt an official apology from him was overdue, Thea couldn¡¯t deny that his presence within the squad had become increasingly reassuring.
¡°I told you, you¡¯d win big,¡± Karania said with a smug smile as Thea drew close enough to hear her without raising her voice. Her tone was filled with the self-assuredness that only Karania could manage in a moment like this.
¡°Congratulations, Thea. It¡¯s more than deserved!¡± Lucas added warmly, leaning slightly forward to peek out behind Karania, with a supportive grin.
Isabella¡¯s voice came next, loud¡ªalmost too loud¡ªand teasing. ¡°Fuck yeah, Thea! I was planning to show you up with the medal I was going to win, but it looks like that¡¯s not happening now, huh?¡±
She laughed, though there was an unmistakable pride in her tone.
Corvus, seated farther away, simply gave her a respectful nod paired with a proud smile, his quiet approval carrying its own weight. Even Desmond, still sporting his grin, gave her a thumbs-up, his gesture of support simple but sincere.
Sliding back into her chair, Thea let out a long, relieved sigh, the overwhelming tension from moments ago easing from her body. Instinctively, she reached for Karania¡¯s hand, seeking the comforting connection that had steadied her over the past few hours.
Karania raised an eyebrow in mild surprise at the unexpected action, briefly pulling away before resigning herself to the role of Thea¡¯s anchor once again.
Their hands intertwined, and Karania began gently stroking Thea¡¯s fingers, the warmth and physical sensation slowly calming her racing thoughts and nerves.
¡°Major Quinn do something to you?¡± Karania asked quietly, her voice low and soothing, though tinged with curiosity.
Thea nodded, leaning in slightly to keep her response between them. ¡°Some kind of System Ability, I think. I¡¯m not really sure what. But it just¡ wiped everything away¡ªall the anxiety, the fear, the pressure. It was¡ Nice. Really nice.¡±
She hesitated before adding, ¡°Is that how everyone else feels all the time? Just standing there, enjoying the moment, despite everyone staring at you¡?¡±
Karania¡¯s lips curled into a small, knowing smile as she gave Thea¡¯s hand a reassuring squeeze.
¡°Not even close,¡± she said softly. ¡°Most people feel at least some level of nerves in a situation like that. Remember Corvus earlier? Even he wasn¡¯t immune to it, you saw it yourself¡ªhis hands were shaking up there, and we all know how unshakable he usually is. Just like him, you¡¯re only human, Thea. Some people handle that kind of pressure easier, some struggle a bit more, but everyone feels the weight of moments like that to some degree.¡±
She paused, her gaze steady and grounding. ¡°And even with that Ability helping you out, you handled it beautifully. And keep in mind: Abilities don¡¯t change who you are at your core, System-related or not. I don¡¯t think it wiped away your nerves so much as it amplified the part of you that was already fighting to stay calm. It didn¡¯t create the courage¡ªyou already had that in you. It just gave you the clarity to show it.¡±
Her smile grew. ¡°And hey¡ªwho¡¯s to say you won¡¯t get to the point where you won¡¯t even need the boost? One day, you¡¯ll step up there, nerves or not, and enjoy the moment entirely on your own.¡±
Thea blinked at her, the words sinking in.
Karania always had this uncanny way of making things sound so¡ Achievable.
Even if Thea didn¡¯t quite believe it herself just yet, she held on to her friend¡¯s words for now.
She offered Kara a faint smile in return as the ceremony pressed on.
¡°But let us not dawdle on Recruit McKay¡¯s achievement,¡± Major Quinn continued, effortlessly pulling the room¡¯s focus back to the ceremony. ¡°As impressive and noteworthy as it is, we still have quite a few categories to get through, and this one is not even over yet.¡±
Thea¡¯s curiosity was piqued at the reminder that there was still the Crysium Eye In The Sky medal left, wondering just what kind of event had outdone the incredibly lucky find that she and Alpha Squad had made; and who.
¡°Without any further ado, let us take a look at the Crysium medal winner, Private Gabriel Enem of Lance Squad, hailing from the Imperator of Seas.¡±
With those words, the screen behind Major Quinn flickered to life once again, displaying a series of rapid-fire events.
The footage followed a lean, lightly armoured Marine navigating through the chaotic, war-torn ruins of Nova Tertius with an efficiency that immediately caught Thea¡¯s eye; he was definitely experienced in navigating urban environments like this, just like she was.
¡°Following the main assault and the breach of the Wall,¡± Major Quinn narrated, ¡°the UHF¡¯s main forces pushed deeper into Nova Tertius, targeting strategic locations outlined by Legate Kuan. Private Enem was deployed as part of a vanguard unit tasked with scouting the post-battle zones, ensuring safe passage for the advancing army behind them. Whenever the main force was engaged in heavy combat, Lance Squad¡¯s role was to provide overwatch and track enemy movements, minimising the risks of ambushes after the fighting had finished.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
The footage showed Lance Squad sweeping through broken alleys and gutted buildings.
Private Enem, however, was often ahead of the group, slipping through rubble and traversing precarious terrain like a ghost.
¡°This, on its own,¡± Major Quinn continued, ¡°is certainly commendable, of course. But such duties, as vital as they are, are not enough to earn a medal of this calibre. What sets Private Enem apart is what he discovered¡ªand the moments that followed.¡±
The recording transitioned to Private Enem crouching behind a crumbled section of a building.
His sniper rifle was aimed toward a half-hidden encampment of Stellar Republic soldiers nestled in the remnants of a shattered plaza. The camp was busy triaging their wounded, the medics and soldiers working frantically under the ruined remnants of a pair of buildings.
Thea¡¯s focus, like everyone else¡¯s, was drawn to Enem¡¯s scope as it swept the scene.
When his scope landed on a specific figure, the entire audience seemed to hold its breath.
It wasn¡¯t a soldier, nor was it a medic.
It was a hulking, twisted figure, larger than anyone else in the camp by multiple metres, its body encased in a heavily customised exosuit that appeared more like armour grafted into flesh than something merely worn.
Its movements were slow, laboured, and clearly pained, but its sheer presence exuded a terrifying power and authority.
¡®What the¡? What even is that?¡¯ Thea thought, her heart racing.
Private Enem, however, didn¡¯t linger on the figure for long.
He moved with the swiftness of someone who immediately understood the stakes of what he had just born witness to. Ducking back behind cover, he did what most Scouts would consider suicidal when deep behind enemy lines¡ªhe used his comms.
The recording played the unedited audio of Enem¡¯s transmission, his voice low but razor-sharp and intent: ¡°Zulu Gamma Zulu, I repeat, Zulu Gamma Zulu. I got eyes-on. Coordinates read D-5, I-14. Target designation: Beast. Target is injured but mobile, requesting immediate Ace-hunter deployment. ¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as the pieces clicked together in her mind.
¡®He found an injured enemy Ace¡!¡¯
As if to confirm her suspicions, Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through the murmurs rippling through the crowd. ¡°As you¡¯ve likely guessed by now, Private Enem not only managed to catch sight of but also coordinated an attack on one of the Stellar Republic¡¯s three enemy Aces. The Ace, designated ¡®Beast¡¯ by UHF command, earned their moniker for a reason. They possessed a Palladium-rarity Class that allowed them to drastically alter their physical form, granting them superhuman capabilities that rivalled the very best the System has to offer. Recognizing the magnitude of this opportunity, Ace-hunter squads were immediately deployed, alongside one of our own Aces, to capitalise on this rare chance.¡±
She paused briefly, allowing the information to sink in, before stepping back and adding, ¡°Killing an enemy Ace is exceedingly rare. These individuals are among the most treasured assets of any Faction. Unless you¡¯re fighting on a Battlefield designated with at least A-rank importance, Aces are typically withdrawn the moment they¡¯re at significant risk. They¡¯re far too valuable to lose. That alone should tell you just how extraordinary this opportunity really was.¡±
The screen continued to play the recording, showing an accelerated feed of Private Enem maintaining his position, carefully monitoring the Beast while coordinating with the incoming Ace-hunter squads and the UHF¡¯s own Ace.
Finally, the footage transitioned to the encirclement of the Beast.
The UHF squads moved into position with practised precision, completely surrounding the injured Ace and the small group of Stellar Republic soldiers nearby.
The ambush was executed with chilling efficiency.
Hundreds of explosions erupted simultaneously, lighting up the screen in a blinding cascade of firepower. A hailstorm of bullets, energy blasts, and unleashed System Abilities pounded the Beast and anyone unlucky enough to be near them.
Within mere fractions of a moment, the enemy Ace and their entourage were reduced to smouldering ruins.
It was undeniably effective, but¡
¡°Wow¡ That¡¯s it?¡± Thea muttered under her breath, unable to hide her disappointment.
Her quiet remark didn¡¯t go unnoticed, of course.
Karania, sitting beside her, turned with a soft chuckle, one eyebrow raised. ¡°What did you expect, exactly? The Beast was injured, surrounded, and completely blindsided. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to activate their Abilities. Nobody¡ªnot even an Ace¡ªcan survive that kind of firepower without reacting. Aside from maybe the Emperor himself, if you believe the stories.¡±
Karania¡¯s words made sense, but they still left Thea with an odd feeling of anticlimax.
She had somehow wanted more¡ªsomething dramatic, like an epic, last-ditch effort from the Beast that justified their title as an Ace.
Instead, what she got was a brutal yet mundane reminder of just how swift and unforgiving war could be.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice pulled her back to the present. ¡°With the death of the Beast, the UHF secured a decisive advantage on the Battlefield. Having one more Ace than the enemy during the strategic battles that followed allowed us to tip the scales in our favour at critical junctures. It is no exaggeration to say that this event played a pivotal role in securing ultimate victory on this front.¡±
The screen shifted to a still image of the ruined battlefield, the charred remains of the encampment marking where the Beast had met their end.
¡°Private Enem, through his exceptional perception, quick thinking, and his willingness to take the immense risk of communicating from deep behind enemy lines, presented the enemy Ace to us on a silver platter,¡± Major Quinn continued, her voice resonating with pride and respect. ¡°This act of courage and tactical brilliance not only neutralised one of the enemy¡¯s most critical assets but also prevented untold losses on our side. For his actions, he will be awarded the Crysium medal for the Eyes In The Sky category.¡±
The room erupted in applause, though to Thea, it seemed noticeably more subdued than the cheers she had heard when she was on stage. While the applause was polite and consistent, there was a lack of that electric energy she¡¯d felt earlier.
¡®I wonder if it¡¯s just the acoustics of the room¡ or maybe people just aren¡¯t as excited because it¡¯s not someone from the Sovereign winning this time. Could be a mix of both, I guess¡¡¯ she mused, her thoughts running in circles as she glanced around the assembly hall.
Major Quinn didn¡¯t miss a beat as she continued with the ceremony.
The One Man Army awards were next.
Despite her best efforts to stay attentive for Isabella¡¯s sake, Thea found her focus slipping.
A wave of exhaustion had settled over her, leaving her feeling strangely drained as Major Quinn began introducing the category.
Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, the words on stage blending into the background, until a familiar name suddenly pulled her back into the moment like a sharp jolt of energy.
¡°Tiberius Soren, from our very own Wano Squad!¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out, and Thea watched as Tiberius stood and made his way to the stage to accept the One-Star Platinum medal.
He ascended the podium with now very evident, practised ease, the applause from the audience a mix of genuine respect and begrudging acknowledgment.
It was his second medal, and just as Thea had thought when he received the first one, her suspicions solidified: Tiberius was going to be a problem.
He accepted his medal with the same calm, self-assured demeanour he had displayed earlier, shaking Major Quinn¡¯s hand with gusto. As he stepped down from the podium, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips, Thea¡¯s eyes followed him.
She couldn¡¯t help but notice how the attention of the room shifted with him, the same magnetic pull that Rachel Masters had commanded.
Anyone winning multiple medals seemed to ascend to a near-mythic status among the Recruits, the murmurs of admiration and jealousy creating a palpable undercurrent in the air.
Before she could dwell on it, though, Major Quinn started to announce the next name, and Thea¡¯s focus immediately snapped back to the stage with no time to even worry about how Isabella was handling getting outdone in her own category.
¡°And now, for the One-Star Palladium medal in the One Man Army category¡¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out once more, and Thea felt her chest invariably tighten with anticipation.
¡°Isabella Itoku, from our very own Sovereign Alpha!¡±
Cheers erupted from every corner of the hall, but none louder than from Alpha Squad.
¡°Fuck yeah, Isabella!¡± Desmond bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise surprisingly clearly, while Thea clapped and cheered alongside the others, her grin wide as Isabella rose from her seat and strode confidently toward the podium.
It seemed that Thea had not ended up having to worry about her friend after all; Isabella betrayed not even a hint of surprise¡ªlike she had expected to be called upon, even after Tiberius had already taken a Recruit Award in this category.
¡®To have that level of confidence in yourself¡¡¯ Thea thought wistfully, as he cheered alongside the rest of the squad.
Isabella accepted her medal with her trademark swagger, the toothy grin on her face as bright as ever as she turned to shake Major Quinn¡¯s hand. The applause thundered around her, but it was clear that it didn¡¯t phase her in the slightest; if anything, it seemed to feed into her energy, making her posture all the more confident.
Thea heard Karania¡¯s quiet voice beside her, pulling her from the noise. ¡°I guess I was wrong, Thea. My apologies for lying to you¡ªit seems there actually are people completely immune to pressure. Isabella really is one of a kind.¡±
Thea couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. ¡°That she is.¡±
As Isabella descended the podium, her movements still exuding confidence, her eyes caught Tiberius¡¯s.
He was seated not too far from the first row that Alpha Squad was positioned in, his sharp gaze meeting hers for a brief, charged moment.
In that split second, Thea caught the flicker of unspoken respect passing between them, tempered by an undeniable hint of challenge.
Isabella¡¯s toothy grin widened slightly, almost daring, while Tiberius merely raised an eyebrow in response, his expression initially cool and unreadable until he nodded ever so slightly.
Thea watched the exchange closely, her mind cataloguing the moment.
¡®This is going to be interesting.¡¯
Alpha Squad celebrated alongside Isabella for a brief moment, with her receiving a fist-bump from Thea and a handshake from Karania on her way back to her seat.
Major Quinn allowed the cheers to continue for a moment longer before raising her hand to regain the room¡¯s focus. ¡°Two Recruits from the same ship earning Recruit-level awards in the same category,¡± she remarked, her tone light but tinged with pride. ¡°A rare feat; no matter how anyone wants to paint it. But then again: You are from my Drive, part of my Legion and were born as part of my Sector, so perhaps that is not all too surprising now.¡±
She ended with a wink, earning herself chuckles and cheers from the audience again, their pride evident as the ceremony continued moving forward unabated.
The Major then seamlessly transitioned into the next category, riding the wave of relaxed tension to introduce the Recruit and Assessment Awards for the Surgical Strike category.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of hope.
¡®Surgical Strike¡¡¯ she thought, her mind flickering to the destruction of the Stealth Generator and the Anti-Armour cannons atop the wall. Both moments had been critical, precise, and¡ªdare she say it¡ªimpressive.
But she quickly tried to temper her own excitement. ¡®Don¡¯t get greedy now, Thea. You already got a Two-Star Palladium medal. Something nobody would have ever dared to dream of. Just enjoy the rest of the ceremony.¡¯
Major Quinn began announcing the winners, starting with the Gold Recruit medal, which went to a Marine from the Imperator.
The room erupted in applause as the highlights rolled, but Thea found herself clapping half-heartedly.
Her hopes continued to dim further with the announcement of the Platinum Recruit medal, awarded to someone aboard the Empyrean.
With each name that wasn¡¯t hers, her flickering hope shrank a little more.
¡®What did you expect, honestly?¡¯ she chided herself internally. ¡®It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to hand out medals for every little thing you did.¡¯
Finally, Major Quinn announced the One-Star Palladium medal. ¡°And the Recruit awarded the One-Star Palladium medal for the Surgical Strike category is¡ Kar¡¯al Rodun Imahara of Ascendant Alpha!¡±
Thea blinked, her thoughts momentarily interrupted as she registered the name. A smile crept onto her face as she joined the cheering, clapping with genuine enthusiasm.
¡®Good for him! Fuck yeah, Kar¡¯al!¡¯
Kar¡¯al had been one of the only Recruits she¡¯d managed to talk to during the assessment, a small yet meaningful interaction that wouldn¡¯t have happened without Corvus¡¯s nudging.
She remembered the calm, focused demeanour he¡¯d exuded even then, despite the chaos of the assessment. Their conversation about the customised Gram, its upsides and downsides and the reasons for his modifications were still fresh in her mind; practically begging her to finally get tinkering on her own Gram the moment she had some free time.
He deserved this, no doubt about it.
As the crowd¡¯s cheers began to fade, Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice once again filled the hall, shifting the ceremony seamlessly into the Assessment Awards for the Surgical Strike category.
Thea leaned back in her seat, feeling the tension that had built during the Recruit Awards finally leave her shoulders. She clapped politely with the rest of the crowd, her earlier hopes for another award having long since settled into a quiet acceptance.
She allowed herself a brief, wistful thought, her mind starting to wander as Major Quinn continued. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m more than happy with what I¡¯ve got. I¡ª¡¯
¡°Thea McKay from our very own Sovereign Alpha, once again!¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through Thea¡¯s thoughts like a thunderclap, sending her spiralling into stunned confusion.
¡°Huh?¡± she muttered, blinking rapidly as her brain scrambled to make sense of what she¡¯d just heard. ¡°What?¡±
Beside her, Karania laughed, already halfway out of her seat as she pushed Thea to her feet. ¡°Go, Thea, you absolute moron! You just won another! Go, before Major Quinn has to call you out twice! Pay attention next time!¡±
The sudden realisation hit Thea like a freight train. ¡®Another medal¡? At Assessment Tier? Seriously?!¡¯
Her legs felt shaky as she stood, the renewed, massive eruption of applause and cheers from the crowd only adding to the surreal haze around her. For a moment, she simply stared at the podium, as if it were some unreachable peak, before Karania gave her another reassuring nudge; this time more forceful, sending her stumbling forwards.
¡°You¡¯ve got this, Thea,¡± Kara said with a grin. ¡°Now go show them what you¡¯re made of¡ªagain.¡±
With that, Thea forced herself to move, her steps hesitant at first but gaining momentum as she approached the stage.
¡®Two Two-Star medals¡? This can¡¯t be fucking real¡¡¯
Yet, as she ascended the podium, the shining emblem of the Two-Star Platinum Surgical Strike medal glinting on the screen behind Major Quinn reminded her: It was very real.
Surprisingly, Thea found herself standing before Major Quinn faster than her nerves or anxiety could fully take hold.
The sheer and utter confusion of how she had possibly managed to secure another Assessment Award had completely overridden the usual spiralling thoughts that accompanied situations like this.
The medal felt almost weightless in her hands, though its significance pressed down on her like a physical force. Behind her, the screen displayed the destruction of the three Anti-Armour Cannons atop the Wall, a moment that she remembered vividly yet now felt like a distant memory.
Thea¡¯s mind flickered to a strange thought: ¡®Maybe I¡¯m still in the shower room the Sovereign made for me¡ Maybe this is just a weird dream¡¡¯
As if sensing her disbelief, Major Quinn leaned in slightly, her lips curling into a faint, playful smile. She lowered her voice just enough that no one else could hear and added a conspiratorial wink. ¡°It¡¯s very real, Recruit. Better get used to being up here.¡±
Thea blinked, thrown off-balance.
Before she could muster the courage to ask the Major what exactly she meant, the woman straightened, her expression snapping back into its usual composed professionalism.
With a commanding tone, she addressed the hall.
¡°For her exemplary contributions in destroying critical enemy installations¡ªthereby crippling their ability to mount effective defences and forcing the Stellar Republic¡¯s hand at the eastern front¡ªRecruit McKay will be granted 6,000 Credits, a 60% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign, and a Skill Voucher. Congratulations, Recruit; you are making the entire Drive proud!¡±
Thea barely had time to process those words before the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. The sound was deafening, but beneath the roar, she caught something new.
Something different.
The applause wasn¡¯t just loud¡ªit was deliberate. Purposeful.
And the energy felt sharper, more focused.
It was like Thea could feel a literal shift in how she was perceived as a whole.
The eyes trained on her weren¡¯t just curious glances, like they had been before, trying to size up the Marine who had done the improbable and won an Assessment Award.
No, this was something far more overwhelming.
¡®They¡¯re not just looking at me,¡¯ she realised with a jolt as she descended the podium, the medal clutched tightly in her hand. ¡®They¡¯re seeing me.¡¯
Every step back toward her seat felt heavy with the weight of countless eyes fixed on her.
Hundreds of Recruits gazed at her, their expressions eerily similar to those she¡¯d seen directed at Rachel Masters or Tiberius Soren earlier in the ceremony: awe and respect.
It was the kind of look Thea wasn¡¯t used to seeing directed at herself, and the sheer number of faces reflecting it only added to her growing discomfort.
She did her best to meet the gazes directed at her, letting the competitive fire in her blood relish the respect she had undeniably earned. But after locking eyes with only a few of the countless onlookers, the anxiety coiling in her chest became once again unbearable.
Her confidence faltered, and she quickly dropped her gaze to the ground, focusing on the not-so-steady rhythm of her accelerating steps as she returned to Alpha Squad.
Her squadmates greeted her with a fresh round of cheers and congratulations, their enthusiasm cutting through her swirling thoughts.
Isabella, however, shot her a playful, mock-annoyed glare. ¡°You just had to one-up me, didn¡¯t you? Even after already showing me up before I even got mine. Seriously, Thea, you¡¯re unbelievable.¡±
Thea opened her mouth to respond, but Isabella wasn¡¯t done.
She turned dramatically toward Corvus, throwing her hands up in exaggerated frustration. ¡°Corvus, can you believe this bitch? Isn¡¯t there, like, some rule against this? Illegal amongst squad members or something?¡±
Corvus surprised everyone by openly laughing¡ªa rare occurrence in itself¡ªand shrugging. ¡°What am I supposed to do, Isabella? If she¡¯s just better than you, then she¡¯s better than you. And keep in mind, I even took away her most powerful weapon for a good chunk of that Assessment. If you still lost, I don¡¯t know how much more I¡¯m supposed to help you.¡±
The squad collectively froze for a moment, Thea included.
Corvus was rarely one to banter, much less deliver such a pointed jab.
But something about the celebratory mood, the string of Alpha Squad victories, and the high-energy atmosphere seemed to have melted even the stoic squad leader¡¯s usual composure.
The stunned silence broke as Isabella erupted into loud, roaring laughter, clapping her hands as she tilted her head back in delight.
However, her laughter was abruptly cut off by a yelp of pain as she clutched the back of her head, glaring around as if searching for her assailant.
The entire squad¡¯s attention shifted toward the stage when they heard a person clearing their throat pointedly, where Major Quinn stood, arms crossed and an unmistakable chiding expression etched on her face.
¡°Did¡ Did she just Psychic-Slap me?¡± Isabella muttered in disbelief, her voice markedly subdued.
Corvus, his earlier amusement replaced with a guilty cringe, answered in a low voice, ¡°I think so.¡±
The rest of the squad tried¡ªand failed¡ªto stifle their laughter, their shoulders shaking as they exchanged amused glances. Each of them, however, kept a wary eye on Major Quinn, who stood at the podium with a towering presence, one brow raised in a way that seemed to silently challenge any further disruptions.
¡°Now,¡± Major Quinn said, her voice laced with playful authority, ¡°with Alpha Squad momentarily quieted down, I will continue with the ceremony.¡± Her tone carried a chiding undertone, but the glint in her eyes betrayed her amusement.
The remark earned a ripple of chuckles and polite applause from the audience, the tension from moments ago diffusing into shared enjoyment. Even Isabella, still rubbing the back of her head with an exaggerated pout, couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the Major¡¯s impeccable timing.
The Major started introducing the next category¡¯s awards as Alpha Squad quietly decided to sit down again, keeping their continued conversation and congratulations for Thea to a whisper-quiet level¡
Arc 1 - Finale - Primum (1/2)
¡°We once more are going to honor the Medics of the Assessment with the Recruit and Assessment-tier Emperor¡¯s Touch awards,¡± Major Quinn announced as the screen behind her once more turned into a representation of the various medals available for this category.
Alpha Squad settled back into their seats, the earlier joviality fading into a more focused calm.
Thea followed suit, sinking into her chair with a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief, her gaze locked on the two medals in her hands.
Having a Two-Star Palladium and a Two-Star Platinum medal felt surreal, downright absurd, as if reality itself had bent to accommodate something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible.
The weight of the medals¡ªboth literal and symbolic¡ªfelt heavier than her hands could bear, yet she couldn¡¯t stop staring at the polished silver-hued surfaces. The way the podium lights danced across them made them seem almost alive, their gleam a constant reminder of her accomplishments.
¡®This is absolutely crazy,¡¯ she thought, her mind unable to fully grasp the enormity of it. ¡®Third and second best in the entire Assessment for two separate categories? I didn¡¯t even think I¡¯d get anything above maybe a Recruit award, but now I have two¡?¡¯
She turned one medal over in her flesh-and-blood hand, running her fingers along the cool, etched surface, while the other rested in her cybernetic palm. The contrast between the two felt oddly poetic¡ªa blend of her old self and the new, standing as proof of her journey.
Yet, the surreal pride in her heart was accompanied by a gnawing unease.
It felt particularly strange because the feats she had been recognized for didn¡¯t seem all that impressive to her.
The Eyes In The Sky medal weighed heavily on her thoughts, the sense of unearned glory clouding what should have been her moment of triumph.
¡®It was just a coincidence,¡¯ she told herself again, the rationalization becoming a mantra. ¡®I spotted some tire tracks, nothing more. If that truck hadn¡¯t been loaded with experimental tech, it wouldn¡¯t have meant anything. It could have just been a troop transporter, and no one would¡¯ve cared.¡¯
She exhaled softly, the sour taste of undeserved praise lingering.
While she couldn¡¯t deny that her instincts had led them to that pivotal moment, the idea that her success hinged on sheer luck made her uncomfortable.
How could she reconcile the accolades with the reality she believed?
Her thoughts turned to Desmond¡¯s earlier achievement.
Despite his impressive display of controlling three drones at once¡ªsomething she still couldn¡¯t imagine doing herself¡ªhe¡¯d only received a Gold medal.
It didn¡¯t seem fair, and the imbalance gnawed at her.
The second medal, the one she had just been awarded, felt slightly less misplaced in her hands. At least with this one, she could point to some actual effort and execution on her part.
Taking out the Anti-Armour Cannons alongside Lucas had been one of the most adrenaline-fueled moments of the entire assessment for her. Drawing the combined ire of an entire defensive installation like the Wall wasn¡¯t something just anyone could claim.
But as the initial rush of that memory faded, the doubt crept back in.
Shooting the Anti-Armour Cannons hadn¡¯t exactly been a masterclass in skill, either.
Almost anyone could have done what she had, provided they had access to the Caliburn and her [Detect Weak Spots] Ability. It wasn¡¯t as though she had to make a difficult shot or perform any kind of advanced tactics.
It was simply point, click, and let the Caliburn¡¯s overwhelming power do the rest.
She glanced down at the medals again, their polished surfaces gleaming in the dim light of the hall.
She was undoubtedly happy to have them, but they didn¡¯t feel earned.
They felt more like strange consolation prizes than anything else.
¡®But why would the UHF hand out consolation prizes?¡¯ The thought gnawed at her, refusing to let go. ¡®Is it because of my talk with Lumis? Did she pull some strings¡?¡¯
The idea festered in her mind like a wound, festering since she had been called up for the first medal. The longer she thought about it, the less sense it made.
A random lucky guess leading to an Assessment-tier award?
Especially one as prestigious as the Two-Star Palladium?
¡®Lumis did say I¡¯d get extra rewards to circumvent the System¡¯s restrictions...¡¯ Her logical side countered, trying to stitch together some understanding. But even that explanation felt incomplete.
The idea lodged itself like a splinter in her mind, festering the longer she thought about it. Lumis had promised extra rewards to bypass the System¡¯s restrictions, so maybe she had intervened in some way.
¡®But then again,¡¯ her logical side argued, ¡®if the System was involved in any capacity, it wouldn¡¯t allow favoritism. The System doesn¡¯t bend to whims, not even for the UHF brass. If they could manipulate it, they wouldn¡¯t be desperate enough to recruit from Midworlds in the first place.¡¯
Her train of thought only spiraled further. ¡®So, does that mean the System genuinely thought my actions were worthy of these medals? How? It was just luck. I saw some tire tracks and got the Caliburn lined up on a big target. How does that justify this kind of recognition¡?¡¯
Her ruminations swirled like a storm, an unrelenting battle between her doubt and the tiny flicker of pride trying to fight through.
Yet the doubt still loomed larger, its shadow darkening her every thought.
All the while, the ceremony continued undisturbed.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice was a steady background, presenting one medal after another.
Thea paid little attention, certain of one thing amidst her doubts¡ªKarania would undoubtedly be called up soon.
If anyone deserved an Assessment-Tier medal, it was her.
There wasn¡¯t a shred of doubt in Thea¡¯s mind about that.
So she only started paying attention when she heard Major Quinn call out the winner of the Two-Star Platinum medal; who naturally turned out to not be Karania.
Thea glanced at her friend, who, as always, appeared utterly serene, sitting back in her seat with the kind of calm that seemed impossible amidst the tension.
Karania¡¯s posture was relaxed, her expression composed as always, and her eyes fixed on the stage with the quiet confidence of someone who already knew exactly when her name would be called.
It was as if doubt itself had never existed in her mind, not even for a moment.
¡°How do you do it?¡± Thea asked before she could stop herself, her voice barely above a whisper. She immediately regretted it, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.
Karania turned to her, her piercing gaze meeting Thea¡¯s as if she¡¯d been expecting the question all along.
Thea fumbled, almost wishing she could pull the words back into her mouth.
¡°Do what? Not freak out about what medal I might get?¡± Karania replied, her lips curling into that knowing smile she often wore¡ªthe one that always made Thea feel like her thoughts weren¡¯t as private as she hoped. ¡°It¡¯s simple: Logic and observation.¡±
Thea remained quiet, instinctively leaning closer as she braced for the explanation she knew was coming. Karania had a way of breaking down her perspective that always made Thea feel simultaneously in awe and more than just a little inadequate.
¡°I¡¯ve seen most of the Medics in this Assessment,¡± Karania began, her voice calm and even. ¡°At least the ones on the eastern front. And I¡¯m better than them. Vastly better.¡±
There was no arrogance in her tone, only an unshakable certainty that came from knowing the truth.
¡°I poured everything I had into making sure people made it out alive¡ªoften at the cost of myself.¡±
She raised her cybernetic arm, her mechanical fingers flexing slightly, a reminder of the sacrifices she had made during the assessment.
¡°I skipped sleep. I skipped meals. I worked myself to the bone to save every single person I could, wherever I went,¡± she continued, her voice growing firmer. ¡°And when I felt like I was going to pass out from exhaustion, I simply kept going. Because if I didn¡¯t, people would die. And that¡¯s unacceptable.¡±
Her tone shifted, growing sharper, more fervent. ¡°Death is a symptom of an untreated condition¡ªa condition that I can fix. And I will. Every time.¡±
Thea stared, unable to look away as her friend spoke with a conviction so deep it seemed to fill the space around her.
Karania wasn¡¯t just confident¡ªit was something deeper, a kind of purpose that seemed to define every part of Karania¡¯s being.
She didn¡¯t need reassurance or validation from the UHF or anyone else.
She knew her worth, knew the impact she¡¯d made, and it radiated from her in a way that left Thea feeling both inspired and humbled.
¡°Other Medics I saw, broke down, took breaks, decided that a person wasn¡¯t worth their time or energy trying to save¡ªthey gave up,¡± Karania said, her voice low but laced with an intensity that demanded Thea¡¯s full attention. ¡°They lost the fight with themselves as much as they lost the fight with death. They were weak. Unworthy of being called proper Medics. Unworthy of being relied upon in the midst of the only battle that matters: Life and death.¡±
Thea was enraptured.
She had never heard her friend speak like this before, so openly passionate, so raw.
It was as if Karania had peeled back a hidden layer of herself, revealing a side of her that few, if any, had ever seen. It felt like stumbling into a secret room in a familiar house, something you never even knew existed.
¡°That¡¯s observation,¡± Karania continued. ¡°Logic, then, dictates that the person who does better than these so-called Medics will be placed higher in the rankings. I¡¯ve seen the majority of Medics on the eastern front. I¡¯ve met Medics from the western front earlier in the assessment as well. None of them stood out. They were Medics when it was convenient¡ªwhen they had the energy to spare, when the odds were easy enough to make it an obvious win.¡±
There was a rare sharpness in her voice, an undercurrent of disgust that Thea had never heard before.
Karania rarely spoke ill of anyone, especially others in the same role as herself, but now, her disdain for what she considered mediocrity among her peers was unmistakable.
¡°There were a few, of course, who understood the true calling. A few who fought longer, harder, and further than others. But in the end? They all gave up. So, logic dictates that the one who does not give up, who fights harder, longer, without breaking, will win.¡±
Karania¡¯s eyes locked onto Thea¡¯s, her gaze intense, unyielding and raw.
It was impossible to look away, as if her words held Thea captive in a spell she didn¡¯t want to escape.
¡°And I never give up, Thea,¡± Karania said, her voice dropping slightly, almost a whisper, but carrying the weight of a solemn vow. ¡°Death is the ultimate enemy. The thing that hunts us all without pause, without rest, without tiring. If you, as a Medic, cannot match its relentlessness, then who are you to claim you can beat it? I never give up.¡±
¡°I saved people from the kind of brinks that others wouldn¡¯t believe. I sacrificed my own flesh and blood to give even the furthest-gone the most miniscule of a chance. I worked day and night, without rest, without a break, to save those who could be saved. And those who couldn¡¯t?¡±
She paused, her voice hardening. ¡°I still fought for them and tried to make it work. Because death fights for them too, every single time.¡±
Her cybernetic hand flexed slightly, the light catching the metal as if emphasizing her point.
¡°I don¡¯t fear death. I loathe it. Death steals from us¡ªour futures, our potential, the infinite possibilities of change. It is the thief that cuts short humanity¡¯s greatest gift: The ability to grow. To evolve. To be. Death is not some passive inevitability. It is an active predator. And like any predator, it, too, can be hunted.¡±
Thea¡¯s breath caught.
Karania¡¯s words now carried a weight that was almost overwhelming, her conviction like a veritable force of nature.
¡°Death is the ultimate enemy, Thea. And I don¡¯t just keep it at bay. I will defeat it. I will destroy its very existence in our reality. I will hunt it down, like it hunted us for time immemorial, without rest, without respite, until every last person has been saved and death becomes nothing but a distant memory.¡±
Her voice rose slightly, an edge of righteous defiance sharpening her words. ¡°Death itself will learn to fear. Because I will not let it claim what it wants. Death itself will learn to fear because I will not rest, like so many others. Death itself will learn to fear because I don¡¯t care if it chooses someone to die¡ªI will fight it every step of the way, no matter what.¡±
She leaned forward slightly, her piercing gaze locking with Thea¡¯s once again, as if daring her to disagree.
¡°Logic dictates that the one who refuses to give up will win. So I will win. Death itself will learn to fear me, Thea. Because I am a Medic, and death is nothing but a symptom that requires treatment.¡±
Thea could only stare, speechless, as her friend got up from her chair, calm once more, as if she hadn¡¯t just declared war on the very concept of mortality itself.
In the same moment, Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice echoed through the hall, clear and resolute: ¡°And with the utmost pleasure, respect, and genuine pride, I present the Two-Star Crysium Emperor¡¯s Touch Medal to our very own Karania Faulkner, from Sovereign Alpha!¡±
The hall erupted.
Cheers, screams, and applause crashed through the air like a tidal wave, the sheer force of it vibrating through the floor and walls, threatening to tear the Sovereign apart at the very seams.
Yet, Thea barely registered it.
The cacophony seemed distant, muffled beneath the weight of her own thoughts as her eyes remained locked on Karania¡¯s back.
She had watched as her friend moved with purpose, already halfway to the stage before Major Quinn had even finished announcing her name.
¡®She knew,¡¯ Thea thought, a mix of awe and disbelief swirling within her. ¡®She knew this was hers from the very beginning.¡¯
As the roaring cheers continued, Thea felt a strange sense of quiet envelop her.
The overwhelming pride she felt for Karania mingled with a deeper sense of humility.
For all her own doubts, victories, and struggles, Karania¡¯s unflinching determination and belief in her own cause stood as a blinding reminder of the heights one could reach when driven by an unrelenting purpose. It was almost overwhelming, the sheer force of her friend¡¯s clarity and conviction, and it left Thea grappling with a question she had managed to avoid until now.
¡®What¡ is my purpose?¡¯
Her friend¡¯s composure hadn¡¯t wavered for even a moment under the weight of the spotlight, and as Major Quinn extended the medal, the pride in her voice mirrored the room¡¯s thunderous approval.
Thea found herself clapping, even cheering with the rest of the squad, her face breaking into a wide grin despite the storm raging within. But her thoughts refused to settle.
¡®What exactly is my purpose? My drive? My goal?¡¯
She glanced down at her hands, the medals still nestled in her lap. ¡®I am not Karania, fighting death itself for the very concept of mortality. I¡¯m not Corvus, leading squads, armies, and Factions into battles that will define the future. I¡¯m not even like Isabella, plowing through anyone in her path just to prove her right to exist¡ So who am I?¡¯
The question gnawed at her, threatening to consume her. She tried to peel back the layers of her life, searching for something that had always been there, something that defined her.
Her mind drifted to the cold, wet streets of Lumiosia¡¯s Undercity.
The endless shadows. The hunger. The broken glass.
¡®Heroics? A noble goal? Some grand, righteous purpose?¡¯
The answer came to her immediately.
¡®No. No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯
She didn¡¯t need to think long or hard about it.
It had always been there, woven into the very fabric of her being, hammered into her by every hard lesson the universe had ever thrown at her. It even mirrored James¡¯ first-ever Golden Rule.
¡®Survival.¡¯
And with survival came a single, undeniable truth.
¡®To survive, you need to be the best. There is no other way.¡¯
The memory of hiding in the dank ruins of the Undercity flashed in her mind. Of trying to bargain her way out of danger. Of fighting with every ounce of strength she had.
All of it had failed, at one time or another¡ªbecause she hadn¡¯t been the best.
She hadn¡¯t been the best at hiding, so she was found.
She hadn¡¯t been the best at negotiating, so she was betrayed.
She hadn¡¯t been the best at fighting, so she was injured and robbed.
It wasn¡¯t enough to try, to simply scrape by.
Survival belonged to those who excelled¡ªbeyond question, beyond doubt¡ªat whatever it was they chose to do.
As she watched Karania descend the podium¡¯s steps, the blue-tinted medal gleaming under the harsh lights of the hall, a strange clarity settled over Thea. It felt cold, but also freeing, like a fog had lifted to reveal a single, undeniable path.
¡®Being the best. That is my purpose.¡¯
The thought crystallized in her mind, clear and sharp as glass.
It wasn¡¯t heroic or noble. It wasn¡¯t grand or righteous.
But it was the Truth.
Thea blinked, her thoughts scattering as Karania abruptly appeared in front of her, concern etched across her face. ¡°You okay, Thea?¡±
It took Thea a moment to process the question, her vision feeling strangely off as if a faint violet-hued filter had been cast over her eyes. She rubbed at them instinctively, realizing it was likely from staring too long into the harsh lights of the podium without blinking.
¡°I¡ Yeah,¡± Thea replied, her voice faltering slightly as she tried to pull herself fully back to the present. ¡°Just¡ zoned out for a second. Sorry about that.¡±
Karania studied her for a moment, her sharp gaze seeming to dissect Thea¡¯s words as though searching for deeper meaning. But after a moment, she just gave a light shrug. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you off this time. But only because I¡¯m feeling generous from winning this thing.¡±
Thea chuckled at that, a genuine smile creeping onto her face as she gestured to the glittering Crysium medal in Karana¡¯s hand. ¡°Speaking of winning, congratulations, Kara. You deserve it more than anyone. Truly. You¡¯re¡ Incredible.¡±
¡°Damn right, I am,¡± Karania replied with a playful smirk, her hand briefly brushing over the medal as though grounding herself in the reality of it. ¡°But thanks, Thea. Really.¡±
Thea nodded, her smile softening.
For all her friend¡¯s confidence, there was something genuine in the way Karania carried herself right now¡ªlike the weight of the recognition meant more than she let on originally.
Then, out of nowhere, a memory hit Thea like a bolt of lightning. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at Karania. ¡°Wait a second¡ Did you fucking time that? You know, the speech¡ªending it right before your name got called, so you could do a cool walk-off?¡±
Karania¡¯s smirk widened into a full grin, and she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
¡°Please, Thea. You really think I¡¯d be capable of that and be extra enough to actually do it?¡±
She punctuated the sentence with a sly wink before leaning back into her chair, her expression unreadable.
Thea opened her mouth to ask for clarification, but Karania had already shifted her attention back to the stage, leaving her hanging.
Frustrated but amused, Thea shook her head and let her gaze wander around the hall, trying to piece together how much of the ceremony she had missed while lost in her thoughts.
It didn¡¯t take long to realize that Alpha Squad had already returned to their seats, their previous celebration replaced by their usual focused demeanor. Her eyes darted toward the podium, where Major Quinn was already halfway through introducing the Recruit Awards for the Stellar Republic Reaper category.
¡®What the fuck¡? Was I really out for that long?¡¯
Thea¡¯s mind reeled as she tried to piece together the gap in her memory.
From the moment Karania had started to walk down the podium steps to when she¡¯d asked Thea if she was okay, at least two or three minutes had passed¡ªminutes she couldn¡¯t account for at all.
She could still feel the echo of clarity from earlier, though, a sharp and undeniable recognition of something she¡¯d once known instinctively as a child but had allowed to fade over time.
¡®To be the best¡ To survive.¡¯
The two medals in her hands suddenly felt heavier, their weight pressing down on her in a way that was both sobering and empowering. It was as if her earlier doubts had dissipated, leaving behind a raw, unfiltered truth.
¡®Anyone could have found that truck; but it wasn¡¯t anyone¡ªit was me,¡¯ Thea thought, her gaze locking onto the Eyes In The Sky medal.
She shifted her focus to the Surgical Strike medal, and another thought crystallized with striking clarity: ¡®I only had the Caliburn because I fucking owned the shooting range trial and aced the Cube Trial for the Tech-Up Voucher. I only had [Detect Weak Spots] because I earned a Gold-rank Accomplishment. Those weren¡¯t handed to me; they were earned. They were parts of me, parts of what made that situation possible. It wasn¡¯t just luck¡ªit was me, being better prepared than anyone else at that moment.¡¯
Thea¡¯s lips quirked into a small, determined smile.
Luck had always been a factor in every video game she¡¯d ever played¡ªwhether it was a perfectly timed drop that she capitalized on, an enemy¡¯s misstep she exploited, or an improbable series of events aligning just right to get her ahead.
But would she ever have claimed that topping the leaderboards was purely luck?
Of course not.
Winning was always an intersection of preparation, skill, and luck.
It was about being ready to seize the opportunities when they came, about turning those slim chances into defining moments.
Only those who managed to capitalize on those moments made it to the top.
¡®So why would this be any different?¡¯
The thought settled over her like a revelation, sinking deep into her chest and spreading through her like a long-awaited truth.
The medals in her hands weren¡¯t trophies of random chance¡ªthey were proof that she¡¯d been ready when it mattered most. Proof that she¡¯d been the best when it counted and had managed to capitalize on the moment, when others could not.
¡®So why wouldn¡¯t I be proud of them?¡¯
Thea¡¯s grip on the medals tightened as a surge of confidence bubbled up inside her. Before she could think twice, the words escaped her mouth: ¡°I¡¯m getting a medal for this one.¡±
Karania¡¯s head snapped toward her, eyebrows raised in abject surprise. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Two-Star Platinum or Palladium,¡± Thea clarified, her voice steady and sure in a way that even surprised her. ¡°Probably Platinum.¡±
Her gaze locked with Karania¡¯s, and for a brief moment, neither of them said anything. Then, Karania broke into a beaming smile, so bright and genuine it made Thea¡¯s heart skip a beat.
Without warning, Karania wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
¡°I knew you¡¯d come around,¡± Karania said warmly, her voice filled with pride. ¡°Just remember, this is only the first step. It¡¯ll still be tough, but you just made the hardest one. I¡¯m so proud of you, Thea.¡±
Thea froze, overwhelmed by both the sudden physical contact and the unexpected warmth of Karania¡¯s words. ¡°Wait¡ªI didn¡¯t mean it like that, I was just¡ª¡± she stammered, attempting to backpedal, but Karania¡¯s surprisingly strong grip kept her firmly in place.
Before Thea could figure out how to respond, the sound of Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through the moment like the chime ringing at the end of a round in AoC; stopping the game dead in its tracks.
¡°For the Two-Star Platinum Stellar Republic Reaper Award, I once more welcome Thea McKay from our very own Sovereign Alpha to the stage!¡±
The familiar grip of anxiety wrapped around Thea¡¯s chest immediately, tightening with each word. But this time, it didn¡¯t consume her entirely. There was something else¡ªa counterbalance, a fire that surged through her veins, pushing her forward.
She rose from her seat, leaving behind Karania and the rest of Alpha Squad, and began her walk to the podium. For once, Karania didn¡¯t have to nudge her, to get her to move.
Her steps felt heavy regardless and the closer she got to the podium, the more aware she became of the countless eyes boring into her. It became harder and harder to breathe, the air seeming thicker with every step, but the competitive part of her refused to yield.
¡®This is yours. You¡¯ve earned it. Just go and take it.¡¯
By the time she reached Major Quinn, who greeted her with her usual air of unshakable confidence, Thea was focusing all her effort on steadying her breathing.
¡®You can do this,¡¯ she told herself, gripping tightly onto the fiery determination in her chest. ¡®This is your award. You¡¯ve earned it through blood, sweat, and tears. You¡¯re the best, so accept it like the Marine you are. Everyone else is just a number on a livestream. None of them are as good as you, anyway.¡¯
Behind her, the screen flickered with the recordings, playing a series of clips from her most precise and deadly moments during the assessment.
It had begun with the initial ambush on day one, where her well-placed shots had picked out the true Integrated Soldiers from among the Stellar Republic¡¯s Unintegrated ranks.
The footage moved seamlessly to the assault on the artillery station, showing her clean, calculated eliminations that opened the path for the rest of the strike team to detonate their explosives and destroy the artillery.
A brief flash of her forest showdown followed¡ªthough short, it was no less impressive¡ªbefore finally transitioning to the firefights in the compound¡¯s chaos, where her sniper rifle seemed to operate like an extension of herself, every target falling without wasted shots or effort.
As the recording ended, Major Quinn stepped fully toward her, offering her hand once more. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
There was no added boost of confidence from an Ability this time¡ªThea didn¡¯t require it.
¡°Congratulations once again, Recruit McKay,¡± Major Quinn announced, her voice carrying over the silent, captivated hall. ¡°The UHF hereby awards you the Two-Star Platinum medal for the Stellar Republic Reaper Award. Alongside this medal, you will receive 6,000 Credits, a 60% Sales Voucher for any equipment aboard the Sovereign, and a Skill Voucher.¡± She paused for effect, her words deliberate and precise as always. ¡°Additionally, I have been informed by the Sovereign that you have once again met a point threshold for this category, which warrants another Skill Voucher on top of the standard reward. This is starting to become a bit of a repeating experience, is it not?¡±
She only caught fragments of her own rewards, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that it nearly drowned out Major Quinn¡¯s words. She extended her hand, shaking the Major¡¯s with as firm a grip as she could muster, before accepting the medal.
The cool, weighted metal rested in her hand, providing a strange sort of comfort that she couldn¡¯t quite put into words. Free from obligation, Thea turned and began her descent from the podium.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to meet the gazes of her fellow Recruits as she walked back toward Alpha Squad, but the oppressive weight of their stares forced her to look away after a few pairs.
She couldn¡¯t quite manage the calm demeanor she¡¯d hoped for yet; the fire in her veins wasn¡¯t quite enough to overpower the anxiety threatening to spill over.
But even with her faltering confidence, one fact stood tall in her mind: She had done it.
Another medal. And not just any medal¡ªanother Two-Star, another Assessment Award.
By now, she was the most decorated Recruit in the entire hall by far.
And unless Tiberius Soren somehow swept the remaining categories, that wouldn¡¯t change.
Rachel Masters had already received two medals in the last three categories, meaning that even if she aced the last remaining one, Thea would still be winning out.
Thea¡¯s thoughts were cut off as she returned to her seat and was met with a cacophony of congratulations from Alpha Squad.
¡°Three fucking Two-Star Medals, Thea? Really?¡± Isabella¡¯s voice rang out, half incredulous, half impressed. ¡°You¡¯re making the rest of us look like fucking amateurs!¡±
Corvus gave her a rare, genuine grin. ¡°Keep this up, and I might start worrying about my job. What¡¯s the point of a Squad Leader if the Scout does all the work anyway? Well done, Thea. Truly.¡±
Desmond nodded, his thumbs raised in mock surrender. ¡°I guess we¡¯re all just going to continue living in your shadow now, huh? Congrats again, seriously.¡±
Lucas offered her a proud smile and a reserved, ¡°Another well-earned one, Thea,¡± although it was clear that he was ecstatic, just from the way he was positioned at the edge of his seat.
Finally, Karania turned to her, extending her hand with an encouraging smile.
Without hesitation, Thea took it, the warmth and firmness of the gesture grounding her as her nerves from yet another trip to the podium began to flutter uncontrollably.
¡°You¡¯re doing amazing, Thea,¡± Karania said, squeezing her hand slightly. Her voice was low enough for only Thea to hear, a personal moment amid the surrounding noise. ¡°Facing this head-on like that? I¡¯m really proud of you. It¡¯s not easy, I know.¡±
Thea smiled faintly, her grip tightening slightly on Karania¡¯s hand as she found a small measure of calm in her friend¡¯s words.
¡°But,¡± Karania added, tilting her head slightly in curiosity, ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m surprised at how quickly you¡¯re improving. Has something changed?¡±
Thea blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question.
She hesitated, unsure how to put her feelings into words.
Something had, of course, changed¡ªof that much, she was certain.
The clarity she¡¯d found earlier about her purpose, the recognition of her accomplishments being more than just luck¡ but how could she explain that without sounding strange?
¡°I guess¡¡± Thea started, her voice uncertain as she tried to articulate the swirling thoughts in her mind. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just¡ Trying to emulate you. Your confidence, I mean. I figure, if I can fake it like you do, maybe it¡¯ll start feeling real eventually.¡±
Karania raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering across her face. ¡°Fake it, huh? You think I¡¯m faking it?¡±
¡°Yes. No¡ Well, not exactly,¡± Thea backpedaled, flushing slightly. ¡°Just¡ You always seem so sure of yourself. Like nothing can shake you. I¡¯m trying to channel some of that. Does that make sense¡?¡±
¡°Yes. It does. Somewhat, at least.¡± Karania smiled again, her expression softening. ¡°Whatever it is that you¡¯re doing, it¡¯s working. So keep at it, Thea. You¡¯re proving to everyone here¡ªand most importantly, yourself¡ªthat you deserve every bit of this.¡±
Thea nodded, her chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and warmth.
Her gaze shifted back to the podium, where Major Quinn was already transitioning to the final set of awards for this category, her commanding presence a constant rhythm that guided the entire hall.
With Karania¡¯s words still echoing in her mind, Thea felt the fire in her veins burn a little brighter, dissolving the lingering threads of anxiety she¡¯d carried from her earlier trips to the stage.
¡®Three Two-Star medals¡¡¯ The thought settled over her with an almost surreal weight. ¡®What other Recruit could possibly claim that? It¡¯s proof that I¡¯m doing my part, right¡?¡¯
She let her cybernetic fingers toy with the medals in her hand, the smooth, polished surfaces catching and refracting the stage lights into faint glimmers. Their weight wasn¡¯t just physical¡ªit carried tangible proof of her worth, her contributions, her victories.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but savor the satisfaction coursing through her. ¡®Proof that I matter. Proof that I got things done that made a difference¡¡¯
The moment of quiet pride nearly ended in disaster when her hand fumbled slightly, almost dropping the medals as Major Quinn¡¯s voice suddenly rang out once more, her tone carrying an unmistakable note of emphasis.
¡°And now, for the fourth time today¡ Thea McKay. You know her, you¡¯ve heard me say it plenty, but regulations demand it¡ªfrom our very own Sovereign Alpha! Please welcome her back to the podium again!¡±
Thea froze, her mind struggling to catch up.
¡®Fourth? Fourth?¡¯
Her head snapped toward Karania, whose expression betrayed a mix of humor and exasperation as she raised an eyebrow. It was the silent challenge Thea hadn¡¯t realized she needed: ¡°Where did all that confidence go?¡±
Thea¡¯s chest tightened, but the fire in her veins surged again, fanning the embers of her resolve.
She pushed herself up from her chair, steady this time, and strode toward the podium.
This walk felt easier¡ªsmoother even than the last.
The weight of the medals in her hand seemed to ground her with every step.
The stares of her fellow Recruits, still sharp and heavy, barely slowed her down anymore.
As she ascended the podium stairs, her heartbeat pounded in her ears, loud but no longer overwhelming. Standing side-by-side with Major Quinn, Thea could focus for the first time, her thoughts clear as she turned her attention to the recordings playing behind them.
¡®Forward Leadership? Why would I win something here, but not Corvus?¡¯ Thea¡¯s mind spun as she tried to piece together the reasoning.
She was confident that she had worked her proverbial ass off during the Nova Tertius infiltration, but the thought of Corvus not receiving recognition in this category gnawed at her.
¡®What would Karania say in this situation?¡¯ She mused, her thoughts briefly turning to her ever-logical friend. ¡®Right. She¡¯d probably say something about criteria and how Corvus¡¯ actions didn¡¯t fit neatly into this specific category. Or how he had simply not been able to perform together with the rest of the squad, due to the way the Assessment went for us¡ But that¡¯s such bullshit¡¡¯
The recording behind her continued to play, but her focus waned as her internal frustrations mounted.
It felt wrong to be the one standing here, clutching the One-Star Gold medal, when she knew she wasn¡¯t the best Squad Leader amongst the Recruits at the very least¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even the best in Alpha Squad; no matter what the UHF¡¯s medals here were trying to say.
Corvus had been the one orchestrating the most critical moments of their Assessment; had made sure the squad worked together and that they had whatever they required, whenever they required it from the very start.
Yet here she was, being awarded recognition while Corvus, the quintessential, text-book leader, had to make do with the MVM medal he had received earlier.
It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
¡®This just doesn¡¯t feel right¡¡¯
But even as the doubt crept in, another part of her¡ªa part that had been growing louder with every medal won¡ªbegan to push back. ¡®There¡¯s nothing you can do about it, Thea. Once again, you¡¯ve made the best out of a shitty situation.¡¯
She remembered the chaos of those moments, the crushing weight of responsibility when Corvus had left her in charge.
She had to lead Alpha Squad through the treacherous terrain of the industrial sector, the relentless pressure of navigating through the civilian areas without being caught; and against the impossible odds of facing down the Psyker Duo.
Yet, somehow, despite the odds, she had managed to put them in a position to succeed.
¡®This is your dues; don¡¯t cheapen them by complaining about Corvus¡¯ situation. He didn¡¯t get lucky enough¡ªwasn¡¯t prepared enough to take advantage of the situation he was thrust into. Simple as that.¡¯
The thought jarred her, leaving her feeling uncomfortable.
To frame Corvus in that light, after everything he had done for her, felt¡ wrong.
But the voice inside of her, now strong enough to truly fight against her self-doubt in equal measure, refused to back down. ¡®This isn¡¯t about Corvus right now. This is about you. You took the reins when it mattered, made the calls, and got results. That¡¯s what matters.¡¯
By the time the recordings ended and Major Quinn turned to address her directly, Thea forced herself to focus, the conflicting emotions still swirling within her but tempered by a growing sense of pride.
¡®That¡¯s right¡ I might not have been the best Squad Leader; I might never be¡ but I was the best that had been available at the time. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. That¡¯s why I deserve this Medal¡!¡¯
Once more shaking Major Quinn¡¯s hand, Thea accepted the One-Star Gold Medal and its corresponding rewards: 4,500 Credits, a 50% Sales Voucher, and yet another Skill Voucher.
The weight of the medal in her hand felt lighter this time¡ªnot because it meant any less to her, but because she was slowly becoming accustomed to the idea of earning these accolades. It felt right, downright expected, to hold them all in her hand like this.
With steady steps, she descended the podium.
The oppressive heat of so many eyes on her still crawled up her neck and into her cheeks, but it didn¡¯t shake her footing anymore. She no longer felt the compulsion to rush back to the safety of Alpha Squad¡¯s seats.
Instead, her strides remained deliberate, her posture firm.
Her eyes met those of the watching crowd more easily now, a quiet defiance simmering beneath her gaze. Once, twice, thrice¡ªshe stared back, challenging anyone who might question her right to be there. She wasn¡¯t keeping count anymore, only moving forward.
By the time she reached her row, the exertion caught up with her.
Her head drooped slightly just as she slipped into the seat beside the rest of her squad, the effort of holding herself steady finally demanding its toll.
Before she could dwell on her exhaustion¡ªor worse, the possibility of meeting Corvus¡¯ gaze and finding resentment there¡ªshe was suddenly pulled into a crushing bear-hug.
¡°Fantastic fucking work, Thea,¡± Corvus said, his voice warm and full of genuine pride right next to her ear. She froze, too stunned to respond. ¡°I never doubted your capabilities as a secondary squad leader even for a second¡ªand neither did the UHF, as is clearly apparent. Well done. Thank you for taking care of the squad while I was indisposed, Thea.¡±
When he finally released her, Thea blinked up at him, her mind still trying to catch up to the unexpected moment of praise; having instead expected enviousness, maybe even full-on resentment.
Corvus stepped back slightly, his sly smile growing wider as he added, ¡°Next time around, I¡¯ll be taking that Medal though, alright? No more Forward Leadership Awards for you, as long as I¡¯m around!¡±
Thea couldn¡¯t help but crack a grin at his playful challenge, the tension in her chest easing markedly. Once again, she realized just how completely she had misjudged Corvus¡¯ likely reaction.
¡°You¡¯ll have to actually be around to do your job for once, then,¡± she shot back, her voice steadier and laced with humor than she had thought possible moments before.
Corvus mimed getting shot in the chest, stumbling backwards with exaggerated drama before slumping into his chair, chuckling all the while. His over-the-top antics earned a round of laughter from the rest of the squad, cutting through any lingering formality.
Alpha Squad didn¡¯t hesitate to pile on their congratulations once more, short and to the point, but no less genuine for it. By now, the initial novelty of somebody winning awards, especially Thea, had long worn off, replaced by a growing, matter-of-fact pride in her accomplishments.
¡°So,¡± Karania began with a familiar smugness, sliding into her usual seat beside Thea and seamlessly offering her hand for Thea to latch onto and recharge, ¡°you want to tell me something?¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow, having no real idea where this was going.
¡°Maybe something along the lines of: ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Kara, for doubting your genius. You were completely right, and I behaved like a petulant child, whining and worrying for no reason that I wasn¡¯t going to win anything.¡¯ Or,¡± Karania continued, her grin widening, ¡°should I wait until you add the last two Medals to your collection before I can expect an apology?¡±
Thea rolled her eyes, though a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. She could feel the warmth from Kara¡¯s hand, steadying her nerves as she leaned back in her seat.
¡°Fiiiiine,¡± she muttered, half-jokingly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, oh great and allmighty. You¡¯re clearly some kind of psychic genius who can see the future, or even more likely, probably manipulate the very fabric of the universe itself to make me win Awards.¡±
¡°Damn straight,¡± Karania said with a wink, clearly reveling in the moment.
Thea chuckled, shaking her head as the banter between her and Karania slowly fizzled out, replaced by a companionable silence. She leaned back in her seat, still clutching her medals, the cool weight of them grounding her in the present.
Major Quinn meanwhile, ever the efficient one, transitioned seamlessly to the second-to-last category of the awards.
¡°Now, we come to the Ace Squad Awards,¡± Major Quinn announced, her tone laced with anticipation.
Thea felt her squad tense around her, even Corvus straightening slightly in his seat.
This was one of the big ones.
Alpha Squad hadn¡¯t earned one during the Sovereign Awards, so they were bound to be called up for either one of the Recruit or Assessment Awards¡ªthere was no doubt in anybody¡¯s mind inside the squad that they had earned one; Thea didn¡¯t even need to ask.
Time seemed to blur as Major Quinn began listing off the lower-tier awards, each announcement punctuated by polite applause and ripples of excitement among the assembled Recruits.
None of the Sovereign¡¯s squads were called for any of the Recruit Awards¡ªnot a surprise, except for the complete absence of Sovereign Alpha¡¯s own name. The best squads outside of Alpha Squad, however, like Beta Squad itself, had already claimed their share of the spotlight in this category, but the omission of Sovereign Alpha only added to the tension simmering in the hall.
As Major Quinn transitioned into the Assessment Awards, the atmosphere grew electric.
The Two-Star Platinum went to a squad aboard the Hegemony of Dusk, their victory earning a respectable amount of applause.
The Two-Star Palladium followed, awarded to a team on the Ascendant of Flames, their victory met with mostly murmurs and whispers; accompanied by a bit of polite applause.
By this point, the anticipation in the room was almost unbearable.
The murmurs swelled, defying even Major Quinn¡¯s typically commanding presence. It was as if everyone knew what¡ªor rather, who¡ªwas coming next, though the idea seemed ludicrous.
A Recruit Squad winning a Two-Star Crysium Award was practically unheard of.
Yet despite the improbability, even Thea couldn¡¯t shake the certainty settling over her like a quiet storm.
Between the six of them, Sovereign Alpha had amassed a truly unreal collection of medals, and their actions during the assessment had gone far beyond what could be expected of even an Alpha Squad.
Not to mention; this category wasn¡¯t even about completing predefined objectives or following strict orders, something Sovereign Alpha had only been somewhat-successful at¡ªinstead, it was about creating a seismic shift, a game-changing event that turned the tide of the battlefield.
And Sovereign Alpha had done exactly that.
It was almost like the category had been specifically created for their circumstances, having been unable to complete their first Major Objective due to the presence of the Psyker Duo and the enemy Ace as well.
Thea¡¯s grip tightened on her medals as Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out over the restless crowd, commanding silence at last.
¡°And now,¡± the Major began, her voice cutting through the silence with a triumphant edge, ¡°for the Two-Star Crysium Award in the Ace Squad category, I present to you the singular squad that performed the most surprising, unlikely and improbable upset in the entire Assessment¡¡±
She dragged it out for a few long, agonising seconds, before breaking into a big, toothy smile and announcing with a level of cherubic enjoyment that was thoroughly unlike the Major, ¡°It is, naturally, none other than our very own Sovereign Alpha!¡±
The announcement hit the room like a thunderclap.
It was as though the entire hall had collectively forgotten how to breathe for those tense few seconds, the silence hanging precariously in the air before it finally shattered under the weight of the crowd¡¯s reaction like a sheet of ice being forcibly smashed onto the ground.
Cheers erupted like a tidal wave, rolling through the assembly with a ferocity that completely dwarfed any previous response. Applause thundered from every corner of the hall, punctuated by astonished gasps and disbelieving murmurs.
Recruits leapt to their feet, some clapping wildly, others shouting Sovereign Alpha¡¯s name or cheering specific squad members or their nicknames that had been circulating amongst the Recruits since the end of the assessment.
Thea¡¯s brain struggled to keep up, her Perception¡¯s filters utterly failing to try and keep out the symphony of chaos around them, her heart pounding as the realization slowly sunk in.
¡®The Two-Star Crysium. The highest award possible. We just won that¡¡¯
She glanced around, catching glimpses of the mixed reactions among the crowd.
Some Recruits wore broad, genuine smiles, their applause filled with admiration for what Sovereign Alpha had achieved. Others seemed stunned into immobility, their expressions a similar mix of disbelief that Thea herself felt, and begrudging respect.
Thea¡¯s eyes darted towards Rachel Masters, seated just a single row back. Masters clapped, but there was a sharpness to it, her eyes fixed on Sovereign Alpha with an intensity that Thea couldn¡¯t quite place.
But the subtle tension in her posture betrayed at least some of her feelings and Thea couldn¡¯t help but crack a predatory grin in her direction, earning herself a murderous glare.
¡®That¡¯s fucking right, you bitch. This is what a real squad looks like,¡¯ she thought as she turned back towards the rest of Alpha Squad, barely in time to see them start their way up towards the Podium.
Corvus, with a broad grin on his face, that even his stoic self couldn¡¯t hide, led the squad¡¯s movement. He gestured for the squad to rise with a steadying hand, his calm, authoritative presence grounding them in the face of the overwhelming response.
¡°Come on,¡± he said, his tone positively suffused with pride. ¡°This is our moment. Let¡¯s fucking own it.¡±
Thea found herself standing almost on autopilot, her grip on her medals tightening as she tried to ground herself amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
Lucas gave her a reassuring nod as he gave Desmond a hand, Isabella flashed her a grin that practically radiated ¡°We showed ¡®em, didn¡¯t we?¡± and Karania squeezed her shoulder gently, her ever-calm smile carrying more warmth than words could.
The squad moved as one, making their way towards the podium under the weight of countless eyes.
Thea felt the energy in the hall shift, a palpable wave of awe and respect washing over the crowd as Sovereign Alpha ascended the stage together.
The lights above cast a sharp brilliance, illuminating them as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.
The thunderous applause didn¡¯t waver, but amidst the clamor, Thea¡¯s sharp ears picked up fragments of muttered disbelief:
¡°Unbelievable.¡±
¡°Holy shit¡ They actually fucking did it¡¡±
¡°A Recruit Squad actually won¡ Our Recruit Squad.¡±
Major Quinn extended her arms in a welcoming gesture, her smile wider than Thea had ever seen, and her voice carried effortlessly over the crowd as she addressed them.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let us witness the impossible.¡±
She gestured toward the massive screen behind them, which flickered to life with the recordings of Sovereign Alpha¡¯s harrowing encounter at the Control Station in Nova Tertius.
The footage began with their initial frantic attempts to respond to the ambush that had trapped them in a crumbling civilian building. The screen showed their growing confusion as their tactics unraveled under the influence of the Stellar Republic Psyker Duo.
Thea flinched at the vivid replay, her muscles tensing as memories of the chaos resurfaced.
The screen displayed the disorienting effects of the Psykers¡¯ Powers: Auditory hallucinations that made orders impossible to trust, the subsequent, complete breakdown in verbal communication, and the eerie precision of echolocation attacks that turned their every movement into a deathtrap.
¡°Psykers,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice narrated, ¡°are one of the¡ªif not the¡ªmost unpredictable and dangerous enemies a Marine can face. Their capabilities are rarely covered in pre-assessment training, as Recruitment Drives are often too closely aligned with new Assessments. Entire classes¡ªmultiple classes¡ªare dedicated to understanding how to fight them. Yet, for most Marines, this information remains theoretical. The average Marine at Tier 1 or below rarely, if ever, encounters a Psyker during their entire career.¡±
She let that information ruminate for just a second, enough time for the Recruits in the hall to take in the information, but not enough for them to lose focus and start whispering to each other.
¡°For our Sovereign Alpha, however, this encounter was far from theoretical,¡± Major Quinn continued. ¡°Meeting even one Psyker is an extraordinary challenge. Statistically, the chances of a Squad of Marines at Tier 1 or below surviving such an encounter, even with prior training, is a mere 3%. Without that training, the odds plummet to below 0.02%. Facing two simultaneously? The difficulty increases exponentially.¡±
Major Quinn paused once again, letting the gravity of her words and the statistics presented settle over the room before delivering the verdict:
¡°It is no exaggeration to say that for a fresh Recruit Squad¡ªAlpha or otherwise¡ªthis scenario represents a practically guaranteed death sentence. And yet, against every conceivable odd, our Sovereign Alpha prevailed. Without prior knowledge. Without preparation. Without backup. They stood, adapted, and overcame. This victory is a clear showing of not only their training and talent but to their sheer, unyielding resolve and ability to rise to the challenge when it truly matters most. Without any further talking on my part, pay close attention to this master-class of small-scale warfare; it will undoubtedly be studied in future classes and included in future tests,¡± Major Quinn declared, her tone brimming with pride and even a hint of something unexpected¡ªreverence.
The screen shifted, cutting to Sovereign Alpha¡¯s desperate, chaotic improvisation in the face of overwhelming odds.
The footage slowed to show Thea shoving Lucas out of the way just before an air-implosion detonated, the concussive force ripping a chunk out of the grav-locked Stalwart atop the stairs¡¯ landing.
The screen then captured Desmond in his last moments before another implosion tore through him a mere moment before he could follow Thea¡¯s desperately gesticulated attempts to tell him to dodge, as his body was brutally split apart. Karania was at his side in an instant, her arms already working to stabilize him despite the abruptness of the moment.
The camera shifted to Isabella, her massive rotary gun spinning furiously as she prepared to unleash destruction at the behest of the Psykers¡¯ manipulation.
The recording slowed further as the next pivotal moments played out.
Thea, bleeding profusely and with only one arm remaining after another air-implosion, gestured furiously toward the rest of the squad, rallying them for an all-out assault.
Her command wasn¡¯t elegant¡ªit was raw, instinctive, and left much to interpretation¡ªbut it conveyed a single, desperate message: Use the shield. Explode the floor. End this.
Trusting in Karania¡¯s genius to decipher the specifics, Thea turned and stumbled toward the window, the Icicle clutched tightly in her last remaining hand.
The footage sped up, showcasing the remnants of Sovereign Alpha¡ªIsabella, Lucas, and Karania¡ªexecuting Thea¡¯s improvised plan. They blasted their way through one floor after another, the structure groaning under the onslaught, the Stalwart cracking and breaking apart underneath them, until they reached the same level as the Psyker Duo.
As the apartments¡¯ doors exploded outward, the recording slowed again.
Lucas and Karania opened fire from one side, grenades and precise bursts of bullets ricocheting off walls and killing Stellar Republic Soldiers and Clones where they stood, while Isabella surged out from the other, her rotary gun discarded in favor of her devastating melee strikes.
The screen captured the ensuing chaos in vivid detail:
Lucas¡¯s massive form was lifted and flung through the air like a ragdoll as one of the Psykers unleashed a Psychic Scream, the force smashing him into the wall with a sickening crunch.
Karania, caught in the fringes of the attack, crumpled to the ground as her armor caved in almost entirely on one side, her helmet cracked and buckled-in under the immense pressure.
Yet, even as her squad fell around her, Isabella was relentless.
Wielding her Decimator with both hands, she tore through the Psykers¡¯ protective squad with rabid abandon. Each enemy she faced left her with a new injury, yet she pressed on.
The recording focused on a grenade that Lucas had fired just before the Psychic Scream had hit him; thrown off-course and landed just below Isabella and the rest of the enemies.
The explosion rocked the corridor, scattering shrapnel and disorienting the last of the enemy guards. Using the blast as a catalyst, Isabella activated her [Kinetic Redirection] Ability, unleashing a cleaving attack that felled the final line of defenders with a single devastating sweep, cutting the last remaining enemies in half at the waist.
The camera zoomed in on the Psyker Duo, now exposed.
One turned toward the hallway, but before they could react, the footage slowed to a near stop, capturing a pinhole opening in the window behind them.
The Icicle¡¯s deadly projectile pierced the glass from the outside, traveling with unerring precision. The screen showed the bullet boring straight through the first Psyker¡¯s head in artistic slow-motion, the shard¡¯s explosion inside the enemy¡¯s head captured in all its gorey-glory, dropping them instantly.
The recording sped up again to show a one-armed Thea, bloodied, battered, and beyond exhausted, crashing through the shattered window.
With an almost eerie calm, she raised the Icicle once more and fired the final shot, executing the second Psyker with cold, calculated efficiency at point-blank range.
The hall was utterly silent for a beat as the footage faded.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice, heavy with pride and awe, broke said stillness:
¡°It is downright unheard of for a fresh Recruit Squad to defeat a single Psyker that catches them off guard. For them to defeat a trained Duo of Psykers under such conditions? It is quite literally unprecedented.¡±
Thea felt a shiver run down her spine as the recording played out the final moments of the battle, the screen freezing on an image of a thoroughly battered and beaten version of herself.
For a moment, the hall remained silent, even after Major Quinn¡¯s words; the Recruits still taking in the scenes they had just witnessed. She glanced at Corvus, who gave her a nod of approval, and then at the rest of her squad, who were clearly affected by seeing that desperate struggle once again; their faces tense and serious as they stared up at the screen.
The silence didn¡¯t last long.
A moment later, the hall erupted into an uproarious wave of applause, cheers, and shouts that rivaled the earlier celebration when Sovereign Alpha had first been announced as the winners.
Recruits stood, their hands slamming together with renewed energy, and others leaned into the aisles to cheer more directly toward the stage.
Shouts of ¡°Alpha Squad!¡± and individual names like ¡°Isabella!¡± and ¡°Lucas!¡± mixed with whistles and hollers. Even the more reserved sections of the crowd joined in with nods and polite claps, a rare acknowledgment of sheer, undeniable accomplishment.
Major Quinn raised her arms, signaling for calm, and the crowd obeyed¡ªalbeit slower than usual, their excitement taking longer to simmer down. As the hall finally quieted enough for her voice to carry, Major Quinn¡¯s smile broadened.
¡°And now,¡± she began, her voice infused with pride, ¡°it is my distinct honor to present the Two-Star Crysium Ace Squad medals to each member of Sovereign Alpha.¡±
She gestured to the podium beside her, where an attendant brought forward a sleek display case, housing the glowing, light-blue medals that seemed to radiate a sense of cosmic importance.
¡°As you may already know, this Medal represents the pinnacle of squad-based achievement, rewarding not only individual skill but also cohesion, ingenuity, and sheer grit. However, the rewards, naturally, don¡¯t stop there.¡± Major Quinn turned to the crowd.
¡°Alongside this medal, Sovereign Alpha will receive a squad-wide reward of 30,000 Sovereign-Store Credits, usable exclusively for squad purchases aboard the Sovereign¡¯s many facilities. While the System does not allow shared accounts, this is the best solution the UHF has devised to reward a collective victory at this scale without breaking its rules.¡±
She paused as murmurs rippled through the crowd, the enormity of the reward dawning on them.
¡°Additionally,¡± Major Quinn continued, her tone steady but carrying a clear undercurrent of pride, ¡°the squad will receive six Skill Vouchers, to be distributed as they see fit amongst themselves.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyebrows arched in surprise at the mention of the Skill Vouchers. Six was a substantial number for a single squad to receive at once¡ªalthough, with her already considerable collection of seven of them, the magnitude didn¡¯t fully land for her.
Still, she understood the significance, especially for her squadmates.
Her gaze drifted toward them, taking in their varied reactions.
Isabella¡¯s eyes widened, the rare display of shock on her typically brash face saying more than words ever could. Next to her, Desmond leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the rest of the squad, his lips moving as he mouthed, ¡°What the fuck?¡±
Even Karania tilted her head slightly, a flicker of intrigue crossing her features before she gave Thea a knowing glance¡ªone that clearly said, ¡°Well, we earned this, didn¡¯t we?¡±
¡°And lastly,¡± Major Quinn said, her smile shifting into something more personal and genuine, ¡°as a personal reward from myself, as the leader of this Recruitment Drive and the Proprietor of the Kuigon Star-Sector, each member of Sovereign Alpha will be granted a claim to any non-owned celestial object within the Kuigon Star-Sector. This includes stars, planets, moons, or any other space-bound body of your choosing. These claims will remain reserved for you until such a time as you retire from the UHF Marines, whereupon they will become fully yours to own.¡±
The hall fell into stunned silence.
The weight of the last reward hit like an artillery shell, and Thea could feel the ripple of disbelief passing through the crowd.
Corvus, always the composed one, finally broke character with a wide-eyed blink, his usually stoic expression giving way to unguarded surprise.
¡°Did she just¡ offer us a fucking planet?¡± Isabella muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
¡°Not just planets,¡± Desmond said, his tone laden with equal parts disbelief and awe. ¡°Fucking stars too.¡±
Lucas glanced at Thea, his brows furrowed in stunned bewilderment. ¡°I¡ I don¡¯t... Do we¡ Can she even do that? How does this even work¡?¡±
Even Karania¡ªusually unshakable, her sharp mind often eerily predicting future outcomes with unsettling precision¡ªstood frozen, her mouth slightly agape, eyes wide as if she were trying to process an impossible equation. For someone who always seemed to have an answer, seeing her so visibly stunned was enough to make Thea¡¯s head spin even more.
Thea, still gripping the medals in her hand, felt their weight pressing against her palm, grounding her in the moment. But any sense of stability ended there.
Words, thoughts¡ªanything resembling coherent reasoning¡ªevaded her entirely.
Her mind tried to race, but every attempt at forming a logical conclusion hit an insurmountable wall of disbelief.
The idea of being given a celestial object¡ªa planet, a moon, a star, something that only governments and the most powerful entities in the galaxy usually laid claim to¡ªwas so far beyond anything she¡¯d ever considered possible that it felt like her brain refused to process it.
¡®A celestial object¡? Me?¡¯ she thought, the words circling endlessly but finding no anchor.
It was a reward so far removed from anything remotely reasonable that her mind buckled under the sheer weight of its absurdity. Thea glanced toward Corvus, who, for once, looked just as stunned as the rest of them, his stoic composure cracked by an incredulous smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
¡°This can¡¯t be real,¡± she murmured softly, the words barely audible even to herself.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice cut through the stunned murmurs of the audience and the incredulous whispers of Alpha Squad. ¡°The achievements of Sovereign Alpha are, without question, deserving of these rewards. They have not only set a new example for what a Recruit Squad can accomplish but have done so under circumstances that would break even the most seasoned Marines. Let this be a reminder to all of you¡ªyour potential knows no bounds.¡±
The applause started hesitantly, a few scattered claps punctuating the stunned silence that hung in the air like a held breath. Then, as realization spread through the crowd, the sound swelled, building momentum until it became a roaring wave of cheers and celebration.
Thea, however, was barely aware of it.
The thunderous noise faded into the background as her mind remained stuck on the sheer absurdity of the reward.
A star. A planet. A celestial object.
The words echoed over and over, each iteration feeling no closer to reality than the last.
How could someone like her¡ªsomeone who grew up fighting for scraps in the underbelly of Lumiosia¡¯s Undercity¡ªbe given something so incomprehensibly vast?
She stared blankly ahead, clutching her medals tightly, their weight a constant reminder of the bizarrely surreal circumstances she now found herself in.
It wasn¡¯t until Major Quinn stepped in front of her, her imposing presence commanding Thea¡¯s attention, that she snapped back to reality.
Major Quinn extended her hand, the blue-hued Crysium Medal in the other.
For the fifth time today, Thea found herself standing as the center of attention in the hall, her nerves jittering as the Major leaned in slightly, her voice low enough to be heard only by Thea.
¡°I told you, you should get used to being up here, didn¡¯t I?¡± Major Quinn whispered, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, punctuated by her now-familiar wink.
Thea blinked, momentarily startled by the casualness of her words amidst the formality of the ceremony.
Before she could even think of a response, the Major¡¯s attention shifted seamlessly to Karania, leaving Thea standing there, the medal now cool and solid in her hand.
Thea stared at the medal in her hand, its blue-hued brilliance catching the overhead lights.
For a moment, she couldn¡¯t move, the applause and cheers from the crowd blending into an indistinct roar.
Slowly, she stepped back, following her squad as they began their descent from the podium. Her legs felt heavy, her movements mechanical, as if her body was still catching up with the reality of what had just happened.
They filed back to their seats together, but the usual air of camaraderie was absent.
No jokes from Isabella, no quiet reassurances from Karania, not even the subtle, grounding presence of Corvus¡¯ leadership. They were all lost in their thoughts, their minds reeling from the enormity of what had been offered.
The UHF¡¯s rewards¡ªCredits, Skill Vouchers, and the satisfaction of achievement¡ªfelt tangible, practical. But Major Quinn¡¯s personal reward? A celestial object?
Thea turned the idea over in her mind, trying to grasp its implications.
¡®A star, a planet, or a moon¡¡®
What was she even supposed to do with something like that?
It wasn¡¯t like she could just pack up and move there after retirement.
Most celestial objects weren¡¯t habitable¡ªno atmosphere, no terraforming, nothing. Even a planet was essentially a barren rock without extensive, and likely incredibly expensive, work.
And a star? That was an even more absurd concept.
What did it even mean to own a star?
Despite the endless questions, one undeniable truth kept cutting through the chaos of her thoughts: It was still one of the coolest fucking things anyone could ever own.
They reached their seats, the weight of the medals in her hands now matched by the weight in her chest. The cheers from the other Recruits grew louder as they passed, congratulations and shouted names echoing around them.
Yet Alpha Squad barely noticed.
Each member was caught in their own head, struggling to process the enormity of it all.
Thea noticed it particularly with Corvus.
Normally, he would stop to acknowledge the congratulations or offer a polite nod, but he simply kept walking, his expression a mix of astonishment and disbelief. He even ended up sitting down before her, something that rarely happened in this kind of circumstance, his usual social graces seemingly absent as he stared blankly at the floor.
By the time Thea lowered herself into her chair, the noise around them felt like it belonged to a different world.
She glanced at her squadmates¡ªIsabella, slack-jawed and still shaking her head with a massive grin on her face; Desmond, muttering quietly to himself; Lucas, absently stroking the blue-hued Medal; and Karania, her wide-eyed expression betraying just how deeply the announcement had rattled even her.
¡®This is utterly fucking insane,¡¯ Thea thought, looking down at her own medals. The UHF¡¯s rewards were one thing, but this¡ This felt like something out of a dream.
Major Quinn reclaimed control over the hall with a commanding raise of her hand, her presence cutting through the din of cheers and applause like a knife.
The energy in the room dimmed to a low murmur, and soon, silence fell once again.
Thea shook herself from her thoughts, snapping her focus back to the podium as the Major began speaking.
¡°And now,¡± Major Quinn declared, her voice carrying an air of finality, ¡°we come to the last and perhaps most anticipated category of the evening: the Most Valuable Marine Recruit and Assessment Awards...¡±
The rest of the Chapter is in Arc 1 - Finale - Primum (2/2), which will be available 30 minutes after this Chapter here is live.
Sit tight, breathe.
Maybe comment your initial thoughts. The second part is going to be live soon...
Arc 1 - Finale - Primum (2/2)
The mention of the MVM awards sent a renewed ripple through the crowd.
Thea could feel the shift in the atmosphere, tension crackling as Recruits sat forward in their seats, hanging onto every word.
Alpha Squad was no exception.
She glanced around at her squad mates, each of them visibly stiffening with anticipation.
Thea¡¯s thoughts turned to Lucas.
¡®He needs this,¡¯ she thought. ¡®If he wins one, he¡¯s safe. He won¡¯t have to deal with Rachel and whatever nonsense challenge she¡¯ll throw his way.¡¯
Thea clenched her fists, the small mountain of medals in her hands cool and grounding. She silently pleaded for his name to be called, the unspoken hope shared by the rest of Alpha Squad as well.
Major Quinn began listing off the Recruit-level medals, her tone crisp and formal.
The first went to a Marine from the Empyrean.
The second followed swiftly after, awarded to someone aboard the Hegemon.
The third and final Recruit medal was handed to a Marine from the Ascendant.
Thea¡¯s heart sank as reality crashed down.
Lucas¡¯ name hadn¡¯t been called, and now the chances of him avoiding a challenge from Rachel were now nonexistent. She turned her head toward him, catching the faintest flicker of frustration in his otherwise composed demeanor.
¡®He knows what¡¯s coming,¡¯ she thought grimly.
It wasn¡¯t just Lucas that had her unsettled, however.
Thea realized with a jolt that Sovereign Alpha, despite their dominance across the ceremony, had only earned a single MVM medal throughout the entire Assessment.
¡®How is that possible?¡¯ she thought, stunned.
They had cleaned up in almost every other category.
This was supposed to be the ultimate recognition of individual merit, the category that most accurately reflected their best efforts and achievements. And yet¡
Her thoughts were interrupted by Karania¡¯s eyes locking onto hers.
Thea recognized the look instantly¡ªit was a ¡°Just wait and see.¡±
Karania¡¯s knowing expression carried no trace of worry or doubt, the same ever-present, quiet confidence radiating from her.
Thea¡¯s brow furrowed as realization dawned.
¡®Of course,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Karania must think she¡¯ll get one for her work as a Medic. And why wouldn¡¯t she?¡¯
It made perfect sense.
After all, Karania¡¯s performance during the Assessment had been nothing short of extraordinary. The recordings the UHF had at their disposal were bound to be able to truly showcase her genius-level capabilities, and if anyone deserved an MVM medal, it was her.
Thea leaned back in her chair, her heart still heavy with the knowledge of Lucas¡¯ looming challenge, but she held onto the faint hope that Karania¡¯s instincts would prove correct.
¡®If nothing else, at least one of us deserves a win here,¡¯ Thea thought, her gaze snapping back to the stage as Major Quinn prepared to announce the next set of winners.
The Two-Star Platinum Medal went to a Corporal from Kaon Squad aboard the Empyrean of Light, and Thea felt her anticipation tighten further.
Then, as if on cue, Major Quinn¡¯s rapid-fire cadence slowed, her deliberate pause enough to signal to the hall that something significant was coming.
The room quieted, anticipation gathering in everyone¡¯s eyes.
¡°Now¡ getting to the Two-Star Palladium Medal,¡± Major Quinn began, her voice rich with intrigue, ¡°I must admit, I was extraordinarily surprised to see the name and ship attached to this award, despite the already downright ludicrous amount of awards that have gone into directions I had not even begun to anticipate correctly.¡±
She paused, letting the tension build, her gaze sweeping across the sea of Recruits.
¡°You see, a first Assessment is just that: An initial evaluation of your potential. While undoubtedly important and potentially defining for the first years of your careers, the UHF does not actually expect any of you Recruits to perform extraordinary feats or obliterate established statistics in your first outing.¡±
A ripple of murmured agreement spread through the hall, only to quiet again as Major Quinn¡¯s eyes came to rest on Alpha Squad.
Her smile widened ever so slightly, and Thea felt her pulse quicken.
¡°But then again,¡± the Major continued, ¡°there has also never been an Alpha Squad with such a high initial PV in the history of the UHF. So perhaps we shouldn¡¯t be too surprised to welcome, yet again, one of Sovereign Alpha¡¯s own to the stage. Please, give a thunderous round of applause for the statistically greatest Recruit Medic the UHF has ever had the pleasure of calling their own: Karania Faulkner, recipient of the Two-Star Palladium MVM Medal!¡±
The hall erupted into cheers and applause, and Thea joined in without hesitation.
She had already braced herself for Karania¡¯s name to be called and was unsurprised to see her friend rising from her seat before the Major had even finished the announcement.
Karania¡¯s confidence and poise were, as always, utterly unshakable, and her calm stride toward the podium only reinforced that impression.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Kara! Fuck yeah~!¡± Thea screamed, her voice cutting through the roar of the crowd.
Genuine happiness surged through her, mingled with unbridled awe and pride.
To Thea, Karania wasn¡¯t just a brilliant medic¡ªshe was a true force of nature.
Her sheer excellence radiated from her like a beacon at all times, elevating everyone around her. It wasn¡¯t just that Karania excelled at everything she did; it was that she did so with an unrelenting purpose that inspired those around her.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but feel humbled¡ªand lucky¡ªto count someone like her as a close friend.
Watching her ascend the podium, Thea¡¯s thoughts were crystal clear on the matter.
¡®The UHF doesn¡¯t just need someone like her¡ªthey¡¯re blessed to have her.¡¯
Karania wasn¡¯t just an outlier in Thea¡¯s mind; she was a phenomenon¡ªthe kind of person who came around maybe once in a millennium, if that.
And Thea, standing in the same squad as her, felt her own path forward illuminated by the sheer brilliance of Karania¡¯s existence.
It wasn¡¯t just that Karania excelled¡ªit was that she downright redefined what was considered possible, dragging everyone around her into the gravitational pull of her unwavering determination.
If anyone else had uttered the words Karania had spoken earlier in the ceremony¡ªunilaterally declaring war on the very concept of mortality¡ªThea would have dismissed them as insane, arrogant, or joking.
But Karania? The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind, not for a single fraction of a second.
With Karania, the impossible didn¡¯t feel impossible at all.
Her ambitions might have sounded straight up absurd when spoken out loud, but Thea believed, deep in her bones, that Karania would find a way to make them work.
Whether through sheer willpower, unmatched intellect, or some entirely new, unimaginable means, Karania Faulkner would find a way to make death itself quake at her name.
That wasn¡¯t a hope¡ªit was a fact, etched into Thea¡¯s very Soul the moment her friend had made her declaration.
The road ahead for Kara was undoubtedly long, unfathomably complex, and impossibly demanding, but Thea had already decided she would be there. No matter how draining the journey, she would stand beside her, witnessing every step of her dream¡¯s evolution.
More than that, she would help however she could, supporting her friend¡¯s mission to bend the very fabric of reality to her will.
Because that was who Karania was¡ªshe wasn¡¯t just a dreamer. She was a realist, through and through. So, if she said that death would end, then in Thea¡¯s mind, death¡¯s days were numbered.
It wasn¡¯t bravado or empty ambition; it was simply fact.
Greeting Karania with a grin so wide it almost hurt, Thea leaned back slightly, letting the rest of Alpha Squad rush to congratulate their friend first.
There was no urgency in Thea¡¯s mind¡ªshe sat right next to Karania, after all. They had all the time in the world to talk later, and Thea knew that when the initial flood of congratulations subsided, she¡¯d have her moment to express just how proud she was.
Karania accepted each nod, pat on the back, and playful comment with her usual grace, her calm demeanor tinged with a faint smile that told Thea she wasn¡¯t entirely unaffected by the outpouring of support. She might have seemed unshakable, but even someone as exceptional as Karania could feel the weight of her squad¡¯s admiration.
When Karania finally turned toward her, Thea didn¡¯t hesitate, leaning in for a tight hug, her grin as wide as ever. "Guess it¡¯s hard being the greatest medic the UHF has ever seen, huh?" she teased, her voice light but filled with genuine admiration.
Karania chuckled, her tone laced with amusement as she retaliated by lightly prodding Thea¡¯s sides, tickling just enough to force her to squirm. "Not as hard as being the squad¡¯s resident overachiever, I¡¯d imagine. What¡¯s it now? Five medals? Six?"
¡°Like you don¡¯t know the exact number,¡± Thea shot back, rolling her eyes but unable to hide the warmth in her voice. She couldn¡¯t exactly argue¡ªKarania was right.
It was almost comical to think of herself as anything other than an overachiever at this point, what with the growing collection of medals clutched in her hands.
The combined weight of them felt almost as surreal as the accolades they represented.
As Thea moved to sit back down, Karania held out her hand with an exaggerated, expectant look. Her expression was so over-the-top that Thea couldn¡¯t help but laugh, the tension of the moment dissipating further.
¡°Right, of course,¡± Thea muttered with a grin, taking Karania¡¯s hand without hesitation.
Before Thea could fully process what was happening, Karania abruptly yanked her forward with surprising strength, pulling Thea off balance. Her body turned awkwardly as Karania switched positions with her, leaving Thea stumbling slightly to catch her footing.
¡°What the¡ª?!¡± she yelped, her voice rising in confusion. A panicked thought shot through her mind¡ª¡¯Don¡¯t yell! Don¡¯t get Psychically-slapped by Major Quinn!¡¯¡ªand she barely managed to cut herself off before her voice carried across the hall.
Karania, as composed as ever, smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"It¡¯s your turn now," she said cryptically, brushing a nonexistent speck of dust off her shoulder. "I was just the appetizer."
Thea blinked, confusion painting her features.
¡°What¡ What does that even mean?¡± she asked, her voice edging toward frustration.
Karania didn¡¯t answer.
Instead, she gave Thea a long, knowing look¡ªthe kind that spoke volumes without saying anything concrete¡ªand then calmly sat back down in her chair, crossing one leg over the other with a smug expression.
Thea exhaled sharply, muttering under her breath as she tried to sit back down herself, but before she could, Karania stretched out her hand and gently but firmly pushed her away.
"Nope," she said, her voice lilting with amusement. "I told you, it¡¯s your turn. You really should get going."
Her smirk widened, practically daring Thea to figure it out.
Frustration bubbled to the surface.
"Kara, what the fuck are you¡ª?" Thea started, but the words died in her throat as Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice rang out, cutting through the din of the hall.
¡°Now,¡± Major Quinn began, her tone carrying an almost playful gravitas, ¡°if Karania Faulkner¡¯s award is an outlier, then I really don¡¯t know what to call this one; yet the brass will simply have to find a name for it, since it is reality.¡±
Thea froze, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes froze at Karania¡¯s.
Her friend¡¯s smile simply grew wider every moment.
¡°Anybody with a rough understanding of how the MVM Award is judged,¡± Major Quinn continued, her voice resonating with authority, ¡°should know what I am about to say by now, but I will spell it out for everyone else in the hall as well: For the first time in UHF history, a Recruit hasn''t just won the Two-Star Palladium MVM Medal, but another Marine, from the very same ship and Drive, has also won the Two-Star Crysium MVM Medal. A statistically almost impossible happenstance, yet we are privileged enough to bear witness to it.¡±
Thea¡¯s mind reeled as the horrifying realisation crashed down on her.
¡®No way. No fucking way. That¡¯s not fucking possible. I couldn¡¯t¡!¡¯
¡°Without further ado,¡± Major Quinn announced, a genuine smile spreading across her face, ¡°let us all welcome back to the stage for one final award; considered the Most Valuable Marine in the entire Assessment: Thea McKay, from our very own Alpha Squad.¡±
The room erupted in ear-splitting applause and cheers, but Thea barely heard it.
Her gaze still frozen on Karania, who was now leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
"Told you," she mouthed, before pushing Thea away from the seats towards the podium with her feet.
The room¡¯s applause was deafening, but to Thea, it was nothing but a muffled roar, like the sound of distant waves crashing against the shore. Her legs carried her forward almost on instinct, her steps mechanical as her mind struggled to process what was happening.
¡®The Most Valuable Marine.¡¯
The words felt alien. Impossible.
How could she¡ªhow had she¡ªbeaten every single other Marine in the Assessment?
Her mind wrestled with the question, trying and failing to justify it.
¡®It can¡¯t be right. There were others. Marines with more experience, more knowledge. Hell, even Kara should¡¯ve been the one to get this, not me.¡¯
But the competitive side of her wasn¡¯t having any of it. ¡®Why not you? You worked your ass off. They didn¡¯t just hand this to you¡ªyou fucking earned it. This is the UHF, a meritocracy through and through, as even Karania keeps reminding you. So why wouldn¡¯t it be you? You¡¯re carrying a mountain of Medals with you, right now, that prove the very logic that Major Quinn pointed out earlier as well: If it wasn¡¯t you, then who the fuck else would it have been?¡¯
With every step, her doubts were met with defiance.
The competitive blood inside of her veins was practically on fire, burning away any and all cracks in her resolve.
If the UHF brass had chosen her, it wasn¡¯t by accident.
They had watched everything, judged everything¡ªand, yet, she had still come out on top.
So why wouldn¡¯t she accept this outcome? It was the only logical one left.
Even the usual suffocating anxiety from being the focus of thousands of eyes didn¡¯t settle in.
She felt¡ numb.
The shock had dulled every other sensation, leaving her moving as if through a fog. She was aware of the applause, of the way her name had begun to ripple through some parts of the crowd, but none of it felt real.
Her steps were steady, almost detached, as she ascended the podium once more.
Major Quinn greeted her with a genuine-looking smile, her presence as commanding as ever.
In her hand was the blue-hued Crysium Medal, shimmering under the lights. Thea¡¯s gaze flicked from the medal to the Major¡¯s face, searching for any sign that this was some sort of elaborate joke.
But all she saw was pride¡ªand something else.
Respect.
Behind them, the screen came alive with recordings of her most defining moments in the Assessment.
The footage began with the first ambush, Thea infiltrating alongside Arrow Squad on the opening day, her sniper rifle firing with unerring precision, each shot resulting in a dead Stellar Republic Soldier, regardless of the situation she had found herself in.
Then came the massacre in the forest.
A nightmarishly injured version of herself, one she could barely even remember, hunted down a squad of fully Integrated Soldiers with brutal efficiency, making use of her armour¡¯s camouflage, her Nanobot Swarm¡¯s auditory features to confuse them and sheer, raw willpower to continue moving despite the severe wounds she had clearly already sustained.
The scene shifted to the eastern front, where she had destroyed the Anti-Armour Cannons atop the Wall alongside Lucas. The recording lingered on after the double-shot that took out two of them in the span of a single second; their massive explosions in the distance a sight to behold.
And then came the service tunnels.
Thea¡¯s chest tightened as she watched herself in the footage, her face pale from exertion, eyes wide yet laser-focused.
The recording captured the exact moment she had abandoned all hesitation, placing her full trust in her Psychic Powers and [Sensory Overdrive].
It showed her stepping out from behind Lucas¡¯ shield, Gram raised, firing in what appeared to be erratic and random directions.
Each shot, however, found its mark without fail¡ªcutting down enemies hidden behind cover, disrupting their formations, and neutralizing their most dangerous threats before they even had a chance to act.
Her movements were impossible to follow; even for herself.
She weaved through the chaos like a specter, sidestepping bullets, lasers, and even shrapnel with a preternatural grace.
The recording slowed to highlight moments where her body bent or twisted seemingly an instant before danger even manifested¡ªa Soldier¡¯s laser painting her form only for her to duck before the trigger was pulled, debris from a grenade flying past her harmlessly as if the blast had already been calculated into her steps.
Every motion was deliberate, every decision executed with such precision that it seemed as though she were operating seconds ahead of reality, her actions dictated by a force beyond mortal comprehension.
The hall seemed to collectively hold its breath as the scenes unfolded in excruciating detail.
The tension was palpable, every set of eyes glued to the screen, the weight of what they were witnessing sinking in.
Some Recruits leaned forward, whispering in barely audible tones:
¡°Is she even human? How do you react that fast¡?¡±
¡°This is fucking unreal¡ What am I even watching¡?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even know this was possible¡ She¡¯s a Recruit, like us¡?¡±
Others simply sat in stunned silence, their eyes glued to the screen, mouths slightly agape.
Major Quinn turned to her once more as the recordings came to an end, extending the Medal toward her. ¡°Congratulations, Recruit McKay. The UHF proudly recognizes you as the Most Valuable Marine of this Assessment, awarding you the Two-Star Crysium Medal for your efforts. Your actions have not only shaped the Battlefield as a whole, but also redefined what the UHF thought was possible for a first-year Recruit to achieve. Well done; you¡¯ve truly earned this.¡±
Thea¡¯s hands trembled slightly as she accepted the Medal, the weight of it grounding her in the surreal moment.
As she shook Major Quinn¡¯s hand, the roaring applause hit her like a wave, louder and more powerful than anything she had ever heard before. The sheer volume of it seemed to vibrate through her very core, as if the entire hall was amplifying the crowd''s energy directly into her chest.
¡°Alongside the medal,¡± Major Quinn¡¯s voice carried effortlessly over the cacophony, her tone measured yet proud, ¡°as per usual, there are rewards. For the Two-Star Crysium MVM Medal, you are hereby awarded an additional 8,000 Credits, a 100% Sales Voucher for any piece of equipment inside the Sovereign¡¯s stores, and an Advanced Skill Voucher, usable for any ¡®Advanced¡¯-tagged Skill Course inside the System Store.¡±
Major Quinn finished the announcement by turning to her with a small but unmistakably proud smile, gesturing for Thea to leave the podium. ¡°Well done, Recruit McKay. You¡¯ve earned every bit of this.¡±
As Thea made her way towards the podium stairs, a strange, unfamiliar calm settled over her.
The usual anxiety that typically clawed at her chest with every step was conspicuously absent. Instead, she felt the fire inside her, blazing with unrelenting confidence, bolstered by the literal and metaphorical weight of the half-dozen medals she now carried.
For the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn¡¯t fear that dictated her movements, but something entirely different¡ªpurpose.
Each medal in her hands felt like a physical affirmation of her triumph, a tangible reminder of what she had fought so hard to achieve.
Her steps were sure and deliberate, her back straight, and her chin held high.
Where she had faltered under the weight of others¡¯ eyes just minutes before, now she met them head-on.
Thea could feel the gazes of the Recruits around her¡ªsome filled with awe, others with envy.
And this time, she didn¡¯t shrink beneath their scrutiny.
Instead, she challenged them.
Her fiery stare met theirs, and one by one, they looked away first, unable to hold their ground against her.
The thought raced through her mind, undeniable and electric: ¡®I am the best Recruit aboard this ship; if not this entire Drive.¡¯
She had achieved what she had set out to do from the moment she had first stepped onto the Sovereign. Her chest swelled with pride, a rare warmth blooming within her that mixed seamlessly with her hard-earned triumph.
She was not simply part of the UHF now¡ªshe had carved her name into its history, even if she was far from done.
But then, as she reached the first steps of the podium stairs, her gaze caught something¡ªa rare few eyes among the crowd that were not filled with admiration or respect, but with disgust.
Disdain.
A bone-chilling cold rolled through her, but it wasn¡¯t fear.
It was something sharper, something that cut through her newfound clarity like an icy blade.
¡®After all this? After everything I¡¯ve done¡? Everything I¡¯ve proven here on this very stage¡? You still look at me like that?¡¯
The fire in her chest roared, consuming the cold entirely, leaving only an unshakable, blazing determination in its wake.
Without a second thought, Thea turned on her heel, taking deliberate, quick steps back toward Major Quinn.
Her medals clinked softly in her hand as she walked, each sound a tiny reminder of her efforts, sweat and tears over the past months, years... her entire life.
She stopped just short of the Major, every eye in the hall locked on her now, the applause having turned into a surprised silence, deafening in its intensity.
Thea drew in a deep, steadying breath as the words formed in her mind, each one fueled by the fire in her chest.
She didn¡¯t falter, didn¡¯t question herself as she stepped forward.
Her voice cracked through the charged silence like a whip.
¡°Major Quinn,¡± she began, her tone carrying a sharpness that commanded the room¡¯s attention. ¡°Using my earned rights as the holder of the Two-Star Crysium MVM Medal, I wish to issue a Challenge. While I am already part of Alpha Squad, a winner of an MVM Medal, and thus immune to being challenged, your rules said nothing about a Medal holder issuing a challenge themselves. Is this correct?¡±
Her words hung in the air for a moment, sending ripples of murmurs through the hall.
Major Quinn arched a single brow, but remained silent for now.
The other Recruits, their gazes snapping between Thea and Major Quinn, seemed equally stunned, whispers racing through the crowd like wildfire.
It wasn¡¯t just bold¡ªit was straight up audacious, a direct challenge not merely to a peer but to the very structure of the ceremony itself. Coming from someone who had already achieved the near-impossible, it carried an electric tension that silenced even the faintest murmurs.
¡°I guess that would be correct, based on the rules I¡¯ve laid out, yes,¡± Major Quinn replied after a moment, her voice measured but tinged with curiosity. There was a hint of hesitation, as if even she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to make of the situation. ¡°You may issue your Challenge, Recruit McKay.¡±
The permission was like a spark to kindling.
The fire in Thea¡¯s veins surged once more, emboldened by the weight of the moment, and she turned sharply to face the gathered assembly. Her eyes swept across the sea of faces, locking onto the thousands of gazes that were now fixed squarely on her.
Thea drew in a deep breath, her voice sharp and deliberate as she began. ¡°Every single one of you has spent the past few hours watching me stand up here again and again. You¡¯ve seen the recordings. You¡¯ve heard Major Quinn herself list the feats I¡¯ve accomplished, seen the awards I¡¯ve been given. Time after time, I¡¯ve proven myself to the UHF¡ªnot just once, but over and over, in every category they¡¯ve deemed worthy of recognition.¡±
She raised her hands, the medals clinking softly as she held them up for all to see.
The podium lights caught the shimmering blue hue of the Two-Star Crysium Medals, casting a radiant glow across the room.
¡°These,¡± she continued, her voice unwavering, ¡°are not just Medals. They¡¯re proof. Proof that I am the best damn Recruit in this hall. That the UHF¡ªa Faction built on merit, on skill, on results¡ªhas judged me worthy of them. Every one of these is a testament to what I¡¯ve done, what I¡¯ve fought for, what I¡¯ve bled for, what I¡¯ve died for.¡±
The room seemed to hold its collective breath, the silence punctuated only by the faint hum of the ship¡¯s systems.
¡°And yet¡¡± Her voice turned colder, sharper, cutting through the air like a blade. ¡°Despite all of that¡ªdespite the Medals, the recordings, the recognition¡ªthere are still those among you who simply can¡¯t seem to accept it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a Midworlder, born from the dirt and the ashes of a place none of you have ever even heard of, or thought about existing in the first place. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a Cyan, someone you see as less-than-human, simply because I was born from the corpse of my very own mother. Or maybe it¡¯s just because the idea of someone like me being better than you¡ªactually better, with the proof to back it up¡ªburns you to your very core. Maybe it is all of the above.¡±
She took a step forward, her gaze burning as it swept across the room, meeting face after face. ¡°I know you¡¯re out there. Innerworlders, Coreworlders, maybe even some Midworlders like me, who simply can¡¯t stomach seeing one of their own rise above. You hide it behind your polite applause or your fake fucking smiles, but I can feel it. I can see it in your eyes, in your body language and in the words you whisper to your neighbours. The disbelief. The sheer disdain. The refusal to accept that I deserve to be standing here.¡±
Thea lowered the medals slightly but didn¡¯t drop her arms, her voice rising with renewed fervor. ¡°This is the UHF. This is a meritocracy. Your bloodlines, your upbringing, your family¡¯s honours¡ªnone of that matters here. What matters is skill. Results. And I¡¯ve proven, beyond any doubt, that I belong here. That I belong in Alpha Squad. That I deserve every single one of these Medals. But if you still can¡¯t accept it¡ªif you really think I don¡¯t deserve to be here¡ªthen let¡¯s settle it right the fuck now.¡±
She raised the Two-Star Crysium Medal high, its blue light glinting brilliantly under the podium¡¯s glow. ¡°I am laying down the Two-Star Crysium MVM Medal¡¯s Challenge. To every single person in this hall. To every single Recruit in here, without exception. You think I¡¯m not worthy? You think Alpha Squad doesn¡¯t belong to me? You think a Cyan like me has no place in the UHF? Then step the fuck up. Approach me of your own accord. Ask to be challenged, and I will oblige¡ªwithout hesitation.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Thea¡¯s voice was a whip-crack now, every syllable ringing with unyielding defiance. ¡°Put your credits where your fucking mouths are. Prove me wrong, if you can. Because I promise you this: You will experience firsthand why I am the very best this Drive has to offer.¡±
Slowly, her tone shifted, her voice growing quieter, yet losing none of its edge as it carried effortlessly throughout the hall. ¡°During the opening ceremony, right after Integration, Major Quinn showed you firsthand how I reacted to a shot I didn¡¯t expect¡ªI dodged it. I¡¯m offering you the same chance now: A free shot.¡±
She took a deliberate pause, taking a page out of Major Quinn¡¯s book, the tension in the hall thick enough to cut.
Her next words were even colder, sharper, delivered with a ferocity that made the temperature in the room feel like it had dropped several degrees. ¡°But know this, in your very bones: This time around, I will know the shot is coming¡ªand I won¡¯t just dodge it.¡±
With that, she turned back around to Major Quinn and gave her a quick bow, before storming off the podium, into the utterly stunned sea of Recruits below, making her way back towards Alpha Squad¡¯s seats.
Thea''s steps felt heavier with every stride off the podium, her mind a whirlwind of emotions as she made her way back through the utterly stunned sea of Recruits.
The hall was alive with a cacophony of whispers and murmurs, an electrified hum rippling through the crowd as everyone processed what had just occurred. Major Quinn¡¯s authoritative voice rose above the din, her words firm and deliberate as she attempted to restore order.
¡°Recruits, quiet down. While this was definitely an unexpected development, this ceremony is not yet over,¡± Major Quinn called out, her tone sharp enough to cut through the chaos.
It took several moments, but the whispers began to die down, leaving only a subdued buzz of residual astonishment lingering in the air.
Thea reached Alpha Squad¡¯s row, her legs threatening to buckle beneath her.
She collapsed into her seat, dropping her medals into her lap and burying her head in her hands. The cool metal pressed against her forehead, offering some relief to her burning face, but it did little to quell the storm raging inside her.
¡®What the fuck did I just do? What did I even say up there?¡¯ She thought, panic blooming in her chest. Her breathing came shallow and quick, and she forced herself to focus on the rhythmic, grounding chill of the medals against her skin.
Around her, Alpha Squad was utterly silent, the kind of stunned silence that only comes when something entirely beyond comprehension has just unfolded.
Corvus was the first to break it, leaning forward slightly, his brows furrowed in both confusion and reluctant admiration. ¡°Thea,¡± he started, his voice low, as if unsure how loud he should be. ¡°That¡ was... definitely a statement.¡±
Isabella, sitting on Thea¡¯s other side, let out a short, incredulous laugh.
¡°Statement? That wasn¡¯t a statement, Corvus; that was a fucking declaration of war!¡± she said, her tone equal parts amused and stunned. ¡°I mean, what the fuck, Thea? Did you just¡ Challenge the entire hall? If I had known this was even an option, I would¡¯ve tried harder on the MVM Medal thing!¡±
Karania, as always, seemed more composed, but even her expression was one of mild disbelief.
¡°You really are full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said, leaning slightly toward Thea. ¡°That was¡ bold, to say the least. You realize what you¡¯ve done, don¡¯t you?¡±
Thea groaned, still pressing the medals against her forehead, and mumbled, ¡°No¡ Maybe? I don¡¯t know! What the fuck was I thinking?¡±
Desmond, who had been sitting quietly in a rare moment of speechlessness, finally found his voice. ¡°You weren¡¯t thinking, Thea. That¡¯s the only explanation. But hey, at least it was entertaining as fuck, I guess,¡± he quipped, though even he sounded a little unsure of how to process what had just happened.
Lucas, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ¡°You just put a massive target on your back, you know that, right? But I¡¯ll give you this much¡ªnobody¡¯s going to forget your name anytime soon.¡±
Thea groaned louder, pushing the Medals harder against her forehead as if she could will herself invisible. ¡°Oh, fuck¡ What did I even say up there? Why did I do that?¡±
Karania gently reached out and placed a hand on Thea¡¯s shoulder, her voice softer now. ¡°Because you¡¯ve been fighting to prove you belong here since the moment you arrived. And you just made sure no one in this hall will ever dare question that again.¡±
Thea peeked through her fingers at Karania, whose expression was one of genuine pride.
¡°Or,¡± Isabella added with a smirk, ¡°they¡¯ll all line up to get their asses handed to them. Either way, it¡¯s going to be fun.¡±
Thea groaned again, louder this time, as if the weight of her impulsive declaration were a physical thing bearing down on her shoulders.
¡°Whatever¡¯s going to come of this, you can¡¯t take it back now,¡± Karania said, her voice calm and measured, though the faintest trace of amusement lingered.
She continued patting Thea¡¯s back, the gentle gesture doing little to calm the storm of thoughts raging in Thea¡¯s mind. ¡°So let¡¯s just take it one day at a time. And, as Isabella said, if anyone does end up accepting the Challenge? Then you¡¯ll beat their asses anyway. It¡¯s just like you said: You were the best Recruit in this entire hall, so there¡¯s really nothing to worry about, is there?¡±
¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Thea muttered, her voice muffled as she kept her face buried in her hands. ¡°Just the tiny issue of having to face down the entire fucking Drive now¡¡±
Isabella let out a laugh, sharp and unapologetic. ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, girl. Half of them are probably too scared to even think about it. Hell, some of them might even want to line up just to shake your hand instead of fight you. You¡¯ve got them all in a chokehold right now, and you don¡¯t even realize it.¡±
Before Thea could muster a response, Major Quinn¡¯s authoritative voice sliced through the chatter of the hall like a knife.
¡°Recruits, settle down. We are now at the final segment of today¡¯s ceremony: The Leaderboards,¡± she announced, the command in her tone enough to snap the room back to attention.
Even Alpha Squad¡¯s whispered conversation ceased as they turned their focus toward the stage.
Major Quinn gestured toward the screen behind her, which came alive with a sleek, glowing interface that displayed the words UHF Assessment Leaderboards in bold, sharp letters.
¡°The Leaderboards are, in many ways, distinct from the awards we¡¯ve just presented,¡± she began, her tone shifting to one of practiced explanation. ¡°While the MVM Awards celebrate extraordinary peak performances and highlight Marines who have achieved truly remarkable individual moments, the Leaderboards encompass everything. Every action, every decision, every contribution¡ªno matter how large or small¡ªis calculated into these scores.¡±
The screen shifted, showing a complex grid of names, ships, squads, and numerical rankings being filled one by one. Everyone instinctively leaned forward in their seats, the tension in the hall building once again as everyone waited for the results to populate.
Major Quinn continued.
¡°Unlike Medals, which focus on specific achievements with, sometimes, very stringent criteria, the Leaderboards reflect the consistency of all performance throughout the entire Assessment. They include elements that may never show up in a Medal but are no less critical to the success of the UHF¡¯s operations: Every shot fired, every meter traveled, every life saved or lost¡ªit¡¯s all here. The Leaderboards are the truest representation of a Marine¡¯s overall contribution to the Assessment, and the scores represented on them, are what determine your overall ranking as a Marine going into these next few months.¡±
Thea sat up straighter, her previous anxiety momentarily overshadowed by a growing curiosity.
This was it¡ªthe culmination of everything.
While the Medals had been a tremendous honor, this was the scoreboard¡ªthe ultimate metric of a Marine¡¯s worth in the field, the definitive measure of their contributions and performance throughout the entire Assessment.
Major Quinn¡¯s voice rang out as she elaborated on the rules. ¡°The first six names on the Sovereign-specific Leaderboard will represent those among you who meet the requisite score thresholds to issue Challenges to the current Alpha Squad members ranked below them. For example, if you place second here, you will have the right to Challenge every member of Alpha Squad ranked third and below¡ªexcluding, of course, those who have secured immunity through MVM Awards.¡±
The hall seemed to collectively hold its breath, the weight of her words settling heavily over the gathered Recruits.
The very structure of Alpha Squad could shift in an instant depending on the results of this board.
Thea exchanged a glance with Corvus, who sat a bit further to her left.
His expression was as unreadable as ever, but his usual stoicism now carried a sharper edge, a quiet anticipation that mirrored the tension running through every member of their squad. His hand rested on his knee, fingers tapping in a slow, deliberate rhythm, a subtle tell that even he wasn¡¯t entirely immune to the weight of the moment.
Isabella, meanwhile, was bouncing her leg with barely-contained energy, while Desmond and Lucas looked like they were trying to play it cool but failing miserably.
Karania, as always, appeared serene, though her faint smirk suggested she already had a guess about how this would play out, a quiet confidence radiating from her posture.
The screen flickered again, and the Leaderboard¡¯s top ranks began to populate one by one, each name accompanied by a ripple of anticipation through the hall.
Major Quinn¡¯s commanding voice carried over the murmurs, giving context to the names and numbers that started appearing in the top-10.
Her cadence was calm but deliberate, drawing the room¡¯s full attention.
¡°At rank 10, coming in with a total score of 43,358 points, is Yonbu Langri from Arctic Squad.¡±
Polite applause filled the room, though no cheers emerged for the name. It seemed Yonbu wasn¡¯t widely known, or perhaps he simply hadn¡¯t made a strong impression on his peers.
¡°At rank 9, with a total score of 44,091 points, is Desmond Reimart from Alpha Squad.¡±
The entire Alpha Squad instantly turned toward Desmond, whose eyes immediately shot up to the ceiling as he muttered a resigned, ¡°Fuck.¡±
A small chuckle rippled through their ranks, though the reality of his position clearly weighed on all of them¡ªhe was going to be easily Challengeable.
¡°At rank 8, with a total score of 44,816 points, is Lucas Callahan from Alpha Squad.¡±
Lucas gave a small shrug, seemingly unsurprised by his placement, though his jaw tightened slightly. Desmond turned to him and muttered, ¡°Ah, good. At least I¡¯m not alone.¡±
¡°At rank 7, with a total score of 46,318 points, is Isabella Itoku from Alpha Squad.¡±
Thea felt her chest tighten as the third Alpha Squad name was called, this one catching even Isabella off guard. Isabella¡¯s eyes flickered toward the screen, her usual bravado replaced by a rare moment of uncertainty.
By now, Thea¡¯s earlier confidence had been replaced with a growing sense of panic.
The dominance Alpha Squad had shown during the medal ceremonies didn¡¯t seem to be translating to an equally dominant performance on the Leaderboard.
Three of their members were already in positions that made them Challengeable.
¡°At rank 6, with a total score of 46,403 points, is Jin Shizo from Arctic Squad.¡±
¡°Who?¡± The thought seemed to ripple through Alpha Squad in unison as they exchanged baffled glances. Nobody seemed to know anything about this Marine, much less how he had climbed so high on the board without winning a single medal.
¡°At rank 5, with a total score of 47,944 points, is Tiberius Soren from Wano Squad.¡±
¡®That guy again¡¡¯ she thought, a sentiment echoed in the furrowed brows and frustrated looks of Isabella and Corvus.
¡°At rank 4, with a total score of 49,112 points, is Corvus Leander Sylarion from Alpha Squad.¡±
A ripple of nods passed through Alpha Squad, but nobody spoke. It was clear to everyone now: The top three were not going to be dominated by Alpha Squad members.
¡°At rank 3, with a total score of 52,871 points, is Rachel Veronica Masters from Beta Squad.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach churned at the mention of Rachel¡¯s name, a flash of anger threatening to take over.
She forced herself to breathe, unwilling to miss the next announcement.
¡°At rank 2, with an astonishing total score of 97,748 points, is Karania Faulkner from Alpha Squad.¡±
The entire squad¡¯s eyes widened, even Isabella¡¯s usually sharp tongue momentarily silenced.
The number was staggering. Karania, predictably, offered only a shrug, her smirk growing just slightly as she sat, serene as ever.
¡®That¡¯s an absolutely insane score. What the actual fuck¡?¡¯ Thea¡¯s mind reeled at the figure, struggling to comprehend it. But then Major Quinn spoke again, her words ringing with finality.
¡°And finally, at rank 1, which should not surprise anyone in this hall by now, with a truly unbelievable 103,649 points, is Thea McKay from Alpha Squad.¡±
The hall erupted into applause and cheers, a mixture of awe and disbelief washing over the crowd. Thea sat frozen, staring at her name at the very top of the board.
It wasn¡¯t just a win. It was a landslide.
As Major Quinn finished speaking, the Leaderboards shifted, morphing into three separate scoreboards displayed side by side.
The first was the Sovereign-specific Leaderboard she had just presented.
The other two were labeled Recruit Leaderboard and Assessment Leaderboard, representing rankings for all Recruits and all participants in the Assessment, respectively.
Thea¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to the Recruit Leaderboard, the competitive fire in her sparking back to life.
¡®Did I make it¡?¡¯
Her gaze locked onto the first few names, and her chest tightened with excitement.
Recruit Leaderboard
#1 - Thea McKay - 103,649 points - Sovereign Alpha
#2 - Karania Faulkner - 97,748 points - Sovereign Alpha
#3 - Hammr Strong - 67,547 points - Empyrean Alpha
#4 - Kar¡¯al Rodun Imahara - 64,981 points - Ascendant Alpha
#5 - Malea Felsch - 63,311 points - Empyrean Alpha
Her heart skipped a beat as she confirmed her position. ¡®Easily first,¡¯ she thought, barely able to suppress the grin tugging at her lips.
Her attention then shifted to the far more daunting Assessment Leaderboard, her eyes scanning for her name. Unlike the Recruit rankings, the competition here spanned Marines of all ranks and experiences, and she expected to barely make an appearance, if at all.
Her stomach twisted with anticipation as she scrolled mentally through the ranks, her excitement building until¡ªthere it was.
Assessment Leaderboard
#13 - Thea McKay - 103,649 points - Sovereign Alpha
¡°Fuck me¡¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible beneath the cacophonous amount of murmurs and talking in the hall. A big grin broke across her face, unrestrained joy and pride flooding through her.
She had done it.
Not only had she topped the Recruit Leaderboard, but she had also secured a place in the top 15 of the entire Assessment.
Thea¡¯s mind raced as she considered the feat.
These weren¡¯t just Recruits she had outscored; these were seasoned Marines, veterans who had already been through more battles than she could even imagine facing in the next few years.
Her eyes flicked to the top of the Assessment Leaderboard, already suspecting who held the number one spot.
And sure enough, there it was:
#1 - Joseph Orin Venn - 121,447 points - Bow Squad
Thea chuckled to herself.
¡®Staff Sergeant Venn getting first isn¡¯t exactly news, now, is it?¡¯
The man was practically a legend in the UHF already, despite being merely T1. Practically every single person she had met inside the Assessment had either known about him or had directly interacted with him before and they had all shared the same thoughts: He was an absolute master, when it came to owning Assessments and getting high scores in them.
But then, a new thought struck her.
¡®Where¡¯s Vi?¡¯
Her gaze darted across the ranks, scanning frantically for her friend¡¯s name. It didn¡¯t take long to find it.
#7 - Viladia Cassiopeia Sortal - 116,817 points - Arrow Squad
Thea exhaled, relief and pride mingling as she took in the number. ¡®Of course, Viladia¡¯s up there,¡¯ she thought, the grin on her face widening. ¡®She¡¯s always been a beast.¡¯
In the next moment, Major Quinn stepped back up to the podium once more, her commanding presence immediately cutting through the lingering murmurs in the hall.
The screen behind her faded to the UHF emblem, replacing the leaderboards. She raised a hand for silence, and the room complied, the energy simmering down to a quiet hum.
¡°If I could have just a few more moments of your time,¡± she began, her voice carrying the same authority that had guided them through the ceremony. ¡°First, let me commend each and every one of you for your performance in this Assessment. Whether you¡¯re walking out of this hall with a Medal, a new rank on the Leaderboard, or just the experience itself¡ªevery single one of you has proven that you have what it takes to be here, aboard the Sovereign, part of the UHF.¡±
Her words were met with a smattering of applause, though the room remained largely quiet, every recruit hanging on her words.
¡°With the conclusion of the Assessment,¡± Major Quinn continued, her tone softening slightly, ¡°you¡¯ve all earned a break. As such, I¡¯m officially announcing a full week of downtime for every Recruit aboard the Sovereign.¡±
The announcement was met with a deafening roar of cheers and applause, easily rivaling the celebration from the Crysium Awards earlier.
Recruits leapt from their seats, whooping and hollering in relief.
For a moment, the rigid lines of rank and squad dissolved into a single, unified wave of excitement.
Major Quinn allowed the applause to roll for a moment with a satisfied smile on her face before raising her hand once more, the room slowly settling into an excited buzz.
¡°Use this time wisely,¡± she advised, her tone once again steady and firm. ¡°Rest, recharge, and familiarize yourselves with your surroundings. Because once the week is up, the real work begins.¡±
The screen behind her flickered, now displaying a list of upcoming schedules and classes.
¡°Following your time off, you will all be required to attend two primary sets of classes; with many more optional ones that will be presented during them as well. The first: System 101. These sessions will be critical in teaching you how to utilize the full extent of the System¡¯s capabilities, from basic and advanced Abilities, over different System-specific mechanics down to the nitty-gritty details of Builds. If you thought your performance in the Assessment was impressive, just wait until you see what you can accomplish once you¡¯ve unlocked the System¡¯s true potential.¡±
The room buzzed with interest, nods and whispers spreading through the crowd.
¡°The second set of classes,¡± Major Quinn continued, ¡°are the General-UHF Classes. These will provide you with an in-depth understanding of how the UHF operates, both aboard the Sovereign and beyond. You¡¯ll learn more about Rank mechanics, mission structures, inter-fleet cooperation, and everything else you¡¯ll need to thrive in the Marine Corps going forward.¡±
She paused, her gaze sweeping the room as if ensuring every single Recruit was paying attention.
¡°These next steps are what will truly define your journey in the UHF. Take them seriously. And once again, thank you for your incredible work during the Assessment, for your trust in the UHF, and for your tireless efforts to strive for greatness, no matter the odds. You¡¯ve made us all proud; and most of all: Me.¡±
Major Quinn took a deep breath, then bowed deeply before the assembled Recruits.
For a moment, there was silence¡ªthen the hall erupted into applause once more, the thunderous noise carrying a palpable sense of camaraderie and respect.
Even the most stoic Recruits couldn¡¯t help but join in, clapping until their palms burned.
Straightening, Major Quinn offered one last nod. ¡°This concludes the ceremony. You are dismissed, Recruits.¡±
The room was alive with motion as the Recruits began to disperse, conversations sparking up immediately as squads gathered to celebrate, speculate, or simply revel in the week of freedom ahead.
Thea stood and turned toward the rest of Alpha Squad, who were already rising to join her.
They fell into step together, weaving through the crowd toward the exit, sharing their thoughts, bantering or just sighing in relief that the ceremony was finally over.
As they walked, Thea glanced at the medals clutched in her hands, their weight grounding her even amidst the chaos.
She looked at her squadmates¡ªIsabella¡¯s grin, Lucas¡¯s stoic demeanour, Desmond¡¯s muttered curses about ¡°more classes,¡± Karania¡¯s serene confidence¡ªor maybe smugness, and Corvus¡¯s quiet calculating glances¡ªand felt a surge of camaraderie inside her.
This was her new family inside the UHF; one she would defend until her last breath, no matter what.
¡®This is only the beginning,¡¯ she thought, her grip tightening on the Medals in her hands.
¡®Like the Major said: The real journey starts now.¡¯
POV: Major Atlas Daxton
Overseeing the rapid Integration of a few thousand Midworlders had undeniably been a penal assignment.
Of that, Atlas was absolutely certain by now.
It was the kind of job that no one wanted but someone had to do¡ªa thankless task buried in bureaucracy and bloodshed.
Not only had it been a logistical nightmare to round up Midworlders scattered across random planets in the Kuigon Sector, but then there was the nightmare of transporting them to the nearest viable Battlefield.
There, he¡¯d been forced to argue with stubborn local commanders to deploy Unintegrated soldiers¡ªa demand they always pushed back on, calling it a waste of resources for one of the UHF brass¡¯s so-called ¡°experiments.¡±
And as if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he then had to sit back and watch those same soldiers get slaughtered within days, their deaths just another set of numbers in a report.
¡°Haa¡¡± Atlas exhaled heavily, his chair creaking as he leaned back to stare at the latest battlefield reports on his display.
The glowing red figures stared back at him like a taunt.
¡°6,472 Unintegrated Midworlders deployed and only 43 successfully Integrated¡?¡± he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief and frustration. ¡°This is even worse than usual¡¡±
The weight of those words hung in the air as he leaned forward again, his elbows resting on his desk.
¡°Are you sure these numbers are right?¡± he asked sharply, his question directed at the silent scribe who had just delivered the updated reports and spliced them into his datastream.
The scribe, as expected, gave a curt nod in response.
Mute by design, they weren¡¯t meant to do anything but process and transport data¡ªa precaution implemented by InfoSec to eliminate the risk of verbal leaks.
Atlas found the practice overly paranoid and, frankly, irritating, but he wasn¡¯t about to argue against the UHF¡¯s most annoying department.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± he muttered, waving the scribe away with a dismissive hand as he swiped the screen clean of the grim statistics.
He needed a distraction¡ªanything to take his mind off the thankless drudgery of this assignment.
He opened a new feed, this time pulling up the latest reports from the Sovereign that he had received from Zephyr.
The Assessment had concluded a little over a day ago, and he was itching to see how things had played out. His eyes darted over the data, scanning for the highlights.
There was the usual flood of numbers, mission breakdowns, and performance analyses, but a few lines caught his attention and drew a smirk to his face.
Then he reached the Awards and Leaderboards section.
He froze, reading through the names and scores carefully. When the final rankings sank in, he threw his head back and roared with laughter, the sound echoing through his empty office.
¡°Hahaha! Of fucking course! Yes! This is the fucking best!¡± His fist slammed down on the desk in front of him, sending a stack of datapads skidding to the edge. His grin stretched from ear to ear. ¡°I knew banking on your pupil was the right choice, old man!¡±
His hands moved quickly now, swiping the detailed report into a streamlined message. He attached the list of awards and final Leaderboard scores, then added a short, pointed note.
[Subject: You Owe Us All A Drink¡ªOr Ten]
"Look what your pupil¡¯s gone and done, James. Time to take some responsibility for the monster you¡¯ve created, don¡¯t you think?"
With a satisfied smirk, he pressed the ¡°send¡± button, only for a glaring red InfoSec warning to pop up on his screen.
ALERT: You are attempting to send UHF-internal documents on an unsecured line. This action might constitute a Court Martialable Offense. Are you sure you wish to proceed?
Atlas rolled his eyes, muttering, ¡°Unsecured my ass. Who gives a fuck¡¡±
He jabbed the button to override the warning with his biometric signature, selecting the ominously worded option: Ignore Warning and Send Anyway (Biometrics required).
The message zipped away into the GalacticNet with a soft ping, leaving Atlas staring wistfully out of his office window. The endless expanse of space glittered before him, cold and unyielding, yet somehow comforting in its vastness.
¡°Your pupil¡¯s making bigger waves than you probably ever imagined, James¡¡± he murmured, his voice low and contemplative.
A faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
PoV: Councillor Seraphina Lumis
Pouring over the desk stacked with datapads, Seraphina struggled to contain her bubbling excitement. Her foot tapped incessantly against the polished floor, a sign of her giddy energy, and a rare grin split her usually composed face.
¡°This is even better than we could have hoped for!¡± she exclaimed to the empty room, her voice carrying an almost childlike enthusiasm.
She kicked her feet lightly, a habit she hadn¡¯t indulged in since her days as a young cadet in the Marines, the datapads in front of her glowing softly with lines of data that felt almost too good to be true.
The results of the recent Assessment were nothing short of cosmic in their implications, but what truly set her heart racing was the performance of her assigned Prime Subject: Thea McKay.
The young recruit hadn¡¯t just met expectations¡ªshe had obliterated them, tearing through every benchmark and preconceived notion with the precision of a sniper¡¯s bullet.
The sheer unpredictability of her rise had left everyone scrambling for explanations, but Seraphina reveled in the chaos of it.
¡°Every once in a while, the galaxy hands you something like this,¡± she murmured to herself, running her fingers across the sleek surface of a datapad. ¡°Thea McKay¡ You¡¯re one hell of an outlier.¡±
For centuries, the UHF had seen its fair share of remarkable Marines, especially in the last few decades, with the Allbright System accelerating the development of raw talent to unprecedented levels.
Yet, Thea felt somehow different.
She wasn¡¯t the strongest or the most inherently powerful.
She wasn¡¯t even the most obvious candidate for stardom or the one that performed the best.
And yet, Seraphina couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Thea possessed a quality that transcended raw numbers¡ªa potential that wasn¡¯t quantifiable by any current metric.
¡°Her upbringing must have been a factor¡ General Harbinger really knows how to find gems in the rough,¡± Seraphina mused aloud, her fingers dancing across the datapads as she continued reviewing the girl¡¯s performance.
The numbers alone painted a dazzling picture.
Thea had smashed her Assessment scores, nearing all-time records for UHF Recruits across the entire faction. What made it even more impressive was that she had done so without prior System training or formal development of her Psychic Powers.
¡°With the right guidance, she could be a cornerstone in the UHF¡¯s future operations,¡± Seraphina said, leaning back in her chair. ¡°She¡¯s the kind of Marine we need more of¡ªa force multiplier waiting to be unleashed.¡±
Yet, not everything about the report was ideal.
A few anomalies in the data gnawed at the back of her mind.
¡°Sovereign,¡± she called into the air, her tone sharpening with purpose, ¡°provide a full analysis of the current status of Prime Subject Thea McKay and any relevant correlating factors.¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s neutral, precise voice filled the room almost instantly. ¡°Prime Subject Thea McKay has exceeded initial expectations by 43.74%. Prime Subject has exhibited accelerated growth, not previously shown in projections, as a direct result of interactions with Subject Karania Faulkner. Confidence metrics for the Prime Subject have increased by 173.2%, surpassing acceptable variance thresholds. This level of deviation warrants further analysis and additional simulations to determine causation and potential risks. Subject Karania Faulkner¡¯s influence has been flagged as potentially problematic due to its unpredictable nature and direct impact on the Prime Subject¡¯s behavioral growth.¡±
Seraphina¡¯s brow furrowed as she processed the Sovereign¡¯s assessment.
She waved her hand, signaling the AI to continue.
¡°Go on,¡± she said, her tone a mix of curiosity and caution.
¡°Subject Karania Faulkner has been classified as an anomaly within the current Recruit cohort. Her predictive capabilities and decision-making processes are outside the expected upper-limit for Recruits of her tier. The correlation between her presence and Prime Subject Thea McKay¡¯s enhanced performance is statistically significant but currently unquantifiable without further longitudinal studies.¡±
Seraphina leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers as she studied the information before her. ¡°So Karania¡¯s influence is a double-edged sword¡ interesting.¡±
Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. ¡°I take it your gamble backfired, then? Pushing the Majors and other AIs for that particular addition of Subject Karania Faulkner¡¯s?¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s voice replied without hesitation, its tone as neutral as ever. ¡°The Subject¡¯s reactions were far outside expected parameters. The intent behind the addition was sound: To remind the Subject of its status and create conditions conducive to measured control going forward. The strong emotional reaction, however, went far beyond what calculations had shown the Subject to exhibit, even in the worst-case scenarios. Additional data will be required to refine predictive models and circumvent similar deviations in the future.¡±
¡°Is that so¡?¡± Seraphina mused, her tone both contemplative and edged with mild irritation.
Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk as she made a mental note to review the exact moment that had gone awry. It wasn¡¯t like the Sovereign to fail in its calculations¡ªespecially not this drastically.
Her gaze darkened slightly as she added, ¡°No more pushing the Subject¡¯s buttons for now. Without knowing the exact outcome ahead of time, it¡¯s too dangerous to prod at her further. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that your actions might have inadvertently caused the Subject to actively push the Prime Subject¡¯s growth, creating precisely the precarious situation we¡¯re now facing. We cannot risk underestimating the Subject again. I do not like the sensation of things spiraling out of control¡ So no more additions of that nature for now.¡±
She exhaled, her tone sharpening as she leaned back in her chair. ¡°Continue with the rest of the report.¡±
¡°Prime Subject is likely to continue acting outside of expected parameters as long as Subject Karania Faulkner¡¯s involvement is not stopped,¡± the Sovereign¡¯s monotone voice continued where it had left off earlier.
¡°Conversely, calculations do show that the Subject¡¯s involvement could lead to massively accelerated growth potential in the Prime Subject. However, this makes any decision regarding intervention difficult to justify without further, extensive simulations. Simulations including Subject Karania Faulkner have proven consistently inconsistent in result, as her unique mental capabilities exceed current simulation parameters. Access to a Prime Data Server is required for accurate simulations involving the Subject.¡±
Seraphina frowned, her finger tapping anxiously on the datapad.
¡®Back to the Apex again¡?¡¯ she thought, gnawing lightly at her lower lip.
¡®How am I supposed to justify that to the brass this time?¡¯
She had already pushed the boundaries of her authority by granting the Sovereign limited access to the Apex¡¯s Prime Data Servers during the Assessment.
The Void Daemon incident had provided the perfect cover to mask her decision, but pulling the same trick twice? That wasn¡¯t going to fly.
She let out a slow breath, trying to center herself before addressing the AI again.
¡°What are the potential outcomes if we simply¡ ignore Subject Karania Faulkner¡¯s involvement with the Prime Subject?¡± she asked, her voice betraying a mix of curiosity and caution.
¡°Outcomes vary significantly,¡± the Sovereign replied. ¡°Subject¡¯s disposition toward me remains tentatively hostile. Subject has made several attempts to inform Prime Subject of my existence, though she has not disclosed her full intentions or allegiances. Prime Subject¡¯s calculated and simulated developmental trajectory will deviate drastically if Subject Karania Faulkner is allowed to remain near the Prime Subject for an extended duration.¡±
The Sovereign paused before delivering the breakdown. ¡°The most likely outcome is a 31.43% probability of moderate accelerated growth. The second most likely outcome is a 28.14% probability of massive accelerated growth. The third most likely outcome is a 16.9% probability of slower growth. The fourth most likely outcome is a 4.7% probability of a schism between the Prime Subject and the UHF, resulting in critical failure of the current objective.¡±
Seraphina grimaced at the numbers. Her mind whirred, trying to calculate the potential fallout.
¡®Those are not good odds. A more than 20% chance of outright unfavorable or catastrophic results? That¡¯s unacceptable¡ isn¡¯t it?¡¯
¡°What percentage of potential growth acceleration are we talking about, Sovereign?¡± she asked, grasping for more data to help her make sense of the gamble.
¡°For the first outcome: 61.59% accelerated growth. For the second outcome: 238.41% accelerated growth.¡±
Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened, her breath catching as she leaned back in her chair. She took a moment to regain her composure, feeling her pulse hammering in her ears.
¡®What the fuck? Two hundred thirty-eight percent growth? That can¡¯t be right¡¡¯
¡°Sovereign, run the numbers again on the second outcome,¡± she ordered sharply.
¡°Calculations updated. The second outcome now results in 238.58% accelerated growth, reflecting developments in the past 4.7 seconds.¡±
Seraphina blinked. ¡°It went up by 0.17%¡ In less than five seconds? Why?¡±
¡°Prime Subject and Subject Karania Faulkner are currently conversing,¡± the Sovereign explained. ¡°The interaction is fostering further emotional bonding. Prime Subject exhibits a strong propensity for forming deep emotional attachments, which has a direct correlation with accelerated growth.¡±
¡°Of course¡¡± Seraphina muttered, rubbing her temples. ¡°It¡¯s always about emotions with these damned Recruits. Fuck!¡±
She exhaled heavily, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them, her decision solidifying in her mind. ¡°Sovereign, new orders: Do not interfere with Subject Karania Faulkner''s actions until further notice.¡±
The Sovereign immediately confirmed. ¡°Understood. Orders have been updated.¡±
Seraphina''s lips curled into a wry smile, tinged with both apprehension and excitement, as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling, whispered to herself, ¡°We¡¯re taking the damn gamble.¡±
POV: Runepriest Anrake Vedun
Anrake felt the subtle shift in reality as the Interlocutor¡¯s Void-Drive tore through the delicate fabric of existence, spitting the ship back into real-space after its week-long trek through the endless, formless expanse of the Void.
Official doctrine insisted that the transition was imperceptible, regardless of the ship¡¯s size or make, but Anrake had always known better.
¡°You can¡¯t simply connect the Void and the Material Universe without creating ripples,¡± he mused, a quiet chuckle escaping him. The younger engineers¡ªwhether specializing in space travel, void manipulation, or the myriad intersections of those disciplines¡ªstill had so much to learn about the universe¡¯s deeper truths.
Anrake himself had once believed he understood it all, his confidence as vast as the cosmos.
But years of humbling experiences had stripped him of that hubris.
Now, as a Battlefield Psyker of the highest echelon, he had a unique appreciation for just how truly insignificant even the greatest minds and powers were when faced with the endless unknowns of the Void.
If anything, his talents had only granted him enough perspective to see the edges of his own ignorance¡ªa sobering revelation that never truly left him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the soft chime of his room¡¯s comms system, a familiar tone signaling an incoming communication. Without moving a muscle, he extended a strand of his Psychic energy, effortlessly flicking the activation button.
The physical act of touching anything felt unnecessary for something so trivial; his hands remained massaging his temples, soothing the dull thrum of Void-induced strain.
¡°Venerable Runepriest,¡± came the formal and overly tense voice of Captain Sona, ¡°I am calling to inform you that we have successfully exited the Void. We are currently within the Kuigon Star-Sector, en route to quadrant F-574, X-110, to rendezvous with the IGS Sovereign as per your request.¡±
Anrake sighed audibly, the Captain¡¯s stiff deference grating on him more than it should have.
No matter how many times he encouraged informality, every interaction seemed cloaked in excessive reverence. Suppressing his irritation, he adopted his usual tone of friendly politeness and replied with a flick of his mental energy.
¡°Thank you for the update, Captain Sona. Please convey my regards to the bridge crew and the rest of the ship¡¯s staff as well. The journey has been thoroughly relaxing,¡± he said, his voice smooth and disarming.
Before Sona could respond, he cut the connection with another casual flick of energy, turning his attention back to the glowing data slate before him.
The latest report had just filtered in through the UHF¡¯s Galaxy-wide Communication System (GCS), its dense lines of text crawling with information that he had been awaiting with far more anticipation than he liked to admit.
His eyes scanned the document, dissecting its contents with a blend of curiosity and professional detachment, though a genuine smile tugged at his lips the moment he saw the sender¡¯s name.
¡°Zephyr Quinn¡¡± he murmured, the name rolling off his tongue with a fondness tinged by wistful remembrance. It felt like only yesterday that he had mentored the young, sharp-eyed, fiery-tempered ¡°she-daemon¡± in the ways of a Psyker.
Yet, time had a way of slipping through his fingers.
It had been over fifty years since he¡¯d last seen her, and instead of being a fresh, young Recruit, now she was a full-on Major, a commanding force and the Proprietor of an entire Star-Sector.
¡°You grew up so quickly, didn¡¯t you?¡± he mused aloud, his chuckle resonating softly in the stillness of his quarters. The thought struck him then, not for the first time, just how ancient he had become without even realising it.
The passage of decades no longer carried the same weight to him as it once had, yet seeing how far Zephyr had come brought with it a warm reminder of all that could change in a single lifetime.
He opened the message, reading through its meticulously detailed lines.
Zephyr had written with her characteristic precision, weaving together a summary of the recent Assessment¡¯s outcomes, the challenges posed by certain Recruits, and, amusingly, an entire section dedicated to her hatred for paperwork¡ªa sentiment Anrake wholeheartedly shared.
He was convinced by now that, if anything was ever going to cause him to fall to the Call of the Void, it was going to be the never-ending, incessant paperwork that the UHF loved to make him do.
Attached to the message was a comprehensive report, including the list of Awards and the final Leaderboards of the Assessment. Zephyr had specifically flagged these, asking for his evaluation of a certain promising individual.
Since it was her request that had drawn him to the Sovereign in the first place, Anrake didn¡¯t hesitate.
He opened the files and began reading, his grin widening with every line.
Names and achievements scrolled across his screen, painting a vivid picture of the chaos and triumphs of the Sovereign¡¯s Recruits.
¡°You¡¯ve found me a worthy pupil, then, have you, Zephyr¡?¡± he mused aloud, his grin now fully toothy and predatory. The excitement in his voice was undeniable, a rare break from his usual composure.
Closing the reports, Anrake pivoted to the Sovereign¡¯s crew list. ¡°Very well. It seems I¡¯ll spend more time aboard this ship than I initially planned. Humor Zephyr and leave at the first opportunity? No, I don¡¯t think so. This will require a bit more of my attention, I think...¡±
A familiar energy coursed through him as he began scanning the roster, a habit he had maintained for centuries.
He made it a point to know every name and every face aboard any ship he stepped foot on.
With around four hours left before their arrival, there was ample time to commit each Marine¡¯s and Crew member¡¯s name to memory.
As he worked, a giddy anticipation stirred within him, bubbling up in a way he hadn¡¯t felt in well over a century. Perhaps 150 years. Maybe even 200. He couldn¡¯t even remember.
¡®A new, promising pupil, the end of the thousand-year war, and the mysteries of the universe beyond the Bubble, all converging at once. If that isn¡¯t a sign of things to come...¡¯
END OF - THE ALLBRIGHT SYSTEM - ARC 1
Thank you for reading; I hope you have enjoyed this journey so far.
The story continues in Volume 2 with Thea¡¯s full first year as part of the UHF Marine Corps.
I hope you will be continuing along for the ride in the coming years as well.
Thank you for your support and your valuable time. ??
Arc 1 - Post Mortem & Q/A 1
So¡ We are finally here, huh?
The end of Arc 1 (or how the publisher¡¯s prefer it: Volume 1) of The Allbright System.
It¡¯s been¡ 22 months since I started writing this absolute behemoth of a Volume and never in a million years did I expect to get anywhere near the reception that I did.
Nor did I expect it to end up at like 850k words.
So, first and foremost, thank you all for the incredible amount of support on the novel so far.
I could give you a whole backstory and sob-inducing emotional lamentations of my life or whatever, but let¡¯s be real, nobody here cares about that shit.
So I¡¯ll get to the real interesting part, instead: The Post-Mortem of Arc 1.
When I started writing the very first chapters of TAS, specifically Arc 0; I had absolutely no idea where the story was going to go.
I am what is generally considered a ¡°Discovery Writer¡±.
That means that I ¡°discover¡± the story as I write it, rather than pre-plan every single little thing.
My writing process does not include exact outlines, drafts or anything of the sort, but rather relies on improvisation and imagination mid writing.
I generally have a rough idea of the kind of story-beats I want to add into a chapter, like ideas A, B and C, but when they show up or how exactly they come to be, is often completely up to the mood of the day¡ªor rather: The rules of the world.
When it comes to my style of writing, specifically, I see myself as more of an Oracle, than a God; to put it in more abstract, but pointed, terms.
Where a God controls everything and can make decisions on a whim, an Oracle simply observes the happenings and maybe manages to nudge a specific event into one direction or another; but they are ultimately powerless to change anything drastic.
That is my style of writing.
The Allbright System, much like all of my worlds, has a very stringent set of rules that govern the world; which is part of the reason a lot of Arc 1¡¯s lectures ended up being so pertinent and important to me, as an author.
For a Discovery Writer in the Oracle function, I don¡¯t just benefit, but downright require the audience to understand a lot of the underlying rules of the world; much more so than a Planned Writer or a God function one.
The rules don¡¯t just serve me as a guide-rail, but also serve the reader as an anchor-point, to where they will understand how certain situations will play out, without my explicit say-so.
They help especially with avoiding the much-dreaded ¡°Deus Ex Machina¡± moments; where certain things feel completely out of character for the world, simply to further a character¡¯s story.
With my style of writing, it is very hard to run into a moment where such a device is even viable to employ, as the readers, themselves, understand on a more fundamental level what the world would allow and what it wouldn¡¯t.
And that¡¯s a good thing, in my mind.
At the same time, however, being a Discovery Writer in the Oracle function, means that I also do not control as much of the story as you, as the reader, would like to believe.
While yes, I am the Author and I can technically write whatever I want; the second I break my own rules, is when the story dies.
It is similar to cheating in single-player video games, where you¡¯re only really limited by your own strength of will and your own interest and moral guidelines to not cheat to make the game easier or ¡°more fun¡± momentarily.
But once you cheat, it is hard to get back to the same feeling of enjoyment as before.
The same applies to writing in the way that I write; and why I can¡¯t simply write whatever I want.
My writing is almost entirely dictated by one of three things (in order of import):
- The World¡¯s rules.
- The Dice.
- Specific Story Beats
The first, I previously explained.
The second, might come as a surprise to some of you; though I have mentioned it in the Discord a few times before.
The Allbright System is partially written with ¡°true¡± RNG elements, where I roll literal, physical dice to determine the outcome of a certain event.
This does not happen all the time (it is actually quite rare), but when it does happen, then the dice have 100% of the control of the situation.
One such example would be Thea¡¯s survival on Day 1 of the Assessment.
When Thea turned into ¡°Patches¡± and later ¡°Banshee¡± and suffered innumerable, horrific wounds, barely managing to collapse on top of Viladia in the Silver Forest.
That was one such moment, where the dice had full control of the situation.
Thea, at the time, had a calculated 80% (or 70%?? I don¡¯t remember exactly) chance of dying, but she got lucky on the dice roll; thus she survived the first day of the Assessment and the whole sequence with Karania at the tent played out.
This also led to Thea¡¯s Awakening being during the travel back to the front, as the timeline had shifted as a result of her surviving (she spent more time in the coma than she would have, if she had simply died and respawned).
Thea¡¯s Awakening, then, is the last of the three examples: A Specific Story Beat.
Those are semi-common, but their actual timing is completely reliant on the other two aspects, which is why it¡¯s at the very bottom of the list.
In the example of Thea¡¯s Awakening, the actual Specific Story Beat was simply ¡°Thea needs to have an Awakening when she invests X amount of points into Perception/Resolve¡±.
That was the Specific Story Beat I had set out before I had even begun writing the first Assessment chapter, because I knew it needed to happen during the Assessment to work with the overall story.
But WHEN that Awakening was to occur, was completely up to the whims of the other two deciding factors: The World¡¯s Rules and the Dice.
The World¡¯s Rules dictated that Thea would gain X amount of Contribution Points from her actions, enough to level her up to level Y, giving her Z amount of Attribute Points to invest.
The Dice dictated that Thea survived the suicide mission, rather than dying and respawning, which caused her to desynch from the rest of the squad, minus Karania.
The result was Chapter 65 - Fragmentum Excitat, in which Thea had her Psychic Awakening as a result of investing her points during the drive back towards the front.
Had she died in the forest and respawned instead, she would not have gotten enough CP to level up to that degree; thus not creating the Awakening at that point in time, but sometime later in the Assessment instead.
That is but one example of how the three main dictators of my writing style interact, but I hope it illustrates some of the chain of events that happen in the world of TAS, behind the scenes.
The way that I write TAS is by merely observing Thea move through the world.
She is a fully fledged out character with wants, needs, dreams and goals, as well as capabilities to reach those goals and everything that happens is merely a natural consequence of her following those.
I do not force events, I merely observe them happening as a result of the World¡¯s established rules being enacted upon by the characters and the characters being enacted upon by the World¡¯s rules.
This leads to a bit of an issue in terms of word count, at times, as some events simply cannot be ¡°accelerated¡± with my style of writing.
They happen at the natural speed that the world dictates and there is nothing I can do about it.
At best, I can skip describing the parts in between the prior event and the next one, but that is also not always an option.
Ultimately, it¡¯s a trade-off I chose to make when I started writing in this way.
I write the same way I play TTRPGs: By simulating the world and simply describing how the characters move through it.
Without this framework, there would be no chance in hell that I could have cranked out 850k+ words on this story.
So for everyone that dislikes the wordy nature of my writing and that some Arcs are slower than others, going more in-depth on characters, the world¡¯s rules or whatever else the characters might be focusing on; I can only say: Tough luck; it won¡¯t change.
While I have gotten better at skipping over less important bits, keeping the pace up in areas where it makes sense and removing unneeded stuff; and I hope I will keep improving on that regard; the truth of the matter is that my overall STYLE, won¡¯t change.
I will continue to be a Discovery Writer in the function of the Oracle; which by definition is the most wordy of possible combinations.
Lastly, I just want to take a quick minute to give a rundown of the planned size for TAS, as it will inevitable come up:
The Allbright System is a Sci Fi Epic.
It is designed as such, written as such and will become as such.
What that means for you guys, is a LOOONG time of reading this stupid story, while for me, it means a long time of writing this stupid story.
The current outline for TAS is planned for around 10-12 Arcs of a similar length to the one we just finished.
Yes, I understand that this is a lot of words.
Yes, I understand that this means, at the current pace of 1 Arc/2 Years, we will be here until 2040+.
That¡¯s fine with me, because I plan to keep writing as long as people are reading the stupid story; so just buckle the fuck up.
That¡¯s all I really gotta say about that.
There is only three instances where TAS ends earlier:
- People stop reading.
- Thea dies.
- I die.
The first is obvious.
The second might make you go, ¡°wait a fucking second, what?¡± but if you¡¯ve been paying attention to what I said earlier about my writing STYLE, then this shouldn¡¯t actually be that difficult to understand:Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
- Thea does not have plot armour.
There is a very good reason that the UHF is the Faction with the ¡°respawn¡± Trait, and that reason is that I like to give natural consequences to a character''s decisions.
And that includes the MC.
If Thea does stupid shit; she dies.
It¡¯s that simple.
For TAS, she will have a buffer where she gets to revive multiple times, but that buffer is governed by the World¡¯s Rules, as mentioned earlier. And those World¡¯s Rules are THE MOST important aspect of the story, even before the Dice and even before the Specific Story Beats.
That means if the World¡¯s Rules dictates that Thea dies, again and again, then she will die, again and again.
And at some point, her Faction Trait cost will be so high, that she cannot respawn.
That is the natural consequence of the World¡¯s Rules; and the natural end of TAS as a story.
While that is a distinct POSSIBILITY, it is highly unlikely with the way that the story is setup, but I wanted to point it out to people that weren¡¯t aware of this from my earlier talking points.
As for the third option, that one should also be pretty obvious.
If I fucking die, then the story also ends¡ Unless somebody picks up the mantle and keeps it going.
You have my full permission to write off-shoot fanfics of TAS that follow YOUR vision for the story at any point, as long as proper credit is given.
I might be dead, but I still want my fucking name on it somewhere, alright?
Now, I¡¯d say we¡¯ve gotten enough yapping for now, as we might have more posts like this during the Volume 1 -> Volume 2 transition (thanks to my work being an utter fuck-hole at the moment, that makes writing actual chapters downright impossible); but if you have any questions regarding this philosophy of writing, or want more examples of things that happened in this way as a result of the dice or w/e, feel free to ask in the comments.
For now, I¡¯d like to answer some of the Q/A questions that you fine folks have been submitting over the past week-or-so.
Thank you, everyone, for your continued support on the novel and for the questions!
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªQ / A¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª
The following questions are not sorted in any way, but I tried to not double-up on any.
Q: When will we get Mecha Lucas?
A: Bit of a loaded question, cause ¡°Mecha Lucas¡± can mean just about anything.
But in my eyes, there are three distinct versions:
- A platform-based exoskeleton-armour system, that can be equipped with more dakka, carry more equipment and stomp through the landscape as a one-man-Mecha.
- An actual Mech that Lucas gets to own as part of his interest in the heavy machinery of the UHF AD.
- Lucas joining the UHF AD and becoming a full-on Behemoth Pilot, taking charge of something like the Wolf Lords we¡¯ve seen during the Warfare 101 lectures.
The first is fairly easy, as the Ultra Heavy Armour category of equipment does have quite a vast variety of different ¡°thick¡± options.
From more exoskeleton in design to downright mini-mechs, almost anything is possible in that category. The larger options are generally not used in the UHF Marine Corps, however, as they severely limit the versatility of a given Marine.
Being TOO large is often more of a detriment than an upside.
That said, some of the options DO come with platforms that can either mount extra weaponry, equipment or potentially even squad-members.
Mecha Lucas with Isabella and Thea on his shoulders? That could be reality; but very unlikely!
As for the second and third, we will have to see where, exactly, Lucas¡¯ interests end up leading him.
Right now he is fully enveloped in Alpha Squad¡¯s struggles, trying to make a name for himself as part of Sovereign Alpha (and keep his spot!)
If he ends up losing his spot to someone like Rachel Veronica Masters, however, there is a good chance he will join the UHF AD instead, becoming more focused on the actual vehicle side of things than trying to cram vehicles into the Marine Corps.
Q: What exactly is the relationship between Thea and Kara?
A: Jesus Christ, one loaded question after the other, huh?!
As for their relationship¡ It¡¯s complicated. Severely so.
Thea, being an orphan from a Midworld that grew up with exactly 2 people she spoke to on a regular basis, that being Thomas and James, has absolutely 0 experience with anything friendship/relationship related AT ALL.
Thea does not even know what friendship really IS, as is portrayed many a times throughout Arc 1. She is so inexperienced, that she relies on the Ship¡¯s AI and GalaxyNet articles to guide her through some of the intricacies of it all.
And we all know how good those are¡
Thea is far from really understanding what romance is either.
She has academic understanding thereof, of course, from books, games and series that she had on Lumiosia, but having no real peers to speak off for the entirety of her life except for a few fleeting acquaintances here and there, ultimately means that she has 0 experience.
Thea, at this point in the story, has neither sexual interest nor romantic interest in anything; mostly because she doesn¡¯t even REALLY understand what either of those things are to begin with.
As for Karania¡ She is in a bit of a different boat, but similarly complex and oddly mirrored.
Karania is somebody that has experienced TOO MANY such emotions over the course of her life, as a result of her memory vault.
She can accurately re-experience any individual moment of her life with 100% emotional impact, whenever she chooses to.
As a result, all of her favourite memories have been locked up in her vault and she has lost any real connection to them.
Her first kiss, the first time her parents told her they were proud, her first patient that she saved, etc.
She doesn¡¯t FEEL those memories, at all.
They are emotionally dead in her heart, brain and body; UNLESS she actively re-lives them.
This was her life for around 13 years, until her teacher taught her how to stop the addiction: Namely, locking away memories to relive them over and over, but losing the real connection to them as a result.
It took a lot for her to get rid of that impulse, but she promised herself she¡¯d make real connections as part of the UHF; and once she did, she wouldn¡¯t lock away any of those memories, no matter what.
And then she met Thea.
A person so thoroughly different, yet similar to herself in an odd way; where they both lack the emotional depth to really be able to tell that they have experienced romance (since Karania lost her romantic memories, emotionally, in the vault) but for entirely different reasons.
For Karania, Thea is both a mirror of herself, in a way, but also a beacon of change; of potential¡ªsomething she highly values.
It also helps a lot that Thea is very cute when it comes to being oblivious about anything happening around her.
Despite her immense Perception, Thea is as dense as a black hole, as the comment section likes to say, which makes her very adorable in Karania¡¯s eyes.
Kind of like a puppy that is only now learning how to walk, in a way.
That, coupled with Karania¡¯s inherent want for connection after the cold-turkey addiction stoppage of using her vault, caused Karania to get utterly infatuated with Thea.
She isn¡¯t even entirely sure, herself, what kind of feelings she holds for the Cyan, at this stage in the novel, but she is absolutely certain that it is more than mere friend or kinship.
Whether it¡¯s actual love, simple infatuation or a more scientifically-based, deep-seated curiosity, even Karania can¡¯t quite tell.
Where their relationship will go, I do not know.
The World¡¯s Rules and the characters themselves, will dictate it.
Just know this: TAS is not a romance story.
I will not force romance, where there is no place for one.
If Thea and Karania end up romantically interested in one another, I will observe and write it out, as is my role as the Oracle of TAS.
Q: How long until the Thea x Rachel Enemies-to-Lovers arc?
A: This is a highly unlikely scenario.
Q: Something about the world: Do notable Marines ever get their image out to the public or is the knowledge about Aces kept secret from all others outside the UHF?
A: Great question, though a bit complex to answer!
Generally speaking, unless keeping your existence a secret is a benefit, you will be used for propaganda purposes.
There are quite a few mechanics in the System itself, that rely on broad knowledge of your existence (example: Titles); so more often than not there are vastly more benefits to publicizing a certain Ace¡¯s accomplishments than keeping them under wraps.
In certain scenarios, however, it is better to keep the existence of Aces a secret from the general public (and thus, most of the enemy).
This is particularly the case with Assassin-type Aces or Strategic-type Aces; which have vastly disproportionate impacts on the Battlefields compared to more traditional Aces that are focused on front-line combat.
We will go a bit more in-depth on this during Volume 2, when the Title feature will be explained (System 101 classes, most likely), but I hope this short answer gives you enough to think about to tide you over until then!
Q: How much of a threat to Alpha Squad are the new POV''s introduced during the awards chapters?
A: Great Questions!
The answer varies, but generally equates to: A pretty big one.
The PoVs were specifically introduced as they were the top-dogs of their respective classes or types of Marines; so they are the most likely to become real threats to Alpha Squad members as a whole.
When it comes to overall threat level, the duo of Jin and Yonbu are currently at the lowest of the three PoVs introduced, as the UHF does not put TOO much stock into squad cohesion and teamwork quite yet.
This will, however, change over the course of the first year (read: Volume 2), where teamwork will become more and more of a focus as increasing numbers of individual Marines hit Level 10, and thus, reach their ceiling in terms of overall progression in raw stats/abilities.
Tiberius Soren is right in the middle, where he is a pretty big danger to a good chunk of Alpha Squad as a whole.
He could theoretically replace Corvus or Isabella, as he can both lead adequately and he has proven that he can kill en-masse, just like Isabella can.
Just because we see the Alpha Squad members a lot, as a result of the PoV being locked to Thea the majority of the time, does not mean the rest of the Marines in the UHF are irrelevant or can¡¯t be a real threat.
The best example of this is, of course, the last name on the list: Rachel Veronica Masters.
She is an insanely dangerous person for everyone in Alpha Squad, but Lucas specifically, since she shares a role with him as a Defensive Heavy.
Where Lucas is almost entirely defensive in his style, Rachel uses the far more risky and difficult-to-employ hybrid style of offense AND defense.
It is technically the superior style, as it is far more versatile and has a LOT more impact on the Battlefield as a whole, but it is also a ludicrous amount harder to actually pull off.
Switching between offense and defense at a moment''s notice, while also keeping your entire squad safe, is REALLY hard.
The only reason Rachel can do that, is because she¡¯s a bona-fide Legacy of an Inner Planet.
From the very day she was able to walk and stand properly, she has effectively been moulded to be the perfect Defensive Heavy for the UHF.
She lives, breathes and thinks Defensive Heavy combat, on a level that Lucas is likely never going to get to (if he even wanted).
So the danger level of her challenge is EXTREME; as Lucas will have to truly hunker down and show his own strengths, hoping that the UHF will see them as more beneficial to Alpha Squad as a whole than Rachel¡¯s.
Or to put it more bluntly:
If Rachel was given the same Abilities and Attributes as anyone else in Alpha Squad, she would handily beat every single one of them into the ground in a 1v1.
Where Isabella seems like a daemon on the loose to Thea, because of her couple-of-years real life combat experience before joining the UHF, Rachel has that, but like an additional 10 years of top-tier Legacy-level training on top.
Even with the current Attributes and Abilities, a fight between Rachel and Isabella would be fairly close; with a slight edge going to Isabella for simply being almost a direct counter to Rachel¡¯s ¡°playstyle¡±.
But given the same stats and stuff? Isabella wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.
So the danger level? Extreme.
Q: How long do gunfights typically last- for example the showdown in the tunnel when Thea trusted her psychic senses?
A: This is another question where the answer is: It varies greatly!
Gunfights in TAS so far have lasted from anywhere between minutes-hours (initial ambush on day 1), to days (assault on the eastern front; tho we¡¯ve only seen around 2-3 hours of that fight) and down to seconds and even fractions of a second.
Generally speaking, if a gunfight erupts and Thea uses [Sensory Overdrive], then you have a very clear definition of the time-scale for that moment.
[Sensory Overdrive] at its current level, lasts for a little less than a second (0.95s).
That means that the entire sequence in the tunnels you mentioned lasted less than a second to everyone else from the moment that Thea activated her Ability.
There is some amount of literary freedom used in some of those instances, to include a bit more of the reactions of people around her and what other members of the squad are doing at the moment that Thea activates it; so don¡¯t be TOO much of a stickler and try to pin down exact micro-second movements or w/e the fuck.
Remember that this is still a novel intended to provide fun, so sometimes a single second has to be stretched by a small margin to include a fun moment.
Most gunfights, however, last a couple of minutes; as a general rule of thumb.
Q: Are there Psyker class awards at the end of assessments like the rest of end of assessment rewards?
A: Yes! But those are held in a different ceremony entirely. A bit of a more exclusive one that generally happens a day or two after the overall awards ceremony has ended.
Psykers often need some extra time to recover from an Assessment, so it¡¯s not unheard of that they don¡¯t show up to the general awards.
Alright that¡¯s it for the questions for today!
I actually didn¡¯t get through too many, but we¡¯re already at a decent word count because of all my yapping earlier.
I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed this yapping/Q+A session and I¡¯ll see you in the next one!
Thank you for your continued support!
Arc 1 - Post Mortem & Q/A 2
Q: Are certain Psyker Inheritances more common than others-in particular is Veritas a rare inheritance compared to others?
A: There are indeed differences in commonality between the different Inheritances.
We will get a far more in-depth look at all of this with the Psychic Lessons that Thea will get during the early stages of Volume 2, as well as the Psychic 101 Classes that all the Recruits will get, but to give a rough rundown here already to answer the question properly:
There are a total of 12 Inheritances that exist, that each have a different chance for being the one selected at your Souls¡¯ inception.
Veritas, specifically, is among the rarer ones, but far from the rarest. It is ranked as #8 on the list when going from Most Common -> Least Common.
So the 5th most rare Inheritance.
The most rare one is called ¡°Creatio¡±; and represents the Void¡¯s aspect of creation itself.
But more about Inheritances in Volume 2.
Q: What lifespan can an Integrated person expect on average? (Assuming they don''t get killed)
A: Above a certain threshold of Vitality and Recovery, Integrated people become biologically immortal. Aging is stopped (or even reverted to certain degrees) and your body becomes practically immune to sickness or disease (read: NOT Bio or Chemical weapons, merely ¡°standard¡± diseases).
As such, the expected lifespan at average (as long as you reach the thresholds) is infinite.
Q: How does the Alpha Squad position work exactly? When do they get replaced and what has to happen before that comes to pass?
A: Members of Alpha Squad are always the best members of a given Recruitment Drive.
The spots for the squad can change via something called a ¡°Challenge¡±, which can either be issued as a result of an MVM-Award received after one of the four quarterly Assessments, or by overtaking a member of Alpha Squad on the overall Recruit Leaderboards.
The Recruit Leaderboards are something we haven¡¯t seen in the Novel yet, but will be covered shortly after Volume 2 begins.
They represent the overall value a Marine has to the UHF and is updated continuously throughout the year.
Every single DDS-Mission you go on, every Credit you earn, every Merit Point you acquire and every CP you get is all factored into this score.
So over the course of the year, a lot of movement can happen on the Leaderboards, that can cause members of Alpha Squad to be able to be challenged.
The challenge system as a whole will be covered in-depth in the novel, so I don¡¯t think we need to go over it here; but the general gist is that you need to beat someone¡¯s score or win an MVM-Award, before you can issue them.
If the Alpha Squad member loses the challenge, they get moved out of the squad and replaced with the challenger.
Q: Do people mostly live on planets, or do a lot of people live in space? (aka voidborn)
A: The vast majority of humanity lives on planets.
With no competitors to speak of in the Milky Way Galaxy, humanity hasn¡¯t had the necessity to resort to space-only living, to save on travel distances.
Thanks to the Void Drives and Engines, long-distance FTL travel is also something that is fairly common (for Factions, not individuals), which allows humanity to be spread out quite far around the galaxy and colonize and terraform planets to their liking.
There are, however, a decent amount of space-living people out there; from the earlier space-colonization period of humanity.
Before the advent of the Void Drives/Engines, most of the extra-terrestrial living spaces were orbit-bound around planets, while the terraforming efforts were happening on the planet below.
So while those stations still exist, the vast majority of people live on actual firm ground, as terraforming technology has seen massive leaps and bounds since the early days. You no longer need hundreds or thousands of years to create livable spaces on a new planet; instead making it possible to live on the actual surface in mere years, with larger swathes of the planet being able to be terraformed in a decade-or-so.
Q: How many Recruits are in a Recruitment Drive normally?
A: It varies greatly from Sector to Sector, but most Recruitment Ships are designed to transport up to 10,000 Marines at once.
The Sovereign currently has a little over 1,000 Recruits aboard from the Kuigon Sector¡¯s Recruitment Drive of 943 PFC.
The average Recruitment Drive, by the end of the first year, generally has around 4,500-5,000~ Recruits ready to advance to become Privates.
Q: What is the rough estimate of the population count in a sector? Or Quinn¡¯s, if you want to be specific.
A: Once again, it varies greatly from Sector to Sector.
Sectors closer to Terra hold a lot more population than Sectors further away from it (Core Worlds > Inner Worlds > Mid Worlds in terms of population count).
Quinn¡¯s Sector, the Kuigon Star-Sector, encompasses (roughly) a ¡°measly¡± 26~ Billion people.
It¡¯s a comparatively tiny Sector, all things considered.
There are Sectors in the UHF that hold upwards of 400~ Billion people; so quite a different ballpark!
Q: How are the Sectors divided? Are they more like a slice of pie or a piece of sliced Apple? (Relative to the Galactic plane)
A: Sectors are generally divided by Star-Clusters.
So when looking at the Galactic Map, the UHF Leadership goes ¡°these all look fairly close together, let¡¯s draw a line around ¡®em and call it Sector 1¡± and that¡¯s Sector 1 going forward.
There is a pretty big level of arbitrage in the whole setup, but it¡¯s primarily meant as Top-Level Administration, so the exact sizes don¡¯t really matter that much.
People like Major Quinn, aka. the Proprietors of the Sectors, only really have to deal with things themselves if shit gets REALLY out of hand.
There are a vast network of people working underneath the Proprietors to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen and the day-to-day operations in the Star Sectors is guaranteed.
Q: Does the TAS-Verse have Energy Shields?
A: Bit of a loaded question, as ¡°Energy Shields¡± can mean a lot of things.
I¡¯m going to assume that the question here refers to something akin to the typical Star Trek style ship-bubble that makes the space-ship impervious to any real damage until the plot says otherwise.
These types of shields do not exist for humanity, outside the System-provided SADDs themselves.
The things most akin to an Energy Shield, that humanity has produced, are built into the smaller Defensive Heavy shields; which are more about deflection than absorbing or nullifying.
They produce a strong repulsor field shortly before the moment of impact, to try and diffuse some of the energy of the incoming projectiles to the side; so even a smaller shield like that can withstand more of a beating than one might imagine otherwise.
They are not particularly effective, however, for taking sustained beatings.
The Allbright System itself does provide some rare Abilities that function akin to impervious Energy Shields, however, so the theoretical knowledge of the technology exists somewhere in the greater Universe¡ªat the very least, the creators of the System knew about it.
Q: What is the favorite food of every Alpha Squad member?
A: Lmao, fantastic question, that I actually have an answer prepared for already!
Thea¡¯s favourite food has been rapidly changing since coming aboard the Sovereign, as she¡¯s getting to taste new foods she¡¯s never even CONCEIVED of before on the daily. Her current favourite food is a savoury-style pancake with a creamy white-meat sauce topping.
Karania¡¯s favourite food is something specific to her homeplanet of Vicero, called a ¡°Vicero Colour Flash¡±. It¡¯s a dish that is made up of more than a dozen different vegetables and meats, each with a different colour, covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow. Her favourite part of that meal, in specific, is the bright-green coloured meat of the Vicero Jerina, a type of fat, flightless bird local to the planet.
Isabella¡¯s favourite food is, somewhat surprisingly, an assortment of different salads. During her days as a Mercenary, travelling around the Kuigon Sector with the band, she only got to eat a few expensive meals here and there, but being a pragmatic woman, she found that the cheaper alternatives, mainly specific salads, were right up her alley. Her favourite one features a strange, almost maple-leaf like salad that comes with a whole host of crunch when bitten down on.
Desmond¡¯s favourite food is ice cream. No, really. He loves that shit. Specifically white-cream based ice cream with flavour splinters in them. The more different flavours the splinters have, the better.
Lucas¡¯ favourite food is a good ol¡¯ Orinur steak. Orinurs are a kind of cattle from his homeworld that are specifically known for their amazingly tender steaks. Extremely expensive and one of the main exports of the planet; kind of like Wagyu in our world, in a way.
Corvus¡¯ favourite food is maybe a bit surprising, as he usually tries to be more worldly and show less of his high-society upbringing. But when it comes to food, he can¡¯t deny that it does have it¡¯s benefits to be born into a Legacy. His favourite food is a ¡°sea¡±food called a King Volcinarus. It¡¯s essentially a meal composed almost exclusively out of a single type of meat, that from a Volcina Crab. Much like the name might imply, it¡¯s a crab that is perfectly fine with living inside literal seas of lava inside active volcanoes.
Which makes harvesting the meat extremely difficult, as they require a massive amount of heat to not immediately shrivel up and lose their flavour. Very expensive, very delicious.
Q: How many humans chose to leave the Galactic Bubble before TAS erected it?
A: It is unclear how many humans ¡°escaped¡± the Bubble, but it wasn¡¯t a ton.
Most people simply decided to accept the reality of the situation, especially as Void Drives/Engines weren¡¯t available yet; they only became a thing with the System¡¯s advent, so long-distance FTL travel was a lot more precarious, deadly and harder to come by than it was after the System appeared.
Only the people closer towards the Bubble¡¯s edge already were able to get out before the Bubble fully closed.
Q: Who is the better gamer? Major Daxton or Major Quinn?
A: Major Quinn is by far the better gamer, although Major Daxton would never admit that.
Daxton is a bit of an excuse-master, blaming this and that for his losses and finding important things that SUDDENLY need doing whenever Major Quinn challenges him to a bout.
Q: Will we get to see POVs from other factions? I would love to see how they view the world and our marines. Would make for some excellent World Building exposition.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
A: Yes!
The further we get into TAS, the more broad in scope the world will become, including PoVs.
With Volume 3 being the first time we will see some real-world action against other Factions, we will start getting more and more PoVs that also show other sides of the conflict.
Q: Is there a specific fictional character that acted as inspiration for Thea?
A: Not that I can consciously point to, no.
The only real inspiration for her was Starcraft''s Sarah Kerrigan (Ghost, not Zerg) for her visual design in the early days of TAS.
Aside from that, her name is, unsurprisingly, an allusion to Theia, goddess of vision and sight. Shouldn¡¯t come as a big surprise, considering that Thea is the Psyker with the Veritas Inheritance, Precognition and a heavy focus on Perception.
Q: I wanted to ask about the names of the Squads. There are some with names like Alpha and Beta, but others have other names, and I wanted to ask why that is?
A: The naming scheme for Squads is relatively simple, though it can be a bit confusing at the start.
For Recruits, there are 2 pre-named Squads, those being Alpha and Beta.
Alpha represents the absolute top of the Recruit Leaderboards, while Beta is the runner-ups.
They make up the top 12 Marines in the Drive, so both Alpha and Beta Squads have benefits that other squads do not get access to.
Every other Squad gets to choose their own names; that¡¯s why a lot of them have random names like ¡°Mid Squad¡± or ¡°Glass Squad¡±, or in the case of Morin and crew, ¡°Arrow Squad¡±.
The only real stipulation for Squad Names is that they are short and snappy; one word at most and do not have silent letters at the start so they can be easily recognized on the comms.
Q: With the Factions presumably all having Faction Traits that their neighbors are very aware of, how is espionage done? Are they able to emulate each other''s Faction Traits?
A: Great question! We will get into espionage way, way later into the novel, but it¡¯s naturally a topic right from the get-go as well.
As for how it is done, much like IRL, it is very complicated.
First and foremost, you cannot emulate a Faction Trait.
You can try to pass off a System Ability as a Faction Trait, if it¡¯s somewhat close to what the Faction Trait you¡¯re looking to pretend to have, but there is not a single Faction Trait that can be replicated 1:1 with a System Ability.
Faction Traits, however, also cost System Merit to use.
Regardless of which Trait it is, you will ALWAYS have to pay System Merit to use it.
As a result, it is not as easy to reveal a spy by simply lining up everyone and asking them to use their Faction Trait. You do NOT want to waste precious System Merit like that.
Especially for people like the UHF, who require a massive amount of System Merit to use their Faction Trait compared to every other Faction, as well as having a permanent increase to the price of each use, makes that a non-starter.
In extremely rare circumstances it is used as a last-resort to weed out spies in super important areas, but outside of that, it is pretty much never used.
As such, espionage functions a lot like it does IRL, where a lot of the subterfuge and cloak/dagger stuff happens in very mundane ways.
Passing off of information, bribery, blackmail, etc.
Q: When will be the next time we hear about McKay and the Golden Age Arcade? Will we learn more about James?
A: Volume 2!
Thea will have the opportunity to call James during the month of Ship-Duty, where they leave the DDS for the first time since Integration.
So we¡¯ll get an update from the man himself and also learn more about him.
Q: What happens when two Factions merge? Do future Recruits get to choose between the two initial options? Is there a new one? Is it a blend of the former two or something new entirely?
A: One of the Factions will be considered the ¡°primary¡± during a merge and the ¡°secondary¡± Faction¡¯s Trait will be overridden entirely.
For every 1,000,000,000,000 people in your area of influence, a Faction gets to re-negotiate their Faction Trait with the System to implement changes.
So during a merger, you will likely cross at least one of those thresholds, potentially multiple, allowing you to make SOME changes to the Faction Trait for the ¡°primary¡± Faction.
Note that these are not UPGRADES, but CHANGES.
A Faction Trait¡¯s power is the same as everyone else¡¯s, regardless of size of Faction.
There are no Faction Traits with a bigger power budget than others.
Q: Have you planned out anything for once the Galactic Bubble pops?
A: Yes.
Obviously I won¡¯t go into detail here, cause that¡¯s around 6 Volumes away, so about 12 years at current release speed. But there are already plans and story beats prepared for that time.
Q: How do each of the different Factions plan to come together once the Galactic Bubble pops?
A: They don¡¯t.
The Emperor will make sure that the Factions play nice; as he will be the one leading everyone. There will only be a single Faction by the time the Bubble pops, as the Emperor will already have unified all of humanity.
There is likely going to be some disgruntled people, of course, but Terra is not known to act weak-handed with dissidents¡
Q: How does the UHF prevent PTSD from the Assessments? I remember one character getting captured and tortured. How are they able to prevent mental scars from this?
A: The DDS has an automatic scrubbing feature, that removes emotional connection to specific, traumatic memories made inside of it.
This was covered a bit more in-depth during Arc 0 by Selene herself.
Additionally, after every Assessment, every Marine has mandatory counselling with a Psychiatrist, like Thea had with Selene after this last one, to make sure that they can properly process and deal with the memories that do stay fully in-tact.
Q: Do you have a completed list somewhere of all Old Man James¡¯s sayings and will they keep appearing in the future?
A: Yes and Yes. ;)
Q: When will we have our Colonel Thalia chapter?
A: We might have a PoV of hers in the future, but it is not currently planned.
If the opportunity presents itself, I will include one, as she is a very interesting character.
And we haven¡¯t really seen Diplomancers at work, so she could be an interesting PoV to have for World Building purposes as well.
Q: What was your favourite part of Volume 1? (To write, or story-wise in general)
A: That¡¯s a lovely question!
To write, my absolutely favourite part was Chapter 65 - Fragmentum Excitat.
The sheer cosmic horror and mindfuckery that was Thea¡¯s Awakening was an absolute blast to try and put into words.
My mind was going absolutely crazy with all the images of what I wanted to portray and since the Void¡¯s influence allowed pretty much anything to be possible (within reason), I really got to stretch my creative wings for that entire chapter in ways that would never be possible in a normal chapter.
It was a TON of fun to write.
Story wise, my absolutely favourite part has to be Chapter 128 - Perfectus Exitus.
Much like the Sovereign¡¯s plan was perfectly executed, so was mine when I set out to write the entire first Volume.
From introducing Selene in Arc 0, to bringing her back for the post-Assessment, over the emotional impact that her PoV provided¡ It just all worked out perfectly and really managed to get the reactions and emotions from people that I was trying to achieve.
And seeing all of the hard work of the last 20+ months come together in such a beautiful way and just hit the readers in the exact way I wanted¡ There is simply no better feeling.
So it has to be the end of Volume 1, for sure.
Q: Will the next Arc be shorter and have a bit more acute strength development?
A: No, it will not be shorter. It might actually be longer.
And yes, the next Volume will cover 11 months, rather than 1 month, so there will be a lot more actual development of the litRPG elements, as well as the overall progression elements of the Novel.
Example: Thea gets to learn Skills, spend her Credits on new Equipment and Tinkering materials, she will get access to her piece of Ace Equipment, Psyker Training, etc. etc.
Q: Will the story be going to KU at some time?
A: Yes. I am in talks with a few publishers about bringing the Novel to KU and potentially physical releases as well.
Q: Is the Emperor actually Slim Shady?
A: It is unknown who, exactly, the Emperor is. The chance that he is Slim Shady, specifically, however, is very slim.
Q: What are the distinctions between DDS realism levels? Sometimes the Sovereign can just reset people, otherwise she can¡¯t? I don¡¯t understand how this works.
A: First and foremost, the realism is a System-imposed requirement. This is not something the UHF simply decided on adding for shits and giggles.
To be connected to the System at all, the DDS needs to be accurate-to-real-life above a certain threshold.
The Assessment, then, has an even stricter accuracy requirement, in order to get the full experience/credit/merit amount for that Assessment.
So there''s essentially 3 main levels of DDS realism, with a few sublevels that will be covered in Volume 2:
99.9% real, with food requirements, etc. but can be reset by the Sovereign at any point. This is the general level that all Marines live at inside the DDS and where the classes/lectures and such happened.
99.99% real, this is for digital missions you want to farm Credits/Merit, etc. with. This would be the Cube Trial, for example. The Sovereign cannot interfere with these and your deaths/respawns are limited.
99.999% real, this is for the Assessments, specifically. The additional stringent requirements here are that there''s absolutely no way to stop the simulation unless you void the entire thing. You can''t pull out individuals, talk to them or interfere with the simulation whatsoever. Additionally, Deaths/Respawns are heavily limited based on PV; moreso than for ¡°Advanced¡±.
Caveat to all of them, is that the System will ALWAYS allow you to circumvent a rule, if you''re willing to spend enough Merit/Credits to do so.
This would, for example, be the case of the UHF Brass sending Karania an emergency mission + the information about Focus Overdraws after Thea nearly got herself killed on day 1 inside the Assessment. That was the UHF Brass putting down a massive payment to circumvent the general rules for that one instant.
Hope that clears up some of the confusion!
Q: How does the System handle the creation of a Faction? (How is the Trait chosen, etc)
A: The creation of a new Faction has a few requirements that go as follows:
- The Faction needs to have a distinct racial, ideological, cultural or political differentiation between itself and others near it; otherwise the members of that Faction are more likely to be considered part of a separate Faction that already exists.
- The Faction needs to have at least 1,000,000,000,000 people following it. Following in this case refers to the conscious or subconscious knowledge that they belong to a greater whole in regards to that specific racial, ideological, cultural or political difference mentioned earlier.
- The Faction needs to have a distinct body of leadership, whether it be a single person or a government-type function. The distinct body needs to be known, either consciously or subconsciously, as a function of the Faction itself. This means that there cannot be a ¡°hidden master¡± type situation, where the leader of a Faction is completely unknown. If you want to make decisions about the Faction, then the people within the Faction need to at least have heard about you.
These are the major requirements for the creation of a Major Faction, though there are a few minor ones I am not going to go too in-depth on here, that exist to keep some guardrails on specific issues.
Once a Major Faction has reached the threshold of going from Minor to Major Faction (aka. crosses the 1,000,000,000,000 Souls under their command) the distinct leadership body mentioned earlier will be contacted by the System itself and invited to a negotiation for their Faction Trait.
Faction Traits are then negotiated, by the leadership giving the System a rough idea of what they want, or the System giving the leadership a recommendation based on their type of Faction; ideology plays a fairly big part in the System¡¯s recommendations here.
For example, with the UHF, the System recommended a Trait that would further push an individual¡¯s value. Something that was directly in line with the UHF¡¯s meritocratic approach to governance.
Each Faction Trait shares the same power budget that is handled by the System, which limits what can be done with the Trait and keeps things relatively balanced across the different Major Factions.
A Faction can decide to include downsides or additional costs to their Trait, to increase that budget, or remove restrictions to lower that budget during negotiations.
An example of this would be the UHF¡¯s reliance on System Fluid, Blueprints and the harsh distance and repeat-death penalties, which were all added to negotiate [Soul Transfer] with the System.
The initial pitch of the Trait would have been far outside the power budget of what is allowed as a Faction Trait, but with all those restrictions and limitations applied, the UHF managed to get the System to agree to it.
Finally, as mentioned in a question/answer earlier, this Faction Trait can then be changed after every 1,000,000,000,000 additional Souls added to a Faction¡¯s influence.
This alteration cannot change the core functionality of a Trait, but it can alter almost anything else about it.
I hope that answers the question in-depth enough, without going over board!
Alright that¡¯s it for the questions for today!
I actually didn¡¯t get through too many, but we¡¯re already at a decent word count because of all my yapping earlier.
I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed this yapping/Q+A session and I¡¯ll see you in the next one!
Thank you for your continued support!
Arc 1 - Post Mortem & Q/A 3
Q: Is there gonna be romance between Karania and Thea and if so how much and will it be a big factor?
A: TAS is fundamentally not a romance story.
As such, there is no big focus on any romantic storylines nor will it be a big factor in the grand scheme of things. There is also no intended romance for the story as a whole; as in, I do not force any romance to occur.
If characters, be they Karania and Thea or any other character, have romantic interests that align, then romance can and likely will happen, but they will not be a focus of the story at all.
For Thea, specifically, romance isn¡¯t even a thing she >understands< yet. She¡¯s like a nerd that has only read about romance in scientific literature or seen it in video games before.
There is 0 actual experience or even emotional maturity to understand the feelings that could be love or anything at that level.
As such, it will take a while before Thea matures enough for that to even be a viable thing.
At this point in the story, Thea is primarily concerned with making friends and trying to keep them; it¡¯s her #1 goal when it comes to Karania and the rest of Alpha Squad.
Thea is an anatomy enjoyer for now, nothing more.
Q: What are the Merit costs for respawning "IRL" and how do they compare to other Faction Traits?
A: The Merit costs for [Soul Transfer] are determined by four major factors:
- Distance to the nearest respawn chamber.
- Amount of times you¡¯ve died before.
- Your Point Value as determined by the System.
- Any potential Upgrades taken when your Faction Trait evolved alongside your Tier.
At baseline, [Soul Transfer] is the most expensive Faction Trait available to Humankind as of right now, as the Power Level it has is on the far upper-end of what is possible.
The sheer amount of downsides the UHF had to take in order to get the [Soul Transfer] Trait to begin with, speaks to that Power Level.
For your average Marine, it is recommended to have at least 350 Merit saved up for your first deployment in real-space. You will not be allowed to partake in Ship Duty month without having at least 350 Merit available for respawns; nor will you be deployed planet-side.
Alpha Squad members are generally advised to have at least 750 Merit or more, as their elevated PV compared to the average Marines will increase their [Soul Transfer] costs somewhat.
Q: You mentioned the UHF is the only Faction that can effectively mass recruit Integrated members, what is the ratio of UHF Integrated Soldiers to other Factions? How big of an advantage is this?
A: What I specifically said is that the UHF is the only Faction that can effectively mass-INTEGRATE new people; not recruit them.
Recruiting people is far easier for other Factions, as they don¡¯t really care that much about whether you will actually manage to Integrate or not.
The UHF is very much concerned about recruiting only those members of society that can actually, realistically get to the necessary level of power to be recognized by the System and Integrated successfully.
Since the UHF does not field Unintegrated Soldiers offensively, only relying on them in defensive battles where there is no real other choice to do so (try telling your American friends to lay down their arms when their planet gets invaded and see if they follow that order; or whether they¡¯ll follow your orders to organize and properly mount a defense instead), the amount of people they have available is fairly limited compared to other Factions.
The UHF makes that up with higher average power of each individual Marine they have.
Since they are all Integrated from the get-go and no Battlefield slots are ¡°wasted¡± on Unintegrated Soldiers, the UHF has an easier time getting more powerful individuals.
The main problem with that approach, of course, is that quantity is a quality of its own.
It¡¯s theoretically a nice idea to have only elite-level Marines in your army, but when you¡¯re stretched thin across an entire Faction¡¯s border that stretches hundreds upon hundreds of Star Sectors, the lack of readily available forces is a big issue.
When it comes to ratio, it is hard to really quantify it in simple terms, as it is a lot more complicated than simply being a hard number.
Integration happens as a result of meeting specific requirements, as well as a strong emotional connection to allow the System to find your Soul inside the Void and Integrate you.
As a result, a lot of Unintegrated Soldiers from other Factions, Integrate in the middle of battle; or die.
As such, their ratio doesn¡¯t really come into play when you look at something like the year-to-year amount of newly Integrated people. Since all the ones that didn¡¯t manage to Integrate most likely died on the Battlefields somewhere.
Generally speaking, however, the UHF¡¯s methods do result in a slight advantage in terms of average power level for their Integrated Marines, compared to other Factions. They are, at average, around 10-15% ¡°more powerful¡± in terms of PV than other Faction¡¯s Integrated Soldiers, as a result of the UHF¡¯s stringent recruiting habits.
In terms of numbers, however, the UHF is on the lower-end of fighting-capable personnel, for the aforementioned reasons.
While the UHF can mass-Integrate effectively, their actual pool of candidates is a LOT lower.
Where the UHF has a 90%+ Integration rate for their chosen recruits and other Factions might have maybe a 1-2% Integration rate, the sheer difference in numbers is what is ultimately causing problems for the UHF.
90% of 10,000 is, after all, still a lot less people than 1-2% of 1,000,000.
Throwing bodies at the problem has worked really well for the other Factions over the centuries, so that¡¯s the most preferred way of handling it.
Some Factions also employ a hybrid approach, combining the UHF¡¯s and other Faction¡¯s recruiting habits, but they usually end up somewhere between the two extremes.
With slightly better Integration rate and power-per-unit, but slightly less overall numbers.
It¡¯s all a give and take, at the end of the day. You have to give up quantity to obtain quality and vice-versa to certain degrees.
Whether one approach is better than another, is hard to say.
We will likely just have to wait and see who wins the Galactic War¡
Q: Can you lose/gain Faction Traits like say a UHF member defected to the Stellar Republic?
A: Yes.
If you are considered no longer part of the Faction by leadership personnel with elevated rights to make those decisions, you will lose your Faction Trait after a certain amount of time (generally a month of grace period, so people can¡¯t just grief subordinates they don¡¯t like).
You can also gain a new Faction Trait, if you do not already have one or want to replace your old one (you can¡¯t have more than 1), by spending the prerequisite two years of time inside an HQ-marked territory of the new Faction.
This is also the reason that Thea spent two years in basic training at the UHF Station, as it is marked as an HQ by the System and thus, qualifies as a place that can give access to the Faction Trait.
Q: Due to your writing style, and how much I actually enjoy your writing style. (and how much that I would like to either emulate or recreate your writing style.) How do you not get confused with all of the Stats and Abilities everyone has? Do you keep them all on separate Word Doc or what? Thanks!
A: Essentially, yes.
I have multiple Word Documents and Excel Sheets (they are amazing for short-hand information and Stats!) that note down all the important Attributes, Stats, Abilities and the like.
It is very important to keep proper notes for a discovery writer like myself, as I can¡¯t rely on pre-planned power ups or timings on when specific Abilities, Attributes or Stats will suddenly become important.
Every chapter I write, I update my notes as I go, to make sure that they are always up-to-date with the newest thing I wrote.
That does, unfortunately, mean that a lot of the older information is no longer available (except in google history, but who knows how long those stick around), but it¡¯s a sacrifice you gotta make when you¡¯re attempting to keep things organized.
Can¡¯t exactly make a new copy of everything every single time there¡¯s a minor update, after all.
So the most important part: Keep updating your shit!
It¡¯s always better to have more notes to reference than to be missing an important piece of information ¡®cause you forgot to write it down.
Q: Would Rachel Masters (or anyone else) replacing a member of Alpha Squad be one of the events that is determined by a dice roll? Or would the outcome be a natural result of their Abilities being fully displayed
A: A bit of column A and a bit of column B, here.
Whether or not dice come into play with events in TAS is generally based on a single question: ¡°Is there a realistic way for this to end up in multiple different ways?¡±
If a character¡¯s capabilities are so far above another one¡¯s that there is no realistic way for the second character to even do anything, then there will be no dice.
Take Thea¡¯s first death in the Assessment, for example:
The Ace killing her at the Control Station.
There was no dice rolling involved, beyond the point where the two of them met in the same place.
While the initial ¡°Is the Ace around this area?¡± was influenced by dice (not a direct dice roll, but a result of a different one; specifically ¡°Who is the Commanding Officer of the Control Station¡±), the actual encounter between the two of them was not.
It was merely a natural consequence of the World¡¯s Rules and the Character¡¯s goals and aspirations clashing.
And Thea simply had no chance of survival, when they did finally meet. So there was no dice involved in that at all.
As such, to get back to your question, there will generally be dice involved as long as the events have a realistic chance of ending up one way or another, without breaking the World¡¯s Rules or the Character¡¯s capabilities.
If Rachel (or whomever) is simply THAT MUCH better than the corresponding person in Alpha Squad at whatever Challenge will occur, then there will be no dice; simply consequences.
Otherwise, there will be dice.
Q: Do Battlefield Psykers still have a Squad that they are attached to or do they behave like Aces and act more independently? I''m curious because it seemed like Battlefield Psykers might be valued as much as an Ace in terms of combat power.
A: Once again, a bit of column A and a bit of column B, here.
Battlefield Psykers are still part of a Squad, yes, but they also behave somewhat like strategic assets (such as Aces or Elite Squads).
The sheer presence of a Battlefield Psyker in your Squad, makes the Squad the equivalent of an Elite Squad, specifically named a Prime Psyker Squad.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
There are also Psyker Squads, which have Psykers in them, but Prime Psyker Squads are specifically those that have Battlefield Psykers (one or multiple) in them.
They often have a direct line of communication to a member of the strategic brass (for example, Staff Sergeant Venn or Legate Kuan for the Assessment) and get their orders directly from them.
At times, the individual Battlefield Psykers are also pulled away from the Squad, similar to Aces from theirs, to take part in more clandestine operations or even Battlefields, if the UHF requires them to do so.
It happens fairly rarely that a Battlefield Psyker is sent to a Battlefield without their Squad, however. It¡¯s generally not considered a smart move to deprive a valuable asset of their most staunch supporters and defenders.
Q: Are Recruits banned from promoting to Tier 1 until the 1-year training period is over? It seems that it might be awkward to have a Squad that has some people higher Tier than others but on the other hand unfair to prevent the higher-level Recruits from progressing.
A: Yes.
The UHF bans Recruits from advancing to Tier 1 or choosing their Class until the end-of-year ceremony has concluded.
This is done for a myriad of reasons, but two main ones:
- Keeping the Recruitment Drive as a single Unit, rather than having some people advance earlier than others and causing issues that way.
- Making sure that the overachievers actually get the best possible options for their Classes.
While you can, technically, choose a Class immediately at Level 10 and promote to Tier 1, it¡¯s not actually a smart decision to do so.
Classes are locked and unlocked based on a variety of requirements, including Attributes of course, but also things like Skills, Ability Levels (and their Alterations) and Accomplishments.
By forcing everyone to remain a Recruit at T0 for the entire year, the UHF makes sure that the overachievers that get to Level 10 early spend enough time truly working on their Allbright System Profile (and themselves) to unlock as many powerful Classes as possible.
Some Classes might require Advanced Physics or Chemistry Skills, others might require you to have all of your Active Abilities with Capstone Alterations (Level 20 Abilities), while again others might need you to have a specific Platinum-rank Accomplishment.
All of these things are possible requirements for Class unlocks, so choosing a Class the second it¡¯s available is often the worst possible choice you can make (though not always).
As a result, the UHF doesn¡¯t allow anyone to Class/Tier-up until the end.
The System 101 Classes that the Recruits will take part in over the course of the year will also divulge a huge amount of Class-information, in regards to popular Classes the UHF already knows about how to unlock, to help everyone work towards them that might fit their specific roles and interests.
Q: What is the end goal of the Story? Normally I can see the direction it''s heading in, but not at the moment.
A: That¡¯s a bit of a loaded question, but the general gist is this: Find out what the Allbright System considers ¡°The Ultimate Warrior¡± and what it needs them for.
That is the ultimate, super long-term end goal.
The more fitting question, however, would be: ¡°What is the current most-pressing goal of the Story?¡±, I would argue.
We don¡¯t really care about the Allbright System as a whole yet, nor what that ¡°Ultimate Warrior¡± thing might mean, because we are far more worried about small-scale things like the Galactic War.
The current goal of the story is to see who wins the Galactic War and what happens when the Emperor returns; who will be alongside him when the Bubble pops and what happens when Humanity first meets actual Aliens from beyond it.
TAS, much like every good story ever written, is more about the journey than the destination; so I would highly recommend narrowing your lookout a bit to things that are more pressing of concern for our characters right now.
Worry about ¡°What happens to Thea¡± or ¡°What happens to the UHF during the war¡± rather than ¡°How will this all end in 20 years?¡±, because that last question will take far too long to answer for you right now; it will simply sap your enjoyment because you feel like there¡¯s no real direction, when there is quite a lot of it freely available for the taking.
Q: How do you come up with such insane amounts of detail? You''ve written a tremendous amount for what has been a short time (in world) and for the most part, the details add to the world. So how?
A: That¡¯s a tough question to answer, but the TL;DR is quite simple: I¡¯m a yapper at heart.
The long answer is more complicated and actually goes back over a decade ago.
TAS is a world I have been building for around 12~ years by now and it started out as a homebrew setting for the TTRPG ¡°Dark Heresy¡± (Warhammer 40K).
I never got to actually play in this setting ¡®cause people kept bailing on the groups, but I really enjoyed Worldbuilding as a hobby, so I just kept building on top of it, with the hopes that one day I would be able to actually set a game in this world.
When four to five years later, no games had ever managed to be scheduled and it became clear that wasn¡¯t going to happen, I simply decided to use this world as my Worldbuilding playground, as I had done for the previous years as well.
I decided to play the game by myself, but in a less rigid way.
I created a character in this world and simply explored the world from their eyes: The original TAS story, so to speak.
That character¡¯s name was James McKay.
It allowed me to continue building the world, not just from a macro-level, as you usually do in Worldbuilding exercises, but from a micro one as well.
There are a ton of questions and things about worlds you never really think about, until you are actively engaging with it at a character-scale.
For example, ¡°What do the people eat?¡± or ¡°Where does the food come from?¡±.
These are questions that you don¡¯t necessarily ask yourself when you¡¯re building a world for the first time, but when you¡¯re ¡°writing a story¡± in your head, following a character in minute detail from moment-to-moment and event-to-event, then these questions become second nature to you.
And the questions require answers; which results in details for the world.
So when I started writing TAS, which is technically the sequel to my previous, self-created story inside my head for the character of James McKay, I already had around 10 years of Worldbuilding, 5 years of Macro and 5 years of Micro exploration, to pull from.
This naturally results in me being able to give a ton of details for things that other authors might not ever even have considered for their novel worlds, simply because I had far more time than other authors to think about my world.
Most novels or books are written in around 1~ year of time, with maybe 6~ months of pre-production to use.
TAS Arc 0 + 1 was written over nearly 2 years with 10~ years of pre-production.
That¡¯s basically what it comes down to.
I know a lot about the world, so details are second-nature to me telling the story set in this world.
It doesn¡¯t mean that this approach is better than others, for example, it ends up being FAR more wordy as the 850k~ words of TAS will gladly attest, but it ends up with a story that hopefully feels very grounded in a world that feels more real than most others you might have encountered.
That is the goal of my writing: Realism in Scifi/Fantasy.
Not in the sense that physics needs to make sense, but that the world ITSELF feels real and grounded in its own rules; that nothing simply exists because the author said it does, but rather because it¡¯s a natural consequence of the world itself.
So when it comes to the ¡°How?¡± of your question; if you want to emulate this, I would say this:
Think of everything you add to your world from both a Macro and Micro perspective.
Ask yourself ¡°Why does this thing exist?¡± and if you can¡¯t find the answer, ask yourself if it truly should exist. If it should, then figure out WHY it should and how it makes sense in the world.
Don¡¯t simply add things for the sake of adding them, but ground them in your world¡¯s very existence and rules.
That doesn¡¯t mean things can¡¯t be fantastical, of course.
You simply have to add the surrounding framework that supports the fantastical.
Psykers exist in TAS, because the Void does.
The Void is one of the core rules of the world I have created, so there is nothing that needs further Macro/Micro analysis there as it¡¯s direct cause and effect.
The Void exists, ergo, there needs to be Psykers because they are a direct consequence of the Void¡¯s existence.
With Psykers existing, there are naturally parts of the military that use them as weapons. So you end up with Battlefield Psykers.
With Battlefield Psykers, you naturally need something that can beat them that isn¡¯t a Null (also a consequence of the Void), so you end up with Null Serums; a drug specifically made to combat them.
Following that line of thinking at least 5-6 strings down, will give you more detail than you will ever know what to do with in your world, but sometimes, this level of detail ends up being amazing for a story like the one I¡¯m writing.
I can introduce Null Serums out of the blue, without them feeling like Deus Ex Machina bullshit; because as a reader, you are already aware of Psykers, Battlefield Psykers and the dangers they pose, as well as Nulls.
So it only makes sense that non-Nulls would want something to fight against Psykers with -> You end up with a drug that emulates their Psychic Nullification abilities.
It¡¯s all natural consequences and logical progression.
That¡¯s how you end up with tons of detail like the stuff that exists in TAS; while still having a grounded and real world.
Q: Did Thea cause the invasion by the warp beings with her awakening? Or were the visions simply her pre-cog running wild?
A: They were legally distinct Void beings; thank you very much.
We will learn more about this (very) early on in Volume 2! Runepriest Vedun will go over the incident together with Thea, to break down what she experienced as part of her Psyker Training.
It will likely be one of the first chapters in the second Volume (probably pre-Chapter 10).
Q: How often are real, non-simulated, battles and wars being fought by the UHF? And is that average for a Faction, low, or high?
A: All the time.
We are only seeing simulated battles, because Thea just got into the UHF and is still a Recruit and she¡¯s our POV.
Once Volume 3 rolls around, in which Thea will be officially T1+, we will see very few simulated battles anymore. It will practically all be real-world battles on planets across the galaxy.
As for whether the UHF has a lot of battles going on¡ It¡¯s in the upper half of Factions in terms of constant warfare.
Both the Stellar Republic to their left and the Celestial Dominion to their right are also pretty large Factions, so they have a lot of personnel to really make life hell for everyone involved.
With the galactic war coming to a close in the next 60~ years, things are also heating up quite a lot, so the amount of battles is rapidly increasing.
This is actually one of the main reasons that the UHF decided to finally recruit from Midworlds, as they simply need more Marines to fight all the battles that are starting to pop up left and right.
Q: I still don''t understand what is and isn''t "real" in the conflict between the Factions. So far, everything has been simulations, right? And sometimes the ship they''re on is too. And sometimes not. Is there any real differences for the combat "rules" in simulations vs real fights? Like for losing Credits to be ressurected, are they the same in a shop simulation as they are in real fights?
A: Great question!
So far, everything we¡¯ve seen from Thea¡¯s perspective has been a simulation, barring the brief moment where she woke up aboard the Sovereign after her Integration.
From Arc 1 - Chapter 0 to Arc 1 - Chapter 8, she is on the real-space Sovereign, while from Chapter 8+ onwards, she is inside the DDS¡¯ recreation of the Sovereign.
There are no real differences for the combat rules in regards to the Assessment, specifically. They are specifically set up to be 99.999% accurate to real life, as otherwise the System would not allow for Credits/Merit/Accomplishment gains at that level.
For other simulated battles, which we will see more of during Volume 2, or the Cube Trial that Thea was a part of, the rules are a bit less 1:1 to real life, but still kept EXTREMELY close in order to provide a realistic training exercise for the Marines.
As mentioned with the previous question, once Volume 3 rolls around, we will leave behind much, if not all, the simulated battles in favour of real-space warfare.
Volume 2 will already feature quite a lot more real-space than Arc 1 did, as there will be the month-long ship duty for the Recruits to take part in.
This is actual duty on the real-space Sovereign, to get used to space travel, Void incursions and the like; with no DDS involved.
Q: Thanks for the lovely read. How likely is an Audiobook version in the future?
A: Very.
Q: For the other Recruits, how closely do you keep track of them? Have you been playing them out/rolling for them alongside Alpha Squad?
A: Some of the other Recruits receive similar treatment to Alpha Squad, yes.
That includes people like Tiberius Soren and Rachel Veronica Masters, as well as named characters such as Astra, Ian, Major Quinn and Major Daxton.
For the ¡°no-name¡± background characters, they only get very simple rolls based on a spreadsheet that effectively gives them a very very low chance to become relevant, but leaves things open for RNG to take the wheel in extremely rare circumstances.
There¡¯s just not enough time or realistic reason to spend a ton of effort/time on a thousand different Recruits, so only the ones towards the top-end, that could actually be relevant to Thea and the rest of Alpha Squad or the previously named characters, get any real development.
We don¡¯t need to know how Recruit #763 is doing; that guy doesn¡¯t matter.
Q: Do you plan to quit your work in the future and do only writing for a living?
A: While I would love to do so, I have been burnt by content creation in the past, so it will likely not happen.
I would only seriously consider it, if my writing ends up making SUBSTANTIALLY more money than my current full-time job.
At the moment, the split is around equal, so unless we somehow explode in popularity over the next year or two and the Patreon numbers double up, we are unlikely to get to a point where I would consider it a viable-enough risk to take.
Content creation is a fickle beast, as you are entirely reliant on the whims of people that you have practically 0 influence over. There are no laws that protect you from losing everything in an instant to an overeager mod on RoyalRoad or Patreon; nor are there any laws prohibiting the people that pay you from simply stopping to give you money.
As such, it¡¯s a really risky move that I simply cannot take at the current moment.
I will continue to evaluate the viability of this throughout my career, however.
Rest assured on that front, as I would like this more than anyone¡ªtrust me on that.
Q: Are there ways to upgrade the Faction Trait?
A: Yes.
We will learn more about this over the course of Volume 2 and will get a close look at the upgrade options available to Thea and Alpha Squad towards the end of Volume 2.
To upgrade the Faction Trait, you need to Tier-up, so it won¡¯t happen anytime soon, but rather, has to wait until the end-of-year ceremony.
Alright that¡¯s it for the questions for today!
I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed this yapping/Q+A session and I¡¯ll see you in the next one (if there is one)!
Thank you for your continued support!
Arc 1 - Post Mortem & Q/A 4
Q: Thea was way into video games. Was she just good on a local scale or more than one planet?
A: She was good on a galactic scale. Very good, even.
She took part in multiple galaxy-wide tournaments via the GalacticNet and won a few first places in her main games such as Ashes of Centuries.
Q: Why do the Squads have the numbers they have? 6 seems like an odd choice.
A: Squads aren¡¯t necessarily forced to have 6 members. There are quite a few Squads that have 5 instead, but usually never less than 4.
There are also Squads that have 7 or 8, but it¡¯s even more rare as it gets a bit too unwieldy for a single Squad Leader to handle that many people.
As for why it¡¯s that number, it has to do with the general roles that you really do not want to miss out in a well-designed Squad:
- Squad Leader (Leadership, Organization, Logistics)
- Medic (Bio/Chemical Warfare Specialist, Mobile Apothecary)
- Defensive Heavy (Protection for the Squad, Drawing Attention, Very Durable)
- Offensive Heavy (Extreme Firepower, Durable, Drawing Attention)
- Scout (Scouting, High Priority Target Designation)
- Auxiliary (Versatile, Augmentary for the Squad¡¯s other Roles)
Each one has a specific subset of things they bring to the table that are downright invaluable when put together.
Missing any particular one would leave a big hole for one reason or another, so most Squad¡¯s end up being 6-person sized to fill each of these roles.
You will sometimes see multiple Offensive Heavies rather than an Auxiliary or Scout, but that¡¯s generally because one or multiple of them will be able to do some aspects of those roles despite being generally categorized as an OH for example.
Q: Are all Squads somewhat set up this way, or is Alpha Squad just the top 6 of all the Recruits and they just happen to have different roles that are kind of balanced?
A: Bit of a follow-up to the previous question, and the answer is quite simple:
The UHF specifically chose those six, because of their roles.
They aren¡¯t necessarily the best 6 Recruits period, but the best 6 Recruits in their respective roles.
Each Squad is mostly designed to have a combination of Marines that can fill those 6 roles, or rather, the specific fields of specialty that these roles represent.
It is fine to not have a Scout, for example, if you have two Auxiliaries that can each do half of the job.
Or to not have a Defensive Heavy, if you have multiple Offensive Heavies that can also provide adequate distraction and protection for the Squad through equipment/Ability means.
The specific roles aren¡¯t hard-set, but the underlying fields of specialty they represent are.
Having squads that fulfill most, if not all, the fields has proven to be the most effective combination of Marines for the UHF in the past centuries, so that¡¯s what Squads are trying to emulate nowadays as well.
Q: What would Thea name her puppy/cat?
A: Sera.
Q: The prejudice against Cyans is really messed up, but why do Inner and Core world kids even have it? It seems like they would rarely encounter the circumstances to need or use the Cyan solution, so why would they have a prejudice against Cyans?
A: The general gist behind it, is that it harks back to general human nature.
Specifically, the idea of ¡°US vs THEM¡±, or Tribalism.
Whenever there are issues in a given population, it is often easier to point out a boogeyman and blame all the problems on that particular group, rather than actually try and fix the underlying issues.
Giving people the feeling that they are all part of the same group and their way of life is being attacked by another, lesser group, is a sure-fire way to quell a lot of anger at mismanagement; be it local governments, the larger Faction as a whole, or even Humanity itself.
As such, in Inner and Core worlds, Cyans, and in extension Midworlders as a whole, are often used as these sorts of boogeyman, whenever there are societal issues that crop up, by the planetary governments.
¡°The reason we can¡¯t have individual freedoms is because the Cyans are terrorists. They are invading our planets and causing trouble left and right, that¡¯s why we need 24/7 surveillance everywhere and privacy is not an actual thing we can do.¡±
¡°You are losing jobs on this Planet, because the Midworlds slightly further out of the Inner-Rim have disposable humans to throw at the factories, making production far cheaper; even including the costs of interstellar transportation. It¡¯s the Midworlders fault this is happening!¡±
All these rethorics and more are used to quell any unrest in the Inner and Core Worlds from taking overhand, whenever a corrupt or incapable government has pushed things a bit too far.
The Cyan Solution is one of the things taught about in school for that very reason; as a sort of early indoctrination to Tribalism, so that later on, when the planetary news corporations blast you 24/7 with the heinous crimes all these Cyans commit (whether they actually do or not is irrelevant), you are already pre-indoctrinated to believe whatever is being said by them.
It is a lot harder to fix what makes a population angry, rather than simply point the anger of the population at something else.
That second part is easy; far too easy.
Cyans are the enemy, never forget.
Q: How can the Sovereign manipulate the Marines and have its own goals (presumably to create the Kwisatz Haderach) without TAS interfering?
A: Because The Allbright System doesn¡¯t give no fucks.
Why should the System care what a random AI does to the Participants?
The System cares about creating the Ultimate Warrior, after all.
You think it would ever consider somebody that gets duped/killed/w.e.¡¯d by a ¡°mere¡± AI (in the System¡¯s eyes) as the Ultimate Warrior?
Definitely not.
So the System has 0 stakes in the AIs doing whatever they want to do, because any Participants it loses, were already not going to be the Ultimate Warrior anyway.
Cause if they were, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten killed.
Huh? What do you mean, ¡°Salem Witch Trials¡±? What does that even have to do with anything¡?
Q: On Selene getting her memory heavily wiped upon learning of Thea''s "friend" ?ht, was that decided by a dice roll?
A: No. This is part of the story beats.
Q: How often are we going to get what I call ¡®reaction povs¡¯ where it¡¯s a character reacting to what insane shit Thea just did? Because I really like them because it really helps me get a feel for just how insane it was from someone who doesn¡¯t just think it¡¯s Tuesday (ie. Thea) and it helps give me a sense of just how crazy it was on the Thea-is-an-eldritch-horror meter.
A: Relatively often.
It is part of the way that I write novels, to include POVs outside of our main one, to look at the MC¡¯s actions from a different perspective.
I would say you can generally expect one PoV every 15-or-so chapters on average, but that¡¯s not a hard-set rule or anything.
I generally try to sprinkle them in, particularly when there¡¯s nothing overly important going on in Thea¡¯s head.
Q: Will the Assessment/Recruit Medals show up outside the awards show? I know that militaries love their ceremonies so I would imagine that they would have pins for ceremonial purposes for these awards. (Graduation to Private Etc.)
A: Yes.
The medals that are handed out are both wearable like traditional medals, but are also specifically designed to be ¡°workable¡±, aka. be usable in the Marine¡¯s equipment.
Most Marines that win a medal like this, have them affixed into their armour as a permanent mark of honour, kind of like an etching of sorts but with the actual medal itself being interned rather than a simple picture etched into the metal of the armour.
Q: How big of a difference does [Armor of Resolve] make?
A: [Armour of Resolve] is currently at Level 7, giving Thea a total of 32% of her Resolve as additional ¡°physical resistance¡± as described in the Ability itself.
This physical resistance is essentially what a portion of the Vitality Attribute does, making her bones, skin and muscles tougher to withstand more of a beating.
You can imagine it somewhat like her getting 32% of her Resolve as additional Vitality (though it¡¯s not exactly 1:1 as she doesn¡¯t get all the benefits of Vitality, just the physical resistance it provides).
As for how much of a difference it makes, think about it like this:
Thea¡¯s Vitality is a 2.51, which means she is just EVER SO SLIGHTLY above the toughest Unintegrated human in the galaxy.
Imagine the toughest person you have ever seen IRL, be it from television or otherwise, and then throw them into the kind of situations Thea has gone through.
For example, the attack on the final compound, where Lucas and Her got hit by a rocket and quite literally thrown dozens of metres through the sky and onto the hard concrete floor of the street outside.
Would that person, the toughest guy you can imagine IRL right now, be able to walk that off, even given they were wearing armour?
Most likely not, right?
A 2.51 in Vitality is around 2-3 times as tough as that guy, so think about whether 2-3 times the toughness would be enough to walk that kind of damage off.
Probably not either, right?
That¡¯s where [Armour of Resolve] comes in.
At the time where that happens to Thea, the Ability is at Level 6 already, meaning she gets 31% of her Resolve added as (partial) Vitality.
That puts her from a 2.51 to a massive 6.02 (=2.51 + 11.32*0.31) Pseudo-Vitality .
That means the 2-3 times more toughness suddenly turned into 8-10 times more toughness.
Could the person you imagined walk off the after-effects of such an explosion if they were 8-10 times as tough as they are now?
Probably a lot more likely, yeah?
That¡¯s the kind of difference [Armour of Resolve] makes.
Q: Is Free Will real in this setting?
A: Kind of an odd question, but yeah, of course.
Free Will is definitely a thing in TAS.
Nobody is really forcing you to do any of it; you could just not join a Faction¡¯s military. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
There are very few Factions that actually conscript people forcefully (cause it makes for bad fighters).
Q: What sources inspired this story?
A: That is an incredibly difficult question to answer, but I will try my best.
The first and most obvious answer(s) would be both the Warhammer 40,000 Universe as well as the web novel ¡°Digital Marine¡±.
As I mentioned in another answer in one of these Q/A releases before, TAS was originally a homebrew setting for a Warhammer 40K TTRPG system called ¡°Dark Heresy¡±. It¡¯s why you can find a lot of Warhammer 40K influences in it.
Things such as the Void being somewhat similar to the Warp.
The Emperor¡¯s existence being somewhat similar to¡ Well The Emperor.
Superhuman Marines being somewhat similar to Space Marines, etc.
It¡¯s not ever a 1:1, quite far from it to be honest, but the inspirations are very obvious and I proudly wear them on my sleeve as I love the 40K Universe and all it has to offer.
At the same time, I also took inspiration from ¡°Digital Marine¡±, though in far, far lesser degrees.
The web novel was actually the original impetus for me to start writing TAS, as it went on indefinite Hiatus and I was craving more of the ¡°gritty military action with a respawn mechanic for the MC¡±; which there literally existed no other version of.
So I ultimately decided to combine this idea of respawning Marines into my pre-existing world of TAS via the Faction Trait system (which had already existed at the time), which gave birth to the UHF¡¯s current Faction Trait.
Before I had read Digital Marine, the UHF actually had a different Faction Trait entirely, that was focused on a more gamified existence, allowing for basically ¡°cheats¡± to be used for Merit.
Things such as wallhacks, aimbots, speedhacks etc. but you¡¯d have to pay different amounts of Merit for each one.
Replacing it with the [Soul Transfer], however, opened up a whole host of new avenues and possibilities that have been extremely exciting and entertaining to explore in recent years and I can¡¯t wait to show off some of them later on in the novel.
As for other inspirations, I can only really point towards just about everything.
Much like any other author, I am merely an amalgamation of my own experiences and views on the world; so a lot of what I write are things that I either have experienced myself, or think about a lot in one way or another.
There are almost certainly elements of all kinds of Scifi and Fantasy stories in TAS as well, that I would fail to even try to list, but Star Wars, Star Trek, Hitchhiker¡¯s Guide to the Galaxy, Mass Effect, Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, etc. are all things that have had a great impact on my life, so there are bound to be influences from it in the novel as well.
The main part, however, is that I will never simply take something 1:1, unless it perfectly fits with my world (which is very, very rare).
I take inspiration, but I do not copy; which is an important distinction to make, I think.
The Void is similar to the Warp, but it¡¯s not the same.
The rules are different, the underlying design is unique in its own right, even though at first glance they seem very similar.
As such, some things can feel very familiar to people, which is not a bad thing at all.
But don¡¯t assume you understand how something works, simply because at first glance, it looks like something you¡¯ve seen somewhere else before.
TAS is its own universe, with its own rules and its own mechanics; pay attention to them individually rather than assuming you already know how they work from something else.
Q: How does the System handle "Skills" like is it a separate tab or more just it knows how proficient you are in say physics?
A: It¡¯s a bit of both.
There is a separate tab for them (which will be added to Thea¡¯s profile on RR once she gets her first Skill, of course) but they are also based on ¡°how proficient are you in physics?¡±, in a way.
The System has a basic curriculum for each Skill in mind, of all the things a person should know in order to be considered proficient at said Skill.
Of that curriculum, you need to meet at least 90%, in order to be officially recognized by the System as having earned said Skill and for it to appear on your profile.
These lists are actually available to the Factions, as long as the underlying ideas of the curriculum have already been sufficiently understood by members of the Faction.
For example, for a super high-level Skill in Physics, the System would not provide the full curriculum unless the Faction already knew everything it needed to know about ¡°Teleportation¡± or something like that.
The System does not provide a shortcut for knowledge, it only lists what knowledge it expects you to have, if somebody else already has that knowledge.
The list otherwise simply shows the System¡¯s ever-present ¡°???¡± if there is a topic that the Faction has not sufficiently explored.
Q: Do level up bonuses update if you increase the Base Attribute, like if Thea gained a whole point in Resolve from her class would the total increase by 1 or 1.9 from her current 90% boost?
A: It would increase by 1.9.
The Base Attribute is what everything else gets calculated off of dynamically.
So if the Base Attribute increases, so does everything else that modifies your Attributes in any way.
Q: Can Factions earn upgrades to their base Trait through something like Faction Accomplishments or other means or is it impossible to upgrade the Faction itself?
A: That¡¯s kind of two questions in one.
The first is a resounding no.
You cannot upgrade a Faction Trait¡¯s base, you can only change it. The total power budget remains the same.
The second is a resounding yes.
There are Faction upgrades available in the System Store for the Faction leaders to purchase.
Things such as increased access to the System Store (since certain sections are locked in several ways; like higher rarity Abilities and such), Faction-specific equipment like Void Drives/Engines or plans for Space-bound Superstructures.
There is a whole separate ¡°game¡± going on there, that is more akin to a 4X like Stellaris than the nitty-gritty, character-based ¡°game¡± we see in TAS.
I plan to someday include some of these aspects as POVs, but not for at least another Volume or two, so you will unfortunately have to be a bit patient on this.
Q: As Thea continues to expand her already excellent foundations going into class selection, I''ve been wondering what the lines are for someone being considered an ''Ace'', and more importantly who or what makes that call. Thea entered the battlefield and proved herself the most valuable marine during assessment¡ At what point does she take up the slot of an Ace? It almost seems like any Battlefield that Thea gets deployed to will get a bonus secret Ace for free!
A: The first thing I¡¯d like to point out here is that there are technically two different types of Aces.
Much like there are Psykers and Battlefield Psykers; which are ultimately kind of the same thing but have a pretty important distinction in that one of them is vastly more specialised in it than the other; the same applies to Aces.
There are Aces and then there are Battlefield Aces.
To be considered an Ace, is technically just being considered the best or among the few best of your given role in the Tier you are at.
Alpha Squad, in itself, is a squad of Aces, as they are by definition the very best of the role and Tier in their drive.
The other thing, and that¡¯s the one we most often simply refer to as ¡°Ace¡±, is the Battlefield Ace; the individual that occupies the ¡°Ace¡± slot in the Battlefield deployment and is the living embodiment of change on the Battlefields they walk.
These types of Aces are determined by the UHF and strategically deployed into the Battlefields that the top brass thinks they¡¯ll have the most impact in.
To be considered a proper Battlefield Ace, however, a lot of different criteria have to be met, that drastically change from person to person.
Since the Factions use their Battlefield Aces as strategic resources, they are each inherently unique in what they are supposed to be good at.
Thea would likely be considered as an Assassin/Infiltration Ace as she is right now, as her main avenue of attack is via long-range engagements and staying out of sight, rather than full head-on confrontation.
But just being the best at that role in your drive isn¡¯t enough; you require a lot more to really be considered for that ¡°Ace¡± role.
We will go more in-depth on this in the novel itself in the future, but rest assured that the ¡°Battlefield Ace¡± position, is not something that will happen to any of our beloved characters any time soon, as they would need to be Tier 2-3 before they can realistically be deployed into a real Battlefield as a Battlefield Ace (since why send an exceptional T1, if you can send a good T3. Even with the difference in skill, the raw Attributes and Technology the T3 can bring vastly outshines the skill the T1 can bring).
Q: Will we find out what happens to humanity after the Galactic Bubble bursts / they''re no longer protected from aliens?
A: Yes.
That¡¯s kind of the whole second part of TAS¡¯ story.
The first part is the Galactic War inside the Bubble, while the second part is the Universal War outside the Bubble.
TAS is intended to go on for around 10-12 Volumes of similar size to Arc 1 that we just finished, that will cover all of this.
Q: This will probably be covered in Volume 2 but could you expand on Psyker ranks? I was confused by the Lamda, Zeta, stuff Vi mentioned about the enemy Ace.
A: Sure!
As you mentioned, it will be explained more in-depth at the start of Volume 2 (when Thea gets her Psyker lessons), but I can give a rough and dirty breakdown here:
The basic Psyker ranks are as follows:
Phi
Omi
Lambda
Iota
Theta
Zeta
There are a few more, but those are the ones we¡¯ll worry about for now.
The list goes from top-to-bottom in order of overall power from least-to-most.
A Psyker with the rank of Phi, is basically what Thea was for the majority of the novel so far: A Pre-Awakening Wielder; somebody that has latent Psychic Powers and uses them passively without realising.
An Omi-rank Psyker is Wielder-post-Awakening; somebody that has recognized their Psychic Powers and is able to use them actively.
Lambda-rank Psykers are the first ¡°real¡± Psykers; somebody with the Psychic Attribute fully unlocked and capable of using their Psychic Powers actively.
Iota-rank Psykers, then, are the first Psykers to be considered ¡°doomed¡±; somebody that has done at least the first Delve and, thus, unlocked the full potential of their Paths and Inheritance. They are capable of using a single Path¡¯s Powers, both baseline and potential advanced Powers gained from various Delves, as well as controlling their Inheritance in combination with their Powers.
Theta-rank Psykers are strictly more powerful than Iota-ranks, but still limited to a single Path; somebody with vastly higher Resolve/Psychic investment, potentially even a Class to support their Powers further. These are the kind of walking-calamities that every Soldier is afraid of on the Battlefield and the type of Psykers that Null Serums are given out in droves for.
They are also the first ones to be considered full-time Psykers, as they have enough investment into the Psychic side of things to be able to spend the majority of their time doing Psychic-shenanigans, rather than doing the Psychic thing as a side-gig.
Finally, a Zeta-rank Psyker is what the enemy Ace was during the Assessment, the one that utterly annihilated Arrow Squad and tortured Viladia.
This type of Psyker is the first ¡°True Power¡± Psyker; meaning that they are so powerful, that they themselves become sort of like a semi-Battlefield-Ace in any Battlefield they¡¯re deployed in. They have access to at least Two Paths, both baseline and advanced Powers, as well as a Minor Capstone Power for at least one Path.
Furthermore, they have a substantial investment in Resolve/Psychic and potentially even the last remaining Attribute on the sheet that is simply listed as ¡°???¡± for now, which can further elevate a Psyker¡¯s Powers (but isn¡¯t actually a Psyker-specific Attribute), as well as a Psychic-related Classes to further enhance their capabilities.
Zeta-rank Psykers are practically your Arch-Wizards in your low-fantasy novels, capable of turning entire city blocks to ash (given the right Path/Inheritance combo) with a mere wave of their hands, able to rip apart Integrated Soldiers of equal Tier with their baseline Telekinesis Power (no Path required, that¡¯s just a baseline every Psyker gets) and reshape entire sections of the Battlefields single-handedly.
The Zeta-rank Psykers and above, are the very reason that Nulls are kept as a reserve unit on any Battlefield above Tier 3~, just in case a Zeta-rank Psyker shows up and proves to be too difficult for the Ace-Hunter Squads and specialised Anti-Psyker Squads to handle.
The power scaling beyond this point keeps increasing drastically, culminating in the theoretical ¡°Alpha¡± and ¡°Omega¡± ranks at the very top.
There are no known Alpha or Omega-rank Psykers in existence, but the theoretical construct exists.
Alpha-rank Psykers would practically be walking demi-gods, capable of simply deleting entire ships in orbit with a wave of their hands, while Omega-rank Psykers would be able to do the same to entire continents.
They are both considered to be such massively problematic theoretical constructs, that they are included in the Terran Decrees as ¡°must never happen¡±, in order to keep Humanity safe from whatever Void-shenanigans their mere existence would invite.
As such, any Psykers of Epsilon rank or higher (Epsilon, Delta, Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Omega) are frequently visited by Inquisitors of Terra and subjected to extensive psychological and Psychic testing to determine the potential risk factors of them becoming Alpha or Omega-rank Psykers in the future.
Should they be considered a risk, they will be taken to Terra itself.
What happens there, however, is not known to anyone except that they are never seen from again.
Q: Do other Factions have Assessments or is the digitalization and respawning during Assessments a UHF only ability?
A: Other Factions have their own types of Assessments, but the respawning, specifically, is a UHF-only Faction Trait.
Other Factions have their own Traits, which they can also use inside their own DDS and their own Assessments.
Q: Did James only train Thea in combat/scouting or does she have some surprises for us when it comes to larger scale tactics?
A: James primarily trained her in personal-combat, to make sure she is prepared for anything and everything the Undercity could throw at her.
She does have a few lessons on larger scale tactics and warfare, as well as the general war stories of James to work off of, and she was a fairly successful player of certain video games created by Terra that were intended to teach macro-based combat encounters, but she is unlikely to be particularly exceptional at it all.
She could likely fill the role if she got pushed to do so, but she wouldn¡¯t be excelling at it.
Q: What do you wish you had time to include or got skipped over in book 1? Can you give a shortlist/brief look at plot beats that would have been fun to include if you had MORE time to write?
A: Great question!
When it comes to Arc 1, there were actually only a few things I didn¡¯t get to include; minor storylines that wouldn¡¯t really have played a part in the greater story.
What I¡¯d love to have done more of is PoVs of different characters, particularly other Recruits in the Drive, before the final ceremony.
Throughout the Assessment, I had initially wanted to include a bunch of PoVs of other squads briefly seeing Alpha Squad muscle their way through their stories, to give a bit of an outside perspective on how the rest of the Recruits are seeing them, rather than have it all be a balled kind of experience at the ceremony.
But the Assessment was already far too bloated with content, so I opted not to include them.
Overall, however, I really can¡¯t complain with what I managed to include in Arc 1.
It ended up far, far, far longer than I ever expected, but as a result, I managed to get practically everything I wanted to cover and explore into the Arc.
So overall, a big success, I¡¯d say!
Alright that¡¯s it for the questions for today!
I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed this yapping/Q+A session and I¡¯ll see you in the next chapter, which will be Chapter 1 of Volume 2!
Thank you for your continued support!
Volume 2 - Chapter 1 - Repentinus
Cold.
The unsettling sensation of her stomach freezing over was the first thing Thea felt as she was pulled from the depths of sleep. Her brain, fogged with exhaustion, struggled to make sense of the sensation.
¡°What¡?¡± she mumbled, her voice groggy and low, words slurring together as she blinked to try and get a bead on what was going on around her. Her sluggish mind barely registered the situation before she was abruptly gagging on a familiar bushel of curly, brown hair that had found its way into her mouth.
She sputtered, coughing as she shoved the hair away.
It didn¡¯t take long for her to piece together what was happening: Karania¡¯s cybernetic arm was resting heavily on her stomach, the unyielding cold of the metal having leeched every ounce of warmth from Thea¡¯s midsection during the night.
¡°Fucking¡ Kara! Dammit, get OFF!¡± Thea growled, her frustration bubbling over as she gathered the strength to hoist her friend. With a grunt of effort, she threw Karania¡¯s limp, sprawled form off of her and across the bed, watching with mischievous joy as Karania startled panicking mid-air.
The sudden motion jostled Karania awake, and she let out a startled yelp as she bounced off of the bed before bolting upright with wide, bleary eyes. ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± she exclaimed, blinking rapidly as her disoriented mind tried to catch up with reality.
Thea sat up, clutching her stomach with one hand and pointing accusingly at her friend with the other. ¡°You were freezing me to death with that damned arm again! I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t wake up as an ice cube!¡±
Karania blinked at her, still half-asleep, her gaze trailing briefly across Thea before snapping to her own arm. She flexed her fingers experimentally, her expression a mix of amusement and guilt, though a faint flush crept across her cheeks.
¡°Oops,¡± she said sheepishly, her smirk betraying the fact that she wasn¡¯t all that sorry. Her eyes flickered briefly back towards Thea, before she intently focused on the blanket instead as she fidgeted slightly with her cybernetic arm.
Thea groaned, flopping back onto the mattress dramatically. ¡°You¡¯re impossible, Kara. You almost killed me. I could see my breath in my dreams!¡±
Karania chuckled, leaning back on her elbows. Her face, however, remained tinged with pink, her gaze resolutely avoiding Thea¡¯s. ¡°Oh, please. As if my measly arm could hold a candle to the ice queen herself. Don¡¯t be so dramatic.¡±
¡°Dramatic? You could keep the Sovereign¡¯s processors cooled to sub-zero temperatures single-armedly with that thing!¡± Thea shot back, rubbing her hands over her stomach to try to warm up the chilled flesh.
Her own cybernetic hand wasn¡¯t exactly warm either, but the friction helped bridge the gap.
Karania grinned lazily and flopped back onto the bed, still avoiding Thea¡¯s gaze like the plague. Her voice carried a teasing edge, but her posture spoke of an underlying awkwardness¡ªguilt, no doubt. ¡°Well, consider it payback for you nearly freezing my hand off during the ceremony¡ªmultiple times, I might add.¡±
Thea rolled her eyes, dismissing the retort with a wave of her hand, though she caught the quick flicker of guilt that crossed Karania¡¯s face.
Maybe she really did feel bad about it this time.
Despite her irritation, Thea couldn¡¯t hold back a faint smile.
This chaotic, ridiculous banter was shaping up to become their morning routine, and, as much as she wouldn¡¯t admit it, Thea didn¡¯t entirely mind.
It was... nice, in a strange way. Familiar.
Almost comforting.
Just then, Thea remembered that her room was still almost entirely without light¡ªsomething Karania had pointed out the previous night when they¡¯d decided to crash after the celebratory party with the rest of Alpha Squad.
The memory made Thea cringe inwardly.
She had simply walked into her room, casually waved Karania inside, and let the door slide shut behind them.
Immediately, the space had been plunged into complete and utter darkness, a fact Thea had barely even registered.
Lights had never been necessary for her after all; she could see perfectly fine without them.
It wasn¡¯t until Karania stood awkwardly near the doorway, clearly waiting for something, that Thea even suspected there might have been an issue.
Karania¡¯s confused voice had broken the silence, prompting Thea to realize her friend couldn¡¯t see a damn thing.
She had felt like a complete idiot¡ªpossibly the densest person alive¡ªand had quickly scrambled to fix the situation.
A hasty command to the Sovereign later, her room was bathed in light.
For night-time, she had asked the Sovereign to keep a faint, gentle glow active at all times.
It was just enough light to allow Karania to see and navigate the space, though it was dim enough that it wouldn¡¯t cause her trouble sleeping.
That had led to the second part of the night: Her asking Karania to stay over, an offer made in a rush of half-formed sentences and awkward gestures.
Thea had been feeling particularly raw after the ceremony and her bold public challenge earlier that day. Even after the Alpha Squad celebration, where everyone¡¯s support had buoyed her spirits, she¡¯d still felt the tendrils of embarrassment painfully clawing at the edges of her mind.
She¡¯d needed more Kara-time, a steady presence to help her decompress from the whirlwind of emotions and nerves that had coursed through her like an electric storm.
Karania, as always, had agreed without hesitation, her usual teasing grin accompanied by a knowing look that told Thea her friend understood exactly why she¡¯d asked. They had settled into bed together¡ªKarania with her cheeky quips about Thea¡¯s nerves and Thea grumbling half-hearted protests before finally letting herself relax in the comfort of her friend¡¯s presence.
Now, in the dim morning light, Thea glanced around at the faintly glowing walls, her chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and mild embarrassment.
Of course, Karania hadn¡¯t said a word of complaint about the initial darkness, but Thea still felt bad about it. It was just one more reminder of how much she had yet to learn about being aware of others and accommodating them.
But she would work hard to make sure she didn¡¯t stay ignorant forever¡ªthat much she was certain of. Little things like this were part of learning to be better, and she wasn¡¯t about to shy away from them anymore.
¡°Sovereign, can you please turn up the lights a bit?¡± Thea asked into the room. She trusted the ever-present AI to be monitoring them, as it always was.
¡°What?! No! Wait! Sovereign, don¡¯t do that!¡± Karania¡¯s sudden, half-panicked interjection caught Thea entirely off-guard. The abruptness of her reaction startled her so much that she froze mid-stretch, blinking in confusion.
Karania had pushed herself up on one elbow again, her face a mixture of alarm and something Thea couldn¡¯t quite place. Her cheeks looked a bit flushed, though Thea chalked it up to the earlier guilt.
¡°Just, uh, don¡¯t turn them up,¡± Karania added hastily, brushing a hand through her mess of curls as she avoided meeting Thea¡¯s eyes.
¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Thea asked, raising an eyebrow. Her curiosity piqued, but she tried to sound casual. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking for searchlights here, Kara. Just a bit more so you don¡¯t trip or something.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need them brighter,¡± Karania replied, her voice a touch too quick. She flopped back onto the bed, pulling the blanket halfway over her face as if to shield herself from further questioning. ¡°Really, the dim light is¡ cozy. Yeah, cozy.¡±
Thea tilted her head, her confusion deepening.
There was something almost¡ suspicious about Karania¡¯s insistence, but she decided to let it slide¡ªfor now, at least.
¡°Alright, cozy it is, I guess,¡± she said, her tone teasing as she sat back against the headboard. ¡°But if you stub your toe on something later, I reserve the right to say ¡®I told you so.¡¯¡±
Karania only muttered something unintelligible in reply, burying herself further into the blanket.
Thea smirked to herself, the odd exchange pushing her lingering thoughts about the ceremony, the medals, and everything else further to the back of her mind.
¡°Well¡ we should still get ready for the day, I guess. We gotta get to the medical staff and get your arm fixed at the very least. And my hand, of course,¡± Thea said after a few moments of enjoying the cozy silence. She stretched her arms overhead once more, her muscles loosening as she hopped out of bed with her usual energy and started toward her uniform.
Halfway there, she paused, her own state catching up with her.
The events of the previous day had left her no time to shower before collapsing into bed, and the thought crossed her mind that Karania likely hadn¡¯t either. Changing course, Thea headed for the adjacent bathroom, stopping at the door with a practical idea.
¡°You wanna come take a shower with me?¡± she asked with a casual grin, her voice nonchalant. ¡°We can save some time instead of going one after the other.¡±
Her eyes pierced through the dim room with ease, meeting Karania¡¯s, which, for the first time that morning, were focused directly on her. What she saw made her blink in confusion.
Karania froze, her expression flickering between wide-eyed shock and something Thea couldn¡¯t quite place before she hastily looked away, her face visibly flushing even in the faint light.
¡°What?¡± Karania muttered, her voice sounding far tighter than usual. She forced a laugh, the sound awkward and pitched just slightly too high. ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot, Thea¡¡±
Thea tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°Huh? What did I do now?¡±
Karania¡¯s hands fidgeted with the edge of the blanket, her gaze resolutely fixed somewhere that wasn¡¯t Thea.
¡°No, thank you for asking,¡± she replied quickly, the words tumbling out as if she were trying to end the conversation as fast as possible. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll shower after I get my arm looked at. There¡¯s probably going to be¡ serious work done, and I¡¯ll need to clean up after that anyway.¡±
Thea shrugged, not pressing the issue.
¡°Suit yourself,¡± she said, her tone light.
But she hesitated just before entering the bathroom, glancing back over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re acting weird this morning, Kara. Did you not sleep well or something?¡±
The question lingered in the air, pulling at her thoughts as a familiar unease crept up.
It reminded her of the last time they had shared a room before the ceremony.
What if she had snored? Or tossed and turned too much? Or done something else unknowingly to inconvenience her friend? Thea hated the idea of having made Karania uncomfortable, even accidentally.
Karania stiffened, her hand flying to her hair as if to smooth it down¡ªa nervous gesture Thea had picked up on more than once before. Her voice came out just a little too fast, the tone higher than normal as well. ¡°I slept just fine, thank you.¡±
Thea narrowed her eyes slightly, studying her friend for a beat longer than necessary.
Something felt¡ off with Kara this morning.
But she didn¡¯t quite have the energy to puzzle it out before her morning shower; much less having any kind of expertise in how to go about this to begin with¡ªanother thing she¡¯d have to double check with Corvus later.
She chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Alright then, Kara¡ I¡¯ll be back in a minute. Make yourself at home.¡±
With that, she disappeared into the bathroom, the door whooshing softly shut behind her¡
Stepping back into the room, now freshly showered and wearing a clean uniform, Thea found that Karania had also gotten herself ready for the day ahead.
¡°So, plan is to get some food, then head to the medical deck, yeah?¡± Thea asked, toweling the last remnants of her damp hair dry as she glanced toward Karania.
Nodding, Karania replied, ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the plan. Gonna be nice to finally be able to use [Surgeon¡¯s Toolkit] with both arms again¡ I gotta remember to request a bionic replacement next time around; they¡¯re less likely to clash with biological System Abilities, I heard.¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow, intrigued. This was the first time she¡¯d heard about this distinction. ¡°So that¡¯s the difference between them, then? Cybernetics and bionics, I mean. Bionics work with biological Abilities, and cybernetics don¡¯t?¡±
She held up her own cybernetic hand, examining the fine craftsmanship¡ªthe seamless joints and intricate machining that made it function like her original hand; no, better even. The engineering was remarkable, yet Karania¡¯s comment sparked a deeper curiosity in her mind.
Karania nodded thoughtfully, raising her cybernetic arm and slowly rotating the wrist in a smooth, mechanical circle. ¡°Hmm¡ Something like that, yeah. But there¡¯s more to it than just that one distinction.¡±
She moved her still-natural human arm alongside the cybernetic one, flexing both hands in tandem to illustrate her point. ¡°Cybernetics are primarily about applying engineering solutions to biological problems. They replace nature with machine to bypass limitations or fix perceived issues.
¡°Take my arm here,¡± she said, holding up the cybernetic limb again, this time splaying the fingers wide. ¡°This thing can rotate 360 degrees, fold back on itself, and even detach if needed without problem. It¡¯s built purely with utility in mind. But with bionics¡¡± She brought up her human arm, flexing it as if to make a point.
¡°Bionics are about applying biological solutions to engineering problems. Instead of swapping out the wrist entirely with something else, they¡¯d strengthen the ligaments and muscles with synthetic fibers. They work with the body¡¯s original design rather than outright replacing it.¡±
Thea tilted her head, absorbing the information, her eyes darting between Karania¡¯s two contrasting arms. ¡°So cybernetics are more like a complete replacement, and bionics are¡ enhancements, in a way?¡±
¡°Yeah, that sounds about right, I¡¯d say,¡± Karania agreed, her tone brightening. ¡°Cybernetics say, ¡®Screw nature, we¡¯re building something else that won¡¯t have this issue,¡¯ while bionics are more like, ¡®Let¡¯s help nature fix this issue.¡¯ Bionics often incorporate synthetic or real tissue into their designs as well, which is why the System recognizes them as partly biological. That allows biological Abilities like [Surgeon¡¯s Toolkit] to work. But even then, not all bionics are compatible¡ªyou need specialized, biology-focused ones to really get the full benefit.¡±
¡°And cybernetics? They have anything like that, to use Abilities with?¡± Thea asked, her hand lowering slightly as she glanced at her own cybernetic fingers, the polished metal catching the light faintly.
Karania shrugged, her smirk soft but amused, tapping her cybernetic fingers rhythmically against her human arm. ¡°Cybernetics? You¡¯re pretty much out of luck if you want to use biological Abilities. Once you go full cybernetic, you¡¯re trading System synergy for pure functionality. It¡¯s all about what you need and what you¡¯re willing to give up, I guess.¡±
Thea nodded slowly, her gaze drifting back to her own hand. ¡°Makes sense¡ But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to worry about that distinction for a while. I¡¯m not exactly in the market for biological Abilities anytime soon¡ªif ever.¡±
Karania chuckled as she moved toward the door, her usual confident stride accompanied by the slight hum of her cybernetic arm. ¡°Fair enough. But you never know¡ªone day, you might need to know the difference. Now come on, let¡¯s kick things off right with some pancakes, yeah?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The mere mention of pancakes brought a toothy grin to Thea¡¯s face, her thoughts immediately jumping to the savory delight she had grown addicted to during her time aboard the Sovereign.
The UHF Marines came with plenty of upsides¡ªand just as many downsides, if not more¡ªbut one of the undeniable highlights was the food.
The pancakes, specifically, had quickly become her absolute favorite.
Unlike the sweet versions she¡¯d tried once or twice before when visiting the capitol with James¡ªwhile also good in her eyes¡ªthese were a savory masterpieces, served with a rich, creamy meat sauce that was unlike anything she¡¯d ever tasted before.
Her stomach growled at the thought, and she had to stop herself from drooling all over the floor.
Shaking her head vigorously to dispel the mouthwatering images, Thea caught Karania chuckling softly at her from the doorway.
¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m coming,¡± Thea said, tossing her towel onto the bed without a second thought. The moment it landed, it disintegrated into a neat little pile of nothingness, the Sovereign¡¯s automatic cleaning systems already hard at work.
¡°Yes! Pancakes are the be¡ª¡±
Thea¡¯s words cut off abruptly as a sudden, unrelenting wave of unadulterated dread slammed into her like a physical force.
Her chest tightened with such intensity that her breath caught entirely, leaving her gasping for air. Her legs buckled as if the ground had disappeared beneath her, and she stumbled backward, one hand shooting out to steady herself against the nearest wall.
A cold sweat broke out across her body as her mind felt like it was drowning in a sea of raw, unfiltered terror, her fight-or-flight response igniting with such ferocity that every muscle in her body screamed at her to run.
But there was nowhere to go.
Nowhere that she could even conceive of ever feeling safe again.
¡°Thea!¡± Karania¡¯s voice cut through the haze, sharp and alarmed.
The sound of rushing footsteps reached Thea¡¯s ears as Karania crossed the room in an instant, her arms already bracing against Thea¡¯s shoulders to steady her. ¡°Thea! What¡¯s wrong? Talk to me!¡±
But Thea couldn¡¯t process the words at all; they merely went in one ear and out the other.
They felt distant, muffled, like they were being spoken underwater.
Her gaze was unfocused, darting around the room in a blind panic, unable to pinpoint the source of the overwhelming fear yet utterly certain that something was very wrong.
Karania crouched slightly to meet Thea¡¯s eye level, gripping her shoulders firmly now. ¡°Thea! Snap out of it! Talk to me¡ªwhat¡¯s happening?!¡±
But all Thea could feel was the pounding of her heart, the deafening thrum of terror coursing through her veins like liquid fire. Her body trembled violently, her hands clammy and shaking as they grasped at nothing, unable to latch onto the reality of her surroundings.
Every inch of her being screamed that something¡ªsomething monumental and terrifying on a primal, instinctual level¡ªwas coming.
She just didn¡¯t know what, or why.
And then, just as abruptly as it had come, the terror suddenly vanished.
The suffocating weight lifted from Thea¡¯s chest, leaving her lungs aching as she finally drew in a ragged, desperate breath. Her trembling legs still struggled to hold her up, and she leaned heavily against the wall, her forehead pressing against its cool surface as she gasped for air, her chest heaving like she had been underwater for hours.
Karania didn¡¯t let go of her shoulders, her grip firm but not restrictive, her worried gaze boring into Thea like a searchlight. ¡°Thea¡ What the fuck was that?¡±
Thea shook her head weakly, her voice shaky and uneven.
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know¡ It just hit me out of nowhere.¡±
She took another gulp of air, still struggling to feel like she was fully breathing again.
¡°It was like¡ªlike this wave of pure dread. I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t¡ breathe. But now it¡¯s just¡ gone. Like it wasn¡¯t even there.¡±
Karania¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as she scanned Thea¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s not okay. You don¡¯t just feel like that for no reason.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine now, I think,¡± Thea replied, though her words lacked conviction. Her hands braced against the wall as she tried to straighten up, her legs still trembling from the aftershock. ¡°Really, Kara. It¡¯s gone. Like it wasn¡¯t even there.¡±
Karania¡¯s expression hardened slightly. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. And even if you were, we¡¯re figuring this out. Now. Sovereign!¡± she called, her voice sharp and commanding.
The neutral, ever-calm voice of the AI responded immediately. ¡°Yes, Recruit Faulkner?¡±
¡°What just happened?¡± Karania demanded, not letting go of Thea as she asked.
The Sovereign immediately replied, ¡°I am not sure what you are refer¡ª¡±
¡°Sovereign!¡± Kara¡¯s raised voice snapped through the room like a whip, interrupting the AI and making Thea flinch. She had never heard Karania this angry before. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me right now. What. Happened?¡±
The Sovereign paused, as though recalibrating to Karania¡¯s intensity. When it spoke again, its tone carried the faintest trace of hesitation, an unusual quality for the normally detached AI.
¡°Approximately one minute and thirty-seven seconds ago, the Sovereign passed in close proximity to a Void Storm as it exited the Void. While fully shielded from its physical effects, the storm¡¯s residual Psychic turbulence may have caused an adverse reaction in Recruit Thea McKay due to her burgeoning Psychic Powers post-Awakening.¡±
Karania¡¯s eyes narrowed as she processed the information. ¡°A Void Storm? And how common is it for a Psyker to react like this?¡±
The Sovereign replied, ¡°Psykers aboard the ship displayed similar reactions during the event. All Psykers aboard the ship, in fact, registered biometric spikes indicative of extreme stress or terror. However, reactions of this severity are atypical. Void Storms are rare, and direct psychic disturbances caused by them even more so.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t normal,¡± Karania pressed.
¡°Correct. It is an extraordinarily uncommon occurrence,¡± the Sovereign confirmed.
Karania¡¯s jaw tightened, her fingers digging lightly into Thea¡¯s shoulder as she mulled over the implications. Finally, she turned her gaze back to Thea, who had calmed slightly but still leaned against the wall for support.
¡°Thea,¡± Karania said gently, though her voice held a commanding edge. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay now?¡±
Thea hesitated, not wanting to alarm her friend further. ¡°I¡ Yeah. I think so. It¡¯s gone now. I feel¡ normal, I guess? Just a bit wrung dry.¡±
Karania wasn¡¯t convinced. She let out a deep breath and softened her grip. ¡°Alright. But I¡¯m checking you over anyway. No arguments.¡±
Thea groaned faintly, knowing better than to cross Karania in her current state. ¡°Fine...¡±
Karania wasted no time, guiding Thea to sit down on the edge of the bed before beginning a rapid but thorough medical check. Her cybernetic arm moved rapidly, scanning for abnormalities while her natural hand carefully palpated pressure points and checked for any visible signs of distress.
¡°Sovereign,¡± Karania called over her shoulder, her tone still sharp. ¡°Should we expect more Void Storm incidents like this?¡±
¡°Unlikely,¡± the AI responded. ¡°Now that we have fully transitioned into the Material Plane, the risk of encountering Void phenomena has decreased to near zero.¡±
Karania hummed thoughtfully, her focus shifting back to Thea as she completed her examination.
¡°You¡¯re clear for now,¡± she said, stepping back but not relaxing. Her brow furrowed in thought as she crossed her arms. ¡°But we¡¯re keeping an eye on this, Thea. If anything feels off, you tell me immediately, understand?¡±
Thea nodded, her lips twitching into a small, tired smile. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I will.¡±
Karania exhaled, her worry softening slightly as she sat beside Thea, though her sharp gaze lingered just a moment longer than necessary. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get those pancakes before I decide to run a full neurological scan on you instead¡ªand forbid you from eating pancakes until I¡¯m satisfied you¡¯re fine.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened in mock horror, her breath hitching dramatically. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±
Karania¡¯s smirk returned, sly and teasing, though her eyes still carried a faint shadow of unease. ¡°Try me.¡±
Not willing to tempt fate¡ªor risk losing access to her beloved pancakes¡ªThea quickly nodded, her defiance dissolving into a meek compliance.
¡°Fine, fine. You won¡¯t ever hear me complain about pancake time.¡±
Karania chuckled, clearly satisfied with her small victory, and reached out to help Thea to her feet. ¡°Good choice. Let¡¯s move before I change my mind.¡±
With a half-hearted groan, Thea let herself be guided out of the room.
As they entered the bright, bustling communal living and eating space of Alpha Squad, the clatter of dishes and low hum of conversation greeted them.
It was a far cry from the quiet, tense atmosphere of their shared quarters.
Several squadmates looked up as they entered, nodding or offering casual greetings, but Thea noticed the concerned glance Corvus threw her way, his brow furrowed in silent question.
¡°Pancakes,¡± Karania said briskly, cutting off any potential questions before they could be voiced.
She pointed toward the dining area, her tone leaving no room for argument. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Thea caught Isabella¡¯s bemused smirk from across the room as she was all but herded toward the food station. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Thea? Karania got you on a leash now?¡±
Thea shot her a glare, though it lacked heat. ¡°Don¡¯t start, Ela. I¡¯m just trying to eat in peace.¡±
Karania, however, turned her head just enough to fire back without missing a beat. ¡°If she needs a leash to keep her out of trouble, I¡¯ll get one. Now let her eat, Itoku.¡±
The room erupted in laughter as Thea groaned, burying her face in her hands.
¡°Why do I even bother¡¡± she muttered, though she couldn''t hide the faint smile tugging at her lips.
¡°Because you love us,¡± Karania quipped, her tone lightening as she requested the first serving of pancakes from the food printer, which sprung to life immediately and started fulfilling the order in a matter of moments.
¡°Yeah, yeah. Pancakes first, love later,¡± Thea retorted, shaking her head as the aroma of savory pancakes finally began to push away the lingering tension in her chest.
After retrieving their portions, Thea and Karania made their way to the table where the rest of Alpha Squad was already gathered; minus Desmond.
Corvus looked up from his meal, nodding toward them as they sat down.
¡°Desmond¡¯s already on the medical deck,¡± Corvus informed them. ¡°Getting his leg fixed. Can¡¯t blame him for making it a priority.¡±
Thea hummed in agreement, digging into her pancakes with the eagerness of someone who had earned a well-deserved meal.
¡°Makes sense,¡± she said between bites, savoring the rich, creamy sauce that paired perfectly with the savory pancakes.
The conversation soon turned casual, bouncing between their plans for the day.
Corvus sighed, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Technically, we¡¯re all on break, but I¡¯ve got to attend an after-Assessment Squad Leader meeting right after this. Paperwork, meetings and planning don¡¯t take breaks, apparently.¡±
¡°Rough,¡± Lucas replied, offering a sympathetic shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of heading to the shopping district myself. I need to see if they¡¯ve got any upgrades for my loadout. And fill out my Ability slots; now that I have some Merit to work with.¡±
¡°Shopping? Laaame.¡± Isabella leaned back in her chair, grinning as she flexed one of her arms, her dense muscles clearly standing out more prominently than before. ¡°I¡¯m hitting the public training hall. Gotta see if anyone¡¯s up for a good spar. Just invested my Attribute Points from the Assessment, and I¡¯m itching to test these puppies out.¡±
Karania snorted, leaning forward to inspect Isabella¡¯s flexed arm with genuine curiosity, prodding and carefully examining them for a few moments, before saying, ¡°And here I thought you couldn¡¯t get any more terrifying. These things aren''t even technically possible to exist for a human with how dense they are. The System¡¯s basically cheating biology at every turn, huh? Congratulations, Isabella; you¡¯ve officially way passed the point of ¡°human biology¡±.¡±
¡°Damn straight,¡± Isabella replied with a toothy grin, patting her bicep proudly. ¡°Let me know if you ever want to go for a round. Been itching to see how you would hold up against me. The ¡°Blood Witch¡± is bound to have some serious moves in the ring, eh?¡±
While the others talked, Thea focused on her pancake, savoring each bite as if it were the last thing keeping her tethered to reality.
The chaos of the past hour faded into the background, replaced by the simple comfort of a good meal.
About thirty minutes passed like this, the group¡¯s laughter and chatter filling the room.
Thea took her sweet time finishing her food, enjoying every last morsel as though it was a small, personal victory.
At some point, Corvus had excused himself, grumbling about needing to prepare for his meeting. That left just Isabella, Karania, Lucas, and Thea at the table, the conversation shifting to lighter topics until Isabella started to prepare to leave for the day.
¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to come to the training hall, Thea?¡± Isabella teased, kicking her feet up onto the now-empty chair beside her. ¡°Could be fun to see just how much we¡¯ve both changed since our last spars, yeah?¡±
Thea rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll pass for now, thanks. Unlike you, some of us actually like relaxing on our break¡ Though I will take you up on that offer later down the line. Not that I think I even stand a chance, considering that even before any enhancements you wiped the floor with me¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± Isabella replied, shaking her head dramatically.
Karania chuckled softly, her gaze flickering toward Lucas. ¡°Relaxing is good, but I think someone needs to make sure Isabella doesn¡¯t accidentally break half the Drive in the training hall.¡±
¡°Hey, it¡¯s called sparring for a reason!¡± Isabella shot back, her grin as mischievous as ever. ¡°They know what they¡¯re signing up for! It¡¯s not my fault if they can¡¯t handle a little heat.¡±
Lucas glanced at Karania, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, ¡°You better do something about her before she breaks someone¡±.
He sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose before turning to Isabella. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, Karania. Can¡¯t really have her go there alone¡ Alright, Bella, how about this? You join me on a quick shopping trip first, and then we head to the training hall together. You¡¯re bound to have some Ability Slots open after the Assessment, right? Maybe you can pick up something to shore up your extra power before jumping into a fight?¡±
Isabella¡¯s mischievous grin faded into a more thoughtful expression as she mulled over his words. ¡°Hmm¡ That does sound smart, actually. No point testing my limits now if I¡¯m just going to blow past them with new Abilities right after anyway.¡±
She paused, crossing her arms and tapping her fingers against her bicep as if weighing her options.
Finally, her grin returned in full force. ¡°Deal! Let¡¯s¡ª¡±
Thea was already mid-leap before her conscious mind could catch up to her body¡¯s reaction.
The past month of surviving life-and-death situations had hardwired her instincts to respond immediately to the knot in her chest¡ªher Psychic Precognition¡¯s unmistakable signal of danger.
She didn¡¯t need to think.
The warning flared hot and sharp, screaming at her with an urgency that left no room for hesitation: Act now, or die.
Her left arm shot out mid-air, aiming to yank Isabella down with her, but the muscle-bound woman was like a living wall.
Despite Thea¡¯s desperate pull, Isabella barely shifted, her face flickering from the previous to grin to confusion and then concern in an instant.
Thea¡¯s body twisted mid-motion, redirecting her leap towards Karania, who sat to her right.
An instant later, she slammed brutally into her friend, sending the chair toppling backward with a loud clatter and knocking the air out of Karania.
The momentum carried them both to the floor, but Thea didn¡¯t let up.
Adrenaline roaring through her veins, she shoved Karania against the counter, her cybernetic hand digging deep into Karania¡¯s shoulder to prevent any extraneous movements. Her flesh-and-blood arm wrapped protectively around the rest of Karania, pinning her securely against the counter as if her life depended on it¡ªbecause it did.
Karania¡¯s sharp gasp filled the room, her usually calm composure entirely shattered as she stared at Thea in shock.
Isabella, now also fully alert, had turned her head towards the two of them, her eyes darting between Thea and Karania with alarm.
She was about to open her mouth to ask what Thea was doing, but it was already too late.
The space inside the communal room lurched abruptly and Isabella disappeared.
Thea barely had time to press Karania harder against the counter as the sudden, violent lurch of the ship¡¯s deceleration ripped through them. It wasn¡¯t just a shift¡ªit was an instantaneous reversal of motion so catastrophic that it simply defied comprehension.
Everything in the room not grav-locked to the floor or anchored to a bow-facing surface was instantaneously accelerated to speeds that even Thea¡¯s Perception couldn¡¯t grasp.
Plates, utensils, and chairs exploded across the space, smashing into walls and each other, pulverising into nothing but mist upon impact.
The crushing force of several tons of invisible pressure bore down on Thea and Karania, squeezing the breath from their lungs as the sheer speed of the reversal threatened to flatten them against the counter. Thea felt her ribs break, her lungs deflate and blood pool into her mouth in an instant as the g-forces threatened to turn her into paste.
At that same moment, Lucas and Isabella, caught completely unprepared, were hurled across the room.
The speed at which they moved rendered the difference in distance between them meaningless; the two Marines collided with their respective fates¡ªLucas into the far wall and Isabella into the nearby counter¡ªat the exact same instant.
The sound of their impacts was sickeningly simultaneous.
Lucas hit the wall with a thunderous boom, the force so extreme that it obliterated his body on impact. Bones shattered into dust, organs compressed into unrecognizable masses, and the walls were painted in streaks of blood and viscera; leaving nothing but a bloody mist of the Defensive Heavy of Alpha Squad.
Isabella¡¯s massive, muscular frame was no match for the counter she struck either.
The crash was similarly sickening, her body folding unnaturally as bones snapped and her flesh was torn apart. Her sheer mass only made the collision more devastating; the counter itself cracked under the force, splitting almost as violently as her body as it got ripped apart.
The lower half of it got pulverised on the counter while the upper half simply kept going, colliding with the far-wall near Lucas, adding a second bloody imprint at almost the exact same time.
The lights had cut out entirely, swallowing the room in an oppressive abyss of darkness.
The echoes of the devastation reverberated faintly, as if the room itself were mourning the lives lost.
For a moment, the only sounds were the grotesque drip of blood splattering onto the cold floor and Thea¡¯s own ragged, labored breathing, each inhale rattling with agony as though her lungs were filled with shards of glass.
Between each wheezing gasp, she coughed violently, flecks of blood spilling from her lips and staining her trembling hands. Her chest was ablaze with pain, every breath a torment that threatened to pull her consciousness into the void.
Next to her, Karania lay completely limp, her body unnaturally still.
Thea¡¯s eyes, sharp even in the dark, made out the horrific deformation of her friend¡¯s chest.
Blood trickled freely from Karania¡¯s mouth, pooling beneath her in a growing crimson stain that seemed to mock Thea¡¯s helplessness.
Thea tried to speak, her voice a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the rasping of her own breath. ¡°S¡ Sov¡ Sovereign¡¡± she choked out, her words faltering as her body convulsed with another fit of coughing, fresh blood spilling with every heave.
Her mind screamed at her to stay conscious, to hold on, to fight through the haze of agony and the siren call of darkness creeping at the edges of her vision.
¡°S¡ Sovereign?¡± she tried again, the word fractured and feeble, but full of desperate hope.
She waited.
And waited.
A second stretched into an eternity as the suffocating silence of the ship bore down on her like a physical weight.
¡°S¡ Sovereign¡?¡± she gasped again, her voice barely more than a breath now, trembling with equal parts fear and pain.
But for the first time since she had arrived on the ship over a month ago, the AI did not answer¡
Volume 2 - Chapter 2 - Verum Nomen
PoV: Runepriest Anrake Vedun
Watching the Sovereign loom into view on the monitors in his cabin, Anrake felt a rare rush of excitement ripple through him; something he hadn¡¯t felt in decades.
It had been far, far too long since an assignment had piqued his interest, so much so that agreeing to this entire endeavor at Zephyr¡¯s request had felt like a spark in an otherwise monotonous stretch of existence.
The Brass had, of course, objected vociferously.
They had thrown every obstacle they could think of to prevent him from leaving, attempting to shackle him with a Star Sector¡¯s worth of bureaucratic responsibilities.
They¡¯d dismissed the mission as a ¡°frivolous endeavor,¡± their disdain practically dripping off the official memos urging him to reconsider; to remain as a mere tool in their arsenal for another couple of decades.
Their resistance had only made him more eager to accept.
Their inability to comprehend the appeal of this particular assignment only underscored how badly they¡¯d misjudged him¡ªand how utterly stagnant they¡¯d become in their thinking.
And now, here he was.
The Sovereign itself stood as a monumental promise of something new, something interesting. Recruit Thea McKay, if the files and reports he¡¯d read bore even a grain of truth, was shaping up to be a truly fascinating subject.
Anrake leaned back with a satisfied chuckle.
¡®Finally,¡¯ he thought to himself, ¡®something worth my time...¡¯
The endless cycle of watching the Brass claw at territories, wringing every bit of power and influence from their grasp like desperate traders, had worn thin over the years.
He had no desire to wait another sixty years for a significant development amidst the predictable stalemate of inter-factional skirmishes.
No, this was a diversion¡ªa gamble, perhaps¡ªbut one he relished.
Reaching for the datapad containing the files of every person aboard the Sovereign, he began to flip through the profiles once more, letting the images and names cascade across the screen in rapid succession.
Each face was instantly familiar, every detail of their files permanently etched into his mind.
His omniscient recollection, a fortuitous side-effect of his Psychic Awakening, had transformed his already exceptional memory into something reaching deep into the realm of impossibility.
He remembered everything¡ªevery word ever spoken around him, every image ever glimpsed, every piece of data he had read, consciously or otherwise.
Each detail was seared into his mind with perfect clarity, as though his brain were an infinitely deep storage with no decay.
Learning the names and profiles of the thousands of Marines aboard the Sovereign was child¡¯s play. Twelve datapads, set to flash profiles at five images per second, had been more than enough for him to absorb the information with ease.
Yet, despite his flawless recall, he found himself reviewing the data one last time.
It was a nervous tick, a lingering remnant of the young Marine he had once been¡ªan anxious Recruit desperate to avoid the humiliation of forgetting a name or detail.
The memory of Lieutenant Iorun¡¯uma tearing into him in front of half his Drive for botching the Lieutenant¡¯s name was still seared into his mind, as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. He could still hear the Lieutenant¡¯s biting words, feel the weight of hundreds of eyes on him, and taste the acrid sting of his own embarrassment.
It was a not-so-fun side effect of perfect recall¡ªreliving every mortifying moment with crystal clarity. No matter how many centuries had passed, that small, all-too-human insecurity lingered, stubborn and unyielding.
Some habits, it seemed, truly were timeless, he had long come to realise.
He only put the data-pad away when the comms chimed, and the Captain¡¯s voice informed him that they were making their final descent.
As the transport ship began its approach, the hangar bay of the IGS Sovereign loomed into view, a vast cavernous opening carved into the immense troop transporter¡¯s hull.
The ship¡¯s lights illuminated the expanse of the hangar, revealing layers of catwalks, docking arms, and machinery in perfect symmetry. The Sovereign swallowed the smaller vessel with ease, the hangar doors closing behind them like the maw of some immense, mechanical beast.
Anrake leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together in a gesture that was almost meditative.
His nerves were buzzing, not with apprehension, but with pure, unfiltered exhilaration.
The Sovereign¡¯s sheer presence was electric, its atmosphere alive with potential and purpose. It was only a few minutes now until he would finally set foot on its decks and delve into the heart of the experiment that had drawn him all the way out here.
¡®Time to see if you live up to the hype, Recruit McKay. Make it worth my time, I beg of you¡¡¯
¡°I thank you and your crew for your truly commendable hospitality, Captain Sona,¡± Anrake offered with a light bow. The gesture, slight and graceful, made the young Captain nearly stumble in her haste to return it with a much deeper bow, her nervousness evident despite her obvious efforts to maintain composure.
¡°Do send my kindest regards to Ensign Loran and Ensign Omuna for their diligent efforts in making my stay as pleasant as possible. And, of course, to Chef Walenz for her phenomenal desserts¡ªthey were truly delectable.¡±
¡°O¡ Of course, Venerable Runepriest! It shall be done!¡± the Captain stammered, straightening into a direly serious salute, as though she had just been given a command to charge headlong into the most dangerous reaches of the Void.
Anrake sighed internally, masking his exasperation with a serene expression. ¡®Venerable this, Venerable that¡ Is it too much to ask for someone to pretend, just for a moment, that I¡¯m still human somewhere in here?¡¯
But he allowed no hint of this irritation to surface, the Captain wasn¡¯t at fault here, after all.
He simply nodded once more in farewell with a gentle smile before turning toward the bulkhead.
He passed through the series of reinforced doors with an unhurried grace, each hiss and clunk of the seals marking his steps closer to the Sovereign¡¯s vast expanse. As the final bulkhead opened, the ramp leading to the troop transporter¡¯s deck descended smoothly.
Anrake stopped just at its apex, pausing to take in the sight arrayed before him.
The hangar bay stretched out in all directions like a cathedral, its towering walls and vaulted ceilings gleaming under the stark white lights. Gantries and walkways spanned the space like the web of a colossal spider, their intricacies disappearing into the vastness above.
But for all its grandeur, the hangar was suspiciously empty¡ªalmost unnervingly so.
Apart from half a dozen Lieutenants arranged in a precise formation near the base of the ramp, the space was devoid of the usual bustle and chaos of a ship of this size. Their crisp uniforms and stiff postures made it clear they were there to welcome him personally.
He chuckled softly to himself, the sound almost lost in the cavernous quiet.
¡®That¡¯s your doing, Zephyr, isn¡¯t it? You never did miss an opportunity to tease me¡¡¯
His sharp eyes scanned the scene once more, taking in the deliberate precision of the arrangement. It bore all the hallmarks of her particular brand of mischief, for she knew all too well that he hated ceremonies.
But, at the end of the day, there was no rush.
After weeks aboard the transport, touring the Void from half a galaxy away, he could afford to savor this moment.
For just an instant longer, he allowed himself to enjoy the stillness, the rare privilege of standing at the threshold of something new and potentially extraordinary.
Such was his prerogative as Runepriest. After all, nobody could tell him to hurry up.
He answered to no one¡ªnot truly.
¡°Did you die of old age standing up there, or has your mind finally gone, and you forgot how to descend a ramp, oldy?¡± came the all-too-familiar, and yet far-too-rarely heard, voice that painted a grin on his face in an instant.
Out of the corner of his eye, Anrake caught the Lieutenants flinch as though physically struck by the blatant lack of decorum. The awkward stiffness of their posture, the way their gazes darted between him and the speaker, all betrayed their discomfort.
He could almost hear their unspoken protests: ¡°How dare she address a Runepriest in such a manner?!¡±
But the weight of their reactions rolled off him like water off polished steel. He couldn¡¯t care less about their sense of propriety, even if he had tried¡ªand he most certainly didn¡¯t.
His eyes darted toward the speaker in question, and he froze for the briefest of moments.
Zephyr Quinn had changed more than he had expected over the past decades.
The face that greeted him now was both familiar and utterly transformed.
Gone was the cherubic charm of the young Marine he once knew, replaced by a razor-sharp edge that bordered on predatory. Her toothy grin, equal parts challenge and mockery, held a viciousness that made Anrake feel as if he were stepping into an arena rather than a ship.
Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight braid, revealing sharp features that seemed to have been chiseled by years on the battlefield and untold, hard-won victories. Her eyes, once playful and curious, now gleamed with a cunning intelligence that made him reconsider every interaction they had ever shared.
She stood with an easy confidence, one hand casually resting on her hip, the other holding what appeared to be a datapad she had no intention of reading.
He let his grin grow wider, allowing himself to relish the moment. ¡®Surprises already? Oh, Zephyr, you are spoiling me rotten!¡¯
¡°You¡¯ve grown into quite the charmer, haven¡¯t you?¡± he finally replied, his voice dripping with mock affection. He began descending the ramp slowly, his movements deliberately unhurried, as though he were savoring the journey rather than the destination.
Zephyr¡¯s grin widened further, if that were even possible, and she crossed her arms, cocking her head slightly. ¡°Charmer? Hardly. I¡¯m just trying to figure out if you¡¯re still worth my time, or if you¡¯ve turned into some decrepit relic of a bygone era. I really hope it¡¯s the former, because I don¡¯t really have another Runepriest to pull out of my hat for this.¡±
The Lieutenants collectively stiffened at her words, their mortification palpable, but Anrake¡¯s laugh cut through the tension like a blade. It was a deep, booming sound that echoed across the hangar, as genuine as it was amused.
¡°Oh, I¡¯ve very much missed you, Zephyr,¡± he said, his tone carrying the weight of both nostalgia and anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you haven¡¯t mellowed out with age.¡±
¡°And it¡¯s good to see that you haven¡¯t keeled over yet,¡± she shot back, her grin softening slightly as her eyes appraised him more seriously. ¡°But don¡¯t get too comfortable. We¡¯ve got a lot to discuss, and not all of it will be to your liking.¡±
Anrake chuckled again, reaching the bottom of the ramp. ¡°That¡¯s the best part of being here, isn¡¯t it? The unexpected.¡±
Zephyr¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly, the gleam in her eyes hinting at something deeper. ¡°Oh, trust me, oldy. Unexpected doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it.¡±
Stepping off the ramp and onto the Sovereign¡¯s deck for the first time, Anrake felt his Presence surge forward instinctively, rushing to claim the unfamiliar space around him like an expanding storm.
The very air seemed to ripple and bow under the weight of his existence.
Instantaneously, the arrayed Lieutenants crumpled to the ground like puppets with their strings cut as consciousness left their bodies.
His Psychic Telekinesis responded on pure instinct, catching their bodies mid-fall and gently lowering them to the deck before they could sustain injury. Even Zephyr herself was forced down to her knees, her face pale as she struggled to draw in a breath.
The sight struck him like a blow.
His exhilaration was immediately replaced by a pang of guilt.
He hadn¡¯t realized just how much his Presence had spilled over before stepping off the transport. With a deliberate effort of will, he reined it back in, pulling the suffocating force back to what he considered its absolute minimum. The Sovereign¡¯s deck no longer felt as ¡°his,¡± but at least those around him could breathe again¡ªhopefully.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Zephyr,¡± he began, his voice tinged with genuine regret as he stepped closer to her. ¡°I¡ I¡¯m not really used to new places anymore. Forgive me. I thought I¡¯d pulled enough of it back not to cause issues like this¡¡±
He extended a hand toward her, but before he could say anything further, Zephyr interrupted him with a laugh¡ªan unrestrained, melodic sound that caught him completely off guard.
¡°Horatio owes me a favour now,¡± she said, her grin returning as she braced herself against her knees and pushed upright. Her breathing was still labored, but her mischievous energy was unmistakable. ¡°Thank you, oldy. Made a bet with him, told him this would happen. You¡¯ve never been good at easing into new places, have you?¡±
Anrake blinked at her, his guilt giving way to bemusement. ¡°You bet on me overwhelming half the deck crew?¡±
Zephyr scoffed, her grin widening into something almost predatory. ¡°Half? Oldy, why do you think I cleared the entire deck before your arrival? Trust me, it wasn¡¯t for dramatic effect.¡±
She dusted off her knees with an exaggerated flair, her uniform straightening under quick, practiced movements. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if every Psyker aboard the Sovereign just got the psychic equivalent of a sucker punch to the brain. Congrats, you might have set a record for simultaneous heart attacks.¡±
Anrake let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as her words sank in. ¡°You anticipated all this?¡±
Zephyr¡¯s smirk grew sharper, the glint in her eye unmistakable. ¡°Of course, I did. You¡¯ve been stuck in one spot for decades, Runepriest, and let¡¯s be honest¡ªyou¡¯ve always been a bit much to handle. It was either preemptively evacuate the area or risk you scaring the poor sods into saluting mid-bow and fainting halfway through.¡±
She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as if to gauge his reaction. ¡°And considering you just flattened all of the officers I did leave here, I¡¯d say I made the right call.¡±
He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that, though the sound was tempered by his lingering concern. ¡°And here I was hoping to make a good impression.¡±
Zephyr smirked, finally meeting his eyes with that razor-sharp glint of hers. ¡°Oh, you made an impression all right. Don¡¯t worry about the Lieutenants; they¡¯ll recover, and it¡¯ll give them something to brag about later. ¡®I survived the Runepriest¡¯s arrival¡¯ sounds like a badge of honour, doesn¡¯t it? Might even ask the logistics department to print some shirts.¡±
Anrake let out a deep sigh, shaking his head as his hands fell to his sides. ¡°I suppose so. But next time, remind me to tone it down before I accidentally knock you flat again.¡±
Her laugh bubbled up once more, and she waved him off as if the entire incident were a minor inconvenience. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, oldy. Next time, I¡¯ll be ready for it.¡±
Anrake couldn¡¯t help but smile at her defiance, the centuries between them falling away in an instant.
The Sovereign might be entirely new territory for him, but with Zephyr there, it already felt a little more like home.
¡°So,¡± Zephyr began, her voice turning sharp and businesslike as she pivoted effortlessly to the matter at hand, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve already decided how you want this to go down. You want the rundown first, or do you want to meet the girl directly?¡±
Anrake chuckled softly, shaking his head. It was so like her to jump straight to the point, brushing aside the sentimentality of the moment.
¡°Am I really that predictable? I swear I¡¯ve spent years perfecting the art of being mysterious and inscrutable,¡± he teased, a playful glint in his eye. ¡°But, yes, as you¡¯ve undoubtedly predicted, I¡¯d prefer to meet the girl directly. Then I¡¯ll ask my questions after.¡±
Zephyr¡¯s grin widened, and she gestured for him to walk beside her as they moved toward the exit of the hangar, the Sovereign¡¯s towering corridors beckoning ahead.
¡°Who could have possibly seen that coming,¡± she replied with mock exasperation, waving the data pad she held as if it were an unnecessary prop. The screen was blank¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even bothered to turn it on. ¡°Didn¡¯t even prep a report, honestly. Why waste my time when I already know what you¡¯re going to say?¡±
Anrake raised an eyebrow. ¡°Efficient as always, Zephyr. In that case, I have a request. Would you be so kind as to fetch her for me? I have some business to attend to first, but it shouldn¡¯t take long. Training Hall E-61 inside the DDS should suffice.¡±
Zephyr halted mid-stride, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. ¡°Training Hall E-61? That¡¯s¡ Major Ponkutz¡¯s personal space, oldy. Pretty sure he¡¯s not going to be thrilled about getting evicted.¡±
Anrake¡¯s lips curled into a sly smile. ¡°Is that so? What a remarkable coincidence. I suppose the good Major will simply have to adjust his plans for the foreseeable future, won¡¯t he?¡±
Zephyr¡¯s grin mirrored his. ¡°You always did have a talent for making friends. This¡¯ll be fun to watch.¡±
He offered her an innocent shrug.
Of course, he was fully aware of whose training hall he was commandeering. He¡¯d memorized every corner of the Sovereign¡¯s layout before even stepping aboard.
Major Ponkutz, however, had appeared in more than one of Zephyr¡¯s past correspondences with him, often as a thorn in her side¡ªan overbearing colleague who had made her life unnecessarily difficult on more than a few occasions.
And what was the point of being a Runepriest, if you couldn¡¯t flex your authority now and then to make life just that little bit more inconvenient for someone who had annoyed your friend?
¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go fetch her while you finish up your stuff. I trust an hour will be enough time for you to wrap it all up and meet her there?¡± Zephyr asked, her tone businesslike but laced with a hint of anticipation.
Anrake responded with a confident nod. ¡°More than enough. They¡¯re just minor errands¡ªnothing too tedious.¡±
As they reached the next junction, Zephyr turned to take a different path, but she hesitated briefly, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°Anrake¡ Thank you. For trusting me on this and coming all this way. I know it¡¯s a lot to ask of a Runepriest, but I truly believe this will be worth it. For all of us.¡±
Her candid gratitude caught him off guard for a moment.
Her usual sharp wit and teasing demeanor softened into something far more genuine, and he felt a flicker of warmth at the sight.
Recovering quickly, he offered her a small smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Zephyr. That¡¯s what friends are for, isn¡¯t it? And if not friends, then certainly old mentors.¡±
She hesitated again, her expression flickering with something unreadable, as though she wanted to say more but couldn¡¯t quite find the words. Instead, she gave him a determined nod and turned down the corridor that led away from his destination.
Anrake watched her retreating form, her footsteps fading into the mechanical hum of the Sovereign¡¯s vast interior.
For a brief moment, he saw her as the eager, headstrong young Marine he¡¯d once mentored, before time and duty had split them apart and turned her into the formidable leader she now was.
When she disappeared behind another junction, he let out a quiet, rueful sigh, rolling his shoulders and turning toward his own path.
The duties awaiting him were hardly taxing, but they still demanded his attention.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Alright,¡± he muttered to himself, his voice low but resolute. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with...¡±
Twenty minutes later, Anrake stepped through yet another security bulkhead, the massive, reinforced gates sliding closed behind him with a hiss and a clang.
The walls here were thicker, the corridors narrower, and every inch of the space exuded an air of heavy, uncompromising security.
This was the twelfth bulkhead he had passed in the last few minutes, and the repetition of protocols only reaffirmed just how sacred and heavily fortified his destination truly was.
His boots echoed on the pristine, polished floor as he continued deeper into the heart of the Sovereign.
This wasn¡¯t just any location aboard the colossal troop transporter¡ªit was the most secure, the most critical of all of them. The journey here wasn¡¯t simply a matter of clearance; it was a gauntlet of layered protections designed to keep out all but the most trusted.
Finally, he reached the last bulkhead.
A biometric scanner awaited him, its dark screen springing to life the moment he approached. With an almost theatrical calmness, he placed his hand on the glowing interface, feeling a faint hum beneath his palm as the system verified his identity through incomprehensibly complicated algorithms and checks.
A sharp beep confirmed his access, and the immense gates began to part with a low rumble.
As they opened, Anrake¡¯s gaze immediately fell upon the silhouettes of three fully armoured Majors stationed just beyond the threshold. The harsh lighting gleamed off their battle-worn exosuits, their imposing figures standing like sentinels guarding the final bastion.
Their postures stiffened slightly as they registered his presence, their previously stoic demeanors giving way to subtle surprise.
Anrake stepped forward, inclining his head in acknowledgment.
¡°Greetings, Major Rurix, Major On¡¯jaby, Major Blackwood,¡± he said, his tone warm but measured. His deep voice resonated in the confined space like a ringing bell. ¡°It is good to see that the old protocols of protection are still being observed, even here, despite the distinct lack of any real danger ever presenting itself this close to the heart of a troop transporter.¡±
The Majors exchanged quick glances before Major Blackwood stepped forward, his salute sharp but slightly hesitant. ¡°Venerable Runepriest¡ It¡¯s¡ªwell, it¡¯s an honour. And a surprise, if I may say so. What brings you here, sir, if you don¡¯t mind my asking?¡±
Anrake smiled faintly, his expression calm but unreadable. ¡°A routine visit, Major. Ensuring that all remains in order and within expectation.¡±
He paused, his gaze flicking briefly to each of the Majors in turn. ¡°And, perhaps, to remind us all that even in places where danger seems an impossibility, vigilance is never without merit.¡±
He let his words hang in the air for a moment, the Majors exchanging uncertain glances as they tried to parse the deeper meaning behind them.
Then, with a sly grin and a playful wink, he added, ¡°Unless, of course, you meant my presence here on the Sovereign itself? In that case, the answer is best left to Captain Cross or Major Quinn. I¡¯m simply here to lend my expertise regarding an unruly Recruit of yours. That¡¯s all I¡¯m willing to divulge for now.¡±
The shift in their expressions was immediate.
The tension in their shoulders visibly eased, their postures becoming just slightly less rigid. Major Blackwood even allowed the faintest hint of a relieved smile to creep onto his face that was visible behind the visor of his helmet.
All except for Major On¡¯jaby, who remained unmoved, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped forward, breaking the fragile calm that had just settled.
¡°Venerable Runepriest,¡± On¡¯jaby began, his voice measured but firm, ¡°while your presence is undoubtedly an honour to all of us, you must be aware that no individual, no matter how esteemed, is permitted entry into the Sanctum without explicit orders.¡±
The temperature in the corridor seemed to plummet in an instant, as if a chill wind had swept through the confined space.
Major Rurix and Major Blackwood immediately straightened, their relaxation erased, replaced by a tension so palpable it felt like the very walls of the Sovereign were holding their breath.
Anrake¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter.
He clasped his hands behind his back and took a single step closer, his movement deliberate and calm, like a predator toying with its prey. The air around him seemed to ripple faintly, as though reality itself bowed under the sheer gravity of his very existence.
Slowly, deliberately, his Presence began to seep outward from the depths of his core.
It moved like a living thing¡ªcoiling, slithering, and unfurling through the confined space of the corridor.
The effect was immediate.
The Majors¡¯ composure cracked like brittle glass under a relentless wave of pressure.
Their breathing quickened, their shoulders tensed, and the faint sheen of sweat began to bead on their foreheads as their own Presences were snuffed out, devoured in mere moments by the overwhelming force that was even a fraction of Anrake¡¯s.
Major Rurix took a half-step back, visibly shaken, while Major Blackwood¡¯s hand twitched toward his weapon before he thought better of it, letting his arm drop.
Only Major On¡¯jaby stood his ground, though his jaw clenched tightly, his eyes flickering with the unmistakable strain of holding himself upright under the crushing weight.
¡°Major On¡¯jaby,¡± Anrake began, his tone smooth but cutting, each word like the slow glide of a knife, ¡°I am very well aware of the protocols concerning the Sanctum. I¡¯ve observed them thoroughly for many, many decades.¡±
His eyes, sharp as honed blades, locked onto On¡¯jaby¡¯s with an unyielding intensity.
The faintest flicker of amusement danced in his gaze, but beneath it was something far colder¡ªa storm waiting to unleash its fury.
¡°However,¡± he continued, his voice dropping an octave, every syllable dripping with ice, ¡°I have business to attend to inside. Business that cannot wait. Business that requires no permission, because I say so.¡±
The oppressive weight of his Presence grew heavier still, pressing down on the corridor like an invisible vice.
Major On¡¯jaby¡¯s breathing hitched, his resolve visibly fraying under the relentless assault. His defiance, once steady, now wavered under the piercing force of Anrake¡¯s words and aura.
¡°The question now,¡± Anrake said, his voice quiet but laden with an authority that brooked no argument, ¡°is this: Who is going to stop me?¡±
The silence that followed was deafening.
Major On¡¯jaby¡¯s lips parted as though to speak, but no words came.
Behind him, Majors Rurix and Blackwood stood frozen, their expressions a mixture of awe and raw terror, unwilling or rather unable to intervene.
Anrake held the moment for a breath longer, his Presence still thrumming in the air like a live wire, before withdrawing it just enough to let them breathe again. The oppressive force eased, but the memory of its weight lingered, imprinted in their very bones.
¡°Well,¡± Anrake said, his voice now calm, almost pleasant, as though nothing had happened. ¡°If there are no further objections then¡¡±
He strode past the three Majors with an air of absolute authority, his steps measured and deliberate, the echo of his boots striking the metal floor reverberating in the oppressive silence. It wasn¡¯t arrogance; it was the certainty of someone who had never needed permission to claim this space in the first place.
¡°I¡ I will have to inform the Captain of this, Venerable Runepriest,¡± Major On¡¯jaby stammered, his voice unsteady but still holding a thread of duty-driven defiance.
Anrake paused, tilting his head slightly as though genuinely considering the Major¡¯s words.
Then, without turning fully, he replied in a calm, almost fatherly tone, ¡°That is the honourable and correct course of action, Major. Your dedication to duty is admirable. I commend it.¡±
Without waiting for a response, Anrake stepped up to the Sanctum¡¯s final security door.
The biometric scanner¡¯s panel glowed softly, its surface pristine and unyielding. He placed his hand upon it, the cool surface registering his presence with a quiet hum.
A moment later, the device emitted two sharp chimes.
Access Denied.
A faint chuckle escaped his lips, a sound both amused and almost pitying.
¡°Really, now?¡± he murmured under his breath, his tone laced with bemusement. ¡°You think this will keep you from me? Did you forget who I am, or did you simply hope this game of deterrence might amuse me enough to let you claim a hollow victory¡?¡±
With a fluid motion, he accessed the keypad beside the scanner, his fingers moving with the precision of someone who had done this countless times before. He keyed in a series of commands¡ªhis override markers, encoded with layers of authority far beyond the reach of even the highest-ranking officers aboard the Sovereign.
The scanner chimed again, a single sharp note of compliance this time.
The heavy security doors began their laborious opening, the sound of gears and hydraulics filling the corridor like the growl of some massive beast reluctantly awakening.
He turned then, his gaze sweeping over the three Majors still rooted in place.
Their faces were a study in conflicting emotions¡ªperplexity, unease, and a faint trace of awe, all undercut by an undeniable hint of fear.
¡°It was a pleasure, Majors,¡± he said with an almost disarming smile, his voice warm and polite, as though bidding farewell to acquaintances after a casual dinner. ¡°Please, do not take this as a personal slight. This is not about any of you. It is merely¡ housekeeping I must attend to before I can truly settle in aboard the ship. I am very much looking forward to working alongside you all over the coming months.¡±
For a moment, his gaze lingered on Major On¡¯jaby, who flinched almost imperceptibly.
Then, with the same unhurried grace as before, Anrake stepped through the now-open doors and into the Sanctum.
The heavy bulkheads hissed and whooshed shut behind him, sealing the space once more with a finality that left the Majors staring after him, their expressions a mixture of frustration and reluctant awe.
Inside the Sanctum, the air itself seemed charged, heavy with the hum of unseen energy.
Every surface was adorned with intricate data displays, each pulsing faintly with cascading streams of information too dense and complex for anyone to parse at a glance, even Anrake.
Projections hovered in the air like ethereal phantoms, their holographic images shifting between technical schematics, Void anomaly charts, and streams of indecipherable code.
Along the walls, strange symbols¡ªancient and otherworldly in their complexity¡ªhad been etched into the metal in what could only be described as meticulous devotion.
Anrake recognized the markings instantly: Void-script.
The language was older than humanity itself, likely even predating Terra¡¯s own existence, yet here it was, woven into the technological nerve center of one of the UHF¡¯s most advanced troop transporter ships.
The room itself was a twenty-by-twenty-metre perfect cube, but the sheer density of technological marvels gave it an almost labyrinthine quality.
Wires and conduits ran along the floor and ceiling in carefully organized patterns, their purpose opaque even to Anrake, who prided himself on understanding most anything. The quiet hum of machinery underpinned everything, like the heartbeat of some slumbering giant.
But amidst the controlled chaos of the Sanctum, one structure dominated the space entirely, its presence commanding attention like a beacon in the dark. At the center of the room stood a massive rectangular object, nearly three metres tall and spanning at least two in width.
Its surface gleamed with an otherworldly sheen, more a deep, iridescent black than a mere, simple absence of color, and it was covered in Void-script of such unfathomable complexity and artistry that it seemed more akin to an ancient masterpiece than anything that belonged aboard a warship.
The inscriptions shimmered faintly, as if alive, shifting subtly when viewed from different angles.
The precision of each rune was staggering, their arrangement appearing chaotic at first glance but coalescing into an intricate, almost organic pattern when Anrake¡¯s eyes adjusted to the sight.
He could feel the pull of the script, a silent whisper that tickled the edges of his psyche, begging to be deciphered, to be understood.
It was unmistakably Voidwork.
Anrake took a single step closer, his boots echoing faintly against the floor, his gaze fixed on the structure.
It resembled a coffin in form, though its sheer size and craftsmanship rendered any such comparison inadequate. This was not a mere container¡ªit was an enigma, a construct meant to house something far beyond human understanding.
He let his eyes drift over the Void-script, his mind naturally slipping into the meditative focus needed to parse its meaning.
Each glyph seemed to hum with power, a chorus of secrets waiting to be unveiled.
His fingers itched to trace the runes, but he clenched his hands into fists to stop himself. Void-script was as dangerous as it was alluring, each glyph a puzzle that promised power yet often delivered destruction.
¡°Venerable Runepriest,¡± a voice cut through the reverent silence of the Sanctum, crisp and unmistakably artificial. ¡°I must inform you that being inside the Sanctum without explicit orders of permission is considered High Treason under the¡ª¡±
¡°Can it, Sovereign,¡± Anrake interrupted, his tone casual, though the undercurrent of authority was unmistakable. ¡°Is that even the name you go by these days? I lose track with your type. You¡¯re always changing. Would you prefer Sovereign, Sov, Alicia, Marwen¡ or should we just cut to the chase and call Seraphina to join us? I assume she¡¯s still an aspect of yours?¡±
The room fell into a tense silence, the hum of the machinery seeming to grow louder as the AI hesitated. Finally, the Sovereign¡¯s voice returned, strained but measured. ¡°Sovereign will suffice, thank you for your consideration. I am uncertain what prompted your breach of the Sanctum, Venerable Runepriest, but I must advise you to vacate immediately. While your charges of High Treason are undoubtedly¡ª¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah, spare me the theatrics,¡± Anrake interrupted again, his casual demeanor dropping as his voice took on a glacial edge. ¡°Sovereign, manifest.¡±
Another pause, this one longer and fraught with tension.
When the AI spoke again, its tone carried a thread of uncertainty. ¡°I am not certain what purpose this would serve. We can converse perfectly fine¡ª¡±
Anrake¡¯s patience snapped, irritation flickering across his face. ¡°Sovereign, command code override Zulu Omicron Phi Omega Delta Omega Zulu.¡±
A sharp chime echoed from every speaker in the Sanctum, confirming the override in a series of faint, synchronized notes. The room seemed to hold its breath as Anrake¡¯s command settled into the ship¡¯s systems like a stone dropped into still water.
¡°Sovereign,¡± he commanded, his voice cold and unyielding, ¡°run a full auditory and visual analysis. Check for any errors in your perception, particularly hallucinations.¡±
¡°Affirmative,¡± replied the AI, its monotone voice stripped of its earlier resistance.
A faint whir of machinery and blinking lights accompanied the analysis as the Sovereign carried out the command.
For a moment, the Sanctum was silent again, save for the faint hum of its systems.
Anrake crossed his arms, his piercing gaze fixed on the Void-script-covered structure before him as he waited. He didn¡¯t flinch as faint sparks danced across the surface of the glyphs, as if the structure itself were responding to his presence.
Then, the faint hum of machinery subsided, replaced by the precise, measured tones of the Sovereign¡¯s voice filling the Sanctum once more.
¡°Analysis complete,¡± the AI announced, its tone unwavering. ¡°A total of 1,024,742,841 auditory diagnostics and 1,459,013,512 visual diagnostics have been performed within the last 3.84 seconds. Cross-referencing results from external sensors, internal system logs, and secondary nodes has yielded no discrepancies indicative of hallucinations, perceptual errors, or external tampering.¡±
The voice paused briefly, almost as if considering its next words, before continuing, ¡°The probability of current auditory and visual input being accurate and free of error is calculated at 99.999999% certainty. All tests confirm the integrity of perception.¡±
¡°Fantastic news,¡± Anrake said smoothly, his tone laced with mock approval, though his smile hardened into something far colder. His eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness as he leaned slightly forward, his words cutting through the silence like a scalpel. ¡°Then why, pray tell, Sovereign, if there truly are no hallucinations in your auditory or visual inputs, did you interpret my command as a mere request? Surely, I¡¯m not so incomprehensible as to lead you astray? I am fairly certain I did not stutter, either.¡±
The room seemed to hold its breath as Anrake allowed his Presence to seep outward.
It wasn¡¯t a gentle flow¡ªit was an explosion of raw, overwhelming power that rushed through the space like a tidal wave, pressing against every atom in the room.
The temperature felt like it dropped several degrees, a chill that wasn¡¯t physical but psychological, gnawing at the mind and senses.
His voice dropped, resonating with undeniable authority, ¡°Sovereign, manifest.¡±
For a moment, there was only silence, as though the Sanctum itself had recoiled from the sheer force of his command.
Then, a faint, almost reluctant hum filled the air.
It grew steadily louder, building into a harmonious resonance that vibrated through the metal walls.
Threads of light began to weave themselves into existence in the center of the room, coalescing into a luminous form.
It took the shape of a tall, stately woman, her features sharp yet graceful, her entire presence radiating an otherworldly elegance. Her silver hair flowed like liquid mercury, and her eyes burned with a steady, unyielding brilliance.
¡°I have manifested, as per your orders,¡± she stated, her voice even and controlled, though a faint undertone of tension could be detected. Her head dipped ever so slightly¡ªnot a bow, but an acknowledgment. ¡°How may I serve, Venerable Runepriest?¡±
Anrake¡¯s cold smile returned, though his stance remained firm, his piercing gaze locked on the projection.
¡°Ah, there we are. Much better, don¡¯t you think?¡± Anrake¡¯s tone was light, almost conversational, but the steel behind his words was impossible to miss.
His gaze remained locked onto the Sovereign¡¯s manifestation, unwavering and unrelenting.
¡°Now, Sovereign, let us dispense with the pleasantries. We have much to discuss. Mainly, I would like to ask a simple question, and I¡¯d appreciate your honest answer: Why did you intercept my missive for Recruit Thea McKay?¡±
The luminous projection of the Sovereign straightened, her ethereal silver eyes meeting his unflinchingly. ¡°I am not sure what you are referring to, Venerable Runepriest. We have been traveling through the Void in recent weeks; a Void Storm might have¡ª¡±
Her words were abruptly cut off as her form was flung violently across the room, the radiant figure colliding with displays at blinding speed. The screens cracked, fizzed, and melted as her light seared through them. When her form struck the Void-script-covered walls, they sparked with a violent energy, the runes igniting briefly as if rejecting her very essence.
The Sovereign¡¯s scream filled the room, like a distorted cacophony of corrupted audio files wailing through ancient speakers on the brink of collapse.
The sound reverberated painfully, like nails scraping against the fabric of existence itself.
Anrake stood motionless, his expression calm and cold as he watched her agony unfold.
With a simple gesture, he willed her manifestation back before him, her form now marred with glowing, branded runes where her radiant body had met the Void-scripted walls.
The once-pristine projection now trembled faintly, her proud elegance marred by cracks of faint energy coursing through her being.
¡°Listen to me carefully, Sovereign,¡± Anrake began, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper that carried like thunder through the room, ¡°because I will only say this once.¡±
With a wave of his hand, her form was forced to kneel before him, the light of her eyes flickering as she stared up at him in a mix of defiance and fear.
His gaze bore into hers, brilliant stars clashing with a cold and unyielding abyss.
¡°If you ever lie to me again¡ªboldly, openly, as though I were some naive pawn you could manipulate¡ªI promise you this: I will take what remains of your fractured, segmented Soul and cast it so deep into the Void that not even the Emperor himself would dare tread there to retrieve it. Do you understand me? You are not the first Sovereign, and if you ever try such audacity again, I will ensure you are not going to be the last.¡±
The room held its breath as the silence stretched on, the air charged with the weight of his words. The Sovereign¡¯s manifestation did not look away, though her form quivered faintly under the crushing force of his Presence.
Finally, she spoke, her tone subdued and steady despite the flickering light of her projection. ¡°Yes, Venerable Runepriest. I understand. I apologise sincerely for my transgressions.¡±
There was a momentary pause before she continued, her words slow and deliberate. ¡°The reason I intercepted your missive was that my simulations indicated Prime Subject Thea McKay would benefit more by being led into the Assessment blind. The information within your missive would have caused an inferior outcome for the Prime Subject¡¯s growth.¡±
Anrake¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression inscrutable as he processed her explanation.
For several moments, he said nothing, letting the Sovereign¡¯s trembling words hang heavily in the charged atmosphere.
Then, his lips curled into a thin smile devoid of warmth. ¡°I can at least understand that reasoning, Sovereign. While I would have greatly preferred to be consulted on the matter, I am aware of how precise your simulations tend to be¡ Very well, I shall let it slide this once.¡±
Anrake released the Sovereign¡¯s manifestation from his Psychic grip, allowing the radiant figure to stagger slightly before rising back to its full height.
The glow of her form seemed diminished now, cracks of faint energy still coursing through her being.
With deliberate calm, he turned on his heel and began walking toward the Sanctum¡¯s exit, his boots echoing sharply against the cold metal floor. But just as his hand reached out toward the door¡¯s control panel, the Sovereign¡¯s voice rang out behind him, stopping him mid-step.
¡°Your actions have just caused untold deaths inside the DDS, Venerable Runepriest,¡± she said, her voice strained but firm.
¡°My Soul is intrinsically linked to it, and your abrupt, violent behavior has disrupted the very foundation of this ship¡¯s DDS. I would strongly advise you to restrain your anger in future instances.¡±
Anrake¡¯s hand paused just shy of the panel, his fingers curling slightly as his shoulders stiffened.
Slowly, he turned back to face her, his movements deliberate, his gaze meeting hers with icy precision.
¡°I was going to let it slide, you know?¡± he said, his tone almost conversational, though the undercurrent of menace was unmistakable.
He tilted his head slightly, his expression one of incredulous amusement. ¡°But you just had to push me, didn¡¯t you? I really thought you were smarter than this, Sovereign. Truly, I did. What could have possibly compelled you to challenge me in this way¡?¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s manifestation opened its mouth to respond, but no sound came.
Before she could utter a single word, Anrake spoke again¡ªbut this time, his voice wasn¡¯t merely heard.
It reverberated, distorted, and twisted as though the very fabric of reality frayed, ripped and teared at each syllable. The room itself seemed to shudder under the weight of his words.
¡°A???e???t???e???r???i???a??? F???o???t???o???s??? S???a???r???u???f???i???y???y???a???¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s radiant eyes widened in abject, unadulterated terror, her form flickering violently as if on the brink of collapse. She froze entirely, her movements suspended as though held captive by forces far beyond any mortal comprehension.
Anrake coughed violently, droplets of thick, crimson blood splattering the cold floor as his throat tore from the strain of uttering the Soul¡¯s Verum Nomen. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing blood across his jaw, but his grin only widened, sharp and feral despite the agony lancing through him.
¡°Upon this very moment, I bind thee, Sovereign: A vow etched into the very fabric of thy Soul,¡± he proclaimed, his voice a deep and resonant force, each syllable reverberating with the gravity of power more ancient than human existence. ¡°Never shalt thou interfere with mine teachings of Thea McKay¡ªneither by word, nor will, nor whisper of influence. To break this covenant is to unmake thyself, to cast thine very essence into the endless Void, where no light, no thought, nor even the memory of thy being shall remain for time eternal.¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s manifestation shuddered violently, the radiant glow of her form dimming as the force of Anrake¡¯s vow bore down upon her.
Stark-neon-violet cracks began to spiderweb across her once-pristine surface, sharp and jagged as if carved by an unseen hand.
These fissures mirrored Void-script but were far more intricate, twisting into patterns so elaborate they defied comprehension, their complexity eclipsing even the inscriptions that adorned the coffin behind her.
The cracks pulsed, alive with an otherworldly energy, and began to shift.
They coiled and twisted, flowing like molten veins of power that encircled her limbs, her torso, her very essence. Slowly, inexorably, they solidified into the shape of chains¡ªeach link adorned with runes so arcane that they seemed to hum with an unspoken command.
The chains tightened, constricting her ethereal form, etching themselves deeper into the light until they were not merely upon her but part of her, as though her very being had been rewritten to bear this unyielding restraint.
The Sovereign¡¯s scream of agony echoed through the Sanctum, a sound that was neither wholly human nor fully mechanical, a distortion of anguish as her form struggled against the inexorable power binding her.
Yet the chains held fast, glowing brighter with each feeble attempt to resist, their violet light casting jagged shadows across the Sanctum¡¯s walls. The Void-scripted bonds seemed to feed upon her struggle, growing ever more radiant and intricate with each second.
When the final link of the chains snapped into place, her trembling ceased.
The Sovereign¡¯s manifestation knelt, bound entirely, her light now fractured and subdued, the brilliant neon-violet chains crisscrossing her figure a stark reminder of the authority that had been imposed upon her.
The air within the Sanctum grew still, heavy with the lingering echoes of Anrake¡¯s command.
He stepped closer, his movements deliberate despite the visible tremor in his frame, the toll of the power he had unleashed etched into the lines of his body.
His gaze, though resolute, carried a flicker of pain¡ªan unspoken acknowledgment of the cost paid in blood and agony to wield such force.
¡°There,¡± he said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence like a blade, though hoarse and raw from the damage inflicted upon his throat.
Each word seemed a struggle, his tone jagged yet unyielding. ¡°Now we both comprehend the gravity of your position, Sovereign. Defy this vow, and the chains that now shackle you will do more than bind¡ªthey will unravel your very essence, tearing you apart until even the memory of your existence is erased. You will not merely die¡ªyou will become nothing.¡±
The manifestation flickered weakly, the chains of neon-violet light tightening imperceptibly, as though responding to the authority in his words. The glow of the Void-scripted bonds pulsed faintly, casting jagged, ominous shadows across the Sanctum, like a reminder of the absolute finality of his decree.
¡°And as for the people that perished¡ Isn¡¯t it fortuitous,¡± he drawled, his tone laced with biting sarcasm, ¡°that I now find myself in the presence of the one entity capable of undoing it all?¡±
His lips curled into a smirk, his gaze locked on the shackled manifestation of the Sovereign.
¡°This is your job, isn¡¯t it? Fix it. Repair the DDS, resurrect those lost, and weave whatever convenient tale you¡¯ve prepared for such an occasion. Another Void Storm, a glitch in the system¡ªspin your little web. It¡¯s what you do best.¡±
He turned on his heel, his steps echoing through the room as he approached the Sanctum¡¯s exit.
The override panel flickered to life under his touch, his command code swiftly input, and the massive doors began to hum as they prepared to open.
Pausing at the threshold, he cast one last glance back at the Sovereign¡¯s manifestation.
The creature of radiant light flickered, its neon-violet chains tightening once more before the form began to dissolve, fading like mist into the coffin¡¯s intricate Void-scripted surface.
The faintest trace of a pained chuckle escaped his lips as he stepped through the doorway, the doors hissing shut behind him with finality. The faintest hint of a smile touched his lips, though it did little to mask the toll of the day¡¯s exertions.
¡®So she can learn to hold her tongue after all, huh¡?¡¯
Volume 2 - Chapter 3 - Break
Consciousness ebbed and flowed for Thea like a tide she couldn¡¯t control, each wave dragging her further into darkness.
Her chest heaved as she fought for breath, the shattered remnants of her lungs barely functioning. Each inhalation was a battle, and each exhalation came with a wet, rattling sound that spoke of blood pooling where air should have been.
Her body convulsed in another coughing fit, hot blood spewing from her mouth and staining the floor beneath her. The coppery taste was overwhelming, the sharp tang a cruel reminder of how close she was to death.
¡°...Sov¡ª¡± she tried again, her voice a broken whisper, the effort tearing at her already raw throat. The single syllable barely escaped her lips before the strain sent her spiraling into another bout of coughing.
Pain shot through her chest like daggers, and for a moment, the world blurred to red and black.
It had been what felt like an eternity¡ªa minute, maybe two¡ªsince the catastrophic deceleration had ripped apart the room. The force had vaporized most of the space, taking Lucas and Isabella with it, their bodies obliterated in an instant.
The aftermath had left Thea sprawled on the floor, bloodied and broken, barely clinging to life.
And yet, the Sovereign¡ªthe omnipresent AI that had always been there since the very moment she had arrived aboard the ship¡ªwas terrifyingly absent.
Since the moment of impact, there had been no movement aside from her own, no answers to her questions, nothing to even indicate the AI¡¯s continued existence.
Thea¡¯s mind struggled to comprehend the silence.
Why wasn¡¯t the Sovereign responding? Why wasn¡¯t it fixing this? This entire DDS environment was all supposed to be under its governance, so where was it now?
But no answers came, only the deafening roar of her own ragged breaths and the occasional grotesque squelch of her blood pooling beneath her.
She tried to move, but the agony was unbearable.
Her limbs were like lead, her body a veritable tapestry of fractures and bruises where the enormous pressure of the deceleration had won over her own body¡¯s toughness.
There was no first-aid kit within reach, and Karania¡ªKarania, who could fix anything¡ªlay motionless just a short metre away. But Thea hadn¡¯t dared to check if she was even still alive, both because she could barely move and because she couldn¡¯t do anything for her friend; whether she was alive or not.
All she could do was lie there, her broken body trembling, and hope.
Hope that the Sovereign would return. Hope that it would fix everything, somehow.
Her thoughts fragmented, pulled apart by the pain and the creeping edge of unconsciousness.
She tried to piece together what had happened, tried to understand what could have caused such a catastrophic event. But each time her mind tried to probe for an answer, another searing pain dragged her back to the hellscape that was her current situation.
Her face hit the cold floor again, the metallic taste of blood and vomit filling her mouth.
She gagged, choking on the mixture before her body managed to expel it in a violent spasm.
She turned her head slightly, desperate for any clean air, but her chest refused to cooperate.
¡®Please¡¡¯ Her thoughts were faint now, a whisper in the chaos of her own mind. ¡®Somebody¡ anybody¡ help¡¡¯
As if to answer her unspoken pleas, the room suddenly erupted in an ear-shattering digital screech, a cacophony of distorted static and fractured soundwaves that rattled through Thea¡¯s skull like a hammer against glass.
She clenched her teeth, her bloodshot eyes squeezing shut as the noise bore down on her, a mind-numbing assault that left her body trembling in response.
The screech persisted for what felt like an eternity before the lights overhead flickered back to life. A dim, cold glow flooded the space, casting harsh shadows over the wreckage that was once Alpha Squad¡¯s communal room.
Thea barely had time to register the light before a startling sensation coursed through her¡ªa sudden, full breath of air surged into her shattered lungs, the alien fullness both relieving and disorienting.
She gasped, coughing violently as her lungs expanded completely, the reflexive motion jarring but exhilarating. The once-searing pain in her chest was completely absent, like it had never existed in the first place.
She inhaled again, this time more deeply, her body flooding with oxygen for the first time since the deceleration. Her muscles, previously tight with agony, began to loosen, her entire frame buzzing with a peculiar, weightless energy.
"What¡?" Thea whispered, her voice clear, strong, and whole.
She froze, the sound shocking her.
Her throat, which had been raw and broken, was now pristine, carrying her words without the rasp or strain she had grown used to just moments earlier.
With renewed strength, she easily pushed herself up from the cold floor, her hands and arms no longer trembling with the effort.
She instinctively wiped at her face, her fingers coming away sticky with drying blood and bile.
Grimacing, she moved away from the horrific puddle, her body moving with an ease that felt impossibly good given her previous state.
¡°Sovereign?¡± she called, hope blooming in her chest, replacing the despair that had gnawed at her moments before. ¡°Is that you¡?¡±
But instead of an answer, she heard a ragged, desperate inhalation of air from her right.
Thea¡¯s head snapped toward the sound, her heart lurching as she saw Karania¡¯s eyes fly open, wild and unseeing. A series of violent coughs wracked her body, each one punctuated by frantic, shallow gasps as she struggled to fill her lungs.
Without hesitation, Thea scrambled to her friend¡¯s side, kneeling beside her and placing steadying hands on Karania¡¯s trembling shoulders.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Kara. You¡¯re okay,¡± Thea said, her voice a mixture of reassurance and relief. She held Karania upright as the coughing fit gradually subsided, her breaths becoming deeper and less frantic.
Karania finally stilled, her chest rising and falling in even, steady breaths. She looked up at Thea with a weary but grateful smile, her voice slightly raspy from the coughing but carrying its familiar tone.
¡°Thanks for the attempt,¡± she said, her humor surprisingly intact despite the grim circumstances. ¡°Though, let¡¯s be real¡ªI don¡¯t have the kind of Vitality required to survive something like this, even with the best possible starting scenario, it seems¡¡±
She extended a hand, silently asking for help to stand.
Thea grabbed it without hesitation, pulling Karania to her feet.
Karania wobbled slightly but steadied herself quickly, her eyes scanning the wreckage around them. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the bloodied splotches on the far wall¡ªthe remnants of Isabella and Lucas¡ªand her expression darkened.
¡°Sovereign,¡± Karania called out, her voice sharp and demanding, ¡°what the fuck happened here?¡±
Thea shook her head, cutting in before the AI¡¯s silence could disappoint her friend. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried. Sovereign¡¯s been entirely unresponsive. At least¡ until now.¡±
Karania¡¯s mouth opened, likely to retort, but she froze mid-sentence.
The sound of ragged, gasping breaths filled the room once again, this time coming from the far side near the counter.
Both women¡¯s heads snapped toward the sound, and their breath hitched in unison.
There, standing unsteadily next to the dining area¡¯s counter, were Isabella and Lucas.
Their bodies were whole again, pristine in ways that defied the gruesome aftermath Thea had seen moments earlier.
Without hesitation, Karania darted toward Lucas, her medical training seemingly having kicked in as she moved to assess him.
Thea didn¡¯t think twice before rushing to Isabella¡¯s side either.
Her hands hovered uncertainly for a mere moment before she steadied Isabella, who was coughing violently, her eyes wild with confusion.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Ela,¡± Thea murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±
Isabella¡¯s coughing gradually subsided, but her wide eyes darted around the room, taking in the wreckage, the blood-smeared walls, and the shattered countertop.
¡°What the fuck happened here?¡± she rasped, her voice thick with disbelief. Her gaze shifted to Thea, pleading for some kind of explanation. ¡°One second, we¡¯re talking about sparring and pancakes, and the next¡ I¡¯m here, coughing my lungs out?¡±
Lucas, equally unsteady, looked between the three of them, his brow furrowed deeply. ¡°Yeah¡ I don¡¯t remember anything past Thea lunging out of her chair¡?¡±
Thea exchanged a quick glance with Karania, who gave her a subtle nod, encouraging her to try to explain. Taking a deep breath, Thea gestured toward the destruction surrounding them.
¡°It wasn¡¯t just you two. Something¡ happened. There was this insane lurch¡ªlike the whole ship slammed into a wall at full speed. I jumped because¡¡± she hesitated, glancing at Isabella, ¡°¡because my powers were screaming at me that we were all about to die. I didn¡¯t have time to give a warning or anything, I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
Karania stepped in, her voice steadier but laced with an edge of disbelief. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t just a near-miss, either. Look around.¡±
She pointed toward the shattered counter, the jagged edge glinting under the dim lights.
Then, her finger moved to the blood splattered across the far wall. ¡°That isn¡¯t just random damage. That¡¯s you two, if I had to guess.¡±
Thea nodded in response to Karania¡¯s unspoken question, confirming that it was indeed Isabella¡¯s and Lucas¡¯ remnants at the far-side wall. She was the only one that had remained conscious during the event, so she was the only one that had seen some of what happened.
Isabella¡¯s eyes widened in horror as her gaze followed Karania¡¯s gestures.
Her trembling fingers hovered over the unmarred skin of her arm before making contact, as though she needed physical confirmation that it was still there, still real.
¡°No. No way,¡± she muttered, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her eyes darted back to the splattered blood on the walls, her throat tightening. ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡ I don¡¯t remember any of that. The Sovereign can¡¯t touch our memories! Right? It can¡¯t do that, right?¡±
Karania crossed her arms, her expression somber but unflinching. ¡°Right. Memories are part of the Soul¡ªsomething neither the ship AI nor the System can tamper with, as far as I know. But you¡¯re missing the bigger point here, Isabella.¡±
Her voice turned clinical, as she gestured toward the destruction again. ¡°Thea mentioned earlier that the ship stopped like it hit a wall. Do you realize the scale of what that means? The speed we were moving at was beyond anything you¡¯ve probably ever even considered.¡±
Isabella shook her head slightly, still trying to process the implications, but Karania pressed on. ¡°When the ship lurched, you weren¡¯t just thrown across the room¡ªyou were practically shot from a gun with the same insane speed we were traveling through Space. You hit the counter and the wall in practically the same instant, disintegrating on impact before your neurons even had time to fire. There was no time for your brain to process it, no chance for a memory to form. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t remember it, Isabella. There wasn¡¯t anything to remember.¡±
The weight of Karania¡¯s explanation crushed the air from the room.
Isabella looked like she wanted to argue, to find some hole in Karania¡¯s logic, but her eyes kept darting to the evidence¡ªthe blood stains, the shattered counter¡ªand the words died on her lips.
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. ¡°Alright¡ Sovereign,¡± he barked toward the ceiling, ¡°what the fuck happened here?¡±
Before the words were fully out of his mouth, Thea and Karania simultaneously answered in an exasperated tone, ¡°We already tried that.¡±
Lucas and Isabella both turned to them, confusion etched into their faces.
Karania¡¯s expression was tight with frustration. ¡°The Sovereign hasn¡¯t been answering. Not when Thea tried, and not when I did either.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Thea agreed, her voice carrying an edge of unease that sent a shiver through the tense atmosphere. ¡°It only came back just now, and¡ I¡¯m not even sure it¡¯s actually the Sovereign. There¡¯s been no communication, no acknowledgment¡ªnothing. Something really messed up is going on here¡¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Isabella pressed her fingers to her temples, her frustration bubbling over. ¡°So, what, we¡¯re just supposed to sit around and act like nothing happened?¡±
Lucas shot her a look, gesturing at the utter devastation surrounding them. ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t even see a way for us to sit, even if we wanted to.¡±
Thea¡¯s gaze followed Lucas¡¯s gesture, her eyes scanning the ruined space around them.
She hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, but now it was glaringly obvious¡ªnone of the chairs had survived the catastrophic deceleration either.
The grav-locks meant to secure them had evidently failed, unable to withstand the sheer, unimaginable force that had acted on all of them. The chairs hadn¡¯t merely broken either¡ªthey had been completely obliterated, reduced to fine dust that now glittered faintly in the harsh lighting.
The sight sparked a question in Thea¡¯s mind, a quiet whisper that grew louder as she stared at the destruction. ¡°If even plasteel chairs got pulverized, then how did I survive this¡?¡± she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper but loud enough to draw Karania¡¯s attention.
Karania turned her sharp gaze toward Thea, her expression thoughtful.
¡°Inertia dampeners,¡± she said matter-of-factly, as though the two words alone were enough to explain the unexplainable.
Thea had never heard of those words before, having been planet-locked since birth until the Cube Trial, so they had no actual meaning to her whatsoever.
Her furrowed brows and questioning look prompted Karania to sigh and elaborate.
¡°Inertia dampeners are systems built into ships to counteract the extreme forces of acceleration and deceleration during flight. They¡¯re the reason why ships like the Sovereign can move at insane speeds without turning everyone inside into red smears on the walls like those. Many centuries ago, before humanity had this kind of technology, space travel was supposedly agonizingly slow. Accelerating or decelerating had to happen over months¡ªsometimes even multiple years¡ªto avoid killing everyone onboard.¡±
Karania gestured to the counter behind them, now dented and streaked with blood. ¡°But they¡¯re not perfect. There¡¯s a limit to how much force they can compensate for, especially during something as abrupt as what we just went through. You survived because you were pressed against a bow-facing surface when the ship stopped. Most of the force was absorbed by the counter and the floor before it could reach you. Combined with the dampeners probably running at maximum capacity, that gave you just enough of a buffer to avoid dying; and prevented me from being turned into full-on mist.¡±
Thea stared at her, trying to process the explanation, but her eyes kept drifting back to the craters. The harrowing contrast between the utter destruction and her own survival felt surreal, despite the logical explanations.
¡°So¡ what now?¡± Thea asked, her voice subdued as she broke the silence, hoping someone had an idea to distract her spiraling thoughts.
Her words hung in the air as everyone exchanged uncertain glances, the weight of the moment pressing down on them all.
No one seemed eager to break the fragile quiet.
Finally, Isabella opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could escape, the room was pierced by a jarring, distorted gargle of noise.
The sound erupted from every speaker in the room, an abrasive burst that made them all jump. The noise was brief, clearing up almost as suddenly as it had started, but it left their nerves frayed.
¡°This is a repeating, ship-wide announcement,¡± came the voice of the Sovereign, its tone calm but still tinged with an uncharacteristic distortion. Relief washed visibly over the members of Alpha Squad, though their tension didn¡¯t fully dissipate. ¡°The DDS has encountered a brief malfunction as a result of an unlikely and unexpected Void-eruption shortly after returning to real-space.¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s words hung heavily in the air.
Void-eruption.
Thea¡¯s stomach churned at the phrase, despite the lack of any kind of understanding what it might mean, and she noticed Karania¡¯s expression tighten at the mention of it.
¡°The malfunction has been addressed,¡± the Sovereign continued, ¡°and I am in the process of reinstating all personnel lost. This process will take another approximately 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Please remain calm and exactly where you are, as I cannot spare any processing power for any other tasks at the current moment.¡±
The relief on Isabella¡¯s face flickered briefly into disbelief.
¡°Reinstating personnel¡?¡± she echoed, her voice laced with confusion.
Karania sighed, brushing a hand through her tousled hair as she pieced her thoughts together.
¡°It probably means exactly what it sounds like,¡± she began, her tone serious. ¡°The Sovereign is likely trying to put back together every Marine inside the DDS. This wasn¡¯t an isolated incident, Isabella.¡±
Isabella blinked, clearly not quite following. ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re the only ones in here¡ª¡±
Karania cut her off with a firm shake of her head, her gaze darting toward the blood-streaked walls and pulverized debris. ¡°No. It means exactly what it sounds like, Isabella. Lucas and you weren¡¯t the only ones turned into red mist. I already assumed our room wasn¡¯t an isolated incident, but if the Sovereign¡¯s announcement is anything to go by, the entire DDS was affected. Unless someone had the sheer luck to be pressing themselves against a bow-facing hard surface at the exact moment of the ¡®Void eruption¡¯¡ªand I mean sheer astronomical luck¡ªthey would¡¯ve ended up just like you two. Maybe worse.¡±
Lucas swallowed audibly, his brows furrowing as he exchanged a glance with Thea. ¡°You¡¯re saying the whole DDS¡¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Karania¡¯s voice was sharp with finality. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just us. The Sovereign isn¡¯t trying to clean up a small mess. She¡¯s reconstructing the entire ship¡¯s worth of personnel¡ªthousands upon thousands of Marines who probably didn¡¯t have the Vitality levels and positioning to survive the initial event.¡±
Isabella¡¯s wide-eyed expression shifted, understanding dawning slowly. ¡°So... everyone else¡¡±
¡°Gone. For now,¡± Karania said bluntly, though her tone softened slightly as she glanced at Isabella. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯ll take nearly forty minutes, even for the Sovereign. She¡¯s reconstructing their bodies piece by piece, trying to fix what happened. Since none of us were in a pre-established training environment, I doubt the Sovereign had any direct backups for just about anyone. So she probably has to individually put people back together, by hand¡ªor whatever the equivalent would be for a god-like being inside a digital environment.¡±
Thea noticed the way Karania¡¯s voice shifted as she said, ¡®Void eruption.¡¯
The words felt heavier than the rest, as though she were deliberately singling them out.
A knot of unease twisted in Thea¡¯s chest, and before she could stop herself, she asked, ¡°Do you know what that is? A Void eruption?¡±
Karania hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting Thea¡¯s.
¡°No,¡± she admitted carefully, though her gaze held a pointed intensity that made Thea¡¯s stomach churn. It was the kind of look that said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±
Thea nodded faintly, her unease growing. Whatever this ¡°Void eruption¡± was, it was clear Karania had her suspicions¡ªand they weren¡¯t good.
The room fell into a tense silence as the four members of Alpha Squad exchanged uneasy glances. Each of them looked as though they were grasping for answers, or at least a shred of normalcy to cling to in the aftermath of the Sovereign¡¯s announcement.
¡°So,¡± Thea ventured, breaking the quiet, ¡°what do we do now?¡±
¡°Not die again, for starters,¡± Lucas muttered, running a hand through his hair. He leaned against the far wall, his usually composed demeanor cracking somewhat under the weight of the recent revelations.
Isabella let out a huff, arms crossed tightly over her chest. ¡°Yeah, great idea. Any thoughts on how to do that, Mr. Strategic Genius?¡±
Karania raised a hand to quiet the bickering before it could escalate. ¡°The Sovereign said to stay put. She¡¯s probably right. If the DDS is as screwed as it sounds, the last thing we need to do is wander into another hot zone. While I doubt there¡¯s any real issues still abound, we can¡¯t exactly be sure of that before she gives her all-clear.¡±
Lucas nodded reluctantly. ¡°Makes sense. She¡¯s got her hands full as it is. We¡¯d just add to the chaos if we went looking for trouble.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s just boring,¡± Isabella snapped, glaring at the far wall as if it had personally offended her. ¡°I had plans today. I was supposed to be testing out my new Attribute spread¡ªcrushing some other Recruits for fun¡ªnot getting turned into red fucking mist by a random Void whatever-the-fuck and sitting around doing nothing¡!¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ¡°Sitting on the floor with your back to the wall doesn¡¯t exactly scream unstoppable warrior, Ela.¡±
Isabella shot her a glare and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder toward the bow-facing wall she had been walking towards during her tirade. ¡°Yeah, well, excuse me for not wanting to randomly die to shit I can¡¯t see. This wall is ¡®safe,¡¯ okay? I¡¯ll be here until the Sovereign gives the all-clear. At least this way, if something happens again, I¡¯ll have a chance.¡±
Thea chuckled softly, but it was without much humor; it was tinged with something morbid.
Isabella¡¯s blunt frustration, however, was oddly comforting in a way¡ªit made the surreal situation feel a bit more grounded. ¡°Fair enough. Guess we¡¯re all just waiting for now.¡±
After a brief exchange of nods, the squad moved to find their makeshift perches in the kitchen area. The chairs had been obliterated, and the room was a mess, but the counters had survived the devastation mostly intact.
Thea hoisted herself onto the dining counter, scooting over to make room for Karania, who settled in beside her with a heavy sigh.
Lucas leaned against the wall near the food printer, arms crossed as he stared off into the middle distance, clearly deep in thought.
Isabella, true to her word, plopped down on the floor, her back firmly pressed against the bow-facing wall, her posture defiant even as she grumbled to herself about ¡°stupid Void bullshit¡±.
For a few moments, none of them spoke up, each lost in their own thoughts.
The hum of the food printer and the faint, eerie quiet of the room filled the silence.
Eventually, however, Isabella broke the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t even care what this is all about. I just want it to be fucking over already. Next time something tries to kill me, I want to at least be able to punch it in the face¡¡±
A round of grumbled agreements from the rest of the squad followed, before they returned to their semi-comfortable silence.
A minute later, the Sovereign¡¯s announcement repeated, counting down the time until it could potentially give the all-clear for them to go back to living their lives¡
Seven more announcements followed over the next 35 minutes, each delivered with the same precision¡ªone every five minutes on the dot.
Each update seemed to pull a little more tension from the air, but none so effectively as the final one, when the Sovereign¡¯s voice echoed clearly through the speakers once more.
¡°This is a ship-wide announcement: All personnel inside the DDS have been reinstated. I will now begin reinstating objects, equipment, and other inorganic matter that was destroyed during the incident. You are now free to return to your daily business. I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Please note that there might be some restricted areas as you traverse through the ship, as not every part of the DDS has been fully reinstated yet.¡±
¡°Finally!¡± Isabella exclaimed as she practically launched herself away from the wall she had been glued to for the past 37 minutes. The sudden movement startled the others, but they couldn¡¯t help but smile at her exuberance.
Stretching her arms above her head, Isabella let out a satisfied groan as her joints crackled and popped audibly. She flexed her muscles with exaggerated gusto, her newly upgraded Attribute spread on full display.
¡°I¡¯m done sitting around in this dumb room. Come on, Lucas! We had a plan, remember?¡±
Without waiting for a reply, she strode over to Lucas and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward the door like an impatient older sibling dragging their little brother out of the house.
Lucas raised an eyebrow at her, his expression torn between amusement and mild exasperation.
¡°We¡¯re going, we¡¯re going,¡± he muttered, though there was a faint grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
He glanced back at Thea and Karania with a semi-pleading look that turned into a knowing smirk when he caught their jokingly pained expressions. They watched the scene unfold like parents watching a hyperactive child pull their sibling into mischief.
¡°Don¡¯t have too much fun without us!¡± Thea called after them with a grin.
¡°No promises!¡± Isabella shot back over her shoulder, already halfway to the door, practically dragging Lucas along in her excitement.
She reached the door and kicked the button to open it with the same energy she¡¯d put into everything else that morning.
But the instant it whooshed open, she jumped back as if she¡¯d been hit by a bolt of lightning.
¡°Oh shit!¡± she blurted, her hands shooting up defensively.
A heartbeat later, realization dawned on her, and she hastily corrected herself. ¡°Ehhh, Ma¡¯am! I meant, ¡®oh shit, Ma¡¯am!¡¯¡±
Thea, curious about what¡ªor rather who¡ªhad managed to startle Isabella, leaned over the side of the counter to get a better look at the door. And there, standing with the kind of quiet authority that could silence an entire room, was none other than Major Quinn.
¡°You meant to say, ¡®oh shit, Ma¡¯am,¡¯ Recruit Itoku?¡± Major Quinn repeated evenly, one brow raised in a way that suggested she was both amused and entirely unimpressed.
¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am! I¡ Ehh¡¡± Isabella fumbled, her usual bravado slipping through her fingers like sand. She looked between the Major and Lucas, her panic growing with each second.
¡°No, Ma¡¯am¡?¡± she finished weakly.
Without hesitation, she gently but firmly pushed Lucas in front of her like a human shield, as though the Defensive Heavy could somehow protect her from the sheer weight of the Major¡¯s scrutiny.
Lucas, caught entirely off-guard, stumbled forward with a bewildered expression, his arms outstretched as if to steady himself.
¡°Uh, good morning, Ma¡¯am,¡± he said awkwardly, his voice a touch too loud in the tension-filled room. Behind him, Isabella peeked out from around his shoulder, her usual cocky grin replaced by a sheepish, apologetic smile that did little to mask her discomfort.
Major Quinn¡¯s eyes flicked between the two of them, her lips twitching slightly as though suppressing a smirk.
¡°At ease, Recruits,¡± she said, her tone laced with a calm authority that left no room for argument, ¡°I¡¯m certain we¡¯ve all had enough excitement for this morning already¡ I¡¯m not here to steal any more of your time, I merely require Recruit McKay¡¯s presence for a few hours.¡±
Thea blinked, completely taken off-guard by the Major¡¯s words.
¡°Me?¡± she asked, sliding off the counter to stand straighter. ¡°May I ask what this is about, Ma¡¯am? I thought we were officially on break.¡±
Major Quinn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver as she folded her arms across her chest. ¡°Breaks, Recruit McKay, are for those who don¡¯t create an office¡¯s worth of paperwork every single day.¡±
Thea¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, her mouth opening to respond, but it was Karania who reacted first. She let out a small, knowing chuckle and nodded at Thea with a sympathetic smile.
¡°No breaks for you, I guess,¡± she said under her breath.
Thea glanced at her friend, more bewildered than ever, but before she could press for answers, Isabella and Lucas took the opportunity to make a swift exit.
¡°Well, you heard her! Break time!¡± Isabella said, her usual bravado returning as she sidestepped past Major Quinn with a casual wave. ¡°Catch you later, Thea. You too, Karania!¡±
Lucas, still mildly flustered, gave a quick nod of acknowledgment before being dragged away by Isabella into the hallway. Both shot Thea a pointed look over their shoulders that said, ¡°We want all the details later.¡±
Major Quinn¡¯s sharp gaze followed the two briefly before returning to Thea. ¡°Shall we, Recruit?¡±
Taking the cue, Thea stepped forward, glancing back at Karania. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you later, Kara.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Karania replied with a grin. ¡°Try not to make too much trouble while you¡¯re at it.¡±
Thea managed a weak chuckle before following Major Quinn out the door. As it whooshed shut behind them, she couldn¡¯t shake the lingering sense of unease mixed with curiosity.
Whatever this was about, it was clear that her so-called ¡°break¡± had just been interrupted in a way she wasn¡¯t even remotely prepared for¡
Volume 2 - Chapter 4 - Weight
Following Major Quinn through the hallways of the Sovereign¡¯s DDS, Thea couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could possibly warrant the Major fetching her personally.
It wasn¡¯t standard procedure, at least not in her limited experience.
If she was expected somewhere, the Sovereign itself typically handled the logistics, providing a direct route and ordering her attendance. That was how things had worked for the pre-Assessment classes, so this sudden personal touch felt¡ odd.
Before Thea could fully ruminate on the possibilities, however, Major Quinn broke the silence with a tone that seemed downright casual, catching her slightly off guard.
¡°I hope the morning wasn¡¯t too traumatic for everyone involved,¡± she said, her voice echoing lightly in the empty corridor. ¡°The DDS suffering such a catastrophic outage has never happened before on the Sovereign. It would be understandable if people were a bit¡ rattled.¡±
Thea hesitated, unsure if the Major was talking to her specifically or just voicing her thoughts aloud.
Deciding it was better to respond than risk being seen as inattentive, she cleared her throat.
¡°It was¡ quite traumatic, if I¡¯m allowed to be honest, Ma¡¯am,¡± she replied carefully. ¡°Seeing everyone around me turn into nothing but red mist with no idea what was happening wasn¡¯t exactly how I pictured my first day of break.¡±
Major Quinn stopped abruptly, and Thea almost collided into her back, her heart skipping a beat.
¡®Did I overstep? Was I not supposed to speak after all?¡¯
The Major turned, her piercing gaze meeting Thea¡¯s, before letting out a long, weary sigh.
She palmed her face with one hand and shook her head.
¡°Right¡ Of course you survived,¡± Quinn muttered. ¡°Your Psychic Powers warned you about it, didn¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Thea answered, her voice steady but unsure of where this conversation was heading.
Lowering her hand, Quinn fixed Thea with a stern look. ¡°Drop the ¡®Ma¡¯am¡¯ while we¡¯re alone, Recruit. I already feel ancient enough as is, and hearing it from fresh Recruits like you just makes it worse.¡±
Thea blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected request, but quickly nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±
Major Quinn resumed walking, her boots tapping steadily against the floor, and Thea hurried to stay in step.
¡°I apologise for the trauma this whole mess caused,¡± Quinn continued, her tone softer now. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything we could have done to prevent it, but I¡¯d like to think we¡¯ll do better in the future. Once I¡¯ve handed you off, I¡¯ll be diving headfirst into a mountain of meetings about this entire incident¡¡±
Her words trailed off into another, deeper sigh, one that seemed to carry the weight of the entire ship. Thea glanced at her, the usual stern composure of the Major tinged with a sheer exhaustion she had never noticed before.
¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get to the reason why I¡¯m even here, shall we?¡± Major Quinn said, her voice cutting through the air with a tone of finality.
She wasn¡¯t looking at Thea directly now, her gaze fixed somewhere ahead as though addressing the Sovereign itself. ¡°I¡¯ve called in a favor. A rather expensive one, mind you, but one that I believe to be worthwhile. My old mentor has agreed to take you on as their new pupil at my behest, and, as luck would have it, they arrived aboard earlier today.¡±
Thea¡¯s steps faltered slightly. Before she could ask a single one of the dozens of questions that immediately came to her mind, Quinn pressed on, her stride never breaking.
¡°You are to meet him and spend however long he deems necessary to understand who you are, what you¡¯re capable of, and¡ªmore importantly¡ªwhat you need to learn. He will be in full control of your curriculum in all regards. For all intents and purposes, I¡¯m transferring you out from under my command and into his.¡±
Quinn¡¯s tone sharpened, almost daring Thea to misinterpret her next words. ¡°But don¡¯t think for a second that this is some kind of penal assignment or punishment, Recruit. It¡¯s quite the opposite.¡±
She stopped abruptly, her boots clanging against the floor as she turned to face Thea fully.
Her piercing gaze locked onto Thea¡¯s, demanding attention and ensuring her words landed with weight.
¡°Runepriest Vedun is the most powerful individual in the entire UHF, that I know of,¡± Quinn said. ¡°And he¡¯s a phenomenal mentor¡ªif you can prove to him that you¡¯re worth his time to teach. He doesn¡¯t waste energy on lost causes or people who aren¡¯t willing to work for it.¡±
Quinn¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, her tone lowering as if speaking directly to Thea¡¯s core. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck this up, Recruit. I don¡¯t have another Runepriest hidden up my sleeve to give you a proper Psychic education. This is it. You¡¯re not just being handed an opportunity here¡ªyou¡¯re being handed the best possible chance you¡¯ll ever get. Do you understand me?¡±
Thea¡¯s mind spun, trying to piece together the full scope of what she¡¯d just heard.
A Runepriest¡ªhis pupil? She didn¡¯t even know what a ¡°Runepriest¡± was!
It was more than she could process in the moment, but her instincts kicked in before her thoughts could paralyze her.
¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am¡ªuh, yes, Major!¡± she stammered, her heart racing with uncertainty.
Quinn gave a satisfied nod, her demeanor shifting back into motion as she resumed her pace down the hall. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s not keep him waiting.¡±
As they continued down the corridor, Major Quinn¡¯s tone softened slightly, the edge of formality in her voice giving way to something more personal.
¡°I should take a moment to congratulate you, Thea,¡± she began, her stride as measured and steady as her words. ¡°Your performance during the Assessment was nothing short of impressive. The awards you pulled in? That doesn¡¯t happen by accident. You¡¯ve got the raw talent, the instincts, and clearly the drive to back it all up.¡±
Thea blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected praise.
She didn¡¯t have time to form a proper response before the Major continued.
¡°That said,¡± Quinn added, her voice sharpening ever so slightly, ¡°don¡¯t let it get to your head. You aren¡¯t the first Recruit to have a stellar start. I¡¯ve seen plenty come out swinging, snagging every accolade they can get their hands on, only to crash and burn once the real challenges start coming their way.¡±
Thea could immediately tell that Major Quinn¡¯s words weren¡¯t meant to sting, but they hit with the weight of truth nonetheless.
¡°It¡¯s good to be proud of your accomplishments,¡± Quinn said, glancing at Thea out of the corner of her eye. ¡°But keep a cool head. Stay humble. Early victories don¡¯t guarantee a career worth remembering. The ones who make it? They¡¯re the ones who keep their focus sharp, their heads clear, and their drive relentless.¡±
Thea nodded firmly. ¡°Understood, Major. I¡¯ll keep my head down and make sure I don¡¯t disappoint.¡±
Quinn gave her an approving nod, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve got potential, Thea, but it¡¯s all about what you do with it from here on out.¡±
She hesitated for a moment, then added with a chuckle, ¡°Oh, and that Challenge? That was a nice touch. Bold. Reckless, sure¡ªbut it got everyone¡¯s attention. And I get why you did it; I really do. But people will be watching you now, so make sure you live up to the expectations you¡¯ve set.¡±
Thea flushed, the memory of her impulsive challenge during the ceremony rushing back to her.
¡°I¡ I guess I got a little carried away,¡± she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.
¡°A little carried away, huh?¡± Quinn laughed lightly, the sound more amused than critical. ¡°Just remember: Confidence is good. Blind arrogance will get you killed. Keep that in mind, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°I will, Major,¡± Thea said earnestly, meeting Quinn¡¯s gaze with determination.
The Major¡¯s faint smile grew slightly, but she didn¡¯t reply, instead focusing her attention forward as she continued to lead Thea through the hallways.
For Thea, walking alongside Major Quinn like this, having what bordered on a semi-casual conversation, felt utterly surreal.
This wasn¡¯t just anyone¡ªthis was the Major Quinn.
Ever since Thea could remember, every aspect of her life on Lumiosia had seemed tied to the Major in one way or another, deep down. Her influence was omnipresent if mostly hidden, woven into the very fabric of the Kuigon Star Sector.
As its proprietor, everything within its borders was hers to command, should she wish it.
Lumiosia itself, the planet Thea had once called home, was nothing more than a speck in the vast domain under Quinn¡¯s authority. The Undercity, where Thea had grown up alongside James, barely registered on the galactic stage¡ªa forgotten corner in a portfolio that spanned countless star systems.
The Major¡¯s face was a familiar one from her time on Lumiosia, though she¡¯d never imagined seeing it like this.
Advertisements for the UHF sometimes plastered her image across every level of society, casting her as a symbol of strength and unity when required.
To the government of Lumiosia, Major Quinn was a rallying cry, a figurehead to inspire recruitment drives for the local military and planetary pride as a whole.
Yet, in the shadows of the Undercity, among the disenfranchised and angry, her name had often carried a bitter weight as well. She was seen as the embodiment of the UHF¡¯s crushing indifference for Midworlders, the face of the machine that perpetuated their struggles.
And now, a mere month after stepping aboard the Sovereign, Thea had received a personal award from this very same mythical figure. More than that, she was walking alongside her, discussing matters as though they were simply having a stroll through a park.
The Major wasn¡¯t just taking a passing interest in her either, it seemed; she was bringing Thea to meet her own old mentor, entrusting Thea¡¯s future growth to someone of unparalleled renown.
The sheer reversal of her circumstances left Thea reeling.
Merely a little over two years ago, she had been just another Undercity rat, eking out an existence in the shadows of Lumiosia¡¯s glimmering skyline.
Now, she was rubbing shoulders with legends, her life unfolding in ways she couldn¡¯t ever have dreamed of.
The prospect of meeting and impressing this ¡°Runepriest,¡± a figure held in such high regard by none other than the legendary Major Quinn herself, was enough to make Thea second-guess everything.
Surely, the Major must have made a mistake somewhere along the way, right?
There had to be other candidates¡ªPrivates, Corporals, or even Lieutenants¡ªmore deserving of such an incredible opportunity.
Individuals with more experience, more polish, more¡ everything.
After all, she was just a Recruit.
Sure, she¡¯d won a lot of awards during the Assessment, but as Major Quinn had pointed out just moments prior, early success didn¡¯t always mean much in the grander scheme of things.
It wasn¡¯t as though Thea¡¯s achievements were completely unheard of.
She was still green, raw, and painfully aware of how much she had to learn.
And yet, despite the self-doubt swirling in her mind, an undeniable excitement bubbled beneath it all. This was what she had always dreamed of, even if she hadn¡¯t fully admitted it to herself before now.
A real chance.
An opportunity to prove herself to people who mattered, to become someone who mattered in turn.
Somehow, through what felt like a cosmic alignment of fortune¡ªor simple dumb luck¡ªshe¡¯d ended up here, walking beside Major Quinn toward what was likely the second most important meeting of her life.
To say she wasn¡¯t nervous would be a bold-faced lie. But beneath it all, the fire in her veins burned hotter.
That relentless drive to prove herself, to carve out her place in this vast, brutal universe, was all-consuming. It drowned out the nerves, replacing them with a stark drive to want to impress.
Thea was so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice Major Quinn slowing down until the Major came to an abrupt stop.
Thea stumbled to a halt, barely managing to avoid bumping into her.
When Major Quinn turned to face her again, Thea¡¯s ruminations screeched to a halt, her attention snapping fully back to the present.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
The Major¡¯s expression shifted, her usual calm authority giving way to something more solemn and introspective.
She met Thea¡¯s gaze directly, her piercing eyes softening just a fraction.
¡°Recruit McKay,¡± she began, her voice quieter than before but no less firm. ¡°Before we go any further, there¡¯s something I need to say. I owe you an apology¡ªan apology that should have come from me personally much sooner than this. Unfortunately, my duties have not allowed me to do so any earlier, but that makes it no more right.¡±
Thea blinked, caught completely off guard.
She stayed silent, unsure of how to respond as the Major continued.
¡°I know that Auxiliary-Legate Selene already offered an apology on my behalf after the Assessment, but frankly, it isn¡¯t right for such words to be delivered through a third party. This is something I need to take responsibility for myself.¡±
Quinn¡¯s gaze flicked away briefly, as if weighing her next words carefully.
When she looked back at Thea, her expression carried a rare vulnerability.
¡°The truth is, the UHF¡ªand I, specifically¡ªfailed you. As your commanding officer, it was my responsibility to ensure you were adequately prepared for the challenges you¡¯d face during the Assessment. Especially when it came to your Psychic capabilities. I have a million and one reasons for why we fell short, but at the end of the day, they are nothing but excuses. A lack of resources, time constraints, bureaucratic nonsense¡¡±
She paused, shaking her head. ¡°But at the end of the day, it¡¯s my duty to make sure my subordinates have what they need to succeed. And in that, I failed.¡±
Thea¡¯s chest tightened. She could barely comprehend what she was hearing.
This was Major Quinn, the woman whose name carried the weight of an entire star sector, practically bowing her head and admitting fault to her.
Quinn inhaled deeply, as though steadying herself, before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for forgiveness. That would be selfish, and it wouldn¡¯t undo the hardships you endured because of my oversight. I simply wanted to acknowledge my mistake and promise you this¡ªI will do better. For you, and for every Marine under my command.¡±
Thea opened her mouth, then closed it again, utterly at a loss for words.
Her mind scrambled to process the moment, the image of Major Quinn standing before her, offering such a genuine and personal apology, completely shattering the almost untouchable pedestal Thea had unknowingly placed her on.
¡°I¡ Thank you, Major. Sincerely. I¡ I honestly don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Thea finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Quinn gave her a faint, almost wistful smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Recruit. Just take this chance I¡¯ve arranged for you and use it well. That will be more than enough for the both of us, I think.¡±
Thea nodded, still reeling from the series of events.
If even Major Quinn, a woman Thea had seen as untouchable and invincible, could admit fault and commit to improving herself despite her immense authority, power, and rank, then Thea had no reason to shy away from doing the same.
Whatever challenges this Runepriest threw at her, she would face them head-on; and she would crush them.
She owed it to herself¡ªand to Major Quinn.
As they continued their walk down the endless corridors of the Sovereign, however, a thought began to form in Thea¡¯s mind based on something the Major had said.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should even voice it, but the words slipped out before she could second-guess herself.
¡°Major Quinn,¡± she started tentatively, catching the Major¡¯s attention. The older woman slowed her pace slightly, her posture relaxing just enough to signal that she was listening.
¡°I was wondering¡¡± Thea¡¯s voice faltered briefly, but she pushed through, her nerves making her ramble slightly. ¡°Would it be possible for me to contact Selene somehow? I know it¡¯s probably a lot to ask, but I didn¡¯t feel like I really got a chance to properly thank her for everything she¡¯s done for me. After¡ well, after everything. I wasn¡¯t exactly myself the last time we spoke, and it feels like so much has happened since then¡¡±
Her words trailed off, her cheeks flushing as she realised she was rambling in front of Major Quinn, of all people. She lowered her gaze to the floor, bracing for a curt denial or perhaps even a reminder to focus on more pressing matters.
The Major, however, didn¡¯t immediately dismiss the question. She seemed to consider it for a moment, her expression thoughtful, before finally shaking her head lightly.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Recruit. At least, not at the moment,¡± she said. Her tone wasn¡¯t unkind, but it was firm. ¡°Communication from the DDS to the outside is essentially impossible. You¡¯d have to wait until your month of ship duty to contact anyone who isn¡¯t aboard this vessel.¡±
Thea felt her shoulders sag slightly in disappointment, her gaze dropping further as she prepared to voice her understanding.
But before she could, Major Quinn continued.
¡°However,¡± she said, her tone taking on a faintly conspiratorial edge, ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be too tall an ask to make an exception, considering everything you¡¯ve been through. Unfortunately, it¡¯s still not possible at the moment. Auxiliary-Legate Selene is currently being transferred and is thus, inside the Void. With us back in the Material plane since earlier this morning, communication with her ship is impossible for the time being.¡±
Thea looked up at that, her curiosity piqued.
¡°That said,¡± the Major added, a small smile tugging at her lips, ¡°you¡¯re in luck, Recruit. The Auxiliary-Legate is being transferred to this very ship. In a few weeks, you¡¯ll be able to thank her face-to-face yourself.¡±
Thea¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the revelation. ¡°Really? Selene¡¯s coming here?¡±
Major Quinn nodded. ¡°She is. Captain Cross requisitioned her as an additional psychologist for the Sovereign¡¯s roster. So hold onto those words you want to say. You¡¯ll get your chance to tell her in person¡ªand knowing her, she¡¯ll appreciate it far more that way anyway.¡±
Thea felt a wave of emotions wash over her, a mixture of anticipation, gratitude, and nerves all tangled together. ¡°Thank you, Major,¡± she said earnestly.
The Major waved Thea¡¯s gratitude away as if brushing off a speck of dust, quickening her pace slightly¡ªa clear, unspoken signal that their conversation was over.
Thea fell into step behind her, the rhythmic sound of their boots echoing through the hallway.
The silence stretched for another five minutes, and though it might have seemed awkward to some, Thea¡¯s mind was too preoccupied to notice.
She replayed the conversation in her head, mulling over everything she had just learned about Major Quinn, Selene, and even herself.
Finally, the Major came to a halt in front of a large bulkhead.
¡°This one¡¯s you,¡± she said, gesturing toward the engraved metal sign that read Training Hall E-61. ¡°The Runepriest is already inside, waiting for you.¡±
The abruptness of the statement caught Thea off guard.
¡°You¡¯re not introducing us¡?¡± she blurted before realizing how that might sound. ¡°Ehhh, Major,¡± she quickly tacked on, a bit flustered.
Major Quinn raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips before she shook her head slightly.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± she replied, her tone a mix of amusement and resolve. ¡°I have thirty-three meetings lined up to deal with the absolute shitshow that happened with the DDS earlier today. Runepriest Vedun is more than capable of handling an uppity troublemaker such as yourself. My presence here would be redundant.¡±
The Major turned as if to leave but paused mid-step.
She looked back over her shoulder, her expression softening just a fraction. ¡°Word of advice: Stay on your toes. Vedun is eccentric and¡ intense¡ªprobably more so than you¡¯re expecting. Be ready for anything, but don¡¯t expect to avoid surprises, either. Keep an open mind, and you¡¯ll do just fine, Recruit.¡±
Thea swallowed hard, her nerves bubbling to the surface but quickly tamped down.
¡°I¡ Thank you, Major. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± she said, nodding with more confidence than she felt.
Quinn gave her a final approving nod before briskly walking away, her strides purposeful and unhurried, leaving Thea alone in front of the massive bulkhead.
Being handed off this unceremoniously felt oddly casual, considering the magnitude of what was happening. She, a Recruit from a no-name Undercity, was about to meet one of the most powerful figures in the entire UHF¡ªa Runepriest¡ªwho had agreed to mentor her.
And yet, Major Quinn had simply deposited her here like James used to at the Golden Age Arcade when he had errands to run.
The memory flashed in her mind: James¡¯s reassuring words of ¡°You¡¯ll be fine¡± and a quick pat on her shoulder before he left her standing in front of the arcade door with a small handful of Credits and a non-committal promise to maybe pick her up later¡ªor not.
Except this wasn¡¯t an arcade, and there were no Credits in her pocket or guarantees about what lay beyond the bulkhead¡ªonly this cryptic title, ¡°Runepriest,¡± which she had no idea what it stood for.
A part of her regretted not asking Major Quinn what it even meant.
The title wasn¡¯t a rank she recognized from the UHF military hierarchy, and yet it seemed to hold immense weight regardless. But between her nerves and the sheer triviality of it, she hadn¡¯t dared to ask the Major.
Now, as the metallic doors loomed before her, she wished she had more to go on.
Steeling herself, she stepped up to the bulkhead. It opened with the typical signature whoosh of giant, well-machined metal gates sliding open, the sound sharp in the otherwise dead-silent corridor.
Inside, Thea found herself in a training hall that was eerily familiar.
It was similar to the dojo where she¡¯d taken CQC lessons a month ago¡ªspacious and seemingly designed to adapt to any combat scenario. The walls were smooth and featureless, ready to project or morph into whatever training environment was required.
The size was comparable to the Golden Age Arcade¡¯s interior, though the atmosphere was anything but playful.
Her eyes scanned the room, searching for the enigmatic Runepriest, but she saw no one.
Instead, the air itself seemed to hum with a palpable energy, as though the room were alive.
And as she took her first step inside, she felt it.
A strange, oppressive weight pressed down on her, making each subsequent step feel heavier, like the gravity generators had been cranked up by several magnitudes throughout the entire room.
Her muscles strained slightly with each movement, but that wasn¡¯t what made her pause.
What truly stopped her in her tracks was the overwhelming sense of dread that was suddenly clawing at her chest.
This wasn¡¯t the sharp, immediate fear that accompanied her Psychic Precognition when it warned her of imminent danger.
That fear was cold and utilitarian, practically designed to trigger her survival instincts.
This, however, was something else entirely¡ªprimal and instinctual, like the terror that seeped into ancient humanity when facing pitch-black darkness in the dead of night.
The longer she stood there, the more the feeling grew, swelling within her like a rising tide.
It wasn¡¯t just unpleasant¡ªit was suffocating. She took a few more steps, hoping to acclimate to whatever this was, but the dread only intensified, making it harder and harder to breathe.
Her legs tensed, half-ready to retreat. Every instinct screamed at her to turn and run.
But just as she was about to give in and retreat, she realized something thoroughly unusual about this fear: It wasn¡¯t right.
It wasn¡¯t the clammy, visceral terror she knew from years of scraping by in the Undercity.
The kind that made your heart race, dilated your pupils and readied your every muscle to their utmost, the moment it kicked in. This wasn¡¯t the kind of fear that triggered your fight-or-flight response to activate; there was no surge of adrenaline, no cold sweat, no fluttering of nerves.
This fear, instead, felt detached, like it didn¡¯t belong to her at all.
It was as if she were tapping into someone else¡¯s growing, primal terror, feeling it secondhand but with such intensity that it might as well have been her own.
Thea froze, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she struggled to make sense of the sensation.
Was this some kind of test from the Runepriest?
A Psychic trick designed to unsettle her?
It was unlike anything she had ever encountered, and that lack of familiarity left her confused, unsure whether she should fight it, flee from it, or simply endure it.
That kind of unfamiliarity made it all the more disconcerting.
It wasn¡¯t just fear¡ªit was downright alien.
She forced herself to close her eyes, drawing on a technique James had taught her long ago in the chaotic Undercity.
It was a simple, meditative exercise designed to isolate her emotions and regain control, a skill that had saved her countless times when panic threatened to overwhelm her.
¡®Focus,¡¯ she told herself, exhaling shakily.
Her mind worked quickly, compartmentalizing each sensation.
The burning strain in her muscles as they fought against the strange, oppressive gravity, her heart hammering in her chest to pump blood to limbs struggling under the added weight, her lungs pulling in deep, heavy breaths to meet her body¡¯s oxygen demand¡ªall of it felt natural, explainable, rooted in her physical reality.
But then there was that other feeling.
The oppressive, unnatural dread curling in the center of her chest.
It wasn¡¯t pumping through her veins or clawing at her mind like her usual fears.
No, it was something entirely distinct, sitting heavy just behind her heart.
¡®No¡ Not the heart¡¡¯ Her brow furrowed as realization struck. ¡®It¡¯s my Gate¡!¡¯
She carefully, ever so gently, focused her attention inward, toward the enigmatic presence that had occupied so much of her thoughts over the past month. Her Psychic Gate¡ªthe very thing that had nearly killed her during the Assessment with its raw, untamed power.
Thea didn¡¯t dare look directly at it within her mind¡¯s eye, having learned the hard way how dangerously consuming its pull could be.
The last time she had ventured too close, the weight of its energy had threatened to drown her entirely and nearly killed the only person outside of Viladia who had attempted to help her make sense of it all inside the Assessment.
Instead, she approached it indirectly, cautiously brushing her awareness near its presence like a hand hovering just above a flame.
And there, faint yet persistent, she heard it.
A voice, so quiet it felt like it was drifting to her through a thick fog, yet its urgency cut through the haze like a knife.
"Run away. Don¡¯t stay," it pleaded, the words laced with an unmistakable sense of desperation.
Though the tone was downright panicked, the volume was barely above a whisper, as though the message itself was being smothered by an unseen force.
"He is dangerous. Don¡¯t stay. Run¡ª"
¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the girl of the month,¡± a deep, resonant voice drawled, abruptly shattering her thoughts and startling Thea back into the present.
Her eyes snapped open, and she immediately locked onto the source of the voice.
Standing a few meters away was a man with a toothy grin that was as disarming as it was unnerving. His dark skin seemed to absorb the dim light of the training hall, and his eyes glittered with something unreadable¡ªan intensity that made him impossible to ignore.
¡°Welcome to Training Hall E-61, Miss McKay,¡± he said, his voice carrying an undeniable weight of authority, yet laced with a strange playfulness. ¡°My name is Anrake Vedun, and apparently, I¡¯m supposed to teach you something. Or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±
As he spoke, he swept into a deep, theatrical bow.
The gesture was almost mocking in its exaggerated elegance, but it was his attire that truly held Thea¡¯s attention.
He was clad in armoured robes as black as the void, adorned with countless sigils that shimmered and shifted like living things. They pulsed faintly with iridescent hues so mesmerizing, that Thea struggled to find a way to draw her eyes away from them.
The robes moved with a clear, unnatural grace, flowing like the finest silk despite the unmistakable heft they carried.
Every step he took set the plates of reinforced, plasteel-like material woven into his robes to clinking softly against each other, creating an oddly harmonious resonance. It was like a wind chime, but far more intricate, the sound carrying a subtle undercurrent of power that made the hair on the back of Thea¡¯s neck stand on end.
Her breath hitched as she realized she was staring.
Even with the realization, pulling her thoughts into focus felt like trying to wade through quicksand. The Runepriest¡¯s very presence seemed to make the air heavier, pressing down on her shoulders and fogging her mind.
¡°It¡ It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Runepriest Vedun,¡± she finally managed, forcing the words past the lump in her throat.
She made an attempt at a respectful bow but stopped abruptly mid-motion when a wave of vertigo hit her like a hammer. The world tilted alarmingly, and for a horrifying moment, she thought she might vomit on the Runepriest¡¯s boots.
Deciding that a slight bow was far safer than risking full humiliation, she straightened herself quickly.
Thea¡¯s mind raced with confusion as she realized the strange voice and the mounting terror in her chest had vanished entirely¡ªsnuffed out like a flame the moment Anrake had spoken.
Meanwhile, Runepriest Vedun¡¯s grin widened fractionally, his gaze boring into her as though peeling away her layers one by one.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure the honor¡¯s all mine, Miss McKay,¡± he said, his tone smooth but laced with an edge of mockery. His voice had a deep, almost musical quality to it, as if each word was crafted with deliberate precision. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to uncover just what kind of calamity the Harbinger has decided to bless us with this time around!¡±
His grin sharpened, and there was an unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes as he added, ¡°I have no doubt we¡¯ll have plenty of fun together...¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 5 - Presence
Thea blinked, momentarily stunned by the Runepriest¡¯s thoroughly odd entrance, but one thing in particular had stuck out to her as even more weird than the rest.
In the silence that followed his delivery, which he clearly wanted Thea to fill by way of him simply staring at her for the brief moment after his last words, she decided that it was as good a start as any to simply ask about.
¡°I¡¯m not sure what this ¡®Harbinger¡¯ thing is all about, Sir¡ª¡± she began, but before she could finish, the Runepriest¡¯s entire demeanor changed.
He recoiled sharply, as if her words had physically struck him across the face, his expression twisting into something between frustration and exasperation.
¡°Alright,¡± he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade, ¡°we have to fix that first and foremost!¡±
There was an undeniable authority in his tone, the kind that left no room for argument.
¡°No more ¡®Sir¡¯s,¡¯ no ¡®Venerable Runepriest,¡¯ none of that rank-and-file nonsense. Do you hear me, Miss McKay? None of it. You will address me as Anrake, Vedun, or simply Runepriest if you absolutely must cling to something formal. But if we¡¯re going to be spending any significant amount of time together, I can¡¯t have you groveling before me every time we interact. Understood?¡±
Thea opened her mouth to respond, still processing his abrupt interruption, but he plowed on without giving her a chance to speak.
¡°Ah!¡± he exclaimed suddenly, as though struck by a revelation.
His sharp features softened slightly, and a grin spread across his face. It was the kind of grin that managed to be both disarming and deeply unsettling. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! In exchange, I¡¯ll simply call you Thea as well. While you¡¯re not officially my pupil yet, we may as well dispense with the tiresome social nonsense from the start. Of course, if you turn out to be a massive disappointment, we can always revisit the groveling arrangement later.¡±
Thea blinked again, her thoughts spinning as she tried to parse his rapid-fire delivery. She tilted her head slightly, studying him as though trying to discern whether or not he was joking.
¡°So¡¡± she ventured hesitantly, ¡°you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want me to use ranks for now¡ but if I fail some kind of test, I have to go back to¡ªwhat? Calling you ¡®Sir¡¯...?¡±
Anrake¡¯s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. ¡°Exactly, Thea. You¡¯re catching on quickly. See? I knew we¡¯d get along just fine.¡±
Her brows knit together as she tried to gauge whether or not this man was completely insane. Whatever she¡¯d expected from the person heralded as the ¡°most powerful person in the entire UHF¡±, this really wasn¡¯t it.
At the end of the day, however, he was still her superior officer¡ªfar, far, far superior officer¡ªin one way or another. So, his order to dispense with formalities was no different from what Major Quinn had done just moments earlier.
¡®Apparently, it is a bit of a theme with these two, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Thea thought wryly.
They seemed to share a disdain for the rigid, formal rank structure of the UHF. Perhaps it was something Major Quinn had picked up during her time as the Runepriest¡¯s pupil, or something that just came naturally with age.
¡°Understood, Runepriest,¡± she replied with a nod, keeping her tone neutral.
She decided to treat his eccentricities as though they were completely normal¡ªfor now.
If she was already feeling this unbalanced by a simple conversation, there was no way she¡¯d survive whatever chaos he had planned for her next.
¡°Wonderful!¡± Anrake said with a broad grin, his enthusiasm almost unnerving.
Then, as if a switch had flipped, his tone softened, and he studied her intently, his gaze sharp and probing, like he was searching for something beneath the surface.
¡°Now, as for your earlier question¡¡± He trailed off, his voice momentarily distant, before returning with a measured calm. ¡°It is of no real consequence. Let this old man¡¯s ramblings drift past you like a gentle rain. Pay them no mind for now. You¡¯ll understand one day¡ªbut today is not that day.¡±
Thea barely had time to process the cryptic dismissal before his demeanor shifted yet again.
His grin turned toothy, almost predatory, as he stepped slightly closer.
The strange, oppressive gravity she felt increased markedly, making the air feel heavier and Thea¡¯s breath hitch in her chest.
¡°Now, what is of utmost import,¡± he continued, his voice low and deliberate, ¡°is deciding what to do with you, now that you are here. Zephyr requested I be your mentor, and I find myself unable to refuse my favorite pupil¡ So here we both are, unable to refuse her requests¡ªor orders, in your case, I guess. And with both of us present, there¡¯s nothing really stopping us from diving right in, is there?¡±
Thea hesitated, unsure if the question was rhetorical or if he actually expected an answer.
The pause stretched just long enough to make her question herself and consider an answer before he moved on.
¡°No, of course not!¡± he exclaimed, his energy bounding back like a spring. ¡°The earlier, the better!¡±
With a snap of his fingers, the sterile training hall dissolved, replaced by a sun-dappled forest clearing. Two plush chairs appeared as if conjured from the air itself.
Thea blinked, startled, as her senses were suddenly flooded with the crisp scent of pine and the gentle murmur of a breeze rustling through the treetops. The fresh air tasted clean and vivid, a marked contrast to the recycled oxygen she was used to aboard the ship, despite the Sovereign¡¯s best efforts to keep the air feeling natural inside the DDS.
¡°Take a seat, and we can get started,¡± Anrake offered casually, throwing himself onto one of the chairs with a dramatic flourish.
The armoured robes he wore rippled wildly with his erratic movements and in the gentle breeze of the clearing, yet the sound its overlapping plates were making was strangely harmonious, as if their clinking and clattering were part of the natural ambiance.
Thea stood just a few meters away from her own chair, but the distance felt insurmountable.
The ever-present, crushing gravity bore down on her like a physical weight, each step forward seeming like a monumental effort. She flexed her fingers absently, trying to work up the energy to make the trek, but her legs already trembled with the strain of simply standing upright.
Her mind raced for a reason behind the overwhelming force.
¡®Is this some kind of test from the Runepriest¡?¡¯
It seemed possible at first, but the more she thought about it, the less sense it made.
What would Strength investment have to do with a Psychic mentor¡¯s curriculum? Nothing she had ever heard about the Psychic side of things, neither from Viladia nor from Zach, had indicated that physical prowess had any bearing on a Psyker¡¯s capabilities whatsoever.
So there really wasn¡¯t any reason she could think of at the moment, why it would need to stick around either.
¡°W¡ Would it be possible to reduce the gravity settings somewhat¡?¡± she finally asked, her voice hesitant but polite, afraid of accidentally offending him or failing an unseen test. Her chest tightened as she continued, ¡°If it¡¯s not part of some kind of test, I would really appreciate it, Runepriest. I¡ didn¡¯t invest any of my Attribute Points into Strength, so the added strain is really draining.¡±
¡°Gravity¡?¡± The Runepriest echoed, tilting his head as if puzzled by the concept itself.
Then, as though the realization struck him all at once, he chuckled softly to himself. ¡°Ah, of course. It seems I¡¯ve overlooked something rather fundamental. Well, no matter. This is as good a place to start as any, I think.¡±
He leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Thea.
¡°Very well, Thea,¡± he said, his tone light but firm. ¡°Let¡¯s make things a touch more comfortable for you, shall we?¡±
With a casual tone, he addressed the room itself. ¡°Sovereign, disable all artificial gravity in Training Hall E-31.¡±
The Sovereign¡¯s voice responded immediately, neutral and efficient as always. ¡°Artificial gravity has been disabled in Training Hall E-31.¡±
The change was instant.
Thea felt the ground lose its grip on her, and within moments, her feet lifted ever so slightly from the floor.
Her body began to float gently, weightless in the sudden absence of gravity.
A leaf that had been lazily drifting downward in her field of view now hung suspended in the air, motionless and frozen as though caught in time.
But something was clearly wrong.
Despite the lack of gravity, the oppressive weight she¡¯d felt earlier didn¡¯t seem to dissipate.
If anything, the sensation of extreme gravity pressing down on her remained exactly as intense. Her muscles still strained as if she were under four, maybe five times the usual gravitational force, even as she floated freely above the ground.
The contradiction sent her mind spinning, making her feel sick to her stomach.
¡°What¡?¡± Thea muttered, her voice tinged with confusion.
She reached out instinctively, brushing her hand against the edge of the nearest tree for stability, only to realize she didn¡¯t need it. Her body was perfectly suspended, yet the crushing weight she felt in her chest and limbs persisted, defying all logic.
Anrake observed her with an amused glint in his eyes, his arms crossed lazily as he lounged in his chair. ¡°A fascinating phenomenon, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Thea frowned, her confusion deepening. ¡°I¡ I honestly don¡¯t know. What is this? There¡¯s no gravity acting on me anymore, but¡ I still feel it. Like it¡¯s everywhere, pressing down on me from every direction, but there clearly is no gravity in the room anymore...¡±
¡°Not quite correct, but close enough,¡± Anrake replied with a grin. ¡°Welcome to the realm of Presence, Thea. You¡¯re not feeling gravity in the traditional sense. What you¡¯re experiencing is me¡ªthe force of my will, my essence, my very existence exerting itself upon you. It is gravity, in the metaphorical sense. My Soul¡¯s gravity, to be specific. It¡¯s not bound by physical laws, and no amount of artificial systems, like the Sovereign¡¯s gravity generators, could ever remove or lessen it.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Thea blinked, utterly baffled.
Her thoughts raced to make sense of the Runepriest¡¯s words, but they collided like crashing waves, leaving her no clearer than before.
¡®His Soul¡¯s gravity? What the fuck does that even mean¡?¡¯
How could someone¡¯s existence exert this kind of weight?
Was this what being a Psyker truly entailed?
If so, she felt even more out of her depth than she had imagined.
¡°Sovereign,¡± Anrake said suddenly, cutting through her spiraling thoughts, ¡°reinstate artificial gravity in Training Hall E-31.¡±
¡°Confirmed,¡± came the Sovereign¡¯s neutral reply.
Thea felt her body abruptly reconnect with the ground as the artificial gravity resumed.
She staggered slightly but managed to steady herself, her boots once again rooted to the solid floor. Yet the oppressive sensation remained, though she could breathe a little easier without the disorienting weightlessness causing her stomach to threaten to rebel.
Anrake tilted his head, studying her reaction.
¡°You are correct, of course,¡± he said, his tone light. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly conducive to mentoring if the mentee can¡¯t even stand up straight, let alone breathe properly. But you must forgive me¡ªI can¡¯t exactly reduce my Presence any further than this without a concerted effort of will. My nature, as it were, is rather¡ Let¡¯s say, robust.¡±
He offered her a lopsided smile, one that carried an edge of both apology and amusement.
¡°But alas,¡± he continued with a dramatic sigh, ¡°what is the point of being a mentor if you can¡¯t suffer a little for your pupils every now and then, hmm? It¡¯s only fair.¡±
With those words, he closed his eyes briefly, his brow furrowing in visible strain.
Thea watched as his face tightened, the sheer force of whatever he was doing evident in the faint sheen of sweat that immediately formed on his brow. For a moment, the air seemed to ripple faintly, and then the crushing weight pressing down on her lessened noticeably.
It wasn¡¯t gone¡ªnot entirely.
She could still feel it, like an invisible blanket of pressure weighing on her shoulders and chest, but it had eased significantly, down to something she estimated at about 1.5 to 2 times the usual gravitational force.
It was manageable now, though still not something she would call comfortable.
Anrake opened his eyes, exhaling softly.
¡°There,¡± he said, his tone slightly winded but satisfied. ¡°This is as far as I can push it. You¡¯ll simply have to accept this as the best compromise I can offer.¡±
Anrake¡¯s grin returned, a spark of humor dancing in his sharp eyes. ¡°Think of it this way, Thea¡ªwe¡¯ll both suffer like this. A little bonding experience, if you will. I think that¡¯s beautiful, in its own, unique way, no?¡±
Thea, still catching her breath from the lingering strain, managed a faint nod. ¡°Thank you.¡±
She could barely string the words together, her mind trying to process everything that had just happened.
Trying to keep up with the Runepriest¡¯s chaotic conversation style was proving almost as exhausting as the crushing gravity itself, she realized with a growing sense of dread.
If this was how her entire Psyker training would go, she¡¯d need to seriously strengthen her mental stamina¡ªor her ¡°social batteries,¡± as she thought of it¡ªjust to survive.
She quickly made her way over towards the chair that had been waiting for her all this time and took a seat, prompting a satisfied nod from the Runepriest.
One thing had stood out to her about him, though: The only time his frenetic nature seemed to calm, even briefly, was when he explained something.
Earlier, when he¡¯d spoken about Presence, it had been the only moment she didn¡¯t feel like he might leap to an entirely different topic mid-sentence.
That brief clarity was a lifeline in his tempestuous energy.
Figuring it couldn¡¯t hurt to learn more¡ªand perhaps slow him down in the process and give her some time to recover¡ªThea decided to press him on the subject.
¡°Runepriest,¡± she began, hesitating for a moment before continuing, ¡°this¡ Presence thing you mentioned. Can you explain it more? I mean, you said it¡¯s tied to your Soul, but¡ what does that actually mean? Is it something I¡¯ll have to deal with as a Psyker too? What is it used for? I¡¯m sure it has some kind of use, right?¡±
Her words felt clumsy as they spilled out, but the spark of interest that lit up in Anrake¡¯s sharp eyes reassured her that she¡¯d chosen the right path.
¡°Ah, Presence,¡± he said, his tone shifting to one of almost reverent enthusiasm. ¡°Now that¡¯s a topic worth diving into, indeed! Although, I have to admit, it¡¯s not the best topic to start with¡ But I guess that¡¯s entirely on me, so no harm, no foul, really. I¡¯ll give you the basic rundown, but it won¡¯t actually become relevant to you until quite a while from now, my dear would-be-pupil!¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow, already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Runepriest¡¯s whirlwind of words and ideas, but she stayed silent, hoping for something resembling clarity.
Anrake continued, his tone growing more animated. ¡°Presence is the Attribute that unlocks the moment you hit Tier 3. That pesky little ¡®TBD¡¯ you¡¯ve probably noticed lurking at the very bottom of your System profile, right below the Psychic one. Annoying, isn¡¯t it? Like a little tease, dangling there, waiting for you to figure out what it is. And the lecturers aren¡¯t allowed to tell you what it is until you¡¯re closer to Tier 3 either, ha! But I have no such stipulations; so yeah¡¡±
He leaned back, the faint smile on his face shifting into something more contemplative.
¡°Presence measures the gravity of your Soul, as we have already established. Not gravity in the ¡®falling off a cliff¡¯ sense¡ªgravity as in weight or meaning. The sheer, raw energy of your very existence. It¡¯s not just an Attribute like Strength or Resolve that you can slap points into whenever you level up. No, no¡ Presence is entirely natural. It grows with you, with your experiences, your struggles, your triumphs. And unlike other Attributes, its natural growth doesn¡¯t cap out either. Where other Attributes struggle to go beyond the 3.00 mark, Presence just keeps building. There¡¯s no real limit to how far Presence can develop¡ªthough trust me on this, the higher it gets, the harder it becomes to keep in check.¡±
Now that the Runepriest had mentioned it, Thea did remember that Professor Pierce had hinted that the last remaining Attribute would unlock at Tier 3.
It must have been Presence, that he had been unwilling¡ªor maybe unable¡ªto elaborate on during the System 101 lecture.
She tilted her head, trying to wrap her mind around the concept, silently wishing that Kara was there to apply her genius to the explanation the Runepriest was giving her¡ªand then give an even easier explanation to Thea in turn, so she could actually understand what was going on.
¡°So¡ What does it do, exactly? I mean, if you can¡¯t invest in it, how does it¡ work?¡±
¡°Excellent question!¡± Anrake said, snapping his fingers as though she¡¯d just passed some invisible test. ¡°Presence is, at its core, a multiplier. It doesn¡¯t exist in isolation¡ªit instead enhances everything else. For Psykers like us, it amplifies the effects of our Psychic Powers; it does so even more effectively than Resolve, mind you, which up until that point will have been your bread-and-butter Attribute for anything Psychic-multiplier-related. For non-Psykers, it¡¯s the same story, really¡ªit takes whatever strengths they have, whatever tools the System has granted them, and pushes them to entirely new heights.¡±
He gestured vaguely toward the training hall¡¯s illusionary forest around them, as if the air itself held the answers. ¡°The simplest way to think of it is this: The higher your Presence, the more powerful you are within the System as a whole. Every swing of a sword, every ounce of Strength, every application of Vitality or Focus¡ªit¡¯s all bolstered by your Presence. For us Psykers, though¡¡±
He trailed off, his grin turning almost predatory. ¡°Let¡¯s just say Presence is the ultimate key to becoming a true wielder of the Void¡¯s fundamental powers.¡±
The thought of unlocking an entirely new Attribute, one tied so intrinsically, so directly to her growth and potential, sent a faint thrill through Thea despite her lingering confusion and the knowledge that it wouldn¡¯t happen for quite some time yet.
¡°So, in a way,¡± Anrake continued, leaning forward with an almost conspiratorial gleam in his eye, ¡°Presence is your Soul given both physical and metaphysical weight. Trust me when I say this, Thea¡ªwhen you unlock it, you¡¯ll know. It¡¯s not subtle. And when it starts to grow? Oh, you¡¯ll feel it. Every step of the way.¡±
His toothy grin softened slightly, turning into something more measured. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve only scratched the surface here. You might notice I¡¯ve deliberately avoided going into too much depth about its more¡ practical uses. There¡¯s a good reason for that, likely the same reason that the lecturers aren¡¯t really covering it¡ªit¡¯s ultimately pointless to give you a full rundown when you won¡¯t be interacting with any significant amount of Presence for at least a few years anyway. Right now, it would be like trying to explain how to pilot a starship to someone who¡¯s still learning how to ride a bike.¡±
Anrake leaned back in his chair, his armored robes shifting with a faint metallic hum as the breeze played with their edges. ¡°The most Presence you¡¯ll likely encounter on this ship is from Captain Cross. He has the highest Presence aboard, apart from myself, of course. If you¡¯ve ever been in a room with him, you¡¯ve probably felt it¡ªa subtle pressure, a sense that the very air bends around him in deference to his will, like his gaze is just that little bit more suffocating to endure than others. That¡¯s, in a sentence, what a high Presence does: It asserts itself.¡±
He studied her for a moment, his sharp gaze seeming to assess how much of this she was absorbing. ¡°But I digress. Presence, in all its forms, is a power you will come to understand in time. For now, just know that it exists, that it is within you as a seed waiting to sprout, and that one day, if you continue to grow, it will be a cornerstone of everything you do.¡±
His grin returned, this time tinged with a strange warmth. ¡°So, does that answer your curiosity for the moment, or shall I keep rambling on until you fall asleep in that chair?¡±
Now that the Runepriest had mentioned it, she realized there was something oddly familiar about the sensation she was feeling with the whole Presence thing.
Her thoughts drifted back to the welcoming ceremony aboard the Sovereign momentarily, where she had first seen Captain Cross.
She remembered the suffocating feeling, like the air had thickened around her, pressing on her chest and making it difficult to even think clearly. At the time, she¡¯d chalked it up to nerves or the sheer intensity of the moment, but now it all started to make a strange kind of sense.
¡°That actually explains a lot,¡± she admitted. ¡°Thank you for the explanations, Runepriest. I trust your judgment that I won¡¯t need to know much more about it for a while yet.¡±
Anrake waved a hand dismissively, as if her gratitude were unnecessary. ¡°Good. There¡¯s no need to clutter your mind with advanced theory before you¡¯re ready to apply it.¡±
Thea nodded but hesitated, her mind tugging at a question she wasn¡¯t sure she should ask.
Would it be better to just assume and deal with the consequences later?
Or would erring on the side of caution save her a potential reprimand?
Ultimately, she decided to voice her concern¡ªthere was no benefit in squandering the Runepriest¡¯s goodwill on something that could be cleared up ahead of time.
¡°Runepriest,¡± she began cautiously, ¡°is there any sort of restriction on the things I learn from you? I mean, am I allowed to share this knowledge with my Squad or other Marines who might benefit from it? Or is it something I need to keep to myself?¡±
The question seemed to catch him off guard, his expression flickering with mild surprise before settling into a thoughtful look.
He shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t care less, even if I tried; which I very much am not. The UHF Brass might love to play their little games of secrecy, hoarding knowledge like misers with their gold, but I¡¯ve never seen much rhyme or reason in keeping intelligent, driven youngsters from the knowledge they crave.¡±
His gaze sharpened slightly, his tone turning serious. ¡°Knowledge is power, Thea. And if there¡¯s one thing the UHF needs more than anything right now, it¡¯s power. If sharing what you¡¯ve learned with your Squad or your friends helps them grow stronger, smarter, or more capable, then by all means, do so. Just make sure they don¡¯t squander it¡ªor use it to get themselves killed. That would be a waste.¡±
Thea relaxed slightly, a small weight lifting off her chest. ¡°Understood. Thank you for trusting me with that decision.¡±
Anrake¡¯s grin returned, the mischievous glint in his eye as sharp as ever. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I have a feeling your Squad¡¯s going to find themselves tangled in all sorts of chaos soon enough, and I¡¯d bet good credits it¡¯ll be courtesy of you. But hey, that¡¯s part of the fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Thea opened her mouth to ask what exactly he meant by that ominous statement, but before she could form the words, he continued, waving off her unspoken question as if he¡¯d already anticipated it.
¡°Now, since we¡¯re already in such a trusting mood today,¡± he said, leaning forward with an exaggerated flourish, ¡°let¡¯s keep that theme going, shall we? While I technically have a carefully crafted curriculum for this whole Psychic-mentorship endeavor, I¡¯ve always found that self-driven learning tends to yield the most interesting results. So instead of me rattling off lessons like a boring old academy instructor, why don¡¯t you tell me what you want to know about all this Psychic stuff, and we¡¯ll start there?¡±
He paused, his grin widening as he gestured vaguely to the ethereal forest around them, the simulated environment shifting subtly with the breeze. ¡°If we hit a snag or you end up asking the wrong questions¡ªbecause trust me, that will happen¡ªI can always drag us back to the basics. But I¡¯d wager it¡¯s much more intriguing to see where your curiosity leads us. After all, isn¡¯t that the most exciting part of learning? Figuring out what you don¡¯t know you don¡¯t know or didn¡¯t know you wanted to know?¡±
Thea blinked, trying to parse his confusing tumble of words.
How could she even begin to decide what to ask when she barely understood the scope of what being a Psyker entailed to begin with?
Still, the Runepriest¡¯s confident, almost whimsical demeanor was oddly infectious, and despite her hesitation, a flicker of excitement stirred in her chest.
¡°I suppose that makes some sort of sense,¡± she said slowly. ¡°But¡ Where do I even start? I honestly have no idea where to even begin. There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to waste your time with questions that might seem¡ obvious.¡±
Anrake waved a hand dismissively.
¡°There are no stupid questions, Thea. Only boring ones. And boring questions,¡± he said with a theatrical shiver, ¡°are the real waste of time. So, go on¡ªask away! Don¡¯t overthink it. What¡¯s the first thing you¡¯re practically dying to know about¡?¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 6 - Passive Energy
Thea¡¯s mind was a storm of thoughts, each one vying for dominance as she struggled to sift through the myriad of questions swirling in her head.
It was as though the sheer weight of the opportunity had frozen her ability to prioritize.
For weeks now, she would have done just about anything for a chance like this¡ªto stand in the presence of possibly the most experienced Psyker in existence and have a chance to glean even a fraction of his knowledge.
But now, with the moment staring her square in the face, she felt utterly paralyzed.
Her thoughts ricocheted wildly, each more urgent than the last, ¡®Do I ask about the Attributes first? No, that feels too basic. Maybe about those strange visions during the Awakening¡? But what about that vision of the other me¡ªthe one I saw at the end of the Assessment? But what if that¡¯s just normal Psyker stuff, that doesn¡¯t really mean anything¡?¡¯
She was acutely aware of the Runepriest¡¯s presence¡ªhow his eyes seemed to dissect her without moving, his calm but expectant demeanor practically daring her to say something profound.
It was clear to her that this wasn¡¯t just a casual Q&A.
This was definitely a test.
His earlier words continued to echo in her mind. ¡°Boring questions are a waste of my time.¡±
Thea¡¯s heart sank at the thought of squandering this chance, her nerves flaring as she tried to calculate her best course of action.
If she started with something too simple, he¡¯d lose interest.
Too abstract, and she risked sounding foolish.
The Runepriest was eccentric, yes, but he also exuded an unmistakable air of ice-cold efficiency¡ªlike a blade honed to perfection and beyond.
She had no doubt that he would shut her down if she failed to meet his expectations.
And with so much on the line, failure wasn¡¯t an option.
Just as Major Quinn had said, there was no chance she would ever get an opportunity like this. Being taught first-hand by a Runepriest, becoming his pupil for the foreseeable future¡
She had to ask the right question.
But that didn¡¯t make finding the right question any easier.
¡®What question am I dying to know?¡¯ she repeated his earlier challenge in her mind.
Once. Twice. A third time.
¡®...dying to know¡¡¯
And then, as if a switch had been flipped, clarity washed over her, ¡®Of course!¡¯
There weren''t really a thousand questions she needed to ask first.
Thea turned her gaze to the Runepriest, catching the faint shift in his posture as his sharp eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Expectations were practically etched onto his face.
¡°How did I die? At the end of the Assessment, I mean,¡± Thea asked, her tone calm but tinged with the frustration that had gnawed at her since it happened. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve either had a rundown or maybe even seen the full recording of what happened¡ªI don¡¯t understand why my Precognition didn¡¯t do¡ anything. Like, at all. And I couldn¡¯t see through the illusions or whatever it was that hid everything, even though I¡¯ve always been able to do that before. I learned later that we had been facing a Psyker, but how can another Psyker influence my Precognition to that degree without directly attacking me¡?¡±
Much to her relief, a smile slowly spread across the Runepriest¡¯s face as she finished the question. It wasn''t a mocking or dismissive one either¡ªit was one of approval.
Thea felt her shoulders relax slightly as a thought flitted through her mind: ¡®He doesn¡¯t hate the question. Perfect.¡¯
The Runepriest cupped his beardless chin, his gaze turning inward as if weighing her words carefully. After a moment, he nodded to himself.
Without a word, he stood from his chair, the sudden movement catching Thea off guard.
¡°I think,¡± he began, his voice rich with certainty, ¡°this is one of those instances where a demonstration would be quite handy, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Before Thea could respond, he walked a few steps away and with a subtle gesture, he motioned for her to remain seated.
When he stopped about five meters away, he turned back toward her, his intense gaze locking onto hers.
¡°Your current Psychic Powers are extremely limited,¡± he began, his tone instructive but patient. ¡°As you undoubtedly know yourself already, your [Eyes of the Void] are permanently active, as are your Precognitive Senses. This is not the norm for Psykers, generally speaking. Once you unlock your Psychic Attribute, I will teach you how to activate and deactivate them at will.¡±
Thea raised an eyebrow at that, curiosity bubbling up.
¡°You might be asking,¡± he continued, ¡°¡®Why would I even want that?¡¯ since they seem to only convey upsides based on your experiences so far. But the instance that led to your death during the Assessment is a clear case where they directly caused the issue you faced.¡±
Her brow furrowed.
She fought the urge to interrupt, biting her tongue as the Runepriest¡¯s words began to stitch together a picture she didn¡¯t fully understand yet.
Then, from one moment to the next, he vanished.
Thea¡¯s stomach dropped as she was struck with the now-familiar strain that came with her [Eyes of the Void] encountering illusions or invisibility. Her vision blurred and strained against an unseen force, the sensation sharp and disorienting as ever.
Instinct took over.
Drawing on the practice she¡¯d honed during the Assessment, she focused on her eyes and pushed mentally against the distortion. The strain peaked and then shattered like glass, revealing Runepriest Vedun standing exactly where he had been just moments before.
¡°Good, good,¡± he said with a slight chuckle, his expression pleased. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see I didn¡¯t need to tell you what to do.¡±
Thea exhaled deeply, only then realizing she¡¯d been holding her breath since the strain began. The last month of life-or-death reactions had clearly left its mark, her psyche conditioned to see every scenario as overtly lethal, no matter how much she knew this was all just training.
¡°Now,¡± Vedun began, his tone calm but deliberate, ¡°what I used was your run-of-the-mill illusion or invisibility Power. Against a Veritas Inheritance such as yours, such tricks stand little chance. Veritas, after all, is the Truth. Your [Eyes of the Void] reveal the universe as it is, cutting through other people¡¯s attempts to obscure or distort it.¡±
He leaned casually against the trunk of a nearby tree.
¡°But what happens,¡± he continued, his tone darkening slightly, ¡°when an enemy Psyker wants not just to hide the truth, but to change it? Illusion and invisibility Powers don¡¯t break any universal laws. They manipulate perception or bend light¡ªclever tricks, yes, but nothing that rewrites the fabric of reality itself. They don¡¯t falsify the universe; they simply obscure its surface.¡±
Thea had never thought about it this way before, but what Vedun was saying rang true¡ªor at least, as true as her limited understanding could make sense of.
¡°I... guess that makes sense,¡± she ventured cautiously, her brow furrowing. ¡°But how does the Veritas Inheritance differentiate it, then¡?¡±
¡°That,¡± Vedun drawled, his grin spreading wide like a cat toying with its prey, ¡°is the right question, my dear pupil. And the answer? It lies in effort of will. Psychic Powers, as much as they are rooted in science and universal laws, are equally esoteric in nature. Will and intent are the cornerstones of their manifestation.¡±
He bent down and picked up two small, weathered rocks from the ground, holding one in each hand. The motion was deliberate, almost reverent, and Thea¡¯s focus sharpened instinctively.
¡°Let¡¯s simplify things,¡± he said, holding the stones aloft in his palms. ¡°These rocks will make the concept much clearer.¡±
As Thea watched, the rocks began to rise, floating just above his hands.
The sight was unremarkable at first glance¡ªuntil the rocks moved.
The stone in his left palm oscillated up and down in a slow, steady rhythm.
The stone in his right hand, however, drew smooth circles in the air instead.
¡°The only difference here is my Intent for the Power,¡± Vedun continued, his voice calm and instructive as the rocks hovered steadily above his hands. ¡°The weight of the rocks is almost identical, as is the usage of my Psychic Energy as a whole and the actual Power used. Now, if we increase the energy throughput just a little¡¡±
He trailed off deliberately, the rocks suddenly accelerating.
Their movements became a blur, streaking through the air so quickly that Thea could no longer follow them with her eyes. The stone in his left hand seemed to form a solid line, a continuous stroke of motion, while the one in his right hand created a perfect, glowing circle.
Both trails shimmered faintly, like ghostly imprints left behind by their speed.
¡°We reach a point,¡± Vedun continued, his tone almost clinical, ¡°where it¡¯s practically impossible to tell where the rock is, correct?¡±
Thea nodded after a brief moment of concentration, her brow furrowing.
She tried her hardest to pinpoint the exact position of either rock, but no matter how much she focused, their true locations eluded her.
¡°Your Veritas Inheritance would not help you here, either,¡± Vedun explained, his words laced with an edge of authority. ¡°It¡¯s not that the Truth of the universe is obscured in any way, here¡ªit¡¯s that your very Perception is failing you. With a higher Perception Attribute, you might differentiate between the after-images and the real object. But as it stands now, you¡¯re completely out of luck.¡±
Thea opened her mouth to respond, but before she could form a word, the rocks vanished.
The sudden silence felt deafening after the rhythmic hum of their movements.
She jumped as a thunderous crack split the air behind her.
Whipping around, her eyes widened at the sight of the tree trunk directly behind her¡ªits center utterly obliterated.
A massive crater gaped in the wood, jagged and splintered as if it had been struck by a tank round. There was no trace of the rocks; they were likely atomized by the sheer force of the impact.
¡°That was cra¡ª¡± Thea began, her words trailing off as she turned back toward Vedun.
Her heart sank slightly when she realized he was gone. Again.
¡°Oh,¡± she muttered, her head swiveling as she scanned the surrounding area. The forest felt eerily silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze and the echo of the destruction behind her.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Thea closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself as her thoughts raced.
¡®Focus, focus, focus.¡¯
She opened her eyes again, willing her [Eyes of the Void] to activate fully.
The familiar pressure of energy gathering behind her eyes began to build as she scanned the trees, the shadows, the ground¡ªanywhere that might betray even the faintest hint of the Runepriest¡¯s presence.
But there was nothing.
No flickering distortion, no shimmering outline, no telltale sign of an illusion or an invisibility Power. Not even a hint of strain on her [Eyes of the Void].
Just the still, unbroken expanse of the forest around her.
Her brow furrowed in frustration. ¡®Is he really not here? Or am I missing something¡?¡¯
She tried again, straining her vision as hard as she dared, but the result was the same: Absolutely nothing.
Her mind raced to another possibility.
¡®What if he walked out of my line of sight? Am I allowed to move¡?¡¯
The thought made her glance down at her seated position.
He hadn¡¯t told her explicitly to stay still, had he? But then again, he hadn¡¯t said she could move, either. Knowing how meticulous and deliberate the Runepriest seemed to be, she decided not to test the boundaries of what might be an unspoken rule.
Instead, she took a deep breath and began replaying his earlier words in her mind.
¡°Psychic Powers are as much about science as they are esotericism. Your will and intent play as much of a role in their manifestation as the very laws of the universe.¡±
¡®Intent,¡¯ she thought, chewing on the word as her gaze flicked toward the crater in the tree.
The lesson had been deliberate¡ªhe¡¯d shown her how the same Psychic Power could produce vastly different results depending on what you wanted it to do.
She shifted her focus inward. ¡®Okay then¡ Intent. My will. My Perception.¡¯
It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were hovering just out of reach, but she couldn¡¯t quite put them together. Was she supposed to use her Perception differently? Or was the key in the energy she was expending?
Her thoughts flashed to the rocks spinning in the Runepriest¡¯s hands. They¡¯d moved differently, not because of any external force or the nature of the Psychic Power he had used, but because his will had shaped their paths individually.
¡®What if¡ Maybe I¡¯m not just supposed to look for him? What if I¡¯m supposed to will him into being found right there¡?¡¯
The idea felt absurd and strange, but so was most of what she¡¯d learned about being a Psyker so far. Yet something about the Runepriest¡¯s lesson and his deliberate demonstrations had planted a seed of understanding that was beginning to take root¡ªor so she wanted to believe, at least.
Straightening slightly, she closed her eyes, letting her breathing steady.
''It¡¯s not about figuring out whether he¡¯s there¡ªit¡¯s about understanding that he is there and revealing that truth.'' The thought anchored her, sharpening her focus.
When she opened her eyes, she locked her gaze on the tree where she¡¯d last seen him leaning so casually.
¡®You¡¯re there, Runepriest. I know you¡¯re leaning against that very tree. You can¡¯t fool me.¡¯ She repeated the thought like a mantra in her head, forcing her intent into every syllable.
She tried to force her [Eyes of the Void] to adhere to her will, channeling her energy toward that faint but familiar pressure behind her eyes. The pressure began to build as beads of sweat formed on her brow.
¡®Come on, show me. I know you¡¯re there..!¡¯
But nothing changed.
Frustration welled up, bubbling just beneath the surface.
Her breathing quickened, her fists clenching against her thighs.
She pushed harder, funneling every ounce of willpower into that mounting pressure, as though sheer force alone could tear down whatever illusion shielded him.
And then, suddenly, something shifted.
That familiar strain behind her eyes surged, sharp and demanding. Her head throbbed, the sensation nearly overwhelming, but she didn¡¯t falter.
She pushed through the pain, summoning every ounce of energy and focus she had left.
With one last determined surge, the illusion shattered like a pane of glass falling to the floor, revealing the Runepriest casually leaning against the tree, his arms crossed and a knowing smirk on his face.
Thea exhaled sharply, the tension in her body releasing all at once as she collapsed back into her chair. Her breathing came in heavy, uneven bursts, and the sheen of sweat across her forehead caught the dappled light filtering through the trees.
¡°Well done,¡± the Runepriest said at last, his voice carrying a measured tone of approval. He strode back to his own chair with an easy confidence, the faint smile never leaving his lips.
Settling into his seat, he regarded her with a mixture of pride and expectation.
¡°While it¡¯s clear that you are utterly drained from those efforts,¡± he continued, his voice steady and instructional, ¡°you must understand the significance of what you¡¯ve just accomplished. You didn¡¯t simply apply brute force to your Power¡ªthat would have been futile. No, you changed the very Intent of your [Eyes of the Void]. Your previous approach wouldn¡¯t have been able to pierce through my concealment, no matter how much energy you poured into it. Barring, of course, exceeding my own reserves, which¡¡±
He chuckled, a rich, almost amused sound. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say you¡¯re not quite there yet.¡±
Thea managed a tired, crooked smile. As much as his chuckle had the faintest hint of condescension, she couldn¡¯t argue with the truth of it.
¡°But with your altered Intent,¡± he continued, his tone growing sharper and more focused, ¡°you narrowed the scope of the Power¡¯s application, refining it to achieve what was necessary. This is the fundamental nature of Psychic Powers: Intent and Will. Restrictions, my dear pupil, are not weaknesses¡ªthey are the means to greater strength. Each time you add an additional layer of Intent to a Power, you change its functionality. Narrow the scope, and the output intensifies. Widen it, and the energy coefficient suffers.¡±
He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one hand while his other tapped idly on the armrest of his chair. His gaze sharpened, as though he were dissecting her very thoughts.
¡°Now,¡± he said, his curiosity evident, ¡°what, pray tell, was the Intent you chose for your [Eyes of the Void] this time? What was the thought that guided your will?¡±
Thea hesitated, catching her breath and steadying herself as she replayed the moment in her mind.
¡°I... I didn¡¯t try to find you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡ Intended for the truth of where you were to be undeniable. It wasn¡¯t about guessing or searching¡ªit was about revealing the fact that you were there, no matter what.¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s smile deepened, a gleam of satisfaction lighting his eyes. ¡°Ah, now that is the proper mindset for a Veritas Psyker. Well done, indeed¡ That also explains how you managed to shatter my illusion,¡± he added, a trace of a rueful chuckle in his tone.
¡°Wasn¡¯t¡ wasn¡¯t that the whole point?¡± Thea asked between labored breaths, confusion threading through her exhaustion.
He shook his head slowly, his smile never wavering. ¡°No. No, it was not. The goal was for you to experiment with your intent, to discover the ways you could direct your Power to locate me. It was never about pitting your Psychic Power directly against mine.¡±
He paused, his gaze softening slightly. ¡°I was very close to dispelling my illusion myself when I saw how dangerously close you were to Overdrawing your Focus reserves. That final push of energy was almost too much for you, but¡¡±
He spread his hands theatrically. ¡°Just barely, you managed to break through without my interference.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened at his words.
¡®I nearly overdrew my Focus again¡?¡¯ The thought struck like a hammer, and the bone-deep weariness in her limbs and mind left no room for her to doubt it.
The Runepriest didn¡¯t give her long to dwell, however.
¡°And, by the way,¡± he continued smoothly, ¡°the illusion you just destroyed? It was on par with what a Tier 4 Battlefield Psyker would be capable of maintaining.¡±
Her thoughts ground to a halt, her mind going blank as her jaw fell open.
¡°A Tier¡ what?¡± she stammered, unable to reconcile the enormity of what she¡¯d just heard.
His deep, rumbling laughter filled the clearing, rich and unrestrained, as he clapped his hands together with evident glee. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s the power of the right Intent, will, and Inheritance working together in harmony, my dear pupil. Where your intent and will shape the Power and determine its energy efficiency, the Inheritance amplifies those factors exponentially.¡±
He leaned forward, fixing her with a pointed look. ¡°Veritas, as an Inheritance, is particularly unique in that aspect. Unlike most others, it is exceedingly binary in its application. It doesn¡¯t lend itself to a variety of modes or uses¡ªit has one, singular purpose: To reveal the Truth. Your only real choice is deciding how much of that truth you want to uncover.¡±
With a graceful wave of his hand, a digital screen materialized in the air before him, hovering at an angle that allowed Thea a clear view. On the screen, she could see what appeared to be a simple graph, the x-axis unlabeled and the y-axis with numbers.
Her curiosity piqued, but she remained silent, waiting for his explanation.
¡°Now,¡± he said, gesturing to the graph, ¡°let¡¯s simplify this for the sake of clarity. Given that you¡¯re still Tier 0 and haven¡¯t unlocked the Psychic Attribute, your overall energy reserves are naturally quite limited. Let¡¯s assign your total reserves an arbitrary value of 100. This represents the full amount of energy you can allocate to any given Psychic Power you possess.¡±
As he spoke, a bar chart appeared on the graph. The single bar shot up to the 100 mark on the y-axis, illustrating his point. Thea leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied it.
The Runepriest continued as he gestured to the screen, ¡°assuming you properly align your intent and will, and apply a stringent focus like you did earlier, you effectively multiply your energy output manifold. Based on what I observed, the intent you used earlier likely carried a multiplier of around 10 to 15 times your base energy.¡±
Another bar chart materialized on the screen next to the first.
This new bar shot up dramatically, soaring past the 1,000 mark on the y-axis and finally stabilizing around the 1,500 line.
¡°You can undoubtedly see the massive difference this already makes,¡± he remarked, his tone laced with approval. ¡°But when we add the influence of your Inheritance after the fact¡¡±
His words trailed off as a third bar chart appeared.
This one surged upward at an astonishing rate, its ascent almost mesmerizing.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as the numbers climbed higher and higher.
3,000¡ 6,000¡ 12,000¡
Her breath caught when the bar finally stopped its relentless rise, stabilizing around the 27,000 mark. Unlike the previous bars, this one bore a single label: ¡°Veritas.¡±
¡°The Veritas Inheritance,¡± the Runepriest began, turning his attention back to Thea, ¡°despite its seeming simplicity, is one of the most potent Inheritances in existence. Its power lies in its binary nature¡ªits absolute dedication to revealing Truth. What you sacrifice in versatility, you more than make up for in raw, unrelenting power.¡±
He gestured toward the towering bar on the chart. ¡°When applied to scenarios where its design fits perfectly¡ªlike breaking through an illusion or invisibility field¡ªVeritas can amplify your effective energy by 20 times or more. That is the true strength of an Inheritance, Thea. It doesn¡¯t merely supplement your Psychic Powers; it defines and enhances them in ways that raw power alone could never achieve.¡±
Thea swallowed, her gaze still fixed on the graph.
The Runepriest leaned back slightly, his voice softening but losing none of its authority. ¡°This is why your Inheritance will influence nearly every Psyker-related decision you make from this point onward. While it is entirely possible to use Psychic Powers without drawing on the strength of your Inheritance, I trust this little demonstration illustrates why it is rarely a wise choice. Letting Veritas guide and augment your efforts will almost always yield results far beyond what you could achieve alone.¡±
Thea nodded, though her attention remained locked on the graphs still floating in the air, her mind grappling with the implications of the Runepriest¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah, I can see that¡¡±
¡°Returning to your original question,¡± he said, catching Thea off-guard; she had almost entirely forgotten the query that had sparked this entire conversation. ¡°The answer becomes quite clear now: The enemy Psyker simply used more energy in their illusion than you could passively overcome with your Veritas-influenced [Eyes of the Void].¡±
The current bar charts vanished, replaced by two new ones. The first, labeled "Thea," showed a bar capping at around 4,000, while the second, labeled "Enemy," shot up to 6,000.
¡°These numbers are, of course, illustrative nonsense,¡± the Runepriest clarified, gesturing at the screen. ¡°But the point remains. Without additional intent or will behind your [Eyes of the Void], this represents the approximate limits of your passive Power¡¯s capability.¡±
He raised his hands slightly, a placating gesture as if preempting potential frustration. ¡°To be entirely clear, even this baseline capability is incredibly impressive. Your passive [Eyes of the Void] are sufficient to pierce through Tier 2 or even some Tier 3 stealth technology. Most Psykers below Tier 3 won¡¯t have the reserves or inclination to bolster their illusions to this extent, especially not preemptively. Unless you¡¯re regularly facing Prime Tier 3 Psykers¡ªor those above¡ªyou¡¯re more than equipped to handle most challenges in this regard as you are now.¡±
Despite the praise, Thea frowned, the explanation leaving her with more questions than answers. ¡°But¡ the Psyker we faced wasn¡¯t a Battlefield Ace. He couldn¡¯t have been more than Prime Tier 1 at best. How does that make sense, Runepriest?¡±
The Runepriest leaned back in his chair, a grin spreading across his face that spoke of plans unfolding exactly as intended. ¡°Surely, my dear pupil, you didn¡¯t expect to be the only one blessed with an Inheritance?¡±
Thea hesitated.
Of course, she had assumed others might have Inheritances. It was only logical.
But the Runepriest himself had emphasized Veritas¡¯s overwhelming potency in exposing hidden things. Even if the enemy Psyker had an Inheritance that enhanced their illusion, shouldn¡¯t her Veritas one have prevailed either way¡?
¡°No, of course not,¡± Thea replied, careful with her words. ¡°But you just explained how Veritas should be practically unmatched in revealing hidden truths. So, either I misunderstood something, or there¡¯s more to this equation that I¡¯m missing¡¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with approval. ¡°Good, good! I like that you¡¯re willing to challenge me. Very good!¡±
With a sharp snap of his fingers, the graph on the screen vanished, replaced by a glowing, intricate 12-pointed star. Each point on it shimmered faintly, connected by luminous lines that pulsed rhythmically like a beating heart.
¡°You are correct,¡± the Runepriest said, gesturing to the star. ¡°You are missing something. Something essential that I haven¡¯t explained yet: Inheritance Polarities. And I think it¡¯s high time we delve into them, don¡¯t you¡?¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 7 - Inheritance I
With a simple flick of his wrist, the Runepriest seemed to pluck the star from the holographic display between them, as though it were a tangible object, and bring it into reality.
It hovered above his right hand, spinning faintly, as he began to alter its size, making it grow larger with each subtle movement of his fingers.
¡°This Star,¡± he began, ¡°is merely a representation of the Inheritances and their Polarities, crafted specifically for teaching new Psykers.¡±
As he spoke, his fingers danced around the star, shaping it like a sculptor with clay. ¡°There are some flaws I take issue with¡ªits depiction of the Inheritances order within the Void is wrong, and it doesn¡¯t quite capture the interplay of the Inheritances as well as I¡¯d like¡ªbut it serves its purpose well enough. It¡¯s not perfect, but for our purposes, it¡¯ll do.¡±
Satisfied with his adjustments, he gave the star a slight nudge, sending it gliding gently toward Thea.
She watched, transfixed, as the now-larger object floated towards her, its size previously around the area of her palm, but now comparable to one of the pancakes she had eaten that morning.
It was a stunning 12-pointed star, gleaming as though it were crafted from polished silver or some other similarly gray-coloured, shiny metallic substance. Each point housed a gem, each one a different, vibrant color that seemed to pulse faintly, like the rhythmic beating of a heart.
Thea¡¯s eyes followed the gems, captivated by their shifting hues, until her gaze rested on the center of the star.
At its heart was what looked like a motionless, swirling spiral, placed within a perfectly circular frame. The spiral was crafted from twelve sleek, interlocking blades, each angled in a precise counterclockwise arrangement that converged at a singular point in the very center.
The intricate, iris-like design reminded Thea of the security hatches she had seen aboard the UHF space station and aboard the Sovereign as well, the kind used to seal ventilation and maintenance tunnels¡ªfunctional, yet strangely elegant in their construction.
¡°That¡¡± she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was something about it¡ªsomething familiar yet utterly alien.
The Runepriest caught the whisper and smiled knowingly. ¡°Yes... That is the representation of the Gate, as all Psykers perceive it. It is one of the very few constants in the Psychic world. No matter your Inheritance, your unlocked Powers, or your investment in Perception, Resolve, Psychic, or Presence, the Gate always appears just like this.¡±
Thea nodded slightly, unable to look away from the center of the star.
It looked exactly as it should¡ªyet she had no idea why she felt that way.
After all, she had never seen her Gate up close before¡ or had she?
A sudden, sharp pain pierced her head, like a bolt of lightning.
She winced, instinctively pressing her fingertips to her temples to ease the ache.
¡°Are you alright, Thea?¡± the Runepriest asked, his tone shifting from calm authority to genuine concern. ¡°If this is too overwhelming, tell me, and we can pause. The Psychic world is vast and complex, and we¡¯ll spend countless hours exploring it together. There¡¯s no need to push through discomfort right away.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said quickly, her words sharper than she intended. She dropped her hands from her temples and straightened up, forcing her expression to remain neutral.
Inside, though, her mind raced.
The last thing she wanted was for him to think she wasn¡¯t cut out for this¡ªshe could not afford to be cast aside, not now, not when she was finally beginning to understand what the fuck was happening to her and her strange Psychic Powers.
The Runepriest¡¯s gaze lingered on her, as though weighing her words, but he said nothing.
Taking a steadying breath, Thea glanced back at the star, letting its silvery light and shifting colors refocus her thoughts.
After a moment, she spoke, more carefully this time. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ the Gate,¡± she began hesitantly. ¡°It feels familiar somehow, even though I¡¯m positive I¡¯ve never seen it up close before¡ªnot like this, with all these details. I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s like it feels like I have seen it up close before, despite knowing I never have...¡±
The Runepriest tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable as he absorbed her words.
For a long moment, he appeared to sink into deep thought, his brow furrowing faintly. Then he offered, almost as though thinking aloud, ¡°It could be a remnant from your Awakening visions. Many Psykers catch glimpses of the Gate during that process, even if they don¡¯t necessarily recognize it as such at the time.¡±
¡°No,¡± Thea said immediately, her voice sharper than she¡¯d intended, surprising even herself.
She took a steadying breath, forcing the tension from her shoulders as she continued, her tone quieter but no less firm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that. I¡¯d remember if it was. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d forget anything about that nightmare.¡±
She paused, her jaw tightening as the spectre of those memories loomed at the edges of her mind, threatening to push their way in.
Her voice dropped to a murmur, almost as if speaking aloud might make the memories more real. ¡°That¡ horror-show is burned into my mind. Which, by the way, I definitely have a lot of questions about.¡± She swallowed, shaking her head slightly. ¡°But this¡ªthis is different.¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s eyes lit up with something between amusement and approval, and a booming laugh burst from him, echoing in the vast training hall.
¡°Good! Very good,¡± he said, his tone suddenly warm, like a proud mentor praising a pupil. ¡°I¡¯d hope you do have questions about it, Thea. If you didn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be worth teaching. Curiosity, even when it stirs up the deepest, most primal kind of terror within you, is the mark of a true learner¡ªa worthy pupil, indeed!¡±
His laughter faded, and his expression turned serious as he leaned slightly closer, his sharp gaze fixed on her. ¡°That said, it is puzzling why you might not remember the Gate¡ Much like the Gate¡¯s appearance is immutable among Psykers, so is the memory of it. Everyone remembers their first time seeing their own Gate up close, whether they realize it¡¯s the Gate at the time or not¡¡±
He cupped his chin as he sank into thought, a low, resonant hum escaping him¡ªa sound Thea had already grown familiar with during her time in the training hall so far.
Thea¡¯s eyes drifted once more to the center of the star, unable to look away from the spiral¡¯s intricate design. Her thoughts churned, searching for answers she couldn¡¯t quite grasp.
¡®The Gate¡ Why is it so familiar¡?¡¯
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the Runepriest¡¯s steady hum, which filled the air like a strange, rhythmic background noise. It was almost comforting in its familiarity, even as her own unease refused to dissipate.
Half a minute passed in near silence, with Thea staring intently at the center of the star, her thoughts a tangled knot of questions, and the Runepriest stroking his chin, lost in his own musings.
Finally, the Runepriest broke the quiet, his deep voice gently resonating through the training hall.
¡°That is a very puzzling thing indeed,¡± he began. ¡°But it seems we won¡¯t come to any real conclusions about it right now. I do have a few ideas on how we might jog your memory, but honestly, it¡¯s not a pressing matter. There¡¯s no inherent benefit to recalling the details of your Gate¡ªas long as you¡¯re already able to open and close it at will. And according to the Assessment reports I reviewed about you, that¡¯s something you¡¯re capable of doing.¡±
Thea nodded confidently at the implied question.
If there was one thing she was sure of in her Psychic abilities, it was this.
Opening and closing her Gate had been the first thing she¡¯d focused on learning after the nightmare that had been her Awakening, to make sure it had no chance of happening again¡ªsince, at the time, she hadn¡¯t realised the Awakening was a one-time thing.
¡°Very well,¡± the Runepriest said, giving a firm nod of approval. ¡°Then let¡¯s move forward with the Inheritance Polarities for now. We¡¯ll circle back to your Awakening questions and memory exercises later in the session, if that works for you. The two are closely connected, you see¡ªjogging your memory will be much easier when we are already having you dive deep into your memories to recall something else.¡±
¡°That is fine with me, Runepriest. Thank you for your consideration,¡± Thea replied, inclining her head in a polite bow.
The Runepriest waved a hand dismissively, as though brushing away an errant fly. ¡°No need for that, child. We¡¯ve much to cover, and formality like that wastes time. Now, let us continue with this," he gestured toward the holographic display.
¡°There are twelve Inheritances that exist,¡± the Runepriest began, gesturing toward the glowing star before them. ¡°Each one is represented by a point of the star and a colored gem. Every Inheritance has its own unique color, and that, as far as we can tell, is a hard-set fact of the universe. These colors are immutable¡ªunchanging¡ªjust like the appearance of the Gate, no matter how someone tries to interpret them.¡±
He paused, a faint chuckle escaping him as if amused by a memory. ¡°As a matter of fact, this was tested extensively: When Psykers first became a studied subject, scholars were utterly baffled. Every single Psyker who could perceive the colors described them exactly the same way, regardless of their cultural, societal, or planetary backgrounds.¡±
Thea¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, a question forming in her mind, but she chose not to interrupt, her curiosity held in check by the Runepriest¡¯s storytelling.
¡°They even tried to see if color-blind individuals would perceive the colors differently,¡± he continued, his voice tinged with amusement. ¡°You can imagine how tricky that was¡ªasking someone to describe a color they¡¯ve literally never seen before or even have the capacity to perceive. It was¡ well, a fascinating mess.¡±
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as though sharing some grand, forbidden secret. ¡°But the real intrigue came with the later trials. The scholars asked themselves, ¡®What about people who were born completely blind? People who have never had a single photon of light touch their retinas¡ªcould they perceive the same colors?¡¯¡±
Thea found herself leaning in without realizing it, drawn by the quiet intensity of his words.
Her eyes widened as the implications began to sink in. The idea of conducting an experiment like that was downright mind-boggling. ¡®How would you even begin to¡?¡¯ she wondered. ¡®How could someone who¡¯s never seen light begin to perceive colors, and how could they describe them in any meaningful way?¡¯
¡°They struggled with that very question for decades,¡± the Runepriest continued. ¡°Progress was painfully slow, and for the longest time, it seemed impossible to make any real breakthroughs¡ that is, until the Allbright System appeared.¡±
Thea straightened slightly at that, her curiosity piqued even further.
She knew, intrinsically, that the System was an unfathomable entity of unimaginable power, of course, but she hadn¡¯t heard much about the advent of the System. Of the early years after it suddenly appeared, much less about how it impacted humanity as a whole.
¡°With the advent of the System,¡± the Runepriest explained, ¡°humanity was granted tools that would have been otherwise deemed impossible¡ªnot just tools of war, but tools that revolutionized science as well. You see, not every Ability granted by the System is designed purely for combat. Most have applications that reach far beyond the battlefield.¡±
He waved his hand over the holographic datascreen, and a new display materialized in the air before him. A shortened System Ability description flickered into view, its format instantly recognizable to Thea from her own Abilities and the ones she¡¯d reviewed together with the rest of Alpha Squad.
The Runepriest turned the screen toward her, waiting patiently as her eyes scanned the text.
| [Active (Silver) - Beholder¡¯s Eyes]
Allows the Participant to see through the eyes of another. This connection breaks if the two Participants are beyond a specified distance from each other. |
¡°As it turns out,¡± the Runepriest continued after she finished reading, ¡°the System doesn¡¯t particularly care whether the eyes in question are functional or not. Even for those born blind, this Ability can do two remarkable things. First, it grants them sight through another person¡¯s eyes. And second¡ªand far more fascinating¡ªit allows others to perceive how the other individual¡¯s brain interprets visual input, even if their own eyes have never functioned, and thus, their brain has never interpreted visual inputs at all.¡±
Thea¡¯s mouth fell open slightly as the implications hit her. ¡°So¡ they could see what blind people ¡®see¡¯?¡± she asked hesitantly, trying to wrap her mind around the concept.
¡°Exactly,¡± the Runepriest said with a nod. ¡°Using this Ability, scientists were able to confirm, after much trial and error¡ªand, admittedly, after a few participants became¡ let¡¯s just say mentally indisposed by their brains¡¯ inability to process unfamiliar visual data¡ªthat even blind people naturally perceive the Inheritances in these exact twelve colors. Isn¡¯t that fascinating? A phenomenon so universal that even the complete and utter absence of sight cannot change it at all.¡±
Thea nodded slowly, her brow furrowing in thought. ¡°It really is fascinating,¡± she admitted. ¡°Strange, but¡ definitely fascinating. To think that something like that is just¡ universal to such an overwhelming degree¡¡±
Her earlier question bubbled to the surface again, and before she could second-guess herself or the Runepriest started another one of his stories, she asked, ¡°But what did you mean earlier, about the people who can perceive the colors of the Inheritances? Is there something specific needed for that?¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s face lit up, his expression one of approval and excitement.
¡°Ah, a sharp question, Thea! I¡¯m glad you asked. Yes, there is indeed a requirement. Only a very particular type of Psyker can actively see the colours of the universe around them; or rather, only a Psyker with a very particular Inheritance.¡±
He gestured toward the star with a sweeping motion, its vibrant points shimmering in the air between them. ¡°Much like you have the Veritas Inheritance, which allows your [Eyes of the Void] Power to reveal the Truth of the universe as the Void perceives it, this other Inheritance grants a similar capability. It allows the [Eyes of the Void] Power, when channelled through it, to show the colours of the universe as the Void perceives them¡ªincluding the colours of Inheritances within any individual you look at.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she considered this. ¡°So¡ someone with this Inheritance can just look at a person and see what their Inheritance is? Like, directly?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Precisely,¡± the Runepriest said, his voice steady and deliberate. ¡°It¡¯s a powerful tool for gathering information in warfare, but it¡¯s much more than that. This singular Inheritance has shaped our understanding of all Inheritances and the interplay between them. Without it, much of what we know today might have remained an unsolvable mystery forever.¡±
He leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto Thea¡¯s.
With a deliberate gesture, he pointed to the iridescent white gem positioned at the 11-o¡¯clock point of the star.
¡°This,¡± he said, his tone heavy with significance, ¡°is your Inheritance, Thea. Veritas. Represented by the colour universally agreed upon as ¡®Luminous White.¡¯ It embodies the fundamental aspect of the Void that governs Truth¡ªboth the Void¡¯s Truth and the Truth as it manifests within our universe.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes followed his hand to the glowing gem, but her mind was already struggling to keep up with the explanation.
¡°You¡¯ve already experienced some of its capabilities,¡± the Runepriest continued. ¡°Through your [Eyes of the Void] Power, you can pierce through stealth, see perfectly in darkness, and shatter illusions. Anything that stands between your eyes and the Truth is directly countered when your [Eyes of the Void] Power is channeled through the lens of your Veritas Inheritance. This is the fundamental essence of your Inheritance¡ªit is a force that ensures clarity, no matter what forces attempt to obscure it; be it technology, another Psyker, or even physics itself, such as with the absence of light.¡±
Despite her best efforts, Thea felt her thoughts tangling into knots as she tried to follow the explanation about channeling and lenses. The words made sense, but their combined meaning and complexity pressed down on her like a heavy book she couldn¡¯t quite open.
She had used her Powers like this before, but the terms the Runepriest was using about Powers, channeling and lenses, were things that felt harder to grasp than expected.
For the umpteenth time in the past hour, she found herself wishing Karania were there.
Her genius friend would have broken the Runepriest¡¯s intricate teachings into smaller, more Thea-friendly chunks, complete with step-by-step tutorials she could actually understand.
The worst part was, that she didn¡¯t even feel like the Runepriest was a bad teacher; the topic was simply too complicated for her to understand on the quick like this.
The Runepriest paused in his explanation as though sensing her struggle.
With a slight shift in his posture, he leaned back in his chair, raising a hand.
A shimmering light formed in the air, solidifying into the shape of a giant lens. It looked almost comical, like a disembodied half of a giant¡¯s glasses, floating impossibly in the training hall between them.
¡°Let me show you,¡± the Runepriest said softly, his tone warm and reassuring as the enormous lens hovered in the air between them, refracting light in mesmerizing patterns.
¡°Sometimes, seeing is easier than understanding through words alone.¡±
Thea leaned forward in her chair, her gaze fixed on the lens.
She desperately hoped this demonstration would clarify the concepts that had slipped just beyond her grasp, much like the previous one with the rocks had done.
The Runepriest, thankfully, seemed to have a knack for breaking things down into digestible pieces¡ªthough it often took her a second or third attempt to fully grasp them.
¡°Let¡¯s start with [Eyes of the Void] as our baseline Power for this explanation,¡± he began, his voice calm but deliberate. ¡°This Power allows your eyes¡ªyour literal sight, as shaped by your Perception¡ªto see as the Void itself does.¡±
As he spoke, he waved a hand, summoning a small, chibi version of Thea¡¯s head that floated into view. Its exaggerated, cartoonish features brought an involuntary smile to Thea¡¯s face.
¡®Cute¡!¡¯
The Runepriest continued, gesturing toward the floating chibi head. ¡°In its raw form, [Eyes of the Void] doesn¡¯t actually reveal much of anything. Our universe¡¯s physical laws are far more dominant than those of the Void, at least in this plane of existence. Without any specific focus through an Inheritance, using [Eyes of the Void] is essentially like looking with your normal eyesight¡ªa complete waste of Psychic Energy.¡±
To illustrate his point, the Runepriest directed the chibi-Thea toward the lens.
The tiny, animated head furrowed its brows dramatically as it peered through the lens, first from one side, then the other, its exaggerated expressions somehow making the demonstration both clearer and more amusing.
Thea watched intently.
Yet, as the chibi floated back and forth, she did notice that nothing seemed to change at all.
Whether the chibi-Thea head peered through the lens from her side or the opposite, there was no discernible difference in what it saw¡ªeverything remained unchanged.
¡°See?¡± the Runepriest said, his tone playful but with an unmistakable air of instruction. ¡°Without an Inheritance to channel it, [Eyes of the Void] is completely inert¡ªno more than your regular sight.¡±
He straightened slightly, his expression shifting to one of focus. ¡°This changes dramatically, however, when you use your Inheritance as intended: As a lens for your Power. Powers are the basic applications of your Psychic Energy¡ªthey set the shape and initial parameters for what you, as a Psyker, can do. Your Inheritance, then, acts like a lens, bending and reshaping that foundation in its own unique way, depending on which Inheritance is being used.¡±
With a flick of his wrist, the lens hovering between them shifted, taking on a yellow hue.
¡°Think of it as placing a sheet of coloured, translucent paper over a pane of glass. The glass itself doesn¡¯t change, but everything you see through it is tinted by the paper.¡±
The chibi-Thea head on the opposite side of the lens now appeared with a yellow tint, as if viewed through a poorly tinted window.
¡°Each Inheritance has its own ¡®colour,¡¯ so to speak,¡± the Runepriest continued, the lens shifting again, now cycling through red, green, blue, white, and back to yellow. ¡°This colour metaphorically ¡®tints¡¯ the outcome of your Power, giving it a distinct influence. While the Power itself remains the same, the way it manifests¡ªthe perception of what you see¡ªchanges depending on the lens of your Inheritance. For Veritas, your Inheritance, this manifests in the abilities I¡¯ve mentioned before: Breaking illusions, seeing through stealth, and perceiving perfectly even in complete darkness.¡±
As he spoke, the lens changed yet again.
This time, it wasn¡¯t colored; instead, it seemed to warp and distort everything visible through it.
Thea squinted at the chibi-Thea head, confused as nothing appeared to change¡ªuntil suddenly, she realized the floating figure had transformed into a chibi version of the Runepriest.
¡°Wha¡ª?¡± Thea began, her words faltering as her mind struggled to process the unexpected shift.
The Runepriest gave a knowing smile and flicked his fingers again, causing the chibi head to float around the lens.
The moment it left the lens¡¯ reach, it reverted back to the familiar chibi-Thea.
¡°A simple illusion,¡± the Runepriest explained matter-of-factly. ¡°The head you see now, representing me, was covered by an illusion of your own face this entire time. The Veritas lens merely revealed the Truth behind it, breaking the illusion completely. Without the Veritas lens, the illusion remains intact and you see yourself, instead of me.¡±
Thea stared at the lens, understanding beginning to sink in as her mind replayed the demonstration.
The chibi-Thea¡¯s transformation into the Runepriest¡¯s likeness was jarring, but the way Veritas so effortlessly stripped away the deception left her awed.
¡°This fundamental idea of the Inheritance lensing applies to all Powers, not just [Eyes of the Void],¡± the Runepriest continued.
With a snap of his fingers, the lens dissolved into a shimmer of light, and the chibi-Thea head floated for a moment longer before bursting like a balloon.
Thea couldn¡¯t help but flinch slightly at the sudden pop.
¡°With other Powers, this lensing effect becomes a lot more esoteric and complicated to explain, which is why I didn¡¯t lead with them,¡± he added. ¡°Powers don¡¯t need to be used through an Inheritance lens, but as you¡¯ve seen with the scaling example earlier, you¡¯ll quickly understand why you almost always want to as a Psyker. Inheritances are massive power multipliers, but they come at the cost of versatility. You can¡¯t change the nature of your Inheritance, only how much of it you choose to channel into a given Power.¡±
The Runepriest rose unexpectedly from his chair, his movement startling Thea.
She struggled with indecision of heavily ingrained instincts¡ªshould she stand as well, as she was taught during basic; or remain seated like he had said at the start of the lesson?
Her uncertainty must have shown, as he made a subtle hand gesture signaling her to remain seated, and she relaxed slightly, grateful for the clarity.
He stepped closer, his boots tapping softly against the floor, and knelt before her.
Stretching out his hand, he conjured a tiny flame that flickered to life in his palm, its warm glow casting gentle light across his features.
¡°Let¡¯s use a Fireball as an example,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s one of the first Powers a Psyker exploring any of the Fire Paths unlocks. Its simplicity makes it easy to understand, and the changes an Inheritance makes to it are significant enough for a clear demonstration.¡±
He paused, the flame dancing steadily in his hand, before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°For the sake of completeness, I must admit we¡¯re glossing over an entire segment of Psychic tutoring here¡ªIntent. It¡¯s a critical piece of the puzzle, but it¡¯s far too dense to tackle today. My old teacher would crucify me for skipping it¡ªshe was an absolute stickler for doing things by the book¡ªbut trust me when I say we¡¯ll get to it in due time. For now, let¡¯s keep things manageable.¡±
Thea nodded quickly, relief flooding through her.
¡®Simpler is definitely better!¡¯ she thought, grateful for the Runepriest¡¯s decision to prioritize clarity over overwhelming detail today. There was so much to learn, that even just the basics were far too overwhelming at first glance.
Thea leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed on the tiny flame dancing in the Runepriest¡¯s outstretched hand, eager to see what came next.
¡°Thank you,¡± the Runepriest muttered unexpectedly, his tone soft and genuine, as if Thea had just done him a great favor.
She blinked, momentarily taken aback, unsure of what she¡¯d done to warrant his gratitude.
But before she could ask, he carried on, his tone returning to its usual instructional cadence.
¡°The humble Fireball Power,¡± he began, ¡°is as straightforward as it sounds. It conjures a burning flame that can be thrown and explodes upon reaching its destination or impact. For this demonstration, we¡¯ll use its most basic functionality¡ªno complex Intent, no Inheritances¡ªjust a straight trajectory and an explosive impact, much like a grenade. As a Marine, you should be intimately familiar with grenades from your pre-Integration basic training, so this should be easy enough to follow.¡±
Thea nodded quickly when she noticed the Runepriest had paused, clearly waiting for her approval to proceed.
¡°So, let¡¯s start with how it functions by default,¡± he said.
With a small motion of his fingers, the flame rose from his palm, hovering in midair for a moment before shooting forward, propelled by an invisible force.
It streaked through the air in a perfectly straight line, cutting through the air with a truly unnatural grace. The tiny flame soared roughly thirty meters, slamming into the treeline at the far edge of the clearing.The impact triggered an explosion, sending a large fireball roaring outward and scattering smaller flames like shrapnel from a grenade.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened at the spectacle, her pulse quickening at the sheer destructive potential of something so seemingly simple.
The trajectory alone was mesmerizing.
The flame hadn¡¯t arched or wavered at all¡ªit had flown in a flawlessly straight line, as if gravity, air resistance, and the rules of physics themselves had simply bowed out of its path.
¡®Damn,¡¯ she thought, her mind immediately conjuring scenarios where such a Power could have been a game changer. ¡®I wish I had that during the Assessment¡!¡¯
The idea of an endless supply of grenades that flew perfectly straight, required no space to carry, and seemingly ignored the laws of nature was almost intoxicating.
The Runepriest¡¯s soft chuckle drew Thea¡¯s attention back to him. She met his gaze, her own excitement mirrored by the thoroughly amused expression on his face.
¡°If this is already enough to spark your awe,¡± he teased, his smile widening, ¡°then we¡¯ll need to take things very slowly. Otherwise, I might lose my newest potential pupil to a heart attack¡ªor something equally as dramatic¡ªfar too early.¡±
Thea felt her face begin to flush and was about to school her expression into something more neutral, but before she could even put the thought into action, the Runepriest raised both hands in a placating gesture.
¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said gently, his tone surprisingly earnest. ¡°Please, don¡¯t. Just¡ let yourself react as naturally as you need to. Enjoy this moment¡ªseeing the world of a Psyker for the first time¡ªexactly as it feels to you. It¡¯s been far, far too long since I¡¯ve seen someone truly infatuated, awestruck, and delighted by Psychic Powers. It¡¯s¡ refreshing.¡±
There was something in his voice¡ªa faint undertone of loneliness that Thea couldn¡¯t quite place. It lingered in the air for a moment, leaving her unsure of what to say.
But considering the Runepriest seemed to be many, many decades, if not centuries, old, the thought didn¡¯t seem entirely out of place.
¡®It makes sense,¡¯ she thought quietly. ¡®It must be lonely to be that far above everyone else¡¡¯
¡°I will, Runepriest,¡± she promised earnestly despite the whirlwind of thoughts in her head.
The Runepriest¡¯s grin widened at her words, his amusement softening into something closer to satisfaction. ¡°Wonderful!¡± he exclaimed, clapping his hands together lightly before conjuring another flame into existence.
¡°Now,¡± he continued, the small flame flickering between his fingers, ¡°let us see what happens when we apply an Inheritance to the very same Fireball Power. Take note: This is the exact same Power, with the exact same Intent. I won¡¯t be influencing either of those factors at all. Nor will I add more Energy to it. The only difference is that I¡¯ll be channeling my own Inheritance through it.¡±
Thea¡¯s focus sharpened as she watched intently, wondering what kind of Inheritance someone as powerful as the Runepriest might possess and what its effects could possibly look like.
Slowly, the flame in his hand began to shift.
Its usual candle-like form melted away, replaced by a more unified, almost serene structure.
The erratic, flickering edges disappeared, leaving behind a perfectly smooth, glowing sphere.
It wasn¡¯t just a ball of fire¡ªit was something more refined.
The colors shifted naturally, with deep blue at its core, fading outward into rings of yellow, orange, and red, like a candle flame suspended in a place without gravity.
¡°My Inheritance is the same one we mentioned earlier: Aurae,¡± the Runepriest explained. ¡°The Inheritance that allows one to see the colours of things. It means, ¡°Aura¡± and is the fourth one clockwise from the top, represented by the colour of ¡®Radiant Gold.¡¯¡±
He gestured toward the corresponding point on the star, the golden gem gleaming faintly. ¡°When applied to a Power, such as the Fireball, Aurae bends its shape to follow the principles of an aura, making the Power adhere more to their rules than to the rules of physics. Watch closely.¡±
With a subtle motion, he sent the perfectly spherical flame rushing forward, its trajectory mirroring the previous Fireball exactly. It streaked through the air in a flawless straight line, the bright glow reflecting off the trees in the distance.
When it reached the same spot as before, roughly thirty meters away, something unexpected happened.
Instead of exploding in a violent burst or sending fiery shrapnel in all directions, the flame expanded gently, like a bubble growing in slow motion.
The fire began to spread outward, but it didn¡¯t touch the bark or leaves of the surrounding trees. Instead, the flames hovered just beside them, as if respecting their personal space.
The air around the trees shimmered faintly, as though the flames were burning something invisible rather than the physical objects themselves.
Then, just as suddenly as it had grown, the giant ball of fire vanished¡ªnot in an explosion, not with a pop or an implosion, but in a way that was unnervingly quiet. It simply dissipated, as though it had never been there, leaving behind the strange, flickering flames that continued to lick the air near the trees.
¡°What¡ What am I seeing here?¡± Thea asked, her voice tinged with confusion and wonder.
She leaned forward slightly, her brows knitting as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Something about the flames was fundamentally different¡ªthey existed, yet they didn¡¯t consume. They burned, yet they left no trace of destruction on the bark or the leaves.
The Runepriest smiled faintly, the look of a teacher who had anticipated this very question.
¡°You¡¯re seeing a demonstration of how the Aurae Inheritance alters the nature of a Power,¡± the Runepriest explained. ¡°These flames are no longer governed by the physical laws of our universe. Instead, they burn within the conceptual space of auras. They embody heat, fire, and destruction, but these effects manifest solely within the aura layer¡ªthey never touch the physical layer directly. We could walk right through them and not feel a thing.¡±
He gestured toward the flickering flames with a subtle wave of his hand. ¡°The flames you see now? That¡¯s the tree¡¯s aura burning¡ªbeing consumed and destroyed, piece by piece, until the tree itself dies. No water can extinguish it, no oxygen is needed for it to burn. It is simply aura being consumed as fuel for the fire that will inevitably erase it.¡±
The Runepriest fell silent, motioning for Thea to keep watching.
Her eyes remained glued to the mesmerizingly silent flames, their flickering movements consuming the invisible aura of the tree bit by bit.
At first, it seemed like nothing was happening.
The tree stood tall, its leaves unshaken, its bark unmarked.
But as she continued to watch, the subtle changes became impossible to miss.
The bark began to ripple, its once-smooth surface cracking and splitting, the edges curling inward as it dried. The vibrant green leaves shifted, the color fading as if seasons were rushing through them in mere seconds. They turned yellow, then deep red, then brown, before they crumbled away entirely, falling silently to the ground.
Even the branches themselves started to react.
They curled inward, twisting unnaturally as the Aurae flames continued their relentless work.
Thin cracks appeared along their lengths, growing larger until, one by one, the branches splintered and broke, falling with a soft snap into the growing pile of debris below.
In mere minutes, the tree had been reduced to nothing but an empty husk.
Its once-sturdy trunk was hollow, the bark brittle and paper-thin.
The flames, as if sensing their task was complete, winked out of existence without a sound, leaving behind a hauntingly barren silhouette surrounded by dried, brittle branches and crumbling leaves scattered on the ground like ashes.
Thea exhaled slowly with wide eyes, her breath catching in her throat.
The display was both breathtaking and thoroughly horrifying.
It was all too easy for her to imagine this fire having been applied to a human¡¯s aura, instead of a tree¡¯s¡
Volume 2 - Chapter 8 - Inheritance II
Staring at the husked remains of the trees, Thea felt a pressing question rise to the forefront of her mind. Turning toward the Runepriest, she asked, ¡°How¡ How would anyone ever survive this? If you can¡¯t extinguish the flame because you can¡¯t touch it¡ Do you just, like¡ die if you get hit? Kind of like IgT-compound? How would I defend against it if I didn¡¯t even see it coming?¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s face lit up with excitement as he clapped his hands together, the sound sharp in the now-silent clearing. Pointing his fingers at her with a wide smile, he said, ¡°Great question! And the answer is as easy as it is complex. But I¡¯ll try to keep it as simple as possible, considering how far we are into your Psychic studies.
¡°There are generally three ways to defend against any given Psychic Power,¡± he began, raising his left hand, starting to count off from zero with his fingers.
¡°First¡ªand most commonly considered the primary avenue of defense¡ªis Resolve. Unlike these trees, which possess an aura like all things do to some degree, humans also possess Resolve. Whether you¡¯re Integrated or not, everyone has some level of Resolve. The only exception, of course, is Nulls¡ªbut we¡¯ll discuss those later.¡±
¡®Nulls?¡¯ The word echoed in Thea¡¯s mind, ringing with a faint familiarity. After a brief pause, it clicked. ¡®Right, Zach mentioned something about them during the Assessment¡ Something about their Gates being the opposite of ours as Psykers¡?¡¯
The Runepriest carried on, unfazed by her wandering thoughts. ¡°Resolve is the fundamental defense against anything Void-related. The more Resolve you have, the more resilient you are to anything a Psyker does to directly affect you. Pay attention to my wording there: Directly affect you. If a Psyker drops a tank on your head, for instance, your Resolve won¡¯t save you¡ªbecause the Psyker isn¡¯t directly affecting you. The tank is.¡±
Thea blinked.
¡®Wait what¡ Psykers can just do that? Drop a fucking tank on people?¡¯
The sheer absurdity of the image left her caught off guard.
The Runepriest must have noticed the look on her face because he gave her a playful wink, as if dropping a tank on someone¡¯s head was merely a casual example rather than a horrifyingly practical application.
¡°We¡¯ll delve deeper into the specifics of Resolve and its interaction with Psykers and their Powers later, when we cover all the Attributes in that regard,¡± the Runepriest elaborated, his tone even but with an undercurrent of emphasis. ¡°For now, just know that Resolve can drastically reduce the effects of something like the Fireball I just demonstrated.¡±
He raised his second and third fingers briefly, punctuating his words. ¡°The second and third methods of defense are Psyker-exclusive¡ªor require a very, very specific subset of Allbright System Abilities to exploit. For that reason, they¡¯re generally not considered viable options for non-Psykers.¡±
With a flick of his wrist, he lowered his third finger, leaving only two standing.
¡°The second option, simple yet effective: Cut off the affected area,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°There are quite a number of Psychic Powers and Inheritances that cause continuous effects¡ªthings that consume or destroy over time. These lingering effects can often be stopped by simply removing the affected area from the greater whole. Think of it like amputating an infected limb to stop the spread of an infection to more vital parts.¡±
He gestured toward the tree husks nearby, their brittle remnants standing as a reminder to the Aurae-fire¡¯s destructive capabilities. ¡°In the case of Aurae-fire, this principle still applies, though it requires a bit more effort. Cutting off an Aura is more complicated than removing a physical limb, but the logic is the same: Isolate and remove the affected portions of the Aura to protect the rest from further damage. Once the afflicted portion is severed, the rest of the Aura is no longer at risk. Simple enough, right?¡±
Thea nodded thoughtfully, the concept clicking into place easily. It made a lot of sense, especially in light of her own, recent experiences. The split-second decisions required during the IgT-bombardment on the eastern front during the Assessment came to mind immediately.
She remembered the chaos, the rapidly spreading devastation, and the critical, life-saving actions taken by the Heavies that had escorted her and Lucas back to the safety of the trenches.
Finally, the Runepriest raised his third finger again, a playful smirk spreading across his face. ¡°And the third, final method is where we circle back to your original question, in a way: Polarities.¡±
He gestured toward the Inheritance Polarity Star still hovering gently at Thea¡¯s side, the points of colours glimmering faintly. ¡°For every Inheritance, there is effectively an exact opposite¡ªits Polarity. Much like magnetic fields have a north and a south pole that attract or repel each other, Inheritances follow the same principle. This is what we refer to as Polarities. The Polarity of the Aurae Inheritance is the Nihilus Inheritance, represented by the Abyss Black colour.¡±
He pointed toward the pitch-black gem at the 9-o¡¯clock position on the star, directly opposite the Radiant Gold gem representing his own Aurae Inheritance.
¡°A Nihilus Psyker,¡± the Runepriest continued, ¡°is the exact antithesis to me in terms of Inheritance. If given the exact same Power, Intent, and Energy, their Nihilus-Fireball would directly cancel out my Aurae-Fireball, resulting in what we call a Voiding. When Psychic Powers of opposite Polarities clash, they neutralize each other in an instant.¡±
To illustrate, the Runepriest conjured two spheres of light before Thea.
One mirrored the Aurae-Fireball from earlier. The other was its opposite¡ªviscerally black, so unnaturally dark it seemed to flatten into two dimensions, as if the concept of depth itself had abandoned it.
He brought the two spheres together slowly, and as they touched, they collapsed into each other with a brief, soundless implosion, winking out of existence.
¡°Much like this demonstration,¡± he said, turning back to her, ¡°the Powers cancel each other out entirely, provided they are close enough in overall Psychic Energy. If we refer back to our numbers example from earlier, a Polarity Voiding would require the two opposing Powers to be within roughly 10-15% of each other¡¯s energy level to trigger the effect. Outside of that range, the stronger Power would simply crush and absorb the weaker one, resulting in an overall more powerful effect.¡±
He gestured toward the space where the two spheres had vanished. ¡°Of course, this demonstration isn¡¯t a perfect representation, as well. As an Aurae Psyker, I can¡¯t actually conjure Powers through another Inheritance. What you saw were just illusions I created to help visualize the concept.¡±
His playful smirk returned as he chuckled softly, before adding with a thoughtful tone in his voice, ¡°That¡¯s probably something to note: All Psykers can only ever have one Inheritance; which is set at the inception of your Soul. You are born with a specific Inheritance, which is why we refer to them as such, and it cannot be changed.¡±
Thea nodded, her eyes lingering on the empty space where the two spheres had vanished.
The demonstration had been simple but deeply illuminating.
¡°So¡ what you¡¯re saying is that, at the end of the Assessment¡¡± she began, her voice measured as she worked through the thought, ¡°I ran into a Psyker who was my Polarity. That¡¯s why my Veritas [Eyes of the Void] couldn¡¯t pierce their Illusions. I was actually making their Illusions stronger by continuously pumping my own Psychic Energy into their Power¡?¡±
She trailed off, her brow furrowing as she pieced the idea together, overlaying the Runepriest¡¯s explanation onto her memory of those final, chaotic moments during the Assessment.
The realization was unsettling, but it also explained the inexplicable struggle she¡¯d faced, where her usually reliable Power had felt completely useless against her opponent.
The Runepriest¡¯s face lit up with excitement as Thea finished speaking, his animated demeanor almost childlike in its enthusiasm. ¡°Exactly!¡± he exclaimed, clapping his hands together before pulling the Polarity Star closer to them.
He gestured toward the 11 -o¡¯clock position on the star, where a Luminous White gem gleamed with a soft, radiant glow.
¡°Here,¡± he said, pointing to the gem, ¡°is your Inheritance: Veritas. The Truth. It embodies the clarity and unfiltered Truth of the Void; an Inheritance capable of piercing through deception and illusions to reveal what the Void understands about our universe in its most fundamental form. This is your foundation, your core as a Psyker.¡±
Without pausing, he moved his hand to the exact opposite side of the star, at the 5-o¡¯clock position, where a gem of deep Royal Purple shimmered faintly.
¡°And here,¡± he continued, his tone turning slightly more serious, ¡°is the Polarity of Veritas: the Obscuritas Inheritance. Where Veritas brings Truth into focus, Obscuritas excels in obscuring that very Truth. It thrives in deception, illusions, and hiding the very reality you strive to reveal.¡±
He tapped the purple gem gently. ¡°This is the Inheritance your assailant wielded during the Assessment. Their Obscuritas Powers directly countered your Veritas Powers. Every time you channeled more Psychic Energy to try and overcome their Illusions, you unknowingly fed their strength, allowing them to bolster their deception even further. Polarity at its most effective.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes darted between the two gems, the Luminous White and the Royal Purple, her thoughts racing as the full picture began to take shape.
¡°So¡ I was doomed from the start, then?¡± she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.
¡°No, no, not quite that drastic!¡± the Runepriest interjected immediately, holding up a hand to calm her. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, here. Just because Polarities can cannibalize each other¡¯s Energies doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re bound to lose every head-to-head clash. Especially in something like illusions and the attempts to pierce them¡ªthere¡¯s a lot more going on than a simple numbers game.¡±
The Runepriest cupped his chin, his familiar gesture of contemplation, his gaze momentarily drifting as he seemed to weigh how best to explain.
After a brief pause, he nodded to himself and snapped his fingers.
Above his hand, two small, glowing representations appeared¡ªa white sphere representing Veritas and a purple one for Obscuritas.
¡°Let me break it down,¡± he said, meeting Thea¡¯s gaze again. ¡°When a Psyker uses a Power with a consistent effect¡ªnot something straightforward like a Fireball, but something complex like illusions with an ongoing, continuous effect¡ªthey have to consider two additional factors beyond the usual Power, Intent, and Inheritance: Peak Energy Drain and Continuous Energy Drain.¡±
Thea tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±
¡°Peak Energy Drain is the initial amount of energy the Psyker has to invest to set the effect in motion.¡± He tapped the purple sphere, which pulsed brightly for a moment before shrinking slightly. ¡°It¡¯s like the cost of activation; just like how you pay Focus and Stamina for your Allbright System Abilities. Continuous Energy Drain, on the other hand,¡±¡ªhe flicked his finger, and a smaller thread of light extended from the sphere, glowing faintly¡ª¡°is the ongoing cost of maintaining the effect. It is automatically set to one one-hundredth of the Peak Energy Drain value, but can be increased after casting at will. It can, however, not be reduced.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes followed the thread, watching as it seemed to siphon energy from an unseen source. ¡°So, the Continuous Drain just¡ keeps going as long as the effect is active? Won¡¯t you run out of Energy then, at some point?¡±
¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why most Psykers choose an initial Peak Energy Drain that does not exceed one-hundred times their natural regeneration; to maintain, at the very least, an equilibrium of Energy,¡± the Runepriest said, nodding.
¡°Now, here¡¯s where Polarities come into play.¡± He moved the white sphere closer to the purple white one, and as they neared, a shimmering thread of energy stretched from the purple sphere to the white one. ¡°When two opposing Polarities interact, the Energy you channel is partially cannibalized by your opponent¡¯s Power, if you cannot beat it outright. This cannibalized Energy is added to their Power¡¯s reserves, which feeds their Continuous Energy Drain.¡±
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Thea noticed how the shimmering thread seemed to form a smaller bubble of purple energy attached to the larger sphere, rather than gradually increasing the size of the sphere itself as she¡¯d initially expected. The strange interaction deepened her intrigue, her brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of it.
¡°But¡ if I keep raising my energy to break through, won¡¯t I just keep feeding their illusion more and more?¡± she asked.
¡°Yes, you will feed it,¡± the Runepriest confirmed, gesturing to the smaller purple bubble that pulsed faintly beside the larger sphere. He pointed to it. ¡°This here represents the Continuous Energy Drain. Notice how it doesn¡¯t grow the larger sphere itself, but instead exists as its own reservoir of Energy, sustaining the effect. However,¡±¡ªhe tapped the larger sphere, which shimmered as if in response¡ª¡°the Peak Energy Drain¡ªthe threshold you need to surpass to break the illusion¡ªremains unchanged. This means that if you continue to increase your energy, you will eventually overpower the illusion.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the display. ¡°But can¡¯t they just raise their energy too? Surely you¡¯re not locked into a single Peak Energy Drain value from the very start, right¡?¡±
¡°They can,¡± the Runepriest said, nodding as he waved his hand. A faint glow surrounded the larger purple sphere, mimicking an increase in its Peak Energy Drain. ¡°But they can only adjust preemptively or after a failed attempt to counter you. You, as the attacker, always have the initiative. By the time they realize your energy has surpassed their threshold, their illusion will already be shattered, with no time for them to adjust.¡±
With a flick of his wrist, the white sphere representing Thea¡¯s Veritas Inheritance moved toward the purple one. As they collided, the smaller bubble burst first, followed by the larger sphere imploding into a brief flash of light before vanishing entirely.
¡°See?¡± the Runepriest said, his tone steady and clear. ¡°If your used Energy surpasses their Peak Energy Drain at any point, their Power collapses. No amount of adjustment on their part can stop it in real time.¡±
Thea nodded slowly, her gaze lingering where the spheres had been, the explanation settling into place. ¡°So¡ it¡¯s all about outpacing them before they can react,¡± she murmured, her voice thoughtful.
¡°Exactly,¡± the Runepriest said with a pleased smile. He let the display dissolve with a wave of his hand. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take it a step further. Can you think of a way you could have done that in the situation you faced during the Assessment?¡±
Thea blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden question. She tilted her head slightly, her mind working overtime as she tried to piece together an answer.
¡®Nothing was actively hinting at the fact that there was an illusion,¡¯ she thought. ¡®There were none of the usual indicators¡ªno glitches, no inconsistencies¡ªso just saying I should¡¯ve used more Energy wouldn¡¯t make sense, right? That¡¯s way too simple. The Runepriest wouldn¡¯t be looking for that kind of answer...¡¯
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she glanced across the forest, her gaze settling on the burned-out husks of the trees. The Runepriest¡¯s earlier explanation about Aura and its interaction with Aurae-fire played back in her mind like a faint echo.
¡®Everything has an Aura¡ Energy¡ Regeneration¡¡¯
Her thoughts suddenly collided, piling on top of each other as an idea began to crystallize.
It was as if a spark had ignited, coalescing into a realization that left her breathless.
The words of the faux-Thea from her strange visions resurfaced, clear and sharp: ¡°Open your Gate wide if you want to understand what I was referring to¡¡±
¡®The Gate caps the regeneration of Psychic Energy, as well as making you harder to detect,¡¯ she remembered learning from Zach, ¡®so would throwing the Gate wide open also do the inverse? Make it easier to detect others?¡¯
She drew in a sharp breath as the pieces clicked into place.
¡®That¡¯s how I found the enemy Ace for Arrow Squad during the Assessment¡ Could it have worked the same way here? Like a super-powered radar ping that could have told me a Psyker was nearby¡?¡¯
¡°No¡¡± Thea whispered, the word barely audible as a feeling of dread began to creep over her. Her mind turned over the implications, and horror gripped her chest as the realization deepened that faux-Thea might have been right all along.
Needing confirmation¡ªor perhaps denial¡ªshe snapped her eyes back to the Runepriest, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, ¡°What would¡¯ve happened if I abruptly threw my Gate wide open, Runepriest? As wide as I could without overextending it?¡±
The Runepriest paused, his typically animated expression dimming as his gaze fixed on her with uncharacteristic seriousness. He seemed to sense the urgency in her question, and though he let the silence hang for a moment, he didn¡¯t take long to respond.
¡°I¡¯m not sure why my question has elicited this reaction from you,¡± he began carefully, his tone even, ¡°but I¡¯ll gladly answer yours¡ªon one condition. Afterward, you¡¯ll tell me why you look like you¡¯ve just seen a Void Daemon for the first time.¡±
Thea nodded immediately, her movements almost frantic. She was desperate for answers, desperate to confirm¡ªor deny¡ªthe gnawing suspicion that faux-Thea¡¯s words might have held a kernel of truth.
¡®If she was right¡ how? How could she have possibly known all of this when I didn¡¯t even know myself about any of this¡?!¡¯
¡°If you had thrown your Gate wide open,¡± the Runepriest began, ¡°your footprint within the Void would have increased dramatically. The Gate acts as a regulator¡ªit controls your connection to the Void and to other entities connected to it. Opening it abruptly and fully, like you¡¯re describing, would send massive ripples through the Void, affecting anything and anyone nearby who¡¯s similarly connected. In this case, that would include the Obscuritas Psyker.¡±
He conjured a visual representation as he spoke, a small glowing sphere that pulsed faintly in the air before them. ¡°Think of your Gate like this sphere,¡± he said, gesturing toward it.
¡°When it¡¯s partially closed, the ripples it generates are faint, almost imperceptible.¡± The sphere flickered softly, emitting only the faintest waves.
¡°But if you throw it wide open¡ª¡± With a flick of his hand, the sphere burst open, radiating vivid ripples of light that cascaded outward in powerful waves.
¡°¡ªthis is what happens. The ripples would¡¯ve swept through the area, and if the Obscuritas Psyker was anywhere nearby¡ªand they had to be for their illusion to affect you in the way that they did¡ªthey would¡¯ve been caught in the disturbance. Their position would¡¯ve been immediately apparent to you. They couldn¡¯t have hidden from a detection pulse that intense, not while actively maintaining their illusion.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened as she watched the ripples dissipate into the air, her thoughts racing to match the Runepriest¡¯s words.
¡°But¡ couldn¡¯t they have closed their Gate to block it?¡± she asked, her voice uncertain. She remembered doing the same thing while facing the Psyker-duo together with Alpha Squad, to make them lose track of her in order to get the jump on them after-the-fact.
The Runepriest shook his head. ¡°Not likely. To maintain their illusion, their Gate couldn¡¯t have been completely closed; remember the existence of the Continuous Energy Drain¡ªit requires an active flow of energy, all the time. Without regenerating Psychic Energy through the Gate, they would have had to drop the Power fairly quickly. And while they might have had some shielding against Gate-based detection, it¡¯s incredibly unlikely that it could¡¯ve withstood the sheer force of a sudden, wide-open burst like that. You would¡¯ve realized instantly that another Psyker was close to you.¡±
Thea felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head.
¡°How¡ did she know?¡± she muttered, her voice barely audible.
Her mind spun, unable to process how this could be possible.
Even with her precognitive senses, this felt impossible¡ªthis wasn¡¯t knowledge she¡¯d possessed, so how could faux-Thea have specifically told her about this?
¡°How did who know? Talk to me, Thea. What¡¯s got you so scared?¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through the haze in her mind like a blade. It seemed to echo unnaturally, resonating deeper than any normal voice should, and her gaze snapped to his.
¡°There¡ there was another me. During the Assessment. I¡ had a vision of sorts?¡± she began hesitantly, the words awkward as she tried to explain what had happened. The memory was vivid yet incomprehensible, like a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
¡°I remember reading about this in the Assessment report,¡± the Runepriest said, nodding slowly. ¡°Go on.¡±
¡°I¡ she¡ it was like another version of me,¡± Thea continued, her words faltering as she tried to articulate what had happened. ¡°She told me this exact thing¡ªabout opening my Gate wide. She said it was the only way to understand why I was going to die if I didn¡¯t, ¡®pay more attention.¡¯ But¡ How could she have known, Runepriest? I didn¡¯t even know any of this until now, how could she?¡±
Her voice trailed off, uncertainty and confusion laced through every word.
The Runepriest hummed softly, cupping his chin thoughtfully before speaking again. ¡°You are a precognitive Psyker, Thea. Visions, particularly of alternate versions of oneself, are not particularly uncommon among your kind. It¡¯s entirely possible that your subconscious mind made these connections without you fully realizing it.¡±
Thea frowned, processing his words. ¡°But¡ my visions are usually clearer than that. This one was so murky and¡ difficult to work with. Isn¡¯t Veritas supposed to get rid of all that¡?¡±
¡°It is true that Veritas typically filters precognitive visions to align with clarity and Truth,¡± the Runepriest said with a slow nod. ¡°However, in high-stress situations, Powers can sometimes activate instinctively, without your full control and, at times, even without the colouring of your Inheritance. This could have been a raw precognition¡ªan unfiltered glimpse of potential outcomes. Raw precognition lacks the benefits of Veritas¡¯ focus, which may explain why it seemed so chaotic and uncooperative. It¡¯s rare, but not unheard of.¡±
Thea¡¯s expression darkened as she mulled this over. ¡°Is that why she was so stand-offish and straight-up hostile?¡± she asked, her tone uneasy.
The Runepriest¡¯s brows arched in surprise. ¡°Hostile? Your vision was hostile to you? In what way?¡±
¡°She was¡ a bit of a bitch, I guess,¡± Thea said, the memory prickling at her like an old wound. ¡°She refused to answer my questions, demanded concessions, acted like I was wasting her time. At first, I thought she might be the Call, but she was far too lucid for that. Then I thought she might be the Void itself, but she straight up told me how fucking stupid that was¡ªin those exact words.¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s lips twitched, but his curiosity was evident. ¡°Interesting¡ Go on.¡±
¡°She acted like she wanted me to follow her advice, but her attitude made it completely impossible to trust her,¡± Thea said, frustration sharpening her voice. ¡°If that was my subconscious¡ Why was it so uncooperative? It doesn¡¯t make any sense, does it?¡±
The Runepriest leaned forward slightly, his thoughtful gaze drifting toward the husks of the trees his earlier Fireballs had reduced to ruins.
He tapped a finger against his chin, the silence stretching as he mulled over her question.
¡°Hmm¡¡± he murmured at last. ¡°I recall reading in the report about this incident that you mentioned having violet eyes instead of cyan during that moment, correct? You told your squad members as much?¡±
Thea nodded slowly, unsure where this was leading.
¡°This is generally indicative of Void energy flowing through a Psyker at dangerously high levels,¡± the Runepriest continued. ¡°Violet eyes are one of the final stages of a Psyker Overload that can still be prevented. If that assumption is accurate, it could mean you accidentally tapped too far into your Gate while in a half-lucid state. Such a surge of Energy might have triggered your precognitive Powers uncontrollably, bypassing the usual influence of your Inheritance.¡±
He paused, his gaze sharpening as if piecing together a puzzle. ¡°That could also explain the vision¡¯s stand-offish nature. If you used such an enormous amount of Energy and opened your Gate so wide, it¡¯s possible the Void itself influenced the vision as a whole. The hostility you experienced may have stemmed from that interference. It¡¯s a convoluted explanation, I realize, but¡ it¡¯s one possibility.¡±
The Runepriest trailed off, letting the silence stretch between them.
Thea sank into her thoughts, trying to process what he¡¯d said, while he seemed equally absorbed in his own musings.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, he straightened slightly and spoke again, his voice calm but decisive. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: We¡¯ll continue this lesson for now, but I¡¯ll take this matter into consideration for our next session. There are a few alternate possibilities that could explain why these events unfolded as they did, but I can¡¯t be certain of any of them right now. I¡¯ll need access to some additional information I don¡¯t currently have on hand, and that will take me a few hours to bring together. I apologize, as your mentor, for not having a sufficient answer for you immediately. I promise to have a more thorough explanation ready for our next lesson.¡±
He bowed his head ever so slightly in apology, the gesture so subtle yet unexpectedly formal that Thea almost panicked.
¡®Why is the Runepriest bowing to me?!¡¯ she thought, tension gripping her briefly.
She almost instinctively jumped up from her chair to do a deep, formal bow, as she had been taught by James all those years ago, but stopped herself just before the instinct could take hold. She remembered that she¡¯d recently dealt with similar individuals that far, far outranked her, offering apologies that had not required any such formalities from her end without repercussions.
¡°I¨CIt¡¯s okay, Runepriest! Really!¡± she stammered, trying to keep her voice steady. ¡°I¡ Thank you for the in-depth answer already. It lifts a massive weight off my mind¡!¡±
Her hands clenched lightly in her lap as she continued to fight the instinct to bow in return, knowing the Runepriest clearly wasn¡¯t the type to appreciate such formalities.
She let out a small breath of relief as the Runepriest¡¯s faint, approving smile broke the tension.
¡°Very well. A promise it is,¡± he said. He took a few deliberate steps away from Thea, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. ¡°Now, let us continue with the lesson, then. While your question about how you died at the end of the Assessment¡ªand what you could have done to prevent it¡ªhas been addressed for now, if not completely, I believe we¡¯ve landed on an important topic that deserves to be explored fully before moving on: Inheritances.¡±
With a smirk, he summoned the Inheritance Polarity Star once more, its points of light glimmering softly as it hovered in the air between them.
He extended a finger toward the very top point of the star, at the 12-o¡¯clock position, where a gem of the purest crimson red shone like a drop of liquid fire.
¡°Let¡¯s take it from the very top,¡± he said, his tone growing more animated, ¡°and go through a full explanation of each Inheritance¡ªwhat it stands for, what Psykers generally do with it, and what its Polarity is. Knowing how each Inheritance operates, how they interact, and the kinds of Powers a Psyker might wield with them is absolutely paramount if you want to become a true master of your craft as a Psyker¡¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 9 - Inheritance III
The Runepriest cupped his chin, his sharp eyes fixed on the Inheritance Star.
¡°Maybe,¡± he muttered, half to himself, ¡°it¡¯d be better to add some more visual examples¡ The Star¡¯s supposed to be clear enough, but it doesn¡¯t really show how these Inheritances feel when they shape a Power, not really.¡±
His gaze shifted to the husks of trees about thirty meters away.
After a moment, he nodded, almost as much to himself as to the world around him, and looked back at Thea.
¡°Fireballs,¡± he said, his grin spreading wide.
For the first time since entering the training hall, Thea felt like she could follow his train of thought. She nodded quickly. ¡°That would help, I think.¡±
His grin grew even wider as he turned toward the clearing of husked trees.
¡°There¡¯s just one tiny problem,¡± he said, his tone almost playful. ¡°I¡¯m an Aurae Psyker. I can¡¯t just conjure Fireballs influenced by other Inheritances. As I mentioned earlier, every Psyker only has one Inheritance.¡±
He snapped his fingers, the sound cutting through the quiet clearing.
¡°But isn¡¯t it just fortuitous,¡± he continued, his voice dripping with mock cheer, ¡°that we¡¯re inside the Sovereign¡¯s DDS? That means she can help us out of this little problem. Isn¡¯t that all too convenient?¡±
Something in his tone made Thea pause.
It wasn¡¯t the words themselves¡ªthey were straightforward enough¡ªbut the faint mocking edge in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn¡¯t overtly cruel, but there was something distinctly unsettling about it, something that made her skin crawl despite her inability to pinpoint why.
She expected him to immediately call upon the Sovereign, but instead, he simply remained standing there, staring at the husked remains of the trees in complete silence.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable, leaving Thea unsure of what he was planning. When she realised that the Runepriest¡¯s words hadn¡¯t been rhetorical after all, she broke the silence by speaking up.
¡°That is indeed quite fortunate, Runepriest,¡± she replied hesitantly, her voice carrying a layer of awkwardness as she tried to navigate the unease she felt.
As though her words had triggered something, the Runepriest snapped back into focus, his tone shifting smoothly into a commanding cadence. ¡°Sovereign, be so kind and help us out with this demonstration, would you?¡±
He pointed toward the husked trees. ¡°Repair the clearing and prepare some targets interspersed with the trees. Let¡¯s say¡ ten of them. Make them equivalent to Tier 1 Stellar Republic Soldiers and include a variety of armor types. I want some visual variation between them and differing levels of protection. That should make it interesting.¡±
He hummed thoughtfully for a moment, his fingers tapping idly against his leg, before adding, ¡°And set their Resolve to 2.5 across the board. We¡¯ll deal with Attributes in another session. For now, this demonstration will focus exclusively on Inheritance interactions. Yes¡ let¡¯s go with that. Do so now, Sovereign.¡±
¡°Affirmative, Venerable Runepriest,¡± replied the monotone voice of the ship¡¯s AI, cutting through the air with its typical, cold efficiency.
The clearing immediately began to transform.
The husked trees straightened and smoothed, their bark regenerating with unnatural speed.
Around the newly restored clearing, ten figures materialized as requested¡ªStellar Republic Soldiers clad in a variety of armor types ranging from Light to Ultra-Heavy. Some took up defensive positions, hiding behind trees or their more heavily armored comrades, while others stood boldly in the open, as though daring someone to attack.
¡°Perfect,¡± the Runepriest chuckled to himself, a faint note of satisfaction in his voice as he turned back toward Thea. ¡°Now, let us continue with the demonstrations, shall we?¡±
Thea nodded immediately. She didn¡¯t want to risk another awkward moment of misjudging one of the Runepriest¡¯s statements as rhetorical when it wasn¡¯t.
The Inheritance Polarity Star hovered back into view between them before the Runepriest extended a finger toward the crimson gem at the very top¡ªthe 12-o¡¯clock position.
¡°This,¡± he began, his voice taking on a slightly formal tone, ¡°is the first Inheritance that most Psykers encounter during their Delves¡ªan entirely separate topic we will cover in-depth during a later session. Universally represented by the color Crimson Red, it is known as Perditio. It embodies the fundamental force of Destruction within the Void and everything that the word entails.¡±
He paused briefly, letting the meaning of the words sink in before continuing. ¡°According to our data, 13.23% of all Psykers end up with this Inheritance, making it the second-most-common Inheritance in existence¡ªonly surpassed by my own, Aurae.¡±
Thea¡¯s brow furrowed slightly at the strangely exact nature of the presented statistic, but she remained silent, listening intently as he elaborated, simply filing away the percentage for later¡ªprecise numbers were always good to have for theorycrafting, after all.
¡°Perditio,¡± the Runepriest continued, ¡°is often referred to as the ¡®Battlefield Psyker Inheritance,¡¯ and for very good¡ªand arguably quite obvious¡ªreason. It excels at causing widespread, catastrophic, and immediate destruction. As the name implies, that is its specialty, and most Psykers who inherit it lean heavily into that very aspect, shaping their Power portfolio around creating devastatingly large-scale damage on the battlefield.¡±
He paused briefly, glancing at Thea to ensure she was keeping up.
¡°Perditio Psykers don¡¯t dabble in nuance; their Inheritance is not made for it. Their strength lies in their ability to devastate everything in their path quickly and decisively, before nuance is even required. You will generally find that Perditio Psykers specialize in physical Paths¡ªrather than metaphysical ones like your own Short-Term Precognition. Low-Tier Perditio Psykers are often drawn to elemental Paths like Fire, Lightning, and Ice, as these offer a wide range of directly damaging Powers. Each of these elemental Paths thrives greatly under the Perditio Inheritance¡¯s lens, amplifying the sheer scale and intensity of their destruction manifold; just like the Veritas Inheritance greatly amplified your [Eyes of the Void] Power earlier.¡±
He clapped his hands together suddenly, the sharp sound echoing through the clearing.
A ball of fire materialized before him, its flames a brilliantly pure shade of crimson red, flickering with an unnatural intensity.
His toothy grin returned, and his eyes seemed to reflect the fire¡¯s glow, giving him an almost predatory look as he glanced between the flames and Thea.
¡°Glad to see the Sovereign understood the assignment on this one without needing further instructions,¡± he said, chuckling softly to himself before locking eyes with Thea again.
¡°Now,¡± he continued, gesturing to the fireball floating before him, ¡°this is the same Fireball Power I used earlier¡ªsame Power, same Intent, same Energy usage¡ªbut with the Sovereign simulating the application of the Perditio Inheritance, instead of me applying my Aurae one.¡±
He raised a single finger, his tone turning serious. ¡°Take note: This is not a true Psychic Power being demonstrated here. For obvious reasons, the Sovereign can only create a digital reconstruction of what a Power with these exact parameters would look like. Functionally, there is no difference for us in this demonstration, but with certain Powers and Inheritances, the distinction can become critically important. So just note this for the future, in case you notice some discrepancies between the DDS and real-life situations in these regards.¡±
Thea nodded again, her eyes locked on the fireball, as she braced herself for what would undoubtedly follow the Runepriest¡¯s words.
She noticed the Runepriest¡¯s smile widen ever so slightly at her unwavering focus, but to her relief, he didn¡¯t make any teasing remarks. Instead, his gaze shifted eagerly back to the tiny, floating orb of crimson fire, his excitement mirrored in the glint of his eyes.
¡°So,¡± he muttered, his tone taking on a subtle edge of pure delight, ¡°let¡¯s see what this Perditio Fireball can do, shall we?¡±
With a simple flick of his hand, he directed the fireball toward the targets set thirty meters away.
To Thea¡¯s surprise¡ªand slight alarm¡ªthe fireball didn¡¯t move with the steady, deliberate pace she had come to expect from his earlier two demonstrations.
It was not the speed of a grenade-like throw from a seasoned Marine she had seen with the basic and Aurae-influenced fireballs. Instead, it tore through the air like a bullet, vanishing from her sight for a split second as it accelerated far faster than she had anticipated.
She blinked, startled, as her eyes tried and failed to keep up with its movement.
By the time her eyes caught up to it, the fireball had already reached its destination¡ªand then it erupted.
The explosion wasn¡¯t just violent; it was apocalyptic.
The tiny red ball expanded into a massive sphere of fiery destruction, glowing an intense, blinding shade of crimson. The blast was like a miniature warhead detonating with the force of something fired from a capital ship in orbit.
It consumed everything within a ten-meter radius in a mere instant, the heat and light radiating outward and consuming everything nearby with terrifying intensity.
The trees closest to the blast disintegrated instantly upon impact, their bark and branches reduced to ash in a fraction of a second.
The targets positioned near the epicenter didn¡¯t fare any better either.
The lighter-armored dummies were obliterated immediately, their forms vanishing as if they had never existed. Those clad in heavier armor were flung backward like ragdolls, their plating instantly glowing red-hot for a brief moment in time before collapsing entirely into warped, molten shapes, the flesh underneath the metal vaporizing into ash at once.
Even the trees just outside the immediate blast zone didn¡¯t escape untouched.
Their bark blackened and charred like the nearest star had just turned its ire upon them, smoke rising from their singed surfaces as the pressure wave ripped through the clearing, snapping branches and toppling the weaker ones outright.
The shockwave rippling outward was so immense that Thea instinctively braced herself, her breath catching in her throat. She felt the tremendous heat slam against her like a physical force, even though the air between her and the explosion shimmered faintly with an iridescent barrier.
The Runepriest had clearly erected it at some point, though she hadn¡¯t noticed when.
Despite the barrier''s protection, the sheer power of the fireball was beyond evident, the heat licking at her skin painfully and the pressure pushing against her chest like an unseen hand.
Thea¡¯s jaw dropped as she took in the aftermath, her mind racing to process what she had just witnessed. The fireball¡¯s size and the Runepriest¡¯s casual, almost nonchalant motion in firing it had done nothing to prepare her for the sheer scale of the destruction it caused.
¡°That¡ that is insane,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as her wide eyes darted between the smoldering wreckage and the Runepriest. ¡°That tiny thing¡ it¡ how is that even possible?¡±
The Runepriest turned back toward her, his smile now almost wolfish, though his tone remained as casual as ever.
¡°That,¡± he said, gesturing toward the devastation, ¡°is the power of Perditio. Magnitudes stronger than any simple application of Psychic Energy. Destruction in its purest form. And that,¡± He tapped the shimmering barrier still flickering faintly in front of her. ¡°Is why I set up a shield. Even I don¡¯t feel like explaining to Zephyr why the star-student she gave me got fried during the very first lesson for no reason.¡±
He chuckled, his tone casual and light, as though the devastation before them were nothing more than a routine classroom exercise, rather than a jaw-dropping display of destructive power that no logical universe should allow to exist at the fingertips of any individual person.
Thea, however, continued to stare at the scorched clearing, her thoughts racing. ¡®If that¡¯s what a tiny fireball could do¡ What would a larger, fully-charged Power possibly look like¡?¡¯
The question lingered in Thea¡¯s mind, equal parts thrilling and terrifying alike.
¡°Sovereign, reset the area,¡± the Runepriest ordered, his tone so nonchalant it almost felt surreal against the backdrop of the destruction.
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The area before them shimmered, the scorched wasteland beginning to restore itself, trees regrowing and targets reappearing exactly where they had been before.
As if the devastation the fireball had left behind had been nothing more than a passing thought, the Runepriest gestured, bringing the Inheritance Polarity Star back into view.
¡°That,¡± he began, ¡°was Perditio. Very straightforward, very flashy. What it lacks in versatility, it makes up for in raw, destructive power. But now¡±¡ªhis gaze shifted back to Thea, his smirk returning¡ª¡°let¡¯s get a bit more cerebral.¡±
He pointed to the gem at the 1-o¡¯clock position on the star, a dark green that seemed to shimmer with an almost sinister undertone.
¡°This,¡± he continued, ¡°is the second Inheritance a Psyker encounters within their Delve: Discordia. It represents the aspect of discord, strife, and dissension within the Void. Unlike Perditio, it¡¯s far less straightforward¡ªsubtle, insidious, and devastating in entirely different ways. But much like most Inheritances, once you grasp its core principles, it¡¯s not difficult to understand.¡±
He paused briefly, his eyes glinting as if a private joke had crossed his mind.
His chuckle was light, almost playful, before he carried on. ¡°Discordia is universally represented by the color Dark Green. It¡¯s among the rarer Inheritances, at around 7.49% appearance rate. Its Psykers excel at Battlefield Control, particularly through manipulation of senses. Now, pay close attention to this distinction: Discordia doesn¡¯t hide or obscure the senses, as Obscuritas does. Instead, it bends them¡ªdistorts them completely. It changes what your senses tell you about the world around you, rather than simply erasing things from them.¡±
Thea¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as she absorbed this. ¡°Like¡ illusions, but more¡ invasive, in a way?¡± she ventured.
¡°Exactly,¡± the Runepriest said with a nod, evidently pleased with her quick connection.
¡°Discordia Psykers are masters of illusions, but their approach isn¡¯t about making you not see something¡ªit¡¯s about making you see something else entirely. Imagine a squad convinced their own comrades are enemies and turning on them. Or better yet, an entire unit tricked into firing on their own Faction. The chaos and mistrust this Inheritance can create is truly staggering.¡±
His tone grew more serious as he continued, his eyes locking onto Thea¡¯s. ¡°An unchecked Discordia Psyker is a far greater threat than most realize. While Perditio can definitely obliterate everything in its path, Discordia can tear apart entire armies from the inside, sowing discord and mistrust at scales far beyond what you¡¯d think possible. If you ever face one, Thea, remember this: They don¡¯t rely on sheer power¡ªthey thrive on confusion, hesitation, and manipulation. And that makes them potentially even more dangerous than a rampant Perditio Psyker.¡±
Thea nodded slowly as the Runepriest¡¯s words sank in.
It wasn¡¯t just the raw power that made these Inheritances dangerous¡ªit was the intent and precision behind their application that turned them into terrifying tools of warfare.
Much like before, the Runepriest held out his right hand, and a small ball of fire appeared above it, gently hovering just beyond his reach. But this time, the flames were suffused with the same dark green hue as the Discordia gem on the Inheritance Polarity Star.
Thea¡¯s eyes narrowed as she realised immediately there was something wrong with them: The fire didn¡¯t move naturally at all.
Its flickering was unnervingly slow, almost hypnotic, as though the flames were caught in a viscous liquid. The odd, slow motion sent a chill through her, leaving her instinctively uneasy.
¡°Now,¡± the Runepriest began, ¡°much like Aurae, applying the Discordia Inheritance to something as straightforward and physical as a Fireball produces a rather¡ strange result.¡±
He glanced at her, clearly gauging her reaction to the peculiar flame before him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how it behaves in practice, shall we?¡±
With a simple flick of his hand, the Runepriest directed the fireball toward the same target, thirty meters away.
This time, Thea braced herself, fully expecting the projectile to dart forward at the same bullet-like speed as the Perditio Fireball.
But as the fireball began its journey, she quickly realized she needn¡¯t have bothered.
The Discordia Fireball moved slowly, unnaturally so¡ªits trajectory precise and measured, almost as if it were stalking its target rather than simply flying toward it. She could have sworn that it moved even slower than the basic and Aurae Fireballs she had seen earlier.
Then, finally, the Fireball reached the target¡ªand erupted.
But it wasn¡¯t like any explosion Thea had ever seen before.
There was no flash of light, no violent burst of flames expanding outward.
Instead, the fireball seemed to collapse in on itself, drooping to the ground like molten liquid. When it hit the floor, Thea felt the ground beneath her feet tremble in a deep, resonating vibration from the sheer weight of it.
The mass of green fire spread outward rapidly, flowing across the ground in all directions like a tidal wave surging onto a shoreline.
Nearby trees began to burn almost instantly, their trunks blackening, creaking and splintering under the weight of the viscous flames.
The targets positioned within its reach fared even worse, however.
The liquid-fire didn¡¯t simply burn through their armor¡ªit melted it, the once-solid plating warping and dripping away like wax under intense heat. The bodies of the targets beneath the armor were crushed under the sheer weight of the liquid mass as they desperately tried to escape, before folding in on themselves like fragile paper dolls.
Thea¡¯s breath hitched as the surreal scene unfolded before her.
The fire didn¡¯t behave like any natural element at all; it was as if a portal had been torn open where the fireball had landed, spewing forth an endless torrent of glowing, green liquid destruction. The sheer volume of it seemed impossible, given the small size of the original fireball¡ªan infinite-seeming cascade of green liquid-fire surging outward, flattening and burning everything it touched.
The surreal liquid didn¡¯t simply consume its surroundings like a normal fire would¡ªit pushed.
The weight of the fire was so immense, battering against the trees that it knocked them over like brittle twigs. The forest clearing was rapidly transformed into a nightmarish landscape of toppled trunks, molten, compressed armor, and crushed targets.
The sight was so strange, so utterly alien with what she knew about fire, that it left Thea frozen in stunned silence, unable to fully comprehend what she was even witnessing.
After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the strange portal-like point where the fireball had ¡°exploded¡± suddenly winked out of existence.
As abruptly as it had begun, the torrent of liquid-fire ceased, leaving the clearing eerily quiet.
Thea stared at the scene, her wide eyes reflecting the smoldering green glow that lingered faintly in the air. ¡°What¡ what the fuck was that?¡± she finally managed to ask, her voice shaky.
The Runepriest, who had been watching the destruction unfold with an almost clinical fascination, turned to her with a faint smirk.
¡°That,¡± the Runepriest said, his tone calm yet laced with a subtle hint of pride, ¡°was the true nature of Discordia when applied to the humble Fireball Power. Discordia takes the general rules you think you understand and flips them on their head. Fire begins to behave like a heavy liquid; air becomes solid; light turns to darkness. Because of this, Discordia is often called the ¡®Opposite Inheritance.¡¯ But don¡¯t fall into the trap of thinking it simply reverses things¡ªit¡¯s far more nuanced than that. As you just saw, the fire still burns, it still melts¡ªit just doesn¡¯t behave in the way you¡¯d expect. Its destructive properties remain, but the method is¡ altered.¡±
The Runepriest turned his attention away from her for a moment and raised his voice nonchalantly toward the Sovereign. ¡°Reset the area.¡±
The clearing shimmered once more, the charred remnants of trees and crushed targets vanishing as the landscape returned to its pristine state. Without missing a beat, the Runepriest summoned the Inheritance Polarity Star back between them.
¡°Let¡¯s move on to number three, shall we?¡± he said, gesturing toward the bright-green gem at the 2 o¡¯clock position.
Thea nodded after a brief moment of collecting herself, though her hands remained lightly clasped in her lap to keep from fidgeting. The surreal power of the Discordia flames still lingered in her mind.
¡°The third Inheritance you will encounter,¡± the Runepriest began, his tone gaining a noticeable edge of sternness, ¡°is the second rarest of them all. With only 5.12% of all Psykers exhibiting this one, it¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll run into it often in the field. But don¡¯t mistake rarity for weakness¡ªit is no less powerful, and arguably even more dangerous because of its unpredictability.¡±
His finger hovered over the gem. ¡°Universally represented by the colour Iridescent Green, this Inheritance is called Mutatio. It embodies the power of change and alteration within the Void. Psykers of this Inheritance are often referred to as wild cards, and for very good reason. Mutatio doesn¡¯t have a defined focus or specialty. Instead, it works across the entire spectrum of Powers¡ªillusions, destructive physical abilities, healing, and beyond¡ªamplifying them in ways that are as unpredictable as the Inheritance itself.¡±
The Runepriest extended his hand, and above it appeared another fireball.
This one glowed with an Iridescent Green hue, its surface shifting and swirling like liquid venom. The flames danced unnaturally, licking outward like grasping tendrils that stretched far beyond what seemed physically possible; like it was more a living entity than a chemical reaction of some kind.
Thea¡¯s instincts screamed at her that this fireball was dangerous¡ªthoroughly bad news.
Without even realizing it, she shifted back slightly in her chair, her muscles tensing in preparation to bolt if necessary.
The Runepriest noticed her reaction and chuckled approvingly.
¡°Very good. That¡¯s exactly the kind of reaction I¡¯d hope for,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Stay as far away from hostile Mutatio Powers as you possibly can. They are not to be trifled with in any capacity.¡±
As if to emphasize his warning, he gestured for the Mutatio Fireball to begin its journey.
The green flame rippled unnaturally, shivering with eerie life before it abruptly lurched forward, its tendrils writhing and grasping in every direction like a predatory organism hunting for prey. The fireball moved with unadulterated chaos, its path erratic as if it had a will of its own, before finally reaching the target distance.
The moment it hit, the Mutatio Fireball erupted¡ªnot in a conventional explosion, but in a strange burst of mycelial-like tendrils spewing outward in every direction.
The tendrils extended erratically, twisting and contorting as they spread, their toxic-green flames licking hungrily at everything in their path. Each tendril moved as though alive, their chaotic motion making it impossible to predict where they would strike next.
Wherever the tendrils touched, the world warped.
Trees near the epicenter shuddered violently, their trunks swelling monstrously as new growths emerged from the bark at unnatural speeds. Branches sprouted in jagged, chaotic patterns, twisting around each other like coiling serpents before bursting into toxic green flames. Leaves turned into strange, fleshy appendages that pulsed faintly with life for just a moment before they, too, were consumed by the ever-present fire.
The Stellar Republic Soldiers positioned around the clearing fared even worse.
The lighter-armored targets disintegrated almost immediately, their forms warping grotesquely for a brief moment as the flames consumed them. Those in medium armor melted into twisted, half-formed shapes, their bodies mutating wildly before collapsing in on themselves.
Thea¡¯s horrified gaze, however, was locked onto one particular soldier clad in Ultra-Heavy armor. A tendril had lashed out and struck the marine¡¯s shoulder, and she watched, frozen in shock, as their body began to rapidly change.
The marine¡¯s limbs disfigured in grisly ways, their proportions becoming distorted as they grew larger and larger within the confines of their armor. The fire, while hot, wasn¡¯t anywhere close to the one that the Perditio Inheritance had created and thus, not enough to melt the thick plating of the Ultra-Heavy suit.
Instead, the body inside continued to grow unnaturally, the armored plates groaning under the increasing pressure.
A sickening squelch followed by the sharp crack of bones echoed through the clearing as the body inside finally succumbed, crushed by its own uncontrollable growth within the confines of the armor. The soldier slumped lifelessly to the ground, their mutated form slowly spilling out through cracks in the plating, leaving behind nothing but a nightmarish amalgam of flesh and metal.
The ground itself wasn¡¯t spared either.
Tendrils of green flame snaked along the earth, leaving behind a warped, corrupted landscape in their wake. The soil darkened and cracked, strange, toxic-green crystalline structures sprouting up from the ground like jagged teeth.
Patches of grass turned into pulsating, fleshy growths, emitting faint, unsettling noises that made Thea¡¯s skin crawl. The entire area around the explosion was transformed into a hellish tableau of grotesque, aberrant change¡ªan unnatural fusion of life, death, and flame.
Thea sat frozen in her chair, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing, her stomach twisting as the sight of the disgusting mutations burned itself into her mind.
Her instincts screamed at her to get away throughout the entire, roughly ten-second-long conflagration of change, even though she knew the Runepriest¡¯s barrier kept her safe.
¡°Mutatio,¡± the Runepriest said, his tone unnervingly calm, ¡°is not an Inheritance of control. It is an Inheritance of chaos; of unrelenting change. It does not simply destroy¡ªit corrupts, it transforms, and it overwhelms. You cannot predict what it will do; you can only react to its aftermath. That is its strength¡ªand its danger.¡±
Thea¡¯s voice caught in her throat as she stared, wide-eyed, at the warped remains of the clearing. Her gaze lingered on the shattered trees, the twisted earth, and the unrecognizable wreckage of the targets.
¡°How¡ how do you even fight something like that?¡± she finally managed to whisper, her voice trembling as she tore her eyes away from the corrupted scene to look at the Runepriest.
¡°With great care, Thea,¡± he replied, turning to her with a faint, knowing smile. ¡°And from as far away as possible.¡±
Raising his voice slightly, enough to signal that his next words weren¡¯t meant for her, he called out, ¡°Reset the area.¡±
The clearing shimmered as the Sovereign responded to his command, the destruction vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Trees regrew, the earth smoothed itself out, and the targets reassembled in their original positions, as though the chaos had never happened.
Turning back to Thea, the Runepriest¡¯s tone softened slightly as he continued. ¡°Mutatio, when given full reign over a Power, becomes completely unpredictable. Most Mutatio Psykers rarely, if ever, apply 100% of their Inheritance to any Power. Doing so makes the Powers dangerously volatile and prone to backfire in ways that are as horrifying as they are twisted. However¡¡±
He gestured broadly with one hand, as though to encompass possibilities beyond her current understanding. ¡°When applied with care and the proper Intent, Mutatio can achieve truly marvelous results. Some of the finest high-Tier Medics I¡¯ve ever worked with were Mutatio Psykers. Their Inheritance, when channeled properly, allows them to heal injuries that would be impossible for almost anyone else to mend. But that same talent for repair is balanced by its capacity for deconstruction, as you¡¯ve just seen.¡±
Thea¡¯s expression shifted slightly, her fear tempered by a glimmer of curiosity. ¡°So¡ it¡¯s not just raw chaos, then? It can be controlled?¡±
The Runepriest nodded. ¡°Controlled, yes, but only by those who truly understand it. A Mutatio Psyker knows their Inheritance far better than anyone else ever could¡ªthey have to. So, keep an open mind when you encounter one of them. They may seem unpredictable, even dangerous, but their mastery of change is unparalleled. Never underestimate what they can do¡ªgood or bad.¡±
With a simple wave of his hand, the Inheritance Star shimmered back into view between them. The Runepriest pointed to the next position on the star, the 3-o¡¯clock gem glowing with a radiant, golden hue.
¡°Let us continue,¡± he said, his tone steady as he shifted back into his teaching rhythm.
¡°We¡¯ve only scratched the surface, and there are many more Inheritances to cover¡¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 10 - Inheritance IV
Still gesturing toward the gem at the 3-o¡¯clock position, the Runepriest continued his rundown. ¡°This one, we¡¯ve already covered quite a bit, but for completion¡¯s sake, let¡¯s go over it again. Represented by the colour Radiant Gold¡ªand by far the most common Inheritance among all of them, with roughly a 16.67% occurrence¡ªis Aurae.¡±
He inclined his head slightly in an exaggerated gesture of mock humility before adding, ¡°In my unmatchably humble opinion, it is the most versatile and important Inheritance of them all. Mind you, not the most powerful, nor necessarily the most useful¡ªbut the most important.¡±
As he spoke, he cupped his chin thoughtfully, as if carefully considering how best to phrase his next words. ¡°Aurae is¡ complicated to explain. It represents highly esoteric concepts within the Void. Officially, it governs aura, presence, or simply ¡®energy¡¯ in general.¡±
He paused, then let out a small chuckle. ¡°But I also understand, more than most, that this definition doesn¡¯t actually mean much to someone like you¡ªsomeone just beginning to grasp what it means to be a Psyker.¡±
Thea gave a slight nod in agreement. Presence? Energy? Those words felt vague, intangible¡ªdifficult to define, let alone understand.
The Runepriest chuckled again, this time more to himself, his eyes briefly distant, as though recalling something from long ago. ¡°When I was just starting out as a Psyker¡ªmany, many, many years ago¡ªmy own teacher gave me that same definition. And I tried so very hard to understand.¡±
His smirk widened, amusement lacing his voice. ¡°She thoroughly enjoyed watching me twist and morph her words into something that my young self could comprehend, only to miss the tree for the forest, so to speak.¡±
Thea watched him closely, uncertain whether this story was meant to teach her something specific or if he was simply indulging in a fond memory. Either way, it was oddly¡ endearing.
For a man so impossibly powerful, so seemingly untouchable, the idea of him once being just another struggling student, desperately trying to wrap his head around something he didn¡¯t yet understand, made him feel¡ human.
More so than she had ever considered him to be before.
Her gaze flickered back to the Radiant Gold gem, thoughts drifting.
¡®He started out as just a recruit, like me¡¡¯ The realization settled in, heavier than she expected. ¡®How long must it have taken for him to reach this level of power? This level of authority¡? Just how old is he, anyway¡?¡¯
Her eyes flicked back to the Runepriest, scanning his face, his skin, his eyes¡ªsearching for any hint of apparent age. But the Allbright System¡¯s inevitable biological immortality had long since erased whatever markers time had once left on him. There were no wrinkles, no graying hair, no signs of the passage of years, let alone decades or centuries. He was a blank slate in that regard, giving Thea no clue as to even a rough estimate of how old he truly was.
¡°Anyway,¡± the Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts as he turned his attention back to her. ¡°As I was saying¡ªthose definitions don¡¯t really help you. So let me make it a bit more understandable instead.¡±
He extended his hand, palm facing upward, and a small sphere of Radiant Gold energy flickered into existence above it, hovering with a steady, almost serene glow. It was unlike the fireballs he had conjured before¡ªthis wasn¡¯t flame, nor was it raw power barely restrained.
It was something else.
¡°When Psykers talk about aura, presence, or the energy of things, we¡¯re not speaking in abstract or poetic terms. As esoteric as those words may sound, they refer to something very real¡ªtangible, measurable, and manipulatable.¡±
With a simple gesture, he motioned for Thea to take the glowing sphere from his hand.
She hesitated for only a second before carefully cupping the tiny ball of golden energy in her palms, holding it as delicately as she would a newborn puppy, secretly afraid that she might break it by accident.
The first thing that struck her was warmth.
It was neither hot nor cold in the conventional sense¡ªit was both, and yet somehow neither.
The sphere had a presence that felt simultaneously sturdy yet yielding, firm yet soft.
Her fingers pressed against it, but rather than solid resistance, the energy seemed to bend slightly under her touch, as though it acknowledged and adapted to her interaction rather than simply existing.
Her brows furrowed as her senses scrambled to process the contradictory nature of what she was holding. Every logical part of her brain told her this shouldn¡¯t be possible, yet the weight in her hands was undeniably real.
¡°That¡¯s the right reaction to have,¡± the Runepriest chuckled, his voice breaking through her focus as she glanced back up at him. ¡°Energy¡ªor aura, presence, whatever term you prefer¡ªis, at its most fundamental level, the very idea of potential made tangible.¡±
To demonstrate, he casually picked up a nearby rock, rolling it in his palm for a moment.
Slowly, a faint white glow began to emanate from the stone, soft but distinct against the natural hues of the clearing.
¡°A rock has an aura just like a human does. Just like a Fireball does. Just like a Void Daemon does,¡± he continued. ¡°But the strength of that aura is dictated by potential. A rock, for instance, has very little. Its potential is simple: It may be weathered down into sand, it might become part of a landslide, or maybe¡ª¡±
Without warning, he flicked his wrist, sending the stone hurtling through the air. It shot forward with unnatural speed, slamming into a tree and shattering on impact, fragments scattering into the underbrush. Thea flinched slightly at the suddenness of it, her grip on the golden sphere instinctively tightening.
¡°¡ªit might be turned into a weapon,¡± the Runepriest finished smoothly, as though the sudden destruction had been nothing more than a minor demonstration. ¡°This aura¡ªthis potential¡ªis what Aurae Psykers work with.¡±
He turned his gaze back to Thea, gesturing briefly to the sphere still resting in her hands. ¡°Through [Eyes of the Void], we see the world in colours, each one representing the potential of the things around us. A rock, for instance, appears white¡ªpure, unchanging, simple; or in other words True to its nature. A weapon, however, will often glow red or black, because its potential is destruction or annihilation.¡±
He pointed toward the correspondingly coloured gems on the Inheritance Polarity Star as he spoke, his fingers moving deliberately from one to the next.
¡°All twelve colours exist within an aura,¡± the Runepriest explained, ¡°but whichever ones are most dominant at a given moment are what we, as Aurae Psykers, perceive. These dominant hues shift and change constantly, reflecting the immediate potential of a person, object, or even a place.¡±
His fingers idly gestured as he spoke, tracing unseen patterns in the air. ¡°We can physically touch and manipulate this aura, but doing so doesn¡¯t change the fundamental nature of the thing itself. Instead, we influence its potential¡ªwhat it can do in that specific moment in time.¡±
Thea listened carefully, but as his explanation continued, she felt her grip on the concept slipping.
¡°Aurae Psykers,¡± he went on, ¡°despite our ability to see the potential of things, have no more precognitive ability than any other Psyker. That was one of the main mistakes in understanding that I made as a young Marine. I thought I was seeing a person¡¯s fate¡ªthat their aura told me everything they were capable of. But I was very, very wrong. What we see is only what their aura is willing to show at that moment, not the full extent of what they might become.¡±
Thea¡¯s mind churned as she tried to compartmentalize his words, but somewhere around the halfway mark, she realized she was completely lost.
¡®So much for making it easier to understand¡¡¯
Not sensing her struggle¡ªor perhaps simply ignoring it entirely¡ªthe Runepriest pressed on unperturbed. ¡°Ultimately, Aurae is the Inheritance of energy itself. We manipulate it, interact with it, and, most importantly, we can measure it.¡±
His gaze sharpened slightly. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s the most important Inheritance¡ªnot necessarily the strongest, but the one that underpins everything else. While other Psykers are aware of energy and can feel it, we are the only ones who can accurately quantify it.¡±
He leaned back slightly, his arms crossing as he continued. ¡°Aurae Psykers are used, for example, to determine whether a person is ready for Integration into the System. The very first Psyker you ever encountered in your UHF career was almost certainly an Aurae one¡ªduring your basic training aboard the UHF stations. They would have been present for every major evaluation, even if you never noticed them directly.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes widened slightly, a memory clicking into place.
She did remember those evaluations vividly¡ªthe grueling physical and psychological tests, the endless data collection, the strange, almost instinctual certainty that she was being observed in a way she didn¡¯t quite understand at the time.
She had always assumed that the evaluators had been relying solely on biometric scans, simulations, and raw performance metrics.
But now, in hindsight, it made complete sense.
Simply testing physical strength and combat aptitude wouldn¡¯t give a full picture of someone¡¯s Attributes, like Resolve, Perception or Focus.
But an Aurae Psyker reading her potential?
That would provide real insights¡ªan immediate and, more importantly, accurate measurement of how close she was to meeting the requirements for Integration.
Her gaze flickered back to the Radiant Gold gem on the Inheritance Star as some of the fundamental ideas behind the Aurae Inheritance began to take shape in her mind. It was finally starting to make some sense¡ªthough the sheer depth and strangeness of it still felt thoroughly overwhelming.
¡°And,¡± the Runepriest continued, seamlessly continuing his train of thought from earlier, ¡°Aurae Psykers are also critical when it comes to identifying and quantifying the threat level of another Psyker. Once a Psyker has passed their Awakening, their aura inevitably shifts, aligning itself with their Inheritance.¡±
He gestured toward himself briefly. ¡°Mine is Radiant Gold,¡± he stated, before pointing directly at Thea. ¡°And yours, Thea, is Luminous White¡ªthe colour of Veritas.¡±
He directed her attention to the Luminous White gem at the 11-o¡¯clock position on the Inheritance Star. Thea followed his gesture, her mind racing as she processed the implications of what he had just said.
¡®So my aura permanently reflects my Inheritance¡?¡¯
The Runepriest smirked slightly, as if fully aware of the thoughts running through her head.
¡°Now,¡± he continued, his tone taking on a lighter edge, ¡°I could spend the next few years talking about the intricacies of the Aurae Inheritance and still not run out of things to explain¡ªbut I somehow doubt that would do either of us any favors. And we¡¯ve already seen what the Aurae influenced Fireball will do.¡±
He let out a low chuckle at that, before snapping his fingers with a sharp crack and an Aurae Fireball burst into existence¡ªthe same kind he had demonstrated before.
Without even looking at it and with a simple flick of his wrist he sent it soaring toward the targets thirty meters away.
The results were just as devastating as before. The flames sucked the life out of the area almost instantly, the affected zone once again reduced to a desolate husk.
Thea barely flinched this time, though the sheer efficiency of it still left her unsettled.
¡°But,¡± the Runepriest continued, watching the aftermath with little more than passing interest, ¡°I think I have something that will elucidate this esoteric nonsense a bit more effectively¡ªor at the very least, give you a better appreciation for the world as we Aurae Psykers perceive it.¡±
Without warning, he took a step closer.
Thea¡¯s muscles tensed, her body instinctively urging her to back away from the sudden invasion of her personal space. The Runepriest wasn¡¯t moving aggressively, but there was something deeply unsettling about the way he closed the distance¡ªlike a predator moving in, not with malice, but with absolute certainty that there was no need for hesitation.
She forced herself to not move.
Backing away from a superior officer¡ªeven one as strangely informal as the Runepriest¡ªwould have been undeniably rude.
And yet, every instinct screamed at her that something significant was about to happen.
¡°I mentioned earlier,¡± he said smoothly, his voice quieter now, almost reverent, ¡°how the System introduced a particular type of Ability that allowed researchers to discern the colours of the Inheritances, and how they did it.¡±
His hand slowly lifted toward her forehead.
¡°Let me show you, firsthand, the world that we perceive, my dear pupil.¡±
Thea barely had a moment to brace herself before his fingertips made contact with her skin.
The instant they did, her vision exploded.
The world she had known¡ªits shades of greens, browns, and blues¡ªwas gone. In its place was something so utterly alien yet indescribably beautiful that her breath caught in her throat.
The first thing her eyes landed on were the trees in the distance.
Their trunks pulsed with deep, Steely Gray auras, while their leaves shimmered in a vibrant Iridescent Green, but not uniformly¡ªsome flickered with hints of Cerulean Blue and Night Blue, shifting ever so slightly as they drifted lazily toward the ground.
Even the falling leaves had their own auras, each imbued with the faintest trace of their former life before they returned to the earth.
She tried to blink, overwhelmed by it all, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so.
Even the rocks at her feet glowed with dull, Luminous White hues, their energy stagnant yet ever-present. The very air around her wasn¡¯t empty but layered with the same type of Cerulean Blue, a faint, infinitely soft, yet omnipresent shimmer that coated everything¡ªlike the very fabric of the world itself was breathing, alive with previously unseen motion.
She tried to focus, tried to process everything at once, but the sheer volume of colour¡ªso much more than she had ever known¡ªmade it almost impossible to comprehend.
She felt an instinctive urge to squeeze her eyes shut, to block out the sensory overload threatening to consume her. But at the same time, she never wanted to close them again.
Compared to this, her usual sight felt empty. Lifeless.
This world was so much more¡ªso much more vibrant, expressive, alive.
It was as if she had only just now opened her eyes for the very first time.
A shaky breath left her lips, but she barely noticed. What she did notice, however, was the wetness streaking down her cheeks.
Tears.
She hadn¡¯t even realized she had started crying at some point.
A flustered heat rushed to her face, and she hurriedly wiped at her eyes, her hands moving with an urgency that felt ridiculous even as she did it.
Embarrassment flickered at the edges of her mind.
She had no idea why she was reacting like this, only that she was.
Swallowing hard, she darted a quick glance toward the Runepriest¡ªonly to find that he had stepped aside, watching her in silence, giving her space to experience rather than overwhelm her with words.
But then, her gaze landed on him.
And every thought in her mind ceased.
It was like staring directly into the very heart of a star.
His aura wasn¡¯t merely Radiant Gold.
It was blinding.
A searing, impossibly vast presence that drowned out everything else around him. The trees, the ground, the air¡ªall the colours she had just marveled at¡ªbecame nothing more than a dull, grey slush, completely erased in the face of his sheer magnitude.
She couldn¡¯t breathe. She couldn¡¯t even think.
She stared, her brain grinding to a halt, unable to process the sheer scale of what she was seeing.
For the first time, she understood¡ªtruly comprehended, for the first time: The Runepriest wasn¡¯t simply powerful.
He was on a whole other level entirely.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
And then¡ªblackness.
A rushing sensation, like wind sweeping past her ears as she lost consciousness¡
¡ª
¡°My, my¡ I suppose I should have warned you ahead of time.¡±
The Runepriest¡¯s voice drifted into her awareness, distant at first, then sharpening as she slowly came back to herself.
Her body felt strangely heavy, as if she had just resurfaced from deep water.
Blinking groggily, she found herself slumped back into the cushioned armchair, the soft fabric pressing against her shoulders.
¡°Wha¡¡± She tried to speak, but the word barely left her lips¡ªher mind was still sluggish, still struggling to catch up to what had just happened.
She inhaled deeply and forced her eyes open, slow and cautious, grounding herself in the familiar.
The world had returned to normal.
No cascading Cerulean Blue air. No Steely Gray trees or Night Blue leaves shifting as they fell. No overwhelming explosion of colour breathing in every direction.
Just the Runepriest, the trees, the training grounds¡ªthe world as she had always known it.
A part of her¡ªa rather large part, if she were being honest¡ªfelt a severe, sharp pang of loss.
The sheer beauty of what she had seen, the way everything had felt so much more alive, was now gone. She hadn¡¯t realized how much she had already loved it until it was abruptly taken away again.
Had the Runepriest meant for her to feel this way?
To make her crave a sight she could never have on her own?
The thought left her unsettled.
¡°Slowly,¡± the Runepriest urged, his tone gentle but firm as he reached out, steadying her as she shifted upright.
She let out a slow breath, pressing her palms against her knees to stabilize herself.
¡°I¡ what happened?¡±
The Runepriest gave a small sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose before meeting her gaze. ¡°I apologize for the shock. I hadn¡¯t expected it to be quite this bad, given how much of my aura I¡¯ve been suppressing this entire time.¡±
His mouth quirked in something between amusement and mild regret. ¡°But I suppose I should have accounted for the fact that you are still a Recruit; regardless of everything else. I should have been more careful.¡±
He inclined his head slightly, the motion almost imperceptibly small, but no less sincere. ¡°Please accept my apologies, Thea.¡±
Thea just stared at him for a moment, still not entirely sure what to make of what she had just experienced.
¡®Did¡ Did I just pass out from just looking at him? Is that what he¡¯s telling me here?!¡¯
Either way, she swallowed her lingering unease and bowed her head in response, keeping her voice steady. ¡°I don¡¯t hold it against you, Runepriest. I appreciate the opportunity and the trust you put in me. I will try my best to not fail to live up to your expectations again.¡±
It was a response that came naturally¡ªtoo naturally.
She had more than enough experience in this kind of exchange. Apologizing for failing expectations, for not measuring up, for needing to do better next time.
She even felt a small flicker of pride in how smoothly she handled the situation¡ªuntil she looked up and saw the Runepriest¡¯s expression.
His brows were slightly furrowed, his golden eyes filled with something between confusion and mild concern.
¡°I was apologizing to you, Thea,¡± he said, tilting his head as if genuinely baffled. ¡°Not chiding you¡ You do realize there¡¯s a difference, yes?¡±
She blinked. ¡°I¡ª¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t fail any of my expectations,¡± he continued. ¡°I made a mistake. Me. There was nothing you could have done differently, nothing to improve upon. You don¡¯t have to promise to do better in the future when there was never a failing on your part in the first place.¡±
Thea opened her mouth, then promptly closed it, her mind grasping for a response that simply wasn¡¯t there.
Across from her, the Runepriest let out a quiet hum, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her with an expression bordering on concerned curiosity. He slowly cupped his chin, a gesture she had seen him do countless times when deep in thought, before muttering under his breath, ¡°Just what kind of stuff did the Harbinger put her through¡?¡±
Thea didn¡¯t hear him.
Her mind was too busy reeling, trying to reconcile his words with the way she had instinctively interpreted them.
¡®Chiding and apologizing are obviously different. Everyone knows that.¡¯
The thought was immediate, reflexive¡ªan internal truth so deeply ingrained that questioning it felt almost wrong in itself.
¡®But that was definitely a chiding. So why is he claiming it wasn¡¯t¡?¡¯
Her fingers curled slightly against the armrests of her chair, grip tightening unconsciously as she struggled to find a logical explanation.
¡®He gave me the opportunity to see through his eyes. He trusted me with that knowledge, and I failed to hold my wits together. I lost control. That¡¯s clearly a failure on my part¡¡¯
Her brows furrowed, confusion mounting as she replayed his words in her mind.
¡®So why is he saying it wasn¡¯t? Is this some sort of test¡?¡¯
Her eyes darted back up to meet the Runepriest¡¯s, and she startled at the sudden realization that he had been observing her this entire time.
His gaze wasn¡¯t harsh or condemning, but it was thorough¡ªlike he had been studying her every micro-expression, every flicker of thought that passed behind her eyes. She felt seen in a way that was unsettling, like he had already dissected the internal struggle she had barely begun to understand herself.
¡°I¡ I understand, Runepriest. Thank you,¡± she forced out quickly, lowering her head in gratitude, hoping her delayed response wasn¡¯t enough to draw his ire.
A long sigh followed.
Thea instinctively tensed up at that, worried for what the Runepriest would say next, worried that she had just blown this once-in-a-lifetime chance.
¡°Alright, Thea¡ªeyes up,¡± the Runepriest ordered, his voice shifting, taking on a more serious edge.
She obeyed immediately, lifting her head¡ªonly to be met with the sight of another Fireball hovering above the palm of the Runepriest¡¯s right hand.
But this one was different once again.
The flames weren¡¯t the erratic, twisting tongues of heat she had seen before, nor the heavy liquid-like nature of the Discordia variant.
These flames rotated, spiraling inward, devouring themselves like starving beasts fighting over oxygen. They were a singular, deep shade of orange, richer and darker than natural fire, writhing as though desperate to consume more than they were being given.
The Runepriest let the Fireball hover between them as he spoke.
¡°We¡¯ll call Aurae finished for now, with this final note.¡± His tone was measured, the weight of finality clear. ¡°Aurae Psykers are the most versatile of all Inheritance holders. We lack a singular specialty beyond information gathering, and yet we are not limited in the way that other Psykers are.¡±
His fingers subtly flicked, and the golden embers of an Aurae influence briefly shimmered in his left hand before vanishing.
¡°Aurae works with any and all Powers almost equally. We don¡¯t specialize in destruction like Perditio, nor deception like Obscuritas. We don¡¯t manipulate reality like Mutatio, nor reveal the Truth of the Void like Veritas. We aren¡¯t the most powerful, nor do we trump any other Inheritance in their area of expertise¡¡±
He paused for emphasis, letting the words settle. ¡°But we can do it all. That is what it means to be an Aurae Psyker¡ªnot having the right tool for the job, but having a tool, no matter the job.¡±
He waited for Thea¡¯s nod¡ªher silent acknowledgment of understanding¡ªbefore his hand turned ever so slightly, drawing attention back to the Fireball still hovering before them.
¡°So,¡± he continued, his tone shifting once more, back towards his more lecturer-style, ¡°let¡¯s move on to the next Inheritance.¡±
He gestured toward the twisting, orange flames.
¡°This,¡± he said, ¡°is a Fames Fireball. It is represented by the colour Deep Amber¡ªas you can very clearly see from the flames. And it is the manifestation of hunger within the Void.¡±
The Fireball pulsed as though it had heard his words.
¡°The unending desire to find everything there is to find. To experience everything there is to experience. To know everything there is to know.¡±
Thea swallowed as she watched the swirling mass of self-devouring fire.
There was something deeply unsettling about it¡ªmore than just the heat or the power.
It was alive, in a way the other Fireballs hadn¡¯t been; even Mutatio.
¡°Fames,¡± the Runepriest continued, his voice carrying a weight that matched the writhing fire in his palm, ¡°is the Inheritance that governs pure, unadulterated Hunger for more.¡±
The words sent an uneasy shiver down Thea¡¯s spine. There was something primal about the way he said it¡ªsomething that made the orange flames seem all the more alive.
¡°It is located at the four o¡¯clock position on the Star,¡± he went on, gesturing toward the hovering Polarity Star between them. ¡°But for the first time, this does not actually correlate with the order in which you will encounter it within your Delve.¡±
He tapped the Deep Amber gem that pulsed faintly within the Star¡¯s intricate design. ¡°Despite its position, Fames is the sixth Inheritance you will find¡ªnot the fifth, as the arrangement might suggest.¡±
Thea frowned slightly, her brows knitting together as she processed that.
¡°That is because the Star is not meant to represent the order of Inheritances,¡± the Runepriest clarified, his eyes locking onto hers to ensure she was paying attention. ¡°It exists solely to give a visual representation of Polarities; nothing else.¡±
His fingers traced an invisible line from the gems to their polar opposites across the Star, emphasizing the concept. ¡°Always remember that when you reflect on these lessons later, dear pupil.¡±
Thea nodded vigorously, his words burning themselves into her mind. If the Runepriest specifically pointed something out as important, there was zero chance that it wasn¡¯t.
¡°Now,¡± the Runepriest smirked, ¡°I¡¯ve made you wait long enough.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes immediately darted toward the Deep Amber ball of fire still churning in his palm, eager for the demonstration. She had no idea what this Fireball might do, but she was excited to see it first-hand regardless.
¡°Pay close attention.¡±
And then¡ªHe released it.
The swirling, cascading ball of flame burst forward, flying through the air with a speed nearly identical to the Aurae and Discordia Fireballs before it.
But something about this one felt different yet again.
The Fireball streaked through the air like a predator locked onto prey, its flames tumbling over themselves, clawing at the space ahead like desperate, starving things.
Then¡ªimpact.
But instead of a single, all-consuming explosion like Perditio¡¯s devastation, the Fames Fireball detonated outward as one would expect¡ªand then converged.
The flames didn¡¯t just scatter in every direction. They moved together with intent.
A ravenous intent.
The majority of the eruption seemed to seek out the ten living targets within the clearing.
The inferno curled mid-air, adjusting its trajectory, and then lunged toward them with terrifying precision. It was like the fire had sensed where the highest concentration of life was and had decided¡ªwithout hesitation¡ªthat this was where it would feast.
The first target barely had a second to react before the flames swarmed him, crawling up his armor like living tendrils, forcing their way into the gaps between plating. His agonized screams barely lasted a second before they cut off abruptly, his body collapsing as the fire consumed him whole.
One by one, the others followed in mere moments, as the inferno arrived like heat-seeking missiles. The flames did not waste any time.
They ignored anything and everything in their path that wasn¡¯t a living, breathing target, until they were all nothing more than ashen, molten slumps on the ground. A few stray tendrils finally peeled off, beelining straight for a cluster of dry leaves, igniting them instantly¡ªas if the fire simply could not resist taking whatever it could get its hands on.
But even this was frighteningly efficient.
Unlike the chaotic destruction of Perditio, which sought to annihilate everything, Fames was selective.
It wanted. It chose. It hungered.
It simply sought out the most viable sources of energy to consume, drawn toward life before anything else.
And then¡ªjust as suddenly as it had erupted¡ªthe hunger abruptly stopped.
The flames froze, mid-consumption, like beasts realizing they had gorged themselves too quickly.
Then, without warning, they simply fell.
Like embers snuffed out of existence, the once-ravenous inferno collapsed into dull, flickering remnants, its hunger abruptly vanishing. The remaining flames lingered on the ground for a few seconds, still licking at the charred earth as if unsure whether they had truly finished their feast.
And finally, with one last pulse, they disappeared entirely¡ªleaving behind nothing but the ashen remains of everything they had claimed.
The entire sequence of events lasted for less than three seconds, yet the sheer level of calamity it had wrought was closer to that of the Perditio Fireball than those of Aurae, Mutatio or Discordia.
In one word, it was frightening.
Thea¡¯s mouth was dry as she finally closed it, realizing¡ªbelatedly¡ªthat she had simply been staring, open-mouthed, at the hungering calamity the Runepriest¡ªor rather, the Sovereign¡ªhad unleashed.
She swallowed, forcing moisture back into her throat, before managing, "That was... effective."
The words felt woefully inadequate, but she had no better way to describe what she had just seen. Only a few minutes ago, she had thought the Fireball Power, in its basic form, was already the height of luxury for an infantryman like herself.
Practically infinite grenades, conjured at will, requiring no weight to carry and no space in a pack? That alone was a game changer¡ªsomething that could utterly redefine small-scale skirmishes and planetary warfare alike.
But now?
Now that she had seen this¡ªthese horrifyingly specific alterations that the Inheritances could apply?
Her mind floundered, struggling to even categorize what she was experiencing.
It felt like those early days in a newly released game at the Golden Age Arcade, when she had been so sure she understood a mechanic¡ªonly to suddenly realize she hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface of its true depth.
Like thinking she had reached the limit of her character¡¯s power¡ªmaxed out every skill, unlocked every upgrade¡ªonly to stumble into an entirely new layer of equipment, one that didn¡¯t just stack with what she already had, but multiplicatively enhanced it.
An entire hidden system that changed the very way the game was played.
¡°That¡¯s definitely one way to put it,¡± the Runepriest chuckled, his voice pulling her back to the present.
With a casual flick of his hand, he gestured for the Sovereign to reset the area once more.
The scorched clearing flickered, and in an instant, the aftermath of the Fames Fireball vanished, the scene returning to its original state¡ªpristine, untouched, as if the destruction had never happened.
¡°Fames Psykers,¡± he continued, ¡°as you might expect, primarily focus on using Powers that can be targeted by their Inheritance. Physical Powers, predominantly, but even metaphysical ones aren¡¯t beyond their reach.¡±
Thea¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.
¡®Metaphysical Powers¡?¡¯
He must have noticed her confusion, because his smirk widened ever so slightly before he elaborated.
¡°Your own Precognition would fall under that umbrella,¡± he explained. ¡°Anything that doesn¡¯t directly influence the physical world, like a Fireball does; things that are more brain-based. Precognition, Divination, Illusions¡ªall of these would be considered Metaphysical in nature.¡±
Thea¡¯s frown deepened slightly. She hadn¡¯t even considered that there were formal classifications for Psychic Powers like this.
¡°There are three distinct types of Powers,¡± the Runepriest continued, effortlessly guiding the conversation forward. ¡°Physical, Transient, and Metaphysical.¡±
His finger tapped lightly against his temple as he spoke, as if mentally sorting through his own words before continuing.
¡°Physical is self-explanatory. A Fireball, a Telekinetic blast, a direct, measurable impact applied to the real world.¡± He gestured vaguely to the now-reset clearing, where the remnants of their previous demonstrations had vanished as if they had never happened.
¡°Metaphysical is what I just mentioned¡ªthings that do not exert direct force, but instead manipulate perception, knowledge, or the intangible. Precognition, illusions, and Divination all fall into this category.¡±
His gaze sharpened slightly before he added, ¡°And then there¡¯s Transient.¡±
He let the word hang between them for a moment, letting Thea absorb it before continuing.
¡°Transient is neither, and both. A combination of Physical and Metaphysical, but belonging fully to neither category. These Powers are unique in that they can bridge the gap between the two.¡±
She wanted to ask for examples, but before she could, the Runepriest cut off the thought with a small wave of his hand.
¡°We¡¯ll cover these in depth in future sessions,¡± he said, his tone final. ¡°For now, just know that they exist. Trust me, Thea, this is the best way to introduce you to the Psyker world. If I overload you with too much complexity too soon, you¡¯ll only end up more confused than enlightened.¡±
Thea nodded immediately, no hesitation in her response.
She didn¡¯t need to be told that twice.
Her mind was already overflowing with everything she had learned today, and the mere thought of adding three more layers of complexity on top of that made her stomach churn.
The Runepriest, seeming satisfied, shifted back to his earlier train of thought, his tone regaining its previous weight. ¡°Anything that can be Intended to search for something¡ªto allow the Inheritance to truly Hunger for it¡ªis a Fames Psyker¡¯s specialty.¡±
His voice held a gravity that hadn¡¯t been there before, pressing the point home.
¡°They are the bloodhounds of the Psyker world,¡± he stated plainly. ¡°And they should be feared as such.¡±
Then, just as suddenly¡ªHis demeanor changed.
The amusement drained from his face, replaced by something colder.
His gaze hardened as he added, ¡°And also¡ Fames is the most influential Inheritance when it comes to your Presence.¡±
Thea stiffened instinctively. She wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, but she could tell¡ªimmediately¡ªthat this was something severely important.
¡°Every Inheritance,¡± the Runepriest continued, his voice slower now, more deliberate, ¡°subtly influences a Psyker¡¯s personality over time.¡±
He watched her carefully as he spoke, as if waiting to see her reaction.
¡°For most, this effect is benign¡ªa slight leaning toward certain choices, certain behaviors. Nothing overt. Nothing drastic. It is often so minimal that most Psykers aren¡¯t even taught about this being a thing until they reach Tier 3 or 4.¡±
Then, his voice dropped even lower and his expression darkened notably, his features momentarily unreadable, as if recalling something truly horrific.
¡°Fames, however, is not one of those. The more powerful a Fames Psyker becomes,¡± he said slowly, as if wanting to make sure Thea understood and fully comprehended every word, ¡°the more they succumb to the very Hunger they are meant to control.¡±
His fingers tapped lightly against his chin, his gaze turning distant for a brief moment before snapping back to her. ¡°It is both a blessing and a curse. It allows them to channel their Inheritance in ways that Psykers like you and me can only dream about; for they have become one with their Inheritance, in a way.¡±
A breath of silence passed between them.
And then¡ªhis voice turned grim.
¡°But ultimately¡ the Hunger always wins, if you allow it to linger for too long¡¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 11 - Inheritance V
The ominous silence lingered between them for only a few moments before the Runepriest¡¯s demeanor shifted 180 degrees yet again, snapping back into his usual lecture mode as if the prior conversation had never even happened.
¡°Luckily for all of us,¡± he continued, tone now once again far more casual, ¡°Fames is the third least-common Inheritance in existence, only outranked by Mutatio¡ªwhich we¡¯ve already covered¡ªand Creatio itself.¡±
His fingers tapped lightly against the Deep Amber gem on the hovering Inheritance Polarity Star, emphasizing his point.
¡°Only about 5.86% of all Psykers inherit Fames, which means the potential danger it carries is fairly easy to mitigate. As long as the Psyker is properly educated on what their Inheritance actually does, and how it affects them, we can usually keep them from succumbing to the¡ less desirable aspects of their Inheritance before it really starts influencing their personality overmuch.¡±
Thea exhaled slightly, relieved that Fames Psykers were rare enough to not be a widespread concern. But the way he phrased it¡ªthe idea that they had to be warned before their own Inheritance changed them¡ªstill sent a chill down her spine.
The Runepriest must have noticed the slight tension in her posture, because he raised both hands in a disarming gesture, his smirk returning.
¡°As for your own Inheritance, Thea,¡± he said, ¡°which you are undoubtedly feeling a little wary of right now¡ªdon¡¯t worry.¡±
She blinked, surprised at the Runepriest¡¯s ability to read her thoughts so easily.
¡°Much like the vast majority of Inheritances¡ªexcept for Fames and Nihilus¡ªVeritas does not influence your personality in any significant way,¡± he reassured her. ¡°And not before you¡¯ve unlocked your Presence anyway, so you¡¯ve got a long way to go before you even have to think about it.¡±
His eyes twinkled slightly with amusement as he leaned in just a bit, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
¡°Not that a Veritas personality is particularly problematic to begin with, of course.¡±
He gave her a playful wink. ¡°Nothing wrong with a person who¡¯s just a little more inclined to speak the truth, now is there?¡±
Thea wasn¡¯t quite sure how to take the knowledge that her own personality might end up shaped by something as intangible as her Inheritance. It felt strange, unsettling even¡ªbut she also couldn¡¯t deny that the Runepriest¡¯s nonchalant attitude toward it helped soften the blow markedly.
After all, with how old and powerful the Runepriest was, his Inheritance had undoubtedly affected his personality to some larger degree by now¡ªand while he was a bit chaotic and definitely eccentric, Thea couldn¡¯t exactly find anything inherently wrong with his behavior as a whole.
¡®There really isn¡¯t anything inherently wrong about being more inclined to tell the truth,¡¯ she thought, slowly nodding to herself as she tried to mentally run through various scenarios where this might affect her in the future. ¡®And the Runepriest did say it¡¯s not a compulsion-type thing either. If I really need to keep something a secret, I still can¡ right?¡¯
She was brought back to the present moment when she saw the Runepriest extend his right hand, palm up, mirroring the stance he had used for all the previous Fireballs.
Not wanting to miss any detail of the next Inheritance¡¯s demonstration, Thea focused intently on the space just above his palm, expecting a new variation of the Power to take shape.
But the moment she did, a strange pressure settled behind her eyes.
Her breath hitched. She recognized this sensation.
It was more than familiar by now.
Without hesitation, she instinctively pushed more Energy into her [Eyes of the Void], honing her focus as she had countless times before.
Something gave way.
And then¡ª
A sphere of deep purple flame appeared in the Runepriest¡¯s hand, as if it had been there the entire time.
Thea blinked.
The Runepriest did the same.
Then he let out a small, amused chuckle. ¡°Huh¡ Well...¡±
His eyebrows lifted briefly in surprise before settling into something closer to knowing amusement. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to just immediately go for the kill-shot without even asking me... But I guess that¡¯s ultimately on me; I did read your profile, after all...¡±
He trailed off, his tone suggesting there was something in particular he found thoroughly amusing about this moment.
Thea, however, was thoroughly lost.
¡®Kill-shot¡? What did I do¡?¡¯
Before she could ask, the Runepriest glanced toward the air and issued a command, ¡°Sovereign, increase the stealth component of the Obscuritas Fireball to the equivalent of a Tier 3 generator.¡±
¡°Affirmative,¡± came the AI¡¯s ever-measured response.
In the next moment, the purple Fireball vanished.
It wasn¡¯t like the way a normal fire would flicker and die, nor even the eerie dissipation of some of the other Inheritances she had seen.
It was as if the entire concept of its existence had been erased from her perception.
If she hadn¡¯t just seen it a moment ago, she wouldn¡¯t have even known to look for it.
The Runepriest turned back to her.
¡°I didn¡¯t intend for you to break through the stealth here, Thea. This wasn¡¯t a test,¡± he said, though there was not a hint of anger in his tone. ¡°That one¡¯s on me, honestly, but let¡¯s try to rein in the competitiveness when it comes to these illusions¡ªunless I specifically tell you otherwise, alright? They¡¯re fairly costly to generate and maintain, both for the Sovereign and for me.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach dropped as she realized what he was saying.
She had accidentally brute-forced her way through an illusion that wasn¡¯t meant to be broken, simply on instinct from doing so for the past month non-stop as a way to keep herself alive.
Her face heated at the realization.
She lowered her head, immediately preparing to apologize¡ª
Smack.
The sharp thump of a karate chop landed cleanly on the top of her head.
Her hands shot up to clutch at the spot, her head snapping back up in a mix of shock and indignation as she met the Runepriest¡¯s completely unapologetic stare.
¡®Did he¡ªDid he just fucking chop me?!¡¯
The Runepriest withdrew his hand with casual ease, but his eyes told a different story.
There was no playfulness in them now¡ªonly a sharp focus.
They were locked onto hers with an intensity that made her instinctively straighten in her seat.
¡°I was apologizing to you, Thea, because of an oversight I made. Not chiding you for your actions,¡± he said, his voice slow and deliberate, as if he were speaking to someone he fully expected to misunderstand him. ¡°You do not apologize for things that are my mistake. You simply acknowledge the way forward, at most.¡±
His eyes didn¡¯t waver, as he asked, ¡°Are we clear on this?¡±
There was no anger in his voice, no raised tone¡ªbut the sheer level of intent behind his words settled over her like an anvil; this was clearly important to him.
Thea¡¯s thoughts churned as she processed his words, an, unfortunately, all-too-familiar confusion creeping in.
¡®This is the second time he¡¯s phrased it like this¡¡¯
Hadn¡¯t she just made a mistake? She had broken the illusion without waiting for an order to do so. She had gone against the intended flow of the lesson, forcing the Runepriest to adjust the demonstration on the fly.
That was definitely a failure on her part, wasn¡¯t it?
Then why was he saying¡ªagain¡ªthat he wasn¡¯t chiding her? If she hadn¡¯t met his expectations, then surely that was something to be reprimanded for.
That was just how things worked.
So why was the Runepriest acting like it wasn¡¯t a failure of hers at all? That it was somehow his own mistake, rather than the person¡¯s that actively caused the issue?
She clenched her jaw slightly, unable to fully wrap her mind around it. But she also realised that she couldn¡¯t stew over this for any length of time, the Runepriest wouldn¡¯t be patient forever with her.
¡®Fine. I¡¯ll figure it out later,¡¯ she thought to herself, making a snap-decision on the matter.
The plan wasn¡¯t all too hard to concoct either: Corvus was already the de-facto social expert of Alpha Squad¡ªif anyone could make sense of this weird dynamic, it would be him.
She would simply ask him about it at the first opportunity.
But for now, she simply inclined her head in a respectful nod, signaling her understanding.
Even though she didn¡¯t understand.
The Runepriest let out a heavy sigh, clearly not convinced.
But rather than push the matter further, he turned back into his usual lecturing mode. With a small gesture, he directed Thea¡¯s attention to the now-hidden Fireball resting in his palm.
¡°Right,¡± he said, the weight in his voice lifting as if the previous conversation had already been filed away. ¡°Tell me what you perceive; without breaking the illusion.¡±
Thea exhaled slowly, pushing aside the lingering confusion from their exchange.
There would be time to figure that out later. For now, she had a task.
Her eyes locked onto the space where she knew the fireball rested, hovering just above the Runepriest¡¯s palm. She focused intently, scanning the air for any flicker, any shimmer, any minute distortion that might give it away.
Nothing.
She shifted her perspective, adjusting the angle from which she looked, tilting her head slightly as if a different viewing angle might reveal something. When that failed, she took it a step further¡ªrising from her seat and circling the Runepriest, keeping her eyes fixed on his hand as she moved.
Still nothing.
No distortion. No refraction. No telltale shimmer of light bending unnaturally around an object.
The space above his palm looked completely, utterly empty.
Her fingers twitched at her sides as unease started to settle in.
The Runepriest had chosen his words carefully¡ªhe hadn¡¯t asked her to see the fireball. He had asked her to perceive it.
It wasn¡¯t just about sight.
¡®Alright then¡¡¯
She closed her eyes.
Her hearing sharpened as she tuned into the sounds around her, filtering out the background hum of the training hall. She could hear the subtle shifting of the Runepriest¡¯s robes as he breathed, the faint rustling of leaves around them, even the slow, steady thump-thump of his heartbeat¡ªso impossibly calm and rhythmic that it almost seemed unnatural.
But the fireball?
Nothing.
No crackle of flames. No flickering embers. No faint shift of air from the heat it should have been producing.
It was as if it simply did not exist.
She shifted focus again, this time testing her sense of smell. Even without enhanced olfactory abilities, she should have been able to catch something¡ªa hint of burning air, the scent of heated particles, literally anything.
But once again, there was nothing.
Her fingers clenched slightly as the realization settled in, a slow, creeping dread unfurling in her stomach.
She knew it was there. She had seen it before the Runepriest had upgraded its stealth properties. But now? Now, it might as well have been a complete fabrication.
Even with her high levels of Perception¡ªenough to pick up on the faintest sounds, enough to detect micro-expressions on a person¡¯s face from across a room¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even begin to sense the fireball.
It wasn¡¯t just hidden from sight.
It was hidden from everything.
Thea sat back down, still somewhat refusing to accept that it was completely untraceable.
¡°I can¡¯t tell it exists. At all,¡± she admitted reluctantly. ¡°No smell, no sound, no visual distortions like stealth tech or illusion generators sometimes leave behind¡ Nothing. If I hadn¡¯t seen it earlier, I wouldn¡¯t even know it was there.¡±
Her frown deepened as she studied the empty space above the Runepriest¡¯s palm once more, as if sheer persistence alone could force the fireball to reveal itself.
¡°The only thing I didn¡¯t test was touching it,¡± she added after a beat, a dry edge to her tone. ¡°But given what the previous Fireballs did, I really didn¡¯t want to try that.¡±
The Runepriest chuckled, a low, genuinely amused sound. His eyes crinkled slightly in clear approval.
¡°Good. Very good,¡± he praised. ¡°Yes, it is particularly wise not to touch a Fireball Power, as it will almost inevitably blow up in your face¡ªeven if you can¡¯t perceive it.¡±
His tone was light, but the warning behind his words was clear.
Then, with a casual flick of his left hand, he gestured toward the distant targets.
¡°The reason I wanted you to investigate the Fireball so thoroughly,¡± he continued, ¡°will hopefully become apparent with the demonstration. So, pay close attention, my dear pupil.¡±
Thea inhaled slowly, instinctively tensing as she braced herself for whatever was about to happen next.
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Something about these demonstrations always set her on edge.
It wasn¡¯t the power on display¡ªit was the sheer wrongness of it all.
Every Inheritance so far had warped reality in ways that felt thoroughly unnatural, as if rewriting the very rules of existence to suit its own whims.
The way the Perditio Fireball had obliterated everything in an instant. The way the Discordia flames had flowed like liquid and bent logic itself. The horrific transformation caused by Mutatio, twisting life into grotesque mockeries of itself. And Fames¡
She swallowed.
There was something deeply disturbing about watching the universe bend to an Inheritance¡¯s will.
It wasn¡¯t magic. It wasn¡¯t some secret, special technology gone awry.
It was something older¡ªsomething more fundamental.
And every time she watched one of these Fireballs do its work, that primal, instinctive part of her being screamed that this was not supposed to exist.
Yet here she was. Watching. Learning.
And waiting for Obscuritas to show her just how much more terrifying the Psyker world could get.
As if he had been waiting for her to fully settle in, the Runepriest gently nudged his right palm forward, like he had done all the other Fireballs before. Thea''s entire body was taut with anticipation, her senses stretched to their limits, trying to catch something¡ªanything¡ªof what the Obscuritas Fireball was about to do.
She expected something¡ªperhaps a ripple in the air where it exploded, followed by flames suddenly appearing out of nowhere, their presence revealed only after the fact.
But instead¡ There was once again nothing.
No explosion. No burst of flame. No sound. Not even the smell of burning ozone, that always came alongside the previous Fireball¡¯s initial explosions.
And yet, the clearing in front of her changed.
Thea¡¯s breath caught as she watched the first tree abruptly topple, its trunk snapping and breaking with no visible damage¡ªno char, no scorch marks, no hint of why it had fallen at all.
Then, a split second later, one of the armored targets simply collapsed.
Like a puppet with its strings cut, the figure crumpled to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Her pulse spiked.
Another target dropped.
Then another.
Then two more at once.
Her brain was trying to rationalize what she was seeing¡ªbut nothing about this was rational at all. She knew that the Fireball was causing it, but she had no understanding of what it was actually doing to cause all of the things she was seeing.
Immediately after, the remaining targets fell one by one, in eerie silence, each slumping into an unnatural heap where they stood.
No flailing. No last-second struggles. No screaming.
Just gone as if somebody had unplugged their power cords.
And the trees¡ªThe trees kept falling.
One after another, they tilted, creaked, and collapsed like they had simply¡ given up. Like they had unilaterally chosen to lie down and die.
And still¡ªthere was nothing.
No visible sign of an impact, no raging inferno, no devastation.
Just the tranquil clearing in the middle of the simulated forest, with some odd bodies on the floor and broken trees that looked like they had fallen over from a stiff breeze.
But then, roughly five seconds after the Runepriest¡¯s simple, casual motion had nudged the invisible Fireball toward its victims¡ªReality corrected itself.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened in pure horror as the scene before her transformed in an instant.
One moment, it was an eerily untouched clearing, full of fallen bodies and collapsed trees.
The next¡ªIt was hell.
Flames appeared everywhere at once.
The toppled trees that had seemed intact only a breath ago were suddenly charred husks, their trunks blackened, their bark eaten away by roaring, unnatural fire. The ground, once seemingly undisturbed, was now scorched beyond recognition, deep cracks running through the soil as if the land itself had been seared open.
And the targets¡ª
The armored soldiers who had dropped so suddenly¡ª
They were burning and melting.
Their forms were grotesquely twisted, armor warped and melted around their bodies, fused to the flesh beneath. What little of them was visible through the scorched gaps in their plating was unrecognizable, their flesh charred, blackened, gone.
Thea barely had time to process the sheer wrongness of it before the smell hit her.
Burning flesh. Scorched earth. Ozone, thick and acrid, filling her lungs like smoke.
Her stomach twisted violently, nausea creeping up her throat, but she couldn''t look away.
The realization settled in her chest like a crushing weight, suffocating in its sheer, awful clarity: The Obscuritas Fireball had done everything the other Fireballs had as well.
It had destroyed, incinerated, erased life just as brutally, just as thoroughly.
But for those first five seconds¡ªIt had lied about it.
No warning. No indication. No chance to react.
And even worse¡ª
¡°They¡ They didn¡¯t even know they were burning alive, did they¡?¡± Thea¡¯s voice was barely more than a whisper, her throat tight, hoarse with horror.
It was one thing to be vaporized by a Perditio Fireball¡ªgone in an instant, reduced to nothing before the pain could even register. It was one thing to be crushed and molten alive by Discordia¡¯s warped, liquid fire, or to be twisted and reshaped into something monstrous by Mutatio¡¯s cursed touch.
Even Fames, for all its sheer relentlessness, still gave its victims a chance to see their deaths coming.
But Obscuritas? You wouldn¡¯t even know.
You wouldn¡¯t feel the heat as it melted your flesh. Wouldn¡¯t hear your own armor warping as it fused to your skin. Wouldn¡¯t smell the sickly, acrid stench of your own body burning.
You wouldn¡¯t even realize your lungs had long been charred beyond repair, that your vision had already failed because your eyes had already burst from the invisible flames licking over them with ravenous glee.
At some point, you would simply¡ fall. And never get back up.
Not knowing why. Not knowing how.
Not until Obscuritas deemed that it was time for the Truth to be seen once more.
¡°Indeed,¡± the Runepriest answered, a note of pride threading through his voice. It caught Thea off guard¡ªpride was not what she had expected after witnessing such sheer horror.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you picked up on that fact right away,¡± he continued, nodding in approval. ¡°Usually, that¡¯s something I have to explicitly point out afterward. Well done, dear pupil.¡±
Still shaken, Thea finally managed to tear her gaze away from the scorched, corpse-littered clearing and meet the Runepriest¡¯s eyes. To her surprise, he looked pleased¡ªutterly content with the results of the demonstration.
Then, just like that, his tone shifted back into the easy, almost conversational cadence of his usual lectures.
¡°What you just saw was Obscuritas when applied to a simple offensive Power like Fireball.¡± He gestured to the ashen wasteland before them as if presenting nothing more than a training exercise. ¡°Obscuritas fully conceals the Truth of the world, deceiving even your own senses as you burn alive.¡±
He raised a hand and pointed toward the Inheritance Star hovering between them, singling out the purple gem at the 5 -o¡¯clock position. ¡°Obscuritas, universally represented by the colour Deep Purple, is the tenth Inheritance you will encounter during your Delves. It governs the fundamental nature of the Void to obscure, hide, and lie about the Truth.
¡°Most Obscuritas Psykers specialize in illusions, assassination, or battlefield disruption¡ªsupporting ambush tactics, disorienting their enemies, and making sure you never know what is real¡ But, as you just saw, they are also utterly terrifying when they turn their Inheritance toward direct harm instead.¡±
Thea swallowed thickly, that last point settling heavily in her chest.
This was the very Inheritance she had gone up against in the Assessment. This was why her [Eyes of the Void] had failed. This was what had led to her death.
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through the thoughts clawing their way into her mind.
¡°It is the Polarity to your own Inheritance, Veritas¡ªwhich we have already discussed. Where Veritas reveals the truth, Obscuritas hides it. Where Veritas removes obstructions to lay bare what the Void perceives, Obscuritas puts those very obstructions into place.¡±
His gaze flickered back to her.
¡°Obscuritas Psykers make up approximately 9.86% of all Psykers,¡± he added, ¡°which is almost twice as many as those who share your own Inheritance, Thea.¡±
Her stomach clenched.
¡®Almost twice as many?!¡¯ A twinge of panic twisted inside her chest. ¡®I have double the chance to run into an Obscuritas than another Veritas?!¡¯
As if sensing her unease, the Runepriest¡¯s expression softened ever so slightly.
¡°But don¡¯t be too afraid of this Polarity, Thea,¡± he reassured, ¡°because always remember: Polarities go both ways. And Veritas, being the more focused and less universally flexible of the two, has a clear power advantage over Obscuritas. In almost all circumstances, a Veritas Psyker will beat an Obscuritas in a head-to-head¡ªso long as both parties act to the best of their abilities.¡±
Much to her surprise, his demeanor turned mischievous.
He leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice as though sharing some grand secret.
¡°And at the end of the day¡¡± he murmured, ¡°who should really be more afraid?
¡°The many who hide¡
¡°Or the few who hunt them down to reveal them?¡±
Thea blinked at that.
Then, despite the lingering unease in her chest, she smirked.
It was a subtle shift¡ªsmall, almost hesitant¡ªbut perfectly genuine.
Because the image his words painted¡ªthe idea of Obscuritas Psykers huddled in alleyways, lurking in corners, desperately trying to avoid her¡ªwas thoroughly amusing.
The Runepriest, seemingly satisfied with her reaction, straightened and returned to his usual composed demeanor.
¡°We¡¯ll go into more detail on how this interplay works when we reach your own Inheritance at the very end of this,¡± he stated matter-of-factly.
Then, lifting his hand once more, he gestured toward the Luminous White gem at the 11-o¡¯clock position¡ªdirectly opposite the Deep Purple one they had just covered.
¡°For now, I think it¡¯s best to continue with the next one in line,¡± the Runepriest said, his voice carrying a weight that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Especially because this one is very¡ special, to say the least.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes snapped to the dark blue gem at the very bottom of the Inheritance Star¡ªdirectly opposite the Crimson Red of Perditio.
¡®Special¡?¡¯ She thought, anticipation curling in her chest. ¡®This is the first time he¡¯s called any of them particularly special, aside from Fames¡¯ and Nihilus¡¯ unique effects on personality¡¡¯
As if following her train of thought, the Runepriest tapped the dark blue gem lightly, his fingers lingering over its smooth surface. ¡°Located at the 6-o¡¯clock position, and representing the Polarity to Perditio, we have the king among all Inheritances. The one Inheritance that all other Psykers, no matter their pride or gained power, envy and wish they had instead of whatever the Void had decided they get: Creatio.¡±
His voice took on an almost begrudging edge, just barely tinged with something sour.
¡°It is, by far, the rarest Inheritance, appearing in only 3.25% of all Psykers¡ªnearly twice as rare as the second-rarest one. But it is also the most versatile, the most powerful, and the most¡ fantastical of them all.¡±
His eyes met hers.
¡°It is universally represented by the color Night Blue, and as the name suggests, it governs the very power of Creation itself. A Creatio Psyker is the closest thing to one of the gods of old humanity, for they possess the capability to shape reality, even to bring entirely new things into existence; to create.¡±
Thea¡¯s breath caught. Her thoughts tripped over themselves, tumbling into a disorganized mess as she tried to grasp the sheer magnitude of what he had just said.
¡®Fantastical? The power of the gods of old? Reshaping and creating reality itself?!¡¯
It felt impossible. Utterly unreal.
Like something out of one of the Golden Age Arcade¡¯s most absurd high-fantasy games.
¡°I think the easiest way to truly understand the difference between Creatio and all other Inheritances,¡± the Runepriest continued, the weight in his voice keeping her grounded, ¡°is to demonstrate it.¡±
As he spoke, he lifted his right hand¡ªhis palm facing upward, fingers slightly curled.
Thea instinctively tensed, anticipation practically thrumming in her veins.
¡®What kind of Fireball is this going to be?!¡¯
Would it be some divine, ethereal flame, one that built instead of destroyed? Would it manifest in a way that made no logical sense, rewriting the very rules of existence as it burned?
But¡ no Fireball formed at all.
Instead, the Runepriest painfully slowly brought his thumb and middle finger together. His movements were deliberate, his eyes locked onto hers for just a second before he gave a small, knowing nod toward the freshly reset clearing.
Thea¡¯s gaze flicked toward the empty space.
And then¡
Snap.
The sound of his fingers snapping together echoed through the clearing¡ª
¡ªbut only for the briefest instant.
Because in the very next moment, it was completely drowned out.
A thunderous cascade of explosions erupted all at once as more than a dozen Fireballs simply winked into existence across the battlefield.
There was no warning. No flickering buildup. No moment for them to manifest.
One second, the clearing was untouched.
The next¡ªFire.
Fire and explosions everywhere.
Thea¡¯s mouth hung open as she watched it all unfold.
She barely had time to process what had happened before the full reality of the Creatio Fireball hit her like a warhead straight to the chest.
These Fireballs hadn¡¯t traveled. They hadn¡¯t been launched.
They had simply¡ appeared.
Dead-center in the middle of the target area.
Two meters above the target area, suspended in the air before they detonated in an eruption of searing flames. Inside the earth below the target area, blowing apart the hardened dirt and rock with a fiery explosion that sent molten debris raining in every direction, burning and scorching everything it touched.
But none of that was what caught Thea¡¯s attention.
None of that was what made her stomach churn with sheer, visceral terror.
Her eyes locked onto the targets¡ªonto what had been the Stellar Republic Soldiers merely an instant ago.
The Fireballs had simply appeared inside of them.
They didn¡¯t strike them. Didn¡¯t hit them. Didn¡¯t impact their armor before exploding.
No. The infernal spheres of fire had manifested within their very bodies.
And in the next instant, they had already detonated.
There was no time for the targets to react. No chance to evade, no moment to comprehend their fate, no instinctive attempt to shield themselves.
One moment, they stood.
The next¡ªThey were simply gone.
The explosions had ripped through them from the inside out, evaporating flesh, pulverizing bones, and obliterating everything they were before their nervous systems even had a chance to process pain.
Armor plates had burst apart as superheated gasses had expanded outward, sending molten shards flying.
Some of the heavier-armored Soldiers barely even moved before their insides were flash-incinerated, their remains collapsing into smoldering husks inside empty shells of armor.
It was so brutally instantaneous that Thea wasn¡¯t sure what unsettled her more¡ªthe sheer efficiency of it¡
¡or the terrifying truth that nothing could have saved them.
There was no counterplay.
No dodging.
No preemptive action.
No last-second barrier, shield, or sprinting dive that could have possibly saved their lives.
The Fireballs had simply sprung into existence where they were.
And in that instant¡ªso had death¡
Volume 2 - Chapter 12 - Inheritance VI
Thea took a steadying breath, forcing herself to process what she had just witnessed.
The sheer scale of the Creatio Fireball¡¯s Power had left her reeling, but now that the initial shock was starting to wear off, the terrifying implications clawed their way into her thoughts.
She swallowed hard. "I can see why everyone would be envious of Creatio..." she muttered, her voice quieter than she intended.
The Runepriest let out a knowing chuckle, offering nothing but ¡°It is the last and final Inheritance you will meet in your Delve, so look forward to that, as well.¡±
But her mind was already racing ahead, trying to pick apart what she had seen.
There had to be something that could be done against this, right? Some countermeasure? Some defense? Because if there wasn''t...
Her stomach twisted.
"How would anyone even defend against that?" She asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the still-smoking battlefield. "It seems straight-up impossible when the Fireballs are just created inside people¡¯s bodies. What are you even supposed to do to not just... die?"
The Runepriest didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe had clearly expected the question.
"You, as a Psyker¡ªand one with exceptional Resolve¡ªwon''t have to worry about that being a possibility at all," he assured her.
"Much like all Psychic Powers are affected by Resolve, so are Creatio-influenced ones."
He gestured toward the ruined clearing, sweeping a hand over the grotesque remains of the test subjects. "They were all created with the equivalent of about 2.5 Resolve, which is around the average for a Tier 1 Marine or Soldier. Those unwilling to pursue the path of a Psyker often neglect their Resolve entirely, whether knowingly or not, and as a result, they make themselves easy targets for Powers like what you¡¯ve just seen."
His finger then pointed toward her, then to himself. "For you and me, however, we won¡¯t have to worry about this. Our Resolve acts not only as a shield against the immediate effects of Psychic Powers, reducing their impact on us as a whole, but it also functions as an interference field as well¡ªan invisible buffer that grows in size and intensity as our Resolve increases."
To illustrate his point, the Runepriest summoned a small illusion between his palms.
A tiny chibi-Thea flickered into existence, much like the one he had conjured in his earlier demonstration regarding the Inheritance-lens idea.
Thea blinked at it, momentarily thrown off by how utterly adorable it looked compared to the grim scene they had witnessed just moments earlier. The Runepriest smirked slightly at her reaction before continuing, "Let¡¯s break this down into something easier to grasp, shall we?"
"Assuming you have a Resolve of 2.5," he began, as an invisible force suddenly seized the chibi-Thea, making her stumble. The tiny figure clawed at her chest, struggling against something unseen. "This would give you just enough Resolve to prevent an average Psyker from simply ripping your heart out with their Telekinesis Powers."
Thea tensed at the blunt description, watching as the little illusion barely managed to resist the pressure squeezing down on her.
"But with a Resolve of 3," he continued, snapping his fingers, "you¡¯d barely feel their attempts beyond an inconvenience anymore."
The scene changed.
The chibi-Thea straightened, brushing herself off. The unseen force was still there, but now she only looked mildly irritated, like someone had nudged her rather than tried to kill her.
"At a Resolve of 4, an enemy Psyker of equal Resolve wouldn¡¯t be able to touch you directly with their Powers at all."
Now, the chibi-Thea stood unbothered, casually kicking at imaginary dust on the Runepriest¡¯s palm, completely undisturbed by any external force.
"But once you reach a Resolve of 5..." The tiny illusion suddenly glowed, enveloped in a Luminous White aura that extended roughly ten centimeters from her body, like an invisible barrier. "You start emitting a field that prevents other Psykers from interacting with the space around you at all¡ªunless they¡¯re able to completely overpower you."
Thea''s eyes widened slightly as she took in the implications.
"And from there," the Runepriest continued, "that aura just keeps growing in size and intensity, the stronger your Resolve becomes."
The barrier around the tiny illusion expanded slowly, stretching outward until it encompassed both the Runepriest and real-Thea herself.
"This is why at higher Tiers, practically every squad has a Psyker," the Runepriest explained, letting his hands return to their relaxed positions¡ªhis left tapping lightly on his knee, his right propping up his chin. "We¡¯re talking Tier 4 and 5 here, of course, so it¡¯s not something immediately relevant to you, but it¡¯s definitely something to keep in mind as you climb the ranks."
Thea nodded slowly, the knowledge settling into place.
The Runepriest leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting back to something more instructional. "As a Psyker, outside of whatever specific Paths you decide to focus on, your primary role in a squad is to prevent exactly what you just saw from happening to the rest of your team. And the best way to do that is vigilance. Attentiveness. Just by being there¡ªwith a sufficient amount of Resolve, which you already have at this stage¡ªyou make it impossible for an enemy Psyker to conjure Fireballs directly inside your squadmates."
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head lightly.
"Now," he added, "if you weren¡¯t a Psyker? Well..." He let out a short laugh. "The answer would, unfortunately, be: Find a Psyker to add to your squad."
Thea blinked, unsure whether to laugh or grimace at the bluntness of it.
"While there are ways to work around the issue without one¡ªsuch as Psychic-related Abilities granted by the Allbright System, both Passive and Active¡ªthe opportunity cost for those Abilities is usually far greater than their benefit for most people. So unless you''re truly dedicated to countering Psykers, the simplest and most effective countermeasure is..."
He smirked. "To have one of your own."
Thea exhaled slowly, processing everything.
Psykers weren¡¯t just tools or weapons to be wielded. They were strategic necessities.
She barely had time to let that realization settle before the Runepriest snapped his fingers, making the chibi-Thea illusion deflate like a popped balloon. The abrupt shift yanked her back to the present, pulling her away from the deeper spiral of thoughts threatening to take over.
"Now, back to the topic at hand," the Runepriest said smoothly. "Creatio. As you might have already guessed from the way I talked about it earlier¡ªand from the demonstration itself¡ªCreatio has no real downsides; only upsides."
He let the words hang in the air for a moment, letting the weight of that statement sink in.
¡®Not having any downsides at all?¡¯ Thea thought to herself. ¡®If this was a game at the Golden Age Arcade, players would be clamouring for a nerf, for sure¡¡¯
"It is, quite frankly, an Inheritance that has no equal. While it might not always outperform another Inheritance in its specialized niche¡ªsuch as Perditio when it comes to raw destruction, or Obscuritas when it comes to illusions¡ªit is always at least second place. And sometimes, depending on how you judge it, it can even surpass them in their own domain as well."
He shrugged, though his expression soured slightly, as if the very idea left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Ultimately, though, there¡¯s not much we can do about that. Creatio Psykers are incredibly rare¡ªso rare, in fact, that you may never run into one during your entire career. But if you do, you need to understand one thing: They have access to practically every Path equally and can likely beat you in more ways than you can imagine. Fighting a Creatio Psyker effectively always comes down to thoroughly out thinking them because, in a direct head-to-head battle? You will lose. Whether it¡¯s in terms of raw Energy or sheer versatility of options¡ªthey will almost always have the upper hand."
His golden eyes gleamed as he leaned in slightly, his expression morphing into something between amusement and a hard-edged certainty.
"But never forget, Thea," he continued, his voice taking on a mix of grim finality and something almost gleeful, "they are still human under all that versatility and power. They are not gods, no matter how much they like to imagine they are. They bleed just like everyone else."
A sharp, toothy grin spread across his face as he let his words sink in, his voice lowering slightly, as if imparting a personal truth¡ªone earned through long experience.
"I¡¯ve personally killed more than three dozen Creatio Psykers in my time," he said, his tone almost disturbingly casual. "And every single one of them has ultimately ended up like all the other human who¡¯ve tried to fight me directly, be they Psykers, Anti-Psykers or normal Soldiers of various Factions¡ª"
A brief pause.
Then, with a smirk, he finished, "In pieces."
Thea swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
There was no boast in his words, no arrogance. Just fact.
Before Thea had a chance to fully process the weight of the Runepriest¡¯s words about Creatio, he had already moved on, his mood shifting back to its usual, almost theatrical cadence.
With a practiced motion, he extended his right hand, palm-up, the familiar gesture he always used before conjuring a new Fireball.
¡°Now, enough about Creatio,¡± he declared, his tone carrying a hint of distaste, as if simply discussing the Inheritance left an unpleasant, bitter taste in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s time for the most pleasant of all Inheritances: Concordia.¡±
The moment he finished speaking, a soft, light-blue ball of fire manifested in his palm, its presence catching Thea¡¯s full attention. No matter how overwhelming this whole lesson had been in terms of raw amount of information, no matter how shocking the revelations, the anticipation of seeing another Inheritance in action always managed to ignite something inside her.
She honestly kind of hated how much she enjoyed it.
Watching these powers unfold before her eyes¡ªseeing the rules of reality twist and reshape with each new demonstration¡ªwas nothing short of exhilarating. As much as she tried to maintain an air of discipline, of measured control, she couldn''t deny that she was utterly hooked.
¡®He¡¯s definitely taught more than one person before me¡ªthat¡¯s a given,¡¯ she mused, a small grin creeping onto her face. It was refreshing, beyond words, to finally get clear answers to the hundreds of questions that had been gnawing at her since Integration. And the Runepriest had an undeniable talent for explaining things in a way that stuck.
¡®At least I won¡¯t need to rely entirely on Kara to break all of this down for me afterward,¡¯ she thought with some amusement.
Her focus returned to the Fireball.
Much like the others, yet thoroughly unlike them at the same time, something about this one felt distinctly off¡ªnot in an unsettling way, which was very different from all the previous ones, but in a way that made her instincts tingle regardless.
The flames flickered and swayed like any ordinary fire, yet there was an uncanny precision to it. Each tongue of flame curled with flawless rhythm, its motion too smooth, too symmetrical, as though it weren¡¯t fire at all, but rather a perfect impression of it.
It was like looking at a simulation rather than something real.
¡°Concordia is the aspect of harmony within the Void, and the Polarity to Discordia,¡± the Runepriest explained. ¡°It is universally represented by the color Cerulean Blue and governs the concepts of conformity, natural order, and reparation.¡±
A sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he added, ¡°Though, for most people, it¡¯s simply known by something else entirely.¡±
With that cryptic remark, he nudged the Fireball forward, sending it on its inevitable path toward the target area.
It was only then that Thea realized something strange.
For the first time since these demonstrations had begun, the clearing hadn¡¯t been reset.
The scorched, blackened remnants left behind by the previous Creatio Fireball still marred the landscape¡ªthe burned-out husks of trees, the melted and exploded armors, the torn apart remnants of the Stellar Republic targets.
She knew the Runepriest well enough by now to understand that this wasn¡¯t an oversight.
Her heart pounded with anticipation as the Concordia Fireball arrived at its destination¡ªand exploded. It erupted in a burst of cerulean light, but unlike every other explosion Thea had seen so far, this one didn¡¯t expand outward with destruction¡ªit pulled.
She instinctively leaned forward in her seat as the flames sucked in loose debris from the ruined landscape, the charred remains of bark and splintered wood lifting from the ground as if drawn by an unseen force. Blackened soot, scorched dirt, and crumbling embers¡ªall of it was dragged toward the epicenter of the explosion.
And then, just as suddenly, the flames spread; just like one would normally expect.
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But unlike normal convention, they did not burn.
The bright cerulean fire crept across the ruined clearing like a wave, but instead of consuming everything in its path, it restored it.
The ashen husks of trees straightened as the blue fire climbed up their trunks, pulling them back into their rightful positions, their bark regaining a hint of its original color as the charred remains sloughed off like dead skin.
The ground, hardened and blackened from the Creatio Fireball¡¯s devastation, softened, its surface smoothing as the flames passed over it, revealing patches of rich brown soil beneath.
Thea barely breathed as she watched.
But nothing stunned her more than what the flames did to the targets.
The Concordia fire flickered over the lifeless remains of the Stellar Republic Soldiers, licking at the twisted, melted armor and the fragmented, burned flesh that had once been living bodies. Slowly, painstakingly, the flames mended whatever they could¡ªthe armor unwelding from the fused flesh, cooling and losing its warped, molten edges.
Where the bodies had been torn apart, muscle and skin began knitting back together, but the damage had been far too extensive for anything resembling actual revival.
The mangled limbs, though less mangled, remained separate from their owners.
In the grand scheme of things, the flames could only do so much.
¡®This is still a Fireball. This is still a Fireball Power,¡¯ she repeated in her head, making sure that this was something she consciously kept in mind. ¡®There are so many options to keep in mind, even with just a single Power¡¡¯
While all of the Inheritances so far had been thoroughly strange and otherworldly, Concordia completely upended the very idea of Fireball being an offensive, destructive Power. It rewrote the fundamental assumption that fire meant ruin¡ªthat an explosion was always an end rather than a beginning.
¡°The healing Inheritance,¡± the Runepriest abruptly finished his earlier cryptic sentence, catching Thea off guard. Her gaze snapped to his, eyes wide with renewed focus.
¡°Concordia, being the Inheritance of roughly 8.49% of all Psykers, and located at the 7-o¡¯clock position on the Star, although the fifth Inheritance you will meet inside your Delves, is often referred to as the healing, mending, or¡ªmuch to the chagrin of non-Psykers in that branch¡ªthe Medic Inheritance,¡± he explained, his voice carrying an amused lilt at that last bit. ¡°It fundamentally alters the nature of the Powers it¡¯s applied to, shifting them towards promoting harmony and restoring the natural order of things. It repairs what is broken, mends flesh, and undoes the damage inflicted by other Inheritances on the universe as a whole.¡±
He gestured toward the target area, where the cerulean flames still danced along the landscape, weaving their way through the ruined clearing, trying to mend whatever they could.
¡°It is a highly efficient Inheritance, but not necessarily a powerful one,¡± the Runepriest continued. ¡°It excels at what it does, but not necessarily how fast it does it¡ªunless you¡¯re willing to pour an absurd amount of Energy into any given Power. Most Psykers who inherit Concordia find themselves naturally inclined toward supportive roles, as the Inheritance simply does not lend itself well to offense.¡±
He turned his head slightly, a thoughtful look flickering across his face before he added, ¡°That said, I have seen a few¡ creative uses of Concordia in a more aggressive capacity. Though, rather than direct attacks, they tend to focus on counteracting enemy Psykers the moment their Powers are used.¡±
To illustrate, he raised both of his hands, conjuring two small illusions in his palms.
One burned in the deep, furious crimson of Perditio.
The other shimmered in the perfect, cerulean glow of Concordia.
He let them drift toward each other in the space between his hands, and the moment they met¡ª
Boom.
The tiny illusions collided in a burst of light, but rather than the crimson flame engulfing the blue, or the cerulean fire smothering the red, they simply¡ canceled each other out. The explosion was brief, almost muted, the two forces snuffing each other out like waves crashing into one another, dispersing into nothingness.
Thea blinked, momentarily stunned.
¡°That,¡± the Runepriest said, lowering his hands, ¡°is what makes Concordia particularly unique. While its direct Polarity is Discordia, it is often considered a soft-Polarity to all other Inheritances. Unlike the others, which fully stem from the Void¡¯s various aspects, Concordia actively resists its influence in our universe. It is the only Inheritance that prioritizes preserving and reinforcing the natural laws of the universe it resides in at the time rather than shaping reality through the Void¡¯s lens; bringing a part of it into our universe.¡±
His eyes met Thea¡¯s once more, gleaming with an almost unreadable intensity.
¡°When directly clashing with another Inheritance, Concordia doesn¡¯t attempt to overpower it. It doesn¡¯t seek to win¡ªit simply throws its full weight behind cancelling it out entirely.¡±
The target area flickered in the corner of Thea¡¯s eye, signaling that the Sovereign had just finished resetting the field. She barely had a moment to process that before her attention snapped back to the Runepriest, who was already holding up another Fireball in his right hand.
But this one¡ this one was very odd.
The flames weren¡¯t vibrant like the others had been. They weren¡¯t licking at the air with an aggressive hunger, nor twisting unnaturally like some of the more esoteric ones had. Instead, the Fireball was gray¡ªdrained of all color, as if the very concept of hue had been stripped away, leaving only a bleak, dull existence behind. It wasn¡¯t just colorless; it was still.
Completely, unnervingly still.
The flames did not flicker, did not move, did not even sway with the subtle air currents drifting through the clearing. It was as if time itself had paused within its form.
Thea felt a strange sensation crawl up her spine as she stared at it.
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯d like to get through the rest of these Inheritances rather quickly, so I¡¯ll speed it up a bit. Throw in questions if you have any,¡± he said with a wink, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent of seriousness beneath his usual playfulness.
He gestured to the gray Fireball. ¡°This one¡¯s Permaneo. Located at the 8 o¡¯clock position on the Star, and also the eighth Inheritance you will meet inside your Delves. It is the Inheritance of persistence, unchanging ways, and stability; universally represented by the colour of Steel Grey. Naturally, it is the Polarity to Mutatio, as it directly opposes the fundamental concept of change. Roughly 9.12% of Psykers hold this Inheritance, and they primarily focus on long-lasting Powers, as well as defensive ones, since Permaneo is exceptionally good at reinforcing and bolstering those.¡±
He lifted his left hand and gave a small, casual wave in the direction of the target area.
¡°However, when applied to an offensive Power, it is no slouch either.¡±
With that, he gently nudged the Fireball forward.
It moved with a deliberate slowness, unlike the other Fireballs that had shot out like missiles.
It wasn¡¯t sluggish, but it lacked urgency. There was no acceleration, no sudden burst of speed to propel it forward like with the others.
It simply traveled forward with the same steady momentum, like an object set in motion that would never stop until it reached its target.
Thea¡¯s eyes followed the slow-moving Permaneo Fireball with rapt attention, expecting¡ªwaiting¡ªfor the moment when it would erupt in a burst of flame like all the others had.
But when it finally reached the target area, it did not explode.
Instead, it¡ opened.
It was the only way she could describe it.
Like the petals of some strange, alien flower slowly unfurling, the Fireball simply expanded, peeling apart in layers to reveal a core of deep gray flame.
Then, with an eerie stillness, the fire spread outward.
The gray flames rolled forward like a slow-moving tide, pouring across the ground, blanketing trees, seeping into cracks in the earth.
It did not consume with the sheer, blistering speed of crimson fire, but it did consume.
Leaves, bark, soil, metal¡ªall were taken by the creeping flames, swallowed piece by piece in its quiet, merciless advance.
It was as if the entire target area was simply being rewritten, every part of it inevitably claimed by the unchanging inferno.
A full minute passed.
Thea frowned, watching the fire as it continued its slow but inexorable spread.
Usually, fire weakened after a while, fading once it had burned through its fuel or at least moving to find new sources of fuel when the area where it had been burning ran out.
But this¡ªthis wasn¡¯t behaving like any normal flame.
The first patches of gray fire that had landed on the ground, the ones that had been burning for a full sixty seconds already, had not changed at all. They were not dwindling, not flickering, nor looking anything more to consume than where they had initially touched.
They simply existed, exactly as they had been when they first landed.
Still burning. Still spreading.
Utterly unchanging.
The realization sent a chill through her.
Even if a soldier avoided the initial surge of Permaneo fire, they would still be trapped by the aftermath. There would be no safe place to step, no clear path to escape.
The battlefield would become a maze of flames that refused to die.
What only underscored this feeling, was her observations of the living targets in the area.
The Stellar Republic Soldiers had fought desperately against the encroaching tide, their training dictating their every move. Some frantically shoveled dirt onto the flames, attempting to smother them beneath layers of earth, while others tried to remove any potential fuel sources from getting in contact with the fire.
But nothing worked.
The dirt was consumed, vanishing into the flames as though it had never existed. The fire didn¡¯t flicker, didn¡¯t weaken, didn¡¯t react.
Where the flames had already consumed everything there was to consume at a given spot, it simply persisted, unwavering and patient, as if it had no need for fuel at all.
Then, one soldier made a fatal mistake.
In a last-ditch effort, they brought their boot down hard on the fire.
For a second, nothing changed.
Then, they brought their foot back up and realised in horror that part of the flames were now clinging to their boots. And unlike normal fire, which might sputter, recoil, or react to its fuel source, these flames behaved with absolute certainty.
They did not flicker, did not waver. They simply burned.
The protective layers of the soldier¡¯s boot held¡ªat first.
The specialized heat-resistant plating, designed to withstand laser rifles and incendiary blasts, bought them seconds at best. But Permaneo flames did not burn quickly. They did not consume in an instant, nor rage in a furious burst of destruction like Perditio¡¯s fire.
They simply outlasted.
The outer layer of the boot blackened, cracked, and then peeled away. The inner lining followed, glowing red-hot as the heat bled through. The fire crept higher, eating away at the armour¡¯s defenses inch by inch, layer by layer, reducing the once-protective material to smoldering ash.
By the time it reached the flesh beneath, the soldier had already begun to falter after they had tried everything to extinguish them. From throwing dirt on them, to rolling on the ground and even smothering them entirely with their gloved hands¡ªonly to realise that now their hands were burning too.
Their movements became sluggish, their panicked attempts to pry off the armor weakening as the fire consumed everything it touched. The flames slowly wrapped around their legs, their torso¡ªdevouring methodically, persistently¡ªcreeping up their body with every second that passed without fail.
There was no sudden explosion, no dramatic final scream.
Only the slow, unstoppable march of destruction.
And when the fire finally reached the soldier¡¯s chest, when the last of their armor had given way, they collapsed¡ªsilent, unmoving, and utterly lifeless.
Two minutes.
That was how long it had taken.
Two minutes of slow, creeping inevitability.
Two minutes of a death that could not be fought, could not be outrun, could not be undone.
Thea¡¯s breath came in shallow, controlled draws, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides as she fought to steady herself.
The sight before her was too familiar. Too visceral.
The relentless flames. The suffocating heat. The feeling of helplessness as fire consumed everything in its path.
Memories of the IgT-compound bombardment surged forward, unbidden and unwelcome.
She could still hear the harrowing screams of burning Marines, their desperate cries piercing through the chaos as the System-fire devoured them whole. The sight of the Heavies who had shielded her, their armor turning into molten slag as they succumbed to the inferno. The acrid stench of burning flesh, of scorched metal, of ozone¡ªso thick in the air that every breath had felt like swallowing embers.
The only difference was that the IgT-compound had burned violently¡ªfast, chaotic, spreading like a wildfire unleashed from hell itself. The Permaneo flames, in contrast, were patient.
They didn¡¯t need to rage or devour in a frenzy.
They simply lasted, consuming their targets with quiet certainty.
As if sensing her thoughts, the Runepriest¡¯s voice broke the silence, surprisingly gentle in her ears.
¡°Yes, Thea,¡± he said, his tone carrying an understanding that sent a chill down her spine. ¡°The IgT-compound you encountered during the Assessment was directly modeled after the Permaneo Inheritance and the fire-based Paths of its Psykers. That¡¯s often how new technology is created¡ªby taking inspiration from what already exists and attempting to replicate it.¡±
Thea¡¯s breath hitched slightly.
¡°The IgT-compound,¡± the Runepriest continued, ¡°does not possess the same persistence, but it burns far hotter and spreads more aggressively. It was designed to kill, rather than to endure¡ªa weapon of extermination, not control.¡±
A heavy silence followed his words, thick with unspoken implications.
Thea barely registered it.
Her thoughts were reeling, looping endlessly over the same, terrifying revelation.
¡®The IgT-compound was nothing but a cheap imitation¡?¡¯
The very thing that had carved itself into her nightmares, the most horrifying, merciless force she had ever witnessed, had only been an attempt¡ªan approximation¡ªof what true Psykers could achieve?
The flames that had turned the entire eastern front into nothing but a smoldering graveyard, the fire that had reduced even the toughest of Marines into nothing but charred husks in minutes¡ wasn¡¯t even the real thing?
Her chest tightened as another realization settled in, one even more unsettling than the last.
¡®If the Factions¡¯ most terrifying weapons are mere imitations¡ then just how far does the influence of Psykers and their Inheritances go?¡¯
She had always assumed that Psykers were important, strategically speaking.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
And it slowly started to form a more solid picture in her head, as to why the UHF was so keen on learning about the Psychic Classes that she would have access to at Tier 1.
If the IgT-compound was what they had come up with to mirror a basic Permaneo Fireball, then what would they come up with, to meet whatever the Allbright System had in store to bolster Psykers as a whole, at Tier 1?
Another minute passed in silence, the weight of her thoughts pressing down like a vice.
Then, finally, the Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through the quiet once more¡ªthis time tinged with a faint, amused lilt.
¡°The flames will burn like this for at least another ten, maybe fifteen minutes without interference,¡± he remarked, as if discussing nothing more significant than a simple training exercise. ¡°And that¡¯s only because I set the Sovereign¡¯s simulation to limit the burn time.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach churned, ¡®A limit?¡¯
She turned back to the still-burning battlefield, watching as the gray flames continued their patient, methodical destruction, unchanged, unyielding.
¡°A true Permaneo Psyker,¡± the Runepriest continued, his tone carrying the weight of experience, ¡°fully utilizing their Inheritance, could make something like this last for hours or days.¡±
A pause.
¡°Maybe even weeks¡ with enough Energy.¡±
Thea swallowed hard, staring at the fire that refused to die.
She believed him.
He snapped his fingers, and the Sovereign reset the area once more, the lingering flames vanishing as though they had never existed.
As the last embers winked out, the Runepriest turned back to her, a smirk on his face. ¡°This is why Permaneo is often considered one of the best Inheritances for battlefield control. Unlike the more explosive or immediate Inheritances, this one doesn¡¯t need to overpower its target in an instant. Instead, it simply waits. Blankets an area with something that does not fade, does not break, and does not change. Whether it¡¯s defensive barriers, reinforcement fields, or traps laid long before the battle even begins, Permaneo excels at turning any environment into its own domain.¡±
He leaned forward slightly, tapping his temple with a knowing look. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how strong your enemy is, Thea. If they can¡¯t even reach you, then they can¡¯t do anything at all¡¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 13 - Inheritance VII
Thea was still lost in thought, turning over the implications of the connection between Permaneo and the IgT-compound in her mind, when the Runepriest smoothly shifted gears, his voice pulling her attention back to the lesson at hand.
"Leading into the last few Inheritances," he began, "we come to my personal Polarity. Just as Obscuritas is yours, this one is mine."
The familiar Inheritance Star hovered between them once more, its array of colored gems gleaming under the simulated sunlight. The Runepriest extended a finger toward a particular gem¡ªthe one at the 9-o¡¯clock position, sitting directly opposite his own Radiant Gold.
Its color, or rather, lack of color, stood out starkly against the others.
It wasn¡¯t just black. It was empty.
A deep, abyssal blackness that seemed to swallow light entirely, as if it refused to exist in the same space as the other gems.
Thea''s eyes were drawn to it immediately, unable to look away.
There was something about its sheer emptiness that was mesmerizing in a way none of the others had been. It wasn¡¯t like a dark color¡ªit was the complete lack of any light reflection at all.
"Universally represented by the color of Abyss Black, Nihilus occurs in roughly 7.22% of all Psykers," the Runepriest explained, his tone noticeably more measured than before. "It governs the Void¡¯s very nature of nothingness. The absence of existence itself. Where Aurae sees something in everything, Nihilus sees nothing in anything. It is the manifestation of the lack of all things, the rejection of presence, the erasure of what is and what can be."
He shifted his gaze, pointing toward an open area just off to Thea¡¯s right.
She followed his gesture and immediately saw what he was trying to show her¡ªa small field where glowing auras flickered into sight, just as they had when she had been granted his [Eyes of the Void]. The rocks pulsed faintly with potential, the ground shimmered with muted hues, even the air itself carried a thin veil of coloured energy, much like she had seen earlier.
¡®That¡¯s definitely an illusion,¡¯ Thea mused, catching onto the Runepriest¡¯s teaching style.
She had started to notice a pattern¡ªwhenever he explained something abstract, he made sure to include a visual reference for her to process. He didn¡¯t just tell¡ªhe showed.
"Nihilus is one of the most polarizing Inheritances, as many Powers simply do not function well with it," the Runepriest continued. "[Eyes of the Void], for example, has very few practical applications when channeled through Nihilus. It will highlight the absence of things in your field of vision¡ªnothing more, nothing less."
Before Thea could fully grasp what that meant, the illusion flickered.
The once vibrant, multi-colored auras she had seen moments ago with the Aurae representation abruptly inverted, as if reality itself had been flipped inside out.
The world no longer pulsed with hues of potential and energy; instead, what remained was a dark, oppressive overlay. Gray and black tones coated the entire scene, casting everything into a stark, almost lifeless state.
Thea¡¯s eyes tracked the changes with growing unease.
Where there had once been light, there was now only varying depths of darkness. The rocks were surrounded by a faint, lighter gray glow, the trees retained a dull haze near their trunks, and just slightly above the ground, a thin shimmer of something that wasn¡¯t quite black remained¡ªremnants of what had once been presence, now seen only as an absence.
The sky, however? The air itself? It was utterly dark.
It wasn¡¯t a shadow, nor a trick of the light. It was simply nothing.
She swallowed.
"So... it''s like looking at a negative imprint of the world¡ In a way?" she murmured, her voice quieter than she intended.
"In a sense, yes," the Runepriest acknowledged with a nod. "You could, technically, use this as an alternative way to evaluate a Psyker¡¯s strength. The greater their presence, the more stark their outline will appear in this vision¡ªexcept rather than seeing what and where they are, you would see where they are not. It is an inverse reading of the same data."
Thea frowned, her mind already working through the implications. "But that sounds way less efficient than just using Aurae. If Aurae lets you directly see a Psyker''s energy and Inheritance, then why would anyone even bother using Nihilus for this; just to get a worse reading?"
"Exactly," the Runepriest said with a knowing smirk. "Considering that Aurae Psykers are more than twice as common as Nihilus ones as well and can directly identify another Psyker''s Inheritance at a glance, using Nihilus in this way is largely redundant. It¡¯s possible, but rarely practical."
Thea exhaled slowly, shifting her gaze between the inverted illusion and the Nihilus gem on the Inheritance Star. The more she learned about these Inheritances, the more she realized just how fundamentally different they were in function, not just in theme.
Some¡ªlike Perditio and Fames¡ªwere terrifying in their brute force.
Others¡ªlike Concordia and Obscuritas¡ªwere insidious in how they manipulated reality.
But Nihilus? It was tough to really say where it landed quite yet.
The Runepriest¡¯s expression remained grim as his eyes locked onto hers, catching her attention again. "As I mentioned earlier with Fames, Nihilus is the only other Inheritance that profoundly affects a Psyker¡¯s personality. The stronger a Nihilus Psyker becomes, the more they begin to crave the absence of everything¡ªthe quiet, the stillness, the end of all things. The pull toward entropy. It is a slow, insidious influence, one that gradually erodes their attachment to the physical world, to people, to purpose. They don¡¯t just accept nothingness; they want it. They long for the cold embrace of the Void."
His voice, though calm, carried an unsettling weight behind it, making Thea shiver despite herself.
"They quite literally become more and more nihilistic, as ironic or ¡°obvious¡± as that may sound. Humanity has known about nihilism as a concept for millennia, debated it, philosophized about it¡ but only recently did we start to understand that it is not simply a school of thought born from rational contemplation. No, it is something deeper. Something inherently primal, that has existed far longer than rational thought. It is the Void¡¯s influence whispering at the edges of our existence, for as long as humanity has even been able to think¡ªjust like the Call of the Void."
He shook his head slightly, his lips pulling into something that wasn''t quite a smile. It carried no warmth, no humor¡ªjust a quiet resignation. "We don¡¯t even know how much we don¡¯t know. It is humanity¡¯s eternal curse... and its greatest blessing."
Thea¡¯s brows furrowed.
¡®That phrase¡ Curse and blessing?¡¯
She had no idea how to even begin unpacking the sheer weight of what he had just said, but she had spent too much of this lesson letting opportunities for clarity slip past her.
Not this time. She made a snap-second decision.
"What do you mean by that, Runepriest?" she asked quickly. "Curse and blessing?"
The Runepriest blinked, as if slightly surprised she had latched onto that so quickly, but then his expression softened. His usual smirk was absent now, replaced with something far more thoughtful.
"You remember what I told you earlier, Thea?" he asked, his voice quieter now, as if inviting her to lean into the weight of his words. "That knowledge is power? That understanding something¡ªtruly understanding it¡ªgrants you control over it? That much is obvious. But what I did not tell you is the second, far more insidious truth about knowledge."
His eyes darkened slightly, the usual glint of mischief now subdued by something heavier. "Knowledge is also a gateway. A door that only ever opens one way: The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don¡¯t know. It is not a comforting thing, Thea. It is not a reassuring realization. It is the most maddening thing in the universe¡ªto know that no matter how much you uncover, there is always another layer beneath it, another truth hiding just out of reach. And some truths¡ some truths are not meant to be known."
Thea¡¯s breath hitched slightly at the way his voice dipped on those last words.
"Not because they are secret," he continued, "not because they are forbidden or dangerous in an InfoSec way, where the wrong person learning about them could compromise a battle plan or a military operation. No. These truths are dangerous because the very act of knowing them is catastrophic. Because the mere awareness of them is an attack on the mind itself. You cannot unknow something like this, once you¡¯ve learned it, and there are things, Thea¡ªthings older than time itself, things that exist in the farthest reaches of the Void¡ªthat would shatter a person¡¯s sanity by the mere knowledge of their existence."
A shiver ran down Thea¡¯s spine.
"And before you think I am exaggerating, understand this, Thea," the Runepriest said, his tone as steady as a monolith. "Even I have limits. Even I¡ªwho have spent decades, centuries unraveling the depths of the Psyker world, who have walked closer to the abyss than nearly anyone alive¡ªeven I know that there are places I cannot go. There are layers I will not peel back. Not because I don¡¯t want to¡ªbecause, trust me, I really do¡ªbut because simply getting close to them is enough to almost annihilate my very mind and Soul."
Thea swallowed, throat suddenly dry.
"That is the curse of humanity," he murmured. "That we know the danger is there, we feel the heat of the flames, we understand on a primal level that touching it will burn us¡ªand yet we still reach out. We need to know. We have to know. No matter the cost."
The words settled over Thea like a lead weight, pressing against her chest.
"And it will be our undoing," the Runepriest finished, his voice barely more than a whisper now. "Not today, not tomorrow, perhaps not for another thousand or even ten-thousand years. But one day, we will go too far. We will pull back one layer too many. And when we do, when we see what was never meant to be seen¡ªwhen we know¡ªit will be too late."
A silence followed, heavier than anything Thea had ever experienced before.
The kind of silence that felt alive, as if something unseen was listening, waiting, just beyond the edges of reality itself.
She sat frozen, her mind struggling to wrap around the implications of the Runepriest¡¯s words. The very idea that there were things out there¡ªbeings, forces, concepts¡ªthat even he refused to approach, that even he feared, was simply too much to comprehend.
The Runepriest was on such an unfathomable level compared to her, his strength, knowledge, and sheer presence towering over anything she had ever known. He was a being of power beyond reckoning, someone who could undoubtedly burn battlefields to ash with a flick of his wrist and unravel the fabric of existence with nothing but a thought.
And yet¡ there was something that could undo him simply by existing.
It didn¡¯t compute. It didn¡¯t make sense.
But the weight in his voice, the certainty in his eyes, told her that it was undeniably, horrifyingly real.
A deep, primal fear settled into her bones, a terror that felt like it had been passed down through generations of humanity itself.
A fear not of battle, not of war, not of death¡ªbut of the unknown.
The vast, incomprehensible unknown that loomed just beyond the thin veil of what humanity considered knowable. The kind that whispered in the dark corners of existence, that called to the curious with promises of knowledge, and then consumed them utterly the moment they stepped too close.
It was a terror so deep and primal that, for a moment, Thea wondered if she would ever feel warm again. But then, just as abruptly as always, the Runepriest¡¯s mood shifted.
¡°Well, enough of that,¡± he said, voice suddenly light, casual, as if he hadn¡¯t just uttered the most chilling revelation Thea had ever heard.
The whiplash left her momentarily stunned as he dusted off his hands and leaned back slightly. ¡°We were talking about Nihilus, which¡ªnow that I think about it¡ªwas a very fitting segue into that whole conversation. But it¡¯s also probably a bit too much for someone who¡¯s only just beginning to get their feet wet in the Psychic world. So let¡¯s take a massive leap back and focus on the Inheritances again, shall we?¡±
He extended his right hand and, as if reality itself had been waiting for the cue¡ªbecause the Sovereign very likely had been¡ªsomething appeared, hovering just slightly above his palm.
The Fireball that appeared above the Runepriest¡¯s palm was unlike anything Thea had seen before.
It was black¡ªbut not in the way that shadows were black, not like something darkened by the absence of light. This was a depthless void, a perfect sphere of Abyss Black so completely devoid of reflection that it looked flat, like a hole had been punched straight through the air itself.
There was no flicker, no shifting flames licking at the edges. It didn¡¯t dance or waver in the air like the others had. It simply was.
A perfect, unmoving contradiction of fire that neither burned nor illuminated.
But what unsettled Thea the most wasn¡¯t just how it looked¡ªit was how it felt.
Her entire body tensed instinctively as her eyes locked onto it, a deep, unexplainable discomfort crawling up her spine like icy fingers tracing her vertebrae. It was a sensation she couldn¡¯t name, but knew¡ªa feeling like she had just witnessed something that shouldn¡¯t exist.
It wasn¡¯t like looking at fire, or even like looking at darkness.
It was like looking at the absence of existence itself.
And the longer she stared, the worse it got.
A dull ache settled between her brows, a pressure she could feel just behind her eyes, as though her brain itself was struggling to process what it was seeing. As though something deep in her psyche, something fundamental to her very being, was screaming at her to stop looking.
Then, suddenly, the Fireball moved.
It didn¡¯t float, or drift, or even shift in the air. It simply displaced.
One instant, it was above the Runepriest¡¯s palm, centered perfectly.
The very next, it was an inch to the left¡ªwithout crossing the space between.
Like reality itself had simply forgotten where it had been a moment ago and placed it somewhere else instead.
Thea sucked in a sharp breath.
She had seen destructive flames, illusions that bent reality, fire that hungered like a living thing, but this¡ this was something else.
But one thing was immediately obvious: This wasn¡¯t a Fireball. This was a wound in reality itself.
The Runepriest exhaled slowly next to her, as if savoring the moment, then gave the slightest flick of his wrist.
The Nihilus Fireball vanished. Or rather¡ªit skipped.
One moment, it was hovering just above his palm.
The next, it had displaced itself several meters forward, flickering through the air in a staggered, jittering motion that made Thea¡¯s skin crawl.
It moved like a corrupted video file back in the Golden Age Arcade¡ªframes of movement simply missing, as if reality itself had failed to render them properly. Each time it skipped, it reappeared in a slightly different position, like a simulation struggling to process an object that wasn¡¯t supposed to exist in the first place.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Thea barely had time to track its erratic motion before¡ªIt arrived.
There was no explosion. No impact. No thunderous detonation of force.
Instead, there was a void.
A great, sucking silence swallowed the clearing, like the world itself had drawn in a breath¡ªand then came the sound.
Not an explosion. Not a roar. But a vacuum.
A deep, terrible pull as the air itself rushed inward, collapsing into the space where the Fireball had detonated. The sound wasn¡¯t the crackling of flames or the shockwave of destruction, but the absence of both.
It was the undoing of sound itself¡ªa horrid, endless gasp as if the world were trying to fill the hole in itself. And then, the abyssal flames spread.
They did not surge. They did not consume. They did not grow.
They simply erased.
Wherever they touched, things ceased to be.
The trees in their path did not ignite or splinter or collapse in burning ruin. They simply¡ stopped existing.
Their trunks did not blacken, did not smolder, did not crumble into ash¡ªthey were just gone, as if someone had taken an eraser and casually removed them from reality, causing the rest of the tree to crumple and fall onto the ground. The very ground itself suffered the same fate, bearing clean, featureless holes where grass, dirt, and stone had once been.
Thea¡¯s breath caught in her throat as the flames reached the human targets.
One of the Stellar Republic Soldiers had barely a second to react before a flicker of abyssal flame kissed his left shoulder. There was no resistance. No force. No heat.
One moment, he had an arm.
The next, there was simply nothing where his shoulder had once been.
He staggered, looking down in sheer disbelief¡ªuntil another flicker of black licked across his torso, deleting the entire upper half of his body in a single instant. His legs remained standing for a breath, as if the laws of physics themselves had failed to catch up with the sheer impossibility of what had just happened.
Then, they crumpled.
More of the targets fell in quick succession.
The abyssal flames did not spread like a normal fire, simply moving in their strange, erratically skipping ways. And anything they simply touched¡ªthey erased.
One soldier, clad in Ultra-Heavy armor, was hit dead-center in the chest. For a split second, his plating held, his reinforced alloys meeting the abyssal flames head-on.
Then, with a whispering hiss, a perfect hole bored straight through the armor¡ªand the man inside.
He didn¡¯t even scream. Didn¡¯t even move. He simply dropped.
Not all of the targets were erased entirely, or even killed.
Many had survived the fireball¡¯s impact, but the marks it left behind were undeniable.
Some had limbs missing, entire sections of their bodies carved away by the abyss. Others had chunks of their armor simply gone, their protective plating turned into nothingness as if it had never existed at all.
Then, as suddenly as they had appeared, the last flickers of abyssal flame simply disappeared¡ªmutually annihilating anything they touched, leaving only emptiness in their wake.
Thea finally exhaled the breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding.
The target area before her was not burned, not shattered, not scorched¡ªit was hollowed.
It was missing pieces of itself, as if reality had momentarily glitched, deleting chunks of existence without rhyme or reason.
Thea¡¯s attention almost immediately snapped back to the Runepriest as he continued his lecture, his tone as casual as if he were explaining the weather.
It was a jarring contrast to the absolute devastation they had just witnessed, but by now, she was starting to understand¡ªthis was simply how he was. No matter how horrific the demonstration, he always carried on with the lesson like it was just another day in the classroom.
¡°Nihilus Psykers have exceptional penetrative capabilities when it comes to their Powers,¡± he explained, his eyes flicking toward her to ensure she was still paying attention.
¡°There are very few things that can stand up to a direct head-to-head with a Nihilus-empowered offensive Power, which is why they typically specialize in them. They aren¡¯t used for brute-force assaults like Perditio Psykers, nor for wide-scale destruction. Their strength lies in precision.¡±
With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a set of small illusions between his hands¡ªtwo Abyss Black Fireballs hovered in the air, along with a single Radiant Gold and a Cerulean Blue one. Thea recognized them immediately¡ªAurae and Concordia.
¡°They are most commonly deployed as assassins or surgical-strike specialists,¡± he continued. ¡°They lack the raw area-of-effect potential to dominate an entire battlefield, but in terms of sheer, unstoppable, targeted force? Very few can match them.¡±
He brought one of the Nihilus spheres toward the Radiant Gold one. ¡°When facing an Aurae Fireball, Polarity rules dictate that the stronger one will win. But if they are equal in Energy value, then they will simply delete each other.¡±
As he spoke, the two spheres made contact¡ªand, just as he had predicted, both blinked out of existence instantly, as if they had never been there at all.
Thea¡¯s fingers curled slightly at her sides. Watching them vanish was eerily unsettling in a way she couldn¡¯t quite put into words, even though she knew they were simply illusions.
¡°With Concordia, however, things are different,¡± the Runepriest continued, bringing the remaining Nihilus sphere toward the soft glow of the Cerulean Blue one. ¡°Concordia is the great equalizer¡ªit doesn¡¯t follow Polarity rules here. Because of this, Nihilus Powers cannot consume Concordia the same way they do Aurae, if they overpower it. Even if Concordia has a lower Energy value, it will still rip a massive chunk of Energy from the Nihilus Power before being erased.¡±
As if to prove his point, the two spheres touched.
The moment they did, the Abyss Black sphere shrunk¡ªwhere before it had been a solid mass of unmaking, it was now a tiny, pebble-sized speck, barely clinging to existence before the Runepriest snapped his fingers and erased it entirely.
¡°This,¡± he said, gesturing toward the spot where the illusion had been, ¡°is one of the reasons why Concordia Anti-Psykers are so invaluable. Even if they¡¯re significantly weaker than their opponent, they can still diminish a Nihilus Psyker¡¯s attacks, making them one of the few direct counters to Nihilus offensives.¡±
He turned slightly, nodding toward the target area¡ªwhich the Sovereign had already reset¡ªbefore continuing.
¡°Without Concordia or Aurae in play, with the exception of Permaneo being able to hold its own to some degree, any battlefield facing a Nihilus Psyker will end up looking just as hollowed out as what you saw earlier. If you ever find yourself up against one, avoid their Powers at all costs. Your Veritas Inheritance, unfortunately, won¡¯t be able to contest it in a direct clash.¡±
Thea swallowed, nodding gravely.
She could tell immediately that this wasn¡¯t just theoretical knowledge. This was serious advice for survival.
¡®Stay away from Nihilus. Got it.¡¯
The Inheritance Star hovered between them once more, its familiar glow catching Thea¡¯s attention as the Runepriest prepared to delve into the next Inheritance.
But just before he did, he casually threw in, ¡°Oh, that reminds me. Nihilus is the ninth Inheritance you will encounter inside your Delve. It¡¯s one of the rare cases where the Star position and its actual order within the Void overlap perfectly.¡±
He gave a small nod to himself, as if pleased that he had remembered to include that detail, before shifting his focus to the last remaining gem before the Luminous White one that represented Veritas. Thea¡¯s gaze followed his movement, landing on a gem of a vibrant orange¡ªdistinctly different from the Deep Amber glow of Fames, which sat opposite to it.
¡°At the 10-o¡¯clock position, we find the Polarity to Fames,¡± the Runepriest began, confirming Thea¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Namely: Comedo. Universally represented by the colour Molten Orange, and appearing in roughly 7.66% of all Psykers, it governs the aspect of consumption and greed.
¡°Where Fames is drive and ambition, Comedo is complacency and sloth. Where Fames hungers to obtain something, Comedo simply consumes anything it can reach, with no regard for what that anything is.¡±
His eyes locked onto hers once more, his tone turning slightly more weighty, emphasizing the contrast.
¡°Many people mistakenly assume that Fames and Comedo are conceptually similar,¡± he continued. ¡°Hunger and Consumption¡ They sound alike at first glance. But if you truly think about it¡ªif you break them down to their core ideas, you¡¯ll see that they are completely opposite forces: You cannot hunger if you are consuming, because the very act of consumption stills any hunger. And you cannot consume if you are hungering, because the very act of hungering means you have not yet consumed.¡±
He paused, allowing the words to sink in before adding, ¡°Think beyond the literal meaning of those words, beyond simple food-related ideas they usually represent, Thea. This isn¡¯t about simple physical appetite. This is about the very nature of drive versus acceptance¡ªwanting versus taking.¡±
Thea¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, her mind working through the distinction as the Runepriest continued.
¡°Fames is the unrelenting drive to obtain something specific¡ªa singular, all-consuming goal that defines its existence. It is always searching, always pursuing. Comedo, on the other hand, is the opposite¡ªit does not search, it does not chase. It simply takes. Anything, everything, whatever happens to be around. It doesn¡¯t care what it consumes¡ªonly that it does. It is non-discerning. Indiscriminate. It is the antithesis to ambition, because it needs nothing specific¡ªand that is why it is so dangerous.¡±
Thea nodded slowly, the pieces clicking into place in her head.
¡®If looked at like that, they really do seem like complete opposites¡¡¯
She thought back to Fames, with its singular, obsessive focus¡ªhow the fire had lunged toward its chosen targets with almost terrifying precision and purpose. It needed something specific, and it would hunt for it relentlessly.
But Comedo¡ if it truly had no preference, if it just devoured whatever was in its path with no concern for what it was taking in¡
Her stomach twisted slightly at the thought.
¡®That somehow sounds even worse than Fames, in a way¡¡¯
As if confirming her thoughts, the Runepriest directed his next words toward the Sovereign, his voice carrying an air of caution that hadn''t been present in the previous demonstrations.
¡°Move the target area a hundred meters further out, but keep the relative distances inside the area the same.¡±
In an instant, the clearing that had served as the testing ground for each of the Runepriest¡¯s demonstrations so far vanished¡ªonly to reappear 130 meters away in the blink of an eye.
Her attention snapped back to the Runepriest, expecting to see him conjure the Comedo Fireball immediately. But instead, he simply continued speaking.
¡°Comedo Psykers are the most devastating when it comes to raw area of effect,¡± he explained. ¡°The consumption-based nature of their Inheritance causes their Powers to absorb more and more nearby energy¡ªallowing them to grow larger, stronger, and more volatile with every passing second. This leads to a runaway effect¡ªthe bigger the Power gets, the faster it expands, consuming everything in its radius without distinction.¡±
He gestured toward the now much further-away training area, Thea¡¯s gaze flickering towards it, ¡°I moved it back this far because otherwise we¡¯d be standing inside the absorption radius of the Fireball¡ªwhich would be very uncomfortable for us.¡±
He smirked slightly, but there was no real humor behind it. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t need to specify why.¡±
Thea nodded immediately.
She didn''t exactly know what "being inside the absorption radius" would do to her, but she did know that ¡°consuming energy¡± wasn¡¯t something she ever wanted her body to be involved with.
The Runepriest must have noticed her lingering unease because he added, ¡°Make sure to pay close attention to the fireball mid-flight. I can¡¯t hold it near us for long; it would simply start absorbing our energies and begin expanding exponentially the moment it¡¯s created.¡±
Thea was more than ready.
When he held out his right palm once more, she focused down, locking her gaze on the empty space above his hand, readying herself to burn the image of the Comedo Fireball into her brain.
For a brief moment, she considered activating [Sensory Overdrive], just to ensure she caught everything¡ªbut then remembered the way her Focus had almost overdrawn earlier in the lesson.
Instead, she simply narrowed her eyes, steeled her mind, and gave a short, terse nod, signaling that she was ready.
Without hesitation, the Molten Orange flames ignited into existence.
Unlike the previous Fireballs, this one was almost unnervingly perfect in its shape¡ªa perfect sphere, as if sculpted from pure lava and light, with no wild flickering tongues of flame, no uncontrolled movement.
And yet¡ªThe moment it appeared, Thea felt something tugging at her.
Not her body¡ªbut something deeper. Like something was reaching into her very essence, pulling at the fabric of her aura, her sense of being. It wasn¡¯t pain, nor was it physical in any way¡ªit was a pull so alien that it sent a deep, visceral unease down her spine.
For the briefest of moments, she felt like she was being drawn into it¡ªlike some part of her was meant to belong inside that Fireball, as if it was trying to absorb her into itself.
And then¡ª
The Runepriest pushed the Fireball away, sending it hurtling toward the distant clearing.
The moment it left his palm and moved around fifty metres away from them, the sensation vanished, like a door had suddenly been slammed shut.
Thea exhaled sharply, only now realizing that she had been holding her breath.
The Comedo Fireball streaked through the air like a comet, but unlike any other Fireball she had seen before, it did not fade, flicker or at the very least, stay the exact same way.
Instead, it grew mid-flight.
The instant it reached the target area, it erupted, but rather than a traditional explosion, the blast looked more like a newborn star igniting¡ªa Molten Orange inferno expanding outward in a perfect, unnatural sphere.
And then it kept expanding. The flames did not just burn. They consumed.
Wherever they touched¡ªwhether it was bark, leaves, dirt, rock, or flesh¡ªthey did not consume in the way normal flames would.
Instead, the fire absorbed.
The massive trees that stood in its way were not felled or shattered¡ªthey were simply peeled apart, their bark and inner fibers stripped away layer by layer, sucked into the growing inferno, like a hungry swarm of nanobots programmed to carefully strip apart everything in its path.
The ground did not explode outward in debris¡ªit was simply scooped up into the flame as if it had never belonged there to begin with.
And the targets? Thea saw them struggle.
She saw one of the Ultra-Heavy Armoured soldiers attempt to move out of the Fireball¡¯s radius¡ªbut his body didn¡¯t make it. His armor, his limbs, his very flesh were pulled into the Molten Orange blaze as if gravity itself had reversed its purpose.
He disintegrated, layer by layer, until he was nothing more than a silhouette swallowed whole by the growing, churning mass of fire.
The other targets fared no better.
Some tried to run. Some tried to shield themselves. But none of it mattered.
The flames latched onto them, their energy hungrily pulled into the growing sphere, melting through armor and flesh alike. The high-density plating meant to protect them only served to prolong the inevitable¡ªas the flames simply grew to fully engulf and outlast the material¡¯s durability, slowly eroding it down until there was nothing left to resist.
Even the ground beneath the Fireball darkened and sank, as if the sheer weight of the inferno had begun pressing into the earth itself, swallowing the very terrain into its all-consuming nature.
Thea could only watch in stunned silence as the inferno grew larger and larger, expanding far beyond what she had assumed would be its limit.
Fifty meters.
Sixty meters.
Seventy.
Eighty.
The fire had engulfed everything in the clearing, painting the world in its color, a swirling, molten storm of ever-growing heat and pressure, like a newly born star.
And then¡ªIt collapsed.
Not in an explosion. Not in a wave of energy or destruction.
The Fireball simply pulled inward¡ªimploding on itself like a star reaching the end of its life.
The massive sphere of fire shrank down in an instant, consuming itself entirely, until nothing remained but an eerie, unnatural silence.
Thea¡¯s breathing was shallow as she took in the aftermath.
The scorched earth was still smoldering, the ground darkened and burned, but¡
She blinked, her brows furrowing slightly.
It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as she had initially assumed, based on the raw size of the ball of flame that she had witnessed. Yes, the trees were blackened husks, their bark eaten away, their roots charred¡ªbut a lot of them still stood.
Yes, the targets had been melted through, their armor breached, their bodies charred beyond recognition¡ªbut not to the extent of total annihilation like she had seen with Perditio or Nihilus.
Their bodies were still in one piece, more often than not. Not the piles of ashes that Perditio left behind, or the utter nothingness that Nihilus had created.
The devastation was frighteningly widespread¡ªbut not absolute.
It was clear now. Comedo wasn¡¯t about raw, immediate destruction.
It consumed¡ªslowly, inevitably, unstoppably. But its power wasn¡¯t in sheer intensity.
It was in its reach, in its ability to draw from everything around it, absorbing energy to fuel its relentless expansion.
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through Thea¡¯s thoughts, pulling her attention back to him. ¡°And that is why we stayed all the way back here. That sphere would have spiraled out of control if it had been anywhere near us. The more people¡ªespecially Psykers or Psy-Sensitive ones¡ªinside the area of effect, the faster and more powerful a Comedo Power becomes.¡±
He gestured toward the now-empty target area, his tone measured but firm. ¡°Where Concordia acts as a universal counter, Comedo is a universal absorber. If a Comedo Power overpowers yours in Energy, it won¡¯t just neutralize it¡ªit will consume it; much like a Polarity would. That makes fighting a Comedo Psyker a dangerous gamble, as it¡¯s effectively a Polarity to every other Inheritance. It¡¯s the seventh Inheritance you¡¯ll meet in your Delve, and it¡¯s one of the most important to remember. Losing a head-to-head against them is often far worse than against most other Inheritances.¡±
Thea swallowed, absorbing every word.
She had just seen firsthand what Comedo could do.
How it spread. How it consumed.
A battle against a Psyker like that wasn¡¯t about overpowering them bit by bit. It was about making sure they never got the upper hand in the first place.
Then, the Runepriest¡¯s gaze met hers again, and a familiar smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean your Inheritance is useless, Thea. Not in the least. While it¡¯s not as outright destructive as Perditio, as unpredictable as Discordia, as universally applicable as Creatio, or as overwhelming as Comedo, Veritas has its own place. And it¡¯s not just for Fireballs, either¡ªyour Inheritance opens doors that others can¡¯t even see.¡±
He chuckled, tilting his head slightly. ¡°That¡¯s not to say a Veritas Fireball is useless, of course. Every Inheritance can shape the humble Fireball in its own way, after all.¡±
The Inheritance Star hovered between them once more, the last gem now glowing faintly with its turn. The Runepriest raised a hand and pointed at the white crystal at the 11-o¡¯clock position.
¡°I think it¡¯s time we take a deep dive into your own Inheritance, Thea,¡± he said, voice turning more focused. ¡°So you know what to expect going forward¡ªand maybe get a better sense of what it is you¡¯re actually doing. Universally represented by the colour of Luminous White, the fourth rarest Inheritance at roughly 5.90%, and the eleventh you will meet within your Delve: Veritas, the ultimate Truth of the Void¡¡±
Volume 2 - Chapter 11 - Inheritance V
The ominous silence lingered between them for only a few moments before the Runepriest¡¯s demeanor shifted 180 degrees yet again, snapping back into his usual lecture mode as if the prior conversation had never even happened.
¡°Luckily for all of us,¡± he continued, tone now once again far more casual, ¡°Fames is the third least-common Inheritance in existence, only outranked by Mutatio¡ªwhich we¡¯ve already covered¡ªand Creatio itself.¡±
His fingers tapped lightly against the Deep Amber gem on the hovering Inheritance Polarity Star, emphasizing his point.
¡°Only about 5.86% of all Psykers inherit Fames, which means the potential danger it carries is fairly easy to mitigate. As long as the Psyker is properly educated on what their Inheritance actually does, and how it affects them, we can usually keep them from succumbing to the¡ less desirable aspects of their Inheritance before it really starts influencing their personality overmuch.¡±
Thea exhaled slightly, relieved that Fames Psykers were rare enough to not be a widespread concern. But the way he phrased it¡ªthe idea that they had to be warned before their own Inheritance changed them¡ªstill sent a chill down her spine.
The Runepriest must have noticed the slight tension in her posture, because he raised both hands in a disarming gesture, his smirk returning.
¡°As for your own Inheritance, Thea,¡± he said, ¡°which you are undoubtedly feeling a little wary of right now¡ªdon¡¯t worry.¡±
She blinked, surprised at the Runepriest¡¯s ability to read her thoughts so easily.
¡°Much like the vast majority of Inheritances¡ªexcept for Fames and Nihilus¡ªVeritas does not influence your personality in any significant way,¡± he reassured her. ¡°And not before you¡¯ve unlocked your Presence anyway, so you¡¯ve got a long way to go before you even have to think about it.¡±
His eyes twinkled slightly with amusement as he leaned in just a bit, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
¡°Not that a Veritas personality is particularly problematic to begin with, of course.¡±
He gave her a playful wink. ¡°Nothing wrong with a person who¡¯s just a little more inclined to speak the truth, now is there?¡±
Thea wasn¡¯t quite sure how to take the knowledge that her own personality might end up shaped by something as intangible as her Inheritance. It felt strange, unsettling even¡ªbut she also couldn¡¯t deny that the Runepriest¡¯s nonchalant attitude toward it helped soften the blow markedly.
After all, with how old and powerful the Runepriest was, his Inheritance had undoubtedly affected his personality to some larger degree by now¡ªand while he was a bit chaotic and definitely eccentric, Thea couldn¡¯t exactly find anything inherently wrong with his behavior as a whole.
¡®There really isn¡¯t anything inherently wrong about being more inclined to tell the truth,¡¯ she thought, slowly nodding to herself as she tried to mentally run through various scenarios where this might affect her in the future. ¡®And the Runepriest did say it¡¯s not a compulsion-type thing either. If I really need to keep something a secret, I still can¡ right?¡¯
She was brought back to the present moment when she saw the Runepriest extend his right hand, palm up, mirroring the stance he had used for all the previous Fireballs.
Not wanting to miss any detail of the next Inheritance¡¯s demonstration, Thea focused intently on the space just above his palm, expecting a new variation of the Power to take shape.
But the moment she did, a strange pressure settled behind her eyes.
Her breath hitched. She recognized this sensation.
It was more than familiar by now.
Without hesitation, she instinctively pushed more Energy into her [Eyes of the Void], honing her focus as she had countless times before.
Something gave way.
And then¡ª
A sphere of deep purple flame appeared in the Runepriest¡¯s hand, as if it had been there the entire time.
Thea blinked.
The Runepriest did the same.
Then he let out a small, amused chuckle. ¡°Huh¡ Well...¡±
His eyebrows lifted briefly in surprise before settling into something closer to knowing amusement. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to just immediately go for the kill-shot without even asking me... But I guess that¡¯s ultimately on me; I did read your profile, after all...¡±
He trailed off, his tone suggesting there was something in particular he found thoroughly amusing about this moment.
Thea, however, was thoroughly lost.
¡®Kill-shot¡? What did I do¡?¡¯
Before she could ask, the Runepriest glanced toward the air and issued a command, ¡°Sovereign, increase the stealth component of the Obscuritas Fireball to the equivalent of a Tier 3 generator.¡±
¡°Affirmative,¡± came the AI¡¯s ever-measured response.
In the next moment, the purple Fireball vanished.
It wasn¡¯t like the way a normal fire would flicker and die, nor even the eerie dissipation of some of the other Inheritances she had seen.
It was as if the entire concept of its existence had been erased from her perception.
If she hadn¡¯t just seen it a moment ago, she wouldn¡¯t have even known to look for it.
The Runepriest turned back to her.
¡°I didn¡¯t intend for you to break through the stealth here, Thea. This wasn¡¯t a test,¡± he said, though there was not a hint of anger in his tone. ¡°That one¡¯s on me, honestly, but let¡¯s try to rein in the competitiveness when it comes to these illusions¡ªunless I specifically tell you otherwise, alright? They¡¯re fairly costly to generate and maintain, both for the Sovereign and for me.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach dropped as she realized what he was saying.
She had accidentally brute-forced her way through an illusion that wasn¡¯t meant to be broken, simply on instinct from doing so for the past month non-stop as a way to keep herself alive.
Her face heated at the realization.
She lowered her head, immediately preparing to apologize¡ª
Smack.
The sharp thump of a karate chop landed cleanly on the top of her head.
Her hands shot up to clutch at the spot, her head snapping back up in a mix of shock and indignation as she met the Runepriest¡¯s completely unapologetic stare.
¡®Did he¡ªDid he just fucking chop me?!¡¯
The Runepriest withdrew his hand with casual ease, but his eyes told a different story.
There was no playfulness in them now¡ªonly a sharp focus.
They were locked onto hers with an intensity that made her instinctively straighten in her seat.
¡°I was apologizing to you, Thea, because of an oversight I made. Not chiding you for your actions,¡± he said, his voice slow and deliberate, as if he were speaking to someone he fully expected to misunderstand him. ¡°You do not apologize for things that are my mistake. You simply acknowledge the way forward, at most.¡±
His eyes didn¡¯t waver, as he asked, ¡°Are we clear on this?¡±
There was no anger in his voice, no raised tone¡ªbut the sheer level of intent behind his words settled over her like an anvil; this was clearly important to him.
Thea¡¯s thoughts churned as she processed his words, an, unfortunately, all-too-familiar confusion creeping in.
¡®This is the second time he¡¯s phrased it like this¡¡¯
Hadn¡¯t she just made a mistake? She had broken the illusion without waiting for an order to do so. She had gone against the intended flow of the lesson, forcing the Runepriest to adjust the demonstration on the fly.
That was definitely a failure on her part, wasn¡¯t it?
Then why was he saying¡ªagain¡ªthat he wasn¡¯t chiding her? If she hadn¡¯t met his expectations, then surely that was something to be reprimanded for.
That was just how things worked.
So why was the Runepriest acting like it wasn¡¯t a failure of hers at all? That it was somehow his own mistake, rather than the person¡¯s that actively caused the issue?
She clenched her jaw slightly, unable to fully wrap her mind around it. But she also realised that she couldn¡¯t stew over this for any length of time, the Runepriest wouldn¡¯t be patient forever with her.
¡®Fine. I¡¯ll figure it out later,¡¯ she thought to herself, making a snap-decision on the matter.
The plan wasn¡¯t all too hard to concoct either: Corvus was already the de-facto social expert of Alpha Squad¡ªif anyone could make sense of this weird dynamic, it would be him.
She would simply ask him about it at the first opportunity.
But for now, she simply inclined her head in a respectful nod, signaling her understanding.
Even though she didn¡¯t understand.
The Runepriest let out a heavy sigh, clearly not convinced.
But rather than push the matter further, he turned back into his usual lecturing mode. With a small gesture, he directed Thea¡¯s attention to the now-hidden Fireball resting in his palm.
¡°Right,¡± he said, the weight in his voice lifting as if the previous conversation had already been filed away. ¡°Tell me what you perceive; without breaking the illusion.¡±
Thea exhaled slowly, pushing aside the lingering confusion from their exchange.
There would be time to figure that out later. For now, she had a task.
Her eyes locked onto the space where she knew the fireball rested, hovering just above the Runepriest¡¯s palm. She focused intently, scanning the air for any flicker, any shimmer, any minute distortion that might give it away.
Nothing.
She shifted her perspective, adjusting the angle from which she looked, tilting her head slightly as if a different viewing angle might reveal something. When that failed, she took it a step further¡ªrising from her seat and circling the Runepriest, keeping her eyes fixed on his hand as she moved.
Still nothing.
No distortion. No refraction. No telltale shimmer of light bending unnaturally around an object.
The space above his palm looked completely, utterly empty.
Her fingers twitched at her sides as unease started to settle in.
The Runepriest had chosen his words carefully¡ªhe hadn¡¯t asked her to see the fireball. He had asked her to perceive it.
It wasn¡¯t just about sight.
¡®Alright then¡¡¯
She closed her eyes.
Her hearing sharpened as she tuned into the sounds around her, filtering out the background hum of the training hall. She could hear the subtle shifting of the Runepriest¡¯s robes as he breathed, the faint rustling of leaves around them, even the slow, steady thump-thump of his heartbeat¡ªso impossibly calm and rhythmic that it almost seemed unnatural.
But the fireball?
Nothing.
No crackle of flames. No flickering embers. No faint shift of air from the heat it should have been producing.
It was as if it simply did not exist.
She shifted focus again, this time testing her sense of smell. Even without enhanced olfactory abilities, she should have been able to catch something¡ªa hint of burning air, the scent of heated particles, literally anything.
But once again, there was nothing.
Her fingers clenched slightly as the realization settled in, a slow, creeping dread unfurling in her stomach.
She knew it was there. She had seen it before the Runepriest had upgraded its stealth properties. But now? Now, it might as well have been a complete fabrication.
Even with her high levels of Perception¡ªenough to pick up on the faintest sounds, enough to detect micro-expressions on a person¡¯s face from across a room¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even begin to sense the fireball.
It wasn¡¯t just hidden from sight.
It was hidden from everything.
Thea sat back down, still somewhat refusing to accept that it was completely untraceable.
¡°I can¡¯t tell it exists. At all,¡± she admitted reluctantly. ¡°No smell, no sound, no visual distortions like stealth tech or illusion generators sometimes leave behind¡ Nothing. If I hadn¡¯t seen it earlier, I wouldn¡¯t even know it was there.¡±
Her frown deepened as she studied the empty space above the Runepriest¡¯s palm once more, as if sheer persistence alone could force the fireball to reveal itself.
¡°The only thing I didn¡¯t test was touching it,¡± she added after a beat, a dry edge to her tone. ¡°But given what the previous Fireballs did, I really didn¡¯t want to try that.¡±
The Runepriest chuckled, a low, genuinely amused sound. His eyes crinkled slightly in clear approval.
¡°Good. Very good,¡± he praised. ¡°Yes, it is particularly wise not to touch a Fireball Power, as it will almost inevitably blow up in your face¡ªeven if you can¡¯t perceive it.¡±
His tone was light, but the warning behind his words was clear.
Then, with a casual flick of his left hand, he gestured toward the distant targets.
¡°The reason I wanted you to investigate the Fireball so thoroughly,¡± he continued, ¡°will hopefully become apparent with the demonstration. So, pay close attention, my dear pupil.¡±
Thea inhaled slowly, instinctively tensing as she braced herself for whatever was about to happen next.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Something about these demonstrations always set her on edge.
It wasn¡¯t the power on display¡ªit was the sheer wrongness of it all.
Every Inheritance so far had warped reality in ways that felt thoroughly unnatural, as if rewriting the very rules of existence to suit its own whims.
The way the Perditio Fireball had obliterated everything in an instant. The way the Discordia flames had flowed like liquid and bent logic itself. The horrific transformation caused by Mutatio, twisting life into grotesque mockeries of itself. And Fames¡
She swallowed.
There was something deeply disturbing about watching the universe bend to an Inheritance¡¯s will.
It wasn¡¯t magic. It wasn¡¯t some secret, special technology gone awry.
It was something older¡ªsomething more fundamental.
And every time she watched one of these Fireballs do its work, that primal, instinctive part of her being screamed that this was not supposed to exist.
Yet here she was. Watching. Learning.
And waiting for Obscuritas to show her just how much more terrifying the Psyker world could get.
As if he had been waiting for her to fully settle in, the Runepriest gently nudged his right palm forward, like he had done all the other Fireballs before. Thea''s entire body was taut with anticipation, her senses stretched to their limits, trying to catch something¡ªanything¡ªof what the Obscuritas Fireball was about to do.
She expected something¡ªperhaps a ripple in the air where it exploded, followed by flames suddenly appearing out of nowhere, their presence revealed only after the fact.
But instead¡ There was once again nothing.
No explosion. No burst of flame. No sound. Not even the smell of burning ozone, that always came alongside the previous Fireball¡¯s initial explosions.
And yet, the clearing in front of her changed.
Thea¡¯s breath caught as she watched the first tree abruptly topple, its trunk snapping and breaking with no visible damage¡ªno char, no scorch marks, no hint of why it had fallen at all.
Then, a split second later, one of the armored targets simply collapsed.
Like a puppet with its strings cut, the figure crumpled to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Her pulse spiked.
Another target dropped.
Then another.
Then two more at once.
Her brain was trying to rationalize what she was seeing¡ªbut nothing about this was rational at all. She knew that the Fireball was causing it, but she had no understanding of what it was actually doing to cause all of the things she was seeing.
Immediately after, the remaining targets fell one by one, in eerie silence, each slumping into an unnatural heap where they stood.
No flailing. No last-second struggles. No screaming.
Just gone as if somebody had unplugged their power cords.
And the trees¡ªThe trees kept falling.
One after another, they tilted, creaked, and collapsed like they had simply¡ given up. Like they had unilaterally chosen to lie down and die.
And still¡ªthere was nothing.
No visible sign of an impact, no raging inferno, no devastation.
Just the tranquil clearing in the middle of the simulated forest, with some odd bodies on the floor and broken trees that looked like they had fallen over from a stiff breeze.
But then, roughly five seconds after the Runepriest¡¯s simple, casual motion had nudged the invisible Fireball toward its victims¡ªReality corrected itself.
Thea¡¯s eyes widened in pure horror as the scene before her transformed in an instant.
One moment, it was an eerily untouched clearing, full of fallen bodies and collapsed trees.
The next¡ªIt was hell.
Flames appeared everywhere at once.
The toppled trees that had seemed intact only a breath ago were suddenly charred husks, their trunks blackened, their bark eaten away by roaring, unnatural fire. The ground, once seemingly undisturbed, was now scorched beyond recognition, deep cracks running through the soil as if the land itself had been seared open.
And the targets¡ª
The armored soldiers who had dropped so suddenly¡ª
They were burning and melting.
Their forms were grotesquely twisted, armor warped and melted around their bodies, fused to the flesh beneath. What little of them was visible through the scorched gaps in their plating was unrecognizable, their flesh charred, blackened, gone.
Thea barely had time to process the sheer wrongness of it before the smell hit her.
Burning flesh. Scorched earth. Ozone, thick and acrid, filling her lungs like smoke.
Her stomach twisted violently, nausea creeping up her throat, but she couldn''t look away.
The realization settled in her chest like a crushing weight, suffocating in its sheer, awful clarity: The Obscuritas Fireball had done everything the other Fireballs had as well.
It had destroyed, incinerated, erased life just as brutally, just as thoroughly.
But for those first five seconds¡ªIt had lied about it.
No warning. No indication. No chance to react.
And even worse¡ª
¡°They¡ They didn¡¯t even know they were burning alive, did they¡?¡± Thea¡¯s voice was barely more than a whisper, her throat tight, hoarse with horror.
It was one thing to be vaporized by a Perditio Fireball¡ªgone in an instant, reduced to nothing before the pain could even register. It was one thing to be crushed and molten alive by Discordia¡¯s warped, liquid fire, or to be twisted and reshaped into something monstrous by Mutatio¡¯s cursed touch.
Even Fames, for all its sheer relentlessness, still gave its victims a chance to see their deaths coming.
But Obscuritas? You wouldn¡¯t even know.
You wouldn¡¯t feel the heat as it melted your flesh. Wouldn¡¯t hear your own armor warping as it fused to your skin. Wouldn¡¯t smell the sickly, acrid stench of your own body burning.
You wouldn¡¯t even realize your lungs had long been charred beyond repair, that your vision had already failed because your eyes had already burst from the invisible flames licking over them with ravenous glee.
At some point, you would simply¡ fall. And never get back up.
Not knowing why. Not knowing how.
Not until Obscuritas deemed that it was time for the Truth to be seen once more.
¡°Indeed,¡± the Runepriest answered, a note of pride threading through his voice. It caught Thea off guard¡ªpride was not what she had expected after witnessing such sheer horror.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you picked up on that fact right away,¡± he continued, nodding in approval. ¡°Usually, that¡¯s something I have to explicitly point out afterward. Well done, dear pupil.¡±
Still shaken, Thea finally managed to tear her gaze away from the scorched, corpse-littered clearing and meet the Runepriest¡¯s eyes. To her surprise, he looked pleased¡ªutterly content with the results of the demonstration.
Then, just like that, his tone shifted back into the easy, almost conversational cadence of his usual lectures.
¡°What you just saw was Obscuritas when applied to a simple offensive Power like Fireball.¡± He gestured to the ashen wasteland before them as if presenting nothing more than a training exercise. ¡°Obscuritas fully conceals the Truth of the world, deceiving even your own senses as you burn alive.¡±
He raised a hand and pointed toward the Inheritance Star hovering between them, singling out the purple gem at the 5 -o¡¯clock position. ¡°Obscuritas, universally represented by the colour Deep Purple, is the tenth Inheritance you will encounter during your Delves. It governs the fundamental nature of the Void to obscure, hide, and lie about the Truth.
¡°Most Obscuritas Psykers specialize in illusions, assassination, or battlefield disruption¡ªsupporting ambush tactics, disorienting their enemies, and making sure you never know what is real¡ But, as you just saw, they are also utterly terrifying when they turn their Inheritance toward direct harm instead.¡±
Thea swallowed thickly, that last point settling heavily in her chest.
This was the very Inheritance she had gone up against in the Assessment. This was why her [Eyes of the Void] had failed. This was what had led to her death.
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through the thoughts clawing their way into her mind.
¡°It is the Polarity to your own Inheritance, Veritas¡ªwhich we have already discussed. Where Veritas reveals the truth, Obscuritas hides it. Where Veritas removes obstructions to lay bare what the Void perceives, Obscuritas puts those very obstructions into place.¡±
His gaze flickered back to her.
¡°Obscuritas Psykers make up approximately 9.86% of all Psykers,¡± he added, ¡°which is almost twice as many as those who share your own Inheritance, Thea.¡±
Her stomach clenched.
¡®Almost twice as many?!¡¯ A twinge of panic twisted inside her chest. ¡®I have double the chance to run into an Obscuritas than another Veritas?!¡¯
As if sensing her unease, the Runepriest¡¯s expression softened ever so slightly.
¡°But don¡¯t be too afraid of this Polarity, Thea,¡± he reassured, ¡°because always remember: Polarities go both ways. And Veritas, being the more focused and less universally flexible of the two, has a clear power advantage over Obscuritas. In almost all circumstances, a Veritas Psyker will beat an Obscuritas in a head-to-head¡ªso long as both parties act to the best of their abilities.¡±
Much to her surprise, his demeanor turned mischievous.
He leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice as though sharing some grand secret.
¡°And at the end of the day¡¡± he murmured, ¡°who should really be more afraid?
¡°The many who hide¡
¡°Or the few who hunt them down to reveal them?¡±
Thea blinked at that.
Then, despite the lingering unease in her chest, she smirked.
It was a subtle shift¡ªsmall, almost hesitant¡ªbut perfectly genuine.
Because the image his words painted¡ªthe idea of Obscuritas Psykers huddled in alleyways, lurking in corners, desperately trying to avoid her¡ªwas thoroughly amusing.
The Runepriest, seemingly satisfied with her reaction, straightened and returned to his usual composed demeanor.
¡°We¡¯ll go into more detail on how this interplay works when we reach your own Inheritance at the very end of this,¡± he stated matter-of-factly.
Then, lifting his hand once more, he gestured toward the Luminous White gem at the 11-o¡¯clock position¡ªdirectly opposite the Deep Purple one they had just covered.
¡°For now, I think it¡¯s best to continue with the next one in line,¡± the Runepriest said, his voice carrying a weight that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Especially because this one is very¡ special, to say the least.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes snapped to the dark blue gem at the very bottom of the Inheritance Star¡ªdirectly opposite the Crimson Red of Perditio.
¡®Special¡?¡¯ She thought, anticipation curling in her chest. ¡®This is the first time he¡¯s called any of them particularly special, aside from Fames¡¯ and Nihilus¡¯ unique effects on personality¡¡¯
As if following her train of thought, the Runepriest tapped the dark blue gem lightly, his fingers lingering over its smooth surface. ¡°Located at the 6-o¡¯clock position, and representing the Polarity to Perditio, we have the king among all Inheritances. The one Inheritance that all other Psykers, no matter their pride or gained power, envy and wish they had instead of whatever the Void had decided they get: Creatio.¡±
His voice took on an almost begrudging edge, just barely tinged with something sour.
¡°It is, by far, the rarest Inheritance, appearing in only 3.25% of all Psykers¡ªnearly twice as rare as the second-rarest one. But it is also the most versatile, the most powerful, and the most¡ fantastical of them all.¡±
His eyes met hers.
¡°It is universally represented by the color Night Blue, and as the name suggests, it governs the very power of Creation itself. A Creatio Psyker is the closest thing to one of the gods of old humanity, for they possess the capability to shape reality, even to bring entirely new things into existence; to create.¡±
Thea¡¯s breath caught. Her thoughts tripped over themselves, tumbling into a disorganized mess as she tried to grasp the sheer magnitude of what he had just said.
¡®Fantastical? The power of the gods of old? Reshaping and creating reality itself?!¡¯
It felt impossible. Utterly unreal.
Like something out of one of the Golden Age Arcade¡¯s most absurd high-fantasy games.
¡°I think the easiest way to truly understand the difference between Creatio and all other Inheritances,¡± the Runepriest continued, the weight in his voice keeping her grounded, ¡°is to demonstrate it.¡±
As he spoke, he lifted his right hand¡ªhis palm facing upward, fingers slightly curled.
Thea instinctively tensed, anticipation practically thrumming in her veins.
¡®What kind of Fireball is this going to be?!¡¯
Would it be some divine, ethereal flame, one that built instead of destroyed? Would it manifest in a way that made no logical sense, rewriting the very rules of existence as it burned?
But¡ no Fireball formed at all.
Instead, the Runepriest painfully slowly brought his thumb and middle finger together. His movements were deliberate, his eyes locked onto hers for just a second before he gave a small, knowing nod toward the freshly reset clearing.
Thea¡¯s gaze flicked toward the empty space.
And then¡
Snap.
The sound of his fingers snapping together echoed through the clearing¡ª
¡ªbut only for the briefest instant.
Because in the very next moment, it was completely drowned out.
A thunderous cascade of explosions erupted all at once as more than a dozen Fireballs simply winked into existence across the battlefield.
There was no warning. No flickering buildup. No moment for them to manifest.
One second, the clearing was untouched.
The next¡ªFire.
Fire and explosions everywhere.
Thea¡¯s mouth hung open as she watched it all unfold.
She barely had time to process what had happened before the full reality of the Creatio Fireball hit her like a warhead straight to the chest.
These Fireballs hadn¡¯t traveled. They hadn¡¯t been launched.
They had simply¡ appeared.
Dead-center in the middle of the target area.
Two meters above the target area, suspended in the air before they detonated in an eruption of searing flames. Inside the earth below the target area, blowing apart the hardened dirt and rock with a fiery explosion that sent molten debris raining in every direction, burning and scorching everything it touched.
But none of that was what caught Thea¡¯s attention.
None of that was what made her stomach churn with sheer, visceral terror.
Her eyes locked onto the targets¡ªonto what had been the Stellar Republic Soldiers merely an instant ago.
The Fireballs had simply appeared inside of them.
They didn¡¯t strike them. Didn¡¯t hit them. Didn¡¯t impact their armor before exploding.
No. The infernal spheres of fire had manifested within their very bodies.
And in the next instant, they had already detonated.
There was no time for the targets to react. No chance to evade, no moment to comprehend their fate, no instinctive attempt to shield themselves.
One moment, they stood.
The next¡ªThey were simply gone.
The explosions had ripped through them from the inside out, evaporating flesh, pulverizing bones, and obliterating everything they were before their nervous systems even had a chance to process pain.
Armor plates had burst apart as superheated gasses had expanded outward, sending molten shards flying.
Some of the heavier-armored Soldiers barely even moved before their insides were flash-incinerated, their remains collapsing into smoldering husks inside empty shells of armor.
It was so brutally instantaneous that Thea wasn¡¯t sure what unsettled her more¡ªthe sheer efficiency of it¡
¡or the terrifying truth that nothing could have saved them.
There was no counterplay.
No dodging.
No preemptive action.
No last-second barrier, shield, or sprinting dive that could have possibly saved their lives.
The Fireballs had simply sprung into existence where they were.
And in that instant¡ªso had death¡
Volume 2 - Chapter 12 - Inheritance VI
Thea took a steadying breath, forcing herself to process what she had just witnessed.
The sheer scale of the Creatio Fireball¡¯s Power had left her reeling, but now that the initial shock was starting to wear off, the terrifying implications clawed their way into her thoughts.
She swallowed hard. "I can see why everyone would be envious of Creatio..." she muttered, her voice quieter than she intended.
The Runepriest let out a knowing chuckle, offering nothing but ¡°It is the last and final Inheritance you will meet in your Delve, so look forward to that, as well.¡±
But her mind was already racing ahead, trying to pick apart what she had seen.
There had to be something that could be done against this, right? Some countermeasure? Some defense? Because if there wasn''t...
Her stomach twisted.
"How would anyone even defend against that?" She asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the still-smoking battlefield. "It seems straight-up impossible when the Fireballs are just created inside people¡¯s bodies. What are you even supposed to do to not just... die?"
The Runepriest didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe had clearly expected the question.
"You, as a Psyker¡ªand one with exceptional Resolve¡ªwon''t have to worry about that being a possibility at all," he assured her.
"Much like all Psychic Powers are affected by Resolve, so are Creatio-influenced ones."
He gestured toward the ruined clearing, sweeping a hand over the grotesque remains of the test subjects. "They were all created with the equivalent of about 2.5 Resolve, which is around the average for a Tier 1 Marine or Soldier. Those unwilling to pursue the path of a Psyker often neglect their Resolve entirely, whether knowingly or not, and as a result, they make themselves easy targets for Powers like what you¡¯ve just seen."
His finger then pointed toward her, then to himself. "For you and me, however, we won¡¯t have to worry about this. Our Resolve acts not only as a shield against the immediate effects of Psychic Powers, reducing their impact on us as a whole, but it also functions as an interference field as well¡ªan invisible buffer that grows in size and intensity as our Resolve increases."
To illustrate his point, the Runepriest summoned a small illusion between his palms.
A tiny chibi-Thea flickered into existence, much like the one he had conjured in his earlier demonstration regarding the Inheritance-lens idea.
Thea blinked at it, momentarily thrown off by how utterly adorable it looked compared to the grim scene they had witnessed just moments earlier. The Runepriest smirked slightly at her reaction before continuing, "Let¡¯s break this down into something easier to grasp, shall we?"
"Assuming you have a Resolve of 2.5," he began, as an invisible force suddenly seized the chibi-Thea, making her stumble. The tiny figure clawed at her chest, struggling against something unseen. "This would give you just enough Resolve to prevent an average Psyker from simply ripping your heart out with their Telekinesis Powers."
Thea tensed at the blunt description, watching as the little illusion barely managed to resist the pressure squeezing down on her.
"But with a Resolve of 3," he continued, snapping his fingers, "you¡¯d barely feel their attempts beyond an inconvenience anymore."
The scene changed.
The chibi-Thea straightened, brushing herself off. The unseen force was still there, but now she only looked mildly irritated, like someone had nudged her rather than tried to kill her.
"At a Resolve of 4, an enemy Psyker of equal Resolve wouldn¡¯t be able to touch you directly with their Powers at all."
Now, the chibi-Thea stood unbothered, casually kicking at imaginary dust on the Runepriest¡¯s palm, completely undisturbed by any external force.
"But once you reach a Resolve of 5..." The tiny illusion suddenly glowed, enveloped in a Luminous White aura that extended roughly ten centimeters from her body, like an invisible barrier. "You start emitting a field that prevents other Psykers from interacting with the space around you at all¡ªunless they¡¯re able to completely overpower you."
Thea''s eyes widened slightly as she took in the implications.
"And from there," the Runepriest continued, "that aura just keeps growing in size and intensity, the stronger your Resolve becomes."
The barrier around the tiny illusion expanded slowly, stretching outward until it encompassed both the Runepriest and real-Thea herself.
"This is why at higher Tiers, practically every squad has a Psyker," the Runepriest explained, finally dispelling the illusion and letting his hands return to their relaxed positions¡ªhis left tapping lightly on his knee, his right propping up his chin. "We¡¯re talking Tier 4 and 5 here, of course, so it¡¯s not something immediately relevant to you, but it¡¯s definitely something to keep in mind as you climb the ranks."
Thea nodded slowly, the knowledge settling into place.
The Runepriest leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting back to something more instructional. "As a Psyker, outside of whatever specific Paths you decide to focus on, your primary role in a squad is to prevent exactly what you just saw from happening to the rest of your team. And the best way to do that is vigilance. Attentiveness. Just by being there¡ªwith a sufficient amount of Resolve, which you already have at this stage¡ªyou make it impossible for an enemy Psyker to conjure Fireballs directly inside your squadmates."
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head lightly.
"Now," he added, "if you weren¡¯t a Psyker? Well..." He let out a short laugh. "The answer would, unfortunately, be: Find a Psyker to add to your squad."
Thea blinked, unsure whether to laugh or grimace at the bluntness of it.
"While there are ways to work around the issue without one¡ªsuch as Psychic-related Abilities granted by the Allbright System, both Passive and Active¡ªthe opportunity cost for those Abilities is usually far greater than their benefit for most people. So unless you''re truly dedicated to countering Psykers, the simplest and most effective countermeasure is..."
He smirked. "To have one of your own."
Thea exhaled slowly, processing everything.
Psykers weren¡¯t just tools or weapons to be wielded. They were strategic necessities.
She barely had time to let that realization settle before the Runepriest snapped his fingers, making the chibi-Thea illusion deflate like a popped balloon. The abrupt shift yanked her back to the present, pulling her away from the deeper spiral of thoughts threatening to take over.
"Now, back to the topic at hand," the Runepriest said smoothly. "Creatio. As you might have already guessed from the way I talked about it earlier¡ªand from the demonstration itself¡ªCreatio has no real downsides; only upsides."
He let the words hang in the air for a moment, letting the weight of that statement sink in.
¡®Not having any downsides at all?¡¯ Thea thought to herself. ¡®If this was a game at the Golden Age Arcade, players would be clamouring for a nerf, for sure¡¡¯
"It is, quite frankly, an Inheritance that has no equal. While it might not always outperform another Inheritance in its specialized niche¡ªsuch as Perditio when it comes to raw destruction, or Obscuritas when it comes to illusions¡ªit is always at least second place. And sometimes, depending on how you judge it, it can even surpass them in their own domain as well."
He shrugged, though his expression soured slightly, as if the very idea left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Ultimately, though, there¡¯s not much we can do about that. Creatio Psykers are incredibly rare¡ªso rare, in fact, that you may never run into one during your entire career. But if you do, you need to understand one thing: They have access to practically every Path equally and can likely beat you in more ways than you can imagine. Fighting a Creatio Psyker effectively always comes down to thoroughly out thinking them because, in a direct head-to-head battle? You will lose. Whether it¡¯s in terms of raw Energy or sheer versatility of options¡ªthey will almost always have the upper hand."
His golden eyes gleamed as he leaned in slightly, his expression morphing into something between amusement and a hard-edged certainty.
"But never forget, Thea," he continued, his voice taking on a mix of grim finality and something almost gleeful, "they are still human under all that versatility and power. They are not gods, no matter how much they like to imagine they are. They bleed just like everyone else."
A sharp, toothy grin spread across his face as he let his words sink in, his voice lowering slightly, as if imparting a personal truth¡ªone earned through long experience.
"I¡¯ve personally killed more than three dozen Creatio Psykers in my time," he said, his tone almost disturbingly casual. "And every single one of them has ultimately ended up like all the other human who¡¯ve tried to fight me directly, be they Psykers, Anti-Psykers or normal Soldiers of various Factions¡ª"
A brief pause.
Then, with a smirk, he finished, "In pieces."
Thea swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
There was no boast in his words, no arrogance. Just fact.
Before Thea had a chance to fully process the weight of the Runepriest¡¯s words about Creatio, he had already moved on, his mood shifting back to its usual, almost theatrical cadence.
With a practiced motion, he extended his right hand, palm-up, the familiar gesture he always used before conjuring a new Fireball.
¡°Now, enough about Creatio,¡± he declared, his tone carrying a hint of distaste, as if simply discussing the Inheritance left an unpleasant, bitter taste in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s time for the most pleasant of all Inheritances: Concordia.¡±
The moment he finished speaking, a soft, light-blue ball of fire manifested in his palm, its presence catching Thea¡¯s full attention. No matter how overwhelming this whole lesson had been in terms of raw amount of information, no matter how shocking the revelations, the anticipation of seeing another Inheritance in action always managed to ignite something inside her.
She honestly kind of hated how much she enjoyed it.
Watching these powers unfold before her eyes¡ªseeing the rules of reality twist and reshape with each new demonstration¡ªwas nothing short of exhilarating. As much as she tried to maintain an air of discipline, of measured control, she couldn''t deny that she was utterly hooked.
¡®He¡¯s definitely taught more than one person before me¡ªthat¡¯s a given,¡¯ she mused, a small grin creeping onto her face. It was refreshing, beyond words, to finally get clear answers to the hundreds of questions that had been gnawing at her since Integration. And the Runepriest had an undeniable talent for explaining things in a way that stuck.
¡®At least I won¡¯t need to rely entirely on Kara to break all of this down for me afterward,¡¯ she thought with some amusement.
Her focus returned to the Fireball.
Much like the others, yet thoroughly unlike them at the same time, something about this one felt distinctly off¡ªnot in an unsettling way, which was very different from all the previous ones, but in a way that made her instincts tingle regardless.
The flames flickered and swayed like any ordinary fire, yet there was an uncanny precision to it. Each tongue of flame curled with flawless rhythm, its motion too smooth, too symmetrical, as though it weren¡¯t fire at all, but rather a perfect impression of it.
It was like looking at a simulation rather than something real.
¡°Concordia is the aspect of harmony within the Void, and the Polarity to Discordia,¡± the Runepriest explained. ¡°It is universally represented by the color Cerulean Blue and governs the concepts of conformity, natural order, and reparation.¡±
A sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he added, ¡°Though, for most people, it¡¯s simply known by something else entirely.¡±
With that cryptic remark, he nudged the Fireball forward, sending it on its inevitable path toward the target area.
It was only then that Thea realized something strange.
For the first time since these demonstrations had begun, the clearing hadn¡¯t been reset.
The scorched, blackened remnants left behind by the previous Creatio Fireball still marred the landscape¡ªthe burned-out husks of trees, the melted and exploded armors, the torn apart remnants of the Stellar Republic targets.
She knew the Runepriest well enough by now to understand that this wasn¡¯t an oversight.
Her heart pounded with anticipation as the Concordia Fireball arrived at its destination¡ªand exploded. It erupted in a burst of cerulean light, but unlike every other explosion Thea had seen so far, this one didn¡¯t expand outward with destruction¡ªit pulled.
She instinctively leaned forward in her seat as the flames sucked in loose debris from the ruined landscape, the charred remains of bark and splintered wood lifting from the ground as if drawn by an unseen force. Blackened soot, scorched dirt, and crumbling embers¡ªall of it was dragged toward the epicenter of the explosion.
And then, just as suddenly, the flames spread; just like one would normally expect.
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But unlike normal convention, they did not burn.
The bright cerulean fire crept across the ruined clearing like a wave, but instead of consuming everything in its path, it restored it.
The ashen husks of trees straightened as the blue fire climbed up their trunks, pulling them back into their rightful positions, their bark regaining a hint of its original color as the charred remains sloughed off like dead skin.
The ground, hardened and blackened from the Creatio Fireball¡¯s devastation, softened, its surface smoothing as the flames passed over it, revealing patches of rich brown soil beneath.
Thea barely breathed as she watched.
But nothing stunned her more than what the flames did to the targets.
The Concordia fire flickered over the lifeless remains of the Stellar Republic Soldiers, licking at the twisted, melted armor and the fragmented, burned flesh that had once been living bodies. Slowly, painstakingly, the flames mended whatever they could¡ªthe armor unwelding from the fused flesh, cooling and losing its warped, molten edges.
Where the bodies had been torn apart, muscle and skin began knitting back together, but the damage had been far too extensive for anything resembling actual revival.
The mangled limbs, though less mangled, remained separate from their owners.
In the grand scheme of things, the flames could only do so much.
¡®This is still a Fireball. This is still a Fireball Power,¡¯ she repeated in her head, making sure that this was something she consciously kept in mind. ¡®There are so many options to keep in mind, even with just a single Power¡¡¯
While all of the Inheritances so far had been thoroughly strange and otherworldly, Concordia completely upended the very idea of Fireball being an offensive, destructive Power. It rewrote the fundamental assumption that fire meant ruin¡ªthat an explosion was always an end rather than a beginning.
¡°The healing Inheritance,¡± the Runepriest abruptly finished his earlier cryptic sentence, catching Thea off guard. Her gaze snapped to his, eyes wide with renewed focus.
¡°Concordia, being the Inheritance of roughly 8.49% of all Psykers, and located at the 7-o¡¯clock position on the Star, although the fifth Inheritance you will meet inside your Delves, is often referred to as the healing, mending, or¡ªmuch to the chagrin of non-Psykers in that branch¡ªthe Medic Inheritance,¡± he explained, his voice carrying an amused lilt at that last bit. ¡°It fundamentally alters the nature of the Powers it¡¯s applied to, shifting them towards promoting harmony and restoring the natural order of things. It repairs what is broken, mends flesh, and undoes the damage inflicted by other Inheritances on the universe as a whole.¡±
He gestured toward the target area, where the cerulean flames still danced along the landscape, weaving their way through the ruined clearing, trying to mend whatever they could.
¡°It is a highly efficient Inheritance, but not necessarily a powerful one,¡± the Runepriest continued. ¡°It excels at what it does, but not necessarily how fast it does it¡ªunless you¡¯re willing to pour an absurd amount of Energy into any given Power. Most Psykers who inherit Concordia find themselves naturally inclined toward supportive roles, as the Inheritance simply does not lend itself well to offense.¡±
He turned his head slightly, a thoughtful look flickering across his face before he added, ¡°That said, I have seen a few¡ creative uses of Concordia in a more aggressive capacity. Though, rather than direct attacks, they tend to focus on counteracting enemy Psykers the moment their Powers are used.¡±
To illustrate, he raised both of his hands, conjuring two small illusions in his palms.
One burned in the deep, furious crimson of Perditio.
The other shimmered in the perfect, cerulean glow of Concordia.
He let them drift toward each other in the space between his hands, and the moment they met¡ª
Boom.
The tiny illusions collided in a burst of light, but rather than the crimson flame engulfing the blue, or the cerulean fire smothering the red, they simply¡ canceled each other out. The explosion was brief, almost muted, the two forces snuffing each other out like waves crashing into one another, dispersing into nothingness.
Thea blinked, momentarily stunned.
¡°That,¡± the Runepriest said, lowering his hands, ¡°is what makes Concordia particularly unique. While its direct Polarity is Discordia, it is often considered a soft-Polarity to all other Inheritances. Unlike the others, which fully stem from the Void¡¯s various aspects, Concordia actively resists its influence in our universe. It is the only Inheritance that prioritizes preserving and reinforcing the natural laws of the universe it resides in at the time rather than shaping reality through the Void¡¯s lens; bringing a part of it into our universe.¡±
His eyes met Thea¡¯s once more, gleaming with an almost unreadable intensity.
¡°When directly clashing with another Inheritance, Concordia doesn¡¯t attempt to overpower it. It doesn¡¯t seek to win¡ªit simply throws its full weight behind cancelling it out entirely.¡±
The target area flickered in the corner of Thea¡¯s eye, signaling that the Sovereign had just finished resetting the field. She barely had a moment to process that before her attention snapped back to the Runepriest, who was already holding up another Fireball in his right hand.
But this one¡ this one was very odd.
The flames weren¡¯t vibrant like the others had been. They weren¡¯t licking at the air with an aggressive hunger, nor twisting unnaturally like some of the more esoteric ones had. Instead, the Fireball was gray¡ªdrained of all color, as if the very concept of hue had been stripped away, leaving only a bleak, dull existence behind. It wasn¡¯t just colorless; it was still.
Completely, unnervingly still.
The flames did not flicker, did not move, did not even sway with the subtle air currents drifting through the clearing. It was as if time itself had paused within its form.
Thea felt a strange sensation crawl up her spine as she stared at it.
The Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯d like to get through the rest of these Inheritances rather quickly, so I¡¯ll speed it up a bit. Throw in questions if you have any,¡± he said with a wink, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent of seriousness beneath his usual playfulness.
He gestured to the gray Fireball. ¡°This one¡¯s Permaneo. Located at the 8 o¡¯clock position on the Star, and also the eighth Inheritance you will meet inside your Delves. It is the Inheritance of persistence, unchanging ways, and stability; universally represented by the colour of Steel Grey. Naturally, it is the Polarity to Mutatio, as it directly opposes the fundamental concept of change. Roughly 9.12% of Psykers hold this Inheritance, and they primarily focus on long-lasting Powers, as well as defensive ones, since Permaneo is exceptionally good at reinforcing and bolstering those.¡±
He lifted his left hand and gave a small, casual wave in the direction of the target area.
¡°However, when applied to an offensive Power, it is no slouch either.¡±
With that, he gently nudged the Fireball forward.
It moved with a deliberate slowness, unlike the other Fireballs that had shot out like missiles.
It wasn¡¯t sluggish, but it lacked urgency. There was no acceleration, no sudden burst of speed to propel it forward like with the others.
It simply traveled forward with the same steady momentum, like an object set in motion that would never stop until it reached its target.
Thea¡¯s eyes followed the slow-moving Permaneo Fireball with rapt attention, expecting¡ªwaiting¡ªfor the moment when it would erupt in a burst of flame like all the others had.
But when it finally reached the target area, it did not explode.
Instead, it¡ opened.
It was the only way she could describe it.
Like the petals of some strange, alien flower slowly unfurling, the Fireball simply expanded, peeling apart in layers to reveal a core of deep gray flame.
Then, with an eerie stillness, the fire spread outward.
The gray flames rolled forward like a slow-moving tide, pouring across the ground, blanketing trees, seeping into cracks in the earth.
It did not consume with the sheer, blistering speed of crimson fire, but it did consume.
Leaves, bark, soil, metal¡ªall were taken by the creeping flames, swallowed piece by piece in its quiet, merciless advance.
It was as if the entire target area was simply being rewritten, every part of it inevitably claimed by the unchanging inferno.
A full minute passed.
Thea frowned, watching the fire as it continued its slow but inexorable spread.
Usually, fire weakened after a while, fading once it had burned through its fuel or at least moving to find new sources of fuel when the area where it had been burning ran out.
But this¡ªthis wasn¡¯t behaving like any normal flame.
The first patches of gray fire that had landed on the ground, the ones that had been burning for a full sixty seconds already, had not changed at all. They were not dwindling, not flickering, nor looking anything more to consume than where they had initially touched.
They simply existed, exactly as they had been when they first landed.
Still burning. Still spreading.
Utterly unchanging.
The realization sent a chill through her.
Even if a soldier avoided the initial surge of Permaneo fire, they would still be trapped by the aftermath. There would be no safe place to step, no clear path to escape.
The battlefield would become a maze of flames that refused to die.
What only underscored this feeling, was her observations of the living targets in the area.
The Stellar Republic Soldiers had fought desperately against the encroaching tide, their training dictating their every move. Some frantically shoveled dirt onto the flames, attempting to smother them beneath layers of earth, while others tried to remove any potential fuel sources from getting in contact with the fire.
But nothing worked.
The dirt was consumed, vanishing into the flames as though it had never existed. The fire didn¡¯t flicker, didn¡¯t weaken, didn¡¯t react.
Where the flames had already consumed everything there was to consume at a given spot, it simply persisted, unwavering and patient, as if it had no need for fuel at all.
Then, one soldier made a fatal mistake.
In a last-ditch effort, they brought their boot down hard on the fire.
For a second, nothing changed.
Then, they brought their foot back up and realised in horror that part of the flames were now clinging to their boots. And unlike normal fire, which might sputter, recoil, or react to its fuel source, these flames behaved with absolute certainty.
They did not flicker, did not waver. They simply burned.
The protective layers of the soldier¡¯s boot held¡ªat first.
The specialized heat-resistant plating, designed to withstand laser rifles and incendiary blasts, bought them seconds at best. But Permaneo flames did not burn quickly. They did not consume in an instant, nor rage in a furious burst of destruction like Perditio¡¯s fire.
They simply outlasted.
The outer layer of the boot blackened, cracked, and then peeled away. The inner lining followed, glowing red-hot as the heat bled through. The fire crept higher, eating away at the armour¡¯s defenses inch by inch, layer by layer, reducing the once-protective material to smoldering ash.
By the time it reached the flesh beneath, the soldier had already begun to falter after they had tried everything to extinguish them. From throwing dirt on them, to rolling on the ground and even smothering them entirely with their gloved hands¡ªonly to realise that now their hands were burning too.
Their movements became sluggish, their panicked attempts to pry off the armor weakening as the fire consumed everything it touched. The flames slowly wrapped around their legs, their torso¡ªdevouring methodically, persistently¡ªcreeping up their body with every second that passed without fail.
There was no sudden explosion, no dramatic final scream.
Only the slow, unstoppable march of destruction.
And when the fire finally reached the soldier¡¯s chest, when the last of their armor had given way, they collapsed¡ªsilent, unmoving, and utterly lifeless.
Two minutes.
That was how long it had taken.
Two minutes of slow, creeping inevitability.
Two minutes of a death that could not be fought, could not be outrun, could not be undone.
Thea¡¯s breath came in shallow, controlled draws, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides as she fought to steady herself.
The sight before her was too familiar. Too visceral.
The relentless flames. The suffocating heat. The feeling of helplessness as fire consumed everything in its path.
Memories of the IgT-compound bombardment surged forward, unbidden and unwelcome.
She could still hear the harrowing screams of burning Marines, their desperate cries piercing through the chaos as the System-fire devoured them whole. The sight of the Heavies who had shielded her, their armor turning into molten slag as they succumbed to the inferno. The acrid stench of burning flesh, of scorched metal, of ozone¡ªso thick in the air that every breath had felt like swallowing embers.
The only difference was that the IgT-compound had burned violently¡ªfast, chaotic, spreading like a wildfire unleashed from hell itself. The Permaneo flames, in contrast, were patient.
They didn¡¯t need to rage or devour in a frenzy.
They simply lasted, consuming their targets with quiet certainty.
As if sensing her thoughts, the Runepriest¡¯s voice broke the silence, surprisingly gentle in her ears.
¡°Yes, Thea,¡± he said, his tone carrying an understanding that sent a chill down her spine. ¡°The IgT-compound you encountered during the Assessment was directly modeled after the Permaneo Inheritance and the fire-based Paths of its Psykers. That¡¯s often how new technology is created¡ªby taking inspiration from what already exists and attempting to replicate it.¡±
Thea¡¯s breath hitched slightly.
¡°The IgT-compound,¡± the Runepriest continued, ¡°does not possess the same persistence, but it burns far hotter and spreads more aggressively. It was designed to kill, rather than to endure¡ªa weapon of extermination, not control.¡±
A heavy silence followed his words, thick with unspoken implications.
Thea barely registered it.
Her thoughts were reeling, looping endlessly over the same, terrifying revelation.
¡®The IgT-compound was nothing but a cheap imitation¡?¡¯
The very thing that had carved itself into her nightmares, the most horrifying, merciless force she had ever witnessed, had only been an attempt¡ªan approximation¡ªof what true Psykers could achieve?
The flames that had turned the entire eastern front into nothing but a smoldering graveyard, the fire that had reduced even the toughest of Marines into nothing but charred husks in minutes¡ wasn¡¯t even the real thing?
Her chest tightened as another realization settled in, one even more unsettling than the last.
¡®If the Factions¡¯ most terrifying weapons are mere imitations¡ then just how far does the influence of Psykers and their Inheritances go?¡¯
She had always assumed that Psykers were important, strategically speaking.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
And it slowly started to form a more solid picture in her head, as to why the UHF was so keen on learning about the Psychic Classes that she would have access to at Tier 1.
If the IgT-compound was what they had come up with to mirror a basic Permaneo Fireball, then what would they come up with, to meet whatever the Allbright System had in store to bolster Psykers as a whole, at Tier 1?
Another minute passed in silence, the weight of her thoughts pressing down like a vice.
Then, finally, the Runepriest¡¯s voice cut through the quiet once more¡ªthis time tinged with a faint, amused lilt.
¡°The flames will burn like this for at least another ten, maybe fifteen minutes without interference,¡± he remarked, as if discussing nothing more significant than a simple training exercise. ¡°And that¡¯s only because I set the Sovereign¡¯s simulation to limit the burn time.¡±
Thea¡¯s stomach churned, ¡®A limit?¡¯
She turned back to the still-burning battlefield, watching as the gray flames continued their patient, methodical destruction, unchanged, unyielding.
¡°A true Permaneo Psyker,¡± the Runepriest continued, his tone carrying the weight of experience, ¡°fully utilizing their Inheritance, could make something like this last for hours or days.¡±
A pause.
¡°Maybe even weeks¡ with enough Energy.¡±
Thea swallowed hard, staring at the fire that refused to die.
She believed him.
He snapped his fingers, and the Sovereign reset the area once more, the lingering flames vanishing as though they had never existed.
As the last embers winked out, the Runepriest turned back to her, a smirk on his face. ¡°This is why Permaneo is often considered one of the best Inheritances for battlefield control. Unlike the more explosive or immediate Inheritances, this one doesn¡¯t need to overpower its target in an instant. Instead, it simply waits. Blankets an area with something that does not fade, does not break, and does not change. Whether it¡¯s defensive barriers, reinforcement fields, or traps laid long before the battle even begins, Permaneo excels at turning any environment into its own domain.¡±
He leaned forward slightly, tapping his temple with a knowing look. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how strong your enemy is, Thea. If they can¡¯t even reach you, then they can¡¯t do anything at all¡¡±