260 N generation warfare 1

"... Fascinating."

"Indeed… I think we can mark this test as a success, Dax really is the perfect person to test these things for us."

"Yeah, he really is great. Sadly this is his only redeeming feature."

While Ra and Mu were observing the field test of their newly developed weapon system they came to realize just how much they had missed Dax's ability to take a weapon system of theirs to its absolute limits. Acting as scientists, engineers and weapons developers at the same time with ridiculous efficiency there simply wasn't that many gina p- test subjects who could keep up with the two of them when they really got into it, but Dax always managed to keep up without issue.

"W-what the hell are they doing?"

Meanwhile, Alice who had very little idea about the technical side of it all saw how only 3 people completely decimated what had up until only a few minutes ago been an undefeatable, immortal, ever regenerating enemy, while the proper response to seeing such a thing might have been to cheer Dax and the others on, Alice realized that this would only serve to isolate Dax even further from everyone else, including herself.

"After linking up with mind melting, they used their compounded processing power to optimize the manatech combat platform… But still, I hadn't expected they would go with highly specialized and individual outfits like this, or should I call them 'classes'? In any event, this is definitely a new generation of warfare."

"Agreed, there are so many possibilities."

While Ra and Mu continued to just be excited about the new prospects revealed by their successful field test, Alice remained worried about Dax.

(Is he really still himself? Or is this who he has always been?)

This was the first time Alice had seen Dax mind melt with two other fully fledged members of the 125th at the same time, from that point onwards their engagement with the elder completely seized being anything one could call a fair fight, or even a fight for that matter, it was just a one sided, excruciatingly painful and slow execution. The worst part in all that was Dax's calmness about it all, even though he was currently mind melted with Lux and Phillipa, Alice could tell what part of the moves they were doing most likely came from him since she knew him intimately. 

(Please survive and come back to us.)

What she saw was moments and commands which held no regard for his own life, while she knew this was how Dax fought and lived, seeing it to this scale and sheer recklessness was still somewhat frightening.

"Lilly?"

"He's going to be okay."

Perhaps having sensed her worry Lilly had managed to sneak all the way up next to Alice without her noticing, grasping Alice's hand the tiny elver showed a confident smile although the hand which tightly grasped Alice was slightly shaking.

"Well, that was kind of a letdown."

"Yeah, looks like it wasn't used to fighting against enemies able to neutralize its advantages."

Standing over the corpse of the former elder, Dax let out a sigh of boredom as the mana crystal, plasma coated battleaxe disappeared. The elder's corpse, now nothing more than a putrefactive mass of decaying, half rotten flesh and failing cybernetic implants, even its mana producing core was leaking the signature black, goo like blood was steadily leaking from its cracks and the serval bullet holes Phillipa had supplied it with. Picking up the chest sized core Dax pried the composite amour shell open as Phillipa arrived.

"So, what's in the box!? Or core I guess… Tch, that joke doesn't really work."

With a sly smile on her face, Phillipa quoted some unknown movie as she walked up to Dax and looked over his shoulder.

Needless to say, she immediately regretted that decision.

"What the fuck is that!?"

"Looks like a somewhat compact mana generator and a heavily augmented cerebrum hooked up to an extremely crude life support system."

Describing what he saw in a cold and clinical manner Dax didn't really act all that shocked about what he saw, after all, he had already figured it out.

"I can see that! But what the fuck is up with that text!? It's traditional qiton writing, 'With this final modification I've finally completed the final journey for my race, this is truly the perfect qiton form!"

"Yeah, I don't really think we need a DNA test for this one, that is a qiton brain. In other words, the elder's are former qitons… It actually makes sense if you think about it."

While Dax remained calm, Phillipa was freaking out enough for the both of them combined, meanwhile, Lux was too busy trying her very best not to puke, from the way that message was written on the inside of the core, it seemed the qiton had willingly taken that form, that thought made her sick to her stomach.

"How the hell those that make any sense!? I know I shouldn't be the one to say this, but as qiton's, we hold your bodies sacred, how could anyone of your kin do something like this!?"

What Phillipa referred to was the qiton main religion, as beings who knew they had been created they worshipped their creators and were thankful for the bodies they had been bestowed, as such tampering with that body in the manner this elder had would be considered sacrilegious on the highest level.

"There's no way to know they hold the same views as we do today, just because we're the same species doesn't make us the same and it definitely shouldn't impact your current attitude about the mission, we are to completely exterminate the elders in their entirety, that doesn't change just because they are or were qitons at some point."

"... I guess, sorry for overreacting."

-

Retreating from the area without any problems, Lux, Phillipa and Dax managed to haul back a somewhat intact elder core while completing a practical field test of the new weapon system. Leaving the grander implications of the elders being former qiton's aside, Dax decided to focus on the practical side of things and made sure Ra and Mu would start development of a general purpose and drone friendly version of the effective anti elder weapons before they looked over the recovered elder core and biomass.

With nothing more to do, Dax retired to his apartment to have a drink, but the moment he opened the door he was immediately swarmed by the girls who refused to let go of him. Not knowing what exactly was going on with them, Dax took a shot in the dark.

"Thanks for worrying about me, I guess."

"That's not what you're supposed to say in this situation."

"Honestly this child is too much sometimes~"

And of course, the shot went way wide, judging by Solaris' cold smile and Lilly's nails that were currently digging into his sides. Having horribly misjudged the situation, Dax decided to just endure his punishment in silence, why he even had to endure this he had no idea, but fighting it now would just end in more trouble than it was worth, so he just spent his time patting Alice's head with a somewhat complacent look on his face. After a few more minutes of punishment and repentance, the girls eventually let up, after a few silent nods between each other, Alice finally started talking.

"Are you aware just how frightening that was? Seeing you fighting like that was honestly terrifying."

"Why? I had everything somewhat under control."

"That right there is exactly what we're talking about, you damn simpleton! It honestly looked like you were trying to get yourself killed out there today!"

WIth Dax continuing to be denser than most objects in the universe Lilly got so impatient with him that she started hitting his chest while she burst out her complaints.

(Aaaa, they were worried about me. I guess this is the first time they saw me fight with both Lux and Phillipa.)

Catching Lilly's fists which had surprisingly little force behind them, Dax did his best to show a warm smile as he started explaining.

"I understand now, the way I did things looked reckless so you were worried about me, thank you for that Lilly."

"I-it's not like I was worr- Wait, stop trying to sidestep the main issues like that! If that wasn't reckless then I don't know what it was!"

Seeing that the other two were of the same opinion, Dax took a deep breath as he thought about how to explain his mind melted fighting style. Failing to do so he let out another deep breath as he just started talking without thinking about the words that were coming out his mouth.

"When fighting in the Iron race containment war on the front lines I usually acted alone with a drone battalion under my command on deployments where I would usually take action on my own devices and take over a few systems before I came back home. But sometimes there would be some counteroffensive or important positions we just had to take with limited forces or something like that."

While continuing his monologue, Dax made sure to shower the girls with attention, something that seemed to go over very well with them.

"When it came down to those kinds of missions I would always go with Lux and Phillipa, since I've known Phillipa my entire life and Lux for her entire life it would be an understatement to say that we just know each other. I've been fighting alongside those two for several lifetimes longer, usually, we don't even need to talk, we know how each other act and trust each other to act how we think they do even before they do it, so I entrust my back to them completely."

It was clearly visible on Dax's face that he truly meant every single one of the words coming out of his mouth, even if he didn't know how to convey it exactly the way he wanted.

"While what you guys saw today was that concept taken to its extreme, that trust and bond are why I can fight as effectively as I do, while it at some times might appear reckless I can promise that it isn't. If anything I'm usually the reserved part of the group."

Having finished his somewhat failed attempt at an explanation, Dax was very hesitant if the girls understood what he was trying to convey for a moment, that's until all of them showed somewhat happy smiles and he once more remembered that the three of them loved him, thus it would be logical that they somehow knew what kind of person he was at heart.

"If any of you want to I can go over the entire battle and explain every single decision that seemed confusing or reckless in some way, although that would properly take a few hours."

"Please do exactly that!"

"Eh?"

Reacting unexpectedly seriously to his half assed offer, Lilly managed to surprise Dax as he figured they would rather do something else now that they all had the evening off. 

"I agree! I think I'll learn a lot from your personal explanation Dax!"

With Alice also agreeing to his off hand remark Dax turned to Solaris with a slightly hopeful expression on his face, it wasn't that he didn't want to explain the fight, but rather that he figured that the girls would rather like to do something else.

"I-I would also like to hear about that, I want to know about that shield formation you used at the end."

(Well, shit. This is going to be a long night, and not for the reasons I expected…)