Chapter 298

Chapter 298

Captain Elkdren jogged alongside his men as they went through the start of an exercise routine. His unit, like all stationed here, had taken serious losses and damage on the frontlines and were being given time for rest and recovery. They needed to be in top condition when they reentered the war. Elkdren was just happy his people were only in the horrifically wounded category, as while they had needed months of healing, none of them had died on their last assault. A fortune few other units had.

They were all Tier 26s and now in perfect shape thanks to the healing, but today was the day for their yearly serum dose, so the exercise was preparation threefold.

Firstly, the serums were better ingested into the body if the body was warm and ready to absorb blood and energy to repair itself. It seeped into the muscles and tendons, giving a better effect per serum dose if taken warm.

Secondly, and while no one would admit it to anyone but themselves, the serums hurt less if the body was already energized and primed to take in energy. None of them feared pain as the warriors of the Federation, but taking a serum cold was like pumping cold honey into your veins.

A warrior only needed to experience that once in their life to vow to never take their physical augment serums cold again.

Thirdly, from the moment they entered the Federation army as warriors they had only been given their serums after being pushed to their physical limits for the above reasons, and such a tradition and habit was hard to shake. It wouldnt feel right if they didnt work out beforehand.

Captain Elkdren even had a good plan for this warm-up.

Captain Keslers unit was also up for their serums, and so they had decided to have a little spar between their companies. It was more engaging than just running through an obstacle course, and it gave everyone a chance to hone their skills a little before they cycled back to the frontlines.

The sparring went well, and despite Captain Keslers unit earning a single victory more than them, they were all eager for the upcoming serums.

Elkdrens usually well-disciplined troopers fidgeted, some of them going as far as rocking back and forth on their feet, but even he could feel the tingle of anticipation of the serum in his fingers. He just had the discipline to keep his hands in a relaxed position, clasped behind his back.

The serums werent addicting in and of themselves. There were dozens of tests on the subject, but what loyal warrior of the Federation didnt desire, yearn, and crave to grow stronger and retake the glory that was rightfully theirs? All of them, of course.

An overly attractive Makers man opened the door with a wide smile and gestured for them to enter as he went over the same information that they had heard thousands of times.Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Elkdren wanted to say he was beyond needing the repetitive information, but it was protocol, and hearing it made things feel right.

Tradition and holding onto their past honor was how the Federation would regain its former glory, just as their past humiliation at the hands of the other Great Powers who had descended upon them was a reminder of why they needed to not only regain their former glory, but surpass it.

Elkdren sat in the chair and returned the smile of the Maker who personally saw him. As a Tier 26 Captain, he not only got better treatment, but he also got a stronger potion, green compared to the warriors yellow.

As he felt the potion slide into his veins, he sighed as his muscles tensed and relaxed in waves.

It took a few minutes for the initial pain to pass, but when it did, he felt like he was even stronger than before and could take on a thousand of his past selves.

Most of the power would fade over the course of a few weeks, but a portion of it would remain behind. While his potion was better than the average troopers, he knew that Majors, Colonels, and Generals all had better serums. He had heard rumors that there were even stronger variations that the true archwarriors had access to.

He had never been able to get one of the few archwarriors he had spoken to to confirm that rumor. All they ever told him was to reach their level to find out.

Elkdren knew it was a far-fetched dream, but it was also the one he held closest to his heart.

Stretching, he called out to his men and gathered them up to take a nice slow run back to the barracks where they could digest their new power.

Or, that was the idea.

They were only a dozen steps out of the Makers building and heading towards the barracks when a high priority alert went off in Elkdrens head and his carefully paced run came to a sudden halt.

His troopers, perfectly in sync with him, came to a halt with him, knowing something was wrong and ready to react. It only took a moment for the actual orders to come in, and when he saw the provided information, he immediately spat out orders.

Back to the barracks, top speed. Prepare for rapid deployment.

The moment his orders left his mouth, the troops blurred as they cranked their perception to the limits and moved. In less than a second, they had already returned to their barracks and geared up.

Two minutes later, they were on the staging field as dozens then hundreds of other companies arrived.

Elkdren linked up with the other Captains he was familiar with to ask what they knew, but they were as clueless as he was, even as he listened to his warriors asking similar questions to each other.

He didnt know who started it, but someone said they heard from a Major that there had been an attack on a civilian planet and they were being mobilized to retake it. Just the idea of such an engagement set his serum warmed heart ablaze with fury.

He had known the other Great Powers had never been content with just ganging up on the Federation, and must have taken the opportunity to kick them while they were down. He wondered how many of his brothers and sisters from the Community had had their lives reaped.

Hundreds?

Thousands?

Millions?

Horror washed over him and he added his voice to the chatter in the Captain's chat about wanting vengeance, as he realized the crux of the issue while others talked about the possible death toll.

It doesn't matter how many died. If even one of our brothers or sisters died under the hands of the inferior invaders, Ill extract ten times that many lives from their Community in retribution.

His words started a litoney of similar calls to arms. Not just ten times. A hundred times!

A thousand!

No, a million times as many. Do they think we are just pushovers who will tolerate such behavior?

No, burn a planet for each life lost. Then maybe they will understand that there are consequences to their actions.

The chat quickly devolved into a fever pitch, but it silenced when a group of Majors came out led by two Colonels and a General.

A General Elkdren knew. General Falcon was a decorated Warrior who had only been a newly commissioned Lieutenant when her unit single handedly repelled an attacking force in the War of Great Shame.

Everyone was silent as they waited for the legend to speak and give them their orders.

Contrary to his expectations, she didnt immediately speak, and instead let her silver eyes roam over all the Warriors. Elkdren even had the honor of having her gaze linger on him for an instant, and he tried to stand taller despite his posture alreadying being ramrod straight.

The General's voice was soft but hard, like steel wrapped in velvet, when she finally spoke. Im sure you know something odd has happened. Even questioning what the other Great Powers have done. Some of you are closer than others. The main rumor I heard was that the other Great Powers attacked a planet. That rumor is false, but only to the first degree. The dogs of the Empire have attacked Mobile Shipyard Seven, killing indiscriminately like the rabid dogs they are.

General Falcon paused for a long moment, letting everyone absorb that information. Word has just reached us, so the details are unclear, but our objective is clear. We are the closest gathering point for Warriors, and so we will be the first in Her speech was interrupted by a roar from the warriors, which caused the General to smile for a moment before she continued. We will be the first in, so we dont know much, but our mission is clear. Retake the system, dislodge the attackers, and make them pay for their indiscretions.

Her small smile turned into granite as she said, We dont know what we will be facing, so we need to be flexible. To that end, Im giving general orders now, and it will be up to the Majors to lead the Captains assigned to their ships. Maneuver as you see fit, but our objective is as simple as it will be difficult. Defeat the enemies. No quarter given.

The moment the order was given, the ships that lined the mustering yard lowered their hatches, and assignments were sent out through their AI.

Elkdren barked orders to his two Lieutenants as they hustled over to their assigned ship.

Despite the chaos of hundreds of companies moving across the battlefields, not a single one got in each other's way as they moved under the Generals eyes.

They were Federation warriors, better than such simple mistakes.

After he got his troops settled down he met up with Major Rattle, who did his best to prepare them for their upcoming assault. Sadly, information was scarce, so their planning was limited. The only thing they knew for certain was that the target of the first attack had been the shipyard, and not the fortress world. The fortress world was undoubtedly already defeated by whatever occupying army had been sent.

What they debated and tried to game out was where the army would be stationed.

They suspected it would be the fortress world, but there was always a distinct possibility that the defenders were holed up near the inhabited planet in the shipyard instead. While it didnt change their mission, it would change how they would attack.

Elkdren and the others, along with Major Rattle, hoped the enemies were foolish enough to stay with the shipyard, but they doubted they would be so lucky.

As the attackers had proven in their ambush, it had less defenses than a fortress planet.

The moment they entered real space they poured out of the ship and organized themselves in their companies, but as Elkdren looked forward, he had no idea what he was looking at.

Where the shipyard should be was a massive fortress of ice.

It was like someone had grown an iceberg around the shipyard, as absurd as that sounded.

Even an army of ice mages couldnt create that much ice in just a day and a half since taking the system. It was just impossible.

Except it was in front of him.

Elkdren would have thought it was a trick, brought in by some impossibly large spatial item, but he could see bits and pieces of Mobile Shipyard Seven captured inside the ice, which meant that was impossible.

But what he was seeing was impossible, and he didnt know how to weigh two equally impossible things and decide which was true.

Thankfully, he didnt have long to ponder, as orders came down for them to advance with shield teams leading.

Elkdren slapped Lieutenant Vallotton on her shoulder even as he stood. Spread the word and then lets go. Corporal Ves, where do they usually keep the girders?

If this shipyard is like the one I served on, then they usually keep a few by each ring for easy access.

With a mission goal, Elkdren led his warriors down the cold tunnels. They werent sprinting along, but they were careful where they put their feet.

No one wanted to find a trap with their boots.

They made it halfway to the central pillar before they heard fighting in one of the adjacent halls.

Rushing forward, they found two companies fighting an armored form that was covered in blood.

It was alone, but had cut down half of the two companies with bodies littering the floor.

Advance and fire. Frontlines shields forward.

Putting actions to worlds, he pulled out his projection lance and channeled [Severance Shot] through it as fast as the spell amplifiers could cycle.

His company's concentrated fire caught Slayer Torch off guard, and she staggered as she took a dozen shots in rapid succession. That brief pause allowed the other two companies to disengage, and they added in their own fire.

The Slayer raised her spear and spun it rapidly, but while it blocked some of the attacks, more slipped through and slammed into the feather-like armor she was wearing.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and seeing it was working, Elkdren called out, Give it everything you have!

To kill a Slayer. That was a feat worth bragging about. Maybe his name really would go down in history.

As the armor started to falter, he grinned.

As Slayer Torch fell back into the blood that surrounded her, he called out, Prepare pulse grenades! Throw on my command!

Slayer Torch fell back into the pool of blood, and he was about to command the grenades to be thrown when the decimated companies rushed forward melee weapons at the ready.

He wanted to curse them as he held his command to throw the grenades. It would be best to blow the Slayer to bits first then ask questions later, but seeing their casualties, he understood their hatred, rage, and desire for personal revenge.

Except, something was wrong.

The Slayer who fell into the blood sunk too far. It was like she was ice melting on a hot summer day.

He was about to cry out when the blood that coated everyone and the floors and walls started to writhe like the tenderals of an octopus.

Then, they spun like a blender, and the warriors in front of him were cut down.

Throw the grenades! Throw! Throw! Throw!

A full dozen grenades flew forward, and the rapid pulses of energy blew the pool of blood into droplets and then those droplets into nothing.

Still, he didnt trust it.

Fire spells! Fire spells! Fire spells!

A dozen types of flame spells blackened the corridor and heated the frozen walls until they glowed and started to drip, despite the cold aura that weakened the spells even this deep inside the shipyard.

Panting, Elkdren swept his spiritual perception across the corridor and found nothing.

They had actually done it.

They had killed a Slayer.

Slayer Torch had been snuffed. A fitting end for a tainted human such as herself.

A small cheer started to rise, but he instantly crushed it. Back in formation! Prepare for an ambush. Our mission isnt over and hasnt changed. Refill your mana pools and get ready for another engagement.

They carefully moved forward and through the searing heat of the area they had cooked just to return to the frozen corridor ahead.

They found the remains of another two battles, and to his anger, could only find the bodies of his warrior brothers and sisters. Some of them looked like they had been strangled by the scraps of cloth littered around them, but he wasnt able to find the one responsible.

His company was closing in on the central pillar when Sergeant Exlor cried out, Rear!

Elkdren spun and froze, not able to understand what was going on.

Slayer Torch stood there, spear in hand. Head snapping back to the front, he saw another Slayer Torch standing there.

There were two of them.

How?

[Clone] was the obvious answer, but not one that Elkdren liked or could accept.

If they had only managed to kill a clone that had been ambushed by them while it had fought two other companies, what chance did they have alone?

None.

Making a desperate play, Elkdren called out, Through the wall!

To their credit, his warriors followed his command and Chancellor Virgil herself must have been watching out for them, as when they cut through the hull of the space station, they found themselves in a crevasse in the ice fortress.

Go! Go! Go!

He followed the troopers into the bitter cold and turned to the hole they had made as his mind spun. Corporal Ta. Reform the metal. Lance Corporal Gala, create some stone behind the metal. Everyone else prepares to repel the Slayer.

That order sounded mad, but he had no other option.

Corporal Ta threw her shield forward which grew until it was large enough to cover the hole they had made in the shipyards hull and Corporal Gala created a mass of stone behind it.

He expected banging and clanging as the Slayer battered her way through the metal and stone, but nothing happened. As heartbeats turned into seconds and seconds into minutes Elkdrens nerves didnt settle and instead his panic spiked.

Something was wrong. You only didnt bother to charge someone when they jumped into a trap.

He tried to scan through the ice, but his spiritual perception couldnt pierce more than a few feet of the ice before being halted.

Turning, he visually scanned the ice around his squad.

Lieutenant Marqus, have your squad take position in the rear.

When Elkdren didnt get an instant acknowledgement of his order, he turned to where Lieutenant Marqus should have been, but the man was gone along with the rest of his company.

Spinning, Elkdren looked around, but all he could see was ice and snow.

But that didnt make sense. He was inside a glacier of ice. How was there snow?

He looked up but found nothing but the gray and white of a snowstorm. Looking left and right, he tried to find the glacier.

Reaching out with his free hand and spiritual sense, he found nothing.

Was he in an illusion?

If he was, then firing his projection lance could be dangerous, but there shouldn't be anyone above him, so he raised his arm and fired, watching the spell get absorbed by the wind and snow.

There was something wrong, but he just knew he needed to move. Flying forward with everything he had, he felt it growing colder and colder, with ice creeping into his very spirit until it seemed to reach his cultivation cores.

As the ice reached the center of his power, his Domain tried to resist but it was cold and sluggish, and he felt his power vanishing as his very essence turned into ice.

Elkdren didnt want to die here, and kept running with his mundane body trying to find an exit.

All illusions had an end, and he was sure he could find it.

He