Afilada had returned to her more stoic state, although she seemed doubly alert after what happened with Gizagi.

  Her DI was back to 100% after Afilada instructed her to use 50 of her remaining 400W to recharge her Dermis, and Uan internally disagreed with this action, fearing that it would leave Gizagi unable to finish the course, he remained silent on the matter.

  He realised that Afilada had considered that and was more worried about what would happen if they were attacked again. It would be trouble if one of the chain’s links were brittle.

  The same went for him, and so he recharged his shields as well, bringing his energy down to 380W, which was a little higher than Gizagi’s 350 and lower than Afilada and Saai’s 400W.

  The unit pushed forward, trekking through Kilometres upon Kilometres of mud, trees and vines.

  A few broken machines could be seen here and there, which was a relief.

  It meant that the previous teams had already dealt with a majority of the threats the jungle had to offer.

  “She’s probably also using this to assign roles and plan future strategies around,” Uan muttered softly.

  “Mmm? Who is?” Afilada asked.

  “The Admiral. She’s using this to gather data, which she’ll use in the war.”

  “Isn’t that much obvious?” Afilada raised a brow.

  “It is. I’m just trying to figure out who, if not what, our Admiral is.”

  “You can just ask Ardy,” Afilada suggested, and Uan did so.

  [Admiral Ardi is the first and only member of the species Homo Provectus – the next logical stage in mankind’s evolution. She is the perfect symbiosis between man and machine created by Archon Asecan on the world of Obsidia. Do you want me to list some of her current abilities?] Ardy asked, but Uan shook his head.

  “I see. So… she’s still somewhat human.”

  “I’m not sure about that.”

  Everyone turned to Saai.

  “Go on.” Afilada urged.

  “I mean, think about it. If you were a being as powerful as Admiral Ardi, surely even you would struggle to articulate your nature to the likes of us. No entity, not even the mighty Archons, is capable of a fraction of what our Admiral can do, so I think she may very well be a transcendent being.” Saai explained.

  “So, you think she dumbed it down so we could understand?” Afilada asked.

  “Exactly.”

  Uan returned his gaze to the path ahead and let out a silent groan.

  Saai was right.

  Ardi’s existence was far more complex than he could even begin to imagine.

  So… by hiding her true nature…, was she showing the galaxy mercy?

  Such a possibility was both frightening and amazing to consider.

  The unit eventually emerged onto a vast marshland which was littered with broken machines and small pools of cyan-coloured liquid.

  “A big battle took place here,” Saai growled.

  “Yeah, the whole Battalion must have fought tooth and nail to get past this point,” Afilada said.

  “Huh… I should’ve known this was your ploy. You wanted the larger force to take care of a majority of any threats along the course. They would send out their own scouts and deploy their own tactics while we followed freely behind. I must say… I’m somewhat impressed.” Uan scoffed.

  “What are you talking about? I genuinely wanted us to have some alone time. That said, watching the rear is an important task for any army.” Afilada nodded smugly as if she had planned everything.

  The unit made it across the swamp and eventually made it to the desert region, which was a blistering fifty degrees Celsius.

  Fortunately, since they had faced little opposition in the jungle, they had energy to spare and they put it to good use, taking care to avoid getting shot at by distant turrets and using dunes as cover.

  Ardy informed Uan that while their bodies needed very little water, their brains were still organic, and that’s where their water bottles came in handy.

  .

  ..

  Afilada’s unit eventually reached the finish line, where the rest of the Battalion was waiting for them.

  They weren’t last, but since it wasn’t a race, no one made a fuss.

  But something bothered Uan as his unit stood in the waiting area.

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  Ardy had informed them of all the best routes to take, but she said nothing about the turrets and the gorilla that attacked them.

  He wanted to ask Ardy what her reasoning was, but thought it would be better if he figured out the reason by himself-

  “You know, I gotta say that it was hella smart of Ardy not to tell us everything! It forces us to think and struggle just like the humans from before the Age of the Archons! This’ll keep us from getting complacent!” Saai loudly said, making Uan roll his eyes.

  “Very good, Saai! That’s exactly what I thought after Uan and Gizagi got attacked.” Afilada applauded alongside Gizagi, who looked like she was sleepwalking.

  [Calling all troops, this is Lieutenant Colonel Bilal, and I want to say that I am pleased with what I saw on our way here. Sure, we had a few slow pokes, but I can see that our Admiral’s vision is in good hands. Bravo!]

  Uan raised his brow after receiving that transmission.

  He knew Afilada had access to her unit’s information, and so wondered if the Lieutenant Colonel had access to all of his men.

  Ardy was probably helping summarise key pieces of information, but it was really amazing the more Uan thought about it.

  Some vehicles eventually came to pick everyone up, and they were promptly returned to the barracks, where they showered and changed into their clean uniforms.

  Uan plopped onto his bed while Saai climbed onto his.

  Afilada did the same, and Gizagi slept above her.

  “Hopefully you now understand what I’m trying to do now and won’t cause me any more trouble, right, Uan?” Afilada giggled.

  “Yeah, yeah.” He said while closing his eyes.

  He was still trying to figure a few things out internally, but he at least knew that it would be better to work with his Sergeant than against her.

  So, he decided to do his best to ensure the team performed their duties well.

  What followed was a month of relentless training and data Absorption.

  Every member of the Armada was fitted with a Mark III Nanitesuit, and the force had ships that were specifically retrofitted for the coming conflict. Fleet carriers were made lighter and given more landing ports since almost no space was used for leisure. Sleeping quarters were now narrow walkways lined with Pods within which units would sleep, and since the men didn’t need to eat all that often, mess halls were significantly smaller. Smaller carriers were also adjusted accordingly and this was the same for every craft, which was also given a matte grey coat of paint.

  Etched once on each vessel was the Armada’s insignia.

  Afilada's unit was stationed on the AAF (Admiral Ardi’s Fleet) Terrornaut, and it was a massive, moon-sized vessel shaped like a short Spear.

  This was the new home of the 1st Division, which Shatterrock Unit was a part of.

  They were situated on the front end, and their Battalion was being briefed on their first mission.

  The Armada had just been deployed, so it was everyone’s chance to see just how capable this new force was.

  Early reports were positive, but not everyone was convinced yet, including Uan, who laughed at the idea of sending fifteen million men into a territory protected by thirty billion.

  The fighting, however, was still on the border in a region known as “The Muted Gap”, which marked the boundary between the Sagittarius Prime and Norma Prime.

  The region was given such a name because very little usually happened there, although that has since changed.

  “Alright, listen up! I know our generous Admiral says that patience is the most powerful weapon, but time is of the essence, and I’d like to grant her victory before she gets her first grey hairs.”

  A wave of laughter filled the hall as Lieutenant Colonel Bilal stood before his Battalion of five hundred men strong.

  He was at the lowest point of a room which was designed like a lecture hall, but since everyone was connected, he didn’t need to raise his voice for all to hear him.

  He, like everyone else, was in his Nanitesuit, which was only ever taken off on specific occasions. He held his helmet in his left hand, revealing his rather youthful face, which was odd considering that he had deep Crow's feet, which were said to be an indicator of someone who smiled a lot.

  He had golden brown skin, short black hair, a full beard and hazel brown eyes that warmly looked his men over.

  The display behind him showed the Harvest World of FG-5622.

  “The Fleet Captain Led Forces have been locked in a stalemate with the Ropa Force for the past week, and I don’t think I need to state the importance of a Harvest World filled with iron and aluminium now, do I?” Bilal raised a brow.

  “While the rest of the Fleet digs into Ropa’s territory, we’ll secure several Harvest Worlds so that we have access to resources at a local level. However, while the FCLF managed to make landfall, they haven’t been able to infiltrate any of the mines or refineries since they aren’t all that well armed, so we’re gonna go in there and pop open the doors for them. Understood?”

  “Sir, yes sir!”

  The sea of affirmatives brought a smile to Bilal’s face.

  “Alright. I’ve already relayed my battle plan to Miss Ardy, and she will update you as the battle phases progress, but for now… I wish you all a safe landing. Dismissed!”

  Everyone left the room and made their way to the landing ports, where they entered their designated autonomous ships or Swallows, which they promptly boarded.

  While most ships in space had self-flight capabilities, Swallow specifically didn’t have cockpits, which made them lighter, but they also lacked the fine control that came with a human hand and could only be given general commands.

  “Phew! Is anyone else scared as hell?” Saai asked as he nervously sat next to Uan while Afilada and Gizagi sat on the seats opposite theirs.

  “Just keep your head down and follow the battle plan. Everything else is up to the wind to decide.” Afilada breathed.

  “I know, but my heart or the lingering idea of it is racing and I can’t…” Saai stopped talking, and it seemed as though Ardy was helping him calm down as the rear hatch closed.

  Uan wasn’t in as bad a condition as Saai, but this was also his first war in general, so he couldn’t deny the dread that crept.

  “According to Ardy, we’re going to land near a refinery in the southern pole, which is still standing even though a large FCLF detachment is stationed just north of it,” Uan said to Afilada, who was still looking at Saai with a concerned expression.

  “That is correct.”

  “My question is why we are being sent as a solo unit instead of being grouped up and sweeping the planet efficiently?” Uan squinted.

  “Because that would take forever. We need to capture as many Harvest Worlds as possible so as to not drain our territory, especially considering that the Coalition may soon get involved, so, as the Lieutenant Colonel said, time is of the essence.”

  Uan nodded before crossing his arms and looking up.

  “Hey, don’t worry too much, alright? Just follow your orders and leave all the brain work to Ardy and the bigwigs.” Afilada smiled, making Uan nod again.

  [3rd Battalion, you are free to take off!] Ardy informed, and like that, the Swallows all shot out of the AAF Terrornaut, which orbited eerily above FG-5622’s atmosphere.

  Uan bit his teeth as the small ship he was in screamed down into the thick atmosphere, and it wasn’t long before the sounds of explosions filled the air above as the Ropa Forces used whatever means they had to deal with the incoming threats.

  Ground-to-air missiles, high-calibre rounds, Plasma beams and more all rained up towards the descending swallows who, while resistant to an extent, could only take so much damage before breaking.

  Uan closed his eyes as the noises got louder and, for the first time since he left the Lost Cradle, he wished he were back in that cruel but quiet place.