- John York -
John was disoriented. For the past six months, he had been searg fns of Katherine on any phat had traces of Orks. However, he had almost no information up to this point.
‘She was my responsibility. How I be an Heir if I wasn't even capable of this?’ He tormented himself over what had happened.
Though of high quality, his u beard and wrinkled clothes were just some of the signs of his mental state.
He was washing his fa his bathroom, trying to shake off the sleep from his st night. The meetings and missions didn't seem to end, especially with the beginning of the Tenth Wave; Mars was in full swing. Its industries were essential for produg onry for the front line.
Although the Orks had begutacks into humaory, they ended up retreating to adjat ps like GL581 and others that were more distant from humanity's inal sor system.
‘What do they want with this attack?’ Many generals and Heirs asked themselves. With each past Wave, the Orks seemed to have a clear objective; this time, they appeared to be searg for something, attag many different ps at ond then stopping their advance.
As John ged into the Yorks' casual uniform, someone knocked on his suite door.
"e in," he replied.
John stuck his head out of the bathroom, trying to see who was entering.
It was one of his personal guards. "Sir, excuse me, you're being called to the unication room."
To this day, John finds it amusing that he has guards. He was one of the stro Rangers in humanity—perhaps the stro. Still, he always had to walk around with two guards.
‘If I'm not able to stop whoever is trying to assassinate me, they certainly won't be able to.,’ he thought about the irony. ‘I'm really too tired if I have time to think like this.’
John shook his head before replying. "Sure, I'm on my way."
‘Where was the unication room again?’ he wondered.
It had been a long time since he had used this transport ship. I years, they have always had access to teleporters, but due to the new security level caused by the war, militarized zones do not allow the use of teleportation.
‘Someone o figure out how to create one of those maes that only allow the transmission of human beings,’ John thought as he walked through the ship's corridors.
People moved aside in the corridors wherever he passed, and when it was impossible to avoid him, they saluted or bowed to the Heir.
To John, all this was just unfortable; his dream since childhood was to be a Ranger and help his parents. He hadn't imagihat the way he would end up helping was not as a Ranger but as the Heir of the family.
‘Perhaps the st of the lineage,’ he thought sadly.
As soon as he reached the steel door, he paused momentarily to take a deep breath. He didn't know what kind of unication he would receive, but he o be prepared for the worst.
The unication room had been built in a circur format; around it were trol pahat ehe ship could tay of the empire's ps at any time, as well as some els unknown to civilians.
Upoering, John could hear versations among the unication officers.
"Ork fleet sighted near Olympus."
"bat fleet or reaissance?"
"We don't know yet."
"Do we have aatio the border?"
"At GL581, there's still a battalion."
"Have them prepared to retreat if necessary."
"Uood."
John didn't o a cases like this; he was simply there for a transmission.
In the ter of the room was a bay of hologram projectors. These were used when unicatioween one or more ships was needed.
While the officers tiheir tasks, the Heir approached the projector bay. One of the officers approached him to report. "Sir, we've received a unication request from the h Army. Do you prefer a private unication?"
John waved his hand indifferently. "It be right here. Let's just resolve this."
As soon as the hologram was initiated, the heir could see the long table used at the NEA's main base. Seated along it were five generals, one for each Ranger division.
"Your Excellency, the Emperor asked us to report to you the developments in the search for your sister," one of the generals expihe reason for the call.
"Sebastian, fod's sake. I don't his 'Your Excellency' bullshit formality; we traiogether. What I want is information. We've been on this search for six months, and it doesn't seem like we're any closer than whearted," John replied calmly but quite thoughtfully.
Sebastian was seated at the start of the table, close to the projector. He wore a yellow medal symbolizing his division—not that it was necessary—since he kept his vibrant yellow armor activated most times.
John had known him siheir days at the Ranger Academy. He still had the same dark brown hair, cut to be practical, but every time, he would go to the mirror to make it slightly messy. On the front of his armor, he had the number "33" stamped in bck. It was one of the few Ranger Armors that featured a ization.
Sebastian had a charismatic face; even with austere and angur features, he always got along well with others. It was no wonder he became one of the you generals.
"Um," the general cleared his throat and shifted in his chair as if unfortable before tinuing. "John, the Emperor asked us to have your word that the York army will position itself and defend Olympus ohis search mission is pleted before we are allowed to inform you."
The generals couldn't feel the effect of those words sihey were in another location; however, all the officers on the ship could seitanic amount of Energy being released rapidly. The veins in John's hrobbed with a what had been insinuated.
One of the officers close to John had to grab his arm before colpsing, overwhelmed by the amount of Energy expelled.
Only then did he mao take a deep breath and realize that his team was again being affected by his emotions.
"Sebastian, I will ignore what's implied in this question out of respect for our friendship. However, let the Emperor know that his disrespect will not go unnoticed," the Heir replied without giving a crete answer.
Sebastian smiled upon hearing his friend's response; he knew John would react this way. He just hoped he wouldn't do something reckless in his anger. Although they had traiogether, the general khat a Unique Ranger had power between 20 to 200 times greater than a standard Ranger. He o be careful because a snap of John's fingers would be enough to make two battalions disappear without a trace.
The enerals expected a simir rea; however, one of them was more dissatisfied thahers.
"Without a direct response about your movements, we ot give you your information. John York, what is your answer?" a womaed he end of the table repeated.
The moment the enerals heard the words ing out of her mouth, they all turo her, trying to uand how she had made one of the most foolish decisions of her life.
Unfortunately for everyohere, Quinn was the most ret to rise to the rank of General. She wore a scarlet armor that outlined every tour of her body. Each piece of the Ranger Armor was almost aension of her slender frame.
She had a face marked by bat, with a thin scar just below her left eye, which she never wao remove using VAT. Her eyes were dark and intense; even in her youth, she carried a hard expression, leaving no room for diplomacy.
"Girl. For you, it's 'Your Excellency, John York, Heir aolden Ranger.' Know well that if you wish to remain alive, learn some lessons in diplomacy, for I will not bow to any general. And if I do not obtain the information I desire, you be sure that I will be the first to step into the Imperial Pad reduce it to dust." John's eyes seeped all the anger and madness of what he had just promised. However, there was not a drop of fear.
"You're cra—" As the young woman stood up from the table to protest what he had just said, aneneral intervened.
"Silence." Wiz was the oldest general at the table, one of the few who could wear his white hair to symbolize his prowess. He had witnessed more Waves in his lifetime than anyone in that room.
"I apologize on behalf of my colleague, John." Wiz bowed his head before tinuing to speak. "Sir, we've found signs that seem to be what you're looking for."
GCLopes
