Chapter 56: The Final Push II

The command center of the Chimerian base was a graveyard of shattered consoles and sparking wires, the air thick with the acrid smell of ozone and burnt metal. Commander Zolar’s energy blade crackled in his clawed grip, its violet light casting jagged shadows across his face. Across from him, Arthur stood poised, his sword humming with lethal energy. Both warriors radiated power, their muscles coiled and their eyes locked in a primal stare.

Zolar said while snarling, “You think this ends here, human? Even if I die, our god will consume your world. You cannot stop what is coming.”

Arthur calmly replied, “Well… we will see.”

Without waiting anymore Zolar struck first, his blade a violet comet streaking toward Arthur’s throat. Arthur pivoted, his own sword meeting Zolar’s in a shower of sparks. The impact sent a shockwave ripping through the room, crumpling steel panels and shattering holographic displays.

Zolar taunted  “Too slow!”

Arthur’s reply was a flurry of strikes, each one faster than the last. Zolar staggered backward, his armor smoking from near-misses.

The Chimerian commander feinted left, then spun into a backhand slash aimed at Arthur’s ribs. Arthur leaned back, the plasma edge grazing his armor and leaving a molten scar. Before Zolar could recover, Arthur retaliated, a blinding thrust that Zolar barely deflected, the force knocking him into a console.

Zolar roared, channeling his rage into a devastating overhead strike. Arthur crossed his arms, bracing his sword horizontally. The collision rattled the entire structure, their boots cratering the floor beneath them.

Arthur’s muscles strained as Zolar pressed down, their blades locked in a screaming stalemate. With a grunt, Arthur twisted sideways, redirecting Zolar’s momentum into a wild spin. The Chimerian commander stumbled, and Arthur slashed upward, carving a deep gash across Zolar’s chest. Violet blood sprayed, but Zolar retaliated instantly, a clawed fist hammering Arthur’s jaw with enough force to crumple steel.

…

As the fight dragged on for more than twenty minutes Zolar’s breathing grew ragged. His wounds bled violet, while Arthur’s split lip sealed itself in seconds. The Chimerian lunged again, his blade a frenzy of strikes, each one parried with cold precision.

Zolar desperately roared, “What are you?!”

Arthur didn’t answer. He let Zolar exhaust himself, dodging and deflecting until the commander overextended. In that split second, Arthur’s sword flashed. Zolar’s left arm fell to the floor, severed at the elbow.

Zolar howled, “RRRGH…! You dare …!”

Arthur pressed the advantage, his blade a crimson blur. A diagonal slash opened Zolar’s thigh. A reverse strike gashed his flank. Each wound healed on Arthur within breaths; Zolar’s body, though durable, began to fail.

With a final surge, Zolar charged, channeling every ounce of strength into a killing thrust. Arthur sidestepped, his sword plunging into Zolar’s side, then twisting. The Chimerian commander froze, his blade clattering to the floor.

Zolar struggled to say while choking, “You… cannot… win…”

Arthur leaned close, his voice a whisper. “But you would not be there to see it happen.”

He ripped the sword free. Zolar collapsed, his body slumping against the ruins of his command console. The bright yellow glow in his eyes dimmed, replaced by the hollow stare of defeat.

Arthur stood over Zolar’s corpse, his own wounds already vanished. The command center fell silent, save for the sputtering of dying machinery. Outside, the distant cheers of ECHO soldiers echoed, a stark contrast to the grim truth weighing on Arthur’s shoulders.

Nakamura burst in, while panting, “Arthur! The base is…” He froze, staring at Zolar’s body. “…Clean kill.”

Arthur sheathed his sword, “It’s done. For now.”

After the battle was over the team regrouped, and boarded the VTOLs to return to the human camp. The standard infantry will remain here to secure the Chimerian base for now.

…

The aftermath of battle painted the human base in stark contrasts: the acrid tang of antiseptic mingled with the metallic scent of blood, while the low hum of medical drones buzzed alongside the groans of wounded soldiers.

Arthur’s team filed into the bustling medical wing, their armor scorched and splattered with violet Chimerian blood. Medics in crisp white uniforms rushed forward, their faces masks of practiced calm.

Leo slumping onto a gurney, wincing as a drone scanned his fractured ribs, “Ah, sweet relief. Hey doc, got anything stronger than nano-patches? Maybe a whole new body?”

The medic deadpanned at his words, injecting a regeneration serum into Leo’s arm, which will boost their regeneration in collaboration with the nanobots already injected into every ECHOs “Complaints go to logistics. Next.”

Elena sat stiffly on a nearby bed, her sniper rifle disassembled on her lap as she cleaned its barrel with methodical precision. A fresh bandage peeked beneath her collar, hiding a plasma burn.

Samir, glancing at her, asked “You’re cleaning your rifle now?”

Elena replied without looking up, “It’s either this or think about how many close calls we had. You pick.”

Nakamura stood near the entrance, a medic tended to a gash in his chest. His eyes tracked Arthur, who leaned against a far wall, his arms crossed. Despite the battle’s toll and the damage his armor sustained, Arthur had no wounds on his body, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the medics.

A medic asked Arthur a bit hesitant, “Sir… your bioscan shows zero tissue damage. How is that…?”

Arthur smiled at the medic and gave a curt reply, “Trade secret.”

The medic blinked but didn’t pry further.

…

Two hours later, the team stood in the cavernous hangar of the human base, their armor almost fixed due to the nanobots present in them and weapons reloaded. Above them in the stratosphere loomed the Vanguard, a sleek, nearly two kilometers long obsidian warship bristling with plasma turrets and heat-scorched thrusters.

Leo whistled, “Still beautiful as sin, but damn if she ain’t reliable.”

Elena said adjusting her sniper on her back “Says the man who named his rifle ‘Sweetheart.’”

Leo replied while grinning “Hey, Sweetheart and I have a bond. You wouldn’t get it.”

After that they boarded a shuttle towards the warship. Arthur looked outside the shuttle window, his gaze a bit distant, thinking about what he would do next. They entered the Vanguard in the next few seconds.

The Vanguard’s interior was a maze of steel corridors and flickering holographic displays. Soldiers strapped into acceleration seats, their faces lit by the soft blue glow of overhead panels. Arthur’s team claimed a private bay near the cockpit, its windows offering a panoramic view of the planet below, a scarred, brown orb now dotted with the faint lights of human outposts.

The warship’s engines roared to life, their vibrations thrumming through the hull. The Vanguard lifted smoothly, punching through the planet’s atmosphere. In minutes, the sky darkened to the void of space, the stars sharp and unblinking.

…

The Vanguard slid into the shadow of the Dreadnought Mk XI, a colossal space station shaped like a titanic sphere, its surface studded with docking ports and defense platforms. Hundreds of ships flitted around it, tiny fireflies against its armored bulk.

Leo grinned at the sight “Home sweet dystopian nightmare.”

Samir, ignoring him, tapped his gauntlet’s interface checking on some UFE news

As the Vanguard docked, a mechanized voice echoed through the bay.

Automated Voice: “Welcome to Dreadnought Mk XI. All personnel report to Sector 5-A for debriefing.”

Lt. Nakamura stood, adjusting his uniform. “You heard it. Let’s get this over with.”

Arthur rose last, his eyes lingering on the stars beyond the viewport. Somewhere out there, the Chimerian Entity waited to devour their world, but he would do everything in his power to stop it.

…

The cold artificial lighting of Dreadnought Mk XI’s hallways cast long shadows as Arthur and his squad exited the debriefing room, exhaustion pressing against their bones. He and his squad trudged toward their quarters after the debriefing.

The mission had been a success, but the weight of war never truly lifted. As they walked through the dimly lit corridors toward their living quarter, silence stretched between them, comfortable yet unspoken.

Arthur reached his door first. The sleek metal panel slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the spartan interior beyond. Like all ECHO quarters, it was efficient, with a single bed, a storage locker, a holo-terminal mounted on the wall, and a personal weapons rack.

He turned slightly to see his teammates dispersing into their own rooms.

Leo stretched, rolling his shoulders. “Damn, I’m gonna sleep like a rock tonight. Wake me up only if the station explodes.”

Samir deadpanned. “If the station explodes, you won’t be waking up at all.”

Leo shot him finger guns. “Exactly.”

Elena gave Arthur a nod before disappearing into her own quarters, the door sealing behind her.

Arthur exhaled, stepping inside his room as the door slid shut with a soft metallic click. The solitude was welcome.

He removed his armor and placed it onto the rack. His fingers traced the hilt of his sword, now secured in its designated slot. His mind replayed his fight with Commander Vorsk and Zolar.

Arthur sighed, pushing the thoughts aside.

He made his way to the washroom, the warm water washing away the grime and tension from the past few days. When he emerged, fatigue finally caught up with him.

Collapsing onto his bed, he let out a deep breath. Tomorrow, he would leave for Solace Prime.

…

Arthur woke to the soft chime of his holo-terminal. The automated voice of the ship’s AI announced:

“Mr. Arthur, your transport to Solace Prime is scheduled for departure in 30 minutes.”

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Strapping on his jacket he created previously, and putting everything necessary in his dimensional pocket he exited his quarters and made his way to the docking bay, after seeing that his teammate’s rooms were empty, he figured he would say his goodbyes through video chat.

The station was already bustling with activity, mechanics checking ship diagnostics, pilots running pre-flight checks, security officers patrolling the hangar. The towering walls of the docking bay were lined with transport shuttles, each primed for departure.

Arthur’s eyes scanned the area and landed on his squad standing near the edge of the platform.

Leo grinned. “Damn, you actually woke up on time. Thought we’d have to drag you out of bed.”

Arthur was surprised they arrived earlier than him to say goodbyes to him.

Elena crossed her arms. “Have a safe journey.”

And Samir just nodded without saying anything. Before any more banter could be exchanged, a voice called from across the hangar.

“You’re late rookie.”

Arthur turned toward the sound and felt a flicker of surprise.

Standing near the transport shuttle was Kael.

Kael stood with his usual composed expression, his sharp eyes assessing Arthur with something between mild amusement and expectation. He wasn’t in his usual combat gear but instead wore a high-ranking officer’s uniform, sleek, refined, yet no less imposing.

Arthur approached, and after a firm handshake asked. “Kael? Didn’t expect you to be the one picking me up.”

Kael gave a small shrug. “Well apparently I had free time, and Admiral Kane sent me to pick you up.” He tilted his head.

Arthur raised an eyebrow and didn’t ask anything further.

Seeing Arthur’s weird expression Kael smirked. “Let’s just say I was… curious. Everyone by now has heard of your merits on the battlefield.”

Leo leaned over to Samir and whispered, “That’s Kael for ‘I have nothing better to do.’”

Arthur shook his head, then turned back to his squad. Arthur thanked them and said his goodbyes.

With that, he turned and walked toward the shuttle, Kael falling into step beside him. The boarding ramp hissed open, and as they stepped inside, the door sealed shut behind them.

The ship’s engines roared to life and entered an Epsilon-Class battleship Vanguard, and within moments, they lifted off, exiting the docking bay and gliding into the vast, star-speckled expanse of space.

***

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