The chamber felt strangely lighter after Brouthis departed, but only for a moment.
A UNE general leaned forward, his voice steady but edged with unease.
"Considering that the Frenzies are unpredictable... and they've infiltrated colonies before... we must acknowledge something. The Frenzies could be anywhere. They could be anyone. Even here."
A ripple went through the room. Commanders exchanged glances, some tightening their jaws, others shifting in unease.
⸻
The Challenge
Admiral Folly of the CGS narrowed his eyes at the general.
"General... are you suggesting that we should not trust each other?"
The question hung heavy in the air, like a blade unsheathed.
The general shook his head quickly, but his tone was unflinching.
"Not at all, Admiral. I am not casting doubt upon this council. What I am saying is this: my statement is valid. The Frenzies' history proves it. They have infiltrated before. They have turned our own against us. And if we forget that truth... we will be blindsided."
⸻
The Unease
The silence grew thicker. Every officer knew the general's words held weight, even if they didn't want to hear it. The Frenzies thrived on paranoia, and yet — ignoring their methods would be suicide.
Captain Lyra Ensei of Jargon finally broke the tension, her voice calm but cold.
"He is right. The Frenzies are masters of corruption, and manipulators. They don't just fight on battlefields. They plant seeds of doubt, turn brother against brother, and make loyalty feel like a liability. If we don't account for that, we will bleed before the first shot is fired."
⸻
The Resolve
Admiral Ken of CGS rose, his gold-plated armor gleaming. His voice rang like a hammer on steel.
"Then hear this and etch it into your bones: we will not let their paranoia become ours. We acknowledge the danger, yes. But we will not fracture our unity. We are UNE. We are CGS. We are humanity. And we will not turn our eyes upon one another."
The room steadied, but the unease lingered — a reminder that while they planned to strike the Frenzies, the Frenzies had already struck them in spirit.
⸻
Closing Beat
General Shepherd finally rose, bringing the meeting back under control.
"The statement is valid. We must stay vigilant. But let me be clear — vigilance does not mean distrust. We fight with faith in God, and faith in each other. That faith is what the Frenzies can never corrupt. That faith is what makes us human."
The council nodded. The weight of the words settled deep.
For now, unity held.
But the shadow of doubt lingered — exactly as the Frenzies would want.
-
The holo-map spun slowly, the FNO's base glowing red like a wound in the galaxy.
Admiral Ardan of CGS leaned forward, his voice cutting through the silence.
"The UNE has 3.10 sextillion active personnel across our galaxies. A force unrivaled in size, discipline, and unity. But the Frenzies? Their numbers... cannot be charted. For every soldier we see, there may be ten more hidden. Or none. For every battalion destroyed, another emerges from nowhere. Their scale is... unpredictable."
⸻
The Unease
Captain Elias Rowan of Earth crossed his arms.
"Yes, our strength is vast. If needed, more can be pulled into active duty. Humanity's reserves are limitless. But it's not just about raw numbers. It's about the unknown. The FNO could field billions. Or trillions. Or... more. Because they're not an army in the conventional sense."
He glanced around the room, his expression darkening.
"They're a sickness. A wildfire. A single Frenzy could be standing in a marketplace today, and tomorrow—he's part of a battalion that tears down a city."
⸻
The Warning
Haphti's Captain Orion Kael tapped the table, cold and methodical.
"Which means counting their numbers is a fool's game. They don't grow like we do. They don't recruit like we do. Their strength multiplies in chaos, feeding on paranoia. The more instability, the more Frenzies we face."
Captain Talek Jorr of Gumen added with a low growl,
"And that's why they love ambushes. From the inside out. Strike from sewers. From cellars. From the very heart of a city. The Frenzies don't meet you on a battlefield. They become the battlefield."
⸻
The Realization
The council fell silent as the truth settled.
Numbers meant little when the enemy didn't follow numbers.
Strategies meant little when the enemy didn't follow logic.
The Frenzies thrived on the one thing UNE and CGS built their civilization on: trust and order.
⸻
Closing Beat
General Shepherd finally spoke, his tone heavy.
"This is why we must treat the Frenzies as more than soldiers. They are a plague. A tide of madness. And tides don't count their waves — they only drown what stands before them."
The table stiffened. It was no longer just strategy they planned.
It was a war against chaos itself.
-
The room was tense as Kev, one of the generals, leaned forward, his tone grave.
"The FNO is not only dangerous and unpredictable... but they've proven themselves capable of something even more disturbing. They've fought the EVC head-on. Raiding their hidden bases. Stealing artifacts. Anomalies. Weapons not meant to exist. And they've done it countless times."
A wave of unease spread across the table.
General Shepherd scowled, spitting the words like venom.
"The EVC, huh? Yeah... those bastards are something else. The Frenzies and the Corporation have been enemies longer than any of us have been alive. Longer than our great-grandparents. That blood feud runs deep."
⸻
The Nicknames
Talek Jorr of Gumen cracked his knuckles, his gravelly voice cutting in.
"The Eclipsera Veil Corporation... huh. The Eclipse Men. The Grey Hounds."
The name alone seemed to hang heavy in the air.
Garison, arms crossed, shook his head.
"Yeah. Their sense of morality is... questionable, to say the least. Sacrifice means everything to them. Sacrifice anything to save humanity, no matter the cost. That's their creed."
His voice dropped, quieter, almost conspiratorial.
"And don't forget... only the highest government officials, and military officers and top brass even know they exist. The public? Completely in the dark. To most of humanity, the EVC isn't real. Completely unaware of what's going on."
⸻
The Reaction
Captain Elias Rowan frowned. "We know the Frenzies could raid their bases, they are something far beyond a conventional war. They're not just a military threat — they're a destabilizing force across the entire spectrum of human power."
Admiral Ardan nodded grimly. "The UNE... the CGS... even the EVC. It doesn't matter who. The Frenzies will tear at every seam until humanity is divided and paranoid beyond repair."
⸻
Closing Beat
The council room grew heavier still.
For soldiers like Jin's squad, the FNO was already a nightmare.
But for the higher officers here, who knew the whispers of the EVC and their hidden wars... this was a storm bigger than any one faction.
And for the first time in the meeting, even the elites had to face a dark thought:
if the FNO and the EVC ever crossed paths with UNE at the same time—
humanity itself might fracture beyond saving.
——————————————————
To be continued...