One week, four days ago
In all honesty, Kaerin wasn't even shocked about the orders he'd just gotten from the imperial capital. He was actually surprised it had taken this long for the message to be relayed. He had half expected to get those orders immediately after arriving at the Xinex galaxy, which would have been horrible since the data was wrong.
Case in point: the imperial family issued executive orders for immediate attack due to complaints… Ehem, concerns from the stakeholders of the Xinex planet on the destruction of resources and the death of the workers there.
Kaerin reopened the transmission. The seal of the Dominion glowed across the screen. The Crown's command burnt through the room.
Engage the Hive.
Direct assault.
Immediate compliance.
Kaerin shut the message and let silence settle. He felt Verrik watching him from the corner of his eye. The officers stood frozen, not from fear but from anger. No one wanted this fight without Delta.
For one, those close to Kaerin already knew about his deteriorating mental scape. The fight without support would escalate his descent to madness and mania from his berserker period. Furthermore, one wanted to lose recruits because the royal family needed to secure their funds. Yet here they were.
Kaerin spoke with a steady voice that carried through the hall.
"Since it has come to this, we can only fight head-on."
It would take some time, sure, and his mental state might get worse, but he was confident that they would be able to hold on and fight long enough for the Delta Squadron to come.
He stepped to the map table. The starmap shifted at his touch. The Hive glowed as a slow, pulsing mass on the outskirts of the Xinex galaxy. Insects had travelled through two systems in six days. They now crept toward the centre with a speed that was quite concerning.
Kaerin traced their projected path. He felt the pressure build in the room.
"They are two weeks from central Xinex. We'll have to slow them down and limit movement as much as possible."
Verrik leaned in beside him.
"Delta is still around the same time away at best."
"I know. We'll have to push our plan forward by a week with some few adaptations, it seems."
Kaerin set new markers.
"First, the recruits enter in staggered waves. They target outer clusters only. No one crosses into inner tunnels without approval from senior officers."
He shifted the map again.
"Veteran squads form barrier lines and secure the insertion path. If the Hive shifts direction, they hold the flank until we redirect fire."
A young officer stepped forward.
"Sir, if the Hive breaks formation, we will be outnumbered."
Kaerin nodded.
"That is why we prepare for fallback options. If necessary, we destroy Base as much as we can. It will cripple their forward line."
The room went still. Even Verrik's eyes tightened.
Kaerin continued.
"Don't call back the teams sent to the nearby planets for subjugation; let them stay there for support till I give the order. They are in the perfect position for assistance and first aid."
The rest nodded in understanding. Considering how they'd be fighting in space, it would be for the best for nearby planets to be ready with supplies and assistance, especially the habitable planets.
Kaerin added,
"This is only if we have no choice. Our goal is survival. Control. Stability. The recruits will not enter deep chambers until Delta arrives."
He lifted his head.
"We deploy in two days. Full armour. Ammunition stocked. Ships checked twice. No mistakes."
The soldiers nodded and moved out with controlled urgency. Kaerin remained a moment longer. His thoughts circled the Crown Prince's order. He felt a cold irritation rise under his ribs. Royals issued commands without touch or consequence. They never saw the look of someone who realised they would not see home again.
Kaerin turned back to the hall. The planning was done. The strike would begin.
******
One week two days ago
With the plan moved forward by a week, the army could only hope reinforcements came soon. While they believed in their general more than anything else, fear inevitably arose.
Thus, as the small attack ships suitable for infiltration into the hive mothership were deployed, they could only hope for the best.
The first wave of ships drifted from the hangar. Their hulls shook under the launch force. The glow of Xinex's solar star washed across the fleet as they cut toward the direction of the Hive.
Inside one of the two-person crafts, Mantis sat strapped into the front seat. His posture never shifted. Even now, with the Hive drawing closer on the display, his eyes stayed steady as stone. Psi and Omega were at the bottom of Kaerin's division, and he knew it. He felt the weight of that truth as he checked the ship systems again.
Behind him sat Kinsley. He leaned back with a calm that never matched his heartbeat. His fingers tapped the console. His mind shaped its own escape routes and predictions. He caught the reflection of the Hive on the glass. The sight sent a chill through him, but he covered it with ease.
Kinsley spoke first.
"If we push like this without Delta, the casualty report will read more like a grave list than a mission record."
Mantis did not look back. He spoke with plain force.
"If we follow Kaerin's plan, we'll be okay. We just have to hold the line until they arrive."
Kinsley leaned forward a little, enough to catch Mantis's reflection. His brows lifted.
"You say that like you don't know that Delta was dealing with the intergalactic pirates. How sure are you that they'll get here as fast?"
Mantis answered with the same cold tone he used for orders.
"I trust Kaerin. And as I said, we can only hope for the best. Besides, don't we have contingencies? You are worrying too much."
Which was true; Kinsley did feel worried. He specialised in infiltration and spywork. Direct assaults and attacks were rare for him to engage in. This made it 100 times more nerve-wracking for Kaerin to suddenly decide that he needed more experience in teamwork and direct engagement in the hostilities.
Kinsley's heart stilled once he fully processed those words. His eyes narrowed, not in suspicion but in quiet surprise. Mantis never voiced trust. Not like that.
Mantis primed the targeting system. Drifting insects appeared on the radar. Kinsley dived the ship in a sharp drop to avoid the first cluster. The craft skimmed between fragments of metal and drifted left. Mantis fired four clean shots. Each insect detonated into fragments that scattered through the area.
Kinsley brought the ship back into formation. The Hive now hung in clear view ahead. Meteorites drifted around them. He used the cover to slip past the next line of insects.
A larger ship swept across their side. Kaerin's craft tore through a cluster of thirty insects in one sharp exchange. The speed difference stunned the younger soldiers each time. Kaerin and Verrik moved with an efficiency that felt inhuman.
Of course, those who knew better would get anxious. Case in point with Mantis, "Kaerin pushes himself too far. You saw it last cycle."
Kinsley's jaw tensed. A faint reaction, quick and controlled. Mantis caught it in the glass. Kinsley had been one of the last people to join Kaerin's inner circle; thus, his respect and fear ran more rampant than care and worry compared to the rest. Nevertheless, he understood where Mantis came from.
Mantis continued.
"His balance slips. The erosion hits harder each time. If he keeps this pace, he will collapse."
Kinsley let out a low breath through his nose. His gaze stayed fixed on the screen, but he sat straighter, alert. Mantis noted the shift.
"You care a lot," Kinsley said.
Mantis spoke without hesitation.
"I do."
That made Kinsley's hand tighten on the strap at his waist. He released it a moment later and cleared his throat, as if nothing had changed. He continued to steer the ship with ease.
Mantis fired the next round. The insects ahead burst into drifting fragments.
Kinsley checked the radar.
"Numbers are growing already. They gather faster than the day before yesterday."
"Fuck! I was hoping that I was imagining it."
Mantis set the weapons to rapid-fire.
"We need to thin the crowd before they reach the tunnels. Send word to the Psi squadron and the general."
Kinsley nodded and looked ahead again. His expression smoothed, but his fingers tapped once against the console before he caught himself. Mantis noticed the slip.
He spoke with a quiet firmness.
"Delta will come. In the meantime, at least I'm here."
Such a cheesy line from someone colder than the general was definitely something that would throw you off.
Kinsley could only give a small shrug. Nothing dramatic. Nothing emotional. But his mouth pressed into a thin line, a smile heavily suppressed, it seemed.
Mantis saw it all.
Their ship locked into formation with the others. Engines burnt bright. The Hive swelled in size across the void.
Kaerin led from the front. Even from this distance, Mantis searched for his signal among the formation lights.
Kinsley noticed the way Mantis watched. He shifted in his seat and looked away.