Gusts of wind intensified, causing the tops of trees to jerk backward and branches to break and fall. Some smaller twigs and leaves were carried upward, flung high into the sky by the sheer force of the wind. These powerful gusts, while not reaching the level of the bizarre and unnatural phenomena of the new Earth, were still formidable enough to send low-ranking creatures scurrying for cover, afraid of being spotted or blown away.

Amidst this chaotic display of nature's might, a massive black object soared through the sky. It moved swiftly; its movements akin to an unnatural entity. Its shadow trailed closely behind, giving it an eerie presence. The continuous and rapid rotation of its thin wings on both its head and tail emitted an otherworldly sound, a ceaseless "whup whup whup."

But what was unbeknownst and would be incredibly strange to any monster above or below, great or small would be the thought of a monster that ingested humans, not for eupepsia but rather to be controlled from within.

Inside the cockpit of the fast-moving aerial aircraft, a woman in a blue and black uniform entered through a pair of automatic sliding doors onto a slightly elevated portion at the rear centre.

The cockpit itself was a hub of activity, with two men seated at the front, wearing headphones and surrounded by glowing screens and dashboards filled with buttons and switches.

These pilots were fully engrossed in their duties, pushing coloured buttons, manipulating levers and switches, and deftly handling the yoke to guide the aircraft.

In the middle of the elevated platform behind the pilots stood a sleek reclined seat, the head seat. Occupying that seat was a man dressed in a blue and white uniform, his gaze focused on the cockpit's operations and the breath-taking view through the glass canopy as the aircraft zipped through the skies.

"Sir, our tracking devices are still operational and fully functional," the woman reported, her voice projecting professionalism and determination. "Our connection to home base was slightly interrupted but is now back in operation and ready to be re-linked once again."

"Good work, soldier," the man in the head seat replied, his voice carrying an air of authority. "Crossing the sea posed a slight hiccup, but we handled it accordingly. What is our current position?"

"Thank you, Lieutenant General Sir!" the soldier responded, her hand crossing over her chest in a salute. "But it was your outstanding strength and quick thinking that saved us; we do not deserve your praise."

The soldier's words conveyed her respect and admiration for the man in the head seat, an officer of higher rank. The lieutenant general acknowledged her words with a nod and motioned for her to provide an update on their current location.

"We have successfully crossed into the Revolutionary Empire's mainland and are on course to the predetermined location," the soldier reported with confidence. "At our current rate, we should arrive shortly, in a matter of hours."

"Very well, then. Proceed as planned," the lieutenant general commanded. "Inform your comrades to gear up as we are approaching the drop site, and re-link our servers to home base. They would like to stay informed about the developments of this operation."

"Orders received and accepted, sir!" the soldier replied crisply, reaffirming her commitment to carrying out the instructions. She saluted once more before turning and exiting the cockpit through the same double doors she had entered, disappearing from sight.

One of the pilots, unable to leave his seat as he focused on piloting the aircraft, turned his attention to the lieutenant general. He sought permission for a specific action related to their current location within the Revolutionary's territory.

The soldier saluted, then turned and walked out of the cockpit through the same double doors she came out of, behind the lieutenant's seat. One of the pilots seated in front of him turned, unable to leave his seat since he's piloting, to grab his attention.

"Lieutenant, sir! Now that we are in the Revolutionary's territory, may we activate stealth mode, even if it reduces our speed?"

"Proceed to active stealth mode as planned. It's imperative that our presence goes undetected"

"Understood, sir. Activating stealth mode now... We are now invisible to all nearby trackers and locators"

A soft chime resonated through the cockpit, signalling the successful activation of the stealth mode. Shortly after, another chime sounded, accompanied by the appearance of a speck of blue light in front of the lieutenant general. The blue speck floated backward and slightly upward before descending, leaving a trail of blue light in its wake, forming a straight line.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The glowing line drawn by the blue speck then split and spread apart, gradually shaping into a hazy rectangular light screen. This screen served as a video communication link, allowing officers from the AI Empire to observe the progress of the highly classified operation.

A final chime sounded, causing the screen to jitter slightly before revealing an image of Commander General Ichinose and Major General Dwayne. They were seated in a control room, surrounded by military technicians and operationalists in the unfocused background.

"Hendy, looks like you quickly dealt with the issue of crossing the sea of 'terror' or as the sailors call it. No surprise from the great Lieutenant himself"

"Yes, indeed. Everything was handled smoothly to overcome the situation," the lieutenant general replied, his voice confident and composed. "We have successfully crossed the Revolutionist's borders and are currently in stealth mode, undetected, and on course to the predetermined destination."

"Excellent work Hendy, we will stand back and await your arrival at the destination site. However, before that, there have been a few recent updates wait till you arrive at the destination site but before that there's been a few recent…updates. The commander will provide further details."

Lieutenant General Hendrixson noticed a subtle change in Commander General Ichinose's expression. Although barely perceptible, her tightened jaws and wavering expression hinted at something that caught his attention. He waited, his stoic expression unchanged, for Major General Dwayne to continue.

"Dwayne has already commended you on the first part, so I won't waste any more of your time there. Now, for the update," Commander General Ichinose began, her words measured and deliberate.

"The upper hierarchies have gotten word of the situation at hand and are not pleased."

The indirect mention of the Ordinem, the upper hierarchies, caused Lieutenant General Hendrixson to tense up involuntarily. The Ordinem was a group considered to be the closest and most loyal subordinates, handpicked by the powerful Cosmos itself. To be unaffected by their mention would be seen as pure lunacy, especially in military circles.

"They have deemed it too dangerous to just retrieve the intel and allow the perpetrators responsible for this great plight to move freely," Commander General Ichinose continued, her voice carrying a sense of seriousness.

"So, our goal is to no longer just retrieve the intel but put an end to the perpetrators as well?"

"So, our mission is no longer solely about retrieving the intel. We are to pass judgement on the perpetrators as well?" Lieutenant General Hendrixson inquired, seeking clarification.

"No, my command remains unchanged. We don't seek unnecessary bloodshed. The order is for them not to be left to move freely. You will apprehend them and take them as hostages," Commander General Ichinose clarified, her words leaving no room for misinterpretation.

"__________"

"Is my order clear Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant General Hendrixson absorbed the commander's instructions, maintaining his emotionless expression. He bowed his head slightly, his right arm crossing over his chest, in a gesture of acceptance.

"Duly noted, Commander. I will do my best to ensure the successful completion of the operation, as ordered," he replied with utmost respect.

"Very well, Hendi. We are signing out. We will continue monitoring the mission's progress from here, but remain vigilant. Your sensors are picking up multiple traces of wild energy from monsters in your vicinity."

"I've already taken notice. I've sensed many carnivorous presences ever since we began flying above these lands. Nothing will hinder us in this operation. Logging out."

With that, the video communication link flickered off and dissipated, leaving the lieutenant general to contemplate the impending mission. Only a few hours remained until they reached their destination.

(Only a few hours more…)

Lieutenant General Hendrixson reclined back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the backs of the pilots focused on their task. He raised his hand and lightly tapped the small blackish communication device hidden behind his ear before resting his hand back on the armrest.

The voice of the unknown stranger, the owner of the cold, husky voice, called out to him.

"Finally decided to check on me, Lieutenant?" the voice teased slowly, audible only to Hendrixson.

"You are audible enough. There's no need for your feeble attempts at discombobulating me," Hendrixson replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"He-he-he, well I wouldn't complain as much if I had a more comfortable seat" the voice retorted

"You brought your discomfort upon yourself. I called you here not only to assist me but also for your own benefit. The mutual benefit should be sufficient compensation for your discomfort," Hendrixson stated matter-of-factly.

"Alright, I won't complain as much... for now," the voice, laced with amusement, conceded.

"I hope you listened to the commander's orders and remember the plan accordingly? As well as informing the others."

"He-he-he, foolish of you to doubt my abilities, lieutenant. To think I'd forget something as crucial as the "commander's" orders. How funny."

"________"

"Why would I mess up something that's supposed to benefit me, Lieutenant? Like you said, mutual benefit, wasn't it?"

"Hmph, get ready to set the plan in motion. We'll arrive shortly and you know what to do from there but do not overdo it like you tend to do."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant sir. He-he-he", replied the voice over the comm device in a mocking tone, guffawing to himself in a boffo way.

Hendrixson tapped the comm device once more, cutting off the voice on the other end. He lowered his head, closing his eyes, and allowed the darkness to engulf his consciousness. Resting for a while seemed necessary before they reached their destination.

As he drifted off to sleep, a slight smirk formed on his face, accompanied by a small chuckle. Soon, he would take the first step to allow them to rest peacefully. Just a little longer, and the mission would be complete.

End of Interlude