“Sir, we’ve got company down in Marius!”
“Wh-What? Give me all the details you have right now.” the Anbieter tensed up, his expression having become easy to decipher as being serious despite wearing his black mask.
“About five to seven Light Pillars have been seen touching down around the vicinity. Judging by their thickness, they aren’t carrying large-scale weapons or land vehicles, but they are most likely transporting infantry soldiers.”
“Jayant, give orders out.” the Anbieter ordered without wasting a second. “I want 80% of our combatants flying out over Lake Marius and landing on its northern shores. The other 20% will remain here as per our insurance strategy.”
“B-But by flying over, they’ll know—
“Time is of the essence, we have no room to complain, Jay!”
The second in-command promptly left without asking more questions.
“So it was… true…” Leon said, staring down at the ground with blank eyes, a complete turnaround from his happy expression seeing his friend wake up again.
“What’s true?” Stefan asked, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“I remember… when the Angels came that day and Gareth saved us… Grandpa heard from him that they’d come back again to finish their job with even more forces…”
“Do you know why they came that day?” Stefan asked curiously.
“They were following Gareth from the south,” Leon admitted. “Of course, he’d never say it, but why else would they have any business being up here in the north?”
You were only six. How the hell did you come up with that conclusion?
“Leon, let’s get going!” Jay called out. “Prepare your gear. There’s likely going to be a few casualties at least.”
“Yes, sir!” Leon acknowledged with no hesitation, taking his doctor’s uniform out from his closet as well as his kit full of medical equipment. He hurried out of the room along with Jay and the other soldier. Stefan looked at the closing door for a bit, then turned his attention towards the Anbieter.
“I need to go,” he said. “I have to help protect the town.”
“That won’t be happening, my boy. The reason you’re here in the first place is so that you can be safe from the Angels. Letting you out there would nullify that.”
“So?” Stefan suddenly snapped. “I’m not so helpless that I can’t protect myself! And mind you, I have killed a few of them myself! The people in that town sheltered and fed me for a long time. It’s only fair that I repay that favour!”
“Do you really wish to go that bad?” the Anbieter questioned.
“I’m not asking to go. I’m telling you to let me.” Stefan said under his breath.
He thinks like a Titanian, the Anbieter remarked before offering his verbal response.
“Since you’re so adamant, I’ll let you go. But you will be under strict surveillance and if you get too close to them, we’ll be forced to pull you out. And I mean force.”
Stefan gulped. He didn’t know what that meant, nor did he want to know. He was better off complying with the Anbieter’s demands, who wanted a cooperative outcome more than anyone.
“Yes, sir.” he nodded.
“Good. Follow the others into the crafts, we’re heading out immediately!"
-
Royal Council Chamber, somewhere on Titan
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Sitting impatiently at the head of a long oval table, the general of the Titanian Army tapped her fingers rapidly against its sleek metal surface, awaiting the other members of the Central Council to join their very urgent meeting. Having received the news from one of the most trustable soldiers of her army, Colonel Kirchner, she was anxious to go ahead with the next steps.
Finally, one by one, their holographic figures lighting up in the spots where they would’ve sat had they all been physically present. With some on Terra, some on Mars and the rest in various areas of Titan, it would’ve been a hassle to unite all nine important figures under the same roof.
“Thank you all for being able to come to this crucial convening despite the very short notice,” she said in her authoritative but calm voice. “I, General Rhona Karesti, will begin this meeting immediately on behalf of Emperor Halsten Karesti,”
Having been the de facto head of the organization that had been carrying out the Emperor’s tasks for the last decade, Rhona was no stranger to sudden and urgent occurrences.
“Last night, Terran time, Major Maedoc Antelius and his squad were sent under orders from myself and Colonel Ernest Kirchner to the vicinity of the town of Marius after tracking the location of the asset using heat-sensing satellites after his initial encounter with him. Through testimony and footage acquired by Colonel Kirchner in the aftermath of the encounter, I have reason to believe that Gareth Koppel, known to many Titanians as the Angel Slayer, has aided the asset in evading capture and processing for transfer to Titan. I will allow you some time to review the evidence and a vote will take place to ensure that we all agree that Gareth Koppel is involved in this situation.”
“The Angel Slayer? You mean to say he’s alive?” said Count Moen, a man who was one of four noble members of the Council and who had just entered his middle ages, practically already on his way out in Titanian terms. “He disappeared years ago!”
“Count Moen, I suggest you remain silent for the time-being,” said Lieutenant General Salomon, slightly older and experienced than the general but did not have the familial connections to take the title for himself. “Sure, the possibility that closest thing we have had to an S-Class combatant in modern times being alive is alarming, but that is why the general has kindly allowed us to review the evidence that she painstakingly brought before us.”
The Titanian Armed Forces classified their soldiers and threats in a simple, four-tiered scale. C was the lowest, where practically all humans were—those of little to no danger to Titanians. B was where most soldiers were placed—each B-Class being equivalent in power to five non-Initiated humans. Kallista Laine had been placed in the upper end of the category at the peak of her rebellion, nearly becoming A-Class despite her Terran status. A-Class was where about the strongest ten percent of Titanian soldiers were placed—Major Antelius had just placed in this category at the time of his assignment to Derban. S-Class was of practically legendary status, it is said that one soldier of this category was equivalent in strength to an entire 20-man strong squad of Titanian soldiers. Gareth Koppel was considered to have been in this category, but for a multitude of reasons, was never officially assigned to it.
“My apologies, General Karesti,” the count said. Although he owned some of the largest mines on Titan, he was rather inquisitve. However, like any sane Titanian the last thing he wanted was to face Rhona Karesti’s wrath for disobedience.
“Thank you for acknowledging your lack of etiquette, Count Moen. I have sent everyone a copy of both Major Antelius’ verbal testimony as well as a recording recovered from the body of his first lieutenant. Please take a few moments to review them, then we’ll have our vote.”
After about 10 minutes, it had been decided unanimously, that the Terran seen and heard from First Lieutenant Reynders’ communicator and described by Major Antelius on Colonel Kirchner’s was indeed Gareth Koppel, the Angel Slayer.
“He’s certainly weaker than he was, but he took out that entire squad almost completely on his own.” confirmed Countess Hagen, even though she was not among the four purely military members of the Council.
“He would remain A-Class, no doubt about it.” said Brigadier General Bosch.
“I wonder what class the asset is,” Major General Vang thought aloud. “Certainly not C-Class, that’s for sure.”
“The asset cannot be taken lightly if he’s in league with the Angel Slayer.” muttered out Lieutenant General Berg.
“Was permission given for you to murmur among yourselves?” Rhona said, further deepening her already lower-than-normal voice, compared to most Titanian women. The nobles and military immediately silenced themselves. They had little choice in what the Central Council decided, instead acting more as mouthpieces to their respective sectors on behalf of the general. However, rejections were on occasion made, as the general offered them few barriers that prevented their interests from being served.
“Very well,” she continued. “Due to Major Antelius’ inadequacies, the asset as well as the Angel Slayer remain at-large. We don’t know where they might have gone, but one thing that I know for certain is that they cannot have gone far without the help of the Terran plebeians. To that end, we will stage an intervention that will… encourage them from harboring them any longer.”
When the council members heard the word ‘intervention’, their thoughts immediately shifted to the General’s late father, Emperor Henrik.
“Your plan is, General?” asked Salomon.
“The exact strategy will be discussed with my martial advisors very soon, but I already have the method,” she said with a smirk. “The Terrans will call it a pogrom, but I prefer to call it as it is. Pacification.”