A room cast in shadows,

Weak illumination from a dim-hanging bar of light clinging to the ceiling.

A stretched powerful dark oak-wood table covered in dust save for where arms and elbows must’ve been.

Here at the center of the table was a large black platform, it had a singular point where a holographic emitter was displayed.

A harsh purple light shot up inches above from the platform, a circular hollow band displaying the screen of all candidates in prep for loadout training or running duels.

“The candidates have progressed beyond expectation.” Eternia’s voice weighs into the occupants standing within the room, she doesn’t have all of her vanguard, but she has one, Magellan someone who’s accompanied her since Earth.

“To horrifying degrees, with the methods of Yervandal and other first-generation, we could’ve had them all trained within two years,” Magellan speaks with cruelty, her eyes scanning toward Kruel at the far left of the table.

“We would have been able to deploy them with enough experience to match a hundred years at seventeen.” She spoke in disregard for something she had designed.

Krul wants to argue but lowers his head in shame, Magellan nodding “A clear waste of me being commissioned to dangerously utilize terror space to violate the local time and space of this facility with the Anchor.”

Magellan chastises and judges cruelly.

Krul is less angered by that, it was by her measurement of how fast they could’ve been trained.

If any other powerful ancient mind had said something he would call exaggeration, truly what ground the bones in his body was that Magellan wasn’t at all exaggerating, she was like an artificial intelligence.

The only perfect substitute of such they could safely have with a threat as great as the Mechra lingering able to corrupt any unprotected automated machine.

“Yes, I can see that. Albeit with such capability, I do lament the great deal of resources put into upgrading their helmets and mobility-packs.” Eternia speaks dead on.

Yervandal is there, standing across from Delara on another end of the table, Yervandal beside Magellan with his armed crossed.

Delara at-attention hands clasped together at her back beside Eternia.

Yervandal opens “Whilst Krul had effective training, he focused too hard purely on utilizing their strength, natural combat aptitudes and speed.” Yervandal dismissively and sharply rebukes Krul.

Albeit as if he is to gossip about him, treating him as inconsequential.

Krul is going to speak up, even facing someone like Yervandal, of that caste he would defend his training.

It would not be without defense, Krul’s training was simply not as supernaturally in tune with the nature of the caste, he had made them brutal, effective even in conditions where they were severely limited and even hampered.

Krul himself mentally remarking. I’m the reason why anyone is assured without their vampirism they could crush any threat with enough effort. Krul remarks how Aleph’s team held out nearly dying, starved of blood.

But Yervandal clarified before Eternia could even question “I know what I am, and what they are we don’t need years we need months, and what you think we need in months expect that to be learned in hours.”

Yervandal went on a full boast that held no lie “As if we’ve done it in repetition for centuries.”

Krul wouldn’t dare slam fist into table and be bold and unruly, his voice wavered.

“Even if you taught them complex usage of their nature, I taught them the most raw form of it. In a situation where they demand–.”

“Combat doctrine bordering on feral, to fight like a desperate wounded dog, Krul I understand you Weren’t born a vampire, something you regret but I might commend as good.” Yervandal sharply points

It draws a grin from Magellan and a sharp frown from Krul as if he’d almost broken.

Delara is fierce in one moment, her senior catches it in the eyes he can’t even see through the helmet.

“Yervandal!” Delara sharply snaps in a shout, just his name…, it has Yervandal giving a gestured shaking apology to Krul, and Krul surprised to witness this.

Krul doesn’t thank Delara, it’s too weak to show amongst Vis-Stasi caste but it’s in his heart

Magellan makes a move to speak but Delara is fierce and cuts in.

“I let Krul drag it out for thirty-years, Yervandal you know I could’ve taught them but would have rather you and the others had done when you arrived.” She is still cutting in but is fierce and has fire.

Eternia is grinning as she sees the authority Delara exudes, and authority not even afford to Magellan who Is simply quiet and listening. Magellan has been alive ten times more than Delara.

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As far back as 1948AD Magellan and Eternia had stretched, yet Magellan felt no insult seeing Delara left to take reigns, she knew exactly why Eternia let her stomp in such a way. Why it made Eternia smile.

Delara’s voice booming as she corrected Yervandal

“Krul’s training is full of flaws.” She motioned to Krul, he flinches at this but feels far less insulted than he thinks he should, he’s confused…

“But more than fifty percent was credible in ways we ourselves were not ready to look, it immediately communicated something every Vampire foolishly forgets.”

Delara shoots a look at Krul, he smiles and nods his head down.

“You’re powerful Not invincible be fierce and brutal effectively.” Delara finishes.

“Should the treachery of past encounters with Vis-stasi breed pride in you?” Delara stabbed into Yervandal.

He visibly fought back a stumble, her words like any others were spirit but this spirit was quite heavy.

Yervandal spoke “I’ve forgotten myself.” He simply states.

Yervandal’s fought the Vis-stasi, but Delara gave a fierce reminder even if an arrogant truth is stated it’s still prideful and pride in all forms Is simply unbecoming of him. A strong embarrassment lingering in his body like fire.

Delara waits scanning for any other reply and seeing none.

Yervandal accepted the correction.

Krul albeit given brutal criticism, was now understanding the flaws in his methods, albeit he felt confident now understanding the strengths, he simply nods when her eyes land on him

Thankful to Delara for providing clarity in correction.

Magellan however continues silence and gives no further acknowledgement than a returned stare…

turning head to Eternia, seeing that wicked grin.

“Empress?” She answers Eternia goading her to bring forth a more relevant topic that would not devolve into debate of what has already been observed.

“Magellan, as I seek to deploy this specific group of 144,000 who are to fully “graduate” can you give a good brief to all those currently here.” Eternia spoke

Magellan didn’t need to be told twice; she spoke immediately as the last syllable left Eternia.

“Fracturia, is priority-number one. We’ve been locked in a brutal skirmish.”

“Fraturia!? Brutal!? we’ve cultivated and seeded a present and major human rebellion for centuries to perfect and practice new combat-strategies amongst the Vis-stasi, I’ve even deployed myself.” Krul flashes

“Is the Mechra not the highest priority?” Krul adds inquisitively but with a hint of worry

“The Mechra have encountered the human populace on Fracturia. We’ve lost contact with majority of the human rebels, combatants and civilian cities.”

Delara takes in a breath, the sound of it heard on her filter, and Yervandal’s head snaps left and down at Magellan.

Magellan spoke “We’ve only a 12.5% statistical probability of success with the current forces engaged with hostiles deployed.”

Eternia knew of this, but Magellan hadn’t given her mental calculation until now, and now…It has Eternia worried.

“How have any current engagements gone? Fleet conflict?”

Magellan became robotic as she relayed all present information.

“The 12.5% Statistical probability of success relates to holding the system of Fracturia within the Triangulum galaxy.”

Delara folded her arms, an index finger curled under the chin of her helmet as she thought this over.

The Mechra have always been this sort of threat, but there is more to this…They want something on Fracturia, this wasn’t entirely new to those within the room.

The true worry was that this was calculated in holding a core-system in the Triangulm galaxy deep within the Imperial territory, usually a fleet of Mechra could be threatening to a wide array of systems.

They’ve heard off-hand Magellan calculated a thirty percent chance of loss and it occurred, an entire array of systems had been lost that time in the Apostle Galaxy.

But simply outputting all their brutality to take one-system was insane!

“A Unified collector is in orbit of Fracturia, it’s wiped out the fleet and reinforcement fleet.”

There was something on that planet the Mechra wanted, Magellan and Eternia knew this. Everyone else excluding the obvious two is forced to think.

They await further explanation…They’ve heard of unified destroyers, a powerful class of ship only photographed in irony by a human, but this was something different, this is something present with an odd name.

“Unified Collector?”

Eternia adds

Magellan returns and forces attempt to retain mechanical analysis, “It’s an unknown vessel maintain a is consistent measuring sixth in a Vecta-Reflux.” Magellan speaks deliberately to force such terrible information out.

A Vecta Reflux was a dangerous kind of reaction, bordering on a casual planetary threat if improperly utilized, it was an explosive lingering quantum reaction in specific.

Utilized well it could power a city wrapped around a star for what even a Vampire could consider Eternity, in merely the fourth point of its utilization.

At a purposeful and risky use of sixth showed the Mechra mastered Terrorspace as they did the quantum mechanics deeply tied to it in just under five-years.

“They seek to begin whatever the ‘Ascendancy’ is There! They’re utilizing terrorspace for it.” Eternia states in woe and agony she is confident in that statement

Eternia had discovered, named Terrorspace itself and yet can’t even know what intruders may utilize it for. Being informed of how far this progression is is more troubling.

The Quantum Vampire no longer holds a monopoly on a space thats bound in Natural and Unnatural. Eternia laments, her head shaking.

Krul gives a slow nod “It appears something is on Fracturia. Something tied to all those experiments” Krul, whilst not fully informed catches on quick.

Magellan confirms Krul’s suspicion “Yes, I am certain with a 99.9% possibility whatever we may learn the Ascendancy to be is what they are likely trying to commit, now!”

‘The Ascendancy’ a constant phrase in attempts to find leads of the Mechra’s primary goals in their relentless and belligerent attacks on seemingly random targets.

It is often a piece of coded intercepted transmission tracked in destination to strange Worlds once inhabited by extraterrestrials. Containing Gruesome experimentations and strange esoteric devices still not understood.

The Ascendancy is believed to be an unknown danger, a project of strange magnitudes.

A confirmation of how close it seems to be now of them learning this is brought to full attention.

Eternia’s eyes are almost fully revealed from her constant projected darkness violet orbs shaking, the flesh on her fingers recedes and turns to bone as she leans in.

Eternia knows most of this, wanting it to be recited to them, but she is bound up upon hearing that.

A Vecta-Reflux, they’re fully utilizing terror-space, the machines learning it faster than it took Eternia to learn and leave for Magellan to refine.

They’re too fast. Eternia laments.

“Fracturia! There is something there! Something that has alerted them.” Krul mashes his fist against the wooden table, stressed deeply.

Magellan’s mechanical tone is fading “Yes, it all ground signatures consistent with stations related to the experiments we understand were related to this “Ascendancy.” She struggles to keep above a whimper recalling it all

“Are now present in greater magnitude of concentration on the key continent on Fracturia.” Magellan weakly states

Magellan loses the muted tone, her voice wavers “Emilia I think they’re going to do it there, we are buying time merely by being within this facility on New Persia, but we can’t just hide here.” She speaks bitterly.

Eternia only nods her head.

“Prep Alpha-Victor-1 outside of this facility, they leave as soon as possible.” Eternia commands, straightening out.

I’m going to use everything to crush those machines! Her spirit shouts.

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