Rather inconvenient timing it had been. On one hand. On the other, I would have breathed a sigh of relief if I could - interacting with such personalities as Otto the Fourth or Lair Gluathon had been more challenging for me than fending off a Breakthrough. Unless, of course, Palpatine decided to pop out of this Breakthrough, but I was hopeful that was a one-off event!

My flight had been brief. Ten kilometers shy of the capital, the stream of energy diverted, and I had plummeted rapidly into the expansive rapeseed fields. The man-made sea of yellow-green rapeseed, neatly arranged into massive, kilometer-wide rectangles, had stretched almost from one horizon to the other. A few old trees, spared by the empathetic farmers, had dotted the landscape like solitary islands.

Upon landing and taking in my surroundings, I had let my guard down slightly. This time, the Breakthrough would occur far from populated areas, meaning I wouldn't have to worry about civilian casualties.

It had felt odd to be the first one there, standing alone in the Break as the wind rustled through the rapeseed flowers. Could it be a unique, individual Breakthrough? The thought had sent a chill down my spine, even in my projected form. But there was no time to dwell on such a possibility as dim stars began to shower down from the sky. Two, three, seven, fifteen, and the number kept growing. The twins landed beside me first.

"Aloha, Maestro!" Claire greeted me, appearing in her projected form.

With my hands hidden in my wide sleeves, I returned the greeting.

"These Breakthroughs are getting more frequent," Thora commented somewhat irritably, her gaze sweeping across the endless fields around us. "But I'm actually glad this one's happening!"

"Hey!" Kael immediately protested. "I get that we had a fight, and you don't want to talk to me... But to actually be happy about a Breakthrough because of it!.. Shame on you..."

"Ladies..." I attempted to quell their argument.

"You shouldn't have thrown my favorite ice cream in the trash and then called it..." Thora glanced my way, altering her word choice mid-sentence. "What you called it!"

The arrival of four more Break Knights, Halley included, had put an end to the girls' squabble. After them, raigs started descending from the sky in a nearly continuous stream. As I issued brief, concise commands, I found myself anxiously awaiting Maya's arrival. I was holding my breath, unsure of what to say to her or how to phrase it correctly. Speaking with the kings earlier that day had been a cakewalk compared to this.

"Chamomile or circles?" Halley queried, referring to which formation we should adopt.

"Chamomile."

As soon as I responded, Halley promptly initiated commands. We had specifically designed this formation for open spaces and uncertain threat directions. A strike group took the center, with the remaining raigs forming small groups, or 'petals', extended along the perimeter.

Stolen story; please report.

Almost all the Knights from the Capital and surrounding regions had been present, even those I hadn't anticipated seeing on an early Monday evening. Almost all, save for Rex and Maya. Christian's absence had been more or less understandable - the monks likely hadn't allowed him to leave, a decision I found agreeable. The lad should have been recuperating, not fighting. But Maya's absence puzzled me. The pre-battle hustle enveloped me, even the twins ceased their bickering, yet my mind fixated on something other than the imminent Breakthrough. I mechanically issued orders, pointed directions, and offered encouragement when necessary, but my thoughts wandered elsewhere.

"Alert!" Dobrynya exclaimed, spotting the first sign of the Breakthrough.

My Padawan pointed his axe to the sky. Meteors descended directly towards us, onto the rapeseed fields. These were not faint stars but bright objects, particularly against the dark sky. After ten seconds, it had become evident that these were not meteorites but artificial objects. There was no doubt about it since the "meteorites" activated their brake engines, emitting an unnaturally bright orange glow. An icy dread gripped my chest as I realized what kind of Breakthrough we were about to face! I had been the one who depicted such jet streams in my comic.

Since I couldn't recall all the details from the original Battletech, I had improvised certain elements. In my version, light mechs weighing up to thirty-five tons landed on planets in drop pods, medium ones used shuttles, and heavy machines required the main interplanetary ship for landing. It significantly deviated from the original, but since I couldn't remember the specifics, I had established these rules. Now, the first wave of the clan invasion's drop pods, with their bright orange brake nozzles, hurtled towards us.

"Twenty-four targets!" Halley shouted.

Correct, the initial stage of deploying a full clan company, as per my description. If I had a physical body, my teeth would be grinding right now. Yes, I had incorporated vulnerabilities and weaknesses into these war machines when designing the comic, making them feasible targets for the raigs. However! I also portrayed the clan pilots as ultra-professionals, capable of extracting more from their mechs than their intended capacity.

As I scrutinized the flames from the nozzles for any signs of wear or impending failure, another faint star descended behind me. Without turning around, I knew who had arrived last to fend off the Breakthrough. A subtle shift in the spectral air of the Break, and Maya Grimm stood at my right shoulder. Just as I was about to utter a word, her hand closed around mine. Her grip tightened, and I understood that no words were necessary. The meeting of our palms had already spoken volumes.

The stringent orders of Halley, the tumultuous cries of Dobrynya and Leonidas - all of these distracted the other raigs, ensuring none of them witnessed the smiles, so ill-suited for the impending battle, blossoming on the faces of their leaders. Even the twins were too engrossed in observing the sky to turn their gazes to Maya or me.

I swiveled around; our eyes locked. Simultaneously, we nodded to each other, our hands parting reluctantly.

"Spread out! Form pairs!" I yelled. "Two groups per target!"

"Our targets," Maya chimed in at the same time, "are multi-ton combat robots. The first wave will be 'light' machines, weighing up to thirty-five tons!"

The former formation, Chamomile, unfolded its petals as the raigs fell into their well-rehearsed and established pairings. Amidst the military-strict commotion, I distinctly heard Kael's loud whisper:

"Damn it, Izao! You'll pay for this! Who on earth suggested to you that thirty-five tons are considered light?!!"