Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Sabotage
Retas
"Commander Retas, we are ready to deploy," one of my closest soldiers, Naso, reported.
I looked over the vastness of the fleet surrounding my ship.
"Excellent. Let us depart. Remember, we must take out the core of their civilization. Only then can we begin the process of converting them into a loyal colony."
"The Soleonese are tough. Even after five years of occupation, many of them still fight against us."
I turned to the officer. "Indeed, they are stubborn. Which is why we must be thorough. Our forces have failed because they have been too gentle with them. We must not be so merciful. It is only the weak that will fall in line. Those with strength will be eliminated."
Naso nodded. "Yes, Commander."
I took a deep breath and turned on the intercom.
"We will begin the attack in 30 minutes. All personnel prepare for combat."
I stood up from my chair and made my way to my mech.
"Sir?"
"I'll be joining the front lines," I informed.
"Are you sure, sir?" Naso asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
I turned around and faced the young man.
"Why, is there a problem, soldier?"
"No, sir. Just...be careful."
"Thank you, I will," I responded before heading to the hangar.
My mech was a sleek black and silver machine. It had a humanoid appearance with a pair of large cannons mounted on its back. It and the other mechs were reverse engineered from a crashed Retra vessel found on our planet.
I climbed inside the mech and activated its systems. The interface was different from the standard Titanios controls, but it was easy enough for me to learn.
Once everything was set, I headed towards the launch pad.
"Commander, are you sure you should be going out there? You're one of our most important officers," the pilot asked as he prepared the mech for launch.
"Of course. This mission will be bloody. How can I send my troops out if I am unwilling to dirty my own hands?"
"But..."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. The enemy may be tough, but we are tougher. I can assure you, I will not lose to those barbarians."
"I understand, sir."
"Good. Now, prepare for launch."
The launch bay doors opened and the mech launched out into space. We all headed straight for the planet if Lepardos.
The surface of the planet was mostly covered in trees and lakes. Its people, like most of the rest of Soleon's residents, consisted of various warrior tribes. Normally they wouldn't be much of a match against our machines, but they could use ki, just like our forefathers could.
The lack of unification amongst the people if this universe made it ironically harder to take over. We had to take it planet by planet and solar system by solar system.
"Alright, men. Let's go! For Titanos!"
"For Titanos!" the soldiers yelled as we descended to the surface.
The vast wilderness was awestrucking. The trees were lush and green and the grass was a brilliant shade of blue. The people of this realm really are fortunate.
As we continued our descent, I gasped as I began to fall down quicker than the others. I tried to slow it down, but the controls weren't listening to me.
"This is Commander Retas, I'm experiencing some sort of malfunction. I'm unable to stabilize myself."
"Sir, don't worry. We'll come help you," one of the soldiers said as he flew closer.
Suddenly, a beam struck through my troops. No!
The remaining mechs fired at the forests below, attempting to hit whatever was attacking us. Although, I doubted they were the Soleonese... A rival fraction from our world was a likely suspect.
"All remaining units, head back to base. I'll stay here," I ordered.
"But, sir!"
"That's an order, soldier!" I yelled.
"Understood, sir. But you are still falling too fast!"
"I know. You should leave now."
"Sir, yes, sir," the soldier said as the last of the mechs returned to the ship.
I had hoped I would at least crash into the trees. Taking a deep breath, I channeled ki around my body, turning my skin into scales. This would minimize the damage.
I braced for impact, hoping it would not be fatal. My body trashed around as the mecha exploded, launching me into the air.
Gritting my teeth, I fell back down. I slammed into the ground, causing the earth to shatter around me.
I coughed up some blood. Damn it.
As I laid there, my mind drifted back to my childhood. I was born into a small village in the realm of Titanos. My parents were poor and couldn't afford much.
My father, a retired soldier, had a modest farm. He would often tell me stories of his days as a soldier.
"Retas, you mustn't waste your life like me. I was a failure, but you can become a great warrior. Maybe even the Queen's right had man."
I would laugh at his words, not really believing him. But, he would always encourage me to chase my dreams.
Queen Xilonem... I imagined her sad.
She was a kind soul. A bit naive, but she was willing to listen to anyone. She was always looking for ways to improve our lives.
I pushed myself up as my body returned to normal. I couldn't die here. I had to keep going. There were other ships on this planet. If I could find one, I could get home.
But first, I had to tend to my wounds.
I tore the sleeve of my suit and wrapped it around my shoulder. Then, I pulled out my blaster and headed deeper into the forest.
There had to be some signs of life. I was lucky that the explosion hadn't killed me, but I knew the enemy wouldn't stop until I was dead. Whether they be Soleonese or the traitors.
I walked deeper into the woods, scanning my surroundings. The air was thick and humid. The sky was cloudless and the sun was high. It was a beautiful day.
I kept going until I saw something glimmering in the distance. A lake. I knelt down and studied the water to see if it was safe for drinking and bathing. It looked clean enough, so I filled up my canteen and took a swig.
I sighed and removed my clothes, and waded into the water and sat down. I washed the blood off my body and closed my eyes.
I thought back to the first time I met Xilonem. It was when we were both children.
I was playing in the park with my friends when she approached me. She was shy and timid. Yet, she was willing to get close to a poor kid.
I offered her to join us, but she politely declined. She simply wanted to watch.
After a few days, she would approach me. Every day she would come and sit next to me.
I asked her why she was always there and she told me it was because I was different. I didn't judge her and treated her as if she was just another kid.
She said that was a rare thing in this world. That most kids would avoid her because of her status.
She would tell me about her life as a princess. About how lonely it was and how everyone only cared about what they could gain from her.
It was then that I decided to befriend her. I didn't care about her being a princess. To me, she was just a girl.
The day that would change my life was the day that Xilonem invited me to her palace.
She introduced me to her family and friends. I was surprised by the kindness they showed me. Like Xilonem, they didn't care about my status. They saw me as a friend.
From that day on, Xilonem and I became inseparable.
But, I knew we couldn't stay that way forever.
As we grew older, our responsibilities increased. But I swore to protect her. I swore to be by her side no matter what.
However, as the years passed, I found myself being pulled away from her by my job as a soldier. I would return home late at night and wake up early the next day. I was always tired and stressed.
But Xilonem would always be there waiting for me in her palace. She would welcome me with a smile and ask how my day went.
My smiled a bit. It was almost as if we were married.
*Snap*
I opened my eyes and quickly grabbed my blaster and clothes.
"Finally found you, Commander Retas," an orange-haired burly man said, smirking as he drew closer to me.
I glared at him. "Commander Yusan."
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