Red Dragon Spaceship Awakening: I Gain Alien Abilities on Mars-Chapter 218: The Viking Plan

Tatehan had been expecting something grand and calculated when Bjorn told the woman to show him the plan.

Something that required precision, strategic analysis, contingency protocols, the kind of detailed tactical breakdown that you would see in military briefings or war rooms. Maps with marked positions, timelines, coordinated movements, fallback plans.

Tatehan had been expecting something good. In movies he had watched back on Earth, anytime there was a plan to take down some grand villain it was actually a good one, one that would be tactical detailed and really effective.

But all he saw was a video. An animation, actually.

Of stick figures.

Shouting like maniacs as they ran toward two crudely drawn structures labeled "BASE 1" and "BASE 2," their little animated arms flailing wildly as they charged forward in a chaotic, uncoordinated mass. There were no formations. Tatehan saw no designated roles, no strategy beyond "run at the enemy and fight."

The stick figures reached the bases, and then explosions erupted across the screen, accompanied by exaggerated sound effects and more shouting. The bases crumbled. The stick figures cheered. The animation looped.

Tatehan stared at the display, his visor reflecting the flickering holographic projection.

He was stunned. Shocked, even. But also deeply amused.

He looked at the female Viking standing beside him, her expression completely serious, as if she had just shown him the most brilliant tactical plan ever devised. Then he looked back at the screen, where the stick figures were still shouting and charging in their endless loop.

The plan was just that they run to the place and boom. While he had been expecting strategic planning, coordination and nuance. This was very far from it. This was just pure, unfiltered aggression.

Tatehan could not help it. He laughed.

It was a slight laugh, muffled by his helmet, but it was audible. A short, incredulous chuckle that escaped before he could stop it.

Bjorn noticed immediately. His head turned toward Tatehan, one eyebrow raised, and he grinned. "Why the laughter, lad?"

Tatehan gestured at the screen, his amplified voice carrying a hint of disbelief. "That’s not a plan."

Bjorn laughed. A loud, booming sound that echoed across the platform. "That is the plan!"

Some of the men around him started laughing too, their voices joining Bjorn’s in a chorus of rough, amused chuckles. They clearly found Tatehan’s reaction hilarious.

Tatehan shook his head, still grinning behind his visor. These people were insane. Absolutely insane. And he kind of loved it.

Soon after, the final group of fighters arrived. The transport from Reon Outpost descended onto the platform, its engines hissing as the rear hatch opened and the fifteen fighters disembarked. They were greeted by one of Bjorn’s men, who clapped them on the shoulders and directed them toward the staging area where the other groups were assembled.

Now all the cities were represented. Loenitt. Iron Haven. Reon Outpost. Waython Hollow. And New Helios.

Bjorn stepped forward, raising one massive arm high into the air. His voice boomed across the entire base, loud enough that every single fighter turned to face him.

"We leave in five minutes!" he shouted, his accent thickening as his excitement grew. "Prepare yourselves, warriors! Today we strike at the Obscuron’s heart! Today we show him that Mars belongs to us!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, fists raised, weapons clanging against shields and armor. The energy was electric and the anticipation palpable.

Tatehan took the opportunity to find Riven and Lyra. They were standing with the other Waython Hollow fighters, checking their gear and weapons.

He approached them, his armored footsteps heavy against the platform. "Hey."

Both of them looked up, and Lyra smiled. "Ready for this?"

"As ready as I’ll ever be," Tatehan said. "You two stay sharp, alright? Stick together. Watch each other’s backs."

Riven smirked. "You’re not our babysitter, Tatehan. We’ll be fine."

"I know," Tatehan said, smiling. "But as Battle Commander it’s my duty to ensure you safety y’know, so I’m saying it anyway. Good luck."

Lyra nodded. "You too."

Tatehan turned and headed back toward Bjorn, who was standing near the edge of the platform, overseeing the final preparations. Tatehan stopped beside him, his visor tilting slightly as he looked at the Viking.

"Hey," Tatehan said. "How are we getting to the bases? They’re quite far from here. We can’t possibly go on foot."

Bjorn glanced at him, his expression amused. "You think we’d make you walk, lad? Nah. We’ll all use the flying vehicles you came here in to get to the place. New Helios will take our own soldiers using our own devices, but we’ll all go together as one. All vehicles. One big convoy."

Tatehan nodded. That made sense.

Kinda looked like they were going to war. Though the war he usually pictured with Vikings was people on horses with swords and shields and all that medieval stuff, storming across the battlefield, shouting like maniacs.

But since they were in the future, on Mars, they’d do this another way... the common way actually, which using flying vehicles.

"Alright. And when we get there, how will the fight go?" Tatehan suddenly asked.

Bjorn laughed, a short, sharp sound. Tatehan noticed that he seemed more friendly now, more jolly and more open than he had been at the summit. Back then, Bjorn had looked like stone: unwelcoming, distant and almost hostile. But here, in his element, surrounded by his warriors, he was a completely different person. Relaxed, confident and almost playful.

"Silly question, Mr. Knight," Bjorn said, grinning. "We’ll have a large flying device transport all the robotic horses we’ll use. As you know, we cannot actually fight without them. That’s our signature move, lad. Our whole thing."

Tatehan blinked behind his visor. Robotic horses. Of course. The Vikings of New Helios did not just charge into battle on foot. They rode. And their mounts were not biological creatures, they were mechanical war machines, built for speed, durability, and combat effectiveness.

He had read about them in the archives, but he had not fully appreciated what that meant until now. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

This was going to be interesting.