Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!-Chapter 222
---3rd Person POV---
Thrown from their seats, warning alarms blared loudly as the warp engines started to overload. Unable to stop the reaction now, Aldos shouted at the engineers to evacuate the engine room. Racing toward the exit, only a handful of people got clear before the inevitable happened. Obliterating the rear section of the ship, countless crewmembers died in an instant. Creating an EMP as they detonated, auxiliary power went offline, leaving the survivors in the dark.
“Everyone, get your environmental suits on now!”, Targin shouted, fearing rapid decompression was about to occur.
As the crew scrambled into their suits, Zastin and his charges stayed on the floor. Having bashed their heads, they were in a daze and confused about what was happening. Helping the knight to his feet, Targin smacked him across the face to bring him back.
“The five of you need to get your environmental suits on immediately. We need to get moving before the Tyranids begin boarding us!”, Targin told him.
“Right…”, Zastin replied, slowly coming out of the fog. “How many people did we lose?”
“It is going to be easier to figure out who we did not lose…”, Targin remarked with a grim look. “Do not worry about my crew right now, though. Your focus needs to be on protecting the royal family.”
Nodding his head, Zastin helped the women to their feet and into their suits. Buttoning them up tightly, the knight got his sealed up just as oxygen levels began dropping.
“Grab a damn weapon and get moving!”, Targin ordered everyone. “Those damn bugs could start boarding us any second now. We need to reach the escape pods before they do.”
Taking a rifle off the nearby wall, Aldos kicked the stairwell door down and rushed inside. Confirming the coast was clear, he beckoned everyone forward before descending the stairs. As they chased after him, the sound of gunfire and shouting from other sections of the ship confirmed they were being boarded. Doubling their pace, Sephie began hyperventilating as a terrifying thought suddenly crossed her mind.
“Zastin, no matter what happens, please swear to me you will protect my daughters!”, Sephie choked out. “I… I cannot lose another family… I would sooner choose death over watching my babies be- “
“My queen, please do not finish that sentence. I swear to you, I will ensure the four of you get off this ship safely, one way or another.”, Zastin spoke, absolutely certain of this. “Just keep moving, and- “
Feeling the entire ship suddenly shake, a subtle roar started to build on the portside of the ship. Stopping for a moment to listen, Aldos’ face paled as he understood what was happening.
“Just fucking great!”, Aldos spat, sprinting down the stairs. “Captain, we have begun reentry into Terminus’ atmosphere. With a compromised hull and lack of shielding, our ship is going to start coming apart soon.”
Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, Aldos burst into the adjacent hall with his rifle raised. Seeing nothing at first, the group began entering the corridor when several Tyranids appeared at the opposite end of the hall.
“ENEMY CONTACT!!”, Aldos shouted, firing on them immediately. “GO!! GO!! GO!!”
“Zastin, get them out of here!”, Targin demanded as the Tyranids surged toward them. “We will buy you as much time as we can. It was an honor serving alongside you, whelp.”
“Likewise, you crotchety old man.”, Zastin replied, saluting him with a trembling hand.
Telling them to start running, Targin drew his service pistol and began firing at the bugs. Shouting their gratitude toward Targin and his men, Lala and her sister started choking up. Cracking a warm smile, the old captain shed a tear as he recalled the first time they set foot on his vessel.
‘Live and be well, you rotten brats…’, Targin thought. “FOR THE DEVILUKEAN EMPIRE!!”
“FOR THE DEVILUKEAN EMPIRE!!”, the bridge crew echoed in unison.
Holding their ground until the last, their gunfire echoed through the halls for thirty seconds before falling silent. Understanding immediately what that meant, Lala and her sisters began violently crying. Having known most of them since their infancy, the girls were devastated losing them so abruptly. Fighting through the pain, they kept going to ensure their sacrifices were not in vain.
“We are nearly there.”, Zastin spoke as they rounded the next corner. “The door to the royal escape pod is already open. Get inside and make sure everything is functioning properly. The earlier EMP could have potentially fried some of the equipment.”
Scurrying aboard while Zastin watched their rear, Lala and Sephie began checking the pod’s systems. Receiving no response from any of the control panels, they informed him the pod was dead. Taking a second to think, the sounds of clattering feet stopped him dead in his tracks. Seeing no other option, he manually shut the pod door and hit the emergency override.
“Zastin, what are you doing?!”, Momo shouted, pounding on the window. “Why didn’t you get inside with us!?”
“Since the pod’s systems are dead, the only way to eject the pod is from out here.”, Zastin spoke as the ejection charges primed. “Lala, Momo, Nana, Sephie… It has been an honor and privilege to serve you all these years. I want you to know, I have always seen you as the family I never had. Please continue to live on, for my sake.”
“ZASTIN!!”, Lala howled diving toward the door. “YOU CANNOT DO THIS!!”
Turning away from them, the knight drew his blade to face the Tyranids. Charging into the room, a horde of Hormagaunts fell upon him with unrivaled fury. Cutting down the first wave instantly, dozens more stormed in alongside several Tyranid Warriors. Departing as the second fight began, the sisters watched helplessly as he disappeared from sight.
---Surface of Terminus---
As the Devilukean flagship struck the bioship, a blinding light briefly flooded the landscape below. Unsure what was happening, Anakin lifted his eye to the light, attempting to find its origin. Noticing a large spatial disturbance in the upper atmosphere, an unsettling feeling came over him. Reporting this news to HQ, the Jedi Knight inquired if they had any additional information.
“Give me a moment; I will pull up the video logs from the nearest drone ship.”, Lawson answered, accessing the ship’s data storage. “Let me see here…”
Watching the entire accident unfold before his eyes, Lawson’s jaw fell open in disbelief. Confirming a single escape pod had been jettisoned from the wreckage, he immediately jumped into action. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
“Attention Helldivers, prepare for an emergency rescue operation!”, Lawson ordered, toggling to the channel his men were on. “We are moving out in two minutes.”
“Lawson, what is going on?!”, Gid snapped, feeling a knot forming in his stomach.
“Your flagship experienced a catastrophic meltdown after crashing into a camouflaged bioship. The rear portion of your ship is gone, and it appears the forward section has been overrun by the Tyranids.”, Lawson spoke. “A single- “
Unable to hear the rest of what Lawson was saying, Gid fell to his knees as the world came crashing down around him. Overcome by his emotions, he proceeded to start punching the floor as hard as he could. Believing his beloved wife and daughters were dead because of him, the king wished he had sent them away sooner. Lifting Gid up, Lawson struck him across the face to bring him back to reality.
“Listen to me, Gid. One escape pod managed to leave the ship before it was completely overrun. I saw four distinct life signs aboard; it is almost certainly your family.”, Lawson said. “If you want them to stay that way, we need to get moving now. The bioship and flagship’s wreckage are plummeting toward the surface right behind them. We will have five minutes to extract them before impact.”
Overjoyed to hear they were alive, Gid froze when he realized Lawson said only four life signs were aboard. Presuming Zastin sacrificed himself to secure their escape, the stark reality hit him hard.
‘My trusted confidant and friend Zastin… I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I swear on my life, I will avenge your death a hundredfold and make them suffer dearly for this!’, Gid silently promised. “Alright then, let us get moving then!”
“I am coming with you both.”, Obi-Wan stated, using the Force to pull his lightsaber to him. “You came here at our behest; I will do all I can to help save your family.”
Thanking Lawson and Obi-Wan, the three men raced out of HQ as fast as they could. While they made their way to the rally point, Lawson began making calls for additional resources. Unmuting the private channel, the commander updated Bannister and Eagleson on what was happening. Asking if they could help, both readily pledged their support.
“I have four hundred vessels already en route to Terminus. They will eliminate the orbital ships and deal with any stragglers that got through before our arrival.”, Eagle spoke. “We are beginning to push the fleet back now. Update you further once we eradicate these cockroaches!”
“Give me a few minutes to gather some equipment for you.”, Bannister requested. “Several subordinates and I will meet you at your rally point.”
Muting the channel again, Lawson hesitantly contacted Dair for mechanized support. While he already had automatons on the ground, they were needed here in case the Tyranids breached the shields. Aware of his father’s aversion to fielding ancient technology without his presence, Lawson refused to bother him on his family vacation.
“Dair, I need to ask a favor of you.”, Lawson said. “Can you send me several Fenrir and Metal Gear RAY units? There is an emergency on the ground that requires their firepower.”
<You are aware that Victor is against fielding such technology without his presence, correct?> (Dair)
“I am well aware, but I doubt he would appreciate me interrupting his family vacation.”, Lawson argued.
<Request denied. Instead, I will send you the experimental units Victor and I have been working on. They utilize a blend of Necron and Old One technology.> (Dair)
Thanking Dair for his understanding, Lawson ended the call with a long sigh. Turning to Obi-Wan, he inquired if the Jedi Master had apprised Anakin yet. Realizing it had completely slipped his mind, he quickly got on the radio to update his friend.
---Upper Atmosphere---
Swearing to live their best lives in remembrance of those who sacrificed everything for them, Lala and her sisters got to work on the pod’s systems. Unsure if anyone on the ground was aware of what happened, they needed to get a message out immediately. Watching her creator fiddle around with the electronics, Peke took it upon herself to do her part. Forcibly connecting to the HoloNet, instead of contacting the people on the ground, she sought out Victor’s AIs.
Returning to the last place she encountered them, Peke began frantically scouring the area for them. Shouting their names out into the empty void, she hoped this risk would pay off. Answering her call, UR-025 and Yamato showed up with unimpressed expressions. Berating her for recklessly putting herself at risk again, Peke interrupted them to get her request out.
<Lala-sama and her family need Victor’s help immediately! Our ship was destroyed over Terminus, and we are currently plummeting toward the planet’s surface. If the impact does not kill them, the Tyranid swarm on the ground will. I beg you, please call Victor!> (Peke)
<I see, your actions are more than reasonable then. We can get a message to him, but he is unlikely to respond immediately. He is currently on vacation in a different galaxy with his family.> (UR-025)
<Please call him then and let me speak with him! I will go track him down myself if I have to.> (Peke)
Sensing the determination in her tone, the two AIs agreed to help. Contacting Jarvis immediately, UR-025 apprised him of the situation and requested his help setting up the call.
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