Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!-Chapter 224
---3rd Person POV, Terminus Surface---
Using a pair of binoculars, Gid, seated in the rear of the lead vehicle, closely monitored his family's escape pod. Knocked off course by a destroyed landing ship, he was now tracking it for the team. Opening his mouth to give Lawson another update, his heart suddenly stopped when his family abruptly evacuated the pod. Shouting at Lawson to halt the convoy, the fear-stricken family man began to hyperventilate.
As they had set out from the safe zone, the Tyranid swarm had begun moving. Instead of heading for the Republic’s base as expected, they were moving toward the landing zone. Uncertain why this was happening, all Gid could think about was the immediate danger they were in.
“All eyes ten o’clock, fifteen hundred feet up.”, Lawson radioed his men. “Our rescue targets are now airborne. Shoot down anything that gets close to them.”
“Anakin, what is the Tyranid swarm’s status?”, Obi-Wan inquired as the vehicle turned hard left. “Sephie and the girls evacuated from their escape pod midair for some unknown reason.”
Peering through the settling dust cloud with his binoculars, Anakin strained his eyes to find the swarm.
“I see a flock of Gargoyles and Harpies closing in on your location. Expect contact in less than thirty seconds.”, Anakin spoke, relaying his findings. “Obi-Wan, part of the swarm is heading into the city’s underground. Be prepared for surprise attacks from beneath you.”
Thanking his friend, Obi-Wan provided Lawson with the updated information. Ordering his gunner to prepare for contact, Lawson pointed to where the enemy would come from. Getting their energy weapons aimed in the indicated direction, they did not have to wait long for the enemy to appear. Opening fire immediately, the flying Tyranids began dropping like flies.
Spotting the armored convoy’s light show, Sephie and the girls dove toward them as fast as they could. Hearing the roars of Tyranids to their left, the women kept their eyes forward, trying not to think about the monstrosities closing in on them. As they approached the lead vehicle, Gid leaned out of the Aerial Warthog to beckon them to him. Trembling with joy when they saw his face, the women came in low and dove into the vehicle.
“Targets secured. Head back to base.”, Lawson ordered, looking over his shoulder at the tearful reunion happening behind him.
As the convoy turned to return to HQ, packs of Mawloc, Ravener, and Trygon burst out of the ground ahead of them. Spitting acid and venom at the rescuers, the Helldivers sprung into action. Raising shields to full power on their Aerial Warthogs, drivers plunged headfirst into the fray. Ramming their vehicles straight through the Tyranids, those not killed instantly had their synapses fried by the gunners.
“Forgive me, but why would you do something so reckless?”, Obi-Wan questioned, looking back at the carnage behind them. “You could have gotten everyone killed back there.”
“Haha!!”, the driver laughed. “Do you honestly think those bugs were a threat to us? We were moving at two hundred and fifty miles an hour in twenty-ton, armored vehicles. They were nothing more than a bump on the road.”
“What he meant to say was, our Aerial Warthogs were designed to plow straight through enemies and structures. The shields can shrug off the strongest of impacts; even an orbital bombardment could not touch us.”, Lawson boasted, wearing a proud smile. “In Lord Stark’s own words, few things are more enjoyable than ramming through everything.”
Hearing his name, Lala let go of her father and excitedly inquired where Victor was. Looking at her with confusion, the men questioned why she felt he was with them.
<I contacted Victor directly to ask for his assistance. Did he not send you out here?> (Peke)
“No, the warp engine explosion alerted us to your plight. When we discovered your escape pod, we set out immediately to come get you.”, Lawson spoke, looking behind them at the approaching Tyranid swarm. “You are certain that Lord Stark is- “
Before he could finish his question, a Bifrost bridge came down from the heavens and slammed into the Tyranid ranks. Eviscerating thousands of them on impact, a brilliant burst of lightning killed millions more in seconds. Stepping out of the Bifrost with his Doombots in tow, Victor gave Lawson a thumbs-up.
“Get everyone back to the safe zone. I will take care of the Tyranids.”, Victor spoke telepathically to everyone.
Peering out the back window, Lala enthusiastically watched as Victor and his Doombots engaged the Tyranids. Unleashing a firestorm of unrivaled firepower upon the bugs, the swarm’s momentum stalled. Pushing them back with Cyro and Doomsday Cannons, any Tyranid that attempted to fly over or go around was cast into a collapsing pocket of time.
“Hey, sis, is that giant man Victor?”, Nana sheepishly asked, watching him tear a Dimachaeron in half with his bare hands. ‘The bugs really are no match for him…’
“Yep, that is Victor!”, Lala giggled, brimming with happiness. “What do you think of him?”
“Hehe, I think you found yourself a winner, sis.”, Momo said, her tail twitching with interest. “Would it be okay with you if I got to know him too? He checks all the boxes for me.”
“Of course!”, Lala agreed without hesitation. “Nana, you are welcome to do so as well.”
“N… N… NO!”, Nana stammered. “He… He is totally not my type!”
Hiding her face, Nana refused to let anyone see the embarrassment on her face. However, everyone could see Nana's real feelings by looking at her frantically twitching tail. Patting her youngest sister on the back, Lala assured Nana she had no qualms about sharing him. As she began sharing her knowledge about him with Momo and Nana for the seventh time, the two sisters paid close attention to her words.
“Well now, this is quite unexpected…”, Gid whispered, watching his beloved daughters swooning over Victor.
“No, it really is not, dear.”, Sephie giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. “They are my daughters; the only type of man who is acceptable is someone like their father. Do not tell me you cannot see the similarities between Victor and your younger self.”
Pondering what his wife was saying, Gid reflected on the person he once was at Victor’s age. Ambitious, strong-willed, and unyielding, he had been on the path to building the Devilukean Empire. Back then, their home was nothing like the peaceful nation it is today. The galaxy was divided into several dozen territories, each with their own corrupt hierarchy. Gid was born into one such family and, unlike his ancestors, was disgusted by the corruption. freewebnøvel_com
Taking up the mantle of leadership after his father’s passing, he began a campaign to root out corruption across his land. As word of his deeds spread far and wide, other like-minded people from across the galaxy joined his cause. While he had intended to stop at his borders, his neighbors attacked him, believing Gid would come for them next. This turned what should have been a few months’ endeavor into a decade-long unification war.
“I see… So that is how it is…”, Gid chuckled, seeing the similarities now. “It must be fate that they encountered each other just as we did all those years ago.”
“Hehe, that is very true.”, Sephie agreed, hugging his arm. “All we can do now is hope their love blossoms like ours too.”
Nodding his head in agreement, the couple sat in silence, watching their daughters observe the man who caught their eye.
---Victor POV---
Eviscerating the Tyranid swarm in minutes, the Doombots began searching for stragglers while my attention turned to the plummeting bioship. Wanting to know why the vessel was so unique, I froze time and flew up to have a look around.
Entering the wreckage of Gid’s flagship, I began making my way toward the breach it made. As I roamed the silent corridors, a familiar figure appeared a short distance ahead of me. A blood-soaked Zastin, leading a group of crewmen against a horde of Tyranids, was waging a battle with a Carnifex. Casting the annoyances into a time pocket, I unfroze Zastin and the crewmen to have a word with them.
“Is the babysitting gig getting to you, Zastin?”, I chuckled, patching them up with magic. “If you speak with King Gid, I am sure he will allow you to take up another post.”
“Lord Stark!? What… What are you doing here?!”, Zastin questioned, looking around the area. “Actually, scratch that. What is going on right now?”
“I halted the flow of time so I could come investigate the unique bioship.”, I answered. “The crash landing will decimate the bioship, so studying it this way is the only option.”
Nodding their heads, the men asked about Queen Sephie and the girl’s status. Assuring them they were almost back in the safe zone at this point, they released a collective sigh of relief.
“Anyways, do you need a ride back to the safe zone, or would you care to join me for a bit?”, I questioned.
“I am interested to learn more about this unusual bioship.”, Targin spoke up. “Count me in.”
Voicing their agreement, the other crewmen chose to come along as well. Looking at Zastin for his answer, he decided to stick with us. With the decision made, we began our trek toward the bowels of the bioship.
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