Cassian took the standard from me with a delicacy I did not know the knight suit was capable of.

"Thank you my lord, I shall see this returned to the quartermaster at once. He will be glad to see its pristine state even more than I."

I nodded. "I shall leave you to your task then Cassian. Give Theolan my regards. It was with his aid early on in the battle that I was able to take the ramp."

I saw a look of shock on Cassian’s face that was quickly replaced with sadness. "My Lord, Theolan fell a few hours ago against another Drakoshi mech on the north side. I know he would be honoured by your words though and his legend shall be written on his grave on our home world with the highest honours."

I felt a little sombre hearing that. I fought with that knight at my rear flank for a while. I took a deep breath and replied. "Well, I thank him and your order for your great sacrifice today Cassian, we couldn’t have taken this fort without you. A thousand victories to you, my friend."

"A thousand victories my lord!" Cassian saluted by banging the standard against the bloody ground beneath him. I then continued my walk.

It was the same thing over and over and over. Respect from those still standing. Injured being tended and dead in piles. I couldn’t even begin to calculate the losses taken in and around this fort...

On my one man parade, I suddenly stopped as I noticed a woman among the injured. There was nothing special about her. Average looks, ginger hair and freckles, but her eyes. Specifically the one stained red with blood. I recognised it. Right at the start of the battle... ’Fuck, it feels like days ago...’

I approached the woman who tried to position herself in a respectable manner at my approach. "At ease, soldier." I commanded and she winced as she fell back.

I knelt beside her and looked her over before turning to the medic. "What’s her damage?"

The medic cleared his throat after gawking at me for a moment." *Ahem* Broken arm, perforated eardrum on her right side, concussion. Broken ulna and radius on her left arm. Has broken almost all the bones in her right hand. Two stomach wounds, low calibre rounds, thankfully, and broken ribs from a direct punch from a Drakoshi to her chest."

As the doctor listed off the wounds she had received, I looked at the woman and removed my helmet to show my utter shock. "You were one of the first through the walls and you have survived all that? I am beyond impressed, miss."

The woman smiled through a grimace as she replied. "I live only thanks to you sir. You saved my life and thanks to you I was an active participant in over two hundred Drakoshi deaths before that big bastard punched my breastplate."

I chuckled in disbelief. "Heh, you are a fighter, I’ll give you that. What is your name by the-"

"-Shit her wound has opened up!" The medic suddenly chimed in and dove down next to her. He then shouted.

"Where the fuck is that cauteriser I asked for ten minutes ago?!?" He yelled frantically to another medic nearby before reaching for some gauze hastily."

"Doctor, perhaps I can be of use here?" I asked and before he could reply I snapped my fingers and a small flame ignited about my index finger.

Without missing a beat the doctor ignored the Psionics and pointed. "Right there. It’s going to hurt like a bitch, but at least she will live."

I then gave the patient a glance for consent at which point she gave me a nod, but her eyes were locked onto my finger.

I then pressed down hard, to keep her in place. as I knew not everyone would react the way Lena would. The woman opened her mouth to scream, but the pain must have been a lot as she could barely make a sound above a squeak.

I stood up after cauterising and it looked like she was on the verge of passing out, the medic gave the wound a close look before nodding. "Thank you, Sentinel. Now I wish not to be rude, but I have thousands more like this woman to attend to."

I patted the man on the shoulder and he practically jumped out of his skin for some reason. "Of course, work your magic, doctor."

I then put my helmet back on and walked away to continue the rounds.

...

The woman on the edge of losing consciousness looked at the Sentinel with a smile on her lips

’Smells like... Cupcakes.’ Was all she managed to think before passing out, her smile remaining even in that state.

...

I walked for about an hour around the fort. Able bodies had long begun to man the walls that still remained and the tanks and Castellans began guarding the south and west as first line defence in the chance of a counter attack.

Though I doubted one was coming today.

One thing that worried me though was that since Cassian, I had not seen a single one of my allies apart from Gabrielle and Nerissa.

"Come, let’s return to Skaja." I spoke with a hardened tone. Gabrielle and Nerissa looked between one another in silence before following behind.

...

As I walked up the ramps that had been cleaned of corpses, though at the bottom was a still pond of blood we had waded through, I finally saw someone I recognised and called out to them. "Francesca!"

Francesca, who had just finished using her special Hydrokinetic power to help a patient, turned to me. She looked rough. Not injured, but she had bags under her eyes and those bags had bags. Her cheeks also looked sunken in.

I then heard her mumble to herself as I approached. "Great, now I’m hallucinating."

I then stopped before her and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Well, If I am a hallucination, you have done a fine job. I have a whole life I remember, so good job."

The woman looked at the hand on her shoulder for a long ten seconds before it seemed to dawn on her. "Oh shit! Apollo, thank goodness you are safe. I’ve heard rumours from Phalanx that you have been fighting non-stop and were the first to cross the walls. That was over thirteen hours ago. I admit, I thought you were... Wait. How does your armour not have a spec of blood on it?"

"Burned it off." I said simply and once more she took ten seconds to reply.

"Oh, I see... Yes that makes sense I suppose..." She then blinked and her eyes seemed to scream as they opened ever so slowly."

She began to wobble so I increased my pressure on her shoulder to keep her upright. "Francesca? Are you ok?"

She nodded and massaged her eyes with her thumb and finger.

"Mmhhh. Running on Psionic fumes. Keep on meditating to pull in and using it instantly. Not stopped since we joined the knights last night. And with that Greg fellow passing away, I’ve been even more in demand."

I felt for her. Rumming on fumes is the worst. It’s why I was relying on my body so much during the fight instead of constantly using my Psionics. With my drugs, I was able to dull out physical fatigue. But mental and Psionic fatigue? That puts you on your ass.

The fact that she was still standing was a testament to her willpower.

"Perhaps you should take a break Francesca? An hour at least will do you-"

She grabbed and and and began to shed a few tears. "I can’t stop! How could I? All day long, I’ve had my friends return to me, get patched up and then go right back to fighting. I’ve never seen Tammy get injured so much in her life and she kept going back for more. And then you and Nerissa and everyone else... I can’t stop because I’m tired. You haven’t stopped at all! I’m a healer. This is how I contribute. I will help this way. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. Not until everyone else begins to rest."

I sighed and removed my gauntlet. I had only brought a finite amount of my drug. I expected them to last me a few weeks and I’ve used almost all of them in two days. Releasing the final three stims from their injection port, I had my armour bring them to my hand before handing them over to Francesca.

"I understand. Now, while I cannot help with your Psionics, take these. Once per hour. Should help with your bodily fatigue."

Francesca took one of the vials and jabbed the self releasing syringe into her thigh. She must have felt the adrenaline instantly as she let out a massive sigh.

" Ah~ Thank you Apollo. You are a good man, your partners are lucky to have you... Um, I don’t know why I said that...

Speaking of though, your bitchy snake has been looking around for you. I sent it to Skaja up top. The others should be there as well. Now, excuse me while I meditate, while I have the mental capacity to do so again safely."