Adam watched the two fly off as he looked to the other few members on the bridge. "Once the drone reports come in, a shuttle will be readied with a crew for you to go on exploration." Adam pressed a button as a crew started working on preparations and rations for a long trip.
"Thank you Adam, and thank you Airsoft for accepting this mission." Anders started walking away as Airsoft chuckled.
"I don't think I had too much of a choice in these actions." Airsoft smiled softly as he motioned for Proto and Omaha to follow her and help her. Once they left all it was on the bridge were the clones and the AI's.
"Something's not right. We are having several drones being engaged and destroyed." Alexa looked to Adam as she started getting reports.
"So this is a shoot first ask questions later galaxy?" Airsoft waited for a more proper assessment from Adam and the others.
"Well, this is odd." Adam watched all of the film in mere seconds as he condensed it. "They know that a fourth party is here." Everyone looked in shock as the other three AI's organized everything for the five of them.
"Let's start off with what destroyed our drones in the core. The Empire. Looks like they were the main power in the galaxy before their new ruler took over." Adam paused. "How did the drones learn the history of this place as well?"
"They scanned several ships in the galaxy as they started fighting the drones." Murphy meeply spoke out. Adam saw it as the other four waited for more information.
"Their new leader is God Emperor, he wants to reshape the galaxy into a perfect image of his. Servitude under one ruler." Adam kept reading the downloaded documents. "It shattered the Empire into two halves. The ones who wanted to follow along, receiving benefits from joining right away. And the resisting half."
Airsoft read this document and saw the mass propaganda. "These people are terrorists for trying to save the courts that fell under their watch?" Airsoft set the tablet down disgusted.
"Looks like they are led by God Emperor's son. Any information on him is scrubbed from the looks of it, many neutral planets either joined them or started their own faction led by the main planet of independence." Adam finally caught up as the information was almost overloading him.
"All these planets joined an alliance with their flagship one standing for neutrality?" Zane looked at their schematics.
"They were out of the war until they got hijacked by the rebels. Who used the ship to attack a key city in the Empire's capital." Adam showed the news reports as they all read in horror how deadly it was for civilians.
"In this three legged race, which side do we have win?" Zane asked the table.
"None of them. We scout what planets are safe and not safe. The rebels use speed to their advantage while the Empire has the talent and resources to fight a war on two fronts. The alliance was supplying both sides with food and resources but now they hoard it to themselves as their robotic armies are the frontline forces." Adam listed off their numbers and the lanes they travel by in space.
"More fucking droids?" Airsoft looked at the area around him as Zane and Adam nodded their heads.
"Sal, Jax, tell Pete, Laz and Neigel to train the clones on emp combat versus droids and to protect civilian forces, the fighting here is brutal versus the civilians as they are always caught in the crossfire." Zane handed the reports to the two of them as they left.
"Adam, what's the start of the mission here, sitting back and being on the defensive?" Zane asked as he walked to the doorway.
"Yes. We are down our two most powerful members." Adam's confidence was still strong as he leaned on the table. "However, the big threat of their empire will ignore people he doesn't want to fight. Meaning unless he is on the frontline."
"He won't engage, in that case it comes down to the two of us right?" Airsoft was pesimitic he was going to get the answer he wanted.
"No, reports here list him closer to a demigod like Titan while not being as controlled. Frontline engagement is a no go. Directly from Astral. The only two he told me can engage are the twins." Adam showed the recent message as Astral responded to the planets that were and weren't controlled.
"Do you think based on the reports any of us on the station stand a chance?" Zane looked to Adam as his head dropped. "That's what I feared. I will prepare my men to avoid the person we talked about." Zane walked away as Airsoft stayed by Adam's side.
"Hey, you aren't normally in this position alone. But reaching out is fine." Airsoft tapped his hand on Adam's as he went to the doorway. "Without your help. I don't think we would have made it past the earth invasion."
Airsoft walked out as Adam sealed the doors shut. The stars illuminated the room as the three AI's appeared behind him. "We need to find every pattern that each faction uses." Tears welled up in Adam's eyes as the screens were lit up with battle plans and formations.
Zeta whirred to life looking up at Adam, who was so deep into concentration. Zeta walked over silently. Turning off all of the monitors as Adam looked over. "I thought you left with Astrid."
"No, follow me." Zeta's robotic voice felt stern and lecturing rather than caring like normal. The two walked through the facility part that is all Astral's. Once they reached a certain doorway Zeta pressed his code in. revealing a nature sanctuary. "Let the technology work for you. Relax. If anything happens I will come and get you." Adam clung to the leg of Zeta thankful to the mech.
Adam sat down in the sanctuary as he became enveloped in the nature around him. He relaxed for the first time in months and fell asleep. Zeta shut him inside as he went back to the bridge.