Sahaad regrouped with the rest of his squad at the edge of the now-ruined village. They stood in the fading light of the red star, its dim, crimson rays casting long shadows over the bodies scattered across the jungle floor. The once-lush village was little more than debris and ash now, the smoke from their destruction still hanging in the air.
Zara, Ji, and the others were inspecting the damages to their armor, all of them battered and bruised after the encounter with Ajani. Sahaad glanced down at his own chestplate, which had been crushed and twisted during the fight. The metallic sheen of the armor was dented beyond recognition, the once sleek and powerful design now warped and bent out of shape. His enhanced body had held up, regenerating almost instantly, but his armor was not as fortunate.
"Looks like I'll need a new chestplate," Sahaad muttered, the frustration bubbling just beneath the surface of his otherwise calm demeanor. The others glanced at him, their own suits showing varying degrees of damage, some cracked, others scorched or punctured. It was clear the battle had taken a toll on all of them, despite their regenerative capabilities.
Zara's leg armor had been completely torn through, and Ji's helmet was missing a chunk near the visor, exposing a patch of his skin beneath. Nate was fiddling with a busted arm gauntlet, while Kato inspected deep scratches running along his shoulder plates. Sia had circuitry spilling out from her torso, seemingly like intestines. They were all still standing, but the damage was severe.
Sahaad looked at his squad, the Imperators, and a wave of frustration surged through him. We were supposed to be unstoppable. We were trained, engineered, and forged in the fires of countless trials to surpass any normal human soldier. Yet, one man—one Awakened—had torn through them as if they were nothing. It stung. Deep down, he felt an unfamiliar anger swelling within him. Was it a disappointment? Was it fear? No, it was something else—rage.
His brutality in the village now made more sense. He had been furious—enraged by their apparent weakness, their failure to bring down a single foe despite all their enhancements, all their power. The thought gnawed at him, tightening his jaw.
In a moment of reflection, he realized how far his anger had pushed him, how it had driven him to massacre every living being in this village with a cold efficiency that even disturbed himself.
The others didn't say much. They were battle-hardened, disciplined soldiers, but there was a tension in the air that none of them could ignore. They had never been pushed this hard before. None of them had expected to lose Praetorians in such a fashion or to face a foe who could dance through their attacks like it was nothing.
Sahaad clenched his fist, his thoughts drifting to Ajani, the Awakened. "Why did he leave?" he muttered to himself, more a question to the air than to anyone in particular.
"What?" Ji asked, glancing over at him.
"The Awakened. He could've finished us. He had the upper hand, and yet… he just left. Why would he leave his post? Why would he abandon the villagers?" Sahaad's mind churned over the possibilities.
Zara crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe he didn't care about the villagers. Or maybe… maybe he has a larger plan. This wasn't a win for us, not really. If anything, he toyed with us."
"He was just testing us," Nate added, his eyes narrowing. "He's probably got something bigger planned, something we can't see yet."
"Who knows. You read the briefings, the Awakened constantly teeter at the border of insanity. They've always been strange people", recalled Kato.
Sahaad considered their words but remained silent. Something about Ajani's demeanor bothered him. The Awakened had seemed almost amused by their efforts, as if their battle had been nothing more than a game to him. Yet he had also seemed intrigued by them—by their power, perhaps. Whatever the case, it didn't sit right with Sahaad.
"I don't like this," Sahaad finally said, standing up straight. His gaze swept across the ruined village, and a deep sense of unease settled in his gut. "We've done what we came here to do, but something feels… off."
"Yeah, I'm with you on that," Zara replied, glancing back at the remnants of the village. "We need to report this back to base. They need to know about Ajani and what we're dealing with."
Sahaad nodded in agreement, but his mind was still racing. Why had the Awakened let them live? Why had he allowed the Imperators to walk away? And why had he abandoned the village to their mercy, knowing full well what they were capable of? There were too many questions, and not enough answers.
"Let's move out," Sahaad ordered, his voice firm. "We're heading back to base."
The squad began to gather their gear, and Sahaad activated the comms to signal for extraction. As they prepared to leave the area, Sahaad couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. Ajani was still out there, and whatever his motives were, they weren't finished with him yet.
The Imperators moved silently through the dense jungle, carrying the lifeless bodies of the Red Tails with ease. Each of them held a fallen Praetorian, their enhanced strength making the grim task seem effortless despite the weight of the heavy armor.
The eerie silence of the jungle contrasted sharply with the carnage that had just unfolded, and the smell of scorched earth and plasma still lingered in the humid air. Their mission had taken a brutal toll, not only on the rebels but also on their own.
The encampment loomed in the distance, compared to the rebel bases he had been to in the past few hours, the Red Tail encampment was simply on another league.
The Red Tails had managed to set up metal storage and buildings, as well as dug out roads for vehicles to drive through with ease around the encampment.
The Red Tails were joined with members of the citadel. These were humans who mainly dealt with research and innovation of all Federation technologies. They had a close relationship with the Praetorians, who gathered most of their advanced weapons from the citadel.
As the Imperators entered the clearing, they were met by the somber gazes of the remaining Red Tails and citadel members, the atmosphere heavy with tension. They were being watched closely—judged, even.
The Red Hawk medics approached, silent and efficient. They were Praetorians themselves, but unlike their combat-oriented brethren, they wore armor outfitted with mechanical arms attached to their backs, each arm equipped with various medical tools. They were draped within a white cloak to better differentiate their position from the others.
As the bodies were taken away, Sahaad and his squad wiped the blood and grime from their hands. They had done their part, completed the mission as ordered, but something still felt incomplete. Before they could reflect further, they were approached by Lieutenant Halquin, the officer in command of the Red Tails stationed on the moon. His armor was the standard vermillion of the vermillion, with a blue helmet to signify he superior rank compared to the rest of the soldier. His cold gaze shifted between Sahaad and the rest of the Imperators.
He took off his helmet, exposing his wrinkled face and graying black hair. "Well?" Halquin asked, her voice devoid of any warmth. "Report."
Sahaad stepped forward, his tone professional as he began the debriefing. "We encountered multiple rebel hideouts along the eastern perimeter of the forest. All were neutralized swiftly and without alerting nearby forces. However, during the final engagement at the village, we encountered a B-class Awakened known as Ajani Gordon."
Karros's face stiffened at the mention of the Awakened. His brow furrowed, and he folded his arms, clearly not pleased by the news. "Gordon… So, that's what's been causing all the trouble."
Sahaad nodded. "The Red Tails… they didn't stand a chance. His speed, strength, and combat abilities were far beyond anything we anticipated. He killed them before we even realized what had happened. The Imperators managed to hold him off, but it was clear we were outmatched."
Sia stepped forward, adding to the report. "We engaged him, but he deflected our volleys with a tree trunk. He's… different. A true threat. He didn't seem to take the fight seriously. He does not seem to be B-rank like the Red Tail's report said."
"Yes, Gordon escaped from the LV-426 compound almost 50 years ago. It seemed he has amassed significant strength since then", Halquin concluded.
"And the village?" Halquin asked, his voice low.
Sahaad glanced back at his squad before responding. "Neutralized. There were no survivors."
The lieutenant gave a curt nod, though there was no relief in his expression. "Good. But Gordon… he won't stop. The Awakened are always unpredictable.
Sahaad nodded in agreement. "He allowed us to live. I believe it was intentional."
Karros's eyes narrowed. "You think he's toying with us?"
"I do," Sahaad replied, keeping his voice steady. "He left us alive simply because we were not worth the effort of killing."
The lieutenant let out a long breath, clearly agitated. "I'll inform command about Ajani's presence. Your mission here is over, You are to head back to your base. The princess wishes to meet with you. Do not keep her waiting".
Sahaad's expression hardened, and he simply nodded. The princess was now the commander-in-chief of the full Federation army. The fact she wanted to meet with them meant that something important was coming up.
"Are you sure you will be alright, lieutenant".
Harlquin scoffed at his concern, "Do not worry…You and your squad cleared most of the main rebel factions, and now that the Awakened has left we can make quick work of the planet."
"And what if Ajani returns?"
"Then we will deal with it accordingly", Harlquin turned to a Citadel member, a young man with light blonde hair. "You… tell the Conflagorator to call in the null recruitments".
"Y-yes sir Praetorian", the youth nervously saluted before dashing away to search for the one with sufficient authority to call in reinforcements.
So they are going to use the null.
The null were mutated humans that have the special ability to drain magic. They were essentially the natural counter to the Awakened.
The lieutenant stepped back, letting Sahaad rejoin his team. "You did well today, Imperator," he called after him. "But next time… you might not be so lucky."
Sahaad met his gaze, unflinching. "Of course, we survive and we adapt. That's how we survived for hundreds of millenia".
With that, he turned and walked away, his mind already shifting to the next battle, to the repairs his armor would need, and to his first taste of defeat. But most of all, he thought about the faces of the villagers he had killed, and the fleeting sadness that had crossed his mind at that moment. He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself.
I wonder. Even If I do manage to return home, will I be the same person?