The deck of the Scythe, the flagship of the CMC fleet, was eerily quiet. General Telmar stood at the command console, his mind reeling as he watched the destruction unfold. The Stellarbane had come out of nowhere, a weapon of unimaginable power, and it had shattered his fleet in a single, devastating strike. The once-proud juggernauts and battle cruisers now floated in the void like broken carcasses, their remains slowly spinning in the cosmic wind.
He gripped the edge of the console, his knuckles turning white as the reality of the situation began to sink in. The fleet had been decimated. Hundreds of his finest soldiers, warriors who had bled and fought for the CMC's glory, had perished. His heart was heavy with loss, but his mind was already working, calculating, planning.
"General," came a voice from behind him. It was Lieutenant Rhael, his second-in-command, her voice tight with panic. "We've lost over 60% of the fleet. Communications are down across the board. We're completely crippled."
Telmar turned to her, his expression cold but resolute. "I know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But we're not finished yet."
Rhael looked at him, confusion and disbelief flickering in her eyes. "Sir... the Stellarbane—how can we possibly survive that kind of firepower?"
Telmar's eyes narrowed as he stared out at the stars, his mind still focused on the tactical advantage they had lost. The Stellarbane was a game-changer, an unexpected wild card that had thrown his plans into chaos. But there was always a way out. There had to be.
"We still have our reserves," he said, his voice growing in strength. "We'll fall back, regroup, and reinforce. They've overplayed their hand. If we can pull together just a fraction of what we have left, we'll make them pay for this."
Rhael nodded but didn't seem entirely convinced. "Sir, with all due respect, the UOP is already deploying reinforcements. We don't have much time. If we don't act quickly—"
Telmar cut her off with a sharp gesture. "I know the stakes. We'll fight through it. The CMC has never backed down from a fight. Not once. We will recover, and we will take what's ours. The Stellarbane was just one weapon—one weapon, Lieutenant. There are more where that came from. And when we return, we will make sure the UOP feels the weight of our wrath."
[Inside the CMC Command Room]
As the command room remained tense, Telmar's mind shifted gears. He couldn't afford to let panic or fear take hold of his officers. He needed to project strength, to remind them of the might of the CMC. But more than that, he knew the UOP would not stop after this victory. They had the upper hand, but for how long?
His fingers danced across the control panel, calling up a series of encrypted communications. There was one place he could go—a place that could offer him the reinforcements and support he needed to rebuild. But it was a long shot. He was going to have to pull some strings.
"Prepare for a tactical retreat," Telmar ordered, standing tall. "Rhael, coordinate the fleet's withdrawal and send out distress signals. I'm contacting StellarForge."
Rhael's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the CMC's most powerful ally. StellarForge was the foundation of CMC's mech forces, the company responsible for building and maintaining the most powerful machines in the galaxy. Their mechs were the backbone of the CMC's war efforts, and if anyone could provide the reinforcements Telmar needed, it was them.
"But General, will they even respond after this?" she asked, her tone doubtful.
Telmar's eyes burned with determination. "They'll respond. They owe us more than just a few favors."
[StellarForge: The Last Hope]
On the other side of the galaxy, the leaders of StellarForge sat in a high-tech command center, overlooking their latest creations. These mechs, vast and imposing, were their newest line of weaponry, even more powerful than the Juggernaut-class mechs that had just been destroyed in the UOP's devastating counterattack. The war with the UOP was reaching a fever pitch, and StellarForge had an enormous stake in the outcome. They couldn't afford to lose the war—so they would do whatever it took to ensure the CMC's victory.
"General Telmar's fleet is in trouble," a voice said from the corner of the room, breaking the silence. It was Zorin, a high-ranking officer within StellarForge. He stood beside a large holographic map, his fingers moving rapidly across the interface, inputting data about the current status of the battle.
The CEO of StellarForge, a cold and calculating man named Loris, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the projection. "I see. How many ships have been lost?"
"Over 60%, sir," Zorin replied. "Telmar is requesting reinforcements—specifically, he wants more Juggernaut-class mechs. If we can get them to him fast, we might still have a chance to turn the tide."
Loris remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. The CMC was on the brink of losing the war, and StellarForge's profits were tied directly to the outcome. Losing this battle would cost them not only their position in the galaxy, but also their reputation. He couldn't afford that.
"Send the mechs," Loris ordered finally, his voice hard as steel. "We'll give them what they need. But this time, we're going all in. These aren't just standard models. We'll send the new Titans."
Zorin's eyes widened. The new Titans were something else entirely—mechs built with the most advanced technology StellarForge had ever developed. They were bigger, faster, and stronger than anything the CMC had ever used. If Telmar could get his hands on those, they might just have a fighting chance.
"Understood, sir," Zorin said, already turning to implement the order. "The Titans will be ready in six hours."
[The CMC General's Resolve]
Back aboard the Scythe, General Telmar watched as his fleet began its retreat. They would regroup, lick their wounds, and then return with a vengeance. The UOP had won the first round, but this war was far from over. The true strength of the CMC had yet to be unleashed.
As the Scythe disappeared into the darkness of space, Telmar's mind was consumed with thoughts of StellarForge's reinforcements. The Titans were coming. And with them, the CMC would rise again.