Ken was a cheerful-looking 60-year-old man who’d served in the Navy. He wasn’t Enhanced, or much of a fighter at all, in fact. He’d chosen to eschew direct conflict to specialize in logistics throughout his military career. Due to a series of coincidences and a few mutual acquaintances, he and Markus had become good friends during their time in the service. The Pioneer could always count on the naval logistics master to get him the supplies he needed, while Ken was simply happy to make a meaningful contribution. After leaving the military, he’d made a fortune in the transportation industry, especially food transportation. Ken had subsequently pivoted to make even more money in the restaurant business, and he certainly looked the part of a restaurateur. A big man in every sense, he somewhat resembled a boulder that had learned how to walk, but his broad smile and gleaming, humorous eyes ruined any imposing aura he might’ve had.
The size differential between Ken and his Pioneer buddy was rather comical, especially because the smaller Markus could toss the restaurateur across the room with the flick of a finger. Not that there was any real chance of that happening, as Markus responded to his friend’s boisterousness with his own dry amusement, saying, “I’m always happy to see you, Ken, but I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on the food. Elena’s home cooking could give any of your chiefs a run for their money.”
Rather than seeming offended, the bigger man just laughed: “Hoho! Then maybe I’ll have to go see you instead. If that rinky-dink little cabin of yours can even fit a man of my stature!”
He slapped his belly for comedic effect, producing a small round of chuckles from some of the nearby partygoers. Markus gave a small smile, before he got serious again and leaned over, commenting, “I didn’t get to say this before, but thank you for lending my son your safehouse. I’d be happy to pay for the repairs-“
“Perish the thought!” Ken interrupted him, gesticulating in a broad denial before continuing, “I’m always happy to help a friend, especially if that help puts scumbags behind bars. You let me handle the cleanup with the house.”
Markus looked grateful, but before he could say anything, Ken gestured toward the other side of the room and commented, “And look at little Jordan over there! I remember him when he was only teeny tiny. He’s grown up to be a regular chip off the old block.”
Jordan, true to form, was goofing around on the dance floor. All of Daniel’s friends, along with Lucy and Marie, were at this celebratory party. It had been thrown in honor of their recent triumphs, after all. Markus pursed his lips as he watched his son say something teasing to Marie, earning a blush and a playful swat in response. He remarked, “I don’t remember being that hyper when I was younger.”
Ken waved dismissively, “No, you were a stick in the mud back then, too. I was talking about your skills as a soldier. He combines your military competence with Elena’s personality, which is an improvement.”
Markus opened his mouth to answer, before closing it again with a sudden grim expression. His head suddenly turned to look off in the distance, and several of the other Pioneers at the party did the same thing. Markus’s following statement came out in a cold, stern fashion: “We need to evacuate.”
Ken barely had time to open his mouth before the alarms went off.
…
Lothkar Markon stepped through the portal, opened between the hills of the Akaadian countryside after being transported here by one of Its stealthy minions. It sensed the other portals opening all across the area around It, and It knew that they had likely already been detected by the humans’ early warning systems. Even so, surprise was on Its side for now. The enemy hadn’t seen them coming.
Its seven eyes gleamed with jet black lightning as It raised up a hand and began charging an Annihilation Ray.
…
User Name: Daniel Sylvester Hardgrave
Age: 18
Pioneer Class: Delta
Rank: Sergeant
Status
Strength: 260
Dexterity: 292
Constitution: 235 -> 237
Adaptability: 241 -> 242
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Psyche: 284
Psionic Capacities:
Slot 1: Hunter’s Domain (Delta) (MP=0/21)
- Establish an Extrasensory Domain with Psionic Energy surrounding the User.
- Senses are enhanced within the Domain. User extends Senses throughout the Domain.
- Dexterity is enhanced while the Domain is active.
Slot 2: Destroyer’s Strike (Delta) (MP=0/21)
- Use Psionic Energy to temporarily Enhance a user’s limb or weapon.
- Enhancement increases the attack power and durability of the limb or weapon.
- Enhancement reaches its pinnacle when first activated, losing power quickly over time.
Slot 3: Empty
Personal Attributes:
Slot 1: Predatory Grace (Delta) (MP=0/15)
- Significant enhancement of natural Dexterity.
- Improves the ability of the User to move silently.
- Scales with Dexterity (D) and Adaptability (E).
Slot 2: Titanic Might (Delta) (MP=0/15)
- Considerable enhancement of natural Strength.
- Toughens skin, making User harder to damage.
- Scales with Strength (D) and Adaptability (E).
Slot 3: Pneumonic Enhancement (Epsilon) (MP=0/7)
- Increases lung efficiency, allowing the User to survive with less Oxygen.
- Allows User to more easily convert the atmosphere around them to Oxygen, making breathing in many hostile environments possible (e.g. Breathing underwater)
- Scales with Adaptability (E).
Slot 4: Empty
Slot 5: Empty
Integrated Technologies:
Slot 1: Archangel System (???) (Power=58.2%)
Daniel examined his stats as he and the other members of his squad completed the swim back to their original starting point. He’d seen some limited growth in his lagging stats, but nothing to write home about. That wasn’t heartbreaking, since he’d been mostly goofing off this entire time. He was only able to grow this much because of all the high-quality Abductor Leviathan meat he’d obtained. Daniel still had lots of the stuff, in addition to lots of Spinning Sea Devil fillets, and was planning on eating nearly all of it on the way back. He’d caught a good number of extra fish while on vacation as well, which he’d throw High Command’s way. That, along with the Litradia, should make them quite pleased with his service.
What he was really jazzed about was the remaining charge in the System. He’d gone to full charge when making contact with that massive Meta battery in the facility. The subsequent fight with the Kharnidd Mentalist had been a rather easy exercise, for Daniel at least. The Pioneer had mainly been trying to conserve the System’s charge, since he’d held the advantage in stats and weaponry. The Kharnidd’s final move had disrupted those plans somewhat, forcing Daniel to use the Heavenly Armament’s ultimate ability. Heavenly Pierce was the ultimate attack of the Armament’s spear mode. It, and all the other modes’ ultimate attacks, could only be used while the Makiel Protocol was active. Daniel had been forced to use it in the face of the Mentalist’s ultra-charged Ray, as that attack was dangerous to him at his current class, even with the Protocol. He hadn’t used the ultimate attack initially because of how hefty the energy cost was. Nearly a quarter of his battery had gone into that strike, even after all the efficiencies he’d gotten from moving into Delta class.
Even with all those expenses, Daniel still had over half his charge left. A comforting insurance, especially given the possibility of a future court-martial. One could never have too many cards to play.
The crowds at the Imperial drop island were pretty substantial, and some of them looked curiously at Daniel’s party as they emerged from the ocean and walked across the beach. They knew that his party had reached the sunken ship and were curious as to what had happened down there. Some also took note of the unfamiliar figure within the squad’s midst, but Daniel and his party just pushed their way through the throngs and entered their evac pods. A few hours later, their evac ship came back to pick them all up, and they were finally on their way.
Daniel’s team met with the ship’s captain, a man by the name of Andrew Lockheart, to explain their situation regarding Emily. The captain seemed surprised and wondered if the Pioneers wanted her thrown in the brig, only to receive negative responses. They vouched for her character, an easy decision given her heroics against the Khranidd Thralls, so the captain permitted them to bring her back to their quarters. So long as the Pioneers didn’t let her wander around the ship, she was free to ride with them back to the FOB. However, he told them that he would report her to the FOB’s base commander before arrival, which the Pioneers agreed to. This favorable treatment was only possible thanks to the lack of an ongoing war, but the captain had still proven unusually broad minded.
With that taken care of, the Pioneers dodged the crowds again as they made their way back to their quarters. At one point, Daniel caught a glimpse of Harold Goldstein, only to have the other man turn back and slink away. The man’s behavior simultaneously angered and disturbed Daniel, the sighting proving an unwelcome reminder of how uncertain his future was.
Daniel’s squad was avoiding the crowds because they didn’t want to expose Emily to more questioning, which could lead to more danger for her. Furthermore, none of them were in the mood to brag about their accomplishments. Even after their vacation, the specter of the losses Daniel’s squad had taken still loomed large in all their imaginations, brought into stark relief after reuniting with the other Pioneers. The other Imperials had clearly taken losses of their own, thanks to the Gamma class Kharnidd and other dangerous skirmishing around the planet. Daniel reflected bitterly that he'd been on two missions now where his team’s casualty rate had been above 50%, a grievous and unusually high statistic for missions at his current class. Despite all the successes he’d seen on this Ocean planet, he’d be happy to put the whole abyssal adventure behind him.
Just as he was ruminating on all of this, Captain Lockheart’s voice blared over the ship’s speakers: “Attention, all Pioneers and crew. We have received a distress signal from a vital Imperial facility within our immediate area. The mining operation on Moon D2404 is under attack from a Xenos force known as the Kharnidd. We are going to reinforce them. Prepare yourselves and see the ships’ quartermaster for free ammunition resupply.”
Daniel’s blood chilled as the announcement ended, leaving the ship in stony silence. That quiet was quickly broken as many soldiers broke out in yells of surprise or disappointment. Some began murmuring gossip about the Kharnidd, noting that the Gamma class Xenos keeping the Pioneers from reaching the downed ship back on E2555 had been a Kharnidd. That meant that Daniel’s group was in even higher demand as more people started questioning them about what they’d seen over the course of the trip. Daniel, for his part, had sunk even deeper into thought.
While an adventure may be behind him, it looked like a war was coming up ahead.
End of Book 2: The Abyssal Adventure
The Story Continues in Book 3: The Empire’s War