Planetary Annihilation Means Slamming Colossal Power onto the Surface (2)
[One day later]
One thing I realized anew: Erisa, the new provisional governor and secretary-general with a hint of red-hot spice in her title, who's lately earned the moniker "Hero of the People," is one hell of a woman.
If it had been the previous governor, in a cute little situation like this, he'd have been all, "This planet's fucked, I don't wanna watch you all die Run! Oh, but grab some imperial currency from the vault first lol."
With 8 billion lives on the line and the shitty conditions of a border planet, waiting for who-knows-when reinforcements, it wasn't entirely unreasonable when you thought about it.
But she proved she was different from the last guy: "Can't guarantee your lives. Old folks, kids, cowards who don't wanna die—get out. Stay if you're the 'motherfucking badass heroes ready to die for everyone who runs.' Let's fucking die today."
Is that something a normal person would do? This girl's no factory-planet rotter. 'Gotta put her on an administrative throne no matter what!!' Who knew she had so much in common with me.
Anyway, thanks to her backbone, the situation was tilting in our favor all around. And maybe because of that, the generals were spewing unfiltered madman plans like crazy.
I decided to straight-up forget that brainless "brainstorming" from the last meeting and called another one. 'I'm the only sane guy in this insane empire's insane army's insane family, so as emperor, I gotta rein 'em in.' What choice did I have? It's all thanks to me that they're not totally off the rails. 'I can do this...!'
The meeting topic: how to break the massive, horrific encirclement around where Sis Selene was holed up.
"Alright, so the meeting—" As I sat in my chair and scanned the room, something felt off. The seats were emptier than they should be. "—but why are there so many empty spots?"
Something's wrong. Key people are missing. "...Hey, where's Little Sis?"
Aurora Sis was gone.
"Fuck. Where the hell did that earless bitch go?!" Governor Lilian was missing too. Even Gaius and Sophia were gone.
Fuck, did I push too hard? "...Wait. Where the hell is the secretary-general really?"
Fuck, why did all the important ones vanish at once? An impossible combo like that, all disappearing together? Does that even make sense?
'Even if Second Sis is a maniac, she's better than these legion commanders. At least she only fucks around within orders.' And I hadn't given many orders worth the name.
The ones left: the legion commanders, their aides, and me. Just five people.
But weirdly, they all had smirks on their faces. 'These bastards?'
Did they conspire without me? "...Where did they go?"
At my question, the three legion commanders grinned even wider. Reichenbach spoke up.
"Your Majesty, first, today's battle report. The drone op launched as planned; about 500,000 units deployed—"
"Not that. Where are Sis, the Humanity Brotherhood, and the governor? Fuck... Where's that witch, the earless bitch, and this era's hope?!"
They kept smiling, totally oblivious. "Your Majesty, before we explain, allow us to thank you for your great foresight—"
"Cut the bullshit and get to the point."
"......As loyal subjects following Your Majesty's concise commands—"
"Goddammit!! Why are your tongues so fucking long?!"
At my rage, Reichenbach finally got it, losing his smile and panicking. Then Müller poked his side—like, 'You explain.'
Reichenbach cleared his throat and said flatly, "Well... the empire's fastest rocket, right?"
"Rocket?"
"Valkyrie-IX short-range rocket... y'know, the one nicknamed White Reaper."
"I know it. What about the rocket?"
"Thing is... the techs got high as fuck and modded it hard. It's big, so they crammed a whole Solver battalion inside, backed by our airborne troops from the Humanity Brotherhood, and via drone recon on the enemy command—"
Reichenbach paused with a heavy sigh. "......sent 'em off."
"......What did you do?"
I couldn't process it. That rocket's a bunker-buster. Insanely fast, brutally strong, just stupidly huge. And they did what to it?
"Wait, fuck—"
My brain took forever to crunch: Valkyrie-IX, Solvers, Humanity Brotherhood, all bundled up and dropped on enemy HQ.
"What the—?!" I never ordered that!
"......And finally, Major General Aurora left this...."
Müller handed me a paper. I snatched it and read.
[That's how it went down. We're here now—what ya gonna do? Pissed? Come step on me. But if you do, you're a sis-stepping traitor. Got it?]
"......Ah, aaaah!!!! Fuck!!!!"
Fuck my authority. They're the ones starting the no-pants wrestling match. Dignity my ass—I'm swearing too!
*****
While our empire's proudest emperor, His Majesty Kaius VIII, was roaring his lungs out (a.k.a. unleashing a torrent of creative curses), the transport's interior felt like a waiting room for hell.
The Condor-class heavy assault transport's standard engines top out at Mach 3 in-atmo. Labor Defense Committee techs and fleet engineers modded it in one day.
"Rip this out. Cooling system? Yeah, tear it off."
"What?! Then how do we cool it?"
"It's a one-way trip, cooli— tongue?"
".....Ah!!!"
Rip out the cooling, slap on three extra rocket boosters—overclocked to hell. No cooling means the engine might melt, but it was a suicide rush anyway. The goal: blitz the enemy command for decapitation. Return trip? Worry later.
Solvers charge ahead regardless. Not 'cause of Aurora.
The hold was packed. Up front: Erisa Karan, massive greatsword in right hand, 15mm heavy pistol in left.
Right behind: Governor Lilian Magdalena von Novaroma of the Humanity Brotherhood, imperial longsword and round shield. Shield emblazoned with their crest: crossed swords over a stylized severed ear.
Flanking her: Gaius Ferdinand with dual axes, Sophia August gripping an assault shotgun.
Center: Major Aurora Astraea on the round hatch, her Giant Parzival slung below. 7-meter custom frame, modded to her psycho specs. Transport mods included Giant suspension rig: drop the mech first at low alt for point.
Behind: ex-gov guard Major Nikolai Stern, sweating bullets, scared shitless solo.
Plus ~30 Solver Company, ~50 paratroops, ~40 Brotherhood elites—total ~120 crammed in.
Modded engine vibes rattled the metal walls; bodies jostled noisily.
Outside: 500k+ suicide drones swarmed the sky like pissed-off hornets, shredding AA guns, SAMs, fighters, even flying orc Terminators—erasing the air threat.
Erisa, backlit by drone blasts, faced the hold. 'Ah.... Gonna make me tear up.'
She vowed: Prove her worth, forged by His Majesty, loyal human born here to defend the empire.
So she did her best thing.
"Comrades."
Good writer? Speaking's easy. Her specialty: speeches. Fiery ones.
Her voice pierced the engine roar; 120 pairs of eyes locked on.
"Drones are flying out there."
Glass showed flashes of detonations—His Majesty's cold, precise machines shredding AA, smashing outposts, blinding foes.
"But!" She slammed her chest. "Drones can't make noise."
120 stared.
"Drones just hum like wind. Planes? Noisy jets, that's it."
"But we humans?" She grinned. "We have voices that make all those sounds."
Right hand skyward, left on heart like praise. "Wind, thunder, engines—even sounds drones can't dream of. That sound is...."
Eyes shut, then snapped open with iron will: "Long live His Imperial Majesty!"
Those six words hit everyone, swelling patriotic fire in their chests.
"Only humans can shout it. Cold machines without hearts can't. Superior declaration—living cords, hot blood pumping!!"
Finger stabbed at enemy HQ beyond glass. "They need 'Long live His Imperial Majesty' shouted there. Us!!! Drones kill, but can't roar our war cry. So—"
Voice peaked, veins bulging: "We go!! We burn bright!!!"
Speech ended; cheers erupted.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"
"Long live the Human Empire!!!!"
"Long live Comrade Secretary-General!!!"
Roars battered walls, shaking the ship. Erisa strode aft to the ramp door.
Her weapons, once shaky, were steady now. Fear lingered—humans feel it. But greater than fear? Will.
At the sealed ramp, she turned: "This is our human homeworld!!"
Fists clenched, arms wide then in. "No xeno passes easy. They see us? They turn back—or die!!"
Hydraulics hissed; ramp cracked open.
Whoooosh—!! Acrid, stinging wind blasted in; her hair whipped wild.
Erisa: frontline vanguard.
"Prepare to die!" Greatsword high. "No running—fight to the end."
Safety off pistol. "They shall not pass! (¡NO PASARÁN!)"
"!!!!"
Hesitant faces twisted to hate, rage, human superiority—gripping guns, teeth gnashing.
"Better die standing than kneel!!"
Last cry; ramp fully down. Shadow skimmed ~1m off ground, 300kph.
Jumping? Insane. But aboard, only one sane; safety nets existed, bodies enhanced—not impossible.
"""Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"""
All charged for emperor. (Ignore Aurora first—her 7m Giant couldn't hover or prone at 1m.)
She and Parzival led, rampaging ahead.
Anyway, Erisa next.
'Huu... Your Majesty. Protect me.' Duty weighed: Words mean shit without action.
She jumped first. "Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"
All followed; she led the drop. Aurora/Parzival's heavy autocannon spun forward, blazing path.
Aurora boomed via externals: "Clearing lane!!! Shred those damn orcs and secure!!!"
Cannonfire shredded Eldra barricades like paper; three soldiers pulped behind.
"Gaaah!!!"
"H-Human Empire Giii—"
"Drones, now what the fuck!!!"
Parzival charged a 4-story building; it crumpled. Crushed or stomped Eldra inside like bugs.
Lane made; rockets, troops followed.
Transport, emptied, slammed enemy outer wall.
"Raaah!!! Long live His Majesty!!"
"Crazy bastard! You too!!"
"N-No!! His Majesty said I'm emperor in the transport—"
"Bullshit! Grab a gun!!"
"Gyaah!!!"
Pilot dragged out by Solver, survived. Transport exploded huge—mod fuel instant bomb.
Flame pillar: signal flare.
"Charge!!! Show these xenos human might!!"
Erisa, sword high, flames at back—hundreds surged.
Rockets rained; thousands of Solvers/troops poured, smashing inside/out.