Planetary Annihilation: Crashing a Fucking Massive Force onto the Surface (3)
The original Eldra ground forces command post had been in what used to be the administrative building of the 7th Industrial Zone. It was about 30 kilometers from the governor's office, and the Eldra ground troops had seized the building to use as their new headquarters.
So where was the original command post? "Whoa! A shooting star! Even this shit-stinking factory planet has meteors, huh?!"
"What the fuck?! That's no star—it's a 50km battleship! Take cover!!"
"Planetary kill! Planetary kill! Planetary kill!!!"
The original command post happened to be right where a single 50km battleship had wiped out the entire area, forcing them to start from scratch. Of course, proving they hadn't just been sitting on their asses since the war ended, the Eldra had rebuilt their HQ and fully reestablished command in just a few days.
"All set! All set!! Push straight for the enemy governor's office like this!"
No matter how he thought about it, the Eldra lacked confidence. Quality confidence. A 50km battleship screaming "planetary kill" and slamming down? Totally plausible. It was the 5th Fleet, after all. According to data from the Great War, they were the most belligerent bastards in the entire Human Empire. They'd driven allied forces insane with their out-of-the-box tactics time and again, even going toe-to-toe with the White Fleet.
The interim governor gritting his teeth and holding out? Plausible. History was full of defenders having the edge—human history, Eldra history, it was always the same. It might just take a bit longer, that's all.
But then the emperor himself shows up, declares he's taking direct control, brings two and a half regular fleets to this backwater planet, smashes the fleet, lands on the surface to relieve the governor's office, and unleashes drones for terror attacks? Completely out of left field.
And now those guys are riding one-way suicide transports accelerating faster than rockets or jet engines, crashing in for a decapitation strike? This was batshit insane, utterly unpredictable.
The Eldra had logically assumed humans held the advantage and wouldn't pull desperate stunts like that. And they sure as hell hadn't expected an assault straight at their command center.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Commander!! It's the Human Empire!! The Human Empire is here!"
"How the fuck did they even get here?!"
"R-rockets!!! The same rockets that kept slipping into bunkers during the Great War!"
"What?!... Yeah, that's the Human Empire all right!"
"Right?"
Well... there was that legend about the 5th Fleet-tainted Human Empire forces being so utterly deranged they were more "5th Fleet Army" than anything. Anyway, the Eldra troops' morale shattered in an instant, and they couldn't even mount a proper response to the sudden raid.
In the midst of chaos with hundreds of thousands of drones kamikaze-ing everywhere, massive, insanely fast rockets poured into the base from who-knows-where.
From those rockets spilled mad fixers screaming, "We've finally reached the Eldra command center~!!! Eldra-bash! Eldra-kill!"—fully prepped to play Russian roulette with Eldra necks.
Having learned just how tough Eldra skulls were the hard way, the Human Empire went all-in, channeling that summer beach watermelon-smashing vibe: some yellow-banded freak calling himself Maitreya swung his steel pipe like he was cracking heads, aiming to burst Eldra skulls. Does any of this sound remotely sane?
Unfortunately, for these guys armed with hatred, vengeance, and "Long live His Imperial Majesty!", sanity had been ditched ages ago.
Still, it wasn't like there were no defenses. The building was ringed by triple defensive lines: barricades, trenches, machine-gun nests, AA batteries, and Butcher swarms.
A sane attacker would've needed a division's worth of troops to breach it. But hundreds of thousands of suicide drones had wiped every gun battery that could've threatened rockets or transports, so no need.
They'd used up their week's worth of ammo in one go. Anyway, tens of thousands of suicide drones slammed into the AA batteries simultaneously, punching holes in the air defenses. Rockets and transports slipped through those gaps.
Transports crashed into the outer walls and exploded, physically obliterating the first defensive line. Troops advancing from outside poured in without a hitch.
"Hey!!! Get your shit together! Stick together and live, scatter and die!!"
"Anyone retreating has to read NTR harem pure-love gore fanfics from the Human Empire for a month and write reports!!!"
"If you don't wanna be World Tree fertilizer, fight!"
But Eldra were intelligent. The chaos barely stabilized at the second line, where they grabbed rifles and formed up.
"Coming through!"
Boom—!
Parzival windmilled overhead, shattering the formation and collapsing the second line. No anti-tank weapons was the fatal flaw.
A 7-meter Giant's foot crushed two Eldra soldiers at once; their flesh-and-blood bodies literally pulped under dozens of tons into a meat-paste slurry on the dirt. Autocannons pulverized barricades, turning hidden Eldra behind them into meatball stew.
Thud—!
Missile pods fired four small missiles, obliterating four machine-gun nests simultaneously. Gunners gripping guns and loaders hauling belts lost upper bodies in a flash, torsos left dangling.
Aurora's voice boomed through the megaphone: "Who’s the perfect 12/10 Imperial subject to smash these limp-dick Eldra cunts? Us!!!!"
120 followed Parzival, then fixers from rockets jetted onto the Giant with waist-mounted packs, hopping on and off in a frenzy.
Along the path of destruction—over crushed, shattered barricade remnants—they brought death itself.
"Let's offer these inferior races' necks to His Majesty!!!"
Lilian bellowed to the elite Human Brotherhood soldiers and officers following her, drawing roars from 40 warriors.
"Long live!!! Long live!!!"
Gaius ran at Lilian's left. "Charge, everyone!! His Majesty watches over us!! Long live the Human Empire!"
"Long live!!!"
He swung the axes in both hands in circles, absorbing every ray of hope piercing this barren soil and reflecting it back to boost 'human' morale around him.
His Eldra trait ignored: hulking muscles strained under combat gear, unusually broad shoulders for an Eldra looked warrior-solid, indistinguishable from a human. Soldiers trailing him couldn't help but admire his iron will and spirit.
Thus, Erisa and Aurora's vanguard effortlessly smashed the second line, reaching the third—the heart of it all.
"The objective is right in front of us, men!!!!"
Then the Butchers appeared. Four quadruped monsters charged from the building entrance.
"Those...!"
Erisa recognized them instantly. Because...
"They're mine!!!!"
She knew their taste intimately from killing them before. Boom—!
Erisa charged. But Parzival kicked the front one to paste first.
"Nooo!!! Don't kill them all!!!!!"
"Huh? What?!"
By the time Erisa's scream reached her, Aurora had soloed the remaining three into mush.
As she paused, Erisa saw the fourth slip between Parzival's legs, barreling at her.
"Hahaha!!!"
Erisa laughed. Back then, she'd been a scaredy-cat on pure survival instinct. Now, fully embracing predator status, she was even more ferocious.
Without slowing, she hurled herself into the Butcher's path. Thud—!
Instantly atop its back, she repeated her trench moves: big-bore pistol punching holes in flesh, greatsword jammed in to peel thick hide like flaying.
—Kreeeeek!!!!
The Butcher twisted with ear-shattering screams, but Erisa shoved her left pistol into its gaping maw.
"This is His Majesty's reward for you! Take it sweet!!"
Bang—!
The heavy round punched through throat and out. —Kreee...guk...
It spat a blood gurgle, boiled internally, then collapsed dead. Clack—!
Erisa leaped off, landing. Blood and coolant dripped from both weapons. Swish—!
She wiped the bloody greatsword on her left forearm's crook, left to right, cleaning on her sleeve. Then flicked it up, shouting:
"Don't stop!! Keep advancing!"
Through the breach poured 120 unscathed humans(?) toward the entrance.
*****
The Eldra ground forces HQ corridors were narrow. Offices and conference rooms lined both sides, width about 3 meters. Close-quarters combat erupted in the tight space.
"Get everyone in! Everyone! Fixers outside will hold! You, you, and you! 1st and 2nd Platoons hold!! Rest clear out, 4th Platoon follows me!"
"Yes sir!"
Parzival couldn't enter. Aurora parked it at the entrance, hopped from the cockpit, set auto-mode, and joined inside.
"We take point!"
30 fixers led. Optimized for tight CQC: swords, shields, shotguns, combat knives.
Every corner, an Eldra popped out—fixers neutralized in under a second, repeating.
Aurora's style defied description. Too fast for eyes to track, that's it. Relentless slaughter till nothing breathed.
Whoosh—!
"Where you going!!" Thud—!
"Gaaak!" "Guhk?!"
Running the corridor, she grabbed heads bursting from side doors, smashing them together skull-first—like needle piercing cloth, natural.
Lilian ran right behind. "Hah...!"
Seeing human fixer combat up close, awe burned in her eyes. This is humanity's way of war...!
In 340 years, had she witnessed violence this beautiful? No. Her old kin—now inferiors—could never wield such noble savagery.
The corridor ran red. Same crimson, but shades differed; Brotherhood soldiers fought fiercer, ashamed of their blood's hue.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"
The cries filled the building, His Majesty's authority taking root anew. Erisa, tears of joy, beheaded Eldra with her razor greatsword, smiling.
Finally, commander's office.
"Hey! Open the door!!"
"Think I'd open for a bitch like you?!"
"Then I'll open it myself!"
Aurora kicked the door to shards. Inside, ~10 Eldra officers stared; commander central. Silver hair, long ears, White Fleet insignia on shoulders. Stood before holo-tactical map.
"Gasp?! You actually broke it!? That's new-material steel!"
Terror flashed on his face, then rage at who he saw.
Behind Aurora: Lilian. Eldra face, short ears, Human Empire sword and shield, screaming human cheers—a traitorous species-betrayer.
"Hey there, supply-theft crook Elfura Commander."
Familiar Eldra tongue hit; his face twisted from rage to loathing.
"You disgusting bitch!!!"
His voice cracked with eons of civilization's pride shattering.
"You're Eldra!!! Not human! You were a war hero!! Why.... WHY!! Why betray your own kin?!"
Lilian smirked mockingly, stepping forward. Aurora parted for her.
They faced off.
"Correct."
Lilian replied. "I was born Eldra."
His eyes filled with contempt. "And you pretend to be human—"
"But."
She advanced. "Being born Eldra wasn't my choice. Let alone becoming one of your heroes—not even ant-shit worth."
She closed in confidently, dominating him. "Becoming human was my choice. Ahh... feels so good. Unlike inferior races, the Human Empire has merit-based equality, at least."
She raised her sword to his neck. "Eldra boasts millions of years of civilization, yet lost to humans of similar tech."
His face flushed. "Eldra lived long, unchanged. Millennia standing still, same beliefs, same mistakes."
Her voice lowered. "Humans live short. But in that time, they learn, change, grow. Today's humans differ from yesterday's. That's humanity's strength—what Eldra lacks."
She whipped the sword aside, final words: "I chose that power. Humanity's change, not Eldra's stagnation!"
"That's betrayal! To your—!"
"My species betrayed me. I was a hero or whatever, just wanted to defend my home. You took everything; the Human Empire gave us teachings, you fucking shits."
Her voice echoed. "Millions of years gave me arrogance and stagnation. Humanity gave possibility of change! Understand?"
"Bullshit! Justifying kin-slaying with 'superior or not'?!"
"Oh? Didn't know? While building power to war with the Human Empire, you crushed thousands of planetary natives just like us. Why pretend now?"
She laughed, slicing his throat clean. "No more suffering in inferiority, Commander. My final courtesy."
Crimson Eldra blood sprayed. Lilian felt nothing negative at the sight—only liberation. Chains of inferiority snapped.
Swish—!
She hoisted the severed head, climbed to the roof, highest vantage for all to see, and bellowed:
"We've taken the enemy commander's head!!!"
Mid-battle, nearby crowds erupted in cheers.
"Victory is ours!!!"
She raised the head high; crimson blood ran down her arm, dripped from sword.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"
"Long live His Imperial Majesty!!!"
"Woooaaahhh!!!!"
Aurora approached. They smiled together.
"Am I... 'human' now?" Lilian turned, grinning.
Aurora patted her shoulder. "Yeah. You're the most human human I know. Total badass bitch. And... probably my brother's ideal type."
"Really?!"
"Yup! Lucky, you might even be principal wife?"
"Ooh!!"
What great news! Humans marry humans. Eldra? Whispers of "cunt-fuck" or "His Majesty's ears too long." But now Lilian was 'human'.
"Well... gotta give a wedding gift. Back home, we called this 'dowry'."
"Dowry?"
"Yeah. First... hmm."
Aurora led her back to command. Sparkling gold platters and covers. Lilian's right hand held the commander's head; floor had deputy commander's headless corpse.
"Two platters?"
"Commander and deputy—two. General Aurora."
"...Governor Lilian. Great minds, huh?"
"Agreed."
As they prepped the dowry amid chaos, only Major Nikolai Stern wasn't smiling.
Fuck...
He leaned against the wall, groaning, shaking off near-bayonet trauma.
Rifle lowered, he surveyed: humans and Eldra mingled cheers—unfamiliar sight. Trenches: he'd peeked, sniped those long-eared fucks.
No... these had short ears...
Stern muttered: "Fuck... so this is what the Emperor wanted."
Decades of guard duty screamed it. This wasn't war. Just the Emperor solidifying power for lifelong rule—a holy war for eternal reign.
And not just him. Every loyalist here craved it. Eternal Emperor.
These fuckers are fine being used like this...!
Chilling. They'd discard selves for eternal Emperor? And love it?
...Can't comprehend.
The Emperor who'd fostered this? Terrifying genius.