Chapter 1 – The man from the past.
New age date A.C. 307
In a random asteroid field filled with cold wreckage of gigantic warships stood the war-torn Flagship Tertium Draco. The captain of this warship has a heavy downcast look while he have just won the battle it was at a cost, a cost that could only be describe as a pyrrhic victory.
His duty was simple to delay the enemy in this system while the main fleet regroup and reorganize. The reality, not as simple, against an enemy thrice his size he had to hold his ground for an unknown duration. However, with the brilliant use of tactics his outnumbered 5th fleet manage to turn the certain defeat into victory. Alas, this amazing achievement was shadowed by the loss of three-quarter of his fleet and the reminding barely staying afloat.
The ship's chief officer came up beside the captain and sigh as he said, "Fleet Command always says a good navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace. Those were all good shipmen, we had a good navy but war still came."
Is all this worth it? Should they surrender from the start? These are thoughts that ran through the captain's head as he takes in the scene of the endless wreckage of his and his enemy's fleet. Worrying about what has happened is of no use, the die has been cast and there is no turning back now.
Slowly turning his head away the captain gave his orders, "Chief, set the course back to the Armada, time to make our enemies understand how good of a navy they are messing with… the war has just begun."
The war would make him one of the greatest Fleet Admiral of this generation but who would have thought his story began from a failed project 5 years ago.
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Earth A.D 2179 - The new age of colonisation
The great space colonisation age started shortly after faster than light (FTL) technology was invented. Billions sign up to be pioneers to escape from the overcrowding solar system. In a short span of a decade thousands of colonisation ships departed to the various corner of the galaxy with hopes and dreams of a new world.
These first generation ships with their FTL warp drives are impressive in terms of speed, able to travel up to twice the speed of light but the vastness of the galaxy easily made the capabilities of the budding technology appears like a dwarf. It was roughly 150 years from the start of the great age of space colonisation before the first ship has it's on-board AI found a suitable planet.
Our story start in the Komoka sector, star map K7581-O0974. The first colonists made planet-fall without major issues. Pioneers exit their cryogenic chambers and slowly began their work with excitement. They named the planet Pluvia and created a new calendar in line with the planet's orbit naming it "After Colonization" A.C.
The landing was the only good thing that happened for the young colony. Everything started going downhill after the first day; century of space travel had caused major wear and tears on the equipment that was brought from Earth sufficiently slowing down the colonisation process. Over time the thrills of a new planet and passion for a new beginning started to wane and were replaced with anxiety and depression. The breaking point incident came less than half a year from the planet fall where a huge construction accident killed 64 inhabitants and injured many more.
Conflict, finger pointing and argument were the outcomes while the result was the colony splitting into 4 different groups to set up bases in different directions. The situation improves greatly after the split, however with the small starting population coupled with degraded machinery and internal conflict, knowledge slowly got eroded and technology regresses into pre-space age.
Luckily there was a group mostly consist of scientists that stayed at the origin base, without the support of labourers and other profession they worked hard to prevent the collaspe of their society. Using their talent in science they created many tools to improve their chance at survial and eventually they were known as ITI which is an abbreviation for Innovation Technologies Institute. Slowly with time, blood and steel ITI took Pluvia from the other orgianzation and became the solo representative party of the planet. When they finally propel themselves back into space, what they found was that they were years too late. The space race had left them far behind, far too vulnerable.
When compared against their closest neighbours they are consider inferior in many area except technologies. It is also because of the advance technologies that ITI hold that kept war at bay. But war will happen, it will find a way, it always does. When it all started ITI controlled territories includes only 2 habitable planets and a dozen of systems with sizable resources.
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Unknown Station - New age date A.C. 302 (5 years ago)
"The transfer is a failure, body system is shutting down."
"This one is a failure too." Echo from the back of the room.
"What a waste of time and resource, I don't think there is hope for the last two."
"Wait… wait, I think this one is alive."
"Quick bring him to the med lab, hopefully we can get something out of this project."
The only good news in this project is quickly replaced by a bad one. The Chief Scientist shakes his head; the last test subject is a failure as well. Out of the 74 experiments, only 1 subject survived.
"Guess we have to move on to the next plan. Pack up everyone we are shutting this place down in 2 hours."
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Shortly after the sole survivor regains his conscious he notices that he was chain up and facing a man in a white lab coat.
"Could I know where I am, what is going on here?" with a splitting headache he asked, as his awareness gradually becomes clear his voice becomes more aggressive. "How… wait why I am anyway, I am sure I was bleeding out with a missing arm, I should have died."
"You have a very impressive record here Lieutenant Jakobsen Bedivere. Born in the year 153, joined the federation army at age 18, shot up the rank to lieutenant in 3 years through the uses of unorthodox tactics in the field." The man in the coat interrupts Jakobsen and with a hint of sarcasm, the man continues. "Your luck ends when you fail in one of your mission and got your men killed. From then you were stuck as a lieutenant till the war and died in 182."
"Wait… Answer my question, who are you, why are you chaining me up?" Jakobsen can't get his head around the situation and the man in the coat seems to have no interest in his questions.
"Luck changed for you after you 'died', posthumous you were called 'The Hero of Casaden Ridge', holder of the only twin star medal in the federation army. They award the medal for your brilliant plan for the assault of the enemy command centre, which also became the turning point of the war. As always, history can be a little fuzzy as the victor writes it, so let's hear it from you."
"You are not answering my question and you want to hear from me!?" Jakobsen tries to show defiance hoping he might get a reply or answers.
"I don't really care, frankly we don't have time and you have even less. Specifically, you are the one in chains and not me." Apparently, the man isn't affected by Jakobsen provoking attitude and realising the hopelessness of the situation Jako decide to just follow with the flow.
"Yes, I was at the Casaden Ridge. I'm sure we lost that war though, command threw my plans into the wind and we lost the best opportunity for an ambush. If you are from the Empire, I wouldn't know what the point of all this, you won, we lost, there is no use for Me."
Even though the Jakobsen know it is useless but his mind is filled with agitation. He struggled violently in frustration, trying to break out of the chains. Sign of impatience could be seen on his integrator's face.
"Mister Bedivere, I'm sure you understand that there is no use in struggling. I'm not from the empire and you WERE dead. You are only alive because we will it so I would suggest you watch your tone. The project has been a failure and unfortunately for you, we are in deliberation if we should spend more time on you the sole surviving subject but I'm leaning toward 'No'." The man in the lab coat left his seat and walks toward the exit. Just before stepping out he turns around and spoke a few more words to Jakobsen.
"You should count your blessings that you are alive now. To feed your curiosity, the Federation commanders didn't throw your plans away, they stole it. The truth came out a few years after the war; your mission that day was meant to take you out of the picture." The door shut close and Jakobsen is left in the room wondering what is going to happen next.
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Roughly an hour after the man in the white lab coat left the room a lady dress in office work wear entered along with two armed guards.
"Hi, I'm Chloe Casteer and I will assist to sort you out. Would you please follow me." she gestures to the two guards to help Jakobsen up.
"Mister Bedivere, This project was meant to bring back war heroes to bolster the military planning department. Through Gene engineering and transplanting, I believe you will find your body to contain a few secrets, not all of them half bad." Chloe was moving in a brisk pace down a long corridor.
"Stop it with the mister, my name is Jako and release me from these chains." Jako is confused about his surroundings and his reality isn't easily accepted. Gene engineering and transplanting those are words from a dreamer if not a madman.
"Based on the projected success rate of 30%, the plan was supposed to consist of around 20 war experts. Unfortunately, you are the only successful candidate and not the most optimize one. As someone that was tasked with a suicide mission, you performed remarkably at it, killing yourself and about 200 others." Ignoring Jako the petty lady giggles as she continues her briefing.
"That's not funny, I can remember all 179 of them and many were my friends", Jako felt insulted but there is nothing much he can do about his situation.
"Ok... Jakobsen Bedivere, understand this, what was used to bring you back was a lot of resource and tons of effort. Your thoughts aren't important, your existent insufficient and you are alive only because of what had already been poured into this project. It will be such a waste if you were to be terminated now." Chloe's attitude made a 180-degree change dropping the pretence of politeness.
Jakobsen was sure that this lady Chloe should be someone important in the group, the man in the lab coat use 'We' regularly instead of 'I' which meant in the least he isn't the sole discussion maker. This lady speaks as if the project belongs to her.
"The new plan is to arrange for you to be integrated into ITI under the cover story of a student from a backwater country being chosen to an exchange program." The corridor is coming to an end and a strange-looking door stands in their way.
"Don't misunderstand, while it might be a waste but if you break your cover, I will personally terminate this project. That basically means YOU." She points at Jakobsen
As they step out of the door, there was a sudden loss of gravity. Chloe turns in his direction just as another wave of confusion hits him.
"Welcome to space Jakobsen Bedivere."