Introductions

Jayden looked between his subordinates, all looking to be unsettlingly young, except Blight. There was Ilya, a thin girl who looked to be in her mid-teens, leisurely talking with Noah, a boy who looked to be in his early teens, as if her discussion with him didn't exist. Then there was Akron, her introverted twin brother. He also looked to be in his mid-teens, and like his sister, is particularly lean. Both were sold and then used as gladiators for the criminal underworld's amusement, harboring many scars due to it. On a more lighter note, figuratively speaking, was Mira. Mira was "assigned" (more like ordered) to be Jayden's adjutant, garnering prestige for her family to boast on gatherings. Jayden sighed. She too was a victim of the bootlickers, the type many higher-ups want to think doesn't exist. Forced out of her own safe space for the cause of eternal life, or other ludicrous wishes.

Once having enough experience and talent, one could expect to be on a list of candidates for the Grail Serum, the immortality serum's name. If you were supremely talented, your family would be included as well. Thus, cultivating competition, which in turn, births progress for the state. It was an odd system, to say the least.

She was wearing a pink sweater vest, on top of a light blue sailor uniform she still wore, despite already graduating, maybe it's to keep for nostalgia sake's? Whatever it was, it made her look more younger than she already was, her being 22 and all. She was currently fumbling her speech, like she always does, which always eased Jayden from stress. To the right of her was Selene, a nanomancer. A nanomancer was the paragon of all psychics; the Delta Force of the Psi Corps. By controlling hundred of millions of nanobots near her, she would essentially have telekinesis, telepath, In-action Modification, and a plethora of other abilities. She was transferred here from her own Nova squad due to "worsening relations". She had glaring white hair, a juxtaposition on the utilitarian atmosphere of Forge, and had dark blue hair on the inside of it, possibly made by dyeing. Her eyes had white sclera, her irises a freezing dark blue, and her pupils an abyssal dark. Jayden shuddered after locking with those eyes. There was something diabolical in them, although not as potent as Ilya. She was also wearing casual clothing for women of the 45th century; a minimalistic gray and silver textile shirt and pants.

He looked to the right of her, where a middle-aged looking man had crouched, looking through his medi-pack. He had tan skin, black eyes, jet-black hair, and a short stubble on his squared jaw. He was neither lean nor rotund, just a perfect balance. He was wearing the medic uniform for the IAF (Imperial Armed Forces); white armor, as opposed to the more silver-colored Standard Gear, a red cross on his shoulder pads. Jayden recruited him when he was on duty in Nova Heroa, seeing potential in the man. He may be a pessimist most of the time, but he's a good man. He was codenamed Blight, after a particular incident in that Hive.

He looked to the right of the man, where a boy in his early teens was waiting for something, arms crossed, feet rhythmically pacing on the stone walkway. He had bright blonde hair, calming blue eyes, and an oval face. His features match people of Oriental birth. He was "recommended" by the CEO of a particular conglomerate, his father. When in truth, he was getting sent off to not bother in his father's machinations, and what better way to do that than sign up to be a Nova Operative? He had a troublesome personality at first, acting like he's the only sane one here, but after a few humiliating incidents, he altogether stopped his berating and now took a silent approach to everyone, especially Ilya. He was Noah Revanios, the 3rd son of the CEO of Heroa Pharmaceuticals.

Noah was talking to a girl right next to him. She was tall, about 6'5, had tan hair neatly braided up, wore brown or black textiles, gleaming silver eyes, and a sharp jawline. She was Kanae, like Flameheart, she had voluntarily joined Squad 48 of Nova, although for what reason, even Jayden doesn't know. He guessed that she came here for the fun of it all, and to see the reaction of Jayden's subordinates on her...sexual jokes. She was also a Japanese girl, through and through.

A ruffling of leaves quickly catches Jayden's attention, a few meters left of Ilya was a man who looked to be in his mid-teens. He had crimson red hair, scarlet eyes, and wore an equally red polo shirt and jeans. He was ruffling up a quickly dying oak tree Jayden got as a gift from his friends. He couldn't find any use for it, so he just haphazardly planted it on his courtyard. Needless to say, the dark climate of Forge had wilted the poor sapling to an unrecognizable husk. Flameheart was shaking it vigorously, no doubt relieving his stress from the earlier encounter.

He could relate to Flameheart in a way. Some unwitting men had been turned into unrecognizable paste when relieved his stress on them. The boy still hesitates sometimes to kill, despite his unstable behaviour. When he finished inspecting his super-squad, he looked through the binoculars again, seeing the transport ships of the Grand Fleet methodically dock on...the docks. He also found the extra reinforcements from Battlegroup Celestial's Wrath, a green fleet, but a fleet of the most modern technology to date; it had Shipkiller Torpedoes, 'Warhammer' Heavy Railguns, a strike crew, 'Mincer' Medium Turrets and Vanzin Drives MⅧ. He had seen the Warhammer and the Mincer in the labs before, and he was inwardly proud of the engineers for those monsters.

The Mincer, as anyone could tell, had an extremely high fire rate but a short range, making it a perfect PD (Point Defence) weapon. The Warhammer was the anathema to the Mincer. It was a railgun that had devastating piercing power, even comparing it to other railguns. It also had a high fire rate, comparing it to other railguns. Last but not least, despite looking like separate projects, they were both conceived by the same teams, thus complementing each other and making any ship who wields it a deadly foe. Most of the Grand Fleets in the Frontier already have this upgrade, only a scant few managed to get refurbished.

For the first time in weeks, he smiled. Like the Old Terran WW2, the war brought many innovations to kill, challenging Humanity's finest. The outcome is, of course, uncertain. But this project, whatever it was, may be their Manhattan Project, if the email is to be believed. He looked back at his team and loudly cleared his throat. All the men and women stopped what they were doing and looked at him expectantly.

"Men and women of the Imperium!" he started. "Today marks a new age of prosperity like never before! Once we cross this bridge, we will be remembered in annals of history, not as a number on a record, not as an inconspicuous grave! But the saviour of Mankind! And be vigilant! For who knows what eldritch monstrosities lie beyond. We will live and die in a blaze of glory, outshining any supernova! You no longer need to cling to the false hope the Holo-boards give you! We no longer need to suffer the horrors of war! We will fight, and claim victory! FOR PENDRAGON!!"

"For Pendragon!!"

He panted out of exhaustion, doing speeches always gives him a drain like never before. He gestured to Mira, to which she somehow understood and gave him a bottle of cold water. He swiftly downed the thing before giving it back to her.