Book 6, chapter 1

Surrounded by her team, Zee steadied herself as the drop shuddered, buffeted by wind as it ascended through the clouds. It was a military-grade vessel, decked out in defensive and offensive arrays. The ship had only one weapon visible from the outside, a long cannon with a wide barrel.

Yukna was visibly curious, but hadn't been allowed time to examine the weapon‌. That was okay though, as she would have plenty of time to examine the ship from top to bottom over the upcoming months.

Even aboard battleships of the imperial navy, it would still take half a year to reach the first target. Even with the ability to teleport, and access to wormhole networks across the empire, there was no overcoming one simple fact.

And that fact was that the Lorocan empire was massive. The distances involved were truly mind-boggling. For example, everyone referred to the cosmic river as being on the border of both the Lorocan empire and the blood gorgers.

It was technically correct. In terms of the galaxy, a thousand light years wasn't that far. In terms of normal space travel, it was a very long trip. Without access to wormholes, and spatial cultivators to jump the ship the trip would take a few thousand years. Hence why spatial cultivators were in such high demand.

For maximum efficiency they needed several spatial cultivators, D grade at the least aboard each ship, to operate and maintain the ship's incredibly complex teleportation arrays. The problem was, spatial cultivators were rare. Not only that, training spatial cultivators was expensive, and time consuming, as each had to attend at least a decade of schooling to get up to basic standards. 

There were outliers, of course, people who were far more talented than they had any right to be. Zee glanced over at an unexpected member to join the group. 

"How are you doing, Elvot?" Zee asked.

"I am alright, it's just a bit of turbulence," Elvot replied, nervously. He looked a bit queasy as he clung to the straps securing him to his chair in a white-knuckled grip.

"Are you excited?" Zee asked.

"Oh, yes, I am overjoyed... Being conscripted into the navy to go fight on the front lines is every man's dream," Elvot replied unhappily.

Zee laughed. "Look at the bright side. You are a noncombat cultivator. All your job will be is to help operate and maintain the ship's teleportation arrays," Zee said in a soothing voice.

He glared at her. "You say that like it's easy. I'm just a first-year academy student, and those arrays are incredibly complex. One mistake and I could accidentally blow my ship up," Elvot said, looking more than a bit out of his depth.

See rolled her eyes. "You need to calm down and take deep breaths. Everything will be fine, Elvot. You were the best in our class by far," Zee said.

"That's not saying much," Elvot grumbled. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zee asked.

 The rest of her team watched in amusement as Zee and Elvot argued back and forth. Dressed in his combat robes, Bastion leaned towards Malden.

"Ten Ether crystals say that Zee breaks our ships' jump arrays in the first three months," Bastion piped in, his voice drifting to her ears even over the ship's shaking.

Malden's tufted ears twitched In Interest. "You got yourself a deal lover boy. But, I'm betting it will be two months," Malden said.

From his side, Allison piped in, her grey eyes gleaming mischievously, "Twenty crystal on Yukna blowing something up in the first month," 

Beside her, Yukna looked affronted. "Hey! Don't bring me into this," Yukna pouted.

"I will take you up on that," Bastion said.

Yukna glared over at the innocently smiling Allison. "I would like to put ten crystals on Allie, setting some part of the ship on fire," Yukna said. She adjusted her bandolier, which was loaded with dozens of small holsters that were filled with etched explosives.

Bastion grinned. "That's the spirit! Taylor, Greg, do you want in on the action?" Bastion asked. 

"I will pass," Taylor said. Secured in his seat, the blood witch leaned on his metal-capped staff, clearly reconsidering his life choices.

Greg simply shook his head, his bright orange eyes darting around the interior as if looking for foes. Zee smiled at the interplay. She didn't mind the casual betting, even if it was at her expense. It was a good way to relieve stress.

Elvot didn't share her opinion, muttering under his breath. "You are all crazy!" 

The rattling of their rapid ascent grew, and then all of a sudden, she was weightless. Zee grabbed onto an overhead bar as the pilot's calm voice echoed through the cramped troop compartment. 

"Standby. We will be docking with The Fist within the hour," the pilot said.

Removing their straps, the team floated around the troop compartment, getting accustomed to the lack of gravity on their bodies. Elvot on the other hand, secured his straps tighter, not leaving his chair even once.

Zee could only shake her head. What a scaredy cat. They had plenty of time to mess around, and most of them returned to their chairs, having grown bored of the experience before they docked with their battle cruiser.

One wall flashed, drawing her attention, as she strapped herself back into her chair. A lifelike illusion appeared on one of the cramped compartment walls, projecting the view of a dark starscape. Reflecting the light of the planet below, a gigantic starship hung in the void.

Its plating gleamed dark and sinister, its shielding reflecting light particles. The ship was long and sleek, spanning at least five hundred meters in length, and about two hundred at its widest point.

Made of a sleek black Eridian alloy, it was beautiful, and sinister, a creation with the sole purpose of war.

As the relatively tiny drop ship approached, she could see the panels through the shielding. Each was covered in extensive etchings, weaving together across the ship to create a vast array.

Even more impressive were the ritualistic markings woven amongst the etchings, carved into the ship's thick plating. The complexity of it all took her breath away.

It made her realize just how out of their depth they were. Despite going to the academy, they were still just juniors, E-grade cultivators who had a lot more to grow.

Beside her, Yukna whistled softly. "How do they expect us to fix those? I can barely even understand what half of those etchings do, much less alter them," Yukna said, awe in her voice. 

Zee nodded. "I feel the same. That ritual diagram is something else," Zee said.

"You mean diagrams," Yukna corrected. 

"What? Diagrams?" Zee asked, eying the illusion more closely.

Yukna pointed at the forward end of the colossal ship.

"Ya, look, the rituals are set up in sections, overlapping in three spots, the prow, the belly, and the stern," Yukna said. 

Zee's eyes widened as she finally saw what Yukna was pointing out.

"This is insanity! How do those rituals overlap each other? I didn't even know that was possible," Zee said, swearing under her breath.

Yukna could only shake her head. "It's a good thing we have half a year of training to figure out how this thing works," Yukna said.

"I don't think a half year is enough," Zee muttered.

Yukna smiled, "I am excited for the challenge, this is going to be fun!" Yukna said, practically bouncing in her seat.

Hanging onto his straps tightly, Elvot looked a bit pale as he stared at the image on display.

"How do they expect me to be able to open a gate for that monstrosity? I barely have the energy reserves to teleport myself, much less that gigantic ship and an entire crew," Elvot said.

Zee laughed. "Don't get so riled up Elvot. You are just one member of the transportation core and a junior no less. The only time you may have to jump the ship alone is if the entire spatial core dies in an attack. Or an accident. Or a freak surge of energy in the endless storm," Zee said.

Allison smacked her on the shoulder. "Zee, you should probably stop helping. Elvot looks like he might die of anxiety," Allison chided. 

Noticing Elvot's increasingly pale complexion Zee couldn't help herself. "No need to be so anxious, Elvot. The worst that can happen when teleporting us into a spatial storm is getting our ship ripped in half," Zee said in a comforting tone.

If it were possible, his face turned even more pale.

Allison could only shake her head. "You are such an ass. Leave the poor man alone. He looks sick," Allison said. 

Zee patted Elvot on the shoulder, "He is doing fine, right Elvot," 

Elvot could only nod as the image of the battle cruiser grew larger on the illusory display. After some expert maneuvering from the pilot, the ship passed through a small hole that opened in the barrier and docked in a hangar near the stern of the warship.

Enfolded in the warship's arrays, gravity returned, which was a relief. It felt the same as the gravity back on the Lorocos, though she could immediately sense the difference.

An array was releasing energy into the air, creating an effect very similar to her compression, though not as suffocating. 

"The docking chamber has been pressurized, you may exit the ship," the pilot said, his voice echoing through the cabin.

The ramp hissed, and then lowered, revealing a grizzled officer. It was a squat lizard kin, about half her height and twice as wide. Its short stature did nothing to diminish its intimidating presence.

Built like a brick wall, the lizard Kin had arms and legs as wide as her torso. Sporting a fierce scowl, the man had a wide tooth-filled maw that looked like he ate rocks for fun.

The officer let out a low hiss of displeasure as he eyed the seven of them up and down.

"Attention!" he shouted. 

At his barked order, they all snapped off a haphazard salute. It was a mesh of sloppy or in some cases completely foreign salutes like those from Malden, Allison, and Bastion.

The only person who seemed to know the right salute was Elvot.

The officer scowled. "That was the worst salute I have ever had the displeasure to witness. You are even worse than I expected from a bunch of green recruits fresh out of the academy," he hissed.

None of them were stupid enough to rise to such obvious bait. At one time or another, they had all been mocked by a drill instructor. After nearly twenty seconds of uncomfortable silence where he glared at them, he finally spoke again.

"I am Captain Tanra, and this is my ship. Aboard this ship, my word is law. It has been brought to my attention that some of you can be quite useful, but that has yet to be seen. Until you have proven that you are not incompetent, you will not be allowed to touch anything more complicated than a broom.

Since I don't have time to personally babysit you, your new squad mates will brief each of you on your assigned roles. Any questions?" he asked.

"You are splitting us up?" Allison asked hesitantly.

"Yess. You will each be training with different squads to learn the ropes. In the future, I may put you all back on the same squad," he said. he reached into a uniform pocket and pulled out seven crystalline cards, tossing one to each of them. They looked a lot like pierres playing cards, though more sophisticated, with underlying etchings.

"Based on your rank, these cards will give you access to certain areas of the ship. Any door that does not open with your identification card is off-limits. If you are caught snooping in restricted areas, there will be severe consequences. Now, everyone but the redhead, you are dismissed," he snapped.

With only slight hesitation, her team vacated the docking bay, giving Zee curious glances as they left. 

The lizard kin's severe expression didn't fade in the slightest as her team disappeared into the ship, his eyes narrowing further.

"Let's make one thing very clear. I am well aware of who you are, and I couldn't give a rat's ass. The emperor personally gave me orders to give you no special treatment. The only concession you have been allowed per your status is the title of officer.

If I could, I would put you in charge of nothing more than the latrine, but sadly I can't do that. Since my scales are tied, you have been assigned to lead a demolition squad. They are a disciplinary unit, composed of conscripts and malcontents," he said.

"Will we see combat together?" Zee asked, her expression carefully neutral.

He nodded. "Yes. They have seen some combat, but it was just pirates, nothing like what we are heading into. You have six months to get them in fighting shape. If you can't do that, they will be slaughtered by the blood gorgers," 

Zee wanted to be angry at the lizard kin, but it wasn't his fault. He was just following the emperor's orders. Instead, she directed her burning anger towards her plans. She wouldn't be a pawn, no, she would show everyone she wouldn't be messed with. 

Or at least, she wouldn't be a pawn for long. She had to prove herself first, show that she could whip this squad of malcontents into a fighting force.

The other imperial scions might view this as a punishment, but she preferred it. People from the dregs of society had their own advantages. Zee was going to turn them into the best demolitions squad aboard the fleet. 

"Captain, how do I find my new squad?" Zee asked calmly.

Captain Tanra let out a grunting hiss. 

"Right this way Ensign. That crystal I gave you will show you to your quarters, as well as a basic layout of the ship," he said. As if in afterthought, he handed her a small silver thorn, indicating where to place it.

After pinning her rank insignia to her uniform, she followed the captain. Even with his squat frame, he outpaced her despite his short stubby legs. She couldn't be certain, but she could swear this lizard kin was at least an early Celestial cultivator. 

He contained it well, but the world river acted strangely to his presence, almost just like it did when Julian or Farsaic were nearby, though not as powerfully. 

That in and of itself made her wary of angering this ornery lizard man. It wasn't wise to anger people who could squish you like a bug. They walked through the cramped hallways of the ship, his claws clacking on the metal plating. Zee followed in silence, a frown tugging at her lips. She really didn't like being inside warships. With their extensive arrays, her spatial ripple skill was extremely limited. After years of the skill constantly being active, losing the ability to peer through walls felt like losing one of her major senses.

It was kind of funny. She used to struggle to ignore the overload of information, and now that she couldn't even look into the walls, it made her nerves on edge.

Not seeming to notice, or care about her current problem, Tanra swung open a thick metal door. With the door open, she could detect twelve people, each of whom rose to attention as they noticed the captain.

The smooth and unified salut one might expect from the imperial navy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, they got a discordant series of halfhearted salutes. 

Tanra's look of disappointment only grew. He gestured towards Zee with a claw. "This is your new commanding officer, Ensign Zee Viotti. She is here to train with you, and when the time comes, to lead you miscreants into combat."

He then turned and walked past her, pausing to whisper.

"I'll be watching you, don't screw this up, Viotti," Tanra said, before walking out.

The door to the squad's quarters shut with a heavy click, leaving her standing in front of the door. With the captain gone, the twelve soldiers of her new squad were eying her like she was a lamb brought to the slaughter.

She could feel their assessing stares as they tried to judge just how far they could push her. Not wanting to appear weak, she met each of their stares with a cold, dispassionate glare. All she got were disdainful glares in return.

To make sure they knew who was in charge, she let out some of her aura. A suffocating pressure filled the cramped quarters as she let her bloodlust out. The people who had been eying her like she was a fish on the chopping block visibly recoiled, startled at the density of her killing intent. Such a thing wasn't attained unless one killed thousands of monsters, washing their hands in blood.

This wasn't the best way to make friends, but she wasn't here for that. To keep people like this in line, she had to show them her strength. After all, no one respected weaklings. 

As fast as it came, her presence faded, the intense bloodlust disappearing. All that was left was a seemingly plain young woman, who didn't look like much with her average height and wiry frame. 

"Who is my second in command?" Zee asked casually. 

A brute of a man, his scarred fists the size of mallets, stepped forward.

"That would be me," he said. 

He was bulkier than Malden, at two heads taller than her, and probably weighing over twice as much as she did. He was bald, with a large crooked nose, and a chin so square a mason could use it to carve marble. If his appearance wasn't enough clue, the two savage one-handed battle axes that hung on either side of his hips practically screamed his profession.

"What is your name, soldier?" Zee asked, craning her neck to look up into his cold eyes.

He spoke in a deep rumble, his voice commanding attention. "The name is Brick. I became acting sergeant after our previous two officers were killed fighting pirates. Since then, no one has come along and told me otherwise, so here we are…" There was a long pause. "Mam," He said, taking a little too long before using her honorific.

She could only sigh inwardly. This was going to be a pain in her ass. This man clearly didn't respect her at all, a sentiment that the others in the room shared. 

But, then again, why should they? From their perspective, she was just an upstart noble scion who was only in her position due to her family status. 

"It's good to meet you, Brick," Zee lied." Would you introduce me to the rest of the squad?" 

He grunted, gesturing to the closest two bunks on the right wall of the sleeping quarters. They were small bunks, stacked two high, each only big enough to fit one person.

"Tag and Rosco are our pilots. The twins, Gennavie, and Gelata are our combat medics. The two at the end are Ulga and Olson; they are our explosives technicians," he gestured to the five soldiers on the left. 

"If you couldn't tell by their weapons and gear, these five, and myself, are the front-line fighters. We are the ones who keep the enemy at bay so the others can do their jobs," Brick said, his tone condescending.

Zee nodded, hiding her thoughts behind an unreadable mask. She let his lackluster description of the squad go for now. The way he left out half the names was clearly an act of minor insubordination, but she pretended not to notice

She could always learn their names later. These people trusted Brick, and making an example of him would only incur further animosity. No, it was better to bide her time. 

"I want to see what the squad can do! We will meet in the training hall in one hour after the ship makes its first jump," Zee said.

With that, she whirled on her heel and strode out of the bunk room into the narrow hallway. Dern's mental voice filled her mind as the door clicked shut behind her.

"Well, they were nice... Do you think they will actually show up?" Dern asked.

"I doubt they will ignore a direct order, but I imagine they will do something to show their displeasure," Zee grumbled.

"You could always feed me their souls if they get too uppity. I'm feeling a bit peckish," Dern said.

She shook her head. "I can't believe you are still hungry. I fed you like twenty monster corpses yesterday," Zee said, nodding to several naval soldiers who saluted her as they passed her in the narrow hallway.

Dern grunted. "Those corpses had hardly any of their soul essence remaining. We need fresh bodies, not corpses that have sat in your spatial storage for weeks. That was hardly more than a light snack," Dern replied.

Zee sighed. "Well, you will just have to deal with it for now. All we have are frozen corpses, and we don't have enough for you to eat them all in one sitting," Zee said.

"I know. Fine, I will deal with the hunger for now. What are you going to do about that uppity squad?" Dern asked curiously.

She cracked a smile. "Let's go find the quartermaster, I have an idea," Zee said.