Chapter 84: Soleon

Goerld PoV

I sighed as I went to the base. I'd tried to find a way out of my predicament, but I hadn't been able to find one.

Commander Wilneth had a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" Roan asked, tilting his head. We had gathered at the hangar.

"I'm not sure, but the main base in Edesia isn't responding. It's possible something happened."

I smiled slightly. "So, is the mission called off?"

She sighed. "No, if anything, it means we should go now. Something big might've happened in Edesia. We need to back up our members. Losing Edesia won't be much of a loss, but..."

"But what?" Tessa asked.

"I can't say."

Was there some hidden importance to Edesia? 

Commander Wilneth's reluctance to divulge more information only deepened the mystery. Roan, Tessa, and I exchanged concerned glances. It wasn't like her to keep us in the dark.

"Prepare your mechas," Commander Wilneth ordered, her tone brooking no argument. "We leave in ten."

As we moved to ready our mechas, Tessa fell in step beside me. "Do you think it's related to the recent disturbances we've been hearing about?"

"Could be," I replied, checking the systems on my mecha. "Or it could be something entirely different. Either way, we need to be prepared for anything."

Roan joined us, his expression serious. "I've heard rumors that Edesia might be more important than it seems. Some say there's a hidden facility there, something connected to advanced technology."

"Rumors," I muttered, though a part of me couldn't dismiss them entirely. "But if there's any truth to them, it makes sense why Commander Wilneth is so concerned."

Within minutes, we were all in our mechas, the hum of the engines filling the hangar. Commander Wilneth's voice crackled over the comms. "All units, proceed to the coordinates. Stay alert and be ready for anything."

The ground suddenly opened up and out of it emerged a ship. It was huge! Almost the size of the base.

"I heard that's just a small ship," Mira said.

We moved our mechas to the space ship which was to take us to Soleon, the universe that Edesia was located in.

The interior felt even bigger than the outside. The vast corridors and expansive hangars were filled with advanced technology, a testament to the importance of our mission. As we settled into our designated stations, the hum of the engines vibrated through the ship, a constant reminder of the power at our disposal.

Commander Wilneth's voice echoed through the comms. "All units, prepare for rapid ascent. We're on a tight schedule."

The ship shuddered as it lifted off, the force pressing us into our seats. Through the viewport, I watched as the landscape of Uto shrank away, replaced by the vast expanse of space.

"We're entering hyperspace in three... two... one," Wilneth announced.

The stars outside stretched into long lines, and the ship accelerated rapidly. The sensation was dizzying, the familiar constellations blurring into streaks of light. The ship's systems hummed louder, and the view outside the viewport became a swirling vortex of colors.

"Opening wormhole in T-minus ten seconds," the pilot's voice came through again.

I braced myself, gripping the controls of my mecha tightly. The anticipation was palpable, and the tension in the air was almost suffocating.

"Five... four... three... two... one... Engaging wormhole."

A flash of bright light enveloped the ship, and for a moment, everything went white. The sensation was disorienting, like being pulled in multiple directions at once. Then, darkness. An eerie, all-encompassing void that seemed to stretch on forever.

My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of the surroundings. Suddenly, another flash of light pierced the darkness, and the ship emerged into a different part of space. The stars here were unfamiliar as vastness of Soleon spread out before us.

"Transition complete," the pilot reported. "Welcome to Soleon."

I took a deep breath, the reality of our mission sinking in. We were far from home, in a universe filled with unknown dangers and challenges. But we had a job to do. I just hope that I don't have to hurt anyone.

"All units, prepare for descent to Edesia," Commander Wilneth commanded. "Stay sharp, and remember, we're here to back up our members and find out what happened."

As we navigated towards Edesia, the planet's surface came into view. The landscape was half desert and half untamed wilderness.

My mind raced with possibilities and concerns, but I knew one thing for certain: whatever awaited us on Edesia, we had to be ready.

"Landing in three minutes," the pilot informed us. "Get ready, everyone."

I tightened my grip on the controls, my mind focused on the task ahead.

The ship opened, allowing us to descend the rest of the way with our mechas. Gravity took hold as we exited the ship, and I felt the familiar pull as we made our way towards the forested half of Edesia.

The descent was breathtaking and eerie at the same time. The dense canopy of trees stretched out below us, their leaves a deep green interspersed with vibrant hues of purple and blue. The wilderness was untouched, wild, and teeming with life that we could only imagine from above. But as we got closer, the signs of conflict became apparent. Smoke rose from various points, and the devastation in some areas was clear.

"Stay together and stay alert," Commander Wilneth's voice crackled through the comms. "We're not sure what we'll find down there."

As we broke through the tree line, the true extent of the damage became clear. The base was half in ruins, with buildings collapsed and burnt to a crisp. It was clear that a fierce battle had taken place here.

"Spread out and look for survivors," Commander Wilneth ordered. "And be cautious. We're not alone here."

We maneuvered our mechas through the rubble, scanning for any signs of life. Suddenly, a golden mecha flew down.

"Commander Wilneth!" male voice called out from inside the mecha. "Thank the stars you're here."

Wilneth's opened a communication channel directly to the guy. "Prince Huitlo, it's a relief to see you're safe. What happened here?"

Huitlo took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "The base was attacked. Tira... she fought with a fury, fighting against the rebels.

"Tira," Wilneth echoed, her voice heavy with a mix of concern and frustration. "What about the rebels? Are they still here?"

Huitlo shook his head. "No, but we decided to do a ceasefire."

"A ceasefire? Why?"

I smiled. Did that mean peace?

"Because, they and I both desire the same thing, to defeat Yusan."

She gasped. "Commander Yusan? Why?"

"He tried to kill Commander Retas and me."

She gasped. "You found Ret?"

The golden mecha nodded its head. "Yes. He is heading to another planet right now to take a ship to Retra. He went with some Retran temporary allies and a rebel girl. They also desire to stop Yusan. I was about to head out until I saw your mechs."

Wilneth sighed. "Seems a lot happened in this world. But I am glad to hear you are all safe. If you want, I can take you there. I'll have some of my guys go with you and the others clean up this place."

"Thank you," Huitlo said.

Wilneth had half of the group stay behind, while having Mirasa, Roan, Tessa, and me accompany her back to the ship with the prince.

As we flew up, we saw another mecha. This one was silver and blue.

"Nice to see you, Lt. Zarius," Wilneth said.

"Likewise, Commander," the young man in the mecha responded.

As we approached the ship, the vast hangar doors opened to welcome us back aboard. The interior lights flickered on, illuminating the cavernous space as we landed our mechas and disembarked.

Prince Huitlo stepped out of his golden mecha, his expression one of relief but also determination. "Commander Wilneth," he began, "we need to head to Planet Parasia. That's where Ret and his group went. It's crucial we meet up with them as soon as possible."

Wilneth nodded, her resolve matching his. "Understood, Prince Huitlo. We'll set course for Parasia immediately. Mirasa, Roan, Tessa, Goerld, Zarius—prepare for another jump."

We all braced ourselves.

"All systems are green," the pilot reported. "Setting course for Planet Parasia."

The ship shuddered as it rapidly flew away from Edesia. The stars outside the viewport shone brightly against the black canvas of space. The journey to Parasia was about to begin.

"Engaging hyperspace drive," the pilot announced. The familiar sensation of acceleration gripped us as the stars stretched into long lines once more. The ship hurtled through space at incredible speeds, the view outside a mesmerizing blur of colors and light.

In just a few seconds, a different planet came into view. This one looked more advanced than my own world.

My heartbeated rapidly. My time in Soleon was going to be shorter than I had expected, but I sensed an even bigger storm than just dealing with some rebels brewing. We were going to go up against a treasonous commander of Titanos...