Classes

As history class began a holographic video started playing as Professor Eric narrated

"In the early 21st century, our world seemed both simple and primitive by the standards of the vast universe around us. However, everything changed dramatically on January 20, 2025, when a probe from Russia transmitted a shocking video depicting an alien race making a sudden landing on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. Initially, the existence of these extraterrestrial beings was kept secret, not only from the global populace but also from many within the developed nations themselves.

As humanity grappled with the implications of this discovery, the Stygian — as the aliens called themselves — made the first move. They were far more technologically advanced than us, and in a stunning display of prowess, they infiltrated our digital systems, uncovering everything they could about human civilization. Subsequently, they initiated private communications with global leaders, explaining their dire situation. The Stygian had just fled a devastating galactic war and were in desperate need of a temporary refuge. They requested 'permission' to remain in our solar system and to utilize the abundant resources of Jupiter to refuel before embarking on their continued journey.

Blinded by the prospects of interstellar knowledge and technological advancement, our leaders were quick to agree. They saw the aliens' amicability as an opportunity and, in an audacious bid, requested advanced technology in exchange for the right to exploit Jupiter's resources. The Stygian obliged, offering groundbreaking life-prolonging technology, a prospect too tantalizing for humanity to resist. After all, who wouldn't want to extend their lifespan?

Thus commenced what historians would later refer to as the Years of Dusk — three decades marked by strife, secrecy, and dark transformations. Essential records from this era were either lost or deliberately obscured. What is known is that during this time, the Stygian began to emerge on Earth, bringing with them the terrifying black mind epidemic. This insidious disease ravaged the human psyche, leading countless individuals to succumb to despair and commit suicide, while others were driven to violent outbursts, causing chaos across nations. The ailment sapped human strength, rendering even the fastest athletes almost helpless.

Fortunately, humanity's resilience shone through amid this darkness. In their quest for a cure, scientists inadvertently unlocked the latent potential within the human genome, giving rise to the emergence of three distinctions between knight lineages: the Fairy, Dragon, and Iron Wall. Alongside these warrior factions stood James Aeskrow, an innovative medic and mechanic renowned as the father of power armor. With their enhanced capabilities, these lineages fought back against the Stygian menace, forming the backbone of three legions.

As the conflict escalated, and after a formidable counteroffensive, two additional legions were birthed: the PaDragon Legionra. United, they managed to push the Stygian threat back to Mars, where they regrouped. In the aftermath, as the dust settled and survivors sought to rebuild, the People's Federation of Earth was established in 2080. This new governance took the form of a council composed of twelve high ministers, a president, and three magistrates, all of whom answered solely to the president. This marked a significant turn in human history, as the federation aimed to forge a new path forward, having endured the trials of war and the specter of alien influence.."

As the professor went on images of his lecture continued to be displayed images of the Stygian coincided with images of tall humanoid beings he had seen depicted before in the left wing Tower he had seen before alongside images of beasts they used to fight against humans including the devastation of the black mind people tearing into each, suicide orchards where every fruit tree has a body hanging from it and muscular men and women were unable to even lift their arms. Then the images of the knights came on 4 men and a woman all dressed in armors from medieval old earth brimming with technology, whether it be the explosive energy from the Fairy, The Dragon's pure power, Iron Wall's pure endurance, and the explosive shelling, Panther sneaking past everyone as if they are blind and the Asura's usage ambidexterity and usage of weapons. Finally, it ended by showing the formation of P.F.E. On a stage from the left were the twelve high ministers, in the center stood the president, behind the president stood the three magistrates and finally to the right were the five legions commander. The holographic video ended with 1st president's famous last words of his formation speech

'Though the sun has set on what once was, The Federation will rise above all the galaxy. For The Federation, for humanity, and may our enemies face their dusk'.When the time finally struck for the end of class Professor Eric stopped speaking abruptly and started to walk out of class, as he left the thumping of the cane no longer struck their hearts. As the students got up ready to leave Adam realized that Gilbert was still just sitting there, shaking him lightly he woke him up from his reverie seeing a small tear running down Gilbert's cheek.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked

"It-it's just sad," said Gilbert not telling Adam the real reason he was seeing his father the legion commander of the Asura legion. Getting up he filed out of class following the rest of the squires as the squad went to the training ground they split here as the medics, mechanics, and coxswains went to their classes. Arriving at the training ground Colonel Z'yna stood there in a training suit with her eyes closed as they stepped onto the training ground after everyone arrived she opened her eyes causing a weight to come crashing down them.

" Arrange yourself into your squads, there are weights in the corner apply them to your wrists, ankles, and torso then start running around the track and start running around the track together as a squad. Ensure that no one from other squads comes between you and your squad members. I shall also be running around the track and for every time I lap even one person from a squad ten more pounds shall be added to the entire squad weight if you can pass me your weights lose ten pounds," she said and started running immediately not even giving them a chance to reach past everyone already causing weight they must bear to increase

"Let me explain how your bodies have adapted. The serum you all received after the first injection enabled your bodies to accept mutagens. The subsequent doses, from the second to the fourth, allowed your cells to store what we refer to as radion energy, or "rads" for short. The fifth serum, known as the neural enhancement, boosts your nervous system's capacity to handle greater loads. Those of you who received the 2.0 variant benefit from what we call a neural weave, which promotes the growth of new pathways throughout your body. Currently, five individuals in our class have experienced this 2.0 enhancement.

The serum leads to some nerves undergoing mutation, resulting in a metallic composition. However, not every nerve experiences this mutation to the same extent. We've categorized these mutations into five main groupings, which we've named the Dragon, Asura, Fairy, Panther, and Iron Wall. As the squad continued their grueling run, the explanations echoed in their minds. With each interruption to their formation, they were weighed down with extra gear: heavier shoes, bulkier gloves, and thick belts. The consequences of losing cohesion became painfully clear, prompting all teams to tighten their ranks.

Meanwhile, the tier I squads began to turn against squads from other cities. When Squad 5 set their sights on Squad 9, chaos ensued. Gilbert, William, and Adam sprang into action, ambushing two members of the opposing squad and sending them sprawling to the ground, injured and out of the race.

Colonel Z'yna maintained her steady pace, effortlessly jogging past squads that gradually devolved from running to a fatigued walk, and finally to crawling. This relentless ordeal dragged on for a grueling 45 minutes, pushing everyone to their limits, until she finally halted, leaving the squads gasping for breath and reflecting on the harsh lessons learned."Alright, everyone, you can stop now and stand at attention in your squads. Next up is power armor. To operate power armor, you need a minimum of 50 rads of energy. As the armor becomes more advanced and powerful, the energy requirements increase: knight armor requires 101 rads, high knight armor demands 201 rads, great knight armor needs 501 rads, and grand knight armor calls for 1001 rads. These energy levels also help us determine your knight rank.

The power armor itself was developed by James Aeskrow, after whom our citadel is named. Each component of the armor serves a specific purpose. The helmet features an integrated HUD that displays battlefield data, target coordinates, and tactical overlays. The chest and back plates house the armor's engine, with the most common type being the AeskrowPlain bio-engine, which siphons energy from the knight's body to function, effectively powering the armor. The back plate contains the flight unit, while the chest plate houses the data and command unit equipped with a sub-AI. This sub-AI runs diagnostics on the suit and assists the knight if they lose connection to the pantheon system. Additionally, the armor includes payload compartments for storing ammunition, medical supplies, and rations.

Moving on to the arm assemblies and gloves, these components incorporate pauldrons that provide storage and shielding. The power actuator vambraces, with their servo joints, enhance strength and dexterity. Beneath the arms, a modular interface allows access to suit diagnostics in case a knight is injured or rendered unconscious during battle. Along the vambraces, there are mounting points that can accommodate auxiliary weapons. The tactile gloves are touch-sensitive, enabling knights to access suit functions, deploy shields, and handle emergencies.

Finally, the leg assemblies and mobility systems are designed with advanced hydraulics and micro-servo motors for improved movement and agility. The boots feature built-in short-range thrusters in the soles for enhanced leaps and stabilizing dashes, especially when navigating debris-filled battlefields. The greaves are fitted with gyroscopic stabilizers and adaptive suspension systems. Each armor unit also allows for additional modifications, which can be added externally or integrated internally as needed. However, these enhancements generally require more energy, which is why your rads levels are critical. They not only determine your ability to power your suit but also dictate how long you can stay effective in combat. Keep in mind that your circuit influences which extra mods are easier to install; for example, the Dragon Linage is better suited for powering arm and leg modifications. " As she gave them a rundown of the suit a holographic image of each piece of armor appeared one at a time they each featured heavy-duty plating with angular cuts reflecting a tough exterior with seamless aerodynamic lines the one featured also had ornate designs paying homage to the culture of the dragon legion. As the classes ended they were finally going to leave but as they broke ranks a heavy energy bore down on them.

"As no one passed me today you shall stay here for another hour in a squat position with your final weights doubled, for every movement a member of your squad makes you 15 more minutes." Said Colonel Z'yna before walking away.