Chapter 18: Unconventional Space Jump
"Welcome back, Prince Lothar."
As Lothar concluded his mission on Planet Kalma and returned to the flagship, the voice of the artificial intelligence, Woz, echoed at the perfect moment.
"The report on Planet Kalma is currently being generated. Please wait a moment."
"Report generation complete. Would you like to review it?"
"No need. Send it directly to my father." Standing by the window, Lothar gazed down at the blood-soaked ruins of Planet Kalma and issued the command.
"Transmitting data…"
"Data transmission complete. Congratulations, Prince Lothar. You have successfully commanded the Chitauri army in your first independent battle." Woz's mechanical voice lacked any emotion, and yet, Lothar's face remained utterly indifferent.
Weak.
That was Lothar's first and final impression of Planet Kalma. Based on the intel provided by Ebony Maw, the Kalmarian race was supposed to be formidable warriors, yet their performance in battle was nothing short of pathetic. The sheer disappointment was beyond words.
"Prepare for the return voyage." With the planet's crisis resolved, Lothar saw no reason to linger. He would rather spend the time training.
"Understood, Prince Lothar."
As soon as Woz finished speaking, a brilliant blue holographic display materialized before Lothar. After confirming the return trajectory, he turned and took his seat.
One by one, the Chitauri soldiers who had fought alongside Lothar withdrew from Planet Kalma. The massive interstellar fleet departed under the burning, hateful gazes of the surviving Kalmarian people.
"Prince Lothar, are we really just leaving like this?" On the flagship, The Other stood beside Lothar, his eyes lingering on the shrinking image of Planet Kalma.
From his perspective, the planet's resources were running low, but there was still something left to take. Walking away now felt like a waste.
Despite being absorbed into Thanos' ranks and granted a stable supply of resources as part of the Black Order, The Other still struggled to let go of his old instincts. He had spent too many years clawing for survival, and the idea of leaving anything valuable behind was almost painful.
The Chitauri had lived in poverty for far too long.
Or rather, The Other had lived in poverty for far too long.
"Are you questioning my decision?" Lothar didn't even glance at him, his gaze fixed on the vast, glittering expanse of space outside the window. The transparent surface reflected his sharp, unreadable expression. Just that single, simple question sent a wave of terror through The Other, making him lower his head instantly.
"N-No! Absolutely not! I would never question you, Prince Lothar!"
His voice trembled slightly, and he kept his head bowed, not daring to meet Lothar's eyes. Internally, he cursed himself.
Had three months of comfort made him complacent? Had he forgotten the very principles he had vowed to live by?
Whatever Prince Lothar said was right. Whatever Prince Lothar did was correct. All actions should align with Prince Lothar's orders.
It had only been three months, and yet…
No. He must never let his guard down!
The Other mentally reprimanded himself. If he wanted his people to thrive under Thanos' rule, he had to tread carefully in his relationship with Lothar and his father.
After all, he—
BOOM!
Before he could finish his thoughts, a violent tremor rocked the flagship, throwing The Other off balance. He stumbled and collapsed to the ground.
"Woz?"
The vast fleet immediately entered alert mode, but Lothar remained motionless, standing firm as he calmly addressed the AI controlling the flagship.
"Prince Lothar, preliminary analysis indicates that the disturbance was caused by the residual shockwave from an exploding planet within the Hydra Cluster."
A blue holographic screen flickered before Lothar, displaying the energy impact report in sharp detail.
"Where are we now?" Staring at the data, Lothar's tail instinctively coiled into a loop as he processed the information.
"We are currently positioned within the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster, a formation of the Centaurus and Hydra Clusters, Prince Lothar."
"Recalculate the return trajectory. Avoid all areas affected by the explosion." Having dedicated years to preparing for his eventual revenge against Frieza, Lothar understood better than anyone just how devastating the shockwaves from a planet's destruction could be.
Even the residual energy from a distant blast had damaged parts of the ship. If the fleet entered the explosion's direct path, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Understood, Prince Lothar. Woz is recalculating the safest route."
Before Woz could finish, an urgent alarm blared throughout the ship:
"Warning! Warning! A massive energy surge has been detected within the Centaurus Cluster!"
"Warning! Warning…!"
The blaring sirens sent a wave of tension through the fleet. They had just witnessed one planetary explosion, and now another surge of immense energy was emerging behind them. Even the simplest minds among the Chitauri knew what that meant.
"Prince Lothar?"
For the first time in a long while, The Other felt a creeping sense of panic. He had thought himself battle-hardened, but this… this was unprecedented.
Forcing himself to stay composed, he turned to Lothar, who sat at the control panel, brows furrowed in deep thought.
"Woz, initiate an unconventional space jump."
"Prince Lothar, I am still recalculating an optimal course to avoid—"
"Initiate the jump. Now." Without hesitation, Lothar switched to manual override and pressed the button that led only to the unknown.
The propulsion systems roared to life, surging with an abrupt burst of energy that sent the fleet hurtling forward. The shockwaves from the consecutive planetary detonations accelerated the ship's unconventional space jump, enveloping the fleet in a turbulent vortex of raw power.
Amidst the deafening storm of energy, Lothar and his fleet vanished from the Centaurus Cluster, swallowed by the chaos of the cosmos.
…
A resplendent galaxy. A battlefield drenched in blood.
The victorious Asgardian army knelt in the midst of a corpse-littered plain, surrounding a lone woman clad in a sleek black battle suit.
She was their leader, the heir to the throne of Asgard, the daughter of Odin—Princess Hela.
Once again, Hela had led them to victory. Though the cost had been steep, they believed it was worth it. They did not fear sacrifice. They did not fear death.
The blood of heroes would pave the path to Asgard's dominion over the Nine Realms. That was their unwavering belief.
"Brave warriors—"
BOOM!
A thunderous roar from the heavens interrupted Hela's words. A sudden surge of overwhelming energy sent the remaining Asgardian warriors into high alert.
And then, before their eyes, an entire fleet of unfamiliar warships materialized in the sky…
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