Day 157, Year 988, 41st Millennium
Hive Kathion
Upper Hive
A week had passed. Eric had been living his life as usual, and nothing untoward had happened. He was very happy—happy to be an accounting clerk in a machinery factory, dealing with numbers and boring paperwork. It meant he didn't have to live a hard life somewhere else or risk death.
Recently, he had heard whispers among the factory workers and his colleagues about the appointment of a new Planetary Governor. The new ruler had just received official authority through a vote and appointment by the ruling nobles of the Hive Cities on the planet, as well as the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus.
He heard that the person nominated to be the 1st Planetary Governor was Lord Duke Thras Kagemann, the head of House Kagemann and ruler of Hive Wyvern. He was an ambitious noble, brimming with strategies and quite thirsty for war. There would likely be some policy changes.
Although the reputation of the new Planetary Governor was a bit concerning—Eric felt that ambitious and war-hungry leaders often led to ruin or trouble—as long as his taxes didn't skyrocket or the changes didn't affect his life too much, he didn't feel prejudiced or particularly interested in the new Governor.
Before long, quitting time arrived. Eric packed his belongings into his satchel with a sense of ease, thinking about what he would eat for dinner or if he should buy a new book. A week ago, he had received his salary from the previous month. Combined with the money he received from Vann, he had double his usual spending power this month.
He walked along the factory walkways toward the main exit, joining the stream of employees and workers leaving for the day. It was a bit crowded, as everyone was eager to get back to their quarters.
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a tall, imposing man leaning against a wall, as if waiting for someone. The face was incredibly familiar. Eric continued walking with the crowd while trying to place him, and then it hit him.
Colonel Draco.
Eric felt a surge of anxiety. The paranoia accumulated from past misfortunes and terrible events flared up instantly. Rising stress made him think hard. He didn't know what business the Colonel had with him to be waiting at his workplace. And the fact that Colonel Draco wasn't wearing his full PDF dress uniform, but rather civilian clothes, made him look even more suspicious.
There must be something going on, and it's probably not something I can easily refuse, Eric thought, clutching his bag tightly. He walked over and stopped near the Colonel to speak. Colonel Draco stopped leaning against the wall and approached him. He stopped close to Eric and greeted him with a smooth, polite voice.
"Hello, Erica. I see you're recovering well... Congratulations," the Colonel said, looking down at Eric. At this distance, the size difference was stark. Eric only reached the Colonel's shoulder, looking like a teenager standing next to an adult. Eric tried to suppress the signs of his paranoia, stress, and overthinking, gripping the strap of his satchel tighter.
"Thank you, Colonel," Eric replied, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. Draco nodded slightly before getting to the point.
"Come with me... I have a little something for you to do today," Draco said in a flat tone, as if it were a trivial matter. Eric hesitated at the Colonel's words, unsure of where he was being taken or for what purpose.
A little something? Three weeks ago, I was kidnapped and dumped outside the Hive City. What is it this time? Eric thought. He wanted to refuse and go back to his room to use his newly bought water heater. However, the rational part of his brain told him that disobeying an order or refusing now would not be a good idea.
"Yes... Colonel," Eric replied, nodding slowly.
"Good. Follow me," Colonel Draco said with a tone of satisfaction. Eric followed him warily.
He followed Colonel Draco through numerous passageways, taking several elevators and trains until they arrived at a military base or perhaps a PDF headquarters.
The place looked like a fortress, built solidly with reinforced steel walls and firing ports for defenders to shoot back from within. Once inside, the atmosphere shifted from the lively outside world to something solemn. The interior was clean and rigid, like the military camps he was accustomed to.
Inside, officers and soldiers of various ranks walked to and fro. Most of them were survivors of the battles from a year ago. Their faces were scarred, bearing witness to fierce and terrible combat.
Many of the PDF soldiers he saw would be considered disabled. Although many had facial scars or missing parts of their ears, others had suffered far worse injuries, missing arms or legs. They had been fitted with prosthetics and continued their service as PDF soldiers—unlike him, who didn't want this kind of work and preferred an easy life.
In a military camp filled with PDF soldiers and officers, Eric, in civilian clothes with a clean face and white hair, stood out immediately. Walking behind Colonel Draco only increased the curiosity of the PDF soldiers and officers.
Some looked at him with suspicion, while others looked at him with interest in his beauty. Some recognized him as the person who had destroyed a large mutant tank during the battle for the main elevator of Hive Kathion. Others wondered why he was allowed in here and why he was with Colonel Draco.
Eric lowered his head slightly, feeling uncomfortable being the center of attention. At the same time, he glanced around, trying to memorize the routes and landmarks for emergency use. In situations like this, letting your guard down and trusting others too much was foolish and dangerous, especially in this future world.
What am I doing here? Eric asked himself with a mix of curiosity and paranoia, adjusting his shirt to look as presentable as possible.
Before long, Colonel Draco led him to a room. He was ordered inside, and the Colonel closed the door behind them. This action caused a spike of anxiety, but he tried not to overthink it.
He now stood in the middle of a room with almost no decoration, just gray steel walls and a dull white floor. Colonel Draco stood silently blocking the door. To make matters worse, the faint sound from the ventilation shaft only heightened his fear.
Suddenly, Colonel Draco began to take off his clothes piece by piece, quickly and without any concern that he was in a room with Eric. The Colonel acted as if this were his private gym where he could do whatever he pleased. The Colonel's actions made Eric's eyes widen slightly, and he gritted his teeth in anxiety.
Why is he taking his clothes off...? he thought, automatically taking a few steps back. His anxiety began to mount. He was unarmed and not very skilled in close-quarters combat.
He feared being hurt or worse. If the other party really intended to harm him, he certainly couldn't resist. The situation made him feel incredibly anxious and uncomfortable.
In no time, Colonel Draco had removed his upper garments, leaving only his trousers and boots. He revealed a body of dense, tight muscle covered in numerous scars. Colonel Draco felt nothing; he was even puzzled as to why the young woman in front of him looked so worried. She had considerable abilities, had eliminated many enemies, and survived the outside world. Why should she be afraid of him?
"Take off that coat. It's in the way," Draco ordered in a flat, emotionless voice, stretching his arms casually.
Eric flinched at the command. His hands gripped his coat tightly. He didn't want to take it off in this situation. But seeing the Colonel looking at him with pressure, annoyance, and dissatisfaction at his slowness, he relented.
"What are you afraid of? I'm not going to do anything to you... I have a wife," Colonel Draco grumbled with annoyance, seeing the young woman acting as if he were about to assault her.
Eric felt slightly relieved... He slowly removed his coat with trembling hands, folded it, and placed it at the side of the room. He felt underdressed now, even though he was wearing an undershirt, a full set of undergarments, gray slacks, and boots. He felt strangely light and indescribably uncomfortable, unconsciously crossing his arms over his chest.
Suddenly, Colonel Draco warmed up again before speaking in a slightly more relaxed tone.
"Alright, very good. You know what? My superior tells me you have excellent firearms skills, but you have no close-quarters combat skills," Colonel Draco said flatly. Eric felt a little proud to be praised for his firearms skills, but he knew he sucked at close combat.
"And what you need to improve is your abysmal close-quarters combat skills," Colonel Draco criticized harshly, making Eric feel a bit angry and lose some confidence. But he admitted it was true. ...And it's not what I was thinking, right?
"Although I don't really want to do this because it wastes my precious rest time... I've been ordered to. Alright, let's practice basic combat. You must come here every day after work until you can beat me," Draco said in a bored tone before settling into a relaxed fighting stance, though he didn't underestimate the woman in front of him one bit.
Eric went pale. At least nothing terrible or scary was happening, but he didn't like this at all. He knew he wasn't good at close combat, and being trained to improve was a good thing, but it would mean less rest time after work!
And less rest time meant less time to read books!
"Hurry up and come at me! Are you going to stand there waiting all day?" Draco beckoned with an annoyed gesture, urging him to fight. Eric clenched his fists and took a fighting stance before rushing at the Colonel. He intended to punch his opponent in the face, but the Colonel parried his punch with one arm and used the other to pull Eric's arm toward him, nearly making Eric lose his balance. While Eric was off-balance and unable to counterattack, he was struck in the face with an elbow and fell to the floor.
"Get up," the Colonel ordered loudly.
"I don't waste time training weaklings. Get up now," the Colonel repeated. Eric held his nose gently before struggling to get up.
Eric gritted his teeth and took a fighting stance again. It seemed this training session would exceed his expectations. Vann seemed to want him to be capable in every aspect to arrange for someone to train him like this.
He rushed at the Colonel again, attacking a new spot and changing his attack pattern to be harder to predict—as much as someone with poor close combat skills like him could do.
And he ended up on the floor again.
Hive Kathion
Territory ruled by House Thalric, Lower Hive
In a room within this facility, filled with many conveniences distinct from those created by the Mechanicus and the Imperium, Lord Rytus Rist, the noble in charge of taxes in this sector, was talking to a figure behind a desk. The figure wore a wide, flat hat and long white robes. The two began their conversation.
"It's getting worse now. Lord Duke Thras Kagemann has become the Planetary Governor. That bastard is a warmonger. Our plans will definitely become more complicated," Lord Rytus said to the other party with a voice laced with anxiety.
"That is not a problem. The firepower of the T'au Empire's army can easily conquer this place. Do not fear. But first, our plan must begin," the other party explained in a smooth, carefree voice. His language was certainly human, but the accent and pronunciation were not.
"You said the plan would start in a year! I went to the trouble of opposing the PDF reinforcements, and now I'm being targeted by several generals and officers, especially that Vann Korvax, who is starting to investigate me more. If everything is revealed too soon, it will be a disaster. Why hasn't the army you spoke of arrived yet?" Lord Rytus asked the figure with anger and unease. Opposing the budget increase to strengthen the PDF had put a target on his back, and he hoped his actions would bear fruit soon, not end in failure.
"Stop shouting, Gue'la. The glorious army of the T'au Empire has not missed its appointment. It is simply that the Fourth Sphere of Expansion has encountered a slight... error," the figure tried to explain calmly while sipping tea. Lord Rytus frowned even tighter. He had risked so much for just this answer? He did it for power, not to be put off like this. He had been promised power for helping these xenos; he must have been tricked.
"Then why hasn't your 'glorious' army arrived? I hope for an answer, not evasions, Por'el..." Lord Rytus pressed harder. The figure behind the desk clasped his hands slightly before inhaling and answering softly.
"The creatures you call Tyranids have invaded the territories of the Imperium and the T'au Empire. Their numbers are massive, and they are too dangerous. Our glorious air fleet used for the Fourth Sphere of Expansion has been temporarily halted to deal with them. And the bad news is... we have lost several planets already," Por'el explained calmly. Rytus frowned even harder. He didn't understand why the promised glorious army had to lose to those space bugs. He had seen them rise up in battle before; they weren't that strong (partly because he wasn't a soldier but a noble safely in the rear).
"So what's the plan now?" he asked, trying to stay calm while clenching his fists. In truth, he didn't want to be a tax official; he wanted to rule this planet, even if it meant ruling under the influence of these xenos. Por'el was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"We must wait until the situation improves... and sooner or later, this planet will fall under the rule of the glorious T'au Empire, and you will become its ruler as I promised. It may take decades, but it will happen for certain."