"Lieutenant General Sherman gave a surprised speech to the cadets at West Point yesterday. While the event was scheduled, he was invited because of the General task force in research of unorthodox warfare. He believed that the Pentagon had developed a tradition of using the military as a hammer against a rock, nail, bug, paper, and everything while avoiding more suitable options.

The Task Force looks at examples such as the Vietnam War, War on Terror, and the Cartel War, where the military was used but the wars were lost or struggled to bring a clean victory. The idea was for his Task Force to allow the military to broaden its thinking on how to approach nontraditional warfare, to find strategies that might be more fitting to win a conflict than hard firepower.

As part of the Speech, Lieutenant General Sherman said, "During the 2nd Punic War, the Romans followed tradition by marching into battle because winning a battle meant winning a war. As we know, this philosophy led to multiple critical and unnecessary defeats. It wasn't until Scipio Africanus who connected why we fight battles. We do not fight battles because it is part of war, we fight battles to manipulate the geopolitical situation for future victory."

The General then cited Scipio campaigns in Spain which led to undermining Hannibal campaign in southern Italy. That it isn't enough to engage the enemy, that the battle must lead to a larger objective.

While the statement was expected by many, toward the end of the speech left many puzzled.

"You will be the generation that defines our future. This will be your moment. We describe ourselves as the land of the free, Gods country but what have we done to deserve such a title? Many would cite the World Wars, defeating communism during the Cold War. Others might cite our technological innovation, as we were first to the moon and beyond. All good examples in their own right. But, if we look into our souls, is it enough? I believe your generation and the battles to come will answer that question once and for all. Destiny is in your hands; it is up to you to grab it."

Many consider the speech powerful, definitely looking inside over expected talking points others were left confused. The General surprising left before the Q&A, stating that he had to return to his recently new post in Colorado, which last most established the VII Corps that deals with Astralis warfare." – Inide News

April 7th, 2068 (military calendar)

Hiplose Forest, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Staring into the wilderness, Benjamin Ford carefully studied the terrain, using his thermal scope to check for hostiles or dangerous predators. The land was rocky, with a ravine stretching toward Comanche's intended path. To the left, a ridgeline sloped down with a lone tree halfway along its descent.

"I doubt anyone is nearby," Ar'lya said.

Ford glanced at the Farian woman sitting on a boulder, watching Comanche climb the ridge. "How can you tell?" he asked.

"I can hear wildlife," Ar'lya replied. "I don't care what world you come from—Altaerrie or Unity—civilized folks all have one thing in common: your machines are annoyingly loud."

Wallace chuckled. "We like to be noticed."

Ford turned toward the voice and saw the Twins helping the rest of Comanche ascend the cliff, with Natilite hovering nearby in case anyone slipped. He was mildly amazed that Wallace had managed to insert a flirty comment even now.

Colonel Hackett didn't want to give the enemy time to regroup. He pushed his teams to exploit every opportunity to strike—a task proving more difficult than expected. The Verliance Aristocracy's siege of Salva forced the Minutemen to find alternative routes around the blockade. Hitting the enemy's logistics with coordinated rocket and artillery strikes could weaken them enough for a full-scale assault.

Ford turned his attention to Charlie Higgins, who was sitting on the ground holding a screen controller. When they'd reached the top of the cliff, the Airman had deployed a Hornet drone to chart the terrain ahead and identify a better path.

Ford's thoughts drifted to the other Minutemen teams—ones ambushed while trying to outmaneuver the blockade. Unity and Verliance Aristocracy forces had intercepted them each time, clearly determined to halt American expansion.

With the rest of the unit safely up the cliff, Comanche moved out. Ford took point, gripping his rifle tightly. He wouldn't be surprised if a hostile animal burst from the trees at any moment.

"Calm down, Ben," Barrett said.

Ford glanced at the team's Sergeant First Class before refocusing ahead. "When you see a bear tank maul a man, you'll understand."

"It's a leoursi," Fraeya corrected.

"I think we've got enough firepower to kill any monster that tries," Barrios said.

"You didn't see what happened last time," Ford muttered.

Ar'lya crossed her arms and chuckled. "We're safe. The leoursi is calling for a mate. As long as we stay away from his den, we'll be fine."

"What do you think, Boss?" Wallace asked. "Should we be scared of a teddy bear?"

Everyone noticed Captain Ryder didn't respond. Ford looked over and saw Ryder staring at the tomahawk clipped to the Sergeant's battlesuit, a distant look in his eyes. Memories of surviving alone in the wild must have come flooding back.

Realizing he had become the center of attention, Ryder shook off the moment and focused on the cartographer's map from Salva.

"All I'll say is," Ryder said, "out here, you take your blessings—and never underestimate anything."

Rommel King strode through the group now that they'd finished climbing. "Alright, Comanche. Nap time's over. We've got a job to do."

The unit moved in formation through the rugged forest. A light breeze rustled the trees. The ground was soft and muddy from the constant rain over the past few days. In the distance, artillery thunder echoed through the dense forest canopy.

As they continued, Ford noticed Ar'lya stop, her ears twitching. The rest of the team advanced while leadership halted.

"What's the issue?" King asked.

"I don't know," Ar'lya said. "I no longer hear birds."

"I never heard any," Ryder said.

"Human ears aren't as sensitive as ours," Ar'lya replied. "I'll admit, mine aren't the best range either. We can't all hear like a Luperca."

"Then we need to proceed carefully," Ryder said. "I want—"

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning erupted from beneath Marcos Gonzales, hurling the medic against the cliff wall. A second electric shockwave knocked Borris and Forest off their feet. Moments later, weapons fire erupted from all directions.

Ford rushed ahead, firing his M31 to cover his teammates. Energy bolts rained from the surrounding rock formations, searing past the Minutemen.

Natilite quickly explained they'd triggered a rune trap. She leapt onto a boulder and returned fire with her DMR. Just then, a massive worm crashed through a tree. Another worm lunged from the right hill—its rider pointing directly at Natilite.

Wallace laid down suppressive fire toward the left ridge. "We've been ambushed!" he yelled.

"We're being flanked!" Higgins added.

"Keep engaging!" Barrett ordered.

As Ford laid down protective fire, Forest and Borris recovered and retreated. Barrett and Ryder helped the injured medic, who was now limping on one leg.

In the chaos, Ford spotted an enemy soldier rising from cover. He fired and dropped the hostile—realizing it was a reanimated J'avais corpse. Another attacker aimed at Fraeya, who was focused on casting a defensive spell to shield the retreat.

"Fraeya!" Ford shouted, tackling her to the ground as the bolt missed.

He glanced at the impact site. Flames erupted from the ground—colored red. That wasn't normal for an elecprobus. He remembered how different crystal types altered the effect, like the stunning blast that had hit Ryder back at the abandoned fort.

Ford saw Comanche regrouping behind a boulder. Another worm emerged from the ridges—ridden by a pale-skinned figure with long brown hair. That was usually a job for the Templar, but Natilite was occupied dealing with the rear assault.

They were cut off. Enemy soldiers surged through the brush, blocking the path. Going forward was suicide.

Ford spotted temporary cover. He grabbed Fraeya and dragged her, dodging incoming fire.

Once at the boulders, he set her down. "Are you okay?" She nodded.

He turned and resumed firing. The hostiles wore Toriffa-blue armor—Toriffa, the dominant City-State of Nevali and a puppet of the Aristocracy. Ford realized too late they were boxed in.

"We're going to have to run and—"

Fraeya tapped his shoulder. He turned and saw what she pointed at: a new enemy line approaching. Among them, a tall pale creature with black hair. Two green eyes—and a third in the middle of her forehead. Two smaller worms slithered beside her.

"It's a Gluttony," Fraeya said. "One of the seven Harpie types."

"There's no way we make it," Ford said. "But we'll be overrun if we stay."

"What do you want to do?" Fraeya asked.

His VISOR tagged the shield markings—Toriffa. The enemy reinforcements opened fire. There was only one option: retreat into the forest.

Ford fired his M31, giving Fraeya time to conjure an ice wall. The bolts slammed into the icy barrier, melting it with each strike. Cracks spread fast.

"That won't hold," Fraeya warned.

They ran. Ford hated abandoning his team, but he had no choice. He glanced back as the ice wall shattered. Most of the Toriffa soldiers turned to engage Comanche—except for six who gave chase.

One of the worms leapt at them. Fraeya launched an alg-based spear from the ground, impaling it midair.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Thanks," Ford said.

"Where do we go?" Fraeya asked.

Ford didn't know. The terrain was unfamiliar, and the enemy had prepared this trap perfectly.

They sprinted deeper into the woods. Blasts ripped through trees. A red bolt lit the bark ablaze; a chain-lightning strike scorched the ground beside them, forcing them to veer right.

Ford heard Fraeya scream. He stopped, skidding in his suit, and turned.

"What are you doing!?"

"I'm stuck!" Fraeya yelled, struggling.

A black, viscous substance clung to her leg. Another trap.

"I might be able to freeze it," she said. "But I need a moment."

Ford turned and fired at the next worm slithering toward them. A clean shot—down it went.

He checked her progress. She was almost done freezing the tar-like trap.

Then he saw them: five J'avais, flanking a tall Gluttony. Two had staff weapons, two shields, and the last wielded a sword. The center enemy—a battle mage—held two glowing blue staves.

"What do we have here?" the mage said. "Two lost Altaerrie in the wild."

"My Lord," another J'avais added, "One is an elf. Female."

The mage leaned in, eyes narrowing. "Not just any elf. The one who opened the Bridge."

Ford sensed Fraeya's discomfort. The J'avais were infamous for their cruelty and racism—especially toward non-humans.

The mage sparked his staff. Electricity raced across the ground.

"Fraeya. When you free yourself, run," Ford ordered.

"I'm not abandoning you," she said.

"Look into their eyes," he said. "If they capture you, you'll wish you were dead. Go and—"

He stopped. The Toriffa soldiers had gone quiet. They looked up. So did Fraeya—murmuring in fear.

Against instinct, Ford turned too.

A woman stood atop the rocks, cloaked and hooded. Flames rippled from her gauntlets. Her eyes blazed with hatred.

"Oh, shit," Ford muttered.

*****

As Comanche regrouped behind a boulder, heavily suppressed by the Toriffa elecprobus weapons, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the rock, causing it to crack. Everyone fanned out to avoid getting caught in a single blast, desperately returning fire against the numerous hostiles, barely repelling the last attack. The Minutemen team wasn't overwhelmed—thanks to their superior training compared to Toriffa regulars.

"They hammered us hard," King said. "How are they always able to ambush us?" "Seekers?" Ryder replied. "This many times?" King said in frustration. "Forget it. Keep everyone low so they don't flank us."

Ryder looked up and saw their Valkyrie engaged with a new type of Harpie—and its giant worms.

The Captain accessed his team's VISOR feed, quickly flipping through their camera angles to better understand the situation. That was when he realized how bad it really was. J'avais troops were everywhere, with more of those Harpies and worms. Under normal conditions, he would've ordered a retreat to a better position. But Ford and Fraeya were out there—cut off—and the Sergeant wasn't responding over the radio.

The enemy mage specialized in atomancy or luxmancy magic, making Ryder wonder if there was too much interference in the air or if their equipment had been damaged.

Suddenly, a large plume of smoke mixed with electric discharge rose from behind the Toriffa-occupied hill—from the same general direction Ford and Fraeya had gone. The sight only worsened Ryder's anxiety.

He turned to Natilite, hoping she could investigate their missing teammates. But just as she sliced a worm in half, another emerged from the Harpie's position.

The creature barreled toward Comanche's location, threatening to break their formation.

"We have to take those things out," King said. "Cover me," Ryder responded.

King stepped into the open, laying down suppressive fire on the Toriffa infantry blocking the chokepoint. Ryder followed close behind, aiming his M31 toward the right hill. He spotted the pale Harpie—sharply different from the wraiths he had fought before—and fired, killing it.

The worms fighting Natilite suddenly went berserk, thrashing violently at the trees. One of them exposed itself in the chaos, allowing the Templar to stop dodging and leap onto its back. She drove her sword into the beast, killing it. However, the worm's massive body slammed into a tree as it collapsed, breaking it and sending it crashing down into the middle of Comanche's formation.

The other worm—controlled by the second Gluttony—charged through Comanche's disorganized line, whipping its tail violently.

Barrios and Wallace surrounded the elongated creature, focusing their fire on its enormous mouth.

"Ryder!"

The Comanche Captain looked up at Natilite, who had extended her open hand. He immediately understood—she needed a grenade. Pulling one from his vest, he tossed it to her.

As the worm was distracted by the Twins, Natilite soared overhead and dropped the fragmentation grenade into its mouth.

Seconds later, shrapnel burst from the beast's body, blood oozing from its thick skin. The monster shrieked in agony, thrashing once before collapsing.

With the immediate threat dealt with, Natilite landed beside Ryder. "Do you want me to fly over there and find them?" she asked.

Ryder had originally intended to send her. But the situation had deteriorated so badly, splitting the team further would be too dangerous. "No," Ryder said. "I can't afford to divide us further."

Barrett ran over. "We need to fall back." "We're not leaving anyone behind," Gonzales insisted, leaning against a boulder, clutching his burned leg. "We're not," Ryder agreed. "But we have to deal with what's in front of us. Wings—find an elevated vantage point. See if you can get eyes on them." "On it."

Natilite took off into the trees, wings slicing through the branches.

Ryder turned toward the battlefield. The enemy was closing in from three directions. Both the left and right vantage points were shielded by small shieldwalls that were steadily applying pressure.

They were clearly in a crossfire. Assaulting the enemy was out of the question, and staying in place would get them surrounded. He hated leaving two team members behind—but retreat was the only viable option.

"Bruno," Ryder said. "Grab Marcos and head back to the—"

"Captain!" Forest shouted.

Startled by the Staff Sergeant's tone, Ryder turned and looked over the boulder.

To his horror, an eight-foot-tall warrior-construct emerged from the other side of the hill, marching down the same path Comanche had taken.

Its body was encased in barrel-like modular armor, designed to protect the control orb embedded in its exoskeleton. It carried a massive war hammer.

"That is not good," King muttered. "No, it is not," Ryder said, eyes fixed on the approaching construct.

As the tanker construct approached, crackling sounds from the right hill echoed across the battlefield. The Gluttony, standing behind the Toriffa shield wall, was sniped in the head from an unknown direction—killed by a circiletum. Moments later, a loud roar thundered across the terrain before Ryder witnessed two of the Toriffa j'avais' corpses slide down the hill.

A large Luperca beast leaped from the ridge and landed on the tanker construct, causing it to swing wildly. The beast held on tightly, tearing the barrel armor from the exoskeleton and causing the curved plating to drop. Then, it jumped away.

Seeing the exposed control orb, Ryder gave the order. Wallace and Higgins didn't hesitate, focusing their fire on the orb and crystal. The crystal exploded, causing the tanker to collapse in a cloud of colorful smoke.

Limited weapons fire from the right hill caught the Toriffa soldiers in the chokepoint by surprise, creating chaos and shattering their shield formation. This gave Comanche the opening to reform and tear apart the now-disorganized force. Some Toriffa soldiers tried to hold their position and regain the initiative; most, however, broke ranks and fell back.

As the Comanche pressed their advantage, Ryder noticed a corpse tumble from the right ridge and roll onto the ground. Suddenly, weapon fire rained from the once-occupied ridge onto the left side, igniting a short but intense firefight between the two hills.

Within minutes, the gunfire stopped. Smoke filled the air, heavy with the stench of death. In the center of the chokepoint stood a dark-gray Luperca with black and brown-striped fur. He wore dark gray metallic armor lined in red, surrounded by Toriffa bodies.

Realizing the beast was not hostile, Ryder signaled his team to stay alert and approached. As he drew closer, the massive wolf turned to face him, instilling a primal fear in the Captain. The unknown warrior stood about two feet taller, his long snout revealing sharp fangs.

As Ryder approached, he locked eyes with the creature's glowing yellow gaze. But it wasn't that which startled him. Hearing footsteps to his right, he quickly turned and raised his rifle.

A hand gently pushed his M31 barrel upward. It was Natilite.

"We're safe," she said calmly.

Ryder followed her gaze to see a Lat man in similarly dark-gray armor, standing still and watchful.

Natilite released his rifle and deactivated the translation amulet on her armor. She then turned to the soldier on the boulder.

"Centurion."

Ryder blinked, surprised by her address. As he turned to the man, he noticed the armor was not Toriffa in configuration. Behind the unknown soldier, more figures appeared along the hill. Ryder recalled the rank from history books—and Fraeya's tales of Orias Palatini. These had to be warriors from Hispana.

The Hispana Centurion jumped down from the boulder and approached the Minutemen team.

"Templar, ego sum honor iuxta tuae praesentia. Ego sum Primipilus Centurion Alfredus Canina, Palatini de Horatius. Templar, quis sunt? Ego harve non videtur typus lats antequam."

Natilite raised a hand toward Ryder, signaling him not to interfere.

"Canina, integer Altaerrie. Clientele ego Unitas," she replied.

The Centurion looked at Comanche. "Altaerrie? Vetus fabula?"

"Rectus," Natilite said. "Posse dico sum capitaneus?"

The Centurion turned to the hillside and waved. Another soldier emerged from the group and descended. The two conversed, with the Centurion explaining Natilite's words.

Meanwhile, Barrios nudged Ryder and pointed. A small group was approaching: more Hispana soldiers, one of whom was a Noble Elf. Beside them was Fraeya, waving, with Ford walking at her side.

Though Ryder's Latin was limited, he picked up on a few terms. Natilite had called humans of Earth "Altaerrie"—the native word for Terra. The term "taberna" was used as well, sounding like "tavern," though Ryder wasn't sure of the context.

Despite Natilite's assurances, the Hispana remained cautious—even with a Templar's blessing. She reactivated her translation amulet.

"Antius," she said. "This is Captain Mathew Ryder, head of his House, leader of the Comanche Palatini. Captain Ryder and Duke of Salva. Matt, this is Capitaneus Flavius Antius of the Temple of Elpidiu. Leader of the Horatius Palatini."

Ryder opened his mouth to reply but hesitated. The mention of a temple caught him off guard. He was still adjusting to being called "Duke," but what stood out was that Natilite didn't name Antius's House—strange, considering everyone else had.

Sensing his confusion, Natilite leaned in and whispered, "I'll explain the temple part later. Just act normal."

Ryder nearly chuckled. "Normal" had left the station long ago.

He nodded. "Thank you for your intervention."

"We've been following these barbarian j'avais for nearly two weeks," Antius replied. "I didn't know they were tracking you."

Ryder did the math. A local week here was three days, not seven. "They're good trackers," he admitted. "But we just got here. I don't think we were the target."

"What is your kind doing out here alone?" Antius asked. "You don't seem like a large force."

"We're American Special Forces," Ryder said.

Natilite added, "In Altaerrie terms, they're equivalent to Palatini."

"Before we continue the greetings—do you have any healing potions?" Ryder asked. "I've got a wounded man."

Antius turned and whistled toward his men. A small figure rushed over and stopped before the Capitaneus—a female kitsune. Her fur was orange with yellow undertones, white patches, and black-tipped ears. Her short, fluffy tail was orange with a black top.

Unlike the other soldiers, she wore a lighter version of Hispana legionary armor over black-and-red clothing, prioritizing mobility over protection.

"Rosa, they have injured. Give them one of our potions and herbs."

"What's the wound?" Rosa asked, turning toward Ryder.

He motioned toward Marcos Gonzales, who was leaning against a tree. Barrett had removed the leg plating on his left thigh.

"When the Toriffa ambushed us, a luxmancy mage struck him with a rune," Ryder said.

"I can give him a healing potion, but—" Rosa began.

He raised his hand. "I know. It'll accelerate healing, but the wound still needs treatment. We have a gel for sterilizing and sealing the burns. But he'll need the potion to make it back to Salva."

Rosa looked to her Capitaneus, who nodded. She then rushed to help the Comanche medic.

As treatment was applied, Ryder noticed Antius watching with curiosity and amazement. He understood the sentiment. Thanks to Alagore's advancements in potion-based medicine, traditional Western approaches were underdeveloped here. That was his theory, at least.

"Were you out of potions?" Antius asked.

"We don't have potions where I'm from," Ryder explained. "But we have other kinds of medicine."

"Capitaneus," Canina interjected. "Besides the Noble Elf, there are no mages among them."

"Interesting," Antius mused. "So the rumors are true. It's not just your armor and weapons—everything about you is different."

"Welcome to the club," Ryder said.

Just then, he saw Ford and Fraeya rejoining the team. Ford's battlesuit looked battered, suggesting a rough fight, but he seemed physically fine.

"Capitaneus," Ælia reported. "I've brought the Altaerrie man and Elf."

"The J'avais mage?" Antius asked. "And the Harpy?"

"They were no match for dragon flame," she replied.

"Good," Antius said. "Ælia, cleanse the bodies. We'll be leaving soon."

"As you command."

Ryder watched the Noble Elf approach the Toriffa corpses. Her armor was unlike the others'—made of burgundy-gray scales rather than metal plates. She cast a fire spell, immolating the enemy bodies. Ryder didn't understand why. Covering tracks seemed unnecessary now, but this wasn't the time to ask.

"Again, thank you for saving my missing teammates," Ryder said. "But last I checked, Hispana isn't nearby. What are you doing out here?"

Antius hesitated and looked to his Centurion. Ryder understood. Trust came slowly in their line of work. Natilite again stepped in to reassure the Hispana.

"My orders were to recon this region," Antius said, "to discover why the Aristocracy is mobilizing. To assess the threat—and, if possible, determine what happened to the Palatini of Orias and whether their mission succeeded."

"I was with them," Natilite said solemnly. "I regret to report that Orias was wiped out. Fraeya and I are the only known survivors. I promise they died honorably."

"Then our worst fears are true," Canina said. "May the deity Orgash guide their souls to rest on Logia's surface."

"Deity?" King asked.

"One of the minor moons that orbit Tekali," Natilite explained.

"What about Raegel?" Antius asked.

Ryder saw Fraeya's ears perk up at her father's name.

"He was captured," Ryder said.

"But his theories were correct," Natilite added. "You can tell the Imperium—the mission succeeded."

"That raises the question," Antius said. "What was the mission?"

"I don't understand," Natilite replied.

"I do," Ryder said. Based on Orias's secrecy, it made sense that Hispana leadership sent a team to investigate without full knowledge. "Military bureaucracy at its finest. We were the mission."

"Then the legend is true," Antius murmured.

Before Ryder could ask which legend, a figure appeared on the hillside—a male neko, leaping from boulder to boulder before sliding down. The black-furred feline rolled, then rose to attention before Antius. His light armor, cloak, and long-barreled circiletum suggested he was a marksman.

"Kirath," Antius asked. "What is the urgency?"

"A File is approaching," Kirath said. "They'll be here soon."

"Then we must leave," Antius said.

"You can come with us," Ryder offered. "We know the path to Salva from here."

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