Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 489: Armageddon Begins

"Your eminence," A man in knightly armor with white and gold highlights kneeled in front of the large and extravagant bed with a white canopy that was shaking. Most of his external armor was ceremonial, underneath were the actual armor that would protect him.

The canopy moved to the side slightly as a large and fat man looked out. He was completely nude and covered in hair. He had gold rings covering his hand along with a few gold chains hanging from his neck. "What is it? Can’t you see that I am busy?" He looked back at the various nude bodies that were spread out across his bed.

The knight could faintly hear one or two of them crying. "I apologize, you wanted me to notify me of any updates of critical value. I came to report that we have blockaded Yuri. The Central planet in the Circle of Yuri’s control. The other areas have not been completely subdued. But all of their supply lines run through that planet."

"Is that all?" The large man chuckled as he reached back in and grabbed a woman causing her to squeak. "Make sure you acquire some... desirable women. I hear the Clans have some rather eye-catching daughters. Perhaps they will make good playthings."

The knight shivered in disgust but kept his true thoughts hidden. A holy emperor like him cavorting with some half breeds and unholy scum was disgusting. But the scriptures said each man was allowed his own sin. "Very well, I will pass along your order. I apologize for bothering you."

He stood up but then stopped as the entire structure shook. "What?" The large man fully climbed out of his bed and grabbed a towel that was laying on the ground nearby. The knight ignored him and hastily pushed through the balcony door that was partially open. Then he froze as he looked up to the sky.

Clear as day in the sky was the start of Armageddon. Star ships... his star ships were falling through the sky in chunks of fiery debris. Landing on the ground and throwing up clouds of smoke and fire that was slowly engulfing their entire world in fire.

"What in the world..." The knight mumbled and then blinked and his eyes widened as a form appeared over them.

Floating in the air above them was a white and golden form with light coming off it. Its body looked mechanical but its head looked pointed with a light on the end and pointed ears coming up out of the top.

"What in the seven hells are you!?!" The knight demanded as he pulled out his sword. It immediately began humming with a violent vibration that crackled in the air.

{Humans...} The voice vibrated through the air and caused those who heard it to flinch in pain. {You are always the same. But you may rejoice now. Because Gabriel is here to relieve you to the great beyond.}

"YOU ARE AN ANGEL!" The fat man raised his hands in joy as he joined the knight with a robe covering his body. "You must be the promised ones that we have been waiting for. The ones that Gregory the First told us about! Please take me!" The current Holy Emperor Gregory exclaimed in excitement and opened his arms.

The figure tilted its head. {Curious... this needs to be investigated. Take the unhealthy human. We will scan his mind.} It then turned to the knight. {We do not need the other ones. But collect the unique biological specimens. They need to be catalogued.} A group of diamond shaped devices that were floating near her began spreading out around them and heading into the room.

"What-" The knight started but suddenly stopped as lasers shot out of the diamond shaped drones and ran through the knight. Then a second later he fell into several pieces and blood spread out all over the ground.

The Holy Emperor blinked but before he could do anything a blue glow spread over him and he froze as a diamond shaped drone hovered over him shining the blue light down.

The figure then turned and looked over the city as six wing-like objects spread out behind them. {REJOICE HUMANS! FOR YOUR LIBERATIONS FROM LIFE HAS COME!} Her claim was accompanied by the screech and screams of terror from people.

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Jace sat quietly at the table as Dahlia Dakota glared at him from across the table. There were a few more people in the room and around the table. But a few of the chairs were still empty as they were waiting.

"You are clearly angry. Why?" Jace asked. Not caring about the fact that he was cutting through the silence in the room that had been encompassing the entire room.

"I do not want to discuss it now." Dahlia responded with a scoff.

Jace raised an eyebrow and looked at the woman next to her. "Nina, do you know what is going on with her?"

His favorite mute just shrugged.

The door to the meeting room slid open and the High Priestess and Admiral Dakota walked in with General Isaiah. Following them into the room were a number of logistics personnel who moved around the room and set down datapads in front of everyone before walking out and the door closed. After the door closed it sealed and the lights turned from yellow to blue.

"Thank you for joining us for this meeting. Colonel Jace, Colonel Dahlia, and Colonel Nina I especially want to thank you three. As our three highest ranking Spectres we will especially need your help with this operation." The High Priestess declared as she sat down at the head of the table with the Admiral and General on the other side of her.

"Hey Dakota! Your daughter is angry at me for some reason." Jace exclaimed, causing a few chuckles from the others and Dahlia to kick him under the chair. Across the room the High Priestess rolled her eyes.

"He has gotten far more casual." General Isaiah grunted out. "You let him?"

"Jace is good at what he does. Besides, his playful side neutralizes his psychotic side a bit." The High Priestess explained with a sigh.

"Jace, focus on the task at hand." Dakota ordered before signaling to the others to quiet down. He really managed to anchor down the ability to have a presence. Even among the various other races.

"I apologize." Jace waved.

The High Priestess sighed and waved one of her hands in dismissal. "Let’s move on. Our next big move will be to strike against the vampire’s home world. We were going to let them and the Holy Empire fight it out but recent evidence suggests the vampires have had a hand in spreading what we have come to call the technovirus."

"So we are stepping in to make sure they are stopped completely." Admiral Dakota finished and then looked over at Jace. "Which is where you three come in. Colonel Jace, Dahlia, and Nina will be the main commanders for this operation. Jace you will take your Cerberus Unit and the Wolfsbane to Yuri. Your forces will be mostly focused on ground operations. Colonel Dahlia, The Elysium that is under your command will be focused on holding open the blockade and an escape route for Cerberus if necessary. Colonel Nina, you and your Special Operations team are being handed specific targets in a Nero Hawk. Some are to kill and some are to capture. You will bring and imprison them aboard the Wolfsbane."

"What are the rest of us doing here?" One of the other people asked. Most of them were marked with the rank of Captain. With a few being a bit higher ranked.

"The rest of us are going to lay just out of range of their scanning capability. With the Nightfall of Requiem and the Venture being the head of the spear. Once we get an all objectives complete signal or request for assistance we will move in depending upon the situation." Isaiah began explaining with a grunt as a hologram appeared showing the plan.

"Colonel Jace’s main objective will be to establish a foothold on the planet. Once he completes that then he will send the mission complete signal. Colonel Dahlia will be breaking open the blockade and establishing an area of control in space where we can safely move to and from the planet. Once she achieves her objective she needs to send her mission complete signal. Then finally, Colonel Nina’s mission will be ongoing so she will probably not send out a mission complete signal until after we are there. Are there any questions?" The High Priestess asked after explaining the plan.

"Yes, why are those three going ahead of us?"

"Because of the wave rider drive. It will allow us to get close without detection and successfully commence a sneak attack." Jace explained with a shrug. "The Elysium, The Wolfsbane, and Nero Hawks are all outfitted with wave rider drives."

The meeting proceeded for a few hours with them discussing various other details of the mission and operation.