Aetherborne Chronicles

As their spaceship entered the docking bay of the Spectacle, the transition from the vibrant expanse of space to the interior of the station was seamless. The docking bay was bustling with activity as various ships from different parts of the universe arrived and departed. Automated systems guided their vessel to a designated spot, and the ship\'s engines powered down with a gentle hum.

Adam and Chris exited the ship and stepped onto the deck of the docking bay, surrounded by the hum of machinery and the echoes of footsteps. The scale of the Spectacle was truly humbling, as they could see the intricate network of walkways, corridors, and platforms that extended throughout the station.

Upon disembarking, they were guided by a worker robot to their respective assigned areas. The robot efficiently directed them to their rooms and provided information about the upcoming procedures. They were told that a representative from the council\'s army would meet them shortly to provide further instructions. The robot meticulously relayed all of this information.

Interestingly, despite the advanced technological capabilities of the council, including inventions like hyperdrives and artificial wormholes, they had not yet ventured into utilizing robots for tasks like combat or spaceship piloting, a contrast to the more commonplace presence of such automation in other areas of their society.

They followed the robot through sleek corridors and arrived at a set of doors, which slid open to reveal their assigned living quarters. The room was spacious and modern, with minimalist furnishings and a large viewport that offered a stunning view of the spaceport and the distant stars.

As they entered, the robot\'s voice spoke again, "Please make yourselves comfortable. A council army representative will be with you shortly to discuss the upcoming procedures and your integration into our forces."

After waiting for over 6 hours, a knock finally resounded at the door. Eager to break the monotony, Chris quickly opened it. Standing before them was a pale man, presumably a vampire, appearing to be in his twenties. His very presence seemed to command the room, and he entered with an air of overwhelming arrogance. He passed by Chris as if he were invisible and took a seat in a solitary chair. His demeanor exuded arrogance in abundance.

"You must be the ones joining the army through the backdoor. Regardless, allow me to brief you about the Council\'s official army," the vampire spoke, his tone matching his attitude. "The army is divided into ten divisions, each under the leadership of ten different officers. You will be joining Officer Renna\'s division, the same as the other soldiers from your planet," he continued.

"In addition, each division is further divided into multiple squads based on experience and combat style. I\'ve observed your fighting styles; you, the 4-star mage who favors destructive spells, and you, the 3-star warrior who relies on strategy. Unfortunately, both of you would be of little use against the planets that betrayed us. We have more capable individuals who share your fighting styles. Therefore, you\'ll be assigned to my squad," he declared. "I\'ll explain our duties later. Pack your belongings and be ready to depart in ten minutes. Meet me at Dock 61," he concluded before leaving abruptly.

He strode in, explained everything within a mere minute, and departed as though he were too important to spare more time. Chris and Adam exchanged a glance, a shared realization that they were being treated with an unprecedented level of disregard. This new experience was unsettling, especially for two individuals who had rarely encountered such indifference. However, Adam swiftly broke the silence by grabbing the bag he had brought with him and signaling to Chris to do the same. He didn\'t want to give the enigmatic vampire any more ammunition to belittle them.

Leaving the room in a hurry, they dashed through the space station\'s corridors, their urgency causing them to inadvertently collide with others along the way. They offered hurried apologies as they hurriedly inquired about the location of Dock 61. For the next eight minutes, their journey resembled a chaotic sprint, a whirlwind of running and accidental collisions that garnered them a few choice words from irritated bystanders. However, their determination pushed them forward until they finally arrived at Dock 61, slightly out of breath but relieved to have reached their destination.

Standing outside the spaceship was the familiar vampire, holding a stopwatch in his hand. As Adam and Chris approached, he halted the stopwatch, his gaze fixed on them. Both of them were visibly sweaty from their rushed journey. "Eight minutes and 19 seconds, not bad. Get on board the ship; you\'ll receive a mission briefing during the journey," he informed them before ascending the ramp into the spaceship.

Taking a moment to catch their breath, Adam and Chris remained outside for a few seconds. Then, with their pulse gradually returning to normal, they followed the vampire inside the spaceship.

Gathered around a waist-high table were a total of six individuals, excluding Adam, Chris, and the vampire taking their places. There were two additional occupants in the spacecraft-the operator and the technician. Among six of them, there were two Werewolves, a giant, two demons, and lastly one dwarf creating a diverse group of beings.

Seated at the head of the table, Ishmael, the vampire, initiated the briefing. "Our target for this mission is this individual," he announced, causing a hologram to materialize above the table. The holographic image depicted a blue-skinned goblin.

"His name is Kozz," Ishmael continued, his gaze fixed on the hologram. "Our objective is to capture him-dead or alive. He\'s located on a planet called Pandora 9."

The demon\'s skepticism was evident as he voiced his concern, "Why? You\'re aware that due to the historical conflicts between our races, demons are despised by goblins across the universe. And now you\'re leading us to one of their central planets."

His objection was grounded in reality, as Pandora was indeed the goblin\'s homeworld. The war that had transpired 50,000 years ago had irrevocably severed their ties on a universal scale. The animosity was so entrenched that not even a goblin officer would tolerate the presence of a half-demon, let alone a demon, within their ranks.

"Rest assured, both of you will have crucial roles in this operation. You will act as our eyes and ears, providing us with constant support from this base. Meanwhile, the others will be divided into teams responsible for investigating, gathering intel, and identifying his potential hideouts," Ishmael elaborated. "This individual, Kozz, is directly involved in smuggling advanced weapon blueprints to traitorous factions. Alongside our primary mission to eliminate him, there is an additional objective: extracting information about his suppliers or the mastermind behind this. However, if obtaining that information proves difficult, prioritize his elimination instead. Is everything understood? "

"Yes sir," everyone chimed in, offering salutes in unison.

"Given that we have some fresh faces among us, lend a hand in familiarizing them with our operational protocols and the system of rewards," Ishmael instructed, then made his exit from the room.

"So, what\'s your classification?" one of the werewolves inquired, eyeing Adam and Chris.

"What do you mean?" Chris responded, clearly puzzled by the question.

"I believe he\'s asking whether we\'re mages or warriors," Adam interjected to clarify.

"Yeah, that\'s it," the werewolf confirmed.

"Oh, got it. I\'m a 4-star mage, and he\'s a 3-star warrior," Chris answered on behalf of Adam, who was about to respond himself.

"Excellent, we were short on mages. Our squad used to have only one mage, the leader, but he rarely joined combat situations. But with you on board, things might just get a bit more interesting," the werewolf added with a grin. "I\'m Lycus, by the way. That big guy over there is Brutus, and the demon twins are Zara and Zephyr. That dwarf is named Boyd and last one is carey."

Adam and Chris nodded in acknowledgment as they were introduced to the squad members.

Brutus, the giant, leaned in and rumbled in a deep voice, "Glad to have some fresh blood in the squad. We\'ve been doing this gig for quite a while now."

Zara, one of the demon twins, offered a sly smirk as her gaze settled on Adam. "About time we had some fresh energy around here. Maybe these missions won\'t feel so monotonous now."

Not wanting to dwell on that scrutiny, Adam swiftly changed the topic. "So, what exactly are these protocols and the reward system you mentioned?"

Lycus, the werewolf, answered Adam\'s query. "Protocols essentially constitute the code of conduct that must be adhered to. Violating them can lead to charges of marital misconduct. Some of the crucial rules involve respecting your superiors and following orders, similar to what you\'d expect on your planet. As for the reward system, it\'s a distinct feature of the council\'s army."

Zara interjected, her voice carrying an enchanting tone. "Let me explain. You earn points based on your mission performance, which translates into rewards. When you return to headquarters, you can exchange these points for various items-spaceships, weapons, magic scrolls, talismans, and even skill advancements. It\'s a way to improve your arsenal, enhance your magical abilities, your aura or even elevate your rank in the army."

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