The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 793: Jelly

"Do you have any intel regarding our upcoming destination?" I inquired of the pilot shortly after our departure from the docking bay.

"No, Lord Sentinel. The coordinates point south, towards the lowest tier of our defense perimeter, but that is the extent of my knowledge."

"Understood," I acknowledged the woman, then returned to my seat, securing my harness.

"Why the precaution?" Rhapso asked, her tone laced with curiosity. I responded,

"The last occasion I had the choice to buckle up during a flight and elected not to... resulted in a profoundly vexing day. Mostly vexing, I should add, though the conclusion of that day proved satisfactory."

"Ooh, that sounds like a story worth hearing! Do tell!"

...

After recounting my experiences in the southern reaches of Euc 4 to Rhapso, she finally interjected.

"Wow. That Talos fellow sounds like a truly contemptible individual. Fortunately, his demise has already occurred."

I offered a nod in agreement. "Indeed. I remain astonished that the conflict persisted for such a duration. It is particularly baffling that the government permitted an entire hemisphere of a planet within its primary star system to operate with such impunity. Was this autonomy a long-standing arrangement?"

Nerissa shook her head. "In actuality, yes. Though not to the extreme degree observed presently. It was once a domain of controlled chaos, a stark contrast to the unbridled pandemonium of today. Humanity possesses an innate inclination towards diversion, a means to elude the monotonous cycle of their existence. Locales such as the southern sectors of Ecumenopolis 4 and Atlantis serve precisely this purpose."

I mused, acknowledging her points. "Perhaps the lesser of unavoidable adversities? Nevertheless, it is rather grim to witness the circumstances under which millions of humans subsist."

Rhapso concurred with a nod. "Yeah, I-"

A sudden cacophony of metallic shrieks reverberated throughout the entire vessel. Streaks of light, indicative of incoming projectiles, began to pierce the hull.

Abruptly, the pilot cried out, "Drakoshi forces have breached the front line! I'm observing a full-scale onslaught below! We must- Gaaahh!!"

Another volley of munitions tore through the ship, this time finding their mark on the pilot. As she slumped lifelessly, I sprang into motion.

Tearing through my safety restraints, I dashed to the cockpit, extracted her from the pilot's seat, and assumed control.

The console before me bore visible damage, yet I located the manual override for flight and engaged it, asserting full command of the ship.

"Apollo, perhaps I should intervene-" Nerissa began to suggest as I initiated a steep dive in an evasive maneuver, sending the faltering vessel plummeting.

The sky surrounding our craft became a maelstrom of yellow tracer fire, but I disregarded the onslaught, unleashing the ship's weaponry upon the Drakoshi below.

Executing a sudden roll, I narrowly evaded a barrage of rockets. Adjusting my trajectory, I prepared for a counter-assault against the source of those heavy munitions!

"Apollo, extricate us from this perilous situation. Cease further engagement to prevent additional damage to the vessel," Nerissa instructed.

"Haha, Apollo! Your piloting is exceptional! Accelerate further!" Rhapso exclaimed, observing the aerial ballet with evident exhilaration.

"Hmm hmm hmmm~ Woah! That was a narrow escape. Hmm hmm hmm~"

’This maneuverability is far superior to evading wing rippers,’ I couldn't help but think as another wave of hostile fire approached. I dipped my left wing, executed a lateral loop, and countered with a burst from the main cannon, targeting the Drakoshi's forward emplacements.

Fortune seemed to favor my actions, as the targeted weapons erupted in a fiery explosion.

Thereafter, I initiated evasive protocols and unleashed a torrent of ammunition while maneuvering the ship away from the front lines and towards our friendly territory.

"Ness, could you provide a system diagnostic? I need to ascertain whether a controlled crash landing in a secure location is prudent before a catastrophic failure occurs, or if the ship remains viable for continued travel," I inquired, maintaining a steady, low-altitude flight path.

"Affirmative, Apollo- I shall-"

"Ship integrity at 76%. Life support is offline, along with navigation and several other critical systems," Rhapso interjected before Nerissa could finish. "However, the engines remain undamaged, no fuel is leaking, and the wings sustained only superficial damage thanks to your proficient piloting. I have rerouted the navigation coordinates to my armor matrix. Provided you can maintain flight, I can guide us to our destination."

A smile touched my lips upon hearing this assessment. "Excellent work, Rhapso. You shall serve as our eyes. Simply indicate when a turn is required, and I shall comply."

...

Nerissa observed Rhapso's palpable delight at Apollo's commendation. Her gaze narrowed slightly, noting her sister's sycophantic demeanor. This required immediate attention.

Once safety was assured, Nerissa addressed Apollo. "Apollo, could you employ one of your profound mental retreats, effectively blocking out external stimuli? I wish to converse with Rhapso privately."

"Hah! No need to ask twice. I shall simply pilot southward until I receive a congratulatory pat on the back or some similar affirmation... Now, what shall I think about- oh, I have it!"

Nerissa watched for a moment as Apollo's consciousness drifted elsewhere. His ability to achieve such a state was truly remarkable, but her attention was now focused on her sister. She grasped Rhapso's arm and guided her towards the rear of the vessel.

"Rhapso, what exactly are you doing?" she inquired, her tone stern.

"Talking to you? What is going on? Why have you pulled me away from Apollo? Are you sure Apollo cannot hear us?"

Nerissa then turned to Apollo and shouted "Apollo, do you want to know what I know about the gravastar where the incident occurred? I’ll even override my oaths that prevent me from speaking about it!"

"Ness!" Rhapso suddenly exclaimed, looking her sister up and down in sheer terror before turning back to Apollo, who didn’t even flinch.

Nerissa then continued, "See. His mind is so occupied that my oath even knows I am safe to discuss it right now. So, can I ask you a question?"

Rhapso nodded her head. "Of course, sis. I don’t know why we need secrecy, though?"

Nerissa then took a deep breath before asking, "Are you sucking up to Apollo because we know his secret? If you are. Stop. Now. He doesn’t want us thinking about that side of him."

Nerissa could sense Rhapso forming a frown underneath her helmet. "What? Are you serious? Apollo asked us to treat him as human, as a friend, not as... whoever he was. And I’m not sucking up."

"Hah!" Nerissa let out a chuckle of derision. "Please, all you have done is suck up to him. Complimenting him and butting in just then on a task he asked me to do."

Rhapso looked at Nerissa, confused. "Are you serious right now? All his actions have been commendable. His flying just then was superb. He has kept his own against the beast and *Gasp!*"

Rhapso then went silent, but Nerissa could feel the aura of her smirk and the narrowing of her eyes through her helmet.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, my gods... Ness, are you jealous?" Rhapso asked, causing Nerissa to do a double-take.

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Well, Apollo isn’t your special little human buddy anymore, is he? He is ours to share and he has been giving me some attention and *Gasp* Hehehe! You are totally jelly!" Rhapso said, seemingly absolutely delighted.

Nerissa folded her arms across her chest and assumed a very uncharacteristic stance. "Sis, I am not jealous. I am delighted to have you accompany us. I just wanted to make sure you were not trying to suck up to Apollo. But if you are genuinely impressed with his actions, I am fine with that. Truly. As I agree with you."

Rhapso then proceeded to reach up and pat Nerissa on the top of her helmet. "Sure~ I totally believe you, Jelly belly. Now come on, I wanna get some practice in the art of Apollo watching before I start full time. This is going to be so much fun!"

Nerissa watched Rhapso take the co-pilot seat next to Apollo and rested her head in her hand.

Her eyes then drifted to Apollo, then Rhapso, then back to Apollo again before shaking her head.

’Jealous? Ridiculous...’

...

’-No. That doesn’t work anymore... I’ve gained new height and my muscles are stronger than ever. The pseudo-abortion didn’t relinquish the benefit of the blessing; I still have the level up... So I can’t do muscle enhancement without having a weakened period... My best bet is the bones... But that will require me to go to another galaxy for those bio-minerals... Hmmm~ I still wanted to explore around Spartari for a bit before I left again... But I suppose the war and college is quite the exploration already. Both had been fun in their own way.. Though I do need some Jewel lovin’ for definite. I wonder if I keep using my far sight it will get stronger and she could actually get her tentacles through safely? If that could eventually happen... hehehe~’

"Apollo!"

"Who-What? I was. Yeah? Where am I?" I said, startled, before realizing Rhapso was touching my shoulder. She then turned to Nerissa and then back to me.

"Wow. Apollo, you have been in deep thought for over five hours. I’ve never seen something like that before. It was amazing. What were you thinking about?"

"..."

"Did you say five hours? Wow, I was really in the zone for a while there. Sorry, is something happening? I feel like you just told me to stop listening."

Nerissa then spoke from behind me.

"We are approaching the landing zone; you need to make some course adjustments soon. So get ready."