The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 794: Fort Amberrock

Following Nerissa's signal for clearance to land, the Spartari forces were visible below within minutes. The vessel was then manually piloted to the ground, a delicate operation considering the state of the landing pads – three out of five were extensively damaged. When the ship was safely down, its armor systems were set to standby. Standing, I addressed the two individuals with me. "Are you two ready for whatever comes next?"

Nerissa gave a determined nod. "Of course, Apollo. I will always be eager to follow you into battle."

Rhapso chimed in enthusiastically, "Yeah! I don’t get to cut loose much, so this is going to be a blast!"

As the ship's doors opened, a team of engineers rushed in to begin repairs, while others collected the body of the fallen pilot. A sigh escaped me at the sight, but I moved forward, leaving the confines of the ship.

Before us stood a fortress. Another one. It wasn't as tall as the previous one I had to besiege, only a few levels high. However, the extensive network of trenches and barbed wire visible from the fort's summit was considerable. The trenches stretched as far as the eye could see, the barbed wire resembled overgrown foliage, and the numerous explosive craters indicated this place had endured a severe conflict. This location had clearly weathered a significant offensive.

Awaiting us near the ship was a tall, powerfully built, bald man whose face was partially covered by metallic augments. He exuded a seasoned aura. "Sentinel Lambdason, I presume? I am honored to have you join us. I am Lochagos Baldwin. At your service."

I extended my hand to the Lochagos, consciously avoiding looking at the top of his head after he introduced himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lochagos. Is the rest of my squad here?"

The man nodded, motioning for me to follow. "Yes, your Psionic elites arrived twelve hours ago, along with Centurion Cockburn and his contingent. Allow me to be the first to say, Sentinel, as a fellow Psionic user, the men under my command are accustomed to encountering Psionics, so you should experience no issues here. And to you Praetorians, I thank you for joining us on the front lines. Your presence will serve as a significant morale boost."

Nerissa and Rhapso remained quiet, so I interjected, "So what's the situation, Lochagos? All I was given were the coordinates."

"We're unsure, Sentinel. The plans haven't been finalized yet. Your second-in-command is currently conferring with the higher-ups in the command tent. I'll escort you there first before taking you to your squad... Be advised, though... when I departed, the discussions sounded rather... heated."

"Understood," I replied, following the man, already suspecting the implications of his word 'heated'.

...

"Balls?!?"

Skaja's voice erupted at the highest pitch as I entered the tent. "Bitch, I have balls bigger than that fat sack of shit you call a head! Wh-? Oh, bring it on, you slag! I bet your pussy-ass tiny balls wouldn't dare set foot on this planet until victory was all but assured! Oh yeah? Your mother!"

Skaja suddenly fell silent, her anger visibly escalating as she clearly overheard something deeply offensive from the person on the other end. Her face flushed crimson, and she appeared on the verge of shouting again before my presence registered in her peripheral vision.

Her eyes widened considerably as she looked at me, and then grew even larger upon spotting Rhapso. She then cleared her throat, handed over the communication device, and walked away from the tent.

I proceeded to put on the headset.

"-You will be sucking my fat sack when I’m done with you, bitch. I will-"

"-Aunt Serena, it's Apollo."

...

"Will someone check this shitty interference! It’s garbled and other channels are getting through! Incompetence during war is punishable by death!" she bellowed at those nearby before her tone shifted entirely. "Apollo. How are you? Are you well? I assume the mission with the Praetorians went off without a hitch?"

"Without a hitch? I can't precisely say that things were smooth. However, I have benefited from the mission far greater than I could have ever imagined. Furthermore, I have secured the allegiance of a second Praetorian, Rhapso, who has decided to accompany me, much like Nerissa, during the upcoming war."

"..."

"Hello?" I inquired after a brief silence.

"Ah, my apologies. That is wonderful news to hear. Having an additional Praetorian with you significantly enhances local power, so this is indeed good to know."

"So, Serena, I assume we've been relocated for a specific reason? What is the mission?" I asked.

Serena's tone shifted once more, becoming grave. "Yes. In front of you, if your second-in-command is competent, you should see a map of the local region."

I glanced at the table and noticed a data pad. Upon activation, a holographic map materialized, displaying a vast representation of the area. "I see the map. It appears I am at Fort... Amberrock?"

"Correct. Fort Amberrock is of significant strategic value to us. But even more so to the Drakoshi. If you look at your map, you will see twenty miles from your location to the south, there is the sea. What you will also see is that you are on significant high ground. Nothing but sheer rockface for hundreds of meters below the cliffs and below that horrid jagged reefs and other nasties in the water. This occurs thousands of miles east. Giving Clan Oizik a terrible time at attempting to set up their aquatic vessels. It’s too risky.

However, ten miles to the west of Fort Amberrock. The cliffs end. What is there after the cliffs is nothing but smooth sandy beaches for hundreds of miles. Alongside clear, smooth bottom waters. If the Drakoshi get to those beaches, if they set up a naval presence on this world, the war is going to last possibly well over a year. Right now they are isolated. Our own navy is enough to keep theirs in check. But if they can expand their positions to where they can get into the water, it will tip the scales in their favour for some time.

As for your current mission. You are going to be heavy on the defence. This part of the line cannot be lost. Reinforcements are going to be sent to you every chance we get, but clan Oizik are localised to this region. You are going up against a whole clan’s worth of reinforcements alongside Vim and Emoth. The fighting is not going to be easy and it will be bloody.

However, I don’t expect you to just sit in the fort the entire time. Centurions Cockburn’s force have years of experience in sabotage warfare. I have assigned him to your personal command during this operation as his logistical mind is to be admired. Use his squad and reinforce it however you see fit with your own Psionic troops.

Apollo, I would usually be micromanaging this area of the battle with extreme care and will continue to do so. But you have shown your ability to perform beyond what is expected. So I give you full autonomy to do whatever it is you need to do to hold the line. Do not let the Drakoshi get past that fort."

'Oof, responsibility. Curse you Nerissa!' I thought before replying.

"Of course, Serena. I will not fail. I do not fail..."

"Good. Expect Drakoshi skirmishes within the next few days. I have reports they are moving suspiciously. Serena out."

...

I took the headset off and rubbed my forehead. This was... Unexpected. I was comfortable leading a siege. I had thousands of hours of childhood playtime with my darling attacking, but defending? That was another matter.

"I suppose I can use how I would attack this place in order to increase defensive capabilities? Hmmm~"

I nodded my head. That would work. But there were some steps that needed to be taken first.

Turning around I addressed the Praetorians. "Nerissa, I need you to go find Onyx and Sapphire. Call Rhea, Willow and Cockburn. Also, Rhapso, I need a detailed account of the surroundings. Our territory is this fort. Everything."

The two left without saying a word. I then followed them out of the tent and looked out at the Phalanx around. I looked at the weapons everywhere. I then looked to my left. Skaja was sitting down on a crate, rubbing her head, murmuring something about a bitch...

I still had some time and something needed addressing. "Skaja, can you come in the tent for a moment."

"Of course Apollo." She said, switching into a happier mood."

I proceeded to standby as she walked into the tent. I looked around, not only with my eyes, but also my Psionic senses, something she picked up on as she asked.

"Is everything alright Apollo? Are we going to discuss battle tactics?" She asked, walking to the war table and hopping up, taking a seat upon it.

"That will come in a little while. First we need to discuss something and I need to apologise."

Skaja tilted her head to the side in confusion as she kicked out a leg. "Apologise? For what?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Ok, the best way to deal with something like this is just to get straight to the point. Hah~ Don’t blame the Nymphs, there was a whole ordeal, but basically..." I paused, conflicted for a moment before just getting it out.

"I know about Artemis."