Previously on The hivemind is conquering for me?...
The Phalanx soldiers fought bravely against the Drakoshi, but the enemy pushed through the trenches. A psionic elite intervened, saving a soldier before leaving. Meanwhile, Sentinel Lambdason launched a desperate plan using psionic energy, but reinforcements arrived just as he unleashed a blinding flash, costing him his sight.
My eyes, submerged in water within their sockets, presented a peculiar sensation. I had initially offered to remove them for easier application of Francesca's power, but she merely laughed, clearly mistaking my serious offer for a jest. Thus, I remained silent afterward.
Still, a sense of unease settled within me. The sounds of battle, echoing from mere trenches away, urged me to be on the front lines. My past foolishness had led to this moment, and now, others were paying the price with their lives.
As anticipated, within fifteen minutes, my vision was restored. "Thanks, Fran," I expressed, turning around before leaping across the trenches with practiced ease, quickly rejoining the front lines.
A smile spread across my face as I did.
The Drakoshi forces had been thoroughly routed and were in full retreat. The tank reinforcements from the flanks had proven devastatingly effective. From my vantage point, I observed that while a dozen or so tanks had been lost, the mountains of Drakoshi corpses were a testament to their overwhelming defeat.
Pursuit was not feasible for the Phalanx, but my attention was drawn to the mech I had encountered earlier. She was now slowly advancing to the front lines, her weapon deployed. I watched for a moment, noting that her armament appeared to be a long-range sniper-type weapon, clearly designed for distant engagements. As she fired, I tracked the projectile's trajectory. Indeed, a ten-foot Drakoshi was struck, a gaping hole ripped through its chest.
Using this as a strategic focal point, I broadcasted through the communicator, "Phase two was a success. Phase three activating. Squad rendezvous near the knight. We will advance from that position."
Within minutes, Nerissa, Rhapso, Tamara, Gabrielle, Willow, and Sithrik arrived at the designated rendezvous. However, a couple of unexpected guests had joined them—Rhea and Morrgan.
I observed Morrgan for a moment as he approached. The previous day, I had recognized his formidable strength when he had crushed a Drakoshi's skull with his bare hands. The fact that he had lost his shirt in the heat of battle and sustained no injuries, even while in the thick of the engagement, was truly impressive.
As they drew nearer, Rhea spoke first, "Sentinel, I request permission to join your mission. My expertise in operations of this nature is unparalleled. I assure you, I will be a valuable asset."
I nodded in agreement. "Certainly, we are maintaining a small squad for covertness, but one or two additions are acceptable. Just ensure Cockburn and Skaja are informed so they can account for this during defensive operations... I assume you also wish to accompany us, Morrgan?"
Morrgan proceeded to scrutinize me with a smile before giving a slight nod. "Yes, Sentinel. I simply wish to prove my worth. Despite my many capabilities, my greatest strength lies in my ability to move unseen, to become unnoticeable when I so desire. Entrust your confidence in me, Sentinel. You shall not face regret." He then placed his hand on my arm and began a slow, deliberate stroke.
Recoiling slightly due to the unwelcome contact, I observed Morrgan's playful smirk.
"Uh... Sure. Why not? As long as you understand the risks involved, I won't deny your request." I then turned my gaze toward the edge of the battlefield, where the remnants of the Drakoshi's devastating defeat were being permitted to retreat under my orders.
"We should not linger any longer. We will proceed to the tanks and commence our advance from there; there's no point in traversing the open field. Let's move."
At my command, everyone began to move. I remained behind briefly, speaking into the comms, "Skaja. I am departing. Command is yours once more."
"Understood, Apollo," came the reply a moment later. "Good luck. I will manage the cleanup. Do you have any final instructions?"
I was about to decline when a glint of something shiny in the mud at my feet caught my eye. Picking it up, I smiled at the fallen pauldron. "Yes, during your cleanup, do not discard any silver pauldrons. Position them prominently at the forefront of the trenches, mounted on spikes. We should allow the Drakoshi to witness all their lost resources. It is only fitting we offer them an opportunity to reclaim what is theirs."
I heard Skaja chuckle before replying, "I would truly despise having you as an adversary... Yet again. Your mastery of all forms of warfare is exceptional. It shall be done. Skaja, out."
After disconnecting, I checked my Mindspace. Sapphire was present, but Onyx was absent. Sensing the connection through our link, I perceived her presence vaguely in the direction of the Drakoshi. It seemed likely I would encounter her at some point.
With that settled, I began to run, catching up to the other eight.
....
"Hah~ Hah~ Damn stitch. Hah~" Lena gasped breathlessly as she arrived at the rendezvous point. Glancing around, she hurried over to the knight. "Hey! Knighty knight. Did you see the sentinel? I need to show him I wasn't gut-checked this time!"
The knight turned to Lena, a look of confusion on his face. "Gut-checked?"
"Oh, my apologies. I keep getting stabbed in the stomach by Drakoshi. It's been rather irritating. I wanted to demonstrate to Apollo that I avoided any stabbings today so I could join him on his mission."
The knight regarded her for a moment before pointing into the distance. "The Sentinel already departed. About five minutes ago."
"He did?!" Lena’s body slumped. "Aww man. I was really hoping for some intense combat banter with him. I ended up being sent all the way to the southern elite line. What a waste. Oh well. No use crying over spilled milk. Hey, what’s your name?"
"My name is Alex? Why do you ask?" the knight inquired.
Lena shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. My name is Lena, by the way. I have a good feeling about you. And I always make friends with the right people. So, let’s go grab some grub. I torched so many Drakoshi with my whips today. I need some noms."
Before Alex could even reply, she felt her mech’s hand being pulled along by the ginger-haired individual ahead of her. She had initially intended to assist with the cleanup, but she didn’t actually have to… ‘Why not? What’s the absolute worst that could happen?’
...
We stealthily pursued the retreating Drakoshi for hours, completely undetected. Eventually, the Drakoshi ceased their flight and began to regroup into formations. This allowed me to witness an interesting phenomenon multiple times.
From time to time, an armored Drakoshi would halt its movement. The surrounding unarmored Drakoshi would then quickly retreat to a safe distance, observing as the armored one began to tear away its own plating.
The instant it did, its body underwent a transformation, growing one to two feet taller in mere moments. Once they were no longer considered ‘cannon fodder,’ they didn’t even glance back at the other armored Drakoshi. They were now clearly superior. They simply marched forward.
My scientific curiosity stirred intensely at what I was witnessing – the sudden surge in growth, the rapid muscle development… I desperately wanted to understand how it worked. These clones were genetic marvels. I craved to know more.
However, this was not the opportune moment for me to… merge heads, so to speak. I needed the primary consciousness to be fully functional.
Finally, we reached an open expanse, forcing us to temporarily halt our surveillance. To the north, Rhea highlighted a ridge offering elevated ground. Our group proceeded towards it, as it would grant us a vantage point, making it simpler to plan our subsequent pursuit.
After ten minutes, we reached the crest of the ridge, and I cautiously peered over. We had made the correct decision not to pursue further.
In the valley just beyond the small plain lay a massive Drakoshi outpost. It wasn't a minor structure like the fort we had previously captured. This appeared to be a heavily guarded command center. There were no visible walls, but given the sheer number of Drakoshi we observed, they clearly didn't require any.
"There are so many of them…" Morrgan murmured. This prompted my response.
"The higher-ups informed us we’d be facing an entire clan in the south. I suppose when your forces are spread across thousands of miles instead of hundreds of thousands, you can afford to consolidate your numbers more effectively."
"Shit, get down!" Rhea suddenly exclaimed, and everyone complied immediately.
Abruptly, a sonic boom erupted from above us, followed by another, and then another.
Gazing upwards, my eyes caught sight of three ships descending into the atmosphere. As they did, a colossal laser beam suddenly materialized in the sky, slicing through two of the vessels and narrowly missing the third before vanishing.
"At least the navy isn't entirely incompetent," Willow whispered beside me.
I remained silent as the damaged ship crash-landed onto the plain below, close to the outpost.
We watched with intrigue for a considerable time as Drakoshi swarmed from the outpost to investigate the wreckage. Ten minutes later, the ship’s hatch opened, and approximately three thousand fresh, armored Drakoshi emerged, accompanied by a few dozen individuals with silver pauldrons and other unarmored Drakoshi.
This was clearly a staging ground for their troop mobilization.
