The news of the Nemesis attack had reached the halls of Camelot Alpha within an hour. The aftermath flashed before screens through the city, captivating horrified eyes. In the meeting room, Damara and the others couldn’t look away. They saw a fiery crater the size of their stronghold at the heart of Liberty City, surrounded by rampant mayhem!

  "By the lord in heaven," Daisy said.

  "They attacked a world so deep behind enemy lines! How's this possible?"

  "The answer is obvious, General Carter. They must have placed one of the spying devices in the city!"

  "But still, commander, how?"

  "We'll have to cross that bridge later, General Carter. Their next target could be here. We can't delay the mission for a second," Lev said.

  "Everyone, please wait!" Orion turned to Daisy, looking concerned. "Damara, would you like to attend to Earth before we proceed with the mission!"

  Daisy desperately wanted to say yes, but she knew she couldn’t. She wanted to ensure Aisha and Belle were well. If the incident in the apartment were the last time the young woman saw her older sister, it would haunt her for the rest of her days. But if she went now, she couldn’t just visit them. Damara would have to provide disaster relief, delaying the mission. And like Lev said, time was of the essence.

  "N-no, sir!" Daisy exhaled heavily.

  "Are you sure?"

  "It's like General Lev said! We don't have any time to lose! I'll pray for the humans instead!"

  "Very well then!"

  An alarm flashed through the room, and Favian, calling through a hologram, appeared before the group.

  "Yes, Favian?"

  "It appears the enemy has fallen for our trap, sir. I require a final go or no-go before we attack!"

  "Please proceed as planned!"

  "Yes, sir! Be ready to move! May the gods be with you, Lev!"

  "Thank you!"

  Later, a vessel of two thousand feet lifted off from the city onto an immense odyssey! It was a tool of unyielding attack, a weapon retaliating against the Nemesis. The Argonautis was a glimmering silver battleship fashioned into the shape of a broad sword. Its engines roared to full power, filling the air with the booming of a mighty thunderstorm. Unleashing massive gusts of wind as it swiftly flew off, cutting toward the enemy territory!

  Inside, Damara and Carter looked out a window together, watching the ship leave the planet’s orbit, zooming through space in seconds!

  "Incredible!"

  "This thing might be as fast as the horse!"

  "But how?"

  Lev walked to the couple."Athena!"

  "Who?"

  "She's my head Engineer and scientific advisor. Not to brag, but she may be as brilliant as your Dr. Parker, General Carter!"

  "Speaking of whom, Carter, I mean General Carter, did he double-check for those spying devices on the ship?"

  "He triple-checked!"

  "Good man! Our mission is on a great start," Lev said.

  "Well, don't get too comfy! I still have a bad feeling about this!"

  "You worry too much, General Carter. I've been planning this for a long time, so believe me, I've left nothing to chance!"

  Daisy looked out the window, seeing a black hole unlike any other."Wow!" Marveling at its ever-shifting colors and colossal energy jets running out from all corners.

  "I've never seen a black hole like that before!"

  "That's no ordinary black hole," Lev said.

  "What?"

  "It's called a hypergate. Inside is a place called the energy realm! Think of it as a highway in space and time!"

  "A highway to where?"

  "Anywhere! The gates are connected, and dozens, maybe hundreds, lay across the galaxy!"

  "But wait! If that's true, why don't we use one of them to get past the enemy's defenses!"

  "Because as far as I know, any vessel that dared tried it turned to ash upon entering the realm!"

  "I see!"

  Two beauties quickly ran to the group, Ollette and Kinana. Ollette, twenty-two, was a slender, curvaceous female Hachiko resembling a labrador retriever, having long orange hair. But coming beside her, bringing a surge of static electricity, Kinana, nineteen, was a slim, curvy female Ohair. A humanoid creature with two legs and arms that resembled a rabbit with long ears on top of her golden head of hair, a fluffy tail, and white fur.

  Ollette saluted Lev."General Lev, ma'am!"

  "Yes, Ollette?"

  "We-"

  "We came here to tell you that some of the guns on the starboard side are malfunctioning," Kinana interrupted.

  "Oh, my!"

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  "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've had the pleasure," Daisy said.

  "Of course, where are my manners? Damara, General Carter, this is one of my best captains, Ollette Fides, and her Lieutenant Kinana!"

  "I'm also the best sniper in the army," Kinana said.

  "So very modest, too," Ollette said, annoyed.

  "Hey, I-"

  "Enough! Report this malfunction to Athena immediately. We need to have it fixed before we cross the schism!"

  An alarm flashed through the air as red lights illuminated the corridor!

  "Too late," Carter said.

  "Very well! Everyone to battle stations!"

  Meanwhile, on Zeemos, the Nemesis army dashed across the mountainous surface. They mobilized troops and launched aircraft, taking positions around the planet. The world was a natural stronghold, housing titanic, jagged rock formations solid enough to withstand the mightiest onslaught. But hidden deep within the towering orange structures, a fortress stood at the center of their military action. Inside, readying for combat, Evelyn watched the Argonautis cross the great schism on a holophone panel.

  "It's just as the emperor has foreseen. After witnessing our military might, this location became too valuable to resist!"

  Evelyn’s Lieutenant, Palos, a muscular dark purple nemesis man, ran to her."What are your orders, General?"

  "Send X-4 and Y-5 battalions to intercept the enemy once they cross our territory. I prefer them captured, but destroy if necessary!"

  "Yes, ma'am!"

  On the great schism, the control room of the Argonautis filled with anxiety as the vessel raced toward its first obstacle. The ship sped closer to Favian's battle on the border, a chaotic swarm of plasma bolts and battleships. But doubling their speed, they navigated through the carnage into Nemesis territory!

  "We made it," Daisy said.

  "Into the belly of the beast," Carter said.

  "General Lev, how long until we reach Zeemos?"

  "We're taking the short route. So, at our current speed, we should be there in a matter of hours!"

  "You don't think they'll have a ton of patrols in this area?"

  "I do! But all of whom should be busy fighting Favian on the schism!"

  An alarm flashed through the air as red lights illuminated the room. A holophone panel appeared before Lev's face, and she read it with shocked eyes.

  "What is it?"

  "It appears two Elite class battleships are coming to intercept us!"

  "You see! I knew it!"

  "As I said earlier, you worry too much, General Carter! I expected to deal with one or two hindrances!"

  The enemy battleships swiftly came into view before them. Horrified eyes swept the room as Daisy and the others saw their military might. The two vessels were like none before, comprised of the blackest metal and twice the size of the Argonautis!

  "I-I've never seen a model like this before! Damn you, Zola," Lev said.

  "Fire immediately," Carter shouted.

  The Argonautis quickly fired at the enemy vessels, and they endured the attack without a scratch! But retaliating, one of the Nemesis battleships launched three metal tentacles at the ship, piercing through its haul. Once inside, they opened and revealed a passageway, allowing Nemesis soldiers to invade!

  Norn called Lev on the holophone panel."General Lev, ma'am, Nemesis soldiers, invading the hangar, brig, and corridor 27-B!"

  "Why bother boarding when they can destroy us with those technological terrors?" Daisy asked

  "If I was to guess, they probably want to torture us for information. That and they likely don't know you're on board, or else the kill-on-sight order would be activated!"

  "Enough! Ladies, I'll stay here and defend the Argonautis! Lev, you deal with one of the other ships!"

  "Agreed! Damara, you come with me, and we'll handle it together!"

  "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

  Later, Ollette and Kinana led their forces to the prison doors In the brig. Ollette directed her soldiers to battle positions around the doors with hand gestures. And they tensed their bodies, readying their weapons, hearing the approaching footsteps.

  "How many enemies, Letty?" Kinana asked.

  "I can hear and smell about five, maybe six hundred," Ollette said.

  "What a battle!"

  "I only hope the casualties aren't too high!"

  "You know, Letty, as our leader, a more positive attitude would help morale!"

  "I guess that's where I fail, my friend!"

  "And where I prevail!"

  In a flash of lightning, Kinana zoomed to the doors.

  "By the lawgiver, what are you doing, you fool ohair?"

  The doors opened, revealing the Nemesis soldiers. But as they aimed their guns to shoot Kinana, she swiped her hands across the air, sending out a surge of electromagnetism. And in a second, their weapons flew from their hands!

  "Fire," Kinana said.

  The United Planets soldiers leaped from their positions, shooting at the Nemesis. Kinana zoomed out of harm's way, letting the Nemesis take the barrage. And they retreated into the brig as the United Planets charged forward, pressing their advantage!

  Ollette ran to Kinana."What was that?"

  "I wanted to draw their fire to give our people the chance to strike first!"

  "You could have died! What if you were a second too slow?"

  "I was just being optimistic!"

  Meanwhile, battle consumed the hangar as Clive and Norn led the United Planets against the enemy.

  Clive punched a Nemesis soldier unconscious."Protect the ships!"

  "On it, Lieutenant Rogers," Norn said.

  Norn swiped her hand across the air, pulling on the mystic strings attached to her fingertips. The strings flew across the room, only visible from the faint glare of the lights, capturing the Nemesis forces in hangmen nooses. Thin as they were, they strangled a hundred soldiers in their grasp!

  "Wow," Clive said.

  Like a vengeful ghost, Clive saw an enemy materialize behind Norn in a flash of red."What?" A cyber trooper adorned in crimson appeared behind Norn, preparing to shoot her. The glow of the beam swallowed Norn's body, readying to attack faster than she could defend. Clive went to tackle the trooper, but he swatted him away, turning to shoot Clive instead.

  As the trooper opened his hand for the shot, Ros rushed from behind him, stabbing her spear into his back."Run!"Letting Clive escape as the trooper unleashed a beam of energy, leaving a fiery hole in the floor. But he soon tossed her off his back, throwing her at Clive as a living projectile!

  "Ros, are you okay?"

  "I-I think so! Just one or two broken ribs! Nothing I haven't had before!"

  "That's good, but what are you doing here?"

  "I didn't realize you didn't want to see me that badly. If I hurt your feelings-"

  "I mean, I'm Carter's primary Lieutenant! I should know everyone assigned to this mission!" Clive interrupted.

  "Oh, I'm on orders from General Favian to help General Lev. He was so worried she didn't have enough soldiers. The records probably haven't been updated yet!"

  Again, the trooper aimed to kill Clive and Ros, but Norn pulled them out of harm's way with her strings.

  "Focus, children," Norn said.

  Norn swiftly wrapped her strings around the trooper's neck, but as she drew to choke him, they shattered to pieces!

  "It was foolish thinking it would be that easy," Norn said with an exasperated breath.

  "I've never seen a trooper like this before," Clive said.

  "He must be a newer model! Before I defected, I heard rumors about next-gen technology in the cyborg soldier program, blood troopers!"

  The trooper shot at the three, making them run for cover, hitting several ships instead.

  "We have to beat him quick! Or else we won't have any more ships for the siege!"

  "I may sound a bit hypocritical, but given the circumstances, shall we do it together, Clive?"

  Clive nodded yes with a big smile."Please!"

  Clive and Ros swiftly dashed to the trooper together. As they raced toward him, the trooper hurried forward at equal speed. The three's fists soon met in a shockwave that raddled the room. Their union consummated with them assaulting the other with a barrage of blows; three different fighting styles viciously clashed!

  The trooper matched the onslaught of hands and feet, switching between opponents. But quickly, Clive and Ros attacked the trooper from two angles, dividing his attention with their differing combat styles. And their strikes began to overwhelm his defenses. With increasing speed, Clive punched him forward to Ros, and she, in turn, hit him back to Clive!

  The cycle continued until the trooper caught their hands in an iron grip, preparing to shoot. But Norn dragged a Nemesis tank toward him with her strings."No chance!" Slamming it into him, making him release them. And the two, together, landed their mightiest punch on his chest, cracking his armor.

  Norn spotted the crack in the trooper's armor! "At last!" Shooting a line of string visible, unlike the others from its red glow. It flew into the small crack, piercing through the trooper, making him explode!

  "Well done, both of you!"

  "Especially you, Clive!"

  "How about you, strong, beautiful-"

  "Clive!" Ros interrupted.

  "Yeah! I know!" Clive exhaled a mountain of stress.