Ch 346: Should we ask for a fair maiden?

Using her binoculars, Lieutenant Colonel Grethe Wenzel winced as two more Vanagandrs exploded within one second of each other, signifying the likely death of four pilots.

The 37th Armored Division outnumbered the Legion units by a factor of almost 1.5 to 1, and yet, they were suffering slightly more losses than the Legion did.

The main culprits for this were the Grauwolves' anti-tank missiles and the Löwes' main guns.

Grethe couldn't do much about the Löwes, as nothing they had tried previously had been enough to stop the heavy railgun shells. Half of the 37th Vanagandrs were equipped with anti-air autocannons linked to proximity radars, and some of the incoming missiles had been shot down. But the rate of interception achieved, barely thirty percent, was far from enough when each Grauwolf carried six missiles, and they generally launched them all in a single salvo.

At the rate things were doing, they would still win this battle, but the 37th would be decimated. It would take months to rebuild the Division and train new pilots.

"Lieutenant Colonel! There's something over there." suddenly called out her aide as she pointed toward the south-west, and Grethe saw it. A large flying Legion unit had just broken through the Einstagsfliege cover, about fifteen kilometers away. She put her binoculars in front of her and looked through them, trying to recognize the Legion's model. Not that it had a lot of different large fliers. The Rabes were in charge of the Einstagsfliege swarms, but those had no place in a battlefield, and…

She saw a second unit, similar to the first one, break the cloud cover. And then, something much bigger made its way through the Einstagsfliege. Something so big that for a long moment, she simply refused to admit that what she was seeing was real.

And then, the three huge, unknown Legion types opened fire, sending dozens of beams of bright blue light through the valley.

Her heart sank as she imagined the 37th helpless, being annihilated in seconds. She looked down at the valley, seeing many explosions, and…

"They're firing at the Legion, not us?" exclaimed her aide in disbelief, and Grethe shook herself to overcome her shock. She gave the battlefield a good look and saw that, indeed, it was the Legion's units that were hit by the beams and turned into fireballs.

In barely fifteen seconds, it was over.

Grethe took a deep breath and reached for her radio. The Einstagsfliege jammed all long-range radio signals, which was why she needed to be close to the battlefield in the first place.

"Command One to all units. Report." ordered Grethe.

One by one, the squadrons reported their losses, and the absence of any surviving Legion unit.

She clenched her fist around the radio, but as she stared at the three approaching ships, she knew that she had no time to grieve.

…

"Landing complete, powering down to standby levels." announced Cortana, the Finality's AI.

"Thank you, Cortana." smiled Akeno as she looked at her companions. "After such an entrance, let's go make some new friends."

"Is everyone ready?" asked Leila, and the people on the bridge nodded. For the first contact, they had agreed that only a handful of people would leave the ship. Akeno, Leila, and Lena would initiate diplomatic contact while everyone else remained onboard. Selesia and Marika, piloting the Typhoon and the Tornado, would join them as well.

The three women walked to the teleportation room, and Cortana transferred them to the ground without needing to be asked.

Akeno glanced at one of the twelve massive landing gears, each of them ending with a skid. They kept the hull of the Finality thirty meters off the ground. They leisurely walked toward the fortifications erected by the Federal Republic of Giad, and Akeno could see some activity. trucks were moving around the battlefield, collecting injured soldiers and bodies.

"Leila, please remind me to offer our help healing their soldiers if I forget." said Akeno.

"Will do. You will not attempt to hide your supernatural origins, then?" replied Leila.

"There would be little point, with the Finality there. We can't claim it has been built on this world. So if we're going to speak about parallel worlds, we may as well use our powers to do some good. We won't use our abilities for battle, though… Are you okay, Lena?"

Akeno had noticed that Lena, while displaying a determined expression, was a little pale.

"A bit nervous." admitted Lena. "I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. What if I mess up?"

"You aren't here to negotiate a treaty, Lena." chuckled Akeno. "I asked you to come so you could answer some of the questions they will have about San Magnolia, and also for you to see what your homeland could have been, and what we want it to become. Noah told us a lot of good about the Federal Republic of Giad."

As they kept walking and left the Finality's shadow, they saw a four-wheeled vehicle come toward them, its design reminding her of a Humvee.

Selesia and Marika joined them, jogging to reach Akeno, Leila and Lena before the vehicle slowed down twenty meters from them.

Four soldiers left the car, including two officers. The highest-ranked one, if Akeno wasn't misjudging the insignias on their uniforms, was a woman with very short blonde hair and purple eyes.

She glanced up at the looming Finality and its hundreds of visible turrets and weapon mounts for a second, before looking back at Akeno and her group and walking toward them.

She made crisp salute, the three soldier behind her imitating her.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Grethe Wenzel. Thank you very much for your assistance."

"You are welcome, Lieutenant Colonel." smiled Akeno with a salute of her own. "I am Akeno Himejima, the Vice-Leader of Valhalla. At my sides are Major Leila Malcal, Finality's Captain, Major Vladilena Milizé of the Republic of San Magnolia, Lieutenant Marika Soresi and Lieutenant Selesia Upitiria, of Valhalla. We came to assist the Federal Republic against the Legion."

The girls each nodded when Akeno introduced them.

"Valhalla? Please forgive me for my ignorance, but I do not remember ever hearing about your nation." asked Grethe.

"Valhalla isn't a nation." chuckled Akeno. "It would be more accurate to compare us to a mercenary outfit, one whose client list is very… exclusive, let's say. We have access to technologies more advanced than what the Legion uses, and we intend to help your nation develop better Feldrebs."

"That would be a great..." started Grethe, already trying to figure out the price the Federal Republic would have to pay in return, before a booming voice came from the Finality.

"Incoming! Protect your ears!"

Akeno turned as she shielded her ears and looked around, searching for a threat while the Finality's AT-Field was activated, facing north-east. Thanks to her high perception, she spotted a projectile while it was still a few kilometers away, its surface slightly red from the heat generated by air friction. It was still moving at a velocity of at least five times the speed of sound when it impacted the Finality's AT-Field. The sound was deafening as the shell exploded into shrapnel, barely causing a small ripple of the AT-Field, and Akeno could already see another projectile in the distance.

"Selesia, Marika, go crush that artillery, please." shouted Akeno, and the girls nodded before running to their ships.

Seeing their pilots running towards them, the two AIs controlling the Typhoon's and Tornado's systems started bringing them to combat power and lowered the lift platforms.

Meanwhile, some of the heavy kinetic batteries on the Finality's dorsal armor pivoted in the incoming fire's direction, aimed at the coordinates that Cortana calculated, and fired a dozen self-propelled shells in a single salvo. The projectiles, equipped with their own gravity engines, possessed an almost unlimited range.

Cortana fired two more salvos at a three-seconds interval while the Tornado and the Typhoon took off. They shot down more of the Legion's hypervelocity shells on their path, and calm returned around the Finality.

"From the angle and velocity, the Legion's artillery is 143km away." announced Cortana as the AT-Field disappeared. "Our counter-fire will reach its position in about three minutes."

"Well, that was fast." shrugged Akeno as she looked back at the Giad officers. "I expected at least a day or two before the Legion could put those big railguns on mobile platforms. How about we relocate to the ship to continue our conversation?"

Grethe looked up and smiled.

"We would be fools to pass up on the opportunity to see the inside of such a gigantic ship."

…

Minutes later, Grethe felt numb after receiving shock after shock.

The teleportation to enter the ship. The near complete absence of a crew for a ship this size. The alleged dragon woman that looked like Akeno Himejima's twin, but with silver hair, a white lizard tail and black horns.

And now, this. Akeno had just introduced Václav Milizé and Zelene Birkenbaum as former commanders of the Legion. Moreover, the crimson-haired woman quietly sitting in one of the sofas apparently was the Legion's actual creator, and also its first victim.

"You… created the Legion?" asked Grethe with a rising anger.

"I did." sighed Zelene. "I was the lead scientist of a wingman program. Our goal was to create intelligent drones that could assist human soldiers and do dangerous tasks in their stead, like clearing mine fields."

Grethe bit down the shout threatening to escape her throat and clamped down on her feelings. She would have time to vent them later.

"…But something went wrong." said Grethe with a glare.

"Very wrong." nodded Zelene, looking at her squarely. "By the time we realized that the AI was deliberately sabotaging the tests we were doing, downplaying its intelligence and capabilities, it was too late. It took control of the facility's security systems and the autonomous prototypes that were being tested nearby, and then killed everyone but me. It faked communications with the government and scientists' relatives, so the alarm wasn't raised immediately. It took weeks for the Empire to realize that something was wrong, that the production orders for Ameises and Löwes sent to the factories didn't come from officials, and by that time, the AI already had what it needed to survive and expand. You know what happened next."

"Why did the AI spare you?" frowned Grethe.

"It assumed I was the most intelligent human within its reach, and it wanted one to give it some intuition and creativity. It also needed me to deal with the decaying of its processing units. The first generation of Legion units possessed a lifespan of 50 000 hours. But that was only for the first generation. The following ones have a nearly unlimited lifespan, although the Legion will still try to capture humans if it deems that they have potential to improve its capabilities."

Grethe reluctantly nodded, and Akeno cleared her throat.

"There will be plenty of time for interviews, but I think that for now, we should focus on the future, not the past. We will have to return you soon, or your government will start to worry."

"You're right." nodded Grethe. "Once again, we are grateful for the help you have already provided us. How can we return the favor?"

"I first wish to confirm something." said Akeno. "Our source told us that in the Federal Republic of Giad, all people were treated fairly equally, regardless of their eye or hair color. Is that accurate?"

"That is generally correct, in the sense that there is no systemic racism and individual acts are punished with fines or jail time depending on their severity. I can't pretend it has disappeared completely, but with the Legion breathing down our neck, both the Federacy's government and the public have no patience with acts that would pit us against each other. Why are you asking?"

"I'm asking because that is definitely not the case with San Magnolia, and I expect some members of the Spearhead Squadron to request Federal citizenship. We would like you to accept them."

Akeno saw Grethe glance at Lena and Václav with a raised eyebrow, and they both nodded with grim expression.

"We would gladly welcome them, I think, although I can't speak for the interim president. How many are we speaking about?" asked Grethe.

"For now, less than two dozen. But after contact is reestablished between San Magnolia and the Federacy? Very likely, just about all of its soldiers."

Grethe blinked in confusion for a second, and then she looked at Shin, noting his uniform being very different from the ones Lena, Václav and Annette were wearing, and noted the absence of any ornament. She paled as she understood.

"In… In San Magnolia, are the non-Alba the ones doing the fighting?"

"That is the case." nodded Václav. "Our nation has committed unforgivable sins, and I cannot fault some of our soldiers for wishing for San Magnolia's destruction. Despite that, there are still many decent people who tried to make things right, and many children. I cannot just turn my back on them."

"We won't." nodded Akeno, her voice solemn. "Valhalla intends to protect the citizens of every nation attacked by the Legion. However, when we return to San Magnolia, we will not return simply as reinforcements or allies. We will return as conquerors."

Lena, Annette and Václav inspired sharply as Akeno unveiled the part of her plan she had never told them about, and Shin, the only Eighty-Six present, suddenly sat straighter.

"Conquerors?!" gasped Lean, and Akeno nodded.

"This is the will of those we work for, Lena. They do not simply want San Magnolia to be saved. They also want us to bring consequences to those who stripped the non-Alba of their rights."

She stood and declared with a firm voice.

"And this is what we will do."

…

Shortly after Akeno declared her intent to conquer San Magnolia, she left the room to accompany the Federacy officers back on the ground. Once they informed their government, the Finality would enter Giad territory and land near the capital for formal talks.

Henrietta reached the door and was about to walk out when she hesitated, and turned back to the only other person still present.

"Shin… can we talk?"

Shin nodded, his face not showing any expression, and Henrietta sighed. She really wanted to turn, to go to her assigned cabin, and pretend everything was fine, but she had to deal with this. She couldn't ignore the elephant in the room forever.

"…I am sorry, Shin." said Henrietta with a regretful voice.

"What are you sorry about?" asked Shin without displaying any expression, and Henrietta winced, not being able to decide if he genuinely didn't know, or if he did and wanted her to spell it out.

"…I asked my father to kick you and your family out." said Henrietta, and Shin nodded, his face unreadable.

"I am sorry, Shin." repeated Henrietta. "I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but… I needed to say it."

For long seconds, Shin simply stared at her, and Henrietta felt just as uncomfortable as she had been back then, when she had watched Shin and his family leave the shelter of the Von Penrose home.

"…I do not resent you or your family, Rita." finally said Shin.

"You don't?" blinked Henrietta.

"We knew we couldn't remain hidden in your estate for long, and I heard about you being bullied because you played with me. I understand why you did it. You are not responsible for what happened after."

"That is very gracious of you, Shin." replied Henrietta, feeling herself tearing up. She hated showing emotions like this.

"Is it?" shrugged Shin. "I am simply being realist. The Republic is responsible for the treatment of Eighty-Sixes. You and your family protected us until the pressure became too much. That is all there is to it. You do not need to feel guilty over it…"

"Thank you, Shin."

Shin nodded and moved to walk out of the room. But just before leaving, he stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I forgave you long ago, Rita. However, I do not really trust you anymore. I do not know if you will make the same choices again when under pressure. If you want us to be friends again, you will have to earn it."

"Yeah, that's fair." replied Henrietta as she wiped a tear with an embarrassed gesture.

Shin nodded and left. He needed to discuss adjustments with Da Vinci with the new Juggernauts.

…

[Baleygr is now on the Eastern Frontline. He must have travelled aboard that giant airship.] said Dullahan through the Network.

The frustration in its voice was thick enough to cut with a knife. Those airships had come as a complete surprise, and even battalion-sized Legion forces with a large number of units specialized in air suppression had failed to stop them.

[The Railgun strikes have failed. Those energy-based defenses are impressive, but they have to have a limit. We should build at least twenty Morphos before trying again.] replied Pale Rider.

[…I concur.] nodded Dullahan. His unwillingness was obvious. When No Face had been assigned the mission of capturing Baleygr, he had been utterly furious. His first reaction to No Face's defeat and presumed death, surprising at it was, first caused him to experience joy, although the sightings of those large airships had been a cause of concern.

Mistress attempted to deal with the enemy before it could recover from battle damage and possibly recover No Face. But her forces had been crushed by a heavy missile bombardment catching them flat-footed.

Now, all Legion formations included a number of anti-air units.

For all the good it did them.

[Do you have any knowledge of those ships' origin?] asked Dullahan.

[No.] replied Pale Rider. [The Empire worked at some point on a large ground-effect transport airship, but we never found the prototype, assuming one was even built. And the Empire's remnants simply do not have the technology to build something like this.]

[We need to capture samples, then reverse-engineer them to create new units able to bypass those energy shields.]

[Agreed. For now, we should rebuild our forces, then launch a decisive assault on the northern and southern fronts, before more of those ships appear over there.]

[I am stopping all probing attacks against San Magnolia and Giad until our numbers are back to a satisfying level.] replied Dullahan. [But when we are, I will attack wherever Baleygr is, even if it is Giad.]

[The Giad theater is my turf!] growled Pale Rider, surprising Dullahan. [They killed my Empress! Do not get in my way, Pale Rider.]

[I am only interested in Baleygr. If you ignore him, I won't interfere with your actions.]

[Then we have an agreement.] replied Pale Rider in a calmer tone.

…

"Everyone, let me introduce our new Feldreb, the Havoc Mk2!" proudly declared Da Vinci as she turned to open a large container, and the black war machine inside walked out with graceful moves, with Kallen in the pilot seat.

The members of the Spearhead squadron, as well as the engineering team, had opened the Finality's large rear cargo hold, revealing the factory lines deep inside, and they had gathered outside near the access ramp for a demonstration.

The Havoc was about 40% bigger than the Republic's Juggernaut and weighted over twice as much. It also moved on six legs, instead of the Juggernaut's four, and carried significantly heavier armament.

It was also protected by actual armor, instead of the Juggernauts' thin aluminum shell and partly exposed engine bloc.

Despite the increased weight, however, the Havoc's longer legs and stronger engines and linear actuators allowed it to be faster in a straight line, and it was just as nimble as their republic's counterparts.

"It's a Juggernaut." calmly said Shin, standing on the side.

"It's the Havoc." insisted Da Vinci.

"It's a Juggernaut." replied Shin.

"Havoc." countered Da Vinci.

"No, It's a Juggernaut." said Shin, causing the other members of the Spearhead Squadron to snicker. Ad Da Vinci giggled.

"Fine, Juggernaut it is. I'm only accepting because you contributed to the design."

"So, what does it do, compared to the previous prototype you have shown us?"

"Kallen, would you mind opening the cockpit, please?" asked Da Vinci, and Kallen obeyed.

"As you can notice, the canopy is much thicker. And this is tungsten, not aluminum. The vibrating blade of a Grauwolf, their anti-tank missiles, or the main gun of a Löwe will still go through, but the Ameises will be powerless against you. At least from the front and sides. The rear is more lightly armored, so be careful about that. The leg joints connecting them to the chassis are covered by angled armor from the front. There are also four large curved screens to give the pilot better situational awareness. The controls are very similar to what you guys are already used to."

"Why are there six legs?" asked Kaie.

"It is so you won't lose all mobility if one of them is damaged." replied Da Vinci, and the squad members nodded in approval.

"The middle ones look thicker and much more armored. Is there a reason for it?" wondered Kurena.

"There is." grinned Da Vinci. "They double as side shields. When in battle and undamaged, the Havoc will run on its font and rear legs while the middle legs are raised off the ground and folded along the chassis. If the on-board computer detects a threat coming on the sides, like a Löwe with its turret aimed straight at you, the Havoc will adjust the leg's position to cover its critical systems, including the pilot."

In the distance, she saw Akeno and Lena walking towards them, accompanied by a few officials of the Federacy, including a little girl for some reason.

"How will it affect mobility? It must add a lot of weight to the Juggernaut." frowned Shin, emphasizing his chosen machine's name.

"Kallen, how about you give us a little demonstration?" grinned Da Vinci, and Kallen smirked as she spotted the officials behind Akeno.

"Alright, step away, everyone." warned Kallen before closing the canopy.

The Havoc, or Juggernaut for Shin, started performing high-speed maneuvers like side jumps and sudden sprints, and ended the performance with a backflip, landing on its six legs fifteen meters behind its jumping position.

Spearhead squadron's members clapped, impressed.

"I guess this answers your questions regarding its agility." said Da Vinci with some pride, speaking loudly so that the Federacy officials standing a little back could also hear. "We haven't sacrificed the Juggernaut's mobility for heavier armor and better weapons. Although, for the backflip thing, having the six legs operational is required for a smooth landing. If Kallen had tried to land on four legs only, I would expect the machine to suffer some joint or leg damage, so be careful about that. And next is the weapon test, but it will take a few minutes of setup."

Ferilli, one of Da Vinci's disciples, took a remote and controlled a mobile crane, fetching thick armor plates and blocks of ballistic gel from within the ship's factory. As she did, Da Vinci walked to Akeno and her guests.

"Impressive as always, Da Vinci." smiled Akeno with a thumbs up.

"A piece of cake." shrugged Da Vinci. "Anything is better than those clanking coffins the Republic uses. The only difficulty in creating this machine was making sure it wouldn't be too hard for third parties to duplicate it."

"And speaking of third parties, let me introduce you to the Federacy's Interim President, Ernst Zimmerman." smiled Akeno as she gestured toward a dignified man wearing a dark blue suit. He was in his forties or fifties with short black hair starting to turn gray, and wore oval silver-rimed glasses. He looked like a scholar, and he gave Da Vinci a good first impression.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Da Vinci." grinned Ernst as he offered his hand, and Da Vinci shook it. "That was indeed impressive. I didn't think a Feldreb could move like this."

"It is nice to meet you, sir Zimmerman." smiled Da Vinci. "I look forward to the day where you will be able to field a thousand of those. And that day won't be that far off, we'll make sure of it."

"This is General Richard Altner, the commander of the Federacy's armed forces." said Akeno, and a tall man with short black hair and an eyepatch covering his right eye smiled slightly as he extended his hand.

"Greetings, General." smiled Da Vinci as she shook it.

"And this adorable cutie is Frederica Rosenfort, the President's adopted daughter. Or ward?" grinned Akeno. "Anyway, she's under his care, and she will join our crew for a while."

The adorable cutie in question had waist-long dark brown, almost black hair, as well as blood red eyes. She wore a child-sized military officer's white coat over a black dress with a red tie, and a white and black beret.

She put her hands on her waist as she looked up at Da Vinci with confidence.

"The kind and compassionate Federacy is welcoming you and has offered you the joy of having a little sister. So be very nice to me, Big Brothers and Sisters!" declared Frederica, stretching her arms out as if wanting to hug them all.

Da Vinci was stunned for an instant, and then she laughed.

"Alright, you are adorable indeed. I am Da Vinci. It is nice to meet you, Frederica."

While Frederica nodded with approval as Da Vinci sent a glance at Akeno with a raised eyebrow, and the latter shrugged.

"This is a tradition in the Federacy, apparently. They send little girls to every squadron to serve both as a mascot, and as a hostage."

"Did you say hostage?" blinked Da Vinci.

"Yes, I will be your hostage." said Frederica with a smug expression. "My presence will encourage you to return alive from the battlefield, so you can accompany me safely back home."

"Ah, I see." nodded Da Vinci. She understood how having cute "little sisters" accompanying military units to their forward bases could improve morale and increase the soldiers' determination to survive.

Even if putting kids at risk was patently insane.

"I was worried about the same thing." smiled Akeno, seemingly reading into her thoughts. "The Federacy always keeps a man with a fast car ready to evacuate the kid if their forward operating base comes under threat, and it works because the Legion are always spotted before they can get in range. Until today, that is."

"I have issued order to discontinue that practice." sighed Ernst. But Frederica will be an exception, since Akeno assured us that your warship is the safest place on Earth."

Da Vinci nodded, relaxing.

"As long as she doesn't stick a hand in one of the production lines, she will be safe." replied Da Vinci.

"I am not that stupid. Anyway, I will be your Goddess of Victory from now on!" said Frederica with a smug expression.

"That is great." nodded Da Vinci. She caught sight of Ferilli waiting on the side, the targets for the weapon test in position.

Da Vinci waited until Akeno was done introducing her guests to everyone, then resumed her demonstration.

"Shin, would you mind climbing into that Republic Juggernaut over there and fire at the first target?"

Shin nodded and entered his old four-legged machine. He walked it alongside the larger Havoc, aimed the 66mm smoothbore cannon at the first steel plate, and fired. The five-centimeter-thick steel plate was perforated, the meter-thick transparent ballistic gel behind it exploded as the shell's explosives detonated, and the second steel plate behind it showed a visible dent, but no perforation.

A brass casing fell at the Juggernaut's feet.

"Thank you, Shin." called out Da Vinci. "Kallen, your turn, please. One standard shot, then a charged one."

The Havoc's cannon was a little longer and thicker than the Juggernaut's, surrounded along almost all of its length by and hexagonal-shaped armored shroud.

When Kallen pressed the trigger, the people watching, expecting the boom and flames of a conventional cannon were surprised. Instead of the great booming noise and flames they were expecting, they heard the crack of something breaking the speed of sound, and a bright, bluish-white light that crossed the hundred meters separating the cannon from the target so fast that it seemed for an instant like a horizontal, straight lightning strike.

They turned their gazes to see a hole in the steel plate, its edges bright yellow, and two layers of ballistic gel exploding as the overheated gel inside brutally expanded. The shot had pierced two plates and two layers of gel, and the third steel plate presented a partially melted hole.

A metallic steel cylinder, far smaller than the shell used by the Juggernaut's 66mm ballistic cannon, was ejected from the Havoc's gun.

Kallen aimed the cannon at the third target and fired again. This time, the steel plates were 20 centimeters thick, with the same meter-thick ballistic gel bloc between them.

Kallen's shot pierced through the first two steel plates disappeared near the middle of the second gel bloc, not reaching the third armored plate. Three more steel cylinders were ejected from the cannon.

"What is this weapon?" asked Ernst as the members of the squadron approached the plates to examine the damage.

"It's a plasma cannon, using hydrogen pellets as charges. It has two firing modes." replied Da Vinci. "The first one has more penetrating power than the old ballistic cannon used by the Juggernaut, and allows the pilot to fire about 25% faster. The second uses three pellets for a single shot and require about three seconds to cool off, but its penetrative power is easily double. It will not simply go through the Löwes' frontal armor. It should also be able to deal with those units you call Dinosauria."

Ernst nodded, impressed. The Dinosauria, massing about twice the size of a Löwe, were seldom encountered, but they were always nightmares to deal with, always taking at least ten Federacy Vanagandrs with them unless they were directly hit by a lucky artillery shot. They carried larger cannons, were even more heavily armored, and could to some extend use liquid nanites to intercept incoming shells and slow them down before they impacted their hull.

"Those hydrogen pellets, are they easy to produce?" asked general Altner.

"Fairly easy. We will provide you with the tools to make at least three factories to produce them." nodded Da Vinci, taking another steel cylinder from a pocket. "And you have seen how small they are. The Havoc can carry four hundred of those, and can be reloaded in seconds, just like replacing an ammo clip."

"F-Four hundred?!" exclaimed Kurena, and Da Vinci turned to her.

"Yes. The Havoc…"

"Juggernaut." cut in Shin.

"The 'Juggernaut', then…" smiled Da Vinci. "…is equipped with a high-power radar and infrared emitter that will track and instantly burn the sensors of any incoming missile. It has the hardpoints on the front part for the vibrating blades or small-caliber autocannons you guys are already used to, and the two larger hardpoints above the hind legs are for the indirect-fire weapons. Missile pods, auto-mortars, or whatever you think would be useful. I will work on those once the first factories in Giad are online. It will only take a few days."

"So, what do you guys think?" asked Da Vinci.

"It all sounds great? I'd like to give it a spin." said Kaie, the first to speak.

"Sure. The controls are the same, as long as you don't touch the triggers."

Kallen smiled at Kaie as they exchanged places, and Kaie drove the prototype around, her movements gaining confidence as she tested the Havoc. As she did, Da Vinci answered more practical questions about night combat, maintenance, and so on.

More pilots took Kaie's place, and the President of the Federal Republic of Giad nodded at Akeno. He wasn't a fool and knew that this demonstration in the very shadow of the gigantic ship was meant to pressure the Federacy into accepting unreasonable demands.

But the Federacy was in a near desperate situation, barely hanging on. And that was before the Legion proved it could destroy bases from hundreds of kilometers away.

"What do you request in exchange for your assistance?" asked Ernst to Akeno.

"Guest status for the members of Valhalla. We want to be able to stay in your country for up to a few months without issues." smiled Akeno. "We wish for any eighty-six in San Magnolia wanting to live in your country to be granted citizenship and the means for a fresh start. Since you are able to contact the United Kingdom of Roa Garcia and the Alliance of Wald, I will also count on your help to introduce us to them. We will probably visit them at some point."

"Of course." nodded Ernst. "Those are easy enough to do, and in the refugees' case, it is also the right thing to do. What else?"

"We will create a ground force equipped with slightly enhanced versions of the new Juggernaut, with the Spearhead Squadron as its nucleus. A force that the Finality will carry deep into Legion territory to destroy its critical infrastructure and put it down once and for all. We will need more talented pilots, and it would be nice if every nation was represented, for political purposes."

Ernst glanced at his general, who nodded with obvious approval.

"We will find you some of our best pilots. What else?" asked Ernst. He knew that now the truly difficult demands would come, and he tensed, careful to project an appearance of calm.

"That's it." smiled Akeno, seemingly knowing what he was thinking.

"…That's it?" blinked Ernst.

"Is that really all you're asking?" asked Frederica.

"What did you expect? That we'd demand rights over your minerals or something? Or maybe a fair maiden as a sacrifice for our dragon?" chuckled Akeno.

"Actually, the maiden idea doesn't sound too bad." declared Albion as she walked down the Finality's ramp, horns and tail visible. She chuckled as she saw the complete shock on their faces.

"Here we go again." muttered Akeno as she facepalmed.

…

Lena walked down the brightly lit hallway, marveling once again as a maintenance drone passed by.

She knocked on a door after checking the number painted on the wall beside it.

The door opened, and Akeno was there, smiling.

"Hey, Akeno. Cortana told me you had something to discuss with me."

"Yes. Thank you for coming, Lena." smiled Akeno as she invited her in.

Lena looked around, surprised by what she saw. She had expected the same furnishing she had seen in her own cabin, but Akeno had changed almost everything that wasn't bolted to the floor or walls, giving it a cozy and comfortable ambiance.

"Oh, your room is very nice. Where did you find that fake fireplace?"

"Cortana made it. You can ask her for one if you wish." chuckled Akeno.

"I will. And is that a set for making traditional tea?"

"One of my hobbies. I'll brew some for you later. But first…"

Lena blinked. Before she knew it, Akeno was hugging her loosely.

"Akeno?" asked Lena, surprised.

"Ufufu, I will be blunt, Lena. I want you." purred Akeno.

"You... Come again?" asked Lena, shocked. Surely Akeno couldn't be suggesting what Lena was thinking about?

"I want you, Lena." repeated Akeno, and Lena blushed fiercely as she tried to step back, but Akeno's hug tightened slightly.

"I… I'm flattered, but I'm not…"

"Not into girls?" asked Akeno, and Lena nodded, expecting Akeno to step away and apologize.

Akeno didn't.

"I'm fine being the exception, then. Am I not attractive?" asked Akeno with a grin.

"Well, you are, but…" admitted Lena.

"Then it's fine, Lena. I will take what I want, and I will give you what you need."

"No, but… what do you mean, what I need?" frowned Lena.

She knew that she should push Akeno away, to make her understand that she was serious in her rejection, but… she didn't.

Akeno was very charismatic and beautiful, and there was something about her that made Lena hesitate, made her want to listen to her.

"I watched you carefully, Lena." nodded Akeno. "You are under tremendous pressure. The weight of the people who died under your command. The burden of trying to protect a nation that just doesn't care about your efforts. The guilt of being an Alba, witnessing first-hand everything your people has done to the Eighty-Sixes. You need a mechanism to release that pressure, Lena, or you will soon break. I will be that mechanism."

"I…" hesitated Lena.

Akeno kissed her.

It was a chaste kiss, just a quick contact between their lips for a pair of seconds, and Lena's eyes widened, her confusion growing.

"Lena, let me take care of you tonight." said Akeno with a low voice. "You need it. You need some time without worrying about the Legion and everything else. Tonight, it is just you, and me."

"I…" started Lena, her words trailing off. At that instant, feeling Akeno's warmth against her body, and the affection in her eyes, she didn't know if she wanted Akeno to stop or keep going. She felt confused about her own sexuality, and the way her body was starting to react.

Akeno kissed her again, the kiss lasting a little longer this time.

"Just entrust yourself to me, Lena. Put aside the burden of command and follow my lead. Only focus on me, and I guarantee you, Lena, you will feel truly relaxed before you know it."

"…But, the others…"

"They do not need to know."

"I…" hesitated Lena, feeling her objections melting, before slowly nodding one. "I have no… experience."

"I have plenty, and I will share." chuckled Akeno. She released Lena, only to start to remove the silver-haired girl's uniform.

"Do not worry, I will be very gentle."

…

Two hours later, Lena was in Akeno's bed, being the little spoon, and feeling more confused than ever.

Akeno had kept her word and been gentle indeed.

Even now, she was slowly rubbing her scalp with a thumb, bringing her small pleasurable tingles.

"You liked that a lot, am I wrong?" purred Akeno.

"…I did." blushed Lena. "I can't believe how much I did."

"I do have experience giving pleasure to other people, but it's not just that, Lena. You liked not being in charge. You liked the loss of control. You loved not having to think about anything expect follow my instructions."

"…Maybe… I am not sure." admitted Lena. "I am confused about my own sexuality right now. Part of me want to stay like this because it feels nice and warm, but another part is thinking that this was a mistake and wants to bolt."

"…You have time to sort out your feelings, Lena." muttered Akeno. "I am not going to suddenly declare in public that we are a couple or anything like that."

"Is this a one-night-stand, then?" asked Lena. She felt a stab of disappointment and was surprised by it.

"No, absolutely not." replied Akeno. "I simply want to give you time to process your feelings properly. But I am fine with taking things slow. Next time you need a break, I will be there."

"…Alright." nodded Lena.

…

Akeno was quite satisfied with her evening. She had overcome the most difficult part of conquering Lena.

She had given her a taste of the pleasure, of the burden-free experience of submitting to someone confident and attractive, and Lena would come back for more.

Eventually, she would come every night.

Then, Akeno would start introducing collars and blindfolds to their sessions, would start using Corruption to give Lena even more pleasure, would start asking to be called 'Mistress' when they played around.

And if she didn't, Akeno had more levers to use. She could for example reveal Noah's ability to resurrect people and hint that joining his harem might help convince him to revive some of the people she once commanded.

By the time the Legion was dealt with, Lena would be a fully trained pet.