Commander Thiharri's words echoed in Aldred's mind, stirring something deep within him. As he looked around at the diverse crowd of aspiring mercenaries, he realized that he was no longer just a lost soul from another world; he was a part of something greater. The determination in their eyes mirrored his own, and for the first time since his arrival in this alien galaxy, he felt a sense of belonging.
[You are affected with 'Charismatic Speech']
[Breaking process…]
[Breaking succeeds]
Suddenly, Aldred's mind cleared and the surging feeling of patriotism towards humanity in this galaxy reduced to normal level. The feeling was like becoming sober instantly after being drugged.
'That was really scary," Aldred thought. He then saw the mercenaries gaze full of admiration towards Commander Thiharri.
Even Salamander, Shinari, and Cleome were affected.
Thiharri's words were not that inspiring on its own, but somehow she was able to put some sort of power into her speech that convinced people to listen and admire her.
That kind of power was equivalent to soft brain control or manipulation. No wonder she was able to command a powerful presence.
Aldred was terrified. If a woman in the local stellar cluster was able to do this then what about the Emperor himself?
How much powerful was he, really?
Suddenly, a notification beeped into Aldred's communication device strapped on his left arm. A screen projected into the air.
The screen was about a formal invitation letter asking everyone here to join the Sentinel Mercenary Group in defending a star system called NovaGuardia.
It was a nearby star system only 20-light-years away.
"We have no time to waste, soldiers!" Cimmander Thiharri. "Lord Malgorth's army is currently invading our fellow humankind. It is our responsibility to hand-in-hand go there immediately and help them."
The people roared in excitement again as they quickly accepted the invitation.
Salamander, Cleome, and Shinari accepted as well.
"Wait, are you guys sure about this?" Aldred asked.
Cleome looked at him weirdly. "What's not to sure about? This is a battle for humanity. We don't leave the planet to avoid it. We leave it to go after it."
That was a fine argument and Aldred couldn't find any flaws in it. What Thiharri invited them to do was actually for the good of humanity, only, the way she manipulated his emotions left a bad taste in his mouth.
Aldred relented and agreed to the invitation.
Commander Thiharri nodded and left immediately after she was satisfied with the result.
Suddenly, a fully armed man approached Salamander.
"The four of you will join group 2453," the man immediately said without delay. He grabbed a tablet and showed them a scene that the demons were already trying to land on the surface of a planet.
"The planet you are currently seeing is called Nova Prime. It serves as the military and administrative hub for NovaGuardia. As you can see, despite aggressive defensive action by the local military, some demons still manage to land on the planet."
Aldred saw the scenes of small spaceships sending missiles and laser beams towards one another. There were even scenes where the spaceships ran out of ammo and crashed itself to another spaceships.
The scene was full of explosions and laser beams.
Aldred began to feel nervous. In such a grand scale of battles, could he really contribute much? The risk of his spacecraft exploding before he could even reach the planet was extremely high.
The officer noticed his concern and explained: "Our main battleship will open a massive warp hole. Together, we will appear right in front of them. With our numbers we can give them a much more important distractions. Our numbers are much larger than they are, so you don't have to worry. Your goal is simple. Prevents as many demons from landing on the planet."
Salamander nodded. "It's fine, officer. Even if the demons fight us 10 to 1 we will make sure to bring victory."
Shinari and Cleome nodded as if it was a natural thing.
Meanwhile, Aldred retained a more realistic mindset.
"The four of you must enter your spacecraft now. We are leaving in 10 minutes."
They nodded and immediately sprinted.
Meanwhile, Aldred was confused at how in a hurry everything seemed to be. Why a commander of a large mercenary organization need the help of new mercenaries who barely had any training or experience?
In less than five minutes, the group entered their spacecraft. Salamander manned the spaceship.
"I hope you don't mind me being the captain for now, Aldred. This is an urgent matter."
"I am fine with that. But I have a question. With this spacecraft, how the hell can we stop a demon landing on the planet?"
"You will see later. The Sentinel will give us something."
2 minutes later. An industrial spacecraft approached them and installed some kind of drilling device at the front of the spaceship. It also installed some kind of thick armor on his Galactic Rover.
"Just like that my spaceship got an upgrade?"
A few thousands other spacecraft also got the same upgrade as him.
"This is the Sentinel's Breaching Kit. With this kit, our spacecraft can puncture through most small spacecraft with ease. The front drill isn't the only thing working. The kit also have some small boarding device that we can use. I cannot believe I would one day fight alongside the Sentinel and even got their kit!"
Aldred was so confused at how these Salamander could be so happy in this situation. They were about to go to battle where they could die at any time.
"Attention to all soldiers! The warp hole wile open in two minutes. Please be ready!" An announcement rang in the spacecraft.
All the spacecraft gathered near a massive destroyer-class spaceship.
Aldred was in awe when he saw that spacecraft. His Galactic Rover was like a small rock compared to the huge mountain of that spaceship.
"Warp hole will open in 1."
"2."
"3."
"Commencing."
As the ship's colossal engines roared to life, a brilliant cascade of vibrant lights enveloped its form, casting iridescent hues across the surrounding space. A mesmerizing aura of azure, violet, and electric blue shimmered along the spaceship's edges, marking the activation of its space-time distortion systems. An ethereal glow extended outward, creating intricate patterns in the cosmic fabric.
At the ship's bow, a massive array of arcane technology sprang to life. An enormous circular structure, brimming with intricate runes and symbols, began to rotate with hypnotic grace. Brilliant beams of light emanated from the structure, intertwining and converging at a focal point, forming a luminous singularity—a warp hole.
The warp hole, a rippling vortex of distorted space-time, crackled with raw energy. It seemed to tear the very fabric of the universe, creating a passage to realms unknown. A kaleidoscope of colors, reminiscent of a cosmic aurora, danced within the vortex, casting an otherworldly glow on the surrounding spaceships.
Aldred was amazed yet again. He could not believe what he was seeing was real. The way the warp hole was so beautiful that it felt like seeing an art-piece was being created.
Tens of thousands of spacecraft, ranging from agile fighters to colossal battleships, gathered around the Destroyer-Class vessel, their hulls reflecting the vibrant hues of the warp hole. Each ship bristled with advanced weaponry and protective shields.
The Destroyer-Class spaceship propelled itself forward, leading the charge. As it breached the event horizon of the warp hole, space itself seemed to stretch and contort, swallowing the armada in a whirlwind of light and energy.
The ships followed suit, one by one, disappearing into the enigmatic depths of the warp hole.
Inside the confines of their spacecraft, Aldred and his group experienced a mixture of awe and trepidation as they entered the warp hole.
The interior of their ship seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy, and the crew felt a subtle but undeniable shift in the very fabric of reality.
Their expressions mirrored a blend of excitement and apprehension, their eyes wide with anticipation.
As the warp enveloped their ship, the space around them twisted and contorted in ways unimaginable. Stars elongated into streaks of light, forming ethereal trails that painted the cosmic canvas. Colors morphed into surreal shades, casting an eerie luminescence that danced across the ship's walls. The very sensation of movement became abstract, as if they were suspended in a surreal dreamscape, where the laws of physics bowed to the whims of the warp.
Aldred felt weird during the process. Things really seemed as if they were not real.
In a dazzling burst of light, Aldred's spacecraft emerged from the warp, re-materializing near Nova Prime.
The planet now lay besieged beneath a roiling tempest of chaos.
But what shocked Aldred even more was the amount of battle spaceships.
At first, there were only tens of thousands of spacecraft, now there were hundreds of thousands creating a space opera of space battle in NovaGuardia Star System.
What was more shocking was the appearance of an ever bigger spaceship than the destroyer class. The Destroyer-Class was over 500 meters in length.
But this spacecraft was over 800 meters in length!
"That's the Battlecruiser-Class Battleship!" Salamander stared in awe. He was about to explain more about the battleships until an announcement came.
"All soldiers. ENGGAGE!"
