November 7, 2152
Emory was nodding off just as Luyten's Star was rising above the horizon. She hadn't slept at all the night before since she was determined to watch over the outpost herself. Even now, the smell of battle and death wafted through the morning breeze, a constant reminder of the fights they had won so far and the price they paid to win them. Every time she would lean over and almost fall asleep, she woke up suddenly and in a panic as if she couldn't turn off her fight-or-flight response. When she heard the crunch of ground behind her, her magik cloak quickly gathered around her as she spun around.
"Relax, it's just me," Sam said in a gentle tone, "I brought you some coffee since you won't come back to the outpost and rest."
"I have to make sure no one else comes. Thank you for the coffee," Emory replied as she took the cup from Sam's hand.
"There's no one else on Jask's radar sweeps," Sam tried to comfort her, "You need to rest at some point too. Let me take over the watch for the time being."
Emory shook her head, "No, I won't let another person I dragged into this war get hurt. I will defend us all with everything I have."
"Emory, you didn't drag us all the way out here," Sam pressed, "We willingly followed you, and even you yourself were sent out here by someone else. This is not your fault; Perceval is not your fault." Tears began rolling down Emory's cheeks as she struggled to keep her emotions bottled up.
"Why did he have to fight her by himself? Why didn't he just tell her what she wanted to know?" Emory sobbed.
"Because his loyalty wouldn't let him," Sam sighed as she patted Emory's back, "He wasn't going to tell her anything, even if it cost him his life. That's just who he was."
Emory sniffled, "Stubborn old man. He knew she was stronger than him, and he kept on fighting anyway."
"Emory, I don't mean to push you, but what are we going to do now?" Sam sheepishly asked, "We don't have the military strength to fight the Apleem if they come back in similar numbers. We need reinforcements and soon."
"We'll just move troops from Bustrun and Yuzuno using the teleportation pads. But that doesn't solve the problem," Emory replied while she wiped her face with a clenched fist.
"What are you suggesting?" Sam quivered, "We aren't strong enough to attack them directly. We don't even know what kind of defenses their home system has."
Emory paused before answering, "Jask, how fast could we send satellites to the Trappist-1 system?"
"With the automated systems in Temia, we could launch probes in one to two days," Jask chimed, "These probes would arrive in roughly three weeks. Would you like me to start production on these today?"
"Yes, please. Send a message to the team there that I will give them further instructions when I return," Emory directed as she wobbled to her feet.
"What are you planning, Emory?" Sam questioned, "You have that glint in your eyes like you've come up with a plan."
Emory looked determined as she answered, "We need to gather all the leaders. Even the ones back in the Sol System. And we need to work fast; I want to be ready to move after we have good information about Trappist-1."
"What are you saying?" Sam raised an eyebrow, "You're not making a lot of sense."
"I'll explain later. For now, I just want you, Gatrie, Gwen, and Tana to train as hard as you can. It'll all make sense soon enough," Emory half-smiled as she patted Sam's shoulder.
Moments later, Emory was fading away into particles before disappearing completely. Sam smiled and shook her head, "That girl is something else. Well, I better go tell everyone else."
In the next instant, Emory appeared on the teleport platform back on Temia. A guard initially readied his sword until he realized who it was and bowed low. Emory nodded and began walking towards the Command Center. While she walked, she typed away on her wrist to send a message for the other leaders to join her. A new fire inside her chest burned away all the confusion and tiredness, leaving only determination and clarity. Once she reached the conference room in the Command Center, she waited patiently for the others to arrive. Her curls were sticking out all over her head, and her armor was streaked with globs of green blood. Yet her body vibrated with magik, alive and powerful. After a few minutes, Clarine, Innes, Nephenee, Shepherd, and Tethys all arrived with a mixture of surprise and worry as they looked at Emory.
Once they were all sitting around the table, Emory stood and started, "Let me begin by telling you all how well you did at repelling the Apleem invasion. We did exceptionally well, and that's thanks to you all and the intense training you underwent. I've just returned from Vostea who also did impressively well against the Apleem. That being said, there was a major loss we suffered there. Lord Perceval bravely lost his life yesterday while defending against a Laxtros."
At this news, several people gasped but none as loudly as Clarine. She stuttered, "Are you serious? Lord Perceval was one of the strongest Witches in modern times."
"I wasn't there in time to save him, but rest assured he fought valiantly to the very end," Emory grimaced before clearing her throat, "Having seen both battles, it's clear we need to change a few things. As you may be aware, I have ordered Jask to start production on several probes and plan to send them to the Trappist-1 system, the home system of the Apleem. Jask estimates it will take just over three weeks to make the probes and have them arrive in the Trappist-1 system. That is part one of phase one of my plan."
"The Trappist-1 system? Just what are you planning, Emory?" Shepherd grumbled.
"Unfortunately, the biggest problem I saw over the last two days was our army's strength," Emory continued, "Humans just aren't strong enough to compete with the Uthid or the Laxtros. So, if we can't overpower them, we'll need to outmaneuver them. The best way to do this is with a small, powerful strike team that attacks the enemy at its source. While we are waiting for better information about their home system, I want Innes, Nephenee, and Tethys to train even harder than before. If you three accept, you'll join me as we strike deep into enemy territory."
Innes nodded first, "Of course I'll join you. I haven't come this far just to abandon you now."
"Well, if he's going, so am I," Nephenee agreed as she grabbed Innes's hand, "We can't let you have all the fun, after all."
"You saved me from being an eternal test subject, and even when I attacked you, you still welcomed me back into the group. Count me in as well," Tethys replied with a thumbs up.
"Thank you, my friends," Emory smiled as a tear fell from her eye, "I couldn't do this without you. Now, while we're training and the probes are on their way, there's a lot we need to accomplish with the outposts. First, we need to improve our defenses. Shepherd, you'll go back to Yuzuno and drive Greg to automate our outpost defenses using the research he's conducted as well as the weapons and traps that we've used so far. Furthermore, we'll need a lot more Witches to make the seals for these new weapons, so Clarine, please contact all the Clan heads and have them meet us in Yuzuno in one week. That includes the four of you that are on the outpost planets. Finally, we need to bolster Temia and Vostea immediately in case of more Apleem attacks. Nine million troops from Yuzuno and Bustrun will move here and Vostea over the next few days. I will coordinate this movement with Betty and Greg."
Shepherd coughed, "That's quite a plan with a very short timeline. Are you sure we can accomplish all this?"
"It will be a lot of work, I agree," Emory gritted her teeth, "Our other option is to sit and wait for the Apleem to attack again." Shepherd winced, not because he disagreed, but because he knew she was right.
"I'll get a hold of the Council right away. Should I inform them of Lord Perceval's passing?" Clarine bowed slightly.
"No," Emory lowered her head, "I'll inform them all when they arrive."
Shepherd rose from the table, "Well, let's get started then. I'll meet you at the teleportation circle." The others, following his lead, stood up as well and exited the room. Emory and Tethys walked together to the teleportation pad in silence at first. When they were close but still out of earshot from Shepherd, Tethys leaned in to Emory.
"Once we get back, you need to rest," Tethys nagged, "I can tell you didn't sleep last night, and you're running on fumes right now. I can get the troops on their way back here."
"If you insist," Emory rolled her eyes but internally thanked Tethys for her support.
As they got back to the pad, Shepherd was waiting for them. They locked hands while a burst of light illuminated their bodies for a few seconds. When the lights dimmed, they had returned to Yuzuno. Shepherd messaged Greg and instantly left for the Command Center, leaving Emory and Tethys to begin choosing which soldiers would be going to Temia. They didn't want to send an unbalanced group, but since the Collective kept all the soldier's records on files that Jask had access to, the AI did most of the work. Once it generated the list, the girls went through the data quickly a second time to make sure they didn't need to make any changes. Tethys insisted she could handle this herself, but Emory refused even though she was nodding off occasionally during the verification process. Once that was done, Tethys finally convinced Emory to go to her cabin and rest. As soon as she got inside, she took off all her armor and fell into bed. It only took a few moments to fall into a deep sleep, one that would last much longer than she expected.