Chapter 65: Starbug Attack
In the military base cafeteria, everyone was eating, chatting, and laughing.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared!
Instantly, everyone dropped what they were holding and rushed out. Within moments, the only people left in the cafeteria were Sophie Wexler and Cillian Forrest.
Sophie Wexler was so startled by the sudden turn of events that she couldn’t even process what was happening.
"What’s happening?" she asked, dazed.
"It’s an emergency muster." The man’s eyes grew dark.
With that, he immediately stood and headed outside.
Sophie Wexler quickened her pace, breaking into a light jog to keep up with him.
They were completely different from the First Legion she was used to seeing. Every soldier’s face was grim, their bodies radiating a lethal intent. The sight sent a profound shock through Sophie Wexler.
Felix York was the first to spot them and strode over.
He looked at Sophie Wexler and said, "Miss Wexler, a large number of the Swarm have appeared outside the planet’s Protection Barrier. We’re deploying to eliminate them now. You should stay here on the base. It’s the safest place, and I’ll assign men to protect you."
Sophie Wexler was about to ask if she could help, but she swallowed her words after seeing the look on Felix York’s face.
In the end, she only managed a single word: "Okay."
’Right now, I’d just be a liability. The most important thing is to ensure my own safety.’
After giving his instructions to Sophie Wexler, Felix York’s gaze slowly shifted to Cillian Forrest.
He was about to suggest that he, too, remain at the base.
After all, no one knew the Marshal was on this planet. According to their plan, the best course of action was for him to remain unseen.
Besides, he wasn’t a member of the Seventh Legion.
"I’m going," Cillian Forrest said. The two simple words left no room for argument, his deep eyes unwavering.
Felix York met his gaze, then lowered his head a moment later, ashamed of his own hesitation.
"Very well!" Felix York nodded.
Cillian Forrest turned to look at Sophie Wexler. Just as she expected him to give her some parting instruction, he said, "You’re coming too."
Sophie Wexler: "What?"
Felix York: "What?!"
The two exclamations of shock rang out almost simultaneously.
Felix York, in particular, looked utterly incredulous. ’A Healer-class has no self-defense capabilities. How can we let Miss Wexler go?’
"I will protect her," Cillian Forrest said.
Felix York saw the look on Cillian Forrest’s face and knew his mind was made up. Anything more he said would be pointless, so he could only agree.
He then glanced at Sophie Wexler before turning back to Cillian Forrest. "I’ll assign a squad to you. They’ll be under your command."
With the decision made, everyone geared up and deployed with incredible speed. Sophie Wexler, caught in the middle of it all, watched as warship after warship lifted off in front of her. The scene was breathtakingly vast and magnificent.
For her own safety, Sophie Wexler was assigned to a warship near the center of the formation.
The moment they boarded the warship, Felix York turned, knelt on one knee before Cillian Forrest in a standard Imperial salute, and declared, "Marshal, please take command!"
Cillian Forrest reached out and helped the man up. "You are the commanding General of the Seventh Legion," he said in a low, firm voice. "You should be the one to command this battle."
No one understands their own legion’s combat style and coordination better than its commanding General—not even the Marshal.
Felix York gave Cillian Forrest a long, searching look. He had only ever heard stories about the man, had never served on a mission with him, and knew nothing of his methods.
He had assumed that since Cillian Forrest was the Marshal, he would naturally take command upon his arrival. He never expected...
But time and again, the man shattered his preconceptions.
"As you command!"
Felix York accepted Cillian Forrest’s decision. He turned and activated the warship’s command console. "Full speed ahead!"
Cillian Forrest returned to the warship where Sophie Wexler was stationed. As the order was given, the fleet passed through the planetary barrier.
After flying in the outer regions for a time, they spotted them: the Starbugs.
Sophie Wexler stared at the countless Starbugs on the viewscreen. They were just as hideous as the one from that night, a dense, writhing mass that made her skin crawl.
’So many of them... No wonder the sensors triggered an alarm.’
Sophie Wexler frowned. She took a moment to compose herself, then turned to the man beside her. "Cillian, you brought me along because I can soothe them as a group."
It was a statement, not a question.
Cillian Forrest didn’t deny it, which confirmed her suspicion.
’She’d actually considered this from the start. The last time they encountered a Starbug, its attack had carried a toxin that had aggravated the rampage in his spiritual power!’
’If she hadn’t managed to control it in time, his Spiritual Sea could have been completely corroded by the toxin.’
’She had figured that while she couldn’t cleanse the toxin from so many people at once, she could use her singing to create a group-wide soothing effect.’
’It would calm their volatile spiritual power, allowing them to focus more of their energy on resisting and suppressing the toxin. If she could do that, the toxin’s effects wouldn’t be nearly as severe.’
’But she also understood General York’s concern. She had no way to protect herself, which was why she had agreed when he told her to stay behind. She never imagined Cillian Forrest would insist she come.’
"What you’re worried about won’t happen," Cillian Forrest said.
Sophie Wexler looked up at him as he continued, "I won’t let anything happen to you."
The man’s voice was even, yet it carried an undeniable strength that inspired absolute trust.
Outside, the oppressive presence of the countless Starbugs loomed. Sophie Wexler’s gaze was fixed on him. "I trust you."
Then, a slow smile spread across her face. "I’ll do everything I can."
"Good."
Cillian Forrest made sure Sophie Wexler was settled before heading to the command deck himself.
A moment later, the warship halted its advance. Ethan Cross’s voice came through the communicator in Cillian Forrest’s ear. "Marshal, we’ve detected another fleet in front of the Starbugs. General York requests your orders."
"Can we establish contact?"
"Negative," Ethan Cross replied.
They had tried to send a signal the moment they detected them, but every attempt had met with silence.
That’s why Felix York had Ethan Cross ask for his input.
"Have a small squadron break off and strike from the eight o’clock position on the right flank." The Starbugs weren’t like a human army; they had no strict military formation.
Therefore, their encirclement was bound to have a weak point. Right now, that weak point was on the right.
Hearing Cillian Forrest’s order, Felix York immediately understood his intent. ’He wants to save them.’
"Roger that."
Felix York commanded the fleet to rapidly change formation and punch through at that point. Countless weapon ports swiveled to target the Starbugs. "Fire!"
Instantly, the star-dusted void was filled with brilliant flashes of white light, and one Starbug after another was blasted to pieces.
As the fleet drew near, the Starbugs immediately turned to attack them.
A powerful wave of spiritual power surged toward the fleet.
Sophie Wexler, too, could feel the spiritual power flowing through the space around them.
Cillian Forrest’s expression hardened. He quickly issued a command to the entire warship: "Raise the Protection Barrier!"
The instant he gave the command, everyone unleashed their spiritual power, skillfully and swiftly forming a circular Protection Barrier.
The Starbugs’ attack slammed against it, erupting in a massive wave of energy.
At the same time, Cillian Forrest instantly unfurled his own spiritual power, enveloping a group of Starbugs before them.
His eyes darkened as he spoke. "The highest-Level among them is an S+ Mutant Series."