Chapter 1 - Welcome to the future

New age date A.C. 307

In an asteroid field filled with the cold wreckage of gigantic warships stands the war-torn Flagship Tertium Draco. The captain of this warship has a heavy, downcast look, as he has just won a battle - but at a cost that can only be described as a pyrrhic victory.

His duty was simple: to delay the enemy in this system while the main fleet regroups and reorganizes. But the reality was not so simple. Against an enemy three times his size, he had to hold his ground for an unknown duration. However, through the brilliant use of tactics, his outnumbered 5th fleet managed to turn certain defeat into victory. Alas, this amazing achievement was overshadowed by the loss of three-quarters of his fleet, with the remaining ships barely staying afloat.

The ship's chief officer came up beside the captain and sighed as he said, "Fleet Command always says a good navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guarantee of peace. Those were all good shipmen. We had a good navy, but war still came."

Is all of this worth it? Should they have surrendered from the start? These are thoughts that ran through the captain's head as he takes in the scene of the endless wreckage of his and his enemy's fleet. Worrying about what has happened is of no use - the die has been cast and there is no turning back now.

Slowly turning his head away, the captain gave his orders: "Chief, set a course back to the Armada. It's time to make our enemies understand just how good of a navy they are messing with... the war has just begun."

The war would make him one of the greatest Fleet Admirals of this generation, but who would have thought that his story began from a failed project 5 years ago?

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Earth A.D. 2179 - The new age of colonization

The era of space colonization age began shortly after the invention of faster-than-light (FTL) technology. Billions signed up to be pioneers, eager to escape the overcrowding solar system. In the span of a decade, thousands of colonization ships departed for various corners of the galaxy, full of hope and dreams for a new world.

These first-generation ships, with their FTL warp drives, were impressive in terms of speed, able to travel up to twice the speed of light. However, the vastness of the galaxy easily made the capabilities of the budding technology appear insignificant. It was roughly 150 years from the start of the era before the first ship's onboard AI found a suitable planet.

Our story begins in the Komoka sector, star map K7581-O0974. The first colonists made planetfall without major issues.

They exited their cryogenic chambers and slowly began their work with excitement. They named the planet Pluvia and created a new calendar based on the planet's orbit, naming it "After Colonization" (A.C.).

The landing was the only good thing that happened to the young colony. Everything started going downhill after the first day. Centuries of space travel had caused major wear and tear on the equipment brought from Earth, significantly slowing down the colonization process. Over time, the thrill of a new planet, passion for a new beginning began to wane and replacing it was anxiety and depression. The breaking point came less than a year from planetfall, when a huge construction accident killed 64 settlers and injured many more.

Conflict, finger-pointing and argument were the outcomes which resulted in the colony splitting into four different groups to set up bases in different directions. The situation improved greatly after the split, but with the small starting population, degraded machinery, and internal conflict, knowledge slowly eroded and technology regressed to pre-space levels.

Luckily, there was a group mostly consisting of scientists that stayed at the original base. Without the support of laborers and other professions, they worked hard to prevent the collapse of their society. Using their talents in science, they created many tools to improve their chances of survival and eventually became known as the Innovation Technologies Institute (ITI).

Slowly, over time, through their technological superiority, blood and steel, ITI took control of Pluvia, becoming the sole representative of the planet. When they finally have time to propel and focus themselves to space, they found themselves years too late - the space race had left them far behind, too vulnerable.

Compared to their closest neighbors, ITI is considered inferior in many areas, except for technology. It is also because of the advanced technologies that ITI possesses that has kept war at bay. But war will happen; it will find a way, as it always does. By the start of the conflicts, ITI's controlled territories included only two habitable planets and a dozen systems with resources that is considerable.

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Unknown Station - New age date A.C. 302 (5 years before the battle at the asteroid fields)

"The transfer is a failure, body systems are shutting down."

"This one is a failure too." Echoed from the back of the room.

"What a waste of time and resources. I don't think there is hope for the last two."

"Wait... wait, I think this one is alive."

"Quick, bring him to the med lab. Hopefully, we can get something out of this project."

Good news was quickly replaced by a bad one. The Chief Scientist shook his head; the last test subject was a failure as well. Out of the 74 experiments, only one subject survived.

"Guess we have to move on to the next plan. Pack up everyone. We are shutting this place down in two hours."

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Shortly after the survivor regained consciousness, he noticed that he was chained to the chair and is facing a man in a white lab coat.

"Could I know where I am, what is going on here?" he asked, with a splitting headache. As his awareness gradually became clearer, his voice became more aggressive. "How... wait, why am I here, I'm sure I was bleeding out with a missing arm. I should have died."

"You have a very impressive record here, Lieutenant Jakobsen Bedivere. Born in 153, joined the federation army at 18, shot up the ranks to lieutenant in three years through the usage of unorthodox tactics on the field." The man in the coat interrupted Jakobsen and, with a hint of sarcasm, continued. "Your luck ended when you failed in one of your missions and got you and your men killed."

"Wait... answer my question. Who are you, and why am I chained up?" Jakobsen couldn't make sense of the situation and the man in the coat seemed to have no interest in answering his questions.

"Luck changed for you after you 'died.' Posthumously, you were called 'The Hero of Casaden Ridge,' holder of the only twin star medal in the federation army. They awarded the medal for your brilliant plan for the assault on the enemy command centre, which also became the turning point of the war. As always, history can be a little fuzzy, as the victor writes it, so let's hear it from you."

"You're not answering my question, and you want to hear from me!?" Jakobsen shows defiance, hoping he might get the response he seeks. "I don't really care... frankly we don't have time, and you have even less. If it's not clear enough, specifically, you're the one in chains, not me." Apparently, the man wasn't affected by Jakobsen's provocative attitude.

Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Jakobsen decided to go along with the flow. "Yes, I was at Casaden Ridge. I'm sure we lost that war, though. Command threw my plans out the window, and we lost the best opportunity for an ambush. If you're from the empire, I wouldn't know what the point of all this is. You won, we lost. There's no use for me."

Even though Jakobsen knew it was useless, his mind was filled with agitation. He struggled violently in frustration, trying to break free of the chains. However, with that futilely act of resistance, a sign of impatience could be seen on his interrogator's face.

"Mister Bedivere, I'm sure you understand that there is no use in struggling. I'm not from the empire, and you WERE dead. You are only alive because we willed it so. I would suggest you watch your tone, the project has been a frustrating failure. Fortunately for you, we are in deliberation about whether we should spend more time on you, our sole surviving subject. For your info I'm leaning towards 'No.'" The man in the lab coat left his seat and walked towards the exit... Before stepping out, he turned around and adds.

"You should count your blessings that you're alive now. To feed your curiosity, the federation commanders didn't throw your plans away. They stole it. The truth came out a few years after the war; your mission that day was meant to take you out of the picture." The door shut, and Jakobsen was left in the room wondering what would happen next.

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Time seems to crawl by after the man in the white lab coat left the room. Finally after what seem to be hours later a lady dress in dressed in a sleek, professional outfit entered along with two armed guards.

"Hi, I'm Chloe Casteer and I will be sorting you out. Would you please follow me." she gestures to the two guards to help Jakobsen up. Chloe continues to talk as the guards escort Jakobsen out the room.

"Based on the projected success rate of 30%, the plan was supposed to consist of around 20 war experts. Unfortunately, you are the only successful candidate and not the most optimal one. As someone who was tasked with a suicide mission, you performed remarkably well at it, killing yourself and about 200 others." Chloe continues her briefing, seemingly unaware of Jakobsen's feelings.

"That's not funny, I can remember all 179 of them and many were my friends," Jakobsen responds, feeling insulted. Chloe simply giggles, not realizing the impact of her words on Jakobsen.

"Please understand that you are in a very unique position. Your body is created by us and has been altered to contain the genes and abilities of some of the greatest military strategists in history. You are a one-of-a-kind weapon, and your creation is to help in the coming war." Chloe's tone becomes serious as she explains the situation to Jako.

"Another War? What war are you talking about the other man said..." Jako is even more confused now. How much time has passed since he "died"?

Without letting Jako finish, Chloe continues, "We are in quagmire with the Interstellar Empire. They have been eyeing our systems for years and our abilities to keep them at bay keep receding. That's why we created this project - to create a new generation with the greatest military minds of the past and use their critical tactical skills to turn the predicament around."

Chloe's explanation does little to clear up Jako's confusion, but at least he now has an idea of what is happening. "So what do you want from me? I'm just a soldier, I don't know anything about strategy." Jako's mind is racing as he tries to make sense of everything.

"In addition to your creative mind, your brain contains the knowledge of some of the greatest military strategists in history. All you need to do is activate it. You will be able to access their knowledge and skills. In doing so, we believe you can be the key to our victory against the empire or any threat that comes our way." Chloe's words fill Jako with a sense of both hope and fear. Can he really be the key to ensuring peace? Or will he just be a pawn in someone else's game?

"What do you want from me?" Jakobsen asked, feeling a sense of resignation wash over him. "Nothing much, just your cooperation and your skills. You are given a choice, you can either work with us or be terminated. It's as simple as that." Chloe replied, a sly smile appearing on her face.

Jakobsen thought about his options. He didn't want to die, but he also didn't want to be a pawn in whatever scheme these people had planned. He remembered the man in the lab coat saying something about the federation commanders stealing his plans and setting him up for a suicide mission.

"I'll cooperate, but I want some answers. Who are you people? And what happened to the federation? Is it still around?" Jakobsen asked, trying to negotiate for more information.

Chloe looked at Jakobsen for a moment before speaking. "Very well, I suppose you have a right to know. We are part of an organization called the ITI, as for the federation they stop existing for decades now. We need your military expertise to help us win wars if it comes to it, as for what we going to happen next, you will be slowly briefed. Can we now count on your cooperation?"

Jakobsen nodded, still trying to process all the information he had just received. He had a feeling that he was in for a rough ride, but at least he was alive and had a chance to make a difference. He just hoped that he wouldn't regret his decision to cooperate.

As they approached and stepped out of the door, Jakobsen felt a sudden loss of gravity. Chloe turned towards his direction, just as another wave of confusion hit him.

"Welcome to the future, Jakobsen Bedivere,"