Despair and Ambition

At the same time as Athena's roaches ravaged the halls of Research Outpost Delta, a single Republic Lancer-class light cruiser was resting in the orbit of Morgo IV.

Lancers were a common part of the Republic arsenal, with dozens of variations being used by Republic forces across numerous sectors and battlefields. Their purpose was a mix of that of a battleship and a carrier. In addition to 9 squadrons of heavy assault bombers, starfighters, and star bombers, and interceptors, each Lancer usually held anywhere between a company to a battalion of marines.

In some scenarios, Lancers would serve as a part of a larger battlegroup and supplement battleships and carriers of much greater tonnage. In other cases, Lancers would, on their own or with a small escort, be sent on missions that a fleet was unnecessary or too much for.

This was one of the latter scenarios. This Lancer class belonged to one of the many black ops divisions in the Republic, and its job was simple. Jump in. Land marines on the barely defended outpost. Handle the remaining loyalists and the handful of legionnaires. Seize their target. Get out. Yes. They were deep in Imperial territory, but if things went right, the whole process should be over before the Imperium knew what was happening.

Things didn't go right.

The light cruiser had deployed a company of marines to the planet's surface via V-57 combat dropships. Just as the marines were about to reach the shuttle bay of Outpost Delta, the Republic light cruiser's scanners suddenly detected three short-range jump signatures. Before the Republic captain could react, three new ships jumped into the planet's orbit way too close for comfort. It didn't take long before their identity was confirmed by shocked bridge officers.

They were three Imperial ships. All light cruisers. Two Minotaurs and one Chimera. The Minotaurs were widely considered to be a well-balanced, multi-purpose ship while the Chimeras were known for their terrifying arsenal of artillery matrices and missile launchers.

The Republic captain tried to buy some time by hailing the Imperial ships, but the Imperials had no intention of chatting with these intruders. The Chimera immediately opened fire with its numerous torpedo tubes, missile launchers, and railgun turrets. The Minotaurs followed suit with their artillery units while launching their fighter and bomber contingents. The Lancer retaliated, performing defensive maneuvers and scrambling its own squadrons to defend itself.

As the battle in space raged on, it became quite clear to the Republic captain that this whole thing had been a trap. The Imperials wouldn't have three light cruisers on standby over a remote planet like Morgo IV unless they knew what was about to happen. An extraction plan for the Guard fighters and the marines was devised, but before anything could be done, the Republic cruiser detected several squadrons of Imperial starfighters and combat dropships heading toward Research Outpost Delta.

The objective of these Imperial forces was obvious, but the only thing the Lancer could do for its forces on the planet's surface was send them a message and inform them of what was coming. Anything more would be impossible when the Lancer barely had enough squadrons to keep itself alive against Imperial bombers.

After sending the message, the Lancer started moving away from Morgo IV as its crew prepared for a jump out of this losing battle. It would indeed hurt to leave so many Republic marines and Guard fighters behind, but the only result of staying in a losing battle would be to add the Lancer and its crew to the list of casualties.

In other words, Captain Hanson and his men were abandoned.

Ten Republic V-54 combat dropships landed in the Imperial shuttle bay. An entire company of Republic marines quickly exited their transports. Their A38 power armors were painted in the colors of the Republic: Blue and White. Many of these marines were carrying large combat shields designed to provide protection for combat in tight spaces.

Even though they were told the shuttle bay was already cleared, these marines still took the proper precautions while exiting. Luckily, no surprise ambush came, and instead, the marines were greeted by Captain Hanson and what was left of his rebels.

By the time the dropships landed, Captain Hanson has already had enough of this god-forsaken outpost. In the end, Sergeant Louis and his men never made it to the shuttle bay with the heavy weapons. A few minutes ago, they were ambushed by those beasts on the way. Instead of just one, there were half a dozen of them this time, and they hit the squad from all directions. Front and back. Even from below.

As his men were being torn apart, the young Sergeant Louis begged his commander for aid. He received none, for Captain Hanson had none to give. The veteran could only stand there in silence as the screams in the comms finally died, signaling the destruction of the young, often careless sergeant and his squad.

When Captain Hanson greeted the freshly arrived Republic reinforcements, he was just glad things were finally about to be over. Unfortunately, his dreams of leaving this world safely were shattered as soon as the Republic captain leading the company of marines opened his mouth.

"My name is Captain Sato." As his men made preparations, the head of the Republic marines introduced himself to the captain before delivering the bad news. "Captain Hanson, this whole thing is a trap!"

"What?" Captain Hanson froze right in his tracks. For a second, he hoped Captain Sato was playing a prank on him, no matter how improbable that sounded.

"The Imperials knew we were coming. They had their own ships in orbit." Captain Sato stated, repeating what he was just told by his superiors before they landed. "There must have been an information leak somewhere in the process. The Imperials found out about our plan, somehow."

"That's impossible!" Captain Hanson snapped, more afraid than angry. "We have kept an eye on the shuttle bay ever since we got here! No shuttle ever left this world! How could the Imperials have found out about…"

"It doesn't matter now, captain." Captain Sato shut the former Imperial captain down. "The Imperial ships are sending starfighters and transports here as we speak. Our cruiser is being chased away from this planet. Without a fighter escort of our own, we won't be able to make it off this world even if we try to leave now."

"I…" Captain Hanson was still having trouble recovering from the news that someone gave their plan out. Who was it? One of the rebels in the unit? Maybe the leak happened earlier? Perhaps it was someone not even on this planet?

"Captain!" Captain Sato called out once again. "Gather your men and ready them for combat. We are moving out."

"For what?" Captain Hanson snapped as despair slowly engulfed him. "You said it yourself! We are trapped in this world, which means we are dead men walking! Even if we can capture Doctor Payton, we won't be able to get off this planet with her!"

"True. We won't be able to leave with the doctor," The Republic captain admitted. "But if we can act quick enough, we can still kill her and deal a blow to the Imperial Research Academy. It's better than going down without a fight."

Captain Hanson drew in a deep breath. He turned and glanced at what was left of his men. At Sergeant Diaz. They were all going to be dead. Was he scared? A little, but honestly, a part of him had always known that death was around the corner. He was in the Imperial Army, after all, and joining the Venya Revolutionary Guard hardly helped his chances of survival. He just didn't expect it to come so soon.

"What's your plan?" He turned back to Captain Sato. "And what can we do?"

"My men are planting explosives around the shuttle bay as we speak. We are leaving a platoon here. When the Imperial infantry forces get here, that platoon and the explosives will make their landing process painful and buy us as much time as possible." Captain Sato explained the modified plan he and his officers had created after receiving the bad news. "Two more platoons will be positioned between the perimeter of the base and the lab to buy more time if the Imperials land outside the base. The other units will storm the lab. We brought detonation charges and laser drills with us to breach the walls."

Captain Hanson could only snicker at this plan.

"How long did it take for you to get from orbit to here? Ten minutes? The Imperials will likely take as much time. I was there when the lab was built and all the protocols were followed. The plating used for the walls and the floors are the same material as the ones used on starships! The construction was entirely overseen by the legionnaires. It will take at least an hour to go through the wall."

"As I said." Captain Sato didn't answer Hanson's question directly, instead simply repeating what he already said before. "We are not going down without a fight."

That was when Captain Hanson realized what his Republic counterpart meant. Not only did they not stand a chance in leaving this planet alive, but they also didn't even stand a chance of assassinating an Imperial researcher and dealing a tiny, insignificant blow to the Imperium. They have lost, plain and simple. All the Republic troops had in mind was a brave, and maybe worthy, death.

As Captain Sato returned to his Republic marines, Captain Hanson turned back to his Guard rebels as well. There were only two dozen of them left. A fraction of the over one hundred rebels that were in the 432nd Company when they first arrived on this planet. Some were in armor. Most weren't. All of them had realized something was off. They looked to their captain, hoping he would tell them there was nothing to worry about.

All the captain could form was two words.

"I'm sorry."

Athena leaned back on one of the sofas in the resting area. A part of her attention was distracted by the roach lurking under the shuttle bay. The Republic forces had arrived. Three hundred marines. A decent force given the size of the outpost, but judging from the fact that they were planting explosives around the shuttle bay and on their own dropships, most likely they were no longer hoping to leave this world.

Instigator Kendrick sat down in a chair in front of Athena, and Athena immediately sat forward with her back straight.

"Sir." She greeted the officer, a little curious about why he was here to see her. The other legionnaires had no intention of chatting with her.

"So, Athena." Once again, the Instigator's eyes scanned Athena from head to toe. It was more of a habit than anything else. "I think you will be pleased to know that this mess will be over soon. Soon, the traitors and the enemies of the Imperium will pay for their crimes."

How should she respond to such a statement? Smile? Laugh? Several thoughts went through Athena's head before she simply nodded.

"You don't seem too surprised." Instigator Kendrick noted, just as Athena had hoped.

"No, sir."

"Mind telling me why?"

"Of course." Athena immediately seized this opportunity to show off her deduction skills. "Sir, I figured if we had no help coming, you wouldn't have had us stay here in the lab. It would make no strategic sense when there is no visit from off-world scheduled. Staying here will only be preferable if you already have something planned for those traitors, sir."

"Maybe I had us stay here in the lab because there is no better option?"

"With all due respect, sir, there are better options." Athena knew the Instigator was testing her. "As far as I can tell, the traitors never attempted to storm the lab. Why not? Maybe they don't have the numbers or the firepower. Or maybe they are likely expecting reinforcements. If we stay, it will only be a matter of time before the lab is breached and the traitors get Doctor Payton. However, if we can take the shuttle bay before their reinforcements arrive, we have a chance of escaping this world. Our only chance is to take some risk."

Athena paused as she said these words. This was the plan she crafted for Instigator Kendrick and the loyalists. Unfortunately, the Instigator decided to flip the storyboard and rewrite the story completely. It was a smart move for him, of course, and Athena was fine with going along with it. In fact, his plan would be much safer for her.

"Good. A daring and decisive plan." Instigator Kendrick nodded, amused by Athena's response. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"I just have one question, sir,"

"Go ahead."

"The doctor…" Athena glanced at the door leading to the lab area. "We were told she is a Class D researcher of the Academy, but if so, why would the rebels go through so much trouble to take her? I mean…I'd say at least a few dozen men in the company have turned traitors. This is not easy to achieve."

"I am sure this matter will be looked into." Instigator Kendrick nodded. He had some doubts about this as well. "I wouldn't worry about this too much if I were you, Private Dane. You have already done your part as a member of the Imperial Army. The investigations will be handled by professionals in the area."

"Of course, sir." Athena nodded obediently. It wasn't like she really cared about what was behind this operation. She just wanted to impress the Instigator. For what purpose? She wasn't sure yet, but being on good terms with an officer in an organization like the Imperial Security Corps would always come in handy.

Luckily for her, it seemed like she did just that.

"You have performed well in this incident, Private Dane." Instigator Kendrick said quietly as his fingers tapped on the desk. Athena noticed he was in a surprisingly good mood. No doubt foiling a plan by the enemies of the Imperium made him quite happy.

"In the same way that treacheries must be punished with haste, loyalty must also be rewarded as soon as possible. I have gone over your files after we talked a few days ago. You have spent 6 years in the Imperial Army, and in those 6 years, you have never once failed at your duties. You would be a good candidate for the Imperial Security Corps Academy. Do you know what that means?"

Candidate? Imperial Security Corps Academy? Athena had to admit she was caught off guard by the offer. "Sir? I…I don't know what to say…"

Instigator Kendrick saw the surprise on Athena's face, a look that he was expecting. The ISC was quite famous, not just in the Imperium but also in the galaxy. For loyal citizens of the Imperium, the Wolves were the perfect examples of what they should be. Ruthless. Devoted. Selfless.

"Don't get so excited yet. I can't guarantee you anything other than the fact that I will send in a recommendation letter. This will put you in the sight of recruiters of the Corps." He reminded Athena.

"A lot of steps will have to be done before you can even step into one of the academies. Background checks. Interviews. Extensive physical, psychological, and behavioral tests. Even if you do make it into the Academy, only around 15% of the students in the Academy will become a member of the ISC after three years of training. Most of the students who fail to qualify to join the ISC are sent back into their previous military units."

Every Imperial Security Corps operative held a significant amount of power. Many of them could execute officers or high-level officials if they believed it was necessary. When it came to the selection and training, the Corps was as strict as it could possibly be. Anyone whose loyalty could be questioned in any way would instantly be rejected. After all, the Imperium had a nearly infinite pool of recruits to choose from.

As she sat in her seat and felt the Instigator's eyes on her, Athena knew this wasn't one of those offers where she could get back to the Instigator after spending a few days thinking things through. If she wanted to accept the offer, she had to give the answer now.

After some brief thoughts, Athena gave the Instigator her answer.

"Sir, it would be my greatest honor to be given an opportunity to join the Imperial Security Corps." She paused and carefully examined the man's expression. "However, I have served in the 329th Infantry Division for 6 years. I believe this is where I can offer the most value to the Imperium."

There was no doubt that she would have a lot more power as a member of the Imperial Security Corps, but Athena doubted she could make it given the true attitude she held toward the Imperium. Plus, she would have little freedom as a member of the Corps. Her goal was to leave the Imperium and check out this new galaxy, not work in the secret police of the oppressive empire.

Her rejection of the offer took Instigator Kendrick by surprise, but he didn't seem too offended. There were many ways to serve the Imperium. The Leviathan needed elite warriors of the ISC to monitor his people on his behalf, but he also needed troopers who would fight his battles on the ground in his name.

Athena's rejection was seen by the man as a selfless sacrifice on her part. Instead of taking the rare offer and getting a chance to rise to a much more powerful position, Athena decided to keep putting her life at risk as an infantrywoman in the dangerous field of battle. Only a true loyalist would do something like this. If Athena was a traitor with ill intentions, she would absolutely jump at a chance to infiltrate one of the Leviathan's most trusted agencies.

"I respect your preference, private." He gave Athena a small nod of respect. "When this is all over, I will write a letter to the command staff of the 329th Division. You have proven yourself to be capable of being more than just a simple trooper in the past few days, Private Dane. I will make sure you are given the opportunities that you deserve."

Athena silently grinned to herself. As she said, there were benefits to getting on good terms with the Instigator.