The Empire

The hovercar glided effortlessly through the sky, the subtle hum of its engine resonating throughout the cabin. Inside, Tia, the handler, and the blonde sniper were all sitting in silence.

Tia was sunk deep into her seat with her head slumped against the seat, fatigue etched into every fiber of her being.

The handler sat immobile, her gaze seemingly lost in the vastness outside the window, while the blonde sniper lay back in her seat with her eyes closed.

'I need to get stronger; otherwise, I will be forever just someone's tool.'

Just as Tia was about to yield to her body's pleas for sleep, she was pressed to her seat as the hovercar descended. The sprawling metropolis quickly approached, the sun reflecting on the countless windows and metal facades.

"Huh? This isn't the hideout?" Tia's eyes darted through the window, surveying the unfamiliar buildings and winding streets below. Her eyes especially lingered on a rooftop that was quickly approaching, likely their destination.

She sank further into her seat, the thought of a delayed rest amplifying her discomfort.

"For your own well-being, try to behave." The handler's voice cut through her foggy thoughts. Just as she spoke, the hovercar passed through an invisible barrier. In an instant, the surroundings morphed, the roof shifting into a small yard paved with concrete and surrounded by buildings from each side.

'So, they've concealed this entire place. That can't be cheap,' Tia thought, a newfound wariness settling over her exhaustion.

The hovercar glided gracefully to a halt, its thrusters going silent as the doors unfurled like wings. Immediately, purple gazes locked onto them.

The world seemed to slow down, as Tia's mind flared to full alert, the threat pushing back her tiredness.

Soldiers stood at attention against the walls, encased in black and silver composite plate armor, not revealing even a single unprotected spot, its bulk betraying a power system beneath the polished plates.

A sinister purple glow emanated from the orbs at the cores of their oversized rifles, mirroring the same eerie light that shone from the visors of their silver masks.

Tia's heart sped up as she felt their threat. 'Shit, those are dangerous! Large calibers, which are only used together with power armors.'

The elegant purple capes cascaded down their backs, and the intricate silver ornaments gleaming in the sunlight adorned their suits.

'Could this be?' She thought. Of all the prominent human nations, only a couple put aesthetics over practicality, and only one used the unique combination of purple, black, and silver.

Her eyes caught sight of the silver glyphs ingrained into their shoulder plates, and suddenly it all clicked. She knew exactly who she was dealing with and what their intentions were.

With slightly shaky legs she stepped out of the vehicle, followed by its two other passengers, her muscles and mind tense as she was ready to run at the moment of notice. She knew the escape was futile, the handler alone enough to subdue her with ease.

'They're agents of the Empire,' she surmised, her thoughts drifting to recent reports about the Empire's naval operations in this vicinity.

The organization she had found herself ensnared by was too well-armed, too surgical in its operations, and too indifferent to profits. It exhibited all the hallmarks of one entity: an intelligence agency.

'No wonder they brazenly assaulted military facilities. This must be the prelude to a full-scale invasion. And if they're willing to expose this much, it must be imminent,' she thought. A wave of panic surged through her as she grasped the magnitude of the storm she had become ensnared in.

She rapidly sifted through what she knew about the neighboring state, though her information was filtered through the lens of Federation media, making it a murky blend of fact and propaganda.

'The Federation portrays them as a corrupted, aristocracy-ridden autocracy on the brink of bankruptcy led by a madman of an emperor.'

"So five have survived in total, not entirely disappointing," a melodious voice echoed through the yard, instantly capturing Tia's attention.

A young girl, nearly her own age, stood at the building doors with two soldiers by her side. Her long, dark hair flowed down to her hips like a waterfall of shadow, blending perfectly with her black coat embroidered with golden thread and various insignias and medals pinned to her chest and shoulders.

Even the usually indifferent handler by Tia's side seemed to falter for a moment before she knelt and lowered her head. Simultaneously, the armored soldiers surrounding them abruptly straightened their posture and lowered their heads.

'She must be someone important.'

Her two ruby-like eyes scanned Tia from her feet to her head until they froze, locked with Tia's own eyes. Immediately, indescribable fear overwhelmed her mind, the faint gleam in the red eyes carrying threat, danger, and a hint of power.

"You have beautiful eyes—join us, and your future will be bright," the young woman said, her voice tinged with an inexplicable certainty.

The sentence jarred Tia, nearly causing her surprise to manifest in her expression. The audacity of the claim was baffling. 'What do my eyes have to do with any of this?' Tia thought, her mind racing to make sense of the surreal claim.