Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

September 21, 2839

Kaiserstadt Spaceport, Kaiserstadt City, planet Eden, Sector Theta.

"Do you promise to be good?"

The Admiral knelt on one knee and stroked the girl's hair. His eyes were blue, his eyebrows were thin, his cheekbones were high, and if anyone on the station was paying close attention, the two of them had a lot in common.

"Yes, father." The little girl said. Her eyes on the ground, hands clasped behind her back, "But why should I leave Eden? Everyone says the war is still far away. Matthaus, Erika, and Maria told me the same. No way our Reichswehr will let it reach the Core World."

God, the children these days. They were more knowledgeable than adults gave them credit for, but parents like him were purposely blind to that. Perhaps this was always the way parents saw their children. Mother once said it didn't matter, he could be 10 or 100 and still the messy-haired kid with white shoes in her eyes.

"And your friends are right on that. The war will not reach Eden. It will end next year, just as you begin your new semester on Earth." He put his hands on his daughter's small shoulders. "Your mother and I want you to go to the best school that the Reich can offer. You always wanted to work on a big ship with me, didn't you? That's why you go to Earth, all the best of Kriegsmarine are trained on humanity's homeworld."

The priests had long talked about honesty and the consequences of lying, but to protect the innocence of a 12-year-old girl, the admiral was willing to ignore them.

"Matthaus's brother, Otto, do you remember him? He left his home two days ago. Matthaus told me he was going to fight a big battle and win back some medals. He told me you would head to battle soon, too." The girl looked up at him, her eyes watering. "Is he telling the truth?"

"He is telling you half of the truth!" The admiral nodded and smiled. "I will go to fight a big battle, just like Otto and just like many times before, I will return to you victorious."

"And the Outsider will be defeated?"

"The Outsider will be defeated." He repeated his child's words, doing his best to make it sound like an affirmation, "Through iron and blood we will prevail, and peace will be restored."

And he wished that slogan was also true. The Admiral, like many others in the Reich, had great confidence in the Empire, the unyielding will of all mankind, and the values of Prussia, a nation that once existed on Earth and had now become a legend. Why shouldn't they choose to believe in them anyway? Didn't those things help humans reach the farthest stars, unifying more than 10,000 planets into one great empire?

Wasn't it the Heer and Kriegsmarine who dared to cross the Rubicon, challenging the Asari, a race that was said to be the noblest, most intelligent, and most powerful in the galaxy, and inflicted terrible defeats on them? And when the tide turned, what had united all the citizens of the Reich to fight bravely against an enemy outnumbering them five to one?

At least the dogma still rang true until last week.

The Reich's 4th fleet and Asari battlegroup "Crimson Star" were destroyed at Helium, leading to the collapse of three Republic star systems and more than ten human planets in just one month. The Outsider had penetrated deep into the Terminus Zone, ravaging and destroying hundreds of planets, nearly wiping out six minor alien races, and soon they would reach the Zelia system of the Asari Republic, which was only 40 light-years away from Eden.

Panic swept through the main cities. Those who wanted to flee rushed to the nearest spaceport, hoping to catch an early flight to Talon-5 or beyond. Those who stayed were either brave or naive enough to think their Kriegsmarine would counterattack and gain another epic victory in space, and hence, there was nothing to worry about.

But didn't they know all the Kriegsmarine had done since the beginning of the war was to defend an objective before retreating to defend another objective?

Tactical manuvering some might say, but losing wasn't far from the truth either.

7 Great fleets protecting human colonies in Terminus had lost more than 45% of their fighting capacity in four months, so what they were looking at right now was a cod swimming for its life from the approaching storm, no longer the king of the ocean.

That was the new reality they had to accept for the time being - at least until the reinforcement arrived. At least.

Governor Dominic Keiner, in desperation, had ordered the local garrison to strengthen the planet's defences and called for help from neighbouring star systems - an unthinkable scenario for the average citizens of Eden. Michael had already heard people say how impossible it was, but, sadly, they would have a chance to feast their eyes on that impossibility soon enough - warships, soldiers, and vehicles from Korn and Mahelm arriving at their doorsteps, trampling their streets and turning the whole planet into a giant fortress.

Oberkommando had decided that the first line of defence in Core World would be Eden, right where his daughter went to school, and not in a million years would the Admiral allow that. War to Nora was just heroic tales of Ulrich and little Rosamunde, Foot Guards marching proudly with flowers attached to the barrels of their guns, and if God was good, things should stay that way. Forever.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" He smiled back and asked, "Now lighten up, my princess. Don't let your mother see you sad. You know she doesn't like that. Oh look - here she comes."

A woman approached the security gate of the spaceport, wearing a white uniform and a typical black cloak of cruiser captains, which gave her an edge over others. The soldiers of the Feldgendarmerie (Military Police) immediately noticed her presence and shoulder through the impatient crowd surrounding the gate, clearing a path. There were a few shouts of protest, but nothing more.

"Erina, you're late." The Admiral said, there was a hint of fear in his voice. "Did something happen?"

"Michael." His wife reminded him softly; she flicked a glance toward their daughter. "What are you two talking about?"

Understanding his wife's implication, "Earth. The Academy. New friends." Michael replied, keeping his voice light. "This lady here just simply can't wait. Is that right, Nora?"

The girl looked up at the woman timidly before answering with a nod. She always found herself standing in attention before his wife, a woman of few words and a stricter set of rules. Yet deep down, somehow she also knew no love could compare to the love from the woman who brought her into this world.

A normal relationship between mother and her child, he supposed.

"Come here, Nora." His wife called their daughter, arms open, "Come to me."

Nora wiped her tears and ran to Erina. Mother and daughter hugged each other tightly, and this time, tears rolled down the beautiful but stern Prussian noble face of his wife. The Einzberg were proud people of ancient origin who never showed weakness in front of others, but this was a special occasion.

This might be the last time the three of them see each other.

In the next few days, Michael might lead his fleet Schutzengel to Zelia System to reinforce its defences, while Erina would remain here to join Field Marshal Martin Steinbauer's 12th Army - and coming toward them was an entire Hive Fleet that had destroyed several fleets and armies from German Reich, Asari Republic, Salarian Federation, and Turian, wiping out more than a hundred planets in the Terminus zone and over 120 billion lives.

An uphill battle was coming, far from what they'd ever seen, so the old routines, barriers, prejudices, and things they thought they wouldn't do were all pushed aside so their small family was able to have this moment. During his ten years as an Admiral, Michael never expected that there would be a day he would take advantage of his position to get his loved ones on board the first evacuation ship, nor did he expect his rigid, law-abiding wife would consider a bribe if it didn't work out.

Their world was turned upside down, so quickly that he couldn't believe this was real. Just a few months before, the spirit of the 200th anniversary could still be felt everywhere on Eden - flower festivals in the southern continents, parades through grand avenues of sleepless metropolis, underwater ballet, market fairs, high- attitude firework. War was something far away and entirely someone else's problem, like the last Great War, a conflict that didn't even reach the northern region of Core Worlds.

"You have to send my regards to your grandparents," Erina reminded her daughter. "Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, I will." Nora nodded quickly. Her mood was a bit lifted. "But you must promise to visit me too."

He could feel Erina's pain at being forced to lie, but with great effort, she would never let Nora see it.

"Yes, I promise." She gave Nora a kiss on her tiny forehead. "I promise."

The Admiral's family had a few more minutes together before a formation of more than a dozen blue Haunebu gently pierced the silver clouds of Eden and approached the docking area. That scene triggered a wave of positive emotions in those around him. Many people were overjoyed, hugging each other. Some were sobbing or kneeling with their hands clasped together and whispering thanks to God, while the rest, mostly men, received the good news with a calmer attitude. Erina, however, didn't receive the whole thing as good news. The sound of the anti-gravity engine and the ominous shadows of brimhat-shaped spacecrafts were a signal for the separation of her and Nora.

"We should get her to the saucer now, Erina," he reminded his wife. "They won't wait for anyone."

"Yes… you are right." Erina quickly wiped her tears and stood up. She held Nora's tiny hands and said, "Let's go, my daughter."

Then they led Nora through a long corridor with transparent glass on both sides before stopping at a jetty. A Haunebu bearing the number F-721 was already parked there alongside a long line of a hundred people impatiently waiting for their turn to board. Without hesitation, Erina picked up her daughter and headed for the barricade, ignoring unfriendly looks and murmurs from the crowd.

"Perhaps we should do what they do." The admiral expressed concern. "You don't have to be in such a hurry."

Erina turned to Michael, and the expression on her face sent chills down his spine. There was no anger, no blaming from her. There was only fear.
"They have reached Zelia." She tried not to scream, "We don't have much time left."

Then the battle of Eden would happen sooner than people expected. Michael felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He should have asked the High Admiral to send the Schutzengel fleet out a few days ago to join the Asari defence. If the Zelia System fell, nothing could stop them from coming here.

"Hey, you two. What the hell makes…" The soldier who was sent to give them a warning immediately raised his hand in salute when he realised who he was talking to, "Admiral." He addressed Michael before turning to his wife, "Captain."

"At ease, soldier." Erina gently told him, "What's your name?"

"Sergeant Hans Speiner. The second company, 551st Feldgendarmerie Battalion, at your service, Madam."

The soldier answered boldly with the typical enthusiasm of the German army. He was about 25 years old, of average height, square chin, a pockmarked face, not particularly easy on the eyes - another farmboy from Mahelm, looking forward to improve her chance with women via the fieldgrey uniform and shiny boots. He felt sorry for this young man and people like him. These were boys who were about to be thrown into the frying pans to confront the Outsider's claws in the next few months, and only a few of them knew how dangerous their enemy was.

"Sergeant, I want you to get this girl on board and have the pilot take off immediately."

The corporal was stunned by that order, his eyes widening. "But ma'am… what about these people?"

"There will be another saucer." Erina switched to her everyday authoritative tone, putting more pressure on him. "There is a ship called Orion that is currently docking in the planet's orbit as we speak and I want you to get this girl on board immediately. If anyone has any questions, just say this is a direct order from the Admiral of Schutzengel Fleet. "

Hans Speiner awkwardly looked at Michael as if asking for confirmation, and then received a nod as his answer. Feeling more confident, the soldier told his comrades to open the barricade and let them in.

However, it was also the source of all the problems that came after.

Some people in the crowd, irritated by the anticipation and fear, took notice of their conversation and had no difficulty connecting the separated parts into a complete story. At first, there were only a few boos, curses, and snorts, but when a man holding a child even younger than Nora broke away from the queue and tried to break through the security barrier, everything immediately fell into chaos. More than twenty people swarmed, crashing into the guards like waves, and if it weren't for the fearsome MP-25Ks they held in their hands, the situation would probably have spiralled out of control.

"For God's sake, get her on the saucer now." Hans panicked and shouted to Erina, his eyes widening with terror, "We won't be able to hold them off for long."

She hurriedly placed Nora on the bench. Tears welled in her eyes as she kissed her daughter's cheeks.

"Nora, you listen to me. This is Corporal Hans Speiner. He's a good guy, and he'll help you get on the ship back to Earth. You have to do what the corporal says, do you understand?"

Too frightened by the scene in front of her, Nora did not know how to react but nodded reluctantly. Another man attempted to break through the barrier but was immediately stopped by electric batons. He collapsed to the floor and convulsed in the shrill screams of a young woman whom Michael assumed was his wife. The crowd was almost frenzied, chants of "Murder" and "Bastards" were heard incessantly as they charged at the line of military police, trying to break through the barricades.

Seeing that, Michael quickly walked over to reassure his daughter.

"Don't worry, Nora. Everything will be fine, we will be fine. And these people, too. Don't look."

The 12-year-old looked up at him, and the Admiral felt himself acting like an idiot. Who was he trying to fool? His daughter was smart enough to understand that with what was happening in front of her, nothing would ever be okay for anyone.

"Erina, you tell the pilot to take off now." The Admiral said to his wife in a hush. He then turned to the corporal, "Get more men here, Speiner. Be quick"

A squad of Feldgendarmerie was dispatched to their position in a few minutes as reinforcement, but they were only able to restore order after sending four men to the dispensary with batons and threatening to open fire on the crowd. An extremely unsophisticated solution that worsened the image of the Reichswehr after the Great War in the public's eyes and made Michael's knees sink deep in the mud of shame. Erina's selfishness had caused this mess, and he had done nothing but encourage it.

But now, perhaps his honour didn't matter anymore. The saucer had taken off, and soon Nora would be safely on the deck of the first ship to depart for Earth.

"When will the Orion leave the system?"

Erina asked, her eyes still on the saucer that was slowly disappearing behind the clouds. The tension was gone from her face, only leaving a sadness that words couldn't describe.

"Two hours." The admiral replied, "They need to refuel and evacuate as many people as possible."

Though she didn't openly admit it, Michael knew his wife wanted the Orion to depart as soon as Nora set foot on it. Many would immediately accuse her of being selfish, and Michael couldn't blame them either. Nora was his love and life, yet he felt disgusted at the idea of sacrificing thousands of lives to ensure her safety. Still, the admiral partly sympathised with his wife's actions. For Irena, the responsibility of a mother always outweighed the oath of a soldier or the honour and duty of a Prussian noblewoman.

"That is good to hear." She adjusted her collar and voice, trying to regain the composure and confidence of a cruiser captain. "Let's go back to the meeting."

And with just that, Erina confidently walked along the waiting line, ignoring the unfriendly gaze thrown at her, something Michael could never do. He had married the daughters of a great family, attended lavish parties, and hunted deer with them, yet never had and perhaps never would obtain the Einzberg's aura.

"What is our response to developments in Zelia?" Michael asked as they reached Spaceport's Main Hall, "Can't expect the Republic to fight the Outsider without reinforcements."

Erina hesitated for a few seconds, trying to find the most straightforward answer before telling him the truth:

"We can't, but it is too late to send your fleet to them. It takes almost a week to reach Zelia in favourable conditions, and no planet could hold out more than three days against Tyranid."

"Tyranids?" He felt like something was pressing on his chest, but still managed a smile, "Those old men at Oberkommando are also good at naming enemies and encouraging more desertion, aren't they?"

Such a terrifying name, it sounded like a storm of locusts coming and causing everything to rot, yet fitting their enemies very well. The unknown invader did not occupy territory, negotiate, or take prisoners. They just attacked planet after planet, consumed all plants and animals, and then left only bare rocks in the middle of cold space.

"The name does not come from Oberkommando but the Republic of Asari." Erina activated her omi-tool and sent him a datalog: "This thing just arrived this morning with news about Zelia."

Michael gasped like a child receiving a surprise Christmas gift. Thousands of pages of data on the Hive Fleet appeared before his eyes. Their behaviour, movement method, fleet formations, defensive and offensive tactics, characteristics of each Tyranid species, and their weaknesses. Everything a commander needed to win battles was here, in his hand.

If we had gotten this thing sooner, disasters like Masari-1 and Helium might not have happened. The thought crept into his mind and left a bitter taste in his mouth - hundreds of planets, billions of lives had gone forever because of another hideous ordinary of warfare, the reinforment sometime came early, but they were often too late.

Still, there was something that didn't add up here. The material was undeniably useful, yet it was so extensive and detailed that he mistook it for a textbook on Tyranids rather than an ordinary report. How could something like this have slipped under his notice?

"This…was from the Asari?"

"Are you surprised?" Erina asked sarcastically, "I would like to know why those squids waited until now to give it to us."

The elite of human society had always had a certain hostility towards the Asari and the Republic. The nobility, with ancient roots on Earth, for obvious reasons, weren't fond of Asari's view of the Kaiser, the constitutional monarchy. Meanwhile, the political, military, and economic leaders viewed the Asari Republic as nothing more than a major obstacle to the expansion of human territory. That animosity had slowly faded after the Great War as the two races had begun to put their pasts behind them, but it would be a long time before people like Erina conformtable with inviting a blue alien over for dinner.

"My God, this is the monster that had the Rubicon fleet on the run last year. Look at it, Erina! The size and shape are exactly the same as we heard. The datalog says it is called Ancient One, an extremely rare bio-ship. Attack with tentacles at close range and bio-plasma cannon for long-ranged combat? That's interesting."

But Erina did not share his excitement. "How did the Asari obtain this information? We have tried everything we could, but it always looks like throwing money into a bottomless pit."

Every Intelligence agency within the Reich had begun its investigation on Hive Fleet four years ago, but the information brought back was too meager. Michael neither blamed them nor was surprised by the results. Planets in Terminus fell so quickly that there were very few survivors left to tell the tale and like adding more problems, Tyranid left no corpses, no bio marks, metal shards, or anything in their path of destruction.

"The origin is trivial, Erina." Said the admiral, "I don't care where our info comes from. Salarian, Turian, Asari, Krogan. As long as it helps us defend Eden, it can come from those four-eyed Batarian for all I care. "

Since the war began, they have had to fight with a blindfold and one hand tied behind their back, always on passive defence, reacting to their opponent's moves, but with this new understanding, things would not be the same as before.

"If you say so." Erina shrugged. "But don't put your hopes up too much. Oberkommando has not yet confirmed the legitimacy of the datalog. In my opinion, there is only one way for them to know if the information we receive is trustworthy or not."

And the only way his wife referred was testing them on the field. A hailmary way of the art of war, which could lead to disaster with billions of deaths, but unfortunately, they had no other choice. War was where important decisions were made based on uncertain information.

"Beggars cannot be choosers, as they say. If we must…"

Their conversation was interrupted by the humming of Hovercraft engines flying over the spaceport. The noise they made was quite loud, so it was not difficult for Michael to realise that they were military vehicles, not civilians.

"What's that?" He looked up at the oval concrete and metal ceiling. "Are they planning to set up a defensive base here?"

In a meeting at Eden High Command two days ago, the answer was no.

Although Kaiserstadt was the administrative capital of Eden, it was judged to be too difficult to defend effectively, as well as had no strategic value. The Reichswehr would prioritise protecting the other main cities, industrial zones, and military fortresses while evacuating the countryside - the most feasible approach at the moment, with a painful history backing it. The reality in Helium had proved that trying to defend every part of Eden would be a death trap - isolated resistance points served nothing but easy prey to the seemingly endless numbers of Tyranid horde.

The Asari tried that and failed. The Turian doubled down on the idea and got slaughtered. The Salarian made some improvements only to tap out halfway.

It was always a good reason not to repeat someone else's folly. But there was another one, more important and hard to swallow :

Eden Landwehr was far from being ready.

Fieldmarshal Erich von Kant, the man who was newly assigned as the Eden Chief Commander, nearly had a stroke in front of Michael upon finding out his force didn't check any boxes in Reichswehr's standards, whether it was personnel, panzers, artillery, or Haunebu for combat or logistical duty.

"Quick, Michael! Outside."

Erina urged and rushed toward the main hall, leaving her husband behind with a self-pitying smile and shrug. Blunt and assertive, his Erina hadn't changed much since they first met, and perhaps for that reason, she was the love of his life. Things weren't different back then when they first met, if memories still served him well. They were simply soldiers in another war, not knowing what tomorrow would bring, so maybe that was why Erina accepted his proposal after only a week of dating.

The spaceport wasn't large, so very quickly Michael found himself standing at the main gate and encountered a sight that concerningly became too familiar - another impatient crowd waiting for their turns to leave the damn planet.

As the admiral observed these people, he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. There were even more refugees than before. When he first brought Nora here, there were only about a hundred people at best gathering at the security checkpoint, but that number had swelled tenfold within 20 minutes. Civilians no longer had the patience to line up; they swarmed around the tiny gate like a swarm of ants, using every trick in their sleeves to put pressure on the guards in the hope of getting in first.

"I don't think they have enough saucers for all of them, " Or perhaps there weren't even enough long-range transports to begin with. Yesterday, the goal of evacuating more than five million people in Kaiserstadt in a week sounded like a fantasy; Now it sounded stupid. "Only been half an hour since the official announcement, and it's already like this. Can you imagine what it will be like when they learn the Tyranids have reached Zelia?"

Erina bit her lip, clearly not wanting to answer that question: "Leave that problem to the Eden Feldgendarmerie. We have to get out of here and then find a way back to our HQ."

But as always, misery worked in pairs. The military police told Michael that they had no way to clear a path for him and his wife besides electrical batons and tear gas, as empty threats no longer worked on the anxious crowd. To say the admiral was not satisfied with that solution was an understatement. After the embarrassing chaos at Haunebu's Bay, the last thing he wanted was to be the cause of another scandal at the security gate. But with how things were currently sailing, he didn't seem to have many options left. Even if they didn't want to go out to see what was going on, sooner or later, they would have to return to the naval headquarters for a preliminary meeting.

Fortunately, Michael's dilemma did not last long. The noises from the anti-gravity engines were quite loud and soon caught the attention of the evacuees. At first, most of them simply looked up at the ceiling, discussing nervously among themselves; But then, someone shouted that the enemy had arrived and that was all it took for the chaos at the saucer bay's waiting line to repeat. At this point, Feldgendarmerie had no choice but to use electric batons and stun bullets to put the situation under control and, at the same time, conveniently clear a passage for two senior Kriegsmarine officers.

Welcoming the two of them outside were four Junker Haunebu hovering above Spaceport's forecourt, supported by two Gunship Tigerhai-4, a type of lightly armored saucer armed with rockets and 25mm autocannons. Black was their camo, the color of the night, steel and death; white skulls and crossbones replaced usual identification numbers and markings.

Michael knew immediately who these people were - not a unit from the Eden Landwehr ordered to set up a resistance point at Kaiserstadt.

"Totenkopf Kommando." Michael bit his lip, "Not the kind of people I want to meet right now."

Totenkopf Kommando was a special unit of the Reich, but unlike the Brandenburger or Marine Einsatzkommando, it was never under the command of Heer, Luftwaffe, or Kriegsmarine. The orders always came directly from the heart of Germania, and beside the Kaiser, only the Reichskanzler had the authority to deploy them with or without going through the Imperial parliament.

With such a special command structure, Totenkopf Kommando was rarely seen as a military unit but as a long reaching arm of the Central Government, unconstrained by local laws, and no one - no Grand Admirals, no highly decorated Field Marshals nor prestigous planetary governors, dared to question or impede its actions unless they wished to be branded as traitors to the Reich themselves.

Obviously, it was a waste of words to say there were very few citizens in the Reich who had something positive to say about these 'Skull boys', given their primary mission was to 'pacify the populace.'

The last war, the greatest struggle that the German Reich ever experienced, dragged on too long, was too terrifying, with so many losses that even the hardcore patriot, golden girl type like Erina had to accept the harsh truth - not all Germans had either the will or the guts to continue fighting or resisting generous offers from the Asari Republic. By the 82nd year of the Great War, when Michael was old enough to join the Kriegsmarine, fifty colonies had surrendered to the enemy without firing a shot, and about a dozen more Governors refused to send their reserves to the battlefield due to pressure from the local population.

Obviously, those shameful incidents could not be allowed to take hold; strategic planets and their citizens had to fight bravely to the last bullet against the mighty enemy. No anti-war protest, no defeatism talks was tolerated. The unity within the Reich must be maintained until the Final Victory.

In all fairness, Totenkopf had succeeded in its main mission, but the cost...? History would judge them harshly, Michael was sure of it

"There must be another reason." Erina said, "I don't think they are afraid of the people of Eden surrendering to the enemy."

The masses might not understand the true nature of the Tyranids, but they were smart enough to see the similarities between them and the Rachni that ravaged the galaxy centuries ago. Both were hungry swarms of locusts, purely acting on instinct with no interest in negotiating, occupying, or ruling.

There were only two options available to honest citizens of the Reich here. Either ran away from the invaders or stayed and fought them, but at the speed of the Tyranid's advance, Michael feared that those two options would soon lose their value.

It was only a matter of time before people realised they had nowhere else to run.

"Let's hope they will ignore those who have already boarded."

The admiral looked up at the sky and was relieved to see only white clouds in sight. The shuttle had left the atmosphere, carrying Nora and about 200 lucky people out of the place which was about to be crushed by artillery shells and plasma cannons.

"It's childish if you keep thinking of them as cold-blooded killers all the time, Michael." Erina expressed displeasure at her husband's comment. As a member of the Prussian nobility, who valued honour and discipline, she had a special sympathy for the unsung heroes of the Reich. "These people simply do their duty like us."

"If you say so, darling."

The admiral shrugged and smiled sarcastically. He wasn't in the mood to argue with his wife today about the government's death squad, especially since one of them was approaching where we stood.

He was a relatively young officer who had the handsome face of rising movie star Leopod Zimmermann and a confident demeanour that Michael couldn't suffer no matter how hard he tried. To be fair, the admiral had always held a grudge against the Skull boys, but he especially hated this guy for the way he looked at Erina.

"Admiral, Captain." He raised his hand to salute them and casually gave Michael's woman a charming smile. "I am Lieutenant Marco Rudiger, 3rd company, 112th Totenkopf Kommando brigade of Theta System."

"At ease, lieutenant," Michael said. His voice was a little rougher than usual. "What's going on here?"

The admiral threw a quick glance at the platoon that was setting up a fence around the main gate leading to Spaceport's forecourt, while smaller groups quickly took up vantage points on the observatory and rooftops of the opposite buildings. Like their vehicles, Totenkopf members dressed in the same fashion- black helmets covering their entire faces, a specialised version of black Infanterie Kürass wrapped around their front and back, looking rather light yet offering more protection to their limbs. They were armed with black Stg-54 rifles, the weapon that rarely appeared in the Heer's arsenal but was commonly seen during campaigns in the Krogan territory due to its powerful destructive power.

Something strange was going on here.

Michael could feel it in the air, in the hustle and bustle of the black-clad soldiers, and in the fake calmness of Lieutenant Marco. Erina believed that Totenkopf -Kommando's presence had nothing to do with the cowardice of Eden's inhabitants, and it seemed his wife was not entirely unreasonable with her theory.

"Ah, you haven't heard the news, have you?"

He asked back with an insolence rarely seen in a lieutenant but so common in the elite unit backed by the most powerful institution of mankind. It had become a part of their style, like bread always had a little sesame seed sprinkled on top of it.

"Looks like you have to enlighten me, Rudiger."

"We are ordered to block all spaceports in Eden and temporarily suspend all off-world flights." Said the man, "Every citizen must undergo a special test and quarantine for 24 hours before boarding. The official announcement will be broadcast on all communication channels by the Eden governor in ten minutes."

"Quarantine ?" Erina interrupted. There was a hint of panic in her voice. "What about the people who are already on board?"

The lieutenant shrugged and smiled. He's got a nice set of teeth, looking forward to meeting Michael's fist.

"Well, maybe they'll be quarantined up there. No reason to bring them back to Eden and then send them off again, is there? That would be a waste of fuel, and high command won't tolerate such a thing, especially when they have kept singing we are at war for three years."

The answer wasn't that great, but it was not necessarily a bad one either. Nora might be allowed to stay on the Orion, avoiding the prospect of being a refugee on a besieged planet, and that was good enough for Michael. In Tofa 30 years ago, the evacuation stopped as soon as the Batarian fleet began bombarding from orbit, and the unlucky ones that were left behind almost devoured each other when General Luwid von Beck's reinforcements arrived to relieve the siege two years later.

"A few days back, Eden High Command and 12th Army Group had the mandate to evacuate as many civilians as possible", Michael pointed out. "But now they want to shoot themselves in the foot? It is absurd."

"I have no authority to question Berlin's orders, Admiral. And so do you."

"Of course not." Michael smiled sarcastically. "I'm simply interested in the contradictions between orders."

The lieutenant's arrogance then faded, and the cheerfulness also disappeared from his face. In a matter of seconds, one might be stunned at how he changed from a man who loved flirting with other people's wives to literally a crow with bad omens on its wings.

"There are some uncomfortable rumours about the Tyranids." Marco Rudiger said quietly, "I don't know the details, but it seems my superiors think there's an intruder on the planet."

"Intruders?"

"There is nothing official at the moment, but based on the evidence obtained by our intelligence agencies, it seems that the enemy's capabilities are beyond all expectations. Every planet they attacked had signs of sabotage from within. Civil riots, disruptions in communications, or some event that severely weakens the defences. You may not know this yet, but the man in charge of the defence of Helium and half of his headquarters mysteriously disappeared a week before the Tyranid fleet appeared in the system."

"You don't mean... how?" Michael frowned, "Impossible! The Tyranid can't simply infiltrate Eden. They are…"

"Bugs, I know. You aren't the only one. Many don't think it is possible either, but you should remember that during the Rachni war, the Asari also faced a similar situation, and the similarities between these two invaders are disturbing."

Similarity? Back when Michael was still a high school student in Hergen, a small mining colony from the eastern part of the Reich then this 600-year-old war was also a part of the curriculum, but strangely, he had no impression of the details that Rudiger mentioned. This was probably the result of skipping so many history classes after drinking himself silly at some disgusting bars in Slum B the night before. A typical mistake of the youth, but not because Michael was a drinker, addicted to Blue Smoke, or looking for opportunities to approach Laura Muller and her amazing tits.

Breaking rules and being undisciplined and lazy were trends of his generation, who were born in a war that had lasted more than 70 years and would soon find themselves fighting, bleeding, and dying in it one way or another. Most young men with no academic prospects or job security volunteered for the army before being drafted. They didn't like being called cowards, which was one of the reasons, and they thought if going to death was inevitable, they'd rather choose where they ended up doing that than leave it to some fat idiots at the Logistics and Reserves Department.

Unlike most, Michael had a bright future at Hergen Mechanical Engineering College, but ended up joining the Kriegsmarine after one year of studying, almost giving his parents at home a heart attack. One of his friends died at the Battle of Maidenberg at the start of his semester, and another was declared missing on a barren Turian planet when Michael experienced his first college love.

If there was anything that could cause a twenty-year-old man to seek out the nearest recruitment office, then it must be the shame of enjoying the peace 4,000 light-years away from the front lines while the blood of his compatriots reddens the lands where the vast majority of Germans only heard yesterday.

Yet, considering the results of this momentary patriotism, Michael had nothing to complain about. He became the admiral of the Kriegsmarine after twenty years of service, married a beautiful noblewoman, and fathered a smart little girl. What a man ever wished to have, Michael had achieved all and beyond, so now, to be fair, God forced him to fight to reserve them.

"There's a very special type of Tyranid known as Genestealer. Unlike their brethren, these creatures are not made to fight but to infiltrate the star systems within the sights of the Hive Fleet. Our best scientists are working with the Asari and Salarians to find out what they are, but so far, the information has been rather lacking. All I know is they use tactics quite similar to the Rachni since they have the ability to manipulate other people to act on their behalf."

"Back then, the Salarians used powerful high-frequency transceivers to limit Queen Rachni's telepathic abilities." Erina added, apparently a more diligent student than he was, "According to Fani Teyunn's 'War of the Republic', that was how they find out who was manipulated because victims often had strong reactions to particular frequencies."

Michael had heard the same thing from a Korgan during the second Battle of Xandra, but according to him, the cunning Salarians had borrowed the idea from his people and then took all the credit.

"But how does it have anything to do with the evacuation?" Michael was confused. "If the sleeper agent wants to undermine Eden's defence, then he won't go anywhere. Our people, on the other hand, need to leave this place as soon as possible."

Rudiger did not answer. His fingers danced over the Omi-tool keyboard, and seconds later, Michael received a file titled 'Urgent Notice of Tyranid Intrusion'.

"Things are not that simple." The Totenkopf Kommando officer shook his head, "I said the Tyranids are similar to the Rachni, but that doesn't mean they're the same species. A few hours ago, Abteilung 14 (Battalion 14) sent this notice to our headquarters in Theta and asked Governor Dominic Keiner to shut down all spaceports on Eden."

For urgent notice, the document Marco Rudiger gave him was quite lengthy, with three separate sections. Part one was direct orders from the War Ministry to double down on local security forces, limit interplanetary travel, prepare for large-scale civil unrest, and implement Protocol G, a counter-espionage and sabotage strategy dating back to the Great War.

So Rudiger's men can now shoot and kill a suspect without going through a trial? If Michael remembered it right, it was one of the core principles of Protocol G and also the reason why Totenkopf Kommando became a bogeyman to the local population.

"Preposterous." The admiral scowled as he skimmed the first part of the emergency document. "Do you understand this planet is like a gunpowder keg about to explode, and you are the spark?"

"That's indeed unfortunate, but you will find such measures necessary as soon as you realise what those bugs can do."

Although he disagreed with the lieutenant's rude attitude, Michael also had to admit that the man was not wrong at all when implying that the Eden garrison needed to be better prepared for the upcoming battle. So far, the Hive Fleet's uncanny power, speed, and ferocity had ruined every strategy deployed by the Reichswehr and if they continued to bring the old thinking into the fight, then not only Eden but the entire territory the Reich owned in Core World would fall within a few months.

"Urgent Warning to All Branches of Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, Police Units, Paramilitary Forces, and Eden Government

Analysis of intelligence from Reich, Asari Republic, and Salarian Union agencies confirms enemy infiltration on Eden via a virus targeting the brain, nervous system, and genetic code. Infected victims are mind-controlled by a Tyranid Patriarch, distorting their perception of reality and posing severe threats to planetary security, economy, and defenses.

Likely enemy objectives include targeting high-ranking civil and military officials, conducting terrorist attacks on airports, bridges, and energy facilities, disrupting communications, and inciting riots to undermine defenses.

NOTE: Infected individuals spread the virus to expand their swarm, a process ongoing for years. Salarian data shows Genestealers on Varolan 20 years before the Tyranid fleet's Terminus attacks. Unconfirmed reports indicate Genestealers reproduce with locals to sustain numbers and build underground networks for future assaults. Details on breeding patterns and generational traits are under analysis and will be distributed soon.

Until then, all Eden garrison, Heer, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe personnel must vigilantly monitor for traitors among civilians and ranks. Use of force is authorized against infected subjects, Patriarchs, and Genestealer strains due to their extreme danger.

Abteilung 14 urges citizens to distrust unexamined individuals, those with bodily mutations, or recent abnormal behavior. Report suspicious activities to security or military authorities immediately. Concealing information violates Article C-7 Section 25 of the penal code; aiding Genestealers is punishable by death without trial. Avoid sewer systems, suspected as primary bases for Genestealer operations."

Michael and his lady felt like the fabric of reality had just been ripped apart, sending them into a spiral black hole of eerie silence. What on earth were they up against? Was this the real world or just a bad nightmare that they would quickly forget the next morning?

"Having the ability to breed with the local population?" Erina gritted her teeth. "How can that be? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

The only alien species that could breed with humans was the Asari, but even with the beauty of the most ancient and noble creatures in the galaxy, Michael never felt excited at the prospect of having a blue-skinned girl in his bed. The Asari had killed so many of his friends in the war was a big reason; breaking the oath he swore to Erina in front of God was another one. However, the biggest among all was the third, a personal one - no matter how human they might appear to be, the Asari were aliens through and through. Having carnal knowledge with a non-human partner might be a novelty to some, but it always rubbed the Admiral the wrong way, making him feel like he was committing bestiality.

And if that was the opinion of Michael, who was quite relaxed on traditional norms, then there was no way for conservative German society to accept the fact that some individuals in the community might have a sexual relationship with disgusting monsters like Tyranids. The victims might have been coerced or mentally manipulated, but Michael wasn't sure that kind of excuse would help them avoid the death penalty.

How many people lost their lives because they fell in love with a blue woman during the war?

The number must be larger than people anticipated, but Michael was only able to confirm three cases. They are all his subordinates - talented, brave, and full of ambition, but so tired of that never-ending war, and they got themselves manipulated by the Asari intelligence. He had pulled every string he could so that they would not have to stand in front of the firing squad - meaningless to Totenkopf Kommando and the draconian anti-espionage policy called Protocol K.

"So the point of your operation is to prevent the infection from spreading to other planets." Michael gradually saw the big picture: "Berlin is afraid that the Tyranids will take advantage of the opportunity to penetrate deeper into the territory of the Empire, am I right?"

"Now you understand the damn sword hanging upon our chest, Admiral." Marco Rudiger congratulated him sarcastically, "While we talk, my colleagues are 8 feet below ground, wandering through the smelly corridors of the sewers for those monsters - wiping them out if they can. A slightly optimistic thought, if you ask me, especially when our knowledge of the enemy is not much better than yours. Still, in the meantime, blockade, search, and destroy are the best options we have on the table."

"But if you don't evacuate the local population, you will only add a burden to our defence forces." Michael pointed out, "Once the planet is under siege, our current food and necessities cannot support that many people, and that is not to mention the risk of them turning into a free source of biomass for the Tyranids. "

"I'm afraid that's a risk we have to take, Michael." Erina coldly concluded, "You can't expect all of Eden to be evacuated in a few short days after all, can you?"

There was nothing illogical in what was said; it was just that the Prussian pragmatism sometimes made him uncomfortable. The inhabitants of Eden weren't meant to be treated as some sort of strategic advantage. That was a step too far for his taste. Wasn't that against the purpose for which the Reichswehr was founded? How on earth could they continue to use that name when they were unable to defend anyone, and yet were very competent at leaving the fate of their countrymen to themselves or, in this case, the enemy?

"I know, but don't you think…"

BOOM

A cracking sound like rolling thunder interrupted their conversation. Although it was far away and not very clear, experience and instinct told Michael that what he heard was an explosion, not lightning. The noise came from the centre of Kaiserhausen, three kilometres away from where they were standing, and the Admiral knew this from his understanding of the climate of Eden. At this time of year, the wind from the west coast would always blow inland, bringing with it the scent of ripe plum blossoms and any bustling events in the city to the suburbs.

"That was…." Erina turned to Marco Rudiger. "What the hell happened over there?"

The lieutenant did not answer. He placed a finger on the earpiece attached to his right ear and listened attentively to the conversations on the communication channel. For a few brief seconds, Michael could see his eyes darken.

"There was an explosion downtown." The lieutenant informed them, voice dripping with unspeakable dread, "Bernbeck Sector. The explosion appeared to be underground, they said. Heavy damage to the infrastructure above. No...total collapse." He then looked up at Michael, his face asking him to say what he had just heard wasn't the truth, "Admiral, they say the sound we just heard was the collapse of Kristallhalle."

Michael felt like he'd just received a punch in the gut. Kristallhalle was one of the first administrative buildings built on Eden in the infamous baroque style, with exquisitely decorated ceilings, and had been the pride of Eden residents for the past 200 years. Few buildings located so far from the solar system could achieve such aesthetic perfection as Kristallhalle, even the Sommerpalast in Neue Ulm, or the complex of castles, gardens, and mansions in Taubenwald.

However, the loss of a great work of art was not the reason that shattered Michael's morale. Kristallhalle was the official office of the Eden Government and the residence of Governor Dominic Keiner -every important decision on the planet was reached there, on the top level of the tower, including the strategic meeting of the Eden High Command, which Michael must attend in half an hour.

The first session of the meeting took place in the morning, and given the urgency of the situation, the General staff of Eden garrison - Fieldmarshal Erich von Kant, General Klaus Gorman of the Luftwaffe, Commodore Albert Keitel of the 112th task force, and most of the civilian officials of Eden would have remained at Kristallhalle for lunch before participating in the afternoon session.

All of them! All the individuals responsible for Eden's defence were present in that building except Erina and Michael. They had asked the Governor's permission to be late so they could take care of Nora, but never had they known they would escape death by the skin of their teeth.

"They…How the hell did they do that?" His wife asked, almost certain who the culprit was. "Kristallhalle is the most heavily guarded building on the planet. There's no way they'd plant explosives inside without anyone noticing?"

Because the Reich was at war, the Kristallhalle was put on high alert at all times. Intruders had to pass three Feldgendarmerie security perimeters if they wanted to reach the main gate; a feat in itself was impossible enough to exclude thousands of advanced combat droids awaiting inside the building.

Every corridor, every room, and every door was carefully monitored, including those working at Kristallhalle. To be allowed in and out of the building, employees must be nominated by either the Eden Department of Interior or Governor Dominic Keiner himself before going through a rigorous background check.

Kristallhalle was an impregnable fortress, literally, and the Tyranid had taken it down easily like pulling a rug.

"The explosion took place below the ground." Marco Rudiger told her, "They don't have to go inside."

"It doesn't make any sense. How many explosives do you think it would take to destroy the earth's structure beneath Kristallhalle? God, if we only count the foundation of the main building, it must be at least 200m2 in total. How could they dig underneath a huge structure without being detected? This is simply impossible."

Unfortunately, they were feasting their eyes on the impossibility. No matter. It was water under the bridge now; they had no way of knowing what had happened over there, nor did they have enough time to investigate.

And the clock was ticking.

The chain of command in Eden had just been attacked and was highly likely to have completely collapsed. The enemy had just dealt them a fatal blow, leaving them stunned and running around like a headless chicken, but the story wouldn't stop there. Anyone who had gone through a few classes of tactics knew what would come after the opponent's high command had been disabled:

A full-scale attack.

Tyranids were about to launch an all-out attack on Eden, like what they had done to Helium, but the most terrifying aspect here was that they couldn't have had a better chance of success than now. Marshal Erich Von Kant and his second-in-command possibly perished during the attack; Governor Keiner must have suffered the same fate. The defending army was leaderless, the civilian government ceased to exist, and soon, panic would spread to the population, to every police unit, and every branch of the military.

A perfect plan, too perfect to be believed, came from creatures whose brains were only slightly larger than blueberries. Michael never once underestimated his enemies, even when they were only a vague threat at the edge of the galaxy, but it seems Marco Rudiger was right all along. Their abilities truly were beyond his understanding.

"We need to contact Field Marshal Martin Steinbauer of the 12th Army immediately." Michael told his wife, "We still don't know if anyone on Eden High Command is still alive, but just in case, Steinbauer needs to know what is going on over here first. Where is he right now, Erina?"

"From the last report, the 12th Army is currently stationed in the Ashel system to replenish their supplies. They said they would depart for Eden in two or three days."

"You should go to my flagship, Frederick III, and tell my communications offices to establish a line for you with the 12th Army's headquarters. Inform the field marshal of everything. Our situation, enemy movements, and urgent dispatches from Abteilung 14 persuaded him to depart for Eden today. If God is on our side, his vanguard may reach us in two days."

"Understood." Erina nodded, but then she looked up at him again. Her eyes were filled with worry. "But what about you?"

"I will go with Marco to the scene to check on the situation. Someone has to reassure the locals and explain to them what happened to the ruling body of Eden, or there will be chaos in the streets." Michael then turned to Rudiger, "Lieutenant, my wife needs a Haunebu. Can you help?"

"Wha… she is your wife?" He was taken aback, embarrassed like a kid who got caught with a hand in a candy jar. "I'm sorry, I'm very sorry for what I said before, Admiral. Of course, I can help; our type of Junker-Haunebu is capable of space travel."

"Very well, I also need you to contact the police chief of Kaiserhausen, commanders of the 6th and 322nd Infantry Division, 21st Panzergenadier Regiment, and Kaiserstadt Air Defence Battalion. We need them to put their men in combat readiness and take action on my orders. We must wipe out these Genestealers if we want any real chance of holding Eden."

-V-

September 23, 2839.

2 days after the Kristallhalle terrorist attack.

Outside Eden's Orbit, Observation Deck of the flagship Frederick III, Schutzengel fleet.

A majestic sight. Two Fatherland-class battleships and four Hamburg-class aircraft carriers escorted by thirty-five cruisers, destroyers, and hundreds of transports were gradually approaching Eden from the east in a V formation, carrying with them more than two million soldiers, tens of thousands of starfighters, panzers, APCs, the artillery of various calibres and new hope to the Garden.

They were the vanguard of the 12th Army, veterans of the famous Nordsturm and Valhalla campaign, the victors over the Asari-Salarian forces at the Battle of Viserion in 2823, before successfully defending several sectors on the Western border from the onslaught of the Turian army two years later. Dark blue was the colour of their ships, but white, black, and the Prussian Eagle would be the colours of their banner, a reward to honour the armies that distinguished themselves in the Reichswehr and to commemorate the heroic victories of ancient Prussia.

An army of combat experience was just what Michael needed to protect Eden, but his joy was not complete because the 12th Army was assigned to a particular proud and not-easy-to-work-with man.

Martin Steinbauer

He had encountered the Marshal several times during the Great War, but none of them could be counted as a happy memory. The root of the problem was ridiculous as it was real - old-timers like Steinbauer usually had a dislike for young men who succeeded them, especially when those successors belonged to a generation that was deemed to be lazy, dependent, and lacking in patriotism.

Their animosity culminated in the final Grand Offensive of 2827 - Martin Steinbauer angrily demanded that Oberkommando execute Michael for cowardice because the young Admiral repeatedly avoided battle with the Asari fleet, which outnumbered him two to one and preferred a fighting retreat over rushing toward his death. Literally everyone could see who was in the wrong here, so the silly request had been turned down as quickly as it was sent. Oberkommando knew too well Steinbauer's temperament, and the Einzberg would never allow their son-in-law to stand in front of the firing squad.

The Admiral sighed.

It was clear that there was no love lost between them. For the past 48 hours, Michael had almost always been on edge, worrying that their cooperation wouldn't be as smooth as he needed. The problem didn't start and end with Steinbauer's antagonistic attitude toward Michael, though - the current condition of his units was far from ideal. Assembled in a hurry and having to force march from the Aurelian Sector within a month, no army could guarantee 80% combat readiness at all times, no matter how well-trained and well-disciplined it was.

"I didn't expect them to come on your request."

The man in the white uniform spoke to Michael. He was also the captain of a cruiser like Michael's lovely wife, but lacked Erina's superior attitude and a well-fitting uniform. It was kinda embarrassing, but also understandable at the same time. The Logistics department of Eden had made preparations for the war to come, but Michael bet that they never expected two hundred senior officers of the Reichswehr would be kaputt on the same day.

"Old Martin never turns down a good fight." The admiral smiled wearily, "That's what I both like and hate about the man. Do you remember the time he wanted to kill me, Hackett?"

Hackett scratched his chin. "Yes, Admiral. Almost like it just happened yesterday. I was commanding a destroyer near Razan when I heard they said that you were dead, somehow. One source said you had an accident while inspecting the fleet, some believed Martin Steinbauer assassinated you, while others say the two of you got into an argument and died after a duel." The captain gave a wide smile. "Seriously, idiotic rumours in the Kriegsmarine are more dangerous than Asari's Plasma cannon."

"And the wicked fate forces me to rely on him in the coming battle. Any suggestions?"

"Well…I don't think I'm the right person to give an opinion in this case, Admiral. I mean, I don't know much about the Field Marshal except what I get from the newspapers and news channels. But if he's as good as they say, then it can be all that bad for us, right?"

If it were just about Martin Steinbauer's commanding abilities, then they could rest assured. The Reichswehr had ensured that all advancement in its ranks was through battle achievements, not bloodline or relations, so that it was rare for a useless fool to climb to the rank of Field Marshal and lead the army into a disaster during the past eight centuries. Steinbauer could be a prick, but he was a talented prick.

"Send my welcome to Field Marshal Steinbauer and invite him to my Battleship for a meeting at 9:00 AM." Michael told his subordinate before walking to the elevator leading down to the lower compartments, "Inform the commanders of the 4th, 8th, and 26th detachments to increase patrol range by 25%. But do not engage in combat if enemies are detected."

"Why here? Wouldn't it be better if you went to his ship?"

"The Marshal admires Frederick II the Man and Frederick II the Ship. If I remember correctly, he once praised this Battleship as a miniature version of Sanssouci before complaining to Oberkommando that a peasant like me shouldn't be allowed to lay a hand on it. Well, perhaps Steinbauer will be less grumpy after seeing how well I've taken care of his precious."

"Sanssouci?" The ship captain scratched his head in confusion. "What is that?"

"God, you're truly hopeless." Michael lazily pressed his finger on the elevator control panel. "It was one of many famous palaces built for Frederick the Great and also the resting place of His Highness. The king had a special interest in this palace, and thus, he asked to be buried there after his time on earth had come to an end. I would love to visit Sanssouci, the real one. When Erina and I were stationed near the solar system, but never got the chance. It's a pity because people say it's very beautiful." The admiral turned around and was shocked to see the dumbfounded look on Hackett's face. "Hey, don't tell me you don't know who Frederick is."

"Well…" He blushed and chuckled. "As you said, I'm truly hopeless, Admiral."

And yet they used to call me a rat from some backwater shithole in the East. Hackett was born and raised in the Ceti system, a star system quite close to Earth, and has somehow never heard of the famous king's name. Perhaps they didn't teach Prussian history in Ceti because most of the local inhabitants came from a land called America on Earth? Michael wasn't sure either. He had never been to both places but only read about them on the Extranet

"Don't come anywhere near the next meeting, Hackett. Field Marshal Steinbauer will not tolerate your lack of knowledge, and that would mean more trouble for me."

Michael then closed the elevator door and went down to the K2 desk, also known as the commanding desk, where he would command the battleship and fleet in the upcoming battle against the Tyranid. That kind of job had never been easy since the early days of naval warfare, so it could partly explain the scene of 260 men and women working tirelessly with all kinds of equipment in a steel-reinforced room that was only about 150 m2. They were the communications officers, navigators, pilots, gunnery officers, logistic officers, marine commanders, the chief engineer in charge of the main engines, the head of the repair department, and the commandìng officers of his fleet.

Some had just joined his fleet a few years ago, some were senior officers who had survived the Great War, and there were a few individuals who had served on Frederick II before Michael became its master. They came from different parts of the Empire, where German wasn't even a native language, but while still wearing the blue Kriegsmarine uniforms, 12,000 people on this ship would be kamerad and brothers.

Together they would rain fire and steel upon the enemy and together they would be on to victory or…death.

And as their commander, Michael wanted nothing more than to see them walk on the path of victory.

"Achtung, Admiral on the deck."

K2's security chief loudly announced as Michael entered the bridge. Just like a hundred times before, all the sailors and officers immediately stopped what they were doing to stand up and salute him. Their blue and white uniforms, when standing side by side, looked like waves and reminded the Admiral of that little tiny bay on Earth where he spent half of his honeymoon surfing and walking along the coast with Erina.

"At ease, everyone." Michael smiled and saluted in return, "From now on, we will apply the combat protocol. All sailors and officers below the rank of Captain will no longer be obligated to perform military salutes to me. Due to the anti-espionage policy in place, access to the bridge as well as the K-2 desk will be limited. All those who have a duty on K-2 must undergo a mandatory medical examination, even though I am no exception. All those who commit acts of sabotage, endangering the lives of the crew and the secrecy of the operation, will be arrested and potentially sentenced without a trial. Does everyone understand?"

Silent. Not a single question or a raised hand. After what happened in Eden, perhaps everyone had realised the seriousness of the problem they were facing. Those Genestealers had indeed successfully infiltrated human society. That was not in dispute, but the question now was how many people had been manipulated by them and how many of them were on this ship.

"All right, back to your positions and assume your duty. Report to the ship security to know your medical examination time in half an hour."

After making the announcement, Michael walked over to the power distribution quarter located on the right side of the room to meet Egon Jost, the chief engineer of the maintenance department, and Carl Krueger, the officer who was in charge of operating the engines of the 3.5 km long battleship. They were not surprised to see the Admiral come to them, as he always wanted to hear the first-hand reports on the condition of the ship before each battle.

"Engine efficiency is now 48% and can go up to 85% in 20 seconds." Carl Krueger said, "I would like to ask your permission to keep the engine efficiency at 55%, Admiral. Theoretically, 48% is extremely low to operate a ship this large."

"I'm afraid I can't." He shook his head. "I don't wish to waste fuel and overload the engine right now. We need all the speed we have when going against the Hive Fleet. Speed and distance are the keys to beating them in a naval engagement."

Although he didn't like having others encroach on his territory, the chief engineer was also pretty good at hiding his displeasure: " Understood, Admiral. Though the power distribution to the ship will be problematic if we shut down two more reactors. Some areas of the lower desks already have problems with the lighting system."

"Prioritise powering the Ion Shield, Plasma batteries, Pluse Cannons, torpedo launcher, docking bays, and other essential areas. Our sailors in the mess hall can improvise with the blackout." Michael then turned to Egon, "What is the situation on the repair of damages from the last battle?"

Egon didn't answer; he just handed Michael his report. That reserved attitude gave the Admiral a bad feeling, and confirmation came quickly after he read the first few lines about the terrible condition of the 3rd Plasma Turret. During the naval battle at Masari-1 four months ago, a corrosive projectile from the Tyranid Bio-ship had a direct hit on its front, melting 45 of its crew in their post and damaging many more surrounding areas. It took the repair crew two weeks to control the evil corrosive compound, calculate the damage, and collect the remaining dead, but the restoration was always at a snail's pace due to the constant movement of the fleet since the withdrawal of Kriegsmarine from the Terminus Zone.

"An accelerator explosion?" Michael scowled. "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago, when you were still on Eden." Egon replied, "The new accelerator of the 3rd battery is not compatible with our fire control system, so there was a problem during the test run."

"Casualties?"

"There were no deaths; we were very lucky. Two energy engineers suffered third-degree burns but will soon recover. However, 3rd Battery will not be operational in a week."

It was awful! Taking into account that the 7th, 9th and 13th batteries were destroyed, they only had 12 main batteries left for the upcoming battle. Was that enough? Frederick II could take on any Bio-ship of its size at medium and long-range, but Michael had never fought an enemy with only 3/4 of the firepower.

"Do your best to fix the accelerator as soon as possible, Egon. If you need more men or equipment, just tell me, ok?"

After encouraging the head of the maintenance unit, the admiral made his way to the large table in the centre of the bridge in a rather bad mood. Egon's report had cast dark clouds on his mind and Michael thought he needed to chase them away if he wanted to continue the day, but when he saw the serious look on Vice Admiral Franz Rottmann's face, the nervousness in Commodore Reiner Sauerland's eyes alongside with the strange reticence of cruiser and destroyer captains, he knew he shouldn't keep his expectations too high.

"Tell me the good news first." The admiral sighed and sat down at the head of the table. "Tyranids want a truce, and the Asari are willing to mediate it?"

"News from Zelia has just arrived." Said Franz Rottmann, emotionless, "The ASDF (Asari Self-Defence Force) is engaging in combat with Tyranids outside Zelia and nearby planets as we speak."

"And…?"

"Not too bad. Although the Asari could not stop the enemy from landing, Tyranid met fierce resistance at every beachhead, and so far, no major city has fallen into their claws. The Hive Fleet also suffered heavy damage from several naval skirmishes with the Republic Navy, and as a result, the offensive capacity of their ground forces is greatly reduced."

That was a bold move on the blue-skinned alien's part. Though the details were clear enough, this new ASDF's approach was more or less related to the anti-Tyranid strategy in the datalog.

Can't believe they are even more eager to be the lab rats than we are.

"Did the Republican Navy engage the Hive Fleet when they began to descend on Zelia?"

"Yes, and that tactic proved to be quite effective. Asari's warships have a longer range and better mobility. They can easily shoot down slow-moving Bio-ships before the enemy has the chance to shoot back." The vice admiral nodded. "Hive Fleet reacted rather awkwardly. Their formation was disturbed by having to simultaneously deal with the anti-ship batteries of Asari ground forces and the harassment in space. It took them nearly five hours to gather enough Bio-ships for a proper counter-attack, but by that time the Asari Navy had rallied its biggest vessel and fortified its position. The counter-offensive was a disaster. "

Just as Michael had predicted. The Hive Fleet preferred and had an upper hand in close-range combat, utilising their huge number of bio ships to overwhelm the opponents. Yet when facing a well-organised, mobile navy force at medium and long-range combat, this way of waging war had deadly shortcomings. At of Masari-1, the battlegroup led by Frederick II had done the same thing - speed, Ion Shield, and long-ranged batteries to force enemies to thin out their battle lines before isolating and destroying out-of-formation bio-ships. While that small victory didn't turn the whole battle at Masari-1, it did show Tyranids still had weaknesses and could be defeated.

"We will adopt the same tactics if the Tyranids come to Eden. The principle is very simple. Naval battlegroups and other detachments are not allowed to engage the enemy until they begin their landing on the planet's surface ." Michael started his intention and looked around the conference table. "What say you, gentleman?"

"We have no reason to object." Said Commodore Reiner Sauerland. "Everybody here can see your approach is logical, but that's just because we've been fighting the Tyranids for almost two years,"

"What do you mean?"

"Reiner's point is that Field Marshal Steinbauer and his general staff will not be easily persuaded." Franz Rottmann pointed out, "They had never encountered the Tyranids, had never been beaten nor run away from them before. They would never accept that the Kriegsmarine let the enemy free to land on Eden without a naval engagement."

"What the hell do they think we are doing here? Don't they realise we are working to stop the enemy from taking the whole planet?" Michael exclaimed. "By sabotaging the enemy's coordination, preventing them from concentrating their forces and engaging in combat when they are weakest."

"Of course, you may be completely right all along, but they won't understand. You have to convince the Fieldmarshal to believe in your strategy, and you must do it quickly because time is running out."

Michael frowned. "Is that the bad news?"

With a sigh, Franz waved his hand and ordered a corporal to zoom out the holographic map to display the entire Sector Theta and the surrounding territories owned by the Asari Republic. The vice admiral's index finger pointed at a small red dot between Zelia and Eden:

"Abteilung 14 has confirmed that the number of Tyranids in Zelia does not match their previous reports. Republic Navy's scouting vessels have detected a significant number of Bio-ships stationing here, outside the Zelia System, but they still don't understand why Tyranid hasn't committed those troops yet."

Were they waiting? It looked like it from the outside, but what were they waiting for? More reinforcements?

The admiral considered that possibility for a moment, then suddenly recalled he had come across something very important in the datalog.

Biomass, biomass, and even more biomass.

That was the ultimate goal of their enemy. Biomass to nurture Hive Mind, biomass to produce more Tyranid warriors, and therefore, they could collect more biomass. It was a vicious cycle of death and, ironically, Tyranid's cycle of life. However, in order to maintain that cycle, Tyranids couldn't afford to lose too much biomass to take a planet but get too little biomass in return. So what would the bugs do if their prey wasn't worth the effort? Well, there was a high probability that they would switch to an easier target.

Was Eden an easier target? It was very likely so because just two days ago, its entire civilian and military leadership had perished in a single attack.

"Given the situation in Zelia, they will come for us soon." Michael concluded, "The question is when? A week?"

"According to our calculations, our best-case scenario is four days." The vice admiral rubbed his hands together. "But if they depart for Eden now, then we have only three."

Three days to get his battlegroups into position, three days for the 12th Army to dig in on Eden, and three days to convince Steinbauer of his tactics. So much to do but so little time.

"Call our patrols back, Franz. I want them to retreat to Ventura's moon and wait for my new orders."

"Understood." The vice admiral nodded. "And what are your orders for the rest of the fleet?"

If Michael led his fleet out of Eden now, they could reach Ventura in 15 hours, then use the remaining two days to rearrange their formation to deal a blow to the Hive Fleet from behind. A good call to make, yes, but the final decision didn't belong to him anymore. Eden had just had a new Supreme Commander - Field Marshal Martin Steinbauer.

"Send code yellow to every unit in the fleet. Ready to leave for Ventura in three hours." He made the final decision, "Reiner's battlegroup will take the lead."

"You will probably stand trial for giving that order." Franz Rottmann reminded him, "Or are you confident that you will be able to convince Steinbauer in three hours?"

If that was the price to save the 10 billion inhabitants below, there was nothing for him to regret. But came to think of it, why should he be afraid of those trials anyway? There was no guarantee he would survive the next battle, and there was no guarantee the entire galaxy wouldn't turn into a buffet party for Tyranids in the next few years, either.

"Leave Steinbauer to me. He's not an idiot, so it isn't like I don't have a chance. All right, everyone can dismiss and return to their positions. Let's call it a day."

Afterwards, Michael retired to his private quarter, also located on K-2 Desk, and had a late breakfast with sausages, scrambled eggs, cheese, bread, and some fine rum from the senior officer's pantry. The Kriegsmarine did not approve serving of alcoholic beverages in the morning, but if he remembered correctly, that rule only applied to sailors and junior officers and didn't mention anything about fleet admirals.

Delighted after finding a loophole in the naval code, Michael finally had a reason to laugh heartily and forgot what was happening outside, at least until his lovely secretary Nina Weiss walked into his room to inform Field Marshal Steinbauer had accepted an invitation to the meeting on Frederick II.

"Thank you, Nina." Michael said, then drained the glass of wine in his hand, "Would you mind informing the officer in charge of the Royal Desk so that he can prepare to receive the Marshal and his staff?"

"Royal Desk?" Her eyes widened, "Is it suitable for an event like this?"

For a strategy meeting, no. It was too big, too flashy, with too many Greco-Roman sculptures and too many redundant decorations for a Battleship, yet ironically was also the reason why Steinbauer adored this ship so much. It was not clear where this idea originated, but about two centuries ago, in a period known as the Pax Nova, people actually thought the Reichswehr should not only display its military power to the aliens but also show them the rich culture, art, and traditions of Germany.

At first, it was just all about a few lessons on dancing, poetry, and classical music for officers from the rank of captain and up, but somehow it quickly turned into building small palaces on warships. A significant number of battleships and carriers produced during that time had an entire area converted into opera houses, museums, parks, stadiums, and ballrooms, and in the case of a 3.5 km long battleship like the Frederick II, it was a palace inspired by Sanssouci.

"I plan to throw a ball and an outdoor party as well if we have enough noble ladies, evening gowns, and champagne, but for now, this will do." Michael smiled wryly. "Perhaps you should go down to Docking Bay C to welcome the Field Marshal and his men. No need for a fancy ceremony, I just want Steinbauer to know how much I appreciated his coming here. Is there any problem, Nina?"

"No, Admiral. It's just…" The secretary hesitated for a moment. "I am informed that their delegation consisted of only three people."

"Three?" Michael was puzzled. "How can that be? You just said Steinbauer had accepted my invitation, didn't you?"

"Yes, the field marshal has agreed to meet you, but there are only two persons accompanying him here. To be more precise, two Asari."

Asari? That was strange. He didn't think Martin Steinbauer was interested in using half-bloods as bodyguards after vehemently opposing the creation of a special regiment composed entirely of half-blood Asari born and raised within the Reich.

"Who are those two Asari?"

"I'm sorry, sir." Nina gently shook her head. "The transmission does not mention their names."

Another mystery involves those blue-skinned women. Although he did not doubt the goodwill of the Republic, the origin of the Datalog they provided just rubbed him the wrong way. Asari was the most ancient species in the galaxy, the wisest some may say, but that didn't mean they could rub their blue hands together, and then Voilà, an anti-Tyranid textbook.

That was simply impossible, even for them.

It took the Kriegsmarine almost two years to realise that Hive ships were not just ordinary battleships but the heart of the fleet and that if they were destroyed, hundreds of smaller Bio-ships would act like headless chickens and on some occasions, turn on each other. Two years; billions of lives were lost, and that was their great discovery.

Michael didn't feel unreasonable to question the Asari on how they knew which part of the Hive Ship they should aim for, how to break its escort formation, and what distance they should engage to get the maximum effect after only a few encounters.

"It doesn't matter, as long as Steinbauer agrees to come, then he can bring a bunch of lousy Batarians with him." The admiral tried to think of things in a more positive light. "Anything else, Nina?"

"Field Marshal Steinbauer wants you to set up some shooting targets nearby. I'm not sure I understand his intentions, but that's what he asked for."

"Wha….!?"

Michael lost words at that. Was Steinbauer pulling a joke on him, or had he become senile and forgotten what he was doing? Probably not. He just might want to cause more trouble for Michael before sitting down and laughing his ass off for having that insolent kid punished. It was a kinda moronic and petty behaviour, but suited his personality well.

"Okay, okay. Just go inform the officer in charge so he can set up some shooting targets in the garden if you don't mind." Michael was too tired to care about this crap. "Some people hold grudges longer than others, and I have to get used to it, so it seems."

After the secretary had left, Michael spent his spare time changing into a new uniform and selecting the medals he would bring to the meeting. Normally, this job was not worth mentioning as he always wore the Knight's cross he was awarded in the 2827 Grand Offensive and two Iron Crosses, 1st and 2nd class, which he had won a decade before. Obviously, wearing the medal that reminded Steinbauer of their past argument was a bad idea, but its replacement was no better - the medal Michael least wanted to touch.

Pour Le Mérite, aka Blue Max, was one of the Empire's highest awards and was given to Michael for the damage he inflicted on the Hive Fleet at Masari-1. A pointless achievement. Kriegsmarine couldn't stop the Hive Fleet from devouring Arvo, Neuntern, and Termegen, and with the Biomass obtained from those three planets, the bugs easily made up for their losses.

Overall, he did nothing at Masari-1, but received commendation anyway because of the complicated situation in Berlin. Oberkommando was under great pressure after several failures in halting the enemy's advance - backward maneuvering followed one after another until the truth couldn't be hidden any longer. The Kriegsmarine's retreat from Terminus was the tipping point; the Prime Minister had lost all patience with the Reichswehr's upper echelons. There were rumours of a reshuffle at the War Department, and that Secretary Ulrich Olberding would lose his seat, yet nothing had changed so far.

The admiral sighed and rubbed his temples with both hands.

The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to wear this medal, but for the sake of the great cause ahead, Michael would sacrifice his self-esteem. At least he had some consolation because Pour Le Mérite's colour blue matched his eye colour so well.

"Prepare a tram for me to the Royal Deck, Sergeant."

Michael gave an order to the guard standing by the door of his room and received a quiet nod from him. Frederick II was like a small town linked together by a rail system so complex that only a few senior engineers could fully know where all those tracks led to. These days, the track system was only seen on old-fashioned warships as newer ones had switched to elevators and "transport tubes" during the later phase of the Great War. The advantages of the new system were speed and convenience, while the rails and trams guaranteed safety, durability, and cost efficiency. Michael wasn't as conservative as Steinbauer, but he'd rather be stuck in a tram than suffocate in a tube if something went wrong.

Not everything old is outdated, and everything new is short-sighted. If only Steinbauer and I had understood that ten years ago, it wouldn't have been as bad as it is now.

After spending five minutes thinking about what was behind him in the dark tunnel, Michael finally reached the welcoming station of the Royal Desk, a place whose beauty could rival any central station in Germania - a large ornate dome supported by twenty Corinthian columns, elegantly decorated in Late eighteen century Baroque.

Michael had been to Little Sanssouci quite a few times since he became the master of Frederick II, but its contrast with the rest of the ship never failed to impress him. Hardly anyone would have imagined that in a place of iron and steel, composite compounds, and Nanomaterials, there could exist a construction of granite, brick, and slate whose magnificence could be compared to any palaces on Earth.

The archives didn't say anything about the amount of money that was poured into this place but considering the amount of water and energy Michael must spend to maintain the garden alone, it could be understood that such quality didn't come cheap.

As a fleet commander, Michael had every reason to end this waste of resources, but he chose not to do so out of respect for the engineers and architects who had devoted their strength and souls to Little Sanssouci. The purpose of this costly construction was to remind people not to judge things by their appearance. A human with a hideous appearance was not necessarily a bad person, nor was the war machine they were using, nor was King Frederick II. His Highness was a warrior king, yet he was also a poet, a patron of the arts, and desired a long-lasting peace above all else.

Peace. Peace. Peace.

Michael was nearly 60 years old, which means that he had gone through a quarter of a human's life, but had only known 5 years of peace. Steinbauer had been in this mortal world for 125 years and the only thing he knew was war, just like his father before him and the father before him. At least three generations of Germans couldn't remember the last time the Kaiser issued a Pax Germania statement, and given the course of this war, Nora and her peers would soon become 4th generation.

"The Field Marshal and others are waiting for you inside, Admiral."

Nina Weiss politely informed him at the palace entrance. She wore a Kriegsmarine white jacket and a knee-length skirt instead of a blue jacket and pants to look more formal and feminine at the reception for Martin Steinbauer. Though she didn't say it outright, Michael knew his secretary was longing for the arrival of her boss's nemesis ever since she heard the news.

It was...understandable. Kriegmarine's dress uniform was a work of art in its own right, far more beautiful and elegant than her normal working uniform, and the woman was still young enough. Twenty-five was too early in the pit of desperation in every step.

He was once like her, too.

"Have you found out who those two Asari are?"

"Field marshal doesn't tell me who they are, but one of them seems to be his bodyguard." The secretary approached Michael and whispered in his ear, " The other one is Benezia T'soni. I recognise her, sir."

Matriarch Benezia T'soni, one of the three heads of the T'soni family, senator representing Sector Veon, member of the foreign affairs committee of the Asari Parliament, and a three-time Tribute. He had seen her once at the ceasefire negotiations between the German Empire and Citadel Alliance before having a short waltz with her at the signing of a peace treaty on a Salarian planet called Tanderi a year later.

And that was all Michael knew about Benezia T'soni - a mighty, beautiful, and inhumanly intelligent Asari.

He wasn't the type to get involved in politics, so he never found a reason to learn more about the Matriarch. But even if he had, Michael doubted that he could explain why she was with Martin Steinbauer, a man who had always had a problem with aliens and came all the way to Eden, a place that was about to become a battlefield. It was absurdity, true enough, but it didn't mean Michael could take this lightly. Individuals like Benezia T'soni never did anything without a reason.

"You have done well, Nina." He smiled. "Take some rest, I'll take care of everything from here on."

After strolling through the English garden on a small path paved with cobblestone, Michael finally reached the palace and met Steinbauer's bodyguard in front of the large wooden gate leading into the Great Hall. She had the features of an Asari who had just passed her maiden age, but her posture and demeanour told people that she was much more mature than she looked. Her armour was a type of Thorax designed for the Asari Huntresses to maximise their camouflage and Biotic at the expense of protection.

"Herr Admiral." She greeted him politely in a voice rather low and masculine for an Asari. "Matriarch Benezia and Field Marshal Martin Steinbauer were waiting for you in the Great Hall. My lady hopes you don't mind the meeting starting earlier than scheduled. As you can see, she needs an update on the situation in Eden."

My lady? So that meant she wasn't Steinbauer's bodyguard. He dimly guessed the same because her eyes were black - all half-bloods had inherited their father's blue or green eyes.

"And you are…"

"Tela Vasir, Admiral. A Spectre I am." The Asari woman replied, "Citadel has ordered me to assist Lady Benezia in her, well...travel."

The special agents who served as ambassadors, investigators, security advisers, and even assassins of the Citadel, a 1500-year-old political-economic military alliance with 35 members, the main rival of the German Empire for more than 200 years. Michael was somewhat surprised. Operatives like Tela Vasir rarely operated outside of the Citadel's space, and around distinguished characters like Benezia, they were almost invisible. In public, at least.

A Spectre must represent neutrality, impartiality of the Citadel, even to his/her kind as its sole purpose dictated. However, it was also true that the rules were relaxed here and there, had the arising incidents related to the interests of the Republic, which conveniently was the founder of the Citadel and a major financial backer of the organization itself.

"I would like to ask you why a representative of the Citadel and a senior official of the Asari government board my ship, but I guess you are unlikely to answer."

"You will have your answer eventually, but not from me." She smiled. "Still, I can reveal a little bit. The reason I'm here is more or less related to the fight against our Galaxy's common enemy."

Common enemy? Well, it was rather late, but it was better than nothing. Tyranid was inherently the enemy of all civilisations with the policy of digesting all life forms in their path, but for the past four years, a powerhouse like the Turians or the Salarians had viewed this invader only as a nuisance in some backwatered colonies of Terminus Zone, a welcoming problem which the Asari and the Germans had to deal with.

Now that the nuisance had reached the Core world, where every species, large and small in the Milky Way, had territories, allies, or valuable assets to protect.

"I can expect that much. All right, where are the Field Marshal and your lady?"

"Behind this door, Herr Admiral." Replied Tela Vasir, "They are waiting for you inside the Great Hall."

Inside Little Sanssouci's Great Hall, Michael found his guests standing around the holographic tactical map placed in the centre of the room. Martin Steinbauer, in his extravagantly made and decorated dark grey uniform, was excitedly explaining to Matriarch Benezia the location of warships, Panzergrenadier divisions, independent artillery battalions, and Panzer brigades responsible for the defence of Eden. It wasn't clear if the eyes were deceiving him or not, but the way the Fieldmarshal and Benezia interacted with each other looked a lot like Michael and Erina back in the day when they were still lovers.

Well, that's unexpected.

Recognising Michael's presence, Benezia gracefully performed a greeting with one hand on her chest as Asari tradition required her to, while Steinbauer remained focused on blue and green dots on the map, completely ignoring the Admiral's presence just because he wanted to.

"Admiral, I don't know how to thank you for inviting us here, to this wonderful place."

Benezia said as her glance moved from left to right, respectively appreciating the intricate sculptures, real wooden furniture, and golden ornaments on the surrounding walls. If Michael didn't know anything better, he would believe the praise was genuine.

"Fieldmarshal Steinbauer did not exaggerate at all. Your flagship is truly a masterpiece."

She was still the same as ever. Extremely polite, beautiful, and a bit mysterious. He could feel it all through words coming out of her pretty lips, the jet-black dress she wore, and every movement of her body.

"My lady, if I had known you were coming, I would have organised a more solemn reception." He performed the typical German military salute with heels clicked and his body leaning slightly forward. "It is rare for a ship to have the presence of Benezia T'soni on its deck."

"You are flattering me, Admiral."

"Not at all, someone like you deserves the highest respect. However, my lady, please forgive me for being rude, but may I know why you are here? This mystery caused by you has been bugging me for a while."

Benezia was about to answer, but Steinbauer raised his hand and stopped her. The field marshal looked at Michael sternly:

"Lady Benezia T'soni is a member of the Asari diplomatic delegation that comes to Earth for the negotiation with our government. After the negotiation was over, she asked permission to accompany the 12th Army to the front, so she could directly observe and assist us in our battle against these Tyranid abominations."

"Negotiation? Forgive me, my lady. We have not yet been informed."

Benezia smiled. "It's not unusual if you haven't heard of it. Negotiations on an alliance between the Asari Republic and the German Reich have been going on since last year, in secret, of course. We don't want to make a big deal out of it because your government needs time to convince the people of the necessity of joining forces against this evil invader."

A military alliance with the Asari Republic was predictable. The Tyranid's terrifying power was truly too great for any species, even Asari, to deal with alone. Still, the fact that they went from bitter enemies to kamerad in the trenches in seven years was too fast for Michael's liking.

Wars make strange bedfellows indeed.

"And Germania agreed?" he asked suspiciously. "I don't think they would accept such an offer easily."

"True. It took us some time, but everything is settled in the end, Praise Athame." Benezia clutched the gem pendant around her neck and whispered the name of the founder of the Republic. "Delegations have also been dispatched to Palaven, Sur'Kesh, Tuchanka, Kharsan, Petra, Vorus, Orn and other capital planets with a similar offer. Soon, leaders of all civilisations, great and small, of races threatened by this ferocious invader will gather at the Citadel to form an Anti-Tyranid Alliance." She then proudly declared, "The enemy will be defeated, that's certain. With Salarian science, Turian battleships, German discipline, Krogan courage, and Asari's leadership, no force can stop us."

Although it was still too early to celebrate, Michael could somewhat sympathise with Benezia's excitement. It had been more than 20,000 years since the Republic rose from the ashes of the Old Empire, 20,000 years of trying to realise Athame's Dream of Spring, and the Asari finally had the chance to unify the galaxy for the first time under one banner. They had taken many lives as well as saved them, keeping as many promises as they broke, enduring so much suffering as they inflicted it on others. All because of vague words of an Asari in the final years of her life, an illusion born of a conqueror's remorse, so at times Michael wondered if that noble goal was really worth the effort.

"That's indeed good news, Lady T'soni." Michael said, "However, for the time being, we need to hold Eden against the Tyranid attack before talking about politics. I assume you and the Marshal have received my report on the events of the past two days."

"Yes, I read that damn report. Your writing is good enough for a Greek tragedy." Steinbauer cleared his throat. "Now, how bad is the situation on the ground? Are there any survivors in the Kristallhalle explosion?"

"None so far. We found only 182 bodies out of 245 people believed to be in the building when it collapsed. They have not all been identified yet, but at this point, I can confirm that Fieldmarshal Erich von Kant, General Klaus Gorman, and Commodore Albert Keitel have been killed in the attack. Governor Dominic Keiner has not been found yet, but I wouldn't hold out much hope because the longer the search goes on, the lower his chances of survival."

Speaking of which, the police chief of Kaiserstadt told Michael some rather strange details during his investigation. A gardener testified that he saw Governor Keiner outside the building about three minutes before the explosion, while a female passenger on a hover coach to Kaiserstadt suburbs adamantly claimed she was sitting next to him the day after. Of course, those witnesses would not be considered credible as they could not give evidence to support their testimony. Besides, it was also kinda crazy to think the Governor of Eden had the mood to wander around Kaiserstadt after a bomb destroyed his office.

"I have suspended all flights out of Eden on the advice of Abteilung 14 and Totenkopf Kommando," he added. "For now, information about the Genestealers is kept secret from the residents of Eden, but it's just temporary. They will find out the truth, one way or another. The entire Kaiserstadt and several other major cities have been placed under martial law to prevent riots as Totenkopf Kommando continues to search and eliminate Genestealer from the population."

There was a terrible fight that broke out between Eden Garrison, Totenkopf Kommando, and Genestealers, mainly mind-controlled citizens, and the hideous four-armed mutants in the westside suburb.

The commander of the capital's Landwehr was quite confident about the prospect of wiping out these monsters in 48 hours, despite Michael's cautionary tales. At least his confidence didn't come from a vacuum; the excuse later saved him from Michael's harsher punishment. On the outside, these Genestealers were indeed nothing more than just a collection of undisciplined, ill-equipped mobs - dangerous, yes, but not a plant-wide threat. A simple house-cleaning operation was more than enough to mop them up and be done with it.

Unfortunately, Michael was proven right. Again.

The so-called simple operation turned into a spectacular ambush, which evolved into a large urban skirmish, house-to-house fighting, hand-to-hand combat - so fierce that Totenkopf Kommando had to knock down several housing blocks and finish off the survivors with poison gas.

What a dummkopf! Those Genestealers had just destroyed Eden's high command in a single attack and here he thought he had the privilege to underestimate them? Infuriated by this incompetence, Michael fired that idiot without hesitation and then recommended someone more qualified to lead the garrison.

"Lady Benezia told me that these Tyranids were not one or two individuals but a collection of thousands of monsters born of a Genestealer known as the Patriarch, have you confirmed this information yet?"

"Yes, the creature identified as Patriarch, Pure Strain Genestealer or Purii is most likely the first Tyranid to enter Eden and then proceed to recruit local residents into a religious organisation worshipping an entity called the 'Star God'." Michael replied, "Their tactics are quite simple but effective nonetheless. Initially, Purii would directly infect some individuals in the population with its parasite before taking advantage of these victims to build up genestealer numbers, mainly through reproduction. The infected will be driven to have sex with another human partner and spawn 6-legged monsters for the protection of Purii itself, but that is just the beginning. Abteilung 14 warned us that genestealers will become more and more human-like after a few generations, meaning they will breed with each other until a genestealer can use firearms and grenades instead of claws and communicate by language. This information seems to be correct as Totenkopf Kommando has confirmed that they have encountered, even captured several genestealers that have the appearance of a human with genetic or radiation mutations."

And in one of those encounters, Marco Rudiger was killed. His unit was said to have detected a group of Genestealers attempting to blow up the central reactor and was forced to engage them without reinforcements. A fierce firefight broke out afterwards. Tyranid's despicable plot was foiled, but at the cost of 12 reactor workers, three members of Totenkopf, including Rudiger. Although they had only known each other for two days, Michael couldn't help but feel sorry for the young lieutenant's fate. He had helped Michael establish a temporary chain of command after the fall of Kristallhalle before volunteering for a combined force of police and military units to combat the Genestealer.

The young man could have chosen to stay behind guarding the Spaceport, but he didn't. It was a dutiful and honourable act deserving of the medal recommendation, at the same time altering Michael's view of him and Totenkopf Kommando. In all fairness, the organisation as a whole was abusive, tyrannical, and some of its members could be insufferable pricks who were quick to lay a hand on something that wasn't theirs; But those men and women also proved their unparalleled skill and courage in battle. If it weren't for their sudden raids and their swift response to the crisis, Michael would have seen a lot of Kristallahlle over the past two days.

And there, I used to get annoyed when Nora naively told me that she wanted to join Totenkopf Kommando instead of Kriegsmarine.

"Sowing seeds of chaos behind enemy lines before launching the main attack?" Steinbauer scratched his fat chin, seemingly unconcerned by Michael's report. "These bugs are pretty good tacticians, aren't they, Benezia?"

"Yes, they are interesting creatures. Even the Rachni have never reached such a level of complexity."

They talked about Tyranid as if they were commenting on a type of wine, and that couldn't help but irritate Michael. In the case of Benezia, he might understand the reason. She came from an ancient lineage and had a habit of downplaying the threat posed by the upstarts, but what the hell was going on with Steinbauer? Vice Admiral Franz Rottemann had warned that those who had never fought the Tyranids would not share Michael's views on the enemy, but he did not expect them to completely disregard the threat.

"Fieldmarshal, I want to ask your permission to mobilise Eden Reserve and put the entire planet under martial law. We must get rid of the genestealer cult and their leader, Purii, before the main attack of the Hive Fleet. Over the past two days, we have done everything we can to identify and isolate those infected with the parasite and prepare for a major riot but…."

Martin Steinbauer raised his hand and interrupted Michael, his face still strangely calm. "We wouldn't do such a thing. Tyranid wants us to play cat and mouse with their minions, chasing an empty threat and forgetting about the real battle ahead. All reserve elements will remain in their position and will be put under the command of Lieutenant General Moritz Kraus when he arrives."

"But…"

"Let Totenkopf and the police force deal with Genestealers, that's enough. Eden's Panzergrenadier and Panzer divisions would join the 12th Army and form a mobile defense corps to the north and west of the planet. I don't want soldiers sitting around waiting for the enemy to arrive and hoping to have enough ammo to kill them all. A lot of people have used that method and I have not seen any positive results."

"I agree, Field Marshal. But we still have to deal with Genestealers and the rebellions they provoked. According to the information in the Datalog, that is their real goal. These intruders will do everything to facilitate the invasion of the Hive Fleet."

"And we're not going to let that happen. We will not disperse our forces to chase a shadow." Steinbauer doubled down on his decision. "How does the Kriegsmarine intend to deal with the enemy fleet?"

Damn you, old man

Swallowing his anger, Michael carefully presented his new battle plan based on what was happening at Zelia. This was the part where he feared Martin Steinbauer would have the most backlash, as the strategy violated all the principles of a defensive operation they knew, and it would put tremendous pressure on the ground force. Still, contrary to expectations, the field marshal of the 12th Army just remained silent and listened to what Michael had to say without showing any agreement or disagreement.

"So you want us to be the anvil, and you're the hammer?" Asked Steinbauer, " 12th Army will take most of its casualties, becoming a punching bag while you sailors take all the credit?"

"As supreme commander of Eden's defense force, you will be the one to be honored for whatever achievement we have here." Michael explained, "We just need you to allow three-quarters of our warship, carrier included, to go to Ventura and two days."

One day to move the fleet from Ventura to Eden and one day to assess enemy forces and plan their attack. Their work was generally not complicated, but the most difficult thing here was finding a way for the 12th Army to withstand the Tyranid attacks without the support of the Kriegsmarine. In the previous battles, even when the defenders were well prepared and received naval support, they were quickly overwhelmed by the endless numbers of Tyranids.

He did not doubt Martin Steinbauer's prowess, and the defensive Blitzkrieg tactic was a good idea, but would it be enough? Would the field marshal be able to hold Eden for 48 hours, or was it Michael who was blind in his brilliance? His rear attack might all be like a drop in a bucket, just as the Anuvari thought high walls and huge Pluse cannons would protect them from Tyranid or the Turians and their silly idea of a decisive battle in space.

No, no. It will succeed, it must succeed. For Nora, for Erina, for the people I know, and for the people I don't know. I must succeed.

"Is that true, Benezia?" The field marshal turned to the Asari woman, "Does your ASDF use the same tactic against Tyranids in Zelia?"

The Matriarch smiled gracefully. "I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to discuss tactics and warfare in front of professionals like Admiral and you, Martin." She then looked at Michael, her gaze like cold lances piercing through his soul. "Still, I don't feel the lie in the Admiral's words nor the cowardice you have mentioned. The admiral is a brave and honest man. He can help you achieve the glory you desire."

"Do you think so, Benezia?"

"Of course, Martin. Why should I lie? Can't you see that I'm always honest with you?"

As for Michael, he could only see Benezia's claws digging into Steinbauer's flesh, so deep he could see blood oozing from the wound. Whether this was for love, carnal lust, or political intrigue, the Admiral had a very bad premonition. Many officers had been in similar situations, and most of them had left an indelible stain on the entire Reichswehr reputation, but Michael had more than one reason to encourage this love affair.

The wind was on his side, and it was time to set sail.

"Fine, I'll accept your request," Steinbauer said and sat down. "Yet, I will need more interceptors, fighters, and armored Haunebu to support the defense while the Kriegsmarine is not around."

"It should not be a problem at all. My carriers may leave you with a third of our Tactical Bombing Haunebu fleet. Some of them are the latest version of Sturmkrahe, the best stealth aircraft in the known galaxy. But I must preserve the number of Foo interceptors and Komet saucers for the upcoming naval battle with the Tyranid, sir. They are a very important factor in destroying out-of-formation Bio-ships."

The supreme commander of Eden's defense was, of course, not satisfied with such an answer, and things would have been worse if Benezia had not promptly intervened with her sweet mother tongue. Her Thessian accent was like honey, but because it was Proto-Asari, Michael barely understood the conversation. The Matriarch was trying to convince Steinbauer that the 12th Army didn't need more fighters or interceptors because they still had plenty of other resources and some kind of Perzys at their disposal.

Perzys? Fire?

The Old Asari language used the word 'Fire' to refer to a firearm or rifle, but perhaps in this case, it could have had a different meaning. Michael assumed so because he found it a bit illogical for a personal weapon to be as important as a starfighter.

"I understand that thing is very useful, but how can you guarantee we'll have enough of it to make a difference, Benezia?"

"Rest assured. One of its many advantages is that the design is so simple that even Vorchas can manufacture some themselves." She switched to German, "Before Tyranid reached the Core World, Thessia had sent about 40 million units to every planet at risk of being attacked and if I can convince them to share, then you will have two or three million units within two days. That's more than enough to equip your Volkssturm while waiting for the Eden industry to set up its production lines, correct?"

Volksturm? He had not heard the name of this militia since the Battle of Alder, when the Turian army retreated to their border and put an end to their offensive on the Reich's territory. Volkssturm was created as a temporary solution at the time when the Reichswerh had to fight on all three major fronts and did not have enough manpower to support them all at once, so once the German-Turian front was stabilized, it also lost the reason to exist. Everyone was satisfied with that. Reichswehr commanders never wanted poorly equipped and trained troops in the first place, while the members of the Volkssturm always felt themselves becoming cannon fodder in Berlin's desperate war effort.

Their complaints were not without foundation. Anyone who had ever read a report on the situation on the western front those days would be shocked by the sheer number of casualties the Volkssturm had suffered. Although generals rarely use these third-rate soldiers for any operation except of defending their home cities or logistical routes, the casualty rate of a Volkssturm unit was always at 50%, sometimes up to 75%. That was an unbelievable number considering their limited activity.

To be fair, Martin Steinbauer was not the first person to propose the creation of a militia force on Eden. More than a month ago, this idea was also discussed, but Erich Von Kant and Dominic Keiner did not see it as feasible. The garrison had neither the time nor the weapons for a new army, especially as they were still struggling to find enough equipment for the current army. Logistics and recruitment had always been a problem for them since Eden was never a front-line planet; its defense industry and military training among the population were pretty modest.

"Is that the right call, Field Marshal?" Michael asked, "I understand that the inhabitants of Eden cannot leave the planet nor ask for leniency from the enemy, but that does not mean they should go to the trenches. Your predecessor also considered this option and found it impractical."

Martin Steinbauer looked up at the admiral from his chair and smirked. "Benezia warned me about this, did you know that? She said you wouldn't believe in my abilities or the 12th Army until you had witnessed the power of our new weapon."

"I didn't… mean to disrespect you, sir." Michael chooses his words carefully: "I am simply giving advice based on Eden's logistics and manpower situation."

"Spare me your fake politeness, Michael. We all know this cooperation was by necessity, and given the opportunity, I would have done what I should have done 12 years ago."

The field marshal walked up to Michael. His steps were slower than they used to be, but their majestic demeanour had remained intact.

"Yet, you have also proven that you are not a coward at all." Steinbauer's focus was on the blue object on Michael's neck. "I've read reports of your actions at Masari-1, and I'm impressed. You seem to be the least incompetent fool among hundreds of incompetent fools in Terminus Zone."

Michael didn't appreciate his rival's strange compliment. "Martin, we need to talk more about Volkssturm before making any decision. Please, you are sending them to their deaths."

"They'll die anyway if the planet falls." He coldly concluded, " Tyranid will spare no one, not even women or children, you understand that better than anyone, don't you?"

"I understand, but we don't have…"

"Let's head to the garden." Steinbauer interrupted, "I'll show you the new power of the Reich if it can ease your conscience."

The three of them then followed the east wing corridor leading to the garden behind the palace. This part of the palace was small and simple compared to the rest of Sanssouci, but it also had its charm - 150 19th-century style portraits of emperors, princes, princesses, and male and female aristocrats, landscape paintings, sculptures, and exquisite crafts - a collection manificent enough to give visitors an experience of an art museum in Paris or Berlin rather than a warship in outer space.

This ingenious arrangement greatly pleased Steinbauer, so pleased that he made himself a museum guide and showed Benezia those to whom he was related by blood from the time of his great-great-grandfather or those to whom he thought to be unworthy to be here.

Michael could read the Asari woman's displeasure, but of course, she concealed it well with smiles and flattery. It was silly to think that someone like Benezia would choose Steinbauer because of his looks or personality. This man was at the late stage of his life, irritable, narcissistic, and even in his youth was never considered handsome. Surely there must be another reason behind their relationship, and it wasn't like Michael didn't try to drive snakes out of the grass while Steinbauer was still captivated by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher's portrait,

"I don't know what you're up to, Matriarch." He softly warned the Asari woman, "But you should remember that Martin Steinbauer is still a German field marshal and a well-known figure in the Reich."

Benezia put on a fake smile. "You've taken the matter too seriously, dear Admiral. Things are much simpler than they look."

"Is that so?"

"Believe it or not, but it's the truth. After 500 years, you will realize that the complications are just a matter of personal perspective."

That half-baked answer stuck in Fleet Admiral's mind until they reached the Rose Garden and found Tela Vasir leaning against a tree with a strange-looking rifle resting in her hands. In his 30 years of military career, Michael had seen quite a few pistols, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns from many different races and territories, but this was the first time he saw this kind of design. It was too crude for a product from the Asari defence industry or infamous Salarian battle labs, but neither did it resemble any HK or Stg version that was adopted by the Reichswehr. The Turian Army stuck to their traditional bullpup design, while Krogan preferred shotguns and the Stg-54 Vollstrecker.

"Everything is ready." The Spectre said to them, "Please follow me to the partridge hunting grounds."

The partridge hunting ground was an open field located at the edge of the palace, next to a small pond full of reeds, where partridges often hide before being chased away by hounds and shot down by ladies and gentlemen armed with double-barreled shotguns. It was a popular game among the human nobility, and after the war, it was also popular with aliens, especially the Krogans. Warlord Giskar once told Michael that in Tuchanka, they also organised similar hunts, but the difference was that participants would eat the whole perch as soon as it hit the ground.

"It's a shame that we don't have time for this elegant sport anymore." Steinbauer sighed and gave a signal to Tela Vasir, "Let's begin."

The Spectre raised her gun of unknown origin and aimed it at a target near the reeds about 30 meters away from them. Michael held his breath and waited for an explosion to tear through the silence of the palace, given how big the barrel was. What he did get, however, was a crack sound like sticks being snapped in half and the burning smell in the air. A red beam of light was launched from the gun hand and punched a hole in the metal target, piercing through the reeds behind it and creating a small explosion in the pond.

"What... the hell?" Michael was almost speechless due to the shock. "What was that energy beam just now?"

"That, dear friend, is the Asari's way of showing their goodwill towards their alliance with humans." Martin Steinbauer patted the Admiral on the shoulder with a smug smile on his face. "A gift to the Reichswehr and people of the Reich."

He then ordered Tela Vasir to keep firing and punch more holes in the reinforced steel target until it broke in half.

"This thing is called a Lasgun, a new invention of the Asari defence industry, and will soon be a key factor in our victory over the Tyranid horde."