Prologue
The IDSC Humvee zipped through the Japanese expressways, speeding past trucks and cars at first. Olivia looked out the window as Sparrowhawk drove for her and watched the other motorists grow smaller and smaller in their rearview mirror. The I.D.O.L. Frame pilot crossed her legs, unbothered by the speed, and hoped that her journey would be brisk and uneventful all the way through, but it was not meant to be.
When the humvee approached the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Olivia and Sparrowhawk came face to face with Tokyo's infamous homebound rush hour.
"This wasn't gonna be as quick and painless as I thought it was going to be." Olivia pouted, "Can't they, like… make way for us or something?"
"Only when there's a Planetary Emergency, Olivia. Anything less than a Code Blue? We obey the rules of the road of whatever jurisdiction that we are operating in." Sparrowhawk answered.
"Oh yeah?" Olivia raised her brow, "I'm pretty sure we were speeding through Yokosuka and Yokohama earlier. You were kinda blowing off steam."
Sparrowhawk smirked and teased, "That was different."
"Because you had a way through?" Olivia guessed.
Sparrowhawk nodded.
"Leave the driving to me and relax. You only just got cleared from your injuries." Sparrowhawk urged.
"Alright, alright. I'll rest up, Spawk." Olivia chuckled. She reached under her seat and made it recline - as far back as a spartan military vehicle's seat could anyways. Then, she brought out her WristComm and opened up her Twitter app on a projected formless screen, "Let's see what's going on in this cesspool… oh, Reine?"
A message notification appeared on her screen.
…
-DIRECT MESSAGE: ' PavolianaRei' -
...
'Hey there, Livia! Are you going back to the Academy tonight?'
...
"Hey Reine! Unfortunately not."
...
'Really? The doctors haven't cleared you yet?'
'Oh. Are your injuries that bad, perhaps?'
'Do you want me to visit?'
'Should I send a care package?'
...
"I'm fine, Reine, I'm fine! I appreciate the thought - but the eggheads cleared me already. I just got summoned to the Shibuya Office."
...
'Ah. You got a Summons then.'
'Can't say I envy you right now.'
...
"Really? Heh - you'd totally want to go to Shibuya to get your shopping done."
...
'Hahaha~! I would!'
'But I wouldn't look forward to the work I'd have to do…'
'Before I can actually do my own thing you know?'
...
"We knew what we signed up for when we joined the IDSC…"
"We knew what we signed up for when we applied to be I.D.O.L. Frame pilots."
...
'Yeah. We do.'
'Are you meeting with the Smiling Man?'
...
"Yeah. I'm gonna be seeing YAGOO and A-chan too."
"I'm sort of excited - and also worried."
...
'That means you're moving up in the world!'
'You always dreamed of being important enough to meet YAGOO.'
...
"I did. Now, I say - be careful what you wish for!"
...
'Hahahahaha~!'
...
"So, Reine."
...
'Yeah?'
...
"I don't know how long they're going to keep me."
"But they're probably gonna keep me for a while."
"I might not be able to accompany Kobo and Zeta when they go up the mountain."
"Could you… maybe… look after them for me?"
...
'You've really taken a liking to them, huh?'
...
"... I guess so."
"We were like them once."
"We're all Worldless."
"And I guess I'm also partially responsible for the Incident."
...
'Livia…'
...
"So. Can you, Reine?"
...
'Alright. I'll keep an eye out for them.'
'And the rest of Maj12 too!'
...
"Thank you!"
...
'It's been a lot of work dealing with the rumor mill here.'
'While you and the Maj12 were gone.'
'But I'm their teacher too.'
...
"You are."
...
'So, you're not carrying this burden alone, Livia.'
...
"Reine…"
"..."
"..."
'What is it?'
...
"I need a hug."
...
'Ufufufu. Whatever shall I do with you.'
...
"Reine…!"
...
'Alright. When you get back! Okay?'
'Can you hold out until then?'
...
"I can! Alright - now I'm motivated!"
...
'Oh you~'
...
"Hehehe~"
...
'Before you go! There's one more thing I wanna ask.'
...
"Shoot!"
...
'Is Anya with you?'
'She's not responding to DMs right now.'
...
"Anya's not with you?"
...
'No. She's not here.'
...
'She clocked out from The Academy yesterday.'
...
'But she didn't clock in this morning.'
...
"This wouldn't be the first time Anya disappeared…"
'...'
'I guess that's true.'
'That doesn't make me less worried though.'
...
"Yeah…"
...
'I'll keep contacting her.'
'Let me know if you find her, okay?'
...
"I'll let you know, Reine."
"Take it easy, okay?"
...
'Okay…'
'You take care too, Livia.'
...
Olivia closed the DM window and sank into her seat. She glanced at her military chauffeur and asked, "Hey Spawk. Have you seen Anya around?"
"Miss Melfissa?" Sparrowhawk hummed, "No, I haven't. But I did see a request for an IDSC chauffeur from her late last night." She chuckled lightly and admitted, "I was going to accept the request, but Doctor Watson deployed me and my Garrison troops to the Infirmary to sweep from intruders."
"Intruders…?" Olivia raised her brow.
"Heh, yeah. It turned out to be a big nothingburger, but I think I spotted Miss Kovalskia slipping out the window of Miss Vestia's private room in a hurry."
"Oh… one of those, huh?" Olivia's eyes narrowed.
"Either way, Miss Melfissa's on official business. Probably." Sparrowhawk concluded.
"You're probably right." Olivia folded her arms.
She looked out to the rush hour traffic jams of the outskirts of Tokyo, heaved a sigh and closed her eyes.
"Wake me up when we get to Shibuya, Spawk."
"Sure thing, Olivia."
Blue Horizon
Baton Pass
Twenty-Ninth Scene - Shibuya Office II
Olivia Kureiji woke up from her nap just as they approached the nerve center of the Cover Corporation: Shibuya Office. From afar, it looked just like any other office skyscraper complex that dotted the Tokyo skyline, albeit with flags of the Cover Corporation flying from every flagpole and powder blue triangular banners hanging from the streetlamps. However, arrays of formless projected screens surrounded the Shibuya Office like a cubicle barrier covering a city block and a half.
"They finally deployed it, huh. Whatever it is." Olivia noted, looking at the digital cube surrounding the office, "They were setting it up the last time I was here. Are they gonna use it for advertising or something?"
"Beats me." Sparrowhawk shrugged, "All I know is that they've been ramping up security here as of late, ever since the AO's slipped through and hit the Jakarta platforms."
"And I'm sure what happened at Yokosuka rustled Cover's jimmies too." Olivia assessed.
True enough, IDSC Garrison checkpoints covered every entryway leading into the cubic barrier.
Sparrowhawk's humvee passed through one of those checkpoints, following the throngs of cars and trucks waiting for their turn.
Armed IDSC Garrison personnel approached the humvee and Olivia rolled down the bulletproof windows. The personnel scanned Olivia's WristComm and shone a compact flashlight into her eyes. A camera recorded the dilation of Olivia's and Sparrowhawk's irises.
Olivia and Sparrowhawk were asked to step out of the vehicle and to surrender whatever weapons they had. Olivia pulled out her service pistol, the same old-issue .45 pistol that she had been using since she was a cadet. Sparrowhawk, on the other hand, brought out something much newer.
"Oh, you bought a new one?" Olivia mused, peering at Sparrowhawk's pistol.
"Yeah! Glock 26 Gen-5! Austrian. 9mm." Sparrowhawk boasted, pointing her nose up to the sky, "M1911's are literally last century."
"Heh. You got a Glock huh? Just like the HoloManagers, huh?" Olivia noted, "I heard Lady Jenma got one before she got sent to KW8 and…"
The IDSC personnel inspecting them cleared his throat and urged, "Please refrain from talking, madams."
Olivia and Sparrowhawk smirked but complied once more.
They opened up the doors and the trunk of the humvee too, scanning everything with their equipment. Even the glove boxes and the spaces beneath the seats weren't spared. Guard dogs came by, sniffing the humvee, Sparrowhawk and Olivia herself.
'This always was the hardest part of the checkpoints.' Olivia mused, spending every ounce of her willpower to not pet the Cover Corporation-trained attack dogs and scratch behind their ears.
Seeing them wag their tails and look up to her with their puppy-like eyes made Olivia want to squeal, but she held it in. She decided to tell Reine and Anya all about it later when she wasn't passing through security checkpoints.
The Garrison personnel finished their checks, reported to their superiors and cleared Olivia and Sparrowhawk to continue to the next stage of checkpoints: arrays of sensors, scanners and gadgets built for all sorts of purposes - some of which even Olivia couldn't grasp, even though she had already glimpsed briefly behind the veil of the mysterious Cover Corporation.
Olivia and Sparrowhawk cleared the last checkpoint and the two of them heaved heavy sighs.
"I can see why the Garrison chauffeurs don't like bringing VIP's to the Shibuya Office." Sparrowhawk muttered.
"I'd rather be doing my job than be stuck in the Shibuya Office anyways." Olivia sympathized. She shook her head and thought, "If I could, I'd like to be in an I.D.O.L. Frame for once."
"Is there something wrong, Olivia?" Sparrowhawk asked.
"Nothing, Spawk."
Olivia stepped out of the humvee and smiled at her chauffeur. Her bright red eyes turned to the small, silver wedding band on Sparrowhawk's finger and her smile grew wider.
"You don't have to wait for me. Go home to your family." Olivia urged.
"Are you sure, Olivia? I can wait." Sparrowhawk reassured her.
"I'm sure. I don't know how long YAGOO and A-chan are keeping me. And your family needs you more than I do!"
Sparrowhawk finally smiled and saluted, "Alright then. Thank you, Olivia."
Olivia returned the salute and watched Sparrowhawk leave the Shibuya Office's driveway. She turned to the main entrance of the Shibuya Office and heaved a sigh.
"I'm not looking forward to the rest of the security checks…" Olivia thought out loud, "They were already bad enough to begin with, but now…"
While Olivia ranted, however, a pretty, petite brunette sauntered over to her with a familiarly cool and calm expression.
"Livia. You're here!"
"Anya!" Olivia turned around and answered, "You're here too! Reine was looking for you."
"I had a feeling." Anya wore a complicated smile, "Iofi-simpai needed help deploying Cover's newest anti-AO countermeasures."
"New countermeasures…?" Olivia tilted her head innocently.
Anya walked over to the arrays of formeless screens and around the Shibuya Office and reached out for it with her hand. Anya's hand went through the barrier, but it seemed to disappear on the other side!
"What the…!?" Olivia gasped.
Anya pulled out her hand out of the barrier and showed it to Olivia.
"Ta-da~" Anya declared with mellow pride, "Iofi-simpai calls it the Gachikoi Barrier. She had Usada Kensetsu helping out with the general construction, but they needed a specialist technician to calibrate and deploy it. Pemaloe Workshop was here too."
"Pemaloe, huh…?" Olivia repeated the name.
"Don't worry. It's not a lethal application job like the HALO modules." Anya reassured, "The Gachikoi Barrier prevents observers from outside the complex from peering into the Shibuya Office, but the Shibuya Office can still look out without a hitch."
"It's some sort of digital one-sided mirror, huh?" Olivia hummed. She stepped through one of the arrays and tested out its features, "Running these many formless screens at this resolution must use up a lot of power."
"Nothing our Iofinium Reactors can't handle." Anya answered casually, "But enough about that - I came here to fetch you and wave you through security. YAGOO and A-chan want to hold their meeting as soon as possible."
"That's a relief. I really don't want to deal with security." Olivia said out of instinct, but she paused and corrected herself, "But now I'm sorta worried. Do you have any idea why we're being summoned?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Anya shrugged, "You know how it is. We've always been on a need-to-know basis."
Olivia took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
"Alright, Anya. Let's get this meeting over with."
…
Anya led Olivia through the foyer of the Shibuya Office, but neither of them could stop to take in the sights and the sounds of the 21st century office-turned-digital planetary fortress. The petite brunette held up her WritComm and projected her credentials as she walked through the security checkpoints inside. She held Olivia by the wrist and whisked her along with only a few hurdles for her to pass through. Any time an IDSC Garrison personnel stopped them, however, the words on Anya's credentials answered most of their questions.
'Code AO Clearance - Temporary'
It was higher clearance than Olivia's own clearance level as the designated leader of Strike Team ID2.
With that clearance, Anya and Olivia reached the central elevator platform and took it. Even there, security cameras and scanners on the walls, and the ceiling regarded the two, scrutinizing them by the second.
'At least they don't have scanners on the floor.' Olivia thought, adjusting her IDSC trousers with a smidge of self-awareness.
Anya and Olivia rode the elevator bound for the top floor of the Shibuya Office. So, as the numbers on the elevator screen ticked upwards, Olivia glanced at Anya's WristComm again and asked.
"When the heck did you get higher clearance than me, Anya?" Olivia teased.
"When I beat your grades at everything that wasn't PE and Combat Walker Operations." Anya smirked back at her.
"And math. Don't forget math." Olivia folded her arms.
"Barely." Anya chuckled. She then fell silent and glanced at Olivia cautiously.
She looked like she wanted to tell Olivia something, but she couldn't seem to find the words to say. Olivia reached out to her and tried to coax her for her thoughts, but the elevator panel dinged and its doors opened.
The mechanical voice of the Cover Corporation's AI assistant, 'OPHELIA', made her announcement.
'Executive Floor - Interdimensional STRATCOM Star Chart Room and Executive Offices'
"Time to get going." Anya escaped from Olivia's clutches, "Let's go."
Olivia nodded and followed Anya's lead once more.
The brunette led her through one last security checkpoint and into the STRATCOM room. When the doors closed behind them, Olivia winced and found herself in an incredibly dark room roughly the size of an IDSC Academy lecture hall and a half. Faint lights emanated from miniature digital projections of the solar system rendered in painstaking detail.
High-ranking Cover Corporation staff roamed through the room walking alongside those projected celestial bodies. Admirals of the vaunted Galactic Fleet of the IDSC spoke spiritedly with each other while they walked through the projection of Jupiter towards the edge of the room. Generals of the IDSC Garrison, meanwhile, crowded around the projection of the Earth and its numerous orbital platform systems.
Only two familiar faces were present in that room of high-ranking individuals.
Moona Hoshinova and Iofifteen Airani.
"Moona-simpai! Iofi-simpai!" Olivia waved to the only two representatives of the I.D.O.L. Frame squadron.
"Pagi!" Iofi greeted the newcomers cheerfully.
Moona, however, simply answered with a small nod. Her gold-and-purple gradient eyes reflected the lights of the planets and the distant stars but shimmered with cryptic, somber emotion. She quickly turned her attention back to the projection of the Earth with an unusual fixation, illuminating the rings under her eyes.
"Ah…" Iofi spoke on behalf of the sullen Moona, "It's been a long day for us, you see… It's hard to explain."
Olivia frowned and clutched her breast.
"Is there something wrong?" Olivia asked Iofi.
"You'll understand soon enough." Moona suddenly intervened, breaking her silence, "YAGOO and A-chan are already on their way."
Before Olivia could ask another question, doors on the opposite end of the STRATCOM room opened. The seemingly omnipresent Spokeswoman and Executive Officer of Cover Corporation walked in, sporting her sharp business suit and her smart, iconic glasses. She accompanied a kind-faced man in a similar business suit.
"Hello everyone." greeted the man with a warm smile.
The Admirals of the Galactic Fleet, the Generals of the IDSC Garrison and the I.D.O.L. Frame pilots saluted the man. Olivia, however, was starstruck and froze in place.
"Oh shit…" Olivia suddenly croaked, "It's really YAGOO!"
Self-consciousness nibbled at her. When YAGOO and A-chan started approaching her, she turned into a popsicle.
"You are Miss Olivia Kureiji, yes?" YAGOO spoke in heavily accented English. He offered his hand to her and smiled his kind smile, "It's nice to finally meet you - the leader of Strike Team ID2."
"I-it's an honor, sir!" Olivia shook YAGOO's hand stiffly.
"Don't be nervous." YAGOO reassured her. He patted her shoulder and nodded, "We are on the same team. And you are a hero too. I was not able to thank you personally during our conference call, so allow me to do it today."
YAGOO bowed down respectfully to Olivia and spoke firmly.
"Thank you for your service, Miss Kureiji. You kept ID3 safe."
Olivia took a deep breath, straightened her posture and saluter YAGOO.
"You honor me, sir! But I did not act alone that day."
"I am aware." YAGOO reassured her, "But that is a discussion for another day."
"That's right." A-chan interjected. She cleared her throat and addressed everyone in the STRATCOM room, "We have gathered all of you here today to discuss where we stand in the war against the Ancient Ones and our next steps."
Thirtieth Scene - Where We Stand
A-chan adjusted her glasses and brought out her WristComm device. She entered a few commands and the digital display of the solar system in the STRATCOM room flickered for a moment.
With a wave of her hand, the map of the solar system zoomed out a thousand-fold. A constellation of planetary star systems appeared in the room. The solar system that A-chan zoomed out of, meanwhile, was suddenly affixed with a label.
"KW1"
Olivia gulped. She was well aware of the goings-on in the bounds of the solar system and the broader Milky Way galaxy, but this was the first time she saw the parallel universes - the Known Worlds - charted out in meticulous fashion.
Floating around Olivia was a mirror image of the solar system marked "KW11". Meanwhile, a solar system marked "KW8" orbited around Moona like a satellite.
A-chan entered more commands on her WristComm and new markers popped up. Wireframe models of the warships of the IDSC Galactic Fleet appeared like powder blue deltas massed at the edges of the solar systems of KW8 and KW11.
"For those who aren't aware…" A-chan glanced at Olivia and Anya for a moment and walked towards the congregations of powder blue deltas, "The Cover Corporation is engaged in a two-front war against the spacefaring forces of the Ancient Ones for control of these key solar systems. Kaitakusha Battlegroup, led by Commodore AZKi, is holding the line at KW11, and Commodore Sora Tokino commands the Ankimo Battlegroup pressing into KW8."
Moona's eyes shimmered again, now fixated on the wireframe model of one of the powder blue deltas marked as the 'IDSC Nousagi'.
"Shachou…" Moona reached out to the Nousagi, but her hand passed through its model. A frown started to grow on her lips.
Olivia glanced at Moona and tried to reach out to her to console her, but she didn't have words to say. She just retracted her hand and sighed and looked at the interdimensional chart around her.
A-chan entered some more commands and continued her spiel, "To the best of our knowledge, here is the extent of the invasions of the Ancient Ones on the Known Worlds."
Moments later, dark purple deltas started appearing on the chart of Known Worlds like a swarm of insects - or a school of ravenous fish. Those purple deltas congregated into large masses that, even on the interdimensional chart, looked like orcas.
"These are our enemies: the Ancient Ones - physical manifestations of unreal beings in our reality." A-chan explained grimly, "They are Horrors spawned from black ichor that can twist and bend and take the shape of just about anything. For some reason, though, their spacefaring forces join together into the shape of aquatic animals."
Iofi sighed and guessed, "Perhaps the origin world of the Ancient Ones is an aquatic one."
Probably, but we can only guess at this point." A-chan concurred cautiously, "What we do know is that the hordes of galactic orcas follow the command of Principals - so called 'Great Ones' who lead the hosts of Horrors on campaigns. There is order in the chaos."
"The Galactic Fleet has fought many battles and learned the names of these 'Great Ones'." Moona chimed in this time, "Three are known to us: The Librarian, The Manipulator and The Observer. They are the architects of this interdimensional onslaught."
Multiple orcas of purple deltas advanced through the Known Worlds, attacking solar systems mercilessly. Purple deltas rained down upon the Earths of those Known Worlds, tainting their planets with ichor and otherworldly tendrils. Great simulated battles erupted as those Known Worlds resisted - some in outer space, most on the lands and seas of their respective Earths.
But the weapons of those Earths eventually fell silent. Ichor of the Ancient Ones swept through those Earths, birthing new Horrors from every living creature absorbed and assimilated by the horde. New orcas were spawned from those conquered worlds and began their interdimensional assault anew, searching for their next feast.
Before long, only KW1, KW8 and KW11 remained untainted by the self-replicating horde.
A-chan adjusted her glasses and walked towards the triangle of Known Worlds with urgency. Pale white lines linking the edges of the solar systems started to appear, linking many of the Known Worlds together in an intricate web.
"Those are… hyperlanes, right?" Olivia mused to Anya beside her.
"Yeah." Anya nodded, "I've only ever studied them in theory, but they are the only corridors that link the parallel worlds. Edge to edge, it takes thirty-six system hours of FTL to go from here to KW8. Eighty-six hours to KW11."
The two ID2 girls watched the hyperlane networks sprawl around them. Only KW8 and KW11 linked up with KW1, but those two worlds were interconnected with many different Known Worlds from all sorts of directions.
A-chan pointed to the porcupine-like web of hyperlanes sprouting out of KW8 and KW11 and explained.
"This is the reason why we're throwing everything we've got to take control of KW8 and KW11. If either of those systems fall into enemy hands - or become brand new hatcheries for those goddamned orcas, the hyperlane paths to KW1 will be clear. Based on the data we got from the attack on the Jakarta platforms, KW1 wouldn't last a month against a full scale invasion."
…
Olivia closed her eyes and recalled the attack of the lone orca against the Jakarta-series orbital defense platforms. If one of the Ancient Ones' galactic orcas could cause so much damage, she didn't want to imagine what a whole school of them would be capable of.
A-chan continued.
"The Ancient Ones will not stop until all of the Known Worlds, and even the Worlds Unknown that we have yet to fathom, are assimilated into… whatever the hell they are. Securing KW8 and KW11 will shore up the defenses of KW1, but that is only a temporary solution. The Galactic Fleets are already stretched thin patrolling the hyperlanes and it won't stop the hordes from spawning new orcas to attack us."
Olivia's lips twisted. Then, her honest thoughts slipped her tongue.
"It sounds like we're only delaying the inevitable…"
Everyone in the STRATCOM room turned towards Olivia. Her face went pale.
A-chan adjusted her glasses once more and commented.
"If the average person on the Earth or in the orbital platforms knew our situation, then they would think the same thing. For a long time, even YAGOO and I thought the same thing. But we will soon have the means to turn back the tide."
Suddenly, YAGOO came forward and held the projections of KW8 and KW11 in his hands.
"We have credible intelligence to suggest that KW8 and KW11 hold powerful individuals who can potentially destroy the Great Ones." YAGOO revealed confidently, "That's why we dispatched our greatest Managers to recruit them."
"Jenma and Enma are seeking out the Myths of KW8. Omega Alpha, meanwhile, was tasked to hire the Tenth Council of KW11." A-chan continued, "The thing is, the 'Great Ones' know about this and are acting to prevent their recruitment. We've lost contact with Omega on KW11 for almost a decade now…"
"And we lost contact with Enma and Jenma in KW8 not too long ago." Olivia deduced.
A-chan nodded with displeasure. YAGOO, however, kept his cheerful demeanor.
"The KW8 expedition, however, has yielded promising results." YAGOO declared, "Enma and Jenma have hired a Myth - a Phoenix named Kiara Takanashi - and were in the process of recruiting more before we lost contact. It's a gamble, but I have absolute faith in the Managers of the Cover Corporation. So I have decided that it's time to support them directly."
The Admirals and Generals started to mumble with confusion and concern.
"But sir, the Galactic Fleets are already stretched thin!" One admiral argued, "Many vessels have already sustained substantial damage. The Haaton nearly got destroyed in the last engagement - and the Rosetai barely made it out of an ambush! Those two vessels are returning to KW1 for emergency repairs as we speak. And those are only two of the incident reports I'm getting from KW11!"
"The AO's seem to be watching our movements closely too." A second Admiral warned, "If we shift our warships around, they'll surely exploit the gap! And don't get me started on the logistics!"
"And things aren't exactly peachy here on KW1 either." A General of the Garrison promptly added, "The Garrison is already busy conducting counterinsurgency against bad actors on the Earth and in the Orbital Platforms - and our reserves are clocking in hours as military police to watch the unrest. We can't possibly mobilize an expeditionary force without a draft!"
"Calling for a draft now would add fuel to the fire too." Another general added, "You're gonna stoke riots if you do that - and the entire Garrison wouldn't be able to stop all of them."
YAGOO listened to the complaints of the high ranking officials calmly. Once the protesting voices lost steam, YAGOO faced them and answered.
"I understand the concerns of the Fleet and the Garrison. Believe me, I do." YAGOO explained, "However, we won't be drawing from the resources of either."
He glanced at Moona and asked, "Would you please kindly explain, Miss Hoshinova?"
Moona paused. She lifted her lowered head and nodded to YAGOO. Then, she laid her hand over her heart and faced Olivia, Anya and the admirals and generals gathered in the room.
"There will be no military drafts - and no redeployment of IDSC warships. Instead, as the second-in-command of the IDSC I.D.O.L. Frame Squadron, I have committed Strike Team ID1 and our Fleet Carrier - the IDSC Garuda - to reinforce the Ankimo Battlegroup in the solar system of KW8." Moona declared firmly, "We will screen the Ankimo Battlegroup to force a breakthrough to KW8 Earth and reestablish contact with Miss Enma and Jenma. After that, we will do the same for KW11."
Olivia's and Anya's jaws dropped.
"Moona-simpai…" Olivia shuddered. She furrowed her brow and thought, 'Was that why she was feeling so uneasy earlier?'
The rumblings between the admirals and generals grew louder.
"That would leave KW1 defenseless!" A Garrison general argued, "ID1 was the only force that kept the stray AO orca at bay!"
"And if ID1 is going, how will the I.D.O.L. Frame program continue?" An admiral chimed in angrily, "The ID2 Frames have already been delayed over and over. There won't be anyone to roll them out!"
This time, however, Iofi raised her hand and silenced the bickering officers.
"Excuse me, Admirals. Generals. If I may." Iofi spoke respectfully, "KW1 will not be left entirely defenseless. Strike Team ID2 will remain here as our representatives. Miss Anya will replace me as the head developer of the I.D.O.L. Frame program and Miss Olivia will be the commander in charge of I.D.O.L. Frame operations in Moona's stead."
"... Anya and I will…" Olivia gulped. Goosebumps crawled through her skin as she asked, "We're going to be in charge of the Squadron here!?"
"You're the leader of ID2, aren't you?" Iofi reaffirmed with a smile, "You already have everything you need to lead."
"Do I…?" Olivia asked, trembling as she held her own hands.
"Everyone in ID2 believes in you, Olivia." Moona turned to Olivia and held her hands, "The ID1 girls and I believe in you too…"
"And those new recruits of yours - Miss Zeta and Miss Kobo - look up to you like a true idol." Anya added cheekily, "I can't think of anyone better to hold the fort here than you, Livia!"
"... r-really?" Olivia held Moona's hands but still held her head low, "But I don't even have an I.D.O.L. Frame yet."
"That's about to change really soon, Olivia." Iofi beamed, "I'm sorry about the delays, but the Jollie Joliie will soon be ready to take to the stars. I've already done the heavy lifting, so Anya and Pemaloe Workshop should be able to handle the finishing touches. We might not be able to take you with us to KW8 just yet, but that time will come. Isn't that right, Moona?"
Moona held Olivia's hands more firmly and she looked into Olivia's eyes, "Please watch KW1 until we return - and guide the cadets of ID3 as best as you can. We will need their help before long, after all. Until then, I… no, we leave everything in your hands."
Olivia tried to speak, but her voice cracked. Tears started to form at the sides of her eyes and shimmered in the sea of simulated stars around her. She let go of Moona's hands and then embraced her tightly.
"I won't let you down, Moona-simpai!" Olivia vowed.
"You won't, Olivia. You won't." Moona hugged Olivia back.
Epilogue
Meanwhile, in the parallel universe space of KW8, the IDSC heavy cruiser Nousagi, was patrolling between the asteroids of the Jupiter trojan groups. The warship coasted cautiously, tracking the spacefaring, ichorous masses of the galactic orcas swarming the area. A digital shell of stealth camouflage similar to the Shibuya Office's Gachikoi Barrier masked the Nousagi from the marauding beasts.
So, from the bridge of the Nousagi, Pekora Usada looked out to the displays of her warship's sensors. Pekora turned to the dozen or so crew members of her vessel in the bridge hard at work manning their stations and instruments.
"Give me a sitrep. How many of them are there?" Pekora ordered.
"Nine orcas, Captain Usada." Answered a female adjutant. She rose up from her station and saluted Pekora, "Thirteen half-orcas and sixteen quarter-orcas too, all moving independently. They seem to have come from other KWs through the hyperlanes."
"Which ones?" Pekora asked.
"KW11 for sure. But the other lanes? Our sensors can't determine from this distance."
"The bastards are reinforcing, huh?" Pekora clicked her tongue, "Any news from Sora-senpai and the Ankimo?"
"No word from Commodore Tokino, Captain. They're still escorting the damaged Haaton and Rosetai in transit to the KW1 hyperlane as far as we know." The adjutant answered again, "But we do have a memo from KW1 HQ. It seems we're getting reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?" Pekora raised her brow, "Do we have any warships in KW1?"
"None, ma'am. Not from the Fleet, at least. The memo says that the IDSC Garuda and the I.D.O.L. Frames of ID1 will be coming to support us for offensive operations. They'll arrive in 100 system hours. Commodore Tokino will likely welcome them to KW8 with the Ankimo too."
"Moona's coming here, then!" Pekora quickly perked up. Her rabbit's ears stood up in attention and a smile formed on her lips, "Finally some good news!"
She paused, however, and grumbled, "But offensive operations, huh…?"
Pekora looked out to the myriad of galactic orcas 'swimming' through the solar system and asked, "Are we really gonna be able to break through all of that?"
She plopped down onto her captain's chair at the center of the Nousagi's bridge and heaved a sigh. But then, the adjutant's workstation started to beep.
Pekora's adjutant rushed back to her workstation and looked at the notification.
"Captain!" The adjutant reported.
"What is it?" Pekora asked, rising back up to her feet.
"We have an incoming transmission… or rather, it's a one-way broadcast."
"A one way broadcast?" Pekora raised her brow, "From whom?"
"It's coming from KW8's Earth using Cover Corporation frequencies." The adjutant answered, "It's… an S.O.S. message from… huh?"
"FROM. WHOM!?" Pekora demanded.
"Miss Jenma! It's from Miss Jenma. In text."
Pekora marched over to her adjutant's workstation and looked down onto the screen. All of the other crew members stopped what they were doing and turned towards their captain.
"Let's see here…" Pekora read through the message, whispering parts of it as she went, "Agents of the Esoteric order… alliance with the Grim Reapers… Priestess of the Ancient Ones."
Pekora's face went pale, "So that's why we're getting reinforcements…"
The adjutant turned towards Pekora with concern and asked, "What does it mean, ma'am?"
"The AO's are just about ready to break KW8's Reality Barrier." Pekora explained, "They're going to attempt a full-scale planetary invasion!"
"...what?" the adjutant gasped.
Pekora took a deep breath and shook her head.
"Well, don't just stand there, adjutant! Contact Sora-senpai and the rest of the battlegroup right away! We need to mobilize right away and stop the AO's from reaching critical mass. Operation AlterMyth is in jeopardy!"
…
To Be Continued
