Chapter Text
August 25th Republic Year 368 (Stellar Year 2149)
On the fateful day of the Republic's Revolution Festival, there was no prior warning. The Commander's wife personally delivered home-baked cakes at noon, and the party was in full swing before dinner. All the Handlers, as per this Front's tradition, brought their favorite alcoholic beverage to share. It created a joyful atmosphere, with the Festival's spirit blurring differences between the ranks. Then, in seconds, cheerful laughter and upbeat music ringing in the Northern Front went silent.
Maybe there was a holiday miracle in all this, as when the first attack hit, everyone in the Northern Gran Mur was annihilated instantly. It was a quick, peaceful death; no bodies were left after the impact. If anyone had asked a Republic citizen before the attack about such a fate, they would have been terrified. The answer drastically changed in the following days, as it became clear how lucky those in the Northern Front had been. Some even envied it, calling it a mercy.
That day, when a sound as deep as a church bell rang in the headquarters, everyone assumed it was a prank. Creepy festival parody of a well-known alarm, nagging them to do their duty. Only when the holographic screen popped up in the middle of the room did some people begin to feel uneasy. The video of a child's sandcastle's wall, with a gap as if it had been kicked during a temper tantrum.
Everyone was confused by where this joke was going, and no one seemed to take credit. When a swarm of ants started to pour in by the crack, a few of the Handlers got annoyed and asked for the party to be resumed. Others joined in, bored with this nonsense, but the higher-ups simply couldn’t turn it off.
Only a small group of people realized what was going on and that this was just the beginning. Led by a woman in a black uniform, the team split up to do the tasks they were assigned a long time ago. Each step had been practiced countless times, but endless variables were going against them.
Lena took a deep breath to fight the impending sense of doom and changed the settings on her Para-RAID. The modded collar had its restrictions removed, but there was no way to test it before the Legion attacked. A desperate gamble, in which the fate of the Republic was at stake. When Lena opened the mind link, she did not hesitate. It was all or nothing, and she had made the decision long ago. The battle has begun.
"Bloody Regina to all Processors on all fronts!"