Timeless Assassin

(Planet Tithia, The First Elder's Office)

It wasn't until their boots finally touched the soil of Tithia once more that Leo and Veyr allowed themselves to take a breath of relief….. their long and perilous reconnaissance mission at last drawing to a close.

And yet, even as they breathed the familiar air of home, they did not feel at ease, as the constant hum of wardrums played at the back of their heads.

There was no respite awaiting them on Tithia, no time spared for rest or recovery, as the moment their arrival was logged into the system, they were summoned without delay to the First Elder's office, where their presence was demanded as if the war could not wait another hour.

By the time they stepped into the semi-luxurious office, the first, second and third elders were already seated in a semi-circle, their gazes sharp, assessing, and disturbingly eager.

"So…" the First Elder began, voice smooth and rehearsed, "do you have a firm plan of attack worked out yet?"

There was no greeting. No acknowledgment of what the two young men had just endured. Just business as if nothing else mattered.

Leo stepped forward first, his voice calm and even, as he and Veyr began laying out everything—each detail they had uncovered on Planet Koral, from troop deployments and internal disorganization to hidden weaponry and shield core vulnerabilities.

They spoke not as untrained soldiers, but as bards, as they recounted each point with vivid detail.

"Nice…."

"Brilliant!"

"Very good…."

The elders offered words of encouragement from time to time, as they were clearly surprised by the level of competence displayed by the duo in completing this mission, as the two of them had clearly gone above and beyond with the amount and quality of information they had procured.

But still, those words of encouragement were mostly empty, as in the end, it did not look like those three old men actually gave two shits about the finer details of their reconissance.

"So… how soon do you think we can launch this attack? Tomorrow? Day after?" The First Elder asked excitedly, as Leo visibly frowned at the question.

"Like I just told you…. We first need to make decoy crystals. Then we need capable Cult agents to infiltrate the zone 12 base and blow the shield facility up.

As only after its blown apart, can we actually attempt to infiltrate the planet.

And even then, we need protective shielding upgrades on all our ships, so that they can withstand the attacks of the enemy's modified railguns." Leo explained, as both the First and Second Elder waved him off at once.

"The crystal is the priority," The Second Elder said, making a grumpy face as though he already had enough of this conversation.

"We'll have our best blacksmiths begin working on the device you described and get an agent to execute the mission you want in 3-5 days time.

As for the shielding technology on our crafts? That's not something we consider urgent."

Leo's brow twitched slightly.

The elder went on.

"It may take months, even years, to develop shielding capable of withstanding anti-aircraft railguns. And just because you children believe it might save some lives, doesn't mean we postpone the war for it."

His lips curled into something between disdain and arrogance.

"Fourteen days," he stated, voice final. "We attack Planet Koral in fourteen days. That timeline is not up for debate."

Veyr went pale. His jaw clenched involuntarily as he took a step forward, fists tightening at his sides.

"With all due respect, Second Elder," he said, forcing composure into his voice, "why are we in such a rush to declare war? Why can't we wait six months… a year… until we have the proper technology to protect our fleet? It will save hundreds of thousands of lives."

His voice cracked slightly, not from fear, but disbelief.

"Surely we're not so senseless as to throw away our men like fodder—"

"You're wrong."

It was the First Elder who cut him off, his voice disturbingly patient, like a man explaining basic math to a child.

"This war cannot wait. Re-elections are four months away, and our seats are… not guaranteed."

He leaned forward slightly, his long fingers steepled beneath his chin.

"We need results. And the populace? They want blood. You'd be amazed what a successful planetary conquest does for approval ratings."

Veyr blinked, stunned, while the Third Elder, the only one whose face showed even a glimmer of discomfort, looked away and said nothing, his eyes fixed somewhere beyond the marble floor, as the First Elder went on.

"It's good for the people to suffer a little. That way, when the solution arrives, they worship you for it. A man who's never bounced on a mud-rutted carriage will never appreciate the softness of a hovercraft seat."

He smiled now, an empty smile void of empathy.

"They know what they're signing up for. Soldiers die. That is the nature of war. What matters is that they die usefully."

He sat back with an air of finality. "So don't waste your time on things outside your control. Focus on what you can do."

Silence followed, thicker than smoke.

Veyr's throat was dry. His gaze flicked toward Leo, looking for some sign, some flicker of outrage, or disbelief, or resistance.

But Leo's face was unreadable. He met Veyr's eyes without blinking, and within them was not shock, but a quiet, familiar disgust.

He had expected this.

He had long known what kind of men sat at this table. They were not visionaries or protectors. They were opportunists dressed in ritual, cowards adorned in power, men who would wage a war to win a vote.

And if a hundred thousand soldiers had to die for that?

Then so be it.

Leo said nothing. There was no need to speak to these cowards.

But deep inside, he knew that the biggest reason behind the Cult's current rot were these Elders, and that he needed to find a way to replace them all very soon.