Walks Off Life: Prophase

Storm of the Civil War

Tension in the Six Worlds grew as it spawned a civil war in the Earth System. In a mere weeks after the attack of The Offense's weapon on Cassus, the two sides engage in the Battle of Sulphur Land.

 Sulphur Land was a region located on Cassus, thickened with toxic gases in it's atmosphere. A few remaining soldiers of The Offense took base there and built a small army using 500 androids on Cassus. Retrieving this information, the Domain sent their army to fight. Weak in numbers and not physically prepared for the heavy gases in Sulphur Land, the Domain alliance fell short and lost the battle.

Most of the Domain officers that's remaining suggested they bring forth the inhuman. The uses of mystical arts and super-soldiers can turn their army into a hopeful for success. However, their leader Lt. Onyx firmly disapproves. He knows it is unethical and may lead to power abuse. He added that they do not have time to find these so-called magicians or engineer humans.

In the meanwhile, The Offense's vision now was to win the war by crumpling Domain's military base in Domia, Virens and Evolvo. To achieve this, they had to build a super-weapon that can disintegrate massive buildings in seconds by using the Quantos technology. When it was in it's early stages of design, loyally appointed Agent Kip stole the blueprint and gave it to his alliance, still led by Lt. Onyx. Domain built a VEMI that installed this so-called "Quantos Super 5" laser gun and it took off from Domia. Upon reaching the Kuiper Belt, 2000 million miles from Domia and preparing to go in meta-light speed, The Offense came unexpectedly with 30 VEMI ready to engage battle.

It was fittingly called the Battle of Kuiper. The thirty VEMI ships were no match to their own Quantos Super 5 design, The Offense's spacecrafts were all destroyed by Domain's new superpower. This battle saw the fall of Leon Pincer, a chief officer of The Offense army. Only a few of The Offense's fighters that day survived. One of them was Lake, who along with other soldiers of their alliance, were held captive at a Domia prison.  

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The Quantos Super 5 spaceship, gloriously called VEMI Quantico, was now on it's way to Pioneer for further defense strategy. The captain of this vessel stares at the debris of their enemies' spacecrafts through the window of the cockpit. "How far is the nearest star to us, Officer Nell?" asked Capt. Tomchin.

"Alpha Centauri, just 4-light years away, captain." his second-in-chief replied.

"Nell, I want to talk to you outside, in private."

Nell hurried on with a confused look on his face. When they were in the hallway alone, Capt. Tomchin asked him to change their course to Alpha Centauri. Absolutely impossible, Nell thought. Tomchin continued on explaining his discovery.

"Did you see what Quantos Super 5 can do? If it fall into the wrong hands, Nell, this war will never end. Even if it's the side we're on, it is a side in a war. The Offense is cruel enough on intending to diminish all our military bases with this superpower, but what difference would that make us? What distinguish ourselves from the enemy?" 

Nell looked at Tomchin in horror. The horror that he might be saying the truth.

"Captain, I know the apocalyptic means of this weapon, but we have orders. They are counting on the VEMI Quantico to arrive and help the Domain win the war."

"Nell, i'm going to disobey the orders, to compensate by doing something right for once. I need your help to set the course to Alpha Centauri. Will you give me your hand?"  

"Captain," he continued in a convincing way, "you know Lieutenant Onyx is on board right? This is his orders, I can't simply reset the course to a secluded star. Then what about the other hundreds on board? You are risking their lives."

"I have an idea. Set the course to the nearby star, don't inform to anyone. When we're close enough, get everyone off on the escape pods. Automate the system to hyperdrive, meta-light speed into the star."

"That's insane, you can't ensure the probability of that to succeed-" Nell sighed.

"Please, Nell. I know what I'm thinking, I can't forgive myself if this superweapon touches land. This is the courageous thing to do." Capt. Tomchin sounded desperate.

There was a long pause as Nell stared at the floor. "I will lend you my hand" Nell says in the end. Tomchin nodded to his loyal officer with trust.

"The VEMI Quantico will be gone for good." as Captain Tomchin said that last sentence, he hung his head down as the thought of his ship will be destroyed in the flares of Alpha Centauri underwhelmed him.

Red alarms sounded as everyone panic to find their respective escape pods. In everyone's mind except Nell and Tomchin, the ship was hijacked by their enemies. A distress call to Domia was sent and another VEMI was coming it's way to retrieve the survivors. A few miles away and the escape pods could reach their cavalry and get everyone on board. Approaching fast from the distance was unfortunately a vessel of The Offense. With just a launch of a fission bomb, the only hope for the survivors of VEMI Quantico was destroyed in a blink of an eye. Suffered from the shock wave of the explosion and the scarce oxygen in their escape pods, all the VEMI Quantico crew had died. Contrary to the other battles, this temporary victory for The Offense was called the tragedy of Centauri.