From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 595 "Taking the Duty"

the next day;

Yavin 4's star was climbing to the zenith, its blazing white light piercing the atmosphere and enveloping the newly built steel town in an amber halo.

The scorching air waves flowed through the streets and alleys constructed by the "honeycomb", causing the distant scenery to be slightly distorted in the heat haze.

The Gothic anti-aircraft turret of the Empire Iron Fist "pierced" the sky, and the black gun barrel was looming in the steaming heat, like the fingers of a sleeping giant.

In the central square of this town that accommodates refugees, more than 20,000 young people stood in company formation.

Their brand new black training uniforms shone matte in the scorching sun, and the emblem of the Imperial Fists was embroidered on their left shoulders.

But upon closer inspection, many people still had various broken ornaments on their collars and cufflinks.

There were broken bone pendants, bracelets woven from charred cloth strips, and blood-soaked and air-dried puppet fragments.

These silent relics rose and fell slightly with their breathing, as if telling the names of those who were lost in the waves of chaos. The average age of these teenagers was only sixteen years old. Their bodies were still thin, but their eyes were as sharp as tempered steel nails.

“Shut up!”

The ten Astartes who served as training officers moved between the phalanxes like a mobile fortress. The eye monitors on their helmets emitted a faint light, and their metallic voices reached the ears of every "recruit".

"According to the number, act immediately!"

The queue began to move like a machine. The young men, carrying the uniformly issued marching bags, walked with heavy and firm steps.

Someone looked up at the sky, where the silhouettes of several ships were like hanging steel mountains, their shadows covering half of the town.

"Remember your oath!"

The Imperial Fist sergeant in a scarlet robe stood beside the gangway of the main transport boat, and a metallic voice came through his helmet, "From today on, you are no longer refugees, but the Emperor's sharp blade!
When the hatch opens again, you will step onto the battlefield, and! Your uniform is not a gift-"

He punched the breastplate hard, making a loud sound like a bell. "It's the quenching mold!"

"Yes! Sir!!"

This time, the teenagers did not choose to remain silent. Instead, they responded with loud voices and quickly boarded the transport boat.

Through the porthole, they took a last look at this temporary "home".

There are solid barriers, delicious meals, and even entertainment products that they have never heard of or seen before, but even so, it cannot wipe out their determination to avenge their relatives and friends.

The hatch of the transport boat slowly closed, temporarily isolating the "warmth" and tragic memories of Yavin 4, and carrying them to the ship above the town.

In the low-Earth orbit of Yavin 4, the light of the stars illuminates the assembled fleet.

A steel array consisting of more than a hundred ships, with an Emperor-class battleship as its core, is quietly floating in the void.

The emblem of the Imperial Fists was engraved on the armor of most of the ships - the golden fist mark shone brightly on the armor. These were Dorn's direct troops.

The remaining dozen or so warships belonged to Sigismund.

Since the construction and assembly of a ship takes a lot of time, Sigismund's fleet had to return to the battlefield after only completing maintenance and replenishment of troops and equipment.

And inside the bridge of the Emperor-class ship;

Dorn stood in front of the holographic sandbox on the center console. His figure looked particularly tall in the cold light of the projection. Every line of the Primarch's exclusive armor seemed to reflect the dark blue of the data stream.

The three-dimensional projection of Tatooine slowly rotated in front of him. Dozens of strategic nodes were marked on the holographic image of this desert planet, with only a few marked in red as still posing a threat.

The Primarch's fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the projection table, and every touch caused a circle of tiny ripples.

Suddenly, there was a wave in the air, and Aoi's holographic image condensed and took shape beside him.

Her long light golden hair fluttered slightly, and the spirit bone ornaments dotted between her hair shone with a pearl-like luster. The crystal sword at her waist cast a faint blue light spot on the deck.

"All 23,000 recruits have boarded the ship."

Her voice had the electronic texture of holographic communication, but still maintained the unique rhythm of the elves. "But the medical officer reported that most of them still have mild malnutrition symptoms. After all, they have been rescued for no more than a week."

Dorn did not take his eyes away from the projection of Tatooine, but nodded and said, "Those children are in the period of growth. Notify the relevant personnel to double the nutrient supply for them and continue to improve their meals."

"The psychological evaluation report is even more worrying."

Aoi's projection floated forward half a step, and the light spot of the crystal sword moved with it. "Their dream records last night showed that 37% of them are still experiencing traumatic flashbacks."

This time Dawn turned around.

As the Primarch, his face should have been as unchanging as a sculpture, but at this moment Aoi clearly saw the subtle wrinkles at the corners of his eyes——

That was a tiredness that only appeared when facing her.

Dorn was well aware of his fiancée's concerns, such as whether the children were ready to face war.

How will other legions evaluate this method of recruitment, and will they use it to "make a fuss"?
More importantly, what impact will such a decision have on the souls of these young people?
Then, he patiently explained: "This is not a hothouse selection. The boot camp in the main universe can spend several years carving a rough jade, but here-"

He pointed to the "burning" galaxy outside the porthole and said, "Chaos is creating new orphans every second."

The holographic sandbox suddenly unfolded a new layer, showing a three-dimensional topographic map of Tatooine's surface.

Dorn ran his finger across the desert, canyons, and abandoned water farms, marking green signals at several key locations, and said:

"Besides, they will not be deployed directly to the front line. In the first phase, they will only participate in clearing out the remaining enemies and garrisoning the cleansed strongholds. In addition, each company of new recruits will be led by two veteran Astartes, which is enough to ensure safety."

As he spoke, he pulled up a surveillance video of a town where refugees were resettled.

In the picture, a skinny boy was grabbing the sleeve of the recruiting officer, and his hoarse roar echoed on the bridge -

"Give me the gun! I want to kill those butchers with my own hands!"

The camera turned to the queue at the back, and the same "fire" was burning in hundreds of eyes, which was the look that only those who had lost everything would have.

Obviously, these young people all lost their loved ones and friends on Tatooine forever because of Darth Vader's invasion.

Aoi's projection was silent for a moment, then said, "Hatred corrodes the soul."

"But they can also forge armor." Dorn closed the video, "They will continue to train on board the ship, using actual combat instead of drills, and I will personally screen those who are qualified and make them true Imperial Fists.

certainly"

Dorn's voice softened as he spoke: "If someone prefers to return to a peaceful life, I will let them leave the system and return to society. After all, this is their own choice."

"Yes." Aoi did not have much objection. She just hoped that Dorn would not make any mistakes. Then, her holographic image began to fade. "The defense nodes of Yavin 4 and the Jedha system have been synchronized. I will guard this line. May the light of the Lord of Humanity illuminate your journey."

"Keep the quantum communication open." Dorn nodded in response, "If the calculation is correct, we will reach Tatooine's orbit in twenty-four hours."

"it is good."

As the image of Aoi faded, a spectacular sight appeared outside the viewing window.

The last batch of transport ships carrying new recruits are passing through the atmosphere, and their plasma tails are drawing gorgeous "auroras" in the ionosphere of Yavin 4.

These traces of light complement the fleet's neatly arranged navigation lights, like a silent dance.

"All ships are ready."

"Initiate the jump sequence."

A crew member gave a report, and Dorn gave the order directly.

Buzz.
The Emperor-class battleship's giant jump engine began to roar, and the force field generator on the bow burst out with a dazzling blue light.

Swish-!
The fabric of reality was torn apart, and a jump rift with a diameter of 120 kilometers opened up in front of the fleet, its edges flashing with strange blue vortex marks.

When this twisted jump gate was formed, the entire fleet was like an arrow ready to be launched.

"Coordinates locked."

"Everyone jumps."

As the words were spoken, hundreds of ships followed the Emperor-class battleship and entered the jump space together.
-
The rift in the jump space slowly closed behind the fleet, and the starlight in the real universe dissipated like the tide, replaced by a faint light like water ripples.

And inside a large transport ship that is two kilometers long;
The sound of metal doors sliding open echoed in the corridor, and recruits entered and exited their dormitories one after another.

These young people from Tatooine silently packed their uniformly issued marching bags and stuffed their few personal belongings into the secret compartments of their lockers.

Some people repeatedly stroke faded family photos, some people put the sand from their hometown into sealed bags. These insignificant relics are their last connection with the past.

The lighting and holographic systems in the living area simulate the planetary circadian rhythm, and at this moment it is showing "daylight" at noon.

The holographic bulletin board on the bulkhead scrolled the training schedule.

"Basic physical fitness at 0600",

"0800 firearms maintenance"

"1300 Hours Tactical Sign Language" and so on, the densely packed schedule foreshadows the new life they are about to usher in.

As the first batch of recruits entered the central mess hall, murmurs of disbelief spread among the crowd.

On the hundred-meter-long food collection line, delicacies from different "agricultural worlds" are neatly displayed.

For these teenagers who came from the Tatooine desert, this kind of meal, a luxury that only farmers can enjoy during the harvest season, is now piled up into a "small mountain".

“The seventh meal line offers spiced grilled meat.”

The service terminator wearing a chef's hat shuttled around the cafeteria and reminded: "It is recommended to pair it with Harvest Star hot sauce."

The recruits held alloy plates and sat down stiffly at the long table.

Some people stared at their own reflection in the table knife, while others carefully took each piece of food to taste.

The eyes of several young men in the corner suddenly became red. They felt that they would be able to enjoy a good life soon, but their relatives and friends were gone forever. At the same time, it made them more determined to train hard and become real warriors.

Meanwhile, on Dorn's Emperor-class flagship, in a senior officer's sleeping cabin;
"Forehead"

An "officer" was awakened by the subtle buzzing sound caused by the vibration of the ship's hull when it entered the jump voyage. He suddenly threw back the quilt, and his slightly messy blond hair was particularly conspicuous in the dim cabin.

"What the hell."

When he saw the view of the jump space outside the porthole with sleepy eyes, he sat up with a curse and stepped barefoot on the cold metal floor.

The automatic sensor light in the dormitory gradually lit up as he moved, and the soft light illuminated the space of less than 15 square meters.

In the storage compartment fixed on the wall, several personal belongings were neatly arranged, including his well-maintained personal gun, an old-fashioned leather wallet, and a slightly faded metal badge of the Investigation Department.

The "officer" staggered towards the built-in toilet, and the sensor door slid open silently. When he scooped up cold water in his hands and splashed it on his face, he finally woke up completely.

The man in the mirror had an angular face and dark circles under his blue eyes.
These are traces left by continuous fighting.

The officer wiping his face, or rather, the elite agent of the Investigation Department, was Leon S. Kennedy.

He wiped his face roughly with the towel and threw it back on the shelf.

After returning to the dormitory, he opened the wardrobe and picked out the one he wore most often from a row of neatly arranged uniforms: a pair of work pants and a dark gray training short-sleeved shirt.

These seemingly ordinary clothes have actually been specially treated to be able to withstand close-range shooting with ordinary live ammunition.

After putting on his socks, he skillfully put on the pair of combat boots that had accompanied him for many years.

The anti-slip grooves on the soles of his boots had been worn away for the most part, but they were still sturdy and reliable. Finally, he habitually checked the spare magazine in the storage compartment and only left the cabin after confirming that it was correct.

The lighting in the corridor was much brighter than in the cabin, and Leon squinted his eyes for a while to adjust.

The aroma wafting from the direction of the cafeteria in the distance made his stomach protest at the right time.

“Let’s fill our stomachs first.”

He muttered to himself and walked towards the direction where the fragrance came from.

The reason why Leon came to Dorn's flagship was that he had to obey the latest mission given by Ada and lead a small number of investigation department agents to Tatooine to meet up with the Spartan troops.

After participating in the Scarif raid and the battle for the Death Star, Leon thought he would be able to get a short break. However, he never expected that the Chaos Gods in the Warp would also set their sights on the "One-Seven" Universe (Star Wars), which once again shattered his hope of rest.

After a short rest, he led the members of the Investigation Department and some local "employees" who were also assigned to the Investigation Department to Yavin 4 first. After the situation on Tatooine stabilized, they would go there to meet up with Sparta.

As for the purpose of going to find Sparta, it was because the Investigation Department and the Biological Department reached a "consensus" and prepared to let that group of super soldiers also come into contact with the infiltration, stealth and plainclothes reconnaissance work that investigators need to perform, so as to make Sparta more comprehensive. At the same time, Sparta can also provide "bodyguard" services for their group of agents.

The Investigation Department will send Leon and others to contact the Kaminoans first to ensure their cooperation with the Empire.

As the most experienced agent in the "One Seven" universe, Leon naturally took on this mission.
(End of this chapter)