Some hours later, Daisy departed after making final preparations with General Róngyù, ensuring her absence wouldn’t impede the siege too much. Daisy left Eternareign, leaving its orbit on Flaremane with the Flora man clinging to her, protected from the airless vacuum as a spacesuit covered his body.

  "Sir, is everything okay with your spacesuit?"

  "Y-yes, thank you!"

  "Great! We can leave without any worry! Just make sure to hold me tight!"

  The man tightened his grip around Daisy."Damara, I was wondering! How exactly does this w-"

  In a flash, Flaremane flew off into space. Planets, constellations, and black holes blurred, zipping through the void! The man's eyes widened with amazement as he saw the galaxy race by in a wild flurry of dazzling colors like the most magnificent abstract painting!

  "H-how long until we reach Planet Flora?"

  "Should be about three or four hours!"

  "That long!” The man said in shock.

  Daisy nodded yes.

  “I'm an engineer! Our most advanced vessels would take two or three days at best!"

  "That's my Flaremane!" Daisy giggled.

  Four hours later, they arrived near Planet Flora.

  "We're here!"

  "It's been so long since I've seen my homeland!"

  "I'm happy for you, but where's your wife?"

  "Please go to the great healing tree in Lucktus!"

  "Are you sure?"

  "Y-yes! Before the incident, Tamar and I agreed that's where we wanted our first child to be born!"

  "To Lucktus it is!"

  Daisy descended through the atmosphere to the land below. She cut across the skies of Planet Flora and swiftly reached her destination. The Great Healing Tree towered over the other colossal trees at four thousand feet as a kingly forest giant. A legion surrounded the tree as it offered refuge. Holes across its body gave passage to the people. Thousands flew to and from its trunk and sprawling branches, housing the hospital facilities! But engrossed by its splendor, Daisy flew into them, nearly crashing into several."Sorry!" Landing on a crowded platform on one of the branches.

  "This is quite a place!"

  "Isn't it?"

  "Anyhow! Let's look for your wife!"

  Daisy and the man hurried into the tree, but as they frantically searched for Tamar, the man spotted her in a room, entering labor!

  "There she is!"

  "She's beautiful! You're so lucky!"

  "Thank you so much, Damara! How can I ever repay this great kindness!"

  "Go to your family and treasure every second with them!"

  The man nodded yes, running towards Tamar. As she saw him coming, she burst into tears of joy. The spouses embraced each other with an iron grip, kissing! Daisy watched their reunion with a happy smile. But looking at the child in Tamar's stomach, her smile faded away! She lamented the innocent child's birth during a brutal war! She realized the man came dangerously close to missing the birth of his first child. And he was only one victim. How many others across the galaxy were there? How many children would be born during this violent time?

  On planet Srian, the sandstorm subsided, revealing the United Planets victorious in Zkin. They toiled away, building their occupation in the heart of the city, collecting war prisoners, and guiding civilians to the doctors. And amid the aftermath, Carter monitored his soldiers’ work, scanning for flaws with the eyes of an eagle hunting prey!

  Clive ran to Carter."I'm back!"

  "Progress report?"

  "Northern districts are done and dusted!"

  "I can hardly believe it!"

  "You better believe it! The war prisoners will be coming around here soon!"

  "All the same, we can move on to the remaining targets without delay!"

  "Already? Carter, the men are tired!"

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  "Can't be helped. We need to secure the planet as quickly as possible!"

  "Why? Now that we have this location, we have them licked!"

  "Bud, my bad feeling's telling me that's not the case!"

  Without warning, the head doctor hurried to Carter and Clive. She came to the men in a desperate hurry, panting, tripping over her feet! Aelia, an Aquis, was a beautiful woman with a slender, curvy body and long, silky hair.

  Carter dashed to her, catching her as she fell."What's the problem, Aelia?"

  "A dire one, General Carter!"

  "What's wrong?"

  "My staff did an inventory of our medical supplies! We've run completely dry on disinfectant, painkillers, and more!"

  Carter bellowed a sigh."Stupid question, but please tell me how bad this is?"

  "I have numerous soldiers and civilians that need those supplies!"

  Clive playfully batted the back of Carter's head."So, in other words, we need to let the men rest for a while!"

  "It's far more severe than that, Lieutenant Rogers! We must halt the siege and import more supplies immediately!"

  Carter walked away from Clive and Aelia, bashing his fist against a piece of rubble. His mind labored, arduously formulating a solution that didn’t involve halting the siege. But as he finally made one, he hurried back to them.

  "Okay, listen, we're not halting the siege!"

  "What?" Clive and Aelia shouted in unison.

  "Because I have a plan! We're going to raid the enemy's stores for medical supplies. And there must be some plants for natural remedies!"

  "General Carter, as the head medical doctor, I must advise against this strategy!"

  "Listen to the woman, Carter!"

  "Please! I've analyzed this in every way I can think of. I promise you, we can't afford any delays!” Carter took a deep breath, dropping onto the ground to Clive and Aelia's shock! “There’s just no time to import more supplies! If we can pull this siege off now, our soldiers won't have to sacrifice as much later!"

  "You're the boss!"

  "Agreed! I'll do all I can from my end," Aelia said.

  "Thank you!"

  The battle between the United Planets and the Nemesis fleets concluded as the latter retreated from Srian’s orbit. The United Planets blockade, a wall of hundreds of thousands of ships, held airtight as they bombarded the enemy away!

  Lucas flew through the United Planets fleet."Great work, everyone! We beat the enemy forces! I’ll send the good news to General Carter!"

  An alarm rang on Lucas' dashboard, and his eyes widened with terror, seeing the readings on his instruments!

  "By the lawgiver! Something's coming fast! Everybody, brace for it!"

  In a flash of purple, a pillar of energy raced from deep space, piercing through the blockade! Lucas watched helplessly and horrified as the mighty defense crumbled. The pillar turned all in its path to fiery ash and wreckage, hurrying to the planet below!

  The pillar swiftly hit Zkin! Its impact shook the land with godly strength, spreading destruction. Across the city, the Earth split open, and buildings crumbled to ruin!

  A building broke in two above Carter and the others as its top half fell. But as they moved to escape, the pain from Carter's injuries stopped him. Clive rushed back to save Carter, but the debris closed in, readying to crush them. However, Sarah caught it in her giant hands, inches from their doom!

  "Thanks, soldier," Carter said.

  "Don't mention it, General Carter!"

  Clive carried Carter to safety. As he was away from harm, Carter looked at the aftermath of the attack, horrified. He gazed deeply at a vast black plume of smoke, extending thousands of feet above him, replacing the white clouds as it rose from a fiery gaping wound in the Earth!

  "My god," Clive said.

  "I've never seen a weapon of this magnitude," Aelia said.

  "Oh, my gods! Lucas and the blockade!"

  Carter quickly called Lucas on his holophone panel."Captain Fortis, report right now!"

  "We're alive, General Carter, but just barely!" Lucas said over the panel.

  "How's the blockade?"

  "Compromised! We can't hold this location any more, and the enemy's coming with reinforcements!"

  "General Carter, what are your orders?" Aelia asked.

  As an answer, Carter gazed at the gaping wound in the Earth in shock and crippling depression, going silent for a full minute.

  "Carter?" Clive shouted.

  "Retreat! Full retreat!"

  "You sure?"

  "Yes! Get as many of our soldiers and civilians to safety as you can! We lost!"

  "Yes, sir!"

  Meanwhile, Daisy flew through space, returning to Planet Eternareign.

  Daisy's communicator rang, and she answered it."Hello?"

  "Greetings, Damara! Our scouts saw you re-enter the atmosphere!" Róngyù said over the communicator.

  "General Róngyù, it's good to hear your voice. I hope I didn't hinder the siege too much, sir!"

  "Fear not! For better or worse, our progress remains the same. But tell me, is all well with our friend?"

  "Yes! His wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!"

  "Excellent! But don't rejoin us just yet!"

  "Why not?"

  "In your absence, we've made our way deep into Markutei. But I sense our adversaries may try a flank attack and ensnare us from two ends!"

  "Oh, I get it! You want me to fly behind you to ensure that doesn't happen!"

  "Quite true!"

  "Yes, sir! Consider it done!"

  Later, Daisy flew to Markutei, landing on a battlefield long after the fighting had ended. A deathly peace rained on the land as the armies continued the war elsewhere. But before Daisy's exasperated eyes stood a stark reminder of the blood-soaked battle. She gazed at the hundreds of dead bodies from both armies scattered across the rubble of the city!

  "Oh, god! When will it end?"

  A loud cough flashed through the air, and Daisy swiftly searched the area for the source. Time was of the essence. If they were around during the battle, they could be injured, perhaps dying. But as the coughing intensified, growing louder and more violent, Daisy doubled her efforts, finding nothing but the dead! However, finally, at her most desperate, she located them, seeing a Nemesis soldier still alive, struggling on the ground!

  Daisy ran to the soldier, cradling his body."Stay with us, friend! Stay with us!"

  The soldier slowly opened his eyes, but as he saw Daisy, he immediately drew his tyloblade, going to stab her. But she caught it, keeping it from her heart with her iron grip around his wrist!

  "The battle here is over! But you're hurt badly, and you need a doctor!”

  The soldier panted."I prefer you leave me here! I choose to die for my empire than live surviving off my enemy's pity!"

  “Please, just let me save your life!"

  “Go to chaos!”

  Daisy, in anger, clutched down on the soldier's wrist, making him scream in pain.

  “Why you b-

  "Listen! You may not be able to see the value in your life outside of being a tool for Mavor's sick ideology, but I do. So I'm saving you, like it or not!" Daisy interrupted.

  The soldier gazed at Daisy, enraged, but his rage disappeared, looking her in the eyes. He trembled as they emanated a force he never thought possible from an enemy! Staring at him, they were devoid of hatred but filled with concern in its purest and most potent form. A concern he had forgotten, one that valued his life! Reigniting his fear of death. And so, as tears flooded his eyes, his trembling hand dropped the blade.

  "Thank you!" Daisy picked up the soldier, carrying him to safety.