The First Regiment of Vostonia, trailing Thierry's retinue, infiltrated the Underhive through an abandoned mining tunnel.
Thierry Viera approached Nimrod, presenting his counsel with measured deference.
"My lord, our forces now number nearly four thousand, and your stature is formidable."
"To reach the Upper Hive swiftly, before the Mad King can muster a response, we must launch a surprise assault on a train station and seize a mag-lev train."
"Lukov's hive boasts a transportation network unrivaled among other hives. Each mag-lev train stretches one point six zero nine three kilometers in length, capable of ferrying personnel, vehicles, or materiel at high velocity."
Thierry's voice simmered with resentment. "It is precisely this technology that enables the Mad King to maintain his dominion. During my guerrilla campaigns, the greatest threat stemmed from him. Puhach, departing from the spire, can reach any region of the hive within three standard hours."
"Fortunately, the mag-lev trains' excessive speed means that, once a carriage is detached, it requires hours—sometimes entire work cycles—for friction to bring it to a halt. I intend to hijack a carriage directly at a junction in the tunnel network."
"The mag-lev technology was unearthed by the ancestors of House Piontkovski from ancient relics, yielding the sacred construction template for these trains. This exclusive technology forms the bedrock of their house's power."
Nimrod nodded, endorsing Thierry's stratagem. "Where is the nearest train station?"
Thierry produced a data-slate, manipulating its interface to display two routes curving upward through the hive's labyrinthine depths.
"My lord, the closest is Train Station D-404."
"Following this route, the march covers a distance of twenty point five kilometers."
"However, it requires traversing a narrow ventilation shaft, impassable for your stature. You must take this alternate route, spanning thirty-one point four kilometers."
Nimrod sank into contemplation, his mind calculating at prodigious speed, formulating a meticulous plan.
Moments later, he spoke with resolute authority.
"Dispatch a squad to guide the way."
He turned to the eager company sergeants behind him, his gaze bypassing them to settle upon Szczesny.
"Seventh Company, you are granted the honor of seizing this mag-lev train station."
"As you command, my king."
The Seventh Company's sergeant bellowed his acknowledgment amid the envious glances of his peers. Thierry, scanning the assembly, felt a pang of astonishment.
[This King Nimrod's subordinates harbor an almost supernatural reverence for him. His rise has been swift—how has he achieved such devotion?]
Thierry's eyes met the giant's, and clarity dawned. Nimrod, akin to a god of war, naturally inspired awe and worship.
Szczesny gripped his lasrifle tightly, his eyes ablaze with martial fervor, sensing the opportunity to prove himself.
He noticed Rawlslev pulling the company sergeant aside, murmuring instructions. The sergeant, having lost his right eye and forgoing an augmetic replacement unlike others, turned and met Szczesny's gaze.
The sergeant, his right eye crisscrossed with sutures, strode back and roared, "Move out!"
Szczesny trailed the sergeant and their guide, navigating fetid sewage pits and crawling through cramped conduits, halting one point four kilometers from Train Station D-404.
The guide, dispatched by Thierry, whispered to the Seventh Company's sergeant.
"Train Station D-404 is manned by five shifts, two of which are guard units operating in rotation."
"For each guard shift, there are one hundred twenty-five sentries."
He then activated his data-slate, briefing the Seventh Company's officers on the station's architectural layout.
"Every train station in the Underhive is constructed according to the D-Standard blueprint, identical in structure, comprising guard chambers, platforms, and access points."
The sergeant, absorbing the briefing, nodded. His lone eye flicked to the station, then back to the data-slate's display. After a moment, he issued his orders.
"Fourth Platoon, you will assault the guard chamber."
"Szczesny, your squad will lead the breach."
Szczesny, basking in the envious gazes of his comrades, struck his chest with a fist in salute.
The sergeant assigned tasks methodically, then addressed all officers.
"Synchronize your chronos. Launch the attack in ten minutes."
"Now, as in training, advance stealthily to your tactical assault points."
He surveyed his officers, ensuring each mirrored his gesture: arm extended sideways, elbow bent, wrist raised to cheek level, fist clenched with palm facing the commander.
The sergeant whispered, "Engage!"
Szczesny promptly rejoined his squad, leading them in covert maneuvers, exploiting stone pillars and terrain features to approach their tactical point swiftly.
At the appointed moment, the Seventh Company struck in unison.
Szczesny's lasrifle emitted a searing beam, striking a guard at the guard chamber's entrance. Simultaneously, another marksman in his squad dispatched the second sentinel.
He drew a flashbang grenade, sprinting to the guard chamber, kicking open the iron door with a powerful thrust, and hurling the grenade inside before rolling to cover against the wall.
Blinding light erupted within the chamber, but the assault team, shielded by visors, was unaffected. Szczesny led the charge, squeezing the trigger.
The guards raised their weapons, firing wildly, but their blindness rendered their resistance futile.
Fourteen minutes later, the battle concluded. The Seventh Company secured the train station, with only two warriors felled by stray shots.
Nimrod, commanding the main force, arrived shortly thereafter, striding before the Seventh Company's warriors.
"Well done. You have fulfilled your task."
Nimrod's commendation swelled the chests of the Seventh Company's warriors with pride.
The force proceeded to the platform, where the mag-lev train, inert, was locked to its track.
Its exterior bore little distinction from conventional trains, yet its internal architecture was singular. The carriages, linked to the control cabin and each other via couplings, relied on a control panel for operation.
"Board!"
Nimrod's command echoed, and the mag-lev train, designed to transport vehicles, featured three taller carriages. Nimrod opened the carriage adjacent to the control cabin, stepping inside, its height precisely accommodating his towering frame.
Bukayo, Rawlslev, the Seventh Company's sergeant, and Thierry boarded the same carriage, while the others dispersed to subsequent compartments.
A technician from Thierry's retinue entered the control cabin, one of them summoning the control panel.
Comprising levers, dials, and intricately engraved gauges, the panel came to life as the technician manipulated a lever, intoning a litany of activation.
The dormant machine spirit awakened, the mag-lev technology engaging its gravitic suspension plates, elevating the entire train to hover two point five four centimeters above the track.
"My lord, permission to depart."
Thierry, seeking Nimrod's approval, relayed the order to the technician.
"Depart."
The technician advanced the lever, the propulsion mechanism accelerating with astonishing speed, propelling the mag-lev train into motion.
En route, Nimrod received a briefing from the Seventh Company's sergeant, inquiring specifically about Szczesny's performance.
At Upper Hive Station B-19, the station master, leisurely sipping water, was startled by a blaring alarm.
Frowning, he seized his vox-unit.
"Station master, emergency! An unscheduled train approaches at high speed!"
"Activate the emergency interception protocol!"
The alarm resounded through the station, galvanizing the garrison to action. They scrambled to the platform, erecting a barrier of razor-wire.
The train, hurtling at breakneck speed, obliterated the blockade in an instant.
The garrison captain, aware that razor-wire could not halt the steel behemoth, exhaled in relief as the hijacked train slowed to a stop. He bellowed, "Prepare to engage!"
In the next moment, his eyes widened, beholding the giant who leaped from the carriage.
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🤦 : Oops! You've reached the limit for today. But just for your power stone and recommendation I might— no I would add additional Chapter.
20PS — 1 additional Chapter
40PS — 2 additional Chapter and special mention if you've contributed 3 or more PS.
That's all. Enjoy Reading!