"Dream Swarm. Dream Swarm. Dream Swarm... ah!"
Stretching up onto the toes of my military boots, I grabbed a cassette from the shelf and carried it over to the desk, where stacks of similar blue-glowing rectangles were already piled high.
It had been a few days since Harry first led me to the archives, and since then, I had buried myself in research—on the Dream Swarm, as well as a few other subjects. Thanks to the doctors' medicine, I could walk around on my own now, exploring this vast trove of knowledge freely. But even as I pored over the data, I couldn't ignore the fact that Harry and a few other soldiers were lurking behind the shelves, sneaking glances at me and snapping photos like I was some kind of rare specimen.
Even the archive librarian had joined them.
I had no idea why they were watching me so intently. My body was practically healed—aside from some lingering lethargy—so why were they acting like I needed constant surveillance?
Shaking off the thought, I sat at the desk, slotted the cassette into the terminal, and began combing through the data.
For the past few days, I had been doing everything I could to learn about the Dream Swarm.
An invasive alien species, they first appeared 1,050 years ago on the dead world Olovicia-II, at the furthest edge of the galaxy—alongside a phenomenon known as the Horizon Anomaly, something no scientist had ever been able to explain.
There had been seven large-scale wars against them, all of which were officially recorded as victories for the Nymphas Empire—though I suspected that was more the romanticizing of historians than the actual truth. After all, despite these supposed triumphs, the Dream Swarm had still managed to permanently infest five percent of the Greyrot Quadrant. Seventeen percent of the quadrant remained a contested war zone—right where I currently was.
The Dream Swarm came in countless variations, each one deadlier than the last. The Drones, Chargers, Hunters, and Titans—I had already faced them all. Then there were the more dangerous combat evolutions, like the KnightMare I had fought, or the LucidTail, a scorpion-like variant. Magnitudes ranged from 3.0 all the way up to 9.0—though anything above 9.0 had only been seen twice in history.
Above all of them, however, were three top-priority targets. The kind that *had* to be exterminated on sight.
Brood-Mother—The main incubator of the Dream Swarm, capable of laying 10,000 eggs every twelve hours. Highly dangerous, even beyond reproduction, with electric attacks strong enough to induce EMP waves. Rarely seen above ground, as they prefer to hide thousands of meters below a planet's surface. Average magnitude: 7.0 or higher.
HiveLord—A sort of king or governor of the Dream Swarm. Not a direct combat threat, but dangerously intelligent, with an IQ of 130. Capable of releasing a pheromone that sends nearby Dream Swarm into an empowered *berserker rage*. Average magnitude: 5.0.
Obscuros—Only one reported sighting, at the very start of the Dream Swarm conflict. Believed to be a god-like entity among them—a specimen zero, the first of its kind. Almost all records of it were wiped out by a cult that worshiped the Dream Swarm 800 years ago, leading many to wonder if it even existed. Estimated magnitude: 10.0.
Compared to terrorists and insurgents in other quadrants of the galaxy, the Dream Swarm was, without a doubt, the most dangerous enemy the Empire faced. Which was why the bulk of its military forces remained cantered in this quadrant.
"But what was that golden horizon that signalled their arrival?" I muttered to myself, staring at an image of the unexplained phenomenon—something that had lasted for fifty years before vanishing without a trace. "There's even less data on that than on the Obscuros..."
I exhaled. "I should ask Andy about this."
Rising from my chair, I ignored my spies in the archives and made my way to the corridor.
The moment the door slid open, I nearly collided with Fenrir. My body reacted on instinct—snapping into a salute. "Greetings, General Fenrir."
"Talk about good timing. Come with me—and drop the salute, Second-Lieutenant." Without another word, he turned and strode off, leaving me to scramble after him.
"W-where am I being taken, sir?" I asked once I reached his side.
"The lab boys have some questions for you. They're in the repair bay, extracting the video logs from your Knight." He chewed on the end of his unlit cigarette.
I hesitated for a moment. Traveler warned me to never interact with scientists... But it was probably just him being weird. This was the same man who was addicted to apples and made me fight wild animals under ridiculous conditions, after all.
Breaking the silence, I asked, "Why are you personally collecting me instead of sending a lower-ranking officer, General?"
Fenrir rolled his left shoulder with a tired sigh. "Needed some space from those nerds after several days of answering their questions. Plus, I've been meaning to ask you something."
I tilted my head. "What would that be, General?"
We stopped in front of an elevator. He pressed a button, and as we waited, he said, "The battalion enlistment's coming up in a few weeks."
I wasn't surprised. I simply stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"...Hey, at least try to act surprised," he grumbled. "For all you know, I could be scouting you."
The elevator doors slid open. As we stepped inside, I thought aloud, "Are you?"
"Wouldn't be a bad idea." He pressed another button, and the elevator began descending from the 78th floor to the 63rd. "I can already tell you're competent, but I'm not a fan of shoving people where they don't wanna' be. That said, I thought you might be interested to hear that Draco's pilot has officially been admitted into my battalion next week."
"Sam did?" I blinked. "I thought he would—" I cut myself off. He did mention at the tournament two months ago that he and his father were on bad terms, but I still assumed he'd join Orion's battalion regardless. "Good for him, then," I murmured.
Fenrir gave me a sidelong glance and exhaled. Pulling the cigarette from his mouth, he muttered, "You need to work on those things called emotions, ya hear? Feels like I'm talking to a damn blank slate."
"I apologize, General. As a defective AKP unit, I am severely lacking in multiple aspects." My voice remained firm. "I have yet to decide which battalion to join as well."
Fenrir gave me another long stare as he lit the end of his cigarette, his brow arched. "That madman taught you all his tricks, huh? Just like Traveler. You know how to make people feel sorry for you, even when you're saying no. Only difference is, you don't have his snarky tone."
Something in my face must have changed, because his words suddenly hit differently. My expression brightened, my heart kicking up its pace. "You've met Da— I mean, Traveler?"
Fenrir chuckled, clearly having caught my slip. "Yeah, I have. Met him a little after the Empress's coronation, back when she was consolidating power, twenty years ago. Fun guy, if a few screws short of a full set. Most people call him the Ghost Pilot. No battalion, no recorded knighthood, no history of citizenship. And yet, by her own words, the Empress trusts him more than anyone."
"Really?"
I hadn't expected to hear that. Traveler had always been strange, eccentric even, but if he were a threat to the Empire, would he really have trained me? Would he have stood by the Empress and helped her rise to power?
"I trust him," I said, my voice firmer. "The Empress is wise enough to know who's dangerous and who isn't."
Fenrir hummed in agreement as we arrived at our destination.
The moment the repair bay doors slid open, I immediately understood how much more advanced this facility was compared to the warships. The scale of it was overwhelming—dozens of the towering Knights suspended in circular rings, while teams of engineers worked tirelessly using high-tech equipment. Conveyor belts carried entire rows of Knights along the bay, repositioning them at will.
At the heart of the bay, five men in lab coats stood in front of a fully repaired Andromeda, teal visor gleaming as it projected combat footage. Their voices overlapped in frantic discussion.
"So the mutated KnightMare's elbows have less armour. Interesting."
"Yes, but its punching force is three times that of a standard 5.0-KnightMare."
"That's due to velocity before impact. Watch the leg movements!"
Fenrir cleared his throat loudly, cutting through their chatter. "Ahem." Then, without hesitation, he shoved me forward. "I brought her. I'm going to have a smoke."
"Huh?!" My eyes shot to him, betrayal all over my face. He smirked, clearly enjoying himself. He knew full well I had no interest in his battalion—this was payback.
The scientists' gazes locked onto me, like a pack of starving men who had just been served a meal.
"How would you describe the KnightMare's personality?"
"What features did you first notice?"
"If you fought it again, do you think you could win?"
The questions kept coming, piling onto me faster than I could process. My mouth barely had time to form answers before another inquiry took its place. This was torture. This was hell. And finally, after five long hours, the scientists left, satisfied.
I slumped onto Andromeda's repair platform, utterly drained, their voices still echoing in my skull. Traveler warned me to stay away from scholars and researchers. Now I understand why.
A gentle tap on my shoulder made me turn. [Pilot.] Andromeda loomed over me, his teal visor dimly glowing. [Have you decided which battalion to join in our time apart?]
"I..." sitting up, I put my resting my hands on my lap. "No." My fingers curled slightly. "I was hoping to join Traveler's battalion. To introduce you to him. But even after searching everywhere, I haven't been able to find his unit. It's like he doesn't exist."
Andromeda remained silent. I knew he was scanning his network, just as he had done countless times before. I had told him everything I knew about Traveler—his face, his habits, his voice, the way he moved. But no matter how much data Andromeda searched, Traveler's name never appeared in Nymphas Military records.
Fenrir had been right. Traveler is a ghost.
I exhaled sharply, frustration curling in my chest. "I want Traveler to praise me again."
[If the one you seek cannot be found, you should pursue other options,] Andromeda said. [Lamenting over a non-existent chance will not aid you, pilot. You must press forward.]
His logic only irritated me further. I wanted to snap back, but instead, I just sat there in silence.
[I have compiled a list of suitable battalions that align with our goals,] Andromeda continued, oblivious to my frustration. [The Harmonic Pack Battalion—specialists in high-risk expeditions with significant rewards. The Vibrio Hawk Battalion—elite search-and-destroy operatives. The Viper Horn Battalion—anti-insurgency and reconnaissance experts. All three will be at Helios Outpost in two weeks. You may make a choice then.]
"...Thanks, Andy." My voice was laced with scorn, though I tried to suppress it.
Andromeda's response was unexpected. His massive metal hand twitched slightly before moving in a slow, awkward motion above my head. [Be comforted.]
I blinked, confused. "...What are you doing?"
[I have detected irritation in your voice. According to The Guide to Females by Yulio Fengshu, physical touch can alleviate anger by up to 71.9%.]
I puffed out my cheeks, unsure whether to laugh or groan. But in the end, I couldn't help but giggle. "Pfft—Andy, you're such a dork. Hahaha! Have you ever had a female pilot before?"
[Negative. Including you, Firefly, I have only had eleven pilots since my manufacturing a thousand years ago.]
"...The eleventh, huh? My lucky number." Then a thought struck me. "Wait—you're a thousand years old. That means you were active during the first war between the Empire and the Dream Swarm." I sat up straighter. "I tried researching it, but all the archives were locked."
[That information should be accessible. Retrieving records now.]
I waited, but something felt... off. A strange sensation crawled over me, like I was being watched. I glanced around the bay, but saw nothing. Probably just another stalker with a camera.
[Records retrieved. Higher authorization required to unlock data files.]
I frowned. "Even your own memory banks are restricted?"
[Peculiar. I shall keep trying, pilot.] Andromeda beeped multiple times, trying to override the restriction, but failed.
"It's fine, Andy." I leaned back. "I was just curious if you had ever seen an Obscuros before. But if the files are locked, I guess I just need to climb the ranks and gain clearance myself."
Andromeda ceased his attempts. [Understood. I shall assist you in this endeavour.]
Smiling, I stood up. "Fenrir's battalion is leaving for Helios tomorrow. I'll go request to join their escort for the mutant KnightMare's transport."
Before I could take a step, Andromeda detached a pipe from his back, locking his joints into place. [Repairs complete. All systems operational. I shall return to your side, Pilot Firefly.]
In a flash, his massive frame compressed, folding in on itself until only a small, beetle-like device remained. It hovered briefly before landing in my palm. I slotted Andromeda into my belt with a smirk. "Good to have you back, Andy."
As I stepped out of the repair hall, I immediately spotted Fenrir leaning against the wall, arms crossed, cigarette smouldering between his fingers.
"Seems like you had a fun time."
Leaning against the wall just outside the repair bay, Fenrir was already waiting for me. Arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, he exhaled a slow stream of smoke before flicking his cigarette to the ground. "Would've thought they'd have to carry you back to your quarters after that."
I squared my stance, stamping my foot down in a crisp salute. "General Fenrir!" My voice was steady, composed. "Second-Lieutenant Firefly requests permission to accompany your battalion in escorting the mutant KnightMare's transport to Helios Station, sir!"
Fenrir blinked, his smirk faltering just slightly. "Eh...?" His jaw hung open for a moment, as if I'd thrown him off balance. "Why, first of all?"
"I have yet to decide which battalion I will enlist in at the end of the month, General," I explained, keeping my tone even. "Along with your battalion, Vibrio Hawk and Viper Horn will also be present at Helios Station. These three are the ones I am currently considering. If you permit me to join your escort, I would be grateful, sir!"
Fenrir tilted his head, rubbing his chin in thought. His sharp eyes flicked past me briefly before he let out a quiet chuckle. "So you're saying that if I let you tag along, my battalion will get more than just your consideration, hmm?" He clicked his tongue. "Awfully cocky of a little pup like you to try bartering with me."
I flinched. "Ah—n-no! I wasn't trying to—"
I bit my tongue before I could stammer further, the distant sound of a camera shutter snapping my attention elsewhere. My skin prickled, but I forced myself to focus. Straightening, I regained my composure. "It just seemed more efficient to join you on the escort and observe how a Constellation Knight's battalion operates first hand rather than taking a random shuttle to Helios, sir. I wasn't trying to negotiate anything."
Fenrir studied me for a long moment before shaking his head with a chuckle. "...Are you sure you're Traveler's kid?" His grin widened. "You fold too damn easily. Almost had me scared for a second there, too. Haha!"
Turning his back to me, he started walking away, and for a brief moment, I thought I'd failed to convince him.
"Ten o'clock sharp tomorrow, kid. Hangar 5. If you're late by even a second, you get left behind."
My heart leaped into my throat. Ecstatic, I barely contained my grin as I snapped into another salute. "Thank you very much, General!"
Fenrir waved me off without looking back, disappearing down the corridor.
Only then did I pause, realization creeping in.
…Why was he waiting outside the repair bay in the first place? There was no way he already knew I'd ask... right?