Arc 1 - Chapter 36 - Galactic Politics Lecture II
"The true objective of this conflict has been obscured from the public eye, but every participant in this war understands its true purpose. It's crucial that we never lose sight of the ultimate aim of this struggle: ensuring the survival of humanity beyond the 1,000-year mark."
With a swift gesture, she re-engaged the holographic projector. This time it portrayed a two-dimensional model of the Galactic Bubble, with the Terran Sector nestled at its core.
For Thea, this marked the first glimpse into the immense expanse of the Galactic Bubble, and the unfathomable scale of the galaxy beyond Lumiosia and the Sovereign. She had trouble even figuring out where Lumiosia was, as barely any Star Clusters were named beyond the one housing Terra itself.
"Do you know where Valtrusia is...?" she whispered to Corvus, her voice barely audible. Corvus squinted at the map for a moment before indicating a small star cluster about a quarter of the way towards Terra from the bubble's outer boundary.
"That ought to be it, I think. The Valtrusian Star Cluster is fairly distinctive due to its relatively small size, when compared to the greater region it is in," he elaborated. "Any idea where your home planet might be located?"
In response, Thea shook her head, her brow furrowing in concentration as she peered again at the map, just as it was divided into eleven sectors emanating from Terra itself. Before she could figure out all the changes however, Professor Hilax answered her unspoken question.
"These represent the territories of the current major factions, each vying for the future of humanity. For clarity, I've positioned us, the UHF, at the centre bottom. We will closely examine only four of the ten other factions as these are the ones most likely to impact you over the next couple of years, maybe ever.
"As you can envision, “ Professor Hilax continued, articulating her words with a methodical, measured cadence, “initiating a conflict with factions that are not immediate neighbours to your own sector is incredibly complex. Armies are not allowed to traverse the neutral-zone under Terra's influence, so the only feasible option would involve either conquering or infringing upon an adjacent faction's territory to engage in war with one farther afield. However, permitting a hostile army, sizable enough to instigate a potential conflict with another faction, into your own territory, is a prospect no tactician would entertain seriously.”
Professor Hilax paused, letting the meaning of her words permeate the room and making sure everybody was paying attention, before she resumed, “This results in us only really having active conflicts with the two most directly adjacent factions on either side, with the factions one further out being a rare occurrence and the ones beyond that being non-existent.
“The faction that most of you have dealt with so far, and immediately on our left in this diagram, is the ‘Stellar Republic’.”
With a gesture of her hand, a new image was displayed on the holographic projector. It showed an emblem featuring a radiant star surrounded by a wreath of celestial bodies with a soaring eagle above the star and an open, ancient-looking, book below.
"The Stellar Republic operates under the rule of what are, ostensibly, officials elected by all members of the faction. Their perspective on humanity’s future resonates surprisingly closely with ours, albeit with a noticeably lower regard for human life. This disconcerting trait is prominently reflected in their approach towards this ongoing war and has earned them the nickname of ‘Freaks’ amongst our Marines and service members.
"They are renowned, rather infamously, for their 'human-wave' tactics - flinging bodies at their problems until they're submerged under a deluge of fallen. This is far from a hyperbole, as you will realise. The core composition of their armies exemplifies this approach. On average, for every 1 integrated soldier that the Stellar Republic deploys, there are approximately 50 unintegrated soldiers. The ratio can fluctuate drastically across different battlegrounds. In some critical theatres, the ratio may be as narrow as 1:5-10, while in less pivotal conflicts, it could skyrocket to 1:100 or even higher.”
Thea’s eyebrows rose involuntarily at that thought.
The sheer idea of being an unintegrated soldier, going up against even just Karania or Corvus, was utterly terrifying. She didn’t even want to imagine what it would be like for a normal human soldier to go up against a beast like Isabella instead…
“Since factions other than the UHF lack the capacity for mass-integration, they tend to lean on deploying enormous swaths of unintegrated soldiers. This is not only to bolster their ranks but also to seize any opportunity to create new integrated personnel through each encounter. This strategy, as one might expect, often results in a significant human cost on their part, as unintegrated soldiers are effectively helpless when compared to even the newest recruits among your ranks - a fact that your recent Practicals would have emphatically demonstrated. You stand leaps and bounds beyond the capabilities of ordinary soldiers, simply by being integrated into the Allbright System itself.
“Despite this however, you should never underestimate the capabilities of a group of soldiers, regardless of whether they are integrated or not. Their weapons are just as capable as ours. If you don’t pay enough attention or get overwhelmed by their numbers, you will undoubtedly die a quite embarrassing death.
“Now… The Stellar Republic’s Faction Trait is known as 'Duplication' and is as literal as it sounds. It duplicates the user, including all their personal gear within mere seconds, and for a remarkably nominal Merit cost. Many of you would have confronted them in your cube challenge trials and learned about this troubling Trait first-hand, roughly two years ago."
Her words lingered in the room, a stark reminder of the first taste of war they all had faced as part of the UHF. A chorus of nods and murmurs of agreement swept through the room, while furrowed brows and tightened jaws betrayed the recruits' shared annoyance at the recollection of having to fight the Stellar Republic’s tactics.
Corvus was no exception.
He clenched his jaw visibly, his usual calm facade replaced with a clear expression of annoyance and hints of disgust as he grappled with the memory. Observing him from the corner of her eye, Thea felt a thread of worry twist inside her as she wondered to herself, 'What exactly happened during his trial? I've never seen him this upset...'
Uncertain about whether it was her place to ask about his memories, Thea silently turned her thoughts inward instead, reflecting on her own experience during the cube trial. It was as vivid in her memory as if she had just yesterday set foot into that immense, high-tech cylinder back on Lumiosia.
Her recollections were most vibrant about the four UHF members who had since become her guiding lights in this bewildering galaxy: The seemingly unwavering Squad Leader Kellerman, the dependable, albeit somewhat stand-offish, Squad Medic Orion, the goofy Ace-killer Lieutenant Frost, and the kind, empathetic Sergeant Selene.
She cherished their brief encounters, harbouring a hope that one day their paths might cross again. She had also not forgotten about the pledge she had made to Sergeant Selene, a vow to reunite after graduating from Basic Training.
As for the Stellar Republic however, Thea did not remember much about them individually, other than the fact that the duplicators had been a huge pain for everyone else to deal with. Her strange gut-feeling had made her an invaluable asset on the UHF’s side during the defence however, which had ultimately drawn the ire of Captain Ionheart and led to the showdown between himself and Lt. Frost.
Suppressing a chuckle as she reflected on these past events, which, in retrospect seemed exceptionally amusing, particularly Lieutenant Frost's demeanour and antics during the trial, she redirected her focus to Professor Hilax, who appeared ready to resume her lecture.
“Fundamentally, at Tier 0, the Duplication Trait is rather restricted. Much akin to your own Soul Transfer, each tier upgrade is accompanied by a substantial upgrade in the functionality or raw potency of the Faction Trait. For the Stellar Republic, this enhancement primarily manifests in three distinct facets we've discerned: Quantity, Quality, and Control.
“At the entry-level, a Tier 0 Duplicator - the term we assigned to the integrated members of the Stellar Republic's military - might be able to produce only a scant number of copies, each possessing limited accuracy and lacking refined motor control. On the other hand, a Tier 1 Duplicator could potentially double this quantity, enhance their copies' overall agility, or even empower them to execute tasks more complex than simply discharging a weapon at a distant target.
“Such incremental progress continues with each tier ascended by the Duplicators, with each individual step bringing vastly increasing numbers of changes to the previous one. There have been unsettling accounts of higher-ranking members, assumed to be Tier 5, capable of cloning themselves to an almost indistinguishable degree, with no apparent loss of control or dexterity. Though the volume of these clones would naturally be minimal, I doubt I need to underline the degree of trouble a cloned, fully operational Tier 5 Ace presents on a battlefield.”
The thought of confronting multiple identical high-tier Aces made Thea involuntarily gulp, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. 'Trouble is a monumental understatement... That Trait is insanely overpowered... What the fuck? Resurrecting from the dead is nice and all, but how does that balance against the prospect of multiple Lt. Frosts, or potentially even worse, rampaging through the battlefield?' she thought, her mind racing as she tried to digest this newfound information about the Duplication Trait.
Corvus, sitting next to her, mirrored her unease. His brow was knitted into a pronounced frown as his fingers rapidly tapped away on his data-pad, capturing a whirlwind of thoughts, as Professor Hilax continued.
"The crux of our challenge, when it comes to combating the Stellar Republic's forces, lies in the sheer volume of combatants they can mobilise due to these two factors working in unison. Although the numbers are reasonably manageable, albeit already challenging, on T0 and T1 battlefields, this balance begins to tip alarmingly once we reach T2 and beyond. By this stage, most Duplicators have acquired at least one or two quantity upgrades for their Trait, escalating the sheer quantity of troops and equipment they can deploy against us.
"So long as the Duplicator survives and retains Merit, they can continually spawn an infinite number of copies, irrespective of how many we eliminate - there is no spawn limit on the total number any single Duplicator can create during a day. The only viable strategy to curb this relentless surge of reinforcements is to take down the Duplicators themselves. However, this, in itself, poses a significant problem as well.
“Given that the clones are precise replicas of the original, differentiating between them becomes incredibly challenging. While managing a large number of clones can be mentally taxing and necessitates the Duplicator to stay relatively close to the frontlines, often leading to them appearing somewhat disoriented, locating them amidst the sea of bodies is a near impossible task."
Reflecting on her own trial, Thea recalled the initial difficulties she had faced in distinguishing between the cloned soldiers and the actual Duplicators. However, she felt a certain disconnect with Professor Hilax's depiction of the situation, almost like she was overplaying the issue at hand.
After all, Thea herself had managed to eliminate a substantial number of Duplicators during her trial, despite being a simple, unintegrated soldier. If she could accomplish such a feat without the help of the Allbright System, there was no way that the higher-tiered, integrated Marines couldn't achieve the same or even superior results.
"It's not that hard..." Thea murmured absently, her mind lost in a sea of memories.
But like the sharp crack of a whip, Professor Hilax's voice jerked her out of her reminiscing. "What was that, Recruit?" she asked, her tone ringing with a challenge.
Startled, Thea's heart began pounding like a war drum in her chest. She hadn't intended to draw attention to herself like that. She could feel hundreds of eyes swivelling towards her, the whispers and murmurs humming through the air as the room came alive with curiosity. Her face flushed with heat and her hands, resting in her lap, started to tremble lightly.
She had unintentionally stepped into the spotlight in a room of 300 fellow recruits, and she felt her social anxiety creeping up on her like a monstrous shadow. Stammering slightly, Thea tried to collect her thoughts and formulate an appropriate response. She glanced sideways at Corvus, hoping to find a semblance of reassurance, but he was as shocked as the rest, his gaze fixed on her with wide-eyed surprise.
In that moment, all Thea wanted was to disappear, to fade away from the intensity of the scrutiny. But she knew there was no escape from the current predicament.
"I... Uh... I didn't mean to—"
"Please, go ahead, Recruit," Professor Hilax cut her off, her tone sharp and demanding, "If I'm not mistaken, I heard you utter, 'It's not that hard'? If you possess any unique insights into identifying Duplicators that have escaped the UHF's attention, I insist you share them with the rest of us. After all, this could be paramount for all of our survival on the field," the Professor retorted. Her voice held a trace of irritation, hinting at her displeasure of being unintentionally contradicted.
Thea swallowed hard, feeling the heat of the room suddenly magnify under the weight of the professor's challenging gaze and the attention of 300 recruits. She wanted to be swallowed up by the floor as she scrambled to find the right words. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she took a deep breath, hoping to control the tremor in her voice.
"Well... uh, Professor," she started, her eyes darting around the room before settling back on the imposing figure of Professor Hilax, "I... um... mean to say... during my cube trial... it seemed that... um... the Duplicators, they seemed disoriented... a bit off... when compared to the clones, as you mentioned."
With her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap, Thea fought to steady her voice. Imagining herself in a calm setting, as if she was simply delivering a report to a superior officer, instead of being under the microscope in a lecture hall teeming with her peers, she tried to steady her heartbeat, her anxiety threatening to overrun her composure.
"Essentially," she began, her voice slightly stronger now, "once I concentrated on that particular tell— the disorientation and vulnerability of the Duplicators, I didn't encounter too much difficulty identifying them. In my trial, my role was predominantly that of a sniper, which perhaps gave me an advantage in carefully observing and zeroing in on individuals displaying these signs…"
She hesitated for a moment, attempting to swallow her anxiety once again before continuing, "It's just a thought, but wouldn't this kind of method be plausible for higher-tier Marines? Or maybe we could even have specialised squads whose primary focus is to detect these subtle discrepancies...?" Her voice trailed off, her statement hanging in the silence of the room, the echoes of her suggestions lingering.
The silence in the room seemed to stretch for an eternity, with Thea feeling the weight of hundreds of eyes on her, before Professor Hilax finally broke it.
"An interesting theory, Recruit," Professor Hilax began, her tone laced with a hint of scepticism. "It would indeed be an ideal solution if such a method was consistently effective. However, you must remember that your experience in the trial was a controlled environment, one that mirrors some of the less intense battlefields of past UHF engagements."
A faint murmur spread across the room, the Recruits exchanging glances, their expressions ranging from confusion to amusement. Thea felt a sudden surge of heat rise to her cheeks, her heart pounding in her chest.
Professor Hilax continued, "This is not to discount your efforts, Recruit. But, there is a likely chance that your success can be attributed to fortuitous circumstances, such as the precise timing or even the conditions of the simulation being easy to manage. Believe me, the UHF has tried and tested this approach time and time again. If only it were as simple as picking out the disoriented soldiers in the field. But alas, we have found it to be of little consistent success.
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"Now, I appreciate the desire to distinguish yourself among your fellow Recruits," she added, her tone chiding and even slightly demeaning in Thea’s ears, "but disrupting my lecture without substantive insights isn't the optimal route to do so. Exercise discretion with your contributions in the future, Recruit. Unless, of course, they're based on substantial, worthwhile evidence.”
With Professor Hilax's last words, something in Thea ignited. She felt a rush of indignation at the belittling of her hard-won success, the casual dismissal of her trials as mere fortunate circumstances. She could feel the tension building, until suddenly, something snapped inside of her.
"That wasn't just any 'easy to manage simulation', Professor!" Thea retorted, her voice loud and steady despite the undercurrent of emotion coursing through her. "My cube trial was the defence of Rog'An Prime’s Theta Outpost. I’ve been told it’s one of the hardest assessment trials to get."
Her rebuttal stirred a wave of surprise through the classroom. Nobody had anticipated such bold defiance from Thea - herself included. Understanding she had passed the point of no return and would have to conclusively prove her words now, she tapped into her Allbright System’s Accomplishment screen and brought up her Achievement—a familiar, holographic blue box displaying her feat for all to see.
| [Senior (Silver) Stellar Republic Menace Accomplishment] Successfully kill more than 50 soldiers of the Stellar Republic that are actively using their Faction Trait.
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