Chimera could feel the pull from the vessel as it began to lose its initial thrust, slowly but surely resting at a normal pace by the ship's standards.

  Being connected to Meras, everything from ship systems to thrust to gravity fed its information to her in a way her mind could comprehend.

  It was like hearing a new language but understanding it immediately as it was spoken to her.

  She sifted through the details as she made out the heading for their first mission, the moon that was tinged red with a grey overcast.

  Torsca.

  The word brought to mind a place filled with metal deposits, gemstone mines, and forges that were entire cities. Apparently the place was about the size of a planet, though smaller than Steros proper. It was their metal mine, their metallic moon.

  It was also a major refinery for their weapons and buildings, the ones that couldn’t be grown by using the Mother Tree or her daughters.

  The Elfari that lived and worked there were also different from the normal stock she had come to see, stockier, and shorter, but thick of arm and trunk. Most of them still had the ears and the pale complexion, but others that came up in her feed were tinged red or even black.

  Seemed that the planet’s atmosphere allowed for some kind of change to skin tone.

  Nevertheless, the important figures were what they were being sent to do, and so she sent a ping to the High General and the Harriers for a meeting.

  “Vice Captain Ironwood has the chair, set a course for Torsca and inform me of any changes or updates immediately.”

  Bark saluted her with a nod, “yes captain. Should I inform the crew?”

  Chimera thought about it for a second, “yes, but keep the details for now. I’m heading to the briefing room with the High General to confirm the mission details from the Empress. Keep her running till we get back, yeah?”

  Smiling back, he finished his salute, “will do ma’am.”

  Chimera did a half salute of her own, taking two fingers and shooting them upward as she turned to exit.

  When the door closed, she squealed a bit as she started to run down the halls.

  Sarah always wanted to enact being a captain for a starship, and I totally get why! That was so freaking awesome!

  A happy memory of Sarah playing with a toy set in the shape of a spaceship appeared in her thoughts, and Chimera nodded to herself.

  The real thing is soo much better Sarah… I’ll tell you when I get back.

  Chimera filed away the feeling she had in a new place in her mind palace. It was a work in progress, but it was also a sort of last ditch attempt at something she had in mind.

  In case… in case she ever came close to death again, Chimera wanted to send her family a care package, something that Sarah could access to understand what had happened to Chimera.

  A black box, with all of Chimera’s memories inside.

  She hoped she would never need it, that she would return safe and sound with a spaceship to show off to her family.

  Hope for the best and plan for the worst right?

  She shook her head, moving past a few crew members as she teleported the rest of the way to the briefing room.

  It was a square room with chairs all aimed around a table in the shape of a ‘C’ which left a middle area for a projector of sorts.

  It was a hologram device meant to connect the ship with the Imperial Palace back on Steros, a newer addition added for this very mission.

  Since it was likely that the Meras would be sent to multiple fronts to fend off and attack the Verdant Hood, getting updates from the capital and most importantly the Empress, would be paramount.

  Chimera sat in the seat closest to the edge of the ‘C’ shape, giving her leg room and a way of seeing everyone as they entered.

  The first to arrive was a newer Harrier to the group, one that had not been a part of the battle she had in the Militarum Arboretum. She was a wide-eyed looking lass with twin pig tails of a verdant color, that moved past her shoulders down her back. Turning her head would cause the tails to sway, giving them a willowy branch like quality.

  “Greetings's Archduchess Mera of Asta.” the new recruit spoke, a high tilt to her voice giving her a strange pixie-like voice.

  It caught Chimera off guard, “wha?”

  The pixie recruit tilted her head in confusion, which is all Chimera needs to realize she flubbed her greeting with this new face.

  Noticing her, Chimera shakes her head, “Uh yeah! Greetings… who are you again?”

  The pixie girl sighes, “of course the High General didn’t say.” Straightening her gown and giving an official salute, the pixie girl completes her pageantry with a pose that looks like her hands are a bird.

  “I am Master Chief Sargeant Arrose, Combat Marksman and Recon Specialist for Her Imperial Highness’ Imperial Harriers. It is my honor to meet the Empress’ Chosen.”

  Chimera, having never been taught anything remotely close to etiquette, does her own salute as she introduces herself.

  “Erm, I’m Mera of Asta, Captain of this ship and leader of this task force. It’s my pleasure to get to know you, Arrose.”

  “Likewise Captain,” the smaller Elfari belts out, a bit of red appears on her ears as she takes a seat.

  Chimera smiles back as the newbie tries to look dignified despite her obvious nervousness.

  “Listen, I’m not a stickler… wait, I mean I’m not really too worried about etiquettes and the right things or words to say, so feel free to be as blunt with me as possible. Trust me, it’ll save us both time.”

  “...If you say so sir,” the Master Chief Sergeant said, her face growing redder by the minute.

  Noticing, Chimera raises an eyebrow, “is… something up Master Chief Sergeant?”

  “...cute.”

  Chimera leaned in, “sorry, didn’t catch that.”

  “You’re so freaking CUTE! How are you this adorable?! The Captain said that you're an amazing fighter, but I never thought you would look like a kid. It’s almost too much!”

  The verbal onslaught caught Chimera completely off guard while another Harrier entered. This one Chimera recognized immediately as Bargo, the first Harrier to attack her.

  His lanky body and silver features gazed at both Chimera and Arrose before sitting down.

  “Couldn’t wait a day before showing her your weird side, eh?” he smiled snidely back at Arrose.

  It gave the impression that Bargo regularly did this to the smaller pixie-like Elfari, which gave Chimera enough time to recover from her earlier conversation.

  “Do what exactly,” Chimera questioned as the two turned to her.

  Bargo kept his smirk on his face, a far cry from his colder countenance when they first met, “Rose over here loves cute things to an embarassing degree.”

  “Shut up you… you!” Arrose, or Rose, was turning a bright pink as she sputtered.

  Chimera was about to comment just as another Harrier arrived, Bayleaf making her strides to sit next to Chimera.

  Chimera felt an itch to push her away from her, remembering their tense conversation in the council chamber before Chimera agreed to help in their fight.

  Sighing, Chimera turned to face Bayleaf.

  “Look, I don’t like what you did. I don’t handle… that very well, but we need to be able to work with each other. I got to know I can trust you on our missions. You can’t do that to me again. Be straight with me and no more bullshit because you think I need to do something.”

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Bayleaf turned her head to face her.

  “I can’t promise that.”

  Chimera snarled, “just wait one moment before you open your gob. I need to be able to trust you, or I’m not working with you.”

  She turned to the other two, “same goes for you as well. Be straight with me or this won’t work, and I’ll send your asses back to the Empress.”

  Bayleaf opened her mouth, “you don’t have that authority. We answer to the High General, and if she deems that we keep silent on certain intel then we must.”

  Chimera shook her head, “I’m not going to argue with you. I’m not even questioning your orders. All I am asking is that you don’t keep me in the dark when it matters. If you're going to hobble me, then you might as well leave.”

  Bayleaf opened her mouth to respond, but after staring back at Chimera for a short while, closed it and sat back in her seat.

  Silence filled the room for a few minutes before she decided to speak once more.

  “We needed help, but I’m sorry that I deceived you Mera.”

  Chimera turned her chair away from Bayleaf as she spoke back, “I’m not sure I can forgive you right now, but thank you for that.”

  The rest of the Harriers arrived shortly after, none that Chimera recognized from the fight.

  She was sure she would get to know them later, and so kept the silence until the High General arrived.

  Unlike her dress uniform, the General was wearing a combat attire, with armor and leg plates to protect her vitals. She kept a helmet that seemed tailor made for her large ears under her arm while she held a data slate that glowed green and white with text.

  “Thank you all for coming. Be seated.”

  The rest of the Harriers that weren’t already took chairs around the table as the High General took her place in the center of the room next to the hologram device.

  Turning it on with a flick of magic, the device came to life as it depicted the face of the Empress, her countenance stern and regal as she spoke.

  “Greetings my Harriers, and welcome tidings Mera.”

  Mera nodded back as the Harriers made their own salutes and shows of fealty.

  “The time is short so I shall be brief,” she spoke as the holographic device shifted from her face to a star map showing their destination and their heading.

  “Currently the trajectory has you arriving at Torsca in two days.” The map zoomed in onto the Meras showing a dotted line that led to the moon.

  She continued, “as far as our projections go, Torsca has not been under assault, but that may change based on the recent reports from the Militarum. Something has happened with the most recent skirmishes between us and the Hood.”

  The projection shifted to the nearby moon, showing a planet moon that was mostly water based, with a string of islands and one massive land mass. Chimera noted that the world was labeled Cerula.

  It showed a few ships that seemed massive in scale compared to the smaller Elfari battle branches that she witnessed before on Steros, which Chimera realized from her melding with Meras that these were the battleships of the Elfari fleet.

  However, the ships next to the branches were something to behold.

  Coated in a green design on the hologram, Chimera noticed the ships were massive, almost certainly some type of ark ship from the domed design and rounded exterior.

  It was like comparing a twig to a boulder, the difference in size between the three battleships and the one massive Verdant Hood vessel.

  “Cerula has seen the disappearance of one of the Hood’s mother-dome vessels, and a large contingent of their forces have departed along with it. We don’t have details about where the vessel is, but its closest trajectory could only be Torsca.”

  The Empress shifted back to Torsca, showing the moon and its grey overcast and red tinted soil.

  “It would take the mother-dome about three days based on current projections to make it to Torsca, but we can’t rule out that they sent a vanguard fleet to make way for their arrival.”

  The Empress shifted back to her face, turning her head to face the Harriers as she spoke.

  “My soldiers, my brave heroes. Torsca is defenseless against a mother-dome vessel, and a vanguard fleet would defeat any orbital willow casters that we have if they are not warned in time. I’m sending reinforcements as we speak, but it will be a week before they can reach the moon in time.”

  She turned to face Chimera, “I know I am asking a lot of you, but please, protect these brave men and women. The forces coming will number greatly, and the time table doesn’t allow for quick responses. You are the only card we have to play right now.”

  Chimera looked back at the rest of the Harriers before settling back on the Empress.

  “I could get us there sooner, maybe even by the end of today. I would have to change the ship to do so though, and that would require a great deal of magical energy. If you let me use the Harriers, I can make it work.”

  The Empress held her shock, but Chimera could see her iris’ dilate at the news.

  “Truly?”

  Chimera nodded, “it would change the Meras a bit to be more like me, but I think I can have it done if I got the energy. Might even give us more options against the Hood.”

  Oh man, the things I could try with Meras!

  She had been wanting to try and modify the ship, especially since it was a ship that had biological material as opposed to metal parts to work with.

  Though that wasn’t much of a problem, as the melding with the ship gave a power that Chimera had been missing for a while back.

  Technopathy.

  It slotted in just as soon as Meras connected with her, which made sense as what she and Meras did was very similar to what she used to do with human tech like the Bottys.

  Energy was the problem there though, she would need a colossal amount of bioenergy to try and morph the Meras into a ‘Chi-Meras’.

  The Harriers were some of the strongest mages of the Empire, and she also had a massive crew that she could also tap into.

  However, these were the Empress’ people. She might be an archduchess in their society, but she couldn’t really order them with the High General here.

  She needed the Empress to okay it.

  “What would it cost to do?” The Empress was skeptical, which was fine with Chimera.

  “I would likely drain most of the people here, but luckily Bayleaf here has been upgraded as well. She can have them back up in no time.”

  Turning her head to the doctor of the group, Chimera made out the slightest nod from the woman before the Empress nodded in return.

  “I will agree, but there is a clause I wish to add.”

  “Shoot.”

  The Empress turned to the other Harriers in the group, “my warriors, given the choice would you undergo the procedure that gave Lieutenant Bayleaf her increased power? Would you sacrifice your old flesh to defend the Empire?”

  “Yes, Empress!” the choir of voices almost shouted back.

  The Empress nodded before returning to face Chimera, “allow my soldiers to receive the boon that Bayleaf Bristlebranch had received from you. I will allow you to call upon the vessel’s magic and modify it as you see fit, as long as you grant them this boon.”

  “No take backs, I’m likely going to change it into something completely alien. I’m willing to give your people the boost, but I need to know I have your complete approval to call on them to help me with the changes.”

  Chimera stood as she said this, staring at everyone of the Harriers as she conveyed her words.

  “We do this, you all got to help. We’re a team here.”

  The Empress tilted her head in approval, “very well.”

  The High General tried to interject, but the Empress held up a hand on the projection to silence her.

  Jackpot! Now I can get a lot more P.E.Gs from the residual energy. Hell, I can make a ship sized one and power the entire vessel! Oh baby I can’t wait!

  Chimera hummed to herself as she spoke, “its a deal Traika. I’ll have your Harriers supercharged, and in exchange, they’ll help us super power-up the Meras. Win-Win for us both.”

  “And another blade to add to our sheaths,” The Empress smiled back, “thank you for agreeing to this arrangement Mera.”

  “Don't sweat it,” Chimera spoke back with a smirk, “It serves me as much as you to make sure these guys aren’t as squishy.”

  “Indeed,” the Empress giggled, which made a lot of the Harriers gape in amazement.

  Chimera got the impression many didn’t see this side of their leader.

  “Well then, seems our objectives are clear then. Get to Torsca before any of the Verdant Hood show up and set up defenses before they arrive. If not, hold them off until reinforcements arrive. Did I miss anything?” Chimera tilted her head as she walked around to face the hologram directly.

  The Empress made a grimace as she spoke.

  “Eliminate any that land on Torsca, we’ve been informed that they have some kind of device that can mess with the minds of the populace. We can’t have them being turned against us as well.”

  “Not a fan of mind control, dealt with something similar before,” Chimera spoke, a tinge of anger in her reaction.

  Anything that reminded her of Monica or Mona did not sit well with her.

  “Good to know. I will leave the dealing of those devices to you then Mera. Priortize protecting the populace, but make sure to destroy any devices that appear as well.”

  “Confirmed.”

  Chimera gave her a thumbs up, which confused the dignitary before she returned the gesture.

  “Awesome. Better get to work then, anything else?”

  The Empress shook her head, “good luck Mera, and to you as well my heroes.”

  “For The Empress, For the Empire!” The Harriers saluted back as the Empress’ screen cut off.

  After the image flickered off, the High General turned to address the group.

  “You all have your orders, report to the medical bay for… ‘augmentation’ and be ready to assist the Captain once you have all recovered. Dismissed.”

  Chimera couldn’t help but laugh as the group saluted back, giving one of her own before she grabbed Bayleaf and teleported them both to the med bay.

  It was a sterile looking room with white wooden walls and a clean fresh smell that reminded Chimera of mint.

  Apparently it was used to calm patients according to Meras.

  Sitting down at the nearest chair, Chimera plopped down as she motioned for Bayleaf to take the chair next to her, the bed chair stretching back flat.

  “Well, lets get started Bay.” She smirked back.

  “W-Wait, didn’t you already do my augmentation?” She spoke a bit more fearful than before.

  “Oh, That?” Chimera smiled evilly, “That was nothing compared to what I can do now.”

  Bayleaf watched as a horde of tendrils grew from Chimera’s hair, each tipped with needle like protrusions that screamed ‘I’m painful’.

  “Y-You’re not still mad at me right? Trust and all that yeah?” Bayleaf said with a sheepish smile, trying to hide her fear, and failing to do so.

  Chimera’s only answer was a tiny stab to the back of Bayleaf’s neck and what Bayleaf thought was evil laughter before she passed out.

  …