Interstellar Age

Chapter 103 Becoming A Wraith

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It was not long after consummating his marriage with Erika that Erich soon found himself once more answering the call to war. In the time since Yumi was first resurrected within the borders of the Germanic Star-Empire, the civil war that waged in the borders of her homeland had escalated quite drastically. 

As a result, the entirety of the Oni Military was now being withdrawn from their ongoing war with the Lutharian Ascendency, and instead being deployed to the home front to fight an increasingly organized and efficient insurgency. 

The result of this was that the Germanic Navy was now responsible for holding the line against the Lutharian Ascendency. But this was a task which would require more than a grand total of the three fleets being deployed to the region. And because of this, Emrys had decided to withdraw from the conflict entirely, and instead send his forces to protect the borders between his allies and their enemies. 

Naturally, the 13th Fleet was called upon to serve this purpose, and was intended to replace the battle-worn 17th Fleet, which would be returning to the borders of the Empire for repair and resupply. 

Because of this, Erich's leave had come to an end, and thus, he was now standing at the door, dressed in a pair of solid black fatigues, while saying goodbye to his wife and lovers. Unlike the previous times that Erich was forced to deploy to a war zone. His wife was actually there to send him off, and so were the two Oni Women which he had grown to love. 

Erika wrapped her arms around Erich's neck and kissed him passionately on the lips. It had only been a few days since they had actually become a genuine married couple, and because of this, she was still embarrassed to be openly intimate with her man. Thus, she had flushed cheeks as she said a line which she immediately considered being corny. 

"Come back to me in one piece... Okay."

Erich smiled and nodded his head while silently responding to the woman's claims. As for Ayumi, this was the first time she experienced seeing her man march off to war, and thus there were tears in her eyes as she hugged Erich tightly, and shockingly refused to let go as she pleaded with him to stay by her side. 

"Please don't leave me!"

Erich simply sighed when he heard this and petted the girl's indigo hair. She had been incredibly clingy ever since he had first taken her chastity, and aside from the particular gruesome matter of his untimely death at the hands of her father, they had not really been separated since. 

Despite this, Erich knew it was his duty to march off to war, and thus pried the girl away from his arms before giving her a brief speech. 

"Ayumi, we won't be able to maintain this peaceful life if men like myself don't go off to defend our borders. Besides, it won't be long before your father's reign of terror ends, and your aunt is able to reclaim her rightful place at the head of the Kondo Dynasty. 

When that happens, the Empire's military will need to be deployed to your homeland to ensure the peaceful transition of power. And to disarm the insurgents who are fighting like hell as we speak. You do not need to worry so much. The Lutharian Ascendency won't dare to attack our Fleets. If anything, we will be sitting by and acting as a deterrent. 

As for the upcoming peacekeeping operations, I operate a Starfighter. at most, I'll be dispatched to bomb a few insurgent compounds who refuse to turn in their arms. They can't harm me in the air or space. So you don't need to be so anxious. Everything will be fine!" 

Even though Ayumi wanted to believe these words, she had a deeply ominous feeling within her gut, one which told her that she should be worried about her lover's fate. But it was not like she could see the future. That was a gift that few beings in this universe possessed, and the ones who did were generally revered by their people as prophets and sages. 

Just when Ayumi was about to say something else, her aunt grabbed the nape of her neck, and pulled her away, she then kissed Erich on the lips for a significantly longer time than Erika did, in order to mark her territory in front of the other girls, before whispering something in the man's ears. 

"I am really going to miss our nights together... I suppose it is about time I entered the fray and played my own hand in this foolish civil war. After all, the sooner I do, the sooner I will be in your bed once more.... So be safe out there and don't do anything stupid!" 

For once Erich was smiling as he stepped out the door, and took one of his mansion's many hover cars to the nearby star port. The world of Teutonia was a tropical paradise with less than 10% of its surface being covered in landmass.

As his vehicle sped up into the air and piloted itself to the destination, he was able to watch as his substantial mansion disappeared beyond the horizon, and gaze upon the ocean's surface, which was littered with artificial islands, and cities which sat on the water's surface. 

Owning property on Teutonia was one thing. After all, the world housed trillions of people in its artificial cities, especially after the war with Terminus, where countless refugees flooded the worlds which had not been devoured by the Naraku. 

But owning land, like Erich now possessed, on this world that was worth more than just about anything. To have a beachside mansion was the ultimate luxury, which only the wealthiest businessmen, and the political class were capable of affording. And yet, Emrys had given him such a valuable estate. It was truly baffling now that Erich thought about it. 

Erich eventually arrived at the star port, which existed in a giant floating city, where he immediately took a shuttle off world, before making his way to the rallying point where the Thirteenth Fleet was currently stationed. 

After getting situated on board the carrier which his Air Wing served upon, Erich was forced to report to the Admiral, and his executive officer, both of which were waiting for his arrival. Immediately Erich felt that he was underdressed, because both of these two men were wearing their dress uniforms, while Erich was dressed in a set of fatigues. 

Immediately Erich saluted to the two officers, who returned his gesture before getting right to the point. 

"At ease, Commander. We called you here today to inform you of a special assignment which you have been given. As of this moment, you are no longer the CAG of the Black Sun. As far as the Empire is concerned, you died in the Great Oni Empire at the hands of Emperor Kondo Kenji. Your position is being temporarily filled by one of your Squadron Leaders."

Erich was stunned to hear this, and was about to protest this decision, when he the Admiral leaned forward and explained his new assignment. 

"I don't know why you were selected for this job, and I really don't care. To be frank, it is not my place to ask. But as of this moment, you have been assigned to Military Intelligence, more specifically an elite group of special warfare operators, whose job is to perform deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines, and to arm and train rebels within said territory. 

Your first task is to have a data package installed into your NeuroLink that will give you immediate access to all the information which is required to perform this job. Consider it like downloading the theoretical knowledge which you need to excel at your new role directly to your brain. 

Not only that, but your NeuroLink will receive an upgrade. Out of the entirety of the Empire's citizens, only a hand selected few have been granted this privilege. And they almost all work for the IIS as field agents. This means you will have an increased capacity to slice into computers, which, in addition to your natural gift of cyberkinesis, will allow you to become quite the exceptional agent. 

After this is completed, you will undergo three to six months' worth of practical training, before finally taking your place as a WRAITH. Like you, every other member of this elite force is officially considered deceased, and if you are discovered behind enemy lines, you will be abandoned by the Empire to your fate. After all, what you are about to engage in is a highly classified operation, and the Empire will need to maintain total deniability in the event that your actions are revealed to the Galaxy. 

From my understanding, you were selected for this operation, because the team in question needs an experienced combat pilot, who is certified to use a wide variety of spacecraft. I would say that this is an honor of a lifetime, but considering the high mortality rate among WRAITHs, I would be lying through my teeth if I did so. 

You have your orders, commander, so report to the the hangar. There is a shuttle waiting to take you to a proper clinic so that you can undergo the process needed to upgrade your NeuroLink. Dismissed!"

Erich was not even able to get a word in. Instead, he was sent packing. The relatively peaceful deployment which he had previously expected to enjoy had now suddenly become one of the most dangerous jobs in the entire Germanic Military, one which would undoubtedly see him engage in combat on the ground. Something which he had no experience in. 

Although Erich didn't know it, Ayumi's intuition had been right on the money. The odds of him dying a painful death, and being resurrected for a fourth time, had just now shot through the roof. Something which he found little comfort in.