( Jason )

  Standing in the Bridge of my Leviathan, me and the family looked out into the vast expanse of space. Currently it was a chaotic mess with sers and beams flying around, painting a messy canvas. Thanks to Asura boarding the main Cruiser and taking down someone called Yaka, the rest stopped self destructing. If they continued, I would’ve lost all my Leviathans except my own personal one.

  Phoenix was a force to be reckoned with and took hardly any damage. Only the rger and stronger ships could do anything. The real MVP though? My Ion Disruptor. At the cost of it’s own life, it sends out a massive EMP outwards and temporarily shuts down the enemy’s systems. Unfortunately, it has two drawbacks.

  First, the bastard was incredibly complex to make. Excluding the two I used and another being sent out, I only have four left. Perhaps that’s my fault for wanting to make them as powerful as possible. Or rather, the pulse they send out. Speaking of which, the second drawbacks. Though it knocks out their power for a brief moment, the enemy’s systems come back extremely quickly. Nothing can be done about that for now. I need a better and deeper understanding of how their ships and tech worked to tinker with the Ion Disruptors. Thankfully, an entire fleet was gifted to me! Well some of it anyway.

  “I wasn’t expecting so many. This isn't like Star Wars at all.” Alice muttered to my left, she too observing the giant battle with Elizabeth by her side. Unlike her mother who seemed worried, she and Raven were incredibly interested. No fear within them. Ah, this level of trust in me that I'll protect them just warms my cold heart.

  As for Dante? Little bastard is jumping all over the pce like a spring. He can’t get enough of the excitement going on outside and is this bundle of joy. Even fps his wongs adorably and soars through the air, almost as if copying the ones outside. Athena on the other hand quietly watched on, a hint of eagerness in those eyes of hers. I know exactly what she wants.

  “Go ahead.” She looked surprised at my sudden words. But she got the message I was sending and grinned. Practically bolted away and startled Dante who tried following her. Until Lily grabbed him.

  “Jesus he’s getting so big. Is this normal?” She grunted slightly and lifted him up. Definitely wasn’t wrong. Only a few days since Alice’s birthday and they’re practically different people. So strange how fast they grow.

  “Nope. Technically, they’re the slow ones when compared to the other infected.” Lily was dumbfounded at my words. Just as she was about to reply, the entire Leviathan shook greatly and moaned in pain.

  I swiftly held onto Raven so she didn’t fall over. Alice was the same and stabilized Elizabeth. Looking out, it didn’t take long to find the culprit. A hijacked Cruiser with a Leviathan next to it. Through the eyes of the infected, I could see the former was on it’s st legs. The interior is filled with no living beings left except the Bridge who boarded themselves inside. Those doors won’t st long though since an Alpha is on it’s way to their position.

  “Don’t worry, they’re almost dead. Just a st little ‘Fuck you’ from them.” The sisters sighed in relief before Lily chuckled.

  "I expected this to be a more grueling fight. Feels like we’re destroying they effortlessly.”

  “You can thank my Ion Disruptors for that. If not for them, we’d die a pathetic death. With them knocking down the shields, my virus drilled into their ships and swiftly infected them. How can they fight us when they’re fighting each other?” Lily hummed lightly. Suddenly, Dante in her arms squirmed and fought against her kung fu grip.

  “M-Mommy, down!” Day by day his speech became more fluent and voice deeper. More monstrous too. If he’s that way, don’t even mention my daughters.

  Seeing his pitiful gaze, I could practically hear Lily’s heart melt. Yet she grinned teasingly and tapped him on the nose.

  “Really? Then what do you say?” A wide and fat grin appeared on Dante’s face.

  “I l-ove mommy!” Smiling like the happiest thing in the world, Lily let him down and he instantly ran to the window. Turns out he wanted to watch his Auntie Athena in action.

  “Hey.” Alice got my attention and had a curious expression.

  “What’s your pn after this?” Definitely an important question and something I had already gone through myself before we even left Theia.

  “Each Leviathan will split up and assault the lesser defended worlds. This will force the Alliance to spread their forces thinner as we cannot fight them head on yet. We might’ve caught them off guard in this battle, but things will change. It's not impossible they somehow got a recording of this fight.” I shook my head and sighed.

  Obviously a gactic empire like the Alliance isn’t easy to defeat, despite the fact it’s already technically weakened. They’ll wise up next time and begin countering us. Otherwise, they would’ve been wiped out long ago.

  “My virus’s strength is it’s ability to spread at an incredibly fast pace. As such, being clumped up isn’t the best idea.” Alice raised an eyebrow.

  “Aren’t you worried about losing any?”

  “Not really. If the Leviathans can get past whatever defenses they have, they’ll start bombarding the pnet from orbit with the drop pods. From there, the game’s already over. The virus and Infestation will spread swiftly and Bio Mass Constructors will be pced on each world. Once they’ve churned out enough Leviathans and armies, and my fleets are sufficient enough, we can properly attack them.”

  “So basically we need to do a hit and run tactic?” Lily suddenly appeared and said this to me. I nodded my head in agreement.

  “Won’t be for long. Maybe a couple months to a year at best. Until then, we have to be careful and stay one step ahead of them. Even this small skirmish costed us.”

  Although it seemed like we dominated them, that was only half true. Their weapons shredded through my fighters and Phoenix in particur was targeted by the Cruiser ships. She suffered great damage and needed time to heal. The Leviathans were better off thanks to their much thicker skin, but still had some chunks cut off. What if they can counter my Ion Disruptors in the future? What if they sneak attack us? What if they bring out some insanely powerful weapons?

  “You saying this is small?” Lily stared outside in disbelief, looking at the tens of thousands of ships. That’s not even counting the millions of fighters they had.

  “Yup. Those massive ships are called Cruisers. Below them are Destroyers, then Frigates, and finally Corvettes. The fighters you see are called Strike Crafts. Anyway, there are two other ships way more powerful than a Cruiser. So much so we would’ve all died if they were here.” Alice cocked her head, which Elizabeth cutely copied.

  “Then why not send them now?” I chuckled and shook my head.

  “They don’t exactly grow on trees. Besides, most are either protecting the more important worlds or were already been sent out.” This time she frowned.

  “Sent out? Against who?” Instead of answering, I closed my eyes and reached deep into one of my infected’s minds. Particurly, a recently transformed Chosen by the name of Admiral Yaka.

  I delved into his memories and specifically searched for those revolving about the so called, Varnids. Opening my eyes, I tapped Alice on the forehead and sent my tendril inside. She shuddered feeling it wiggle inside her head, an expression of slight disgust. Not taking it personally, I transferred the info over. Did the same for Lily who-

  “You seriously need a better way of doing this shit. Feels so fucking weird.” Absolutely love seeing that look on her face. But saying that is a swift way to get a foot up my ass.

  “That so? Damn, I’ll certainly try my best.” Those gorgeous green emeralds of hers gred into my bck ones. Could she sense the ck of determination in my voice? Definitely.

  “Varnids? Is this all the information you have?” Once done, Alice frowned again. I could understand why since it wasn’t much. To her disappointment, I shook my head.

  “That’s all he had. Just some basics about an alien insect race attacking them. In fact, they were suppose to send a much more powerful fleet against us. But because of their well timed attack, sent this hastily put together one. So I owe them some thanks.”

  Those good feelings I had for them though, didn’t st long when we first met.

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  Tyrandir, main Capital of the Alliance and easily the most prosperous pnet in the gaxy. The surface had been terraformed numerous times and eventually turned into a utopia, habitable by any and all species. This is also the birthpce and homeworld of the illustrious Maer, who were usually at the highest level of government. They were almost revered as higher beings since they were the Founding Species of the entire Alliance and brought the others into it's fold. By diplomatic means, or militaristic. The Lorkins in particur learned how powerful the Maer could be when their home world was devastated.

  Surrounding the pnet by the millions were incredibly powerful looking ships. Some were so rge it even dwarfed a Leviathan in size. Along with them were giant space stations. They had a few names but most referred to them as Space Needles. Unlike others though, these had a concerning amount of defense ptforms and high powered weapons attached to it. Getting past these would require heavy losses.

  On Tyrandir, crime was nonexistent. Wiped out nearly a century ago and turned the world into a true paradise. Although, the previous Bck Virus rampaging across the gaxy did allow some Crime Lords to corrupt a few parts. However, they were soon expunged by the Maer who deployed one of their strongest ground forces. The Omegas, 4-8 meter tall robotic soldiers of war with zero emotions and outfitted with the best technology.

  In the city named Cosmos, this was where the Maer exclusively lived in peace. Beyond a shadow of a doubt it was the most beautiful on the pnet, perfect in every measure. The buildings and streets shone with a gleam, highlighting how clean they were. The middle of the city housed a rge complex, shaped simirly to a dome. This was where the High Council made decisions which affected the whole Milky Way Gaxy.

  High css Maer dressed in stunning robes spoke amongst one another throughout the halls on all topics. Next ws to pass, how to govern certain worlds and Systems, etc. Standing off to the side without moving a muscle were powerful looking Lorkins, Energy Swords pointed to the floor. The gorgeous armor they wore sparkled with a golden gleam and seemed nearly impenetrable. Only their fierce eyes could be seen behind their helmets, always on the lookout.

  The Lorkins weren’t the only guards. The further one went, the less there were. Instead, their numbers were repced with an increasing amount of Omegas. Unbeknownst to the public, they constantly scanned everyone’s face and biological marker, invading their privacy. In the deepest parts and guarded by half a dozen Elite Omega were twin double doors. Their size was exaggerated and stood at fifty feet tall.

  Behind them and sitting at a circur table were the same Maer who proposed sending an Extermination Fleet to Theia. Along with them, was the Prophet of Knowledge, one of the most influential and powerful in the Alliance. Seen as a godly being in some cases. He watched his table mates discuss numerous topics silently, never taking part.

  Suddenly, the two Elite Omega behind him powered up their arm cannons. Their eyes gred to his left, where a Maer soldier dressed in lean and pure white armor approached him. Before getting too close, he paused and eyed the rge robots. The Prophet waved his hand and they powered down. Yet their eyes never left the soldier’s body.

  "You have something to report?” A calming smile appeared on his face. Followed by his silky smooth voice, any would lower their guard around him. His sudden words caused the other to stop speaking and focus on the solider.

  Nodding his head, he leaned down and whispered into the Prophet’s ears. Once done, he handed him a small orb, bowed to the others, then left.

  “What is it?” Someone asked, knowing it must be serious based on how his smile disappeared. The Prophet’s eyes gnced over them before speaking.

  "We have lost contact with Admiral Yaka’s fleet. Last known coordinates are somewhere in the Yashiir Sector, very close to Theia.” A heavy tension instantly covered the room. No one spoke, waiting for the Prophet to continue.

  “Luckily-“ He held up the smooth bck ball in his hand.

  “-we have a recording. A brave naval officer took it during the battle.” He threw the ball into the center of the table.

  Curiously, it stopped in mid air and shook slightly. After a moment, it broke into pieces which were connected via a blue string. Directly in the middle was a screen showing a video. Obviously, the person taking it had fear inside them based on how shaky it was. The Maer were baffled at the sight before them. From inside a Bridge, they witnessed tens of millions of strange creatures cshing against their own Strike Craft, using nothing more than tooth and nail. One of them defied logical reasoning with it’s sheer size and the way it brushed off most attacks.

  Off in the distance and getting closer every moment were city sized behemoths. A frown appeared on all their faces. Though simir to the Varnids spacecraft, they could clearly see the differences. Was this some new enemy attacking them in the worst time? Truthfully, they hoped these things were apart of the insects.

  Suddenly, something changed in the battlefield. From the rgest behemoth, a small creature exited. It looked more like a blob of flesh smushed together, yet strangely had a cute face. It’s body wiggled violently, before exploding into a hailfire of blood and guts. From it’s body, a blue electrical bubble spread outwards. Their ships caught in it’s path immediately powered down, easy targets for the enemy.

  When it reached the recording person, the video cut off. It was clear their Echo-Device had been affected as well.

  “Do you know what these things are? Another Swarm perhaps?” In response to someone’s question, the Prophet shook his head.

  “No. These creatures match nothing ever shown by the Varnids. True, it could be a new force by them. But it’s highly unlikely.” A female Maer with a grim face raised her concern.

  “Then… the virus?” Her words echoed loudly in the hall, bouncing off the walls and sending chills down a few spines. Yet none argued with her. None of them were morons.

  Admiral Yaka’s st known location pinpointed him near Theia, where the Bck Virus resided. Didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.

  “We have to strike now! Hard and fast before they have a chance to spread!” An older Maer smmed his fist on the table. Strangely enough, it cracked slightly and showed his old body contained far more strength than it should have. No one batted an eye at this as they nodded.

  “The Extermination Fleets are busy with the Varnids and leaving their post would be detrimental.” The Prophet’s words caused them to frown deeply.

  Despite how confident they were in their Fleets, it wasn’t enough. The Swarms still got through them and assaulted numerous worlds, ying siege to everything they came across. If they left their post, they might as well start washing their necks and get ready to perish.

  “I propose we send three, million strong fleets out to the Yashiir Sector. We’ll have them patrol around that area and purge anything they come across. Infected or otherwise.” One said. The Maer sitting across from him nodded her head.

  “A sound idea. Let’s add a couple Collosi just to be sure. Also, need a way to combat that exploding monster.” A few others brought up their ideas as well. This discussion went on for a few minutes, until the Prophet raised his hand.

  “It’s agreed then. We’ll eradicate this parasite once and for all-“

  Just then, a loud beep originated form his wrist. His Echo-Device, a newer model than what is shown on the market. He calmly went through it and found an encrypted message designated solely for his eyes only. Seeing it, he opened his mouth in disbelief.

  “What’s wrong now?” The Prophet’s gaze turned upward.

  “A pnet close to the Yashiir Sector is reporting cases of infected.”

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  Yashiir Sector, Hoorsk, 182 LY from Theia.

  The two bright orange suns in the sky bathed the world in a harsh heat. An unusually tall and somewhat muscur Pran’hu wiped the sweat from his brow and looked fondly at his farm. Live stock freely ran around happily, causing him to smile and chuckle.

  They were weird creatures to be sure. Three types in total with one being a six legged furry animal, only four feet tall. It's belly would drag on the floor as it calmly ate the grass. There was sense of ziness to their every movement, each one extremely slow.

  Next one most prevalent on the farm was a three legged bird. The feathers on it's body shined like a gorgeous rainbow, occasionally glowing in every color. This made them a prime target for hunters and poachers who cruelly ripped the feathers off them. Unlike the previous, this creature seemed more carnivorous with it's sharp teeth.

  Lastly, the Bodika. Certainly the rgest at seventeen feet tall. It was wide and bulky, filled to the brim with brown fur. Five legs carried them forward with unstoppable momentum. The size and power it contained made the gentle giant a big help during rough times. Also, their milk was to die for.

  Just as the Pran’hu farmer was about to get back to work, he heard a strange noise. Suddenly, the animals on the farm gazed to his left and shivered. Even the usually fearless Bodika seemed frightened to death. They ran away with terrified faces, causing a massive amount of confusion.

  He looked to the left and widened his eyes. A burning comet streaked across the sky in a big ball of fire. It soon flew over him and nded in the distance, producing a defeaning boom. He shielded his face from the high winds and narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look. Unfortunately, the comet went deep into the woods.

  The farmer weighed his options and decided to check it out. Certainly wouldn't be anything dangerous. As for the animals freaking out? He pushed such concern away and walked to the treeline.

  Thankfully the nding site wasn't too far and he soon arrived. The surrounding trees were knocked to the ground, a few cleanly uprooted while others were broken in half. In the middle of the clearing was a small crater. The farmer approached it cautiously and soon came to the side. Peeking down, he frowned.

  "Doesn't look like a comet." He muttered to himself. Instead of rock or perhaps metal, the 'comet' had a fleshy exterior. Not only that, but underneath it was this strange bck gunk spreading at an arming pace.

  The way it move up and down concerned him. Almost... as if it were alive. Deciding the best course of action was calling the authorities, he turned to leave. Suddenly the 'comet' broke open, sending fleshy bits everywhere.

  "What the!" The farmer yelped and shielded himself as a few pieces fell on him. From the crater, a rge creature slowly raised it's body and stretched. It suddenly looked towards the sky and screeched with a horrifying roar.

  He held both his ears, face scrunched in pain as he got a better look. The creature had feminine curves, along with a rge abdomen behind her, likely for ying eggs. She had four humanoid arms which ended with dangerous looking cws. Her skin was mostly bck, very simir to the gunk spreading through the ground.

  Fear began climbing the farmer's spine. Though far from the city, even he had heard of the Varnid insects. Was this not one of them? He slowly backed up, making sure to not bring any attention to him.

  Unfortunately, he stepped on a broken branch. A loud crunch sounded out and drew the creature's gaze to him instantly. She roared in hatred and lunged for him. He tried to run away but was too te. Her cws grabbed onto his body and tore him into two pieces without effort. Blood, organs, and guts spshed onto the ground, painting it red.

  Tossing the corpse away, the female creature squatted down and aimed her abdomen at the dirt. Pushing hard, something moved through her skin. A rge and wide object. Soon enough it came out and impnted itself into the dirt. A newly born Tumor, pulsing away and spreading the Infestation outwards.

  Seeing this, the female creature grinned and went to pnt more. To corrupt this world completely like her Master wanted. Such a scene was happening on dozens of others pnets. Unfortunately, hundreds of Tumor Queens perished for various reasons before making it to their destination.

  But this number was enough. Enough to destroy numerous worlds and grow the virus further.