On the vertical take-off and landing platforms of the 「14」 forward base:
Hundreds of various attack craft, transport shuttles, and even massive airborne gunships like the Buzzard were parked across the base's extensive landing zones.
Ground crew equipped with mechanized exoskeletons and specialized T-800 derivative units were busy inspecting the parked vehicles.
Since the expansion of the space gate's dimensions under Samuel Young's directives, the efficiency of transferring ground and air assets had skyrocketed.
Even large vessels such as the 100-meter-long Shadowrunner could now pass through the gate directly without the previously necessary dismantling and reassembly process.
However, space-faring ships still required disassembly and reassembly, though the new gate size was vastly more accommodating compared to the old 14x14 meter gates. Deploying and relocating tens of thousands of personnel could now be completed in record time.
---
The T-800 Terminators, originally designed as "target-elimination specialists," had become Atlas's most versatile tool after the full integration of Skynet into the Empire.
The T-800s were ideal for mass production due to their relative simplicity and ability to perform diverse tasks.
The most significant advantages of the T-800 included their affordability and low maintenance cost. Producing a single cloned soldier required resources and effort equivalent to manufacturing two or three basic T-800 units.
Additionally, T-800s did not require sustenance to sustain operations, unlike cloned soldiers, who needed caloric and nutritional intake for routine work and combat readiness.
An optimized metallic hydrogen battery developed by Atlas's Research Division could power a T-800 continuously, without breaks, for approximately 160 years.
While Hextech robots shared many capabilities, the T-800 had one distinct advantage: its ability to autonomously repair itself when detecting internal damage.
Cloned soldiers, designed as disposable war machines, similarly displayed self-preservation tendencies after battles, allowing them to rejoin combat rapidly.
At the current stage, however, T-800 units could not entirely replace cloned soldiers.
Infiltration-type T-800s, equipped with "living tissue" to blend in among humans, were significantly more expensive than a single cloned soldier. As such, single-use operations like infiltration, assassination, or sabotage missions were more cost-effective for cloned soldiers.
Infiltration T-800s, meanwhile, were reserved for more complex and prolonged undercover operations.
---
At present.
A group of recruits in United Citizen Federation uniforms disembarked from a maglev train on the base's surface. Carrying their personal belongings, they boarded four waiting Warthog vehicles.
During transit, one Warthog nearly overturned while taking a sharp turn.
Such transport assignments were simple tasks, and the Imperial Guard driver, though less experienced in combat than auxiliary troops, was a seasoned professional. The incident was unexpected but thankfully avoided as the driver regained control.
The convoy soon arrived at the rear of a Luna transport craft that had completed routine checks and was ready for takeoff.
The recruits disembarked, grabbed their belongings, and filed into the transport's hold.
One recruit, a strikingly handsome man with neatly parted blond hair, stood out among the group. He had boarded the same Warthog that nearly flipped earlier, identifying him unmistakably as the highly capable and infamous investigator:
Leon S. Kennedy.
Alongside him was Maggie Shaw, with her signature ponytail.
In reality, these two, along with the twenty or so other "recruits," were elite investigators from the Human Empire's Investigation Division.
Ada Wong remained at the 「14」 forward base, overseeing operations to dismantle and divide the United Citizen Federation from within as the mission's overall commander.
Leon, serving as the field commander, was tasked with leading his team aboard a civilian vessel bound for Earth in the Starship Troopers universe.
---
Inside the Luna transport:
After bypassing equipment crates in the cargo hold, Leon and his team used the internal lift to access the troop compartment on the second level.
They secured their seats and strapped in as the transport took off, heading toward the "Oasis" settlement, 100 kilometers away.
Despite the earlier near-accident, the team seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to such incidents.
This indifference stemmed from Leon's notorious reputation as a "vehicle wrecker."
During a routine infiltration mission alongside Mike and other elite investigators, their Blackhawk transport suddenly lost engine power over a rainforest.
Fortunately, the engine restarted within seconds, averting disaster.
Though no fatalities had occurred due to Leon's "curse," the constant string of incidents earned him the enduring title of "vehicle wrecker."
Regardless, his team still trusted his leadership and willingly joined his missions.
---
The mission's first objective was to infiltrate the Federation's military as "new recruits," using the civilian ships from Oasis.
Recently, orbital drones had detected an Arachnid assault on Oasis, a settlement about 100 kilometers from the 「14」 forward base.
While the Ghost units led a rescue mission, they also brought the settlement under Imperial control.
The Arachnid attack had been contained, and the planet, named "New Hope" by local colonists, was completely isolated from the outside world by an EMP deployed by the Ghosts.
Most New Hope residents were dissenters opposed to the Federation's rule.
When the Arachnid swarm overwhelmed the settlement's minimal defenses, the local authorities—limited to sheriffs and militia—found themselves powerless.
The Federation had only a symbolic recruitment office on the planet, staffed by just over forty personnel, incapable of mounting a significant response.
By the time local leaders considered seeking assistance, the Empire had already severed all communication channels on New Hope.
Understanding the colony's precarious position and its resistance to Federation governance, the Empire prepared to fully occupy the planet. Using both smart and standard AI, they arranged for elite investigators to infiltrate the Federation's military ranks.
---
Intel from the Intelligence Division:
The Federation was set to face several major events in the coming years, including a catastrophic meteor strike on Buenos Aires in 2297, causing over ten million deaths.
This event would trigger a retaliatory campaign against the Arachnids, leading to full-scale interstellar war.
The Federation's hubris and underestimation of the Arachnids would result in devastating losses during the initial invasion of the Arachnid homeworld.
The protracted conflict would claim at least 4 billion human lives by 2320, highlighting humanity's disadvantage against the Arachnids' near-infinite reproductive capabilities.
The Arachnids could produce a fully grown warrior within a week, while humans required eighteen years to train a soldier.
Further complicating matters, internal power struggles and rebellion frequently plagued the Federation, undermining its war efforts.
---
Sitting near the cockpit, Leon browsed through intelligence files on a hardlight display, contemplating how to both save lives and elevate his team's influence within the Federation's ranks before the Arachnid meteor strike on Buenos Aires.
Ada Wong's voice suddenly came over the comms:
"All infiltration personnel, listen up. Once you board New Hope's civilian ship to Earth, you will be entirely cut off from the forward base.
While the Federation's technology is inferior to ours, we cannot guarantee quantum communication security. For operational secrecy and safety, you must fully integrate as native Federation recruits until further notice. Is that clear?"
"Understood."
"Got it."
Satisfied with the responses, Ada added:
"Remember, there are psychics among the Federation capable of telepathy. If compromised, immediately notify the base. The Blood Angels fleet will launch a rescue operation.
The Empire never abandons its own. Good luck."
Ada ended the transmission just as the Luna transport descended smoothly onto Oasis's starport.
Disembarking, Leon and his team boarded a repaired civilian ship.
From the air, the settlement of Oasis—home to over 200,000 people—was undergoing comprehensive reconstruction under the Empire's engineering teams.
Order was gradually being restored, maintained by the 1st Company of Blood Angels, visible across the settlement.
Within moments, the civilian vessel ascended into orbit, engaged its warp drive, and became a streak of light, speeding toward Earth in the 「14」 universe.
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