Thus Did The Imperium of Mankind Fight There

Part 38 Rescue

Arik Taranis watched as the newly minted first lieutenant left the meeting room. After she withdrew, a contemplative expression appeared on his face. 

Despite verbally accepting the young woman's reasoning for her actions, he was not foolish enough to believe that was the whole truth. 

He saw that Minerva possessed a powerful moral compass that guided her actions. Arik, in his long rich life, had seen many individuals who felt strongly about what was right from wrong. 

That alone, however, did not make one a great or even a good man. Such a trait was only good when combined with honor, courage, and a will to succeed. Of course, in the Imperium, it was also necessary to combine it with the desire to uplift humanity. 

Few could mesh all these principles together and those who did often achieved incredible feats, becoming figures idealized by society as an example of what a person can be. 

In Minerva, Arik saw the raw potential for her to eventually become one of these figures. 

Arik was pulled out of his thoughts when his vox bead once again sounded. 

"Sir, the assassin you requested has arrived," Ghota informed his gene-father. 

"Send her the necessary intelligence, prepare her for deployment immediately," he commanded. 

Finishing his instructions, Arik mused on what kind of royal this Queen Tyuule would be. 

————————————————

In the Saderan Throneroom

After Pina quickly left for her mission, Marcus approached his lord and asked, "Your Majesty, is it wise to send the young princess so far away from the Capital with only her friends as escorts?" 

Responding to his retainer, Emperor Molt spoke confidently and chuckled, "Let Pina have the adventure she wishes for, haha. Fear not Marcus, before long she will realize the perilous world beyond the palace and return knowing why women stay home and that war is the domain of men." 

Little could Emperor Molt know that his indulgence in his daughter's dreams would set off a chain of events that would forever alter Falmart and the fate of those who lived upon it. 

————————————————

An hour later above Sadera

High above the capital of the Empire, beyond any wyvern's ability to soar, Camila Alom of the Callidus Temple was currently strapped in the troop bay of a Valkyrie. She was a recent graduate and this was, in fact, her first mission and an unusual one at that. 

Instead of killing her target to ensure the destruction of an enemy of the Imperium, she was to rescue the target to cement an alliance. 

But it was not her place to question her orders, the mission had been requested by the Lightning Bearer and approved by the Master of Assassins. No more needed to be said of the mission's validity. 

Then the doors of the troop carrier slid open. Over the intercom, the pilot's voice informed, "Madam, we are over the designated target's location, you may jump when ready." 

Responding with a curt acknowledgment, the assassin unbuckled her harnesses and stepped towards the left side opening. After checking over her grav-chute one last time, Camila stated, "Jumping now." 

Doing as she said, the Callidus dropped out of the aircraft, free falling. Soon, she could see the large white marble buildings of the enemy capital. Considering the complete lack of any industrialization on the planet, the structures were actually quite impressive. 

Camila quickly removed such irrelevant thoughts from her mind and focused on the first step of her mission, infiltrating the South Palace. 

According to the intelligence provided to her by Army Cataegis, given by Saderan prisoners and Count Formal, this was where the target was held, apparently as a pleasure slave by the crown prince of this empire. 

Pictures of the structure, taken by high-altitude flights, were provided to her. She quickly memorized them along with a sketch of the building's internal layout based on descriptions. Eidedict memory is one of the many abilities necessary for an assassin of the Officio. 

Identifying the building at the base of the hill at the city's center, she guided her descent until she was but thirty meters above the ground. Activating her grav-chute, she landed softly behind one of the hedges decoratively surrounding the palace. 

Discarding the now useless device into the foliage, she then used the infamous ability of her Temple to shapeshift into the unassuming image of a forty-year-old man. After putting on a course linen robe she had bundled at her side, she pretended to garden the plants as she made her way closer to the South Palace. 

According to the layout of the building, the main bedroom was on the west side with a window. If her target was a pleasure slave as reported, that was a good place to start. 

Slowly walking along the western half of the round structure, she carefully peered through each window she passed. Camila noted how unguarded the area was, indicating arrogance, incompetence, or both. 

After a few minutes of searching, she saw a most hedonistic scene. Through silk curtains, she could make out the images of two beings engaged in violent intercourse on a large bed. One was obviously a human male, but what caught her attention were the distinct bunny ears of the other figure. 

Hmm...her first mission was going to be surprisingly easy and straightforward. 

Dropping her disguise and shattering the window with a kick, she dived through the opening. Upon hearing the glass shatter, the human male let out a shocked, "What?!"

Camila quickly disabled him with a chop to the back of the neck. The bunny woman looked up from the bed with an expression of surprise at the strange black-clad fighter, "Who are you," she hoarsely asked. 

Camila disabled her too in the same way, with no time for questions or trying to convince the abhuman she was an ally. As she lifted the woman over her right shoulder, the door to the bedroom slammed open and two guards rushed in, alerted by the noise. 

"You there, sto-" The guards didn't even have enough time to finish their demands as she brought up her neural shredder with her free left hand and fired. The pair instantly dropped to the floor, their bodies spasming and shaking uncontrollably as their nervous systems were torn apart. 

Leaping out the way she came, Camila then transmitted to the pilot, "Target secured, heading to the rendezvous site."

Without waiting for the pilot's response, she swiftly utilized her wrist-mounted grappling hook, attaching the end to the South Palace's roof spire, and propelled herself onto the top of the building at the base of the spike. 

Not a moment later, she saw the Valkyrie come diving in before slowing down at the last minute, hovering next to the assassin after a perfect stop; a testament to the pilot's skill.

Letting go of the spire, Camila jumped back into the aircraft. After entering, she secured her target into one of the seats before doing the same herself. "Return to base," she ordered after strapping herself in. 

As the troop carrier's side doors closed and took off, Camila let a smile break out underneath her mask, her first mission was a complete success, and in under ten minutes from her drop to retrieval. 

Comments would be appreciated