[Location: Bastion Planet]
When the Gates were introduced to the Granian Army, hundreds of thousands were skeptical and didn’t trust the credibility of said Gates.
The idea of a large Gate having the mechanisms to boost ships into hyperspace didn’t sit well with many. They feared that if they went through it, irreversible damage would occur to their bodies, that was if they would survive in the first place.
To make matters worse, the Gates had never been tested before. No one thought of sending a rogue Granian ship through them to see whether it would go through unscathed without suffering any damage to it. That alone worsened the Gates’ credibility for the Granians.
Of course, being the leader of the race, the Granian Lord himself tested the Gates personally. Accompanied by the human named Skyler, they rode through one of the Gates in a ship whose coordinates were set for the Ethisian home planet.
Tension mounted as the rest of the Granians and Cyclitharans waited for confirmation from Grania, many hoping that the Granian Lord had safely made it. When they finally received the confirmation they needed, all negative notions surrounding the Gates were debunked.
The fleets quickly started to go through one at a time. Two Behemoth Ships led the others while carrying pieces of other Gates that would later be built once they found new bases of operations. That way, if they needed to regroup at the Bastion Planet, they would be able to do so quickly.
Grim’s fleet was the second to follow, after Gravax’s went first. Accompanied by his mate Helda and the two Blood Knights, they set a course for the left, outer edge of the Ethisian’s half of Akrina.
In batches, the ships in Grim’s fleet were cast into hyperspace, swiftly transporting them in almost an instant.
The Behemoth Ships were the first to arrive with pieces of other gates, followed by the Colonial Ships, carrier ships, then warships.
The left edge of the Ethisians’ half of Akrina was glorious in terms of looks, and abundance of planets, stars, nebulae, dust clouds, asteroid fields, and solar systems. The view was incredible, but nothing compared to some of the solar systems around them.
Planets orbited giant stars that varied in color. Nebulae surrounded vast solar systems, painting them in gradients of beautiful colors further enhanced by shining, twinkling stars that pulsated with life.
Some planets had many moons orbiting them, many varying in size. Asteroid belts floated around suns, planets, and even solar systems themselves, further adding to the already beautiful scenery.
This place truly was spectacular, so much so that even the two Humans on board envied its beauty, wishing that the Milky Way Galaxy looked half this good.
’As if they’ve seen the entire Milky Way Galaxy with their eyes instead of cameras and telescopes.’ ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
"This part of Akrina’s where the majority of the Ethisians let their allies live and thrive," Grim gave the two humans a brief breakdown, bringing them up to speed with their situation, "the YYrejites, Haisojans, Soxans, and other species dwell in these planets."
"Will they be a problem for us?" Anya asked.
Grim snuffed and cockily replied, "Our only competition in this War is the Ethisians, and these other species know it. That’s why they take refuge in these far, distant parts of Akrina.
"Since they pose no threat to us, destroying them will not be too heavy a task. Still, we must take caution."
While still speaking, Grim’s large fleet approached the first solar system in their path. This one had sixteen planets, and of all sixteen, only five were habitable. The rest were either too close to the sun or too gaseous to inhabit.
Around the five habitable planets were ships moving about, each taking part in either travel or trade. Mining took place in the asteroid belts and rings, which were later used for interspecies trade.
The inhabitants of these planets were the Rayans, a species that resembled crossbreeds between lizards and amphibians. They were as tall as the average human male, but smaller in build and frame. Their skin was moist, smooth, and glistened under the planet’s amber sun.
From the information the Granians had, the Rayans were a mild-tempered species, one that was closer to the Parsians than they were to the Granians and Ethisians in terms of looks and temperament. They desired peace over War, even amongst themselves. This habit of theirs often made it easy for the Granians to exploit.
Eventually, when the War intensified, the Rayans watched as hundreds of other species were driven to extinction by the Granians. Even though they had the numbers, intelligence, and technology, they chose not to fight in fear of losing to the larger, more powerful species.
So instead, they sought asylum in the Ethisian’s left edge of Akrina, exchanging valuable materials and minerals for protection in return...protection which wasn’t there for them at the time they needed it the most.
"Judging by what your intel shows, this should be a walkover." Jim and Anya spoke to Grim as the warships from his fleet departed from the main. "What will you do if they put up a fight?"
"The same thing we’ve done to the other races." Grim replied as handmaids clothed him with his dark armor set. "Erase them from Akrina."
As soon as those words were aired, the black-scaled Granian and the two humans left the Bastion Ship, leading the conquest to the Rayan’s planet.
About three thousand warships were selected; each ship carried thirty fighters—fifteen Granians and fifteen Cyclitharans. The ships also came equipped with ten mechs that were to be used in case things got intense.
Grim and his soldiers advanced, having their hearts set on the third of the five planets. That way, they’d attract attention from the species living on the other four planets, instead of having to travel to each one.
However, that all changed when the unexpected happened. Ships emerged from all the planets, almost equal in number to the ones Grim deployed. What was confusing to the Granian, however, was the fact that the ships were YYrejites and Soxan, and not Rayan.
’So their alliance not only extends between each other, but also between the Ethisian allies. Very well then, we’ll kill them too.’