In orbit above Lleon T1, Serena was inside her war room with her council as she continuously gave orders one after another to different sectors of the war. The fighting was rough going, but with her tactical prowess, the Drakoshi no longer had the advantage they had for days before her arrival.

The only thing truly stopping total Spartari Victory at this point was the inability to destroy their ships. That required retaking the largest orbital weapons on the planet and that was months away in her current time frame.

Just as she was about to relay another order, a servant of hers suddenly shouted. "Commander Hyllus! I have a report from the North. A sentinel has taken command of our forces and has asked for your blessing to go through with a siege with his own tactics."

"A Sentinel?" Serena asked, surprised, before taking the data pad from her servant’s hand. Having a Sentinel on planet was a huge boon for the war effort, the mere mention of a sentinel would have waves of extra reinforcements on the way twice as fast as before. This was wonderful news.

However, as she began to read, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Lambdason? Nooo~ It can’t be?" Serena then moved to another data pad and began to search the Sentinel database. Sure enough, there he was. Quite recently added.

Serena felt a massive pang of guilt in her stomach. On one of her calls with her sister. She had fully berated her big sister for falling for a con artist’s ruse. She had assumed Apollo had just managed to coerce himself into the family somehow for their prestige. Their money.

But if he was on track to become a sentinel at only eighteen? She was clearly wrong. And while she wouldn’t apologise to her sister, because she would never hear the end of it. She would apologise to the Sentinel for her rude thoughts about him the first chance she gets to meet him.

For now though, pressing matters were at hand, family drama could wait. Returning to the battle plan before her, her eyes continued to get wider and wider. The plan of her adoptive nephew was unorthodox these days against the Drakoshi, but she supposed they were used against the swarm still this way, but usually on the defensive not the offensive.

However, the more she read, the more she understood why he was going with this tactic. With his elite squad placing a Drakoshi Boomstick out of commission, the lack of munitions in the region, thanks to her darling grand-niece’s efforts alongside what is going to happen once he begins approaching with his legion...

She had to admit, this battleplan was more structured and thought out than she expected from a young man with very little war experience. She was impressed.

Turning to her servant. She handed the data pad back and announced loud enough that the whole room heard. "Give Sentinel Apollo Hyllus-Lambdason the greenlight for his siege."

She then turned back to her map of the planet and got right into planning where the next Phalanx assault was going to take place.

...

Standing outside on a raised bit of hill, I had one foot up on a tactical rock as I surveyed the Phalanx camp. Morale was high on the faces that I was seeing. I had asked my subordinates to spread the word that the Sentinel would be joining the first wave.

From where I was standing, I could hear murmurs and rumours about me beginning to spread already. Like how my armour was made from the flesh of some strange alien creature I had slain.

That was good, it meant my armour wouldn’t raise suspicion anymore.

I also began to hear rumours that the reason my praetorian was here was that I had powers like the military king and needed to be reigned in if I got too angry. That rumour wasn’t the best in my opinion, but the excitement in the voice of the Phalanx who spoke those rumours was great. Plus the fact that I was with a Praetorian at all was a huge boost to morale, so I censured nothing.

I did call over Cassian at one point to have his knights tone down my ’healing ascension’ story. Although Spartari were not religious in any sense of the word, the way they were talking about me, it made me out like I was some kind of prophet and it rubbed me the wrong way.

Cassian agreed to my request, but said I was being too modest and that the fact I have so many strange powers should be spread among the troops.

That part I didn’t mind, though until I knew exactly what happened with Nerissa’s blessing freaking out on me and even affecting my Origin this time, I didn’t want it spoken about. When I had some downtime, I would look myself over in detail, but for now, I was just waiting for the greenlight from above, then I would begin to issue out the battle plans.

For now though, I glanced across the vast plain before us. The Drakoshi fortress was still there, naturally. Though I smirked at the big weapon missing at the top. I took a risk and after a few hurdles and being gut-shot a few too many times for my liking, I completed my task. Because of my actions. Countless Phalanx would go on to survive the day when their fates were previously to perish.

The thought left me feeling odd internally. I know I wanted to do a good job, keep as many soldiers alive in this confrontation, but I also knew if my hive was here, I would turn coat instantly and see everyone on the planet as my enemy.

It was an odd feeling. Especially when this was my biological race.

Hearing my thoughts, I felt Onyx relay love and comfort through our link before she spoke.

"Worry not about this, my universe. Treat yourself like a bio-cult infiltrator. Your job, for now, is to feel for these inferior beings. To want them to live, to thrive. It will be this way for decades upon decades to come while Jewel upholds her current deal with you. Even though she is being naughty now, that is for reasons I am not going to tell you. Hehe~"

Onyx was right. For now, these were my people. And I had a hunch, considering how far south we were, that my sweetheart wasn’t going to drop in for a surprise visit this time. So my mental gymnastics didn’t need to happen. Right now I was Sentinel Apollo Lambdason. and I would do my best during this war to keep those that follow me into battle alive.

Though, I would need to harden myself fast, as I knew war. And knew that even with all our current advantages against the Drakoshi, countless were still going to perish in this battle.

’Especially with the reinforcements the battle earlier had brought forth...’

The sun just began to dawn and now others could begin to see our target in the distance. A massive fortress filled with filthy grey skins. I think lesser men and women would have been deterred by the sight, but all around I could hear the Phalanx eager and ready for the war to come.

I had no clue where they got their courage from, probably whatever military indoctrination they go through, but I knew If I wasn’t as strong as I currently was, I would be shitting a brick.

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t scared though. I was confident. I trusted my mind. All that time training, with Jewel, would pay off today. More so considering my troops, for once, had range capabilities.

With a smile creeping on my face, thinking about the embrace of my lover, Centurion Cockburn ran over to me and saluted.

"Sentinel! Our battleplan was greenlit. We have permission to engage on your command." He spoke with almost delight in his voice.

I turned to look at him and removed my helmet. My purple eyes with the red rings around the Iris glared directly into his for a moment, I could see he was struggling to maintain eye contact before I smiled wickedly.

"Perfect. You have your orders Cockburn. Take half of the leadership to the south of the fort and wait for our advance before you order your troops. Also, make sure you take sufficient mine sweeper drones for that forest you are going to walk through."

"Of course, Sentinel Lambdason. As per your orders, we shall not skimp on expenses this day." Cockburn then saluted again before rushing away, I watched him for a moment before turning to Nerissa.

"Come, I should address the troops before we go to battle."

Nerissa, with her turbulent mindset with everything that has happened up to mere hours ago, found herself saluting on instinct, even though she did not need to do so to her friend and even replied as she began to follow.

"Yes, my lord."