G.O.D Complex// Earth Prime

A flag with an intricate emblem of a black lion with three horns and a crown could be seen fluttering violently as the winds lashed against it.

This enigmatic emblem represented the Teilvel Colony. From a distance, the approaching ship resembled a jagged spear cast drifting. Its dark alloy plating was fractured with faint glowing lines that pulsed with energy from its core. Twin ion thrusters at the rear hissed pale-blue exhaust, nudging the ship into orbit over the desolate colony below. The hull bore the scars of dozens of skirmishes—plasma scours, melted panels, and a long, cauterized gash down the left hangar bay—yet it still moved with the grace of a predator.

Only 640 meters long, the Lionhorn was dwarfed by larger carriers, but its purpose was never brute dominance. It was designed for tactical strikes, rapid deployments, and high-risk missions beyond enemy lines.

A central flight deck opened like a yawning maw along the ship's belly, revealing a swarm of compact fighter drones and recon-class gunships. Above it, twin rotating cannon towers tracked silently in opposite directions, their magnetic coils humming as they ran automated diagnostics.

Within the bridge, the atmosphere was tense but composed—like a hunting wolf pacing before a sprint.

Captain Rhys stood at the observation dome, watching the Logia Colony from the large screen. He rested his chin on his palm, visibly bored and in a foul mood. Behind him, the ship's onboard AI, Vela, broke the silence with her soft, clear voice.

"All weapons are hot. Drone squadron Delta is in final calibration. Shields at ninety-four percent. Shall I initiate the sweep, Captain?"

He waved his hand nonchalantly—an affirmative response.

The Lionhorn moved—not quickly, but deliberately. Its nose tilted downward as the underside railgun extended from its sheath, glowing like a molten needle. On either flank, twin missile pods adjusted to compensate for atmospheric resistance.

"Captain Rhys!" called one of the operators. "There's a request for open communication."

Rhys frowned. They had thoroughly scanned the colony and ensured that no life signs remained within Logia. Why now, a communication request?

"Perhaps rats from other colonies," he muttered. "No... the information about Logia's condition hasn't been made public yet. Could there be a spy among us?"

He gently scratched his neatly trimmed mustache in thought.

"Ignore them. Proceed with the cleansing operation," he ordered.

The operator nodded and resumed his task.

"We don't have time to overthink. They're in the dome. Just blast the location and it's done," Rhys added.

"Should we perform a deep scan of the dome, just to be sure?" asked Val, a female android. If not for the visible wire joints, she could easily be mistaken for a woman of flesh and blood.

Rhys shot her an annoyed glance. "Why waste time on such minor details? It's probably just a few people."

"However," Vela interjected calmly, "Hemlock's instructions were clear. If there are any survivors, save them. It will uphold our credibility—we are not to appear as the perpetrators behind Logia's fall."

Rhys clenched his jaw at the mention of Hemlock. "As her name implies... that woman is poisonous."

"Shall I relay your statement to her?" Vela asked politely.

"No," Rhys growled.

Turning to the operator, he relented. "Conduct a deep scan of the dome. Find out if there are any survivors."

It didn't take long for the results to appear on the central screen. Rhys was startled.

"So many...?" he whispered. He counted twelve life signs.

"These aren't residents of Logia," he deduced. "Looks like the rats arrived late. That's not a bad thing... we can frame them for the incident."

"Captain Rhys, another communication request is coming in," reported another operator.

He was about to dismiss it again, but his curiosity got the better of him. Perhaps he could catch a glimpse of their desperate expressions. "Accept the request."

A figure appeared on the screen. Rhys's first reaction was surprise: the dispatched white suit. But the figure's helmet obscured their face.

"The Medusa Cannon's solar radiation must be interfering with the signal," Rhys thought.

"This is Captain Rhys of the Lionhorn Air Naval under the Teilvel Empire. Please identify yourself and explain your presence in Logia," he said formally. Then added, with authority, "I wish to speak with whoever is in charge."

---

Three Hours Earlier

"We need to evacuate the colony immediately!" Charlotte shouted.

Everyone agreed. If they were discovered, survival was unlikely.

"I'd love to," Cross said grimly, "but we'd be identified instantly, and it would implicate Ironhold. We can't drag them into this. They already have their own problems."

The group fell silent.

Levi leaned closer to Linus. "What should we do?"

Linus was deep in thought. According to the historical archives he accessed, Teilvel was one of the strongest colonies—but history never mentioned a hierarchy of the strongest or weakest. That meant power shifted over time. At this moment, Teilvel reigned.

From Logia's database, he had learned Teilvel was involved in interspecies slave trades, inhumane experimentation, and environmental weapons development.

Linus grinned to himself. "I want it," he thought. He wanted to take Teilvel for himself. But to do so, he needed more information: its control systems, political structure, administrative logistics, population stats.

"Let's just kill their ruler," he mused. Then he turned to Cross.

"How are rulers chosen within the colonies?"

The question caught everyone off guard.

Cross raised a brow. "It depends. Some colonies elect their leaders. Others rely on strength, knowledge, or lineage."

"What about yours and Teilvel?"

"Ours is elected through votes," Cross replied. "Teilvel follows a monarchy system." Said Cross, however, he did not know whether this information was valid or not.

"I see... interesting." Linus nodded.

He turned to Paul, who flinched as he approached.

"How do you send out a communication?"

"What?" Paul asked, startled.

"I need to send two messages. One to my team outside... and the other," Linus looked at the looming screen showing the approaching Lionhorn ship, "to the captain of Teilvel's envoy."

---

To be continued...