Chương 49: Arc 1 - Chapter 26 - Warfare Lecture II (Part 2/2)

Another hour later, Lt. Jorvik led the group of Recruits towards the last hangar, which Thea briefly noted seemed to be even larger than the previous ones. Inside the large hangar they had just left, Lt. Jorvik pointed out around 20 large-sized vehicles and their corresponding variants, while mentioning that there were two more similarly sized hangars needed to fit all the large-size vehicle types and their variants. With a large grin, the Lieutenant spoke up, as he stood next to the panel to open the hangar gates.

"Now… You might've thought the previous machines were large, but these ones in here… Let's just say, they're on another level. There aren't nearly as many, as super-large vehicles are seldomly deployed to battlefields, but what they lose in quantity, they definitely make up for in quality.

"You'll never meet any of these on the battlefield, guaranteed. I haven't even seen them in action outside of the DDS and I've been with the UHF for over 30 years now. There simply are very few instances that would even allow such a vehicle to be deployed, much less make economical sense to deploy them in the first place.

"Anything above 150 tons is considered a super-heavy vehicle, but the ones inside this hangar are far larger than that. I believe the lightest one clocks in at somewhere around 250 tons? I'm not entirely sure about that… Let's be real, once you get to that point, what are 50 tons, eh?" With that nonchalant comment, Lt. Jorvik entered his credentials and opened the last hangar doors, revealing the insides of the last and largest hangar.

As the doors slowly parted, a wave of cooler air washed over them, carrying with it the faint, lingering scent of spent fuel and oil. Thea blinked as the cavernous interior came into view, her eyes easily breaking through the stark contrast between the harsh daylight outside and the more muted, diffused lighting of the hangar, while she noted that the other Recruits beside her seemed to struggle a lot more with that particular issue. The sheer scale of the interior was staggering.

The hangar's vaulted ceiling rose to a dizzying height, the walls were lined with complex machinery and a network of gantries and maintenance platforms. In its heart, dwarfing all previous impressions of size and power, stood three truly colossal machines. Two of the behemoths were ultra-massive battle tanks, each one a mountain of reinforced plasteel and high-density alloys that Thea couldn't even begin to classify. They were longer than twenty metres end-to-end, and just as wide.

Their thick, sloped armour was a deep slate grey, punctuated only by the emblems of the UHF and a handful of kill-markings. Each tank featured a main gun that looked capable of levelling city blocks with each shot, while secondary turrets bristled with additional armaments. The secondary armaments alone easily dwarfed the main-guns of the large-sized tanks they had seen.

Between these mobile fortresses stood the crown jewel of the hangar however, overshadowing even the two ultra-massive tanks, despite their more than impressive armaments – a five-legged Titan. This machine towered over even the massive tanks, an alien silhouette among more traditional designs. Each leg was as large as a smaller mech, and its body was a wonder of biomechanical design, a strange hybrid of animalistic aesthetics and mechanical practicality.

Its 'head', whose plating and cover strongly resembled the skull of a vicious canine, housed an array of sensors and target acquisition systems, while its back was a veritable skyline of weapon mounts, including massive cannons, missile launchers, and energy weapons. On the left shoulder, the pentapedal Titan bore a massive cannon, whose barrel itself was easily over 20 metres long and wide enough to fit one of the medium-sized mechs inside of it with ease.

On its right shoulder, the Titan bore a gigantic, rounded pauldron, bearing the gold and red insignia of the UHF, that was large enough to cover not only the entire right side of the massive titan, but also shield the 'head' from any potential attacks. Unlike the bipedal Titans she'd seen before, this five-legged behemoth seemed even more robust and balanced. Its pentapedal design undoubtedly offered incredible stability and manoeuvrability on a diverse set of terrains.

The sight of these gargantuan war machines, the epitome of the UHF's might, filled Thea with a sense of awe and trepidation.' Just what exactly am I even supposed to do, if there's one of these on the battlefield…? I'm kind of glad the System restricts these things now… I was already worried about my job with the large vehicles, but this…? This is utterly ludicrous…'

The hangar echoed with an almost palpable silence, as if the colossal machines themselves were holding their breath, waiting to be awakened from their slumber. None of the Recruits managed to say a word, much less breathe, as the sheer presence of these three super-large machines stole their every thought. Much like the rest of the Recruits, Lucas was similarly shocked with awe, as he simply stood near the entrance, mouth agape, staring at the pentapedal Titan before him. Even as Lt.

Jorvik started talking, Thea noted that Lucas did not move, his eyes figuratively sparkling with unspoken dreams and desires.

"These three here are the super-large vehicles we currently have inside the DDS. In the real-world, we have a couple more, but have not bothered scanning them into the DDS, as it's a massive undertaking to do so, as you might imagine.

"The tank on the left is known as the Shadekiller-type super-massive main battle tank. Or just Shadekiller for short. Its main area of expertise is, as its name implies, environmental destruction. If there's a battlefield that features a lot of environments to get through or a large amount of reinforced positions, the Shadekiller will easily create a path, where previously there was none.

"Its main cannon is a mixture of a super-sized plasma-cannon, coupled with a gravitationally unstable payload that ultimately rips anything towards it once it activates. Seeing it fire is quite the spectacle… One I might be able to show you in future classes, actually… But I'll require some special permissions for that, even inside the DDS. I'll try to get them for one of the future classes, promise.

"The tank on the right bears the ominous name of Skyfall-type super-massive main battle tank. Obviously everyone just calls it the Skyfall, as you might imagine. Its name stems, similarly to the Shadekiller, from its main expertise, as its primary usage is as an area-denial tool. The Skyfall's main cannon fires not a single projectile, but instead a vast array of miniaturised Void-reactors.

"One issue we've always run into when it comes to building ships with enough power to use FTL travel, were the Void-reactors. The only type of reactor we have that can provide enough power for long-distance FTL travel. We simply can't make them smaller than a certain size, as they become incredibly unstable. The Skyfall makes this instability into a formidable, albeit highly dangerous weapon.

"By firing an array of these Void-reactors at the given area, which are guaranteed to rupture and blow up, the Skyfall creates a veritable net of Void-tears, that simply annihilate anything below a Tier 4 material bunker. The tears extend massively to all sides, making the Skyfall capable of even clearing entire fleets of air or space craft with a single shot.

"The main issue with the Skyfall, as you will likely realise, is the truly exorbitant cost of operation. Void-reactors are unbelievably expensive to create, even in miniaturised form, so it rarely sees use nowadays. If push comes to shove however, we always have them in our back pocket, in case a free battlefield requires its mighty main cannon…" Walking in front of the pentapedal Titan, Lt. Jorvik stopped and briefly looked up in awe, before turning back around to the Recruits.

"Now this… This gorgeous machine is the Wolf Lord. Its name-sake should be pretty obvious, given its prominent cockpit design. I don't even know where to start on this one, but it's an absolute beast, as its name implies. Each one of its weapons is enough to take apart an entire army, yet the Wolf Lord boasts up to 8 of them at a time. It's capable of firing them all simultaneously, thanks to an AI aboard the machine that is dangerously close to breaking the Emperor's decree.

"Its pauldron is strong enough to block multiple shots of a Skyfall's main cannon, while its pentapedal design allows it to manoeuvre in places you would never have imagined could field such a machine… It truly is an absolute work of art…

"Mind you, all three of these machines are absolute tanks. After all, they are all covered in T4 material alloy, making them damn-near indestructible. They could even weather multiple days of orbital bombardment, if necessary…

"Now… Let's head on out, to finish up this lecture. Some of you might actually fall unconscious, considering I haven't heard any of you breathe in the past few minutes here," Lt. Jorvik joked, which caused a few chuckles and startled most Recruits out of their daze, before heading outside the super-large hangar. Lucas reluctantly pulled himself away from the Wolf Lord and walked next to Thea who had waited for him.

"The Wolf Lord is impressive, huh?" She prompted, in an attempt to figure out what Lucas was thinking.

"Truly… I can't believe something like it even exists… Dozens of people working together as a single crew, just to move the thing… That is incredible. Utterly gorgeous looking, too," he added, as he turned his face to steal a last glance at the Wolf Lord behind him.

"Maybe you should join the AD after all…? Maybe one day you could pilot it?" Thea offered carefully, not wanting to push Lucas one way or another. She realised that felt exceedingly comfortable talking to Lucas, likely due to the fact that he had never shown any hostility towards her and always seemed happy to reply.

"Hmm… I thought about it… But I think I'll remain with the Marines for now. Making such a decision this early on, without even having done our first assessment, seems too hasty to me. If the assessment doesn't feel good, I might reconsider, but I'd like to give the Marines a shot first. My old man would be mad if I didn't at least give it a shot first, after all… He always used to say 'Lucas… You always have to try everything once! Don't you dare shy away from things, just because you're scared of them!'

," he mimicked with a terrible imitation of an old person's voice that made Thea chuckle.

"He sounds like a wise man. I think trying out the assessment first is definitely a solid choice. A couple days won't really matter for your career, in the grand scheme of things," Thea answered with a smile. Lucas' eyes became downcast as he answered, "He was… He truly was… Ye… Thank you, Thea. I appreciate the kind words…" Only now realising that she had stepped into a territory she probably shouldn't have, Thea inwardly cursed, ' Damnit! I should've realised what he meant earlier… Now I made him sad… Fuck!'

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Unsure of how to salvage the situation, she simply walked quietly next to the lumbering, downcast Lucas, as they got in line with the rest of the Recruits for the final round of the Warfare 101 lecture. Just as Lt. Jorvik was about to speak, however, Thea suddenly felt a slight vibration crawl up through her feet into her bones. Looking around with a frown, Thea wondered to herself, ' What the…?

What was that…?'

"Now then, that pretty much concludes the Warfare 101 lecture. You should now know most of everything that will be required of you during your assessment. What vehicles exist, which ones you might be able to use during your missions, which ones are high-priority and which ones you should avoid at all costs.

"We've gone over the logistics of respawns, talked about the history of warfare as a whole, covered the three different battlefield types you'll come in contact with and took a look at some mighty awesome machines…" Once again, Thea felt the vibrations travel through her body. Looking around with a frown, her eyes suddenly met Lt. Jorvik's, who ever-so-slightly shook his head at her, as if to indicate that Thea should not make a fuss about whatever she thought was going on.

Understanding that this was likely some part of their lecture, Thea calmed her anxiously beating heart. She had always been a bit more on the cautious side, an unavoidable side-effect when one grew up in a mid-world undercity. When daylight robberies, kidnappings and murder were an everyday thing, one didn't really have the luxury to get used to a more quiet lifestyle of feeling secure. Knowing that Lt.

Jorvik was aware of whatever was going on and didn't seem concerned, Thea simply listened to his extended recap of the lecture, while the vibrations kept coming in a slightly increasing rhythm… Just as Lt. Jorvik seemed about done with his recap, a big smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Now… I've shown you basically all types of vehicles that the UHF can field, going from small, over medium and large to super-large… But there is actually one additional type, that we do not store inside of the hangars, for they are simply too large.

"These machines are known as the special-size and are exclusively Titans. May I direct your attention behind you, my dearest Recruits?" Following his direction, the recruits turned around, their eyes widening at the sight that greeted them. Over the horizon, a colossal shape slowly took form. Even from this distance, it was a gargantuan silhouette, so massive that it nearly eclipsed the sunset behind it.

It was like a city on the move, a titan of such unfathomable scale that it made everything else seem inconsequential in comparison. It was undoubtedly a Titan variant, a special-size one. Its structure looked like a cityscape of towers, turrets and massive cannons, strapped onto what appeared to be a vast chassis of plasteel and high-grade alloys. This wasn't a machine built for battlefields, it was created for wars.

Walking on innumerable legs, this titan reminded them of a centipede, albeit one whose length could span entire city blocks with ease, while its head towered over two hundred metres in the air. The sight was utterly stupefying, and not a little humbling. In comparison, the machines they had just admired in the hangars were merely toys. Even the Wolf Lord looked barely large enough to reach one of the special-size Titan's knees.

The Titan's main guns, colossal weapons of unknown type, were mounted atop its chassis, each one looking easily capable of levelling entire ecosystems with a single discharge. Smaller, though still intimidatingly large, artillery pieces and missile launchers dotted its length, giving it the capability to engage multiple targets simultaneously in all directions. Just the sight of this monolithic entity invoked a sense of awe and abject terror within anyone who saw it.

It was a testament to the sheer industrial and technological might of the UHF, a symbol of supreme power capable of decimating entire planets if needed. The recruits watched in silent awe as the Titan continued its slow march, the ground trembling subtly even at this far distance with each of its ponderous steps. One of the Recruits behind Thea mouthed, "What the fuck is that…?" quietly to themselves and she couldn't help but agree.

The sheer scale of what she was witnessing dwarved anything she could have ever imagined. The super-large sized Wolf Lord alone had blown her mind, but watching the centipede-like behemoth of a Titan at the horizon was simply on a level that her mind was unwilling to accept as reality or even a possibility.

"That, my dear Recruits, is the second largest Titan ever created. It doesn't have a type, for there is only one in existence. Most people simply refer to it as a 'Behemoth', instead of a Titan, just to differentiate the classes further.

"Its name is the ' Terra Venator'. I won't even begin to list its statistics, mostly because I don't even know a fraction of them… But instead, I'll let it demonstrate its power, just this once.

"I managed to obtain special permissions for today's class only. Lucky coincidence, really, as the UHF AD happened to be running an extremely rare exercise with it today, inside the DDS. So I managed to call in a few favours to have it show up here and give us a little demonstration. If you ever see any of the three thousand men that crew this monster, make sure to pay a drink of theirs or something, alright?" Thea's mind was reeling from the information the Lieutenant had just divulged.' We're…

We're going to see this thing shoot?! And there's over three thousand people needed to just operate it for a training run…? Just what in the Void would ever require such a monstrosity to be fielded?!' Just as she managed to finish her thoughts, the main cannon of the Terra Venator suddenly came alive. The deafening hum of power resonated through the air as the Terra Venator's colossal form seemed to vibrate with anticipation.

The firing sequence began with a low, resonant thud—a series of massive hydraulic pistons engaging, preparing the colossal main-cannon for its devastating release of energy. The ground beneath Thea's feet trembled in response, adding a sense of much-needed realness to the awe-inspiring, downright mythical spectacle before her. A radiant, purple-hued glow emanated from the intricate energy coils, visible through transparent plating, winding their way through the Titan's immense structure.

Brilliant arcs of energy crackled and danced along their path, like celestial lightning coursing through the heart of the Titan. The chamber housing the main-cannon hummed with escalating power. Enormous capacitors discharged their stored energy, sending bolts of crackling electricity cascading through the vast network of conduits. The air crackled with an electrifying charge, ionising a large swathe of it around the Titan itself.

As the final moments of the firing sequence approached, the Terra Venator seemed to draw a breath, as if inhaling the very essence of its destructive potential. The ground quivered beneath Thea's feet, a precursor to the cataclysmic event about to unfold. Then, with a resounding boom that echoed through the valley, the Terra Venator unleashed its full might. The cannon erupted in a searing torrent of energy, an awe-inspiring beam of pure destruction that lanced through the air with unimaginable speed.

A blinding flash of incandescent light followed, illuminating the surrounding landscape with an intensity that seemed to defy the natural order. The beam tore through the distance with deadly accuracy, obliterating everything in its path. The detonative shockwave from the firing blast eradicated everything within a one-kilometer radius, leaving a crater of mind-boggling size imprinted on the landscape, where the Terra Venator stood, in an instant.

The only untouched portion was the immediate ground underneath the gigantic body of the Terra Venator, now merely resembling an isolated island amidst the wild, tumultuous sea of devastation. The mountain that had towered over their lecture this entire time, once an immovable symbol of the enduring strength and beauty of nature, simply shattered under the onslaught of the Terra Venator's devastating power.

Rocks the size of skyscrapers were sent soaring through the air like confetti in a storm, displaced at speeds that rivaled taking-off spacecrafts or downright atomized. The entire mountain and ground heaved and groaned, as if protesting against the unnatural forces unleashed upon it. The sheer magnitude of the blast reverberated through Thea's being, filling her with a mix of exhilaration, awe and abject horror, of a kind she had never felt before.

The aftermath of the strike left behind a massive, scorched and smouldering scar, where the eastern-side of the mountain used to be. Now nothing but molten rock and stone, a massive crescent-shaped hole had been torn through the entire mountain at the distant horizon. As the shockwaves propagated outward from both the Terra Venator and the devastated mountain, the environment surrounding Thea trembled under the overwhelming force unleashed before them.

The shockwaves rippled through the air, distorting and displacing everything in their path. To the left, where the pine forest stood, the shockwaves surged through the dense foliage. The towering trees swayed violently in anticipation for the main shockwave to arrive, their branches thrashing against each other as if caught in a tempest. Leaves were ripped from their branches, scattering through the air like a torrential downpour.

Then, finally, as the main bulk of the shockwave hit, the entire forest floor quivered under the immense power, causing the earth to crack and split. Ancient trees were uprooted and flung through the air with the fury of an angered god, their gnarled roots ripped from the ground as if the planet itself rejected them, leaving behind a chaotic aftermath of utter destruction. To the right, where the rocky desert stretched out, the shockwaves collided with the rugged terrain.

The ground quaked violently, sending plumes of dust and debris into the air. Boulders tumbled and rolled, dislodged from their once-stable positions. The very foundation of the desert seemed to shudder under the tremendous impact, causing avalanches of rocks and debris to cascade down the slopes of the surrounding cliffs. In the midst of this chaotic scene, Thea found herself shielded to some extent by the massive hangars that housed the vehicles and other military equipment.

These imposing structures acted as a buffer, absorbing and dispersing some of the shockwaves' energy. Despite the protection provided by the massive hangars and the vast distances between them and the origin however, the shockwave unleashed by the Terra Venator's devastating strike was still a force to be reckoned with. As the wave of energy surged towards Thea and her fellow Recruits, it grew in intensity, creating a powerful gust of wind that roared through the open spaces.

The force hit them with a sudden and unexpected ferocity. Thea felt the ground beneath her tremble as the shockwave crashed against the protective barrier of the hangars, causing them to vibrate and groan under the immense pressure. However, the sheer power of the shockwave could not be fully contained. A strong blast of air swept through the area, knocking several Recruits off their feet.

Thea herself was caught off guard, stumbling backward as the gust surged past her, only managing to stand upright thanks to a timely, helping hand from Lucas, who had braced his large body against the incoming storm. The impact of the shockwave was utterly jarring, a sudden force that threatened to upend everything in its path. Recruits were tossed aside, their bodies tumbling through the air like leaves caught in a storm. Dust and debris swirled in a chaotic dance, stirred up by the immense force of the shockwave.

The sound of cries and shouts mixed with the howling wind, creating a cacophony of chaos and confusion. Those closest to the hangars managed to find some stability, clinging to any available support to weather the brunt of the shockwave. Some Recruits braced themselves against the hangar walls, while others sought refuge behind larger pieces of equipment, desperately clinging to their positions. As the shockwave continued to dissipate, its strength waned, and the gusts of wind gradually subsided.

Thea and the remaining Recruits struggled to regain their footing, their bodies battered and disoriented. Slowly, they rose from the ground, dusting off their uniforms and steadying themselves. They exchanged glances, finding solace in the fact that they had weathered the storm of the shockwave together. As the trembling of the environment subsided, a profound silence settled over the landscape, broken only by the crackling of embers and the distant echoes of settling debris.

The forest and desert now bore the scars of the cataclysmic forces unleashed upon them, forever marked by the immense power of the Terra Venator's devastating strike. Thea stood there, awestruck, gazing out at the altered horizon. The sight before her was a testament to the raw power harnessed by humanity, both in the form of the colossal Titan and the destructive forces it had unleashed.

It was a humbling reminder of the vast scale of the conflict in which they were engaged, a struggle that demanded unimaginable sacrifices and a constant evolution in the face of ever-advancing adversaries. The only sound that cut through the awestruck silence that followed, was the hearty laugh of Lt. Jorvik.

"Hahaha… Holy fucking shit! By the Emperor's muscular golden arse, that was insane! I hope everyone's alright? I had no idea… I have never seen the Terra Venator fire it's Star-cannon either, so I had no idea what to expect. Definitely wasn't this, though, I'll tell ya that much…" At that moment, Thea suddenly heard the same firing sequence start up behind her. Wide-eyed, she spun around, only to see the Terra Venator's main cannon aimed directly at their position. With a slight panic in his voice, Lt.

Jorvik quickly reached for the datapad at his side, "Ehh… I didn't ask them to do that…? Let me figure out what's going on!" Panic rapidly spread through the Recruits, with many running towards the nearby hangars to seek cover. Thea, however, was very well aware that there was no cover from the Star-cannon. If it could take down a mountain many dozens of kilometres away, it could definitely take out some dingy plasteel-hangars.

With a crooked smile, Thea simply shook her head and muttered to herself, "Always my luck, huh?"

"Hey, I'm also here, you know?" Came the unexpected response from her side, as Lucas chimed in with a smile. With a nod, Thea acknowledged Lucas' determination to simply stand and accept their fate. At that moment, when the Star-cannon finished its firing sequence and the radiant beam came towards them, Lucas suddenly stepped in front of Thea…