The Red Sun: Life

After Rin told the whole truth about himself and Aaron’s disappearance, the atmosphere in the room changed from calm to so tense and angry that even Rin felt slight goose bumps for the first time in a long time. This was mostly due to Angie looking at Rin the same way he looked at Irving. However, he understood how she felt, so in order not to drive the situation even further into the wrong direction, he said:

-“Rin” Before you decide to kill me, I want to say that I can help save Aaron, which is why I’m here right now.

-“Anji” Shut up! You are not the one who can say such words!

-“Nirn” … Angie, you always manage to kill this one… In short, it’s better to use him while he’s on our side.

-“Rin” Although I don’t want to agree with you, but for the sake of saving Aaron, I will allow myself to be used in the last. It will only be to save him, after that I will be on my own.

-“Angie” God, how generous of you, after all you’ve done, to sacrifice freedom so dramatically!

As she said this, she waved her hands, showing all the absurdity of his words.

-“Nirn” Angie, better to use it than risk your life.

After this brief dialogue, Angie and Bug continued to glare at Rin, while Rin himself calmly watched Nirn leave the room. So as not to inflame further conflict between himself and Rin, who still held a grudge against him after the events of a year ago.

-“Rin” I will say again that neither I nor some numbers wanted all these events, but Irving left us no choice, just as Vant left no choice for Aaron, who is now somewhere under her control.

- “Anji” Shut up! There is always a choice, it’s just that people like you don’t want to look for it! Others suffer because of them...

Exclaiming this, Angie abruptly stood up from her chair and headed towards Rin so he could see exactly how angry she was at him and annoyed that he was trying to justify his actions and the loss of Aaron.

-“Angie” To, just like you say, when you escaped from Vant, you knew where Aaron was and you could have saved him. However, you did not do this, because you thought only about yourself, and not about your “friend”. So don’t even try to justify your actions to me.

Saying this directly to Rin’s face, she exhaled loudly and headed in the same direction as Nirn. Bug, in turn, continued to look at Rin like he was some piece of shit. After a few silent seconds, Bug walked up to Rin and told him not to even think about doing anything stupid while he was here, because either he or Angie would kill him in an instant. After that, he walked out, leaving Rin alone with all the information and words he had heard.

At the same time, Aaron, who had been talked about all this time, arrived at the military base, where Vant met him. Without sympathy or guilt, she ordered Aaron, or rather what was left of him, to her office, which was at the end of the main building. The cabinet was full of medical instruments and various devices. It also had many holographic screens, mostly showing information about the state of Aaron’s body.

When they reached the office, she ordered him to lie down on a strange table that glowed different colours and had a bunch of different medical devices and an equal amount of body modification tools.

-“Vant” Well, my little creation, you never cease to amaze me with your exploits on the battlefield, it’s just a shame that damn Rin ran away then. He-he, you would be the strongest team in the whole world.

She talked to herself as she studied Aaron’s body and watched the new implants take root, including a new eye implant that was ten times stronger than the previous one. He also had an advanced chip in his body that allowed Vant to control Aaron’s body. After the examination, she slowly began to move her hand from Aaron’s stomach to his head, reaching the very head, grabbed it with both hands, looked directly into Aaron’s eyes and said:

-“Vant” You probably could never imagine such a beautiful life for yourself, but it’s a shame that for some reason your body started rejecting my enhancements... No matter how much father took M.A.R.S.

The moment she said those words, those she had known for more than a year burst into the office, namely ‘001st’ and ‘991st’, who were wearing bright red armour that had been perfected since Rin himself had worn it. They had numbers stamped on their chests, so Vant knew who they were right away.

-“001st” I think there is no need to explain who we are and from whom! He ordered it to be handed over to you and her as well.

He pointed with his thumb at “991” who was holding a red box with a strange combination lock. When Vanth spotted the box, a slightly crazed smile appeared on her face as she realized what they had brought.

- “Vant” Hahaha! Finally, I will be able to do what I have wanted for so long.

She gave Aaron a light pat on the cheek and walked over to ‘991’ and grabbed the box, but her cheerful mood quickly faded as ‘001’ grabbed her by the throat and rudely told her that the box was for them. Not for her experiments and the half-dead ‘rat’ on the table.

-“001st” You think too highly of yourself, but thanks to him, you are still alive, because you are needed. If you continue in the same spirit, even he will turn away from someone like you.

He let go of her, causing a visible blush where he held her. “991st” took the box from Vant’s hands and approached the table. As 001 almost screamed at Vant, she said in a barely audible whisper that she would get him out of here soon.

- “Vant” Khe-khe. You bastards, do you think you can come to me and threaten my father?

-“001st” I am not threatening, but all the more so. And I repeat, we are only here for your skills and that thing in the box.

-“Vant” Haha, so holding the throat and talking about the father were just words!?

Vant took a few steps back and began to wave her hands in different directions emotionally. 001 exhaled loudly, removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm, revealing short blonde hair, incredibly bright blue eyes, and a hideous scar that ran from the tip of his right lip to his earlobe. Vant froze for a moment, and then took a few more steps back until she rested her body on the table on which Aaron was lying unconscious.

-“001st” Huh, did your father’s gift scare you so much? Still, 991st, open the damn box already.

After saying this, he pointedly ran his hand over the scar and looked at Vant, who had already changed from a confident woman to a frightened one. At the same time, the 991st opened the box, from which immediately came the voice of the person who was feared by everyone in this room, except for Aaron.

-“Irving” If you see and hear this, then the “Numbered Ones” got to you. It also means that you have to help with one thing, which is to do the same thing you did with your test rat.

The recording stopped, and “001” approached the girl, taking the familiar M.A.R.S. unit out of the box. According to Irving’s research, this model was capable of speech as well, but due to his modifications, it had become more reserved and nearly emotionless—much like M.A.R.S. Rina.

-“001st” I think your intelligence is enough for me not to explain what exactly he wants from you. In addition, this thing will monitor all your actions, so you are only needed for physical work.

- “M.A.R.S.” Congratulations. I fully agree with what Mr. 001 said earlier, but I must add that the improvements for the 991 will be slightly different from for the 001. Also, after modifications, the 991st “rat” must be sent to Irving.

-“Vant” Who the hell gave you the right to take away Aaron, whom I created with my own hands!?

- “M.A.R.S.” As a matter of fact, it was your father who foresaw this and sent two numbered ones to you. He added that one can not hold back in the face of opposition.

Hearing this, the first smiled in satisfaction, and the 991st made a faint sound that no one heard. At the same time, Vant became noticeably pale, and her hands began to tremble, because of which she grabbed the table and frantically began to search for a chair with her left hand.

-“001st” You heard everything yourself! Therefore, pretend that you are afraid.

- “Vant” Ha... it seems that he warned you about this.

After finishing the last word, Vant exhaled and returned to her usual self, though her gaze grew sharper, tinged with anger. She stood up and, with a single press of the button on the table, made Aaron jolt upright. This sudden movement triggered an instant reaction from 001: he hurled his helmet at Aaron, then swiftly reached for the gun hanging from his belt. At the same time, the 991st had already drawn his weapon, while her partner was only beginning to do so. Then she shouted loudly at Vant, buying 001 the precious seconds he needed to arm himself.

- “991st” Stop! You are only making it worse for yourself!

-“001st” Vant, damn it, think carefully about your next move one wrong step, and he’s a corpse.

-“Vant” Haha, do you think you can do something to him? Especially in my office, where my one word can kill you!

As soon as she finished speaking, M.A.R.S., who had ended up on the floor thanks to the 991st’s intervention, began to speak. He said that Irving had predicted this and sent not only those two but half of his people. Now her team was in their crosshairs, and at any moment they could eliminate everyone, including her. As for those two, Irving could easily sacrifice them, just like he could sacrifice her. Because Vant knew how cruel and ruthless Irving was, she had no doubts about what M.A.R.S. said. Therefore, she angrily clenched her fist and hit the floor, and after a moment she exhaled loudly and raised her hands and ordered Aaron to lie down on the table again.

The 991st looked at her partner and then at Vant. With a quick movement of her hand, she holstered her weapon, crouched down without any sudden gestures, and picked M.A.R.S. up from the floor. Meanwhile, 001 continued aiming at Aaron, who lay unconscious on the table, and at Vant, who was clearly displeased with the situation caused by her father

- “Vant” Maybe you will hide the weapon?

- “001st” Ha! Only after it disappears from here, and you start doing what you were ordered to do.

-“Vant” “This”, as you put it, is my goal for my whole life, and you want me to take it and throw it away as if it were useless?

-“001st” Actually, everything is as you said, with only one exception in the form of us, because you will make us better than this.

- “Vant” Haha! It turns out that Irving’s dogs no longer satisfy his needs since he sent you to me.

-“991st” Khe.. for this we must say thanks to 916.

-“001st” Close! And don’t even dare to mention him!

-“Vant” Hmm, now it’s clear why you were given this wonderful scar on your face in the first place. Having said this, she calmly crossed her left leg over her right and smiled with quiet satisfaction, locking eyes with 001. His fury toward her was so intense that, regardless of any consequences, he was ready to kill her right then and there.

-“Vant” Well, I’ll make you better than him, but tell Irving that Rin or should I say the 916th and this...

Continuing to look directly into the eyes of the former, she pointed a finger at the 991st, who continued to hold the box of M.A.R.S. and look at Aaron.

- “Vant” will be mine, and it is not discussed.

-“001st” Are you making fun of me!? How the hell am I supposed to tell him that and stay alive!

- “991st” I will tell him.

The moment she said this, the first and Vant looked at her, only Vant smiled sweetly at her, and the first glared at her angrily.

-“001st” I told you to shut up!

Having said this, he walked toward her and, using all his strength, kicked her in the stomach. The blow knocked her down, but her armour absorbed most of the impact, leaving her nearly unharmed. At the moment of contact, she managed to grab M.A.R.S. tightly to prevent him from being thrown and injured. The first one kept staring at her with fury until he was distracted by Vant’s ironic applause, who kept smiling.

-“001st” Just try to do something and believe me it will be many times worse than this!

-“Vant” If I wanted to do something, I would have done it already, so don’t worry first.

He walked up to her and told her directly that he would report her words to Irving, but he would do it with her in person, since he was taking both her and Aaron straight to him. She simply smiled and asked why they had brought M.A.R.S. if she was going to be taken anyway. In response, the first one punched Vant in the stomach and ordered the 991st to stand up and take her.

At the same time, on the far side of the galaxy, the Empire convened all its vassals and the full senate for the first time in five centuries. Among the attendees were more than a dozen old Imperials, whose presence alone spoke volumes about their experience and skill, having survived multiple wars against the Alliance. Yet age had begun to take its toll, and by the Empire’s own standards, a new generation of senators was emerging, some not even two hundred and fifty years old.

-“Senator#1” Goody! We must destroy the Alliance once and for all if we want future generations to live in peace!

-“Senator#2” Ha! Then we will be no different from the much hated Alliance, and our future generations will hate us as much as you hate the Alliance!

Although these were merely loud outbursts, everyone understood that both sides had a point, and in the heat of the moment, most agreed with what was being shouted. However, as their columns were destroyed one after another, only a small fraction of the senate began to consider the alternative. The Empire’s vassals, meanwhile, refused to entertain any notion of peace with the Alliance.

-“Liren der River” For Nirvel’s sake, calm down! We’ve been stuck here all day because you damned Senate can’t solve one damned issue at a time when we still have a bunch of issues that need an immediate solution.

The moment he shouted, the entire hall, which held more than five hundred Imperials, fell silent at once. It was the Emperor of the great Empire himself. In that hall, he was the strictest and the oldest. Moreover, in the past he was one of those who led the troops against the Alliance, as well as the one who restrained the Empire’s military power from taking over the entire galaxy because with age he realized that the more power in the hands of the Empire, the more the chance of self-destruction. However, now everyone understood that the time of his reign was coming to an end, but even so he still had enormous power in his hands.

-“Senators” Apologies, Sun of the Empire! The hall was filled with monotonous shouts of apology to the annoyed Emperor, however, even after apologizing to so many Imperials, his facial expression did not change in any way.

-“Liren der River” You can only do what apologize! Better find a solution to this war so that this body will leave this world in a peaceful time.

-“Senator” O Sun of the empire! You shouldn’t talk about your health like that!

-“Liren der River” Haha even at this time you still try to appease me!

Exclaiming this, he rose from his throne, which was crafted entirely from living Nirvel of the same silver tree. Even in its shaped form, the throne continued to grow, releasing shimmering silver shoots that enhanced the Emperor’s imposing presence. He was dressed in an elegant black suit adorned with silver accents, a reflection of both power and tradition.

-“Liren der River” Enough! I am grateful that you still respect me. But now is not the time to speak of this ageing body. Now is the time to take up arms and face the battle with strength in our hands.

-“Senator” Your Highness, we are going into battle with weapons anyway...

- “Liren der River” .... Then why the hell are we losing a colony almost every day!?

-“???” We are losing colonies because we are too weak against their new weapons! And you, Father, do nothing about it, even though we could stand against her together.

As soon as he began to speak, every head in the senate turned toward the exit. Someone had entered, whom neither the Senate nor the Emperor wished to see in that hall. It was the Emperor’s firstborn, a near-perfect copy of his father in both appearance and temperament. Like the Emperor, he listened to no one but himself, a trait that had caused countless problems over the years.

He had joined the military and in just fifty years ascended to the rank of Fleet Admiral. He was responsible for the destruction of Aaron’s former team and an entire planet. His reputation was one of cruelty, yet also of fairness. Above all, he despised the peaceful era of the Empire and loathed its current decline from the once-mighty force that had inspired fear across the stars.

-“Liren der River” Haha, look who decided to join in deciding the fate of the entire Alliance!

-“Drarn der River” I don’t want to disappoint so many people, but the fate of the Alliance has long been decided, and unfortunately for you, father, not by your decrepit hands!

As soon as he spoke his final word, a thousand soldiers in armour nearly identical to Irving’s men poured into the hall. At the same moment, they trained their weapons on everyone present.

Drarn smiled broadly and met his father’s gaze, his eyes declaring that fate would now be decided by him and not by the old Emperor.