John lifted his head from the piles of documents in front of him, his expression calm but carrying the weight of responsibility.
"How is the progress of our preparations?"
At this moment, few individuals in the empire were busier than him. As the overseer of the entire imperial military, he was tasked with preparing for the massive military restructuring, ensuring every division was ready for the upcoming changes. His monthly progress reports to the emperor demanded at least an intermediate understanding of every research project under his jurisdiction. Though he could have had the research heads report directly, John insisted on personally understanding each project—an exhausting endeavor, made possible only through knowledge assimilation and time acceleration technology.
A response quickly followed, {I have already finished decrypting all of the information we collected during the war and from the captured Xalthar’s ship. Nyx is currently already running training simulations with that data.}
The voice belonged to Athena, the AI responsible for overseeing all of the matters related to the imperial military.
Decrypting the vast amount of data collected during the short war was no simple task. Many enemy ships had been destroyed before full data extraction could be completed, leaving behind fragments that took time to decrypt and filter through. However, with the new decryption technology provided by Nova, Athena had successfully decrypted and sorted out usable intelligence from the corrupt or incomplete files.
Once the decryption was completed, the verified information was uploaded to the Akashic Records, making it accessible to all personnel deemed to have clearance. With the intelligence now available, Athena assigned Nyx to use the collected intelligence and brain data to train infiltration specialists. Their mission was to gather critical intelligence on the Astral Conclave, ensuring that the empire’s strategic adjustments were based on the real situation, rather than assumptions.
John took a moment to process the update, his gaze momentarily distant. Then, with a decisive nod, he placed the document he was reading back into the pile on the table.
"Tell Nyx to join me. I’m ready to report our progress."
{She will be with you there.} Athena’s voice carried an air of calm efficiency. Though she had the authority to attend the briefing, it was not her task—the responsibility of delivering the report fell to John, and she had no intention of overstepping unless requested. Though their positions seemed equal, their roles were clearly defined.As soon as the words left her, the room around John dissolved in an instant—the simulation instance ended
..
{We should have agents ready for infiltration operations within the timeframe you gave us. Currently, they are living within a simulated environment designed to make the habits and mannerisms of the species they will impersonate second nature. This will ensure they avoid any slip-ups once deployed.}
Nyx, having already joined the meeting, concluded her portion of the report and waited. The emperor remained silent for a moment, processing the information. If he had any questions, now would be the time to ask.
Aron leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. “Do we already have the absolute coordinates for deployment, or is that still a work in progress?”
A brief pause. Then, Nyx responded.
{Although the data we gathered during the war has proven valuable, unfortunately, we did not find any usable absolute coordinates for infiltration. The ones we do have belong to upper-level civilizations, and the locations they lead to are primarily military bases. This presents a major issue. These bases are heavily protected and equipped with sensitive sensors capable of detecting spatial fluctuations or any attempt to open a wormhole. If we attempt an insertion there, it would not only result in the immediate destruction of the infiltration forces but also alert the entire Conclave. That level of heightened vigilance would make future operations significantly more difficult.}
Nyx continued, her tone remaining neutral but carrying an underlying weight of concern.
{Additionally, a failed infiltration attempt carries the risk of being misinterpreted. The targeted civilization might assume the attempt was orchestrated by one of their rivals, potentially igniting an internal conflict. Even more concerning, if they believe the infiltration came from a civilization outside the Conclave—especially one with technology comparable to their wormhole systems—it could escalate into a large-scale war we are not yet prepared for. Given our current lack of intelligence on their internal politics and military readiness, such a conflict could draw us in. The Conclave would do everything in its power to secure its access to mana stones during such turmoil, further complicating an already volatile situation.}
Aron gave a slow nod, acknowledging the risk. “So how do you plan on sending the spies safely then?”
{Since we possess some absolute coordinates and know the principles of how they are gathered, we are working on a workaround. Using the incomplete Conclave star maps we obtained, we are running simulations to generate potential safe insertion points—locations distant enough from military installations and sensor networks to avoid immediate detection.}
A holographic display activated in front of them, showing clusters of points being mapped out in real-time.
{Once we have a set of promising coordinates, we will send miniships with technology profiles distinct from our own. These ships will conduct reconnaissance, verifying if the chosen locations are truly safe. If they pass our safety criteria, we will then deploy the actual infiltration ships, marking the official start of our operations.}
Nyx paused before adding, {We didn’t include this in the initial report because the process is still ongoing. While the approach has potential, it has yet to yield concrete results.}
Upon hearing the explanation, Aron nodded in satisfaction. It reassured him that he had the right individuals for each position. This delegation of responsibilities meant he didn’t have to personally devise every plan and micromanage their execution. Instead, he could focus on broader strategic decisions while his team handled the step-by-step planning necessary to achieve those goals.
“Before you test them in the real universe, run them by me first,” he added. While he trusted their expertise, there were always details they might overlook—details he could catch due to his broader perspective and deeper knowledge of certain classified matters.
{That was the plan, sir,} Nyx responded without hesitation.
“Good. Thanks.”
With her part of the report concluded, Nyx disappeared from the virtual meeting. She saw no reason to stay for John’s report—she already had full access to the information and could easily review the emperor’s thoughts later through the meeting transcripts or by analyzing shifts in research directives.
John then took over, providing a structured overview of their progress. Occasionally, he called on the heads of specific research divisions to give detailed explanations and answer technical questions. While John had a strong grasp of the overall projects, certain advanced details required direct input from the researchers themselves. The meeting continued with Aron listening carefully, occasionally interjecting with questions to ensure everything was moving in the right direction.
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