Ceres Chaos [Exosuit Progression]

Ardan woke up to an obviously agitated voice shouting loudly next to him. “You’re all minors, and you’re telling me you hijacked a hovercar from the greenhouse, flew it over the building, dropped down and coordinate with these four idiot guards to try a pincer attack on a dangerous criminal group?! I didn’t raise you to go vigilante, I raised you to follow laws - and why didn’t any of you contact me first at all!”

He opened his eyes to see the orphanage director, Ann Lesion, in front of his hospital bed scolding his four friends who stood quietly next to his hospital bed, their hands clasped behind their backs as they stood in a standard military 'at ease' position.

A second voice replied with a much calmer tone. “That’s enough Ms Lesion, while the four of them should have called either of us first, they did the right thing. I’m happy that there are such good friends of Ardan willing to go to such an extent for him. Believe me when I say I’m going to stir up a shitstorm so large to find out who the fuck in the city administration pulled that stunt through the enforcers.” The tone did not seem so calm any more.

He looked to his left, seeing his aunt standing next to him, who noticed Ardan was awake. “Hey dear, you alright? How are you feeling?” Vice Manager Fye leaned over, caressing his head.

“Urgh, what happened... The two workers! They got away! They are in the loading bay, quick go after them!” Ardan groaned at them as he struggled to get up from his bed, but his four friends just chuckled in response. “I’m serious, those two workers are imposters, they are the ones who started the fire!”

“Relax Ardan, your friends here already solved the case! They saved you from being held hostage!” His aunt showed the footage of his friends fighting in the ‘safehouse’ courtesy of the numerous cameras tied to the computer terminals.

As he watched the video, Ardan almost teared up when he saw his friends fighting dangerously and taking hits for him, except for Braton who seemed to have no issue.

The orphanage director couldn’t bear to scold the kids any longer after seeing Ardan’s reaction, leaving the room with the aunt to let the five of them discuss everything that had happened.

“That Rao guy was crazy, he was threatening me that he had some sort of secret weapon or superpower or some mad shit, I just whacked him head-on.” Braton boasted as he pointed out the part of the video where he was fighting.

“You had it easier, we two had to fight the boss head-on! That guy was a cyborg!” Lisa shot back, to which Trissa nodded vigorously. If humans could afford it, they would always choose to replace their limbs with mechanical ones, as it allowed them to either work harder or live longer without complications.

In certain cases, some humans favoured prosthetics over exosuits as it was more inconspicuous and better for urban battles, not to mention the ability to survive the loss of any limbs better too.

Ardan smiled as the four of them argued about who played the most important role in the rescue, Erik claiming that he was the one doing all the data wrangling and falsifying the video, Trissa saying she did most of the attacking, with Lisa and Braton vying for that same position.

“Thank you all guys, I… I appreciate what you did for me, no one has ever gone this far for me before,” Ardan sniffled as tears of happiness welled up in his eyes, stunning the four of them.

“Don’t cry Ardan, you’re our friend, of course, we’ll help you!” Lisa hugged Ardan, while Braton nodded vigorously, saying “Yea, you’re our best Gladius VIP practice room friend, I will never let you go!” The five of them laughed and joked, knowing that in their hearts now they were true friends.

“What happened to them though? You know, Watson and his gang?” Ardan asked.

“Fucking enforcers fucked up everything as usual. We gave them the whole dataset of all the criminal activities and contacts they had, but most likely the enforcers aren’t going to do anything about it.” Trissa sneered, the most cynical of them all against the enforcers.

Before this incident, the other four would have treated her as a conspiracy nutjob, but seeing this kidnapping in real life and the attitude of the enforcers, they had no choice but to agree wholeheartedly.

Both the enforcement’s attitude towards them as outers and the way they handled crime in the outer zones had shocked them.

“Something is seriously fucked up in this city, how could the enforcers do this?” Erik pondered.

“They have us backing them idiot. The military! We support them from behind the scenes, and since this is a border planet near the Beyond, there are too many selfish interests tied up in the city. Everyone’s stuck in the pie, and stirring it wouldn’t bode well for your career in the enforcers!” Trissa replied.

Ardan was shocked. He would never imagine this to happen in his life. “Trissa, weren’t you mute?”

***

Ceres finally had a holiday break. It had been a nonstop training in the Thorn Chamber for months, where he had to memorize almost all the exosuits design to have existed in the Loeric Empire. Some of the design concepts went way over his head, but it was enough to just know how to make or modify them.

Certain high-level topics such as the efficiency of power reactors or the specific tensile strength of exotic metals were definitely not his domain, and he did not need that for the examination.

He was closer to a technician in a workshop that could repair an entire car but would not be able to design one himself without plagiarizing with zero understanding. He would have to go for further training in design in order to make his own exosuit design.

Today, however, was a special occasion. It was the orphanage graduation ceremony! Every year, it was tied to Loeric Day, to commemorate the rise of the Loeric Empire and the crowning of the first emperor.

It was a day of festivities and celebrations empire-wide, with every planet celebrating at the same time, unified to the empire-wide clock that was standardized to the revolutions on the capital planet.

The graduates of the Zone 17 Military Orphanage would naturally participate as a marching regiment during the parade to showcase their military strength to the citizens of Athen.

In the Loeric Empire, competition and strength were everything. Even the lowest humble citizen can rise through the ranks with enough guts and power.

The graduation competition was the best example of this, allowing everyone, even those from asteroids or other less-developed planets to take part for a chance at a better future. By clearing such a trial, they will be able to take control of their own future, climbing up the social ladder.

Conversely, if they failed even in the first stage of the competition, there was nothing else they could complain about.

They had their entire ‘childhood’ of twenty-one years to prepare for such a competition, they could not blame anyone but themselves.

Ceres truly believed in the ideology of the competition. Wasn’t he an example of rags to riches? Even someone without abundant resources like him could easily climb into the main competition.

He had the support of his friends, and his hard work earned him the recognition of the owner of the planet, Cardenia Hawthorn. Why wouldn’t he believe in the Loeric Empire?

That wasn't to say he loved everyone in the Loeric Empire - he still detested the inners, having faced daily discrimination from them since he arrived on Athen. Cardenia had shown him new hope, however, and he began to regain faith in the higher authorities of the Loeric Empire.

Ever since the qualifiers and being exalted as a local hero, Ceres had been slowly changing more and more to believe in himself, his entire being sharpened into aiming at winning the competition.

Gone was the former goal of simply getting off the planet – he truly wanted to win it all now!

Only then could he prove that all the resources and support from his friends had paid off and that he was worth something as a human being foremost, and a citizen of the Loeric Empire second.

He wasn’t one to forget the hand who fed him, knowing that it was the public military budget and the Dynasty of Hawthorn that allowed him to stay alive to this moment. Not the Five Families or the inners.

Such similar feelings were gathered among the graduates of the Zone 17 Military Orphanage, who lined up into a regiment in the parade square of the orphanage.

Even those who had fallen during the qualifier stages were not unhappy, for they too know that their lives would be much more miserable had they not been given a chance by the orphanage.

They could still join the military at a low rank, or any other decent job such as greenhouse workers or mining and live a decent life in Athen.

The orphans wore the standard military uniform of the Loeric Empire with pride, this time decorated with their new ‘Soldier’ rank, which was the next tier after ‘Recruit’. They stood at attention, emotions welling up in their soul as they watched the orphanage director stand in front of them, ready to give them their parting speech.

For many of the orphans, they had spent their entire life here.

Some of the volunteer teachers and guards stood behind her, also standing proudly. Nobody here belittled the graduation ceremony despite its simplicity and lack of decoration or fanfare, knowing that it was an important event for the orphans.

“It’s been a long journey, of different lengths for all of you. Some have been here their entire whole life, some only less than five years. Whatever the length, you are all now graduates of the Zone 17 Military Orphanage,” Ann Lesion spoke with a firm voice.

”It is part of the military – no, it is part of my sacred duty to make sure that kids like you continue to dream of a better future and to live a happy life. Some of you may remain on this planet, others will leave. You are not forced to join the military, but you’re more than welcome to anytime.”

“Even if you found your performance unsatisfactory during the competition, know that I am always proud of all of you. For those who have gone above and beyond in the competition, I sincerely pray with all my heart that you will achieve what your heart desires. Regardless of where you may go, you can always find me here, on Athen as your anchor.“

“You may not have a blood family, but we here today, this is your family. You will always find a shoulder to lean on in all of us, your comrades and your teachers. Now go forth into the future, and bring glory to the Loeric Empire!”

“Glory to the Loeric Empire!” Ceres had always muttered this phrase during the normal school days of his childhood during the regular morning assembly, but today, none of them even slacked, shouting out the phrase with all their might.

The words seemed to form an invincible bond between the orphans, who had grown up together for a good part of their lives. Their blood raged with pride, as they saluted Ann Lesion, who saluted back.

If one looked closely enough, you could see a slight tear in her left eye, but she would never admit that to anyone.

“Now go! Join the Loeric Parade and march!” The regiment marched out of the orphanage, aiming for the centre of the city! It was not going to be an easy march, it is close to 18 hours of marching in parade attire.

Ceres however didn’t even think about the upcoming torture of having to march that long, instead holding his chest up high with pride. He had been promoted to a ‘soldier’ rank!

Of course, everyone in the military knew that ‘soldier’ was the lowest rank. Even civilian reservist units were also ranked at the same level.

Due to the unique position of the Loeric Empire however, everyone had to do their part in some way to make sure they don’t get overrun, especially when they were near the border.

Beset by foes on multiple fronts, the rank of ‘soldier’ would allow him to be granted resources and weapons during martial law to fight back against any planetary invaders.

It was also the culmination of all the military drills, exercises, training and lessons that he had gone through. His heart soared with pride as they marched through Zone 17, the residents all cheering for them.

Even Mrs Qiu and her entire family followed along for the start of the march through Zone 17. The Loeric Parade was a show of unity to the citizens, to remind themselves that they were all part of something greater!

The foreigners from other planets, colonies or even the Beyond who had come to the Gladius for training all looked in wonder at the massive parade happening all across the city.

Ardan too watched it virtually in his aunt’s office, shouting every time he managed to spot Ceres and the rest on the main livestream camera.

Of course, the march couldn’t actually go on for 18 hours straight, but instead had multiple breaks at in-between zones.

When they reached the underground inner zones, they had to be taken in by hovertrucks too, as there wasn’t exactly a pedestrian tunnel to march through.

Ceres managed to find Erik and the rest during the break. “Ceres! Brother, you have returned!” Braton crushed Ceres in a bear hug, while Erik and Trissa simply smiled.

“Ceres, you won’t believe what happened over the three months you’ve been gone! We went to this greenhouse…” Erik told Ceres about everything that happened, shocking him.

He felt more like a hermit now that he knew Erik and the rest had bonded so well together, but he still felt happy for them. “Man, I wish I could have been there. I would have blown up the entire safehouse!” Ceres muttered.

“I don’t think Ardan would appreciate that, with him being in that ‘safehouse,” Trissa replied, shocking Ceres. Wasn’t Trissa mute?

Braton and Erik laughed again, seeing Trissa scowl and kick Ceres in the ribs. “I wasn’t mute, I just thought all of you were idiots! Except Erik, of course.”

They caught up on everything, eventually changing subjects to every crazy story they had during their time at the orphanage.

“Feels like time went by so fast, it felt like yesterday that I was only eight years old,” Ceres said, recalling the first time he arrived at the orphanage.

“Don’t we all? Anyway, you better be ready to win the competition, because I’m gearing up hard too!” Erik boasted. The group of friends had already agreed long ago that if they were going to try, they might as well go all the way!

“All right, we’re here! GET IN FORMATION, NO TALKING! LOOK SHARP, KEEP YOUR CHIN UP, AND ARMS 90 DEGREES WHEN SWINGING.” One of the appointed regiment leaders shouted, to which the orphans immediately followed. It was their last day to follow orders, assuming they didn’t join the military! Why would they slack in this critical moment?

The backdoor of the hovertruck opened to a street full of festivities with an extremely long marching parade already in progress.

The regiment of orphans marched out with pride and discipline, joining the long line of other military regiments. Companies even sent a whole group of their workers to show their logo and brand in the parade, marching alongside the orphans who were stunned at the sheer amount of citizens who had come to see the parade.

The enforcers too dispatched their own regiment, full of the newly produced Athen Defenders. Ceres nodded his head in approval when he noticed that they had covered some of the weaknesses he found during the test drill earlier in the year. He still hated the enforcers for what they did to Ardan, though that didn't stop the engineer within him from approving their changes.

Holographic fireworks blossomed non-stop in the sky, while a marching band played the military classics. Even in the Galactic Era, there was a continuous push to retain classical military music bands in the army.

Their instruments were even further modified by a small amount of exotic materials, allowing their soundwaves to travel further or achieve unique sounds never heard before on Ancient Earth.

With this parade, the humans of Athen showered cheers and virtual confetti on the marching parade, causing the orphans to swell with even more love and loyalty for this country.

Though the inners and outers might have their differences, they were all still citizens of the Loeric Empire.

If society loved you this much, wouldn’t you love it in return? Ceres held his head high, staring at the magnificent sights as he marched through the zones. He even thought for a small moment that the inner discrimination that he felt was all just a bluff.

Finally, they reached the end of the march, stopping in a large parade square that was cleared out in the middle of Zone 1, the centre of the city and the starting point of colonization.

The regiments formed up in their position, boasting a scene showing close to a million participants in the parade, while the citizens watching them on the grandstands or through the virtual channels outnumbered them by more than a hundred times.

At the front of the parade square, Cardenia Hawthorn was walking down the aisle, inspecting the parade soldiers and even children who had the chance to join in the parade, though naturally they were not made to march for long, being transported directly to the parade square for the final part.

Any citizen’s heart would have melted watching the young kids try their best to stand at attention too.

Cardenia Hawthorn chuckled, talking nicely to the kids who all forgot their formation and swarmed her the moment she got close. All in all, it was a heart-warming show, fostering more and more pride and social unity. That was the purpose of Loeric Day.

At the end of it all, a humongous holo-screen was projected onto the sky, showcasing the livestream from the capital planet.

The parade there on the capital planet was even more intense, with starships of all classes flying at low altitudes over the planet-wide city, creating a beautiful spectacle as their exhaust fumes burst out continuously with the most brilliant colours, dazzling the trillions of citizens on the ground.

Mechsuits and exosuits alike marched down every street, showing the indomitable strength of the Loeric Empire.

Ceres watched in awe at all the displays of military technology. He couldn’t wait to be part of such a glorious army and get his hands on all that amazing tech. His desire to win the competition burned even stronger in his heart. "Fuck the inners and enforcers, I'm going to climb higher than all of them!"

Ceres could feel himself reborn from the lost kid that he was just a few months ago at the start of the year, unable to even decide what to do in life. The roar of the crowd seemed to echo in sync with the beat of his heart, making him feel like part of a greater whole.

Finally, the livestream switched to the scene of the current emperor. The current emperor was Theodren Loeric, the 48th son of the first emperor who established the Loeric Empire – Loeric Vastor!

Theodren looked as spry as any other adult human, despite being more than a hundred and ninety years old, only ascending the throne when his father, Loeric Vastor died at the grand age of three hundred years old.

“Citizens of the Loeric Empire, it is my joy to see all of your happy faces today. Despite the challenges that we have faced from our enemies that covet us from the shadows and beyond, it has only united us together even more!”

”Our military and justice system are stronger than ever, while our economy surges with unprecedented growth! We have reclaimed multiple planets from the Slovesa and shall continue to do so in the future. Keep in your hearts the glory of the Loeric Empire, and know that the strong shall never surrender! GLORY TO THE LOERIC EMPIRE!”

At this very moment, Ceres thought he could actually feel the entire Loeric Empire resonate, as every citizen on each of the planets, despite being separated by light years, shouted in one united voice: “GLORY TO THE LOERIC EMPIRE!”