Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Corporal’s Offer

“I am sorry for the precautions.” Corporal Kendrick said apologetically. “I had to be sure you are truly loyal to the Imperium. We have both seen how much damage the poison that are traitors among our own ranks can do. Loyalty is a difficult thing to guarantee in these troubling times.”

Athena scoffed inside. She pretty much proved her loyalty beyond all doubt by exposing the Guard, but the corporal still put her through the test and made her think she was about to die just so he could be certain. What if she was a loyalist but still had self-preservation instincts? The paranoia of the corporal and the Imperium as a whole made her sick to her stomach. Thankfully, she was able to pass the test and convince the corporal she was indeed a loyalist who would gladly allow herself to be executed if such was required of her. 

Then again, most operatives of the Imperial Security Corps wouldn’t even bother apologizing to her even after they made sure she was loyal. So what if she might be traumatized by the interrogation? It was all for the greater good of the Venya Imperium. As a trooper, it was her duty to continue as if nothing happened and thank the ISC for not shooting her just in case. If anything, she should praise the ISC for its vigilance. Apologies? Compensations? If she was a Colonel or a General, a subtle and private apology might still be possible, but a private? 

Of course, she could feel as disgruntled by this as she wished, and if she decided to turn traitor because of it, well, she could always be executed and more conscripts and volunteers would for one reason or another join the ranks and take her place. She was far from irreplaceable. 

”It’s all for the greater good.” She replied quietly, once again doing her best to ignore the anger at the tests she was forced to go through. Being angry now would ruin everything. 

Corporal Kendrick could see Athena didn't just shrug what happened off as if nothing happened. Usually, he wouldn’t care, but the experience in Research Outpost Delta has made him appreciate the trooper. She was a deadly enough warrior to slaughter nine traitors via a hit-and-run tactic. She was cunning enough to deduce the treachery of Captain Hanson and then survive the onslaught that followed. As he has just proved, she was loyal enough to allow herself to be executed without resistance for the greater good of the Venya Imperium. 

“In the same way that treacheries must be punished with haste, loyalty must also be rewarded as soon as possible.” The corporal said quietly as his fingers tapped on the desk. “After careful consideration, I decided you would be a good candidate for the Imperial Security Corps Academy. Do you know what that means?”

Candidate? Imperial Security Corps Academy? Athena had to admit she was caught off guard by the offer, and she showed her surprise like an ordinary trooper would in a situation like this. “Sir? I…I don’t know what to say…”

Corporal Kendrick saw the surprise on Athena’s face, a look that he was expecting. The ISC was famous, or rather infamous, throughout the galaxy. Every imperial citizen, regardless of the sector or Lord, knew the name of the Imperial Security Corps. 

To the traitors and even the commoners, the Wolves were deadly hunters whose dedication to their duty and lack of regard for collateral damage make them more beast than man. At the same time, for those completely brainwashed by Imperial propaganda, the Wolves were the perfect examples of what an Imperial citizen should be. Ruthless. Devoted. Selfless. Many of them would jump at an opportunity to put on the sigil that symbolized the Corps no matter how difficult the process might be. 

“Don’t get so excited yet. I can’t guarantee you anything other than the fact that I will send in a recommendation letter. This will put you in the sight of recruiters of the Corps.” He reminded Athena. 

“A lot of steps will have to be done before you can even step into one of the academies. Background checks. Interviews. Extensive physical, psychological, and behavioral tests. Even if you do make it into the Academy, only around 15% of the students in the Academy will become a member of the ISC after three years of training. Most of the students who fail to qualify to join the ISC are sent back into their previous military units.” 

Every Imperial Security Corps operative held a significant amount of power. Many of them could execute officers or high-level officials if they believed it was necessary. When it came to the selection and training, the Corps was as strict as it could possibly be. Anyone whose loyalty could be questioned in any way would instantly be rejected. After all, the Imperium had a nearly infinite pool of recruits to choose from.  

As she sat in her seat and felt the corporal’s eyes on her, Athena knew this wasn’t one of those offers where she could get back to the corporal after spending a few days thinking things through. If she wanted to accept the offer, she had to give the answer now. 

Given this urgency, Athena did what she has done so many times in the past hour. She entered the game, brought herself as much time as she might need, and consulted her trusted advisor. 

“Thoughts, Nova?”

“What do you think, commander?” As always, Nova asked for Athena’s opinion first. She didn't want Athena to become someone who couldn’t think for herself. 

“I think this is going to be a great opportunity for me to climb up the ranks in the Imperium!” 

As Corporal Kendrick expected, Athena was excited, but not for the same reason he thought. 

“As a simple private, I have no freedom in my units whatsoever. I don’t have access to a starship that I can use to leave the Imperium or dissect to unlock terran starport technologies. I can’t even leave the military base until my service term is up in four years. Who knows if I’ll still be alive by then? If Corporal Kendrick does recommend me for the Academy and I do pass all the tests, and if I do graduate successfully, I will have a lot more power than I do now. Power that I can use to unlock more structures and access more resources. Even if I fail…I am simply back to where I started.” 

“And what makes you think you will be able to pass all the tests, commander?”

“Well, I don’t think the physical tests will be a problem,” Athena replied. Ever since she woke up in this world, her body and its battle instincts have never let her down. “As for the psychological and behavioral ones…either way, it’s worth a try. Even if I fail, I don’t lose anything.”

“True,” Nova admitted. “But here is my question, commander. Why would you want to go to the ISC Academy? Why would you want to go through all the trouble of becoming an ISC operative?”

Athena raised her eyebrows at the seemingly simple question. Before she could answer, Nova expanded on what she was saying.

“Yes, commander. If you attend the ISC Academy and happen to graduate successfully, you will have much more power than the common trooper or even NCO of the Imperial Army, but for all three years, you will be in the heart of the Imperium where Imperial control is the strongest. If anything goes wrong, anything, you will have no chance of escaping by force. Is this risk really worth the reward? Even as a part of the Corps, will you be able to access the schematics of advanced human weapons, vehicles, and starships without restrictions? Or will you be able to acquire samples to be taken apart and studied by the SCVs without discovery? The ISC has its own oversights. Joining the Corps hardly means infinite and unrestricted power.”

As Athena was still thinking, Nova continued. 

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“I believe there is a better way for you to approach this matter, commander. Your greatest weapon is the Starcraft System and its structures and units, and they will be rendered essentially useless in the heart of the Imperium. It is on remote worlds like Morgo IV or chaotic battlefields that you can use these units and set up mining bases without being immediately discovered. In Morgo IV, over the span of a few hours, you were able to unlock two three structures and five terran units. Your zerg base was able to harvest thousands of units of resources. If you can use this advantage, you can grow your military power faster than any existing faction in the galaxy. The Imperium needs at least several months to draft and train its Imperial Army troopers. If you have the necessary resources and infrastructures, you can produce a terran marine or marauder in less than a minute.”

“Joining the ISC will nullify your greatest advantage for at least several years. I believe it is a good idea for you to stay within the Imperial military structure for now, especially since it will be extremely risky to attempt an escape as of now. I just don’t think joining the ISC will be the best option for you.”

Athena raised her eyebrows as she listened to her trusted advisor. The more she listened, the more she realized the oversights in her original plan. 

Nova was right! Why would she go through the trouble of pretending to be a loyalist and trying to fool ISC officers trained in telling when people were lying? She was never a good liar. Just because she could fool Corporal Kendrick here didn't mean she would be able to keep up the facade against the best of the Imperium. Instead of playing a game she wasn’t good at in an environment where one mistake could get her killed or worse, it was smarter for her to stick to what had been working well for her so far. 

As of now, the 329th Infantry wasn’t involved in any battle, but that could change any second. Unlike Planetary Security Forces, Imperial Army units rarely stayed on an Imperial planet forever. The galaxy was a big place. There were always battles to be fought somewhere. 

Before the new Athena came over, the old Athena was a veteran of at least dozens of battles in her six years of service. The number of comrades she gained and lost was beyond count. 

Athena had no doubt that sooner or later, the 329th Infantry would be deployed to a battlefield. There would always be the risk that she could be killed by a stray bullet or a random missile, but it was on these battlefields that her forces could expand the quickest without being immediately crushed by overwhelming force. 

If the opportunity presented itself, Athena could even attack Imperial bases and unlock terran structures from captured technologies. 

That would be much quicker, and possibly even safer, than joining the ranks of countless Imperial candidates from all over the Venya Imperium and pretending to be just another brainwashed zealot. If she was surrounded by Imperial propaganda for several years, she herself might even start to believe them. 

“Thanks, Nova.”

Now that she has made up her mind, Athena left the game and gave Corporal Kendrick a reply that the man might not have expected.

“Sir, it would be my greatest honor to be given an opportunity to join the Imperial Security Corps.” She paused and carefully examined the corporal’s expression. “However, I have served in the 329th Infantry Division for 6 years. I believe this is where I can offer the most value to the Imperium.”

Her rejection of the offer took Corporal Kendrick by surprise, but he didn't seem too offended. There were many ways to serve the Imperium. The Leviathan needed elite warriors of the ISC to monitor his people on his behalf, but he also needed troopers who would fight his battles on the ground in his name. 

Athena’s rejection was seen by the man as a selfless sacrifice on her part. Instead of taking the rare offer and getting a chance to rise to a much more powerful position, Athena decided to keep putting her life at risk as an infantrywoman in the dangerous field of battle. Only a true loyalist would do something like this. If Athena was a traitor with ill intentions, she would absolutely jump at a chance to infiltrate one of the Leviathan’s most trusted agencies. 

“I respect your preference, private.” He gave Athena a small nod of respect. “You can go now. Corporal Joseph will arrange a ride to take you back to the fort where the 329th Infantry is currently stationed. I wish you the best of luck in the years to come.”

For better or for worse, this was farewell.

Athena nodded gently. She knew she might never see the corporal again, a fact she had no issues with. Corporal Kendrick was a man Athena had conflicting opinions toward. On one hand, he was a brutal executioner of the Imperium who no doubt had the blood of countless innocents on his hands, but at the same time, he was also a decent and understanding veteran who despised needless brutalities. While his methods were extreme, he was the reason she was making it out of this mess alive. 

He was by no means a good person, but he also wasn’t one of those villains who was doing terrible things for the sake of being evil and sadistic. Perhaps in his mind, he believed he was doing what was right. It was just that decades of propaganda and indoctrination had altered his sense of what was right. 

All in all, she was glad to leave him on good terms. Deep down, she knew that one day she would turn against the Venya Imperium, and it would be a shame if she had to add the corporal to her body count. 

“I wish you the best fortune in the future, corporal.” 

Athena said quietly. Just as she got up and was about to leave the room, Corporal Kendrick informed her of something else. 

“Since you would like to continue serving in the 329th, I will write a letter of recommendation to the 329th Infantry Division Command detailing your selfless contributions on Morgo IV. You have been a trooper for 6 years. I believe it is time for you to get your well-deserved promotion.”

Athena froze. She looked to the corporal in surprise, and the man simply shrugged.

“As I said, loyalty will always be rewarded.”

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