Orion's rescue team couldn't come sooner. Consisting of a superpowered individual from Bechnitz who can manipulate blood, A Terran Soldier with a far more advanced battlesuit, A silent Lizard-faced spellcaster from Verund and the Leader a Terran Local who manipulates an army of drones and genetically modified monsters.
The captain swiftly took care of the Enaskorin that were dog piling on Orion. A whole swarm of drones pushed them off of Orion. "Slaughter them, if he's alive then good. If not then at least we finished the mission for him."
The fight that followed only proved further that Orion had no chance of winning in the first place. The Terran veteran who carried far more powerful weapons would have been overwhelmed if not for the sheer drones that supported him. The Enaskorin had members that were elite, those that were comparable to Mid-rank demons.
"Their physical and magical resistances are stronger than expected." The captain noted. "Normally, no matter how thick or inhuman the blood is, Hatori can simply snap their necks and the fact that Ashanti's magic seems to have little to no effect on their elites can also mean that their genetics could be of great use to Vikram's Alliance."
Despite the Enaskorin's resistances and their elites being at a level equal to Mid-rank demons this group simply had far too many resources and threats that could take care of them. A slaughter that would last for a few hours. Leaving only eggs and biomass as their rewards.
"The newblood's in stable condition, we're bringing the eggs and the untattered bodies back to the ship." Hatori yawned as he manipulated the bodies and floated them over to the back of the ship. "Their resistance to my abilities stopped from the moment I snuffed out their breathing, if you can clone them then those Hemomages should have a lot of trouble against them."
"Hahaha but of course, they're one of the main reasons why we haven't snuffed out those pests from the cults… they're perfect!" The captain was elated at the comment, he now had access to DNA from a great potential soldier. "The Council should greenlight my next project then!"
"Captain, All signs are showing that he's at a critical state." The full-armored Terran commented. "Currently running diagnostics and it's not looking good, even with our healers it'll take weeks…maybe even months for him to recover."
The squad that rescued Orion and subsequently massacred the Enaskorin are only a small part of Vikram's Alliance but their influence within it far surpasses any that Orion could achieve any time soon. Orion would end up at the medical ward of the main Sky island, forced to recover for a total of 4 months.
With one of their former acquaintances out of commission, most of the new members that joined Vikram's Alliance had little to no care at all. With only a select few visiting whenever they could, namely Aris, Juno and the old man Antonyo. The side-lined Orion wouldn't gain consciousness for at least a few months.
This gave Antonyo an even bigger control on the other members of their generation. While all of them were now members of the Alliance, not a single one of them was wholly loyal to the alliance or its cause. They shared the same sentiments as multiple others that are under the alliance, it was a give and take relationship. One where the newer batches would serve under the alliance while building up their own resources to function in the world all on their own.
Antonyo had two options, he could either join the council within Vikram's Alliance or simply take defectors into a group of his own. Slowly but surely he produced more elite units through his system that relied on gambling resources. Those who were willing to join him would become part of a small "family" , a home-like environment with access to food and beverages that came from their original realities.
A brand of soda that you miss, a bag of chips that were only available in certain countries and alcoholic beverages that come in cans or bottles. Life in the Sky-base was comfortable, this can not be denied but the simpler things, items that make a place feel similar to one's original home. This nostalgic factor along with his charisma made "Grandpa Tony" an easy figure to follow for locals from Earth, Terra and Bechnitz.
If they didn't join his group then he didn't mind, trading natural resources for a pack of cold beer became a natural thing for him. If Vanitha reached the council due to her experience as an archmage and her skills in magic then it can be said that Antonyo deserved a seat by virtue of simply being one of the most likable members and due to what he could provide. This would all culminate on the third month of their stay at the Skybase in a discussion between Antonyo and Vikram himself.
"In all honesty, we've known about what you've been trying to do in my Alliance." Vikram and the old man sat across from one another at Vikram's office. "If you just want a seat in the alliance then it would have been easy but from what we've gathered you want more… what do you really want from us?"
"You have a bit of knowledge on my past, don't you?" The friendly smile that the oldman normally had was gone, replaced by the battle-hardened look of a former general. "I was chosen to serve this reality just like the rest of you."
"From what I've observed during my stay here, this council of yours is far too ineffective." The old man's eyes stared directly at the superhuman leader in front of him. "Sure, you have the say in the final decisions but compared to the Dragon's Alliance and even those Royal Bootlickers this group hasn't done much."
Vikram, despite the difference in overall power between the two could not disagree with the statement. "Indeed, but so what? This alliance was created to make a group that's separate from those two entities. Even at a far less effective state we are still considered one of the three factions that's on the side of defending this realm."
"My proposal is rather simple, I want this group to become more proactive in poaching members from the other two." Antonyo had a vision. "I'm the game changer that's fallen on your lap, don't waste it."
Poaching stragglers from the other faction is a tall task, especially when all you can offer is a bit of extra freedom in exchange for far shittier conditions. Those that are used to comfort would scoff at their initial offers but with what Antonyo had access to, a lot of things will change.