Conquering Planets: Rise of the Cosmic Tyrant-Chapter 10: The Escape

The night air was crisp against Aldric’s skin as he stood at the edge of the ruined mine. Smoke and dust still rose from the collapsed entrance, the remains of their desperate gamble.

The rebels had escaped. Cedric’s forces had been buried alive.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then a voice—shaky, but victorious.

"We did it," one of the rebels muttered.

Another let out a hoarse laugh, falling onto his back, staring at the stars.

And just like that, relief spread through the group. The tension in their shoulders eased. Some collapsed onto the rocky ground, others leaned against the cliffside, their exhaustion finally catching up to them.

But Aldric didn’t let himself rest.

His mind was already moving to the next fight.

Because no matter how many battles they won, the war wasn’t over.

Not yet.

Regrouping

Elya approached, brushing dust from her clothes. Her face was streaked with sweat and soot, but she was still standing.

"That was reckless," she said, her voice dry. "Even for you."

Aldric smirked, wiping a streak of blood—not his own—from his cheek. "It worked, didn’t it?"

She exhaled. "Barely."

Valerian limped forward, his greatsword resting on his shoulder. "Well, I don’t know about you two, but I need a drink."

He gestured toward the rebels. "And so do they."

Aldric glanced at them. Thirty men and women—dirty, bloody, exhausted. Half of what they had started with.

They needed rest. Food. Water. Shelter.

And they needed it fast.

The Next Move

Aldric turned away from the mine, looking out over the valley below. The nearest town was Ravengate, a day’s march south.

It was dangerous territory—Cedric’s men controlled the roads—but they didn’t have a choice.

"We move at dawn," he said.

Elya frowned. "We should move now. If Cedric has any scouts nearby, they’ll find us."

Aldric shook his head. "We can’t march through the night. Not in this condition."

Valerian grunted in agreement. "She’s right about one thing, though. Cedric won’t stay buried forever. If any of his men escaped, he’ll know what happened."

Aldric nodded. "Then we need to be ready."

They had won this battle.

But Cedric wasn’t the type to stay down.

Dawn’s First Light

The sun was barely rising when the rebels set off.

They moved quietly, keeping to the shadows, avoiding the main roads. Every few miles, Elya sent scouts ahead to check for enemy patrols.

By midday, they reached the outskirts of Ravengate.

Aldric signaled for a halt.

The town sat in a valley, surrounded by farmland and thick forests. Smoke curled from chimneys, merchants haggled in the streets, and Cedric’s banners hung from the walls.

Valerian cursed under his breath. "So much for an easy entrance."

Elya scanned the walls. "We can’t just walk in."

Aldric’s jaw tightened. They needed supplies. And Ravengate was the closest place to get them.

"We’ll find a way."

Infiltrating the Town

As night fell, Aldric and Elya slipped into the city, leaving Valerian in charge of the rest.

They moved like ghosts through the alleys, avoiding the patrols, blending into the crowd.

The market square was still bustling—blacksmiths hammering steel, traders shouting deals, drunkards stumbling from taverns.

And among them—Cedric’s men.

Elya nudged Aldric, nodding toward a group of soldiers near a well. They were laughing, drinking, relaxed.

"They don’t know what happened yet," she whispered.

Aldric’s lips curled into a grim smile. "Good."

That meant they still had time.

Securing Supplies

They moved fast.

Elya used stolen coins to buy bread, dried meat, and water. Aldric slipped into a blacksmith’s forge, swiping knives, whetstones, and a few spare blades.

It wasn’t much, but it would keep them alive.

Then—trouble.

Just as they were leaving, a soldier stepped in front of them.

"Not from around here, are you?" he said, eyes narrowing.

Aldric forced a grin. "Just passing through."

The soldier frowned. "Funny. There was a rebel attack not far from here."

Elya tensed. Her hand drifted toward her dagger.

Aldric kept his expression calm. "You don’t say."

The soldier’s gaze flicked between them, suspicion growing.

Then—

A shout from across the street.

"Thief!"

A drunken man was chasing a boy through the crowd, knocking over crates and sending people scattering.

The soldier turned his head.

That was all the distraction Aldric needed.

He grabbed Elya’s arm.

"Move."

The Escape

They vanished into the alleys, cutting through side streets, slipping past watchmen.

By the time the soldiers realized they were gone, Aldric and Elya were already beyond the walls, heading back toward the rebels.

They had what they came for.

But Ravengate was no longer safe.

Cedric’s Wrath

By dawn, news had spread.

The attack on the mine. The escape. The destruction of Cedric’s forces.

And Cedric himself?

He was alive.

Some of his men had managed to dig him out. Bruised, bloodied, furious.

And he wanted revenge.

By noon, wanted posters covered the walls of Ravengate.

By nightfall, his soldiers were already on the hunt.

Aldric’s victory had cost Cedric dearly.

And now, Cedric was about to return the favor.

The Hunt Begins

The rebels had barely settled into their new hiding spot when Elya rushed into camp. Her face was pale.

"They’re coming."

Aldric’s stomach sank.

"How many?"

Elya swallowed.

"All of them."

---

The wind carried the distant thunder of marching boots. A rhythmic, steady drumbeat against the earth.

Aldric stood at the edge of their makeshift camp, listening.

Cedric wasn’t just sending scouts.

He was bringing an army.

The rebels had barely recovered from the last battle. Their supplies were thin, their strength weaker than ever. They needed more time—time they didn’t have.

Valerian joined him, greatsword resting against his shoulder. His expression was grim, but there was a fire in his eyes.

"They’re not giving up," he muttered.

Aldric smirked. "Neither are we."

Preparing for War

The camp buzzed with hurried activity. The rebels moved fast, packing supplies, sharpening blades, reinforcing what little defenses they had.

They were outnumbered. Outarmed. Outmatched.

But they weren’t dead yet.

Elya spread a rough map across a rock, her finger tracing the nearby terrain.

"They’ll come from the north," she said. "The road leads straight to us."

Aldric frowned. "Then we make them pay for every step."

He turned to the rebels.

"We don’t have walls. We don’t have towers." His voice was calm, steady. "But we have this land. We know it better than they do."

His gaze swept over them. Hardened men and women who had already lost everything.

"If we stand, we stand together. If we fight, we fight smart." He lifted his sword. "And if we win—"

He let the words hang.

Because winning was the only option.