CHAPTER 165: THE ADDRESS

Harper and Charlotte took no time to get the Aegis V installation project running. After spending up to five billion dollars, there was a certainty that it would be enough to get the project done, but at least, not entirely.

Jayden wanted every single part of Nortasia covered, so he added another billion-dollar funds to the project, making it a six-billion-dollar project.

That didn’t entirely stop Charlotte from her special job as well, as she was on a mission to get the passcode to hack Icelandia’s Satellite Systems.

There could only be one way, and that was to find the six-digit passcode, which only the experts working in the Icelandian Defence Unit had access to.

Jayden had to figure out a way to get this passcode before the Icelandians thought of launching another attack because they knew that the next attack on them would surely be a tougher one.

He was getting things really straight until the system bumped in with a great idea.

[Shadow Mask...]

That was the only statement that voiced out from the system, and Jayden’s maxed-out intelligence wouldn’t make him want to inquire for more information.

Of course, he wouldn’t need one when he already understood everything.

Jayden quickly remembered the Shadow Mask which Charlotte had created before they overthrew King Arthur.

He figured that if they could use the Shadow Mask and become invisible, they could enter the Icelandian Defence Unit and get access to the passcode.

With that idea entering his head, he had to tell Charlotte about the idea.

"Oh my god, that’s a great idea. I couldn’t have thought about that... Genius, lovie," Charlotte blushed as she eyed him.

"Now it’s about who would be doing the job," Jayden said after heaving a sigh.

"Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll do it. The passcode changes every five minutes, and that means I would need to access it right in that very system room and hack it from there. It’s best that I go there myself," Charlotte said with a casual smile.

Jayden was troubled at first, knowing the implications of her being caught. That would be the craziest thing... If she gets caught, then that would be the end...

The end of Charlotte, and the end of their plans.

"Are you sure you can do this, Charlotte?" Jayden had to ask, his fears weighing him down.

"Come on, my love. I can do this. You should trust me," Charlotte said in a bold tone, a tone that slowly erased the nervousness from his guts, and in the end, he could only do nothing but count on her for it.

But at first, they had to receive information about the status of the Icelandian Defence Unit before carrying out the mission, or else, it might end up being a blind mission that would surely get them into grave trouble.

Jayden knew that, and when he tried to notify Charlotte...

"Would get that handled, I have an invisible watch drone around there. I would be notified when there’s space to go in," she said.

Jayden just had to be convinced time and time again that Charlotte was the smartest woman he had ever seen.

After the Specialized Skill bestowal on her, she had been indescribably exceptional, and there was nothing she couldn’t do within situations of her niche.

She was a straight, magnificent tech genius.

With her already on the move to hack the Icelandian Satellite Systems, it meant that their plans were already progressing forward, and sure, she wasn’t the only core member giving her all to make Nortasia’s victory over Icelandia a success.

There was Harper, who was the sole constructor of the Aegis V.

And Paula, who had been taking her time making the most unique and most destructive aircraft the world had ever seen.

******

"Wild Wings."

"Projector S4."

"Reaper!"

"We already have a hundred Wild Wings saved in the special airport, and a hundred Projector S4 as well..."

"As for the Reaper, it is the most difficult project of all, and I have only managed to complete the first one after several experiments," Paula told Jayden.

Jayden had arrived at the Machinery Unit to supervise her projects, and there was no doubt that she was doing exceptionally well.

In fact, she had the one that had stood out after crafting so many aircraft, with Harper installing some weaponry features to them.

As for the Reaper, it was a fighter jet with a highly advanced missile system.

The missile system wasn’t just advanced, it was unique, making it clear that none of its kind had been made.

The Reaper had the Fire Shocker missile that could inflict both fire and shockwaves on the area of impact. What’s more interesting? Due to its advanced power, the Fire Shocker effect could even make the shockwave spread to areas that the actual impact didn’t reach.

This was to reveal the insane effectiveness, all invented by Harper.

Paula was doing a great job by crafting the world’s strongest fighter jets, ones that had a three-layer shield system that could withstand first- and second-time attacks from an enemy.

Such a fighter jet had never been made anywhere in the world, and with Paula creating that, she had to be acknowledged for her intelligence.

Jayden wouldn’t want to take it like it was their Specialized Skills that were behind all these... He wanted to see it like they were actually the masterminds of these doings, and he had been seeing it that way.

******

Harper’s team had successfully covered eight states in just three days.

The Aegis V would be an invisible shield in thin air, and in order to release these invisible shields, they had to mount what looked like a projection pillar at every border in Nortasia.

These pillars hold the shield, and until it is activated, the Aegis V would be ineffective.

Harper’s plan was to mount the pillars on all borders before activating them, and Jayden also went in favor of the plan as well.

Another three days, and eight more states were completed, and then the Capital, Dominion City, was well taken care of as well.

They finalized everything in no time, and with that, the Aegis V project was completed.

That night when it was activated was the night when Jayden gave his address to the nation.

"My fellow citizens, good evening.

Tonight, I come before you not as a politician, not as the head of state, but as a man who shares the same fears, the same burdens, and the same hopes as each one of you. Over the last weeks, our nation has endured two cowardly and unprovoked attacks from Icelandia. Lives were shaken, families left with scars, both visible and invisible. To those who lost loved ones, I say this: your pain is my pain, and your grief is the grief of an entire nation.

I know what many of you are feeling tonight. Fear. Doubt. Anger. Some of you are asking, ’Is anywhere safe anymore?’ Others are asking, ’Why should we believe in leadership that allowed this to happen twice?’ These are valid questions. And you deserve answers.

Let me be clear, Icelandia believes that through fear, they can bend us. That through violence, they can silence us. But they have underestimated the strength of this country and the resilience of its people. We do not bow to intimidation. We do not crumble when tested. We endure. And we rise.

Over the past months, some of the brightest minds, our finest engineers, and our bravest military officers have worked tirelessly to build a shield strong enough to guard not only our skies but our very way of life. Tonight, I announce to you that the Aegis V Defence System is fully installed and operational across our key states and regions.

What does this mean for you, for your families, for your children? It means that for the first time in our history, we have a shield, one that can intercept incoming threats before they ever reach our soil. It means that never again will you wake in the middle of the night to the sound of sirens without knowing if you’ll see the morning sun. It means that our borders, our skies, our future... Are secured.

Now, I have heard the voices of doubt. I have read the criticisms. Some say we are provoking Icelandia. Some say we are walking the nation toward war. To them, I say this... Defense is not provocation. Protection is not aggression. The Aegis V was not built to invade. It was built to shield, to defend, to safeguard. Any nation that respects peace has nothing to fear from it. Only those who seek to harm us will find themselves blocked at every turn, and we’ll surely strike back.

I know there are those who fear that these measures will fail... That we are gambling with your lives. I do not dismiss your fears. But hear me now... My responsibility as President is to make sure that not one child sleeps in fear, not one parent wonders if tomorrow will come, not one citizen feels abandoned by their nation. That is my oath. That is my duty. And I will not fail you.

This is not just about defense technology, it is about trust. Trust that when danger looms, your country will stand between you and the threat. Trust that no matter how loud the enemies shout, our unity will be louder.

My fellow Nortasian citizens, we stand at a crossroads. We can choose to live as a people defined by fear, or as a people defined by courage. I say we choose courage. We choose resilience. We choose to live, not in the shadow of our enemies, but in the light of our strength.

So tonight, go home to your families. Hug your children a little tighter. Tell them the truth... That their country has built a shield for them, that their tomorrow is safer than yesterday, and that their leaders—your leaders—will never stop fighting for their peace.

We are not afraid. We are not broken. We are not alone. Together, under the banner of this nation, we are safe. We are strong. And we will endure.

Thank you. May God bless you all, and may God bless this nation."

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[A/N: Rate Jayden’s speech!]