Before the front doors of the breach pods opened, all of the pods that had successfully penetrated the ship simultaneously launched small, specialized disks toward the openings they had created. The disks powered up in perfect unison the mont they were thrown, activating imdiately upon contact with the surface.
Each disk emitted a localized electromagnetic field, disrupting nearby sensors and alarms, while also generating a stable environnt for the soldiers to enter. Along with this, the disks continuously mapped the surrounding areas, providing the team with valuable intel. The corridor ahead now lay montarily exposed, granting them a brief window of opportunity to advance before the ship's systems could react.
As the disks operated, they transmitted real-ti data between each other and the designated receivers, constructing a comprehensive map of the ship's interior within a range of several kiloters.
Ismail Maylander watched as the map updated in his implants, seamlessly overlaying his field of vision. It granted him the ability to see through walls, revealing hidden corridors and lifeforms. His team in the breach pod sprang into action without a word, moving with precision and silence. Communication flowed effortlessly through their AIs, allowing for coordination without wasting any precious ti or giving away their presence. They moved like shadows, ready to execute their mission with the utmost efficiency.
They swiftly got to work, their weapons emitting only faint hums with each trigger pull. Despite being unable to see their targets directly on the other side of the walls, it didn’t matter. Each shot hit its mark, sending soone to the ground. These targets weren’t killed; they convulsed briefly as the rounds shocked them into inactivity—following strict orders from the Emperor, to preserve lives for interrogation.
The involuntary shaking lasted only a few monts before stopping entirely. The rounds weren't just designed to disable; they contained nanomachines that, once inside the body, moved undetected toward the brain.
Even if the targets had heightened senses, they wouldn't feel the nanomachines at work thanks to the electric shock. Upon reaching the brain, the nanomachines would put the person into a deep, uninterrupted sleep, ensuring they remained unconscious until later retrieval.
This allowed the soldiers to "shoot and forget," not needing to manually subdue each individual.
The breach had been sudden, catching nearly everyone in the outer section of the ship off guard. This allowed the soldiers to move swiftly and efficiently, neutralizing the initial wave of resistance. The outer sphere of the ship, spanning two kiloters, was cleared within just three minutes. It felt almost too easy—a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the experienced breachers.
Despite their speed, they knew that the deeper they ventured, the harder the resistance would beco. The ship's vast size ant that even moving quickly, it would take hours to reach the inner sections, where the crew would likely have had ti to organize their defenses and prepare for a fight. The silence in the corridors wasn’t comforting—it was ominous.
Every breacher understood that the easy part of the mission was over. The real challenge lay ahead. No one had co to et them, which could only an one thing: the enemy was waiting deeper inside, ready for them. It was now a ga of patience, strategy, and survival as they advanced toward the heart of the ship.
…………..
“AH! PHUCK! AH! PHUCK! AH!” The room echoed with the sounds of soone furiously smashing an object and another one screaming in pain. Each strike and scream was accompanied by a sickening squelch as fluids squirted out, evidence of the violent impact.
After a few agonizing monts, the relentless pounding ceased a few monts after the screaming did.
Xalthar, still gasping for air and visibly distressed, threw the blood-soaked, biological material-stained club-like object to the ground. His eyes locked onto the nearest subordinate. “Give the report,” he demanded, his voice sharp and strained.
“We’ve lost control of the five-kiloter outer zone, and there are no movents at the mont,” the newly promoted Vice-Captain reported, his face sared with remnants of biological material from the previous Vice-Captain.
“And what are you doing about it?” Xalthar demanded, his tone icy as he approached his chair. As he settled into it, maids of various races entered the room, their expressions neutral as they began thodically cleaning up the remains of the murdered Vice-Captain, as if it were just another routine task.
Instead of responding verbally, Xalthar activated the hologram system that had been deactivated earlier to make way for his outburst.
“Your excellence Sage, since the breach occurred before we could deploy any counterasures, most of our external forces and weapons are rendered useless, as the ship is primarily a carrier. However, we have reorganized and are preparing to confront and flush them out from within the ship before addressing the rest of the attackers,” reported the new Vice-Captain.
“What is your na?” Xalthar asked, his gaze steady.
“My na is Quorani, Your Excellence Sage,” the Vice-Captain introduced himself calmly and respectfully, not really bothered that the forr captain was killed.
In Xalthar’s eyes, death was a standard consequence for failure, especially for soone in a position of authority like the previous Vice-captain while being a slave. The role ca with privileges but also high stakes. Failure due to fear or nervousness was a grave offense, often resulting in death. As a result, Quorani’s body was effectively conditioned to maintain calmness under pressure, driven by the instinctual need to avoid a fatal outco.
“And how do you plan to deal with the forces that attacked us from the outside?” Xalthar asked. Despite the attack, the ships responsible remained concealed, hidden by their stealth technology.
“For now, our stone layer will absorb the attacks while we concentrate on clearing the interior. Only once we’ve secured the ship will we send out our forces to deal with the attackers,” Quorani explained.
“Quorani, I want this situation resolved as quickly as possible and with minimal damage,” Xalthar said, his tone carrying the weight of a direct command.
“I will do my utmost to resolve it swiftly, Your Excellence Sage,” Quorani assured.
Xalthar responded with a piercing glare, his killing intent palpable and his mana veins glowing ominously.
Seeing the nacing expression, Quorani fell to his knees and pleaded, “Your Excellence Sage, I will ensure that they are eliminated as quickly as possible.”
Xalthar remained silent, his glare intensifying before he finally retracted his killing intent.
Quorani quickly stood up, rushed out of the room, and headed directly to the control room, located just outside Xalthar’s quarters, to begin his preparations.
………….
“Any update on how much ground they’ve covered?” Quorani asked as he entered the control room.
“All of our sensors on the outer layer are currently inactive due to the EMP they hit us with at the start,” reported the communication specialist, who was of the sa race as Quorani.
“Inform all units en route to engage them that they should consider the attackers to be at least as technologically advanced as a mber of the top one hundred in the Astral Conclave,” Quorani instructed, ensuring his command was heard by everyone in the room.
Quorani’s words drew surprised looks from everyone in the room. The notion that a relatively small and less advanced civilization could match the technological prowess of the top one hundred in the Astral Conclave seed like an exaggeration to many.
However, no one dared to challenge Quorani’s assessnt.
The attack had caught them off guard, leaving them with only basic retaliatory options. The ship's slave-based bureaucratic structure, which granted responsibility without corresponding Authority, had hindered their ability to react effectively to sothing new and disruptive.
Furthermore, the attack's nature was unprecedented for them; they were accustod to discovering enemies light weeks or days away which allowed them ti to prepare, whereas this situation involved a direct and imdiate assault within the ship, bypassing their usual and slow defensive asures.
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