• Date: January 22, 2183


  
• Time: 7:10 AM


  
• Location: Kaynian Frigate


  

  'Alright, here we go.'

  Moving forward, the Ghost, now unseen by the naked eye, made his way slowly but surely toward his objective. Upon leaving the frigate's prison cell, Sarroth began charting several locations within the ship. Thus far, they have only identified several rooms of the frigate, but none led to the bridge. Firing faint levels of magic, she had identified sectors of the vessel. Thus far, she has not located the bridge, meaning it was far from their position. They needed to move forward near the bow to find it. However, she needed to be careful because her magic, although faint, could still be detected by a warlock if they were nearby.

  {My master, I detect several Kaynian Farers crossing paths with you!}

  On cue, several pings on his minimap identified a squadron of Kaynians crossing paths with him. Holding still, Tale waited patiently as the farers passed by, ignorant of his presence.

  ''...Stated that we will be arriving on-''

  ''-Has the Arc Imperium noticed our presence?''

  ''...I believe they-''

  The aliens chatted as they hadn't realized Tale was inches from them. Afterward, as the last Kaynian Farer passed through, the Ghost immediately poked his head to observe if there were any more.

  ''Clear.''

  {Take a right, master. We should see a hallway. Hopefully, it would lead us to the bridge.}

  ''Affirmative.''

  Moving forward, he hugged closely to the side to ensure no one would collide with him. The operative turned right and quietly advanced down an empty hallway. Although no Kaynians were in sight, the frigate's hull suddenly trembled, signaling that something was about to happen.

  [SLIP SPACE EXIT IMMINENT! SLIP SPACE EXIT IMMINENT! SLIP SPACE EXIT IMMINENT!]

  ''Activate magnetic boots!''

  [INITIATING!]

  He commanded, and the failsafe A.I. obliged. Thus, his magnetic boot function kicked in and locked his power armor in place as the frigate shook. The event only lasted a few seconds before returning to normal, giving the slip space drive time to calm down. Reorienting himself, Tale deactivated his magnetic boots and took a moment to analyze his surroundings. There wasn't even a warning about exiting slip-space, which was harmful to them because they hadn't located or found any info regarding where the bridge was.

  'Damn it, this is bad. If we've arrived at the Kaynians' intended destination, it won't be long before they realize I've escaped. They'll likely start searching for us and take us to whoever's in charge.'

  Tale thought as he knew time was of the essence if they wanted to survive. But before he could move, Sarroth would appear over his heads-up display. The blade spirit looked like she had something important to report based on her facial features. Maybe their time had run out, and a warlock finally caught up. That could explain Sarroth's facial expression.

  {My master! I'm receiving a signal, and it's A.F.E!}

  The Ghost was surprised; did they pick up on an A.F.E. signal nearby? It seemed impossible; such an occurrence could only be possible if they were near Earth's Solar System.

  ''What type of signal is it?''

  {It's a distress signal.}

  ''Can you play it?''

  {Of course.}

  Proceeding with her orders, Sarroth placed the signal through an audio player. There were also several key details regarding the signal. The date was January 22, 2183, and the sender was an A.I. code-named Krampus of the U.G.S. Wisconsin. It's only a few seconds long, and Tale hoped it would explain the current situation of Earth and Her People.

  [This is Krampus X.O. of the U.G.S. Wisconsin! Fleet Admiral Lowe Mendelez has ordered a full retreat of all remaining vessels off Babylon! I repeat! Fleet Admiral Lowe Mendelez has ordered a full retreat of all remaining vessels off Babylon!]

  Fleet Admiral Lowe Mendelez? Babylon? A full retreat? The Ghost hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Instead of resolving his situation, things only took a turn for the worse. Looking at the details of the audio. It only fueled his desire to figure out what had happened.

  {My master, are you alright?}

  The concerned blade spirit asked. She hadn't seen her master this quiet since learning the truth about the Kaynian fleet that assaulted Earth being a reconnaissance flotilla. And how completely outnumbered and outmatched they were against the Kaynians.

  ''I am alright. The A.F.E. would have progressed without us, and this signal is evidence of that. When we departed, the conflict between Earth and the Kaynians was concluding...''

  "...However, this signal confirms their resurgence—they've already devastated another U.G.E. colony. We need to move quickly and reach the fallback point. Once we're there, we can take action against the Kaynians."

  The information presented brought several questions lingering in Tale's mind, but that would have to wait. They needed to reconnect with the rest of the A.F.E. New resolve flowed through his veins as he was determined to accomplish whatever task to return home.

  ''Sarroth, increase the output of your magic. We need to find the bridge of this vessel to be able to return to U.G.E. space...''

  ''...Ten years, Sarroth. Let's see what kind of galaxy we came back to.''

  {Understood, master.}

  Heading her master's command, Sarroth sprung forward and conducted her magic. Meanwhile, Tale pressed on, steadily advancing towards the convergence of three paths at the end of the hallway. Suddenly, his minimap pulsed with a sea of red dots, a stark warning of the impending threat—Kaynians lurking ahead. Undeterred by the ominous display, he knew navigating through them was his only gateway to U.G.E. space. With a deep breath, he steeled himself for the impending challenge and plunged into the labyrinth of adversaries. His training would be placed to the test as he remembered his former mentor, Parka. Failure wasn't an option, and that sacrifice was their way of protecting Earth and Her People no matter the odds.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  TALE: Arc Killer

  On the bridge of the frigate, Kaynian Farers tirelessly calibrate their instruments. They moved around, tapping panels and hologram consols in anticipation of their arrival to the star system. Observing the planet ahead of them, they found it wasting with nuclear fire and radiation. Husks of warships littered the exosphere as the remnants of the A.F.E. Fourth Fleet floated.

  ''We have arrived! Quickly informed the lord of this!''

  ''Understood.''

  A lesser-ranked farer responded before turning his back on the helmsman of the frigate. But before he could exit the bridge, the door slid open. And behind it revealed nothing, which confused the Kaynians present on the bridge.

  ''Huh...''

  ''...Who opened the entrance?''

  Asked the unnamed alien, and turning around, no one spoke out. The face of confusion on his colleagues' faces had him perplexed as he could tell that no one had performed the act.

  ''Is there a problem?''

  The helmsman of the frigate asked. Turning his attention to the confused farers, looking at them, he saw something was amiss.

  ''No, I am merely asking who opened the entrance before- ARGH!''

  The Kaynian screamed as a blade erupted from his chest cavity. Liquid spewed out from his chest as the blade glowed with intent before being pulled off his body.

  ''Intruder!''

  Shouted the helmsman as the silhouette of a decloaking intruder caused him and his subordinates to point their pistols. The Ghost in question took a stance before his adversaries as he wielded his companion, Sarroth.

  ''It's a demon!''

  ''Kill it!''

  ''Open fire!''

  In an instant, Tale sprinted at the nearest Kaynian before slicing the poor sod in two. Seeing how the demon killed one of their own caused everyKaynian Farer to open fire. Instant hitting energy beams peppered the Ghost's power armor instead of being penetrated. Sarroth's magic shield automatically reacted and stopped the incoming energy fire. Charging at the panicking aliens, Tale swung his eternal decapitating a farer before proceeding to thrust at another at the chest.

  {Incoming!}

  The blade spirit warned as another Kaynian decided to charge, guns blazing without fear. Tale responded with a thrust that pierced the alien's passive energy shield and faceplate before dropping dead. After killing five of the eight Kaynian Farers on the bridge, only three remained.

  ''How did that demon escape?''

  ''By the Betrayer! How should I know!''

  ''Enough chatter, here it comes!''

  Charging at the last three, Tale's magic shield absorbed the weak blasts from their energy pistols. Unfazed, he swiftly decapitated the first, then delivered a powerful punch to the second, leaving him dazed. As the third attempted to wrestle his weapon away, he countered with a brutal headbutt, knocking the Kaynian unconscious.

  ''Kaynians down.''

  {Well done, master.}

  ''Let's get to work. Our entrance wasn't exactly subtle.''

  Sarroth moved toward the control panel and swiftly transformed into her avatar to interface with it. It was finally time to apply the knowledge she had absorbed from Tale's power armor and the data Vee had left behind on hacking Kaynian technology. As she entered the panel's extensive connections and data, the spirit saw unaccountable amounts of information flowing past her.

  {Alright, I'm in. Now, let's see what lay outside of this vessel.}

  Upon searching through several data and information, she was shocked to learn that they were above a U.G.E. colony. Its designated planet Babylon, with a population of nine hundred million humans and one point four billion A.I. She also noticed the floating debris of A.F.E. and Kaynian vessels scattered across the exosphere along with extreme radiation signatures across the planet's surface. The radiation readings she was detecting a peculiar resemblance to the A.F.E.'s nuclear torpedo.

  {By the Pantheons! So many radiation signatures!}

  She gasped as she witnessed the devastation done to the planet below them. However, aside from the radiation, there were other unexplained elements. What caught her attention was the presence of two Kaynian flotillas floating above the planet's exosphere. In the center of the flotillas was a hundred-kilometer-long dreadnought and its escort. Now, it all made sense. This colony must have engaged the flotilla but got overrun when reinforcements arrived at the Kaynian's aid. The fleet that guarded the planet must have given fierce defiance but eventually succumbed to the numbers and firepower of their enemies.

  {My master! I have important news!}

  ''What is it?''

  {You were right. We are above a U.G.E. colony, but it seems the Kaynians brought with them a one-hundred-kilometer-long dreadnought and two flotillas to crack the defenses and fleet of this planet...}

  {...Evidence suggests that the Kaynian Dreadnought and its two flotillas arrived here to aid another flotilla's advance.}

  ''You mean that there was another flotilla that arrived here first?''

  {Yes. My scans indicated that the Fourth Fleet engaged with a reconnaissance flotilla and wiped them out, but not before calling reinforcement. Which arrived later on and destroyed the fleet.}

  Sarroth explained to her master, recognizing the significance of this discovery. Not only was the Fourth Fleet capable of directly engaging the Kaynians in defense, but they also single-handedly obliterated an entire flotilla and were only subdued when reinforcements arrived. However, this doesn't clarify the radiation readings on the planet's surface.

  {However, I can't determine the reason behind the planet's high radiation levels across its continents.}

  ''Scorched Earth Protocole.''

  {Scorched Earth Protocole? What is that, my master?}

  ''It was a proposal by I.C.E. to deny ground, information, and prisoners to the Kaynians by using nuclear torpedoes to destroy U.G.E. planets.''

  Sarroth was stunned by the revelation of this sensitive information. Had I.C.E. proposed an extreme plan to annihilate everything to deny the Kaynians? If so, that would explain the radiation readings she had detected, indicating the protocol had already been executed.

  {By the Pantheons!}

  She shouted in horror, while Tale merely stared at her, watching how she took this information. Suffice it to say the Ghost was disappointed that the proposal got through. While he didn't elaborate much on the subject, employing a nuclear strike on an overrun colony could potentially eliminate several hundred thousand Kaynians. As questionable as it was, he assumed that Babylon put up one hell of a fight before initiating the protocol.

  {What about the people? What of the marines that fought on the surface of the planet?}

  ''If things got this bad. Then, the last remnants of the fighting elements still standing knew what would happen. They died fighting until the very end...''

  ''...And for the civilians, I theorized that after defeating the reconnaissance flotilla, the Fleet Admiral in charge must have evacuated the planet before transforming it into a fortress, preparing for the Kaynian reinforcements and buying time for the rest of the U.G.E. to prepare.''

  {You mean to say that this world's purpose is to slow down the Kaynians?}

  ''In a way, yes.''

  Sarroth winced, her master's response cutting through her like a dagger to the heart. Never had she realized until now about how disparate the A.F.E. was. She had always known that her master's people fought fiercely, wielding their weapons against the Kaynians. However, she had never imagined them executing such a strategy to confront their shared enemy.

  ''Sarroth, I need you to understand that Earth and Her People are the top priority of the A.F.E. and I.C.E. I know the method used to deny the Kaynians is questionable, but the Fleet Admiral probably didn't have a choice knowing that he and his fleet won't survive.''

  Tale explained, and somehow, the blade spirit found it strange to hear her master so calm about the matter. She knew that Earth and Her People were at a disadvantage in a technological and numerical sense, but seeing how desperate things were was something else.

  {I- I understand...}

  {...Unlike Eldrant, Earth is at war with the Kaynians proper. What happened to us elves is nothing compared to what your people are currently facing.}

  ''I wouldn't call destroying a ten-kilometer-long dreadnought as nothing, Sarroth.''

  The Ghost remarked after all. The A.F.E. hadn't fought against a Kaynian capital ship until now. But right now, their main priority was to contact the A.F.E. and inform them about the development happening in Babylon. The mere mention of the dreadnought that arrived on Eldrant two hundred years ago brought a smile to the spirit's face. It was a time of great warriors and leaders when every kingdom stood together to face the Kaynians.

  {You are right, master. I shouldn't be belittling the achievements of my people.}

  The spirit responded, and Tale nodded in acknowledgment. His attempt to calm her had succeeded, signaling that they were now in the clear to make their escape.

  ''Alright...''

  ''...Sarroth, can you steer the frigate and activate its slip space drive?''

  {I've already begun charging the slip space drive for our departure.}

  Sarroth responded, and Tale was pleased to hear his companion's preparations were complete. However, this raised a question. How would they deal with the surrounding Kaynian vessels? They would notice that one of their ships would divert their attention elsewhere.

  {My master, when we do this. All Kaynian ships will have their eyes on us.}

  ''I know, and the only thing we could rely on is the confusion we'll steer when we commence our escape.''

  He replied, and the blade spirit knew they couldn't do anything about it either. They have to rely on sheer luck and confusion. It's their best bet in reuniting with the A.F.E.

  ''We both know what happens if we do this...''

  ''...So let's do it.''

  {Understood, master. I'm starting now.}

  In an instant, the frigate shook as it changed its trajectory. The kilometer-long frigate instantly gained the attention of its squadron and started hailing. However, the blade spirit gave them no thought as she maneuvered the Kaynian Frigate to open space.

  ''Bane of Flare, why are you diverging from your squadron?''

  ''Lord Atone, why is your frigate diverging?''

  ''Do you copy! Bane of Flare, why are you diverging?''

  The voices of Kaynian Farers and Kaynian Lords called their concerns on why one of their own diverged from its squadron. Soon, two frigates move to pursue the Bane of Flare. Meanwhile, inside the hijacked frigate, its crew was perplexed on what was happening.

  ''Ignore them, Sarroth. We're almost there.''

  The Ghost reassured the focused spirit as she activated the frigate's slip space engine, bringing it to operational status. Their destination was then entered into the system for launch.

  {My master, slip space engine ready!}

  ''Greenlight! Get us out of here!''

  When the spirit heard those words, she immediately started the slip space drive as the radiation readings of the frigate went off the charts. The pursuing frigates started to bank away from the Bane of Flare before it could enter slip space.

  {Initiating...}

  {...In three...}

  {...two, one...}

  {...Entering slip space!}

  To Be Continued.