The Deacon paced back and forth in his lair, frustration etched on his face. He had hoped that the creatures he sent would be enough to take down the Ghosts, but the arrival of the Reaper had thrown a wrench into his plans.
He had seen firsthand the Ghost's resistance and how they had managed to fend off his creatures with surprising skill and tenacity. But the Deacon had been confident in his power, thinking he had enough under his control to overcome any obstacle.
"This was not supposed to happen," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists in anger.
Now, with Reaper on the scene, he realised how wrong he had been. The Deacon knew that the Reaper was a force to be reckoned with, a skilled fighter with training from various masters under his belt. He had read the reports of face-offs against the Reaper before and knew firsthand how dangerous he could be.
But the Deacon refused to be defeated. He had come too far to let a mere human stand in his way. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as he thought about his next move.
"I will not be defeated by this... this Reaper," he muttered to himself. "I will find a way to crush him and his crew, no matter what it takes."
The Deacon looked out into the darkness, watching as his creatures prowled around the edges of the forest. He knew that he needed to devise a new strategy, one that would allow him to take down the crew once and for all.
But for now, the Deacon would bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He had faced many challenges in his life, and he knew this was just another obstacle to overcome.
The Deacon took a deep breath, his mind already working on a new plan. He was not one to give up easily, and he was determined to emerge victorious in the end.
"Just wait, Reaper... this planet will soon be your graveyard. Mark my words."
***
Ashton sat in the command centre, listening intently as Laihud, Vimur, Alina, and Jay relayed everything they had discovered about the Deacon and the abandoned facility in the forest.
He listened intently as they recounted everything they had discovered about the Deacon and the abandoned facility in the forest, nodding along, taking mental notes and piecing together the information they had gathered.
"So you're saying that the Deacon is using the facility to conduct experiments on the local wildlife?" Ashton asked, his brow furrowed in thought.
Laihud nodded. "That's what we think. We found evidence of genetic manipulation and breeding programs, all aimed at creating the ultimate predator."
Ashton rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "And what about the facility itself? Have you been inside?"
Instead of replying, Laihud played footage from their trip into the abandoned laboratory. Ashton leaned forward, his eyes not leaving the screen till the footage ended.
"So, what did you find?" Ashton asked, his voice steady and firm.
Laihud cleared his throat before speaking. "We explored the facility but didn't find any concrete evidence. It was as if everything had been wiped clean like the Deacon was covering his tracks."
"We did find some old equipment and files, but most of it was outdated and useless. We couldn't find anything to help us figure out the Deacon's plans." Vimur chimed in.
Ashton leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "Hmm. That's not good. But we can't give up. We have to keep digging. There has to be something that we're missing."
Alina nodded in agreement. "We could try to track down the Deacon's movements, and maybe there's a pattern or a clue that we can follow."
Ashton shook his head. "I don't think Deacon is going to be that careless. If he can destroy evidence inside the lab, he can also easily erase his presence."
Jay added, "Then how about we try to gather more intel from the surrounding area. There might be other people or factions that have encountered the Deacon before."
"I doubt it." Laihud interrupted. "The Xylopians are quite reserved species. Even if they had their suspicions or knew about something, it's unlikely they'll open up to strangers."
Ashton stood up, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"Here's what we're going to do," he said his voice firm. "We're going to use everything we've learned to take down the Deacon and end his reign of egotistical stupidity."
"So, what's the plan?"
"Laihud and Vimur, you two will lead the initial assault. Alina, Jay, you will lead the rest of the crew and provide cover fire. I'll take care of the flanking manoeuvres," Ashton said, his voice firm and confident.
The crew nodded in agreement, knowing that they had to work together to take down the Deacon and uncover more information about the cult.
"We need to be careful," Laihud said, his voice low. "The Deacon is powerful, and he has an army of creatures at his disposal. We can't let our guard down."
"We also need to make sure we capture him alive," Vimur added. "He's the only link we have to uncover more about the cult and its plans."
"I'll make sure he doesn't get away," he said, a determined look on his face.
The crew spent the next few hours fine-tuning their plan, going over every detail and possible scenario. They knew they only had one shot at this, and failure was not an option.
Ashton led the final briefing, going over the plan one last time. "Remember, our objective is to capture the Deacon alive. We don't want to kill him unless it's absolutely necessary. And we need to be quick and precise. Any mistakes, and we could all be dead."
The crew nodded in understanding, ready to carry out their mission.
Ashton took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He knew that this mission would be dangerous, but it was necessary. The cult had to be stopped, and the only way to do that was by capturing the Deacon.
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