746 A Duel Of Life And Death (1)
A few moments ago...
Astaroth's restlessness filled the command centre on the lead Precursor ship as he studied the holographic map displaying the ongoing battle. The room was dimly lit for better visibility of the map. So far, the AI on the ships has been making decisions themselves, as Astaroth thought there was no need for him to get involved. However, once he noticed the Xyran vessels, he couldn't help but take control. "Interesting..."
Astaroth tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, his eyes fixed on the holographic display that showed the scattered movements of the Precursor and Xyran ships. From how Astaroth saw it, it was a game, a chess game where Astaroth and Ashton were the players, their moves determining the fate of Earth. As for the board, it was filled with pawns, but Astaroth's pawns were dripping in super soldier serum.
"Ashton," Astaroth whispered under his breath as another Xyran ship succumbed to the relentless assault of the Precursor fleet. "He was better prepared than I thought. Still, it won't be enough to stop the ships."
"Sir, we have found their command centre, as you requested," Zenos, the Ship's AI, appeared before him. His voice was cold and electronic. "Bringing it on the map."
The holographic display magnified, revealing the Xyran command centre located in Livania. Astaroth's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Livania, I should have guessed it."
"What will be your next move, sir?" the AI inquired.
"Those Xyran ships are causing more troubles than I thought," Astaroth, with a determined gleam in his eyes, considered his options. "Can we get through their barrier by ourselves?"
"The possibility of success is less than 10% with one ship," the AI informed.
"Great," Astaroth replied, standing from his chair and donning his battle gear. "Disengage a dozen ships from combat and perform a kamikaze attack through the barrier of Xyran ships."
"Kamikaze attack? I'm not sure I-"
"A suicide attack to get rid of the ships blocking our way," Astaroth replied as he secured the arm guard on his hand. Zenos hesitated, taken aback by the seemingly absurd plan. If they waited a bit longer, they'd be able to take down most, if not all, of the Xyran ships. According to the data at hand, that was the best course of action. Zenos informed Astaroth about it and double-checked with him, ensuring he understood the consequences of such a manoeuvre, but the response was different from what he had expected. "You heard me the first time," Astaroth affirmed. "I don't think I need to remind you that Kro'Han gave me complete authority over these ships to use them as I please for the mission's success. So do as I say."
The hologram of the AI nodded, acknowledging Astaroth's authority, and began executing the drastic plan. Despite the Zenos's reservations about the strategy, it complied with Astaroth's directive.
As the dozen Precursor ships formed a tight formation around Astaroth's vessel, they dove towards Livania. The abruptness of the attack caught the attention of Tarik, who attempted to rearrange the Xyran ships in a desperate effort to block Astaroth's advance.
Tarik's face contorted as he manipulated the holographic controls, attempting to form a makeshift barrier of ships to thwart Astaroth's kamikaze assault. The Xyran ships scrambled to respond immediately, but the sheer force and speed of the Precursor attack proved too overwhelming.
"Reposition the ships! Block their path at all cost!" Tension filled the air in the command centre as Tarik barked orders to the AIs aboard the Xyran ships. However, the efforts were in vain.
With Astaroth at the forefront, the Precursor ships pressed forward, unrelenting as they ran through the obstacles. Despite Tarik's efforts, Astaroth's vessel broke through the Xyran defence, piercing through the hurriedly arranged barrier.
Astaroth's ship advanced toward Livania, a looming threat that sent shockwaves through the forces stationed on Earth. Zenos continuously calculated the success of the kamikaze attack while questioning the rationale behind such a bold and unnecessary move as more and more Precursor ships were destroyed.
As Astaroth's vessel closed in on Livania, Tarik, realising the imminent danger, issued urgent commands. "Evacuate the command center! Inform everyone to brace for impact!"
All the personnel rushed to follow Tarik's orders, abandoning the command centre in a frantic attempt to escape the impending collision. The alarms blared, warning of the incoming threat as Astaroth's ship descended like a meteor on them.
The collision was imminent, and the fate of Livania hung in the balance. The Xyran ships, in disarray, struggled to regroup and counter the unexpected assault, hoping to destroy the Precursor ships before they caused any harm, but nothing they did could stop Astaroth. The desperation in Tarik's eyes mirrored the situation's urgency as he watched the impending collision unfold.
In the final moments before impact, Earth's forces could only brace for the inevitable, a collision that would reshape the course of the battle and determine the world's fate. But when all hope seemed lost, Ashton shot out of the command centre with blinding speed and headed straight towards the ship. Everyone's jaw fell open as they couldn't believe their eyes.
As Ashton soared towards the ship, the ethereal glow of the Precursor aura surrounding him gradually became visible to everyone. With each passing moment, the aura expanded, growing in size until it matched the ship's dimensions.
It was then Tarik realised what Ashton was doing. He was going to fight momentum with momentum, opting for a clash that, while causing harm to Livania, would not reach the catastrophic levels of the previous encounter.
At the same time, Zenos warned Astaroth about the incoming attack, but Astaroth ignored the warning and ordered the ship to stay on its route. As usual, Zenos was against such a foolish decision.
But before the AI could do anything, Astaroth overrode the commands using his authority and blocked Zenos from doing anything. Whether they took down the command centre or not was a secondary matter now.
"As long as I land on Earth, nothing else matters."
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