779 Chapter 779 Shadow Siege
The stealth ships of the Celestial Platoon, led by Aldred, approached the Shadow Forge with a silence that was almost eerie.
The vast, dark structure loomed ahead, its presence felt more than seen, a void against the star-filled backdrop of space.
As they neared, Aldred's ship, the vanguard of the operation, encountered an unexpected anomaly. "Sensors are going haywire," reported the ship's navigator, a sense of bewilderment in his voice. "It's like we're flying into a storm, but there's nothing there."
Aldred leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "It's the Dark Waves," he deduced. "They're not just a side effect; they're a defense mechanism. Salamander, any ideas on how to counteract them?"
Back at the command center, Salamander's fingers flew over his console, analyzing the data streaming in from the stealth ships. "We need to adjust our approach. If we can modulate our shields to a similar frequency as the Dark Waves, we might be able to push through without being torn apart."
Implementing Salamander's solution required precision and skill, but the pilots of the Celestial Platoon were among the best. One by one, the ships adjusted their shields, creating a bubble of calm as they passed through the storm of Dark Waves.
The operation was back on track, but the Shadow Forge still lay ahead, its secrets guarded by more than just the waves.
As they penetrated deeper into enemy territory, another obstacle presented itself. "We're picking up automated defense platforms," announced a scout. "They're ancient, but they're powering up. Looks like we woke them up."
Aldred assessed the situation, his mind racing. "We use the debris field," he decided quickly. "Push the debris into the Shadow Forge and use it as cover."
The maneuver was risky, threading the needle through a dense field of spinning asteroids. Yet, it provided the cover they needed.
The stealth ships, agile and precise, darted between the asteroids, using them to block the line of sight from the defense platforms. At Aldred's command, targeted explosions sent asteroids hurtling towards the platforms, neutralizing them without exposing the fleet.
Meanwhile, the distraction operations carried out by the chaos units were unfolding as planned. Across the enemy territory, pockets of conflict flared up, drawing the attention of the demonic forces away from the Shadow Forge.
The diversions ranged from feigned assaults on minor outposts to sabotage of supply lines, each designed to spread the enemy thin and keep them guessing.
Back at the Shadow Forge, the Celestial Platoon's siege team finally breached the perimeter defenses, entering its atmosphere. However, here, the defense became much fiercer.
21:25
Inside the oppressive atmosphere of the Shadow Forge, the stealth ships of the Celestial Platoon were suddenly plunged into a maelstrom of chaos. The ships' sensors, once clear and precise, flickered and died, leaving the pilots to navigate by sight alone in the murky darkness.
"Navigation's down! We're flying blind here," shouted a pilot over the comms, the strain evident in his voice as he struggled to keep his ship steady amidst the barrage of enemy fire.
From the shadowy depths of the forge, cannons awoke, their barrels glowing with malevolent energy. They fired salvos of dark energy projectiles in every direction, creating a deadly maze of destruction.
Aldred, his ship at the forefront of the assault, maintained his composure despite the dire situation. "All ships, switch to manual! Use visual cues only. We need to adapt," he commanded, his voice a beacon of calm in the chaos.
The pilots, trained for situations as dire as this, adjusted quickly, relying on their instincts and the limited visibility to dodge the relentless onslaught. "Evasive maneuvers! Keep formation tight," Aldred instructed, guiding his ship through the storm of projectiles with deft movements.
Amidst the confusion, a small group of Celestial Platoon fighters found themselves cornered by enemy forces. "We're pinned down!" one of the fighters called out, desperation creeping into his voice as the enemy cannons bore down on them.
Aldred, assessing the situation, made a split-second decision. "Salamander, we need a distraction. Can you trigger a false signal to draw their fire away from our fighters?"
Back at the command center, Salamander worked furiously, rerouting power and manipulating the ship's remaining functional systems. "I got something better."
Salamander's eyes began to glow. Blue energy began to form in his fingertips before forming tens of thousands of threads that connected to all the ships that sieging the Shadow Forge.
Suddenly, the sensors returned and functioned again.
Aldred was impressed. "Great work."
"I am not done yet."
With a flip of his hands, an ethereal formed of the sieging armada before they materialized looking like the real things. From down below, it looked like the Celestial Platoon just increased its number of ships ten times in an instant.
Aldred was even more impressed.
The ruse worked. The enemy cannons, fooled by the decoy, redirected their fire, allowing the trapped Celestial Platoon fighters to break free from the encirclement. "Move! Now's our chance!" Aldred seized the opportunity to lead a counter-assault, pushing deeper into the heart of the Shadow Forge.
As they went deeper, they realized the Shadow Forge did not look like any ordinary planet they knew. Instead of normal surfaces, the celestial body was full of holes, like tunnels. Coming out of these tunnels were demon ships that joined the fray.
"Split into teams and enter those tunnels. Began mapping the place!"
As they ventured further, the Celestial Platoon encountered fierce resistance from demonic defenders, creatures molded from the dark energies of the forge itself. The battle was fierce, with both sides exchanging heavy fire in the confined spaces of the forge's interior.
On the walls of the giant tunnels were demons with giant turrets, creating a criss cross energy attacks that tried to take down the ship. However, the stealth ships's small size and agility made them a hard target to hit.
However, the enemy made it hard for them to advance.
Aldred assessed the situation. "Dispatch the ground unit! I will be joining them as well. The stealth unit keep going inside and report what you find!"
Aldred pushed the button on his chest, immediately sending him out of the ship. at the same time, other ground units did the same thing and they all landed on the ground.
Aldred summoned his Phantom Doom Blade. Its blazing fire was a cue. "Attack!"
Demons immediately rolled down towards them with huge numbers. Aldred sprinted towards them, arm blazed in fire as he swung his sword and decimate the entire area in front of him.
A call came through his intercom as he fought. "Sir, there are blockades and barriers that prevent the stealth team from entering. We tried to destroy it but it will take time."
"I am going there."
Aldred slashed left and right, throwing arc of flames that devoured every demons that came into contact.
The troops behind him were charged with morale seeing their leader charging in front of them. They used their guns, swords, maces, explosives, and everything they had at their dispoal to dispose the demons.
"Keep pushing! We're almost there," Aldred urged his troops, his sword gleaming with energy as he cut down enemy after enemy. The Celestial Platoon, emboldened by their leader's valor, fought with renewed vigor, clearing a path through the demonic forces.
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