2025-02-18 13:54:58Chapter 21: The First Strike
The war had begun, but no one had declared it.
There were no grand speeches, no official orders, just shadow battles fought in the void, silent ambushes in dead space, and power plays that would decide the fate of the galaxy before most even realized what was happening.
The Sovereign Order was moving fast.
Kael and the Outliers had to move faster.
The Target: Valkar-7
Valkar-7 was an old URS supply station, once a critical hub for military logistics. It had been abandoned after the system collapsed, but now the Sovereign Order was using it to fuel their war machine.
If they lost Valkar-7, they wouldn’t just lose fuel. They’d lose supply routes, staging grounds, and a crucial foothold in the sector.
Kael sat in the Eclipse’s cockpit, staring at the holo-map. The station floated in the darkness like a sleeping giant, surrounded by a handful of patrol ships.
Defenses were light—for now. But the Sovereign Order had a fleet on standby, ready to jump in if anything went wrong.
That meant they had to move fast.
Jyn sat beside him, adjusting her rifle. “I count six cruisers and a dozen fighters. Doable, but if they call for backup, we’re dead.”
Lira leaned against the bulkhead. “Then we make sure they don’t call for backup.”
Kael nodded. “We hit the comms tower first. No communications, no reinforcements.”
Rook’s voice crackled through the comms. “We’ll give you cover from the ground. Get in, blow the tower, and we’ll clear out the stragglers.”
Kael gripped the controls. “Alright. Let’s end this.”
The Infiltration
The Eclipse broke through the asteroid field surrounding Valkar-7, its stealth systems engaged. The patrol ships didn’t see them—not yet.
Kael navigated through the debris of old warships, using the wreckage as cover. The closer they got, the more he could feel the tension in his chest.
The station loomed ahead, its docking bays glowing with the faint blue light of active power grids.
Jyn exhaled. “They’re bringing this place back to life.”
“Not for long,” Lira muttered.
Kael set the Eclipse down on an unused platform, engines humming quietly as the ship powered down. He turned to his team. “This is it. We take out the comms tower, then disable their fuel reserves. We move fast, no mistakes.”
Jyn smirked. “Since when do we make mistakes?”
Lira rolled her eyes. “I can think of a few.”
Kael grabbed his rifle. “Let’s go.”
They stepped onto the docking platform, the cold metal vibrating beneath their boots. The station was eerily quiet—no alarms, no movement. The Sovereign Order wasn’t expecting an attack.
Good.
That meant they had the advantage.
For now.
The Assault
They moved through the abandoned corridors, the air thick with the scent of old fuel and dust. The Sovereign Order had only partially restored the station, meaning most of the security systems were offline.
They reached the comms tower without incident.
Too easy.
Kael motioned for Jyn to plant the charges. She crouched down, working quickly. “Two minutes.”
Lira kept watch, eyes scanning the corridor. “I don’t like this. Where the hell is everyone?”
Then A sound.
Boots on metal.
Lira spun, rifle raised. “Contact.”
A Sovereign patrol rounded the corner. They barely had time to react before Lira’s first shot hit the lead soldier square in the chest.
The corridor erupted in gunfire.
Jyn cursed. “So much for quiet.”
Kael fired, dropping another soldier as alarms screamed to life across the station. Red warning lights flashed, and overhead speakers crackled.
"Intruders detected. All units respond."
Lira shouted over the chaos. “We’re out of time, Kael!”
Jyn slammed the detonator and the comms tower exploded, sending debris and fire raining down the corridor.
The Sovereign Order was now cut off from reinforcements.
But they weren’t out of this yet.
The Fuel Reserves Kael, Jyn, and Lira sprinted through the smoke-filled halls as klaxons blared. The station was waking up more guards, more resistance.
The fuel reserves were deep in the lower levels. If they could destroy them, the entire station would be crippled.
They reached the main refinery chamber, a vast industrial space with massive fuel tanks lining the walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning coolant.
Jyn moved fast, setting explosives on the nearest tank. “We need at least sixty seconds for a full chain reaction.”
Kael checked his display. Thirty enemy signatures incoming.
Lira swore. “We don’t have sixty seconds.”
The doors slammed open, and a wave of Sovereign troops poured in, weapons blazing.
Kael and Lira returned fire, using the fuel tanks for cover as the chamber turned into a battlefield.
Jyn shouted. “Thirty seconds!”
Kael ducked behind a crate, narrowly avoiding a plasma bolt. He turned and fired, taking down two more enemies.
Lira moved like a ghost, shifting between cover and dropping enemies with precise, efficient shots.
The Sovereign troops weren’t trained for this kind of close-quarters chaos. They hesitated. And that hesitation cost them.
Jyn slammed the final charge into place. “Done! We need to move now!”
Kael shouted into the comms. “Rook, we’re done! Get to the evac point!”
Rook’s voice crackled through. “Already waiting. Move your asses!”
The team sprinted through the corridors as the explosives counted down.
Behind them, the first fuel tank detonated, sending fire and shockwaves ripping through the station.
Escape The Eclipse’s engines roared to life as Kael, Jyn, and Lira jumped aboard, barely clearing the platform before another explosion tore through the station.
Kael hit the controls. “Hold on!”
The Eclipse lifted off, dodging debris as the station collapsed behind them.
Rook’s fleet covered their escape, blasting away at the remaining Sovereign patrol ships. The enemy forces were in disarray, unable to coordinate without their comms.
Kael pushed the ship into high-speed burn, leaving Valkar-7 behind as fire consumed it.
They had won.
For now.
Aftermath
The Outliers’ fleet regrouped at Erebus Point. The victory at Valkar-7 had crippled the Sovereign Order’s supply chain, but it had also sent a message.
Kael stood on the command deck, staring at the latest intel reports. Jyn and Lira stood beside him.
Lira crossed her arms. “They won’t let this slide.”
Jyn smirked. “Good. Let them come.”
Kael exhaled. The battle had been won, but the war was only beginning.
Because now, the Sovereign Order knew who their real enemy was.
And they would stop at nothing to hunt him down.
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