“Again!” Enine ordered. “Strafe while maintaining aim at transmitted coordinates of enemy ship!”

“Grand Elder! We only have twenty-six percent e-cube store left!” Qeleven warned in consternation. Another firing of the beam cannon would take them down to sixteen percent!

“Don’t hesitate, Qeleven.” Enine was firm in his decision. “If we disable the enemy starship now, it would ensure our ability to extort e-cube stores from the Mayer Station!”

“Yes, Grand Elder!”

The mega-particle beam cannon began charging up again.

Particle beam firing in thirty, twenty-nine…

Enine closed his eyes as he monitored their situation through the ship’s senses and his communication with their nexarm units. So far, there had been no signal from Xeight that the enemy starship was on any significant move. If it remained so, their second beam would cause untold damage! Their first particle beam may have already caused a breach while delivering a huge heat payload onto the other x-alloy plates. A second hit might finish off the enemy for good!

-

EFNSF

“Special Lieutenant,” Vargas’ voice trembled through the comms, conveying her trepidation of their situation. “The enemy is preparing a second beam. Our navigational thrusters are down from an internal explosion. Our frontal plates are at twenty percent durability with a minor breach on the left frontal hull.”

Starship Atlas was in a dire state. The most devastating damage came from an internal explosion that disrupted the whole starship’s neuro framework. The starship was designed with the X-alloy layered protection, The X-alloy is a material engineered marvel that dissipated heat, and in combination with nanobots, had recovery ability. A liquid gel also coated the layers to improve its defensive qualities.

However, if an explosion occurs internally… Those layered plates would thoroughly trap the energy of said explosion within the ship.

“Will you be able to dodge the beam?” James’ voice was low with depression. He knew the tide of battle was not in their favor.

“Without the ship’s primary thrusters functioning, I will not be able to accelerate enough to dodge-- assuming the enemy is locking onto our coordinates,” Vargas communicated.

“I will return!” announced Smirnov heroically as he accelerated back towards Starship Atlas. The members of the NSF could tell that the T3ST unit must have dropped off a unit or swarm, or some device that allowed them to pinpoint the EFNSF starship.

“Smirnov!” James frantically ordered his man. “Do not return!”

“Special Lieutenant,” Smirnov replied and ignored his orders. “A wolf is fed by its legs. We won’t get anywhere just waiting around!”

As his nexarm traveled closer to Starship Atlas, his sensory devices notified him of the impending particle beam strike.

Estimated enemy particle beam firing in five seconds, specified direction.

“For Earth!” Smirnov smirked, as his weapon devices lined up alongside his nexarm unit to form a thick wall of heavy weaponry, and he controlled his unit to slightly shift in space in front of Starship Atlas’ weak attempts to sputter sideways with expulsion of air through side vents.

Five seconds later, a particle beam struck Smirnov’s unit, which melted the whole unit down into nothing but a string of white-hot metal lumps!

“Smirnov…” Vargas muttered to herself as she saluted within the bridge centered within Starship Atlas. She sensed a few more breaches in the hull, but there were still some surviving plates around five percent. Their starship remained alive.

“Vargas! Smirnov! Status?! Report the source of the internal explosion!” James needed information on what had occurred. They were very much in the dark!

“Special Lieutenant. Smirnov has sacrificed himself to block the path of the particle beam. Our starship lives on. The enemy should not have the energy for another beam… Currently retrieving data from the hangar.”

“Fuck!” James momentarily lost his cool. Levy and Saad’s unit had been unresponsive so far as well!

“Sir,” Athena had been silently trading fire with the enemy’s nexarms at their location in combination with Olivia while their leader was distracted by the unfolding situation. “We should go dark and wait for the enemy ship to leave. I… I have a bad feeling in my gut.”

She knew that some members on the NSF did not like when she relied on her gut instincts.

“Follow Watanabe’s words.” James hesitated a second before agreeing with her judgment. “Watanabe, Gonazlez and Amiri, with me. Gather and concentrate our devices and we will go dark. Vargas. The enemy starship should be low on energy. Drift the ship slowly away from Mayer Station while attempting repairs.”

“Sir!” Vargas had reviewed the footage of the hangar. “David’s unit entered the hangar and exploded! It was a type of automaton that drew on the nexarm e-cube stores in a self-destruction sequence!”

By now, the four nexarm units had gathered together with their arms locked with each other. Some of their devices had started gathering around the four mainframes.

“What is the status of Lieutenant Saad? Did her nexarm unit survive? The defenses on--”

James MacLeod’s words were interrupted when the four EFSF nexarm units detected a barrage of kinetic rounds fired at them!

They found their senses locked onto two units! T3ST unit’s nexarm chimera and nexarm skull! The barrage was spread across their nexarms and thus was of minor threat, similar to a mosquitos’ bite.

“That’s… that’s a different nexarm!” None of the EFNSF had seen nexarm chimera before, with its slightly more bulkier frame and unique maroon red coloring tinged with brass and silver.

These two T3ST nexarms must have found their mainframes through the returning and massing of their neuro devices.

“Return fire!” Ordered James. Yet before they could properly aim their weapons, nexarm chimera and nexarm skull had sped past them back towards T3ST unit’s side of the battle, uninterested in further battle.

The four terran nexarms remained stationary, unwilling to pursue the two T3ST units. If they did so, they would end up facing the four T3ST nexarms at the same time.

“Sir?” Vargas wasn’t aware of the reason for her commanding officer’s sudden disruption in communication.

“Identify Lieutenant Saad’s status. Remain dark until the enemy starship leaves the area.”

“Yes, Sir.”

__________________________________________________________________________

The T3ST nexarm units returned to Starship Oneiroi. Bone, Yfour and Asix all had huge grins on their face at the success of their battle, but Xeight was expressionless, displaying no joy at the results.

Starship Oneiroi pointed its weapons at Mayer Station, and Grand Elder Enine informed the station’s operational leader of the T3ST unit’s demands.

Large containers of e-cube stores were subsequently ejected out of the station. In return, the T3ST unit sent containers of raw materials they had mined from asteroids towards the station.

Although this station is operated by Venus, it belonged to the E-cube Corp. The martian command had ordered the T3ST unit not to alienate the E-cube Corp, and thus, the T3ST unit, at the very least, returned resources that covered the production of the e-cube volume they demanded.

This would also allow the Mayer Station to report the loss of e-cube stores to the EFSF without really taking much loss, demonstrating their supposed allegiance.

Starship Oneiroi, with their e-cube stores back at a hundred percent, accelerated out of the L4 point between the Sun and Venus, performed a minor jump using five percent of their energies and began cruising closer towards the sun.

Within Xeight’s quarters.

“Why are you traveling down to Earth?” Jen quizzically asked Xeight as she rested her left cheek against Xeight’s right shoulder and pressed her body against his, desiring warmth and comfort.

“I want to see Earth,” Xeight replied straightforwardly.

“You’ve changed,” commented Jen in a downcast tone. When she had arrived, she felt her mind aligned with Xeight’s. Yet now… Xeight seemed to have entered murky waters-- she hated that.

“Was it not you who wished for me to enter the nexarm? You now have your data.” Xeight’s reply only made Jen feel… distant despite their physical closeness.

“I…” Jen stuttered with her words before expressing her thoughts. “I hate Earth…”

Xeight widened his eyes in surprise. James MacLeod was fighting tooth and nail for Earth. Yet, here, Jen MacLeod, his cousin, expressed an opposite opinion. The two are supposedly cousins on more-than-friendly terms.

“Whenever I’m on Earth… I’m a MacLeod. I have to visit balls, navigate the factions within my family and the many… Organizations associated with the MacLeod Group. It’s… so tiring…”

Xeight patiently waited for Jen to continue. He had certainly attempted to ask Jen about why she came to the T3ST colony, and the MacLeod family as well. However, her answer was always her passion for neurotech.

“Hubby…” She pressed herself firmly into Xeight, who responded by wrapping his arm around her back in a tighter hold. “It’s a horrible place. All these… factions and groups are just always trying to gain an advantage against one another, using anyone for a minor gain. I’m just a neuro research specialist card to use for the right purpose in their eyes.”

“And the rest of the people? They only care about living day-to-day in bliss, not caring, easily manipulated by all these factions, conglomerates and what not… many of them don’t even truly vote anymore… They only do it as an obligation. They don’t even know the historical stances of those that they decide to give their vote to.”

“Mmmm…” Xeight wasn’t sure what to say. He had never even had the chance to vote. It was alien to him.

“You… you shouldn’t go to Earth. We should just leave! Go someplace far away!” Jen had a yearning expression for her dreamland.

Yet, where would that be? Xeight could not abandon the T3ST colony. They were all that he knew.

“I’m sorry, Jen.”

“Don’t be sorry! Just… it’s not worth it.” Jen vehemently stated. “You shouldn’t be a part of it!”

“I’m sorry, Jen. It’s too late. I am of the T3ST colony. These are my people. James is leading the NSF. I have to face him. I was the only one who conversed with him in great lengths on his visit to the T3ST colony.” Xeight stared at the internal artificial starry night sky that decorated his quarters as he reached out and grasped at a bright star. “I can’t sit idly by.”

“Even if you end up having to take his life?!” Jen's soft and sorrowful voice muttered in query.

“I’d like to avoid it, but if so… then so be it.” Xeight then once again apologized. “I’m sorry, Jen. I thought I could ignore it but… perhaps this is life. I hope when the time comes… you won’t hate me for it.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Mayer Station

After the T3ST unit had left, the remaining NSF members boarded Starship Atlas to discover that Cliupatra Saad incapacitated within her heavily damaged unit.

The force from the close-ranged energy release from the e-cube compartment within Levy’s nexarm unit had shaken her nexarm unit to the core. Her body was shattered and her brain was barely protected by the medical function of the nexarm cockpit. She would need a new body from the Rebirth Bunker.

They attempted to communicate with her brain through the Neurorave system, but they only found a hysterical voice in torment and quickly disconnected themselves. It needed to be said that Clio’s brain now lacked any of the normal sensory input from her physical body. She had been trapped within her nexarm unit with just her mind in complete darkness. It was unknown if she would recover from the experience.

The remaining members of the NSF had managed to reign in their emotions for a time-- they are professional soldiers.

Yet upon discovering Clio’s state, Athena could not control herself as tears ran down her cheeks along with a sniffling nose block. Olivia had run off elsewhere to release her heart in private. Cyrus had begun muttering a verse under his breath. James had reentered his nexarm and hovered beside the starship, staring out into the wide expanse of space.

Smirnov and Levy were gone, not even their corpses could be sent back to their family. The Rebirth Bunker bodies did not have brains. Clio… her recovery was uncertain. When James returned, his false bravado was of no use.

“How are our functions?” James wanted to uplift his team and crew. Yet, he struggled to do so. Everyone could tell his upbeat tone was manufactured. He was unable to hide his disheartened mood.

“We have regained the function of our primary thrusters.” Vargas somberly replied. “Our hull has been repaired, so we will be able to warp. However, the ship’s neuro framework remains damaged and we will need to return back to the lunar base for proper repairs. The mega particle beam cannon is naturally nonfunctional alongside a number of our artillery and railguns.”

“We return to the moon then…” James muttered. “I will need to report to Admiral Petrov.” Who knew if he would even remain in charge of the NSF. They had lost three nexarm units alongside three pilots. A devastating blow. Many could hear the Special Lieutenant losing it inside the communication room, his fists banging against the walls alongside a barrage of swear words.

_________________________________________________________________________

Vicinity of the Sun.

“Grand Elder.” Qeleven said. “I’ve identified the weak spot to release the entanglement of this sun spot. The angle is slightly off, but by firing our mega-particle beam at this point, then activating our warp field in this location to disrupt gravitational forces,” he mentally marked out points on a holographic analysis of the sun. “We will be able to induce a solar flare.”

“We will need to jump the moment the solar flare is confirmed and be positioned to take advantage of the disruption to the Earth’s defensive umbrella to send members down.”

“Very well,” Enine nodded. “Begin.”

A mega-particle beam was accurately shot with full power at the identified spot, then the warp field activated around the ship for a few seconds.

“Has it begun?” Enine asked.

“I believe another shot is needed,” commented Qeleven.

Another particle beam was subsequently shot.

“There!” Qeleven smugly announced as the starship detected the beginnings of a solar flare. “Prepare jump!”

Starship Oneiroi jumped to a location close to Earth yet far enough to be undetectable by the defense umbrella-- this information was naturally provided by the martian fleet.

Qeleven began a detailed analysis of the buoys that made up Earth’s defensive umbrella. The many buoys of the umbrella orbited Earth at different altitudes, and their orbits ensured that at any single time, there would be shifting triangular formations between the many buoys that covered the planet.

However, the orbiting buoys naturally led to certain areas being less dense in cover at certain points in time. Anyhow, they patiently awaited for the solar flare to hit. Afterwards, they would send members down to Earth before the umbrella could fully recover.

When the solar flare struck the area, the bridge of Starship Oneiroi flashed red in warning, but the plates on the ship successfully maintained the ship’s function.

Many of Earth’s defensive buoys successfully stayed online, but the few that went down opened gaps. With accurate timing. A landing ship was launched carrying Xeight and the youngest elder that had come along on the T3ST starship-- Vthree.

“A Kasvallian representative will receive you off the west coast of San Francisco. They already have our landing ship’s signature,” Enine informed the two.

Jen, who had made a last attempt to convince Xeight not to visit Earth, curled into a ball within her own quarters, unable to control the corners of her lips from curving downwards.

_________________________________________________________________________

Military Command, Pacific City, 17th August, 1000 Solar Era.

“Have our drone swarms attached and accelerated the asteroid ‘AR-gamah’ away from Earth yet?” Petrov asked.

“Admiral, they are in the process--”

“Sir!” a member of the commanding room that observed all the phenomenon around Earth suddenly stood up, alarmed. “A solar flare is coming! Much earlier than expected! Our drone swarms might get knocked out! In five minutes is the prediction! Our sensors detected the early signs!”

Admiral Petrov narrowed his eyes. Damn that James MacLeod. If he had just handled the asteroid problem early on. Then again, it was true that if that T3ST unit was handled…

“Prepare a second set of drones. We have time.” Although some equipment on Earth might suffer some damage from the solar flare, most of the essential technologies had been designed to be somewhat resistant. They should be fine. However, the first set of drones, outside Earth’s atmosphere, would not survive.

“Sir.” A military man popped his head into the command center. “Special Lieutenant James MacLeod of the EFNSF is on the line.”

“Alright.” Petrov left the military command center. His subordinates should have the situation under control. The news he received from James MacLeod would devastate his heart.