A new plan in the shadows

The holographic map of the fortress flickered in the center of the camp, casting a blue light on the concentrated faces of the Quetzal Unit. The atmosphere of camaraderie had evaporated, replaced by a sharp, professional tension.

"The plan is very simple," Lion began, his voice demonstrating confidence and leadership. "We're not going to win a war, we're going to strike a blow and disappear. The goal is twofold: sabotage and extraction."

He pointed to a spot on the hologram. "The supply ship arrives every 24 hours, during the early morning watch change. That's our window. We'll create a diversion on the southern perimeter to attract their attention. In the meantime, an infiltration team will enter from the north, place demolition charges on the main support pillars and head to the hangar to secure that ship."

He paused, looking at each team member. "We do not seek to annihilate. We seek to make confusion and awe. Sow chaos, blow their foundations and escape in their own ship before they know what hit them. For infiltration, I will go with..." He turned to Corinelle. "Corinelle. I'll need your firepower if things go south."

"Finally," Corinelle murmured with a predatory smile.

"Negative, Commander." Airen's voice, calm and cool, silenced the room. Everyone turned to look at her. She was still seated, book resting on her knees.

"Firepower is loud," Airen continued, undeterred. "Silence is lethal. My stealth skills surpass anyone on this team. I'm the logical choice for infiltration."

Corinelle stood up, offended. "Are you saying I'm a nuisance?"

"I'm saying that a hammer is not the right tool to defuse a bomb," Airen replied with his usual calm.

The tension was palpable. Lion looked at Airen, then at Corinelle. He remembered the strange silent connection he shared with Airen, his almost foreboding reliability. On a mission like this, instinct was worth more than any plan. He made a decision.

"Airen is right," he said firmly. Corinelle looked at him, betrayed. "We need ghosts, not soldiers. Airen will go with me. Corinelle, you will lead the distraction team with Eldrinch and Lynel. I want you to make a lot of noise, but not risk your positions. Prince, Hood, you will be our eyes in the sky and cover our retreat. understood?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir". Corinelle nodded reluctantly, still, he trusted, he was her captain after all, she trusted him completely.

Hours later, two shadows glided across the frozen desert in the ghostly light of Jupiter. Lion and Airen, covered in light-absorbing stealth suits, moved with perfect synchronicity. The rest of the team was already in position, waiting for the signal.

Entry through the maintenance duct was silent and uneventful. Inside, the fortress was a maze of metal corridors, dimly lit by emergency lights. They moved like specters, their footsteps muted by the technology of their boots.

They encountered two guards patrolling a corridor. Before they could raise the alarm, Lion and Airen acted as a single entity. Lion slipped up behind one, covering his mouth and neutralizing him with a precise key. Airen, with inhuman fluidity, disarmed the second and knocked him unconscious with a quick blow to the back of the head. All in less than three seconds. His timing was perfect, almost rehearsed.

They placed the demolition charges on the structural pillars, small adhesive disks that blinked with an almost invisible green light. The first part of the mission had been a success. Now, the hangar.

But as they moved deeper into the complex, Airen paused, pointing to a side corridor that was not on the plans. From it emanated a low humming sound and a strange fluctuation of energy that made the skin crawl.

"This way," Airen whispered.

"The hangar is in the other direction," Lion replied.

"The heart of this place isn't in the hangar, there's something else here," Airen said, and without waiting for a reply, he stepped into the corridor. With a silent curse, Lion followed him.

The hallway ended in a large circular titanium door. Airen opened it with a device that Lion did not recognize, revealing the inner room.

It was not a hangar. It was an unholy mix of high-tech laboratory and sanctuary. Wires thick as snakes ran across the floor to the center of the room, where an energy containment table sat.

And above it, levitating half a meter high, was the source of the hum.

What they saw paralyzed them completely. A fragment of geometric darkness, an object about thirty centimeters long in the shape of an impossible crystal. The edges seemed to vibrate, unfocusing and refocusing, like a glitch in reality itself. It had a hole in its center that contained nothing, but seemed to absorb the light around it. A sub-vocal hum emanated from it, a low note that resonated directly in Lion's chest.

It was hypnotic. Unnatural. And deeply, it felt wrong, as if something didn't fit reality.

They stood there, in silence, observing the impossible artifact. The mission, the explosives, the escape craft? all faded from Lion's mind, replaced by a single, overwhelming question.

What the hell is that?