BZZZZZZT—WHACK!

A massive beam of light pierced the sky, blinding the horizon. The Zeigerlich banked sharply, its engines screaming.

The beam grazed the shield, leaving a simmering dispersion of energy.

Inside the bridge, Sandria scrambled to her feet, the taste of iron in her mouth, and her head numb. “All hands on deck, now!” she commanded sharply.

Checking the radar, she saw that no enemy ships had been spotted. “Impossible…” she grunted. “Extrapolate the trajectory of that beam!”

“Roger!” one of the operators shouted, typing frantically.

Alarms beeped and blared, creating a cacophony of chaos. Sandria strapped herself into her chair, her hands gripping the console.

“Control,” Sandria exhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering open.

“Extrapolation complete! The enemy is at our northwest, three to four o’clock!” The report was shouted.

“Good! Get me the satellite view and prepare for evasive manoeuvres!” Sandria ordered. “They must be charging their weapon between shots, judging by the range… Despicable cowards.”

“Evasive manoeuvres engaged!” Madison, the canine Wildren operator, relayed the order.

The sound of metal boots stomping approached from behind, and Sandria spun her chair around.

“Admiral Sandria! Your orders, please!” The former Silver Knight and two Bronze Knights arrived in their cream-coloured personal Knight armour.

Sandria lifted her hand, palm outwards. “Stand by, Knights. The enemy hasn’t entered the combat zone yet.” She beamed a holographic map into the air, showing the blank terrain.

“They must be extending the range of their Lancer technology… Damn it!” the knight cursed, exasperation in his tone.

“Understand that I can’t risk sending you out as bait. Let the drones do their jobs for now,” Sandria spoke flatly.

“Acknowledged, Admiral, we’ll be on standby!” The knights saluted and exited through the massive doors.

Sandria turned back to her console. “How is that satellite view coming!?” she barked, and like clockwork, every individual worked in perfect harmony like marionettes dancing to her tune.

Martial symphony.

“Sending it to you now!” the operator replied.

The aerial image showed the flash of light originating from a small segment of the Santose V Battlecruiser. Luckily, the time-lapse showed no deployment of Armatus mobile suits just yet.

Immediately, Madison reported, “Chief Engineer is on the line for you, Admiral.”

“Connect him,” Sandria replied.

The call connected with a ping. An old man in his seventies appeared, his face and shirt smeared with grease and oil. “Admiral Sandria!” he greeted energetically.

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“Chief Engineer Ito, any update on the damage report?” Sandria asked sharply.

“No strain on the A.E.G.I.S.! We could take a blow or two, hahaha!” the old man burst out laughing.

Sandria’s eye twitched. “Chief Engineer Ito…” she groaned.

“It’s the truth. Although we did lose a substantial amount of power. The secondary engine is starting up; I’ll keep it warm for you, Admiral,” Ito replied with a big smile. The man must have seen enough wars to be as calm as he was. Either that or he was simply old enough not to be scared.

“I appreciate it, Chief Engineer Ito,” Sandria nodded before the call disconnected.

Feeling her heart thumping, Sandria clasped her chest. “I’ve been in worse situations. Now I have the newly…”

BZZZZZZT!

The sky thundered with another massive blast. Clouds were cleaved in half, and the superheated air molecules caused a subsequent, enormous shift of wind.

The Zeigerlich rolled abruptly, evading the blast.

“Yeahhhh!” A loud cheer and applause echoed through the bridge. Sandria bit her lip, and without realising it, some of the uneasiness lifted from her heart.

“Status report!” she bellowed.

“No impact, Admiral,” Madison reported. “Energy consumption is within an acceptable range.”

“Good. ETA for the flagship?”

“Still two hours away!” one of the operators replied.

“Two hours… We can do this,” Sandria nodded solemnly, her eyes sweeping across the crew. Every one of them was working to the best of their ability. Then she saw Madison, who had her face almost pressed to the screen.

“What’s wrong, Madison?” Sandria probed.

“A call from the Santose V’s command bridge… It’s… It’s the Platinum Knight, Rhok Wagner,” she said, trying her best to steady her voice, but her face was drained of colour.

“Connect him, Madison,” Sandria commanded sharply. Her jaw visibly tightened, and her hands curled into fists.

Almost immediately, a familiar, rasping voice echoed. “Greetings, System Director… or should I say, Admiral Sandria of the Zeigerlich…”

The profound pressure weighed on her, and she clasped her own shoulder to stop it from shaking.

“Platinum Knight Rhok… Still employing cowardly tactics, I see,” Sandria countered.

“Heh? I was only testing you, Admiral,” Rhok paused dramatically, his eyes sharpening like a hunter that has spotted its prey.

“Don’t make me laugh,” Sandria grimaced.

“It seems you’ve made quite a name for yourself with the little princess' rescue,” Rhok said out of spite.

“Stop monologuing, Rhok. I’m not playing one of your games,” Sandria growled, struggling to maintain her composure. She could feel the deep-seated, dark presence behind those brown eyes.

“Forward as ever. That’s what I liked about you, Sandria,” Rhok rasped calmly, leaning back in his chair.

“Your Lancer beam is no match for us. We can do this all day if needed.” She replied, pushing her agenda deep within her blunt banter.

“Well, I don’t have all day, Sandria. And you know it,” Rhok spoke, rubbing his chin.

Her lips twitched ever so slightly, which was enough to put a broad smile on his face.

“However, I do have a proposition. Leave, and I’ll spare your life and the lives of your crew,” he said firmly.

“Heh?” she sneered.

“The lives of your endeared crews... I am a man of my word. What say you?” He drew out the last word.

“The answer is no,” she responded sharply; her answer couldn't be any clearer.

Rhok chuckled deeply. “I already knew you would say that. Regardless, I do feel this could be our last time speaking to one another. Very well. See you on the battlefield. Admiral.”

The cold air hit the back of her neck as the screen shut off. Sandria gasped for air, clenching her chest. That confrontation had taken an unknown toll on her psyche.

After a few minutes, an operator shouted with urgency, his voice cracking, “Satellite updated! The enemy has deployed their Armatus units! Your command, Admiral!”

Without delay, Sandria snapped back into her true, mechanical self. She shot to her feet, hands extending outwards.

“Deploy the first batch of Armatus units!”