Crack! Crack!
The flames devoured the wreckage of the shuttle, scorching waves of heat sweeping through, leaving behind a haze of smoke and melted metal debris.
In the center of the fiery inferno, a faint azure light formed an unusual energy shield.
Hum—whirr—!
This almost imperceptible barrier easily deflected the incoming blast energy beams. When the beams struck the shield, they scattered in all directions, sending out a dull rumble but failing to shake the shield in the slightest.
From the wreckage, a towering figure gradually emerged—Gabriel Angelo, the 1st Squad leader of the Scourged Children.
With his power hammer in hand and wearing the Hell's Ender armor, he stood over three meters tall, like a massive iron tower in the heart of the flames, unyielding.
His armor shimmered with inscriptions that seemed to sense every vibration and threat in the air.
Gabriel's helmet had already been removed, revealing a face marked with unwavering determination. His eyes, sharp as blades, were locked onto Orson Krennic.
Under the chilling gaze, Krennic felt a rush of uncontrollable terror welling up from deep within.
His back went cold, and he felt as if he were falling into a bottomless ice pit, his limbs heavy as if filled with lead, unable to move.
The gaze was not simply threatening—it was assessing, it was a judgment.
Gabriel said nothing, but his very presence was like the executioner of death, pinning Krennic's heart down with an iron grip.
Krennic's breath quickened. He wanted to turn and run, but he found he couldn't control his body.
His legs felt as though they were rooted to the ground, unable to move. Every attempt to step forward was as if an invisible, ungraspable force was binding him.
Fear churned within the Galactic Empire's director, every muscle tensed as if it were on the brink of tearing apart.
Helplessness spread through his entire body, nearly consuming all his reason.
At the peak of his terror, the death soldiers assigned to protect him took swift action.
Facing Gabriel, their attacks were futile. All the explosive energy beams they fired were absorbed and deflected by the energy shield before even reaching Gabriel, creating a low, rumbling sound as they rebounded without any effect.
Thus, the death soldiers stopped wasting firepower on Gabriel.
Ten soldiers remained behind, continuing to suppress Gabriel with firepower, their energy rifles unleashing a storm of fire, trying to break through the seemingly indestructible defense.
Meanwhile, several other death soldiers dragged Krennic away, pulling him toward the shuttle on the other side of the landing pad, moving quickly.
Krennic's legs still felt like they were made of lead, but with the death soldiers pulling him along, he was able to move, though his steps were unsteady.
Boom—boom—!
Suddenly, a few heavy sounds rang out in succession.
Thud, thud.
Then, something heavy seemed to fall from a great height.
Krennic dared not turn around, but he knew that the ten death soldiers left behind were now struck by Gabriel's power hammer, sent flying and crashing heavily to the ground, never to move again.
Thud, thud!
The earth-shaking footsteps of the giant continued.
Each step Gabriel took deepened Krennic's fear.
At this moment, the director's mind went blank. He could even hear his heart pounding in his ears.
Now, Krennic was no longer considering anything else. His remaining sanity dictated that he had to make the most correct choice—
"Surrender! Please! Please don't kill me! I surrender!!"
It was the only way to survive.
If he died, everything would be lost.
Krennic's voice came out almost as a scream, breaking and filled with unimaginable fear and desperation.
This shout contained all of Krennic's hopelessness. It seemed as though begging for mercy was his only lifeline.
At this point, the director had abandoned all the Empire's arrogance and pride, completely letting go of his dignity, pleading for mercy from Gabriel, hoping the giant would spare his life.
What Krennic did next stunned the remaining death soldiers, who hesitated, unsure how to react.
Their commander's surrender had clearly caused them to waver, with a fierce inner conflict between their loyalty to the Empire and their absolute obedience to their superior.
But just as they hesitated, the overwhelming pressure returned—
Gabriel's power hammer hung above them, its heavy metallic aura pressing down on the air, turning it into a tangible force, locking each soldier's breath.
The hammerhead exuded a silent threat, signaling that any movement would come at the cost of their lives.
"Drop your guns!!! Drop your guns! Do you want me dead?!" Krennic screamed in agony, his voice torn from his throat, full of madness and despair.
Each word was a desperate plea for survival, a rejection of death.
Hearing this, the inner conflict of the remaining death soldiers became even more apparent.
They had always considered themselves elite, invincible, but now, faced with this towering giant from the "inhuman" domain, they felt utterly powerless.
It was either die with "honor" or drop their pride and obey their commander's orders to survive.
In the end, they dropped their weapons, throwing their energy rifles to the ground.
The sharp sound of the rifles hitting the floor marked the end of their feigned loyalty.
Gabriel, observing this from above, remained expressionless, though there was a subtle look of "appreciation" in his eyes.
That look acknowledged the "loyalty" and "discipline" the death soldiers displayed.
Their behavior—whether in calmly executing orders under threat or making quick decisions to preserve their superior—earned Gabriel's respect.
In the Empire, death soldiers were likely only average compared to other elite units, on par with the Hell Jumpers or the special forces from the bio-trooper division.
But the discipline, combat readiness, and unwavering loyalty they showed in the face of adversity were qualities Gabriel valued.
He looked at the surrendered death soldiers, thinking deeply.
If these soldiers were captured and brought to the 1st Division's "Personnel Department," and with the help of the think tank brothers, they underwent "mental adjustments," perhaps they could be reformed into an even more powerful force, potentially even joining the 1st Division of the Scourged Children.
Once their mental "restraints" were lifted, allowing them to embrace the spirit of the Scourged Children, they could be an incredibly strong "amplifier."
However, none of this meant Gabriel would show any sympathy or understanding for Krennic's behavior.
He turned slightly, his eyes locking onto Krennic once again, his contempt completely unmasked.
Gabriel had already anticipated Krennic's desperate plea for mercy.
This surrender born out of despair only made him feel disgusted and amused.
As an Imperial high officer, Krennic should have displayed unwavering determination and the spirit of sacrifice in the most critical moments, not beg for his life as he was doing now.
Gabriel could not understand, nor could he tolerate it.
According to the intelligence, Orson Krennic was one of the most important figures in the Empire, with unshakable power, status, and control over countless resources.
But when facing death, Krennic chose to surrender in this way, even shouting for mercy.
An officer in such a position should embody the resolve to never retreat, even if it meant going down with the enemy, never bowing in submission.
Gabriel could not imagine how an officer of the original Astartes would act when faced with the enemy, begging for mercy like Krennic.
He despised Krennic's behavior.
However, Krennic still held value.
Gabriel was not in a hurry to kill this Imperial high officer because Krennic possessed vital information regarding the "17th" universe (Star Wars).
If he could take Krennic back to the front-line base, hand him over to the think tank or bio-technical department for "interrogation," they could extract more valuable intelligence, which would be crucial for their next strategic move.
Slowly, Gabriel moved the hammer from Krennic's head and opened the communication channel, calmly ordering:
"Send a Silver Gull to my location, prepare to recover high-value prisoners."
"Yes, Commander."
Hearing the response, Gabriel used his Hell's Ender to generate a small hard-light screen, which displayed a brief battlefield layout, instantly showing the current situation at Scarif.
The space station, responsible for the planet's shield, had already been taken over by their precision assault team with ease, putting the 1st Division and Intelligence Department's small fleet in an excellent position to provide support to the main forces on the surface.
With this key position secured, combined with the fleet and air support, the battle for control of low orbit had already begun to tip in their favor.
Meanwhile, the Star Destroyer that had been seized by the 2nd Assault Squad was now officially under the control of the 1st Division of the Scourged Children.
Although one of their squads had not yet completely cleared all the remaining enemies, they had captured the bridge and used the bridge's systems to infiltrate with the smart AI data copy, fully taking over the Star Destroyer's control system.
That massive ship was now undeniably part of the 1st Division of the Scourged Children.
Next in line was the facility where they had secured control.
Facing the main force consisting of the Scourged Children, Hell Jumpers, and elite soldiers, the Imperial stormtroopers stationed there stood no chance.
The once-feared stormtrooper force in the "17th" universe crumbled under the brutal assault of the Scourged Children, who overwhelmed them effortlessly.
The battle began with the stormtroopers unable to withstand the onslaught, and their defeat occurred faster than the space station, Star Destroyer, and TIE fighter forces in low orbit.
Within just a few minutes, the battle around the facility turned into an one-sided "slaughter."
Gunfire and explosions once echoed, but as time passed, the sounds gradually diminished, replaced by scattered sparks.
By now, more than 90% of the stormtroopers were either killed by the main forces or captured during intense fighting, their combat capabilities completely neutralized.
The few remaining stormtroopers continued to struggle through the chaos.
Some fled into the dense jungle, trying to hide and find a way out.
Others rushed to the shuttle, attempting to escape to other military facilities on Scarif for reinforcement.
Some desperate stormtroopers and pilots activated their hyperspace engines without hesitation, escaping to other areas, momentarily evading death's grasp.
At the rate things were going, it wouldn't be long before the entire control of Scarif would temporarily belong to the 1st Division.
As Gabriel considered the situation, he knew this was only a temporary hold.
He was well aware that, despite the current advantage, the Galactic Empire would retaliate sooner or later. Especially with the loss of such a crucial position and the need to save face, the Empire would surely use strong methods to exact revenge.
The Intelligence Department had warned them about this before the operation, even giving detailed predictions: after the 1st Division and Intelligence Department successfully broke Scarif's defenses and defeated the garrison, the Empire would likely send the Death Star to suppress them.
Additionally, the Intelligence Department had informed them that they might face one of the greatest individuals in the "17th" universe, the Sith Lord—Darth Vader.
The information files provided by the Intelligence Department had all been marked with warnings to ensure they did not underestimate this figure of the Dark Side.
Darth Vader's power, skill, and combat experience far surpassed the usual beings in the "17th" universe, making him nearly unbeatable.
Gabriel believed that Vader's strength might not rival that of a gene-bred Astartes, but it was certainly beyond that of regular Astartes.
So, before launching their assault on Scarif, Gabriel had already given orders for the 1st Division's main forces to cross the portal and join him on Scarif.
At the same time, he had requested assistance from the original Astartes.
Even though Darth Vader was seemingly invincible in the "17th" universe, Gabriel was absolutely confident in their "father's" strength.
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