Thump, thump.
Gabriel's footsteps pounded urgently and heavily through the empty metal corridor. As he moved further away, the sound of his magnetic boots gradually faded into a distant murmur. In just a few seconds, the towering figure disappeared at the corridor's end.
The vanishing of Gabriel's silhouette signaled the start of a tactical withdrawal.
Without hesitation, he made a swift and decisive command.
Gabriel knew that despite his formidable combat prowess, engaging Darth Vader head-on was not a wise course of action.
From their recent skirmish, he had come to a profound realization: the power of this Dark Lord far exceeded his own expectations.
Whether through the mastery of the Force or the almost omnipotent control exhibited by his opponent, Gabriel felt an unprecedented threat.
Instead of prolonging this deadly duel and risking further challenges, it was far more prudent to withdraw—preserving a fighting chance for both himself and his unit.
He calculated that in a short time he could rejoin the hangar, meet up with his brothers who had also boarded the Devastator, and then escape aboard the Thunderstrike assault boats.
Gabriel did not fear death, but he recognized that a glorious sacrifice was less valuable than surviving to continue serving the Primarch, the Emperor, and the Empire.
Thus, withdrawal was his only rational choice—swift and without delay.
Moreover, since all the feint objectives had been achieved, there was no need for him to remain and engage Darth Vader in direct combat.
Most importantly, he must not fall into the enemy's trap.
After all, the Dark Lord not only commanded formidable Force powers but might also wield terrifying, forbidden abilities.
If captured, it would not merely be a loss of freedom of the body but a descent into a soul-draining abyss.
Gabriel sensed that if he were taken, the loss to the Human Empire would be incalculable.
Should Darth Vader extract enough genetic material, psionic energy, or even deep knowledge of subspace from him, the enemy would gain an enormous advantage.
By that time, the Galactic Empire might marshal corresponding countermeasures, and the overall structure of the unification war could be drastically altered, inflicting even greater casualties on the Human Empire.
This was a fate Gabriel was determined to avoid.
Tactical withdrawal, therefore, was not an act of cowardice but a deep understanding of the larger picture.
Moreover, with the arrival of the Primarch's orders and the main force led by two other Gene-Primals imminent, there was no need for Gabriel and the Blood Ravens to continue entangled with the enemy.
Once the main force emerged from phase space, it would be time to launch a full-scale counterattack.
Soon thereafter, Gabriel and five company guards had returned to the Devastator's hangar. Along with the company champion, Apollo Diomedes, they boarded a Thunderstrike assault boat and once again charged out of the Devastator, racing back to the mothership.
The entire operation went surprisingly smoothly.
It wasn't that the Shock Troopers attempted to intercept—rather, they were simply no match for these Astartes.
Meanwhile, within the Devastator, Darth Vader—whose Force abilities were suppressing the Blood Ravens—had also arrived at the hangar.
The intense impacts of high-explosive rounds, when deflected and dampened by the Force shield, barely affected the Dark Lord's imposing figure.
Even when shockwaves rattled the surrounding metal deck, they only managed to tear a few panels, producing a mere "faint" echo.
However, due to a brief loss of vision on his part and Gabriel's astounding speed, his opponent vanished in an instant.
Darth Vader knew that, with Gabriel's abilities, preventing his withdrawal by force was nearly impossible.
Even if he could sense the fleeting anomaly with the Force, he could not hold him down.
To avoid undue delay, Vader eventually abandoned his plan to capture Gabriel and chose instead to watch the unfolding situation.
Deep within his mind, Vader understood that Gabriel and the Blood Ravens' sequence of actions had revealed one crucial piece of intelligence—
The Death Star had been infiltrated by enemy units of a spy-like nature.
Although this point was undeniable to him, he did not immediately alert the Death Star command. He had his own plans; he wished to observe how the situation evolved, and to see what other "pieces" the enemy might still have that were worth striking.
Moreover, the in-and-out movements of the Thunderstrike assault boats had left the once orderly hangar in utter disarray.
The assault boats had blasted open one side of the hangar with their high-powered thermite cannons, breaking through the area and then quickly departing.
This time, however, they had not attempted to "patch" the breach.
The gaping hole in the hangar wall was exposed to the endless void of space, causing the hangar's temperature to plummet and the air to escape almost instantaneously.
Although the airlock doors had successfully closed, ensuring that other sections of the Devastator maintained stable pressure, this open section of the hangar remained vulnerable to the extreme environment.
At that moment, Darth Vader stood at the hangar's exit leading to space, his imposing figure silhouetted by the dim light, his expression impassive as he stared out into the deep void.
Outside the hangar, in the vast expanse of space, a silent and perilous battle was underway.
Giant starships and nimble fighters weaved through the cold, low-pressure environment, colliding with ruthless precision like a dance of steel.
Trails of energy from various projectiles glimmered in the frigid darkness, forming a breathtaking "tapestry" against the blue backdrop of Scarif.
On the surface, the situation had shifted from a complex tangle to one of stark clarity.
At first, the Blood Ravens' assault had caught the enemy fleet off guard, dragging them quickly into chaos.
In the face of the Blood Ravens' lightning-fast strikes, the responses of the enemy ships and fighters were delayed, leaving their defensive lines woefully vulnerable—creating opportunities for the Blood Ravens' carrier-based fighters and boarding teams to exploit.
However, as the battle progressed, the enemy fleet managed to regroup, launching coordinated counterattacks and gradually seizing the initiative.
Tactical coordination between enemy vessels tightened, and layer upon layer of firepower began to press down, gradually cornering the Blood Ravens.
After all, the limited number of vessels and fighters on the Blood Ravens' side meant that in terms of sheer firepower and durability, they were vastly outnumbered by the enemy's massive fleet.
At this moment, Darth Vader, calmly surveying the battle, could, without precise data, intuit from his experience and instinct that the enemy's ammunition was running dangerously low.
In this high-intensity engagement, the advantage that the Blood Ravens had built through their initial assault was rapidly disintegrating.
Especially since, during their assault on Scarif, the Blood Ravens had already expended a large amount of munitions; combined with the current sustained combat, their ammunition reserves were stretched to the limit, and they were on the brink of running out.
In the endless, dark expanse of space, the battle continued silently, and Vader was convinced that it would soon be a "victory secured" scenario.
He knew that within two or three minutes, the Blood Ravens' fleet would lose all offensive capability and would have no choice but to retreat completely.
At that moment, through the vibrations of the metal deck and his own Force perception, Darth Vader detected that his elite Shock Trooper unit was gathering behind him.
Thanks to their advanced power suits and individual combat systems, even in the degraded environment of the hangar, they maintained full combat readiness.
After failing to intercept the enemy target that had boarded the Devastator, the senior officers and elite troops naturally converged around Darth Vader, ensuring their commander's safety while awaiting his next instructions.
Though the Dark Lord did not need their protection, it was their duty.
"Lord Vader,"
A major approached, his helmet's internal comm system emitting a faint hum. In an urgent tone, he reported, "Governor Tarkin demands that you end the battle immediately to avoid collateral damage to the combat station (Death Star). Moreover, our tactical analysis indicates that the enemy may be planning an even more aggressive move."
"Hmm-hmm."
Darth Vader listened quietly, and the sound of his measured breathing over the comm channel seemed to penetrate all pretense and hesitation.
After several seconds of silence, his chest rising and falling steadily, he spoke slowly and decisively:
"Inform Governor Tarkin that the situation is completely under control. However, the Devastator has sustained severe damage—we must withdraw immediately."
Every word resounded like a frigid proclamation from the depths of darkness, carrying indisputable authority and resolve.
"Yes, Lord Vader."
The major responded without hesitation, swiftly relaying the orders via the comm system to the Death Star command.
Darth Vader then said no more, maintaining his suffocating silence as he continued walking until his figure and that of his subordinates disappeared from the hangar.
Meanwhile, in the Death Star's central command room, tension still reigned.
Scores of data flickered on numerous screens, displaying real-time battle conditions around Scarif's orbital region. Nearly a hundred operators worked furiously at their stations, issuing rapid-fire reports:
"Governor, the enemy has once again escaped, and they have transmitted interference signals, rendering our targeting systems ineffective!" one operator reported, his brow furrowed in frustration at the enemy's swift retreat.
Another quickly added, "Governor, Lord Vader has confirmed via comm that his fleet has sustained heavy damage and is now preparing to withdraw from Scarif for repairs."
Inside the streamlined, modern command center, large holographic displays showed the ongoing battle over Scarif's orbital region.
Despite the flurry of urgent reports and frantic operations, one senior officer—Governor Tarkin, resplendent in a sharply pressed gray uniform adorned with multiple medals symbolizing his exalted status—stood in the center, his gaze cold and calculating.
He folded his arms and observed as if absorbing all the battle intelligence with steely resolve.
Even amidst the cacophony of reports, his expression remained unchanged, calmly pondering the next strategic move.
This officer was none other than Governor Wilhuff Tarkin.
Yet, Tarkin's silence only deepened the oppressive atmosphere.
Soon, the staff fell into a reverent quiet, all eyes turning to him, waiting for his next command.
Heavy Damage?
Retreat?
Upon hearing the reports, Tarkin's once-calm expression immediately darkened, his brow furrowing in dismay.
The seasoned, cold-blooded commander was not inclined to believe that Lord Vader's own forces had been so severely impaired.
Although the reports detailed that five Star Destroyers had been boarded by enemy forces and that several escort and supply ships had been destroyed, Tarkin believed the overall structure was still intact.
Why, then, was Lord Vader so desperate to leave Scarif?
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I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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