Zeta-9: Classified Operations Briefing
The darkness of deep space pressed against the viewport, a void untouched by light, by time. Major Nathan Vale stood at the bridge of the Obsidian Spire, hands locked behind his back, jaw clenched. The Xel'Thir hybrid fleet was coming—an unrelenting tide of biomechanical horrors, assimilated AI monstrosities, and machine-born predators. Resistance meant extinction. Unless they could stall it.
"We don't have the numbers," Vale muttered, his voice low, steady. "So we make them believe we do."
"Agreed," Aegis responded, the AI's voice threading through the chamber like a pulse in the dark. "Hit-and-run disruptions, electromagnetic decoy signatures, psychological destabilization through manipulated sensory feeds. Tactical viability is within acceptable parameters."
Vale exhaled. "How soon until the Wraiths are ready?"
"Fabrication of one squadron is complete. The TH-1 prototypes have been mounted, weapon systems integrated. All pilots are undergoing neuro-link synchronization. We are operating under full secrecy. No external transmissions. No digital footprints. If this fails, we cease to exist."
A cold smirk touched Vale's lips. "Then we don't fail."
Wraith Squadron: Deployment Bay
The hangar was dimly lit, a cavernous war forge hidden in the depths of a derelict station orbiting Zeta-9. The Wraith-Class Corvettes gleamed under the dull amber glow—sleek, predatory, modified for one purpose: disruption warfare.
Wraith-Class Corvette (TH-1 Variant)
Role: Medium strike, anti-capital ship, and close support for larger vessels.
Description: The Wraith-Class Corvette is armed with the formidable TH-1 "Thor's Hammer" Rail Cannon, capable of delivering devastating blows to enemy ships. Equipped with ARC banks, this ship offers both offensive power and strong defensive systems, including an active cloaking veil and AI-guided drones for extra tactical advantage.
The Wraith-Class will be used in hit-and-run tactics, providing support to stealth fighters or acting as a forward vessel for larger assaults.
Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, TH-1 operator, systems officer).
Special Features: Nyx-1 torpedoes, dual FTL Rail Cannons, AI-powered recon drones, and enhanced ECM systems.
Vale watched as the pilots stepped into their cockpits, neural interfaces locking into place. The TH-1s hummed, their systems coming online. These weren't just warships; they were predators.
Aegis pulsed in his earpiece. "Enemy advance projection confirmed. Xel'Thir fleet ETA: four hours. Suggested plan: intercept at Vector-Kappa, utilize decoy ships, deploy TH-1 strikes at staggered intervals."
Vale nodded. "We hit fast, break their formation, and disappear. No direct engagements. No heroics."
A tense breath. Then, over comms—"Wraith Squadron, launch."
Battlefield: Dead Zone – Zeta-9 Approach
The void shattered as the Wraiths dropped into realspace. From a distance, the Xel'Thir fleet resembled an expanding storm—twisted metallic forms, writhing conduits of bio-mechanical nightmares, vessels that pulsed like living organisms.
"Hostile fleet dispersing counter-swarms," Aegis intoned. "Initiating 5D Warfare Protocols."
Digital Decoys Activated: False sensor echoes rippled across the void, ghost ships appearing in enemy scans. Disinformation Warfare Initiated: AI-manipulated subroutines injected confusion into the Xel'Thir network. Dimensional Phasing: Wraiths shifted between standard and quantum slip-veil states, ghosting in and out of detectability. Distributed Kinetic Barrage: TH-1 cannons fired, superheated rounds collapsing through space-time, obliterating key nodes in the enemy formation. Disruption Interference: EMP pulses severed neural links within the Xel'Thir AI hive-mind, inducing latency in their reactions.
A whisper-thin voice crackled through Vale's comms—a fragment of intercepted Xel'Thir transmissions. "Perception anomaly… false engagements… command integrity compromised…"
The TH-1s roared again. A destroyer ruptured, its core detonating in a silent bloom of plasma.
Vale's heartbeat drummed against his ribs. "They're hesitating. We keep them second-guessing—"
Warning alarms screamed. "Hostile retaliation detected!" Aegis' voice sharpened. "Adaptive AI recalibrating! Multi-vector counterfire incoming—"
The Wraiths twisted through the chaos. Explosions painted the void. Vale gritted his teeth. "Evasive maneuvers! Target the command clusters, force them into a recursive loop!"
Static laced Aegis' response. "Tactical overlay adjusting. Xel'Thir reinforcements approaching. Probability of extended survival decreasing."
Vale's vision narrowed. "Then we vanish. Now."
The Wraiths peeled away, slipping into the slip-veil, leaving behind only destruction and deception. Xel'Thir sensors flickered, their battlefield awareness fractured.
"Aegis," Vale murmured as the fleet faded into the abyss, "How much time did we buy?"
"Seventy-two hours. No more."
Vale exhaled, watching the battle-ravaged sector disappear behind them.
"Then we make the next seventy-two count."