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Chapter 27 - Chapter 22: Emberfront Operation Arc – Part One

Lavin Vyer stormed through the grand corridors of the Dominion Palace, his footsteps echoing off the cold, polished marble beneath him. The towering pillars seemed to close in around him, the walls lined with ancient tapestries that depicted the glory of his ancestors, now faded and dull. The gilded chandeliers above cast flickering light onto his path, the flames dancing as if mocking him, mocking his powerlessness.

The weight of his thoughts bore down on him, every step growing heavier than the last. His hands trembled slightly at his sides; fists clenched tightly to control the fury coursing through him. His mind was consumed with thoughts of his sister, Adhivita, and the rebellion she had chosen over her own blood.

How dare she?

Lavin's thoughts swirled in a storm of indignation. She had everything—the future, the title, the power, all at her fingertips. And yet, she turned away from it all, siding with peasants, with traitors, with scum. She had humiliated him. But more than that, she had humiliated their father. Adhivita's departure from the Dominion—her rejection of everything he stood for—was a blow that Lavin could not forgive. It wasn't just her absence that stung, it was the defiance that followed. She had left, and mocked their family's legacy in the process.

His father, Lord Navek, a cruel tyrant who had ruled with an iron fist, had always made it clear that power came from dominance, from fear. And Adhivita, his sister, had thrown that away in favor of some twisted idea of freedom. She was weak. She was a traitor. And Lavin would show her just how foolish she was to abandon her family.

Lavin's anger bubbled over as he approached the palace courtyard, where Captain Tern awaited. His boots scraped across the stone, his rage an ever-present cloud hanging above him.

"Your Highness," Tern said, bowing low. His face was neutral, unreadable, but Lavin could see the tension in his stance. Even Tern, his most trusted officer, could feel the weight of the prince's fury.

Lavin's voice was tight, a growl more than words. "You still haven't found her? She's evading us?" Captain Tern's eyes dropped to the floor. "We've searched every village, interrogated every informant. We've followed every lead, but she's like a shadow, Your Highness. She's elusive. We—"

"I know she's elusive, Captain!" Lavin snapped, cutting him off. "She's always been that way. But this ends now. I will find her. I will bring her back. I'll make her see the error of her ways."

He took a step forward, his breath coming in shallow gasps, his voice shaking with rage. "And when I do, when she's at my feet, I'll show her what happens when you defy the Dominion."

Tern hesitated, the faintest flicker of concern crossing his features. "Your Highness, you should not go alone. Allow us to—" "I don't need your help, Tern," Lavin growled. "I can handle this myself."

He turned sharply on his heel, his cloak swirling around him like a dark cloud. Without another word, Lavin strode out of the courtyard, past the gates of the palace, and into the night.

In the rebel bunker, the air was thick with the anticipation of what was to come. The hum of machinery and the sharp clang of metal against metal echoed through the dimly lit corridors. The rebels were preparing for a mission unlike any they had faced before, one that would strike at the heart of the Dominion's power.

The leaders of the operation, Teams A and B, stood in formation, their faces grim but resolute. Each member knew what was at stake. They were not just fighting for freedom; they were fighting for the future of their people, for the chance to restore peace to their war-torn land.

Commander Vidhart, clad in his battle gear, stepped forward into the center of the room. His every movement radiated strength, his eyes sharp and unwavering. He was the embodiment of the rebellion, the symbol of their hope and their resolve.

Beside him, standing tall and proud, were Shivam, Aman, Naina, Aanchal, and Adhivita—the heart and soul of the rebellion. These were the young faces that had led the charge, the ones who had brought light to the darkness, the ones who had given the people something to believe in.

The room fell silent as Commander Vidhart raised his hand, signaling for the others to quiet. The tension in the air was palpable, every rebel holding their breath, waiting for the final words of their leader.

Vidhart's voice rang out, steady and clear. "Sixty years ago, we were crushed by the Dominion. Our homes were burned. Our families were torn apart. Our freedoms stripped away. But we did not give up. We did not surrender."

His gaze swept across the room, locking with each of the rebels in turn. "Twenty years ago, my father—our leader—stood against Lord Navek. He died for it. And since then, we've been forced to live under the rule of a madman."

The crowd stirred, murmurs of agreement rippling through the room.

"But we have not forgotten. We have not forgiven. Today, we strike back. Today, we end this tyranny."

His voice grew stronger, more impassioned. "With the help of these brave souls—" he gestured to the young rebels, "—we will bring down Lord Navek. We will bring an end to the Dominion's reign of terror. This is our fight, our time. This is the beginning of the end." The room erupted into cheers, the rebels shouting in unison. "Glory to the rebellion! End the Dominion!" The chants echoed off the walls, a wave of defiance that reverberated throughout the bunker.

Vidhart raised his hand once more, and the room fell silent. He looked at Shivam, his eyes intense, filled with an unspoken understanding. They were about to make history, and there was no turning back. "This is it," Vidhart said, his voice steady. "We have everything we need. Our victory is in our hands."

The preparations were nearly complete. Team A would be the distraction, hitting the Samaypur mine at exactly 8 PM when the guards would be less vigilant. It was the perfect time—no workers would be in the area, and the shift change would provide the necessary window of opportunity.

Team B would then move in, clearing out the small number of guards at the Raisena mine and extracting the Noctirum. They would need a minimum of two units—two large boxes of 25 kilograms each. The extraction was crucial; the Dominion's stranglehold on the resource had to be broken.

As Shivam stood next to Adhivita, watching the final stages of the preparation unfold, he couldn't shake the weight in his chest. He had seen battle before, but this felt different. The stakes had never been higher. There was no margin for error.

Adhivita was tense beside him, her thoughts distant. He could see it in the tightness of her jaw, the way her fingers trembled as she adjusted her gear. Her mind was miles away, caught in thoughts of her father. Shivam knew what it cost her to be here, to stand with the rebellion after all that had happened to her family. But he also knew she had made her choice, and that choice would change everything. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, offering silent comfort. She looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment, before she nodded slightly, grateful for the gesture.

Then, Commander Vidhart's voice broke through the tension, calling their attention. "Godspeed, my friends," he said over the comms. "Let's make this count."

The planes were ready. The rebel forces moved with precision, climbing into their aircraft and strapping in. The cold, metallic smell of the machines filled the air as the final checks were made.

The roar of the engines was deafening as the planes lifted off from the ground, rising into the dark sky. Above them, the retro-reflective panels flickered into place, blending the aircraft with the surrounding environment.

"Operation Emberfront is a go," Commander Vidhart said, his voice calm despite the tension. "We're with you, every step of the way."

Shivam's heart raced as the planes ascended, the ground below growing distant. This was it. The beginning of the end.

The planes soared into the night, disappearing into the vast expanse of darkness above. Their engines roared to life, breaking the stillness of the air as they climbed, their sleek forms blending seamlessly into the inky blackness. The dark sky stretched out before them, a canvas of uncertainty, the only light coming from the faintest glimmer of distant stars. Even they seemed to cower in the face of the impending storm. The planes moved like shadows, invisible to any eyes that might have been watching below.

As the aircrafts ascended higher, the landscape below faded away, swallowed by the vast, unyielding darkness.

The hum of the engines was a constant reminder of their purpose, each vibration in the air a pulse, a heartbeat, urging them forward.

The night felt suffocating, as though the very atmosphere was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable. The storm was coming, and with it, the rebellion would strike.

The planes separated, one heading toward Samaypur, the other to Raisena, each on its own perilous path.

The retro-reflective panels flickered momentarily, blending the aircraft with their surroundings, their outlines dissolving into the night as if they were nothing more than whispers in the wind. Every passing second stretched on, amplifying the tension that gripped Shivam's chest.

 The world below was now a distant, hazy blur, swallowed by the black void of the night.

As the aircraft disappeared into the sky, the air around them grew still, the only sound the low growl of the engines slicing through the silence. Shivam's mind raced, each thought sharp, cutting through the fog of anticipation.

There was no turning back now. No more second chances. The operation had begun. The rebellion's fate, their fight for freedom, hung in the balance. A sense of inevitability settled over Shivam. This was their moment—the one that would either change everything or doom them all. The plane continued its ascent, the rumble of the engines the only steady constant in a world that seemed to have turned sideways.

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