The Saros Cycle

VIII - Guns and Blaze

VIII - Guns and Blaze

The impact was sudden and devastating. One moment, they were pursuing the Hückebein Squad; the next, a shroud of darkness enveloped everything. Hayate felt an invisible claw squeeze her chest, stealing her breath and paralyzing her heart for what felt like an eternity. Her magic, always a vibrant flame, flickered; her Linker Core contracted, almost vanishing within her being. The Wolfram was not immune either: the consoles and lights on the bridge went out, and the engine abruptly ceased. It was as if someone had disconnected all systems at once.

"What happened?" Hayate exclaimed, struggling to rise from the command seat. "Report!"

No one responded. Looking up, the commander saw the crew scattered on the floor, some unconscious in their seats. The main screen flickered as emergency power returned, flooding the cabin with red light and alert messages. The main reactor was offline.

"Pilot Lucino? Communications? Someone respond!" she shouted, but received no answer. She quickly typed a command into her console to activate the exterior cameras.

The screen showed the ground now dominating their view, initially approaching slowly but gaining speed with each passing second. She calculated that they had only a few minutes before reaching terminal velocity.

Hayate activated the emergency system, hitting a massive red button on her console. All high-ranking TSAB officers were equipped with defibrillators integrated into their devices or uniforms. The signal triggered electric shocks, reviving the affected personnel. Lucino straightened up, coughing, and other officers also showed signs of recovery.

"Pilot, the ship!" Hayate exclaimed, worried for her crew but aware that if they didn't stop the fall, no one would survive. "The main reactor is down, we only have reserve power!"

Lucino, still pale and shaky, quickly took control and redirected power to the thrusters. The Wolfram shifted from free fall to a forced landing within seconds, slowing down a bit. The pilot managed to stabilize the ship and reactivate enough systems to halt the descent at about a thousand meters above the ground, which in space travel terms was effectively ground level.

"Main reactor online, but only at 12% capacity," Lucino reported, leaning on her console. She seemed on the verge of collapse, but continued with determination. "Weapons and shields are offline, as are most sensors. We only have minimal propulsion and life support."

"Understood, we'll hold position," Hayate responded. She received a message from the infirmary: Shamal had recovered, and her medical team was already assisting the injured. "What hit us?"

Hayate didn't even bother asking about the whereabouts of the Hückebein Squad. If they had been responsible, they would have either escaped or attack them. She tried to contact Vita or Fate, but only received static until a signal broke through the Wolfram's systems. It was from the Hückebein family. She transferred it to the main screen.

"A message for the TSAB Special Forces. I am Stella Irvine, captain of the Hückebein Squad," said the voice on the other end of the communication.

Hayate frowned; it sounded like the high-pitched voice of a child. And who would give their name so easily?

"The insects that invaded us are our hostages, as well as two civilians who are nearby with another one of your agents. We need a few minutes to restore full power to our ship. If you don't attack us until then, we'll release the civilians and your agents."

That put them at the mercy of the mercenaries. Hayate considered the proposal. She had no idea what the child was talking about, two civilians with another agent? Everyone was either on board the Wolfram or attacking the Hückebein Squad, except...