292 Reconquest of the outer citadel 4

[IMI REPORTS: 4501 LARGE CLASS PROJECTILES DETECTED, KILLING WITH CWIS AND HEL. WARNING, UNABLE TO INTERCEPT 2104 PROJECTILES, CRITICAL DAMAGE EXPECTED.]

With enemies coming out of the woodworks from all directions, the fast attack class battlecruiser Valor was in very hot waters, not only due to the current issues with communication which made her unable to request backup from the rest of the 3rd strike group, but also because it was mostly out of ammunition. 

"It is so good to see that the Emergence is at least trying, I hate to kill things that don't make it at least somewhat interesting~✿"

The only one not worried about their current situation was Ifrit, standing on the bridge with a confident smile as the battlecruisers mana generator came online they simply tapped their foot to create a complicated spell formation which surrounded them completely, glowing in an erry purple light.

"How long to the first projectile hits us?"

[IMI ESTIMATES IMPACT IN 20 SECONDS.]

"Good~ Then I have time to crush one of them before worrying about defence. Admiral, please keep our current location, it is hard to read the stars lay lines properly when moving about."

"... Navigation, done with all engines."

"Navigation confirms, done with all engines, letting us drift freely."

Coming to a complete stop while engaged by an enemy was one of the worst things one could do in a naval fight, but worse yet was simply choosing to drift wherever ones last course direction took you, it offered absolutely nothing in terms of defence, in such an event you were just a sitting duck waiting to be destroyed, which is why most ship captains would rather choose to lose their point defence before their propulsion when given the option. But nevertheless, Ifrit who was the crew's best chance of survival had commanded the ship to stop moving, so that's what the crew did.

"That's much better~✿"

Still, with a large smile on their face as strange, asymmetric formations and runes were created around them, Irfit's aura started rapidly transforming into something strange, the crew present on the bridge didn't know why, but looking at Ifrit was both repulsing and disturbing them to their core.

"Na'sn wagz'on Tho'th, ra'wn."

Speaking in a long dead demon trounce, Ifrit called on dark powers hostile to all types of life and gave it a target, immediately after they had uttered their incarnation, one of the hostile contacts disappeared from all sensors. 

"Contact 2 lost! I appear to have cloaked!"

"Contact 2 has been destroyed."

"W-what did you just do?"

While the magic admiral Johanson had heard about so far had been the standard fantasy fanfare stuff, like creating lighting and things like that, this was something else.

"Telling you that will hurt your sanity~ No need to worry about that contact anymore, we won't ever see it again~✿"

[IMI REPORTS: SHIP IMPACT IMINENT.]

"Bulwark."

Having seen the first round of projectiles coming, Ifirt extended a hand before a shield was created out in space in front of the ship, deflecting the 520 mill railgun penetrators which hit it only a second later.

"Tell me whenever we're about to be hit, I'll take care of it~"

"All contracts are breaking off! They're jumping out of the system!"

"Wait, what?"

"Navigation, take us out of the way of incoming projectiles, update the away party on our new position."

Prepared for a fight to the death, Ifrit was quite disappointed when the Emergence suddenly decided to turn and run, but seen from the emeries perspective such a choice was quite easy to make as losing a ship to unknown means would put anyone on guard, even the Emergence. With no additional threats appearing, the battlecruiser Valor quickly completed its mission of securing valuable supplies from the hidden Hellwalker cache and rejoined the 3rd strike group.

-

"Excuse me, what did you just say?"

"We've lost all contact with the 3rd strike group, their last transmission reported no issues on the way to retake C-201 D-11."

"... For fucks sake. What was their last reported position and how long would it take them to 

move from there back to our lines?"

Having only been back in the capital for a few days, Lux sighed deeply as Dax somehow had managed to get himself into trouble once again. 

"Based on their estimated position when communication cut off, they should be somewhere in the empty region, if they're able to make their way back here, the estimated time of arrival would be sometime next week."

With her subordinate explaining where the 3rd strike group had disappeared where it would be easy to ambush would be rescuers.

If they acted carelessly, the current crisis could end up way more costly than 'just' losing a single strike group.

"What's the status of the 14th fast attack group's retrofit?"

"Ma'am, it should be done in about 3 weeks."

"Then I'll take that group and go look for the 3rd if they're not back then, until then no one fleets are to go near that area. For all, we know this might be an attempt at drawing us into an ambush."

"Yes Ma'am."

(I'll need to bother Ra and Mu because of this shit. Dealing with the navy command is also going to be an issue as they've just lost a strike group and convincing them not to send out search parties will also be trouble… Dax, you better fucking pay me back for dealing with this turd of a clusterfuck on your behalf.)

Suddenly having enough work shoved on her that she would have to forgo any rest and or sleep for the next two weeks, Lux lacked all empathy to Dax's current situation, although she was a tiny bit worried about those with him, especially her disciple's Alice and to a lesser degree Terra too.

Of course, she didn't care about the sailors also traped with Dax other than their strategic value, raised with no other drive than combat does that to a person.