Curse The Mainframe! 449 Orbital Strike

s.h.i.+lka hopped into the driver's seat, and Mik slid into the seat beside him, being the co-pilot.

They didn't exchange any glances since they already knew what they were supposed to do. They were more than used to it, and any novelty that they might have previously felt whilst driving a shuttle had worn off.

How long more would this life continue on, they did not know, but they were making the best of their situation. They had friends and family, and they would not give them up.

Mik flipped the switches that they needed for take-off.

She turned on the announcement system and her voice echoed throughout the shuttle, filling the ears of the members inside the shuttle. "T-minus five minutes."

s.h.i.+lka checked the control panel of the shuttle in controlled and repet.i.tive motions. It was obvious that he was an old hand at this, but he still looked very serious about it. There was no carelessness in his meticulous checking.

"Systems are a go."

"Everything is fine here as well."

There were three more minutes left, and the two partners could hear the hive of activity in the back as things were being locked down and loaded.

The rest of their team had already strapped themselves in and were waiting for the launch.

The hatch closed, and the sounds that were previously abundant previously died down. There was only a quiet silence left, and a not quite nervous energy, but instead a suspenseful energy.

Behind, there were members of the team bowing their heads as if they were in prayer. Others were getting some shut eye, not nervous at all.

This time, their team had a newbie and veterans. Mik and s.h.i.+lka were captain and co-captain, respectively. They were a tight-knit team, and good at their line of work. The marshal would not have sent them otherwise.

"Launching off in five, four, three, two, one. Take off."

There was a rumble, and the shuttle trembled, before launching out of the port.

The members looked at the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p that grew further and further away from them, and some of them felt a sense of relief as they distanced themselves.

One of the veterans thumped the newbie behind. "Relax. You'll get used to it whether you like it or not. As part of the scouting team, you have to remember one thing – don't get complacent. The moment you fall into complacency, that's the moment you lose your life. We're all walking on a silver wire, about to plunge down into the abyss at any given moment."

The newbie looked at the veteran, engraving his words in his heart. "I understand," he said solemnly.

The veteran nodded, then closed his eyes for some shut eye. This newbie was going to be his partner for the time being. His partner had recently died, so he was a.s.signed a new one. He even had to train him up himself.

The newbie looked quietly at the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p that was far away in the blink of an eye, and there were unspeakable emotions churning within him.

"T-minus five hours until reach."

The newbie, Lance, looked around the holding s.p.a.ce of the shuttle and noted that everyone had already shut their eyes to get some rest.

His fingers twitched, and he made some motions in the air, as if he were tapping on something, before he closed his eyes. His eyelids flickered, and he looked as if he was having a conversation in his mind.

Five hours pa.s.sed very quickly, and the distance between the planet and the shuttle was rapidly closed. They could have done it in a quicker amount of time, but they didn't want to alert the will of the world, which was why they were moving at a moderate speed.

The will of the world was something that existed ever since the planet had been created.

A planet would try its best to raise favourable conditions for the inhabitants of the planet, and this one was no exception. It would know when outsiders entered, and unknown forces would befall it.

Alarming the will of the world was a quick way of suicide. Anyone who wanted to continue their operations on the planet would have to ensure that they did not do anything too drastic.

However, once 75% of the planet was wiped out, the will of the world would no longer have any strength to resist. The people were what gave the planet its lifeforce to continue thriving. With their deaths, the planet could be overthrown and then forced into submission.

This was a quick and sure-fire way of obtaining owners.h.i.+p of a planet and expanding territory.

This was the army's goal in coming this time.

Mik and s.h.i.+lka's team was just a scouting team here to check out the strength levels of the inhabitants.

While Mik directed her attention towards an inconspicuous place, she decided that there was where they were going to land.

She gave s.h.i.+lka the coordinates, and the shuttle proceeded smoothly, unhindered.

Though they were flying in plain sight, none of the people below could see them at all.

Mik noted down their observations. The people of this planet did not have the proper technology to detect their stealth mode.

Technology seemed primitive in this planet, and its people utilized a source of magic, likely from the will of the world. Their technology was quite backward, so they should not have any trouble taking over this planet.

It could be considered a C-Cla.s.s planet.

Mik pressed a b.u.t.ton on the side and made her report along with her observations, reporting back to their main s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p. No interception.

She nodded.

Behind, the members of the scouting team all woke up. They finished up their preparation and adjusted their gear, as well as adjusting their state of mind. It was work time.

The newbie, Lance, woke up as well, and his eyes shot out a sharp light before it died down. No one else in the team seemed to notice.

With a whirr, the shuttle landed at an uninhibited plot of land. It was a great canyon, and it seemed devoid of life signs. There were no people living nearby, which surprised them.

It wasn't that often that a planet would have a s.p.a.ce like this that had absolutely zero signs of habitation at all. 

Mik soon discovered why. "This place has been drained of its energy, and it will not produce any living creatures here again."

s.h.i.+lka took a look and nodded. "This is the perfect s.p.a.ce."

There was the sound of the air depressurizing as the hatch opened.

Thump!

A team of twenty people exited from the shuttle with their stealth mode activated. They were invisible to the naked eye, and the giant shuttle that carried them here was similarly invisible.

They quickly split apart and checked the perimeter, securing it before reporting back.

s.h.i.+lka quickly made a decision. "Mik, report back to the marshal. This is the most optimal piece of land for them to land. No one comes here, nor is there any signs of life at all. Order an orbital strike a bit further away."

"Sir."

The orbital strike would allow them to scout the planet more clearly and see what level of strength they had reached. Some C-Cla.s.s planets had strong fighters even though their technology was weak.

A few moments later, on the other side of the planet, a sudden beam of light came from outer s.p.a.ce and hit a town, instantly causing ma.s.sive damage. The most shocking thing was – not a single thing in that area survived. Everything had been wiped out without fail.

This news sent an uproar amongst the people who had seen the beam of light.