Dark Skies

The base was buzzing with quiet intensity as we returned from the Osean facility, the sense of accomplishment tempered by the reality that Zaitsev was still out there, watching us dismantle his operations piece by piece. Task Force Phoenix had struck hard, crippling one of his key AI sites, but even with every success, it felt like we were only scratching the surface of his plans.

Inside the command center, Levi was already deep into the debriefing, working alongside Phantom Leader to coordinate the next strike. We had shut down the Osean facility, but Monarch and Hitman Squadron were still engaged in Erusea, and the Belkan site remained a mystery—hidden somewhere within Remnant territory.

Rook leaned against the edge of the table, her arms crossed, watching the intel scroll across the screens. I could sense the weight she was carrying, the constant pressure of keeping up the momentum in this war. Raven stood nearby, quiet as usual, her eyes flicking between the mission reports and Rook with an intensity that seemed almost personal.

Levi didn't waste any time as we walked in. "Good work on the Osean site. We're getting reports from Monarch's team—they're still locked in a firefight at the Erusean lab. It's more heavily defended than we thought."

Phantom Leader glanced up from the data, his usual steely expression hard. "And there's still no word on the Belkan facility. If Zaitsev has entrenched himself in our territory, it could take days to find the exact location."

"Days we don't have," I muttered, pacing around the command table. "Every second we wait, Zaitsev gets closer to reactivating another AI. We need to hit the Erusean site harder and find the Belkan facility before he can reinforce it."

Rook's voice was quiet but firm. "We can't afford to let him regroup. If we keep the pressure on, he won't have time to recover."

Levi pulled up another set of encrypted files, his fingers flying over the keys. "I'm working on breaking through the encryption from the last facility. If we're lucky, there might be coordinates hidden inside that point us to the Belkan site."

Phantom Leader stepped closer to the screens, his eyes narrowing. "Belka isn't a place where you can go unnoticed. If Zaitsev's hiding something there, he'll have to surface soon."

New Mission Objective: Support Hitman Squadron in Erusea and Uncover the Belkan Facility

Objective: Assist Hitman Squadron in neutralizing the Erusean AI site while continuing to investigate Zaitsev's hidden base in Belkan territory.

Reward: XP: 60,000, Zaitsev's AI Network Crippled

Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's AIs Go Online

The next few hours were spent in tense preparation. Rook and Raven moved through the hangar, checking over their jets, while Viper, Echo, Blaze, and I prepared for the next strike. Even though the Osean mission had been successful, the exhaustion was starting to show. Every mission was a fight against the clock, and Zaitsev's shadow loomed over every decision we made.

As we prepared to take off, Rook lingered near her jet, her gaze distant. I noticed Raven approach her, silent as always, but there was something unspoken between them—a brief moment of connection that passed like a flicker of light in the dark. They didn't speak, but the air around them felt charged, almost electric.

Whatever it was between them, it gave them strength, and in a war like this, any source of strength was invaluable.

New Mission: Erusean AI Facility Assault

Objective: Support Hitman Squadron in breaching the heavily defended AI facility in northern Erusea.

Threat Level: Extreme

Reward: XP: 50,000, Erusean AI Disabled

Failure Penalty: AI Activated

We launched from the base just as the sun began to set, the skies above us growing darker with each passing minute. The Erusean facility was buried deep in the mountains, and the reports from Monarch suggested it was fortified to withstand a full-scale assault. Drones, automated turrets, missile sites—the works. Zaitsev had clearly been protecting something important.

As we neared the facility, the radar lit up with hostile contacts. Hitman Squadron was already engaged, their jets darting through the sky as they took on wave after wave of drones. Explosions flashed in the distance, lighting up the mountainside as the battle raged on.

"Phoenix, we've got your six," Monarch's voice crackled over the comms, calm but strained. "This place is a fortress. We're barely keeping the drones off us."

I locked onto the nearest drone, my targeting systems flashing red as I fired off a missile. "We're here to help. Let's take these drones out, and then we'll hit the facility together."

Viper and Echo peeled off, their jets diving into the swarm of drones as missiles streaked through the air. The drones were faster here, more aggressive, but we had the advantage of surprise. Viper's calm, methodical flying made quick work of the first wave, his missiles finding their marks with deadly precision.

"I've got them on lock," Viper muttered, firing off another round. "Drones down."

Echo was right behind him, her movements sharp and precise as she took out the drones' weak points. "There's more coming up from the north. Blaze, Raven, keep an eye on the sky."

Blaze and Raven moved into position, their jets cutting through the sky as they engaged the next wave of drones. Blaze was holding his own, his confidence growing with every mission, and Raven's ruthless efficiency made her a force to be reckoned with.

"We're thinning them out," Blaze said, his voice edged with adrenaline. "But these things keep coming."

"Hit the facility hard," I ordered, locking onto the main structure. "We need to shut down the AI before it deploys more."

New Objective: Destroy the Erusean AI Control Systems

Objective: Take out the core AI systems inside the Erusean facility to prevent activation.

Reward: XP: 40,000, AI Network Disabled

Failure Penalty: AI Activated

The facility loomed ahead, its defenses still active, but the drones were faltering. Zaitsev's control over the area was slipping, and we needed to take advantage of that.

"Rook, you're with me," I said, diving toward the main structure. "Let's hit those control systems."

Rook's voice came through, steady as always. "On your six."

The ground defenses opened fire, but we were already in position. I locked onto the exposed power cores, my targeting systems flashing as I fired off a volley of missiles. The explosions rocked the facility, sending debris and fire into the air as the control systems began to falter.

"We're breaking through!" I called out. "Keep up the pressure!"

Rook fired off another round of missiles, her jet cutting through the smoke as she took out the remaining defenses. The facility was crumbling, its systems failing one by one.

"We've got it," Rook said, her voice tight with focus. "The AI's offline."

The skies around us grew quiet as the last of the drones fell from the sky, their systems failing without the AI to control them. The Erusean facility was neutralized, another piece of Zaitsev's network dismantled.

Objective Complete: Erusean AI Disabled

Reward: XP: 40,000, AI Network Disabled

Monarch's voice crackled over the comms, sounding more relieved than I'd ever heard him. "Good work, Phoenix. We're clear here."

I exhaled, the weight of the battle lifting just slightly. "We'll regroup at base. But this isn't over yet."

Even as we flew back toward base, the tension in the air remained. Zaitsev was still out there, and the Belkan facility was still a mystery. We had struck a blow, but the war wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

As the base came into view, Rook's voice cut through the silence, her tone thoughtful. "We're getting closer. Sooner or later, Zaitsev's going to run out of places to hide."

I nodded, my eyes fixed on the horizon. "And when he does, we'll be ready."