Chapter 103: Giants in Space
The *Leviathan*'s engines hummed with a steady rhythm as it cruised through the silent expanse of space. Jack Steele stood on the bridge, his eyes fixed on the distant stars. The crew around him worked with an efficiency born of long months in the field, each movement precise and practiced.
"Captain," Zara called from the communications console, her voice cutting through the ambient noise. "We've got an incoming transmission from HQ. It's marked urgent."
Jack turned, a sense of foreboding settling over him. "Put it through."
Admiral Talbot's face appeared on the screen, his expression grim. "Steele, we've got a situation. Intelligence has picked up unusual Terminid activity near Sector Nine. It looks like they're gearing up for something big."
Jack's jaw tightened. "Do we have any specifics?"
"Not yet," Talbot replied. "But whatever it is, it's enough to make the Council nervous. We need you to head there immediately and assess the threat."
"Understood, Admiral. We're on our way," Jack said, cutting the transmission. He turned to Zara. "Plot a course for Sector Nine. Reyes, gather the senior staff for a briefing."
---
The briefing room filled quickly, tension palpable in the air. Reyes, Zara, Harrington, and Marlow took their seats around the table, their expressions reflecting a mixture of fatigue and determination.
"Alright, listen up," Jack began, his tone commanding attention. "We've received intel that the Terminids are up to something in Sector Nine. Our mission is to find out what they're planning and put a stop to it."
"Sector Nine?" Harrington echoed, a frown creasing his forehead. "That's close to several key supply routes. If the Terminids disrupt those, we could be looking at a major logistical nightmare."
"Exactly," Jack said. "We can't afford to let that happen. Reyes, I want you to prepare a recon team. We need eyes on the ground before we move in."
Reyes nodded. "Consider it done."
"Marlow," Jack continued, "I need you to coordinate with Engineering. Make sure our systems are at peak performance. We can't afford any malfunctions out there."
"You got it, Captain," Marlow replied.
"Zara," Jack said, turning to her, "I want continuous scans of the area. If anything moves, I want to know about it."
"On it," Zara affirmed, her fingers already flying over her datapad.
"Alright, let's get to work," Jack said, concluding the briefing. "We've got a galaxy to save."
---
The *Leviathan* slipped into Sector Nine with the stealth of a predator. Jack stood on the bridge, watching the swirling colors of the nebula outside.
"Reyes, report," he said into his comm.
"We're in position," Reyes' voice crackled back. "No sign of Terminid ships yet, but there's something down here. Feels off."
"Keep your eyes open," Jack replied. "We'll be ready to move at a moment's notice."
Minutes stretched into hours as the tension mounted. Jack paced the bridge, his mind racing with possibilities. Then, Zara's voice broke the silence.
"Captain, we've got movement. Multiple Terminid ships on approach."
Jack's heart pounded. "Reyes, you've got company. Fall back to the extraction point. We're coming in hot."
"Roger that," Reyes replied. "We're on our way."
The *Leviathan*'s engines roared to life as it sped towards the surface. Jack watched the tactical display, the red dots of enemy ships converging on their position.
"Prepare for combat," he ordered. "We're not letting them get away with whatever they're planning."
---
On the ground, Reyes and his team moved swiftly through the dense underbrush, their footsteps muffled by the alien vegetation. The extraction point was close, but so were the Terminids.
"Keep moving," Reyes urged, his voice low. "We're almost there."
A sudden rustling in the bushes made him freeze. He signaled for silence, his hand gripping his weapon tightly. The team crouched, their eyes scanning the darkness.
From the shadows emerged a figure, humanoid but not entirely human. Its eyes glowed with an eerie light, and a low hiss escaped its lips.
"What the hell is that?" one of the team members whispered.
"New Terminid variant," Reyes guessed. "Stay sharp."
The creature lunged, and the team opened fire, their weapons blazing in the darkness. The creature shrieked and fell, its body twitching as it died.
"Move, now!" Reyes shouted, and the team sprinted towards the extraction point.
---
The *Leviathan* hovered above the ground, its landing bay open and waiting. Jack watched anxiously as the recon team emerged from the trees, sprinting towards the ship.
"Cover them!" he ordered, and the ship's cannons roared to life, providing suppressive fire.
Reyes and his team reached the ramp and scrambled aboard, the doors sealing shut behind them. The *Leviathan* lifted off, engines straining as it climbed away from the planet's surface.
"Report," Jack demanded as Reyes joined him on the bridge.
"New Terminid variant," Reyes said, still catching his breath. "More advanced, more dangerous. And there's more of them down there. They're up to something big."
Jack nodded, his mind racing. "We need to get this intel back to HQ. They need to know what we're dealing with."
As the *Leviathan* sped away from Sector Nine, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that they were on the brink of something catastrophic. The Terminids were evolving, and the stakes were higher than ever.
---
In the silence of his quarters, Jack reviewed the data from the mission. The new Terminid variant was unlike anything they had encountered before. It was faster, stronger, and more resilient.
"Steele to Talbot," he said, opening a secure channel.
"Go ahead, Captain," Talbot's voice replied.
"We've got a serious problem," Jack began. "The Terminids are evolving. They've created a new variant, and it's a game changer."
"Understood," Talbot replied, his voice grim. "I'll relay this to the Council. Prepare for further instructions."
Jack closed the channel, a sense of urgency settling over him. The war was escalating, and they were running out of time.
He stood, looking out at the stars. Somewhere out there, the Terminids were preparing their next move. And he knew, deep down, that the real battle was only just beginning.