Chapter 97: Shadows of Doubt

The faint hum of the ship's engines thrummed through the deck plates as Jack Steele strode down the narrow corridor of the *Leviathan*. The emergency lighting cast long, flickering shadows, painting the steel walls in shades of red and orange. Each step he took echoed with a purpose—an unyielding determination to uncover the truth.

"Captain," Zara's voice crackled over the comm, drawing him to a halt. "You're needed in the command center. It's urgent."

Jack's jaw tightened. "On my way."

The command center was a hive of activity. Screens flickered with streams of data, the soft buzz of chatter punctuated by the occasional bark of an order. Zara stood at the center, her face illuminated by the blue glow of the main console.

"What's the situation?" Jack asked, his voice cutting through the noise.

Zara didn't look up immediately, her fingers dancing over the controls. "We've intercepted a transmission. It's not from the Terminids."

A ripple of tension swept through the room. Jack stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Play it."

The room fell silent as the transmission crackled to life, the voice distorted but unmistakably human. "This is Commander Elias of the Rebel Alliance. We're under attack by an unknown force. Requesting immediate assistance. Coordinates attached. Repeat, this is Commander Elias…"

Jack's mind raced. The rebels had been a thorn in their side, but an unknown force? That was new. And potentially more dangerous.

"Could be a trap," Reyes muttered from his station, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Or it could be the key to understanding these new threats," Zara countered, her gaze steady on Jack.

Jack nodded slowly. "Prepare the Helldivers. We're going to those coordinates. I want to know who or what we're dealing with."

---

The *Leviathan* broke through the atmosphere of the unnamed planet, its engines roaring against the thin air. The landscape below was a wasteland of crumbling ruins and scorched earth, a stark reminder of the endless war that had ravaged countless worlds.

"Touchdown in five," the pilot's voice announced, steady and calm.

Jack tightened the straps on his armor, his eyes scanning the horizon. Beside him, Zara and the rest of the Helldivers did the same, their expressions grim but resolute.

As the ship touched down, the ramp lowered with a hiss of hydraulics. Jack led the way, his boots sinking into the soft, ash-covered ground. The air was thick with the smell of burning metal and something more pungent—fear.

"Spread out," Jack ordered, his voice firm. "Keep your eyes peeled."

The team fanned out, moving in disciplined formation through the wreckage. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional distant boom of an explosion.

"Over here!" Zara's voice rang out, drawing the team to her position. She stood over a half-buried structure, a makeshift bunker. The door hung ajar, the interior dark and foreboding.

"Reyes, on point," Jack commanded. The corporal moved forward, his weapon ready. With a nod from Jack, he pushed the door open and slipped inside.

The bunker was a tomb. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, their uniforms marked with the insignia of the Rebel Alliance. But it wasn't the rebels that held Jack's attention—it was the other bodies, twisted and mangled, their features alien and terrifying.

"Terminids didn't do this," Reyes said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jack knelt beside one of the alien corpses, his brow furrowing. The creature's exoskeleton was unlike anything he had seen before, its eyes lifeless and dark.

"Get a sample," Jack ordered. "I want to know what we're dealing with."

As Reyes collected the sample, Zara's voice broke through the comms. "Captain, you need to see this."

Jack followed her outside. She stood over a piece of debris, half-buried in the dirt. It was a chunk of metal, scorched and battered, but unmistakably part of a ship. And emblazoned on its side was a symbol Jack knew all too well—a symbol that sent a chill down his spine.

"Earth Federation," he breathed.

Zara nodded. "Looks like they've been here."

Jack's mind raced. The Earth Federation had been silent for years, presumed destroyed in the initial Terminid assault. But if they were here, it meant they were still out there—and they had encountered something even more dangerous than the Terminids.

"We need to get this information back to command," Jack said, his voice tight with urgency. "And we need to prepare. The real war is just beginning."

As the Helldivers moved to secure the area, Jack couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. The pieces were falling into place, but the picture they formed was one of chaos and destruction. The battle against the Terminids was only the beginning. Now, they faced a new enemy—one that could turn the tide of war in ways they couldn't yet comprehend.

And Jack Steele was determined to be ready.