Skyfire Avenue

“Ah! The inside of the planet is burning, so hot! Ah!” Jun’er’s eyes popped open, her face was covered with sweat.

Lan Qing and Jue Di exchanged a look. Each could see the shock in the other’s eyes.

The Eastern admiral rushed to a control panel and opened all communication channels. “This is Middle Heaven. Repeat, this is Middle Heaven. All Eastern troops evacuate the planets immediately.. Evacuate.”

Zeus-1 had been waiting for new from Jue Di. When they heard the order come through their computers they were struck with fear.

“Brother, what is it? What did you find?”

Lan Qing’s voice was harsh. “Get back now, close in on Middle Heaven. The Aliens have destabilized the planets’ cores, they could explode at any moment. They were waiting for us to close in and get caught in the blast. It’s why they didn’t have much of a presence.”

Lan Jue gasped. Suddenly everything was clear, and that feeling of dread sprang up stronger than ever. Star Division was still on Monteux, along with many of their Paragons. All five Eastern fleets were in its orbit.

“Wait, don’t rush. We can’t act rashly in our retreat.” Lan Jue said. He’d become strangely calm.

“Huh?” Lan Qing looked at his younger brother on the screen, confused.

Lan Jue patiently explained. “They set this up according to how they expect we’d react. Somehow they’re controlling how and when this explosion will happen. If they see us order a full withdraw, the aliens will trigger the explosion. The North and West won’t have any chance to get their people pout. We have to be smart – get in touch with Admiral Kang, and let’s do this slowly, together.”

Lan Qing was known for his intelligence. His reactions had been quick and thoughtless because of the shocking news. But his brother’s quick thinking helped him understand.

“Alright, I got it. Never mind the rest, you get back here and we’ll talk about it.” Lan Qing replied.

Lan Jue smiled. “Brother, you know I have to be with my people through this. I can’t leave until we’ve safely gotten them out. Keep this quiet, don’t tell anyone but Kang Hui. Let’s take this slow.”

Lan Qin narrowed his eyes as he looked at his younger brother. They shared a look for a long time, before eventually Lan Qing nodded. It wasn’t the time to argue, it was time to act.

“This is Admiral Lan Qing. I’m rescinding the previous order. The problem’s been resolved, stick to your jobs. Fleet commanders...”

Lan Qing gave his amended orders, then told Kang Hui the situation. Everything continued according to their battle plan. With the exception of Monteux, the other planets gained territory and started building defensive structures. The alien forces were slowly pushed back – everything seemed to be going well.

The eight bastions began to move in. Their fleets parted, as though to give them passage. Powerful cannons hummed as they charged and pointed toward the four planets. Humanity looked ready to storm their former worlds.

On Monteux, on the skull of the beast Lan Jue and the others had encountered by the progenitor, the Violet Prince and Princess stood. The Prince eyes were shut, and a small smile spread across his lips.

“It seems they’ve finally realized Monarch and the others aren’t here. They’re moving in, Monarch’s plan was well-considered. Our mission is nearly complete.” He spoke with a dulled, detached voice.

The Princess answered. “We should prepare to leave. Shall we trigger the reaction now?”

Her counterpart shook his head. “Wait for a moment. Humans have learned, they are more cautious and are approaching slowly. The explosion will take ten minutes to trigger, we’ll begin once they’ve gotten closer. Everything is already prepared. Those ships that threaten Monarch... those Bastions, they are also gathered. Our victory today will leave them with nothing to defend against our plans. Their lesser vessels mean nothing.”

The Violet Princess nodded. “Then we wait.”

“Hm?” Uncertainty suddenly crept into the Prince’s eyes.

In space, the bastions cannons released their blazing payload. Dozens of energy beams tore through space toward the planets.

The Violet Prince’s brows furrowed as he considered. “Their bastions have moved in for the attack? Their people are still on the surface! What is it they are trying to achieve?”

Suddenly, all of the aliens felt a tremble rush through their bodies, the Prince and Princess being no exception. They shook their heads, pain evident on their perfect features. Blasts of white light erupted all along the surface of the worlds and spread until they covered the planets entirely.

Energy interference waves, used to counteract electronic equipment. It also had a distinct effect on psionic pulses. Psychic energy was how the aliens maintained information about their surroundings. As the interference waves spread far and wide, their ability to gather information was reduced to zero.

The Violet Prince and Princess were essentially blind. They couldn’t see the transport ships lifting off and blasting away. The ships couldn’t use their radar or communication equipment, either. But previous orders had told them what to expect and how to react. Kang Hui had concocted the strategy.

However, not everyone followed orders with the precision they should have. Because not all the information was given, the West’s withdrawal was slow. They weren’t given all the information, and therefore were unable to react efficiently. It made no sense to pull back when their victory seemed assured.

The allure of the vital crystal was strong. Although the military accomplishments of the West were not grand, they had acquired many vital crystals for the Citadels to use, in order to grow their strength and influence.