The faint hum of the plasma field reverberated through the ears of the entire security squad. Yet, at this moment, they had no attention to spare for the glowing twin plasma blades in front of them.
The passageway between them and Cargo Area 04 was blocked by imposing figures looking down on them from above. These strangers stood over two meters tall, towering above even the Exif and Bilusaludo among them. Clad in fully armored suits of silver with helmets emitting a sinister red glow from the visors, they had leg structures distinctly different from humans—these were clearly aliens.
Seeing these formidable invaders up close, the human security guards felt their hearts pound faster, breaths quickening, uncertain of what to do. As survivors who had been in deep-space exile for over twenty Earth years, most of them had never faced combat beyond training drills. While they held military ranks, their experience was limited to life within the ship's confined walls and basic military exercises with little exposure to live-fire scenarios.
The Exif and Bilusaludo, however, had slightly steadier reactions. After a moment of shock, they began to raise their weapons—yet the alien Elites moved first.
"Roar!" With a distinct battle cry, the Elite warriors, veterans of countless battles, surged forward at blinding speed, lunging into the midst of the sixty-plus guards.
The plasma blades hummed and crackled, slicing effortlessly through armor and flesh alike.
"Fire! Open fire!"
"Don't just stand there!"
Bullets rang out as the human guards, jolted to awareness, fired wildly at the rampaging Elites, who were decimating their Exif and Bilusaludo allies.
Yet, the guards' lightweight weapons barely scratched the energy shields of the Elites. The faint yellow glow of the shields repelled the bullets, causing them to ricochet around the narrow hallway.
"Agh!" "My leg!"
Unlucky guards cried out as stray bullets, deflected by the Elites' shields, struck their own ranks. The corridor was soon filled with panicked screams and pleas.
"Please! Don't kill me!"
"Run! Get out of here!"
Watching their comrades fall effortlessly under the Elites' blades and realizing their weapons were useless, the remaining guards finally broke and fled in panic. Many of them, barely in their twenties, were paralyzed with fear, abandoning their posts in a desperate bid to escape.
Their survival was largely due to the Elites' indifference, as they ignored the fleeing guards. The mission orders explicitly instructed them to spare human lives wherever possible, ensuring the safety of Earth's remaining humans.
At that moment, two squads of ODST troops, twelve soldiers in total, arrived. Over the years, ODST equipment had advanced significantly, and they now wore full mechanical exoskeletons with hardlight shield generators and carried powerful hardlight-based weaponry, making them some of Atlas's most formidable ground troops.
The ODST troops quickly assessed the situation, their combat systems assisting with precise targeting.
With practiced efficiency, they opened fire, red beams of hardlight streaking down the corridor. The energy blasts tore through the remaining guards, who barely had time to scream before falling.
From the Elites' initial charge to the guards' panicked retreat and the ODST troops' arrival, the entire exchange lasted less than a minute.
An ODST sergeant with a red shoulder plate calmly approached the lifeless body of an Exif whose arms had been severed, its chest pierced by an Elite's plasma blade. Using the tip of his boot, he tilted the Exif's head to examine its face—a flawless visage with elven-like features, though now contorted in pain and shock.
The sergeant had been briefed by Intel on the Exif's so-called "sacrificial" practices. The Exif had used their ethereal beauty and persuasive skills to convert human survivors into fervent followers, spreading their religion across the exiled fleet over the twenty-year journey. In the face of despair, the Exif had convinced humans to worship their god, aiming to return to Earth to perform a ritual sacrifice of sentient beings to summon their god—a terrifying being known as King Ghidorah.
These were the reasons Price had authorized Leviathan's boarding assault; allowing the Exif to reach Earth's surface would interfere with Quan Ling's plans and could have unleashed untold chaos.
The sergeant shifted his gaze to another body, this one of a Bilusaludo—a large, dark-skinned being with an almost ape-like face. Despite their robust build, the Bilusaludo lacked the Exif's cunning and charisma. From the moment they arrived on Earth, they had coveted it, viewing the planet as ripe for conquest.
"Disgusting aliens," the sergeant muttered disdainfully. "Death's too good for them."
The Elites nearby remained silent, unaffected by the term "alien." Influenced by Sui Yang, they now considered themselves "sub-human," allies to humanity, even though they were biologically distinct and could not interbreed with humans. Confirming that the Exif and Bilusaludo were dead, the ODST and Elite troops advanced, eliminating any remaining hostiles.
Soon, they reached the main junction leading to the mid-level living quarters. Here, a large viewing window on the right side of the corridor offered a glimpse into the vastness of space and Earth below, although the view did little to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere of the aging vessel.
The walls and bulkheads were rusted and cracked, a stale, unpleasant odor lingering in the air, which fortunately was filtered out by the soldiers' sealed suits.
One of the Elites positioned himself in front of a massive metal door, inspecting it before raising his plasma sword to cut an entryway.
"Hey, hold up!"
An ODST demolitions expert, loaded with grenades and a compact backpack, stepped forward, pulling out a high-temperature adhesive grenade marked with the words "Directed/High Temp."
"This'll save us some time," he remarked, planting the grenade on the door.
After arming the device, he quickly retreated and announced over the comms, "Brace for detonation!"
Seconds later, the grenade detonated in a flash of intense light, leaving a clean 3x3-meter hole in the door, the edges still glowing from the heat. This was the result of controlled metal hydrogen explosives, a technology Atlas had refined over time, becoming standard for its demolitions teams.
With the passage now open, the ODST and Elite troops continued forward, passing through the freshly cut gap.
On the other side, they were met with the sound of labored coughing and hushed voices.
"Grandpa, who are they?"
"Hush, child. Stay quiet."
Inside, a large group of civilians was crammed into the dingy living quarters. Though not in rags, their clothing and protective suits were worn and tattered, their faces and hair unkempt from years of resource scarcity. Fresh water was precious, and with no access to fruits, vegetables, or meat, many civilians had survived only by sheer luck.
Seeing the poor conditions, the ODST and Elites showed no outward emotion, though beneath their helmets, they shared a grim determination. Not only humans filled this space but also Exif and Bilusaludo civilians, including young children who looked at the newcomers with innocent, uncomprehending eyes.
"Raaagh!"
An Elite warrior growled in frustration, ready to execute the alien civilians, even the children, as part of the mission's directive to eliminate all non-human threats. The Elites were no strangers to harsh actions, having once been deceived by the Prophets into committing genocide.
"Hold on!" The ODST sergeant stepped forward, blocking the Elite's path.
"What's this, Sergeant? You're disobeying orders to protect aliens?" the Elite questioned, his voice a low, menacing growl.
"Not quite," the sergeant replied, his gaze briefly resting on a human grandfather and grandchild. "Slaughtering them outright would traumatize our people, especially the young ones. The Bio Division could use live Exif and Bilusaludo samples. Assigning them as D-grade personnel would be the best solution."
"Ah, I see now!" The Elite relaxed, understanding the logic. He patted the sergeant's shoulder. "I apologize, friend. I misjudged your intentions."
Just then, a burst of static crackled over their comms.
"This is Captain Warren; the bridge is secure. All squads, report status."
The sergeant quickly responded, "Sergeant Sanchez here. We've secured the living quarters and are moving to liberate our compatriots and detain the aliens."
"This is Corporal Horton. We have..."
One after another, reports came in, confirming that in a matter of minutes, the ODST and Elite teams had taken control of the entire 1.5-kilometer vessel. The Leviathan and its accompanying Paris-class ships could now send additional forces to secure the entire exiled fleet.
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