746 A Duel Of Life And Death (1) Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
A few moments ago...
Astaroth's restlessness filled the command centre on the lead Precursor ship as he studied the holographic map displaying the ongoing battle. The room was dimly lit for better visibility of the map. So far, the AI on the ships has been making decisions themselves, as Astaroth thought there was no need for him to get involved. However, once he noticed the Xyran vessels, he couldn't help but take control. "Interesting..."
Astaroth tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, his eyes fixed on the holographic display that showed the scattered movements of the Precursor and Xyran ships. From how Astaroth saw it, it was a game, a chess game where Astaroth and Ashton were the players, their moves determining the fate of Earth. As for the board, it was filled with pawns, but Astaroth's pawns were dripping in super soldier serum.
"Ashton," Astaroth whispered under his breath as another Xyran ship succumbed to the relentless assault of the Precursor fleet. "He was better prepared than I thought. Still, it won't be enough to stop the ships."
"Sir, we have found their command centre, as you requested," Zenos, the Ship's AI, appeared before him. His voice was cold and electronic. "Bringing it on the map."
The holographic display magnified, revealing the Xyran command centre located in Livania. Astaroth's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Livania, I should have guessed it."
"What will be your next move, sir?" the AI inquired.
"Those Xyran ships are causing more troubles than I thought," Astaroth, with a determined gleam in his eyes, considered his options. "Can we get through their barrier by ourselves?"
As Astaroth's vessel closed in on Livania, Tarik, realising the imminent danger, issued urgent commands. "Evacuate the command center! Inform everyone to brace for impact!"
All the personnel rushed to follow Tarik's orders, abandoning the command centre in a frantic attempt to escape the impending collision. The alarms blared, warning of the incoming threat as Astaroth's ship descended like a meteor on them.
The collision was imminent, and the fate of Livania hung in the balance. The Xyran ships, in disarray, struggled to regroup and counter the unexpected assault, hoping to destroy the Precursor ships before they caused any harm, but nothing they did could stop Astaroth. The desperation in Tarik's eyes mirrored the situation's urgency as he watched the impending collision unfold.
In the final moments before impact, Earth's forces could only brace for the inevitable, a collision that would reshape the course of the battle and determine the world's fate. But when all hope seemed lost, Ashton shot out of the command centre with blinding speed and headed straight towards the ship. Everyone's jaw fell open as they couldn't believe their eyes.
As Ashton soared towards the ship, the ethereal glow of the Precursor aura surrounding him gradually became visible to everyone. With each passing moment, the aura expanded, growing in size until it matched the ship's dimensions.
It was then Tarik realised what Ashton was doing. He was going to fight momentum with momentum, opting for a clash that, while causing harm to Livania, would not reach the catastrophic levels of the previous encounter.
At the same time, Zenos warned Astaroth about the incoming attack, but Astaroth ignored the warning and ordered the ship to stay on its route. As usual, Zenos was against such a foolish decision.
But before the AI could do anything, Astaroth overrode the commands using his authority and blocked Zenos from doing anything. Whether they took down the command centre or not was a secondary matter now.
"As long as I land on Earth, nothing else matters."