Project "S-24"

Luke

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry Luke, I should have been more careful knowing that we had an assignment coming up."

Luke signed. After the mission briefing they were told that the navy is to depart in half a days time. Cato had been checking the ships and missiles as per usual when a defective shell exploded during the inspection. 

Thankfully Cato activated his ability quickly enough so no one was killed, but he took on the brunt of the explosion and shrapnel had cut through his legs and right arm before he could properly put up his barrier.  

He is now officially out of commission for about a week. 

"Damn it! How did such a big mistake happen? There are protocols that prevent defective weapons from reaching our ports!"

Cato tried to sit upright in his hospital bed but grimaced. 

"Gosh- stay down! We can't have you reopening your wounds." Luke hurriedly rushed to push his friend back down.

Cato signed, "I'm suspicious as well. The timing is too coincidental. This might just be thoughts of denial, but do you think it was planted? We might have an enemy agent within one of the departments in this base."

Luke frowned. The risk of enemy agents hidden within their units was always a possibility. This is why all members of the Naden military are instructed not to share information openly even with people they trust. 

"You could be right. I will send in a formal request for investigation before I go."

Luke could tell Cato was having trouble staying conscious. The medication must have been kicking in. 

Standing up to quietly leave, he heard Cato call his name. 

"Luke, please be careful. I have a bad feeling about this assignment."

"Rest easy, I promise to be extra careful this time around as well. Besides, who do you think you are talking to? I'm not the captain for no reason!"

.......................................................................

He had said that to reassure his vice-captain, but now he wasn't so sure.  

It had taken his feet of five ships half a day to arrive at the bay. As planned, they fired into the special forces with the intent to immobilize, not sink, until they identified the commander's ship where the agent they had to capture was on board.

Everything was going smoothly until the Anduran navy arrived.

 In less than half the time predicted. 

"Sir! The enemy special forces are retreating!"

Luke scowled, "Cease our fire! We will aim for the Anduran navy and focus on retreating!"

Right then, the ship on his left-hand side was hit. 

Using his ability, he created a patch for the damage and motioned the crew to retreat the area first. 

Returning his attention to the Anduran fleet, Luke froze. 

"S-sir! Our missiles have no effect!"

The Anduran navy had a defense technology that deflected missiles. 

But I don't see anything surrounding their fleets!

"Forget about doing damage, use your shells to create a distraction to buy time! All units retreat!" he shouted through the radio. 

Damn it! This wasn't mentioned in the report! 

Whether 'Raven' had failed to acquire this information or had betrayed Naden, he didn't care and vowed to give the generals an earful once he got back. 

As the remaining four fleets swiftly began to back up, he heard a loud crack near the hull of the boat. Just moments later, their ship shut down and was unable to move. 

Using his emergency communication crystal, he yelled "Commander ship unable to move! The rest of you focus on leaving the premises immediately! Ralph! As the next highest in command, make sure you make an adequate report when you get back!"

"Sir!" he heard the panicked voice of his sergeant through the crystal. 

"Stay back! They have technology that manipulates mana!"

He then faced the remaining crew on his ship. "Those Anduran bastards have a couple of tricks up there sleeves, and I say we give them a hard time capturing us and show them a couple of ours." 

The faces of his commanding ship's crew was still filled with anxiety. 

Luke signed. 

"We are a feared navy for a reason! They are bound to make mistakes while boarding our ship, I have a plan and will need your help."

The atmosphere was slowly replaced with one of determination.
"Ready whenever you are sir." his radar specialist replied. 

Luke grinned. Right as he opened the ship's layout maps and was about to explain his idea, he heard a sound behind him. 

Whipping his head around, he silently motioned for the crew to pull out their weapons or activate their abilities. 

"I am very impressed, I assume you are the captain of this ship?"

Luke gasped and turned back around, daggers out, to see his crew on the floor and a man in Anduran uniform standing above them with a black sword in hand. 

When did he get in here? I didn't sense anything!

"They were right to warn us about the Naden navy, I commend you for your efforts. This wouldn't have succeeded without it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luke scowled. 

The soldier laughed. "No need to be so tense! I didn't kill your crew, they are simply unconscious."

Luke swiftly used his ability to conceal himself in the shadows, planning to secretly stab the man undetected. 

The Anduran lost his smile and narrowed his eyes. "Now we can't have that." He stabbed the black crystal sword into the ground and Luke could feel a sinister energy being emitted from it but nothing he could see came out. 

He felt his ability being forcibly turned off right as he was mid-way across the room about to get in an attack.

Without a warning, all his strength left his body and he kneeled over on the ship floor. 

"Wha-" he glared at the Anduran soldier. "You bastards! Anti-mana technology is a war crime!"

The soldier raised an eyebrow, "You have already figured out this much?"

Luke watched nervously as he approached him. He tried to get his body to move but all he could do was shakily lift himself up. 

The Anduran continued, "I have a proposal for you."

Luke scowled, "What makes you think I will negotiate? You underestimate our loyalty to Naden."

He laughed. 

"As you can probably already tell, as long as I have this crystal, you can't fight me."

Luke frowned, he was right. Ever since he activated the crystal in his sword he could barely stay conscious, much less fight. 

He paused and looked Luke in the eye. 

"My superiors never told me how many prisoners I needed to bring back for... procedural purposes. If you surrender and come with me quietly I will leave your crew alive, and let them go free."

Luke froze. "Why would I believe you would ever do that? You don't have the authority to decide this don't you?"

The Anduran grinned, "I may not look it, but I am a captain like yourself and I pity your crew. So, Mr. Naden captain, what will be your choice?"

Luke closed his eyes and hesitantly lowered his daggers. "Do I have your word?"