thefictionvixens Chapter 30 Rescue
Chapter 30 Rescue
The patrol routes for the northern sector had been finalized at the Helios Sages' operational meeting. The Black Pearl was responsible for a fan-shaped airspace, covering three main shipping lanes extending north from the Wandering Port to the edge of the Colonus expansion, as well as six resource gathering points along the way. Its daily tasks consisted of patrolling along the pre-defined routes, checking the identification codes of passing ships, driving away suspicious targets, and occasionally providing escort for convoys of mining vessels. Monotonous, but necessary.
Liu En delegated all these tasks to Marcus. The old naval lieutenant commander was far more capable of handling them than he was. Liu En himself spent most of his time in his private workshop.
Various material structure models rotated, decomposed, and reassembled under his control in a higher-dimensional consciousness space. The joint optimization scheme of the power armor, the rifling parameters of the explosive gun's ammunition, the efficiency of the energy focusing array of the void shield—he retrieved blueprints from his database, disassembled them layer by layer, analyzed them item by item, then constructed improved versions in his consciousness, and conducted simulations for verification. Performance confirmed, further improvements and optimizations, blueprints updated, and then the process repeated.
When the communicator rang, he was testing a newly shaped Thinker core. Liu En turned off the testing device, and instead of Marcus's voice, Hera Worth's hoarse and calm voice came through the communicator, carrying the hollow quality unique to the Star Speakers, as if it came from a very distant place.
"Captain... I just received a message in Star Language." She spoke slowly, as if she were listening and organizing her thoughts. "It was forwarded by the Wandering Harbor Temple. Gamma-9, the outpost research station of Lucis's Forging World, has been attacked by the Dark Eldar. The Void Shield has shattered, and the ground defenses are under strain. They are requesting military support. The message was sent by a Star Speaker from Wandering Harbor. Although the signal I received was intermittent, the core content was still quite clear."
Liu En had already stood up and was walking quickly towards the hatch. "Is the research institute's star communicator still in communication?"
"The signal is weakening." There was a barely perceptible tension in Hera's voice. "The signal from the research institute is getting weaker and weaker. I tried calling back, but there was no response. The roaming port is still relaying, but the situation at the research institute itself is not good."
Liu En stepped out of the workshop, the emergency lights in the corridor casting a dark red glow under his feet. "Have we made contact with the Iron Wall?"
"I filtered through several encrypted broadcasts in the warp debris; they should be fleet dispatch orders. The Ironwall and the Truth Seeker are assembling and will likely depart later than us. Wandering Port Sage Helios has confirmed the situation and ordered the nearest ship, the Black Pearl, to immediately provide support." Hera paused, then added, "Furthermore, the resident Astrologer at the Gamma-9 Research Institute who sent the signal has been severely overworked in sending this distress call and can no longer maintain communication. In other words, what I received might be the last complete signal."
Liu En quickened his pace. "Send the coordinates to the navigation station. Continue listening and report any new information immediately."
"Understood." Hera's voice fell silent.
Liu En walked onto the bridge. On the holographic projection platform, a red dot was flashing at a location approximately seventy astronomical units east of the roaming port. Sera's finger was already hovering over the navigation input panel.
"Marcus, your judgment." Liu En sat down in the commander's seat.
Marcus did not hesitate. "I suggest a short subspace jump, six hours. The risks are manageable."
"Sera, route planning."
Sera's fingers flew across the terminal. "Flight route entered. Jump time approximately six hours, exit point set at the outer edge of the Gamma-9 system. Subspace flow prediction stable, success rate 92%."
Liu En glanced at Marcus. The latter nodded.
"implement."
The Black Pearl's subspace engines began to warm up, and a low-frequency hum spread along the hull to every cabin.
"Jump countdown. Ten, nine, eight..."
The ship shuddered violently, and the starry sky outside the porthole was torn apart, replaced by surging purple chaos.
Six hours later, the ship shuddered again, and the chaotic colors were sliced open, revealing a brand new starry sky.
"Exit point confirmed. Outer edge of Gamma-9 galaxy," Sera reported. "Sensors online, scanning."
The alarms sounded almost simultaneously. But Marcus's voice was faster: "Three Dark Eldar ships! One cruiser and two frigates. Bearing 210, distance 30,000 kilometers, rapidly approaching—they were already on combat alert before we even jumped out."
Liu En watched as three dark red dots on the holographic projection platform fanned out towards the Black Pearl. This was a typical Dark Eldar tactic: high-speed ships using their maneuverability to launch attacks from multiple directions simultaneously.
But there was an anomaly. Routine scans showed the enemy ship to be extremely blurry, as if shrouded in a flowing shadow. Marcus immediately offered an interpretation: "Typical Dark Eldar Shadow Field—their ships don't use Void Shields; they employ a force field that distorts light and sensors. Sensory interference is superimposed on top of optical camouflage, making sensor readings and direct visual observation unreliable. To determine their true location, active illumination from fire control radar is the only way."
"Does this sound different from the psionic holographic force fields used by the Eldar on the Ark?"
"Absolutely not." Marcus's fingers flew across the scanning parameters. The Eldar's material processing techniques differed from the Empire's, but the Dark Eldar were particularly unique. Their ships didn't use the Eldar's unique astral bones, but instead relied on Gamor's slave workshops to create alloy hulls capable of withstanding high-speed maneuvers using advanced smelting techniques. These ships lacked the elegant, fluid psionic structure of the Ark Eldar, instead possessing a sharp, cold metallic texture. They were powered by some kind of alien propulsion system, outside the range of compatibility in the bridge's regular database. Their shadow field rendered traditional void shield overload tactics completely ineffective, forcing the Black Pearl's gun crews to use fire control radar to actively illuminate and forcibly lock onto targets.
"Actively illuminate the fire control radar and lock on," Marcus ordered.
"Lock secured. Target cruiser identified as Torture-class, frigate as Corsair-class. Long-range scan detected a large number of subtle signals—their attack craft and raiders, exceeding normal quantities and sizes."
The Dark Eldar fleets were never designed for victory in large-scale naval gun battles. They were slave traders, torturers, and interdimensional raiders. Every slaughter in the Void ultimately aimed to board their ships, capture living beings, and bring them back to Gamor. They lacked warp engines and could not freely jump between star systems like the Imperium or Ark Eldar, but they possessed a network of Web portals throughout the galaxy—a fact repeatedly warned about at the Wandering Harbor conference. The presence of a Dark Eldar cruiser here meant that a Web node must exist within a radius of several light-years.
"Void Shield at full power. Weapon systems warming up." Marcus's fingers danced across the tactical panel. "Maneuver evasion course, Alpha-7. Engage."
The Black Pearl's main cannons fired first. Shells streaked across the starry sky, raining down on the left-wing escort ships.
"The left-wing frigate is maneuvering frequently, with a hit rate of 32 percent," the gunnery officer reported.
"Maintain suppression, don't stop." Marcus's voice was steady. "Light lances, charge. Target the left flank frigate. Starboard macro guns, intercept the right flank frigate's fire."
The two escort ships launched their counterattack. Dark red energy beams crisscrossed and struck the Black Pearl's void shield. The ship shuddered slightly.
"Port Void Shield is under 51% overload, starboard 47%. Stable," Marcus reported, turning to Liu En at the same time. "Light Lance charging, estimated 60 seconds. The enemy is charging at full speed, not for artillery battle—they're boarding."
Before the words were even finished, a dense array of faint signals appeared on the sensor screens. Dozens of small targets detached from the cruisers and frigates, hurtling towards the Black Pearl at high speed—assault craft, raiders, and even Dark Eldar warriors wearing individual anti-gravity flying vehicles. A standard boarding maneuver: first suppress the Void Shield with artillery fire, then take advantage of the shield's fluctuations to infiltrate the defenses with a large number of small units and board the ship.
"They arranged an infiltration sequence during the Void Shield fluctuations, with impact intervals of only a fraction of a second," Marcus said, his pace quickening. "The conventional interception strategy's firepower density is insufficient. I recommend reinforcing point defense positions and increasing the density of firepower."
"Approved," Liu En said.
The shipborne aircraft carrier gun crews were switched to maximum sensitivity, and the firing rate of the anti-aircraft positions was increased to the limit. The first wave of assault boats was largely destroyed when they approached within 10,000 kilometers, but some still managed to slip through the fire net.
The Black Pearl's point defense guns opened fire almost simultaneously, their barrage of shells exploding into bursts of fire in the void. Even so, several signals stubbornly broke through the barrage, striking the Black Pearl's side armor. Not penetrating, but sticking—the Dark Eldar's boarding devices didn't need to cut through the armor; their network of teleporters could directly project assault teams into the ship's interior.
"Transmission signal detected on the bridge, section B, compartment 7—intruder has boarded!"
Lieutenant Kara's voice boomed across the comms channel: "Seventh Deck, First Squad, follow me!"
"Light Lance fully charged. Left flank frigates continue to approach." Marcus steadied the tactical commands on the bridge, "Prioritize suppressing boarding sources on the perimeter, and organize servitors to cut off the internal passage."
Inside the ship's interior corridors, Dark Eldar assault teams were engaged in close-quarters firefights with veterans. The whistling of Eldar weapons and the roar of bomb guns mingled in the metal corridors.
"Light spear fully charged, firing."
A blue-white energy beam shot from the bow of the Black Pearl, slamming into the hull of the port-flank frigate. The shadow field distorted for a moment before being pierced, and the light spear struck the ship's side. Armor fragments and the light from the plasma leak exploded into a dark purple fireball in the vacuum. The frigate's engine nozzles flickered a few times, and its thrust noticeably decreased.
"The left-wing frigate has lost its maneuverability."
The right-wing frigate did not continue its advance but began to move laterally, attempting to keep the distance outside the Black Pearl's close-in weapon range. However, its assault boats continued to close in, dozens of small dots spreading from multiple directions.
Marcus observed the continuous signals behind the enemy cruiser and immediately assessed the situation: "Captain, this cruiser is using a shadow field for cover behind it. Its firepower isn't strong, but it's been continuously launching assault boats and maintaining a signal shielding field. Other fleets are likely already waiting to reap the rewards at the network exit."
"Recharge the light lance. Target the left-flank frigate and destroy it completely. Suppress the cruiser with the starboard macro guns and don't let it get close," Marcus ordered.
The second luminous spear pierced the core of the frigate, and the hull was penetrated from bow to stern.
"The frigate was sunk."
The cruiser's course began to veer, its shadow field flickering wildly, and the right-wing frigates, after deploying their last assault boats, began to converge on the cruiser. Marcus noticed that the enemy showed no signs of continuing their attack.
"They are retreating," he said. "With the escort forces lost, the Shadow Field can't hold up the firepower, and engaging in a direct confrontation with cruisers would expose the fleet behind them."
"Let it run," Liu En said. "Keep it in planetary orbit, ground support first."
The Dark Eldar fleet turned, accelerated, and headed into deep space. The remaining assault ships were quickly wiped out.
Liu En pressed the ship's communication button: "All units, prepare for orbital airdrop. Lieutenant Kara, ground support plan."
"Captain, the research institute is under siege by Eldar ground forces, with at least three hundred Eldar warriors. We need at least four hundred men to break through the blockade. Deploying mechs and servitude simultaneously will increase our chances of success."
Liu En glanced at Marcus. Marcus nodded. "Four hundred men. Fifty intelligent control mechs, five hundred armed mech servants. Drop pods ready, launch in fifteen minutes."
"Launch countdown for the airborne pod," Marcus reported.
Dozens of drop pods were ejected simultaneously from the belly of the Black Pearl, streaking towards the planet's surface with trails of ion flames.
Liu En stood up. "You keep an eye on the bridge. I'll go check on the frigate wreckage."
"Yes." Marcus didn't ask any further questions.
Liu En walked out of the bridge, through the corridor, and into the hangar. A shuttle was already ready. He boarded the shuttle and started the engine. "Hanger control room, open hatch number one. Go out and check on the frigate wreckage."
"receive."
The hatch opened, and the shuttle glided out of the Black Pearl's hangar, flying towards the distant wreckage of the escort ship. The escort ship was broken in two, its hull slowly tumbling in space. The shadow field generator had ceased functioning, and the dark purple sheen on the ship's surface appeared dim and eerie under the starlight.
Upon reaching the wreckage, Liu En hovered the shuttle beside the largest fragment. Without any further action, the field naturally expanded, its ten-meter spherical perception range covering the twisted alloy fragment, larger than the Black Pearl's hangar. His consciousness touched it, and the decomposition command was issued. The Shadow Field Generator, the main propulsion engine, the energy channeling array, and the remaining components of the weapon systems—the most crucial parts of Dark Eldar technology—instantly transformed into a cloud of atoms that surged into the warehouse. Within the ten-meter radius, the position, arrangement, and structure of every atom were completely recorded. Then, the atoms condensed again, reshaping themselves back to their original positions. The ship's exterior remained intact, and every critical internal structure returned to its rightful place.
He lingered beside the wreckage for less than an hour. He didn't cut any parts, disassemble any components, or make any visible movements. When others came to investigate later, the frigate wreckage was found to be intact, without any signs of tampering—at most, they knew that people from the Black Pearl had come to assess it. What they assessed, and what they discovered, was the technical priest's job.
Liu En returned to the shuttle. In the hangar, Phyllis was checking the equipment inventory. Seeing him return, she casually asked, "Captain, any finds at the wreckage?"
"I took a look." Liu En took off his power armor, his tone flat. "I didn't do anything, just assessed the damage."
Phyllis nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Meanwhile, Marcus was processing ground battle reports on the bridge.
"Ground troops have landed. Mechs are supporting the research facility's defenses, and the Eldar ground forces' advance is stalled."
Marcus looked at the ground tactical map on the holographic projection table. "Hold the line steady, don't overextend."
Twenty minutes later, Lieutenant Kara's voice came through the channel: "Ground clearing complete. Eldar ground forces are retreating, and the research facility is held."
"Casualties?"
"More than 20 people were lightly wounded, and no one was killed in action. Several machine gunners and more than a dozen machine servants were lost."
An hour later, Liu En returned to the bridge. "The situation at the research institute?"
"Clearance complete. The entrance to the research institute is secured. Core data is intact."
Liu En nodded without asking any further questions.
One day later, the Ironwall and two other subordinate ships arrived in the Gamma-9 system.
Eisenhorn's holographic image appeared on the projection table, his optical lenses extending and contracting, scanning the shattered debris floating on the tracks. "The Black Pearl is moving faster than expected. The Eldar fleet has escaped?"
Marcus glanced at Liu En. Liu En gestured for him to answer.
"One frigate was sunk, and the other frigate and cruiser withdrew. The research ground forces, supported by the Black Pearl, successfully repelled the Eldar landing force," Marcus said.
Eisenhorn paused for a moment. "What should we do with the wreckage?"
"The frigate wreckage is still largely intact. The Black Pearl has already conducted a preliminary on-site assessment. The salvage of the wreckage will be handled by a specialized fleet. The Black Pearl can escort the salvage fleet back to Wandering Port." Liu En's expression remained unchanged.
Eisenhorn nodded. "The salvage fleet will arrive in two days. The Ironwall and the other ships will continue their patrols and cannot all leave their assigned star sector. The Black Pearl will remain to await the salvage fleet; the salvage will be transported back before returning to port."
"understood."
Two days later, the professional Temple salvage fleet arrived in the Gamma-9 system. The Black Pearl rendezvoused with the salvage fleet and then escorted it as the fleet slowly began its return journey. They encountered no pursuit along the way, and no Eldar ships were seen near the exit of the net tunnels. It seemed the enemy was more accepting of the loss than expected, or perhaps a frigate and a landing force were not considered losses worth pursuing further.