In the spaceship's marble corridor, Tia stood alert, breathing shallowly.
The walls, lined with silver and gold engravings in the black marble, faintly reflected the purple light from the ten visors of the imperial commando opposite her. The standoff was silent but charged, with a clear tension hanging in the air.
The ten commando's particle cannons, huge and deadly, hummed quietly while their barrels trained on her pulsed rhythmically with a purplish light.
Feeling her heart pounding, Tia watched the overhead neon light flicker, casting erratic shadows over the scene as the vibrations intensified.
'I have no time for this.'
With a calculated movement, Tia lifted her hand, clad in a dark, enchanted glove that faintly shimmered.
"Miss, we have fought together down on the planet. We are not traitors. We are loyal to our lady." The sudden break in silence startled Tia slightly. The soldier's voice, muffled by his helmet, carried a note of earnestness as one of the crouching soldiers aiming at her shifted his gun away.
She couldn't see his face, but something in his tone nudged at her memory. Her posture relaxed just a fraction, a subtle but significant shift.
'They are the elite that fought without any fear of death the last time.' This thought flickered through Tia's mind, mingling with caution. She knew how fanatical the elite imperial commandos were.
'But uniforms can change their owners.'
"Speak, where were you then?" Her voice was steady, probing for truth amidst a sea of uncertainty.
"Miss, I was in the server room," came the reply.
At those words, a spark of recognition lit up Tia's eyes. Slowly, she lowered her gauntlet, the motion deliberate yet fluid. It was a gesture of cautious trust, but meaningless as she could use her powers in a split moment anyway.
The soldiers, in response, subtly adjusted their weapons. The barrels, once aimed directly at her, now point away. The tension in the air began to dissipate, replaced by a cautious understanding.
Tia didn't fully trust them, but she kept her guard up, her body coiled and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
Her attention was drawn to the flying sparks from the plasma torch, wielded by a soldier, as it cut through the thick metal doors of the ship's command center. The fiery glow reflected off the polished walls and floors, casting a dance of light and shadow around them.
"What is the situation?" Tia asked, her voice cutting through the noise—gathering information was critical.
The soldier, who had spoken earlier, answered without hesitation. "We, as the closest emergency strike team, responded to an alert of a hostile presence on the bridge. The energy lockdown was triggered. We can't override it without higher authority."
'So the enemies are on the bridge.' Tia's mind raced as she processed this. She was in a dire situation; without control of the ship, she was as trapped as a fish in a can.
"Prepare to cover me; I will try to open the doors." Her words were firm, betraying no hint of the anxiety that churned within her.
As she strode forward, passing the guarding soldiers, she felt their eyes on her, the mechanical whirr of their suits' joints breaking the heavy silence. Except for two soldiers who continued to secure the corridor, the rest shifted their aim toward the doors.
Walking between these tall, armored figures, Tia felt a chill of vulnerability, despite her confidence in her power. The thought that any of them could potentially turn out to be enemies in disguise made her paranoid mind scream at her.
Reaching the door, she pulled her gun from its holster with her gloved hand while her bare fingers reached for the pulsing biometric lock. Behind her, the metallic clang of the torch hitting the floor signaled the soldier's readiness to join the formation aimed at the door.
'Hopefully, my authority is high enough; otherwise, this will quickly turn awkward. Let's see how high the authority of a pet is.'
As he finger-touched the warm display, a bright light flashed. Tia batted her breath in expectation, each moment feeling like an eternity.
Then a beep resounded.
Beep!
<<<<<<>>>>>>
New mission:
Objective --> Secure the ship from imminent danger and protect the crucial crew members (Officers, Captain, Elite soldiers, Flight crew, and Engineers.).
Rewards --> 3 x esper point; +10% to the progress of a random ability; +3 to WILL; +2 to ENE;
Deductions -> For each important crew member that dies, your rewards will be reduced.
<<<<<<>>>>>>
Tia jumped up, already ready to move, only to curse internally. 'Very funny...'
Then a ding reverberated, making her gaze sharpen.
Ding!
//
A new quest: Imposter hunt!
Something is happening! There are imposters on the ship. Find them and eliminate them.
Rewards: 1 x witch point for every two eliminated imposters; +1 to MAG for every 5 eliminated imposters; +1 to INT for every ten eliminated imposters; +4 to ENE for eliminating the leader of the imposters.
//
'...'
At last, a ding resounded the second time, and a green light lit up on the lock.