The hum of the control room faded into a tense silence as Enno's fingers hovered over the main control panel. His heart raced as he typed in the override commands. The room was eerily quiet except for the occasional flicker of electricity in the walls, and the distant hum of the generators vibrating beneath the floor. Every second felt longer than the last as the reality of their mission settled in.
"We're about to take down one of Valtoria's lifelines," Enno murmured under his breath, feeling the weight of the moment.
Senna's voice crackled through the comm in his ear. "We've hit our target too. Power fluctuations have already started. How's it looking on your end?"
Enno hesitated for a moment, his mind flashing to Valtoria's bustling lower districts—families, workers, and countless others depending on the energy his team was about to cut off. He shook his head, refocusing.
"Almost there," he replied, forcing himself to move faster. "Grid's shutting down in three…two…"
The control panel blinked, and the lights in the room flickered once before going dark. The power was down.
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence, a strange emptiness that followed as if the city itself were holding its breath. Then the alarms began to wail.
"Backup generators will kick in soon," one of Enno's team members reminded him, his voice tense. "We need to get out of here before they send reinforcements."
Enno nodded, already moving. "Let's go. Now."
Escape from the Station
The team moved swiftly through the darkened hallways of the energy station, their footsteps echoing softly in the eerie quiet. The alarms continued to blare in the background, signaling that Valtoria's security forces would soon be on their trail.
As they rounded a corner, Enno's comm crackled again, and Senna's voice came through. "We're out. Meet us at the extraction point. We don't have much time."
Enno glanced at his team. "You heard her. Move."
They quickened their pace, the tension rising with every step. It was always the escape that posed the biggest risk. Striking a blow was one thing, but getting away cleanly was another. Enforcers could be mobilized in minutes, and with the alarms already blaring, they were racing against the clock.
"Wait!" one of Enno's teammates hissed, raising a hand. "Movement up ahead."
Enno signaled for them to stop, pressing himself against the wall. His heart pounded in his chest as he listened. The sound of boots on metal floors echoed down the hall. It was faint, but growing louder—enforcers.
"We've got company," Enno whispered. He glanced at his team, their faces taut with tension. "We're taking the alternate route. Follow me."
They turned down a side corridor, hoping to avoid direct confrontation. But Valtoria's enforcers were trained for this—they knew the station's layout better than anyone. It wasn't long before the sound of boots closed in again, this time from two directions.
"We're pinned," one of his teammates muttered, gripping his weapon tightly.
Enno's mind raced, calculating their options. They were too far from the extraction point to make a run for it, and the enforcers were closing in fast. Fighting their way out was risky, but staying where they were was certain death.
"We'll have to fight our way through," Enno decided, his voice low but steady. "Get ready."
The team positioned themselves at the corners of the corridor, weapons raised. The seconds stretched into what felt like hours as they waited, the sound of footsteps growing louder and louder.
Then, suddenly, the enforcers appeared—dark figures in the dim light, their weapons gleaming.
"Now!" Enno shouted.
Gunfire erupted, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. Enno moved swiftly, taking out the first enforcer with a precise shot. His team followed suit, their movements sharp and practiced. But the enforcers were well-trained, and for every one they took down, another seemed to appear.
"We're outnumbered!" someone yelled over the chaos.
Enno gritted his teeth, his mind racing. They couldn't afford to get bogged down in a prolonged firefight. Every second they spent here brought more enforcers closer, and their chances of survival dwindled with each passing moment.
"We need to fall back!" Enno called out, already signaling for his team to retreat down another corridor. They had to regroup and find another way to the extraction point.
Senna's Warning
As Enno and his team fought their way through the station, Senna's voice crackled through the comm again. "Enno! We've got a problem. Security's mobilizing faster than we expected. They've got drones in the air, and they're moving on your position. You need to move now!"
"We're trying," Enno responded through gritted teeth, ducking behind cover as bullets whizzed past his head. "We've got enforcers crawling all over this place."
"I'm sending reinforcements," Senna said, her voice tense. "But you've only got a few minutes before they seal off the entire area."
Enno cursed under his breath. They were running out of time.
"We'll make it," he muttered, though he wasn't sure if he believed it.
He signaled for his team to follow him as they weaved through the narrow corridors, desperately trying to stay ahead of the enforcers. But it felt like they were being herded, pushed toward a dead end.
The sound of approaching drones filled the air, their mechanical whirring growing louder by the second. Enno's heart sank. If the drones caught them, there would be no escape.
"We need to take out those drones," one of his team members panted, his face slick with sweat.
Enno nodded, already scanning the area for a solution. His eyes landed on a narrow shaft running along the ceiling—a ventilation duct. It was risky, but it might just give them the cover they needed.
"There," Enno pointed. "We can use that to bypass the drones."
The team scrambled up into the duct, moving as quickly and quietly as they could. The metal creaked beneath their weight, but it held. As they crawled through the narrow passage, the sound of drones and enforcers faded behind them.
"We're almost there," Enno whispered, though the tension in his voice was palpable.
Reaching the Extraction Point
After what felt like an eternity, Enno's team finally emerged from the duct, finding themselves near the extraction point. The sight of Senna and the waiting vehicle was a relief, though it was short-lived.
"They're right behind us," Enno said breathlessly as he and his team climbed aboard. "We need to go."
Senna didn't need to be told twice. The vehicle roared to life, speeding away from the station just as the first wave of enforcers arrived. Gunfire erupted behind them, but they were already too far for the shots to land.
For the first time since the raid began, Enno allowed himself to breathe. They had made it. Barely.
As the vehicle sped away, Enno leaned back in his seat, his mind still racing. They had struck a blow against Valtoria, but it had come at a cost. They had lost people—good people—and there would be more losses in the days to come.
"Good work," Senna said, though her voice was tinged with exhaustion. "But this is just the beginning. Valtoria's going to hit back harder than ever."
"I know," Enno replied quietly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
And as he sat there, his thoughts drifted back to Aelia, to the life he had once known. He had lost so much already. How much more would he have to give before this war was over?