Sector 31 was a highly tensed place. The past month, corporations and militaries had continually removed the equipment from this city as they built in several miles away from a civilian place, supply depot, supposedly. Rickety spent her time digging diligently into both Interwebs and CyberWeb to find truth that most of these depts stood as staging area either before war or huge evacuation move. The ones whom he fed and turned to one side were slowly going more furious.
"It's happening," Rickety said one evening, his mandibles clicking as he displayed a holographic map to the team. "The depots are concentrated around the western outskirts. They're not just mining resources—they're preparing to abandon the sector."
Lanoir's expression hardened. "So, they'll strip the land and leave the people to die. Typical." She glanced around the room. "We're not letting that happen. It's time to push back."
The Shadow Banner leapt into action. Under heavy disguises that changed daily, they infiltrated the slums and shanty towns. Lanoir and Jun focused on teaching the basics of self-defense and how to use magical gadgets like mana rifles and spell bombs. Panois and Myrda spread word of Texxon's abandonment plans, planting seeds of dissent in every conversation. Rickety and Slythe worked in tandem, arming the people and establishing hidden supply caches.
The rebellion swelled in whispers and shadows, fueled by the anger and desperation of the people. The final spark came in what was intended to be a peaceful demonstration. A factory worker dared to ask a Flying Squad enforcer why the rationing hadn't come through yet. The answer came quick and brutal: the worker's head severed with a stroke of a mana blade, his blood staining the square. The crowd exploded. Weapons emerged from hidden folds, and the Flying Squad found themselves surrounded by an armed mob.
The riots spread like wildfire, jumping from district to district. Other Shadow Banner teams spread throughout Sector 31 to increase the chaos, spread important information, and arm more citizens. What was initially a series of scattered protests became an organized rebellion.
Rickety's intelligence had uncovered a vulnerable weak point. Texxon and the military were taking their evacuees--and funneling them into the depots to blast off in ships waiting for them at a makeshift spaceport. Lanoir's team got the message: stop the evacuation if it kills you.
The depots were heavily fortified, with Flying Squads and corporate mercenaries patrolling the perimeter. Under cover of night, the Shadow Banner split into two groups: Lanoir, Jun, and Rickety took the western flank, while Slythe, Myrda, and Panois attacked from the east.
The first battle broke out as Slythe led a head-on charge. His Mana-Quill Porcupine sidekick flared with bright quills, firing a salvo that breached the guards' defenses. Myrda and her Storm Toad, Stygs, continued the attack, electrifying the metal barriers and immobilizing groups of foes. Panois and Lygs, his Typhon Salamander, used controlled flames to clear a path through the depot's outer defenses.
On the western flank, Lanoir's Wraith Raven, Erebus, dove low, its spectral form dazing the guards with waves of shadow energy. Rickety deployed his Azure Owl to intercept enemy drones, its precision strikes blinding the depot's surveillance systems. Jun advanced with the shadow snake coiled around him, void energy crackling in his hands.
"Take out their reinforcements first," Lanoir commanded, deflecting a mercenary's strike. "Jun, cover Rickety!
Jun nodded, creating a shield of void energy that blocked the incoming barrage. The shadow snake lashed out, striking an enemy rifleman and pulling him into the shadows. Rickety's compound eyes glimmered as he hacked into the depot's communication grid, scrambling enemy signals.
"Reinforcements delayed," Rickety declared. "But they'll still come. Work fast."
As the teams converged near the launch site, they were met with fierce resistance. Two massive rockets loomed on the pad, one emblazoned with Texxon's logo, the other marked with military insignia. The Shadow Banner focused their efforts on the Texxon rocket first, knowing it carried key officials and resource manifests.
"Jun, you're up," Lanoir said, her voice firm. "We need that rocket grounded."
Jun's heart pounded as he stepped forward, the energy of the shadow snake coursing through him. He extended his hands, channeling every ounce of void magic he could muster. The air around him darkened, and a vortex of shadows swirled at his fingertips.
[Void Stinger Barrage] Jun chanted, launching a torrent of jagged bolts which seem to be sucking in the space around them as they flew in lightning speed, each one as big as a log. The barrage hit the rocket's engines, detonating fuel reserves and sending the massive structure crashing back to the ground. The explosion lit up the night, debris scattering in every direction.
The force of the spell sucked all the energy out of Jun. He collapsed on his knees, his eyes blurring as the shadow snake coiled protectively around him.
"Jun's down!" Rickety cried out. "Cover him!"
Lanoir and Erebus flanked Jun, beating away at mercenaries. Slythe and Panois scrambled toward the military rocket as it counted down, past the point of no return. Still, they shot off into the air a second rocket, disappearing upward.
"We'll deal with them later," Lanoir said, her voice heavy with frustration. "For now, let's secure the site and get Jun back."
The Shadow Banner regrouped in the aftermath of the battle. The Texxon rocket's destruction had dealt a significant blow to the corporation's evacuation plans, but the military's escape was a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead.
Jun woke up hours later in the safehouse, his body aching but his determination stronger than ever. The shadow snake's voice was a quiet whisper in his mind.
"You have stepped into the first step in the void's true potential. Rest now. The fight is far from over."
Lanoir entered the room, her face unreadable. "You did well, Jun. That spell saved countless lives tonight. But remember, power like that comes with a cost. Use it wisely."
Jun nodded, determination flickering in his tired eyes. "I won't let you down.
The win from the team had now swayed the scale of advantage for the rebellion. War, however, for Sector 31 was far from won. They were still in preparation for battles, which were to come along.