Chapter 258: The Fifth "Corporate" War

Aboard the Paris-class frigate's command bridge:

"Detecting a large number of unidentified armed forces and armored vehicles rapidly approaching the division building."

"Captain, Lieutenant Vitellius and his forces are ready for immediate deployment to support the ground division."

The bridge crew efficiently reported real-time updates, while the captain, seated at the helm, could oversee Night City through the holographic display in front of him.

Since the 41 x 41 meter space gate was opened, the engineering department had been transporting warship modules produced in the Akra district to the forward base located in the desert. It took three days to assemble and weld the Paris-class frigate in the makeshift shipyard, followed by two days of adjustments, testing, and boarding of crew and combat units.

Now, the frigate hovered silently in low Earth orbit above Night City, concealed in stealth mode.

The once-advanced Ernio aerospace vehicles were now on the verge of becoming obsolete. Though still a top-tier weapon in the Cyberpunk universe, for Atlas, the Ernio was simply unnecessary. The fleet of frigates now managed tactical air support and orbital strikes for the forward base.

With the space gate expansion, logistical challenges were reduced, and transportation efficiency for various modules increased.

At that moment, after listening to his crew's detailed report, the captain manually operated the holographic screen and opened communications with the forward base.

Soon, a video feed appeared, displaying Captain Price, wearing his signature boonie hat and chomping on a cigar.

"Captain Price," the captain asked, "our division building is about to be surrounded by a large number of armed forces. Do you require assistance?"

"Hah..." 

Price removed the cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke, replying, "Of course. According to Celine's intel, that island nation's Arasaka Corporation is determined to wipe out our Zero-Nine division. With only half a battalion of AECS (Emergency Response) forces, along with elite forward operatives and armed local security, they won't stand a chance against that scum.

Plus, Primarch Dorn and his direct forces are set to deploy to the front in three hours."

Atlas had clearly decided to abandon the soft approach and shift to a more aggressive strategy. Price smirked, "Night City's full of people terrified of Arasaka. It's time to show them they're not invincible."

He took another puff of his cigar before continuing, "You are authorized to engage. Just make sure you avoid collateral damage and civilian casualties when you strike those armed forces. Celine's already hacked the city's defense systems—NCPD (Night City Police Department) and all defensive measures are down. Your squadron can enter the atmosphere unchallenged. Before Dorn and his forces arrive, we'll set the stage for a new beginning in the Zero-Nine universe."

"Understood, Colonel," the captain replied.

Price nodded, and the communication ended.

The captain then turned to the bridge windows, staring at the distant glow of Night City several hundred kilometers away. He issued his next orders:

"Gunnery officer, adjust the main cannon's power to 25% and target Arasaka's fleet docked in the coastal waters. Set all secondary cannons to 4% and lock onto the armed convoy within Night City."

"Yes, sir!" The gunnery officer quickly calibrated the targeting systems and reported, "Locked and ready, sir!"

"Initiate the first salvo in 30 seconds," the captain commanded. "Communications officer, alert the fighter squadrons. They are to provide immediate air support for our division building as soon as the first salvo hits. Helm, prepare to reposition for Lieutenant Vitellius and the Glory Warriors' orbital assault after the first strike."

"Yes, sir!"

The crew sprang into action, preparing for the first wave of attacks—just a taste of the frigate's "low-tier" firepower.

Truth be told, Atlas CEO Sui Yang never saw Cyberpunk 2077 as a serious threat. The difference in scale was simply too vast. Atlas had ventured into interstellar warfare long before the portal to the Halo universe opened.

If the corporations in Cyberpunk 2077 had tolerated Atlas's growth and allowed their ideas to spread slowly, things might have stayed peaceful. But clearly, a gentle approach wasn't acceptable to the local megacorps.

With large-scale casualties inevitable, Atlas was now accelerating the collapse of the old regime, pulling back the curtain on the fifth "Corporate" war in this universe.

Meanwhile, back at the H4 apartment complex in Santo Domingo:

Gloria Martinez lay on the couch, napping to recover energy for her late-night shift. David, on the other hand, lay in his bedroom, staring at the cracked ceiling in deep thought.

His mother's worried expression gnawed at him, filling him with guilt. The last thing he wanted was to upset her with his decisions.

But he couldn't stop thinking about Atlas—about the training and the path it offered.

He sighed heavily. Perhaps he should just do as his mother wished—stay at Arasaka Academy and work his way up.

Whoosh!

Just as David made up his mind to keep his mother from worrying, a bright blue light suddenly filled his room, casting a glow over his conflicted face.

"What the...?"

Startled, David jumped out of bed and rushed to the window. Outside, he saw a straight beam of light descending from the sky, striking the western coast of Night City.

Moments later—

BOOM!!

A deafening explosion rattled the apartment.

The shockwave followed soon after, making the entire building shake.

"What's going on?!"

David's heart raced in confusion.

Whoosh—whoosh!

Before he could process what he was seeing, more blue streaks of light shot down like a meteor shower over the Watson district.

The light faded, replaced by explosions and columns of fire.

Boom! Boom!

More explosions followed in rapid succession.

"David?!"

His mother, Gloria, jolted awake from the tremors and rushed into his room. "Thank god, you're okay!" she exclaimed, relieved to see him safe.

"Mom, look outside!" David said, gesturing toward the window.

Gloria hurried over, her gaze following David's direction. Watson was ablaze, with explosions lighting up the night sky in the distance.

"What...?" Gloria frowned. "It's a good thing you came home and didn't get caught up in this."

"..." 

David said nothing, but deep down, his instincts told him that the beams of light and those "fireballs" were likely Atlas's doing.

Even though he and the other security interns weren't privy to company secrets, Jill Valentine, their instructor, was clearly capable of feats far beyond what any normal human should be able to do. Despite being a natural body, she easily outmatched the cybernetically-enhanced trainees. It wasn't just skill—it was strength.

David had felt it firsthand when she had choked him out during training. That kind of power wasn't something an ordinary human could achieve.

This only confirmed to him that Atlas possessed biological technology far beyond anything he had imagined.

As for the destructive beams and the blue "meteor showers" causing earthquakes? The only plausible explanation was a space-based weapon system. There was no reason for Arasaka or the other megacorps to attack Night City from orbit.

It could only be Atlas.

Whoosh, whoosh!

More burning "meteors" descended from the sky, this time directly targeting Watson.

"Mom," David said, turning to face Gloria. "If Atlas completely takes over Arasaka, Militech, and the other megacorps, I could work for them, right?"

"Uh, yes, of course," Gloria admitted.

Her dream had always been for David to reach the top of Arasaka Tower, where he'd be safe and prosperous. Arasaka had been a monolithic power for as long as she could remember, so naturally, she saw it as the best option.

But if Atlas truly overthrew Arasaka and the other megacorps, she had no reason to stand in her son's way anymore.

Seeing David smile, Gloria raised her left hand, wagging a finger at him as she sternly warned, "But I'll say this—security work is too dangerous. With your grades, you should aim for a safer, more prestigious job. And who knows if Atlas will even last? Until things settle down out there, you're not to leave this apartment, understand?"

Her cybernetic eyes glowed yellow as she added, "And I just got word from the school—they've canceled classes for the next week."

"Fine," David shrugged.

He wasn't exactly thrilled about school, so an extra week off felt like a free vacation.

Meanwhile, about a kilometer away from the Zero-Nine division building:

Sizzle, crackle.

The intense heat from plasma rounds caused the debris and streets to emit popping and crackling sounds as the surface began to sink in. The area was completely unrecognizable, charred and cratered.

Judging from the scattered remains, it looked like a convoy had passed through here. But the plasma had vaporized the vehicles and their occupants, leaving no trace of the people who had been caught in the blast.

This was only 4% of the plasma cannons' power, diminished further by atmospheric drag. At 100%, half of the district would have been erased.

However, such an attack would have caused massive civilian casualties. The convoy passing through this area had belonged to Arasaka's special forces, disguised as gang members to stage a surprise attack on Atlas's division building.

But their plan had been intercepted by Celine, allowing the Paris-class frigate to precisely target them from

 orbit.

Even with a careful selection of targets, the first plasma salvo had wiped out nearly a thousand elite mercenaries and gang members.

Arasaka had deployed 300 special forces soldiers to lead the assault, equipped with advanced cyberware and military-grade gear, making them the true spearhead of the attack. 

Despite the plasma strike eliminating two-thirds of the forces, the remaining attackers were still a considerable threat. 

From the sky, more "meteors" fell—orbital drop pods carrying elite Atlas forces.

Inside one of the armored trucks fleeing the chaos:

"Maine! What the hell was that?!"

A short, heavily-augmented woman with pale blue skin looked out at the wreckage and yelled at the large man in the passenger seat.

"How the hell should I know?!" Maine, the muscle-bound man, shouted back. "Falco! Drive faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can! Stop yelling at me!" Falco, the well-dressed driver with a neatly trimmed mustache, barked as he maneuvered the vehicle.

The truck's occupants—Maine, Falco, the short woman, a slender man in sunglasses, and three other women—were a crew of mercenaries.

Among them was the white-haired woman David had seen earlier near the H4 apartment.

They had recently completed a job with Gloria Martinez and passed along the intel that Atlas was about to be attacked. They had thought the contract to attack Atlas was an easy, lucrative deal.

Little did they know Atlas had orbital weapons.

"Cancel the job!" Maine barked. He quickly made the call to abort their mission, understanding all too well that the game had just changed dramatically.

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