Chapter 35: Flying Shadow 3
The command center aboard Flying Shadow 3 was in full swing, a flurry of activity that spoke volumes about the urgency of the situation.
On the main screen, instead of displaying navigational data or other real-time updates, the view showed the vast, empty expanse of space—its infinite blackness a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding within the ship.
The ship's core systems—its chips and engine—had been struck by an unknown, intense force. The disruption was severe enough to bring the vessel to a halt, leaving it adrift. Now, only the ship's internal anti-interference devices kept the chips and communication systems from completely failing.
"Captain!" A voice broke through the tense air, the tone thick with urgency.
"We've been hit by a high-intensity pulse of particles," a crew member reported, his voice shaky but controlled. "Multiple electronic components are overheating and suffering damage. The chip linkages are completely blocked. We need immediate component inspection, repairs, and replacements."
"How long?" Zhang Lian's face was ashen, but he remained composed, not the least bit rattled.
This wasn't the first time he'd dealt with such a crisis.
"Conservatively, about three hours," came the response.
The crew wiped beads of sweat from their brows, working quickly to address the damage.
"Gather all personnel to inspect and repair the components damaged by the pulse particles!" Zhang Lian barked. "At the same time, get the fire-control combat teams to their stations. Prepare to engage the interstellar pirates."
He paused, his mind racing. "Alert the security team. Deploy drones to scout the external environment, gather intel, and prepare for potential confrontation."
The ship, a behemoth in its own right, had been built for moments like this. But even so, there was no mistaking the gravity of the situation.
Zhang Lian was calm under pressure, orchestrating everything with precision. His experience on the battlefield came through in moments like this, and soon, everyone on the ship was in motion, following his orders to the letter.
Meanwhile, aboard the Flying Shadow 3's transport ship:
The main screen suddenly blinked off, turning black. The Qingniao, which was also being hit by the high-intensity pulse particles, had experienced a system crash. The ship's chip was completely fried.
Before anyone could react, an urgent red warning flashed across the console: Transport ship under attack!
Tian Xiao, who had been working out in the gym, stopped immediately. He wasted no time. Pulling on his battle uniform, he grabbed a nutritional bar and began to chew on it, his mind already in tactical mode.
"Qinglong!" He called, his voice firm.
"Take control of the Qingniao and activate its kinetic energy engine."
The situation had escalated fast. Not only had the ship been attacked, but interstellar pirates were now involved. His first mission escorting a transport ship was quickly turning into a disaster.
"Qingniao's energy storage system is offline," Qinglong, the ship's AI, replied with efficiency.
"Activate the bio-energy system to power the Qingniao," Tian Xiao ordered, already anticipating the limitations of this fallback solution.
"Remaining bio-energy is 158," Qinglong reported. "Under normal circumstances, this would allow the ship to fly for three hours. However, if used for computation, the time is reduced to fifteen minutes. Combat is not recommended."
"Current danger level is high, please use bio-energy with caution."
Tian Xiao nodded, grimly aware of the sacrifice required. The bio-energy conversion system was a last-resort measure. Every pilot, regardless of skill, had to rely on their bio-energy to control the ship. The more bio-energy one had, the larger and more complex the vessel they could control.
The Flying Shadow 3's captain, Zhang Lian, needed a team of engineers to activate its defensive systems. But Tian Xiao and his companions, with their relatively low chip levels and limited bio-energy, could only control smaller ships like the Qingniao.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door of the cockpit.
The voice of a staff member echoed from outside.
"Captain's orders: The security team is releasing drones for reconnaissance. Gather intelligence and prepare for the worst."
Tian Xiao wasn't surprised. With communication systems on the fritz, shouting was the only way to get orders across.
The main screen flickered back to life, but the ship's operations had stalled. When activating the bio-energy conversion system, it drained the pilot's energy, leaving many functions offline—except for propulsion, communication, and fire-control systems. Environmental functions, like temperature control and ventilation, were limited.
Thirteen other Qingniao ships had been activated in the meantime.
"Security team, report bio-energy data," the voice of Luo Fei came over the comm system.
The usual data feed had been replaced by a series of audio reports.
"Chen Wuling, 160.""Liu Xuesong, 172.""Qiao Dazhi, 177.""Old Lu, 133." The voice was weak, tinged with exhaustion.Old Lu's condition was deteriorating. Losing one kidney had taken a heavy toll on his physical state.
Tian Xiao checked his own status:"154."Zhu Xiaotian, however, had the lowest bio-energy:"100."
She was still an ordinary adult by most standards, with only the physical capacity to manage an H1-class ship. Operating the Qingniao in combat would be unsustainable for more than a few minutes.
Luo Fei, as expected, kept his bio-energy data to himself, but everyone knew he was one of the best—H9-level strength and at least 200 bio-energy.
"Old Lu, you have experience with drones. Pair up with Zhu Xiaotian and take the lead on this reconnaissance mission," Tian Xiao directed. "You focus on gathering intel, Zhu Xiaotian, set up the drones. Get in and out quickly. Understood?"
"Got it!" Old Lu responded, his voice sharper than before.
Zhu Xiaotian knew that she had been assigned this mission because her bio-energy was the lowest—meaning she could afford to spend it on less critical tasks. The others needed to be ready for combat, a much more perilous situation.
The hatch opened, and two Qingniao ships rocketed out into the cold void of space, one trailing the other.
"Liu Xuesong, Qiao Dazhi—escort them!" Luo Fei ordered.
Tian Xiao, meanwhile, had refrained from launching himself into the fray. He continued to chew on the nutritional bar, which was doing wonders to replenish his bio-energy. His levels were steadily rising, now at 160 and climbing.
The pancreas of a lizard-claw insect, worth hundreds of thousands, was rapidly restoring his energy. At times like this, every bit of bio-energy counted. A few more seconds of endurance might mean the difference between life and death.
As the second wave of Qingniao ships exited the transport vessel, Old Lu and Zhu Xiaotian released their drones, quickly presenting a 360-degree live feed to the crew. Despite his weakened condition, Old Lu's experience in controlling drones paid off. Dozens of drones spread out in the upper and lower sections of the ship, ensuring no blind spots.
The remaining drones sped off into the distance, scanning for threats.
Then, out of nowhere, a blinding line of fire shot from deep within space, striking and destroying one of the tiny drones. The transmission feed cut off abruptly.
Moments later, more fire came—an unrelenting barrage, turning the sky into a fiery sea of destruction. The pirates were making their move.
The drones were no match for the rapid-fire weapons. All of them were destroyed in seconds.
Old Lu had hoped that if he had the Qingniao's chip and power storage, he could issue course-correction commands to the drones in time, but the bio-energy drain was too high. He didn't have the luxury of such fine calculations. The pirates' relentless fire took out the drones with brutal precision.
But they weren't done yet. The pirates had already locked onto Old Lu and Zhu Xiaotian. They weren't going to let up.
Just as the situation seemed dire, Liu Xuesong and Qiao Dazhi arrived on the scene, their ships coming into range just in time.
The two pilots immediately locked onto the enemy, unleashing a barrage of fire in their wake.
The pirates had underestimated the resolve of the Flying Shadow 3's crew.