Defiance

As a Dumayar corvette closed in within the proximity of the kill zone of the land wagon's flak cannons, it burst into flames as its vital parts were hit. The corvette then slowly descended to the ground, pillars of smoke trailing behind it.

Of the seven ships, six continued their approach but spread out and maneuvered to avoid getting hit. Inside the control room of his frigate, General Voldyck observed the battlefield with cold calculation. He turned to his captain and issued a decisive order.

"Prepare for an approach to the land wagon."

"Yes, General!" The captain replied and relayed the command to the other ships.

Voldyck leaned back slightly, his lips curling into a smirk. "It's unfortunate to lose a ship for a retrieval mission. It will be successful nonetheless."

A crew member turned to him, tension in his voice. "General, the agents are already in the cargo hold."

"Good," Voldyck responded. "What is their current progress?"

"Not good, sir! A band of trespassers and Federal patrol intercepted them."

Voldyck's gaze turned icy, locking onto the crew member with an intensity that made the man stiffen. A palpable silence filled the room.

Seeing the corporal's growing fear, Voldyck exhaled slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need to be afraid. You are merely doing your job."

The corporal swallowed hard and nodded, relieved to be dismissed. Voldyck turned his gaze back to the tactical screen.

"We will continue this mission. Everyone, stay focused!"

----

The standoff in the cargo hold continued. The cloaked men raised their hands in surrender, their weapons lowered, but Prince Andrea and his men refused to comply. Milena narrowed her eyes and shifted her aim.

"Raise your arms where I can see them!" she commanded firmly.

Prince Andrea chuckled, stepping forward with deliberate confidence. "You don't seem to know who I am."

Milena scrutinized him carefully, unimpressed. "Not a clue who you are, young man! Obey my orders, or you will be shot!"

Andrea continued walking until he stood close to one of Milena's men. His chest bore a distinguished badge, catching her attention. Her eyes widened in shock.

"The badge of the House of Albani! You shouldn't be here!" Milena exclaimed.

Andrea smirked. "Stand down, patrolman. I have a say in what happens to this cargo, and I will destroy it. Roy!"

Roy, one of Andrea's men, hesitated. "But my prince, I cannot do it if it means taking your life!"

"Nonsense! If the Dumayar get hold of this cargo, we don't know what they'll do with it!" Andrea said with conviction. "My life is a small price to pay for such an endeavor. Corium is a sacred element, a treasure of our Federation's soil. I won't allow my enemies to have it!"

Milena reeled at his words. Her gaze flickered to one of the crates, a faintly glowing liquid seeping from its seams. A cold realization settled in her stomach.

"That's no ordinary liquid… that's Corium leaking from its solid state," she murmured.

She turned back to Andrea. "Stand down, my prince. I will escort you out of here!"

Andrea shook his head defiantly. "I will not! I will return to Forzzine and liberate it!"

Milena tensed. "What do you mean? By doing this, you'll break the treaty, and an all-out war will engulf us all!"

Andrea remained unfazed. "And yet you allow the illicit trade of our Federation's treasures to the enemy! The Dumayar cannot be trusted. Their presence here alone proves it!"

Milena clenched her jaw. The situation had escalated beyond a mere skirmish. It was no longer just about the cargo—it was about war, loyalty, and the future of their nations.

Suddenly, the entire land wagon jolted as a powerful round from the Dumayar frigate struck it. Everyone lost their balance, including Milena's men. The cloaked men, taking advantage of the chaos, opened fire as soon as stability returned.

Two of Milena's men were hit, one fatally. The rest dove for cover as the cloaked men unleashed a hail of bullets toward Milena and Prince Andrea's group.

"I guess we'll have to help each other, then!" Andrea shouted, taking cover behind steel crates a few meters away from Milena.

"Your safety is still the priority, Prince of Albani!" Milena shot back. "Once this is over, we're dragging you back to the northern countries—whether you like it or not!"

Prince Andrea smirked. "Over my cold corpse, patrolman!"

----

Back in the control room, Captain Michel and the others worked frantically to coordinate the land wagon's defense. His wireless transmitter crackled to life as Milena's voice came through.

"What's the situation, Milena?" Michel asked.

Gunfire echoed through the transmission. "What's the status? Over?" he repeated, his concern deepening.

"We ran into some agents from the Dumayar, Captain!" Milena responded. "Prince Albani is here as well! We've got our hands full, and there's something you need to know…"

"What is it?" Michel demanded.

"Corium, sir. The contraband… this is why the Dumayar want the cargo! I suggest we dispose of it before they—"

Michel interrupted her. "No! It'll create a catastrophic explosion if we do that! We cannot allow the passengers here to be caught in the crossfire. We cannot allow collateral damage!"

"I understand your concerns, Captain, but—" Milena tried to protest.

"We will get out of here alive, everyone!" Michel declared, leaving no room for argument.

Milena replied to him and said, "Roger that, captain!"

"Good!" 

The gunfire intensifies in the background.

"I will continue to update you, captain!" Milena said.

"Take care there, lieutenant!" Michel replied and ended the transmission.

After the transmission ended, one of the crew said to him, "Sir, the enemy is moving in to box us." 

"What do you mean?" Michel asked the crew what he meant.

"The sensors indicates of their ship's movements. They are trying to set a trap for us!" The crew explained.

"Very well, if that's what they want!" Michel said and added, "Everyone, prepare for the next phase of the defense for this land wagon!"