Chapter 115: Into the Maelstrom

Chapter 115: Into the Maelstrom

The Draconic Flagship roared through the void, engines burning hot as it raced toward the asteroid belt. The two E3 Recon Cruisers pursued relentlessly, their sleek forms moving like predatory shadows through the darkness.

Liana's fingers danced across the console. "We're approaching the outer edge of the belt! Once inside, their sensors will have trouble locking onto us."

Raizen's golden irises gleamed as he grinned. "Then let's take them for a ride."

Joran braced himself against the bulkhead. "Remind me again why we're flying headfirst into a death trap?"

Kain loaded his rifle, checking its energy reserves. "Because it's either this, or we fight two ships out in the open."

Seraphina's voice was cool, unreadable. "The moment they lose sight of us, they'll call for reinforcements. We need to ensure they don't get that chance."

Raizen nodded. "Exactly."

Navigating Chaos

The moment they entered the asteroid belt, chaos erupted.

Massive chunks of rock, some larger than battleships, tumbled through the void at unpredictable speeds. The flagship's advanced maneuvering systems worked overtime, calculating thousands of trajectories per second as Liana adjusted their flight path with surgical precision.

Behind them, the recon cruisers hesitated, breaking formation as they attempted to follow without smashing into debris.

Raizen saw his opening. "Now."

Joran smirked, slamming a fist against the control panel. Rear thrusters ignited, sending a pulse of energy through the asteroid field. The sudden burst of force sent smaller debris flying in all directions, disrupting the cruisers' formation.

One of the enemy ships managed to stabilize, but the other wasn't so lucky. A massive asteroid collided with its left wing, sending it spinning off course.

Kain grinned. "One down."

The remaining cruiser adjusted course, trying to keep up. But Raizen wasn't done yet.

The Ambush

Seraphina's voice was calm. "They're sending a distress signal."

Raizen exhaled. "Cut them off."

Liana's hands moved swiftly, overriding the enemy's transmission frequency. "Done. Their signal won't reach past this sector."

Joran smirked. "Poor bastards."

Raizen's grin widened as he activated the ship's weapon systems. "Let's finish this."

The flagship twisted through the dense asteroid field, positioning itself above the remaining cruiser. Before the enemy could react, Raizen gave the order.

"Fire."

A concentrated plasma beam tore through the enemy ship's hull, cutting it in half in an instant. The wreckage tumbled through space, burning debris scattering into the void.

Silence filled the bridge for a moment.

Then, Kain let out a low whistle. "Damn."

Seraphina watched the wreckage drift away, her gaze unreadable. "They were only scouts. More will come."

Raizen exhaled, his excitement fading into sharp focus. "Then we move fast. Set a course for the next destination."

Liana brought up the nav-map. "Where to?"

Raizen's golden eyes glowed as he turned toward the screen.

"To whoever sent them."