Reinforcements

Vale stared at the map of their current position on the flickering display, the red dots representing the enemy forces closing in. His fingers clenched the edge of the console, the weight of command pressing heavily on his chest. Their options were running out.

"Aegis," Vale said, his voice steady, but there was no hiding the edge of urgency in it. "Any word from Phantom Squadron?"

A few seconds later, the AI responded, its tone colder than usual. "Reinforcements inbound. Four Phantom-Class Stealth Frigates—Phantom Squadron. Time to arrival: ten minutes."

Vale's heart skipped a beat. Four frigates. He wasn't expecting that much, not with the resources and time constraints they'd been under. Phantom Squadron had pulled through.

"Confirmed?" Vale asked, his gaze shifting to the tactical display as it updated with the incoming ships' signatures.

"Confirmed," Aegis replied. "They're operational, fully armed, and ready for engagement."

"Good. Let's make sure we're ready when they get here."

The air in the command center seemed to thrum with electric anticipation. The faint hum of the engines beneath their feet added to the tension, resonating through the reinforced metal walls.

"Get the crews in position. I want our systems primed," Vale commanded, his tone sharp. "We'll need every ship in top form when Spectre Squadron arrives."

"Acknowledged," Zero responded, already moving to his station with a focused intensity. "I'll run a full systems check. Everything's a go on my end."

"Same here," Doc added, sitting in the seat next to Zero, fingers flying over the control panel to sync the medical drones with the ship's systems. "We're good to go. No room for casualties today."

"Good." Vale turned back to the tactical map, narrowing his eyes as he traced the enemy ships' movements. The numbers on the screen continued to climb, a steady tide of red heading straight for them.

"Aegis, how much longer until those frigates arrive?" Vale asked, trying to shake off the gnawing feeling of uncertainty. He knew that these frigates were their last hope.

"Eight minutes. Estimated engagement window: six minutes."

"Perfect," Vale muttered. "Just a few more minutes."

The seconds felt like hours.

Suddenly, the tactical display flickered as a new set of signatures blinked into existence on the screen. A faint ripple in space, barely perceptible but unmistakable.

"Phantom Squadron inbound," Aegis reported.

The countdown timer on Vale's console dropped to zero. Four Phantom-Class Stealth Frigates emerged from the ether, their cloaking fields dissipating in a cascade of shifting quantum wavelengths. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was something positive on their side.

"Phantom Squadron, status report," Vale barked, his hands gripping the command console harder.

"This is Phantom Squadron, Major," came the voice of the Phantom-Class squadron leader, Captain Liora. "All systems are online. We're good to engage."

Vale didn't hesitate. "You know what to do. Let's give them hell."

The Battle Unfolds

The moment Phantom Squadron entered the fray, the battle erupted in a flurry of energy and kinetic force. Vale's ship trembled as enemy fire struck the hull, the ship groaning under the pressure, but their shields held strong. In the distance, the four Phantom-Class Stealth Frigates slid effortlessly through the battlefield, their cloaking fields flickering on and off, leaving ghostly trails of distorted space behind them.

"Shields holding, Captain," Zero reported, his voice tight with concentration. "We've got incoming torpedoes—five clicks out."

Vale's mind raced. He didn't need to look at the tactical display to know that the enemy ships were closing in. This was their moment to fight back.

"Phantom Squadron, fire at will! Focus on the lead frigates," Vale ordered, his voice resolute. "Aegis, target their engines—disable them."

"Understood," Aegis confirmed, activating the ship's targeting systems and locking onto the enemy fleet. "Firing on enemy engine arrays now."

The first Phantom-Class Stealth Frigate fired a barrage of kinetic slugs from its Hybrid Rail-Lance System. The massive projectiles shot forward with terrifying speed, hitting their mark on the lead enemy ship. The frigate's hull buckled, then exploded in a burst of blinding light, scattering debris across the void. The sound of the detonation rattled the command deck, but it was drowned out by the roar of battle.

"Nice shot!" Doc shouted over the comms, his voice laced with excitement. "Keep it up!"

At the same time, another Phantom-Class frigate deployed a series of Nyx-1 Kinetic Torpedoes, sending them streaking toward an enemy ship. The torpedoes remained invisible, silently cutting through space, until they reached the critical 100-meter range. Then, with a sharp, violent burst, they detonated with overwhelming force, sending another enemy ship into a violent death spiral.

"Enemy ship down," Aegis reported, the cool, calculating tone of the AI cutting through the chaos.

"Nice work," Vale muttered, his eyes scanning the battlefield. But they weren't done yet. The enemy had reinforcements.

The Pushback

As the enemy closed in on them, Vale knew they needed to press the offensive. The Phantom-Class Stealth Frigates were agile, their stealth fields giving them the element of surprise, but they couldn't win this battle just by sitting back. They needed to keep the pressure on the enemy, make them second-guess their next move.

"Phantoms, split formation," Vale commanded. "Flank their rear, disable their weapons. We'll take them from both sides. Keep the cloak active as long as you can."

The Phantoms split apart, their hulls shimmering briefly as they activated their cloaks. The ships moved silently through the chaos, positioning themselves on either side of the enemy force.

A burst of fire from one of the Phantoms' Dual FTL Rail Cannons struck an enemy cruiser's shields, destabilizing them. At the same time, another Phantom-Class frigate's Hybrid Rail-Lance fired directly into the heart of an enemy destroyer's weapons array, silencing it with a single shot.

"Target locked," came the voice of Phantom Squadron's weapons officer. "Firing Disruptor Pulse."

The pulse from the Hybrid Rail-Lance slammed into the enemy ship, sending a ripple through the space around it. The target's systems flickered and shut down, leaving it vulnerable to the next round of attacks.

"Nice work. Keep them on their toes," Vale ordered. "Aegis, patch into their comms. Let's see what we're up against."

The ship's AI complied, tapping into the enemy fleet's communications channels. Vale's ears rang with the sounds of desperate orders and threats. They were losing control.

The Final Push

With the momentum shifting in their favor, Vale didn't hesitate. "All units, forward! Take them down."

The Panthoms re-engaged, unleashing everything they had in a final, concentrated assault. The Nyx-1 Kinetic Torpedoes launched again, striking enemy ships just before their shields could react, turning the tide of the battle in an instant.

The enemy fleet's formation began to falter, ships breaking apart under the unrelenting assault from the Panthoms. The air on Vale's ship crackled with static, the tension palpable.

"Aegis, status?" Vale asked.

"Victory is imminent," Aegis responded. "The enemy fleet is breaking formation. We're taking the upper hand."

Vale let out a deep breath. The battle was far from over, but the first victory was theirs. The Panthoms had proven themselves, and for the first time in a long while, hope surged in Vale's chest.

"Panthoms, well done. Let's finish this."

And as the smoke of the first battle cleared, the squadron moved forward into the unknown, prepared for whatever came next.