Shadow Strike

Mission: Destroy Kran Base – Human Planet: Eos-7

The Phantom-Class Destroyer Obsidian Lance emerged from the black void of space, its stealth systems humming as it approached the war-torn human world of Eos-7. Once a thriving colony, the planet had fallen to the Kran during the first wave of the invasion. Now, the remnants of humanity huddled in underground shelters, while the alien invaders constructed a massive base at the heart of the ruins.

Major Nathan Vale stood on the bridge, arms folded, eyes locked onto the holo-display showing the target site. Aegis' voice, precise as always, filled the air. "Kran fortress detected. Defensive perimeter consists of anti-air batteries, automated turrets, and patrol units. Multiple enemy signatures identified—standard Zhal'Khor infantry, supported by Rythar psionics. Probability of resistance: extreme."

Vale exhaled sharply. "Good. We wouldn't want it to be easy."

Drop Point – Eos-7 Atmosphere

The Tempest-7 tactical dropship tore through the sky, silent and invisible under its active cloaking veil. Inside, Team Blacklight sat strapped in, their weapons prepped. The cabin was dim, illuminated only by the pulsing red light of the countdown.

Lydia "Hex" Ashcroft checked the sigils on her armor, the faint psychic energy flowing through them like veins of fire. "Feeling the Kran's psionic stink already," she muttered. "They're waiting for us."

Vale adjusted his rifle, his expression unreadable. "Then we make them regret it."

Zero smirked, spinning a combat knife between his fingers. "Bet you ten credits I drop more Kran than you."

Kiera Voss rolled her eyes, tightening her gloves. "You always lose that bet, Zero."

Aegis' voice cut through the comms. "Insertion in 3…2…1. Disengaging cloak."

The dropship's ramp lowered, revealing the burning cityscape below. Kran patrols marched through the ruins, their towering exosuits gleaming in the firelight. The sky crackled with lightning from the planet's unstable atmosphere.

"Go!" Vale barked.

One by one, Blacklight leapt into the night, thrusters igniting as they plummeted toward the battlefield.

Urban Warfare – Streets of Eos-7

Vale hit the ground first, rolling into cover behind a crumbling building. The others followed—Hex, Kiera, Zero—each moving with the precision of seasoned warriors. Plasma bolts screamed through the air as the Kran sentries opened fire.

"Contacts!" Kiera shouted, firing her pulse rifle.

Vale peeked over the rubble and spotted a squad of Zhal'Khor warriors advancing with their signature plasma lances. "Take them down!"

Hex raised her hands, drawing in the latent energy of the battlefield. Sigils flared around her as she unleashed a Psionic Blast, sending two Kran soldiers crashing into the wreckage of a destroyed transport.

Zero sprinted ahead, tossing an EMP charge that detonated near an automated turret. Sparks flew as the device went dead. "Turret's offline!"

Vale wasted no time. "Push forward! We take the base or we die trying!"

The team moved with lethal efficiency, cutting through enemy forces as they advanced toward the heavily fortified stronghold.

A Kran enforcer lunged at Vale, its massive armored frame dwarfing him. The creature swung a plasma blade, barely missing as Vale ducked and retaliated, his kinetic blade slicing through its exosuit's weak points. The alien let out a guttural roar before collapsing.

"Damn thing nearly took my head off," Vale muttered.

"Should've moved faster," Hex quipped, hurling a Telekinetic Strike that sent another enemy flying into a wall. "You're getting slow, old man."

Vale snorted. "We'll see who's slow when we get to the finish line."

Final Assault – Kran Base

The Kran fortress loomed ahead, a towering structure of obsidian metal and pulsating blue energy. Defensive turrets swiveled, locking onto their position.

Aegis' voice crackled in Vale's earpiece. "Deploying Nyx-1 torpedoes."

From above, the Obsidian Lance fired its payload. The torpedoes cut through the atmosphere, nearly invisible until the final 100 meters. The first struck home, detonating with kinetic force so powerful it ripped through the fortress' outer walls.

"Breach secured," Aegis confirmed.

Vale led the charge through the smoke and fire, rifle blazing. Kran soldiers met them head-on, but Hex was already moving, her sigils carving through reality as she conjured a storm of psychic destruction.

A Rythar Strategist appeared, his mind pressing against hers like a crushing weight. Hex clenched her teeth. "Not today." With a flick of her wrist, she shattered his defenses, sending his mind into oblivion.

Zero ducked under enemy fire, firing his rifle in short bursts. "How many of these bastards do they have?!"

Kiera vaulted over debris, planting an explosive charge on a barricade. "Too many. Keep moving!"

The team pushed deeper into the facility, planting charges along the Kran command center.

"Five minutes until detonation," Kiera called.

Vale glanced around. The mission was almost over—but something felt off.

Then he saw it.

A Kahl'Nir General, standing at the heart of the facility, watching them with cold, glowing eyes. Unlike the others, he did not attack. He simply… smiled.

"Vale," Hex warned, her voice tight. "Something's wrong."

Before they could react, the room trembled, reality itself warping around them.

The Kran trap was sprung—but Team Blacklight was ready.

The General lunged, his psionic aura distorting the air, tendrils of raw energy reaching for them. Hex countered with a mental shield, the sheer force of the collision sending shockwaves through the chamber. Vale fired, his rounds striking home, but the Kran's armor absorbed most of the impact.

Kiera flanked left, tossing a thermal charge onto the General's back. The explosion staggered him, but he retaliated with a gravitic pulse, hurling Kiera into a pillar. She grunted but rolled back onto her feet. "That all you got?"

Zero darted behind the General, blades flashing, cutting deep into the alien's exposed joints. The Kran roared in fury, his form flickering between reality and something darker. "You think you can stop us?" it hissed.

Vale locked eyes with Hex. "End this."

Hex summoned every ounce of her energy, her sigils burning brighter than ever. With a final surge, she shattered the Kran's defenses, allowing Vale to drive his kinetic blade straight into the General's core.

The creature howled, its body collapsing into a void of unraveling energy.

Aegis' voice cut in. "Detonation imminent. Extraction required."

"Let's move!" Vale ordered.

Team Blacklight sprinted from the collapsing fortress, diving into the Tempest-7 just as the charges detonated, reducing the Kran base to nothing but fire and debris.

As they soared into orbit, Vale exhaled, glancing back at the burning ruins below. "One less stronghold. Many more to go."

Hex smirked. "Let's make them count."