Chapter 8 – The War Below

Volaris System, Sector 7-42D

Xyphora

 Scavenger Clan Headquarters – Command Center, Underground Ruins,

The air in the command room was tense.

Rei stood near the back, arms crossed, watching as a group of scavengers moved frantically around the control terminals.

Dim blue holo-screens flickered across the metal walls, displaying live feeds from the clan's security cameras—some positioned outside the ruins, others scanning deep within the tunnels.

And on every single screen—

Machines.

The Killer Drones were coming.

They moved in coordinated hunting formations, their red optics glowing in the darkness of the wasteland. More than before.

Rei swallowed hard.

He had barely survived against just a handful of these things.

Now, there were at least twenty.

And I'm just standing here, watching.

-Command Center –

Keven stood at the center of the room, his usual casual demeanor replaced with focused authority.

"Status?" he asked.

A scavenger at one of the terminals responded. "The drones are moving in fast. We estimate contact in under five minutes."

Keven nodded. "And defenses?"

"Perimeter turrets are online. Traps are set in the tunnels. But…"

The scavenger hesitated.

Keven frowned. "But?"

Another scavenger, a grizzled-looking woman with a cybernetic eye, spoke up.

"The drones are adapting. They're avoiding the areas we mined last time."

Seyra, standing beside Rei, scoffed. "Great. So they learn."

"Of course they do," Keven muttered. "The AIs running them aren't stupid. They've been fighting wars longer than we've been alive."

The room fell silent at that.

The reality of the situation was clear to everyone.

This wasn't just another raid. This was a battle for survival.

Keven turned to Garek, who stood near the tactical display.

"You're leading the first defense team."

Garek nodded. "Standard formation?"

"No," Keven said. "They know how we fight. We change tactics. Lure them into tunnel Gamma-3—force them into close-quarters combat."

One of the scavengers blinked. "That's risky."

Keven smirked. "Everything is."

Then he turned toward Rei and Seyra.

"You two? Stay here."

- Inside the Command Room-

Rei clenched his fists.

He didn't like just standing here while others fought.

But what could he do?

He had barely survived the last fight. He had no real experience, no proper weapons, and no training.

If he went out there, he'd just be a liability.

Seyra, however, didn't seem as troubled. She simply leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Fine by me."

Keven raised an eyebrow. "No complaints?"

Seyra smirked. "I'm not stupid. If I fight, I do it on my own terms."

Keven chuckled. "Still the same."

Rei ignored their exchange and turned back to the holo-screens.

Outside, the battle had begun.

- The Frontlines –

[Scavengers vs. Killer Drones begin]

The security feeds displayed chaos.

Garek's team rushed into position, taking cover behind broken fortifications. Heavy scrap-built turrets whirred to life, unleashing bursts of plasma fire.

The first wave of drones charged in.

Gunfire erupted.

Explosions rocked the tunnels.

Rei watched, his hands clenching into fists.

The scavengers fought with desperation, precision, and grit—but the drones were relentless.

One screen showed a drone pouncing onto a scavenger, claws tearing through armor.

Another displayed a scavenger taking down a drone, only to get gunned down seconds later.

Rei's breath caught in his throat.

This wasn't like the movies or video games.

This was real war.

People were dying.

And all he could do was watch.

- Command Room –

One of the scavengers monitoring the battle cursed.

"Turret six is down!"

"Gamma-3 team is taking heavy casualties!"

Keven's eyes flickered across the screens, his expression unreadable.

Rei couldn't stay silent anymore.

"Shouldn't we—do something?" he asked.

Keven didn't look at him. "We are doing something."

Rei gestured at the screens. "People are dying!"

Keven turned to him, his gaze sharp.

"Kid, let me tell you something about war."

He pointed at one of the screens, where a scavenger had just managed to stab a drone in its weak spot, bringing it down.

"That man just saved ten others."

Then he pointed to another, where a team of scavengers detonated a trap, wiping out multiple drones.

"And those people just bought us time."

Keven met Rei's gaze. "If we all just rush out there, we die faster. Strategy keeps us alive."

Rei gritted his teeth.

He didn't like it. But he understood.

This is survival.

This is how the Scavenger Clan has lasted this long.

-Outside the Base –

A sudden alarm blared.

One of the scavengers monitoring the exterior cameras paled.

"Boss!"

Keven turned sharply. "What is it?"

The scavenger stared at the screen in horror.

"We've got a new signal. And it's—bigger."

Seyra frowned. "Bigger?"

Rei felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.

He turned to the screen—

And his blood ran cold.

A massive figure was moving in the darkness.

Not a drone.

Something worse.

A towering mechanized war machine, its red optics burning like fire, its body covered in reinforced plating, with a heavy plasma cannon mounted on its shoulder.

One of the scavengers whispered in horror.

"That's not a drone."

Another one swallowed hard.

"No. That's a Reaper-Class Enforcer."

Rei didn't know what that was.

But judging by Keven's expression turning grim, and Seyra's sharp intake of breath—

It wasn't good.

And the battle was far from over.