Chapter -47: The Star Chaser's shadow
Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The announcement echoed through the outpost comms, carried on the crisp, authoritative tone of the 7th Battle Group's communication network: "Supply Convoy 'Star Chaser' entering system. ETA Outpost 7 orbit: ninety minutes. Designated personnel prepare for cargo transfer and equipment deployment."
Valerius heard it in his quarters, the words confirming the final closing of his already narrow window. The specialized deep-penetration scanners, the tools that could potentially expose everything, were here. Any thought of attempting the risky infiltration of the decommissioned Xenobotanical Lab to tap the unstable plasma core evaporated instantly. The risk profile, already moderate-high, skyrocketed to suicidal with the imminent arrival of advanced Navy sensor technology and the personnel trained to use it.
He felt a surge of frustration, sharp and cold. The power within the core remained tantalizingly out of reach, locked away beneath his bunk while his progress towards Mid-Level Wargod remained stalled at 35%. He had hoped for one more infusion, one more significant leap before the Navy's grip fully tightened, but circumstance and Kaelen's persistent suspicion had denied him.
'System, abort planned infiltration of Xenobotanical Lab 3. Re-assess long-term energy acquisition strategies focusing on minimal detection risk under enhanced Navy sensor grid.'
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The System's cold logic confirmed his assessment. No more easy power-ups here. His advancement would return to a crawl, relying on discipline, time, and the slow optimization provided by the nanites – unless an entirely unforeseen opportunity presented itself.
He watched on his console as the 'Star Chaser', a bulky freighter escorted by two Navy destroyers, maneuvered into orbit. Shuttles immediately began descending, ferrying personnel and, more importantly, heavily shielded equipment containers towards the outpost's main landing pads. Valerius used his Spatial Sense, carefully shielded, to feel the powerful energy signatures of the descending equipment – complex, potent, far beyond the outpost's standard tech. The scanners had arrived.
The atmosphere within Outpost 7 shifted again. The Navy presence intensified, security checkpoints became more stringent, and access to engineering sections and lower levels was further restricted pending deployment of the new equipment. Valerius saw Lieutenant Kaelen conferring animatedly with Lieutenant Commander Jian near the main command center lift access, likely discussing the imminent scans and reiterating his theories about anomalies. Kaelen looked energized, vindicated perhaps, now that the tools to potentially prove his suspicions were finally here.
Valerius maintained his routine, attending briefings, reviewing tactical data (the Scorpions in Grid 11 remained stubbornly inactive), and spending time in his quarters practicing his Wargod abilities. He focused on refining his Spatial Sense, pushing its range and clarity, learning to filter the complex web of energy signatures within the now-crowded outpost. He practiced the subtle environmental manipulations, achieving near-invisibility with minor temperature shifts, useful perhaps for creating diversions or masking his own thermal signature if needed. If he couldn't gain raw power quickly, he would hone his existing abilities to a razor's edge.
Investigator Thorne arrived planetside from the Vigilant shortly after the 'Star Chaser', overseeing the unloading of the scanning equipment personally. Her presence added another layer of high-level scrutiny. Valerius felt her potent M4+ energy signature briefly sweep the command center during a coordination meeting, a passive but thorough assessment of everyone present. He kept his own Wargod energy tightly leashed, projecting only disciplined competence.
Later, Jian requested Valerius provide detailed logs of all sensor readings, including the 'ghosts' Kaelen kept referencing, specifically from the timeframes Valerius had been active near the testing bay and the xenobotanical lab access points. It wasn't a direct accusation, but they were clearly correlating Kaelen's reports with Valerius's known activities and the logged anomalies, however faint.
"Provide Lieutenant Commander Jian with all requested logs, unfiltered," Valerius instructed the System, ensuring his tone over the internal comms link was purely professional. He knew the System had already masked or corrupted the most incriminating data, but allowing Kaelen and Jian to scrutinize the 'clean' logs might actually serve to lessen suspicion in the long run, making Kaelen seem obsessed with non-existent patterns. It was another calculated risk.
As the cycle drew to a close, Valerius stood by his viewport again. Shuttles moved back and forth from the 'Star Chaser'. Navy technicians were likely preparing the deep-penetration scanners for deployment, first to Moon 7C, then inevitably, here. The shadow of the investigation loomed large. His path forward had narrowed considerably. He needed to be patient, meticulous, and find new avenues for advancement and influence within the constraints of the Navy's watchful eyes. The game had changed, demanding a shift in strategy from rapid, risky gains to careful, long-term maneuvering.