Chapter -51 The Unblinking Eye Approach

Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery

The six hours it took for the System to complete its counter-forensic sweep of the outpost network logs felt like an eternity to Valerius. He remained in his quarters, ostensibly reviewing standard operational procedures for the new Navy protocols, but his inner focus was entirely on the System's progress. Every flicker of his console, every distant footstep in the corridor, felt like a potential interruption, a discovery.

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Less than one percent chance of a direct digital trail. It was the best he could hope for. The System had done its work, meticulously erasing his digital footprints. But the caveat about physical evidence and energy signatures was a stark reminder – the deep-penetration scanners dealt in precisely those realms.

With the digital front secured as much as possible, Valerius turned his attention back to his Wargod consolidation. The 35% progress towards Mid-Level felt like a wall he couldn't breach without the unstable plasma core, and accessing that was now unthinkable. He focused instead on refining his control, pushing his Spatial Sense to its absolute limits, trying to extend its range beyond the confines of his wing, attempting to 'feel' the energy signatures within the main command center, to sense the subtle shifts in the outpost's overall energy grid as Navy technicians continued their integration.

He practiced his energy signature suppression until it became second nature, a constant, low-level nanite process that kept his Wargod aura tightly leashed, projecting only the familiar energy of a High-Level Warrior. He knew it wouldn't fool a dedicated scanner at close range, but it might prevent casual detection by the numerous M3 and M4 cultivators now walking the outpost's corridors.

News from Moon 7C continued to arrive in filtered updates via Lieutenant Commander Jian. Investigator Thorne's team, utilizing the first deep-penetration scanner, was meticulously mapping the Precursor facility beneath Crater EC-117. They confirmed the 'Omega-734' signal emanated from a central, heavily shielded chamber that appeared to be a primary containment vault. The structure itself was vast, far more extensive than initially believed, with evidence of advanced energy conduits and unknown technological installations, all deliberately and catastrophically damaged by the Scorpions.

"The scale of the Precursor site is… significant," Jian admitted during a brief update to Commander Vorlag and Valerius. "And the level of destruction suggests the Scorpions were either terrified of what they found, or determined no one else could access it." He looked pointedly at Valerius. "Investigator Thorne also reports that the resonance link between the Omega signal and the anomaly beneath this outpost is becoming clearer as they refine their analysis of the moon signal. She has formally requested the second scanner unit be made operational here as soon as her primary survey of the Omega chamber's exterior is complete – likely within the next 12 to 18 hours."

The timeline was shrinking rapidly. Eighteen hours, perhaps less.

Valerius noted Kaelen's presence at the edge of the briefing, listening intently, his expression a mixture of vindication and focused intensity. Kaelen had also received Thorne's updated assessment on the resonance link and had immediately submitted a supplementary report to Jian, reiterating his theory that the 'sensor ghost' Valerius had supposedly caused during the battle was not random, but a direct consequence of interacting with, or being influenced by, the outpost's own anomaly, triggered by the battle stress.

'System, analyze Kaelen's latest report. Probability of Jian or Thorne accepting this specific theory regarding the battle anomaly?'

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They might not suspect him directly of causing it, not yet, but they were increasingly likely to believe something strange connected to the anomaly had happened during the battle, something beyond simple sensor ghosts.

Valerius felt the unblinking eye of the Navy investigation turning slowly, inexorably, towards the ground beneath his feet. He had done all he could to cover his tracks, to prepare his defenses. The unstable core remained his hidden ace, a desperate power reserve if the worst came to pass, but using it now would be an admission of guilt.

He spent the remaining hours in a state of heightened awareness, his Spatial Sense constantly active, monitoring the outpost, tracking key personnel, feeling for any shift, any indication that the timeline for the scan had accelerated. The outpost hummed with Navy efficiency, a stark contrast to the chaotic desperation of the siege. But for Valerius, the quiet, methodical approach of the investigation felt far more dangerous. The instruments of truth were nearly ready to unveil whatever lay hidden, and he could only wait, watch, and prepare for the fallout.