Chapter -60: The Blind Investigation

Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery

The disabling of Scanner Unit Two sent shockwaves through the 7th Battle Group's command structure and Outpost 7. The anomaly beneath their feet was no longer a passive point of resonance with a distant moon; it was an active, potent force capable of defending itself against the Empire's most advanced investigative tools. The mood in Auxiliary Control Bravo, once the hub of anticipated revelation, was now a mixture of grim determination, scientific frustration, and a palpable undercurrent of fear.

Valerius navigated the aftermath with extreme caution. His System remained critically impaired, the nanite network struggling with self-repair, leaving him reliant on his innate Wargod senses and intellect. He felt a profound vulnerability, the loss of his primary analytical and sensory augmentation keenly felt in this high-stakes environment.

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The timeline for even partial recovery was agonizingly long.

Investigator Thorne, her face like carved granite, directed the salvage operation for the remnants of Scanner Unit Two. Navy engineers in heavy hazard suits carefully extracted fused components and shattered sensor arrays from the deployment point above Sub-Level 4. The damage was catastrophic; the scanner was a multi-million credit write-off. Thorne's fury was a cold, controlled burn that made even seasoned Navy officers tread carefully around her.

Lieutenant Commander Jian focused on collating data from before the scanner's destruction and coordinating with the Vigilant's orbital sensors, which were now maintaining a constant, if less precise, watch on the anomaly's energy signature. It had returned to its previous low-level, rhythmic pulsing, offering no further clues.

Lieutenant Kaelen, however, was energized by the event. The anomaly's violent reaction had lent undeniable weight to his theories. Valerius observed him frequently in deep discussion with Thorne and Jian, presenting his compiled data on the battle's 'sensor ghost', the energy transient near the decommissioned Xenobotanical Lab, and the resonance links.

"The anomaly's defensive pulse, Investigator," Kaelen argued during one such observed discussion, his voice carrying conviction, "while far more powerful, shared certain subspace harmonic characteristics with the event that disabled Frigate Two. It's not just random energy; there's a signature here, a type of force manipulation that standard outpost systems can't account for, but which could explain these disparate events if linked to a sufficiently powerful, localized source."

Thorne listened, her expression unreadable. "Your diligence in logging these anomalies is commendable, Lieutenant Kaelen. While direct correlation is unproven, the possibility of a unified underlying phenomenon is now a primary investigative track." She turned to Jian. "Re-task Scanner Unit One on Moon 7C. I want every possible detail on the Omega-734 signal and the Precursor containment vault. If these anomalies are linked, understanding one might give us leverage over the other."

The investigation, though blinded locally, continued with renewed urgency. The focus shifted slightly: if they couldn't directly probe the outpost anomaly, they would dissect its counterpart on the moon.

For Valerius, this brought a sliver of breathing room regarding an immediate re-scan beneath Outpost 7, but Kaelen's rising prominence in the investigation was a growing threat. Kaelen wasn't just suspicious of Valerius anymore; he was building a cohesive theory around all the strange energy events, and Valerius's 'unconventional' actions during the battle were a key data point in that theory. If Kaelen could convince Thorne that the 'sensor ghost' was a deliberate act of force manipulation similar in nature to the anomaly's pulse, the investigator's sharp eyes would inevitably turn towards anyone on the outpost capable of such feats – a very short list.

Valerius focused on his duties, providing routine analysis of the still-inert Scorpion fleet in Grid 11, maintaining his low profile. He used his impaired Spatial Sense to monitor Kaelen's movements, Thorne's briefings, and the general atmosphere of the outpost. He needed to anticipate their next move, their next line of inquiry.

The unstable plasma core remained hidden, a source of immense potential power he couldn't safely access. His Wargod advancement was stalled, while the dangers around him multiplied. He felt like he was walking a tightrope with a fractured balancing pole.

As the cycle ended, a new directive came down from Captain Rostova: all personnel with advanced kinetic training or specialization in energy manipulation – including Valerius and Kaelen – were to provide detailed statements regarding their understanding of subspace harmonics and unconventional energy signatures. It was framed as a general request for expertise, but Valerius knew its true purpose: Thorne and Jian were casting a wider net, looking for anyone whose knowledge or abilities might align with the bizarre phenomena they were encountering. The blind investigation was beginning to feel its way towards him.