Chapter -70 : The Unveiling

Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery

The silence in Auxiliary Control Bravo was absolute, a suffocating blanket broken only by the faint hum of emergency lighting and the suddenly ragged breathing of several technicians. Every eye was fixed on Valerius. The holographic display, moments before focused on the deep anomaly, now starkly highlighted the unexpected energy signature emanating from his own quarters – Officer's Quarters, Room 17.

Kaelen's whispered identification of the room's occupant hung in the air like a death sentence.

Investigator Thorne's holographic image, relayed from Moon 7C, was a study in controlled fury. Her eyes, like chips of obsidian, bored into Valerius. "Lieutenant Valerius," her voice was dangerously soft, yet carried the cutting edge of a razor. "Would you care to explain the presence of an unstable, high-density energy source within your personal quarters? An energy source that, I might add, our most advanced deep-penetration scanner has just detected from kilometers away, even while attempting to probe the primary anomaly."

Lieutenant Commander Jian, no longer the calm analyst, took a step towards Valerius, his hand instinctively moving towards his sidearm. His M3-Peak Kinetic energy flared, a palpable wave of pressure in the room. "That signature is consistent with a failing containment field around a volatile plasma core, Lieutenant. Such an item is not standard issue. Where did you acquire it?"

Valerius felt the walls slam shut. There was no plausible deniability here, no sensor ghost to blame, no complex theory to debate. The scanner, in its search for one secret, had stumbled directly upon another, far more personal and damning. His System was still a garbled mess, offering no solutions, no escape routes. He was utterly on his own.

He forced himself to meet Thorne's gaze, then Jian's. His mind, stripped of the System's analytical speed, raced, desperately seeking a viable explanation. The truth was impossible. A partial truth? Equally dangerous.

"Investigator, Lieutenant Commander," Valerius began, his voice remarkably steady despite the cold dread gripping his core. He had to control the narrative, however thin. "The energy source you've detected is indeed a plasma core. It was… salvaged."

"Salvaged?" Thorne's eyebrow arched. "From where, Lieutenant? And why was its presence not reported, especially given its apparent instability?"

"It was recovered from the wreckage of the Scorpion frigate that crashed during the initial feint attack," Valerius lied, seizing on the most recent, chaotic event that might offer a sliver of plausibility. "During a post-battle damage assessment near the crash site, my team located its core, damaged but still partially functional. Given its instability, I deemed it too hazardous for standard transport or storage without further analysis. I brought it to my quarters – admittedly, a breach of protocol – intending to study its containment field and report my findings on its potential as a localized energy weapon or a booby trap the Scorpions might have left."

It was a weak story, riddled with holes. Why wouldn't he report it immediately? Why his quarters? Why study it himself?

Kaelen scoffed openly. "Salvaged from the frigate wreckage? Lieutenant, that frigate was obliterated. Its core would have detonated or been fused slag. And to bring an unstable plasma core into the officer's wing? That's not just a breach of protocol; it's reckless endangerment of the entire outpost!"

"My intention was to assess the threat discreetly, Lieutenant Kaelen," Valerius countered, trying to maintain an air of misguided diligence. "To understand its properties before raising a broader alarm about potentially compromised Scorpion technology."

Jian stepped closer, his eyes narrowed. "And the energy signature, Valerius? The scanner detected it from kilometers below, even through its shielding and the outpost structure. That suggests it's either incredibly powerful or its containment is failing catastrophically. Or perhaps," his voice hardened, "it has been recently… accessed."

The implication hung heavy in the air. Accessed. Used.

Thorne's holographic image leaned forward. "Lieutenant Valerius, this discovery casts your previous… unconventional tactical successes in a new light. The energy required for the 'resonance strike' on the 'Crimson Fury', the precise kinetic pulse that disabled Frigate Two – could this 'salvaged' plasma core have been your power source?"

This was the accusation he had dreaded. They were connecting his actions directly to an illicit, powerful energy source.

Before Valerius could formulate a response, a Navy security sergeant entered the control room, saluting sharply. "Investigator Thorne, Lieutenant Commander Jian. As per your standing order to monitor Room 17, we detected Lieutenant Valerius leaving his quarters approximately two hours prior to this scan, carrying a shielded, standard-issue utility case. He returned shortly before this briefing."

Every head turned back to Valerius. He had been observed moving the core, likely on his way to or from the decommissioned testing bay or the xenobotanical lab. His earlier infiltrations, his attempts to gain power, were now directly linked to the object they had just detected.

Kaelen's eyes widened, then narrowed with triumph. "The energy transients I logged near the testing bay, then Lab 3… during the reactor shutdowns… He wasn't just observing; he was using it! That's where the anomalous energy readings came from!"

The pieces clicked into place for everyone in the room. The unexplained energy spikes, Valerius's presence, his improbable battlefield feats, and now the discovery of a powerful, unstable energy source in his possession.

Thorne's voice was like ice. "Lieutenant Valerius, you are hereby relieved of your duties pending a full investigation into unauthorized possession of hazardous materials, gross dereliction of duty, falsifying official reports, and potential endangerment of this outpost and its personnel. You will be confined to your quarters under guard. Surrender any weapons and your command overrides."

Two heavily armed Navy security guards stepped forward, their expressions grim.

Valerius felt a cold wave of despair, quickly suppressed. His carefully constructed facade had shattered. The unblinking eye of the scanner, diverted from its primary target, had unveiled him. His ambition, his Wargod power, his secrets – all were now under the harsh glare of Imperial Navy scrutiny.

He slowly unclipped his sidearm, placing it on the console. He met Thorne's gaze, then Jian's, then Kaelen's triumphant stare. There was no defiance in his expression, only a chilling, unreadable calm. The game had taken a disastrous turn, but it wasn't over. Not yet.