[AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks to a generous briber, you will be getting 2 extra chapters today and 1 tomorrow, so make sure to thank them.
Just a reminder that Patreon Tier 3 members get more, so if you want more freebies, consider supporting me as an author.]
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"Multiple missile launches detected from each of the enemy ships," Spector announced as Adam sat in the holographic recreation of Spector Unit 6's cockpit.
"So they changed up their strategy, huh?" Adam remarked before adding in disappointment. "Shame, I was hoping to be able to absorb more energy when they fired their main cannons again."
"Errrr, exactly how many missiles are they launching?" Adam asked in disbelief as he continued to watch the eight enemy craft continuously launch missiles for several seconds.
"Calculating," Spector responded before continuing.
"Current enemy missile count is: Fifty.
Eighty.
One hundred and ten.
One hundred and thirty.
One hundred and fifty.
One hundred and…"
"Ok, ok, I get it," Adam said as he cut Spector off before adding, "Haven't these people heard of overkill?"
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): He's not wrong, that really is a ridiculous number of missiles just to take out one ship.]
[LadyErkath (Alastor): They must REALLY want to get rid of the Terran Princess.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Is she really that much of a threat to them? I mean, the Terrans are supposedly not exactly favoured in the universe, right?]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): True, the Terrans aren't, but the Solarians are. Do you think it's a coincidence that the ship carrying the Terran Imperial Princess was attacked en route to her meeting with the Solarian First Princess?]
[LadyErkath (Alastor): It's rather apparent that whoever is behind this attack wants the Terrans to keep their current standing in the universe.]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): An isolated race with no allies is easier to conquer.]
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): You think that's what they're after, gaining control of the Terran Empire?]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): It would make sense if it is the same group that helped the Terran Prince and attempted the assassination of the rest of the imperial family.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): If that's true, then this must have been something they have been planning and working on for years. Conquering a galaxy is not something that could be achieved overnight.]
Adam had been paying attention to his chat this entire time and as he saw the current discussion that was ongoing, he thought.
{Hmm, the Terran Empire's fall would be problematic for Spector Entertainment's growth. Spector, I'm assuming you're still monitoring my thoughts?}
[Affirmative.] Spector replied.
{Am I right in thinking that a recon drone would be the best way to allow you to access one of their ships' systems?}
[Affirmative. If the recon drone can attach to the hull of one of the ships, I can upload a virus that allows me access to said ship's mainframe.]
{Will they detect that?}
[I am more advanced than their ships, so I can hide my presence from them; however, we can't hide the recon drone.]
{Can you retrofit a missile into a recon drone, so that when it hits, they will just assume that the missile is a dud that failed to explode?}
[Affirmative.]
{Good, let me know when it's ready.}
[Affirmative.]
"Good, then let's begin," Adam said before the chat saw a compartment open up on each of Spector Unit 6's upper arms from which it retrieved two beam sabers from each compartment and equipped them.
[Prestigious3horns (Vinox 2): Damn. He's quad-wielding.]
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): I guess we know what the extra hands are for now.]
One moment, the chat was admiring Spector Unit 6 in its new form, quad-wielding beam sabers, the next moment, it had vanished, leaving empty space.
[Whitehorn (Darah 5): Huh?]
As the stream switched to a wider angle, they saw a blue streak of light race across space towards one of the incoming missiles before passing it; however, a moment later, the missile suddenly exploded.
The blue streak of light continued to fly past the incoming missiles, which exploded shortly after, leaving a blue trail of light where it had been.
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): PROGENITOR! I can't even follow its movements.]
[Animefangirl (Earth): THIS IS SO FUCKING ANIME!]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): It's moving so fast even the cameras can't keep up.]
[LadyErkath (Alastor): The only evidence we have to say that it was there was the blue streak of light it left behind and an exploding missile.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Damn, look at him go.]
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): We can't look at him go, that's the damn problem.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): It was a metaphor.]
"What on Tarrana Prime am I witnessing?" Andria asked as she stared at the blue streak of light on the viewscreen.
"Is this what he meant by being better off intercepting any attacks that come our way?" The commander asked.
"He's like literally plucking them out of the sky," The helm officer remarked.
"If by pluck you mean destroy and if by sky you mean space," The weapons officer added.
"Security Chief Benson to bridge," A voice suddenly said through the internal comms.
"Go ahead, chief," Andrea replied.
"Infestation eradicated, captain," Benson stated before adding, "We managed to take four of them into custody; the rest we had to eliminate."
"Good job, chief. Take the prisoners to the brig and the bodies to the morgue, before you move onto phase two," Andria ordered.
"Aye, Captain," Benson replied before ending the communication.
"Weapons, charge the main cannon," Andria ordered before adding, "Helm, bring us about and head straight for the enemy."
"Ma'am," The weapons and helm officer replied.
"You're actually going to follow his plan?" The commander asked in surprise.
"It's the princess's command and besides, you can see for yourself that he's keeping his word and protecting us," Andria replied.
"Understood, Captain," The commander replied.
Somewhere within Sector Seventeen.
"What's going on? Why are none of them responding?" Mr Mysterious Seventeen wondered out loud as he tried and failed to send messages and establish contact with his agents and contacts within the Sandanar Galaxy.
"Also, why is it only my people within the Sandanar Galaxy that I have suddenly lost contact with and not any of the others?"
It had been some time since he had lost contact with them. All of them had failed to reply to any of his messages or answer any of his calls.
As was his routine, he kept the Sandanar Galaxy's USNN channel on in the background to keep updated with any news he didn't receive through his agents, contacts or the organisation.
Just as he was wondering why he was getting no response and what his next move should be, he heard a breaking news announcement which caught his attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Sandanar Galaxy's USNN has just received word that the Terran Imperial family is holding an emergency press conference. We are going there live right now, where Empress Victoria Terrana has just taken to the podium."
The USNN footage switched from the presenter in the studio to the press room of the Imperial Palace, where Victoria began to address the gathered press and hovercams.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Victoria said in greeting before she continued.
"A short while ago, under the orders of the Imperial Family, the TISF and other security forces launched an operation to root out and eliminate the remaining individuals who worked alongside the traitorous Prince Andrew Terran.
Since his crimes came to light in the murder of Emperor Daniel Terran, as well as most of the imperial family. We have been conducting investigations into any individuals who have aided the traitorous prince and this led us to today's operation.
I am sorry to say that, from our investigations, we discovered several hundred individuals who where infact connected to and working with the traitorous prince, both in the attempted assassination of the imperial family and other operations which I can't speak of right now.
I am happy to report that due to the seamless coordination of the TISF and other security services, the operation went off without a hitch and we successfully captured or killed the individuals in question."
As she finished speaking, Victoria turned and walked away from the podium while ignoring the press that was shouting questions at her.
"Impossible," Mr Mysterious Seventeen gasped as he stared at the holographic screen showing the USNN channel in shock before he began to question aloud.
"How could they have possibly found them all? I was the only one who knew each of their identities, as they only worked together when absolutely necessary, while using pseudonyms when they did.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This basically ruins the organisation's plan to gain control of the Sandanar Galaxy…."
Mr Mysterious Seventeen got up from his desk and started to walk around his office while mumbling, "What do I do? What do I do? How do I salvage this?"
Eventually, he slumped back into his chair before saying in a defeated tone, "With them all dead or captured, there's no way I can salvage this, which means I'm screwed once my superiors find out, which wont be long since that fucking empress did a press conference about the whole thing."
As if on queue, he received a communication on his console and as he looked at who it was from, he saw that it was from his direct superior.
"I need to disappear and take on a new identity, that's the only way I will survive this."