Silver Eagles Underground Base — Pacific Coast of Mexico —
Alarms echoed throughout the entire underground facility.
They were not ordinary emergency alarms.
They were full-scale mobilization protocols.
The massive armored blast doors of the main sector remained closed while hundreds of white lights illuminated the hangar.
Metal columns covered in magical seals supported the reinforced ceiling.
Blue energy lines ran along the walls.
At the center of the hangar, the aircraft stood motionless.
Fifty units.
Silent.
Imposing.
The silver structures reflected the light.
They were not ordinary machines.
They were weapons built for a war the modern world had never known.
Dozens of technicians moved around them, inspecting combat matrices, energy cores, and magical synchronization systems.
No one spoke more than necessary.
Every movement was precise.
Controlled.
Trained over years.
—Dimensional reactors stable.
—Magical channels synchronized.
Holographic displays floated around the aircraft, showing absurd amounts of accumulated energy.
The internal reactors emitted a deep hum that could be felt in the chest.
A young technician observed the indicators of one of the ships as its magical energy continued to rise.
—Magical pressure keeps increasing.
The chief engineer raised his gaze.
—There is no problem.
—But the core is already exceeding normal parameters.
—That's because this ship was never designed for normal parameters. This is the commander's unit.
The young woman understood immediately.
Several meters away, a group of pilots finished putting on their combat suits.
The black and silver eagle-shaped plates on their uniforms began to glow as they synchronized with their magical signatures.
Marianne adjusted her combat gloves while observing the lined-up aircraft.
Even after years of seeing them… they still commanded respect.
Melina appeared beside her, carrying her helmet under her arm.
—New reports arrived from Canada.
Marianne turned slightly.
—How bad is it?
—The Lefebvre family base was attacked at the same time as Portland.
Silence grew heavy.
Another pilot looked up.
—So it really was a coordinated offensive. Those bastards.
Melina nodded slowly.
—And the Kartnod fleet is still advancing toward us across the Pacific.
Everyone fell silent.
Because they all understood what that meant.
If they had begun attacking major bases simultaneously…
A war had begun.
In the upper command center, multiple tactical screens projected ocean imagery obtained from military satellites and reconnaissance drones.
Victoria Aguilar stood in front of the main display.
Enemy signatures kept increasing.
Twenty ships approaching.
Dimensional distortions appeared one after another over the sea.
An operator turned toward her.
—New dimensional openings confirmed: thirteen more from the northwest.
Another officer checked the tactical calculations.
—The approach speed exceeds all initial projections.
Victoria remained silent, observing the map.
The Kartnod fleet advanced like a shadow covering the ocean.
Then another transmission appeared on the screen.
Images of destroyed buildings began to project.
The Lefebvre base.
Columns of smoke.
Aircraft in flames.
Another transmission followed immediately.
Portland.
Explosions.
Enemy ships overflying the coast.
—They attacked them at the same time…
Victoria did not look away from the screens.
She took a deep breath and said:
—That changes nothing.
The room fell silent.
The lines showing enemy advancement continued expanding across the holographic maps.
—First, they attacked Atlas bases.
—Then they struck the Guardian Families.
—Now the Kartnod fleet is operating freely.
Her voice remained completely steady.
But everyone in the room could feel the tension.
—The war has already begun.
No one disputed that statement.
Because it was true.
In the main hangar, technicians began removing containment seals from the aircraft one after another.
The ships' lights began activating.
The sound spread throughout the underground facility.
Deep.
Heavy.
As if massive beasts were awakening.
Several pilots instinctively looked up.
Even they could feel the magical pressure building in the air.
A young pilot observed the aircraft in front of her. She was not even eighteen years old.
—I will never get used to this.
The woman beside her gave a small smile.
—That's good.
—Why do you say that?
—Because the day these things stop scaring you… is probably the day you're already dead.
The aircraft emitted a deep vibration.
Silver lines across the fuselage began to glow slowly.
It was not decoration.
They were war seals.
Systems created specifically to fight the Kartnod.
In another section of the hangar, technicians connected massive metal structures to one of the aircraft cores.
Energy readings continued to rise.
—Synchronization exceeding ninety percent.
—Magical channels stable.
—Strategic weapons system ready.
One technician stared at the screen tensely.
—The energy output of this thing is absurd…
The chief engineer replied without taking his eyes off the readings.
—That's why only they can pilot them.
On the upper platform, Victoria finally descended into the main hangar.
Conversation stopped immediately.
Pilots straightened their posture.
The commander of the Silver Eagles walked between the aircraft as white lights reflected off her black uniform.
She did not need to raise her voice.
The entire facility fell silent as soon as she appeared.
Victoria observed the fifty aircraft aligned before her.
Each one represented years of resources.
The most advanced technology humanity could have at that time.
Generations of accumulated military magic.
Weapons capable of destroying entire cities in seconds.
And still…
they might not be enough.
An officer quickly approached.
—Commander, we have confirmed indirect visual contact with the Kartnod fleet.
The tactical screens changed immediately.
Black silhouettes appeared over the ocean.
Gigantic.
Countless.
Several pilots hardened their expressions.
—Current distance? —Victoria asked.
—Two hundred fifty kilometers and closing.
—Estimated time to reach the coastline?
—Just over one hour at their current speed.
Victoria activated her wrist communicator.
Her voice echoed throughout the entire installation.
—Listen carefully.
Everyone stopped.
Technicians.
Operators.
Pilots.
—The Portland and Ciudad Victoria bases are under attack.
Images of Portland and Canada were displayed on a large holographic screen.
—The Kartnod fleet continues advancing, and we have also detected another group approaching from the north.
The aircraft lights intensified, as if reacting to her words.
—If our line falls here… nothing will remain to stop them.
We must stop them, even at the cost of our lives.
For a moment, the entire base fell into absolute silence. Then Victoria continued:
—We will fight with courage and stop those bastards.
Technicians began disconnecting the last containment lines.
The aircraft emitted even stronger vibrations.
The entire ground structure trembled slightly.
Several pilots looked nervous. One technician spoke to them:
—You all must know what it feels like inside those cockpits, but you are very special. You are piloting the most powerful aircraft this world has ever seen. I hope you all return safely.
The pressure inside the hangar kept increasing. One of the magical engineers said:
—This is terrifying. The pressure they emit is overwhelming.
Another replied:
—They were designed specifically for this war.
The hangar doors began opening slowly.
The sound spread throughout the facility.
Air from the surface rushed into the hangar.
The red lights switched immediately to white.
Full combat mode.
Victoria looked at all the pilots. She spoke through the communicator:
—Today… we will show the Kartnod that the Silver Eagles remain as powerful as our ancestors.
The pilots ran toward their aircraft.
Deployment platforms descended automatically.
—Unit Seven ready.
—Unit Twenty-Four ready.
—Weapons system loaded.
—Dimensional core stable.
One after another, the cockpits closed.
Marianne boarded her aircraft and placed her helmet on.
The interior systems activated immediately.
—Pilot recognition confirmed.
—Neural connection established.
—Full combat authorization granted.
She smiled slightly as tactical systems filled her visor.
The energy of the machine was monstrous.
And it had only just begun to awaken.
On another platform, Melina activated her aircraft.
The entire structure vibrated.
—Unit Nineteen ready for launch.
Ahead, another pilot placed her hand on the silver fuselage before boarding.
—Let's tear them apart, partner.
External screens connected to reconnaissance drones showed the ocean.
And above it…
the Kartnod fleet finally appeared.
A black armada covering the horizon.
Victoria walked toward her aircraft.
The command unit.
Larger than the rest.
More elegant.
More dangerous.
The markings of her family engraved around the structure began to glow as she approached.
The system immediately recognized her presence.
The cockpit doors opened.
Victoria looked for a moment at the other forty-nine aircraft aligned in formation.
Then she boarded.
The cockpit closed, and all systems activated, synchronizing her visor with her vision.
—Full synchronization.
—Maximum authority recognized.
Victoria raised her gaze toward the surface gates.
—All units… take off!
Forty-nine voices responded at once.
—Copy!
The turbines began to whistle.
They did not sound like conventional engines.
They sounded like living weapons awakening.
The launch tunnel lit up completely.
The platform began charging magical energy.
The aircraft reactors released waves of power that shook the entire base.
The technicians watched in silence.
Because even they knew… they were witnessing the deployment of a force created to face the end of the world.
Victoria adjusted her combat visor.
The mark on her arm began to glow intensely.
—Silver Eagles… take off.
The aircraft moved forward slowly.
Light filled the entire tunnel.
One by one, the ships began to exit… knowing that some of them might never return.