Kaelen fell to his knees, placed both hands on the floor, and wondered what he was doing.
Even if they destroyed some enemy ships, they would eventually be overwhelmed.
And if they tried to fight to the very end, thousands of their men would die.
He remembered his uncle's words.
"If you ever become isolated, preserve your people. Ships can be replaced. Men cannot."
He clenched his fists.
The decision was humiliating.
But necessary.
—Open a channel.
The officers looked at him in surprise.
—Sir?
—We're surrendering.
Marisell took a deep breath.
—Forgive my insolence, but we did not endure all those thousands of years only to die after a defeat. And if they managed to surpass us, it only proves that we are not the gods we were led to believe we were.
Marisell picked up one of the magical communicators, closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and let out a sigh.
—I am Vice Admiral Marisell Tairren. To all ships: from this moment onward, I am assuming command.
Deactivate your weapons and shut down most of your generators. Leave only the magical shields active. We are surrendering.
She touched one of the screens and opened an external channel.
—If anyone can hear me, I am Vice Admiral Marisell Tairren in command. We surrender. Cease your attack.
—Sir, they're surrendering.
—It appears so, —Alexander replied.
Aboard the Minamoto ship, Haruki could hardly believe it either.
—I thought they would try to fight, —one of the commanders said.
—Looking at it objectively, they don't stand a chance.
—Will we accept?
—Yes.
Haruki picked up his communicator.
—Alexander, can you hear me?
—Yes, I can hear you, —he replied.— What do you think they're planning?
—From a practical standpoint, their ships are heavily damaged, and it looks like they were abandoned. I think that person simply wants to save her men.
Haruki activated his transmitter.
—I am Commander Haruki Minamoto. We accept your surrender. You are to completely power down your ships, deactivate your magical shields, and have all personnel assemble on the decks. If you comply with these orders, we guarantee that you will be treated as prisoners of war.
One hour later.
The thirteen Kartnod ships had been disarmed.
Boarding teams from the families took control of each vessel.
Thousands of crew members were taken into custody.
Kaelen was transferred to the Minamoto ship alongside Marisell.
When he entered the interrogation room, he looked exhausted.
Haruki and Alexander observed him for a few seconds.
—We are Haruki Minamoto and Alexander Anderson, heads of our respective families. You will receive medical attention while answering a few questions.
—Permission to speak, —Marisell said.— If you do not mind, I will answer your questions. I ask for nothing except that all of our men receive at least basic treatment. I am aware that we are in no position to make such a request, but I ask that you consider it.
—Very well, —Haruki replied.— Unlike you, we do not kill simply for pleasure.
—You are mistaken, —Marisell answered.— We are not carrying out a massacre for pleasure, but I don't believe that is what interests you, is it?
—You're right, so...
—Why were you heading to Easter Island?
Marisell answered.
—Because we discovered that there is a dimensional portal at that location leading to one of our bases that was sealed along with us.
—What does that mean?
—Simply put, it is an entrance to one of our family's bases.
According to the orders we received, we were all supposed to head to that point. We would enter and then seal it.
We would wait for the remaining sealing portals to collapse and then launch an attack with all of our forces.
The damaged ships would be repaired, and we would resupply. That location contains not only materials for repairs, but also workshops and personnel.
—How is that possible?
—I'll explain. The Mirror Dimension where we were sealed, as you call it, is not an empty space. It is a parallel existence, another world interconnected with this one through those portals. It is a world similar to the one from which the Supreme Beings came, but less technologically advanced and with a much lower level of ambient magic.
However, our ships were heavily damaged, and we could not perform dimensional jumps. Even if we could continue normal navigation, we were only slowing the others down, so they abandoned us.
Everyone was stunned. They could not process it. It was known that the Mirror Dimension was a containment zone, but not that it was an entirely separate world.
—After we were abandoned, a large portion of my men and I decided to surrender. We are not going to die for those who left us to our fate.
It has been a day since they abandoned us. The other ships have likely already regrouped and begun entering, since from the very beginning twenty ships were sent to investigate the flow of mana and energy emanating from that location.
—How were you able to locate it?
—It is our base. We use the same magical technology. Only our magical sensors detected it shortly after we returned to this plane. That is why Lord Kaisel ordered us to investigate it.
Once they entered, he was informed immediately, and since all of us suffered defeats, with the exception of the fleet sent north, we were ordered to withdraw and proceed to that location.
—Inform all the families immediately. If they manage to get inside, then practically all of our casualties were for nothing.
We must stop as many ships as possible.