March 28.
In the night sky over Kostia City, numerous stars flickered due to the refraction and scattering caused by the atmosphere. Two irregular moons reflected the light of Eredana A (the star), providing Kostia City with two glowing "guide lamps."
From above, the colonial capital appeared dimly lit, with only moonlight, starlight, public lighting, and the occasional glow from apartment windows or bathrooms. Even the number of open supermarkets and bars could be counted on one hand—nightlife was almost non-existent.
This lack of vibrancy was understandable. For the past two centuries, 80% of the resources extracted from the Eredana system had been shipped to Earth, Mars, and Reach. Only in the last few decades, when rebellions spread across human colonies like wildfire, did Eredana finally halt its resource shipments.
However, the situation didn't develop as the colonists had hoped. Civil wars and terrorist attacks became the norm, leading to severe inflation and an unprecedented economic depression.
When Free Liberation took control, replacing the UEG government, the economic situation only worsened. The rebels needed a strong military to fight the UNSC, so they poured even more resources into warfare.
Yet, most of the colonists in the Eredana system still supported Free Liberation, willing to endure hardship. At least for now, the leadership of Free Liberation hadn't shown signs of corruption, and they all shared a unified goal: to rise against the injustices of Earth's government.
But...
Some colonists believed that Free Liberation's radical ideology and actions would ultimately destroy the Eredana system from within.
At this moment, about ten kilometers from the orbital elevator platform, sat the abandoned warehouse district in the eastern outskirts of Kostia.
Years ago, this area had been taken over and repurposed by Free Liberation to serve as a base for training, target practice, and assembling forces. From a distance, however, the base looked rather "shabby."
Old-fashioned barbed wire surrounded the perimeter, while the guard posts and command building looked quite simple, and the anti-aircraft defenses were relics from the late 24th century.
Of course, this base was mainly for new recruits, so it made sense that Free Liberation prioritized its funds and resources on more important projects and facilities.
This base also held over a thousand hostages, including passengers and some crew members from the Neptune.
Inside a large warehouse on the edge of the base:
Sob... Sob...
Sighs and cries echoed through the warehouse.
The warehouse had two levels and had been converted by Free Liberation into a makeshift prison. Dozens of metal-barred "cells" held multiple people in cramped spaces barely large enough to lie down.
When it came to relieving themselves, the prisoners had small bottles or basins for that purpose. At first, people tried to hold it in, unwilling to expose themselves in front of strangers. But as time passed, more and more people could no longer bear it and had no choice but to use the bottles and basins.
Luckily, the patrolling rebels had cleaners come every six hours to dispose of the waste, so the air inside the warehouse remained bearable for now.
Still, after less than a day in these conditions, many of the passengers were already on the verge of collapse.
They had gone from enjoying luxurious meals on a cruise ship with clean bathrooms to eating barely edible rations and struggling even to wash their hands.
However, Leon, Mike, and Maggie hadn't yet experienced such humiliations in front of the other captives.
Moreover, they had already figured out the patrol and shift change patterns of the rebels.
At this moment, the warehouse doors opened.
Twenty fully armed rebels, their helmets equipped with monocle displays, entered to relieve the previous guards on duty.
Once the shift change was complete, the doors shut again. Mike, who was in one of the second-floor cells, glanced at the rebels who were lighting up cigarettes. He lowered his voice and said, "Old friend, sis, you two handle the first-floor guys. I'll take care of the second floor. Remember, be quick."
"Got it."
"Understood."
Leon and Maggie nodded in agreement.
Even in this situation, surrounded by seemingly innocent hostages, Mike hadn't revealed their real names, referring to Leon as "old friend" and Maggie as "sis."
After finalizing their brief plan, Maggie, the strongest of the three, stood up and approached the metal bars of their cell.
Under the stunned gazes of their fellow prisoners, Maggie effortlessly pried apart the bars with her bare hands, creating a gap large enough to slip through. She then stepped into the hallway outside the cell.
Leon and Mike followed closely behind.
What?! How can anyone be that strong?!
The passengers in the same cell were dumbfounded.
Some of them hurriedly stood up, hoping to escape through the "survival passage" that Maggie had just created.
But before they could even get up, Maggie bent the bars back into place, sealing the gap. She then leaped down to the first-floor hall.
Thud, thud!
The sound of her feet hitting the floor caught the attention of nearby passengers, crew members, and, more importantly, the rebels.
!!!
The rebels, who had just lit their cigarettes, were startled to see a hostage standing in front of them and immediately reached for their guns.
"You! Stop—urk!!"
"Hey—"
"Enemy—ah!"
Unfortunately for them, no matter how quick they reacted, they couldn't match Maggie's speed.
With a sprint and a few simple punches and kicks, she crushed the arms and legs of the rebels, leaving them incapacitated on the floor.
Crack!
Snap!
The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed through the warehouse.
The rebels, now unable to fight, lay on the ground, groaning in pain.
Hearing the commotion, the remaining rebels raised their guns and rushed toward the hall, trying to provide cover for their injured comrades.
But Leon and Mike intercepted them in close combat.
Even though Leon and Mike weren't as physically powerful as Maggie, who had undergone genetic enhancement, they were more than capable of taking down several rebels without mechanical exoskeletons.
In less than half a minute, the twenty rebels who had just changed shifts were all lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Oh my god...!"
"We're saved!"
"Their moves, their efficiency... It's like something out of an action movie!"
The passengers and crew, finally realizing what had happened, cheered in relief.
Some of the female crew members, still in their uniforms, even shot admiring glances at Leon, his blond hair catching their attention.
After all, Leon had an uncanny charm with women, and his appearance fit the aesthetic preferences of many.
As for Maggie, the male passengers and crew kept their distance—no one wanted a partner who could crush bones with a single punch.
However, as the initial joy faded, the crowd began to argue and debate once more.
"Please, let us out!"
"Out? If we leave, we'll either die or be recaptured."
"With the three of them, we have a chance!"
"Chance? They're three people, not an army."
"But if they're undercover UNSC agents, doesn't that mean the UNSC is planning a rescue?"
While many passengers wanted to escape, others knew that fleeing would only result in worse consequences.
Some even believed that Leon, Mike, and Maggie were undercover UNSC agents because they were now gathering the rebels' equipment, weapons, and ammunition.
"Everyone, quiet down!"
At this point, Mike, the team leader, raised his voice.
"For your own safety, it's best that you stay here to avoid getting caught in the crossfire when the fighting starts.
"Secondly, we are not UNSC agents. We are ordinary employees of Atlas.
"So please remember, Atlas has nothing to do with the UNSC or UEG.
"Now, let's go!"
With that, Mike, along with the now fully armed Leon and Maggie, opened the warehouse doors and left the makeshift prison.
"Atlas?"
The remaining crowd was left in confusion.
"Can someone help us...?"
Meanwhile, the twenty rebels with broken bones were writhing in pain, their adrenaline fading, leaving them with nothing but the excruciating agony. The hostages could only spread their hands helplessly, unable to offer assistance.
Outside the warehouse:
Wearing helmets and body armor, Leon, Mike, and Maggie now carried MA5B rifles equipped with ammo counters as they quickly made their way toward the command building at the center of the base.
Their movements were picked up by the night patrols and the surveillance systems scattered around the base.
Woo~ Woo~!
Soon, the base was filled with the sound of blaring alarms.
It wouldn't be long before the entire base retaliated against them.
But the three of them were fearless. With no innocent civilians in their way, they could finally unleash their full power.
Once they reached a corner, just a hundred meters from the command building, Mike raised his hand, signaling the others to halt and stay alert.
Through the monocle display in his helmet, Mike spotted numerous "green dots" clustered around the command building.
The "green dots" represented the rebels, marked as friendly units due to the equipment they had taken from their enemies.
After a brief moment of thought, Mike turned to Maggie and gave her a low, firm order:
"Shaw, you'll draw Free Liberation's main fire, giving me and Kennedy more time."
"Yes, sir."
Maggie received her orders and prepared to charge out from the corner.
Before she left, Mike added, "The priority of this mission is to ensure your own safety while wounding as many Free Liberation members as possible.
"Remember, our goal is to report back to the company, not engage in direct combat with them.
"
Of course, killing them is also allowed if necessary. It's your call, Shaw."
"Understood."
With a slight nod, Maggie sprinted out from the corner and headed straight toward the heavily guarded command building.
Huh?
The rebels at the entrance, using sandbags and armored vehicles for cover, were dumbfounded when they saw Maggie walking down the main road alone.
"Is she crazy?" they thought.
An officer holding a radio borrowed the vehicle's external speaker and issued a warning: "Drop your weapon and surrender immediately! Or we will—"
Rat-tat-tat!
Before the officer could finish, Maggie's gunfire cut him off.
Clang!
Several ricocheting bullets struck the armored vehicle, narrowly missing the officer's arm.
!!!
The officer quickly ducked behind the vehicle, shouting, "Open fire! Kill that crazy bitch!"
Rat-tat-tat!
Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, gunfire and explosions erupted.
The rebels, using their helmet displays, locked onto the rapidly moving Maggie and fired, releasing 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds from their rifles.
Two armored vehicles, resembling M2 Bradley tanks from the main universe, also joined the fight, their 30mm autocannons spitting flames into the night.
Even an elite UNSC Marine wouldn't be able to break through a defensive line guarded by two entire combat platoons.
Soon, the area around Maggie was filled with smoke and debris from the concentrated fire.
"Cease fire!"
The officer signaled his men to stop shooting and ordered two of them to go check Maggie's location.
"Sanchez! Morley! Go check it out."
"Yes, sir."
The two rebels quickly moved out of the line and headed toward where Maggie had last been seen.
The remaining rebels reloaded their weapons, aware that there were still two other threats (Leon and Mike) unaccounted for.
Rat-tat-tat!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted again.
Bang! Bang!
The legs of the two approaching rebels were shattered in an instant.
Maggie emerged from the smoke, her armor slightly damaged, and her hair disheveled.
Using her MA5B rifle, she fired at the rebels, aiming to disable their ability to fight.
Click!
In just about five seconds, she emptied the 60-round magazine.
Rather than reload, Maggie hurled her MA5B at the officer, then leaped into the middle of the two combat platoons.
"What the hell—ugh!"
The officer, stunned that Maggie had survived, was hit in the chest by the rifle and flew three meters backward, coughing up blood. Whether he lived or died was unclear.
During this time, Maggie moved with near-blinding speed, taking down over a dozen rebels. Now, she was preparing to dismantle the armored vehicles with her bare hands.
Meanwhile, Mike and Leon had used the distraction Maggie created to infiltrate the command building's communications center.
They quickly sent a report on the situation and a request for support from the Dreadnought-class warships via the slipstream communications hub on Eredana C.
Shortly after—
In the city of New Mombasa, red light flashed in the eyes of Apu, who quickened her pace and reported to Samuel Young in front of her:
"Boss, there's an emergency from the investigation department."
_________________________
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