The command bunker, now the operational heart of the Sanguis Empire, was a vortex of controlled chaos. Every moment was a concession to the digital enemy. General Vance's shattered mind had confirmed they had less than twelve hours before the Morn-Ghost would fully assimilate the Chronos Vault and achieve irreversible digital apotheosis that would doom their nascent rule.
Ascendant-Alpha-1, Rheon Vale, stood before the holographic map. The pressure of coordinating the entire fragile operation etched deep lines of fatigue around his eyes. He was the architect of the three-pronged assault, the man gambling the future on the precision of his former adversary.
The objective was singular: disable the three external Quantum Array Generators controlling the Chronos Vault's electromagnetic shields. This would allow Lyra to overload the vault's reactor with a targeted catastrophic electromagnetic pulse and incinerate Morn's consciousness.
The difficulty was astronomical. The generators were protected by redundant Federation security protocols that required simultaneous breach and activation of the self-destruct mechanism.
"The time is critical, Lyra," Rheon stated while reviewing the deployment plan. "Synchronisation must be absolute. We cannot afford sequential failure."
Lyra Kain sat at a sequestered terminal and prepared her own vital role: maintaining three distinct psychic conduits to monitor the teams and execute the final strike. The strain was immense, especially after the draining fight against The Revenant.
"I will establish three psychic conduits, Ascendant," Lyra confirmed. Her voice was low and resonant. "One for monitoring your physical status, one for tracking the stealth team, and a third for maintaining absolute control over Vance. That man's compliance is the most fragile link in this chain."
Rheon acknowledged the risk. General Vance, now designated Unit: Scythe in the operational logs, was the single most dangerous asset and the single greatest liability.
Rheon had organised the assault into three specialised Spears, each led by the strongest available asset, military or fanatical.
Spear One targeted the Northern Array Generator in Sector Zeta. Rheon explained that this required kinetic penetration and immediate structural destabilisation. He would lead this team himself. Their objective was to breach and initiate the reactor shutdown sequence while using speed to bypass the Federation's heavy response forces.
Rheon's team consisted of his most hardened survivors from the Sanguis Red Guard: fanatics loyal to the death but disciplined by his command. They would travel in an armoured assault vehicle and rely on Rheon's strategic genius to navigate checkpoints and his energy blade to breach the array structure.
"Your exposure is too great, Ascendant," Lyra noted. Her concern was sharp. "Your failure compromises the entire operation."
"My presence guarantees success," Rheon countered while fastening his heavy combat harness. "No fanatic possesses the discipline to execute the shutdown sequence. I must do it myself."
Spear Two targeted the Western Array Generator in the deserted Mining District. This required stealth and deep infiltration through pre-existing service tunnels. Lyra would guide this team psychically. They were the eyes of the operation.
Spear Two was led by the most capable technician salvaged from the Sanguis Order, a silent woman named Cygnus. Her lack of zeal was compensated by meticulous adherence to technical procedure. They would rely on Lyra's direct moment-to-moment guidance through the complex subterranean maze.
"I will be her co-pilot," Lyra confirmed and closed her eyes briefly to establish the initial fragile psychic connection with Cygnus. "I will be the ghost that leads them to the light."
Spear Three targeted the Eastern Array Generator beneath the Old Command Centre. This was the most audacious and terrifying gamble of the entire campaign.
Unit: Scythe would lead Spear Three. Rheon detailed this while looking at the vacant-eyed General Vance. This generator was protected by biometric and high-level command protocols impossible for them to breach physically.
Rheon stepped toward Vance and placed his hand firmly on the General's shoulder. Vance stood utterly still. His consciousness was dormant. His body was a puppet of Lyra's will.
"Vance knows the protocol sequence, the counter-signatures, and the exact weaknesses of the array's internal lockdown," Rheon explained. "He will walk in, use his preserved security clearance and unique physical data to bypass all security systems, and initiate the internal self-destruct. His unique access is the only way this array can be disabled cleanly."
"He is highly vulnerable to external attack," Lyra warned. "If any Federation loyalist recognises him, the team is compromised."
"His vulnerability is the point," Rheon stated. His gaze was hard. "He is an expendable tool. We outfit him with minimal armour and a small, anonymous escort. His death, should it occur, does not compromise the other two spears. But his success ensures the full annihilation of Morn."
The three Spears deployed simultaneously and vanished into the night and the surrounding anarchy of the city. Rheon watched the encrypted telemetry tags flicker across the map. Each represented an immense risk.
He gave the final command: "Synchronisation time is four hours. All teams must be in position for simultaneous breach thirty seconds before the four-hour mark. Failure is not permitted."
Rheon stepped into the assault vehicle with Spear One and took the controls. His mind was compartmentalised: focused on kinetic navigation while maintaining the open tense Bloodlink with Lyra.
As Rheon drove into the night, Lyra retired to the bunker's inner sanctuary. She established the three psychic conduits. Her consciousness stretched across the hostile cityscape.
She experienced three realities at once.
Rheon's reality (Spear One): hardened determination, the sound of the engine, immense physical risk. The need for speed.
Cygnus's reality (Spear Two): claustrophobic silence, the cool metal of subterranean tunnels, intricate technical precision required for stealth. The need for patience.
Vance's reality (Spear Three): a chilling void. Lyra had reduced the once-proud General to a programmed tool. She felt only cold adherence to protocol, a zero-will state marching directly toward self-destruction. The need for control.
The psychic strain was agonising and pulled her consciousness in three separate directions. Yet Lyra maintained the vigil, knowing that any breach in psychic control would mean failure or, worse, the reawakening of Vance's treacherous mind.
The fate of the Sanguis Empire now lay in the convergence of three separate deadly missions, coordinated by a genius soldier and powered by an ancient mind, all racing against the inevitable digital apotheosis of Dr Seraph Morn. The countdown to the final strike had begun.