Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 885

Chapter 885

Chapter 885: Success?

“Poseidon, prepare your main weapon . ” Kang Hui ordered . He was taking personal command of how this final attack was executed .

“Soft Water bombs are ready to be deployed!” Hua Li’s voice returned . Poseidon’s patriarch was also taking full responsibility of his family’s bastion .

“Fire!” Kang Hui said .

“Fire!” Hua Li echoed .

Six glittering orbs were belched from Poseidon . Marvelous tails of blue light hung in the darkness of space where they passed on their way toward Europa .

The destructive capabilities of the Soft Water bombs were put on display more than once in earlier battles . Against living targets it was frighteningly effective, and the most difficult to evade .

The six bombs quickly reached their destination . They were ingeniously released in a line and slipped into the cloudy surface of Europa one after the other .

Nothing changed as the first bomb entered, then the second, then the third…

Once all six bombs disappeared into the fog a reaction became visible . The rolling tide of mist became tumultuous . Barely visible were flashes of blue light as the bombs detonated . They were arranged in a line to detonate at different depths, from the highest reaches of Europa’s atmosphere to where the ground presumably hid below .

Kang Hui had determined it was the best use of Poseidon’s weapons . His aim wasn’t to harm the planet so much as clear the fog so they could get a glimpse of what lay beneath .

The aliens had a reason for everything . When Heron’s attack disappeared into the fog Kang Hui knew the mists must have some defensive purpose . Perhaps they drained and devoured energy that passed through . If that were true the first step to a successful blow would have to be clearing a path through the fog . Without its protection they could damage the planet .

His tactics were sound . The cloud cover melted away like snow before the summer sun . Europa’s surface was revealed .

Spectators looked on in surprise . Europa’s surface had been painted in a pale purple hue, in contrast to the rich purple of the home worlds that had taken it over . The remains of human structures could be faintly discerned by their long-ranged telescopes, partially obscured by wisps of the fog that remained .

Kang Hui did not appreciate the beautiful scenery, for he knew the cost of its creation . He continued to deliver his commands .

“Tyrannosaurus, fire the main gun!”

Tyrannosaurus’ weapons were already aimed and fully charged . Once the order was given its primary cannon released a blazing beam of light right into the channel left by the Soft Water bombs . It sizzled through the darkness of space, a spear ready to skewer the planet like a kebab .  

“Heron, all remaining ships, fire at will!” With Tyrannosaurus’ blast on its way Kang Hui ordered the fury of the human armada released on their enemy .

Without hesitation thousands upon thousands of cannon blasts followed in the wake of Tyrannosaurus’ shot . They were all carefully aimed to slip through the same channel, like threading a needle . Poseidon’s secondary weapons systems, which packed as much punch as a fleet of capital ships, also spat out a salvo .

This was their chance to accomplish their goal in one final, decisive stroke . No one held back .

The resulting explosion was so intense it shook the distant ships . Burst after concussive burst rang in everyone’s ears – a sound they would remember for all the rest of their days . Without the protection of the fog the ire of the human armada was heard, though it was difficult to tell how much it was felt . Still, Kang Hui was confident in the capability of their unified assault .

“Middle Heaven, prepare Terminal Ray!” Kang Hui did not let up .

Against any normal planet the last hail of cannon fire would have been enough to split it in twain . However, Kang Hui did not want to underestimate their enemy, not in the slightest . Everything they had at their disposal, every weapon and tactic, he wanted thrown at their foes . They wouldn’t stop until Europa was a cloud of space dust .

Flickers of angry amber light appeared around Middle Heaven as several beams were fired at once from different locations . They coalesced in front of the war planet into a single point of light so pregnant with energy space warped around it – Terminal Ray . The last time it was used in combat mankind walked away with several elite vital crystals . Now its aim was to obliterate Europa before it was converted into an alien paradise . To Kang Hui this was the pièce de résistance . The surface of the planet should already been a cratered hellscape, and once Terminal Ray made landfall Europa would be no more . It just needed to drill past the crust and into its core .

Kang Hui didn’t put much stock in the stories of ancient immortal realms . To him the alien evolution was a process of energy consolidation . No matter how strong they got, once their planet was destroyed their evolution was finished .

At last, humanity’s long, dark night was coming to an end!

The light of expectation glimmered in Kang Hui’s eyes . One tortuous event after another had plagued them as they waited for this day! He and his species would survive . Kang Hui imagined seeing his family, heard the cheers of the people as they came back from this bloody campaign . Peace would reign again .

Suddenly a bone-deep fatigue washed over him . If he could go back he likely wouldn’t join the army . He envied the life of the normal man, quiet and peaceful . At the very least he would want a nice, long vacation once this was all finished . Let the military function without him for a time, he could avoid the interviews and galas and feasts .

The thoughts flitted through his mind, but did not impeded his command .

“Terminal Ray – fire!” Kang Hui coolly gave the order just as the blasts from Tyrannosaurus and the other ships were dying down .

Never let up! Let the attacks compound and make each other stronger . Kang Hui had considered everything that required consideration, and took all steps necessary to see this corrupted human planet destroyed .

Terminal Ray’s flash lasted only a moment . In what couldn’t have been longer than a fraction of a second, the piercing ray of light buried itself in Europa’s surface . The afterimage of its passage was burned in the eyes of spectators .

Would it be enough? Kang Hui’s fists had unconsciously clenched, and he wasn’t alone . Every commander of every ship watched in dread anticipation .

Kang Hui ordered everyone to fall back . Europa was among the largest planets to have been inhabited by humans . Once it exploded the scale of its detonation would cover a vast area . It would be very easy for their whole armada to be wiped out in the aftermath .

Gradually the lights all faded . The fog surrounding Europa continued to buck and writhe, except for the funnel created by the Soft Water bombs . Why was there no sound of explosion? Did the attack land?

Uncertainty wormed its way into Kang Hui’s mind . He could see clearly through the cavity in the clouds, peered through their telescopes and magnified on his screen . Europa’s surface was a world of golden purple, unscathed but for the crater where their attacks had landed . In the place where they’d aimed their barrage was a vortex of purple energy that fiercely swirled .

In the center of the vortex was a haze of golden orange light . That had to be the residual energy from Terminal Ray’s passage . The light began to grow, and as it did the whole of Europa started to shake ever so slightly .

Success?

Kang Hui’s heart fluttered . He saw the shudders as a sign of impending collapse and ordered everyone to fall back as quickly as they could .

However it was then he noticed a change in the three planets affixed to Europa . They stretched and became oblate before eventually dissolving onto the surface of Europa . The purple orbs that were once Monarch, Queen and Consort shimmered gold and disappeared into the fog .

This…

Was Europa going to explode? When Kang Hui witnessed this scene he was painfully skeptical . If their target planet was going to die, why would the aliens merged with it?

A voice entered his mind, as cold as it was terrifying .

“Thank you for your bounty, humans!” The thought was clear and mocking .

Disquiet filled Kang Hui’s heart . He wasn’t the only one to hear the voice either – every single soul aboard every vessel heard the voice in their mind .

“Attack, attack with everything you’ve got!” Kang Hui shouted .

The home worlds weren’t destroyed, and Europa wasn’t going to explode . Kang Hui came to a dark and bitter understanding .

The effect of this intrusive thought had a dramatic effect on the soldiers . Their attacks were let loose on Europa, but wild and haphazard .

All four bastions had used their main weapons and needed time to recharge them, especially Middle Heaven . Terminal Ray was especially draining and it would be a while before the East’s bastion could use it again .

The crater that they’d created with their attack was gone . The fog that surrounded Europa was dimmer now and threads of gold were spreading through it . At the same time it settled deeper into the atmosphere and thinned out, giving the beleaguered planet a misty, fantastical air .