Chapter 28: The Heart of the Storm
The desert morning was quiet—too quiet. The weight of the upcoming mission hung in the air like the calm before a storm. Today wasn't just about taking down another facility. This was about striking directly at Zaitsev's heart. If we failed to stop the development of his new drone prototypes, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The squadron was ready. Viper, Echo, Blaze, and Rook stood on the tarmac, their eyes focused and sharp. And alongside them was Raven. She had arrived late last night, her reputation preceding her. A mercenary with no allegiances, she had agreed to join our mission, but only for the right price. Rook's old connection had come through, and now we had an ace in our hand—one we'd need to play carefully.
Raven leaned against her jet, her helmet under one arm, and sized me up as I approached. "So, you're the one taking the fight to Zaitsev?"
"That's the plan," I replied, meeting her gaze evenly. "We're hitting his drone research facility near Gracemaria. It's heavily fortified, but if we strike fast and take out the prototypes before they go online, we've got a shot."
She smirked, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Sounds risky. My kind of job."
I nodded, glancing over at Rook. "Let's move out. We don't have time to waste."
Mission Objective: Disrupt Zaitsev's Drone Research
Objective: Infiltrate Zaitsev's Yuktobanian facility and destroy the drone prototypes before they go operational.
Threat Level: Extreme
Reward: XP: 20,000, Zaitsev's Drone Program Delayed
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Drone Fleet Operational
The squadron took off at first light, the roar of engines cutting through the stillness of the desert as we ascended into the sky. I flew the F-22, feeling the raw power of the Super Raptor as I took point, with Rook, Viper, Echo, Blaze, and Raven in formation behind me. The system hummed quietly in my mind, feeding me real-time data on our course and the target ahead.
The flight toward Yuktobanian airspace was uneventful—no sign of patrols, no radar pings. It felt like we were flying into a trap, and I could feel the tension growing in the pit of my stomach. Zaitsev wasn't the type to leave anything to chance. If he knew we were coming, he'd be ready.
"Keep it tight," I said over the comms, my voice steady despite the growing unease. "We're going in hot."
The facility came into view on the horizon—an ominous structure nestled deep in the mountains, surrounded by layers of defenses. Anti-aircraft batteries, SAM sites, and patrol drones circled the perimeter, their sensors scanning the skies for intruders. The prototypes we were after were housed in the heart of the complex, protected by a fortified hangar.
"Viper, Echo, you're on drone suppression," I ordered. "Blaze, you and Raven provide air cover. Rook and I will hit the hangar."
"Copy that," Viper responded, his jet already veering toward the first wave of patrol drones.
New Skill Unlocked: Tactical Command
Tactical Command allows you to issue squadron-wide orders, improving coordination and efficiency in combat. Bonuses to squadron performance and reaction time.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
The system's new skill kicked in as I issued commands, sharpening the squadron's movements as they broke into action. Viper and Echo dove into the drone swarm, their missiles streaking toward the enemy as they engaged in tight, controlled dogfights. Blaze, still a little green but growing more confident, flew alongside Raven, his missiles knocking out ground-based defenses while Raven provided cover with surgical precision.
As I veered toward the hangar, the facility's anti-aircraft guns roared to life. My HUD lit up with missile lock warnings, and I pulled into a sharp roll, releasing flares to confuse the incoming fire.
"Rook, you see an opening?" I shouted over the comms, weaving through the barrage.
"Yeah, I've got one," she replied, her voice tight with focus. "North side of the hangar is less defended. If we hit it hard enough, we can break through."
I nodded, adjusting my heading as I fired off a missile to take out one of the SAM sites. "Let's do it."
Skill Activated: High-Speed Strike
Wells' speed and targeting efficiency improved for a limited time.
I pushed the F-22 into a high-speed dive, the world blurring around me as I streaked toward the hangar. The defenses were heavy, but the system's guidance sharpened my reflexes, helping me avoid the worst of the anti-aircraft fire. Rook was right behind me, her jet weaving through the chaos as we closed in on the target.
"Missiles away," I muttered, releasing a volley of explosives that slammed into the northern wall of the hangar. The structure groaned under the impact, debris scattering as we breached the facility's outer defenses.
Inside the hangar, the prototypes were lined up like ominous sentinels—sleek, deadly drones designed to outmaneuver and outgun anything we'd faced before. They were powered down for now, but if Zaitsev's program went live, these machines would be unstoppable.
"We've got eyes on the drones," Rook said, her voice tense. "We need to take them out before they go online."
I didn't hesitate. "Blaze, Raven, we need cover now!"
New Objective: Destroy the Drone Prototypes
Objective: Eliminate Zaitsev's new drones before they can go operational.
Reward: XP: 20,000, Zaitsev's Drone Program Delayed
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Drone Fleet Operational
Blaze and Raven dove in from above, their jets unleashing a hail of missiles that tore through the remaining defenses. Raven's precision flying was on full display, her missiles striking with pinpoint accuracy, while Blaze provided cover, knocking out enemy drones that swarmed in response to our attack.
Rook and I focused on the prototypes, our missiles slamming into the dormant machines, tearing them apart before they had a chance to activate. The explosions rocked the hangar, flames and debris filling the air as the facility's systems went into meltdown.
Drone Prototypes Destroyed. XP Gained: 20,000
"Prototypes are down!" I shouted over the comms as the last of the drones exploded in a brilliant flash. "Let's get the hell out of here before this place blows."
"Copy that," Viper responded, his voice strained as he engaged the last wave of enemy drones. "We've got hostiles closing in fast."
I banked hard, pulling out of the hangar just as the facility's core began to overload. The entire structure was coming apart, the ground trembling as fires spread across the compound. We had hit Zaitsev hard, but his forces weren't done yet.
The radar lit up again—more drones, this time larger and faster than the ones we had encountered before. These weren't prototypes. They were fully operational, and they were coming for us.
"Here they come," Raven said, her voice calm but with an edge of excitement. "Looks like Zaitsev's not happy."
The drones swarmed toward us, their sleek frames glinting in the morning light as they closed in at incredible speeds. This was Zaitsev's real response—a final test of his technology against us.
New Enemy Threat: Zaitsev's Advanced Drones
Objective: Defeat the incoming wave of advanced drones and escape the facility.
Reward: XP: 25,000, ???
Failure Penalty: Squadron Casualties
"Everyone, stay sharp!" I ordered, my fingers tightening on the controls. "Take them down before they take us!"
The battle erupted in a chaotic flurry of missiles, flares, and evasive maneuvers. The advanced drones were unlike anything we had faced before—fast, deadly, and coordinated. They moved as a unit, attacking from all angles, their AI adapting to our every move.
Viper and Echo fought fiercely, their jets weaving through the swarm as they took out drone after drone. Blaze held his own, but I could see the pressure getting to him, his movements less fluid as the battle dragged on. Raven, as always, was precise and lethal, her missiles finding their targets with chilling efficiency.
I dodged another volley of missiles, the F-22's agility saving me by inches as I lined up my next shot. "We can't keep this up forever. We need to punch through!"
Rook's voice cut through the chaos. "There's an opening to the west! We can break through their formation if we hit them hard enough."
"On it," I said, locking onto the lead drone and firing off a burst of missiles.
Skill Activated: Precision Strike
Enemy drones destroyed with increased efficiency.
The drones exploded in rapid succession, the formation breaking apart as we pushed through the gap. One by one, the squadron followed, breaking free from the swarm and heading for open skies.
Objective Complete: Advanced Drones Defeated
Reward: XP: 25,000, Zaitsev's Drone Fleet Delayed
As we flew away from the collapsing facility, the horizon glowing with the aftermath of our attack, I couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline. We had hit Zaitsev hard—destroyed his prototypes and delayed his drone program. But this wasn't the end. He would retaliate, and the next battle would be even more dangerous.
"We did it," Rook said, her voice weary but triumphant.
"For now," I replied, glancing at the radar to make sure we were clear. "But Zaitsev's not going to take this lying down."
Raven's voice cut in, cool and confident. "Let him come. We'll be ready."
I wasn't so sure. Every time we struck, Zaitsev adapted, his technology evolving faster than we could destroy it. The war was far from over, and the next battle would be unlike anything we had faced before.
But for now, we had won. And that was enough.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone