Capítulo 39: Moment of Respite
The silence in the cockpit felt heavier than usual as we made our way back to base. Even with the adrenaline still coursing through my veins from the battle against Zaitsev's war machine, there was an unsettling calm. We had stopped his latest weapon, taken down his most dangerous asset yet, but I knew it wasn't over. Zaitsev wasn't the type to let defeat slow him down. If anything, he was probably planning his next move right now, and I doubted it would be anything less than devastating.
Rook's voice crackled over the comms, breaking the silence. "How long do you think we've got until Zaitsev strikes back?"
I grimaced, glancing out at the horizon. "Not long. He'll need time to regroup, but we can bet he's already laying the groundwork for whatever comes next."
Viper's calm voice came through next. "He's too calculated to take a hit like that and just fade away. This was a major setback for him, but we should assume he's already shifting his operations."
"We'll need to analyze the intel we gathered from the facility," I replied. "If we can figure out where he's planning to regroup, maybe we can hit him before he's ready."
Monarch's cold, precise voice broke through the chatter. "Hitman Squadron's pulling back to base. We'll debrief and see what we can learn. But don't assume this war is over just because his war machine is gone. Zaitsev always has something in reserve."
He was right. Zaitsev had planned too well to leave himself completely vulnerable. We had crippled his AI network, destroyed Black Echo, and neutralized his superweapon, but we were still fighting shadows. The man was a ghost, orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, and we had yet to find him.
New Objective: Debrief and Analyze Intel on Zaitsev's Operations
Objective: Review data recovered from the northern research facility and uncover Zaitsev's next move.
Reward: XP: 25,000, Location of Zaitsev's Operations Revealed
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Recovery Accelerates
Back at base, the mood was cautiously optimistic. The destruction of the war machine had given us a much-needed victory, and morale was high among the pilots and ground crew. But there was an underlying tension, a sense that this was just the calm before the storm.
Levi was waiting for us in the command center, already poring over the data from the northern research facility. He looked up as we entered, his expression a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
"We got what we needed," he said, gesturing to the screens. "The data we pulled from the facility is full of information on Zaitsev's drone production, AI advancements, and military operations. But there's something else—buried deeper in the system. It's encrypted, heavily protected. I'm working on breaking through, but whatever it is, it's important."
I nodded, feeling the weight of the new mystery. "If Zaitsev went through the trouble of encrypting it, it's probably the key to whatever he's planning next. We need to crack it."
Phantom Leader from the Belkan Remnant stood nearby, his arms crossed as he studied the data. "If Zaitsev's protecting this information, it means it's tied to his central operations. We might be able to use this to trace him directly."
Rook glanced at the screens, her expression thoughtful. "He's been one step ahead of us this whole time. If we can get a lead on his central command or whatever fallback position he's using, we might be able to force him into the open."
Levi's fingers flew over the keyboard as he continued to work on the encryption. "We've got some of his fallback locations already, but this data could point to something bigger. I just need time."
Monarch stepped forward, his voice as cold and direct as ever. "Time's something we don't have. Zaitsev will recover faster than we expect. We need to move on what we know."
I nodded, understanding the urgency. "Agreed. Let's move on what we have, but keep digging into that encryption. If it gives us anything on Zaitsev's location, we need to hit him hard."
New Objective: Launch Recon on Zaitsev's Known Fallback Locations
Objective: Send recon teams to investigate Zaitsev's suspected fallback positions and gather intel on his next move.
Reward: XP: 30,000, Intel on Zaitsev's Recovery Efforts
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Operations Strengthen
We didn't waste time. While Levi and his team continued to work on cracking the encryption, we sent out recon units to monitor the suspected fallback sites. Zaitsev had spread his operations far and wide, and we couldn't afford to let him slip through our fingers now.
The recon teams reported back within hours—there were signs of movement at two key locations, both of which had been linked to Zaitsev's production network. The first was a remote facility in the southern region, heavily fortified and protected by an unknown number of drones. The second was an underground complex deep in Erusean territory, rumored to be a covert AI testing lab.
"It's a toss-up," Rook said, her eyes scanning the reports. "Both are valuable targets, but we can't hit them at the same time. We need to choose."
I weighed the options, knowing that whichever facility we hit first, the other might be reinforced by the time we got there.
"The southern facility sounds like a production hub," I said, thinking out loud. "If Zaitsev's rebuilding his drone fleet, that's where he'll focus his resources. But the underground lab—if it's an AI testing site, he could be developing something even more dangerous."
Phantom Leader crossed his arms, his expression hard. "Both are critical, but we need to prioritize."
Monarch's voice came through, calm and cold as ever. "Hitman Squadron will take whichever target you don't. We can split our forces and hit both, but the timing has to be perfect."
I nodded. "We can't let either of these facilities continue. If we split up and coordinate our strikes, we might be able to cripple Zaitsev's operations before he recovers."
New Mission Objective: Simultaneous Strikes
Objective: Launch coordinated strikes on Zaitsev's southern drone production facility and the underground AI testing lab in Erusea.
Threat Level: Extreme
Reward: XP: 50,000, Zaitsev's Recovery Delayed
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Reinforcements Arrive
The plan was set. Task Force Phoenix would hit the southern facility, while Hitman Squadron led the strike on the underground lab. It was a high-risk, high-reward operation, and the timing had to be perfect if we wanted to catch Zaitsev off guard.
As we prepped for the mission, I couldn't help but feel the weight of what was coming. We had been chasing Zaitsev for months, striking at his facilities, disrupting his operations, but this was different. This time, we were close. Closer than ever before.
"This could be it," Rook said quietly as we stood by the jets, ready to launch. "If we hit these places hard enough, we might finally be able to force Zaitsev out of hiding."
I nodded, my mind already focused on the mission ahead. "He's running out of places to hide. We just have to keep the pressure on."
The engines roared to life as the jets lifted off into the darkening sky, the horizon stretching out before us. The storm clouds were gathering again, but this time, we were ready.
We had Zaitsev on the ropes.
Now it was time to finish the fight.
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