Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
Valerius moved through the ventilation shafts like a phantom, the heavy dampening case containing the unstable plasma core secured tightly. Every scrape of his armor, every breath inside his helmet, felt amplified in the wake of the near-discovery during the Navy sensor sweep. The brief energy transfer had left him feeling simultaneously more powerful and dangerously exposed.
He finally reached the access point near his quarters, waiting precious minutes while his Spatial Sense confirmed the corridor was clear before slipping out and sealing the grate behind him. Back within the relative security of his room, just as the outpost's main reactor completed its power-up sequence and normal lighting levels returned, he allowed himself a moment to process the interrupted mission.
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Thirty-five percent. A significant jump, pushing him noticeably closer to the next Wargod sub-stage. He could feel the difference – his energy reserves were deeper, his control finer, his Spatial Sense reaching further with less conscious effort. But it wasn't the full charge he'd hoped for, and the cost was Kaelen now having a specific anomaly, time-stamped during the shutdown, directly linked to the area Valerius had accessed. The scent was no longer cold; Kaelen was actively on the trail.
Valerius carefully hid the core again, ensuring the nanite-reinforced shielding was optimal. He couldn't risk accessing it again soon, not with Kaelen potentially convincing Navy Security to place targeted sensors near the testing bay or scrutinize logs from that specific time window even more closely. He would have to rely on standard cultivation and practice to consolidate this new energy and make further progress.
He spent the next cycle focusing entirely on consolidation and maintaining a low profile. He ran System-guided internal energy circulation cycles, smoothing out the turbulence from the volatile plasma infusion, integrating the new power seamlessly into his Wargod foundation. He avoided unnecessary trips outside his quarters, accessing tactical updates and intelligence reports remotely.
Updates from Moon 7C remained frustratingly slow. Investigator Thorne's team, awaiting heavy excavation equipment, focused on analyzing the 'Omega-734' signal. They confirmed it was artificial, deeply shielded, and pulsed with no discernible pattern related to external stimuli. Its purpose remained unknown, but its mere existence beneath a destroyed facility linked to Void Stone kept Navy Intelligence, including Lieutenant Commander Jian, deeply concerned.
The main Scorpion fleet in Grid 11 also remained static. Valerius found this continued inaction puzzling. Why wait? Their optimal escape window had passed with the 7th Battle Group's arrival. Were they truly trapped by the interdictor fields they themselves had deployed? Or were they waiting for something else? Something related to Project Chimera or the escaped shuttle?
'System, re-evaluate Scorpion fleet posture in Grid 11. Factor in confirmed fleet arrival, failed feint, shuttle departure, and Moon 7C facility destruction. Is passive waiting the most logical strategy?'
<
A concealed secondary operation within the asteroid field? Plausible. Valerius forwarded a subtly worded suggestion to Jian via the official channels, recommending enhanced sensor focus within Grid 11, looking for anomalies besides the main fleet signatures.
Later that cycle, Valerius detected Kaelen's energy signature approaching his quarters again. He braced himself, ensuring his own energy was calm, suppressed.
The door chimed. Valerius opened it. Kaelen stood there, but his expression wasn't accusatory this time; it was sharp, focused, almost excited.
"Valerius," Kaelen said, skipping formalities. "Command just received updated analysis from the NIT team on the moon. That repeating signal, Omega-734?"
Valerius kept his expression neutral. "Yes?"
"They still can't decrypt it," Kaelen continued, "but they analyzed its propagation pattern through the bedrock. It's not just a simple broadcast. The energy signature, though faint, shares minute subspace resonance characteristics with the anomaly Investigator Thorne logged during her initial deep-scan attempts near the outpost's lower levels."
Valerius felt a jolt. Thorne had detected the anomaly below Outpost 7? When? How had he missed that report? 'System! Scan recent NIT/Thorne comm logs for anomaly detection reports!'
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Thorne had detected it, but flagged it low priority. Kaelen, in his relentless search, had connected the faint signal from the moon with the faint signal deep beneath their feet.
"A resonance match?" Valerius asked carefully. "Between the moon signal and something here?"
"Exactly!" Kaelen looked energized. "It suggests a possible link. Maybe the Scorpions weren't just using a facility on the moon; maybe they were interested in something related to both locations. Maybe this 'Project Chimera' involves tapping into linked Precursor sites or energy sources?" He paused, looking directly at Valerius. "Remember that sensor ghost near Vent 7G during the battle? The one with the spatial distortion harmonics? What if that wasn't random noise? What if it was related to this?"
Kaelen wasn't accusing Valerius directly of causing the ghost anymore. He was weaving it into a larger, more complex theory connecting the moon, the outpost anomaly, and potentially Valerius's 'unconventional' tactics. He was getting dangerously close to a truth far stranger than simple misconduct.
"That's… a significant leap, Kaelen," Valerius said slowly. "Linking battlefield sensor ghosts to Precursor sites based on faint resonance?"
"Maybe," Kaelen conceded, "but Thorne's team is taking the resonance match seriously. They're requesting authorization to divert some deep-penetration scanning equipment to probe beneath the outpost once they're finished on the moon."
Valerius felt the walls closing in again. Deep penetration scans beneath the outpost. That could expose the geothermal vein he'd used, the strange energy signature itself, and potentially even residual traces of his own Wargod energy or nanite activity near Tunnel 7C.
"Interesting theory, Kaelen," Valerius said, forcing a neutral tone. "Keep me informed if anything comes of it."
Kaelen nodded, his mind clearly buzzing with his new hypothesis, and hurried off, likely to share his findings with Jian or Thorne directly.
Valerius closed the door, his mind racing. Kaelen's suspicion had inadvertently uncovered a genuine, critical link. The Navy would now be looking deeper, right where Valerius couldn't afford them to look. The scent Kaelen had been following was no longer fading; it was leading directly towards Valerius's secrets and the outpost's own dangerous anomaly.