The North tunnel junction became a kill zone, a narrow corridor of desperate violence. Breaker, a seemingly immovable wall of reinforced plasteel and sheer human grit, absorbed the brunt of the Cerberus point squad's initial volley, his riot shield sparking and groaning under the impact of dozens of pulse flechettes. His heavy combat armor, layered and custom-fitted by Roric's unseen quartermasters, deflected most rounds, though the kinetic force was still bruising. The air filled with the sharp tang of ozone and superheated metal. Kai, crouched behind him, used the brief respite to assess the attackers. They were professionals, their movements economical, their fire disciplined, constantly trying to find an angle past Breaker's formidable defense. His Draconic Energy Reserves were at 86% after activating his Dermal Plating.
"Shift! First surprise, on my mark!" Kai yelled into his comm, his voice a low growl through the Umbra mask's modulator. "Ready, Leader Kai!" Shift's voice crackled back from the Epsilon control room, her tone sharp with focus. The Cerberus squad, seeing their initial barrage ineffective against Breaker, began to advance cautiously, two attempting to flank while the others laid down covering fire. They moved with a practiced, almost fluid, coordination that spoke of extensive training.
"Now, Shift!" Kai commanded.
With a sharp hiss, one of the pressure-activated stun mines Shift had expertly hidden beneath the debris near the entrance to the junction detonated directly under the feet of the two flanking soldiers. A blinding flash of white light and a concussive boom, followed by the high-pitched shriek of a sonic disruptor (a device of Shift's own ingenious design), filled the narrow passage. The two flankers cried out, their formations breaking as they dropped their weapons, clutching their heads as they stumbled blindly, disoriented and temporarily deafened by the multi-sensory assault. [Faction Asset (Shift – Custom Stun Mine): Effective. 2x Hostiles Incapacitated (Sensory Overload/Concussion).]
"Push, Breaker!" Kai roared, seizing the momentary chaos. Breaker, his own training kicking in, surged forward. He wasn't a MOD, but his raw strength and combat conditioning were immense. His massive stun baton, crackling with contained energy, swept out, connecting with one of the stunned flankers with enough force to send him flying back into the main group. He then brought his riot shield up like a battering ram, slamming into another Cerberus soldier who was trying to recover his footing, pinning him against the corridor wall with a sickening crunch of armor and bone. [Breaker – Combat Effectiveness: High. 2x Hostiles further disoriented/injured.]
Kai moved in Breaker's wake, a shadow of deadly precision, the azure tracery in his obsidian scales glowing faintly in the dim, pulsing emergency lights. He activated his "Claws of the Shadow Drake," the dark talons extending, shimmering with the faint, alien energy of the Old Republic chip. He targeted one of the soldiers Breaker had disoriented, one who was trying to shake off the effects of the stun mine. His "Shadow-Coil Strike," also infused with the unstable hybrid energy, was a blur of deceptive motion. The soldier didn't even see it coming; Kai's claws tore through a gap in his tactical vest, not just rending, but also delivering a jolt of disruptive bio-electric energy that made the man's limbs spasm uncontrollably before he collapsed, his nervous system overloaded. [Shadow-Coil Strike (OR Infused) / Claws of the Shadow Drake: Successful. Hostile Neutralized (Physical Trauma + Bio-Electric Disruption). EXP +25. Draconic Energy Reserves (Kai): 78%.]
The remaining Cerberus soldier from the initial point squad, seeing his comrades fall with such terrifying speed and unconventional attacks, finally broke. He tried to retreat back towards the breached outer tunnel, firing wildly with his pulse carbine, his professional discipline shattered by the sheer ferocity and strangeness of The Ember Knights' defense. "Not so fast," Kai snarled. He focused, drawing on his Draconic Affinity (now 11), and unleashed his "Draconic Roar (Rank 1)." It wasn't just sound this time; it was a focused wave of concussive force and primal draconic intimidation, laced with that unsettling azure energy that seemed to resonate directly with an opponent's bio-signature. The retreating soldier stumbled as if hit by an invisible fist, his weapon flying from his grasp, his hands clapping over his ears as he fell to his knees, momentarily stunned and terrified by the sheer alienness of the assault. [Draconic Roar (Rank 1 – OR Infused): Successful. Target Stunned/Intimidated. Minor localized energy distortion noted. Draconic Energy Reserves (Kai): 75%.]
"First wave neutralized," Kai reported, his breathing heavy but steady. The corridor was a mess of fallen bodies, discarded weapons, and the lingering smell of ozone, fear, and something else – the faint, almost sweet scent of discharged energy from Shift's mine and the sharper tang of Kai's own unique Draconic power. "Shift, status on further intruders? Elara, any more coming down that pipe?"
"Hold on, Kai," Shift's voice was tense. "The seismic charges they used on the outer tunnel… Elara's running a structural integrity analysis based on the aftershocks. She's saying they weren't just for breaching. They seem to have deliberately destabilized this entire northern access route. I'm reading multiple minor structural collapses further back in the tunnel they used. They might have just blocked their own primary reinforcement path into this specific junction."
"Or," Roric interjected, his voice cutting through with its usual cool precision, "they created new, less obvious routes, or intend to flush you out into a pre-prepared kill zone. Don't assume anything. Elara, are there any other adjacent service tunnels, ventilation shafts, or even old sewer lines that might intersect with this North access route beyond the collapses? They wouldn't commit a full assault squad without contingency plans."
"Analyzing now, Roric," Elara replied, her voice focused. "The old city schematics for these deeper industrial sectors are a nightmare of undocumented revisions and pre-Collapse alterations… but yes, there's a secondary, smaller maintenance conduit that runs parallel to the main access tunnel. If they know these tunnels as well as we suspect Cerberus might, given their established presence in District 7, they could bypass the main collapse and emerge closer to your current position, Kai, or even further inside Epsilon, potentially behind you."
As if on cue, a new series of crimson hostile icons flashed onto Kai's HUD, relayed from Shift's rapidly updating sensor net. They weren't coming from the main tunnel entrance anymore. "Multiple contacts, Kai!" Shift yelled, her voice sharp with alarm. "Coming from a side passage about thirty meters behind your current position! It must be that parallel conduit Elara found! They bypassed the main tunnel! At least six more, moving fast! They're trying to flank you and cut you off from the Epsilon interior!" [SYSTEM ALERT: Hostile flanking maneuver detected! Threat Level: High! Recommend immediate tactical repositioning or engagement of secondary defensive measures! New enemy signatures show slightly higher energy profiles than initial wave – potential for low-grade combat augmentations or more experienced personnel.]
The brief respite was over. The chokepoint they had so fiercely defended was about to be outflanked. Cerberus was proving to be a far more cunning and resourceful enemy than a simple gang of thugs. The battle for Epsilon was escalating.