Ghosts of the Past
The bridge was shrouded in a heavy, mournful silence.
The majestic fleet of 800 ships that had dominated space just moments ago was gone. The screens now filled only with the wreckage of shattered hulls and distress signals from the survivors.
"Damage report."
Admiral Varkas wiped the blood from his nose with a stained handkerchief and spoke. His voice was calm, but beneath it simmered boiling rage.
The executive officer flipped through his tablet with trembling hands and reported.
"Of the 723 mercenary ships... 139 sunk, 93 heavily damaged, 33 lightly damaged."
"And Hound Fleet's losses?"
"Of the main force's 103 ships, the three cruisers are intact... but 12 escort destroyers sunk, 7 heavily damaged, 12 lightly damaged. Currently, around 530 ships are combat-ready and mobile."
"Over 30% casualties... in that brief moment." Varkas murmured lowly. A single strike.
Just a wave of massive tentacles sweeping through, and over 200 ships turned to scrap.
"What about that monster?"
"After the initial tentacle attack, no further movement so far."
The monster on the main screen was no longer the smooth white sphere from before.
Its surface boiled, sprouting tens of thousands of tentacles like spines, transforming into a massive viral mass. Its red eyes were closed, but its presence alone pressed down on the surrounding space.
Can't it move... or is this another feint?
Varkas pondered why the monster had halted. His guess: it was harboring the Night Raven ship. Was it holding back aggressive maneuvers to protect its internal cargo? Or had that attack drained its energy?
Then the comms officer shouted.
"Admiral! Many mercenaries are showing signs of breaking formation! They're panicking, saying 'This breaches the contract!' 'We can't fight that monster!'"
"Tch..."
Varkas clicked his tongue. Fear spreads like a plague. If the mercenaries fled now, it would shatter not just Hound's main force but the morale of the remaining mercs too.
"Connect to all ships. Warn them: any unauthorized departure from formation or attempt to flee will be met with immediate destruction. Hound 2nd and 3rd Fleets, block escape routes and lock on."
"Sir? You're saying fire on our own?"
"They're not allies. Deserters are the enemy. Make an example—blast the first one that turns tail."
Varkas's eyes gleamed fiercely.
"And relay to the survivors: operation pay triple... no, quintuple. Plus Apex Industries' protection and citizenship."
"But Admiral... even with raised pay, won't it be useless? No one's risking their life in a fight where death is obvious. That's a monster that wrecked our fleet in one hit."
The exec officer countered skeptically. Money's only good if you're alive. Meaningless promises before that overwhelming white horror.
"I know. Money alone isn't enough. What they need is 'a chance at victory.'" Varkas glared at the white monster on the screen. "That distinctive form... massive white sphere, overwhelming mass, tentacles and eyes. It has to be in the Federation database. Registered as a Singularity xenoform for sure."
"We'll search!"
Intel officers hammered their keyboards frantically. Federation military docs, ancient xenoform war records, even the dark history of the First War.
And then.
"F-found it!!"
"Put it on screen."
"White Snowfield..."
Varkas's lips twisted upward. Humanity's first catastrophe in the First Xenoform War.
But it also meant hope.
"If it's documented, there's a way to kill it."
Varkas ignited battle fervor over fear.
"If a ghost from the past has crawled out, we'll send it back to the grave. Listen up! It's no immortal god! Just a defeated remnant that fled from our ancestors a century ago!"
His roar swept away the bridge's terror.
"We have tech our forebears didn't. Find its weaknesses and countermeasures!"
Outside the viewport was nothing but white. Nahibi's biomass safely enveloped the Night Raven ship. It felt cozy, like being in a giant womb, yet strangely alien.
[Hmph. I'm getting rusty... only managed about 30%?]
Nahibi's grumbling voice echoed in my mind. I sent back a wry wave.
[Only 30%? You turned 200 ships to scrap in one strike—that's a catastrophe in itself. Nahibi, compared to your era, Federation ships have way better defenses and mobility now.]
[Hmph. If you're gonna flatter me, do it properly, lowly human.]
[That's so you. Fine, you're amazing, Lady Nahibi.]
I shook my head.
Beside me, Bani and Lydia poked curiously at the white wall outside. Eve dozed on my lap, nodding off.
[More importantly, what's the enemies doing? Trapped inside you, external sensors are dead—gotta rely on your senses.]
[Like you don't always?]
Nahibi chided.
[Your job is just to serve Her Majesty comfortably. Ignore the rest and depend on me fully. That's why I exist—your guard, your shield.]
[Can't argue that. Thanks always. And Eve's my top priority. That's why this situation worries me more—they won't give up easy.]
My soldier's instinct warned me. Normally, this damage would trigger retreat. But Hound Fleet held position, encircling us at distance. They had something up their sleeve.
[Heh. Don't worry. Time's on our side. They're too scared to charge after my strike... probably just staring for a while.]
Suddenly, Nahibi's wave shuddered violently.
[Nahibi?]
A heavy vibration rocked the Night Raven, fixed inside Nahibi's body. Something pierced her outer layer, shockwaves rippling inward.
[What? Nahibi! You okay?]
[...Guess I got cocky.] For the first time, bewilderment tinged Nahibi's voice.
"All ships. Carrier-based aircraft launch complete!"
Varkas gripped his trembling arm and watched the scene.
Thousands of small drones and manned fighters swarmed toward the white monster like a bee hive.
Giant tentacles whipped out, downing fighters, but the tiny, swift targets evaded easy capture unlike the capital ships.
The craft slipped through tentacle gaps, clinging to the white sphere's surface.
The specter that terrorized the Federation in the First Xenoform War a century ago. White Snowfield. Don't know why you're back when you were declared dead... but the Federation's changed.
Over the last century, humanity fought countless xenoforms. Skinned them, studied bones, analyzed genes—evolved.
Even countermeasures for a "dead" Singularity lurked in the database's corners, just in case.
Couldn't fathom prepping for a dead Singularity... but I was wrong.
Varkas grinned.
"Confirm hits!"
Missiles from the fighters slammed into Nahibi's surface. No ordinary HE rounds.
> Anti-White Snowfield Resonance Penetrating Warhead
> Special munition developed after discovering White Snowfield's outer layer absorbs energy weapons and physical impacts.
> On impact: Generates ultra-high frequency vibrations to loosen molecular bonds, channeling shockwaves inward.
The white surface rippled like waves. No big external blast, but inside was another story.
"Admiral! Direct hits! It's working!"
The operator cheered.
"Monster's surface biosignals fluctuating wildly! And... look at this!"
A special scan appeared on the main screen. Resonance warhead vibrations pierced inside, revealing a hidden silhouette.
Deep in the massive white mass. A ship's form, crystal clear.
The Night Raven.
"Found you."
Varkas clenched his fist.
"They're hiding inside. Rats in a trap!"
He grabbed the mic and bellowed to the fleet.
"Look! That monster bleeds too! The first strike was our ignorance. We can win!"
Varkas's shout stirred the hesitant mercenaries. Even they saw it wasn't like the missile barrages.
"Good! Press on! Pound it relentlessly!"
"If it has eyes, make 'em see! Rewrite the legends of the past!"