Chapter 20:

Back 48 hours ago before present time.

Back to the mainland, deep within a mountain terrain, within the deeps of the rocks. Lay a perfect marble foundation built into the rocks. An island fortress surround by the mountain walls with only one pathway opening leading to the facility. Deep within the long corridors of the base, the tapping sounds of high heels echoed off the walls as a figure casually strolled through. The mink, that was her code name received the word days ago. She had been waiting for that very order since the day she was assigned to this godforsaken place. She and her sisters hated it. Though they keep their contempt to themselves, not willing to comprise their mission. They moved into position, as the Mink strolled towards her intended target. The mink passed through the last corner, seeing the destination at the end but standing before they were the multitude of familiar faces.

Before the Mink would have greeted them in kind with the best simile the Mink could muster just to deal with these pests. Now the Mink didn't need to hide, they now stood between the target and the Mink, however the mink already had a plan to deal with these obstacles. One of which approached the mink.

"Hey cupcake a little bit early to be delivering lunch isn't it, well regardless, you know the rules you ca-" one the figures a guard, donning his usual military drees uniform. whose words were cut short when something flashed and stroke him through the throat. He grasped at his throat his life fluids began pouring out signifying the hole in his neck. Only seeing the source of his death in the hands of the Mink so carefully hidden within the basket they carried.

The others around them moved into action at once. Having already had their hands on their weapon however, they too were silenced before they could act or make any noise. The other Minks haven revealed themselves as they processed to finish their task. All the while the first Mink took what they needed from the corpse that they made. Ignoring what the others were doing, the first Mink move to the door. A holo-panel digitized before the Mink, presenting the item in hand, a medallion. The system registered the code within, before the hiss of released seals could be heard. As the door opened, the Mink step inside.

"This is Mink-1, the borrow has been dug, Coco bird is ready to plant down."

All the while in a different location.

Generals Yang Yanping, and Yang Yanding both strode slowly through the halls of Fort Ta Lo when they heard the news. The news that shoke through them like a bolt of lightning, numbing their senses. And a pain swelled within their chest, like a dagger being plunged into their hearts. Such was the extent of the revelation. Slowly looking over the intel via the holo-pad, their military boots clanking against the metal tiles beneath them.

"Is that confirmed?" Yang Yanping forced out of his lips. The words nearly catching on his throat. "Is that true, is father...but why? What is the Chancellor playing at he always had father's adamant support and loyalty, and he too had always trusted father's decisions, why the sudden change?"

"Even if I knew brother, I don't even have the words to say it." Yang Yanding replied his voice forced. As if he had trouble speaking the words. They continued their stride with more furver now, their antirue of bodyguards following them. "Then we must make haste, where is Yan'an, Yanhui, Yande?" he asked his brother still looking on ahead. "They're at the flight deck waiting for us."

"Yansi and Yanzhao?" Yang Yanping asked thinking of the rest of his family. "Yansi is on a mission right now not sure if he knows yet, Yanzhao was home a few minutes ago, but he also said that he was going too once he got the news. He should be at the capital right now. More than likely, he will go to the chancellor's offices immediately-"

"Sir!" came an officer shouting down the hallways as he came upon them. Coming to a quick halt as he gave a quick salute. "Our shields are down!" Boom~! Came the sounds of explosions. The whole base shuddered with intense vibration. So much so that it nearly knocked Yang Yanping, and Yang Yanding, along with their guards off their feet. More explosions came, through the chaos of it all Yang Yanping summoned a holo display showing him a live feed of what happening. Scrolling through the live view, he saw all that he needed to see.

He turned to his guards and gave his command. "Get the damn guns back up online, launch all fighters into the air now! Initiate Last Wall protocols, drive these invaders out! And someone get me my spear!"

Outside the base on the admis the explosions happening, along the outer wall and the airfield. Where rows of aircrafts and positioned gun emplacements were being engulfed in flames. If one were to look closely, admis the fire and destruction closer several object can be see overhead falling towards the fire. Some of which had fallen ahead of the larger object. Resembling cylinders pin these fell rapidly down towards the expose aircrafts. Through some arcane method of technology, they've slowed meters above their intended targets. Then still falling but much more control, these encountered the hidden energy shields covering the ships. Signified by the sparks and crackly touch, like a drill the cylinders burrow through the energy shields, before detonating within the shield igniting the aircraft within in flames. Like connecting fireworks, the aircraft popped within the protection bubble of their shields.

Even the fighter aircrafts weren't spared of this fate. Those that had reacted fast as enough to lifted off, were shot back down. Crashing down into the sea of flames. Fort Ta Lo now had lost all their air power, and the other falling stream of objects high above revealed themselves to be dropships. These ships originally freefalling down with such speeds sudden shifted in their momentum. Having slowed down through unseen means, hovering slowly just a few hundred meters from the ground. Once they land and their bay doors opened, from the darkness shrouding the cargo bay something within reacted. In union hundreds of helm-lenses suddenly ignited, then the marching steps of armored boots began to advance.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

During the chaos of it all within the Fort Ta Lo.

The infiltration stroke deep and true, the Minks have done their job well. The famed Yang family, so well known for their battle prowess was caught with their pants down. Now they were just easy pickings, the few souls that they had encountered thus far, had been dealt with such ease, that the leader felt that Yang Families' reputation wasn't valid. A notion that many of the team were also feeling that same belief. Then suddenly the sense of dread came over the leader. He came into a halt, an action mimicked by those who followed him.

He looked around, searching the corridor around him attentively. Something wasn't right, he could feel it he didn't know what. The air felt to calm, yet too heavy. Heavy, why did the air feel so heavy? He signaled with his fingers toward those behind him. A sign meant for one personal. The person indicated got the memo and moved up, pulling out a special device from their person. After a few beeps that told it was active, waving it in the air. It beeped out several signals before the user withdrew it back. Looking over the data on the screen told the user what they needed to know. "Sir, there's a large concentration of Alba particles all around us." This caused the leader to rapidly whip his head around swiftly. "How much of the area is cover?"

"Judging from these scans, by the density of the particles, it appears to cover the entire fort." The leader helplessly let out a sigh at this report. 'Of course, they would flood their base with Alba particles. Like the barbaric savages that they are. They like to get their hands dirty after all.' He kept his complaint to within as he gave his orders. Alright then everyone knows the drill, with this many Alba particles in the air our Ion-weaponry is useless. Stow them, also we don't want to damage their machinery too much, so all explosive too, stow them." This caused a ripple of disgruntle moans among his subordinates. However, orders were orders, even then with Alba particles in the air around them they didn't have a choice in the matter. So, they begrudgingly compiled. Mag-locking the weapons they were holding in their hands to different parts of their uniforms with soft clicks.

"Switch to kinetic weaponry, keep a grip on your secondary weapons. Knowing these brutes, they surely have other tricks up their sleeves." His squad acknowledges his orders and then they pushed onwards. Traversing uncontested through the few corridors till they reach the halls leading to an opening courtyard. They didn't even hesitate at this sight. They keep pushing forward, till they saw something from the top of the stairs. There on the top of the stairs came more troopers of the Yang family. These were different from the rest they've encountered before these were armored. All of whom, wore their signature all-white BDUs, officers overlapping theirs with cloaks, with a layer of gold armor plating with extensive white enameling. It was these traits that they are sometimes colloquially called the "White Cloaks", or the "White Swords".

Each held out a rifle presenting the muzzle of their barrels towards the leader and his team. "Incoming~!" Bang-Bang-Bang~! Came the sonic booms of weapons fire. The flash sparked and dissipated harmlessly, along an invisible force projected in front of the invaders body. A soft coated wall of invisible energy, barely visible only due to the impact points, of rounds hitting the invisible wall. Before fading away as if it doesn't exist. "Push forward advance!"

The leader cried out. As he lifted his own weapon and returned the greeting he received in kind. Shot dissipating along the surface of the Troopers of Yang's bodies. The two groups moved towards one another. Each with their own pace. The troopers of Yang marched tightly together in lock step, marching down the stairs slowly. While the leader and his squad were a disorderly mob rushing ahead of another. As if desperately trying to outpace their counterparts. Neither side had ceased their actions while advancing upon each other. Once the two sides neared, there was a shift among the troopers of Yang.

The troopers of Yang swapped out their firearms for their most favored preferred weaponry. The one that gave them the moniker of 'White Swords'. Drawing out their long Dao blades, rearranged their stance and continued to march in step without missing a beat. "Damn brutes! Brace yourselves!" the leader cried out as he stowed his beloved firearm for another. The lines then meet the lead trooper clearly the leader of the troopers of Yang, swung his blade down at the leader.

Only for the blade to be caught in the object the leader drew. It was small, puny in comparison to the much longer, larger Dao. It was all and all a combat knife. This didn't seem to hinder the trooper of Yang as he thumb something on the handle on his blade. The shift was instant. The blade of the Dao seemed to vibrate. The weapon seemed to emit a low insistent buzz that turned the leader's stomach. The blade edge of the sword, was now glowing with a bright hue, indicating the material of the blade was burning with heat.

'A Vibro-Blade~! These bloody savages! Who would even put this much effort to manufacture such uncivilized instruments.' The leader cursed as his combat blade was sliced clean in two by the opposing leader's blade. Moving out of the killing edge that would have taken his head, had he not shifted away in time. He drew his sidearm but with a flash, as swiftly as he had raised his arm to fire it, he noticed his arm was missing. All that was left was a stump. Right below the elbow where the rest of his arm was missing. Gritting his teeth not to cry out in pain the leader rushed at the opposing lead trooper.

Which earned him nothing more than another flash before his vison, and it went haywire. His sight was spinning before he found himself lying on the ground. How and when did he get down here? Then he focused his sight on a headless body that had slumped to the ground. Not just any body, HIS body, next to it he could see the form of the trooper of Yang strolling past his body. in the last few moments before his vision went dark, he saw the brutes with their toys weaving through his men like a framer scything through a field of grass. Still cursing them as he faded away his life vanishing into the void.

At another location close to the border line of the capital city of Luoyang.

"Sir we've lost contact with Fort Ta Lo." The one the voice had been addressing turned to face the speaker.

"Explain." The sound of Yang Yansi's voice was cold and forceful. The news of his father disappearance greatly affected his mood already now this. What else could possibly go wrong now. "I do not know sir, all communication just ceased. We're not getting anything." Answered the trooper who reported the news to him.

"Well keep trying, inform me of further developments as they come, pilot report how far are we to the city?" Yang Yansi dismissed the trooper before specking into the intercom of the ship he was riding within. It was his own personal ship the Soaring Arrow, personally gifted to him by General Yang himself. It was retrofitted to his taste, gifting it with immense speed. Yet he could barely feel it, such was the smooth cursie of the ride. He had almost forgotten he was on an aircraft going at mock speeds. Once again, He truly apprenticed sailing and speed of the of this ship, any other craft would have been too slow to reach the destination he so desired, even if one could it wouldn't be anywhere near as comfortable at the speed he was flying at.

[Sir we're near the port beginning to-hold on.] Before pilot's words could be finished, the ship began to duck and weave. The motion taking Yang Yansi by surprise. Then the alarm sirens blared through the ship. Which told Yang Yansi enough of what's happening. [We've got missile lock on us, brace for impact!] the pilot's voice blared through the intercom. Not long after that the ship rocked heavily before the sensation of free-falling kicked in. Indicting that the ship was rapidly losing altitude.

[We're going down! Mayday-mayday we're hit, we're hit, I repeat we're going down!] then another series of hard rocking and then Yang Yansi vison feel into darkness.