* Date: January 22, 2183

* Time: 7:50 AM

* Location: Teleporter Chamber Entrance

Unseen to the naked eye, the Ghost stalked the Kaynians from afar as he closed the distance on the teleporter chamber entrance. Standing guard were four guardians, holding their guards up and vigilantly observing. Looking at the guardians, Tale was prepared to do whatever it took to get off this frigate. The Kaynian ship violently shook as missiles, torpedos, and anti from the drone craft squadron bombarded the port side and starboard side. Light flickered as the Kaynians did their best to fight back but with the bridge terminals out of commission. They were sitting ducks.

'My master, we have to hurry.'

'Yeah, best we get going...'

'...Sarroth, create an illusion to distract the guardians.'

'Understood.'

Hedding the command of her master. The blade spirit created a semi-perfect replica of the Ghost's power armor before sending it toward the entrance. It didn't take long for the four guardians to notice the intimating illusion of the Ghost, or as they called him, demon.

''What the!''

''By the Betrayer...''

''...It's the demon!''

''The demon has escaped!''

''Open fire!''

Pointing the energy rifle at the first two Kaynians. Tale took a deep breath before unleashing hell upon the guardians. Meanwhile, the guardians busied themselves with the illusion by opening fire at it. The energy beams impacted the illusion but did nothing other than pass through. Nailing the first Kaynian in the head, it cracks the guardian's shield before erasing the head of the Kaynian clean off. Pointing at the second guardian, Tale opened fire once more and, this time successfully hit the chest area of the Kaynian. The shield instantly cracked and punched a hole through the guardian's chest.

''Wait a minute, that's an illusion!''

''Over there! The energy beams came from that direction!''

Realizing where the energy beams came from, the two guardians aimed and opened fire. But unbeknownst to them, the Ghost has already taken a new position. As the Kaynians unleashed a barrage of energy beams at the supposed location of Tale, they failed to notice any of their shots hitting something. The Ghost had taken the right flank of the guardians before positioning himself to open fire. Aiming at the first Kaynian, Tale fired his weapon. The energy beam released impacted the shoulder area of the guardian, cracking its shield before erasing the shoulder.

''By the Betrayer's name!''

Shouted the last guardian as he saw his comrade thud to the ground lifelessly. Seeing where the energy beam came from, he opened fire and miraculously impacted the Ghost's magic shield.

'Shit!'

Tale thought as his magic shield flickered to life. Quickly aiming his weapon, he fired at the last remaining Kaynian, hitting a headshot. The guardian thuds to the ground as its red color and lights turn gray.

''Well done, master.''

Sarroth complimented as she saw her master's marksmanship be presented after ten years without any range weapon. Moving forward, Tale placed his hand over the terminal to access its systems. Sarroth materialized before hopping off her master's hand to open the entrance.

''Okay, this should be a piece of cake. Let me just, there!''

The blade spirit exclaimed as she opened the entrance. Dematerializing, she returned to her master's armor.

''Whoa, that's a lot of Kaynians!''

Indeed, there were a lot of Kaynians present in the teleporter chamber. But for now, they hadn't noticed his presence, and at the far end of the chamber, Tale saw the Kaynian Lord barking orders to his subordinates. Moving forward, the Ghost placed himself behind a cover before aiming his weapon. He needed to cleave his way to the crowd of guardians and farers to escape.

''Then we better reach that teleporter...''

''...Sarroth another illusion.''

''Of course, master.''

The blade spirit created another semi-perfect replica of the Ghost's power armor and sending toward the crowd of Kaynians. Of course, the guardians and farers immediately noticed the illusion and pointed their rifles and pistols at it.

''The demon has escaped!''

''But how?''

''Inform the lord!''

''All able arms! Open fire on the demon!''

Taking the bait. The guardians and farer present fired their weapons at the illusion, but the energy beams harmlessly pass through. Meanwhile, the Ghost took the opportunity and opened fire at the Kaynians. Two unfortunate guardians met their end as energy beams cracked their shields before punching through their armor plates. Moving forward, Tale aims at another Kaynian before pulling the trigger, sending the potent energy beam at the farer's head, blasting it clean off.

'Good shooting master.'

Sarroth complimented as the Ghost moved toward a new position to fire upon. Leaping to a floating platform, Tale aimed at the masses of Kaynian's firing on the illusion. Firing his weapon, the Ghost shot at a group of four guardians. Hitting two birds with one stone, the first energy beam Tale fired impacted a guardian square in the chest before over-penetrating and hitting another guardian in the stomach. Both Kaynians died instantly as the Ghost aimed the last two guardians before firing two more energy beams at each one, killing them with a headshot.

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''Halt! It's an illusion!''

The Kaynian Lord barked out, and his troops immediately stopped firing at the illusion.

''By the Betrayer, the demon is above us!''

''Redirect your fire!''

''Up there...''

''...The demon is up there!''

A farer pointed at the floating platform from above, and they all opened fire. But much like last time, they did not realize that the Ghost was invisible and had already left the position. Energy beams released by the Kaynian forces had hit nothing but air.

'Good, they're preoccupied, now's my chance.'

Pointing his weapon, Tale unleashed a barrage of energy beams at the unsuspecting guardians. Nailing three Kaynians in the chest, cracking their shields, and accidentally hitting one of their cores, causing it to overload and explode. A powerful shockwave blasted throughout the teleporter chamber, and any nearby guardians or farers were injured.

''Master, watch out!''

Sarroth warned as a Warlock unleashed a psionic beam at the Ghost's current position. Tale's magic shield would take the hit, but the invisibility magic placed by his companion was now gone. With his presence known, it didn't take long before the guardians took notice and opened fire.

'Sarroth, barrier now!'

Thinking quickly with her magic, the blade spirit conjured a powerful magic barrier blocking the energy beams of the Kaynians.

''It won't hold for long, so whatever you're doing, you better make it quick, master!''

Pointing his weapon, Tale fired a barrage of energy beams at the Kaynians with the help of the aiming software on his power armor. The Ghost killed every guardian or farer that he aimed at. This was now a do-or-die scenario. Tale needed to kill a lot of Kaynians before the magic barrier fell into pieces. Receiving the fury of the sole demon. The Kaynian line struggled to crack the magic barrier protecting the demon. But they were making progress as the barrier was getting smaller and smaller, which meant it could only take so much beating before it finally fell.

''My master, the Warlock is preparing for another attack!''

The Warlock was recuperating his psionics to aid his fellow Kaynians. The Warlock immediately charged up another attack before firing a potent psionic beam, which cracked the magic barrier immediately upon contact but hadn't anticipated Tale to maneuver his way out of Kaynian fire.

''The barrier is down!''

''Kill the demon!''

''Charge!''

Instead of firing their weapons from a distance, the guardians charged toward the Ghost with their bayonets. Closing in, one guardian trusted his rifle's bayonet but missed as the barrel of his rifle was caught by Tale's hand before receiving a mean headbutt.

'More are incoming!'

Sarroth warned as the hoard of Kaynians with bayonets charged toward the Ghost. Picking up the fallen guardian's weapon and imbuing it with magic, Tale used it as a spear he threw at another Kaynian, accidentally hitting a core, causing it to explode. A powerful shockwave blasted throughout the teleporter chamber again as the charging guardians were halted.

''Okay, that should distract them for a while...''

''...My master, I can teleport us to the- On your right!''

Without saying a word, Tale used the energy rifle as a shield to block the Kaynian Lord's blade. Having his weapon sliced in half, the Ghost proceeded to counter by charging his left fist with magic before punching the Kaynian's face. A shockwave erupted as Tale's magic made contact with the Lord's energy shield, causing them both to be sent backward.

''Sarroth, sword!''

''Understood!''

Summoning Sarroth, the Ghost took the first move and thrust at the Kaynian, but only for the Warlock from afar to blast Tale away with a powerful psionic lightning attack.

''Argh!''

The Ghost grunted as he crashed on the floor as the psionic lightning continued degrading his magic shield. Tale was caught off guard by the Warlock's intention and suffered for it. But it didn't take long for the psionic attack to stop as a loud bang echoed throughout the teleporter chamber.

[Sorry we're late Ghost...]

[...We had some issues hacking the Kaynian teleporter systems to get here.]

Announced an A.I. in the comms of his power armor. Looking at the teleporter with increased magnification, Tale saw three armored silhouettes. These Ghosts had different weapons: the one to the left had an MK23 Double-Barrel Shotgun, and the right had an MK20 Anti-Material Rifle. Lastly, the one in the middle carried an MK12 Battle Machine Rifle.

''Hold on, Ghost. We're coming to get you.''

A familiar voice echoed in Tale's comm. He knew who his rescuers were: Sword and Shield.

'Commander?'

Springing into action, the newly arrived Ghost Operatives sprinted toward their downed comrade. The close-quarter specialist immediately took the lead and blasted his way with his shotgun, sprinting forward full throttle with a complete disregard for his safety; the operative merely wanted to kill any Kaynian that got in his way. It didn't take long for the Kaynians to notice the newly arrived operatives and aimed at them. Energy beams raced to the charging Ghost as his reactive energy shield stopped the beams from penetrating. As reciprocation, he delivered a swift kick to an unfortunate guardian's face. The kick, infused with psionics, generated a shockwave that pushed the Kaynian back, allowing the Ghost to conclude the encounter with a blast from a four-gauge buckshot.

'Impossible, was that magic?'

Mesmerized, Sarroth contemplated the unfolding scene before her. Never had she thought of other Ghosts other than her master to possess magic, and yet here was one, proudly displaying it.

''Ha! You Kaynian bastards! Take some of this!''

The Ghost shouted as he engaged his shoulder-mounted third arm system, firing a single rocket at the hastily formed firing line of the Kaynians. The eighty-four-millimeter rocket made contact with its targets and exploded. Then, a shockwave blasted away any Kaynian near the blast radius as the close-quarter specialist engaged with his shotgun.

''Bishop, give Nomad covering fire!''

The commander ordered, and then another loud bang echoed as the other Ghost sniped a Kaynian farer in the head, but the round over-penetrated and nailed another Kaynian behind the first one. Aiming at another set of targets, the long-range specialist opened fire and unleashed a hail of twenty millimeter-depleted uranium rounds at the Kaynians. Each time he fired his weapon, the dust and air around him shifted as the rifle had a kick in it.

'Nomad and Bishop?'

Tale thought as he witnessed the two rivals cooperate in combat, but as he saw his colleagues tear through the Kaynian forces. He neglected to notice the Kaynian Lord beside him had recovered.

''If it's the last I do, you, demon! And your brethren will perish in this vessel!''

The Kaynian Lord shouted. Turning around, Tale saw the Kaynian brandishing his sword at him, and In turn, he did the same, pointing his companion at the Lord. The Ghost was ready to face him.

'We'll see about that...'

'...Sarroth get ready.'

'Understood, my master!'

With a sudden burst of speed, Tale lunged forward, his sword slashing through the air. The Kaynian Lord parried with his blade, the clash of energy resonating throughout the teleporter chamber. Sparks flew as the two warriors exchanged a flurry of strikes, each testing the other's skill and strength. Tale's agility allowed him to evade the Kaynian's heavy blows, darting in and out of the Kaynian Lord's reach. The Lord, however, relied on the durability of his armor and energy shield to weather the Ghost's assaults. Executing a series of faints to trick the Lords and deliver a precise strike to crack the Kaynian's shield. The Ghost pressed on and delivered blow after blow, making the Kaynian Lord grunt under the impact. Turning swiftly, the Kaynian counterattacked with a sweeping arc of his sword, compelling Tale to parry with Sarroth.

''Die demon!''

The Kaynian shouted as he prepared to deliver a powerful punch imbued with psionic at the Ghost. Suddenly, the Lord teleported in front of Tale and scored a hit, sending the Ghost Operative backward. The Ghost crashed on the floor as the psionic attack left a powerful impact that bypassed the magic shield. Pain erupted on Tale's chest as his ribs were cracked and his lungs weakened by the attack.

'Get up, master!'

Sarroth exclaimed through telepathy magic, but it was too late as the Kaynian Lord placed a foot on Tale's chest. Raising his weapon, the Kaynian Lord prepared to deal the killing blow. But a hail of fifty caliber rounds denied him by hitting his energy shield and throwing him off balance.

''I got your back, Ghost!''

The commander shouted as he engaged with the Kaynian Lord, firing a full burst at the Kaynian. The commander shattered its shield, but not before getting himself disarmed by the Kaynian's psionics. This forced the commander to utilize his psionics to teleport in front of the Kaynian and deliver a killing blow with a combat knife.

''Good riddance.''

The commander remarked as he holstered his combat knife on his hip, then shifted his focus to the incapacitated Ghost.

'Master, that Ghost he-'

'Used magic, I know. But right now, our objective should be to survive. We'll inquire about it later.'

'Understood.'

Ending their conversation short, Tale saw their rescuer approach them. The ease with which this Ghost employed teleportation magic indicated that much had changed. Not just technologically but magically as well.

''Come here, kid, let's get out of here.''

The commander offered a hand, and Tale accepted it, getting back up. He nodded at his superior but cutting their interaction short, several energy beams impacted their energy/magic shielding. This caused the two Ghosts to retreat, Tale going first since he has no range weapon and the commander picking up his rifle and returning fire on the Kaynians.

[All Ghost Operatives fall back! I repeat! All Ghost Operatives fall back! Commander West has secured the Ghost!]

The same A.I. from before relying on the message as Nomad, West, and Tale made their way to the teleporter for extraction.

''Bishop! Covering fire.''

The commander shouted through the comms, and the long-range specialist obliged by firing his Anti-Material Rifle in rapid succession. The twenty-millimeter-depleted uranium rounds impact the energy shields of the guardians and farer, shattering them before killing them. Meanwhile, Tale sprinted to the teleporter before the Nomad and West could. The Ghost and his companion could only watch as their rescuers took the brunt of the attack for them. As of right now, Sarroth's magic was almost at its lowest. The amount of magic she had used to awaken her master, assist him, and attack the Kaynians while on the frigate exhausted her reserves.

'Are you alright, Sarroth?'

'I am fine, my master. I merely exhausted most of my reserves while on the ship, but I shall recover...'

'...And learning about your kind utilizing magic before our return is also quite a question I have for them.'

'I see.'

Upon receiving confirmation from his companion, Tale sighed, realizing that the magical abilities possessed by their rescuers were something he hadn't anticipated. Meanwhile, the battle continued as the Ghost Commander, West, and the close-quarters specialist, Nomad, successfully reached the teleporter and secured their position.

''Merci, get us out of here!''

[Understood, commander...]

[...In three...]

[...Two, one...]

[...Initiating!]

To Be Continued.