Chapter 65: The Void Blockade and the Last Lights of the Lighthouse
When the Odyssey arrived in the star system where Aethelburg's Lighthouse was located, the terrifying Void fleet it encountered had left the bridge of the ship frozen in silence. Countless, pitch-black, organic, and thorny Void ships had spun a web of death around the planet, bombarding Aethelburg's Lighthouse with a relentless onslaught. The planet's weakened energy shields trembled with each explosion, opening up huge wounds on the surface.
"Course locked, Captain," Kael said, his voice echoing with determination, the power of the Chitauri core and the anguished cry for help from the Lighthouse. "We have to break through that blockade."
Captain Eva Rostova glanced at Kael briefly. This man had no place in the chain of command, but he was their greatest hope on the ship right now. "All systems go," Rostova said, turning to her crew. "We're going on a voyage to hell, people. Fasten your seat belts."
The Odyssey, pushing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most advanced engines to the max, plunged into the Void fleet. They were immediately greeted by hundreds of Void fighters and larger cruisers. Dark energy beams pounded the Odyssey's shields, the ship shaking with each impact. Captain Rostova maneuvered the ship through the enemy fire with incredible skill, avoiding mortal blows with sudden maneuvers.
Kael had become one with the Chitauri core on the bridge. Her echo sense allowed her to detect the Void ships' weak points, their attack patterns, and even their commanders' intentions before S.H.I.E.L.D. sensors could detect them. "Raid fire to port! Massive energy release in three seconds!" or "Energy capacitors low on that cruiser!" she would relay directives to Rostova and her weapons officers.
Dr. Aris Thorne was amazed by Kael's extraordinary abilities. At Kael's request, he had found a way to integrate the energy of the Chitauri core into the Odyssey's main weapons systems. It was an extremely risky modification, but the results were incredible. The Odyssey's lasers were now powered not only by thermal energy but also by Kael's focused pure Echo energy, penetrating the Void ships' dark armor more effectively.
The Lion and Shadow Team were ready to conduct damage control or any possible infiltration attempts inside the ship. Several times, the ship had suffered minor fires and breaches due to kamikaze dives or energy blasts from the Void hunters, but the team quickly intervened and brought the situation under control.
However, the Void fleet was vastly outnumbered. The Odyssey was slowing down with each hit it took, its shields dropping to critical levels. Just as hope was about to fade, Kael was startled by a loud whisper coming from the Chitauri core. "Now, Captain! Full speed toward the planet's north pole! There will be a momentary weakening of their shields there!"
Rostova did not hesitate. She guided the Odyssey into the narrow corridor Kael had pointed out. The Void ships were after them, but as Kael had said, a momentary energy surge from a Void mothership interacting with the planet's magnetic field had opened a breach in their shields. The Odyssey made a last-ditch effort to pass through that breach, plunging into the battered atmosphere of Aethelburg's Lighthouse.
The atmosphere was an inferno from the bombardment and the spreading Void energy. The Odyssey descended toward the planet's surface, hurtling through turbulence and energy storms. Below, the grim face of war became clearer. Ruined cities, burning forests, and a dwindling number of gleaming armored figures desperately battling the dark creatures of the Void... These must be the last defenders of Aethelburg's Lighthouse.
And at the center of those guardians rose a towering tower, towering into the sky, made of starlight: Aethelburg's Lighthouse. The Lighthouse still emitted a dim light, giving hope to the small resistance around it, but it too trembled under the Void's assault.
"That's where it is," Kael said, pointing to the Lighthouse. "We must get there."
The Odyssey crash-landed in a valley near the Lighthouse that seemed relatively safe. The ship had taken heavy damage, and it seemed unlikely that it would be able to take off again for some time. Kael, Aslan, and the Shadow Squad left the ship, carrying with them some of the special energy weapons Dr. Thorne had developed. Captain Rostova and some of her crew would remain behind to defend and repair the ship.
As they stepped onto the surface, they felt the suffocating energy of the Void and the desperate resistance of the Lighthouse's guardians even more closely. Countless Void creatures were swarming toward the Lighthouse.
At that moment, one of the Lantern's guardians approached them with a glowing spear. The being resembled the Starsingers, but had a fiercer, more warlike appearance. There was both weariness and unwavering determination in his eyes.
"Strangers!" he called, his voice echoing in Kael's mind. "Have you come to join us in this hopeless war, or are you another trick of the Void?"
Kael stepped forward. The Chitauri core burned brightly, resonating with the faint but pure Echo energy emanating from the Lantern. "We are friends," Kael said. "I am Kael, an Echo Bearer. And we will not allow Aethelburg's Lantern to be extinguished."
The Lantern's keeper looked at the core in Kael's hand and the familiar energy emanating from it. His eyes flickered with a moment of surprise, then a new light of hope. "An Echo Bearer… The ancient prophecies… Perhaps… perhaps we still have a chance."