Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2710: Patrols

Where there should have been a gleaming fortress bristling with cannons and defense arrays, there was only silence and ruin.

The Azure Kraken slowed its speed, its hull groaning as if reluctant to approach the graveyard ahead. Empty space stretched before them, littered with drifting wreckage. Great slabs of alloy hull spun slowly through the black, their torn edges glinting faintly under the cold starlight. A few beacon fragments flickered weakly, their pulses so faint they resembled dying heartbeats.

The bridge fell silent. The crew stared, wide-eyed. Then one of them, voice strained, broke the stillness.

”Captain... sensors are picking up faint energy signatures. A battle took place here. Recently.” He hesitated, then added with unease, ”But it’s strange... there’s too little debris.”

Emery’s eyes narrowed. ”Too little? What does that mean?”

Varrek, leaned forward, eyes narrowing at the readings. ”The border outpost was a massive installation—over a thousand personnel stationed here. If it was attacked, the wreckage should be ten times greater. This... doesn’t add up.”

For a moment, Emery was baffled. ”Could the outpost have escaped?”

Varrek’s expression was grim. ”It’s possible. But unlikely. Those stations move like mountains. Their acceleration slow. And...” He pointed to the sensor readouts. ”The data shows the battle happened less than an hour ago. If the station fled, it should still be within our range. It isn’t.”

Another crewman interrupted, his voice flat and pale. ”No lifesigns detected. Not a single survivor. Whatever happened here... they’re gone.” His fingers moved quickly across the console, retrieving fragmented telemetry. ”But I managed to extract some damage data.” He swallowed, eyes darting toward Emery. ”And there’s... something else.”

The bridge lights dimmed as the main display filled with a new scan. A haze of energy floated in the wreck field: a purplish miasma, roiling and writhing as though alive. It clung to the debris like a sickness, threads of violet vapor coiling into unnatural shapes before dissipating into the void.

Emery stiffened. That energy—he knew it. His divine senses stretched outward, brushing against the residue.

It was awefully similar to the vile taint he had felt during the Tartarus Northstar siege. His lips parted, the words edged with dread.

”The Scourge was here.”

The air on the bridge grew heavy. The raiders exchanged uneasy glances.

Varrek recoiled as though struck. ”The Scourge...? They—” His voice faltered. ”They shouldn’t have reached this far yet...”

There were too many unanswered questions, and Emery had no intention of lingering in that cursed void to find out the answers. With a sharp order, he commanded the crew to accelerate and resume their course. The ship groaned as its engines pushed them past the shattered outpost, the debris field fading into the distance.

Yet fate never allowed him peace. Barely two hours past the border line, their flight was interrupted.

”Contacts—multiple ships incoming!” one of the Raider scouts shouted, his fingers flying across the sensor board. ”Half a dozen... heavy arm squadrons. Bearing down fast.”

The bridge screens lit up, projecting six bronze-plated vessels sliding out of warp. Their hulls gleamed with Imperium markings—broad wings shaped like spread shields, sharp runic patterns of authority etched into their armor. These weren’t ordinary patrols. These were the Royal Imperium’s Space Knights, one of the Alliance’s most disciplined and feared military detachments.

The crew stiffened in their seats. For raiders, these space knights were their nightmares, they looked pale at the sight.

”They’re hailing us,” the comm officer muttered. Static crackled, then a voice thundered across the channel, metallic and commanding.

”We are the The Imperium Lighting Bear Squadron. You have three minutes to identify yourselves.”

Varrek, following the prepared cover, transmitted the half truth report: a mercenary ship hired to escort a Magus Alliance member. He submitted Emery’s credentials, showing his status as acting leader of the Earth faction and Magus Academy instructor.

The squadron went silent for a minute, then another. The entire bridge held its breath, every second stretched taut like a bowstring. Finally, the reply came through.

”This data is twenty years old, and Magus Emery; your status is still MIA. Missing in Action”

The voice carried no recognition, no sympathy. Only cold, procedural force.

”We have no way to confirm your identity. This zone is restricted. You are ordered to withdraw immediately. Do not enter Alliance space without verified permits. This is your only warning”

Emery heaved a deep sigh. Of all the patrols they could have stumbled into, it had to be the Space Knights. The Royal Imperium’s enforcers were infamous throughout the Alliance—stern, unyielding, and bound to their code of discipline as if it were divine law.

Their demand had been simple: divert to the nearest outpost for verification. But Emery had no intention of reporting what he had just witnessed at the ruined station. If he did, it would only mire him in endless bureaucracy—days, perhaps weeks, of interrogation and political wrangling.

He considered his options. Forcing his way through was possible—he was confident of his strength—but deep down, he held a genuine respect for the Space Knights, the faction has help him multiple times in a past. He could not bring himself to spill their blood. Reluctantly, he gave the order to retreat.

Unfortunately, the detour came at a steep cost. The next Alliance outpost lay five days in the opposite direction, and the course correction pulled him even farther away from Earth. By Emery’s estimation, this diversion would rob him of more than a week.

The delay gnawed at him. Enough to tempt him toward a far riskier gamble: slipping through Alliance territory in secret and making straight for Earth.

His eyes slid toward Varrek ”You think it’s possible?”

”You want us to sneak into Alliance territory, Captain?”

”Yes,” Emery said firmly. ”Aren’t you raiders? I imagine you’ve got tricks for this sort of thing.”

Varrek’s expression twisted into a reluctant grimace. ”We’ve got tricks, yes... but not enough for the likes of them”

Unfortunatly their last employment doesn’t gives them enough wealth to upgrade the ship with top-grade sensors, cloaking device, or stealth plating.

”Against Imperium knights with state-of-the-art technology?” Varrek shook his head grimly.

Emery’s expression darkened with disappointment. Seeing it, Varrek offered an alternative. ”There are colonists nearby. Some specialize in... less official services. A few of them could provide us with forged permits”

Emery’s patience was razor-thin; every delay twisted his chest tighter. But as he scanned the list that Varrek displayed, one destination caught his eye. He pointed to it. ”This one.”

Varrek’s lips curved into a thin smile. ”A fine choice, Captain. Rare to find them at all—they move across quadrants constantly. But this one... yes, this is the best option.”

Emery already knew what he meant. He had been there before.

Alfa Station—the City of a thousand planets.

And with it came a new priority. The Arbor Master. If he could find that legendary figure, perhaps there was hope for Twik.

”Set course,” Emery commanded.

Varrek bowed his head. ”Aye Captain. We’ll be there in two days.”

###

Unbeknownst to Emery, the Lighting Bear Squadron had already received new orders. The Azure Kraken was now wanted for interrogation in connection with the border outpost. A task force was dispatched with top priority mission.