Chapter 20
House Alliance Fleet, near Pluto
The entire fleet for the House Alliance had arrived near Pluto and saw the House of Whirlwind's fleet, hundreds of Ketches in the dwarf planet's orbit above the territory that the House of Whirlwind controls. The House Alliance Fleet outnumbers them but they weren't attacking for they knew that if they attack they would loose a lot of ships.
On board Kaliks-Syn, a Ketch that was captured by the Guardians when they killed its old commander Taniks, the Scarred, multiple Guardians and Eliksni were being briefed by Solix and Commander Zavala on their mission.
Solix: House Whirlwind's fleet maybe outnumbered but its best that we loose as few ships as possible.
Zavala: This is why you will all board several of Whirlwind's Ketches, and plant bombs on their power cores. You'll be supplied with Skiff's equipped with stealth drives, jamming device to keep them from contacting the others, and cloaking units.
Solix: Once you have planted your bombs head toward Pluto's surface and establish a base of operations in the Tombaugh Regio.
Zavala: Good luck everyone, I hope to see everyone on the ground.
Ten minutes later...
Jason, Grace, and Jack-10 are onboard their Stealth Skiff. Assisting them was Captain Yasis and his crew. Both their Skiffs boarded their assigned Ketch on separate sections of the ship.
Pilot: Engaging communication jammer. Try not to use stealth in this operation.
Jack-10: Don't worry; we should be able to avoid as many fights as possible with the cloaking units.
The team exited the Skiff and found themselves in the ketch's supply bay. Grace put a crate in front of the entrance their Skiff made for them when it boarded the Ketch. The team proceeded through the cargo bay and activated their cloakers turning them invisible.
Grace: Just like being a Bladedancer.
The team opens the door and checks the hallway for any enemy Eliksni. Once the coast was clear they proceed down the hallway and follow the schematics they were given to the power core.
Jason (Activates his comm.): Yasis this is Jason, we're proceeding to the power core. What's your status?
Yasis (Voice only): Groups of Whirlwind Eliksni are passing through the hallways that we boarded. We aren't that close to the power core, so you'll get to it before us.
Jason: Understood, stay safe.
The group approaches down the hall and they get out of the walk way when they see two Vandals walk by talking about something.
Jason's ghost (Voice only): Uh oh.
Grace: What is it?
Jason's Ghost (Voice only): They said that something is wrong is with their communications. Apparently we boarded their flagship and it was supposed to check in with their Kell. So the Baron is going to send a Skiff down to their citadel on the surface.
Jason: Yasis. Did you catch that?
Yasis (Voice only): Yes. My team is near the hangar we can cause a distraction. You and your team will have to finish the mission on your own.
Jason: Understood. You heard him let's move.
The team continued down hallways and corridors, they stopped when they heard the alarms go off and a voice was heard on the loudspeaker.
Jack: Looks like that distraction just happened.
Grace's Ghost (Voice only): The Baron is saying that attackers have commandeered three Walkers and are destroying the hangars ships.
Grace: That should lighten the load of enemy Eliksni.
The group makes it to the power core room and when they open the door and see the power core room. It was very big and had five floors with bridges that connected to a large tower like structure. On the third floor, at the center of the structure was the power core. But, several engineers were in the room working on maintaining the power core.
Jason: We may have to fight our way through these guys. I'm not sure if we are able to sneak past this many Eliksni to plant the bomb on the core.
Jack: Yes we can. if one of us goes through they can plant the bomb without alerting any suspicion.
Grace: And how do we hide the bomb?
Jack: One of us will have to give up their cloaking device and I can attach it to the bomb. Once planted the bomb will cloak and then we can get out of here.
Jason: I'll give up my cloaker. But who'll plant the bomb?
Grace: I'll do it. I'm excellent at these stealth missions.
Jason removes a circular attachment that was on his left forearm and attaches it to the bomb and gives it to Grace. The Awoken Hunter then moves throughout the core room and is careful to avoid any engineer in her way. She eventually makes it to the power core, but the chief machinist, a thirteen foot tall captain, was walking around it making sure that it's working at one hundred percent capacity. Grace had to be careful not to touch the giant as this would arouse suspicion. As soon as he got around she planted the bomb, got out of the room, and rejoined Jason and Jack-10.
Jason (Yasis): Yasis we've planted the bomb. We're heading to your location.
Yasis (Vocie only, weakly): No.
Jason: What do you mean no? You sound hurt we can help you and-
Yasis (Vocie only): Multiple groups are heading...to my location. My teammates are dead and I'm bleeding to death inside of a Walker that I'm piloting. I can keep the other Whirlwind soldiers away from you if I keep fighting them. I've told...my Skiff to leave. Just go...and get out of here. Detonate the bomb. (Transmission ends)
Grace: He's just going to sacrifice himself!?
Jack-10: We need to help him!?
Jason (Solemnly): Even if we do rescue him he'll be dead from his bleeding. I don't like this as much as you guys, but...we have to leave him.
The group makes it down the halls and gets back to the cargo bay.
Jason (Activates his comm.): Yasis are you there?
Static is heard
Grace: He's dead.
Jack: He went out a hero.
Jason: Let's get to the surface.
The group boards the Skiff and leave the Ketch. Once they reach a safe distance they receive word that the other groups have completed their missions and reached a safe distance they all activated their detonators. About a hundred or more Ketches are destroyed sending the rest of the Whirlwind fleet into a panic. This distracts them as the House Alliance appears and starts attacking the enemy fleet.
Jason: Pilot, take us down to the Tombaugh Regio.
Pilot: Yes sir.