Space Odyssey: Spectre

Over these past days of relaxation he had spent them getting more familiar with the Victorium. Not just in the intimate sense either. He had also spent time learning their languages, cultures, and more importantly about their military structure.

Which is what was now relevant as he was looking at the black armor of the Victorium soldiers who breached the airlock. They are wearing black unmarked armor that covers their entire body. These soldiers are the Victorium's version of spec ops soldiers.

"This is not good. How did they manage to get them on their side?" Jace asked as he quietly looked down the hallway.

"These are not Shadows, they did not join the Elders. But the Elders are in charge of handing out that armor so they probably gave it to a group of capable soldiers." Nila explained after observing them for a second. Shadows was not their actual name, but for the moment it was the closest translation that the human common language had.

"Okay, but they are still heavily armored and armed. How do you suppose we take them out?" Jace asked, he already had an idea but he felt like testing his new second in command and seemed like she understood his intention almost immediately as she made several quiet clicking noises.

Nila continued to contemplate the challenge from Jace. She then nodded, "we need to close the distance and engage in hand to hand combat. In order to do that-" She ducked back behind the corner as a plasma bolt smacked into the corner, scorching the material that was on the corner between hallways.

Jace crouched and fired around the corner. He fired off five shots before the pistol overheated. The top of the pistol opened up revealing two rectangles that stuck up out of the pistol. He moved back around the corner as it cooled down. He had hit one of them with all five plasma bolts.

The accer he hit was screaming in pain. Which made sense considering that Jace had aimed for the enemy's leg and broke down the armor's shielding with the first three hits and then he completely blew off the leg with the last two hits. One of them cut through the physical armor at the joint and the last went through the body.

"Nice hit," Nila fired two times before retreating around the corner. "Like I was saying, we will need to use the rooms for cover. Open a door and use the doorway as your cover. Don't move inside the room because you might get yourself cornered."

"Good plan, let's execute it." Jace then stood up and moved around the corner, "you first!" He then began firing off a few shots at the five remaining enemies who began moving down the hall towards them. After shooting off one of their legs they seemed to be especially cautious of him, so as soon as he started shooting they hid.

Nila dashed across the hall to one of the doors, opening it quickly and taking cover in the doorway. Jace stopped firing after three shots, which was how long it took her to get cover. Once she was there she covered him as he moved forward.

But as he got to the door there was a beep of refusal from the door panel as it refused to open. After quickly inputting an override code the door opened and he moved into the doorway. But as he moved he grunted in pain as a plasma bolt hit him in the shoulder.

He looked over at Nila who was frowning, "door panel."

"Security clearance, I was fine with letting Solisa and Isaiah handle the security matters but I will have to review their coding methods and fix it in the future." Jace explained and glanced at his shoulder where his shirt was destroyed and his shoulder was burnt and looking raw. But they could both see as his shoulder visibly and quickly healed. Jace could even see small electrical arcs between the edges of his skin.

"That… is… interesting." Nila declared before nodding her head. "Okay so they figured out our plan on how we will get closer."

Jace chuckled and crouched and then moved around the corner and fired. There were several hits to limbs and helmets of the enemies. They hid again as Nila moved across the hall again and into another door.

Nila then covered Jace as he moved out of cover and into the hall. But as he moved to the door he suddenly rolled as several bolts flew over his head and hit the wall. Jace had to return fire with another two shots when his pistol overheated again and forced him to stop shooting.

Jace was easily able to open the door this time. "I do not think this will work anymore." Jace pointed out to her as Nila had to duck behind cover as several shots scorched the wall. "They figured out you are not as nearly as good of a shot as me."

Nila sighed as she nodded, "so I need a new plan?"

"Yes," Jace nodded as his pistol cooled off and he fired a few more shots. This time he focused all three shots on one of the enemies. Disabling their shields and causing that individual to dive back into cover. "Preferably quickly."

"Then in that case…" Nila fired two wild shots. "We work together, break the shields and then you cripple another of them."

Jace nodded, "you start," He then crouched to change his position and waited until Nila moved out of cover before he peaked out of cover. Her shots went wide hitting a few different enemies. Jace picked out one that had been hit twice and fired his own pistol at the ola who was trying to discreetly move up.

When he was hit by two shots the ola flinched for a moment, probably considering retreating. But then Jace hit him three more shots. The first broke the ola's shielding. Then the next two cut through a soft spot on the armor at the ola's neck that Jace spotted.