---
The first rays of sunlight cut across Fort Sentinel's tarmac like molten gold, glinting off the freshly waxed airframe of SU-30N Spectre-02. The fighter sat poised on Runway Alpha, nose pointed east, wings glistening with dew, and twin engines humming faintly with power.
Reeve stood at the air control tower's observation deck, arms crossed. Below him, the entire launch crew worked in silent precision. Drones mounted test pods, maintenance teams conducted last-minute diagnostics, and the fuel crew disconnected auxiliary lines from the belly of the aircraft.
> FLIGHT UNIT: SU-30N "Spectre-02" Status: Ready for Launch Pilot: AI Core "RAVEN-2" Loadout: Mixed Armament (2x AA Missiles, 2x ASM Kh-35E, ECM Pod) Fuel: 100% (Jet-A1 Reserve)
"Run a final systems sweep," Reeve said.
Keira's voice crackled through the channel. "Flight control green across all decks. ECM suite functional. No anomalies in surface telemetry. Raven-2 ready for sortie."
"Clear the strip."
Minutes later, the tarmac emptied. Spectre-02 taxied forward with a subtle roar, aligning perfectly with the centerline.
> TAKEOFF CLEARANCE GRANTED Runway Alpha: Wind 4 knots, eastward
With a flash of blue heat, the afterburners lit.
The aircraft rocketed forward, leaving behind a plume of jet wash and a faint shimmer in the air. It took flight in a smooth, arcing ascent, its silhouette slicing through the cloud cover.
---
Reeve watched the radar feed update in real time.
Spectre-01 was already in a high-altitude holding pattern. Now, with Spectre-02 airborne, Fort Sentinel finally had true air coverage—dual multirole fighters with electronic warfare capability and long-range strike potential.
> CURRENT AIRPOWER STATUS:
SU-30N Spectre-01 (High Patrol Loop – Eastern Grid)
SU-30N Spectre-02 (Recon and Combat Trials – Northern Loop)
NH90 Multi-Role Helo (Standby – ASW Config)
A second status window blinked into view.
> AWACS DRONE – PROJECT RAVENNET
Assembly: 64% Complete Drone Type: HALE (High-Altitude Long-Endurance) Purpose: Over-the-Horizon Radar / Air Traffic Relay Expected Completion: 22 Hours
Reeve swiped the panel closed and turned to the base map.
"Queue forward recon. I want Raven-2 to scan Zeta Quadrant. Last week's drone sweep found trace debris—possible wreckage."
Keira nodded, already inputting the mission parameters.
---
Thirty minutes into the sortie, Spectre-02 cruised above 12,000 meters. The pilot AI, Raven-2, monitored every signal in the environment. High-fidelity radar painted heat blooms along the wave crests below, cataloging bio-signatures, thermal trails, and potential radar ghosts.
At 12:42, it pinged a return.
> SIGNAL DETECTED – GRID ZETA-5
Type: Magnetic Displacement Field
Possible Source: Sunken Warship / Tech Wreck
Recommendation: Deploy Underwater Recon Drone
Back at Fort Sentinel, Reeve processed the signal spike.
"Dispatch a Kite-Class recon drone. Route it through Raven-2's link. I want visual confirmation before we commit salvage."
---
While the sortie continued, the R&D wing activated.
With decrypted fragments from the orbital node processed, new weapons systems entered development:
> WEAPON UNLOCKED:
Dual-Purpose VLS Cell (Can accept both ASM and SAM)
Modular CIWS Turret Mk II (Rotary 30mm + Automated Targeting)
Hybrid Fuel Additive (Based on Enzyme Core from Leviathan Tissue)
Keira flipped through the test schematics.
"This will let us standardize payloads. No more silo segregation between anti-air and anti-ship."
"Which means faster resupply," Reeve said. "More modular refit options mid-mission."
He glanced at the vault archive.
> PROJECT NEMEAN: 71% Decrypted
Contents: High-Priority Naval Prototype Status: Locked
What the hell had they been building before the collapse?
---
Back in the sky, Raven-2 circled the anomaly at Zeta-5.
A plume of sediment rose from the ocean floor, barely visible through high-contrast optical zoom. Beneath the surface, a shape emerged—long, angular, and partially crushed. Not natural.
> IDENTIFIED: VESSEL REMNANT – UNKNOWN ORIGIN
Hull Length: ~160m Features: Burnt Markings, VLS Mounts, Broken Hangar Deck
Raven-2 banked, swept low, and triggered a sonar mapping pulse.
> STRUCTURE DAMAGED BUT SCANNABLE Flag Markings: None Suggested Action: Deploy Salvage Detail (Escort Required)
Reeve tagged it on the overwatch map.
"We'll bring it in," he said. "Whatever it was, it's ours now."
---
The rest of the sortie passed without incident.
At 14:10, Spectre-02 began its descent.
Keira stood by the runway controls as the fighter made its final approach. Arrestor cables deployed, catching the aircraft in a controlled deceleration.
The airframe hissed to a halt.
> SORTIE COMPLETE Mission Duration: 1h42m Targets Scanned: 3 Intel Recovered: 1 Wreck, 2 Signal Drones (Unknown Owner) Fuel Used: 67%
Reeve met Keira at the landing platform.
"Two birds in the air. One wreck tagged. Forward radar coverage extended another fifty klicks."
"We're not just holding the map anymore," she said. "We're expanding it."
He nodded.
"And soon," he added, "we'll control the air above every island in this sector."
---
[End of Chapter Sixteen]