Chapter 944: The Fall of Fengrao Starport (2)

"How many people are left?"

Kern asked, his chest heaving.

Weike scanned his comrades with his three eyes.

The defense squad, originally at its full strength of fifty, now had only eleven survivors left, and every one of them was wounded.

Laku's heavy machine gun team had been wiped out, and Sergeant Barke had also sacrificed himself.

The highest-ranking person now was a female Fengqi named Sela, who had originally only been a squad leader.

Weike replied.

"Eleven, and we're low on ammunition too."

Sela counted the remaining weapons and energy batteries, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"The energy rifles only have twenty percent power on average, and all heavy weapons are lost. We cannot hold the next bulkhead."

Hearing the sound of those giants installing an Explosive Device on the other side of the bulkhead, Kern suddenly said.

"Then we die here. We can't escape anyway, so we might as well take a few down with us."

Weike did not answer; he just silently checked his own energy rifle.

The energy reading was indeed down to only eight percent, barely enough for three full-power shots.

A Fengqi soldier guarding the bulkhead shouted.

"They're coming!"

The bulkhead was blown open, and the soldier's body was swallowed by a wave of heat.

"Combat positions!"

Sela shouted.

Weike and Kern hid behind a collapsed bunker, their energy rifles aimed at the breach that had been blown open.

"Left!"

Weike shouted, firing at the same time.

The energy beam passed through the smoke and struck the chest plate of an Iron Warrior who had just entered.

This Iron Warrior Space Marine raised his rifle and returned fire.

A bolter round hit the bunker where Weike and Kern were hiding, blowing the metal plate into pieces.

The shockwave sent both of them flying.

Weike fell heavily to the ground and struggled to crawl up, only to see Kern lying a few meters away, motionless, his chest struck by a piece of shrapnel and bleeding profusely.

"Kern!"

In the smoke, the Iron Warrior Space Marines were rapidly harvesting lives.

Sela organized a counterattack, but was vaporized by a Melta Weapon the next second.

Weike crawled to Kern's side and pressed his fingers against his comrade's neck.

No pulse.

Kern's amber eyes were open, but the light within them had already faded.

"No..."

Kern, the comrade who always complained about the cafeteria food and dreamed of returning home to open a small shop, had died just like that.

Heavy footsteps stopped beside him.

Weike looked up and saw an Iron Warrior Space Marine looking down at him.

The giant's Power Armor was covered in blood.

Weike's hand instinctively reached for his energy rifle, but the weapon had flown off somewhere during the explosion just now.

The only thing Weike could do was stare directly into the red lenses on the giant's helmet.

"Monster... why? We never harmed you..."

"Alien. Existence is heresy."

Bang!

At the end of his life, a final thought flashed through Weike's mind.

Fengrao Starport is finished.

Fengrao Starport C-9 District Shelter.

This shelter was originally a medium-sized storage room in the Starport, activated temporarily when the alarm sounded.

Now, it was packed with merchants, travelers, and even the families of some Starport staff from various planets.

"Is what they're saying true? Are those... those 'Double-Headed Eagles' really that terrifying?"

A young Gelake female asked, trembling.

An elderly Fengqi beside her sighed.

"I'm afraid so, child. I have a nephew in the communications department; he said General Kashika's entire fleet... was wiped out in less than two hours."

A gasp of shock rose from the crowd.

A Stone-born merchant spoke up.

"Impossible! The Fengqi Star Alliance fleet is the most powerful in the Seventh Star Sector!"

The Fengqi old man corrected him bitterly.

"It was, until these... I don't know what they are... appeared."

In the corner, a Visat technician was using her Data Pad to receive external signals, but the pad only fed back chaotic noise.

"All channels are being jammed, there isn't even an emergency broadcast."

A Keso youth scratched his furry arm.

"We should try to leave here! Sitting and waiting for death is no solution!"

An Aose merchant retorted.

"Go where? Outside is either vacuum or those... things. At least here there is still air and basic life support."

Disagreements began to appear among the crowd.

Some hot-blooded young races advocated for a risky breakout, while the elderly and families with young offspring tended to stay in the relatively safe shelter.

"I heard that on Sanpimu Star... they leave no survivors."

That elderly Fengqi spoke up.

"Don't listen to rumors! General Suo'er is still commanding the battle, and the Starport's defense system is not so easily breached. We only need to wait for rescue."

A Keso youth sneered.

"Rescue? From where? The Daikong Star Alliance? I saw with my own eyes their diplomatic ships slip away before the battle even started!"

A Visat technician looked up.

"Ms. Aolana will not abandon us; the Daikong Star Alliance is our ally."

"In the face of death, there are no allies! Only survivors!"

"Sit down, Kaluo!" the Stone-born merchant growled, "Your agitation is of no help to us."

Just as the argument grew more intense, a loud bang suddenly came from the shelter's gate.

Everyone fell silent, looking toward that thick metal door.

Heavy footsteps came from outside the door.

"What is that?"

"It's not Fengqi... nor any Star Alliance language I know."

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

The creatures inside the shelter held their breath.

Then they heard an explosion.

Immediately followed by the sound of metal tearing as the door lock was destroyed.

"They found us..."

The elderly Fengqi muttered.

When the gate was violently ripped open and those giants wearing Power Armor appeared at the entrance, a collective gasp echoed through the shelter.

The Keso youth Kaluo instinctively took a step back, his amber eyes widening in shock.

That Stone-born merchant, who had remained calm until now, also revealed an expression of fear, his rock-like skin trembling slightly.

The Data Pad in the Visat technician's hand slipped to the floor, making a crisp sound.

The Gelik child began to cry again; this time, his mother failed to cover his mouth in time.

The Iron Warriors stood at the entrance, their red-glowing lenses scanning every creature in the shelter as if taking inventory of goods.

Perhaps it was courage born of extreme fear, or perhaps the instinctual resistance of his race, he stepped forward half a pace and shouted.

"You... monsters!"