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墨書 Inktalez
John tightly gripped the communicator, his palm bearing deep indentations from his own strength. His fingers trembled slightly, as if soaked in icy water. The icy palpitation in his heart grew stronger, sweeping through his entire body and clouding his thoughts. This fear was fundamentally different from the tension and unease he had experienced on the battlefield. It was a fear of chaos - the force that plunged the entire universe into infinite darkness and madness.
Images of the Horus Heresy surfaced in his mind, the bloody war that had affected the entire empire and even the entire galaxy. Although John himself had not experienced that catastrophe, the lesson of the rebellion was deeply imprinted in the soul of every soldier of the empire. The Chaos Space Marines, the undead beings who betrayed humanity and the empire, brought destruction and devastation far beyond the terror anyone could imagine. Countless galaxies had become silent graveyards, with ruins and desolation becoming eternal themes in those places.
But what truly haunted John was the distortion of the ordinary soldiers' minds by the chaotic power he had witnessed with his own eyes. It happened during a distant expedition when they were ambushed by the forces of chaos. After the battle, one of his good friends, a warrior who had always been loyal to the empire and the squad, became unrecognizable. The soldier's eyes became hollow, a crazed smile appeared on his face, and then he suddenly attacked his own comrades in a frenzy. Even in that final moment, John could see a deep fear and pain in his eyes, as if he had been completely consumed by some indescribable evil force. In the end, they had to use a gun to subdue him.
That scene left a permanent scar in John's heart, giving him a more intuitive understanding and fear of the power of chaos. Whenever he thought about facing such evil again, his heart would be enveloped by an indescribable fear. This fear far surpassed the fear of life and death; it was a fear of irreversible corrosion and destruction deep within the soul.
John took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. He knew that in the face of chaos, fear was the greatest enemy. He had to be strong, not only for himself, but also for his comrades who relied on him. Yet, the cold tremor still tightly gripped his heart, making him acutely aware that what lay ahead was not just a choice between life and death, but a war that delved deep into the soul.
John furrowed his brow, gripping the communicator in his hand, his face filled with doubt and unease. "Shadow, this mission doesn't sound like something our Deathwing Mercenary Corps can handle. We're only four people, you know that. Are you sure this isn't a suicide plan?"
The voice of the mysterious figure came through the communicator, calm and confident. "I understand all your concerns, John. But it's precisely your small and efficient team that this mission requires. A large-scale operation would attract unnecessary attention and could jeopardize the entire mission. You are all experienced warriors, and I believe you are fully capable of handling this task."
John pondered for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Are you sure this is just a reconnaissance mission?"
The mysterious figure smiled, or at least his voice made it seem like he was smiling. "That depends on what you find, doesn't it?"
John let out a dissatisfied groan and then said seriously, "In that case, I need to ensure that the team has enough equipment and firepower. I want five million interstellar credits, with two million as an initial payment, just in case this turns out to be not as simple as you described."
Mystery Shadow first burst into laughter, as if he had heard something very interesting. "Haha, quite the bold offer, John." Then he fell silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, I agree to this deal. When you arrive at Yakhanix and find my contact, the initial payment will be transferred to you immediately."
John nodded in satisfaction, knowing that the risk of this mission was still very high, but at least now he had some kind of guarantee. "Then we have a deal, Mystery Shadow. I hope you won't disappoint us."
"Disappointment is mutual, John, mutual," the voice of the mysterious figure disappeared into the communicator, leaving John to face the impending unknown mission and potential danger alone. He knew this could be their team's greatest challenge, and possibly the last.
As the green light on the communicator gradually dimmed, the message channel fell silent once again. John picked up his pipe and carefully filled it with the specially crafted tobacco. He lit the pipe, took a deep puff, and the brown smoke swirled in the captain's quarters.
He slowly stood up and walked to the observation window. The dark universe unfolded outside the window, like an endless dark cloth, with only occasional flashes of starlight adding a touch of vitality to it. This kind of silence and darkness made John contemplate even deeper.
"What should I do next?" he asked himself inwardly.
First, it is necessary to gather everyone and inform them of the message from the mysterious client and the details of this mission. Not only that, he also needs to remind the team members that this mission is far more dangerous than it seems, compared to the seemingly simple scouting and exploration.
He paced back and forth in the captain's room, each step adding a layer of pressure to his heart. He worried not only about the danger brought by the mission itself, but also about whether his decisions would put his cherished team members in jeopardy.
John thought of Alixia, she has a strong will to resist chaos, but her emotions can easily lead her astray; he thought of Taktron, his exceptional technical abilities, but over-reliance on technology can be a double-edged sword; and then there's Karenmu, his almost fanatical faith in mechanical teachings, what choice would he make if faced with a situation contradicting his beliefs?
A series of "ifs" and "maybes" circled in John's mind, each option potentially meaning life or death. He took another deep drag of his cigarette, trying to use the smoke to dispel the confusion and unease in his heart.
Finally, he stopped in his tracks and decided to act according to his own intuition and judgment. Adversity and danger were already part of their daily routine, and this time was no exception. He needed to believe in himself and in his team members.
John picked up the communicator and reopened the channel, "All team members, report to the bridge for an important mission briefing."
John walked to the window again, took a deep breath of smoke, and then exhaled a puff of smoke, which slowly dispersed in the indoor air. His mind was filled with countless thoughts, hoping that this time everything would go smoothly, and that he had not misjudged the abilities of himself and his team to face this mission.
"If this succeeds, then five million interstellar credits will solve many problems. But if it fails..." John didn't finish the sentence, because he knew the cost of failure might be unbearable for them.
He put down his pipe, gathered his thoughts, and prepared to face the upcoming challenges with his team. At this crucial moment, as the team leader, he needed to demonstrate enough calm and decisiveness to lead his team to success and ensure their safe return.
He knew that they would be facing an unknown war and challenges ahead. But regardless of the outcome, he would lead his team step by step. This was his responsibility as a leader and his own expectation of himself.
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