Chapter 689 Two Is Better Than One (5)
"Warships? How many?" Ashton inquired.
"At least 450," Otiga replied, her voice slightly shaken. "Since Flintmace is gone, they might have come to take the Tower down, as the mercenaries have been causing a lot of trouble for them."
"No, that's not it, but they came at a great time," Ashton mumbled before turning his attention back to the crowd. "I have just been informed that a Xyran fleet of more than four hundred ships is heading our way."
Many people panicked upon hearing the news, but the mercenaries and the soldiers from the Orion empire were ready to fight. However, Ashton didn't want them to.
It was the memorial service of his masters, and those space tyrants thought it was a great time to attack them. If that was their intention, then they were doomed because the pent-up anger within Ashton was about to burst, and the Xyrans would be the perfect outlet for his rage.
That said, it was an excellent opportunity to prove his strength in front of the galaxy. Soloing the army everyone feared... it had a nice ring to it.
With that thought in mind, he kissed Anna goodbye and left with the guardians. Without wasting any time, he headed towards the nearest airlock.
Even the mighty precursors had difficulty surviving in the vacuum of space. It was one of the primary reasons they created armour so they could travel throughout the cosmos without any worries.
The armour Ashton was given by Is'kai was damaged in his fight with Kro'Han, but while he was knocked out, the Guardians patched it up, and the armour was good to go.
Besides, the Xyran wouldn't expect an assault from just one man and wouldn't even know what hit them until it was too late. One little hole in their ship and the space would do Ashton's work for him.
Once ready, he opened the airlock and jumped out of the Tower. Everyone's eyes were focused on him as Ashton and his guardians stood between Earth and the Xyrans.
The Earth, a distant blue orb in the inky darkness, seemed to watch over them, a silent reminder of the stakes involved.
Ashton took a deep breath. His body was encased in the sleek, black Precursor armour. As Ashton stepped outside into the space, the armour began to hum and covered Ashton from the head to the toe.
The Xyran fleet loomed in the distance, an ominous presence in the void. Their ships, sleek and deadly, formed a formidable armada that blotted out the stars. Over four hundred of them, bristling with advanced weaponry and shields, their intentions unknown.
'Unknown, my ass,' Ashton scoffed. 'No one who comes in peace brandishes their weapons like that.'
Regardless, Ashton decided to be courteous and give them one chance to stop and talk. He signalled Otiga, who broadcasted on open channels asking the Xyrans to halt and state their purpose of visit.
Silence greeted their words, broken only by the faint hum of Ashton's armour's systems. The Xyran ships continued their relentless advance, closing the gap between themselves and Earth.
"Looks like they won't be responding," Otiga sighed as she ended her attempts to communicate with them.
"Of course they didn't," Ashton laughed. "Well, we did our part. Now, whatever happens next is on them..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Xyran ships reached the point of no return. They continued their approach with grim determination. Clearly, their intentions were not peaceful, which was precisely what Ashton was hoping for.
Without hesitation, Ashton unleashed his accumulated aura, a torrent of energy that lashed out like a cosmic whip. The brilliant, blue-white light streaked through the void, colliding with the approaching ships.
Some ships tried evading the incoming attack, but most failed. The resulting explosion was cataclysmic.
Flagships were torn apart, their shields useless against the sheer force of Ashton's power—debris scattered in all directions, creating a deadly minefield that further threatened the remaining Xyran ships.
The automatons, following their master's lead, opened fire with their powerful precursor weapons. Bolts of energy streaked through space, seeking out their targets with unerring accuracy.
The flagships that had managed to evade Ashton's initial assault found themselves under a relentless barrage of firepower.
Explosions blossomed among the Xyran fleet, a symphony of destruction reverberating through space. The once-imposing armada was reduced to chaos, and panic rippled through the ranks of the Xyrans.
Still, some ships managed to survive, their nimble manoeuvres and advanced technology allowing them to dodge the worst of the onslaught. Ashton knew that this battle was far from over.
The surviving Xyran ships regrouped, forming a defensive formation as they faced the lone figure that had decimated their forces. n/(0VElbIn
"Final warning," Ashton roared over the radio signals. "Stand down, and we can find a peaceful solution, or don't, and I'll end you all right here."
Having said his piece, Ashton prepared for another attack in case the mighty Xyrans wanted another taste of his powers. Just when he was about to unleash another attack, he noticed something was off.
The way the ships behaved, it almost looked like they wanted to be blown away.
"Diversion..." Ashton mumbled as he turned around to see hundreds of portals opened up in the opposite direction behind the Earth, and out of it came the actual army of Xyrans.
The planet Ashton wanted to protect was now shielding the enemies from him. After all, if he tried attacking the second fleet, he would risk destroying the Earth, forcing Ashton's hands in the matter.
"We've been played!" Ashton informed Otiga as he headed back inside the Tower. "Tell Tarik to get the orbital cannons charged and ready!"
"I'm on it!" Otiga replied before disconnecting the call.
He had to get back to Earth quicker than the Xyrans, and the portal was the only way to do so. But he couldn't open a portal in space, or the vacuum would destroy everything.
"Take care of the remaining ships," Ashton instructed the Guardians and rushed inside the Tower before quickly summoning the portal to the Eastern Palace.
