Chapter 162: Hold the Line
The defenders of Ghost Reef had finally revealed themselves to the Sapphire Armada’s troops with a devastating counter assault. The quick maneuver from the edge of the mists had been as much for intimidation as it was reducing the Sapphire Armada’s troops. Between the formidable appearance of the phantoms, fully equipped in dark armor like space age shock troops, and their inexplicable movement enabled by their ethereal nature, they hoped to discourage the assault. The fog was obvious, but what lurked inside had been more of a mystery than a threat. The phantoms themselves flipped the dynamic, showing what a menace they would represent if the invasion continued.
Depending on how the enemies reacted, the phantoms had several different contingencies planned. In the ideal scenario, the invaders would turn around and leave, but it was clear that had never really been an option. Once they burned their own ships they had sealed their fates. There would be no retreat.
The phantoms, on the other hand, still had plenty of alternatives. They could maintain the current battlefield in an effort to continue utilizing the advantages granted by the channel running between the islands, they could retreat further into the mists and continue to harass the enemy as they ceded ground while relying on the strengths of Fog of War to maintain their concealment, or they could return to the fort and regroup with the rest of the residents, buckling down for a final showdown in a practiced formation with more support from the settlement. Ultimately, it was a decision being left to the Guard Captain, who would yield to Coop should he seek a specific approach.
There was also the decision for when Coop would join the fight, which would naturally be up to his own discretion. He might still lack the area coverage of someone like Charlie when it came to his damaging abilities, but he was still a proven force when it came to skirmishing, even against large numbers like those presented by the Sapphire Armada. They might be the largest individual force anyone had witnessed, but their numbers paled in comparison to the waves of the siege. It had been a considerable concession for Coop to not lead the charge in the beginning, but judging by the current state of the battle, Coop thought it was about time he provided more than some support for the phantoms through Fog of War.
The Sapphire Armada responded to the phantom counter assault by abandoning what organization their parade had maintained. Squad leaders encouraged a pursuit of the phantoms, believing their retreat to have been a necessity based on ability limitations. They rushed forward, over the bodies of their defeated comrades littered across the shoreline as they chased after the first visible appearance of their enemies. The initial groups had obviously been soundly defeated, but they remained convinced in their superiority. They were finally realizing just how devastating the defense had been since the squads that were now engaged in the fighting hadn’t been destined to lead the assault. They expected their overwhelming numbers to be able to crush the few guerilla fighters leveraging the mists.
At most, the defenders of Ghost Reef had only reduced the Armada’s numbers by 10% with the initial ploy, passively swallowing up the invaders with the fog as they crossed the channel, but from the perspective of the Armada, that represented 20 times what they expected the entire population of the settlement would be. While their calculations were dated, it had still been an even smaller number of defenders holding them off. Unfortunately for them, underestimating their enemy was a mistake they wouldn’t be allowed to continue making.
“I’m going to get involved.” Coop informed Alaric with his ethereal spear and shield already equipped.
“Yes, Champion. As you wish.” The Guard Captain responded in his echoing metallic voice, recalculating what his orders would be based on Coop’s actions.
Alaric had been directed to lead the phantoms with the goal of zero friendly casualties and was therefore making sure they remained in position to retreat or aid anyone who was injured. Their posture was largely passive, primarily focused on seizing every advantage at once to minimize their own risk. It had been effective while the Sapphire Armada’s army inched forward, but Coop wanted to relieve some of the pressure as the invaders pushed forward with more specific intent.
As the Armada’s troops rushed into the water, the frontrunner held a sword above his head when he entered the mists. He high-stepped through the water, scowl clearly etched into his face as readied himself to bring the edge down on any phantom that appeared in his range. He wanted to kill, but his fervor wasn’t enough to see the spear coming. It launched him backwards, off his feet, and carried his body into the crowd behind, back toward the shore line. The spear continued until it was deep in the coconut palm grove’s interior, a hundred yards inland, introducing the middle of the army to the fighting while they continued to approach. The missile would have continued if not for its hasty resummoning. Instead of tearing a line all the way to the third island in the chain, the ethereal spear melted away, transforming to mists as it returned to the foggy domain and into Coop’s waiting grip.