"No Chance of Victory"

In the region of space, likewise several million kilometers from the surface of Aegis VII, an Earth Federation Earth Defense Force (EDF) destroyer emerged from faster-than-light travel, but...

This destroyer was no more than two hundred meters long, and even including its embarked soldiers, its crew numbered no more than two hundred.

This was the EDF destroyer Courage, dispatched to "rescue" the Ishimura.

In fact, although the Courage had not come to "rescue" the ship only after receiving the Kellion crew's distress signal, as it had in the original Dead Space timeline, it had still "arrived as scheduled" at Aegis VII.

Rather than a rescue, it seemed more like they had come to "silence" the survivors, obtain further intelligence regarding the Marker, and destroy all evidence.

Based on the available intelligence, the warship was equipped with several twin-barreled close-in defense guns and multiple missile launch units. It was also capable of carrying tactical and strategic nuclear missiles, and the Courage had nuclear weapons aboard.

Who deliberately carried nuclear weapons on a rescue mission?

At that moment, the Courage slowly emerged from its faster-than-light wake, faint plasma trails still clinging to its hull. In the dark void, the destroyer resembled a sharp spear pointed directly at the "silent" Aegis VII.

Inside the bridge, navigation and tactical projections switched to the initial post-jump data. The cold white display showed Aegis VII's coordinates, the Ishimura's relative position, and...

A large number of "faint" cloud-map signatures classified as "unknown trajectories (Imperial Warriors Legion vessels)" or "magnetic interference."

Lieutenant Colonel F. Cadigan stood at the center of the bridge before an integrated command console, surrounded by expanded tactical holograms and status indicators of every color.

Under the emergency lights, his face looked more resolute and solemn than usual, the habits of a combat commander etched