Eriadu satellite, a little over an hour earlier.
The Battle of Karina Crater had completely collapsed. The Galactic Republic could no longer hold its defensive lines, and the energy control center built atop the crater ridge was about to fall. The nearest Separatist forces were less than a kilometer away!
To prevent the Separatists from using the power facilities here to cause massive destruction after seizing the control center, the Commander adopted an emergency shutdown protocol. Nearly all generator units stopped operating at once.
At the same time, the outer defensive line around Eriadu satellite's Planetary Shield Generator was instantly plunged into darkness! Weapons systems offline, targeting systems offline, sensors offline, shield barrier offline!
But just two minutes later, the backup power came online, and basic electricity began to return. As the backup generators gradually started up, the available power steadily increased, and the systems began rebooting one after another. It was estimated that the backup power would need an hour to reach maximum output.
At the same time, in accordance with regulations, every soldier stationed along the shield generator's outer defensive line immediately entered combat status and took up their posts. All searchlights and sensors with reserve power supplies were moved to the outermost perimeter, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.
Yet at that very moment, their defensive line came under attack!
There was no alarm, no reconnaissance, no warning. They were simply attacked!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Crisp gunshots rang out continuously from the darkness. Searchlights and sensor antennas along the line were repeatedly destroyed by sniper fire, and within the darkness, countless indistinct figures seemed to be launching an assault!
The attacking force moved like ghosts, shifting unpredictably and never allowing their true positions to be pinned down.
But the sniper rounds that kept flying out of