Breakout

"Well? Believe me now?"

Amber glanced at the dejected Isabel, then opened the digital map to plan their next route.

While Yasin Base descended into chaos under the orbital strike, Amber had combined his own experience with the techniques this body had learned in its Ghost Agent training.

He had locked down the doors to the Core Control Room and connected a terminal for remote calls.

Then the two of them had escaped the Communications Center amid the chaos, stopping by the half-collapsed Arsenal and Logistics Center on the way.

After digging some equipment, weapons, ammunition, and supplies out of the rubble.

Amber had used his Psion abilities to avoid every combat zone as though he had cheats enabled.

He had found a gap in a collapsed perimeter wall and escaped Yasin Base.

Once Isabel had put on an Exoskeleton as well, they had avoided the roads and plunged straight into the wilderness for a cross-country march in full gear.

Under cover of darkness, they had sprinted twenty kilometers in twenty minutes.

Only then had they stopped for a short rest.

At first, Amber had actually had no intention of taking Isabel along.

After all, this woman was caught deep in the Empire's factional power struggles, making her dangerous company.

But she had promised that, once they escaped Robert IV, she could contact a close Elf friend from the Thousand-Star Empire to pick them up.

She had even shown him a token from that Elf.

After confirming that the token really did belong to a noble of the Thousand-Star Empire, Amber had little choice but to take a gamble on her.

Because he had been thinking about one question all along: how to get off Robert IV and out of this star system.

He certainly couldn't count on the Federation.

Through his friendly conversation with Tailstinger just now, Amber had established that Major Mars was almost certainly dead.

The information he had previously reported to the major had probably been intercepted before it could ever get out.

And Amber suspected that the person responsible was Commander Adam.

After all, he was the only person Major Mars would report such important intelligence to.

In Amber's memories, that "swine of a commander" had been listed as missing in the official reports.

But now he understood. That bastard definitely hadn't gone missing.

He had defected to the Empire long ago, sold out the Federation Military on Robert IV, and then been quietly tucked away by the Empire after the war.

Amber had taken a precaution of his own, though. As soon as he entered the Core Communications Room, he had used its central communications terminal to send news of the Imperial invasion to every planet, fleet, and department he could reach.

And the Imperial fleet had happened to be mid-jump when he sent the messages, so they hadn't been intercepted.

But given the Federation's efficiency, by the time it assembled a counterattack fleet and sent reinforcements.

Who knew how many Federation troops on Robert IV would still be left?

Waiting for Federation reinforcements was certainly unrealistic.

As for the Empire, that went without saying.

His identity as a double agent had already been exposed.

And he had just given Tailstinger a thorough tongue-lashing over the communications terminal.

He would count himself lucky if they didn't send troops to hunt him down.

So, right now, this Imperial spy's connections were actually his most promising option.

Besides, she was a senior spy with the Imperial Navy Intelligence Directorate and had received professional training.

Her stamina, speed, and strength were all respectable.

She wasn't a complete novice at wilderness survival, either.

She also had solid medical skills and first-aid experience, which might come in handy under certain circumstances.

On top of that, she was easy on the eyes and had a pleasant voice, which could lighten the mood during their tense, monotonous escape.

All in all, she wasn't much of a burden.

"I told you the Regent's people wouldn't let you go."

With a Gauss Sniper Rifle he had swiped from the base slung over his shoulder, Amber checked their heading as he led the way.

"As far as they're concerned, factional infighting comes first. The Empire's grand ambitions can take a back seat."

At the faint mockery in Amber's words, Isabel sighed again.

Reality had already shattered this idealist's dreams.

"Don't waste your time thinking about all that now."

Amber stopped and turned to look at Isabel.

"We're in the same boat. You need me to survive on this planet, and I need to hitch a ride with your Elf friend."

"So?" Isabel raised her head.

"So, from now on, you have to follow my orders."

Amber dropped his joking tone and spoke with some seriousness.

"This isn't a picnic, miss. We have to hold out on a planet that's become a battlefield until your Elf friend arrives."

"Is that why you're making me carry all the supplies?"

Isabel stretched her waist and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

On the mounting points of her medium Exoskeleton, aside from the Silicon Carbide Armor Plates fitted over vital areas.

Every remaining mount held a high-capacity field pack.

They were filled with rations, drinking water, medicine, and other supplies.

Amber had even stuffed some ammunition for his Gauss Sniper Rifle into them.

She looked as though she had been surrounded by field packs.

Despite the bulky appearance, though, the medium Exoskeleton's power output kept Isabel's movements unhindered.

"Obviously. Do you expect me to sneak around scouting with all those supplies on my back?"

Amber waved a hand, then sent her a route map through their shared communications network.

"We've covered twenty kilometers, but we're not out of danger yet."

"We have to cover as much ground as possible before the Exoskeletons run out of power."

"And check the waypoints I marked along the way to see whether we can find somewhere to recharge."

"Without these two metal frames, our speed and carrying capacity will drop considerably."

"Ultimately, the goal is to break through the blockade before the Empire's follow-up forces close the encirclement."

Isabel listened to Amber while studying his route map on the screen inside her Exoskeleton's faceplate.

The map marked not only their breakout route.

It also indicated likely drop zones for the Imperial Airborne Forces arriving afterward, along with the vast encirclement they would eventually form.

Amber's route would take them out through a gap before that encirclement closed.

"Why does this map look like the Imperial staff officers planned their tactics right in front of you?"

Looking at the map, which seemed almost like a cheat, Isabel gave Amber a suspicious look.

She was finding this man harder and harder to figure out.

If the Imperial Airborne Forces' deployments marked on this route map were accurate.

A sudden chill ran through Isabel.

"Is making a map like this hard? Anyone with hands could do it."

Naturally, Amber wasn't going to tell her that he really had seen the Imperial staff officers' tactical plans.

Just in the game's War History Museum.

Isabel wasn't stupid, either. Hearing the evasiveness in Amber's tone, she stopped pressing him.

After all, her situation was exactly as Amber had described.

Most of the officers in the entire Eighth Expeditionary Strike Group were the Regent's people.

And in their eyes, she was undoubtedly a thorn in their side.

Now that they could simply "erase" her on the battlefield, they would never pass up the opportunity.

So she had to rely on this rather infuriating man before her if she wanted to break out and survive.