"Intruders... state where you came from."
The voice came from the shadows deep within the chamber. It was not mechanically synthesized, but a human voice subjected to some special treatment, carrying a reverberating effect. Cold, flat, and devoid of discernible emotion, it cut clearly through the low-frequency hum and sounded directly in every Space Marine's auditory sensors.
"Those warships in orbit belong to your faction, do they?"
As the question rang out, a figure draped in a dark gray cloak slowly emerged from the gloom behind the Control Console, his build and features completely concealed.
He was not tall; in fact, he seemed rather slight. In his right hand, he held a complex polyhedral device emitting a dim, spectral blue glow.
With his appearance, the source and nature of the invisible force enveloping Dexter and the others, all but freezing their time, became clear.
It was a gravity Force Field, amplified to an extreme degree and controlled with precision.
Within that Force Field, countless invisible hands of immense strength seemed to grip every joint and armour plate of their Power Armour, "nailing" them to the spot so completely that they could not manage even the slightest tremor.
Crack... snap... creak...
Teeth-grating groans and cracks—the sounds of metal subjected to extreme stress—began to emerge from different parts of Dexter's, Lei En's, and the others' heavy Power Armour.
Under the crushing pressure of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of times standard gravity, fine, spiderweb-like cracks began to appear across their composite ceramite and plasteel armour. The precision Servo Systems within wailed under the overload, and the bearings in their joints seemed ready to shatter at any moment.
Their Power Armour's Life-Support Systems also grew sluggish under the pressure, and breathing became difficult.
We can't wait any longer.
The thought exploded simultaneously in the