The Tycoon's Odyssey

The atmosphere on the fleet's command bridge was tense as Vice Admiral Ramesh Trivedi assessed the situation. His gaze was fixed on the monitors displaying the Nicobar Islands. Columns of smoke from the earlier explosions still lingered in the air, but his mind wasn't on the past; it was on the orders that had just come through.

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A soldier hurried to him, holding a printed message. "Sir, a directive from headquarters," he said, handing it over.

Trivedi scanned the document quickly, his expression tightening. "What does it say?" he asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.

The soldier's voice trembled as he read aloud, "We have permission to attack with everything at our disposal, sir, regardless of the damage caused to the land or its inhabitants."

The bridge fell silent. Officers exchanged uneasy glances, their discomfort palpable. Whispers of concern rippled through the room.

"This…" someone hissed under their breath, barely audible but enough to reflect the room's collective unease.

The weight of the decision hung heavily on Trivedi's shoulders. He was a seasoned officer, accustomed to making difficult calls, but this one was particularly bitter. The Nicobar Islands were part of their own nation a piece of their homeland. To raze it with missiles felt like tearing apart their own flesh.

One of the younger officers hesitated before speaking, his voice shaking. "Sir, the islands are rich in resources and have strategic importance. Are we... really going to destroy them like this?"

Trivedi raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "Calm down, all of you," he said firmly. His tone brooked no argument, but there was an edge of weariness in his voice. "I understand your concerns. I share them. But this is not the time for hesitation or sentiment. Our orders are clear."

He straightened, his voice carrying the authority of a man who had weathered countless storms. "Prepare the fleet. Steer ahead at full power. Begin missile launch protocols immediately."

The officers nodded, their expressions grim but resolute. They turned to their stations, barking commands and initiating the sequence.

Trivedi's gaze shifted to the screens. "Target the islands' coordinates with precision. If we're going to do this, we'll make every missile count. No room for error."

"Yes, sir!"

"Mark the location of the base.I am sure there might be weak points that would be exposed somewhere so keep bombarding while marking and scanning the shields."

With the order in sat a deafening klaxon echoed across the fleet as the missile hatches opened. The massive launchers angled toward the sky, their targeting systems locking onto the island.

From the bridge, Trivedi watched as the first wave of missiles ignited, roaring into the sky with trails of fire and smoke. Each missile carried the weight of a nation's desperation, streaking toward the Nicobar Islands like harbingers of destruction.

The fleet shuddered as one after another, dozens of missiles launched in quick succession, the sheer power of their propulsion sending ripples across the ocean's surface. The night sky lit up with fiery streaks, a spectacle that was both awe-inspiring and horrifying.

The bridge crew observed through an array of monitors and surveillance drones. The infrared imaging showed the missiles advancing with pinpoint precision, cutting through the dark like arrows.

"ETA to impact: 90 seconds," a soldier reported, his voice tight with anticipation.

Trivedi folded his arms, his jaw clenched. He didn't speak, his focus entirely on the unfolding operation. Around him, the officers watched in tense silence, their faces illuminated by the glowing monitors.

Through the fleet's advanced targeting systems, the crew could see the Nicobar Islands in chilling detail. The towering trees and rugged coastlines were now eerily still, save for the occasional plume of smoke rising from the earlier attack.

One officer whispered, "They don't stand a chance."

Another muttered, "If this doesn't end him, nothing will."

Trivedi shot them a sharp look, silencing the speculative comments.

The seconds ticked down. On the main screen, the missile trajectories converged, arcing gracefully before plunging toward their targets. The crew braced themselves, some gripping their stations, others holding their breath.

The first missile struck. A blinding flash illuminated the night, followed by an earth-shaking explosion. Firestorms erupted, consuming vast swathes of forest and coastline. The heat was so intense it registered as a stark white glow on the infrared screens.

Wave after wave of explosions followed, each one amplifying the devastation. The fleet crew stared in a mix of awe and horror as towering plumes of fire and smoke rose into the sky, blotting out the stars.

The shockwaves rippled outward, causing the ocean to churn violently. Onboard, the fleet shuddered slightly as the aftershocks reached them.

One soldier murmured, "It's like the end of the world…"

Another, pale and wide-eyed, whispered, "This isn't war. This is annihilation."

But as the smoke began to settle, something unexpected happened. From the ground, a shimmering light began to expand. It was faint at first, almost imperceptible, but quickly grew into a massive energy shield, similar to the one that had stopped the Garuda X missile earlier.

The missiles that followed struck the shield and exploded harmlessly against it, their destructive force dissipating like ripples in water. The shield pulsed with an almost organic glow, its energy undeterred by the onslaught.

"Impossible!" one of the officers exclaimed, his voice breaking.

Trivedi's fists clenched at his sides. His face was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of disbelief. "What is that? Some kind of advanced defense system?"

The bridge was filled with frantic chatter as analysts scrambled to make sense of the phenomenon. Trivedi silenced them with a sharp command.

"Keep monitoring. I want every scrap of data sent to headquarters. Whatever this is, it's beyond anything we've ever encountered."

As the shield dissipated once more, leaving the island unscathed, Trivedi felt a cold knot in his stomach. This wasn't just advanced technology—it was something else entirely.

"This Evan…" he muttered under his breath, a mix of anger and apprehension in his tone. "What kind of monster are we dealing with?"