"Finally, we're almost there?"
As the final space jump concluded, The Other slumped into his seat, staring at the navigation map on the control panel, muttering to himself.
He had never attempted over twenty consecutive space jumps in his entire existence. Even with a brief respite in between, his body struggled to recover.
"Yes, we have arrived, Lord The Other. If you'd like to continue experiencing the thrill, Woz suggests you try the simulation chamber aboard the main ship."
"No, no, absolutely not!" The Other shook his head like a rattling drum, quickly unbuckling his safety harness and stretching his stiff body. His gaze instinctively fell upon Lothar, who showed no signs of discomfort. Silently, he clicked his tongue—no surprise there. Lothar remained completely unfazed.
"Woz, how long until we reach the vicinity of Torfa?"
Lothar, eyes fixed on the ever-changing data displayed on the holographic screen, asked in a low voice while idly swiping his index finger across the interface.
"According to your orders, Your Highness, Woz has identified the optimal location near Torfa to conceal our fleet. At our current speed, we will arrive in approximately three minutes."
As Woz finished speaking, the screen before Lothar shifted, and the image of Torfa was now reflected in his pupils.
"Open Hatch One. Prepare the light battleship."
After a moment of contemplation, Lothar glanced at The Other, who was still stretching, and issued his command.
"Understood. The light battleship is ready. Two squads of Chitauri soldiers are on standby—twenty-four in total. Woz is now establishing the communication network. Network framework complete. Data transmission commencing."
As Lothar watched the progress bar appear on the screen, he finally stood up and walked toward Hatch One. Seeing this, The Other hurriedly grabbed the cerulean scepter he had tossed onto his chair and followed suit. As Lothar's devoted servant, he considered it an honor to participate in this mission.
Not only could he prove his worth under Lothar's watchful eye, but he might also score some favor points with Lord Thanos—a win-win situation.
"Lord The Other, Woz suggests you fasten your safety harness."
"What?"
Before The Other could react, the battleship, under Woz's control, plunged into the vastness of space at breakneck speed. The sudden acceleration sent The Other sprawling onto the floor, his head spinning from the impact. Meanwhile, Lothar remained completely steady, unmoved by the turbulence.
"Woz, won't we be detected entering Torfa like this?"
Despite picking himself up as if nothing had happened, The Other couldn't help but feel a tinge of concern. The Kree Empire's reputation in the galaxy wasn't exactly stellar.
"Rest assured, Lord The Other. Woz has already used the decryption key provided by Lord Thanos to alter Torfa's planetary defense system. We will not be detected."
Tampering with security protocols was second nature to Woz, a combat auxiliary AI. No matter how high the Kree's security ratings were, they were no match for a traitor among them—someone who had fed every detail to Thanos.
It was through this informant that Thanos learned Astra had perfected an energy amplification formula.
A Kree traitor?
Weren't they supposed to be under the watchful eye of their so-called Supreme Intelligence, the god of artificial minds? With such a being overseeing everything, how could a traitor even exist?
Though questions swirled in his mind, The Other, understanding the wisdom of "speak less, err less," chose to keep his mouth shut and patiently awaited the ship's landing.
"Your Highness Lothar, according to Torfa's internal defense system data, Dr. Astra, who holds the energy amplification formula, was kidnapped this morning. He has since been transferred to Torfa's wartime command base."
"Someone beat us to it? The Skrulls?"
Lothar arched an eyebrow as he cloaked the light battleship and the two squads of Chitauri soldiers within the desert. He pressed a silver bracelet on his wrist, and a cerulean robotic feline projection materialized before him and The Other.
"Yes. Based on available intel, a Skrull named Magar orchestrated the abduction."
Magar?
Lothar tossed the Casket of Ancient Winters in his palm, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the towering structure in the distance—the wartime command base Woz had mentioned.
"This distance should be just right."
Without hesitation, Lothar flung the Casket of Ancient Winters to The Other's feet and clasped his hands behind his back. "Begin."
"Yes, Your Highness Lothar!"
Excitement laced The Other's voice as he adjusted the position of the Casket with his left hand. Then, gripping the cerulean scepter tightly in his right hand, he channeled its power.
"Freeze, Torfa!"
The scepter's tip made contact with the Casket's surface, and an overwhelming surge of frost energy erupted, pouring into the desert beneath their feet!
From the epicenter of the Casket, an intense wave of glacial force spread at a visible speed, consuming the desert landscape and expanding outward without pause!
"Though my father may disdain this Casket of Ancient Winters, its effect is undeniably impressive."
Lothar observed with satisfaction as the world before him transformed into a frozen wasteland. He stepped forward, striding toward the wartime command base in the distance.
In Laufey's hands, the Casket was said to hold the power to freeze entire worlds. While Lothar found that claim somewhat exaggerated, it was more than enough to encase a major city on Torfa in ice.
Lothar himself lacked sorcery and couldn't wield the Casket directly. However, The Other's scepter could.
On Jotunheim, The Other had been responsible for handling the corpses of fallen Frost Giant sentries. His cerulean scepter was imbued with the energy of countless deceased Frost Giants. That energy served as the key to unlocking the Casket's chilling power, encasing the city before them in an endless glacial abyss.
A once-thriving metropolis now stood as a frozen paradise for the Frost Giant kin. Piercing cold and dense magical energy rapidly claimed every corner of the city.
Lothar watched as a squad of Kree soldiers spotted his conspicuously "stealthy" approach. However, before they could even lift their weapons, they were transformed into lifelike ice sculptures by the unleashed magic of the Casket.
"Your Highness Lothar, Woz has temporarily disrupted all communications between the city and the outside world. The blockade will last for approximately three minutes."
Stealth? Who needed it?
Striding openly to the towering command base, Lothar smirked disdainfully.
"Three minutes? More than enough."
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