The plaza spanned two hundred meters long and one hundred fifty meters wide. The Bos military deployment was mostly concentrated within a hundred meters of the Port Administration Building's entrance, where they had piled up several tons of materials to create robust, thick fortifications serving as firing positions. Approximately one hundred and twenty Bos soldiers were visible on the optical screen.

Parking lots stood on the north and south ends of the plaza, each guarded by over a dozen Bos soldiers. To the west was a ten-meter-wide avenue, beyond which lay a row of shops. The exit to the alley where Yang Ying and his team were located was in the southwest corner of the plaza, very close to the south parking lot. Crossing the ten-meter exposed space after exiting the alley required high speed; this was the most vulnerable spot.

Once the formation was complete, two squads were sent to circle around the north side the long way, while the rest took their designated positions.

Suddenly, a tremendous boom echoed from inside the port. A massive explosion ripped through both the ground and second floors of the three-story Port Administration Building simultaneously, sending shards of shimmering glass flying, immediately drawing the attention of the deployed forces outside the port.

"Go!" Bartches roared. A squad leader, clutching an automatic rifle, unleashed a continuous stream of tracer fire toward the opposite side while charging out of the alley with his team.

"Keep up!" Bartches ordered another squad to follow.

The combined firepower of the two squads stunned the defending troops opposite them. Their attention had just been diverted by the explosion inside the port, and they never expected enemies to appear just seconds later. Several soldiers were wounded in this initial assault.

The two squads split, moving toward their predetermined locations. The squad leaders had all reviewed the images transmitted by the scout drone, and the plaza's terrain was etched in their minds.

The first team traversed the avenue at top speed, dashing into the parking lot ahead.

The second team of soldiers ran into the nearest three-story shop building bordering the plaza, their figures occasionally flashing past the windows, providing covering fire for the leading team.

The Bos military was not easily fooled. They quickly recovered and began lashing out streams of uranium energy beams around the Kussen soldiers.

The Kussen soldiers in the parking lot used hundreds of anti-gravity vehicles as cover, dodging the incoming energy beams. They advanced toward the port in fits and starts, with some occasionally popping up from behind the vehicles to return fire a few shots.

The distance between the two sides was over a hundred meters, so the hit rate wasn't high, but casualties mounted quickly nonetheless.

Major Eid pulled out his communicator and inquired about the cause of the explosion with the troops stationed inside the port. Upon learning that another, powerful military force had suddenly launched an attack from within the port, he immediately realized this was a premeditated assault.

"Are they trying to take the entire port, or are they here to help these people escape?" Major Eid pondered nervously.

From the communications, he gathered that the situation inside the port was dire. The sudden enemy force was formidable, and reinforcements were needed internally. Yet, while the enemy on the plaza wasn't numerous, their evasive maneuvers and shooting accuracy suggested they were far from easy opponents.

"Hmph, taking the whole port won't be easy. We Bos have a powerful fleet; even if you secure the port, you can't transport a single soldier in. It seems the enemy's objective is to facilitate the escape of these people right here."

Major Eid had used the wrong premise, but he reached the correct conclusion. He shouted a few orders into the communicator, instructing the internal port forces to hold out as long as possible before shutting it off; he had no intention of diverting his forces for a rescue.

"Fight hard, every last one of you! Don't let a single one get past!"

Hearing Major Eid's bellow, the Bos soldiers immediately increased their rate of fire, suppressing the Kussen soldiers in the two squads so severely they couldn't lift their heads. A few who attempted to fire back were instantly hit and fell.

The Kussen delegation was deep within enemy territory, and time was critical. If they lingered on the plaza until Bos reinforcements arrived, escape would be impossible for everyone.

"This Major Eid didn't send anyone back for reinforcement. Could he have guessed our intention? He seems somewhat capable," Commander Bartches remarked, still seated before the optical screen watching the engagement unfold. Although the Kussen forces were temporarily at a disadvantage, he showed no signs of worry.

As a mercenary commander, he was long desensitized to life and death; the losses sustained by his subordinates could not shake his resolve.

The civilian personnel remained in place, awaiting news. They were waiting for the advance teams to carve out a safe passage.

Major Eid reinforced the south parking lot with another dozen soldiers, bringing the total number of Bos soldiers there to nearly thirty, pressing hard against one of the Kussen squads. However, the Kussen soldiers showed no fear.

The squad leader immediately gave the command: "Squad One, grenade launchers ready, fire!" Half the men raised their weapons simultaneously, and with a bang, over a dozen grenade rounds soared out. Each Kussen soldier carried only four rifle grenades; the remaining fighting would be long, so they had to conserve their use.

The grenades, trailing white smoke, arced in a steady parabola toward the Bos soldiers. The fortifications at the port entrance were extremely solid and impervious to the grenades, but the parking lot lacked such robust cover.

"Damn it!" Major Eid, positioned at the port entrance, cried out in alarm.

Under the threat of the rifle grenades, the Bos soldiers panicked. No one facing ten incoming grenades could remain indifferent. They scrambled to evade, tracking the trajectory of the projectiles, diving behind the magnetic vehicles for cover. The magnetic vehicles had flat undersides, sticking tight to the ground when not levitating, providing protection against ordinary explosions.

The Bos formation was scattered, so the grenades were somewhat dispersed, but there were too many. Roughly every three men faced the threat of a single grenade. Inevitably, some unlucky individuals caught in a cluster were hit.

Boom! Thud!

A series of fireballs erupted from the parking lot, forming a wall of flame. Several magnetic vehicles were overturned by the blast wave, crushing the Bos soldiers hiding nearby into pulp; those engulfed directly by the flames and shrapnel were countless. Half were killed instantly, and the survivors were all wounded.

"Take cover! Find solid obstacles! Squad leaders, issue orders quickly!" Before the shout faded, an even denser barrage of energy beams lashed out at them.

"Return fire! Return fire! We'll use rifle grenades too!" Major Eid’s eyes flashed red. A few Bos soldiers beside him raised their weapons and fired rifle grenades toward the Kussen soldiers.

The Kussen soldiers were prepared. They had dispersed, taking cover behind the vehicles. Moreover, the Bos had fewer rifle grenades, so their losses were significantly lighter than the Bos'. Nevertheless, two Kussen soldiers were severely wounded in this exchange, and several others sustained minor injuries.

Yang Ying, watching the scene on the optical screen, gasped: "The Kussen individual weapon systems are certainly superior to the Bos's. I see only a few Bos are equipped with rifle grenade launchers, far behind the Kussen, where nearly every man has one."

"I recall Commander Yang Ying's subordinates also each possess a rifle grenade launcher, in addition to powered armor—a luxury even the Kussen Corps cannot afford to issue to all their soldiers," Christina said quietly. She watched the images of the casualties with a deep sadness in her eyes.

"Miss Christina, are you suggesting it's my turn to enter the fray?" Yang Ying asked. Without waiting for her reply, he turned and nodded to Brian and the four Ghost operatives: "It's time for us to move as well. You few, follow me!"