Smoke covered much of the horizon while the remains of destroyed ships floated among the waves. The vessels of the Mexican Navy took up combat positions. All of them prepared their weapons.
On the bridge of the ARM Reformador, Vice Admiral Víctor Salgado evaluated the information he was receiving.
—He thought to himself, I need to establish contact with those aircraft.
He picked up the communicator.
—This is Vice Admiral Víctor Salgado of the Mexican Navy. Can anyone hear me?
For a few seconds there was only interference.
Then a voice responded.
—I can hear you.
Víctor asked:
—Can you identify yourself?
—I am Victoria Aguilar. I am the commander.
The vice admiral replied:
—We came to provide support. How is the situation?
Víctor responded:
—Those ships possess enormous combat capabilities. It goes without saying that they have technology unlike anything seen on this planet, but we can discuss those details later.
—I have already spoken with the admiral of the American fleet. We are going to launch a coordinated attack.
—I understand, —Victoria replied.— May I ask you a favor?
—I'm listening, —Víctor replied.
—We have lost contact with several pilots. Could you search for survivors or at least recover their bodies?
—We will.
—Thank you.
Víctor took the communicator once again and issued a general order.
—Priority one: destroy hostile targets. Priority two: search and rescue any survivor found in the water, as well as recovery of any bodies.
—Yes, sir, —all the officers of his fleet responded.
The Mexican ships moved into attack formation.
Weapons opened fire as missiles streaked across the sky.
The American forces joined the assault.
From the air, the Silver Eagles descended upon the enemy vessels.
The battle erupted once more.
While the fighting continued, one of the rescue boats was launched into the sea and began searching areas where aircraft wreckage could be seen.
A young sailor named Ignacio Rodríguez shouted:
—I see a body floating off the starboard side!
They immediately headed toward the location.
Among the metallic debris they spotted the unconscious body of a young woman.
—Move! —Ignacio shouted.
The sailors quickly pulled her aboard.
—What's her condition?
—She's barely breathing! She has an abdominal wound and shrapnel injuries!
—We need first aid immediately.
The boat sped back at full speed.
Minutes later, the young woman was brought aboard the ARM Reformador.
The medical team immediately began treatment.
—Blood pressure unstable.
—Weak pulse.
—Removing fragments.
—She has lost a lot of blood.
Ignacio watched from the entrance of the infirmary.
—Is she going to survive? —he asked one of the doctors.
—We still don't know. Her injuries are severe and she has lost a great deal of blood, but we will do everything possible to save her.
She's so young, she looks about the same age as my little sister, Ignacio thought to himself.
—Doctor, please save her. I'll leave now and come back later to see how she's doing.
Outside, the battle was reaching one of its most violent moments.
The Mexican ships concentrated their fire on three Kartnod vessels.
Two were hit directly. Blue lights, smoke, and then a massive explosion.
—We got them, Captain! —the artillery crews shouted.
The American ships took advantage of the opening created by Melina's group.
Soon explosions began appearing on two additional vessels.
Missiles and energy blasts struck the enemy ships.
Two more units were reduced to wreckage.
—Six enemy ships confirmed destroyed.
—I repeat, six ships destroyed.
For the first time since the battle began, there was a feeling that victory might actually be possible.
—Keep up the pressure, —ordered Víctor Salgado.
—Yes, sir.
The Silver Eagles continued their attacks.
The Mexican and American vessels maintained the assault.
The Kartnod appeared to be retreating.
Then something unexpected happened.
Behind the enemy fleet, enormous circles of energy began to appear.
One.
Two.
Three.
Gigantic portals opened above the ocean.
The readings on every radar system began to fail.
—What the hell is that? —asked Alen Smith.
—I don't know.
—We're detecting spatial anomalies.
The Kartnod vessels began maneuvering.
One after another, they headed toward the portals.
—They're retreating!
No one could believe it.
The gigantic ships disappeared into the glowing openings.
Within minutes, none remained.
The ocean fell silent.
The gunfire stopped.
The aircraft ceased their attacks.
The fleets reduced speed.
Everyone stared at the desolate expanse, unable to believe what had happened.
Where the invading force had stood only moments before, there was now nothing.
On the bridge of the ARM Reformador, everyone was asking the same questions:
—What happened?
—Could it be a trap?
—Will they come back?
No one had answers.
In Washington, D.C., the screens displayed the same phenomenon.
The leaders remained motionless.
—What exactly did we just witness? —asked President Jonathan Pierce.
No one could answer.
High above, Victoria stared at the empty ocean.
There were no explosions.
Only the remains of her comrades floating in the sea.
—Commander, they even took the wreckage of their ships.
The silence was more unsettling than the battle itself.
Meanwhile, in the infirmary aboard the ARM Reformador, the young pilot remained unconscious.
The monitors continued tracking her vital signs.
One of the assistants said:
—Vital signs are stable. She is no longer in danger. Now all we can do is wait.
And in Washington, D.C., the Secretary of Defense was speaking to several aides:
—We need a report on what just happened immediately, and I want every available satellite searching for that fleet's location. It cannot simply disappear like that!