“Repeater arcs,” Trent whispered as he followed her gaze. They quickly checked for more guards, but found the armory proper empty, before rushing back towards the entrance.
Five robed petties were swiftly moving towards them and Sasha immediately recognized Hec'Ure in the fore, who stopped as the four others ran inside.
“I don't believes’ it,” Hec'Ure smiled, breathing heavy.
“Once you secure the armory we are moving on...remember your promise, because I will.” Hec’Ure, still smiling, stuck out his hand, then winced as Trent's armored assisted grip took hold.
“Sorry,” Trent apologized, but the man still laughed, winking at Sasha as he ran past.
Groups of five petties kept arriving every few minutes, and soon more than a hundred had entered. The first few groups that arrived exited the armory first, stolen combat armored shining brightly in the Alutia V5432's radiant sunlight, a piece of a red robe tied around each arm. Trent's metallic laugh caught her by surprise as the armored petties took up position guarding the door.
“What?” she asked curiously as he pointed to the armband.
“Red...I guess we have some new Alutia Guards,” she smiled, Trent was definitely feeling better. A rumble erupted from the armory and she unconsciously ducked as one of the hovering battle transports exited the inner door, with a short man in combat armor, she assumed to be Hec'Ure, hanging off the side.
“We will takes’ it from here, you gos!” Hec'Ure's shouted, his voice noticeable even with the metallic filter. They nodded and ran inside, through the armory and stopped at the door on the far wall that should lead into the protected, common and noble area of the colony. They found it locked, but Vin opened it without question.
A long, empty corridor extended before them, with smooth stone walls and dim strip lighting lining the ceiling every few meters. They looked at each other and nodded, no longer needing words to transmit their thoughts, and ran to the end, hand in hand. The far door opened as they approached, revealing a room full of lounging guards, some in combat armor. They glanced in their direction, their confusion evident. Trent threw her backwards as a combat arc bolt struck him in the chest.
Chapter 15
Tiana dragged herself to her feet, rattled, but alive. She thanked the dazed guard who'd kept her from tumbling off the fleet command deck, before taking in the chaotic scene unfolding around her.
Alutia and Empress Guards lay scattered across the deck, most appearing ok, but a few noticeably bruised and battered. One Empress Guard staggered slowly towards the transport tube with another at her side, holding steady an arm with a bone protruding through the skin, obviously broken.
She gagged, turning away to find Yukie, who had been surrounded by a cocoon of Empress Guards when the plasma beam struck, unhurt, but not unfazed. Her eyes darted in every direction, mouth agape as she was helped back into her seat. Relieved, Tiana looked to Belia, finding the older woman had somehow managed to stay at her station during the entire ordeal. But her skin had turned a ghostly white, and she was now staring at her station display with empty eyes. Beyond Belia, below the fleet command deck, half the bridge officers had been thrown clear of their stations, only one wounded, bleeding from what appeared to be a superficial head wound. But the rest seemed fine, only shaken, and within moments, they were all back at their stations, awaiting their next command.
“Wow...” Yukie said, voiced hushed, a grin plastered between her flushing cheeks. The swirling plasma had sent them for a ride that the GM field couldn't compensate for, there being too many opposing forces. Normally, the beam would have burned straight through a standard tilitium hull, but the gorian hull was able to resist, and the kinetic energy just sent the starship spinning along its momentum.
“Enough excitement for you?” Tiana asked when she finally caught her breath, collapsing into her seat beside the bundle of energy that was the young empress.
Yukie’s eyes twinkled. “I told you...indestructible!” Yukie declared triumphantly. Tiana sighed, nudged her playfully, receiving a giggle in response, before they both turned their attention back to the updating CID.
The ABF Sasha had been pushed off its circular course and was barely maintaining maximum LPA range with the enemy battle group, which continued to close on Alutia V5432. It appeared their own plasma beam had struck an unlucky battleship, since she recalled there being three the last time she looked, but now only two remained.
“Full burn! We need to stop those shuttles!” Captain Daiyu bellowed from the bridge, unfazed by their unexpected detour.
The assault shuttles that had launched from the enemy fleet were now well out of max weapons range and approaching Alutia V5432. Soon they would breach its atmosphere and deliver their reinforcements; making retrieval of Sasha and Trent all but impossible with their current force. They had to stop them at all costs.
“Ma'am, LPAs back online,” a voice echoed from the bridge.
“Fire!” Captain Daiyu shouted, her voice beginning to crack from overuse.
Hundreds of LPA beams erupted from the ABF Sasha, crossing space at over 300,000 kilometers per second to pick off six frigates, two corvettes, and a cruiser in the first volley alone. Tiana stared at the CID, then at Yukie, stunned at the unexpected destruction. The young girl smiled deviously, like she had a naughty secret.
“It has to do with the primary thrusters. Less energy shield coverage, so it's much easier to break through!” Yukie bounced in her seat and Tiana could feel her exuberance. The enemy battle group, who must have thought them disabled and had presented their vulnerable rear, again, rotated to face them.
“Helm! Set R-3!” Captain Daiyu ordered as the enemy LPA fire cut across the shrinking distance between the battling starships. The ABF Sasha started corkscrewing, most of the green LPA beams missing wide and those that struck the ESS diverted harmlessly away. Another enemy cruiser blinked, then vanished, its ESS having weakened, allowing the ABF Sasha's small and medium LPAs to pierce its unprotected NSD core. A frigate was forced into the open when the cruiser vanished, spinning out of control as a group of large LPAs tracked its movement, forcing it to fall out of formation.
Captain Daiyu seemed to abandon her previous strategy, no longer concerned with trying to skirt around the enemy fleet like earlier, instead, charging straight in, her confidence in the invincibility of the ABF Sasha growing. Their current course would bring them within 250,000 kilometers of the enemy battle group, but would allow them to intercept the shuttles before they reached Alutia V5432, or so she hoped. But the plan relied on them being able to continue past the enemy fleet without being struck by another plasma beam.
The ABF Sasha's unrelenting LPA fire continued to pickoff the smaller starships that tried to hide behind their larger brethren, and began to break formation. Two more corvettes vanished when they accidently crossed the firing path of the ABF Yuloo's 1600 large LPAs, while another frigate vanished in bright flash. Its NSD core punctured, clearly exposing the “artificial” star within before it vanished as its singularity containment collapsed. The rest of the smaller starships suddenly broke off in retreat. Cheers and shouts of joy erupted from the bridge officers, Tiana and Yukie joining in, they being the most boisterous.
Only nine enemy starships remained between them and the assault shuttles; the nine largest.
“Fire Plasma Cannon, tac! Helm! Maneuver-at-will!” The range counter ticked to 500,000 kilometers and dueling plasma cannons fired. They were barely able to dodge the nine enemy plasma beams traveling at 50,000 kilometers per second, fired in a pattern that tried to predict their evasive maneuvers. The largest plasma beam, being over 10 km wide and born from the massive, 40 km long NHA Super-Capital ABF Yulee, passed only meters from their ESS. Their own beam of swirling plasma struck near the nose of the NHA Capital ABF Vor'Ta whose ESS appeared to bend inwards, trying to withstand the swirling mass of pure plasma from the heart of an “artificial” star, but failed right before the beam dissipated. It quickly maneuve
red out of formation as the ABF Sasha's LPAs took advantage, pounding the exposed hull, slicing hundreds of holes through its surface, debris and atmosphere escaping into space at an alarming rate.
As the range continued to close, the enemy LPA fire seemed to multiply as the ABF Sasha's ESS threatened to fail once more as the enemy tactical officers tracked their maneuver. Another round of swirling plasma beams seemed to predict their double corkscrew maneuver and a bead of sweat trickled from her brow as the ABF Yulee's plasma beam caught the edge of their ESS, destroying LPAs that didn’t retract in time. Their return plasma beam shot wide, but a dodging dreadnaught was forced to break formation, exposing its primary thrusters. As it turned to try to regain its place in formation, the ABF Sasha's LPAs tore through the dreadnaught's weakened ESS, and an intense gravitational shockwave rocked Tiana in her seat as its NSD core was pierced, exposing its “artificial” neutron star.
Their plasma cannon fired again as the effects of the gravitational shockwave subsided after it’s singularly containment collapsed, taking the remaining enemy starships, which were much closer to the dreadnaught's violent death, by surprise. The ABF Yulee tried to maneuver its 40 kilometer's of length back in their direction, but a plasma beam struck its nose. Tiana watched as the 12 massive prongs that fed plasma to the conical cone in their center that made up the plasma cannon, melted as the ESS bent inwards, but didn't buckle. The next round of returning plasma fire didn't include the 10 km wide swirling mass that had constantly made Tiana sweat, the super-capital's plasma cannon having been disabled.
“Yukie, do we have that same weakness?” Tiana asked as she realized their primary thrusters had become exposed to the remaining enemy starships. Yukie looked perplexed, as if the thought had never occurred to her. Then, she jumped to her feet, hands on her hips, turning to Tiana with a expression full of childish delight.
“The gorian spiral shield! Watch!” she pointed to the image of the ABF Sasha being projected on the CID. The moment they accelerated past the remaining enemy starships, a conical shield of gorian extended around the ABF Sasha’s primary thrusters, allowing them to continue accelerating, but blocking the exposed propulsion tubes from enemy fire.
“Our engine efficiency drops by almost fifty percent, but it is safer than having to rely solely on the ESS!” Yukie explained with delight. Tiana was only barely listening, finding herself staring in awe at what the ABF Sasha had become.
The long, twirling, gorian spiral shield looked like a living tail, shooting out a bright, pure blue glow twice its total length, adding to the beauty of its already smooth shaped body, making the ABF Sasha appear majestic, like a vessel that could only carry the star gods themselves.
“Pretty...” she whispered.
“I told you...indestructible...” Yukie responded as she fell back into her seat.
“I did believe you, Empress,” Tiana forced playfulness into her tone. Yukie crossed her arms and turned her head with a “humph”. Tiana laughed as another wave of plasma beams shot harmlessly past and an enemy battleship was forced out of formation, the unrelenting LPA fire tearing through its shields.
The range kept growing and less and less LPA beams struck home for both sides. She grabbed Yukie's trembling hand as the starship shook from another salvo that connected with the spiral shield, but the ABF Sasha shed the green beams like they didn’t exist at all. Finally, they exited max weapons range and the spiral shield receded into the starship, allowing them to once again accelerate after the shuttles.
“I hope they are alright...” Tiana whispered to herself under her breath, but Yukie caught her words and laid her head on Tiana's shoulder.
“You are talking about Trent and Sasha! If you dropped them on Planet Donlak, they would probably conquer it...minus a few of Trent's limbs, of course!” Tiana looked at Yukie's gold and silver hair and could only shake her head in response.
She hoped beyond hope the empress was right.
They had survived the impossible, and now, it was time to rescue Trent and Sasha.
*********
She screamed, her chest feeling like it would explode at the sight of Trent's body tumbling backwards from the force of the laser bolt, the sight being more then she could endure. But he was up in less than a second, firing back into the room of more guards then she could count. One of his laser bolts struck the leg of a guard who was rushing for cover. A terrifying wail touched her ears as the guard collapsed. She pushed herself flat against the wall, trying to avoid the torrent of laser bolts being fired at Trent as she pulled free her laser arc.
“Move back!” Trent shouted as he started slowly backing down the corridor, streaming almost constant fire into the barracks full of guards, another collapsing into a lump of smoldering flesh. Sasha didn't think, just moved, her heart beating uncontrollably as her bond with Trent opened and everything went calm.
She couldn't understand it, expecting fear and pain to be the main emotion present, given their current circumstances. But for some reason, Trent was calmer then she had ever known him to be. A sense of peace flowed from within him, making her heart slow and her mind race. The sensation of their two catillian's scurrying around within her protected bosom suddenly vanished as they too seemed to sense her calm, and she took a deep breath.
Keeping herself flush against the wall, she took aim at a distant figure and fired. She didn't wait to see if her shot struck home, instead, scanning for another target, and fired again as a head appeared above an overturned table. She continued to fire as she slowly inched down the corridor, Trent doing the same.
Laser bolts struck Trent's armor harmlessly, but each time the large bolts fired from the combat arcs hit, he would grunt and a shock of piercing pain would flow through their bond. She clenched her teeth, trying to endure like he, forcing her own newly born calm back through, hoping it helped. They reached the halfway point of the corridor and fewer enemy shots were reaching them, most hitting harmlessly off the walls farther down the passage.
“Go...tell them to get ready,” Trent instructed, his voice labored.
“I'm not leaving you alone,” she responded, having a feeling that if she left his side, even for a moment, she would never see him again.
“Please...they need to be ready...for when they come...” Trent dropped to one knee, the words appearing to sap the last of his waning strength.
She felt a surge of anger; anger that he would try to send her away in his weakened state. Firing one more shot as she left the safety of the wall, she placed an arm around his waist, forcing him to his feet, and started towards the armory. Trent grunted as if he wanted to resist, a flash of irritation coursing through their bond, but he didn't, resigning himself to her care.
“Vin, the door!” she shouted. It started sliding open and they tumbled back into the armory. Combat arcs were immediately trained on them from a squad of battle armored guards as they slid across the floor. Fear filled her mind as she recognized them as enemy guards and realized their revolt had already failed.
“Stop! They be friends!” Mi'Cil's voice broke through the crowd and the guards lowered their weapons. Sasha blinked, realizing these weren't real guards, but petties, her having missed the red armbands in her frantic state.
“Their coming! At least 50,” she told quickly, pointing towards the door. Without question, the combat armored petties started down the corridor, those at point carrying what Sasha noticed to be the larger repeater arcs.
“How goes the uprising?” Trent's question broke her out of her trance as she noticed Mi'Cil and Ci'Cil kneeling by their sides.
“We be winning! Took two more armories and the food depot,” Ci'Cil couldn't contain his excitement.
“Make sure the food depot is guarded, tell Hec'Ure...that...that he needs to control distribution. It may be awhile before we can...can...can get more...” Trent stuttered, his words labored, though sounding slightly better than earlier. They climbed to their feet, Trent allowing her to support him as the two yo
ung petties saluted and darted towards another group of robed children, apparently the start of a makeshift communications network.
Sasha helped Trent through the crowd of petties who were bustling throughout the armory, to the thoroughly picked over racks of weapons, stopping when he motioned to the last remaining repeater arc. His combat arc vanished beneath his tattered robe, a large hump appearing on his back, doing little to hide its new location. With a grunt he picked up the three meter long weapon, which latched automatically around his waist, and turned to her.
“Stay behind me...” he stumbled forward and she caught him, again putting an arm around his waist and another on the repeater arc.
“My duke, I love you, but you must allow me to help you,” she pleaded, wishing she could see his face behind the armored mask.
“Of course...but please...I-I couldn't bear....bear to see you get shot so...so...so stay behind...behind me...when the firing starts...” she nodded as his ragged, metallic tinged words finished. They were about to move back into the corridor, when Mi'Cil hurried up to their side, holding two red cloths.
“Here!” Mi'Cil said, gesturing for her to kneel. Sasha bent over slightly, reluctant to release Trent, allowing the girl to tie the cloth around her head and then took the other to do the same to Trent.
“Good luck!” the girl shouted as she ran back to her friends. Sasha waved goodbye and moved with Trent back into the corridor that led to the enemy barracks.
About halfway down the corridor they came upon the first signs of battle, the floor littered with combat armored bodies. The tilitium combat armor, unlike the gorian, was unable to withstand the combat arc fire, but it was clear the petties had won. Only four petties lay dead before a sea of enemies, who were apparently caught within the narrow confines of the corridor when the petties repeater arcs opened fire.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 46