by Martin HC
She removed the sweet from her mouth.
“Your friend, Jill, cut my neck, I've done very bad things to people for much, much less,” she said before lifting the sweet back up to her lips. “I will find you.”
Her polite and calm demeanour returned, the smile was there again and even the eyes softened. It was incredible just how secure it made him feel, as if he could take her with him and she'd be no trouble at all.
“I hope so sweetheart, because you are incredible, but as a favour to me be nice to Jill when you do, and maybe I'll play nice with you,” he finished with a wink.
“Perhaps I can be nice, once,” she replied, using her tongue to tease the sweet back in to her mouth, this time in a way that was anything but innocent.
Smiling stupidly at her, he stepped back towards the bridge, tripping over his own feet and falling through the door of light before it finally collapsed, throwing the room into darkness, she laughed loudly, an exit like that deserved a laugh.
Her guards eventually did get the door open.
“Did you see them come through the wall?” she asked them while walking back outside.
“The wall?”
“Yes, the wall you idiot, did they cut through the walls?”
“No, we've had the building surrounded and nothing came through the walls.”
“Bring over the shuttle, the Ophelia is not allowed to leave dock, if she tries then destroy her,” she ordered.
“We can't, every radio and piece of electronic equipment in this entire area has been fried, even the shuttle is out. We've sent runners to bring another, but it will be at least twenty minutes before they return with one.”
“This meeting has not gone to plan in any way, who's in charge of my security here?” she asked the team.
“I am,” answered a massive armoured figure hidden behind a mask.
Someone had to answer for the blood on her neck, and sadly for the head of security someone else was just granted a favour.
“The intelligence you supplied about the ex mercenaries was poor, they were anything but lower rate, you failed me today,” she told him while slowly reaching into her sleeve, her eyes turning to ice once more.
He noticed the glint of the shiny blade being pulled out from her sleeve, and instinctively raised his arms in defence but her speed was like lightning, the blade expertly found the gap in his armour between the neck and helmet. The massive man choked and staggered back slightly, then with a wet cough collapsed to his knees and slowly died.
So it seems they will get away after all she thought to herself, and with my weapon. Taking a seat on a ledge to think, all her anger boiled away, the memory of Haydn tripping over his own feet and through the portal still fresh in her mind, he was comically cute and displayed a level of cheek that no-one had ever shown her. She really hoped she wouldn't have to kill him, then laughed as the memory played again in her head.
Parting Ways
It was almost painful for Tira to watch the mess of bodies on the other side of the jump bridge, Brenn went through first and with it being his first time while awake, didn't know what to expect. He collapsed just in front of the exit, heaving and retching, his mind a fuzz of confusion and his body convulsing uncontrollably, Jill followed and Damon behind her. Their first trip through the portal done nothing to mitigate the effects of the second, it was worse this time as each barrelled into the person in front, forming a three high pile up of convulsing mess.
Tira came through last and walked around the entangled bodies on the floor, muttering about how ridiculous they all looked as she did, but it was Haydn who turned the mess into a work of art by spearing himself head first into the group, barrelling them all over.
It took a few minutes for the convulsing and fuzzing of the mind to clear, Damon tried to complain in the process, only achieving desperate wheezing noises as his chest continued to spasm.
Haydn, after pulling himself from the mess and getting up, turned to Tira.
“A weapons system... a weapons system, no you couldn't have said an oversized dishwasher,” he complained in disbelief. “Or maybe a poorly designed sun bed, but no, you had to go with a weapons system.”
“I had it all under control,” she answered him, no sign of doubt in her voice. “There was absolutely no need to interfere.”
“No need to... interfere,” Damon said while trying to control the spasms in his chest. “She was on... about gutting us, and never... letting us go.”
“Yes, but it would never have happened,” she told him, her confidence never waning.
“You say that but if Jill hadn't taken... the advantage we would've all been taken,” Damon told her pointing to Jill, who's face, hair and chest was still covered in arterial blood spray. “I mean come on, what are we... going to do? They'll never stop chasing us now, what about Arlan and Serena? How wil... they get out of there alive? They'll have them now, and the Ophelia.”
“You can relax,” she told him. “I took care of that, I burned out every piece of equipment and device they had as we left, they can't communicate with the docks or fly their shuttle.”
“I hope what you got... was worth it, because it... almost... ended all of us,” Jill grated out, half doubled over trying to control her own minor chest spasms. “And you, why did you come through... like that, did she attack?” Jill asked Haydn, who stood beside her now.
“Ehhh yeah, almost got me too,” was all he said in answer, only Tira eyed him knowingly.
“Anyway, what now?” Haydn asked the group, changing the subject.
“We need to get moving, before that Ferren fleet gets here,” Damon answered, no more spasms interfering with his speech.
“They're not Ferren,” Tira told him. “The Ferren fleet is different, better ships, more of them and this fleet's commander is from a sector within Mergence controlled space, according to his genetics anyway, I believe they just want to look like Ferrens.”
“OK, we really need to go, it's amazing how everything around you two just spirals deeper and deeper,” Damon told them both.
“Where will you go?” Tira asked him.
“I'm not sure yet but first things first, we have to get the Ophelia out of dock.”
They all knew what that meant now and none of them were too excited about it, what willpower they did have shrunk to almost nothingness as a jump bridge, showing the ghostly view of the Ophelia's bridge, ripped into existence.
There was pained expressions all around, they knew what was coming and none wanted to go first.
“The hunter fleet has just arrived now, you really need to get going, there is still time to escape,” Tira told them, there was a hint of a blue glow in the girls eyes, which both Damon and Jill noticed.
“That extra door Damon, in your command deck corridor, there's a comms device in there to get in touch with us, don't try and open it for study, it'll destroy itself if you do, just give me a shout if you ever need any help,” Haydn told Damon, then looked at Jill. “Or fancy a drink.”
Brenn went through first and this time Damon was sure to give it a few seconds before following.
“I won't be holding my breath,” he answered with doubt in his eyes about the offered reunion.
Jill, waiting till the end made eye contact and smiled cheekily.
“Well, other than the killing and blood and stuff, I had fun all round. I'll definitely be in touch for a drink, and maybe we can finish with a night cap next time,” she said before looking at the portal, groaning loudly in complaint and stepping through.
“Well that went much much better than I could've expected,” he told Tira as the portal collapsed. “I can't be sure but I think Jill likes me, did you get that feeling too? Do you think she likes me?”
“Really Haydn, it's not the time, now even more bad people are aware of us,” she answered moodily. “I have to go now, we should leave.”
“Sorry, I forgot in the excitement, you've been around a while, I can see it in your eyes, is it
trying to take over again?”
“Yes, but I'm holding it back for now. And I saw the excitement you mean, every time that Feissa woman smiled at you, you can fool them but not me,” she told him drily, before teasing him. “Maybe she's the reason Jill became so, forthcoming.”
“Fair enough... but did you see how Feissa looked, I mean wow, and you just admitted Jill likes me.”
“Haydn I wouldn't pursue either, they're both crazy,” she warned him, “I have to go now, I see a second fleet incoming too, so feel free to get us out of here... when you've finished your dreaming.”
“I will, I just want to make sure Damon gets away OK from those hunters,” by the time he'd finished talking she was gone, a few seconds passed before he spoke again. “Hi Tiralyn,” he said pleasantly.
“Hello,” she answered pleasantly back.
“Is Damon doing OK?”
“Yes, they're clearing the station and are blending in with a number of other small craft, would you like to leave?”
“It's a shame they had to leave like that, so quickly, they're the first people not to try and hurt us,” he told her, “let's go, I'm off to bed for some well earned sleep.”
An Untimely Entrance
“Ma'am, I'm showing a hunter fleet within the local space, they're inside of weapons range on the far side of the station and moving directly for it,” the flag deck's sensor operator told Fleet Admiral Y'Riell. “I also have a lot of unknowns moving from the station in our direction.”
“What are they, have we been ambushed?” She questioned.
“No Admiral, they're running from that fleet, looks like they're trying to put us between them and the Ferrens,” it was the intelligence colonel that answered.
“The Ferren have seen us, they're adjusting behind the station to better remove line of sight,” she was informed.
“Get a link to the bridge, I want to speak with Captain Hilden.”
“Yes ma'am,” a curt reply came back as the face of the flagship's captain appeared across the room's main holo display.
“Captain Hilden, inform the Starfyre commanders that we will be taking this ground, we have the upper hand, and so will push the Ferren from this area,” she ordered.
“Confirmed, deploying for fleet-wide assault,” he answered, nodding to someone off screen, presumably to resend her message. “Anything else ma'am?”
“Yes, please stay on the line, if this turns into a fight, it could be interpreted as a precursor for war, I want sound witness,” she told him.
“I don't like this, something doesn't smell right,” Colonel Brice told them both.
“Please Colonel Brice, if you have anything of value to add then do so now,” Y'Riell spoke as she turned to look at him.
“It's just a feeling, nothing I can put my finger on, but for one they haven't confirmed themselves as Ferren or tried to make contact, which is something the Ferrens tend to do.”
“Comms, get me a link to that fleet,” she shouted out after weighing his words.
“Done ma'am, link open.”
“To the Ferren hunter fleet commander, this is Fleet Admiral Y'Riell, commander of the Exelseon Mergence Seventh RRF, we are assuming control of the local space, stand down your fleet, turn about and leave.”
“Nothing ma'am, they're not answering and spreading out their formations.”
“Repeat it,” she barked.
“Still nothing ma'am,” her comms reported back.
“Hold... they're launching missiles, salvoes inbound,” her tactical called across the flag deck.
“Inform all commanders they are green to engage. Captain Hilden, I hereby transfer combat control to your command.”
The fleet admiral, despite being the highest ranking person available was not actually qualified to run a fleet battle, her position was more in diplomacy, politics and administration, highlighting objectives before a fight and ensuring everything within the fleet ran smoothly, she would not interfere as Captain Hilden ran the battle.
Captain Hilden himself was the highest ranking ship captain by position, and therefore lead battlegroup commander, the Starfyre or abbreviated SF battlegroups fell solely to his responsibility, he was qualified for what was going to ensue.
“Command transfer accepted ma'am,” he confirmed. “Please excuse me,” he finished while cutting the holo display.
“Captain, the enemy is continuing their missile fire,” Hilden's tactical reported.
“Tactical, we have the numbers, so we're going to use them, issue a fleet wide directive, return fire two full missile salvoes, SFs six, seven and eight are then to assume flank formations,” Captain Hilden ordered across his bridge.
“Aye sir, confirming all instructions received by local commanders, firing now.”
It was an impressive display of humanity's brutality towards one another. As missile after missile blasted off, the bluish flare from their plasma drives creating beautiful fast moving streaks of light. A beauty which screamed towards the enemy with only death intended.
Hilden stood in the centre of a cavernous room, unique to the flagships of the Mergence, and it provided a real time view of everything outside his ship. Its intent was to give a tactical advantage, assisting with perspective and awareness of location as a battle unfolded. He could also magnify in on structures, areas, fleets and targeted vessels, watching them directly as they were stripped apart by lance fire. For now he looked on in respect, as his battlegroups began firing off their beautiful instruments of terror.
The room was only for the lead battlegroup commander's use, SF one, not even the fleet admiral's flag deck boasted such a facility.
“Flank formation is reporting visible targets and will be in range of primary lances within three minutes, they will engage and attempt to draw the enemy fleet out of position, our own formation will clear the station's blind spot in twelve seconds,” a tactical officer told him.
“Target the centre of their formations as one and force them to spread, then split the enemy fleet into grouped targeting structures and issue each battlegroup with arcs of fire. When we clear line-of-sight hand off control to local command, time on target for missiles?” he both ordered and requested to know.
Usually tactical planning for a pitched fleet battle like this would be conducted in a much more structured manner, input from all the SF commanders would be heard and weighed. Today however, the Mergence fleet arrived far too close to their enemy, a result of both trying to jump the station with no warning, and of having no idea the enemy fleet would be there.
“Our missiles will reach targets inside of ninety seconds,” he was informed. “Their first salvoes will reach us in just under two minutes.”
“That makes no sense, our point defence should be killing them off by now, they fired first.”
“They're slower than standard Ferren models, also our ECM is having much more success than it should at disrupting their tracking.”
Captain Hilden watched the tactical display, his missiles burned down into his enemy's formations first, their own just reaching the Mergence fleet's point defence.
Nothing was adding up, too many of his weapons were making it through to deliver their nuclear payloads against the Ferren hulls, meanwhile Mergence point defence was sweeping the enemy's slow moving and easy to fool missiles from space like child's play.
“Extreme lance range in sixty seconds.”
“Good, weapons control, warm up our lance channels, tactical, target paint enemy ships for the battlegroup,” he ordered.
Four stars being born lit up the darkness in front of them, one after the other as their second salvo hit home.
“Sir, four Ferren ships just fell to our missiles.”
“Already? Their point defence should be doing a much better job than this and those hulls shouldn't have failed so soon.”
“Aye Captain, I agree, other ships within their formations are also taking sustained damage too easily, coming into lance range now, opening fire.”<
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Y'Riell watched on in amazement as the flag decks tactical display showed of their success.
“Colonel Brice, what do you make of this why are we doing so well? Did we catch them off guard? Or has our intelligence of Ferren capabilities been greatly over exaggerated?”
“I would say it's more a failure on the enemy's part Admiral,” he answered, “to this date I've never known of Ferren hunter ships to do so poorly. Their missiles are outdated and the hulls do not seem to have modern armour, which is why they are falling so quickly. It doesn't make sense, given what we know of Ferren tactics, they don't even seem to be making any effort to bring us in range of their railguns,” as he spoke, another three hunter ships came apart in blinding balls of nuclear fury.