by Florian Nagy
Chapter 30
The space in between the two groups of ships was empty of all except the spiteful surges of energy that flashed from the mercenaries to the last three Imperial ships. Darius’ eyes lingered on the screen. It was empty no more, the hyperspace trails had arrived.
Four Imperial destroyers drifted in front of the decrepit Vigilante. Their escort of frigates was spread out like bees around a hive. The destroyers fell into a line and advanced upon the mercenaries. They destroyers were long and bulky. They had myriads of modules attached all round their bodies. Their colors ranged the entire spectrum, from white to black. Their large engines glowed calmly and softly from the slight propulsion they were generating. Their armored weapons arrays were active, and the sides of the ships were alive with the movement of their various components. Their crystalline frontal sections were in sync, and the bridges of the four ships quickly exchanged plans.
The giants picked up speed, and Darius quickly set about scanning them for identification, but his effort proved useless: they had just sent a message to the task force.
-Imperium vessels, we are aware of your intentions and directive. I am Gerald Warren, captain of the EFS Antioch and coordinator of this strike force. We have been tracing this Rekked band for some time and have gotten a hold of their position since they left cover recently. We have been following them since then, and now will take them into custody. Your ships are badly damaged and unsafe; three frigates will accept your crew on evacuation shuttles and then escort you to Galar. Thank you for your work.-
The destroyers then sent another message to the entire mercenary assembly.
-Rekked band and allies, we are a delegation of the Imperium here to apprehend you for numerous violations of the Heartland Agreement of Year 3570. The Ameerian outlaws are also required to submit for their crimes of violence. To the other vessels assembled here, you are guilty of assisting these outlaws in an attack on the Imperium. You are also guilty of aggression against the Imperium. Power down your weapons and non-vital ship systems and prepare for removal from your ships. You will be transported on our ships to an Imperial detention facility, and your ships will be taken into Imperial custody. Refusal of compliance or powering your engines will result in your destruction. You must comply immediately.-
Darius sighed deeply and routed the bridge crew. The ship was breaking apart, and several casualties and deaths had already been reported. The medical crew gathered the injured and moved to the shuttle bay. Several shuttles had been destroyed and only two were still functional. The relief frigates sent their own shuttles to pick up the people and transport them to the ships. The Vigilante and the other two ships were damaged beyond repair. The systems were almost entirely fried, and the hull was so compromised it would have to be entirely redone, meaning the construction of an entire new body.
The crews of the three broken ships flew on shuttles towards their rescue ships. A group of recyclers would pass by sometime in the future to collect the refined materials of the ships’ hulks.
The mercenaries froze in fear; the tables had been violently turned on them. The Rekkeds sent out waves of frantic distress calls with no practical purpose. Harka’yn growled in anger. His ingenious plans had been trashed by the actions of Rekked avarice and stupidity. The misfortune of the whole scheme and the undue pit he had fallen into grew on him immensely. His thoughts circled, and he forgot all else. He paid no heed to what logical step he should take next. He didn’t even care; he had worked tirelessly, and all his efforts had amounted to nothing! He had lost most of his men and ships. His allies were now on the verge of demise. He didn’t even feel any bereavement; it was their fault they had failed! How could they have been so stupid! Why doesn’t anything work out, why does the Imperium eat everything good in life!
Harka’yn was fuming. In anger, he punched his fist into the console to his right. It cracked slightly but didn’t give. He hit it again, more strongly. The pale Ameerian skin began to bend as it was being compromised from the inside. He prepared his right arm again and viciously unleashed hit after hit into the console. The surface cracked and crinkled, and Harka’yn didn’t stop until it was broken. The display’s color scheme was broken, and then the center became deformed, and with the last hit flashed white and then was silenced.
He breathed heavily, the muscles on his hand tense with pressure. His rough fingers and knuckles were red from the contact and in many places cut and bleeding. The scratches were all over his fingers, a pale red and bubbling with his pinkish blood. He didn’t even feel the exertion. In mental agony he collapsed onto the console in front of him.
The people on the bridge looked on in desperation. No one moved on any of the ships. There could be no resistance. The destroyers’ ion cannons would rip ships of such low caliber to dust.
-None of your ships have powered down weapons, we cannot perform an extraction of your crew while you are combat ready. If you do not power down we will be forced to destroy your combat capabilities regardless of collateral damage.-
A few of the ships powered themselves down. The Rekkeds scrambled to save themselves and their ships’ systems also went down. Some still lingered in uncertainty of what to do. One of the Ameerian vessels jump-powered its engines and prepared to make a hyperspace flight. The hasty power surge to the engines was detected, and one of the turrets on the EFS Antioch shone blue and then blasted a large ball of shrieking force. It flew to the Ameerian ship in an instant and flew right through it, throwing the ship in all directions in a large gush of its own air.
Quickly afterward more of the ships powered down, and grudgingly the last few grew quiet. Marine shuttles launched from the destroyers and latched onto the ships. The marines entered the mercenary vessels and apprehended the people without much incident. They were taken back to the shuttles and escorted back to the destroyers. On some ships some crew gave resistance, but the combat suits and artificial-intelligence guided weapons ensured the marines’ complete safety.
As the procedure was coming to a close, the notification panels on all the ships once again heralded the coming of a visitor. The waves of surprise that ran through everyone the first time now were felt even more strongly. The ships were on a direct intercept course with the assembly there. Once again, this was no passerby, but someone who had business with either the mercenaries or the Imperium.