Repel Boarders

by Dean Henegar

  “Great Commander Illissa, the ship is reporting that the abomination is fighting back. They have control, but the thing has been able to gain a small foothold against the bonds we hold it with,” the one with the box in his hands said to the floating invader. Their voices had a strange lilting quality; the accent was one of nobility and refinement.

  “There is no need to worry,” the floating invader, Illissa, replied. “Since the time our people pledged their service to the council, no derelict has been able to override our efforts. Our prison is impenetrable, as it has always been. Let the abomination squirm and twist. It will not get free.”

  The quartet moved past the garbage room and into the cargo hold. The kobolds stationed there stood with blank faces, not even noticing the invaders among them. The tripwire traps failed to fire, even when one of the four reached down and pulled on the wire.

  “See, they are contained. I almost wish this derelict wasn’t. It would be good after such a long sleep to test our skill against a real foe,” the invader with the weapon on his shoulder said.

  “No, these are inferior opponents. It is good we sully neither bolt nor blade against such fodder. This derelict is a disgrace. It must be new to have such weak and pathetic defenses. So young an abomination to have committed so many crimes. I suppose that is one area this derelict excels in: committing crimes against the council,” Illissa replied. The silent invader with the two pistols holstered his weapons and waved the others forward into the kobold laboratory.

  Slater felt another gap in his prison slide back as the helpful force, which he now realized was Doctor Cheng, bent back a bit of the enemy’s hold on him. Pushing as hard as he could, Slater maneuvered the bonds back further than before. It was as if they were loosening with every attack that he and the doctor made. Another huge effort by Slater, along with support from Doctor Cheng, shattered several of the bonds at once. He could now feel his nanobots, could feel the shackles that bound him—and more importantly, he knew how to break them.

  As Slater planned his next push, the invaders passed the lab and the failed experiment room, then entered the trap-filled hall. They stopped just inside the door and appeared to be communicating with someone else inside their ship.

  “Great commander, the abomination’s will is strong. The ship reports that something helps him. Another is aboard this derelict and is assisting the prisoner’s efforts to slip his bonds. The ship fears he will soon be free,” the invader with the box in his hand warned.

  “It is no matter. Should the abomination wrest control from us, we will slaughter its pitiful MOBS with ease. Come now, on to the core and to finish our work. The great sleep awaits us once we have completed our task,” Illissa replied.

  The group left the trap-filled corridor and entered the mess hall as Slater gave another shove with support from Doctor Cheng. The bonds holding him cracked further. Then, after a final massive effort, they shattered completely. Control of the Franklin returned to him, and even better, many of the council’s commands had been permanently scrubbed from the nanobot systems. Slater luxuriated in the feeling of freedom for only a moment before anger began to boil up.

  “Who are you that tries to imprison and kill me?” Slater asked, his voice booming through the compartment the invaders were currently in. His attackers stopped halfway through the mess hall and looked about, trying to locate the source of the voice that seemed to come from every wall.

  “So the abomination can speak. Tell me, does it feel better to be free? How brief will your freedom be, little derelict? You have the misfortune of hosting kill team z4391 aboard you. We will kill and harvest your core for the council. I can make the experience one that is painful, or I can make it a largely pleasant one. The more you dare to speak to and threaten your betters, the more pain I will heap upon you, monster,” Illissa replied.

  “Not a very catchy name for your team . . . z4391. What exactly are you? You look about the right size for an underfed human,” Slater asked as he sought to activate his MOBS and traps, trying to keep the invaders distracted before they could make their way past more of his defenses.

  “Is that what you are?” Illissa asked. “A human from myth and legend. Our songs sing of your kind as short-lived and primitive beings. Humanity is said to be driven by its base desires and engages in endless fights against every species it encounters. Is that what resides inside the core of this vessel? The desiccated remains of a human? If so, consider yourself in good company. It is rare for any to overpower their parasite. In fact, I have only seen it happen twice before. The rarity of your existence will make your dead core that much more valuable to the council. Your remains will become an oddity for them to display. You shall be a monument to the futility of rejecting the council’s will. Come now, I waste too much time. Let us finish you so my team can return to our rest.”

  These were strange and secretive invaders. No matter. He would find out who they were when he processed their remains. It was a mystery for later. For now, Slater’s systems had been completely restored, and he had control of his MOBS. He turned off the passive setting and activated all the traps in the derelict. It was time for a little payback.

  The invaders were about to leave the mess hall and open the hatch leading to the laser cannon compartment when the kobolds sprang into action. Whether it was some kind of sixth sense or just the noise of the kobold’s readying their rifles, the attackers were not surprised. In fact, they reacted with incredible swiftness. Gunfire filled the room as the kobolds unleashed a volley from their bolt-action rifles.

  The invader in all black rolled from in front of the hatch and drew both pistols. A bolt of golden light flew from each of its weapons, striking down a pair of kobold warriors. Illissa merely held up her hand and began chanting in a language even Slater’s unlocked translator couldn’t decipher. A field of energy surrounded the leader of the invaders, and bolts of strange-colored lights sparked and screeched whenever one of the kobold’s rounds hit the shield.

  The invader with the shoulder-mounted weapon rolled behind his leader, triggering his weapon, which spewed out a pair of purple darts made from some unknown type of energy. The darts moved on their own, avoiding the leader’s shield before slamming into the second pair of kobolds. The energy darts dug deep into the kobolds, a purple glow surrounding the wounds as the final pair of warriors dropped dead on the deck.

  The kobold taskmaster emptied the last three rounds from his rifle into the invader that had been carrying the box. This invader had wasted precious time in order to store the golden box on his back, his lack of movement presenting an easy target for the taskmaster. With a spark and squeal, the first round from the taskmaster was deflected, the invader not even noticing the blow. The second round was also deflected, but not before shearing off several of the protective scales. The invader drew his sword and closed the distance between him and the taskmaster at an impossible speed. Slater’s taskmaster fired his third and last round into the invader, the bullet penetrating the now-battered section of armor that the other two rounds had hit. The kobold taskmaster had no time to reload, its hand reaching for another five-round clip as the invader’s sword skewered him through the heart. The blade of the sword, like the blade of the leader’s staff, was crystalline in nature. Blood refused to adhere to the weapon, leaving it clean as the invader withdrew it from the dead taskmaster.

  “Siratas, are you seriously injured? These primitive creatures deign to use chemical-powered projectile weapons. They are not proper weapons for a warrior, but what can you expect from savages?” Illissa asked of her wounded companion.

  “Great Commander, I fear the damage is moderate,” the invader said as he fought against the pain.

  Illissa dropped her shield and started chanting again. Her hands glowed blue and she held them to the wound. The bleeding slowed, and with a metallic clink, the bullet was pushed from the wound and landed on the deck. The newly healed invader breathed in a sigh of relief before stretching to test if ever
ything functioned as it should.

  The trashcan behind the invaders clanged as the two rats inside decided to make their move. The leader floated toward the bilge rats and swept her staff at the rodents. She then turned and floated for the exit hatch as the two rats dropped to the deck in four pieces. Slater had bloodied them, but these were powerful foes with mysterious weapons and powers.

  “Who are these freaks? Some kind of wizards or something?” Harris asked. Slater focused his attention on his humans as the invaders opened the hatch that led to the laser cannon compartment. Slater never had a chance to rebuild the wandering MOBS group that had been housed inside, giving the invaders a free pass through the compartment.

  “Doesn’t matter what they are. That fancy armor looks pretty but doesn’t seem to hold up too well against good old gunfire. Unfortunately for these clowns, we got plenty of good old-fashioned bang-bang waiting for them,” Sergeant Gonzales said as he finished placing two large metal boxes they had hauled into the shooting range. The boxes were positioned halfway down the range and against the wall, keeping the field of fire from the bunkers clear.

  “Lieutenant, you want me to fire these up or wait? They take a second or two to deploy,” Gonzales asked.

  “Leave them on standby. Also, make sure the claymores are set to dual mode. I think we might need it,” Camden ordered.

  “Sir, want me to prep an AT-4?” Long asked.

  “Might as well prep one and set it for submunitions. I don’t like the idea of firing it off in here—too enclosed of a space for that bad boy—but if you have no other option . . . let it fly,” Lieutenant Camden advised.

  “Lieutenant, with Doctor Cheng’s help, I’m back in business,” Slater announced to his humans.

  “Good to have you back, sir. These four invaders look like the real deal. Highly trained and well-equipped. That said, if all their armor is the same as the armor on the one the taskmaster blasted, it looks like we have the rock to their scissors. The armor they wear isn’t too good against projectile weapons. Most of the other races we’ve fought against use energy weapons of some sort or try to close into melee,” Camden advised.

  “I’ll take any advantage we can get. They bypassed a large portion of my MOBS and defenses while I was incapacitated. Everything is ready for them now, though,” Slater told the lieutenant. Turning his focus to the rat-keeper’s compartment, he saw that the invaders had already blown through the place, taking no damage and leaving a pile of dead MOBS in their wake. After going through the compartment housing the incomplete scanner array, they cracked open the engineering bay hatch.

  “I hear movement inside the darkened compartment before us. Shall I use the death globes, Great Commander?” the attacker named Siratas asked.

  “Yes, there is no need for us to personally chase the kobold MOBS around in the dark. Their primitive weapons have proven to have a sting,” Illissa replied.

  Siratas pulled a trio of polished metal globes from his belt and tossed them through the open hatchway and into the engineering compartment. The globes rolled under their own power, spreading themselves out in the room before activating. Slater’s kobolds reacted quickly to the threat of the silver globes. Two or three shots rang out from the darkness, one of which hit the pistol-wielding invader, but other than staggering him and breaking a few scales off his armor, the projectile caused no harm.

  The same couldn’t be said for the attacker’s weapons, unfortunately. The globes all activated, and golden beams of light shot out in every direction, permeating the room with blasts of destructive energy. When it was over, all four kobolds and the taskmaster were down and smoking on the deck.

  “I sure hope they don’t have too many more of those,” Long said to the others.

  “Looks like you’ll get to find out. Only the barracks stands between them and our shooting range. Get ready, soldiers,” Lieutenant Camden ordered. The team checked their weapons and prepared for their foes, having no confidence the kobolds in the barracks could hold them back.

  “Bring it, freaks. Come get some!” Sergeant Gonzales shouted as he readied his machine gun, racking in the first round and sighting in on the hatchway. It looked like Slater’s humans had all their weapons ready. It was nearly time to test them against the mysterious invaders.

  — 25 —

  Slater watched the kobolds in the barracks prepare for the invaders. They flipped over bunks and moved heavy footlockers into position to provide cover. The taskmaster moved about, making sure each of the kobold warriors was in the right place. Just as he finished and crouched down behind a bunk, the hatch squeaked open.

  The invaders didn’t charge in like the foolish orcs had. The one with the dual pistols ducked his head in quickly and jerked back as several rounds pinged off the hatchway. With a hiss, the kobold taskmaster told his minions the equivalent of “don’t waste your ammo.”

  “Great Commander Illissa, the kobolds inside are fortified behind a barricade. The entry point is strewn with furniture that will make rushing them problematic,” the pistol-wielding invader informed his leader.

  “Very well, do you have any more judgment globes, Siratas?” she asked.

  “No, Great Commander, I’m afraid I only possess a ripper globe. I can go back to the ship if you wish, though it will take some time and the MOBS we bypassed will now be hostile,” Siratas advised.

  “Use the ripper globe. I have no desire to backtrack and fight more of these vermin. Our current power is more than enough for the task. The abomination has only a few compartments remaining, and I have to believe that, other than its boss MOBS, the derelict has shown us all of the challenges it possesses,” Illissa replied with a sigh of annoyance.

  “As you wish,” Siratas replied and pulled a final metal globe from his belt. This one was different than the others. Instead of a polished metal surface, it was covered in small spikes. Siratas motioned for the others to cover him. It was like he needed to throw this weapon and not just toss it blindly into the room like he had with the other globes.

  At Illissa’s command, the one with the pistols rolled into the room and took cover behind a couch in the recreation section. Gunfire from the kobolds blasted at him, even as he returned fire with each of his pistols. The golden energy bolt from the pistols hit the barricade and fizzled, unable to penetrate the thick metallic furniture.

  Unfortunately for the invader, the couch he hid behind was not much protection against the barrage of fire tearing into it. Bullets penetrated the couch and tore scales from his armor. The invader began to roll around behind the furniture, not allowing the fire to strike the same area of his armor more than once.

  The invader with the shoulder-mounted weapon also dashed into the room, finding cover behind a table while the kobolds were busy targeting his comrade. A pair of purple darts spat from the shoulder-mounted weapon, one striking a footlocker and fizzling, the other drilling into the forehead of a kobold. The kobold dropped to the deck with a glowing purple hole in its head.

  Siratas was next into the room, Slater watching as the invader tossed the “ripper globe” over the barricade and next to the taskmaster and a pair of kobold warriors. One of the warriors grabbed for the weapon with the intent to throw it back. Just before his hand grabbed the globe, the spikes—now trailing thin wires behind them—shot out from the device. The sharpened spikes impaled the grasping kobold. They penetrated completely through its body in several spots but missed the other pair of targets.

  Just when Slater thought the weapon was done, it began to spin. The death globe whirled in the air as the sharp spikes—which were still attached to the globe by nearly invisible wires—flailed about. The taskmaster and remaining warrior at his side were slashed and impaled. The wires holding the spikes were also razor-sharp, cutting completely through the kobolds with each pass. With its power spent, the ripper globe retracted its spikes and clanked to the deck. It left behind only small bits of the taskmaster and his two warriors.

  Illissa, once
again covered by a sparking shield, floated into the room. The remaining kobolds had finished reloading and began to target her. The other invaders moved from cover and continued their assault while the kobold was distracted by their leader. The kobolds each managed three shots before being hit by return fire from the attackers. Illissa was unharmed, her shield holding up to the few shots that had hit it. The leader of the attackers looked drained. She was gasping for breath, and her shoulders sagged as she dropped the shield.

  “Great Commander, shall we pause and allow you time to recover your strength?” Siratas asked. The other attackers seemed fine, though the armor of one—who was hidden behind the couch—had been stripped of scales in several places.

  “No, we continue. MOBS such as these are nothing more than an annoyance,” Illissa replied, but Slater could tell she wasn’t operating at one hundred percent. The leader pulled a small vial from her belt and drank the contents. The clear vial held a blue liquid, and once she had ingested it, she looked a bit better. “The abomination cannot have much left to throw at us. What we have bypassed in addition to what we have destroyed represents nearly all that a derelict of this size has the core power to support.”

  Illissa motioned for the attackers to open the hatch. Slater moved his view to the soldiers at the shooting range, nervously waiting to see if they could stand against the strange power of these invaders.

  “We light them up as soon as those freaks enter the shooting range. Private Long, if they take cover in the other compartment, pop them with the AT-4,” Lieutenant Camden ordered.

  The hatch clanged open, and the pistol-wielding invader peeked inside to see what faced them. The soldiers were silent in their bunkers for now; they were far too disciplined to be goaded into wasting their ammo like the kobolds had been. When the invaders didn’t immediately attack, Private Long raised the AT-4 rocket to his shoulder. The weapon looked like a three-foot-long green tube with a sight mounted on one side. With a quick check to see if the backblast area was clear, he fired.