Ejection Strike
Part Two
Nearly a master-cycle later
Many of the Arretchi gathered at the viewscreens in fearful fascination as they reached the planet. Cuura and Cuuma were just fascinated. "So, that's the Hordeworld. How many of them do you think are waiting down there?" Cuuma asked eagerly.
"A Horde's worth?" Cuura suggested. They both snickered. "They found at least one more advance nest, and we don't know yet what's actually down there. High likelihood of more action. This should be interesting."
"A fight to defend the Drill, perhaps," Cuuma mused. "Or maybe they'll even let us go pick off their authority nexuses in advance, to reduce the risk of interference."
"They won't. There's no way they'll take a risk like that. We'll be waiting for the Horde to make the first move in an actual fight."
"Well, then we'll just have to hope that the Horde doesn't disappoint us." Cuuma sighed happily. "We haven't had this much fun since just before the Harvest. Remember that?"
"As well as you do, and you know it." Cuura's eyes glinted with the reflection of the light from the viewscreen. "We defeated those vermin. Should we do less against these?"
They looked at each other, then back at the planet ahead. "Our world lived to see us fly," Cuuma murmured.
"Your world is about to die," Cuura finished.
Orron, Bazz, and Parrik looked over the viewscreens and the readouts of information. Their trajectory would send them scraping right past this planet's moon, and they had to deal with what they found there. Although they had the room to themselves, this was no private meeting. The time for action had come, and they were in communication with everyone they needed to be.
"The nest on their own moon is an outpost, a war-nest, just like the first one we found. The energy spike we picked up from it before means they have their own thermetic cascade there. That probably won't be their only one, either." Orron looked grimly at the images.
"The cascade doesn't matter at this point," Bazz pointed out. "They can't hurt Homeship with that. I say we burn this nest quickly, and get down to the planet itself as swiftly as possible." The others agreed. Broken pieces of the Homeship that had come before visibly drifted in front of them, a grim marker of the deaths that had occurred here in the past. Pieces hit against their energy shielding, producing flares of light like an echo of explosions long died away.
"Look," Parrik pointed to the screen as more of the planet's moon came into view. The wreckage of a ship lay some distance from the nest, with several vermin crawling over it. "Is that the Nemesis' ship?"
A confirmation came from a Monitoring Station. "It is. It appears to have been destroyed by the cascade."
"And the Nemesis itself?" Bazz asked.
"We can't tell. If it's there, it's hidden in the wreckage."
Bazz grunted in frustration. The Nemesis could fall silent so completely that it was impossible to detect by any means. It could be right under them, on the far side of the planet, or dead, for all they knew.
"Did the Horde turn on it, then?" Orron wondered.
"They appear to have done. That doesn't tell us if it's alive or dead, though."
"Or," Parrik pointed out, "it could be a trick, to make us think they're at odds."
"It could. Deal with the nest," Bazz ordered. "Maybe someone can go down and search once that's gone."
"No, look," one of the Monitors pointed out. "A Horde craft, fleeing with the most intact piece of the wreckage." That being the only piece worth inspecting.
"Track it if you can."
"The Horde nest is training their cascade's carrier beam on us," they reported. A moment later, it fired a Pulse.
"They have our weapons, but they don't know what do with them," Parrik commented.
"If they have our weapons in general, then they're capable of piercing-level attacks," Bazz pointed out. "We're lucky that they're foolish enough to waste their early efforts on a weapon that can't affect the energy shielding."
"Perhaps because they don't understand energy-shielding," Orron suggested. "There's no evidence they have that. And that being the case, use our own cascade, and burn that nest!" It was quickly done.
"All of their remaining craft in the vicinity are scattering," came the report. "They're clearly all falling back to the planet itself."
"Let them. The planet will be dead soon enough."
"They were about to try the cascade for a second time. They didn't seem to be learning," Parrik mused.
"Clearly not," Bazz agreed, as a series of new energy signals appeared on their screens. A band of relay drones circled the planet, all energizing to train carrier beams of their own. "Useless, but no sense taking chances. Destroy them all."
"The others made use of those things for their own communication purposes, back then," Orron commented.
"I wonder if the Horde didn't find some way to sabotage them through it," Bazz muttered. "Just as well that we don't need to." Although she'd mostly been silent so far, they could all feel Spiass, ensuring that they all remained linked whether they stayed in range or not.
"We're entering the planet's atmosphere. Reengage main propulsion to steer?"
"Wait." Orron studied the viewscreens of the planet's surface. "We're coming in mostly over a large portion of water. That means minimal concern for terrain, and the solid surface underneath is as low as it's likely to get. We won't find a better place to core from. There's no need to steer anywhere. Reengage and brake. Descend so that we're straddling that water." Although he didn't announce it, the others heard the rest of his reasoning: "It's nowhere near the prison where the other Arretchi are being held, so we aren't directly endangering them yet."
"You are hoping to rescue them in the aftermath of this?" Bazz asked.
"I want to keep the option open, for now."
Thanks to Spiass, those others could hear them too. They felt their gratitude for the thought. With or without the hope of rescue, though, they were all looking forward to the prospect of finally seeing the Horde fall. As Homeship settled down, completing its Descent, Payash and the others openly cried out in jubilation.
"Not quite the Landing Day we never got to celebrate, but it will do," Payash declared.
"Let them try to stop our people now!" Burree snarled fiercely. She beat her fists rhythmically against the wall of her cell. Suddenly, the cell moved, almost knocking her off her feet. Quickly regaining her balance, she looked around sharply. The cell was being relocated, and the vermin responsible clearly had some grim objective in mind.
"Burree!" Payash called out in concern.
"It's all right," she answered. "If they want to mess with me, let them come! I welcome the chance to take some payback of my own." She waited tensely for whatever was about to happen.
She didn't have to wait long. The cell settled into a new location, and moments later, one end opened, providing a passage into another room. It was also enclosed, no further way out, but there was a single vermin waiting in there. Burree could clearly sense it, and see it far more vaguely. They liked their light so horribly piercing, probably because their air was too dry to soften it properly. At least the cells themselves had contained a normal atmosphere. There was a large hiss of fog as the air mixed between the two rooms. Burree waited for it to even out, while she flexed her bio-tentacles and considered exactly how to kill the vermin in front of her. It was handy that they'd been so foolish, or so arrogant, that they'd never tried to strip her and the others of their armor.
As Burree advanced forward, though, she realized that the creature in front of her wasn't looking for a fight. It stood still, waiting, afraid but resigned. It was… offering itself? Not just to die, though. It seemed to think it could accomplish something this way. There was an audience of others outside the room, watching through a transparent wall. They were unhappy - afraid? - at the situation. One of theirs coming in here to its own death might well make them unhappy, but that didn't explain what this one's purpose was. Killing it would certainly make her happy, but…
No, its death wouldn't help its kind, but, she suddenly realized, communication might. It was known that bio-tentacles could interface with foreign nervous systems to a degree, and there was a belief, no one was quite sure from where, that a hi-jacked vermin body could be used as a translator that way. Was that what they were after? It seemed to be the most likely answer. Should she bother to oblige them? She certainly wasn't going to share any hard information with them, and she was most definitely going to kill this sacrifice they'd offered anyway, in the end. On the other hand, why not take the opportunity to taunt them a bit first?
The air had normalized throughout the room by now, and she could see the vermin in front of her just fine. It hadn't moved. Burree whipped a tentacle forward and wrapped it around the creature's neck. Yes, it could interface with the thing's nervous system, all right. There was some resistance, but the creature didn't seem to be consciously fighting it. It felt more like a built-up tolerance. Had this one been used like this before?
"Burree, don't," she heard Payash warning her. "You can't accomplish anything worthwhile from mentally attacking them."
"It doesn't matter," she told him. "Any damage to this one has already been done." She turned her attention to the vermin on the other side of the wall as she realized that one of them was trying to communicate. The one she held made for an imperfect go-between at best, but it did somewhat allow her to make sense of the sounds they used, if vaguely. The creature making them seemed to be trying to verify that communication was established.
Burree wasn't interested in a question-and-answer session. The only value she found in this exercise was to try and scare them. "The great Spiass has come! She'll be on you soon!" While the creature she held did make sounds in response, presumably in line with what Burree had said, she had a feeling that only a very basic gist of her message was actually getting through. She couldn't tell what the vermin out there actually heard or understood.
The same one "spoke" again, requesting her to clarify who she was talking about, it seemed. "She's acting Heart now, uniting us." The inbuilt resistance of the one she held was increasing, its mind instinctively fighting back. If anything, that would make it harder to get any real information through. The vermin outside were confused, she could tell. They probably hadn't understood that at all.
This was stupid, she decided. Trying to send garbled messages to creatures that couldn't figure them out was a waste of her time. They were trying to demand other types of information now, and one of them was brandishing a picture prominently displaying a glyph reading 'Nemesis', but Burree had had enough of this game. Even as the vermin in her tentacle's grip started moving, as if trying to escape her grasp, she tightened her physical hold on its neck, intending to strangle it.
Apparently, the vermin outside had lost interest at the same time. Several of them were leveling Handlances in her direction. As if she was going to make it that easy. Burree tensed, waiting, then leapt up just as they opened fire, clinging to some portion of the ceiling's structure and allowing the shots to pass underneath. The extra strength of armor could come in handy. One tentacle was still snagged on that one vermin's neck, and she could feel its dead weight down near the floor, but it didn't matter. That creature was no longer moving, and she had plenty of other tentacles to use. Snapping one forward, she snatched the Handlance from one of her attackers, delivering it to her own hands as she dropped back to the floor. It was an Arretchi weapon, stolen by these creatures. About time it was back where it belonged.
Striding through the hole their shots had made in their transparent wall, Burree opened fire wildly. The vermin were scrambling and running for it, and it was good to see. At this moment, she didn't even care that she hadn't hit one yet, although that would follow soon enough. She started to aim more carefully.
Some of the creatures had dropped low to the floor, and now one of them slid toward her along it, shooting right under her braced legs. Before Burree had a chance to consider this odd action, pain erupted from her back. She gasped, dropping to her knees. That wretched vermin! She hadn't realized they could move so quickly. She didn't know how seriously injured she was, but it felt bad. The creature had targeted the middle of her back, right where the bio-tentacles attached, and damaging that key connection seemed to have all but crippled her armor.
Taking a deep breath, Burree triggered the emergency release, detaching the armor. Exposing her own flesh didn't matter at this point. She wasn't going to survive this, but she refused to die trapped inside a nearly paralyzed shell. She could hear Payash calling out to her, hear his and the other prisoners' horror at her impending death, and she heard the people on the newly arrived Homeship as well.
Gathering what strength she could, Burree looked up and called out defiantly, "Make sure they all die!" There was a flash of movement from above her, then nothing.
There was a moment of hushed silence throughout Homeship as they felt Burree's death. They all knew what had happened on this planet in the past, and what risk they now took, but actually witnessing the demise of one of their own kind to the Horde made it all the more horribly real.
Into that silence, Payash spoke to them. "You heard her. Allow us to witness these creatures' destruction, for ourselves and for Burree!"
After a moment, Parrik nodded. "Burree was a brave warrior, but she was also one fighting alone against many. She faced a situation she couldn't have won. Here on our Home, we are together. We are strong. We will defeat this threat." Victory wasn't theirs yet, and a small undercurrent of doubt snaked beneath her words, but for the moment, it was outshone by determination. She felt the sentiments of the rest of the Arretchi join to hers.
"Then let us proceed," said Orron. "We're firmly positioned. The Drill-laser is ready." He looked upward, in the direction of the Pavilion overhead. "Dreamer?"
"Then let the life of this planet become Homeship's life," Spiass intoned. A surge of energy ran through the central components of the system, and the drill began humming with energy as it fired downward, seeking the heart of this world.
"Spoken as if it were a true Harvest," Orron idly noted.
"We consumed considerable resources to reach this planet so quickly," Parrik reminded him. "The planet's core, at least, is being harvested, if we expect to recover from that."
"Yes, you're right."
Bazz was studying the readouts on the system. There had been several minor power fluctuations from that surge, although they had all smoothed out now. But then, that energy hadn't come from any touch of a button or a screen. A Dreamer's ability to influence technology by thought alone was possibly more awe-inspiring than the sheer reach of their communication range, perhaps because it was easier to forget about on a daily basis. While Spiass was always up there, sharing her Dreams with the others of her order, there were no other circumstances in which she would directly affect the system. The system didn't really take well to it.
"Two or three sub-cycles, and the planet's core will be ours," Bazz confirmed. "That will take care of the Horde. If we could only find and destroy the Nemesis as well, our victory would truly be complete." Unfortunately, they had no leads on that. The Horde craft that had fled from the crash site had vanished amidst the destruction of their Descent to this undersized planet's surface. Even if it hadn't, there was no telling whether the Nemesis had actually been in there or not.
"We don't even know if the Nemesis is still alive," Orron reminded him. "At this rate, we may never know what happened to it."
"It's too great a threat to our kind to give up looking," Bazz stated. "Unfortunately, we can do nothing for now. Our best hope is probably to watch for it after the planet is cored. If it's alive, it will surely flee at that point. Maybe, if we're fast enough, we can intercept it."
Just then, a new report came in. "We're detecting a signal from the Horde's prison. They're scanning Homeship, apparently for biosignatures."
"They're planning to attack us. They must be," Bazz said grimly.
"Then we'd best prepare quickly," Parrik answered. "Do we have a clear idea of what to expect?"
"We expect them to be powerful and deadly," muttered Orron.
"That's not enough to go on."
"According to Nuconne's testimony," Spiass told them, "their craft were about as nimble as Strikers, and they attacked with large projectiles that explode when they hit a target. These failed against energy shielding, and the Horde was harmless- until they found a way to attack our systems from the inside out."
"So what happens if they do that again?" Parrik asked worriedly. "How do we defend against an attack we don't understand?"
"They're using our technology now, merged with their own," Orron reminded her. "Maybe they can't do it again without crippling themselves."
"We'd better hope so," Bazz said grimly. "They have piercing-level shots now, thanks to that technology, so their attacks won't be harmless this time in any case."
"We don't dare hope they're slow to learn again," Orron acknowledged.
"If they were slow to learn the first time, and not just lulling our people into a false sense of security," Parrik pointed out.
"They may have been," said Spiass. "It was a costly move in their own lives, if so."
"They may not care."
"Either way, the attack coming at us now is very real," Spiass pointed out. It was launching from the prison as well, and Payash and the others could feel the Horde's resolve.
"That isn't just a prison, it's a war-nest and possible authority-nexus as well," Bazz noted. "Unless," he added, "the authority nexus is someplace else. Can we track their communications and try to find out?"
"We're on it."
"Meanwhile, what about the large force of craft heading our way? Send out the Strikers and hope for the best?" Orron asked.
"I have an idea." That came from one of their tech Inspectors, Jengre. "The right kind of energy wave can disrupt the systems' power. It's not something that normally happens, but maybe we could use that in this case. If their craft have really merged our technology with their own, it should have a recognizable but unique energy signature, right?"
"And if we can isolate and target it, we can knock them out of the sky with one blow," Orron said. "I like it. Can we actually do that?"
"I'm pretty sure I can." That was Mitarrid, in the Monitoring Station. "It will take a bit of work, but at the rate those craft are approaching, I should easily be done in time." After a moment, she added, "As long as we're coming up with clever new applications of the systems, I might be able to provide extra shielding on demand, at locations of our choosing, if it's needed. I've had a theory about a way to do that since the upgrades from the last Harvest."
"That might be a good idea, especially if you can make it as versatile as possible. There's no telling exactly what we're dealing with until it happens," Parrik noted.
Mitarrid got to work in earnest. However, she could spare a fraction of her attention to ask, "So, Jengre, did you know when you suggested this that I could pull it off?"
"No, not for sure, but it doesn't surprise me that you can."
Some mini-cycles later, Mitarrid announced, "Done. I can give you a wave that should cripple those Horde craft, but it's very short range. You'll have to let them get uncomfortably close."
"This looks a bit hit-or-miss," Bazz noted, looking over the specs. "If they spread too far, we won't get them all, and I have a feeling we'll only get one shot."
"It looks like it would have a stronger effect without energy from the shielding getting in the way," Parrik mused. "And if we can lure them close, we have a better chance of hitting them all."
"You want to lower the energy shielding and let them in?!" Orron stared at her. "That's…"
"A dangerous move," Parrik finished. "I'm well aware. Everything about this conflict is dangerous. But this has a high chance of success, if done right. Strategically lower part of the shielding, lure them in where we choose, have that wave ready for them. That will make sure we get them all. The Strikers will be on hand to deal with any unexpected loose ends."
Orron nodded slowly. "It sounds like it should work."
"Offering them just one opening on all of Homeship is too obvious," Bazz objected. "We'll need to anticipate where they're already going, and lay our trap there. Otherwise, they could realize they're being herded. Remember, if we're right about their own penchant for deception, then they must be capable of understanding when it's used against them. For that matter, we'd best put up at least some resistance beforehand."
"Fair enough. Where, then, do we expect them to target?" Parrik asked.
Bazz considered. "Their scan was searching for biosignatures, right? They were looking for us, not our systems. They'll go where the highest population is…"
"Or the most important-looking person," Orron cut in, looking up meaningfully. "Spiass is many times anyone else's size. That had to get their attention."
"I'm sure it did," Spiass agreed. "Furthermore, Burree told them of me. While they likely understood little, they well may have taken note of what little they heard."
"So that's likely to be it. There's no direct access into the Pavilion from outside," Bazz noted. "The nearest Gate below, then, I think."
"That's right over the farms," Parrik pointed out.
"We can't help that. And we're out of time to speculate. They're nearly here."
The Striker pilots were ready to go. "Finally! Our first real battle against the Horde, on their own world." Cuuma was predictably excited.
Cuura, on the other hand, was slightly distracted. They were letting the Horde in right over the farms… Concerned, he called out to Tahaim.
Even as he made contact, though, he heard through her that Niamo, head of the farms, was ordering all Farmers evacuated until this was over. "It's all right," Tahaim assured him. "I'll be safe enough. Our biggest worry is how much of a mess there'll be to fix afterward. Stay safe yourself." That last almost as an automatic afterthought.
Cuuma was looking at him in amusement. "Whenever you can spare the attention."
"I did hear you. Yes, first battle down here, and almost surely last. They'll be done coring the planet before there's time for anything else."
"Then we'd best make this count." They and the other pilots climbed into their Strikers as word went out that the Horde craft were in visual range.
"Leave the shielding off until further notice," Bazz ordered. Mini-cycles earlier, Horde drones had appeared just long enough to open fire on the upper part of Homeship with piercing-level shots, breaking through the shielding. While it was only a small portion of it, and could be compensated for easily enough, they weren't doing so yet.
The Horde craft were right outside now, heading not for the Gate but for the outside of the Pavilion. "Are they trying to attack from out there?" Parrik asked.
"Engage top defensive blasters, force them away," Bazz ordered. He watched on the screens as the fleet of Horde craft mostly evaded them, angling downward. "Good, but not enough. Strikers, engage, and keep them away from the Pavilion itself." Flying side by side, Cuuma and Cuura led the rest of the small fleet out to take on the Horde. "Do what damage you can, and watch for anything we can learn about their current abilities and tactics. Ultimately, though, expect to let them through. And be careful. Remember that they can shoot you down!"
While Bazz's warning was acknowledged, the two didn't let it muffle their spirits. "They weren't kidding about letting them get close," Cuura commented. "They're practically in our faces already."
"Well, then, let's clear the air," Cuuma answered. They both threw themselves into the battle with a will. It had been a long time since they'd engaged in actual combat, back when they'd helped clear the way for the last Landing Day and Harvest. Back then, the local vermin had been outmatched, and they'd won fairly handily. Now, it was different. The Horde seemed to be their equal in battle, and as they'd been warned, their craft had piercing-level shots, so the energy shielding on the Strikers was no defense. They could hear several of their companions perish as the battle went on.
"Look. They have two different types of craft, and they're giving priority to the defense of one type," Cuura pointed out. "I think the other type are just here to defend them. It's those main ones we'll want to watch out for."
"Maybe eventually. They aren't acting yet. Their defenders are doing all the fighting," Cuuma answered. "They're saving themselves for a bigger target, I'd say."
"Well, let's see how many of them we can make sure never reach it."
"While the defenders do their best to stop us. Sounds like a great idea."
Within a mini-cycle or two, they'd destroyed several of the primary Horde craft. By that point, though, the craft that remained were making a definite break for the Gate. "Don't follow them inside," Parrik cautioned. "The wave is designed to only effect them, but there's no sense taking chances. For the moment, you've done your job."
"Oh, and we were having so much fun," Cuura commented quietly to Cuuma.
"Well, as they say, the best times are known to vanish without warning."
"Yes, somewhat like their craft's power is about to."
Inside, everyone watched the Horde fly over the farms. "They're angling upward, still looking for access to the Pavilion."
"Well, they won't have a chance. That's far enough. Release the wave." It was done, and the Horde craft all began falling. "It worked! Nicely done."
Bazz was still cautious. "They can't fly, but they aren't totally inoperative. They're still exchanging communications with someone. Also, I don't like those energy signatures we're getting from the primary craft. They may still have a nasty trick or two left. Send out Scanstars to find out exactly what they're carrying."
The small drones were deployed, and a report soon came back. "The Scanstars found multiple explosive devices per primary craft, capable of producing a flareblast. If we read this right, they're still capable of receiving a signal to detonate."
"They might be able to send one remotely. Can that summoned-shield block that kind of power?"
"Of course," Mitarrid assured him, "and it's versatile enough to enclose them completely."
"Do it." She did, and it was a good thing. A moment later, every one of those weapons detonated. Luckily, they were all contained.
Orron, Bazz, and Parrik watched the Horde defender craft fall into the farm fields below, as they listened to the cheers of triumph and sighs of relief from their people. "Close the shields again," Parrik ordered. "Many of those Hordelings are still alive down there," she cautioned the other two.
"I noticed. Inspectors, go in there and clean them out. Be careful," Orron ordered. While Inspectors primarily watched for tech malfunctions, they were really troubleshooters in general, and were the best choice to dispose of vermin intruders. At least, he hoped they were. The Horde were no common vermin, and they would surely have a fight on their hands.
"The signals we tracked relayed through the prison to another location," Bazz observed. "We were right: their true authority nexus is elsewhere. They are seeking to deceive us with decoys."
"It's a very small nest," Orron observed.
"I don't care," Bazz answered. "I'm not taking chances with it. Send four Mowers, each fully crewed, and destroy everything alive in that nest."
Orron considered for a moment. "Are either that nest or the prison communicating with anyplace else?"
"No, at least not at this time."
"Then there's probably nothing more to learn from their communications. The relay drones they were using are mostly in line with us, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Unleash a shockwave from here and destroy the lot of them."
"Is that really necessary?" Parrik asked.
"It can't hurt. If we can do damage to the Horde, we should. Besides, if those things are capable of any nasty surprises, I don't want to find out the hard way."
The report they received was a good one. The authority nexus, and every Hordeling in it, had been annihilated. More troublesome was the situation here on Homeship. Although a number of the Hordelings from the battle had been found and disposed of, their people had taken casualties doing it, and they were unable to confirm that all of the creatures had been found. If there were any left, they were too few to easily pick up on, and hiding themselves well.
"I don't like that," Bazz said grimly. "If some do remain, they could do unpredictable damage to us."
"Unfortunately, there's no way to tell at this time," Orron muttered. He changed the subject. "The authority nexus is gone, but what about the prison itself? It's still a war-nest. Do you think any more attacks will come from there?"
"It seems less likely, with that nexus gone, but only time will tell. I don't think we dare attack it, though. If it can hold our people, our warriors, then it can surely repel us as well, and it seems to be the greatest stronghold they've got. It's also the only structure of theirs that seems to have energy shielding. No," Bazz shook his head. "We'll watch and wait. It won't be long. We only have a sub-cycle and a half left until we breach the core of this world."