Ch. 14 - Decimation
Disclaimer - I do not own Star Ocean
Fayt! she shouted mentally
Yeah? He responded, sounding a little tired. She looked up and watched as he and Ronyx dispatched the remnants of the Executioners.
She gestured for him to return waving her hands. Mrs. Leingod and Kai soon joined her, Maria looked over and bit her lip as she saw Solenn being carried by her boyfriend.
Kai seemed to have noticed and almost dropped her, but shot her an apologetic frown instead. Two pairs of heavy feet landed next to them and walked towards the group but the pair of feet started as two and then blended into one, as Maria turned around and watched as Ronyx and Fayt fused back together.
"Solenn!" Fayt exclaimed worriedly as she ran over to Kai, who carefully transferred her over to his arms.
"Everett, beam us up!" Ryoko Leingod shot over the comm.
"Woman we still have our hands tied!"
"BEAM US UP DAMN IT!"
"F-Fine. Fittir, maneuver to point alpha 3-4, to cover the Exige, I need to beam up my daughter-in-law," he responded. "Ready in 3-2…"
The light began to swirl around their group as the transportation began, Maria's stomach did a backflip as the deletion and reformation of her body occurred. They materialized back into the transporter room of the Exige. As the last of their troupe had been beamed up, the ship was immediately rocked by cannon fire and many of them were thrown out of the transporter onto the cold metallic floor.
"Commanders!" a soldier yelled as he helped Fayt back onto his feet. "Good to see you guys back."
"Likewise," Fayt shot back. "Status report!"
"We're currently engaging what command believes to be a 4D fleet, they have a detail of Executioners as well. Alistair has beamed the Time Gate into a forward position, it hasn't fired again. It looks to be charging up again, but he's heavily guarded. We're struggling to stay alive at the moment, but Supreme General Fittir is preparing his counter strike and the Galactic Fleet is enroute, lead by Admiral Koas."
"Good, good get these people to medbay. Maria, we need to coordinate with Cliff for the counterstrike and get up to speed on what is happening planetside."
Maria nodded. "Kai get Solenn and Mrs. Leingod to Medbay."
He nodded in response, and Mrs. Leingod looked as if she was about to protest, but Fayt shot her a death stare and decided to save her sermon for later.
"General Fittir, they've breached our defensive line!"
"Damn it, have the Superiere maneuver to cover the line. Maverick, what's your status?"
"Sir, me and Eva are prepping our squad."
"Good, be careful in that suit. It'll boost your abilities, just watch the life support. They haven't fully modified the suit for space battle yet."
"Roger."
"You need to draw the Executioners away from our main cruisers. They're too mobile and their firepower is too strong, even with our symbological shielding. I need you to engage them, thin them out, have your fighter squadrons support from afar, and then drive them towards these coordinates by our gunboats, line em up and then finish them off."
"I'll do my best," he responded with a cocky grin.
"Arrogant prick," Cliff responded as the line cut.
"Sir the Exige is requesting help, they're getting pulverized, they're right at the critical forward point. Our enemy is about to overrun that sector!"
"Bring up the tactical map," Cliff gritted his teeth, the entire right flank had been compromised. "Break formation, bring the Justice Avenger to maneuver towards the Exige."
"But sir, that leaves a hole in our defensive line."
"I don't care! We're already losing this fight, we have to cover the Exige's retreat. Tell Squad Leader Maverick to hold our former position while carrying out his former orders.
"Y-Yessir."
Cliff nodded,"Sir incoming transmission from the Exige."
"Main screen!"
"Cliff!" Fayt yelled.
"Fayt, man am I glad to see you."
"Where's Alistair."
"He's hanging back by their main defensive line. He's not really doing much. But we've lost our right flank, I've sent Maverick on Executioner control."
"Gotcha ok, what's our game plan?"
"Currently I am enroute to cover the Exige's retreat. The main goal is to re-establish our defensive line, Mirage's fleet is enroute. Once our relief forces come in we'll get some more breathing room. Once the line is established, we need to minimize their gunboats and combat frigates. I'm not too worried about the battleships, we can take them head on. Then the final objective is to eliminate the primary threat, Alistair. Our tentative objectives are defending the retreat of the evac transports, I'll update you on that timeline."
"Roger. Me and Maria will suitup, we'll run the lines for you, minimize the Executioner threat. The Exige will replace the Avenger's position on the main line. But we have to establish our forward presence first, have a couple more capital ships breakoff to join in on the attack, we must secure this position."
"Roger, looks like you're calling the shots now, eh?" Cliff asked bemusedly.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it," Fayt smirked. "Leingod out," he said as the screen blanked.
"Sir, more gravitic anomlaies, enemy ships entering the battlezone, they've warped right on our left flank."
"Damn it, we have no anchor in the middle, they're gonna squeeze the life out of us."
"Eva line em up for me!"
Eva grunted in response, shouting, "Crimson Squall!" she released a flurry of four arrows towards a thick group of Executioners. As they neared the arrows burst into hundreds of tiny arrows , giving them little room to dodge. The arrows imploded on impact and through the smoke and flames Eric burst through with two blades of pure energy in either hand.
"Scintillating stream!" he cried as he stabbed, slashed and lunged at a superhuman speed. The Executioners were ripped to shreads in his wake. As he fell the last one he performed an acrobatic leap, turning up the suit's thrusters to maneuver in zero gravity and used the Executioner's body as a spring board throwing him into another drove of enemies.
He focused his symbological energies and hit the boosters and then yelled, "Mystic Cross!" as he cut through his next enemy in an 'X'. He quickly dodged as another group of Executioners locked onto him.
"Damn," he swore as he pulled into a quick barrel roll. "Gah!" he cried as a strong claw buffeted him, luckily his shielding protected him, but was stunned as a second arm reached for him. He was rooted to the spot and couldn't react.
He heard a loud shout of, "Savage Sparrows!" over his comm as five bright bursts of light homed in on his aggressors, giving him a chance to react. He leapt forward and cried "Aura Spark!" as he charged both arms with crackling energy, hacked and crashed into his enemies.
"Good one Eva," he shot over the line.
"Eric watch out!" Eva cried as she shot another energy arrow. The Executioner roared and deflected the blast, at that moment three fighter ships roared past Eva and took out the Executioner rushing Eric.
"Thanks Red Squadron," Eric replied, relieved as he let himself float in zero gravity, a momentary reprieve.
"No problem Commander Edge, just doing our job."
"Right."
"Maverick," the comm rang.
"Yessir?"
"Maverick, I need you to hold the center of the line, The Justice Avenger is maneuvering to establish a forward line."
"Sir?! My squadron is running on empty."
"Have your wings restock quick but a relief force has just warped in our left flank and they're gonna break our center if we don't do anything about it!"
"Sir, me and Eva are run down to the bone here."
"Maverick its an order, are you the man for the job or not."
"Sir, it'll be our honor," Eva responded.
"Right, I believe in you guys."
"Ass…" Eric muttered as he regained flight stability. "Red group return to the Supply Frigates real quick then form back on my wing. We are holding the center."
"Sir, did you just say hold the center?"
"We won't last long against those Executioners."
"Quit the chatter Red Two, we've got a job to do, everyone is depending on us to hold the line. This is a pivotal point in the battle. We've been on the back foot this entire time. Men this is crucial for us to go on the offensive and win this fight. It's our duty as soldiers!"
"Well said Eric," Eva replied, surprisedly.
"Y-yessir. You're right. Re-Supplying now."
"Good."
"What the hell are you guys doing!" Cliff yelled as the Justice Avenger was rocked.
"Sir they're firing another round of missiles."
"Damn it!. Pilot, Weapons officer transfer joint control to the main console," Cliff ordered as he strapped into his chair.
"Alright arm the gun turrets, arm quantum torpedoes 4-56, trajectory alpha zeta. Intercept enemy fire. Fire now!"
"Firing!" the pilot and weapons control officers yelled in response. Cliff was furiously manning the controls firing at the incoming projectiles.
"One got through!"
"Damn it switch over manual control!" Cliff yelled, he pulled hard on the quantum stabilizer. "Pilot dodge, vector q, angle 45 degrees. Ready now!" Cliff yelled as he maneuvered the ship and the pilot assisted him.
"Alright hit the boosters, bring us closer to that damn battleship!"
"Yessir!" the pilot cried in response.
The enemy battleship did not expect the hard drive, "Arm Hyperion cannons. Give em hell," Cliff yelled. The starboard cannons roared to life and tore the enemy battleship apart, catching it off guard.
"Sir direct hit!" The bridge erupted into cheers and Cliff relaxed for a second.
"Alright guys transfer power back to shields as the weapons recharge," he said as two blue blurs flashed past the bridge.
"Sir Commanders Leingod and Traydor have joined the battle."
"Good, alright, all capital ships form on the Avenger, Lambda formation, all fighter squadrons support Commander Leingod."
"Sir, Squad Leader Maverick is struggling, he is requesting reinforcements!"
"Sir one of the 4D capital ships have locked onto us!"
"Damn it, how did they sneak up on us?"
"They maneuvered as we took out that last battleship."
"Damn it, resuming shared control!" Cliff cried as he returned to his chair but was thrown out of it as the ship was rocked by a blast.
"Sir we've lost all lateral controls!"
Cliff got back on his feet, covering a cut on his forehead, blood gushing out of it, "Divert 50% of weapons control to the gravitic stabilizer and the remaining weapons power to shields, I don't want anything to get through."
"Sir, gravitic anomalies detected!"
"Goddamn it, we do not need this SHIT RIGHT NOW!" Cliff bellowed punching his Captain's Chair.
"Sir it's friend-," the pilot exclaimed but was quickly cut off.
"Looks like you could use some help huh?" a cool voice said.
"M-Mirage! Boy am I glad to see you!"
"Good to see you alive General Fittir. Status report, where do you need us."
"Currently the center of our forward line deperately needs reinforcing. The right flank took a heavy beating and they could use some reinforcements. The Avenger has been moderately disabled."
"Right, Captain Gordon take the Obelisk and maneuver to relieve the Justice Avenger."
"Enroute," Captain Gordon responded over the line.
"Wifra take the Sharkblade and relieve the right flank. The Diplo II will hold the center. I had the supply fleet and the 15th Fleet warp on the far side of the planet to be able to refresh our forward line. Captain Kenny is leading in the Thor's Hammer."
"Wow you promoted Kenny?" Cliff responded.
Mirage simply grunted in response, "How's the situation planet side?"
"They're struggling with evac."
"Ok good, I have a second wave within gravitic warp as relief to cover the retreat of the transporters."
"Phew, that's why youre on the Defense Council Mirage."
"Please Cliff, that's why you're the Supreme General, I'm not bold and reckless enough to be leading the main force."
"Haha ok,let's just compromise, we're both pretty awesome. Anyways, bridge I want the lateral controls back online we still have a battle on our hands here."
"Fayt now!" Maria cried.
"Right, Vindiction!" he cried as a huge blue symbol surrounded him, and reached about 2000 km in diameter. The blue circle began to charge and swirl with energy. "You have to match my frequency
"I know I know!" She cried as she flew over and began to fly around it like a car on a race track. As she got up to speed and she became a blue blur.
"Faster! According to my calculations you need to hit about 20,000 Hz!"
"I know the math stop pestering me!" Maria shouted as she remembered a flashback from her younger days as Mirage was trying to teach her College Level Physics.
"So resonance….resonance is the amplification of a sound wave when a force is applied at a similar frequency of the sound wave - M-Maria! Wake up!" she cried.
Almost there…..Fayt thought, just as he felt the energy was about right…."There we go. Symbological Resonance!" he cried. Maria was a bright flash circulating around him as the energies boiled up to a maxima, the diameter of the rune began to decrease in size until, the circumference of Maria's path became shorter; until she was flying rapidly around Fayt.
"Vindicationnn….BLAST!" Fayt cried as he released the energy into a condensed Aura and then shot outward like a sonic boom, a large circular, ethereal shock wave was released from the two and tore through the Executioners and 4D cruisers, snapping them like sticks.
Fayt felt his energy sap him slightly and Maria slowed down to brace him. "A-Are you ok? That one took a little bit out of me too. At least we know it works and that symbological runes do indeed posess Wave and Light characteristics."
"Y-Yeah, just gimme a sec. Ronyx is replenishing my energy."
"That should have gotten Alistair's attention." Fayt grimaced, before he could respond a figure materialized above him and tried to slash down at him and Maria. Before Fayt could react, his body split into two, Alistair's sword cutting through empty space. Ronyx swore as the sensation ocurred. Alistair didn't give Fayt a second to respond and bounded open him once more.
"Damn that was a close one!" Ronyx exclaimed as he looked down at Maria in his arms. "Are you ok?"
"Y-yeah thanks."
"No problem, you're Renna's host. I can't let you get hurt, you'd go down with her."
"Th-Thanks," she said, albeit a little confused. "We gotta help Fayt!"
"You go for Sophia, now that we've drawn Alistair away."
"Alistair, you fool, you know those 4D beings are gonna double cross you! They'll use you to destroy our world and then eliminate you once you are of no longer use to them!" he yelled as he crossed swords with the former Federation officer.
"I'd worry about yourself Leingod!" he spat as he blocked Fayt's downward slash and then quickly lunged at his abdominal section puncturing the symbological suit.
"Gah!" Fayt yelled as he grabbed his mid-section. He tasted blood in his mouth, he hadn't been majorly scathed by an opponent since fighting the 10 Wise Men.
"Oh it hurts …doesn't it Leingod, to taste your own blood!" he cried and went in for the final blow but was parried quickly by Ronyx.
"Not you again!"
"Oh yeah, its me!" Ronyx yelled as he broke the deadlock, feinted to his left and then nicked Alistair's shoulder. Ronyx took advantage of his momentum and grabbed his sword with two hands and drove the blade upward, as if to take off his head.
Alistair yelped in surprise and had to dodge at the last moment…but he was too slow, Ronyx's blade made contact with his wrist, and then followed through like slicing through butter.
"ARGHHHHHHHHH" Alistair yelled and grabbed his hand.
"Not so tough now," Ronyx smirked.
"Y-You fool! You know not of my power or the power of the 4D Beings."
"No, it's you who don't know what you are dealing with. They aren't what they actually claim to be."
"W-What are you talking about…" Alistair asked.
Ronyx was about to open his mouth again as two bright lights flashed before them. Cubes of matter began to form which eventually took shape and became a person. He was wearing skin tight combat armor suit and had red hair and brown eyes. He looked like a rambunctious guy with a fiery temper.
"A-Aegis….."
"You're taking too long, finish the job now, I'll distract him!"
"Oh no you don't!" Ronyx yelled but was beat back by a vicious kick from the one called Aegis.
"Not so fast."
Fayt steadied himself but the wound was too deep, but Alistair was similarly disabled. Alistair had abandoned his weapon and removed some sort of syringe instead. It levitated menacingly in his hand as Fayt held his sword cautiously in front of him.
Alistair grimaced as the syringe suddenly multiplied into 20, most likely projections, and then fired them simultaneously at him. Fayt frantically dodged, parried and then released an aura of energy from his body to disintegrate them but then he suddenly felt a needle inject into his left leg. "W-Wha, how!"
"I threw it in wake of the last one…I'm not going to kill you Leingod, you shall suffer a worse Fayt…." he responded. His smug grim had been wiped and then turned away and looked over at Aegis. "Aegis let's go!"
"Roger, we'll have to play later, although you may not be long for this world," he smirked as he jumped backwards from Ronyx rejoining Alistair. "Hey it's me, teleport us back to the Lost City," he said into his comm.
"W-What?" Ronyx asked confusedly as the two vanished, their bodies condensed into small cubes and then disappearing, off into 4D space. "Fayt!" he yelled as he flew over to his doppleganger who was floating in space writhing in pain.
"Ahhhhhhh!" he yelled. "M-my arms they're burning I, I can't feel anything. I, I, R-Ronyx…you're disappearing."
"I…what?" Ronyx yelped as his body was disintegrating into thin space.
Fayt was freaking out, his body was going numb, but even worse…he couldn't feel his symbological energy…the suit was powered by his energy….it would soon run out and then…
"R-Ronyx what's happenning!"
"I don't-, "he said but was cut off as he vanished into thin air.
"Leingod to Avenger!" No response…. "Someone, anyone, please! Leingod down. Leingod d-down…." he said as his voice trailed off, the symbological suit was powering down.
I've got to live….Fayt thought as he closed his eyes and attempted to access his energy, but as he did the pain shot through his arms and legs. "G-Gahhh!" he yelled then he attempted to tap into his mind and then retreated into one of the darkest nether regions to slow his breathing until….he reached an induced comatose state…he would have to be revived…but at least he would live.
"L-Leingod down, s-someone please help!" Maria heard across her comm.
Fayt down? T-There's no way she thought as she tapped Sophia to come to. Sophia slowly stirred, she awoke, in Maria's arms, she glanced around, and then remembered she was in deep space and covered her mouth…as if it would help.
"Sophia relax! I threw up a ward!" she said as she pointed at the blue bubble surrounding the pair.
"Maria we've got to stop the Time Gate, Alistair rigged it to…" she was cut off as a loud and thick blast of energy, a green laser beam emanated from within the Time Gate and shot towards Elicoor, decimating every shift in its wake. The blast tore through Elicoor's atmosphere.
Parts of the fleet on the far side of the planet witnessed the exit blast as it tore through the other side of the planet.
"D-Did that just tear through the planet…" Sophia asked.
"I-I think it did. Traydor to Diplo II. Did you see that?"
"L-Leingod down. Leingod down." The dashboard on the Diplo II rang.
"Madam Koas! C-Commander Leingod is down!"
"What that's impossible-,"
"M'am…enemy blast…Magnitude….50….coming towards us."
"F-Fifty, what, Evade!"
"It's too late!" the pilot yelled as the ship was violently rocked and was sent spinning like a top as the blast coursed towards the planet."
"L-Leingod down!"
"S-sir. Commander Leingod is requesting assistance…he's down…."
"W-What that's impossible!" Cliff yelled. "Bring him up on the long range scanners."
The main screen beeped as it zoomed on a tiny dot in the distance. Fayt hung motionless in space as the battle raged on around him.
"His suit's powered down…" Cliff mutered as he looked at the data screen, monitoring all the symbological suits in use: Maria's, Eric's….and now Fayt's disabled one. "But that means….he can't channel his symbological energy….I-Impossible….he just released that shockwave a couple minutes ago. Hangar control, prepare me a shuttle!"
"S-sir?"
"We have to rescue Commander Leingod, immediately! Helmsman, you've got the bridge."
"Y-yessir, be careful sir!"
R&R - UC