Chapter 11 – 23:30
Shizuru sat uncomfortably in the co-pilot's seat. Unlike the shuttle, the seats were small and the areas was cramp because of its planar space travel capabilities. Not that Shizuru mind, but the closeness to the pilot makes her mind start to remember the incident happen 5 days ago. How she wish to forget that incident. Or should she think that as curse incident. Maybe a nightmare. Because after that event she had a disturbing blissful dream..or nightmare every single night.
It such a torturing curse as she tried to hold herself not to go to the princess's room and release all her grunge for causing her suffering. Shizuru sighed gently next to one and only cause of her nightmare in her co-pilot seat. Natsuki sat with a frown in her pilot's seat and stared at the planar space diagram. The only thing in this isolated universe, outside of a few particles of space dust, is the communication ship. The engine room was immediately behind the cockpit of the communications ship, along with a wash station and a small room for sleeping. That was the only habitable space in this entire space and she had to spend such space with the pilot the whole journey. Talk about cruel. The Hime sure is cruel. The only thing I want to avoid is being kill by the only person with me in this empty space because I dare to glomp her, for being such a pervert noble. Maybe after this, my territories will scatter into dust bombarded by the Princess of the Empire. Kami-sama, please kill me. Shizuru rant in her mind. Another sigh escape from her lips.
We're the only people in this universe….
But, half of the sentinent creatures in this universe was deeply depressed. The other half was hardly able to control her libido trying to fill the universe with a slightly more reasonable atmosphere.
"Umm..Natsuki." Shizuru tried conversation.
Natsuki raised her head, it was hard to read from her expression exactly what she was thinking.
"You're the grand daughter of the current Empress, right? Since I'm be meeting her soon, what was she like?"
"Hmm.." She scrunch her eyebrow together. "I seldom go to the throne room. But, if I want to describe her in one word, I would say, Prideful"
Pride. For an arrogant and reckless Hime society, the word 'pride' carved a very high praise and effectionate in their heart. As some parent may praise their child of their pride, as friends praise one another and the lover praise their counterpart. In some way, the word pride are very expensive that people would die to gain, especially from their love one.
"Shizuru…."
"What?"
"T-thanks" a slight tinge of blush appear on Natsuki cheek. It look cute on her.
"Hmm? About what?" Shizuru had a smile on her face.
"Baka…." Said shyly a whisper. "ehemm..you're being considerate. It's hardly effective, but I..I'm gr..grateful for your consideration."
"Ara. I'm just merely want to break the silence. I feel bored here in the co-pilot's seat. Otherwise, Natsuki can think of some interesting..hmmm…activity that we both can enjoy. I wouldn't mind." Shizuru relaxed even has she has a pervert face staring at Natsuki.
"Yahhh! Yahh! Don't you dare think about anything stupid. You woman!"
"Ara..ara..whatever my cute princess though? I'm just thinking something like videogames, or a movies. Furthermore, you look quite angry before." Shizuru smile slightly.
Natsuki stared at the screen once more. "angry. That I was completely useless when I was needed the most."
"That's horrible." Shizuru said quietly.
"What?" the princess stared at her curiously.
"You are being of use to me. You're the only person I can rely on right now. Or is my little life not enough to satisfy your noble sense of duty?"
"….you're right. You shall forgive me."
"I'm sure that ship is fine." Shizuru said with no basis.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Shizuru said, half trying to convince herself.
At Volash cruiser, the tense bridge was already operating with all assigned crew member.
"Communications ship space time bubble separating."
Hecto-commander nodded silently in response to the report by her second in command. The last time the Empire displayed their invincibility was 50 years ago during The Demon Campaign when Empress Inoue Kruger fought as the Crown Princess and high commander of the Imperial Star Forces. The invasion of the Kiyo System just a little aftermath event after that big war. The Deca-commanders from all fleets were scatter over the galaxies to expand the Hime Empire. At the event, Deca-commander Alyssa Searrs was only just been promoted to the rank after the battles and still a fresh graduate from the university. If the invasion of the Kiyo System disregard insignificant event, the long war of Demon Campaign felt like a thing of the past to even the long live Hime. Of course, no one on the Volash has any real combat experience except the Captain, which of course the survivor of the Demon Campaign.
Second in command had recovered more of her calmness than anyone else.
"Captain, both girls had left." Second in command said to the captain.
"I just hope nothing happens to them." Saeko tapped at her armrest as she watched the small blue dot move further and further away.
"I hope so too." Second in command said happily. "They both had a strange upbringings, so they may become rather interesting people when they grow up. Though they are plenty interesting already."
"Yes." Saeko mumbled.
The princess who grow up in the royal family, the source of all that is Hime, and entered the trainee program at the age of 13, was a stereotypical Hime. On the other hand, the successor to the count cannot let go of her grounder ways, she was a peculiar Imperial noble. They contrast each other so much.
"I hope they influence each other for the better." Second in command added.
"Oh, Chief of staff." Saeko turned back towards her second in command in surprise. "You say things that I expect to hear from a teacher. Do you wish to get transferred to the trainee program?"
"Not at all, captain." Second in command shook her head. "I'm not the type of person who can be held responsibilities for a youngster's education. I feel much more comfortable on the front line. Especially now the war starting."
"Don't say so just for my regard. I won't think of it as running away." Saeko smile and turned her gaze back to the front. "Chief of staff, what do you think of the Successor to the Count?"
"She's a nice young woman. She probably silently question herself about everything she does, about whether it's what a Hime would do. I like her eyes a great deal."
"I like her too." Saeko laugh as she recalled memories about Shizuru.
The second in command smile fondly at the memories they spend together with the Flyer Trainee and the young noble. "It would be a good experience for Her Highness to interact with Her Grace."
"Yes. Making those two meet each other may be the greatest accomplishment I have ever done.. but that's only if the two of them make it to the capitol safely."
"You must be very worried." The second in command said teasingly.
"Is it strange to be worried?" Saeko's gaze challenged her second in command.
"Well, to tell you the truth, we are the ones facing the greater danger. Is it not why you sent those two away?, "
"You're right. I need to carry out my duties toward my subordinates right now."
19:37
"Captain" Forward Flyer reported. "we have entered communications range with the unknown space-time bubble."
"Name ourselves, and ask them who they are." Saeko ordered.
"Understood." An inter bubble transmission was sent from the cruiser Volash. A responded returned after a long awkward moment.
"This is….." The forward flyer focused on her spatial sense on the pattern that appeared on the inner surface of the space time bubble. "This is not a transmission, it's a challenge to fight!"
"It decided then." Saeko muttered the slight hope that they were friendly ships operating under orders she was unaware of disappeared. But somehow she felt relieved for it. The ten space time bubbles approached as they screamed out their bloodthirsty message.
20:30
"It's time captain." Second in command told her.
"Okay." Saeko announced to all crewmembers at all stations. "To the crew, this is your captain. The unidentified space time bubble has clearly declared that they are the enemy. We are switching to red alert now. All crew are to go to combat stations." Simultaneously, an alarm began to sound throughout the ship.
"All crew at combat attention." Second in command reported. She had been monitoring the ship wide crew stations displayed.
"Prepare for torpedo." The captain said without pause "fuel torpedoes seven through ten with propellant." Saeko sighed, "Its unfortunate we have waste six of our torpedoes during last mock battle."
"Torpedoes fuel with propellant." Wing flyer repeated the report from the propellant engineer.
"Launch torpedoes, have them await further orders within our space time bubble." The four torpedoes shot out and began circling the ship.
21:13
"Enemy space time bubble entering the range of our torpedoes." The Line Navigator reported.
Saeko stood up from her seat, and pulled the control rod out of her belt. "Okay, my beloved crew, let's begin. You must be tired of waiting by now. Begin combat!"
"All torpedoes, generated space time bubble. Target 7 to 3, 8 to 1, 9 to 6, 10 to 7. Fire torpedoes" Saeko ordered. It would be best to send two torpedoes into each space time bubble, but that was a luxury they could not afford.
"Understood. Torpedoes separating!" The reliable vibrations of propellant torpedoes meeting its targets spread through ship. Four red dots disappeared from the maps leaving only 6 are recorded as being the first casualties of this long war. The remaining red dots had completely surrounded the blue dot, the cruiser Volash. They circle around the Volash, closing in on it like a prey.
"Looks likes their formation is right out of the book." Saeko was impresed. She could tell that they were quite disciplined.
"Prepared for normal space combat. Activate main engine." Saeko switched her headpiece to external sensors. "Understood, activating main engines." The wing flyer repeated.
"Arms division, prepare the rail guns."
Forward flyer put her control glove on. "Rail guns prepare to launch, captain."
"Space time merging. Location…"
The captain already detected one portion of the space time bubble penetrate trough Volash space time bubble.
"Turn about! Forty degrees. Front toward the merging point!" Saeko pointed the control rod towards the merging point. The direction the control rod pointed in was detected by the sensors in the bridge. Forward flyer move the ship according to the direction.
"Fire without waiting orders as soon as we've merged!" Saeko shouted giving attention to Forward flyer.
" Understood!" Forward flyer sound nervous.
"All crew brace for the firing of the rail guns!" the Second in command announced to the crew.
There was no time for countdown. The rail guns fired just as enemy ship invaded the Volash space time bubble. The main weapon of the cruiser is the rail guns. There are four on the front of the ship and two at the back. The four on the front shot out nuclear fusion. Another volley followed. Even the gravity control system could not handle the large repercussion, and any crew that did not brace for impact was trown on the ground.
Another shot of nuclear fusion shot from the front rail gun toward the enemy ship, avoiding the barrage of defensive fire by the enemy ship. After finishing their directional control thrusts, it used up all of its remaining fuel to accelerate towards the enemy ship.
The enemy ship fired its nuclear fusion too. But since most of the nuclear fusion stream hit Volash head on, it bounced off the defensive magnetic field of Volash immediately.
Five locations in their sapce time bubble were already showing the signs of space time merging.
"Bring the head about!" Saeko pointed to the merging point with the second enemy spacetime bubble. The nose of the ship turned toward it. A shot sent right before the enemy ship merge with the Volash.
They turned toward next target without even confirming the enemy's destruction. They were about to space time merging right behind the warship.
"Bring the tail about to!" Saeko pointed the control rod over her shoulder.
Enemy space time bubble number five had completely merged on the cruiser's flank. Neither the head nor the tail would make it in time.
"Shoot it down with point cannon!" she threw her arm and control rod toward the flank. The point cannon fire the laser fire and anti-proton streams. But the stream of anti-protons that the enemy shot clustered together and flew toward Volash. Though then defensive magnetic field slowed it down, the shot still impacted Volash. It passed through the outer hull instantly and boiled the water that stored just inside. The boiling water detonated another part of the outer hull and on of the attitude control thrusters. The A.I of the Volash detected the damage and the ship mobility's hurt.
The space time bubble, disturbed by numerous merging points, twisted and distorted. The battle continue within the writhing universe….
21:32
Almost half of the point cannons were now damage.
"Laser cannon number three heavily damages!" "Number three forward thruster down."
"Main engine output has….."
Bad news flowed constantly from all of sections on the ship. Saeko closed her eyes and focus her spatial sense. The space around them was littered with debris. There may even be people among the debris. But even so, they could not save them. Any shuttle they released would no doubt be shot down. That and…..their uniform were too thin to protect them from the raging radiation.
Of course this universe had no chance of creating life. All there is is death. The hatred wandered through the universe danced with each other, creating more death.
The two enemy ship buzzed around quickly like bees, but the cruiser's movement were painfully slow. Of course the point cannon were raining fire upon them. One of the enemy ship was about to enter the range of the rear rail guns, chased by the point cannon.
"Tail towards there!" Saeko shouted for the attention for the forward flyer. Three shot fired seeking vengence. The strong reaction shook the cruiser's gaint mass. An explosive formed behind them.
One more!
The captain thought must have been what the entire crew thinking.
The last ship fired its anti-proton cannons from the flank.
That last shot was fatal. "Magnetic defense field is gone…." Wing flyer reported with gasp.
A feeling of doom hung in the air.
"Don't give up my beloved crew!" Saeko shouted. "We're going to beat that out of our universe! Turn the head about!"
Volash slowly began moving the head about. It moved as if begging for a chance to rest after all its hard work.
"Point cannon concentrate fire to the right of enemy, force it to move towards the head of our ship."
But the enemy ship flew toward them all the while, and continue firing its anti-proton cannon much stronger than before due to lack of magnetic field, rain upon the cruiser. The point cannon carved out of the enemy spaceship armors, but it failed to slow them down.
Finally, one anti-proton stream penetrated the Volash outer hull, cut through the inside like butter, and punctured the propellant fuel tanks. The magnetic cage was penetrated, and the escaping explosion assaulted the material constructing the ship.
23:27
The cruiser Volash was destroyed...