SIS now found itself under increasing ire. With the information from both Vyara and Eclas, Narr had a seed of doubt planted in him on the intentions of Director 'Saurom. Though, SIS was a necessary evil, for the time being forcing him to work with the Irken would suffice. Buros and his teammates would be working with the Shadow Strikers, adding the power of five augmented Vortians to the team, as well as a stealth corvette to accompany their cruiser and expand their capabilities. Both Vyara and Oxaris were also quite glad to hear of the survival of Bilar from Vort; a family of their own survived, and not just anyone but their father at that.
The carefully laid plans had come to a screeching halt. The offensive on Jakri remained a stalemate, the Planet Jackers refused to take the offered world, instead dealing a crippling shot to the Empire by taking the conveyor belt planet. Logistics outside of the military had to be thought up once more, much to everyone's annoyance. The official announcement went out that Operation Impending Doom II was suspended. Forces from planned offensives were shifted to defend worlds closest to the Planet Jackers.
All the while, Hunat, Koreenk, and the Barren Queen were able to raise chaos in supply attacks, even taking over Imperial listening posts. Some minor expansion into neighboring systems while the Empire was distracted proved to be enough trouble to warrant direct attention from Irk. Such small gains could not last forever.
Despite what could pass for positive progress bordering on morale victory, Tallest Grimm and Warmaster Xilch remained unphased by the drawbacks. The recently-promoted High Marshal of Internal Affairs settled into her role as the Empire's foremost commander of forces with brutal efficiency and frightening success. The systems surrounding Orenk and the extent of the rebel expansion soon found themselves under Imperial blockade. Blockade runners could bring in limited supplies, but every jump route into their territory was heavily guarded and always a gamble. Attrition through losses of these small and fast ships still cost the rebellion as ships were seized or destroyed faster than Orenkian clan shipyards could replenish them.
Each victory was short-lived as more vessels and their crews fell prey to Imperial patrols. Those captured alive were given no quarter and mercy not found. Examples to be made of those who dared to stand against the Empire, doubly so for those who betrayed their own people and chose to stand with their lessers. The movement only had so much blood to let at its disposal and each loss another cut closer to death by a thousand.
On Orenis, Corr and the others were kept under effective house arrest in a hotel in the capital city of New Viklas. Calla herself was constantly in and out under escort, speaking to various members of the government of the Republic. The others had free roam about the hotel building but weren't allowed to go further than the benches at the front door or the roof to have a smoke if they were so inclined. One of those days, Corr found himself summoned to the president's building.
The president's office was done up in a classical Irken style, reminiscent of a bygone era with decorative pillars, plush carpeting, and a functional fireplace. The desks and bookshelves made of wood, the chairs wooden with leather padding, truly a style of an older vintage but still popular among some on Orenis. Sitting behind the desk was a red eyed man, in the other chairs around was another man with silver eyes not unlike the team's own sniper, an elderly blue eyed woman, and Calla.
"Back again for another throwing of yourselves against the wall?" The Speaker of the Commons pointedly spoke, irritable with the whole situation. "There's a reason why we left in the first place all those years ago. We owe you and Irk nothing, especially not blood to be spilled on your behalfs."
The unwilling living legend rubbed her temples in exasperation with patience tested.
"For the upteenth time, Mister Speaker, I am not asking for the Orenians to, as you bluntly put it, "die for us". We, your people-"
"My people call Orenis home, Miss Calla. Generations of my family were born and raised here. Irk and the walking automatons masquerading as what was once Irken are not my people."
The azure-eyed woman's withered face tightened with a scoff.
"Really now, Enod? They look green as we are. At least they had the courage to stand and fight."
"Right, because I am going to take strategic advice affecting billions against a technologically-superior adversary from the Minister of Interior Decoration."
"Ikvedo muro, volo." She spat back at him with contempt, forcing Calla to hide a bemused smirk and regain her composure.
"Enod, the Interior Minister is much older than you. I swear, the young bloods would never understand that this day would eventually come, one way or another." Fehr, the red-eyed president of the Republic spoke with a seriousness rather uncommon of him. "You say we don't owe them anything. You're right, we left because of what was going on back home. The problem is that we're not talking about fighting for Irk, we're talking about our very survival."
"Of course, Mister President…" Enod begrudgingly sighed, maintaining bearing despite being personally insulted by the notoriously iron-willed Minister acousting him. "Understanding of their plight as we are, we have to face facts. Orenis is woefully unprepared to face the Empire through conventional means and they've come seeking conventional aid. They don't want allies, they want fodder!"
The Interior Minister's blue eyes rolled. She bit her tongue, for now. Insulting the man wasn't going to do her any favors in the long-term. Calla held no such qualms as she looked at him incredulously.
"Are you so completely and utterly convinced there isn't a soldier among your ranks that wants to retake their birthright from the menace that forced them into exile generations before they were born? Surely that has to mean something to you, doesn't it?"
"Some of us have forgotten our heritage through the centuries and our own nationalistic squabbles." The Interior Minister piled on with implication. "I am not saying full mobilization and leave ourselves defenseless, but we cannot stand idle. Not now. Not this time."
"Then what of those who have absolutely no concept who are willing to die for what you believe in?" Corr had been standing in the doorway with the president's bodyguards nearby before moving towards an empty chair. "The freedoms we read about, what we had as a species before corruption took place on Irk and Krad came to suppress Devos, along with others like him on the other colonies, we want them. What of the sacrifices of your forebears that tried to preserve it? What of her sacrifice?" Corr gestured towards his impending official mate. "Doesn't that mean a damn thing to you?"
Enod shot Corr a confused look, "You clearly rescued her from whatever cryogenic stasis they had her in, but she's still standing here before us to tell us the tale."
Calla, already at wit's end with their obstinance, slammed her fist down on the table with enough force to rattle nearby glasses and items.
"I fucking DIED for HIM to bury his head so far up his own c'hurta to ignore the truth around you all!" She exclaimed, orange eyes like glowering embers with a finger thrust at Enod being the prime source of blocking. "The only reason I'm here now is because of this metal tumor on my back! My body was disposed of like countless others and I was doomed to an eternal silence if it weren't for the likes of Corr and the others finding me at Processing Center Zero-Seven on Devos!"
She glared hard at Enod.
"...and I'd do it a thousand times over again to make sure people like Tann and the others made it to thrive here…even the likes of you."
"I knew the vids and stories could never do you justice, dear. I like you." The Interior Minister smiled. "Mother spoke highly of you…and Miss Calla is right, Mister President."
"You're biased, Myra…"
"And you're a damned fool, Enod. What else is new?"
"Enough. Both of you." Fehr intervened as tensions grew. "...I'm sure there are brave souls willing to rise to the occasion and set things right but Mister Speaker does have a valid point. If what you tell us is true about what has become of the Empire, we would be slaughtered wholesale standing against them. This…Vortian Federation has seen their homeworld reduced to ruin-"
"And they still fight!" Calla interrupted, impassioned. "Millennia of history, culture, and entire lineages gone! They still fight!" She huffed, forcing herself to relax with a sigh. "...I watched General Krad systematically destroy all Devos stood for and was ultimately powerless to stop it in the end…I refuse to live through that same experience again and watch the successors of my family and friends endure it again."
"We managed to find you," Corr added as he finally took a seat watching the Speaker effectively squirm. "How long would it have been before the Empire came? The Control Brains desired complete control over the universe and would stop at nothing to see every star system fall to their rule."
"Fehr."
"Myra?"
"Before Enod politically postures and states our countermeasures and anti-detection systems are infallible, you and I both know this was inevitable. Most hoped it would happen far later, but an eventuality nevertheless." The Interior Minister concluded, looking to their elected leader. "...ultimately, we are at an impasse. Either we make our choice now or it will be made for us against our will when the Empire finds us en masse."
"Tann clearly believed Calla had a chance ages ago when it was Krad and your young spacefaring Republic that she could end the man's reign of terror. Now? You'll have ten thousand divisions and a fleet of five hundred ships of varying sizes crashing down upon your heads." Corr laid flat the gravity of the Empire's might, "We have a strong and growing coalition, the Federation is still strong despite losing their homeworld and a few small colonies. They also say that the best defense is a strong offense."
A man in a Republican Army uniform entered the room as Corr made his explanation, the man bore a striking resemblance to his own commanding officer; perhaps distant ancestors of Vult that managed to survive? He took an empty seat, looking over Corr after hearing out the man's explanation.
"We're at mass drivers, Captain." The insignia clearly hadn't changed much that he was able to recognize it. "Your man Skrem explained your plasma weapons to us. That it's on your frigate and your small arms. We don't have anything to defend against that."
"Our allies can offer a solution for armor and weapons. Don't sell yourselves short, Marshal, mass drivers are still just as dangerous in well trained hands. Two Vortians with suppressed mass drivers brought havoc into the very heart of the Empire only some years ago."
"And your ships?"
"Plasma weapons are the norm, our ships are geared towards that. Nobody really uses ship mounted MACs anymore between us and the Federation. With what the Devos is packing? You could probably even take on some Imperial battleships after we retrofit some shielding in."
"Nobody is fighting alone against the Empire. Not this time." Calla added. "We have allies capable of retrofitting your fleet. Capable of building entire fleets. There is a reason the Federation colony of Krata still remains uncontested. It would take the combined naval might of the Empire to take the system. The fact people like myself and Corr found you and others like us are willing to take a stand means the time has come. Quite literally now or never if the Grand Design is to be destroyed and no longer will we be displaced or in servitude to our own creations. Either we collectively rise up now and take back what is ours or it will be forever lost."
"Excellent propaganda for the hearts and minds. Soldiers win battles, logistics win wars, Miss Calla. We are at a deficit in both manpower and resources." Enod remained unmoved, looking to the Marshal across the table. "He'll be the first to tell you that-"
"This isn't a budget to be balanced or a spreadsheet to be managed." She countered soundly, gesturing to herself. "Myself and a handful of highly-motivated, committed men and women willing to do ugly, terrible things nearly stopped the Grand Design in its infancy. The full might of the Empire was required to occupy my home and systematically destroy all resistance…all for a group of miners, farmers, and a few soldiers unwilling to comply with madness…imagine what an entire planet's worth of such people could accomplish."
"Mister Speaker, if my parents were in the room…with all due respect, they'd be the first to deck you and calling you a coward." The Marshal answered, serious as could be, "My mother was part of the militia on Devos, commanded the group at Zirkasia. Pretty sure she's buried in some ditch or among the skeletons I've seen in the videos Corr gave us. My father? He served under Krad, a careerist, only ever wanting to be a soldier. He resigned in disgust at what the Republic was turning into and went to head up security for the colony ship, and bought me with him."
"Plar was a good man, best as they came," Fehr fondly added, nodding.
"And he'd appreciate that coming from you, Mister President. I'm willing to go lead the forces against the Empire myself if it comes to it. Vem died for her freedom, I'm willing to put my life on the line against the same foes she fought against."
"...much as it pains me to say, Enod does have a point as far as public perception goes. War is a difficult sell, especially to a largely peaceful, prosperous people who left one nightmare in the past and are unwilling to embrace another." Myra admitted with reluctance. "Ignorance is bliss and today's youth did not live through the Grand Design. The impact and motivation to remain hidden no longer carries the same weight. How do you convince them to fight their forefathers' war half a universe away?"
"Just as you said…either you make that decision now and meet them mid-field or they will be kicking those doors in and gunning all of you down where you sit in a matter of measurable time. Would you prefer your chances with allies at your side or turning Onreis into your mass grave and the universe's newest asteroid field?"
"The Massive will destroy your world, it has planet destroying weapons." Corr began before an officer was let into the room, presenting a message to the Marshal. The man immediately rose to his feet.
"Excuse me, we have issues."
"What is it?" Fehr asked, clearly concerned.
"A second Imperial vessel just jumped into the system."
"The Zaad," Corr sighed.
"That the one you warned us about that was tracking you before?"
"It is, let us help," Corr offered, looking at Fehr. "We're willing to do what we can to help you fight them off and make sure they don't get a message out. Our frigate and our fighter are at your disposal, as well as us."
"Absolutely not." Enod derisively huffed. "Per the Tann Protoc-"
Calla, already rising from her seat with purpose, pushed her chair in quickly.
"Take your protocol and shove it up your c'hurta, you pompous, self-gratifying coward. Corr?"
Myra did her best to hide her smug smirk of satisfaction at her fellow statesman being ridiculed. "What is it that you lot intend to do?"
"Ultimately? Prevent them from leaving this system intact and notifying the Empire of its location." She explained, gesturing for the Captain to follow forthwith. "Immediately? Stop your navy from getting obliterated before firing the first shot."
"A few of our destroyer escorts are already moving to engage. Devos is primed to join in." The Marshal noted.
"You're going to need our firepower and our shields up there. You're woefully outmatched. Even your lone heavy cruiser is incredibly vulnerable, even if it's the one ship you have that can do serious damage." Corr added, noting the Mashal's quick thinking before the man nodded.
"Very well, we'll provide you a crew, have your pilot meet us at your impounded ship, and you'll join the fight. This is indeed a case of damn the protocol. Our survival's far more important."
"All of us may live to see a brighter future for our people yet." Calla commented as Corr joined her, destined for the door.
Despite the lack of wireless communication capability by design, word traveled fast. Something Oneris was not lacking in was hardline infrastructure. High-speed transmission lines made coordinating a response to the newly-arrived Empire vessel possible. However, it's greatest advantage was also its weakness. Messengers and non-verbal signaling were required to coordinate with the navy. However brief a delay gave the Zaad that much more time to gather intelligence in preparation to send back to the Empire.
Orders were relayed and vessels mobilized, the Renown and her crew among them, quickly made for the last charted position of their persistent adversary.
"So, uh…Captain?" Rem began, glancing over her shoulder at Corr. "I take it these guys have a plan to deal with this or are they expecting us to fix it? Our main guns can't pierce their hull and all I see out there is a floating museum display. Surely they have some sort of super doomsday weapon or something down there. I mean, c'mon, they're Irken, right?"
Chavsa found the locals fitting her fighter with a number of anti-ship missiles. "They fit the mounting points but I doubt I even have the software to interface with those things. May as well be a fire and forget weapon. Better than nothing." She made her way over to the fighter, climbing in, and running through startup as Corr continued with Rem and the others.
"Unfortunately, it's going to be mostly up to us." The pilot continued her prognosis of their situation, "The biggest piece of hardware they got is their old MAC armed heavy cruiser. Navy-wise, they don't have a whole lot going for them. They said they're sending up some of their destroyer escorts, but they're just going to get shredded by an Imperial destroyer, probably worse than we would. Focus on the engines, keep them from leaving the system, that's the most important thing. So long as they can't transmit this location to the others, all the better."
At least this time, Rem wouldn't be running on a skeleton crew. A number of the Republic's sailors were ready and willing to take up various positions on the ship. More hands with some guidance would be all the more helpful.
"I can run interference but they're not stupid." The pilot pointed out as Chavsa continued to make ready from her cockpit. "They know who's a threat and who isn't here…but we can't be the bait and the knockout blow at the same time. These guys are going to have to do something to distract them long enough for an opening…"
Calla picked up on Rem's hesitation.
"We don't have any other choice. I wish there was another way and at the risk of sounding cold, they need the wake-up call. Advanced or not, a lone ship doesn't fare well when vastly outnumbered. Death by a thousand cuts and all that."
"That doesn't make it settle any better…but you're right." She sighed, turning her attention back to Chavsa. "...I'm going back to the helm, let me know when you're ready. Time to lose our shadow once and for all, yeah?"
"Damn straight. Hope these guys have their gunnery up to snuff or this is going to fucking suck."
Corr and the others made their way over to the Renown, one of the Republican Irken, a senior naval NCO, meeting them at the boarding ramp.
"Captain, we're here and at your command. The Marshal said you're helping us defend our home, so anything we can do, just tell us."
"Very good. Battle stations, Slic will direct you all where to go. Follow our lead, and we'll get through this."
"Yes, sir." The NCO turned to the others assembled, "You heard him, general quarters! Battle stations!"
"Hey, hey, hey, no, uh-uh," Rem quickly ushered, pressing forward to the Republic ensign occupying the helm. "My helm, my ship, beat it."
"Si-"
"Beat it or I beat you, move."
"...yes, ma'am."
"That's better." She nodded, patiently waiting for him to vacate before settling back in. "You guys not have etiquette around here? You don't just pilot another helmsman's ship! You moved my seat! Unbelievable!"
"Rem," Corr quickly interjected, pausing to take a breath, "don't turn down the help, let's use the extra hands where we can use them."
"Of course, Sir, he can use his extra hands somewhere else other than my seat. Considering what we're up against, you want me in this chair right now." She responded, shifting and securing herself as she took control of the vessel. "Standing by and awaiting orders."
The man previously occupying her chair made his way over to a console after a subtle nudge of Corr's head towards the station with sensor displays.
"All set to go." Chavsa came through over the radio.
"All right, take us up. Let's go deal with these idiots."
Up above, the heavy cruiser Devos was moving into an attack position. Several of the newer built destroyer escorts moved far ahead to engage the destroyer. Smaller cannons fired at off angles, at best only gouging the armor plating but otherwise only ricocheting off the more advanced warship. A pair of them managed to land nose on shots with their main gun, at best only achieving partial penetrations of the armor.
The Zaad immediately targeted one of the offending cruisers with its own main armament. The destroyer escort quickly found itself practically melted in the wake of the laser. Before any of the crew could make it to escape pods, secondary explosions ravaged the hull. There was absolutely no hope for the crew aboard.
"Good news, meatbags," Slic spoke over a speaker on the bridge. "While I was in my own confinement, I was able to ascertain that their signal jammers aren't working against short range, tight beam communications. We'll be able to communicate with our fighter jock, so long as she's within line of sight."
"Well that's some good news."
"Yes," Corr nodded, "get out into the black, Magnet. We're already taking losses out here."
"You got it."
The full complement aboard the Renown watched in horror as one of their own vessels was effortlessly removed from the proverbial board. A cutting-edge warship full of their bravest reduced to molten slag in the blink of an eye, glowering angrily as it belched and jettisoned debris with each secondary setting off.
"Recommend these guys don't get any closer than that or they'll be sliced to ribbons, Captain." Rem observed, maintaining bearing in hope to keep morale steady. "Chavsa and I will screen, let them plink away at-range."
"Yes. Slic-"
"Already relaying it," Slic manipulated various lights aboard the Renown, signaling to Devos and the other vessels to keep their distance. Chavsa herself went straight to full throttle once out of the hangar. The destroyer escorts, seeing the signal from Renown quickly turned to put distance between them and Zaad, the ships exchanging fire from their secondary guns all the while. Furrows bored into the hulls of the Republican vessels as they fled as even smaller plasma weapons had extremely detrimental effects on their hulls.
Chavsa fired her main cannon at the destroyer, trying to get their attention, firing one of the missiles from a wing mounted hardpoint. The missile automatically locked itself on and began tracking the Zaad. Even without input from the fighter, the missile had its own native guidance system if input wasn't present from computers on a fighter it was mounted on. A missile was still a missile, forcing the destroyer to dodge and giving their newfound allies some breathing room.
The opening created saw a fusillade of main armaments unleashing a salvo of high-velocity slugs at-range from the Republic vessels. Bright, white-hot lances covering many thousands of kilometers in a matter of seconds seeking to ruin someone's day. Whether that day was the Zaad's or some unfortunate soul far, far away in the distant future was yet to be determined.
In the same maneuver, Rem threw the Renown into the fray with a rapidly-closing burst of speed and vectoring of maneuvering thrusters to alter their trajectory. Closing the gap, the Zaad shifted focus away from the long-range vessels, targeting the immediate threat as secondaries tracked and opened up.
The vessel shook and shuddered with each thunderous impact, their kinetic barrier holding but rapidly depleting with each hit.
"Nimble as we are, can't dodge every raindrop in a downpour!" Rem called out, doing her best to mitigate risk at the controls. "Return the favor in kind!"
The Republic's crewmen were quick learners. Renown's weapons tracked and fired back accurately, additionally assisted by Slic's careful calculations. The AI was also quick to draw power from non-essential systems to boost the power to their barriers or weapons as needed. One advantage Rem had at least was the presence of the quick thinking of the team's former SiR unit giving them an edge.
While Renown didn't pack the punch needed to go through Zaad's armor plating, they were more than able to deal with the shielding. Reducing to near zero. A MAC shell vaporized, finishing off what was left of the barrier as a pair of smaller slugs partially penetrated the plating and detonated, scarring the Imperial destroyer. The ship, mid maneuver, was able to dodge a slug from Devos that would have otherwise proved crippling.
Chavsa zoomed in from behind, launching a trio of anti-ship missiles, leaving her with a couple more on her wings. The Zaad's secondaries were able to deal with one of the missiles, but maneuvering failed at close range as a pair of missiles impacted the back of the hull, the massive warhead damaging the engines and causing decompression in unmanned parts of the ship. Damage was still damage, and now the pilot had drawn the ire of the destroyer.
Despite her own maneuvering, defense guns struck true, severing one of the fighter's wings and penetrating the fuselage, the fighter seeming to veer off on a different course, uncontrolled. The destroyer swung back around to fire on Renown once more. Draining their own barriers critically.
"Hope you meatbags all have survival gear on."
"We all have suits on, why?" The Republic sailor quickly asked.
"Shutting down life support, we need the power before they punch through our shields."
"Chavsa, Chavsa, you there?" Corr called out over the radio.
Nothing.
Rem, fumbling quickly at the controls, sealed her flight suit's helmet in place just as the alarms blared as the systems went into standby, saving them from certain demise. Not having the luxury of time to reflect on Chavsa's condition, her efforts went into keeping the Renown and its complement alive. Losing here would spell certain demise for the movement abroad and their fates would be left to wonder in their friends' final moments half a universe away.
The Zaad, hull plating holding fast against the Republic's mass-driven slugs, brought its bow around to bring its main weapons to bare. Alarms blared as they were targeted, forcing Rem to throw the frigate into an evasive maneuver mere moments from disaster as twin lances of volatile plasma fired. A glancing blow overloaded their barriers, intense heat boiling plating and opening the cargo hold to the vacuum of space with a violent shuddering of the ship throughout.
"Shit, shit, shit," Rem muttered, thankful for the artificial intelligence assisting in damage control with sealed decks and repressurising where applicable. "Captain, we need to cripple this thing! We're the highest priority target and I can't get a shot without staring down their own guns!"
Calla, standing next to Corr, gripped a nearby railing as she bore witness to the affair. A willing participant and unwilling bystander feeling useless in the matter, looked to the nearest Republic officer.
"If Orenis is to live to fight another day, your navy has a difficult choice to make now."
"What's that?"
"Sacrifice. Distract the Zaad long enough for us to target something critical. Engines, powerplant, anything."
"Marshal, they sliced through the Ikaros like a knife through hot butter! They didn't stand a ch-"
"None of you will if we don't do this now!" Calla interrupted the concerned crewman, intently focused on his superior officer. "I'm not asking you to do this lightly, Marshal…but if we don't. The Empire will come and you all will die. To the last man, woman, and child…I didn't fight for your freedom just to watch you die."
The Marshal considered his options, rubbing his brow. "Contact the Kilmaros."
"Marshal Zeut, with all due respect, that's a light cruiser!"
"I know! It has the best chance as a big threat to distract a destroyer! Order them into the fight."
"The Marshal's right. Anything small is an obvious ploy. I am not suggesting this lightly and wouldn't suggest it at all if there were another way." Calla added, remaining focused despite the severity of the situation. "What happens today will not be forgotten…let it be worth remembering."
"Send the order, get the Kilmaros into this melee. Orenis expects every man to do his duty."
"Sending it out now for you, Marshal." Slic replied, sending out the light signals needed with the message from Zeut. A brief pause, the cruiser breaking formation with Devos and moving forward at an increasing rate of speed. "Marshal, Kilmaros replies: Doing what must be done for the sake of our people."
The light cruiser, packing a much heavier MAC than the smaller vessels, was quick to get the attention of the Zaad. A near miss, two partial penetrations, and then a penetrating hit to the plating damaged in the previous bout with Renown. Patchwork repairs torn asunder from a lucky strike.
"Chavsa! Magnet! Damn it, answer!" Corr yelled over the radio again.
This time, coughing and the sound of alarms in the background came through. "I'm..I'm hit."
"Skrem, status on the hangar? We have pressure or not?" Rem queried, calculating their next move.
"Absolutely fucked."
"Nah…forget it…not..it's mortal."
"How bad?"
"Suit's compromised…blood's freezing...dead woman flying."
A lull of silence overcame the populated bridge. The realization of the situation at hand. Their forward scout and fighter pilot lingering in the expanse of space while the battle raged around them.
"Shut your noise tube, just stuff the sausage back in its casing." Slic commented, even in his mechanized vocals masking concern and failing. "Scoop her back up an-"
"No."
Calla's features tightened grimly, swallowing as her head rose.
"...one pilot's not worth the hundreds of death warrants we just signed. Rem, as you were."
Rem shot a hard look over her shoulder through the viewport of her helmet at the woman. "Since when are you giv-"
"As you fucking were or this will all be for nothing!"
The pilot checked over her systems…leaking fuel like a sieve, critical damage, missile bays still full, clearly haven't detonated, one more on her remaining wing, engines…functional, thrusters, functional… May as well choose how you go out.
"Tell the others…sorry I was such an ass."
"...for what it's worth, of all the meatbags, I hated you the least. Make them regret everything." Slic commented sincerely.
The fighter's engines fired up once more, full afterburner, as the damage craft made a turn straight for Zaad, the fighter nose on with the exposed engine compartment. Chavsa intended to use herself and whatever ordnance she had left as a missile.
Rem, watching on her sensors as Chavsa committed, refocused her efforts. An entire warship full of brave men and women and one of their own friends. All because of the Empire. All because of Mirage…all because of Tuu. A bitter pill that twisted her features into a scowl of determination as she sent the Renown full-burn back towards the Zaad. Main guns primed, all that remained was a targeting solution at the right time.
Three deadly targets, the crew of the Zaad found themselves dealing with a living missile, a light cruiser with the power to punch through their hull at a close range, and the traitors' frigate turning back towards them. Indecision, fear, secondaries failed to hit the fighter as it impacted the engineering compartment in a brilliant, roiling explosion. The Zaad began to list, engines fluttering irregularly from the sudden disruption and a successful blow struck at the cost of one pilot's life
Secondary weapons managed to get off one final blast with what power they had left, tearing through one of Kilmaros' engines, but the cruiser survived thanks to the reduced strength. The Zaad's reactor, compromised and stricken by the successful barrage, went critical. The runaway reaction detonated violently, splitting the destroyer in twain with an ever-expanding debris field to follow.
Slic, giving Rem the proper targeting solution, would see the deed finished with the frigate's main weapons tearing into what was left of the destroyer, but not before a single escape pod managed to get free from the forward section. It was over…mostly.
"...Zaad destroyed. Sensors see one escape pod jettisoned."
"See anything aboard?" Corr asked, impressed that anything managed to get clear.
"Two meatbags by the look of it."
"Already moving to intercept." Rem concluded as she vectored the frigate toward the escape pod. "How's the Kilmaros? Are they going to make it?"
Slic signaled for a status report from the cruiser. The cruiser began to signal back.
"One engine down…hull integrity intact…damage to engineering but reactor intact…the ship will make it back to port. The crew sends their undying thanks to our pilot and their condolences to us." The AI paused as the Republican crew cheered and Zeut heaved a sigh of relief, switching life support back on with the battle over. "The auxiliary hold should have pressure. Going to pick up the escape pod there."
Skrem would be first into the auxiliary hold, weapon at the ready as the escape pod sat within. Alurac quickly hacked the wireless systems and forced the door open. Inside, two women of Mirage's Red Team. To and Kha, the only survivors of the Zaad, and ironically it was Red Team's medic severely wounded.
"D-don't shoot!" To, clearly distraught having been so close to death and not safe yet, held her hands up in surrender. "Please, you have to help her!"
"Why the fuck should we?" Skrem was clearly angered. "Why shouldn't I gut the both of you where you sit?!" The Invader reached inside, grabbing To by the collar and effectively throwing her clear of the escape pod, walking back over and pointing his custom carbine right in her face. "Why should we give you any mercy when you've been relentlessly chasing us?!"
"You try tellin' Internal Affairs "no" and see how far that gets you! She's going to die! Help her!" She frantically gestured back towards the escape pod. "I already watched Tuu shoot the rest of my team, please!"
"Wait, the rest of your team? You talking Krad?"
"Yes!" To decry, fearful of moving a muscle but growing bolder by the second as Kha steadily bled out in the escape pod. "I'll comply, just help her!"
Skrem glanced back to the pod but not taking his eye off of To for too long. Corr himself was quick to rush in and kneel down next to the captive.
"Who's this?"
"Said she was part of Krad's team."
"Is that so?"
The conversation didn't get too far. Ever determined to serve the Empire, even in her wounded state, Kha had clawed her way to the exit of the pod. Laser pistol in hand, she shakily took aim.
"Skrem! Look out!" Alurac cried out, prompting the Invader to quickly turn towards the pod, weapon aimed, but not before Kha fired. A laser beam flying past the Invader and towards the Captain, missing him but hitting something…far more vital. Shots rang out from Skrem's carbine before he turned his attention back to To.
"Kha!" She called from the deck in horror as her riddled body fell back in a slump, certifiably dead from Skrem's gunfire.
"You try something funny, I'll put several into you too. Corr, you good?"
Corr felt himself, nothing burned and no new holes but the small pitter patter of fluid on metal filled the room. The two looked around the Captain's feet, seeing the bright pink of PAK fluid.
"...That's not good." Corr made light of the severity of the situation.
"No shit that's not good." Skrem quickly yelled over the radio, "Rem! I hope you're suddenly a PAK expert!"
"What? What's going on down there?! What happened?!" Her voice cracked through his communicator.
"One of fucking Mirage got a dying shot off and hit Corr right in the PAK, that's what fucking happened!"
"Why aren't you getting him to Medical and taking care of it? You're the resident tech expert!"
"Because I got one of their other fucking morons at the end of my carbine!"
"Damn it, fine. Slic? Take the helm. On my way."
"I cannot fucking believe the audacity of that bitch."
"...me either." To, wide-eyed in shock still, commented from her back, keeping her hands well within view. "...for what it's worth, I had nothing to do with that."
"What, am I supposed to just take your word for it? You said you saw the rest of your team die. Why aren't you dead with them? Why are you still here? Why didn't Krad try to rope you in?"
"Skrem," Corr interjected.
"What?"
"You want to give her the third degree, do it later."
The Invader sighed, "Yeah, suppose we'll have a year to beat the shit out of her on the way back anyhow."
About that time, Rem, still in her flight suit, appeared with a rifle in hand. Immediately her muzzle rose to To, approaching Skrem's flank.
"Go, take him to the infirmary. I'll deal with her." She assured, wasting no time in harshly grasping To's collar to haul her to her feet. "You, up, let's go."
"Wh- Hey!"
Rem's rifle unkindly shoved their captive in the back, forcing her to subtle forward.
"Do NOT-...do not…go. Now. So help me, give me a reason to shoot you."
Sighing heavily in defeat, To's hands interlaced atop her head, casting a final glance to Kha's lifeless body before abiding her captors' orders willingly.
Heaving a sigh, Skrem slung his carbine over his shoulder. "C'mon boss. Let's hope it's nothing too vital that I can't unfuck."
"I'm not dead yet."
"Yeah, a positive sign at least."
The two went to the infirmary, Skrem tinkering for the next several hours, needing to run off to scavenge a bunch of parts from whatever could pass for spare parts in the ship. The good news is that the shot hit nothing immediately fatal in the PAK. The damage could very well be repaired. The bad news was Skrem's later prognosis, the circuitry controlling the aging process was the piece that Kha effectively melted. The Invader was able to jury rig a replacement, but not a perfect one. It would suffice in keeping Corr alive, at least.
The two would later emerge for dinner, with Renown back on Orenis.
"Good news, he's not going to die." Skrem initially announced, "Bad news, that bitch nailed his age control circuitry. I did what I could, but-"
"How long?" Corr asked.
"What?"
"How long do I have before I turn into a bag of bones?"
"I mean, my guess, that bitch cut off a third of your natural lifespan at the very least."
"Worst case?"
"You'll live half as long as the rest of us do."
Calla, understandably distraught from the whole ordeal, smiled thinly at the news.
"Better than an abrupt end…and that's the last time I'm letting you out of my sight."
"Yes, dear." Corr gave her a hug, particularly glad he didn't end up meeting a similar fate as one already dealt to one of their own. A thought lingered, what was worse? Volx's quicker death on Vort or the slower end of his aging process being out of his control? The late Lieutenant's death seemed almost merciful by comparison. The squeeze from Calla did give him some comfort that, at least, he'd never be alone. Not as long as they both made it through the end.
"How's the other moron?" Skrem asked of Rem.
"Alive, unfortunately. She's in the brig all by her lonesome. Not sure what to do with her, really. Do we really want to keep a prisoner for a whole year back to known space?"
"I mean, I have half the mind to use her as a living punching bag after what we just went through."
"Temper, temper," Alurac spoke up.
The Invader sighed, rubbing his face. "I mean, honestly? I'd rather let Krad decide what to do with her. She was on his team, apparently. He and Amka would know better than we do."
Zeut looked at Calla and Corr, the Marshal letting his staff handle the reports of the battle. "Now that this threat has been dealt with. I believe we should get back to the President and the Speaker. After this? I think you have the complete support of the military."
"We do?" Corr blinked in surprise, "But, your losses-"
"Our losses, Captain. We lost men, as you did with your pilot sacrificing herself on our behalf. We bled together in this. It should be apparent to anyone that we need to make a preemptive strike now, with your faction's technological edge, to see Orenis secure well into the future."
"Suppose you're right. Let's not keep them waiting."