3 How the Rachel rammed the Blade Ship
- - -
"Full emergency power to the engines," Jake ordered, watching the glowing One with Rachel's smile pasted on his face. "Ram the Blade ship!"
Menderash nodded, and gave the computer a short series of commands. The engines lit up. The One began laughing.
"Jake," Marco said, grabbing his arm. "If we survive this, I want you to forget anything I ever said where I used the words 'crazy, reckless and ruthless' in one sentence."
He had more to say, but at that moment the Rachel shot forwards and the six members of her crew were thrown backwards, Tobias flapping in vain to try to stay airborne. He crashed into the rest of them, and Marco caught him under his arm to keep him from being crushed.
"FOOLS!" the One's cry echoed in their heads as the Rachel crashed into the much bigger Blade ship.
A loud bang and a rumble was heard. The craft shook, if anyone had looked up they would have seen a cascade of fire enclose the front of the ship. At the same time, the noise of protesting metal seared their ears when their craft's wings ripped open two twin wounds along the Blade ship's spine, digging its way in deeper and deeper, soon the nose following the wings down and into the bigger ship. That caused the fire; and let out the air that fed it.
Then the crew rolled and tumbled and flew forwards as the battered craft got stuck, back part still sticking out of the Blade ship's spine like the hilt of a dagger. Even inside the draft they heard the cries of despair as Yeerks and their hosts were sucked out into space. But also; very familiar thought-speech cries. From deeper in the ship.
"What now?" Santorelli demanded, being the first back on his feet.
"Andalites!" Menderash hissed. "There are Andalites on that ship!"
«Which we can do nothing about,» Tobias said. Marco had put him down again. «At least not now. Look.»
After a second glance around their craft, they all knew what he meant. Even from the inside, the destruction was clear. The wings of the Rachel were ripped off. The front was crushed and flattened and seared like a tin can under someone's foot. The entire craft was torn in any and all places possible; it was a miracle it had not cracked open. The computers flashed "engines down", only to vary it with "weapons non-functional" and "system damage; level nine".
Simply put, the Rachel would never fly again.
"That's the second 'Rachel' you sent to her death, Jake," Marco said with fake cheerfulness. "Turning into quite a habit, huh?"
No-one except Marco thought it funny. Tobias glared at him, and Jeanne sent the hawk a sympathetic glance, while the rest – including Menderash, who didn't understand – pretended they hadn't even heard it.
"Any ideas, anyone?" Jake sighed.
"The shuttle craft," Jeanne suggested.
Menderash gave her a quick, appreciating look and rushed to the back of the ship. After a few moments… "They are unharmed!"
Jake breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Let's gather some supplies. Santorelli, Marco? Get food. Menderash and Jeanne, clothes and other supplies. Only what's necessary. Did you hear that, Jeanne?"
The four disappeared back into the living quarters of the Rachel, fetching what they thought they would need. It all was dumped outside the two shuttle crafts, ready to be loaded. It took a few minutes, until Jake thought it had taken too long.
Before Jeanne got another chance to turn to get something else she "just had to have", he said; "Is that all? Yes, it is. Let's go aboard."
"How many fit into one craft?" Marco asked dully.
"With the pack in, perhaps three," Menderash estimated. "With two crafts, we…"
But Tobias saw what Marco had seen and the others missed. «We only have one good enough pilot.»
"If we morph small…" Santorelli suggested.
"If we morph small and the craft is captured we'll be too easily overpowered," Jake pointed out. "And we'll all be down. In two crafts, they won't get all of us. Not as easily. We've got no choice, here. Who thinks they'll be able to fly one?"
A long, heavy silence, each member of the broken ship's crew glancing uncertainly at the next.
"I can try," Jeanne said finally, when no-one else spoke.
Jake nodded. "Good enough. Menderash? You, Marco and Santorelli go in the first craft. Marco's in charge. Jeanne, Tobias and I take the other. We keep contact. Clear?"
Nods all around. But Menderash hesitated.
"Don't tell me these need names as well," Marco sighed.
"It wouldn't hurt," Menderash said carefully.
"Okay. So They're officially called Misfortune and Complexity," Marco said, pointing at the crafts as he gave them names.
«Ominous,» Tobias said quietly.
"But fitting," Santorelli added.
"Misfortune and Complexity. Good," Jake agreed, nodding, not really caring about the names or what they meant. "Then go."
Marco raised an eyebrow at Jake and sent a significant look at Jeanne when she grabbed her part of the supplies and disappeared into the first shuttle craft, the Misfortune.
"No," Jake said.
"But…"
"No. I need you with Menderash and Santorelli, since I myself want to keep an eye on Tobias. And putting the two rookies in one craft might be a bad plan." Tobias sent Jake a fierce glare when he passed, but chose not to comment it. Jake sighed. "Be glad I put you in charge," he said to Marco.
Marco spread his arms wide and rolled his eyes. Then grinned. "Good luck."
"You too."
They each climbed into their crafts, dragging some supplies along with them.
Jake sighed when he had packed the last pack into the Misfortune, and closed the door behind him. He looked around. The Misfortune was a small craft from the outside, but somehow seemed even smaller from the inside. There was a piloting seat, and two seats along one wall. The other wall was the door and a set of consoles and buttons that he didn't have time to try and make any sense of. Most of the space was taken up by the supplies, which made the craft very crowded.
Jeanne had taken the pilot's seat already, but wasn't wearing a seat belt. Tobias sat perched on the headrest behind her, the two mumbling between them about something.
"Seatbelt," Jake said.
"You sound like my mom when you say that," Jeanne replied. "I never listened to her, so I'm not going to listen to you. Are we ready to go?"
Jake glanced over the controls. "Are you sure you can fly this thing?"
"As well as you can, at least," she replied. "Grab hold of something. We're getting out of here."
Jake quickly took a seat, and Tobias fluttered down from his perch to stand on the floor, refusing to even look at the empty seat next to Jake's. But the small craft at least had a proper acceleration compensator. Even Tobias could stay standing – even though he did slide back against the packs by the wall.
The Misfortune swept away from the Rachel and the Blade ship, and shot out into free, open space. Jake glanced out the windows, but didn't see the other shuttle craft. That bothered him.
"Hail the Complexity," Jake said. "See where they are."
«No need,» Tobias said. «They've hailed us.»
"On screen," Jake instructed.
The screen in front of Jeanne came to life and Marco's shrill laugh spread into the Misfortune from her sister craft.
"What?" Jake asked.
"Oh, just me seeing the irony in it all," Marco said, his face on the screen suddenly serious. He was standing behind Menderash –who was in the pilot's seat, a mask of concentration on his face, eyes focused on something slightly below what the screen picked up. Santorelli wasn't seen, except for the top of his head. He was at the back of the ship. "The ironic thing is that these names… well, we should have switched them around. Because the Complexity is the misfortunate one. We've got a bug fighter on our tail."
"Location?"
"Hiding under the Blade ship, trying to outsmart the thing, where else?" Marco said. "We're that orange beep on the screen on the wall. Oh, and by the way. Don't try to fly past the back of the old battleaxe-ship. That's where the bugs creep."
"Okay," Jake said, glancing at the screen Marco had mentioned as Jeanne steered towards the Blade ship's front. "Menderash? Does this thing have firepower?"
Menderash didn't answer, still intently focused, but Marco said; "Nothing worth mentioning. Maybe we could blast a cow. From a five-meter range."
"How about speed?"
"They've got better acceleration. And they're faster. They're built for hunting things, Fearless Leader. We're kinda built for being hunted. Conclusion? We're talking the hawk-and-mouse law of nature."
«Good one,» Tobias said, as he fluttered back up to his former perch. Marco flashed a sad grin. «Jake? What do we do?»
The question caught Jake by surprise. Tobias was the last person he would have expected that from. He glanced at the hawk, whose fierce gaze swept over the controls and back to the screen without even turning to look at him. "Ehm…"
"Captain?" Menderash said quietly. "I have only one thing to say; I will not let myself be taken alive by the Yeerks. Not at any price."
"I understand, Menderash," Jake said, using a surprisingly fierce tone that probably would make an Andalite War-Prince snap to attention. "But listen to me; I'm the only one here allowed to make crazy, reckless, ruthless, suicidal decisions. Me, and possibly Marco. You pilot that craft where I tell you to. When I tell you to. You will do so, until I tell you otherwise. Now tell me this; how many bugs are on your tail?"
"I have spotted one," Menderash reported. "There are more further back, but only one has noticed us. So far."
"Good. This is what we do. Jeanne? Stop the craft. Go…" he pointed to a location closer to the Blade ship "There. Now. You, Menderash, will come out from your hiding place when I've counted to three. You will fly straight out, the bug will be after you, and we'll be after the bug."
"Why does this sound like it won't work?" Marco complained.
«Because it will,» Tobias said. «It's the best we've got, anyway. But Jake? Exactly how are you planning to go after the bug?»
"I'll man the weapons station. And if you get us close enough quick enough, Jeanne, I'll get a good shot at the right engine as the bug fighter passes. Let's see how fast he is with only one engine."
"I don't know about him, but we'll be dead," Marco said.
"We'll be dead fighting, not hiding," Santorelli corrected.
"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?"
Jake shook his head. "No time to think. Menderash? One … two… three … go!"
From under the Blade ship the small shape of the Complexity zoomed out, full speed, passing only meters from where her sister craft was waiting.
"Wait for it…" Jake told Jeanne, as her hand took a better grip on the control stick, and she bit her lower lip. "Wait…" The black shadow of a bug fighter blew past. "Now! Go go go!"
Jeanne powered up the engines. The Misfortune shot forwards, towards the bug – more properly towards the place the bug would soon be.
TSEEW!
The bug fired!
The Complexity veered out of the way.
"We're okay!" Santorelli informed them. "We're…"
TSEEW!
The Complexity jumped to the left. The dracon beam followed.
"Not okay," Menderash corrected. "A glance hit. Engine damage, level one. Energy decrease, stabilizer out of order…"
Jake looked up at the screen. He locked on target; the bug's engine. Closer… had to fire at the right moment…
TSEEW!
Compared to the bug's dracon, the Misfortune couldn't have destroyed an ant. But it was enough. The engine exploded, the bug fighter thrown off course, out of line, and tumbled away through space. Not destroyed, but for sure out of the fight. A boat with only one oar.
"Good shot," Jeanne said, slowing the Misfortune down to rest in front of the Complexity. The crew of one craft could look straight at the other, through the windows. Also, the three aboard the Misfortune could easily see the single scarred engine of the Complexity.
"Can it still fly?" Jake asked over the communications.
"Barely," Menderash said. "Not fast. Not fast enough to get away. Or into Z-space. And I am afraid it will break down if I try to push it. But we have a problem, Captain. The other bug fighters have spotted us."
Jake muttered a few well-chosen swear words.
«And we're easy prey,» Tobias said. «I knew this was a bad idea. At least there I wouldn't be blown to pieces.»
"We're not blown to pieces yet," Jeanne said. "And, before that happens, how about getting out of here?"
"The Complexity isn't going anywhere," Santorelli said.
Jake tried some hard thinking. "Does this thing have a tractor beam?"
"Not strong enough," Menderash said. "Captain, I suggest you try to flee. We can distract them."
"I'm not leaving half my group in trouble," Jake snapped, glaring angrily at the former Andalite through the front glass of the two shuttle crafts. "I don't know about you Andalites, but we humans stick together when we're in a mess."
"But Menderash is right on this one," Marco said. "If you get far enough away and escape into Z-space…"
"Not an option, Marco," Jake said. "And that's definite. The bugs are here. Any ideas, anyone?"
A few moments of thought.
"They'll do one of two things," Marco reasoned. «Blast us into a million pieces, as said, or try to capture us." He thought for a second or two extra. "In that case, we've got the advantage."
«Why?» Tobias asked.
"We don't know what that One-guy told the Yeerks, but from his manner I'd say they're on a strict need-to-know-basis. Which means, they only know that Santorelli and Jeanne were on the Rachel, and even if they might suspect further crewmembers they can't be sure. If they find one shuttle with Jeanne, and one shuttle with Santorelli, they'll believe no-one else survived."
"So we'll be captured, and you'll do what?" Jeanne asked.
Marco grinned. "We'll be those fleas that no-one knows about on the back of your necks."
"That's a very small advantage, Marco," Santorelli asked. "And how, exactly, does it help us?"
«Menderash can't morph,» Tobias pointed out.
"So he'll be the extra crewmember."
"I will not let myself be captured," Menderash repeated.
"We won't," Marco said. "They'll lock us in place with tractor beams, and board from a bug. Then they'll kill us all, which is unlikely if they've gone through the trouble of boarding us, or shove us aboard the bug. On the bug, is one Taxxon, and one Hork-Bajir. The Taxxon isn't a problem. The Hork-Bajir… there'll be three of us to keep him looking the other way while the fleas morph bad."
«That's the best we've got?» Tobias muttered. «We're dead.»
"Why, aren't we optimistic," Marco snapped.
Jake silenced them both with a set of glares. Tobias ruffled his feathers and fluttered to the back of the craft. "Menderash, does it fit your sense of 'not being captured'?" he asked.
Menderash thought it over and finally nodded, although he didn't look too convinced.
"What do we do if they try to fry us?" Santorelli asked.
«We get fried,» Tobias informed him.
"Time to act," Menderash said. "Scanners showing bug fighters closing in. A dozen." He looked up. "If you want to escape into Z-space, Captain, then now is the time."
Jake sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Jeanne? Turn her around and we'll see if we can get a lucky shot. Menderash, same orders. Aim for the dracon cannons first, then the engines."
The two shuttle craft turned, the Complexity with some difficulty, and Marco and Jake took places by the almost laughable battle stations.
"Open fire?" Marco asked.
"When we're in range," Jake said. "Menderash, Jeanne, keep a tight grip on the controls. If we get shot at we don't want a face-on hit."
"We could perhaps be fast enough to move out of a sloth's way," Santorelli muttered. "A dracon? Not happening."
"They'll be in range in ten seconds," Menderash reported. "Nine. Eight…"
"We're being hailed," Jeanne said.
"Seven… Six…"
"Answer them," Jake ordered.
"Five… Four…" Menderash's two human eyes focused harder. "Captain, they've stopped."
"What do we tell them?" Jeanne asked.
"Direct the communication to the Complexity and let Santorelli talk," Jake ordered. "The rest stay quiet. Santorelli, act cocky. Like we've got a few extra aces up our sleeves. If you need help, I'll have Tobias tell you what to say in thought-speech. Keep him talking for as long as possible."
"Prepared to open the communications channel," Menderash said.
"Go ahead," Jake said.
Menderash nodded and gave a few commands to the computer.
"Who is this?" Santorelli demanded.
"This is Ensh 5469," a raspy voice replied. "we have you cold, to put it in human terms. Surrender, and we might let you live. Fight, and we will kill you all."
"Surrendering is not an option," Jake hissed at Tobias and Tobias sent it forwards to Santorelli.
Santorelli laughed loudly. "Obviously you haven't met us before, Ensh," he said. "We don't do surrendering. Never have, never will. But, friend, if you tell your bugs to back off we might let you live."
"I shall give you one more chance," Ensh growled. "Surrender and live. Fight us and die. The choice is yours."
"Not much of a choice, though?"
"A lot of a choice, considering that you are trapped in those useless shuttle crafts, of which one is crippled. Your dracons cannot even reach us! What is your decision?"
Santorelli was silent. He prepared an answer, but didn't have time to say it before…
Ensh said; "I take it you wish to fight." And the connection was broken.
"Ehm, Jake?" Marco said. "That's not good, is it?"
«Not good at all,» Tobias agreed.
"Two bugs are approaching," Menderash said. "They are probably preparing to use their weapons." A short pause. Then; "Captain, we have a problem."
"Another one, you mean," Jake sighed. "What?"
"I see it, too," Jeanne said, watching her own console. "We've got something coming up behind us."
"Bugs?"
"No," Menderash said, ordering the computer to perform an identity check on the coming ships. "Unknown. But definitely fighters."
TSEEW!
The Misfortune threw itself out of the dracon's way. Tobias lost his foothold and fell, madly flapping, while Jake slammed into the wall of the craft, back first. Jake pulled himself up and grabbed onto the pilot's chair, glancing out the window over Jeanne's shoulder.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"We're being shot at!" Jeanne replied, veering out of the way from another dracon.
"I figured that out by myself, Jeanne. By who?"
"The bugs!"
TSEEW!
"We're hit again!" Marco reported from the Complexity. "I'm glad this thing doesn't pop like a balloon! She's actually quite sturdy for being so small."
Then things happened fast. From behind them, the unknown crafts swept forwards. They were jet black, glistening with metal at the edges, and shaped like arrowheads. They flew swiftly past the two shuttles and towards the bugs, blue beams of light shooting out from cannons above and below the body. The bugs turned to flee from an enemy that suddenly was more numerous, in their haste forgetting the shuttle crafts.
But the new crafts hadn't forgotten them. Before either the crippled Complexity or the Misfortune had any time to react, much less get out of the way, the ships began building up around them, creating a sphere, the different ships sliding into place and building up a bigger ship, the two shuttles floating in the room in the centre.
"We're trapped," Jeanne said. "We're trapped."
"How about morphing bad?" Santorelli suggested.
"Your battle morphs cannot fit into these small craft," Menderash said.
"One in each craft morphs," Jake ordered. "Marco, and Tobias. Morph something not too big but effective."
Tobias began morphing (to Andalite, for some reason) and from Marco's complaining – that suddenly was in thought-speech – he had begun morphing something as well.
Then artificial gravity kicked in and the twin crafts fell five meters to where the new ship had decided would be down. Again, the crews tumbled around, becoming very bruised very fast. Tobias' front hoof accidentally hit Jeanne in the stomach and she folded double from the sudden blow, and Jake slammed his shoulder against the pilot's chair and almost cried out.
"Maybe seatbelt wasn't a bad idea," Jeanne said, as she pulled herself back up to sitting position, leaning against the wall, both arms wrapped around her. She sat between the pilot's seat and the console, almost hidden from view.
Tobias was struggling up to his feet, careful now not to kick any of his friends.
A few moments silence. Then the door of the Misfortune was forced open from the outside. Jake, a bit woozy, peered at the creature who appeared in the doorway. A creature that was neither human, Hork-Bajir, Taxxon or Andalite.
He stood on legs that were jointed twice, as if a human had been walking around with heels in the air, and his feet were equipped with the huge giant claws that never touched the floor as he walked or stood. His upper body was like a human's, with strong shoulders and long arms, but his hands were different; he was missing a little finger and instead a short blade grew straight out from the side of his hand. The face was vaguely similar to a human's again – equipped with a lizard-like mouth, this time – but the ears were on short stalks. It had a long tail, spiked at the end, but that looked like it was more for balance and show than an actual weapon. The parts most similar to weapons were on the head; growing up and back from his forehead were two long horns that whipped through the air around him like angry snakes.
It talked in a voice that dwindled between high and low notes, using a language that no-one in the Misfortune could understand. But Menderash reported in thought-speech from the Complexity that his translating chip could decipher it if he heard enough of it.
There was one word, though, that Jake recognized immediately; "Human."
The next second another of the creatures had appeared in the doorway, and his horns whipped forwards. Faster than Tobias could flash his tail to stop them, they had curled around Jake's neck, lifted him clear off the floor, and begun throwing him out of the craft.