Part 2 - 'Til Death do us Part
Chapter 40 - Inheritance
Gwen and Miles were called to a meeting aboard the SGC corvette, still parked near the rift in 7065. It was two days after their talk with Teresa. They hadn't heard from her since then which worried Gwen more than it did Miles. She had done the whole 'not doing friends' before now and knew it was a bad path to walk. However, there was nothing she could do so she pushed it to the back of her mind. The concern returned briefly, but disappeared again when she entered the corvette's briefing room with Miles. Teresa, Harold, Edward and the Doctor were pouring over another holographic map spread out on the table. They looked up when the spiders entered. Edward gave a happy smile. Teresa's face remained emotionless and lost in the depths of thought.
"We've decided to go on the offensive against Helltreader. We have to test our capabilities before we try anything with the collider, which was finished a few days ago but has kind of been pushed to the side." Said Edward.
"I hope you have a plan for that." Replied Miles.
"We're going to attack Helltreader's citadel." Announced Harold.
Gwen recognised the building as the place where her and Miles' son had been murdered. Images flashed through her mind of the scene. It would not be fun to return there. Miles squeezed her hand comfortingly, sensing her distress. She shook the thoughts away. They would just cloud her judgement.
"Then what's the actual plan for doing that?" Asked Miles.
"Guns and more guns. All guns blazing, in fact. If we level the place it's a massive blow to Helltreader's morale." Replied Harold.
"Helltreader doesn't have morale. Just a craving for bloodshed." Said the Doctor.
"It's a strategic advantage. He will have to run."
"Harold. Shut it." Snapped Teresa.
"You have no auth..."
Miles fired a web over the advisor's mouth. He was sick of this man's belief that he could do anything. Harold clawed at the sticky material but it refused to come loose.
"Now that that's settled, shall we move on to the details?" Asked Edward, struggling to hold back a laugh.
"Gladly." Teresa replied, giving Miles a thumbs up.
"Good. So, Phantoms are far more capable than any Sol small-craft. SGC carriers will swap their loadout for Phantoms and transport them to Helltreader's fortress. The Doctor will knock out the shield with his screwdriver and the Phantoms will reduce the defences to rubble. Once the wall is down, a team of Advanced will head in there and fight Helltreader. When the guy has been given enough punishment or retreated, the team will go to a rendezvous where the SGC Arachnid will pick them up."
"Why a brand new corvette not a Phantom, or even just an older corvette?" Asked Miles.
"Because once this mission is done, you and Gwen will be assigned to Arachnid as promised. She did her tests yesterday and passed with a better score than the Valour."
"What about Flux Force?" Gwen asked, remembering the other part of Edward's promise about being allowed to pick out team members.
"Flux Force will be formed when Helltreader has gone into the collider. Let's focus on this for now. So, you two are going, obviously. Conall will also go whether he likes it or not. We need a couple more team members. I'd go, but...exactly Venom. We can't commit suicide. Sol needs us. Or me, at least."
"I'll go." Said Teresa, just as Gwen expected her to.
Edward thought for a moment.
"I'm not entirely sure it will boost diplomatic relations if the president's daughter is killed in the first fight of the war."
"Are you calling me weak?"
"No, just looking at it from the worst point of view."
Teresa sighed.
"I'm going. If you want to try and stop me then try. My mother learnt the hard way that once I've made my mind up I don't change it. No matter how high the risk. In fact, the higher the risk the better."
There was a yelp as Harold finally found a way to tear the webbing. Strands hung from his lips but he could talk again.
"Always such an attention seeker. Do you think it will make..."
Teresa slammed her fist into Harold's chin, knocking the advisor to the ground. He stared up at her in shock.
"Get out of here! Now!" The commander yelled.
The room was silent as Harold scrambled away, whimpering. Teresa turned to the window and took some deep breaths to calm herself before turning back.
"I'm sorry. Where were we?"
"We were deciding who was on the team. So, that's four. Do we need anyone else?" Edward replied.
"That should do it. Helltreader will be running for his life if that happens." Answered Gwen, glad to see Teresa take her second sentence as the joke it was and not as something serious.
"Then we strike tomorrow at 1100 hours, 7065 time. Meet at the rift encampment. Unless there's any questions, we're done."
Nobody spoke.
"Good. Don't be late."
He and the Doctor left. Teresa sighed.
"Me and Harold don't see eye to eye." She said.
"Yeah. I had a feeling that was the case." Miles replied, his facing turning a little more anxious as Teresa glared at him.
But he relaxed again when she chuckled.
"I'll be at the camp at 10:45. If you're still asleep I'll put bullets through your heads to wake you up."
She walked away leaving Miles and Gwen looking at each other.
"She was joking about that, wasn't she?" Said Miles.
"Probably not." Gwen answered with a smile.
The spiders were suited up and ready to go at 10:30, just in case Teresa really hadn't been joking. Gwen opened the box she had acquired to store the Void plate. She took a deep breath and placed it in its slot on her suit. Half-an-hour later, a Phantom departed from the 7065 side of the rift carrying the team. It flew higher and higher until it reached a blocky looking ship painted in Sol Galactic Command colours. The Phantom touched down in an enormous hangar which was filled to the brim with more of 9578's aircraft. As the four disembarked, Teresa stopped and frowned.
"That's an Imperator Underscore." She said, pointing to a much larger aircraft which had a body more in a U-shape than the sleek Phantoms.
"I guess we're getting a little extra help." Gwen replied.
"The more the merrier." Chimed in Conall.
The team watched the proceedings from the ready bridge, a room where traffic control was managed that bordered the hangar and had an enormous window. A colourful display signalled the start as the aircraft carrier transferred to the dimension where Helltreader had his fortress. It emerged high above and immediately released squadron after squadron of the Phantoms. Miles picked out the TARDIS' blue in the grey swarm and saw the shield drop. When he Phantoms had completed their first bombing run on the structure and trenches, four of the Underscore aircraft moved on. They were much slower, but that was expected from something so much bigger and clearly heavier. They unleashed a cloud of objects which tumbled towards the stronghold and detonated, blasting apart whatever remained of the ramparts and sniper turrets. The team returned to their own Phantom as the numerous squadrons performed a second run on the trenches to ensure the defences were all knocked out. The team's Phantom departed. The TARDIS flew alongside for a moment before peeling off back towards the carrier. The aircraft touched down lightly and opened its ramp. Gwen and Miles scrambled out. Conall soared overhead, stretching enormous golden wings. Teresa brought up the rear with her metal suit and clutching her pistol. The spiders swung up onto the few remnants of a sniper tower and switched their suit's HUDs to thermal. That was strange...there was nothing extremely hot anywhere in the building.
"I guess we do this the old fashioned way." Said Miles.
"Yeah."
They jumped down to Teresa and reported the news. She nodded. Conall landed and listened as well. Teresa now took point having had previous experience with raids similar to this. She kicked the blasted remains of a door open and looked either way quickly. Nobody in sight. Gwen pointed her in the right direction, clutching a katana in each hand. As they began to walk, there was a sudden scream that was quickly muffled. Gwen turned and was about to run to find the source but Teresa stopped her.
"Go and get Helltreader, I'll help them."
Gwen nodded, remembering Teresa's stubbornness. The commander sprinted away, her gun ready to shoot.
A few minutes later, they heard three shots booming through the corridors of the stronghold. The trio stopped again and listened but could hear nothing. They were almost at the chamber where Miles, Gwen and the other spiders had fought Helltreader the first time. Miles shrugged and they picked up the pace. They came to the chamber and readied for a fight. Gwen kicked the door open. Nothing. Helltreader wasn't here. They entered in case they had missed something, but there was nothing. Suddenly, a screen above the door burst into life.
"So, you pests. You walked right into my trap. Enjoy the reward, because it's the last thing you will." Said Helltreader in the recording.
Conall drew a longsword and slashed the screen.
"Looks like oven man is too much of a wimp to fight us himself." He said with a grin.
"If he's scared of us, it isn't good. We won't be able to lead him to the collider. I'm guessing the thing isn't portable." Gwen replied.
"If he's scared of us we can make demands. If we can make demands we can make him hand over the plates. If he hands over the plates, he's back to square one."
"True, but..."
Someone knocked on the door frame.
"Are you done with your bickering? My family is hungry."
Miles' blood ran cold. Morlun and the Inheritors blocked the only way out.
"Oh..."
Conall recognised them as well.
"Ah, the totem twats."
"Err...what?"
"Never mind. Let's kill them and leave. The mission is a failure anyway."
He walked towards the Inheritors who drew all sorts of weapons, mainly knives. Gwen followed close behind. Miles charged a venom strike and readied himself. Morlun darted at Conall who feinted and grabbed him by the arm. Morlun was physically stronger and began to push him back, letting his family in like water from a burst dam. Gwen swung a punch at Solus who seemed to have a new look. He was covered in ugly scars and burns. Her fist struck him but nothing happened. Miles found himself duelling two more of the spider hunters. He leapt onto the roof, knowing it wasn't a fight he could win, and turned invisible. A parried knife jammed into the roof near his head. He grabbed it and leapt down again, slicing the blade down Morlun's back. The Inheritor roared out in agony but was silenced by a longsword through the chest. Conall realised what was wrong with Solus: he had become immune to the Ethereal plates. Miles had disappeared back up to the roof. There was no escape route. This was hopeless. How were they even alive, anyway? They had been banished to a radioactive wasteland to waste away. He leapt down on Solus, but the Inheritor grabbed him around the throat and smashed him against Gwen. The spiders tumbled against the wall. He closed in for the kill, pulling out a dagger to dissect his prey. Conall was duelling another Inheritor. He spotted the danger and tried to grab Solus with telekinesis, but nothing happened. In doing so, he let his guard down and took a dagger in the shoulder. He staggered back, clutching the wound, and slumped down next to the spiders, his golden armour disappearing and cape folding in on itself.
"I guess I won't get to avenge my future self." He said to Gwen, but realised she was out cold.
Miles was barely awake.
"Dulce et decorum est, pro patria more." The immortal muttered to himself.
Suddenly, one of the Inheritors screamed a blood-curdling cry. It brought Miles back to his senses, and Gwen stirred. The Inheritor collapsed revealing a semi-transparent, blue and white version of Teresa. The projection snarled and leapt on the next, boring into their flesh and ripping their heart out. The next one fell the same. No matter how much they tried to fight back, their weapons and fists acted as if they were hitting a wisp of smoke. The projection shimmered but the strikes simply passed through. Solus bolted, as the last of his brethren fell, but the projection disappeared. A series of gunshots echoed into the room. A few seconds later, Teresa stormed in with her weapon raised. Her eyes blazed with fury. She pocketed it and prodded Gwen until she was fully awake. The spiders and Conall looked at her, wondering what she was going to do, but still the anger burned. She dragged Miles and Gwen to their feet, leaving Conall to get up himself. His wound had already stopped bleeding thanks to his ability to buff out injuries, but he still winced with each movement. Teresa stormed ahead, not saying a word. One of Helltreader's soldiers sprinted down the corridor and began to slow down to start shooting. Instead, they fell face first with a bullet through their skull. When she reached the end of the corridor, the crossroads by the front door, she stopped and looked back. Miles was supporting Gwen as best he could but was clearly struggling. She felt nothing but anger, but the anger seemed to fade away when she turned back. A woman emerged from behind a pillar and followed Teresa. The spiders and Conall followed the commander outside where she fired a last shot at Helltreader's last soldier. A moment later, a Sol corvette glided overhead, wings spread from its side. Miles spotted the word 'Arachnid' and felt a burst of strength propel him onwards to safety. The corvette touched down and lowered its ramp. But before it had even touched the ground, Teresa helped the woman aboard and handed her over to some Sol officers. She returned to the base of the ramp and went to help Miles support Gwen, but he raised a hand to stop her.
"Don't touch her. The Ethereal energy will kill you." He warned.
The commander sighed and turned to Conall who shook his head. She turned and stomped back up the ramp, walking straight past the personnel waiting to check her for injuries. The officers decided not to pursue her so instead turned to the other three as the ship took-off again and the squadron of Phantoms and Underscores flattened the citadel.
Crossovers in this Chapter
- Doctor Who