Stryker is here! Cyclonis is ready for him. And the Storm Hawks are moving to save the day. Who will prevail? Let's read and see...
Quick note: There's a lot of perspective switching here. Mostly because a lot of things are happening very fast now. Enjoy.
Heart of Darkness...Countdown to Destruction
Stork lay on his back, the others were gone now. He could still feel a dull throbbing in his chest reminding him of his injuries, but it was quieter now. He looked around at his surroundings and frowned. Who designs these things? He thought to himself. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked over at where his friends had gone back into the citadel. He felt regret for not having gone with them, but he knew that in his current state he would only be a burden.
He stood up on shaky legs and moved out from the cargo hold of the of the vessel and looked around at both engines. "Hmmmmm..." Stork began to think. In the corner of the cargo hold, he could make out a tool box that was most likely meant for basic maintenance. "Well, I have nothing better to do."
........
Aerrow and the rest of his group moved as quickly as they could through the enemy complex. They didn't know the exact way, but they kept to any path that looked like it went up. There was only one problem rolling through Aerrow's head at this moment. It wasn't their lack of suitable weaponry, or how ragged they felt from all the stress the current situations had been putting them through.
It was time. Every minute it took them to reach the top was another minute the fleet came closer to it's own destruction. Aerrow didn't mind the thought of Stryker receiving his just desserts, but he knew there were people up there who were innocent of Stryker's scheme. He wouldn't let let those people come to harm, he couldn't. Every step he tried to move faster, push himself just a little bit more. Every flight of stairs, every long hallway, more time ticked off the clock.
Nobody spoke, they were to focused on one thought. Please, let us get there in time!
........
Cyclonis stood on the balcony, a sour expression could be seen on her face from underneath her cowl. "You should have just killed them." She said to Dark Ace as he kneeled before her.
"All due respect, Master." Dark Ace said in a respectful tone. "It was you who spared them in the first place because you wanted them to suffer slowly."
"Chained and imprisoned is much different than being allowed to run free." Cyclonis angrily told Dark Ace. "Sometimes I wonder just how loyal you are to me, Dark Ace."
"Master, please, there is nothing those foolish brats can do." Dark Ace said in a pleading voice. "In moments that idiot Stryker will assure the fall of Atmosia and every other terra foolish enough to stand against us. And you know I would give my life before I ever let anything hurt you."
"Yes, I know." Cyclonis said as she motioned Dark Ace to rise. "It's just those Storm Hawks have a bad habit of interfering with my plans just as everything is coming together." She looked at the oncoming ships, a smile visibly showed from under her hood. "I'd say it's about time, wouldn't you?"
"Indeed." Dark Ace said with a grin to match Cyclonis's "We should move out of sight until our prey is suitably trapped."
The pair moved into the shadows of the throne room and continued to watch the oncoming ships. Dark Ace began to take note of the ships in formation with Stryker's Atmosian Guard ships.
"I recognize the Rex Guardians, Screaming Queens, and the Absolute Zeros. I don't know the others." Dark Ace said in a flat tone.
"It doesn't matter." Cyclonis said dismissively. "After today, no one will remember any of them. Forgotten souls that will become lost in the sea of chaos we are about to unleash."
Across the room, a light began to blink on a console. Dark Ace moved over to the console to investigate.
"It's the forward turret mounts." Dark Ace reported to Cyclonis. "The enemy is in range."
"Tell them to watch for my signal." Cyclonis said as she began to move forward from the shadows. She looked back at Dark Ace, a dark smile on her lips. "How about we turn the lights back on for our guests?" She asked in a laughing tone.
Dark Ace returned her smile as he began signaling orders to various points through the citadel. He could almost hear all the lights and devices coming back online around him as power flowed freely through the citadel once more.
I wish I could see the dumb look on tat fool's face right now. Dark Ace thought to himself the a small laugh.
Cyclonis was standing in the light now, in full view of all the ships before her. She raised her hand to signal her troops, the turrets turning to point at the encroaching ships. The cowl around her face began to unfurl into a high collar, revealing her smiling face. She brought her hand down with as a firm signal.
The turrets immediately began to bombard the the fleet, filling the sky with energy. There was a moment of hesitation before the fleet of ships began returning fire, the rear squadrons already scrambling to take defensive formations. Blasts of energy fired from the Atmosian Guard ships, spraying forward to where Cyclonis was standing. The blasts moved forward at great speed and suddenly erupted in small explosion in mid-air, yards before hitting there targets. Another wave of energy was sent flying, only to meet the same result.
........
"Sir, the enemy base appears to be protected by an energy shield!" One of Stryker's bridge crew yelled from his monitoring station.
"I can see that!" Stryker yelled. The floor around him shook as repeated blasts from the mounted turrets peppered the hull with blast after blast. "Keep firing! Their shields can't hold up forever!"
"Sir!" The crewman from the monitoring station yelled to get his commander's attention.
"What!?" Stryker yelled back, his agitation clear by the sound of his voice.
"I don't understand these readings I'm getting on the enemy's shields" The crewman said, confusion clear in his voice.
Stryker moved forward to see the readings for himself. He pushed the crewman out of the way and began to look them over. He wasn't an expert in what he was seeing, but he knew these readings.
Their the same as the the shield emitter that I had put on The Condor. Stryker's thoughts went wild as he realized what this meant. They must have perfected the technology, but how did they work out the energy build up? Another blast of energy hit the hull, shaking the ship. An idea suddenly hit Styker. Oh my god.
"Stop firing! Order all ships to stop firing!" Stryker yelled in a panic at his crew.
His personal aide gave him a confused look. "Sir?"
"Don't you see?" Stryker said in a frantic voice. "Their firing our own energy back at us! Now, order all ships to cease fire and focus on evasive maneuvers."
The crewman at the communications station began to send out the orders to the rest of the fleet. All of Styker's ships immediately ceased fire, but the independent squadrons still kept a steady stream of energy blasts flowing at the citadel.
"Why are they still firing!?" Stryker yelled at his communications crew.
The lead crewman was holding a headset to his ears as he tried to decipher the communications from the other squadrons. "I don't know sir. the Rex Guardians are saying something about it being against their honor, or code, to abandon a fight. The screaming Queens are just screaming, I'm not sure why. And I can't even begin to understand what the Absolute Zeros are saying. And the rest of the squadrons appear to be to busy launching counter attacks to even bother to reply."
Stryker slammed his fist on the nearest console. His plan was unraveling around him, and his state of mind was deteriorating along with it. They must have known some how. Stryker's thoughts were a jumble as he tried to think of a way to survive this. I'll have to use that, it's the only option left.
"Order all ships to retreat and prepare missile pod number four!" Stryker yelled to his bridge crew as he tried to keep his footing on the shaking deck.
Stryker's personal aide turned to look at his commander, a look of shock on his face. "Sir?"
"You heard me, now follow my orders!" Stryker strode toward the windshield and looked at where Cyclonis stood with a smug smile on her face. You think you've won, but I'll shall still win.
"Sir." Stryker's aide approached. "Missile pod four is ready to fire."
"Wait until our ships are a safe distance, then I will give the order to fire." Stryker said without taking his gaze from Cyclonis. My win.
........
Cyclonis watched as Stryker's ships began to pull back away from the citadel. She almost felt like laughing at the pitiful turned away from the cowardly retreat of Stryker's fleet to look at Dark Ace.
Dark Ace gave his master a amused expression. He knew what was coming next, but he asked anyway. "Your orders, master?"
"Rise." She said simply. "Tell them to rise and conquer." She said with a smile on her lips as a spark of energy crossed her eyes.
........
"Sir!" One of Stryker's crew yelled from a sensor panel. "We're getting readings all around us. Multiple signatures of enemy ships everywhere!"
"Where!?" Stryker looked out in every direction he could see from where he stood by the windshield. "I don't see anything!"
The crewman looked up from his panel at Stryker, a look of fear on his face. "Below us."
Stryker quickly moved out to the forward balcony and leaned over the railing, into the cloud cover the spanned over the wastelands below. He saw shadows growing from within the clouds start growing. Then from these shadows, carriers emerged carrying the symbol of Cyclonia. From their decks and hanger, multiple Talon squadrons launched and began to swarm the fleet.
Stryker's retreat was cut off by a fleet of ships that dwarfed his by nearly double the numbers.
"Orders, Sir!?" Stryker's aide asked pleadingly, hoping to receiving some hope from his commander.
Stryker only stood there, speechless and afraid.
........
The Storm Hawks were near a window looking out onto the fleet when the battle had begun. They had seen the situation unfold as Stryker tried to retreat, only to be cut off by Cyclonian forces.
Finn broke the silence first. "I guess that explains why this place seems so empty."
No one said anything else. What else was there to say? They were to late.
........
No! Stryker thought in a frantically. I won't let it end like this! I won't be some fool who fell right Cyclonis trap!
He looked at his aide, madness in his eyes. "You said missile pod four was ready to fire, correct?"
The aide gave his commander a confused look. "Yes sir. But, we're to close to even..."
He was cut off as Stryker moved past him to address the crew. "We will not lose here! Prepare to fire the Aurora Missile!"
dunn, Dunn, DUNN! Oh yeah! things are coming to an end, but not before some more carnage can occur.