So, I plan to bring out these chapters as smaller pieces rather than huge chunks. Here's the second part. For those of you that enjoy sci-fi battles, I've done my best to put together something entertaining. Kayto's ready to launch his attack against Cosette's forces. How will it all go down?
Read on to find out!
Shields' Lament
Explosions rocked the ship. Shrapnel from missiles bounced harmlessly off the external hull plating. Crewman hurriedly ran calculations and barked orders from their workstations, a great many of them hastily relaying information back and forth under the steely-eyed gaze of Commander Crescentia. The howl of war echoed across the open stars, battleships exchanging fire, destroyers pounding with flack guns and mass driver weaponry.
In the centre of all this, it was the duty of a leader to cast his greater judgement, to keep those who followed safe under his care. Any battle held potential enough to become chaos under the wrong circumstances. With more and more pirate signatures warping in by the second, a sea of red dots slowly surrounding the blue markers on their tactical radar, Kayto Shields knew what he had to do.
This was perhaps the largest band of cutthroats and rogues the Neutral Rim had seen in memory. They weren't simply an uncoordinated rabble. No. Far from it. These guys were organized beyond any reasonable doubt.
"Ava. Status report on our gunboat supports. Alpha and Romeo squadrons are no longer reporting in. Our ryders need additional fire if they're to break through the defensive line and strike at those artillery units."
"On it, sir," his friend from the days of old, his helmsman against all odds, gave a respectful salute before narrowing her eyes harder against her subordinates. "You heard the captain. Crewman Heinz. I need an update on Alpha and Romeo squadrons. Now!"
"Aye, ma'am."
A few hastly beats of fingers against holographic keys brought a dismal expression from the young man at the console. He scratched his head, equally puzzled and uneasy amidst the war drums hammering overhead.
"Alpha and Romeo are down. I repeat. Alpha and Romeo are down. Our Ryuvian support craft are pushing forward to assist, but their short-range weaponry is doing little to aid our ryder units. They're down to fifty-percent capacity with the Blackjack and Phoenix leading the charge from the front."
"Dammit," Even over the eruptions and flashes of light Kayto heard the situation very clearly, hand clenching into a fist as he moved at double speed to weigh up their options. "We're outnumbered three to one at this point. Cosette waited to pull us in before warping the larger portion of her forces. Our intel was out. We fell for the bait."
"Captain," Ava shouted at his side, pointing frantically toward the command console – her usually collected tone cracking the slightest bit. "Five pirate destroyers firing a concentrated barrage of lasers toward the Colossus. Her shields are already down. She won't take such a-"
Orange waves burst across the viewing windows, a rapturous shower of fire and sharpened hues blasting wide along the battlefield, swallowing half a dozen friendly ryders along with it. The floor beneath Kayto's very feet shook, his quick wits being the only thing to hold him in place as he reached for the overhead railings. A pair of ensign on deck flew from their seats and rolled across the floor.
"Colossus down, Captain. I repeat, Colossus down!"
Dammit. This wasn't good. Kayto stood firm, brows knitted with concern over this most recent development. There was no doubt as to what was happening here. The Terror of the Stars had cast a wide net and yanked the entire fleet into the depths. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Ava," Shields spoke firmly, eyes set ahead, arms folded behind his back. "Send orders directly to our ryder engagement squads. Have Blackjack and Phoenix fall back with Echo and Baroque detachments. Move them out of the line of fire so we have a clear shot."
The bridge commander gave a dedicated salute to her superior – ever loyal – ever ready. "Sir. Relaying those orders as we speak. What would you have us do?"
This was Shields' first command in two long years. He'd clawed his way back from the darkest of places, overcome the depression of bringing an end to Chigara, fought on with all his might to return to space. His ship, his crew, and an entire fleet stood behind him. He would not fail them.
"It's about time we level the field." Kayto eyed his crew – his voice carrying in a calm and collected tone. "Prepare to fire the Vanguard Canon. Divert all power from auxiliary units one through seven. We're going to carve a hole directly through the middle of their forces."
"Roger that." Commander Crescentia stepped down from her place at his side, delivering the stern whip required to bring quick and efficient power to the Vanguard's primary weapon systems. "You heard your captain! Divert everything we have available. There's not a moment to lose."
Deck lighting flashed from red to green, Kayto's eyes struggling under the sudden change in tone. There he waited, a nervous thump shooting across his chest, eyes still fixated firmly upon the tactical radar. Phoenix and Baroque detachment were already out of range. Good. At least Icari was safe. Now that left Blackjack and her team.
Despite his level-headed disposition, the icy grip of unease still squirmed. True, Kayto Shields was a leader of men, but that didn't stop the fear from rearing its ugly head. His dearest Asaga, his beloved, was still out there – mere seconds away from the blast of the almighty Vanguard, a weapon so powerful it could cleave half a fleet in twain.
"Blackjack is clear Captain!" Ava called upward from her place at the proverbial coal front. Thank the will of the Cera. "Ready to fire Vanguards on your order."
Asaga was safe.
There was no reason to hold back.
"Focus everything dead centre. Unless we cut a direct line through the middle of their forces, we'll never gain any ground. This is Captain Kayto Shields speaking. Vanguards… FIRE!"
The entire ship screamed and shuddered, the very steel of the bulkheads creaking. In an awe-inspiring flash, everything went purest white, followed by the deepest, bloodiest crack of pinkish-red. Ion batteries coiled, humming loudly across the entire deck, and in a moment most grandiose, the flash of white dissipated.
One by one, like dominos across the blackness of the cosmic expense, a sea of fireballs erupted in a chain of mighty explosions, ship after ship of pirate origin quite simply bursting like fireworks at a Ceran military parade. Bang. Bang. Bang. There was no way to keep track of how many lights filled the eternal blackness of space.
"Hits confirmed, Captain." Crecentia's voice snapped Shields from his moment of almighty focus. "Fifteen destroyers caught in the blast radius. No. Make that twenty. Also, we're reporting a dozen pirate ryders have been destroyed. The path to their orbital station is open."
"Alright." It was time to bring an end to this. Shields threw his arm outward in a grandiose gesture. "All forces. Direct frontal assault. Have our Ryuvian allies push ahead for ship-to-ship combat while our ryders mop up the remaining missile units. We find Cosette… and we take her alive."
"Of course, sir." Ava gave a stiff salute – swinging around to deliver his commands. "All units… FULL F-"
"Not… so… fast."
The bridge commander's voice fell flat as an all too familiar voice, icy and violent, filled the deck. In a crackle of bluish light, the holographic systems burst to life, filling the command bridge with the projection of somebody all too familiar. Short in stature, short blonde hair and a petite body squeezed tight into a dark plug suit.
"Cosette." Kayto clenched his fist tight, eying the girl's projection with sharpened blue knives. "You've managed to jack our line? Of course…. Okay. I'll give you one final warning. Power down your orbital station and surrender yourself to Cera Command. Otherwise we'll have no choice but to decimate the rest of your men."
"Hah!" The notorious pirate scoffed at his warning, waving him off with a bitter, blood-curdling smile. "You think I'm finished just yet? Fuck you, Shields! Not a chance I'm throwing in the towel for a piece of shit like you! Not when we have a trump card…. I've been waiting soooo long to get you on my terms. Grab her!"
Kayto found his attention torn from Cosette as half a dozen tiny red dots, their signatures fitting ryders, sped with near unstoppable speed across the stars, twisting, turning and avoiding every flack gun and kinetic barrage in their patch. In a second flat they threw out a wide, crackling net, encircled the Blackjack, and wrapped it up tight.
"Capt'n," Asaga shouted over the comm-link. "They've got me in some kind of electrical suspension field. I can't put any power to the weapons or the thrusters. I'm trapped!"
It took but a second for Shields to plummet, a sickening, nauseating twinge crawling through his gut, his usually relaxed demeanour shattering like glass. His hand squeezed into a fist, slamming against the command console.
"Damn you, Cosmos. Let her go! We of the Sunrider refuse to be toyed with by ruffians like you."
"Now now, Captain." The Terror of the Stars mocked him with a waggle of the finger, shaking her head with a devilish smile. "You want your ace pilot back? You agree to play by my rules. Pull this fuckin' annoying fleet of yours away from Cutthroat territory. Dock the Sunrider at my station… and beam yourself aboard to meet with me… alone."
The entire deck fell under a veil of scathing silence. Even Ava, a woman so passionately driven and headstrong, stood statuesque, as if waiting to see how her leader would respond. Things weren't so simple anymore.
Asaga wasn't just the Sunrider's ace pilot. She was the queen of an entire planet, one which at one point held the known universe under near perfect control. This wasn't just a matter of the heart – it held the risk of becoming a full-blown political issue.
"Don't listen to her, capt'n," Asaga shouted over the comm. "You know it's a trap! If you do as that little witch says she'll try to-"
"Did you," Cosette cut in with a shrill bark, her holographic hand banging against her desk. "Call me little? Oh… that does it! Guys? Warp her back in here… now! Me and Miss Queenie are gonna get acquainted… at knifepoint."
In a powerful flash of light, the six ryders ensnaring the Blackjack hummed into action, buzzing away almost too fast to calculate. Such speed. They'd seen it before. Warp drive technology fitted into Ryders. Seemed like Icari wasn't the only one to have it after all.
Kayto stepped back from the console in front, glaring at the holograph of Cosette with rising, bubbling anger. "What do you hope to achieve here, Cosmos? Do you honestly think the Neutral Rim will allow you to snag one of its most influential figures and get away with it? You think I'll let you get away with it?"
"Oh no I don't, Shields," the pint-sized pirate cackled with evil laughter. "That's what I'm counting on. Now… you have twenty-four hours to pull back the rest of your fleet and dock here at the Man 'O War. Otherwise… a nice video of this bitch's throat gettin' cut's gonna arrive on the holonet. I'll be waaating for you. Cosmos, out."
The holograph fizzled away, leaving every pair of eyes on the command deck staring with dedicated focus. In but an instant the entire battle had stopped, a wave of deadly stillness washing over everything. Pirate blips upon the radar were slowly pulling back toward Cosette's orbital station, all while the Ceran fleet and their Ryuvian allies remained unmoving. There was no chatter over the broadcast channels. Not a word. Nothing.
"Captain," finally it was Ava's voice to shatter the empty void. "What would you have us do? Cosette's broadcast went across the open channel for the entire fleet. Everybody heard her demands."
"Damn it all." Kayto let out a low, painful exhale of breath. Eyes up, blue and filled with concern, he prepared to address the army at his back. "Vice-Admiral Shields here. We cannot risk the safety of Ryuvia's Queen. The prosperity of both Ryuvia Prime and Cera's restoration efforts depend on it."
His next order lodged hard in his throat, almost bitter enough to make him sick then and there.
"Withdraw the fleet and send word to both Ryuvia's royal enclave and Ceran Command. I'll meet Cosmos in person and get the queen back. Nobody is to come with me. I'll go by myself."
"But, sir. If you go-"
Shields was all too quick to slap down Ava's concerns with a stern wave of the hand. "By myself, Commander. I'll be in my quarters preparing to depart. Withdraw."
Without another word, Kayto bit down hard on his nerves, buried his feelings and turned in a wide swath, stepping down from the bridge and heading into connecting hall.
He ignored every other crewman, every salute and every single person who stopped to address him on his trip back toward his office. Naught but a single, dedicated thought shot though his mind, sparking like lightening.
"I'll bring you back, Asaga… no matter what I have to do."
To be continued….
There you have it. Another chapter finished. How did you like the little surprise? Did you enjoy the read? Feel free to leave some feedback and share your thoughts if you'd like. Part of me is also considering writing a Cosette/Kayto story at some point down the line.
As always, keep on supporting Sunrider and I'll see you in the next chapter of whatever I write. Thanks again for your time!