13. . . . And Into the Fire
"Dad! I mean - General, sensor have picked up a swarm of Hive ships bearing down on the flag!"
Avocato shook his head. No patience. He caught Little Cato's confused look. "The Lord Commander thinks I'm still aboard the flagship. He should have waited for our fighters to launch to give them more targets. Actually, he shouldn't have used them at all since all Super Incinerators have their own swarm and we'll just negate them as a weapon. Captain Nere, release the Hive. Captain t'Koot, hold yours in reserve. Laser batteries, target the enemy Hive!"
Two glittering clouds comprised of tiny robots streamed from the Super Incinerators and met in the no man's land between the armadas. Avocato's fleet was raining fire into the attackers, wiping them out with each shot. The Lord Commander's ship followed suit, blasting through the rebels' swarm, but Avocato had more ships, and this was where the disparity in numbers began to show.
"Mynn's Hive down to 86% strength," called Little Cato. "Dropping to 81% . . . 78 and falling. Sir, the swarms have made contact. Should we stop firing? We'll hit our own Hive."
"We still have t'Koot's in reserve," Avocato replied. "Colonel Cato, tell all batteries to maintain fire. I want them wiped out before they reach our shields."
"Yes, sir. Oh, we'll wipe them out," breathed Little Cato to himself as he followed orders. "We're gonna wipe them out so good, you'll never know they were here."
To mask his smile, Avocato took a sip of the steaming hot broth that had been delivered with his warmest uniform coat. Then he watched the battle as it unfolded and carefully considered the next course of action. He was not going to rule out the Lord Commander himself. In situations like this, the Lord Commander tended to react, not respond and if driven to desperation, was capable of a tremendous offense. It might ravage his body, but Avocato knew the Lord Commander would rather destroy everything, his own fleet included, rather than lose.
"Sir, they're targeting the flagship," exclaimed the officer on the scanners.
"Captain Nere can hold them," said Avocato, confident in her abilities. "Tell General Roc to start his-"
A dazzling, green-white beam suddenly shot out of the plasma screen on the Mynn's so-called battledeck. The thick band of light vaporized three rebel and two Tera Con ships in its course before focusing on a point beyond Tarb III's largest moon. Everyone cried out in pain, turning away.
"All ships, evasive maneuvers!" shouted Avocato, standing automatically.
"That's new," squeaked Little Cato, shielding his eyes. Totally forgetting the chain of command, he asked, "Dad, what is that?"
Avocato squinted and stared, momentarily stunned by the raw power he was witnessing. He had never seen the equal, and then he realized. "Mooncake. It's E35-1. Ensign, polarize the screen. Get me an analysis of the beam and its target."
The light faded to tolerable levels as the screen was adjusted, allowing them to watch without being blinded. The shock of the moment past, his crew rushed about, calling out reports of ships lost and progress in the fight.
"Tera Con Hive is down to 14%," called Little Cato above the din. "Ours is at 23%"
"Break off the laser barrage," ordered Avocato, forcing his voice to be steady. He sat down again, nausea triggered by the unexpected strain on his senses making him twinge. Fortunately, the crew was too busy to notice, and he took a few breaths before saying, "The remaining robots can wipe each other out. Tell General Kaal to bring ten of his ships around the perimeter to coordinates 4298.763 and back up Cree'took's squadron."
"General!" called the officer on communications. "Sir – the Ventrexian fleet just dropped out of lightfold!"
"Finally," he muttered, pushing himself upright with effort. "Belay that order to Kaal and tell all ships to launch fighters!"
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Gary smiled to reassure Fox and Ash as they squished together in the bomber's jump seats. The ship rocked as Thud evaded laser fire and debris, and they swayed with the erratic motion. Across from them, Bo, Boobies, and Boyardee sat stiffly. Bo and Boobies were festooned with spiked outfits and hair, looking like a pair of multicolored sea urchins. Boyardee had scored the French maid outfit, augmented with oversized boots covered with nails. Luckily everyone was strapped into their seats, otherwise human, Tryvuulian, and Serpentian would have been sheesh-kebabed as the ship was buffeted about.
"You guys okay?" he pressed, looking at the teens. "If you've got any misgivings, if you're too scared, stay on the ship with Thud."
Boyardee turned to Gary. "If I remain behind, the Tera Con Empire will never know the glory of my stylist's work."
"We owe it to the universe to expose them to true fashion," added Bo. "We are compelled to accompany you."
"Okay, not talking to you guys," snapped Gary.
"He appears jealous." Boobies managed to sound smug. "We are too dazzling for his comprehension."
"He is a fashion victim," agreed Boyardee. "Clearly he needs us."
Gary sighed and shook his head, but when he looked at Ash, she was pressing her lips together and looking downwards, trying to suppress a laugh. He caught Fox's eye, and shared a smile with the Tryvuulian.
"Naa," said Fox. "We're good. We'd rather go with you."
"Okay - but promise me if I give you an order, you'll do it and not argue. Deal?"
"Deal," said Fox. He nudged his sister.
"Yeah," she agreed softly.
The ship shuddered as all lasers fired. They could hear the engine's hum grow louder as Thud tried to blast through the Mynn's shielding.
"This is taking too blookin' long," Thud called. Oddly, his voice matched his name - deep, monotone, an devoid of emotion, though with a fairly colorful vocabulary. "I'm dropping you at the lightfold vent and you doogiebops will have to find a way down two decks."
"We got this," Gary replied, trying to ooze confidence for everyone present, himself included. He activated the control on his spacesuit. "Suit up, kids."
"The vent should be safe so long as they don't lightfold anywhere. Just don't hang out in there. Power off all weapons and you can get through the shield."
"Roger that, Thud!"
"Roger's back on the battleship," muttered Thud. "Brace for drop in three . . . goobalokie . . . one!"
The bomb bay opened overhead and they all activated their jet boots. The Incinerator's lightfold vent filled their view, so massive was the ship, and Gary realized even Fox could easily fit through the tarnished slats. There was a brief, tingly sensation as they moved through the shields, then they all slipped through the vent. Inside was dark, and the Three SAMES immediately activated their eye lamps, casting beams of yellowish light. After a moment, Gary activated his own, far more powerful flashlight to display a long, large corridor lined with silvery metal.
"Okay, not too sci-fi cliché kinda creepy. Let's not hang out. Find a maintenance hatch or a spot to cut through," said Gary, and despite himself, he whispered. They walked cautiously along, Fox muttering assurances to himself with each step. The corridor echoed and a warm breeze wafted through it.
"We can cut through here," announced Bo, pointing at the wall.
Gary gave him a sour look. "Or we can just open the hatch right next to it."
Bo sagged in disappointment. "My way was better. I crave destruction."
"Just open the door."
The corridor beyond was empty and dimly lit. Gary was suspicious at first, and then the faint sound of an explosion echoed through the ship, forcibly reminding him the Mynn was ground zero for a pitched battle.
"We need to get down a deck, cut through the docking bay, and go down one more deck, heading forward," said Gary, converting the flashlight back to a hand. Tribore had downloaded schematics of the Super Incinerator to his comm unit, and he projected a display of their route, making sure they all saw and grasped what they were doing. He drew his blaster. "Weapons out. We'll try for sneaky first, and then upgrade to deadly force. Stay close."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Fighter ships added a dimension of mayhem mere ship-to-ship battles could not hope to match. Avocato could not watch the displays of the battle - the moving lights exacerbated his headache and nausea. Instead, he left the hotshot pilots to their own devices - they hardly needed his input - and focused on the ships of the line.
The Zintabo, whose ships were built more for hit-and-run than fleet actions, wisely hung back behind the Ventrexian fleet, striking out when the opportunity presented itself. They hit fast and hard, and their targets rarely survived. The Tryvuulians were holding their own until he saw General Kaal's ship take a series of plasma bombs - the first three took out his shields, the nest three knocked out life support and the landing bays. General Roc was busy with three Incinerators at once, and not in a position to defend the wounded carrier.
"Cataloupe, I need you to support the Tryvuulians!"
Instantly an image of the general appeared. Cataloupe stroked his mustache like a pet as he said, "Cato, please tell me it's Kaal."
"Just get your tail over there!" Avocato barked, not about to feed that ego any more than necessary. He gestured sharply, like he used to when Little Cato was misbehaving. Cataloupe and Kaal's well-documented animosity dated back four decades or more, and the opportunity to save his old enemy-turned-ally was too rich for the general not to gloat.
"Ha-ha!" crowed Cataloupe, reading between the lines.
"Go!" Avocato cut the transmission before he said something rude. Instantly, another message arrived, projected before Avocato.
"We have a problem," announced Tribore, his blep on full display.
"Quickly," ordered Avocato.
"Commander Thud, my other wing commander. His ship took a direct hit and he's out of commission. There are too many Hawks for Commander Thunder to lead alone. I need someone who's able to take charge of Alpha Flight."
"I'll do it."
No . . .
Avocato turned, not wanting to believe his own ears. Little Cato, Colonel Cato, his son, his prince, his world, stood behind him. Slim and proud, he looked Avocato square in the eye and repeated,
"I'll do it. I'll lead them."
"No," he breathed, knowing he had lost already.
Little Cato raised his chin. "I'm a soldier and a prince. And I'm your son, Avocato. You've taught me so much, including the fact I can't ask anyone to risk more than I'm willing to risk myself. If I'm ever going to lead our people, you need to let me do this."
He stared at this child, his beautiful, wonderful son, and Avocato felt the all-consuming grief shared by every father who had ever sent his child off to war, and like every father, he put on a brave face while in his heart the whole universe came to a halt. He had been a soldier almost all of his life, and he had never felt a fear or torment to equal the emotion that gripped him now. But he had asked so many other parents to make this very sacrifice. How could he not make it himself and expect anyone to respect him on the morrow?
Unable to speak, he nodded his permission instead. Pulling him close, he pressed his forehead to Little Cato's hard, letting his know how fierce his love and pride was in this glorious, terrible moment. Drawing back, Avocato looked directly into those wide, white eyes and repeated the ancient Ventrexian blessing:
"Protect yourself, so you can protect what you love."
As if realizing the depth of his father's anguish, Little Cato hugged him around the waist, military etiquette be damned. "I'm going to lead them so good, Dad."
"I know," he whispered, tears burning his eyes as he returned the embrace. He struggled to keep his voice from cracking. "I'll see you soon. I love you, my prince. My son."
"Love you, too, Dad."
Avocato didn't know how he managed to let go. He waited until the door closed behind Little Cato to look at Tribore, his expression dark and desperate. "General Menendez . . . "
"We'll look after him," lisped Tribore, completely serious. He recognized that look in Avocato's eyes. Avocato had lost his son once before; he could not do so again. "I promise."
But Avocato just sank slowly into his chair, and bowed his head in silent agony.