Chapter 14: Taking the Bridge
Zill Destroyer Hammerhead, Bridge
"Captain, we're under attack!" shouted the crewman.
"Give me a status report, what's going on out there?" demanded Captain Kadesh.
"Two targets just appeared dead ahead!" replied the crewman. "Two large humanoids, one red, one blue! They're...well, you should see this for yourself."
Kadesh looked out the front viewer and saw the two Djinn, both of them dancing and posing. "Ohhh... That's just disturbing," said Kadesh, recoiling in disgust. "Target weapons and open fire, now! And launch the fighters immediately!"
"Sir, something is wrong! The hangar doors won't open!" shouted another crewman. "And we've got more targets off the portside!"
Kadesh ran to one of the scanning stations and looked at the visual scanner. "What the devil? It's those Magic Knights!"
"Sir, we've got incoming! Three mobile armors...they're Zill design!"
"What? Show me now!" yelled Kadesh, switching to the next scope. "It can't be...the War Wolves! They really have joined the enemy! Have the gunners take them down before they reach us!"
Moments later there were explosions rocking the Hammerhead violently. "Sir, the mobile armors breached the hangar! They've destroyed our fighters and taken control!"
"This can't be happening," said Kadesh. "Get the troops to the hangar now! I want them dead this instant! And seal off the bridge!"
In the lower levels of the ship, the boarding party were fighting their way through the corridors. Zill troopers were firing at them, trying to stop them.
"Boy, these guys don't make it easy," said Umi, hiding behind cover as blaster fire whizzed past her.
"Yeah, we Zill are nothing if not efficient fighters," said Raxx, hiding with her. "Of course, that goes for us too!" He popped out of cover and shot back, taking out two soldiers.
"We need to get to the elevators," said Kefka, shooting back at the troopers. "From there, we'll have to breach the bridge."
"Winds of Admonisment!" shouted Fuu, restraining the attacking troopers. "Hurry, we need to push forward before they break free!"
They rushed forward, heading for the elevators. A few more troopers appeared, trying to block their path.
"Water Dragon!" yelled Umi, taking down the troopers with a single spell.
"Impressive technique, Umi!" said Raxx. "You really are full of surprises!"
"Told you so," Umi said with a wink.
Kefka started tapping commands into the elevator. "Dammit, they must have sealed off the bridge already! We won't be able to take this up all the way!" he growled.
"So how close can we get to the bridge?" asked Hikaru, cutting down a trooper who tried to rush their position.
"We can get to the deck just below, then we'll have to fight our way up," said Kefka. The elevator doors finally opened. "Everyone, get in quickly!"
They all piled in and began the journey to the upper decks. They could feel the ship vibrating from weapons fire. It seemed they were still fighting the Djinn.
"I hope those Djinn your friends summoned can keep them busy just a bit longer," said Shakku. "If they go down, the ship might turn its fury on the surface."
"They will be fine, I am sure of it," said Fuu. "Don't worry so much. Everything is going to go according to plan."
Up ahead, a squad of troopers were waiting just outside the elevator, weapons trained on the doors. As soon as they opened, its occupants would be cut down by a hailstorm of gunfire. Nobody was getting to the bridge as long as they were there. They listened carefully as the elevator was coming closer and closer.
"Flame Arrow!"
The doors had barely cracked open when a powerful stream of flames burst out, blowing the troopers to oblivion.
"Second floor, men's wear, formal attire, and barbecued Zill," said Raxx, surveying the damage.
"Ugh, that smell," said Umi, wrinkling her nose as it was assaulted by charred Zill.
"Yes, it is gruesome," said Fuu, "but unfortunately it is also necessary."
"Come on, we're almost there!" said Hikaru, already running alongside Kefka.
Zill troopers tried to rush them, armed with short energy blades. Hikaru and her friends cut them down, one by one, and continued to push forward. Finally they reached the door that led to the bridge, but as predicted it was sealed tight, its blast doors secured as well.
"Let me see if I can't force an override," said Meex, tapping away at the door panel. "Come on, work with me here. Just work with me." After a few seconds the door buzzed, refusing to open. He let out a frustrated groan. "Damn... So much for that plan."
Kefka turned to Hikaru. "Think you can conjure up an extra strong fire spell for this one?"
Hikaru grinned and held up her hand, the gem already glowing brightly. "You don't even have to say please! Flame Arrow!"
The door didn't give way under the impact, but it was buckling badly. "Guys, let's give it all we've got!" said Hikaru. "Flame Arrow!"
"Water Dragon!"
"Emerald Typhoon!"
As the bridge crew of the Hammerhead watched, the doors exploded inward. Through the smoke, the Magic Knights and the War Wolves rushed in, putting down anyone foolish enough to draw weapons against them. The smart ones immediately raised their hands and backed up.
"Alright people, where's the captain of this fine vessel?" asked Kefka, stepping forward.
"Umm...he's right over there," said one of the soldiers, pointing over by the door.
Everyone turned around and saw a horribly charred Zill officer, partially crushed under the remains of the ruined blast door.
"Ooh... Ouch," said Umi, cringing.
"That definitely wasn't what I planned," said Hikaru.
"Perhaps we overdid it," added Fuu.
"Such is the way of war," said Jiang matter-of-factly as he removed something from Kadesh's ruined body and brought it over to Kefka. "His command key."
"At least this survived," said Kefka, inserting the key into the command console. He also tapped the side of his helmet. "Ferio, good news! We've successfully taken the bridge! The ship is ours!"
"Well that's good news," came Ferio's reply. "Just in the nick of time, too. Those guys managed to shoot down the Djinn with those disruptor cannons of theirs just before you took them down."
"How are Tarta and Tatra doing?" asked Umi, worried.
"They're going to be okay," said Ferio. "Probably going to need a lot of rest and recuperation, but they're going to be fine. Looking forward to seeing you back here with your prize!"
"We're on our way," said Kefka, ending the transmission. Turning to the rest of the crew, he said, "Okay folks, time for us to go on a little trip. And I think you'll all be pleased with your new accommodations."
Cephiro Castle
The Hammerhead was hovering over the castle, while the Autozam engineers took their time examining and studying its workings. Down below, the Magic Knights and the War Wolves were celebrating their successful mission.
"We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" said Kefka, wearing a huge grin. "That actually went better than I'd originally hoped. Congratulations, everyone!"
"I agree, we were great out there!" said Hikaru, holding Mokona.
"Pu, pu pu!" said Mokona, wiggling his ears.
"Now we just have to wait and see if the engineers can find a weakness in those weapons," said Fuu. "And the sooner, the better."
"In the meantime, I'm going to just sit back and relax a spell," said Umi. "What about you, Raxx?"
"I'll take some down time later on," said Raxx. "I volunteered to help with the wounded refugees from the surface raids, so I'll be doing that for a bit. But maybe afterwards we could spend some time together?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," said Umi with a smile.
"See you then," said Raxx, heading out.
"Goodness Miss Umi, you've been seeing a lot of Sir Raxx lately," said Fuu.
Umi immediately turned red and flustered. "Wha-what are you talking about? I'm just happy about our success today, that's all! It's got nothing to do with me and Raxx hanging out!"
"Nobody said it did," said Shakku, smirking. "But you, on the other hand, did say that."
Umi just turned even more red and hung her head. The others all started laughing lightly.
"Come on, let's all have some fun," said Kefka. "We've earned it."