108: The Seeker Swarms – Four
The crew of the Pelekys was once again seated around the low table in the rec room, the screen on if full of a truly obscene amount of data.
"Okay, so I'm really really really loving my new upgrades!" Viatrix said, a hint of the Program's sinister giggle coming through as her avatar twisted on the tabletop, "I was able to get into the Thalatte network as easy as if there wasn't any security on it at all! This has gotta be what being drunk feels like!"
"Just make sure you don't get too drunk," Rhea warned with a laugh, sitting on the edge of one of the couches to get a better look at what was on display, "I have no idea what the digital equivalent of dealing with a hangover would even look like, but it's it's anything like an organic hangover, it'll suck!"
Simmering down, Viatrix tells her, "Don't worry, I don't wanna be inebriated for this! I found the transponder signal for the Kladimo, so I know exactly where it is."
"Impressive." V'tala said, swiping through some of the files from her place sat on the floor next to the table, "I take it you couldn't do this before?"
"Not to this degree," Viatrix explained as she moved her avatar over to be closer to V'tala, "And not from this distance. It's… hmm… I guess the closest way to describe it is that before I could just see things with my naked eyeballs, but now I've got a telescope? And that telescope also lets me see every spectrum of light and also through solid objects and a bunch of other stuff too. That's probably the closest I could get to describing what it feels like to look for data now without getting into the coding language of it all."
Leaning against the back of the couch Rhea was seated on, Malakh asked, "So why don't you give us a rundown of what your telescopic sight has shown you?"
A digital map took over the screen then, showing simple renderings of a planet with an expansive ring system. Against the pale blue of the projection, white lines to denote the features on display, there were dozens of red dots, organized in a way that made it clear they weren't natural formations.
"This is a system about midway between Thalatte and Meleten territory, nothing much to make it a worthwhile destination, which is probably why Usys is using it as what appears to be a staging ground." Viatrix told them, a dot in the centre of the red mass turning yellow, "I was careful about it, because I'm still testing the limits of what all my upgrades can do now and didn't want to accidentally tip anyone off, but I managed to get a peek into their communications. Usys is assembling an army of thalatte mercenaries, and I'll give you three guesses as to why. You honestly just need one, thought."
"I do believe they intend to kill us, not capture us," Pryseia said from her perch on the couch across from Rhea, "I'd say the force they are gathering is overkill, but knowing the capabilities of the Storlayacas as I do…"
"They certainly intend to give us a run for our money, is the saying, I believe?" Nevara said from her spot next to Pryseia, shooting Rhea a look.
"Sure is," Rhea said, snapping her fingers and then pointing at her, "The fact that they think we're this much of a threat is kind of flattering, not gonna lie, but oof, that's a lot of ships! How are we going to deal with all that?"
Scooting off the armchair she'd been sitting on to kneel in front of the table, Elytra asked, "Any idea what these mercenaries are like? Are they the type to fight to the death, or would they turn tail and flee if we took out the one paying them?"
"If they were any other race, I could guarantee the latter," Pryseia told her, "But if they're all thalatte, they could go either way. Those who do not thrive in the Thalatte military's setting often find greater success as a mercenary, and so depending on what terms they left under, this could mean that they are as likely to be as loyal to whoever's paying them as any Thalatte officer would be to their commander, or they could be there strictly to undermine anyone still adhering to their draconian system. Given what we know of this Commander Usys, I believe they would seek out those with a reputation for loyalty to the Thalatte."
Frowning, Elytra said, "So then the odds are good that even if we take out the Kladimo, the mercenaries will still come after us?"
"That is the worst case scenario I would trust, in this regard." Pryseia agreed.
Leaning back against the couch, Rhea suggested, "There's always the option for stealth, now that the Pelekys' capabilities for such are far in excess of what the Thalatte engineers intended. We could sneak into the system, do a quick flyby with guns blazing and take out the Kladimo and flee before the mercs have a chance to react?"
"I will not dismiss that plan," Pryseia said, "But I feel it needs to be somewhat more robust before we enact it."
"We know exactly where they are, so what about opening a tear from subspace in the middle of them?" V'tala asked, "The force from that would be sure to cause some damage."
"Too much damage," Nevara clarified, "And it would catch us in it. Opening up a subspace tear too close to machinery in normal space causes catastrophic energy overloads, and it is the resultant explosions that are the true danger here. Thanks to the oddities of subspace's laws of physics, leaping from normal space to subspace in the midst of detonating ships is less risky, as the damage is dissipated quickly enough to avoid it altogether."
"So then maybe a combo," Elytra suggested, "Get in close enough with stealth that we could sneak up right beside them and open up a tear?"
"The odds of that being a success do feel better." Nevara said, looking to Pryseia.
Nodding at that, Pryseia said, "I agree. Upgrades or no, Storlayacas or no, I would rather not risk the odds currently stacked against us should we attempt to fight our way through this gathered host. To be perfectly transparent, I would rather not deal with this threat at all, but if this is the force Usys is gathering to pursue us, then to ignore it would only lead to it becoming exponential worse."
"I'm with you on that," Malakh said, her ears pinned flat, "One of the only things that's been keeping me from really losing my cool is the fact that all our Kith broadcasting equipment would detonate when the Thalatte invariably try to pry it apart, and the resultant explosion would take us with it. The thought of being back in their control again? I can't deal with that."
Rhea reached back to hold one of Malakh's hands, her expression making it apparent that she'd take death over slavery again too.
"While we're on the subject of Kith," Elytra said, keen to divert the conversation away from a topic that she could feel had everyone rattled, "Do we want to film or broadcast any of this stuff in character?"
"Well, we did manage to catch those Thalatte agents talking about us, and them cornering us on that station," Malakh pointed out, "So we do have something started on that front. I don't know that we should really get into the whole truth that the Thalatte are after us because we're escaped slaves, but we could do something with the narrative we set up about Kaizoku and the Hand stealing the Pelekys from them."
Rhea perked up at that, adding, "There is also the fact that it looks like all but one of these ships is a mercenary craft, so we could instead spin it so that these are just mercs who've been contracted to track us down, instead of the Thalatte military being after us. I think, with the narrative we're trying to spin with this, we should just record the fight instead of broadcast it, just so we have a little more control over things."
"Yeah, we can just go in and focus on taking care of the threat, and then we can figure out interstitial stuff with our characters later," Elytra said, her eyes going distant as she began imagining the edits already, "That way we don't have to worry about trying to fit in a lore heavy monologue or something in the middle of a firefight."
"Very well. We stealth into this system, open a subspace tear in the middle of this throng in order to take out the Kladimo, and then get out to avoid open combat with the hired guns. Any objections or alterations?" Pryseia asked, glancing around at everyone.
No one had anything to say, other than to give their confirmation that they were down for this plan.
Nodding, Pryseia turned to Nevara and said, "Set course for that system as soon as you are able. If nothing else, this will give us a more accurate representation of what our stealth capabilities are like in a combat situation."
As everyone stood to prepare for the journey, Elytra could feel a sense of determination burning in each of them like a sun, a far cry from the dread that had gripped them earlier. She couldn't help but smile at that. Whatever was waiting for them, they'd be able to overcome it. They had each other, after all, and no slaver would come between them ever again.
In the time it took the Pelekys to reach the nameless system where Usys was gathering their forces, they'd managed to gather a whole lot more. A mismatched fleet of whatever ships the mercenary groups had been able to get their hands on, it now numbered in the hundreds.
"What was that you said about the quantity of people coming after us being flattering?" Malakh murmured, shooting Rhea a glance. Her wife could only raise her eyebrows and laugh nervously at what lay before them.
All of them were dressed in their Kith armour, though they'd forgone the hair and makeup styling they usually applied when going into character. Their armoured spacesuits were a preemptive safety measure rather than a prop for this engagement. Already sealed with their helmets in place, they'd just kept their face plates open so they could look each other in the eye. With the risky mission ahead of them, they'd needed the assurance of seeing each other alive and well.
"My scanners are feeling around, and it doesn't look like anyone's spotted us yet." Viatrix said quietly, as if she were afraid the mercenaries would hear her if she talked too loud, "Give the go ahead and I can start charging the jump engine."
"Now is the final time to voice it if anyone wishes to disengage?" Pryseia asked, but no one was against this plan.
"Alright. Engage combat mode." She said, and a moment later the dome of the bridge projected the outside view as Viatrix brought it up.
The system where this was all set to take place in was a sparse expanse, just an asteroid field around a young, bright blue star, with a cream and green gas giant skirting the furthest edge of it, its own ring no doubt stolen from the asteroid belt itself. It was in orbit above this planet that Usys' fleet was congregating, and as varying as the ships in it were, they were all arrayed in uniform, Thalatte regulation ranks.
With the combat mode engaged, the controls for the gunner stations unlocked, swinging into ready mode in front of Elytra and V'tala, the rear gunner controls emerging from the Pryseia's throne.
"See you on the flip side." Rhea said, giving them a brief smile as she and Malakh turned to leave for the engine room, her wife taking a moment to catch everyone's eye.
"We await your discretion." Pryseia said to Nevara before she swivelled her seat around, readying her rear guns.
With a calm that belied the dangerous situation they were about to fly into, Nevara said, "Viatrix, please alert me when the jump engines are at fifty percent."
"You got it." She replied, a nervous edge to her voice.
The ambient droning that was ever present aboard the Pelekys changed pitch slightly as the jump engines spun up, and Nevara gently moved the ship closer to their target. It was several tense moments before Viatrix announced, "Fifty percent charge."
Activating the ship wide comms, Nevara announced, "I'm bringing us is."
Eyes glued on the fleet they were advancing on, hands on the gunner controls but fingers carefully off the triggers, Elytra was all but holding her breath as Nevara brought them steadily nearer. Spread out as they were, she could feel the tensions coiling within everyone aboard the Pelekys.
"Seventy five percent." Viatrix said, and Nevara picked up speed, angling the ship so that she'd be able to shoot it straight through the heart of the mercenary fleet. They had only seconds before this problem would be dealt with, and they could get on with their lives.
"Ninety percent."
They were on the edge of what would be the scanner range of these ships, and Nevara fully opened up the throttle, the Pelekys descending like a lance into the centre of that gathered fleet.
"Jump engines fully charged."
The ship rocked around them, warning alarms blaring, and Elytra was knocked sideways in her seat as the inertial dampeners fought against something. She only had enough time to register the fact that she couldn't make out the pastel iridescence of subspace when Malakh's voice came over the comms, "EMP! Jump engines down! Shields down! A lot of systems are down!"
"The mercs are just as crippled as we are!" Viatrix called out.
All across the dome of the bridge, the mercenary ships were scattering, some falling into their own little formations, others breaking off individually, and then they began to open fire. Most shots went wide, seemingly aiming at where they thought the Pelekys was, but others were able to track them, and it was only Nevara's exceptional piloting abilities that kept them from being struck by more than glancing blows.
Over a blanket broadcast, rather than a directed hail, a voice called out, "Thieves of the TNF Pelekys, thank you for falling into my trap. For the murders you have committed, Thalatte command has demanded your execution. I, Commander Usys Tase Ary Coit, am here to deliver you to the death that you so justly deserve. Surrender, and I will personally ensure that your end is swift and painless. Resist, and you will live long enough to regret it."
"How long until systems are online?" Pryseia asked over the comms, her voice level despite the threats baring down on them.
"Even with the newly upgraded Hyttan repair protocols, at least a half hour," Malakh told her, "Rhea and I are already started."
"I don't know if I'll be able to avoid fatal damage that long," Nevara told her, even as she dodged the ship around incoming fire, "I could outpace some of the ships in this armada, but not all of them. Without the jump engines, they'll be able to run us to ground."
Elytra could hardly think over her own panic - she'd started firing at incoming ships at Malakh's initial alert, V'tala's guns lighting up in her periphery - but Pryseia was like an icy lake behind her as she said, "If they brought all these forces together to deal with Storlayacas, then it is Storlayacas they will deal with. Viatrix, keep the ship out of harm's way as much as you can. The rest of you, alight to the cargo hold."
Pryseia's command was the only thing Elytra could focus on as she scrambled out of her seat, making a break for the hallway behind the bridge. She barely registered the run through the mess hall and into the armoury, V'tala ahead of her with Pryseia and Nevara behind as the demat zone transitioned them into the cargo hold, Rhea and Malakh already halfway up the walkway to the cockpits of their mechs, all of which were swinging open for them. Her panic didn't settle until she was seated in Lianshae's seat, control apparatus and harness settling into place around her, her view switching to the world as seen through the mech's eyes, the cargo hold giving way to the void of space as Viatrix dematted them outside.
She could feel Lianshae around her, not just the machine, but the presence within it, a force like a moon hanging directly behind her skull. It wasn't a communion, but Lianshae could feel her intentions as easily as if they were its own thoughts. A foreign resolve rushed through Elytra as Lianshae itself rushed through the void, the other Storlayacas units alongside it, until with a twist they weren't.
Until together they were Storlayacas.
Their energy sabre was in their hand almost as soon as they were united, the mercenary ships barrelling down on them seeming to slow to a crawl as a dozen consciousnesses focused into a single point of view, perceiving the reality around them at a rate magnitudes faster than those attacking them. With the location of the Pelekys locked firmly in their awareness, Storlayacas lunged, sabre swinging wide, and a swath of ships were vaporized before them.
Like an electric current, Storlayacas darted from ship to ship, formation to formation, crossing lengths of space in seconds that would have taken the ships themselves minutes to traverse, wiping out a quarter of their number before they had a chance to so much as reverse thrusters.
Righteous fury coursed through Storlayacas. These fools unknowingly followed in the footsteps of the Hyttan, trying to spread their rule to all the stars of the galaxy. And should they succeed here, they would doom their entire race - all races - to meet the same end. For the sake of trillions of lives, these hundreds would need to die.
And so Storlayacas destroyed them all.