Chapter 54
Well as it turned out the second fleet was rather sedate in its approach after exiting FTL. I assume they saw this fleet and how trashed it was and decided to act with caution. They were currently in an orbit that spoke to them completing a pass by of the planet before likely engaging while speeding away from us. It was the most annoying possible move as that would make them impossible to catch up with once they passed us. Mentally I already wrote off the fleet as having escaped with minor damages.
"Wheres the Renegade's regret? I thought they were sending out boarding shuttles, and yet I haven't heard a word from them."
"They likely think we lack the forces to properly board the enemy void ships. Should I contact them and see if they would reconsider?"
I nod, "of course I can't have them killing everybody onboard. Moreover, I'd like to make sure the capture of the captain of the light cruiser is not bungled. He may have information on what they're doing out in the Kuiper belt and where their leader is to be found.
"Send them a firmly worded request to join and don't bother being nice. Have you picked up any shuttles coming our way from the Revenants? I want an ETA and I'd like to board the light cruiser at the same time. Please get Breacher to warm up and have the pesantes and our newly printed boarding companions ready."
"Understood I will begin matching the light cruiser. Onyx marines are ETA in 2 hours, we should be ready shortly before they arrive."
I nod as I sit down to watch the last desperate attempt from those Princes as our friends take their time dismantling any hope of the warships retreating from this battle. The former merchant vessels at this point have begun to flee leaving their protectors behind as they attempt to use the planet as a shield before leaving, not even waiting for their shuttles to return.
'Guess I should expect nothing less from strong armed pirates, they saw their moment to flee and took it. What are the chances they take the chance to leave the system?'
'About 70% I would think, this system has clearly been disappointingly lacking in profit if the Revenants previous state is anything to show. The only reason they're still here is likely because the moment they try to power up their thrusters to engage their FTL drive, they would be shot at and even once they leave this whole system would have drained far too many resources. The pirates are likely learning a tedious lesson in the sunk cost fallacy.'
I smile and wish them well in retreating from the system. Hopefully they'll spread the news of this system and convince some of the crowd likely heading my direction of the folly in showing up here.
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TIME:
2 HOURS LATER
I stare forwards as the docking port opens and an already opened door greets me. Squinting my eyes I looked and found nobody nor the hint of anyone hiding.
Cautiously I stepped forward checking the armor's sensors twice expecting to find maybe a tripwire or some other trap, I found nothing. The halls were dark, lightless, and quiet like a moonless night on some terrestrial world. It was so dark that even the night vision failed to pick up anything useful.
With a stray thought I had the light on my left shoulder click on. What greeted me showed me why I found nobody welcoming me with gunfire and annoying hymns.
I looked down at what appeared to be some citizen laying in a pool of blood. His head had clearly taken a rather hard hit as I couldn't see any puncture wounds or cuts that could cause so much bleeding.
"Wow, he got it rough, chances are his brain is just intact enough to keep his heart running?"
"None, from what the power armor is detecting he's already cooled off."
"Damn, alright moving on. Sitrep on our marine guests?" I ask beginning to walk forwards, walking a step behind the tracks of an autonomous armed ground vehicle. I believe the humans call these ground drones or something; rather simplistic in my eyes for something so varied.
"They exited their shuttles near the Astro Dawn, currently propelling themselves towards the nearby void a missile created. You should help them get in the bulkheads that have long since closed off the area. Please follow the AAGV and be ready for a crowded reception, they concentrated every marine they had on this light cruiser. I have detected a few wearing worn class II medium power armor, other than that about a company's worth will be entering and cooperating."
"Sigh At least tell them where to go. I don't want to wait for too long, feel free to tap into their comms to relay the message," I reply.
Walking forwards I heard the alarms start to blare clearly detecting my intrusion. Though it makes me wonder why it took so long the Astro Dawn didn't exactly dock with all that much care.
I shake my head as I continue to pass bodies all killed in varying ways though some were rather slow. Entering a big room I am able to finally turn off the lamp on my shoulder thanks to a flickering overhead light.
"Eeehh that must have hurt." I grimaced, stepping to the side avoiding another lost cattle. His death was rather grim, a box about the size of a person fell on him, but not on his head. He must have stumbled after the missile hit, then fell to the ground followed by a heavy crate falling on him crushing everything below his hips to powder likely. It was a rather clean death on the outside but the look of agony on his face was rather clear probably died of internal hemorrhaging
Reaching the other end of the large storage room I found my destination. It was a large slab of metal blocking off a corridor big enough to drive a small vehicle through.
"Breacher your up make sure to just lift the bulkhead, I want them shut after they're in."
I heard a knock on the thick steel door, clearly someone was on the other side being a little impatient. Breacher walked up to the side of the door and... start cutting through the entire fucking thing with a plasma torch so hot that it almost blinded me.
"What the hell Breacher, I want this closed afterwards!" I yelled walking up to the dumb brute. Mom's voice cut in before I manually stopped it, "Calm down Lilith, he has a way of patching holes this big, just give him some room and warn the marines after they've entered."
I backed off but I felt the door I entered through slam closed as the atmosphere quickly escaped. Finally after a dozen minutes I felt a dull shake and looking over a section of the metal bulkhead had fallen over.
And finally I was able to lay my eyes upon the armed forces of humanity nowadays. First to walk through with all the stiff grace of a cargo mech was a group wearing power armor that had last seen better days about a decade ago. There weren't any dents or other issues that may cause damage to the servos underneath, but just from the gait I could tell there were parts nearing failure.
Nobody tried to even communicate with me while the rest of the soldiers slowly made their ways through the impromptu door. Eventually after another 12 minutes everybody was through and the door was sealed with some form of expanding foam Breacher had available.
I walked towards a different entrance to this room than the one I came through. I was closely followed by the men in power armor, who were still not even attempting to communicate with me. Thankfully the bulkhead was thin and Breacher was able to slice through it like it was just foil.
Just as the sheet of metal fell and the atmosphere returned with a roar the gunfire started immediately. Nobody was stupid enough to stand in front of Breacher while he was cutting and thankfully our cutter robot was able to weather the storm of small arms fire with the placid calm of an especially dimwitted creature.
Before I got the chance one of the marines ran beside the door and chucked something through the bulkhead. Taking a guess as to what he'd just thrown I sent a command to the AAGV to attack anything that moved.
However in spite of what I thought was thrown a thick yellowish green cloud began drifting like a fog through the breach. I immediately realized what that fog was as gun fire suddenly cut off and my power armor began filtering the air for me to breathe.
"Mom can you please patch me through to their comms, I would've liked to have known they were throwing chlorine gas at the enemy before it started drifting through the door!"
"Yes, give me a moment."
Despite what Mother said I immediately heard their voices sound through my helmet, "Think that robot will be able to see through the gas, over?"
"Of course it will be able to, the sensors are more than up to the task, out." I answered one of the marine's questions and immediately everything went quiet. Though that only lasted a moment before they demanded to know who I was.
I turned to look back at one of the soldiers wearing power armor and just pointed at myself, "The one with control over the robots and also the only person here not from your group, over."
I marched forwards as I waited for the next question, but thankfully it was never vocalized, it seems some of them still have a little grey matter in their heads.
Walking through the fog I was able to confirm three cultists had died from the chlorine gas. As we pressed forwards through the caustic cloud quickly disappeared, filters and atmospheric cyclers rapidly removed it.
Feeling I should err on the side of caution I sent the AAGV forwards finding a manned barricade at the next corner. Using its mounted triple barrel gatling gun it fired with precision quickly killing anything that poked its head up for even a single second.
I ran forwards joined by the soldiers in power armor. We turned a corner just finding our opponents draped over the barricade. Suddenly someone threw something over the top of the barricade but before it could even travel two meters the AAGV swiveled its turret and fired a single shot shattering the grenade.
Bang
Tink! Tink! Tink!
I continue to run forward despite the fact I was showered in fragments of a grenade. Checking the armor I found no damage was taken by now I was vaulting over the barricade. Looking back I saw one of the enemy "Templars" as they apparently referred to themselves huddled behind the ramshackle barrier.
I quickly spun around slamming my power armored foot into the side of his head; which bursted into red mist from the force of the impact.
Continuing forwards I kicked down the barrier making a path for the AAGV to move forwards. The pesantes I brought however just jumped over the barricade and immediately ran off ahead of us looking for a room we could use to try and source a map of the ship.
Following closely behind them I let my armor sensors search for walls and doors trying to look for any signs of a computer. Fortunately the search didn't take long, one of the squads of Marines that had begun to split up found a suspiciously well protected door.
I was currently on the starboard side of the ship while the servers were on the opposite side. The journey back didn't feature much combat, the marines had seemed to clear the area rather well, though they took casualties none were fatal, I was starting to wonder how long that would remain the case.
The pesantes proved rather helpful in sedating the wounded allowing the medics to work efficiently. The eyes those medics gave the pesantes had grown noticeably more soft over the course of the boarding action.
Finally arriving which took almost half an hour thanks to the maze-like passageways all void ships sported for defensive reasons. I cursed as I spotted Breacher already working his skills on the door.
This door was surprisingly not being cut open with a plasma torch rather Breacher was attempting to do something with something it pulled out of the wall.
It didn't take long for whatever it was doing to work and the door swished open with a faint warm breeze. Everyone stormed in and we thankfully found nobody inside the room that was housing rows of computer desks like something from some office space.
Immediately I strutted up to one of the computers and connected something I had stored in one of the pesantes to it. I could almost feel the gaze of everyone on me as the computer turned on before quickly being unlocked and its contents scanned for any useful information.
"Erin have you managed to find anything, over?"
"Affirmative, I have a rough map of the ship and a good idea where to look next. The only problem is that it's on the top floor of this forsaken vessel. And from what little I could grab their armory will be standing in our way so we'd best expect fierce resistance, out."
Walking back towards the door my sensors detect something, faint tremors and the sound of heavy stomping in the distance. Immediately I had a foreboding feeling that I already knew what we were about to be facing.
"Lilith, be advised a group in power armor is approaching your location."
I turn around to see the marines having clearly not noticed our upcoming guests. I reluctantly alerted them and I could see everyone not wearing power armor flinch as one by my news.
With a sardonic grin clear in my voice I started outlining a plan to try and take down the circus parade headed our way.