The asteroid ‘AR-gamah’, unidentified space between Mars and Earth’s orbit. August 1. 1000 Solar Era.

“Levy. Remain on Atlas and switch all motor devices to neuro automaton swarms. Spread your swarms far and wide such that the enemy cannot gain an advantage by deploying a blind. Do not engage your swarms and only seek to preserve them to prevent the enemy using a blind!”

James was beginning to feel a tinge of pressure now that Smirnov’s nexarm needed to fully refit its damaged plates. The data from Mars indicated that the T3ST colony members had an upper ceiling of mid-twenties devices. James did not believe in that data-- he suspected it was in the thirties.

To his estimation, the three enemy nexarms would have a total of ninety-plus neuro channels, so maybe forty-plus or even fifty neuro motor weapons or swarms combined. In order to suppress the three enemy units, he needed more neuro devices. On average, they had twenty to twenty-six devices and as such needed at least five members to have an advantage against the three enemy units.

James MacLeod had no choice but to put Levy in a slightly uncomfortable position of defending against the remaining enemy nexarm still on the enemy starship alone. But, if Levy avoided direct confrontation, that might give the rest of the team enough time to deal a blow against the three enemy nexarms.

If only Smirnov’s unit was still operational…

“Sir. I will force myself if need be.” Athena was also quite aware of the current numbers.

“Thank you.” Somewhat relieved, James led their now team of five back towards the asteroid ‘AR-gamah’, the last known location of the three T3ST unit nexarms.

“Keep your devices attached to your body! In this open space, spreading out your weapons will lead to your central control mainframe lacking in defense capabilities!” James reminded the NSF.

Very soon, they approached the asteroid.

“Sir! The sun!” Clio was the first to notice their enemy’s approach.

Bone, Yfour and Zseven had finished placing the necessary drones to accelerate the asteroid in a trajectory towards Earth.

They were ready for the EFNSF’s approach, and had chosen to attack with the sun in the NSF’s eyes!

The three T3ST nexarms also had their weapon devices attached to their mainframe, while some defensive swarms circled around them as they charged the approaching EFNSF’s five units in a single line.

The formation was the same that they had used on Vesta, in a singular line with one behind the other. They would take turns absorbing enemy rounds if not surrounded, at least during this initial charge.

James MacLeod pointed all his sensors at the three T3ST nexarms units, unsure of the nature of their formation. Although the NSF had trained in a variety of different environments, they had primarily trained hiding their mainframe that controlled all the devices, while operating said devices to encircle and destroy opponents.

Nexarm Skull, Bull and Eel charged forth with most of their devices attached to their mainframes. The ones not attached were automaton swarms that surrounded the three united nexarms in a tight protective umbrella.

James could only watch in shock as the three united enemy nexarms simultaneously accelerated toward Athena’s unit. The automaton swarms that surrounded the three shifted to reveal holes, and multiple kinetic rounds shot forth and through these gaps towards Athena’s unit one after another.

When Athena sensed she was being focus-targeted in this wide open space, she instantly knew that the barrage from all the weapon devices of the three enemy nexarms would have a high likelihood of overwhelming the plate defenses on her nexarm. The thick barrage would not allow her to spread the kinetic forces across multiple of her x-alloy plates.

She made the right choice-- the only choice. She organized her replenished automaton swarms in a thick blocky formation, and placed even her heavy weapon systems behind said block. The many kinetic rounds fired from the three enemy nexarms pounded and shattered this block, and some debris even struck her nexarm unit, but most of those shattered parts spun into empty space

Despite her actions, a number of kinetic rounds still struck the right torso of her nexarm, and her unit was sent tumbling backwards.

“Athena!” James shouted as none of the EFNSF was able to react in time due to the enemy approaching using the sun. They all were immensely relieved to see from their sensors that the torso of Athena's nexarm was not breached.

“Sir! Plate integrity is at sixty percent!” Athena instinctively sped towards James MacLeod’s unit with her remaining devices, while contacting Starship Atlas to dispatch more swarms and devices for her to connect and control.

“All units gather! Lock arms and form a pentagon! Each one of us will be responsible for defending one-fifth of the slice!” James commanded as he exhaled with relief. Losing another member would put them in a dire position.

By now he had gained a clear idea of the three T3ST nexarm units’ methods. The best way to describe it was that they functioned like porcupines. Not just normal porcupines, but porcupines that could shoot out its quills as projectiles. This was something that Athena also realized, having been the first target of the three enemy nexarms.

The front unit-- the Skull unit controlled the frontal cone. The back eel emblem unit, fired in the backward cone. The middle bull emblem unit filled in the gaps between the front and back cone.

All three units had all their weapon devices, attached to their mainframe, aimed and ready, covering all directions and leaving no blind spots. Their automaton swarms constantly circled as a form of both defense and sensory operation.

This was why James ordered the five units to gather. If they remained in their original positions, their mainframes would be charged down one-by-one.

Now the five units cooperated together, each defending a direction, while providing eyes for each other. It was a rough formation that James had come up with, but it would have to do.

The three T3ST units turned again and simultaneously charged from the direction James MacLeod was facing. This time, the EFNSF was ready.

“My direction!” James informed the others.

Many swarms shifted to block from James’ direction. Holes within these swarms opened and the five Earth Fed nexarms fired kinetic rounds at the target.

A few found their marks, yet the very next moment, the three T3ST nexarms suddenly swerved, as the frontal nexarm with the skull emblem dropped behind the eel emblem unit. Now, the Bull unit was leading the front, fresh and ready to absorb and dissipate energy from enemy kinetic rounds.

The three T3ST nexarms switched and charged from Clio’s direction. It was rather clear that the T3ST nexarm pilots had found time to practice this strategy as well as their coordination.

James MacLeod wracked his brain for a solution. If the NSF spread their devices out to encircle the enemy, it would prevent the enemy from using a frontal unit to absorb the kinetic energy from the rounds before switching positions with a fresh nexarm to absorb the next set of rounds.

However, doing that would leave their mainframes vulnerable in this open space-- they needed to keep their sniper systems close to their body to put pressure on any direct enemy approach.

This pattern of movement continued for a few more times, with the battle absolutely getting nowhere. The three T3ST nexarms would charge in their porcupine row formation, and be repelled by the staunch pentagonal EFNSF.

The EFNSF copied the same trick. Despite the T3ST unit intending to target one specific nexarm to wear down its x-alloy plates, the pentagonal formation would simply rotate and prevent one unit from having to continuously take hits from any kinetic rounds that slipped through their defenses. The EFNSF also had swarms that offered protection, forcing the T3ST unit to duck and weave just to get a few openings.

The number of nexarms devices manipulated on both sides were roughly even, with Athena having replenished her destroyed devices, and the multiple nexarms, when cooperating together, was rather effective at meeting kinetic round with kinetic round while coordinating their laser defense systems to soften any rounds that leaked through.

“Vargas. Report your combat situation!” Vargas was given quite a degree of command and freedom with James having to lead the nexarm team. The woman had been informed to make executive decisions and not disturb James’ command of the NSF unless absolutely necessary.

“Sir. We are at a staredown, a state of ceasefire.” That wasn’t surprising. These two A-class starships are equally matched in terms of weapons and defense systems. The laser defense systems on each starship made it very difficult for any kinetic rounds to not undergo a baptism in lava before softly bouncing off the enemy’s x-alloy plates.

Perhaps if the Starship Oneiroi forcefully engaged Starship Atlas in combat, Xeight’s extra number of neuro devices would make the difference over a long shootout. Yet, it was equally possible that the advantage would have a minimal effect.

Anyhow, Xeight himself had no interest in downing the enemy starship. That was precisely why he primarily attached the automation swarms and focused on defending Starship Oneiroi.

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“Sir.” Athena muttered through the comms, nervous yet determined. “I will force myself to control more neuro devices for a short period of time.” She had already ordered more to be shot out to her from Starship Atlas.

James was frustrated. This deadlock couldn’t continue! He felt that they had the advantage. They had a few extra devices, and more nexarms. Granted, with those extra devices controlled by more pilots, the cooperation was less in sync, but they had trained as a team for many months.

James went through all the tools in the nexarm’s kit and an epiphany struck him. If he wished to take advantage of their extra number of nexarms, they needed to minimize the effect of the connected devices!

The close-ranged combat capabilities of each nexarm are exactly the same after all, with two vibrating daggers for two arms, and four extra laser arms distendable from the nexarm’s back. If they could forcibly and temporarily disable the connected devices… then it would be five versus three units-- ten daggers versus six daggers, twenty laser arms versus twelve. At least, James believed the T3ST unit would not have made any modifications to increase this capability.

He communicated this to his team and gave his orders.

“Yes, sir!” The other four members of this pentagonal formation brimmed with both nervousness but also refilled vigor.

The five nexarms locked arms to secure their pentagonal formation and simultaneously activated the thrusters while communicating the parameters with each other. They began shadowing the T3ST nexarms in movement.

“Hah!” Bone smirked. “They want a side-to-side shootout? Very well!”

“We of the T3ST colony have lived our whole lives manipulating multiple neuro devices!” Yfour chimed.

“Care,’ senior Zseven reminded the two.

The two nexarm formations twisted and revolved around each other as bright shooting stars, their weapons attached to their mainframes in rapidfire while their swarms blocked and defended against the opposition.

Many of these swarms began losing some numbers, but the nexarms’ x-alloy plates absorbed and dissipated much of the impact of the kinetics rounds, especially with the nexarms on each team taking turns to take the brunt of the enemy’s rounds before falling behind their allies to give the x-alloy plates time to recover.

To James MacLeod, this exchange was just the method to lure the three T3ST nexarms into a false sense of security. His aim was never to engage them in a side-to-side shootout.

“Now!” He ordered. At an opportune time right when the T3ST nexarms swerved, the pentagonal formation of the EFNSF fully engaged their thrusters to a hundred percent and rammed directly into the three T3ST nexarms!

“You…” Bone was incredulous. “You crazy maniacs!” He never expected the EFNSF to use such barbaric tactics. Both their nexarm formations, doing combat at such high speeds-- such ramming motion would deliver unknown forces and stress onto the pilots of the nexarms.

Due to the intense combat, the cockpits of the nexarms had long been filled with a gooey fluid that assisted in absorbing forces, along with elastic material to secure the pilots’ bodies. Still, there remained quite a number of risks to the pilot’s bodies under such sudden change in direction and force.

Regardless, it was too late for the T3ST unit to avoid this collision, unexpected as it was.

Scraping screeches could be heard by the pilots of each nexarm as the formations intersected and the nexarms sent tumbling like laundry in a washing machine, their attached weapon devices also knocked spinning into empty space.

“Follow the plan!” James ordered as he flailed his arm and caught hold of one of nexarm bull’s left leg. They had specifically aimed their collision at this specific unit.

Nexarm bull’s right leg was then caught by Cyrus’ unit. Then, the right arm, secured by Clio’s unit. James had long identified this nexarm as the first target. The nexarm with the bull emblem often covered the other two units, and was the most important target to take out first!

Despite nexarm bull’s struggles, the unit was more or less helpless. Nexarm bull had three limbs immobilized, and though the pilot Zseven attempted to use his four distendable laser arms to put up a resistance, the three EFNSF units immobilizing him each also had four distendable arms! He was outmatched!

The three EFNSF units simultaneously withdrew their vibrating blades and plunged their blade through gaps in nexarm bull’s plates, disabling nexarm’s bull’s limbs, before proceeding to use their combined twelve laser arms to deliver intense heat and soften the plates defending the cockpit.

Then, the three EFNSF units stabbed their vibrating blades into the cockpit in swift motion!

“Nooo!” Bone bellowed in hatred. He had observed the whole incident in detail with his many sensors, but he could not give his grandpa any assistance. Before him was another EFNSF unit that stuck to his nexarm like glue in close-ranged combat! The pilot of this unit was Athena.

Yfour was similarly locked in close-ranged combat against another EFNSF unit-- Olivia Gonzalez’s nexarm.

“Come!” Bone forced his mind to focus and steady the weapon devices he had lost control of temporarily due to the collision between the two nexarm formations.

Athena found herself flabbergasted as Bone quickly stabilized his weapon devices spinning uncontrollably in space. She soon found herself in a precarious position, doing close combat with the skull unit in front of her, while many of the skull unit’s weapon devices now pointed at her back.

She considered engaging her thrusters to full to escape her dire situation, but knew it was pointless! Her opponent should have control of over thirty devices, and in such close range, she would not be able to avoid the enemy’s kinetic rounds!

Athena sensed that Olivia shared her situation. Olivia found herself in a near identical trouble as her opponent, nexarm eel, similarly regained control of its weapon devices at a much faster pace than expected.

“Ball! Defend with your limbs!” Athena yelled as she barely managed to regain control over a few of her half-remaining swarm devices before placing them between herself and the direction of the skull units’ hovering weapons, just as nexarm skull’s weapon devices fired. She managed to kick-off the skull unit and spin herself around before curling her nexarm into a ball as a defensive measure.

James, Cyrus, and Clio had just sunk their vibrating blades into nexarm bull and noticed their allies in need of their immediate assistance. They quickly pulled their blades out of the fallen unit and activated their thrusters to reach Athena and Olivia. However, they were too late as the enemy’s rounds fired.

Bone and Yfour noticed the fallen nexarm bull suddenly accelerating back towards Starship Oneiroi, and they also sped off, catching up to nexarm bull and embracing the unit between theirs. Their weapon devices, after rapidly firing at Olivia and Athena’s units, also left the scene and trailed after them.

“Grandpa! Bone!” Yfour communicated to nexarm bull in both an anxious and panicked voice. She received no reply.

“Place grandpa between us! We return!” Bone rarely ever hear Yfour sounding so alarmed, and immediately recognized the severity of the situation. The two unit further engaged their thrusters in coordination to speed their grandpa back to Starship Oneiroi like a looping shooting star.

“Pursue! Don’t let them get away!” James ordered as he clenched his teeth. They should have finished the bull unit! He just hadn’t expected the T3ST units to so quickly regain control of their weapon devices that had spiraled into space from their collision. If they could get rid of the T3ST unit here and now, the martians would capitulate!

“Sir!” Clio warned her leader. “Olivia and Athena!”

James Macleod had to take a few deep breaths to calm his restless mind, before remembering that Athena and Olivia had been struck almost defenseless by the enemy’s rounds.

When he saw the nexarm units of the two, he was relieved to not have blindly chased after the escaping three T3ST units. These two’s nexarms were damaged in a very unique way. Both units more or less had lost the arms and legs of the mainframe! Athena’s unit, for example, had only half of its left thigh remaining.

“Report! Ensign Watanabe and Lieutenant Gonzalez!”

A few short buzzes later. “Sir. We’re alive, and a hundred percent healthy.” Olivia nervously chuckled through the comms. “We couldn’t quite defend fully against the enemy, having lost control of most of our neuro devices. Athena yelled ‘ball’, and so at the last second, I wrapped my limbs around the torso of my mainframe like a ball to protect the cockpit.”

James breathed a sigh of relief. He observed Olivia’s unit, and realized it was a much closer call than the woman had conveyed. Olivia’s unit had her limbs shattered from the many kinetic rounds, and the plate protecting her cockpit was a white-hot red glow. The plate was on the verge of failing. One or two kinetic rounds would have been enough to pierce into her cockpit.

Athena’s unit was slightly better off. She had half a leg left, and the plate defending her cockpit was only a tinge red-- she had managed to regain control of some of her swarms to block some of the enemy’s rounds in time, unlike Olivia.

James began to think of Athena’s mind to be peculiar but also a source of relief. Athena had sacrificed her swarms to save Smirnov earlier. Now she had come up with this odd method to protect the cockpit by curling into a ball and massing the limbs to block the kinetics rounds. In retrospect, the method seemed obvious, but to come up with said method on the brink of death…

“Sir.” Vargas communicated. “The artillery fire has begun again. They are covering for the retreat of their nexarm units.”

“Do you believe you can neutralize the enemy nexarms?”

“No, sir. The three nexarm units are retreating with multiple-layered swarms. The remaining nexarm unit on the enemy starship activated fifteen swarms, and has sent them forth to protect their retreat.”

James MacLeod could only sigh as he cooperated with Cyrus and Clio to drag Athena and Olivia’s units back to their ship. He felt that they had missed an opportunity to end this war. The martians without this unique T3ST unit, would be but a minimal threat.

“Sir. Enemy starship is entering warp. Should we track and follow?” Vargas asked.

James MacLeod frowned as he descended from his nexarm. They needed to first repair Athena, Olivia and Smirnov’s nexarms. If they could resupply at certain EFSF bases… depending on the T3ST starship’s direction of travel…

It was then that James came to the realization that the T3ST starship must be brutally low on energy! He did the math in his head.

To his estimation, the T3ST starship should have used around twenty percent e-cube energy to jump to unidentified space then to the asteroid. Then they had overused their laser defense system, fired a weak mega-particle beam for defensive purposes, which could be ten to fifteen percent. They’ve just jumped again, which should amount to another twenty percent. That meant that the T3ST starship’s energy had dropped below fifty percent levels!

If they, the EFNSF, could resupply while shadowing and pressuring the T3ST starship… James believed they would have a chance to turn this into an advantage! One of the enemy’s nexarm was also damaged and its pilot’s fate unknown. If they could repair theirs in a rapid time…

“Attention crew. We will pursue our enemy while seeking an opportunity to resupply and repair. Their starship is at low energy and they should not have many resupply opportunities-- not as many as us!” The EFSF definitely had many more resource and military bases in the Solar System!

Vargas quickly prepared their warp drive to wrap space around Starship Atlas like a cocoon.

“Trajectory and jump distance identified based on footage and energy signature. Moving into position.” Starship Atlas shifted its position to that which Starship Oneiroi had jumped from.

“Sir!” A man on the navigational team suddenly yelled. “The asteroid ‘AR-gamah’ is accelerating! Its trajectory is that of Earth! Multiple heat signatures detected on the asteroid!”

The T3ST unit had completed their objective of using the asteroid after all! They were the drones that Bone, Yfour and Zseven had attached to the asteroid while the EFNSF attempted to disable the T3ST unit’s starship.

Should they spend time disabling these drones accelerating the asteroid? James MacLeod deemed it not worthy of his time.

“Send the asteroid trajectory data to Admiral Petrov! We will pursue and hunt the T3ST unit!” They needed to follow the jump of the T3ST starship immediately. If too much time were to pass, they would no longer be able to accurately predict the jump location and follow through!