As the station's internal lights went out I began to feel myself slowly drift from the ground, as gravity was quickly leaving the immediate vicinity. We searched for the emergency atmosphere suits that every station was required to have at certain intervals. Luckily I and the guards managed to find ones that were close by, less than a minute later we were all suited up.
Communications were still down, meaning that we and presumably others in the station were cut off from the chain of command. The outside of the station was painted with lights as explosions went off and fighter squads dueled it out across our sovereign space, various documents and other things that hadn’t been bolted down floated out and about in the station’s hall.
I remembered that two additional functions came online and with no other plan in mind I inquired the A.V chip about the new functions.
“What do the administration functions [COMMUNICATION NETWORK] and [REMOTE CONTROL] do and how do I activate them?”
[The [COMMUNICATION NETWORK] Function allows the user to communicate with one’s subordinates remotely using a special frequency produced by the chip and the user's cyberware, the range depends on the cyberware system specifications.]
[The [REMOTE CONTROL] Function allows the user to take remote control of a subordinate so long as it has a mechanical core from which control can be obtained.]
I looked at Xander. “Xander, do you trust me?”
“Of course my Lord.”
“Good, I’m about to try something, be ready.”
“I wish to designate Xander as my subordinate.”
[Designating subordinate “Xander”]
[Asking subordinate “Xander” to accept being registered on the A.V neural network.]
[Subordinate “Xander” has accepted the A.V. neural network link.]
”Activate the [COMMUNICATION NETWORK].”
A second later I could see Xander stare at me in bewilderment.
“My lord, how did you reestablish the coms network?”
“I didn’t. I made a new one using the A.V. chips capabilities but we don’t have time for further explanations, I need you to help me get the other guards to accept this as well for the time being.”
Xander nodded, and less than a minute later all the other guards were designated as my subordinates, further bolstering the new A.V. network.
“Xander it appears the enemy has some kind of EMP weapon, based on the last message we got from the comms center it seems likely to have originated from within the carrier. Any idea how we can resolve our current power outage?”
“I think we should go to engineering, if there is any solution at all, it will either be there or in the hangar bay.”
Shit on a stick, Henry is in the hangar right now! But without power, we will all die... FUCK!
“Everyone we’re going to engineering, without power there is no way to reestablish command,” I said through the A.V. neural network and a second later we were off, steadily pushing ourselves forward in the now zero gravity environment as the power must have completely left the gravity generator dead and empty. it wouldn’t be long before the remaining oxygen would leave the station, as with the gravity generator turned off it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the air filtration system would soon follow after it.
As we boosted ourselves forward with the small movement thrusters on our atmosphere suit we eventually managed to make our way down to engineering by going through the station's highway network, which was no more than a two-lane zero gravity tube through which one could quickly move up and down the station. Normally this space was reserved for construction workers and drones and we would have taken the elevator. But without power, there was no point in even trying the elevator.
As we entered engineering we could see various suit lights pierce through the darkness as the engineers searched desperately for a way to restore power.
I invited every engineer there to the A.V.N (Advancement Chip Network) and soon we had reestablished a command structure within engineering.
“So Steven what’s holding us back from restoring power?”
The man looked worried as his sweat glistened inside his suit and reflected the small bit of illumination our companionship provided. “The station’s emergency power management system is supposed to redirect power to the most critical systems to maintain a minimum of power so that the power generation centers such as the solar wings and the core reactor can quickly work to recover power. However, with the damage from both the EMP blast and the bombing runs from the enemy’s bomb squadrons the station’s infrastructure has been damaged in key locations and now lacks ways to transfer the remaining power from the inside to the power generation centers.”
“Show me which power transfer stations are the least damaged on the station’s exteriors.”
A minute later the engineers sent me the data points of the least damaged power transfer stations. “Have you tried sending the construction drones out to fix them?”
“We did, but with communications down, they don’t receive our commands.” Replied the frustrated engineer.
“I might be able to help with that.”
“Designate construction drones from 1864 through 1892 as subordinates.”
[Designating Construction Drones 1864 till 1892 as subordinates]
[Construction Drones 1864 till 1892 have accepted the A.V. neural network link and await your command.]
Excellent. I immediately used the [REMOTE CONTROL] function to order the drones around.
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“I have regained control of the drones, now help me coordinate the repair effort!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
I sent out the repair drones under the careful instructions of the engineering team, and a few minutes later some of the station's coms network was brought back online.
“This is Amanda from Engineering, can anyone hear us, I repeat this is engineering can anyone hear us!?” Asked one of our female engineers.
A second later the station’s silence was finally broken. “This is Erikson from Henry’s engineering team, we are working to get the weapons back online, but the power system has been cut off from us and we can’t reroute it!”
I cut in. “This is Jason, I and the others from engineering are working on fixing the outside systems with construction drones, send over data points on what you think would be the quickest systems to repair to bring the guns back online!”
“Yes sir!”
I got a private message from Xander. “What are you doing my lord!? The enemy could be intercepting our comms and now know where you are!” I all but barked back. “So what Xander! Our command chain is crippled, General Thalia hasn’t reported back, and we don’t know the status of our fighters let alone if our defenses are still up?! And you’re worried about my life right now?! Just focus on your job, you can chew me out later if we're still alive at that point!” That seemed to shut him up.
A few minutes later after repairing the systems Henry’s second team had designated I could hear voices of jubilation come over the coms network. “You did it your sir! The guns are back online.” I ignored the small bit of relief I felt as we were still very much in the frying pan. I looked at Amanda “Am, did you establish contact with comms and the command center yet??” The woman looked frustrated and on the verge of tears as she replied. “No sir, no one’s responding, dammit!” Shit. “Alright stay calm people, we will get through this, just focus on what you can do. Erik, can you and your team try to reestablish comms from your side to our fighter network?” I got a “Will do our best sir!” and the repair work continued.
After a few minutes, another big problem reared its big ugly head.
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1864 has left your control range.]
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1872 has left your control range.]
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1867 has left your control range.]
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1865 has left your control range.]
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1891 has left your control range.]
[!!ERROR!! Drone_1888 has left your control range.]
I immediately ordered all drones to fall back to a closer range. “Sir we found a way to reach the fighter squads, the problem is that we lack the power to feed to the comms network, you will need to repair the following points to have the extra bandwidth required to contact fighters,” reported Erik.
Of course, those exact systems were just far enough out of my control reach. Great just great.
I took a deep breath before replying. “Erik standby to extend the comms network to our fighters, I’ll get those systems fixed.” I went to leave engineering, and as I did Xander barred the way.
“Jason I know what you’re thinking, I can’t let you get outside!”
I took out my pistol and pointed it at his head. “Xander I truly appreciate the loyalty and dedication with which you and your team have served Rafar and my family over the years. But I swear on all that I hold sacred that if you do not move I will shoot you, one way or another I’m getting us out of this mess.”
The stubborn veteran remained unmoved. “I can’t let you pass Jason, your father will kill me if anything happens to you.”
I motioned around with my free hand. “Look around you Xander, do you see my father here, do you think he’ll be happy knowing that I live while everyone around me dies due to your choice?! Do you think he’ll be happy that our future lies died in the water because you tried to stop me from fixing this mess?! Stop thinking as a guard and start thinking as a soldier!”
With that I moved past him and up towards one of the airlocks, I didn’t bother to watch whether or not he followed.
Opening the latch outside I could see various pieces of station debris float outside as fighters moved at speeds my eyes had trouble following.
Focus Jason focus!
I put all my effort and attention on grabbing the footholds on the outside of the station, as our suits lacked magnetic boots. I pushed myself back, then pulled forward, let go, and caught the next foothold. I repeated this motion till I reached what I estimated to be the location where I would be needed. The drones resumed their previous repair mission, while I prayed that some stray shot by either a hostile or a friendly would not hit me.
“My lord you did it, communications with the fighter squadrons and the hangar bay have been re-established.” shouted an excited Amanda over the comms. “I’ll patch you-” a blood-curdling scream tore through the channel. “This is Frank from the hangar bay, the enemy is boarding the hangar bay, I repeat the enemy is AAAAH” The line went cold and an ice-cold feeling spread through my veins.
“Xander I need you and your team to move to the hangar bay immediately to reinforce our forces there.”
“They're already on their way there Commander.” It seemed the talk had helped the old vet get back into action.
As the drones focused on repairing and I communed with what was left of our fighters I had an idea. Releying my thoughts to a few of the fighters, I saw one of our Rafarin fighters head to the spot we had designated. Three bronze moon curved shaped ships followed the Rafarian eagle fighter hot on its tail. The eagle fighter got closer to the station's exterior, and the hostile fighters followed suit. A second later the eagle fighter pushed up immediately with everything it had while our trap was sprung.
“Execute [Boarding Routine] for Drone group 1!”
[Enaging [Boarding Routine] for Drone Group 1]
Drone Group 1 simultaneously let their mechanical limbs go and engaged their upward thrusters at max setting, the result was spectacular. Various construction drones crashed into the three fighters, most didn’t survive the impact, but for the ones that did the new [Boarding Routine] I had created would start wreaking havoc on the enemy fighters. Their limbs were told to hold onto the enemy craft that they landed on and then proceed with their basic harvesting function. In short, we were deconstructing the ships while they flew.
I couldn’t resist as I pumped my right fist into the vacuum and let out a “Hell yes!” as one of the enemy fighters crashed into the station.
We pulled this trick off successfully three more times, after which we stopped due to the lack of drones. Seven hostile fighters were now non-functional. But the enemy got wise to our trick, as they stopped coming near the station.
Alright time to get back inside.
I got close to the airlock, but my fingers slipped on one of the footholds. I engaged the suit's small atmospheric thrusters to get close,r but stray bombs hit the station causing shockwaves that pushed me off the station.
As I got farther and farther from the station I saw it. No wonder we didn’t get any message from the command center. The command center and all its fifty-plus personnel, all wearing their neat green and grey uniforms were drifting away from the station.
The big carrier got closer and closer, releasing what looked to be endless waves of presumably boarding shuttles mixed in with reserve fighters. All of them heading for what was left of our once proud station.
Further away from both the station and the big carrier lights began to coalesce as a familiar FTL pattern began to tear through reality.
Leaving behind an all too familiar carrier-shaped pirate vessel.