The four figures sped through the void at 900,000 meters a second. One percent of the Raptor’s impulse power. The slowest the ship could go before jumping to hyperspace and warning the Hegemon-4 of the two fleet-level Kaizuko threats.
Ishan had spoken frankly as he held up two massive, clawed paws. “Sirs... I have known several Cultivators that could travel through the void with their own protection.” Leaning in, he raised a fluffy white brow again. “I assume you two can do that as well?”
They nodded in what likely came off as a freakish, identical manner, if the looks they got were any indication.
With one furry cheek twitching, Ishan continued. “Good. We’ll be launching from the roof using inertial momentum from the Raptor to get us underway. You two can attach to Lobo and me using the electromag buddy system... unless you can propel yourselves—”
Josh and Sen were both shaking their heads no as Katak interrupted. “Senior, the Raptor isn’t fitted with inertial tubes.”
Ishan waved his right paw as he finalized his EVA’s adjustments and powered its systems. “This ship, like all the Hegemon-4’s ships, has laser etching marks on its topside hull for PAAL, parallel-acceleration-axis-launch—just keep it straight until we detach. Besides, tubes are for noobs and species without properly descended external genitalia!”
Ishan and Lobo, smiling cockily, slapped paw knuckles over the heads of Josh and Sen.
“Sirs. Please strap on these electromag hand and knee pads and then mount up. We are leaving now. Katak. get up to a trajectory and velocity that will get us there in two micro-gyras. No, less. The Lt. is short on time.” Ishan half-turned back to Katak with a critical last thought. “Also, Estra’s central processor, her head, is in my shoulder-mount repeater’s case.” He held up the case as he wrapped several layers of gray duct tape around it in all directions.
Despite the circumstances, Josh couldn’t help but take a second look at what the senior chief was using to add extra security for Estra’s head. Regardless of what universe you’re in, some things are as optimal as they are ever going to get.
Ishan waved the case in front of the pilot. “I disoriented her when I cut the external saddle of her right and left hemispheres. She might have, and probably does have a few tricks still. If one of the sirs or I don’t come to collect this in the next twelve gyra, hand her over to Maloris with Internal Security. Aside from The Lord Clone, he is probably the only one on the Hegemon-4 who can deal with a pissed-off Techno Lord of Estra’s strength.”
Katak reached out, but Ishan pulled the duct-taped case away from the Vergei.
“I’m serious. Don’t open it!” He looked directly into Katak’s bulbous and green eyes.
The Vergei’s tongue lashed up and licked both eyes.
Then Katak held up his right hand and spoke solemnly in his deep voice, “By the stalk of the pad our mother hung my cohort’s spawn from, it will be as you say. The package stays closed. If one of you three don’t return, Maloris gets it in twelve gyra.”
Ishan handed the case over, and they went through the airlocks to the upper skin of the Raptor. As Ishan said, the etched markings were cut into the upper hull and perpendicular to zero acclamation thrust.
This close to Lobo and Ishan, Josh got a feel for how much more massive the Beast Affins were compared to them. Josh and Sen’s weight was an afterthought as they both moved around without difficulty, even before they got into zero-G. Ishan must have weighed close to 600 pounds. Lobo was lankier, but not by much.
Sen and Josh used their earth shields with an augmented head covering to provide extra air for the two-minute ride behind the Affin space marines.
Josh’s from-the-hip calculations were that a two-minute trip would cost him and Sen approximately 8400 free Essence and an extra thousand for the bubble on each of their heads. A quick check of his status confirmed that the bubble had cost him and Sen 1200 free Essence.
Shortly after, they were void-born.
If the high speed of the Raptor’s launch was an issue for either Ishan or Lobo, Josh and Sen couldn’t tell from the easy way they communicated mission parameters between themselves.
“Comp unit is recommending a ten-degree galactic center yaw with a five-degree ascending vertical vector and a fifteen-second full retro burst in forty-five seconds. Confirm calculations.”
“Confirmed.” Lobo’s voice answered over their headsets.
They executed the maneuvers, and in less than a minute, the two Kaizuko vessels appeared to the enhanced eyesight of Josh and Sen. Ishan and Lobo couldn’t see it, even with their increased Affin senses. But their EVAs’ sensors picked up the vessels and scrambled radio chatter at about the same time.
Josh and Sen saw a large pyrotechnic explosion occur near the larger ship’s hull, then a second smaller one as they got closer.
“Initiating retro-burst.”
Lobo and Ishan extended their hands, and Josh and Sen could feel themselves slowing.
“Sirs, Comp-Unit IDs the Impact is secured to the hull of the Brigantine, along with four casualties. Lieutenant Nang’s vitals transceiver is still in the green, but she is aboard the main vessel in its hangar. Is that our destination?”
“Yes, it is, Senior Chief.” Sen responded for both of them.
“Very good. Lobo, we’ll punch through the EMF screen on the opposite corners. We’re going in hot. The fast attack craft shouldn’t be able to pick us up, but I suspect that the hangar defense weapons will sight us at the end of their effective arcs if we get too close or go in too slow. You take the right corner—I’ll take the left to avoid overlapping fields of fire from the hangar’s gun emplacements.”
“Confirmed, Senior.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“Sirs, we’re going to go in fast on opposite sides of the hangar bay to reduce overlapping fire and to eliminate threats from mechanized guns and personnel. How do you want us to drop you?”
“Just get us into the bay. We will be fine after that.” Sen again responded.
“Roger that, sir.”
With the four of them clearly on a war footing, Sen handled the discussions while they hurled through the vast emptiness. Josh busied himself with pushing the sphere of his mindscape to its maximum. Centered on him, Josh guessed the sphere of his control extended two hundred and fifty yards in all directions, but it was difficult to tell without landmarks, lights, or anything to gauge it against as they shot through the void.
In the few moments since their tubeless launch from the Raptor, Josh had determined his expanded mindscape gave him a sense of knowledge concerning the location and mentation of other minds within it. It made sense when he considered the Mind Aura given off by spirit beings was singular to every individual. That Aura seemed to be a unique signature of the individual and one that Josh could identify them with. Like mind fingerprints—no two were exactly the same. For instance, through his mindscape, Josh knew the location of both Lobo and Ishan without having to look. If he focused on one or the other by identifying an individual quality to either, the other mind would fade in his mindscape. Leaving the selected being, for lack of better words, to ‘outshine’ the other.
This isn’t a superpower to defeat the villains of the ages, and not a skill that his interface pinged in celebration of, but he was glad for it all the same. Josh could think of several uses for the ability; The least of which was it would help them find Alysa when they arrived.
Josh checked his free Essence through his interface.
Physical Health Status:
15000/15000 Spherical Cultivation units
Free Essence:
37247/40500 Spherical Cultivation units
Maintaining the shield was a constant draw in the void. There was literally nowhere to get Earth Essence from, but Josh and Sen had each drawn Mind Aura from the Affin closest to them to keep topped off. Mind Aura didn’t seem to be affected by the void. It continued to be released into the universe from spirit beings’ mental processes and could be absorbed if that being was in the range of their mindscape.
Josh also learned that there didn’t seem to be separate internal categories of Earth Essence or Mind Essence as far as his Meridians and Core were concerned. All his Essence was just plain old ‘Essence’ for him to use on his skills, no matter what Aura it had originated as. Once absorbed into his Meridians, it seemed usable for either his Earth skills or mindscape—which was good news. Josh had no specific way to be sure he was 1000 percent right, but so far, the pieces fit, and it was working.
So, like the man who jumped off the eighty-story building said at the fortieth floor, “So far, so good!”
True to their plan, Lobo and Sen had oriented on the right side of the two-hundred yard-wide hangar opening. Ishan and Josh aimed to its left corners. Also, per plan, they were too small to have attracted any attention from the attack ships patrolling the Brigantine’s perimeter.
There were multiple defensive turrets, however, located on the top and bottom of the hangar bay’s open door that Josh could see.
Ishan noted this and confirmed his previous orders to Lobo through their headsets. “Keep it hot until we reach the threshold and blow by those gun sensors. We’re too small to be picked up at range and too fast to hit when we are near enough to be detected. Just remember that it will be an extremely short interval.”
“Confirmed, Senior.”
Ishan then spoke directly to Josh and Sen. “Sirs, we will keep up a fair amount of speed until we’re through the hangar bay door. Once through, we will flair and cut the current to the electromag buddy system and release you. It will be approximately fifty meters above the deck. Lobo and I will start taking down defensive structures, ships, and guards to cause what we hope is a significant distraction. That leaves extracting the Lt. to you both.”
“Roger that, Senior Chief.” Sen answered for them both.
~Sen? Isn’t a shield or something keeping the air in on the hangar? Are we going to crash through it?~
Knowing smile patronizing the noob. ~Yes, and yes. We will go through it near the corners where it’s weakest. The penumbra of overlapping fields is a viable strategy of shield penetration. Do not worry, Joshua... as you said when you introduced me to Myrina’s cousin, ‘I got you, buddy!’ I’m sure you remember her, the Jaguar Affin?~
~Tha-that wasn’t my fault!~ Josh’s eyes were wide ~No one knew! She didn’t even know she had an allergy to human skin and that it was a worsening with repeated exposures kind of thing... Once we explained it to her... and the swelling went down... and her hair started growing back... She even stopped trying to kill you in your sleep!~ Digging the hole deeper, Josh added, ~Remember how much practicing with Gusti’s boxer-short configuration improved your earth shield partial propagation!~
Sen’s face puckered at the memory, and his narrowed eyes told Josh the last statement was the wrong point to make...
~Apologies for that... It was horrible…~ Josh bowed his head, affecting Sen’s body language and demeanor in an effort to demonstrate his sincerity. ~I’m sorry. I would have traded with you if I could have, brother...~ Smiling to put the past behind them. ~Okay! So... the penumbras... gaps in the shadows near where the fields fail to completely overlap... got it!~
Sen nodded silently, sending his forgiveness but not forgetfulness through their Bond.
Sophie held Alysa’s hand tightly and squeezed her eyes shut as tears welled through the little girl’s closed lids. She leaned into Alysa’s taller body for momentary support as they both stood in their shared soul space. Sophie’s presence actively lessened the pain of Alysa’s torture by willing it into her small, projected body. The two bowed their heads in unison as they weathered a particularly vicious series of telekinetic blows to Alysa’s face and fingers from the Kaizuko commander.
There were no physical marks on their bodies here, but it was clear the little one was suffering every bit as much as Alysa. It was equally clear Sophie wasn’t going to leave. Alysa thanked her ancestors for Sophie and hadn’t objected to her little sister filling the gap in her pain tolerance. As lies couldn’t be told here, both knew Alysa was on the edge of failing and Sophie had come to stand with her.
“Don’t worry, Alla! I know your daddy sent my daddy, and he’s coming! I’m sure he’ll make this bad man very sorry for what he is doing!” Sophie’s round cheeks were red with sincerity as her unwavering blue eyes looked up to reassure Alysa.
Alysa smiled down at the little girl, closer to her now than anyone. She didn’t have the heart to tell Sophie Josh couldn’t come and save her. He was stuck on the Raptor heading back to the Hegemon-4. But for Sophie’s sake, she believed in her hopes as well.
Squeezing Sophie’s hand, she said, “I’m gonna go talk to the bad man again... Don’t listen to the words I say to him. We’re going to have some more grown-up talk. I’ll be right back, okay?”
Sophie squeezed Alysa’s hand in return. Then plugged her ears with little fingers.
Focusing on the return to her body, Alysa’s presence accelerated out of their soul space, and she snapped back into the physical.
Her pain more than doubled as Sophie wasn’t here to share it. Sharp stinging and the deeper ache of crushing injuries sprang upon her like lashes out of the dark. Alysa gasped a quick breath as she opened her eyes and saw the Kaizuko’s face centimeters from hers, spraying spittle onto her broken cheeks as he screamed.
“Where does the Hegemon store its weapons and currency?”
The tall, thin man’s face flushed with anger as more invisible blows rained down from the right and left. Alysa felt a new fractured left orbital bone under the wide, thick, tearing sensation of a bucket handle laceration over her right cheek. Blood dripped down onto the undershirt she had been left in.
Still rigidly held in place sixty centimeters off the ground, she was in a four-by-four-meter square room off the main hangar. The bare, single overhead strip light in the empty space showed the commander’s outraged face now in triple due to her new fracture.
One thing was for sure... Danshaku Dezain—as he called himself, was desperate for this information. His rabid tone and frightened eyes screamed it louder than his voice.
Good. I can use his desperation when I’m ready for the end... but not yet. I still need to buy Katak another ten micro-gyras to get back to the Hegemon-4 and sound the general alarm.
With a fifteen-micro-gyra head start, the Hegemon-4 could fully ready their internal, external, and flight-perimeter teams for immediate deployment into the battle space. No matter what this pirate was planning. If she could give them that time, Danshaku Dezain would learn that dropping out of the shadows of an asteroid field on the Hegemon-4 was a completely different experience than attacking when it was informed and battle ready. Alysa was sure the cruel bastard would find it a much more costly venture. All that was if the Lord Clone left the ship to its own fate, something she wasn’t quite sure he would do. His actions, however, were never predictable.
Unfortunately, at the rate she was being beaten, Dezain would kill her before she had earned Katak the necessary time to make it happen. Alysa needed to slow him down. It was time to try some friendly conversation. Grimacing, she leaned to the side and spit out a glob of congealed blood with the fractured remains of several of her teeth.
Shifting her head to the side, she stared at him with her still-functioning right eye and slurred. “Blah, blah, blah. why should I tell someone who whines like a bitch anything?” Her words lit a cold fire behind her torturer’s eyes.
Good! If he thinks he’s started to break me, there’s hope I can get the time they need!
The commander was almost chipper again when he responded through a knowing and arrogant smile. “For one thing, I will stop beating you mercilessly. Allowing you to spend your last micro-gyras in relative comfort during the raid. I know your tiny Core is out of Essence, and you can no longer heal. I’m sure the respite will do you well.”
Alysa smiled internally herself. Now it was just a matter of telling the bastard whatever lies he wanted to hear.