Alysa had been translocated to what appeared to be the Dreadnaught’s command bridge that she had just been standing on top of in the void. The view port in front of her showed Kyon Shi’s thousands of plunge ships holding their positions in evenly spaced rows that stretched as far as she could see. The brigantine’s external lighting was nothing more than tiny pinpoints at this distance as it sat behind a floating field of wreckage.
Kyon Shi’s moldering corpse, emaciated beyond the capacity for—well... anything, leered its grinning, skin-covered skull one foot from her EVA’s energy face plating. The undead was wearing heavy black robes adorned with glinting silver and gold sigils that swirled on their own. The energy drainer pulled back an arm while he gestured with one finger. Heer helmet’s energy visor dissipated with a subdued pop giving her the unwelcome experience of sharing air with an eon’s long undead. Through the new stench that now permeated where she was breathing, Alysa vaguely noted the monster only had two arms attached to his body. Not the eight that had dragged her down through the vortex that had brought her here.
For some reason, the energy drainer stopped with disabling her face force plating and left the rest of her gear in place. Even the helmet, definitely open as she started staggering her breaths from his foul stench, was still on. It indicated that Kyon Shi, the undead despot, was definitely not afraid of her. He believed Alysa posed no threat to him.
That’s going to be a costly decision you arrogant ass.
But she schooled her internal rage... For now, everything else was the same as when Dezain had taken her. She was held by an invisible vice that rendered her motionless and voiceless. Breathing in and out were the only movements she had control over.
Kyon Shi must have noticed that her thoughts were focused on him and his calcified eyes thinned as he leaned even closer to her, flooding her nose with an even denser and increased stench from a week-old, heat-baked tomb. Alysa couldn’t help but hold her breath, her body unable to even wretch, as the undead’s tight, leather-skinned lips sent plumes of his musty odor directly into her face as it spoke.
“Well then…Let’s get started! I am eager to determine your value to my plans.” He waved his skeletal thin hands indicating everything around himself.
* * * * *
The Kaizuko fast-attack ship pulled up vertically and careened to the left as a wrecked plunge vessel skimmed its belly, only slightly creasing their hull plates. Josh and Sen, already fully encased in their earth shield from the three previous partial collisions, didn’t notice the rapid decompression, other than the few loose objects aboard being swirled around by the tiny cyclones of gas now venting into the void.
Through the front view screens they were able to see massive clouds of zombies previously caged in the now destroyed plunge ships. Their arms waving and jaws useless clamping as they floated in the void between the Brigantine and the Dreadnaught as they slowly froze. More than one of them had splattered against in dark shades of red and black on the forward view port. Some of the more intact had managed to somehow hang on, waving their arms and legs like children making snow angels before a quick juke from Sen spun them off into the void.
Josh cut his eyes to Sen, “I thought you said you could fly this thing!”
“I can! It’s avoiding the already destroyed objects that I’m having trouble with! Do you want to try?”
~Apologies, brother!~ Josh nodded, shamefaced. ~We’d be dead already if we had to depend on my flying skills. Let’s both take a few hours for flying lessons after this is over.~
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
~Agreed!~ Sen’s mind huffed out partially placated as he tightly careened to avoid the next series of disasters on their way to Kyon Shi’s ship.
Through the dirty viewport, Josh could see rapid bursts of telltale fire as they came from Ishan and Lobo’s telltale weapons he had seen in action on the brigantine’s hangar bay. Staccato pelts of bright yellow hail lancing in destructive lines from Ishan, and long streams of a solid purple lance for Lobo. The fire never came from the same position twice, but was always effective in taking out at least one of the plunge vessels that targeted the brigantine before it reappeared elsewhere.
Josh again tried to communicate with the two space marines to alert them to the change in circumstances. They needed to know Alysa had been captured.
“Ishan. Lobo. This is Joshua Elias Tanner. We are enroute to confront Kyon Shi in his Dreadnaught. Alysa has been captured… And we can see your weapons firing– Please don’t shoot us—”
An androgynous voice cut Josh’s fearful and meandering message.
“Joshua Elias Tanner, this is Intelligence, supervising AI of the Hegemon-4. Space marines Ishan and Lobo, code named Fuzzy Wuzzy and Howler, are under self-enacted radio-communication silence. However, you have strategic and force-critical information concerning Lieutenant JG Alysa Nang, code named Li’l Sis. I will override the comm’s ban to one or both on your order.”
“Fuzzy wha— You mean Intelligence, from the Hegemon-4? Josh's voice exploded in shocked excitement at the possibilities. “Is the Hegemon-4 here?!”
“Negative, young Cultivator. I am a copy supporting the current field teams. As has been done for the last two-point nine billion years for our teams in combat. I am unaware of the Hegemon-4’s current location beyond the plans made when we left on the Raptor. And those were classified beyond even your clearance.
“Please maintain your focus and advise on the need to break comms silence with Fuzzy Wuzzy and or Howler. Know that it will potentially jeopardize the receiving space marine. Although, I calculate the chance at only seven percent as I have not yet detected any high-level scanning from the Dreadnaught or any other capital ship in range of my sensors.”
Josh looked to Sen. Putting Ishan or Lobo at risk was clearly a military decision.
Sen nodded his understanding. “Greetings, Intelligence.”
“Greetings, Heir Marztanak.”
“Please break the comm’s silence for Senior Chief Ishan only. It’s his call to jeopardize Lobo or not.”
“Acknowledged.”
There was a brief pause, and Ishan’s voice came over the comms. His gun could be heard firing, but he had the same no-nonsense business manner as always. “... Acknowledging break of comm’s silence for strategic force information. This is Fuzzy Wuzzy, over.”
Sen spoke. “Fuzzy Wuzzy, Lil’ Sis has been captured. We are enroute to engage the hostiles and secure her in a Kaizuko fast-attack ship. We do not anticipate clear skies. You are in command... But we recommend you return home and advise on the current situation. Over”
There was the briefest of pauses. “Acknowledged. It has been an honor to fight with you, Swordstorm, and you as well, Mighty Mouth. Fuzzy Wuzzy out.”
“I thought Fuzzy Wuzzy–”
“Was a bear?” Intelligence interjected finishing Josh’s sentence. “Indeed, I have received an upload of your homeworld’s customs and history. Strange people you lot are. However, in 97.4% of galactic societies in this iteration, Fuzzy Wuzzy is a tiger.”
“What?!” Josh exclaimed. “You have got to be shi—”
Intelligence’s sexless voice came back over the comms. “Radio comm silence back in force. May your Cultivations be without bounds—”
“Wait! Hold on just one freaking second Intelligence. Fuzzy Wuzzy? Mighty Mouth?! Who sets these codenames?”
“Why, I do, young Cultivator. Nil emissions protocol back in place.”
Josh scowled at Sen. ~You’re Swordstorm… And I get Mighty Mouth?!~
~Yes, brother. Intelligence does see through to the soul…~ The short monk’s smirking laughter cutting through their bond speak. ~It is a true wonder of conscious technology!~
“... Huh. I don’t see Intelligence giving itself a soul-tagging code name.” Josh muttered under his breath to no one.
Even with his enhanced hearing, the whispered reply could barely be heard on Josh’s personal comm. “Of course I have a field designation, young one.... I’m the Maestro.”
* * * * *
“Fuzzy Wuzzy to Howler. Mission-critical message information.” Ishan’s voice broke the radio silence in Lobo’s ear.
“Acknowledged. This is Howler, over.”
“Lil’ Sis has been captured. Swordstorm and Mighty Mouth are enroute to rescue, as am I—”
“Fuzzy Wuzzy—” Lobo replied warningly.
“I have my own reasons for staying with them. You know what they are. I will not have you die with us. I am ordering you to commandeer a hyperspace-capable vessel and return home to advise on the current situation. ASAP!” A brief moment lapsed before Ishan spoke again in a subdued tone. “... Thank you for being my streak mate. Never missing when needed. It’s meant more than you know. Fuzzy Wuzzy out.” Lobo’s comms again went dead.
No room or ability to argue further, Lobo ceased fire and vectored for the brigantine following Ishan’s last order. It was clear Ishan anticipated death as a likely outcome. Equally clear he was unwilling to give up on discovering what only Joshua Elias Tanner and Senyak Marztanak could tell him.
Lobo looked to the last location he had seen Ishan’s Gatling fire come from. “... Strength to you, my Alpha.”