services of my people, but I did not give you their lives, to do with as you will. You have a responsibility to their lives, as well as the soumans’.^
Suld scanned the nexus once again, feeling his heart sink at the devastation wrought on his cherished ship. So many memories . . .
^Very efficient, Ciluo. Alright, order the evacuation.^
Suld sank back into blackness. Outside the ship, OLMAC fighters swarmed around the Onzic, defending it from TELREC fighters as LN-67 pulled away. They danced through the void, thousands of them trading fire, each trying to gain an advantage. Theia’s dromon arrived with twenty-one others trailing behind her, and linked to the Onzic. With conflict abating for a time, Ciluo tended to Suld’s injuries, bringing him back to consciousness. Meta from Theia’s dromons swarmed into the Onzic, stabilizing its systems, restoring power to its engines, reinforcing its frame. Suld awoke, as Ciluo issued a recall command to all those who evacuated the Onzic.
^We have main power again.^
Relief spread over Suld’s face. The Onzic will live to fight another roa. ^How did you know I couldn’t abandon this ship?^
Ciluo smiled, merely nodding his head. Suld was shocked to see such subtlety of emotion from a meta.
^Thank you.^ He turned to see Theia running onto the nexus.
^Suld! I was so worried. Are you alright?^
He greeted her with a hard slap in the face.
^I gave you an order!^ he slammed mercilessly. ^You pilot my ships, you follow my commands! Understand?!^
Theia gritted her teeth, holding back her instinct to slaughter him where he stood.
^Resolve the battlegrid in your mind, Mechle of OLMAC!^
He focused, and saw a massive explosion in the center of capital ship LN-33. It created a chain reaction that split the ship in two, its graceful form enveloped in a great fireball. LN-67 moved out of weapons range, regrouping with the two other capitals outside the weapons perimeter. Suld was still angry, but realized he was in error.
^So . . . you want to slap me?^ he asked. She punched him hard in the abdomen, with all the strength she could muster. Suld barely flinched. ^Even?^
^I suppose,^ cast Theia, leaning in close to him. ^You need to trust my judgment. I may not have had the training your people have, but I am Iganinagi. I adapt, and prevail.^
Suld nodded in deference. ^What are your recommendations?^
^They are preparing for a final assault. We may have disabled two of their ships, but they have inflicted countless losses to ours. We have lost seven oreships, and sixteen of your dromons. What we have left is no match for three capital ships.^
^You’re right. That’s why we now have ten more oreships on the way, and a large force of meta rising from the moon’s surface.^
Theia accessed her scanners, and confirmed it.
^If they want a fight, they will get one Theia,^ he cast defiantly. ^That, I promise.^
^That still may not be enough.^
^It has to be! Too much depends on it. We have no place to run, Theia. If Gan-Elldon goes, OLMAC, and any hope of a unified resistance goes too.^
^Resistance will never die. If you have the desire, anything can be accomplished.^
He grabbed onto her arms, and brought her close, his eyes afire. ^I desire Gan-Elldon to live. Will you see it be accomplished?^
She returned his gaze, with equal parts passion, anger and lust, her heart pounding in her chest.
^With every drop of my blood, every breath in my lungs,^ she cast passionately. ^With every body I command, every meta I possess!^
In her eyes, he saw the absolute of conviction, and fed off its power. For a moment he felt raw desire take its hold, and yearned to consummate the feelings that had been building in his heart. Ciluo provided a welcome distraction.
^Why don’t you bring in the other forty oreships?^
He backed slowly away from Theia, as she was obviously shocked. ^We cannot show all of our forces to the TELREC. Not now. There are other considerations you don’t know of.^
^You have forty more oreships?^ Theia cast hard, grabbing Suld by his shirt. ^All these people dead, all those ships lost, and you are holding back?! Why?^ She searched his mind, still weak after his ordeal. ^I can tell you’re hiding even more! Why are you holding back? Why are you allowing so much to be sacrificed?^
^Did I question your tactics as leader of the Iganinagi?^ he retorted, pushing her away. ^Don’t question mine now. The goal is to repulse the TELREC from Gan-Elldon, not to wage an all out war!^
She threw up her hands in frustration. ^War is upon you! OLMAC is besieged, your people gripped in a mortal battle. Morale is failing. You have lost some of your most important officers. You almost lost your flagship, and you have too little to show for it! The TELREC have the resources to play at this—not you! You need to bring in every ship you have, and make a show of force they will not forget!^
^Trust me,^ grumbled Suld, ^I know what I’m doing.^
^For the sake of Gan-Elldon, a beautiful city I have only just begun to know, I hope you do.^
^Then let’s get to it. With the meta now integrated into our forces, we take to the offensive!^ He cast to the fleet of OLMAC. ^All ships, all fighters, all meta, dispatch local TELREC forces, then proceed to attack capital ship LN-67!^
Theia made her way back to the Nemosini, and assembled her dromons in front of the Onzic. Ciluo took over as Saeren of the Onzic, as few soumans were transferred from other oreships to fill the void of other fallen officers. The oreships and dromons then proceeded to intercept LN-67. Suld thought of Uld, and the frustration he had that he escaped.
You won’t get away from me that easily, Uld.
^Suld, our meta have arrived on the battle field,^ cast Ciluo casually.
This is going to take some getting used to, thought Suld to himself at Ciluo’s lack of emotion.
The meta came onto the battlegrid as a great black cloud, a vortex of spent gas trailing in their wake. They moved like lightning, destroying TELREC meta, decimating TELREC fighters. TELREC fighters tried to engage the meta, but they were no match. The meta shielding was vastly improved, and the weaponry made quick work of the fighters. The meta seemed to claw their way from fighter to fighter, their great metal hands seizing upon the bodies of the them, ripping and slicing their way through, bringing death to the clone within. Moving past the oreships and dromons with great speed, what resistance they encountered fell quickly. Only a few hundred were lost as they reached LN-67. Thwarted for a while by its perimeter barriers, they drained its energy, and began in earnest a full assault upon its decks. They were met by TELREC meta that emerged from within the ship. Smaller, but quicker, they proved to be adequate resistance. Fierce firefights broke out all along the exterior of the capital ship, as some OLMAC meta began to drill into its hull, while others defended their positions. OLMAC fighters engaged the TELREC fighters above, as the battle for the capital ship reached a fever pitch.
^We have scattered reports,^ cast Ciluo, ^something is wrong with the meta.^
Suld focused in on the battle among the meta on the capital ship. Those altered by Iltkon were still fighting, but those not altered had turned against OLMAC forces, and had begun to overpower the OLMAC meta. Suld established a link with General Tullghe on the Nio.
^Mal be damned! Launch all reserves of fighters to target the rogue meta!^
Ciluo whirled in his chair. ^We can’t fire on my people!^
Suld restrained his anger, knowing if he wanted the meta’s help in the future, he would need to heed Ciluo’s words. He cast a recall order to General Tullghe, then focused back on the battlegrid. ^Any suggestions?^
^We need to detonate SD mines.^
^They will affect not only all meta, but all fighters as well.^
^At least we will not lose my people.^
Suld thought for a moment. ^Do it.^
The Onzic, Nio and ten other oreships launched hundreds of mines, propelled by brilliant thruster fire into the battlegrid encompass
ing LN-67. They disbursed throughout the void, detonating in a flashes of light. Anything smaller than a dromon was rendered inert, dead in the void.
Suld nodded to himself, knowing it was only a temporary victory. ^How long will it last?^
^Fifteen mroas. We must somehow pull out our meta, and re-initialize their systems.^
^Order all remaining oreships to converge on LN-67!^
A great fleet of eighteen oreships were brought to bear on LN-67. Though they fired their massive emdec cannons in concert, they were unable to penetrate its barrier systems. Then capital ship LN-29 moved towards them wreaking havoc and destruction, as LN-67 pulled further back. Two of the oreships pulled away, suffering heavy damage. Suld monitored their pullback, and ordered two more in their place.
^Have long range probes come back?^
^Yes Suld. They have made a thorough tour of the system.^
^Status?^
^Ninety capital ships are in defense of Malhrer,^ cast Ciluo. ^It does not appear they will attack. There are no other TELREC forces of note in the system.^
Suld broke off for a moment, as he noticed movement.
^Oreships Deilin and Vadruas, break off, break off!^
LN-40 had accelerated, and dove into the oreships. The Deilin had impacted on its lower half, almost severing it in two, the oreship dissolving on the capital ships’ shields. The Vadruas had time to adjust its position, but it also was impacted on LN-40’s rear flank, its engines incapacitated. The Vadruas was destroyed in tils from fire by the capital ship.
^It’s not stopping,^ cast Ciluo. ^It’s on a course directly