Chapter Thirty-Three (2/2)
”Why are you on my viewscreen?” The being asked, tendrils and ruffs inflated and quivering with rage.
”Because I can and you can't stop me,” Yamamoto said.
”IMPACT IMPACT IMPACT!” The Tactical Officer called out.
The being on the viewscreen showed signs of obvious pleasure.
Yamamoto waited.
”What do you mean no effect?” The being asked.
The image of the next in the line of command appeared next to the Corporate CEO, looking confused.
”It means, you can't stop me, you can't hurt me,” Yamamoto said.
”Fire salvo three!” The being ordered, turning slightly with a clatter of hooves.
”Man, is your race bad at pattern recognition,” Yamamoto said. ”Sir, I must inform you that I hereby project my condolences to your wife on her recent status as a widow.”
Yamamoto felt the twisting churning in his bones.
”What?” The being turned back in time to see Admiral Yamamoto pointing his fingers at the viewscreen as if they were a gun.
”Bang!” Yamamoto said.
The being on the screen opened his mouth and the screen half showing that ship went blank.
”Please transmit to his widow that it appears his pattern recognition was so poor that he just suddenly, for no reason in particular, was turned inside out,” Yamamoto told the new being on the viewscreen. ”Now, I am Admiral Yamamoto, Commander of Joint Task Force Argo, and you are trespassing in this system.”
The being goggled and made gagging mooing noises.
”Bring up his successor,” Yamamoto ordered. The screen divided in half to show one of the saurians. Yamamoto knew they had a racial name, but so did other people's pet rocks. Yamamoto held up his fist, his thumb cocked back and his index finger pointing out.
Verthimax helpfully put the wireframe of a pistol over his hand in faint neon colors just in case these two species were particularly unimaginative.
”I don't care about your whatever Corporation or your mining Consortium or whatever. This system is hereby under Terran Confederate stewardship until the cessation of the hostilities or it's designation and status had been decided by diplomatic talks,” Admiral Yamamoto said.
”Impact sixty seconds,” Tactical called out.
”Hold return fire until my order,” Yamamoto snapped out.
”This system is the property of,” The second in command harrumphed.
Yamamoto swung his finger across the screen. He felt the twisting in his bones.
The lizard ducked.
”BANG!” Yamamoto yelled. The transmission from the second in command's ship vanished and Yamamoto saw it's icon get replaced with a white cross.
Verthimax put a puff of smoke at the end of Yamamotos' finger and had it trail as the Admiral lowered his finger.
”IMPACT IMPACT IMPACT!” Tactical called.
”How about you? How's your race's pattern recognition?” Yamamoto asked.
”No hits. Repeat, negative impacts,” Tactical called out. ”Arizona wants to know if they are permitted to open fire. One came, and I quote, sorta close.”
”Tell Arizona negative,” Yamamoto said. He looked at the lizard. ”Now, you can't hurt me. You can't stop me. And I can reach out and keep killing you without having to do anything more than reload my guns.”
He pretended to load a magazine into the bottom of his fist and pointed his finger at the lizard.
”Strike the flag, come to a stop, cut your engines, and surrender,” Yamamoto said. He cocked his thumb back and Verthimax added a metallic click.
”Or die.”
The lizard made a frantic motion. ”We surrender, Confederacy. Do not fire.”
”I'll be right here. With my guns,” Admiral Yamamoto said. ”Recall the fleet. Send Marines to board their ships. Be polite.”
”Transmit my compliments to the Damascus Star's gunnery crews,” Yamamoto leaned against the side of Tactical's crash cradle. ”Don't make me kill all of your men, sir.”
The lizard bobbed its head. It just realized that only one vessel had been firing.
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FROM: ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO, COMMANDER, JOINT TASK FORCE ARGO
TO: CONFEDERATE MILITARY SERVICES COMMAND
Have captured nearly 2,000 corporate combat ships. Request suggestions of next action. Only two ships were destroyed.
-------NOTHING FOLLOWS--------
CONFED MILITARY TRANSMISSION
WE ARE COMING, BROTHERS! HOLD THE LINE!
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS--------
GALNET NEWS
Kilnametik Industrial and Manufacturing Concern stocks have dropped as news of their Corporate Security Fleet being forced to surrender. GalNet News was allowed to interview the ship crews and can confirm they are being confined to their ships but otherwise well treated. GalNet reporters were informed that Confederate Laws of Space/Land Warfare consider the Kteshaka'an System as under Terran Confederate Territory until the system's status can be determined by a legally appointed joint civilization admiralty judicial review.
This has resulted in a massive sell-off of KIMC stock.