91 To Oblivion? (1/2)
”And I still don't like it!”
I grumble while a formation of my battle ships and two of our fortresses advance towards the enemy.
There are multiple prototype ships of the Arcane Community in the mix. Asheim with Warden in control is in the centre of our fleet. Of course we took our time to evacuate it completely.
The other societies mainly provided fighting forces. They don't have ships like us yet. Even the Arcane Community can't match our raw output of crystal ships. They aren't interested in mass production anyway.
They build their ships just out of curiosity and for the fun of it. So their ships are an insane mix of different forms and sizes.
”What else can we do? This is a battle on a ridiculous scale. There is no sneaking up from behind.” Celes is standing right beside me on board of the Nomad. Arthur and Nicosar are on board of the Ragnarok.
”I know. But you realize that we will get very bloody noses by doing something like that? Head on assaults always end badly for both sides.” I look to the side.
Celes nods. ”That's true. But if you can stop even greater bloodshed by causing it on a smaller scale, it's worth the price.”
I nod while I wait for the formation to advance to our destination. It's quite certain that Amaru has seen us by now.
Then I grab my staff to reassure myself of my determination. It really sucks to be on this bridge right now. Will there be someone to look back at this moment and judge us?
Hah. If we fail this there will most likely be nobody to look back. If a few million Spheres start to generate demons, we are fucked. We don't have the people to deal with those amounts of demons.
”Our forward ships report demons which try to invade their ships.” -Technician
I nod but I say nothing. We anticipated that. The plan is to hold out until we got warden close enough to start in picking off the enemy planets.
We will have to pay the price for getting closer in lives. The problem with directly going closer through a pathway lies with the enemy main planet. It emits an extremely strong field of mana which disrupts pathways.
It's a crude version of our own dampening fields, which we use to stop enemies from directly entering our ships.
We can't get Warden any closer than we did. Our people can still use the pathways though. The effect is weaker on small objects.
I watch in silence while our fleet starts to pick off demons which start appearing close to our ships. They are too small to be seen and so it looks like our ships start to fire blindly in all directions.
The scene continues while we advance. It will take us forty minutes to get close enough to the enemy central planet for a decisive shot. Warden will start firing at the closer small planets at the five minute mark.
But we don't even get as close as that. Four minutes after the start of the engagement two of our ships suddenly disappear from the tactical map.
”What happened?” I sit upright in my chair.
”A serious hull breach in both vessels. They reported a very big demon with huge claws. It cut the hulls open like paper. Then the vessels were boarded by the smaller versions. Both captains decided the situation to be hopeless and activated the self destruction after fighting back became impossible.”
I nod. Our smaller ships have a serious problem in this type of engagement. There aren't enough crew members to fight a big boarding party. I refrain from instructing everyone to look out for those big demons. They know that themselves.
At minute five Warden takes her first shot. A small red line of red energy shoots out of the central tower of Asheim and slices into one of the enemy orbiting planets. The planet disappears in an explosion of red energy.
It's a clean and complete annihilation. That spell seems to be a little more refined than mine! I have to get the details for it out of Warden later.
The fleet continues to advance while losing ship after ship. Warden is relatively safe because the planet is surrounded by us. We act like a net to keep the bugs away.
Then it's our turn and the warriors are ordered to defend the hull. The whole engagement is one big chaos and everything I can do is sitting in my command chair.
It's the fate of someone who commands a military battle. You make your plan. Think of strategies and counter tactics. Then you lean back and wait for something unexpected to happen. Otherwise you aren't needed any more.
”The Ragnarok's defence was overrun! They are fighting but it looks bad!” -Officer
When I focus my screen on the Ragnarok, I see a carved up ruin, which was once a beautiful flying fortress. Those fucking things are actually scratching off our hulls inch by inch!
I feel Celes grabbing my shoulder. ”Tell them to hold as long as they can and move the ships to cover the hole in our formation.”
Suddenly the Ragnarok blows apart and I grab the armrest of my chair tightly! ”What was that! Report!”
”We don't know. There was no communication about it. We just got the information that the enemy was close to the crystal core!” -Officer
I hit my fist at my armrest. We can't move our positions and everyone has their own troubles with holding off those pests. We aren't even at the twenty minute mark yet!
Hopefully Arthur and Nicosar got out. They will have to report to another ship first. But couldn't they have come here?
My useless thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the whole command centre bucks downwards and I am slammed into the ceiling.
The whole room is thrown into a small chaos while people try to get back to their positions.
”Something took out one of our plasma cannons! We have a gaping hole there!” -Officer
I get back into my chair and look at our time table. Eighteen minutes! There is no chance that we will make it at this rate.
”Someone strong is fighting his way free to our crystal core.” -Technician
~You have to stop him. The defence can't be upheld without the help of a crystal fortress. Asheim would be open to attacks.~
Warden's voice echoes through the room.
I lean backwards and inhale deeply while closing my eyes.
”I will go and see what I can do to defend the crystal core.” Celes stomps out of the command centre.
While looking at the ceiling, I wait until the door is closed behind her. Then I turn towards the main screen. ”Defend the engines and the crystal core. Abandon the rest of the fortress. Break the formation and advance at full speed towards the enemy main planet. Signal the retreat for everyone. They have to use a pathway as soon as they are able to.”
”Your majesty?” An officer looks at me with a dumb expression.
”You heard me! We won't make it.” I point at the timer which is displayed at the main screen. ”We haven't even reached the twenty minute mark and our most valuable assets are out of commission! Sound the retreat and get everyone out of here.”
I stand up and leave the command centre without looking back. Then I walk at a leisure pace towards the control room with the crystal core of the fortress.
~What are you planning?~
”Get everyone out of here Warden. This plan backfired on us. They will have taken the fleet apart long before we reach our destination.” I turn around a corner.
~That wasn't my question.~
”Try to take it easy Warden. You almost sound pissed off. I will just attempt a little experiment before I lose this fortress.” I smile while I enter the control room.
Celes is there with a good amount of other defenders. They started to set up barricades. She is looking with expectant eyes at a door which leads to surface of the fortress. Something is hitting the door from the other side and a few cracks started to appear.
”Is this a bad horror movie?” I ask her with a light smirk on my face. Celes just shakes her head while I walk towards the big crystal core in the centre of the room.
The crystal cores are the focus points for mana in all applications which use the crystal technology. Without it the fortress wouldn't be able to grow or release the absorbed mana.
I place my hand at the crystal core and start to give it instructions through my mind. Margerie's hideous security measures cost me quite some time. But then I am done.
-Full Energy Conversion activated. Fail-safe deactivated. Silent Countdown started-
The cool voice within the room startles the defenders beside me and I turn around to face them. ”Everyone. Please evacuate now. The dampening field will turn to full power within a minute. Afterwards you will be stuck here.”
”What are you doing? Who will defend the core if everyone is gone?” Celes looks at me with an awkward expression.
”Nobody. We will all retreat now.” I smile at her and hug her. A few seconds later I feel her relaxing. Her defence drops for a second and I invade the mana flow inside her body. Normally it would be impossible to do something like that.
But I know her mana pattern from inside out. She slept beside me for years and the feeling of her soul is very familiar to me. It's like dabbling with my own body.
A few cuts and the damage is done. She probably didn't even feel it as she goes limp in my arms. ”Sorry sugar cat. But I can't have you fighting this time. Not with the kids.” I whisper into her ear.
After taking her into a princess carry I become aware of her betrayed expression. But I pay it no heed.
I fixate one of the defenders which are looking at us. ”You! Take the queen out of here. I will defend the core alone. Try to be not too close to her when the healers fix her up. It will be a true mayhem.”
Four guards take Celes and immediately enter a pathway with her. Then I turn towards the door while one defender after the other starts to disappear, using a pathway.
A few stay and I raise my voice again. ”Get out! Fast! I don't want hindrances locked up in here when the dampening field activates!”
The last of them vanishes a moment before the dampening field activates. Well, at least I will have nobody besides myself on my conscience.
Another crack appears in the door and I ready myself. Suddenly the door shatters into thousands of shards and multiple demons storm into the room.
But they are the small fry versions and I don't intend to hold back. A short chant leaves my lips and a torrent of red energy sparks forth from my hand.