Three Square Meals Ch. 068

He felt a surge of grief and despair as he shoved his flightstick forward, making a desperate attempt to shake the rampaging horde of Kintark fighters. His Tactical View was a riot of red now, with the remaining Terran Rapiers outnumbered four-to-one by Kintark fighters.

***

"Dropping out of hyper-warp in one minute!" Alyssa warned them, staring at the Tactical Map which displayed the turmoil in the Regulus system.

"How bad is it?" John asked Calara, seeing the worry in her furrowed brow.

"The Kintark have strike craft superiority. Those bombers will cause havoc amongst the Terran capital ships," she replied, her expression grim.

John nodded, and asked, "What about the Damocles?"

"About to engage Lynton's forces," she replied calmly, forcing herself to maintain a professional facade despite her worries.

Alyssa could feel Calara's concern for her father compounding her distress, so she sent waves of soothing emotions to her, wrapping her mind in a comforting mental blanket. The stress ebbed away from the brunette immediately, and she flashed her blonde lover a quick smile of thanks.

Dana had noted the huge energy spike from the Sword of Sif, and moments later the dreadnought seemed to have lost all shields, seemingly the result of some horrifically timed accident. After that, they'd all watched in shock as the enormous warship had been blown apart by Lynton's dreadnought, the Thor's Hammer. Without that capital ship to bolster the remains of Santini's battlegroup, the Terran Federation forces were now at a significant disadvantage against the traitors.

Calara locked eyes with John, and said, "After losing their dreadnought, they aren't going to last long."

"We better see if we can thin the herd then," John said, gazing up at the holographic map.

Alyssa read his mind, knowing exactly what he had planned before he even spoke it out loud. She communicated his orders to the girls in a split-second, and all the women around the Bridge seemed calmer now, confident in his orders.

Jade turned though, and half-rose out of her chair, fixing him with her cat-like eyes as she said, "Let me take the Raptor. You can't help both groups at once."

"Jade..." John started to object, but the Nymph cut him off.

Pointing at the waves of Kintark strike craft on the Tactical Map, she said, "You can't afford to spend time wiping out all those fighters and bombers, you're needed against the traitors. The Raptor has the firepower of a cruiser, but it's faster than a fighter. This isn't going to be like Iota-Leonis."

*I know you want to keep Jade safe, but she's right. Calara agrees with her,* Alyssa said to him telepathically, while staring at him with her piercing blue eyes. *The Raptor's fast, tough, agile, and packs a hell of a punch. She'll be okay.*

He glanced down at the Latina, and she gave him a brief nod of agreement.

With a heavy sigh, he turned to meet the Nymph's intense emerald gaze, and said, "Alright, you can take the Raptor. We'll do a flyby, and drop you off." He fixed her with an unwavering stare as he continued, "If it gets too hot though, I want you to retreat. I'm serious, Jade, I want you to promise me."

"I promise," Jade replied, her expression sombre, then grinned as she sprinted up the ramp towards the grav-tube.

He rose from his chair at the same time as Alyssa, and while she rushed over to the now vacant Pilot's Chair, John darted down the steps to intercept Jade. They shared a brief but poignant hug and a fleeting kiss, before he reluctantly let her continue on her way.

"Exiting hyper-warp in ten seconds," Alyssa announced for his benefit, and he quickly returned to his seat.

Then just like that, they were there in the Regulus system, the Invictus swathed in blue tachyon particles as the assault cruiser dropped out of hyper-warp. They appeared on the outskirts of the system, a short distance from the tail-end of the Terran Federation flotilla.

"Take us in, Alyssa," John said to the blonde sitting in the Pilot's Chair, but she had started reacting the moment they'd arrived.

"Engines to maximum," she declared, shoving the throttle control forward, and powering up the Invictus' four massive engines.

John glanced at Calara now, and asked, "Where can we do the most good? We'll only have time for one pass, before we head to the Damocles."

It was almost like he could see her mind whirring, as the Latina calculated the highest volume of targets in a broad path through the chaotic melee. She reached over to her console, then tapped a button to bring the Tactical Map up before her. Taking a slender finger, she traced a line that intersected through the clashing forces, and said, "Follow that flightpath."

"You got it, gorgeous," Alyssa said with a smile, making a slight course correction to follow Calara's requested route.

With the hugely overpowered Trankaran engines boosting them to ungodly speeds, the Invictus tore towards the Terran forces. The armoured panels in their hull had peeled back, exposing the full extent of their formidable firepower, and the sleek-looking ship appeared eager for battle as it leapt into the fray.

"Do you want me to assist with the Pulse Cannons?" Faye asked Calara, who was taking a firm grip of her weapon controls.

The Latina nodded, and replied, "Yes, but not right away. I'll let you know when, alright?"

"Whatever you say, Commander!" Faye replied enthusiastically.

The Invictus was sporting forty-eight fast-tracking turrets, precisely positioned around the assault cruiser to provide full coverage for their defence grid. Originally these weapon mounts had been designed for Gatling Lasers, the short-range anti-strike craft weapons that were favoured by the Terran Federation. However the defence grid had gone through a spectacular upgrade, and could hardly be described as defensive any longer. Each turret now sported a medium range Pulse Cannon, and the devastating Maliri weapons had run the gamut of Dana's tech enhancements, their lethality boosted to frightening levels.

Under Alyssa's careful guidance, the Invictus charged into the Terran formations, weaving past a Federation cruiser that was trying to assist the beleaguered Rapier fighters with its Gatling Lasers. Calara began to open fire the moment the Kintark craft came into range, and the Pulse Cannons on the front of the Invictus began to glow as they fired three-shot bursts into the sprawling dogfight. The sparkling-white assault cruiser ploughed through the swarms of Kintark fighters, an unending curtain of blue laser fire cascading outwards in waves.

To the stunned forces on both sides, it appeared as though a blue globe was rushing through the battleground, carving a devastating swathe in its wake. The unerringly accurate Pulse Cannon bursts savaged the Kintark fighters, the bright blue laser bolts punching huge holes straight through them with every hit, their armour plating providing scant protection. The moment every burst was fired, each Pulse Cannon turret turned to track its next target, Calara having absolute confidence in her supernatural accuracy. Whole fighter wings were obliterated in an instant, with the fast-tracking turrets destroying over twenty Kintark ships per second at their peak efficiency. As her route through the strike craft took nearly fifteen seconds to complete, the impact to the Lizardmen's strike force was catastrophic.

As soon as the Invictus surged clear of the densest concentration of fighters, Calara called out to her purple companion, "Faye, take over the Pulse Cannons!"

Nodding eagerly, the AI replied, "Assuming fire control!" The Kintark had a momentary respite from the Pulse Cannons as Faye took over, and then she began blazing away, sending several bursts of laser fire at each Kintark fighter they passed to ensure their destruction.

Calara gave a brief nod of satisfaction, then switched the selectors on her weapon controls to the Invictus' Beam Lasers and Mass Drivers. They were sailing through a foreboding black sea, awash with hostile vessels, and now it was time for the Kintark capital ships to weather her merciless storm.

***

"It can't be!" Lynton gasped, clinging to the arms of her Command Chair in shock. She whirled around to her right and snapped at Commander Nichols, "Get me target focus on that ship!"

"Which one?" he asked her, astonished by her abrupt change in mood. Moments before, Gabrielle had been deliriously happy as she'd watched the destruction of Santini's dreadnought.

"That fucking white one!" she screamed at him. "The one tearing the Kintark a new fucking asshole!"

Nichols flushed with embarrassment at being yelled at in such a manner, especially in front of his subordinates, but he turned to obediently follow her orders. He quickly highlighted the glistening white assault cruiser, gaping at the incredible speed with which it was racing through the centre of the battlefield. It seemed to be heading straight towards them.

"Something's wrong with the Tactical Map, that can't be right!" he blurted out, as he stared in amazement at the vessel which the transponder codes tagged as the Invictus. His face twisted in confusion as he added, "Corvettes can't even move that fast, and that's an old assault cruiser!"

Lynton stared in horror at the zoomed-in view of the Invictus as it dived under a Terran battleship, then rolled at an astonishing rate, so that the topdeck was facing towards a Kintark cruiser. She winced against the blinding glare, as intensely powerful azure beams skewered the Kintark ship, annihilating it in a ferocious display of raw firepower.

"No..." she whimpered, paralyzed by the sight of her Master's Progenitor adversary.

Commander Nichols was deeply rattled by her frightened reaction, and he leaned in close so he could whisper, "Who the hell is that?!"

"It's John Blake," she breathed, trembling with fear. Pointing a quivering hand at the Tactical Map, she managed to choke out, "He's coming for us!"

***

Admiral Caldwell stared intently at the holographic battle group interface, both hands moving in short, measured movements as he issued order after order to his forces. The Kintark had closed to medium range, and their sinister green capital ships were hitting his own fleet much harder now. With the second Kintark force attacking from below, his ability to safely rotate out damaged vessels had been blocked, with weakened ships no longer having a safe place to withdraw and recuperate.

He'd lost over a dozen cruisers already, with another score taking damage, now that their shields were out. His battleships had been savaged as well, with the Helios reduced to an unresponsive hulk after taking damage to multiple power distributors. The Hyperion's fire crews were struggling to extinguish a raging plasma fire, which threatened to sweep through the burning ship. Finally, the Pallas had lost the use of the weapons on their port side, when a devastating salvo of plasma missiles had destroyed two of its Fire Control Towers. He hadn't had time to review the extent of the damage inflicted to his picket screen of destroyers, but he knew it would be horrendous.

Considering their bleak position, it therefore came as quite a shock when a rousing cheer spread through what had been a deathly quiet Bridge. As he looked away from the battle group interface, he saw Commander Milton's wild grin, and his XO pointed to the Tactical Map as he cried out, "It's the Invictus! The Lion's here!"

Edwin's eyes snapped to the holographic map, ignoring his jubilant crew for a moment as he searched for the distinctive white shape of John's assault cruiser. Amongst the myriad grey and green ships, the Invictus gleamed like a white beacon as it hurtled through the battle lines. He knew how advanced the tech on that ship was, but to actually see it in action sent a shiver down his spine.

Admiral Weber's battle group were involved in a heated exchange with Kintark forces on the lower edge of the Terran armada. Green bolts and orange beams blasted back and forth between the duelling sides, forming a dense web of colours that was as beautiful as it was deadly. A massive Kintark battleship led the pounding barrages sailing into the cramped Terran formations, using its ferocious weight of firepower to reduce cruisers to burning husks. The Terran ships had finally knocked out its shields, but the ship was still entirely unscathed, maintaining its remorseless salvos of Plasma Cannon fire.

The Invictus swept low, making a beeline for the shieldless ship, and it rotated on its axis before slamming four Mass Driver shells into the starboard flank of the huge enemy vessel. The subsequent explosions blew apart armour plating in a storm of green debris, leaving four evenly-spaced craters, right down the middle of the Kintark behemoth.

The white-hulled ship immediately dipped towards the rear of the battleship, then opened fire with an impossible number of Beam Lasers from its topdeck. Edwin had to squint against the blazing intensity of those beams, and he watched astounded, as they slashed across the exposed middle of the Kintark vessel from belly to spine, neatly slicing it in half. The battleship broke apart into two sections, the point of incision glowing orange where the Beam Lasers had sheared through the superstructure.

"Good Lord..." he breathed, suddenly realising just how powerful John Blake's vessel had become.

The brutal evisceration of the Kintark battleship increased the volume of the cheers to a deafening crescendo, and he looked about the Bridge as his personnel celebrated.

Commander Milton clapped him on the shoulder, and exclaimed with relief, "The Kintark are doomed! The Lion's going to save us!"

In a moment of sudden clarity, Admiral Edwin Caldwell realised that it wasn't only John Blake's ship that had grown powerful. He wondered if Lynette Devereux had even the slightest idea of what she'd created...

***

Murphy blinked and rubbed his eyes, still trying to adjust after -something- had surged past his ship. Whatever it was, had been huge and sparkling white, like some kind of ghostly apparition from a gin-soaked old spacer's tall tale. What had blinded him was the deadly hail of blue laser bolts that had swept around him like a monsoon, while miraculously leaving his fighter completely unscathed. When he glanced at his local Tactical View, he was bewildered to see it had been swept clear of red gems.

He'd been fighting for his life, a whole squadron of Kintark heavy fighters on his tail, and only pure luck, coupled with the nimble agility of his fighter, saving him from death. He pulled his Rapier around in a loop, and he was staggered to see the shattered remains of those marauding Kintark, huge holes blasted straight through the canopy of each fighter. Whatever the hell that white ship was, it had exterminated every enemy fighter in his vicinity.

His battle computer had de-synced with his wingmate what seemed like hours ago, so it was with some trepidation that he asked over the local com channel, "Binary? Are you still there?!"

"Binary, responding to your hail," the man replied, but something seemed off in his voice. The normally monotonous inflections trembled slightly, and Binary sounded as if he was badly shaken.

Murphy took a deep breath, and said, "What the hell was that thing? It just... -executed- all the Kintark."

"I... don't know," Binary replied after a brief pause. He sounded more assured a moment later, as he added, "Assemble at the rally point, our fighter wings are regrouping."

Looking at his Tactical View, Murphy flushed when he saw he'd been assigned a new waypoint by Fighter Command. In all the excitement, he'd failed to spot it. He twisted the flightstick to the left, then pulled back, lifting the nose of his Rapier until he was facing the rally point.

"I'm on my way," he replied, relieved to see that there were still a couple of dozen Terran fighters left intact.

He glanced at the Tactical View again, trying to see how the rest of the battle was going. Capital ships were exchanging massive volleys of heavy weapons fire, and he felt tremendously relieved that he wasn't anywhere near that shitstorm. However, as he was checking the wider battle, he spotted a solid wave of red gems creeping their way across the holo map. His heart fluttered with fear as he realised the Kintark had sent a third wave of strike craft on an attack vector, only this time there were dozens of bombers following the leading edge of fighters. He knew those lumbering bombers, loaded with their deadly cargoes, were heading straight for the Terran capital ships.

"Have you seen what's heading our way?" he asked Binary in a hushed voice, trying not to let his fear show.

"... Affirmative," his wingmate replied. "Our new objective is to destroy those bombers."

Murphy felt his heart sink in his chest, and he couldn't help wondering where that mysterious white ship had disappeared to.

***

"No, you mussst not deviate from our strategy!" High Prelate Zorlin urged his determined counterpart.

High Prelate Grakira shook her head stubbornly, and hissed, "We are equalsss, Zorlin, ssso I do not need to obey your ordersss. I will leave half my force here to maintain the attack on the Terransss, but I -WILL- have the Lion'sss head for what he did to the Yerran'tok!"

They had been discussing the progress of the battle when the Invictus had appeared as if from nowhere, and ripped the Kintark battleship in two, right before their disbelieving eyes.

"Thisss is no time for ssseeking persssonal glory or pursssuing vendettasss!" Zorlin protested. "Eliminating the Terran Invasssion Fleet is our primary duty to the Empire!"

Grakira's long tongue flickered out for a moment, instinctively tasting the air in predatory anticipation, and she replied, "Hisss ssship would make a prize worthy of the Emperor himssself. The Empire mussst have the technological sssecretsss hidden within that vesssel!"

One look at the fanatical gleam in his fellow High Prelate's eyes, convinced Zorlin that he had no chance of dissuading her from this course of action. He let out a rattling sigh as he admitted defeat, and said, "Leave your carrier groupsss if they ssstill have ssstrike craft to launch; they would be ussselesss againssst the Lion in any cassse. Our bessst hope liesss with overwhelming the Terran capital ssshipsss with torpedoesss."

"I will do ssso Zorlin, and will leave you enough battlessshipsss and cruisssersss to maintain the crosssfire," she replied, as a conciliatory gesture. She gave him a toothy grin then, and said, "The Terransss are doomed Zorlin, they don't ssstand a chance againssst you."

He didn't reply, and stared mutely at her holographic image as she ended the call. Shaking his head sorrowfully, he muttered, "I pray that isss ssstill the cassse."

***

Jade powered up the Raptor's engines to maximum thrust, and the nimble gunship roared towards the incoming Kintark strike craft. After Calara had swept the first waves of Kintark fighters clear, Alyssa had temporarily slowed the Invictus, allowing Jade and her Raptor to safely depart. The Nymph had left the protective cocoon of the Invictus' Hangar Bay at that point, and both glossy white vessels then raced away, heading in opposite directions to engage their foes.

It had been a while since Jade had been able to really put the Raptor through its paces, having flown the Invictus in most of their recent engagements. As she looked at the scores of Kintark ships heading her way, she felt a shiver run down her spine, remembering the last time she'd faced those green-armoured fighters. It had been in Iota-Leonis, a system not very far from her current location, where they'd saved Rachel and Port Medea from the Kintark's depredations.