Three Square Meals Ch. 071

The bearded man had been staring at him in shock, but one look at the pirate king's furious expression had him leaping into action. Breaker put his hand to the headset in his ear as he frantically contacted the pirate and mercenary fleets.

Hades turned back to look at the curved map, so he could focus on the battle developing outside Underworld. His eyes narrowed, and he nodded with satisfaction as the Bloodnova pirate ships, along with the Ruiner and Corpselord mercenaries began to respond. There were twenty-three vessels in the flotilla, made up of eight corvettes, six frigates, five destroyers, two Ruiner cruisers named "the World-Burner", and "the Howling-Pillager" along with one for the Corpselords, called "the Flesheater". The huge formation of spacecraft were all lead by his flagship, the battlecruiser "Brutaliser".

He grinned as he turned to look at the white cruiser, the sensors having identified its transponder code and tagged it as "the Invictus". Expecting the Terran Federation vessel to turn-tail and flee in the face of so many ships, he was astonished when the assault cruiser banked towards them, almost as if it were eager to get to grips with his fleet. Hades' jaw fell open as he watched the Invictus dramatically increase its speed and charge headlong into the mobilising fleet opposing it.

"That's impossible, no ship moves that fast!" he balked, as he stared at the curved map not believing what he was seeing.

Chigs shook his head fearfully, and said, "No, it's right! There's nothing wrong with the sensors!"

The Invictus began to roll and drift, causing the green laser beams from the defensive grid to flail about well wide of the mark, missing the cruiser by dozens of metres. Beam weapons were designed to fire at large, slow moving vessels, and the automated targeting software was ill-equipped to aim the ponderous turrets at such a nimble ship.

Reacting as fast as they could, the pirate and mercenary fleet began to assemble into formation, preparing themselves for the battle. The World-Burner and the Howling-Pillager were at the front of the throng of ships, and they opened fire with six Beam Lasers apiece. The dull orange beams throbbed as they fired chaotically at the incoming ship, with half managing to glance over the Invictus' shield by blind-luck rather than skill.

Unfortunately for the Ruiners, the Terran ship was now in range too, and it turned sharply before unleashing the terrible firepower from its topdeck on the two dark-blue cruisers. Eight azure beams struck each ship on the prow, their shields trembling violently for a split-second as violent blue waves surged out from each point of impact. Then just like that, their shields were gone, leaving the vessels horribly vulnerable to the ferocious columns of energy.

As the Invictus ran parallel to the ships, the beams continued to throb with power, scything along each cruiser and neatly gutting them from prow to stern. Hades looked on in utter disbelief as two of the biggest ships in the sector were filleted in seconds. They'd been torn into two neat halves, and debris and personnel were sucked out into the vacuum of space as the ship's hulls were sliced open.

More of Underworld's turrets were in range now, and they turned to fire on the white ship as it looped around for another pass. Some of the beams actually managed to strike the cruiser this time as it was impossible to dodge incoming fire from eight different directions. Three of the turrets managed to connect with their pairs of green beams, sending spiralling pulses of verdant light across the field protecting the Invictus, while the rest of the shots sailed harmlessly wide.

"They haven't even lost their shields!" Chigs exclaimed in alarm. "What does it take to put that fucking thing down?!"

Stunned into silence, Hades staring wide-eyed as he watched another eight beams from the underbelly of the Invictus lance out and eviscerate two more of his turrets. It rolled again, and came barrelling in on a direct heading towards the bulk of his fleet, closing to medium range with the host of ships. The corvettes, frigates, and destroyers brought their laser cannons to bear in a blistering hail, joined by beams from the last of the cruisers, the Flesheater.

Hades' flagship was his pride and joy, the battlecruiser having been the scourge of miners and traders throughout the Unclaimed Wastes. The mighty vessel was armed with a mix of Beam Lasers, Heavy Cannons, and Laser Cannons, in addition to dozens of missile racks along the ship's spine, each warhead containing potent loads of high explosives. The Brutaliser joined in the devastating barrage with a thunderous broadside, firing everything it had at the onrushing assault cruiser.

The pirates in the command centre cheered as they saw the shields on the Invictus wink out, with beams and laser bolts finally striking home against the sparkling white hull. Hades sighed with relief as nearly sixty missiles raced towards the vulnerable vessel, leaving long plumes of smoke as they burned through their fuel. A wicked grin crept onto his face, knowing nothing could survive that amount of ordnance.

A second later, a broad cone of bright blue laser fire swept out from the Invictus, the blistering hail of bolts arcing into the missiles' path. There was a rippling wave of explosions as the swarm of missiles were shredded by that azure rain, causing the warheads to detonate prematurely as they were ripped to pieces by Pulse Cannon fire. The Invictus wasn't content with contemptuously sweeping the missile barrage aside, and the blue hail tore into the corvettes, frigates, and destroyers, chastising them for their impudence.

Now it wasn't just missiles exploding, and he watched in horror as not only mercenary ships, but his own BloodNova fleet was cut to pieces. The relentless destruction proceeded through the ranks of ships, the titanium armour on the smaller vessels proving woefully inadequate against pinpoint accuracy with such overwhelmingly powerful weapons. The pirates' cheers in the command centre died out just as abruptly as over two hundred of their Bloodnova brethren.

"No! This can't be happening!" Hades protested, shaking his head in denial as he watched his forces consumed by the blue wave of laser fire. It had taken him painstaking years to assemble his fleet of ships, and now they were being obliterated in a matter of minutes.

Those lethal blue beams lashed out again, split between the Flesheater and the Brutaliser this time. The Corpselord's cruiser was bored through in half a dozen places, its shields offering scant protection against the nightmarish power of the terrifying weapons. The bright blue shards of light raked through the ship, and one of them touched off the reactor, blotting out the cruiser on the map as it was enveloped in a tumultuous amber explosion.

The Brutaliser had lost its shields, but they'd managed to nearly ward off the eight blue beams, sapping them of most of their strength. That did the battlecruiser little good though, as the Invictus pulled up its nose to face directly towards the red-hulled ship, and unloaded its Mass Drivers. The four hyper-accelerated shells pounded into the Brutaliser's upper gun decks, and the detonations that followed a second later ripped through the vessel, tearing the banks of Heavy Cannons from the superstructure.

The ravaged battlecruiser still had its Beam Lasers, Laser Cannons, and Missile Racks, although the missiles would take some time to reload. The Invictus started to perform a lazy roll, no longer making any effort to dodge as it brought the Beam Lasers from its underbelly to bear. The Brutaliser fired back in desperation with every weapon it could muster, and Hades felt his heart pounding in his chest as he watched eight of its beams link the two ships as they all struck home.

Obscured from view by the hail of orange laser bolts and beams, the Invictus was surely done for, and Hades waited for the ship to explode as so many had previously fallen victim to his flagship. When the beams winked out a few seconds later, his grin was wiped off his face as he gaped in open-mouthed astonishment at the curved display. Not only was the Invictus still intact, its glistening hull still shone radiantly, not even showing a scratch from the Brutaliser's savage burst of destructive energy.

It was the Invictus' turn now, and as it finished off the last of the destroyers with Pulse Cannon fire, the eight Beam Lasers on its underbelly blasted into the battlecruiser. All eight beams converged on a single point, melting through Titanium armour as though it were made of butter, then burning through deck after deck until they speared the ship's reactor. The resulting catastrophic explosion sent fragments of the obliterated ship tumbling away on the blastwave.

Hades fought down the overwhelming feelings of shock, grief, and loss at seeing his beloved flagship get blown to pieces. He whirled on the Enshunu beside him, and grabbing the alien by his red robed tunic, he hauled him off his feet and roared, "Talk you sneaky fucker! What aren't you telling me?!"

Yil'magur's red eyes were wild, the alien just as terrified by what he'd witnessed as everyone else in the room. "I-I've told you... w-w-what do you...?" he babbled incoherently.

Pulling out his broad-barrelled heavy pistol, Hades jammed in under the Enshunu's chin, and snarled, "Start fucking talking, or I'll blow your fucking brains out!"

Those blood-red eyes stared cross-eyed at the deadly-looking pistol, and he yelped, "Tashana's a Maliri!"

Hades blinked at the Enshunu, staring at him in amazement. He released the alien's tunic from his grip, and Yil'magur stumbled backwards, struggling to keep his balance. Everyone knew about the Maliri; the enigmatic aliens who hid behind their golden armour, and after seeing Tashana's face he understood why they did. Tales of the Maliri's incredible firepower, and their utterly remorseless attitude towards all other races, were well known to everyone in the Unclaimed Wastes.

Hades glanced at the Invictus as it banked around the Underworld. With every pirate and mercenary ship in the Alamak sector little more than glowing debris, it was completely unopposed as it closed on the nearest docking bay, obliterating every turret in its path.

"Hail that fucking ship!" he croaked at the bearded pirate sitting behind the comms station.

***

Jorgan Marharbor twisted his shoulders and then brought the wickedly-barbed neural lash across the back of his slave. "Stop dawdling you lazy pieces of shit!" he snarled in anger.

The barechested man screamed in agony, and collapsed in a spasming heap as he convulsed with the searing pain, with the vicious lacerations left by the weapon adding to the web of scars cross-crossing the man's torso. Normally that was enough to send all his servants running, falling over themselves in their haste to unload the cargo from his freighter, but to his astonishment, the rest of his dozen slaves didn't even flinch. They all seemed to be transfixed by something, and they stood stock-still, gazing out across the docking bay. Jorgan raised his arm to strike another of the indolent slaves, but the voice of Ndunng, his bodyguard, stopped him.

"Boss, wut's that?" the Largath at his side grunted, two pairs of eyes rolling to look in the same direction that his massive brawny arm was pointing.

Jorgan frowned in irritation, wondering what pointless irrelevance had brought his unloading operation to a grinding halt. He turned to follow the direction of the Largath's huge gnarled finger, and he stared wide-eyed at the sight, just as awed by it as his servants.

A huge five-hundred-metre long, sparkling white cruiser was floating completely motionless outside the docking bay entrance. The ship looked sleek and predatory, that impression greatly enhanced by the formidable arsenal it had on display. Segments of its glossy armour plating had peeled back, revealing fearsome batteries of turreted weapons, which were all pointing inside the docking bay.

***

"They've accepted the call!" Breaker blurted out, twisting in his seat behind the brass-coloured comms station as he looked for Hades.

The leader of the Bloodnovas was pacing up and down, eyes darting nervously at the Invictus, which was currently parked outside Docking Bay Four. Hades felt a surge of relief when he heard Breaker's call, and glanced at the viewscreen as it flickered to life, revealing the bridge of the Invictus once again. The room was practically deserted now, except for two beautiful alien girls, one with a ravishing green face, the other a cute purple.

"Where's Admiral Blake?" Hades asked impatiently. "I need to talk to him!"

The green-skinned girl studied him for a moment, then replied in a sombre voice, "He isn't on the Invictus any more."

"Where is he?!" Hades demanded in a panic. He felt clammy now, and with cold sweat dripping from his brow, he added frantically, "Tell him I've reconsidered!"

Jade gave him a macabre smile, her emerald green eyes flashing with excitement as she said with an ominous tone, "Don't worry, you'll see him soon enough."

Icy talons of dread clawed at Hades heart, and he pleaded, "Wait! I'll give him whatever he wants! Tashana right? She's yours! I don't give a shit!"

"If I was you, I'd make sure Tashana's safe," the Nymph said, staring at him intently. She gave him a pitying look, and added, "John's got a nasty temper when he gets upset."

With that she closed the comm channel again, leaving Hades staring at the crackling screen.

"Fuck!" he blurted out, his heart pounding in his chest.

***

Jorgan Marharbor stood transfixed as he stared at the smaller vessel emerging from the side of the massive cruiser, which was now blockading the entrance to the docking bay. The gunship banked out from a hangar built into the intimidating larger ship, then rolled around and swept into the Underworld. It flew in low over the parked merchant shipping, before hovering twenty metres above the deck, about fifty metres away from him. It had the same sparkling white armour as the bigger ship, but this gunship had a leaner, more aggressive profile, making it seem just as ferocious despite its smaller size.

The loading ramp at the front of the gunship swung down, and a tall, white-armoured soldier stepped out fearlessly, the golden lion emblazoned across his chest catching the light. Golden-yellow flares of light appeared behind him, as some kind of retro-thruster slowed his descent, and the man landed lightly on his feet, raising a long white rifle in his armoured grip. The weapon looked radically advanced, and was illuminated by a blue light that ran down the length of the barrel.

No sooner had he touched down, then half a dozen more white-armoured figures started stepping out from the ship, dropping down in pairs then fanning out to flank their leader. These soldiers were smaller in size, and Jorgan realised with a start that they were all women, the figure-hugging body armour making that abundantly clear.

They paused for a moment with their long rifles covering all angles, standing protectively around one of them in their centre; a girl with a golden lioness on her shoulder. From where he stood on the loading ramp, Jorgan had a clear vantage point over the heads of his slaves, and he could see how breathtakingly beautiful the girl was through her transparent faceplate. He stared at her in fascination, watching as she closed her eyes. The girl appeared to be deep in concentration, and she seemed to fall into some kind of meditative trance as the seconds ticked by. Lights began to dim all around them, and he glanced around in alarm, watching the lighting in his freighter's cargo bay start to flicker erratically.

When he glanced back at the girl again, he stared at her in amazement as a burning white light blazed from her eyes. Her arms were swathed in swirling white vortexes of energy, and she suddenly crouched down and struck the floor with both fists. A surging pulse of energy blasted outwards from the kneeling girl, making Jorgan flinch instinctively as the wave of energy rushed towards him. It swept over his slaves and the Largath beside him, before surging past and plunging into the depths of the Underworld. As he watched it glide away, he had the sudden epiphany that it might not be wise to be standing out here, gawping at these mysterious soldiers.

He turned to run back into his ship, but something he spotted as he turned made him freeze in place. All his slaves were shrouded in a soft white nimbus, and they stared at their hands in surprise, turning them over in amazement.

"Pretty lights, looks like blood!" Ndunng, his Largath enforcer muttered, holding his burly hand up in front of his face and admiring the red glow.

Jorgan stared at his own pasty hand, and gaped at the ominous red aura in shock. Ndunng was right, it looked like his hands were soaked in blood.

That's when the shooting started.

And the killing began.

***

"Holy fuck..." Chigs breathed, in a low, terrified voice, staring at the red shroud covering his body, just like all the other Bloodnovas up in the command centre. His attention was suddenly drawn by a strobing flash of blue light, and glancing across at the banks of monitors, he gasped, and shouted, "Hades, look!"

"What now?!" Hades asked him fearfully, still reeling after his chilling conversation with the green girl on the Invictus.

"Docking Bay Four!" the pirate gasped, pointing a shaking hand at the bank of vidscreens.

When Hades had taken over the base, he'd had his men install surveillance cameras all over Underworld. They'd hooked them up to a broad bank of monitors, so that they could maintain a careful watch over their new lair, and keep an eye on the untrustworthy denizens of the station. The cameras in Docking Bay Four were now ablaze with blue beams of light.

"Zoom that shit in! What the fuck's going on?!" Hades demanded.

Breaker tapped in some commands on the console beside him, and the image on one of the twenty-five screens expanded to cover all of them. Hades instantly recognised the white armoured figures, with John Blake at their lead, three of his women to either side. The way they moved was hypnotising, with the six women moving in perfect synchronisation as they swept through the docking bay at a fast walk.

"They're killing everyone!" Chigs cried out in alarm.

Hades watched as one of the women, who had a brown lioness on her shoulder, aimed at a Largath and sent burst after burst into the howling monster. The rapid pulses of azure laser bolts blasted searing holes through the creature, and when it was hit by a well-aimed shot to the head, it toppled over backwards crashing into some crates.

It was eerie to see the woman brutally slay the huge alien while never once falling out of step with the others. She pivoted smoothly as she switched targets and gunned down the Largath's fleeing master, leaving him dead on the floor with fist-sized holes steaming in his chest. John Blake and his women swept out of sight of the camera, moving on from the Docking Bay, and leaving scores of corpses in their wake.

"Find them!" Hades barked at Breaker, who nodded hurriedly, trying to locate the invaders again on the cameras. Whirling around he looked for Yil'magur, as he muttered, "This is all your fault, you fucking red-eyed bastard..."

However the Enshunu Captain was no longer in the command centre, having taken advantage of the fear and confusion to slip from the room.

***

Malifica was in a daze, slipping in and out of consciousness as she tried to fight off the effects of the drugs that were overpowering her senses. Her mind took this opportunity to further her torment, slipping back through her memories to when she was just a young girl, aged eight, living in Melfalas, Valaden's capital city.