The plan, although full of holes, was simple. The escort fleet surrounding the capital ship was minimal. A pair of frigates with a pair of cruisers each. Both ships took up both sides of the capital ship. Technically, our fleet out massed theirs. But we were pirates, and they were military escorts. They outclassed us ton for ton in terms of hardware. Experience though? We likely outclassed them by a fair margin.
We only knew this because of the information the Pirate Baron had given us. The details were impressive. None of us were sure why the empire had contracted an outside private company to produce their ship. Which is why the thing was barely functioning. Had it been in their territory they could have brought it to full functionality without an issue.
We assume it's because of how the intergalactic council keeps track of the ships being produced, but that seemed a stretch. It did mean that whilst in transit the ship was nearly disarmed, but a toothless tiger was still a tiger. If we went into the fight with our full fleet, it could still bring to bear some of its weapons. More then enough to force back our fleet.
As it was the ship lacked a central AI, mostly due to the controlled nature of AI in question. And also having an AI equipped suddenly made the ship fully operational, which would lead to an incident with it passing through non-CHET territory. Which gave us an opening, even Doc had admitted she could likely gain control of the ship from outside if we were close enough.
Assuming the ship wasn't able to join the fight we'd still face trouble. An all-out fleet battle with them with the capital ship as the prize would likely last longer than an hour or two. The losses would be astronomical and frankly not worth it. Even with the destroyer giving us the oomph to break through, it still wouldn't be enough. Especially when we'd need to get close enough for Doc to hack into the capital ship to even shut it down.
Which is why we were in space. Me and all those who could fly using ki. The distance we had to cover, along with all the adjustments we would need, made jetpacks unfeasible. Our suits functioned like pilot skinsuits to maintain our body temperature, kept space out, and protected us from radiation. Which was fairly important. Our helmets sealed over the suit creating an airtight seal. The helmets had a built-in air system that abused my Attack Balls air recycling system. A few hours spent in a hospitable atmosphere, and it could last days. Apparently, even without my ships tech they could last for up to half a day without issue.
Either way, me, my master, and his friends were in space, including the various other soldiers that could fly. Each of us steadily moved towards our target destination. And it made you wonder, like truly wonder. Space was vast, and empty. The sheer number of miles between planets, the size was astonishing. And only flying forward with only a skinsuit separating it from you and that abyss was enlightening.
Never before had I felt so small, so worthless. Barely a spec in the eyes of the universe, no not even that. Microbial almost, non-existent until under a high-powered scope. Such was the vastness of space. The emptiness that yawned on and on. I couldn't imagine spending days or weeks in this silence.
Staring into the endless darkness, it did things to you. If any of us weren't strong of will, well, I imagine they'd be fidgeting and afraid. A constant, are we there yet? Almost as if inviting trouble. Even then, basic chatter filled our comms as we approached. Nervous laughter and jokes as we approached the point of radio silence.
A crackle cut in. "Are you certain the ship sensors won't detect us?"
"It won't. Not unless any of you decide to go all out." Doc answered the questioner. The answer was pertinent as we got closer and closer. Doc feeding us our directions. I suppose, maybe if we couldn't see her directions maybe we would be more frightened. It wouldn't be hard to be lost in space. A slight adjustment, a very slight minute difference would have us countless kilometers away from our target and off course. A single centimeter off could see us lost in space for eternity.
Everything was the same endlessness, which only made that fear all the more real. No notable landmarks were likely months or years away. It terrified me, knowing just how useless I was. I could survive, for a time in space. But if my helmet sprung a leak now? I don't know if I could make it back to the ship in time. Maybe if I was Super Saiyan, but… I don't know.
We were far too out. I suppose, nobody can hear you scream in space…
"We should be closing on the point. Radio silence, starting now."
I settled in as silence took over. My beating heart was loud in my ears and it did little to bury the budding fear in my chest. Like the tell-tale heart whispering to me from under the floorboards. It taunted me, cursed me, and worse still it promised, still it spoke in the absolute silence.
I refocused, reminding myself of our mission. To distract from that terror. We were sneaking on board the capital ship. And once Doc takes control the fleet moves in. With the ship under our control the fight should go better. Especially if we can claim some of the weapon systems and activate them to turn the tide.
We slowed as we approached the marker, more of the visor pointing out the official point where we should be then any physical object. We hovered about, the seconds feeling like hours as we waited. That fear of the unknown, of being in the wrong place bugging me as I looked around. I didn't voice my concern, my fears. Instead trying to look as put together as possible.
Although, I wasn't the only one disconcerted.
Master's friends did better, some opted to sit cross legged, or rather float in such a position. Taking the time to catch their breath and focus. Some were chatting via hand signs and motions. More of my fellow boarders took the chance to exchange hand signs as well. Those that didn't know them settled for simple gestures and motions. I imagine, if this goes well that they will do their best to customize their suits. Not an issue to me, especially when these fellows might very well make up the elites. And elite mooks needed special looks.
As one our heads turned, Our eyes shot to the direction pinged to us. In the distance we saw it, a mere speck in the distance, but quickly it showed its real size. A truly massive behemoth. Dwarfing us by magnitudes more than we care to admit. I could stand atop it as an Oozaru with little trouble. It hasn't been painted yet. The metal blank with no symbols of origin just begging to be marked. I felt anticipation well as it approached closer and closer…
"That…" I blurted out. "Isn't that a little big for a capital ship?" It was huge. Trying to gauge it was absurd. It was nearly as large as the pyramid, except…
"Will that be a problem, Doc?" She doesn't reply immediately, our little group looking concerned.
"I can handle it. This is a war tier Super Carrier. At least from what I can see, and honestly it makes sense why CHET would have it produced outside their borders. Super Carriers are nearly the size of a Strategic tier ship. Each state only allowed One or two at most. And from what I heard CHET already has two, which would make this their third."
Calmed down I gave a thumbs up to the worried looks and gestures.
"But for a super carrier isn't the escort light?" I ask, thinking they'd put a bit more effort to protect something this monstrous.
"It makes sense if they wanted people to think it was just a normal carrier. If anything, we shouldn't see an overt response from them, if only because if it was known that they had a super carrier built it would be cause for war."
Interesting...
"Well, it's a good thing we are taking it then." I could almost imagine Doc giving me an odd look.
"It's obvious to me that this ship was never meant for CHET, clearly it was for us pirates to take." Doc snorted but didn't argue.
"The plans still good though?" I double checked.
"We might run a little close." Doc responded idly, but I could feel the anticipation in her words. And as the ship approached, we made sure to keep our signatures low. Our forms tiny, specks in the grand scheme.
To the ships, we were ants. We just needed to not get attention. With both of us moving towards each other we closed the distance at a good clip. Likely hours of travel, but it felt so much shorter seeing that massive ship grow closer and closer. The carrier was gun shaped, like a pistol of some sort. All along its side I saw what looked like seams for hangars, and it had wings extending to the sides and bottom that looked like it was meant to link up with something, larger.
Doc fed me the details as we closed. We had to be careful. Despite the almost lazy speed it and its escort moved at, had we found ourselves in its way we would be pasted, like bugs hitting a windshield. The speed they were moving at made the landing portion especially difficult. We hugged as close to the hull as we dared, keeping an eye out for an airlock or something we could use.
Matching pace with the ship was easy enough, if only because ships didn't burn fuel unless they had too. There was no such thing as terminal velocity in space, you just kept going faster and faster, momentum carrying you forever onward. It wasn't just a normal dock, even having its own railings and setup for each of us to calmly land. A speck of silvery white on an endless drab metal sheeting.
I walked to a nearby panel, prying off the cover to get to the panel itself. I reached into one of my belts many pockets and pulled out an object eerily similar to a smart phone and tapped it to the panel. Seconds passed as we waited in deathly silence.
The sound of air hissing as the airlock opening the only sound we hear as we step in, the airlock shutting behind us with a loud clunk.
"We good Doc?" I ask as we wait for the air to re-pressurize. "Yes, the bridge was alerted to the airlock opening, but I managed to create a few other alerts to mask our entrance."
Good then. The doors open, we walk in. "As planned, we are splitting up. As you all can sense out life with your ki you know what to do." I speak aloud. A round of nods follow as they begin moving, leaving me alone with Master and one of his other friends. An older grizzled veteran. His awakening was particularly violent the man having served as a hitman or mercenary before calamity struck. He never explained fully, but it was something that had struck him hard.
We shared a glance and began to move. The hallways were empty, bare. A shiny white that reflected us back. "Ah, the smell of freshly fabricated ship." Our local vet said. "Can you even smell with the helmet on?" He huffed at my question. "As used to combat as I am, you could smell a derelict within the vicinity from inside a spaceship." A nice boast, if true. I doubted it though.
We walked, and I had begun to suspect we wouldn't see anyone until I pinged my ki out. Sensing a person about to turn the corner. I pulled out my pistol. And the moment they turned the corner. I shot, before they could even yell something, the bullet boomed out. One second the man was alive and well, wearing a grey uniform. The next his entire upper body was blasted off his legs. Nothing was left of his upper body. Well, except meaty bits.
The old vet whistled. "That is some kick." I agreed as we continued. Blasting a few more people as we went. We met no real resistance until we closed in on the bridge. What looked to be a half-built barricade blocked our way, a few guards in the same uniforms with simple white armor blocked our way. I didn't even bother to fire as we pounced. The enemy, despite being armed, was clearly caught off guard by our approach. What few bullets they managed to pop off went wide and dinged off the metal walls.
The moment we hit the barricade it was a simple task to simply leap over it and eviscerate them like wolves among sheep. A quick check for any surprises and we continued onto the bridge proper. As planned, master and the vet charged forward. They didn't give any of the bridge crew a chance or any warning as they grabbed and threw them aside. It took mere moments to round them up in a corner.
I looked over the spacious bridge. The chair was small, almost like one those fancy modern chairs with no real back support. I sighed and sat on it, the material was acceptable. I let Master and the vet go over the consoles with a quick search. I wasn't sure what to do now.
"Doc, where do we plug you in?"
"The central mainframe. It should have a way to pop out the mainframe." I looked over to the large circular basin at the center of the bridge. What looked like an oversized holocaster or whatever was in the center. I turn the chair to look over at the former bridge crew.
"How do we open up the mainframe?" I asked, politely. What looked like the captain stepped forward. "We'll never tell you terrorists anything!" He said with all the pomp and arrogance he could but was undercut when one of his officers walked away and saluted.
"Harrison!?" He exclaimed, not that I needed to know the guy's name.
I looked at him, Master taking the chance to keep the others away from him.
"I assume you're the mole?" I ask casually, stretching myself over the chair like a cat would.
"Yes, I am. I was disgusted with our company choosing to work for CHET. Especially on such a clearly illegal project!" Oof… I look over to vet who just nods.
"Well, mind opening it?" I ask, politely.
"Gladly." He walks to the mainframe and with a few taps followed by a long series of numbers and letters appearing on a large screen. As he taps in the last digit of what must be a 72-key password, I hear a loud thrum and clink.
The caster lifts up to right before me. A computer tray pops out. A perfect fit for the small smartphone object I have. I get up, keeping my eyes and ears open as I take slow and careful steps forward.
"Don't go dropping me." Doc teased as I placed her down on the tray.
"A little late for that joke." I replied as it slowly clicked in. The mainframe buzzing and thrumming, the sound of something happening as the ship stutters.
"I'm in." I felt a weight leave my shoulders in that moment. "Master, vet kill the rest of them. And you!" I point to the helpful officer. "Good work!" I give him a thumbs up, he smiles a little and salutes. "Anything to stick it to CHET."
We get settled, Doc pings up our fleet as I settle back down and do my rounds.
In a ventilation shaft hunts an assassin, hunting and prowling. Killing off the rats and those who hid when the silent alarm had sprung when we got onto the bridge.
"You good?" A voice cuts in, the captain's voice. The assassin pauses, contemplating her response. "Just cleaning out the rats." She responds. "Good, keep at it." And so, she did, moving through the vents at an incredible speed as she hunted down the last of the stragglers.
This repeated as a pair stood around the engines, near the major ports and hangars. There weren't many of them. But their newfound powers turned their already lethal skills into something unstoppable. Even the armory, one of the hardest fights yet was an easy cleanup for an old hand. Each of them relished the power.
And the ships outside? Apparently, they were linked to the carrier's net node. It was against protocol, but that stupidity made it easy for Doc to vent the ships of atmosphere and make them into ghosts under her command.
Soon the ship found itself flooded with new personnel, in under an hour The Spite found itself latched to the ships many ports as it came to a stop. The bridge crew of the Spite were now trying to figure out the innerworkings of their new ship.
I was sitting, watching. Lazing about as everything moved like clockwork.
"I have bad news. When I was installed into the mainframe an emergency alert had been sent out." That perked me up,
"And that means?" I asked, making sure my helmets speakers were off, but I never did get the answer.
Because soon enough we had an emergency. "I'm picking up signals of an incoming fleet! Putting them on the screen!" The caster hummed to life, showing the specs far off. It slowly zoomed in until we saw a series of heavy duty, almost utilitarian ships.
"We got CHET ships!" I thought we had another hour. "Picking up an incoming hail!" Our comm officer yells out. I could feel the activity roiling through the fleet as the information was shared and sent out.
"Why the hell would they hail us?" I asked dumbly.
"Standard practice, and it makes it easier to put a face to an enemy." Comms replied cooly.
"Right, Master, Vet get behind me. And you guys don't get caught in the camera, let's have some fun, shall we?" I decided to take up the challenge.
I straightened up, my head leaning on my knuckles. My legs crossed as I waited for Comm to link us up. It was showtime.
"Linking up in, 3…2…1… NOW!"
What appeared before me was a man, older in a black and gold uniform. His back ramrod straight, the picture of duty and honor.
"Attention! You are in possession of CHET property! Surrender now and face execution or die."
I was glad for the mask. I mean, those were both the same thing, weren't they? Difference being the when.
"This is Rettas, of the Silver Suns. And you are found guilty of breaching intergalactic law. Surrender now, and face immediate execution, or prepare for death." I returned. Spitting back his own words back at him. With a twist of course.
The man doesn't move. His grey eyes bore into me. I feel the tension ratcheting, I almost wish I wasn't wearing the helmet just so he could see my smile. I was practically vibrating from the incoming fight.
"Very well." The transmission cut just like that.
"Their ships are picking up speed, sending specifics." They had a single capital ship. Its front end was blocky, or rather it looked like a brick. It was almost a quarter of our size. But from the readings I understood it outgunned us. Two destroyers, four frigates, and nearly sixteen cruisers. A standard fleet formation.
We couldn't win in a direct fight… well, not without some help.
"Doc, can you get the weapons functioning?"
"By the time we clash I should have control."
I already knew trying to escape with our prize now wouldn't be possible. I could tell too from the voices coming from the comm station that the other pirates were having a conniption.
"Doc, when you get the chance, position the ghosts to help screen our forces."
"Understood."
I turned to helmsman, who, now didn't have a real job.
"Helmsman, see if you can't work with Comm to coordinate our ship captains. Tell them to use us and the ghosts as a shield. Should mollify them."
He nodded, "I can do that, but what about you cap?"
"Me? I get to try and blow up that capital ship." He doesn't argue, instead taking out a headset and working with comms to get the situation under control. Nav was working on something, as was our sensor guy. I stood, and flourished my cape as I did so. On my way out I noticed the one officer sitting back watching all of this calmly.
"Not concerned?" I asked him curiously.
"I was already prepared to die for my country. Life or death doesn't matter to me now."
Well, weirdo… Nobody stopped me as Doc led the way to the upper deck. A massive Mecha hangar, or at least I assumed that was supposed to be. The area, like the rest of the ship, was notably bland and empty. From what I saw it appeared to be unfurnished, probably so that the imperials could outfit the ship to their standards at one of their own ports.
The ceiling opened up, a ramp extending up onto the top of ship greeted me as I made my way up and out of the ship proper. Straight into the abyss of space. I worked my way up the ship, following the convenient pathway made for people to spacewalk. Right up to the prow of the ship, the very tip of the top. I stood atop the behemoth, my size dwarfed by it as the fleet before me was nothing more than a spec.
Could I do this? I asked myself as I waited. The question bothered me, but I already knew. I could. And if I couldn't? Just put more oomph into it. We tested it before briefly. Using the ships scanners and Doc's help to calculate the damage. In theory I could blow it up. Assuming they don't react properly. Like assuming the massive energy spike is a bluff.
If they did ramp up the shields, even put them full front it would still likely blow their reactor from the backlash of taking the hit, at least disabling the ship. Which meant, we had nothing to lose.
"It's time." Doc cut in, disturbing my musings as I wait. I sigh, and set my feet apart, looking through my visor for my target at the head of the fleet's formation. Its tip almost asks for a good hit. A perfect target.
I began to gather my energy.
"Ka…ME…HA…ME…" As I charged the capital ship fired, the lasers diffracting and merely scorching the surface of the ship as they missed me by a good deal. The ballistics fired were in turn stopped dead by the ship's shields cutting in at the last moment. The power in my hand like a miniature blue sun as it flared and beat against my hands like a beating heart.
"HA!!!" I loosed, the world flashing as I felt the energy thrum. The shot lancing out, the trail of energy connecting the front giving me control as I angle it for the ships center mass. From this distance I could barely see it, but I felt as my energy attack met resistance and I pushed harder and harder, hoping to break it. Leaving nothing…