He was an old hand at conflict. An admiral worth his grit. A man worthy of mention, even if he never thought so. A loyal imperial soldier, loyal to CHET to the bone. Even still, even he was confused by the current events. The sudden increase in arms production wouldn't go unnoticed. The increasing need for ships and equipment either.
The mass recruitment drives dialed up on the command of the emperor. He just knew it was a deck of cards just waiting to fall. The empire was always one bad day from extinction. Everyone in the military felt that. It fed into the culture. That ever-present sensation of being one step from oblivion. It gave them their unfailing willpower like cornered beasts.
But… this was too much. Reports were coming in at a frenzied pace as planets were invaded by the pirates, led by the known pirate lord The Front… A stupid name, but the man was well known for the numbers under his flag. Worse still was how he was aiming at newer worlds and hadn't yet even brought out the true elites he was known for.
Jolly Roger and her golden fleet were rampaging inside the inner sector. Appearing and disappearing at her own convenience, but not before doing catastrophic damage to every sector she swung by. Then came Industrio, assisting the both of them, and I assume the Pirate Baron as well with the many pirate bases located throughout the system.
It was obvious why they dared to attack us. They were no more than attack dogs, sicced on us by their masters. It was even more obvious why, especially when pirate factions were usually smart enough not to mess with us, but seeing the sudden and inexplicable raids and attacks throughout the empire…
I can't help but wonder if the emperor really knows what he is doing. Breaking the international law is one thing, but… No. It would be best not to question it, especially not when we have a job to do.
The escort fleet with our new ship, also an illegal ship, as much as it pains me to admit. Sent us a distress signal. At best we hoped to show up in the midst of a fight, but what we saw was so much worse. It was clear at first sight that a single shot hadn't been fired. Mutiny. Large scale mutiny as well.
"Make a note. The company we contracted for the production of our ship is compromised."
Those words likely condemned thousands, but hard times required hard decisions. I stood, walking to the captain's perch. Taking my place as I fold my arms behind me.
"Hail the carrier. We will give them one chance." At best they'll flee and leave their newly gotten prize. Then again, they may not even answer, instead choosing to flee at the sight of us. I highly doubt they have an AI capable of controlling a ship of that size. An AI with the specifications would be heavily controlled, not something any pirate could get ahold. Not even the Pirate Baron himself could get one so easily.
"Getting a connection!"
I stood straight, inwardly for whatever I may see. The second the caster cracked on; my composure was almost lost. Only years of seeing the unexpected had kept me steady. A woman, her outfit doing little to hide her body. Behind her a pair of men, wearing similar suits. She had a casual nature, one that showed little to no military training, just a girl... No, even from here he could sense the blood wafting from her form. Like a beast. A cat playing with its prey. But the two behind her set my instincts flaring. Old hands for sure, but like night and day. Both had an odd calmness to them, like still water in the frigid winter. They made for a startling comparison to their bloodthirsty captain.
I was almost glad I couldn't see their faces under those ridiculous helmets. I gave them the usual notice, but I could sense the derision from the girl. The way she stretched and moved as if to emphasize her form. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a few staring. I didn't expect much, but her words…
She knew we had violated the laws. Even stated her name and affiliation. The Silver Suns? Never heard of them, but something about the way she said it. Like a justification for them to take what was ours. In a way, what I had said was an admission of guilt. Interesting. Even more interesting was the confidence oozing off her despite us out-massing her fleet.
"Very Well." I had the transmission cut. The bridge fell silent as we drifted forward.
"Battle stations! I want every ship prepped and ready for combat!"
I didn't know if she was a pirate, or an opportunistic vigilante. But she would likely find herself dead like all those that face CHET. The familiar deep thrum of the klaxon ringing out filled me, like the drums of war. As we closed, I could already imagine them crumbling under our force. No, they would. Such was my determination as the admiral of this fleet.
The ship wasn't worth the trouble to try and reclaim it. Not if they can actually control it. And I suspect, they may actually have a way. It hasn't been long, about an hour since we received the signal. They would at most need another hour or two, depending on the quality of the AI and when they started.
"Sir! Energy spike!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Put it on the screen, where is it?"
"The prow!"
"Is it the particle driver?" A flurry of action followed as they worked to answer my question, the image of the prow cutting on with a snap and crack.
"No, its… on top of the ship?" I found myself bewildered as the image cleared and showed something, impossible. The girl, if that was her, but the cape, that outfit. Degraded as it was due to image quality, it was undoubtedly her. And she was doing something.
"What are the readings?"
"I, uh, I don't know!?" Useless.
"Put it on the screen then!" With the same sound as before it snaps on. I look it over.
"It appears to match a Plasma Lance's energy signature."
My rippled out, bodies shifting at my words in shock. I was shocked too, so much power in such a small frame?
"Command sir!?"
We had moments likely, at least based on how the energy levels were quickly plateauing.
"See if we can't hit her." I knew we couldn't, the chance unlikely if only due to the distance and the size of our target. But it would be easier if we could just blast her. Naturally our shots missed, the few that looked on target were deflected by the ships shielding. Which meant they had some control over the ship.
"Full shields to the front!"
"S-Sir?"
"DO IT!" I commanded again; time was of the essence!
"SIR!" I felt the generators shift, the shield shifting to a full-frontal screen. I watched as the energy spiked and launched…
"We'll need to redline the generator on my mark."
"Yes, sir!" and a moment later, "Generators are prepped!" I watched as it grew closer, counting the seconds down till it hit.
"NOW!" I felt the ship grumble as the generator kicked on, the shield for a single instant turning a solid blue as the energy hit it at its height. "Ease off on the reactor but keep it ready."
I felt the shield weaken. The energy beam splashing and running off our shield like a torrent of water. I frowned as it kept going.
"Status on the Capacitors?"
"Capacitors are being drained!"
"Any of them failing? And put it on the screen!"
"No failures detected." I almost couldn't hide my smile at those words. It was a good thing I recently leaned on the engineers to double check their work. I watched as the capacitors in question slowly drained, each about the same as the shield struggled to stay up. The attack was just enough for the shields to take.
"We're picking up another spike of energy!" Shit! It really was like a Plasma lance.
"We need to overload the capacitors, prepare them!"
"S-SIR!?" I didn't bother to say anything as I grabbed my pistol from its holster and shot the man dead. A pair of guards moving to drag the body as his replacement filled his spot.
"Get to it! Or do I have to repeat myself?" I commanded the mans replacement.
"No, Sir!" A few seconds pass as I finally see the energy spike once more, the flow of energy tipped by a massive ball of condensed energy.
"Capacitors are prepped!"
"On my command!" A moment passed, I had to time this right. If I don't, we die, or become crippled. It was less an exact science, more of an intuition as I saw the energy. Well aware that it was likely faster than I could perceive. But the second it was time, my instincts screamed.
"NOW!" The ship shuddered as the capacitors were flooded with excess energy even as they drained, the brilliant blue shield outside suddenly flushed with power crackled with power that I could feel. I shut my eyes as I felt white light wash over me, the ship rumbling as I felt the capacitors give one by one from the excess power and backlash.
"Status report!" I yelled out, my eyes blinking out the black spots that bled in. Our ship tilting slightly from the force of the hit.
"Capacitors are slagged! The generator is half capacity! Shield generator is still operational!"
The very best outcome. I grinned to myself knowing how bad that could have been. Overloading the capacitors to temporarily boost the capacity of the shield to rebuff the energy spike was a common tactic when facing certain types of energy weapons. Not something taught in the academy but taught through blood and time.
"Position us in the rear of the fleet, I doubt they can do that again." There was no need to threaten our ship in a direct fight. Not now.
"Done!"
I walked back to my chair and fell into it, barely hiding my sigh as I leaned back. I could feel the sweat soaking my back, My heart thumping in my chest. Hell of a thing for a human to throw that kind of attack out… Which reminds me.
"Make an inquiry to command on a Rettas of the Silver Suns."
She must be someone of note. I leaned back, watching as the fleet moved forward. I had a feeling this wouldn't be the last surprise we had.
…
I was pissed. I hadn't destroyed the capital ship. It was still functional, able to fly and move. I was angry, and I could feel it clouding my judgement.
"Good work Rettas." Doc rang out… I didn't know what I was feeling. It was like a volcano ready to blow. I clamped my mouth shut and stopped. My head bowed. It was silent. Deathly quiet in the hallways. The lights and reflective floors reflecting back my form. We stared at each other, my reflection and me.
If I could see my face… how ugly must it look right now?
I took some time to untangle my feelings. To simply stare at my reflection. I was angry. That was clear, but why was I angry? Where did this anger come from? I turned my head to look at the walls surrounding me. The feeling of being enclosed in a metal coffin. I wouldn't be able to use my full force here and unless I transformed, I wouldn't be able to help effectively in the coming fight.
I've already done my part. So desperately did I wish to fly out and devastate them. To show the universe my power. Yet… how strong was I really? When I finally become a super Saiyan, only then would I truly begin fighting the true power houses in the galaxy. Only then could I lay to waste fleets and enemies at my leisure.
But now… I was angry. Angry due to my own weakness. Angry that I couldn't contribute more, do more. In a way, this helmet only exasperated my fear. Closing me in, locking me away, hiding my light from the world. Or was it the shock? The sudden change of the endless abyss of space, the fear of the unknown and… the feeling of simply floating, free, untethered. Alone. To being confined in this ship, this flying tomb. Then... only to be reminded of my own weakness?
I wanted to fight. To shine above all... Yet... what was this? Really… what was this? I felt like a small fish in the ocean. Desperately trying to make myself bigger faster. Those instincts cried out for me to lash out. To wipe out this ship and let loose. To reclaim my spaceship and world hop. Leaving a trail of broken worlds in my wake.
Yet… Was that the most efficient method? Could I justify it? Life wasn't a game. I couldn't be sure they'd send foes at my level as I destroyed worlds. Instead, what was more likely was an alpha strike. An elite team or a fleet hunting me down with extreme prejudice.
And that was where my conflict came from. I sighed, feeling the fire in me smolder and quiet. It wasn't gone. Still thrumming like an old forge. The white-hot coal hidden under the ash. It would come to me with a little stoking, but this wasn't the time.
I walked, sure of myself. My gait was steadier than it had been minutes prior as I made my way to the bridge. Nothing happened as I entered the bridge. Helmsman was busy, only briefly congratulating me for my good work as I sit down. I leaned on my knuckles. Staring out at the viewport as the battle was joined.
The ghosts were the first to be stripped and destroyed. They acted as shields for our forces as the fleets collided. Slugs and laser fire lancing out before me and on the screen. It was strange. Odd, seeing so much death happens before me and not be directly involved. The ships exchanging fire, the explosions of fire and gas.
It was almost as if space was denying their existence. The abyss of space swallowed all sound as fighters were deployed. A massive scrum occurring just outside the bridge window. People died on both sides. Fighters and mecha fought each other. Colliding and smashing into each other. The CHET mecha focused on line tactics with their mecha. Using shield wielding mecha to protect the ranged types. Whereas ours were a smattering and mix of the best and worse. I idly noted the hammerers smashing through the line, creating a gap. Just as a more decorated mecha clashed with them.
The fight was, like everything else, quiet. Silent. Even as one of the hammerers died, their mecha impaled and blasted apart by gunfire. It was as if the abyss was making a claim to their existence. The battles were important. People were fighting and dying. Yet, I didn't feel my heart thumping or the courage and hearts of the men and women before me.
I only saw a play. Caricatures of a fight devoid of body and soul. And perhaps I was righter than I thought as Doc cut in. The ship thrumming, a series of clicks running up and down its body like a great beast waking.
"I am in control." Almost immediately Helmsman gave orders. Guns were lined up and fired. I had no idea what was happening as I looked at the maps before me. Nor did I understand all the fine-tuned movements that Helmsman made as the fight progressed. Why did the cruiser need to be moved there? Why was a detachment of fighters sent somewhere empty?
And in an instant, I saw the steady war of attrition before me shift. I didn't know how, nor why. Only that the shape of the map changed. It was almost inevitable as changes were made. Each of the most minute alterations shifting the battlefields in ways I couldn't comprehend.
It made me wonder, just who was helmsman? Where did this competency come from? The natural way he barked out orders. How the entire map seemed to play out according to his whims. He stood tall, his hands clasped behind him, fingers occasionally twitching. And I imagined, I saw. Threads, like a spider stretching out. Weaving a beautiful web.
And the moment our new ship joined the fight. The trap was set. Like an avalanche we crashed against them. In an instant their whole line collapsed as our fighter and mecha bled through their lines. I had thought it won, but CHET somehow managed to take charge, stunting their advance.
A sudden deluge of ship fire pushed back our lines, giving them enough breath to back off and regroup. A confident grin was on Helmsmans face. He licked his lips like a hungry beast. Every word of his changing the battlefield was like a master conductor working an orchestra.
As if… everyone one of us were slaves to his baton… Including me…
This wasn't my place. I concluded. I stood. Catching Helmsman's eye.
"Seems you have this covered. I'm getting some sleep." He salutes, but heads back into the task before him with a zeal I had yet to see from him. Doc helpfully showed me the way to my quarters. I walked along the hallways, understanding what truly pissed me off. It wasn't just that I was weak, no.
It was because this wasn't my fight. This was Helmsman's fight. I was just a pawn, a piece in this little game. And… I wasn't sure if I could compete with him in this field. Not yet at least. I wasn't even sure if Super Saiyan would give me the strength to break those webs he was weaving.
Or… had I been caught in those webs long ago? The thought made me laugh. My laughter echoed in the empty hallway. I knew I could kill the weaver with ease. A simple punch, a ki blast. Yet, I couldn't find myself willing to do so. Not with the benefits before me.
It was then that I made my way to my room. The captain's quarters of the new ship. The space sparse and barely furnished. Save for the bed with clean cloth. With a twist and a jerk, I separated the helm from my suit. Breathing in the dry air of the ship. I threw it aside, knowing how tough it was. I unclasped my cape and pauldrons throwing them aside as well. I worked at my boots before kicking them off as I made my way to the bathroom.
I threw off my armor, chucking it on the ground as I stripped out of my outfit. I stood under the hot shower. Looking at the bathroom. It was fancy, and bare. I sighed, letting the heat soak into me as I walked out. Letting the water run off me as I shake dry. I stand in the chilly air, letting my tail dance about.
I looked at my bed. And I fell into it. Wrapping myself I the blankets, welcoming the warmth. And… I slept.