Hidden Path, Cloudbreaker, Grace, Dim Silhouette and Razor Edge came into their senses in morning’s Ponyville. The Sun was about to appear from the horizon, so it was still a bit dark, and there was practically no pony on the streets.
What happened this night… Meeting with aliens, abduction, discovery of the incredible and extremely dangerous threat, the discussion… All memories about it were blurred. Or all this was just a dream? They couldn’t tell. Their heads ached. It was… just too much for a pony to comprehend.
“What… happened to us?” Razor Edge muttered.
“I don’t know…” Cloudbreaker responded.
“All memories… are blurred,” Dim Silhouette added.
All of them barely managed to stand on their own legs. But suddenly Hidden Path shuddered, turned to Razor Edge and started to look for something in his mane.
“Boss, what are you doing?” unicorn got scared.
Bur Hidden Path did not respond. He was focused on the search. Other agents couldn’t do anything too since they were shocked as well. In a few moments Hidden Path exclaimed “A-ha!” and asked his colleagues to come closer.
“See?” he pointed at a spot on Razor Edge’s skin. “It proves what we’ve seen was real.”
Pegasi and Dim Silhouette looked closer and surprised again: the spot on Razor Edge’s skin was definitely a mark that remains after an injection.
“All of us must have these too!” Hidden Path said. “Look for them!”
They examined each other. Turned out they all had the same marks at the same places on their necks.
“That means… We’ve been there?” Grace shuddered. “All of this… was real?”
“Yes!” Hidden Path exclaimed. “But that’s not the most important thing now! Princesses are in danger! We have to warn them!”
“Right!” his subordinates agreed.
And they ran to the Castle of Friendship.
However, when they were in three or four hundred yards from the Castle, something strange and scary happened. Just in one moment, all five ponies froze. It was like some unknown force made their muscles to contract and thus absolutely unable to move.
“What’s… happening?” Cloudbreaker forced himself to utter.
“Dunno…” Grace whispered.
And then…
“You are not allowed to approach this sitecurrently,” all agents heard a voice in their heads.
“What?”
“You are… those tiny robots put into us by those bastards?” Hidden Path asked.
“Correct. But we would kindly ask you not to call people who want to save you ‘bastards.’ It’s not very polite.”
“What? You damned little shits…”
“You won’t let us tell princess Twilight about it?” Grace asked.
“Yes. We also won’t allow you to tell about what you have seen to other people who might tell princess Twilight and other princesses about it as well.”
“What?”
“You think you can take complete control over our bodies?” Cloudbreaker angered.
“Mostly. It’s possible for you to overpower us and make your body move, but we wouldn’t recommend you to do so.”
“Why?”
“Because in such case we must damage your organism so that you couldn’t talk or move.”
“What?”
“Oh my…”
“Well, we’ll see about that,” Hidden Path angered.
He forced himself to move and made few steps backward. The paralysis faded.
“Boss?” Cloudbreaker surprised.
“Do few steps backward,” major said. “Then they’ll free you.”
Other agents did what their boss told them. And, yes, they were able to move again.
“What should we do now?” Dim Silhouette was in despair.
“I have a plan,” Hidden Path responded. “Just… do what I’ll tell you and don’t talk too much.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hidden Path ordered everyone to follow him. Agents went after their leader. In few minutes they got to the railway station, and there they took the first train to Canterlot. Grace, Razor Edge, Dim Silhouette and Cloudbreaker began to guess what their boss has in mind. They returned to the secret service headquarters. Hidden Path wanted to warn everyone, but… how? They could only guess.
At around midday the train has reached its final stop. Agents, just like other passengers, unhurriedly left the cars. They left the central station of the capital and mixed with a crowd. Among ordinary clerks, who were going to the work, they went to their main workplace.
From the relatively new part of the city with its big beautiful buildings and wide streets they got to the old town, which was built more like ordinary medieval city. Although the road network there didn’t resemble a spider web, like in many other places, but the streets still were narrow, and new pony or a tourist might get lost there. That’s why the secret service headquarters were placed there. After a series of turns, climbs and descends, they sneaked in one small yard, which was situated in few hundred meters from the walls of the Royal Castle. They opened an ordinary-looking door, which looked just like average door of an old apartment house, and… they were at the very place. The headquarters. It took entire three blocks – the secret service was a large structure, and it needed a lot of space. Houses in the old town were small, but thanks to that they were built near each other it was possible to unite them into single structure: the only thing to do was to remove a wall. Thus, those three block were completely reconstructed, and the only thing left untouched were the facades.
“Hm… nothing prevents us from going there,” Cloudbreaker whispered.
“That’s good!” Grace smiled. “It proves those things cannot read our minds!”
“Or they are just waiting before something else…” Razor Edge uttered.
“Maybe, maybe…” Hidden Path responded. “We won’t find out without if we don’t try.”
“Right.”
Through the network of corridors Hidden Path led his crew to the office of the Chief of Staff, General Sir Black Thunder.
“Oh, major Path? And all of the Second Department?” Chief’s secretary, Fire Dawn, smiled when she saw agents entering the room.
“Good day, miss Dawn,” Hidden Path greeted her.
“To what do we owe your visit? You need as appointment to Sir Black Thunder?”
“Not exactly. I’d like to make a written report and pass it right to him.”
“Oh, so you are making progress with your investigation?”
“Well… yeah, there is certain progress.”
“Glad to hear that. Well, wait a moment, I’ll get the forms you need…“
She turned to the large cabinet that stood right behind her and took several paper sheets with her magic.
“Here. Fill them, and I’ll bring them right to the General,” Fire Dawn said, giving the papers to Hidden Path.
“Thank you,” major was about to take the papers when something terrifying happened to him: he froze for a moment and then his entire body distorted. He fell on the floor, twitching and shuddering badly, like he was having severe epileptic attack.
“Major?” Fire Dawn worried.
“Sir!” his subordinates rushed to help him, but only they made a step, the same fit happened to them.
This time Fire Dawn screamed in horror. Right in front of her five strong ponies were writhing in pain for no reason, and their fits were so severe it seemed that some invisible force tried to kill them.
“Help!” she screamed. “I need help! There’re ponies having a fit! Please, help!”
In a moment everyone who was near ran into the office. Other agents, office workers, even General himself. No one could tell what was happening to agents of Second Department, but it didn’t matter then. They rushed to help. Other agents tried to stop the fist, but nothing helped. “Epileptic attack” that Hidden Path, Grace, Dim Silhouette, Cloudbreaker and Razor Edge were having, became more and more intense, and in a few seconds left them unconscious.
“Take them to the hospital!” these words of General Black Thunder were the last thing agents heard before fainting.
“What did you do to us?..”
“You have just experienced the shock of the entire nervous system.”
“Why?..”
“It was necessary to prevent you harming yourself and other creatures. Your actions might led to the failure of the mission. It’s dangerous. We had to disable you for a time. You will recover in five days…”
“No…”
Three days later…
The doors of the Castle of Friendship opened and purple alicorn with her little dragon assistant went outside.
“Well, my friends, we have to go,” alicorn said to the servants and guards of the Castle, who were standing in the doorway.
“Good luck!” the servants and guards smiled to her.
“It’s a pity you can’t go with us!” Spike sighed. “The festival is going to be fantastic!”
“We understand, but… if we go with you, who will protect the Castle?” Affi wondered.
“You are right…” Twilight said with a sad smile on her face.
“Cheer up, princess, Spike!” Karin smiled. “It’s not the last time when all princesses gather at one place.”
“Well, yeah, there’s gonna be another festival, but… in a year.”
“See, there is a chance!”
“In case of expansion of staff, it’s 100%,” Edez added.
“Right!”
“Well, have a good time!” researchers smiled and waved to princess and her assistant.
“Bye!” Twilight and spike waved to them.
“See you!”
Alicorn and dragon smiled and went to the station. Researchers saw them off and closed the doors.
Smiles disappeared from their faces.
“Have you finished to set the traps?” Edez asked Zet’rar, Max, Kor, Karin and Bluve.
“Yes,” technician nodded. “No one won’t be able to enter the Castle.”
“Autoresponse holobots are be ready?”
“Yes,” Oma and Affi said. “We have downloaded in our holobots templates and algorithms for response to any possible question.”
“They won’t let anyone to go farther than this hall,” Affi added.
“Good,” Edez turned to Zet’rar. “Switch off the mind control.”
Zet’rar gave a nod and in a moment bodies of researchers vaporized. What remained after were metal “skeletons”, which looked like poorly made stick figures with many spikes. Awkward stick figures moved away from the door and lay down on the floor, waiting for a command.
Meanwhile twenty miles away lone nine earth ponies woke up from their deep slumber – eight is Canterlot express and one in the train to Dodge City. It was about time: they were close to terminal stations.
In Dodge City passengers quickly left the train and disappeared among numerous wooden buildings of the city – they hurried to their work. But one passenger was different. Giant arsenic stallion left the train among the last. Unlike other ponies, he didn’t hurry to leave the platform – he remained there and did a short warm-up. Some stretching, cracked few joints, and only then moved away. But not to the city – he ran across the railways, passed by storehouses and depots and disappeared in the forest. When station could not be seen behind the trees and bushes, he stopped. The stallion touched his right foreleg and neck, and in a moment large metal bracelet and necklace appear on them.
“Are you ready now?” a voice came from the necklace.
“Ready,” the stallion responded. “Have you finished the searches?”
“Yeah. We’ve determined the exact coordinates.”
“Lead the way then,” arsenic pony smiled and rushed forward as fast as representatives of his race can.
The Canterlot team acted completely differently: from the very beginning they formed a close group and mingled with the crowd. It was pretty easy since visitors of the capital of Equestria were rather motley public, and even such giants as Kor could become unnoticeable among them. Especially easy it was easy to do at the Central Station, when visitors left it in a tight flow.
“The main procession with princesses and Discord would move along the Royal Boulevard, right?” Sheim asked Affi in Upelian. They decided to pretend to be Oma’s compatriots, since the chances that they would find someone from this region of Europonia were minimal, so they could communicate openly without any risks.
“Right, but we won’t go there except for Kor,” Affi responded. “We’ll head to the Undercliff district of the Old Town. Kor, you keep closer to the Boulevard.”
“Got it,” officer nodded.
“I understand that it’s to ensure the safety of princesses and spirit, but…” Oma said. “Why the poorest part of the Old Town?”
“Because it would be the emptiest part during the entire Festival. Nevertheless, even being there, we, “targets”, would stand two blocks away from each other. It’ll lower the detection rick. And… Max, Zet, you’d better be very fast.”
“Got it,” Max responded.
“Don’t worry about that!” Zet’rar smiled.
“And, Kor, do you remember to activate the Ga’Ke searcher few moments after the launch?” Affi said to the officer.
“I do. I remember that these bastards are very sensitive to them,” Kor responded. “I’ll wait until it gets distracted.”
“Are you sure that you’ll be able to defeat it?” Karin worried.
“You know, I’ve fought Ga’Ke before once. Although I wasn’t able to use my special abilities, I’ve defeated three of them and was alive after that.”
“But this one is stronger.”
“Probably it is so. But… My task is to destroy its body, right? I’ll do it.”
“Well, I hope you don’t lie about this,” Affi said to her friends. “We are approaching the Old Town, so get ready to separate.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they responded.
“Good luck to you all.”
“Good luck to all of us!”
They went in different directions and soon hid in narrow dead ends of Canterlot’s Undercliff.
Meanwhile it the beginning of the Royal Boulevard ponies were getting ready to start the parade.
“Oh gosh…” Twilight nervously walked back and forth. She has reached the state when excitement gets so high it gradually transforms into anxiety. “I’m so nervous!”
“Relax, Twi!” Rainbow Dash smiled to her.
“But it’s the first time when I take part in the Crown’s Day parade!”
“Isn’t it supposed to be fun and exciting?” Pinkie Pie wondered.
“It is so, but… I can’t help myself! I’m always worrying!”
“Let’s think logically,” Spike stepped in. “It’s not the first mass event which you take part is a royalty, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“And it’s not the first time when you are at such even with other princesses, right?”
“Right.”
“Then what are you worrying about? You’ve already had similar experience!”
“Spike is right!” Applejack said. “It’s sumthin’ you’ve already done before! Nothin’ different! You’ve already attended some entertainment events with princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance. There’s nothin’ to worry about!”
“Umm… This time Discord takes part in the parade too,” Fluttershy said.
“… and how does this affect the situation?” Rainbow Dash wondered.
“Discord may play a joke on ponies at the parade?” Pinkie Pie suggested.
“He could, but… I don’t think he will do it for real, since all princesses would be there,” Rarity suggested.
“See? Nothing to worry about!” Spike summed up.
“I guess you all are right,” purple alicorn smiled.
“Twilight!” they heard the voice of the mentor of princess of friendship.
“Yes!” Twilight turned around and saw white alicorn approaching to her. “I’m coming, princess!”
“Do not hurry, there is some time left before the start,” princess Celestia said. She looked at her former student. “I see you are worrying.”
“Yes,” Twilight confirmed. “I know that I’ve already done something similar before, but… this is the first time I’m participating in this parade, so… yeah, I’m a bit nervous.”
“You know, this parade is one of the easiest duties of Equestrian royalty. All you have to do is be friendly. Just smile and wave! Smile and wave!.. Oh, and be adorable.”
“Um… be adorable?” Twilight was confused.
“Yes. Ponies love it.”
“I’m not entirely sure about this part…”
“I know you can do it! I remember how you tried to make me forgive you for being late again due to the fact that you’ve read too much at night.”
“What?!” Twilight’s face immediately turned crimson red. Her friends giggled.
“You can do it!” Applejack cheered her friend up.
“Yeah! It’ll be easy!” Rainbow Dash added.
“We all believe in you!” Fluttershy smiled.
“Thank you all,” Twilight smiled at them and turned to Celestia. “I’m ready!”
“Let’s go then, Twilight!” princess smiled, and two alicorns went to the platforms.
In few minutes the parade procession left from the Royal Castle.
At the same time, a lonely gray stallion in a cloak climbed on the roof of one tall office buildings that were situated near the Royal Boulevard. He shook himself and looked down at the avenue filled with celebrating ponies. Then he looked at the Castle, where the platforms had only begun to move.
“I guess I have to wait a few moments,” he thought out loud and lay down on the roof. The decorative merlons were good hiding spot, so no one could spot him from down the street, and he could watch the event with both his eyes.
Quasi patiently waited when the platform approach closer. His targets have no advanced technologies, so there was no need in expensive long-range missiles. And there is a lot of time in his hands. So at the moment he just lay and watched.
“It’s kinda beautiful in its own way…” he thought to himself. “I guess I’ll make a record for archives…” he closed his normal eye and began to film the event with his artificial one.
In ten minutes, the parade procession had approached his hideout. Quasi smiled.
“It’s time…”
He activated the invisibility shield, stood up and threw the cloak away. Long scar-looking spot on his back burst, releasing five pulse-type missiles.
“Ti Ga’Ke nnaiza!” [“For the glory of Ga’Ke!”] he spelled and missiles soared in the sky.
Total suppression shield erased the presence of the weapons for anyone without special devices. No pony could see them. Even the most powerful ones. They would never expect such kind of danger. Quasi with undisguised pleasure on his face looked at how his missiles fell down on the heads of the most powerful ones. Nine, eight, seven, six…
“Keedi…” [“Goodbye…”] he smiled.
But in three seconds missiles suddenly changed their trajectory. They soared up again and rushed to the edge of the city.
“Yakh? Yakh?” [“What? What?”] Quasi was shocked. “Ent kivu’hood!” [“It shouldn’t be like this!”] A sudden guess flashed in his mind. “Ndi peeva!” [“They have learned!”] He looked backwards, and at this very moment something crashed the shingles. Total suppression shield was deactivated, and Quasi saw huge brown beast with long tail and sharp teeth and talons, pouncing at him.
Five mighty explosions shook the Undercliff district. All ponies on the Boulevard felt the shockwaves and were stunned by them. The parade immediately stopped. Citizens panicked.
Max and Zet’rar used this situation and rushed to clean the explosion sites. There were five of them, and that means everything worked well. Princesses and Discord are safe. Kor is probably fighting the Ga’Ke villain now, so they have to hurry. Researchers turned the total suppression shields on and rushed to the places where their colleagues were.
When they arrived, they saw how powerful Ga’Ke missiles really were: they literally sprayed their friends’ bodies over the pavement and walls. Nothing but huge spots of blood and minced flesh. There was only one way to clean such mess quickly: spray X-104 chemical over them. X-104 could instantly erode any carbon-based organic matter, so it was perfect source for destruction of all possible clues, even if it could damage buildings in case they were built from limestone – now the prior task was to leave nothing that could help others detect them. In two minutes, before first citizens and guards arrived, Zet’rar and Max destroyed all the traces, so when ponies came to the sites of explosions, they could see nothing but surprisingly clean areas with few damages on walls and pavement.
Kor happened to be close to Quasi’s hideout, so he could attack just few seconds after the launch. He immediately activated suppression shield, released his claws and climbed the building on the roof of which Ga’Ke was hiding. When he saw the foe, he pounced. Ga’Ke has noticed Kor only when he was already in the air making a swing to punch lifeless’ alien face. A moment later all Kor’s might came down on Ga’Ke. Nasty cracking of crashed bones and metal parts came from under officer’s hoof. It threw Quasi back for almost four yards, but he immediately stood up. His nose and jaw were turned into mash, thick brown liquid was dripping from his wounds. But his eyes were unharmed, and now they pierced Kor with seething anger.
“Damned Unionists, they’ve found out,” Quasi thought. He appeared in extremely disadvantageous situation: there was entire Union’s fleet here, and he was the only Ga’Ke. He had no chances for escape from the planet, so he had to transmit the data he collected.
Ga’Ke activated the teleportation device.
“Oh no you don’t!” Kor screamed and rushed forward. In a meter from the Lifeless he sharply turned around and bucked Quasi. He was thrown back again and hit a merlon. The decorative construction cracked.
Quasi got serious damages, but he stood up again. All his right ribs were broken, and he barely felt his left foreleg – Kor purposely aimed there, since he knew that Ga’Ke often place teleport activator there. The device was damaged. It became risky to use it. Quasi lost his chance for quick escape. Damn, those Union bastards won’t let him go without a fight. Well… If so, then has to make them regret such decision.
Lifeless alien connected to all energy reserves he had.
Ga’Ke rushed forward. Kor barely had enough time to blink before Quasi appeared right in from of him. It was like all his wounds were immediately healed. Officer saw how Ga’Ke released huge “fingers” from his right foreleg, and next thing he remembered was that he was twelve meters above the roof. Quasi jumped up, leaving lots of crashed shingles. He swung back for a punch, something flashed on his left hoof… And in a moment Kor’s head was pierced with a massive blade.
“That would stop you,” Quasi thought out loud.
He was about to hide the blade back, when he saw how Kor’s eyes moved. And before he realized, researched embraced him in bear hug.
Quasi screamed. It was like Kor tried to press his spine into his body. All joints of his left foreleg were dislocated and broken. Ribs of the left side were crashed too.
They fell back on the roof. Kor managed to turn while they were falling, so now Quasi was buried under his big body. It broke more of his bones and built-in devices, but he still was conscious.
“Fuck, a Verekan!” Quasi swore. “The avatar preserved the brain location!”
Ga’Ke concentrated and moved “fingers” of his right foreleg. Kor noticed this. He made an effort and sharply turned his head, tearing the blade up from Quasi’s hoof, but his enemy has made his move: Lifeless transformed tips of his “fingers” into blades, stuck them into Kor’s arm and twisted them.
Kor growled. Ga’Ke cut his muscles, nerves and veins. He loosened his grip, Quasi escaped and immediately attacked. With his transformed “fingers” and nerve drain device, hidden in his head, he began to prick officer’s body, trying to pierce through his brain.
Researcher tried to cover himself, but it was useless. Quasi was very fast and strong, so his blades easily pierced Kor’s limbs and reached his body. Every second a needle-like blade plunged into him. His liver was practically minced. His lungs and stomach received numerous damages and were rapidly filling with blood. He won’t last even for five minutes with such damages, healing nanites weren’t so fast. He has only one option: put all the strengths remained into last strike.
By his mental order nanites released the stimulators they stored. Still under massive attack, Kor jerked up. Quasi jumped back and stopped plunging. Kor made use of this pause. He quickly pulled out Quasi’s blade from his head and cut Ga’Ke’s right foreleg off. Quasi recoiled, but fell down. He lost all his forelegs, so he tried to shoot the researcher with blaster hidden in his chest. But before he activated it, Kor plunged the baled in it.
Quasi coughed badly. Shit, despite the wounds, his opponent was still standing and now got all the chances to win. The leftovers of his energy reserves might not be enough to wound the researcher mortally. Thus, Quasi decided to try to escape again. Even if it might destroy his body. He made an effort to connect with the teleportation device and powered it with leftover energy.
Kor noticed that Ga’Ke is trying to escape again and rushed forward to prevent it. He tried to crush the device with his claws. Quasi screamed, but then…
A dim flash came, and both of them appeared half-mile above the city.
“You bastard!” Kor swore. Quasi laughed and tried to push officer away with his hind legs and tentacles of nerve drain device.
Kor understood that his opponent tries to remain alone for the next teleportation, even if it might bring him to absolutely unexpected location. He could not allow this to happen. He tucked and dived down to catch Quasi. In few moments Kor seized Ga’Ke again. Lifeless screamed and tried to activate the teleport devoice again.
Another dim flash, and they were above the roof of Underhill. The device literally threw them away from the former location, so now they were flying like cannonballs over the Old Town of Canterlot. Kor appeared below Quasi, and Ga’Ke used this. He released some energy from his artificial spinal cord so that he could kick officer in the stomach. Kor was disoriented, so wasn’t able to prevent this. Quasi’s hooves plunged into Kor’s flesh. Researcher wheezed. His wounded guts probably tore. Ga’Ke grinned and pushed even stronger. Pain made officer arch, and when it happened, he saw that they were heading right on the roofs. Kor realized what Ga’Ke’s intentions were. He made an effort, grabbed Quasi’s hooves and clenched his claws with the rest of his might.
Ga’Ke felt his bones being crushed, screamed and activated teleport device again. This jump threw them away from the city. When the teleportation finished, the city’s Sky Promenade was right in front of Kor and Quasi, and below them was three-kilometer deep abyss.
When he saw where they appeared, Quasi tried to teleport again, but Kor did not let it happen. He grabbed Quasi’s left foreleg and tore it away. Ga’Ke screamed, and Kor started to beat him up while falling down.
Quasi growled in anger and pain. Without the teleportation device there are no chances for his body to survive. Well, if this Unionist bastard did it to him, then he must take him to Oblivion.
Ga’Ke made an effort and kicked Kor in the stomach again. Because of sharp pain officer barely remained conscious, and Quasi made use of it. He released some energy from his spine again and pressed Kor to the cliff with his hind legs. Some bones were broken, but limbs were functional, and that was the thing that mattered.
Researcher screamed. They kept falling, so now, being pressed towards the cliff, sharp rocks were tearing out skin and flesh from his back. The cliff got painted in red.
“I’ll take you with me!” Quasi yelled.
Kor growled. The pain was blurring his mind, but he could still see his opponent. He saw how he was grinning at him. He was sure that he’ll be the last one to survive, that he’ll complete his mission and inform his people about this planet.
It made Kor mad. “I’m not gonna die here because of some Ga’Ke shit!!!” He made the last effort, grabbed Quasi’s hooves and made a sharp turn. Before he realized, Quasi became the one pressed towards the cliff. With his head.
He screamed, but Kor muted him by pressing his head stronger towards the rocks. A stripe of thick brown liquid stretched down the cliff.
Quasi tried to free himself, but Kor kept pressing his head stronger and closer to cliff. Because of rough rocks Ga’Ke’s head had been literally erasing with blood substitute splattering around and awful grinding of metal parts. Density of the rocks, speed of falling and Kor’s force left no chances for remaining functional even for then. Skin, muscles, bones, eyes, implanted devices – all this was destroyed. Despite this, Quasi still tried to escape, but the less remained from his head, the weaker he became. Eventually, when his entire head and neck were whittled down to shoulders, his body stopped to move and went lump. It was the sign of that Ga’Ke had transferred his mind back to his base ship.
“Well, now it’s up to you, Edez,” Kor released dead body. He prepared to hit the ground, which was about five hundred meters below.
Suddenly he heard a voice.
“… daif… kean… ” [… eight… seven…]
It came from the Ga’Ke’s body.
“Self-destruction… I really hate those guys!”
In a moment mighty explosion shook the bottom of Canterlot cliff.
Meanwhile Quasi recovered and adapted to the state in which he hasn’t been since arrival – in the state of pure mind connected to on-board computer of a starship.
He made a quick check of the main systems. Everything seemed fine. Thus, he began activation of secondary systems. Additional power transmission, shunting engines, inner and outer observation systems… Wait, what’s this?
When the on-board cameras activated, Quasi saw big arsenic stallion sitting in the main control room.
“Oh, I see you transported your mind here?” Edez said. “Well then I think I can congratulate Kor… And what are you trying to do?” he looked around, noting the activation of various systems. “Send an emergency signal? Or transport your mind again? That won’t work. I have damaged all possible transmitters on this ship.” A growl full of anger came from the speakers. “Damn, since you’ve drowned your ship in a swamp, it took me quite a time to find all of them! And I was hard to get in as well!” Edez continued as nothing happened. “You’ve become real pain in the ass for us, you know?” he looked at one of the cameras. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. Everything ends here. For you. But!.. Since you’ve managed to hide for such a long time and done so much to make locals afraid… I will honor you and say the last words you can hear in your language… Zema kau-ro’i cassa-se teneiyu-se, gerkchelle!” [May your death be long and painful, you shitspawn!]
And he pressed the detonator button.
There was a shriek from the speakers and then… Mighty thud sounded throughout the swamp, its surface heaved up and bubbled, releasing gas and dirty machine liquid. Then the mass of muddy water and gley fell down, and everything went quiet.
…
“Madam Yii, ma’am, Sudarmono and Dou report on the task. Ga’Ke and its ship have been destroyed. All sites are cleaned. The mission was successful.”
“Glad to hear it. Help your friends to recover and you may take your rest now.”
“Thank you, ma’am…”