//------------------------------// // Catalyzed // Story: [Forlorn Ascension]|[Rites of Dominion] // by Desrium //------------------------------// The guns of the Galactic Situation Observatory maintained their coverage as all hell broke out around the station. Black blurs shot by, traveling in all directions like a swarm of wasps converging on a victim. Light armaments tracked the movement of a few at a time, blasting away at them only to be destroyed by the decisive firing of other necroliers attacking at greater ranges. Arcane lightning tore through space and struck the station’s defenses, blowing them apart one by one. The fires and smoke were starting to become prominent through the multicolored haze that drifted about the complex. Uolix’s face was contorted underneath her visor as she watched the shifting force in the super projector’s display. One of her mechanical claws was clenched tightly as the station rocked all around her, sparks raining down from the ceilings and walls. “Station defenses are dropping all across the board!” one of the officers behind her yelled out. Uolix spun about, her clenched set of claws held at about cheek level. “Change turret parameters,” she said with great weight to her command. “Defend our heavy artillery at all costs. We cannot hope to lose those, lest we lose a vital tactical asset.” A violent quake tossed those sitting at their computers about. Amidst the groans, one of them replied, “But we’re getting pounded!” “It does not matter. We can only have faith in our comrades out there that they will drive back the assault. My concern is making sure we have enough assets left to assist them when they do,” said Uolix before she turned back to face the hologram. “Please, I have not been your leader for long, and in many ways this crisis has been my trial of character… resolve… of hope. You have stayed with me when I sank to my lowest and for that I thank you all. But I need you to remain with me now that I am strong.” Another tremor. More sparks, golden and blue, showered the floor of the observation chamber. They ran along the floor, crackling, popping. “You heard the commander,” an officer said, “debating isn’t an option right now.” An officer inputting the order muttered to their self: “We rise or fall by the words of our leader… oh how I wish there was more to this than just heeding every order she feels like spouting out!” The station’s thick hull plating was being eroded away by malefic energy beams and orbs, the collisions stripping away the layers that were meant to withstand enemy bombardment and the void of space. The white exterior was blackening at the edges of huge glowing swaths where the necroliers focused their assault, pummeling the station mercilessly. The remaining light defenses shrunk their firing plane, overlapping their field of coverage to maximize their effectiveness as they protected the large class weaponry currently offline. Numerous guns fired on the necroliers as they made their passes, disabling a few and causing collateral damage whenever the deathless ships collided. The loss the enemy was sustaining was a paltry amount when the huge scope of the undead’s forces was taken into consideration however. But should fortune smile upon them, the Second Winds would change that. “We’re in the thick of it now!” The lead ship messaged to the rest under its command. Numbering fifteen in all, the white ships broke formation as they closed in on the G.S.O, fanning out. Their wing mounted weaponry went live, quick firing ballistics based turrets churning out rounds of shells into the swarm, which exploded into superheated flak. The guns sank down into their ports after spewing the deadly shells at insane velocities into the horde of deathless ships, diagonal slits at the rear of the guns venting smoke, vapor and heat into space in the wake of the triangular ships. Automation inside the gun housings loaded up the next shell during this time. A large door in the side of the chamber would open with the sliding of the entire barrel and mechanical arms would then guide the waiting round into place, already primed to fire. Numerous necroliers were perforated by single flak clusters. When fired in tandem, the Second Winds’ cannons were the bane of the assault force hounding the G.S.O. They operated like a pack of orcas, a few Second Winds ships flying around the perimeter of the undead siege and shredding the ships that had the great misfortune of being in the way of their flak cannons. In response, the necroliers herded together, flying in a massive spherical formation, densely packed. The Second Wind vessels disengaged as they were treated to the overwhelming storm of necrotic energy that was focused on them from the bulk of ships, beams of sickly green energy scoring burning hits against their hulls. As they banked away, the rest of the defense force came from above and below. They started firing when they were still hundreds of meters away from the cluster of deathless ships before swerving about. Their rounds sailed into the herded enemy ships, the slag ripping apart the black ships. The top and bottom attack team passed each other in flight, effectively switching places. The diving ships doubled back while the rising ones reoriented themselves so that their guns were pointing down. Once again the storm of flak was bearing down on the horde, only this time those that were forced away initially were coming back, firing at all angles. Bolts of necrotic magics shot out of the writhing black ball. Scorching lightning branched out to meet the incoming Second Winds. Orbs smashed into their shields, dispersing across the barrier of energy that materialized around the triangular destroyers. After unleashing another spray of flak and thinning the numbers of the black ships ever more, the hunters turned away to reposition their selves for another pass. The glowing horns mounted onto the hulls of the deathless horde extended their corrosive grip to six of the fifteen ships, securing a hold on them. As the others were carried away by their powerful thrusters, the stricken six were immobilized in fields of energy, green auras running across their exteriors. Electricity danced around them as they started to bend and break, the hulls denting and deforming. “Looks like this is the end,” one of the ships messaged the others of the pack. The nine ships were descending from above, flying straight as arrows. “These winds die out here!” “Don’t say that! We’re coming back in! We can finish-“ “You can’t hope to destroy them all in one more sweep. Disengage, we’ve overloaded the cores and are planning on taking the rest out with us!” “What the hell have you done!?” “I just told you all! Break attack and put some distance in between us!” With no choice but to comply, the nine remaining ships banked and pitched away. They flew off in all varied directions, yet the light of the ensuing blast reached them all at the same time, casting their ships into shadow momentarily. A halo appeared around the captured ships for a fraction of an instant before the pink and white energies ravaged the necroliers, obliterating the black metal cloud in an instant. “It was a damn good honor flying with you magnificent bastards…” A massive chunk of the enemy force suddenly disappeared from the projection. The spread of red in the hologram projection shrunk considerably. The disappearance of six blue icons informed Uolix that the blow to the enemy hadn’t come without cost. ”May Ghu’arat have mercy on their souls, for they never knew such grace in life.” *** “Foul, be you beast or phantom!” the elder Ghanax growled as the ship moved up to a crimson demon. The magical giant shone with an ominous blood colored radiance. A cocoon of interwoven bands of white lightning was in the center of its “chest” area. Within the electrical cage, the necroliers which anchored the demon’s presence on the mortal plane were contained. This was the same for all of the magical specters. The red bodies all had the white cages within them, the closest things to hearts they could possibly have by any mortal’s measure. “Captain Kazach,” he heard someone say over his comm-link, “how do you plan to slay these monsters? Do you even have a plan?” “It is obvious that their weakness lies inside them. Those ships which they guard with their corrupted magic!” said Kazach. He sat back in his seat and folded his hands, staring at the miasma of scarlet on his main view screen. “How are we to attack them? I am being told by my sensor technicians that those… creatures… are comprised of the same energy that we would use to power our shields. Our directed energy weapons will simply splinter against such a defense, and even our most powerful ballistic weaponry will have their rounds dissolved away!” Kazach hummed thoughtfully. A few fighters shot across his plane of vision, leaving trails of light behind them, which were then veiled by black ethereal wings as the necroliers which chased them came into view. From above, golden rays came down like divine swords, smiting the deathless ship that was struck by them. As it shot off burning into the void, the white and black shuttle dove down and began to arc back up, banking into a turn as it did in pursuit of the rest of the necroliers. The demon watched the small ships dance around it and its writhing skin flared up. Plumes of red fire extended from its scarlet form, twisting and swirling around into vaguely defined limbs made entirely of the burning magics. It let out a blood curdling howl, and the other conjured demons followed suit, issuing their own unnatural bellows. The demons held out their “limbs”. At the ends of them, points of bright light appeared which then turned into roaring fire in the form of spinning rings. Whips of fire lashed out at the surrounding ships, the agile fighters deftly dodging them only to fall prey still to the sickle-shaped blades of energy that the demons threw, slicing the fighters apart haphazardly. “Captain Kazach, your orders, please!” A static charged crackle sounded over the captain’s communication systems and the voice of the Federation pony reached his ears afterwards. “If we can’t shoot them down with regular weaponry, then should we try Spell-core disruptors? “But the enemy ships do not use Spell-cores! Their energy signatures suggest a completely different means of sustaining themselves that is neither Spell-core nor Hex-core!” Kazach responded, “As true as that may be, perhaps the pony is on to something. While disruptor blasts will most likely not affect the ships, they might be able to weaken the astral constructs around them.” The elderly captain paused again, resting his chin on his gauntleted fist in contemplation. “Captain we are losing our pilots-!” “Enough!” the Ghanax barked. “I want every wing mounted with disruptor weaponry to concentrate fire on the demons. Even the fighters, any fighter with disruptor capability should reorganize formation and redouble efforts to counter the red ones!” said the Ghanax captain. “Those of you that don’t have disruptors mounted, keep calm. The Second Winds are here to provide support,” said the fleet leader. Four of the destroyer starships were flying side by side toward the fight while the last two stayed behind at the G.S.O to hold the liberated area. “You heard Kazach,” Elysia said over her comms. “Able wings fall in on my command!” She heard Alikir chuckle softly behind her. “What’s so funny back there, might I ask?” she said as she guided her ship around, her hands cupped around a holo-orb. Where her finger tips touched the orb, there were solid white circles, which she rearranged to give commands to the craft. “Just thinking back to what Phineas said before. If I hadn’t seen you in person, I probably would have imagined you to look a lot different than what you actually do,” Alikir replied. “I’ll take that a compliment, Space Ranger.” “By all means, please do. But I needn’t remind you of the more pressing matter at hand, Elysia.” “Right you are. Just like I needn’t remind you to get back to tending those guns! Switch over to disruptor setting and ready yourself!” Elysia ordered. “Roger that, captain” Alikir responded sarcastically as he fiddled around with a holographic interface. “Firing mode switched over.” “Alright, all! Let’s make this a clean sweep!” Elysia said across the communication channel. The battle-sphere listed over to one side as it flew past one of the burning behemoths, its head morphing, “peeling” apart to form a gaping molten mouth with blazing teeth. Alikir’s sights lined up with the monster and his fingers pressed down on the triggers. The free range guns started peppering the demon with yellow-green blasts, the muzzles of the weapons bright with collected energy. Literally thousands of blasts smashed into the crimson demons, the squadrons of other fighters weaving in and out through the sickles they sent flying with each swing of their transient extremities while pivoting around in flight to bombard them. The demons reeled and roared, their bodies distorting with each impact, the sallow energies following currents within the scarlet specters. Like a poison, the disruptive powers destabilized the monsters from the inside out and their writhing, pained groans reflected this. The red devils visibly convulsed, puffs of flame shooting off of their forms, limbs grasping at their “faces”. “Their champions of terror have been bested!” Kazach announced, a fist hoisted above his head. The others on the bridge of his ship made a short cheer, cautious as to taking their apparent victory for granted. “What are you lot yelling about!?” the elder Ghanax snapped, leaning off to one side and looking back at his bridge crew. “It isn’t done until something explodes in spectacular fashion! Now get our guns ready!” There was a rapid spouting of “Affirmative”, “Yes sir” and “Of course sir!” as Kazach’s crew typed away at their consoles. The defense force’ ships surrounded the demons suspended in infinity with their guns pointed right at their caged hearts. Their weapons were locked and primed to fire. Fighters running interference chased off clusters of necroliers attempting to intervene, pelting them with condensed energy spheres and leaving them to the mercy of the Second Wind ships that dispatched them with their flak cannons. The rest of the fighters broke attack formation and spread out. “FIRE!” As one, directed energy beams bore into the demons. They roared and screeched in pain as the prismatic attacks ate away at their being, sparks and explosions dotting their ethereal hides. Weakened by the sallow venom that ran with the flowing electricity, the barriers the monsters maintained failed under the brunt of the attacks focused on them. The rings of fire spread out as a wave; dying out the farther away they went from the red creatures. Their crimson bodies solidified into a glass-like substance, their internal energies vanishing and leaving only cloudy gems in their place that were anguished effigies of the demonic entities. White-hot streaks marked the firing of railguns and the dark red glass shattered into several small pieces, which in turn dissolved into silvery specks of light. *** “I wonder if that was a ‘spectacular’ enough explosion for you, Kazach,” Phineas murmured to himself. The shuttle passed over the collection of ships, upside down. The pony in the cockpit held his head upwards to peer down at the ships, a bitter relief washing over him. The day seemed to have been won… in spite of the loss of life. As far as he could see there were ruined ships, from the smallest necrolier to the most gargantuan wrecks that now lay in pieces. He could only hope that the resistance elsewhere knew such good fortune. “Wait a minute… where’s Tsub-“ A blinding white light flooded the cockpit. Phineas’ helmet barely adjusted to the sudden shift in time. Had it not, his eyes surely would have been scorched away right in their sockets. He rolled his ship right side up and scoured his view screen for the mech. A moment or two later, his shuttle located the unit and pinned it down with a holographic marker on the stallion’s display. The giant unit loomed overhead, its head angled down to admire the destruction it had wreaked in one fell swoop. The defense force, collected together, was all too easy a target for the unit. Its chest mounted weapon radiated rippling heat still, the crescent cannon gradually cooling down from a harsh white back to red. All caught in the super weapon’s way were instantly incinerated, leaving nothing but rapidly cooling slag to show for their existence. And thus, all who remained trembled underneath the gaze of the machine-god.