Sins Never Die

by CodenameOne

Three. Twenty-Nine: At the Edge of the World...

Three. Twenty-Nine
At the Edge of the World...

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“Turn us on heading 4-4-7 and bring us to bear on the Covenant cruiser, load MAC cannon and synchronize firing with the Covenant ship. Keep us on our toes and we’ll just slug it out with the beast until the SHIVA is in the sweet spot!” Captain Kuyaki declared, the Kabato streaming across the blood-red sky. The sun was setting, casting long shadows and a hellish glow on the world. RaptorTooth Five and the Griffons were still holding their own, their guns and missiles never stopping as countless dragons continued to fall. Adam had lost track of Aldurmaax, but he had little doubt the dragon lord was still fighting.

The Kabato turned at Kuyaki’s command, coming to bear on the Covenant ship. As the enemy vessel’s lines began to glow the MAC gun discharged, the mighty tungsten slug boring into the hull of the target. Archer missiles peppered along the starboard side of the Covenant cruiser, scoring and denting the iridescent alien steel. At the same time the plasma projector discharged, sending a lance of liquid fire across the afternoon sky, the energy striking the Kabato on her port side. For its part the Griffon steel served as a decent buffer to the plasma, but it still melted in earnest at the point of impact.

Turning away the Covenant cruiser moved to the right a quarter of a mile, discharging a flurry of plasma torpedoes at the Kabato. Emergency thrusters fired and the destroyer lurched to port, dodging the worst of the attack but still did a few torpedoes find their mark. Excalibur responded by firing a dozen Archer pods, the missiles scoring many hits. Purple fires licked at the air, superficial wounds to the mighty beast’s hull.

“MAC reloaded” Excalibur called out. “SHIVA warhead half a mile to the starboard.”

“Turn us on heading 8-9-8 and get us over the top of the enemy cruiser” Adam commanded, the Kabato accelerating over the Covenant ship. Plasma turrets turned to track, charging with fire. The Kabato turned, pointing straight down at the enemy vessel. Shields down the MAC gun fired, spearing through the midsection of the cruiser and into the earth below. Leveling out the Kabato raced away, plasma torpedoes striking her soft underbelly. Little damage was done, but it still hurt.

As the Kabato returned to a more natural position facing the Covenant cruiser Aldurmaax rocketed overhead, firing a passing stream of magical flame at the Kabato, to no avail. Circling around the prow of the Kabato he soared away, back towards the RaptorTooth. Adam watched the foolhardy dragon dive straight for the airship, latching onto its nose with feet and claws, cocking one fist back to smash the control room before getting sprayed off by two machine guns, blood arcing in the sky. The High Lord dropped loose, but still did his wings beat, and he turned away to come back around, bellowing in dragon tongue.

The lateral lines of the Covenant cruiser shined bright once again, and the plasma projector discharged, searing the Kabato up along her aft section, trailing along like a snake. The MAC gun fired, a 500 ton slug lancing into the alien ship and embedding within. The laser did not relent, destroying several Thunderheads and Archer pods.

Rolling to the left the Kabato edged out of the way of the laser, righting itself again to drift to the right, ascending to gain a view of the upper side of the Covenant cruiser. Plasma turrets firing the Kabato responded with Archer pods, directly targeting the plasma guns, obliterating several. A point-defense laser flashed half a second, spearing the Kabato diagonally.

“MAC gun ready.”

As the Covenant ship’s lines charged the MAC gun fired, striking the enemy vessel in the dead center of the nose, the slug boring through the length of the ship. It listed for a moment before regaining its power, the plasma projector erupted, the beam shaving off the starboard side plates of the Kabato. Secondary explosions tore through the destroyer’s hull.

“Critical damage sustained. Hull breach in many sections. SHIVA systems crippled. Deployed SHIVA warhead 1/4 of a mile out from the enemy cruiser” Excalibur declared.

Adam’s blood ran cold; if the single SHIVA failed to destroy the enemy ship the probability of success would then be very slim. The single MAC gun could do the job, but it’d be down to the wire; a game of complete chance.

Aldurmaax rocketed overhead. The RaptorTooth Five was still in the fight, but Aldurmaax was trying his damnedest to break away and attack the Kabato. A quick burst from the Thunderheads was enough to send him diving away.

“I have an idea. Excalibur, plot a course on heading 5-5-point-6-6-5, arm MAC gun and five oversized Archer pods” Kuyaki commanded, receiving puzzled looks from his helmsmen; the course Adam had specified took them directly over the enemy cruiser.

“Acknowledged.”

The Kabato accelerated, soaring over the Covenant ship. Already it began to turn, its long length spinning on a central axis. The lateral lines charged, the plasma turrets fired. The Kabato’s engines were exposed to the enemy cruiser, but Adam was used to taking risky gambles. Cresting the opposite side of the alien vessel the Kabato turned left, the plasma torpedoes striking along the port armor. The Covenant ship finished its about face, firing the plasma projector, the fiery beam spearing the lesser ship like a harpoon. The MAC gun fired, striking her in her midships.

“SHIVA attached to enemy ship.”

As the enemy attack ceased Archer pods peppered her along the length of her hull, softening the enemy vessel. A flash of a sheen spread over the Covenant cruiser, signifying that her shields were returned in full. The Kabato reversed, edging away from the enemy vessel, as Captain Kuyaki turned the proverbial key.

“Detonate SHIVA!!”

Purple hull vanished in a flash of white, contained within the Covenant ship’s shields. The atomic fusion amplified by the magnetic containment vaporized the majority of the enemy cruiser before the shield generators turned to dust, collapsing the shield and unleashing the nuclear blast. A mighty shockwave spread in all directions, knocking the Kabato around. RaptorTooth Five floundered, and Aldurmaax lost his hover and plummeted, as what remained of the Covenant ship fell to the earth, purple fires trailing in its wake.

“HAHA! Take THAT, fuckers!” Adam boasted, the flaming prow of the enemy vessel plowing into the dirt below. The cloud of nuclear fire dissipated in the air as fallout settled. With the Covenant cruiser down Equestria was safe from Covenant threat.

From the mountains below rose Aldurmaax, the dragon High Lord taking to the sky. None of his kin remained to fight at his side, so he rose alone. Beating his mighty wings the great wyrm headed straight for the Kabato, the RaptorTooth moving to intercept. Aldurmaax raged, thundering fast in dragon tongue. The guns of RaptorTooth opened fire, filling the sky with thousands of bullets as Aldurmaax rocketed for the two ships. Banking and diving Aldurmaax rolled and twisted upside down, passing under the RaptorTooth, latching on again and unleashing fire, the magical flame blasting apart one of the RaptorTooth’s engine pods. Leaping off Aldurmaax dove to the Kabato, landing on the prow.

“Lo’kmato! Korsus ahn vok tee’m!” Aldurmaax bellowed, smashing Thunderheads and 70mm turrets with claws and striking at the bridge with magical fire. He stalked toward the bridge, black smoke pouring from his mouth. “Lord ‘Tumai still breathes; he beckons for you, human, and you shall heed.”

Aldurmaax took to the sky again, soaring away from the two ships towards the mountain with the flat peak. Adam realized the mountain peak had several pillars arranged in a circle. Aldurmaax banked over the pillars, coming back for the Kabato. RaptorTooth opened fire again, machine gun bullets peppering the High Lord, many striking the wyrm. He howled as his armor and scales were pierced in many a place, but still did he fly.

“Track the target and lock with both Archers and cannons! He falls this day!” Adam commanded, the ship responding with Excalibur’s own input. Aldurmaax turned to strike at the vessels again, coming against a great fusilade of bullets and missiles. He banked in emergency, but turned a little late; an Archer proximity detonated near him, showering him in shrapnel and fire. His howl dissipated as he fell, but Adam knew he was not down yet.

True to his assumption Aldurmaax appeared again, rising high into the sky above the Kabato and RaptorTooth. The Kabato could track and target him, but the RaptorTooth could not aim her guns so. It seemed the wyrm wished to fell the Griffon dragon-killer before tending to the humans.

Captain Kuyaki would not let this pass.

“Though you have seen many victories this day, human, you will know defeat before the sun sets! The honor of Lord ‘Tumai demands it, and the tenets of dragon faith have called for it! It is to be, as willed by fate itself! Know that even if I fall, the might of the Covenant Empire will crush you!” Aldurmaax bellowed in the Equestrian language, which mirrored English.

Coming down, the sun at his back, Aldurmaax swiped at the RaptorTooth, claws shearing its steel hull. As he passed the guns of RaptorTooth opened fire, his soft underbelly exposed to the guns. Dozens of rounds speared the mighty beast’s belly and wings, knocking his flight awry. His momentum carried, he struck the Kabato with a mighty WHAM before sliding off.

“VIK’KAER!”

The automatic translation came in.

“Oh, that’s quite a colorful swear” Adam remarked. “Tells me we’re starting to bring the beast down. Launch Archers and switch to the aft underside camera.”

Missiles streaked in the fiery sky to chase the High Lord, who flew about far under the ships. He saw the rockets and raced away, unable to outrun the missiles, but perhaps able to outmaneuver. Banking left, then right, then rolling, Aldurmaax dodged much of the ordnance, but agility was no match for volume, and he was struck. Hitting the earth hard Aldurmaax tumbled, his armor splitting off in pieces as he rolled. His left wing was ripped apart, crippled. He attempted to fly and collapsed, crying out in rage.

“Adam, let the Griffons have the honor, so that the dragons may serve us in the future” Chancellor Steelbeak asked from the RaptorTooth, the crippled ship moving out in front of the Kabato. Adam saw the logic, and allowed the Griffon ship to continue.

“Honor shall be yours.”

“VIK’KAERS! A plague upon your Houses! Let it be known that cowardice and deceit were the tactics of the day that felled the High Lord Aldurmaax! Though indeed I fall, I shall live forever in honored dragon lore, a testament to the might and faith that empowers the dragon race! The Bird and the Sapien shall NEVER KNOW HONOR, FOR THEY FIGHT ONLY WITH THE DIGNITY OF A DYING ANIMAL!” Aldurmaax thundered.

“LORD ‘TUMAI BECKONS, HUMAN!”

With the RaptorTooth’s guns reloaded, they opened fire. Every machine gun the great dragon-killer had roared, raining so many hundreds of thousands of bullets down the setting sky, their numbers so great they cast a checkered shadow on the earth, before cascading into Aldurmaax.

And so did the High Lord fall.

“Excalibur, scan the mountain with the flattened peak for life signs and known Covenant signatures. Ready one Pelican of Marines” Adam ordered, the Kabato turning. The peak with the pillars, still burning, sat waiting. A Covenant dropship had approached the mountain top earlier, Kuyaki remembered, and there he assumed was where Lord ‘Tumai waited.

“One Spirit dropship and one life signature detected, standing in the middle of the shrine. The signature matches the shape of a Covenant Elite” Excalibur exclaimed. Adam stood from his chair, heading for the bridge door.

“The Commander has the deck. Relay to the armorer that I am coming down, and have the Pelican and Marine squad on standby until I get down there” Captain Kuyaki stated, passing through the threshold of the bridge doors. He could easily level the entire mountain, but he did not want to Martyr the Elite for the Equestrians that fought for the Covenant, or the dragons loyal to him.

No, history would see Lord ‘Tumai fall in fair combat.