A few minutes of flight and a sizable drop of building materials were the last bit of business as the Meras took to the skies above Torsca, the Sword trailing close behind.
Now that it had been repaired and updated thanks to both Chimera and Tessa’s input, the Sword of the Empress, as it was renamed, would make a good addition to the group.
It was all held together by a crew of ten, with most of the flight and navigation synced with the Meras’ own systems, so it couldn’t travel far on its own. That helped shorten how much crew it needed though, and its new role was simple enough.
Chimera pretended to know what the techno-babble was supposed to mean as the crew breached the atmosphere.
“Leaving the pocket behind, all systems check out and the seals are functioning. Everything on your end alright Sword?”
A young Elfari girl with a few Hoodians behind her popped on the screen of the bridge, her green hair and exceptionally pointed ears catching Chimera’s attention.
“All set on our end sir, and the newly conscripted are taking to their roles well.”
“Hey, Captain girl? We’re going to need a check on the environment on our end when we get a chance, it’s too cold here!” One of the Hoodian bridge crew poked the newly appointed captain.
The girl whacked the Hoodian on the snout, “Peh-shah, now's not the time for this! We talked about it already, it’s being worked on!”
“Oww, that hurts you little pointed eared squirt!”
The video devolved into the two fighting and hitting each other as the vice-captain of the Sword, another Hoodian with silver scales and red eyes, took over the call.
“As you can see sir, the crew are getting along well. No need to worry. Though some thermal packs for the new crew wouldn’t be remiss.”
Chimera smirked as Bark placed a hand on his face, “We’ll send some over via fighter drone, just… keep those two from breaking anything would you?”
The vice-captain of the Sword gave a final salute before she started smacking the two with her own staff.
“You two need to quit this nonsense right now!”
Chimera almost barked out a laugh as the video finally ended with the three mid fight, the static clearing back to show the ship’s heading.
“How’s the array looking Meras?” Chimera spoke over as the ship made its way towards her burgeoning defense array.
The Dryad core had been working on her own additions to the defense that Chimera slapped together and with the added supplies from Torsca and an even more generous amount of their silver, the defenses in place now sported more magical propulsion and greater firepower.
She also made about a thousand more of the smaller cannons to add to the two hundred that were already in place.
Having access to a mine and foundry did wonders for building things, it seemed.
Chimera smirked as Meras showed her on the screen, a new trail of cannons lined to cover the equator line in space, each sporting a new magic core to power their newer systems.
“Good, cannons in place and the new systems don’t seem to have any issues.”
Bark sighed in relief, “hopefully it will be enough.”
Chimera felt some worry herself, that even with all of these new weapons that the Verdant Hood would be too much for their two ships.
Still, she was confident that if it came down to it, she could board whatever ship they had and take the fight to them.
It was her crew that she was worried about. Even with her upgrades some didn’t make it on Torsca, and that was due to her own underestimation of the Hood.
Still, she was different now. Her Aura gave her a new edge, and if that monster Lesrack and Zala’tazz were some of their best, it meant she had a chance to take on even stronger foes.
She needed to find more DNA, more techniques, and a better fighting method to truly best them, but her power was at least at a similar level.
And with Iaos’ own abilities now at my disposal, I might have a shot at ending this if I can reach their leader, this Prophet.
She knew that was the fastest way to end this conflict with the Elfari, and her best chance at getting back home.
Impatience warred with desperate longing in her mind as she watched a warning light activate on the bridge, a soft glowing red bulb echoed with a sound that Chimera knew to be a proximity alert.
“Captain, M-Motherdome detected! It’s warping in!”
The screen shifted to a topographical view of the surrounding solar system, showing a truly massive structure coming through the outer edge of the system.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Chimera knew from the reports and the data that these ships were like cities in space, massive and large constructs that were like mobile space stations more than ships.
This was no exception, and as the vessel came into view from the ship’s computer, Chimera felt a pit drop in her stomach.
Oh hell…
If the Meras was like a cruiser, this Motherdome was like five dreadnoughts stacked together from top to bottom, with a ring in the middle that held nothing but cannons and laser batteries.
The cannons on the vessel lined both the underside and the top of the flat surface, making it appear almost like a floating top, slowly spinning as it inched towards them at speeds that boggled her own mind.
“C-Captain, your orders?”
Chimera shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she glared at the enemy before her.
“Meras, ready the defense array and get our pilots ready to lauch.”
The ship responded immediately, and the crew spread the message to the various crew who were heading to the hangar bay.
“Mera…” Bay placed a hand on her.
“I’m fine, I just didn’t realise how big it really was. We can beat it.”
“Right, let's get ready.”
Chimera reached into her mind palace as she connected with Meras, the Dryad linking her to the defense array and the huge cannons that she placed in the back of the line of smaller gravity cannons.
Magnetic accelerator cannons, giant batteries that are attached to rails to send magnetically charged payloads at speeds that even she couldn’t reach with her super speed.
Chimera aimed the weapons, her mind reacting with the ships in a technological symbiosis similar to her friend Meghan’s technopathy.
“Meras.”
The Dryad core sent her reassurance through their link as she connected the rest of the cannons to Chimera’s own link.
Instead of just the MAGs, all the gravity cannons linked as well, powering up the five massive devices she now had trained on the capital vessel.
“I’m preparing to fire the array. Bark, I’m leaving the rest to you.”
The Vice-Captain gave her a grim nod as he turned in the captain’s chair.
“ALL CREW, PREPARE TO ENGAGE!”
…
The city vessel Seat of the Goddess had finally arrived in the system, much to the dismay of its Admiral.
She was a distinguished member of the council of Verden, the military arm that worked directly under the Prophet, and such a paltry target was beneath her qualifications.
She couldn’t help but be frustrated, as the rest of the armada was currently engaged with Cerula and the Elfari forces there. A true battle both in the vacuum and on the wet soil below. She should be there, taking the fight to the enemy.
Instead she was relegated to this target, a mining and foundry facility.
It was still a necessary target to cleanse in green fire, but she could not help but feel cheated from the real battle taking place.
And only two vessels protecting such a target? It was clear even the enemy did not value it as much as they probably should.
“Ma’am, we’re approaching bombardment range, should we engage the planet buster?”
She looked over at her second lazily, “do what you see fit, this hardly requires much thought does it?”
“Certainly Admiral Mel’oa. I will proceed with the charging of the planet buster. Let us return to the Goddess in victory!”
Her second was spirited, still filled with the fires of their faith, but Mel’oa’s own fire was on the field of battle, not in these one-sided slaughters.
“Charging, it will only be a few more minutes Admiral.”
“Proceed to fire when ready, let’s end this foolishness.”
…
“S-Sir! The enemy is charging the world killer!”
“Already? Then this is no ordinary Motherdome! Raise shields to full! We need to intercept that shot!”
Bark sent out his orders as the rest of the crew tried their best to move the Meras in range to intercept.
Meanwhile, Chimera felt the energy piling into the vessel before her, and aimed her cannons at its source.
…
“Admiral, the buster is ready!”
Mel’oa yawned as she waived her hand for them to proceed.
“Firing!”
For a moment, one solitary moment was the only thing that saved Mel’oa’s life as she instinctively jumped from her chair.
She felt heat, and power beyond anything she ever faced suddenly flash. Ducking towards the side, she felt that same energy heading towards her and her crew.
“Hit the deck!”
Her crew responded quickly, and it was only that reason that saved them from the massive energy that burst through the ship and traveled onward.
Smoldering slag and burning metal surrounded all of them, their navigations were fried, their devices non responsive and even her chair was simply gone.
Behind her, the ship’s battery that was responsible for powering the planet buster was destroyed, the energy leaking out into the area and spreading the fire even further.
“Admiral! What happened?!”
“My tail… it's gone!”
“I can’t see, all is white!”
Springing to her feet as the ship's inner defensive shield engaged. She was not like her brethren who only had their tail to move and fight in, and so she was able to get up quickly to assess the situation.
They were fired upon, by something similar to a planet buster judging from the sizable hole where their bridge used to be.
With the shield now in place, she didn’t have to worry about her crew being sucked out into the vacuum, but without a way to control the vessel, they were sitting ducks for even the smallest vessel.
She and her crew needed to get to the secondary bridge on the lower end, and inform the crew there of the-”
Another burst tore through the vessel, then another, and another!
After four more blasts, the red warning lights of the emergency broadcast sounded over the intercoms.
“Warning, this is the secondary bridge leader Tela’solara. All crew, report to battle stations!”
Mel’oa would have made the same decision, so she was glad to know Tela thought like she did. Still, her heart felt like it was in her throat as she worked to gather her crew and make for the medical bay.
Just what in the Goddess’ name was that?
…