Entry tags:
[ECLIPSE PHASE] Yaka #16: Raze, Rise, Revenge
Another focused ray of blue-white energy lanced down towards the surface of the worldlet, leaving another layer of fine ash and glowing powder.
"Yaka, we can't keep this up forever, or we're going to lose power."
Yaka grunted, thump the side of her control tank with her body in frustration and sighed.
"I know it. They have to hold, or they have to somehow do a clean extract from the middle of that nightmare field."
Her Companion looked thoughtful, eyes looking at the datastreams and the tactical diagram.
"We may have a chance. If we can scorch everything, and they can bail out, directly vertical, we may be able to tow-cable them. If we get them before they fly off into empty space at near-C, Yaka."
Yaka grunted again, made a decidedly flatulent noise.
Her Companion chuckled, "Oh I know it stinks, and there's every risk of melting down the ship and whoever is aboard her, just as soon as letting them get away - and even if they do... We're going to need to net them before they follow the Voyagers out into the Oort Cloud."
Yaka spoke again, her voice low.
"Then we are giving that one chance to them. We are going to give them that one chance in a million and Red Protocol that rock. Save them or not - I mean to cleanse that spinning piece of crap down until there's no doubt at all."
Her Companion was close to her again.
"Yaka, I am artificial, but I am not a tin can - I understand the risks, all too well. I am going to help you to the best of my abilities no matter which way this goes."
The conversation had not gone unaccompanied by shots from the weapons of Yaka's ship - but now it was silent.
"Prepare the Red Protocol. Send a one-way signal down there and close comms - they run or they burn."
The sensors showed a small part of the ship below snap vertical and launch, straight up at speed.
Yaka's ship began ejecting what looked like a hailstorm of the small blue eggs, before it turned mostly away from the surface, the twitching mass quickly overrunning the perimeter and engulfing the eggs.
The main energy weapons of the ship charged, and were quickly humming, nearing a dangerous overcharge.
Yaka muttered just three words.
"Burn them down."
In utter, vicious calm, her anger all but dripping from every word.
Her Companion looked at her a moment, then pressed the master fire control, while preparing to move the ship.
A lance of light struck the center of the mass squirming and kneading below, heating all of the little eggs up, regardless of what covered them. A little spark began in each one of thousands - and while Yaka's ship darted away, the surface of the mining worldlet was engulfed in a flash of blue-white fire, visible from the whole system from one side, once the light reached them.
"Red Protocol enacted - Ceres has been scorched, this date. Yaka, recording."
Now her eyes moved to the sensors and the bullet speeding into space at right angles to her trajectory.
"Mark distance and registry of that thing - can we follow?"
Her Companion answered. "Follow, yes, Yaka. But catch it, no. Not with it moving like that."
Yaka snorted, thumped her tank again.
Escaped from oblivion to imprisonment in the black?
She did not think she knew which was a worse fate.
"Yaka, we can't keep this up forever, or we're going to lose power."
Yaka grunted, thump the side of her control tank with her body in frustration and sighed.
"I know it. They have to hold, or they have to somehow do a clean extract from the middle of that nightmare field."
Her Companion looked thoughtful, eyes looking at the datastreams and the tactical diagram.
"We may have a chance. If we can scorch everything, and they can bail out, directly vertical, we may be able to tow-cable them. If we get them before they fly off into empty space at near-C, Yaka."
Yaka grunted again, made a decidedly flatulent noise.
Her Companion chuckled, "Oh I know it stinks, and there's every risk of melting down the ship and whoever is aboard her, just as soon as letting them get away - and even if they do... We're going to need to net them before they follow the Voyagers out into the Oort Cloud."
Yaka spoke again, her voice low.
"Then we are giving that one chance to them. We are going to give them that one chance in a million and Red Protocol that rock. Save them or not - I mean to cleanse that spinning piece of crap down until there's no doubt at all."
Her Companion was close to her again.
"Yaka, I am artificial, but I am not a tin can - I understand the risks, all too well. I am going to help you to the best of my abilities no matter which way this goes."
The conversation had not gone unaccompanied by shots from the weapons of Yaka's ship - but now it was silent.
"Prepare the Red Protocol. Send a one-way signal down there and close comms - they run or they burn."
The sensors showed a small part of the ship below snap vertical and launch, straight up at speed.
Yaka's ship began ejecting what looked like a hailstorm of the small blue eggs, before it turned mostly away from the surface, the twitching mass quickly overrunning the perimeter and engulfing the eggs.
The main energy weapons of the ship charged, and were quickly humming, nearing a dangerous overcharge.
Yaka muttered just three words.
"Burn them down."
In utter, vicious calm, her anger all but dripping from every word.
Her Companion looked at her a moment, then pressed the master fire control, while preparing to move the ship.
A lance of light struck the center of the mass squirming and kneading below, heating all of the little eggs up, regardless of what covered them. A little spark began in each one of thousands - and while Yaka's ship darted away, the surface of the mining worldlet was engulfed in a flash of blue-white fire, visible from the whole system from one side, once the light reached them.
"Red Protocol enacted - Ceres has been scorched, this date. Yaka, recording."
Now her eyes moved to the sensors and the bullet speeding into space at right angles to her trajectory.
"Mark distance and registry of that thing - can we follow?"
Her Companion answered. "Follow, yes, Yaka. But catch it, no. Not with it moving like that."
Yaka snorted, thumped her tank again.
Escaped from oblivion to imprisonment in the black?
She did not think she knew which was a worse fate.