Chapter 17 - Boarding Actions
Qu'jet disengaged the cockpit latch, opening it off and floating out...gravity had been disabled. He was in the shuttle bay.
The Avatar was moving...he could feel it.
Drifting slowly he propelled himself towards a pipe, grabbing it, aligning his feet with the walls and activating mag-clamps, his feet clamping onto the wall. The mag-soles were on. Movement would be a little slow...
Reaching into a side pocket he fished out a Imperator .50 cal mag-driver pistol, pulling back the hammer, listening to the click as a new round was chambered.
He walked down the wall and out the blast doors. Aboard the vessel all that was on was emergency lights.
Suddenly he could hear Kushan Marines, whispering. He closed his eyes and could almost feel their presence. He gripped his gun tightly, waiting.
He fired, one shot at one of the marine's knees, the other he fired a shot into the arm, grabbing the floating gun and knocking out one of them with it, then setting the energy weapon to stun mode and shooting the other.
Waiting like a predatory cat he listened...nothing.
He moved on, crouching, moving silently, occasionally a elevator opened, and he popped someone that came out.
He took one of the elevators to Level 2, below the bridge.
Emerging he looked about the darkened halls, a floating vase smashing against the wall. He turned and saw a shape, he leveled his gun and aimed.
Suddenly the shape spoke in Taiidan.
He blinked..
"Taiidani Marine, name and rank."
"1st Lieutenant Sieg'ra, sir."
"Wing Commander Qu'jet. Stay low, heading to the bridge. Going to have a nice chat with the Nabaal captain."
"Crazy pilot...fine. You go in first and try stealth, capture the captain. If it fucks up, there are the others...theres about 14 marines a few meters back, I'll call them and set everything up."
"You do that." He stalked off again, leveling the rifle and setting it to lethal.
He saw a Kushan marine, in a crouch position aiming down the hall. Suddenly a green flash as a energy bolt hit the wall next to him.
He moved back, and suddenly realized gravity had been restored; as such he disabled his mag-soles and waited, checking the weapon, and finding a burst mode switch, and flicking it.
Quickly he sidesteps and fires a controlled burst, sidestepping back just as quickly. A loud roar of anger, which was followed by more gunfire.
He braced his back against the wall, and with his right hand, fired around the corner, keeping the rest of himself against the wall, spraying the general area before bringing his gun back.
He sidestepped around and leveled the weapon. The marine was dead, his body...well parts of it, were...
He made a sound of disgust and calmly walked past, taking the stairs to the bridge...stopping a few steps away to eavesdrop.
"Bridge power restored sir!"
"Let me hail the Imperial fleet."
"Aye sir."
"THIS IS ADMIRAL HRUUK NABAAL! SURRENDER!"
He turned around to see 7 marines waiting behind him. He guessed like a Taiidani bridge there were two entrances. Hence the 14 were split up, seven to each entrance.
He moved back and stealthily took a look in the bridge coming in from the back. The bridge crew was facing forward and did not see him.
He turned to see the other marines, and nodded, switching to his pistol, setting that to burst mode, and hefting it in his right hand. With his left he held up all five fingers, and counted down.
"5...4...3...2...1..."
And then he ran-jumped into the room, hitting the ground and stumbling, stumbling forward and turning around, firing two shots at a Kushan, which promptly ducked, as he hit the floor he skidded and hit the back of the wall, leveling his weapon and aiming at the captain, the guy with all the formal attire on, whom he guessed was the captain.
It had all happened in less then a second...then he yelled the cliche line.
"FREEZE!"
Half the bridge crew went for their sidearms, as Taiidani Marines poured into the bridge, shots ringing out as Kushans dropped to the ground dead or in surrender.
He got up and watched the Admiral, walking very slowly towards him, before putting the gun square on his forehead.
"Order the fleet to stand down, or you will be missing a head."
He cocked his head to the side.
"Hiigaran fleet command wouldn't want to loose the Nabaal commander...the Diamid would miss you, wouldn't they?"
He studied the commander.
Graying hair..late thirties?
"It's over Commander. That ship over there, it's a Mothership. The Imperium is back, like last time...stand-down. NOW!"
THe admiral stared back, coldly, and sneered back.
"Fine then, scum."
The admiral activated the comm.
"ALL NABAAL VESSELS ARE ORDERED TO STAND DOWN!"
Behind him 3 marines aimed their guns, one aiming at the admirals head, the other two aiming at the torso.
Qu'jet looked over to the marines.
"Secure the bridge and prepare to stand down. You two, watch this man. If he moves, shoot him on site."
The two nod, Qu'jet moving to the center seat, finding a console and tapping a few buttons.
"Flytrap, we're in...battles over, I guess we should tell them, shouldn't we?"
"TELL US WHAT!" yelled the Admiral.
Qu'jet turned around.
"I'll get to that. You know what the Beast is, right? Well...lets see...they have their ships, they attacked the Unbound, and as long as we shoot each other we will all die. Is this clear to your Hiigaran Naval Academy Prep-school trained mind, or would like a refresher course on what 'we're all going to die means'?"
The admiral continues staring, the scowl replaced by a grim indifferent expression.
"Hmm. Haven't you heard? The Unbound were fleeing, according to Somtaaw. The Somtaaw are heading off to intercept the beast."
The voice of the beast returns to his mind.
Little Kiith Somtaaw...
"Admiral, go back to your Hiigara. Inform them that the Imperial renegade vessel Venus' Flytrap is right next door. And be sure to tell everyone...I mean...everyone."
With a hand signal he walks out, the marines follow.
Stage two...he thought.
Risseau sat in his room, staring into space, watching, his gaze directed to the fleet that followed.
Glory...he thought.
Once again the Taiidan shall arise, we shall send the Kushans back to Kharak, and MAKE SURE THEY ALL DIE! he thought.
"We sit on the verge of sucess." He said out loud...to no one.
The Flytrap was sent to the Unbound Dyson Sphere. So was his Beast ally.
If the Unbound did not kill the Imperials, the ones they hated so badly, then the Beast would. The Flytrap was taken care of.
The Beast reported defeat, having been driven off by the Bentusi.
Powerful Bentusi...powerful Unbound. Mighty, cowardly Unbound. he thought.
One day you will all be bound...
The world shall be my plaything...I will become...God....like before....and there will be no stopping me!
And he laughed, the dark sinister sound echoing through the confines of the room, the ship...his soul...the emptiness of his soul, echoing...for all eternity...in that dark and truly evil morass of hate...forever...