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Cptn Corizon

Clicks of a Far Distant Star

As the Union settled into her recovery mission of the Scorpiad vessel, light-years away the owners of said vessel were embroiled in a recovery mission of their own.

 

The hull plating of the Al-Ucard warship, Lathe of Heaven, groaned under the stress of pulling a near 330 degree turn at high impulse and shuddered as a barrage of streaking white quantum pulses racked her mid-ship.

 

“Damage report,” the master of the Lathe called, gripping his pale white hands to the stiff chair that straddled the command center.

 

“We’ve sustained heavy damage,” an operations officer said as he smacked at his flickering console.

 

“At this rate…”

 

“I know.”

 

Outside a Scorpiad ship rocked under the combined fire of three Al-Ucard warships and broke into tiny, crumbled pieces as the organic hull shriveled and died. The Lathe swung through the wreckage as two Scorpiad scout ships volleyed sprays of quantum pulses at her.

 

“We’ve lost one of them,” the tactical officer growled, furiously pressing buttons that fired off return shots. “But the other two hard are sticking on us…”

 

“What’s the status of the fleet?”

 

No sooner than the words had escaped his mouth, than the viewscreen of the Lathe lit up with a blinding light and the ship rocked under the force of a shock wave.

 

“We just lost another of the Eratian Hive-ships,” a voice said.

 

“Damnit.”

 

“They’re the only thing we have capable of going toe to toe with the G’Jak…”

 

“I know that,” the commander of the Lathe hissed. “What of the evacuation…”

 

“Only 42 percent complete, we’ve kept them from directly assaulting the evacuee ships, but at this rate, we’re not going to have a fleet much longer. Only three of the eight Eratian motherships are still in fighting condition, we’ve lost over sixteen of our capitol ships…”

 

The Lathe shuddered and groaned as a graviton beam from one of the Scorpiad warships struck out at the offending starship.

 

“We can’t last much longer, your lordship.”

 

The commander smacked his balled fist against the chair-arm. “Signal Gamma and Beta wings to fall back to the rendezvous points. Alpha fleet will hold until they’ve left, maybe we can give the evacuation force more time.”

 

--

Aboard the shimmering, organic black-hull of the Scorpiad flagship Vengeance’s Call, Field General G’Kkkeeet of Astren, worked his chelicerae with growing glee as the holographic display that hovered above the command dais on the bridge of the Vengeance showed his victory unfolding.

 

“The’re retreating, General,” said a darkly striped Androct below him. “They’re falling back in two waves…”

 

“Leaving their evacuation fleet ripe for the picking I see,” G’Kkkeeet clicked with audible glee. “They likely hope we’ll follow the warships through to warp, or will try and pick them off as they jump.”

 

Behind him, the figure of an Emri, G’Kkkeeet’s first attaché, lifted his caudia, expressing curiosity. “You don’t mean to destroy this fleet then, my lord? Not to question you, on the eve of victory, but do they not pose a larger threat than the civilians?”

 

G’Kkkeeet turned three of his eyes to look towards the black-carapaced Emri, his own yellow-black carapace visible in the field of view. “There are no civilians in a rebellion. If we let them escape, they will not see the error of their ways. If we instill fear into the Al-Ucard and Eratian population, perhaps they will reconsider this rebellion all together.”

 

“Then why commit out forces to this invasion, why not simply use the starkiller?”

 

“This is system is a…”

 

--

 

As the last Al-Ucard warship jumped to warp, the Commander of the Lathe glanced towards the tactical officer to his left. “Activate the graviton mines…”

 

“But my lord… the… the… civilians!”

 

“Knew the risks, their deaths will further the rebellion, weaken the Scorpiad Empire, and embolden those who have yet to join the cause.”

 

The words rang hollow in his own mouth, but he knew that the order was what he must do. He nodded to the tactical officer who heavily pressed a blinking button on his console.

 

--

 

As the spider-like Scorpiad starships approached to stalk down the defenseless transports of Al-Ucard civilians, there was at first a bright flash, then another, then another, and another and another until the entire system was a blaze with the flashes of graviton bombs.

 

Amidst the explosions, a solitary Scorpiad scout jumped to warp. The only survivor.

 

--

 

“Empress,” Na’Kleeek’tgh clicked excitedly as he approached the Scorpiad Empress, who was walking towards the throne room.

 

“Yes,” she said without bothering to direct even a single eye towards the Lepertus advisor who’d been assigned to her. “What is it?”

 

“I have news from Falkon…”

 

“Oh?”

 

“The system is no longer under Al-Ucard control.”

 

“That is most pleasing to us,” she said, continuing down the long hallway that, like the rest of the palace, had literally been carved into the underground rock of the Scorpiad homeworld, far from the searing heat of the surface.

 

“However,” Na’Kleeek’tgh said, making sure to keep a small distance between him and the Empress. “General K’Lkenn reports that our entire fleet involved with the attack was lost.”

 

Stopping mid-stride and directing not one but all six of her eyes and body towards the Lepertus, the Empress raised her caudia into striking position and clicked her pedipalps angrily. “How… how is that possible… an… entire…”

 

Backing away out of striking range, Na’Kleeek’tgh lowered himself in a sign of submission. “Your eminence,” he clicked reverently. “The general reports that the Al-Ucard used graviton mines to destroy our fleet as they approached the planet.”

 

“Why did they not simply eradicate the system with the Star Killer,” she questioned.

 

“Eminence, Falkon is a focal system. A not just a focal system, it’s a transfer point along the fold-space network that would allow us to drop our forces nearly directly on the Al-Ucard home system.”

 

“…and let me guess… the graviton mines dissipated the focal buoy?”

 

Na’Kleeek’tgh was impressed with the Empress’ knowledge of the technology behind their FT-FTL drives, but kept that emotion from coming through, least she decide to strike out at him. “Yes, and it will take us some time to get one of the focal-point generators into the system.”

 

Relaxing from the strike position, the Empress worked her chelicerae for what seemed an eternity to Na’Kleeek’tgh. Finally she began walking towards the throne room again. “Find General N’Kkrittt.”

 

“Eminence? If I may be so bold,” Na’Kleeek’tgh said, staying a few meters behind her. “The General is in exile… you know as well as anyone of his failure to secure victory against the Dominion.”

 

“Yes,” she said, continuing towards the throne room. “But I also know he is one of the greatest military commanders of his generation. We can no longer afford failure in this rebellion, we must crush it.”

 

“As you command, Eminence. I will have him found and brought to your audience.”

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When the Queen Scorp went all annoyed boo yah on the little attache bug, showing her fangs?

 

Must. Not. Get. Creeped Out. By the Big Flipping Bugs Plot Log. It's. Not. Working.

 

A choice between the Clickity-Clicks and the Vampires? Ex Oh Kitty would rather be temporarily stranded on a planet with Al-Ucard Hunters tracking her for whatever reason, or something.

 

Nice Log Captain!

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