by Jake Bible
"Then what do I do?"
Roak punched the wall. Due to the fact he was still wearing his power armor, a good section of the wall caved in and began to spark.
"Please don't do that," Hessa said.
Several repair bots appeared in the corridor. They waited by their hatches as Roak paced back and forth from one wall to the opposite, over and over.
"Roak, wait on the bridge," Hessa said. "There is nothing you can do."
Roak started to punch the wall again, saw the previous damage, and pulled the punch at the last second. He stalked to the lift, rode it back to the bridge, and sat down heavily in the pilot's seat.
Bhangul was still out cold.
Several minutes passed. The ship shuddered the entire time as the planet quaked and rocked its way to destruction.
"Give me a view of above," Roak said.
"Are you sure?" Hessa asked. "It is not much different than…"
Roak waited.
"Hessa?"
"On second thought, you should see this," Hessa said.
The view shield switched from the image of outside the ship, which was a dusty beige mess, to the image of the firefight being waged above.
Roak sat forward, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"What is that weapon?" Roak asked.
"I… I don't know," Hessa replied. "It appears to be a…string?"
"Something like that," Roak said. "It's hitting each of the GF ships. One after the other."
"Yes, Roak, I can see the same image."
"Bite me."
Roak stared as what looked like a string of energy stretched from one GF ship to another. It could only connect with about four ships at a time, but once it disengaged and moved on to the next targets, there wasn't much left of the ships it left behind.
"When did the Skrang develop that? I've never seen anything like it."
"I am not sure it is the Skrang's tech."
"What?"
"My sensors are weak and highly suspect due to the ship's damage, but the energy signature coming off that…weapon is not the same as the signature that comes from Skrang tech."
"Then where did it come from? Who gave it to the Skrang and why are they just now using it instead of before?"
"A lot of questions to be asked and answered."
Roak leaned forward more and took manual control of the view shield. He shifted the image again and again, studying the battle scene.
"Where's Drop Team Zero?" he finally asked. "I can't find their Borgon."
"Nor can I," Hessa said. "They are not responding to hails, either."
"Looks like they ran," Roak said. "Can't blame them."
"Hold on," Hessa said. "I am searching back through previous views. I do not believe they ran."
The image on the screen rewound for several minutes then froze. One specific region was enhanced and filled the view.
"The Skrang took them," Roak said and leaned back in his seat. "Eight Million Gods dammit. That destroyer swallowed them up."
"Yes, but watch this," Hessa said. The image pulled back out for a wide shot of the battle. "Look at the Skrang fighters."
Roak watched the Skrang fighters disengage from the fight and return to the Skrang destroyers, leaving only GF ships out in open space. Two seconds later the new weapon was deployed and all ships in its path were destroyed.
"I do not believe the weapon can discern between friend and foe," Hessa said. "They had to recall their ships in order to keep them from being attacked. Which could mean…"
"They saved DTZ," Roak said. "They needed DTZ out of the fight so they could let loose with that weapon."
"They needed us both gone," Hessa said. "Don't forget that nothing happened until we left the battle."
Roak drummed his gloved fingers on the arm rest.
"Only slightly annoying," Hessa said.
"Hessa, answer the hail," Roak said.
"Oh, no, I don't think I will," Hessa said.
"Do it. I have a hunch."
"Right, yes, but no."
"They are still hailing us, right?"
"Yes…"
"What does it sound like?"
"I do not understand. It sounds like a comm hail. Channel and signature are both being provided so there is no miscommunication. We will have a direct link to the bridge of one of the Skrang destroyers."
"Same destroyer that we ran into over Chafa, right?"
"One of them, yes. There are more now."
"But the one hailing us is the same one that tried to hail us over Chafa?"
"Yes."
"Let me hear it."
Hessa sighed then put the hail through over Roak's comm.
"That's just wrong," Roak said and cringed at the guttural Skrang language. "Translate it."
"I already did," Hessa said. "They are demanding we answer."
"Translate it again," Roak said.
"Fine…"
The language in Roak's ear eased from guttural Skrang to monotone Galactic Standard.
"Roak. Answer this call. Roak answer this call. Roak answer this call. Roak. Roak. Roak. Hey, being! Answer the hail! Come on, being!"
"That!" Roak shouted as he jumped up from his seat. "Answer the hail, Hessa!"
"I will not."
"Don't you hear that? What Skrang says 'Hey, being'?"
"I fail to see the significance."
"Alright. Do me a favor and change the voice from the translator default to Yellow Eyes' voice."
"Change the voice from…" Hessa gasped. "Oh!"
The voice shifted and the hail became obvious, but Roak wanted one more piece of confirmation.
"Change being to man."
Hessa changed the translation of the word being into man.
"Wow… Did not see that coming…" Hessa said. "Answering the hail."
"It's about time, man!" Yellow Eyes' voice exploded over the comm. "I've been calling you nonstop, man! It's about all they'll let me do up here. I have a lot of skills to offer and all they trust me with is comming you. I mean, come on, how degrading is that?"
"Yellow Eyes?" Roak said.
"Yeah, Roak?"
"Shut up and tell me what in all the Hells is going on?"
"Oh, man, that is quite the story. You'll need to hear it in person."
"On that Skrang ship."
"Well, yeah, on this Skrang ship. Where else are we going to chat? Down on Javsatem? No thank you, man. Hey, in case you aren't aware, the planet is breaking apart. Cool move sending that GF carrier down to crash into the planet, but maybe not a cool move to go land on the planet you sent a GF carrier down to crash on. Just saying, man."
"Who else is with you?" Roak asked. "Meshara? Jagul?"
"Yep. And Klib's corpse. Wait until you hear what we found. That corpse was some messed up tech, man."
"Messed up tech?" Roak smiled. "I had a feeling…"
"Man, even the smile in your voice is creepy," Yellow Eyes said. "Oh, and Kalaka too. He's here. I always forget about that guy. Man, he and Meshara do not get along."
"Who else is with you?" Roak asked.
"No way am I going to ruin that surprise," Yellow Eyes said with a laugh. "Also, I have been told not to say anything over the comm right now because Father's control is getting better. What? Hold on."
The comm went quiet.
"Back. Sorry, man, but they're telling me I'll be taken off comms if I don't shut up and stop revealing info. Like I'd reveal anything important. I haven't said a word about- Ow! That hurt!"
"Meshara punch you?"
"Yeah. Not cool, man."
"What's the plan?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean huh? You commed me."
"Sorry. That punch really hurt and was a little distracting."
"Yellow Eyes…"
"Right! Can the ship fly?"
"Hessa?" Roak asked.
"Poq has gotten the shields to thirty-seven percent," Hessa answered. "We can make it off the planet and out of the atmosph
ere without being destroyed. But the ship is far from repaired."
"Did you hear that?" Roak asked Yellow Eyes.
"Loud and clear," Yellow Eyes replied. "Alright, so here's the plan. As soon as the last GF ship is taken out, which looks like any minute now, you haul ass back up here. We'll have a hangar open and waiting for you."
"Good. You just give the word and we'll take off."
"Hey, man, did I hear you say Poq was with you?"
"Yes."
"Why is he repairing the shields and not Reck?"
"Reck was busy fixing the transport tech."
"Oh, cool. Wait. Was?"
"I'll tell you later. We have Bhangul with us too."
At the mention of his name, Bhangul whimpered and opened his eyes. He blinked and glanced around the bridge.
"What happened?" Bhangul asked. "And who is that talking?"
"You passed out," Roak said. "I'm talking to Yellow Eyes."
"Hey, Bhangul! How's it going, man?" Yellow Eyes said. "Your nephew is safe and sound. He's been playing games with some of the Skrang kids. They're getting along just fine."
"Skrang kids?" Roak asked. "What are Skrang kids doing on a Skrang destroyer?"
"I am being told they are called young, not kids," Yellow Eyes said with an exasperated sigh. "Skrang have so many rules, man. And these aren't even the- Ow! Stop punching me!"
"Alright. Stop talking before you say something that will ruin whatever is happening," Roak said. "We'll be up there shortly. Oh, and Yellow Eyes?"
"Yeah, Roak?"
"If this is a trap then I'm going to be really mad."
"I'd expect you to be."
"Really mad at you. Just you."
"Ah, there's the Roak threat I've been waiting for. See ya in a few minutes, man."
"I passed out?" Bhangul asked, his voice groggy. "I don't remember passing… Wait a minute…"
"Get over it," Roak said. "Hessa? Take us up."
"Lifting off now," Hessa said.
The ship shook violently, but stayed together.
Roak switched the view back to real time and watched as they left Javsatem's atmosphere. The scene before them was nothing short of a ship graveyard. Dozens upon dozens of GF fighters had been turned into scrap. The GF destroyers weren't much better. Bodies floated everywhere.
Hessa piloted the ship through the carnage, unable to avoid the massive quantities of frozen corpses that were everywhere. Bhangul whimpered each time a frozen corpse collided with the ship.
"Can we switch the view, please?" Bhangul asked. "The sight of the bodies is making me queasy."
"Don't you puke on my bridge," Roak said.
"Like you're one to talk," Hessa said.
"It's my bridge, I'll puke if I want to," Roak replied.
"That didn't make you sound like a four-year-old at all," Hessa muttered.
"Is it possible to avoid the constant impacts?" Poq asked over the comm. "It makes it hard to repair the shields when the shields are always active. Might I ask what we are running into?"
"Dead bodies," Bhangul replied with a small hiccup.
"Ah… I see…" Poq went quiet.
"That's our ship," Hessa said as a GF destroyer maneuvered into position directly in front of the Borgon. "Hangar is open, shields are down, and there's plenty of space next to DTZ's ship."
Roak didn't reply.
"Are we sure about this?" Hessa asked.
"Yeah. Unless you think that wasn't Yellow Eyes," Roak said.
"I do not believe even Father can replicate Yellow Eyes' personality," Hessa said.
"I agree with that," Bhangul said. "That guy is unique, to say the least."
"Then park us next to DTZ," Roak said. "But keep an eye out."
"I am keeping a thousand eyes out," Hessa said. "A thousand thousand eyes. A thousand thousand thousand-"
"Got it, Hessa," Roak said as the ship slowly approached the Skrang destroyer's open hangar doors.
In minutes they were past the point of no return. Hessa rotated the ship so it was aiming towards the hangar doors then carefully set it down. The second the engines powered down, Roak was out of his harness, out of his seat, and racing down to the cargo hold.
Hessa already had the ramp lowering when he arrived. With his hand on the butt of his Flott, Roak walked down the ramp and took a hesitant step onto the hangar deck. A Skrang hangar deck in a Skrang ship.
"There's my guy!" Yellow Eyes shouted. A yellow blur collided with Roak and almost knocked him off his feet. "You're a sight for sore eyes! Sore yellow eyes, right? Right?"
"Good to see you too," Roak said and pushed Yellow Eyes away. "Where's everyone else?"
"They're on their way. I got here first," Yellow Eyes said. He glanced past Roak to the ship. "So, what's up with Reck? Where is she?"
"She lost both arms," Roak said. "She's in a med pod and Hessa is putting her back together the best she can."
"I believe I can be of assistance," a voice called from the hangar doors to the corridor. "Prosthetics are something I excel at."
Roak looked past Yellow Eyes to the young man the voice belonged to. Tall, lean but muscular, light blue skin, the young man was human in appearance, but something about him made the hairs on the back of Roak's neck stand on end.
"And you are?" Roak asked.
"Oh, Roak, don't you recognize me?" the young man asked.
"Hey, Roak, can I see your Flott real quick?" Yellow Eyes asked.
"What? No," Roak replied, but it was too late. Yellow Eyes had already relieved Roak of his firearm. "Hey!"
Yellow Eyes zipped across the hangar, well out of Roak's reach.
"It's for your own good!" Yellow Eyes called.
"And my good, I would expect," the young man said with a sigh. He crossed the hangar and held out a hand. "It is good to see you again, Roak."
Roak stared at the offered hand. "Who in all the Hells are you?"
"Disappointing," the young man said. "I thought you would figure it out. Use some of that Roak intuition of yours. I know it served you well when we were on Razer Station."
It all clicked.
Roak went for his Flott. Then he sighed and gave Yellow Eyes a smirk.
"Good thinking," Roak said.
"Thanks!" Yellow Eyes replied, but didn't move to return Roak's firearm.
"Hello, Pol," Roak said.
"Hello again, Roak," Pol Hammon replied.
"The welcoming committee had better be more than this," Roak said. "Because I'm five seconds from hopping back in my ship and getting the fuck out of here."
"Where would the fun in that be?" another voice asked.
A woman's voice.
A voice Roak knew well enough that he heard it when he slept despite his attempts to block her from his mind. She was something he was going to deal with after he took down Father. He didn't expect her to be there, on a Skrang ship, a smile on her face and a hip cocked out.
"Hello, Roak," Ally said.
Everything disappeared. All Roak could see was the beautiful Tcherian woman walking towards him.
"You…? How…?" Roak stammered.
Ally reached him, patted his armor and laughed, then placed a hand to his cheek.
"Sha Tog has been keeping me safe," Ally said. "I owe him my life."
"And we need to talk, Roak," Sha called out as he rolled his broken Skrang body into the hangar.
"Later," Roak said. He grabbed Ally up and kissed her. Hard.
"Seriously, Roak," Sha said. "Reunions come later. Everyone else is in a conference room waiting for us."
"Ah, man, let them have their moment," Yellow Eyes said.
"Yeah, let them have their moment," Hessa said via the ship's external loudspeakers.
"Hessa!" Pol shouted. "I cannot wait until we can converse more. We have so much to talk about!"
"Later!" Sha snapped. "We need to talk now! We don't have much time!"
"He is right about that, Roak," Pol said. "If you could disengage your m
ouths from each other then we can proceed to formulate the ultimate plan to defeat Father."
Roak and Ally ignored everyone in the hangar.
"They are not disengaging," Pol said to Yellow Eyes.
"Don't look at me," Yellow Eyes replied. "I'm not getting in between that."
"Fine! Conference Room Twenty!" Sha said and rolled out of the hangar. "If you aren't there in ten minutes then I'll have the atmosphere expelled from this hangar!"
"Oh, that would not be pleasant," Pol said and quickly followed Sha Tog.
Yellow Eyes stood there smiling at the couple.
"It's just so Eight Million Gods damn sweet," Yellow Eyes said with a sniff.
"I know," Hessa replied.
They both sighed.
26.
"For everyone that doesn't know, this is Poq," Roak said as he sat down in the open seat offered to him at the conference table. "And this is Bhangul Whorp."
Introductions were made all around as Roak faced General Gerber, all of DTZ, Sha Tog, Pol Hammon, Kalaka, Meshara, a Klav named Crush, and several very unpleasant looking Skrang military officers and officials. Not that Skrang ever looked anything other than unpleasant.
"I passed a good amount of Skrang refugees in the corridors," Roak said, his attention on Meshara. "Looks a lot like the Cervile's situation."
"Unfortunately, it is," Sha said. "The planet Skrang is gone."
"Gone? Poof gone?" Roak asked.
"Poof gone," Sha said.
"Then it is just like the Cervile situation," Roak said. "I hope to all the Hells you can tell me why."
"I can," Sha said. "Or, better yet, Pol can."
"Hello," Pol said with a wave. He smiled at his hand. "I do love this new body."
"I bet you do, old man," Roak said.
Pol grinned, but didn't respond to the slight. He waved his hand and a holo of the Skrang planet came up.
"Unlike the Cervile home world, Skrang showed only a couple of signs before it disappeared," Pol said. The image of the planet blipped away, leaving nothing but empty space. "The only Skrang left were those on outposts and on warships."
"Where are the other ships?" Roak asked. "This isn't nearly enough."
"The other ships have been destroyed," Sha said. The Skrang seated around the table hissed and growled. "By us."
"By you? You killed your own people?" Roak asked. More hissing and growling. "Skrang killing Skrang? Eight Million Gods damn… That must have been shitty."
