Admiral Hatsuharu Horaki sipped his sake and pawed through his copy of The Sword and the Mind. Hm...yes, his discipline had been slacking; he would have to sharpen his blade sometime tonight...
And then he was knocked out of his chair by a shockwave. He looked up and watched his battleship's left lower fin drifting past his window.
"All hands, abandon ship. All hands, abandon ship. All hands..."
This was not good...and he didn't even know what was going on! Bloody hell... He grabbed his Katana and jumped into the personal escape pod attached to his chambers.
As he passed the window, he saw a Liberty Dreadnought pouring thin red beams into his hull.
What in Hell?
*****
Armsiael grinned at the viewscreen, enjoying the fireworks show as the Kusari Battleship went up like the Hindenburg. Hm. Time to make his statement.
"Good evening, Kusari. My name is Armisael the Pure, and as your news services will shortly be telling you, the KNBS-Hanajima has been utterly destroyed. Take this as my warning: Leave Bretonian space now, or I will destroy you all. Purity..."
Quote:Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen
Willow stared out at the ice-riddled abyss of Tau-37 from his observation deck, an empty chamber with a massive glass wall for a front, wishing for the enemy to hurry up and show. Intel warned of a BSG patrol, two Albatrosses and that bloody Kusari Destroyer that almost nailed Perihelion, with Mia on board, before Centrihelion shot its engine off and ran... He would most certainly see it destroyed. The ship was one thing, but Mia...
Host! Hurry! There are demons afoot!
He almost fell over. His little Angelic "Guardian" had been silent for over a year. He'd almost forgotten about her...
"What's up? The BSG aren't into demons now, are they?"
No, something far worse. Get to the bridge, I'll explain as we move.
"Right then." If this is another trick to keep me vigilant there'll be hell to pay...
No, Gabrielle's talking to me now. We'll be set soon enough, the threat is inbound.
**********
Gabrielle stared off of Remnant's observation deck, a glass dome...
She could feel him...he was on adrenaline now, just after destroying that Kusari Battleship...He'd be a tougher thing to ward off or even take down, with Fantasia. It would be a fight to remember...
Quote:Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen
Armisael began to giggle; he could see them, oh yes he could! His old commanders, not so high-and-mighty now, were they, so repugnant of doing what they had really been brought from the Abyss to perform. The Purifications gave him life; boundless energy! He could never understand why they rejected it...it was for the good of both parties. Such impurities as was so often seen in the souls of Men must be cleaned, so why not put them to some use?
This is madness! What kind of thinking is that? This isn't me! This isn't me! This isn't me! THIS ISN'T ME! I AM NOT MYSELF! THIS IS NOT ME MAIMING HUMANS! THESE ARE NOT MY HANDS, THIS IS NOT MY-
Ah! The Fantasia! That amusing little toy the Maltans had gone to such pains to acquire...the commander was competent, and fighting for a necessary cause...the ship would remain. His brothers had been hostile, though...they must be destroyed. And he was equipped with more than adequate tools for the job...
Quote:Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen
Gabrielle stood at the head of Remnant's bridge and opened her mind...he was coming. If they could not impede him now he would escape into that mire of jumpholes that was Tau. Even managing to get into Omicron Alpha was a feat these days, but certainly not so much with that ship...and his speed was impressive.
Inside she screamed. Why couldn't he have just stayed dead...
Raphael slid the Stick over another twitch. "Weapons range in thirty seconds...Fantasia will provide Disruptor-screening and herding. We go for the engines until Fantasia's in range, then let her heavier guns take over."
"Acceptable." Azrael frowned. "We must put this fire out soon, or there will be all Hades to pay."
*****
Willow speed-walked to the bridge, bursting through the door. "Battle stations! We have a new objective!"
There will be a Liberty Dreadnought with extreme capabilities coming in from thirty-five degrees off our port bow. There is an Osiris in pursuit. The Osiris is a friendly. Destroy the Dreadnought at all costs. Sahaquiel hissed. Be careful, he has positron assault cannons!
"Sir, incoming craft! We have an Osiris and an Iowa-class Liberty Dreadnought!"
"The Osiris is a friendly. Place us directly in the Dreadnought's path and open fire as soon as we're within range!"
"Yessir. Positioning us thirty-five degrees port..."
"All weapons systems are now fully on-line. Shields are combat strength."
"Scans indicate signs of heavy modifications. Weaponry of an unknown type...Armor is standard. Shields indicate a twenty-six percent increase over Liberty Navy standard."
Willow sat down as the lieutenant on duty vacated the Captain's chair. "Those are positron cannons and modified Nomad lasers. Once he's in range, strafe down and left as we fire, juking to the right as necessary. Use our inertia to flip us onto his tail once he's turning and open up again, that's his weak spot."
The Osiris is the Angelic Remnant. She'll open up a channel in a moment.
"Incoming transmission from the Osiris!"
"Put it on my comm." Bonello looked to the right arm of his chair where the Holo porojector was located. "Remnant, this is Fantasia. We'll drop him, you nail his engines while we herd him in a circle, yes?"
The large orange-haired man on the other end nodded. "Copy, Fantasia. Remnant out."
"Target is within range!"
"Fire all cruise disruptors! All guns, open fire!"
*****
Armisael slid once more into the massive command throne, ensconed in circuitry, cables and lights. Time to break out his heavy guns...Fantasia meant to fight.
Why am I trying to...fight my Brothers? This is...not right...I'm about to destroy them, but why-
Sanctifieriae Mainframe Control: TacAsses.Exe finds combat situation unnecessary for fulfillment of Plan. Suggest Redesignate Objective retreat and seek shelter.
"Be silent, Machine! You exist solely as my sword, an unknowing weapon to be aimed and fired upon a target of my choosing! Power to the weaponry!"
Affirmative.
Armisael grinned his grin. Time to take his revenge...and to fit so nicely in with the plan! A perfect situation by any standard.
"Open fire."
Quote:Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen
