"They're not retreating, Sir." A nearby officer noted.
"Not a large matter. All that changes is that we fight in human borders. Just have to take extra care that none of them make it away." Lilas replied.
The captain carefully examined the display ahead of him, the holographic blips and shapes advancing towards one another. With the window shutters closed, this was the only way he could see skirmish outside. The
Aegis, Predjudice, and the Commander's squad escorting them had started to advance dead center towards the enemy - directly towards the assortment of smaller frigates and Harbingers that likely formed the local defensive force, and the indomitable Organum that lurked behind, guarded by what seemed to be a small group of long-range Harbingers.
Of course, such a maneuver would leave the group open to being surrounded. An oversight that the Organum's captain would not be quick enough to capitalize on.
"A bit unfair, a ship that size fighting our fleet. " Lilas mused, hailing the commander of
Finding Fate through the communications,
"We don't like unfair fights, now do we?""No, we do not, Captain." She replied.
"Let's even these odds, shall we?" He said, a faint smile tugging on his lips.
"Uncloak and switch those engines on. We're hitting the Organum from the side."All around him, he could feel as the ship vibrated - as the field that had kept them so well-hidden started to disappear. Slowly the intimidating, alien figure of the
Trials came into view, followed by it's smaller sister. Not even moments later, the distant outlines of mechs, fighters, and bombers could be seen emerging from the rear, surrounding their mothership in a well-practiced circular formation. And then, they surged forward, metallic locusts eager to lay waste to humanity.
"Bombers, break the Organum's shields, disable their weapons systems. Fighters and mechs, get them to their destination. Keep both their Harbingers and their turrets occupied." Lilas said, his words punctuating the first beam volley launched by the flagship. The
Finding Fate joined in as well, launching a barrage of missiles at the larger Organum.
A chill crept down his spine. Yet, he loved his feeling. It was a raw, primal anticipation. He will see both Proud and the Organum crumble into dust.
All in self-defense, of course.
Amelia's old H-01 trembled and vibrated with every shot as the jets on
Bing's back tried to keep the large Harbinger from flying into space. The rifle was incredibly powerful, and had the added bonus of being a bit more mobile than the stationary one assigned to the other woman. She was sure she saw a Transcendent machine buckle and and swerve after she pulled that trigger.
Even though she had followed the woman's advice - she had counted to two before shooting, it didn't seem to help very much. The edge of her cockpit was carbon scored from a stray Transcendent beam. Luckily, the strong glass didn't crack, but it did make seeing out the lower right a bit more difficult.
"No need to hold back on ammo! If either this ship or the colony is sunk, it's all over! Continue to blanket the enemy with fire. Rear guard, cover us!"Of course, Amelia was on the rear guard. With about four other Harbingers - none of them belonging to the Organum, she'd been taking potshots at the approaching Transcendent group while most of the other Organum Harbingers fought on the front. Most seemed ordinary, save for one lightning fast machine that wielded a shield, firing upon another Harbinger.
She took careful aim, trying to adjust for the craft's speed. The rifle's targeting mechanics helped quite a bit, and she took three shots, trying to get the fearsome machine to back up.
It was a cowardly thought, but she was a bit glad to be behind. She did not feel the raw fear and terror she was sure had awaited her, but perhaps it was because she was seeing it all from a relatively secure distance. Then again, compared to the massive Organum, how could those two Transcendent frigates - tiny in comparison - even hope to scratch
Proud?
Then, she heard an alert on the monitor. Blips appearing on the radar where there originally were none, somewhere to her left. She twisted the controls, angling
Bing to the side... and seeing a much more worrying sight. One that crushed her previous confidence with virtually no mercy.
Two Transcendent ships - one, the size of the other two attacking Frigates - and the other was much, much larger, both in terms of size and in the contingent that followed it. They were approaching quickly - and already much, much closer to Amelia and the Organum than the first two ships were.
It took her a minute to even figure out what to say.
"The left! They're - more Transcendent forces on the left side!" She hurriedly said, jamming her thumb on the required button as she attempted to broadcast her message.