Kaff was tired. Tired of the eternal battle going on, both in space and on the ground.
Her "girls" had been good. eight of them managed to take out their entire networks. The last one had been shot by a gaurd. But once that network started its broadcast, every Marine detachment that wasn't holding a Priest's home was sent in. The building had lasted about twelve minutes before it crumbled under that massive power.
If history records this, it will be held as one of the most sucessful invasions ever. Kaff smiled wryly at her qualifier.
She had taken three hours to wipe evey Ardenian ship from orbit. And her hidden Task Forces had come in to catch all the running ships. At the moment, no Ardenian ship could be found in the Miryth system. CMS Pernacious had been lost, and even History herself had suffered some damage, but the Cairthans now held the Community's Government head with six super dreadnaughts, thirteen dreadnaughts, fourty Battlecruisers and just under sixty Light Cruisers. Not to mention the 2 remaining Merchants.
"Ma'am, one of the pickets reports incursion by an Ardenian Frigate." an Ensign, Kaff had yet to learn her name, reported.
"Order them to intercept." A Frigate? The Ardenians should have know better than to send such a puny ship into this mess.
Kaff frowned as yet another transmission started up. This was just not her day.
"The Priests are dead! They're starting to kill citizens! Oh GOD! Someone help us!"
Kier was picked up by another pinnace. He watched as eight of the little predators attached to his ship. He had given explicit orders not to resist capture, and he was sure the thirty nine people under his command would follow those orders to the letter.
All the pinnaces are going to one of the Cruisers, Kier noticed. What a shame.
***Kaff had been serious, she wanted that Frigate's crew brought to her flag for questioning. They certainly wouldn't have come on their own, but where was the rest of the force such a small ship surely must have been attaached to.
Kaff wanted to pace. No, she wanted to get up and walk down to the gym and beat the crap out of one of the dummies there. The problem with that idea was there no longer was a gym. One of the Ardenian missiles had taken care of that.
Kier peered around the last corner. A dart went flying his way. He ducked back. Twelve. Twelve fully armored, heavily armed Marines. And one Fusion room door. Time for Plan B.
Kier consulted his purloined pad. Back two compartments and up four levels. Here I come, Admiral.
***Kaff checked the latest reports with her locator. He was headed back, but where was he going?
History suddered. Freshdamage reports scrolled across her screen. Direct hit to Fusion Two, the compartment was just gone. That Kier probably saved her ship, too bad the bastard wouldn't live to know it.
Another damage control team reported a Kier siting.
***Junach flinched as his last Battlecruiser went out in an explosion like a miniature sun. His force was down to a quarter its original strength, and the enemy had only paid the price with half its small ships and two Dreadnaughts. Those damn Merchants.
"Order the Frigates to evac, send them our current data." Junach knew when to send for help, and now was the time.
"Aye sir!" the replacement Comm officer said.
"Sir, there is another force coming in from the Arden point... It's ours!" Lt. Kinith just barely managed not to yell. That didn't last long, as his station exploded in sparks and shards from a missile impact.
"Send the Frigates NOW!" Junach yelled as Preet broke in half, the back half losing itself in the boiling plasma of a failing fusion bottle.
That God Continued In A Bit
