Yul shuddered to think of Regers’ fate in the slimy grip of the Zikri. Cloye had said it all—he had it coming. The man was a menace. And now he was going to die all over again…
But in no way could Yul revel in such a fate for anyone, no matter his crime. Living a thousand lives, an eternity of dull, monotonous death, entombed in a Mentera tank. Perhaps that’s why he had picked up that gun and tried to kill those squids before they carted the men away, men who were out to torture and kill him.
Chapter 30
Audra piloted the hijacked Mentera vessel into the endless ranks of the Zikri Orbs. A sea of burning ships, streaks of death fire traded from various vessels: aphids, Orbs, friends, foes alike, including NOA. Collisions, killer torpedoes, uro bombs…a chaotic melee…and now some strange rectangular metal hulks, handiwork of the NOA, drones that seemed to both take hits and pummel the strongest of the Orbs, ripping holes through their armored hulls. Audra shook her head in wonder. A strange universe indeed when such compact fiends could take down assault Orbs. A sign of the turbulent times of the future. From what signals she’d intercepted and decoded with the universal translator, she learned that Miko and his companions had been taken prisoner aboard the flagship Viscurg, Admiral Nrog’s own flagship. Likely the most guarded and secure vessel in the fleet. An unbreachable hulk. But not impossible to penetrate…especially if her crafty powers were put to use.
From afar, she studied the activity around the flagship. Lucky for her, the vessel kept a central position, serving as the command hub for the rest of the fleet, processing and relaying orders to squadrons in the attack field. Those orders seemed to be doing little to win this war. An oddity in itself. Other Mentera vessels were docking on her broadside ports. So, why not her? After a bit of thinking and discarding some very rash actions, she came up with a plan of action.
She engineered a staticky response using the shipboard computer by splicing Mentera words together from previous recorded transmissions. Zigzagging amidst the Zikri and NOA ships, she piloted closer to the flagship, taking evasive action as much as possible to preserve her shields as they got bombarded by NOA crossfire.
The flagship loomed ahead, a giant among Zikri destroyers. Easily it was a half mile long, oblong versus orb-like compared to the innumerable spiked monstrosities in the field. Riddled with radiating rods, prickly com towers and attack cannons, she was a formidable sight, no less were the complex bays and loading docks on her scalloped sides shaped like underwater honeycomb caves in old cauliflower coral.
The chaos continued all around her while the NOA ships attacked the Zikri vanguard.
Audra played the voice recording back over the open channel, hoping her simple ruse would work. If not, there was always plan B, the unpleasant alternative.
“Structural damage critical. Air pressure dropping. Request dock access for repairs.”
A pause came over the communication console. “Request acknowledged. Dock in Bay 8 Eil …(the rest was untranslatable).”
A triumphant chitter vibrated through Audra’s glottal cavity.
She brought the ship into the open bay, as the metal hatch closed behind her. Landing in a vacant space among the many other attack vessels, she prepared herself for the next phase of her operation. Much Zikri activity ensued. Military protocols had squids bustling up and down the walkways and catwalks, carrying out orders, loading and servicing ships of many designs: orbs and aphid-shaped lightfighters alike.
Hastily, she feigned a sprawled position in the pilot’s chair, her left dangling motilator a convincing image of a recent skirmish, perhaps a victim of internal cabin burns sparked by an onslaught of enemy fire.
The starboard portal opened. Two Zikri glided in to investigate, evidently puzzled by the squat, massive form sprawled before the master console. When they hovered closer, Audra sprang like the killer she was, wrapping motilators around the foremost’s head and snapping its neck. Before the second could chitter into its com, she lashed out with long lethal fore-tentacles. With coal-black eyes, she stared down at her handiwork. The two were loose masses of jellied flesh on the floor. Audra pursed her polyp of a mouth with satisfaction. Snatching up the com fallen from the last quivering squid, she managed to splice in words:
“Pilot dazed. One of us will stay aboard.”
A pause. “Affirmative. Report status as soon as possible.”
Audra chittered a prefabricated response. She stuffed the bodies in the forward compartment, then glided out of the portal, wearing the guard’s communicator headband.
* * *
Miko crouched inches from Usk, both in fighting stances before the advancing squids. In the eerie glow of the nearby tanks, Basilursk and two squids surrounded him and Usk, tentacles outstretched, cutting off any escape. Nrog watched with half a black, prune-pit eye to the side, while chittering furious orders into his com to the bridge.
Basilursk sent out a questing tentacle. Human and Mentera flashed each other resigned glances as they awaited death. The end would come soon and terribly.
Basilursk pounced. He grappled Miko in an undulating strangle of motilators. Miko fought hard, smashing fists against the rubbery flesh lifting him. But it was of little use. His strength did not come even close to his fiercer opponent. Usk dodged a looping tentacle. His eyes darted in desperation to the U-shaped amalgamator. Jring was through, whisked back to his ship, but not as yet his last aide. A sudden burst of speed propelled Usk under the next whipping tentacle toward the pulsating and glowing transporter. He lashed out his good pincer at the locust’s limb that bore a lumo-weapon.
There was an amber flash, a hiss of sparks as
