Wrack and .............. ruin?

[Stoat]

The remainder of the trip through Omega-41 was uneventful, and soon they were close to the jump to Omega-5. The Wasupu of Gilgamesh vanished from the scanners as it jumped through the hole. A short time later came the distorted report.

"Omega-5 clear. Come on through."

The ships jumped, emerging on the other side in visual range of the huge Corsair enclave of Cadiz. Cruise engines kicked in, and the ships surged away from the rock. All the crews watched Cadiz suspiciously, expecting the appearance of Corsairs intent on taking their lives, but the rock stayed silent. Stoat breated a sigh of relief once Cadiz finally fell out of scanning range. The mass of asteroids flashed past, large ones carefully avoided, smaller one bouncing harmlessly of the shields. Stoat glanced at the surveillance monitors to see Damoclass sat up against a bulkhead in the hold.

"Contact! Contact!" came the shout from Gilgamesh. Stoat jumped. "Incoming ships, configuration unknown. Sector delta six alpha"

The vessels suddenly appeared on Stoat's scanners. Six contacts, fourteen clicks out and closing fast. He checked the distance to the jump hole to Omega-3. Fourteen clicks. He looked back at the contacts. Warning lights flashed across the consoles. They could read the signatures now. Everyone went deathly quiet. Scorpions. Six of them, bearing down upon the hunters.

"Mother of God!" breathed the captain of the Mary Poppins across the comms. The sound of a human voice kicked Stoat out of his shock.

"Jump! Get to Omega-3 NOW! We've got to get out of these asteroids or we're finished!"

The two groups hit the jump hole at exactly the same moment. Gilgamesh's vessel vanished first, then as his Bottlenose was about to jump, Stoat looked out into the asteroids of Omega-5, as the Scorpions closed to what felt like touching distance.



Then he jumped. Light spiralled around him, then suddenly resolved itself into another asteroid field. He engaged his cruise engines as Wilde and hunters materialised about him, but a disruptor slammed into him, and the Wilde closed for the kill.

"Engage! Engage!" he screamed across the comms, as laser, pulse and antimatter fire streaked through the rocks that surrounded them.



The sheer power and bulk of the Mary Poppins protected the ship at first. Gilgamesh's Wasupu allowed him to mostly avoid little fire that came his way, and the Bottlenose held up well, dodging through the asteroids as two Scorpions pursued. The two Orcas did not fare as well. Heavily targetted as the most vulnerable vessels, and hindered by the mass of asteroids, the Scorpions tore them to pieces.



The Scorpions targetted the Mary Poppins then, four of them pouring fire down upon her, as the remaining two unleashed their fury upon Stoat's Bottlenose. The shields held briefly, before failing. The Bottlenose shook heavily as some salvoes ripped directly into the hull. Stoat risked a glance at the surveillance monitors, to see that Damoclass had vanished from the hold.

Oh bollocks! he thought. What now?

Warning lights suddenly flared across the control panels. His hull had been breached and internal sensors we're picking up non-human life signatures. At that moment, all power to the engines, and his controls, died.



"No!" screamed Stoat, slamming his fists into the defunct panels. He looked up to see the burning remnants of the Mary Poppins scatter through the asteroid field as she finally fell.



A small explosion sounded behind him , and Stoat whirled as the door to the bridge fell open. Standing framed in the doorway, a wry smile on his face, was Damian Damoclass.




Stoat roared, and launched himself across the bridge at Damoclass. Feinting to throw his entire body at Damoclass in a rugby tackle, Stoat twisted his body at the last moment, as Damoclass tried to brace for the expected impact. As Stoat passed, his arm shot out and his forearm took Damoclass full across the throat, sending him crashing to the floor. His balance recovered, Stoat turned, expecting to see Damoclass stil protrate on the floor, but the guildmaster had already arisen, and was smiling delightedly.

"Nice move, guildmaster. If it wasn't for these structural implants I had fitted," he rubbed his neck softly, "the last time someone attempted to garotte me, you might very well have won this little contest."

He coughed once, clearing his throat.

"It would seem, however, that it is my turn now."

Damoclass surged forward, his speed appauling. Blows rained into Stoat, fists, elbows, knees, all designed to weaken and tire. Stoat was reduced to pure defence, but even then he couldn't avoid many of the blows hitting home. As his heels backed up against a wall, he thrust his head forward as Damoclass momentarily got to close. Foreheads collided, and Damoclass fell backwards, as Stoat saw stars. As his eyes uncrossed, Stoat saw Damoclass apparently stunned, and let fly a roundhouse punch, hoping to end things quickly. Just before the blow landed, Damoclass moved, eerily fast. His arm snapped across Stoats', blocking the blow and locking the arm, while his body twisted. Stoat felt himself weightless as his momentum catapulted him up and across Damoclass's back, before slamming into the floor. Stunned, he was unable to stop the arm that locked across his throat, and as the blood to his brain was cut off, Stoat slumped into unconciousness. Damoclass stood then, and moved to open a local comms channel.



As Damoclass busied himself at the control panel, Stoat felt himself start to come round. Blurred vision cleared slowly, and he deepened his breathing in an attempt to recover faster. As soon as he could see well enough to make out that Damoclass had his back to him, he rose, silently. Damoclass was using the comms, but Stoat paid no heed to what he was saying. As soon as he was close enough, he launched himself, grabbing Damoclass's head and slamming it into the control panel. As Damoclass reeled, Stoat grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and at the waist of his trousers, and with all his strength hurled the Core guildmaster headfirst, up and into the display screens at the front of the bridge. Damoclass body collapsed to the floor as Stoat scurried off the bridge, heading for the escape pods.



Stoat fell several times as he attempted to get the escape pods. His vision swimming, he could barely focus, and lancing pains shot across his temples as he exerted himself. Finally he got to the escape pods, and scrabbled desperately at the controls, attempting to activate one. He didn't hear the footsteps approaching. A cold hand caught him at the nape of his neck. As he tried to fight, his arm was gripped tight and pulled tight behind his back, forcing him up onto his tip-toes. He was slammed face first into the bulkhead, knocking the wind from him, and as the grip released he collapsed to the floor. Through his swimming vision he caught sight of a man. Tall, unkempt, with softly glowing lavender eyes. As he opened his mouth to scream, tendrils gripped his lips, teeth and tongue, stifling the sounds. He felt something starting to slide down his troat, then his vision exploded with light.



Something was there, with him, within his own head. He was terrified. Had he had control of his vocal chords he would have mewled in fear. As it was his conciousness tried to flee the invading sentience. Without success. As he felt hook-like threads pierce the very substance of his psyche, he felt himself drawn inexorably towards the light. He wanted to fight, but had no fists. He wanted to run, but had no legs. He wanted to cry, but had neither eyes nor voice. Then the light enveloped him. His conciousness shattered, flying apart. He felt himself spread across space, perceiving everything while touching nothing. Stars, planets, moons zipped past as he flew to what seemed the very edges of the universe. Then the expansion stopped. The same threads that had caught him now held him together, stopping his dispersal. Slowly, surely, they tightened, recalling him to his place. Faster he rushed, now eager to return. The universe passed by in a blur that suddenly turned black as he arrived.

He opened his eyes to a new world. He could feel beings around him and within him. He belonged. He rose then, and returned to his bridge. Power had returned, and he re-engaged the systems. His head snapped up as warnings coursed through him.

***Beware......attack(darkbeings)-arrive......power-threat-intent.......(we)defend***



As the first Scorpion fell, remorse and rage tore through him. He turned his guns upon the offenders, and along with the Scorpions, ripped them to shreds.





Nothing was left but the smoking wreckage of human arrogance.

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