Rika turned off the comm. Smeagle wanted to atone, but...Rika sighed and turned around to Solomon Keyes.
"We need to meet up with Jeremy...we have to help!"
Solomon took a knee and cupped the girl's chin in his hand. "Let us go then.
Omicron Minor, Alien Jump Gate
The battleship Oathkeeper hung motionless near the gate, fighter wings flying around, slaughtering anything that was hostile. Once a BHG Thresher approached, but the carrier Missing Ache moved forward and ripped it apart. The two ships sat there, over twenty fighters swarming around the capitals.
On the bridge of the Osiris, Jeremy sat.
"We done yet?"
"Have patience!" Was the reply from Michael Abraham, one of the scientists on the Oathkeeper. "Almost done. Then we can return,to Minor, and you can go back to worrying about Leiutenant Ikari and Izzy."
Jeremy sighed. Then the radar officer spoke up. "Sir, incoming....We're finge, its allied... Hey...it's the Destiny's Embrace!"
Jeremy perked up. "What're you waiting for? Prepare the airlock."
Oathkeper starboard mooring airlock
Jeremy walked up to the airlock as it opened, revealing the young form of his little sister, Rika.
"Jeremy!"
"Rika!"
Rika ran up and threw her arms around Jeremy, who swept her up
"What brings you back to Minor?"
"I need your help."
"With what?"
"Well..."
Rika filled Jeremy in. Jeremy frowned through the entire thing.
"Rika...thats..."
"Please...its our duty! The Order is here to defend humanity! Aren't we supposed to do so doing small steps?"
Jeremy gave her a small smile. "You're so much like mom."
---------------
Jeremy sat in the CIC, deep within the Osiris. Somehow, Rika had talked him into this insane mission. Thiss was one of the times he thought, Damn her...
"Jeremy, the Embrace has linked with us." The AI, Namine, reported. Jeremy looked up. "Coordinate jump with Blaze. I want us in a close system. We coordinate once we get there. Avoid any of the main warzones of the Outcast-Corsair war."
"Tau-37, same dense clous you boarded the Metropolis with Concordia and-"
"Do it." He said, cutting the AI off.
---------------- Tau-37, approximately 15K from Falkland Base
"Jump Complete." Namine reported. "Rika has detached. You sure its-"
"I should be the one..."
"Go with her, Lance can keep the ships safe."
Jeremy grabbed his Phalanax and the uniquely-shaped blade dubbed Oblivion.
"Anyone from the Ache?"
"Aqua is dragging two Nephs and four Sekhmets. If we can get through to the Verminator, Rika just needs to keep the powercore charging the shields, nothing else, and then force the docking,bay doors open, and you and Aqua land."
"This is impossible."
"Yeah, well, blame God, he made Rika so stubborn and compassionate."
"Do remember to file this with Drake's visit."
"Like always."
The Destiny's Embrace hit cruise, accompanied by its eight escorts.
Back on the Missing Ache, Ellie had all ships preped. If they managed to get onto the Verminator, they would need a distraction.
What better than an Osiris-class battleship.
The infiltration forces passed Freeport 10. Radios were silenced. Game time.
Rika did her best, but she was shaking. Why did she insist on doing this?
I'm the only one who can make the powercore do what we need. Well, fudgemonkey.
Death Runner looked up from his terminal and nodded.
"Sir it's on the terminal.."
The captain scooted his wheelchair back a bit, and the guard came forth and quickly brought up Smeagle's transmission along with the responses. Death Runner leaned back in his chair, pondering on the situation at hand.
"Hmm.. That.. That Rika child is a captain? Of an Order vessel?"
"I don't know entirely sir. I did some research though. I know she's family with powerful Order captains."
"Mhmm.. Reckless children with capitol ships? Not good. I want every man on this ship prepared for battle, experiments two and three released, and the science division logs sent back to Malta.. If worse comes to worse, and they really do show up here in Outcast space.. Well, heh. They'd be in just as much trouble as us. The whole damn outcast fleet would be launched."
"Sir.. We've drifted too far for any backup to arrive on time if we were to encounter a superior Order Capitol Class Vessel."
"What?! WHAT?!"
Death Runner stared angrily at the guard, immediately striking fear into his eyes.
"Damnit.. Next time.. NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS YOU WILL BE OUR NEXT EXPERIMENT! IS THIS UNDERSTOOD?!"
"EEK! Yes Sir!"
The guard quickly saluted then ran out of the captain's office.
Death Runner glanced back at the terminal and let out a long sigh.
"Heh.. Smeagle.. Smeagle.. Smeagle. Persistent little bastard aren't you?"
With the Hathor holdimg,back, the four fighters ansd four bombers thrusted in, unleashing a salvo of Mini Razors and SNACs. The Sarissa's sheild dropped down to half in the first wave. The Order craft began to chip at the sheilds, moving too fast for the battleship's weapons to track.
"Get ready Rika; Once the sheild is down, go for the spot we specified!"
Jeremy did a barrel roll and made a feint at the bridge to scare the bridge crew, his ARCHANGELs, BLUE BLAZE, and WILDFIRE guns blazing.
Death Runner rolled his wheelchair to the bridge with haste. When he got there, half the bridge crew were frantically running around with no apparent destination, while the other half had too much work to do and couldn't keep up. The captain went to the middle overlook where he could see everything around him clearly.
"ALL OF YOU."
Everyone stopped and looked at him, while the trigger-happy fighters and bombers continued their assault.
"ANYONE WHO ISN'T AT THEIR RESPECTIVE POSTS IN TEN SECONDS WILL BE KILLED. AND IF YOU TRY TO LEAVE YOU WILL BE VAPORIZED."
Several guards stood at the entrances.
"Go."
The crew scurried back to their posts and began giving their captain the updates on the damages.
"Sir! We're down to 10% shield left!"
"Alright.. All turrets maintain fire on that bomber at 12 'o clock!"
Due to the lack of a fight previously, some of the order ships had gotten cocky and decided to just face the bridge head on. But when The Verminator had a clear shot at the bomber, it was gone within a second and the Sarissa tractored in the escape pod.
"Good shot. Now focus on a single bomber, drop them one by one."
Death Runner looked through the glass of the bridge and examined the Hathor standing by. He pressed the transmission beacon to activate.
"Hello, Order. I assume this is the child Rika and company?"
"Oh yes, it is. Now that you see what we can do, let us talk. From what Xion said before her remote bomber got blown up, we caught you off-guard. So, now that we have an understanding..."
The fighters and bombers disengaged, retreating to a safe distance. Rika tapped her foot.
"We want the medication Smeagle needs. Give it, and we'll leave. Don't...and we'll get angry."
Rika crossed her arms, the Hathor and her remaining escorts forming a protective sheild around the gunboat.
"And this is a fraction of what we have. So, ready to deal?"
Death Runner smiled. He smiled the kind of smile that everyone on board knew. The smile that shows he's going to have fun, while others suffer. The closest towards him even backed up a bit from him.
"Heh. Hehehe. That's not how this works. You are in Outcasts space, attacking a captain with many.. many friends. And you want to call the shots? I don't think so. You want the cure for Smeagle? Well i absolutely guarantee you that if you dare fire a single FRAKKING SHOT AT THIS DAMN SHIP THAT CURE WILL BE GONE."
The crew looked around, a little confused.
"Now then.. I know we can get along, little child. There is absolutely no need for bloodshed. Am i right? Of course i am! So here's how this will go. I'll make a deal. You like it? You accept and we all live happily ever after! If you don't.. Well.. I suuppooossseee i could let you make a deal as well. What do you think? Sounds like a plan doesn't it? Hehe."
Three masked prisoners were brought forth in front of Death Runner. The evil captain smiled sinisterly, staring at the screen.
"Just so you know I'm serious.."
The captain pulled out a knife and stabbed the prisoner in the back with one fell swing. The innocent prisoner squirmed around, but soon fell victim to the dark, never ending, sleep. The evil man pulled out another blade and held it above a second prisoner.
"NO NO NO NO NOOO! I MAKE THE DECISIONS HERE! NOT YOU!"
The man leaned back and lit a cigar. He smoked for a second, then put it back down and sighed.
"Besides.. Why do you care for Smeagle anyways? He's killed more people than me i guarantee you. And do you honestly believe he'll change? Hah! Smeagle was born evil and will be evil for the remainder of his life. Heh. He won't change.. He'll turn around and backstab you lot before you even have the time to think straight.."
The captain lifted the cigar to his mouth and relaxed for a moment, while no one spoke.
"What are you doing here? A couple of kids, out to save some evil villain.. Really? Think about what you're doing here. What you're doing here is risking the lives of your people and the innocent. And possibly killing more by letting Smeagle live! Ya see, these two prisoners right here.. Whether they live or die is your decision. And if you decide to attack, they'll die, my crew will die, possibly some of your fleet die as well, and to top it all off! The cure will be destroyed before you get to it!.. Is this really what you want? Go home. Let the doctor take care of Smeagle."
![[Image: jeremy10.png]](http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/16/80/35/65/jeremy10.png)
