Operation Phoenix: The Flight of the _Long Shot_ part 2 of 3 The _Long Shot_ 200 miles above Kansas Approaching the X'hirjq/BJSF battlesite As the _Long Shot_ cut a parabola across the sky, heading towards the BJSF fleet, I sat back in my chair, reviweing everything the ship's Grey-built computer had on the X'hirjq. There wasn't much that was useful in this situation, but now, at least, I knew enough that I could fight them without getting killed in the process. It was a start. The navigation scanner told me that we would be flying right through the X'hirjq fleet on our current path. Even with full shields and firing everything we had, the _Long Shot_ couldn't last long in all that mess. A new plan of attack was needed. Something other than a direct approach, something sneaky. Something that would beat the X'hirjq under their noses. A Trojan Horse.... That's when it clicked. If the only way to get past the Lizard fleet was to act like a Lizard, then that was exactly what we needed to do. We needed to borrow a ship, then fly straight through their fleet! And the first thing to do was borrow a ship. "Minerva," I called out, "is there a X'hirjq ship along our current flight path?" Minerva's disembodied voice came from the ceiling. "Plot a course to intercept, then. We have a ship to borrow..." ***** X'hirjq battlecruiser _Talon_ The Warmaster looked puzzled. "Captian, we are being hailed by a ship approaching from the surface." The Captain, who had been reading reports from her Flightmaster, looked up from the data readuts. "Yes? Well, answer the hail, Warmaster." The main viewscreen blinked on, showing a young human, hair flying out in many directions, with a slightly.... unbalanced look in his eye. "X'hirjq battlecruiser _Talon_," he said, "This is Captain Malaclypse, commanding the Reticulan Confederation cruiser _Long Shot_. I am ordering you to lower your shields, power down your weapons, and surrender. If you refuse, you will be destroyed. This is your only warning." The Captain leaned forward in her command chair. "This is Captain X'j'rio, commanding the _Talon_. Captain, are you willing to take responsibility for your demands? You realize that we outmass you by over a great-six-sixfold? *You* are the one who shall be destroyed!" Malaclypse grinned. "Possibly. But this is as good a day to die as any." The Captian started to motion to cut the channel, whn she noticed the ornate hilt of a sword on his back. "Is that the sword of the Clan X'uul'hzijq'o you are carrying, Jihaddi?" she snarled. Malaclypse looked startled, then felt the sword hilt. "Possibly. I can't really say I care. It's just a little reminder of my earlier tangle with your people." "JIHADDI BASTARD! That is *my* clan, *my* people! I will see that you, your bloodless Grey allies and your entire world burn for this insult!" Malaclypse just sat there and grinned as the Captain went on in detail about how she would dismember him and everybody who knew him. Then, as the Captain was winding down with a series of X'hirjq curses, Malaclypse cut off the channel. Still cursing, the Captain bellowed at her Warmaster. "WARMASTER! Bring us about on an attack vector with the Reticulan ship! I want that vessel destroyed!" The Warmaster hesitated a second. "Captain, are you sure you wish this?" "Warmaster, it is our duty as Warriors of the Clan X'uul'hzijq'o to avenge the death of our fellow huntress by this... Human. Besides, the chance to defeat a Reticulan vessel, the people who caused our race such insult in the past... the honor would be considerable. Bring us about!" *** "And here comes the shitstorm," Malaclypse muttered as the display showed the X'hirjq ship slow, turn, and acellerate towards him. "Minerva, shields up, weapons to full, and get ready to fire on my command." "Nah, Minerva, let's give them the first shot. Not like it'll make much of a difference." The massive bulk of the battlecruiser spun on its axis, relasing a flurry of small missiles. Minerva reported. And, true to word, the missiles bounced harmlessly off the shields, causing only a small shudder to ripple through the _Long Shot_. "Allright," said Malaclypse through a tight grin, "they've had their shot, now it's time for ours. Min, fire main beam weapon, full strength, try to hit one of those missile launchers, but don't try to be too particular. A bead of energy raced around the center rim of the _Long Shot_, terminating with a powerful beam lancing out from the saucer. The beam struck out, and with scalpel precision, ripped a long gouge out of the X'hirjq ship. Explosions flared where the beam intersected fuel lines and weapons stores. Gas vented from the tear, and a few small forms could be seen struggling in the vaccuum. "Well, I'd say that was a sucessful first salvo," grinned Malalclypse. Aboard the _Talon_, all was chaos. At least, as close to chaos that a X'hirq ship could get. Systems had shorted out across the bridge, and several officers were sprawled unconcious across the deck. The Captain was still seated, looking grimly at the viewscreen. The Jihaddi and his Grey vehicle had hit them hard. It was a good reminder not to underestimate the prey. "Shipmaster!" she bellowed, "Damage report!" The Shipmaster, injured in the mayhem, looked at her readout screen. "Massive damage to shields and perimiter defence. Hull breach on deck 20, starboard side, along half the ship's length. Loss of 15% of plasma and missile weapons systems. Six hundred casualties. Your orders, Captain?" "Begin damage-control operations. Then, bring the ship around so our damage is protected and open fire with all plasma cannon." "Yes, Captian," said the Flightmaster, who was suddenly beginning to wish she had taken an assignment with her brood-sisters on the Mothership. *** Minerva announced. "Will the shields handle it?" "Oookaaay, then power up the heavy weapons, and target the engines." "Yeah. No way to fly it, for one. And besides, it's more fun to blast 'em!" *** The _Talon_ turned broadside to the _Long Shot_, hiding her wound and giving her remaining plasma cannon a clear shot at the _Long Shot_. Simultaneously, the spire on top of the _Long Shot_ lifted slightly off the hull, and tilted towards the massive battlecruiser. Suddenly, a wall of white energy rushed at the saucer, as every single cannon let off a blast at full power. The rain of charged particles slammed into the _Long Shot_, throwing it backwards a half-mile. Several navigation systems shorted out, and the lights flickered and dimmed. And then the _Long Shot_ fired back. Small gouts of purple light raced from the spire, slamming into the battlecruiser. Where energy collided with the shields, the ship shuddered. Where it came into contact with unprotected hull, massive chunks of the structure flew away in massive chunks. The _Talon_'s bridge was almost ruined. Dead X'hirjq warriors were littering the floor. Toxic fumes filled the room, and every console showed signs of incredible damage. The Captain herself sat dead in her chair, neck pierced by a fragment of the vidscreen. The Flightmaster was the only ranking officer left alive on the bridge, and she was howling into an open microphone. "ALL HANDS, PREPARE TO ABANDON SHIP! ALL FIGHTERS, TROOP TRANSPORTS, AND ESCAPE PODS, PREPARE TO DEPART! ABANDON SHIP, REPEAT, ALL HAND ABANDON SHIP!" *** As dozens of small pods jetted away from the X'hirjq ship, two threads of purple light extended from the _Long Shot_. The threads twisted away, catching the _Talon_ between them. The ship's hull flared as the beams cut through. Energy flashed along the cuts as the ship began to die. The power core, sliced almost completely in half, exploded. The ship disintegrated as the rampaging blast of nova-hot hydrogen chewed through metal and plastic. Superhot fragments of X'hirjq ship were thrown everywhere. A large section impacted on the bow of the _Long Shot_, denting the superstrong alien metal and dislodging engine components. As the flare from the dying ship died down, Malaclypse settled back in his chair. "Good. That's one battlecruiser down. Minerva, best speed for the Jihaddi fleet, please." "Oh, hell. Looks like we're in for a bigger fight than we expected." TO BE CONTINUED? YOU'RE GODDAM RIGHT TO BE CONTINUED! --MalDSeekr