The Line of the Sol Empress

Chapter 15.2

Once Snake sped away with the supplies, Nanny-bot returned to the bridge. She bowed. "Sirs, may I provide you with a refreshment? Perhaps a Ceti ale?"

The men's eyes widened. Dagger sat up straight, plopping his feet on the floor, and replied. "Damn straight! Be quick about it."

"Yes, sir."

Nanny-bot retrieved two bottles of ale. But before returning to the bridge, she stopped in the medical bay. Sai did not understand why so many people enjoyed this fermented beverage, Moon savored it, but over consumption caused him so many problems. He would not normally approve of sharing his precious Ceti ale with an enemy, but in this case, it was part of the plan.

Dagger and Sly tilted the bottles back and nearly drained them in one drink. Within a few minutes, the powerful narcotics that Sai slipped into the beverages took effect. The men swayed, slumping down like bags of laundry. With heads flopped back, the pupils of their eyes shrunk to tiny dots.

Sai had run the simulations. The safety of Moon, Celeste, and the children was paramount. A non-lethal dose would have introduced unacceptable risks. They might have woken back up and spoiled the rescue plan. Logic dictated this course of action.

Sai, through Nanny-bot, gazed at the lifeless bodies. <Should I feel remorse?>

Moon was hesitant to kill, but when he thought it necessary, he would not hesitate. As a Sol Priestess, Celeste abhorred killing. As a mother, though, her mannerisms suggested she would take such action to protect her children.

Nanny-bot retrieved the pulse rifles. They might be needed, but this implied more killing. Connecting to the weapons, she bypassed the bio-metric lock so they would function for anyone. A maintenance-bot dragged the bodies off the bridge and ejected them into space through an unused docking port.

Searching through Moon's bedroom, Nanny-bot found the emergency com device that Captain Glynn had left behind. She input the text message: 'Immediate assistance requested. Sanctuary compromised. Moon, Celeste, and children captured'. After adding the coordinates, Nanny-bot transmitted the message.

Sai initiated the next step. <Bubba, deploy your external bots.>

<Bots deployed.>

Three bots crawled along the asteroid's exterior on six legs like large metal insects, approaching the unknown starship attached to gamma dock. They scaled the crevice that hid the dock and assembled around the tunnel that connected the ship to Sanctuary. Brilliant flashes of white-blue light marked the locations of the tack-welds, fastening the ship to the docking port and preventing its departure. Two of the bots retreated. Gripping the outer hull, the remaining bot picked up vibrations through the shell to eavesdrop on the activity within.

Although garbled, Sai made out the gasping wails of three babies and the words of a woman trying desperately to calm them.

Sai sent out her maintenance-bots. Two ambled into the dock bay, swaying back and forth on stubby metal legs. They approached the enemy battle-bot, one from behind and one directly in front.

The maintenance-bot in front tilted back on its legs and looked up at the towering battle-bot. It opened a link. <Do you require maintenance, sir?>

The battle-bot responded, <Maintenance not required.>

The little robot let out a series of beeps. <Sir, excessive wear is indicated on joint surfaces. May I apply lubrication?>

The battle-bot tilted its head down. A bright red light flashed back and forth behind a slit in its forehead. <Maintenance not required. Withdraw or you will be considered hostile!>

Sai copied one of Moon's tactics and feigned communication problems. The little robot tilted its rounded head. <Command misunderstood. Do you require maintenance?>

<Maintenance not required. Withdraw or you will be fired upon!> The battle-bot lowered the pulse cannons mounted on its shoulders.

<Maintenance will begin immediately. Please refrain from motion while lubricant is applied.>

Taking advantage of the battle-bots distraction, the second maintenance-bot walked up from behind and extended a utility arm. A white-hot arc lit up the dock bay as the little bot welded one of the battle-bot's huge metal feet to the floor.

The giant robot swiveled around with the whir of servomotors. As it did, the first maintenance-bot fired a stream of lubricant grease, coating the battle-bots' sensor array with a layer of the gooey liquid, temporarily blinding it. The second maintenance-bot let out a string of beeps and scurried around as a weapon turret bore down on it. The cannon fired a bright orange plasma bolt, leaving a scorched divot in the floor where the little robot once stood.

Because of having one foot attached to the floor, the battle-bot lost balance and fell backwards with a crash. The first maintenance-bot took the opportunity to weld its shoulder to the floor while the second extended a plasma cutter to sever its control interface cable. The battle-bot stilled, and the sweeping red light in its head went out.

Now that the battle-bot was disabled, four more maintenance-bots spilled into the dock bay and scampered down the dark passageway that led to the heart of Sanctuary. Nanny-bot followed with a pulse pistol strapped to her hip, carrying the pulse rifles liberated from the two combatants. Bee-bot hitched a ride on Nanny-bot's shoulder to conserve power.

The two original maintenance-bots, fresh from their victory over the fearsome battle-bot, watched the procession go by. They stayed behind to remove the docking clamps that held the Phoenix Star captive.

Over the link, Sai said, <Bubba, proceed with combatant isolation.>