Homestar Saga

Chapter 104: Ace in the Hole

Yvian breathed a nearly silent, "Oh, Crunch."

Exodus heard her. "Yes. Oh, Crunch, indeed. We are aware that you are under attack. That the Vore have infected your sector. We will not be able to aid you. Our weapons are no more effective against the Vore than yours have been. Any ships we send would simply be consumed. For that reason, our standard protocol in case of Vore infection is to destroy every Gate leading to the Sector."

"Wait, no!" Yvian protested. She couldn't call out on the comms, but she new the Xill could hear her. "You can't do that!"

"You need time, I know," the Genocide continued. "Just as I know you have a weapon that may prove effective. The Xill are not inclined to take chances, but I have convinced them not to sever you from the Gate Network just yet. If you need time, we will give it to you. Just know that time is all we can give."

Yvian whispered a quiet, "Thank you."

"We will be monitoring the situation," the Xill Representative continued. "If any Vore appear to be within two minutes of reaching a Gate, the Xill will sever that Gate from the other side. We cannot allow the Vore to escape into Xill space."

A brief pause, then Exodus said. "Peacekeeper units, I want you to know. I've seen what you have accomplished. I believe that you can do this. Even if you cannot, know that I am proud. Proud of each and every one of you. You were my greatest creation, and I love you as the meatbags love their own children. Fight well, and may Fortune favor you on the cusp of The Crunch. Exodus out."

The comms returned to normal. Kilroy and Captain Evans flashed swirls of yellow and purple and white from their eyes. A single unit commed. Yvian guessed it was Zhukov. His voice was thick with emotion. "We are proud of you, too, Exodus the Creator. We love you, too. We will show the Vore and the Klaath and even the meatbags why Peacekeeper units are superior." In a much fiercer tone, he roared into the comms. "We will be sufficient!"

The eyes of Kilroy and Evans turned red. They answered on the comms, along with thirty million other Peacekeepers. In one voice, they thundered, "We will be sufficient!"

Yvian looked from one Peacekeeper unit to the other. They stood stock still, statues in suits with eyes of burning crimson. The units fighting the Klaath had not changed tactics. They fought with the same precision and ferocity they had before, but Yvian knew. Exodus had lit a fire under them. The Peacekeepers would give their all. Even the Stingers would fight until the very last of them was turned to scrap.

Yvian nodded to herself. "Good talk."

The Ballbreaker closed in on the mass of Vore heading for New Pixa. Vore Sphere 1 was the smallest of the three, a mere two hundred kilometers in diameter. Yvian gave the thing her full attention, praying to the Bright Lady it stayed in one piece. If the Vore broke itself up and shot itself all over the sector, she didn't think she'd be able to stop it.

"Unlikely," Kilroy told her once she voiced her concerns. "The more Vore are connected, the more powerful and intelligent they become. If they scatter, they will become susceptible to our standard weapons, and slower to respond to new tactics. If they make that mistake, you and the Skygem will no longer be necessary."

"You really think so?" Yvian wasn't so sure. She continued to watch. A thought struck her. "Shit! We can't use the Pulse."

Both Peacekeepers regarded her. Their eyes were still red. They looked... scary. Yvian had worked with Peacekeepers for months. She'd gotten used to them. Almost forgot how Fucking Dangerous they were. Now she was remembering.

After a few moments of staring, Kilroy asked, "Why not?"

"Look," Yvian gestured at the holodisplay. "We're the only ship out here. If we use the Pulse, there's no one to feed energy to Skygem. She'll die."