This is going to be a long day and it might be Saltaner's last, I am so stupid. This will end well if that ship is not disposed of immediately. The warlike configuration had its weaknesses, but this was larger than what we had faced in deep space, that was comparable to a light cruiser when put against what was here, I can't believe I was so foolish.
"Argos, find a weakness we can exploit from down here, we do not have much time!" I yelled, was that fear or a sense of urgency in a need for action, I don't know. I had to save my world, even one ship gave enough time could decimate any planet, and Saltaner had a few towns, a major military base, and two large cities. That was still millions of people and that was too many, I lived in the eastern district of Resalen the capital city, kind of town like with a really good view of the ocean, of course, it's rather beautiful when it is not being eclipsed by a warship. Today might be my last day, I don't know if we will retaliate with a full-scale war but anything is better than sitting idle while waiting for death and destruction to claim me and those I care about. If I die today, I will be fighting when I die.
"Weak point discovered, five torpedoes on the central most point of the primary hull with concussive impact would cripple the vessel!" Argos seemed proud of himself and I was glad that he had not given up. In the situation we were facing now even the most skilled officers could choose to run but Argos had some sense of overwhelming bravery that seemed to calm me down. My thoughts were interrupted by a bright flash of light I forced my eyes to stay open, surely they had not found me and opened fire on the city yet. I was right my vision cleared up in less than a second a sign that Argos had initiated a full neural link and there it was a new ship. No! That can't be! The Argos Explorer! Inch by inch the front of my ship forced its way through the central most hull of the Racosan Warship, the warship was actually buckling under the pressure meaning that my ship was holding up well or at the point of being torn apart itself. I had to hope that my ship would survive in the second that has passed since she arrived. The sound of explosions eclipsed the actual fire spewing from several airlocks as the ship started to completely collapse as my ship continued on its way, almost unscathed, within moments the remains of the warship detonated like a celebration's complement of fireworks shards falling and sections exploding as the entire ship started to go back down into the drink.
As if on queue a voice echoed through my comm unit that sat right inside my ear, "Glad to see you are still alive Tanem, I am leaving Liz in command of the battle group, she is sending our third over to the Argos Explorer when she leaves the atmosphere, I'm coming down to help mop up the remnants!" Shiro did it, she saved the day exactly like I felt she would but I think I will have to have a word with her about how to treat my ship latter.
I spoke softly to avoid letting my slight agitation show, "appreciated commander, my objectives have not changed but I know what I seek is here and alive, Tanem out!" I can not believe she did that to my ship. Focus! Find Zane and Collin, save if in danger, help if not. I could put her in the brig for a short time for abusing my ship. Damn it, that's not focusing, finding Zane and Collin is my priority! I started jogging towards the Capital building, from there I could get to the hidden entrance for the academy, yeah hidden, it's not too widely known, but it was made for situations like this, to be more precise in the chance of a rebellion against the military to keep the fleet officers safe. I may not be directly military but most of the New Howler class ships crews have some sort of military combat training just in case of the unexpected which happens too much in our space for our liking, who knew what was out there but I guess we all needed it. I will be the last to be thankful for military training but with the war with the Racalnas going on and me seemingly always on the front lines of the fight, I can say I am not ungrateful. I saw one of the monsters running down the street threatening civilians as he passed, I couldn't hear his exact words but I know it was a threat to kill them if he was slowed in the slightest. I turned my head to face that direction and before I could reach my weapon a mechanical whir sounded and released, I knew that sound, it was a standard military grade pistol obviously one of ours. The green bolt arced from someone wearing all black their face hidden just like mine, the bold not only killed the Racosan but also managed to throw him in my direction just a few feet. The stance from the person who had sentenced the Racalnas to death spoke, I knew that voice.
"Sorry, I don't take orders from Alien scum." Zane, that's Zane! Unlike my black jacket, he just wore a black robe with a hood it worked, I wouldn't have known he was here without him speaking. "Alright everyone will follow me or someone that I designate to lead you, the city is being evacuated and all civilians are being taken to the Saltaner space academy!" He pointed at me, I knew what he was about to say even before he said it, "That means you too sir!"
So much strength in his voice, too much authority towards me but that's too easy to fix, so I spoke, "No can do, I just completed my mission!" His mouth opened to protest but before he could speak I put my hood behind my head allowing the wind to touch my ears for the first time since I got home, "Miss me Commander?" Anyone could recognize me now but it didn't matter, I got one of my people back.
I heard Zane call out on his hidden comm unit, "we were right he is here, all groups double time on the evacuation effort, that's five million in this district alone, focus on clearing the capital building! Shadow unit nine report to my location, everyone move lets go, we don't know when they are going to strike and with the Argos Explorer pulling the stunt it did we will not have much more time!"
Two other people with robes like Zane's saluted and shouted, "For Saltaner!" After that, the civilians put up no fight getting off the streets, in fact, several of them wanted to take up arms but that would have to be up to whoever was in charge of the resistance force that had probably ordered the evacuation. Something was off, where is Collin? Zane would be reluctant to leave his side under circumstances like this and he is not here but Zane seems content so it is unlikely he is dead. As if to make me jump a hand came down on my right shoulder and it looked like Zane was ready to give up everything for the person that was behind me. Collin, well he doesn't seem to be afraid of scaring me, or getting locked in the brig, of course if I did lock him in the brig Zane would find a way to make me regret it. I need to stop with the idea of locking people in the brig, it can't be healthy to want people in the brig, maybe it's because I am having a bad day or that I haven't gotten any good nights of sleep since I got back to Saltaner. Just as it soon as I was starting to relax everything came crashing down, the comms for the entire city sounded about a high energy discharge from deep space, Racosan space, this defensive front needs to end or we don't stand a chance.
I had seconds to act, "Argos Kill that message, we don't need a riot on our hands, link all critical information straight to me." I spoke calmly, leaving authority in my voice allowing nothing to stop me and almost instantly the message cut off. I felt a small pinch against my back, emanating from my modified medium class armor, I knew what was happening when I closed my eyes, I could see the information Argos had gathered within moments, too perfect, depolarize the blast enough and it will only destroy a building hopefully, a building we could rebuild. It was a chance and I was not ready to lose this planet nor do we have the means to evacuate. I knew what I had to do, "Get me on a comm channel with Admiral Devens! Zane, Collin, Make sure a block radius from the Capital building is clear I want no casualties that can not be avoided!" The planet would be swarmed when the bolt fails to make it here, that was the bet I was making, what ever Racalnas operatives that were on the surface knew their lives were on the line and are either accepting it or trying to get out while they have a chance but I will not take my planet into such a destroyed state if I can avoid it, at least if the planet is a war zone we can take a few of them out with us, though I would rather it not come to that.
"Tanem, good to hear you are alive. This is Admiral Devens!" He answered that's good but I don't think he will like what I am planning.
"Admiral I need a ship!" hopefully, I don't need to explain I don't have time for that. I nodded to Collin and Zane both took the chance to get their tasks started and hope to save everyone.
"You have the Explorer, why do you need another ship?" He asked a question damn I don't have time for this.
"I am going to save the planet if my plan does not work we lose it anyways but if it does we may lose only a few buildings!" Please agree.
"I am currently on a ship with a prototype shields, we await your orders, Tanem." I have to say I like how he is always so calm. If this doesn't work I will never know, I hope he forgives this sacrifice of a ship.
"I need you to put the ship above the Capital and direct the remnants of the beam down to the building using the shields on that ship to depolarize all that you can before the power core overloads, I recommend a full evacuation of the ship before the beam reaches the system so we can ensure no one on the ship is killed in the blast." Please don't take your faith in me away now, please! he muttered something before confirming my orders and implementing them and leaving the ongoing space battle that apparently was going well compared to the defense of Earth. I turned my attention to Argos, " You can boost my movements, I assume that Delta, Crimson, and Theta can do some other things, I need to know their capabilities!" The information appeared in the back of my mind, Crimson was a tactical genius and delta her opposite, Theta apparently could control others with her own will given the chance but was mostly unwilling to do so and none of them has told anyone but each other and now Argos told me. I can't escape the feelings of destruction that could happen, "Have Theta and Delta link to my armor, is our new trick ready?"
Argos phased through my jacket as I started removing it showing my armaments to the desolate idea of a safe city, for the moment anyways, "Ready as ever Tanem!" Argos asked what he was allowed to call me the day we made landfall, that was three days ago, now we are known, so let us be heard.
"Relocate us to the top of the Capital building we don't have time to delay!"
"Relocating order confirmed, one moment." I closed my eyes waiting for everything to change for all I know I was not going to make it but Argos has not failed me yet and I don't think he will do so now willingly. As I expected I could feel the instant elevation change as my ears started to pop causing a slight wave of dizziness, nothing I could not overcome, I had a few minutes before I rose to the expectations of a hero or died with this world, either way, I could die here. I never thought it would come to this but here I am, feeling the wind in my fur for what might be the last time, I pulled the rapier from its housing, holding into the sky for just a few seconds taking in the idea of being hit by pure energy, not exactly how I wanted to die but for my people and for my world I will stand strong. Time is running out, I am afraid but I can't let it show, I won't.
***
Per Tanem's request, the starship Armok was now without a crew, Admiral Devens knew he should have left but it didn't matter now, the ship had been hit during the evacuation and had to have at least one person to keep the shields up under manual control. Not the most luxurious death but that was fine with him, as a younger man, he made a mistake that took a life and had since then vowed to never cause that again. It wasn't his fault technically, no one openly blamed him but he knew of one man that did silently, Marcus Jax. His son had made a request that seemed quite insane but the more Sam Devens looked over the data the more the plan seemed it would work, Marcus had retired after the incident that had taken his best friends life refusing to have anything to do with the fleet if possible to avoid. A few years ago Marcus and his wife had died alongside their daughter leaving only one Jax, Tanem Sur Jax, if Sam could avoid it Tanem would live, unlike the case of James Dedran, how fortunate that both Marcus's son and James's son became friends and the more he looked into the situation, he noticed they made just as good a team as Marcus and James, if not better.
Turning on the Communications system Sam knew what to say, "Tanem, promise me you will take care of your crew, I regret to inform you I will not survive the next few minutes, my ship was damaged and I will be the only casualty, take it as a way for me to make up for past mistakes, you are well aware of one even if subconsciously. I am the reason your father left the fleet, I will never forgive myself for what I did even if I couldn't avoid it. I'm sorry!" A similar message was sent to the rest of the fleet but this one was more personal, this sacrifice was only a way out, besides this ship had the best probability of successfully doing what Tanem needed to be done.
***
I looked out to the city hearing a whimper, by now several blocks should be clear so it's impossible. Argos tapped me a little more data that I silently requested in the back of my mind, I was not wrong that kid was alone and way too close to the building but even though he was alone there was another being moving in his direction, without thinking I ran to the side of the building stopping before going off the ledge, Argos magnified what I could see. A little boy was running down the street quietly, guess Argos also had a way to amplify my hearing, I could see the patterns of neon blue and black fur he couldn't have been any older than five years old. The other being ran past the boy, obviously not hearing the soft panicked whimpers, a sergal, orange and white fur obviously a lot older than the kid but seeing him calmed me down, the kid had a chance.
I screamed louder than I thought I could before I ran back to the central strike point for the energy beam heading to the planet, "Save the Kid!" I hope he heard, I had to forget about the small boy with the neon blue and black fur, it was out of my hands so I took my experimental sword and stabbed the buildings roof. "Theta, let them see their dreamed result, Delta, depolarize the burst and keep this planet in one piece!"
I noticed a single Explosion as a message came in on my Comm unit and I was Enveloped by a greenish blue shield, it was Admiral Devens, of that I had no doubt, "Tanem, promise me you will take care of your crew, I regret to inform you I will not survive the next few minutes, my ship was damaged and I will be the only casualty, take it as a way for me to make up for past mistakes, you are well aware of one even if subconsciously. I am the reason your father left the fleet, I will never forgive myself for what I did even if I couldn't avoid it. I'm sorry!" I resisted the urge to scream, I was hit by the blanket of red, or at least the shield was as it immediately started to crystallize. I noticed the building give in to the stress from the blast, by the tome that happened I was encased in a crystal sphere. With one last breath, I braced myself for the fifty story drop. The fire from the heavens had control over what happened to be but I was determined to survive, when the Racalnas found out that this planet survived they would invade on our terms hopefully taking fewer lives in the process, hopefully, the kid and the man are safe I have to have hope.