A Weapon’s Serenade

Focalor, Anne and Melody walked onto Nemesis’ bridge. “You asked for us?”

Nemesis nodded. “Captain Harriman has contacted us, he wishes to speak with you. We are supposed to tell him when he can open radiocommunications with us. It is important to him that the other ships can listen in.”

Focalor raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating. Tell him I’m ready.”

“Understood. This will take a moment.”

After a few minutes, Harriman called. “Captain Focalor, this is captain Harriman. Please respond.”

“This is Focalor. How can we help you?”

“Eight days ago, you offered us supplies. Food and hygiene products. I debated this offer with my crew and we agreed to wait out one more supply shipment. If this one did not arrive, we would accept your offer. Today, I officially and humbly ask for your assistance with our supply shortage.”

“And we will deliver. I just need a list of everything you need, I can have everything ready within the hour.”

“Thank you. There is one more thing I would like to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“I would like to ask you to join the crew for today’s dinner. They deserve to meet the one who saved them from stale bread and unflavoured rice.”

“A good opportunity to show that we are not the villains some among the admiral’s crew make us out to be. I have two associates aboard, would they also be welcome aboard your vessel?”

“Of course. It would be good if they were open to questions about their role in this situation and their relationship with you.”

Focalor glanced over to Melody and Anne who both nodded. “They will be.”

“Very good. I should get started on the list, we will send it over shortly.”

“Do not hold back, we have much to offer and are willing make your stay as pleasant as we can.”

“Thank you, captain. Harriman out.”

Focalor turned to the two humans. “Well, I just signed you up for dinner on a warship. I hope you don’t mind.”

Anne shook her head. “Not at all. It’s going to be interesting so see everyone working there up close and it’s a great moment to create some mutual understanding. Maybe that will even get the admiral to reconsider.”

Nemesis interjected. “That is possible. Captain Harriman and admiral Douglas are currently talking, I will keep monitoring their conversation.”

“I am certainly optimistic.”

Focalor nodded. “As am I, at least about the admiral. Broysc and Pierce, not so much.”

“That’s fair.”

“Doing this openly will force their hands and I assume that was Harriman’s idea. He knows about all players here and that this will go badly in an uncontrollable manner if we just let things take their course.”

Nemesis spoke up again. “Professor Broysc wants to talk to you.”

“Put him through.”

“Executor, this is professor Broysc.”

“This is executor Focalor, what can we do for you?”

“I must ask you to not deliver supplies to the USS George Hammond. We cannot allow anyone to accept supplies from the enemy.”

“We are not your enemy and we will provide supplies to anyone in need who will accept them. You stop us from assisting captain Harriman, we will protect him and us.”

“Then I must advise the admiral to finally engage you combat.”

“Suit yourself. Focalor out.” She gestured for Nemesis to cut Broysc off.

Nemesis raised an eyebrow. “I took the liberty to examine him again. I was mistaken, his zeal is his own. While the experimental weapon replica within him is active, his mind is unaltered.”

“So the weapon isn’t working?”

“It might still improve his physical abilities, but the mental link is non-functional.”

“I don’t know if I like this more than if he was under the influence of the weapon replica.”

“At least we don’t need to save him from it.”

Focalor chuckled. “Fair point. Are they doing anything down there?”

“Not currently. But we appear to be quite popular today, Pierce is attempting to contact us.”

“Might as well. Let’s hear it.”

“Executor.” Pierce sounded pissed. “I overheard your talk with Broysc and the good captain. You can’t be serious about engaging anyone in combat, can you?”

“I am serious. Just because you magically replenish your food and fuel doesn’t mean the others don’t need help. We will provide that help and protect those who accept it. We are not your enemy, get that through your thick skull.”

“You will be the enemy as long as you occupy this world. As much as I despise Broysc and his bumbling idiocy, he is right. You must be stopped before you turn us against each other.”

“You are already doing that yourselves.”

“Then we have nothing more to discuss.” The connection was cut.

“Nemesis, we need to extend our shield to cover Harriman’s ship.”

Nemesis’ eyes darted around. “That is possible but I suggest providing him with a localized shield emitter.”

“Do we have such a thing?”

“Yes, I can teleport it to the ship now.”

“Do it and tell them what it is.”

“Understood.”

Melody spoke up. “Our tool tattoos can do shield magic too, I want to help.”

Focalor shook her head. “You are safer up here.”

“It also has an emergency teleportation spell to get me out of harm’s way.”

“Fine. I will teleport you, Anne and some supplies down. Who knows if we can get to that dinner properly and you at least know what’s going on and can coordinate with Harriman.”

“Thank you.”

The executor nodded and teleported the girls away.

Nemesis tilted her head slightly. “The Corpus Christi has dropped their stealth field and is activating weapons.”

“Are they targeting anyone?”

“They are aiming at the portal.”

“Well, fuck. Uhm… oh. Send a copy of the last conversation with Pierce to all ships, then target the Corpus Christi with our weapons and reinforce the portal’s shielding.”

“The copy is transmitting but reinforcing our defences might not be necessary. The guardian is moving towards the submarine.”

“Can you warn Pierce?”

“I will try.”

The guardian rose from its position and circled the portal. Pierce ordered his vessel to dive deeper to meet his adversary. The guardian mirrored that motions, rising to meet the Corpus Christi and her torpedoes.

One impact.

Two impacts.

No reaction from the guardian but the continuous approach towards captain Pierce and his submarine.

Another round of torpedoes, this time supported by magical warheads.

One impact.

And another. The guardian flinched.

A third impact, not on the guardian but on the shield surrounding the portal. It rippled but didn’t budge.

Before another attack could be launched, a response was made. The guardian opened its jaw and simply bit into the submarine.

“Get them out of there!” Focalor reached for the incorporeal projection of the combat below.

“I have them, the entire crew of the Corpus Christi, some are injured will require aid.”

The two watched as the projection of the submarine imploded and its shrapnel descended to the ocean floor. The guardian watched as its foe disintegrated and returned to its original position once it was satisfied that the threat had been neutralized.

Focalor fell back onto the central command chair on the bridge. “Alert the inquisitors and Sariel, we need justiciars and medical staff.”

“I have taken security precautions and locked the humans into one of our cargo compartments. I am contacting Sariel and Azazel right now.”

“Good, we also need to check in with Melody and Anne in a moment.”

“Of course. I also recommend a meeting with the remaining parties.”

Focalor nodded. “Yes, that is certainly necessary.”

After a few moments of invisible work, Nemesis spoke again. “I have news from Sariel, she is mobilizing several justiciars and will be here momentarily. Azazel has acknowledged what happened and is advising the same thing I did.”

“Very good. What about the girls?”

“They are alright. Captain Harriman was a little concerned by my sudden appearance but everything is fine aboard that ship.”

“Could you tell Broysc and Douglas that we will meet tomorrow at noon? I really don’t want to deal with those two idiots right now.”

Nemesis smiled reassuringly. “I will deal with everything, including Sariel and our… guests. You should go meet with the girls and Harriman. Will you need me to conjure and teleport any supplies?”

“It should be fine for me to conjure them but thank you.”

“Alright. Now get going. I have things under control and you look like you desperately need a change of scenery.”

Focalor chuckled. “Fine, fine. But call me the instant something happens.”

“Of course.”

“See you later and good luck.”

“You too.”

Focalor teleported away just as Sariel arrived.