Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 499: Retreating

The weapon hummed loudly as he could see the rings glow a golden hue as they spun. He was holding the weapon off the ground but it started to shake in his hand as he held it. The two spikes on either side of the rings began glowing a bright blue. Then as the energy began building up he started to pull energy from everywhere outside of his body.

Which was the reason he had to wait until the entire planet had been evacuated first. Because at the start, anyone nearby on the ground would have died. Then the planets and other nearby fauna would start to whither as he pulled the electricity from them and channeled it into the weapon.

Now he had already passed that stage and was pulling every possible source of electricity on the planet into the weapon. Soon he would start working downwards into the core of the planet. Until eventually the planet just became a big fancy rock with not even an atmosphere.

"Firing first Excalibur round." Jace informed them right before the first shell was released.

BBBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!

Jace could feel both of his arms breaking and several other bones breaking as well. In addition to the several organs that ruptured and the blood he began spewing up all over his visor inside his helmet. The only fortunate part of his helmet being cracked was that some of the blood he spewed up was leaking out through the cracks. But just as he felt the injuries he could also feel the injuries as they quickly healed.

The ground around him cratered massively while the ground cracked even worse than before. With the shaking of an earthquake beginning again.

While a line of blue energy went from the tip of the cannon up into the sky. But it was quickly fading while the clouds in the sky quickly disappeared. He could start to see the actual ship itself. But just as he could see it he could also see the line of fire on the underside of the hull of the ship.

The Excalibur weapon had two stages to it in that moment of firing. The first was the shell. It was just a massive piece of chemi-metal that was honeycomb in structure on the inside. It launched first through the magnetic rings and through the sky at a speed faster than light. He only saw it for a fraction of a moment but he did see something tear right through the Mortella’s warship with a plume of fire.

Then there was the second stage of the weapon. The excess energy dispersal. Which was channeled into the rods or spikes that were on either side of the rings and then fired outward in the same direction of the shell. That was what had burned through the bottom of the Mortella’s ship after the initial shell disabled the shields.

As he stood there recovering he moved to a knee and realized he could not hear anything. But he could see the communication channel was abuzz with activity. He looked back and saw the ships were still fine.

He opened the chamber and a plume of smoke left it as he reached to his back and pulled off another shell before sliding it into the chamber and closing it. He then shakily stood up and pulled up the weapon. But as he did he saw a flash of light and then felt a ringing but steadied his feet as his broken helmet fell to the ground. He groaned before spitting out several teeth and looking at his attacker.

"General Ariel. You do not look very happy." Jace pointed out as he slowly began charging up the weapon again. This time taking aim more specifically at the engine of the warship. At the same time he was being honest.

General Ariel was covered in dirt with some of it between the cracks of her armor. While her hammer had a bit of blood from the attack she just hit him with. Her voice began ringing in his ears. {The mere fact that you were unprepared and were still able to resist us puts you and your galaxy at the top of a threat list that we would need to exterminate.}

Jace laughed but could not hear his own voice. So he just had to hope he did not sound ridiculous. "Who said we were unprepared?"

He could feel the weapon humming in his hand as General Ariel jumped at him again. Intent on smashing his head in with her hammer. But as she got close a blue shield appeared and she bounced off it. Flying backward into a pile of rubble. {What?}

"Yeah..." Jace chuckled noiselessly as he took aim and could feel the electricity moving from the ground to the weapon in his hand. Aside from him and General Ariel, almost everything on the surface of the planet was dead. He could start to feel the planet itself begin to die. It was a surreal experience, one he had never felt before. "I figured out how to generate my own electrical field."

Up until today the Excalibur had only been a theoretical testing phase with no test of its upper limit. Simply because it was too destructive to test without drawing attention. But now that he was using it, he could tell this was a project they should halt if they get a chance. Mostly because the energy cost was too high. But another reason was the sense of death and despair he could feel from the planet itself. Almost like it was alive.

"Charging Excalibur." Jace announced as he felt the shielding he was generating with his power fluctuate as General Ariel repeatedly attacked it.

{The planet!?! No! Do you know what you are doing?} He could feel her panicked voice as her people no doubt started reporting what was happening to the planet.

"Firing the Second Excalibur Round."

BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!

This time his arms were the only thing to break. But the flash of light to blind him for a moment as he did not have a visor this time to protect his vision. When he could see again it was in time to see General Ariel moving back through one of those golden portals with her armor’s color looking faded. Along with both her armor and shell missing parts and portions.

After a moment his hearing started to come back he could hear the cracking of the ground and whistle of wind. As well as the faint sound of a bell ringing in the distance.

He looked up back at the Mortella ship to see the rear of the ship had burst into flames. While the warship itself was now moving actively at an odd angle away from the planet. Probably struggling to get away.

He crouched down again and slid open the chamber and another plume of hot smoke came out. He ignored it as he pulled the last shell off his back and inserted it into the weapon. But as he stood up he heard a noise like air rushing out and looked over to see the Nero Hawk flying nearby with Nina crouching on the ramp.

She made a few hand signals with her hands. [Do you want us to pick you up now? They are retreating.] Was what she asked.

Jace shook his head and put up a single finger and then made a shooing motion. Nina nodded in response before the Nero Hawk pulled away.

Jace turned his attention back to the Mortella’s ship and began charging the massive railgun cannon again. "Charging Excalibur." As he started to pull electricity he could tell he was gathering up the last wisps of electricity and energy from the planet as he used his body to convert them.

Converting all forms of energy into electricity was taxing on his body. But while it was difficult it was also beneficial for him to do so. It was like training for his ability to control this strange power. But it was still exhausting. There was also the other fact that as he trained it he could feel something else that he could only describe as the planet’s emotions.

It was strange to think a planet had emotions but then there was only so much they knew. He would have to discuss this with Director Fenrir later. She was far more privy to all of the classified knowledge that the Vexical Empire had acquired over the years.

He could tell it would be weaker when he could no longer pull energy from the planet. "Firing Final Excalibur Shell."

BBBOOOOMMMMM!!!!

This time his arm did not even break as the shell was launched out and he watched it slam into the side of the Mortella ship while the followup laser seared a cut into the side of the ship. After firing it he looked over to see the Nero Hawk appear with the ramp lowered and he walked over with the Excalibur in hand.

Taking one last look at the planet that he could feel dying as he went up the ramp. But just as he could feel it dying he could also feel something else coming from the planet that he did not understand...happiness.