A Soldier For All Seasons Ch. 05

"What is this place?" Statten asked, rubbing his hand over his bald head, his nervous tic. Nate stifled his smile - Statten was built like three men, but he was the most nervous of his squad.

Nate relayed what Isabelle told him. "This is a steam release room. It's like our radioactive containment rooms. These pipes run through the ship, through the engine furnace rooms, through the barracks, through everything. Right up to the bridge."

"Cap, a time release bomb in these pipes—" Pelridge started.

"Well, first off we don't have a time release bomb. And even if we did, we'd probably end up blowing ourselves up. That's not the plan."

"What is?"

"Statten, Panchal, crack open that safety valve. Carefully! That whole frame should open up so that they can insert their pigs."

"Pigs?" Ana asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.

Unusually, it was quiet Levitsky who grunted. "Pipeline inspection gauge. My father worked on the old fuselarium pipelines. You cannot stop the flow to clean or inspect the pipeline, since zat is billions of creds lost. So you send a pig down the pipe, like a torpedo. Moved by the pressure of the flow. Captain, you are smart."

Statten growled as they pulled open the valve, revealing a stretch of the flow, fizzing and letting off tremendous heat.

"I don't understand." Pelridge frowned.

"We're going to ride this rollercoaster." Nate grinned. "Straight to the fucking bridge."

Ana looked at him with wide eyes. "You want us to get in this lava?"

"But we don't have any pigs." Pelridge said, scanning the room.

"We have a ton of them." Nate gestured his head behind him, at the hangar, where dozens of drop-pods lay scattered across the floor, blackened and bruised but still functional. "Boys, go and get them. Four of you on each one, don't pull a muscle. We don't need more than five."

"Yessir." They chorused.

"Wait, wait, will the drop-pods even survive in whatever the fuck that is?" Pelridge leaned over the orange bubbling liquid as it shot by, like a river on turbo-speed.

"They can survive space, they can survive the bugs' energy juice." Nate assured him.

*Don't worry, Nate. My estimations suggest the drop-pods won't dissolve until sixty seconds or so.* Isabelle added in his mind. Nate thought it best not to relay that information.

"You're crazy, Cap."

"It's fine." Nate grinned. "You know I'm going first."

Pelridge shook his head. "That's why I'll follow you wherever, boss. But how are we going to stop the ride when we need to get off?"

"A few of us will stay behind to manage the flow control, using this panel. Levitsky - you see this gauge? How it falls and rises? When it hits the red, you need to push the button to tell the system there's a pig in the river, and it'll route any objects found in the flow to a ventilation room near the bridge. Hit it too late, and we'll be vented into space instead. Hit it too early, and we'll be vented right in the middle of their barracks, in the middle of every single bug."

"Okay, Cap." Levitsky grunted, scowling. "Next time, I vill be in the pig to the battle."

"Agreed."

Ana just watched on, a faint smile on her face. All of Nate's soldiers would follow him into battle — it was kind of adorable.

They climbed into the drop-pod - four of them - Nate, Ana, Pelridge and Statten. They tried to stay still as the rest of the men closed the drop-pod door, re-sealed it, and then, with a lot of effort and men, lifted it above the tube horizontally.

"Get ready!" Nate ordered. "Breathe normally, don't shift your balance!"

"Three, two, one, drop!" Levitsky ordered.

Whoosh. Nate's eyes rolled back in his head, his stomach dropping, chest tightening. In front of them, the small porthole window shot by in a splash of orange. The speed was incredible. His stomach churned, threatening to vomit. It felt like his very blood was boiling. His neck ached.

It sounded like they were in a frying pan, and he had to shut his eyes tight to stop the sudden pain in them.

Clunk-Tsss...And then it was over. Nate re-opened his eyes to see they were being deposited onto a conveyor belt, alongside other actual pigs.

"Oh, fuck." Pelridge gurgled.

"That was unpleasant." Ana said, looking a little green.

Statten kicked open the drop-pod door-lever and was the first to roll out. Thankfully, the room was empty. The floor was dripping with sizzling orange fuel.

"Fuck. That's not supposed to happen."

Nate rolled out and examined the damage. The flow-routing mechanics had been clipped by their too large drop-pods, splintering the metal into the pipe and causing a little hole that was gushing out fuel. The main flow-pipe had automatically sensed trouble and sent down a hatch that blocked off the alternate pipe.

"Guess we're on our own." Nate grimaced.

"Did it even work?" Statten asked. "Are we at the bridge?"

*I believe it did.* Isabelle mentioned. *You never make a girl bored, Nate.*

"It worked." Nate confirmed, activating his comms. "Boys, we made it safely, but we fucked up the pipe. You can't follow. Hang back, see if the others need help, and don't be heroes."

"Copy that, Captain. Good luck." Levitsky's voice echoed back.

"Form up on me." Nate ordered, inching open the door. Outside, a corridor, a typical starship design of grays and steels, but where the ceiling would usually be lit by fluorescent lights above, the ceiling was instead a row of pulsating, pink sacs, giving out a radiant pink light through their 'skin'. It was unnatural and unsettled his stomach even further.

"The bridge is this way." He whispered.

"How do you know?" Pelridge muttered back.

*Because you have a supremely sexy, ultra intelligent AI in your head, who gives you handjobs.* Isabelle teased.

"That's need to know information." Nate jabbed back, sneaking forward. "I know you're rolling your eyes behind me."

"I hate it when you do that." Pelridge griped. Ana snorted.

Up ahead, elegant double doors, with odd runes etched above them.

*They essentially translate to 'the bridge'.* Isabelle said helpfully.

"Locked and loaded." Nate instructed.

They entered the bridge to see a wide open view of space and stars, the battle a litany of lights. Nate ignored that in favor of the eight bugs facing away from him, chittering loudly at each other, tapping their consoles furiously. One of their screens showed a view of the Federation troops trying in vain to push through the engine furnace room, unable to get past the mass of barricades and turrets.

They didn't notice they'd entered.

*Isabelle, give me a tactical analysis.*

*Finally — now you ask me! Analyzing — fire at the center console pilot first, which, due to basic psychology, will ensure Pelridge, Statten and Ana focus on the sides. Then take their ship commander hostage, ensuring the remaining center bugs are too afraid to fire back.*

Nate did exactly that, firing his blaster to evaporate the pilot, then charging forward and wrapping their commander in a head lock, gun to his head. On either side, he heard the blaster fire and short shrieks from the bugs.

"Stand down! Drop your weapons!" Nate shouted at the remaining bugs, the commander in his lock struggling with futility.

They chittered, arms up high. Beside him, Ana and Pelridge stepped forward with grim faces. A standoff.

Nate tightened his grip on the commander's neck, the bug's antenna twitching so fast it could be barely seen. "I know you understand what we're saying, even if you don't know the words. Drop your fucking guns!"

The commander made a gesture with his hand. And the remaining bugs sullenly dropped their weapons.

"Kill them." Nate ordered. Ana wasn't used to his tactics, but Statten and Pelridge immmediately executed the remaining bugs.

"No!" The bug commander cried, an unnaturally deep voice. Nate almost dropped him in shock.

"You speak?!"

"You did not need to kill them, human wretch!" His voice was interrupted by little clicks and cracks, like he had more bugs in his throat.

"How the fuck can you speak?" Nate said in amazement.

"All commanding Kalavers speak your vile language, you fool. How did you get to this bridge? How do you think to escape this ship when my people number in their thousands?" Nate pulled the commander's weapon from his holster and let him loose, so that the commander could turn. Nate examined him. This bug didn't look much different from the others, but he'd never heard that any bug could talk. Did the Federation intelligence know? Did they hide it?

"Isabelle, did you know? You scanned the special ops ship, right?" He asked out loud.

*I'd seen no evidence, Nate, but I've only scanned the easily accessible subsection of Federation intelligence on bugs - and none of the Special Ops team were ever spoken to in Galactic Common.*

"I can't believe it." Bugs could speak. He'd killed so many — intelligent ones, powerful ones...but communicative ones? Never. Nate squeezed the commander's neck. "Tell me, why do you do what you do? Consuming planets, eating our people, infesting them with your spawn?"

The bug sneered. "All of this universe belongs to the Kalavers, you ignorant flesh-sack. Your people, your planets, they are ours to—"

Nate snapped his neck, the crack sharp in the bridge room. Ana gasped. Nate sighed. "I don't know why I expected something deeper." Still, in his mind, he knew there must be more to it. They owned so much of the galaxy already, why did they continually throw themselves against the Federation and Lunari defenses?

"Uh, boss, maybe we could have used him to shut their shields or weapons down? And who the hell is Isabelle?" Pelridge said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, right." Nate winced. "Isabelle is like a really friendly AI that lives in my head."

Pelridge looked at him with wide eyes.

"And she's going to hack this ship and turn the tide of this fight. Right, Isabelle?" Nate said, plugging into the Versaport of the ship's console.

Silence, for a few seconds, and then the computer spoke. "That's right. Nice to meet you, gentlemen."

"Uh, hi?" Pelridge said nervously..

"Awaiting your instructions, Nate."

"Have you got control of the barracks?"

"That's right." The screen's flickered, showing thousands of bug soldiers awaiting the Federation troops. "The Feds haven't got through the engine room yet, the barricades are too strong."

"Perfect." Nate smiled darkly. "Can you open the barrack airlocks and make sure the blast doors don't activate?"

"Holy fuck, boss." Statten muttered.

"Wait, we can do that?" Pelridge reached loosely for a console to lean against.

"By Vashayna, Nate." Ana murmured.

Isabelle spoke. "I have full command of the ship — we're at the bridge after all."

"Show me external cameras." Nate ordered. He watched impassively as the airlocks opened, watched as thousands of bugs were vented out into the vacuum of space. Twenty seconds of struggle before they asphyxiated and froze, twenty seconds of watching flailing limbs and silent screams. Ana touched her hand to his shoulder, but Nate was elsewhere, in his mind's eye, watching his sister die, watching that bug rip her limb from limb. He'd known from them on, and had it confirmed a thousand times over, that the only good bug was a dead bug.

No mercy.

"Plasma railgun re-charged." Isabelle prompted.

Nate scanned the system. The bugs had two other cruisers, the Kintel and the Razelle, whose shields were a dim color, but still withstanding the blows from the Federation and the Lunari - trading back and forth to share the blows. Nate's own ship, the Destiny, had taken some serious hits, an orange scar against its backside, one of its main cannons disintegrated, shields flickering in and out. It didn't have long.

Nate wouldn't take long.

"Fire on the Kintel."

The Kalaverkash shook as it fired, a scintillating purple beam firing out and crashing against the Kintel's shields. The shields fizzled for a momentary second before coming back alive, so dim they were barely visible, the honeycomb over the metal skin like a faded tattoo.

Their comms lit up, a dozen bug hails all at once, cries of betrayal and rage. Unable to understand who was friend or ally, they each had an easy choice to make.

Isabelle muted them, but they were shifting already. The Kintel first hyper-boosting away, the Razelle soon after, leaving their warships and fighters stranded in space.

"Hail the Feds and the Lunari." Nate ordered.

"Patching you through."

"General Hall, allies, this is Captain Clancy - we've captured the Kalaverkash and have spaced out the bug troops. Over."

"Clancy?" A face appeared. Mustachioed and old - General Moron. "What the fuck are you doing on the Kalaverkash?"

"I spotted an opportunity, sir."

"When you get back here, I'll throw you in the brig for insubordination, son—"

The Lunari Admiral interrupted. "By Vashayna, was that you who fired on the Kintel? We have them on the run. But, Captain, do you have the Princess-"

Ana stepped up, chin high. "Admiral Castien, I have heard my mother speak of your victories. This is the Royal Princess, Ana De Lothien, next-in-line to the throne and daughter to the Queen."

"Princess!" The Admiral bowed his head. "I had feared the worst. I'm so glad you're alive."

"As am I." Ana said drolly. "Captain Clancy saved my life. I owe him everything."

"And so do we, Princess. I shall send the good word to Her Majesty immediately. Would you like us to send a ship to come and retrieve you?"

"No, Admiral." Ana smiled softly. "I am in the safest hands possible with Captain Clancy. Please concentrate on exterminating the bugs who dared to invade our planets."

His face hardened. "Of course, your Highness." He barked out some orders to his subordinates behind him before turning back to face them. "And after?"

Ana's back stiffened. "I have reason to believe that there was a Lunari member, possibly a high-ranking one, who facilitated the bug attack and their attempted kidnapping of me. Until our intelligence forces find the one responsible, I have no choice but to remain with Captain Clancy, who is dedicated to keeping me safe and..." She paused. "Well fed." Only Nate saw the slightest upturn of her lips.

The Admiral's long ears twitched. "I understand, your Majesty. Rest assured, I will personally work with Lunari intelligence to ensure the traitors are found." His eyes turned to face a different part of his screen - Brigadier General Hall. "Well, General, in the interests of Federation-Lunari relations and the continued health of the alliance, it seems Captain Clancy should remain in charge of the Princess's safety. On behalf of the Lunari Alliance, I'd like to offer my sincere gratitude to your man for his bravery - I still find it difficult to believe that only one man managed to rescue the Princess. I'm sure the Empress will be offering her own thanks, in time."

General Hall's face had turned an ugly puce color. Nate hid his smile.

The General coughed. "Yes, well, of course, our men are encouraged to, uh, improvise, and evaluate the battlefield as it changes. Clancy!"

"Yes, sir." Nate snapped to attention and saluted.

"Stay with Her Majesty until we send across further orders. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Nate barked.

"Good. Now let's send these bugs packing, shall we?" The comms cut out, leaving the bridge in silence.

Pelridge interrupted it with a snort. "I've never seen a man turn that color."

"Are all your Generals like that?" Ana said delicately.

Nate laughed. "No, we have some smart ones, but I've never met one. Isabelle, how are the Fed troops doing in the engine room? Do we need to get involved?"

"See for yourself, Nate."

Isabelle changed the screens to show the engine room, where the troops stood amongst Natalia and her team, her sword bloody, standing amongst a pile of bug corpses. They were cheering as they looked through the barrack doors to see it completely empty, watching through the portholes at the bug corpses drifting through space.

"It seems that the bug morale was crushed after they saw their troops vented." Isabelle noted.

"Good." Nate smiled with dark satisfaction. "Patch me through. Captain Clancy here, reporting from the bridge. Unfortunately, the barracks airlocks malfunctioned and the bug troops were spaced out. Thankfully, I'm happy to say the malfunction has been fixed."

He watched on the screen as the troops let out a massive roar, throwing their hands up in the air.

"Our warships and fighters should be able to clean up the remaining fight now the bug carriers have hyper-boosted away. If I were you, boys and girls, I'd go find out if there's any decent drink on this ship. Consider that an order." He laughed at their cheers before cutting the comms.

Pelridge rolled his eyes at him. "You know they're about two drinks away from trying to sculpt a statue of you, right?"

He shrugged and grinned. "I hope they get my jawline right."

Ana touched his arm. "Back to our ship, Nate?" She shivered, looking at the pulsating flesh-sacs on the roof. "I don't like this place."

He shrugged. "Isabelle?"

"I've already scanned this ship's communications, but it will take me a while to decode and translate. There's nothing keeping me here."

"Alright. Pelridge, Statten, good work today. I'm proud of you."

Their backs straightened. "Thanks, Cap." Pelridge grinned.

"Alright, get out of here. Don't get too drunk, you hear? Make sure you clear out the rest of the rooms, as well."

Isabelle interrupted. "Gentlemen, I've sent you a map of the ship as well as the few remaining life-sources on board."

Pelridge and Statten grinned at each other. "Bug hunting in a barrel." Statten smirked. "Thanks, Isabelle."

"On the subject," Nate thought suddenly. "Isabelle doesn't exist, understand? I took control of the ship by threatening the commander. Got it?"

"Sir, yes, sir." They barked. As they saluted, Ana sidled up to them and pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks. Nate thought he'd never seen Pelridge blush so hard.

"Thank you for your courage, gentlemen. I won't forget it." Ana's smile reached her eyes.

"No — no problem." Pelridge stuttered. "Are you, uh, joining us for the Princess, party? I mean, joining us for the party, Princess?" He coughed.

She smiled at him, patting his arm. "I'm afraid not. Your Captain promised me dinner."

"I did?" Ana shot him a look, one full of promise. Nate pulled at his collar and cleared his throat. "Right, right, yes, I did." He held out his arm and Ana looped hers through it, and together they strode out of the bridge.

Pelridger and Statten looked on with wide eyes.

"Lucky bastard." Pelridge muttered.

Statten just grunted.