Project - Prometheus Ch. 45

"Captain, evasive maneuvers!" Stanley warned as he joined Jaesa in the chase.

"What... oh SHIT!!" Inari yelled as she banked hard, firing flares and a few other countermeasures.

Torpedoes screamed in on her position, as energy bolts from the fleet's cannons sought to end the Darkstrider. The captain pulled off a few fancy moves of her own, avoiding most of the incoming fire. Several torpedoes detonated near their position, the shockwave enough to diminish their shields a little. More shots closed in on them as the fleet came to the corvette's defense.

"Damn it! Better get back down and out of range! Fuck! Just who in the hell did we let get away?" Inari fumed.

"We might find those answers back at the base. According to transmissions, it has been taken, with the remaining forces surrendering to ours," Jaesa told the woman happily.

"Nice!! Let's hope that we find something of use!" Inari said as she put some distance between her and the fleet.

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"Thank you for the assist, Captain Walczak!" Major Sawyer told him, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

"No problem at all! I'm glad to see that the more important personnel of this operation got out intact!" the fleet commander told him. "So, how exactly did you lose the base?"

"That will take some time to tell, sir. If we may be permitted to dock, I can show and tell you exactly how it happened," Robert told him.

"Permission granted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a base to destroy," Walczak stated as he was making ready to give the order.

"There is no need for that, captain," Sawyer told him hurriedly.

"Oh, there is every need! We can't let such an asset fall into enemy hands, which is why it must be destroyed!" Walczak explained.

"Well, if you give it, say, six minutes, then you will not only see the base destroyed, but it will probably take with it a good portion of the planet's defenders with it," Sawyer smirked.

"Ah! Set the self destruct did you?" Walczak chuckled.

"Indeed, I did! So, if you just care to sit back and relax, you will see a good firework show happen very soon!" Sawyer laughed darkly. Walczak smiled as he had the crew stand down for the next six minutes so they could all watch their enemies die.

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The Prodosian attack force was enjoying their victory as they plundered the spoils of the base. Most of what they had taken were the weapons and armor from the armory, and the food from the supply stores. Dagan and Daved were directing the reappropriation of these assets, while the rest of the commanders were heading inside. Taal'ani in particular, was eager to get a crack at the terminals, hoping that they weren't wiped yet.

"Talk to me, kids! What do we got?" Taal'ani questioned as she walked into the command center, with her portable deck strapped to her back.

"Looks like a data purge in progress. I would try to do it myself, but, knowing how purge procedures work, I might just wind up making it worse," Zuzanna stated as she looked over the data being wiped.

"Mind giving me a hand by telling me what you know? I might be able to get a few things before they are removed," Taal'ani asked, and Zuzanna was delighted to be of assistance.

The doctor told Taal'ani what to look for as far as traps and dead ends were concerned, helping the woman progress to the files archives. She found a lot of data that was still in the process of being erased and made all haste to copy them. She was puttering around in cyberspace for a minute when she stumbled upon a hidden code stream. Eyes widening, Taal'ani grabbed whatever else she could before jumping out of the system.

"Everyone, we have to go, now!!! This base is rigged to blow and we're on a timer!!" she called out, catching everyone's attention.

"What?!?" replied one of Dagan's men, incredulous at what he was hearing.

"Are you sure??" Zuzanna asked, looking worried.

"Fucking rights I'm sure!! Found the code strand for the self destruct and we need to get out of here, now!!" she screamed as she collected her deck and bolted.

"How long do we have??" Zuzanna breathed, as she ran to try to keep up with the Fel'caan hacker.

"Maybe two minutes!" she replied, and they cleared the main structures and were in the main courtyard seconds later.

"Taal'ani? Zuzie?? What's going on?" Daved asked worriedly.

"The base is rigged to blow! We need to get out of here, now!!" Taal'ani shouted as she kept running, headed for the main gates. Daved thought it might have been a prank, but he saw the look of utter panic in the woman's eyes and knew this was no joke.

"EVAC!! Everyone, grab what you can and clear out, now!!" Daved bellowed.

A similar order was shouted by Dagan Min, getting his men to hustle out of there. As Daved had told them, they all grabbed something and made a beeline for the main gates. Some of the heavier things were left behind, as it would take too long to carry it out. While the items in the base were valuable, none of them wanted to lose their lives. Everyone was charging out and had put maybe a nearly a kilometer between them and the base when they heard and felt it.

Everyone kept running, as they didn't know how powerful this blast would be and many managed the clear the initial shockwave in time. There were a few that weren't so lucky and were knocked to the ground by the blast, some dazed from the impact. They all kept moving, not wanting to be caught in any subsequent explosions. Those who only felt a light breeze from the shockwave turned around and stared at what remained of the base.

The base itself was now a wreck, as all that was left was a massive pile of steel and concrete. With the devastation of the world as a whole, the ruined base now fit into the landscape, rather than standing out. Some of the natives smirked at this, while the prisoners stared in disbelief. Daved then started issuing orders to keep an eye on the remaining men and women who served the Confederacy.

"Holy fuck, that was close!!" Willem breathed as he stared at the wreckage.

"Damn straight! Inari, did you see that??" Daved asked, calling into his comms, hailing the Darkstrider.

"I saw it, and feared the worst! Thank God everyone is OK!" the Persian woman breathed over the line.

"Not everyone is OK. We took some additional losses with that," Daved sighed heavily.

"How bad?"

"Still tallying numbers, but so far, it looks like most casualties came from some of the prisoners who couldn't get clear in time. Some didn't even bother getting clear," Daved scoffed.

"Confed devotion to their ideals is second to none. So many believe in their brand of bullshit so blindly that they would rather sacrifice their lives as opposed to learning that everything they've been taught is a lie," Inari huffed.

"I'm starting to notice that. You close?" the sheriff wondered.

"Maybe twenty seconds out. Why?" Inari queried.

"I think a pickup would be in order for us. Dagan and his lot are headed to their ships that are close by, with their prisoners in tow. We don't have much to take us home except for the rovers. Don't want to become a target for that fleet up there," he stated.

"Fair point! Should be coming up just now."

Moments later, a sonic boom could be heard on the air, announcing the arrival of the Darkstrider. The ship descended to the ground quickly, finding a small piece of flat ground to land on. Once it was on the ground, the ramp dropped to the ground and Priya came scrambling out.

"You guys might want to hurry! We're sitting in a bit of a blind spot, but it won't stay like that for long!! Move!" she called out, urging everyone to get aboard.

Daved nodded and gestured for the group to get moving, as he and those accompanying him mushed the prisoners onboard. Not even two minutes later, the last of their group was moving up the ramp, just as bolts of energy came raining down from the sky. This put a fire under the asses of the stragglers, as they didn't want to wind up like their now dead friends in the smoldering ruins of the base.

"That's the last one! Get us out of here!" Daved called out as the ramp closed behind him.

The Darkstrider was already in motion, gaining altitude as it tore out from the ruined base. The energy bolts followed them, trying to keep pace with the fleeing ship. More bolts hailed down at them, but each one had missed so far. Any that were close, Inari was able to evade as she closed in on the settlement of Tanith's Gully.

"Nats, I'm going to need you to open up that shield!" Inari called out into the comms.

"Hold tight! I've been working on a little something that will make things easier and I'm almost done!" she stated.

"What are you talking about??" Inari asked as they neared the town with those energy blasts hot on their heels.

"Head to section H-seventeen!" Natalya said cryptically.

Inari breathed heavily and redlined it to the part of the town that Natalya had said and went straight for the shield. It was still in place, a giant translucent blue dome, which kept everyone inside safe. Seconds later, a bright, whitish line appeared in the sector Inari was headed to, with the shield parting much like curtains would! Inari blinked a few times, to be sure that she wasn't dreaming and saw that what she was seeing was real!

"Holy shit, Nats!! You've been busy!!" Inari laughed as she flew into town through the widening gap. The moment they were through, the shield closed in on itself, making the town safe once again.

"Nats, Dagan and the others are still out there!" Inari worried.

"Don't worry your pretty little head over it, Starwitch. I've directed them to another sector, so we don't attract concentrated fire at that location!" Natalya replied, assuaging her fears.

"Damn girl! Whatever you've been doing to improve that shield has earned you a round!" Inari told her, glad to see that things were getting more sophisticated due to Natalya's work ethic.

"I would heartily agree, dear Captain Sunara! She has certainly earned a round from me as well!" Dagan said over the comms, breaking in on the conversation.

Inari then saw his ships come in from the northeast, coming through another break in the shields. The moment the last ship was through, the shields starting closing, as the fleet was redirecting its fire. They were trying to hit the new opening in the shields, but didn't move fast enough. The shields closed ten seconds before the energy blasts even hit them, making the fleet's attack practically useless.

"I will say, Captain Min, that your plan was truly a great plan!" Daved said over the comms.

"That's for sure! We really dealt a blow against those damned Confeds!" Inari agreed, praising the smuggler's idea.

"Well, thank you all!" Dagan told them, grinning from ear to ear at the accolade.

The smuggler and his crew set their ships down on their respective landing pads, as Inari was setting the Darkstrider down on hers. The townsfolk had gathered at each ship, cheering their defenders, and thanking them for their resolve. There were a few tears shed for those who had fallen in the battle, and there was much comfort being given to those who had lost a loved one in it.

There was also hatred being hurled about, but at the Confederate prisoners who were being escorted out of the ships. Many of them were restrained using rudimentary hand ties from whatever was available. While many of them could have escaped the bindings, they knew better than to attempt it. Being surrounded by people who wanted to see all of them dead was one hell of a deterrent.

Not only did the people give them pause, but seeing the cold and faceless Sentries marching around, helping keep the peace, unnerved them. This left many of the prisoners wondering how the people of this backwater could get their hands on such machines. They didn't ponder it for long though, as they were frog marched/paraded through the town on their way to the holding cells at the Sheriff's Station.

Daved met Jenque and his kids at the town's gates, the lot of them overjoyed to see him alive. Some townsfolk threw up a cheer, praising the bravery of their sheriff, the deputies, and the volunteers who went to fight. There were also cheers for Dagan and his band of rogues and scoundrels, such as they were. Most especially, there were cheers for the crew of the Darkstrider, who had done much to ensure Tanith's Gully was made safe.

"All right people, settle down! Settle down now!" Daved called out, eventually calming the crowd. "Today, we won ourselves a great victory over the Human Confederacy, as the base that they were poised to strike out of is no more!"

"Because of this, we have ourselves some serious breathing room, as we no longer have to worry about a planetside attack. Thanks to the bold plan that was crafted by Dagan Min, we now no longer have to worry about enemies at our doorstep!" the sheriff shouted, raising a massive cheer from the crowd.

"But it is not just him we have to thank for having a town that is now much safer than normal! It is the actions of the crew of the Darkstrider, and her captain, Inari Sunara, that we now are safe from attacks and invasion from both the ground and the air! Also, because of them, we were able to hunt down and expose those among us who would have seen us conquered by those scummy Confeds!" Daved went, drawing more cheers.

"Because of all these people who have done everything within their power to help us, we are now safer than we have ever been! And while we still have the fleet that we need to face, we at least have a fighting chance to take on these bastards, and win!!" he crowed, rousing the residents of Tanith's Gully to massive applause.

"Though we still have a fight ahead of us, knowing all of this is cause for celebration!! For the rest of the day, we will eat, drink and be merry, because not only should life be celebrated, but enjoyed! We will fight this enemy and we will win!" Daved finished, with the cheers of the townsfolk rising to a deafening roar.

With that, the people dispersed, eager to enjoy the day ahead of them! The kids went and joined their friends, going around and playing, with the older kids tagging along to keep an eye on them. The adults all went to celebrate in their own ways, as each one of them was more than eager to cut loose!

"A little pre-emptive there, hon. I mean, yeah, it was a hell of a victory, but we haven't won yet," Jenque told her husband, looking a little worried.

"That's the thing, babe. Making people believe we can and will win will inspire them to put their best foot forward in making it happen. They'll be more than ready and raring to fight, eager to give those Confeds the ass whooping they deserve!" Daved told his wife.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were trained as an officer at some point in your life," Alex remarked from close by.

"What makes you say that?" Jenque asked.

"Simple. He's thinking like one! Inspire those under your command well enough, and they will achieve things that will often boggle your mind," Alex stated.

"Were you?" Jenque asked, turning to look at her husband.

"Was I, what?"

"In the military? I mean, you weren't born here, I know that. There are parts of your life that I don't know about, which you've refused to speak of," she told him.

"I have my reasons," Daved stated, huffing in annoyance.

"Be that as it may, you might want to start talking about those days. Bottling it up does no one any good, especially you. If there's anyone who deserves to know about what's happened in your past, it's the one who you decide to share your life with," Alex stated, as he crossed his arms.

"Damn you and your logic!" Daved groused as Jenque looked at her husband, expecting a story from the man. "Fine, I'll tell you. After the kids are down."

Jenque nodded, thinking that more than fair, considering how sensitive Daved was about the topic. The family moved long to their home, celebrating with the townspeople as they went. The crew of the Darkstrider looked on, happy to be part of the reason that the town was getting on its feet defensively. Some of the people there dragged the crew off with them, wanting them to be a part of the celebration.

"Come on! This is your party!" one of the deputies said, pushing the crew to join in the festivities.

"Yeah! Have some beers with us! We're going to the Black Kettle to celebrate with Captain Min and his crew!" another said, hoping the crew would go with them.

"I think we can manage a drink or two, yeah?" Alex wondered, looking at Inari and keeping up the act of her being his superior.

"Two, maybe three. We will join in for the party, but won't stay the whole time. We still have a fleet to put down and need as much rest as possible," Inari stated, taking on the role of a firm but fair commander.

"Hey, we can work with that!" another deputy cheered, as the crew went with the man. A few of them went their own way, wanting to see and/or hang out with some others in town. One of these crew members was Aesha, as she was curious about where Willem had gotten to. She hadn't seen him in the crowd when they had landed, so she figured he might be out on patrol.

Sure, what she and Willem had was sex, and it had been good sex for sure! While she wasn't searching for a relationship just yet, that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy herself at every opportunity! Aesha was hoping that he wasn't too busy, as she was hankering for a good stuffing! She grinned, as the Artucian woman was certain that he would be up for some snu-snu!

Aesha stepped lively, as she was certain she had seen him earlier, but was unsure of where he was. She wandered the streets of Tanith's Gully, speaking to the townsfolk, inquiring into the boy's whereabouts. Most people hadn't seen him, but a few had told her they spotted him mucking around a few blocks away, in a more dilapidated part of town.

Thanking the people who had directed her, Aesha hurried along, hoping that she'd find the boy before she was recalled. As she moved along, she heard a few cries and quickened her pace, hoping to find the source of them and help the beleaguered citizen. As she got closer, she could tell that they weren't cries of distress, but those of pleasure, and Aesha giggled to herself, thinking about how some people were likely getting it on right then.

She continued moving along, and peered down a few alleys, finding some people, but not Willem. Aesha had found various couplings happening and while she was tempted to join them when she saw them having at it; she kept going. There was only one she was interested in, and Aesha had every intent of finding him.

As she looked down yet another alley, she saw a young blonde girl pinning a boy to the wall. Aesha looked a bit closer and could tell that the boy in question was Willem, but he looked... conflicted. He was obviously enjoying the attention this girl was lavishing on him, but also looked as though he wanted to get away. Aesha smiled at this, figuring she might be the reason why he was uncomfortable.

"Come on, sweetie! I can tell you want me!" the girl told him sultrily.

"Not gonna lie, I kind of do! But..." he stammered.

"What is it? You found someone else?" the girl asked, her eyebrow cocking.

"Um... kind of? We didn't really talk about anything, so I don't know!" Willem replied with a gulp.

"Well, if she didn't take the time to claim your ass, then she can't get mad if I have myself a little taste!" the girl grinned, pasting her mouth to his in a sloppy kiss.

"Are you so certain about that?" Aesha asked as she sauntered up to the pair in a casual manner.

"Aesha! This isn't--" Willem began, but stopped short when he saw her hand come up in a gesture of silence. The ganger girl looked at Aesha and her eyes widened, as did Aesha's! This girl was the former ganger that had helped them end the Smashers!