Project - Prometheus Ch. 45

"Because you and yours came here with the intent to conquer and dominate. Such actions carry consequences, captain. You and all the ships that follow you will surrender immediately, or we will be forced to open fire," Inari stated, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

"You're bluffing! There's no way you or these damned Prodosians can hope to stop us from leaving!" came another voice, this one arrogant, cocky and snarky.

"Who is this? Identify yourself!" Inari commanded, and even Captain Mediev looked pissed at this intrusion.

"I don't have to tell you shit, bitch! We are just going to fly on out of here and there's nothing you can do to stop us!" the voice stated. Just then, one of the destroyers brought its engines online, looking to push past the Darkstrider and head straight to the jump point.

"Shut down your engines, or we will open fire!" Inari barked, more than a little pissed at the captain of the destroyer.

"Gallud, shut off your engines and stand down!" Mediev ordered, not wanting to lose any more ships this day.

"Fuck you, man! You always were a spineless coward, Mediev!" Gallud scoffed as he kept the destroyer on its course. Dagan Min's ships and the Prodosian defenders were closing in to deal with it, but they wouldn't get there in time. It was up to the Darkstrider to do something.

"Pree, are we charged?" Inari asked.

"Yeah, but it's only at twenty-seven percent," the East Indian woman replied quietly, not wanting to let on how low of a power level they were at.

"At this range, that'll do. Target their bridge and open fire," Inari said.

Priya nodded and brought the Darkstrider to bear, lining up the shot. Once they were lined up, Priya activated the Hades cannon and fired, aiming straight at the bridge. The beam from the weapon was stopped momentarily by the weakened shields. But even those of a destroyer couldn't stop the cannon. The weapon fired for only a few seconds, but it was more than enough to break through the shields and armor, devastating the bridge.

"Oh, God... HELP US!!!" were the last words said before the line went quiet. Even though it was just a hologram of the man, Captain Mediev paled at what he witnessed. Shakily, he turned to women he was in the call with and took a deep breath, before uttering his next words.

"You have our unconditional surrender."

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Walczak's eyes snapped open, and he coughed hard before he moaned, the pain wracking his body beyond excruciating. He heard someone shuffling around and turned his head, then wished that he didn't. Dariusz was staring at Robert Sawyer, who had a gun trained on him. The man would have said something, if his jaw weren't broken and the Sawyer lowered the gun.

"Hunh! Figures that you would be the one to survive, you old goat!" Sawyer scoffed.

Dariusz would have berated the boy and tried to, but only managed a low moan. He would have gotten up, but found that he was pinned beneath a large console. The captain tried to move his arms and legs, only to find that he couldn't move them. He panicked, thinking that he might be able to get out if he got some help. But it seemed like Sawyer wasn't in the mood to be of help.

"What's that old man? You got something to say? Well, go ahead and say all you like, or in this case, think all you like, because I don't give a shit! I told you to attack that damned ship, but you ignored me! Look around you, fool! Look at what your ignorance has wrought!" Robert growled and Dariusz looked.

All around him was nothing but utter ruin and dead bodies. He stared in shock and horror at the mass of dead that surrounded him, having only seen these people alive minutes ago. A single tear escaped his eye, as he felt nothing but sorrow for those who had died under his command. The man's mourning was interrupted by Robert's scornful laughter, which caught the captain's attention.

"Tears? From an old wolf like you? Will wonders never cease?" Robert laughed. "Not that it matters anyway, as I am getting my ass out of here! You, however, are not."

Dariusz groaned as he kept trying to speak, to shout at the arrogant punk who was leaving him here like this! Robert just ignored him as he turned to a still functioning computer terminal and typed in a few sequences. The old man kept trying to talk, but it was of no use, as the Confed spy kept working. Moments later, the man finished and pulled out a data drive, tucking the item neatly inside his tunic.

"While this operation has turned into an utter disaster, it has at least yielded some interesting information. Some of which was locked away here on your own ship! For that, I thank you! Sadly, you will not get to see the fruits of these labors! All of this will benefit only one person; me. You, for your failures, are being left behind to face the consequences of those failures," Sawyer smirked.

Dariusz moaned loudly, conveying his displeasure at this, but was instead met with laughter and derision. Sawyer laughed at the old man and his pain, thinking it the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen. Only when he calmed down did the Major start speaking again, and every word dripped with arrogance and disdain.

"You know, it's almost fitting that you would wind up like this. A broken and washed up old man, with no honor and no glory left to his family name. A pitiful broken wretch. It seems to me that this fate is what you deserve, for your arrogance. Maybe you'll get lucky and die before you are found. If you don't, then you will most assuredly face the wrath of the natives of this system. Either way, this is farewell... sir."

With that, Robert left the ruined bridge, laughing to himself, while Dariusz was left behind to die. The old then knew that his failure was absolute, and that he and his family were ruined beyond repair. The one thing he took comfort in was the fact that he would not be alive to see it happen.

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And that's the end of chapter 45! With this handled, the threat to Prodosia and Abandoned Frontier has been neutralized! Or has it? For those who've been paying attention, you know what I'm talking about! Not everything is wrapped up just yet and a great many other things will soon be popping up! What will they be and what do I have in store for our intrepid heroes? Well, as always, stay tuned!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please rate and comment on my work down below and ask me questions if you wish, as I love hearing from my fans! If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share with your friends, though your views, ratings and comments are enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!