Freedom Saga 3: The Dawn of Liberty (23 page)

The
Freedom shook when the two sides reached firing range with one another. Brian
turned the Hades system to shield mode to deflecting incoming attacks. As soon
as he did so the enemy turned away and began attacking the other Ick-Tckt
ships. Brian shifted tactics by flying the Freedom into the center of enemy
formation.

“The
shield is holding,” Jesela said.

“Our
job is to buy time for our allies,” Brian said.

“The
other two seem to be taking care of things on their end,” Grigon said before
cawing.

“It’d
be much easier if our enemies and allies didn’t use the same ships,” Myden
said.

“The
friend and foe system should be working,” Grigon said.

“It
is,” Myden said. “It’s just difficult keeping things lined up right.”

“Then
we’ll fly further into the enemy fleet,” Brian said.

“Captain,
I’ve deciphered their strategy,”
Tctie said telepathically.

“Let
me see it,”
Brian responded.

Tctie
concentrated and delivered the plans the duchess had for the battle.

“Thanks,”
Brian said.

“I’ll
help you when the time comes,”
Tctie said.

“What
I’d like you to do is contact the duchess and tell her we don’t want to fight,”
Brian
ordered.
“I know it probably won’t work but we have to try.”

“As
you wish captain,”
Tctie said.

Brian
quickly put the plans in his head into the computer and sent it to the other
ships. The Ick-Tckt fighting on his side immediately changed formation and
countered the enemy’s movements. The Freedom slowly forced its way closer to
the asteroid base while the enemy threw everything they had at its shields.

* * *

Duchess
Mlka saw her enemy changing formation and had hers do the same. As soon as she
did so they changed again, causing her to grind her mandibles angrily.

“It’s
like they know what we’re going to do before we do it,” she said.

“Is
it possible the Grey is helping them?” her first warrior asked.

“That
may be true,” the duchess said.

“You’re
wrong,”
Tctie said telepathically to all of them.
“I’m the one telling them your
thoughts.”

“What
is this voice in my head?” the second warrior asked.

“It’s
unnerving,” the third warrior said.

“What
do you think my lady?” the first warrior asked.

“This
is a trick from the Grey no doubt,” she said.

“It’s
not,”
Tctie said
. “Captain Peterson took me in when no hive would. Now I’ve been
ordered to find a peaceful solution to this problem.”

“Tell
your captain we won’t listen to any deal he has in mind,” the duchess said.

“Very
well,”
Tctie said
. “Let history know that the great Duchess Mlka was taken down by
a single drone.”

All
four of them felt his memories flood into their minds. When they recovered they
saw the Freedom was approaching.

“Never
mind what just happened,” the duchess said.

* * *

Once
they were finished tearing through the enemy fleet the Artemis and Siren
returned to normal. The few surviving enemy ships fled.

“That
was a lot of work,” Seles said.

“We
took some damage as well,” Mira said.

Seles
ran a diagnostic and found the limbs were all damaged and her shields were
drained.

I’ll
be alright.
The Artemis wrote.

“You
look pretty beat up to me,” Seles said.

I
can keep going.
The Artemis responded.

“Is
she saying stuff again?” Mira asked.

“Of
course,” Seles said. “What about the Siren?”

“She’s
just like me,” Mira said. “But she says we need a break.”

Brian
appeared on their monitors again.

“I’m
sorry to say this but no breaks,” he said. “I want the two of you back with the
ship immediately.”

“So
she didn’t listen to reason, did she?” Seles asked.

“No
she didn’t,” Brian said.

“We’re
heading back now,” Seles said.

After
the screen went dark the two sat silently for a moment.

“He’s
persistent,” Mira said.

“That’s
one of his best qualities,” Seles said. “Let’s hurry back. I have a feeling
he’s going to need us for something soon.”

* * *

The
asteroid base fired its weapons at the Freedom but found nothing would work.
Brian smiled as he adjusted the plan again to counter the duchess’s strategy.

“How
long do we have?” Brian asked.

“At
their current power levels our shields will switch back to normal in fifteen
minutes,” Grigon said.

“I
hope that’s enough time,” Brian said.

The
Artemis and Siren landed back on the hull and added their cannons to the
attack. The base started firing extra heavy HV missiles to drain the shield
faster.

“Captain,
let me be a distraction,”
Tctie requested.

“We
can’t lose you at this point,”
Brian said.

“If
you don’t let me go they’re going to launching something the shields can’t
stop,”
Tctie warned.

Brian
saw the image of a nuclear explosion turning the tide of the battle in his head.

“They
wouldn’t,”
he said.

“She
will captain,”
Tctie said.
“She’s already got her escape route figured out.”

“Then
do what you have to,”
Brian said.

“Yes
captain,”
Tctie said.

The
four armed mobile suit flew off the hull and towards the base.

“Good
luck,” Brian said.

* * *

The
sound of battle moved away from the capital when the duchess’s allies on the
surface were driven back. Queen Kchlt was in her hall alone and watching
everything. The main battle remaining was the one in orbit as the Freedom and
base squared off with one another. She also noticed her guard fleet joining the
battle above the north pole. Now that the two sides were even the battle slowed
to a crawl. When she went to change some of the formations on the surface she
felt something in her mind.

“I
know you don’t know who I am Queen Kchlt, but I have to deliver this message,”
Tctie said
telepathically.

“You’re
the one, aren’t you?”
she asked.

“Yes,”
Tctie said
.
“As much as I’m honored you know of me I must show you something.”

“Go
ahead,”
the queen said.

She
saw the disturbing image of a nuclear explosion destroying the Freedom and all
the forces near it.

“The
Duchess Mlka is going to launch the missile in a few minutes,”
Tctie said.
“I
know the angle is difficult but we need you to use that special weapon.”

“How
did you find out about that?”
she asked.

“I
sensed it when I touched the Duchess’s mind,”
Tctie explained.
“Be ready to
fire when I say to.”

The
queen stared at the asteroid base on the monitor for a few seconds.

“I’ll
be standing by,”
she said.

Kchlt
went to the console and changed the angle of the third orbital tower’s cannon.
After taking a moment to aim properly she waited.

“Now!”
Tctie shouted
into her mind.

The
queen hit the button to send the massive beam out. All of the forces near the
Freedom were already out of the way when the beam passed by them and destroyed
something coming out of the asteroid base.

“Your
aim was true,”
Tctie said.
“Now we’ll take care of the rest.”

* * *

Duchess
Mlka slammed her clawed hand on her chair after the beam destroyed her missile.

“Maybe
they really can see our every move,” the second warrior said.

“That’s
what I’m beginning to think,” the first warrior said.

“They’re
playing us for fools,” the duchess said.

“If
they know what we’re going to do before we do then how can we win?” the third
warrior asked.

“If
we can’t win through tactics then we’ll hit them with everything we have at our
disposal,” the duchess said. “All forces are to focus everything on the
Freedom. Sink that ship and everything else will fall into place.”

“Relaying
the orders now,” the first warrior said. “Is there anything else you’d like to
do?”

“Set
course for this base to ram their ship,” the duchess said.

“Of
course my lady,” the first warrior said.

* * *

The
Freedom found itself isolated after all the enemy vessels began targeting it.
The rumbling was getting worse when Brian noticed the asteroid was headed right
at them. He moved the ship to avoid the collision but found they were too
close. As he gritted his teeth the Artemis fired an arrow at the asteroid.
Although the shield absorbed the attack, the effect was enough to push the base
over the ship.

“That
was too close,” Brian said.

“I
always keep one in the quiver for things like that,” Seles said.

“I
don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but the shield is about to give out,”
Grigon said.

“We
should try something different,” Brian said. “Tctie, I think it’s time you use
your power.”

“I’m
ready,” Tctie responded.

Tctie
moved his mobile suit in front of the asteroid base and let berserked before
pushing his telepathic power to its limit. The drive on his modified Phase
Rakna spun faster as light engulfed the mobile suit. All of the Ick-Tckt in the
area stopped fighting when they sensed his presence in their minds. Those
onboard the Freedom felt it a moment later and paused what they were doing.

“For
thousands of years our race has warred amongst itself,”
Tctie said
telepathically.
“And with it the endless cycle of killing has repeated
itself over and over again. Perhaps it’s time we try something else. The days
of hive against hive are over. There’s more than enough space for everyone to
live and more than enough resources where this kind of thing isn’t needed. I
know those of you who can hear this message doubt it’s real, but I assure you
it is. For some reason I was given the chance to change myself. I was a simple
drone. But after my hive was destroyed I was nothing. I was nothing until I met
all of my friends on the Freedom. For the first time I experienced
individuality. To them I’m not just a drone, but a person. This is the
inevitable path our people are on and if we don’t do it right it’ll be our
undoing. I don’t want to see that and neither do any of you. Let’s find a
better way of solving this problem. Please join me in ending this.”

The
glow from his mobile suit faded as the pause continued. The duchess’s forces
seemed utterly confused. Tctie focused his power and felt the duchess inside
the base’s mind.
I see, so you have chosen death.
He thought as the
battle resumed.

* * *

Duchess
Mlka pushed her soldiers on to fight. The asteroid base aimed its attacks for
Tctie’s mobile suit and the Freedom.

“It’s
only a trick by the Grey!” she shouted. “Don’t listen to his prattle. War is
the method used to determine who is fit to rule. It’s in our nature to fight,
and I say nature is right!”

She
heard a cheer from her captains come through the com links.

“A
drone is a drone till their death,” the duchess said. “Change is possible
through the females and only if we allow it. Equality is the flawed belief that
all beings are the same. But in reality each being is inherently different.
Some are fleeter of foot than others. Some are born with more intelligence than
others. Progress is always made by the superior being. In our people it’s the
female who holds the wisdom and strength. Only through us can the rest of you
even be born. It’s your duty to serve our interests because you share the same
fate as us. If we die, you die. That’s the ultimate law of nature.”

“My
lady, it appears they’re backing off,” the first warrior reported.

“Then
we’ll push forward until they’re destroyed,” she said. “Focus all our attacks
on the Freedom. Sink that ship and victory is ours!”

* * *

The
Freedom retreated to join with its Ick-Tckt allies. The fleets over the north
pole were still locked in a stalemate. The queen’s forces on the surface were
driving the duchess’s allies back on all fronts. Brian smiled when Tctie flew
back to the ship and landed on the hull.

“At
least you tried,” Brian said. “What’s our status?”

“Weapons
are working at seventy five percent,” Myden said.

“Our
shields are at sixty five percent,” Grigon said.

“The
mobile suit units report no major damage,” Jesela said.

“Communications
and all peripheral systems are working normally,” Droid A reported.

“So
that’s where we’re at then,” Brian said. He looked at the asteroid base. “Why
don’t we try something we’ve had done to us before?”

“What
do you mean?” Jesela asked.

“How
did both the Malcovin and Ick-Tckt damage our bases before?” Brian asked.

“They
focused everything on one spot to overload the nearby shield generators,”
Grigon said.

“Let’s
do the same thing,” Brian said before hitting the com. “Captain Zkcha, we’re
changing our target to the asteroid base.”

The
warrior captain appeared on the screen.

“That’s
the best solution I see as well,” Zkcha said. “Where should we focus on?”

“Let
the Artemis lead the way,” Brian said.

“As
you wish Captain Peterson,” Zkcha said.

“Did
you hear that Seles?” Brian asked.

“Loud
and clear,” she responded.

* * *

The
base started shaking after the Freedom and its allies targeted the same area.
The duchess and her three warriors watched their impregnable shield being
drained.

“If
this keeps up a hole in our defense grid will open up in five minutes,” the
first warrior said.

“What
are our allies doing?” the duchess asked.

“The
six fleets engaged with the queen’s forces are too busy to help us,” the third
warrior said. “Our allies are fighting the enemy as best they can but it’s
proving difficult.”

“Our
focus on the Freedom is backfiring,” the first warrior said. “Now that they’re
in the middle instead of the front our shots aren’t hitting them.”

“Have
our ships shift back to fighting the way they did at the start of this,” the
duchess said. “We’ll focus on the Freedom.” She glared at the ship. “Send out
our Stars.”

“That’s
our last line of defense,” her first warrior warned.

“I
was saving them for later but we have to use them now,” the duchess said. “Send
them out.”

“Yes
my lady,” the first warrior said.

A
moment later a number of bay doors opened all across the asteroid base. Three
hundred Auguar Stars emerged and headed straight for the Freedom.

“That
should take care of them,” the duchess said.

* * *

The
Artemis and Siren started firing at the mobile armors as they approached in mass.
Seles switched her cannon to spread mode while the other mobile suits on the
ship aided in the defense.

“She
must really hate this ship,” Mira said.

“That
or she likes destroying things,” Seles said. “Do you have anything left?”

“I
have a few seconds of song power,” Mira said. “I’ll wait until they surround
the ship.”

“Sounds
like a plan,” Seles said.

The
mobile armors struck the Freedom up close. All the mobile suits on the hull
returned fire and took out a number of enemies as they passed. When a large
number of them were close enough Mira activated the song system for a few
seconds to disable their vessels.

“That
worked pretty well,” Seles said.

“I’m
glad I figured out I could use it for short spurts like that,” Mira said.

“I
wonder if that was her last resort,” Seles said.

“We
won’t know until the battle is over,” Mira said.

* * *

Brian
locked the helmet of his exoskeleton into place.

“Are
you taking a step outside again?” Jesela asked.

“No,
this time I thought I’d bring an escort,” Brian said.

“The
duchess plans to flee if you attack the inside of the base,”
Tctie said
telepathically.

“Can
I leave her to you?”
Brian asked.

“I’ll
take care of it,”
Tctie answered.

“Thanks,”
Brian said.
“Myden, you’ll have to take care of things here.”

“I
will,” the Grey said.

Brian
used his exoskeleton to gravity jump outside. He quickly made his way to the
Artemis and knocked on the hatch.

“Seles,
would you mind letting me in?” he asked.

“Give
me a moment to ready the interior,” she responded.

He
heard the cockpit depressurize to match the vacuum of space before the hatch
opened. After he was inside the door closed. A few seconds later everything
returned to normal.

“Keep
your helmet sealed until we’re finished with this,” Brian said.

“So
what do I need to do?” Seles asked.

Brian
focused his mind and touched the inside of the Artemis with his hand. Seles
watched as a strange green glow engulfed her mobile suit.

“I’ll
guide us through the tough spots,” he said.

“Alright,”
Seles said.

The
Artemis was glowing with green light as it flew to the asteroid base. Any
attacks coming at it flew right through the mobile suit like it was a ghost.
Once it was at the base Brian guided them through the holes he perceived were
there.

“This
is really weird,” Seles said.

“It’s
even weirder when you can see them,” Brian said. “We’ll be at their main power
generator in a moment. Be ready to attack.”

“You’re
going to try talking again, aren’t you?” Seles asked.

“You
know how persistent I am,” Brian said.