Jacobs couldn’t resist. “It does make you look fat, sir.”
At the port, three Terrans manned Resolve’s four batteries. The moment the scree sounded, O’Brien lifted Resolve to a couple of hundred feet while Stven and M’Sada shrieked horribly. George cut them out as the gunners opened up, and three traders, all powered down, disintegrated in moments. Resolve’s guns traversed to the last trader, but the gunners held their fire.
O’Brien sent out a recorded message from Admiral Dgoffs demanding that the trader stand down and cease with the scree. O’Brien gave them time to decide, and in the end, the trader complied.
At the prison, the team moved in on the building the moment they felt the scree. They raced through the building stunning the writhing forms of soldiers on the floor and quickly reached the heavy door to the cell block. As expected, the door was locked. Two Terrans set detonation cord around the door, stepped back and blew it, then the cats rushed into the long hallway lined with cells. Two Chessori were ready and waiting, but the blast had stunned them and their reactions were slow. That tiny interval was more than the Great Cats needed. The two Chessori fell instantly. With their demise, the scree ended.
Imperial Marines moved in on both ground locations quickly, taking responsibility for sorting out the governor’s men from those loyal to Dgoffs.
At the port, the traders were ordered to clear their ship. When they emerged, they were escorted to a holding station by a team of Great Cats and locked up. The cats returned to the port, leaving one Terran Protector outside the cell block as a guard.
Washburn had been very specific about this guard. He was not to be seen by the Chessori. No Chessori who saw a Terran would be permitted to live.
All six Great Cats boarded the frigate and spent two days familiarizing themselves with the ship while the Chessori military ships out in space maneuvered into an attack group. As the Chessori approached the planet, Washburn came out of the restoration tank, his ribs partially healed, and Krys took his place in the tank for whatever protection it would provide her. Resolve and the frigate held formation as the Chessori approached.
Suddenly, a Chessori face appeared on the communicators of both ships. “I have been denied landing clearance, and you appear to be threatening me,” he said. “I demand unrestricted passage to the surface.”
Borg spoke for both ships. “Chessori are no longer welcome here. Leave.”
“I am only trying to contact my legitimately invited partners on the planet. They are not responding to my calls.”
“Nor will they. They’re dead. Expect the same treatment if you continue inbound.”
The Chessori stared at him for a time. “Impossible. They are not dead.”
“Believe me, Chessori. I can and I will kill any of you that fail to leave immediately.”
“That’s an act of war.”
“Yes, it is.”
The Chessori broke the connection. Soon after, the six ships split up into two groups of three. The maneuver was not unexpected, and Borg set up an intercept with one group while O’Brien headed for the other.
“Remember,” Stven cautioned just before leaving the net, “Borg gets first shot. The cats won’t be as efficient as you, and they’ll benefit from the surprise.”
“Yes, Mother,” O’Brien replied, as he and George adjusted course and speed. “But I’m going to get into position. I don’t want any of these guys getting away.”
“Just survive, my friend, and make it as quick as you can. Some of us will be suffering.”
“Yes, sir.”
The scree started up long before the ships reached firing range. O’Brien was sorely tempted to open up when the Chessori came within the extended range of his modified weapons, but he did not. The Chessori continued closing until Borg’s frigate and O’Brien’s Resolve were surrounded.
Both groups of Chessori opened up at the same time, and Borg responded immediately. Washburn wasn’t far behind. Each Chessori was pre-targeted, and one of them was targeted by two batteries. It’s shields failed quickly, and it disappeared in a flash of light moments later. Resolve’s shields were taking a beating from the other two Chessori, but the Chessori weapons appeared weak, and the shields held.
Resolve and the two remaining Chessori started dancing all over the place in an attempt to avoid taking hits, but they could only maneuver so much without their own gunners losing their targets. Within a minute of the first Chessori dying, the second died. The third Chessori tried to flee, but O’Brien clung to its tail. It lived for only another couple of minutes.
When O’Brien checked on Borg, there were two Chessori left, both of them fleeing. Borg could only follow one. O’Brien checked briefly with George to see if an intercept could be set up on the second, but it was far out of range, and that range was increasing quickly. Any effort to follow it would be wasted. He let it go and headed towards Borg and his target. Both were bouncing all over the sky, and clearly, Borg’s fellow Protectors were having difficulty with their aim while under the scree. Long before he caught up to them, though, Borg got through the Chessori shields, and the enemy ship exploded.
With its demise, the scree ended.
Tarn checked on Krys and found her unconscious within the tank. There was nothing he could do but wait and let the combination of tank and Rider do their thing.
Dgoffs came up on a shuttle and joined Borg aboard the frigate. His own sailors were back in command and horrified at their experience with the scree.
Two days later, another Chessori appeared from hyperspace, and two others joined it the following day, all of them remaining far out on the fringes of the system. Then, they suddenly disappeared, having jumped back into hyperspace. The retreating Chessori continued outbound, headed toward its own jump point.
Dgoffs grinned and clapped his captain on the back. “The battle for Krandt is over, gentlemen,” he announced. “We’ve won this round.”
Tarn visited the two senators while Krys returned to light duty on Resolve. The tank had done all it could, and it was up to her Rider, Maelia, to repair the rest of the damage. Both senators had experienced the scree for the first time, and both were horrified by its implications.
When Tarn displayed his Knight’s credentials, both were delighted to have living proof of the Queen’s survival. Until now, the visiting senator had only had Senator Truax’s word that there was, indeed, a Queen. Tarn encouraged them to continue spreading the word among other senators, and he assured them that the results of the battle for Krandt were not due to chance. The Queen really did have the means to confront the Rebels and their Chessori partners, and she was going to win.
The Chessori traders were marched from their cells and back to their ship where they were released. Not waiting for the rest of their cargo, they just left as quickly as they could, knowing that, for them, the Empire had shown restraint.
Resolve waited until they were gone, then Krys and Tarn said goodbye to Dgoffs, promising him that reinforcements would be sent to help him hold the district as soon as they were available.
As Resolve headed out, Washburn and O’Brien plopped dinner trays down beside Krys and Tarn in the crew mess. Washburn set the ruined vest on the table beside himself, the blackened depression face up. O’Brien stared alternately at the vest and at Krys.
Washburn took a mouthful of food and chewed, his gaze on Krys. “How does it work, My Lady?”
“I don’t know.”
“My guys believe now. You’re going to get some requests.”
“She’s not up to it right now,” Tarn said, brooking no argument.
“When you are, then.”
She nodded. “It doesn’t always work, you know. I can’t just turn it on and off.”