"However cocky you might be, you won't find it easy to harm the Mist."
"Just because your frigid heart has never known heat doesn't mean others share your problem," I said.
Batavius paused for a moment thinking it over. "Your pyrokinetic thing. That should work. When she arrives we'll flood the lower deck with an accelerant vapor."
It was a good way to assist the existing plan. Although Hot Stuff burned incredibly hot, her range was limited. Anything that we could do to expand it was likely to be helpful. Within limits.
"I approve of your plan so long as you don't burn down my ship," I said.
"You should know the Rat’s primary defenses are disease-based," Batavius said, and killed the link.
Well, if my new chief researcher was looking to maintain my good graces she was pulling it off. When this was over and done with I might have to bleed Ophelia for a day to make all the cookies the Research deck would have coming to them.
The throne room was getting crowded. Anna had changed, now wearing a set of medium armor. In addition to an acid rifle she had a few conventional pistols and even a sword. I suppose that being Queen had its rewards and one of those was getting all the weapons.
Mechos and the surviving Mechanites made do with acid rifles and heavy armor. Ophelia was in shorts and a tank top—avoiding injuries wasn't high on her list of priorities.
"If they yield, we let them. We'd rather have them working for us than dead, but don't take any chances. If they aren't throwing down their arms and surrendering take them out," Anna said.
Hot Stuff was already making her way down to the bottom deck, flames billowing as her temperatures began to spike. It was showtime.
7
"Ophelia should take on the Rats alone. They utilize disease as their primary weapon. While I realize most people wouldn’t even notice if Anna was covered in oozing sores, it is probably best to avoid for everyone," I said through Diana. Although my human creations had intellect and personalities of their own, I could take them over when required just as I could my mechanical drones.
"My healing upgrade won't help?" Anna asked.
"It may. Do you want to test it?"
Abilities gained through research were usually nowhere near the power of the primary ability granted by a core.
Anna grimaced. "Not really. Fine, Ophelia, you're on your own."
"Against an army of rats. What am I getting out of this deal again?" Ophelia asked.
"Immortality and not being stuck in the grinder full-time," I said.
"Missing the days when I was a sidekick," Ophelia said, heading off on her own. At least I could observe that stage of the fight through the monitoring bracelet.
The top deck looked to be a war zone. Massive rents were torn in the hull and the corridors were filled with oily black smoke. In the distance there was the sound of weapon fire.
Candice motioned and took the lead, the others following close behind. People seemed more than happy to let my human drone take point.
We passed several burning turrets in the hall, formidable defenses that had already been destroyed. The sound of gunfire was coming from a side room and a quick look revealed it to be some sort of barracks.
A makeshift barricade had been made out of bunks and several Wolves sheltered behind it, firing on a figure of mist that kept relocating from one place to another. Forming only long enough to take a shot, before discorporating again. It was a strategy only partially successful, the serious-faced young woman bore several wounds.
"Ignore them," I said through Candice. "We need to find the command console for this level."
"We owe them blood," Anna said with a scowl.
"And your parents owe you an apology for that face. Once we have control of this deck you can teleport and kill as much as you want, or press for peace as you choose," I said.
Anna didn't look pleased about it, but she nodded and we continued on. Everything here was devoted to war. There were training facilities, briefing rooms, armories.
This deck had taken a lot of damage, far worse than from a single bomb like they’d tried against us. Through a gaping hole in the ceiling I could see one of the massive guns mounted on top of the ship. It was smoldering.
While we were so far having a quiet time of it, fierce battles were happening elsewhere. Ophelia had been set upon by rats, her flesh bubbling, peeling, and warping in the most unnatural ways as one powerful infection after another coursed through her system. Whatever was done to her though was no match for her healing powers and she lashed out against her attackers. Her gun had been lost, but she had fists and teeth, and fought savagely.
It was a brutal encounter that I knew she would win eventually. In her own way she was an unstoppable force. Unfortunately it looked like the engines were in flaming ruins, the bombing hitting them hard.
Hot Stuff was having a hard time of it too. The Mists tried shooting her, and when that didn't work they tried asphyxiating her. It was smart—I'd tried the same once and had some success. But I hadn't tried to asphyxiate her with my own body.
Hot Stuff's flames nearly sputtered out as she was buried in an enveloping cloud of dark mist. Then she found a reserve of power and flared with an intensity that left the deck around her molten.
The Mists reformed into bodies, burning and screaming and dying.
In our own somewhat tame fight we were coming up on what looked to be a command center. Tactical displays were dim from running off emergency power. In the center was a command console, the main power still active there. I recognized its design from the Research deck.
Five Wolves in heavy armor surrounded it.
"Hold your fire," said one of them. The man looked to be in his fifties, grey-haired and severe. "I know this attack wasn't your doing."
"They hit us too," Anna said. "Although later, and not as effectively as you did."
"I'm Baron Wolfson," said the man, and jerked his head to the displays. "There is something you need to see."
"We'll hear you out," Anna said.
One of the Wolves tapped away at the keys and views switched to outside. The jungle was rippling, vegetation undulating in a long line that was moving towards us.
"Damn it," Anna said with a sigh. "How are we doing on the other decks?"
The Espionage deck was just coming online for me. Hot Stuff had made it to their core. Without any surviving defenders she needed to do nothing more than lay her hand on it to claim it. With its activation I was getting more feeds than just what the Wolves were showing me.
An army was approaching through the jungle.
The Rats were busy surrendering to Ophelia. I think there may have been a marriage proposal of some sort. It seemed they were impressed by a survivor and not usually prone to fights at the best of times.
"If you are quite done meeting friends who whine even more than you do, hurry it up," I told Ophelia, then I said to Anna, "We're winning."
"Your call how this plays out."
Wolfson said, "My people aren't going to follow an untested girl, however much she wants to call herself Queen."
"Then we've got a problem, because it isn't going the other way," Anna said, staring him down.
Wolfson considered this and said, "Single combat. No weapons."
"Done," Anna said, and the two shook on it.
Wolfson stripped out of his armor and set his weapons aside. Anna did the same.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked her.
"I think I know what I'm doing. I think I know what he is doing. Stay out of this, Emma—unless you're quite certain I'm about to die. Then kill every single one of them and take the console," Anna said.
The Wolves joined my people into forming a circle around Anna and Wolfson.
Anna started the fight, moving in and lashing out a leg to kick at Wolfson's midsection. He grabbed her ankle and twisted, and a sharp crack could be heard. Anna screamed in pain. Wolfson was whirling around to lash out with his own foot. Ribs broke and Anna's scream became a whimper as the air was knocked out of her and she was sent skidding across the floor.