Empyrean Iris Story Collection

The Nexus Falls

The entire room blinked in unconcealed shock as the Commander turned off the monitor and returned to the captain's chair. A completely different mad stood before them now. He could have been ten years older, eyes burning, back straight jaw set.

"Lieutenant, what do we know about the Burg weapons capabilities."

"Well, sir, it doesn't look good for us. They have..... Some sort of heat gun that the GA has not yet been able to reverse engineer. If they hit us directly enough they could cook us all like sardines in a tin can."

"Well, let's make sure they don't hit us." He pointed across the room towards the systems specialist, "Call down to the engineers and tell them to pull power to the coolant system. I want it to be a winter wonderland in here by the time we are done. Let the crew know to wear gloves. Until the GA gets here with those extra shields, we are flying balls out naked, and I'm not a big fan of that picture."

He turned back to the original crew-member, "What are their shield capabilities."

"GA database says they are at a level two, energy resistant, but..... Well look at this. They have no impact on projectile weapons."

"What's the point of having a shield in the first place if it can't protect you against projectiles." One of the crew members muttered.

The commander leaned back in his seat single eye flashing, "Because, projectile weapons are considered barbaric and out of date, all of the advanced GA weaponry runs on energy pulses. If they have those weapons it would act like an EMP to our ship and we would loose power. Don't question the usefulness of their equipment."

He tapped his fingers against the armrest, "After all, their equipment would be useful.... If they were fighting against anyone but humans. This levels the playing field," he turned in his chair to the Comms officer, "Open comline to our other ships.

It didn't take her more than a moment to do as told, and he spun in his chair back to face forward, "Commander, have the Burg surrendered, yet?"

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the Commander's mouth, "Not yet, but we are working on it. Captains Ho, Silva and Bassi, peel off to protect the plants defence nexus. The rest of us will stay here to take care of the burg fleet as much as we can until GA backup arrives. Use only projectile weapons, and not anything energy found that the GA may have given you. Make sure to up your coolant systems. They have a one charge heat ray that could potentially cooks us where we sit."

"Commander, the burg ship is moving."

"Get to work everyone!" The commander ordered, "Tell the pilots to launch, and start targeting their engines. Take care of any other ship that tries to do the same to us."

"Yes, sir."

"The burg ship is targeting us, sir."

"Sunny, Preprair lateral rail guns."

"Yes sir." The small blue Drev turned back to her console and began working furiously.

The commander grabbed the controls, which responded to his touch. The chair morphed around him giving him a place to insert his hands and his feet for better steering.

A curved holo-projections dropped down over his eyes casting his skin into shades of blue and white.

"Sir, the Burg have almost reached lock... sir."

"Remain calm." The man ordered

The new recruits stared out the front screen of the ship as the burg ship dropped into position. It was a massive thing all spikes and pincers painted in colors of black orange and red, dressed for war. And between two of those pincers, they watched as a bright purple light began to grow up, targeted right towards them.