[Guilty Gear] Three Degrees to the Right, Part 5
Title: Three Degrees to the Right
Fandom: Guilty Gear
Part: 5/12
Characters: Sol, Ky
Rating: PG-15
Warnings: violence
Notes: In which things do boom, a lot.
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII
Three Degrees to the Right
Part V
In the earliest days of the war, even before the foundation of the Order, military strategists had drawn the frontline beyond Moscow. The city had been seen as part of the first and strongest line of defense against a Gear invasion from the Asian continent, a proud symbol of human defiance.
Those plans, however, had been long since abandoned. Now, very little was left of the capital's former glory-those that could afford to leave had done so a long time ago, a quiet mass exodus reducing a city of ten million to a ghost town. Vast districts and monuments were slowly crumbling into nothing, civilization forgotten in the face of so much destruction.
The ones who remained were the poor and the desperate, those that had already lost home after home and had run out of places to flee to.
"Squadrons Three and Five have confirmed drop-zones. Two and Four… confirmed."
"Airspace has low enemy concentration. Visual confirmation in roughly ten minutes."
Ky turned his gaze to the window front, briefly scanning the expanse of roiling white and gray below. The late autumn storms had swept in a front of low-hanging clouds, blanketing the city from sight. It meant limited accuracy, but that was a rather small price to pay for being able to launch a surprise attack.
"I'm afraid I can't get clear readings of the ground, sir." The radar officer bit his lip, wiping sweaty hands on his thighs. "It's picking up some clusters here and there, but…"
The earpiece gave off a burst of static, and then he could hear Sol's voice, faint and tinny over the tiny speaker. "If we just assume that everything's a Gear, we should be good to go."
"There's nothing we can do about it," Ky replied, not bothering to acknowledge the comment. "Lieutenant? Take us in."
"Understood, sir."
The hull began to vibrate as the ship tilted to dive into the clouds, layers of pale mist rushing past the bow and parting to reveal their battlefield, the reddish glow of fires the only spots of color in the ruined labyrinth. Much closer, though, he could see the myriads of darker specks swaying in the sky; swarms of winged beasts of different shapes and sizes clustering together like especially large and deadly mosquitoes.
Strong as they were, though, they would be the least of problems when the actual insects decided to show up-the sleek, elongated bodies of the dragonflies were a sight every pilot dreaded to see, as they were entirely too happy to hunt down airships, their powerful mandibles enough to crack open even the enforced hulls like oysters to feast on the unlucky crew within.
For the moment, though, he couldn't make out any of these giants, and sent a quick prayer that it would stay that way. They would have their hands full just dealing with the smaller ones. As he watched, some of the swarms swerved sharply, hovering indecisively for a moment, before taking off in the direction of the descending ships.
"Visual contact confirmed! They've spotted us!"
"Maintain course and speed. Commence subcannon spread fire when in range." Ky turned, heading for the exit at a brisk pace. "I'll be down with the units."
For a second, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in Andreyev's eyes, but he said nothing. "Yes, sir."
As Ky entered the corridor, the ship shook with the first volley cutting through the air, enveloping the creatures in bursts of magical energy. He knew that it would hardly deter them, knew that none of them seemed to care, that a passing glance out the rows of portholes would show them swiveling and drawing back out of range to regroup, even as the charred remains of their comrades were falling out of the sky.
"Direct hit on the enemy!" The radio crackled in protest, the voice almost lost in its own volume. "They just keep coming!"
"Keep firing."
The first wave had merely been an assessment. The little fliers could be a lot more persistent and maneuverable than they liked to appear, which posed a serious problem in close-range combat. It was the entire reason the Order wasn't heavily relying on airships, other than as a means of transportation. The machines were simply too slow, too unsophisticated, to keep up with a relentless assault.
Ky knew as much, had seen the pattern repeated often enough to know that Justice was willing to sacrifice her troops simply to test out an opponent, and then show them that no matter which weapons they developed, they would be unable to match a Gear's speed and power.
Another volley streaked across the sky, the Gears darting between the blasts like quicksilver fish.
"Accuracy down to 75%. Damn, these things are fast! We'll never be able to take down all of them, sir. They'll tear the ship apart!"
"Concentrate on hitting what you can," Ky said firmly, his footsteps quickening into a jog. "When the targets pass critical range, release the airlocks."
"Understood."
Up ahead, the first group of soldiers was waiting, one of many teams positioned throughout the ship. Most of them were wearing the pale blue tags identifying them as magic units, some were armed with ray guns, standing in front of one of the airlocks leading to the outer deck. It was the most dangerous place to be at the moment, out of all the dangerous places-the reason he was here, the reason he had put Sol here, though he had an inkling Sol would have found his way here even if he had told him otherwise.
The man was leaning back against the wall, his head bowed and his face half-hidden beneath the headband, but Ky knew the expression to be found on it anyway, a look of painfully intense concentration he never would have thought him capable of, way back when. Ky had seen similar looks on the faces of operators, trying to listen through all the interference and static for the faintest of signals. Whatever Sol was listening to, though, it was something only he could hear.
The rest of the unit were helping one another into safety harnesses, fragile-looking nylon ropes coiling at the front, ready to be attached to anything that would be able to support the pull of human weight. When they caught sight of him, they all snapped to attention, several anxious gazes searching his face for signs of good news.
"Things gonna get breezy now, sir?" the unit leader finally asked, a cordial grin on his face, but his hands were busily checking his harness again.
As if on cue, the ship shook again, several dull impacts hinting that some had made it past the cannon fire. The hull groaned ominously.
Sol barely moved, seemingly unbothered, but the soldiers winced, trying not to sneak furtive glances at the structure to look for the moment when claws as thick as shovels would burst through the walls. Given enough time, they could even drill their way through solid concrete, chipping away at it like lumberjacks would at the trunk of a tree, and it didn't matter to any of them if their limbs shattered under the strain, others would be ready to dispose of their useless comrades and take over as soon as it happened.
"I'm afraid so," Ky replied, all too aware of how happy they were to be able to turn their attention to him instead of the fact that they were being opened like a can of sardines. "I'll be joining you here for the time being."
"Glad to have you, sir. Persakis, give the Commander one of those." He waved at his own harness.
The dark-haired man he had spoken to shook his head. "Those are all we got. I'll just go and see if-"
The ship veered sharply in an effort to shake off its unwelcome passengers, sending a couple of soldiers stumbling into the wall.
Persakis took a breath, steadying himself. "…never mind. You can just take mine, sir, I don't need-"
"I'll be fine."
"But-"
"That's an order," Ky said, not unkindly.
The soldier pressed his lips together, frowning unhappily.
"If it will ease your mind, I have just as little intention of dying out there as the next person."
The man flinched, his face reddening. "No! I mean, no sir! I wasn't trying to insinuate-it's just, it's not right. I mean, we are… and you are…" He waved his hand helplessly.
"Your concerns have been noted," Ky murmured, his lips curling slightly. "But, soldier? You don't have to worry about me."
"Understood, sir. I'll try to stop, sir."
A derisive snort from Sol and a few nervous giggles from the back, their comrade's antics a welcome distraction, before they were cut off by another loud impact.
The radio crackled. "They're closing in! We lost turrets eleven and five-releasing airlocks now!"
There was a dull clang as the seal pulled back, the door rattling open to reveal the outer deck… or as much as could be seen through a veil of thick, biting smoke, driving tears to their eyes.
"Alright, stay sharp-"
"Ahead."
The quiet growl against his back drowned out the unit leader's words, drowned out all other sound, telling him all he needed to know-big, ugly, and a tank.
Ky dived past him.
It was gut feeling that sent him charging into the black cloud of smoke, telling him the distance. He leapt, thought he saw the silhouette-bony, hard-plated limbs righting themselves-felt the rush of a swipe missing his side by mere inches. Then, the Furaiken pierced the armored body, lightning tearing through the vulnerable insides.
Even as the Gear collapsed on the deck, he threw himself on the floor, rolling hard.
Claws splintered the wood where his head had been a split-second ago, another set of deadly sharpness striking to his right. Before he had a chance to regain his footing, a sphere of heat seared the air above him, exploding against the vulnerable underbelly of the second creature. It went skittering across the deck, flames eating away at its skin.
"We're trying to keep the ship from catching fire!" Ky shouted, springing to his feet and sending a spear of blue-white electricity hurtling towards the upper decks where several lizards had attached themselves to the ship, ripping away at the plating.
The target didn't even have time to look up, the jolt stopping its heart and turning its muscles into jelly, so that it simply slid away, bonelessly, tumbling into the city below.
The others looked up from their task, pausing for a split second in almost comical surprise, their heads tilted in the peculiar manner of confused birds. It was more than enough time to release the next spell before the first one thought to attack-and was slammed back into the side of the ship, its skin melting under the force of the current.
"Just say 'thank you' like a good little boy scout," Sol retorted, a flame tongue taking out another one as it pounced.
More Gears dropped from the sky as the soldiers rushed out on deck to join the fray, startled yells rising as they were immediately forced to lunge for cover.
The creatures dived like projectiles, wings folded tightly against their bodies, seeking to skewer their prey with merciless beaks. Ky narrowly dodged two in quick succession, their trajectory sending them barreling straight into the deck.
He twisted, hurling a blast of electricity after them before they could even think to move, collapsing with their heads still half-buried in the splintered wood.
A red blur shot past him, the massive sword splitting the skull of another lizard. Sol pivoted, a kick unleashing a fiery wave that caught a number of smaller ones in mid-leap, sending them careening over the rail. He pulled his sword free, flicking off the blood and tissue almost carelessly, when any other man would have been loath to let go of his weapon for even a second.
Most had their hands full just avoiding the deadly reach of fangs and claws, their spells flying so rapidly they were barely more than formless blurs of energy. Every now and again, a ray gun blast cut a swath through the air, the snipers weaving in and out between the turrets providing them with minimal cover.
The only thing to do was to stay in motion, not to stand still. Feel and sound were more of an ally than sight, Ky's rapid steps and turns carrying him back and forth across the deck. The Furaiken sang in his hand, the blade cleaving through the smaller Gears before they could gain a foothold.
A dark shape flashed in the corner of his eye, slamming into a soldier only a few paces away. He couldn't even think to scream as claws tore through his vital organs, but someone else did, a high-pitched scream of rage.
Ky whirled, catching sight of a young man who had come to a standstill in the middle of the deck, eyes wide and fixed on the grotesque sight of his comrade pinned to the ship's wall like a butterfly.
"Move, soldier!" he yelled, busy dodging another armored beast that had thrown itself into his path. Its venomous saliva splattered only the empty deck, Ky sliding between its massive forelimbs, delivering a clean slash across the belly.
The soldier didn't hear as the air around him froze solid, icicles hurtling towards the Gear that had gotten his comrade. He never saw the shadow flash behind him, swooping down for the kill.
"Move!"
The shadow swerved, avoiding the bolt spell, talons missing their intended target. They ripped into the soldier's shoulders, momentum jerking him along like a rag doll, and Ky just reacted.
The second spell hit the Gear square in the back, and he followed after it, the blade severing its head in one clean swipe.
The body flopped about mindlessly for a few seconds, wings scraping across the floor. Regardless, Ky dropped to his knees to check on the injured soldier, now half buried beneath the heaving torso. By some miracle, the electric current hadn't reached his heart-he was still struggling feebly, his breath coming in wheezing gasps.
"It's alright," Ky soothed, and began pushing off the heavy body. "We'll get you out of here."
"Ahh…!"
The man twitched, his eyes growing wide, and Ky jerked around, the spell flying from his fingertips even as he did so, sending another lizard careening into a cannon turret.
"Sah… saah…" The man's tongue was moving thickly, still numb from the jolt, trying to form words. His eyes were misting over with pain, blood seeping out from underneath his back.
The earpiece gave off a burst of static, the voice hardly audible over the sound of the cannons going off. "…big …collision cour… retrea…!"
"Bridge?" He rapped the device sharply, using one foot as leverage to pull another claw from the man's torso. "Status report!"
"…ir… ere's… large-class, sir. It's heading straight for us! Preparing evasive maneuver. Please withdraw immediately!"
"Understood, relay the order to all units."
"At once, sir."
A quick glance confirmed that the squadron leader was already giving orders to retreat, waving his arms and motioning the soldiers to fall back towards the entrance.
The radio crackled, Andreyev's tense voice ringing from within. "Main cannon's at 65%, we might-"
"No, not at that distance. We won't get a clear shot that way. Let it get close and go into a tail spin. Prepare to blast the engine coolant," Ky snapped, the bridge falling silent.
The things had long since learned their attack patterns, knew exactly how to evade and how long the machines took to recharge.
"But the friction-sir, we'd risk an explosion," Andreyev objected.
"That's the plan, Lieutenant. Incinerate it."
The earpiece gave a small screech as another voice tuned in, deeper and clearer than the lieutenant's. "Won't work."
"Sir?"
Ky frowned, continuing to shove at the monster's body. "It worked well enough the last time."
"And she was mighty pissed about it," Sol retorted.
"You mean-"
"Yeah. She remembered that part."
There was no question as to how he knew. "…What do you propose?"
"If it wants to dock… let it dock."
"But, sir!" came the protest from the bridge, a justified one, and if Ky hadn't known Sol for as long as he had, he might have dismissed the man for being thoroughly insane. Right now, though, he needed to trust his judgment, if he didn't want the ship torn to pieces.
"Alright. Belay the last order. Sir Badguy will be giving the commands for now."
A small noise from Sol that might have been surprise, might have been dismissal. "Set a collision course. Thirty degrees downward, main cannon to maximum output. You want that thing sitting on top of it. Don't screw up, 'cause there won't be a second chance."
A deep breath. "Aye, sir."
The ship's bow began to tilt downward, loose pieces of debris slowly rolling forward.
The Gear's body lolled, and Ky didn't waste any time, lopping off its feet at the ankles. Pulling the injured man's arm around his own shoulders the best he could, he began to drag him up the steadily deepening incline.
The wind brought a keening cry to him, an almost melodious tone. If he turned around, he would be able to see the silhouette, sleek and merciless, plowing through the air like a fish in the water, but not hurriedly… no, never hurriedly. This was the pace of something that was sure of its prey.
His feet slipped on the deck, oil and blood forming a thick, half-coagulated slime. The soldier slid with him like a dead weight, and he had to thrust the Furaiken into the planks to keep himself from losing his balance.
"Sir… leave, please-"
He didn't answer, no time for the man's pointless pleas, concentrating on righting both of them again.
The shadow was now stretching across the deck, filling it completely.
A triumphant shriek sounded above his head, the whistling of winged membranes folding into a dive, and he propelled the man forward by his arm, knowing he wouldn't have enough time to build a charge-
A fireball streaked past his head, sending the smaller Gear hurtling starboard.
"Stupid boy! What are you doing?!"
Sol was sliding towards him, grabbing a hold of the wounded man. Then, his hand closed around Ky's arm, pulling him up and tossing him into the shelter of a cannon turret as if he weighed nothing at all.
Not even a second later, Sol dived in behind him.
That musical cry sounded again, unbearably loud this time, and then the ship shook with a great impact, the tail colliding with the bow so hard it tore through the outer hull. The great body came crashing down on the upper decks like a tidal wave, legs as thick as pillars driving into the structure to the sounds of screeching metal and splintering wood.
Ky was barely able to catch himself before his head hit the floor, one of the armored legs ramming into the deck a scant few meters from the cannon turret. It was close enough that he could see the dull gleam, light refracting off the grainy texture like a lobster's shell-
"Fire!"
It was his own voice, the hoarse yell tearing from his throat and racing through the comm-link, even though the rest of him was staring at that mighty leg, following it upwards to the moving, creaking plates of the torso…
"Fire!"
There was nothing more than a moment, the smallest fraction of a second, to wonder whether the collision had taken out the weapon system completely, before the world erupted in a brilliant, all-consuming flare.
It was sheer reflex that made him cover his eyes to avoid being blinded. The ship was groaning with the strain, the shriek of pain and outrage from the creature hollering through the air before the blast of magic energy ruptured its armor, burning through its insides.
Deprived of its counter-balance, the lower part toppled backwards, the legs pulling from their holes like uprooted trunks as it slid down. It crashed through the bow railing, vanishing from sight, dragged by the weight of its own tail.
Loud cheering broke out over the radio, a multitude of voices mixing to a single, shrill sound of joy, Andreyev's breathless status report almost entirely lost in the chaos.
"…lost… deck three… five… main cann… scramming- reporting here, shut up, goddammit-!"
The tumult quieted down a little at the man's frustrated shout, and Ky couldn't help the smile spreading across his face, rolling onto his back and wiping dirt and ash from his cheeks with one hand. "Using the Lord's name in vain, Lieutenant?"
"My apologies, sir! …fires… deck two and seven, engaging fire protocol and dispatching clean-up crew. Ship is holding up-we've got a clear run into the city!"
"Take us in, then."
It wasn't like they had much of a choice at this point, with the engines running at full throttle just to keep them from falling out of the sky.
"Yes, sir." A brief pause. "And, sir? I'd… I mean, could you please give my apologies to Sir Badguy?"
Ky blinked. "Pardon?"
"I didn't mean to doubt his strategy."
"That-" The radio clicked off.
He sat up, shaking his head to clear it, and turned to look at Sol an arm's length away. There was an ugly cut running down the side of his face, possibly from a stray splinter, but he was smirking in self-satisfied amusement, which meant that he had been listening to the entire conversation.
"…Strategy," Ky reiterated flatly.
"It's about time someone acknowledges my genius."
"I'll be sure to give it honorable mention in the great book of tactics. Under the chapter heading 'sanity is for the weak'." He clambered to his feet, looping an arm under the injured soldier again. "Let's get this man medical attention."
"Right. We're one wave short of a shipwreck, anyway."
------
Bringing down a warship of the Epifaniy's size was a delicate maneuver at the best of times. Now, with several tons of Gear remains attached to its bow, it came down like a lame bird, plowing across the ground with a wave of dirt and debris cresting before it.
The impact knocked everything loose that wasn't tied down, soldiers tumbling down the corridor like toy figurines. Sol landed hard against a metal rafter, a dull ache shooting up his back as the alarms went off throughout the ship, a cacophony echoing through the corridor that was only cut short when the section's power shorted out, sparks from broken wiring raining on the floor.
A push against his chest, two fist-shaped pressure points seeking to dislodge his grip, and he realized that he was still holding onto the kid, had grabbed him in the spur of the moment to spare him the fate of a bruised spine.
He let go, and Ky struggled back up, surveying the chaos. "Status report!"
A yell as something popped overhead, one of the pipes breaking out of its hold and spraying hot steam over the two paramedics tending to the electrocuted soldier.
Sol unceremoniously climbed over the toppled equipment, pushing the piping back into place. The heat on his palm barely even registered, and neither did the awed exclamations of gratitude, because all his attention was still on the kid, who had stopped mid-rescue and returned to his conversation with the bridge, so sure that Sol would handle matters.
His own earpiece gave off a burst of noise.
"-and radar's down. The engines are still functional, sir. We can technically lift off, but…"
"Assign squads Alpha-10 to 16 to help with the removal of carcass," Ky instructed, already moving towards the exit hatch. "Blast off what's unnecessary, use what you can to fix hull damage. Everyone else, you have your orders. Move out."
The acknowledgement got lost in the sound of the hatch opening, grinding loudly in its frame.
Around them stretched the remains of what might have been a plaza long ago. The airship's landing had left a long scar through its middle, tearing open the paving and nearly bringing down the row of buildings on the opposite end.
It was hard to tell what had been ruined in the attack and what had simply crumbled with disuse, the only hint being the occasional blaze. Not a soul in sight, of course, though Sol's instinct said otherwise, bringing to him wisps of curiosity mixing with murderous intent.
"We're just in time for lunch," he said, scanning the area.
Ky was already climbing down the mounds of rubble, sword humming with a barely contained charge. "How many?"
"A few dozen. Small-class, scavengers."
A tiny flicker jumped along the Furaiken's length, the only indication of the kid's thoughts. Roaming scavengers meant the district was lost, unlikely to even harbor body parts.
"I see them."
Across the square, a shape appeared on the ridge of a wall. Soon, it was joined by another, and another, sleek, agile bodies climbing the piles of rubble to regard the unexpected buffet that had crash-landed in their midst.
For a moment, they stood motionless, a sliver of light breaking through the clouds to glint off their bodies, the razor-sharp protrusions from their legs and sides rustling in anticipation.
Silhouetted by the morning sun, Ky charged, shouts rising behind him as more exits slid open and the soldiers burst forward, weapons drawn, to meet the enemy.
----
A/N: Many thanks to raging_tofu and twigcollins. Monstrous chapter is monstrous. Everything in it would look so much better if I could animate it, I swear. Anyways, C&C is appreciated.
Now on to stuff nobody cares about:
- I've developed an odd sort of pity for people who are not Sol and Ky. "Sir Badguy wants me to do the WHAT with the WHAT?!"
- Yes, the squad naming system is lame. It is also efficient. Do I care? Hmmm...
- Spot the Queen reference, win a cookie.
- For visual aid, imagine every big spaceship landing in every sci-fi movie ever. Again, I wish I could animate this.
- I think I should start a Ky Grab Count.
<< Return to Part IV? | Continue to Part VI? >>
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Fandom: Guilty Gear
Part: 5/12
Characters: Sol, Ky
Rating: PG-15
Warnings: violence
Notes: In which things do boom, a lot.
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII
Three Degrees to the Right
Part V
In the earliest days of the war, even before the foundation of the Order, military strategists had drawn the frontline beyond Moscow. The city had been seen as part of the first and strongest line of defense against a Gear invasion from the Asian continent, a proud symbol of human defiance.
Those plans, however, had been long since abandoned. Now, very little was left of the capital's former glory-those that could afford to leave had done so a long time ago, a quiet mass exodus reducing a city of ten million to a ghost town. Vast districts and monuments were slowly crumbling into nothing, civilization forgotten in the face of so much destruction.
The ones who remained were the poor and the desperate, those that had already lost home after home and had run out of places to flee to.
"Squadrons Three and Five have confirmed drop-zones. Two and Four… confirmed."
"Airspace has low enemy concentration. Visual confirmation in roughly ten minutes."
Ky turned his gaze to the window front, briefly scanning the expanse of roiling white and gray below. The late autumn storms had swept in a front of low-hanging clouds, blanketing the city from sight. It meant limited accuracy, but that was a rather small price to pay for being able to launch a surprise attack.
"I'm afraid I can't get clear readings of the ground, sir." The radar officer bit his lip, wiping sweaty hands on his thighs. "It's picking up some clusters here and there, but…"
The earpiece gave off a burst of static, and then he could hear Sol's voice, faint and tinny over the tiny speaker. "If we just assume that everything's a Gear, we should be good to go."
"There's nothing we can do about it," Ky replied, not bothering to acknowledge the comment. "Lieutenant? Take us in."
"Understood, sir."
The hull began to vibrate as the ship tilted to dive into the clouds, layers of pale mist rushing past the bow and parting to reveal their battlefield, the reddish glow of fires the only spots of color in the ruined labyrinth. Much closer, though, he could see the myriads of darker specks swaying in the sky; swarms of winged beasts of different shapes and sizes clustering together like especially large and deadly mosquitoes.
Strong as they were, though, they would be the least of problems when the actual insects decided to show up-the sleek, elongated bodies of the dragonflies were a sight every pilot dreaded to see, as they were entirely too happy to hunt down airships, their powerful mandibles enough to crack open even the enforced hulls like oysters to feast on the unlucky crew within.
For the moment, though, he couldn't make out any of these giants, and sent a quick prayer that it would stay that way. They would have their hands full just dealing with the smaller ones. As he watched, some of the swarms swerved sharply, hovering indecisively for a moment, before taking off in the direction of the descending ships.
"Visual contact confirmed! They've spotted us!"
"Maintain course and speed. Commence subcannon spread fire when in range." Ky turned, heading for the exit at a brisk pace. "I'll be down with the units."
For a second, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in Andreyev's eyes, but he said nothing. "Yes, sir."
As Ky entered the corridor, the ship shook with the first volley cutting through the air, enveloping the creatures in bursts of magical energy. He knew that it would hardly deter them, knew that none of them seemed to care, that a passing glance out the rows of portholes would show them swiveling and drawing back out of range to regroup, even as the charred remains of their comrades were falling out of the sky.
"Direct hit on the enemy!" The radio crackled in protest, the voice almost lost in its own volume. "They just keep coming!"
"Keep firing."
The first wave had merely been an assessment. The little fliers could be a lot more persistent and maneuverable than they liked to appear, which posed a serious problem in close-range combat. It was the entire reason the Order wasn't heavily relying on airships, other than as a means of transportation. The machines were simply too slow, too unsophisticated, to keep up with a relentless assault.
Ky knew as much, had seen the pattern repeated often enough to know that Justice was willing to sacrifice her troops simply to test out an opponent, and then show them that no matter which weapons they developed, they would be unable to match a Gear's speed and power.
Another volley streaked across the sky, the Gears darting between the blasts like quicksilver fish.
"Accuracy down to 75%. Damn, these things are fast! We'll never be able to take down all of them, sir. They'll tear the ship apart!"
"Concentrate on hitting what you can," Ky said firmly, his footsteps quickening into a jog. "When the targets pass critical range, release the airlocks."
"Understood."
Up ahead, the first group of soldiers was waiting, one of many teams positioned throughout the ship. Most of them were wearing the pale blue tags identifying them as magic units, some were armed with ray guns, standing in front of one of the airlocks leading to the outer deck. It was the most dangerous place to be at the moment, out of all the dangerous places-the reason he was here, the reason he had put Sol here, though he had an inkling Sol would have found his way here even if he had told him otherwise.
The man was leaning back against the wall, his head bowed and his face half-hidden beneath the headband, but Ky knew the expression to be found on it anyway, a look of painfully intense concentration he never would have thought him capable of, way back when. Ky had seen similar looks on the faces of operators, trying to listen through all the interference and static for the faintest of signals. Whatever Sol was listening to, though, it was something only he could hear.
The rest of the unit were helping one another into safety harnesses, fragile-looking nylon ropes coiling at the front, ready to be attached to anything that would be able to support the pull of human weight. When they caught sight of him, they all snapped to attention, several anxious gazes searching his face for signs of good news.
"Things gonna get breezy now, sir?" the unit leader finally asked, a cordial grin on his face, but his hands were busily checking his harness again.
As if on cue, the ship shook again, several dull impacts hinting that some had made it past the cannon fire. The hull groaned ominously.
Sol barely moved, seemingly unbothered, but the soldiers winced, trying not to sneak furtive glances at the structure to look for the moment when claws as thick as shovels would burst through the walls. Given enough time, they could even drill their way through solid concrete, chipping away at it like lumberjacks would at the trunk of a tree, and it didn't matter to any of them if their limbs shattered under the strain, others would be ready to dispose of their useless comrades and take over as soon as it happened.
"I'm afraid so," Ky replied, all too aware of how happy they were to be able to turn their attention to him instead of the fact that they were being opened like a can of sardines. "I'll be joining you here for the time being."
"Glad to have you, sir. Persakis, give the Commander one of those." He waved at his own harness.
The dark-haired man he had spoken to shook his head. "Those are all we got. I'll just go and see if-"
The ship veered sharply in an effort to shake off its unwelcome passengers, sending a couple of soldiers stumbling into the wall.
Persakis took a breath, steadying himself. "…never mind. You can just take mine, sir, I don't need-"
"I'll be fine."
"But-"
"That's an order," Ky said, not unkindly.
The soldier pressed his lips together, frowning unhappily.
"If it will ease your mind, I have just as little intention of dying out there as the next person."
The man flinched, his face reddening. "No! I mean, no sir! I wasn't trying to insinuate-it's just, it's not right. I mean, we are… and you are…" He waved his hand helplessly.
"Your concerns have been noted," Ky murmured, his lips curling slightly. "But, soldier? You don't have to worry about me."
"Understood, sir. I'll try to stop, sir."
A derisive snort from Sol and a few nervous giggles from the back, their comrade's antics a welcome distraction, before they were cut off by another loud impact.
The radio crackled. "They're closing in! We lost turrets eleven and five-releasing airlocks now!"
There was a dull clang as the seal pulled back, the door rattling open to reveal the outer deck… or as much as could be seen through a veil of thick, biting smoke, driving tears to their eyes.
"Alright, stay sharp-"
"Ahead."
The quiet growl against his back drowned out the unit leader's words, drowned out all other sound, telling him all he needed to know-big, ugly, and a tank.
Ky dived past him.
It was gut feeling that sent him charging into the black cloud of smoke, telling him the distance. He leapt, thought he saw the silhouette-bony, hard-plated limbs righting themselves-felt the rush of a swipe missing his side by mere inches. Then, the Furaiken pierced the armored body, lightning tearing through the vulnerable insides.
Even as the Gear collapsed on the deck, he threw himself on the floor, rolling hard.
Claws splintered the wood where his head had been a split-second ago, another set of deadly sharpness striking to his right. Before he had a chance to regain his footing, a sphere of heat seared the air above him, exploding against the vulnerable underbelly of the second creature. It went skittering across the deck, flames eating away at its skin.
"We're trying to keep the ship from catching fire!" Ky shouted, springing to his feet and sending a spear of blue-white electricity hurtling towards the upper decks where several lizards had attached themselves to the ship, ripping away at the plating.
The target didn't even have time to look up, the jolt stopping its heart and turning its muscles into jelly, so that it simply slid away, bonelessly, tumbling into the city below.
The others looked up from their task, pausing for a split second in almost comical surprise, their heads tilted in the peculiar manner of confused birds. It was more than enough time to release the next spell before the first one thought to attack-and was slammed back into the side of the ship, its skin melting under the force of the current.
"Just say 'thank you' like a good little boy scout," Sol retorted, a flame tongue taking out another one as it pounced.
More Gears dropped from the sky as the soldiers rushed out on deck to join the fray, startled yells rising as they were immediately forced to lunge for cover.
The creatures dived like projectiles, wings folded tightly against their bodies, seeking to skewer their prey with merciless beaks. Ky narrowly dodged two in quick succession, their trajectory sending them barreling straight into the deck.
He twisted, hurling a blast of electricity after them before they could even think to move, collapsing with their heads still half-buried in the splintered wood.
A red blur shot past him, the massive sword splitting the skull of another lizard. Sol pivoted, a kick unleashing a fiery wave that caught a number of smaller ones in mid-leap, sending them careening over the rail. He pulled his sword free, flicking off the blood and tissue almost carelessly, when any other man would have been loath to let go of his weapon for even a second.
Most had their hands full just avoiding the deadly reach of fangs and claws, their spells flying so rapidly they were barely more than formless blurs of energy. Every now and again, a ray gun blast cut a swath through the air, the snipers weaving in and out between the turrets providing them with minimal cover.
The only thing to do was to stay in motion, not to stand still. Feel and sound were more of an ally than sight, Ky's rapid steps and turns carrying him back and forth across the deck. The Furaiken sang in his hand, the blade cleaving through the smaller Gears before they could gain a foothold.
A dark shape flashed in the corner of his eye, slamming into a soldier only a few paces away. He couldn't even think to scream as claws tore through his vital organs, but someone else did, a high-pitched scream of rage.
Ky whirled, catching sight of a young man who had come to a standstill in the middle of the deck, eyes wide and fixed on the grotesque sight of his comrade pinned to the ship's wall like a butterfly.
"Move, soldier!" he yelled, busy dodging another armored beast that had thrown itself into his path. Its venomous saliva splattered only the empty deck, Ky sliding between its massive forelimbs, delivering a clean slash across the belly.
The soldier didn't hear as the air around him froze solid, icicles hurtling towards the Gear that had gotten his comrade. He never saw the shadow flash behind him, swooping down for the kill.
"Move!"
The shadow swerved, avoiding the bolt spell, talons missing their intended target. They ripped into the soldier's shoulders, momentum jerking him along like a rag doll, and Ky just reacted.
The second spell hit the Gear square in the back, and he followed after it, the blade severing its head in one clean swipe.
The body flopped about mindlessly for a few seconds, wings scraping across the floor. Regardless, Ky dropped to his knees to check on the injured soldier, now half buried beneath the heaving torso. By some miracle, the electric current hadn't reached his heart-he was still struggling feebly, his breath coming in wheezing gasps.
"It's alright," Ky soothed, and began pushing off the heavy body. "We'll get you out of here."
"Ahh…!"
The man twitched, his eyes growing wide, and Ky jerked around, the spell flying from his fingertips even as he did so, sending another lizard careening into a cannon turret.
"Sah… saah…" The man's tongue was moving thickly, still numb from the jolt, trying to form words. His eyes were misting over with pain, blood seeping out from underneath his back.
The earpiece gave off a burst of static, the voice hardly audible over the sound of the cannons going off. "…big …collision cour… retrea…!"
"Bridge?" He rapped the device sharply, using one foot as leverage to pull another claw from the man's torso. "Status report!"
"…ir… ere's… large-class, sir. It's heading straight for us! Preparing evasive maneuver. Please withdraw immediately!"
"Understood, relay the order to all units."
"At once, sir."
A quick glance confirmed that the squadron leader was already giving orders to retreat, waving his arms and motioning the soldiers to fall back towards the entrance.
The radio crackled, Andreyev's tense voice ringing from within. "Main cannon's at 65%, we might-"
"No, not at that distance. We won't get a clear shot that way. Let it get close and go into a tail spin. Prepare to blast the engine coolant," Ky snapped, the bridge falling silent.
The things had long since learned their attack patterns, knew exactly how to evade and how long the machines took to recharge.
"But the friction-sir, we'd risk an explosion," Andreyev objected.
"That's the plan, Lieutenant. Incinerate it."
The earpiece gave a small screech as another voice tuned in, deeper and clearer than the lieutenant's. "Won't work."
"Sir?"
Ky frowned, continuing to shove at the monster's body. "It worked well enough the last time."
"And she was mighty pissed about it," Sol retorted.
"You mean-"
"Yeah. She remembered that part."
There was no question as to how he knew. "…What do you propose?"
"If it wants to dock… let it dock."
"But, sir!" came the protest from the bridge, a justified one, and if Ky hadn't known Sol for as long as he had, he might have dismissed the man for being thoroughly insane. Right now, though, he needed to trust his judgment, if he didn't want the ship torn to pieces.
"Alright. Belay the last order. Sir Badguy will be giving the commands for now."
A small noise from Sol that might have been surprise, might have been dismissal. "Set a collision course. Thirty degrees downward, main cannon to maximum output. You want that thing sitting on top of it. Don't screw up, 'cause there won't be a second chance."
A deep breath. "Aye, sir."
The ship's bow began to tilt downward, loose pieces of debris slowly rolling forward.
The Gear's body lolled, and Ky didn't waste any time, lopping off its feet at the ankles. Pulling the injured man's arm around his own shoulders the best he could, he began to drag him up the steadily deepening incline.
The wind brought a keening cry to him, an almost melodious tone. If he turned around, he would be able to see the silhouette, sleek and merciless, plowing through the air like a fish in the water, but not hurriedly… no, never hurriedly. This was the pace of something that was sure of its prey.
His feet slipped on the deck, oil and blood forming a thick, half-coagulated slime. The soldier slid with him like a dead weight, and he had to thrust the Furaiken into the planks to keep himself from losing his balance.
"Sir… leave, please-"
He didn't answer, no time for the man's pointless pleas, concentrating on righting both of them again.
The shadow was now stretching across the deck, filling it completely.
A triumphant shriek sounded above his head, the whistling of winged membranes folding into a dive, and he propelled the man forward by his arm, knowing he wouldn't have enough time to build a charge-
A fireball streaked past his head, sending the smaller Gear hurtling starboard.
"Stupid boy! What are you doing?!"
Sol was sliding towards him, grabbing a hold of the wounded man. Then, his hand closed around Ky's arm, pulling him up and tossing him into the shelter of a cannon turret as if he weighed nothing at all.
Not even a second later, Sol dived in behind him.
That musical cry sounded again, unbearably loud this time, and then the ship shook with a great impact, the tail colliding with the bow so hard it tore through the outer hull. The great body came crashing down on the upper decks like a tidal wave, legs as thick as pillars driving into the structure to the sounds of screeching metal and splintering wood.
Ky was barely able to catch himself before his head hit the floor, one of the armored legs ramming into the deck a scant few meters from the cannon turret. It was close enough that he could see the dull gleam, light refracting off the grainy texture like a lobster's shell-
"Fire!"
It was his own voice, the hoarse yell tearing from his throat and racing through the comm-link, even though the rest of him was staring at that mighty leg, following it upwards to the moving, creaking plates of the torso…
"Fire!"
There was nothing more than a moment, the smallest fraction of a second, to wonder whether the collision had taken out the weapon system completely, before the world erupted in a brilliant, all-consuming flare.
It was sheer reflex that made him cover his eyes to avoid being blinded. The ship was groaning with the strain, the shriek of pain and outrage from the creature hollering through the air before the blast of magic energy ruptured its armor, burning through its insides.
Deprived of its counter-balance, the lower part toppled backwards, the legs pulling from their holes like uprooted trunks as it slid down. It crashed through the bow railing, vanishing from sight, dragged by the weight of its own tail.
Loud cheering broke out over the radio, a multitude of voices mixing to a single, shrill sound of joy, Andreyev's breathless status report almost entirely lost in the chaos.
"…lost… deck three… five… main cann… scramming- reporting here, shut up, goddammit-!"
The tumult quieted down a little at the man's frustrated shout, and Ky couldn't help the smile spreading across his face, rolling onto his back and wiping dirt and ash from his cheeks with one hand. "Using the Lord's name in vain, Lieutenant?"
"My apologies, sir! …fires… deck two and seven, engaging fire protocol and dispatching clean-up crew. Ship is holding up-we've got a clear run into the city!"
"Take us in, then."
It wasn't like they had much of a choice at this point, with the engines running at full throttle just to keep them from falling out of the sky.
"Yes, sir." A brief pause. "And, sir? I'd… I mean, could you please give my apologies to Sir Badguy?"
Ky blinked. "Pardon?"
"I didn't mean to doubt his strategy."
"That-" The radio clicked off.
He sat up, shaking his head to clear it, and turned to look at Sol an arm's length away. There was an ugly cut running down the side of his face, possibly from a stray splinter, but he was smirking in self-satisfied amusement, which meant that he had been listening to the entire conversation.
"…Strategy," Ky reiterated flatly.
"It's about time someone acknowledges my genius."
"I'll be sure to give it honorable mention in the great book of tactics. Under the chapter heading 'sanity is for the weak'." He clambered to his feet, looping an arm under the injured soldier again. "Let's get this man medical attention."
"Right. We're one wave short of a shipwreck, anyway."
------
Bringing down a warship of the Epifaniy's size was a delicate maneuver at the best of times. Now, with several tons of Gear remains attached to its bow, it came down like a lame bird, plowing across the ground with a wave of dirt and debris cresting before it.
The impact knocked everything loose that wasn't tied down, soldiers tumbling down the corridor like toy figurines. Sol landed hard against a metal rafter, a dull ache shooting up his back as the alarms went off throughout the ship, a cacophony echoing through the corridor that was only cut short when the section's power shorted out, sparks from broken wiring raining on the floor.
A push against his chest, two fist-shaped pressure points seeking to dislodge his grip, and he realized that he was still holding onto the kid, had grabbed him in the spur of the moment to spare him the fate of a bruised spine.
He let go, and Ky struggled back up, surveying the chaos. "Status report!"
A yell as something popped overhead, one of the pipes breaking out of its hold and spraying hot steam over the two paramedics tending to the electrocuted soldier.
Sol unceremoniously climbed over the toppled equipment, pushing the piping back into place. The heat on his palm barely even registered, and neither did the awed exclamations of gratitude, because all his attention was still on the kid, who had stopped mid-rescue and returned to his conversation with the bridge, so sure that Sol would handle matters.
His own earpiece gave off a burst of noise.
"-and radar's down. The engines are still functional, sir. We can technically lift off, but…"
"Assign squads Alpha-10 to 16 to help with the removal of carcass," Ky instructed, already moving towards the exit hatch. "Blast off what's unnecessary, use what you can to fix hull damage. Everyone else, you have your orders. Move out."
The acknowledgement got lost in the sound of the hatch opening, grinding loudly in its frame.
Around them stretched the remains of what might have been a plaza long ago. The airship's landing had left a long scar through its middle, tearing open the paving and nearly bringing down the row of buildings on the opposite end.
It was hard to tell what had been ruined in the attack and what had simply crumbled with disuse, the only hint being the occasional blaze. Not a soul in sight, of course, though Sol's instinct said otherwise, bringing to him wisps of curiosity mixing with murderous intent.
"We're just in time for lunch," he said, scanning the area.
Ky was already climbing down the mounds of rubble, sword humming with a barely contained charge. "How many?"
"A few dozen. Small-class, scavengers."
A tiny flicker jumped along the Furaiken's length, the only indication of the kid's thoughts. Roaming scavengers meant the district was lost, unlikely to even harbor body parts.
"I see them."
Across the square, a shape appeared on the ridge of a wall. Soon, it was joined by another, and another, sleek, agile bodies climbing the piles of rubble to regard the unexpected buffet that had crash-landed in their midst.
For a moment, they stood motionless, a sliver of light breaking through the clouds to glint off their bodies, the razor-sharp protrusions from their legs and sides rustling in anticipation.
Silhouetted by the morning sun, Ky charged, shouts rising behind him as more exits slid open and the soldiers burst forward, weapons drawn, to meet the enemy.
----
A/N: Many thanks to raging_tofu and twigcollins. Monstrous chapter is monstrous. Everything in it would look so much better if I could animate it, I swear. Anyways, C&C is appreciated.
Now on to stuff nobody cares about:
- I've developed an odd sort of pity for people who are not Sol and Ky. "Sir Badguy wants me to do the WHAT with the WHAT?!"
- Yes, the squad naming system is lame. It is also efficient. Do I care? Hmmm...
- Spot the Queen reference, win a cookie.
- For visual aid, imagine every big spaceship landing in every sci-fi movie ever. Again, I wish I could animate this.
- I think I should start a Ky Grab Count.
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