Star People

Chapter 16

Round Two

Aug 12th, 12 AE…

After months of surveillance, preparation and waiting, the Planet Ravager had finally been detected. In the Conference Chamber of the Council of Prime Directors, the leaders of the Star Alliance discussed the matter.

“How the Hell did that thing end up in Bisra?” Nasaak asked as he and his comrades looked upon the main holo-viewer.

“According to all reports and speculation,” Nerto explained. “When the core ejected itself, it dove into the waters off the west coast of Vados, and slowly made its way toward the Bisra continent. When it arrived on the Bisra continent, it sought out the most compatible source of energy and materials and buried itself deep within one of Bisra’s magical ore veins. It’s been slowly rebuilding itself since that time.”

“Why didn’t it stay on Vados? Surely it had greater amounts of magical ore than Bisra?” Anida asked.

“Remember, it ejected its core to flee its enemies. Staying on Vados would have been illogical. And it’s very likely to have kept is energy emissions on such a low level that we couldn’t detect it until now.”

“Well, now that we’ve located that damned thing, we should destroy it as soon as possible.” The Catian Director pointed out.

“Well, there’s a bit of an issue.” Benjamin pointed out. “We have the general location of the Planet Ravager, but not its exact location. It seems to be using a distortion field to mask its exact coordinates. Furthermore, there have been sightings of mechanoids in several different sectors of the continent. Most likely using them as diversions to keep us occupied.”

“So how are the local people handling them?” Viska asked.

“Quite handily, in fact. Those upgrades to their technology seem to be working.”

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The town of Durano, Bisra continent…

The citizens of Durano were extremely thankful that the barrier system had been installed. Though they had been told that it wasn’t magic, it still looked like the magical barriers that great wizards were able to cast. However, they could never cast a shield big enough to cover the entire town. Nor could they keep up a barrier for more than five minutes. The barrier that was protecting them from a mechanoid assault had been on for more than two hours.

In the center of the town was a technological spire that was about 10 meters tall. This was an omni-directional deflector-shield generator, courtesy of Free Land. The barrier itself was nothing more than a transparent energy dome, but It was able to deflect incoming physical impacts up to 10 kilotons of TNT. The mechanoids were unable to penetrate it and therefore were kept from slaughtering the inhabitants. Presently, ten of the Heavy Assault, Ground-Types was pounding away at the barrier on the north side of the town.

And as the mechanoids were making futile attempts at breaking through the barrier, high above in the sky, a number of P-40 Warkhawks circled as they prepared to unleash the newest weapon in the Atlans Army Air Corps’ arsenal, the armor-piercing rocket. Each fighter carried three rockets on each wing for a total of six per fighter. Originally meant to take out enemy tanks and fortified positions, the Atlans military believed the new five-inch rocket to be perfect weapon to be used against the mechanoids.

In addition to the blueprints for the P-40 Warhawk, the Star Alliance had also given the Kingdom of Atlans the design for the High Velocity Aerial Rocket or HVAR from World War Two. With a bit of tinkering, the Atlans engineers were able to develop a very primitive, electronic firing mechanism. The rockets could be fired off one at a time, in pairs or all at once.

For this mission, the P-40 pilots were instructed to subject the mechanoids to a full barrage.  The entire squadron of twelve fighters began diving at their opponents in groups of three each. In the lead trio, the squadron leader squeezed the trigger on his control stick and fired off all six of his rockets. His wingmen did the same. Just after releasing their payloads, they pulled up to gain altitude as the following groups made their attack runs.

A wave of 72 rockets streaked toward their targets. With such a massive number being fired at them, the mechanoids could not hope to avoid them all. Seven out of the ten monsters took direct hits and sustained damage as their crystal shells cracked under the explosive impacts. Their cores were also damaged and this caused them to fall apart. The remaining three tried to escape but the P-40s didn’t let up and strafed the mechanoids with thousands of rounds of fifty-caliber armor-piercing, incendiary ammunition. Eventually they were successful in destroying all the mechanoids.

The people in the town cheered as the last of the crystal monsters went down. The Warhawks above them did several victory loops and flybys.

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The city of Bertera, a major trading city in southern Bisra…

“Open fire!” The lead tank commander shouted.

The new tanks fired off their 76mm high-velocity guns at the approaching mechanoid horde. Several of them were knocked down as the shells impacted hard against their crystal bodies. Like the Warhawks, the armored vehicles were based on old World War 2 designs, specifically the Sherman M4A3E8 or Easy Eight tanks. With more powerful engines, a redesigned suspension, and a better gun design than the old 37mm variants, the new Justifier tanks were by far superior to their predecessors. They were also supplemented by rocket and gun artillery units.

As the tanks and artillery thinned out the numbers of the mechanoids, a few Scrapper units were deployed to finish off survivors. As the Mini-Mechs jetted onto the battlefield, military observers and upper brass watched with interest.

General Vigran Marse of the Atlans Third Army was impressed by the performance of the Justifier tanks, but was still envious of the Scrappers. In addition to their standard armaments, the Mini-Mechs could be equipped with a variety of different equipment or Combat Packs as they were called. The general firmly believed that if they could convince the Star Alliance to give them the plans or let them keep a few Scrapper units, then the Kingdom of Atlans would be able to defend itself against any foe. Currently, the present Scrappers were all being piloted by Free Land officers on loan. He watched through his binoculars as a Scrapper grabbed hold of a mechnoid and impaled its core with a pile bunker. The humanoid tanks easily dispatched their opponents, ending the battle in less than five minutes.

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The Bisran Sea, three miles off the southern coast of Bisra…

“This is nice!” Ensign Verales Vox said as he and crew rode in the newest addition to the Atlans Navy, the Sea Shark.

Modeled after the Patrol Torpedo boats or PT boats of World War 2, the new Sea Sharks were fast, agile and heavily armed. At the front and back of each ship were dual-mounted heavy machine guns. Also at the front was a 20mm cannon, which was derived from the Oerlikon cannon. On each side were torpedo-racks which allowed the crew to launch four anti-ship torpedoes. In the rear was a small cache of depth charges. And the ship was powered by three, V-12, liquid-cooled engines, which allowed the ship to reach speeds of up to 30 knots.

The new torpedo boats gave the Atlans Navy a fast response and recon vessel with enough firepower to take on larger threats. One such threat was the Water-Type mechanoids that were spotted earlier. They were like oddly-shaped fish that had pointed fronts for ramming as well as blade-like fins for slicing. They had already sunk three cargo transports and were heading toward the port city of Marda.

Three Sea Sharks were sent out to intercept the five mechanoids. As they got within range, two of the Sea Sharks launched a pair of torpedoes. They were unguided but were equipped with new proximity fuses, which replaced the old contact fuses. They didn’t need to score a direct hit. The torpedoes could also be detonated remotely using a special radio frequency, also a gift from Free Land. As the mechanoids swerved to avoid the incoming torpedoes, the crews on the Sea Sharks activated their detonation devices.

Four explosions occurred almost simultaneously in the water. Though the mechanoids avoided the impacts by about 10 feet or so, the shockwaves still traversed through the water and managed to crack their shells and damage their cores. As a result, the monsters were destroyed and the threat was eliminated.

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The Council of Prime Directors…

“So far, these are just minor skirmishes and the people of Bisra are handling them.” Benjamin stated. “However, it’s only a matter of time before the Planet Ravager ramps up its production rate. And this time, I doubt we can trick it with another virus.”

“Yeah, and I don’t think we could defeat it again like the last time.” Nasaak added. “That thing probably learned from its mistakes and won’t open its maw again to let us shoot into it. So the real question is, how do we defeat it for good?”

“The number one priority is to contain it and prevent it from mass-producing its mechanoids.” The blue-skinned Kyteeri Director said. “Have there been any plans made for the next time we encounter it?”

“There have been several strategies that have been in development over the last few months, though we cannot say for certain if they would be feasible, unless we use them on the Ravager when it appears.” Nerto said.

“That’s pretty risky.” Viska pointed out. “We need a strategy that we can be reasonably certain will work before the Ravager makes its return.”

The entire Council went silent as they considered the problem. After a long while, the Catian Prime Director made a suggestion.

“The portable barrier projectors have proven to be effective against the mechanoids, have they not? Why not use those to contain the Ravager?”

“That’s an idea but those projectors do not have enough power to keep it contained for long.” The Velor Director admitted.

“Maybe that’s all we need. We only need to contain it long enough to get it off this planet. With no materials to repair itself, or to create mechanoids, in the vacuum of space, it will eventually exhaust itself.” Nasaak then turned to Benjamin. “As I recall, the people of Earth managed to envelop the Ravager after temporarily shutting it down, correct?”

“Yes. We coated it with a Duralyte polymer.” The Terran Director replied. “It was the same material we used to preserve the Missouri before it was rebuilt as a star battleship. We also found out that the Ravager couldn’t use the material to make more mechanoids and the substance slowed down its movements.”

“Then we have our answer. Is it possible for us to create a large quantity of this polymer?”

“I suppose we could. How much do you think we will need?”

“As much as you can make. At full size, the Planet Ravager is as big as a Vanguard-Class destroyer, so we’ll need double that volume, just in case.”

“What are you planning?” Anida asked.

The old Catian smirked and let off a chuckle. “On Catlana, there was an insect predator called a Chiltar. It trapped its prey in a mass of gooey substance. We’re about to trap our prey in the same manner.”

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Aug 29th, 12 AE…

The Planet Ravager’s location had finally been pinpointed. It had taken refuge in, of all things, a dungeon. The same kind of dungeon one would expect in a fantasy world.

In the southwest area of the Bisra continent, there was a large dungeon located near a volcanic region. Adventurers had gone to the dungeon before, but due to the Kingdom of Atlans’ reliance on technology more, rather than magic, the dungeon was only seen as a source for magic stones and fuel. And since the region was near a gigantic and active volcano, it wasn’t considered a very safe place for most people.

After triangulating the appearances of the mechanoids, it was determined that the Planet Ravager’s core had taken over the dungeon and was using its magic stones and monsters as resources to rebuild itself and create its minions. Energy readings were hard to determine due to various interference from the volcano and the magical ore. It was only due to a chance sighting by a surveillance drone as some mechanoids emerged from the dungeon’s entrance.

After receiving the news of the Planet Ravager’s imminent return, the Star Alliance immediately began making preparations. Duralyte polymer production was ramped up as new weapons were being constructed. Many of the Mech and Starfighter pilots were called back to active duty as Free Land again went on full alert. There would be no more second chances. They had to defeat the Ravager this time around.

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Aboard the Yorktown, Commander Miriyo wondered what the crews were loading onto her fighter. It wasn’t the usual high-explosive bombs or missiles. They resembled fuel wing tanks but carrying an external fuel supply was unnecessary due to the efficiency of the Byatta’s plasma engines. However, she also received word that she and her squadrons were going to take part in a very important bombing mission against the Planet Ravager. The new devices were later explained to be specialized bombs, designed to immobilize the Cryterian menace.

The new weapons were actually bombs containing a quick-curing variation of the duralyte polymer that had been used to preserve the Missouri. The Council’s plan, in theory, was to douse the entire Planet Ravager in that polymer, thereby immobilizing it long enough for the Star Alliance to transport it into space and send it into this world’s Sun. Within that massive, natural fusion reactor, the Ravager would eventually be deconstructed into its component atomic particles.

However, the Star Alliance would have to move quickly. Once the Planet Ravager resurfaced, the Battle-Mechs would need to contain whatever mechanoids it produces and keep the Ravager occupied for the Starfighters to make their bombing runs. And since the Cryterian weapon adapts to its foes, if this plan fails, then they wouldn’t be able to use this tactic again. And Free Land didn’t want to resort to planetary bombardment.

Just as the last of the polymer bombs were loaded, an alert sounded throughout the Yorktown’s main hanger. The Planet Ravager had just been spotted and all hands were to report to battle stations immediately. Miriyo grabbed her helmet and began running toward the briefing room. She was joined by her husband James and the other Byatta and Star Hawk pilots.

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The bridge of the Missouri…

“Captain and First Officer on the bridge!” Harken announced as Mark and his wife Reelan entered and saluted the crew.

“As you were.” Mark said as he and his First Officer sat down.

The star battleship was already beginning to take to the skies, and would soon be joined by the Johnston, the Yorktown, the Lexington and their defensive fleets. Every Starfighter aboard the carrier was armed with the new polymer bombs while the Battle-Mechs were being prepared for immediate mass deployment onto the continent of Bisra. Unlike Euracon, the government of Atlans gave Free Land full permission to enter and destroy the Planet Ravager.

The Kingdom of Atlans had also begun mobilizing its own military forces. Thankfully, the Planet Ravager had taken refuge in a mostly uninhabited region of Bisra, and therefore the military could use the full range of its firepower against it. Although they were still nowhere near the Star Alliance’s level, the upgrades they had received from them gave the people of Atlans a better chance. The new Atlans Third Armored Division was being deployed with more than 350 tanks. They would be supplemented by 100 Scrapper Mechs, most piloted by Star Alliance officers.

However, among them would be a few Atlans officers, including Third Lieutenant Akar and Captain Lenns. Both men had been recently promoted after finishing their Battle-Mech training. For this mission, they would be assigned to the 472^nd Battle-Mech division and be under the command of Jerry Vandelin. In the Battle-Mech divisions, the rank of Mech-Commander superseded an Army Captain.

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The Battle-Mech Base in Bisra…

Even though he was happy to be piloting an actual Battle-Mech, he felt that his Scrapper was puny in comparison to the giants that stood nearby. Hodder, Jans and four other Atlans officers waited patiently in their machines as the ground crews were arming their weapons and loading special equipment. They would be equipped with micro-missile launchers and some plasma grenades.

Suddenly the ground shook slightly as a Star-Gladiator walked toward them. It stopped within 10 meters of them. Within his cockpit, Jerry made his machine give a sharp salute to his subordinates. With practiced ease, all six Scrappers raised their right arms and saluted him back. He then spoke to them on the communications wavelength.

“Greetings! I am your commanding officer and leader of the 71^st squad of the 472^nd Battle-Mech Division. I am Commander Jerry Vandelin. This will be your first combat mission as Battle-Mech pilots. Be proud of all your training and hard work!”

“Yes sir!” All the Scrapper pilots said in unison.

“We will among the first squads to engage the enemy. Do not fear the mechanoids. The Battle-Mechs were built for this very purpose. Your Scrappers are small but tough. And one Scrapper is more than a match against a hundred mechanoids. I expect you all to perform to the best of your abilities in defeating the enemy and safeguarding this world. Complete your final checks and preparations. We will be shipping out within the hour.”

“Yes sir!”

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An hour later…

Both Lenns and Akar were feeling tense as they had their Scrappers board the transport known as a Bot-Hauler. As their machines were locked into place inside the module, the larger Hunter and Star-Gladiator Mechs also took their positions. The ramp then retracted and the front of the module closed up.

Inside the module, each pilot could hear the engines of the Bot-Hauler begin to power on. In less than a minute, the transport took to the skies, along with all the others as they took the most direct course to the southwest region of Bisra, and the Planet Ravager.

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The Yorktown and the Lexington…

“All pilots, launch immediately!” Admiral Tarhesse announced as her navigator announced that they were nearing the battle zone. On the Lexington, her sister Silana also gave the command to launch her ship’s compliment of Byattas and Star Hawks. In less than a minute, hundreds of starfighters were in the air and heading toward the volcanic region where the Planet Ravager was set to emerge.

Flying in formation with the two carriers, was the Missouri, Johnston and over two hundred cruisers and destroyers. Among them were the two Supernova-class battleships, the Iowa and the Illinois. On the bridge of Iowa, General Kurdo stood with his best friend and comrade, Admiral Kajor, a Velor veteran of the war against the Cryterians. At over 300 years old, he was nearing the equivalent of late middle-age among his people and had also been near retirement before being called back to duty.

The battleships, cruisers and destroyers would be providing support fire and prevent any mechanoids from escaping outside of Bisra’s territorial waters. As they were nearing the continent, they received word that the 472^nd and 212^th Battle-Mech divisions had started deploying their units.

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In the Battle-Mech dropship, serial number 71-A7, also known as Bot-Hauler 71, Lenns Hodder and Akar Jans made final preparations within their Scrappers as the red warning light inside the module went off. That meant that the dropship was going to release its payload in two minutes. The other Scrapper pilots and those of the 71^st Mech-Squad also prepared to be deployed. The light then turned green and the entire module shook suddenly as it was released from its parent ship and dropped a short distance to the ground. The g-force nullifier on the underside of the module slowed down its descent, allowing it to make a soft landing. The front ramp extended out as the front hatch opened up.

Disengaging their locking clamps, the Scrappers were the first to exit the module. A few seconds later, the Hunters and the Star-Gladiator followed. They found themselves in a sparse forest area with numerous rocky formations. Almost immediately they were attacked by a dozen spider and crab mechanoids.

Lieutenant Lenns’ Battle-Mech training immediately took over as he and Akar used their g-force nullifiers and boosters to swerve to the right. The other Scrappers swerved to the left. Engaging their targeting computers, they immediately began firing their mini-vulcan guns at their foes. Though their caliber was only 7.62mm, the armor-piercing rounds smashed through the crystal shells and destroyed the cores. One crab jumped toward Lenn’s cockpit.

With adrenaline pumping, Hodder reacted swiftly, making the right arm of his Mech rise and opening up the tri-manipulator hand. He caught the mechanoid in midair and caused the mech’s hand to clamp down on it. As the monster struggled, he engaged the pile-bunker. The sharp, metal spike stabbed through the mechanoid’s shell and pierced its core. As the mechanoid broke apart and the spike retracted back into its housing, the Mech’s sensors alerted the pilot of some more approaching enemies. As he engaged the screen’s magnifier, he saw a quartet of what appeared to be giant, crystal scorpions. Each was about the size of a two-story house. In addition to being armed with wicked-looking claws, but their tails were firing off beams of energy.

Then his blood ran cold as the scorpions changed direction and began heading toward a platoon of Justifier tanks that were nearby. Though the tanks were putting up a heavy barrage of explosive shells, these new monsters shrugged off the attacks and advanced toward them, intent on tearing them apart.

Just as Lenns and Akar were about to rush to their rescue, they were cut off as the Star-Gladiator Mech stepped in front of them and aimed with its 100mm Machine Gun. A few, well-placed shots and the scorpions were reduced to piles of crystal shards.

Lenns thanked Commander Vandelin over the communicator as the Free Land officer signaled his squad to start advancing toward a nearby ridge, next to the entrance of the dungeon and at the foot of an active volcano. All of a sudden, the ground began to quake as something massive began to move toward the surface. Many cracks and fissures appeared around the area near the near the dungeon. Finally, in one massive eruption of rock and debris, the dungeon exploded, forcing all Battle-Mechs, tanks and other armored vehicles to fall back.

The Planet Ravager emerged from the newly-formed crater on eight, jointed legs. Unlike before, these appendages were much thicker and the joints were well-protected with armored plates. The entire body of the Ravager had extra crystal plating all over and numerous sharp edges. It had also armed itself with claws and talons. And near its feet were tens of thousands of newly-made mechanoids. This time, Ravager was determined in completing its task of destroying all life on this planet.

Almost immediately, the Battle-Mechs began firing. Several hundred of the smaller, lesser mechanoids broke apart under the barrage, but the Planet Ravager easily replaced those that were destroyed. After absorbing nearly all of the usable material in the dungeon, the Cryterian doomsday device had ample resources to draw upon. With no virus hindering it this time, its production rate of mechanoids began to increase with every passing moment.

Commander Vandelin frowned as his readouts showed that the mechanoids had begun to push the Battle-Mech forces back. Eventually the monstrosities would overwhelm them by sheer force of numbers. Some squads were already reporting that they had used up two sets of reloads. They needed something to ease the pressure off of them.

Their prayers were soon answered as the Star Hawks and Byattas appeared in the skies and gave out warnings for the Battle-Mechs to clear the immediate area. As the Star Hawks dealt with the Flying-Type mechanoids that were sent out to intercept the newcomers, the Byattas assumed bombing formations. The first wave, lead by Commander Miriyo dove in to drop their payloads on top the Planet Ravager. Thousands of bombs rained down upon the Cryterian abomination. Its sensors detected no explosive or harmful materials within in. They appeared to contain nothing but an inert substance. Considering the bombs as no threat, the Ravager made no attempt to evade or protect itself from the seemingly harmless objects.

Its assessment of the bombs quickly changed as they impacted against the crystal surface and released an amber-colored liquid. The bombs released hundreds of thousands of gallons all over the Ravager. The liquid started to solidify, adhering to it. In less than fifteen seconds, the entire Planet Ravager was coated in a thin layer of Duralyte polymer. It found itself moving sluggishly, like a beast trapped in a tar pit.

Seeing that the Ravager’s movements were being affected by the polymer, Commander Miriyo ordered the second wave to begin its bombing run. Another wave of Byattas flew in and dropped their payloads. More Duralyte polymer was doused onto the Cryterian menace. Its movements began to slow down even more. A third wave was ordered. Soon the Ravager’s movements resembled that of a dying tortoise.

Encasing the Planet Ravager in Duralyte polymer not only restricted its movements, but also prevented it from creating more mechanoids. As a result, the Battle-Mechs and Atlans tanks took advantage of this opportunity and began obliterating the mechanoids that were still on the battlefield. The tide of battle began to swing back in favor of Free Land and its allies.

However, the Planet Ravager wasn’t going to go down easily. After analyzing the chemical makeup of the polymer, it started using a countermeasure. Its entire body begin to shimmer and shake at a very high frequency. Section of its body started to slough off the Duralyte polymer.

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“What the Hell is it doing?” Mark asked as he watched the main holo-viewer on the Missouri’s bridge.

“Sensors indicate that the Ravager is causing its entire body to vibrate at an extremely high frequency.” Ensign Taichen stated. “Since the Duralyte hasn’t fully cured yet, the Planet Ravager is trying to shake it off its body. It might just succeed!”

“Can we drop another load of polymer on it?”

“While it is vibrating at that rate, any more polymers that we drop onto it will be easily shaken off. I estimate that it will free itself from the Duralyte in about five minutes.”

“Damn it! We’re so close!” Reelan said with a frown.

Mark also shared his mate’s frustration as he wondered what could be done. Then, he saw the image of the volcano that was nearby and got a crazy idea.

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The bridge of the Iowa…

“You want to make that volcano erupt?” Admiral Kajor asked after Mark explained his plan.

“That’s a pretty crazy idea.” General Kurdo admitted, and then he smiled. “I like it.”

Mark nodded as he spoke through the Missouri’s bridge holo-viewer. “The Duralyte polymer will only restrict the Ravager for a few minutes more. We only have enough for one more bombing run. Therefore, I suggest that we force the volcano to erupt and send a lava flow towards the Ravager. There should be more than enough to encase the whole thing. The crater it formed when it emerged from that dungeon would make a perfect basin for the lava to flow into.”

“We’d be putting the Battle-Mechs and our Atlans allies in danger, since they’re pretty close to the base of that volcano.” Kajor pointed out. “However, I cannot think of any other plan at this moment, so we’ll have to go with this crazy notion.” He turned to his communications officer. “Relay these orders to all other ships. We are to aim for the base of the volcano near where the magma pressure is greatest. We have to make that thing blow its top!”

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As Kajor’s orders were being relayed to the rest of the fleet, the Battle-Mechs and Atlans tanks were hammering away at the mechanoids. The Seventy-First Squad was among the first to be told of the plan to make the volcano erupt.

“Are they insane?!” Lenns asked as he made his Scrapper take out a trio of spider mechanoids.

“They don’t have a choice!” Jerry stated as he blew away a Heavy Assault mechanoid with his Beam Rifle. “They don’t have enough polymers to coat that thing again! We have to keep that Ravager in place long enough for them to get that volcano to spit out lava!”

“How are we going to do that, Sir?” Gracs asked as he ignited his Battle-Mech’s Beam Sword and cut another Heavy Assault mechanoid in half.

Jerry used his Battle-Mech’s scanners to survey the area, and then he caught sight of a large cliffside overlooking the crater.

“Lieutenant, remember our little party with the Cryterians on Sirius Two?”

The Catian nodded. “Operation Avalanche?”

“That’s right. We’re about to play some rock n’ roll with real rocks! Come on!”

He began leading his squad and several others toward the cliffside.

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“Aim the pulsar guns at the base of the volcano. Set them at ten percent. We don’t need to destroy the volcano, just add enough pressure to make it erupt!” Mark ordered.

“Pulsar guns armed and ready.” Reelan announced.

“Lock on and fire!”

The Missouri’s main turrets swung about and let loose with short beams of anti-protons. The Johnston, Lexington, Yorktown, Iowa, Illinois and all the other ships started to focus their gun batteries on the same area. They weren’t firing at full force, but using precise and measured shots. Soon, the pressure within the super-volcano began to build.

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“Are those demolition charges set up?” Jerry asked as he set his explosives at a key point on the cliff.

“They’re all set up.” Lieutenant Gracs confirmed.

As the 71^st Mech Squad and the Scrappers gathered near an area overlooking the crater, they could see that the Planet Ravager was almost free of the Duralyte polymer. At that moment, they got an urgent message from their commanders to immediately evacuate the area. The volcano was about to erupt.

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Near the crater, the Battle-Mechs and Atlans tanks began to fall back as the volcano started to quake. Offshore, the Missouri and the other ships sent one final volley into the base and began a chain-reaction that was unstoppable. The huge volcano erupted as a gigantic stream of lava started to pour down the side towards the crater. Just as the Planet Ravager finally freed itself from the Duralyte polymer, Commander Vandelin gave the order to detonate the charges.

The cliffside exploded as the demolition charges were set off remotely, causing huge fragments of rock to come crashing down on top of the Cryterian menace, distracting it long enough for the lava to flow into the crater and fill it up. As the Ravager began to sink into the lake of molten lava, it thrashed about in vain. The volcano let loose with another blast as more lava spewed forth. Large flaming stones were hurled into the air and would crush anything they landed upon. Thousands of mechanoids were destroyed as they were either engulfed in lava or flattened by falling rock.

“Look out!”

As one huge flaming boulder came down toward his Mech-Squad, Commander Vandelin acted quickly and made his Star Gladiator leap high with its boosters. His Battle-Mech crashed heavily into the boulder, knocking it off course and away from his men. However, the Battle-Mech was sent tumbling down the crater and into the lake of lava.

Inside his cockpit, warning lights and sounds lit up his console as his damaged Battle-Mech was starting to short-circuit and melt under the intense heat. Seeing no other option, he pulled hard on the ejection lever. The top of his Battle-Mech exploded off the torso. Thrusters underneath his seat were set off, causing his spine to be compressed as he was launched out of his doomed machine. He was flung more than 300 meters into the air as the chair’s parachute deployed itself. The remainder of the Battle-Mech exploded as the self-destruct mechanism automatically engaged to destroy anything of value for the enemy to find.

However, much to his dismay, Jerry found himself floating down toward the lava again. He was about to consign himself to death when a huge, mechanical hand appeared below him, and his seat gently landed in the palm. He looked up and saw a familiar Battle-Mech and its markings.

Inside his cockpit, Lieutenant Gracs smiled after extending his Mech’s arm out to rescue his commander.

“You didn’t think I was going to let my superior and best friend die, did you?”

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As the Planet Ravager slowly sank into the lava pool, the last Byatta bomber wave released their payloads of Duralyte polymer. The exploding liquid mixed in with the molten rock, adding to the viscosity and causing it to solidify. After the Ravager disappeared beneath the lava, the last of the surviving mechanoids were dealt with by the Battle-Mechs and Starfighters.

It was finally over.

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Sept 7th, 12 AE…

Out in space, the Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, along with several other ships, were about to send an old enemy to its final resting place.

On the bridge of the Missouri, Mark took a deep breath as this was his first time in space after spending a year on Istaria. He and his wife looked at the image in the main holo-view with a grim expression.

After the lava had cooled down, the Star Alliance wasted no time in getting the Planet Ravager into space. They had dug it out in a huge chunk of newly-formed of igneous rock and Duralyte polymer, which was about the size of a large city or a small asteroid. After making certain that the Planet Ravager was indeed immobilized inside its rocky prison, they had used g-force nullifiers and boosters to launch it into space past planetary orbit and towards the Sun. As it drifted towards the star, the Missouri prepared to give the man-made asteroid one final push.

“Prepare to fire the Neo-Proton Wave Gun!”

The bridge crew acknowledged his command and started activating the systems to the Missouri’s most powerful weapon.

“Initiating Wave Gun system!”

“All hands, to your stations! Neo-Proton Wave Gun preparations are underway!”

“Meson/Anti-Meson reactors preparing for neo-proton charge!”

A panel opened up on the floor, five feet in front of the captain’s chair. A seat and a control console rose up. On the console was a complex targeting computer, along with a trigger mechanism that resembled the grip of a gun.

“Ensign Gatsbu, you are the trigger-man!“

“Aye, Captain!”

The young Velor helmsman stood up from his usual station and walked over to the Wave Gun controls. This would be his first time in firing the weapon, though he was already well-trained in the procedures. As he sat down, the console lit up and a computer voice was heard.

[Confirm identity and activation code.]

“Primary Helmsman of star battleship Missouri… Ensign First Class Gatsbu… Designated by Captain Mark Delan as trigger-man… Activation code Alpha… 001853… Beta.”

[Does the Captain acknowledge?]

“Activation code acknowledged.” Mark stated.

[Initiating Neo-Proton Wave Gun deployment.]

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The bow of the Missouri split apart and slid to the sides, revealing a massive gun barrel. Sensor and energy field condensers moved into place along the length of the barrel. The muzzle opened up as all ships in the line of fire quickly moved out of the way.

On the observation deck, both Lenns and Akar were astonished as the ship revealed its greatest weapon.

After hearing about how the Planet Ravager was going to be disposed of by throwing it into the Sun, they had to cut through a lot of red tape and bureaucracy to be allowed to venture into space with the Missouri. The first people from Istaria to venture into space and it had been completely mind-blowing to them. Seeing their own planet from high above had humbled them, and seeing a portion of the Star Alliance Fleet in orbit, left them with no doubt that Free Land was truly the supreme superpower.

Alerts sounded off all over the ship as crew members went to their battle-stations in preparation.

----------

[Neo-Proton Wave Gun fully deployed.] The computer announced.

“Begin neo-proton charge for maximum payload and range… code Gamma… 0031873… Epsilon.”

[Acknowledged.]

----------

The meson/anti-meson reactors of the Missouri began generating massive amounts of power, which was fed into the Wave Gun’s energy collectors. A neo-proton generator started condensing a huge amount of the ‘ammunition’ that was going to be fired out the barrel. These were energized particles dubbed as ‘neo-protons’ and usually vaporized any object they came into contact with. In less than thirty seconds, the process was complete as the Wave Gun was ready to be fired.

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[“Neo-Proton Wave Gun armed and ready. Final activation code required.]

“Final activation code… Zeta… 008047… Omega.”

[Final activation code confirmed. Safety locks released. Target acquisition?]

“Target at coordinates… zero... zero… zero… lock on!”

On the holographic targeting screen, an image of the trapped Planet Ravager appeared some distance in front of the ship. Ensign Gatsbu took a deep breath as he grasped the gun-grip with his right hand. Light-dampening fields were deployed to protect the eyes of the crews from being blinded from the flash of the Wave Gun.

[Target acquired.]

Gatsbu took another deep breath as he waited for the Captain to give the word.

“Countdown on my mark, Ensign… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… FIRE!”

The Velor pulled the trigger.

The barrel of the Neo-Proton Wave Gun started to light up as energy was focused within it. The payload of neo-protons became supercharged as the power began to build and peak. Then all at once, a massive beam more than two miles wide and several miles long erupted from the bow of the Missouri and sped off toward the enormous chunk of rock in which the Planet Ravager was entombed in.

The beam completely enveloped the artificial asteroid and broke it apart, freeing the Planet Ravager within it. Although its crystal shell was able to withstand the sheer destructive force of the Wave Gun, it was unable to do anything as it was swept up in the momentum of the beam like a piece of flotsam caught up in a tsunami. The Planet Ravager, and the remains of its minions, was carried toward the Sun in seconds. Once it was caught in the star’s gravitational pull, it accelerated even faster, impacting the Sun’s surface and disappearing within that inferno of hydrogen and helium gases.

----------

On the bridge of the Missouri…

“Sensors indicate that the Planet Ravager’s energy readings are dropping fast.” Taichen announced. “It can’t keep up with the output of the Sun. Energy levels at fifty percent… forty-five… forty… thrity-five… thirty… twenty-five... twenty… fifteen…”

After a long stretch of silence, the Catian navigator announced the good news. “Ravager energy levels are now reading zero. The core is no longer active. That thing is dead.”

Cheers began sounding all over the ship and in the fleet as news of the Planet Ravager’s end reached them. Although the corpse of the Cryterian weapon was still intact, it was no longer creating any more mechanoids and the body would eventually dissociate within the Sun.

“Disengage Neo-Proton Wave Gun. That was a job well done, Ensign Gatsbu.” Mark commended.

“Thank you Captain.” Gatsbu then addressed the Wave Gun controls. “Disengage Neo-Proton Wave Gun. Deactivation code… Omega… 0041042… Alpha.”

[Deactivation code accepted. Disengaging Neo-Proton Wave Gun.]

As Ensign Gatsbu stood up, the chair and console sank back down into the floor. The barrel of the weapon retracted back as the two halves of the bow of the Missouri slid forward and closed up.

On the planet’s surface, more cheering could be heard in Free Land and Bisra as the news reached them. The nightmare was finally over.

----------

Sept 8th, 12 AE…

The Council of Prime Directors Conference Chamber…

“That’s not something I want to hear, first thing in the morning.” Benjamin said as he ate his scrambled eggs and toast. The Council had decided to have a breakfast conference and discuss the aftermath of the battle.

“We have to face the fact that our Battle-Mech technology may have been compromised.” Nasaak said as he cut off a portion of steak and chewed on it. “All of our Mechs, intact, damaged or destroyed have been accounted for, except for one.”

“Are you talking about Commander Vandelin’s Star-Gladiator?” Anida asked as she enjoyed her fruit bowl. “I thought the auto-destruct system had activated when he ejected.”

“It did, but the remains of his Battle-Mech were never found when we excavated the Planet Ravager. At least, not all of it. The main torso, one arm and both legs are still missing.”

“Perhaps the Battle-Mech was destroyed along with the Planet Ravager?” Nerto suggested as he ate from a plate of sausages. “We did send a very large amount of igneous rock into space. The Mech could have been embedded in that rock.”

“Not possible.” The Catian said with a firm tone. “We did a full scan on that mass and the only things inside of it were thousands of mechanoids and the Planet Ravager. The remains of the Star Gladiator weren’t among them. Besides, I did say that we didn’t find all of the Mech’s remains. We did find an arm and parts of the lower body. The remaining parts however; I can only guess that someone made off with them.”

“How do you know they were stolen?” Ben asked.

“We were mostly concerned with the Planet Ravager, so we didn’t start to look for the missing Mech until two days after the battle. By the time we located its position, most of the remains were already gone. There were signs of intense excavation at those coordinates. Someone went through a lot of trouble to steal those remains.”

“Just like a thief to rob a person while he’s busy putting out the fire in his house.”

“Indeed.”

“It’s still all right, isn’t it?” Viska said as she enjoyed her blueberry waffle. “The auto-destruct system destroyed all the Battle-Mech’s vital components and purged the computer files. It wouldn’t be possible for the natives of this world to build a fully-functional Battle-Mech. They might be able to reconstruct the general body, but that’s about all they could do. They would have no way to power it.”

“True enough.” Nasaak admitted as he took another bite of his steak. “I don’t expect whoever stole that damaged Mech to be able to restore it, but I’m still worried that they might use those remains to reverse-engineer an inferior and dangerous copy of our technology. Even a crude and inefficient Mech-Frame can become a dangerous weapon, especially in the hands of fools.”

“If that’s the case, which nation would be suspect of stealing our Battle-Mech technology?” Nerto asked.

“That list would include basically every nation, since each would benefit greatly with Mech technology, especially in military terms. However, if I had to narrow down the list, then I would have to guess either Euracon or the Sath, since both nations would hold the biggest grudges against Free Land and the Star Alliance.” Nasaak mused for moment and then added, “I would say Euracon would be more likely than the Sath. Empress Lexina wouldn’t jeopardize her relationship with us, especially with her Empire getting back on its feet now.”

“But Euracon is basically leaderless and is too busy fighting itself at this point.” Anida said as she took a sip of tea.

“We can’t rule out that possibility though.” Ben countered. “We’ll just have to keep a lookout for any signs of knockoff Battle-Mechs.”

“We also have to keep a lookout for one more thing.” The Velor Dirctor said. “When it comes to Planet Ravagers, there’s never only one. If one was able to follow our ion trails to this planet, then it’s very likely that others may do the same in the future.”

To be continued…

Author’s Notes

I’ll be taking a bit of a break so I’ll be uploading the next chapter in 2-3 weeks.