Chapter 85
Four beams of light pierced the massive flagship.
The pure white light emitted from the Queen Bee dealt what could be called fatal damage to Tarlmache's flagship.
However, the size difference between the ships was too great. A single shot couldn't sink that massive vessel, and the bridge was still intact.
'You messed up the finishing blow, Captain Kait...!'
Segari Gug's voice, filled with resentment, reached the Queen Bee, which had hijacked the comms.
Unlike Earth ships, interstellar ships come in all shapes. Tarlmache's flagship was better described as tall rather than long. Perhaps they had misjudged the location of the bridge.
And in the current chaotic battle, it was also true they couldn't fire at full power. Several Federation ships had gone after the fleeing Tarlmache fleet. While there was no objection to Amurajioru's judgment, their options had been limited. This clearly exposed the lack of coordination.
Kait also wasn't used to operating the Psionic Launcher. Not knowing the effective range, he couldn't recklessly increase the power.
"I'll admit it's tough, but your last allied ship just fell. You've lost."
'Not quite, not quite... not yet!'
The rear of the flagship lit up brightly. It looked like it was about to move its halted legs again. First, the ship's angle shifted. Kait scanned the area, wondering if it was going to charge at Traltan 4, but the front was moving in a different direction from the planet.
But realizing what lay ahead, Kait shouted sharply.
"Representative Amurajioru!"
'What is it, Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif)!?'
"The target is Traltan, the artificial celestial body!"
'What did you say!?'
Traltan, the artificial celestial body, had a powerful barrier. While Tarlmache's flagship wasn't comparable to Traltan or the Corporation's Vovrimos, it was still massive. If considered as a kinetic weapon, it was large enough to breach Traltan's barrier and strike the core. And it was charging at full acceleration. Repairs might be possible, but the staff packed inside wouldn't survive.
Destroying it with moderate firepower would be difficult. That seemed to be Amurajioru's assessment. Federation ships veered off their trajectory. They were probably trying to minimize damage. However—
'Carlos and those Earthlings are in there, aren't they!'
"So that's the target!"
If Carlos died, his resurrection point would be Tarlmache's base. More importantly, George and Liz hadn't received any backup for resurrection.
Kait quickly devised a plan to destroy Tarlmache's flagship and, furrowing his brow, raised the corners of his mouth.
"...We've been underestimated, haven't we?"
'Captain!? The output is—'
"We're gonna crush them, Queen Bee!"
A sudden burst of acceleration from zero. The Queen Bee instantly pulled away from the flagship. While flying through space, it gathered the necessary debris. It replenished more Worker Bees than usual, amassing debris in front of the Queen Bee.
"Emotion! We're going head-on. I'm going all out, so tell Representative Amurajioru to clear the firing line!"
'R-Roger!'
Fixing the debris until it nearly covered the front, they positioned themselves in front of the charging Tarlmache flagship. The active turrets glowed, but Kait ignored them and accelerated the Queen Bee.
Even with the debris in front, the mass difference was so great it bordered on reckless. Yet Kait's eyes showed no hesitation or doubt.
"We'll start with a ram attack!"
The beams and light bullets from the turrets were blocked by the Queen Bee's intense acceleration and barrier, never reaching the hull. With both sides accelerating, the moment of impact came swiftly.
Normally, the smaller ship would be crushed, both its barrier and hull shattered. Tarlmache's flagship would come out almost unscathed. That's why Amurajioru had pulled the Federation ships off course.
But this was the Queen Bee and Kait. Most of the debris amassed in front was blown away by the impact, yet some remained. And surprisingly, the Queen Bee and the flagship were evenly matched. The acceleration had stopped.
"Next, we'll bring its legs to a full stop. Emotion, give the orders!"
'Roger. I'll project the firing instructions from our current position.'
Using the internal structure scanned by Emotion, they targeted the key components of the propulsion system. Perhaps because of the ship's size, there were many. Kait didn't hold back, launching Psionic Rounds at each one.
With every shot, the pressure from the flagship diminished. Before all the debris dispersed, the Queen Bee began pushing the Tarlmache flagship.
A few more shots. The complete destruction of the propulsion system seemed to be done, and the Queen Bee's pushing force increased.
"Emotion! Are there any obstacles in a straight line from here!?"
'What's the distance!?'
"Not considering that right now!"
'Shift the firing line one unit down and two units left! At that angle, there are no obstacles within the observation range!'
"Got it!"
Stopping the acceleration, they discarded the little remaining debris. A bit of distance opened up between them and the flagship. They extended the four arms forward, aligning the Psionic Launchers.
Pouring in as much power as possible. The purple lightning dancing from his hair increased, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Adjusting the turret angle six degrees down and twelve degrees left. Just as he was about to confirm, a "Perfect" message came from Emotion.
"Segari Gug! I won't hold back this time!"
'Don't be ridiculous! You're saying you were holding back after all that—'
The unleashed white light swept away Segari Gug's words, the central part of the Tarlmache flagship, and everything beyond.
How many seconds did the barrage last? When Kait stopped, he saw the familiar darkness and stars, and the beam of light stretching off into the distance.
That too lasted only a moment. The Tarlmache flagship, now cleanly hollowed out at its center, began to collapse as if it had just remembered to.
There were no more life signs. As far as they knew, three people had been aboard the flagship. None of them were responding. Either obliterated or caught in the collapse early on.
Kait's attention had already shifted from Segari Gug and the Tarlmache flagship. As he maneuvered the Queen Bee backward to avoid the collapse, he asked his partner about something that bothered him.
"Emotion. When do you think that thing will disappear?"
'...Who knows...?'
"Maybe I overdid it a little...?"
'Captain.'
Emotion's voice was hesitant, but her next words were firm.
'It's not "a little." You overdid it.'
"I thought so?"
'Yes.'
It was energy expelled by his own psychic power. He wished it would vanish by psychic means, too.
But the world wasn't that convenient.
'Captain. I can sort of guess what you're trying to do, but—'
"Yeah."
'There's no sign of the beam weakening. In fact, I can sense a slight increase in energy. Stop it right now.'
"Yikes."
He hurriedly shifted his focus away from the beam.
Just then, a transmission came from the Federation fleet. Kait didn't want to answer, but Emotion seemed to have connected it automatically, and Amurajioru's flustered face appeared on screen.
'Kait, Third-Rank Citizen!?'
"Y-Yes?"
'A-About that beam...'
"Um. It's a new weapon, sort of."
'No, that's not what I meant. How far is it going to keep going? Any signs of energy fading or dispersing?'
"I... don't really know."
'U-Understood. I'll assemble a countermeasure team immediately. You return to the artificial celestial body at once.'
"Understood!"
I'm gonna get scolded. I'm definitely getting scolded.
Kait, for once, regretted having gone all out in a fit of anger.