Shattered Freedom, Chapter Nineteen
#34 of Decision & Sacrifice
Biker Mice from Mars
In
Shattered Freedom
Chapter 19
By: Whipblade
"We have a lock on the tracking device sir." Clip stated watching the monitors.
"Is there any word about our mouse?" Lance asked.
"The beacon is working. Mace has entered and exited the left prison complex; he's back aboard his ship now." Clip frowned. "Do you think Throttle was with them?"
"Only one way to find out, isn't there?" Lance stood up.
*************
Mercedes smiled as she ran her hands willingly along the rough fur of her savior, her soft creamy-butter colored fur a complete contrast to his dark short course fur. She moaned as his broad snout nuzzled against her neck, his sharp teeth nipping at her fur, chattering in delight.
Their tails entwined. Their bodies merged as one.
The delight of being free still fresh in her mind, her current situation, as a sex slave hadn't sank in as she allowed her rat to do what he did to her. She so willingly allowed and participated in her first sexual experience.
Both of them closed their eyes, as their bodies gave into the ecstasy of climax. They missed the brief flash of light that surrounded them. The warmth of their bed and room soon gave way to an eerie chill.
"Mace?" her soft voice questioned, her purple eyes opening. "What?"
"hu?" Mace too opened his eyes, the familiar comfort of his room and his ship had been turned into a cold dusty floor of some unfamiliar craft.
Both naked and fresh from their encounter, they gazed in fear at the electrified prison bars and the dust they now laid in, the darkness deafening.
********************
Lance and Ma'ze headed towards the lift, anticipation of rat pummeling on their minds.
"Sir, the Pirate ship has detected us." Jade stated her fingers dancing frantically over her computer console controls. "The ship is heading in our direction, their weapons are online and in fire-ready mode."
Lance's hackles rose. "Engage Emergency Status." he ordered spinning on his heels, Ma'ze following.
Red lights flickered along the ceilings and
Magazine's ears flattened against his skull, his eyes narrowing. "Engage weapons, fire when powered." he hurried to the command consoles.
"Brace yourselves!" Chip hollered as the bright flares of laser fire erupted against Duo Scythe's outer hull.
The ship rocked with the powerful blast.
"Weapons ready!" Clip shouted. "Firing front lasers."
"They heard us." Lance growled bits of debris floated from the ship closing in on their starboard side.
"Knock a little louder Clip." Ma'ze ordered, his brindle fur ruffled.
"They're firing again!" Jade gasped.
"Returning fire; full power!" Clips' tail wrapped around his chair.
Duo listed to the side, then leveled again.
"Bigger ship heading in fast from the port side." Jade hissed at the size of it on her screen.
"It's one of ours." Chip stated, "Admiral Dark Wolfe's'."
*******
"Looks like your assumption was right, Admiral. Duo Scythe bit off more than she could chew." Cinder said. Her four arms quickly clicking buttons at her piloting station.
"Yes, that pirate ship is well away from the large station. Let's blow it up." Dark Wolfe growled.
"Duo Scythe is within range." Fayth stated. Her black ears alert for her Admiral's orders.
"Blow up the threat." Dark Wolfe repeated his order.
Domino pressed the red button with her middle finger. "Fire on one of our own will you?" Her large white teeth shone as she smiled at her stations screen.
********
"Sir! Admiral's ship is firing at the Pirate ship!" Jade hissed her long fur on end.
"Back up baby!" Chip growled ordering the engines to reverse at full power. "Come on." Duo slowly backed away but nowhere near fast enough.
"Aww shit!" Ma'ze grabbed his chair.
"We're in the blast zone!" Lance realized as the Pirate ship fired upon them unaware of the larger ship presence.
KABOOM!!!
************************
As soon as the warning lights flashed, Paige ran out of the infirmary, skidding around the corners as she raced down to where the mice were lodging.
Charley huddled against Modo, Ivy crying between them.
Paige raced into the room, "here!" She practically screamed opening a door, ushering Charley and baby inside. Modo squeezed in what looked like a padded closet he hadn't noticed before.
The ship rocked violently, Modo automatically wrapped his arms around Charley and Ivy.
"Hold her close." Paige ordered Modo as she shut and secured the crash room door.
The ship lurched, sliding backwards; Paige hit the edge of the bassinette hard. With a painful gasp, she and the furniture tumbled to the floor. Clawing her way free from the frills and baby items, she hurried to the lodgings exit, trying to get to Riff and Lee.
***********
A huge fireball erupted where the Pirate ship had been. The sizeable blast, several miles away, was far bigger than expected.
The bridge crew eyes grew wide.
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Lance shouted grabbing a hold of his chair. He watched the shockwave heading towards them.
A loud siren wailed encasing Duo in noise, bright red lights flashed along the doorframes and wall joints.
The fiery shockwave filled with chunks of debris crashed against the Duo Scythe. The force of the impact tossed Duo up, then flipped her backwards in space. She somersaulted while the shockwaves crashed into her, breaking off pieces as she rolled. When it was all over she rested belly up, battered with a gaping hole in her hull.
***************
The ship tumbled, throwing Paige and everything not nailed down around the room like a sock in a dryer. Blood dripped from her open mouth, as she lay sprawled amongst the living room furnishings.
Riff screamed as soon as the power faltered. Holding fast to the doorframe he couldn't tell up from down, or left from right.
"Riff! Stay still, I'm coming for you." Vinnie's voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.
"I want daddy!" Riff wailed as his red eyes searched desperately for anything. His ears twitched hearing shuffling movement.
Vinnie on hands and knees groped blindly, wetness he knew as his own blood leached from a gash on his shoulder. The emergency lights ceased once the ship rolled onto her back. Cutting his finger on a sharp object, Vinnie finally found Riff's tail.
"Alright, I'm here." He tried to soothe, following the tail to the boy dangling from the upside down doorframe. "I gotchya."
Riff let go of the door and took hold of Vinnie with a death grip.
"Shhhhh, it's going to be okay." Vinnie wrapped an arm around Riff. "Up on my back, there you go. Let's try and find someplace safe."
"Daddy's room has a crash room." Riff whimpered. As he shifted, lying against Vinnie's back, his small arms wrapped tightly around Vinnie's neck.
"Crash room?" Vinnie frowned. "I don't recall the emergency procedure manual mentioning those."
"I don't know where daddy's room is." Tears dripped from Riff's eyes, falling onto Vinnie's head.
"Shh, it's not far. We're just past the infirmary." Vinnie soothed, turning around he headed the way he had came.
********
Lance groaned as he stood up. His chair above him. "Status?"
Like the sirens, the lights and most power had died sometime during their tumbling. The flickering emergency red lights remained the only illumination for some parts of the ship.
"Upside down." Jade replied unburying herself from loose debris.
Struggling to stay up in his chair, Clip gripped his station. "We have a breach in sector five, deck seven to nine; locking the area down. Seven crew members unaccounted for in that sector."
Lance glared at the view screen. "Any word from Engineering?"
"That was engineering." Chip replied coldly.
"Can you get down alright Clip?" the lone feline asked the rat.
"Do Fish die?" he laughed undoing his buckle. FLUMP!
Jade giggled.
Ma'ze wiggled out from under loose debris, on all fours about to stand, something heavy fell. Ma'ze yelped as the 175-pound rat landed on him.
"Nice landing." Ma'ze groaned loudly pushing the rat off of him. "Next time wait till I move." he huffed.
"I planned it like that." Clip laughed getting to his feet. "Wouldn't want to rattle these bones too much."
"Is everyone accounted for?" Lance asked looking at the bridges roof.
"That we are, sir." Jade smiled warily.
"How are we gonna get this bird right side up without Engineering?" Chip questioned.
Looking to the floor, above their heads, and to the equipment there. Lance hummed. "See what we can flush Port side."
Magazine made his way, stepping over loose debris, to Lance. "Jade, we need enough of a boost to roll us only half way."
"As if I didn't figure that out," she giggled crawling over a decoration support beam. "Ali-oop?"
"Ali-oop." Lance agreed as he and Ma'ze linked their hands together. Jade stepped lightly on their hands, before using their shoulders.
Grabbing her chair, she dug her long claws into the fabric. "Got it." She said hoisting herself up. "Pull off my boots, please."
Lance and Ma'ze obliged the request, careful not to tug too hard and bring her down.
Ma'ze jumped seeing the large claws flex out once her feet were free. "Jeeez, I though ladies cut their nails."
Jade smirked as she swung herself forward, her hind claws catching the underside of the chair. "Not this feline, never know when they come in handy."
Lance watched as she gracefully braced herself, her hind claws digging into the chairs material backing. One hand clung to the workstations ledge, her claws scraping against the metal every time she shifted.
"The auxiliary power is just enough to keep life support active. No harm to the guidance, gyros are.... Non-existent." she paused trying to make sense of upside down fonts. "I can flush the air duct system; it should give us enough movement."
"But that'll take away from our oxygen supply." Chip warned.
"With engineering gone, I doubt it'll replenish itself." Clip hummed chin in hand.
"What about the nitro?" Ma'ze suggested.
"Our heating system? We'll freeze!" Jade interrupted.
"Do we still have nitro to flush?" Chip inquired.
"Yeah, it's housed in the center of Duo's belly, near what used to be engineering, deck six." Clip answered.
Lance tossed around the options in his head. "Flush the nitro, Jade."
"Yes sir." Sighing, she pressed one key at a time. "Flushing duct one now."
Duo groaned as she rocked slightly once.
"Flushing ducts two to four, now."
With a groan of metal, shifting of anything not nailed down, and a heave, Duo Scythe easily rolled onto her belly, rocking gently. The slow roll enabled the crew to walk while the ship righted herself.
"Shutting down." Jade smiled as she still stood, although now upside down.
"Wonderful job Jade." Lance smiled as he grabbed her waist, helping her right herself.
Ma'ze handed her, her boots. "Good thinking crew."
Smiling briefly, the crew headed to their stations, getting a better grip on the damage.
*********************
"Get off me!" Tweak growled as he shoved Ratchet aside
.
"Oaf!" Rolling onto his side, Ratchet groaned. "You okay Tweak?"
"Ain't nothing these old bones can't handle." Tweak grumbled in reply getting to his knees his joints making audible popping sounds.
"That is going to leave a bruise." Hummer grunted wiggling out from under a dented crash cart.
"Careful Hummer, It might be broken." Ratchet called crawling over to the other medical officer.
"Naw just sore, I'm a doctor too pal." Hummer chuckled. Flexing his fingers, bending his wrist and elbow he showed the large red mark on his forearm already starting to swell.
"Where's Paige?" Ratchet slowly got to his feet. His battered body felt like a used punching bag.
"She ran out of here, heading for the baby." Tweak stated limping to the doors. "I'll go and find her."
"We'll clean up and make room for casualties." Ratchet called out.
"In the dark?" Hummer grumbled looking around the room awash in red lights.
"Got to do something." Ratchet shrugged. "If we leave to find casualties, who'll be here to take them?"
"You and your sanity." Hummer smirked holding his arm. "This really hurts."
"What happened?"
"I think the wall or the cart or Tweak crunched it while we were being tossed around like bait in a bucket."
"Let me look at it."
"Only if I treat that cut on your forehead." Hummer smirked.
"Fine." Ratchet gave in, seeing his pals concern.
*************
In the scarcely used cells deep within the belly of the Duo Scythe, thick dust and gobs of fur fluttered about disturbed from their slumber on the floor.
Mace and Mercedes, both banged and bruised groaned prone on the floor, confused; their naked bodies a wash in the blue glow from the bars surrounding them.
Looking around trying to figure out "What the Hell just happened!?" Mace roared getting to his feet, his body sore from being tossed about with his female mouse.
Kicking the cell door, he was rewarded with an electrical shock that zapped his whole body giving him a good X-ray.
"Ouch." The smoking rat grumbled stepping back; he sat slumped in the center of his cell.
"There's no power except for our cell." Mercedes clung to her master.
"They were expecting me, and expecting trouble." Mace frowned.
"Who?"
"Do you want it alphabetized or just the laundry list?" Mace smirked grimly.
She didn't say a word, her grip loosening slightly.
**********
Admiral Dark Wolfe watched in horror as his fleets ship tumbled like a loose bolt in space. "Prepare for mass casualties!" he shouted over his shoulder to Domino.
The lioness sent fast words to Blood Claw's medical teams.
"Sir, the Duo is critical. Her engineering is lost, she's right side up but dead in the water." Cinder frowned. "Their distress signal is in auto."
"Bring us aside, we'll bring them aboard." The Admiral stated.
"Ready the shuttle, Duo's a class too big to fit in our docks." Razor Kon sent messages to the recovery teams and medical staff.
"Can we communicate with them?" Wolfe asked the communications tech Beth.
Shaking her ferret head Beth frowned. "I can't get any response from them." Her small delicate clawed fingers danced rhythmically. "It's either down, or they're not paying attention."
"Should we try the lights?" Fayth turned to her commander.
"It's old; hopefully someone over there remembers it." Dark Wolfe large paw stroked his chin in thought. "Go ahead Beth, give the lights a shot."
***
"Why is Blood Claw blinking blue and yellow lights?" Jade asked curiously watching them.
"Don't know, but their pretty." Ma'ze smiled. "Oooh purple!"
Chip chuckled. "It's a message. Our communication is down, along with a lot of things." Watching the lights repeat it took him a moment to realize the message. "Their sending a shuttle, have everyone congregate in the cargo bay, it's on the least damaged part of the ship."
"Great, they caused this and now we're abandoning our poor little ship?" Jade growled.
"Easy girl." Chip patted her back. "We wouldn't leave our ship in enemy territory." He soothed.
*****
"I'll check the prisoners, go find the medical staff, I'll catch up as soon as I'm done." Lance stated to Ma'ze.
Flashlights guiding their way, the brindle rat frowned. "Don't kill him Lance. We need him alive." Ma'ze reminded his sometimes-bad tempered friend.
"I won't, but we brought two beings over, not just the rat. I'm making sure it's not Throttle." Lance stated picking his way over the damaged walls and hanging wires. "Good luck." The Doberman called over his shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks." Ma'ze grunted tripping on a raised chunk of flooring.
Using all this weight, Lance pushed the cellblock door opened. Shining his flashlight around, he spotted the lone cell a glow with electricity.
"Mace?" Lance called picking his way over the items that staff stored in the empty seldom-used block. Coming to a stop at the active cell, he blinked at the brightness of the light.
"Lance?" Mace's yellow eyes widened. "Oh no."
"Who's this now?" Lance looked to the poor naked mouse.
"I'm Mercedes, sir." Blushing she hid herself behind her master.
"I see." Lance frowned. "Are you from the prison complex?"
"Yes, I am." Mercedes brushed her hair around her neck, trying to cover her exposed breasts.
Peeling off his uniform jacket, Lance shone his flashlight around to a panel. Pressing one of many buttons, the cell holding Mace and Mercedes started to glow differently.
A solid beam of blue light came up from behind them, electricity sizzling as it moved closer to the occupants.
"HEY!" She squealed trying to stay ahead of the beam. It squeezed her and Mace let than a foot from the doors, shoulder to shoulder.
Mace sighed as a new beam came from above, separating the two occupants completely.
"You could have asked." Mace snarled a twist in his lips.
"Yeah, and you'd try to escape. I don't trust you rat." Lance snarled back. The door Mercedes stood in front of ceased glowing and opened.
"Come a long." Lance smiled offering his hand.
Her creamy colored hand gracefully accepted. Placing his coat around her, he smiled. "Welcome to the Duo Scythe, sorry about the tumble, we expected just the rat to be here."
The cell door shut and locked, again sizzling with electricity. The beams inside the cell vanished; Leaving Mace alone in his 5 by 5 cell.
"Thanks you." Mercedes smiled wrapping the coat closed; it came just shy of her hips. She wrapped her tail around her, trying to keep her exposed self less so.
Lance turned to the lone rat prisoner. "How has your time with Throttle been?" Lance asked his voice light yet sarcastic. "Your looking well, a little beat up perhaps?"
Mace cocked his head. "Throttle? What does he have to do with this?"
"Throttle's an honorary Ikkywara cadet." Lance's grin turned predatory.
The corner of Mace's lip turned upright. "Well, your bitch is certainly much better in bed now. I hope you enjoy the new positions I taught him."
Lance didn't let the barb get to him. He just kept his brown eyes level with the yellows of the rat. "How many is on that prison out post?"
"Too many for the Ikkywara to hold off once they start their attack." Mace gave a wave of his paw. "But I wont be alive long enough to see the 'Wara fall."
"You know where we are located?"
"Who doesn't!? Hammer told us everything just to have a turn with the tawny whore." Mace grinned widely.
"Really?" Lance inquired. "Then Throttle is alive?"
"Hammer isn't why should Throttle be?"
"You're going to die, Mace. It's not going to be very pleasant way either." Lance warned. Turning and walking away, his hand on Mercedes shoulders, helping her over the junk strewn on the floor.
"You'll never get to the mouse in time! It's a prison complex where the weak are eaten alive!" Mace hollered at the fading footsteps. He frowned looking at his empty cell and the darkness past it.
***********
"Lance!" Modo called as he spotted the canine in the hall. "Ma'ze is gathering everyone in the main cargo bay. Paige is hurt, she's in the infirmary."
"Thanks Modo, are you and Charley on your way there?" Lance asked as he paused at the mouse.
"Charley and Ivy are there along with Riff and Vinnie. Lee hasn't been found yet." Modo frowned. "Riff was alone when it happened."
Taking in a sharp breath Lance swallowed. "Okay. Can you take Miss Mercedes there?"
"Yeah, I can." Modo wrapped his metal arm around her middle. "I'm Modo."
"Hi, I'm Mercedes." She smiled although invisible in the darkness.
************
Riff looked out at the speckled sky the ship coming into view appeared to him, enormous. Looking at the small pieces of debris floating along he couldn't help but wonder if his dad was dead. A small tear rolled down his tawny cheek.
"Riff, I love you. I've wanted to be in your life the moment I learned of you." Throttle's gentle voice soothed. "But, for this little while, we think we should share you. Help you adjust. It's either your mom, or a stranger baby-sitting." Throttle tried not to plead with his son.
"Daddy! I want to be with you!" the five year old cried.
Tears ran down Throttle's face. "I know son. I know. But it will only be for a short time." Choking back a sob he continued. "I love you Riff. Remember that."
"Don't go Daddy. Stay please!"
"I can't. You might understand someday, but I want you to listen to your surroundings, obey the laws and always remember, please remember that I love you."
Riff cried, his forehead pressed against the glass. "Daddy.." his small little black hand pressed against the cool thick glass.
"It'll be okay." Vinnie wrapped his arm around the troubled child.
Riff squirmed away before settling against the white mouse. "I want my daddy." He whimpered.
************
Cinder pulled along side the cargo bay. The shuttle was one of the biggest they had for such occasions. Backing up, she lined the Duo's cargo bay doors to the shuttles rear hatch. A slight bump told her she was a little too close.
"Release the seals." She hollered to her crew.
Domino released the seals. A light a top the rear hatch blinked green. "We're locked." The lioness stated.
"Open the doors and let see if we have to cut into the cargo bay or not." Cinder ordered from the front. Locking the Shuttle in position, she rounded her seat, heading to the back.
The hatch slid up, along the interior ceiling.
The double cargo bay doors looked solid enough. Domino Knocked on the metal. Nothing happened. "Pry it open." She ordered stepping back.
Razor Kon, his hulking eight-foot muscular dragon-like figure wielded a large power tool. Planting his feet, he used his tail and wings to brace himself against the powerful recoil of the large Spatchula Spreader. Jamming the flat end between the cargo bay doors, he wedged it in as far as he could before turning it on. Slowly the flat end spread, with each quarter-inch gained, Razor Kon pushed the machine in further. Slowly, so slowly the thick bay doors spread apart. As the large spreader reached its maximum range at two feet, he turned it off.
Dee-Dee Valdez, a mauve colored short furred feline eyed the opening carefully. "Usually the doors automatically open at this point, with or without power." She hummed. "Giver her a zap of juice, see if they click open with that."
"What tool?" Razor Kon tilted his large head carefully eyeing the cables she had brought.
******************
Ma'ze and Jade stood by the cargo bay door that was now almost opened. "The controls are dead, I'm not sure how or if there is a way to open them further." Jade told Ma'ze.
A zap of electricity sparked from the gap. The two doors clunked and clanged as they finished fully opening.
"Never mind." Jade said as the doors clanked to a stop.
"Commander Lance?" Cinder called stepping through the cargo bay doors.
"That's me." Lance stepped forward.
"I'm Cinder, pilot of the Blood Claw." The four-armed canine extended on of her lower paws.
"This is Ma'ze, Duo's sub-commander, he'll show you're team about." Lance directed her attention to the brindle rat with ripped clothing.
"First priority is to get the injured into the shuttle." Cinder stated. "We have four medics, two security personal, Dee-Dee will be assessing Duo's stability while we proceed with the evacuation."
"Dee-Dee? As in Dee-Dee Valdez?" Ma'ze gaped in amazement.
"Very same." Dee-Dee's soft lulling voice hummed in slight embarrassment, she offered her paw.
"You designed Star Gazer and the star ship Heero Wing, as well as numerous outposts and stations." Ma'ze went on, shaking her mauve paw enthusiastically.
"It's a pleasure to meet a fan." She blushed twisting her paw away from him. "Which way to the remains of the engines?"
"This way, please." Ma'ze's bright eyes and flash light led the way.
"What brings you this far into the Delta-quadrant?" Cinder asked Lance as the two ships medical teams worked to get the most injured onto the shuttle.
"Rescue mission now, That big out post over there is a prison complex holding a mass amount of Martian life forms, one of them an Ikkywara cadet, as well as the capturing of a wanted fugitive, Mace." Lance explained.
Cinder blinked in amazement, "When do you breath?"
Lance chuckled. "Everyone asks me that, yet I do some how find time to breath between words. So, will the Blood Claw be able to aid in the recovery of Martian life being held unlawfully prisoners?"
Cinder smiled softly. "Of course."
************************************************************
To Be Continued
Shattered Freedom 20
Rescues
Authors note : 20!! 20 chapters and still not done! 0_o