FSE

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Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and intended for Adults only.

Gunnery Sergeant Helki opened an emerald eye and hissed. The red light above her nest flashed on and off, and the sound of her pad's emergency alarm filled her nestroom. Rolling out of bed, Helki groaned as she stood up, used her tail to grab her pad, and stumbled towards the door before her. The Gunnery Sergeant hissed again as the door opened. Stepping into the bright yet cramped room, Helki sighed as the heat from the light above bathed her naked, muscular body in warm light. Then, as the door to her small nest room closed, four sets of basking lamps switched on. Each set consisted of five basking lamps, installed vertically on a rotating arm and attached to a motor above the light that the Gunnery Sergeant was standing underneath.

“Fuck, that feels good," she said. A cursory glance at the pad and Helki knew that a space battle was looming. Swiping left, the Gunnery Sergeant read the briefing from the ship's Tactical Officer. A small fleet of Ericius ships had been detected, and the Matriarchy patrol was attempting to warn Border Station Five. Helki's Staff Sergeant and the rest of her gunnery crew were also being woken early from their scheduled sleep cycle.

A whining noise broke the Gunnery Sergeant's concentration as the basking lamps around her slowly began to rotate. Keeping her eyes closed and tilting her head towards the light above, Helki tried to absorb as much heat as possible. Helki's primary scale colour was light blue, covering most of her body, and her secondary colour was white. The white scales started from the front of her lower jaw, travelled down her neck, across her ample breasts, past her muscular stomach, over her most private areas, and ended on her inner thighs. Helki's bioluminescence was green, found in random locations all over her primary scale colour. As the basking lamps spun, the light emitted from her body intensified. When the Gunnery Sergeant stepped out of the small room, pad in hand, and into the corridor beyond, the off-grey walls reflected the vibrant green.

“I doubt I will ever get tired of that glow," said a voice to Helki's right.

Standing a few feet away was the Gunnery Sergeant's Second, Staff Sergeant Naltla. Like Helki, the Staff Sergeant was an eight-foot-tall mountain of muscle. Her claws click-clacking on the corridor floor echoed as she approached Helki.

“You see it every time there is a battle," the Gunnery Sergeant replied.

Looking at the Staff Sergeant, Helki noticed the lines of red bioluminescence on her thick and muscular thighs were shining brightly. The light made her charcoal black scales almost appear a deep crimson. Then, moving her eyes up Naltla's body, past her visible six-pack and impressive breasts, Helki stopped when she made eye contact with the Staff Sergeant.

“While true, I wish I could see it more often than I do," Naltla smiled as she flexed the muscles on her arms.

The Gunnery Sergeant rolled her eyes as the sound of opening doors pulled her attention away from the walking mountain of muscle that was her Second. The rest of The Matriarch's Blessing's gunnery crew was emerging from the remaining nine doors, five on each side of the short corridor. Each Viper had a similar physique to both Helki and Naltla.

“Have you read the briefing?" Helki inquired, and Naltla nodded.

“I have. Knowing the Captain, I would say that she wants to perform a rearguard action," the Staff Sergeant replied, “have the faster vessels run back to the station while the rest of us keep the enemy at bay," Naltla looked at the Vipers nearby as she finished.

“Form up!" shouted the Staff Sergeant as she stepped before Helki, “I want you all suited up and fed in ten minutes," Naltla ordered.

A series of affirmatives came in response as the gunnery crew lined up behind each other and slowly made their way through the door in front. Helki rolled her shoulders as she walked behind Naltla, and she could see the rest of her crew doing the same. As Helki stepped through the doorway, her armoured collar was on a shelf to the Gunnery Sergeant's right. The small rectangular room the gunnery crew had entered glowed neon blue as each Viper activated their heavy, armoured collars.

“Is it me, or is there something sexual about armouring up?" Naltla asked as she turned to face the Helki.

The skintight thermal layer of the Staff Sergeant's Nanosuit had finished covering her body from the shoulders down. Next came the first of several armoured layers. A neon blue glow emanated from Naltla's collar as the Nanos inside rushed across her body to create a flexible, resilient layer of armour.

“I am not entirely sure what you mean," replied Helki.

She raised her left arm and watched as the Nanos quickly made their way along its length. The Gunnery Sergeant flexed her fingers when they had finished covering the tips of her claws. The glow of Helki's collar dimmed as the last part of the thermal layer formed over the end of her tail.

“Are you sure?" Naltla asked. She jerked suddenly, bent forwards, and stood up again a few seconds later. The Staff Sergeant smiled when she noticed Helki was frowning at her.

“Trust you to enjoy that," the Gunnery Sergeant replied.

“We can go months without a proper release," she said as the first armour layer began to cover her head.

Looking at the Staff Sergeant, Helki watched as the next reservoir, attached to Naltla's armoured collar, activated. This new layer built sections of thick armour in specific locations: armoured boots protected Naltla's digitigrade legs, stopping just below the knee, Cuisses plating covered the Staff Sergeant's thighs, and a flexible cover appeared before her groin. Due to the average length of a Viper's tail, banded plating formed over the first third, with the subsequent third receiving wide bands, enabling the tail to keep its dexterity.

“Considering what you did to the last male who released inside you," the Gunnery Sergeant said as she flexed her armoured fingers, “having to wait months is probably a good thing," Helki finished with a smile.

“Ha, Ha, very funny," Naltla replied.

Looking at her Second, Helki watched as the Nanos built the Staff Sergeant's breastplate. Like all Vipers, herself included, Naltla's breasts were an impressive size. Usually, this would not affect a Viper's ability to do their work; however, when it came to Nanosuits, especially the armoured type, Engineers had to find creative ways to keep the wearer comfortable while maintaining the required protection. Adjustable banding protected Naltla's midriff, sides and lower back, with thick armour covering most of the torso. In addition, each armoured Nanosuit had a Gorget. Its purpose was to protect the Nanosuit collar and prevent any potential blows to the neck region.

“How do I look?" Naltla asked.

“Like someone ready for war," the Gunnery Sergeant replied. “Did you remember to adjust the shoulder pads?" she asked.

“Yeah, the Engineer adjusted the settings of my collar," she replied.

Attached to both shoulders were large oval pads. Their original purpose was to deflect incoming shots; however, due to the gunnery crew's line of work, they were just as effective against debris. Naltla tapped away at the console attached to her left wrist. It functioned identically to the pads used by all Vipers; however, this version was attached to the rear of the left armoured gauntlet. After a few more taps, the Staff Sergeant's helmet retracted. Starting from the end of her blunt nose, the Nanos opened up and rotated backwards, eventually stopping just above her collar.

“Did you change the open helmet setting again?" Helki inquired.

“Yeah," Naltlai replied with a smile, “I asked the Engineer to install all of them, and I have it on random," she then laughed when the Gunnery Sergeant rolled her eyes.

“Trust you to waste inputs," she said.

A klaxon sounded, interrupting their conversation, and the whole gunnery crew formed an orderly line. Stepping forward, the Viper at the front retrieved her requested glowing paste and then stepped through the armoured door in front of her. When it was Helki's turn, she picked up her bowl of black paste. The Gunnery Sergeant's foot-long tongue snaked its way out of her mouth, scooping up a large amount of paste before returning inside her mouth.

“It is a shame that we do not share a nest," Naltla said, “I think I could put that tongue of yours to good use," the Staff Sergeant smiled at Helki as her helmet formed around her head.

“Perhaps when we are back at the station," the Gunnery Sergeant replied, “for now, everyone, get to your turrets!" she ordered.

Helki stepped into the maintenance bay for Destroyer's laser turrets and looked around. Engineers were darting between workstations, machine shops, and turrets, and the air smelled of oil, grease, ozone, and Viper musk. Thankfully, the Gunnery Sergeant's helmet protected her ears from the high noise levels of the maintenance bay.

The eleven-strong gunnery crew rushed towards their designated laser turrets. Each one was sitting within its reinforced lifting cradle. In two rows, the Destroyer's turrets were positioned along the top of The Matriarch's Blessing's hull, with the ninth laser turret behind the reinforced bridge. Reaching their assigned turret, each member of the gunnery crew picked up their turret's power cable and securely plugged it into the rear of the cabin.

Helki and Naltla jogged past the gunnery crew and headed towards the two armoured doors on either side of the ninth turret.

“Do you ever get used to this?" Staff Sergeant Naltla asked. Her voice appeared inside Helki's helmet as though neither was wearing one.

“I doubt anyone gets used to fighting in a vacuum," the Gunnery Sergeant replied.

The armoured doors slowly swung open shortly after they had scanned their respective palms. Then, stepping into separate airlocks, Helki and Naltla waited for them to cycle. Once completed, the door in front of them opened into the corridor ahead. Both passages were identical and led to the final door. However, unlike the previous occasions, the two Vipers had to unlock them manually.

*****

Flight Lieutenant Nuki woke to the sound of John screaming. He had been asleep on top of her for the last few hours, and thankfully, the noise had been muffled by the fact that his head was in between Flight Lieutenant's breasts.

“John, what is it?" Nuki asked, concerned that she had hurt him while they both slept.

She sat up and pulled John away from her chest. Despite the gloom of her nest, Nuki's ability to see had not diminished. Looking at him closely, the Flight Lieutenant could see that John was still asleep.

“John? Wake up," she said, gently shaking him.

A few seconds later, John opened his eyes, looked up at the pair of glowing red eyes and shouted.

“Get away from me," he demanded, pushing himself away from the Flight Lieutenant.

“John, it is me, Nuki," she replied with a notable tone of concern.

She turned to face him as he moved to the other side of her nest and breathed in. Nuki picked up his body's hormones, confusion with a hint of fear, while her ears also picked up his rapid heart rate. Concerned, the Flight Lieutenant reached out to touch John, but he swatted her hand away.

“Where am I?" he demanded.

“John, you are confused," Nuki replied, “Calm your breathing. If it helps, I will stay here," she said calmly.

As the minutes passed, the Flight Lieutenant was relieved to see John's confusion disappear. When she thought he was back to normal, Nuki crept forwards on her hands and knees, stopping just before him.

“Nuki, what's going on?" he asked. Nuki sighed and then laughed.

“You screamed and then acted confused when you woke," she replied, “now you are back to normal and confused again," Nuki smiled at John as she finished.

“I think I was having a nightmare," John replied, “all I can remember is smothering," he then returned the Flight Lieutenant's smile.

“Perhaps we should change our sleeping position?" Nuki suggested.

“A good idea," John replied, “I'm not a fan of nightmares," he said. “How about we spoon?" John suggested.

“Spoon, what is that?" Nuki asked.

“Lie on your side, and then I'll put my back against your chest," John replied, “it's great for snuggling, too," he said.

“Oh, I understand," Nuki said with a smile.

*****

With the door locked tightly behind her, Gunnery Sergeant Helki turned around and looked at the heavy laser turret. Similar in design to the standard laser turrets, however, the heavy variant had four barrels instead of two. Everyone knew that when fired, a laser did not produce any recoil. However, they do make a lot of heat. Therefore each barrel had been designed to move backwards and vent the generated heat into a large heat sink at the rear of each barrel.

Additionally, heavy laser turrets had two firing modes. The first fired each barrel one after the other, and the second enabled the Gunner to increase the turret's firepower by firing all four barrels simultaneously. However, this firing mode generated dangerous levels of thermal energy. Experienced gunnery crews knew how many shots their turret could fire before any irreparable damage occurred.

Helki stepped forward, bent down and lifted the heavy power cable in front of her. The muscles in her arms and legs bulged as she picked it up with an audible grunt. A familiar voice appeared inside her helmet as the Gunnery Sergeant pulled the cable towards the turret.

“I swear these things get heavier," Naltla said through gritted teeth.

“You need to keep up with your weight lifting," Helki replied as she pushed the connector into the turret's power socket. Three clamps locked into place shortly after she rotated it ninety degrees to the right.

“Considering we share the same gym, you know that is not true," Naltla replied.

“Power cable locked," the Gunnery Sergeant said.

“Power cable locked," replied the Staff Sergeant.

“Make sure you run a proper diagnostic test before you give the okay to the bridge," ordered Helki.

“Yes, Ma'am," replied Naltla.

Helki stepped over the power cable and hurried to the Gunner's Cabin at the rear of the heavy laser turret. Identical in size and shape to those attached to standard laser turrets, the Gunner's Cabin contained all the necessary controls and monitors to operate it. Opening the reinforced door, the Gunnery Sergeant stepped in and squeezed herself into the oversized padded chair. Initially intended for Vipers of average size, most of the gunnery crew found the chairs to be a tight fit, thanks to their overly muscular bodies.

“I once heard a story about a gunner who tried to get a male inside one of these cabins," the Staff Sergeant said, “he almost suffocated when she sat on him," Naltla stifled a laugh as she finished talking.

“I am surprised that story was not about you," Helki replied, “starting the diagnostic test," she said.

“Heh, I have yet to find a male who wants a hulking mass of muscle to sit on his face," Naltla replied, “my test is already at fifty per cent," she boasted.

“Just ensure you do it properly," the Gunnery Sergeant warned.

“Understood," replied the Staff Sergeant.

*****

Captain Astet, leader of the Ericius ambush fleet, walked onto the bridge of her Cruiser and looked around the cramped room. Hot pipes, cables, and bulky monitors filled each wall of the rectangular room. The largest monitor filled the wall to her right, and the room stank of oil and sweat. As she took in the view of the bridge, the Captain noted several pairs of eyes looking up, and then just as quickly, the crew resumed their assigned tasks. Finally, Astet walked over to the raised dias to her left and sat on her throne. Unlike the Warmaster's throne of Viper bones, her's was made from steel.

The quills on the back of Astet's head rattled as she adjusted her sitting position, and appearing from the darkness, the Captain's assistant presented her with a tray of drinks. Glancing at the selection, she picked a glass of bubbly green liquid and downed it in one. Placing it back onto the tray, Astet looked at her assistant.

He was taller than the average male. At six feet in height, the Captain's assistant was a foot taller than most of the males aboard her Cruiser. His body was also muscular. She often enjoyed running her claws down his visible muscles, tracing their contours. Lastly, the colour of his skin and fur reminded Astet of the Warmaster. Thankfully, the Captain had kept him in her quarters when the Warmaster had last visited the Cruiser. She had heard the rumours about the Warmaster's voracious appetite for males and did not want her assistant to suffer the same fate.

Captain Astet watched as the Matriarchy ships attempted to flee. She had successfully kept her small fleet undetected as they traversed the Arroganza System. However, the Cruiser Captain was in a bad mood. No one had expected a scout patrol to appear along their planned route. Astet had considered warning the Warmaster and the rest of the Ericius fleet; unfortunately, she could not warn them due to their chosen method of travel.

“Status of the Viper fleet?" the Captain inquired.

“Their two Corvettes appear to be heading towards the enemy station," replied one of the female bridge Officers. “Our sensors indicate increased engine output," she pointed out.

“The remaining Destroyer and two Frigates have yet to come about and engage us," replied another.

“Tell our Corvettes and Scout ships to intercept them," the Captain ordered, “if we allow any enemy vessel to warn the Matriarchy station, the Warmaster will skin everyone," Astet warned. “Remind Engineering to keep an eye on our shields. We don't want them failing again," Astet ordered.

Outside, the three Scout ships and two Corvettes increased engine speed and slowly gained on the Matriarchy patrol. At the rear, the three Cruisers opened their gun ports, large laser turrets powered up, and fifty-meter-long missiles were loaded into their launch bays. The two Ericius Frigates behind the advancing smaller ships brought their laser batteries online. While they were not as powerful as Matriarchy laser turrets, the sheer volume of fire made them just as deadly.

*****

Nuki was cold. She opened her eyes, looked around her nest and noticed that John had rolled away from her as they slept. Reaching out with her right arm, the Flight Lieutenant pulled John closer and hugged him tightly against her body. Nuki gently placed his head onto her chest once more and curled the end of her tail around his legs.

“Try not to suffocate me," John said, surprising the Flight Lieutenant.

“You are awake?" she asked.

“Hard to stay asleep when a nine-foot-tall bipedal alien snake pulls you into her eager embrace," John replied, and Nuki could tell he was smiling.

“I was cold," she replied, “I doubt you realise how much of a difference your body heat makes," Nuki then pushed her blunt nose against the top of John's head.

“Oh, I think I do," he replied, facing her.

“How so?" Nuki asked.

“Every time I share a Viper's nest, they always comment on how warm I am," John replied.

“I see what you mean," the Flight Lieutenant replied with a smile, “I suppose you would not be surprised if I said that there are not that many warm-blooded species within The Matriarchy?" she queried, and John shook his head.

“I can imagine some of them have tried their best not to become a Matriarch's Steward," John replied.

“There is talk amongst some of the crew that one of the Matriarchs assigned to the Ruination has her eye on you," Nuki revealed, tightening her grip on him.

“I'm not sure if I want to spend the rest of my life as a sex toy," John said, which made the Flight Lieutenant laugh. “Hopefully, I can make myself useful elsewhere within The Matriarchy. Do you think they'd let me join the Navy?" he asked.

“I think they would say yes," Nuki replied, “your test results suggest that you would make a good Mamba pilot, “she pointed out.

“That's good to hear," John replied, “will we be flying the Mamba tomorrow?" he inquired.

“It is on the schedule," the Flight Lieutenant replied with a nod.

A familiar noise from a nearby nest interrupted their conversation.

“There are only a few hours to go till we have to get up, and they're still having sex?" John asked.

“You are not in their nest, so they have to get a release amongst themselves," Nuki replied.

“I'm not sure if I should be flattered or scared," he replied.

“Considering you last longer than most Viper males, your impressive size," the Flight Lieutenant said while her right hand gently squeezed John's balls, “and despite only having one cock, it is probably a bit of both," Nuki said as her left hand took a firm grip of his cock.

“I doubt I have much left, considering what we got up to earlier," John said, trying not to react to what the Flight Lieutenant was doing. Then, he felt something sharp pierce the skin on his neck as Nuki bit him. Moments later, John's neck felt warm, and as the seconds went by, his erection got harder.

“It seems the rumours were true," the Flight Lieutenant whispered into John's right ear. Her hand slowly moved up and down his shaft. “To think, Viper venom was an aphrodisiac for Terrans," she cooed. All John could manage was a groan as Nuki straddled him, shortly followed by a moan as he entered her.

*****

“Diagnostics complete," Naltla announced, “opening the doors and moving the turret into position," she said.

“Understood," replied Helki, “make sure you keep an eye on the power levels. We do not want a repeat of our last battle," she ordered.

“Roger that," the Staff Sergeant replied.

Holding onto the right joystick, the Gunnery Sergeant rotated the turret to the left and right. Her left hand adjusted its elevation, and a thumbstick enabled her to zoom in on her target. A signal from the bridge informed Helki that the doors in front of her would be opening soon.

“Gunnery Sergeant Helki, to all gunners," she called out in a commanding voice, “deploy your turrets and prepare for battle," Helki ordered. Moments later, the status monitor to her left flashed green as each member of the gunnery crew notified her of their readiness.

“Helki to bridge," the Gunnery Sergeant said.

“Bridge here," replied the Tactical Officer.

“My gunnery crew and I are ready for battle," Helki said.

“Understood, good luck," replied Altsiah.

*****

Minutes Later

“Helm, increase speed to maximum and inform Engineering we'll be switching off the Gravitic Accelerator," Captain Thazha ordered.

“Aye, Captain," came the reply.

“Switching off?" Lieutenant Tektla said, clearly puzzled by the order.

The Captain and Lieutenant stood beside the TDT, reviewing the upcoming battle against the incoming Ericius ships. While Tektla knew what the Gravitic Accelerator was, she had never heard of its deactivation in combat.

“Once we are at maximum speed," Thazha said as she manipulated the holograms in front of her, “we will switch the drive off and turn the ship to face the enemy," the Captain used a nearby keypad as she finished speaking.

The hologram projected in front of them changed to a wireframe of The Matriarch's Blessing. Then, after a few more adjustments to the TDT controls, status windows appeared next to the hologram.

“Switching off the Gravitic Accelerator will allow us to keep our current heading and speed," Thazha continued to adjust the Tactical Display Table as she spoke, “and we will be able to use the power generally needed for the engines to improve our shields and weapons," the Captain finished as the TDT completed its adjustments.

Lieutenant Tektla looked at what the TDT displayed, finally understanding Thazha's plan. She knew Matriarchy ships would have to slow their velocity by turning around without the Gravitic Accelerator. The ability to travel from point A to point B and then simply stop gave The Matriarchy an advantage over species that were not as technologically advanced as they were.

“How come I never heard of this tactic during my training?" the Lieutenant asked.

“Probably because most of the Instructors at the Academy have become complacent and overconfident in the ability of our Navy," replied the Captain.

“Engineering reports that they are ready to deactivate the Gravitic Accelerator, Captain," said the Comms Officer.

“Very well. Increase speed and commence the turn," Thazha ordered.

The glow from the engines intensified as the Destroyer's reactor sent additional power to them. Once The Matriarch's Blessing reached maximum speed, the Gravitic Accelerator was deactivated, and thrusters along the rear half of the left-hand side of The Matriarch's Blessing fired. The Destroyer slowly rotated on the spot, still travelling along the same course thanks to the deactivation of the Gravitic Accelerator. When the ship finished its one-hundred-and-eighty-degree spin, the helm reduced engine output to zero per cent.

“Altsiah," Thazha looked over to where the Tactical Officer was standing, “make sure you have sent the first set of targets to the Gunnery Sergeant and her crew," the Captain ordered.

“Already done so, Captain," she replied.

“Then deploy the weapons," Thazha ordered.

Inside the maintenance bay for the Destroyer's turrets, warning sirens and emergency lights wailed and flashed. The telltale shimmering blue glow of atmospheric shielding reflected off the nearby walls as the armoured doors at the top of each lifting cradle opened. With the final checks completed, the laser turrets slowly ascended. Their Viper occupants waited until the last moment to vent the atmosphere inside each cabin. Thick locking clamps activated after each turret had risen into place. At the front of The Matriarch's Blessing, two large circular armoured doors opened like flower petals. The heavy laser turrets within moved forward on tracks before locking into place. Lastly, missile bay doors opened along the four sections of the ship that jutted out from the main hull.

“Tactical," Thazha called out, “make sure that the Gunnery Sergeant and her Second focus their fire on the largest of the Ericius ships first," the Captain said.

“Aye," Tactical Officier Altsiah replied.

“Open fire!" Captain Thazha ordered once Altsiah signalled the weapons were ready.

Outside, the hull of The Matriarch's Blessing lit up as the laser turrets fired and its missiles launched. Bright neon blue bolts of energy sped away from the Destroyer as plumes of fire and smoke rose from the armoured missile bays. Each missile was thirty feet long and had enough destructive power to render most smaller-class ships inoperable after just a few hits. The front of the Destroyer glowed like a new star as both heavy laser turrets fired.

“Oatshul," the Captain said from her position around the Tactical Display Table, “keep in contact with our remaining ships. Make sure they coordinate their fire with us," Thazha ordered.

“Understood, Captain," Comms Officer Oatshul replied. Then, before she could focus on the TDT, Oatshul called out, “Captain, I cannot contact the rest of the fleet. The Ericius must be jamming us," she said.

“Damn," Thazha exclaimed and then paced around the TDT. Finally, after a few minutes, she looked to where the Comms Officer was standing, “use the tight beam transmitter," the Captain said. “We will use it to coordinate our fire. Have the Frigate Captains report in," Thazha ordered.

“Aye, Captain," replied Oatshul.

Emerging from within the Destroyer's hull, The Matriarch's Blessing's tight beam transmitter started to glow. Seconds later, a red laser fired at the nearest Frigate, hitting its receiver. After a few minutes, the Tactical Display Table projected an image of the Frigate's Captain.

“Captain Thazha?" said the projection, “why are you using the tight beam?" the Viper hovering above the TDT asked.

“The Ericius are jamming the fleet's communications," Thazha replied, “instruct your Comms Officer to contact the nearest Frigate. Then have them do the same with their tight beam transmitter," she ordered.

“At once, Captain," the projection replied.

The Matriarch's Blessing's hull glowed once more as the gunnery crew fired the laser turrets. A fresh batch of missiles launched from the armoured bays, smoke billowing out. The heavy laser turrets, having disabled the shields of the largest Ericius ship, fired off one more salvo before switching firing modes and targeting one of the smaller vessels.

*****

Captain Astet dived for cover as the console she was standing before was overloaded. Then, dusting herself off, she looked around the bridge and watched as the crew attempted to put out fires and help those injured. She was glad to see her assistant was unharmed.

“Report," she called out.

“The Matriarchy fleet has managed to disable our shields," replied one of the Bridge Officers.

“Engineering reports that they are trying to bring the backup generator online," another said, “however, one of the Viper missiles destroyed the most direct route. They are having to find an alternative," she reported.

“Tell them that if they do not get our shields up soon, I will skin them all alive!" Astet threatened.

“Captain, it appears our jamming has stopped working," reported one of the bridge Officers, “they must have found a way to counter it. The Matriarchy ships are coordinating their fire again," she said.

“Tell the fleet to focus on the enemy Destroyer," Astet ordered, “the combined firepower of its heavy laser turrets and missiles makes it a formidable opponent," she said.

*****

The Matriarchy ships moved into a line formation thanks to their tight beam transmitters. With the two Corvettes trying their best to head back to Border Station Five as quickly as possible, the remaining Matriarchy vessels had to try their best to keep the enemy occupied. If they were lucky, their technological advantage would aid them in disabling or destroying the Ericius fleet.

Tactical Officer Altsiah adjusted the projection before her and instructed the computer to show the predicted paths of incoming and outgoing fire. After a few seconds, the Tactical Display Table changed the hologram. The light from the TDT made her scales appear green as she carefully analysed the information in front of her.

“Bridge to all turrets," Altsiah called out after pressing a nearby Comms button, “I am sending you new targeting solutions. Make sure to maintain optimum firing temperatures," she ordered.

Seconds later, each turret icon in front of her glowed blue. The TDT adjusted its projection again and showed the Tactical Officer where each shot was heading. She noted with a degree of satisfaction, plus a smile, that the second Ericius Scout ship had been destroyed. A blinking red icon distracted her from the display, and Altsiah frowned. The starboard side heavy laser turret was powering down.

“Helki, why have you powered down?" the Tactical Officer asked.

“I need to replace one of the barrels," replied the Gunnery Sergeant, “looks like we missed a fault during the last maintenance check," she said.

“Damn," Altsiah exclaimed, “very well. Try not to take too long," she said.

“Understood," replied Helki.

*****

Gunnery Sergeant Helki cursed as she powered down her turret and disconnected herself from the gunner's cabin. Of all the things she hated the most, changing a barrel during combat was near the top of the list. Helki opened the cabin's door and stepped out with her heavy laser turret switched off. A bright explosion outside caught her attention, and she dived behind the turret.

Moments later, something flew into her open section of the ship. Sparks flew, and debris bounced off of her armoured Nanosuit. Then, glancing around the rear of the heavy laser turret, Helki saw what had happened. A large chunk of metal, most likely a piece of ship armour, had slammed into the only door, buckling it.

“Starboard turret bay to Engineering," the Gunnery Sergeant called out.

“Receiving you," came the reply, “how can we help?" the Viper Engineer asked.

“I need a maintenance bot," Helki replied, “a piece of debris has just impacted against the access door," she reported, “I will need some help repairing it. Otherwise, my only way out of here will be a spacewalk," the Gunnery Sergeant pointed out.

“Understood," replied the Engineer, “thankfully, all bots are idle. Sending over Bravo Two Three. It should arrive in ten minutes," she said.

“Thanks," replied Helki.

Stepping over the power cable, the Gunnery Sergeant approached a nearby wall. After typing in the access code, she carefully removed a replacement barrel from the secure locker. At five meters long, a laser turret barrel was hard enough to carry at the best of times. However, moving one during a battle put it near the top of Helki's list.

“I thought you carried out the last maintenance check?" Naltla said over the open Comm.

“I did," replied Helki, “however, there was no evidence of any defect in the turret's barrels," she pointed out.

The Gunnery Sergeant carried the barrel to the front of the heavy laser turret and placed it standing up, leaning against it. Next, she used her pad to identify the barrel which needed changing. Once identified, Helki accessed the nearby maintenance panel on the turret's side and pulled the correct barrel release lever.

Steam escaped from the barrel housing as the locks disengaged. When it was safe, Helki reached up and carefully disconnected the barrel. Handing it to her tail, the Gunnery Sergeant picked up the replacement and slotted it in place. After a diagnostic check, she pushed the release lever back to its original position.

*****

“Turret one, ceasefire and replace the heatsinks," said an Engineer, “you have been firing them continuously. Shatu, if you are not careful, you risk permanently damaging the barrels," she warned.

“Understood. Returning the turret to position one and replacing the heatsinks," replied the Viper Gunner.

Once the turret finished rotating, Shatu climbed out of the cabin and walked to the nearby maintenance cabinet. She felt each step as the vibrations from the magnetic boots travelled up her legs. Finally, unlocking the cabinet, the Gunner bent over and picked up a heatsink.

“Make sure you adjust your gauntlets," said the Engineer from before, “adding additional thermal protection should protect your hands from the damaged heatsink," she advised.

“This is not the first time I have had to change one," Shatu replied.

“I know, yet here I am telling you what to do," the Engineer chided.

Using the pad at the back of her left gauntlet, Shatu accessed the Nansuit's systems and activated the thermal protection setting for her armoured gauntlets. The hull of the Destroyer glowed neon blue as the Nanos reorganised themselves for the new setting. Arriving at the rear of the laser turret, Shatu let go of the heatsink and carefully opened the housing. Thermal radiation sensors built into her helmet alerted the Gunner to the dangers within. However, she could disconnect the used heatsink thanks to the changes made to her gauntlets.

“Readings indicate the other one will need to be changed as well," said the Engineer.

“My HUD told me that as well," replied the Gunner.

“Once you have replaced it," said Gunnery Sergeant Helki, “target the nearest Ericius ship," she ordered.

“Yes, Ma'am," replied Shatu.

*****

The Matriarchy fleet, now flying backwards and maintaining the line formation, managed to hold their own against the Ericius ships for a time. Two Scout ships had been destroyed, a Corvette and Frigate had been severely damaged, and one Cruiser was out of action. However, as time passed, the enemy fleet edged closer to the Matriarchy ships, and a lucky shot managed to take out the laser turrets of one of the two Matriarchy Frigates.

“Suggestions?" Captain Thazha looked at her Officers as she asked the question.

“We could reactivate the Gravitic Accelerator, burn past the enemy vessels, and attack them from the rear," suggested the Tactical Officer.

“Too dangerous," said the Comms Officer, “while our ships are more advanced than the Ericius," she pointed to the two cruisers hovering above the Tactical Display Table, “with those two still fully operational, their combined firepower will chew through our shields and armour," Oatshul warned.

“Plus, our heavy laser turrets can only fire forwards," Lieutenant Tektla pointed out.

Altsiah paced back and forth as the Captain watched her. “We could order the damaged Frigate to expend all of its missiles at one of the Cruisers," the Tactical Officer said, “while we focus our fire on the other," she then looked at the Captain.

“Have the Gunnery Sergeant and her Second collapse its shields," Thazha said, “and then switch to the other Cruiser as we fly past it," the Captain tapped away at one of the keypads projected in front of her.

The TDT shifted its projection, and once the calculations were complete, it showed the Frigate firing off its complement of missiles as The Matriarch's Blessing headed for the gap between the Ericius Cruisers. Lasers firing, it stormed past and then turned about.

“Hmm, it looks like a viable plan," Captain Thazha said, “however, the computer is suggesting that eighty per cent of the Frigate's missiles would need to damage its target successfully," she then looked up at her Officers. They looked amongst themselves and then nodded at the Captain in unison. “Very well. Send the plan to the other ships and make preparations," Thazha ordered.

*****

Maintenance Bot Bravo Two Three flew across the hull of The Matriarch's Blessing. Its sensors detected incoming enemy fire and adjusted the chosen flight path. From the waist up, it looked like an average male Viper; however, from the waist down, instead of a pair of legs, there was a powerful tail. The Maintenance Bot carried a bulky backpack, and attached to its core was a pair of thrusters. These enabled Bravo Two Three to traverse the exterior of The Matriarch's Blessing with ease. An enemy missile exploded against the Destroyer's shields, and seconds later, fragments bounced harmlessly off the hull.

Arriving at the starboard heavy laser turret, the Maintenance Bot flew into the room and disengaged its thrusters, using its tail as a makeshift landing pad. Scanning the area, Bravo Two Three detected multiple impacts, most of which it could ignore for now.

“Ah, you have arrived," said a female voice.

The Maintenance Bot stopped scanning the damaged bulkhead in front of it and looked to its right. Standing next to the heavy laser turret was a female Viper. Brave Two Three's sensors detected the Identify Friend or Foe tag broadcast by the Viper's armoured Nanosuit.

“Gunnery Sergeant Helki," it said in a deep male voice.

“In the flesh," she replied. “I need you to fix that door while I get back into this turret," Helki said.

“Those were my orders," Bravo Two Three replied.

“Good. Hopefully, there will not be any more ship armour flying at us," the Gunnery Sergeant said with a laugh.

Maintenance Bot Bravo Two Three watched Helki climb into the turret and power it up. Then, looking at the damaged door in front of it, the Bot identified which parts it could repair and which would require further assistance. After a few taps on its wrist-mounted pad, a ripple travelled through the Maintenance Bot's torso, emanating from the bulky backpack. Shortly afterwards, a bright neon blue light emanated inside as thousands of Nanos were released.

Appearing between its hands, a bulky dark grey gun-like device formed as the Nanos rushed to build the equipment. For the right hand, a pistol grip and trigger and for the left hand, a horizontal handle. Appearing on the underside of the device, a thick power cable connected it to the backpack. When the Nanos finished, the neon blue light was replaced by a turquoise glow emanating at the front. Bravo Two Three pulled the trigger, and a three-fingered gunmetal grey claw rotated, the crystal held in the middle glowing turquoise.

As the rotation of the claw increased, the glow intensified, and it started to produce a high-pitched whine. Seconds later, a concussive wave blasted out as bolts of turquoise lighting struck the armour fragment. Tilting the gun-like device backwards, the Maintenance Bot slithered back as it picked up the debris. Turning around, Bravo Two Three aimed and fired the piece of armour through the atmospheric shield. Arcs of turquoise lighting hit the deck plating as the device powered down.

“Make sure those pieces stay clear of my turret," Helki warned as Bravo Two Three fired at another piece of debris. The interior of the room flashed turquoise once more.

“I have already calculated their trajectories," replied the Maintenance Bot.

“I am sure you have," the Gunnery Sergeant said while trying not to sound annoyed.

*****

Helki watched the Maintenance Bot work as she rotated her turret to the right. She was glad to know that it was rare for the gunnery crew to see one of them at work. The Gunnery Sergeant was also impressed with how quickly and efficiently it performed its assigned tasks. From what an Engineer had told her, the Maintenance Bot's device emitted deadly radiation. Thankfully, it had a short half-life, and her cabin had sufficient shielding to protect her from exposure.

“Starboard heavy laser turret to Bridge," Helki said after pressing the comms button.

“Go ahead," replied Tactical Officer Altsiah.

“The Maintenance Bot has arrived and started to repair the damage," reported the Gunnery Sergeant, “any news on how we are going to deal with the rest of the Ericius ships?" she asked.

“We have been formulating a plan," replied Altsiah, “you should receive your new orders shortly," she said.

“Understood," replied Helki.

A shadow appeared to the left of her turret, and the Gunnery Sergeant saw another Maintenance Bot fly into the room. It briefly looked at her before slithering over to where Bravo Two Three was. Helki switched one of her monitors to the room's surveillance feed and watched.

*****

Alpha Seven Four approached Bravo Two Three as it was busy picking up another piece of armour. The turquoise light emitted by the device in its hands created strange shadows within the starboard side turret room. Alpha Seven Four slithered over to the other side, and after a quick tap of its wrist-mounted pad, Nanos rushed out of its bulky backpack. Once an identical gun-like device had finished being built, the Maintenance Bot fired it at a nearby piece of debris.

“When the debris has been cleared, we shall commence repairs to the door," said Bravo Two Three.

“I concur," Seven Four replied as turquoise lighting struck the deck plating and nearby wall.

“Assist," ordered Two Three.

The two Maintenance Bots fired in unison at the heaviest piece of hull armour. As the two Bots attempted to lift it, their sensors detected that the task required more power. Adjusting the power output from their bulky backpacks, the spinning claws on both devices sped up, and the high-pitched whine disappeared from the hearing range of anyone in the room, save for the Bravo Two Three and Alpha Seven Four.

Lifting the piece of armour, the two Maintenance Bots carefully led it over to the atmospheric shield and waited for the Gunnery Sergeant to pause in her firing. Shortly after the heavy laser turret stopped firing, both Bots overcharged their gun-like devices and fired the debris into space.

“Now that you have cleared the place of debris," Helki said, her voice echoing inside the room, “get that door fixed before I need to use it," she ordered.

“Commencing repair work of the access door," replied the Maintenance Bots in unison.

*****

“Captain," Comms Officer Oatshul called out, “the fleet is ready to commence the attack, and our weapon teams are ready," she reported.

“Very good," replied Captain Thazha.

“Report coming in from Engineering," said one of the bridge crew, a noticeable tone of concern in her voice.

“What does it say?" asked the Captain. Lieutenant Tektla walked over to the crew member and read the report.

“It is a report about the attack plan," she said, “they are recommending that we set the Gravitic Accelerator to fifty per cent," Tektla reported.

“Fifty?" Tactical Officer Altsiah sounded surprised.

“Due to the stresses imposed upon the ship, Engineering believes irreparable damage might occur if we set it to one hundred per cent," the Lieutenant said as she read the report.

“Damn," replied the Captain, “helm, set Gravitic Accelerator to fifty per cent," Thazha ordered.

“Aye, Captain," replied the Viper.

“Comms, contact the Frigate and tell her to fire all remaining missiles at the Ericius Cruiser to their left," Captain Thazha ordered, “make sure they fire when we start moving toward the surviving enemy vessels," she pointed out.

“Understood, Captain," replied Comms Officer Oatshul.

*****

“Captain, power surge detected!" one of Astet's bridge crew called out, a mixture of surprise and alarm in her voice.

“Location?" the Captain asked.

“Scanning for its location," replied the female Ericius, “found it. The Matriarchy Destroyer, they appear to be charging their Gravitic Accelerator," she reported.

“Charging?" Astet was confused. Gravitic Accelerators allowed the more advanced races to traverse space without needing a deceleration burn. In contrast, the majority of Ericius ships had to perform them. “Bring up the sensor logs from the point we ambushed the Vipers," Astet ordered, “we must have missed something," she said.

The monitor to the Captain's right lit up as her crew transferred the Cruiser's sensor logs to it. Looking at the feed as it scrolled past, Astet scanned the records, looking for something they missed.

*****

“Captain, Gravitic Accelerator is charged to fifty per cent and ready to engage," reported Lieutenant Tektla.

“Oatshul. Send the signal to the Frigate," Thazha ordered.

“Sending now, Captain," replied the Comms Officer.

“Helm, engage the Gravitic Accelerator and increase engine output to maximum," the Captain ordered as she pressed a button on her command chair. “All hands, brace for deceleration," Thazha warned.

Moments later, The Matriarch's Blessing slowed to a halt. Several crew members either fell over or bumped into things. The Engineering team watched their monitors for any signs of stress to the ship's hull or engine damage. They were thankful when the data return for the Gravitic Accelerator showed that it was all in the green.

“Our speed is increasing," reported Tektla, "Engineering reports we should be able to increase power to the Gravitic Accelerator in ten minutes," she said.

“Good to hear," replied the Captain. “Tactical, commence the attack run," Thazha ordered.

“With pleasure, Captain," Altsiah grinned as she sent the order.

*****

The Matriarch's Blessing headed directly towards the surviving ships of the Ericius fleet. As it flew past the damaged Frigate, great plumes of smoke billowed forth from its many missile launchers. Standard fleet doctrine dictated that a ship's Engineers clean a missile tube before loading the next missile. However, due to their current situation, the Frigate's Captain had instructed them to forgo the cleaning.

As Captain Thazha's Destroyer headed towards the middle of the two Ericius Cruisers, the first volley of missiles from the Frigate veered to the left. Defence batteries along the hull of the Cruiser opened fire. Explosions rippled across space as each missile's guidance system attempted to avoid the incoming fire.

Moments later, the bolts of laser fire from the Blessing's turrets struck the Cruiser's shields with such force that their shields almost failed. Noticing this, Tactical Officer Altsiah commanded the two heavy laser turrets to switch firing mode. The second volley of laser fire stripped the Ericius Cruiser of its shields.

The wireframe representation of the Cruiser displayed multiple missile impacts as the remaining missiles from the Frigate's initial volley struck their target. Altsiah's face glowed green as the Tactical Display Table lit up her face. With its shields down, the Tactical Officer hoped the second volley would fare better.

“Port laser turrets," Altsiah called out as she pressed one of the buttons before her, “target enemy defensive batteries," she ordered, “we need those missiles to get through," Altsiah said as she brought up the attack plan.

Atop the Destroyer, laser turrets one to four targeted the Cruiser's batteries and opened fire. Their targeting computers displayed a lead reticle, enabling each Viper to target the enemy vessel's defensive batteries accurately. The first few volleys reduced the Crusier's defences by fifty per cent. Noticing that her fellow gunners were running out of time, the Viper inside laser turret nine joined in.

When the second wave of missiles reached the Ericius Cruiser, only twenty per cent of the defensive batteries on the vessel's left were intact. Each missile could find its target and hit the Cruiser thanks to the gunnery crew's combined effort. Explosions rocked the enemy vessel, and after two of the missiles hit its centre line, the ship was torn in half. Seizing the opportunity, the Viper manning laser turret nine opened fire. Shortly afterwards, the Ericius Cruiser's reactor detonated. The explosion vaporised the ship and the approaching third wave of missiles.

*****

Captain Astet picked herself up off the floor and winced. The last attack by the Matriarchy ships had caused several explosions inside the bridge. Astet had been standing in front of several monitors when they exploded. The force of the blast had caused her to break her right arm when she hit a nearby bulkhead.

“Damage report!" she shouted while patting dust and debris off of herself.

“Reports are coming in now, Captain," replied one of the female bridge crew. She had a cut on her forehead, and blood ran down her face. “Minor damage to our shields and a few blown generators," she reported.

“What about the Viper ships?" Astet inquired as she headed for her throne. The Captain was pleased to see her assistant was unharmed.

“Their destroyer is now behind us, and it appears the remaining Matriarchy ships are turning around, heading back towards the enemy station," replied another crew member.

“Bring us about. I want all remaining ships firing at that damned Destroyer," the Captain ordered.

“At once, Captain," replied the helmsman.

*****

“Increase power to the Gravitic Accelerator," Captain Thazha ordered, “once it reaches one hundred per cent, turn the ship around to face the enemy," she said.

“Aye, Captain," replied the Viper manning the helm.

“Order the starboard laser turrets to keep firing," Thazha said to Altsiah, “there's no need for them to stop, as we will be turning right," she pointed out. All the bridge Officers and the Captain were standing around the Tactical Display Table.

“I will also give the order to turret nine as well," replied the Tactical Officer, “thanks to her three hundred and sixty-degree firing arc, she will be able to keep up with turrets five to eight," Altsiah pointed out.

“Agreed," replied Thazha.

“We can also have the Gunnery Sergeant and her Second open fire on the Cruiser once we have finished the turn," Lieutenant Tektla pointed out.

“True," said the Captain, “Altsiah. Send the next volley of missiles towards the smaller Ericius ships," Thazha ordered. “The ship's sensors indicate they are too damaged to survive any more hits," she said while adjusting the TDT.

The Tactical Display Table adjusted its projection to include The Matriarch's Blessing's current course, friend and foe markers for all ships within the Destroyer's sensor range, and an estimated route for the next volley of missiles.

*****

“Keep an eye on your heat generation," Gunnery Sergeant Helki warned over the open comms.

“Turrets one to four," Staff Sergeant Naltla called out, “if you need to change barrels or replace your heat sinks, do it now!" she said, “you have a few minutes before the ship has finished turning," the Staff Sergeant pointed out. Cabin doors opened for two laser turrets, the Vipers hurrying to make the changes.

“It appears the Cruiser's shields are down," Helki said, “I think we should aim for their engines first," she suggested.

“Agreed," replied Naltla, “once we are facing them, I doubt we will have any difficulty destroying the ship," she said.

*****

Laser bolts and missiles flew through space and impacted against the hull of the Ericius Cruiser. Armour sections melted under the barrage of laser fire as entire hull sections exploded outwards as the missiles detonated against the ship. Both heavy laser turrets opened fire as The Matriarch's Blessing faced directly at the enemy vessel. Their first volley knocked out one of the four engines at the Cruiser's rear. The second volley caused an internal explosion which detonated the nearby fuel stores. A ripple of explosions shot along the left-hand side of the ship from the left-most engine and ended one-third of the way along the hull.

The Ericius Cruiser started to list as the Matriarchy Destroyer continued to fire. A few of the smaller Ericius vessels attempted to aid their larger compatriot. However, a surprise attack by a Matriarchy Corvette stopped them. Its Captain had chosen to power down and await the approach of the enemy ships. Laser fire and rockets flew through space and crippled or destroyed what remained of the Ericius fleet.

A lucky shot by the undamaged Matriarchy Frigate destroyed the Cruiser's bridge. Its Captain had copied Thazha's battle plan, setting her ship's Gravitic Accelerator to fifty per cent to minimise potential damage before spinning the ship around. With the ambush fleet preoccupied with The Matriarch's Blessing, the Frigate could engage the enemy as they saw fit.

Bringing her rail gun online, the Captain of the Matriarchy Frigate ordered the ship to the rear of the enemy Cruiser. Once there, the railgun opened fire, destroying the last of the ship's engines before punching a hole into the ship's reactor. Within seconds it went critical, and the Ericius Cruiser exploded. Fortunately, the Frigate's Captain had given the order to reverse before the reactor detonated. They had also diverted all available power to the shields preventing the ship from being severely damaged.

Looking at the projection above the Tactical Display Table, Captain Thazha was pleased to see that all remaining enemy ships were either disabled or destroyed. She ordered the fleet to commence eradication procedures before returning to Border Station Five.

“Well done, everyone," Thazha said as she addressed the bridge, “it was a hard-fought battle, but we prevailed. Have all sections report in before we return to the station," she ordered.

“I think we should thank the Corvette Captain," Lieutenant Tektla suggested.

“Agreed," replied Thazha.

“Clever move," Altsiah chimed in as she replayed the battle on the TDT, “I wish I had thought of it," the Tactical Officer said.

“Considering Fleet failed to spot the blind spot," Oatshul said as she rolled her shoulders, “I am not surprised our attack plan did not include an ambush of our own," the Comms Officer placed a hand on Altsiah's shoulder as she finished speaking. The two Vipers smiled at each other.

“I suggest everyone get some rest," Thazha said, “the journey back will take several hours. I want everyone rested before we arrive," the Captain ordered.

“Aye, Captain," replied the bridge crew.