Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 687

Chapter 687

Chapter 687: Defeat and Autotomy

The alien planet was too fast . It came tearing at them like a comet, and strong as Heron’s railguns were they didn’t appear to cause much damage . Most of the shots were deflected by the violet vortex .

The planet made impact, slamming into Heron’s wing .

Boom–!

The wing was torn to pieces, and the impact sent the Bastion ship into an uncontrolled spin . Yan Yuan felt everything spinning around him . Their shields had been practically useless .

They didn’t spin far . Before the Bastion could be blown into the recesses of space, that same terrifying traction returned . It stopped them in place . They were sitting ducks – the planet had hit them right where it knew it’d hurt the most . Their engines were destroyed .

If it’d been Tyrannosaurus it might have avoided damage due to its stronger shields . However Heron was constructed for speed and maneuverability, it was never supposed to get hit like that . Just think – a Bastion ship appearing quickly out of nowhere to deposit scores of fighter ships . It was enough to end any typical intergalactic battle .

“Bastard!” Yan Yuan grit his teeth . The ship’s gravity-control devices kept him more or less stable as he shouted commands . It was time for quick and hard decision . Hesitation could spell their doom .

A teal light shimmered over Heron’s damaged surface, belts from the engines . Within the ship machinery whirred and shifted . The whole crew cabin lurched toward the front of the ship . In fact, everything part of Heron but its damaged wing started to transform . Large metal segments separated from the main body, glimmering with the same teal hue . The alien planet’s traction immediately pulled them quickly toward the vortex .

A series of staggering blasts ensued . Those metallic canister were bombs, and when they reached the vortex they erupted in dazzling explosions . The back half of the assailed Bastion continued to pummel the enemy with railgun fire, while the front still blazed with teal light . Then there was a burst of color as the front one-third of the ship separated and shot forward . It moved as fast as the planet had during its ‘balloon maneuver,’ and in a blink the surviving part of Heron disappeared into deep space .

Sacrificing the tail to save the body, a tactic learned from lizards . Northern scientists wanted to have a contingency plan in the event Heron was overwhelmed by enemy Bastions . Even Heron had its limitations in speed, and in the event a battle became too rough its own tail became an explosive weapon . Meanwhile the ship’s personnel were transferred to the front and blasted away like an escape pod . It was a risk that cost Heron dearly, but so long as it had soldiers there was a chance . So long as they had soldiers they had everything .

What was left of the North’s fastest Bastion was crippled . It didn’t have the fighting capabilities of a Capital ship in this condition, and no longer had the benefit of its fighter ships . Still, the alien planet could only watch it vanish into the distance . It didn’t have the energy for a quick pursuit as before, and the explosions forced it to retract its vortex . Heron had escaped .

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“Charge!” Holmen’s eyes blazed with a bloodthirsty light . Witnessing the damage Arachnid’s arms had caused gave him a glimmer of hope . He remembered once using the ship to rip apart a small moon . The alien planet was much larger, but destroying it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility .

Perhaps hundreds of vital crystals glittered in space among the mangled remains of the alien force . Their purple light was reflect in Holmen’s greedy eyes . He nearly salivated to think of what all of those would buy him! The East’s crystal auction had made it clear how much these were worth .

Arachnid raced ahead with its cannon’s fully charged, and its eight arms ready to carve into the planet . Its shields flared in preparation . Surviving aliens from the first assault had scattered, like they knew the battle was already over . However, the net of fighter ships that followed Arachnid didn’t let them flee . They closed the net tighter and put down whatever grotesque foe crossed their barrels while gathering up vital crystals .

It was starting to look like a ringing victory!

Tyrannosaurus’ dilemma was the farthest thing from Holmen’s mind now . All he could think, was that his time of recognition . All he had to do was destroy the evil planet in his sights – maybe even capture it – then no one in the Northern army would be able to deny his superiority .

Arachnid was certainly smaller than its target, but it was fierce . Maybe even fierce enough .

Holmen always had a talent for command, and years of service tempered it with experience . He was mad with ambition but it didn’t affect his ability to direct the attack . The smaller ships had finished mopping up, and were swinging in behind Arachnid to join its charge toward the planet .

Their victory was nearly complete!

All this time the alien planet was quiet, like it was not aware the fight was still on – a lamb to the slaughter . It seemed incapable of defending itself . It simply hung in space waiting for Arachnid to come put it out of its misery .

The Bastion came closer, closer! Arachnid extended its eight arms, their bladed edges glinting ominously .

“Kill—“ Holmen roared as Arachnid brazenly threw itself against the enemy . Its shields were bright and thick with bolstered power .

The two collided like star-crossed stellar bodies .