Chapter 41. Encountering demonic flames again, encountering artillery fire
"All tribes are like this when they panic," Noah explained absently. His eyes wandered repeatedly among the crazy crowd. Clearly, he was trying to make sense of the situation. Then he suddenly ran out and hugged a young woman. Mo Yan looked at him blankly.
"Is everything okay?" Moyan heard Noah ask, although there was obviously no time now.
"Yes, Dad," Tiny replied.
"Where is everyone else?" Noah wondered, even though he knew Tiny couldn't possibly know everyone on the team.
"I don't know." She admitted. "One part was in front of me and another part was behind me. I once tried to help a frail woman who fell on the stairs, but she was so injured that she could barely breathe. There was nothing I could do." Her voice trembled.
"It's okay," Noah said. He pulled her closer so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. "Let's go, we have to speed up, otherwise there will be no place." These words caused more panic among the people around them, making them fight for a position even more frantically.
Noah, Tini, and the demonic flame finally managed to reach a spacecraft amidst the chaos of the crowd, and the presence of the demonic flame was a great help, although the slaves had escaped from the demonic flame's supervision and were clearly outnumbered. Advantage, but they still didn't dare to actually attack the demonic flames. They were not carrying pickaxes or other tools and therefore felt at a weapon disadvantage. So, they arrived at a spacecraft with almost no resistance. On the way forward, they were joined by three more officers from the Republic.
The cabin was almost full, but the group squeezed in anyway. Then the hatch closed behind them. Noah was relieved, finally safe. They were packed like cod, so tight that they couldn't move. Despite this, Noah and Mo Yan still tried to squeeze through the crowd and enter the cockpit. This is an almost impossible task. When they finally made it there, the spacecraft was already waiting on the ground, ready to fly through a hatch in the dome. With a glance at the screen, Noah saw the surface of the planet. Hundreds of people were still standing there, shouting to them in despair. Noah also discovered some Starfleet uniforms. Obviously, not everyone survived.
"We have to go back once," he whispered, and the pilot, Lieutenant Carol, just looked at him in shock. "We can't leave them all behind," the captain explained. "We have to save them, just like any other among us."
Carol lowered her head silently and pointed to another place on the screen. That was the exit from the stairs, where they came out of the hole. There were many dead people scattered around. Old people, women, children. There's also a red Starfleet uniform.
"Gas." Mo Yan also said softly, although the tone did not suit him. "They are filling the channels, and through the opened tunnels, the gas reaches the surface. Soon the entire artificial atmosphere will be filled with gas. No one will survive." He explained all this. "Including my people." Because since the gas cannot stay in the mine, it will spread throughout the artificial atmosphere, affecting every living thing on the planet.
Noah looked at the screen frustrated and angry. He hesitated between landing and rescuing more people, knowing that any attempt to rescue more people would lead to disaster.
He forced himself to look away from the screen and look ahead. They were now flying towards the opening in the dome. Noah is surprised to find a force field there that prevents oxygen from leaking but allows the ship to pass through.
Just before their spacecraft came into contact with the energy field, it flickered briefly and then completely collapsed. A powerful suction enveloped the small craft. The atmosphere surges into outer space due to the sudden imbalance. The suction was so powerful that all spacecraft were affected and thrown into turmoil. The spacecraft that happened to pass through the passage was quickly thrown out of space, making it difficult for the pilot to regain control. The craft that followed were frightened by the unexpected event and were now fighting against the suction. Another spacecraft passed through the hatch at breakneck speed. The dome must withstand pressures to which it is not adapted. It shook violently under the suction, but held up. Another spacecraft grazed the dome when it passed through the hatch. One side of the little craft was torn open, and it exploded just a second later. This also gave the dome its final blow. Cracks appeared around the hatch, then smaller pieces broke off, and finally the entire dome collapsed. Artificial atmospheres throw debris out into space. The last two spacecraft flew out without control. The dome could not withstand such pressure. It shook, but it still held up. Another spacecraft grazed the dome as it passed through the hatch. One side of the small craft was torn open, and all that was visible was a glowing cloud of ions.
During this time, Noah sat in the pilot's seat while Tiny and other officers tried to comfort those trapped in the rear cabin. The last thing they need now is panic.
"Captain," Mo Yan whispered. "We should keep a safe distance. The facilities on the planet block are overloaded. In a few minutes, the rock will explode."
Noah nodded. "Notify all spacecraft." He then set a course and flew forward as the pilot ship.
It took some time to wait for the other spacecraft to gather around them again. The spacecraft left behind managed to avoid the debris from the exploding planetary block, and now it's time to set a new course. Despite Noah's reluctance, they decide to fly to the home planet of some of the prisoners and seek help there. Apparently, no one believes that the Republic is still out there and has the ability to contain and defend everyone.
"Okay," Noah finally gave in to the decision. Then, for his crew, it was just a matter of going on from there.
"Captain," Mo Yan said in horror. "There are three Demon Flame ships outside approaching us. That's why escaping is so easy. It's a trap."
Ted sat intently on the Republic's science station, observing the data provided by the sensors. Not much information. There's almost nothing interesting in it. They have been searching for the hijacked crew for several hours, but so far without success. It seemed so advantageous at first. They knew the direction in which the demonic flames were escaping, based on the shuttle's sensor data.
When Carol and Daisy arrived with engineers from Planet Kuafu IV, they walked through the site of the attack. However, as time goes by, these traces gradually weaken. It's as if only taking off required such an expenditure of energy to leave such an obvious mark in the warp. Just like the engine needs to warm up first. But once the warm-up is completed, there will be fewer and fewer subspace paths left. thus disappearing faster. Therefore, they eventually lost track of the trail. After that, they groped in the dark, not knowing where to fly. Carol decided to keep sailing in a straight line. Because there's no indication why the Demon Flames shouldn't fly directly to their target. They could hardly have predicted that other ships would follow the Republic. In the end, this route was their best chance. Where else could they look? However, if the demonic flames eventually changed course, then their search would be hopeless.
Ted noticed the change in the data. "Commander," he shouted in delight and surprise. "The sensors registered a huge explosion. Right in front of us." He looked up. "Probably over there in the mines."
"Hopefully not the mine itself," Carol replied seriously. "Pilot, move us closer to the source of the explosion." Then she stood up and walked towards Ted. "Can you get more information?"
"Not yet. We're not close enough." He punched some keys on the console. Then he looked up again. "I can't see planets or anything like that, but there are a lot of rock fragments. And ships. The hull material of these ships matches Charles's escape pod, so I think they must be Demon Flame's ships. There are 21 in total. But They confront each other." There was surprise in his voice. He had thought they wouldn't fight each other.
Carol frowned at the screen. They were still too far away for any information to show on the screen. What are the Demon Flames planning? She definitely didn't want to get involved in a fight between two rival demonic groups. That would certainly be the end of the Republic.
"Sir, there's a shuttle (spacecraft) in there," the security officer reported. "There are eighteen in total. There are also three demonic flame battleships, and they are heading in the direction of the shuttle."
Battleship versus shuttle. The situation is completely different. There's definitely someone here trying to stop something. Now it deserves a closer look. "Can you see any signs of life on the shuttle?" Carol asked excitedly. "Are there humans?"
"It's hard to say," Ted replied slowly. "The instructions are confusing. It looks like there are too many people on the shuttle."
"Thirty seconds to weapons range," the navigator reported. At the same time, ships appeared on the screen. Although these are battleships, their size and shape are almost indistinguishable from shuttles. But this really just confirmed what they had already discovered on the crashed ship. They are small, nimble battleships, but possess impressive weapons capabilities.
"Mr. Ted, I need data," Gabriel Caro shouted to the security officer. "We cannot fight in vain."
Ted didn't respond to her words, instead continuing to focus on his data. Precious seconds passed again. "One of the ships didn't seem to have that much cargo. I saw all sorts of signs of life. All relatively unfamiliar. But no humans." There was disappointment in his voice.
"Damn it!" Carol turned around sharply. She returned to the command chair. She needed time to think about what to do. These were escapees, if not their crews. Could they simply ignore the fugitives and keep flying? Or should we help these escapees and return to Earth, just leaving the crew here? She believed the crew would understand, and Captain Noah would probably agree. Because there is really no way to determine where the crew may have been taken and whether they are still alive. And there is little hope that the rescue operation will succeed in the long term. The mission was really helpful in motivating the crew to repair the ship, but Carol knew all too well how pointless it all was. In contrast, these escapees are truly in dire straits and they need help.
"Everyone prepare for battle!" Carol shouted. "Red alert. Prepare to fire. We will help those shuttles." She had made her decision. "Tell our shuttle that they are going to approach the Demon Flame Battleship quietly."
"We can fire our weapons," the navigator reported nervously.
Carol didn't blame him for feeling nervous. It is crazy enough to fight against one Demonic Flame Warship alone, but there is no possibility of victory against three Demonic Flame Battleships. However, they cannot escape. not now. Because the Demon Flame People have noticed them.
Carol pressed the button on the command chair. "Cabin, prepare for action."
"Understood." Daisy responded. "But please don't call us too often. There are a lot of temporary fixes here."
"I can't guarantee that." She interrupted the communication and stared at the home screen. One of the Demonic Flame battleships turned towards the Republic. Carol knew they had to draw the fire on themselves so the two shuttles wouldn't be detected. Only in this way will they have a chance. In her peripheral vision, she saw Ted sitting at the tactical console again, his finger hovering over the phaser's firing button. They have to wait for the right moment. On the bridge, there was a deathly silence. The crew stared at the screen as if frozen, as if time had stood still. No one moved, no one breathed.
When the Demon Flame Battleship almost completed its turning movement, Carol jumped up. "Fire!" she shouted, and almost at the same moment, phaser cannons streaked across the blackness of space. Next, two torpedoes were fired from a capable missile tube. "Mr. Ted, fire as hard as you want and don't stop," she instructed him.
The Demon Flame Battleship suffered a heavy blow, but seemed not to care. It was now fully trained on the Republic and returned fire. The blow shook the Republic violently, and Carol was thrown back to the command chair. One more blow and all their repair work would be in vain. But if they can help, it's worth it.
Carol's eyes turned to the two Federation shuttles again. They were now aligned with the enemy and began to adjust their position. The Demon Flamers either haven't discovered them yet, or they simply ignore them. After all, how much of a threat could a tiny shuttle be? But they will soon learn. After the two shuttles arrived at their location, they closed their shields and immediately turned around in just a few seconds. Deadly energy surged towards them as the Frogs finally realized the threat and began firing on the shuttle.
Carol stared at the two shuttles on the screen. The left boat successfully evaded the attack and escaped. However, the right ship suffered a comprehensive blow and fell into a spin. "Call Republic, I've been hit!" the pilot reported in panic, "My right propulsion module was hit and I can't control it!"
Chapter 42.
At this moment, the photon torpedo exploded, and the antimatter in it reacted with the material of the Demonic Flame Battleship. It destroyed the structure of the battleship, opening holes in the hull from which flames shot out. The two affected battleships tilted forward slightly. Then the destructive power of one of the battleships reached the energy core. In a huge explosion, the battleship was destroyed. All that remains is ionized gas, still glowing in the embers. Some of the remains of the battleships that had not disintegrated into atoms were ejected from the explosion like dangerous shrapnel. The damaged shuttle could no longer dodge, and a piece of debris flew directly towards it. The pilot didn't seem to notice.
"Shuttle Independence, duck!", Carol screamed and quickly stood up. But it was too late. The small spacecraft that lost its protective cover was defenseless. The fragments penetrated the ship with all its force, destroying it. A small explosion cloud was the last trace of the shuttle. On the other side of the cloud, the fragments were shot out again, quickly rushing into the universe. All of this happened so fast that no one could react in time.
Only then did Carol notice that the second Republic shuttle was missing, and that a Demon Flame shuttle was also lost. Another demonic battleship lost control and was floating in space, but it had not yet been destroyed. Flames and small explosions destroyed the surface of the ship's hull, and it looked like it could no longer participate in the battle. Now it's a one-on-one battle. But things didn't get better, because the situation of the Republic was not optimistic either.
"Shield down to 20%," Ted shouted in horror. Despite some wins, their chances continued to dwindle.
Carol was immediately brought back to reality. "Keep firing," she ordered, even as she realized that the remaining Demon Warships had sustained little to no damage. She looked at Ted, but he just shook his head. Carol knew they couldn't handle it. And it's too late now. One more attack and the remaining shield will collapse. Then, the next attack can destroy them instantly.
"Commander, I detected a spacecraft on the sensor," Lieutenant Li Weiwei of the science station shouted. "It's a Klingon frigate. It's very close. I just found out due to a malfunctioning remote sensor."
Carol looked at her, but couldn't see anything because of the thick smoke caused by a broken wire behind the command chair. What are the Klingons doing here? Did they reach any agreement with the demonic flames? Or do they just want to see a Federation ship destroyed?
"They're firing on the Flame Warships," Ted shouted excitedly, even though he could hardly believe it.
Carol stared nervously at the screen. She saw a Klingon battleship. And behind it? Isn't there something else behind it? "What's behind the Klingon ship?" she asked loudly.
Another blow shook the hull violently, but not as badly as Carol had expected. Apparently, it was just a scratch from one blow.
"Shield down," Ted shouted. Even a bruising blow is powerful enough.
"An unknown fleet appears on the battlefield behind the Klingon frigate," Levi replied. "They are attacking the Demonic Flame Battleship. The Demonic Flame Battleship turned away from us." Her voice was full of joy and hope. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Carol breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever these strangers are, they are their lifesavers. If they win this battle. And then hopefully they won't target the Republic as well. "Operator, get us out of weapons range," she shouted. She didn't want to get hit by another stray bullet. Now, she has new hope for survival. However, the danger is not entirely over. And she wasn't sure yet what role the Klingons and those strangers played.
"Commander, the Klingon ship has cloaked and disappeared," Ted reported, now able to focus on the sensors again.
"Where are the strangers?" Carol asked nervously.
"They continue to attack the Demonic Flame Warships. There are ten ships. Some have been severely damaged. I can't say who will win."
Carol looked at the screen in front of her, watching the battle in front of her. She could do nothing but hope that their side would prevail.
