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  When Kyle raised his masked head, he said, “I’m sorry, everyone. I thought we could take these bastards down, but I was dead wrong.”

  Suddenly, one technician announced, “Captain! Unknown ships are approaching!”

  Shivering with anxiety, Kyle asked, “Whose ships? Shogunate reinforcements?”

  “No, sir. These ships are transmitting the same signature as Devan’s ships.”

  Shocked, Kyle shouted, “What? I thought these were the only ships we had!”

  “Captain, receiving transmission from the new fleet’s flagship.”

  “Patch them through.”

  A crackling voice announced, “This is Admiral Corban of the Coalition! We are here to help, Spica Defense Fleet! Prepare for our arrival!”

  Hope welled up in Kyle’s heart, and his crew cheered with joy as the Coalition fleet teleported behind the Shogunate armada.

  Seeing the reinforcements emerge, Kyle asked his technician, “How many ships did they bring?”

  “According to our scanners, they brought one dreadnaught, three frigates, three freighters, one corvette, eight bombers, and fifty-four fighters. It looks like we will survive this battle after all, Captain!”

  Kyle sighed with relief as he watched the Coalition begin to open fire on the Shogunate fleet.

  “What shall we do, Captain?”

  “Continue the assault! Don’t give the bastards room to breathe!”

  Afterward, the Shogunate found itself caught in a pincer movement as the allied forces closed in on them.

  ______

  Within the Emden, Amber, GB-89, and Mooku continued toward the secondary shield generator. They were not ambushed again as they ran through the seemingly deserted hallways. The journey seemed endless as they turned one corner after another, always on the lookout for another surprise waiting for them.

  “How much longer until we reach the shield generator?” Amber asked, starting to run out of breath.

  “According to the schematics, it should be around the next corner,” GB-89 answered.

  “It’s about time. I was getting bored from all this running,” Mooku complained.

  As they turned the next corner, an unsettling surprise met the trio. Standing between them and the shield generator were half a dozen men dressed in crimson armor. Leading the guards was a man clad in gilded mik alloy armor with a red cape wrapped around his shoulders.

  The microphones in the leading man’s helmet gave him an ominous voice when he said, “Greetings. I am Admiral Titus Vao of the Shogunate military, and this is as far as you go.”

  As if to reinforce their leader’s point, the other guards drew black katanas.

  “We’ll see about that!” Mooku shouted as he fired his rifle at Vao.

  Strangely, the lasers from Mooku’s gun bounced harmlessly off Vao’s armor. As they did, the plasma created a blinding shower of sparks. Realizing his efforts were hopeless, Mooku ceased fire.

  Vao chuckled. “That tickled, but I’m afraid lasers won’t work on me. This armor is made from the same energy-resistant metal as the Bushi’s Kiru. I will give you full marks for effort, though.”

  Mooku cursed softly as he dropped his gun and pulled out a pair of trench knives. GB-89 also discarded his pistol and brandished his extendable quarterstaff. Amber drew her Kiru and assumed the opening stance of the Mantis Style.

  Nodding in approval, Vao said, “I am glad you decided to fight despite your disadvantages.” Vao drew a falchion-like Kiru from his belt and held it out in front of him. “I took this Kiru from a Bushi I killed with my bare hands. I have killed dozens of Bushi since then with this blade. Prepare to join them.” To his guards, Vao ordered, “Kill the other two, but leave the Bushi to me.”

  The skirmish commenced when Vao’s guards sped past Amber and lunged at both GB-89 and Mooku. The inhuman speed the soldiers used as they ran past her amazed Amber. Before she could counter the guards, Vao charged at her with aggressive fury. Even though Amber managed to block his strike, she was caught off guard by the surprising strength her foe had. As she locked blades with Vao, Amber realized she had no room to counter. She was frozen in place while trying to hold Vao back.

  Struggling against Vao’s superior might, Amber snarled, “What kind of creature are you?”

  “Not only is this suit made of mik alloy, but it has mechanisms that augment my speed and strength to match that of a Bushi’s. My men are similarly enhanced, but they were upgraded further with cybernetic components. They will make short work of your friends in no time,” Vao boasted.

  Amber briefly turned and caught a glance of what was happening to her companions. GB-89 was faring well against his attackers. His robotic wrists spun like drills while gripping his staff. The movement resembled the propeller of a helicopter. He hit his enemies with so much force that their weapons shattered like glass and their cyborg parts burst with sparks and fluids. However, GB-89’s tactic was not perfect, as one of his assailants chopped off one of his legs and stabbed him through his shoulder. In response, GB-89 swung his staff behind him and impaled his foe through the eye and out his head.

  Mooku was having similar struggles with his opponents. With his trench knives, Mooku stabbed into one guard’s exposed joints, and fluids erupted from the damaged areas. However, Mooku’s other two enemies slashed at him from either side, cutting into his segmented body armor. Fortunately, the armor absorbed most of the damage, but Mooku was left with fresh wounds underneath the cuts.

  “You are unwise to look away from your opponent,” Vao growled as he shoved Amber aside and resumed his assault on the young Bushi.

  With a relentless hacking and slashing technique, Vao started hammering away at Amber’s defenses. Amber tried to use her psychic powers to increase her speed, but Vao was able to keep up due to his empowered armor. The effort of trying to match Vao speed for speed was taking a toll on Amber’s mind, and she was growing tired swiftly. Changing tactics, Amber tried using her telepathy to make Vao kill himself, but there was some kind of strange interference blocking her.

  As if to answer her question, Vao boasted, “You’re probably wondering if any of your telepathic powers work on me. The answer is no. My helmet is equipped with an inhibitor that keeps a Bushi’s mind out of mine. It is specifically designed for all forms of telepathic assault. Give up and die!”

  Vao increased the intensity of his attacks as Amber’s style became sloppier and more frantic. Desperate to create space between them, Amber released a blast of telekinetic energy against Vao. However, the admiral remained anchored to the ground.

  Laughing madly, Vao said, “Another useful feature when fighting a Bushi. My armor’s boots have magnetic soles that keep me in place whenever a Bushi tries to use telekinesis against me. Like I told you before, give up and die!”

  Vao seized Amber by the throat and lifted her off her feet. The increased strength of Vao’s grip threatened to break her neck. She tried to free herself by pounding Vao’s forearm with the pommel of her Kiru, but it was in vain.

  Pointing the tip of his Kiru at Amber’s face, Vao mocked, “Any last words before you die, Bushi?” In response, Amber defiantly spat on his helmet. “So be it.”

  Vao raised his Kiru over his head as he prepared to kill Amber. Amber closed her eyes as she awaited her fate.

  “Forgive me, Bralu,” Amber whispered.

  Suddenly, Vao yelped in surprise and release Amber. She opened her eyes and saw Mooku stabbing Vao’s shoulder. In Mooku’s hands was a fallen katana from one of Vao’s guards. Mooku himself was bloody and beaten from his own fight.

  “What … are you doing? How did you … penetrate my armor?” Vao demanded.

  “Something I learned while fighting your boys. Your armor may be indestructible, but there are openings in your joints to improve movement. I exploited those weak points so I can do this!” Mooku said as he pulled with exertion.

  Mooku pulled his katana down, ripping Vao’s arm off at the shoulder. Vao screamed in a
gony as he was maimed. Clutching his severed limb, Vao collapsed against a wall before passing out from blood loss. With Vao disabled, Amber and Mooku surveyed their surroundings and were alarmed when they saw the state of GB-89. The security robot was mangled from his fight, with his arms and legs torn and his head barely attached to his body.

  “Gee Bee! Are you all right? Speak to us!” Amber cried as she cradled GB-89’s head.

  “He looks like scrap metal. I wish I’d had time to save him when I was done with my goons. Stay with us, buddy.”

  His electronic voice constantly shifting tones, GB-89 said, “We can still complete our mission. Are the explosives I have on me intact?”

  Checking the robot’s dismembered parts, Mooku confirmed, “They are. Why?”

  “There is one more component that will maximize the effect of the explosion. Take out my power core and hooked it up to the explosives. Once this is done, you will have thirty seconds before detonation. Throw it into the shield generator chamber once you link up the devices,” GB-89 instructed.

  “What about you? Without your power core, you’ll die! We’ll carry you out of here if we have to! We can make do with the two explosives!” Amber protested.

  “There is only a three percent probability of you two being able to escape the blast while dragging me. I can see the shield generator from here, and it is structurally sturdier than the schematics originally calculated. You will need to include my power core in order to create the desired effect.”

  “We’re not leaving you behind, Gee Bee!” Amber argued further.

  “You will leave my body behind, but you will take my memory chip with you. You can always install me in a new body. I’ll be fine as long as you don’t lose my memory chip. Now, do as I say.”

  Reluctantly, Amber did as GB-89 instructed, sobbing the entire time. She pressed a button on the right side of GB-89’s ribcage-like chest and a small compartment slid out. Inside was a square device that glowed blue. When Amber removed the power core, GB-89 went limp and his eyes went dark. When Amber proceeded to the next step, her heart felt heavy like a brick inside her chest. Reaching the back of the robot’s head, Amber flicked a switch that produced a small object that resembled a flash drive. Swallowing hard, Amber pulled the memory chip out and slipped it into her pocket.

  “Why did he have to die? I know how much he meant to Bralu and his family. I don’t know how to tell them about this,” Amber cried, wiping tears from her cheeks.

  “Didn’t you hear him? He said you can give him a new body. He’ll be back. Let’s focus on the mission. Give me the power core,” Mooku ordered as he retrieved the explosives from GB-89’s remains.

  With trembling hands, Amber handed the power core to Mooku. Once all three devices were in his possession, he got to work putting them together. He twisted the orb until it flickered blue. The cylinder was twisted along the center, and it twinkled green. As the cylinder was twisted, one spike came out one end and four came out the other. Mooku hooked up the orb to the single spike on the cylinder before locking it in place. Finally, the unified explosives were linked to the power core, causing the mixture to sputter purple sparks.

  “Thirty seconds! Start running!” Mooku shouted before throwing the crackling object into the shield generator chamber.

  Amber was still grieving over the remains of GB-89, and Mooku was forced to pick her up and run with her in his arms. By the time they got around the next corner, the makeshift bomb went off. The resulting explosion created a wall of flame that slithered down the hall and roared past the corner Amber and Mooku were hiding behind. Every section of the ship rumbled violently as the blast demolished the shield generator. Within moments, the wall of flame surged back from whence it came, leaving behind a scorched corridor in its wake.

  When the explosion subsided, Mooku said, “I know you’re troubled over the loss of the robot, but when I say you run, you run. Understood? You almost got us both killed!”

  Still sobbing, Amber replied, “Yes. You’re right. We may have lost Gee Bee for now, but we can rebuild him.”

  “Good. Now, let’s get back to the ship and get out of here before more security arrives.”

  With their objective complete, Mooku put Amber down, and the pair ran down the dreadnaught’s halls as fast as they could.

  ______

  Kyle watched the space battle with a sliver of despair creeping into his mind. The Shogunate’s dreadnaught’s weapon systems were back online, and the defense fleet’s reinforcements were starting to sustain heavy casualties. On the upside, the allied forces were able to destroy one enemy frigate and three more cruisers.

  “Captain, our shields are at thirty percent and we’re sustaining heavy damage!” shouted one technician.

  Greast approached Kyle and suggested, “Captain, I strongly advise we fall back to Spica Prime and regroup.”

  Furious, Kyle countered, “We’ve lost too much to turn back now, Commander! We have to press on the assault!”

  “What if your brother doesn’t get the shield down?”

  “Don’t say that! He will get the shield down! We have to give him more time!”

  Suddenly, another technician announced, “Sir! Our scanners have confirmed that the enemy flagship’s shield has been disabled! They’ve done it!”

  Greast nodded. “That was perfect timing, Captain.”

  His hope rekindled, Kyle said, “Indeed it was. Contact our squadrons! All bombers, begin attacking the dreadnaught! Bring it down!”

  CHAPTER 21

  Jarek panted heavily as he sat at the controls of the Benfold Star. The interior of the hangar was a flaming mess due to the ship’s turrets to blasting wave after wave of enemy attacks. In the chaos, Jarek and Kelba lost the rest of their guards, but they were able to salvage a canister of coolant from one of the shuttles in the hangar. Kelba had been working hard to fix the engine while Jarek was defending them.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up, Kelba! How much longer until we’re able to take off?” Jarek shouted behind him.

  “I fixed the engine! We’re ready to take off when the others get back!” Kelba hollered back.

  “Good, because the ship’s cannons are about to overheat!”

  “Are there any more Feldorbots coming?”

  When Jarek returned his attention to the molten entrance to the hangar, he sighed in relief when he saw Amber and Mooku running toward them.

  Laughing, Jarek announced, “Amber and Mooku made it! They’re coming!”

  “Then lower the boarding ramp!”

  Mumbling from Kelba’s nagging, Jarek jumped out of his seat and lowered the ramp. Amber and Mooku boarded the Benfold Star and sat in a couple of the chairs in the center of the ship. The pair panted heavily, exhausted from their ordeal.

  Observing the two, Jarek asked, “Well? Did you do it? Is the shield down?”

  “Yeah. We blew up the shield generator, but we don’t know if the other strike team blew up the other generator,” Mooku answered.

  “But we lost GB-89 in the process,” Amber added somberly.

  “What happened to the dudes with guns who went with you?” Jarek asked.

  “They didn’t make it,” Mooku replied, shaking his head.

  “I see. Neither did our guys,” Jarek murmured.

  Surveying the interior of the freighter, Amber frantically asked, “Did Bralu and Sensei come back? Where are they?”

  “So far, you guys are the only ones who made it back,” Jarek answered.

  Trembling, Amber rose to her feet and moved toward the boarding ramp.

  Surprised, Mooku demanded, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I have to go find Bralu and Sensei,” Amber said, not stopping.

  “Don’t go! They may not need help, and you don’t even know if they’re alive!” Mooku protested.

  “You’re wrong! They’re alive! I can feel it! I have to find them and bring them home!” Amber shouted, sprinting out of the Benfol
d Star and toward the melted hangar entrance.

  Mooku got up to chase after Amber, but Jarek blocked his path.

  “Get out of my way! She’s putting us in danger by delaying our departure!”

  “Let her go, man. She’s in love with Bralu. It’s impossible to stop someone when their soul mate is in danger,” Jarek calmly asserted.

  “What if she doesn’t come back?”

  “Give her thirty minutes. If she’s not back, then we’ll take off.”

  Scowling, Mooku sat back down and muttered, “This is insanity.”

  Looking in the direction Amber went, Jarek said, “Love is insanity.”

  ______

  Owen panted heavily as he continued to clash with Manus through the Emden’s hallways. Throughout their duel, they each inflicted half a dozen wounds on each other. While Owen was drained and exhausted by his injuries, Manus seemed empowered by his own.

  “What are you? No matter how many times I cut you, you won’t go down!” Owen demanded.

  “You Bushi rely on your anger and willpower as the source of your power. The Ronin rely on fear and pain as our nourishment. The pain of my wounds and the fear you’re feeling right now just make me stronger. Give up while you can,” Manus boasted.

  Manus lunged at Owen with a flurry of fierce strikes that were barely blocked by Owen’s dual blades. Owen was pushed on the defensive, but his defenses were being worn down by each of Manus’s relentless blows. While Owen was becoming slower and weaker, Manus’s own speed and strength were seemingly increasing. Even though Owen was holding his own for the moment, it was clear he was only prolonging the inevitable.

  “I have always known the Bushi were weak, but you are pathetic, blind man,” Manus mocked, sneering madly.

  “And you are a madman who thrives on chaos! You must not be allowed to exist!” Owen shouted defiantly.

  Then Owen felt a familiar presence nearby.

  “Hey, Ronin!” a voice hollered behind Manus.