Chapter 681
The impact on the Wayfarers barrier was an order of magnitude than almost anything else that had come in the same battle, except for Aoibhins earlier attacks. Gabriela could feel the whole ship tremble and then Otakar was there. Just outside the barrier. A still very much intact barrier. Amazing. And confusing, because even injured Gabriela expected that Otakar would break through quickly. And then they would be in dire straits. As it was, nobody had been able to stop him from approaching them.
Could they flee? Not with him focused on then. In that case they needed to finish off Aoibhin first. The woman had redoubled her efforts at retreating from the barrier, but her own attacks were weakening as she was fatigued by the constant barrage of lasers, small though they were. Neven was working at full capacity, the extra generators they had picked up straining. But the Wayfarer still held. Gabriela was proud of that- and how they continued to fight outside as well.
If she didnt pull her own weight, she would be ashamed as their commander. Thus, she focused her energy into her weapon, leveling the gun at Aoibhin. There were a number of metal beams in the way, so she had to leap closer. But the woman needed to perish soon.
Gabriela took the shot, her beam adding to the others and causing little more than a pink line on the womans cheek. But the beginning of a burn was good enough- her defenses were flagging. That attack was also enough to cause Aoibhin to focus on her instead of getting out of the barrier.
Unfortunately, Gabriela was unable to fly- at best, she was able to yank her trajectory around by grabbing strands of energy onto the surrounding infrastructure as she fell. That wouldnt get her out of the path of the womans charge, and unlike the Wayfarer Gabrielas defenses only barely adapted to particular types of attacks. She should have brought more people with her- it was just that everyone else was occupied.
Aoibhin turned and charged, and Gabriela heard among the rest of the cacophony the sound of gunfire- that of old style projectile weapons. They created a momentary screen of attacks that didnt do much to slow Aoibhin, but her energy was tenuous enough she did choose to avoid them rather than pushing through. That gave enough time for a pair of individuals to push their way down towards Gabriela, intentionally falling with greater speed. They positioned themselves in front of her, enchanted bayonets on the ends of their weapons.
What are your orders, general?
Were killing her. No matter what. Dont worry about me.
That was the best part about her subordinates. She hadnt even needed to ask for help. Though she really should have. She just hadnt fully considered what would happen if Aoibhin got inside.
The following confrontation all happened at once. The burning spearless woman charged forward, lightning surrounding her and seemingly unworried about killing three Life Transformation cultivators. But the pair of soldiers held nothing back, throwing their energy into their automatic weapons while simultaneously fending the woman off with their bayonets. Gabriela focused her own laser rifle into the smallest beam she could, aiming for the womans eye. It wasnt in time to stop her from crashing into the trio, sending them flying.
But that attack was the beginning of the end, as her remaining energy quickly collapsed. The flames from Neven and his focused anti personnel lasers finally broke through the Ascension class individuals defenses, and her body quickly began to collapse as unarmored parts turned to ash in mere moments. Gabriela was unable to watch, as she was doing her best to not land head-first on anything particularly hard.
She slowed her fall on nearby bits of structure before she eventually thudded into the barrier on the down side- they were still close enough to the planet to experience its gravity. The two soldiers eventually rolled next to her. Given the lightning scars on their faces, Gabriela knew she looked much the same. But she couldnt help but grin with them. You two interested in promotions?
No, they said simultaneously.
Uh- well, she could only recommend it anyway. They were the highest rank infantry could get.
Wed prefer to continue serving with the Wayfarer. Promotions would place us elsewhere.
Well. Thank you regardless she searched for their names. She knew every Life Transformation cultivator and in fact the vast majority of those under her command. It wasnt too difficult, except when shed been recently shocked. Wilmar. Otossa. She looked up. I feel like he should have broken through by now. Or been melted, maybe.
...General, came a staticy voice in her damaged headset. ... away from main cannons maneuver?
Sorry. Headset is damaged, Gabriela responded. Perform whatever maneuver you find necessary.
As it turned out, her voice went through clearly enough. And she soon determined what maneuver it was. If shed been in any of the proper parts of the ship she would have heard the warning to brace for the Nicodemo Flip.
All of the engines of the ship fired at once- with a good number of guns adding to the maneuver, their kinetic dampeners canceled to contribute to the sudden shift in momentum. It still took a good few seconds to make a half turn, but for an Ascension class battleship that was a startling amount of maneuverability.
By coincidence Gabriela found herself falling again, except this time Wilmar and Otossa stayed with her, maneuvering for a hatch they could hold onto and then climb through.
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A cannon barely missed Otakar, taking the top off of a mountain below. Then he was moving with the ships rotation, trying to keep ahead of it. Avoiding the main cannons was his primary concern, breaking through the barrier to get inside now secondary. It was annoyingly difficult. The flow of his energy was being throttled somehow. Every time he tried to maximize his efforts, he suddenly felt like an early Integration cultivator. Not that hed actually been one for long. Hed been one of the first Transferrals, and one of the few allowed to undergo the second when they captured a genuine Augmentation cultivator.
So youre a spy, here to sabotage us, Ufoma narrowed his eyes.
Grug was the one who actually stepped in there, placing a hand on Ufomas shoulder. She is our ally. Joining that battle, we die. And she spoke of peace with them.
Im not a spy. I was here to study with the Enkindled Sun Sect, and then the Northern Glacier Sect, Anishka said. Until they accused me and literally everyone else of being spies, and attacked and stole the cultivations of some of our Assimilation cultivators.
Assimilation? Ufoma asked. Stealing cultivations?
I know its sounds far fetched but-
Sounds like the big sects, Ufoma nodded. Keeping information away from us. Probably afraid wed try to steal their cultivation.
Would you? Anishka asked. Sorry, I didnt mean-
Only if they act like this. He looked towards Celina. You werent around her before, but youre clearly companions.
Splitting up to cover more area, Celina explained. You know, she started most of this whole movement with us. After that voice spoke from the sky.
I didnt quite believe it then, but then I spoke to others Ufoma nodded. Funny that I tried to convert the leader of the movement.
Im glad people listened Anishka said. Were lucky so many were gathered together to fight. And that they were in the wrong place.
Was there even a right place? Ufoma asked. They just destroyed one of the large sects. Even Otakar couldnt stop them this time.
You know of Otakar? Anishka asked.
Hes not fully a public figure, but people talk, Ufoma said. I only heard about him from the head of the Ringing Gong. At least, by name. He turned to Celina. You know of the supreme cultivator, dont you?
Obviously, Celina said. I just assumed he was a myth.
Hes not real, Grug said.
Grug, we just saw him, Ufoma shook his head. In that battle over there.
Thats just a man. Not strong enough.
Well, Anishka got their attention back to her. We should probably get moving. Those of us who are going, anyway. Cant guarantee they will stay. But I agree we shouldnt risk getting shot out of the sky.
We go, Grug agreed.
Uh, I was thinking that you would Anishka frowned. Need to recover?
I can recover on the way, said the large and rotund man. Like a tree.
We need to discuss why you think trees have these properties, Ufoma said. But we can do that after we talk to the other ships landed here.
Oh. Right, Anishka sighed. More new people who might want to kill her. But hopefully, they shouldnt be terribly against her home system. Otherwise they would have been more willing to fight.
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