When you were young and your heart

Was an open book

You used to say live and let live

(...you know you did, you know you did, you know you did...)

But in this ever changin' world

In which we live in

Makes you give in and cry

Say live and let die

Live and let die

Guns N' Roses- “Live and Let Die”

It rocked the fleet back on its heels, the death of Fleet Admiral Matevosian, and came within a hair’s breadth of falling apart. Admiral Otxoa scrambled to take up the reins, issuing frantic messages to the senior leaders that they had passed command authority to her. Most squadrons were too busy trying to stay alive to do anything more than acknowledging the message, but Adelais pushed them to continue the consolidation Matevosian had begun before his demise.

More and more ships rallied to her flag, concentrating the forces of Task Force Alpha, shoring up their lines even as they grabbed what shield generators they could. The ragtag formation beginning to coalesce looked nothing like the solid demarcations of Phalange...but it was a start.

Task Force Bravo broke free of the enemy, shedding their escort as they focused their attention instead on Alpha. Perhaps the machines assumed Bravo was running for safety and could be ignored. Possibly they had plans to deal with them after finishing the rest of the fleet. Whatever the reason, the machines abandoned Bravo in the crucial minutes needed to make for Gzuj, leaving them far in their wake.

By the time the machines realized their error, it was too late.

The machines seemed to pause for a moment as if they were deciding what course to follow. It gave Alpha some much-needed time to bolster their defenses, while Bravo put even more distance between them and their would-be attackers. It didn’t take long for the enemy to decide...realizing the threat Bravo posed to their stronghold on Gzuj they reversed course and began running them down.

Admiral Otxoa realized in an instant why the machines had disengaged, ordering a pursuit and broadcasting to those ships still out of formation to rally on her...admittedly mobile...position.

The only question that remained was who would reach their objective first.

“Nassat, they are coming,” Jiyazh said without preamble. “We will hold them off as long as we can, while you make your run.”

“Do you have any idea where this bunker is located?” the Saurotaur asked.

“None,” the Dhyaksh grimaced, “it could be anywhere.”

The General nodded. “We will do our best,” he assured his ally. “Good luck...old friend.”

Jiyazh flashed him a predator’s grin as he signed off, readying the other Khonhim ships for the approaching enemy, as Nassat turned his attention to the planet.

He had been in this same place, twenty years before, with the same orders...to bombard the enemy on Gzuj and render them incapable of continuing the fight. His enemy and allies may have changed, yet the sense of déjà vu that threatened to overwhelm him was palatable.

At least this time, his conscience was clear.

“This is General Nassat to all Tetrarchy vessels of Task Force Bravo,” he announced over the open circuit. “You are to open fire the moment you are within weapons range.” He turned to Commander Xeemvois and ordered, “Begin your run.”

“Aye Sir,” the Ophipteran replied, as he turned his attention to Gzuj. Other vessels took a position on his flanks as Chiron and its mates opened up, hurling antimatter fire at the planet’s surface. Red and white blooms began dotting the surface, even as the enemy’s energy beams rose to greet them. Without the shield generators to protect them, ships began to die once more, turned into incandescent balls of flame in the blink of an eye.

It was a race to see who would destroy who first.

Jiyazh and the rest of the Khonhim ships had barely enough time to form up before the machines slammed into them, intent on wiping them clear of Gzuj’s orbit. And when they arrived, the Dhyaksh’s forces danced out of the way, mocking their efforts.

Standing toe to toe with the machine fleet was tantamount to suicide, given the disparity in hulls...so the Khonhim didn’t try. Instead, they fell back, engaging in hit-and-run tactics, harrying them at every turn. It was the death of a thousand cuts, and every time the machines hurled themselves at the Khonhim they were somewhere else, though not without cost. Each attack pared down the already meager forces of Bravo, and it was only a matter of time before the enemy found the chink in their armor, the fatal mistake that would allow the machines to sweep their foes aside.

Only as they hammered away at Task Force Bravo, desperate to prevent them from burning Gzuj down to the bedrock, they’d allowed themselves to get target locked. So intense was their focus...they’d almost forgotten about Task Force Alpha approaching from the stern.

By the time they realized their error and reoriented their vessels, Admiral Otxoa’s command was in range...and opened fire.

“Hammer the bastards!” Adelais snarled as Task Force Alpha smashed into the machine’s defensive line. Antimatter fire detonated throughout the enemy ranks, staggering them, but they quickly rebounded and lashed back with the deadly beams of energy they had used to their advantage so many times before. The exchange was brutal, savage, with each side doing its level best to annihilate their opponent.

But with the machine’s attention now fixed on Task Force Alpha...Jiyazh and his Khonhim squadrons swooped in with one bloody slashing attack after another. The machines were desperate to break through, to stop Nassat and his forces from rendering the planet lifeless, but everywhere they turned another squadron was harrying their flanks. The Tetrarchy and Khonhim came at them like a pack of wolves, never giving them a clear target, always pressing in yet darting away when they turned to strike back. It maddened the machines like a bull in the ring, with the Allies acting as picadors, blooding them with one lance after another...until they could take no more.

The enemy broke free from their grasp and raced for safety, with the Khonhim hard on their heels.

“...not again,” Admiral Otxoa hissed through gritted teeth, as she got the Dhyaksh on comms. “Get your stupid ass back here now,” she shouted at him, earning her a deadly glare.

“I am not yours to command,” Jiyazh growled with barely contained fury as he leapt to his feet. “The enemy flees the field and allowing them to regroup is a fool’s tactic!”

“Fine,” she hissed, “then get back here so I can fulfill my role as your Second and blow your goddamn brains out!” she roared at him. “Your ships racing off to joust got us into this mess in the first place! The fight is here, on Gzuj, not out there. They have to return...and we’ll be waiting for them.” The two stared daggers at one another until Jiyazh forced himself to sit back down.

“...this is not over,” he vowed, “but we will agree to your request, and rejoin the fleet. For now.” His eyes blazed in fury, as he pointed a thick finger at her. “But be warned, Admiral...the next time you lay a challenge at my feet? Be prepared to finish what you start.” His face was a mask of simmering rage, as he cut the transmission off before she could respond.

“...looking forward to it,” she whispered, as her bridge crew found reasons to avoid her gaze.

Commander Xeemvois stared at the plot, as the ships under Nassat’s direction made their third pass over Gzuj. The planet roiled and burned with ugly intensity, but there was something subtly off somewhere, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He tried running the raw data through one filter after another, searching for whatever had tweaked his subconscious. What was he looking for? The question threatened to drive him mad, and yet he refused to give up the search. Somewhere...

He froze, staring at the display before he reached for the comm. “General...I believe I’ve found it.”

“Someone please explain why this meeting was even called,” Jiyazh snapped, as the other commanders linked in from their own vessels. “You have located the machine’s lair on Gzuj. Well done. So destroy it and let us be done with this.”

“It is not that simple,” Nassat sighed. “I have spoken at length with Commander Xeemvois and he has informed me that the machines have...shielded it, somehow.”

“You mean like the planetary shields we brought?” Admiral Otxoa asked. She and Jiyazh were avoiding each other’s gaze...a fact that did not go unnoticed.

“No, this is something different,” the Saurotaur explained. “Whatever it is, it is…diverting our weapons fire. Even the Antimatter munitions are being affected. We have no explanation of how this is even possible.”

“If the machines had this technology, then why was it not incorporated on their vessels?” the Dhyaksh demanded.

“Again, we are still gathering data...but this device is drawing energy from the planet itself. If that is so, it would explain why their ships could not duplicate the process.”

“So what you’re saying is, we can’t destroy it from orbit,” Admiral Otxoa grumbled, “that we must go down there to finish this.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Nassat replied, “so it would seem.”

“...God damn it all to hell,” she snarled.