Six Degrees of Freedom

Through the swarm of kebabs being blasted out of the sky, the Soundwave started to target and fire upon the bigger, stronger looking ones. The ones dual-wielding neutron blasters. Surely they were the leaders of this ill-built swarm of organics, so taking them out would end this conflict faster.

Almost irritably, it responds to Jake "Aim for the larger organics!"

edited 21st Jun '15 11:15:36 AM by Raidouthe21st

It didn't exactly matter what they were using - whether it was blaster cannons or various deadly medieval implements or missiles or laser-guided bombs, there were so many kebabs it was essentially impossible to miss them. Kills racked up by the hundreds as another Foxbat detonated, not able to take the abuse being hurled its way.

The Harrliard would be no safer with its holograms. While the decoys did draw a significant amount of fire, there were still several neutron blasts sailing by the real Harrliard every second. Not enough to kill the ship; but you would find no relief or safer place.

Jake would immediately notice a small part of the horde splitting off to chase him, though given the Discovery's speed it was much like a bunch of politicians trying to chase a Dodge Charger.

The Soundwave would also note forty or so kebabs headed its way, as well as a swathe of neutron fire from one of the four larger kebabs. This in mind, the laser blasts burned away at it. One pass wouldn't be enough, but a second pass would surely finish the job - it looked burned away, close to dying.

edited 23rd Jun '15 7:07:49 AM by SpartyMcFly

Silas took aim at a swarm and fired the Proton Torpedos, hoping to sink a large number of them while he could.

With the pike beam charged again, Emily swiveled the Noether around for suitable targets, and saw, out of the corner of her eye, the large kebab that the Soundwave was fighting. It was just at the end of her range, and if it moved, she wouldn't be able to hit it. After a few seconds' deliberation, Emily aimed the pike beam at the larger kebab and had it sweep in an arc away from Soundwave, trying not to hit anyone else either.

Marcia sighed. There was no end to this barrage. If cowering and hiding won't work, then firing some missiles and rockets at the Kebab will do the trick. She carefully aims at the Kebabs and shoots a few missiles at those Kebabs.

edited 23rd Jun '15 3:52:43 PM by josh6243

The Soundwave felt no fear at seeing the swarm of kebabs and laser fire flying at it. While under normal circumstances it might consider backing off in the face of superior numbers, these bugs were beneath obviously worry. Using its deft speed to dodge the neutron fire, it decides it needs to incapacitate the horde flying to face him before it could make a second charge. An absolutely mind-rending sonic wave emanates outward from the drone plane towards the direction of its new-found pursuers. Although designed to disrupt the minds of technological beings, the Soundwave was banking on likelihood that it would do just as much considerable harm to these organics. Especially if the theory that they are linked heavily through a hive mind is anywhere close to accurate.

"Come on!"

He started firing his mass driver cannon, along with his blasters, with the occasional missile thrown in.

Jake made a wide turn to head back towards the fight while keeping his pursuers far enough, headed to where he thought the larger kebab were. Applying full thrust forwards and zig-zagging a bit to throw his enemies' aim off, he straightened the Discovery's trajectory only in the last few seconds to open fire on his target, before breaking away and speeding off just as fast as he arrived.

The proton torpedoes streamed out from Silas's X-Wing, impacting kebabs even if they missed. Marcia's missiles and Seth's streams of fire found similar targets - there were still so many that it would take skill to miss targets. As Soundwave caused the swarm of kebabs heading at him to stop firing or pursuing, clutching their heads and seemingly screeching in terror, Emily's pike beam roared forth and spearing the kebab through.

The end result was a similar reaction to Soundwave's sonic blast - every kebab in the swarm clutched their heads and shrieked in pain, many being mowed down due to being in the way of fighters. They quickly regained their bearings, but seemed... slower. More easy to throw off.

"Guys, I think if we target the synapse creatures we'll be able to knock them down! SHIT!" The Green Demon's shields fell and neutron fire blasted away parts of its superstructure; Adrian found no amount of maneuvering could protect him. Despite their thinning of the horde, the neutron fire had not abated, and would still score occasional hits due to sheer volume.

Marcia listened to Adrian's advice. After all, he gave her a tip to beat those accursed Kebabs. She carefully aimed at the synapse creatures.

Before pressing the button for the missiles, Marcia gave her one-liner some thought.

"I hope you um e-enjoy being the b-blue plate special um in the Gra-Graveyard...!"

The Harriliard launched a few missiles at the synapse creatures.

edited 26th Jun '15 12:03:49 PM by josh6243

Gulp.

Kirby smiled happily at the taste of the kebabs. Then a hooman's voice said to get the big ones. So Kirby kept inhaling as he looked for a bigger kebab. If he found one, he would spit out his mouthful of kebabs - now smashed together into the form of a giant star-shaped blast - at it.

The Soundwave acknowledged Adrian's advice and with the swarms of kebabs having been slowed down greatly due to the sound assault, the drone plane fired round after round of laser fire at the synapse creatures while dodging circles around the slowed insects.

"Got it. I'll go after those synapse...things."

Hmm...lasers are good, but the mass driver cannon will be much more painful...Mass driver it is!

He flipped a few switches, diverting the power from most weapon systems towards the mass driver cannon, and fired at the synapse creatures as he did evasive maneuvers.

"Hmm, synapse creatures... synapse, synapse, oh there's one!" Emily opened fire with her ion cannons, aiming for the synapse kebab she had spotted.

Of course, as soon as the Atlas Fleet itself had caught the scent of the synapse kebabs they lunged towards them like sharks. They took some neutron fire, but in the end, it really is pointless to describe all of the individual strikes and attacks, because with this much fire being directed towards them they didn't particularly last long.

The swarm now seemed entirely discombobulated, moving every which way. There was some degree of co-ordination between them, but it was only there if you squinted. Taking into account the fact that earlier assaults had thinned out the horde, the rest of the kebabs would likely be easy pickings.

Silas swept through what he could, blaster cannons firing madly as he flew through what he could.

Marcia carefully aimed her shots at the remaining kebabs and pressed the missile- and rocket-launching buttons when it's certain that the Harrliard can hit them.

"Right, I think it's time to push the limits of the Phoenix safely. C'mon baby, don't let me down."

He flicked a few more switches, most power now diverted to the engines and laser cannons, as he started going on a series of high-speed strafing run of the kebabs.

The Soundwave is now firing upon the kebabs with a far greater ferocity than before, picking off as many of the confused and erratic insects as possible. There is no trace of caution or carefulness in this drone plane's flight path or attack patterns. This was no longer a fight between two armies. It would be a slaughter, a feast for the carrion birds.

After the slaughter that had just happened, the kebabs weren't dense enough to justify Emily using the pike beam more, so she set the ion cannons to auto-fire and basically just swiveled the guns and ship around as needed.

Of course, it wasn't instantly that the kebabs were eliminated. But over the course of time, with all the synapse kebabs down, they were felled. Ten minutes and an uncountable amount of energy blasts, bullets, missiles, spears, stars, and other such assorted attacks later, the entire swarm of kebabs laid dead on the ground.

You almost weren't able to see the grass underneath them, or the town - still smoking - that was now saved. As the Atlas Fleet flew over several Stanistanian soldiers stepped out of cover and waved to them and the four or five Foxbats that had survived the aerial assault, out of twelve that had entered. Fires burned all across Gorod, but with no kebabs in the sky, there was also no doubt that emergency crews would be able to contain it.

The job was done.

Gil is...not with the Fleet actually.

He's miles away.

Drinking tea.

"Such a trivial activity, squashing bugs..."

Emily said over the radio, "I suppose we should go back to Klaudijs and report that we finished. Shall we?"

Marcia was glad that this mission was easier than expected, and sighs a breath of relief. She wiped the sweat off her brow.

She responds, "S-sure! That um sounds l-like a good idea!"

"... Shit, we got them all there?" Jake asked as he looked around, flying alongside the others.

"... Yup, looks like the job's done alright! Is everyone okay?" He asked.