Chapter 703 - Space Combat

Once all of the psykers had escaped via the escape pods, Afton heads straight back to the bridge to see if he'd be able to control the mothership at all... Yeah, self-destruction was imminent, but that didn't mean he couldn't crash this thing into the other two ships, did it?

He reaches the elevator and has it take him to the bridge. Once the doors open, he cautiously walks into the large room, wondering whether the aliens would try to take action after seeing him alone... Fortunately, they didn't seem to have moved from their respective places since he and the group had left, giving him easy access to the main system.

As for how to fly this thing? Well... After some investigation, he found that the primary way to operate it was to rely on the auto-navigation system.... All you needed to do was select a location, and the ship would automatically travel to it.

Afton quickly noticed some issues with this however... The mothership was never actually supposed to land, the thing acting more as a mobile satellite than anything else... This meant that if you selected, say, Mars... The ship would literally collide with the planet...

The real way to utilise this system would be to put in coordinates of free space above Mars, where other landing ships would transport troops and supplies afterwards.

Additionally, this system was completely locked out due to the self destruct initiation, stopping anyone from moving the ship via this method.

Of course, there was also a manual option, but judging by how there was a 'System Update Alert' pending, dating back to... Ten years ago, the aliens didn't favour this option in the least.

He shakes his head with mirth, thinking that the aliens were more human than he expected... Even their incompetence matched humanity...

While the manual system hadn't been updated in ten years, it was still 'somewhat' operational... Though, considering the many addons that'd apparently been installed since then, the ride would probably be very, very chaotic and janky.

Regardless, he didn't really have much of a choice right now, and unless he wanted to board the other two ships in the same way he'd done to this one, he'd need to take a risk and fly this thing.

He selects the manual option, and a large dusty harness sprouts from the floor. It was rough and rather primitive-looking compared to everything else on the mothership, but at least the aliens kept the manual on how to use it on their systems...

Controlling it was actually similar enough to the flying saucer he'd flown earlier, allowing him to easily pick up where he left off. He straps himself in and accesses the systems, the holographic hug appearing in front of him and informing him of everything important...

[Shield Reactors] : 95%

[Hull Integrity] : 98%

[Ammo Supply] : 99%

[Avaliable Space Fighters] : 70%

[Orbital Laser Charge] : 100%

[Engine Fuel] : 99%

[Warp Drive] : 100%

Afton grins at the selection before him, quickly thrusting his hands into the holographic controls and trying to turn the mothership towards the other nearest space vessel.

The ship awkwardly turns in a janky manner, Afton still getting used to manoeuvring such a large vehicle... Indeed, the way the thing turns disorientates him so much that he ends up with the bottom of the ship pointing at where he wanted to go... But, that isn't really a problem...

[Orbital Laser Strike Inititate]

1%

10%

24%

69% (AN : Giggity)

80%

100%-

*BOOOM!*

*RUUUuuuumble!*

The entire ship vibrates as the orbital laser fires, causing a stream of light to envelope the other alien cruiser, utterly annihilating it in an instant... Afton thought that they might try to dodge, but it seems that they weren't expecting to get shot by their own ally.

The other remaining alien ship immediately jumps into action however, somehow employing its warp speed to blink directly above the mothership, clear out of range of the orbital laser.

As Afton rapidly tries to turn the ship around to get another shot at them, the enemy begins firing a litany of weapons at him. Strange-looking missiles, lasers, and even employing fighters to start chipping away at the mothership's defences. Causing his [Danger Sense] to go ballistic almost continually.

Fortunately, the shield holds up fairly well, but those missiles imparticular were taking away 10% from it with each hit at the least.

This would be the moment that Afton activates the mothership's other weapons to fight... But they seem to require crew to actually man them, leaving Afton as a sitting duck...

He doesn't despair, however, instead, laughing as he quickly pulls up and pushes the thrusters to max speed, causing the ship to rapidly accelerate towards the enemy.

His hope that they couldn't use that warp speed in quick succession was granted, as the enemy tried to get out of the mothership's path, but began moving far too late to avoid it.

The mothership collides with the enemy, causing a massive explosion to sound out. The enemy ship's shields easily collapse under the weight of the impact, causing its shield reactors to implode from the backlash.

This causes a chain reaction, causing many more explosions to ring out along the enemy cruiser, eventually spreading to their engines... This signals the beginning of the end for them, as the various systems that were working overtime to keep the ship intact abruptly shut down, allowing it to finally split in two as the mothership cleaves a path straight through it.

Afton gives a loud laugh and throws a fist in the air, accidentally causing the mothership to initiate a barrel roll, further rending the ruined enemy ship apart. "And take that you fuckin' alien bastards! Hahahaha!" he shouts, ignoring the other aliens who were literally all still behind him, transmitting data to their homeworld.

It's only then though that Afton notices something odd... He touches his side and realises that he's injured. A large scorched wound replacing his right lung and ribs...