'We're almost done....' Were the words that kept Elias going as the battle continued all around them.
Even with the total loss of his left arm, the Victory's Commander was focused on seeing this mission through to the end. There was simply too much going on right now for him to be worrying about himself. And to be honest, the fact that he was the only one who was seriously injured in that boarding action was nothing short of a miracle. All things considered, their hasty action to disable part of the enemy fleet was a resounding success.
"The whole left section of their fleet is in disarray." Lieutenant Herrera's voice broke the silence. The man had a pretty nasty gash on the right side of his face thanks to the visor of his helmet being shattered. But aside from that, he seemed perfectly fine. "It looks like we succeeded in busting up their command structure. Commander, I suggest we strike now while they're vulnerable. They're disorganized, an all-out assault on their capital ship could wipe them out."
Elias shifted in his seat as he attempted to get comfortable, his gaze fixed on the tactical display on his terminal.
The Rift Marauder fleet, a previously well-oiled, viciously efficient force, was now in complete chaos. Their flagship was gone, and all that was left was the massive capital ship that served as their long-range gun battery. But as much as Elias wanted to take advantage of their disarray, he knew that he couldn't risk another boarding action. The crew of the enemy ship would have them severely outnumbered. And that was a conservative assessment.
"How long do you think we have until their remaining ships reorganize?" Elias asked the crew. Although his voice was steady, it was clear that the man was really starting to feel the effects of his injury now that the adrenaline rush was dying down.
"At least fifteen minutes." Ensign Nakagawa answered based on what she could see on her monitor. "Possibly longer if we're lucky."
Elias chewed on his lip and gripped the handle on his chair. The man's eyes never left the screen as he analyzed the tactical readouts that were flooding in from all over the place.
It was a risky idea, reckless even. And although the Victory was a warship built for the frontline combat, it wasn't invincible. Sure, they had their advanced stealth capabilities, but a direct assault on the Rift Marauders' capital ship was bound to draw attention, the kind of attention they might not be able to shake off. Yet, the weight of the decision loomed over him. And every second spent pondering over his options meant more danger for the rest of the 2nd Fleet.
Elias could already hear the whispers in his mind: If not now, then when?
"We won't have another opportunity like this." Elias finally said. The man managed to maintain his usually calm demeanor despite the sharp pain coming from what was left of his arm. Fortunately, the ship's medic had just stepped onto the bridge and was here to at least try to patch up his arm. "Get ready everyone, we're taking out that capital ship!"
His crewmates briefly exchanged glances, but no one questioned his orders. Lieutenant Herrera simply gave him a sharp nod before barking commands to the rest of the ship. Elias then let out a slow breath, his heart thundering in his chest.
"All hands, prepare for a full assault!" His voice said over the comms, echoing throughout the Victory's hallways. "We're going for the capital ship. This is it, people! Let's make it count!"
'Fuck...I think I'm about to pass out.' Elias thought to himself as the ship's medic jabbed a syringe into his arm. Hopefully, the young marine didn't give him something that would knock him out soon.
It was times like that when Elias truly appreciated the trust that his crewmates had in him. After years of living and working together on this ship, he knew that these men and women would follow him into the fires of Hell if it meant completing their mission. And he was determined to make the most of that shared determination and do whatever it took to achieve victory here today.
The Victory then shifted into position as Herrera activated its stealth mode. And after roughly thirty seconds of slick maneuvering, the ship managed to approach undetected while slipping through the Rift Marauder fleet like a shadow. The stakes had never been higher. The battle had been going on for hours now, and Elias could feel every second of the fight's weight on his shoulders.
As they closed in on the capital ship, Elias found his mind drifting as the pain in his side suddenly became dull. His crew, their faces, their stories, and the resolve that they all had in their eyes were exactly what he needed right now to pull this off. His thoughts then wandered to the tragedy of his lost arm, the pain that he could almost forget until he shifted the wrong way or tried to move. It was yet another reminder, not only of the battle they were in, but also of the sacrifices that came with protecting the sanctity of space from those who wished to harm such a fragile ecosystem.
While Elias was doing his best to regain his sanity, Lieutenant Herrera's fingers danced over his console. The shaggy-haired man guided the ship with marvelous precision, making it very apparent that Elias should put him in for a promotion as soon as possible. He was the steady hand that Elias and the crew needed right now. Even without a word from his Commander, the ship's second-in-command knew exactly what Elias would want him to do in a situation like this.
'Just hold a little longer, Elias. We're almost done....'
"Stealth field holding steady, sir!" Herrera reported, his eyes scanning the stream of incoming data.
Elias didn't even need to use his monitor to see that they were closing in on the enemy ship.
"We're within range!" Nakagawa added. "Weapons are primed, sir!"
Elias nodded, his heart pounding as the proximity alarms began to blare. The tension in the air was thick as they all braced for what was about to happen next. This was the final push, the moment where everything they'd worked for would either fall apart or be realized. The Victory's weapons systems locked onto the target. And the moment he saw an opening, Elias gave the order.
"Fire!"
The Victory's weapons systems released a barrage of ion torpedoes that were all aimed at the bridge of the Rift Marauders' capital ship. The resulting explosions rippled through space before tearing apart the outer layer of shielding and causing the enemy ship to list. Upon sight of this, the crew of the Victory cheered briefly, but Elias's focus remained sharp. He knew it wasn't over yet. Not until the enemy ship was down.
Before anyone could react, the return fire hit.
The following explosion sent the Victory lurching. Elias was then thrown from his seat, a searing pain shooting through his body as he hit the floor on his left side. His vision swam as the world around him suddenly became blurry. He fought to hold onto consciousness, but it was clear that he was barely holding out as it was.
Fortunately, that would be the only response from the opposing ship as the crew watched a series of explosions erupt from all around the enemy's command module. The ship slowly becoming a wreck of twisted metal and smoldering ruin.
At that moment, Elias looked up at the tactical display as the ship's medic came to his aid, his breath still coming in shallow gasps. The man allowed himself to revel in a brief moment of satisfaction as he watched their target burn away.
This was the final nail in the coffin, the Rift Marauders had been defeated. New Haven was free.
As the world around him fell into darkness, Elias couldn't help but smile as he realized that he had once again managed to do his duty.