Wanderer Ch 34: Outnumbered & Out Gunned, Thalassa Back In Action!

(Jack)

My cover wasn't going to last forever.

Energy bullets rained down around me, scorching the control panels and sending sparks flying. I ducked lower, pressing my back against the metal, gripping my blaster so tightly my fingers ached. My breathing was ragged, my heart hammering in my chest.

Think, Jack. Think!

I couldn't get to my ship—not with those damn black-armored goons blocking the way. And even if I did make a run for it, I had no idea how to free it from those tangled wires.

Above the chaos, a voice cut through like a blade.

"You won't be getting out of this alive, Jack," Dr. Thanoros sneered.

I risked a glance over the controls, just in time to see my ship—the Starborn—getting torn apart by relentless fire. Energy bolts slammed into its hull, melting through the metal plating, shattering the sleek frame that had carried me through more scrapes than I could count.

"My ship!" I yelled, rage twisting in my gut.

Before I could do something reckless, the entire ship lurched.

The floor trembled beneath me, sending the black-armored soldiers stumbling. Warning sirens blared through the hangar, flashing red lights casting jagged shadows across the walls.

Then—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the far side of the ship. I whipped my head around just as the bulkhead ruptured, tearing open like paper. A gaping hole yawned into the void of space, swallowing everything in its path.

The air rushed out, an invisible force ripping through the hangar. Soldiers screamed as they were yanked off their feet, tumbling helplessly toward the breach. Their black armor offered no protection as they were flung out into the abyss, their bodies disappearing into the endless darkness.

I threw myself against the nearest console, grabbing hold of a jagged edge as the vacuum threatened to tear me away. My muscles burned, my fingers slipping against the smooth metal.

Across from me, Dr. Thanoros clung to a railing, his coat whipping wildly around him. His expression twisted with fury as he barked an order.

"Raise the ray shields! NOW!"

A split second later, a shimmering red barrier snapped into place over the breach, sealing the ship from the void. The pressure stabilized, the force of the vacuum cutting off instantly. My body lurched forward, slamming hard against the console as the pull vanished.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my ears ringing. My limbs felt heavy, my whole body aching from the strain.

I wasn't dead.

Not yet, anyway.

But my ship was still trapped, and I was still outnumbered.

Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip on my blaster.

Time to turn the tables.

***

(Thalassa)

Space had always been silent. Cold. Endless.

Yet, as I floated in the void, bathed in the light of distant stars, I was surrounded by chaos. A storm of red energy bullets streaked toward me, hammering against my skin in rapid succession. I didn't flinch. The attacks bounced off me like raindrops against steel, dissolving into harmless flickers of light.

I smiled.

"Come now," I called out, crossing my arms as I floated lazily amidst the fleet. "Is that really the best you can do?"

More ships repositioned, their cannons charging. I heard the distant hum of energy building, the foolish little creatures inside scrambling to throw everything they had at me.

Adorable.

The largest ship in the fleet drifted near my face. A dreadnought, heavily armed, no doubt carrying hundreds of terrified souls who thought they stood a chance against me.

I reached out with a single finger.

Pressed it gently against the ship's hull.

CRACK.

The metal groaned, then shattered.

Like a fragile toy, the ship buckled under the weight of my touch. Its entire structure caved inward before detonating in a glorious explosion. A wave of fire and debris expanded outward, only for me to wave my hand through it, dispersing the flames as if they were nothing more than smoke.

I laughed.

Oh, this was fun.

I clapped my hands together, the force alone sending out a concussive blast that tore through the surrounding ships. One after another, they burst like overripe fruit, their fragments scattering into the void.

But then I remembered—

The mortal.

My little mortal.

I couldn't go around destroying everything just yet. He was probably inside one of the bigger ships, hiding, terrified, waiting for someone—for me—to come claim him.

Luckily, I had prepared for this.

The small psychic connection I had established between us hummed faintly in my mind. A tiny thread, delicate but there.

I closed my eyes for a moment, reaching out. Where are you, little one?

A flicker of something—fear, defiance. My smile widened. There you are.

But before I could act, movement caught my attention.

Eclipsa.

Floating in the void, her body still recovering from my earlier attack. Her once-still form twitched, and then—

Her single red eye flared to life.

A deep crimson glow, burning with hatred.

Ah.

So she was still kicking.

Good.

This was going to be very interesting.