Part 40: The Line Must Be Drawn Here
Our first battle where the only objective is to hold out. As such, I’ve turtled up as much as possible in the corner.
Arrayed against us is a joint PACT/pirate fleet full of long-range missile boats, support ryders, and three carriers.
We’re able to pick off a few ships on the outskirts with laser fire …
… while Kryska and Sola get lucky with the RNG and down a battleship.
So I’m feeling fairly confident at this point.
A confidence I am quickly disabused of. Missiles are already getting through my flak bubble, and enemy reinforcements arrive every turn. And with three PACT carriers, each having the chance to spawn new support ryders every turn, there is a very real possibility that they will have the ability to shut down all of my defences before the time limit.
And so, I hatch a bold new strategy.
The carrier succumbs to our kinetics as well.
Having learned nothing, I also rush Icari out to try and take down another support ryder.
Oh, right, the PACT assault carriers have kinetics, too.
It keeps happening!
I get real lucky and the Phoenix survives with just a handful of HP. More enemies arrive, and you know what? The whole short-range warp + Vanguard cannon worked so well the last time …
… and they were considerate enough to arrive all lined up like that …
… there’s no reason not to just do it again.
Once you get a big enough pool of command points, the purchasable upgrade to the Vanguard, and the short-range warp ability, this starts to feel pretty overpowered. If I were rebalancing things I would at least make it so that using the Vanguard uses up all your energy for that turn. Not that I’m complaining though.
Icari really gets lucky in this battle.
Eh, one more for the road.
I forgot to mention but I also got the quantum torpedo upgrade, a fairly expensive purchase from the Mining Guild that massively overcharges your torpedoes. You can still only carry three at a time and have to repurchase any you use, but man do they hit hard.
More enemies arrive but at this point the battle is a foregone conclusion.
Engage warp on my mark!
Contact, dead ahead! I-It's-
HARD TO PORT!!*BOOM*
R-report! Warp drive is offline! Fires reported in engineering! Loss of pressure in cabins 32 to 41! Return fire! Prioritize restoring our warp drive! Captain, another power surge has been detected from the Legion! Brace for---*BOOM*
This is a huge problem! It’s really coming down out there! There's no way we're gonna be able to get home at this rate.
That's the least of our problems. Are you kidding me!? This blizzard's gonna go all night!
We still have a lot of work to do. And graduation's just two days away now. It's natural we'd have to work late. This wouldn't even have happened if you hadn't told everyone else to leave. They were goofing off. They’re going to graduate this week! Of course they're not going to be able to focus.
The duty of the student council is to the students. If they're not going to take their duties seriously, then I have no need for them. L-look here! You're a smart person, but we've got to do something about that personality of yours! Do you seriously want no friends for the rest of your life!?
Argh … You're always like this. You know- wait, where are you going? The vending machine. I need a break. I … All right. I'll be here. Trying to sort this mess out ...LATER …
... Argh, there's no way we're gonna be able to finish all this! ... I'm sorry madam pres. But I am tendering my letter of resignation! It’s been a good year, and we have tried our darndest, but this is the end!
Pfffftt. Before I fall on this battlefield, let me just say this: Death to all paperwork! Let it be known that I, Kayto Shields, have just declared paperwork to be his mortal enemy! I shall make it my life goal to never touch another piece of paperwork in my life!
*pushes piles of paper onto the floor*
… ! ... Ahem. It's not like we were going to be able to finish it anyways. Yeah ... But … Well … It was good while it lasted. Hah. Good? It was a disaster! Everyone hated me. And what good did any of it do. It's not like any of the school officials listened to anything I had to say anyways. The student council's just a means for the adults to dump paperwork they don't want to do themselves on unsuspecting kids. Valuable leadership experience? Good for your resume? Hah! ... Well, at least one of us thought it was rewarding. Idiot. You're hopeless. Thank you very much. I'm grateful for your service too. ... Well, that's that then. Whatever destiny awaits you, I hope you can find what you're looking for in space. … Destiny, huh? What a bunch of crap. What? I'm only doing that because of my dad. Listen 'ere Kayto. When there's a trillion of us, each one doesn't matter much. Remember that, when you're sitting in the president's chair next year. What? Ahahahahaha ...!
W-wha!? Where did that suddenly come from!?
... O-oh. I get it. Let's mess with Kayto's head more by talking about destiny and crap. Let's see if I can play him one last time before I leave. That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Well unfortunately, pres, I already have you all figured out! There's absolutely no way you'd ever-
... ... Look. The snow's stopped. And so it did. … Let's go home. Yeah ...
The janitor's gonna have quite a shock when he sees all the forms scattered about tomorrow morning. You think they might withhold my diploma for that? Ooh, then looks like we'll be together again for next year too … Heh. Like that would ever happen. ... Uh, see ya. Idiot. Don't leave. What? It's quiet in my place. It's silent. All the time. …
Heh-heh … Yeah mom! He just walked through the door now! Says he's tired! Gonna go do homework in his room then sleep!
(Good luck, Kayto!)10 Years Later …
(We're all proud of you. Good bye and good luck. Have a safe journey. -Maray)
(Ah well, that's that.)
Texting your girl good bye, sir? Nah. Just family. Do you need to wait? No need. Let's get this show on the road. Yes, sir.
(Good bye ...)
U-ugh … W-where's Ava? Is she okay?
I honestly thought they had us. But we somehow managed to get our warp drive operational again and escape. All together, we have 23 injured and six dead. Fortunately, it appears you are not amongst them. ... Thank you, Ava. For the report. ... Carry on.