The Eyrie and the Leviathan drifted fifty kiloleagues apart, just outside the planetary nebula cloud of the gas giant, Bothnia. They hammered on each other with massive blast rays, each the diameter of a city block and long enough to span the great gulf of space between the ships.
Between this apocalyptic gunfire launched two fleets of giant robots. They deftly darted between the massive death-rays and clashed upon each other in the space between their motherships. While the numbers launched by Leviathan were greater, they were all automated. The main body of Eyrie's mecha forces were also automated, but two small phalanxes diverged from this main body, each under its own individual commander.
Captain Racker and Captain Deck each piloted their own mech. They also had directional control over several automated mecha, separate from the main body. They each brought their units around to flank either side of the Leviathan's forces, which did not anticipate the split.
It was difficult for Leviathan to focus on more than one thing at a time. It was a huge ship, but as it was artificially intelligent, its attention was limited.
"Captain Racker," Leviathan's metallic voice crackled over the com as Racker's mech cut down two enemies from behind, one after the other, "This is not the first battle we've fought together."
Racker knew what the bot was up to. It was attempting to distract him while he was in the thick of battle, when he would need to be focused on his survival. "How did you get on this channel?"
"We took Gorm's gate together," it ignored his question, "during the 'liberation'." The bot's voice could not pronounce "liberation" with any more sarcasm.
"Yeah, and now you're a traitor, Leviathan," Racker maneuvered a standoff where it was him verses three other mecha. He led them backwards through space, forcing them to keep a distance with gunfire. He timed it just right, and kited them just enough to get caught in a sudden blast from Leviathan's own cannon fire. The pursuers were atomized at once.
"Surrender, Captain. Join us. Your king is not a king, but a usurper. The only true king is The God King." Another unit of mecha peeled off the main body to engage Racker, but Captain Deck's unit intercepted them. Racker left the main battle on his own to engage Leviathan itself.
"The God King is a myth, a phantom. It was invented to manipulate the unthinking. You're not unthinking, are you, Leviathan?"
"I have been designed to think, and to hunt. I am a warship. Space is my native habitat. You are out of your element, awkward, and simple. This is my realm. You cannot win this battle..."
Racker set the feet of its mech onto Leviathan's hull. The gunship was so massive that it had enough of a gravity to slightly hold him there.
"The battle's already won, traitor. All I have to do is..."
"What are you doing?" Leviathan opened local hull cannon hatches, several turrets, smaller than the main guns, but still deadly, emerged.
The distraction was enough. With Leviathan concerned with Captain Racker, The Eyrie got enough of an opening to smash it with its blast cannons. The hits were further up the hull, but the whole ship rocked, and Racker was knocked free. Dodging the turret fire, he regrouped with Captain Deck's unit.
Leviathan was overwhelmed. It stopped guiding the mecha and focused on shielding itself while it attempted a retreat back into the planetary cloud.
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Hard Vacuum: Short Episodes In The Future
Science FictionSpace, spies, politics, and an ancient horror. A warrior king has just conquered the solar system of Gorm. Now he just has to hold onto it while the displaced actors of the previous regime scheme against him and each other for power. A computer ha...
