Out of Space

Chapter 221: I Got Bigger Guns

"One to all Flying Fish," The flight leader hit his comms as he watched the remainder of his flight forming up next to his wing. "Fish with guns to go in first and provide close-in support while Fish with anti-shipping ordnance to commence bombing of that wiggly thingy next, over."

"Roger!" The rest of Flying Fish flight replied and the planes formed up into a 3 - 3 - 2 formation. The first three Sea Cobras were armed with twin .50 caliber guns and a dual 20 mm gun pod dipped their nose and the planes appeared to burst into flames as the guns fired while the other three Sea Cobras with their anti shipping bombs pulled up higher to gain altitude.

Streaks of yellow red tracers licked out towards the sea monster that was dazed by the shelling provided by UNS Floatin Wreck. The heavy rounds hit the thick hide of the Krarga and the rounds barely even managed to scratch its slimy surface.

"SHIT!" The pilots of the first wave of Sea Cobras yelled as they saw their own tracers bouncing off the sea monster and some even appeared to bounce back to them!

The three Sea Cobras spun away as they dodge their own ricocheting rounds and cursed as they found no damage were done to the creature.

The second wave of Sea Cobras dived down at an angle of 50 degrees from the skies with air screaming through their wings. Releasing their load of two 50 kg cast iron bombs, they quickly pulled up one after the other and large water spurts erupted around the squirming sea monster as the delayed fused bombs detonated, the shock waves further shocking the creature.

The Island Whales bayed in fear and swam further away, trying to escape the sudden loud explosions. The Whales raised their serpentine heads out from the waters and watched the death struggle of the Krarga while the strange buzzing creatures roared loudly at it.

As Flying Fish flight regroup after their strafing and bombing run, another volley fired by the Floatin Wreck hammered the sea monster and suddenly the Krarga vomit out a dark cloud of blue substance and its movement slowly ceased as it floated on the waves.

"Flying Fish one to Matador," The flight leader radio as they circled around the sea monster. "I think the monster is dead! Over!"

"Matador rogers," Came back the reply, "RTB for resupply over."

With that, the planes of Flying Fish returned back to base while the flight of Cobra launched from Far Harbor took over observation duties over the sea monster.

----

UNS Singapore, Conference Room

The trio from the Islands glued their eyes to the wondrous imagery coming from a large rectangular flat surface. They had watched some dramas and shows with a similar artifact in their hotel rooms but these current images that were being shown were 'live'.

They were invited by Captain Blake over to this strange yet fascinating castle that appeared to be made out of some kind of metal. It only further confused them as to they would these hoomans go and waste so much good iron just to make something like this, was it because they were so rich in metal that they can afford to splurge on some so weird castle?

Could the ores they traded for used to build this strange castle? Is it some kind of monument to the gods? The Islanders couldn't understand what was going in the minds of these strange hoomans.

They were given several pictures that were drawn so lifelike and with colors so vibrant that it could only be made by some kind of high leveled magic. They recognized the monsters shown in the picture and told what they knew of these creatures to Blake and his staff.

Not long later, they were shown these amazing moving images that Captain Blake said were happening, 'Live' as in right now. The trio was stunned by the implications of such a magic artifact as it meant that something that was happening across vast distances could still be viewed as it was happening with this artifact!

Akron immediately asked, "How much is this artifact? Give me an offer!"

Captain Blake laughed as he heard what Akron asked, "This, unfortunately, is not sellable."

"Why? I can give you any price you ask for!" Akron quickly said. "I can trade with you our largest warship! A Man of War!"

Dijon and Megan gasped as they heard what Akron was willing to offer for that artifact. A Man of War was the Isles pride and joy. There were only 15 such war vessels in the Isles's fleet, with each Fleet Master owing two to three only.

It was the symbol of strength for the Isles, which even the pathetic few ocean going warships of the Empire can barely match the might of a single Man of War! Akron had only two Man of War in his fleet, with one surviving as his Flagship while the other is captained by his son.

A Man of War could carry up to 300 fighting men and carries eleven heavy ballistas on each broadside. Its armor can withstand multiple hits from ballista bolts and brought fear to its enemies when it appears. The cost of building one Man of War, can easily fund the construction of several smaller frigates!

Yet Captain Blake wasn't impressed by the offer. He shook his head and said, "I am very sorry, but this tech is not for sale."

"Tet?" Akron frowned. "Give me an offer, I will do my best to match it!"

Blake smiled, "No, I think you do not understand what I meant, this can't be sold and seriously, I do not really need any warships." He gestured the screen which shown the death of the Krarga as if mocking the Man of War of the Isles.

"Akron, enough," Megan spoke up seeing that Akron wanted to push harder. "Look at their weapons, they can easily kill the Krarga with just two ships and their flying machines. What makes you think they need a Man of War?"

"I- I... yes, you are right," Akron backed down after hearing Megan's word. "I am sorry, Captain Blake, I have overstepped my boundaries."

"It's okay," Blake waved away his apologies. "I can understand how exciting it is and the possibilities it can offer."

Akron nodded solemnly, knowing that with such an artifact, they can get information directly firsthand without any time lag by using wyvern or courier dragons!

"Is what is shown here true?" Dijon asked suspiciously. He has taken part in a battle with a Krarga many years back but had failed to defeat it and yet a third of the convoy was destroyed.

Blake nodded and said, "Yes, the Navy is now attempting to bring back the carcass of the sea monster back.

"Can we see it?" Megan's eyes glowed in excitement. "I didn't see a Krarga before."

"Sure, I will make the arrangements once the fleet has returned to the dock with the creature."

-----

FAC - 04 'Mozzy' was momentarily airborne as it hit a wave and Seaman Lero felt gravity disappearing as he braced himself inside the open air dual .50 cal gun turret on the flying bridge of the speeding boat. He gave out a cry of excitement as the boat appeared to fly through the wave tops.

Along the sides of Mozzy was FAC - 05 'Lassy' as it plowed through the waves, kicking huge sprays of water at high speed. Lero peered over the gun shield of his weapon and saw a huge purplish grey island coming up ahead.

A flight of Cobras buzzed around above them while in the far distance several islands with flippers and heads appeared to be swimming closer to them.

"Heavens!" Lero gasped in amazement as the PT boat came next to the floating carcass of the sea monster. The boat pilot reduced speed and the PT boat made a circuit around the sea monster. The water was filled with a dark blue stain which Lero assumed to be the blood of the monster.

The huge glossy lifeless eyes of the monster stared dead ahead and Lero counted a total of four eyes, two on each side of its 'face'. The mouth tentacles stretched out far and bobbed up and down with the waves and there was barely any wounds seen on the body of the creature.

"Is it dead?" Lero heard one of the crews below yelled as they all looked at the monster floating there. Lero shuddered at the thought that if it wasn't, they will be the ones dead!

Still, he aimed his armed .50 cal at the creature as the boat slowly powered next to the creature. As they came next to the creature, the stench was overwhelming, smelling like a mixture of rotting garbage and spoiled milk.

Coughing madly and pulling his sea strained uniform to cover his nose, Lero's eyes teared as the stench irritated his eyes. Mozzy's commander, Petty Officer Jorn quickly ordered the pilot to back the boat away and not get too close.

Both the PT boats moved away from the carcass and stay roughly two hundred meters away from the mound of flesh and upwind from it.

"Fark! That is disgusting!" Lero spat over the side before taking out a canteen of water to rinse his face and mouth. "No wonder no fishes are coming to eat that thing with a smell that bad!"

As he capped his canteen, he noticed the Island Whales coming closer and closer. "Hey, Boss! Those weird island fish is coming closer! What do we do?"

Petty Officer Jorn heard his yell, clambered up to the flying bridge and looked out from his pair of binoculars. "I heard they are quite docile and friendly. Maybe they just coming over to say thanks?"

"Erm, will they flip us over when they come too close?" Lero swallowed his fear as he saw the moving islands coming almost right on top of them. He could even see wyverns roosting in the trees on the backs of those creatures and thick vegetation growing on their backs.

The one which was grappled by the Krarga had its back look like it suffered a hurricane, as the foliage on its back was torn and trees were broken here and there. Lero wondered how these creatures came to grow an island with trees and plants on their parts at some point.

The Island Whales paused several meters away from the two boats and both sides stared at each other in curiosity. The heads of the Island Whales looked serpentine, with thick folds of skin and intelligent beady eyes. Their mouths were beaked shape like a Pico Pico bird and they have turtle like flippers.

"So what do we do?" Lero asked again as he nervously held on the butterfly gripes of his dual .50 cal.

"Fark, as if I know!" Jorn whispered back. "Gonna make a damn call!" With that Jorn climbed back into the wheelhouse leaving Lero alone in the turret mount.

Time passed and the Island Whales just watched them while the injured Whale once in a while gave a bay of pain.

The unique hull shape of the UNS Matador and UNS Floatin Wreck soon appeared over the horizon. The Island Whales gave out a cry as they saw the ships but did not do anything else except watch.

Commander Ford stood at the launch deck and frowned as the wind changed and the stench of the monster drifted over. He mentally estimated the length of the sea monster to be at least twice that of the Matador and he peered over the side of the ship into the dark waters below and wondered what other horrors are there underneath his feet.

He turned to the assembled crew on the deck and yelled, "Alright boys, we got a shit job to do!"

"That is to stow that sinking bag of shit monster back to Far Harbor!"