The Star Lancers: The Curse of Cortes Ep. 6

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#19 of The Star Lancers

The Star Lancers charge into the jaws of hell, to fight Captain Cortes and save those taken from them. It has been all leading to this, will they succeed? Will they survive? What will Thomas do when he comes face to face with the Curse of Cortes?


Thomas sat shirtless on Dr. Einstat's table as the good doctor poked at him. "Ouch, hey! What kind of technique is that?" Einstat looked up at him and smiled. "Quit your whining, I'm a professional." Thomas said while rubbing the scar from his bullet wound. "So you keep saying." He watched the doctor bend over at the hips as she dug through a metal drawer for something. He was aroused by her long legs, and with her bent over he could see up her medical dress, the bottom curves of her ass and panties.

He quickly averted his eyes as she whipped around with a smile and some sort of dermal injector in hand. "You just need a booster, you're well out of the woods..." She thought for a second. "...whatever that means." "I don't like shots." Thomas held up a hand. Einstat smiled at him. "You weren't complaining when you were almost dead and couldn't resist. Besides, if anything you'll feel some tingles in your extremities." "Tingles? I don't want tingles!" She slapped his arm. "Don't be a big baby! Here we go!" She quickly jabbed him and pulled the trigger making the device hiss. "HEY!" Thomas rubbed his arm. He looked down, seeing the large bulge in his pants, which the doctor was looking at with a smile. "What the hell! Is this one of the side effects?" She smirked. "No I think this is a you problem, but it looks serious, I should look at it."

Einstat rubbed his dick through his pants sending those tingles he heard about, though he didn't think it was the shot. "That's Okay, I can just walk it off." He was clearly more aroused by the doctor then he thought. Einstat's face squished with Thomas' hand pressed against it, trying to push her away. "I...nnhh...insist, I'm your doctor...nnnnhh, it's my duty."

Einstat forced his pants open and pulled out his hard cock. "Hehehe, my my, Crystal was right about you." Thomas make a look of shock. "Eh? Is there no secrecy aboard this ship?" Einstat stuffed the big cock into her mouth, making Thomas jump a little from the sudden moist warmth around his cock. The doctor gripped the thick shaft as her wet lips slid up and down, she moaned a little as she lovingly sucked him off. Thomas placed a hand on her moving head and groaned, feeling the warmth build up and the pleasure shot up his body. Her tongue escaped her lips as she sucked, moving the fingers that gripped his cock, as if feeding the meat to herself.

Einstat's medical uniform was discarded with Thomas' pants to the floor. Thomas lay on the examination bed, his hands on the doctors spread legs. "Haa haaa haaa aaahh yyeaahh, how's my- bed side manner- mister employer?" She said through moans of pleasure, looking down past her bouncing tits. Her wet pussy riding his big cock. All Thomas could do is moaning, enjoying the doctor's special brand of medicine. He shifted his hands up her writhing body and grabbed her bouncing tits. His fingers brushing over her hard nipples making her squeal a little as she rode his big cock faster, her soft ass giving a jiggle with every slapping impact.

Einstat let out a long moan into the bed's pillow, her face pressed into it. Her tits bounced quickly with her hips in the air. Thomas leaned over her from behind, slapping against her soft jiggling ass, driving his big cock as deep as it will go. He vigorously fucked her wet pussy with all the energy of his youth and the stamina he has gained from his experience aboard ship. Einstat looked back and moaned with pleasure. "Oooohhh You're really good, more, more, cum on my tits!" She cried out. Thomas moaned, moving his hips as fast as they could take him, listening to the doctor's medical talk.

Einstat moaned with pleasure, whined and rithed, her tits heaving as her hard nipples flicked. She was now on her shoulders, flipped upside down as Thomas stood over her, plunging his big cock fast and deep into her wet pussy. Her spread legs bounced, her soft ass jiggled as he yelled out, fucking her with everything he had. He could feel the pleasure rising and building, he felt like he was going to burst. She cried out and moaned. "Haah ahaa hhaa haa yes yes yes yes hhaaa!!!" She let out a long scream as she moved her hips. Thomas could feel the moist warmth squeeze around him. His big cock slid out as he leaned forward and yelled out. Streams of hot cum shot down onto the doctor's tits and trickled down onto her face. Thomas took a deep breath and stroked it all out as Einstat smiled and hummed, feeling the pattering rain of cum onto her soft curves.

The Star Lancers

The Curse of Cortes

Episode 6: A Dish Best Served Cold

Thomas sighed, walking down the corridor after leaving medical. The Star Lancer had picked up the signal they were waiting for, and followed the Queen's Revenge to the cloud strewn atmosphere of the gas giant Jupiter. The sleek and agile Star Lancer has since plunged into Jupiter's Halo, the densest and brightest part of the Gossamer Rings. A river of cosmic dust; circumnavigating the planet, formed from stellar collisions during unremembered ages. A mere fifty thousand kilometers to the clouds of Jupiter, the ship could be plunged to a horrid fate, crushed like a tin can. The risk was important however, as probes were sent out to find and map out the secret port of the Queen's Revenge.

After receiving the call, Thomas walked into the galley, where he found the majority of the crew in some sort of ship wide meeting. Koshka looked up from a large flexy display screen, stretched out over one of the large tables. "Young master, good of you to join us." Thomas picked his way through the gathered crew and saw the display of the twin interlocked asteroids, a line work image of compiled images took by the probes. "So that's where they are then?" He said while studying the images. "So it would seem..." Koshka confirmed. "...a very ingenious place to hide if I do say so myself. A lot of people avoid the shadow of the moons in fear of ambush."

Celesti chimed in. "Even damaged, the Queen's Revenge out guns and out mans us; it will not be easy." Koshka nodded. "Given the structure of their port, I may have a plan for that. As for the man power problem..." She trailed off. One of the crew spoke up. "Are we seriously talking about attacking those monsters in their own den?" Koshka turned to him and saw some of the crew shared his expression. She understood the fear, for a hundred years, children grew up hearing the stories around Captain Cortes. Even after fighting her personally, the thought of going back in, made her stomach sink.

Another crewmen spoke up. "How would we fight them? They don't die as easily as normal people." Koshka looked at him. "We have a small supply of armor piercing ammo, so we will need to take the fight to them; keep the damage confined on their end." A female crewmen leaned forward. "How much of this ammo do we have?" Koshka was getting annoyed by the tone the crew was speaking to her, but she kept her cool. It was a delicate act to get fighting men to follow you into the jaws of hell after all. "Enough for one magazine a piece, maybe two." She said coldly. The crew started to chatter. Thomas felt disturbed as he watched the doubt building in the crew. He was so close, yet risked to be dragged far away.

Koshka straightened her back and projected her voice over the din. "Listen! I know it seems grim, but it's not impossible. With the right plan, and as always, a little luck, we can pull this off. We are not here to wipe them out, or fight them to the last; we're here to rescue the people taken from us. This will be a smash and grab operation with an emphasis of over whelming force and surprise. A step by step pirate raid." She paused and took a deep breath. "Our ship's first officer, my friend, Rose is over there. I will not pretend my authority has the power to over rule fear and dismay, but I will also not allow MY fear to overpower my loyalty and love for my crew and family. I will fight for them, whether you follow me or not. No one here can challenge my resolve, you have all seen it for yourselves. I won't give an order this time, only request that you help me bring Rose home." The crew gathered in the galley fell silent to listen to their captain, their faces changed from worry to shame. Some nodding in agreement, others in deep thought.

Thomas slammed his palm down on the table, drawing everyone's attention. "A hundred pounds..." He had a look of determination in his eyes, staring down at the asteroid layout. "...I offer, in addition to the agreed upon payment, another hundred pounds of gold to those who would follow us." Koshka smiled and raised her chin. "That extra money will exclusively be shared amungst the crew who fight. No cut for me or any command staff." The chatter in the galley once again picked up, this time, not of worry, but of plans. The crewman that first spoke up leaned onto the table and smiled. "Hell, if it's my time to go, might as well go serving under an honorable captain, against the dreaded Cortes no less." He looked at the others. "How many others in the 'here after' could boast such an end?" The crew gathered couldn't help but chuckle and smile at the prospect. "What's the plan captain?!" One shouted out. "When are we leavin cap'm?!" Another yelled. Koshka smiled and looked down at the line work of Cortes' shadow port. "Right, this is how it's going to happen."

The pitch and darkened rock, once known as the hideout of the Black pirates gave off a faint and eerie glow. Flood lights highlighting contours, jagged angels and edges. Inside, a pair of rusted doors opened revealing the dark and tall figure of Captain Cortes. Her glowing red eyes beamed through the shadows. She walked into what looked like a machine shop, approaching a series of work benches where some of her necrotech crew worked on something. "Report." Her mechanical voice hummed. They parted ways revealing a long device, damaged and bent at the tip, it looked like a warhead that failed to explode.

"Cap'm, we found this lodged near the engine cluster of the ship. It was emitting a signal carried on comm waves. We shut it down, but don't know how long it was there, or how long it was transmitting." One of the crew with many red eyes spoke, running a clawed mechanical hand across the device. "A tracking device?" Cortes tilted her head, the vague lights reflecting off of her face plate. Another of her crew chuckled. "What fool would want to track us, only to invite their end?" Cortes' lens like eyes shrank and grew as she examined the device. "Hrm..."

The once somber crew came to life with purpose and duty. The Star Lancer crew was carefully divided into three groups. Ship team, Assault one, Assault two. Each team went over every step of the captain's plan, augmented by welcome suggestions by crew who saw something she didn't, Step by step they plotted the phases to tackle this castle in space, keeping it vague enough for adaptability. Crew helped each other dawn their armored suits, that protected them from the near vacuum of space and the stray bullets of battle. In the armory, the rows of assault rifles were taken one by one, loaded with the rarely used armor piercing rounds, inspected and passed to the crewmen of the assault teams waiting in lines. The few magazine fed bazooka's were given to picked crewmen, hoisted onto their shoulders. Side arms, blades and grenades were secured to belt and harness. A metal box was opened, revealing bricks of soft, malleable explosives.

Celesti, leader of the ship team, swiveled in the captain's command chair. "All sections check in, operation is a go in T-minus five minutes." She said before lifting her thumb from the comms button. Dr. Einstat walked over to the comms panel and hit the button. "Medical is ready." She looked back at Anya, who had volunteered as a nurse for this operation. In Engineering, the old fusion reactor hummed away with a couple jump suited crewmen working away. The head engineer hit the comms button. "We're ready down here in engineering." In the cargo bay, the suited up and well armed crew gathered at the ready, Koshka and Thomas at the head. The captain tapped the comms button on the wrist of her suit. "Assault teams are ready. Operation is go, at your discretion Celesti."

Crystal looked at the gynoid from her cockpit seat with a smile. "Give the signal, Captain Celesti." She said with a playful tone. Celesti let herself have a smile and nodded. The gynoid stood and threw out her hand in a commanding manner. "Commence Operation Jailbreak!" Her mechanical voice resonated across the bridge; broadcast throughout the ship.

The cosmic halo swirled and displaced from the rising Star Lancer. The sleek white ship emerged like a submarine from the depths of the ocean. Trails of dense particles and dust spilled off the hull of the ship as she cleared from her hiding place. "Dive below the moon, engines to full power, combat speed to target!" The Star Lancer's engines came to life with a powerful blue glow, she started off slow then took off, sending the Jovian Halo into a dispersing wave.

Celesti looked over her bridge crew, monitoring the consoles with her keen robotic eyes. "ETA to target?" She called to the pilot. Crystal looked back to the gynoid. "Eight minutes to the moon's shadow, twenty minutes to target."

The Star Lancer flew at top speed over the ocean of gases, even at a hundred thousand feet, the power of her engines created a wake below the darting Star Lancer. A great void of darkness was quickly approaching, as the moon Metis shifted over head, casting it's shadow on the gas giant planet. The moon's shadow cut a hard line between light and darkness and the Star Lancer plunged right into the blackness. The void was all encompassing, only the ship's running lights and engines illuminated the vessel now.

Crystal looked back from her controls, a holo-screen showing the coarse of the ship in a different spectrum, giving her the ability to pilot in the nothingness. "Entering firing range in fourteen minutes!" Celesti nodded. "Understood." The gynoid tapped the comms button. "Engineering, your part is coming up, we will need everything you can give us Mr. Irish."

The engineer hit the comms panel and leaned in close. "You'll get everything I can squeeze from this old reactor, but I need to say again, she won't be able to handle it. The Star Lance is too powerful for this ship. Best case scenario, we blow out the energy grid, I'm tellin ya right now." Celesti's voice came back, calm and collected. "Understood Mr. Irish, that possibility was apart of the plan, remember." The engineer sighed. "Yeah yeah, but I'm the one that has to fix everything."

Koshka looked up as Celesti's voice came over the comms. "T minus eight minutes to weapons firing." She exhaled and looked over to Thomas, who was looking over his rifle with an air of concern, his knee shaking from nervous tapping. She placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention. "What are we doing this for?" Thomas made a look of confusion. "To...to save everyone taken from us..." Koshka smiled. "Remember that when we're down there, and all doubt will leave your mind, come what may." Thomas looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Don't worry captain, to hell with Cortes. Family is more important then how I feel about her." Koshka nodded. "That's the Star Lancer spirit." Thomas smiled, feeling a sense of acceptance, he felt like he belonged here and the captain would do everything in her power to protect him, just like any other crew member.

Crystal lowered her aviator goggles over her eyes, the holo-screens reflecting off of the smooth black glass. "We are entering firing range of the target in five, four, three, two..." Celesti leaned forward and narrowed her heart shaped glowing eyes. "FIRE!"

Underneath the Star Lancer, the ship's namesake, the star lance cannon started to hum and glow. Suddenly a burst, then stream of purple light fired from the weapon, lighting up the underside of the ship in a pink hue. In the absolute blackness, a stream of purple light stretched out like a glowing ribbon. Going on for unseen kilometers until it suddenly struck the rocky surface of it's target.

Cortes and her men looked around them as their base started to rumble. "What is that?" One of the necrotech's called out. For the first time in untold years, they were caught by surprise, many stood around, not even knowing what to make of it, let alone, what to do. Cortes looked around her and threw out her arm. "Action stations you fools, we're under attack, Ready the ship for battle!"

In a holding chamber, Lyra, Rose and the Fields looked to the ceiling as they felt the base around them rumble and vibrate. "What is that?" Elizabeth said with a panic. Lyra looked at Rose who seemed to have a smile on her lips, despite their situation. "What the hell are you smiling at?" Rose shook her head in disbelief. "There is only one idiot I know that would do such a thing." Lyra's eyes widened in a look of shock, finally realizing what was happening. Then she frowned. "She'll never let me live this down."

Celesti's voice came over the comms in the engine room. "Mr. Irish, we need more power. Please see to it that the captain's plan doesn't fail." The engineer sighed, looked at his two helpers. "Here goes nothing." He pushed a sequence of buttons and tapped a power output bar, running his finger up. The small viewing port into the old fusion reactor started to glow with the bright light, a brightness no one would dare look at directly.

The beam coming from the star lance suddenly came to life, getting thicker as electrical discharges licked out along the path of the weapon's fire. The thicker beam struck the rocky surface of the asteroid with such force the impact kicked up dirt and debris as the beam bore a hot hole into the space rock.

One of the necrotechs looked out the Queen's Revenge bridge window, and watched the support struts, bridging the two asteroids starting to buckle. The struts bent and twisted, arched and frayed as the two rock walls, flanking the dreaded ship started to close in, trapping the Queen's Revenge inside her own port.

The engineer frantically hit the comms panel. "She can't take much more of this Celesti, she's going to blow!" "Maintain firing for as long as you can." Celesti called back coldly. The engineering team watched the old reactor as rivets suddenly popped, coolant sprayed. Panels started to short and discharge and then, what Mr. Irish feared would happen, happened. A long bank of panels suddenly sprang open as large flat breakers shot out, one after the other in quick succession. The engineering room was the first to go dark, then the rest of the ship. The powerful beam suddenly died away and all that was left in the asteroid, was a deep, hot glowing hole in the rock.

Dim lights illuminated the Star Lancer as the engineer watched his two helpers spray the dead fusion reactor with cooling foam. He sighed and hit the button. "Batteries online, reactor is dead, breakers jacked. Repair, ETA twenty four hours." He lowered his head as if wanting to cry.

Celesti leaned over her comm button and nodded. "Thank you Mr. Irish. Hopefully that was enough. Priorities thruster control, we will still be needed in the coming phases." She stood and walked over to the cockpit chair. "Engines are out, the inertia of our attack run will carry us the rest of the way. The gynoid looked up. "First phase of the plan is complete captain, the rest is up to you."

Koshka closed the glass shield over her face, sealing her suit, the rest of the crew with her followed suit. She looked to the large cargo bay door on one side of the bay. "Disengage the locks, manual open." Crew turned physical controls as pairs of loud thuds reverberated across the cargo bay. A lever was pulled, breaking the seal and opening the door slightly. The crew braced themselves as the sudden rush of air pushed everything to the opening, it was strong, but quickly over. Thomas watched the cargo bay door open and beyond was utter darkness, some stars could be seen in the distance, but it was as if nothing was really out there. Koshka walked to the edge, weapon in hand. "On your signal Celesti."

What followed was an act of pure faith and trust, trust in crew and friends. As the Star Lancer quickly glided over the asteroid base, the gynoid waited at the appropriate calculated moment and gave the signal. Koshka, as was her nature, was the first to make the daring leap, just after she yelled at the assault teams. "Who dares, wins!" Thomas, with a sick stomach and weak legs let out a battle cry yet heard from a man of the Field family and ran to the edge leaping into the darkness. The assault teams followed, some reluctantly but the balance of the Star Lancer crew jumped to the attack.

It was a terrifying moment of uncertainty that no sailor of the Jupiter sphere was prepared for, the old boys would have called it fool hardy. Twenty five men and woman sank through the darkness, thruster wings firing to fight the push of Jupiter's gravity. Each one praying that Celesti's calculations were spot on, and a rocky surface waiting for the feet, the alternative stabbing at their souls. Like a swarm of fire flies, they descended through the abyss, assault rifles at the ready, bazookas resting on shoulders. Some breaking out into a panicked yell just to calm their nerves, the terror boiling over inside them.

Koshka was the first to touch rock, she hit hard but quickly recovered, dispersing flares to illuminate the landing zone. Thomas was quick to follow, he had been yelling the whole way down, until he hit the ground with a hard thud. The more experienced Star Lancers, used their thruster wings to spiral into a more controlled landing, thrusters firing hard, letting their feet meet the asteroid. More lights and flares being tossed out, expanding the breadth of the visible terrain. All turned on flashlights and body lights as the crew rallied around their captain.

Koshka looked around, taking an accounting of her crew. "Celesti, phase two is complete, making our way to the port." "Understood captain, swinging around to provide over watch." The gynoid's voice came back over the comms. Koshka raised her large pistol over her head. "Star Lancers, attack!"

Inside, one of the necrotech pirates rushed up to his captain. "Cap'm, the ship, she's trapped in the port!" "It's worse then that..." Another grabbed Cortes' attention. "...surface sensors have detected an armed force that landed above us. They will likely try to destroy the ship." Cortes frowned. "Then they are fools, and have sealed their fates..." She looked at one of her underlings. "...go out and greet them, let them die in the cold of space." The necrotech's mechanical mandibles clicked, his eight red eyes shrank and grew with focus. "Yes, cap'm."

Outside, the Star Lancer assault teams picked their way across the rocky surface of the asteroid, only their personal lights illuminating the way. The two teams advanced in two lines, several meters apart, they made their way to the open canyon that separated the two asteroids of the necrotech base. The flood lights of the port shinning in the dark, acting as beacon for them to follow. It was Koshka, with her eye patch radical open, peering unbothered into the darkness ahead, who stopped. "Everyone!..." She called out to grab the crew's attention. "...prepare to defend yourselves!"

A long line of red glowing lights could be seen in the darkness, they bobbed up and down. Thomas pulled a stubby gun from his belt and fired a flair above the gap between them and the advancing devils in the dark. A red light burst, illuminating the area, revealing the twisted gaunt forms of the zombie like necrotech pirates. Without suits they walked the surface of the asteroid, their terror inspired appearance and numbers loomed over the smaller attack force bathed in black shadow and the crimson of the flare above. One of the hate filled cyborgs lurched down and grabbed the rocky surface, it's limbs like clawed animal legs, it suddenly skittered quickly at the Star Lancers to inspire the fear it wanted before the kill.

As the creature jumped off a large rock to leap into an attack, the muffled gunfire of Koshka's pistol ripped through it's body, sending mechanical pieces flying. It's head suddenly exploded with a well placed shot, making the cyborg twirl in space and bounce off the rocks. The necrotechs saw this and started to charge, blades, claws and guns at the ready. The Star Lancers counter charged with battle cries of courage and fear, the muffled thunderous clap of their weapons firing. Muzzle flashes strobe in the darkness as armor piercing rounds ripped through the unprepared and staggering cyborgs. Jumping necrotechs were met with thruster winged fighters with swords, bazooka loosed rockets sailed across the battlefield and blew up a cluster of the cyborgs, destroying many, more sent into the abyss, opening a gap in their lines. A cyborg with mantis like blades clashed them together, making sparks as it advanced on Thomas. Fighting his panic he was careful not to waist ammo and shot a line of rounds up the cyborg's body, ending with a fatal head shot.

Resistance on the surface was planned for, and so the two assault teams each formed one half of a wedge formation to push into the gap made by the bazooka team, and through the necrotech pirates. They were careful to support each other and stick together, loosing few. Thomas staying close to Captain Thorne at the lead. Flawlessly the Star Lancers pushed through the cybernetic devils, not losing sight of their objective or the plan. The cyborgs regrouped from the shock attack and followed the attackers with guns firing.

Koshka was the first to reach the cliff to the canyon, she looked down, the flood lights illuminating the trapped Queen's Revenge below, she could also make out windows and artificial walls built into the rock face of the asteroids. As the crew gathered around, firing into the darkness to their rear, Koshka looked back with a look of determination on her face. A rush of fresh attackers came from the darkness, multi-limbed monsters and technological terrors came at them. Suddenly a dense cloud of explosions raked the surface of the asteroid, blowing away and destroying the cyborgs. A mere pair of legs with a squirming metallic spine continued to advance, then suddenly fell limp. Koshka looked up seeing the Star Lancer in the distance, she had came back around, firing her broadside rail-guns and she smiled. "Assault team one, with me, assault team two, you know what to do!"

Heavy anchors were sunk into the rocks as thick cables were unfurled, tossed over the edge. Mechanical zip climbers were attached and with a trigger pull, Koshka, Thomas and assault team one glided down the cables to the Queen's Revenge. Assault team two dug in, with unfolding shields, tossed landmines, hunching down behind fat rocks to hold the beach head, and more importantly, distract the balance of the necrotechs away from team one.

Koshka used her thruster wings to fly over to the bridge windows of the Queen's Revenge, she was quickly followed by the others. The bridge looked deserted and after giving the signal, a brick of explosive was stuck to the window. The team cleared away as the bomb blew, after the fire and smoke cleared they waited a little longer for the air to evacuate, then invaded the ship. Assault team one was in and Koshka looked at one of her men. "Phase three, go." The crewman snapped too and ran over to one of the computers, hooking up a holo-screen tablet to it. "It will take a minute." He said as the assault team stayed alert and ready to fight, watching the closed doors to the bridge.

Koshka made her way to the upper tier of the bridge and saw the large navigation wheel, and behind it, Corte's throne like command chair. She couldn't help but fight the urge to sit in it, but a chill made her shutter, feeling it between her shoulder blades. Despite the completely technological nature of Captain Cortes, there was still the deep supernatural element surrounding her, even as a child, Koshka knew about her, as most Jovian children knew. Never had she dreamed she would be here, before her command chair. From her peripheral she saw Thomas, looking at the same thing. "The sorrow of it all." He said, perking Koshka's attention. "What?" "For a century, that woman sat here, hate filled, stewing in darkness. I would imagine this place, this crew would have been so different, if Black still sat there." Koshka admittedly never thought of this, as a space child she had a hard time seeing Cortes as a person, merely a phantasm, but Thomas was different and saw passed that. She was impressed with his insight.

"Got it!" They heard over their comms. Koshka looked back at the crewman that was working on the computer; disconnect from it. "I got the layout of the ship and base, the ship is empty for repairs, the prisoners were moved to holding cells in the base. I got the fastest way there." Koshka smiled. "Good job, phase four, begins now."

Cortes walked into a control room where the battle was being monitored. She barked as she walked in with an air of fury about her. "Report!" A bug eyed cyborg turned to her. "It would appear they are not after the ship after all. They have fought their way into the base via the ship. Clever that." Cortes held her silver pocket watch and ran her thumb across the old scratched surface, her mechanical voice humming as she thought. Her gaze shot up when it hit her. "The slaves, they're here for the slaves. Send what we have left to stop them, I will go myself!" Her sultry voice cracked with anger before she turned, the coat over her shoulders billowing from her sudden movement. "If I can't keep them, then no one will have them."

In the holding cells, Rose and Lyra listened carefully. The muted explosions, the distant gunfire. They tried their best to keep their hope down. Rose was stressed, wondering about the fate of her childhood friend, while Lyra was chomping at the bit to get out there and fight, cursing unladylike things, hoping if any cyborgs outside the chamber could hear her, she could at least sting their egos. Suddenly the gunfire got closer, they could hear shouting now, the girl's hearts started to race with anticipation as they watched the door carefully. Suddenly the locks gave a thud, it opened revealing a gaunt and dark three eyed cyborg. "The cap'm wants you, seems you all are special like." The cyborg rubbed his hands together, a third mechanical arm hung over his shoulder.

Suddenly loud shots rang out and the cyborg danced, holes being drilled into him until he went down limply with a head shot. A feminine figure came into the door frame and looked in, she was wearing a combat space suit and the glass face shield was up. "Koshka!" Rose yelled out in joy while Lyra looked at her in disbelief. "Holy shit..." Koshka waved to unknown people. "I found them, There here!" Elizabeth Field, naked and on her knees tried to compose herself. "Wh...who are you?" Koshka smiled at her. "Koshka Thorne, at your service. I'm an employee of your son."

Elizabeth and Lilly looked at each other and then at the new arrival. "Thomas!" The girls cried out together. Thomas rushed in, saw the four naked girls on the floor together and went beat red. His eyes drawn to his mother's huge tits, hanging in front of her naked curvy body, his sister leaning against her mother, her big tits lopsided. "Aaahh!" He stumbled back, hitting the door on his way back out.

Four cases now lay on the floor, open and empty. Rose and Lyra finished fitting their combat space suits on while Elizabeth, Lilly and Thomas Field embraced in the hall. Thomas felt a wash of embarrassment as his mother and sister clung to him from each side, planting kisses through his open face shield and making a fuss. "Mother, Lilly, please..." He shifted his voice lower. "...not in front of the mercenaries." The Star Lancer crew standing guard couldn't help but chuckle at this little moment of levity.

"Right! Time to leave, phase five begins now." Koshka called out to her crew, but Elizabeth interjected the plans of escape. "What about the others?" Koshka looked at her. "Others?" She looked down the hall seeing more cells open and naked girls watching the actors of this great escape, among them was the dark and beautiful Ms. Noon. Each one had a look of hope and desperation on their faces. Koshka snapped back to the Fields. "We only brought four suits, they can't follow us!" She barked out, knowing a quagmire when she saw one. Thomas gave her a look of silent appeal. "We can't just leave them here." Koshka stammered a little, not know what to say, even she knew she was in the heartless position. She looked to Rose who smiled at her. "Come on now captain, I know you'll get us through this." She then looked at her crew, who smiled and nodded. They came this far after all. Her eye came to Lyra who only scowled at her. "The hell are you looking at?"

Koshka gave a long sigh then pointed to the team's designated nerd. "We have people who can't space walk, we need another way out." The crewman jumped a little, feeling the pressure of the problem being thrust upon him. He quickly pulled out his holo-screen tablet. "I remember seeing an old shuttle bay, don't know whats in it though."

As the new escape rout was being planned, four Star Lancer crew stood guard in the hall outside the holding area. Their attention was inward however, trying to catch the details of the changing plan. Unknown to them, a tall, dark feminine figure stood there, her red eyes burning like fire. One man felt the chill of being watched and turned, seeing her, a gust of visible hot air wafted from her lips. "IT'S CORTES!" Koshka and the others readied their weapons as gunfire rang out from outside, the former prisoners let out cries of despair, their hopes rising and falling like a roller coaster.

Cortes moved like a lithe panther, sparks flying from the gunfire; closing the distance at the staggering speed. The man that raised the alarm screamed out, a bloodied sword pierced through his back. In an unnatural display of power he was lifted into the air as the others watched in horror, Cortes nailed him to the ceiling. The gunfire continued, it was deafening in the small space as she grabbed the next man, and drove his head into the pipe lined wall. His helmet caved in, crimson dripping form the broken glass of his face shield. Cortes dispatched the fighting men so effortlessly, it was as if death itself had taken form.

At point blank range, the armor piercing rounds punched through her body, making her lips slid back to show her teeth, hot air wafting from her mouth; it did not stop her. The third man screamed as she grabbed his rifle, he quickly pulled a knife but she pulled a pistol faster and shot him in the face. The fourth man's rifle ran dry, he threw it to the floor and started to run for the door connecting the hall with the holding area. Koshka and the others saw him in his panic, the shape of death; Cortes coming up behind him fast, her tattered coat billowing. Instead of running to safety however, the crewman stopped and hit the button to close the door. "Run captain! Get everyone out!" He screamed at his fellow Star Lancers as he visibly armed the grenades on his body. Cortes threw the man onto his back and reached down for a killing blow, when the doors closed and an explosion shook the walls, damaging the door.

Everyone stood in shock and silence at the violence that just happened, when Lyra stepped forward uttering. "She couldn't have survived that..." Her question was answered when something powerful hit the door, again, again. The steel bending as if hit with a large hammer. Koshka raised her gun and shouted to everyone. "Time to leave, Rose, Lyra, up front. Let's move people!" Assault team one, swelled with the number of captives made their way to the other side of the holding area and make for the shuttle bay identified on the floor plans.

The group of escapees made their way through the dark corridors of the asteroid base, the place seemed empty for it's size. Either Cortes didn't have a massive force at her disposal or Assault team two was doing their job in spades. Thunderous booms could be heard above them, Koshka thought that Celesti had gotten the targeting computer back online and was now using missiles, meaning the battle was still raging on the surface. They followed their tablet equipped guide and knew they were getting close to the outer layers of the base, as the walls started to shake from the Star Lancer's attacks.

Koshka thought she saw something moving quickly behind them and she turned with her gun leveled, targeting eye open and scanning the darkness. A chill crawled up her back, remembering her men who tried to stop Cortes, her nerves were on edge, the trigger of her pistol half pulled. All she could think about was eating her vegetables and rushing back to the Star Lancer to get to bed on time. Thus was the proper way to defeat Captain Cortes, or so the adults used to say. Thomas saw the widening gap between Koshka and the group and double backed to join her. "What is it, Cortes?" After a moment, Koshka released her breath, and the trigger. "I thought it was, it was nothing."

Both turned to rejoin the group when suddenly a loud explosion rocked the corridor, destroying the ceiling between the two parties. Shouts could be heard in the dust filled air, and when it became more visible a wall of debris barred their path. "Thomas!" They could hear from the other side, it was his mother. "Koshka!" Rose's voice came through. Through coughs and gags Koshka yelled back. "We're still alive." "Hold on, we'll dig through this." Rose yelled. "Forget it..." Koshka yelled back. "...priority is the captives, Thomas and I will go around, make for the shuttle bay, we will meet you there." A pair of suited arms reached through the gaps in the debris. "Thomas, after all this, I don't want to loose you." Thomas grabbed the hand of his mother. "Stay with Rose, we will be with you shortly.

As the others pulled Elizabeth from the holes another poked through, holding the holo-screen tablet. "Captain, take it, I know the way form here." Koshka smiled and took it. "Atta boy, get the others to safety, you're the man of the house now." "Erm...yes ma'am, I'll do it."

Koshka and Thomas were now alone and made their way down a different rout, their head on a swivel, weapons at the ready, not knowing what problem they would encounter, or how many. After many nerve racking turns they came to what looked like a staging area. It was a large room with lockers and empty gun racks. Tables and crates filled the edges of the room. It was likely, in the old days, this place was used to prepare for sorties, and wasn't far from the shuttle bay. "This whole place is like a tomb." Thomas hissed under his breath, as if not wanting to disturb the dead. "The decay of Cortes' hatred just didn't effect her soul, but everything that followed her down this path." Koshka whispered back.

"This way." She pointed, and as they started to move they then noticed the dark figure barring their path. Cortes stood there, her coat gone, her full curvy form was visible in the dim light, blasted and disheveled. Huffing, some sort of liquid trickling from the bullet holes in her body, twisted metal and frayed cables dangled where her left arm used to be. She was starting to look like her acolytes, yet her deathly beauty still came through. "End of the line for you, Field..." She gripped her sword in her right hand. "...I clearly should have dealt with you lot in one go, a mistake I will rectify." Her sultry mechanical voice hummed deeply.

Koshka stepped in front of Thomas and leveled her gun, sword in her other hand. She shot Cortes her trademark smile. "I don't suppose we could talk through this?" Cortes smirked at the sudden levity. "You remind me of someone I once held dear, mercenary captain. When you meet him, do share a drink with him, he would like you." Koshka's gold eye opened revealing the glowing targeting lens. "Thorne, Koshka Thorne." The captain declared her intention, the dark cyborg will know her name, one way or the other. Cortes stretched her neck up, her red eyes glowing in the darkness of her sockets, her smirk straightened out as her mechanical voice carried. "So be it."

Cortes jumped into the air, sword pointed for the thrust and Koshka open fired at the speedy target. The armor piercing bullets punched through her but seemingly did nothing. Koshka expertly raised her sword and blocked the killing blow as the cyborg landed among them. Steel clashed as swords crossed repeatedly, Koshka noted that Cortes was slower, but still fast to make the fight hard. Cortes landed a swift blow with her leg, sending Koshka to the floor. Gun shots rang out and punched through Cortes form behind. Thomas fired his rifle but it quickly went dry, he raised the rifle to guard himself from the Cyborg's attack, when once again Koshka got in the way with her own sword.

The clang of steel rang out as Cortes changed from one target to the other. Thomas using his spent rifle as a club to protect himself and land opportune blows. Cortes danced between the two, a century of experience made her the better fighter many times over, even in her wounded state. A straight kick knocked back Thomas, a side step and sword thrust wounded Koshka, making her scream out. Rapid hops back, evading counter attacks, then a series of rapid cuts and thrusts to drive back the two. Cortes jumped, dodging Thomas who lunged at her legs, the cyborg landed and attack Koshka, swords sparking with quick and powerful blows. For every block and deflection, another cut or thrust made it through. Koshka's body grew numb to the pain and felt herself get weaker under the cyborg's onslaught.

From his laying position, pulled the only weapon he had left, a pistol. "Koshka get down!" The captain of the Star Lancer dove to one side as Thomas open fired. The few armor piercing rounds they had left between them staggered Cortes who turned and shielded her chest with her arm. Now Koshka attacked again, putting the dreaded Cortes on the back foot, swords clashing as the raven hair cyborg walked back, defending herself. "You can't win here little girl, sooner or later, you will fall." Her mechanical voice hissed in confidence. "We shall see about that, sad ghost." Koshka retorted, grimacing through the wounds she collected clashing with the cyborg.

Suddenly Thomas jumped onto Cortes' back, wrapping his arms around her neck. Cortes swung her sword left and right, keeping the poised Koshka at bay. The cyborg jerked her head back, smacking Thomas, the rim of his space suit helmet protect him well enough but still sent him flat on his back. Cortes turned, sword down ready to pin him to the floor for good, but Koshka flew in with a flying kick, landing both feet on Cortes' back, launching her forward. Koshka sat up and pulled her gun, knowing she had but three rounds left and fired. Cortes dodged the first shot, ran with incredible speed around the large room, the second shot she dodge with a quick tilt of the hips. Koshka's cybernetic eye glowed and focused, watching Cortes dance across the room. She pointed her gun elsewhere and fired, the round bounced off a metal table leg at just the right angle it changed coarse and blasted Cortes in the knee.

Cortes cried out and hit the floor, her momentum sent her tumbling into a collection of metal crates with a powerful crash. Thomas helped Koshka to her feet and raised his gun as they heard the mechanical chuckle of Cortes. She was on one knee, using her sword to lift herself. "I haven't fought this hard in a long time, I salute you, Captain Thorne." Thomas stepped forward, gun aimed at her head. "We....are leaving, and you will leave my family the hell alone." Cortes' lips parted in a look of surprise. "Aren't you going to shoot me boy? This is why you came all this way, isn't it?"

Thomas' hand shook slightly at the sound of her voice, those red eyes piercing him. He thought of his father and grandfather, the countless others that suffered at Cortes' hands, he had her dead to rights but then the image of his mother and sister flashed in his mind, of Koshka and the others and the utter hatred faded away. Remembering the conversations he had with the captain, about all consuming hatred and revenge, and finally saw Cortes for what she was.

He lowered the gun. "I got what I came for..." Koshka, watching on from behind. "... I will NOT become like you. Despite everything you have done to me, I find you, a pitiable person." Something about this made Cortes rage, her glowing red eyes reflecting what she saw. "You dare pity me!? You and your ilk got what they deserved, for what they did to me! They stole my heart!" She suddenly charged, ignoring the damage her body sustained, her speed was still impressive. Her mechanical voice echoed in the room, more terrible then a banshee, it stiffened the spin and in that instant Thomas made peace with death.

Suddenly Cortes came to a dead stop, the sound of ripping and snapping silencing her battle cry, the clatter of steel rang as the tip of a broken sword bounced on the floor behind her. Thomas opened his eyes seeing the cold visage of Cortes looking at him, he looked down. Koshka Thorne was on one knee, bracing the broken sword, Cortes, in her blind rage, carelessly impaled herself on. Cortes exhaled, visible breath escaping her lips as she lurched back, dislodging the sword from her breast. The two watched her stagger back and collapse into a sitting position where she started. Koshka examined her blade with a look of surprise, it was red. "She kept her heart?" She whispered to herself.

Cortes breathed lightly, all rage melted away and her mind was in a haze. She felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, peace. A warmth filled her chest, a familiar force swept over her, like a pair of ethereal arms wrapped around her shoulders in a hug. Unheard by all but her she thought she could hear him. "You've done enough, my love." Cortes' red glowing eyes shrank and faded, until there was only darkness in the sockets of the gold armored mask. Koshka and Thomas were dumbfounded on the events that unfolded, more so as they looked on the broken body of Isabella Cortes, a silver pocket watch in hand and a smile on her lips.

There was little time to reflect on what had happened. Koshka and Thomas patched their suits and pushed on, Koshka taking a moment to look back once more, she tossed her broken sword at Cortes' feet with a clatter. "It's not far, there is a connecting corridor to the shuttle bay, seal your suit." Koshka lead Thomas to a pair of double doors, they had to manually open.

The passage was a built extension, outside the rock, a long stretch of windows along the wall that showed the illuminated port outside. Rust had over taken the abandoned area, and this passage was no different. They could feel the metal groan under their weight and the atmosphere was already gone, having leaked out from rips in the steel. "Well, this is....this looks fine." Koshka tried to sound reassuring. Thomas lead the way so Koshka could watch the rear, even with Cortes dispatched, they were not yet out of danger. They advanced at a cautious pace, despite this, Thomas' foot sank when he stepped on a seam. Koshka saw the floor give and jumped at the young Field. "Move Thomas!"

She pushed him forward as the floor collapsed. Thomas stumbled and fell forward with a grunt, he quickly looked back and saw Koshka sink below the floor. Koshka let out a scream, quickly realizing that the only thing under her, was the clouds of Jupiter. She fired her thruster wings that only sputtered, they must have been damaged in the fight and the captain of the Star Lancer struggled and reached for her life. She managed to grasp a bent bar of steel, letting out a sigh of relief. She held tightly, feeling herself heavier then normal, the gas giant calling for her life.

Thomas appeared above her. "Captain, thank god you're alive, I'll help you up." He declared and bent over to assist her. As Thomas leaned forward, another person was revealed standing behind him. Koshka thought for a mere second, it was Cortes, but as she blinked the sweat from her eye, it was in fact Lyra Starr. Somehow, for whatever reason, she separated herself from the others and happened upon Koshka in her precarious situation. Lyra grabbed Thomas by the loop at the back of his suit and pulled him away making him yelp and hit the floor.

Lyra smiled down at her and squatted down over the dangling captain. "Well, well. Patience truly is a virtue." Koshka smiled up at her. "Lyra, how's it hanging?" Lyra frowned at the joke. "Always with the jokes, you smart talked your way through life didn't you? Now look where it got you." Koshka's grip started to slip, her wounds making her weak. "You're right, I was wrong. How's that?" Lyra reached down and grabbed Koshka's wrists, her life, now literally in Lyra's hands. "Lyra don't!" Thomas yelled, wanting to move in, but feared for Koshka's life. Lyra glared at her captive. "Oh to watch you disappear into those clouds, to imagine you and your stupid smile get crushed to the size of a grape." Koshka's face suddenly turned serious. "It's been a long day Lyra, do what you must, but know this. I'm not Ramsi, anything I did was not personal, just business. You made the wrong bets and you had to pay for them. If killing me will help you think better of yourself while you're slinging drinks at Tropp dome, then fuck off and let go."

Lyra's eyes softened as she frowned. "Do you think I don't know that..." Koshka started to rise as Lyra used her honed muscles of a life time of mercenary work to lift the Star Lancer captain out of the gap and onto the floor, both falling back onto the floor. "...it's just so damn easy to hate you." She huffed. Koshka returned to her more jovial self and smiled at Lyra with a silent grin as they laid their panting together. "Besides..." She continued. "...that bitch of a first officer of yours would never let me back onto the ship if I came back without you." Koshka remained silent, smiling. Lyra frowned, slightly blushing. "Stop grinning at me like an idiot!"

In the shuttle bay, the gathered assault team and the freed captives were around an old shuttle, stripping it of weight and making room for the people who could not space walk. "I'm telling you, the engines are shot." One of the crew told Rose. "We just gotta push it out the door, there is not weight in space, right?" Another crewman yelled from inside the shuttle. "Thrust to mass ratio is still a thing, there's the planet we have to consider. We will sink the second we leave the asteroid." Rose panned back and forth at the crewmen arguing on how to make this work. Just then she noticed Thomas, Lyra and Koshka enter the shuttle bay.

"Koshka!" She ran over and gave her friend and hug. "What the hell happened to you?" Gesturing toward her patched suit. "It's a hell of a story, tell you over drinks, speaking of which..." Rose looked back at the old shuttle. "We are trying to figure out how to use it without engines." Koshka walked up and placed a hand on the shuttle, noting the rails along the hull for people to hold onto. "Why don't we just push it?" The crewmen who were arguing looking at each other. "If we work together..." "We just need to get far enough to pick up the others, then they could help." Koshka smiled. "See, what would you guys do without me?" Rose slapped her helmet. "It's still a dangerous and stupid idea!" Lyra walked by. "Dangerous and stupid is what she's all about, lets get this done." Rose blinked at Lyra's sudden conformity.

The naked girls were piled into the shuttle and it was sealed, it was stripped of anything that would add weight and the small vessel looked like a skeletal shadow of it's former self. The bay doors were opened and those with thruster wings grabbed hold, Koshka, with her damaged wings was sitting on the roof of the shuttle. "Lets go!" The crew of the Star Lancer, helped by Elizabeth, Lilly and Thomas worked together to lift the shuttle in the now zero G environment. "Heave! Heave lads, lift it like a Stardust City whore's skirt!" Lyra yelled out from the back.

The shuttle started to float out into space and Koshka leaned over the edge to look down. "Thrusters, together in three, two, one..." Everyone on the outside fired their thruster wings and the shuttle started to rise up the cliff face.

At the bridge head, assault team two made a good accounting for themselves against the necrotechs. Ammo had run out and were resorting to grenades, small arms and blades, along with some well places missile strikes from on high by the ever watchful Star Lancer. Casualties had mounted and of the fifteen crewmen, only eight were left, hugging the cliff face, entrenched. The leader of assault team two plunged his sword into the face of one of the technological zombies, splitting his skull to the jaw and released the spent blade. "Damn these freaks, something tells me the mission is a bust, captain might be dead for all we know." "Not today!" He heard the captain's voice over the comms. "Get ready to jump, we're getting out of here!" The crewman looked back and saw Koshka Thorne rising from the cliff, standing, her arms crossed. He looked shocked as he watched the shuttle slowly rise under her, the crew pushing it through space. "Well, now I've seen everything."

The leader yelled at his team. "Abandon your positions, drop anything that will weigh you down and help the others!" Assault team two did just that and flew up to join the others, the nechrotech pirates overrunning their former stronghold. Koshka looked up. "Celesti, we commandeered a shuttle, we need you to swing by and pick us up. We can't keep this up for long." The gynoid's voice came back. "Understood captain, main power is still offline, but we can extend towing cables from the cargo bay."

"Koshka! Thruster fuel is running out, we're not going to make it far enough!" Rose yelled from below, straining against the railing she pulled on. She had noticed the shuttle was slowing down and risked sinking and the captain looked around, her mind racing. She reached down to one side and snagged a bag off one of her crew. "Excuse me." She said cheerfully at the grunting and sweating crewman. Standing now at the back of the shuttle she pushed the bag into the void to their rear. "Everyone, brace for an explosion!" She yelled out. Rose made a look of panic. "A what!?"

Koshka smiled, dropping to her knees to hang on. She flipped the switch on a trigger, waiting just long enough till she was satisfied, she pushed the button. An explosion erupted behind them, casting off light and force. Lyra looked back with wide eyes. "What the fu-" She was pushed into the shuttle as the small vessel lurched forward. The crew on the outside hung on for dear life as the naked girls inside screamed and were all pushed to the back on top of each other. One of the crewmen screamed as he slipped and started to separate from the shuttle, only to be grabbed by the hand by Lyra who saved his life.

Koshka held on tightly and looked up, the large frame of the Star Lancer sailed over head, though a small ship it always look impressively big form the outside this close. As the Star Lancer sailed passed, the cargo bay doors were open and crew released a pair of towing cables. After some fussing with them, they were attached to the shuttle and a sense of safety washed over everyone with an almost collective sigh of relief. One of the crew looked through a window of the shuttle and made a goofy grin. "Hey you guys! Did you know this was a boat load of naked girls!" Koshka smiled. "Come on lads, I always bring home to booty, don't I?"

End Episode 6