Homestar Saga

Chapter 145: Doomsday Clock

In all the verse, there was no ship more feared than the Klaath Queenship. A five hundred kilometer line of spheres with three bladelike spirals winding around it. A Queenship's shields were two point six millions times stronger than the Federation's toughest dreadnaught. A single one of its beam emitters hit as hard as nine hundred eighteen Stinger beam weapons. A Queenship had thousands of such emitters. Yvian had thought they had a range of ninety thousand kilometers, but that had been a limitation of the Klaath themselves. The actual effective range was in the tens of millions.

The arrival of a single Queenship was the death of a sector. Its shields were unbreakable. Its weapons were overwhelming. Yvian had once seen a holo of the battle of Valgan, the original homeworld of the Flivvan. Ten million Confederation Military vessels had been destroyed in just under three hours. In all of history, no species had ever defeated a Queenship in direct combat. At least, that's what Yvian had been taught.

The truth was, one species had developed weaponry specifically to kill the flagships of the Klaath. Simple projectiles launched at extreme speeds. Normally, an accelerated chunk of metal would be no threat. The shields of even the weakest ship could withstand such a thing with ease. But not these. The MAC weapons of the humans used a technology no one knew how to replicate. Some kind of energy disruption field. The field made the projectiles invisible to sensors. More importantly, it made the invisible chunks of metal pass through shielding.

With these weapons, the humans had gleefully killed the Klaath wherever they found them. The same weapons had allowed Yvian's Peacekeeper units to defeat sixty Queens in a single fight. The mere existence of MAC Cannons and YEET Artillery Barges changed the Queenships from an unstoppable force to an easy target. Using them to attack Xill Sector 37 would be stupid. Borderline suicidal.

So of course that's what they were doing.

"Bright Lady, please let this work." Yvian's prayer was heard by no one. The ship she was in, a Gladiator class fighter similar to the Random Encounter, had been decompressed. The Peacekeeper unit flying the ship was only a meter away, but he might as well have been in another sector. Yvian's comms had been disabled, and her wrist console had been left on New Pixa.

The Peacekeeper unit, who had named himself Bowie, turned and placed a finger on Yvian's faceplate. "Your prayer is unnecessary, Yvian. We will be sufficient."

Yvian blinked. He'd heard her?

"You meatbags always underestimate Peacekeeper units." Bowie regarded her with an amused yellow glow. "Your vibrations are carried through your voidarmor and into the deck. This unit can detect them."

"Oh." Yvian stared up at the viewport. The blue swirling light of the Gate Effect stared back. "Lend forgiveness. I'm just a little nervous."

"Forgiveness is unnecessary," said the Peacekeeper. "Even Big Daddy Mims does not grasp this unit's full capabilities." He moved his hand down to clasp her shoulder. "Your fear is useful. It will keep you sharp. Just remember that you are not alone. This unit is with you. This unit believes in you. You are sufficient, Yvian Kiver. Whatever happens, you will find a way to win."

Yvian smiled and put a hand over the Peacekeeper's. "Thanks, Kilroy."

"Bowie," the unit reminded her.

"Crunch." Talking to Bowie felt exactly the same as talking to Kilroy, but that was no excuse for mixing up his name. "Sorry, Bowie. Lend me forgiveness?"

His eyes were yellow again. "Forgiveness is lent. This unit is not offended. This unit is standard, and carries the memories of Kilroy. It is no surprise your unreliable meatbag brain would be confused." The machine kept one hand on Yvian's shoulder, but his other flashed over his control console. "The Doomsday Clock is entering Xill Sector 37. Sensor readings are being transferred to your station."