Star Force 82 Hradeiti (SF82) (Star Force Origin Series) by Aer-ki Jyr Page B

battleship’s weaponry shot any and all vessels within range, including a pair of cruisers that flew up over the buildings but underneath the protective energy shield to take out the battleship before it could finish off the gun, but numerous cleansing beams angled up to tag them as they made themselves easy targets for the creeping Hradeiti fleet outside the perimeter.
           One of those fell on top of the battleship, albeit not intentionally. It slammed down on top, damaging both ships but not moving the larger vessel more than a few meters down and doing nothing to stop the forward cleansing beam from continuing to fire. A few minutes later and Commander Tyree gave the all clear long past when his gut told him the gun was dead, not wanting to make a mistake.
           He ordered the battleship to rise to test his theory before anyone else did, and the big vessel had to apply a lot of power to shove the cruiser off of it, which fell into and pancaked a nearby building leaving the Hradeiti ship with a huge chunk bitten out of the top of it.
           Gaining enough altitude to clear the buildings but still staying below the shield cap, the Protovic ordered all weaponry to pound the turret and the exposed firing mechanism on top even as a few more cruisers headed towards them. If it could get off a single shot he had to prevent it from killing any of the other ships, and his battleship was already thoroughly trashed. Take out the gun and this battle was going to shift suddenly, making it the primary task even as the pink phaser lances cut into his shieldless ship from multiple sides.
           The gun didn’t fire, didn’t toast his battleship, with Tyree knowing he had succeeded but needed to take out another target.
           “Helm, get us to the shield tower. Take it out with whatever weapons we have left, and be prepared to ram it if necessary,” he said as multiple thumps were heard from behind the bridge. “I think we’re going down regardless.”
           As he said that a couple of destroyers flew in behind them, targeting the cruisers and leading a flow of other Hradeiti ships into the city now that they didn’t have to worry about the big gun. Fortunately the shields covering the shield tower itself weren’t too difficult for the pair of big cleansing beams that the battleship fortunately still had functioning to take down, then the rest of their weaponry and some missile streaks from a frigate punched into the side of the tower and suddenly the shield above them disappeared.
           “All ships, get some altitude. Primary target is the cruisers. Swarm them with cleansing beams.”
           He turned to look at his helmsman. “Keep us on the deck. If we go up I have a bad feeling we’re coming back down real fast. Find some place we can land soft.”
           “Outside the city?”
           “If you can get us there. Gunners, take down everything you can on the way. We’ve accomplished our mission, everything else from now on is bonus.”
           “Sorry, Tyree,” a Calavari voice said over the comm. “We’re not going anywhere.”
           The Commander frowned and looked at the display screen that was now only operating off of battlemap relay, for most of his ship’s sensors were destroyed. He saw their only remaining battleship come racing across the top of the lizard city and tag a nearby cruiser that was doing its best to finish off Tyree’s ride.
           The other battleship knocked it down, pancaking another building where it landed, then flew in and took position directly overhead its sister ship, blocking most of the incoming fire while the surrounding buildings helped do likewise.
           “Don’t waste your ship trying to save this one,” he complained. “We’re already toast.”
           “You’re still in the air and I intend to keep you that way, toast or not.”
           “Stupid