Space Odyssey: Spectre

Chapter 606: Pressing an advantage

The shielding behind him shattered while his own shielding shattered and he was tossed backwards into a wall. His armor’s chest plate glowed for a second as the force dispersed. While the armor itself was undamaged.

Which Jace could tell was perturbing to the Admiral. Jace thought he almost had him when he pulled out the shielding trick again. Now Jace was going to have to figure out this trick. But he could already tell there was a detail he was missing.

He knew that Agnoso was using electricity. He sensed it for a moment. But he needed to figure out how he was doing it. First he had to dodge this next attack.

Jace rolled to the side as he maneuvered to a standing position and rematerialized his katana again. Parrying the strike again and being sent further down the tunnel. As he was he could feel a spike in electricity behind him. He used his boots enhancement to launch himself to the side. Just barely passing by a shielding that formed in the spot he was going toward before he redirected his momentum.

Agnoso jumped toward him and stabbed forward with his trident. Jace blocked it as his boot magnetically locked. This time he stood his ground as another shield formed behind him. But instead of being pushed back he barely moved. But he got a good ’look’ at the way Agnoso did the remote shielding.

The string was not as simple as Jace initially thought. They are weak, and Jace could set them on fire with the smallest amount of electricity. But each time one of the remote shielding appeared it was right after the strings made up an array of lines both parallel and perpendicular. These strings acted as a base for the shielding.

The theory and idea was present even in this galaxy. But Jace had never seen or heard about the idea being done. The typical method for shielding was to generate over an area like a projection around an object. But the method that Agnoso was using was to generate on the layer of the object. Which would be more energy efficient but would restrict movement, but since it was being generated at the moment that was not an issue for Agnoso.

Jace pushed back the trident as he channeled electricity into his sword as well as a bit of the energy was in his armor. He cut diagonally toward Agnoso but he dodged to the side and ducked under as a line of blue electricity cut through the air. Slicing off a piece of his armor that was not functional. Behind him in the tube wall became a visible line of blue before a cut suddenly started to appear and part of the ship began falling apart.

Meanwhile outside of the ship. The other half of the world class ship was falling into a gravitational orbit around the ship. The half that Jace was in began to fall toward the planet. But Jace’s fighter was tearing apart the world class sized ship as it destroyed parts of the insides that were now exposed from being cleaved in half.

Inside the ship he could barely feel the effect. But outside through the monitors of the ship. He could see the ship was further breaking apart as he unconsciously targeted sources of high levels of heat and energy. Which exploded or caused a chain reaction of explosions

Jace could tell that it would not be long before he hit something good and the remains of this really started falling apart. Back in the tubing he disabled his magnetic boots and slid backwards as Agnoso stabbed forward with his trident.

The moment he stabbed forward a ball of golden energy flew from the tip of the trident and flew down the tube that was behind them. But Jace felt something was wrong as he got ready to counterattack. He turned his head slightly and saw the ball of energy coming back toward him.

Jace dodged to the side again. But as he did he instinctually felt something wrong and raised his katana to defend himself. Just in time too as a sword bounced off him as a form appeared.

Jace was so focused on Agnoso and the fact that Jace was at an advantage that he let down his guard. Which was probably how the invisible enemies were able to get so close to him.

But if there was one, there was bound to be more. Jace released a thin wave of electricity through the air. When he did he felt a slight return pulse as the electricity returned to the area, as well as the people in it. Both the invisible and visible ones.

In addition to the mortella he crossed swords with there were nine other invisible mortella in the immediate area. He did not look beyond this immediate area, although he imagined if he had he would have found more mortella heading their way.

He went to attack them when his attention was pulled away by the ball of energy that was coming back toward him. Jace jumped back further down the tunnel and swiped his word quickly through the air in the direction he was going. Severing several strings that were almost imperceptible.

As Jace moved he looked for something that would give away the invisible mortella without them being scanned. Jace would have to focus a bit more on this fight. Which is why he put the portion of his mind in charge of the fighter away from his primary thoughts, essentially running it on autopilot. Utilizing his split mind skill which started to hurt his head a bit as he did so.

Now that he was solely focused on fighting. He discreetly materialized his revolver as he moved back and fired at the sword mortella that was turning back invisible. The single heavy bullet ricocheted off the side of its helmet but they disappeared under their cloak of invisibility a moment later.

Jace clicked his tongue in annoyance as he parried another invisible enemy before firing at them as well. Their shielding shattered and their invisibility cloak dropped for a moment but reappeared as it jumped back. When it did it got Jace to think about why the first one’s invisibility dropped for a longer period of time.

It might be because of electricity. While only residual, when they crossed blades for a few seconds their body was revealed. Meaning the invisibility technology they were using is vulnerable to electricity. If he sent the right amount of electricity through their body he could destroy the device they were using.

Jace did another scan of his surroundings as he backed up further. There was an invisible enemy closing in on his left side. Jace flicked off the sheath from his katana, sending it flying toward Agnoso who smacked it away before it dematerialized.

While Jace stabbed the ball of light that was flying towards him. Sending a pulse of electricity that caused it to explode into a bright light that would be blinding if his visor did not immediately adjust.

But those mortella with invisibility tech had their armor highlighted by a warping of light. Jace jumped towards one slashed towards it, sending enough electricity through his blade to destroy a generator. He could hear a screech and saw the mortella appear for a moment before they disappeared again.

He would need to use more electricity. But for now he had to jump back as Agnoso tried to skewer him through the side. Aiming for one of the gaps in his armor. Apparently the man had decided that he could not breach Jace’s armor and needed to go for a weak point.

Jace slid back across the ground and fired two shots at Agnoso while he did so. The first one bounced off his shielding which shattered as it did. The second one actually tore through one of Agnoso’s shoulders where the joints were and the mechanics were at its weakest. When it did, Agnoso stopped chasing Jace for a moment and backed up.

Giving Jace another opportunity to fight the invisible mortella. One of them closed in as Jace scanned the area again. He slashed towards him and channeled twice as much electricity as before. The moment his sword came in contact with the invisible mortellas halberd, a visible arc of electricity ran along the halberd making them visible. Then there was a burst from the back between the wings of the mortella.

The mortella jumped back and did not turn invisible this time. Probably because it couldn’t, Jace had successfully destroyed the invisibility device this time. But now he knew where it was located on their body. He could destroy the rest with his ranged weapons.

Jace parried another sword before he had to jump back before another string shield could form behind him. He slid back across the ground before having to use his sword to stop himself right before sliding out into the void of space. Because it would seem they came right back around to an open portion of the ship. Although it was becoming less and less of space behind him and more of atmosphere.