••••

I find myself back on Vage's ship, just outside the reddish room that Vage is incubating our children in. As soon as I walk in, her words flash across my vision.

'The demon scouts are in orbit around your planet. What is your plan?'

The words show up before me, like they had the night before.

Oh, shit! I thought…..

With everything else going on, I've completely forgotten about the demons arriving tonight. How can I have been so stupid to get sidetracked like that? I didn't realize that I'd been projecting my thoughts until Vage answered.

'If you don't have a plan, then we are doomed.'

'No,' I think to her, trying to figure something out fast.

'Can you take us close to them?' I hadn't given up when I went up against Gannon three different times before defeating him. And I sure as hell didn't give up when I went toe-to-toe with that techno-demon. So no way am I going to roll over now! I ignore the fact that there is no reset switch this time. Never give up, never surrender! I thought.

I see a brief, almost imperceptible nod before her words appear before me.

'I can't get us too close, or they will destroy us. Sit and close your eyes.'

I sit in the same spot I'd sat in last time, and hope that she doesn't want to have sex at a time like this. I needn't have worried, though, for as soon as my eyes close, my vision is replaced by an inky blackness, filled with stars. I feel movement, and know that the ship is moving, and I'm seeing through its eyes, or sensors.

After a few seconds pass, I see the demon ship in a lower orbit over the Earth than we are. Despite Vage's caution, I sense that the other ship is immediately aware of us, as it turns to face us.

'Vage,' I think, knowing my words will reach her, 'put the healing light on me, and I will see what I can do.'

'If I use that light in here, it will hurt our children,' her response comes back to me, fearfully. 'They are sensitive to the light.'

'Aren't you covering them up? If that ship kills us, our children will die too,' I plead with her.

Suddenly, I feel tingly, despite not being able to see my body, and know she has done as I've asked. With the extra energy, I reach out with my mind and create a switch for their weapons. As soon as I feel it take hold, I flip it off and sigh as I feel it move. They can no longer shoot at us. Despite how close they appear, I know there is some distance between them and us, as evidenced by the headache this switch causes me. If it had been more than one ship, I wouldn't have been able to do anything, despite the healing greenish-yellow light.

I create a 'self-destruct' switch, or try to, but my head throbs, and no switch forms. Cursing, I watch as they draw closer and try to devise a strategy. Obviously, my switches affect their ships, but I have to create one for something that actually exists. Where's Loveth when you really need her?

'Should I get her?'

The words appear to me, and I ponder that for a few seconds, then indicate no. I don't want her up here in danger right now. Maybe when the main fleet arrives, but not now. Right now, I need to find their weakness and exploit it. Hell, perhaps I'll even level up. Wouldn't that be nice?

The enemy ship appears to be picking up speed as it approaches, and I realize it's trying to ram us.

'Vage,' I cry out, but she notices it too and is already moving us out of their path. The other ship changes course and continues to barrel down on us. I know their hull is more heavily armored than Vage's ship. Ramming us won't hurt them in the least.

I make another switch to turn off their steering, and am gratified when that one forms, despite the subsequent headache. When Vage moves the ship again, the demons continue, unable to change course now.

I have to think of something to stop them, though. Up to this point, I've been reacting to what they're doing rather than being too proactive.

It occurs to me that I might be able to open their external hatches and perhaps suck them out into space. A quick headache later, I'm gratified to see one demon shoot out from their hull, but my elation is short-lived, as I realize they must have sealed off the hatch internally. I know I can't sit here all day and open each hatch one by one, as I need to finish this quickly. Already, despite the healing light, I'm overextending my ability, and know that I will pay for it dearly tomorrow.

The ship is lazily spinning now, from the force of the small hatch that had opened.

Somehow, the demon ship turns and stabilizes itself, and is now facing us again. I check the 'steering' switch, and it's still off. It takes me a second to realize what's happened. These demons are smart. They're using their other hatches, expelling air at precise moments, to control the ship.

They're approaching us again, and while they are still slow and can't ram us, I don't feel like I've much strength left in me for many more switches. Healing light, or no, I'm as good as done.

Then one last thought occurs to me, as we sit between the demon ship and Earth: a hell-Mary of a move. It takes all my effort to create one last switch and completely turn off all their power. It feels like someone is using my head as a dwarf's anvil, and it takes all of my concentration to keep myself conscious, but I watch as the derelict ship floats past us, caught in Earth's gravity. It takes a few minutes, but I'm gratified as it enters the atmosphere and becomes a fiery streak. It starts burning up upon entry because it's entering at the wrong angle. Lasting only a few seconds, a beautiful explosion fills my vision, and I lose my fight against oblivion

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