Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 502: Understanding The Mortella

Jace waved through Solisa’s hologram and she tumbled away as Jace started to quickly put several schematics to the side until he got to three bigger ones. "This first one is the shell of Gabriel. As you can see it is mostly just various components with the surface consisting of a Chemi-metal composite that is more easily manipulated and lighter but is also weaker."

"It is hollow." Colonel Dahlia grunted out. "That must be where the Mortella themselves come in. How do they operate it?"

Jace smiled and grabbed his other glove. He then concentrated and closed his eyes before slowly removing his hands from the glove as it floated in the air. He then opened his eyes but was still concentrating intensely on the glove.

"What the fu-argh!" The Valkyrie looked at Charlie who had pulled a bullet out of her arm. She had more injuries than she initially expected.

"Explain Colonel Jace. How are you doing that?" General Isaiah demanded.

"Oh... that is nice. I can see how you are doing that. That must take a lot of concentration. But does that mean the Mortella are energy based beings?" Solisa asked as Jace sighed and the glove fell onto the table.

"Haa... yes and no. But first let me explain how I did that to the others." He looked around the table. "Basically I was controlling the most miniscule electrical energy in between molecules. That was how I was doing that. It is also how the Mortella are moving their shells. It was also why they could no longer float temporarily after the electro magnetic pulse that came from the Wolfsbane."

General Isaiah seemed to suddenly realize something. "That is how your hovertech works on a different level as well."

Jace dipped his head slightly. "Indeed. But I use a more forceful method. They are using their species’ innate abilities. Almost like how a person can walk, they can do this." Jace explained.

"No wonder..." Victor seemed to think. "I was wondering how a simple illusion can trick them. What is their vision like?"

Jace thought about it for a moment, cycling through several different expressions before looking at the shell again and nodding. "Vision, sight, and soundwaves. They can see in a cone from the front of their shell’s head. It looks like they adopted a shell like this to specifically fight humans and other bipedals."

"Then their original appearance is the empty space inside the shell?" Victor asked with a slight raised hand.

"No." General Isaiah answered with a grunt. Then he looked at Jace, "explain."

Jace nodded with a slight grin. "The Mortella are creatures composed of both faint electrical energy and some type of gas. I do not know the specifics but it seems whatever gas they are made up of allows them to control electricity in the air or as part of their gases to some degree."

"Well that is... certainly a development." Colonel Nina pointed out with a few hand motions.

"Agreed. But let’s move away from the oddness of a gas and electrical energy based creature with some form of ocular vision. We should instead focus on the strategy you have come up with to counter them." Admiral Dakota pointed out to try and get everyone back on task.

Jace frowned and then sighed. "I cannot come up with a strategy to counter them." He admitted.

"What?" Colonel Dahlia screeched in surprise.

"Well this is a surprise." Admiral Dakota chuckled. "Why not?"

"Because the only tricks of theirs I have seen are their diamond shaped drones. As well as their armor, melee weapons, and shells. I am sure that they have plenty more up their sleeves. There is no way that a fool proof strategy can be created based on that." Jace informed them with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "I have a limited amount of information and we got lucky this time that this ’Gabriel’ underestimated us. If they had come at us with everything from the beginning instead of being annoyed by some lowly subhumans then we would have never stood a chance."

He could hear a few of the others swallow in nervousness while the rest seemed to be contemplating his words. Admiral Dakota spoke up again, but this time looking toward Colonel Dahlia. "What about what you encountered in space? Anything different?"

"Mostly boarding parties of those diamond shaped drones. But there were a few of what I can only describe as enemy space crafts." Dahlia tapped at the table and pulled up a screen before flicking her hand and a picture appeared before them.

The picture was of the space battle but it showed a blurry photo of a large diamond shaped form with a glowing ball in the front center. It was maneuvering around their ships in the single picture shot.

"We barely managed to get a picture. It would not get too close to our ship and would avoid direct combat as much as possible. The reports would show that it would hide behind debris and maneuver through our ships to take them out with close range bursts of plasma energy." Dahlia informed them. "I will try to get more details from the pilots that survived an encounter with it."

"Do that." General Isaiah grunted and then nodded his head at a red blinking light that was on the table. "What is that?"

"That is a request for long range communication. Give me a moment." Solisa answered and then her avatar froze for a moment before all of the information that was above the table disappeared. Then it was replaced by the holographic images of several different people.

Jace raised an eyebrow and looked at the High Priestess who was part of this long range holographic call. "Jace, these are the leaders of the various factions and groups in your galaxy. They want an immediate report to see if it is actually necessary to unite against the group you encountered." She then made a humming motion. "Please put a shirt on." Jace blinked and remembered he was shirtless so Charlie could take the shrapnel out of him.

"Please don’t. I can see why so many clans want to try and abduct you." One of the women from the group admitted and was looking at him with clear and undisguised lust.

"You are definitely the representative for the Centuria. Fortunately for you, I am still waiting on my shirt. I sent for a new one and am still waiting for it to be brought." Jace informed her then looked at the others. He could see a few different races and some he had not encountered before but knew about from the Victorium records. As well as several different humans, probably each leader of a nation if he had to guess. "Do you want me to give you a short summary or specifics?"

"A short summary will suffice. I am sure you made it up anyways." A full bearded human growled out. He seemed annoyed to be here. He had to be the ruler of Montez Kingdom. They were about to conquer the Circle of Yuri and the Holy Empire, unveiling their knight mechs. Jace could tell because of the big golden crown atop his head.

"Yuri, the Circle of Yuri’s capital planet, has been destroyed." Jace informed them and a few of them turned away probably to make sure what Jace said was accurate or true.

"You are right. While your claims of the Holy Empire suffering catastrophic losses are also true. It appears that all of our trading partners and smuggling routes have been inexplicably cut off. I have already been informed that one of our traders found an empty planet with a bunch of corpses." Another leader, the leader of the Cthon, admitted. His face tentacles twisting and twirling.

"I suppose the fact that I lost contact with my people in the Holy Empire now makes sense." That one was Henry Trentwood. He seemed more exhausted and tired rather than angry or annoyed. "I suppose I should count them amongst the dead." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"If the King of Montez still does not believe in the threat then there is no convincing him. I know my ship is already being prepared and I will soon be on the way to the Princess’ Pride as you called it. I request that Colonel Jace Hex of the Victorium be at the meeting to both provide the proof of the impending threat as well as provide a briefing on the enemy if we find it necessary." The leader of the Rogue Metal Legion demanded. "We already need to come together to discuss the plague in the Crystoph Federation so forcing up the time table of this meeting is fine."

"Then if that is all..." The High Priestess looked around at the other leaders and aside from the king of Montez who seemed annoyed. They seemed unbothered. "We will pull back and discuss the details of this meeting." The hologram of the leaders disappeared and Solisa reappeared.

"A little warning would have been nice Captain Solisa." Admiral Dakota growled out.

Solisa giggled in response.

"I did not see the Circle of Yuri represented up there." Victor pointed out in a solemn voice.

"Nor did I see anyone representing the Holy Empire." The Valkyrie sounded just as sad as they both realized the direness of their situations.