Chapter 64

　　Present

　　"So be it& Atlas! I need you!" Kal called into the dark void of space. His Neural Link ignored the distance between them. His call reverberated through the Aether, stretching towards the distant star of Caledon. In a vault deep beneath the ground, the green eyes of the Titan glowed brightly as it responded.

　　The Engine inside its body, the heart of the Titan that powered it, spun quickly, forming a Jump portal. With the limited abilities provided to it without its Pilot present, it crawled into the Portal, closing the distance to its new master in moments.

　　Behind Kal, the Jump created a larger and more chaotic disturbance than any he had ever seen. The stars behind it were obscured, and the waves` of its formation rocked the arrayed Starships and Mechs.

　　Kal`s control of the machine was tenuous. He doubted he could even differentiate between friend and foe once the fighting began. He could only hope that Talha got their people away before he completely lost control.

　　Inside his mind, the Titan crowed at the coming slaughter.

　　Watching the head of the Titan emerge from the portal, an icy feeling spread through Jack`s stomach, that primordial fear of prey when they came face to face with a predator. It was an unfamiliar feeling to the ruthless Corsair.

　　Without wading through oceans of blood, no one with a past as colourful` as Jack`s got where they were. He had faced opponents much more formidable than himself on numerous occasions and came out on top.

　　But this was different. Watching the massive Mobile Suit emerge from the Jump Portal sent his instincts into a frenzy. A voice deep within him screamed to run away, abandon everything to save his skin.

　　Frustrated with his squeamishness, Jack squashed the cowardly voice. Growling in anger, he Piloted the Odin forward, already hefting his heavy Lasgun from its holder and aiming at the fragile figure of the Baron as he waited for Atlas to reach him.

　　"What are you doing!? We need him alive!" Erika shouted through their still-open channel. Ignoring her, he sighted Kal in his HUD.

　　"You got what you came for. The Mech is already here." Jack responded, squeezing the trigger of the Lasgun. A bluish-white streak of energy shot out of the weapon, speeding across the distance instantly.

　　As fast as Jack had reacted to Atlas` arrival, the Mech was faster. As the beam sped toward Kal, Atlas was already wrapping him in its proactive shield. The shimmering blue field expanded like a bubble around its frame and its small, exposed Pilot.

　　The Lasgun energy slammed into the shield, splintering into pieces before the light streaks faded. Before he could fire again, Kal climbed into the now open cockpit, the protective gel sealing around him as the opening closed.

　　"Baron Caledon. Surrender the Mobile Suit, or we will open fire on your troops." Erika ordered, her voice severe and strained. Ignoring her threats, Kal took a calming breath before speaking.

　　"Initiate Neural Link," Kal ordered Atlas, and the Mobile Suit`s eyes flashed a bright green as the Engine within spooled, generating unimaginable power.

　　"10 seconds," Kal whispered, preparing himself for the onslaught of the Neural Burden. He needed to finish this within that time frame or risk dying. It wasn`t that he was terrified of death, but he wouldn`t risk Jack and the others taking out their rage on those he cared about if he failed.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

　　The link was established, and a torrent of strain battered Kal`s mind. Agony lanced through his head as his awareness of the Mech around him grew. He could see from its eyes and operate its limbs like his own.

　　But there was so much! More power than he could control raged against the link, and the shield around him flickered briefly before firming.

　　Atlas roared in his mind. Its fury could not be contained. Gritting his teeth, Kal forced the negative thoughts and emotions down, gaining control. But it was like trying to grip a greased rope. Atlas would slip through his restraints in seconds, devouring his mind and destroying everything around him.

　　To Jack, the moment the cockpit of the Atlas closed, he knew he was short on time. A machine like Atlas would have a correspondingly monstrous Neural Burden, one that an inexperienced Pilot like Kal would not be able to Pilot for long. He simply needed to outlast the Baron and seize the Mobile Suit once the strain was too much.

　　"All troops, attack!" Jack shouted through the channel.

　　Squeezing the trigger, he sent shot after shot at the Atlas, the beams ricocheting off the impenetrable shield of the Titan. All around him, over a thousand Mechs followed suit, firing Lasguns, PPCs and missiles in an attempt to either pierce the barrier or increase the strain on the Pilot.

　　Throughout the barrage, the Atlas floated there, its arms at its side as its eyes glowed a bright green. Motionless, it would seem as if it ceased functioning if not for the lines of power spreading outwards from its chest, flowing down its limbs to its weapons.

　　Samuel shouted at Talha to get her attention, recognizing what was about to happen.

　　"Order everyone into the Starships, now! We need to Jump." Samuel yelled, shaking Talha out of her shock. Opening up the communication link, she ordered the troops to fall back into the two undamaged Starships while the crews scrambled to ensure the Engine would function onboard.

　　With a lurch, the artificial gravity returned, grounding the pair to the command deck while the Engine began its preparations. The crew of the damaged Starship started to evacuate while Talha coordinated efforts to rescue her Grandmother, whose Rise was still attached to the ship.

　　For Kal, time began to ground to a halt. Nothing existed for him except Atlas and the pain. He was aware of the attacks against him and his troops` evacuation, but it didn`t matter anymore. Nothing but Atlas and the coming battle was necessary.

　　At first, Kal tried to buy them time to leave, but as his control slipped, other priorities came to his mind.

　　"Neural Link established." The voice whispered into the cockpit, and it sounded exactly like Emeritus Caledon for a moment. The universe screeched to an abrupt halt. Frozen in time, Kal became one with the Titan.

　　One.` Kal thought, and time flowed forward at a snail`s pace.

　　His senses heightened beyond anything a human should be capable of. He could follow the individual particles of the beams striking his shields.

　　The Mechs assaulting him moved as if they were underwater, sluggish and unresponsive compared to his thoughts.

　　In that first second, Kal activated the Atlas` primary weapon. The six blade-like protrusions on its back separated. They shot out from behind it, forming an array around the battling Mechs. They surrounded the local space in a moment, enclosing everything in its radius.

　　Two.`

　　"Activate Neural Distortion Field," Kal spoke to Atlas, his lips not moving as he communicated his commands to the Mech silently, as quickly as thought. The blades, handing in space like pylons, began to glow and spin. The power within them expanded, a shockwave of energy forming a field of energy.

　　The pain in Ka`ls head grew worse, and he felt a liquid run down his lip and tasted coppery blood.

　　Three.`

　　Every Mech, friend and foe, suddenly felt an intense increase in their Neural Burden. Amongst the Light Mechs, half stopped functioning as their Pilots couldn`t handle the increased strain of Piloting under the field`s effects.

　　Although the Medium and Heavies could still maintain their systems, the burden affected their reaction time. Each action would take conscious effort, delaying them. Suddenly, it was as if they were rookies again, the lag unbearable.

　　Blood ran down Kal`s face from his nose and eyes. With a faint pop,` something burst inside him, and his left eye went blind. Joining the pain in his head, his right leg felt like it was on fire. The nerves were raw, and his leg spasmed uncontrollably as the muscles cramped.

　　Four`

　　Tired of waiting, Atlas raised its weapons. Kal`s HUD displayed their tracking, and within the fourth second, over a dozen targets were highlighted. With the field in place, Kal could feel his bloodlust rising. The strain of the Neural Burden began to crush his internals. His organs were failing.

　　Kal spat out a mouthful of blood, coating the inside of his helmet. But he didn`t care. The Atlas could see for him.

　　Grinning in anticipation with bloodstained lips, Kal pulled the trigger.