Scratch

Ephimis gazed at the blinking screen before him. Blue lasers streaked across the screen, producing explosion after explosion on the unfortunate opposing ship. A small group of Commonwealth ships bolted by the massive star frigate, and annihilated a group of Battleships, putting holes in the frigate along the way.   We’re going to have to pull out the big guns, Ephimis thought. There’s no other way to stop the Commonwealth. He lifted a lever and pushed a couple buttons, his hand trembling. The screen changed from the panoramic view of the battle to a larger-than-life view of Admiral Ochoski, one of Ephimis’s top soldiers.
            “This is Celestial Admiral Ochoski. Are you sure you want to release the Leeches?”
            The Leeches were one of the most feared weapons in the galaxy. They would latch onto a ship and drain it of fuel-- a deadly, efficient attack method.
            “Yes. We can’t keep taking these casualties. Now keep fighting! Long live the Syndicate!”
            “Long live the Syndicate!”
            The screen flickered back to the panoramic view of the carnage among the stars. Ephimis watched as a series of platforms, connected by two steel beams, descended from the frigate’s underbelly. The space behind the platforms appeared wavy, distorted by the heat of 1,000 engines starting up. Suddenly, something caught Ephimis’s eye. A small ship, wearing the Commonwealth logo, streaked toward the compartment of Leeches. Ephimis changed to the communication screen.
“Watch out for a small ship. Five clicks at 7 ‘o clock!”
            “What, sir? There is no ship in that location. Oh! Oh god! The leeches are taking heavy fire! It’s that ship! It was cloaked! I’m going in!”
            “No, Ochoski! You’re going to stay there and fight off the Commonwealth ships! NO ONE moves from their posts!”
            “Good god! Right motor out!“ Static.
            Ephimis looked back up at the screen. His eyes went wide. One of the supporting beams holding the platform had been destroyed. The platforms began falling, and with them, so did the leeches, getting picked off one by one.
            “Left wing gone, sir!”
            “Motors out, sir. In need of backup!”
            “Severely injured. Requesting assistance!”
            Ephimis put his head on the control panel. The counter-offensive had failed. He could only watch as the star frigate took more and more fire, turning from a proud battleship into a burning hunk of metal.
            “We lost,” he whispered to himself. “Vorlez!” he yelled, “the counter-offensive was a failure. Retreat all units!” Vorlez pushed a couple of buttons on his shirt, Ephimis watching as the Syndicate ships began retreating.
            “Anything else, sir?” Vorlez inquired.
            “We mustn’t let Earth fall. Send the Earth dwellers a message. The Commonwealth will be on their tails in five days. Tell them to be ready. Earth cannot fall!”
            “Yes sir!”


           “This is the last stand, men. It’s been five days since the failed counter-offensive, and the Commonwealth should arrive in an hour. However, their forces will be severely weakened. A message was sent to Earth, alerting the natives of the Commonwealth invasion.” The ship shook.
            “Sir, what was that?”
            Ephimis turned his general’s screen on, and saw the entire Commonwealth fleet attacking.
            “Vorlez! Come here!”
            “Yes sir?”
            “How is there not a scratch on the Commonwealth fleet?” Ephimis zoomed in on the red, ravaged Earth. “How did this happen?”
            “Well, I intercepted some Earth radio waves. They played the massage all over the radio. I thought they were broadcasting the message to everyone.”
            “You mean they didn’t even understand the message?”
            “I guess not. They were calling it ‘dubstep.’”

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