The ship slammed onto the giant Broodmother’s back, flattening her against the ground, trapping her under. The force of the impact sent the six legs plunging deeply into the gigantic body, where they remained clung to it. The Broodmother let out another terrible shriek. Her lower half was still free and flailing wildly, trying to toss Unity from her back, but the ship was too heavy even for such a monster to fling away. Changing her tactics, the barbed tail started swinging, hitting the side of the ship. Light consoles exploded in a shower of sparks, and new red blinking lights lit up like a Christmas tree.

“It’s tearing us apart!” Bulco shouted. “We have to do something!”

“This is a mining ship!” Lana cried.

“You’re right!” Nori shouted back. She whipped her hands free from the ship’s control and pounded at a newly formed blue console.

Unity’s head lowered, its maw hovering just above the Broodmother’s hideous head.

To the humans outside, it looked like the giant ship was trying to bite at the monster’s face.

Then she started mining.

A huge jet of bright energy shot out of the gaping mouth, hitting the side of the monster’s face. It shrieked, its lower body convulsed and thrashed even harder as the plates covering her face melted, revealing the fleshy tissue below. The beam burrowed through, easily punching through bone and sinew, until hitting the ground on the other side of the enormous head, melting the rocks underneath it.

The Broodmother’s body twitched in a last death tremor and then it died, finally defeated.

Silence spread over the battlefield.

“Holy mother of god,” Bulco whispered, his body went limp in his chair. “We made it.”

“Nathan did it,” Lana said softly. “

“He did,” Nori said quietly.

“I’d like to know how,” Bulco grumbled. “Me and the kid are overdue for a long, serious talk.”

Nori’s chair unfolded from her body. “You can ask him once he gets back.” She glanced at their Gunner’s body and looked down. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Maybe some can still be saved.”

Lana and Bulco rushed after her, but the Expert paused before exiting the bridge. She looked at the spot where Nathan disappeared and whispered. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you, Nathan. I’m proud of you.” She stopped and sighed. “Just don’t be there all day.”

***

The cargo hold’s door lowered, letting in the wails of the wounded and the occasional gunshot.

Some of the smaller monsters survived, but the death of their leader threw them into confusion and disarray. They quickly fell as the human fighters mopped them up, systematically massacring every last one of the horde.