The Mercenary Part II

The automated ships' engines wind down to an idle hum. Their sleek hulls hang motionless in the water, boxing in Shiro's vessel like metallic predators cornering prey.

A glint of movement catches Slate's mechanical eye. His lens focuses on dark shapes emerging from the automated ships' holds. The objects twist through the air - mechanical yet organic, their wings catching the sunlight with an unnatural sheen.

"Calidris. Modified for combat."

The biomechanical birds wheel overhead, their formations tightening into attack patterns. Their beaks glint with metallic edges as they dive.

Shiro raises her arm to shield her face as the first wave strikes. The Calidris' wings slice through the air with surgical precision, releasing clouds of silvery particles that hang suspended around them.

"Nanobots!" Slate warns, but it's too late. The microscopic machines swarm around them, filling the air with a metallic haze. Shiro stumbles back, clawing at her eyes as the nanobots attack her vision.

Through the silver haze, dark shapes leap across the gap between ships. Metal legs flash in the sunlight as figures launch themselves onto Shiro's deck. The impact rocks the boat, sending waves of vibration through the hull.

Shiro wipes frantically at her eyes, the nanobots creating a burning sensation across her vision. Between blinks, she catches glimpses of the intruders - their lower halves replaced entirely with Gull prosthetics.

The boat lurches again as more boarders land. Their Gull legs absorb the impact of impossible jumps, hydraulics hissing as they stabilize. The mechanical limbs are a patchwork of modifications - some sleek and new, others cobbled together from salvaged parts.

"Down!" Slate's voice cuts through the chaos.

Shiro drops instinctively. Something whistles through the space where her head had been. A boarder's Gull leg sweeps past, the modified appendage transformed into a deadly weapon.

The nanobots finally disperse, leaving Shiro and Slate blinking away the last traces of silver haze.

"Six," Slate calls out, his mechanical eye tracking the threats. "Three port, three starboard."

"Take the port side." Shiro backs toward the helm, creating space between herself and the closest attacker. "I'll handle starboard."

A boarder lunges, Gull leg extending like a spear. Shiro rolls beneath the strike, the mechanical limb embedding itself in her ship's railing. She grabs the trapped leg and yanks, using the attacker's momentum to send them sprawling.

Metal screams against metal as Slate grapples with an attacker, their Gull parts grinding together. He drives his elbow into a joint connection, shorting out the circuitry. The boarder's leg locks up, sending them crashing to the deck.

"Behind you!" 

Shiro drops flat as a modified leg sweeps over her head. The mechanical limb catches on a hanging chain, tangling the attacker. She kicks upward, catching their human half in the chest.

"Any ideas on how to get us out of this mess, Capt?" Slate backs toward the stern, his movements matching Shiro's.

"Your Gull parts." She gestures to Slate's mechanical limbs. "How good are they at conducting electricity?"

Slate's lens adjusts as he catches her meaning. "Better than their outdated models."

"The anchor chain." Shiro nods toward the heavy metal links running down the ship's side. "It's connected to the engine room's power supply."

"Might fry my systems too."

"Trust me." The word carries weight after their earlier conversation. "I know my ship."

Three attackers charge simultaneously, their Gull legs propelling them forward with inhuman speed. Shiro vaults over the wheel, leading them toward the stern. Slate mirrors her movement, drawing his group toward the same point.

"Now!"

Slate grabs the anchor chain. Shiro slams her hand against a hidden panel, and electricity surges through the metal links. The current arcs between the clustered attackers, their modified legs acting as conductors. They convulse, systems overloading.

Shiro scans the fallen attackers, their Gull parts still crackling with residual electricity. "That was too-"

"Easy," Slate finishes, his mechanical eye whirring as it analyzes the scene. "These weren't professionals. Someone wanted us distracted."

A shadow moves near the helm. Metal glints in the sunlight.

"Look who finally showed up." A familiar voice cuts through the air. "Though I must say, I expected better from you, Slate."

A man steps into view, his stance casual despite the tension crackling through the air. His missing Gull arm has been replaced - the new one sleeker, more advanced than his previous model.

"Elias."

The attack comes without warning. Elias's Gull arm extends with impossible speed, transforming mid-motion. Slate raises his own mechanical limb to block, but Elias's strike slides past his guard. The impact sends Slate crashing against the railing.

"Always so predictable." Elias turns to face Shiro, his modified Gull arm realigning with a series of clicks. "And you. The infamous captain."

"Why are you here?"

"You really should screen your passengers better." Elias's Gull components whir as he advances.

Shiro moves to counter, but her reactions feel sluggish. The nanobots from earlier - they weren't just for blinding. Her vision blurs as the microscopic machines finish their work.

"The thing about machines," Elias says as Shiro staggers, "is that they're so reliable. Unlike people."

Shiro's knees buckle. The deck rushes up to meet her as consciousness slips away. The last thing she sees is Elias standing over her.