This unexpected development interrupted Cambio's orders. The communications officer pushed the headset closer to his ears and didn't turn around.
The communication officer relayed the message: '"Hold fire! We have no desire to fight here. We wish to talk to the officer in charge. 'They wish to negotiate!"
In the next instance, a loud noise burst out of the speakers. The monitors then sprung into life with a grainy black-and-white picture.
"We have connection. It's a member of AX," the communication officer said.
Matthaios quietly inspected the bespectacled youth on the screen in front of him. Matthaios' voice was measured: "We are both busy. Let's not waste time with chit-chat. It's time for us to fight to the death."
The man on the other side coughed. "Oh, is that how it is?" The voice that came out of the speakers was full of self-importance. "We actually have a hostage. If you value this person, Mister Matthaios, then I would hope that you could leave us alone, this once."
"Hostage?" Matthaios questioned. The second hand on the clock was half-way around. If he wanted to recall the order to fire, then it would have to be soon. "Who is the hostage? If you're referring to Sister Kate, then I'm afraid that she is now considered one of you, and I will give the order to fire. She will not save you."
"Wa-wait! Brother Matthaios." Someone else broke into the feed. It wasn't the pitiful voice of a nun. The blonde clergyman was pushed to one side and a new face peered out of the fuzziness on the screen. It was a rough-looking young man with disheveled blonde hair, but he was clearly an aristocrat none the less. "I'm the hostage! Don't fire! I don't want to die!" "Cardinal Borgia?!" Matthaios raised one eyebrow at this new development. "Cardinal, why are you there?"
"Hee hee; I'm sorry but this is kidnap situation now," the original speaker reappeared. The priest pushed a gun to his captives head. If you value his life, I suggest you let us go. If you don't, then... I guess, he'll lose his life or something. We'll let you think. We'll be waiting. Don't do anything stupid, like call the police. "
"Let's stop this farce now," Matthaios muttered. He had been taking notes. When he looked up, the staff members in the room could almost see the fire of purgatory burning in his eyes. "The Department of Inquisition is the sword of God. Such threats are useless against us. Captain, I want you to proceed. Prepare to fire. Aim straight at the enemy."
"But... Cardinal Borgia!" Cambio's face was still drained of blood as he desperately tried to get a revised order from Matthaios. If they fired, then there would definitely be questions later.
However, Matthaios walked toward the communication equipment as if nothing had happened. He reached out to the switch as he replied calmly to Cambio: "Captain, didn't you hear what Cardinal Borgia just said? He asked us to not care for his life but to crush the enemies of God."
"What? No I didn't..." Antonio said, still transmitting. He panicked and tried to refute Matthaios' claim, but Matthaios swiftly flicked the switch.
He looked up at the screen as it faded to gray. Matthaios then repeated his order calmly once more. "We must not waste the spirit His Eminence has displayed in sacrificing himself to the cause. Now, Captain, did you hear me? Fire the main cannons."
"Ye-yes, sir!"
The bridge was in panic. The gunners who were in charge of aiming exchanged shouts. In the next moment, the RADAR showed the shining point of the enemy ship swiftly rising. If they were trying to escape now, it was already too late.
"Cannons are aimed. We're ready to go!" one of the gunners yelled.
"Sinners are taken from this earth; as the guilty burn, we raise our souls to heaven. Hallelujah," Matthaios muttered a small prayer and then pointed into the sky. "Fire."
"Brother Matthaios, wait." The gentle voice of a woman had stopped the Inquisition officer, whereas everything else had failed. "Halt the attack. Pull back. "
"What?" Matthaios looked up. The main monitor displayed the image of a beautiful girl. Matthaios' face twitched just a little when he saw her. "If we don't act now, then they will escape, Sister Paula." As Matthaios spoke, he could see the cloud cover outside the window start to break. The giant white beast that rose out from the cloud was the Iron Maiden. It was right in front of the Jahoel and was starting to exceed it in altitude. "Letting them go free will be a huge blow to the glory of God and the Vatican. We must strike now."
"It will not." Paula's voice was firm. "Cardinal Borgia is the son of the Hispanic chancellor. If we kill him, then it will damage relations with Hispania. This is the will of Cardinal Medici. Brother Matthaios, you will withdraw now."
As he listened to Paula speak, the white ship was moving farther from them. Matthaios trembled a little as he watched something that had been within his grasp escape him. He had been only seconds away from saying the words that would have laid waste to his foes. "Understood."
"Good. I want you to return to base. We will consider our next course of action. Meet in an hour. "Paula gave her orders and then the screen went blank. The Inquisition officer was left alone, gazing silently out the window.
"I didn't think they would escape," Matthaios muttered.
He stood there, watching until the Iron Maiden was nothing more than a thin, white trail of exhaust. Finally, he broke the silence with a curse. "Heretic scum."