She nodded, sighing softly, allowing herself a moment’s hope the fighters would spare her from what she feared. But her people would have a hell of a fight on their hands to break through and reach the enemy ship. They might succeed—she had the best pilots in the Alliance with her. But doubts crept in from all sides, and cold thoughts about moving forward toward the enemy. She realized she’d allowed the enemy commander to get inside her head, and she wondered if that was insecurity on her part…or perceptiveness.

She pushed it all out of her mind. There was no point worrying about things she couldn’t change. If her fighters didn’t finish the job, she would have to. There was no option there, whatever risks might exist in the shadows of her mind.

“Commence launch now.”

*   *   *

“Here they come.” Stockton watched the wall of incoming dots on the small screen of his scanner. “Remember, we fight the interceptors, but the primary mission is to get the bombers. We don’t let them through, regardless of the risk.” His words were grim, not at all the lighthearted cockiness his pilots had come to expect. But “Raptor” Stockton knew the gravity of the situation. If his pilots let those bombers through, everyone on Dauntless would die. It was that simple.

“Looks like they’ve got the interceptors up front, Raptor. I’ve got fifty that says they’ll try to pull us off to the side, open up a lane for the bombers.”

“No bet, Condor. That’s exactly what they’re going to try. But we’re not going for it. Blast them if you can, but don’t let them pull you off station.” Stockton knew his orders would be difficult ones to follow. Restricting the maneuver of his pilots put them at a disadvantage in a dogfight. But the bombers were the priority.

“Alright, Blue…pilots…” Stockton realized he had a hodgepodge of Dauntless’s surviving fighters with him, not just his own Blues. “…right wing, you’re with me. Left wing, with Ice.”

Stockton would never acknowledge that Tillis Krill was his equal in the cockpit, but he had to grudgingly admit—to himself at least—that the Yellow squadron commander was number two in the roster. And the Blue and Yellow squadron pilots with them were the best Dauntless had. There were two lines positioned to the rear, but Stockton knew his people had to hit the enemy attack hard. They were the biggest force, and if they let too many ships by, the reserves simply wouldn’t have enough strength to stop them.

He watched as the symbols on the screen moved closer…closer. Then: “Now!”