“Bring us to 320-111-012…full thrust.” Kat was barking out orders, thrust angles as she stared at the screen, watching the missiles coming at her ship. She suspected the enemy weapons were hyper-nukes, which meant they didn’t need to score a direct hit to damage Invictus. The weapons were designed to get as close as possible and detonate, blasting the target with heat and radiation.

Kat could feel wetness on her back. Sweat. Fear. She had done well, avoided perhaps half the incoming warheads. But now she was bracketed, clouds of missiles coming in from three directions.

“Bring us about! 233/210/045…now!”

But she was too late this time. She saw the dots on the scanner moving closer, even before Wentus could confirm her order. And then the alarms went off.

“Multiple nuclear explosions, Commander. Massive radiation levels in all outer compartments. Hull breaches in sections Green-7 though Red-9.”

The bridge lights dimmed, and then they went out, leaving nothing but the emergency lamps illuminating her ship’s control center.

“More detonations, Commander. Overloads on all power transmission lines. Engineering reports significant damage to reactors. Engines down to twenty-four percent output. Crew casualties severe in all affected areas…”

Kat sat and listened to the seemingly unending damage report. She’d walked into a trap, and she’d paid the price…and her people with her.

“Scanners?” she snapped.

“Still operational, Commander.”

“Concentrate an active scan on the enemy vessel. Any aspect change?” She could already feel the answer in her gut.

“Yes, Commander. They are decelerating…” He turned and looked back at Kat. “Commander, their thrust is approximately fifty percent higher than previously.”

Kat stared at Wentus, not a hint of surprise on her face. “I need power transmission back online, Optiomagis. And weapons. All other repairs are zero priority now. We need as many guns online as we can get, and the power to fire them.”

She stared off across the bridge as her first officer confirmed and relayed her orders.

You tricked me…as I tricked you earlier at the transwarp link. Now, we’re even, more or less. But the fight isn’t over. Not yet, it isn’t…

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

CFS Dauntless

Krillus Asteroid Belt

40, 500,000 kilometers from Santis, Krillus IV

307 AC

“Cut all thrust. Divert power to gunnery stations.” Barron stared forward, snapping out commands. This was the final struggle. The minefield had given his people a chance, equalized the field. But they still faced a dangerous enemy. And there was no room for error now. Not if any of them wanted to live.

“Thrust at zero, Captain. All weapons stations report ready to go.”

“Very well, Lieutenant. Active scanners on full…feed all targeting data directly to the gunnery stations.” There was no reason not to pound away with active scanners now. Stealth no longer had a role in this battle. It was a knife fight now…brutal, close-ranged, to the death.