“Coms, order the Atlas to pull up and out of the formation,” Celesta said. “I can’t use a destroyer limping around on one engine. Tell Captain Caruso to start steaming for the jump point back to the Juwel System.”

“Aye, ma’am,” Ellison said.

“Captain, damage control teams are reporting in and Commander Graham is also sending his report,” Accari said. “CIC is confirming that we were hit with that energy lance, which they now think is some sort of short-range directed plasma beam. The RDS took the brunt of the hit but we have six hull breeches, two critical, and four crewmen seriously injured from radiation exposure. No other casualties.”

“Were we able to fling the RDS pod clear?” Barrett asked.

“Yes, sir,” Accari said. “The shearing charges all worked as they were supposed to, and two of the six solid boosters fired and pushed it off the hull. Engineering is reporting minimal damage to our power systems as it was taken out.”

The pod had been designed to be blown clear of the ship should there be some emergency with it that threatened the Icarus. There were cutting charges attached to the eighteen massive bolts that held the pod fast to the hull along with the power cables. After that, six solid boosters that would push it out and away. Since the drive didn’t really work by pushing directly on the ship’s hull, it was able to be attached with just enough hardware to make sure it stayed in place during high-g maneuvers when it wasn’t in use.

“Commander Barrett, please go inspect the damage personally and see to our people,” Celesta said. “Tactical, keep the active sensors up. That son of a bitch was just sitting there behind us and waiting. We can’t afford to let another sneak up. Reload all launcher tubes and auto-loaders and make sure your munitions crews are keeping up.”

As the crew scrambled to follow her orders, Celesta had a moment to think about what it meant that Darshik cruisers had been sitting out there so close to her ships without striking. There was the abduction angle, but those weren’t the class of ship that they’d seen grab the Leighton and disappear, and she couldn’t help but shake the feeling that it had something to do with the seemingly oblivious Darshik flotilla orbiting down below them. What the hell were these bastards up to?

****

“Commander,” Graham nodded to Barrett as the XO walked through the main hatchway to the Engineering area.

“How bad is it?” Barrett asked without preamble.