Even with FTL comms, which the Enterprise had but the fighters did not, controlling a battle at that range was beyond the realm of realism. He trusted his commanders to do what they had to do, and to know that he was going to get the Enterprise into the right position to end this fight.

“I want a diagnostics check on all point defense systems,” he said, mostly to keep people busy at this point.

He knew that everything was working. They’d been running drills ever since they were forced to flee Earth space over a month ago. What was broken had been repaired, and what was slow was now running as fast and smooth as he could hope for.

“All systems check green. Crews are performing hands-on checks now.”

“Good. The alien fighters are known to try kamikaze stunts. There can be no holes in our defensive screen,” he said. “We’re not a Priminae ship. One of those things will end us.”

“Yes sir.”

Carrow looked back over the numbers on his screens. “Rip them up, Wild Bill. End this.”

The passage of the two ranks of fighters was a nonevent in every way except the digital. In the black of space he couldn’t make out the dark-colored Vorpals of Bravo Flight, and the heat of their reactors was so high that the flames burned well past the visible spectrum.

The computers noted it, however, and that was all Bill needed.

“Lock them in, Alphas,” he ordered.

“They’re closer than I expected them,” Alpha Five said. “Positive lock! I’ve got halos.”

Others made similar comments, but Bill ignored them for a moment while he made sure that everyone was targeting their own picks and no one was doubling up. They had limited munitions as it was. It wouldn’t do to waste any.

“Roger that, Alphas,” he said a moment later, last second checks made. “Stand by to blossom after we fire.”

The range was falling fast, and he knew he didn’t have much time.

“Alpha One,” he said calmly, thumb sliding over the firing stud of the control stick. “Fox Three.”

The rest of the flight followed suit seconds later, as the twelve fighters of Alpha flight put thirty-six lightning space-to-space HVMs into the intervening area, then pulled out hard. The fighters of Alpha didn’t just turn around and burn back for the Enterprise, however; they exploded out in a blossom formation as they took a long curve around before they wound up pointing back the direction they had come from.

Less than a light-second away now, the first of the light HVMs struck true, and the dying began.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE CHEROKEE BANKED hard, using air resistance as well as counterthrust to slow as quickly as it could. The sudden and rapid deceleration was enough to slam everyone hard into their seats as the pilot leaned over and looked back over his shoulder.