► The Piar Cohn drifted in interstellar space, not even the distant light of the galactic core giving much illumination to its hull as repairs were conducted. On board, Captain Aymes sat at his station, glowering at the black displays that were shut down while extensive sections of power relay were replaced due to combat damage.

In his mind, he was doing what he had been doing on the computers until they were shut down. He was replaying the passing engagement over and over again.

Tactically there was nothing special about their brief encounter. The enemy actions had been competent, but not spectacular or brilliant. Of course, there were limits on how brilliant you could be in open space. The enemy ship used the light-speed limit effectively, maneuvering enough to make effective targeting basically impossible but remaining on the interception course and keeping their own line of light clear.

They waited to open fire until evasion was effectively pointless, which indicated a high level of confidence in both their defenses and their weapons.

Confidence that Aymes had to admit appeared well placed.

The lights coming back, along with the displays, brought him from the depths of his thoughts and back to the present.

“Finally,” he yelled. “Do we have access to the Imperial relay network?”

“No Captain. Signal quality is below minimum threshold for contact,” his altern said.

Aymes sighed but nodded as he looked to the navigation displays. “Very well. Make for Maxim Twelve, all available power.”

“As you command, Captain.”

The hum of the Piar Cohn’s systems felt comforting to Aymes as the ship was under power once more. Imperial cruisers were equipped with point singularity reactors. When power was off-line, so were the control systems that kept those systems stable. If they tipped too far one way, the singularities would swallow the Cohn in a single gulp; too far the other way and he and his crew would quickly freeze to death in the interstellar void. Now that they were under way, they’d be in Imperial space in a few hours.

The Empire claimed all space enclosed within the relay network. If it existed in reach of the Imperial Information Network, it belonged to the Empire.

“Alert me when we have relay access.”

►►►

► The Cohn crossed into Imperial space just over three hours later, and the relay system linked up.

“Captain Aymes . . .” Supreme Fleet Lord Kaliba glared down at him from the large display. “You were sent out to locate and secure the remaining drone assets. Please tell me why you’re limping your vessel back into Imperial space in defeat without having even seen one of your targets?”

Aymes just managed to keep from wincing at the fleet lord’s tone.

“We encountered an unknown,” he said by way of explanation.

Kaliba made a dismissive grunt. “I’ve seen the recordings from the Cohn’s systems, Aymes. You encountered an Oather ship . . . and lost. Pathetic.”