He didn’t know enough about their maneuvering or weapons to be certain, but Steph was fairly confident that three would, in fact, be more than enough. The two tagging them from below were going to force him to run the blockade of the third, which was waiting in the bird-dog position. As soon as Eagle One entered into range, the CAP frigate would simply open fire with lasers or missiles, or try to lock the shuttle in with the sort of tractor beam. At that range, and closing fast, there was no way in hell the shuttle would be able to outmaneuver incoming missiles, let alone lasers and whatever the quantum lock was.

Once he and Milla broke out into space, they needed to get as far away from their pursuers as they possibly could. Lasers didn’t give a warning before they vaporized your hull and left you sucking vacuum.

“Okay, I’ve got the frigate in sight. I want you on missile track now,” Steph said, tapping the throttle back a little as he lined up his course.

“Missile track, aye,” Milla said automatically, shifting her instrument readings as she called up the information from the targeting beams of the still-active and lethal missiles. “On them. We appear to have lost three more. They overcompensated and went too deep into the planet’s atmosphere after we turned. The rest are now tracking back on course.”

“Read me the approach vectors,” Steph said, eyes focused out through the screen on a light in the distance that was the frigate flying CAP overhead.

“Roger,” Milla said, reflecting on how odd it was to call someone Roger when she knew his name was Steph. Terran military habits were bizarre, but she’d learned them dutifully in order to hold the role she wanted. “Main pack now approaching from Zero Nine Thirty, thirty degrees high. Impact in sixty seconds . . . mark.”

Steph didn’t respond as he pushed the throttle all the way forward, causing the shuttle to once again jump to full military speed as they bore down on the enemy frigate on a collision course.

If you can’t evade them, try and freak them the hell out.

►►►

PC Parasite Five

► “They’re accelerating on a collision course with parasite Eight, Subaltern.”

Penae could see that for himself, much as it baffled him. He quickly checked the mass estimates on the enemy craft as well as what they could scan of its composition.

There is no way they’re going to cause significant damage, even if they impact. What are they doing?

“Show me my sky,” he ordered.

“Yes Subaltern.”

The displays shifted, showing the entire sky around them along with the plotted tracks for everything moving. Penae examined the various tracks, then relaxed slightly.

“Tricky, but this flyer clearly has no idea what he is up against,” he said finally.

“I’m sorry. I do not understand, Subaltern,” Penae’s second said.