“So… tell the Covenanters that,” I suggested.
He laughed. “Let’s see. What do we say? ‘We have a device that we can’t analyze because it’s so advanced, and we don’t know what it’s good for or how to use it But it’s not the advanced weapon you think it is.’ Even if we offered to share the data, which I doubt that anyone in the Comity would approve, the Covenanters don’t want that information loose. They think it tore their Heaven in two and loosed evil on mankind.” He paused. “Enough. You need to get to the ready room and suit up. All you pilots will be in your needles when we translate.”
That told me we had more trouble than he was admitting. “Who do I turn the watch over to?”
“You don’t. There’s no one left.”
Junior ops watches were for instruction, not necessary, strictly. I got up. “The watch is yours, sir.” Wanted that on the record. Even logged it.
He didn’t say anything, just moved back to the ops boss’s console without a word.
I’d thought Morgan had a softer inside. Beginning to think I’d been mistaken. Or it was buried so deep no one would ever find it. Not even him.
Was that my problem, too? Didn’t want to think about that. Not yet.
Took my time getting to the ready room. Even made a stop at the mess and got something to eat from the cooks. Had to keep moving, because getting into armor took some time. It was still almost thirty minutes to translation when I entered the launch bay. Lindskold, Shaimen, and the two pilots from the Alwyn were already in their needles.
Ysario looked at me as I stopped short of Needle Four and studied it, then said, “All the internal systems have been replaced, sir.”
Managed a grin. “Hope so. It’s pretty dark out there without screens and shields.”
“Yes, sir.” She didn’t smile, but her eyes crinkled at the corners. She was worried, too.
After the walk-around, and the physical inspection, I settled into the cockpit of the needle. Ran the checklist all the way to launch, then backed off to standby.
Five minutes until translation. All personnel should be secured. All personnel should be secured. All unnecessary gear should be on standby. Once in armor, we got the announcements by link alone.
Checked once more—all the needle systems were on standby, with the fusactor cold.
Could only sit in the darkness and wait for the captain to guide the Magellan into the Gate and translation.
Stand by for Gate translation. Stand by for Gate translation.
Translation was like always—flashed white and black simultaneously, and we went null grav. Then black turned white, and white black. Colors inverted. The white and black strobing stretched out endlessly, then stopped with no real time having passed, as black returned to black. We were back in normspace—hopefully on the edge of Hamilton system.
Full grav returned, but only for a moment.
Stand by for null grav in the launch bay. Null grav in the launch bay. All needles, prepare to launch. Report when ready. Report when ready.
My stomach lurched up within me. The double cycle from full grav to null to full to null hadn’t helped. After a quick swallow, I began running through the checklist to get the needle ready to launch.
Launch doors open this time.
Morgan had the bays open and the nanite barrier in place before I finished the checklist. Not by much, though.
Navigator Control, Needle Tigress, ready to launch.
Tigress, stand by. You are number three to launch. Number one departing cradle this time.
Standing by.
Lindskold was first, then Shaimen, then me, then Eyler and the other Alwyn pilot.
Needle Tigress, clear to uncradle and launch.
Stet. Uncradling this time.
Used the steering jets to ease the needle out, then formed up on Lindskold. When the last two joined, we had a loose wedge ahead of the Magellan.
Accessed the farscreens. What came through were points of energy all over the outer reaches of Hamilton system. The majority were D.S.S., according to the identifiers, but there were still close to fifty hostile vessels-—including eight dreadnoughts—in three battle groups. One enemy group was down to a pair of cruisers. One cruiser’s shields flared red, and raw energy replaced it, then faded.
Navigator needles, vector three one zero relative, plus two zero.
A pair of frigates—configured like Covenanters—lay along the vector. They were accelerating, closing on the Magellan. Leading them were three needles.
Needle Tigress, stet.
Let Lindskold take the lead, closed up slightly, but not enough that there was any chance for our shields to touch or interlock.
The Covenanter needles accelerated toward us, moving into a tight wedge with overlapping shields. Sure sign that they were trying for the Magellan.
Navigator needles, concentrate on the right needle. Hold fire until minimum plus twenty. Report fire.
Kept formation on Lindskold, holding as Morgan had ordered.
Less than thirty emkay… twenty… Still no torps from the Covenanters. None from the Magellan. Screens showed the Owens and the Bannister tucked up tight aft of the Magellan. They’d have bolted for Hamilton Base or some such. Except they were probably safer following the Magellan. Didn’t have the shields to deal with all the attacking ships around Hamilton system.
Closure at ten emkay… five… we were screaming toward each other. Could smell sweat inside the armor.
Navigator needles. That was Lindskold. Could “feel” the difference. Stand by to fire on my mark.
Two emkay… one…
Mark… fire two… mark…
Ten torps converged on the starboardmost Covenanter needle.
My farscreens blanked, then came back online after the energy wave swept past. All three enemy needles had vanished. Just dust, dispersing energy, and heat that would vanish into the chill and darkness in minutes.
Navigator needles, regroup and prepare for attack on leadfrigate.
Regroup? Realized we were missing one needle. Shaimen. Hadn’t even seen her go. Backlash on her shields, probably. Frigging bitch of a way to go.
Shuttled the remaining torp to the port tube. Always preferred the port.
Navigator needles, prepare to fire on frigate, link. Morgan this time. Wanted perfect synch of all torps.
The four torps from the needles and the ten from the Magellan slammed into the lead frigate’s shields. They barely flickered amber before going to red and shredding. Just a pair of torps from the Magellan finished that Covenanter.
Farscreen showed a wad of stuff flying out toward us. Past me before I could do anything. Shields flickered into the amber, and the needle shuddered.
Checked the farscreens. Frig! One of the Alwyn needles was gone. Didn’t know which, whether it was Eyler or the other pilot—Sennis, that was her name.
Navigator needles, stand clear. Form on couriers as possible.
With no torps left, Morgan didn’t want us caught between the last frigate and the Magellan. I didn’t want to be caught there, either.
Swung in a loop, small one, just enough to let the Magellan pass. Didn’t want to get caught without enough power to recover. I’d been there. Didn’t want to do it again—ever.