The image didn’t answer.
“Computer, I have asked you a question. Can you tighten the neutron beam?”
“I can,” it said at last.
“What are you planning, sir?” Valerie asked.
“Sit tight, Lieutenant. Tell the others to do the same thing. We’re going to attempt fast maneuvers. Computer, you will reverse course and head for the nearby ship. Target its engines first and take them out. Then retarget its laser batteries and destroy them. On no account must you annihilate the vessel itself.”
“The Saint Petersburg has a deflector shield, sir,” Valerie said.
Maddox scowled in irritation. “Kindly shut up, Lieutenant, and let me think. I have to do this right the first time. There must be a star cruiser accelerating for us, maybe two. We cannot face them and survive.”
The starship shuddered as the AI began to follow Maddox’s orders. The heavy braking almost caught the captain by surprise. He stumbled, grabbed a panel and thrust himself into a seat.
The antimatter engines whined, and the antigravity systems made thumping noises. Victory no longer headed for a fourth-planet low orbit, but slowed until it stopped and began moving toward the moon and the approaching destroyer.
“Enemy beams have reached the outer hull,” the AI said.
“This is the tricky bit,” Maddox said. “We have to sustain a little more damage to win everything. Take out the destroyer’s engines.”
“They are not yet in range,” the AI said.
“Then get us in range, pronto!” Maddox said.
Now began an uneven contest. The Saint Petersburg’s lasers were not those of a battleship or even a cruiser. Still, they were lasers, and by slow degrees the twin beams turned the outer hull red and then molten. Too soon, the lasers began chewing inside the starship.
“I know you want me to shut up, sir,” Valerie said. “But we’re taking damage. Sergeant Riker just radioed and said the beams are near the antimatter engines.”
Maddox nodded, accepting the report. He tapped a fist against a panel. “Come on,” he whispered.
Explosions shook the ship.
“Sir,” Valerie said, looking up in alarm.
Maddox licked his lips.
“We are in beam range,” the holoimage informed him.
“Fire!” Maddox shouted. “Destroy their laser batteries first. Then take out the engines.”
In a thin line, the purple neutron beam touched Saint Petersburg’s deflector shield.
“Full power,” Maddox said. “Knock down the shield. Then focus the ray for sniper shots.”
The heavy neutron beam blasted the destroyer’s shield. The enemy’s electromagnetic screen overloaded and went down all around the ship. At that instant, the AI refocused the beam, and it obliterated the enemy’s lasers.”
Maddox snarled with glee.
The neutron beam retargeted, and it killed the destroyer’s engine port.
“Tell Ensign Maker to race to the bridge,” Maddox ordered. “I’m going to need his expertise.”
“The destroyer is firing its point defense cannons,” Valerie said.
Maddox ordered the AI to take those out, too, and it did in short order.
By the time Ensign Maker staggered onto the bridge, Saint Petersburg’s escape pods ejected from the ship. The personnel were fleeing.
“That’s all the proof we need a star cruiser is in the vicinity,” Maddox said. “Those people must be sure it will pick them up. Ensign, come here. You’re going to tell me exactly what to do. Lieutenant,” he said, turning to Valerie. “Tell Riker and Meta to suit up and grab their assault rifles. They’re going to form my boarding party.”
“Ah… yes, sir,” Valerie said, sounding perplexed, “at once.”
Maddox nodded, concentrating on the destroyer. One thing at a time, he told himself. I have to do this before the star cruiser gets into range and forces us to jump.
Saint Petersburg’s escape pods headed away for deeper space. The empty destroyer raced for its collision with the fourth planet, fated no doubt to burn up in the atmosphere.
Captain Maddox had other plans for the hijacked Star Watch vessel. Under Keith’s guidance, he ordered the AI onto an exact course. Halfway through the complex maneuver, Victory’s sensors picked up a star cruiser’s fast approach. It had hidden behind the third planet and now accelerated for them. Did that imply the New Men’s sensors had seen the starship coming before the last jump? It would seem so, and that had grave implications for the coming war.
Victory raced in a long curving loop with the Saint Petersburg as its central pivoting point. The destroyer streaked past, heading for the planet. Finally, the starship completed the turning maneuver, aiming at the nearby world and following the empty craft.
“Now,” Maddox said, striking a panel with his fist. “Give it everything.”
Using full thrust, Victory sought to reach the destroyer before the Star Watch vessel hit the atmosphere. Both ships were perilously near the looming blue-green world. Every minute caused more of the planet to fill up the view-screen. Soon, the world would blot out all the stars.
“We’re not going to be able to brake in time,” Valerie said.
“You’re correct,” Maddox said. “Therefore, you will prepare for jump.”
“Sir?” the lieutenant asked.
“Remember the red giant? We jumped right through it. We must have entered hyperspace when we jumped, and the red giant wasn’t there. That’s what we’re going to do here, jump before we reach the planet’s atmosphere.”
Ensign Maker laughed with delight. “I love it, sir. It’s a brilliant plan.”
Maddox grinned as he kept his eyes on the screen. The starship began overtaking the Saint Petersburg. Still, this was cutting it much too finely.
“Sir,” Valerie said. “The star cruiser is hailing us.”
With a long stride, Maddox stood behind her chair. “Put him on,” he said.
A moment later, Per Lomax stared at Maddox. The New Man maintained his haughty poise. Then, if it was possible, the enemy commander straightened even more.
“The present encounter between us means nothing in the larger scheme of our conquest,” Per Lomax informed the captain.
“Oh no, of course not,” Maddox said, sarcastically.
Per Lomax stiffened. “You would do well to remember this, Captain. My coming retribution will be hard and exacting.”
“I have an idea,” Maddox said. “Let us reason together. You hunted me once and failed. In fact, you’re still carrying a scar from the bullet that knocked you to the ground on Loki Prime. If you take those factors—”
“You fail to realize how wrong you are,” Per Lomax said, interrupting. “I have no scar. Our bodies are many times more efficient than yours are. We heal perfectly. No. For you, the game is over, as you are already dead. In your case, you simply lack the sense to know it. Good-bye, Captain Maddox. In futility you struggled against me, and now you have failed as it was fated to occur.”
The burning question about his origins rose to Maddox’s lips again. He shook his head, refusing to ask the New Man. Maybe they would meet again someday. Maddox tapped Valerie on the shoulder. She cut the connection.
The captain returned to his station. The holoimage looked up at him. The simulacrum’s eyes seemed to gaze with intensity.
“The star cruiser has almost reached its outer beam range in relation to us,” the holoimage informed him.
“We can’t do anything about that,” Maddox said. “So I want you to ignore the cruiser for now.”