The Omegan cruiser re-adjusted its firing pattern and changed its targeting. As it did, the fighters swung wide, taking care to avoid the new firing solution. On its bridge sat the young-ish warrior who had finally been given a command of his own, but who was now watching it evaporate in a fruitless battle against a surprise enemy. There was no question that they were going to lose. It was merely a question of whether or not they could hold out until reinforcements arrived, and he lost face, or they all died in the vacuum of space.
It hadn’t needed to be this way. When the majority of his pilots and their fighter craft were commissioned for suppression duty on Earth, he had protested mightily. His words went unheeded, and to the Omegan high command, they were almost baffling. The ship was to be sent to the outer reaches of the system and look for minor traffic. Earth’s complement of military cruisers was in the inner system.
“We are being shunted aside,” the warrior told his second in command. “Glory is being denied us.” It was no salve when it was discovered that on old military ship was actually in their area and they would be required to accept its surrender.
His hollow words to his superiors were ringing in his ears as his tactical officer suddenly moved from his post and to his side. “Lord, I have detected what I believe to be an unusual pattern in their movements.”
The Omegan raised an eyebrow. “I am listening, warrior. Speak of it now.”
Kate watched the fighters flash across her display. “They’re taking a wide berth, Jack! Coming around us at mark 270!”
“Sarah!” Jack said, whipping his head around. “Options?”
Before she could speak, a new barrage from the Omegan weapons pounded the War Angel, this time striking the shielding almost directly on top of the bridge area. Sparks flew from multiple pieces of equipment. Pieces of jagged metal fell from the ceiling, one coming dangerously close to hitting Richard in the head. He dove for cover, a second piece impaling his chair.
The ship began to spin slightly out of control as Gina was stunned by the barrage. As it did, the fighters swung around to the far side of the War Angel, sandwiching her between two Omegan forces.
Jack tasted copper in his mouth and knew instantly that he had bitten his tongue. He spat the blood on the ground next to the captain’s chair and gathered himself. He spun around to Sarah but was startled by what he saw. Blood was cascading down her face. He could see a large gash across her forehead and that her left eye was extremely swollen. “Sarah?” he said quietly.
She looked at him blankly, not responding. Not knowing what to do, Jack did the one thing he could think of: scream. “Dammit, Sarah! Wake up! We need you or we’re all going to die!”
Her head shook slightly; her body suddenly began to quiver. Finally, her hands started moving along the screens in front of her. “Setting cannon four to bombardment mode and keeping it locked on the Omegan ship. Cannons one and two now on random laser mode. It should… keep the fighters guessing and moving, make it harder for them to stay in one place long enough to hurt us.” She gave him a long, cold glare.
“Excellent work,” he said, then returned his attention to the helm. “Gina?”
Kate reached over and shook the young woman sitting next to her. This snapped Gina to attention and she began gathering herself. As she did, she began to once again manipulate the controls to pilot the ship. “On it, Captain. I’m on it.”
“Fighters are making a run, Jack,” Kate yelled.
He looked at Sarah. “How many hits can we take on that side before…?”
“Maybe two runs at best before hull breaches. Maybe.”
“Brace for multiple impacts!” Jack instructed them. “Keep shooting, Sarah!”
Laser blasts from the cruiser and from the fighters struck the War Angel simultaneously, pounding her port side and her upper bow.
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