"Surfacing in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1!"

Reality coalesced on the screen as they returned to the mundane universe, and Brooks leaned forward in his seat. He scanned the screen for their enemy. Though the sensors and computers far exceeded his own abilities, in this case they were not even necessary.

Before them in space, seemingly still in the void, was a dark asteroid, a rogue body.

From the surface of the rock glittered lights of a crude base, built onto the surface, and in orbit around it were ships.

They had found the pirate base.

The command center burst into action.

"All combat drones launching!" Zhu called. "Twenty-five seconds until full coverage!"

The drones were spat out from high-speed launchers like torpedos, braking themselves and spreading quickly into formation.

"Get targeting solutions and prepare to launch missiles," Jaya ordered.

"Dark, we're right on top of them," Urle hissed, shifting the defensive systems to a close-range configuration.

"Range?" Brooks asked.

"We are less than five thousand kilometers from the asteroid," Cenz reported.

"The four smaller vessels are targeting us, Captain," Jaya said. "They have launched missiles."

"We do not have full drone coverage, repeat, we do not have full coverage!" Zhu called out.

Brooks could see missiles streaming towards them; he counted a dozen, then two, then stopped trying.

"Put what drones we have into as good a formation as we can and get all point-defense weapons targeting. Can we get our missiles out before we light them up?"

"Negative, Captain," Jaya said. "Our missiles will be passing theirs as we are in our full defensive salvo."

Cenz chimed in. "I expect we'd destroy or damage at least one third of our own missiles."

"Then hold fire," Brooks said. "We'll defend this salvo, and then follow up with our own before they can get a second round off."

He looked back to the enemy ships. The four small pirate ships were modified to have an outsized number of missiles ports, barely more than flying weapons platforms.

But their big ship was doing nothing.

"What is their flagship doing?" he asked.

Cenz hesitated. "The largest vessel has only passive sensors and has registered no changes since our arrival."

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Leaning back in his chair, Brooks gave the order. "When we launch our missiles, target the lead vessel, aim to disable its zerodrive. I don't want them escaping."

"It's barely maneuvering," Jaya said. "We can use the coilguns."

"Good," Brooks said. "Fire as soon as you have a solution."

The enemy missile hit the outer ranges of the defensive grid, with small flashes of light blinking brightly as individual missiles were ripped apart by pulsed laser fire.

"Their missiles are barely maneuvering," Urle said. "They're low-quality, or . . ." he trailed off.

"Firing solution achieved!" Jaya said. "Firing!"

The ship shuddered as the coilgun was fired, a brief flash of light from the frontal cone as the hyper-accelerated slug was launched.

"Thirty-seven seconds until impact," Jaya called. "So long as she doesn't make a maneuver, we'll hit her. And even if we miss we'll hit their base."

Another missile flared as it exploded, but something was different about the flash. He was about to ask, but then the entire command center shuddered.

"What just hit us?" he demanded. None of the missiles had reached them yet.

"Impact on the frontal cone!" Jaya called. "Whatever the hell it was, it pierced the armor and went almost a hundred meters deep!"

"Ship response teams en route," Kai called.

"But what the hell was it?" Brooks demanded.

"Nuclear lance!" Urle called. "I think the other missiles are decoys to cover them!"

More flashes came on the screen.

"Brace for-" Brooks began.

The ship rocked again, and he was thrown in his seat, emergency straps catching him.

"More lances detonating!" Urle cried.

"Damage report; Cenz said. "We have multiple punctures through the frontal cone, digging up to twenty decks deep. Multiple decks and compartments facing depressurization!"

He turned. "Captain, if they get a lucky hit from the right angle they could reach and puncture one of our reactors - including Reactor Seven."

Where the Star Angel Ambassador, Jophiel lived.

"Some of the material they're leaving behind is radioactive," Jaya said. "Rushing emergency drones and teams."

Brooks let out an angry hiss through his teeth. "Figure out which ones are the lances and target them! I don't want any to get through!"

"How the hell do we tell?" Jaya asked.

"They've got to be bigger than the others," Urle said. "Cenz, scan for rad signatures - there's no way they're shielding these things well. They're full of weapons-grade uranium!"

"Scanning," Cenz said.

"More missiles incoming!" Jaya called.

"Got 'em!" Urle called. "Targeting!"

The lasers redirected, and the point-defense cannons began to spray fire.

One of the lances detonated; there was a bright flash that the screen dimmed to tolerable levels.

Another followed suit, then another. The other missiles came through, only a handful even exploding.

"Their decoy missiles are hitting," Cenz said. "Mostly just crumpling with minor impact damage - it seems they were just empty launches to give us more targets."

"Now we know what they wanted the fissionable material for," Jaya said. "The impact sites on the ship suggest they were accelerating tungsten plates."

"The blast would have turned them to plasma," Urle said. "Christ, the Sepht still use these but hardly anyone else has for centuries. Too easy to shoot down . . ."

"Yes, but a surprise that took us off-guard. We certainly did not expect them," Brooks said, frowning. "They'll be launching more. Be on-guard. How bad is our damage?"

Jaya looked at the data for a moment. "Despite the venting, the damage is not severe - some important systems were cut, but we have successfully re-routed." She sighed, her shoulders lowering slightly. "We have three dead and ten injured. Thankfully, most personnel are in the aft of the ship right now."

"Shipboard response teams are on-site now, Captain," Kai called. "All vented spaces are now sealed and secured - we are focusing on the radioactive waste before we begin full clean-up."

Brooks leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "Launch our missiles, full salvo at the smaller ships. I want these pirate ships dead in space."

Their return fire was overwhelming. The point-defense weapons of the pirate ships lashed out, but sporadically and ultimately, ineffectual. The Craton's missiles swarmed in, creating blooming fireballs across the vessels, taking out vital systems and venting their atmospheres.

"Ship C is taking a pounding - she's exploding!" Urle said.

One of the pirate ships lit up the darkness, even casting a glow onto the asteroid base far beyond.

Jaya arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps one of the lances prematurely detonated."

"Another is attempting a launch!" Urle said.

"Target and destroy," Brooks ordered.

The lasers pulsed; the missile had scarcely started away when it detonated, ripping apart its mothership.

"And that's why most don't use nuclear lances anymore," Urle said, wincing.

"Ship A is burning its engines," Cenz noted. "It's damaging their superstructure, but - oh, I believe they are putting themselves on a collision course for us, Captain!"

Which was no small threat; the ship was small, but its mass was still high, and it likely carried multiple more nuclear missiles.

"Charge all three coilguns," he ordered sharply. Rotate and give a full barrage."

"Preparing to fire all three," Jaya said. "Firing for effect - now!"

The G-Shock alarm went off, and Brooks gripped to his seat with white knuckles as all three of their coilguns fired simultaneously. The ship shuddered with reaction to the triple launch.

Their aim was true, and the kamikaze vessel disintegrated on impact.

Debris flew in all directions, then some of its missiles detonated, setting off a chain reaction. Flashes of light like fireworks lit the darkness again, and Brooks watched in silence for a time.

"Captain, our earlier coilgun barrage did impact on the lead pirate vessel," Cenz said. "It did not make any maneuvers - we have holed its zerodrive."

"Why are they doing nothing?" Jaya asked, frowning. "I do not like this."

"It's moving now!" Cenz said. "If they were asleep, we have now awoken them. They are burning engines and trying to move around the asteroid."

"Target with missiles. I want to cripple them. Then get us close, and tell the Response teams to prepare for a boarding action."