The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [32]
A moment later the tac officer said, ‘Missiles away … and they’ve launched a volley of their own, silverclaws, two waves.’
‘Going for our shields,’ Ash said. ‘Target the eluders with our beam projectors and fire.’
One of the screens showed a tracking view of the intervening space. Four impact flashes appeared in rough succession, then a digital overlay revealed blotches of grey spreading at the edges. Ash saw Greg’s mystified look.
‘Countermeasures,’ he said. ‘Each payload spreads a cloud of refractive slivers. Inhibits directional sensors. Now we need to get closer to the shimmer clouds, use them as a shield … ’
‘The Ironfist is changing course,’ the tac officer said. ‘First wave of silverclaw missiles have entered the shimmer clouds … wait, they’ve … ’
On the screen bright points of light bloomed in the intervening cloud. A magnified view showed expanding shells of energy tearing gaps in the shimmer barrier.
‘Second wave is through with minimal deviation,’ said the tac officer.
‘How long?’ said Ash.
‘On current course and speed … fifty seconds.’
‘Helm, go to maximum thrust – head for the far side of that moon.’
‘The Ironfist is targeting all its projector batteries on our engines,’ said the tac officer, his voice showing signs of strain.
‘Raise shields,’ Ash said with rock-solid composure. ‘All hands, lock down safeties against incoming enemy fire.’
Greg sat slumped back in the command couch, witnessing the seemingly inexorable slide towards destruction with a terrible fear crawling in his guts.
‘Contact!’ the tac officer cried out. ‘Vessel uncloaking eight kiloms off our stern – sir, it’s the Imisil ship … and they’re picking off all the silverclaw missiles.’
‘Maintain course and speed,’ said Ash, who glanced at Greg. ‘The Imisil have put themselves between us and our pursuers, a high-risk tactic in this situation … ’
‘We’re picking up a message from the Imisil to the Ironfist,’ said the tac officer. A moment later, the audio came through.
‘Ezgara vessel – you have violated an exclusion zone emplaced according to the self-defence protocols of the Imisil Mergence. Cease all attacks and threats and withdraw from this system immediately.’
‘So the meddling Imisil are working with those brigands,’ came Wade’s voice. ‘No matter – it will be my pleasure to obliterate you before dealing with that shipful of thieves.’
‘You may be assured that events will transpire differently,’ was the Imisil reply before the channel cut out.
‘Can they hold against the Tygran ship’s weapons?’ Greg said.
Ash shrugged but his frown said no. Then, staring at his screen, he leaned forward. ‘The Imisil are not raising their shields … ’
‘The Ironfist is targeting all weapons on the Imisil vessel,’ said the tac officer.
‘Aim everything we’ve got at the Ironfist,’ said Ash.
‘Contact! – second vessel uncloaking above and behind the Ironfist! It is another Imisil ship and it’s opening fire … ’
Greg watched it all unfold in the holopanel before him. Even as the Tygran ship veered wildly to port the second Imisil kept pace and unleashed a cascade of destruction upon its stern. Beam energies tore and lashed at the shields while pulse cannon rounds and disruptor missiles pounded away. Under such intense and focused attack the Tygran’s shields began to weaken, flare and fail. Return fire had cut through the Imisil’s own slotted shields and its hull sported several gashes and breaches trailing foggy gases. But for the Tygran vessel the end was near. As its shields finally flared out from tail to prow, the second Imisil sent missiles and pulse beam rounds into the now unprotected stern.
Something exploded, a fuel line or a generator, and Greg could see hot yellow fire spread within the hull, blowing out hatches and sections of plating. Then one of the manoeuvring thrusters began to burn, blazing at full strength for a moment before it burst apart in a brief flurry of fiery whiteness. A second later a massive explosion tore open the stern as the main drives succumbed, leaving the Tygran vessel pinwheeling through space.