The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [171]
“Our turn,” Orli said.
Tasia aligned the targeting cross on her screen and drove the cargo hauler toward the nearest fireball. Flickering, ragged flames wreathed the oncoming faeros as they grew closer, hotter. “Here goes nothing.” She launched the frozen projectile, subconsciously holding her breath.
The pointed cylinder streaked out and vanished into the heart of the vastly larger fireball. The flames twisted, knotted, and swallowed all trace of the frozen artillery shell.
Kotto seemed embarrassed. “I, uh, expected something a little more . . . dramatic.”
With an eruption of white steam, a detonation tore apart the fireball’s nucleus, expanding outward in a cold, moist cloud that engulfed and smothered the flames. When the flash dissipated, nothing remained — no faeros, no wental, just an empty clot of superheated air in the sky.
“Nine ice bullets left . . . and about a million fireballs out there,” Steinman said.
“Dive toward another one!” Orli said. “We’re wasting time.”
Exuberant, Kotto took the communication controls and urged the eighteen other Roamer ships to launch their frozen projectiles. “It works — I encourage you all to try it!”
Tasia headed toward a faeros and shot their second icy artillery shell. One more fireball annihilated. Altogether, the clan ships on Golgen had nearly two hundred of the special shells. Maybe it would be enough to make a dent and turn back the faeros. As far as she could tell, they had no other weapons that were even remotely effective.
Her third icy projectile created yet another spectacular cold flash that extinguished a faeros. “I can start enjoying this. Your artillery is a success, Kotto — I just wish I had a full battery of them.”
Now, more Roamer ships flew into the chaos of fireballs, launching their own frozen projectiles. Numerous flaming ellipsoids were extinguished, leaving behind flashes of dying light.
Down below, skimming over the cloud tops, Tasia could see the watery vessel flown by her brother and Cesca, rallying the wentals in the atmosphere, pulling curls of mist higher into the sky. She expended her fourth projectile, and Orli and Steinman let out a cheer.
When the enraged fireballs hurtled toward them, though, she knew for certain they didn’t have enough ammunition.
* * *
117
Osira’h
From where they stood inside the large bay, looking out at the landing deck and the open sky, Osira’h and the others watched several warliners being destroyed in their attempts to fight back. The daring Roamer ships flew about, and their icy projectiles were having some effect, but their numbers could not possibly be sufficient. The fireballs kept coming.
Adar Zan’nh’s voice called out on the open channel of the Mage-Imperator’s small communication device, “Liege, will you remain on the skymine, or do you wish to be brought up to the flagship? I do not know which gives you a better guarantee of safety.”
“There is no guarantee of safety.” Jora’h glanced at Kellum, then responded briskly. “However, the Roamers will have a better chance if I do not remain among them. Rusa’h wants me. Send a cutter to retrieve us.” He gestured to Nira and their daughter to come with him.
Osira’h, though, turned toward the small diamond derelict. “No, there is one other chance.” She knew it in her heart, even though none of the others were willing to consider the idea. “And by now we must be desperate enough to take it.”
The hydrogues had caused much damage to so many planets, including the Ildiran Empire, but Osira’h had been linked with them. She had confronted them, formed a bridge, used her mind as well as her connection to the telink and the thism to force them to listen to her. She had touched their thoughts, and she knew how much they hated the faeros.
Nira’s eyes widened. “It’s too dangerous.”
But Osira’h broke away from them and sprinted over to the small diamond sphere. The ship would fall into the depths by itself, but she needed to get it away from the skymine . . . just the slightest nudge would send it over the edge of the launching deck.
Jora’h’s ornate