Page 48 of Black Star

Damon swiveled his chair around. “Viktor?”

“I’m fine, Captain.” His head spun, and he had to shake it to clear it.

“If you aren’t up to this, say so now. I don’t want to have to toss you out an air lock.” Viktor knew Damon was only half joking.

“No. I’m fine.” He shook his head again before looking at his screens, trying to verify what the ship had dumped into his brain. “Black Starjust loves information dumps, and I have trouble keeping up sometimes.”

Ah! The first way to win both their hearts is not being afraid to admit you’re less than perfect. Viktor hadn’t even realized what he’d done until the bloody ship pointed it out. He hated looking inferior to anyone or anything.

Ranier snorted from his pilot’s station. “There’s a first time for everything,” he muttered. In another life, Viktor would have had the man’s head on a platter. Now, he merely gave him a stern look that was totally wasted. Ranier wasn’t intimidated at all, though the rest of the bridge staff visibly cringed.

“How far away is theSword Breaker?” Damon punched at his personal computer.

“Not far,” Viktor responded, deciding to ignore Ranier for the time being. “One sector away. He should intercept us in the next five minutes.”

Damon scratched his chin a couple of times before giving the command Viktor had anticipated. “Raise deflectors. Laser status?”

“Fully charged, Captain. Pulse torpedoes awaiting your order for armament.” Viktor punched a few buttons, still processing the data stream flowing through his head.

“I’m reading twenty-three war class ships and another twelve carrier class. All heavily armed and armored. Carrier complement unknown, but I estimate each can carry at least twenty one-manned fighters.”

“Damn,” Ranier muttered while his fingers tapped his console. Viktor felt the subtle movement as the ship readjusted.Black Starprotested the new settings, but Viktor could see the position Ranier was putting them in and understood the reasoning. Surprisingly, the ship didn’t put up a fuss, and let Ranier move her to a more dominant position. Well, as dominant as one ship could be against thirty-five enemy ships. “This isn’t going to be pretty. Can we fight our way out even with the help of theSword Breaker?”

“Unknown.” Viktor used every processor available in his cybernetically enhanced brain to make sense of what the ship was telling him, and he still didn’t believe what he was seeing. He could even feel the tension in theBlack Star. The ship was trying to deny the data as well. “Captain, unless I’m greatly mistaken, I think they mean to destroy this ship, not capture her.”

Damon didn’t hesitate a moment. “Battle stations. NotifySword Breakernot to enter the area. Stand down. Mark it Priority Alpha. Get us out of here, Ranier.” Viktor barely got off the message before the fight began.

Laser pulses surrounded them and slammed into theBlack Star’s shields. The positively charged particles danced over the shield resonance and created a lovely aurora that belied the danger they faced.

“Primary shields holding,” Viktor barked. “No damage reported. Awaiting your command to open fire.”

“All stations, fire at will.” Damon gave the command calmly enough, but the sweat trickling down his temple betrayed his agitation. Had Viktor not known the man so well, he’d have thought the captain unaffected by the threat.

Laser fire streaked across the distance into space. Some connected with targets, some didn’t. The whole mess of a firefight in space was surreal. It was sometimes hard to tell what had been hit and what hadn’t because there were no huge explosions due to the vacuum and lack of oxygen. Thankfully,Black Star’s sensors kept score. Viktor knew exactly which ships posed a threat and which ones had been damaged beyond being a danger.

“Concentrate some fire to the port flank.” Viktor took up his role as second in command again as if he’d never been deep in a blood madness. His head was beginning to buzz again, and he knew he’d have to get away from the violence and adrenaline rush soon or he’d sink back into the mire. For now, however, Viktor had to concentrate all his energy on the battle. The odds were almost impossible, especially without backup. “Those two ships are the most immediate threat, and the strongest of any save the damaged one to starboard.”

The ship rocked with the impact of heavy fire against the shields. The damaging lasers and torpedoes were unable to penetrate the defenses, but the concussion knocked them about horribly, creating its own danger.

“We’re going to be shaken to pieces if we don’t get out of here soon.” Damon’s grip on the armrest of his command chair was white knuckled, but otherwise he remained seemingly unaffected. “Ranier?”

The younger man frantically stabbed the computer console at his fingertips. The data stream Viktor got fromBlack Startold him Ranier was trying to plot a course, but the sheer number of enemy ships prevented anything but sublight propulsion.

Damon gave Viktor a sidelong glance. That was when Viktor realized he’d started to growl. Immediately, Viktor stopped the threatening sound and gritted his teeth tightly together. The adrenaline rush was starting to get to him.

Ranier wove between damaged ships, using them as a barrier between theBlack Starand the rest of her enemies, but neither the Vok’nair nor the Hand seemed to care. They shot through any ship that got in their way. The Hand might have thought they’d bought an alliance with the mighty empire, but they were paying the price for their mistake.

Ranier swore under his breath. Viktor knew the young man was doing his best to get them clear so they could jump.

“Look!” One of the men at weapons -- Taren -- pointed at the viewscreen in excitement. The unmistakable flash of a ship coming out of hyperspace dominated the upper right corner. “It’s theSword Breaker!”

“Damn it!” Damon swore. “Did you send our message for them not to approach?”

“Yes, sir.”

Damon stabbed the ship-to-ship comm. “Mikiel! What the fuck are you doing?”

“We can’t leave all of you to fight so many. If we’re to go down, we’ll damned well do it together,” Commander Mikiel Anjoom answered seriously from the comm unit.

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