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"Maneuver one two zero by zero seven five," Voro shouted.
"Coming about," Zasses answered, and the stars wheeled through the holographic view space. "Sir, that places the carrier Lawgiver between us and them."
"The Lawgiver has fully generated lateral shields," Voro growled. "They can take the hit."
The frigate pair split to miss the carrier in their flight path. The enemy ships, and their plasma torpedoes, became obscured by the bulk of the sleek carrier.
"Heat lines four and seven," Voro ordered, "and prepare to target the Tenebrous as it emerges from the carrier's shadow. Divert engine power to the fore energy projector and make ready to (ire at full capacity. Estimate targeting solution based on last known trajectory."
U ruo nodded and made the weapons ready.
The alpha Jiralhanae Ship Master was savage, but he was ef-fective. Voro could not afford to merely wound one of them.
The edges of the Lawgiver's shield shimmered, dispersing the plasma into fiery wisps—an inconvenience for them… a Hfe-saving maneuver for the Incorruptible.
The Jiralhanae frigate attack pair appeared, one over and one under the carrier.
"Fire all lines," Voro ordered.
The lights on the bridge dimmed as plasma heated and flowed from their lateral banks and arced forward in two bloody streaks across the dark.
"Counter guiding signals detected!" Y'gar shouted. "Attempt-ing to disrupt."
The plasma blots drifted back and forth and diffused into smears in a signal tug-of-war between them and the Jiralhanae. Voro had not anticipated they had such abilities. Stolen, no doubt… so they wouldn't know all the system's intricacies.
"Reprogram to home in on their signal lock," Voro said.
"Yes," Y'gar murmured, and his hands moved algorithm blocks over this console. "Lock reestablished on new signal," he said.
Their plasma smoothed, concentrated—and accelerated.
The Jiralhanae frigate turned into their shot, presenting a smaller target.
A desperate maneuver and not quick enough.
The frigate's shield heated, dispersing the first bolt of superheated ionized gas. The second strike hit bare hull, melting the shield arrays and sensors, boiling away layers of smooth blue armor-alloy.
"Fire energy projector," Voro commanded, "dead-center targeting solution."
"Aye, sir," Uruo said. "Projector spinning up—firing."
The bridge lights flickered to ultraviolet backup as all the In-cormpdble's power drained into one lance of destruction. It lit the space around the battle, a cleansing illumination. The Tenebrous appeared frozen in time for a moment… before the energy tore through its hull, blasting internal decks to atoms— amidships, and then the aft plasma coils—shattering the ship into a haze of glowing particles.
The surviving Jiralhanae frigate, the Twilight Compunction, however, was untouched… and it continued toward them.
"Recycling engine power," Zasses said. "Fifteen seconds until engine back online."
Fifteen seconds could be a lifetime in a close-quarter space battle.