Hence the short period of time. The Kahls likely didn't expect the tactic. They may have even considered the fight over considering how bad off the Brekka appeared. This last ditch effort required them to run a system scan, set a course, and proceed with caution. After all, if the ship could go into warp, what else might it pull off?

  The viewscreen flickered to life. Molush hurried back to his seat, strapping in. They were looking through the cameras behind them which showed the enemy ship as little more than a speck in the distance. Magnification wasn't necessary. Griel knew what condition they were in. Better than them.

  And when they arrived, if he didn't have the strength to fend them off, he needed to get out of there. Which required full power to the thrusters. He drew a deep breath, trying to relax as he waited for updates. Molush worked in silence. Authen tapped his seat with his left hand, staring intently at the screen.

  I have a feeling the rest of the ship is struggling with the same type of anxiety. Griel wished he could bring Xanda up there, to show him what his selfish nonsense cost. If anyone died today, they're on his head. Along with the seriously wounded. I'll hold him accountable for every single misery that came out of this action.

  "Shields are sixty percent charged," Molush grunted, slapping his leg. He rarely expressed his frustration like that. "So many of these emitters are in bad shape, sir. They're going to have to be replaced when we have time. I don't even have an accurate count on how many are barely operational."

  "We can deal with that later," Griel said. "Authen, you heard him. Evasive maneuvers are going to save our lives today, right? You got this?"

  "I'll do my absolute best."

  "Weapons?" Griel asked.

  "Full power." Molush huffed. "I have no idea how that worked. Oh! Artificial gravity came back and I didn't even notice."

  "I mean, you did hustle across the bridge," Authen pointed out.

  "I don't need your attitude!" Molush snapped. "I've got a lot going on over here!"

  "Relax," Griel interrupted. "Does that mean we have thrusters then?"

  Authen announced, "Yes, but engine control seems a touch sluggish, sir. I'll need better if we're going to dodge attacks."

  "That's what you focus on, Molush. Get him what he needs." Griel rubbed his eyes, thinking back over his years of service. He'd fought carriers before but always in straightforward battle and never alone. They had serious firepower but their biggest advantage, he already took away.

  What's the best way to handle them? Unlike other Kahl ships, they dedicated the majority of their vessel to supporting fighters. That meant not as many weapons bristling over the hull. Including the flanks in the back. We are technically more maneuverable. We should be capable of getting those shots again.

  "Are they on their way?" Griel asked.

  "Scans show they are on slow approach," Authen said. "No warp as of yet."

  "They may not have an exact location for us yet." Griel narrowed his eyes at the screen. "Let us drift for now. When they get close, we'll suck them in and finish this off. That'll give Engineering some time to do a little more work as well. Whatever repairs we can manage between now and our next scrape may make all the difference."

  "Begging your pardon," Authen said, "but shouldn't we get out of here? They can't exactly chase us, sir."

  "If Xanda's right, these animals know about our people. They'll keep after them. We'd have to pull listening posts from this entire region. And we'd lose a lot of intel." Griel shook his head. "No, I feel confident we can take them. Yes, it might take a little luck. That's why we're relying on you."

  "Me?" Authen turned to him with wide eyes. "Sir, I hope you realize I've never once beat you at any game we've ever played. I'm about the least lucky Prytin you know."

  "Well... someone on board will make up for it." Griel scowled at the screen. "Besides, I don't like the idea of fleeing from this pile of filth. No. Let's put them down once and for all. It'll be a huge blow for the Kahl and we'll keep a lot of people safe." Thank every divine notion in the galaxy Niva isn't here. I'd be in the hall hearing her opinion about this.

  But she wasn't. And they did have a good chance of winning the fight. It meant risk. Griel always felt confident throwing themselves into tough positions. His people knew what they were doing and, when the dust settled, they would celebrate a victory against one of the more dangerous opponents in the Kahl Empire.

  Or we'll be dead. Griel sighed. I really need to drop the pessimism.

  Chapter 14

  Severan arrived at his office earlier than normal. He hoped he might find a message from Milna. A bad feeling gripped him from the moment he woke up, making him nervous. Was my intuition simply paranoid or had something terrible happened to her? If the enemy discovered her in their midst, she would die.

  And he had nothing on his private terminal. The worst part of the situation was the fact he could not ask anyone for assistance. Not without risking her life. He had to wait for contact but he didn't have to remain idle. Access to intelligence records could keep him busy so when she reached out, he might have something to help her.

  Severan reached out to his assistant on the floor below him. "Cirilla, come to my office." He leaned back, waiting for the woman to arrive. She'd recently celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday and represented the youngest person to ever hold such an esteemed position within the government building.

  Her assignment came because of a personal recommendation of a friend. As the daughter of a prominent former general, he believed she would be one of the more loyal members of his staff. Plus she remained close to a generation Severan had long been detached from.

  This made her a valuable resource. One he could always trust for good information about the youth. Whenever he planned a policy, he asked her for an opinion. He had no idea if she realized the power of her position. She may have considering she often played devil's advocate to her own ideas.

  That helped him trust that she wasn't throwing things at him due to random emotions. He appreciated that.

  And the fact she happened to be gorgeous didn't hurt either. Rich brown hair, pale, lavender-blue eyes, shapely... she might've had some more development to go through but she'd become a woman years earlier. Enough that he didn't feel dirty when he looked at her in a sexually appraising manner.

  The elevator opened. Cirilla came out wearing her military uniform. She was not active duty but she wore the outfit whenever there was a chance she might have to contend with anyone from the service. On the off days, she chose dark suits, often with her legs revealed. He wished it had been one of those days.

  Fantasizing about her helped him contend with his paranoia.

  "Sir?" Cirilla came to stand before his desk. She cradled her tablet under her left arm. "What can I do?"

  "Have a seat." Severan tilted his head as she complied. "I need some data. Reach out to the intelligence division. Gather records on all agents lost in the last eighteen months. Undercover or otherwise. I want to know the circumstances of their disappearances. Have those files sent directly to my private terminal. That'll keep them from complaining."

  Cirilla made notes. She nodded. "How quickly are you hoping to get them? They'll tell me there are a lot."

  Severan rolled his eyes. "Of course they will. Tell them by the end of the day, but I'd be impressed if they got them here sooner."

  "Yes, sir." Cirilla tapped at her device for another minute. "Is there anything else?"

  "A personal matter." Severan leaned on the desk. "Are you seeing anyone?"

  Cirilla's eyes widened. She shook her head. "No, sir. Not at this time."

  "Ah." Severan rubbed his chin. "How do you feel about your position? Do you like working here?"

  "I do, sir. I appreciate all that you've done for me."

  "Good." Severan smiled. As he stood, she did the same. He directed her to follow him. They walked past the elevator to the window on the opposite side of the floor. "I think you're a lovely girl. Please consider an offer. If you are not busy in the next few evenings, including tonight, I would like to invite you over."

  "Sir?"

  "To my home. We can take a meal." Severan met her eyes. "Speak candidly. There are some things I would like to run by you that would be better in private."

  "Of course, sir. Whenever you'd like."

  "Tonight then." Severan smiled. He led her to the elevator. "Be sure to let intelligence know that I'm waiting for those."

  "Yes, I'll push them sir." Cirilla boarded the elevator. He watched the doors close, considering what he'd just done.

  I've been thinking about it for a long time. It's not a big deal. Severan returned to his seat, turning to look outside. I need some pretense to bring her there. Some reason beyond a hope to experience her physically. He turned to his records, flipping through everything he'd worked on for the past week. This part won't matter. She's loyal. She'll do as she must.

  Part of him thought that should make him feel guilty. It did not.

  ***

  Griel watched the viewscreen, struggling with a mounting sense of urgency. The carrier would descend on them soon. Whether or not they had it in them to fend the ship off became a serious concern. Most of their systems were back though Engineering didn't feel confident in their ability to keep things operational in an extended fight.

  Evasive maneuvers and some precision shooting. That'll get us through this. Griel had confidence in Authen despite the danger presented by the carrier. Why hasn't it closed on us faster? Did we give it enough of a nudge to make them pause? He kind of doubted it... unless they were worried about their fighters.

  Experience suggested the Kahl would not stop to rescue their soldiers until the fighting ended. Even then, the Prytin attempted to take prisoners after a battle only to find the people in escape pods had committed suicide. Later, they discovered that if rescue was not possible, they were ordered to self-terminate.

  Also, if the soldier did not perform up to standards, they might be abandoned by their leadership. These were facts Griel didn't remotely understand. He'd left people behind out of necessity, never because someone made a mistake. That set the Prytins apart from the Kahl in many ways.

  Prytins looked after their own to the absolute best of their abilities.

  "We're held together with reinforced string," Molush said, "but all systems are currently operational."

  "Turn about," Griel said, "put us on an intercept course with the carrier."

  "They're really far away," Authen replied. The ship pivoted as he spoke. "At sublight speed, it would take--"

  "Don't worry," Griel interrupted. "When they see we're facing them again, you can be sure they'll close the distance." This is a challenge to them. They won't back down from it either. Not after what we did to their fighters. Kahl commanders could be predictable in one regard: they were easily goaded.

  Security pinged him. Griel cursed as his mind wandered to all the things that might have happened with Prytin prisoners onboard. If Xanda's up to no good, I'll kill that piece of filth myself.

  "This is the bridge," Griel answered. "What's going on?"

  "It's the prisoner, sir. He's insisting that he speak to you right away."

  "Correct me if I'm wrong, but captives can't insist on anything."

  "It's just--"

  "Yeah, I can guess." Griel figured the security didn't much care for having their own in a cell. And he had no idea what Xanda might've been spouting off while standing around down there. He might've been compelling. "Put him on."

  "Griel!" Xanda shouted. "They said we ran! Did you not finish that filth off? Are they still alive? Tell me you didn't tuck your tail like a coward before--"

  "Stop," Griel interrupted. "You and I are going to have some words. But for the moment, settle down. I'm dealing with it still. For your information, a Kahl carrier isn't a laughing matter. We have to take care if we want to make it out of this alive. Not that you care much. Whatever happened to you has caused a dramatic change of character."

  "It has to die," Xanda said. "I don't care what you think of me, it must be destroyed."

  "You waste security's time again," Griel replied, "and I'll authorize them to beat you unconscious. Don't contact me again." He killed the connection. "Molush, you've had some time. How're you doing with that code? Any luck at all?"

  "I gave up. There's no point without going aboard the ship and diving into it."

  Griel sighed. "Alright. Authen, time to target?"

  "They're picking up speed," Authen replied. "Approaching warp. I'm putting it at four minutes."

  "Alright. Molush, give us a full rundown on what to expect with the gear. Authen, check maneuvering thrusters and helm. I don't want to hear complaints about the ship being sluggish again. This is our chance to put this behind us and we have to be on our best game until it's over."

  A tiny light blinked on the viewscreen. The carrier entered warp, coming on them swiftly. Griel figured they'd keep it subtle, conserving as much power as possible for their arrival. If they came in too close, they'd be susceptible to another attack while their primary shields were down.

  The sweet spot for their arrival put them just out of range, giving them a few moments to bring everything online before diving into the fight. Griel checked their own defenses. Shields hovered at sixty percent, an aggregate of the entire system based on the number of emitters down or barely functioning.

  Weapons, on the other hand, seemed to be at maximum. Authen had the tools necessary to win but it wouldn't be easy.

  The carrier practically appeared in front of them, just a few thousand kilometers out of range. Griel clapped his knee. "Advance and fire, Authen! Give them everything we've got!"

  Rear thrusters engaged, compelling the Brekka forward. They closed the distance in moments, main cannons opening fire. The carrier shot back, a wall of beams erupting from the front of their vessel. Authen pulled up, avoiding some of the larger attacks though a few still managed to connect their belly.

  Shields dipped sharply to forty-five percent. Griel's tactical view of the ship showed a series of red flashing lights, each one representing an emitter that took enough damage to be offline. The automated repair systems kicked in, attempting to bring those online that were merely overloaded.

  Engineering made it clear many of them had to be replaced already. Did the AI know which ones were hopeless or did it waste resources on all of them? Griel didn't have time to worry too much about that aspect. He watched the screen as they soared by the carrier, taking another couple bursts from their turrets.

  Authen brought them around, aiming for a firing solution on the carrier's flank. Their opponent moved as well, diving to avoid them.

  "Slow to one quarter thrust," Griel ordered. "Should give you the maneuverability to pivot and fire again." The ship slowed abruptly as the forward maneuvering thrusters kicked in. The screen blurred as they brought the enemy into view. "Fire! Fire now!"

  Beams from the cannons cut through the short distance between them and the carrier. They scored a direct hit, blasting them just above their rear engines. A few dozen feet lower, and they might've disabled the vessel entirely. Authen kept them moving, dropping down while the weapons powered up for another heavy shot.

  The Brekka's turrets chipped away at the enemy screens, making them light up with pinprick sparks. Lights all over the carrier's hull brightened, blinking quickly.

  "What're they doing, Molush?"

  "Powering up their warp drive," Molush said. "Their shields are at thirty percent in the rear right now."

  "Target engines," Griel ordered. "Come on, Authen. I need you to nail them here, buddy."

  Another barrage came down on the Kahl ship, flaring their rear shields. They wheeled around, maneuvering thrusters compelling them in a quick circle. The lights ceased to flash as they initiated an attack of their own.

  Authen gasped, climbing hard away. The maneuver came too late. They took the full brunt of the attack on the side, giving them a good shake. A deep, mechanical whine vibrated the hull as he brought them back around for a firing solution. Shields were down to twenty-five percent.

  "Full starboard burn," Griel ordered. "Now!"

  The ship lurched hard to port as the thrusters compelled them away from another assault.

  "Open fire!" Griel winced at a clunking noise to the left and right as the cannons discharged again. That can't be good. The carrier took the full brunt of the assault to the top of the ship, near where the bridge should've been. Turrets took a couple more shots at the Brekka, chipping away at their already diminished defenses.

  "I'm reading a massive power buildup," Molush said. "That's not a warp drive. I don't know what we hit but something in that ship is about to explode."

  "Back us off!" Griel called. "Give them some distance. Move!"

  Authen's hands flew over the control. They thrust backward swift enough for the artificial gravity to struggle. G-force tossed them about for a good ten seconds though they were definitely putting some distance between them and the Kahl.

  The carrier pivoted, bringing their front to bear on the Brekka. Scans showed they were easily within range. When they fired, they'd very likely hit. Even an evasive maneuver wouldn't necessarily avoid the brunt of the assault.

  Authen tried regardless, hitting their bottom thrusters to compel them upward. The Kahl vessel kept them in their sights, weapons glowing... a final shot that would likely end the fight. Griel gritted his teeth, banking on luck that they'd be just out of range when they finally let fly their attack.

  A bright light filled the room. Griel swore he witnessed the last few moments of his life though the ship itself didn't react as he expected. He held his breath... let it out... turned to Molush with wide eyes. The screen no longer showed the carrier. They were staring at empty space as they attempted to get out of the way of the assault.

  "What happened?"

  "I'll replay," Molush replied. An image of the enemy ship appeared on the screen. Their weapons glowed red... all the barrels lighting up moments before they should've discharged. And then the entire ship exploded. Bits of debris flying away from the epicenter, a bright ball of light replacing it then going out a moment later. "Their weapon reactor was unstable."

 

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