more and more accurate
until…first one missile then another started to explode in a huge pyrotechnic
display!
The missiles launched from the squadron minutes earlier were
weapons designed to target fighters. These targets were small, agile and quick
to escape. Hence these weapons were designed to fragment prior to exploding, scattering
dozens of deadly bomblets throughout the area. Of the original squadron of twelve
fighters, this had grown to over 130 targets for the fleet computers to track
following the launch of the missiles, as each missile began to explode
showering the area with bomblets the number of targets that the ships gun began
to track increased exponentially, first 200 targets, then 400, then 800. As
the Praetorians blasted through the fleet, sensors were tracking over a
thousand individual targets. Unable to track so many, finally the guns just
fell silent, their targeting computers stuck in an infinite loop – and then the
squadron was through the fleet and escaping towards the FTL entry point.
Jon breathed a sigh of relief as the squadron finally
escaped from the far side of the fleet. However, checking the sensors their
squadron had not come out unscathed. They had lost two fighters to gunfire
from the fleet before their guns had fallen silent. Jon allowed himself a
momentary pang of grief; he knew all the Praetorians personally. Both of them
had loved ones and family back at home. Knowing that it was his actions, his
decisions that had resulted in their loss made it no easier. He pushed the
guilt and blame aside for a short while to focus on the problem at hand. Meanwhile
Jon noticed that the speed of the Eternal Light had suddenly started to
fall dramatically.
Quickly he ran a full diagnostic of the shuttle and cursed
vehemently upon seeing the results. Slower and bigger than the surrounding
fighters the shuttle had taken a beating passing through the fleet. Jon had
hoped that the heavier armour surround the shuttle would protect them, but it
had not. The flight computer reported catastrophic damage to the port engine,
which the computer had shut down, the shuttle was continuing to limp forward on
the remaining engine but their velocity had fallen by half. Jon had no need to
check the aft sensors to know that the fleet’s fighters were now gaining
rapidly on the Praetorians.
*****
Commodore Harkov sub-consciously ducked as the Praetorian
fighters scattered around the Imperial Star, at times seeming to pass mere
feet from the command deck – and then in a blink they were gone.
“Report!” Harkov roared across the command deck.
“Two targets destroyed, Commodore!” The tactical officer
reported, who felt, unfairly, to be on the receiving end of most of the Commodore’s
short temper. “Remaining squadron is setting a straight course for the FTL
jump point,” he said in a calmer voice. At least the Praetorians were no
longer heading in their direction! Suddenly the tactical computer updated with
the latest squadron heading and velocity and the young tactical officer had to
blink a couple of times to ensure that he was not imagining things. “Sir,” the
officer replied cautiously, “the shuttle is losing speed. I think we managed
to damage it. The squadron is now also reducing velocity to keep in escort
formation.
In a flash the Commodore was at his side. “How close are
our fighters?” he asked directly. Running both trajectories through the
computer, it seemed an eternity before the computer spat out the numbers. The
fleet’s recalled fighters would intercept the Praetorians in a little over two
minutes at present velocity; five minutes before the Praetorians could escape
into FTL.
“I’ve got you now, you bastard!” Harkov gloated in glee.
*****
At almost the same instant as the computer on the Imperial
Star , the flight computer on the Eternal Light was reporting exactly
the same result. They were all going to die.
until…first one missile then another started to explode in a huge pyrotechnic
display!
The missiles launched from the squadron minutes earlier were
weapons designed to target fighters. These targets were small, agile and quick
to escape. Hence these weapons were designed to fragment prior to exploding, scattering
dozens of deadly bomblets throughout the area. Of the original squadron of twelve
fighters, this had grown to over 130 targets for the fleet computers to track
following the launch of the missiles, as each missile began to explode
showering the area with bomblets the number of targets that the ships gun began
to track increased exponentially, first 200 targets, then 400, then 800. As
the Praetorians blasted through the fleet, sensors were tracking over a
thousand individual targets. Unable to track so many, finally the guns just
fell silent, their targeting computers stuck in an infinite loop – and then the
squadron was through the fleet and escaping towards the FTL entry point.
Jon breathed a sigh of relief as the squadron finally
escaped from the far side of the fleet. However, checking the sensors their
squadron had not come out unscathed. They had lost two fighters to gunfire
from the fleet before their guns had fallen silent. Jon allowed himself a
momentary pang of grief; he knew all the Praetorians personally. Both of them
had loved ones and family back at home. Knowing that it was his actions, his
decisions that had resulted in their loss made it no easier. He pushed the
guilt and blame aside for a short while to focus on the problem at hand. Meanwhile
Jon noticed that the speed of the Eternal Light had suddenly started to
fall dramatically.
Quickly he ran a full diagnostic of the shuttle and cursed
vehemently upon seeing the results. Slower and bigger than the surrounding
fighters the shuttle had taken a beating passing through the fleet. Jon had
hoped that the heavier armour surround the shuttle would protect them, but it
had not. The flight computer reported catastrophic damage to the port engine,
which the computer had shut down, the shuttle was continuing to limp forward on
the remaining engine but their velocity had fallen by half. Jon had no need to
check the aft sensors to know that the fleet’s fighters were now gaining
rapidly on the Praetorians.
*****
Commodore Harkov sub-consciously ducked as the Praetorian
fighters scattered around the Imperial Star, at times seeming to pass mere
feet from the command deck – and then in a blink they were gone.
“Report!” Harkov roared across the command deck.
“Two targets destroyed, Commodore!” The tactical officer
reported, who felt, unfairly, to be on the receiving end of most of the Commodore’s
short temper. “Remaining squadron is setting a straight course for the FTL
jump point,” he said in a calmer voice. At least the Praetorians were no
longer heading in their direction! Suddenly the tactical computer updated with
the latest squadron heading and velocity and the young tactical officer had to
blink a couple of times to ensure that he was not imagining things. “Sir,” the
officer replied cautiously, “the shuttle is losing speed. I think we managed
to damage it. The squadron is now also reducing velocity to keep in escort
formation.
In a flash the Commodore was at his side. “How close are
our fighters?” he asked directly. Running both trajectories through the
computer, it seemed an eternity before the computer spat out the numbers. The
fleet’s recalled fighters would intercept the Praetorians in a little over two
minutes at present velocity; five minutes before the Praetorians could escape
into FTL.
“I’ve got you now, you bastard!” Harkov gloated in glee.
*****
At almost the same instant as the computer on the Imperial
Star , the flight computer on the Eternal Light was reporting exactly
the same result. They were all going to die.
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