Flandry's ship, Asieneuve, orbits Dido. A Darthan vessel, needled-nosed and rakish-finned and accelerating from a higher altitude, fires energy beams and missiles. When Flandry strikes the combat button, his ship automatically responds with blaster cannon and counter-missiles. Screens deflect ions but not heat, X-rays or torpedoes. Negagrav slows torpedoes and interceptors hopefully stop them. Shrapnel flies as Darthan armor is penetrated and the badly damaged ship recedes on a cometary orbit.
Beams penetrate Asieneuve. Three explosions are close enough to blast through the hull, shattering machines and killing men, including the exec officer, Rovian. Artificial gravity and air are lost but everyone aboard is spacesuited. The ship falls toward Dido. A chapter ends and we turn the page...
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
One thing I remember about this brief, deadly clash was Flandry first signaling "Pax" to the barbarian ship. He was not trying to start a fight, wanted to open communications with first the barbarian and then the Port Fredeiksen authorities.
As so often happens barbarians don't want a truce or to parley--first they attacked!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Those were their orders from McCormac. He did not expect an Imperial to come to parley.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Even granting that, the obvious thing for MOST captains on seeing parley signals would be to hold off on attacking long enough to be sure or not that was a genuine truce offer.
Ad astra! Sean
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