Admiral Gaantt watched as another of his convoy vessels went to warp. He would have preferred to load everyone, and move the ships as a unit, but it was clear that there was no time to organise it. His seven – eight, for the moment – ships had all they could handle running interference for each trader to enter warp with its precious cargo, and all of the smaller warships had taken significant, though not critical, damage. Only Piety and Eyes of the Phoenix had both sufficient shielding and weaponry to prevent major injury, and the latter's station close to system zenith had so far kept her out of any more than minor trouble and more usefully the Navy's – and vice-admiral V'Straaken's – hair.
As predicted, more xenos had arrived in the Nalen system, and it was all the Navy could do to prevent a landing in force on Nalen C. Nalen D was cut off already, despite their best efforts, and for the poor souls still on that world the only remaining choice was how hard they fought before they died. At least one settlement had chosen to overload its power plant, another brave handful of humans taking thousands of the foul creatures into oblivion with them.
He had spoken with the officer who had taken over the surface evacuation on Nalen C, a former Guard colonel named Siers, and she seemed to have things under control at the spaceport, thank the Emperor. A quick conversation with vice-admiral v'Straaken had confirmed her in acting command down there, with pro tem reinstatement as a regular officer. One of the orbital stations had been hit by xenos pyro-acid weaponry, and more than eighty thousand people had died when it had fallen from orbit, burning up in atmosphere despite the last-ditch attempt by volunteer tech-priests from his convoy to teleport aboard and restart its power systems. They had also died to a man, unfortunately.
All in all, things were looking very grim indeed, and it was a matter of chance whether the called-for reinforcements would arrive in time to make a difference.
He looked over to Raglan, who was monitoring the communications channels. "How are our charges?"
"Nervous, sir, but holding pattern. Loading is proceeding ahead of schedule on both remaining orbital stations, and is only marginally behind on the surface."
"Behind?" Siers had struck him as more than competent.
"By ten minutes, sir. Reports from the surface indicate that there was a disturbance. Some Ecclesiarchical officials demanded priority boarding. Apparently they did not take kindly to being refused. The situation has been resolved."
"You're sure of that?"
"The leader of the churchmen was arrested and summarily shot, admiral," replied the flag-lieutenant with a faint smirk. "I am given to understand that the execution was sufficient to stop any protests."
Gaantt managed not to smirk in response. "Remind me to write up a commendation for miss, ah, Colonel Siers, Raglan. I rather suspect she will need the protection."
"Of course, sir." Raglan made a note on his data-slate.
Gaantt nodded. "Any further news of our expected reinforcements?"
"Negative, sir. Last I heard we were expecting no naval reinforcements for at least two weeks, although a general call for assistance has been placed to local astartes."
"Hmm. Any response?"
"Not so far, sir. There are two nearby astartes chapters, the Crimson Consuls and the Doom Eagles. Records indicate that both chapters are heavily engaged against other splinters of the xenos hive fleet. I doubt there will be any great likelihood of assistance being available."
The admiral glanced at the proffered readouts. "I see. Very well, stay on top of it." He cursed quietly to himself and turned back to his tactical displays.
V'Straaken watched coolly as the xenos manoeuvre developed. Hmm. Just as he'd expected. The foul things were attempting once again to force a landing in strength on Nalen C. He glanced to Drake and she nodded.
"Captain Lichfield. Execute planetary interdict bearing nu-three by two, priority immediate."
V'Straaken nodded to himself as the acknowledgement came back. It was risky, but he had to keep the things from the surface as long as he could. If the tyranid swarms got a solid hold all their efforts would be for nothing.
He watched the tactical screens nervously. The clash took half an hour to develop and another twenty minutes to move to completion. Excellent. Another thrust parried.
Time to order the pull-back before the xenos could take advantage of Pride of Aarestes' exposure.
"Admiral, captain Lichfield reports he has taken significant damage to manoeuvre. He is unable to withdraw from his position."
V'Straaken cursed under his breath. He had expected this to happen eventually, but had hoped to be able to leave Gaantt's squadron untouched for longer. Now he would have to strip the rear-admiral of his larger vessels and hope that the lightly armed trader ships could make their way to warp unescorted.
"Get me admiral Gaantt."
"Yes, admiral."
Sara watched the displays as Piety and two of her frigate companions, Blade of Light and Trusted Edge, moved to reinforce the main naval forces around Nalen C. Now, with just three vessels giving fire-escort for the refugee ships, things were likely to get a bit hairy.
Phoenix was manoeuvring to take up a central position where her greater fire-power could provide better cover, and not coincidentally, give some relief to the little frigate Oath of Gold which as the closest vessel to the xenos had taken considerable damage already in performing her escort duties. At three times the size, with shielding and fire-power to match, Phoenix had both much greater survivability that either Sword-class, and a much better chance of preventing any of the several smaller xenos ship-creatures in the vicinity from intercepting the relatively helpless merchantmen.
She looked over at Sedreth as he oversaw the Navy weapons team, a young sub-lieutenant named Jarod and a senior warrant officer called Gleth. Both had initially been almost overawed by the presence of a space marine – as to be strictly fair had their companions – but seemed to have adapted well to Sedreth's calm and cool efficiency. Jarod was currently tracking a xenos thing – she had no idea how the Navy classified these creatures – which was just out of effective lance range but on a vector that would allow a full strike within a few minutes. Phoenix's lances had only been used at middle ranges thus far, primarily due to admiral Gaantt's orders placing them where the broadsides were more effective. There was little point in using the lances on too-small targets when the remainder of any strike might disrupt the freighters' holding pattern. Now, however, they were in a better position and Sedreth clearly intended to make his first full strike worthwhile.
She smiled to herself and glanced toward Graaff at the pilot's controls. Frankly she still wanted those herself, but there was no question that the Naval pilot was more familiar with INS protocols and defensive manoeuvre, so it was a pragmatic decision to leave him where he was most effective.
Loville turned to her. "Captain, Vein of Fortune is fully loaded and ready to head to warp."
Right. Gaantt had effectively left her to keep the convoy ordered. Damned Trade Charter. Sara nodded. "Good. How many more refugees have we?"
"Surface station has boarded eighty thousand; the orbital stations a further one hundred and forty thousand. C-delta station has only regular crew left and their shuttle bays were damaged in the last xenos attack. That only leaves C-beta still boarding refugees from orbit."
The largest of the surviving stations. Hmm. "Have we sufficient capacity there?"
"Yes, captain. Three Tarask-class armed freighters, one of which is already loading."
"Fine. Divert the remaining unloaded merchant ships to the surface spaceport. Get hold of whoever is in command down there and tell them we'll be landing extra ships, and we need the facilities opened for that."
"Yes, captain." The woman moved to Janey and Halet; the warrant officer put her through.
Sara tuned the discussion out as Sedreth opened fire with the main lances.
"Direct hit on centre spine. Target destroyed." Gleth's voice was professionally calm.
She caught Sedreth's eye and nodded fractionally.
"Incoming xenos. Multiple escort-class. Bearing tau-four by eight and by nine. Range one half AU." Janey, from scan. She looked over.
"Confirmed. Seven escort-class. They appear to be ram-type kraken-class vessels. In extreme range in four minutes."
"Can you get them all, Morgan?"
"Not in a single broadside, captain, but if we roll to present both broadsides in succession that should suffice."
Sara nodded firmly. "Graaff, roll the ship on gunnery's command. We don't have the crew to fight off a boarding. Morgan, you have the call on this."
"Affirmative, captain," answered the pilot, looking briefly to Sedreth's massive armoured form.
The giant's voice was firm and unruffled, as always. "Jarod, fire proximity on my mark one. Graaff, prepare to roll on mark two. Gleth, you have the starboard guns on my mark three. Direct fire."
The affirmatives had barely come back when Sedreth spoke again. "Mark one. Shoot."
"Shoot," came the immediate reply, and the ship shuddered as the full port broadside spoke simultaneously.
"Multiple hits, three ships appear to have slowed by half."
"Mark two. Roll ship."
The emergency klaxons sounded as Graaff shoved the controls hard over. Not truly necessary, as the artificial gravity was solid as a rock, but s.o.p. for an INS vessel.
"Mark three. Shoot."
"Shoot."
"Two enemy vessels destroyed. Two dead in space. Remainder are still coming; contact in three minutes. Correction. Only one dead in space. ETA of lead enemy two minutes."
"Graaff, turn us to face. Hard over. Sedreth, full lances."
"Affirmative, captain." Graaf swung the yoke and the distance started to narrow. She watched the lines intersect.
"Shoot."
A flare of brilliant light through the bridge viewscreens.
"Lead vessel destroyed. Second enemy vessel also destroyed. Two remaining vessels are altering course."
"Keep the helm over, pilot. Port broadside ready. Jarod, you better not miss." She gave the young woman a tight grin.
"Shoot." Sedreth's deep rumble was almost casual.
"Multiple direct hits. One vessel destroyed. The other is dead in space."
"They're living creatures; they'll heal if we let them. Finish the cripples, Jarod."
"Affirmative, captain. Targets confirmed. Hunting lock." A brief pause, then, "Targets locked."
"Shoot."
Janey's soft voice spoke into the silence. "Targets destroyed."
She looked to Loville. "Get those loaded ships to warp exit before the bloody xenos spawn more of the damned things."
"Affirmative, captain." She spoke urgently into her comm-link.
Sara's own commlink came live in her ear. Harvey.
"Major. What's the problem?"
"No problem, captain. Just wondering why the klaxons sounded; nothing happened."
"That was the take-hold, major. We rolled the ship. Am I to presume that your troopers were unaffected?"
"Yes, captain. We didn't feel a thing."
"Remind me to commend Gramsci when this is over. You may inform your men that we expect to be boarding refugees in another hour or so. Most of the convoy are away; two hundred and thirty thousand people have been so far saved to serve the Emperor."
She could hear the satisfaction in his tone. "That is excellent news, captain. I shall ensure we are prepared to take on the civilians."
"Do that. Bridge out."
"Colonel Siers, ma'am."
Vetta Siers turned to look at the militia corporal. What was his name? Oh yes. "What is it, corporal Notts?"
"Admiral v'Straaken on the comms, ma'am. Urgent."
She took the proffered pick-up. "Admiral. What seems to be the problem?" It was funny how she simply slipped back into the manner of command; all that service must have rubbed off more than she'd realised.
"Colonel." The man's face was tired, as might be expected after hours of commanding a battle-fleet. He gave a very brief smile. "Two things. First, the good news. You just got reinstated and promoted, by my authority. Congratulations, Lord Colonel Siers. Second, and rather more immediate, we have lost Pride of Aarestes. The xenos have landed in force approximately one hundred and fifty klicks from your position. More importantly, we cannot provide you with orbital fire support as our remaining ships are hard-engaged. Colonel Avers will be dropping with all the troopers we have available, about fifteen hundred, plus all the additional weapons and ammunition we have. Your orders are to evacuate only mothers with children, and children under twelve. Everyone else, and I do mean everyone, who can hold a las-carbine, is to be issued with a weapon and drafted into militia units. The commissars and Colonel Avers will handle the organisation of the recruitment. Your first job is to get the helpless onto those trader ships. Am I clear?"
She nodded, trying to take it all in without looking like an idiot. "Clear, sir."
"Lord Colonel, one last thing. Once the last trade ship is gone, there will be no further evacuation. Not for Colonel Avers, his men, nor for you, and yours. It will be fight and win, or fight and die."
She felt the man beside her draw in his breath.
"Understood, admiral. Emperor's Grace on you and your squadron. Is there anything else?"
"No, commander. Walk in the Emperor's Light. V'Straaken out." The vid cut out.
Vetta absently handed the pick-up back to the corporal. "Get me ensign Agret."
"Admiral, xenos mother-ship spotted. It must have been in the shadow of Nalen G."
V'Straaken cursed. "Any message regarding reinforcements?"
"No, admiral."
It didn't take long to consider the options; there were none. "Get me admiral Gaantt, priority."
"Admiral?" Gaantt's expression was grim with understanding.
"You've spotted the mother-creature?"
"Yes, sir."
"We will execute battle-plan omega, a full-scale assault on that mother-ship. If the xenos react as normal, they will pull everything back to defend it. It must be destroyed, at all costs."
"In the Emperor's name, sir."
"Full co-ordination, admiral, and no retreat. Tonight we rest with the Emperor."
Gaantt nodded, his face grim. "And we will toast our victory in His Light."
"Captain, incoming, priority."
"Onscreen."
Gaantt. "Captain Tarken, you are hearby relieved of any need to evacuate further. A xenos mother-ship has been spotted in system. It must be destroyed before it can spawn another invasion fleet. You and your ship will join my squadron."
Sara nodded slowly. "Yes, admiral. What is our deployment vector?"
"From your current position, you, with Oath of Gold and Huntress as escorts, will take vector beta-seven. I need you to go in at max, and I need you to get the attention of as many xenos as possible. Piety and her escorts will approach the target from vector delta-three. Admiral V'Straaken in Augury of Wrath will lead the main attack through the middle, either delta-five or delta-four."
"Yes, admiral."
"Captain. One of us must get through and destroy that ship. If you have to detonate your engines to do it. Am I clear?"
"Crystal, admiral. In the Emperor's Name."
He nodded, as if he would say something else, then added. "Good luck, captain. Gaantt out." The vid went dead.
She looked round the bridge. "Well, people, you all heard that. Pilot, get our course shaped up. Loville, get hold of our escorts and ensure they can keep up. Janey, I need you with me in the armoury. Sedreth, I'm going to get suited up, just in case. I'll be back in ten. You have the bridge until then." She didn't wait for acknowledgements as she sprinted from the bridge, her daughter at her heels.
"Captain, the local arbites report they're having trouble with crowd control."
Damnation. Captain Norvil Esiason cursed under his breath. Pleasance was committed to dock now, the last trader for C-beta station. Aborting would cause sufficient back-blast to damage the station, possibly sending it to the surface and killing everyone on it. "Dock anyway. Inform the station that they have to keep the crowds back. I need someone to go down there." He looked round, and Verstark gave a tiny nod of understanding. "Verstark, you're ex-Navy. You go. And make sure you have a sidearm. Be prepared to shoot to kill if necessary to prevent them mobbing the gangway. We can't lift again if it's damaged by idiots."
She nodded. "Yes, captain." A brief meeting of eyes with Marko Oplew, and she was gone at a swift walk.
Oplew looked round at him. "Captain, do you think she would actually kill someone? Kat?"
He nodded silently. As they came into land and he felt the hatch open, he moved quietly over to the scan Lieutenant and gave a grim smile. "I have my reasons for sending Verstark. She will do what she has to."
No arbites. The small militia cordon looked nervous as Kat walked down the ramp. She had taken the time to attach her Lupus seal; the reverence such a decoration held would enhance her chances of getting and keeping attention.
A young, very scared-looking, subaltern was apparently in charge. In front of the nervous troopers, people shoved at makeshift barriers, many waving what she recognised as ident papers.
"I'm Lieutenant Verstark. Pleasance has capacity for one thousand one hundred. Prioritise mothers with young children. Can you do that?"
"Uhm."
She snarled internally, and held out her hand for the man's address mike.
"Alright, people, listen carefully. This ship can take eleven hundred refugees. We are prioritising mothers with young children. Anyone who tries to rush the ramp will be shot. Now, everyone is going to stand still and allow the troopers here to organise an orderly boarding. The militia will keep everyone else off my ship's gangway."
Angry shouts met her announcement. She glanced at the young subbie. "Your men are going under my command. Clear?"
He nodded nervously, glancing behind him at the lowering gangway, then at the frightened mob. She gave him a nasty look and walked easily over to the greying soldier wearing sergeant's insignia.
"Sergeant? I want all your men in a double line in front of that gangway as soon as it hits the ground. Front rank kneeling, rear rank standing, then I want a volley fired over the heads of the crowd. If that doesn't stop them, I want one into the ground. Then if necessary, one at chest height directly into the mob. No arguments. Am I understood?"
The man nodded, and silently handed her a throat mike. She smiled slightly and put it on, repeating her orders through the communit.
"Execute, at the walk," she said as the gangway lowered to touch the station's decking. The uniformed men and women started to fall back and the mob started to move. She stood unmoving, then lifted her sidearm and fired a single shot into the air.
"That will do!" Her voice was contemptuous, and she put every stinging inflection into that tone she knew how to. "Are you not citizens of the Imperium? Stand still. There are more than forty ships still in orbit up there, and all are here for the evacuation. If my vessel is damaged and cannot lift off, everyone on this station is stuck. Now calm down."
The mob had paused at her words, then some idiot yelled incoherent panic and it came on. She spoke into her throat mike. "Sergeant, fire your first volley."
A shudder of crisp laser-bolt snaps echoed over her head. The mob slowed, then came on again.
"Sergeant, second volley. Fire."
The crackle surrounded her this time, and a few bolts deflected of the ground into the crowd, causing cries of pain and shock.
The same voice came again, closer. She saw the man, a rough-bearded blond. Before the crowd could come again she walked calmly towards him. Everything seemed to stop and in the sudden silence the man's voice was loud.
"They're gonna leave us all to die. We gotta get aboard, la.."
He suddenly cut off with a croak as she shoved her sidearm under his nose.
"You were saying?" she said, keeping her voice mild. She raised it a little. "Who here has refugee passes?"
A quick murmur, the mob cowed for the moment.
"Let me guess. You don't." She looked, long and cold, into his eyes. "So you decided to panic everyone in the hope that you could save your own skin." She shook her head.
"Pathetic. All over this system brave Imperial warriors are fighting and dying to save lives. The lives of helpless children, and the lives of vital personnel, and, no, the governor is not one of those. He has already refused to leave. He knows his duty, both to the people of this world and to the Emperor."
Several of those closest to her looked down in sudden shame. She beckoned the sergeant and the young officer.
"I want you two to inspect each pass. No-one gets up that ramp without a valid pass. No exceptions. Clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Both nodded and saluted. She inclined her head.
Slowly, people started to shuffle forward, offering papers for the two men to check.
Too slow. She beckoned another pair of troopers, attaching one each to the subbie and sergeant. The queue moved faster. While they checked papers, she called over some of the other troopers and had them reset the barriers.
All the time the crowd stood, several thousand strong. She spoke into her ship vox, making sure to be in hearing range of the crowd's edges. They needed an example before there was true panic.
"Captain, Verstark here. This is going pretty slowly. The local law enforcement aren't here and all we have is a short company of militia. I'm taking charge until someone in local authority gets here. Inform naval command about the problem. You'll probably have to leave without me once you're loaded, but Marko can manage scan on his own. Yes. Likewise, captain. If you can arrange for someone to drop off my gear to my family on Meyis. Yes. His Grace on you and your crew. Tell them I'll see them around. Verstark out."
"You're staying?" A scared-looking woman, carrying a girl of maybe two and holding the hands of two young boys, the older perhaps six or seven.
She nodded, smiled. "Someone has to keep this organised."
There was no more trouble after that.
Sara watched another trader ship go to warp with a slight nod of satisfaction. She was back in the command throne, which, built to hold an astartes in full armour, had no trouble holding her own armoured form. The Navy crew had looked both scared and impressed when she had returned wearing the battle-plate, but had remained professional even as Janey went from station to station clipping bolters and las-carbines for emergency use.
"Three minutes to range, captain," said Loville, watching the main tactical display. Phoenix showed on the holographic visual as a golden sliver flanked by two slightly smaller slivers. Their projected course was a pale blue arc, indicating they still held to it. Options arced darker blue, possible intercepts highlighted red or yellow depending upon possible xenos reactions.
"Lances at full power, captain." Sedreth's deep rumble, reassuring in its normality. Janey had taken over system tacscan entirely, leaving Hallet to run comms and keep their escorts with them. More options appeared on the holo, not ones sent them by admiral v'Straaken or admiral Gaantt. She ran the course calcs in her head, trying to see other possibilities.
One of the escort-class xenos came within range and she gave a grim smile. "Open fire."
On Pleasance, captain Esiason walked over to his scan lieutenant. He kept his voice very quiet. "In answer to your earlier question, Oplew, Katrin Verstark holds the Lupus Imperialis. Amongst the actions she took to earn it was the destruction of her own ship to prevent its capture by chaos renegades. As I understand it, she had grown up with many of her shipmates. She killed all of them, fifteen thousand men and women, including her lifelong best friend and her own cousin. She has decided that, in the absence of local authority, she will remain on the station to ensure we can undock without problems. In this, I trust her judgement absolutely. Once we leave the system, there will be a service in her honour. I expect you to attend."
Marko nodded silently.
Dietrik Peiper stood beside Harvey as they watched the final preparations made. The men had done a good job, and it would be good to save thousands of people to serve the Emperor. His communit buzzed.
"Peiper."
"Commissar. Sara Tarken here. Change of plans, I'm afraid. A xenos mother-ship has been spotted in system and all INS ships are ordered to engage. We will be joining the naval action. I suggest you get your people in good position and preferably strapped in; the little roll we did earlier is only the start of it. I expect to be pulling upwards of 6Gs when it gets dirty and the compensators might not cope. In the unlikely event we are boarded, we'll need you and the troopers to get us un-boarded again, so can you ask Major Harvey to have his troop outfitted with full armour and weapons, please. I expect to engage in less than five minutes. Tarken out."
"Acknowledged, captain. Peiper out."
He turned to the major. "You heard that?" A nod. "Then let's get to it. Commissary staff as well. We'll need everyone."
Harvey gave a tight grin and hurried to obey, calling for sergeants and subalterns.
"Navigator." Edsel hadn't expected an internal vox, still less on his personal comm.
The woman's voice was quiet. "Navigator Edsel, Sara Tarken. It occurs to me that I've no idea how, or if, we can use a navigator's skills in combat. You're a psyker; can you do anything helpful?"
"I regret, captain, that my skills are limited. The Navigator gene allows me to sense the Astronomicon and thus guide travel in the warp, but beyond that I am not much more of a psyker than you are."
A brief pause. "You can sense the Emperor?"
"His psychic beacon, yes. Though the accursed xenos cause a psychic shadow of their own, I am experienced enough to retain His Astronomicon." It wasn't, quite, a boast.
Another pause as she spoke to someone else. He couldn't quite catch the words; something about engagements. The ship's guns fired again and he felt the machine spirit's fury through his still-active link. Then she came on again. No, this was lighter. Her daughter, it must be.
"Navigator Edsel, Janey here. Can you speak a Word?"
He blinked in surprise, all three of his eyes. "A Word?" He had heard of such things, but, "I have never tried. Nor do I know any Word of the Emperor."
"Librarian-sergeant Mendez said, 'Inkametibnkasiet'. I think it's an evolution of the ancient Terran tongue called Sanskrit."
Edsel thought for a second. "It might be, child. But I have no training, nor the ability to project any answer against the xenos."
I have the ability. The voice was in his mind, through the active link. The ship was sufficiently aware to Speak?
Amusement came back at him, ancient, and immensely confident in its own power. It has been long since I carried a Navigator. Find His Light. Use His Word and Call on the Most High for aid.
He spoke aloud. "I shall try. As I said, the xenos have shadowed the warp. It may take some time."
The girl's voice. "Thankyou, Lord Navigator. Any help will be welcome." The comm cut out, leaving only the Ship.
Fear not, Navigator. I will assist. We shall die well this day.
Sara glanced at her daughter, who nodded. "Lord Edsel will do what he can."
"Good. Admiral v'Straaken is hard-pressed. He may not make it through their fire-zone."
Janey nodded and turned back to tactical. "New target approaching bearing nu-two by eleven. Cruiser-class xenos vessel."
Sara watched the new icon on the display and cursed under her breath. It had to be now or never, then. "Signal Oath of Gold to keep it busy. Inform Huntress we are starting our attack run and tell them to keep the other xenos off us for as long as they can. Graaff, take us in, full acceleration."
She didn't wait for the acknowledgements, instead flicking vox channel. "Adept Gramsci, please provide all free power to the shields. Emergency life-support only except on occupied decks."
The man's voder came back immediately. "Affirmative, captain. Power plant steady at maximum safe."
"Forget safe, adept. Phoenix will keep us whole. Plant to maximum output. Override the safeties. That is an order."
A fractional pause. "As you command, captain. Note that more than half an hour at this output will likely blow us up."
She actually laughed. "Gramsci, if we're still alive in half an hour I'll be happy to worry about it. Tarken out."
The ship seemed to vibrate under her as additional readouts came to life on the main display.
V'Straaken cursed as another of his escorts disappeared in a kilometres-across ball of nuclear fire. A gap in the swarm, but not enough.
"Captain Drake, keep us on this heading. Increase speed. We must break through."
Drake acknowledged, but Augury of Wrath was still slowing, the xenos press too great despite their best efforts. Two huge xenos creatures were attached to them now, acid chewing its way through the armour. There were reports of xenos creatures engaged on the secondary gun decks, and heavy casualties. With almost all their troopers already fighting on the planet's surface, there were few combat-trained crewmen to repel the boarders. All they had been able to do was seal the main gun-decks and isolate the control tower, engineering and lances in an attempt to slow the horde down. The flight-decks too were almost over-run; barring a miracle there would be nowhere for their handful of surviving fighters to return to.
"Sir, Piety reports severe engine damage. Admiral Gaantt will be unable to make a proper attack run."
He swore aloud. "And the rogue trader ship?"
"Too much scan interference, sir. I think they're still on course, but it's hard to tell."
"Order them in anyway."
"Yes, sir." A pause. "Sir, Eyes of the Phoenix reports she is already on her attack run. Contact in two minutes. Oath of Gold reports she is crippled and overloading her engines. Detonation in three minutes."
V'Straaken nodded, grim-faced. At least one of his ships was close enough. He just hoped the trader vessel had sufficient capacity. "Captain Drake, I want a full lance strike directly forward in one hundred seconds." For what good it might do as a distraction.
Gaantt and Raglan stood together, watching the system representation. Piety was no longer on her original attack course; she and her escorts had instead swung round to open fire on the xenos engaging the flagship. Maybe the additional firepower would be enough to free the battle-cruiser, at least long enough for the accursed mother-vessel to be destroyed.
A glint of gold on the screen showed sudden movement. Tarken. The rogue trader had outstripped her escorts and was still under massive acceleration.
Raglan's unflappable voice held astonishment. "Acceleration 7.6 Gs. 7.7. 7.8. 8 Gs. They must have overridden the safeties. Why don't they fire? She must be in range by now."
"Shoot, woman." Bramwig's voice, the flag-captain momentarily distracted. "Throne of Terra. Shoot!"
"They're on a collision course."
Sara watched coolly as the huge xenos creature grew in their scopes. "We'll get one shot at this, Morgan." It was more to reassure the rest of them; Kanret would be waiting for her and Janey.
The marine nodded. "All forward weapons awaiting your command, captain."
"Pilot, ready course change."
A beep on her vox. Edsel.
"Navigator?"
"Now, captain, now." The man's voice held inhuman strain.
"All lances and forward batteries. Fire. Graaf, execute."
"INKAMETIBNSUNKIET!" The vox signal became a scream of agony and triumph. The world went white.