***
“Increase power to the tetryon arrays!” Kran ordered as he watched the Jeff Wayne try to put some distance between itself and the Hirogen. “Concentrate fire on their engines, close the distance, and contact the Silent Watcher! Have them maintain long-range torpedo salvos on the Prey’s port side, force them towards us!”
Pain began to run through his fingers as his grip on the railing intensified, but the Alpha barely noticed. His attention was on the viewscreen and that impossible ship. Its armor was burned, cracked and dented. It’s shields were weakening and distorting. But despite that, it remained unbroken, defiant.
As he watched, the Starfleet ship rolled hard to port, presenting its stern to the Hirogen and promptly launched a trio of photon torpedoes. As they closed in, their weapons officer cleared the way with a phaser salvo that tore into the Hirogens forward shields, earning a curse from Krans’ helmsman and a quick course change that saw the torpedoes detonating against their port shields instead. That course change allowed the Jeff Wayne to widen the gap between the two ships, and caused the latest Tetryon beams to race off into empty space above the Federation ships nacelles.
Snarling, Kran leaned over the railing towards the helmsman. “I said, close the distance!” he roared, making the smaller man jump slightly before he altered their heading to pursue again. Grinding his teeth together, he straightened up and looked over his bridge. The rage clawing at his mind began to fade, rational thought beginning to return, but only because another emotion took hold.
Fear.
That ship was a part of it, true, but now the the true fear, the true threat, came from inside his ship. It was the oldest truth of the Packs, one that was said to predate even the beginning of the Eternal Hunt. The Alpha was the strongest, and the Pack answered to him, but that was true only as long as he had the strength to enforce his will. When that strength failed, they were his Pack no longer.
He didn’t show any outward reaction, but he suddenly found himself all too aware of where Hakket was, and the poisoned blade the other man thought he didn’t know about. One ship destroyed, another crippled, possibly beyond repair. If his Beta struck now, while the shock and anger still ran through the Pack, they would follow him, he was sure of that. Simply destroying the Jeff Wayne wouldn’t be enough, not any more. He had to make this kill glorious. A tale of a great Hunter against incredible Prey.
Anger faded, fear was brought under control, and the man looked at the viewscreen with renewed confidence. Yes. This would be one of his greatest tales, the sort he would teach his children of.
As he began to plot, the ships intercom buzzed for attention, and the voice of the Transporter Master made itself heard. "Alpha, I report success. The Preys shields can now be breached. Our Hunters stand ready!"
A smile began to form on the Alphas face, all sharp points and eager malice. “Well done indeed. Hakket!” He turned towards his Beta, who met his gaze with an expression somewhere between curious and eager. No doubt he was expecting Kran to leave him in command of the ship while he lead the boarding parties on a much more intimate Hunt. “Lead the breach,” he ordered instead, and he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction at the surprise on the other mans face.
“You will not be joining us?” the Beta asked, suspicion beginning to replace the surprise, and Kran met it with a laugh, one that was actually genuine.
“Look at what this Prey has achieved old friend,” he replied. “Her skill with that ship, her firepower, her armor and speed. When was the last time we were truly challenged in space? When was a Prey’s ship more than just a collection of halls and rooms to hunt in?” As if to reinforce his comment, a phaser beam from the Jeff Wayne burned its way through their shields, maintaining the strength to carve a rather long, if mostly cosmetic, scar right next to the starboard nacelle. “Raken, we need improved results from our countermeasures. I want their weapons off-target,” he called out.
“By your command Alpha!” came the reply, and the Hirogen took some satisfaction in the confidence and loyalty in the mans voice.
Turning back to assess the tactical display, he smiled again. “This is my Hunt today Hakket. I will face this Starfleet officer in her own domain. She will learn that we are the true predators in all fields.” He didn’t visibly react to the suspicion still in his Betas eyes, instead raising a hand and gesturing towards his brother. “Take Irath with you.”
“Eh?” the younger Hirogen commented, looking up from his tactical display.
“You were complaining the other day about being stuck watching things here the past few Hunts,” Kran pointed out. “Go spill some blood. Try and find a worthy skull.”
“If her crew fight half as well as she does, there might be something acceptable for my trophy collection,” Irath mused as he stood up, collecting his rifle from the rack by his station. Kran was actually paying very little attention to him, instead studying Hakket. The man's expression had shifted slightly, suspicion fading somewhat. He was smart enough to recognize that the Alpha had sent his brother as a hostage, rather than brotherly concern for his siblings trophies. But he also knew that Krans family loyalty made it a truly effective hostage deal. If he led the boarding action, he wouldn’t need to fear being directly targeted.
Eventually, the Beta smiled and bowed. “May your victory be glorious. I’ll try not to take the Orion from you.”
“Let your blades strike true,” the Alpha replied. He spared a moment to watch the pair leave the bridge, then turned his attention back to the space battle. That was one problem under control. Depending on how the Hunt progressed, perhaps he wouldn’t need to spend his brothers life to remove that particular threat. In fact… “Hail the Silent Blade. I have a job for them."
***
The icon on the viewscreens tactical display shifted, going from the solid red arrow of a hostile under target lock to a wider circle, indicating an estimated area where the target was known to be. Priss frowned, considering it. “Well, someone’s taking their countermeasures more seriously,” she grumbled. “Tactical, hold off on torpedo fire, phasers on dispersion pattern Delta-Two.”
The background hum shifted slightly as Chief Rossum managed to work her magic, restoring full power to the engines. At the helm, Smith made a satisfied noise, then leaned forward, waiting. Another Tetyron salvo from the Hirogen flagship burned at their shields, carving away a little more protection. Then the Tocraxians left hand came down on a trio of buttons, throwing the ship hard to starboard and up, bringing them around in a tight turn towards the Hirogen flagship. The maneuver was carefully timed, right as a torpedo salvo was beginning its final approach, and when combined with some skillful countermeasures from Lieutenant Moral, it ruined their target lock and sent them off on a vector that took them out of the fight entirely.
The Jeff Wayne didn’t stay on its new course for long, firing a wide area burst from its forward mounted weapons, saturating the area they knew their target was in, searching for the flare of the Hirogen shields. Then it broke off again, presenting its port side to the enemy before the still recharging forward shields could suffer.
“Still can’t regain solid lock,” Siysye reported. Priss leaned forward in her chair, studying the display. The remaining Hunter Escort was closing the distance between them, but the predicted heading suggested it was going to try and keep some distance between them. The frigate, despite its damage, still had some impulse capability, and it seemed that the remaining crew had managed to regain control and were trying to avoid drawing the Jeff Waynes attention, crawling away from the fight.
“Down to us and Kran,” she murmured. “Mister Smith, thirty degrees to starboard. Make it look like you’re trying to open the gap.” The ship turned again, and the Captain watched as the Hirogen moved to follow. Even better, its path was taking it towards the device they’d launched from the hangar bay, currently doing its best impression of a hole in space. With a little time…
Another salvo of weapons fire erupted from the Hirogen ship, but this one was simply Tetryon beams, spread out wide and incredibly weak as a result. No torpedoes followed, and Priss allowed herself a faint smile. It seemed that Krans people were having just as much trouble keeping a target lock as hers were. “Helm, prepare to change heading.”
Both ships twisted and turned, presenting a section of their shields to the enemy for as short a time as possible before rolling again. For the moment, neither ship seemed to be trying to press the advantage. As much as possible, both ships limited themselves to energy weapon broadsides, trying to use them to regain solid target locks on their opponents.
Studying the readouts on the main screen, Commander Aniri frowned. “He’s moving too cautiously,” she muttered quietly. “Hirogen tactics are usually much more aggressive than this.”
“But that aggression has cost him,” Priss pointed out, keeping her voice just as low. “He knows we’re not just helpless prey now. He won’t run, he can’t. Hirogen. But he’s not going to just charge in when he knows his ship will get shot out from under him.” Glancing over at her XO, the Orion gave her a humorless smile. “A true hunter needs to be patient, after all.”
Antennae curling up slightly, Aniri made a grumbling noise. “Maybe. I got the impression earlier that if thing’s aren’t going his way, patience isn’t exactly one of his virtues. He’s not just waiting, he’s up to something.”
Glancing over at the Andorian for a moment, Priss considered that, then nodded in reluctant agreement, before looking back at the tactical display on the main viewscreen. “It’s not like he’s the only one,” she admitted with a faint smirk. “But best we spring our next trick before he can his. As soon as we have target lock again, we go with Pincer.” The Exec nodded and turned away, checking on the status of the deflector array and it’s tachyon projectors.
Priss leaned forward, watching the icon of Kran’s ship as it moved. It was still keeping its distance, trying to determine the Jeff Waynes exact location.Two ships, both trying to get the first shot off… Her eyes widened, and she looked at the other icon on the screen, this one easily trackable. The Seeker Frigate that had supposedly broken off from the fight, even as Priss had been commented that Hirogen didn’t run easily. Its exact location was almost as vague as the remaining Escort, but it looked like it was changing course, no longer moving directly away, but turning in a wide arc that would keep it at extreme weapons range… and place the Jeff Wayne between both Hirogen ships.
Considering the frigate, Priss sighed. “Rookie mistake. Well, that’s embarrassing,” she muttered under her breath. “Mister Smith, adjust heading seventy-five by sixty, full impulse, and prepare defense pattern Baker-Nine.” If the Hirogen ships were sharing targeting data, they were almost certain to fire first, and if the Jeff Wayne was caught in a crossfire when that happened, evasion would likely be unlikely at best. Which meant they needed to endure whatever was about to be thrown at them, through shields, armor and the many dirty tricks Starfleet had developed
As the Starfleet ship tried to maneuver around and over the Hirogen flagship, Priss took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
***
“You know, I was expecting a lot more attention,” Irath said as the hunting party moved down the hallway. “Alarms, soldiers, active defences…”
“Yes, and if this Hunt was simple brute force, charging in like a blind Kazon, that would be their response,” Hakket replied, irritation slipping into his voice as he studied the map displayed on his tricorder. “Technology can be deceived…. for a time. We transported aboard unnoticed, perhaps, but they will learn of our presence soon.” He turned back to the younger Hirogen and smiled unpleasantly. “Then, you may just get what you wish for.”
Irath managed to meet the Betas eyes for several seconds, before his nerve broke and he looked away. Satisfied, Hakket turned back to his tricorder, considering the map one last time, then he raised a hand and pointed towards one of the doors further down the hallway. “There. Breach and eliminate.” Silently, several of his men took up position on opposite sides of the door, weapons ready. They paused for a moment, then one of them hit the door controls.
Inside, three engineering officers were working at consoles built into a long, curved cylinder that continued on through the far wall, and a single Vulcan security officer was standing at the far end of the room, phaser rifle at the ready. The Vulcans reactions were impressive, the man yelling a warning to his crewmates, raising his rifle even as the first two Hirogen stormed the room. The pairs shields flared and failed under the high powered bolts, but their armor held long enough for one of them to cut down the Vulcan with a slashing blue tetryon beam. One of the engineers was fast enough to get his sidearm out and fire, but his shot went high, leaving him open to the Hirogens return fire.
The other two engineers scrambled for cover, even as intruder alarms began wailing, triggered by the weapons fire, but the majority of the hunting party were in the room now, and in seconds they were both gunned down. “Now we see how the Prey responds,” one of the men commented, grinning fiercely. “This should be proper encouragement.”
Chuckling darkly, Hakket stepped over to an access panel on the cylinder, drawing his pistol and adjusting the power settings. “A few weaklings will hardly have that effect, even on those as soft as the Federation is said to be,” he mused, as he began firing a focused cutting beam into the lock. “That is why the Alpha sent us to this part of their ship in particular.” He smirked slightly at that, watching the lock give way. When the power of the Packs ships failed, he remembered that a Hunter also struck with skill and precision. Perhaps Kran still had the strength and cunning to remain Alpha after all.
Or perhaps not, he mused as the lock failed completely. After all, most Hirogen only thought in terms of overwhelming power, as indeed even he had, after the Jeff Waynes initial success. With the right words, the right actions… Putting his pistol away, he reached down and slid the armored hatch aside, revealing a rack of isolinear chips next to a transparent aluminium cover that showed several long cylinders of mercassium composites, lighting arcing between them like Tesla coils. Satisfied, the Beta unhooked a shaped explosive from his belt and attached it to the cover, setting the timer. “Move!” he ordered, closing the hatch and running towards the door. The rest of the party followed him, the last one out of the room slapping the door controls as he went.
They were twenty meters down the hallway when the bomb detonated, the entire blast aimed through the aluminium and into the shield generator itself, shattering the cylinders, tearing open the EPS conduits that connected to it, and leaving little behind but scrap metal… and the Jeff Waynes starboard shields ceased to exist.
***
(I was really hoping to get the combat done with this instalment, but it looks like the final stage of that is still to come. Hopefully a little quicker then this post.)
“Increase power to the tetryon arrays!” Kran ordered as he watched the Jeff Wayne try to put some distance between itself and the Hirogen. “Concentrate fire on their engines, close the distance, and contact the Silent Watcher! Have them maintain long-range torpedo salvos on the Prey’s port side, force them towards us!”
Pain began to run through his fingers as his grip on the railing intensified, but the Alpha barely noticed. His attention was on the viewscreen and that impossible ship. Its armor was burned, cracked and dented. It’s shields were weakening and distorting. But despite that, it remained unbroken, defiant.
As he watched, the Starfleet ship rolled hard to port, presenting its stern to the Hirogen and promptly launched a trio of photon torpedoes. As they closed in, their weapons officer cleared the way with a phaser salvo that tore into the Hirogens forward shields, earning a curse from Krans’ helmsman and a quick course change that saw the torpedoes detonating against their port shields instead. That course change allowed the Jeff Wayne to widen the gap between the two ships, and caused the latest Tetryon beams to race off into empty space above the Federation ships nacelles.
Snarling, Kran leaned over the railing towards the helmsman. “I said, close the distance!” he roared, making the smaller man jump slightly before he altered their heading to pursue again. Grinding his teeth together, he straightened up and looked over his bridge. The rage clawing at his mind began to fade, rational thought beginning to return, but only because another emotion took hold.
Fear.
That ship was a part of it, true, but now the the true fear, the true threat, came from inside his ship. It was the oldest truth of the Packs, one that was said to predate even the beginning of the Eternal Hunt. The Alpha was the strongest, and the Pack answered to him, but that was true only as long as he had the strength to enforce his will. When that strength failed, they were his Pack no longer.
He didn’t show any outward reaction, but he suddenly found himself all too aware of where Hakket was, and the poisoned blade the other man thought he didn’t know about. One ship destroyed, another crippled, possibly beyond repair. If his Beta struck now, while the shock and anger still ran through the Pack, they would follow him, he was sure of that. Simply destroying the Jeff Wayne wouldn’t be enough, not any more. He had to make this kill glorious. A tale of a great Hunter against incredible Prey.
Anger faded, fear was brought under control, and the man looked at the viewscreen with renewed confidence. Yes. This would be one of his greatest tales, the sort he would teach his children of.
As he began to plot, the ships intercom buzzed for attention, and the voice of the Transporter Master made itself heard. "Alpha, I report success. The Preys shields can now be breached. Our Hunters stand ready!"
A smile began to form on the Alphas face, all sharp points and eager malice. “Well done indeed. Hakket!” He turned towards his Beta, who met his gaze with an expression somewhere between curious and eager. No doubt he was expecting Kran to leave him in command of the ship while he lead the boarding parties on a much more intimate Hunt. “Lead the breach,” he ordered instead, and he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction at the surprise on the other mans face.
“You will not be joining us?” the Beta asked, suspicion beginning to replace the surprise, and Kran met it with a laugh, one that was actually genuine.
“Look at what this Prey has achieved old friend,” he replied. “Her skill with that ship, her firepower, her armor and speed. When was the last time we were truly challenged in space? When was a Prey’s ship more than just a collection of halls and rooms to hunt in?” As if to reinforce his comment, a phaser beam from the Jeff Wayne burned its way through their shields, maintaining the strength to carve a rather long, if mostly cosmetic, scar right next to the starboard nacelle. “Raken, we need improved results from our countermeasures. I want their weapons off-target,” he called out.
“By your command Alpha!” came the reply, and the Hirogen took some satisfaction in the confidence and loyalty in the mans voice.
Turning back to assess the tactical display, he smiled again. “This is my Hunt today Hakket. I will face this Starfleet officer in her own domain. She will learn that we are the true predators in all fields.” He didn’t visibly react to the suspicion still in his Betas eyes, instead raising a hand and gesturing towards his brother. “Take Irath with you.”
“Eh?” the younger Hirogen commented, looking up from his tactical display.
“You were complaining the other day about being stuck watching things here the past few Hunts,” Kran pointed out. “Go spill some blood. Try and find a worthy skull.”
“If her crew fight half as well as she does, there might be something acceptable for my trophy collection,” Irath mused as he stood up, collecting his rifle from the rack by his station. Kran was actually paying very little attention to him, instead studying Hakket. The man's expression had shifted slightly, suspicion fading somewhat. He was smart enough to recognize that the Alpha had sent his brother as a hostage, rather than brotherly concern for his siblings trophies. But he also knew that Krans family loyalty made it a truly effective hostage deal. If he led the boarding action, he wouldn’t need to fear being directly targeted.
Eventually, the Beta smiled and bowed. “May your victory be glorious. I’ll try not to take the Orion from you.”
“Let your blades strike true,” the Alpha replied. He spared a moment to watch the pair leave the bridge, then turned his attention back to the space battle. That was one problem under control. Depending on how the Hunt progressed, perhaps he wouldn’t need to spend his brothers life to remove that particular threat. In fact… “Hail the Silent Blade. I have a job for them."
***
The icon on the viewscreens tactical display shifted, going from the solid red arrow of a hostile under target lock to a wider circle, indicating an estimated area where the target was known to be. Priss frowned, considering it. “Well, someone’s taking their countermeasures more seriously,” she grumbled. “Tactical, hold off on torpedo fire, phasers on dispersion pattern Delta-Two.”
The background hum shifted slightly as Chief Rossum managed to work her magic, restoring full power to the engines. At the helm, Smith made a satisfied noise, then leaned forward, waiting. Another Tetyron salvo from the Hirogen flagship burned at their shields, carving away a little more protection. Then the Tocraxians left hand came down on a trio of buttons, throwing the ship hard to starboard and up, bringing them around in a tight turn towards the Hirogen flagship. The maneuver was carefully timed, right as a torpedo salvo was beginning its final approach, and when combined with some skillful countermeasures from Lieutenant Moral, it ruined their target lock and sent them off on a vector that took them out of the fight entirely.
The Jeff Wayne didn’t stay on its new course for long, firing a wide area burst from its forward mounted weapons, saturating the area they knew their target was in, searching for the flare of the Hirogen shields. Then it broke off again, presenting its port side to the enemy before the still recharging forward shields could suffer.
“Still can’t regain solid lock,” Siysye reported. Priss leaned forward in her chair, studying the display. The remaining Hunter Escort was closing the distance between them, but the predicted heading suggested it was going to try and keep some distance between them. The frigate, despite its damage, still had some impulse capability, and it seemed that the remaining crew had managed to regain control and were trying to avoid drawing the Jeff Waynes attention, crawling away from the fight.
“Down to us and Kran,” she murmured. “Mister Smith, thirty degrees to starboard. Make it look like you’re trying to open the gap.” The ship turned again, and the Captain watched as the Hirogen moved to follow. Even better, its path was taking it towards the device they’d launched from the hangar bay, currently doing its best impression of a hole in space. With a little time…
Another salvo of weapons fire erupted from the Hirogen ship, but this one was simply Tetryon beams, spread out wide and incredibly weak as a result. No torpedoes followed, and Priss allowed herself a faint smile. It seemed that Krans people were having just as much trouble keeping a target lock as hers were. “Helm, prepare to change heading.”
Both ships twisted and turned, presenting a section of their shields to the enemy for as short a time as possible before rolling again. For the moment, neither ship seemed to be trying to press the advantage. As much as possible, both ships limited themselves to energy weapon broadsides, trying to use them to regain solid target locks on their opponents.
Studying the readouts on the main screen, Commander Aniri frowned. “He’s moving too cautiously,” she muttered quietly. “Hirogen tactics are usually much more aggressive than this.”
“But that aggression has cost him,” Priss pointed out, keeping her voice just as low. “He knows we’re not just helpless prey now. He won’t run, he can’t. Hirogen. But he’s not going to just charge in when he knows his ship will get shot out from under him.” Glancing over at her XO, the Orion gave her a humorless smile. “A true hunter needs to be patient, after all.”
Antennae curling up slightly, Aniri made a grumbling noise. “Maybe. I got the impression earlier that if thing’s aren’t going his way, patience isn’t exactly one of his virtues. He’s not just waiting, he’s up to something.”
Glancing over at the Andorian for a moment, Priss considered that, then nodded in reluctant agreement, before looking back at the tactical display on the main viewscreen. “It’s not like he’s the only one,” she admitted with a faint smirk. “But best we spring our next trick before he can his. As soon as we have target lock again, we go with Pincer.” The Exec nodded and turned away, checking on the status of the deflector array and it’s tachyon projectors.
Priss leaned forward, watching the icon of Kran’s ship as it moved. It was still keeping its distance, trying to determine the Jeff Waynes exact location.Two ships, both trying to get the first shot off… Her eyes widened, and she looked at the other icon on the screen, this one easily trackable. The Seeker Frigate that had supposedly broken off from the fight, even as Priss had been commented that Hirogen didn’t run easily. Its exact location was almost as vague as the remaining Escort, but it looked like it was changing course, no longer moving directly away, but turning in a wide arc that would keep it at extreme weapons range… and place the Jeff Wayne between both Hirogen ships.
Considering the frigate, Priss sighed. “Rookie mistake. Well, that’s embarrassing,” she muttered under her breath. “Mister Smith, adjust heading seventy-five by sixty, full impulse, and prepare defense pattern Baker-Nine.” If the Hirogen ships were sharing targeting data, they were almost certain to fire first, and if the Jeff Wayne was caught in a crossfire when that happened, evasion would likely be unlikely at best. Which meant they needed to endure whatever was about to be thrown at them, through shields, armor and the many dirty tricks Starfleet had developed
As the Starfleet ship tried to maneuver around and over the Hirogen flagship, Priss took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
***
“You know, I was expecting a lot more attention,” Irath said as the hunting party moved down the hallway. “Alarms, soldiers, active defences…”
“Yes, and if this Hunt was simple brute force, charging in like a blind Kazon, that would be their response,” Hakket replied, irritation slipping into his voice as he studied the map displayed on his tricorder. “Technology can be deceived…. for a time. We transported aboard unnoticed, perhaps, but they will learn of our presence soon.” He turned back to the younger Hirogen and smiled unpleasantly. “Then, you may just get what you wish for.”
Irath managed to meet the Betas eyes for several seconds, before his nerve broke and he looked away. Satisfied, Hakket turned back to his tricorder, considering the map one last time, then he raised a hand and pointed towards one of the doors further down the hallway. “There. Breach and eliminate.” Silently, several of his men took up position on opposite sides of the door, weapons ready. They paused for a moment, then one of them hit the door controls.
Inside, three engineering officers were working at consoles built into a long, curved cylinder that continued on through the far wall, and a single Vulcan security officer was standing at the far end of the room, phaser rifle at the ready. The Vulcans reactions were impressive, the man yelling a warning to his crewmates, raising his rifle even as the first two Hirogen stormed the room. The pairs shields flared and failed under the high powered bolts, but their armor held long enough for one of them to cut down the Vulcan with a slashing blue tetryon beam. One of the engineers was fast enough to get his sidearm out and fire, but his shot went high, leaving him open to the Hirogens return fire.
The other two engineers scrambled for cover, even as intruder alarms began wailing, triggered by the weapons fire, but the majority of the hunting party were in the room now, and in seconds they were both gunned down. “Now we see how the Prey responds,” one of the men commented, grinning fiercely. “This should be proper encouragement.”
Chuckling darkly, Hakket stepped over to an access panel on the cylinder, drawing his pistol and adjusting the power settings. “A few weaklings will hardly have that effect, even on those as soft as the Federation is said to be,” he mused, as he began firing a focused cutting beam into the lock. “That is why the Alpha sent us to this part of their ship in particular.” He smirked slightly at that, watching the lock give way. When the power of the Packs ships failed, he remembered that a Hunter also struck with skill and precision. Perhaps Kran still had the strength and cunning to remain Alpha after all.
Or perhaps not, he mused as the lock failed completely. After all, most Hirogen only thought in terms of overwhelming power, as indeed even he had, after the Jeff Waynes initial success. With the right words, the right actions… Putting his pistol away, he reached down and slid the armored hatch aside, revealing a rack of isolinear chips next to a transparent aluminium cover that showed several long cylinders of mercassium composites, lighting arcing between them like Tesla coils. Satisfied, the Beta unhooked a shaped explosive from his belt and attached it to the cover, setting the timer. “Move!” he ordered, closing the hatch and running towards the door. The rest of the party followed him, the last one out of the room slapping the door controls as he went.
They were twenty meters down the hallway when the bomb detonated, the entire blast aimed through the aluminium and into the shield generator itself, shattering the cylinders, tearing open the EPS conduits that connected to it, and leaving little behind but scrap metal… and the Jeff Waynes starboard shields ceased to exist.
***
(I was really hoping to get the combat done with this instalment, but it looks like the final stage of that is still to come. Hopefully a little quicker then this post.)