Blood Impulse

Part 19.2 - UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

Archer Sector, Centaur System, Battleship Singularity

Six standard rounds made contact on the Singularity's pointed bow. Five of them were shunted aside by the ship's angled armor, some redirected into the void and others shredding themselves as they skipped across the plating, adding nothing more than new scuffs to the paint. Only one of the rounds was lucky enough to score a direct hit. It detonated into the hull, bending several armor plates inward, creating a visible flaw.

But that was as far as the damage went. There was no decompression. There was no rain of shrapnel. The attack had failed entirely to puncture the ship's secondary hull. The attack that had shredded the civilian ships hours before was reduced to little more than a mosquito bite.

The direct impact was barely more than a tremble in CIC. Zarrey rode it out easily, and brushed his hair back with an amused grin, "Wow, I think he actually managed to do more than scuff the paint." That was further than most enemies got. "Lucky hit."

"It will not happen again," if Tyler wants to live.

Zarrey looked to the Admiral, hearing a bit of frost creep into his tone. "Relax, won't you?" The Singularity could take a few hits before risking any severe damage. "This was a damn fine plan." The Admiral's deep understanding of ship engineering and design coupled with the Singularity's massive main battery guns had rendered them capable of crippling Command's entire fleet in a matter of seconds.

Admiral Gives didn't reply, he looked to Ensign Walters, whose bald head was shining with stress sweat. "Status, Ensign?"

"I estimate the recoil of their weapons has lowered the Gothic's orbit a fraction of a kilometer," the navigator answered, running the calculations, "That should take several hours off their orbital decline." By firing up at the Singularity, the Gothic had pushed herself closer to the planet, and fractionally increased the slight drag of her orbit. Without engines, any orbit would eventually begin to decline, but increasing the drag only sped up the process.

"Idiots." Jazmine snorted. "They're going to need that time to restore their engine power."

"That's the point, Jazz." Monty retorted, the bruises he'd earned on the Olympia still blotting the pale skin under his flaming red beard. "I've confirmed direct hits on all targets, Admiral. Their engines have been neutralized."

"Maintain target lock on the Gothic, release the others." Admiral Gives had no intention of wasting unnecessary bullets, and Tyler seemed the only one stubborn enough to put up a fight while his ship was slowly falling toward a planet. "If the Gothic fires again, sink her."

An overeager smile spread slowly onto Gaffigan's face. "Aye, skipper," he confirmed, relishing the order.

Colonel Zarrey blinked, surprised by the order. "Do you really think he's stupid enough to take us on when he's dead in orbit?"

The answer was immediate. "Yes."

"Damn," the XO laughed, "I expected more hesitation." That was a harsh judgement from the usually neutral Admiral.

"Rear Admiral Tyler was one of the most outspoken sympathizers of the New Era Movement." He took the worlds' current social divides on a personal level, and tended primarily toward violent responses. Tyler never been particularly clever, and there was no doubt, "He was directly involved in Reeter's coup." It made sense that Reeter would send one of his most loyal acolytes to defend Sagittarion. The planet and its population were critical to the Erans' larger scheme.