Captain, we have the adversary in sight, Palagren reported.
There was still no answer from the bridge. Legroeder found this worrisome, but there was nothing they could do about it now. The riggers focused on carrying out their last orders, bringing the ship into position for an intercept. They climbed a bit more, for mobility and for greater cover in the light-and-dark lanes of the misty whirlpool. At the same time, they scanned for currents that could carry them to the enemy more quickly than the pirate could move away. Legroeder’s plan was to approach with both speed and stealth.
Palagren continued calling to the captain. As they drew closer to the pirate ship, now from above rather than below, they could see that it was still tumbling slowly; its crew had not yet regained control. But that didn’t mean it was harmless. If Legroeder and the Narseil were to attack successfully, to take out the enemy’s remaining weapons, they would have to coordinate closely with H’zzarrelik’s gunners. The moment they were in a position to strike, they would become a target, as well.
Palagren tried once more to raise the captain. Finally he said, Ker’sell, take a look outside the net. See if the com is down.
The keel rigger acknowledged, and vanished from the net.
In the instant he disappeared, there was a momentary outcry—from Ker’sell—followed by an alarming silence.
Popping the clamshell of his rigger-station, Ker’sell was surrounded by noise and smoke and chaos. Lights flared, and he heard the crackle of beam weapons. He cried out in alarm, and rolled forward out of the rigger-station—just as a laser beam slashed across the open clamshell. He started to shout to the captain, but someone grabbed his neck-sail, yanking him sideways and down, behind a bank of consoles. It was Agamem, the weapons officer. “Enemy boarders on the bridge!” Agamem hissed. “They got in through the airlock!”
“How is that possible?” Ker’sell protested. “I thought you hit them all.”
“We did, too. But they were fast. They killed our guards at the airlock. We didn’t know any had made it on board until they were halfway to the bridge.” Agamem was cradling a neutraser, waiting for a target to appear. Across the bridge, a raider commando was firing from behind the cover of another console, keeping several of the Narseil pinned down. “There were two of them. I don’t know where the other is. They disabled the door, so right now we’re—”
The flash of an energy beam cut off his words.
Ker’sell whispered an oath. What a disaster. Leave it to these two-ringed humans to engage in such treachery. “What about ship’s weapons?” he whispered to Agamem. “We’re coming into attack position on the pirate right now. What does the captain want us to do?”
Agamem’s eyes flashed. “The captain’s dead. We’re trying to keep the weapons panel protected here—but we can’t possibly—”
A figure of rippling silver leaped overhead, sparkling with laser and neutraser-light. Agamem twisted to follow, firing his neutraser, but the commando was too fast, taking cover again behind the rigger-stations. There were shouts, Narseil voices, somewhere in the smoke-filled room.
Ker’sell glanced over at the rigger-stations, like boulders looming out of a fog. He was useless out here; he needed to get word to Palagren, if he could do it without being killed in the process. “Com to the net—is it down?” he hissed.
Agamem nodded.
“Then I must get back in the net, to warn the others.”
“I’ll cover. Be fast,” Agamem said.
Ker’sell hummed his understanding and crouched to spring to his station. But before he could move, he saw in a tessa’chron blur another flash of silver as his station exploded in fire.
We’d better hear from someone soon, Palagren said to the others. H’zzarrelik had moved into a downwelling current that was taking them in an arc toward the raider ship. In a minute or two, they would be in a perfect position to fire.
Legroeder fretted at the shout they had heard from Ker’sell as he left the net. Clearly there was trouble on the bridge… and if they made a run on the raider without weapons, it would be suicide. Do you want me to take a quick look?
As he spoke, the raider ship below them was rolling its full flank to them, presenting a broadside target. Yes! Tell them to fire right now if they can!
Legroeder started to pull out of the net.
WAIT!
Palagren’s shout brought him up short. He saw the reason at once: the pirate ship was glittering with neutraser fire—aimed at them.
Take the keel, Legroeder! Palagren was already twisting the net sharply, to bring them about. Into the clouds! Back up into the clouds!
The first neutraser beams burned through the Flux below them, lighting up the keel of the net just as Legroeder reached down. A searing pain flashed up his hands as he reached through the sparkling fire at the keel. He gritted his teeth and held on, warping the keel to help bring them around and into an upwelling. If they could get just a little higher, the boundary layers would block the enemy’s weapons.
The next shots grazed the net, sending another flash of fire up his arms. They were nearly out of range now. The bottom layers of mist curled around, then closed under them. The neutraser shots glowed beneath them, dissipating in the clouds.
All right, Legroeder—take a look outside. But don’t leave your station!
Legroeder took a deep breath and dropped out of the net. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and his eyes went dazzle-blind as he opened the clamshell. He heard a scream and leaned forward. “Sweet Jesus!” He rocked back as a laser beam flashed in front of his face. The bridge was full of smoke and ozone.
“Legroeder, get back in the net!” he heard. It was Ker’sell, shouting from somewhere in the smoke and confusion. “We have no weapons! My station’s destroyed! Call off the attack!”
Before he could respond, there was a bright flash to his right, and a silver-suited raider commando spun in the air, firing everywhere. Something else made of silver was flying toward it…
Legroeder snapped the clamshell closed and dropped back into the net so abruptly that it buzzed like an electric cloud around him. Boarders on the bridge! he cried. No weapons! Abort the attack!
Palagren’s voice was soft with dismay. Boarders! Rings alive—
They heeled the ship over in a slow curve through the clouds, trying to keep the raider located through breaks in the cloud, while keeping themselves out of sight. They were going to have to dance through the clouds, praying that the enemy was hurt more than they were. In fact, the raider ship seemed nearly helpless in the Flux. But though Legroeder and his companions held the flying advantage, he could not escape the thought that just outside the plastic shell that enclosed him, enemy soldiers were trying to kill him. For all of their power over the movement of the ship, he and Palagren and Voco were as helpless as babes in a crib.
Ker’sell, choking in the acrid smoke, saw the enemy figure whirl as a bright mesh sailed through the air toward it. The enemy fired at the mesh, but it might as well have been trying to shoot a fishnet. The mesh caught the raider and enveloped it, and there was a moment of struggle—and then a blinding flash. A sharp retort cracked the air, as the net discharged into the raider’s suit. The raider fell to the deck.