Rage War Incursion 7

"Bastards One and Two have spiraled up to light speed and vanished," McVicar said.

"Bearing?" Mains asked.

"As before."

"Removed themselves from the fight," Lieder said.

"Or taken it elsewhere," Cotronis said.

"The micro-nukes have been taken out by Yautja countermeasure," Snowdon said. "Sir, we need to make a decision here."

"Fight or flight," Lieder said.

"We don't run from a fight we started," Mains said.

"Lieder, swing us around so that we've got a clear field of fire on Bastards Five, Six, and Seven."
Lieder's fingers danced across her controls and
Frodo twisted their ship. Mains felt the movements, an unsettling sense of leaving the ghost of himself behind. It was always disconcerting, but something they were all trained for. It didn't prevent him from wanting to puke.

"Five and Six have fired," Faulkner said, but even as he spoke Frodo had launched their countermeasures.

Light bloomed on the screen as explosions grew and faded a hundred miles behind them.

"L-T, I've got a-" Faulkner began.

"Bastard One uncloaking!" Snowdon shouted. "Fifteen
miles to starboard, laser cannons-"

The ship jumped. Atmosphere vented. The gravity
system flicked off, making them sickeningly weightless. Someone screamed. Mains was pressed back in his seat as protective restraints locked down across his body, and just before a shield of hardening foam closed around him, he saw a combat suit bouncing from the bulkhead above him. Sliced neatly in two, it trailed strings of viscera. Blood flowed, spiraled, and splashed.-pg.85-86 chpt.4