Last Moments of a Foray Captain

A Foray captain saw the world through comm links and screens
and the consoles on the bridge of Captain Joseph Drake
were showing readings that were rather hard to mistake.
Reports, alarms, and indicators showed him the scene

of the Hornets around them being blown into shrapnel.
Missiles flew, leaving severed Hivers and parts of ships,
shrapnel shot, tearing through the incoming sensor blips,
but not through all the torpedoes headed for their hull.

The channels to two other frigates closed one by one
As the looming Wrath's onslaught kept going and going.
But Drake's charge nonetheless showed not one sign of slowing,
The Foray wouldn't stop until the battle was won.

The surviving frigate was quiet, not a word said,
but for the beeps and pings of the targeting systems.
No one needed to speak; the silence itself told him
every member of his crew knew that they were dead.

A slow, vicious rictus spread across Captain Drake's face,
a rictus half of rage, but half of satisfaction.
The deranged pleasure behind that final reaction
came from the knowledge that the corvettes were keeping pace.

His grin remained as he saw the missile on the way,
his grin remained as it hit and his ship was destroyed,
his grin remained until he was but ashes in the void,
for he knew that the Epees would make the bastards pay.