mind before crossing to the Star Mirror.
Holding the location in her mind, she laid her hands on the corded silver frame of the runic artifact and focused her power. Energy ran out from her, the Rune of Power on her arm growing warm as it doubled and redoubled her strength, interacting with the Mirror to do what even by magic’s standards was impossible for most.
The silver cords lit up, glowing with an inner fire as the Star Mirror opened and showed Stealey the stars a light year way. The sensor behind her whirred as its scanners drank in that far away light and the computers conjured up an image.
The image was easily ten minutes old, and it was terrifying.
The Azure Gauntlet was closing on its prey, rapidly approaching the range at which the pirates would be able to use kinetic missiles to carefully disable the Blue Jay .
Alaura regarded it for only moments before making her decision.
“Medici,” she snapped, opening a channel. “I’m flipping you scan data from our destination – can you arrange the jump so we arrive in a tight enough defensive formation around the Blue Jay to protect her from a disabling kinetic strike?”
“I’m not even going to ask how you got this,” the Admiral said slowly. “We can – but we’ll need time!”
“Do it quickly!” she told him. “The Blue Jay may not have time!”
#
The Rune had succeeded beyond Damien’s wildest dreams. With its power flowing through the Blue Jay ’s amplifier he’d been able to reach out to the Syndicate cruiser and enhance the Jay ’s sensor returns. Locating the cruiser’s antimatter fuel tanks had been easy, and after that, a tiny spark would have worked.
The fireball he’d conjured inside the warship had been almost overkill – and yet hadn’t been enough.
“They’re inbound at thirteen thousand gravities, running on internal seekers only,” Jenna reported grimly. “We have three minutes, maybe less. I’ve spun up the RFLAMs, but they’ll be coming in damned fast. The turrets can’t stop all of them. They might get five.”
“Damien?” the Captain asked, looking at the Mage with a scrap of hope.
“If I do everything I can think of, I might stop fifteen,” Damien told him. Even with his new power fed into some of the spells he’d learned, there was only so much he could do.
“One getting through is enough,” David said quietly. “We’re going to emergency acceleration. Do what you can.”
Moments later, Damien was crushed against the tiny acceleration platform in the simulacrum chamber as the Blue Jay accelerated at its maximum three gravities. It couldn’t do much, but even the tiniest bit of evasive maneuvering bought them time. Precious fractions of a second could let Damien or the turrets take out a few more missiles.
It wasn’t enough, and they all knew it. Damien glanced at the intercom screen, but there was nothing to say. The three of them were the only ones with enough information to know they were all doomed. Even if he could reach Kelly, to try and say something – anything! – it wouldn’t be fair to fill her last moments with fear.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I tried.”
“You did all you could – hell, you did more than anyone else could have, and then some more,” David told him. “It’s been a good run, kid. I’m sorry we dragged you into all of this.”
“Came in with both eyes open, Captain,” Damien replied. “I didn’t think you were desperate for a Mage for no reason, after all.”
He laid his hands back on the Simulacrum and reached out with his power. He could start trying to pick off the missiles from here – might only take out a few more, but it was worth a shot. Any spell he could think of that would wipe more than one or two from space would wipe him out completely even now.
Pulses of coherent light began to flicker through space as Jenna opened up with the laser turrets, and Damien sank into the amplifier, flickers of fire lashing out into
Holding the location in her mind, she laid her hands on the corded silver frame of the runic artifact and focused her power. Energy ran out from her, the Rune of Power on her arm growing warm as it doubled and redoubled her strength, interacting with the Mirror to do what even by magic’s standards was impossible for most.
The silver cords lit up, glowing with an inner fire as the Star Mirror opened and showed Stealey the stars a light year way. The sensor behind her whirred as its scanners drank in that far away light and the computers conjured up an image.
The image was easily ten minutes old, and it was terrifying.
The Azure Gauntlet was closing on its prey, rapidly approaching the range at which the pirates would be able to use kinetic missiles to carefully disable the Blue Jay .
Alaura regarded it for only moments before making her decision.
“Medici,” she snapped, opening a channel. “I’m flipping you scan data from our destination – can you arrange the jump so we arrive in a tight enough defensive formation around the Blue Jay to protect her from a disabling kinetic strike?”
“I’m not even going to ask how you got this,” the Admiral said slowly. “We can – but we’ll need time!”
“Do it quickly!” she told him. “The Blue Jay may not have time!”
#
The Rune had succeeded beyond Damien’s wildest dreams. With its power flowing through the Blue Jay ’s amplifier he’d been able to reach out to the Syndicate cruiser and enhance the Jay ’s sensor returns. Locating the cruiser’s antimatter fuel tanks had been easy, and after that, a tiny spark would have worked.
The fireball he’d conjured inside the warship had been almost overkill – and yet hadn’t been enough.
“They’re inbound at thirteen thousand gravities, running on internal seekers only,” Jenna reported grimly. “We have three minutes, maybe less. I’ve spun up the RFLAMs, but they’ll be coming in damned fast. The turrets can’t stop all of them. They might get five.”
“Damien?” the Captain asked, looking at the Mage with a scrap of hope.
“If I do everything I can think of, I might stop fifteen,” Damien told him. Even with his new power fed into some of the spells he’d learned, there was only so much he could do.
“One getting through is enough,” David said quietly. “We’re going to emergency acceleration. Do what you can.”
Moments later, Damien was crushed against the tiny acceleration platform in the simulacrum chamber as the Blue Jay accelerated at its maximum three gravities. It couldn’t do much, but even the tiniest bit of evasive maneuvering bought them time. Precious fractions of a second could let Damien or the turrets take out a few more missiles.
It wasn’t enough, and they all knew it. Damien glanced at the intercom screen, but there was nothing to say. The three of them were the only ones with enough information to know they were all doomed. Even if he could reach Kelly, to try and say something – anything! – it wouldn’t be fair to fill her last moments with fear.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I tried.”
“You did all you could – hell, you did more than anyone else could have, and then some more,” David told him. “It’s been a good run, kid. I’m sorry we dragged you into all of this.”
“Came in with both eyes open, Captain,” Damien replied. “I didn’t think you were desperate for a Mage for no reason, after all.”
He laid his hands back on the Simulacrum and reached out with his power. He could start trying to pick off the missiles from here – might only take out a few more, but it was worth a shot. Any spell he could think of that would wipe more than one or two from space would wipe him out completely even now.
Pulses of coherent light began to flicker through space as Jenna opened up with the laser turrets, and Damien sank into the amplifier, flickers of fire lashing out into
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