The Guns of Two-Space by Dave Grossman, Bob Hudson

him extremely capable. As Sun Tzu said, "When in death ground, fight!"
    Then Melville fired the gun and saw the ball shatter the enemy's lower foremast. He watched with intense satisfaction as the mast shivered and then slowly bowed forward, picking up speed as rigging snapped and the angle became more pronounced, until it slammed down across the enemy's bowsprit in a great flapping tangle of wood, canvas, and cordage.
    Now the enemy had both his upper and lower foremasts down. This new damage did not slow the enemy any more, since they had already slacked sails on the foremast to balance the thrust, but the forward-leaning masts had came down like fallen trees, completely blocking the enemy's bow guns. Melville only had one gun to fight this battle with, but the enemy had none.
    Melville began to slam shot after shot into the enemy's mainmast. Rabid's gun crew threw themselves at their handspikes and rammers, oblivious to anything but the hungry muzzle of their gun. After just three shots the Guldur's mainmast came tumbling down, and the Fang began to pull rapidly away from Guldur number three.
    Guldur number four, the last of their attackers, was now closing rapidly. Over sixty percent of the Fang 's sails were out of commission and one of her two big stern guns was down, while a completely fresh enemy came charging at them with both bow guns blazing.
    Melville and Rabid were getting to know each other. They were fine-tuning their relationship with each shot fired, and as this new enemy approached, Melville, his Ship, and his gun all felt a great sense of confidence.
    On the upperside the Guldur Ship would be hammering them mercilessly and the Fang could not respond. Their only hope was to quickly and efficiently stop the enemy, right now, with this gun.
    He is the gun, he is the Ship. They are him and they are one.
    He aims down the barrel. The tiny motions of his head happen without conscious thought, guiding the crew to make minuscule adjustments to the gun. He is not aware of reaching down to touch the Keel charge at the base of Rabid's barrel, it is just... time. In the fullness of time it happens.
    <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <>. He guides the shot home, willing it onto the target. Rabid's first shot is just a hair left, smashing halfway through the left side of the enemy's foremast.  
    Melville waits with intense frustration while the crew reloads the gun and slams the huge weapon back into battery. <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <> The second ball goes slightly to the right, barely clipping the mast.  
    "Ah, you bastards," murmurs Melville as the gun is slammed back into battery by its crew. "We got you bracketed."
    <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <> Rabid screams as the next shot splits the difference between the last two, and smashes through the foremast.  
    The crew cheers themselves hoarse and Boye barks triumphantly as they watch the enemy's foremast tumble down and cover the bow gun. The Guldur Ship is now close enough that the two 12-pounders in the Fang 's stern cabin beside him can finally come into action. For a brief period they add their share of death and destruction, punishing the enemy for the presumptuousness of getting this close.  
    Melville's lips draw back and he begins to hammer away at their mainmast.
    <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <> Again it is slightly to the right, with splinters flying out from that side of the enemy's mainmast.  
    Again, the frustrating, agonizing wait as the gun is reloaded, and then: <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <> The next ball sends splinters the size of a man's leg flying out from the left side. Melville can feel Fang say <> He can tell that Fang likes the concept communicated by that word.  
    He doesn't notice the stink of ozone or the blinding flash of the cannon, he only has eyes for the enemy. <> "Cha-DOOM!!" <>. The mainmast comes tumbling down, and the Fang begins to pull away from her tormentor.