Part 22

Van Gehan stood on his circular command deck. Throughout the Smokeless Fire crew were strapped tight into action stations. Effectively acceleration stations on a freighter like this. The one job 'Gehan had never managed was to upgrade all those stations, even those on the bridge into combat worthy cockpits. So whilst the men who could sat secured tight into steel cages, the bridge crew walked the deck. Needing the resources at their fingertips.

Each in a decompression suit, mask open and gloves off.

Knowing that if all else failed. The command deck itself could be ejected as a single big capsule.

The situation itself was pushing the 'Smokeless. Mapping the missiles was a mess. Bending space had thrown them all over the place. Right now there were 16 units that looked like direct thread. Four more were so far out of that they were never coming back and as for the rest. Who knew? There was more random movement out there than in a cup of tea.

Of the eight Sterateel fighters two locked two far damaged to dog-fight, but were flying wide. Probably hoping to engage from a distance with even more missiles. The rest had formed up into an attack formation. Van Gehan knew that they were coming for him. First though they had to avoid the missile salvo loosed by the 'Chances two remaining fighters and that was buying time. The squadron was six was wheeling across the sky, taking out the defensive missiles in short and sharp bursts of fire.

Those two fighters from the 'Chance were still in formation. These were well trained men. Not the provincial amateurs sung of in Fleet bars far far away. Hajamke it turned out was producing a fine breed of man.

Beeping on a console were a host of messages from the convoy. As Van Gehan had discovered throughout his career in Fleet ; merchants everywhere were worriers. Automatic soothing replies were flowing out them. Smooth and slick as treacle. There was no time to worry about these.

His men were quiet. Working hard to keep everyone alive.

The missiles were getting closer and closer.

The guns on the Smokeless Fire opened fire.

The escort fighters followed their planned cue and moved aggressively.

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