have cleared the
Dragon's bridge. He's giving orders to the P-fleet
to line up for a hit at the Terminals. Looks like
he wants a kind word from his boss. I'm heading
back to the Dragon.

"Dragon coming up. Range: 1700 K. Spotted us.
Have incoming. You didn't down all their guns, Kumiko.
Lousy shooters, though. At 1400 -- 700 -- 300.
Decomp on sustained -- Five second burst. Passing
over. What's the word, Myra?"

"Their stern sucked a lemon. Totaled. Hold
it. Fighter catapulted off the flight deck. It's
closing with a Dragon screen destroyer. Get back
to 'Channel C', it may be Scarf talking."

He was.

"Major Scarf to Destroyer Viper. I'm coming aboard
and taking command of the Planet Pluto Assault
Force. Notify all Plutonian units to be ready to
attack the Terminals and inflict maximum damage.
Those orders come directly from President Narval.
I'll lay out the attack formation as soon as I'm
aboard."

"Two to One. Hear that? The fighter has matched
up and I see Scarf in transfer."

A momentary silence.

"Comin' round the bend and linin' up. They see
us and know we ain't their lovers. Destroyer had
to stabilize to bring Scarf aboard; now they're
hustlin'. I'll give 'em the nose decomps, as we
slip under. 500 kay -- 350 -- decomps on -- goin'
under."

"Blowout -- they're gone. Hey, Hodak, takes care
of your buddy."

"He was no buddy of mine. OK, Two. Move it, Brad."

Brad searched for the Windstorm, Yargoul's battle
cruiser, now the combined fleet's flagship. Two
and Three had scored hits in the tight field,
significantly diminishing the fleet's capabilities.
If the Windstorm could be taken out, or even
damaged, the enemy fleet's command-and-control
would be seriously degraded.

Two destroyers converged on Brad from 11 and 1
o'clock. Brad switched to their channel.

Brad reacted instinctively. His feet slammed
footpads as his arms and hands yanked and
twisted the other controls. The sensitive fighter
corkscrewed and hurtled away just as laser-quad
beams from both destroyers crossed where he
had been a fraction of a second before. Jiggling
reversers and thrusters, he space-skidded into a
tight half circle and dived under the closest ship.
Killer beams tracked him but the arc couldn't
catch up.

Passing under, Hodak cut loose with his
laser-quads, raking laterally across the
destroyer's underside. At the close range the
damage was devastating. The destroyer split
apart along the shock line wi