oyers made a run at the Jovian
cruiser Boulder. Four explosive-decompressors cut
loose simultaneously at the cruiser, striking her
amidships. A succession of explosions wracked
the ship, hurling debris and bodies in all directions.
The ship rolled and yawed wildly out of control.
The UIPS destroyers cut away.

The Ruthless' damage assessments flashed to the
bridge and the ship's Commander informed the fleet
command deck.

"We've still got full power and most of our guns
are operative," Selvin announced to his staff after
a brief study of the report. "With another of their
cruisers gone the big ships have evened out, but
they've still got the edge in destroyers. We've..."

"Fighter-bomber locked on to enemy cruiser
Encounter." The communicator's voice cut in over
the loudspeaker.

"Put him on," Selvin ordered.

The pilot's voice filled the room, low and tense.

"...3000 kay starboard. Destroyer screen at 2000,
kinda loose. Going in. Have incoming, lots of it.
In evasive. I'm hit, but I'm through. 700. More
incoming. Bridge in sights. Three seconds burst --
a hit. I'm out of control. Encounter dead ahead...
gonna..."

Silence.

Selvin turned away to hide the pain in his eyes
at still another death.

"Cruisers three to two, in our favor." An officer
called out from his position at the battle monitor.
"New ball game."

Brad pointed, drawing Selvin's eyes to the
constantly changing plotting table and view tank.

The displays showed the struggle had become a
series of separate skirmishes spread across a
million kay in all directions. Fighter-bombers and
fighters without a mother ship, and destroyers
that had lost their cruisers ranged the battlefield
singly and in pairs, searching out and attacking
the enemy.

Not visible to the naked eye through the swarm of
space debris around them, the view tank's sensors
discriminated against displaying the lacework
of crossing beams from laser-quads, explosive
decompressors, molecular disrupters, and here
and there, a cruiser's particle beamer.

Admiral Selvin stared at the tank.

"Does he realize what he's doing?" He whispered.

The Jovian heavy cruiser Windstorm and its
screen of destroyers had changed direction about
twenty-five thousand kay distant and headed
straight at the UIPS fleet; the Jovian light
cruiser Assault and its escorts lined up behind.
The UIPS cruisers Ruthless, Avenger and Implacable
were broadside to the oncoming enemy line. Most of