[Makebelieve] fic: Brothers Of The Blood - mark Of Cain 26

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CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Dalton smiled, shaking his head. "Not yet, my haurride. I'm working with too
damn many suppositions. What I have to say demands absolute proof. Until I
can verify my beliefs, my thoughts remain known strictly by me."

"Two minutes until Hellequin comes into strike range," Yama said.

"Domani," Dalton said. "Have you been listening?"

Yes, Commander. I am monitoring everything with extreme fascination."
"Then you realize we're about to engage in battle. Be prepared for a little
fancy flying."

"Confirmed."

"Yama, turn us about as we come into range. Confirm with the time of
execution."

"One point two five minutes."

"We're really going to fight, then?" Arissa demanded.

Dalton nodded, giving her a crooked half-smile. "That is exactly what we are
going to do."

"But why?" Yessenia asked. "You said we were only going to lead them away
from the planet."

A bright, predatory glow filled Dalton's clear eyes. "I wanted to lead them
away, yes. By doing that, I brought them out of Euzkadi's sensor range. Now,
I want to destroy them." His right hand balled into a white-knuckled fist.
"And that is exactly what I'm going to do."

"Implementing course change now," Yama reported as the ship veered off,
beginning the turn that would bring their weapons to bear on the pursuing
ships.

"Yama, give me the wings," Ian said, taking the ship off computer control.
"Battlestations, people."

"Phasers at maximum power." Yessenia's fingers flew over the system panel,
preparing the weaponry systems for firing. "All system locks are off."

"Jamming all enemy transmission frequencies," Arissa said.

Dalton thumbed the firing button. "Firing phasers one and two."

Twin bolts of death spewed from the bulkhead.

"They've returned fire," Paris reported. "One plasma bolt. No. Two bolts,
running true." He glanced wildly around the bridge. "This can't be your best
plan, Dal. If those bolts break through the shield...." He shuddered. "Dal,
let's run for it."

"Raising forward and reverse shields," Yessenia said.

"Direct hit to their lead ship," Ian shouted as the forward ship exploded,
screaming a silent death in the depths of space.

Dalton winced under the glaring brilliance that lit up the bridge. He
pressed his hands against his temples and sucked a ragged breath into his
lungs.

"Who-ee," Ian said in stunned amazement. "What ha' ye been doing to the
phasers? Their shields must have crumbled at the first nudge."

"Dal, are you all right?" Yessenia asked, small teeth nipping her lower lip
nervously. "Do you want me to take the helm?"

Dalton lifted his washed-out face from trembling hands. "Yama, lock a double
repulsion beam on those ships. Stop them dead," he snapped, ignoring her
concerned question.

"Dalton, I'm begging you." Paris whined. "Reconsider."

Adric quirked his brow curiously. "What are you up to, haurride?"

"An experiment." Dalton's thinned lips turned up in a deaths-head grin. "I
want to see if multiple tractions are versatile and strong enough to force a
collision. Yama, follow the logistics I've programed into the battle
computer."

"Confirmed. Implemented on your command."

"Judes, you're not really gonna do it," Paris cried, panic sharpening his
voice. "It's suicide. Pure and simple."

"Do it, Yama," Dalton snapped as the first plasma bolt rebounded off their
shields, sending a ripple of violent kinetic force through their bubble of
protection. The second bolt hit before the ship settled back, sending a
second, stronger vibration through the ship.

"Shields are holding," Arissa reported, watching the data streaming over her
terminal. "Reading a loss of integrity at the site of impact. It's leveling
at eighty-four percent strength. We can still take a few hits before we're
at risk."

"Impressive," Adric said softly, curiously watching the interaction of the
mercenaries in this fight for survival. "I assume that ties into your new
power reserves?"

"Dal, look. It's working." Yessenia waved excitedly at the main screen. "The
repulsion ploy is working."

The bridge crew watched, mesmerized, as the enemy ships seemed to freeze in
space. Then slowly, ever so very slowly, the ships rotated in on themselves.

"I would never have believed it possible," Paris whispered.

"You lack faith," Dalton told him, his fingers playing over his console,
checking and double-checking the power levels. "Yes, there is only a minor
flux in power. It is, indeed, going to work."

"Dalton, watch this," Yessenia breathed, drawing his divided attention back
to the main screen were the ships were beginning to edge closer, toward a
collision by the power of the Hellequin.

"Their trying reverse thrust," Paris reported, his features tight. "Negative
results." A smile of pure pleasure broke over his drawn face, relieving the
lines of tension. "I'm impressed. But this is still one hell of a time to
try an experiment. Even if it did turn out to be successful."

"Quit grumbling and watch those scanners," Dalton's dragon's smile took the
bite out of his harsh words. "Yama, are you recording this for later study?"

"Affirmative, Commander. Collision is imminent."

The explosion, when it came, was spectacular. Blinding light illuminated the
darkness and was reflected back at the screen. A violent blast of kinetic
energy surged away from the devastation, spreading in ever widening waves,
rushing to encompass the Hellequin.

Trapped by the rush of pure energy, the crew clutched whatever they could
find that was fixed firmly to the ship, preventing themselves from being
tossed bodily about the bridge.

Then suddenly, the internal gravity came online. Gyroscopes steadied the
bucking ship. Stabilizers equalized the vicious outside forces, adjusting
for the chaos that held them in its grasp. And the Hellequin came to rest in
the eye of the raging storm.

"Is everyone all right?" Adric demanded, jerking to his feet.

"Dal...."

Dalton groaned, his body bent ramrod stiff, tense, while he fought for
control over the indescribable pain that coursed through his brain.
Yessenia reached a trembling hand toward him. "Boss..."

"Leave off." His vicious glare stopped her.

Grinding his teeth noisily, he forcibly brought his breathing under control
and eased his rebelling body erect, bracing his arms on the back of his
chair to bolster his wobbling weight. "My ship," he said slowly, painfully,
"has responded well so far. But we still have a long way to go. Let's get on
with the tests."

What little color he had drained abruptly from his face and his trembling
knees buckled. He fell forward, reaching with arms that had no strength to
support him, plummeting headlong into a deep, tormented sleep.


end part 26


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