The Wind After Time: Book One of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy
Page 21
Water spouted high to the right, where the Grayle would have been if it hadn’t jinked a second earlier. On another screen he saw the cruiser’s missile port snap closed and another open.
“Immelman, straight back at them.”
“Understood.”
He felt vertigo even through the artificial gravity as the ship climbed and rolled.
He grabbed a railing for support. Taen crouched on the deck nearby.
“Target … starship ahead.”
“Acquired.”
“Launch one!”
The cruiser was no more than ten miles distant when one of the Grayle’s tubes spat fire and the air-to-air missile smashed toward it.
Whoever was controlling the ship was very fast, recovering from amazement at receiving fire from what appeared to be no more than a yacht, and the former Federation warship banked away, climbing.
But Wolfe’s missile couldn’t miss at that range. It exploded into the Chitet cruiser near the stern, and the ship twisted in the blast.
“Offplanet!”
“Understood.”
The Grayle climbed at full drive.
In a side and then a rear screen, Joshua watched the Chitet ship flounder like a gaffed fish, smoke pouring from its wound.
The ship grew smaller, smaller still, and then they were in space.
“Three jumps. At random. No destination.”
“Understood.”
Joshua looked at Taen as the Al’ar got to his feet. He was suddenly very tired.
He felt Taen’s strength and a chilly, almost robotic companionship.
“And now it begins,” the Al’ar said.
“Now it begins,” Joshua echoed.
The Grayle vanished into the cold fire of the stars.
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Text Copyright © 1996 by Chris Bunch
All rights reserved.
Published in association with Athans & Associates Creative Consulting
Cover image(s) © 123rf.com
Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author's imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
eISBN 10: 1-4405-5344-0
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5344-8