Free Sword of Axia (The Arcadian Jihad) by Eric Schneider Page A

knocked out of true.”
    “As long as it doesn’t get any worse we’ll manage. How long until we’re out of range of the planetary defenses?”
    “We’re out of range now, Sir.”
    “Good. Kill those ships, Dirk and let’s go home. Hold tight, everyone.”
    The ship swerved around as only a light cruiser could, their warship was new, the fastest and most agile in the Fleet. They gripped the handholds as the vessel came about, immediately the guns targeted the Axian interceptors.
    “Enemy ships in range and locked on,” Gehlen announced. “The lead ships have fired.”
    “Defensive power to front shields, fire main armament.”
    The particle beams hammered out towards the pursuing enemy, some mixed briefly with the salvo fired by the enemy ships. Two beams exploded as they met each other head on, the rest hit their targets. The Axian salvo struck first, the Capella rocked as three plasma bursts smashed into her frontal defenses. Blas ignored them, they did not have enough power to destroy the reinforced shields. Their own salvo hit the onrushing Axian interceptors, ships exploded and space lit up with a series of giant fireworks as the attackers were destroyed, some vaporized to dust, others blasted into drifting, helpless hulks. Only one Axian survived, it made a violent turn to starboard and almost immediately collided with another of their ships that had already by reduced to a burnt out ruin. There was another explosion, then nothing. Someone cheered on the bridge.
    “Quiet there, we’re not out of it yet. Mr. Gehlen, let’s try and meet up with Rafe and see what help we can give him.”
    The ship went about again and headed out into deep space. They were damaged, but not mortally, as long as they could travel at hyperspatial speed they could get home. He listened for a while for any noise from the malfunctioning gravity compensator, but it didn’t seem to be getting any worse.
    “Dirk, I’m going to see the Vice-President, Sister Serena. Take us out of here fast, engage the fission thrusters, as soon as we’re clear get the fusion drive accelerators spooled up and take us into hyperspace. Set course for the rendezvous point, you have the con.”
    “Aye, Sir, I have the con.”
    The ship surged away from the Planet Dafne, Blas watched and waited at the back of the bridge as Gehlen expertly took the ship out and into hyperspace. Only when they were safe did he go and knock on her door, a voice said ‘Come’. When he walked in the smell of her perfume almost overpowered him once more. Why did it always surprise him, it always seemed different, there was something about it that he guessed could drive some men crazy with desire. He reminded himself to keep control, he was the Captain of a warship, there were more important things to think about now than, well, sex. But my God, she was beautiful. Could she...”
    “I’m not reading your mind, Captain.”
    “But I was just thinking....”
    “All men do, I told you, I don’t need to be a mind reader to know what you’re thinking,” she smiled. “Please believe me, I’ve closed my mind to yours, you’re quite safe.”
    That tiny smile was, well, alluring. Damn the woman, he didn’t want to be quite safe with her, quite the opposite. Well, yes, he did, he had responsibilities. But no, right now he wanted to be unsafe. Very unsafe.
    “Vice-President, why did you want to see me?”
    “Please, call me Serena. I want to discuss the next stage of our strategy with you. Firstly, tell me what went wrong with out attack on Dafne? I’m not a military person, explain it to me.”
    He nodded. “You recall on Isolde, er, Serena, when Guide Tell made it clear that we needed to mount a major mission to keep up morale until our forces were strong enough to make a final assault?”
    Her smile was still warm, even more inviting. “Mm, yes, I do. May I call you Constantine?”
    “Yes. The problem, Serena, was that this operation was too hotheaded and impulsive,