IN THE ZETA RETICULI SYSTEM:

--- "Helm, desist evasive action. Tactical, you may fire at will."
--- The seconds ticked by. "Fire one. Fire two." On the screens, I saw our own particle cannons lash out striking H3 and H4 almost simultaneously. Their plasma field shields flared brightly. There was a pause and then all three enemy ship fired their own particle cannons. All three particle beams hit home. Our plasma field screen flared as well.
There was a major difference, however, in the outcome of the attacks. The Nikolai was a battleship. It massed more than all five of the enemy ships combined and its particle cannons were several times as powerful. The enemy particle beams cut into our hull in three different places. The damage was severe but survivable. Our particle beams sliced the two enemy ships apart. H3 had its port nacelle sliced completely off. H4 was in even worse condition; its bow was severed from the rest of the ship. They were both out of the action.
--- Over my suit-radio, I heard Amanda's voice. "We are coming about one hundred and eighty degrees."
--- On the screens, I could see the stars sliding sideways. Then the enemy ships reappeared on the screens. Hostile 3 and Hostile 4 were drifting. Hostile Command hung above its stern facing us. Info spoke, "HC is warming up its fusion drives. He is preparing to maneuver."
--- Yukio came on line. "Damage report. Their gun turrets focused on our particle cannons. Port particle cannon is off line. Starboard cannon still operable. Hull damage, again severe but survivable."
--- "What about the fusion drives?"
--- "Both operational, Captain, minimal damage."
--- "Very good, "Helm match course with HC when he maneuvers."
--- Over the line I heard info, "INCOMING!"
--- Chaos erupted.
--- The Nikolai lurched and the lights went out plunging the bridge into darkness. In front of me and above the screens, a hole appeared in the bulkhead. The gash was two meters in diameter and glowed white-hot from the energy generated by the impact. The hole went all the way through the hull and I could see the stars through my visor. I twisted in my couch and I saw another hole behind me where the hatch to the bridge used to be. I could see stars in that direction as well. The round from their railgun had passed clear through our ship and out the other side.
--- As I turned back around the dim emergency lights came on. There was a chunk taken from the arm of my couch. I saw globules of blood floating in the cold space around us. There were craters on the floor and other surfaces of the bridge
--- I called out on the suit-radio, "We've took some shrapnel from the impact. We've got casualties. Medics and marines, check on everyone. Stabilize and strap them down. We are going to maneuver.

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