light damage. With precise precision North's
forces took up a diamond formation, precisely the right defense against
The Goddens' next run.
8 They broke up and swept in from all directions, but they didn't dare
fly into the murdering firepower of a tight diamond. Ten of their ships
pulled away, heavily damaged, while North's simply moved on. Again
North's forces changed formation, again a five star straight line.
9 They were ten hours from their target, and the enemy was standing
off. If North was right, they would try to sweep the lines. With his
weakest ships in the middle of the star, with four strong ones
surrounding them, the enemy would find it hard going, but they came
anyway.
10 This time they got two of North's ships, but they paid the price.
Five of theirs were destroyed and five more limped off out of the
battle. Now, in perfect precision North's ships broke into three units.
The missile carrier attached to their hulls, fired up their engines,
detached, and moved away; the ships cruising just behind their beams
ready to drive off any attackers.
11 But the attackers came, anyway, fully realizing the danger those
missiles represented. What few ships remained ignored the warships and
again and again tried to get the missile carriers. They succeeded in
destroying fifty per cent of them, but at an awful price. By the time
the racks launched their deadly cargo towards the shipyards, only five
of The Empire's vessels still fought on.
12 "Damn!" cursed North, "Damn! Whatever else you say about them,
they're brave! The goddamn fools are brave!"
13 As the waves of death and destruction approached the shipyards,
small explosions erupted here and there in the docks. North's Agents
had placed the charges very well.