31 By the time North got back to the battle The
Goddens had
re-grouped and were getting smarter. Now they kept flying by each
other, firing at the ships on each-other's tubes. But they had already
lost too many ships for this to be practical.
32 North had lost twelve vessels. Twenty had withdrawn damaged. The
enemy had lost at least fifty and twenty-four had surrendered. There
was not one of his ships that did not have damage and they could not
withdraw to repair. To make matters worse, they had come far in-system,
and now Spearonias‘ ships were flying into the battle.
33 The Goddens formed up into a diamond and North ordered his ships to
pull back. He was about to lead a spearhead through the center of the
diamond when Firing Control suddenly screamed, "They're dropping their
shields, ALL of them! They're shutting down their weapons, their drive,
everything! They're ALL SURRENDERING!"
34 The other Officers began to cheer. North sat in stunned silence.
Never in history had any task force received such a surrender! "Give me
a hailing frequency," North ordered. A few moments later the soot
covered face of an Imperial Admiral appeared on the screen. "Do I take
it," inquired North, "you are surrendering your forces?"
35 "I ask mercy," the Officer pleaded, "for I and my crews. May we
expect good treatment in your hands?"
36 "As you have treated all prisoners that you have taken," North
agreed, "well and, amiably, I will extend the same courtesies to you
and your men. But your ships are to be surrendered as they are, and you
are to accept boarding parties without hostility. You will also call
the Commander of your base, order him to lower all shields, and to turn
over what remains of his base intact, to our landing parties."
37 "As you have said," The Godden Commander