The bridge of DSS Fury was in flames. The heavy stench of ozone and burned composites filled the air. It seemed there were bodies everywhere. Commander Hunter was at the pilot’s controls attempting to bank the diving ship away from her attackers. The maneuver was crude and dangerous, but effective. The enormous strike cruiser’s heaviest armor was now facing the enemy’s most formidable weapons.

“Get me a status on those battle screens!”

“Still down! Power relays are off-line. Autosystems report a memory core disconnect!” Sabrina Mallory shouted. She had taken over the tactical station moments after the second shift officer had been nearly burned to ash by a thrown phosphor-mellicite satchel charge.

“Get me engineering on emergency intraship!”

The Fury veered back to starboard, attempting to cut under the three-ship formation pursuing her. Close-range defensive weapons poured high-energy bolts of destruction at the frigate squadron, but the smaller ships’ battle screens deflected much of their power. Without her heavy weapons, Jayce knew she would be unable to engage with any effectiveness.

“Engineering! Mathis here!”

“Paul I need the autosystems back on line!” Hunter shouted. “We have no weapons control at the conn!”

“Affirmative, commander! Mains are functional! I can transfer–”

The entire ship went dark in an instant. The sound of the generators spinning down caused the bridge deck plates to vibrate. The only light remaining was from the fires. Commander Hunter scrambled out of her tactical harness and moved towards Lieutenant Mallory’s station. Before she got far, another mellicite charge blasted a ragged hole in the barricaded bridge entrance hatch. Lights from what appeared to be powerarmor helmets stabbed through the darkness. They dodged back and forth as the intruders crazily tried to climb through the breach.

Somehow through the daze and exhaustion, Hunter remembered her conversation with Hawkins. They’re Skywatch!

Jayce drew her blaster and aimed at the hatch. But when she pulled the trigger nothing happened. She looked at the dark indicators and dropped the useless weapon on the deck. There was only one option now.

She moved quickly to the breach, grabbed the first intruder’s helmet with both hands and heaved back. The sudden change in momentum pulled the armored humanoid off balance and he piled through the breach, leaving a sudden open space behind him. Hunter quickly went to his left side and found a concussion grenade right where it was supposed to be. She detached it, armed it and underhanded it with all her strength through the breach. She ran back to a semi-conscious Lieutenant Mallory and dove her to the deck.

The explosion nearly ripped the air out of their lungs. Somehow Commander Hunter managed to reach up and activate Fury’s self-contained disaster beacon. Its indicator glowed white for a few moments and then began blinking.