The four interstellar missiles swung wide around the T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship's bow shield and struck at the hull from several directions.
"They actually carry interstellar missiles! Intercept them! Intercept, quick!" the Fire Salamander commander cried in alarm. Interstellar missiles — that extravagant, single-use weapon — were something warships in a backwater like theirs seldom mounted.
The T3 Arkham's close-in guns opened fire in a flurry, trying to intercept the four missiles. One was intercepted, exploding at some distance from the Arkham's hull. The remaining three struck the Arkham's hull armor.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Port hull armor under attack — port hull armor strength at 82%!"
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Starboard hull armor under attack — starboard hull armor strength at 79%!"
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Starboard secondary-gun position under attack — one secondary gun destroyed; hull armor strength in this section at 71%!"
The Fire Salamander commander could hear the roar of the hull armor being struck; the whole bridge shook. By now he'd utterly overturned his earlier notion of that "T3 Hummingbird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser."
"Didn't you say this ship was a T3 Hummingbird! You tell me, damn you — since when did the T3 Hummingbird mount interstellar missiles!" The commander seized the adjutant by the throat with his own hand.
The adjutant's tail thrashed in terror. "I— I only went by what the ship's database analysis turned up… the data… it said 71% match… and you— you saw it too, at the time…"
The commander's face was ugly to behold; he flung the adjutant hard to the floor.
"This is bad — another wave of interstellar missiles incoming!" a crewman cried tensely.
The commander looked at once to the display: four more of the same missiles bearing down. And he could see, in that T3 warship's silo, another four missiles already loaded and ready.
"Bastard! Order the ships around the T3 Arkham to intercept those accursed missiles with everything they have! And send those T1 warships charging in — ram that T3 warship directly, board her! Board her!" the commander bellowed hysterically.
By now his T3 Arkham's star-shield energy had already fallen to 70%.
Charlotte, for her part, had noticed the enemy's intent. She laughed in contempt. "Mere T1 warships think to board us? With that pitiful speed of theirs — could they even catch up? And even if they worked out our projected course at speed and got there ahead of us — with the crispy armor of those T1 warships, could they withstand the T3 Blizzard's close-in guns? Pay this scrap iron no mind — keep attacking that T3 Arkham!"
As a onetime rebel commander, Charlotte understood well the combat traits of these small interstellar powers. Their military discipline was, in truth, weak; more often than not they relied on a certain do-or-die ferocity, which could, at times, produce fair results. But they also had one enormous flaw: with a rabble fleet like this, the instant their flagship was destroyed, their command system would be paralyzed — and a great many of the fleet's warships would begin to break and flee. And so Charlotte had fixed her target on that T3 Arkham.
Second volley of four missiles: one intercepted; two struck the T2 warships tasked with defending the Arkham, destroying one and crippling another; one struck the Arkham's hull.
Third volley of four: two struck the defending T2 warships and destroyed them; two struck the Arkham's hull.
Fourth volley of four: one intercepted; two struck a T2 warship and crippled it; one struck the Arkham's hull.
Fifth volley of four: three struck the defending T2 warships — one crippled, two destroyed; one struck a secondary-gun position on the Arkham.
Sixth volley of four: two struck the defending T2 warships; two struck the Arkham's hull.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Part of the port hull armor has been breached; six hull compartments affected — sealing off in emergency; 12 crew lost."
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Star-shield energy at 37%!"
The Fire Salamander commander looked, his expression a tangle, at that gray warship opposite — like some gray god of war. What in the accursed cosmos was this ship, to have firepower so terrifying, and hull armor as terrifying besides?
At this moment, their T3 Arkham's cluster-laser had ceased its output and entered the reset-recharge phase; the next attack would come only after 300 seconds. The main and secondary guns on the hull kept up their assault on the T3 Blizzard, but owing to the angle, could only strike its shield. The enemy ship, by contrast, kept its cluster-laser firing without pause; facing the encirclement of a whole swarm of Fire Salamander ships, it was unhurried — ferocious in attack, orderly in defense.
T3 Blizzard — Bridge
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Star-shield energy at 47%…"
"Report — our bow cannon can sustain another 10 seconds of fire, after which it enters the reset-cooldown phase. The reset-cooldown takes 300 seconds." reported the crewwoman handling the bow-cannon module.
Charlotte looked at the data modules for the main and secondary guns. The main guns were in the cooldown-reset phase; the next strike would come in 20 seconds. The secondary guns were on standby.
"Secondary guns, stay on standby, await my order. Interstellar missiles, change attack direction — three more volleys, and put them on the T3 Arkham's shield." Charlotte changed her order.
The missiles that followed all went for the shield, slamming into it one after another. At last, the T3 Blizzard's bow-cannon cluster-laser ceased its terrifying assault.
But at this moment the pack of lizards on the T3 Arkham's bridge couldn't feel the least bit glad. They watched that star-shield energy value — down to a single digit now — and in their hearts a stampede of 10,000 curses ran wild.
With one more volley of missiles' bombardment, that red single digit became a "0."
Through several display windows, the Fire Salamander commander saw, clear as day, every main gun and secondary gun on that terrifying T3 warship swing round and lock onto his T3 Arkham.
"Damn it!" the commander muttered, two words, utterly crushed.
Charlotte, on the other side, gave the order to fire, calm as drifting cloud.
Four 2500mm-caliber medium railgun main guns!
16 medium pulse-laser secondary guns!
Firing all at once!
Target: the enemy fleet's flagship, the T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship!