Sparks could see icons showing that the Mass drivers were reloading and that the beams were cooling, as the Invictus finally closed toser cannon range. Now in range to fire back, the blunt nosed frigate opened up with its two pairs of threeser cannons as it charged in bravely. Half the iingser fire sailed past harmlessly as Alyssa half rolled the Invictus but the other three sts of energy all hit squarely, and were harmlessly absorbed by their shields.


    “Shields at 97%, John!” Sparks said excitedly, and John nced at her, smiling at her enthusiasm.


    With Alyssa’s skilful roll, the Invictus now faced the passing corvette with its bristling top deck, sixteen turretedser cannons now able to track the target as it appeared in their firing arcs. Cra opened fire with a ferocious broadside, and the corvette’s weaker shields shorted out after the first few impacts, leaving the lightly armoured hull exposed to a blistering barrage. The hull lit up asser cannon fire tore it to pieces, ripping the ship in half with explosions.


    “Nice workdies,” John congratted them both, as they neutralised all active pirate ships in just under ten seconds.


    Alyssa brought the Invictus around to nk the Griffon, and she smoothly docked the two craft, their assault cruiser dwarfing the corvette.


    “Do you want me to disable their engines?” Cra asked John cautiously.


    “There’s no need, I can keep them immobilised with the tractor beam!” Sparks interjected.


    Her fingers pressed a number of controls on the console, and the corvette was enveloped in a shimmering purple field, locking it in ce.


    “They aren’t going anywhere!” Sparks grinned happily.


    “Nice work” John grinned back at her, before turning towards Alyssa, and rising from his chair. “XO you’re with me, let’s get suited up fast!”


    The young woman nodded, and darted down the illuminated steps of themand podium to call the elevator.


    “Cra, keep an eye out for other pirates. Separate the ships if you have to fight, but we need to protect the Calypso from any further attacks,” he ordered, as he jogged down the steps to the waiting elevator.


    The Latina nodded, but looked over at Sparks as they shared a worried expression. Thest thing they wanted to do was to abandon their friends with a horde of angry pirates.


    John and Alyssa raced down the corridor on Deck Two, and darted into their walk-in-wardrobe to hurriedly suit up in theirbat armour. John finished gearing up first, and after picking up an assault rifle from the weapon rack, he mmed a magazine home in the bullpup slot, and sighted through the scope. Alyssa had finished getting ready, so he handed her the rifle and a couple of spare mags, before picking up the second matching assault rifle and loading it. Grabbing a few spare mgazines for himself, he turned and followed his lover out of the room as they made their way back to the elevator.


    He could feel the prebat tension building and he nced over to Alyssa to check she was ok. The teenager looked back at him confidently with a sparkling smile, and he felt reassured that she would be able to handle herself. The door swished open, and they both got in, taking the lift down to the lowest deck, where they jogged up to the airlock, and John ced his hand on the DNA reader. A flickering green light travelled across the panel, and scanned the DNA in his hand, beeping quietly in recognition, followed by the airlock door spiralling open in front of them.


    They stepped inside the airlock, with John closing the inner door to the Invictus behind him. He produced the small chrome decryption device from a container on his belt, and feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, he hooked up the device. It hummed happily to itself when he ced it on the airlock door to the corvette Griffon, and they hugged either side of the doorway while they waited for it to do its work. After a few moments there was a dull thunk from the door in front of them, and the sturdy airlock door rotated upwards, granting ess to the ship. John cautiously peered out but could see no weing reception from the pirates, so he retrieved the device and stashed it back on his belt.


    The two of them stepped out into the corridor and followed it around the corner as it led deeper into the ship. John could see that the ship was already looking like it had seen better days, after nearly a month in the pirates less than tender care. He listened carefully for the sound of any nearby marauders, but the only noise he could hear was the muted sound of distant gunfire,ing from what he could only assume was the freighter. They performed a quick sweep of the ship, and John confirmed his suspicions; that the undisciplined pirates had all joined the boarding action, and were probably not even aware that their colleagues had already fallen prey to the Invictus.


    They found the airlock on the other side of the Griffon already open, as was the interconnecting airlock on the freighter Calypso. John took point, and moved quickly and steadily down the first corridor, listening out for the marauding pirates, and following the sounds ofbat. To an unknowing observer, John and Alyssa moved fluidly as a single unit; he moved up to the corridor and covered the right, the blonde moving simultaneously to cover the left. What that observer would be oblivious to, was the silent stream of thoughtmands John was giving to Alyssa as he led her into the ship.


    *We’re approaching another cross section. I can hear sounds ahead, but check the left in case the pirates split up, I’ll cover the right.*


    *Nicely done. Check our rear every twenty paces or so, just in case anyone slipped around behind us. I’ll cover ahead.*


    They stopped at thetest intersection, as John tilted his head slightly, listening intently. *I can hear people talking to our right. I’ll take the lead, you follow but face behind us and watch in case it’s an ambush.*


    They walked quietly down the corridor, seeing an open doorway to the side, sounds of talking getting louder.


    “It’s seems like such a waste,” a voice said, as it drifted into the corridor.


    “I know, but that’s what the Captain ordered,” a gruff voice said in return.


    “They wouldn’t mind if we had a go first would they?” the first voice said lecherously, followed by the sounds of female voices sobbing in despair.


    “How would they know?” the gruff voice chuckled evilly.


    John clenched his teeth with anger and got in position by the doorway. He peeped his head around for a split second before ducking back, glimpsing two figures standing over three kneeling ones.


    *Kneel and take the left,* he thought to Alyssa. He hugged the wall, making room for her to crouch and ready her weapon, while he sighted his rifle on the pirate to the right.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    “Brrt!”, “Brrt!” The two assault rifles chattered simultaneously as caseless hollow point rounds mmed into each brigand from behind. Their heads exploded, showering the opposite walls in gore, and the pirates slumped over lifelessly. John walked into the room, checking for any more pirates he might have missed.


    “Oh thank you!” one of the kneeling women gasped. “They were going to rape us!”