The fighter took off and Corden was out of their improvised bullet right when it began to accelerate. He pulled back to a safe distance and watched the plan unfold. His presumption had been right.
As soon as the Levi changed course and headed for the warship, the Abysmal focused on the immediate threat, leaving the fleeing escape pods alone. Corden didn't see if any of them had been hit, but those were the risks of war.
The Levi was dashing forward. The general could sense the way the rest of the fleet was holding its breath. All eyes had to be on the screens, watching as the lone ship made its attack on the enemy.
But the Abysmal was far from helpless itself. The port gun batteries opened fire upon the incoming ship, but they were unable to get a good shot. Corden had plotted a clever course, keeping the Levi in the cover of the Abysmal itself, so the warship's firing solution was hindered. A few hit home though, knocking the ship-bullet off course.
That was unfortunate, but Corden knew there had been no way to ensure where it hit. He'd aimed it at the docking bay to cause maximum damage, knowing that the bridge and the engines were likely more heavily reinforced. But anywhere the Levi hit was good. At least they'd know.
And know they did.
Levi hit the Abysmal head-on, crashing into its obsidian surface. The Levi was destroyed on collision, the speed it had gathered tremendous. The engine exploded, setting off the nuclear cores. The force of the impact sent smaller ships hurling that hadn't gotten away. For long moments, everything was a whirlwind before the vacuum of space ate away the flames.
And the Abysmal... was unharmed. Corden sat in the fighter, filing away the information almost automatically. He hadn't really expected the collision to do much damage—the Brion warships were built for much worse—but the reality was grimmer than he'd thought.
There wasn't even a scratch on the Abysmal. Like Worgen, it lived up to its legend.#p#分页标题#e#
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lana
Lana watched the Levi on the screens.
A thousand thoughts raced through the captain's mind. She wondered if the crew had made it to safety, if Corden had gotten far enough. Her pulse quickened when she thought of him, no matter how hard she tried to focus on more important matters.
Silly girl, she told herself. The galaxy is going to hell and you're thinking of him.
But the heart wanted what it wanted. As the Levi crashed into the Brion warship, Lana watched, hoping that she wasn't costing anyone their life with her plan.
Standing beside her in one of the greater atriums was Worgen. The general was observing the attack take place along with everyone else. Lana had never heard so many people keep silent, but the thousands around them barely breathed.
She'd been right about that, at least. Everyone wanted to know what would happen. Of course, she benefited from knowing there wasn't anyone aboard.
They all saw it happen. The Levi colliding with the warship, the detonations, the smaller ships of the fleet trying to run from the explosion. And the Abysmal, not even scratched.
If it was a person, Lana thought, it wouldn't have even blinked an eye.
Weirdly, she didn't even feel the bitter sting of disappointment. The shock had overridden every other emotion. It was as if seeing the futility of fighting back had killed all her emotions, but Worgen had a way of relighting them again.
When the general moved, turning to her, Lana felt every hair on her body stand on end.
Relax. You prepared for this. You knew this was coming.
Around her, other people were not taking the Levi's failing as well as she was. The gathered Palians watched with cold sadness, but many Terrans were openly crying. Lana couldn't blame them. To them, it looked like a suicide mission meant to save the fleet, but all it had done was prove their helplessness once and for all.
"Interesting," Worgen said, the gravelly voice cutting straight to her core. "I would have thought everyone in this fleet had already learned their lesson."
Lana knew she had to speak, distract him, before he managed to ask her straight out. If Worgen read the lie in her, there were no words in any language that could have saved her.
"People are scared," Lana said, nodding her head toward those around them who were pale as ghosts. "What do you expect, General? Desperate people do desperate things."
"They do," Worgen agreed, coming closer to her, into Lana's personal space.
His presence was disgusting to her, but Lana didn't dare pull away. Even when that demonic, smoking, red-hot armor of his got close to almost burn, she stood her ground. It was natural for her to fear. Worgen couldn't hold that against her when he tried so hard to inspire it. But if she ran, it would only prove her guilt.
"This ship, Levi, what was aboard it?" Worgen asked, his voice peculiarly calm.
Lana supposed he clearly had no reason to be distressed. Apparently his warship was nearly indestructible, for all intents and purposes. If nuclear detonation did nothing, there were very few things in the galaxy that could have. Possibly none at all. Worgen had to know that.
"It was transporting cores for nuclear power plants," Lana said.
"How do you know that?" Worgen pressed on, coming closer.
Lana felt the scorching heat began to give out. It meant there was a way for Worgen to regulate that. While every inch of her rebelled at the idea of his hands on her—not yours —Lana didn't move. Worgen's gloved hand slid up her arm to cup her chin, forcing her to look up into his bottomless black eyes.
"You told me to," Lana said, having to force the words out of her mouth.
At first, Worgen's appearance had terrified her, but now she had much better reasons to be anxious around him. It was the true, real fear of someone who had no moral qualms. Luckily she'd practiced her excuses in advance.
"I acquainted myself with every ship in the fleet to give you an overview."
As Worgen's dark gaze bored down on her, Lana tried to hold firm. All her plans seemed to be simple in premise but hard to carry out. She had known Worgen would suspect her immediately. Lana knew she was at his mercy and if the general wanted, he'd kill her on the spot. But until she was useful to him, organizing things in his stead... The best defense she could come up with was not lying. It would be difficult, but it could be done. All she had to do was somehow answer all his questions by not speaking a lie.
#p#分页标题#e#
It wasn't much, but it was all she had.
"Did you give the order?" Worgen asked, his forceful tone almost bringing the confession to Lana's lips.
"No," she said, not lying.
"Did you give the Levi the idea to try this attack on my ship?"
"No, General. I don't even have communications with the rest of the fleet."
So far, all true. Brions had broken the comms on the Flora like everywhere else.
"Then explain to me how—"
Lana knew where that was going. If she was made to deny she had anything to do with the attack, her lie would be exposed. She was left with only one option, which was madness.
She interrupted.
"General," she said, daring to raise her voice a little. "No one in this fleet wants to die, but if you take away any hope a person might have, they act in unexpected ways. I don't know what went through the minds of Levi's crew."
For a heart-stopping moment, Lana expected Worgen's spear to slice through the air and cut her head from her shoulders. But it seemed the demon had more patience with her than she'd have thought. The idea was both a relief and a threat at the same time.
The general released her, stepping away from the captain. Lana dared to breathe out again, only now realizing she'd been holding it. Had she done it? Had she really gotten away with it?
Her eyes kept searching the screens mounted on the walls of the atrium, hoping to catch a glimpse of Corden on his way back. If Lana had known he was present, it would have greatly eased her mind. She knew that her gerion would do anything, destroy everything in his path to protect her. Lana remembered thinking it was romantic, back in her youth when she'd first read about the Brion bonds.
Nothing on Terra compared to that. Nothing in the whole galaxy compared.
She thought Corden's words were a boast before, but honestly she knew they were not. It was what he truly believed and was willing to risk his own life for. He wouldn't let even death come between them.
The man still beside her fit the part of death quite well. Worgen's attention was back on the gathered people, all the more terrified now that they'd seen what happened to Levi. Lana thought back on her conversation with Yarel. If any of his fears were true, they might all die very soon. Worgen wouldn't hesitate to kill them all if they couldn't help him.
Yarel was there with her. Lana was very grateful for that and for the effort he was putting out to appear unconcerned. The two of them had to keep cool heads, even if everyone else lost it.
Worgen turned to Yarel.
"You have scientists aboard," he growled. "Bring them to me."
Lana and the bridge commander had predicted this, so a group of Palians appeared when Yarel signaled them. They came, trembling. Lana hoped Yarel had warned them in advance about what Worgen wanted.
She wondered if they'd give it to him if they could, to save their lives.
Worgen measured the Palians from head to toe, a grin on his face.
"A long time ago, your kind gave me and my men our youth back," he said. "They needed a bit of convincing, of course, but ultimately they did."