The universe went mad. Stilettos of X-ray radiation stabbed deep into Fearless's lightly armored hull, breaching compartments, killing here people, clawing and rending at her bulkheads and frame members. And then, a sliver of a second later, the cruiser smashed into the blast front of the warhead itself.
It was below her as she drove forward, not the direct frontal collision from which nothing could have saved her, but a savage eruption of plasma spumed up beneath her belly through the vacuum of space. Generators howled in protest as the massive shock front of radiation and particles smashed at her shields like a flail, but they held- barely- and Fearless heaved like a goaded horse as she shot the rapids of destruction
Ardele clutched at here command chair, head snapping savagely back, despite her shock frame as Fearless leapt about her. Fresh damage signals shrilled, and she shook her head, fighting off the blurred vision and confusion of concussion. She made herself look at her battle board. At least a dozen compartments were open to space now.
Missiles spat from Fearless's launchers, as she closed to artillery range of her target. The two ships raced onward, ripping at one a