Episode 5
Part Three
At the first shot, a tongue of flame ran from the sea up the side of the enemy ship, and as Snowfire watched more shots arced into the dark blot of the target. Now the whole ship burned, the red flames mirrored in the black waters. Snowfire lowered his weapon for a closer look.
"We got it, S.F.!" exulted Hefferan, firing multiple pyro canisters with great accuracy.
"I know," said Snowfire. "Still..." He lifted his farspecs and scanned the enemy carefully.
"Still what?"
"The shape of the flames...it's too boxy. And there have been no explosions from engines or fuel."
"Perhaps it runs on shielded fuel cells. Or perhaps it's a..." "Decoy," Snowfire said in a broken voice, then turned.
When the real ship emerged from the sea behind them, it came as a great shadow, outlined only by tiny pinpricks of silver-blue light. The ship was huge, far larger than Snowfire's escort ship, and along its gunwales waited a mass of shadowy forms, bristling with weapons.
"Why didn't the pilot warn us?" shouted Snowfire. But Hefferan just stood mute, looking at the few remaining pyro canisters at his feet. "Surrender your cargo!" shouted a voice from the ship, young and cocksure.
"Pilot, run!" shouted Snowfire, and he took aim with his rifle as the larger ship drew closer. He shot, not at a person but at the railing they leaned against. His rifle shot exploded against a support and the whole railing pulled outward, the metal groaning, and several of the enemy fell outward and splashed into the darkened sea. Snowfire grinned in spite of himself.
"Forward!" came a shout, the same voice as before, and Snowfire saw a wiry man lift one hand and fire a shot into the air. A flare arced up overhead, the trail of fire sputtering high and then bursting into white fire over their heads. For a moment all of the ships were illuminated, and Snowfire saw his attackers - men and women, in thrown-together outfits rather than uniforms, their faces hard and eager to kill. And at their front stood a man with long blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail and a scarred face.
That man led the charge, leaping down onto the escort ship. A burst of fire issued from the enemy ship and Snowfire braced, only to see a tongue of fire burn into the cargo ship, crippling it. Then the attackers were upon him, swarming across the deck of the escort, strong sea legs holding them steady.
This was a mistake, Snowfire had time to think. We never should have come by sea. This is their element.
Snowfire began firing but the attackers outnumbered them. He saw Hefferan raise his pyro cannon and aim it, but then their leader was in front of him. Snowfire saw the man take a massive swipe with his own heavy rifle, smashing into Hefferan's weapon and denting the barrel. The pyro canister misfired and exploded in Hefferan's hands, sending a burst of liquid fire back up his arms and into his face. Hefferan fell back, pools of fire running across his legs and then across the deck, burning the fallen.
Snowfire pulled a shredder pistol from his belt and fired at a scruffy brunette woman who tore ferociously into one of his people. He turned and ran around the cabin, trying to see how the cargo ship fared. Behind him he heard two more screams, both his own crew.
"Surrender," came the calm, hard voice behind him. Snowfire whirled and lifted his pistol, only to find the wiry figure of the enemy leader against him, pressing his weapon hand aside. Then he felt cold metal in his ribcage.
"Don't," said Snowfire. One of the man's eyes was gone, but the other stared at him with great intensity.
"Why not?"
"I have to know...the secrets of that." He motioned to the cargo ship. "And you...who are you?"
The man smiled tightly. "I am Ulrik Svensgaard, a man who loves the sea."
"You mean a pirate," said Snowfire, and tensed to make a lunge away from him.
Svensgaard nodded. "Yes, a pirate," he said, and Snowfire heard a bust of sound. An icy finger jabbed him in the ribs, followed by a warm fire and darkness.
Her Second nodded.
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