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| �Fifty kilometers,� warned Lieutenant Horne. �Sir?� �Steady on shields...� �Slow down, Simpson,� advised Lieutenant Quan�Tan. �We don�t want to overshoot the translight engines. This has to be timed perfectly for it to work.� �Twenty kilometers �til shuttles impact with shields!� Horne called out. Commander Vaughn leaned from his chair over to Mansel. �Captain?� �Not now, T.J.� �Be ready on main gun,� Anarcha said, half standing/half leaning out of her chair aboard the Crimson Star. �We�ll only have a second.� �And what of that lonely shuttle riding beside the Explorer?� the Gunnery sergeant asked. �It�ll be caught in the blast. If not...target it next.� �Ten kilometers. Captain, I suggest--� �Suggestion noted, Lieutenant, thank you.� �Darryl...� �Shut up, Jim.� Taking constant reading from the Explorer, Lieutenant Quan�Tan said, �be prepared to execute thrust.� �Right.� �Three kilometers,� announced Horne. �Two...one...� �Drop shields,� ordered Mansel calmly. �Fire!� yelled Anarcha. �Now!� exclaimed Quan�Tan. As the Explorer dropped her shields to allow the shuttles to enter the bay, the Crimson Star fired its main gun. Ensign Simpson had anticipated this and applied a burst of speed at the exact moment needed. The laser from the Crimson Star�s main gun impacted with the armored shuttle, taking the brunt of the force. The leftover voltage hit the Explorer�s translight engines. �They hit the engines!� Fleury called from Engineering. �We won�t be able to go to translight!� �Vaughn, Brungess, get down there and see what you can do to help!� ordered Mansel. �We need those engines!� |
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