Silence.
A guttural howl of anguish tore through Brad's earphone. Myra.
"I'm heading over, Brad," she screamed, her voice hoarse and breaking.
Brad didn't stop her, nor did he want to.
The battle cruiser Windstorm, surrounded by its destroyer screen, was in sight. Brad weighed his chances on getting close enough for an effective shot.
Studying the scene, Brad did not, at first, see the gray sphere separate from the Windstorm and plunge ahead. Hodak did, paled, and pointed wordlessly. Brad stared at the sphere. His heart pounded.
The Windstorm had launched a guided fusion warhead.
The target was obvious.
Brad knew the warhead's capabilities from the Neptune briefings. The Windstorm carried a K12, a fifteen meter-diameter warhead capable of destroying a natural minor satellite or a large populated colony. The bomb's mass was such that a heavy cruiser could carry no more than one. One was all that would be needed to decide the battle. The fireball had a two thousand-kay radius, and the piggybacked neutronic dispenser, once the cloud was released by the detonation, would inflict radiation death throughout tens of thousands of kay in all directions.
The UIPS fleet faced annihilation, as did Slingshot.
Brad reacted instinctively. He jerked his ship around and pumped max thrust after the speeding warhead.