Ray shook his head silently at Lodar who stood at the interphone. The captain glanced hastily at the visiscreen, turned back to his mouthpiece.
"Got the range, Campora?" He leaned forward, hawklike. "Now!" he bellowed.
The Vulcan shook as the broadside was fired and the thrusting drive faltered while power surged to the weapons.
It was a miss. Lodar swore.
"Fire at will," he yelled, slamming down the phone. He hurried to the visiscreen.
The other ship had shifted course to follow them, though it was still abeam, still trying to drive them into a spiral. Ray swung the Vulcan again, cutting dangerously close. The dot on the visiscreen swelled and centered on the beam again.
Campora's crew were firing intermittently. A shot exploded on the Company ship's hull, a spray of melted steel that flashed and was gone.
"We disabled them!" Lodar exulted.
The other ship was losing way, still holding its course, but slowing. Then they flashed by it. Ray felt relief. The other wasn't badly hurt. He'd get back to port.