A Greater Interest: Samair in Argos: Book 4 by Michael Kotcher

“It’s an idea.”
                  Nazan chuckled.  “I’m not thrilled with the idea myself.  But you’re right.  If we stay here, we can do nothing but die.  Bringing them back around, it’ll delay things that much longer.”
                  “What about Angara and Maitland ?”  She actually seemed to be concerned over the fates of Eridain ’s sister ships.  Her gaze flicked to the side, checking something outside the vid pickup.
                  Nazan checked his own displays.  Angara was engaged with a few gunboats, but it looked as though she was keeping them at bay, though barely, and was getting some assistance from Korqath’s Aplora squadron.  Maitland was holding off the remaining corvette, and as he watched, the FP ship launched a vicious salvo of missiles into the other corvette’s flank, tearing it apart.  Before his eyes, the ship exploded outward and Maitland swooped stately past, turning to presumably lend assistance to Angara .
                  “Well, we’re all still spaceworthy,” Nazan noted, rubbing his chin.  “Can’t say much more than that.”
                  “Captain, assuming no serious course changes, those cruisers will be in weapons’ range in thirty seconds,” Alys reported, her words portending doom.
                  “Stay with us, Leytenant,” Nazan said to Rujarrik on the display.  Then he looked up.  “Helm, set a course around the gas giant.  Best speed but keep us with Eridain .  We’re heading for the mine.”
                  “Aye, sir,” the helmsman replied, engaging the ship’s engines.
                  Nazan did some quick calculations.  Even at their present reduced acceleration, Cavalier and Eridain could outrun the incoming heavy cruiser, but they had no way of outrunning the two light cruisers.  Ships like that normally didn’t have the grunt to catch a pair of corvettes, but now?  It would be child’s play to run them down and blast them apart.  And with Maitland and Angara out on their own, the cruisers would mop up and move in. 
                  Our only real hope at this point is Korqath and his pilots.  He grunted.  Never thought I would be pinning my survival on the skill of a zheen.  Of that zheen .
     
                  “Coming into range now of the first enemy ship, my lord,” Jensen Tyler reported, standing by the tactical station.  His voice was as filled with anticipation as Verrikoth himself felt.  After far too long “racing” across space to get into the battle, it was high time, past time to clear Nemesis ’s guns. 
                  “Excellent,” the zheen replied, his fists clenching and unclenching.  “Target that sship.”  He checked one of the displays in front of him and saw that the local corvette was busy trying to hold off one of Typhon’s corvettes.  It was the last of Typhon’s corvettes, Verrikoth thought, hissing in contempt.  One on one, it appeared that the local ship was going to be the better in the engagement.  “Not any more…”
                  “All heavy lasers and turbolasers targeted, my Lord,” Tyler replied. 
                  “Then by all meanz, Commander,” the pirate lord said, waving one hand grandiosely,
                  Tyler nodded to the tactical officer.  “Engage!”
                  The heavy cruiser’s forward turbolasers opened up, a wave of coherent energy washed out, lancing over from the pirate flagship to the local corvette.  The sleek, stubby winged corvette was raked from stem to stern.  Five full seconds of pounding later and the ship exploded. 
                  “We’ve got three escape pods flying away from the ship, Commander,” the tactical operator reported, pointing to the display. 
                  Tyler nodded.  “Shoot them down.”