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the commander. “Sir, those fighters are faster than we are. We are sitting ducks in these things! We need to turn back!”
     
    Justin watched on his screen, the Marine shuttles were coming about and retreating! Cowards! He drew his sidearm and pointed it at the head of the Pilot. “If you cowards turn to follow those others I will kill you! Now, make this ship go faster we have a station to capture and traitors to kill!”
     
    The pilot complied and the shuttle increased in speed. Looking at the screens Justin saw that about half of ‘his’ ESS troops ship had turned around and were making for the fleet. He screamed his outrage at this and yanked the communicator away from the copilot.
     
    “Attention all ships, you will return to formation NOW! All ESS personnel are to stay with me, we are attacking this station together! Replace your commanders if you have to but we are not cowards we attack, not retreat!”
     
    Several of the shuttles turned away from the direction of the fleet and resumed course. The rest joined the Marine units and retreated.
     
    The rebel space fighters opened fire when they came into range. Missile alarms and alert sirens began sounding inside the cockpit. Red lights flashed on the defensive consoles as the pilots scrambled to fire counter-measures. The ESS manning the defensive guns were firing in every direction, very few were hitting anything other than the other shuttles. The rebel fighters were a mix of older surplus ships mixed with the newest Imperial fighters.
     
    The faster more maneuverable fighters made short work of the ESS shuttles. Justin watched in horror as those few ships that had chosen to attack with him were blown out of space. The fighters turned away and began to pursue the Marine shuttles that had retreated.
     
    “Sir, the rebels are leaving us alone. What do we do?” The pilot’s were both looking at him.
     
    A feeling of elation came over him. He could do this. All the glory could be his. “Continue your course. Make for the station. We can still attack.”
     
    “Are you out of your freaking mind, Sir! Those fighters can still kill us! Not to mention what the sta..” The sound of a concussion pistol going off in a small space was deafening. A spray of blood and brain matter coated the inside of the cockpit.
     
    The co-pilot just stared at what used to be his friend and fellow pilot. The pilot’s, now headless, body slid out of his chair and onto the floor. Commander Jones had turned toward him, the smoking pistol still in his hand. He could see the fanaticism in his eyes.

    “Do you have anything to say?”
     
    “No, sir. What are your orders?” Closing his eyes he braced himself for the shot that he knew would come.
     
    “Continue the attack!”
     
    The co-pilot, now pilot, changed course and accelerated toward the station. Neither he nor the ESS commander felt the missile blast that incinerated their shuttle in a brief flash of light.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 8
     
     
     
     
     
    Both Minerva and Athena watched the battle with the Imperial shuttles. About half of them had turned around and were fleeing toward the fleet. It was the half that had stayed that interested the two sisters. Min turned to her Intelligence officer. “Have we intercepted any of their communications yet?”
     
    “Yes, ma’am. They are using one of the older codes, one we already know.” He pointed to the plot on the battle screen. “This group that is running, is primarily made up of shuttles containing Marines. These others are ESS craft. There was a broadcast a moment ago, in the clear, the commander called the other shuttles cowards and demanded that they resume formation.”
     
    “Which ship is he on? Are we able to tell?”
     
    “Yes, Ma’am. The ESS commander is on this shuttle right there, the one in the front.” He pointed to a small ship way out in front. The ESS commanders shuttle had increased speed and was headed straight for the