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the rail-drive. Navigation, sensors, eyes open."
     
    We zipped across the Eden system and right into The Prophecy.

Chapter 6: THE SKIRMISH AT EDEN 6-1
     
    In orbit around Eden 6-1 were Bricks that looked at first sight like they had been cut to pieces and a weird, dark, cold vessel being attacked by another Brick.
     
    "Divine... Those poor people..." Annina was as shocked as the rest of us. We watched the Brick flying around the dark vessel, shooting lances and pulses of weapons magic which were absorbed by its shield. There were several things that looked like nothing I had ever seen that were tracking the Brick and before any of us was able to say or do anything else they shone several beams of light at the Brick. Its shield flared brightly and failed almost instantly and it got cut to pieces, just like the others.
     
    All that happened in the time needed for me to take a deep breath.
     
    "Battle stations! Battle stations! This is not a drill!" I yelled loudly. "Shields up, all Shield Wizards report to the shield room and combine your magic! Weapons to the turrets, communication: Use your magic to communicate a live stream of this to everyone that might listen."
     
    The Brick became a flurry of movement, yells and lots of cursing. Lieutenant McGlennan kept order outside of the bridge and yelled everyone where they needed to be.
     
    I was attempting to scan the vessel in front of us. "Sensors, do you see any more than I?"
     
    Annina answered: "No, sir. it looks and feels cold, lifeless. Almost dead."
     
    That's when it struck me. Those might be the "Dead weapons" the Prophecy was talking about! "Communications, emphasize this: 'The dead weapons are likely here.' Don't ask, please - there is little time. Engines, drive us around that thing, fly erratic and make us as hard a target as you can. Annina, be ready to take command when we come under fire - I will lend my own magic to the shields."
     
    While we surged forward to the vessel that was already turning towards us, Annina nodded. I linked up to the Brick's magic through my chair (the captain's chair was basically an Omni-Control-Rod disguised as a chair) which flared bright white, just as my eyes I knew.
     
    The Engines Wizard took me by my word and weaved us around the enemy vessel in a fast, erratic, nonrhythmic way that made it difficult for their light-shining weapons to hit us. Until their whatever-was-controlling-their-lights got lucky and hit us hard. The pain that exploded all across my body and brain was nearly too much and I was distantly aware of screaming. That was probably all of us shields, we were all in the same pain. Fortunately that lasted only about a second until the engine got us out of the enemy lights.
     
    Panting and healing myself I heard Annina yell for healers for the shields, and that communications should include the info that 10 pips of shields were just enough to survive a hit by the dead weapons. I recalled her having been in my mind during the hit, and that I clearly felt that the two shields in the shield room were a Master Shield Wizard (2 pips) and an Adept Shield Wizard (3 pips). Combined with my 5 pips we had a total of 10 shield pips.
     
    I fixed the thought in my head that 12 shield pips per Brick would be better, just to be on the safe side. Also, it might be good if we could identify specific Bricks easier than describing who commanded and crewed them. Like the stone we had retrieved from Eden 2, the one with the blue underside. In a quarry that could easily be identified amongst many other stones.
     
    The next order Annina yelled I heard clearly: " Quarry to fleet command: Make that 12 shield pips per Brick to be safe, and send help please!" What? No, I had some numerical system in mind. Annina gave me a mental pat on the shoulder: 'Just keep us alive, sir.' I snorted mentally.
     
    Then we were hit again and I was busy screaming in pain. After the engine brought us out of the enemy light again I started wondering