Go Down with the Ship by Lynn Townsend
Captain Galton waited, still seated at the helm, fingers templed together in front of his chest, eyes staring blankly out at the sea of stars. The circulating fan spun noisily, using the last of his emergency power to keep the CO2 scrubbers running. He didn’t turn when he heard Dain’s boot heels against the steel quarterdeck.
The distinct click-whrrrr of a voltaic pistol didn’t even stir him. Galton was beyond fear, beyond anger. He was all the way to contemplative. A truly dangerous state. He didn’t turn.
“I didn’t expect you to surrender,” Dain said.
“Your disregard for safety is truly astounding,” he replied. “You had a mass-cannon pointed at my ship at close range. You’d have killed us both if you fired. What else was I supposed to do?”
“Go d
