Drill 3 spurted its jet, trying to turn and pull free. Still clamped onto the drill shaft, Dodd plunged Silver, also turning away. Drill 3 drove harder in a kind of tug of war over its drill shaft. Then suddenly the shaft snapped off inside the bow, leaving the shaft in Silver’s tongs.
Dodd released the shaft and sailed Silver quickly back to the other engagement. Whoever was controlling Drill 3 abandoned it. He saw the enemy ship flow away on the next pulse, sideways; it apparently had internal damage he could not see.
A glance at the insert screen told him that President Huang’s introductions were continuing. Only a short time had passed. In the intense action, it had seemed longer.
Deb had lost its match with Drill 2. A puncture in the Deb’s hull told him why it was also adrift down
