*   *   *

“Nice shot, Corsi!”

Corsi nodded back and stepped away from the console. “Thank you, Commander.”

Just then Gomez’s combadge beeped, and they all heard Gold’s voice. “Gomez, report. What was the rumble we just felt?”

Sonya smiled and tapped her badge to respond. “Good news, Captain. We’ve eliminated the Androssi ship. Coast is clear.”

“Good. How did you do it?”

Sonya glanced over at Corsi, who was hefting her warp rifle again. “I asked Corsi for aid, sir. And she figured it out.”

Gold’s laugh came through clearly. “Well, leave it to her to think of a way to shoot somebody while holed up in a sun. So, are you going to tell me the rest, or are you going to make me lie awake trying to figure it out?”

Sonya gestured at Corsi, who shrugged and hit her own badge. “It was simple, Captain. This ship is built to absorb solar energy. We’re inside a sun. So we’re effectively invisible—their sensors would simply show solar activity while we were here. That meant we could move right up near the sun’s surface and they still couldn’t see us.”

“Okay, but that’s still a few miles from them. Even the guns Stevens rigged for this monster can’t reach that far.”

“No sir.” Corsi smiled. “But its main engine can. We turned around and used the engine as a giant rifle. The blast looked just like a solar flare—which it basically is—and had more than enough range to destroy their ship. And it all happened too fast for them to react, much less send any messages.”

“Nice work, Corsi. Now, Gomez, if we’re all done here, let’s take care of this ship once and for all. And I’d like to get the da Vinci back where we can see the stars, if you don’t mind.”