Amidst the shuddering of shoddy panels and bad wiring, the Freebooters braced themselves for close assault. “We’s in range, Kaptain!” Studgrim shouted.

Zed was typically stoic, viewing the battle from the front of the bridge, no more than a half a dozen feet from the portal. “Fire da grappla’s, you know wot to do!”

Grapplers were custom technology, really no more than non-explosive warheads attached to high tension cables. Fired at high velocity, they would embed the tip within the outer hull, cling to the vessel, and allow the ship to be towed. There were better ways of doing it without damaging the other ship, but this was a device meant for war.