The explosion was immense. Ordinarily the exterior hull and void shields absorbed the blast, but inside, the hardened walls just shot the shrapnel back at the crew. The ship immediately began to list to one side.

“Admiral! The Aquila is off course. There seems to have been an internal explosion in. . . by His will… in the bridge sir. Reports streaming in. Command and control has been compromised. . . Riots. Mutiny, sir” reported one of the bridge staff to the commander of the Vengeance cruiser.

Indeed, on the Aquila, the pressed gangs were showing how little they were actually volunteers. Ordinarily loyal, such a sudden, crimpling impact proved disastrously rattling. They’d never felt such a blast rumble the super-capital ship, and now they suddenly wanted off the once ‘invincible’ battleship, so the remaining leadership of the Aquila tried to keep them in order.