[center][h2][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBON7CKMXjU]Stab From Hell's Hot Heart, Father Joan![/url][/h2][/center]

The pirates, in their fumbling attempt at defense, had merely created another opportunity for Father Joan. The massive plume created by the contact of shell and shield commanded the attention of one Rook, waiting to see if his missile had struck true, while the other pilot desperately fumbled to regain control of his shell shocked HFV. The projectile disappeared into the enormous cloud.

80mm Vulcan rounds returned fire in due course, but no accompanying HFV followed them; this far out of range, the rounds pinged uselessly off of the undamaged Rook's armor.

Nothing emerged from the cloud after the Vulcans stopped, either.

The lion had gone quiet...

[color=a0410d][i](Railguns moved into position.)[/i][/color]

...and then yawned from underneath the cloud, both over-the-shoulder railguns positioned to fire squarely through the "groins" of the two HFVs and up through the cockpits, where no shield or return fire could protect them.