Thirty-eight
 Not again, thought Intrepid as he faced the impending doom of Rover's Block Yard property. He'd already seen and defended the Fun Party Place, another Block Yard from an invasion force just like this. Pirate ships, â; Dragons, â; from the Maelstrom Dimension, â.
 Terrible pictures flashed in his mind. He gulped and they caught in his throat. Not everyone there had survived.
 Not this time, if he had anything to do about it. Intrepid stared the onslaught down. They were a mile long, a mile off, and closing fast. The infected Venture was large enough to see inside its bridge.
 "We have to slow them down. On three we'll hijack the lead pirate ship and turn it on the others." Red said from next to him. The unverse manipulator was in her hands and ready to be used again.
 Intrepid slipped his gear on. He eyed the pirate ship, which was indeed closer. It looked easy enough to board, with an open top, and only a hundred armored Stromling Pirates on the deck. "Why not the Venture?" he asked.
 "The Venture is too technologically sophisticated. They could have traps on board. On my mark."
 Intrepid gripped the manipulator in his pocket. He counted one, two.
 "Three."
 They relocated to the prow of the pirate ship and immediately began shooting. Despite their golden armor Stromling Pirates fell all around Intrepid to the piercing bullets of Red's laser pistol. Intrepid allowed an Admiral to grapple his shield, switched out his gun, and smashed the monster with his staff.
 In the middle of the boat was the wheel, controlling more than hydraulic rudders to make the ship fly. These Stromlings felled pretty easily, Intrepid noted, as he battled his way to the steering mechanism. Red shot the head off the Stromling manning the device, and after Intrepid spun the wheel left he smashed it. They returned to the Block Yard to watch the pirate ship careen into the starboard shields of the Venture. Its wood hull splintered on impact and Stromlings either smashed or fell off but the Venture barely wavered off course.
 "I don't think that did anything." Intrepid said.
 "No, it didn't." Red agreed. "Worth a shot."
<ac_metadata title="Chapter 38"> </ac_metadata>