“I need you to find them and guide them to us.” I knelt to stare in his dark, round eyes and ensure he comprehended our situation. “If they haven’t received our message, then you need to explain things as best you can. Whatever you do, get them here.”
Leaping off the console with his tail as the spring, he landed on the floor and nodded his head vigorously. He sent an image of him with other Rhonar and projected feelings of calm. Then, he popped from our dimension.
“Whoa,” Jane whispered. “That was…um…easy?”
I sighed as a warning symbol appeared on the screen. “It’s about to get harder. The stealth shielding has used too much energy. We won’t be able to re-engage it.”
Reclaiming our seats, we didn’t speak as the ship continued onward. It was another span later, when she said,I’m afraid to break the silence. Like it would be a jinx or something.
I know, ljona. I feel the same.I cocked my head toward her.There are other ways to distract ourselves.
She laughed as I intended.That sounds so much more appealing than staring into space—literally.Her hands came to rest atop the console, fingertips pressing together.But you know neither of us are leaving the bridge.
I did. My Truxoria and I had differences that complimented each other, but in many aspects, we were the same. Our devotion to our people, our dedication to duty, and most of all, our need for control, all culminated together to guarantee that neither of us was going anywhere. We’d sleep in our piloting chairs, if we had to, but it was more likely we would not rest, until we got the ergamite to Earth.
When the alarms went off around the ship, rest was the last thing we had to worry about. “Report.”
“Incoming Mangox vessel approaching at bearing 201 mark 11.”
“Shit!” Jane programmed the screen to the coordinates. An image of a battle cruiser took up the entire space. “What are the odds it’s the same ship?”
An incoming transmission roared through our speakers. “Rhonar vessel, cease your engines in the name of Capo Mulo.”
I ground my back teeth. “Draving good, I’d say.”
Her hands flew over the controls. “Evasive maneuvers.”
“Acknowledged.” I yanked on the steering column and put the ship in manual flight. If we had any chance of escaping, I needed to throw off their targeting. “Use the controls by your right hand and keep the hyperdrive active.”
“Roger that,” she said with deadly calm.
“Weapons system online.” Banking to the left, I narrowly avoided a strike from their projectile.
A series of clicks, and the computer said, “Weapons ready.”
“Jane, column to your left, use our lasers to fire back at these bastards.”
I caught her icy smile from the corner of my eye. “Happily.”
Space ignited with back-and-forth volleys. A graze to our starboard side, knocked out our auto-targeting. I re-engaged the system and gave Jane manual control.
“Damn bastards,” she spat as she aimed the laser shots at the underside of their hull.
We had the advantage of being smaller and lighter, able to maneuver easily around their bulk. But if they landed a direct hit on us, we’d be goners.
A piercing alarm wail stopped my hearts. “Fire in engineering block one.” The computer’s even voice pierced my nerves. “Beginning auto-extinguish sequence.”
“We can’t keep this up, Tor.” Her knuckles turned white around the weapons’ controls.
I know, ljona.My kedara surged through my veins. I had not spent a lifetime seeking my mate to lose her now. I sent a silent prayer to the stars.Celestia, help us. See us through.
“Anti-projectile system failing,” the computer announced. “Targeting breached. Impact imminent.”
A cacophonous boom pierced the chaotic battle. Fires ignited across the hull of the Mangox battle cruiser. The flames spread, until it was nothing but a hulking pile of metal in space.
Jane released her death grip on the controls. “What the—?
“Greetings, brather!” A Rhonar warrior’s voice came over the speakers.
