9781939844057 Dragon of the Stars

Chapter Two-1

Chapter Two

“Another ship has appeared, Captain.”

Aden glanced up at the screen. A vessel approached Kavil’s moon. At the present magnification, it was but a spot of light. Aden pressed a button and enlarged that section of space. The trailing edges and trim design gave away its origins.

“A second Biquentas ship,” Aden announced.

“I guess they’ve decided to double their efforts as well,” said Captain Fyall, rubbing his chin with his thumb.

“We still outnumber them.” Only by one ship, Aden thought. But they would need to send a dozen more to match us.

“Too many ships.” Fyall rose to his feet. He stared at the central screen, his chin dropping to his chest. “Too much room for error.”

Aden reversed the view. Kavil once again dominated the scene, her dusky hues poking out from the cloud cover. Three Hyrathian ships orbited the planet, flying above the atmosphere. Five more were hidden by Kavil, forming a protective circle over their claim. Only two weren’t first-class battleships.

You’re not getting past us, Aden thought, gripping the edge of his console tighter.

“Pendar, I need some rest. You have the bridge.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, straightening his shoulders.

Fyall did not depart right away, though. Aden stepped down from his console and waited as the captain drew closer. The older man paused, hands behind his back.

“Let me know if anything develops,” he said, his voice a husky whisper. “Keep everyone on their toes. The close proximity and the quantity of ships is a recipe for trouble. I don’t want to cause an incident that incites a war.”

Aden’s muscles grew tense at the thought of a crew member overreacting. “Not on my watch, sir.”

Fyall pressed his lips into a thin line and patted Aden’s shoulder. Head down, the captain strode toward the exit. Aden waited until he had cleared the bridge before taking the captain’s seat.

He pulled up their trajectory and that of the nearest Alliance ships. They had formed a large circle around the planet. At first glance, the pattern appeared random. Aden knew better though. The same Ormentas ship had orbited over them since their arrival yesterday. The Alliance vessels were dogging them on an individual basis.

Glancing at the main screen, he confirmed the Ormentas’s position; above and behind them. Out of weapon’s range. Aden wanted to keep it that way.

“Maintain our present course,” he announced, rising to his feet. “Lieutenant, I want to keep this exact distance from the Ormentas ship that is trailing us.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I want a full diagnostic every hour from all sections, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

The tension on deck pressed against his temples. The crew was nervous and he couldn’t afford a mistake. He turned toward the weapons officer on duty and his chest tightened at the sight of Ensign Pavott. If anyone were to overreact or misjudge the situation, the consequences would be devastating. Aden was not about to let that happen. Not at the hands of an untried ensign who’d never seen action.

Aden approached the weapons officer and stood sharp at her left shoulder. “Ensign Pavott.”

The woman jumped and spun around in her chair. She caught herself before her boots struck his leg. Eyes wider than ever, Pavott stumbled over her response. Aden decided not to rattle the woman further and suppressed a scowl.

“I want you to safe all weapons and stay alert,” he said, his voice low but forceful. “No engagement unless under my orders, understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Maintain a constant fix on the Ormentas ship over us. I don’t want us to be caught unaware, either.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, her tone stronger.

Satisfied, Aden returned to the captain’s chair to scan for more ships. He would keep an eye on her though. He would keep an eye on everyone.

It’s going to be a long night, he thought.

In the morning, he stayed on the bridge long enough to give the captain a full report. Four more Alliance ships had appeared, shifting the odds. They also had a Khanze ship tracking their movement.

“Orders from Hyrath remain the same,” Aden said as Fyall scanned through the incoming messages.

“We continue to hold our position.” The captain cleared the screen and nodded at Aden. “Go get some rest. Your presence will be required if that changes.”

“Yes, sir.”

The weight of the long, tense night pressed down on his shoulders. He craved sleep and the absence of input. Food was the first priority though. One of the crew members had returned from the mess hall with a sandwich for him, but that had been hours ago. A hearty meal would put him to sleep faster.

He caught the lift before the doors closed. Slipping inside, Aden realized he was not alone.

“Sir!” said Ensign Pavott, stepping aside.

He offered the woman a nod before pressing the code for the mess and galley section. Staring at the closed door, Aden replayed the events of the evening in his mind. He was tired, but it was easier to think when nothing but the sound of the lift’s hum filled his ears.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing at the ensign, he noticed a shiver run through her body. Aden’s attention shifted to the woman. Pavott’s entire body trembled and appeared in danger of unraveling on the spot.

“Ensign Pavott, are you all right?”

She held up her hands, fingers shuddering with force. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, I have the shakes from hunger.”

“Didn’t you eat last night?”

“No, sir.”

Aden shook his head. Now that he thought about it, she’d only left her station twice during the evening, and then for a minute or less. “Why not?”

Pavott looked up, her large eyes peeking out from under her cap. “You told me to maintain a constant fix on that ship. It was my responsibility and I didn’t want something to happen in my absence.”

You’re dedicated, I’ll give you that. If you collapse on me though, the captain won’t be happy with either of us.

The doors opened, sending a wave of delicious smells into the lift. Eager to curb the rumbling of his stomach, Aden stepped into the hall. He hesitated and glanced at Pavott. In the bright lights, her olive complexion had faded to the shade of dragon shells. She staggered forward, the tip of her left boot dragging across the floor. He grasped her elbow to steady the woman. Left to her own devices, she’d doubtless crumple into a heap before reaching the mess hall.

“Come on,” he said, giving her a tug in the right direction.

She mumbled something that sounded like a polite protest, but Aden chose to ignore it. Moving at a pace she could handle, he marched toward the mess hall.

At the peak of the breakfast hour, the room bustled with activity. Aden located the line for food and pulled Pavott in that direction. Those seated at the nearest tables rose to their feet in haste, some still chewing their food. It created a ripple effect across the room, reaching the men and women in line ahead of them. With no one impeding their progress, Aden escorted the ensign to the front of the line.

The servers behind the counter snapped to attention. Aden pointed at the plate on Pavott’s tray and it was filled in an instant. Still gripping her elbow, he snatched the tray from her trembling fingers and led the ensign to the nearest open table.

“Do not skip any more meals,” he said, planting her on the bench. Aden set the tray on the table and shoved it in front of her.

“No sir, I won’t.”

With her drooped shoulders and long face, Pavott couldn’t appear any more remorseful. She reminded him of his younger cousin when the girl got into trouble. He doubted the ensign was milking it to avoid punishment, though. She was more the eager-to-please-type.

Aden tapped the corner of her tray. “Eat everything on your plate and get some rest,” he said, his tone less harsh. Pavott’s chin lifted a little higher.

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

He retreated from the mess hall, a wave of rising men and women preceding him.

That will cause a stir in conversations among the rank and file, he thought. Aden turned toward the officers’ mess. It better not affect anyone’s performance. At least not on my watch.

The jolt of an alarm brought Aden out of a sound sleep. He bolted out of bed and mashed the communicator.

“Captain?” he called, reaching for his trousers.

“We are under attack.”

“On my way!”

In less than a minute, he’d dashed from his quarters to the nearest lift. Two officers joined him, one still buttoning his shirt. The alarm continued to sound, an eerie rhythm that could not be ignored. A red light above the lift door pulsated with urgency, echoing the alarm. Every muscle in Aden’s body tensed for action.

The ship shuddered. Aden glanced up, trying to pinpoint the location of the hit. No sound reached them, though. If the shields held, it would take a lot more than that to penetrate the hull.

The nervous breathing of the two officers imitated the alarm’s tempo.

Keep your heads, Aden thought. You have a job to do. We can handle whatever they throw at us.

The moment the doors opened, he dashed to his station. The ship vibrated from another hit and Aden grasped his console. The captain shouted for evasive maneuvers and a shield report.

“Still at full strength,” an officer said.

Aden pulled up his screen and analyzed the ship above them. The small Khanze vessel continued to pursue the Ryzell, but not without considerable damage.

“She’s damaged port-side,” Aden announced, “and leaking fuel.”

“Focus on the Ormentas ship then,” the captain shouted.

Two against one? Aden glanced up at the main screen. The Ryzell bore down on the larger ship like a dragon descending on its prey.

“Shadvey, I want your squadrons to concentrate on the Khanze vessel,” said the captain. “Pendar, where is the Ormentas ship damaged? I want to hit her where it counts.”

Aden ran a scan on the ship. “Minor damage to one engine,” he said, unable to locate any serious impairment to the hull. Something else caught his eye though.

“Her shields are drained in three locations.”

Fyall turned to the weapons officer. “Asher, target those areas.”

Aden sent the locations as another blow struck the ship. The vibration shuddered through his bones. Concerned, he checked their shields. The point of impact had drained the shields to half strength. The Ormentas were trying to beat them to the punch.

He glanced at Asher, willing the man to respond faster. Ensign Pavott now occupied the station beside the senior weapons officer. Working in tandem, their fingers danced across their screens, sending orders and firing weapons in rapid succession.

Satisfied, Aden turned to another officer. “Work on restoring those shields,” he ordered.

“Come about, full thrust,” said Fyall.

Noting the shots striking the Ormentas ship, Aden ran another scan. They had broken through the shields in two places. Now they could do some real damage.

“Captain!” Shadvey’s voice broke through the noise on the bridge. “The Khanze ship is in full retreat. We’re still engaged with fighters from the Ormentas vessel.”

“Not for much longer ...”

A flash of light on the screen signified a devastating hit from the Ryzell. Part of the Ormentas ship peeled away. It dangled for a moment before the connecting metal broke free, sending it out into space. The surrounding area of the vessel grew dark.

Aden’s scan confirmed his suspicions. “She’s at half power, sir. All weapons quiet. I think we crippled her.”

The captain nodded. “Stand down, Asher. I want to pull back and get a full assessment of the damage.”

Aden placed the lieutenant on duty in charge of their ship’s damage while he scanned the Ormentas vessel. He wanted to be sure their enemy posed no further threat. The numbers looked decent and he double checked each reading. By the last set of readings, the knots in his neck eased. Analysis of the Ormentas ship proved she was indeed unable to return fire and running on auxiliary power. The vessel was one step away from being adrift in space.

“That takes care of one problem,” said the captain, his voice loud enough for Aden alone to hear. Stepping away from the console, Fyall straightened his shoulders. “I want status updates on our other ships.”

“Yes, sir,” the communications officer shouted. “Two battleships checked in while we were engaged and are in the clear. I’ll contact the others.”

“Sir,” said Aden before the captain could step away. “What started it?”

Fyall’s scowl deepened, his gaze taking in the activity on the bridge. “We picked up an exchange of fire between the Tarquin and a Biquentas ship. Before we could move in to assist, the Ormentas ship bore down on us and opened fire. Several of our ships engaged the Alliance vessels, but once the Khanze vessel joined the fight, I lost track of the individual skirmishes.”