Krimson Surge: A Galactic Race for Justice (Krimson Empire Book 3) by Julia Huni & Craig Martelle

Author:Julia Huni & Craig Martelle [Huni, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Craig Martelle Inc
Published: 2020-05-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Ignoring the incoming communications alert, Dareen pressed the engines as far into the red as she dared. Her parents were docked at Xury Station, but she didn’t know if she could make it that far. She set in a direct course and engaged the autopilot. The second ship stayed on their tail, drawing closer as they ran.

“Maybe they just want to talk to us,” Ellianne said, pointing at the blinking indicator. “Do you want me to answer?”

“Play the incoming message,” Dareen said, “but don’t respond.”

“Aye-aye!” Elli swiped the screen and tapped the icon.

“Attention, Shuttle,” a gravelly voice said. “This is the Intrepid. We are conducting operations in the name of the Federation. Cease acceleration immediately and prepare to be boarded.”

“Federation operations?” Lucas asked, his voice cracking.

Dareen sneered. “That’s not a Federation ship. They don’t turn off their transponders. It’s probably Russosken or some other hired thug.”

“Hired thugs?” Lucas repeated. “That means pirate, right?”

“Are we going to let them board?” Ellianne asked.

“Not technically pirates,” Dareen said. “And no, we aren’t going to let them board. Give me the comm board. You watch the navigation. Let me know if anything changes.”

Ellianne nodded solemnly.

“Attention, Intrepid,” Dareen said. “This is shuttle hotel-lima-seven-eight-five-golf. We will not submit to boarding by an unidentified ship.”

“Listen, hotel-lima,” the deep voice responded immediately. “I just identified us. We’re the Intrepid.”

“Your transponder is off,” Dareen said. “To me, that says pirate.”

“We aren’t pirates,” the Intrepid said.

“If you aren’t pirates, then give us video,” Dareen said. “Hiding behind a graphic and voice modulator says ‘pirate’ as loudly as no transponder.”

The screen went blank, then a man appeared, an eyepatch covering one eye.

“Pirate!” Ellianne screamed.

“What?” the man from Intrepid said. “You mean the eyepatch? I can’t believe you discriminate against the mono-ocular.” He grinned as if daring them to respond.

“Last I heard, the Federation provided their employees with prosthetics.” Dareen said coldly. “When do you get yours?”

“You got me. We aren’t Federation agents, and this isn’t the Intrepid.” The man leaned toward the screen; his eyes focused below the camera. “There, our transponder is back on.”

Dareen swiped her own screen and pulled up the contact screen. The unknown ship now showed a registration out of Hadriana.

Blood pounded in Dareen’s ears. A ship out of Hadriana, demanding to board them. Lucas communicating with an unknown “friend.” This did not look good at all. “What do you want, pirate?” she growled.

“I told you, we’re not pirates,” the man said. “My name is Dean, and my friend Reggie and I were cruising—”

“Reggie?!” All three occupants of the shuttle demanded at once.

“Daddy?” Ellianne asked. “Is my daddy there?”

“Are you Ellianne?” Dean asked. “Can you turn on your video?”

“No!” Dareen hollered.

At the same instant, Ellianne said, “Sure!” and she poked the button.

Dareen slapped the control. “No.” She muted the communications channel. “You know we can’t let anyone know where we are!”

“But it’s Daddy!” the girl said. “I missed him so much, and now here he is! Can I visit him on his ship?”

Dareen stared at the child.

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