Legacy of Stars (Backyard Starship Book 4) by J.N. Chaney & Terry Maggert

Author:J.N. Chaney & Terry Maggert
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2022-01-16T05:00:00+00:00

16

THERE WAS NO AMBUSH, as it turned out. In fact, there were only two other ships present besides ours, a yacht registered to a holding company and a class six workboat that had supposedly been scrapped three years ago. Both were docked at the station, and neither made any attempt to run once we lit the drive and started our approach. In fact, aside from some scanner pings, there was no reaction to our arrival.

“Not exactly the most prepared villains, are they?” Torina said.

“Maybe they were expecting someone else and we just happened to show up first,” Icky suggested.

But I pointed at the comm panel, at the transponder controls. “We’re broadcasting our Peacemaker identity and credentials. It’s more like they just don’t—I don’t know, care?”

We cautiously approached until we were only a klick from the station. Still nothing. Not a call over the comm, no sudden barrage of active scanners, just silence.”

“Oh. I just had a thought. What if they’re all dead over there? An accident, or something?” Torina asked.

Perry answered. “I’ve been scrutinizing the incoming data. There’s clearly power being generated, the station is heated and pressurized, there aren’t any unusual amounts of radiation—if they are all dead over there, it’s owing to nothing we can detect from out here.”

I shrugged. “Okay, then. Netty, take us in to one of those empty UDAs. Let’s just try the front door, shall we?”

We made it to the open universal docking adapter without incident, established a hard dock, and readied ourselves at the airlock. I had The Drop drawn and ready in my right hand, while I rested my left on the pommel of the Moonsword. Over my b-suit, I wore the shoulder pauldrons Linulla, the Starsmith, had made for me. Torina likewise wore her vambraces, and Icky her helmet. We were going to enter in full Peacemaker mode, credentials blazing.

Netty opened the Fafnir’s outer airlock door, revealing that of the station. I raised The Drop, Torina hefted her own sidearm, and Icky stood behind with her massive sledge poised. “Okay, Perry, see if you can get that door—”

It abruptly slid aside.

“—open. Uh—yeah, thanks.”

“It wasn’t even locked,” Perry said.

I nodded and pushed into the station’s airlock. Only its inner door stood in our way. Surely it was going to be locked. Still, I gave the control an experiment tap.

It opened.

Without hesitating, I entered the station, ready for a dire confrontation.

“Moist!”

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