Paragon: The Scourge War Book I by A.A. Pierce

Author:A.A. Pierce [Pierce, A.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pierce Publishing
Published: 2024-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Blake. Ryan gasped at the sight before him, the plate of the Euphrates’s destroyed hull embedded in the Scourge sphere. He suspected he hadn’t really taken the time to mourn or even fully consider the death of his former friend. And now, this intense reminder of the very cause of Blake’s death—the battle at Theta-19—faced Ryan head-on.

“Captain, you need to get out of there,” Ashley urged.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

“I’m fine. I …” That pulse throbbed in Ryan’s ears. He was finding it difficult to tell the difference between the one coming from the sphere and the one coming from him.

“You’re not fine, sir,” Ashley warned. “You’re staring directly at a friggin’ war trophy the Scourge proudly hung above their goddamn mantle.”

She’s right. A piece of Euphrates hull plating splayed right in front of me. Not exactly a welcome mat. But I can’t go back yet. There’s still so much more to …!

“Sir?”

“Just another minute, Commander.”

“Sir, if you don’t return to the Naxos, for their safety, I’ll be forced to override your orders, recall the shuttle, and destroy that sphere.”

Ryan briefly closed his eyes and took a deep, frustrated breath. “It hasn’t attacked us, Commander.”

“Which doesn’t mean it won’t.”

“All right, Ashley. One more second and I’m headed back.”

“One more second, sir.”

Great. What can I investigate in a second? He fired his thrusters, drifting to the area of the sphere’s surface just left of the Euphrates’s hull plate. Never in the war's history had a human ever come this close to a Scourge ship or any other piece of their technology. For all he knew, this was the only chance anyone would ever get. The chance to learn more about them. It was a chance he wasn’t willing to give up. Not yet.

He looked down at his belt. The scanner had done him no good, and he didn’t see any other instruments or supplies he might use. A fist-sized container of tightly wound emergency rope. Maybe if I were spelunking into a cave. A canister of medi-gel. Sure, if this thing cuts me in half, could try gluing myself back together. Nothing else seemed like it would help. Gotta be something. He paused. Wait. Is that a …?

A sheathed seven-inch Ka-Bar, the Fleet standard. The knife had a thin, but very strong blade with a serrated edge usually used in emergency situations, such as cutting one’s self free of a tangled seat belt strap.

Haven’t used one of those since the Academy.

“Captain? It’s been a second,” Ashley said.

“Almost done, Commander,” Ryan said.

“That’s it. I’m recalling the Naxos.”

“No! Hold on! I said I’m almost done.”

Ashley didn’t respond.

Ryan attached the safety line at the end of the knife’s handle to his wrist, unsheathed the blade, and held it about an inch away from the sphere. He took a quick breath, not entirely sure this was a good idea.

Ryan stabbed the knife into the sphere.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. The pulse quickened—almost assuredly a direct reaction to his knife.

“Captain?” Ashley asked.

“Swear I’m almost done. Just looking for a …” Ryan trailed off.

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