Saved by the Alien Dragon by Stella Cassy

Author:Stella Cassy [Cassy, Stella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

16

Dashel

Natalie and Lara hurried onto the command deck just as Ranel, Lehar, and I were taking our positions. A large fleet of Alliance vessels filled the viewscreen like a swarm of angry wasps ready to strike. The various factions were clustered together: Pax, Moset, Coovooan, and Vence, plus about a dozen assorted smaller groups of vessels from the less-influential planets in their empire.

“It looks like you brought some friends with you,” Ranel said to Lehar dryly.

“Impossible!” he exclaimed, horrified. “If they'd been following us this closely, our sensors would have detected them!”

“Unless they had some form of cloaking apparatus,” I pointed out.

“According to our spies in the Alliance, they shouldn't have been able to achieve that level of technology for at least five years, let alone outfit their strike ships with it!” the helmsman said.

“Then either our information was faulty, our spies are double-agents, or the Pax stepped up their efforts when they found out we'd breached their blockade to get here,” I replied. “We can figure that out later. Right now, we need to get a message to our people on the surface so they can help us fight them off.”

The helmsman tapped a series of commands into his console and a thin microphone protruded from it. He spoke into it urgently: “This is the Wyvern, signaling all drop-shuttles and planetary forces! We're under attack! Mobilize and meet us at the coordinates I'm transmitting to you, at once!”

“Did they get the message?” I asked. “Are they on their way?”

The helmsman shook his head. “I...don't know, captain. It looks like the Pax are jamming our communications array.”

“Re-route power from all non-essential systems to boost the signal and try to reach Tarion's forces,” Ranel ordered.

“They're too far away, sir! They'll never make it in time!”

“We'll have to buy time until they do, or there's no way we'll survive this onslaught.” Ranel turned to Lehar. “You can transmit orders to your fleet from the tactical console. Hopefully, they've still got some life left in them.”

“They're manned by skeleton crews,” Lehar said, running to the tactical station and pushing buttons on it quickly. “Almost half my people are in your sickbay right now.”

“We'll have to make do,” I answered, leaning down to address the crew through the ship wide comm. “All hands: We are under attack from a Pax fleet. Man the escape pods immediately.”

“We've barely taken any fire, and you're ordering them to abandon ship?!” Lehar balked.

“No, but that's probably what the Pax will think, which should at least give us the element of surprise. We've made a few unorthodox modifications to our hardware since we got here, Lehar. I think you'll approve.”

Suddenly, the lights on the ship darkened, and a booming voice filled the comms: “Hielsrane forces. You have committed acts of trespassing, thievery, and violence against the Pax Alliance. Our numbers and weapons systems are vastly superior to yours. You cannot prevail in this conflict. Surrender, and your lives will be spared. Resist, and you will be destroyed.”

“Burn in hell, you worthless bastards,” Natalie said through gritted teeth, reaching out to take my hand.

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