Splendor's Orbit: An Epic Space Opera Action-Packed Adventure by Jina S. Bazzar

Author:Jina S. Bazzar [Bazzar, Jina S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jina S. Bazzar
Published: 2023-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Thirty hours before we reached Dante’s Gateway and two weeks after the incident in the galley, I was still no closer to figuring out Lorenzo’s plans. Worse, the constant heightened awareness had my nerves fraying almost to the point of snapping.

It became obvious when a pair of moving asteroids made me put the ship on high alert, and everyone strapped down for hours. Despite getting no reading of life from the two rocks, I didn’t let the emergency alert up. Hostile ships could be hiding behind either or both. By that point, paranoia had a full grip on my mental faculties. It didn’t help that Sullivan and Ravi kept vigil on the bridge with me, one in the co-pilot’s seat, the other in Tactical.

It was only a day after we’d passed the two asteroids and a few hours before we reached Dante’s Gateway that my muscles and my mind began to relax.

And that was my mistake.

A warning appeared on my screen at the same time Mac alerted me of the imminent attack.

The words Potentially Hostile flashed on the screen.

“We have a situation,” Mac said in my ear. “A combat Voner ship approaching.”

“Where,” I asked, not bothering to do it sub-vocally. My fingers flew over the console and brought the specs up on the screen.

“Thirty-six degrees to the right, about 300,000 kilometers away.”

The screen zoomed in on the ship, at first nothing but a dark splotch in the dark. But then the slick lines became clearer, and I recognized what it was. I’d faced a few of those in the past ten years and knew what they were capable of.

“Pirate ship,” Ravi remarked, studying the screen.

“It appeared straight to that quadrant,” Mac said in my ear. “I’d dare say they hopped to that location on purpose.”

“I don’t suppose they’re friendly?” Sullivan asked.

“No,” Ravi and I answered together.

My screen lit up with another ship, this one on the starboard side, then another at our stern.

“Communication request incoming,” Mac announced through the loudspeaker. “Stealth Ship Eagle 13, requesting open channel with the Splendor.”

“Accept,” I said.

The face of Captain Elias appeared on the screen. “Captain Lee,” he began. “We detect three hostiles closing in. I’m sending you their coordinates.”

“We see them.”

“Can the Splendor hop away?”

“Is there a second option?” I asked, avoiding the eyes of Ravi and Sullivan.

“A hasty retreat. How long can you maintain sub-light speed?”

Not long enough if I want the Splendor to have sufficient energy to make the jump. “We can manage enough.”

“Very well,” the captain said. “Do you have any heavy artillery?”

“Some,” I replied vaguely. My ship was no warship, but it wasn’t defenseless. Baltsar had made sure if push came to shove, I could handle my safety and the safety of my passengers. The fact that I never really needed to use any in a fight said something about how unassuming the Splendor was.

“Keep your weapons ready. Only engage if you absolutely have to.”

I inclined my head.

A moment later, coordinates appeared on the screen.

I studied our new destination.

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