The Nkhata Curse by J.R. Shippen

Author:J.R. Shippen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9798789546178
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2021-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

They took it. The pursuing ship burned, to slow and match their course. They intended to board them. To take whatever they could - the cargo, even to take the ship as a prize. They were gambling that there would be little resistance from the crew. Theoretically, they were correct in that assumption. They would almost certainly outnumber the crew of the Azad Kuh.

They prepared to fight. There were stores of combat armour in the main cargo bay, and Vash helped Victoria into a dark-green, light-armour suit and gave her a repeating rifle. There had never been any question as to whether she was going to fight alongside them, either from them or from her. She was ready. She chewed on her adrenalin again, but this time breathed deeply and softly and obtained mastery of the situation. Get control. Jules’ hand was on her shoulder as she raised the rifle into the shoulder-rest of the suit again.

The incoming ship was now close enough to be visible. It was a mongrel like the Azah Kuh. In its former life its function had been different, a survey vessel perhaps, something distinctly less menacing. Weapons and manoeuvring systems had been bolted on to it.

Ico had readied an electromagnetic weapon. This was standard procedure, he had explained, for any boarding action. To stop the enemy from sending in a bunch of hunter-killer drones just fry the electronics of everything in a kilometre radius, even if only temporarily. In the darkness, on their ship, they could shift the balance of power back in their direction.

“Engaging EMP,” Vash warned over an optical channel. The enemy ship had docked with them, firing six cables to attach the ships together. The hull of the Azad Kuh rattled as the magnetic cable grips hit it. The sounds echoed through the ship, making it seem brittle and fragile. Their defensive strategy required that they be positioned in pairs, at two chokepoints positioned between where the boarders would cut through the hull and the bridge. Vash and Graetz had taken the first point, where the fight would begin. They planned to do what damage they could, before forcing the invaders towards the second chokepoint, and taking a secondary route to the bridge through an access tube.

Victoria was with Tarina at the second chokepoint. Their instructions were also to inflict whatever harm they could, before falling back and making a final stand - the five together - at the bridge.

The EMP ignited and they were bathed in the amber and red light of emergency-power illumination. Silence. Victoria wore the ill-fitting helmet that came with the suit, but left the visor open, at Tarina’s suggestion. Use your senses, she’d said. Hear them, see movements in the shadows.

Gunfire. Victoria could feel it in the vibrations that travelled through the small ship. Metres away. Clatters of brutally loud weapon fire, interspersed with single shots from smaller guns. A scream. It was not a voice she knew - or was it?

“Got one.” Vash sounded uncommonly hurried on the optical channel.

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