Girl from the Stars Book 3- Day's End Page 17

  “Alright, men, women, and,” Senior Commandant Day glanced at Liora, “Daughter, our mission is to rescue the SS Hyperion and get the crew, including my son, back safely. I’ve had word that there are Ketulans present, so please be cautious.”

  “Ketulans,” Liora heard Devren repeat.

  Liora met his gaze. “Father said it earlier, but I haven’t had a chance to ask him about them.”

  “I guess we’re going to find out for ourselves,” Devren replied. He pulled on his helmet. “Be careful, Liora. I’ll see you out there.”

  “Take care of yourself,” Liora told him.

  He gave her a salute and jogged over to a TDV Nine named ‘Obsidian’s Wrath.’

  Liora climbed into the Day’s End. The scent of new starship assailed her nose. The fact that she was going to take it out for the first time sent a rush of nervous energy through Liora. She had flown a few times. Most controls transferred over between the Coalition crafts, but her father’s engineers had definitely tweaked things from what she was used to.

  “Uh, is the starter really just a print reader?” Hyrin asked over the headset.

  “Yes,” her father replied. “Press your thumb to the reader and speak your name. The recognition system from the Corian database will verify your identity and ask me for approval, then I get to decide whether or not you’re worthy to fly one of my multi-million bar starships.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure,” Liora heard Hyrin say over the headset.

  A couple of the other pilots chuckled.

  Liora put her thumb to the reader.

  “Welcome, Liora Day,” the ship said immediately. “Day’s End, at your service.”

  The voice caught Liora by surprise. “Uh, thank you?” she replied.

  A few more laughs followed.

  “Report,” Senior Commandant Day ordered.

  “Bravin, checking in.”

  “Zanden, checking in.”

  “Toria, checking in.”

  After the others had spoken, Liora’s crew followed. She could hear the anxiety in Hyrin’s voice; she knew she and Devren felt the same rush of uncertainty about battling pirates while flying unknown ships, but they hid it better than the Talastan.

  “Let’s go,” the senior commandant said.

  His voice came over Liora’s headset again. “I’ve programmed channel two for your crew so you can stay in touch. Switch to channel one to communicate with the entire team. If you need to reach only me, use the third channel.”

  “Got it,” Liora replied. “Thank you.”

  “Liora?”

  “Yes, Father?”

  The sound of a smile showed in his voice when he said, “Take care of yourself.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  To Liora’s surprise and relief, the TDV Nine’s system walked her through takeoff. She followed the other starships up a long ramp that opened to the night sky. As soon as she crossed a red light, the Day’s End instructed her to switch over to takeoff mode. The Nine surged forward and she shot out into the sky.

  Within seconds, space surrounded the small fleet.

  “Well, none of them blew up. That’s a good sign,” one of the pilots said.

  “That’s not very reassuring,” Hyrin replied.

  “Don’t worry,” Liora’s father told them. “These crafts have been tested a thousand times over. They’re battle ready.”

  “That’s not very reassuring, either,” Hyrin said in a quieter voice.

  “Just stay on my five,” Devren told him. “You’re the best pilot I know, and you’ve gotten the Kratos out of some very tight situations.”

  “Technically, you’re the only pilot who’s had battle experience,” another pilot said.

  “Oh, great,” Hyrin muttered. “We’re all doomed.”

  The pilots laughed again.

  The senior commandant’s voice came over the headsets. “Pilots, prepare to jump. Program the coordinates into your systems.”

  “These starships can transport?” Devren said in amazement.

  “Yes,” Liora’s father replied. “It’s a new system based on the same science as the transporters throughout the Macrocosm. Each ship contains its own transportation system that will contract the space in front of the craft and expand the space behind it. Since only empty space is expanding and contracting, it can do so faster than the speed of light.”

  “How do you power it?” Hyrin asked with awe in his voice.

  “That’s the catch,” the senior commandant replied. “We use portable power cells.”

  Devren whistled. “That’s a bit pricey.”

  “It is,” Senior Commandant Day replied, “But it’s worth it in situations where we need to cross multiple systems in seconds.” He paused, then said, “Just take care of your ships, please. They’ve been quite the investment.”

  “You never do anything the easy way,” a pilot said.

  “Is there an easy way?” the senior commandant asked.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Set your coordinates for Sgr dSph,” Liora’s father instructed. “We’ll be close to the Milky Way Galaxy, so keep your eyes open for Coalition as well. They aren’t going to be thrilled about the Nines.”

  Liora set the transporter’s coordinates. A rush of apprehension ran through her at the thought of jumping in a starship instead of using an external system. She told herself it was the same thing as she watched the black Nines in front of her vanish until she was the last one beside her father’s TDV Ten. The name ‘Dooms Day’ glowed in the reflection of her external lights.

  “Go ahead, Liora,” her father encouraged.

  “See you on the other side,” Liora replied. She slid the transporter power bar all the way forward. A green button lit up. She gritted her teeth and pushed it.

  The bone-chilling, cold water sensation rushed over her, then it was gone.

  Liora stared at the scene in front of her. At least two dozen ships surrounded the Golden Condor SS Hyperion; parts drifted from the sides of the giant starship and liquids vented into space from damage along its hull.

  Several other ships had broken away from the pack and were firing on the Nines. Missiles sped through the air and explosions burst like fireworks from deflective ammunition only to vanish in the oxygen-less void of space.

  What held Liora’s attention were strange crafts that looked unlike anything she had ever seen before. Metal claws tore at the sides of the Hyperion from masses of scraps welded together in misshapen forms. There were huge, hulking masses, and others much too small to house a pilot. The ferocity with which they shredded the sides of the ship was terrifying; the pirate crafts appeared to avoid them entirely.

  “What are those?” Hyrin asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

  “Ketulans,” one of the other pilots answered. “Living machines. They create themselves by using metal and anything else they scrap from other crafts. They’ll tear a starship apart until there’s nothing left, including the pilot.” There was a haunted tone to his voice when he said, “I’ve seen it happen. They have no respect for life.”

  “I thought they had all been dismantled,” another pilot said.

  “I thought so to,” the first replied, “But there’s been rumors of sightings in the outer galaxies. Apparently, they were true.”

  “Lucky for us,” a third said.

  The Dooms Day appeared next to Liora’s craft.

  “Commandant Day, report,” her father commanded.

  Static followed, then Brandis’ voice answered, “They’ve come aboard.” His voice was tight. “We’re fighting them in the corridors. I’ve lost a lot of crew.” He paused, then said, “Dad, the Ketulans are inside, too.”

  “Don’t let them reach the bridge,” the senior commandant replied. “I’ve brought the fleet. I’ll send half to the Hyperion, and the rest of us will disable the ships out here. Hang in there and try to keep safe.”

  Gunfire sounded and Brandis’ voice cut off.

&nb
sp; “Brandis?” Liora’s father shouted.

  There was no reply.

  “Zanden, take your team and head to the Hyperion. Get inside by any means necessary. Contact me the moment you locate Commandant Day,” the senior commandant ordered.

  “Yes, Senior Commandant,” Zanden replied.

  “I’m going with them,” Liora said.

  “No,” her father refused. “We need all the help we can get out here. If they destroy the ship from the outside, there will be no saving the crew.”

  Liora knew her father was trying to protect her. “Dad, I’m not a pilot, I’m a Damaclan. I’m better at fighting what I can reach. I need to be in there.”

  Her father hesitated, then gave in. “Fine. Zanden, Liora will be your second.”

  “Yes, Senior Commandant,” Zanden replied. “Officer Day, glad to have you along. We’ll fly around to the starboard side and see if the docking bay is open. If not, we’ll make our own port.”

  “Got it,” Liora replied.

  “Be careful in there,” Devren told her. “Don’t take any chances.”

  “Me, take chances?” Liora said. “When do I do that?”

  “Liora,” Devren replied in an exasperated tone. “Tariq will kill me if anything happens to you.”

  “I’ll be careful,” she reassured him.

  She maneuvered her ship to follow Zanden’s. Eight other ships joined them. They fired at the crafts attacking the Hyperion as they circled around the hull. Huge gaps where the Ketulans had already been showed in the massive ship’s sides.

  “How do you stop a Ketulan?” Liora asked.

  “Run away,” a pilot answered.

  The others chuckled as if it was an inside joke, but their laughter was strained.

  “In all seriousness,” Zanden answered, “Ketulans aren’t like other machines, the humanoid-made kind. We haven’t figured out what makes them tick.”

  “They have no central processor,” another pilot chimed in. He fired at a pirate and the missile blew up the small ship. “Got it.”

  “How is that possible?” Liora asked.

  “Not sure,” Zanden replied. “That’s why they’re so hard to destroy. But they do have to get power from somewhere. If you can find what source they’re using, fuel cell, battery pack, generator, whatever, destroying the power source will stop them until another Ketulan repairs the machine. Also, blowing them past the state of recognition helps.”

  He fired a missile at one clawing at the Hyperion and it exploded.

  Liora shot at a Ketulan burrowing into the far side of the ship. It hung there blown in half for a moment, then a claw rose and it began to put itself back together.

  “How do you stop them completely? There was mention that someone thought they were all dismantled.”

  “That’s how you do it,” Zanden answered. “You have to destroy them down to the last one; the problem is that they repair each other quicker than we can pick them off, so be careful.”

  “Will do,” Liora replied.

  Chapter 19

  The docking bay was open. Either Brandis had readied the ship for them, or the pirates opened it so the others could get inside. Either way, the Ketulans were swarming over the starships and other crafts inside the Hyperion. Several ships had already been dismantled completely and body parts from slain members of the Hyperion crew floated in the zero gravity environment. With no one left to resist them, the Ketulans took what they wanted, then moved on to the next craft. The speed with which they worked was chilling.

  “Pick them off,” Zanden ordered, firing nonstop at the machines. “I don’t want anyone out of their ships until the Ketulans are down. They have a knack for dismantling atmosphere suits; there’s something about the oxygen recycling system they’re drawn to.”

  The thought of having her suit cut apart in the unpressurized bay by the Ketulans’ claws sent a shiver down Liora’s spine. She fired at three. The moment they exploded, she aimed for two more.

  “There’s one on my ship,” a pilot called out.

  Liora glanced back in time to see Zanden shoot a Ketulan off the wing of a Nine. Two other Ketulans immediate swarmed to the destroyed one and began to put it back together with their precise claws. Zanden shot them as well. Others rushed over.

  “Pestilence,” Zanden growled, firing at them.

  Liora sped past his ship. The vast docking bay of the Hyperion had plenty of room for maneuvering the Nine. The ship responded immediately to her commands. She darted between docked crafts, shooting Ketulans, then firing at those that swarmed to repair the machines.

  “It’s never going to end!” a pilot called out.

  Liora turned her Nine to see another swarm of Ketulans enter the bay.

  “Right,” Zanden replied. “Tradet, Marson, and Vrey, stay here and pick them off. The rest of you, land as close to the internal doors as you can. We’re going to have to make a run for it.”

  Liora followed him to the far side of the docking bay. Her heart pounded as she landed the Nine and prepared to run. The Ketulans were far faster than they looked. She doubted her knives would be much help against one of their attacks.

  “Ready?” Zanden called out.

  “Ready,” his pilots responded.

  Liora unbuckled from the seat and put a hand to the hatch release. None of the Ketulans appeared to have made it that far into the bay. Perhaps they would have a chance.

  “Go!” Zanden commanded.

  Hatches slid open and pilots jumped down. Liora hit the ground and ran for the sliding doors. Zanden was already there. He punched in a code at the reader. It beeped, but refused to open.

  “They’re coming!” a pilot shouted.

  Liora glanced behind her to see a dozen Ketulans bearing down on them. Their outstretched claws and the strange grating, humming sound that emanated from the machines sent a rush of adrenaline through her body. She drew her knives, ready to defend Zanden.

  A Nine cut around a dismantled craft and shot at the Ketulans. Half of them fell. The others pounced on the machines, repairing them with swift efficiency.

  “Bought you a minute,” the pilot said. “Get inside.”

  “Working on it,” Zanden replied into his communicator. “The code’s not responding.” He pushed a button on his helmet. “Senior Commandant, I need an override code for the door.”

  Liora’s father called out a series of numbers. Liora’s heart pounded as she watched the Ketulans piece their fallen comrades back together. At the rate they worked, all dozen would be repaired in no time. Two were already showing signs of life again.

  “Got it!” Zanden called out. The door slid up.

  He stepped aside and motioned for his team to enter the open door. As soon as they were inside, he entered as well and pushed the pressurization switch. The door slid shut behind him and the lights flashed.

  “When we get inside, stay together,” Zanden told them. “We’ll head to the bridge to get Commandant Day, then sweep the ship. Pirates may not fight with our discipline, but they will battle to the last breath. Take care that the breath is not yours.”

  Several of the pilots nodded. They checked and rechecked their guns while they waited for the hold to finish pressurizing. Liora knew Tariq would scold her for not having a gun. Her fingers tightened on her knives.

  “Leave your helmets here so we can hear what’s happening inside the ships, but keep your atmosphere suits on,” Zanden said. “It’ll give you one more level of defense against their claws. Short bursts of fire, and remember that we are inside a starship. Try to avoid shooting out any windows.”

  He gave a meaningful look to the pilot who sat on Liora’s right.

  “It was an accident,” the pilot protested.

  “You always say that, Tanlia,” another pilot pointed out.

  “I got carried away,” Tanlia said. She hefted the gun she held. “It worked, though. It got rid of the Merc, didn’t it?”

  “It almost got rid of the rest of us,” Zand
en replied. “Good thing Creeden was fast with the shields.”

  “Yeah, I was,” Creeden said with a grin.

  “You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?” Tanlia asked.

  “I saved your butt,” Creeden replied. “I’ll hang that over your head until the day I die.”

  She pointed her gun at him. “I can make that a whole lot sooner.”

  Everyone laughed.

  It seemed strange to Liora that they could joke while in the middle of a massive attack, but eyes shifted toward the door, waiting for the light to stop flashing. The pilots were alert and ready, yet the laughter seemed to calm their nerves as smiles flashed between them.

  The light went out and the interior door beeped before it slid open to reveal a dark hallway.

  “Great,” Zanden muttered. “They took out the lights. Leave it to pirates to be cliché.”

  “I like the dark,” one of the pilots said. “We’ll move like ghosts. They won’t know we’re here.”

  “Do you have to mention ghosts before we go into battle?” another pilot asked. “It seems a like a bad omen.”

  “Don’t worry, Kray,” a pilot answered as they walked down the hallway. “If I die, I’ll come back to haunt you.”

  “Just what I need,” Kray replied. “Waylan’s ghost haunting me for the rest of my life. I’ll never get a guy, then.”

  “Alright, you guys,” Zanden said. “No speaking unless it’s needed. We need to keep a low profile until we reach the bridge.”

  The crew walked carefully around several bodies that littered the hallway.

  “Then we can tear those pirate scum to pieces,” Tanlia said.

  “I hear that,” Creeden replied.

  Their footsteps sounded loud.

  “Where are all the people?” Kray whispered. She gestured to another body whose throat had been slit. “I mean, besides the obvious ones.”

  “Hopefully hiding,” Tanlia answered. “I’d hate for them to be caught by Ketulans unarmed.”

  “Not that being armed helps much at small caliber,” Creeden pointed out.

  The body he stepped around still clutched a machine gun. The torso had been torn open and organs shredded. Two others in similar conditions lay nearby.