Gonzo stared at the screen, his expression bewildered. “It’s a net.”
“A net?”
Gonzo nodded, his head moving in slow motion. “They just caught us like a piece of space trash.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
AURORA STARED AT THE SCREEN. Surely she wasn’t seeing what she thought she was seeing.
Two of the warships had fired enormous nets at the Nightingale, wrapping it as neatly as a spider catching flies. Now they were towing it slowly but steadily toward the carrier.
Destroying the freighter would have been far simpler. She could think of only one possible explanation for such an elaborate assault. Their attackers wanted the occupants of the Nightingale alive.
Chills raced along Aurora’s spine as the realization sank in.
“Power surge coming from warships port and starboard!” Celia shouted.
Aurora’s brain processed the data in a millisecond and she launched herself from her chair. “Target the—” She didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence. Two explosions detonated, one to port, one to starboard.
“Net deployment systems destroyed,” Celia said.
Thank goodness for Celia’s quick reflexes. “Well done.”
“Wasn’t me.”
Aurora frowned. “Then who—”
“I did.”
It took Aurora a moment to realize who had spoken. The tone of the words was so unfamiliar that only the appearance of Star’s image at her side brought it home.
“You did that?”
Star’s gaze held a feral look that revealed her Drakarian origins. “Yes.”
Aurora had never imagined Star firing the ship’s weapons without orders. Her decision had far-reaching implications, but Aurora would deal with that issue later. Assuming there was a later. Right now they needed to focus on getting the Nightingale free.
And she had a plan.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
“FULL REVERSE!” Cade dug his fingers into the arms of his chair like he could break the ship loose through force of will. Every object on the bridge rattled as Drew pushed the engines to their limits.
“We’re in danger of overheating,” she warned. “No measurable effect on the net.”
Cade glared at the screen as the warships continued to tow the Nightingale like a child’s toy on a string. “Shut it down.”
The rattling and whining stopped.
“Gonzo, can we fire weapons?”
Gonzo looked apologetic. “Not unless we want to blow ourselves up.”
Which they just might. A quick death would be preferable to whatever their would-be captors had in mind for them on that carrier.
“I want options. We need a way out of this.”
Drew abandoned navigation to join Gonzo at tactical.
Cade hated feeling so helpless. He couldn’t even reach out to Aurora for help.
His comband chimed. “Forrest to Ellis.”
Mya was contacting him? Why? He’d expect her to have her hands full with the Suulh. “Go ahead.”
“If I tell you what Aurora’s planning to do, will you follow my instructions?”
He snapped to attention. “Were you able to establish communications with her?”
A brief silence greeted his question. “Not exactly.”
“Then how do you know what she’s planning to do?”
“Because I’m seeing images from her in my head.”
Cade blinked. Aurora wasn’t telepathic…was she? He braced his forearms on his knees. “What’s the plan?”
“On her command, she wants us to go hard to starboard. She’ll use the hull camouflage to slip past the other ships, then get underneath us and blast the connection to the port side.”
Cade saw where this was going. “Leaving a weak point in the net and a fighting chance against the other warship.” Assuming the net gave way before the Starhawke plowed into them. He’d take that chance. “Will you be able to give me a warning before she fires?”
“Yes. The Suulh are helping focus the connection. The images I’m receiving are appearing almost instantaneously.”
Incredible. If they got out of this, he’d have a laundry list of questions for Aurora.
“Tell her we’re awaiting her signal.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
“ACTIVATE THE CAMOUFLAGE!” Aurora shouted over the clamor of battle. “Take us down!”
Two torpedoes sailed just past the Starhawke’s flank as Kelly brought them into a steep descent. The four warships were caught off guard, and several of the weapons they’d unleashed against the Starhawke impacted on the hulls of their own instead.
“Another warship disabled,” Celia called out.
The three remaining warships fanned out, firing in a search pattern, but this time Kelly could evade to keep the Starhawke hidden.
Aurora closed her eyes and tuned into her connection with Mya. The form of communication they were using wasn’t complex, or even something that was specific to the Suulh. Animal communicators had been “talking” to all kinds of species for hundreds of years this way. But most humans still considered it the stuff of fantasy. Aurora certainly had never imagined that one day more than three hundred lives would depend on her ability to send mental images to Mya.
“Time to target?”
“Forty-nine seconds.”
Aurora placed the image of that number in her mind and then began a mental countdown sequence that Mya could follow. Forty-four, forty-three, forty-two—
Her thoughts ground to an abrupt halt as a wave of pain tore through her system like wildfire. She sensed her body tipping forward as her vision dimmed, but she couldn’t focus enough to make her muscles obey a simple command.
As she slumped to the floor like a rag doll, the one thought that broke through the blanket of agony was the realization that she’d lost her connection with Mya.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
“DR. FORREST IS DOWN!”
Reynolds’s alarmed cry over the communication system pulled Cade’s focus from the bridgescreen, where the countdown Mya had given them ticked toward zero.
“What’s wrong?”
“No idea. She just collapsed.”
The words were horribly familiar. Memories of a moonlit orchard and a desperate race through the trees filled his brain before he shoved them out of the way. “What about the Suulh?”
“They seem a little disoriented. I’m not sure…wait, Paaw and Zelle are making their way to help Williams with Dr. Forrest.”
Cade checked the timer. Ten seconds before the Starhawke was due to blast the holy hell out of the net. He sent a silent prayer that Aurora was still in command of her ship.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
SHIELD. She needed to shield. Find. Protect. Shield. Shield!
A series of explosions lit up the bridgescreen, yanking Aurora out of the black hole into which her consciousness had slipped. Her energy shield flared to life to protect her from the perceived threat.
Pain continued to radiate through her body like coals, but she fought against it, recognizing it for what it was. Not her pain. Theirs.
“The Nightingale.” Her voice escaped on a whisper. Had something horrible happened to the Suulh? To Mya?
As Kire helped her into a seated position, her gaze searched the bridgescreen, desperate for an image of the Nightingale.
“The portside net has been destroyed,” Celia said. “And the warship along with it,” she added, a distinct note of satisfaction in her voice. “The Nightingale’s motion has pulled the other warship off line from the carrier, but they’re still tethered together. The remaining ships are closing in.”
“The Nightingale’s okay.” The air in her lungs evacuated in a rush. She waved Kire back to the communications station as she hauled her protesting body into the captain’s chair. “Get us over there. Keep the camouflage activated and hit those warships with everything we have.”
A new wave of pain pulled a moan from her lips. Her head fell
against the back of the chair. She knew this feeling. She’d experienced it on Gaia. The intensity threatened to rob her of the ability to breathe, let alone maintain rational thought. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to help and protect, to find the source of the pain.
But without Mya by her side, the attack on her senses was crippling her.
An image of Mya popped into her mind, followed rapidly by images of Raaveen, Paaw, Maanee, Zelle, and Sparw. More familiar Suulh faces appeared, each one a balm to her battered soul. Their soothing touches grounded her, reassuring her that they were all right, calming her whirling emotions.
Celia’s voice pulled her back to her physical reality. “The Nightingale is heading into the debris field.”
Aurora forced her neck to pivot so she could meet Celia’s gaze.
“They’re dragging the warship with them.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
“I CAN’T GET CONTROL!” Drew cried as the image on the bridgescreen swayed and jerked with the motion of the ship.
“Give me the helm!” Cade shoved out of the captain’s chair and staggered toward the navigation console, averting his gaze from the image on the bridgescreen so that he could keep his balance.
Drew passed him, heading for the captain’s chair.
He slid into the seat behind navigation. “I’ve had enough of this tagalong,” he muttered as the warship’s bulk passed in front of them. Its engines flared as it, too, struggled to stabilize the tumbling tug of war that had them both in its clutches. They barely avoided a medium-sized asteroid that flew past, setting off the proximity alarms.
Time to take control of the situation.
He had years of experience Drew didn’t. His brain analyzed the Nightingale’s trajectory and motion, feeding him the answers he needed. The warship might be faster, but the Nightingale had more mass and, judging by how the controls were responding, more power.
He focused on the debris field ahead, his gaze coming to rest on two large asteroids tumbling close to each other. Switching auxiliary power to the rear shields and thrusters, he pushed the engines to their limits, aiming for the narrowing gap between the enormous boulders.
The warship objected strenuously, firing at the Nightingale, but without landing a single blast.
Cade brought them in close to the first asteroid, skimming near the surface. The Nightingale’s profile was slim compared to the bulky warship. It fit easily, but if the other ship didn’t release its hold on the net, it would get crushed between the two rocks. Cade was fine with either option as long as it freed the Nightingale.
Apparently the crew was so focused on the task of holding onto the Nightingale that they didn’t comprehend the danger. The tension on the net abruptly released as the warship got caught between the two immovable objects and exploded in a shower of debris.
The Nightingale shot forward, pressing Cade into his chair. The net, however, remained stubbornly wrapped around the hull. Cade swore. Loudly. “Drew, can we make an interstellar jump with this net attached?”
“The net’s not the problem. It’s the remnant of the ship we’re dragging.”
He checked the display and saw what she meant. A funnel-shaped chunk of metal about three meters long and two meters wide drifted behind them like a club, waiting to smash into them the minute they slowed down.
CHAPTER FIFTY
AURORA STARED at the images on the bridgescreen.
Celia had taken out another warship, but that still left six against two.
“Shield status?”
“Down to forty percent.”
She contacted Jonarel. “Can you boost the shields?”
“Only by diverting power from other systems. Auxiliary power is depleted.” He sounded as frustrated as she felt.
Aurora chewed on her lip. If the warships succeeded in netting the Nightingale a second time, it would be game over. They had to get out of here now.
Closing her eyes, she sent a series of images to Mya, visualizing the Nightingale passing through the debris field and launching through the jump window.
“The Nightingale has changed course,” Celia said a moment later. “They’re heading toward the jump window. The remaining warships are moving to engage.”
“Get in front of—” Her words cut off as an image popped into her head. The picture looked like an enormous red ship’s anchor hooked onto a fishing net. Another image followed, this time of a sinking ship.
Aurora frowned. “Kire, magnify the visual on the Nightingale.”
The freighter was already in the debris field, the asteroids acting as shields to their line of sight as Kelly worked to overtake the warships. But a few moments later an image of the Nightingale appeared on the bridgescreen.
Aurora’s heart stuttered when she figured out what she was seeing. A large chunk of metal trailed the freighter like an anchor. A potentially lethal anchor.
“We’ll need to get them free from that net before they can jump.” She looked over at Star. “Can you take care of that?” After seeing how efficiently the Nirunoc had taken out the warships’ net launchers, she was the logical choice. And if Star focused on eliminating the net, Celia would be free to defend against the warships.
Star’s eyes glittered. “It would be my pleasure.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CADE DOUBLE-CHECKED the readings on his console. But they didn’t change. Six enemy warships closing fast. And the Starhawke was nowhere to be seen.
“Are you sure they’re with us?” Justin asked.
Cade nodded without turning his head. “I trust Mya.” She’d told him Aurora had a plan. He believed her. He had to.
Blasts from the approaching warships streaked toward them. He evaded as best he could, but a few still rocked the craft. “Status on the shields.”
“Holding at thirty-four percent,” Gonzo said. “But the energy to sustain them is slowing us down. The warships are gaining.” And they were still dragging a huge piece of metal.
A proximity alarm blared and an image of the Starhawke filled the aft view, blocking out the warships.
“We’ve cleared the debris field,” Justin said.
“Drop the shields!” Mya’s voice called out over the comm.
Gonzo reacted in an instant. “Shields down.”
A series of blasts streaked toward the Nightingale from the Starhawke, and Cade flinched. But rather than ripping the ship to pieces, the assault shredded the netting with the precision of a surgeon’s knife. It drifted away, along with the metal flotsam that was attached to it.
The Starhawke tipped laterally as the pieces sailed past. The debris impacted on one of the unsuspecting warships, tearing a hole in its hull.
“Clear to our launch point.” Gonzo called out.
“Shifting all power to the engines.” Cade urged the ship forward.
The Starhawke stayed right on their tail.
“Incoming torpedoes!” Gonzo shouted. “Raise shields?”
But the Starhawke had already returned fire, positioning themselves between the Nightingale and the warships. Any torpedoes they didn’t destroy hit their shields.
“Are they okay?” Cade asked through clenched teeth.
“I think so,” Gonzo said. “Still keeping pace with us.”
“Six seconds to jump,” Cade muttered. “Five, four, three, two…”
Come on. Come on. The chant repeated itself in his head like a mantra. And then the interstellar drive engaged and they launched into the void.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
WHEN THE STARFIELD winked out on the Starhawke’s screen, Aurora slumped against the headrest and closed her eyes.
“We’ve followed the Nightingale through the jump window,” Kelly confirmed.
They’d made it. Impossibly, inconceivably, they’d made it.
Aurora’s muscles went lax, but her mind started to churn like a generator, processing everything that had occurred during the battle.
The pieces of the puzzle that ha
dn’t made sense on Gaia—the mysterious attacks, the enslavement of the Suulh, the destruction of the Setarip ship—now fit together perfectly.
If the attack on Gaia had been the prelude to a bid for galactic domination, which now seemed likely, then the Suulh would be a precious resource. As weapons for biological destruction or healers of the wounded, they were unmatched. With a smart strategy and a large enough force, they could make an enemy virtually invulnerable. Especially if that enemy had warships that rivaled the strength of the Galactic Fleet.
And that blast of pain she’d experienced when she’d collapsed during the battle? She knew what it meant. She hadn’t been sensing the Suulh on the Nightingale. She’d been sensing the Necri on the carrier. How many crippled, contorted souls were currently locked away in tiny cages on that ship? Hundreds? Thousands?
She shivered. Right now, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Her job was to get the Suulh to the homeworld. And that’s what she’d do.
“Roe?”
Aurora came out of her musings with a start. She opened her eyes and found Kire kneeling beside her, his face tight with concern.
“You okay?”
Was she okay? Such a simple question. And the answer was just as simple. No! In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel okay again. But there was no point in acknowledging that. Her crew needed her.
She pushed herself upright. “I’m fine.”
“I doubt that.”
Smart man.
Kire peered at her. “You looked like you’d fainted again.”
Fainted? Oh, right. Kire had been the one to pick her up off the floor after she’d taken a header out of the captain’s chair. “Just coming off an adrenaline rush.”
“Do you need to go to the med bay?”
She shook her head. “No.” Besides, no one was there to help her. Mya and the rest of the Suulh were on the Nightingale. So was Dr. Williams, for that matter. She glanced around the bridge. Celia and Kelly were watching her as well, and Star was hovering just to her left. “Sorry if I worried everyone.”
The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2) Page 19