Star Streaker Boxed Set 1 (Star Streaker Series)

by T. M. Catron

  “My shield is just fine!”

  “You can disguise the ship, manipulate gravity, and change your face at will, but you can’t generate a shield strong enough to keep this monster away from us!”

  The creature wasn’t going to give them a chance to stand around arguing about it anymore. After another moment of contemplation, it seemed to have decided Rance was the main threat and fixed an eye on her. A warning message flashed through her vision.

  Hostile proximity too close for maneuvering. Suggest running.

  Oh great, Rance thought. Even her ZOD was a coward.

  “All right, guys,” she said, “this is your chance to prove your loyalty to me.”

  “I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid,” Solaris said. He kept his eyes on the creature and crouched low, his staff pointing forward like a rifle.

  “You haven’t known me very long, have you?” Rance said. She took her eyes off the monster for only a moment, to give Solaris her best smile.

  The creature charged, running straight for Rance. She turned and sprinted away, yelling over her shoulder, “Trip it!”

  She hoped beyond hope that they’d understood her command. Because if they didn’t, this creature was going to catch her and eat her.

  Then she heard a great roar. A thud shook the alley. Feeling a strange movement of air behind her, she pressed herself to the wall just in time for the creature to fly past her, head over heels. The beast somersaulted until it crashed into a wall at the end of the alley, going straight through and creating a rumble of noise inside one of the buildings.

  Rance stepped out and looked at Solaris and Abel.

  Solaris looked at his staff, which he’d flung out in front of the charging animal. “It seems like the staff is good for something, at least.”

  Abel shook his head. “Why didn’t your magic stop it?”

  “Some creatures are immune to it,” Solaris said. “But that doesn’t mean that I can’t physically trip them. And I added a little extra power so it would be rigid enough to withstand the charge.”

  He turned to Rance and frowned. “Next time, Captain, would you tell us your plan before you run away?”

  “What would be the fun in that?”

  “Oh, you know, the adrenaline rush is fun. But I think I’d rather get out with my captain in one piece than go on a thrill-seeking mission.”

  Rance’s grin faded. Solaris had a way of taking the fun right out of the adventure. Still, she had been worried there for a minute. So maybe his concern wasn’t unfounded. She shrugged it off and went to find her helmet.

  It lay down another alley, having been cast aside when she was first attacked. She wished she’d been wearing it when the monster had knocked her over. Her head throbbed painfully. She was only just noticing it.

  Before leaving, the three stood watching the hole in the wall. Inside, the creature was still thrashing around, squawk-roaring.

  “Do you think there are any people in there?” Rance asked.

  “We would have heard the screams by now, I think,” Solaris said.

  “Boss, let’s get out of here before it finds its way out of that hole.”

  Solaris tried to look at the wound on Rance’s head, but she mashed on her helmet and strode off down the alley, ready to resume following the map. Wavy lines crossed her vision, and the grid faded from view. The blow to her head must have interrupted the signal between her NNR and ZOD.

  Rance tapped the back of her helmet to jar it. The action sent shooting pain up into her brain. She jerked her hand away. They would have to follow Abel’s map from here.

  During the fight, they had got twisted around. Abel led them through turn after turn, each alley looking exactly like the one before it. Just as Rance was beginning to think they’d wander the in-between spaces of the city forever, everything became familiar.

  “Haven’t we been here before?” Solaris asked.

  “Yes,” Rance said. “I think so.”

  “The map says we are almost out to the street,” Abel said.

  Finally, Rance recognized a series of doorways she thought they had passed on their way in. She jogged over, peeking around the corner of the building. There, just down from where she was standing, was the street they’d used to enter.

  She growled in frustration and motioned for the others to follow. The Star Streaker was hidden up the street. Rance looked at Solaris, who confirmed that it was still there, invisible and safe. The comm crackled with James’ voice, sending more throbbing pain through her already sensitive head.

  “What in the Founders’ name are you doing, Rance Cooper?”

  “I thought we’d take the scenic tour of the city, James.”

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Captain, but we’re seeing fewer civilian ships and more fighting. Be careful, please.”

  “Why James, it’s like you're worried about me.”

  “This isn’t funny, Captain.”

  “I’m not laughing. Save the gooey stuff until I get back to the Star Streaker though, huh?”

  James clicked off, and Rance thought she’d probably offended him. No, their situation wasn’t funny at all. Sometimes, she didn't know how to behave when people expressed concern for her. Even those who loved her. But she didn’t have time for his sentimentality. They’d lost a lot of time, and if they didn’t find a way through the city soon, they’d be stuck without shelter at nightfall. Also, she had no idea when the pirates would begin landing.

  “You know,” Solaris said as they jogged along. “Every time I’ve been to Prometheus, I’ve always wondered why the city refused to have a stronger military presence. It’s a Core world, and with all the nobility and officials living here, you’d think that they would demand a stronger show of force.”

  “It’s because they were always a Core world that they didn’t bother with it,” Rance said. “My father always complained that they were too confident for their own good. Looks like he was right about this, at least.”

  The Core worlds, buffered by endless colonies in between them and alien planets, had grown soft. They had become complacent in their own power. Prometheus was no better. Although it held the financial seat of the empire, and a secondary parliament for the Outer Colonies, it behaved as if it were Triton itself—strong and invincible and arrogant.

  Although the pirates had been gaining numbers in recent years, no one ever thought they would join to become anything more than ragged, scrabbling individual clans.

  “Why didn’t your father do anything about it?” Solaris asked. “I thought he had some influence.”

  “He has some influence. He has influence on his own planet, less in the Senate. He doesn’t have enough clout to determine how much military the Core worlds keep around.”

  Abel moved ahead, checking around the corner of the building for any obstacles before motioning to Rance and Solaris. Then he said, “They were so busy worried about the aliens out beyond the Outer Colonies, they forgot to protect themselves against their own kind.”

  “You’re right, Abel,” Solaris said. “Sometimes we humans forget we’re capable of just as much damage as any outsiders.”

  “As much as I love your need to discuss philosophy,” Rance said, “I’d rather focus on our immediate surroundings and the gang of thugs that just walked out that alleyway up ahead.”

  Four large men watched them from the street, lazily though, like they weren’t too interested. They didn’t look like pirates—that is, they weren’t covered in tattoos and didn’t carry large weapons. But they didn’t exactly look friendly. One of them caught Rance looking and shifted direction for them.

  That was enough for Rance.

  “Let’s go around them,” she said. “Follow me.”

  She crossed the street, stepping left around a large transport abandoned near a building. Except for Abel’s weapons and armor, they didn’t have much for anybody to steal. But she didn’t want to take any chances. She broke into a run, going until she h
ad a stitch in her side and they had put some distance between themselves and the thugs. The jogging made her head pound with every step.

  “I think we lost them,” Solaris said. “You still know where we are?”

  “Yes. I think so.”

  She hoped so. They rounded a corner.

  And ran straight into an angry mob.

  Chapter Six

  A crowd had gathered in the street. Sounds of shouting and breaking glass bounced off the towers and echoed back to them. Thick, sharp-smelling smoke drifted down the street. The crowd had concentrated around a tall tower which was on fire.

  “Are they mad?” Solaris asked.

  “The fire won’t get far,” Rance said. “The building’s protective systems will kick in before it does much damage.”

  Solaris shook his head. “I’m not talking about the fire.”

  Rance and Abel looked to where he nodded. Just outside the crowd, a man, woman, and two children were loading a small transport with bags. The youngest, a boy of about six, was carrying a bag twice his size.

  A group of men noticed the family and broke off from the main crowd. The father saw them and threw the remaining bags into the back. The woman and girl climbed in, and he had just put the little boy into the cruiser when one of the men grabbed him by the tunic. He hurled him away from the transport while the other thugs swarmed the vehicle. Inside, the girl cried, and the woman pleaded with them.

  Solaris grumbled and shrugged off his satchel, letting it fall to the ground.

  “Wait a minute, Solaris,” Rance said. “Where are they going to go in the transport?”

  He scowled. “It’s none of my business. Are you suggesting we don’t do anything?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  Just then, one of the thugs grabbed the boy and tossed him out of the vehicle too. The father yelled something and caught the boy before he hit the ground. Rance grew hot with anger. As much as she didn’t want to get sidetracked from their goal, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

  The little drive on the transport spun up. The thugs were going to take off with the woman and daughter inside.

  Without a word, Rance, Solaris, and Abel sprang into action, running to reach the transport before it took off. They skidded to a halt at the door. Solaris stuck his staff in, holding it open. Then he reached into the pilot’s side and landed a quick jab to the man’s throat.

  The man choked, spitting and going red in the face. In the meantime, Rance grabbed the little girl out of her seat while Abel tackled the second man inside the transport.

  Before Rance could pull the little girl out of the cruiser, hands grabbed at her back and then latched onto her helmet. Whoever had a hold of her was trying to pull her out of the transport by her head. With a pop, the latch sealing her helmet to her suit broke apart. Rance yelled and spun around, trying to use her elbow to whack her attacker.

  It was the girl’s father. Apparently, he thought Rance was trying to attack the girl too.

  By now, Abel and Solaris were in an all-out brawl with the other men, who were proving to be stronger than they had seemed. Solaris’ staff had disappeared, and he was trading blows with a man who was shorter and stockier than himself. Abel had a second man in a headlock while a third threw himself onto his shoulders with gusto. Warming to the fight, Abel flung both men away. When they rose, he turned to face them, a smile on his face.

  “Oh, for Triton’s sake,” Rance said, still grappling with the little girl’s father. “Stop being gentlemen and knock them out!”

  Solaris must have heard her because he found his staff again and used it. After a few tense seconds, he knocked out two men while Abel ran off the third.

  The father still held onto Rance’s helmet, but somehow it had hung up on the broken latch and wouldn’t come off. Being led around by the head was making her angry. She grabbed the man’s hands to steady herself and aimed an awkward kick at his knees. He howled in pain but refused to let go.

  Abel returned, saw the father attacking Rance, and ran toward them. The man, seeing a large hulking form running straight at him, let go of Rance. His wife joined him, and they took off down the street with their children.

  Rance took a deep, steadying breath. Her neck hurt where he’d jerked her around, but other than that she wasn’t injured any more than she had been before. Solaris and Abel seemed okay as well. The three turned to leave when one of the thugs climbed to his feet and got into the transport.

  “He’s leaving his buddies behind,” Solaris said.

  “Did you expect any different?” Rance asked. “There’s no honor among people like that.”

  They watched the little transport shoot straight up into the air, following the line of the tall buildings. Rance craned her neck to watch it make for the gap between two skyscrapers.

  At the same moment, a large cruiser careened out of the gap, a gaping hole in its side. The little transport flew straight into one of the cruiser’s engines and exploded into a fireball. The cruiser’s engine caught fire as well, and the entire ship veered toward the burning building.

  When it collided with the tower, the ground shook like an earthquake, the impact rattling Rance’s bones. Instead of bouncing off or smashing through, it slid down with a horrendous screech, raining glass and fire on the crowd below. People ran screaming as the fireball grew toward them.

  The tangled ships hit the ground with the force of a bomb exploding. The glass in neighboring buildings shattered, and Rance covered her head as shards fell on her. An explosion followed, and a great wall of fire swept over the buildings. It barreled down the street, devouring everything in its path.

  Too fast for Rance and crew to escape.

  Her ZOD chose that moment to begin working.

  Danger. Danger. Danger.

  Rance stared as the deadly flames swept toward them. Too shocked even to feel scared, she waited for her death. She thought about her mother, Davos, even Solaris standing beside her. At the last second, unable to face the fire that would consume her, she ducked.

  She waited, cringing. Expecting to feel a shock of pain before it was all over. It would disintegrate her to the bone, but at least it would be quick.

  But Rance felt nothing.

  She looked up, wondering why she wasn’t dead yet. And saw Solaris, standing over her and Abel with his staff in hand, that transparent bubble returned, shielding them from the blast. He looked for all the world as if he were a statue placed there to protect them from harm.

  When the worst passed in a wave of fire and smoke, he released the shield.

  Rance and Abel stood, slowly removing their arms from over their heads and gaping at Solaris.

  He smiled and winked at Rance. “I didn’t think you needed saving, Captain, but you know, Abel looked like he could use some help.”

  Rance stared at him open-mouthed. If she’d thought he was talented before, she was in awe of him now. His power, with the ship, with the fire, was unbelievable. Solaris gazed at her intently.

  Never one to be overwhelmed by feelings, Abel clapped Solaris on the back in thanks as he moved past him. The force, amplified by Abel’s powered armor, sent Solaris reeling forward. He regained his balance and looked at the fire consuming the other buildings.

  “They’re going to go, too,” he said. “We better get moving.”

  The trio turned down a side street and jogged all the way to the end. Smoke blew toward them, bringing the acrid smell of burning fuel and metal along with it.

  When they entered the next street, Rance knew exactly where they were. To see better, she turned off her malfunctioning ZOD and led them by memory, watching for any more riots or crazed thugs. A turn, then down another street framed by twisty trees. Rance had forgotten what they were called, but then she’d never been very good with plants. Xanthes didn’t have many.

  Putting aside the tragedy several streets over, Rance was proud they had gotten this far. At this rate, they’d find Moira and get back to the S
tar Streaker before nightfall. When they came out the end of the street, though, Rance realized she’d forgotten one very important thing.

  In front of them, a wide, fast-flowing river obstructed their way forward. To their right, a gigantic bridge spanned across the water.

  Or it would have if the middle hadn’t been blown out. A large Unity police ship had crashed into the river, taking out the bridge with it. With the river in front, and the growing fire behind, they were trapped.

  “Somehow, I don’t think the river is going to be our worst problem,” Solaris said.

  “There’s got to be another bridge,” Abel said.

  “Far, far down at the other end of the city,” Rance said.

  Most of the citizens used air transport, so the bridge was mainly for foot traffic. It was used for parades and official transportation only. Rance sighed. What were they going to do now?

  “Any bright ideas, Captain?” Solaris said. He leaned out over the edge of the water, looking down into the churning current. The water had a metallic smell Rance remembered. Tally had once told her it was because of the water treatments it underwent as it was recycled back into the river from the underground drains.

  He’d also told her about the vast underground tunnels beneath the city. Rance cringed as she remembered.

  Not underground.

  She looked around, desperately wishing for another idea to present itself. But the smoke behind obscured the view of the sky. Fewer ships were flying about now. Either they’d all been shot down or had met with accidents like the one they’d just witnessed.

  Abel coughed. With the smoke growing thicker by the minute, they couldn’t stay where they were. And they couldn’t cross the river.

  They didn’t have a choice.

  With a deep sigh, Rance turned to Solaris and Abel. “We can’t go over the river, but we can go under.”

  Surprisingly, they didn’t have any trouble finding an entrance down. In fact, doors were available at regular intervals throughout the city.