The Doomed Planet (Mastery of the Stars Book 1)

by M J Dees

  “Probably,” said Ron.

  “Are neither of you the least bit concerned that the Corporation is after us and when they catch up with us, they will blast us out of the sky...if we’re lucky.”

  Ay-ttho shrugged.

  “Ron?”

  “That was always a risk we would have to take.”

  Sevan slumped into a chair and began to twiddle his antennae.

  “Why did they choose you?” Ay-ttho laughed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Look at you. You’re a nervous wreck.”

  “I didn’t want them to choose me.”

  “So, why the hell did they?”

  Sevan began to sulk.

  “Maybe they saw something in me.”

  “Ha! Something in you?” Ay-ttho laughed.

  “Why not?”

  “Whatever it is they must have hidden it deep down.”

  “And what about you? What makes you so good?”

  “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “And why’s that then?”

  “Because I’m my own boss.”

  “And what are you doing on this freighter?”

  “I choose to be here.”

  For a moment, they sit in silence. It is Ay-ttho who breaks it first.

  “That’s the difference between you and me. You spend your whole life being told what to do, whereas no one tells me what to do.”

  “And what is it that you do?”

  “As little as possible.”

  “I can attest to that,” said Ron.

  “No one asked you,” Ay-ttho and Sevan said in unison.

  “Great marbles speak alike,” said Sevan.

  “You’re a great marble are you?”

  “Listen Ay-ttho, I don’t know why you’ve got your antennae in such a twist but it looks like we’re going to spend quite a bit of time on this bit of junk.”

  “Hey!” Ron protested.

  “Can’t we at least try to get along with each other?”

  “I don’t see why. I intend to spend as little time with you as possible.”

  Sevan went back to his sulking. An alarm sounding and flashing red lights interrupted his sulking.

  “For the love of the Giant Red Cup!” Ay-ttho exclaimed. “Ron! We are the only ones on the ship, can’t you just tell us what is happening without the lights and sirens.”

  “It’s protocol.”

  “Is it protocol to steal a Corporation freighter?”

  “Point taken,” Ron admitted.

  “Well, what is it then?”

  “Corporation frigates approaching.”

  “Niggles!”

  “Language!” Ron was shocked.

  “Sevan, get on weapons, I’ll pilot.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to pilot?” asked Ron.

  “No offence, Ron but you’re not much better than Sevan.”

  “None taken.”

  “Strap yourself in Sevan.”

  “I don’t know how this works,” Sevan was trying to connect a similar set of terminals to those he had used in the pilot’s seat.

  “It’s just like the entertainment implants back on the concession. Were you any good on those?”

  “Not really.”

  “Great.”

  “Activating weapons system,” said Ron, once Sevan had connected the last of the terminals.

  Sevan found that, like the navigation system, he could see through the walls of the freighter and, as he turned, he could see that symbols highlighted targets. There were also a range of other symbols which he assumed must represent different weapons and a quantity of ammunition.

  “They are heavily armed, these freighters,” he commented.

  “Pirates,” said Ay-ttho.

  “You mean to say that, even if we escape the Corporation frigates, we might still get attacked by pirates?”

  “Exactly.”

  Sevan tried not to think about the pirates and instead focussed on the targets which were getting larger.

  “Should I fire at them now?”

  “Are the crosshairs red?”

  “No... ... green.”

  “Then they are still out of range. Wait until they turn red.”

  A blast rocked the ship.

  “But they’re firing at us.”

  “Their weapons have a greater range than ours.”

  “Oh, great,” Sevan considered what a bad day he was having. “How about now? The crosshairs have turned to blue.”

  “No, not until they are red.”

  The ship rocked again as another missile detonated on the hull,

  “This is crazy,” Sevan didn’t know how much of this he could take.

  “Not far to the jump point,” said Ron.

  “They’re gaining,” said Ay-ttho.

  Sevan watched the crosshairs, willing them to turn red. As soon as they did, he used all his might to fire as many weapons as he could as fast as he could.

  “Steady on,” warned Ay-ttho. “Concentrate on the photon missiles, they’re the only things that’ll work against those frigates.”

  “Almost there,” said Ron.

  Another blast shook the ship and sparks flew from some of the overhead equipment.

  “Won’t they just follow us through the jump point?” asked Sevan.

  “Doubt it,” said Ay-ttho. “They’ll just send someone to meet us at the other side.”

  “What?” Sevan continued firing photon missiles as fast as he could.

  “Yeah, come to think of it, save some of those missiles for the other side.”

  Another blast.

  “About to reach the jump point. Prepare for departure,” Ron advised.

  “Better hold on,” Ay-ttho chipped in.

  “3, 2, 1...”

  The acceleration threw Sevan across the bridge.

  “I told you to hold on.”

  “Thanks,” said Sevan, rubbing his antennae. “Don’t we need to go into some kind of suspended animation for the journey or something?”

  “You do have too much sci-fi on your entertainment implant.”

  “We are about to emerge from the jump,” said Ron.

  “You’d better strap yourself in,” said Ay-ttho.

  Sevan got up and rushed over to his chair but before he reached it, the ship lurched and sent him flying across the bridge again.

  As soon as the ship came out of the jump, blasts from the corporation ships waiting for them around the landing site rocked the hull.

  “Come on Sevan, stop messing around,” said Ron.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, come on,” laughed Ay-ttho. “Stop messing around. Get your antennae up here.”

  Sevan was not happy, but he picked himself up and struggled against the rocking of the ship to get over to the weapons chair and attach the terminals. No sooner had he attached the last terminal than his vision of the weapons display returned, covered in targets.

  “Hold on to your seat,” Ay-ttho warned again.

  Sevan wasted no time in grabbing hold of the chair and gripping on tight as Ay-ttho pulled the ship into a steep dive. He did his best to continue firing at the targets as they flashed by.

  “I didn’t know freighters were so manoeuvrable,” he commented.

  “Mastery of the Stars is versatile,” said Ron.

  “And the pilot is the best in the galaxy,” laughed Ay-ttho.

  “You love this, don’t you?” said Sevan.

  “You have to live, otherwise there’s no point in living at all.”

  Sevan thought that he could happily live his entire life with no form of adventure and he was already beginning to lament the loss of his new living quarters and the unlimited supply of pish. But his reminiscences were short lived as he needed to concentrate on firing at the plethora of targets which seemed to be surrounding them.

  “Cease fire!” Ay-ttho shouted.

  “What?” Sevan th
ought she had lost her marbles.

  “Cease fire!”

  She sounded angry so Sevan did as she told him.

  “Cutting power,” said Ron. “Blowing the garbage hold.”

  With a clunk, he plunged the ship into darkness and Sevan’s weapons system went dead.

  “Keep it on,” said Ay-ttho, seeing Sevan removing the terminals. He reattached them.

  Through the bridge’s observation windows, Sevan could see old machinery and rubbish floating by.

  “What’s happening?” he asked.

  “Just be ready,” warned Ay-ttho.

  The Mastery of the Stars floated directionless amidst the corporation frigates which were closing in.

  “You’ve done this before haven’t you?” asked Sevan.

  “Of course,” said Ron.

  “Shh,” said Ay-ttho.

  The Mastery of the Stars continued to float towards the corporation ships which were now so close that Sevan could swear he could see figures behind the observation windows.

  “Who are you guys?” Sevan asked.

  “Smugglers and thieves,” said Ron with pride.

  “Shh!” Ay-ttho sounded very annoyed.

  There was a banging sound on the hull.

  “They’re docking,” Ay-ttho whispered. “Come on, Sevan. Let’s go.”

  “Go? Where are we going?”

  “To see the president. Come on, let’s go.”

  Sevan hesitated.

  Ay-ttho walked up to him and whispered into his ear.

  “If you want them to execute you then stay here. If you want to live, then come with me.”

  She left the bridge. Sevan pulled off the terminals and followed her. She led him along the corridors to the entrance Sevan remembered from when he had first entered the ship.

  “Get in here,” she ordered, holding open a panel, which Sevan had assumed was just part of the wall. Sevan squeezed inside and Ay-ttho squeezed in after him.

  “Shh,” she said. “Absolute silence.”

  Sevan hadn’t been planning on saying anything for fear of being discovered but now the thought of upsetting Ay-ttho made him double his efforts. No sooner had Ay-thho closed the panel behind them than a loud clunk signalled the Corporation frigate docking onto the Mastery of the Stars. Moments later, Sevan heard the door open and Corporation security personnel rushing on board.

  After the commotion died down, Sevan heard the voice of what must have been an officer.

  “Wait here in case anyone tries to escape.”

  “Yes, sir,” someone replied.

  There was a moment’s silence and then Ay-ttho leapt from behind the panel and Sevan heard a whole different sounding commotion. By the time he got himself past the panel, he emerged to discover Ay-ttho standing over two unconscious guards.

  “Quick,” she said. “Drag them behind the panel.”

  It amazed Sevan how heavy his guard was.

  “Get into his uniform,” Said Ay-ttho, closing the panel behind Sevan. She had already started undressing her guard.

  As soon as they had got dressed, and Ay-ttho had hidden Sevan’s antennae beneath his helmet, they re-emerged from behind the panel.

  “Where are you going?” Sevan asked as Ay-ttho headed inside the frigate. “Shouldn’t we stay and guard the entrance?”

  “Why?”

  “Well, the officer said...”

  “You have lost your marbles. Follow me.”

  She hurried onto the frigate and Sevan followed her, trying to walk as he had seen Corporation security forces walk.

  “Stop walking like that,” said Ay-ttho. “You’ll raise suspicion.”

  “How should I walk?”

  “Just walk normally.”

  Sevan walked normally.

  “Okay, forget it,” said Ay-ttho. “Go back to that weird thing you were doing before.”

  Sevan followed her along the corridor until the end where it turned at a right angle. They followed the bend and found themselves face to face with a platoon of Corporation guards.

  CHAPTER 8: THE FIRE

  “Quick, they’re getting massacred in there,” shouted Ay-ttho. “Go and help.”

  The platoon leader waved for his guards to follow him and, a moment later, they were gone.

  “Wow, that was easy,” said Sevan.

  “They might train them well. But they’re not very bright. Follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To the hangar.”

  “Why?”

  “We are going to steal a ship.”

  “Another one?”

  “How do you think we’re going to get off this frigate?”

  “I didn’t want to be on the frigate.”

  “If you want to meet the president, then we have to steal a Corporation shuttle.”

  “I don’t want to meet the president.”

  “You’re so funny.”

  “Am I?”

  Sevan followed Ay-ttho through the corridors, trying to match the confidence of her stride but not succeeding. When they arrived at the hangar, she did not slacken her pace but continued in a direct line towards the nearest shuttle and marched straight on board.

  “Get yourself strapped in,” she ordered. “This might get bumpy.”

  Sevan did as she told him and was glad he didn’t have to attach any terminals to his antennae.

  “Attach those terminals to your antennae,” Ay-ttho pointed to some cables dangling beside Sevan’s chair.

  “What are they?”

  “Weapons system, you might have to do some shooting.”

  “Great.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “Why?”

  Sevan didn’t respond. He felt the conversation was going nowhere.

  Ay-ttho soon had the shuttle moving and headed for the entrance to the hangar. Aggressive looking lights began to flash, accompanied by aggressive beeping sounds. Ay-thho pressed a few buttons and switched a few switches but this only silenced the aggressiveness temporarily.

  “Come on, Ron,” Ay-ttho muttered.

  “Ron? Is he coming?”

  “He’s meant to be sending a signal to get us out of here.”

  “Won’t they know that he is the source of the signal?”

  “Eventually. But we’ll be long gone by then.”

  The beeping and flashing stopped and Ay-ttho moved the shuttle clear of the entrance to the hangar.

  “What was all that about?” Sevan asked.

  “Ron transmitted a fake code giving this shuttle permission to leave the frigate and rendezvous with a diplomatic delegation.”

  “What diplomatic delegation?”

  “The one we are taking to the summit.”

  “What summit?”

  “The one being chaired by the president.”

  Sevan did not like the sound of this. Ay-ttho had activated the weapons system and symbols and targets now polluted his vision. However, it seemed that he might not need to use it as Ron’s decoy code seemed to have convinced the Corporation that their mission was genuine.

  As they pulled away from the frigate, none of the other ships seemed to pay them much attention and they passed unmolested.

  “Can I take this off?” asked Sevan, pulling at the terminals.

  “No. Ron’s decoy has fooled them for now but they’ll realise it’s a fake eventually and when they do, they’ll come after us.”

  “Oh, great. Something to look forward to.”

  Sevan began to feel a little better when he noticed that the convoy of corporation frigates had almost disappeared from view and no one had pursued them. Ahead, a small dot was increasing in size.

  “That’s the space port where we will pick up the delegation,” said Ay-ttho.

  “But won’t they be expecting someone else?”

  “Ron has cancelled the orders for the existing shuttle and put us in their place.”

  “It all sounds a bit too easy.”

&n
bsp; “You worry too much.”

  Sevan felt he had a very good reason to worry too much but as the approaching space port began to fill the observation windows, Sevan had no choice but to put his faith in Ay-ttho and Ron.

  “Be nice to them,” Ay-ttho warned as the shuttle docked. “This is a group of high level diplomats. They are used to being treated very well.”

  Ay-ttho left her seat and walked to the loading bay door to greet the delegates as it opened.

  “Welcome to your shuttle,” said Ay-ttho. “Apologies for the change of plan, I trust you will enjoy a comfortable ride to the conference.”

  Sevan’s astonishment at Ay-ttho’s ability to be polite was far eclipsed by the sight of the delegates whom, to Sevan, looked like life sized lumps of the lunch they had served Sevan at the concession.

  “Stop staring,” Ay-ttho whispered as she walked past Sevan on the way back to the pilot’s chair.

  Sevan attempted a smile at the delegates but, not being able to identify any eyes, or any recognisable features, he could not discern their reaction and so turned away to look out of the observation window where he stared at them in the reflection.

  The loading bay door sealed with a hiss. The shuttle disengaged from the dock with a clunk and Ay-ttho pulled the shuttle away from the space port.

  “Keep your antennae sharp for corporation frigates,” Ay-ttho warned Sevan. “Ron’s code won’t fool them forever.”

  “What am I supposed to do if they come?”

  “Shoot at them, you fushy marble.”

  “Shh, won’t the delegates hear you?”

  “They can’t understand a word.”

  Sevan had no way of knowing whether the delegates understood, he wasn’t sure how they expressed comprehension.

  “Frigates heading our way,” said Sevan as the targets appeared on his display. “They are not in range yet.”

  “We can’t out-gun them,” said Ay-ttho. “But we might out-manoeuvre them.”

  The shuttle lurched away from the frigates and Sevan, holding on to his chair, thought he perceived a squeal of terror from the delegates.

  Despite the manoeuvre, the frigates still seemed to close, although they were still not in range of the shuttle’s weapons system. He could not say the same of the frigates’ weapons systems and Ay-ttho needed to undertake another sharp manoeuvre, accompanied by a loud squeal from the delegation, to avoid a corporation missile.

  “Let’s see how fast this thing goes,” said Ay-ttho and Sevan found himself pressed into his chair by the acceleration. “Oh, fast.”