The Siege Of Drakkon: Book Three Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Thirty-Two

Alessandra Drakkon

Queen of the Drakkon Empire

We fire at the approaching ships, they choose to return fire, which is where they learn that their weapons will work for every ship but the one, I was on. "Engage evasive maneuvers!" I watch in slow motion as the solid laser beam hits the ship's force field, but it fails in only a few seconds underneath the powerful force and cuts the ship in half. "New strategy, every ship get behind the Falka, you can dart out to get shots in but stay close, if my ship can't be fired upon, we're going to make use of that!" They quickly fall in line, following my ship as we veer towards the split halves of the cruiser Yytri, thankfully the safety precautions seemed to have activated, sealing off corridors exposed to space with a small forcefield, enabling the crew to survive for a little while until recused.

Not that we didn't lose anyone, I wasn't sure of the numbers of people we lost, it couldn't have been many, but it wasn't no one either. "Calder, your crew's new task is to rescue the people on the Yytri, we will go ahead in pursuit." He nods, probably not happy about being told to stay behind essentially but knowing someone needed to do it.

"It will be done, my Queen." It was so strange to hear any of the primaries say that your majesty was a generic title for royalty, expected even, but to call me his Queen was an expression of loyalty that I never really expected from them, not when they tried to kill me when we first met.

"Caius we will be pursuing Cedric's cruiser after we take care of these three." We had already destroyed two Trennix cruisers, they had started with six and we had five, already at a disadvantage because their number of cruisers and advanced weapons, but Cedric's cruiser fleeing left us with an even number, and the fact that their weapons refused to fire upon my ship left us in the advantage.

They were down to three ships, and we had four, with my ship able to shield the others from their terrifying weapons. "Cruiser Trinna and Ryon split of to my left and right and fire on the count of three. One, two, three." The ships move out from behind me and fire, all three of use aiming for a separate ship. It takes us no time at all to decimate the ships, leaving us free to pursue Cedric. "Calder, you will stay here and after rescuing all the survivors of the Ytri, provide assistance to the Trennix survivors, provide them with medical assistance, food and water, but keep them in the brig until this is over." I would not kill soldiers who had been ordered to attack me carelessly, they had only been following orders, if at the end of this I could release them, I would. I wasn't out to conquer House Trennix, but I would end this war one way or the other.

"Understood, my Queen." Calder understood the importance of maintaining political prisoners, because in the end, if they had some of our people, we could exchange them.

"Pursue the last Trennix cruiser!" The Falka lurches as it begins to gain speed, the cruisers Trinna and Ryon not far behind it, but staying within safe coverage distance. Suddenly the fleeing Trennix cruiser stops, and turns around aiming weapons at us, I watch as the weapons slowly charge up, ready to fire, they might not be able to hit my ship directly, but perhaps they could skim it if they were aiming for other ships, nevertheless it wasn't a risk I was willing to take. "Fire!" My ships fire short burst lasers at the ship, that render it into pieces, everyone cheers on the ships, thinking we won this war so easily, but I was not so convinced. "Scan the wreckage for bodies and survivors." Caius eyes me curiously over the videocast, obviously sensing that there was more to my request then it seemed.

"What are you thinking, my Queen?" I surveyed the ship wreckage in front of me with a blank face, not showing the turmoil of emotions running through me, anger, sadness, relief, doubt.

"I'm thinking that this was too easy, I'm thinking that Cedric is a snivelling coward who would've never stopped fleeing. Something isn't right here, they gave up to easily, I won't be convinced Cedric is dead until we find his body." Caius nods, looking pensive as well, he had after all known Cedric longer than I had, maybe not personally, but enough to hear rumors about him.