The Razor drifts through the debris field, Kassian weaving the ship between broken hulls, drifting scrap, and shattered turrets. Rusted metal fragments and the skeletal remains of cruisers form an intricate maze. Twisted beams reach out like skeletal hands, while occasional glints of shattered glass catch the dim starlight, creating an eerie, ghostly atmosphere.
The Razor's thrusters emit a low hum as Kassian maneuvers with precision, avoiding jagged metal that could rip through the hull. His focus is unwavering, eyes darting from one obstacle to the next, hands steady on the controls as he guides us through the labyrinth.
Three other Razor ships suddenly burst out from behind the wreckage of a frigate, their sleek forms shimmering as they break cover, clearly lying in wait to ambush anyone navigating the debris field. They were using the wreckage to conceal their approach, hoping to catch us off guard.
Kassian reacts instantly, hands flying across the controls, yanking the Razor into a sharp bank as the enemy ships open fire. The first barrage slams into the hull, but he spins us around, dodging the worst of it.
"Hold on!" he snaps, engines roaring as he throws us into a steep dive, cutting close beneath the debris of a floating cruiser. I grab the overhead rail, my optics flicking between the incoming ships and the wreckage we're skimming past. The enemy is relentless, firing volley after volley, their cannons lighting up the darkness.
Kassian yanks the Razor into a hard left. The force pulls at me as we careen through the metal graveyard, the other ships hot on our tail. I watch as the Razor dives, spins, and rolls, evading incoming fire with deadly precision. Kassian cuts it close, ducking beneath a massive floating hull. The enemy ships follow, shots scattering wide as they try to lock on, but eventually our hull lurches violently as one of the enemies gets lucky, a plasma burst scorching our rear thruster.
"Dammit!" Nora exclaims.
"Calm yourself," Evander warns. "This isn't the time."
Kassian is silent as he adjusts for the damage, pulling us into a tight spin around a broken frigate's exposed skeleton. The Razor cuts through the narrow gaps like a blade, swinging us out from behind cover while the twin-mounted cannons blast a shot into one of our pursuers.
They erupt into a fireball, debris scattering as its shattered hull tumbles into the void. Kassian rolls hard, dodging the explosion. That's one.
"Clean shots," I say.
He exhales. "Messier than I hoped for."
Two ships remain, but Kassian has them figured out. He slams the thrusters, pulling up sharply, angling toward the nearest frigate. The Razor cuts through the debris with surgical precision, banking and twisting, forcing the enemy craft to follow through the maze.
As gunfire streaks past the viewport, Evander shifts beside me, eyes focused, but he doesn't speak. Neither do I. It's all in Kassian's hands; his specialty. Suddenly, he flips the Razor on its back, stars whirling past as we loop around, coming up behind one of the remaining ships.
"Checkmate," he mutters, twin cannons firing. Another explosion fills the viewport, the second ship disintegrating in a bright flare. One left.
"Checkmate?" Keira asks, finding it funny.
"Quiet," Evander presses. "I don't remember you all being this chatty."
Kassian throws us into a steep climb, the last enemy firing desperately to keep up. But it's no use. Kassian pulls into position, lines up the shot, fingers steady on the triggers, and the Razor's cannons light up. The final ship explodes, its wreckage scattering as we blast through. The wreckage clears, and for a moment, I see it—the planet below, a vast expanse of green and blue. A jungle world, dense with tangled trees and mist-shrouded valleys.
YOU ARE READING
Children of The Spheres
Science FictionIn the centuries following The Fraying, humanity has clawed its way back from the brink. In a galaxy fractured by conflict and guarded by fragile alliances, civilization thrives under a veneer of technological prowess, its people riddled with cyberw...
