Dragon Star Battleship

Chapter 8

Noel could see the Forge Wasp on one of the displays beating its blast resistant wings, its Prophet grade neon green eyes seeing not just the hull of the ship but everything inside it as well. The laser cannons on its back swiveled and locked. He knew it also shot armor piercing rockets from its abdomen and could, if it was able to land on his ship, "sting" it with a nuclear payload that would blow them halfway to hell.

"Can't get a weapons lock on this thing. It's so fucking small," Jim slammed his fist on the console. "And its got some kind of ...thing.... that's scrambling our sensors."

"How long will our shield last if it goes all out?" Noel asked.

"Ha!" Jim scoffed. "If it hits us every time, like a minute."

"Oh dear," Arya put her hand nearly over her mouth, her fingers dancing in the air an inch or two away from her skin.

"Give me control of the manual guns," Lorin said as she slid into place next to Jim, cool as anything. "I've got this."

Jim raised one eyebrow. "God, that's hot."

"You like murder?" Lorin asked as she recalibrated the shuttle's laser cannons, "Is death and destruction hot?"

"Uh, yes?" Jim fumbled. "I guess. Wait."

Lorin gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, that's weird."

"Jim, just concentrate on getting us out of here," Noel cut in before Jim could respond.

"Obviously" Jim said testily. "Brace yourselves. Incoming." Jim jerked the shuttle up and to the left and Noel heard the distinct pinging sound of laser cannon fire passing close by.

The shuttle did a dramatic roll and Noel's stomach fell into his mouth for a second.

"Oh," Lorin said and then. "Nailed it."

"You got it?" Jim asked, incredulously. "Already?"

"Yeah." She blew a strand of straight brown hair out of her eyes. "Guess I am that good."

"Bloody hell," Jim said with admiration. "Clearly."

Noel let out a gasp of relief that he tried to disguise as a cough. He could see it on the screens. Threat neutralized.

"Captain?"

"Yeah, Jim."

"Looks like the forge is firing up faster than we thought. We can escape the planet's atmosphere and get the fuck away in time but we'll burn 80% of our fuel. I don't have time to check -"

"Just do it," Noel ordered.

Jim floored it and everyone on board got body slammed into their seats. The shuttle rattled like a tin can on fire as they broke through the atmosphere and then shot free into the empty void of space. They came through on the other side of the world, far away from the forge but they could still see, over the green, round edge of Planet 4578 a streak of sunfire bright light. The forge had begun its work.

They had seconds, maybe, if that, to clear it.

It wasn't nearly enough time.

"What the fuck is that?" Jim blurted. Right in front of the shuttle a blob of pale light had appeared, jiggling like jello.

"I believe that is a chaos beacon," Arya observed with excitement. "They're very rare. I never thought I would see one in person and I can see how the scientific community might be divided on whether or not they possess intelligence. Doesn't it seem like its trying to say something to us?"