A siren filled the cabin. A quick check of the display showed exactly what he didn’t want to see.
“Fuck.” That came from the usually stoic Zac.
Krystal turned to look at T’arq. “What is that?” A tremor made her voice waver.
“Xakul,” T’arq said darkly, watching out of the large view screen as Taurean ground troops scurried about on the floor of the hangar.
“Domik! CJ! Strap in. We’re heading out!” Zac shouted, head turned toward the rear of the shuttle.
The siren continued to wail in the background, the sound grating as T’arq began powering up the engines. Domik and CJ hurried into the cockpit, taking their seats and strapping in. That was everyone, then. T’arq’s hands moved fluidly over the controls, shutting the cargo hold door and performing the last checks before they would leave. The shuttle vibrated as they prepared for takeoff.
The shipboard comm broadcasted into the cockpit. “Zataras to all combat ships. We have confirmed contact with Xakul fighters.”
“They’re attacking the Zataras?” Krystal asked, eyes wide.
The lights in the hangar flickered, then went out as the shuttle shook.
“Get us out of here, T’arq!” Zac ordered.
“Working on it.” The shuttle lifted and hovered about the hangar floor before turning to face the hangar bay entrance. “Shit. The hangar doors are shut.”
“Give me a second and I’ll see if I can get them open.” Krystal’s fingers flew over her tablet. “I’ve connected to the Zataras and the doors are… cycling after the power outage. I’ll just try… there!” She threw her hands in the air with a triumphant shout, the hangar doors opening.
“Nicely done, specialist.” T’arq grinned and powered the shuttle forward and toward the slowly opening shuttle bay doors.
“Are we going to fit?”
T’arq threw his head back and laughed.
Krystal yelped as he spun the shuttle, and it slipped through the gap and out into space. “That was close.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, little mouse.”
They shot into the space around the Zataras along with stealth ships and other craft. One by one, they winked out of sight as their pilots engaged the cloaks.
“It’s working!” Krystal’s excited shout brought a smile to T’arq’s face, but he dared not break his concentration to look at her. The Xakul were getting too close for comfort.
Tomas’ voice filled the cabin as the comm opened with the Zataras. “Zac, I need you to hit their base. You will have to do it alone. I can’t afford to let any other ships go while we’re under attack.”
“Yes, sir,” Zac replied, then after the comm signal with the Zataras had closed he addressed the crew of the small shuttle. “Right, team. We have been tasked with destroying the Xakul base that T’arq and Krystal found. This is our best chance while so many of their fighters are engaged here. This will not be a simple assignment, but if anyone can do it, we can.”
A series of battle cries came from the crew.
T’arq watched as first a handful of Xakul fighters appeared on the display, then more and more until they formed a massive swarm. This was beyond anything he had ever seen in all his years as a warrior. Taurean ships formed defensive positions around the Zataras, darting in seemingly incomprehensible patterns. Small stealth ships darted around larger shuttles, protecting them from Xakul attack. The shuttles couldn’t move as quickly as the stealth ships, but what they lacked in that department they more than made up for in fire power.
T’arq watched as one Xakul ship darted forward as it fired at one of the larger shuttles, the stealth ships protecting it, dancing away to open a corridor to the enemy ship. The plasma charge from the shuttle was fast and almost blinding in its intensity, and in a flash the Xakul shuttle exploded, quickly burning up in the vacuum of space. The stealth ships slid back into position, ready for the next round.
“Krystal? Is our cloak ready?” T’arq dodged around a group of Taurean fighters that were in hot pursuit of a Xakul fighter.
“Yes.” Her reply was steady, her movements sure as she tapped rapidly on the screen.
“Now would be the perfect time to use it!” His hands flew over the controls, sending the ship into a dive to avoid an exploding Taurean ship.
“Was that—”
“Now!” He gritted his teeth, using all his skill to maneuver the shuttle away from the Zataras, dodging between space battles until, a few nail-biting minutes later, they had cleared the fracas and were heading for the asteroid field.
Relieved laughter came from the seats behind T’arq. “Domik, for a big dude, you can really dance!” CJ laughed.
