Vengeance Lost_Ardent Redux Saga_Episode 1 Read online

  She turned and looked down the hall and into the bridge one last time before she stepped into her quarters, which had become their exit point. What was once a cozy room was now half missing. The floor only extended a few feet in before it ended in a jagged mess. The artificial gravity system built into the floor throughout the ship lost its pull as she stepped further into the torn room, until it released completely where the floor ended. She held onto the remaining section of wall, careful to avoid anything that looked like it could cut her suit.

  Dani positioned herself at the launch point like Cruz and Jag before her, and clipped onto the tether. She looked over her shoulder to make sure the open airlock was directly behind her. Satisfied about her position, she looked at her ship once more, patting the hull gently.

  “It’s been fun, ol’ girl,” she whispered to the ship, taking in the destruction from the outside.

  “Dani, you need to launch now.”

  The urgency in Jag's voice caught her off-guard, and she looked toward the airlock. The rest of the crew was back toward the interior door, and Dani’s people were frantically beckoning her. She turned and launched herself off of her ship just in time to catch a glimpse of another ship on the opposite side Alaska’s Vengeance. It was the scrap heap of a vessel she had spotted in the asteroid belt, only now it wasn’t floating lifelessly along the asteroids.

  The white glow of an incoming energy blast caused Dani’s eyes to widen as she soared backward toward the airlock. As she passed into the open door, it sealed shut behind her, and the in-floor gravity kicked in, yanking her down to the ground, causing her to roll several feet until she stopped at the feet of her crew.

  Before she could even stand, the interior door opened and she was dragged into the ship by her crew. The Triak’gue shuddered as the energy shot hit its shield.

  Dani clamored to her feet, wobbling as she tried to orient herself to her new surroundings. A Triak’gue crewmember was running down the hallway toward a viewing window. Dani and her crew followed quickly, sliding to a halt on the smooth floor before the tinted window.

  “Pirates!” Cassia gasped as another blast was absorbed by the Triak’gue’s shield with a shudder.

  “How?” Dani panted. “I scanned that ship and there were no life signs.”

  They felt the powerful engines of the Triak’gue fire up, meaning that a jump was imminent, but they couldn’t pull their eyes from the scene.

  Dani watched, open-jawed, as the Frankensteined pirate ship took aim again, letting loose another energy blast.

  This time, rather than hitting the shield of the Triak’gue, the blast collided with the remnants of Alaska’s Vengeance.

  With no shields to protect her, Alaska’s Vengeance took the full brunt of the blast. Dani and her crew groaned in unison as they witnessed the devastating blow. The remaining engine and thrusters were sheared away from the ship as it began barrel rolling toward the Gi’ran ship.

  Dani reached up and placed her hand on the window just as the Triak’gue jumped into hyperdrive. The stars and planets around them blurred, and in the blink of an eye, Alaska’s Vengeance and the pirate ship were gone. Dani was unsure if the turn in her stomach was caused by the jump or witnessing the complete destruction of her ship.

  She and her crew continued to stare quietly out the window as they passed stars and planets faster than their eyes could register. No one uttered a word as they quietly mourned the loss.

  After several minutes passed, Dani noticed they weren’t alone. Several of the Triak’gue’s crewmembers had joined them. At first, she assumed they were there to enjoy the viewing window and check on their guests. Dani turned and stepped toward them to express her gratitude, but her sudden movement caused the crewmember closer to her to whip out an electrified baton. The draw of his weapon caused a chain reaction, and before she knew it, she was surrounded by solemn-looking Gi’ran all holding their weapons up in defense.

  “Guys...” Dani said softly as she stepped back toward the window with her hands raised. She didn’t stop until the back of her helmet bumped into the viewing window. “We have a problem.”

  Jag, Cassia, Cruz, and Howard all turned around at the same time, quickly mirroring Dani and putting their hands in the air.

  The crewmember with a moon on their lapel gestured down the hall with their baton.

  Dani nodded, swallowed hard, and began down the hall with her crew in tow. The rest of the Triak’gue’s crew fell in line around Dani’s crew, weapons still drawn. They were escorted away from the window and through winding halls of the pristine ship. The gleaming white walls and floors were harsh and uncomfortable.

  “This has got to be a mistake,” Jag commented as he shuffled along awkwardly behind Dani.

  The crewman next to him knocked the back end of his baton into Jag’s helmet, causing him to stumble and almost lose his balance in the too-small suit. He caught himself by grabbing onto the back of Dani’s too-large suit, causing her to nearly fall backward on top of him. By the time they righted themselves, each of their escorts had their weapons trained on the pair while the rest of the Gi’ran crew had Cassia, Cruz, and Howard pinned against the wall of the ship.

  Dani slowly put her hands back in the air, straightened up, and started walking again, whispering softly into the suit’s comm, “I don’t know what’s going on, but they mean business. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding, but stay quiet and do as they say.”

  They continued down the corridor before entering a stairwell and making their way into the belly of the ship. The Triak’gue crew finally halted Dani in a narrow hall lined with doors on both sides. The doors opened simultaneously, and the crewmembers of Alaska’s Vengeance were ushered into a cell, the door clanging shut behind them.

  “Alright, so the good news is we were rescued before pirates completely destroyed our ship.” Cassia smiled as she freed herself from her helmet.

  “The bad news is that the Gi’ran are known to lack compassion and we may be dead anyway.”

  Dani glared at Jag. “And how is that helpful?”

  Jag shrugged. “Just calling it like I see it.”

  The cell door opened and a heavily decorated Gi’ran entered the room.

  Dani stood and removed her helmet before extending a hand. “Captain Dani Devereaux. Thanks for the rescue.”

  “Captain Dev’ya Veron’k. Welcome to the Triak’gue,” a device on the captain’s lapel translated.

  “And such a warm welcome, indeed.” Jag rolled his eyes.

  “What my colleague is trying to say”—Howard elbowed Jag in the side—“is thank you for your rescue, but can we inquire about our accommodations?”

  “This is where we keep the prisoners,” Captain Veron’k said flatly. “We are en route to Galactic Conglomerate headquarters where you will be turned over to the authorities.”

  Dani stepped forward, but the Gi’ran accompanying the captain raised their weapons, causing her to step back once more. “What crimes are we charged with?”

  Captain Veron’k turned and left the cell with her escorts, the clang of the heavy metal door signifying the end of the conversation.

  Dani sighed and sat down. “Cruz, how long do you estimate it will take us to get to GCHQ?”

  “A few hours,” he signed.

  “If that's the case, I’m getting out of this thing.” Howard struggled to reach the seal on his suit.

  “Here, let me.” Cassia helped him release the seal and started trying to help him out of it.

  The rest of the crew removed their suits as well until there was a pile in one corner of the cell.

  Dani eased herself onto a cot as her body began to feel the effects of her rough landing. “It will be nice to get this whole mess sorted out. I’m sure once they debrief us, everything will be fine.”

  “I sure hope so.” Cassia sat on the floor at Dani’s feet.

  “What will happen then? We’re a crew without a ship,” Cruz signed after he plopped down on the cot ne
xt to Dani.

  Dani caught Howard’s expression as he raised his eyes and fought to contain a smirk. “You hiding something, old man?”

  Howard chuckled. “You didn’t hear this from me, but a new fleet is in the works. I was brought in to look over the specs, and these are some high-class ships.”

  Jag perked up a little from where he stood, leaning on the wall. “Really now?”

  “Oh yes, fanciest ships I ever saw. Of course, I only saw them on paper. I don’t know how far out they are from making them a reality. I hear they’re supposed to be faster, too.”

  Jag nodded, smiling. “Now we’re talking.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Dani’s stomach was a pit of worry. “Let’s see what happens when we get there before we get too excited.”

  Dani spent the rest of the flight fidgeting with her uniform and running different scenarios through her head. Her father constantly ran her through a variety of battle scenarios as she was going through the academy. Their visits were infrequent, but she treasured the limited time they had together and she was a better pilot—and a better captain—for it.

  She half-smiled to herself, shaking her head ever so slightly. He was always trying to stump her, putting her in impossible situations and applauding whatever decision she made. A decision that saves lives in the heat of battle is better than no decision at all, he would say.

  On more than one occasion, he gave her a problem that required her to choose between herself and her crew and innocents. Dani agonized over those decisions, always trying to find a way to save everyone. You can’t always save everyone, Dani. His voice drifted through her thoughts. When she couldn’t save everyone, she always sacrificed herself, just like he had when he faced a battle he couldn’t win. Her father was a hero until the end, and here she sat, a failure and a prisoner.

  Dani cleared her throat, trying to rid the depressing thoughts from her mind. She looked around at the few people she did manage to save after disaster struck in PS683. The rest of the crew participated in idle conversation to pass the time. Jag kept returning to the idea of one of the new ships while Cassia talked about her eagerness to spend a full weekend at a spa. Dani wrinkled her nose. They were quite the smelly bunch, having gone quite some time without a proper shower.

  She tried to focus on the chatter around her, but ultimately Dani drifted back into her thoughts. She started to wonder if she should have stayed with the Louisiana instead of leaving to find the injured Vaerian destroyer. You had no way of knowing what would happen. You were sent in to eliminate the threat, and that’s exactly what you were doing, her father’s voice reasoned with her thoughts.

  They’d had a similar talk when Dani was a fresh fighter pilot. She had chased a rogue fighter away from the group on a mission and ultimately took it out. However, in her absence, two of her fellow pilots were lost. The ship they were pursuing had outmaneuvered them both. You can’t save everyone, he’d said to her as they sat beneath a star-viewing window back at GCHQ. She made a promise to herself that day, while looking up at the stars with her father, that even if she couldn’t save everyone, she would never stop trying.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when the constant hum of the hyperdrive engines suddenly revved down. She jumped up off the bed and approached the cell door. Despite how hard she craned her neck, all she could see was the obnoxiously white wall across from the door.

  “Well, this is it,” Cruz signed as Dani turned back to face the crew.

  “This probably won’t be the heroes’ welcome we’re all used to. They’ll probably debrief us individually. Be honest. We’ve got nothing to hide.” She nodded, unsure if her words were to calm her crew or because she needed to hear them too.

  It wasn't long before the Gi’ran guards returned to the cell. They opened the door and stepped inside, carrying five sets of restraints.

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Jag groaned at the sight of the cuffs.

  Dani shot him a warning glance before she willingly presented her wrists to the guard. The cold, flexible polymer melted into itself as the guard hit it with a special light. She was familiar with the standard-issue Galactic Conglomerate restraints. In fact, she had some aboard Alaska’s Vengeance, but she had never needed to use them.

  Once the rest of the crew was cuffed, they were led out of the cell single-file and through the ship. More twists and turns in the opposite direction from which they came ended at the docking bay.

  Through a nearby viewing window, Dani could see the gentle curvature of the planet-sized space station. Beneath the metal crust lay an actual planet, chosen for its mineral-rich core. Unfortunately, the planet was inhospitable, but that didn’t stop the GC. They’d built a survivable space on the surface of the planet that gradually grew to encompass the entire thing. They could mine down into it to get what they needed while utilizing its gravity and orbit to their benefit. The network of structures left gaps where light could filter down to the planet below above the farms that helped feed the population.

  Captain Veron’k joined Dani and her crew, silently glancing down at Dani out of the corner of her eye. The Gi’ran were tall and lanky, often towering over their human counterparts. Dani was taller than many women she knew but still felt small next to Captain Veron’k.

  Dani shifted and cleared her throat, trying to refocus her attention and keep her gaze forward.

  As the docking doors opened into the broad corridor, Dani furrowed her brow at the crowd waiting on the other side. Galactic Conglomerate troops, along with a number of reporters, lined up on either side of the hall. It wasn’t uncommon for Dani and her crew to have a welcoming party, but these people looked anything but welcoming.

  Captain Veron’k stepped forward into the hall, briskly walking through the crowd, ignoring their questions.

  “Captain Veron’k, how does it feel to bring in the GC’s most wanted fugitives?”

  “Did you and your crew fear for your lives?”

  Dani and her crew were led down the hall next. No sooner did Captain Veron’k disappear around a corridor did the hungry reporters pounce on their new prey.

  “Were you part of the plan to destroy the star system, leaving billions dead?”

  “What’s your response to claims that you orchestrated the whole event yourself?”

  “How do you sleep at night?”

  “Was it your goal to tarnish your father’s legacy?”

  Her chest tightened as questions flew at her from every angle. She barely had time to open her mouth, let alone answer any of the questions, but a big part of her didn’t want to justify their interrogations with a response. Plus, she felt that it was best to keep quiet until she understood exactly what was going on and why they were in custody.

  Dani turned to try to see the rest of her crew, but the guards escorting her jerked her forward again.

  She felt beaten and bare as she was led around a corner and past another set of guards. This hall was much wider, one of the main thoroughfares at HQ. The barrage of questions was replaced by looks of disgust and disappointment as Dani and her crew were escorted down the hall. Guards blocked each offshoot, holding back onlookers who booed, hissed, and spat at the disgraced crew as they passed.

  The muscles in Dani’s neck tightened as she tried to hold back the flood of emotions building inside. Not able to handle the anger radiating off of the small crowds, she focused her gaze downward, staring at Captain Veron’k’s feet as they made their way through the space station.

  Another bend brought them to the shuttle station. Again, the crowds were held back by guards who prevented them from boarding the train. Dani and her crew were escorted onto the train shuttle and forced to sit on the cold, plastic benches.

  “Not one word,” a guard threatened.

  Dani’s eyes gazed upon the bewildered and upset faces of her crew, her own surprise and terror mirrored in their expressions. Even if she had been allowed to speak, she had no idea what to say.

 
Chapter 5

  The silence on the train was deafening, but unable to drown out the questions echoing through Dani’s mind. Her own voice lay buried somewhere deep within the chaos in her head, repeating the same statement over and over.

  This can’t be happening.

  Dani took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Okay, Dani, everything will be alright. Think about what you do know. She refocused her attention on the facts. The War of the Seven Suns had raged on for years. The Vaerians were cold-hearted, merciless warriors with the goal of wiping out humans and using GC planets and resources for themselves. Surely Dani and her crew wouldn’t seem like an enemy with these barbarians at the gate. Right?

  The news screen on the wall of the shuttle lit up, showing pictures of Captain Veron’k leading Dani and her crew off the Triak’gue.

  “After a surprising turn of events, Captain Dev’ya Veron’k of the Galactic Conglomerate ship Triak’gue apprehended the crew of Alaska’s Vengeance. It was only moments ago that they arrived at Galactic Conglomerate Headquarters. Dani Devereaux and her crew are believed to be responsible for the destruction of Planetary System 683 and will be tried for treason, desertion, and consorting with the enemy.”

  Before and after images of PS683 lingered on the screen, underlined by the badge pictures of Dani and her crew, less Howard.

  “Dani Devereaux is the daughter of Robert Devereaux, esteemed fighter pilot, captain, and war hero who was killed in action early on in the War of the Seven Suns. It’s disheartening, to say the least, to know that his daughter was working with the very enemy responsible for his death.”

  The train eased to a halt, and the guards pulled Dani and her crew to their feet just as she thought she might lose her composure.

  Much to Dani’s relief, the platform was empty aside from guards placed at each exit. The plaque on the wall read Galactic Conglomerate Holding Unit.

  They were marched up to a window attended by a young woman. Her eyes widened as she recognized Dani from the news screen displayed on her side of the cubby. The color ran out of her face and she shakily handed Captain Veron’k a digi-form, her eyes not leaving Dani’s face.