What can you #win from the BestSelling Reads Spring-Fling Science-Fiction & Fantasy Giveaway? Sample this rollicking sci-fi adventure
By Roger Eschbacher
Chapter Three
Galen powered up the main engines. Here goes everything. He thrust the steerstick full forward and watched as the dazzling stars visible through the viewplate turned into sloppy streaks of light. His vessel had gone from zero to just below light speed in a blink. Fast, for sure, but not fast enough to outrun the pursuing arcships. “How’s it looking, Hex?”
A deck below, Hex was hovering outside of the node and scanning the inside of the space with a snake cam. “Not well. The traitor Regor removed two key components of the ship’s AI. We will not be going into tripspace anytime soon.”
“Snat!” said Galen. “We’ve got at least forty arcships on our tail. Can’t you do something?”
“Perhaps. Weapons have been disabled. I shall attempt to cobble together a rudimentary ship’s consciousness that can jump us into tripspace.”
“Do it!”
“Yes, Captain.”
Several bolts of white-hot plasma streaked past the viewplates. Galen had received his first, and most likely last, warning shot. He punched at the shield trigger, but nothing happened. “Hex! Where are my shields?”
Hex’s voice crackled over the battlecom. “Apologies. Try them again.”
Galen flicked the shield trigger and was greatly relieved when a coating of pre-plasma spread over the surface of the ship. The arcships opened fire, and the Ghost Star shuddered and rocked with the impact of every bolt on her hull. Galen knew his ship could hold up for a while, but it was only a matter of time and distance before the cruisers opened fire with their big guns. A direct hit from one of those would knock Bartrice out of commission, if not destroy her outright. Galen glanced at the tripspace vidscreen, which featured Mael’s deadly gravity well on its matrix. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you.
**
Lord Mohk strode angrily onto the command deck of the Lingering Death, followed by Dur. The Nell colonel from the boarding party turned away.
“Report,” said Mohk.
A young mid-lieutenant snapped to attention. “Lord Mohk! The smuggler vessel has severed the tether and is evading our second squadron. Our boltfire is having little effect on the vessel’s shielding.”
Mohk watched intently as the small freighter wove in and out of the swarm of arcships with relative ease. At one point two of the arcships collided with each other and produced a fireball that made everyone on the command deck wince.
“He is gifted, I’ll give him that,” said Mohk. “The question is, Colonel, why is there a ‘he’ on that ship? Did you not tell me you and your men searched it thoroughly?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“And yet, there is a pilotless vessel running circles around my arcships.”
The Colonel had broken out into a full sweat at this point, and those who were standing or working near him when Lord Mohk walked in were now a minimum of ten feet away.
“Lord Mohk, it is my theory that either the autopilot was somehow activated or someone was able to get on board the vessel after we had departed.”
Mohk moved deliberately toward the now quivering Colonel, stopping within striking distance. “Somehow? Someone? Those are never good words to use when you’re trying to make a convincing argument, Colonel. Your theory is beyond stupid—an autopilot that flies with such skill, the fact that we’re nowhere near civilization—I don’t think you have a leg to stand on.” Mohk stepped forward and, with a swipe of his foreclaw, severed the Colonel’s left leg above the knee.
Ghost Star is one of 10 books and a new Paperwhite e-reader you could win in the BestSelling Reads Spring Fling Science-Fiction and Fantasy Giveaway. Enter now.
About Ghost Star
He’d battle an empire to save his family!
When his father and crewmates are attacked and killed by a ruthless alien commander, young Galen Bray becomes the new captain of the GHOST STAR, a notorious smuggling vessel. Barely escaping capture, Galen sets out to rescue the only other survivor of the vicious attack, his sister Trem. Along the way, he discovers a mysterious people thought wiped out long ago, his family’s surprising origins, and a destiny he never imagined . . .
Find more on author Roger Eschbacher’s website.
About the Spring Fling Giveaway
