the lowering ships. “I didn’t notice them. They’ve got an esper block up.”
Vas stopped loading the command console. “They have an esper block?” As if they were expecting an esper? A high-level esper? Damn, this could be worse than she thought. Much worse.
“We can’t do anything about it now. We need everyone off the ground five minutes ago. I have a bad feeling that we need to be airborne before they realize who we are.” The unspoken command to go help the rest of their transport ships sent Deven running off with a nod.
The gray ships were hovering in place, but she knew it wouldn’t take them long to move over if they noticed her people. A chill down her back told Vas those ships were looking for her people. Or her. There was no rational reason for her feelings, they just were.
The two smaller troop carriers got off the ground at that moment. Which meant they’d run out of time; the lift off couldn’t have gone unnoticed. Whatever those lumbering gray ships were, they still would have to regain altitude before they could move over to Vas and her people. Even ships that huge could land on a planet with the proper equipment; they just couldn’t maneuver worth a damn in atmosphere. Those behemoths were doing a controlled landing with the intent to fire upon the land below them. Instead of rising like she feared, they began opening fire on the troops below them. She made a note to find out who had been slaughtered down there. They at least deserved that. They’d come for a fair fight, and they weren’t going to get that and it pissed her off.
Deven came back with twenty fighters in tow before she could finish trying to figure out the enemy ships and their maneuvers.
“Everyone else is on board. These were closer to us than their ships.” The roar of the two final troop carriers blasting off threatened to drown him out.
Vas nodded over the noise and motioned toward the Warrior Wench . They got the rest of their people out. Now they needed to do the same.
Running, she and Deven led the remaining fighters onto the ship and entered the code to pull in the troop plank. They secured the extra fighters in a spare hold, making sure they were all strapped in before heading down toward the bridge. An explosion rocked the ground. The gray ships weren’t on them yet. The explosions were heavy ordinance hitting a few leagues off, but the ships would be there soon.
“Mac, leave NOW,” Vas yelled into her comm as she and Deven grabbed two emergency strap seats and secured themselves. Mac must have been waiting with his hand on the trigger. A split second later the ship threw itself into the sky.
Gallant-class cruisers could take off from a ground position, but they took a gradual assent. Too fast and the Warrior Wench would come crashing down faster than if those gray ships hit it.
Even though Vas didn’t trust Mac with her money, she trusted him with her ship. Besides, she didn’t have much of a choice.
The ship rattled and tossed as the gravitation of the planet fought with the attempt to break free. A few popping sounds told Vas repairs would have to be made, but so far no explosions foretelling impending doom.
“What were those ships?” Vas yelled over the strain of the engines as she hung on the railings. Both of them were strapped in, but at the rate they were being thrown around she didn’t want to take a chance and end up with a broken neck if the straps broke.
He tightened his grip on his own railings as the ship felt ready to buck apart. “I have no idea. I saw the same thing you did.”
“Damn it, this isn’t time to be Mister Reticent. You’ve seen a hell of a lot more of this universe and things in it than I have. What were those damn ships?” She’d been in this business for twenty years, and right now she felt like a first-time novice. Her gut fought to come out, and not only because of the pull of the ship.
He stayed silent for a good five minutes, or at least it felt like
Vas stopped loading the command console. “They have an esper block?” As if they were expecting an esper? A high-level esper? Damn, this could be worse than she thought. Much worse.
“We can’t do anything about it now. We need everyone off the ground five minutes ago. I have a bad feeling that we need to be airborne before they realize who we are.” The unspoken command to go help the rest of their transport ships sent Deven running off with a nod.
The gray ships were hovering in place, but she knew it wouldn’t take them long to move over if they noticed her people. A chill down her back told Vas those ships were looking for her people. Or her. There was no rational reason for her feelings, they just were.
The two smaller troop carriers got off the ground at that moment. Which meant they’d run out of time; the lift off couldn’t have gone unnoticed. Whatever those lumbering gray ships were, they still would have to regain altitude before they could move over to Vas and her people. Even ships that huge could land on a planet with the proper equipment; they just couldn’t maneuver worth a damn in atmosphere. Those behemoths were doing a controlled landing with the intent to fire upon the land below them. Instead of rising like she feared, they began opening fire on the troops below them. She made a note to find out who had been slaughtered down there. They at least deserved that. They’d come for a fair fight, and they weren’t going to get that and it pissed her off.
Deven came back with twenty fighters in tow before she could finish trying to figure out the enemy ships and their maneuvers.
“Everyone else is on board. These were closer to us than their ships.” The roar of the two final troop carriers blasting off threatened to drown him out.
Vas nodded over the noise and motioned toward the Warrior Wench . They got the rest of their people out. Now they needed to do the same.
Running, she and Deven led the remaining fighters onto the ship and entered the code to pull in the troop plank. They secured the extra fighters in a spare hold, making sure they were all strapped in before heading down toward the bridge. An explosion rocked the ground. The gray ships weren’t on them yet. The explosions were heavy ordinance hitting a few leagues off, but the ships would be there soon.
“Mac, leave NOW,” Vas yelled into her comm as she and Deven grabbed two emergency strap seats and secured themselves. Mac must have been waiting with his hand on the trigger. A split second later the ship threw itself into the sky.
Gallant-class cruisers could take off from a ground position, but they took a gradual assent. Too fast and the Warrior Wench would come crashing down faster than if those gray ships hit it.
Even though Vas didn’t trust Mac with her money, she trusted him with her ship. Besides, she didn’t have much of a choice.
The ship rattled and tossed as the gravitation of the planet fought with the attempt to break free. A few popping sounds told Vas repairs would have to be made, but so far no explosions foretelling impending doom.
“What were those ships?” Vas yelled over the strain of the engines as she hung on the railings. Both of them were strapped in, but at the rate they were being thrown around she didn’t want to take a chance and end up with a broken neck if the straps broke.
He tightened his grip on his own railings as the ship felt ready to buck apart. “I have no idea. I saw the same thing you did.”
“Damn it, this isn’t time to be Mister Reticent. You’ve seen a hell of a lot more of this universe and things in it than I have. What were those damn ships?” She’d been in this business for twenty years, and right now she felt like a first-time novice. Her gut fought to come out, and not only because of the pull of the ship.
He stayed silent for a good five minutes, or at least it felt like
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