Chapter 2. Scythe

"Capt. Graccus, there is incoming coms. from Senator Galen."

"Put him through."

"Greetings Galen."

"Greetings Lucian."

"Aenides can you feed vision to Galen."

"What is it that I'm looking at Lucian?"

"A memorial ceremony for Capt. Loomis being held in the

ship's landing bay."

"Shouldn't you be down there with them?"

"I wasn't invited."

"How awkward." Galen said.

"Apparently there is some lingering ill feeling amongst the crew

about how I treated their former Captain, prior to his untimely

death."

Galen shook his head. "Leadership can be such a thankless task."

The ship's engineer finished his eulogy and asked if anyone

would like to speak. A young medical officer stepped forward, but

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

before he had a chance to talk, warning lights in the landing bay

began to flash.

"It could just be a glitch ." the engineer said. "I'll go and check."

The medic looked around nervously and was about to continue

when he was interrupted by the sound of alarm sirens.

"Evacuate the bay." the Engineer yelled. " Aenides, code Red."

Galen laughed as he watched the crew run to the elevators, and

find them disabled and locked. The crew spread out searching

for the entry doors to the lower levels, and found them locked as well.

"Aenides, code Red." the Engineer yelled. "Respond."

"I can not." Aenides said over the ship's speakers. "Capt. Graccus

has overwritten my protocols."

The outer pressure doors of the landing bay started to open.

The air inside hissed and groaned as it started to empty into the

vacuum of space.

"You're killing us, you bastard."

"Yes I am." Lucian said.

*

As Lucian steered a shuttle clear of the ship, he asked Aenides

to confirm the co-ordinates that Galen had sent him.

"There's nothing there but empty space Capt.Graccus."

Lucian re-checked the shuttle's control settings. There was enough

fuel to make it out and back with a good margin if something wasn't

right.

"Stand down Aenides, and go dark until I return."

*

Fifty kilometres before reaching the coordinate position, Lucian

slowed the shuttle - then came to a complete stop two kilometres

out. The navigational system still showed nothing ahead.

Lucian opened a coms channel. "And where may I ask are you Galen?"

The shuttle's control panel indicated the ship was being externally

scanned. Galen's face appeared on the screen.

"Patience Lucian."

"I still have no idea where you are."

"There is a good reason for that." Galen said.

A glowing orb appeared before the shuttle. It split into three

points of light that began to spin in a flat circular pattern.

Lucian recognised it as a gateway.

"Come through slowly." Galen said.

The gateway closed as soon as Lucian steered the shuttle through it.

Dwarfed, the shuttle now floated alongside a modified battle cruiser.

The Aenides was nothing more than a decoy that could be manoeuvred

remotely. Lucian nodded his head in appreciation at how much fire power

Galen had so stealthily brought in behind it.

"What is it you're expecting to find out here brother?"

A tractor beam locked onto Lucian's shuttle and drew it towards

the Galen's ship.

*