It would take several days to reach the Audril system, so Will and Debra decided to use the time to go through the ship’s systems and repair what they could. Will had made some repairs on the ship’s shields earlier, but they still weren’t at a hundred percent. The engines were still only operating at eighty percent efficiency, but they could only be repaired while the ship was on the ground.

One of them always remained in the control room so they could react quickly if any other ships were detected. Since they didn’t know who they could trust they planned on going by Will’s old maxim, always assume the worst and act accordingly. For the first couple of days, all was quiet.

Debra was in the control room, when she noticed something odd on the sensors. “Will,” she called into the intercom. “You’d better come up.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Within a minute or so, Will’s head emerged from the opening into the control room. “What is it?”

Debra pressed a button and the sensor readings were displayed on the viewscreen. “I keep seeing something pop up at the very edge of sensor range and then it disappears.” A blip suddenly showed on the viewscreen then quickly disappeared. “There it is again.”

Will nodded grimly. “Might be a ship that picked us up on sensors and is now moving in and out of sensor range to keep track of us.” He climbed into his seat. “Let’s try changing course and see if we can lose it.” He shifted the control stick to the right and the ship banked to the right.

For a few minutes it looked like they’d lost their phantom follower, but then it showed up again. Will began flipping switches. “Let’s see if using the auxiliary thrusters to give us some extra speed will get rid of it?” He pushed the control stick forward and to the left and pushed a button. He and Debra were pushed back into their seats as the ship accelerated forward. However, after a few minutes the blip appeared again.

“Could it be a sensor glitch?” he wondered.

Debra shook her head. “That’s what I thought when I first saw it and ran a full sensor diagnostic and found no issues.”

Will began flipping switches. “It’s been there long enough to alert other ships to our position. We need to get rid of it so we can get out of here before anyone else arrives.” A dull violet haze enveloped the ship as he activated the ship’s shields. He pulled the control stick hard to the side and the ship swung around and was soon heading back the way it came.

“Getting a reading on the ship,” reported Debra. She paused for a moment and looked down several times at the sensor display. “It appears to be some kind of science vessel. Not reading any shields or weapons,” she said, sounding confused.

Will brought up the tactical display and nodded. “A J-Class survey ship,” he said. “Primarily designed for long duration surveys of star systems looking for habitable worlds. They’re fast and have enhanced sensor capabilities. Totally automated.”

“So why is it following us?” asked Debra.

“What better way to find us?” explained Will as the survey ship began to turn away from them while picking up speed.

He pushed a button and the ship accelerated as the remaining auxiliary thrusters kicked in. He looked up at the tactical display. “We need to destroy it or it will keep following us and reporting our position.”

As soon as he was in weapons range, Will fired the ship’s plasma blasters and the without shields, a single hit was enough to make the survey ship explode. “Let’s get out of here,” he called adjusting the ship’s heading away from their original course.

“No other ships on sensors,” reported Debra as they moved away from the debris of the survey ship.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said with anger and discouragement in his voice. “They know where we’re going. Every ship in the area is likely already on its way to Audril. We’ll never make it to the surface.”

“So that’s it,” snapped Debra. “Whatever’s on Audril may be our only chance of stopping Grandle. We can’t give up now.”

Will looked over at her prepared to argue, but then he saw her eyes. They had the same stubborn determination he’d so often seen in her father’s eyes. And just like him, she wasn’t willing to give up when the odds were against them. Will knew what they had to do.

“Our only chance is to get to Audril before them,” he explained in a resolute tone as he began flipping switches. “I’m transferring all non-essential ship’s power to the engines and auxiliary thrusters. We’re going to get every ounce of speed this ship is still capable of.”

Ship’s shields went down, the lights around them dimmed, and the vents blowing air into the cabin slowed. Will set course for Audril and shoved the control stick forward throwing them back into their seats.

Debra looked over at him and smiled. “Now that’s the Will Power I’ve come to know and …” she paused for a second as if trying to decide something, “… admire.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Will smiled. Thanks.”

“ETA, eight hours,” reported Debra. “Anytime.”

Will set the autopilot and unstrapped himself from his seat. “I’d better finish up those shield repairs. I suspect we’re going to need everything we can get out of them.”

Within four hours, he was back in the control cabin, eyes glued to the tactical display. He’d been able to get the shields back up to ninety-five percent and only hoped it would be enough.

“Sensors show an incoming ship on an intercept course,” cried Debra when they about two hours away from the Audril system.

“Bantam class frigate,” reported Will after examining the tactical display. “Powerful, but slow. We can outrun it.” He shifted the control stick to give the incoming ship a wide berth.

“Four new ships have shown up.”

“Fighters launched from the frigate,” called Will. “Those we can’t outrun, but their weapons range is limited.” The violet haze of the shields engulfed the ship and Will and Debra were pushed forward as the ship slowed slightly.

As soon as the fighters entered the ship’s weapons range, Will began firing the aft plasma blasters. However, they were able to evade the incoming fire and began firing on the ship as soon as they were in range. Plasma blasts raked along the ship’s shields. Will held the ship’s course without performing any evasive maneuvers continuing to fire at the fighters as they flew past.

“Shields down to ninety percent,” shouted Debra.

“Death by a thousand cuts,” answered Will as he continued firing without success. “They’ll keep chipping away at our shields and if we engage with them, the frigate will catch up to us.”

“So what can we do?”

Will was quiet for a moment, but suddenly his eyes lit up. “Give them exactly what they want.”

He pulled back on the control stick and flipped several switches. The ship’s reverse thrusters fired and the fighters shot past them. The forward reaction thrusters fired spinning the ship around ninety degrees pushing Will and Debra against the straps on their seats. Pushing the control stick forward the ship accelerated leaving the fighters who were in the process of turning around behind.

In looking up at the tactical display Will saw the frigate slowly changing course to match the ship’s new heading and falling further behind. “Time to swat some mosquitos,” muttered Will as he fired the forward and aft reaction control thrusters and spun the ship back towards the incoming fighters.

Concentrating on the closest fighter, he blanketed the area around it with blaster fire. Unable to evade the incoming fire, the fighter exploded in a fiery blast. The other fighters continued on, strafing Will’s ship as they passed.

“Shields at eighty percent,” reported Debra.

Will maintained the ship’s new course and looked up at the tactical display. The fighters were turning around to resume their pursuit while the frigate had finished its maneuver and was moving towards them, but was too slow to catch up with them.

When the fighters were just outside of weapons range, he once again fired the ship’s reverse thrusters, but only at half power. Seeing Will’s ship start to slow, the fighters slowed their approach in anticipation of what had happened before.

Will immediately shutdown the reverse thrusters and began firing. By slowing the fighters down, their evasive maneuvers became less effective allowing Will to score two quick hits. One fighter exploded sending debris in every direction. Another was hit near its engine section and began spiraling out of control with its pilot ejecting just before it exploded. The remaining fighter turned away and headed back towards the pilot who’d ejected.

Will swung the ship around and resumed course for Audril. Shutting down the shields, he rerouted the power to the auxiliary thrusters to maximize their speed. He looked up at the tactical display. “Looks like it will take them some time to recover their pilot,” he said. “We should get to Audril about an hour before the frigate.”

They reached the edge of the Audril system without further incident and slowed down to allow for sensor scans of the system. Debra spent several minutes bent over the sensor display. “Sensors aren’t showing any ships in the system,” reported Debra. “However, there are energy readings coming from the fourth planet. Can’t tell what they are.”

“At the moment, I’d call them a sign of where we need to go,” answered Will as he set course for the fourth planet.

Just as they passed the orbit of the sixth planet an object appeared on sensors. “Incoming ship,” cried Debra.

Will looked up at the tactical display and for a moment couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the ship that Gwen and her male companion had used on Methinal.

“It’s Gwen’s ship,” a surprised Will informed her.

Before Debra could answer, the radio crackled to life. “Hello, Will,” said Gwen’s voice. “Now why don’t you make this easy on yourself and your … uh … friend and surrender while you can. I’m sure President Grandle would gladly welcome you back.”

“Friend?” muttered Debra.

Will pushed the radio button. “Thanks for the offer,” he answered with barely restrained anger. “Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe you. Even so, I’ll make you a counter offer. Leave now, And I won’t destroy your ship.”

“Listen, Power,” snapped Gwen furiously. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. There’s no way you can …”

He turned off the radio and shook his head. “We won’t reach the fourth planet before they intercept us. Looks like we have no choice but to deal with them.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” replied Debra.

Will smiled. “You don’t like Gwen very much, do you?”

“I’m sure she’s a very nice person,” declared Debra with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “However, I generally don’t like people who try and get me killed.”

“It would seem we’re in agreement then,” he said as he flipped a switch and the ship’s shields sprung to life covering it in a violet haze. “We’ll maintain our course for the fourth planet and see what happens when they reach us.”

They’d just passed the fifth planet’s orbit when Gwen’s ship came within weapons range. Will immediately began evasive maneuvers and was fortunate he had as a bolt of plasma energy shot past where the ship had just been. Activating the aft plasma blasters, Will returned fire. Having seen Gwen’s ship in battle he anticipated how it would evade his attack and scored a hit.

The two ships continued firing on one another as they approached the fourth planet. The two ships evading and firing on one another. Will was getting the better of the encounter as he was able to avoid the attacks from Gwen’s ship while managing to land several hits. However, Gwen continued her attack.

Suddenly, when they were within a few hundred thousand miles of the fourth planet, Gwen’s ship suddenly broke off its pursuit and began moving away from Will’s ship.

Will expected her ship to swerve back and continue its attack, but it didn’t.

“Massive energy surge showing up on the fourth planet,” shouted Debra.

Will suddenly understood. “Hold on,” he cried as he yanked the control stick hard to the side and the ship sharply turned as a bolt of energy shot up from the planet’s surface heading right for them.