Lost Planet 02 - The Stolen Moon (15 page)

“What happened to him?”

Vidal gave a short, irritated sigh. “Someone alerted Storrian authorities that the former alleged Trucon plotter was walking around on their planet. They picked us up not long after we arrived and accused the Fleet of deceiving them because we didn't state his species in our entry request.”

It had been a long time since Chase had heard Maurus referred to as the alleged engineer of the Trucon disaster. “Who would have done that?”

“Maurus has his enemies,” said Vidal dryly.

And I can name one of them,
thought Chase. “Where's Lieutenant Seto?”

“Our entry visa was revoked. I had to send him back to the ship already.”

They followed Vidal up a long ramp that spiraled around to another level. “Are the high-security holding cells this way?” she asked a passing officer. They continued to a desk, where she provided a chip scan and badge swipe.

Maurus came from deep down the hall, flanked by two of the largest Storrians Chase had seen yet. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes dark with anger. When he saw the four children standing behind Vidal, a confused scowl etched itself into his face. The officer at the desk stopped him and pressed a boxy, gunlike device against his wrist.

“Ouch!” Maurus jerked his hand away. On his wrist, a spidery pattern glowed orange under his skin.

“The tracer under your skin will dissolve as soon as you clear our orbital borders. If you're not off the planet within one hour, you'll be picked up again and sentenced for illegal attempt at residence.”

“Like I'd stay on your stinking heap of a planet,” Maurus spat, rubbing his wrist. “I'll have my blaster back now.”

“Your weapon has been confiscated and destroyed, along with any other devices you were carrying.”

“My communicator? My return ring? Those items are the property of the Federal Fleet. If I'm supposed to get off your cursed planet in such a blasted hurry, then why did you destroy the one item I needed to leave?”

“We've got a transport coming to get us at the Beman port,” said Vidal, flashing Maurus a warning look. “We'll be off-planet shortly.”

“You will be escorted to the port,” said the stony-faced Storrian. The two huge guards flanking Maurus stepped forward.

As they exited the building with their escort, Maurus turned to Chase. “What on Hesta's seven suns are you doing here?”

“It's a long story,” Chase faltered.

“They took a page from the chief's son and stole a jump pod,” said Vidal in a clipped tone.

“They
what
?” Maurus's voice grew dangerously loud.

“Keep your voice down. They crash-landed outside Lumos and got picked up by immigration, just like you.”

“I can't believe you!” Maurus turned on Chase, his dark eyes flashing. “I'm incredibly disappointed. This was Parker's idea, wasn't it?”

Feeling miserable, Chase began to apologize, but behind him Parker made a loud noise of disbelief. “Oh, so he's the one who needed to come here, but I'm the troublemaker, huh?”

“Enough.” Vidal's voice was steely. “No more talking until we're back on the
Kuyddestor
.”

They were escorted by hovercraft to the port, where a Fleet transport was already docked and waiting. Maurus quickened his pace toward the sleek silver vehicle. “Seto, is that you?” he called out.

“Keep your temper,” Vidal warned, putting a hand on his arm.

Maurus arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

Bootsteps rang out as someone descended from the cockpit, and Lieutenant Derrick jumped down beside the vehicle, smiling like a satisfied cat. “I insisted they let me come to your rescue, Maurus. What a shame that someone with your level of infamy can't even visit a cesspool like Storros without attracting attention.”

“I knew it was you, you—” Maurus broke into a string of foul Lyolian curses, but because of the translink, Chase understood every word. He grimaced at Parker, who mouthed the word
Wow
.

Vidal ushered them all up into the transport ship. Lilli sat down quickly, not talking. Chase slid into the seat next to her and leaned forward. “Everything okay?” he asked. She nodded, but looked pale and worried.

“Scared about the universe of trouble we're going to be in, in”— Parker checked an imaginary watch—“ten minutes?”

“Cool it,” said Chase.

In the cockpit, voices were escalating. “The assigned pilot of the mission,” said Maurus hotly.

“Until you got yourself arrested by immigration authorities, at which point you are automatically suspended from duty,” said Derrick.

“And whose fault was that?”

“I have no idea what you're referring to, and I don't like your tone.”

“You just wait until—”

“
Knock it off
.” Vidal's voice cut sharply through. “Derrick, take the yoke. Maurus, go take a seat in the back.”

His face livid, Maurus stormed into the rear cabin and dropped into a seat. “I'd feel safer letting Parker pilot,” he muttered.

Parker grinned. “Happily!”

“Buckle in,” growled Derrick from the pilot's seat. Vidal took the navigator's place beside him.

They lifted gently off the ground and soared out of the port, accelerating sharply once they'd cleared the final towers of the city. Maurus pulled up his sleeve and looked at the radiant tracer on his arm. As the sky outside the windows darkened, the orange glow faded and vanished. He rubbed the spot and pulled his sleeve back down, frowning over at Chase.

They traveled through space in silence for a while. Chase looked at Lilli, but as usual she sat quietly, focusing on the ground in front of her. He started to turn away when she gave a small gasp.

“Everything okay?” he whispered.

It took her a moment to react before she looked up at him, blinking. “I don't think so,” she said solemnly. A bad feeling lodged in his gut.

“Home sweet home,” said Derrick at the console. “
Kuyddestor
flight deck, this is Lieutenant Karsten Derrick on approach, requesting entry.”

They waited in silence as the ship filled the window.

“Flight deck, requesting entry,” Derrick repeated, a trace of irritation creeping into his voice. “Hello?”

A hiss sounded from the console. “Entry denied,” said a curt, raspy voice.

“What?” Derrick glanced over at Vidal. “You've got to be kidding me.”

Frowning, Vidal started scrolling on one of the console screens. “Try again.”

Before Derrick could make the request again, another transmission came through. “Transport, do not approach the ship.”

Maurus sat up straighter in his seat and leaned forward, suddenly alert.

“Flight deck, you'd better explain yourself,” Derrick snapped, veering toward the ship.

A jumbled sound came over the console, as if someone were running fingers over the microphone on the other end. The voice broke through again, breathless and urgent.

“Transport, get out of here! The ship is under attack!”

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

The
Kuyddestor
loomed before them, filling the whole window with its smooth metal curves. Like a massive building floating in space, it looked immense, impervious.

“The ship is not under attack,” said Derrick in an irritated voice. “Look at it!”

Vidal had taken over communications at the console. “
Kuyddestor
bridge, this is Lieutenant Vidal, please respond. We've received an unusual communication from the flight deck.” She paused, and when no one responded, she tried again. “
Kuyddestor
, please confirm your status.”

Chase stared out the window, feeling as confused as Vidal sounded. “Oh no,” said a small, desperate voice beside him. He turned his head to glance at Lilli, but a flash in the window diverted his attention.

On the tail section of the
Kuyddestor
, a flat orange sheet of fire exploded outward, taking out a chunk of the ship at least two levels high. Shouts of shock filled the tiny transport shuttle.

“Fall back!” commanded Vidal.

The
Kuyddestor
receded slightly as Derrick pulled away. “What was that? Did they just get fired on?”

“From where?” asked Maurus. “The
Falconer
is the only other ship nearby.”

Parker shook his head. “It looked like an internal explosion.”

Vidal kept trying to contact the
Kuyddestor
to no avail. Maurus shifted as far forward as possible, his eyes glued to the scene.

Something must have gone wrong at the peace talks. Was this why Ksenia had wanted him to get off the ship? Had she known something might happen? Guilt rushed over Chase as he realized that they had sent Analora back to the ship just in time for this. Would she be okay? Would everyone else?

The wisp of dread that had stuck with Chase since they'd left the
Kuyddestor
twisted into a thick coil that squeezed his stomach. If someone really was attacking the ship, the first person they would go after was the captain. Chase glanced over at Lilli again. Her eyes were closed, face waxy, as if she were trying to send a copy somewhere—like to the ship.

“Hey, stop it!” he said, grabbing her shoulder and giving her a shake. If something happened to the ship when her copy was on it … he couldn't finish the thought. “Cut it out!”

Parker and Maurus both turned to them, watching as her eyes snapped open, wide and frightened.

“Don't do that!” said Chase.

Lilli took a deep breath. “Soldiers have taken over the ship.”

In a flash, Maurus was crouched beside her. “What happened? What did you see?”

Her voice was shaky. “There was another power failure, a big one. This time it lasted longer, and when the power came back on a whole bunch of soldiers teleported onboard.”

“I told you someone was hacking the power systems!” said Parker, his eyes bright and fierce.

“What kind of soldiers?” Maurus asked. “Storrian? Werikosa?”

“Fleet soldiers?” asked Chase.

She squinted, trying to remember what she'd seen. “They were kind of like Storrians, but not really. They were a funny color, kind of blue.”

“Werikosa,” said Maurus quickly. “What was the explosion?”

“I'm not sure. They're making everybody go to the flight deck right now.”

“You said you couldn't travel that far,” said Chase.

Lilli looked at him with a stony expression. “I lied.”

At the front of the shuttle, Vidal had turned around in her seat. “How does she know this?”

Maurus looked up at Vidal. “Did you try to contact the
Falconer
?”

“No,” she said, eyes locked on Lilli.

“Tell them the Werikosa have hijacked the
Kuyddestor
. We need to inform the Storrian defense minister as well.”

Vidal's eyes flickered to Maurus. “How do we know that's what's really happening?”

“Just trust me, okay?” Maurus put his hand on Lilli's wrist. “Trust her.”

Vidal paused, just long enough for Derrick to jump in. “This is crazy,” he said. “You'd have us believe the Werikosa, who can barely run their own planet, have commandeered our starship based on the word of a very imaginative seven-year-old?”

“I'm not seven,” Lilli squeaked with barely contained rage.

“You're also not aboard the
Kuyddestor
right now, so it isn't exactly possible for you to know what's going on there, is it?”

“She knows.” The stern authority in Chase's voice caught Vidal's attention, and he returned her stare without blinking, trying to convince her with his expression. He wouldn't give up their secrets unless he absolutely had to.

“Maurus,” Vidal said in a voice sharp enough to cut carbonite. “Is there something I need to know about these children?”

Maurus looked intently at Lilli's wrist in his hand. He gave her tiny paw a squeeze and looked up. “You'll have to ask the captain about that, Lieutenant … but yes.”

Vidal looked closely at each of them, and without a comment sat back down at the console. “I'm sending out a star system–wide alert on the hijacking of the
Kuyddestor
.”

“Are there any other ships besides the
Falconer
in the vicinity?”

“The main shipping lane has been more or less abandoned because of the Rhima dispute.” She paused. “Wait, there is something—a commercial vessel, it looks like—stationary on the far edge of the star system. They don't have any call letters.”

“Tell them to stay clear of the area,” said Maurus. “And send—”

“The
Falconer
is requesting we dock with them,” interrupted Derrick.

“Do it,” said Maurus. “Any demands the Werikosa have will probably be sent to them.”

Chase could see the signs of a scowl on Derrick's face as they zoomed high above the surface of Rhima, leaving the
Kuyddestor
stationary on the other side. On the greenish sunny side of the moon, the sleek
Falconer
was already waiting. Minutes later they were docking alongside the embassy ship, and opening their doors on an extended portal.

Two Federation guards in dark blue waited on the other side of the door, along with Ksenia. Her tall, lithe frame was draped in a deep burgundy suit, and her dark hair was now knotted up on top of her head. She surveyed their small group. “Which of you is the lead officer?”

Vidal confirmed and introduced her crew, vaguely referring to the children as “civilian passengers of the starship.” Chase stared intently at Ksenia, hoping to catch her eye, but she didn't even glance at him. Was she pretending not to know who he was, or had he guessed wrongly that she did?