Siege of Praetar (Tales of a Dying Star Book 1) (15 page)

But up here, with Saria now hidden behind the planet, Bruno realized how blind they were. For the first time he could truly see.

There were thousands of stars, millions of them. Everywhere he turned they filled his vision. Most were barely more than pinpricks, but some had size and color, blue or yellow or orange. There was more light than dark. Even spots that seemed empty revealed flecks of light, if he stared long enough.

A sense of wonder and smallness came over him. He’d been so foolish, thinking only of the options in his own system.
This
was the true size of the universe. If each of those stars held planets… it was more than his mind could process. How had he ever been content with his tiny plot of dirt on Praetar? Out here Bruno could truly be a king.

Two stars caught his attention. They flickered in space, brighter than the rest.
That’s not right
, he thought. Could stars move? These were definitely moving. And growing larger.

The stars exploded in space, twin bursts of light that threw shadows across the cockpit. His eyes burned from the brightness, and clamped shut. He thought he could see the light through his eyelids.

Though the light finally faded, it was several heartbeats more before his eyes would open.

It was as if nothing happened: they were still orbiting above Praetar, and the explosions were gone. Were they mines, placed in orbit to explode on approaching ships? Why had they detonated before reaching them? Was it just a warning?

Rief looked at him, but he had no answers.

Bruno squinted out the window. Praetar was hardly discernable, just a black mass splayed out beneath them. The stars were still everywhere. He watched for a long time, but there was nothing else out there he could see.

“There,” said Rief.

Bruno followed his finger. At first he saw nothing, but then a shape moved across the stars like a shadow. It would have been invisible, except for the light it blocked. What would cause that phenomenon? Bruno knew little of astronomy.

Two more flickering stars appeared from the shadow. Bruno realized they were racing toward the freighter.

“Do something!” he said.

“What am I supposed to do?” Rief asked.

“I don’t know,
anything
.”

He mashed buttons. The ship shook as the engines fired, pushing them off course. But it was slow, too slow, and the missiles adjusted to follow. Didn’t the freighter have some means of defense? Why didn’t it have weapons?

Dok, you stupid bastard
.

The missiles struck the freighter, and then the thought was gone.