Space Knight Read online

  “Greetings, Space Knight Frei. It is an honor to meet the worm slayer in person.”

  “Glad to know I have friends among the Ninijians.”

  “My name is Tela,” the Ninijian said. “I am Libra’s representative on this station.”

  “You have quite a reputation with these people,” Olivia said. “Did you tie a bow on the worm after you killed it?”

  “Well, I’m sure we don’t need to stress the details.”

  “Space Knight Frei saved our industries millions of credits in potential damages,” Tela said. “The destruction he caused was only equivalent to half of what the Varaxian worm would have trampled if left unchecked.”

  Olivia chuckled so hard, she had to cover her mouth.

  “You’re quite the hero ... Space Knight Frei.”

  The Ninijian glared at Oskar, then at his shoulder. He knew better, but it was almost as if Tela had some kind of sixth sense about it, as if he knew where the worm’s maw grazed him. Then again, maybe something about his posture gave it away. Tela held out his hands, motioning for the trinket.

  “Do you have it?” he asked.

  “Right here,” Olivia said.

  She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the black case, placing it in Tela’s hands, though she had to bend over to reach him. Tela cracked open the case, and a warm smile emerged on his face before he promptly shut it.

  “Good,” he said. “You appear to have kept kinetic and temperature extremes to a minimum. The gem is not damaged.”

  He probably didn’t need to know about the space pirates. No need to complicate things beyond the ordinary.

  “Glad we could be of help,” Oskar said. “If that’s all you need, we’ll be going.”

  Oskar nearly turned tail before Tela shouted, “Wait!”

  “Something else?” Olivia asked.

  “Libra sent a garrison for us, but it hasn’t arrived yet. Could you two … accompany us until it does?”

  “Sure,” Oskar said. “When are they due to arrive?”

  A moment’s pause permeated the air before Tela replied, “Yesterday.”

  Oskar’s legs froze solid. Libra? Late?

  “Our ship needs some body work,” Olivia said. “Can your people manage that?”

  Oskar glanced over at Olivia, and she stared him back in the eyes with a stern look that told him what he needed to know.

  “Certainly,” Tela said. “I will have our finest staff on the job.”

  Good, Oskar thought. Probably not good enough though.

  Chapter 6

  Healing Factor

  Oskar stepped into a miniature office for a tiny doctor. After joining up with Libra, new Ninijian establishments kept the ceilings regulation height, but the mechanisms and tools of the trade retained their original dimensions. A cup of water on this station hardly stood much taller than a shot glass and that wasn’t counting the whole host of instruments he passed by on his way to the medical bay.

  “You’re lucky to come here this soon after the fact,” a tiny Ninijian said as she opened the door.

  The alien wore a plain pale blue coat, and she carried a set of sharp looking tools on metal plate. She motioned for him to follow her inside, so he hastily walked through the doorway and hopped up onto an examining bench.

  “I don’t know what you people want,” he said. “Why did Tela send me to the med bay?”

  “You’ve been touched by the Worm’s toxins. They’re eating you alive.”

  “I’m pretty sure Libra took care of that.”

  “No,” she said. “They slowed the process, probably one hundred fold, but you wouldn’t last ten more years in your condition.”

  Oskar sighed.

  “I think they would tell me if they hadn’t fixed the problem.”

  “You would think so, wouldn’t you?” she said. “Remove your shirt, Space Knight. I need to examine the area before I can administer the appropriate dosage.”

  Oskar slid off his coat sleeves and pulled over his uniform, revealing a deep scar across his shoulder, a reminder of that fateful battle. The injury didn’t look much better than before, though it definitely didn’t look worse. Ten years though?

  The little dwarf human climbed up on the bench to reach his shoulder with a probing device. She ran an edge across the surface of his shoulder, carefully following the exterior of the wound as she noted each groove and blemish.

  “You’re serious aren’t you?” he said.

  “I have what I need,” she replied, climbing down. “You are lucky, Space Knight. We have enough material in stock for your needs.”

  She walked across the room to a collection of cabinets and a sink. She washed her hands and dried them off before opening a drawer and grabbing a tiny blue and purple stone from a vast collection of similar pebbles.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  “These stones come from the bodies of interstellar creatures like your worms,” she said. “Most from the unhatched eggs we find drifting through asteroid fields.”

  “If you already have hundreds…” Oskar started, but the doctor cut him off.

  “These stones deteriorate too easily,” she said, crumbling it inside her grip. Oscar watched as a fine stream of blue sand drifted from her fist to her palm. “Not good for energy, but the stones have other uses, one of which being treatment of neurotoxins.”

  “So the Titan Crystal is special?”

  She climbed back up and started pouring the blue sand across his shoulder.

  “As far as we know, it can withstand a much greater degree of energy. We need to study it and replicate the material.”

  “Thanks, doctor,” he said.

  The material set into his skin, creating an elaborate design like a nebula or a cloud. It looked cool. She pressed her fingers into the surface, and he didn’t feel pain like before. In fact, it was fair to say his shoulder felt great.

  “You can tell no-one of this treatment,” the doctor said, staring him down at eye level, “not even your partner.”

  “Closely guarded secret. Understood.”

  “I knew we could trust you, Space Knight Frei.”

  Oskar smiled, but the moment was short lived. The station’s emergency alarm rang through the halls and pierced his ears with a blaring sound. Oskar waved goodbye to the doctor and rushed out of the medical bay, making his way to the command deck of Jinako Station. Whatever it was, those bells didn’t ring for nothing.

  Chapter 7

  Hand to Claw

  The buzzing alarm that once rang throughout Jinako Station died down as the doors shut behind Oskar and Olivia. The command deck lit up with red and yellow flashing lights to signal damaged systems while a bombardment of external forces struck the outer shields. Thin screens depicted visuals of frigates, fighters and destroyers armed with plasma technology.

  “Pirates,” Oskar said.

  “It couldn’t be,” Olivia replied. “Pirates never act this bold.”

  A few more seconds and the bombardment ceased. Tela gestured to the thin screens.

  “Space Knights, an incoming channel.”

  “Patch it through,” Oskar said. “Let’s see who we’re dealing with.”

  Three screens merged their feeds together for a panoramic view of one ugly space lizard. He was a Druuga if Oskar ever saw one, but thick scars ran across his face with evidence that he could have treated most of them. The Druuga’s scales blended between black and red, a genetic predisposition of … something … Oskar couldn’t recall.

  The alien’s face perked up and a wide grin emerged on his face.

  “What an occasion!” the Druuga shouted. “To both swipe my prize and strangle the vermin who shamed my brothers.”

  Oskar leaned in close to Olivia, whispering into her ear with a hand covering his mouth.

  “You don’t think he recognizes…”

  “Our ship is parked outside, Oskar.”

&n
bsp; “I am Pirate Lord Gallik, and you will all do as I say,” the alien said. “Deliver the Titan Crystal and the Space Knights aboard your station. Do this and I will not finish the job I started.”

  “A pirate gang took down a Libra Garrison? Not likely,” Olivia said.

  Oskar continued his pseudo-private conversation, taking care not to raise his voice too much.

  “Maybe this one’s a different kind of pirate?”

  “Either way, he’s pressed for time. Attack a Libra Garrison and reinforcements are sure to follow.”

  “We need to stall him then?”

  Olivia sighed and crossed her arms.

  “It’s going to take a lot more than a political debate to keep him occupied.”

  “Understood.” Oskar stepped forward, catching Gallik’s gaze as the alien’s attention fixated on him. An eerie silence permeated the command deck as Oskar stood straight and corrected his posture. “You put up a pretty good show of force, Pirate Lord Gallik.”

  “You are tall for one of them,” Gallik said.

  “Space gods, you are dumb as a rock.”

  “What did you say?” Gallik responded. An unpleasant expression drew out on his brow.

  “Oskar, please don’t,” Olivia said.

  “You went through all the trouble to capture the Titan Crystal, but your nut sized reptilian brain didn’t even process the most important detail.”

  “Insolent whelp!” Gallik screamed! “I will destroy you all!”

  “You do that and your precious fleet turns to dust!” Oskar said.

  That one caught his eye. Gallik was about to sign off, but instead he glared back at the man who insulted his intellect.

  “Ninijians have no weapons to harm my ships,” Gallik said, chuckling.

  “The Titan Crystal is highly reactive. Blow up this station and the resulting cataclysmic event will vaporize us all.”

  “You lie,” Gallik said.

  “You have the data. Tell your goons to cross check it.”

  The pirate lord grimaced and groaned before switching off his communication channel. The screens turned black and Oskar breathed a deep sigh of relief. That was a bit too close for comfort, although it wasn’t over yet.

  “Good going,” Olivia said. “You almost killed us all, though.”

  “I thought so too for a moment there.”

  “Space Knight Frei?” Tela interrupted.

  “Yes?”

  “Your scenario is highly unlikely. The energy from a Dreadnaught class plasma cannon would almost definitely disintegrate the crystal before any reaction could take place.”

  “Okay, you need to keep that mouth shut when he calls back,” Oskar said. He motioned a zipping gesture across his mouth.

  “Druuga aren’t known for their attention to detail,” Olivia added. “This might actually work.”

  Moments later, a new communication channel buzzed on the console and Tela motioned for his crew to open it up, revealing a sulking reptilian face. Gallik’s head rested on his claws and though for a moment he seemed upset … frustrated even, a smile soon widened on his face.

  “You are clever indeed, Space Knight,” he said. “Very well. I will take the Titan Crystal myself, and I will face you, hand to claw.”

  Chapter 8

  Lock Down

  Oskar stormed through the red-lit halls of Jinako station with Olivia tailing close behind. His boots thumped against the cold metallic flooring while an oscillating hum flew through the air. More or less a silent alarm, the sound kept up volume no matter how deep they ventured into the heart of the station.

  The Ninijian station command initiated a lock down effect to thwart Gallik’s advance just before troves of Druuga poured through a freshly carved hole in the side of the station. It didn’t stop them, but the layers of hard metal certainly slowed them down.

  Oskar stopped in front of another door mechanically sealed and stepped aside. He took point, not because his reaction time was any better, but because Olivia’s role required her continued good health. She rushed over, popped open a hatch beside the door lock and fiddled with the motherboard inside until green lights flashed on and the door slid open.

  “Took you a whole fifteen seconds,” Oscar said. “How’s that for locked?”

  “Not by my standards.”

  Olivia gestured ahead to the next sealed door a few meters away from their current location. The pirates busted in through the end opposite to the command deck, and it happened that the Titan Crystal sat in the most protected region of Jinako Station, the science lab storage in the center. The Ninijians practically had everything ready to go before Gallik showed up, so the crystal sat nestled between a pair of metal tongs, waiting to be bombarded with radiation.

  “Tela, what’s the status so far?” Oskar said, pressing against his earpiece.

  “Pirate forces have broken through the second and third blocks with no sign of slowing down.”

  “Not good,” Oskar said. “One more and we’ve failed.”

  “I’m almost there!” Olivia shouted. “Have a little faith.”

  She tinkered with the final door. For as long as she twiddled her fingers on this one, the locking mechanisms must have been superior to those previous impasses. On a passing glance, Oskar noted a few beads of perspiration rolling down her neck. For a Visor class, she was incredible, but Olivia was nearing her limit.

  “Space Knight Frei … the pirates have …”

  “What? What is it?” Oskar asked.

  “They’ve stopped. They broke through the final block and stopped,” Tela said. “What could they be waiting for?”

  “It’s like Gallik told us,” Olivia said, closing the hatch. “Hand to claw.”

  “That’s what I forgot,” Oskar said. “His skin. He’s descended from the Druuga warrior caste.”

  Olivia stood up after the green lights blinked on and placed her hand on the door panel, centimeters away from the proper command.

  “He wants to fight you,” she said. “Are you ready?”

  “Nobody’s ready to fight a Druuga.”

  Chapter 9

  Into the Aether

  Oskar stood before a herd of overzealous Druuga fighters, each one biting to take a piece out of him and armed with melee thermal weapons. Their blades were the ones that effortlessly melted through the station barricades, not well fit for medium range combat, though effective for breaking through base defenses. He waited while the crowd chanted in unintelligible alien gibberish before the big one stepped out from behind them. Gallik was much larger in person. Slightly intimidating actually. Okay, maybe a little more than that.

  Gallik strode forward and stopped three feet away from Oskar, and the lizard barreled a burst of hot breath over his tongue until the stench hit Oskar in both nostrils. Space gods that was some kind of dinner. He’d almost forgotten what Druuga ate from his last encounter, but the memories came churning back.

  “You did well to get this far,” Gallik said. “You almost beat me.” Gallik smiled and took a step back. “However, do not think for a moment that you may trick me, human.”

  Well, guess that lie couldn’t last forever, but it should have worked. Of all the space lizards, he got the smart one. Dumb luck.

  “Well, I got you here,” Oskar said. “What now?”

  “I am leaving with my prize,” Gallik answered, showing the stone between his claws. “In turn though, I will meet your trick with another.”

  This was something new. What kind of mischief did a Druuga have in store? Oskar peered through the crowd of aliens, able to do little more than watch while Gallik clenched his claws shut and waved an attack signal. Strangely enough, his henchmen stood still, though the small ripple from the rear right sent a cold feeling through his palms. Oskar gripped his blaster with both hands and readied his battle stance as the new challenger approached, but his eyes stared wide and open. This was no Druuga, no Druuga at all.


  “Oskar, be careful,” Olivia yelled. “This one’s far more deadly.”

  It was another human like himself, but the young man wore an insignia similar to a Space Knight’s on his EV suit. The symbol appeared as if struck through by a knife the mark of a Space Knight defector. Oskar never saw one before. He hardly believed it possible.

  “In Libra’s terms, I was once an Aether class,” the young man said.

  “So you’re the brains of this operation?”

  “I align myself with those who can pay my fee.”

  “You didn’t answer my question, sport.”

  “Don’t mistake age for experience, old man,” he said. “I am leagues above your level.” Then, the defector glanced over at Olivia and gestured with a pointed finger. “Interfere and we all will.”

  “So,” Oskar said, “You plan to fight me alone?”

  “These Druuga would rip you apart, but they aren’t necessary. Besides, captain’s orders.”

  Oskar looked past his shoulder and spotted Gallik carefully coddling the Titan Crystal in his scaly claws, grinning while their eyes briefly made contact. Gallik planned to watch and didn’t show signs of stepping back from fright. The Aether class Space Knights could battle melee, even against ranged attackers, like Oscar and Olivia. He doubted her intervening would make much of a difference.

  He tightened his grip on his blaster, waiting for the defector to make the first move. He felt the pressure from his foe beating down on him, continuously assessing his own abilities from inches of movement while Oskar sidestepped around.

  The defector dropped his guard and formed a loose stance, his fists clenched. Seconds later, his image vanished into the aether, catching Oskar by surprise. Oskar whirled around in time to evade a powerful shop at his neck, the fist from his opponent instead smacking down across his shoulder. The blow battered his arm and made him drop from the sheer force. Oskar kneeled on the metal floor, struggling to pick himself back up while his eyes searched for the new location. There! He rolled out of the way, avoiding a kick that nearly shattered his nose, centimeters from his face.

  “Amazing,” the young man stated, materializing before him. “You can predict my movements on instinct alone. I take it back. You aren’t all talk.”

  “Guess I have something going for me,” Oskar replied as he clutched his shoulder. He’d just healed it and the pain was now infuriating. Throbbing, the scar left by the Varaxian Worm pulsed beneath his uniform. That doctor said she fixed it, so what was this?