The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1)

by Audrey Sharpe

  One more step down the rabbit hole.

  Drew tapped on his foot and he realized he’d stopped moving. She gazed up at him, her eyebrows lifted.

  He motioned to her to continue and got his own feet going, though his mind was already racing. “What’s your next move?”

  “Depends. Are you going to need backup when you reach engineering?”

  “Don’t know. We were boxed in by a squad of guards near the bridge that seemed to be waiting for us, but we held them off until Drew got us into the interior. It’s likely they’ve anticipated this move, too, and will have engineering locked up.”

  “Then we’ll see what we can do to draw their attention elsewhere.”

  41

  From his position in the captain’s chair, Kire stared at the image of the enemy ship on the bridgescreen. Each second felt like an eternity. Roe was on that ship, quite possibly as injured as Mya, who was lying comatose in the med bay with Jon keeping watch.

  Not that Jon was in good shape, either. He’d been faltering badly by the time they’d reached the shuttle and lifted off. The gash on his back was deep and ugly, but all Kire and Gonzalez could do to help after he’d successfully docked the shuttle was slap an emergency bonding pad onto his skin to slow the bleeding and help prevent infection. Then they’d raced to the bridge.

  Gonzalez sat in Cardiff’s chair, with Kelly at the helm as the Starhawke raced the enemy ship past the Gaian moon. If they didn’t stop the ship before it made an interstellar jump, it could take days to track its course. But they’d have to be careful in their attack. They didn’t want to accidentally blow up the ship with Roe and the assault team still onboard.

  Roe, what went wrong? The way she’d screamed when the Necri had hit the ground haunted him. The pain and anguish in that cry had torn his heart right out of his chest. And with Mya on the edge of death, he really didn’t want to think about what would happen if he failed them now.

  “In range of weapons in thirty seconds.” Gonzalez didn’t take his gaze off the control panel.

  “Aim for the engines, but use the weakest settings you can. We don’t want to breach the hull.”

  “Understood.”

  Kire believed him. After all, Gonzalez had three members of his own team onboard.

  “Firing.”

  Before the word had left his mouth, blasts shot back at them from the other ship, slamming into the shields. Gonzalez returned fire and Kelly changed course as the enemy ship banked hard to the left. Another round of blasts continued the deadly dance, Kelly keeping them on the other ship’s tail with calm precision.

  “Our shields are down to seventy percent,” Gonzalez said.

  The other ship was hitting them with everything it had. Thankfully, Kelly was able to keep most of the blasts from finding their mark as she took full advantage of the Starhawke’s superior design and speed.

  “Commander, the engine pattern on the other ship has changed,” Star said.

  Gonzalez’s head snapped around in surprise, his eyes widening at the sight of Star seated at the console to the left of the captain’s chair. Roe had never mentioned the ship’s resident crewmember to Ellis’s team. No time for explanations now.

  “Is it the assault team?”

  “Unclear, but very likely given the outcome. Power is building up in one of the cells that seems to be short-circuiting the main reactor. The ship will suffer engine failure any moment.”

  Kelly broke in. “The other ship is losing power.”

  “Engines are down,” Star confirmed.

  “What about life support?”

  “Still functional.”

  Thank goodness for that. The loss of their engines, however, had triggered an increase in defensive blasts from the enemy ship. Kelly worked double-time to avoid the spray.

  “Return fire but only enough to keep their attention,” Kire said. “We don’t want to back them into a corner.” He activated the comm panel on the captain’s chair. Time to see if they could talk to their team. “Emoto to Ellis.” Static crackled over the connection. “Ellis, this is Emoto. Do you read?” Still nothing. “Star, can you do anything to clean up the channel?”

  “One moment.”

  More static, and then Ellis’s voice broke through. “You’ve been missing all the fun.”

  Kire released the breath he’d been holding. They were alive. And that meant he might be able to get Roe the help she needed.

  42

  The engines had stopped. An occasional shudder passed through the deck as blasts from the Starhawke hit the ship’s shields, but Aurora knew her crew wasn’t trying to inflict damage. Just keeping the enemy busy now that Cade’s team had succeeded.

  The crew on this ship, however, would have no such reservations. They’d happily blow the Starhawke into a billion pieces. Odds were good they were doing everything in their power to achieve that goal now that they were immobile. She needed to get to the bridge.

  She slipped along the corridor with the three Necri close behind. The corridor ended at a lift, but a quick inspection revealed a winding stairway down a short hallway on the right that would take her three levels up or four levels down. Every ship she’d ever visited had positioned the bridge on the upper decks. She started climbing.

  So far she hadn’t encountered anyone as her strange little band had made its way up from the bay. They’d passed a set of windowed rooms that had probably held the children Cade’s team had found. From there they’d wound through several corridors and climbed a few shallow stairways as they pushed into the front of the ship. And yet, they hadn’t encountered a single person during the trek.

  She checked the landings of the first two floors they passed, but neither looked promising, so she continued to the top of the stairwell. The door to the third landing slid open as she approached. The Necri followed as she moved down the short corridor.

  A klaxon blared, filling the narrow space with a deafening screech. She flattened her body against the wall and peered around the corner to her right. No one. She broke into a trot, the footsteps of the Necri keeping perfect time with her own. But before they reached the end of the passage, the thunder of running feet echoed down the hallway toward them. She leveled her weapon but kept going.

  Three guards appeared at the far end, their steps faltering as they spotted her and the Necri. She squeezed off several shots, but rather than going for their weapons and returning fire, the guards split up and darted down corridors on either side.

  Their footsteps faded as she reached the junction. The sight of three loose Necri might have triggered the panic she’d felt pouring off of them. She retraced their original path, which led directly to the bridge.

  Empty. The Starhawke was visible on the bridgescreen, hovering off the starboard bow. She strode to the main consoles and studied the readings. Numbers flashed on the screen of the second console, currently at 8:24, but steadily counting down.

  The guards had armed the autodestruct. That explained the panic she’d sensed from the fleeing bridge crew. They were heading for whatever shuttles or escape vessels the ship contained.

  Cade’s team probably wasn’t aware of the danger. She needed to alert them.

  The Necri stood like sentinels as she made her best guess for how to open an internal communication line. She avoided looking at the ominous numbers. The console pinged, the screen indicating she’d successfully opened a channel. “Can anyone hear me? Cade? I’m on the bridge. Please respond.”

  The voice she heard through the speakers was the last one she’d expected. “Roe? Is that you?”

  “Kire!” Apparently she’d hailed the Starhawke instead. “Are you in contact with Cade or anyone else on this ship?”

  “Yes. What do you need?”

  “The guards started the ship’s autodestruct sequence. I need Drew’s help to disable it.”

  “Hang on. I’m patching you through to Ellis.”

  A few clicks and a brief silence followed, then Cade’s voice boo
med out of the speaker. “Aurora? Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m on the bridge. We have about seven minutes before this ship is going to blow apart. Is Drew with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can she access the ship’s security system and shut down the autodestruct?”

  “I’m not sure. Give us a moment.”

  She heard murmuring in the background, then Cade came back on the line. “Were you in the Necri bay earlier?”

  How would he know that? “Yes. Why?”

  “You need to head down there. Now. Cardiff needs your help.”

  “Celia’s in the bay?” Why hadn’t she seen her when she was there? “I thought she and Reynolds were on Gaia with the children.”

  “Eight of the kids wouldn’t leave without the Necri so she stayed behind. She got the Necri out of their cells, and the kids have helped her keep them in the bay, but Cardiff said the Necri are frantic to locate someone they saw earlier. I’m guessing that’s you.”

  Apprehension settled over her. Her gaze fell on the three Necri standing between her and the door. They’d followed her here like living shadows, unwilling to let her out of their sight. What was it that tied these creatures to her?

  “There’s something else you should know. Cardiff is convinced the Necri are the children’s parents.”

  A bone-deep certainty settled into place, clearing her mind and emotions. “Has Drew had any luck with the autodestruct?”

  “She’s working on it, but it doesn’t look good.”

  “Can she isolate the location of the detonation device?”

  “I think so. Why? Do you want her to try to disable it manually?”

  “No. Just tell me where it is.”

  She waited, her gaze remaining fixed on the three Necri.

  “It’s on the upper level of engineering in the center of the ship.”

  “What’s the quickest route from the bridge without using the lifts?”

  Cade’s voice held a warning. “What are you planning to do?”

  She ignored the question. She didn’t have time to explain and he wouldn’t go along even if she did. “What’s the quickest route?” she repeated.

  His brief hesitation spoke volumes. “There’s a small staircase down a corridor to the left after you leave the bridge. If you follow it to the bottom, you’ll be on the deck you want. Go forward until you reach a T-junction, then left and through the doorway on the right. The device is embedded in a console in the center of the room.”

  “Got it. Kire are you still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Move the Starhawke to a safe distance.”

  “Wait a minute. We could bring a shuttle over and—”

  “There isn’t time. Cade, you’re in charge of getting the rest of the team off the ship. And tell Celia to let the Necri out of the bay.”

  “To go where?”

  “To find me.”

  43

  Kire stared at the image of the enemy ship on the bridgescreen. There had to be a way to help Roe and the rest of the team get off the ship before it blew. But how?

  “Shuttle exiting port side,” Gonzalez said.

  “Disable that thing,” he snapped. “They’re not going anywhere.”

  “Firing.” The spray of blasts slammed into the small craft, visibly rocking it. When it kept moving, Gonzalez hit it with a more forceful shot aimed at the engines. It shuddered, then stalled, starting a slow spin as the power cut out. “Two more shuttles leaving the bay.” He fired on them as well, and within moments, they’d joined their companion in a slow drift.

  Kire was tempted to leave them where they were. If the enemy ship did blow, it would take the shuttles with it, which would be the only satisfaction he’d get. But Roe wouldn’t approve. Regardless of what happened to her, she’d want the occupants of those shuttles brought back to the Galactic Council to stand trial. And she’d be right.

  He pressed his lips together. “Kelly, attach tow cables and haul them in, then move us out of range of the other ship.”

  “Yes, sir.” But before Kelly could maneuver the ship into position to fire the first cable, an explosion lit up the bridgescreen.

  Panic flooded through Kire as he gripped the arms of the captain’s chair. They still had five minutes. Had the autodestruct triggered early? No. The enemy ship still hung in the background, untouched. But only two shuttles remained.

  “Did you fire on the shuttle?” he barked at Gonzalez.

  Gonzalez looked offended. “Of course not. The blast came from inside.”

  “Another autodestruct,” Kelly murmured, just before two more explosions flashed and debris pelted their shields.

  So much for taking anyone in for questioning.

  44

  “If Captain Hawke thinks we’re abandoning her, she’s nuts.” Drew pulled another device from her bag of tricks and continued working on the autodestruct sequence.

  Cade wholeheartedly agreed. He opened a channel to Cardiff. “We just heard from Aurora. She was the woman in the bay.”

  “Aurora? She’s on the ship?” There was a pause, as though Cardiff was mulling over the information. “Where is she now?”

  “She’s heading to the upper levels of engineering. She wants you to let the Necri out of the bay.”

  “And then what?”

  “She ordered us to evacuate.”

  “Why?”

  “The autodestruct sequence was triggered. We have less than five minutes before this ship blows up.”

  More silence. “Then why is she going to engineering?”

  “That’s where the device is located. I think she’s going to try to disable it.”

  “And how are the Necri going to help with that?”

  “I don’t know. But she was very clear that she wanted you to let them find her.”

  “Okay. Hang on.” Her voice faded for a moment as she spoke to someone in the background. Her next words were overlaid with the deep rumble of bodies in motion. “They’re on their way, and I’m with them.”

  He smiled grimly. Cardiff wasn’t about to abandon her captain, either. “I’ll meet you there.”

  Closing the channel, he glanced at Williams and Drew. There wasn’t a flicker of doubt in their eyes as they met his gaze.

  He raced back to the ladder that would take him to the upper decks. As he climbed, the rungs vibrated, the result of the two hundred Necri Cardiff had unleashed. He hoped to hell Aurora knew what she was doing.

  He jogged down a corridor and navigated several twists and turns he’d noted in the schematic he’d pulled up to direct Aurora. He almost didn’t need it though. The foul odor of the Necri told him where to go. He rounded a corner and spotted Aurora.

  She stood in the middle of the small room, but she wasn’t alone. Eight of the teens, including Maanee and her sister, formed a circle around the console at the room’s center, their hands joined with each other and Aurora. Three Necri stood just behind her like sentries, their gazes unfocused and their bodies unmoving. Several other Necri hunkered behind the kids, with more appearing from the opening across the way, their bodies rapidly filling every available space.

  Cardiff slipped into the room, nodding in his direction before moving to stand as close to Aurora as the tightly packed Necri would allow. The Necri had surrounded him as well, jostling his elbows as they pressed forward, their attention on Aurora.

  She hadn’t made any sign that she knew he was in the room. Her gaze was laser-focused on the console as though she was memorizing its features. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath, and then her pearlescent shield bloomed to life.

  The gasp he heard could have been his. Or it could have been the sound generated by every being in the room. He certainly couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  Aurora’s energy field had always been beautiful, but the sight unfolding before him stole his breath. The pearlescent glow was nearly blinding, even though it didn’t give off visible light. It filled the
space around her body, then flowed down the chain of linked hands and surrounded each of the children. As it touched them, a softer aura of color blended with Aurora’s energy, creating stunning ribbons that wove into the glittering field until it filled the circle of linked hands.

  The energy continued to expand, encompassing the Necri who stood closest to the circle. And with each one, a burst of color flowed in, though the Necri’s were grayed out compared to the rich and vivid hues being produced by Aurora and the children. The wave finally reached Cade, wrapping him in a blanket of interconnection and joy so intense tears sprang to his eyes.

  This was her plan. When the explosion went off, she was going to try to contain the outpouring of energy within her shield. Her courage and bravery humbled him. A gruesome fate awaited her if she failed, but the emotion that surged through him wasn’t fear. And it was as pure and beautiful as the energy swirling around her.

  45

  Cade was in the room.

  Aurora had sensed his presence long before the energy field had enveloped him, but that intimate contact had intensified a startling and unexpected emotion that was emanating from him. The shock had almost broken her concentration.

  But rather than reacting, she’d allowed the sensations to sweep through her, adding to the strength of the web she and the children were creating.

  She didn’t question how she knew what to do, or why the kids had joined her without a word. Right now, all that mattered was the shield.

  She’d isolated the reactive elements in the device from the surrounding casing, wrapping them in layer upon layer of webbing that grew stronger each second she maintained the connection with the children and Necri.

  She didn’t need to see the countdown. When the electrical signal triggered the detonation, a shift in the core announced the change a millisecond before the elements ignited.

  All the energy of the room focused on that one point. And exploded.

  The blast sent a concussion wave rocketing outward. It crashed through her while an intense flare of light like a miniature sun illuminated the room. Her eyes snapped shut and her muscles screamed in protest as the violent pulse of energy erupted, challenging the shield that surrounded it. She trembled, her hold on the hands of the children threatening to break.