by Chris Fox
Epilogue
Dryker came awake by degrees. There was a horrible klaxon in the distance, much higher pitched than the Johnston's. The Claw's bridge reeked of ozone, and the only illumination came from the occasional shower of sparks bursting from damaged terminals.
He tried to move, but his body was impossibly heavy, his head impossibly light. He was suffering from oxygen deprivation. The Claw's life support must have been damaged during the transit through Theras Prime's G class star.
Dryker gave a weak laugh that became a cough. He fished the Johnston's data core from his pocket, clutching it in his fist. They'd made it through the gate, and if Nolan succeeded then Theras was safe. That meant the Primos would find this vessel, and the data core clutched in his lifeless hand.
They were a curious, patient species. They'd dissect every byte of data, seeing everything he and his ship had seen in recent days. They'd know about the Void Wraith, assuming whoever found them didn't already work for the bastards.
His head swam as he forced himself into a sitting position. If he was going to die, it wasn't going to be face first on the deck. He's die proud, sitting at attention since he couldn't stand.
A bright light came on in the periphery of his vision. He turned his head slowly, staring uncomprehendingly as the light approached. A tall, thin figure ducked onto the bridge. It was a blurry purple blob, and it was getting closer.
Dryker recoiled, but there was nowhere to go. He waited as the blob approached, finally stopping next to him. It crouched, and he tensed, expecting it to pounce. His breathing quickened, but there just wasn't enough oxygen.
"Breathe," came an emotionless voice. Something settled over his mouth, and he sucked in deep lungfuls of blessedly clean air. His vision cleared a little, and he realized that the figure next to him was a purple skinned Primo.
It studied him with those unreadable eyes, and long moments passed before it finally spoke again. "You have suffered no permanent damage. Can you understand me?"
"Kh-khar?" Nolan asked, moving the mask long enough to speak.
"I do not know that name. If you are concerned about the Tigris there are several survivors on the bridge," the Primo said, cocking its head as it continued to study him.
Nolan grabbed the railing behind him and pulled himself to his feet. His balance was terrible, but the railing held him up. He turned to face the captain's chair. Another Primo stood next to it, a mask fixed to Khar's face. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. Khar was alive.
"Why have you come to Theras? You trespass on Primo space," the Primo asked him, voice still emotionless.
"The Void Wraith are coming. We have to evacuate," Nolan said. His throat burned, and he swallowed to relieve the pain. He checked his chronometer. It had been hours since they'd come through. "It should have already gone nova. Nolan must have succeeded."
"You seem coherent," the Primo said, something like emotion finally touching its voice. It seemed skeptical. "We will have you and the survivors brought aboard the First Light. This vessel can be towed back to Theras Prime. Rest now. We will investigate this matter upon our arrival."
Nolan closed his eyes, but he didn't go to sleep. He had to plan. They'd reached Primo space, and Nolan had apparently succeeded. They'd stopped the Void Wraith fleet, and their bomb.
But the Void Wraith still had spies. Was this Primo working for the void wraith? Or one of its companions? Nolan couldn't be sure, and until he could it meant trusting no one. He slid the data core back in his pocket, still clutching it when the blackness overtook him.
Exiled
Thank you for reading Destroyer. It's my first Science Fiction novel, and I'm hoping you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider signing up to the mailing list. I'll send you a copy of Exiled, the Destroyer prequel. You'll find out how Nolan ended up on the Johnston, and a bit more about the Void Wraith and their motives.
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