Knightqueen - Page 82

Kennedy tapped on the table. “Pulling up feed from the BlackBlade.” Another screen appeared on the table, showing the bridge of the Oronis warship. Kennedy made a sound. “Scans show that the Urata ship is heavily armed.”

Suddenly, there was a burst of light, and a sleek Eon warship appeared, coming out of star speed. The front was rounded, but the back tapered in to where the engines sat. It looked like a predator, ready to attack.

“BlackBlade, this is the Rengard,” a deep voice said across the comm line. “Thought you might like a little help.”

“That’s War Commander Malax Dann-Jad,” Davion said, a smile crossing his face.

Carys watched the BlackBlade and the Rengard move into formation together. They converged on the Gek’Dragar’s Urata ship.

“Urata vessel, I am Knightmaster Ashtin Caydor of Oron. Shut off your engines and stand down. This is your only warning. We will open fire.”

For a beat, nothing happened.

“The Urata ship is spooling up its weapons!” Kennedy cried.

Then laser fire lit up the screen.

Carys gripped the side of the light table, leaning forward. She heard Ashtin barking orders to his crew. The Urata ship kept firing.

And the BlackBlade and the Rengard returned it.

She reached out and grabbed Sten’s hand. His fingers closed over hers.

Come on. She watched the Urata ship take a direct hit from the BlackBlade. Surrender, you gul-vexed bottom feeders.

The Rengard’s missiles hit the Urata vessel. It started to list.

“They’ve lost power,” Kennedy said.

Cheers broke out around the room.

Then Carys saw the boxy nose of the vessel tilt toward Oron. Her chest hitched. It had been caught by the planet’s gravity.

“Gul,” Sten said.

The ship, and the Gek’Dragar inside it, were crashing toward Oron.

Sten strode down the castle corridor. He was in full armor, his thoughts focused.

A unit of knights marched with him.

“The Gek’Dragar ship crashed outside Aravena on the Lantonas plains,” he said. Thankfully, it was mostly farmland out there, and no one had been hurt when the vessel had impacted.

He was sure that the gul-vexed Gek’Dragar had been aiming for Aravena.

He stepped outside of the castle and into the morning sunlight. Several rugged vehicles sat waiting for them. They were made of silver-gray metal, with six large wheels. Carys stood in her armor, standing beside Ashtin, Kennedy, Kaden, and Nea.

When she saw him, she nodded. “Let’s roll out.”

“Everyone to your vehicles,” Sten barked.

Knights burst into action. He ducked into the lead vehicle and sat beside Carys. A second later, the vehicle rolled out.

“The plan is to surround the crash site,” he said.

They were all hoping that the Gek’Dragar had died in the crash. And that the knights could locate and contain the Blue Death weapon.

“If there are survivors,” Carys said. “They will try to unleash the Blue Death.”