Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3) (24 page)

“When will that be?”

“Not sure,” Braddock grumbled. “Commander Horace said our government is on edge, fearful of an impending war. Carriers are spread thin. Regent Tulin and his followers are still calling for expansion. Scary thing is the rest of the Zahlian government seems to be listening to Tulin. They’re still saying we sent agents to their worlds, and we’re saying they funded the pirate attack on Earth. This is leading to more accusations and counter accusations.” He sighed. “Might really happen this time.”

Ryker swallowed. The thought of a full-scale war was almost inconceivable. The entire might of the Zahlian Empire against the Legion? It didn’t sound promising.
 

“What about the
Wraith
?” she asked.
 

“The
Wraith
,” he sighed. “We’re dealing with it.”

“Firing the disruptor at least made the
Wraith
as blind as we were.”

“At the expense of blinding ourselves.”

“The
Wraith
is already invisible.”

“But the disruptor makes us vulnerable to conventional attacks.” Braddock shook his head. “Commander Horace said command wasn’t too pleased with that being our only alternative to fighting the stealth ship. But if it works, we’ll need to get ready to use it again.”

Ryker eyed him, wondering if she should share her feelings with the man. “What can I do, Major? I am afraid of getting too close to my squadron, afraid I might show some weakness. I don’t know if I am up for command.”

For the first time, Braddock smiled. “Get some sleep. You’re too hard on yourself. Deep down, you know how good you are, how much these officers need you. Watch over your Star Runners in the next few days. We’re not sure how long we’ll be on the border, but you can bet it’ll be interesting. Heard the entire fleet’s been on edge up and down the border. We’re all dealing with it, but we’re the only wing who’s gone up against the
Wraith
.”

“At least we know there’s not more of them out there.”

Braddock looked away, his thoughts apparently on something far from this conversation. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“All right, Tizona,” Captain Ryker Zyan said as she brought the Trident around to face the new waypoint. “Heading into our final leg now. Stay frosty.”
 

“Copy that,” Skylar Kincaid said, her voice sizzling over the gamma wave.

The four Tridents had spread out wider than normal in an attempt to prevent the
Wraith
from using a stunner to take out more than one fighter at a time. The
Formidable
was on standby to launch a disruptor if needed, which would impede sensor use in a five-hundred thousand MU radius. Ryker was on point. Skylar was on her wing ten-thousand MUs behind her on the right. Farther back, Keith “Orator” Bell and Bryce “Java” Walker flew in a similar formation. In addition to patrolling the area, the idea was to draw out the
Wraith
and destroy it, if possible. Ryker wasn’t so sure it would work, but she had her orders.
 

Since the
Formidable
had arrived in this sector two days ago, Major Ty Braddock had been sending patrols around the clock all up and down the Zahl-Legion border. In the past two days, tensions around the ship heightened. The flight briefings had been silent; the only questions came in the form of Star Runners asking about the most recent sightings of the
Wraith
. Relations continued to worsen between the two governments and Regent Tulin’s reputation for desiring to ignite a war had made the entire navy feel the pressure. With the
Ramelle
science station the closest Legion base, Braddock felt the stealth ship would once again be on the prowl. So far, the
Wraith
had not been seen.
 

The closest Zahlian world was Claria, and it was several light years away from the border. However, it was known throughout the galaxy as a crucial shipyard for the Empire and was the origin of the
Wraith
footage. If the
Wraith
was anywhere, chances are it would still be in this area. All Star Runners had prepared in the simulators, going through hours of flights without their sensors and brushing up on basic dogfighting skills. But it still felt strangely like fighting with a blindfold.
 

Ryker settled into her cockpit, fighting the fatigue falling over her. Being on constant vigil isn’t the easiest thing to do in deep space. She watched the digital readout of the Zahl-Legion border flash to her left on the HUD, wondering what was out there.
 

For the countless time in the past couple months, she had started her day reading the intelligence report about the
Wraith
. It was invisible to known sensors, requiring Star Runners to dogfight by sight—a nearly impossible task in the depths of space. Faster than the standard Zahlian Interceptor, it appeared the
Wraith
used a mini-Lutimite drive to provide an incredible amount of power to allow it to use shroud-like technology to get in close, turn it off, fire and then disappear.
 

Since the fighter remained invisible to sensors even after the shroud was turned off, it made the
Wraith
the perfect hit-and-run weapon. However, it took the
Wraith
time to recharge its shroud. This required it to escape the scene on its power, which was quite possible due to its stealth nature and incredible speed. Radar lock was impossible. The
Formidable’s
engineers had suggested firing heat seeking missiles since the
Wraith
had to have an exhaust, but they haven’t had the chance to fight the stealth ship since the proposal, so it remained just a theory.

Ryker’s stomach rolled. The previous spy footage had provided nothing regarding information but did prove the
Wraith
existed. Most of the useful intelligence in the report came from Austin’s gun camera footage. Since he survived the longest fight with the
Wraith
, his camera footage had been poured over the moment he landed. With his uncanny ability to stay alive in a grim dogfight, Austin had provided the Legion more intelligence on the
Wraith
than they could have imagined.
 

But he was gone now, destroyed by a motley band of marauders.
 

“Scorpion, Cheetah.”

“Copy.” Ryker blinked, the back of her neck tingling. Something in Skylar’s voice.

“Thought I saw a flash to starboard.”

“Copy.” Ryker leaned on the stick. “I’ll veer off. You stay on course.”

“Copy.”

Ryker changed her trajectory slightly, bringing her more toward the sighting. It was probably nothing. We’re all a little on edge out here on the border, she thought. The sooner the
Formidable
is relieved, the better they—

“I’m hit!” Skylar yelled.
 

Ryker glanced at her sensors, resting her finger the trigger. Skylar’s Trident had been hit by something and was spinning away from its path.
 

“Report!” Ryker pulled back on the stick, looping her Trident to turn around. “Cheetah, report.”

Keeping a close eye on her crosshairs, Ryker studied her sensors. Skylar’s powerless Trident was spinning away from her, a sure sign she’d been hit by a stunner. Ryker searched the space in front of her. Skylar’s Trident was a speck in the distance. Ryker held her breath, waiting for the inevitable fire.
 

“Tower, Scorpion.”

“Go ahead.”

“Need a disruptor fired system-wide. Prep a medical Karda for Star Runner rescue.”

“Copy. Firing. Karda being prepped.”

The disruptor’s pulse shot through the system. Her sensors went dark.
 

Let’s see how you do blind, she thought as she searched the darkness.
 

She saw a flash of light reflect off her canopy a moment before it completely registered—the flicker of an incoming missile. Dropping countermeasures, she slammed the throttle forward and pulled back on the stick. The Trident shot up at a ninety-degree angle, blasting away from its former position. She stretched her neck, swiveling around to stare behind her.
 

She saw it. The burning trail of a missile passing through space she just vacated. It crashed into the chaff she dropped.
 

“Orator, Java, this is Scorpion,” she said, bringing her Trident back around to face what had to be the
Wraith’s
position. “Make hard for my position. Bogey is in the area.”

“Copy, Scorpion,” Bryce said. “On our way.”

Leveling out the Trident, she guessed the missile shot had come from directly behind her. She scanned the area, squinting as she searched for anything that seemed out of place.
 

Come on, come on, she thought. I need a break. We all need a break.
 

A feeling of vengeance rushed through her bloodstream. This
Wraith
killed Star Runners under her command. Ryker was determined to end that today.

And then, just above her location, a flash illuminated the darkness. It had to be the sparkle of space debris crashing into a fighter’s shields. She pulled back on the stick and made for the location. Her lasers were at full charge. She was ready. A glimmer like a small blue flame sparked in the darkness. Wait …
 

Engines.
 

She brought her crosshairs on the flame and pulled the trigger. Her lasers flashed in the darkness, spitting mortal fire. The bolts hit something, sparks showering into the blackness like a swarm of fireflies and illuminating the shape of a fighter.
 

“This is Scorpion,” she said, gripping the stick. “I have engaged the enemy!”

The
Wraith
spun around, knowing its cover had been blown, and unleashed a torrent of laser fire. Ryker flinched, the laser bolts bashing her forward shields. She fired back, the two fighters locked in a dangerous game of chicken.
 

Before she knew it, the
Wraith
shot over her head. She pulled around, trying to keep the enemy ship in front of her.
 

“Scorpion, this is Cheetah,” Skylar said, her voice snapping through the gamma wave. “I’m inbound and have recovered some of my systems.”

“Negative,” Ryker said, shaking her head. “Head back to the ship. Your shields could not have recovered fast enough. You won’t last out here.”

Ryker shifted her crosshairs on the
Wraith
and fired. The bolts shot into infinity, passing just under the black ship’s wings.
 

“I can’t leave you,” Skylar said.
 

“That’s an order, Cheetah.”

Ryker’s jaw dropped. The
Wraith
was heading toward Skylar’s position. “Cheetah, take evasive action. Now!”

“Copy that.” Laser fire erupted from the black once again. “I’m taking fire!”

“I’m right behind the bandit—hold on!” Ryker fired her lasers twice, worrying she might hit Skylar.
 

“I’m hit!” Skylar yelled. “My shields are gone!”

Ryker clutched the stick, leaning forward. “Bug out—get outta here! I’ve got this!”

Skylar’s Trident plunged away from the engagement. The
Wraith
hovered in place above Skylar like a predator for a second, but it was all Ryker needed. Switching to missiles, she squeezed the trigger three times, unleashing three heat-seeking projectiles toward the
Wraith
. The enemy ship paused for a fraction of a second and pulled up, dropping countermeasures as the missiles sought out their target.
 

The engineers were right.
 

She pursued the
Wraith
as it spun, banked, rolled and climbed to avoid the pursuing missiles. The ship was swift—almost as fast as the incoming missiles—and made maneuvers Ryker had never seen.

“You’ve got your out,” Ryker said as she watched in awe at the
Wraith
in its evasive dance with the missiles. “Cheetah, curve back to the ship. Now!”

“Copy, Scorpion,” Skylar said, not attempting to hide the disappointment from her voice. “Curving out.”

Ryker nodded, trying to bring her crosshairs on the
Wraith
. The heat-seeking missiles had done their job, even if they hadn’t found the target. She fired three laser bolts toward the enemy ship, but it had apparently decided it had lost the day. The
Wraith
activated its Lutimite Drive and evacuated the area, disappearing into deep space.