Chapter 21: The Fallen One

Malcolm "The Death Ray" Twin Suns took one look at Tethys and realized he'd just sailed into a nightmare.

Clouds of ships, thousands of them, surrounded the planet. Who were they? An invasion force? A raiding party? Not likely. As Malcolm watched, he realized the ships were scattering, not closing in.

Malcolm told his wheel man, Leif Varangr, "Take us in slow and steady. Be ready to rabbit if things get hot."

"Aye aye, Cap."

A panicky voice echoed from behind them, in the comms alcove: "Cap! We're gettin' slammed on the bitch box!"

Old Rattlebones was already pirating when most of the crew was still stumbling around with scabbed knees and fruit juice mustaches. Solid man, but he had a bad habit of getting the yips whenever things turned tense.

Malcolm frowned. "Who's calling us?"

"Sounds like the whole damn planet!" Rattlebones's voice cracked.

Down in the hold, Lieutenant Greenleaf turned to his comm-tech. "Perez?"