Chapter 1
The bulk freighter reverted to realspace right on time. "We're at Valkossa," the helmsman reported, glancing back at his captain.
Captain Chordeen looked ahead, sitting in his command chair. Ahead of them was Station Six. Despite being a hundred thousand kilometers away, it still filled the viewscreen. "Very well," he replied. "Inform the station of our flight plan, standard approach."
The flight control officer looked at his scanner screen as the freighter blinked into view. Station Six was a converted moon, one of six huge battlestations built when Valkossa was the center of a thriving star empire, master of a hundred worlds. Now the Grand Empire was long gone, and only a few small systems paid allegiance to the Lord of Valkossa. But all that didn't take away from the fact that Valkossa was the biggest, busiest and richest star system in the region - the place where millions of transactions and trillions of credits traded hands every day.
And the battlestation was still capable, most of the original moon's dusty surface covered by guns, lasers, missile launchers, and fighter bays. "Station Six to Freighter Troy , welcome to Valkossa. Please transmit flight plan and intentions."
The response was prompt. "Six, this is Troy. Cargo of lead and industrial equipment. Sending packet...now." A light lit up on the console as the download went through. The officer looked over it, nodded. A second button brought up a list of expected spacecraft, and the Troy was indeed there.
His superior wandered by, a cup of ghenta in his hand. "Everything all right, Morren?"
The officer looked up. "It's the freighter Troy , sir. On time, on schedule. I'm just about to clear them.
"Fine, fine," his boss said, already halfway to the next console. It was a quiet time of day at Station Six, but quiet meant that "only" about three hundred ships an hour were transiting Station Six's area of control.
"Cleared to transit," the helmsman said, reading his screen.
Captain Chordeen nodded. "Continue the course," he said. "Start the timer," he said. He pressed a button on his chair. "Bridge to Engine Room," he said. "Engineer Rokallan, timer started. Initiate in seven minutes."
Seven minutes later, the freighter initiated the flight plan's first turn. Midway through, the brightly burning fusion engines flickered and faded out. On board the Troy , the ordinary lights winked off and were replaced by the emergency illumination. Unstabilized, the Troy began a slow, flat spin.
"Station Six, this is the Troy , an apologetic voice sounded on board Station Six. "We're sorry, the main reactor just quit on us. Diagnostics indicate some unknown fault. We'd like to declare an emergency until we sort this thing out."
"Understood," Officer Morris said. "Scanners indicate your course isn't going to hit anything...no charted celestial bodies. Advising traffic of your status." He pressed a button on his console, and a soft chime sounded. "Supervisor Koll?" he asked.
His boss looked up from his desk. "What is it, Morris?"
" Troy just had a reactor shutdown, reasons unknown. They're going to sit and fix it. I'm advising traffic."
Supervisor Koll nodded. "Have they declared an emergency?"
"Yes, sir," Officer Morris replied.
"Offer them a tow in," Koll suggested, picking a datapad up. "See if one of our engineering bays can fix it."
"Station Six to freighter Troy , can we tow you in? Engineering here would be pleased to offer you technical assistance."
Captain Chordeen pushed a button on his armrest. "Six, this is Captain Chordeen. Stand by - I'll check with engineering. Thank you." He clicked the mic off, and leaned back in his chair for a few moments.
After the bridge clock had registered half a minute, he straightened up and triggered the connection. "Six, that's affirmative. We're not having any luck over hear. My Chief Engineer is ready to climb into the reactor himself."
"That dedicated?" the officer asked.
"No, that embarrassed," Captain Chordeen laughed. "The company's not going to be very happy with me, either, but I can live with it."
"Roger that, Troy ," came the response. Stand by for the beam."
Officer Morris chuckled quietly to himself as he clicked the channel closed. Koll looked at him. "Something funny?"
"Oh, the captain on Troy fancies himself a comedian," Morris replied. "Yes, they'd like a tow."
Captain Chordeen also laughed quietly to himself on board the Troy. "I wonder how many Valkossans will laugh today?" he asked out loud, half to himself.
"Not as many as will die today, Captain," the helmsman observed. A bright blue beam shot out from Station Six and surrounded the freighter. Hull plates groaned as the tractor beam overcame the vessel's inertia, pulling the Troy and her cargo of death towards her target.
The passage of ten minutes saw the huge stone slabs that formed an airlock slamming shut behind the Troy. Captan Chordeen clicked the intercom open. "Chordeen to Engineering. They fell for it.
"Unleash Hell."
(This message has been edited by ElGuapo7 (edited 01-15-2004).)
