Milla followed behind him as the two of them headed back toward the lift, the clanking of their boots echoing through the room.

CHAPTER 11

MILLA AND STEPHANOS stepped onto the bridge while Weston was ordering for long-range scans of the target system.

“Tachyon scanners powered up, Captain. We should have preliminary telemetry in a few seconds,” answered an ensign.

“Excellent. Send the data to helm as it comes in.”

“Aye, sir.”

Weston turned and looked back at the two recent arrivals on the bridge. “Ah, welcome back, Milla,” he said, then turned to Stephanos. “We’ll be transitioning out of this system in a few minutes and should have just enough time for you to get to the hangar bay. I’ve scrambled the rest of the Angels.”

Stephanos stood to attention, acknowledged the captain, pivoted on his heel, and strode off the bridge.

Milla watched Stephanos leave and turned back to Weston. “You are preparing your fighters for launch? Why?”

“Ithan Chans, whatever hit your people out here was remarkably efficient. We still haven’t determined why you survived or even what they did to the rest of your ships out there. I won’t take unnecessary chances with my crew.”

Milla nodded. She would be hard-pressed to find fault in his position, even if she had a say in the outcome.

Preparations on the bridge continued at a feverish pace as the tachyon telemetry came streaming back. Milla was shown to a seat that folded out of the rear wall and was strapped in tightly while the commotion on the bridge wound down. Finally, with all the preparations finished, the captain sat back and waited.

“Stephanos to the bridge,” Weston called over the intercom. He leaned forward when his friend’s voice came over. “Yes, Steph?”

“The Angels are ready to fly, Captain. Give the word and we’ll burn out of here.”

“Understood. Stand by, Archangels.”

It was only at this moment that Milla realized what was bothering her. They act as if we’ll be in the Fuielles System within a few minutes. That system is days away; these people couldn’t possibly have that kind of ability.

She heard the captain give the order to engage, and she forced her mind back to the action on the bridge.

“Captain, forward spires have transitioned. The effect will overtake the bridge in thirty-two seconds.”

Effect? What effect? Thirty seconds later she found out. Milla just stared in horror as the bridge view screen vaporized, the particles spinning away into the emptiness of space.

This is madness! It wasn’t until the effect had overtaken the junior officers, spinning their atoms away into space, that Milla came unfrozen. Her hands clawed at the restraints that kept her pinned to the chair as she tried in vain to loosen them, her panic mounting with each passing instant. Then, almost the same second, she saw something that caused her to stop.