“Of course you will need to consult with your peoples’ government,” the Ushin said. “Bear in mind, the offer of surveyed and available worlds is not all we offer. While your prowess in the art of war far exceeds our own, we have technological advancements that we would be willing to share for the mutual benefit of all.”

“I would suggest that we now—” Cole broke off as the video and sound disappeared, leaving him staring at a blank, silent terminal. “What the hell?” Before he could move over to ask the technician outside what happened, alarms began blaring through the ship.

“Oh, shit.”

Chapter 10

“Target all enemy ships! Prioritize all targets and put two shrikes on each,” Captain Everett was barking. “Helm! Get us underway, all ahead one-half, bear as she goes.”

“Ahead one-half, aye!” the helmsman called.

“Shrikes are not responding, Captain,” the tactical officer called out. “Munitions teams are being deployed to the launch tubes to check the connections.”

“What range weapons do we have?” Everett asked calmly.

“We only had the Shrikes, sir. They were emptying the magazines before we—”

“Coms!” Everett cut off the excuse. “Sound the general alert through the system … we are under attack. Suspected force of the same type of ship that attacked the Xi’an System … unknown numbers, unknown strengths. Get any ship that has working standoff weapons out here ASAP! Tactical! Bring all available laser batteries up and begin full power active scans with the targeting radars.”

“Captain! Two more of the Ushin ships have been destroyed,” his OPS officer reported. “They have one left and it’s pushing down … towards us! They’re moving down into the system.”

“Are they being pursued?”

“Yes, sir!”

“They’re going to try and put us between them and the Darshik,” Everett said quietly.

“Returns on the enemy ships coming in, Captain,” the tactical officer reported. “Eleven ships total, three coming down towards us and the others look to be taking a position outside the orbit of Deveroux.” He was referencing the sixth planet in the system, an odd rocky world that had been flung out of the inner system some billions of years prior and had taken up a stable orbit in the outer system.

“They’re not just holding out there,” Admiral Marcum said, speaking for the first time since arriving on the bridge after general quarters had been sounded. “They’re going after the depot.”

“Shit!” Everett swore. “Coms! Send a message directly to Bespitd Station and tell them to get in the lifeboats and get the hell out of there.”