The visual was overlaid with visible and nonvisible light data from previous and ongoing scans. Aymes frowned at the image, picking up a portable system and comparing the data from analysis of Oather ships.

“Something is off,” he said a moment later. “Chief, what is this frequency spike?”

The chief walked over, checking the signal that the captain was pointing out. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t know, Captain. The rest is expected materials science from an Oather design, but that spike is new.”

“New?” Aymes frowned. “There are only so many materials in existence. Imperial and Oather materials science peaked long ago. When was the last time we saw an improvement in that area?”

The chief shrugged.

“Never, Chief,” Aymes growled. “The Oathers took the best materials science ever developed with them when they split. That’s a metal frequency spike. There isn’t a metallic armor in existence that can match Oather ceramics. Lord knows, the Empire has tried. So why is an Oather ship showing a metallic frequency spike?”

“I don’t know, Captain.”

“Neither do I, and do not like things I do not know showing up in a potential combat situation.”

“Uh . . . yes sir.”

Aymes glared at the chief briefly, then waved him back to his station. He was turning away when another alarm went off.

“What is it?”

“New contact, Captain!” the chief cried. “Close. Very close.”

“On screen! Track it!”

“Difficult, Captain. There’s no visible spectrum read!”

“Instant scanners say something is out there. Find it!” Aymes ordered. “We may be far too close to the unknown vessel for our safety!”

“Unlikely, Captain,” his alternate commander said. “The contact is too small by far. It barely registered on instant scans, and it’s entering the orbit of the gas giant as we speak.”

Aymes blinked, surprised. That was close. Far closer than anything should have been able to get to his ship without being noticed.

“Dispatch parasite Five to investigate the contact,” he ordered. “If they resist . . . destroy them.”

“Yes Captain.”

►►►

Shuttle Eagle One

► “Alright, that’s it,” Steph decided. “Sorry, Milla, my bird.”

She nodded, pale with a bead of sweat on her brow. “Your bird, Commander.”

Steph hit the sequence that shifted primary command to his seat, then began powering CM generators. “We’re going to have to make a run for it. Talk to me—what do you know about these parasite craft?”

“Very little. I am sorry.” She shook her head. “They were listed only in the history portion of my training.”

“I’ll take history,” he told her as he worked. “Anything you remember. How fast can they warp space?”

“They do not. The point of parasite vessels is that they do not require the same power core as a full ship. They can be brought into an operational space by a starship but are much cheaper, yes?”