Page 40 of Fire Forged

Britta glanced at their daughter, squared her shoulders, and nodded.“You better be all right, or so help me, Nerx, pepper spray will be the least of the things I’ll do to you.”

He laughed.“It will not matter if I am dead.”

She glared at him, despite a teardrop forming on her lashes.“Just…live, okay?”

He hesitated, not wanting to promise he’d survive this.It would be a lie when he had no idea what could happen.Aldur strode to the engine room door, snagging Nerx’s gaze.He touched the panel, shutting it—the thunk of the pod door confirmed it closed too.

“What will you do?”Britta asked, hurrying after him when he headed to Aldur.

Nerx glanced at her, memorizing her face in case it was for the last time.“Learn who they are and what they want.Listen to Matir, please.Now is not the time to be reckless.”

She scoffed.“Attacking you was calculated.”

He chuckled.“Fine, do not do anything calculated.”

It took all his strength to walk away, the swish of the engine room door like a death knell.It didn’t help that scalding pain radiated outward from the center of his chest.His future, everything that mattered to him, was behind him.Ahead lay trouble.He couldn’t say how he knew this, but instinct drove him to be cautious.Rather have his family be safe than endanger them because he didn’t anticipate and prepare for the unexpected, that worst case scenario.Thank the Maker for Matir’s advice.If they lived through this, Nerx would recommend all his males for promotion.

Aldur grimaced, then withdrew his blaster.“I assume no help is forthcoming?”

“Yes.”Nerx clenched his jaw as he headed for the comm.

“Nothing, Supreme Commander,” Ziot said the moment he entered.“The scans are at twelve percent.This could take a while.”

“Keep trying to comm the king or the nearest battleship, hell, the closest comm station will do.And do not change trajectory or increase the speed, Edon.I want nothing to alarm them.”He stared at the ship, focusing on the massive canons running the length of every second row of lit rectangles, and the odd way the entire ship spun with its nose remaining static.

“It is most ominous,” Aldur said.“Each canon is aimed at us.What kind of a threat do they think us?We are in a scimitar with but a few chokaars.”

What if Etteria’s most powerful canons couldn’t compare to the might before them?How would Etteria defend the weaker races?“What are they waiting for?”Nerx asked the comm in general.“They could obliterate us, and no one would know.”

“Perhaps we are first contact?”Ziot said, his fingers flying over the console.“The metal is a derivative of Maloidian steel but different.I do not know if a chokaar will have any impact.”

“How different?”Nerx unsheathed a dagger and blinked at the blade.“We have never met an empire more powerful than Etteria.”

His mind reeled.They’d lived invincible, perhaps overly confident.But they were honorable and appreciated culture, differences, and diversity.What if this new species didn’t share their values?What if their agenda was to kill, to dominate, to destroy?Etteria, no matter how many ships Xeus had in his armada, might not be able to win if a war was on the horizon.

“Hail, strange ship.”A delicate face with a square jawline flickered on the display vid.

Nerx blinked at what looked like an Etterian youngin except for the copper-scaled skin and shaven head.Black eyebrows denoted what the hair color would’ve been.

“Greetings, I am Supreme Commander Nerx,” he said.

“Regent Kaara.”

When they remained silent, Nerx asked, “Are you lost?From where do you travel?”

The regent laughed, his black eyes crinkling around the edges.“We are where we planned to be.”

Behind him was a wall of lights, though the symbols denoting their purpose were unknown.Mechanical noises and chatter droned in the background.The purple armor he wore didn’t reveal much either.

“Welcome, Regent Kaara.”Nerx bowed.“It is not often I meet such a high-ranking personage.”

“Flattery?How quaint.”Kaara held up a thin finger, black rings as jewelry rested below each knuckle.

So much for diplomacy, though Nerx had never claimed to be good at it.“How may we assist?”

“I grow weary of this conversation,” the regent said.“Prepare to be boarded.”

Nerx scowled.“For what purpose?”

---