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“Red Alert!”Rory cut in.“Incoming ships!”

Chapter 12

A JARRINGalarm shattered the quiet of Jo’Nay’s ship. Red alert lights flashed, casting an eerie glow on Winn’s face. The gentle hum of the ship’s engine, once a comforting lullaby, was replaced by a cacophony of warnings as Rory announced the imminent threat. “Multiple unidentified vessels approaching. Energy signatures indicate hostile intent,”she announced.

Jo’Nay reacted instantly. He moved with more speed and grace than usual, activating the ship’s defenses and sealing off vulnerable sections. The viewscreen, moments ago displaying a breathtaking vista of swirling nebulae and distant stars, now showed a swarm of ships, their jagged silhouettes emerging from the darkness like predators closing in on theirprey.

Jo’Nay cursed. These were no ordinary raiders. These were the Marauders, anotorious band of space pirates feared throughout the Nine Galaxies for their ruthlessness and greed. Their ships, amotley collection of cobbled-together hulks and stolen vessels, bristled with the latest weaponry, atestament to their disregard for law and order. He recognized theunmistakable glint of plasma cannons, weapons capable of tearing through even the most reinforced hull. Marauders had been the bane of his existence during his centuries as an Intergalactic Warrior.

Alarm, cold and sharp, emanated from Winn, but she drew a deep breath and focused on him. He hoped she believed he would protect her, would fight to the death to keep her safe. But the sight of those approaching ships, their destructive intent so evident, would not be easy to defeat.

The first volley of plasma fire hit his ship with the force of a supernova. The vessel shuddered violently, the impact throwing Winn off balance. He caught her, his grip strong and reassuring.

“Hold fast, little one,” he murmured, his voice calm despite the chaos erupting around them. He knew his ship, amarvel of Vettian engineering, could withstand a considerable amount of punishment, but the Marauders’ relentless assault was taking itstoll.

He shoved Winn into the copilot’s seat and fastened himself into the pilot’s. Instantly, he threw the ship into a series of maneuvers. The ship groaned in protest as Jo’Nay pushed it to its limits, the inertial dampeners struggling to compensate for the sudden, violent feints.

Alarms blared, their shrill cries a symphony of chaos as the Marauder ships closed in, their weapons spitting fire. The bridge vibrated with each impact, achoking haze of burnt wiring and plasma residue permeated theroom.

“Shields at 60%! Hull breach on deck four! Life support systems compromised!”Rory’s voice, usually so soothing, blared with its staccato rhythm of critical reports.

Scorch marks, black and ugly, marred the once pristine hull. The air crackled with heat, the sharp smell of smoldering metal cutting through the chaos as the ship’s defenses strained to absorb the relentless barrage. The control panels, once glowing with a soft, pulsating light, now flickered erratically, their delicate systems struggling to cope with the onslaught.

His Vettian senses heightened, he could feel the ship screeching under the strain. He knew they couldn’t withstand this assault for long. The Marauders, driven by greed and a lust for destruction, were relentless. Their numbers were overwhelming, their firepower exceeding anything he’d encountered before.

One of the Marauder vessels, its prow emblazoned with a strange logo of a snake-like object, broke through their weakened defenses. Its plasma cannons fired a blinding onslaught at Jo’Nay’s ship. Winn screamed as an explosion rocked them, the force of it snapping her against her restraints.

Though clearly terrified, she remained silent, watching him, his movements a blur of controlled aggression as he fought to keep their ship afloat, to buy them time. He was grateful she wasn’t interfering.

Suddenly, ablinding flash engulfed the bridge, searing through the viewport with the intensity of a newborn star. Jo’Nay barely had time to brace before the ship lurched violently, the sudden impact throwing him against the control panel with bone-jarring force. Pain radiated through his side, sharp and unforgiving, as the air filled with the acrid stench of burning circuitry.

He groaned, the sound ripped from his throat and lost in the deafening cacophony of alarms and the roaring aftermath of the attack. Sparks rained down like fiery hail, casting erraticshadows across the bridge as the lights flickered and died, plunging the area into a twilight haze lit only by the faint glow of emergency indicators.

The engines sputtered once, twice, and then went silent, leaving an oppressive stillness that seemed to press against his ears. Only the crackle of charred wiring and the faint hiss of escaping gas broke the silence—asinister symphony of destruction that spoke of critical damage. The ship shuddered beneath him, its structure groaning as if in protest.

Jo’Nay forced himself upright, gripping the edge of the console as the room tilted around him. His vision blurred, and he blinked rapidly to clear it, the taste of copper lingering in his mouth. Blood? No time to dwell on that. His gaze darted to the viewport. Outside, amass of enemy ships loomed like predatory beasts circling their wounded prey, their weapons glowing ominously as they prepared for another strike.

Another shudder rippled through the ship as a secondary explosion rocked the aft section. He swore under his breath, his fingers flying over the remaining functional controls. The diagnostics flickered in and out, their fragmented readings confirming what he already feared—critical systems were failing one byone.

Winn rushed to his side, her heart pounding in her chest. “Jo’Nay! Are you alright?” she asked.

His vision blurred. “A mere flesh wound, little one. Nothing a Vettian warrior cannot handle,” he said. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneathhim.

Winn gasped. “You’re hurt!”

He looked up at her, awry smile twisting his lips. He couldn’t lie to her. He was injured. And getting weaker by the moment. “The engines are down. We cannot get away.”

He realized with a chilling certainty that the Marauders had breached the ship. Their magnetic grappling hooks, massive claws of reinforced metal, had torn through the hull, their points of entry glowing with molten metal. The air hissed as the pressure seal failed, the sound adding to the cacophony of the attack.

Heavily armed Marauders, their faces hidden behind grotesque masks, poured onto the ship. Their weapons, amix of crude blades and advanced energy rifles, gleamed in the flickering light.

Winn shrank against Jo’Nay and he wished he could reassure her that he’d protect her, but even a Vettian warrior couldn’t stand against such overwhelmingodds.

Pushing himself to his feet, he drew his sword, the energized blade humming with power. He knew he couldn’t defeat them all, but he would defend Winn to his last breath. He stood before her, ashield against the approaching storm.

“Winn, get to the secure chamber now!” he barked, his voice cutting through thedin.

“But—” Winn’s protest came instantly, her wide lavender-tinged eyes filled with fear and defiance. She clutched her abdomen, her protective gesture a reminder of the precious life growing withinher.

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