“Captain, we have incoming fire!” Sterling shouted. Sure enough, an alarm sounded in the cramped cockpit.
“I see it. Hang on!”
On the main screen, a steady stream of small projectile fire arced towards them along the enemy’s vector. I hope none of those shots slips past us to hit the convoy, James thought.
“Five seconds to impact,” said Sterling. “Three, two, one—”
A high-pitched squeal sounded from deep within the walls of the gunboat as the RPV shield vaporized the incoming projectiles.
“Shields down thirty percent,” said Sterling, his voice rising. “Forty—no, fifty and climbing!”
“Engage our reserves, and make sure the shields hold,” said James, firing the last of the thrusters. “Engine burn at full throttle.”
“But Captain, we’re on a collision course!”
“I know,” said James, gripping the piloting stick with clammy hands. His stomach churned as the gee forces rose noticeably, despite of the gravitic dampers. The ETA on his display dropped to fifteen seconds—hopefully, that would be enough to keep the shields from blowing up in their faces before they made contact with the enemy.
“Lone Spear! Lone Spear!” came the commander’s voice over the intercom. “Pull back and regroup at once! Do you copy?”
It’s too late now, James thought to himself. At least this time, they weren’t the ones who had shot first.
“Twelve seconds to impact,” said Sterling, his voice raw and full of fear. “We need to pull up!”
“Negative, Ensign.”
“But—but we’re going to die!”
We all have to go sometime.
====================
Heart of the Nebula
They called him a lone wolf. Now, he must lead them across the stars.
To save his people from a brutal occupation, James McCoy must lead them on an exodus across the stars. But it will take a strong leader to get them to their new home, and the temptation to trade freedom for security has never been greater.
They called him a lone wolf. Now, he must lead them across the stars.
Five years have passed since the Hameji conquered James McCoy’s homeworld. The yoke of occupation has grown unbearable, and unless he can help his people throw it off, everything that he fought for will be destroyed.
Light-years away, in the heart of the Good Hope Nebula, there is a place where they can start over. But the dangers are many, and the way is unclear. Only a strong leader can take them there.
James once gave all that he had to save the ones he loved. To do so again, he must become the leader that his people need. But he’s never been more than a maverick, and even his friends fear he will trade their freedom for security and lose both.
In a galaxy full of pirates and wolves, how can James save his people without becoming a monster?
