Cybernetic Soul

Chapter 1

High above the dying world of Kameren, Starship Starstrel was being pummelled by rebel gunships. It had finally come to this. Months of conflict and millions dead. The final defence lay at the very doors of the doomed planet.

Captain Bryn Golmo held on tightly to his console as the ship rocked and bucked under the onslaught. "Report!"

"Ablative shielding's gone," said Billi, the young tactical officer. "Forcefield's holding... just."

"Keep up the fire," said Bryn. "I don't want them getting any clean shots in without that shielding."

"More pew pew," said Billi, adjusting his headset. "Roger that, Captitan."

Pew pew! Billi was just a kid. Bryn let it go. "Helm?"

Svana Flots glanced around at Bryn. He saw those magnified milky eyes through her thick glasses. Bryn knew she only wore them to make her look more intelligent. She needed them though. Blind as a bat without them. She could have used implants. The glasses attached via skin signal to her optic nerves. "Three minutes to target, sir."

"They better be clear," said Petta Krenin, the astro navigator and Bryn's best friend. "Our gunships are useless. Those Kameren boys just need one lucky hit to take us out now."

"If the Kameren have her surrounded, we go to plan B. The Midnight Star is an Epsli Class frigate. She's not too heavy. We just need to give her a good shunt in the right direction."

"We could push her, but how much more damage can we take?" asked Krenin. "If they have any heavy hitters, our mission is over faster than you can say supernova, Skipper."

Krenin was right. The Starstrel was built like an ironclad, built to take a beating, but she was old and already battle worn from the months of fighting for the Federation in the Kameren system.

"Why do we always get these missions, Captain," said Flots.

Bryn felt a twinge of guilt. It was not so much that they were ordered to take these missions, it was that Bryn and his ship and his crew desperately needed the credits, and dangerous missions for the Galstar Industries Federation of Planets navy paid big credits. What Bryn did not tell her was that the Narodivi cartel wanted their money as did the Be'Gall. Not to mention the various fines, debts and dues owed to another dozen entities. To be a freelancer was to be a slave to the credit.

"It is what it is, Flots. You just fly and I promise you a fat payday for this one."

"I see the Midnight Star," said Krenin. "Dead ahead. She's venting but looks to be in one piece. Shit!" That last word was because of the fast incoming Kameren frigate and scrap hauler together with five gunships.

"I see them," said Bryn. Now there would not be time to extract the prisoners first. "We go to plan B." That hauler was there to tow away the Midnight Star. The Frigate was there to hurt any Federal ships that got in the way.

All around Bryn and his ship there raged a fiery battle of exploding torpedoes and blinding plasma rays. The was punching its way through to the stricken Midnight Star with the Starstrel taking the lead. The Kamerens had it in mind to blow them to subatomic dust.

A big explosion to starboard rocked the ship. Sparks flew and fire erupted, causing fire suppressive, choking dust to fill the air.

"Engineering!" said Bryn through the comms.

"What the hell are you doing to my ship, Captain?" came the voice of Gibsin, the chief engineer. "Oh, holy god!"

"What is it, Gibsin?"

"That last one cracked the main cooling pipe. If any of the fusion plasma escapes, we're going up in a ball of plasma."

"Can you fix it?"