Space- Book One: The Attack

Chapter three

Joanna Brook raced up a flight of stairs and came out onto the main deck of the ship.  She gazed around her in surprise.  The deck was in complete pandemonium.  Everyone was racing around like chickens with their heads cut off, not that Joanna had ever heard that expression before.

She ran over to the ship's captain, Captain Roth.

"Captain Roth," she said, urgently.  "What are my orders?"

"Uh..." Captain Roth looked around himself in shock and horror.

Joanna stared at him in disbelief as she realized that Captain Roth had no idea how to handle an attack.  He was the Captain of the royal space ship of the planet Juno and he had no idea what he was doing.  The shock of the sudden attack had completely paralyzed him.

"Okay, fine," Joanna said, pushing past him.  "I don't have time for this.  Someone has to do something."

She ran across the main deck of the ship and over to a door that would lead her to the royal chambers.  She pushed a switch on the wall and the door slide open.  Joanna stepped in and found herself face to face with the barrel of an electro-pistol.

"Who are you?!" Demand a harsh voice.

"I am Joanna Brook, the ships mechanic," Joanna replied.

The electo-pistol lowered and Joanna looked up to see that it was Queen Jayla herself who had been holding the gun to her head.

"What's going on out there?" Queen Jayla demanded.  "Where is Captain Roth?  Where are my guards?  Why has no one been sent to protect me?"

"Your highness, calm down," Joanna said, calmly.  "No one is coming.  You Captain is having a nervous breakdown and the crew is running around in a panic.  There is no one to defend you or this ship.  We have to get you out of here.  Let's head to the nearest escape pod."

"Escape pod?!"

Queen Jayla straightened to her full hight as she fixed Joanna with an indignant look.

"You really think I would run and let my ship and my crew be overrun by these pesky attackers?! Never!"

"But your highness, you really-"

Joanna never finished her sentence because at that very moment the door to the main deck came crashing down!

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King Edward Kelton paced nervously up and down his throne room, waiting.  He was waiting the arrival of the thing that had taken his daughter.

He could not believe how nervous he was.  He was one of the most respected and feared rulers in the galaxy.  Kyphis' power and influence in the galaxy was only surpassed by Queen Echo of Syphoo. 

He had always lead his people, unwaveringly, for 18 years now.  He had fought hard and made many sacrifices to keep this throne.  What had become of him?

He was about to give all that away, and for what?  For a child.  For one, measly, pathetic child.  But he couldn't help it.  He could not let anything happen to Taliea.

At that moment something started to materialize in the middle of the room.  King Edward took a step back as a large black cloud formed into something that looked like a man with no facial features.

King Edward stared at it.  Creatures that had the ability to materialize out of nowhere where not unheard of, but they were rare, and always dangerous.

"Who are you?" Edward asked, although what he really wanted to know was what this strange creature was.

The Creature stared at him for a moment, or at least, Edward assumed that it was staring at him.  It was impossible to tell since the Creature had no visible eyes.