Broken Vision Read Free

the Grogon Asteroid
Belt
    Blazing Starpits! And damn, damn, damn--to use her Earth mother's favorite
expletive.
    Where had she picked them up and who were they? She was certain the two vessels were
following her. She couldn't afford to be challenged this close to the Grogon cluster, especially since
she hadn't filed a flight plan. The old governor would have looked in the other direction. The new
governor would have her incarcerated and interrogated.
    Despite her predicament, she chuckled out loud in sour amusement. That would solve one
of her problems. Her eligibility to serve a hereditary term on Alerik Mariltar's security team would
be wiped into oblivion.
    Maegan studied the nav display. They were drawing inexorably closer. It wouldn't be long
before they were within standard hailing distance. She had to lose them before then.
    This trip was the result of a frantic request for immediate action. Most of such requests
were urgent, but didn't usually give her so little time to prepare. Alerik Mariltar's intrusion today
had forced her to rely on others. She had made the collection. She had made the drop-off. She just
had to get home. Luckily, she had identified the possible new safe route through the moon cluster.
She had to shake her pursuers there.
    The two ships behind her were beginning to separate. Starpits! Ambush tactics. She had to
do this now. The moon cluster was close enough. She took a deep breath and hoped the best nav
charts credits could buy would substitute for her less than adequate preparation.
    "All right, Lady Melia, let's see if your old body hangs together on this one." She set the
nav course directly for the moon cluster and jammed the thruster control forward. The Lady Melia's
brand new engines responded instantly and hurtled her ancient body toward the nearest moon.
Maegan's fingers danced over the nav chart making some fine adjustments to the course. They
would take the ship far closer to the moon than most pilots had balls for.
    Passed it!
    She made her next adjustment and checked for company. Sliek! Still there. Their speed had
increased as well. Who were they?
    The bedring creatures dancing in her stomach were a strong indication her growing
suspicion was on target. She zipped around the next moon. Still there. It was like swatting at two
annoying insects. Stronger tactics were called for. She had trained as a fighter pilot with the
best.
    These were the best--without a doubt.
    Two of Alerik Mariltar's team.
    She ground her teeth and tried to ignore the welling of hot anger as she made her next
adjustments. Blazing starpits! She braced herself. Her stomach never did well on this maneuver.
Good thing she didn't have anything in it.
    The Lady Melia plunged--down, down, down--then caught herself and began a steep
upward climb. Maegan's stomach roiled before settling. Thank Sortor for nutro tablets. She checked
the chart.
    One was still with her. She had one more chance. She zipped around the far side of the
next to last moon and hit her ballast eject. On the nav chart, a film spread out and rolled in a wave
over the one remaining vessel.
    "And best of luck to you," she muttered. The magna cloud would scramble the pursuing
vessel's nav equipment, making further pursuit virtually impossible. She had never had to use the
tactic before. It was an expensive last resort. Alerik Mariltar had just doubled the chits against
him.
    She made a last set of adjustments and headed for home.
    * * * *
    "Balls of forged steel," Eduardo Corenna said gloomily. "Never seen anything like it."
    Nathan Drakal, slumped in the chair beside him, shot back, "You didn't get caught in that
magna cloud. I had to be towed to dock. Towed! And I'm grounded until my instruments are
recalibrated."
    "Been telling you for rotations to get that done." Corenna sounded smug. "Might improve
your longevity with the ladies."
    "Thereby leaving more for your pathetic a--"
    "Gentlemen!" Sharm Foster, their commanding officer, looked up from his