Heaven Saga 3: Sojourn Into Despair Read Free Page B

each female?”
    “You’ve
got to be kidding,” Celi said. “That would be too many,” she laughed, “Although
the concept isn’t a bad one. So what’s the news on the other couple?”
    Mira
sighed. “Those two are so dense it’s frustrating. I really wish they’d stop
dancing around each other the way they are and just admit it.”
    “So,
in other words, no progress,” Celi said.
    “Yeah,
no progress at all,” Mira said.
     
    * * *
     
    “What’s
this?” Jesela asked as she looked at Daes’s new scanning device.
    “What
is it?” Dreka asked. He noticed a few blips on the screen. “That isn’t good.”
    “What
isn’t good?” she asked.
    “This
scanning system is meant to pick up cloaked ships, as well as tiny space time
distortions,” Dreka explained. “The only races that distort space in any
meaningful way with their ships are the Original Five or the Greys.”
    “Daes,
I think you’d better get down here!” Jesela shouted.
    Daes
looked at Seles. “Prepare for battle. I have a feeling that’s our queue to
fight,” she said, using the elevator cord to get down to the ground. She ran
over to the scanning system.
    “Is
it bad?” Jesela asked.
    “Really
bad,” Daes answered before hitting the com. “Captain, our scanners have
detected six space time distortions nearby.”
    “Six?”
Valis asked. “Please send me their positions and probable mass.
    “It’s
on the way captain,” Daes said.
     

Chapter 3 - We’re Not Alone
     
    Valis
gathered her thoughts as she looked over the plan one more time. Let’s do
this. She thought as she stood up.
    “Kivi,
ready the Avoni for battle,” Valis said. “Zae, contact the Reiki and tell them
we’re launching our mobile suits and taking up a defensive formation around
them. Inform them that we’ve picked up unknown ships.”
    “Yes
captain,” Zae said.
    “Everything’s
good here,” Kivi said after activating all weapons systems.
    “Good.
Baed, turn the ship about and ready for evasive action,” Valis commanded.
    “Yes
captain,” Baed said before turning the ship about.
    Kivi
stood up after looking at the plan. “I like it.”
    “Since
we’re unsure of our enemy’s intentions or capabilities, I figured the best defense
is offense,” Valis said.
    “What
if they’re not Greys?” Kivi asked.
    “Unless
there’s been an appearance by a new space faring society in this section of the
galaxy it must be the Greys. Brian will hail them before firing, so they will
have a chance to avoid combat if they wish it,” Valis explained. “What I’m
curious about is what has the Reiki so flustered.”
    “If
they found a base it’s possible they stirred up something they shouldn’t have,”
Kivi suggested.
    “That’s
the most likely possibility,” Valis said. “The question is did they try to
recover anything from the base?”
    “That
situation is very similar to when we recovered Brian,” Zae said. She turned
about to join the conversation. “In that case the Greys were after the ship we’d
captured. If it wasn’t for the crazy maneuver you called for the Avoni would’ve
been destroyed.”
    Baed
looked up from her panel. “That wasn’t an easy trick to pull off in a ship this
big.”
    “No,
it wasn’t,” Valis said. “Now we’re faced with a much worse situation. Even
though we have new weapons to attack and defend with, I’m unsure if they’re
strong enough to fight Grey class ships. In our previous encounter there was
only one enemy ship, but in this situation we’re faced with six or more. I hate
betting on an uncertain factor the mobile weapons pose.”
    “But
it’s what you’re best at,” Kivi said. “Taking a chance is something you do well
Valis, better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
    “True,”
Valis answered. “I’d better tell the rest of the crew the situation.
    Zae
checked her panel. “They Reiki acknowledge our current situation and have begun
calling their members back from the surface of the