Star Brigade: Resurgent (Star Brigade Book 1) Read Free Page A

Korvenites in your custody to me. Do so and your crew lives. Resist and your crew dies.
    “You no-good Korvie bastard—”
    Death then, Maelstrom cut him off, eyes turning pitch-black. He held out both open palms toward the Fennimore, which dwarfed the Korvenite in comparison. Invisible telekinetic fingers stretched out from his hands, combed over the entire hull, grasped onto the edges of micro-fractures and dug into the dents caused by the z-bombs. Clenching his teeth, the Korvenite drew upon the psionic power that was his birthright. For several macroms, Maelstrom ripped and pulled at the weakened hull. Finally the micro-fractures ripped open like paper; jagged chunks of hull peeled off the Fennimore. Oxygen gushed out of the hull breaches in steady spurts, immediately crystallizing into icy bits at the first touch of space.
    Filled with renewed vigor, Maelstrom poured more psionic force onto the Fennimore. His telekinetics squeezed the transport’s weakened engines until they burst under the pressure. Plumes of bright orange fire erupted from what was left of the vessel’s ruined hull.
    Inside the ship, its bridge shook violently, ragged explosions bursting through its own walls. Computer alarms shrieked at deafening decibels, indicating multiple hull breaches. Crewmembers lay maimed or dead all around Captain Fennimore. Cal screamed as an argent burst of flames shot into his chest and face. The commander slid to a stop at his captain’s feet. Smoky curls rose from his charred flesh. Nathaniel Fennimore stood alone on his ruined bridge, barely able to stay upright. His forehead gushed blood as he screamed into the comm system, “Anyone in range! This is the prison transport Fennimore! ”
    No one’s listening, human. Maelstrom’s voice taunted his thoughts. Some advice before you die. Blind obedience to the Galactic Union offers no rewards in the end. Another explosion shredded up the podium Fennimore stood on and hurtled him headfirst into the viewscreen. There was a stomach-churning crunch , shooting even fissures out from where he’d struck. Fennimore’s corpse, bent in ghastly angles, slid to the ground right before more eruptions collapsed the ruined bridge.
    Maelstrom had already forgotten about the death. He stretched his mind farther, his telekinetic fingers combing through the Fennimore’s rupturing remnants, and at the same time he scoured for the exact location of the Korvenite prisoners. Before long he found his brethren again. Their fear was transparent, but the faith in him and Korvan overpowered any other sensation. Maelstrom smiled to himself and continued to peel layer after layer off the crippled ship’s hull.
     
    “[Beloved deity of Sollus. Protect us during this time.]” Vantor bowed his head in prayer again. This time, every Korvenite in the cell followed his lead, even skeptical Rouma. This sense of unity made the Korvenite’s heart soar, despite the chaos that rumbled around their cell. Just as Vantor reached the end of his prayer, he felt the pressure on his wrists and ankles abruptly release. The bigger shock came when he smacked his face first on the hard metal flooring.
    “[Sweet Korvan!]” Vantor scrambled to his knees. The shock wasn’t lost on his fellow Korvenites, who also fell forth in heaps. The restraints that held them sparked and sputtered, releasing their limbs. Vantor didn’t know how to process this as he rose and shook off his stiffness.
    [Stay close to each other. It will only be a moment more.] Maelstrom advised in Korcei to his brethren. Instantly, Vantor grabbed onto Rouma’s hand, who took Cymae’s hand. The link continued with all twenty Korvenites and ended with Khasos, who looked more unnerved by the moment.
    “[Relax, Khasos. We’re safe.]” Cymae beamed at him. He simply nodded, but didn’t stop trembling. Metal around the cell twisted and warped, clearing its throat in anticipation of something big. Vantor squeezed Rouma’s hand a little