As Borag continued to drift away, I caught glimpses of movement within the station. Shadowy figures flitted about, their shapes distorted by the curves of the alien windows. I couldn’t make out any specific details, but I was sure they were pirates and cyborgs, both gleeful at running us out of the place. I hoped none of the workers had hidden in fear, only to now be discovered and eviscerated in the dark.

  Once we’d managed to climb aboard Borag, we set up defensive positions inside the aft airlocks. The battle seemed to pause, and we dared to hope it was over with.

  Then, Captain Hansen’s voice crackled through the communication system, addressing the entire crew. “Red Company, stand by. I’m receiving a transmission from the pirate leader, Redgrave. I’m going to patch it through so you can all hear it.”

  The cold, mechanical voice of Redgrave buzzed in my helmet. “Captain Hansen, I have only begun to deploy my forces. You cannot win this struggle. If you do not submit to boarding immediately, all of you will be devoured as punishment after our inevitable victory.”

  My face squinched up tightly when Captain Hansen made her reply. “Redgrave, your threats mean nothing to us. We will not surrender, and we will not be boarded. Borag will stand her ground.”

  There was a brief silence before Redgrave responded. His tones were artificial, but you could tell he was pissed. “Very well, Captain. If you won’t submit willingly, we will take your ship by force. Things will go very badly for your officers after your inevitable defeat.”

  The transmission ended abruptly after that. Captain Hansen addressed us once more. “Green Company, deploy to the aft airlocks. Red Company, prepare for close-quarters combat in Engineering and on the command deck. We must defend Borag at all costs. All defenders are hereby authorized to use any necessary force to repel boarders.”

  Lt. Quinn lit up then. He barked orders at us, directing everyone to squat, sit or shoot around a corner. “Starn, you’re on the main hatch. Ledbetter, Welks, cover the airlock. Cox, move a team to the bridge—just in case. We cannot let them breach our defenses!”

  As we moved into our assigned positions, I could see in the eyes of my fellow marines that they weren’t going to give up without a fight.

  “Remember, Red Company,” Quinn’s voice rang out again, “we stand as one today. We fight as one. We will not let these pirates take our ship or our lives. Stand strong, and may God help us.”

  The pirates made the leap from the station to the hull of Borag. I knew we’d cast off, but we hadn’t dared ignite our main engines or fire upon the enemy.

  The risk would have been too great. If we’d damaged the space station somehow, it might react by destroying Borag, just as it had done to Nightshade when we’d first come here seeking safety.

  We were given a reprieve of perhaps three minutes, then the sounds of the battle resumed. The pirates were crawling over the exterior hull, seeking a way inside.

  After several long minutes, they somehow broke into a cargo hold that should have been secure—and it was on. Both sides engaged in a fierce struggle for control of the ship. I was still posted near the main hatch, laser carbine glowing in my hands. The odds weren’t looking good, but I knew we’d fight to the death—we had no choice.

  Pirates and cyborgs came at us in waves. As the struggle continued, we managed to kick them out of the hold by blowing the doors open and blasting them out into space. They twirled and some of them froze—but the rest clawed their way back.

  After that, the enemy seemed to grow more desperate. Their relentless assault focused on the airlocks in an attempt to breach Borag. I could hear the hissing of cutting torches as they attempted to burn their way through.

  But then, as the pirates were breaching our defenses, I noticed something strange: the cyborgs weren’t following them anymore. That was different—a welcome change.

  In fact, cyborgs were jumping off Borag’s hull and sailing away into the dark. Eventually, they landed back on the skin of their space station and scuttled away to find an entrance.

  “Good news,” Quinn said, sending a crackling transmission to everyone’s helmet at once. “It appears that the cyborgs are only interested in defending the space station, not in helping the pirates take Borag.”

  This gave us all wide, hopeful grins. The enemy forces had been cut in half—perhaps more than that.

  “Red Company!” Captain Hansen said with new hope. “Fall back. Let Green Company advance and push the invaders out of the airlocks.”

  We weren’t totally happy about this decision, but I understood it.

  “What the hell?” Ledbetter asked as various grimacing foremen and cops streamed by us with pistols. They were fresh, and they were game—but they weren’t as well-armed or well-trained as we were. “What a rip-off!”

  “Don’t you get it, Ledbetter?” I asked. “Hansen wants to save her best troops. She knows she’s going to win this fight, so she’d rather spend their lives than ours.”

  Ledbetter understood, but he still scowled. The pirates had scared the shit out of us. I think he wanted to dish up some more personal hurt on them while he could. I couldn’t blame him, but I understood the captain’s position as well. She was cagey and always thinking about tomorrow.

  Laser bolts sung and hummed for the next several minutes. With each passing minute, Borag drifted farther from the space station.

  Then, in an unexpected and shrewd move, I felt the big ship spin under our feet.

  “She’s spinning the ship around?” Welks asked aloud. “Why? Don’t tell me we’re going to back to dock again?”

  “No, you idiot,” Sergeant Cox told him. “The pirates are pulling out to jump for the station. She’s spinning around so we can use the ship’s guns on them.”

  We all thought about that, and we all started to smile.

  It was a slaughter. On Borag’s external hull were a dozen small turrets. These weapons were designed to shoot at fighters and missiles—but they did a fine job of hosing down would-be boarders as well.

  I was impressed by the captain’s tactics. In the end, I doubted more than a dozen of Redgrave’s men would make it back to safety.

  But suddenly, the ship lurched beneath our feet—harder than before. I could feel the engines roaring to life. Captain Hansen’s voice came through the comms system. “Seal the airlocks, the enemy has retreated. We’re blasting away from the space station. Prepare for evasive maneuvers!”

  Borag’s thrusters roared, pushing us away from the space station.

  Ledbetter glanced at me with a mix of relief and concern. “Devin, are we really just running away?”

  “I guess,” I said, shrugging.

  “No,” Lt. Quinn said. He’d overheard us as he passed by in the passages, inspecting the damage and the dead. “Shadow’s Whisper has reappeared. They’re between us and the space station—which means we can’t shoot at them without risking hitting the space station.”

  We met his eyes as this sunk in. He could tell by our horrified looks that we got what he was saying. We had an angry pirate cruiser on our tail—and we couldn’t shoot back.

  The first shockwave rolled through the ship a moment later. We were under fire at very close range and taking damage to our aft armor and engine compartments. The stealthy bastard ship had been lying in wait, gliding close to nail us.

  “Shadow’s Whisper has decloaked,” Captain Hansen announced a moment later. “They seem to be picking up Redgrave and his men after they abandoned their boarding attempt. They’re also landing strikes on our stern. All engines, ahead-full.”

  We glided through space, leaving Shadow’s Whisper behind. Redgrave hadn’t given up, however. He was pursuing, staying close to our fantail. Pretty soon, he’d launch missiles. We braced ourselves, hoping our stern armor would hold.

  The moment we moved out of range of the space station, Shadow’s Whisper really opened up—and so did we. Both ships launched a barrage of missiles. The ship shuddered under the impact, alarms blaring, and we all braced ourselves for the worst.

  Borag’s weapons systems fired back at Shadow’s Whisper in a desperate attempt to fend off the assault. The space between our ships was filled with the chaos of battle, each side blasting away at close range.

  Then, just as suddenly as the battle had begun, it ended in silence. Shadow’s Whisper seemed to vanish into thin air, disappearing from our sight once more. The odd quiet that followed left us all wondering what was coming next.

  Hours passed, and it became clear that Shadow’s Whisper wasn’t going to reappear anytime soon. But the memory of their sudden attack and the knowledge that they could be lurking nearby kept us all on edge.

  “Corporal Starn?” Lt. Quinn’s voice crackled over the comms, his tone serious. “You’ve been summoned to the command deck—again. Don’t overstay your welcome up there…”

  “On my way, sir!” I said, racing off through the passages.

  Why had Captain Hansen called for me again so soon?

  Damn, I hoped she hadn’t taken another mysterious knife-wound—or a bolt from a laser.

  Chapter 32: The Derelict Gateway

  As we raced back to the asteroid where we had first entered the Alpha Centauri system, the entire crew of Borag remained on high alert. We all knew that Shadow’s Whisper could reappear at any moment, and we had to be ready to face them.

  Captain Hansen’s voice came over the comm, her tone grim. “We’re heading back to the alien portal where we entered this star system. This is our chance to fly home with a wealth of information and data—but watchout for any sign of stealth ships.”

  Ledbetter glanced over at me, his expression serious. “Do you think we’ll be able to make it back to Earth, Devin? Or is Shadow’s Whisper just waiting to ambush us again?”

  I shrugged, trying to hide my own uncertainty. “I don’t know, man. But we have to try. We can’t let them keep us pinned down out here.”

  As we approached the asteroid, the crew’s anxiety only increased. We knew that if Shadow’s Whisper was going to make another move, it would likely be here.

  Commander Kaine’s voice came over the comm, his orders sharp and clear. “Red Company, I want you all on standby. We have to brake to get into those narrow tunnels and worm our way to the core of the asteroid. That will give our enemy time to catch up.”

  “Understood, sir,” Quinn responded, and we all felt adrenaline course through our veins.

  This fight was liable to be all about missiles and beam cannons, but we marines couldn’t help but tense-up anyway.

  As Borag drew nearer to the asteroid, a thousand eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of the stealth ship. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

  Finally, we arrived at the asteroid, our nerves on edge. The crew held their breath, waiting for the inevitable attack. But as the moments ticked by, it seemed that Shadow’s Whisper was nowhere to be found.

  Captain Hansen’s voice came through the comms. “It seems we’ve made it to the asteroid unchallenged. But don’t let your guard down just yet. We need to stay vigilant until we’re safely out of this system and on our way back to Earth.”

  With the crew’s spirits cautiously lifted, we began the process of navigating our way out of the Alpha Centauri system. Despite the potential danger, we were one step closer to making it home.

  As we entered the hollow asteroid, the alien pyramid portal loomed in the distance. It was our only hope of returning home, and the entire crew was banking on it working.

  Captain Hansen’s voice came over the comms, her tone somber. “Approach the pyramid portal slowly and prepare for transport. Let’s hope this works.”

  The crew exchanged nervous glances as we inched closer to the mysterious structure. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, knowing that our fate rested on the success of this ancient alien technology.

  Ledbetter leaned in close, his voice hushed. “Devin, do you think it’ll work? I mean, we’ve never used this thing before. What if we end up... I don’t know, somewhere worse?”

  I sighed, knowing that I couldn’t provide any guarantees. “We’ve got to have faith, Ledbetter. It’s our only shot at getting home.”

  As we reached the pyramid, we braced ourselves for the unknown. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment of transport.

  But nothing happened.

  The crew’s faces fell, and despair set in. Captain Hansen’s voice came over the comm, her tone tinged with defeat. “It... It doesn’t seem to be working. I don’t know why, but the pyramid portal isn’t transporting us home.”

  A wave of desolation washed over the crew, the weight of the situation hitting us all at once. We were stranded, with no way of knowing if we’d ever make it back to Earth.

  “It was all so obvious,” Welks said, looking over our shoulders at the viewscreens. “How could we not have known? Those pirates sat here for a week or more, all three of them trying to figure out how to get home. Now, we’re here doing the same thing and acting surprised. Maybe it only goes one way. Maybe it broke. Maybe—”

  “Shut the fuck up, Welks!” Sergeant Cox ordered. He put a big hand on the firebug’s shoulder and gave him a good shaking. “You keep shit-talk like that inside your own skull, boy! You hear me?”

  “Yes, Sergeant…”

  But the damage was done. All around Red Company headquarters our faces were long. It seemed so likely that Welks was right.

  We’d wondered why the pirates had remained right here for so long. We’d wondered why Shadow’s Whisper hadn’t struck to prevent our escape. Wasn’t it blatantly clear that Redgrave knew we weren’t going anywhere?

  Lt. Quinn tried to rally the troops, his voice strained. “I don’t want to see any long faces, marines. We’ll find another way home. We just need to regroup and let the nerds figure this out.”

  I looked over at Ledbetter, my own despair mirrored in his eyes. “He’s right. We’ve come this far, and we’re not going to let this stop us.”

  The company tried to muster some bravado. Sure, we were lost, stranded in the depths of space—but we’d already beaten two out of three of the enemy ships. We’d blow up the third one and find a way home somehow.

  We had barely started to regroup when our trailing drones picked up something outside the asteroid. It had to be Shadow’s Whisper. She was out there in our wake somewhere, lurking, probing for a way to finish us off.

  To cement our fears, Redgrave’s taunting messages began to flow through our communication system. His weird mechanical voice was full of malice.

  “Borag, did you really think you could escape so easily?” Redgrave’s voice buzzed. “You’re a rabbit hiding in a hole. Nothing will save you. Your destruction is inevitable.”

  The crew’s morale plummeted even further as Redgrave’s threats echoed through the ship. In quick response, Captain Hansen’s voice came over the comms. She was resolute despite the mounting pressure. “Ignore him, everyone. We need to find a way out of this situation. Redgrave has lost a lot of men. He can’t win if we stay united and strong.”

  I turned to Ledbetter, trying to offer some reassurance. “He’s just trying to get under our skin. We’ve survived worse, and we’ll survive this, too.”

  Ledbetter forced a weak smile, but his eyes betrayed his sagging spirits. “Yeah, you’re right. We can’t let that freak get to us.”

  As we tried to ignore Redgrave’s taunts, we geared up in case we were called upon to deploy—and to my surprise, we were.

  “Commander Kaine,” the captain said, “deploy Red Company around the portal. I’m sending out a science team to investigate the anomaly to see if anything can be done to kick-start it. Red Company will provide security.”

  That was it. We were in business. Even before the orders trickled down through Kaine to Quinn, Sergeant Cox had us humping and bumping.

  Ten minutes later, we were racing down the ramps and out into the icy interior chamber of the asteroid. Just glancing out any of the exit bolt-holes was disorienting. Outside, you could see the stars swirling around. It made you kind of sick if you looked at it too long.

  The first thing Ledbetter did was approach the mute pyramid and thump on the side of the thing with the butt of his rifle.

  “Go, dammit!” he shouted at the mysterious obelisk. “Transport my ass home!”

  Naturally, the pyramid did nothing. We examined it sourly.

  Noticing our attention, Dr. Sharaf and her team rushed over to scold us. “Get away from that, you brutes!” she cried.

  We hopped back a few paces. The gravity was so low, even with the spinning effect, it was almost like being in freefall. Our slightest jumps could send a man soaring.

  Fortunately, we were used to that kind of thing. No one crashed into the distant roof, or into one of Borag’s massive flanges starring their helmets. If they’d done so, we would have made fun of them—but not even Welks was that green.

  It was kind of nice to be outside the ship, and I might have enjoyed it more, if I hadn’t spotted Ana in Sharaf’s team. I winced when I sighted her. She was the lowest of the low in terms of science knowledge. Why had Dr. Sharaf seen fit to drag her outside the ship? To expose her to Redgrave’s wrath, should he be planning an attack right now? I couldn’t fathom it.

  Dr. Sharaf’s team began to brainstorm ways to kick-start the pyramid. They noted that this machine didn’t have that spinning ball of mercury above it, unlike the one we’d first encountered at Naiad, and the ones we’d found on Proxima b. Was that the problem? Whatever the case was, it certainly wasn’t a positive sign.

  After what seemed like an hour, but was probably less, Dr. Sharaf made an announcement. “This device is without power. The electromagnetic fields we noted in every other case are missing. We must power it to get it to activate.”

  As mere grunts, we were left scratching through our thick spacesuits while the nerds argued about how to go about powering an alien device. In the end, they decided the only suitable source of energy available had to be Borag’s engines. Accordingly, they located a port of sorts and began to build an adapter.