Chapter 1: Landing

The insystem liner released the shuttle with a jarring thud that shook the entire ship. I glanced over my readout one more time, “How does it look Tinker?”

My engineer growled, “She is an ancient bitch but we are still in the green. Just stay away from that damn brat.”

I grinned as I keyed the comm, “Beta Seven control, this is Green Two. Free of Sister’s Delight.”

“Copy Green Two. Your course is clear for decal and entry.”

I grinned and glanced at Tinker, “My engineer requests I avoid the brat since we have had two prior encounters. We request you check her location.”

There was a long pause, “Green Two, Beta Seven Major says to just stay your course.”

I laughed and then a flash of yellow on my course scan caught my eye. I flipped to another check and the flight scanner screamed and flashed red. There was an unpowered ship in front of us and we had no chance to miss it! I spun the ship upside down and jerked down towards the planet, “Divert power to shields!”

I could hear Tinker cussing and the comm came alive with demands I ignored. “Breaking atmosphere Tinker we will need the fins half open.”

The shuttle was shaking and being tossed around as the shield glowed red. I flicked open the comm as I righted the ship and tried to bring the nose up, “Beta Seven control, Green Two. Declaring an emergency, an unpowered ship registered to the Ducal family was in our fight path.”

I glanced at Tinker as he cursed and spun to the shield panels. I looked at my readout to see it jumping from past redline to dead, “Shit Tinker, divert the generators!”

He glared at me as his hands flew over the panels, “Just fly the damn ship!”

I shook my head and spun the ship with auxiliary jets until we were actually flying backwards. I shoved the throttles forward and the whole ship screamed as it began shaking even worse and red lights began to pop up on my readouts.

Tinker turned to say something but I was already bringing the ship back around and killing the thrust, “Breakthrough in one minute Tinker just hold the shield together.”

I checked my readout and shook my head, “The anti grav is in the yellow Tinker.”

“Shut the hell up and get us down!”

I grinned, “Maybe you should ask the duke if the brat can fly second seat. At least we would know where she was.”

He grinned, “You do know the comm is open right?”

I glanced down and shook my head as another readout flashed from yellow to red. “They can yell at me if we live.”

The shield flared and changed color, “Breakthrough Tinker. Open the fin vents completely and start generator checks. Beta Seven control, Green two. In atmosphere and flying hot.”

I ignored their answer as I inverted the ship and rotated again and then fired the main engines for a short burst that almost made me think the ship was going to shake apart. Tinker spun to the generator panels, “Anti grav in the red!”

I cursed and checked my speed before bringing the ship back around killing the thrust again. “Alright Tinker, shields are holding and our speed is down to twenty five thousand. Beta Seven control, this is Green Two. Course change to two seventy dropping to forty thousand.”

“Green Two you are still trailing flame, brake to two thousand.”

I glanced at Tinker and he grumped, “Morons.”

I grinned, “Beta Seven control could you tell us how to do that?”

Tinker laughed as he moved to the anti grav panels, “The anti grav is not going to hold for long Skip.”

I nodded as the comm channel remained silent, “I will use S turns to help brake the ship.”

Tinker glanced at his panels, “Just do not take too long.”

The shaking of the ship was starting to smooth out as I made a long turn. “We are down to Twenty thousand Tinker. We have a second, check our passengers and see how their doing.”

Tinker turned to open his display, “Does not look like anyone is too sick.”

I smiled as I made another slow turn, “George has them watching the displays?”

Tinker had turned back to his panels, “Looks like it. Good thing he needed a ride home.”

I nodded as I checked our speed and distance to Beta Seven. “Okay Tinker, time to get things moving towards the barn. Beta Seven control, Green Two. Taking a heading of nine zero and dropping to twenty thousand. Clear a pad and have EM standing by.”

“You are still hot Green Two.”

I shook my head, “You let me worry about that Beta Seven.”

As fast as we were moving I still had time to do a couple of checks. “Tinker, check the generators again. I have a fluctuation in the second generator readout.”

He spun and his hand flicked over the panel, “Shit! Shutting down the secondary generator!”

I shook my head, “That did not help Tinker. The main engines are only at half power.”

He grunted, “Better half power than blowing up from a runaway.”

Chapter 2 »