Space Battle (Space Race 2) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright © 2021 Nathan Hystad

  Books By Nathan Hystad

  PROLOGUE

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  EPILOGUE

  Space Strike (Space Race Book 3)

  Lost Contact (The Bridge Sequence Book One)

  Copyright © 2021 Nathan Hystad

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Cover art: Tom Edwards Design

  Edited by: Christen Hystad

  Edited by: Scarlett R Algee

  Proofed and Formatted by: BZ Hercules

  Books By Nathan Hystad

  Keep up to date with his new releases by signing up for his Newsletter at www.nathanhystad.com

  And get Lights Over Cloud Lake for FREE!

  Nathan’s books are also available on Audible!

  The Bridge Sequence

  Lost Contact

  Lost Time

  Lost Hope

  Space Race

  Space Race

  Space Battle

  Space Strike

  The Survivors Series

  The Event

  New Threat

  New World

  The Ancients

  The Theos

  Old Enemy

  New Alliance

  The Gatekeepers

  New Horizon

  The Academy

  Old World

  New Discovery

  Old Secrets

  The Deities

  New Beginning

  New Lies

  The Colony

  Baldwin’s Legacy

  Confrontation

  Unification

  Culmination

  Hierarchy

  Lineage

  Legacy

  The Resistance Series

  Rift

  Revenge

  Return

  The Manuscript

  Lights Over Cloud Lake

  Red Creek

  Return to Red Creek

  Prologue

  Seventeen Years Ago

  Proxima. The word carried so many different connotations for Captain Preston Lewis. A distant solar system with a potentially habitable planet was at the forefront, but there was more to it. Dreams. Aspirations to expand beyond the physical boundaries of Earth and its corporate greed.

  “Captain, we’re within probe range.” Commander Garret Breaker pointed to Obelisk’s viewer. Proxima b showed on screen, zoomed as clearly as they could manage. It didn’t look like much, but Preston understood the potential. This was a big gamble on behalf of the Board. He was convinced Proxima would never amount to a colony, not in the way he’d like it to be.

  Watching the hunk of rock, he imagined space stations in orbit, the mining efforts on the planet in full effect. Those selfish Corporations would tear the world apart. It was a travesty, but he wasn’t here to change their minds. He was hired to do a job, and that was to gather intel.

  “Send the probes, Breaker. Store all data and continue our progress.” Preston glanced across the bridge, Catarina Kelley catching his eye. He still couldn’t believe Bryson had allowed her to join their expedition. But when it came to Catarina, he doubted there was much compromise in her bones. She was strong-willed and driven to succeed.

  Preston remembered a young Bryson following him and the SeaTech CEO around while they discussed politics and ethics. Carter was a brilliant man, determined to usher SeaTech into the Primaries. He hadn’t lived long enough to see it through, but if anyone could continue the legacy, it was Bryson.

  Almost two years. Preston shook his head slowly, remembering the party the Board organized before their departure. Arlo had been so crestfallen, refusing to race again. The boy possessed an aptitude like no other, at a remarkably early age, and letting him down was one of the only regrets Preston had in his life.

  Arlo Lewis had abandoned the race circuit, and it was his fault.

  He planned on making it up to the kid, but by the time he returned from this mission, Arlo would be over twenty years old. A lot could change in five years, especially while entering adulthood.

  A notification chimed on the commander’s console, and Preston waited for an update. “Sir, the probes are disappearing.”

  Preston frowned and peered at the screen. “What do you mean?”

  “They’re vanishing.”

  Breaker’s face had paled, but Preston wasn’t so easily shaken. “They’re new models. Sage probably screwed up the design like they always do,” he muttered.

  “We’ve loaded the ones from Luna. Would you like me to deploy them?” Ensign Kelley asked.

  “Good plan. Please distribute the reserves.” Preston watched as all twenty of the initial probes slowly blinked off the screen. What could be causing the failure? “How close were they to Proxima b?”

  “We were 0.0015 AU from reaching orbit, Captain,” the commander advised.

  They waited as the Luna models thrust from the belly of Obelisk, racing for their programmed destination.

  A few minutes later, they also began disappearing. Preston rose, stalking to the side of the bridge. “What’s the problem?”

  “Captain,” a voice said through the computer’s speakers. It was Engineer Rufus Eloff.

  “Go ahead, Eloff,” Preston said.

  “We’re picking up some energy fluctuations.” Eloff’s voice cracked.

  Preston glanced at his commander, who shrugged. “What’s triggering it?”

  “We can’t be sure, but it appears as if something’s emitting a powerful energy spectrum within this system. It’s scattering our readouts,” Eloff told him.

  “That’s probably our issue with the probes.” Commander Breaker appeared to relax slightly.

  “Okay. Can we plot an alternate path to avoid the disruption?” Preston asked engineering.

  “I think so. Stand by for new flight plan.” The call went silent.

  “See. Everything’s going to be okay,” Preston told the bridge crew. There were five of them on the bridge, and over the last three years of training and the mission, they’d become like family. They were so invested in the mission that he couldn’t imagine something preventing them from landing at Proxima in the next few weeks.

  Preston returned to his seat, and Obelisk shuddered, nearly sending him to the floor. “What happened?” Alarms rang throughout the bridge, and Preston clutched the captain’s chair’s arms, seeking signs of danger through the viewer. There was only black space, littered with distant stars.

  “No visuals, sir, but I think we’re being followed,” Ensign Lane told him.

  “What makes you…” The ship shook, buckling as they were struck.

  “Our thrusters… damage on deck four. Engine capacity at seventy.” T
his from engineering. Another violent shake.

  “What in the hell is attacking us?” Preston used his computer to obtain a visual from the twenty exterior hull cameras mounted around Obelisk. He couldn’t see anything. Fighting an invisible enemy wasn’t a simple feat. And Obelisk had rudimentary firepower, at best.

  “There’s no way to tell, but judging by the trajectory of the damaged area, they’re on our tail,” Commander Breaker said.

  “Captain, we can’t let them destroy us,” Catarina shouted.

  “We won’t.” Preston steepled his fingers, trying to understand their situation. This was supposed to be an expedition mission. Ensure the world was habitable. Confirm surface readings. Gather mineral samples. Find locations suitable for domes. This was a far stretch from what he’d signed up for.

  “Eloff, status update!” Preston’s hand trembled as he hit the communication button.

  “Energy is dissipating. I think we’re in the clear,” Engineer Eloff said.

  “Thank the stars. Have we—” The question was cut short as the image appeared on screen. The ship was within range of their rear cameras, and Preston saw the massive vessel in their wake. He paced the bridge again, walking in front of the two helm positions, stopping at the viewer.

  “It doesn’t look to be one of our Corporations,” Commander Breaker informed him.

  The thought had crossed Preston’s mind that one of the Primaries had followed them. If it was anyone, it would have been Sage, and their ruthless new CEO Frank Under. The man wasn’t to be trusted. He wanted power, and to singlehandedly rule the entire planet Earth. Preston knew it the moment he’d met the man. His conversations always held a thinly-veiled threat laced within them.

  “If they’re not from Earth, then who are they?” Catarina asked.

  Preston noticed her rubbing her ring finger, which was encircled by a giant diamond wedding band. “Whatever this is, we’ll figure it out and get home to our families. Everyone understand that?”

  “Yes, Captain,” she replied.

  Commander Garret Breaker had been a rock since they’d begun. He was a great leader and an even better sidekick. He looked like he wanted to throw up. None of them had been prepared for this result.

  “Lieutenant Hunt, attempt communication,” Preston ordered.

  Hunt didn’t hesitate. “This is Obelisk, requesting contact with unidentified vessel. Please respond.”

  They waited in silence. Preston leaned over Hunt’s shoulder, watching as the communication was ignored. “Try again,” he said.

  An hour passed, with no change to the results. Preston was at his wit’s end. “Engineering, damage report.”

  At least the newcomer hadn’t continued to strike. It reminded him of a documentary he’d watched as a kid. A pack of lions hunted antelope in the African wilds, and they toyed with their prey, striking in a flurry, then waiting for the fleeing creatures to eventually bleed out. He didn’t want that fate.

  “Thruster damage is less than we’d initially thought. Deck four’s hull wasn’t breached, but she’s dented. Engines are being repaired, and we expect them to be running at eighty-five percent before the day’s through,” Eloff suggested.

  Preston grinned. They weren’t a sitting duck after all. “Commander, are we able to spruce up our weapons systems? I know we have a rock basher, stationed on the mining haulers, but there has to be a way to adjust them. Perhaps use our backup Core as a defensive bomb?”

  Commander Breaker tapped his chin with a finger as he contemplated their options. “Let me work on this. Security might have a few suggestions. Shall I try?”

  Preston pointed to the bridge’s exit. “Go. Figure it out. And quickly.”

  Still no return communications. Their enemy was clearer in the feeds now, and Preston stared at the monstrosity. Catarina crossed the bridge, standing beside him.

  “It looks like… a squid.” She was right. The thing had dreadful tentacles drooping from the front of it. They were black like the rest of the hull, but the sight was terrifying nonetheless.

  “We’re not going to let this Squid harm us,” he assured Catarina.

  “I’m scared,” she whispered, and Preston draped his arm over her shoulder.

  “We’ll be fine.” He said the words, but a sinking feeling in his gut told him a different story.

  A sleepless night passed, and nothing changed. The Squid trailed them yet refused to communicate. Each passing hour ramped up the dread overtaking Preston’s body and mind.

  They were growing nearer to Proxima b, but he had a distinct feeling this enemy wouldn’t allow them to reach the surface. He needed to record a message and send it to Earth before the Squid lost its patience.

  Preston smoothed his uniform and blinked away the sleep from his eyes. He was exhausted, but he cleared his throat and hit record.

  “I am Captain Preston Lewis of the expedition vessel Obelisk. We entered Proxima Centauri a day ago and have been followed by an unmarked vessel since we arrived. They’ve failed to acknowledge transmissions from us, and I fear they are hostile. If this message reaches anyone, know that Proxima is not safe. I repeat—” He stopped as Obelisk was struck. Had they detected him recording a message? “Status!” he shouted.

  The crew scattered around, jostling from the sleepy daze they were under. The Squid had jumped closer and was now between them and Proxima. The tentacles were no longer inactive. They glowed bright red as they lifted, aiming at Obelisk.

  “Commander Breaker, fire!” he ordered, and cracked his knuckles nervously as the projectile erupted from the modified cannons. The blast struck the Squid, and he pumped a fist in the air. “We did—”

  The bright pulse faded, and the Squid remained undamaged.

  The alarms were loud, and he could barely hear himself think. This was where Preston Lewis would die. He’d never return home to see his family again. Arlo would grow old, hating him for leaving.

  “Captain, we’re receiving a communication!” Lieutenant Hunt shouted.

  “Show it!” Preston staggered forward and froze the moment the being appeared on screen.

  Light reflected off the shiny brown armor, and the creature stood tall, hands on hips as it squinted into the camera. “Earth.”

  Preston stayed silent. Was that a comment or a question?

  The person was bald, with three deep ridges across its brow. Its eyes were wide and white; dark pupils watched him with casual interest. Four soft tentacles drooped over its mouth. “Earth. You are from Earth.”

  Preston finally found his voice. “Earth. Yes, that’s where we came from.”

  “You have one option if you want to live.” The accent was thick, the alien’s voice deep and muffled.

  “What is our option?” Preston asked it.

  The being lifted a thick finger. Each hand had three digits, with a string of suction cups along them. “You allow us to board your spacer and obey without fail. You are now property of the Velibar.”

  Velibar. The name echoed in Preston’s mind. “We are free people. Humans do not allow this.”

  “You are no longer humans. You are Velibar. Understood?” it asked.

  Preston glanced at his commander, then to Catarina. She gave him a slight nod, and that was all the permission he needed. They were clearly no match for the Velibar, and if Preston was to survive long enough to warn Earth, he’d have to concede. Having these people destroy Obelisk wouldn’t help anyone, and selfishly, he wasn’t ready to die. Not when he’d discovered proof of extraterrestrial life.

  “We understand.” The image flashed off, and his shoulders slumped.

  “Captain, what are we going to do?” Breaker asked, his voice oddly calm.

  “We listen to them. We nod and conform.” Preston stared at his bridge crew, looking each of them in the eye. He settled his gaze on Catarina, who was holding it together better than he’d expected.

  He watched as three smaller vessels emerged from the hull of the gargantuan Squid, flying towar
d Obelisk.

  “One day we’ll have our chance. And when it comes, we’ll strike.” Preston said the words, and they sealed tight within himself. He would stop at nothing to prevent the Velibar from assaulting his people.

  ONE

  Now

  Pilgrim ducked below the glowing target, traversing the distance with ease. “Fire!” I shouted, and Luther listened. Not that he needed reminding.

  The next objective exploded in a series of digital fireworks, and I tore through them, racing for the next spot. The bullseyes had been replaced with images of the Velibar flyers, and so far, we’d incapacitated all fourteen targets.

  “Where’s Varn?” I asked, unable to see him on the radar with the targets popping up everywhere.

  “Killer is a hundred kilometers from our position, and flying at our last five projections,” R11 advised.

  “Not on my watch,” I murmured, urging Pilgrim to go faster. The recent upgrades were next-level, taking this vessel from a Racer to an interstellar subterfuge craft.

  “We’re up on him by two kills, Arlo. Finish these, and we’ll have proper gloating rights for the next week,” Jade said, laughing from her console.

  Varn couldn’t outrace me when we were kids, and he wasn’t going to do it now. “Locking in,” I said, aiming for the next target. It shot digital beams at me, and I evaded them. Luther fired, and I watched with a lungful of air as the flyer exploded. Another hit.

  We were close to the Moon, but far enough to avoid any kind of hauling traffic. The course setup had been built quickly, a combination of efforts from the Primaries. With the threat of the Velibar reaching Earth, things had progressed much faster than ever before. It only took the threat of invasion to convince the Corporations to play ball with one another.

  I’d already witnessed the pieces crumbling behind the scenes, but for now, the Board was still the glue holding them together.

  “Jade, you better call your uncle and let him know we’re going to need an extra seat tonight,” I called as I flew for the next target.

  “Why? Who’s coming?” she asked.