Drake crouched low as shots struck overhead, tearing branches off the trees. The noise of the battle was intense. Unable to see in the darkness made it a frightening ordeal. Although Neo’s uncle and the others had surprise on their side, the desert people reacted quickly to the attack. The battle raged at the edge of the forest while he and Neo hid behind trees, with Bo and Barish nearby.
Eventually the gunfire began to quiet down and then it stopped altogether.
“Bo, Barish, come here,” Uncle Chev called from the clearing where the spaceships were parked.
“Let’s go boys,” Bo led the way into the clearing.
“We’ve driven them off for now, but I’m sure they will be back with even more men. We don’t have much time.
“The Lightening Hawk is the best ship of the fleet. I hope she’s still space-worthy,” said Uncle Chev.
Bo raced up the ramp and into the spaceship while Barish, Drake and Neo followed behind. Drake watched as Bo jumped into the pilot’s seat and started working the controls.
“She’s old, but she’s a solid ship. Let’s hope we can get her off the ground,” said Bo.
“How is it looking?” Chev called from the top of the ramp.
Soon the instruments began to light up, “so far, so good, but it’s going to take time for the proton drive to get up to temperature.”
Drake waited in silence. He wanted to ask Bo a hundred questions about the ship, but he knew that he would only be a distraction.
“The desert raiders will be back soon,” Barish reported. “How much longer?”
“The engines are at 80 percent, 81, 82…”
Chev and the others circled the ship and waited for a counterattack. It wasn’t long before the gunfire erupted again. The desert raiders had returned with a large fighting force and were racing toward the ship.
“We have to get out of here!” Chev shouted.
“May God be with you,” Bo called back as the proton engines sparked to life.
As soon as the ramp was closed Drake watched as the desert raiders pushed closer with guns blazing. He could see the fear in Neo’s eyes as the ship took hit after hit.
“Buckle up,” said Bo as the ship shuttered and the landing gear lifted off the ground.
Next, Bo drove the ship forward and over the heads of the attacking raiders. As the raiders dove for cover, it gave Chev and the other men time to melt back to the safety of the forest.
Within seconds the ship was racing over the desert and then upward to the heavens. Soon the planet’s sky gave way to the darkness of space dotted with the nearby lights of the star cluster and the distant stars of the galaxy.
While Bo set the ships course Barish called for help on the radio. The boys breathed a sigh of relief. Drake sat back in his seat. He finally dared to hope that someday soon he would be home with his family. Eventually he drifted off to sleep.
“Drake, wake up,” Neo shook his friend awake.
“What is it?” Drake asked, his eyelids were still droopy.
“Look,” Neo pointed out the portal window.
The Lightening Hawk had stopped alongside a giant spacecraft. On the side of the ship was a painting of a comet along with the words Star Force. Bo flew the Lightening Hawk to the star cruiser’s docking port. Minutes later Drake, Neo and his two companions were standing on the star cruiser’s deck.
While the Star Force crew went about their duties, an officer and two of his staff greeted Bo and the others.
“Welcome aboard,” the officer said without a hint of emotion. “The admiral would like to speak with you. Please follow me.”
Drake and the others followed the officer through a maze of corridors until they came to a stop at a doorway with a guard standing at attention. The four were led into the spacious office where a middle-aged man with dark skin sat behind a large desk.
“Please come in. I’m Admiral Rhodes. We received your call for assistance. How can we help?”
“We’ve come from the planet Koral,” said Bo. “The desert people who live there have become hostile. They’ve taken other people as prisoners. As we speak there are many innocent people being held captive.”
Drake chuckled to himself. He crash-landed and been taken prisoner on Koral, but only now learned the name of the planet.
“If what you say is true, they are breaking the law,” said Rhodes. “The people of Koral are not space travelers, so they are not well known, but they fall under the same laws as the other planets of the star cluster. I will report this to Star Command. In the meantime, lieutenant take our visitors to the mess hall for a bit to eat.”
After the meal, Drake, Neo, Bo, and Barish were taken to the ship’s flight hanger. Drake was awed by the rows of fighter craft that filled the massive desk. There the admiral’s ship and two fighters were being prepared for flight. The admiral and three executive officers met Drake and his companions.
“I’m going to investigate the situation on Koral,” said Admiral Rhodes. “I want the four of you to come with me and my officers.
“What are you planning to do?” Drake spoke up.
“I will see to it that all prisoners are released. After that the matter will be turned over to the authorities. Now, Follow me.”
Drake and his friends boarded the small transport ship with the admiral’s marking painted on the side. Drake sat in the back with Neo while Rhodes and the others took their place just behind the cockpit. Minutes later the ship’s engines fired up. They taxied to the launch bay and where the final flight checks were done. Before Drake knew it, they was speeding away from the star cruiser. On either side the two fighters flew in formation.
Since the miliary craft were much faster than the Lightening Hawk, the journey back to Koral was a short one. Soon they entered the planet’s atmosphere with Bo giving directions to the desert settlement.
Drake gazed out the portal window and watched as they flew over the mountains. The admiral’s transport and the two fighters slowed down and prepared to land when a bright flash erupted from the fighter on the right. It streaked toward the ground leaved a trail of thick smoke. Drake was stunned to see it crash into the desert sands.
Shouts came from the cockpit and Rhodes barked orders. Drake was nearly thrown from his seat as the admiral’s ship lurched to one side. Drake could see the desert settlement where he and Neo had escaped from days before. The tent they hid in before tunneling under the fence was pulled back. The strange machine inside was a laser cannon now firing at the ship. It wasn’t the only one. All around the compound the cannons were trying to shoot them down. Meanwhile, the other fighter opened up with its guns, but it was too late. The fighter took a direct hit and crashed.
The admiral’s ship shuttered while warning alarms blared from the cockpit. Drake guessed they had taken a hit. He had crash-landed on this planet once. Would this be the second time? Or would it be even worse?