The Chronicles of Ki
Book 1: In The Beginning
© Copyright 2024 Frank Walters Clark ~ All Rights Reserved
“Youdonothaveauthorizationtobeinthissector!” The metallic voice clicks in Catma’s ears.
Fully armed and menacing, two black skyships of the royal guard flank his T-7 as soon as it crosses the e-boundary of the royal castle. Pulsed warnings scream, and a blinding, red light flashes on his ship’s control panel.
His overt provocation successful, Catma wands his e-rod, and decouples the alarms. The skyship he flies is unregistered, has no insignias on its fuselage, and is retrofitted with two belly- mounted, fifty-gigawatt fast recovery laser cannons.
At his behest, an ultra-fast, laser tracking bolter has been installed and is at the ready. He uses it to lock-on to the crowding T-8s of the royal guard.
Quickly e-rodding down his air speed, Catma simultaneously taps the laser cannon’s firing key. A half kilometer ahead, the T-8s—too late—jag. Then, in the grip of his tracking bolters, both disintegrate in walls of black smoke and flame-out debris.
Reacting instantly, Catma sends his ship straight up into an evasive, spiraling climb, then activates his n-visiwrap. Rolling his craft over on its back, he streaks out of the restricted zone, then merges into the cloud cover.
Two targets, two burns, he thinks. Pretty good for an old man.