PROLOGUE
The crew of the Ember-Howl held their collective breaths as the Alliance cruiser grew closer. Some of the crew craned their necks upwards as if they could actually see the large metal beast slithering thru the inky black of space. The hull of the Ember-Howl groaned and creaked as she drifted among the asteroids without power. Moments ago, the Alliance cruiser was on an intercept course with the Ember-Howl, no doubt stopping and boarding vessels while on anti-piracy patrol. Captain Vorsk quickly ordered the Ember-Howl to tuck in amongst a nearby asteroid field and go dark, cutting all power to the Ember-Howl's systems and pretend to be a hole in space.
"Cap'n?" one of the crew spoke up.
Vorsk turned to his weapons officer and held up a single finger to his lips. "Patience, Mister Grimshaw," he whispered. The lean, but muscled grey wolf cast his eyes upward, envisioning the Alliance ship passing overhead. His clawed fingers strummed along the grip of the holstered las-pistol on his belt.
The decking of the Ember-Howl began to vibrate as the cruiser was now passing directly over them, its powerful engines humming as it passed. Captain Vorsk smiled a toothy grin. "You were saying, Mister Grimshaw." Vorsk felt free to talk now, knowing the cruisers own engine noise would mask their talking and prevent detection by the Alliance cruisers sensors.
The large black wolf paused for a moment before speaking, wanting to express his thoughts without offending his alpha. "If I may remind the Captain, we may be blind to her scanners for the moment, but if that beast launches fighters, they will have visual confirmation we’re still here," Weapons Officer Grimshaw stated as a matter of fact.
"Captain, oxygen scrubbers have been off-line now for five flickers. We need to get them running again soon, sir," another crewwolf reported.
"Thank you for the update, Engineer Duskrunner." Captain Vorsk crossed the bridge to the side of the weapons officer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "When we restore power to the systems, I want a lock on their weapons and drive systems, understood?"
"Aye, sir." the weapons officer nodded.
"When we break for daylight, we don’t want them following us and we sure as Morvahl don’t want them shooting at us," Vorsk said, as he patted the officer on the back. Captain Vorsk straightened and approached the helm station of the bridge. The young navigator looked up at his captain. "Prepare a course to get us out of the field and jump to the closest system with a friendly port, when I give the word." The navigator nodded and pulled out some old and manual navigation tools from a leather bag at his side.
Another crewwolf, who had been standing the whole time and always close to Captain Vorsk, spoke up. "Kaelar, I mean, Captain... do you really think engaging an Alliance cruiser is the best course of action?"
Vorsk gave his first officer a little side-eye. "Not engaging, Jax. Kicking them in the ass and running like Morvahl." Vorsk's trademark toothy grin returned. Kaelar Vorsk and Jax Starfang met in Alliance Officer Corps and had been inseparable ever since, even when Vorsk had surrendered his commission after witnessing the slaughter of Vulpine civilians at the hand of a young commander; Vyrkhan Droth. Droth was now the Alliance Supreme Commander and responsible for even more atrocities with his new power.
A Vulpine female entered the bridge and all eyes turned towards her. She wore tight leather armored battle suit and a gun belt with a holstered las-pistol that rode low on her hips. Her tail swished as she made her way to the captain, the only male not to turn away his gaze away from her. She stopped just short of him, her hand reached up and rested on his chest. "We're at a full stop and you cut power, is something wrong?" she asked Vorsk.
"Alliance cruiser sniffing around for us, it’s just a precaution, Lyra." Vorsk explained. Lyra Swiftwind Vorsk, although the crew disliked her using the Vorsk surname, was the captain's female - his wife. Lycan/vulpine unions were not only frowned on in some social circles, they were outlawed in most Alliance Territories.
Weapons Officer Grimshaw cleared his throat loudly. "Begging the cap'n's pardon, but it's bad luck for a female to be aboard, let alone on the bridge." Grimshaw was a true male, through and through. He clung to the old ways like a lifeline and was not shy about his views.
"Noted, mister Grimshaw. My ship, my rules. Lyra is welcome here or wherever she chooses to go, and we've had this discussion before. Besides, you have no problem with Kess being on the bridge." Vorsk inclined his head towards a tall and burly white she-wolf in power armor standing near the entrance to the bridge.
Grimshaw looked away. "Again, begging pardon, sir. Security Officer Silverthroat is probably more male than all of us combined." Kess Silverthroat snarled at the weapons officer. Captain Vorsk laughed.
"Let me catch you on shore leave, Weaps. I'll show you who's more male," Kess said as she blew him a kiss. Grimshaw tried to sink even lower into his seat and disappear.
The voice of the navigator cut through the frivolity. "Sir, she's coming to a full stop and opening her launch bays, preparing to launch fighters."
"Showtime, wolves. Duskrunner, spin up the drives. Grimshaw, my targets only, fire at your discretion when you have power. Nav, when the shooting starts, get us the Morvahl out of here!" Vorsk dropped into the captain's chair and pulled Lyra onto his lap.
Slowly, normal lighting was restored to the bridge and the Ember-Howl shuddered as her weapons systems fired. The main drives engaged, and the ship began to maneuver through the asteroids. The Ember-Howl suddenly lurched from a powerful hit from the Alliance cruisers main batteries and crew went sprawling, just as the Ember-Howl jumped away.