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Xev — Simon Fox
A lone scientist dares to tell the terrifying truth about the alien menace that threatens his homeworld … XEV is Prequel 1 to THE FIRSTLORD CHRONICLES, a cutting-edge series of science-fiction novels by Simon Fox.
CHAPTER 1
On the cold dark asteroidal fringes of Wah'Zesh, an uninhabited star system far from any known civilization, Xev-Kah-Choh finally found what he'd been looking for.
He found the Destroyers, a legendary race of genocidal aliens.
Now he knew they were REAL, and not just a dark fantasy dreamed up by veteran space travellers who liked to scare gullible planet-dwellers …
Xev immediately shut down his ship's engines. Maybe this would be enough to fool the Destroyers. He hoped his tiny vessel would now look like a chunk of asteroidal rubble.
“Hn'Thaah'Hal, PLEASE don't let them see me!” he prayed fervently.
Hardly daring to breathe, as if the Destroyers would be able to detect even that, he observed the terrifying drama being played out on his cockpit's main screen. His ship's cameras were focused on an enormous Destroyer ship pursuing a frigate from the navy of his own homeworld, J'Shoon.
“Calling all friendly ships in this region of space!” came the repeated distress call from the frigate. “This is the J'Shooni warship Deh-Vah. We are being attacked by a powerful alien vessel of unknown origin. We urgently require assistance!”
Xev sighed with bitter regret. He wished he could help them, but they were beyond help. And if he responded to their call, it would merely guarantee his own death. He knew the best thing he could do was to record these events and then get away alive, so that he could warn his people about this world-killing alien menace that lurked in the interstellar depths far beyond J'Shooni space.
He had first heard the distress call just two minutes ago while in VwahSpace, on his way back to J'Shoon. Without hesitation he had Dropped into ChehSpace to see if he could assist, though he had doubted there was anything he could do to help a warship. His shuttle had completed its Drop 2.4 million kilometres from the frigate, and, mercifully, an even greater distance from the Destroyer vessel.
Xev now watched, horrified, as the gargantuan Destroyer ship " a bizarre and ugly tangle of colossal irregular structures " chased the teardrop-shaped little frigate, gaining on it with every second.
Why didn't the frigate try to escape into VwahSpace? Perhaps its interstellar drive had been damaged.
When it came, the end of the chase was brutal and swift. The alien ship's weapons locked on to the frigate, despite all its frantic evasive manoeuvres. Within five seconds, the J'Shooni warship was shredded by multiple blinding-white energy beams.
But Xev's cameras had captured the whole thing. All of the J'Shooni Domain would know about this atrocity " he would see to that personally! The brave crew of the Deh-Vah had not died in vain.
Swiftly he powered up his shuttle and prepared to Drop into VwahSpace. That caught the attention of the aliens, tiny though his ship was. Even through the asteroidal distortions, they detected the shuttle's power signature. Instantly they gave chase at high velocity.
Escaping into VwahSpace with mere seconds to spare, Xev desperately hoped the aliens wouldn't bother to pursue such minuscule prey. This indeed proved to be the case. After he'd been in VwahSpace for ten full minutes, there was still no sign of their ship.
He breathed out a prayer of thanks and set course for J'Shoon.
CHAPTER 1
On the cold dark asteroidal fringes of Wah'Zesh, an uninhabited star system far from any known civilization, Xev-Kah-Choh finally found what he'd been looking for.
He found the Destroyers, a legendary race of genocidal aliens.
Now he knew they were REAL, and not just a dark fantasy dreamed up by veteran space travellers who liked to scare gullible planet-dwellers …
Xev immediately shut down his ship's engines. Maybe this would be enough to fool the Destroyers. He hoped his tiny vessel would now look like a chunk of asteroidal rubble.
“Hn'Thaah'Hal, PLEASE don't let them see me!” he prayed fervently.
Hardly daring to breathe, as if the Destroyers would be able to detect even that, he observed the terrifying drama being played out on his cockpit's main screen. His ship's cameras were focused on an enormous Destroyer ship pursuing a frigate from the navy of his own homeworld, J'Shoon.
“Calling all friendly ships in this region of space!” came the repeated distress call from the frigate. “This is the J'Shooni warship Deh-Vah. We are being attacked by a powerful alien vessel of unknown origin. We urgently require assistance!”
Xev sighed with bitter regret. He wished he could help them, but they were beyond help. And if he responded to their call, it would merely guarantee his own death. He knew the best thing he could do was to record these events and then get away alive, so that he could warn his people about this world-killing alien menace that lurked in the interstellar depths far beyond J'Shooni space.
He had first heard the distress call just two minutes ago while in VwahSpace, on his way back to J'Shoon. Without hesitation he had Dropped into ChehSpace to see if he could assist, though he had doubted there was anything he could do to help a warship. His shuttle had completed its Drop 2.4 million kilometres from the frigate, and, mercifully, an even greater distance from the Destroyer vessel.
Xev now watched, horrified, as the gargantuan Destroyer ship " a bizarre and ugly tangle of colossal irregular structures " chased the teardrop-shaped little frigate, gaining on it with every second.
Why didn't the frigate try to escape into VwahSpace? Perhaps its interstellar drive had been damaged.
When it came, the end of the chase was brutal and swift. The alien ship's weapons locked on to the frigate, despite all its frantic evasive manoeuvres. Within five seconds, the J'Shooni warship was shredded by multiple blinding-white energy beams.
But Xev's cameras had captured the whole thing. All of the J'Shooni Domain would know about this atrocity " he would see to that personally! The brave crew of the Deh-Vah had not died in vain.
Swiftly he powered up his shuttle and prepared to Drop into VwahSpace. That caught the attention of the aliens, tiny though his ship was. Even through the asteroidal distortions, they detected the shuttle's power signature. Instantly they gave chase at high velocity.
Escaping into VwahSpace with mere seconds to spare, Xev desperately hoped the aliens wouldn't bother to pursue such minuscule prey. This indeed proved to be the case. After he'd been in VwahSpace for ten full minutes, there was still no sign of their ship.
He breathed out a prayer of thanks and set course for J'Shoon.
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