Star Raiders and the Pirates of the Black Hole

By M. Shaunessy

The Xatu Empire still rules the known galaxy, but as for the rebellious colonials, the fight still rages on. Only this time a new enemy has emerged, the Pirates of the Black Hole. The crew of the Golden Condor now faces critical challenge in their careers as they fight off Captain Ca'Doom and his band of space pirates.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. Shaunessy
• Release date: Aug 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466030718

M. Shaunessy

Born in a hospital just outside of Livingston New Jersey, Michal grew up in a suburban life during the late 70’s through the early 90’s. He started his writing in high school writing about science fiction and fantasy. As he entered in a small community college in Randolph, Michael expanded his writing abilities as well as computer graphics skill hoping it would provide his future. After years of finding a publisher, he’d knew it wasn’t time to release his first work.In ’04, Michael and his family moved to a quaint town in Washington, Georgia as his parents opened a bed and breakfast. Michael returned to writing as he went back and reworked his book. He soon found out from a friend that a new website, dedicated to independent writers and authors, he soon will get his first book published.

Book preview

Star Raiders and the Pirates of the Black Hole

M. Shaunessy

Copyright © 2011 M. Shaunessy

Cover Graphics by M. Shaunessy

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781466030718

To order more copies, please visit:

http://mshaunessybooks.xtreemhost.com/

Prologue

Pain, that is what Drax felt in his head, unbearable pain. It was as if someone slowly stabbed a ridged knife in his brain. He was on the floor in his quarters on a Xatu space station squirming like a fish out of water. The Emperor Mi’Tuk, was on the holoscreen not pleased of Drax’s failure. A few months before he was in rehab, his new enemy, Michael Tippin, had pierced him in the shoulder and in the stomach with a hundred year old Xatu sword. He thought Drax was dead, but in reality, he has survived.

Drax had morphed into a creature that can heal fast so he had decided to transform into a lizard. He then scurried on to his chair, pressed a button with his small claws and the chair lowered itself in to an emergency escape chute that his Commander also occupied it. He knew that he will get his revenge and now will be the time.

Please…my…lord…It…wasn’t….ARRG…My fault…the Felinis…have new …allies, Drax pleaded as the Emperor’s mindbending powers affected his mind.

That, Drax, is not an accepted excuse. The Emperor told him. I should have you killed for your incompetence.

Drax, trying to subdue the pain his head begged, No my lord…I will…destroy them…I swear it.

Will you now? I have given you a simple task Drax, Mi’Tuk said, And you have failed to carry it out. But then again, you are a young fool of a human. Mi’Tuk then released Drax from his power. Drax, looked at him with water in his eyes. You humans are simpletons. That is why I decided to enslave your kind. Even as slaves you mess things up, but you are persistent, I will give you that. And perhaps you are right, the Colonials are getting stronger, something do not like.

I have tried to get the information to their hidden base my lord, but it seems that they rather die than tell me, Drax told him.

Well it seems to me that he only way to find their base is to locate a road that leads to it, Mi’Tuk said, They must be getting supplies, from somewhere. You find that route, and you will find their base.

Drax nodded then replied, They will die by my hands.

That is another thing, since you failed to destroy the planet of Felinoron, maybe I can give you a simpler task. It seems to me if you are going to destroy a kingdom, you have to destroy their heart and eliminate the problem. I want you to find someone to assassinate the King of Felinoron. With him gone, the Colonials will soon fall. Find such a person to do the job, and Drax don’t fail me again.

Drax looked up to him and replied, Consider it done my lord.

Good, Xata!

Chapter 1

The Golden Disk of Jugala

A couple of months have passed since the proposal and the king finally blessed Mike to marry his daughter. A couple hours to the wedding and Tygla was so nervous that she threw up twice. She was in her room with her bride’s maids, a few of her old Felinis friends, Tabi, the twins, Thena and Crena, and her best friend and confident Mona. They were helping her to get ready, but something was missing. She has not heard from Michael and Justin since that morning when they had to do some last minute wedding gift shopping. CRAIG came in as Tygla looked over.

Any word on Mike? She asked hopefully as Mona adjusted Tygla’s veil.

Sorry Princess Tygla, CRAIG Replied, They haven’t returned yet.

Tygla frowned and said worriedly, Where could he be on our wedding day?

……

Justin brought Mike on the rain forest planet Jugula in the A’Lyn System early in the morning. Justin knew that a small group of hyenalike Animuns called Hecklons inhabited the planet. He told him the night before that Digan had a last minute job for them. Digan knew that he did not want to give them a job on Mike’s wedding day, but Justin persuaded Mike. They arrived at an old hidden cave that was near a small waterfall. Draped around the cave entrance were thin poisonous red vines that Justin cut open with his plasma cutter.

You know I could be at home right now getting ready for my wedding Justin, Mike said as Justin peeked in.

Justin looked at him and replied, Would you relax and enjoy your last day of being a single adventurer?

They stepped inside the cave and saw that the path bowed downward. Mike looked up, saw that the ceiling was bowed the opposite like an arch, and he wondered. He looked down and saw manmade stone carvings on the floor and walls. Mike did not know why he and his friend were there, but Justin explained to him that a private collector wanted the legendary Disk of Knowledge. It is said, that the disk contains the answers on the universe’s existence and they were about to obtain it. Mike knew that the Hecklons found and guarded the disk as they thought that it was gift from their god. He did not like going in and taking something that did not belong to them, but Justin assured him that he made a deal with their leader and said it was ok. Mike had to trust him. Justin was about to take another step when Mike stopped him.

Whoa, hold it, Mike said hesitantly.

What?

This area could be booby trapped, Mike explained cautiously.

Justin protested confidently, No its not.

Give me your Spaceball, Mike insisted.

Justin dug in his backpack, handed him a silvery orb, and argued, I’m telling you there is no booby trap.

Mike ignored his friend and threw the ball down the stone path in to the darkness. Nothing happened as Justin got out a black rubber type glove. He placed the glove on his right hand and pressed his own palm with a finger. The orb suddenly floated back in to his hand. He looked back to Mike skeptically.

See I told you ya, he said.

Mike looked back at him, frowned in disbelief, and grabbed the ball. He then thought that the floors could be sensitive. He deactivated the ‘anti-grav’ mode on the ball, crouched, and rolled the ball down the curvy slope. The ball continued to roll as Mike waited for something to happen. They heard the ball stopped rolling as Mike wondered. Justin took out his illumnistick, turned it on and walked in before Mike could stop him.

Where are you going? Mike asked scarcely as he thought a deadly trap might kill his best friend.

Justin replied as he bent down to the orb, Getting my ball back.

You could’ve been killed! Mike told him.

Justin chuckled and said, Mike, I made sure that when I asked about this place they guaranteed me there were no deadly traps. I mean what kind of friend I’d be taking you to a cave or temple that could get you killed two hours before you get married? Now come on and let’s get this disk, he smiled to Mike, You gotta wedding to attend to.

Mike looked at him not amused. He then walked carefully down to him. They continued to trek upward to a natural archway. Mike wondered why the Heklons made the path in that shape as it struck odd to him. When they crossed, they found themselves in a large natural rotunda. The room must have been twenty feet in diameter. In the middle of the room, a light shown down on a golden disk that sat on its side on a cylindrical decorative pedestal that rose three to four feet. The stone carving on the pedestal looked like simple Heklons holding up the top. Mike look on the floor and noticed stone bricks that had weird ancient alien symbols carved into each one. For a moment, he thought he had seen them somewhere else before, but he disregarded it. The bricks spiraled inward towards the pedestal. Justin smiled and was about to walk forward when Mike stopped him again.

Now what? Justin asked him.

Mike did not like this at all, no traps and the disk to the universe’s questions is still here? Mike answered, I don’t know, I just have a feeling something’s not right. I mean if there are no traps, why hasn’t the disk been taken yet?

Maybe because the Hecklons are good protectors? Justin replied.

No, Mike said, Hecklon makes the worst guards. All they do is goof around, like you.

Justin looked at him, not liking the last comment. For the first time Mike did not believe his friend’s judgment.

Would you feel better if I walked in first? Justin said, Come on Mike, for the first time in your life trust me.

Justin was right, Mike thought. He had never given him a chance to trust him properly. They had been friends since his arrival at the Cian orphanage and did not really know him at that time. Mike thought it was time to trust his friend and gestured him to go on.

Thank you, Justin said.

Just walk slowly okay? Mike told him. Justin looked at him doubtfully as he said, Humor me.

Justin smiled to him and walked slowly as instructed on the inlay bricks. Mike held his breath as his friend stopped halfway and turned to him.

You wanna join me or are you gonna stand there and let me do all the work? Justin asked.

Mike took a quick breath and walked cautiously cross the room. He thought Justin was crazy, but something deep inside of him warned him that they were in trouble, and the last thing he wanted was Tygla standing over his dead body on their wedding day.

Know you, you weren’t like this when we were on Mota, Justin pointed out.

I was also wasn’t getting married later, Mike reminded him.

They both walked over to the stone pedestal admiring the disk that the Hecklons placed in a small slit. When they got closer, Mike noticed that the golden disk had a hole in the middle and on its face; there were some raised dots on it. He also saw the same alien inscriptions that were on the brick on the disk’s edge.

How do you think they got the information off the disk? Justin asked.

Who ever created it must have some machine to read off of it, Mike replied Justin nodded, But that’s our client’s problem.

You wanna shoot to see who picks it up? Justin wondered.

Mike looked to him. He trusted him so far and granted him to pick it up, but told him again slowly. Justin handed Mike his illumnistick and placed his hands around the disk. He felt something like a shiver coming over his body, but then he thought it was his nerves. He slowly lifted it off the pedestal as nothing happened.

Justin sighed in relief, smiled to him and said, You gotta start trusting me more often.

Then they suddenly heard a grinding noise like a knife sharpening on a stone. They heard it again, and again. Mike knew that there was trap when they saw that the bricks started to descend into an abyss. It started from the entrance and it continued around them rapidly like a black hole.

Mike turned him irritability and said, No booby traps huh?

Justin looked back and testified, This is not my fault. No one told me about this part!

Why would they? Mike argued.

They were running out of time and floor space as Mike darted toward the entrance. He jumped over the chasm on to the archway. He turned to see Justin doing the same. He leaped over the growing gap, but he was short on the landing as Mike grabbed his arm. Justin screamed and almost dropped the disk in the dark chasm. Mike pulled him up on the ledge as he thanked him.

They both started to walk down the weird pathway, when they heard a clonk sound and in a blur, they saw a huge axe like blade barreling down on them. They rapidly jump on either side of the wall as the pendulum axe