Page 94 of Fate of Draga

“They’re trapped,” the captain said in confusion. “They’re trapped between both shields.”

“Yes,” she agreed, looking up and finding their ships on the outside. Thankfully there weren’t many, but more than she could stand. “I apologize for not being able to save everyone, but at least this will keep the majority of our peoples alive.”

No one questioned her this time – somehow the entire fleet-cast was silent as they waited to see what she would do.

Adelina tapped the final key that would send her soul to hell when she died.

A wall of fire built from every point that supported the inner shield.

It burst outward, straight toward the horde.

She would never forget the sounds of those on the other side – the screams of fear before their transmissions were cut from the fleet-cast. Adelina would never forget the destruction that wall of fire caused as it ripped through the space between the inner shield and the outer shield – one massive wave that would clear the space around the entire Khara System.

The weapon P’draic had created didn’t just break apart the ships, destroying them as it ripped through anything in its path with a fury that matched her own.

It vaporized them.

There was no debris left to float in space – no bodies of the dead to collect. Trillions of ships were nothing more than dust.

Adelina had gotten retribution for her people and so many others. But she’d also had to sacrifice so much.

The entire fleet-cast was silent as they took in the utter destruction. They all watched as that wall of fire hit the second shield and came back. It would slowly die down, bouncing between the two until the force of that blast died.

It wasn’t normal fire. It was made of many things and didn’t require oxygen to burn. Adelina had no idea what P’draic had discovered, but one day she would read his dissertation on it.

“There’s nothing left,” Asher murmured over the fleet-cast.

No. There was not.

Not a single horde ship had survived out of trillions.

And neither had those she’d been forced to leave outside the inner shield or let everyone perish. The weapon could not be used without both shields or everything within the Khara System would have been obliterated as well – and if it had made it to the sun…

Adelina kept her shoulders back and nodded as they all stared at her in a mixture of wonder and horror. “I need reports on the fight within Khara.”

“We’ve taken Minara,” William managed.

“Kepri is taken,” Asher murmured. His voice was still quiet from witnessing what she’d done—done to save as many as she could. “Leva will fall soon and we have their space secured as well as Lithia. Both will be completely ours shortly.”

The Drakesthai reported the same within the inner planets.

Adelina had won.

But it had cost her.

Those tears dried on her face as she nodded.

A lifetime to repent.

The Wolf of Draga protected its own.

And that’s what Adelina had done. She did not regret her choices. But she would carry their weight forever.

Then she crushed the device in her hand into a million pieces and let the shards covered in her blood fall to the ground.

“Our hunt has ended in blood and victory,” she stated, looking back at her husbands. “Gather our forces. There is still work to be done yet.”

Chapter Twenty-One

---