Page 61 of The Sky Pirate's Stowaway
Just like me.
Like Max.
And so… I picked us.
12
Maximus
The deck pitched beneath my feet as another volley from the sentinel ships slammed against our shield. Each impact sent ripples of blueish energy cascading across the barrier, draining our precious fluxstones faster than we could afford.
Run,I inwardly begged themwith each blast.Leave while everyone still has a chance to live.
These sentinel captains were playing a deadly game of attrition. Three ships against one, methodically wearing down our defenses. The strategy wasn’t foolish—they knew our shield couldn’t hold forever.
I scanned the scarred deck, counting crew members. Blood stained the wooden planks where cannon fire had struck before we’d managed to raise the shield. The acrid stench of gunpowder hung thick in the air.
Why were the sentinels being so damned stubborn? How many lives were about to be lost, one way or another? But Sunada had been huntingThe Black Wraithfor years. This was one of their rare chances to engage us directly. Our reputationpreceded us—we were the most notorious sky pirates there had ever been, after all.
Kaspar Ward, one—
The words of the sentinel announcer had rung in my ears, moments before a cannonball had taken his head clean off. My Ghost—a wanted criminal? The revelation had struck as hard as the cannon fire. What crime did he commit? And how the fuck did they know he was aboard? It wasn’t as if Vulture knew Kaspar’s real name, so they hadn’t gotten the information from him. But then, who? That was a question for another day.
A whistling sound jerked me from my thoughts. Time slowed as I spotted an iron ball hurtling straight toward my position. My muscles locked, breath caught in my throat. Death, sailing through the air with deadly precision.
The shield flared brilliant azure, catching the projectile mere meters from my face. The impact sent geometric patterns of light dancing across the barrier’s surface, like cracks in glass. For a heartbeat, the ball hung suspended, before dropping harmlessly into the clouds below.
My legs trembled as the adrenaline surged through me. Too close. Far too close.
“Aim for their engine rooms!” Viper shrieked. He’d clearly decided there was no chance of the trio surrendering. That would be the most ideal option for him, as we could plunder their ships, gutting them dry.
Above me, the shield sputtered, flickering in and out of existence as another barrage of cannon fire slammed into us. We couldn’t take much more of this.
“Goddamn it! What are you waiting for?” Viper shouted from the helm, his eyes wild with battle lust. “Take out their engines! Now!”
I signaled to the gun crew, directing their fire. Our cannons roared, belching smoke and iron. The shots flew true, strikingthe closest sentinel ship. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a series of explosions ripped through the vessel’s hull, sending debris and bodies flying.
The ship listed heavily to port, flames engulfing its decks. Crew members leapt overboard, preferring a long fall to a fiery death. The once proud sentinel sank into the clouds, trailing black smoke like the blood of a wounded leviathan.
One down. Two to go.
The remaining sentinels redoubled their efforts, pouring everything they had into our failing shield. I gritted my teeth as the barrier flickered, threatening to collapse entirely. Just a little longer…
Our guns spoke again, finding their mark on the second ship. The effect was instantaneous and devastating. The vessel’s engine room detonated, ripping the ship in half with a thunderous boom. Bodies and wreckage tumbled through the air, disappearing into the clouds below.
Screams echoed across the sky as the doomed crew plummeted to their deaths. The sound chilled my blood. I’d seen death before, dealt it myself more times than I could count. But this—hearing such sounds of distress—it was beyond horrible.
The third sentinel ship, hopefully realizing the futility of its situation, broke off the attack. It veered hard to starboard, catching a strong tailwind. Sails snapped taut as the vessel surged forward, putting distance between itself andThe Black Wraith.
I watched it go, relief flooding through me. We’d survived. Barely. The shield finally gave out with a crackling pop, dissipating into nothingness.
“Reaper!” Hawk-Eyes called out, rushing to my side, face smudged with soot and blood. “The captain wants to give chase. Says we can’t let them escape.”
I shook my head, surveying the damage to our ship. “We’re in no condition for a pursuit! Is he mad?”
“You need to go and convince him,now!” Her voice was sharp with urgency.
I groaned, already turning toward the ladder that would take me to the opposite quarterdeck where Viper stood at the helm. I had to reach Viper quickly, before his bloodlust drove us into another battle we couldn’t win. The ship groaned beneath my boots, the poor thing damaged and vulnerable.
