Read The Prisoner of Eldaron: Crimson Worlds Successors II for Free Online Page A

hall, he’d be the first one to find out—and raced toward the entrance to the cargo hold. “Open hatch 216,” he snapped into his com, directing the ship’s AI to allow entry to the storage area. He stood outside the door as it opened, and then he waved for his people to run inside. He took one last look down the hall after they’d all passed him…then he ducked in himself, ordering the AI to close and bolt the hatch as he did.
    “Let’s get ready.” He looked around the hold. It was only partially full, three long rows of large canisters, each filled with ore rich in the super-heavy transuranic element that was number 164 on the periodic table. The material represented six months of production from the mines on Glaciem, and when fully-refined—a process requiring equipment not yet possessed by Atlantia—it would produce in excess of five thousand kilograms of the precious metal.
    “Houk, Zabon…you two over there.” He pointed toward one of the large canisters. “One on each side, where you can get a good line of sight. He turned, waving toward another container on the other side of the entry. “Bliss, Wantague…behind that one, same thing. Whatever comes through that hatch, we need to take it down immediately. If they get in here, we’re done.”
    We’re done anyway…even if we beat them back, they’d blast the ship before they left the system. Still, better to die on our feet, fighting…
    “Sampson, you’re with me.” He walked up to the first canister directly in front of the hatch. “I’ll take the left, you take the right.” He moved around to the side of the three meter tall container and crouched down, just far enough back to give himself cover.
    “This ore is dense as hell…stay behind these canisters, and you’ll be fine. I doubt they’ve got anything that can blast through this stuff.
    He knelt down, leaning against the container and bringing his rifle to bear. One glance to each side confirmed his people had done the same thing. They were ready. Or whatever passed for ready right now…
     
    *  *  *  *  *
     
    “Fucking hell, it’s just a few freighter jockeys hiding in the hold! Clear them the hell out and let’s be done with this.” Yulich was usually calm, uncommonly so for men of his profession. But it was clear Black Viper’s captain was frustrated, all the more so because he was stuck on the bridge while his people were being gunned down in one attack after another on the enemy cargo hold.
    “I know, Captain, but their fire has been accurate as hell…and whatever cargo they’ve got in those containers, it makes for great cover. I hope there’s nothing fragile in there, because we must have put five thousand rounds in those canisters.” Treven twitched as he spoke, wincing from the pain in his arm. He’d caught a round during the last firefight. He’d packed it with sterile foam and resealed his survival suit with the patch kit, but it still hurt like hell. Treven had been in over a dozen boarding actions, but this was the first time he’d been wounded, and he was finding it difficult to ignore the pain and focus on the battle.
    “Don’t worry about that, Lars, it’s fine. Just finish off those bastards holed up in there so we can load up this cargo and get the hell out of here.” A pause then: “And tell the boys…everybody’s bounty on this one is doubled if we get away with that cargo.”
    “Yes, sir,” Treven snapped back. Double bounty…that would be helpful at breathing some life into a crew that was quickly becoming demoralized. But what the hell could an Atlantian ship be carrying that was so valuable? What does the captain know that I don’t?
    “Alright, men, let’s get it together. These freighter jockeys have chased us back three times. I don’t want to see a fucking fourth, so I’m gonna shoot the first one of you who runs. You hear me?”
    He paused, listening to the ominous silence on the com line. He realized the threat had been a