Authors: Max Chase
Space Wars! (9 page)
‘Don’t remind me!’ Otto boomed.
Peri, Selene and Diesel laughed. It was good to be back in their own solar system again.
‘Set a course for the IF Space Sta—’ Peri stopped mid-word as he remembered seeing the Xions destroy the space station during the attack on the Milky Way. ‘Where should we go?’
Selene brought up a map of the solar system on the display. ‘When we left, the Intergalactic Force had bases on every planet – and quite a few comets, too.’
‘But which ones survived the attack?’ Peri asked. ‘We should head for Earth first. If it’s still there.’ He hesitated before he instructed the 360-monitor to zoom in on Earth. Peri held his breath as the monitor flickered and flashed, homing in on Peri’s planet. Relief washed over him as the familiar blue-and-green sphere came into focus.
He smacked the pyramid-shaped button to fire up the engines. The
Phoenix
shot towards the heart of the solar system. As they swept around Mars, Diesel grinned. His hair changed to the same dusty red colour of the planet.
As Earth came into view, Peri saw that the IF Space Station was gone. Not even a speck of dust was left from the attack. Diesel’s hair flopped and turned ash-white. Peri and Selene gasped.
‘At least we’ve stopped Xion attacking again,’ Selene muttered.
Peri started scanning Earth. Carbon dioxide levels were OK. Its defensive satellite seemed to be back in action.
‘Incoming message from the IF,’ the
Phoenix
announced.
‘How are we going to explain Otto?’ Diesel asked.
‘You’re right!’ Peri exclaimed. ‘We need the right moment to tell them why the Intergalactic Force now has a Meigwor in its ranks. Otto, you’d better find somewhere to hide.’
‘Meigwors don’t hide! We lie in wait!’ he growled as he lumbered off to the nearest portal and vanished.
A com-screen whirred from the console. The screen flickered into life. A familiar man with short white hair and an IF uniform appeared. He looked worn out.
‘Peace in space, General Pegg.’ Peri saluted him.
‘Peace in space, cadet, welcome home,’ the general replied. ‘The emperor thanks you for keeping his son safe.’
‘Actually, sir,’ Diesel interrupted. ‘I was never in any danger. I’m one of the top cadets in the academy –’
‘Thank you, Diaxo,’ the general said briskly.
General Pegg continued: ‘Peri, I’m sure you’re worried about your parents. They’re safe. We evacuated all technical and scientific staff from the space station before it was destroyed.’
Peri punched the air.
‘The royal family is also safe,’ the general went on. ‘Thankfully, we’re going to have to wait a long time for the reign of Diaxo Samuel Elliotte the Tenth!’
Peri couldn’t help laughing – until he saw the serious look on the general’s face. ‘The
Phoenix
has sent across preliminary reports. You disobeyed a direct order.’
An electric shock filled Peri’s stomach. Were they going to be punished?
‘However, you and Diaxo have proved yourselves to be great Star Fighters. I’d like you to finish your cadet training, but, frankly, your galaxy needs you. What do you say? Are you ready for another mission, this time as full Star Fighters?’
Peri stared at General Pegg. Since being sucked through the vortex to the Ubi Galaxy, he had been desperate to go home. But now he was here, and he knew his parents were safe, what did he truly want?
Did he want to return to the cadet classroom? Or did he want to return to outer space, and all the adventures it held?
Peri glanced at Diesel. The grin on his gunner’s face said it all. Peri nodded and they both turned to General Pegg. ‘We’ll do it!’
‘As long as I’m still in charge,’ Diesel added.
The general nodded. ‘Dock with the Moon refuelling station. Once you’ve been debriefed and the
Phoenix
has been . . .’ The general suddenly stopped speaking. His face turned red with a strange mixture of horror and anger as he looked over Peri’s shoulder.
‘I can’t believe it,’ the general shouted.
Peri’s body tingled with dread as he feared the general had seen Otto. He spun around, but only Selene stood behind them.
‘Is that . . .’ But before the general could finish his sentence, Selene pushed forward and slammed the monitor back into the control panel.
‘Why did you do that?’ Diesel yelled.
Selene flapped her hand as if to dismiss his question. ‘Me and the general have a bit of a history. I’ll tell you all about it later.’
Peri grinned. He had a feeling that, now they were real Star Fighters, their adventures were only just beginning!
Join Peri and the crew of the Phoenix on their next mission!
Can Peri and the crew track down notorious space pirate Jaxx?
Find out! In . . .
PIRATE AMBUSH
COMING SOON!
Turn over to read Chapter 1
‘There’s no hiding, from me!’ Peri flew his fighter pod tight around the curved hull of a star cruiser. His searchlight flicked across the battered surface of the ship looking for the next beacon.
Peri glanced at the countdown monitor. Only twenty minutes left. This was his final Star Fighter test – an obstacle course throughout the Milky Way. His challenge was to collect the last three beacons and make it back to base before the clock timed out. If he succeeded, he would become the youngest ever Star Fighter.
If he failed, he wouldn’t get another chance.
Peri flew over a large gash in the star cruiser’s hull. He didn’t need the search beam to see the flashing beacon down in a tangle of twisted metal. He plunged his pod towards it. The beacon was barely bigger than a grenade. He slowed down as much as he dared and activated the transporter beam. There was a flash of light. ‘Beacon beamed aboard!’ the ship’s computer announced.
‘Eighteen down!’ Peri whooped as he blasted away from the cruiser. ‘Two to go!’
‘Collision alert!’ his ship screeched as warning lights flashed. Peri’s heart pounded like a pulsar.
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin, New York and Sydney
First published in Great Britain in April 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
This electronic edition published in April 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © Working Partners Limited 2012
Illustrations copyright © Sam Hadley 2012
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise
make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means
(including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying,
printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the
publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781408815892
Visit
www.bloomsbury.com
to find out more about our authors and their books
You will find extracts, author interviews, author events and you can
sign up for
newsletters
to be the first to hear about our latest releases and special offers