A Greater Interest: Samair in Argos: Book 4 Read Online Free Page A

worth their weight in gold. 
                  “Sir, I’m showing two shuttles departing the main bay,” Kufazik said loudly.  “They’re moving to try and evade.”
                  Skygexx hissed in amusement, his antennae curling and extending.  “Comms, hail them.  Demand their immediate surrender, or we will shoot them down.  Tactical, lock weapons.”
                  Hekai nodded.  He pressed a few controls.  “Done, Captain.”
                  “To the shuttles attempting to flee, this is Ironhide .  You will immediately strike your shields, stop and heave to, or you will be fired upon.  You have no chance of escape.”  The zheen at comms sounded confident, almost smug.  It was a sentiment Skygexx shared.  This was a glorious day. 
                  “Don’t fire!  This is Shuttle 15, we are powering down.  Stars, please do not fire!” came the frantic reply from one of the shuttles.  Skygexx noted that one of the icons for the shuttles was slowing and then came to a stop on his display.  The other was still racing frantically in system, clearly deluded in their hope of escape.
                  “Order them to maintain position,” Skygexx told the comm-tech.  “And inform them if they try and get… cute, I believe is the word, we will destroy them.”  He looked to Hekai at Tactical.  “Hekai, shoot down that second shuttle.”
                  The zheen nodded, clacking his mandibles.  “Aye, Captain!”  He pressed a control and all of Ironhide’s rail guns opened up.  A storm of metal raced after the fleeing shuttle, pounding the shields which popped like a soap bubble.  Another salvo breached the hull and the shuttle spun out of control, its systems dark, spiraling off into the system.
                  “They’re dead,” Hekai said simply. 
                  “Move us into position near that first shuttle,” Skygexx ordered.  The pilot nodded and the destroyer eased over.  Hekai maintained his weapons’ lock on the little ship, until they closed the distance.  “Lock on to them with a tractoring beam and bring the ship in tight.  Have a boarding team ready.”  He checked the display, seeing that the tractors had already caught the two escape pods, and had brought them to rest not far away.  “Then get those pods and reel them in.  Make sure we have some of the lads armed and waiting for our new… guests.” 
                  Some of the bridge crew hissed in amusement.  “Yes, sir.  I’ll inform the assault crew.”  The comm-tech said and turned to his console.  Then he looked up.  “Sir, I have an incoming transmission from Leader Aldys.”
                  “Put him through on the main display.”
                  The face of Cierre ’s captain appeared, a slight smirk on his lips.  “I have secured the mining station.  There isn’t a whole lot there that we’re going to want, aside from a few bunkers of refined minerals, but I do have seventy-two of their workers and techs captured.  But a few managed to escape on the shuttles and escape pods.”  In the background of the vid pickup, Skygexx could see armed boarding parties on displays behind Aldys’s head.  They were holding in what appeared to be the station’s command center, with one prisoner on his knees with his hands on his head.
                  “We’ve captured two of the pods,” Skygexx replied, “As well as one of the shuttles.  The other shuttle I’m afraid is a total write-off.”
                  Aldys grinned.  “I see.  Well, there are a number of bits and bobs, but I think the real treasure on this station is the workforce.  I’ll have my people make another sweep, but I think we’ll be heading out to assist with the pickup of the refined minerals out there.”
                  “Very