Elric's days aboard the Ardent Horizon had grown increasingly precarious. Every time he slipped away to work on the corvette, he felt the weight of scrutiny pressing down on him. Harris's sharp glances during meetings and casual questions about his whereabouts were becoming harder to deflect.
Today was no different. As Elric finished a maintenance check on the stabilizer relays, Harris appeared, his expression unreadable.
"Vale," Harris said, crossing his arms. "A word."
Elric straightened, forcing a casual smile. "What's up, sir?"
Harris studied him for a moment before speaking. "You've been distracted lately. Slipping off after shifts, cutting corners. What's going on?"
Elric's heart pounded, but he kept his expression neutral. "Nothing, sir. Just busy keeping everything running."
"Really?" Harris raised an eyebrow. "Because I ran the logs on the auxiliary docking bay. The Horizon has been losing fuel at irregular intervals. Small amounts, but enough to notice. Care to explain?"
Elric froze. The corvette's stealth systems were supposed to mask its departures, but he hadn't accounted for the minor fuel bleed during docking operations.
"I... don't know anything about that," he said, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
Harris stepped closer, his gaze narrowing. "Vale, I've been doing this a long time. I know when someone's hiding something. Don't make me dig deeper."
Elric clenched his fists, weighing his options. Before he could respond, the ship's alarms blared.
"Attention, crew! Hostile vessels detected on intercept course," the captain's voice echoed through the ship. "Prepare for engagement!"
Harris cursed, turning toward the intercom. "Vale, report to the engine bay. We're on high alert."
"Yes, sir," Elric said, his relief tempered by the rising tension.
In the chaos that followed, Elric saw an opportunity. As the Ardent Horizon maneuvered to avoid the incoming raiders, he slipped away to the auxiliary bay and boarded the corvette.
"Sigma, status update," he said as the hatch sealed behind him.
"Two pirate-class vessels have engaged the Ardent Horizon. Their armaments are moderate, but their speed is superior. The Horizon is at a tactical disadvantage."
Elric's mind raced. The corvette wasn't equipped for full-scale combat, but its stealth systems and recently upgraded subsystems could make a difference.
"Echo, plot an intercept course," he ordered. "We're going to even the odds."
"Course plotted," Echo replied, the corvette's engines humming to life.
The corvette darted into the fray, its cloaking array keeping it hidden as the pirates closed in on the Ardent Horizon. Elric watched the battle unfold on the display, his jaw tightening as energy blasts struck the cargo ship's shields.
"Sentinel, prep for defensive action," he said. "We're going to draw their attention."
"Directive acknowledged," Sentinel-06 replied, its tone steady.
The corvette's stealth field flickered off as Elric positioned the ship between the pirates and the Ardent Horizon.
"Target the lead vessel's thrusters," he ordered.
RX-47 operated the corvette's rudimentary weapon systems, firing precise bursts at the pirate ship's engines. The shots hit home, and the vessel lurched, its trajectory veering wildly.
The second pirate ship turned its attention to the corvette, its weapons locking on.
"Brace for impact!" Elric shouted as the corvette's shields absorbed a barrage of plasma fire.
"Shields at 62%," Sigma reported.
"Echo, evasive maneuvers!"
The corvette twisted through space, dodging incoming fire as RX-47 returned shots. The Sentinel moved to the auxiliary control station, reinforcing the shields as best it could.
"Commander, the Ardent Horizon is retaliating," Sigma said.
The cargo ship unleashed a barrage of missiles, striking the disabled pirate vessel and forcing the second to retreat. The display lit up with the retreating ship's fading signal.
"We did it," Elric muttered, his hands trembling slightly as the adrenaline wore off.
Back aboard the Ardent Horizon, Elric faced Harris in the engine bay. The older man's expression was a mix of suspicion and frustration.
"Vale," Harris said slowly, "care to explain why the sensors picked up a second ship during that fight? A small one, moving like it knew exactly where to hit the enemy?"
Elric's heart sank. "I don't know what you mean, sir."
"Don't play dumb," Harris snapped. "I've seen a lot of things in my time, but a ghost ship coming to the rescue isn't one of them. You're up to something, and I'm going to find out what."
Elric's mind raced, searching for a way out. But Harris wasn't giving him an inch.
"This isn't over, Vale," Harris said, his voice low. "Not by a long shot."
As Harris turned and walked away, Elric felt the weight of his secret pressing down harder than ever. Trouble was brewing, and it was only a matter of time before everything came to light.