Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

Empire during her short life in the Service. Before she went out to the Rim once too often and was never seen again by human eyes.
    Until now. Silence couldn't help wondering if it was just coincidence that had brought the Champion back at such a volatile time for the Empire. Like a message from the past, when things were different. Silence put the thought aside. He had sworn to serve the Iron Throne, no matter who sat on it, because the Empire must be preserved. All the other choices were worse. Better a corrupt civilization than an Empire shattered and reduced to barbarism. He pushed that thought aside, too, and concentrated on the starship looming up before him, hanging like a great white whale in a dark sea. It grew slowly larger, filling the space between them, so that he could no longer see the Rim or the Darkvoid beyond it.
    And finally the pinnace drifted to a halt, only a few feet between its hull and
    the Champion's.
    "Try the hailing frequencies one more time," Silence said quietly, not taking his eyes off the vast white metal wall before him.
    "Still no response, Captain," said Cross after a long moment. "Pinnace sensors confirm no life forms anywhere on the ship."
    "See if you can open the Champion's air lock with a general override signal,"
    said Silence.
    Cross bent over his panels and then shook his head. "No response. All the systems must be down. We're going to have to crack it open manually."
    "No surprises there." Silence closed down his comm link to the sensors, and the pinnace's bulkhead reappeared before him. He looked around at his team one at a time, making eye contact so they could see how calm and assured he was. "All right, people, pay attention. We're going out through the pinnace's air lock in our hard suits. Investigator Frost leading. We're right up against the Champion's air lock, so all we have to do is step outside and open it. Cross will operate the manual override on the outside of the air-lock door, and then the Investigator will enter the lock itself. She will go through alone, to check out the situation. Once she gives the all clear, I want you cycling through that air lock as fast as you can go. There's no telling what shape the mechanism's in after all this time, and I don't want anyone left outside."
    "What if something happens to the Investigator?" said Cross.
    "Then you back off, and the Dauntless blows the Champion to shit," said Frost.
    "Because if I can't handle it, you sure as hell can't."
    "Once we're inside," said Silence, pressing calmly on as though the interchange hadn't happened, "we will make our way to the bridge and activate what systems we can. Everyone stay together, but don't bunch up. And keep your eyes open. The
    Champion is to be considered hostile territory until proven otherwise. You are authorized to use lethal force on anything that moves, with the exception of your teammates. So don't get jumpy. Investigator, lead the way."
    Frost nodded and moved over to the inner door of the pinnace's air lock. There was a pause as everyone put on their helmets and made sure the seals were secure, and then Frost opened the inner door and stepped inside, followed by Silence and Cross. The three hard suits filled the air lock from wall to wall.
    They waited patiently as the air was flushed out, and then Frost opened the outer door. It opened slowly, silently, revealing the Champion's outer hull, only a few feet away. Silence gestured to Frost, and she stepped forward onto the outer edge of the door. She reached out a gloved hand to the small wheel clearly marked on the outside of the Champion's air lock and took a firm hold.
    Silence moved in beside her to brace her once she started exerting pressure. The pinnace's artificially produced gravity didn't extend beyond the air lock. Her armored glove closed around the wheel and turned it inch by inch. The outer doors of the air lock slowly parted, and a bright light suddenly appeared within the lock. Silence relaxed a little. At least some of the Champion's systems were still working. The doors crept farther apart, until finally Frost was able to step carefully from the Dauntless into the Champion. The doors closed over her again, and Silence could only wait. He could feel her presence through the link they shared, and her calm composure helped to settle him.
    "The air lock is functioning perfectly," her voice said suddenly through his comm implant. "I have light and gravity, but no air. The pumps are working, but it