Star Watch Read Online Free PDF

what looked to be a hospital, or perhaps a school. The young woman stood next to Leon now, in the cockpit. Tears filled her eyes as she took in the devastation before them. She turned to look at him. “Can’t you do something?”
    Leon glanced over to her. You mean more than saving your life? But he kept his thoughts to himself.
    She turned around and assessed the dirty, small vessel. “What is this thing? Some kind of trash pickup vehicle? What are you? A garbage man?”
    “No! I stole this from the Pharloms.”
    “Like … on purpose? You stole a trash vehicle? One that has no weapons and probably can’t even leave this atmosphere?”
    “Hey … there were slim pickings at the time.”
    She turned back toward the mayhem in front of them. “We have to stop them … kill every last one of them.”
    If he’d had any doubts about taking her with him … into the marauder, they were now gone. She would die to protect her home. “Hold on to something, we’re going to steal another ship.”
    She looked back at him questioningly, then simply nodded. The attack marauder was still close. Leon brought the delivery scout up vertically, until it was parallel with the bottom of the Pharlom vessel, which, he now discovered, was a larger ship, especially at this close proximity, than he’d previously realized.
    “Where the hell is the flight deck?” he questioned out loud, scanning from one end of the vessel’s outer hull to the other.
    “There!” she said, extending a graceful arm, pointing higher up, toward the upper section of the marauder.
    She smiled and looked excited. She looked courageous! My kind of woman.
    He brought the delivery scout up, closing the gap between the two vessels. The bay doors were already open and he could see significant activity pulsing inside, where no less than thirty large hulking Pharlom soldiers milled about. Both Leon and the woman took a quick step backward, trying to stay out of sight.
    The flight deck was a relatively open space. No fighters or drones around, contending for a parking space. Leon selected a relatively unoccupied area, deep within the bay. He set the delivery scout down and shut off the scout’s drive. They looked at each other. Leon shrugged. “Just so you know, this is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done … and I’ve done more than my share of stupid things.”
    “Then why don’t you stop talking about it and go actually do something? People are dying out there.” He noticed she was holding his Pharlom pistol. It looked ridiculously large in her small hand.
    The delivery scout’s hatch was still open from when he had rescued her. He stepped back into the rear section and tentatively approached the opening. He peeked out. No one was paying much attention to them … yet. He held out his hand. “I’ll take that.”
    Reluctantly, she placed the energy weapon in his hand. “I can show you how to shoot that, if you need me to.”
    “Thanks, I think I’m good,” he said, not sure if she was serious or just pulling his chain.
    Two Pharlom soldiers now looked their way. They dropped what they were doing and began to approach. Leon turned to her, putting his index finger over his lips. Thinking better of it, he pointed toward the back of the hold, mouthing: “Get back there and make some noise. I’ll need a distraction.”
    She looked at him with that same questioning expression. He flashed her a big smile and raised his eyebrows.
    She rolled her eyes but did step further back into the delivery scout’s hold.
    Leon moved forward into the cockpit and stood sideways behind a narrow bulkhead. It didn’t do much to hide his six-foot-two frame, but it would have to do. He heard the young woman clamoring around, slapping the walls, talking loudly—everything she could think of to bring attention her way.
    The first Pharlom reached the delivery scout’s open hatch, his big rock face unreadable. He stepped into the scout and made room for his Pharlom