Authors: Max Chase
Evil Star
Contents
Join Peri and the crew of the Phoenix on their next mission!
To the Mysterious Dr X
Special thanks to Benjamin Scott
It is the year 5012 and the Milky Way galaxy is under attack ...
After the Universal War ... a war that almost brought about the destruction of every known universe ... the planets in the Milky Way banded together to create the Intergalactic Force
–
an elite fighting team sworn to protect and defend the galaxy.
Only the brightest and most promising students are accepted into the Intergalactic Force Academy, and only the very best cadets reach the highest of their ranks and become ...
To be a Star Fighter is to dedicate your life to one mission:
Peace in Space
. They are given the coolest weapons, the fastest spaceships
–
and the most dangerous missions. Everyone at the Intergalactic Force Academy wants to be a Star Fighter someday.
Do YOU have what it takes?
‘Daxx is escaping!’ Peri shouted as the
Space Wolf
blazed away from the
Phoenix
.
The space pirates’ vessel had every solarwind sail unfurled like an ancient galleon. The skull-and-crossed-swords flag, the Cranky Roger, streamed behind the ship. Daxx had stolen the Heart of Mars and planned to use it in a secret weapon that could threaten the entire galaxy. It was the Star Fighters’ mission to get the priceless gem back.
Peri smacked on the emergency boosters. ‘We need more speed!’ he shouted.
The g-force knocked Diesel to the floor as the
Phoenix
surged forward, but the half-Martian scrambled up and pushed past Otto to reach the gunnery station.
‘Where’s Jaxx?’ Peri asked, scanning the Bridge.
Jaxx was the IF’s Space Enemy Number One. They had captured him when he had nearly crash-landed on Saturn only to find out he was Selene’s father. She was sure he was innocent, and that his identical twin brother, Daxx, was the real space pirate.
‘I sent my dad to Engineering to try and improve the plasma flow to the thrusters,’ Selene said, checking over the engineer’s console. ‘If anyone can make us go faster, my dad can!’
Without warning, Daxx’s ship plunged towards a fiery red dwarf star.
‘What on Mars is he doing?’ Peri said, twisting the Nav-wheel and diving after the
Space Wolf
.
‘Perhaps he’s using the star’s gravity field to slow us down,’ Diesel suggested.
Gravity!
The word lit up a bionic circuit in Peri’s head. ‘No, he’s going to use the gravity field like a slingshot, to catapult his ship even faster out the other side of the star.’
The gauges on the control panel went haywire as they got closer to the star. The
Phoenix
began to shake. Peri knew their
ship
would be pulled apart and they’d be burnt alive if they got too close. But if they were too far away, they wouldn’t be able to swing round the star fast enough to catch up with Daxx.
Peri watched as the space pirates’ ship caught the gravitational pull of the dwarf star and zoomed away. Daxx had timed it perfectly. Now it was Peri’s turn. He gripped the Nav-wheel and yanked the thrusters to ‘Max’.
Shhhwooosh!
The
Phoenix
whipped round the dying star. It shot them after Daxx’s ship at astonishing speed. They hurtled through entire solar systems in the blink of an eye, right on the space pirates’ tail.
Fssssshhhhwooor!
They skimmed past a planet, narrowly missing two moons.
‘
Dung y’r’ah
!
?
’ Diesel gasped. ‘That was cosmic-close!’
Peri dodged left and right, copying Daxx’s moves. His brain buzzed with excitement. It wouldn’t be long before Daxx would have to stop – then they would swoop down and bring him to justice.
Narrrooa!
They slipped past comets and asteroids.
Suddenly, Daxx zigzagged and whipped sharply to the right.
