Infinite Dark: Awakening
Chapter 23

Chapter 23

So far the plan was working; Rogue was falling for their trap and was getting closer to the location they needed it to be in.

“Commander Sarab is in position,” Callib informed them through the com link. “She is ready to fire when Rogue is in place.”

They were getting closer by the moment; Cartos swung a hard right that disrupted Rogue and seemed to infuriate it further.

“Only a little more…” Dantos said.

He couldn’t believe this plan was actually working, so many variables needed to go right for this to happen and so far it had been perfect.

Dantos realized he was too optimistic a second later when his sensors showed Rogue suddenly stopped moving.

’What’s it doing?” Samis cried through his helmet.

Dantos couldn’t figure it out.

“Cartos you’re closest,” Dantos said; “Hit it from behind with an wave and see if it will move.”

Before Cartos could do this a terrible sound filled their heads.

“AHHHH… Found you!”

Dantos covered his head through his helmet, but it offered zero assistance.

He could hear Cartos and Samis screaming from the sound as well.

“You hid your communications from me well,” The voice spoke; “But I have found your wavelength now.”

“HHHRRRMMMMM!” Dantos moaned in agony. They were so close to the spot they needed Rogue to be!

“I cannot seem to break through your shields easily…” Rogue spoke again, torturing them. “But let us see how this works…”

It raised its’ arm and concentrated. Dantos took the reprieve from it speaking to regain himself.

Before he could decide on a plan he saw something hurtling towards him out of the corner of him eye.

He turned in time to see a dark asteroid coming towards him.

It was the size of a merchant spacecraft, not overly large but nearly 300 feet across. He tried to dodge but the force of it caused him to spiral out of control.

He looked around and saw Cartos and Samis dealing with similar obstacles. Rogue was summoning large rocks towards them and creating its’ own asteroid field.

The shields protected them from the worst of it but the assault was unrelenting and prevented them from getting Rogue into position.

“Fly to the location!” Dantos commanded through to the others; “Even if it kills us we must move it into location!”

Cartos and Samis responded; pushing through the onslaught towards the location their computers told them.

Rogue watched their efforts with amusement.

“Trying to set a trap for me?” It mused… “Let us see… where is the one known as Sarab…”

Dantos fought through the pain and moved closer to Rogue; pulling power away from his shields while redirecting it towards a gravity wave.

Rogue looked through space and peered in all directions, within a second it seemed to replace what it was looking for.

“A powerful star… and close by!” It spoke for all to hear; “It has been modified…”

“Damn it…” Dantos swore; “Its’ found her!”

Rogue shuttered, expelling radiation and throwing Dantos’s sensors into overdrive.

“This is what you have planned yes?!”

It cried out.

Dantos could feel blood coming from his eyes and ears now, there was a sharp ringing in his head, but he forced himself forward and blocked Rogue from a straight path to Sarab.

“For all those you murdered!” Dantos cried.

Before Rogue could react Dantos expelled a powerful gravitational wave at it and blew it towards the location it needed to be.

Rogue flew through space before righting itself and stopping.

“Insects!” It roared.

Dantos backed away from Rogue as his sensors went dead. He didn’t need the sensors to see what was happening before him though.

Rogue was expanding outwards; the darkness from within it was spreading through space, throwing everything around them into darkness.

Dantos lost sight of Cartos and Samis beneath its massive frame. The edges began swirling around it and Dantos began to see the outline of an event horizon forming.

Dantos stared in horror at what was before him. The asteroids that had bombarded them before were being drawn into Rogue.

Dantos could feel the strain on his suit and knew with his weakened shield he would soon follow.

“I tried my best…” He said as he felt the pull on his body intensify. Just then he felt something hit him and pull him away.

“Commander!” Cartos cried as he and Samis pulled Dantos away from Rogue.

Dantos just had time to see a bright flash in the corner of his eye before he blacked out.