[Marten]: 478.Sci-Fi Contest Entry

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  The ship slid through the murky darkness of space, far from the light of any star or galaxy. None of the ambient light even present reflected off of the dull black hull of the vessel, only as it sped past silently, could the pink drive flares be seen, showing up in dark contrast against the velvet background of nothing.

  But inside the ship, Dex Marshal could smell the desert. The incense burning over the ashtray was one of those peculiar scents that could take you back. His mother had burned it, a simple offering to simple gods, back when life itself was simple and neat. Dex had learned since then that life was not like that, far from it. Simple people were quickly swallowed up by the stronger and smarter ones. Humans were nothing more than animals, hard brutal animals that cared less for one another than even animals of other species.

  Without warning a blue flash of plasma sizzled across his bow shields, literally blistering the hull paint as the sheilds forced it to glance off into the darkness of space. Dex was fastened into the pilots seat and had his hands on the controls before the bolt had ever touched the ship. His instincts had warned him that something wanted him dead. He had his craft in a tight bank and brought it up, his scanners fully active now, seeking his attacker in a deadly game of hide and seek. Spatial distortion had caused his hidden opponent to miss a moving target the first time, but he doubted the hunter would miss a second time.

  The corner of his eye showed him a faint reddish glow, and he jerked the twin black yokes over as the sleek black craft roiled towards his wold be killer, his own cannons were charging, and as soon as their power was sufficient, he could open up their lethal force.