Lethal Combat by Max Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

sound.
    It sounded like . . . a siren.
    A loud, blaring siren. Then a distant explosion.
    The crowd began hurriedly evacuating, just as another explosion hit – this one close enough to make the arena shake.
    The king and queen left the royal box. Two guards came and took Prince Onix by the hand and led him away. ‘I’ll see you soon!’ he said, looking back at Selene.
     

     
    ‘Hurry, Your Highness!’ said one of the guards. ‘The Meigwors are attacking!’
    ‘We have to get out of here!’ Peri said.
    Captain Grinkox and three guards strode towards them.
    ‘Can I have my egg back?’ Peri said. ‘We can’t leave without it.’
    ‘You’re not leaving,’ said the captain, pointing a scary-looking weapon at him.
    ‘But we’ve already beaten two generations of Xio-Bots,’ Selene said.
    ‘Yeah,’ said Diesel. ‘Who’s next, the grandad?’
    ‘Come with me,’ said the captain and pointed his weapon at each of them in turn.
    There was no choice but to obey.
    They were taken by hovercar to a grim, fortress-like building.
    The captain led them through a corridor and down a steep, winding flight of steps. Are we being taken to another dungeon ? Peri wondered.
    Captain Grinkox unlocked a door, which slowly swung open. Peri noticed that the walls here were a metre thick. Inside the room sat the king and queen of Xion and Prince Onix.
    ‘What’s going on?’ Peri said. ‘Why are we under arrest?’
    ‘You are not under arrest,’ the king said. ‘My son has told me of your prowess as Star Fighters. We would like your help in our fight against the Meigwors.’
    Peri looked at Selene, Diesel and Otto. He considered his limited options. ‘We’ll help you,’ he said. ‘On two conditions. First, give us our spaceship back.’
    ‘We do not have your spaceship,’ the king said.
    ‘He does,’ Peri said, pointing at Captain Grinkox. ‘You thought it was a toy egg. Come on, hand it over.’
    Grinkox looked at the king. The king nodded impatiently. Grinkox took the Phoenix from his helmet and handed it over to Peri.
    ‘Now for the second condition,’ Peri said. ‘If we help you, you have to stop all attacks against the Milky Way and send us back home.’
    ‘Yes, yes, I promise!’ said the king. ‘As long as you help us defeat the Meigwors!’
    Captain Grinkox cleared his throat. ‘Your Majesty – what about this one?’ He stared coldly at Otto. ‘He is a Meigwor – we can’t trust him.’
    ‘Yes, you can!’ Otto boomed. ‘My own people have rejected me!’
    ‘Let me go with them!’ the prince said. ‘I can help!’
    ‘It wouldn’t be safe, darling,’ said the queen.
    ‘Mum, I fought a Xio-Bot today,’ Prince Onix whined.
    The king nodded. ‘It is Xion custom that a prince must earn his spurs in battle before he can succeed to the throne. I think your time has come, Onix.’
    ‘ Yesss ! ’ the prince said, punching the air.
     
    On the 360-monitor the dusty surface of planet Xion was fading behind them.
    Peri and Selene sat side by side on the Bridge.
    ‘You all right?’ Selene said.
    ‘Yeah, I’m – I’m fine,’ Peri said, but all of his body was exhausted – human and robotic. It would be good to go back to Earth . If Earth still exists , he thought .
    But there was no time for rest. Planet Earth was certainly doomed if they didn’t beat their enemies.
    ‘I’m fine,’ he said again. ‘Let’s go sort out those Meigwors.’
    A soft bleep from the control panel indicated that the ship’s power cells were fully charged.
    ‘Time to go Superluminal,’ Peri said.
    All they had to do now was defeat the Meigwors, save the Milky Way and somehow find their way home.
    ‘Easy,’ Peri whispered to himself, even though he knew it would be anything but.

Can Peri and the crew defeat the Meigwors?
     
    Will they ever make it back to the Milky Way?
     
    Find out! In . . .
     

     
    Turn over to read Chapter 1

 
    Chapter 1
     
     
    ‘Follow that ship,’ Prince Onix screamed