A/N: It's been a looong time since I updated. Sorry. Thanks for the one review I got; you know who you are, and you're awesome.
Zoe brought her hand down dramatically on the engine panel. "How does this work? It's completely different to ours."
"Why?" asked Lukas, who had sidled up behind her. "You were in a Fed ship like us."
She started, and turned around. "Um… er… hmm, that's strange. What does that light mean?"
"You mean that one?" Lukas pointed at a flashing red Led, filing away the fact that she'd abruptly changed the topic for future investigation. "The one that says…"
"Fuel levels, yes."
They turned to look at each other.
And all the lights went out.
Lukas felt a hand grip his arm. "Whoa, lady, mind letting some blood reach my hand?"
"Sorry. I just… I don't like the dark."
"Mmm-hmm." Lukas knew something was happening regarding Zoe, but he thought it best not to ask. "The whole ship diagnostic and power systems are plugged into the generator. The one that YOU were supervising." He only let the slightest tone of accusation creep into his voice.
"Like I said, the controls are different. Anyway, don't you have a backup generator or something?"
Max's voice drifted out to them from down the hall. "You guys fine?"
"Yeah"
A shaft of glittering light spilled out of the hallway. "Good thing we have torches!" shouted Alex. He chucked an old-fashioned battery torch at the pair, just as Max stumbled in. "Do we know what happened?"
"The fuel ran out."
Max swore. "Do we need to activate our beacon now?"
"It's our only hope. Unless we sit here and hope nothing happens."
"Guys. We don't know how fast the jam of upheaval is spreading across the buttered toast of space. We need to get moving, and fast!"
"On it." Lukas dashed out of the room. They heard his footsteps echoing down the hallway, followed by a sudden absence of footsteps and a loud thump. Muttering, Lukas got back up, and then noticed what he'd tripped over.
"The fuel supply cord…" Someone had pulled it out deliberately, as an act of sabotage. It wasn't possible to disconnect it without rotating two separate pieces of wire in two separate ways. It was foolproof.
Sabotage…
There was a traitor on board the ship.
Lukas had to work backwards. He knew he could trust Zoe, as she was with him when the power went out. But he didn't know how long the light had been flashing for. He'd been in the hallway just before he'd entered the room, and all the cables had been in place.
It was either Alex or Max.
Or…
No.
Nobody had a teleporter that powerful.
They had to be in the same beacon…
Several connections were suddenly made in Lukas's brain.
"It's completely different to ours!"
"I was the cartographer for my crew"
…He saw Max firing their laser again…
"GUYS!"
Everyone spun around. Lukas dashed into the room. His face was panicked. "We need to get moving! Now!"
"Why?"
"JUST DO IT! SOMEWHERE! ANYWHERE!"
"But we don't have any fuel!"
"Check again." Suddenly Lukas was deathly calm.
"What happened?"
"Fuel supply line was cut off. Now HURRY! We don't have much time!"
"Until wha-"
"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT JUST DO IT MEANS?"
The others exchanged glances. Lukas, whom they had always known as the mellow and benign scientist, had turned into a raving maniac. They slowly backed away, turned, and ran. Lukas watched them scatter. He sprinted to the shield room, flicked a hundred tiny switches, and watched as they came online. The other systems booted up sequentially, and he flicked his headset mic down so that he could talk to the others. "Sorry about that."
"What was all that about?" Zoe asked.
"Do you recall that ship you used to plot for? Did it ever occur to you that the freighter that sabotaged your systems had a remote link to your database?"
"Wha- oh." Zoe's face paled in sudden comprehension.
"They had your plans, plans that I'd bet you at least slightly recycled for our route."
"Yep. Sorry."
"Their FTL drive would be far superior to ours. It's not outside of the realms of possibility that they could lie in wait for us at a beacon. One that, oh, I don't know, contained a nebula? Our systems are restricted."
"This would be the perfect time for an attack." Max slammed his palm down on the pilot's bench. "We need to leave!"
"You're the one at the pilot's desk!" shouted Alex.
"I know."
The ship tilted suddenly. "It's too late" Max continued. "They're already here."
A/N: I wish for reviews. I'll try and update more frequently now. Submit your own OCs to me, and I'll select the best ones and they'll feature in the story. Thanks, and stay eloquent!