“Yes, thank you, Tok.”
“We’re under attack. The Zhorn must have locked onto our coordinates after we left Earth.” Motok’s words sent a flash of fear right down my spine.
He rose to his feet quickly and pulled me up with him. “You need to hide until I can return for you.”
What!? I shook my head vigorously back and forth as I remembered how vicious those Zhorn had been the last time I was attacked. “No way! Don’t leave me alone.”
Motok didn’t pause as he led me down a deserted corridor and into a secluded area of the ship. He punched a few buttons on the keypad by a door and leaned in to do an eye scan. The door slid open and we entered what appeared to be a bedroom. The walls were a stark white and the décor consisted of a queen-sized bed with a dark blue coverlet, a single table with two chairs, a footlocker, and a few cabinets and drawers. One wall was nothing but charts, stars, maps, and planets. “These are my personal quarters. Only I have the ability to enter. No one else should come through that door. It’s protected by my unique DNA.”
I was tugged to his bedside where he pulled out a small black case from underneath and unlocked it. Some sort of pistol was placed in my hand. It looked straight out of a science fiction movie set.
“The blaster is set toStun. This setting here,” he indicated with a finger, “willKill. Don’t switch to that unless you’re about to be harmed. The laser is powerful and has a bit of a recoil. Try not to swipe it across the ship’s hull.”
“Oh, shit,” I blurted, looking up and into his worried eyes. “Okay.”
A hand lifted to cup my cheek as he rubbed a silver thumb slowly over my skin. “I will return for you,breh’haas soon as the threat is eliminated. Do not be afraid. I never lose in battle.”
Fuck.Motok was about as arrogant and commanding as he was sexy and protective.
For the first time, I considered the man before me and held his gaze with an appraising eye. Hewashandsome. No doubt about that. I would miss the crazy, overprotective alien every second he was gone. Something about him tugged at my insides with a sharp and intense feeling of warmth.
“I will run into battle with your name on my tongue,” he vowed. “None will vanquish me.”
That was quite a declaration.
I didn’t have time to reply since he ran out into the hall and the door slid shut, the sound of buttons and clicking filled my ears until I heard a heavy thud like a lock engaging inside the wall. The noise filled the empty silence in the sterile room. There was no point in checking if my suspicions were correct. Motok was thorough. I could see that about him already.
Sinking onto the bed, I sighed and set the blaster down at my side. I was all alone on a big ship full of aliens whilemorealiens – nasty, mean, and dangerous ones – boarded the ship and attacked.
How did I get into this mess?
Noises outside the door a few minutes later were the first indication everything wasn’t going to plan. When a pounding on the door caused me to jump a mile, I realized it wasn’t Motok and I refused to answer. Muffled voices could be heard as if they were raised in argument.
I lifted the pistol and pointed it toward the door. My entire body tensed as an explosion broke open the latch and the room was immediately flooded with scaly Zhorn. The hulking red forms moved fast despite their large, bulky frames. Each one wore armored plating as their four – yes, that’s right,fourarms – held weapons. How did I miss that detail before now!?
My scream tore from my throat so loudly that I swore I wouldn’t have a voice left to speak after today. The Zhorn charged forward as I pulled back on the trigger of the laser and stumbled. The beam hit the first red alien and knocked him down as his body convulsed and then stilled.
Roaring, the others rushed toward me and converged as I pressed the trigger again and unloaded all the laser I could into these unwelcome aliens. I was a poor shot. My adrenaline made my aim unsteady. I completely forgot about switching the beam of energy from Stun to Kill and so I was overpowered easily.
Several bodies knocked into my own as I fell to the ground and scrambled for the blaster that slid across the floor and under the bed. I wasn’t any match for alien warriors over a foot taller than I was and with extra appendages. My legs were yanked roughly backward by one who laughed as I kicked out. He picked me up like a ragdoll and I was pulled upward as the momentum nearly sent my head crashing into the roof and then I was tossed over a hard-plated shoulder.
Pounding on the red scales of the alien’s back didn’t help my situation. A boisterous laugh issued from his throat as he slapped my ass hard. Garbled words were spoken between them and I had no idea what they were saying. They spoke in sharp, short bursts of clicks, whirring sounds, and eerie grunts that brushed against my skin and made me cringe. They must be using a dialect the translator didn’t have in its database.
Screaming was the only thing that cleared the fog from my head. Every step would lead me farther away from Motok and the other Braxthar warriors. The more I fought against the Zhorn’s grip the more he tightened his arms around my body and slapped my ass, ensuring more laughter and grunts of approval from his alien friends.
Somewhere close a noise clattered, and another small explosion erupted a few feet ahead of our current position. Our path was suddenly blocked as debris fell down from the ceiling and the wall crumbled. Luckily, the hull of the ship remained intact. No sucking our bodies into outer space was an immense relief but I wasn’t sure how long this distraction would keep us from leaving theVindicator.
“Motok!” I screamed as I heard a roar echo across the corridor.
Angling my head so I could see clearly, I found the bodies of the silvery warriors advancing upon us and smiled.
My savior was here.
