Malik.
And as they watched, two more human males emerged from behind a stack of pallets.
Vic and Cathal.
“Dad!” Bea squealed, finally finding her tongue.
“Hush, love,” Isla hissed back. “Don’t distract him.”
Jenna’s mouth thinned. Indeed. Although Malik, Vic, and Cathal were all armed, they were outnumbered by the troops who now had them surrounded. There were over a dozen of them, although she sucked in a relieved breath to see there were no battle-droids there.
The tattoo of detonating laser bolts echoed through the cavernous space.
Obsidian turned to Jenna then. “Get to safety. I will assist the others.” Turning from her, the battle-droid raised its two laser-rifles and began firing upon the Mir-Ferrin soldiers.
“I don’t think so,” Isla snapped. “Not while my husband is fighting for his life, and I’ve got a weapon in my hand.”
Jenna flashed her a thin smile. She liked Isla’s ballsy attitude. “Exactly.”
Shouts and thuds drew her attention then, and she glanced over her shoulder at the door Obsidian had locked.
The droid had done a good job, and the door was sturdy, although they’d get through eventually.
Turning back to Isla, she nodded. “Let’s make sure Bea is out of harm’s way first though.”
They stepped out onto the walkway that ran along one side of the landing bay and ducked left into the first service corridor—the one that led toThe Passage.
Trying not to focus on the pitched battle that was going on at the other end of the space, and the wail of agony that had just reverberated high into the rafters, Jenna hunkered down in front of her niece and met her eye.
“Your Ma and I are going to help the others, Bea … but I need you to hide somewhere safe, okay?”
The child nodded, her throat bobbing as she struggled to remain brave. “I lost Daisy, Auntie Jen.” Her voice quavered. “I’m sorry.”
The anguish in the girl’s eyes made Jenna’s chest constrict. “Don’t worry about that, sweetheart,” she murmured. “Now … see these panels?” She touched the circular gold disc with a sand-scarab embossed upon it behind Bea. “The third one from the end of the corridor is a secret door. Move the disc to one side and you’ll find a button underneath. Press it hard and the door will open. I want you to climb inside … and wait. We’ll be there soon.”
Bea glanced over at her mother, eyes glittering with tears. “Come with me, Ma.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, love,” Isla murmured before she stepped close and gave her daughter a quick hug. “Go on!”
Watching her niece trot off down the passageway, her slippers whispering on the metal grating beneath her feet, Jenna then turned back to Isla. “Let’s go.”
As soon as they exited the corridor, Jenna could see Obsidian had been busy. Below the walkway, bronze-armored bodies lay scattered around the central core, their blood glinting on the polished black floor.
The battle-droid had done a lot of damage, although some of the Mir-Ferrins were now attempting to bail Obsidian up against one of the hangar doors. There were still far too many marines firing on the three men cornered at the far end.
“Shit,” Jenna muttered, anxiety clutching her by the throat once more. “We aren’t going to be able to do much.”
“No, but we can draw their fire and let Cathal and the others get into a stronger position,” Isla replied.
Jenna nodded, even as her pulse started thundering in her ears.
Crouched low, the two women edged along the walkway, getting as close to the fray as they dared.
And then they opened fire.
Malik rolled across the floor, feeling the heat of a laser bolt skim overhead, and took refuge behind a trolley used by the mechanics for bringing parts out to the shuttles.
Finally, he’d managed to get out of the corner they’d been trapped in.
