It landed on the railing, then quickly changed shape. Suddenly she was staring at Captain Brooklyn, or at least a Hareema that looked like her.
The saliva dried up in Kat’s mouth.
The Captain Brooklyn thing came forward, an evil smile on its face.
“I’ve located the Hareema,” she said, raising her voice and hoping to Noruma that the comm system was working. “It’s in the engine room.”
Quick as lightning, the Hareema lashed out at her. A red tentacle whipped next to her head, knocking her hand away from the comm button.
Kat dropped, turning around and flinging a hand out toward the creature. Her bioelectricity had been at the ready since she’d come aboard the human vessel. But the creature was damned fast and it twisted, avoiding the blast entirely.
Kat jumped to her feet, charging forward and laying out another disabling blast. Before it could make contact, the Hareema threw itself into the air, landing with a foot on each railing, straddling the walkway and again dodging her bolt.
If she couldn’t hit it soon, she’d exhaust her bioenergy. Throwing herself to her back with some momentum, she slid down the walkway, aiming upward at the creature.
It somersaulted in the air, coming down with a foot on either side of her head and a fierce grin on its face. “Missed me again,” it said, kicking her in the head. “I’m getting good at dodging your pitiful little jolts.”
Kat rolled over, her head ringing. She scurried forward on her knees, throwing up her hand in an attempt to send a blast through the creature before it could get away. Unfortunately, her head hadn’t cleared from the kick and the Hareema dodged easily, coming back to kick her in the face.
Kat was flung backward, tasting blood in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed.There’s no way I’m going to let this son of shark defeat me.
She rolled into a crouch and then leaped at it, grabbing the creature and sending the last of her energy through it.
It squirmed in her grasp, its shape starting to destabilize. “Got you now,” Kat groaned, sending her charge through the creature.
Sadly, it was at that moment that the last of her energy petered out.
She stood there, her arms around a parody of the human captain, essentially weaponless.
“Who’s got who?” the creature asked her, then slammed its head into hers.
Three blows to the head can sure make a girl see stars, Kat thought as she lost her hold on the Hareema and fell to her knees.
She could hear the pounding on the metal door increase, but it seemed like it came from far away. Darkness lurked at the edges of her vision.Can’t pass out. Must keep fighting.
The Hareema shoved her down then moved to crouch over her. “A Zantharian female,” it said, blowing out a breath. “You will make a rare addition to our menagerie.”
Kat shook her head, pushing with all her power.
The Hareema fought back, its strength ten times that of the little human whose form it had chosen. Kat struggled, aiming a blow at its face, which it deflected then matched with one of its own.
“Lights out, little girl,” the creature said. The last thing Kat saw before the darkness was the bottom of a boot coming straight for her face.
