Green and his fellow petty officer did their best. Never letting up as they targeted those entering.
Tsavitee fell. A couple of them sniped in the head by a focused Green. As soon as one went down, their brethren yanked them from the gap, sending more through.
A couple made it past Green and the petty officer's bombardment.
Jace stepped to meet one such demon, careful to keep out of Green and the petty officer’s line of fire. His sword whistled as he slashed the Tsavitee’s side.
The demon lumbered at him. Jace ducked under his reach, sinking his blade into his chest.
The demon went limp.
Jace ripped the blade free. "One down."
Too many to go.
In the brief lull, he took stock. Green and the petty officer were still firing as two other ensigns engaged with the Tsavitee who'd made it through the blockade.
Bechler shot one in the back of the head when it went for his weapons specialist.
Jace dodged a cannon fodder's reach, slicing at the creature's arm before running his blade through its neck.
"We can't take much more of this," Bechler shouted.
Jace was aware of that. Unfortunately, doing something about it was easier said than done.
"Fire in the hole," Jace responded.
He chucked an incendiary grenade through the hole the Tsavitee had made in the hatch and ducked back behind cover. There was a boom and then the smell of smoke before the ship's automatic fire suppression system activated, drenching everything outside in white retardant.
"Yes!" Green yelled. "Take that, you bastards."
His smile fell as did the rest of those around him as the clomp of footsteps came. A voice rumbled in Tsavitee, calling out orders to the rest.
Jace knew what was going to step through the breech before the general ripped the hatch the rest of the way off in a terrifying display of strength. The general made his way through the ruins, straightening to his full height. He towered over the humans. His body massive. An intimidating presence.
Damn. Just when Jace thought they had a chance.
"It's been an honor, everyone," Jace said as the general swept a predatory gaze over the bridge.
Sorry, Kira. Looks like I won't be there for the end, after all.
The general's gaze came to rest on him. "Puny human. Surrender or die."
"Death before defeat," Jace spat in Tsavitee.
He would not dishonor his mentor by lowering his blade at this juncture. If he was going to go, he'd do it taking one of them with him. It was the least he could do for those he'd sacrificed through this battle.
"You will scream for mercy," the general rumbled.
They'd see.
Green charged, firing his rifle in one continuous burst.
The general didn't even flinch, casually knocking the petty officer away. Green's neck snapped, his body flying across the room to hit the opposite wall.
The other petty officer screamed, rising to fire everything she had at the general. He dealt with her the same way he had Green. With one precise blow that left her dead on the ground.
Jace braced. He lifted his sword, refusing to back down.
Come on, then. Let's see if you're as good as her.
The general curled a lip, exposing a fang. He started toward Jace.
A black shadow hit him from the side. There were angry growls as a second general tore into the first.
"Hold your fire," Jace ordered as Aeron buried his teeth in the other general's neck before ripping his throat out.
Jace and the survivors stared as Aeron got to his feet, his chest still heaving. His expression was wild as he took in the room with the wariness of a wild animal preparing to be attacked. His clawed hands opened and closed.
"You killed him," Ensign Boone said, voicing what everyone was thinking.
"Would you have preferred I let him kill you?" Aeron rumbled.
Boone shook her head. "Nope. I'm good with this outcome."
Aeron was still on edge as he fixed Jace with a look. "You’re losing this battle."
Jace flicked the blood off his sword. "I'm aware."
Winning was never the goal though.
"Simmons, Amir—check the corridor and make sure everything out there is dead," Jace ordered the ensigns who'd helped defend the bridge with him.
"They are," Aeron said with a frown.
"Let's just double check that, shall we?"
Jace wasn't a fan of surprises. Especially those that could have been prevented by simply following procedure.
"You're supposed to be in my brig," Jace informed Aeron.
"I will not meet my death while trapped in a human cage."
Whatever his reasoning, Jace was glad for the assist. He'd probably be dead by now, the bridge crew with him, if not for Aeron's timely interference.
Jace tilted his head at the dead general. "I never thought you’d be willing to kill your own kind."
The only thing he and Centcom really knew about the generals was how loyal they were to each other. They'd gone to pretty impressive lengths to avenge their own whenever one was lost in battle.
"Those who serve the Tsavitee's masters cannot be considered one of us. They're the hounds of the old regime. There’s no place for them in our future," Aeron declared, his chin arrogantly lifted.
That was an awfully hardline stance to take. Jace wasn't going to question it though. Not when things had just worked out in his favor.
"Whoa. Hold on." Velasquez focused on the scanners. "There’s a fleet of ships rapidly approaching. At least six of them."
"Where are they coming from?" Bechler demanded.
"The direction of the Lawrence."
The bridge went silent. They all knew what that meant. If the fleet was returning from that direction, the Lawrence had likely fallen.
"That's it then. We’ve lost," Bechler said.
Jace moved closer to the screen, his gaze on the approaching ships. The corners of his lips started to tilt up.
"They're not Tsavitee." Velasquez turned to look at them. "They're Tuann."
That's his girl. Always with the last minute surprises.
This was the real reason Jace hadn't wanted to abandon the fight even when things looked lost. Kira always had something up her sleeve.
He'd suspected when those Tuann broke onto his base that they might have a secondary force waiting somewhere nearby. A daughter of Roake would never be sent out without someone to watch her back.
"We're being hailed," Velasquez announced.
Jace moved forward. "Put it through."
On the screen a man with the same blood red hair as Kira appeared.
"Kira's uncle I presume," Jace drawled, not really needing the confirmation. The resemblance was unmistakable.
The Overlord of House Roake inclined his head.
"I didn't think you'd be the one to come. Does Kira know?"
The man's lips quirked in a micro smile that barely touched his eyes. "She's unaware."
Jace watched a chunk of the Overlord's forces break toward the planet.
The Overlord didn’t look away from Jace, studying him with a penetrating gaze that was all too similar to that of his niece’s. "What say you we forget about our people's conflicts for the moment and work together for the next little while."
"I thought you'd never ask."
Kira