But it’s Tin Tom who moves first. He rolls around the wall of blue and pink bodies and scoots off towards the ship.
“Fucking traitor!” Avery screams out at him. She turns to me with eyes brimming with betrayal. “I know he’s a robot but I thought he was my friend.”
“You still have a lot of friends by your side,” I say, giving her shaking body an extra squeeze.
Tin Tom rolls up to the ship and waits at the open door.
“There he is,” I gasp as the huge Emperor Rsordan steps out. He’s over eight feet tall and covered in thick metallic body armor. My heart stops when I glance over at my friend’s weapons. How can they possibly get through that armor with those primitive weapons?
They can’t. I have to go help.
“I’m going,” I say, standing up and helping Avery to her feet. I killed ten aliens before, I can help with the fighting. I’m capable. I’m strong.
The earthbound Mandy is not the Mandy from Zandipor. This Mandy can kick some serious alien ass!
With a stomach full of butterflies I walk over and stand beside Straykeer.
“No,” he says, his face full of worry. “Go back and hide.”
“No more hiding for me,” I say, opening and closing my hands into fists. I really wish I had some trabaca leaves right now to give me an edge.
He’s about to respond when Emperor Rsordan steps out of the ship and stretches to his full height. He has a large red helmet on his praying mantis head but his face is still visible through the thick glass visor. His already muscular arms look much more menacing with the thick red body armor on it.
A long pole is strapped to his back like a sword and my heart races as he pulls it out and flicks it on. That purple electricity stuff lights up on both ends, crackling as it flows around the tips like a deadly Q-Tip.
“Hey, Avery!” Rolanda shouts. “Got any of that magical Saku juice that everyone keeps raving about? It would really come in handy right now.”
We all turn and let out a collective sigh as we watch our famous Saku hiding behind a rock.
“Ha!” Rolanda says, turning back to the alien ship. “I should have been the fucking Saku.”
I have to agree with her on that.
Emperor Rsordan steps forward and swings his electric staff in the air. “Drandroka,” he calls out in a voice like thunder. “These are my earthling women. Taken to be bred by me. Release them at once!”
Straykeer lets out a snarl beside me. “Come and get them!”
I take a step back and gulp as the emperor steps forward to do as Straykeer says. I pray that my mate knows what he’s doing.
eleven
“Fearless leader, Emperor Rsordan,” Tin Tom says, blinking wildly as he rolls in front of the terrifying alien. “These earthling women are of no use to you. Tom has examined each one of them and they have all been impregnated with Roka babies. They are no longer suitable for mating.”
My hands slide to my flat stomach as my heart speeds up. Tin Tom must be bullshitting him. He never examined me and I certainly don’t feel pregnant. Does he know something that I don’t?
Emperor Rsordan lowers his ugly head, staring at the robot like he’s an annoying insect who needs to be squished.
“Tom suggests that we fly back to the planet earth and retrieve some new women for breeding purposes,” Tin Tom says, his voice rushed and higher pitched than usual.
“We’re only in this situation because of your incompetence,” Emperor Rsordan says, the antennae on his head standing straight up. “Move!”
The emperor swings his staff down, smashing the crackling tip that’s engulfed with the purple electricity into Tin Tom’s side. The robot flies to the side, crashing into the ground with the purple electricity flowing all over him, frying his wires and ruining his electrical board.
My hand flies to my mouth as I gasp. Poor Tin Tom. Yes, he was always annoying but he tried to help us and he got fried because of it.
Even Rolanda looks pissed, and no one hates Tin Tom more than her. She releases an arrow and it sails forward, smacking into the clear visor of the emperor. His head flies back with a ding but the arrow doesn’t break the glass.
When he turns back, he looks fucking pissed.
But our boys aren’t easily intimidated. They rush forward with vicious roars ripping out of their throats.
Turic is the first to get to him. He smashes into Emperor Rsordan like a football player making a tackle. He slams his shoulder into Emperor Rsordan’s gut, picks him up, and then smashes him into the ground with a grunt.
Turic postures up and starts pounding the alien’s armor with thick fists and hard elbows as Pontuck and Straykeer arrive to help.
“Watch out!” I scream as a wave of armed green aliens pours out of the spaceship to help their fallen master.
Pontuck kills three of them with arrows before they have a chance to step off of the ship. And the ones that do get down get quickly sliced to pieces by my man Straykeer’s two swords.