The giant loosed a chuckle. “Not today, little girl.”
Then he was at her again, bounding forward in two heavy strides that shook the metal beneath her feet.
Andi whirled her swords, then thrust forward with one jab, two jabs, three. The blades crackled and sang with each thrust. But each time, the swords rebounded off the giant’s wrists as he blocked her, his bulletproof skin proving strong enough to ward off even a scratch.
Damned New Vedans. Andi’s mind seethed as she dropped to her knee, allowing another swinging fist to soar past her before rising again.
He was strong, but he was slow.
And if she could just figure out how to disable him, perhaps make him lose his balance and topple over...
The giant gripped the catwalk railing and tore a piece away, the metal screaming in protest.
“I like sword fights,” he growled.
Then he swung.
Andi lifted her swords in an X. Sparks flew as her blades met his makeshift weapon. She managed to shove him back, barely giving herself enough space to adjust her swords, take a half step back and swing again.
The giant blocked her and advanced.
On and on they swung. Andi’s body took over, on autopilot.
Left sword, right sword. Block.
Thrust.
Drop to a knee, avoid a hit.
Rise back up, advance.
All the while, the giant’s bulletproof skin warded off her attacks.
Andi’s arms began to tremble as the giant pressed her backward, closer and closer to the end of the catwalk.
“Let us take the damned ship!” she yelled over the clash of metal.
“My soldiers will come back soon,” the giant growled. “Then you will die.”
He thrust the piece of railing at her.
It sang as it cracked against the wall just beside Andi’s head.
She was running out of steam, running out of options. Guns didn’t work, her best fighters were unconscious or helpless or, in the case of Lon, actually dying in the cargo bay below.
A hit made contact.
Andi screamed as one of her swords fell from her hand. It tumbled over the railing, where it landed beside Valen, the electricity fizzling out.
“Run, Andi!” Valen cried.
She hefted her remaining sword with both hands and swung.
The giant lifted his palms and gripped the blade. The electric currents made his body seize and shake, but he remained standing.
Slowly, eyes boring into Andi’s, he pulled the sword from her grip.
He tossed it over the railing to join its mate.
“Run!” Valen screamed again.
Andi’s breath hitched in her throat. She’d never lost a fight, not like this, not like...
BOOM!
Andi looked up just in time to see an explosion of red light barreling toward her from the still-open entry door. It rocketed through the air, a red swarm of death.
Blood sprayed against her face as the New Vedan warrior erupted into vapor. She blinked, hot blood dripping down her cheeks as she tried to figure out what had just happened.
Where the giant once stood, only his torn bit of metal railing remained.
Andi gasped and dropped to her knees.
Gilly appeared from the bridge, her mouth hanging open. “What in the actual hell just happened?”
Andi pointed over the catwalk railing. Down below, a whine of gears sounded as the entry door shut.
Standing before the door, with a giant, still-smoking launcher resting on his shoulder, was Alfie. He set down a wriggling sack. With a loud yowl, a fuzzy, horned creature emerged.
“Havoc!” Gilly shrieked happily.
Andi still stood motionless, staring down at the AI.
“Hello, Androma Racella,” Alfie said. “It seems we found you right on time. How can I further assist you in this mission?”
“Program this ship to get us the hell out of here.”
Moments later, the ship’s engines blazed as it shot through the planet’s atmosphere en route to Arcardius.
Chapter Sixty-Four
* * *
LIRA
THERE WASN’T ENOUGH Griss in the galaxy to drown out Lira Mette’s thoughts.
She sat alone in the storage room of the stolen Xen Pterran warship, slumped against a wooden crate she’d burned her way through with her scaled palms. Smoke still lingered in the small space, wafting among the stacked bags of food stores, the flagons of water, the metal shelf across from her that held extra Xen Pterran soldiers’ masks.
“Damn it,” Lira cursed. She looked at the bottle of amber liquid that sat beside her on the metal floor, the final few drops calling her name.
Ever since the ship had lifted off the ground, every horrific moment of the past few hours had begun to melt together until it formed one massive monster full of memories.
Now the monster whispered her name, begging Lira to lose herself in its siren song.
She wouldn’t give in.
Instead, Lira scooped up the bottle of Griss and tipped it onto her tongue, quickly swallowing every last blessed drop.
With each sip she took, she remembered a little less. But still, despite the pile of four empty bottles to which she added the newly emptied one, it didn’t drown out the sounds.
The feelings.
The pain.
She would never forget the screams that followed the first bullet, the first death. The squelch of hot blood hitting the sand as the Xen Pterrans came out of nowhere and attacked.
She would never be able to erase the image of her brother’s body dropping beside her. How it felt to flee for their lives through the smoke, chests heaving, hearts racing. Lon’s blood on her hands, wet tears on her face, scales blazing like purple torches in the midst of the firefight as they ran through the desert, desperate for escape.
Lira groaned, her head spinning and throbbing as she grabbed another bottle of Griss and tried to uncork it with her bare hands.
But looking at her hands brought back the memory of Lon lying in the sand and Lira pressing her palms against his chest, trying in vain to stop the bleeding.
She gasped and threw the bottle.
It exploded against the far side of the room, glass raining down like little shards of broken stars.
“Now, that was a waste.”
Lira turned, feeling like her head might wobble off her neck.
Andi stood in the doorway of the small storage room, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips pulled back in a small smirk.
“I asked to be alone,” Lira said.
The words came out jumbled, as if her tongue, too, were drunk on Griss.
“That’s the problem with your being my Second,” Andi answered with a sigh as she entered the storage room and joined Lira on the floor, legs crisscrossed beneath her. “I’m the captain, and I’ve denied your request.”
Lira glared at her.
“Lira, you’ve been sitting in here for hours,” Andi said. She reached out to place a hand on Lira’s arm, but Lira shoved her away. “Lon is stable, thanks to Alfie, but if you don’t go and check on him soon, he might wake up and find Gilly at his side. Or worse, Havoc.”
Her voice sounded completely matter-of-fact, as if they were just carrying out a normal mission.
“What the hell is your problem?” Lira asked suddenly.
Andi looked like she’d been slapped.