“There’s a device on his ship that allows them to pass from one dimension to another,” Salvo summarized. “It’s a prototype, so it needs to be destroyed.”
“If you destroy the prototype, I’ll just build another,” Hastos countered.
“That will be a little hard to do from this dimension,” Jaron told him. “A sentinel will be here momentarily with a suppression collar, so it’s highly unlikely you will ever see your home dimension again.”
Suddenly, armed Cretzians filled the hallway. Jaron gasped and moved in front of Nikki.
Energy bursts zinged past her, searing the walls. Nikki screamed, unable to stop the impulse.
“Get down!” Malik and Jaron yelled in unison.
Nikki got on the floor and covered her head with her arms. Natalie was already down in much the same position.
More energy bursts echoed all around them interspersed with shouts and cries of pain. One of the Cretzians crouched near her firing repeatedly at the energy field surrounding the holding cell. The angle of his pulses would keep the blasts from hitting his commander if the field went down suddenly. She tried to kick the weapon out of his hand, but he simply pointed the pistol at her with a challenging expression.
Dread washed over her as her heart thudded wildly in her chest. She hated being helpless, but she didn’t possess the skills needed to assist the males. All she could do was make herself as small a target as possible and try not to distract anyone.
“Go!” Malik shouted, drawing Nikki’s attention. “Go now!” Who had he been commanding and where did he want them to go?
Salvo opened a portal with the wave of his hand and Natalie rushed through. Without hesitation, Nikki followed suit. Salvo was close behind her.
Nikki stayed back, watching in horror as Jaron and Malik battled with the Cretzians. They were outnumbered almost three to one, and the Cretzian who’d threatened her was still working on the barrier.
Without explaining his actions, Salvo sat and slipped his hands into the holo-controls. The feed from the external camera shifted to the center of the grid and then was joined by additional external views. Had Salvo just activated the rooftop cannons? All things considered, it was a safe bet.
Jaron cried out and Nikki’s gaze shot back to his image, her heart lodging in her throat. One of the Cretzian weapons had grazed his hip. He ignored the injury and kept firing, shifting targets with blurring speed. He was okay, at least for now. She forced herself to take a breath. Jaron and Malik were both seasoned soldiers. This might terrify her, but it was commonplace for them.
The energy field sputtered out and Hastos bolted from the cell with an enraged roar. Malik blasted him in the center of the chest driving him backward.
Zerna grabbed her lover’s arm and gave it a firm shake. “Forget them. Get us out of here.”
Hastos issued a sharp command and all of the Cretzians disappeared.
Malik didn’t miss a beat. He sprinted back to the control room. “Fire. Godsdamn it fire!”
“Still charged,” Salvo snapped without shifting his gaze from the targeting display.
Jaron hurried over to Nikki and pulled her into his arms.
“You okay?” she whispered, knowing his hip must be painful but both focused on the external feed.
“Finally,” Salvo muttered and fired the cannons, one then the other. The first shot hit the back section of the ship, spinning it around. The second pulse missed. He adjusted the aim and waited for the wild spinning to slow before he fired again. Both shots connected this time and the ship exploded, the light blinding, the force shaking the building.
All three males yelled in triumph, but Nikki just felt stunned. Relieved silence fell over the room as they stared at the section of sky that had contained the Cretzian ship moments before. It had all happened so fast. None of it seemed real.
“I find myself in the awkward position of offering you my thanks.” A deep voice sounded behind them and everyone whipped around, pointing their weapons at the intruder. He was Cretzian and dressed in a richly decorated hip-length shirt and solid black pants. He raised both hands as he said, “Harming me would have dire consequences. I strongly advise against it. As you can see, I am unarmed.”
His Sarronti was so heavily accented that Nikki struggled to understand him.
“Who the hell are you and why are you here?” Malik demanded in a low, autocratic tone.
“This conversation will be more productive if you lower your