Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,30

engine room. Lucky for us, the room was empty. You’d think with a major space battle raging, there would be someone manning engineering.

“Whee! That fun,” LeeLee exclaimed as she skittered up my helmet’s ears.

Cazzo! Bey was going to kill me. “Where’s LooLoo?”

“She guard Cason.”

I could only hope. Setting the timers on three thermite grenades, I placed them on the floor and smiled. This was going to work and Trayon would never even know I was gone.

“Why are you on a Rodan ship Jia?”

I stiffened at the menace in Trayon’s voice. “I’m going to blow it up.”

“And if one of our missiles destroys it first?”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take. Your shields aren’t going to hold much longer.”

“Return to the ship now,” Trayon commanded. In the background I could hear the computer warning, “Shields down to fifty percent.”

“You’re running out of time and I’m your last hope.” I broke the link. “Next ship Chiara.”

A spinning vortex engulfed us. After what seemed to be an eternity, the vortex spat us out in front of two pint-sized Rodan soldiers. Merda!

For a long moment, they stared at us in surprise, then bellowed a bunch of hisses, clacks, yawps, and grunts.

With the warp drive a few feet away, I didn’t dare use my power balls or my laser pistol. The last thing I wanted to do was blow up the ship with us on it. “No speaky Rodan.”

“I think they want to know how we got in here,” Chiara said.

“Like I would tell them.” The idiots still hadn’t pulled their weapons. I guess my armor wasn’t as scary as I thought.

In Galactic Basic mind speak, the bigger soldier snapped, “Surrender or die.”

“No. You surrender and die,” I automatically responded in Galactic Basic.

“I will enjoy eating your brains.”

“And I’ll enjoy killing you and your buddies.”

Adoz took flight as the Rodan soldiers finally reached for their laser pistols.

“Web their faces LeeLee.”

Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat.

The blinded Rodan soldiers bellowed in fury and tried to rip the webbing off.

I drew my firearm and switch to the stun setting. “Hit them again LeeLee.”

Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat.

The smaller soldier’s hands were glued to his face. He made wheezing noises as he fought to break free of the sticky strands.

“Aw, it must be getting tough to breathe. Maybe you should pray to whatever God you worship and ask for forgiveness for all the lifeforms you’ve slaughtered,” I said coldly.

With a muffled roar, the soldiers lunged for me.

Cazzo! In my desperate attempt to get out of their way, I tripped over a size fifteen boot and did a face plant on the deck. My pistol slid across the floor.

“Me bite.” LeeLee jumped on the smaller soldier’s arm and bit him repeatedly. His limbs twitched once, and he toppled over.

I swung my legs in scissor kick and sent the bigger soldier crashing into the wall. On my hands and knees, I made a mad scramble for my pistol.

Gasping for air, the remaining soldier managed to pull his weapon and fired wildly.

Sizzling red bolts whizzed over my head. I flinched as several gaping holes appeared in the interior walls. A Rodan soldier in a bloody green jumpsuit ran into the room. Zap! A beam hit him in the chest, and his body disintegrated into a million fireflies. Was he the chief engineer? I really hoped so.

Chiara grumbled angrily, “He will kill us all.”

“I thought he’d pass out by now.” I peered under a console. Where was my gun?

LeeLee skittered up. “What lookin’ for?”

“My pistol.” I flinched as two energy beams seared across my armor. Cazzo! Enough was enough. “Burn his gun Adoz.”

Adoz spat gouts of fire.

The flames incinerated the soldier’s hand and pistol. His shrieks were muted by the webbing.

I quickly checked LeeLee over. “Are you hurt?”

“Me kay.” LeeLee nuzzled my fingers. “This fun.”

Fun wasn’t quite the word I’d use. I stuck her on my head. “Chiara?”

“I am uninjured. I see your pistol.” Chiara wriggled under the console and pushed it out with her nose.

Thank God. I grabbed my weapon and stunned the Rodan. “Shut the hell up.”

“These events were unexpected,” Chiara said as she slithered around my waist.

I blew out a long breath as I climbed to my feet. “Combat always throws you a few curves.” Adoz landed on my shoulder.

“Pretty lights,” LeeLee cooed.

I stared at the control console in horror. It was full of warning lights. I examined the readouts. One of the laser beams must have damaged the nacelle coils and the warp drive was overloading. When it blew,