Nokx swallowed a groan. Too late for that. EJ was trapped in the escape pod. There was no way she’d ever be able to get back to shelter if she tried to leave. They had to take their chances in space. They could hide somewhere within the gen ship’s shields and hope that Gygak didn’t destroy them.
He shook his head and straightened, holding the wall to steady himself. There was a med pack on the escape pod. He just had to make it to the pod.
Nokx fired a few stunner blasts to pin down the Horgut guards, then caught EJ’s gaze. She stared at him, her intensity almost willing him to start running. She nodded once, shouldered the rifle, and started firing.
Nokx ran.
He dodged the first Horgut that barreled toward him and threw the wide alien into another approaching guard. But it cost him time and balance, and he staggered.
A Slasu shouted orders to drag him down, to do whatever it took, and something slammed into Nokx’s back and sent him to his knees. A roar rushed through his ears until he heard nothing but noise, felt nothing but static when he tried to rise. His scales constricted, trying to protect his vitals, as everything grew cold. He rolled but ran into something and grunted. Trapped.
When something wrapped around his boots, he lifted his head and moved his legs, ready to fight as it dragged him.
His vision blurred but he recognized the scent as it drifted through the air, under the burning of flesh and lasers. EJ.
Chapter 45
EJ
She saw him fall and cursed more than she had in her entire life. He made it most of the way before the Horgut ran into him and the Slasu fired over and over despite that she managed to shoot most of them. She destroyed the weapons of the last few and bought herself some time while they fiddled with the gadgets.
EJ crammed the rifle between the doors to keep them open, and dragged the pod’s cable and hook anchor with her to wrap around Nokx’s ankles. Her heart pounded in her ears as she counted every second, tried to hear every motion and breath of the guards and everyone else trying to kill her. The generator lights flickered and gave out with a hiss and crackle and plunged the whole place into chaos and darkness.
Shit. Shit.
EJ used the cable as a guide to the escape pod, then hit the winch to drag Nokx along the floor. The damn thing jammed and she kicked it, desperate. It wound slowly, creaking and groaning, and she scrambled to the nav terminal to start disengaging the pod and release it from the ship. The second Nokx was in the pod, she’d release the magnets and launch them to safety. Finally, to safety.
The pod began its countdown and EJ vaulted back over the seat to help the winch get Nokx. She skidded and almost slammed into the door, the rifle jostling loose until it fell. EJ hauled on the cable as a Slasu appeared out of the darkness into the soft glow from the panels inside the pod, and loomed over Nokx as EJ dragged his legs onto the pod.
She ducked as the Slasu swung its appendages into the pod and hissed, “You will serve me first before I sell you, Earther,” and lunged to capture her.
EJ kicked it instead, cursing, and dodged for the bent rifle. She clubbed the Slasu with it but he pulled out a stunner and winged her. EJ staggered back, her shoulder burning, tears prickling her eyes and the pod tilting under her feet. The Slasu bared its rows of teeth and caught her arm.
Nokx growled and twisted where he lay, slamming his knee up into the Slasu’s soft gut, and distracted it just long enough for EJ to...
The dagger slid loose from her belt and found her hand as if by magic. Everything slowed down around her as the Slasu raked its claws down Nokx’s side and the escape pod began beeping its warning that the doors would lock and the magnets would disengage. She brought the dagger up and slid it home. Twisted it. Pulled it free.
A gush of fluid escaped the Slasu, coating the floor, and the Slasu shrieked in a high-pitched reeeeeee that pierced EJ’s brain like a needle. She screamed right back and shoved it hard through the narrowing doors and hauled Nokx by the front of his uniform the rest