Tamed By the Alien Pirate by Celia Kyle Page 0,37

slowing down. We hasten to follow, and it’s rather impressive how much havoc they wreak.

I find many bodies of Star Crushers with daggers stuck out of them. Maybe I should add some of those fine toys to my own arsenal? It’s a puzzle for another time, however, as we are met with more resistance.

If it were just us Kilgari and our human mates, this would be a terrible slog. But with the Contras on our side, we make short work of the opposition. I barely have to fire my weapon as we take the first floor.

Eschewing the elevator—those things are death traps when the enemy has control—we all surge up the steps. I actually pass the Contras on the stairs because my desire to see Thrase to safety trumps my good sense.

Bursting out of the stairwell, I scream in fury as I cut down four Star Crusher Kreetu with my weak force pistol. Then I continue on, melting my way through one of the access doors we couldn’t pass earlier.

My heart rate quickens when I realize we’re in a holding cell area. But I pass by empty room after empty barred room, my gut bottoming out when I get to the end and I don’t find her.

But I do find a battered, blood stained, but smiling Lokyer in the last cell.

“I knew you’d come for me,” he says, tears welling in his eyes. “Did Swipt and Ilya make it back to the ship?”

“They did. Your heroism was not in vain.” I melt the bars away into steaming piles of gray ooze and rush to his side. “Are you injured?”

“You think?” He grimaces as I help him to his feet. “But I’ll damn well walk out of here.”

I hesitate to ask, given his condition, but I’m spurred on by thoughts of Thrase.

“Did you see where they’re holding Thrase, Lokyer?”

“Thrase?” He chuckles as I help him stagger out into the corridor. “She’s been nothing short of brilliant. I mean, she’s still working with them. I’m pretty sure she convinced that bag of tumors Dr. Mal that she was on their side.”

“She’s not a captive?”

“No, not at all.”

“You think she betrayed us?”

“No, because otherwise I’d be dead. I think we got a girl on the inside. She’s probably up on the roof escaping into their shuttle with the rest of the noncombatant staff.”

Kintar comes into view, and I shove Lokyer’s battered body into his arms. Then I take off at a dead run for the stairwell. I don’t deign to answer Solair’s inquiry as I flash past him and race up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Damn it, so many floors to go, and so little time. When I’m within sight of the top level, I can hear the whine of the shuttle’s engines. Sounds like one of Helios Combine manufacture, which means it won’t take long to get off the roof.

Bursting out of the roof access door, I cry out in frustration as the vaguely cylindrical silver shuttle begins to lift off the roof. But the rear bay doors have yet to fully close. Tossing my rifle down to divest myself of its weight, I stretch my legs out to their fullest and leap over empty sky.

My fingers barely manage to gain purchase on the slick metal bay door, and I struggle to haul myself inside. I make it into the interior, avoiding a terrible crushing death by mere inches.

I’ve made it. But my elation is short lived when I realize it’s just me against an entire ship full of enemies.

Nonetheless, my determination to find Thrase does not falter. Drawing my pistol, I creep along the darkened corridor, intent on any signs of danger.

Chapter Eighteen

Thrase

“Any progress with that?” Standing by the doorway, Dr. Mal crosses his arms and looks at the metal station where Num has been strapped. The poor creature is chirping unhappily, its wide eyes following the rotating monitors as they scan his body. I was instructed to perform an analysis of the quantum field it uses but, instead of doing that, I’ve been trying to work on a solution to undo its poor state.

So far, no progress.

“It’ll take some time,” I reply, and Mal just shakes his head with vague disinterest.

“Never mind that thing right now,” he continues. “We have bigger fish to fry. Come with me, Thrase.” Without waiting for me to say something, he turns on his heels and marches back the way he came. I offer Num a sad smile and then follow after