Tamed By the Alien Pirate by Celia Kyle Page 0,52
right through. “Neat trick but I can’t fit through that. Hey, wait up!”
I try the door panel, and it rises into the ceiling housing about halfway before it strikes the bubbled, melted edge of the hole Num tore through it. Ducking low, I move through in a crouch and come up into a dead run, chasing the luminescent insectoid sapient down the corridor.
My blood runs cold as we encounter a team of Star Crushers, no less than five of them. Their mustachioed leader shouts in alarm.
“The little freak is loose. Waste him.”
I throw myself to my belly on the floor of the corridor, fearing the worst, but their slug-thrower projectiles pass right through Num without harming him. Then the little critter flaps his six-foot wings and darts forward with far more speed than his anatomy should allow. He must be using his energy emanations for additional thrust.
Num passes through them, and the Crushers react as if they’ve stepped on a live wire. They spasm about, dropping to the floor and foaming at the mouth. He left them alive, which is something I wouldn’t have done in his position.
What kind of galaxy is it when a bug has more morality than a human being?
I shake off the notion and chase after him. Num flies into the lift at the end of the corridor and starts flashing code again.
Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
“I’m coming. I’m coming.” I join him in the lift but pause before telling it which deck I want to transfer to. Where should I go? The bridge? With Num’s help I might be able to take control of it, but I know precious little about how to pilot a massive, complex ship like this one.
As if in response to my confusion, Captain Soandzo’s voice emanates over the comms.
“Attention, all available crew, the hangar bay has been compromised. Enter with caution.”
Only one person on board could have compromised the hangar bay. Zander. He’s still alive. My love is still alive. I simply have to reach him.
My finger jams the control panel a dozen times, instructing the lift to take us to the bottom most deck. When we come out of the lift, at least ten armored Crushers are trying to breach the hangar bay’s massive doors.
“Sic ‘em, Num.”
These Star Crushers are more heavily armored and carry plasma beam rifles. I fear for Num’s safety as they fire a barrage, but I forgot that he absorbs energy. Slowly his color grows brighter as they empty their clips trying to bring him down. I have to turn my head away because of Num’s intensely bright glow.
Then he releases that stored energy in the form of twin beams from his eyes. I can only perceive this because of the reflection in the deck plating. The Star Crusher’s class-four hard armor melts like butter under a sun lamp, burning the men inside of it alive.
I can’t help vomiting at the smell of burned flesh, but I don’t waste my pity on the Star Crushers. We didn’t start this fight, not even close.
Rushing up to the hangar bay doors, I jam my finger on the two-way hailing comm.
“Zander? Are you in there?”
I wait a few agonizing moments before I get a response.
“Thrase?” His tone is rife with a mix of disbelief and elation. “Is it really you, my jalshagar?”
“It’s really me, Zander. Oh god, I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“Likewise. Hang on, I’ll buzz you in.”
The doors slide apart, and I rush into his arms. We hold each other tightly as the doors slide shut once more, and Num just kind of hovers there as a silent witness.
Zander notices the insectoid sapient for the first time and stumbles backward, reaching for his pistol.
“No, Zander. He’s on our side”
“Good. We need all the help we can get.”
“Indeed.” I look about the hangar bay and notice the carnage. “You have been quite busy.”
Zander chuckles and then gestures about in disgust.
“There’s no escape pods or shuttle craft to be found. I’m afraid we’re stuck here in this hangar bay.”
“Could we try to take the bridge?”
“I’ve considered that, but they’ve locked down the lifts from reaching the top deck with blast doors. Maybe Fiona could hack their systems from here, but I certainly cannot. It’s not in my purview.”
“Mine either. Hopefully the Queen and that strange ship will be able to win—why are you shaking your head? Don’t you have faith in Solair and the rest of the crew?”
“I have plenty of faith in their mettle, but not their metal. This