Beauty And The Alien Beast

by Zara Zenia

  I drove as fast as I could through the streets, going far out of my way to avoid the parade traffic. The palace ship was on the outskirts of New -New Orleans, in the swamps. I hit a patch of traffic, though and everything was blocked. Pulling to the side of the road, I parked than jumped out of the vehicle and ran. It was all that I could think to do. I needed to get to him before Humanity First did.

  Manzar couldn’t die—he was the love of my life and the father of my child.

  Chapter 39

  Manzar

  BOOM! BOOM!

  We were under attack. Dammit. I had hoped to find Andromeda before Humanity First made its first blow, but it was too late. They had arrived.

  "It’s Humanity First!" Lieutenant Danja shouted.

  I jumped from the chair and pulled the lever of the drones flying around the palace ship. This gave me eyes everywhere. I was worried. I wasn’t exactly in shock over the Humanity First attack. Leader Gogin had given us an ultimatum and we didn’t take it. We’d picked up the fleet out in space on the radar as they entered the Earth’s atmosphere. I’d known they were coming.

  This attack was to be expected, but this was the first time during a battle that I worried about someone I loved. Damn it, I love her and our child. Knowing that she was out there somewhere made it harder to concentrate on the mission at hand. I had a lot at stake. I couldn’t lose her and our child.

  As the drones gave us an eagle eye view, I wasn’t ready for the sight that I captured. There were Humanity First soldiers flooding in through a large hole in the fence. They had blown a hole in it. That had been the sound of the blast we’d heard a few minutes ago.

  Damn it!

  "Reinforcements cover that hole now!" I shouted to the battalion of soldiers who were running and flooding out onto the perimeter of the ship.

  "Tell me how that happened without us seeing it!" I demanded of Danja who was at my side.

  "The blast came out of nowhere, my Prince,” Danja reported. “The night has been very silent and dark, and then suddenly, boom. We didn’t see anyone approaching the fence, my Prince. So maybe they planted the explosions days ahead of time? There’s no way of knowing right now, sir. I will get someone on it as soon as possible to find out when, my Prince.”

  After the blast, Humanity First forces in speeders made their way through the fence. They came directly for the palace ship, I was tracking them on the drones.

  "Reinforcements to the roof! Guard as much as you can!" I yelled into the communication radios that were linked to all my soldiers. A flood of our battalions ran to the roof to get a sniper view. Our ships were in the air shooting at those that entered the fence.

  There was fighting on every corner of the palace ship. Many Humanity First had flooded in and everyone was in the battle. I sent the drones out further to see that there were more Humanity First headed toward the fence from the streets and alleys of the city just beyond the tall grasses of the coast bayou.

  “Danja, take command here. I’m going to roof to fight!”

  “Yes, my Prince!”

  “Let them come,” I growled as I climbed the stairs and burst out onto the roof. I looked down. There were at least three hundred of them running at full speed right underneath where I stood.

  "Sniper Blaster!" I yelled. I was handed a blaster and I began to shoot, picking off the Humanity First soldiers who were running toward the fence. My soldiers followed my lead and everyone began shooting at this new threat. Soon the blasting was too much for them, and this particular group of Humanity First turned around and retreated back.

  "Woo hoo!" my soldiers shouted.

  "Don’t celebrate just yet. We have yet to be freed of the Humanity First units that have infiltrated the palace ship. We cannot shoot from here. We might shoot our own Trilyn out there. I’m going down for hand to hand combat. The rest of you stay up here and keep the area clear. If the Humanity First raid approaches, blast them again!" I shouted.

  I ran down the steps toward the bottom of the ship and burst out of the front gate. I began to fight in hand to hand combat with the first Humanity First soldier I came across.

  Bam! I punched one across the jaw as he lifted his blaster toward my face. I knocked the blaster out of his hand and picked it up. Before he stood up, I hit him with a shot from his blaster and he fell unconscious.

  "Take this one prisoner!" I shouted to one of my soldiers.

  The unconscious Humanity First soldier was picked up and carried through the chaos to our prison cells. Anyone of these men could have answers on Andromeda. They would know where she was.

  I continued fighting. Making my way where I knew the main raid was concentrated. I realized that they had been planning this ever since Andromeda arrived. They were going toward our weapons’ hold. I had to wonder if that was what they were after. I knew they wanted our weapons technology, so they could duplicate it. I should've known Humanity First would try something like this. They were warriors, as we were. They wanted power and we had it. I blamed myself for this attack. The fence should have been examined every day, both on the inside and the outside, especially after our patrol was attacked. In hindsight, I now regretted not making clear decisions, but it was too late for that.

  Boom! Boom!

  I turned my head to see one of our speeders being blown up. It was then that I saw that Humanity First had gained access to the weapons’ hold. They were loading their own speeders with our weapons and were blowing up our speeders in return.

  "All fire concentrated on those speeders! Don't let them get away!" I shouted into my radio communicator to Lieutenant Danja.

  The response was quick and before I knew it, our soldiers were now a complete and a solid force.

  Boom!

  In quick succession, they hit the Humanity First speeders that held our stolen weapons. I would rather see those weapons destroyed than in their hands.

  As I looked at the wounded being picked up and taken into the ship, I couldn’t believe what I saw in the distance.

  Andromeda!

  It is Andromeda!

  She ran across the battlefield dodging blaster bullets and jumping over soldiers rolling across the ground under her feet. She was making her way to the palace ship.

  I applauded her bravery, but I knew she and our child were in danger, I needed to get to her. Why hadn’t I flown a ship out here? Then I could have gotten to her easily.

  "Andromeda! Andromeda!" I shouted across the field.

  She couldn’t hear me in the chaos that was going on. She wouldn’t have obeyed my orders anyway. I sighed with this realization. I’d planned to shout for her to take cover and remain there until I came to get her, but I knew she was much too stubborn for that. It was in her nature. It was a courageous and stupid thing. Thinking about her stubbornness distracted me, as I stood there trying to figure out a way to get to her quickly.

  Bam!

  I felt a sting at the back of my knees as I went down to the ground. A Humanity First soldier had hit me with a shot in the leg and now towered over me with his blaster aimed at me.

  "Well, well, if it isn't the Prince himself. I’m surprised that you came out here yourself to fight. It’s either very brave or very stupid.” He grinned. “What would happen to the palace ship if I cut the head off the snake?"

  I sneered at him and said, "I dare you to try Humanity First scum."

  As he fixed his aim preparing to fire, I kicked his feet out from under him. Trilyn reflexes were second to none. The blaster shot in the air and I wrestled with him on the ground.

  He was very strong, but not anywhere near of equal strength. He rolled on top of me with his hands around my neck, attempting to choke the life out of me. All I could think about was Andromeda. Where is she? Did she make it inside the palace and to safety?

  I kneed him to the chest, but he only buckled for a second and didn’t loosen his grasp. I thought about Andromeda. I’d never see her again if I let this moron kill me. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
The thought of never seeing her again gave me greater strength.

  I made a direct chop to his throat. He choked and the breath was knocked out of him as he rolled off of me, grabbing at his own neck. I used my hands clutching them together in one big fist and hit him on the back of the head. He fell unconscious.

  Where is she? I can’t live without her. I stood up and scanned the area. I couldn’t see her amid the chaos.

  “Danja! Get the drones down here. Scan the area for Andromeda! She is here somewhere. Do it now!” I demanded.

  “Yes, my Prince!” Danja answered immediately.

  Chapter 40

  Andi

  "The perimeter fences has been penetrated. Humanity First has infiltrated the palace ship!” I heard a Humanity First soldier report into his wrist communicator. “We are heading inside the weapons’ hold of the palace ship!” the Humanity First soldier continued reporting as I ran through the chaos.

  Those words stunned me because I knew that there would be many injuries, but mostly because I needed Manzar to be all right. I needed to find him.

  I couldn’t live with myself if I hid and cowered waiting for the fight to end and he lay dying somewhere. No, I needed to find him.

  There was fighting everywhere. The light beams of blaster shots zoomed by here and there, as I darted left and right to avoid them. I looked ahead across the swamp at the palace ship at the other end. There was no other way for me to get there other than to run across the battlefield. It would be complete suicide to do it. I looked around at the injured who were lying on the ground. I saw a few being put on stretchers and taken inside the palace ship. That was where I needed to go.

  I looked around wondering if I could see Manzar. I knew he had to be out here, he was too much of a warrior not to be. But I couldn’t see him. Maybe I was wrong and he was in the command center ordering soldiers and defenses while not being on the actual battlefield? I hoped so, he’d be safer there. There was too much fighting and chaos and it was growing darker. I hoped he was okay. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t lose him now when there was so much that was unsaid between us and I was carrying his child. He had to know, I had to tell him that I loved him.

  "Andromeda, you can do this. Take a deep breath and just run," I whispered to myself. I took a deep breath and then I was off. I ran straight for the palace ship gate while dodging laser bullets, soldiers fighting hand to hand combat, and wounded Humanity First members that were scattered around my feet. My heart was beating so fast and I thought that at any second I was going to be shot. I ducked, ran and screamed in terror. For a second, I thought I heard my name being shouted in the wind, but I knew it was just my mind playing tricks on me and the fear of the moment.

  Finally, I made it to the wall of the palace ship. All I had to do was just go to the left against the wall and I would make it inside the gate. I held onto the wall and caught my breath. I was safe, sort of. There was no guarantee that the Humanity First wouldn’t try to blow up this entire ship as well.

  Boom!

  There was another explosion and I froze. It was loud and terrifying. I saw that there were speeder ships being blown up across the field.

  “Well, what do you know? It’s that Trilyn bitch lover, ain’t it?” A Humanity First soldier pointed his gun at me.

  I lifted my hands in the air.

  “Yeah, it is her. Trilyn lovers, her and her father,” another said.

  There were three of them and all had their guns pointed at me. This was it. I was so close to being in Manzar’s arms again and yet, this was how it would end for me.

  “Didn’t we have this one as a prisoner?” a soldier said.

  “Yeah, she probably escaped. Should we take her back, or kill her?”

  They laughed together.

  “I say kill her. No one would know in all of this chaos. The whore probably carries the child of a Trilyn already.” The soldier cocked his gun and raised it at me.

  I closed my eyes and put my hands on my stomach. “I love you,” I whispered.

  Blaster fire erupted in a deafening sound. But it didn’t hurt. I was surprised at how much it didn’t hurt. The soldiers cursed and shouted. I opened my eyes to see that they were not shooting me at all. They were now turned away from me, and were being shot at themselves. In seconds, they were all down on the ground, dead.

  I looked for the source of the blaster fire that had saved me.

  There, running toward me was my man beast in all his glory.

  “Manzar!” I shouted, overjoyed to see him. “Manzar you're here! You’re alive! I was so worried!" I called to him.

  He grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes with anger and said, "Why are you here on the battlefield, Andromeda? You’ve put yourself in danger. I wouldn’t be able to live if something happened to you!" he stated with passion as he pulled me into his arms.

  His words made me feel good that he did in fact really care about me. Perhaps he even loved me. Maybe he no longer thought of me as the spy. “I’m sorry. I had to come and find you. I tried to get to you before the attack started, to warn you and—”

  “Shh, it’s all right. You’re here.” He stroked my cheek and looked me in the eyes. “I love you, Andromeda.”

  “I love you too, Manzar.” I smiled up at him, my lips trembling.

  He pulled me into his arms again and kissed me. I pressed against his strong chest and kissed him back. It felt good to be in his arms again. Even with battle going on around us, I felt safe, very safe, but it was a fleeting moment.

  “You think you can just do what you want, beast?” Jake shouted from behind us.

  We both turned to see him standing there, pointing a gun at us. My hands immediately went to my stomach. I hadn’t even had time to tell Manzar that I carried his child. Jake scared me. He wasn’t just any Humanity First soldier, he had vengeance in his eyes and in his heart. There was no way he would let us go.

  “Aim that gun at me. Not at her,” Manzar growled at him, trying to protect me.

  I wished that he hadn’t said such a thing. I knew it would set Jake off. Knowing that Manzar cared for me, was one of them. Manzar walked slowly to the side, away from me. I knew what he was doing. Jake would have to choose who to keep the gun on, Manzar, or me.

  “Let Andromeda go free. I’m the one you want. Kill me, but she lives.”

  “No!” I shouted.

  Jake laughed. “I’ll kill you both, Trilyn scum.” Then Jake’s expression changed. He now wore a very serious look on his face as the gun moved from Manzar to me. “Have you had her yet?” he asked, a smirk on his lips. “She’s a good fuck, isn’t she?”

  I knew rage boiled inside Manzar, I had seen it before. The beast was blazing. I knew that he was going to charge Jake at any moment.

  “There is no way that I’m allowing you to touch her. Look around you, it is you that will end up dead,” Manzar said.

  “That’s not true. Tell me, did it hurt, Prince, to find out that she’s a spy? My spy.” He smirked at Manzar.

  “No! I’m not! Don’t listen to him, Manzar!” I screamed at Jake.

  Jake turned his eyes back to me at my words and in that moment, Manzar dove across the ground and fired a shot at Jake at the same time. It was an impressive move. Even in this moment of danger, I was aroused by this beast. He was a greatly skilled soldier. The gun blast hit Jake in the arm. But it didn’t stop him. He charged in the direction of Manzar with a look of anger. “Aagh!”

  “Manzar, look out!” I screamed.

  Manzar, moved out of the way. But Jake still hit his leg. Suddenly, the two of them were rolling across the rocky ground. Gun blasters were in each of their hands as they tried to aim at each other. I was nervous to be caught in the blast–

  Our baby!

  But I couldn’t run away and abandon Manzar. They were punching each other hard.

  Manzar knocked the gun out of Jake’s hand and I held my breath watching. Then Manzar lost his gun.

  Jake p
ulled out a long knife trying to swipe at Manzar. It was hard to watch. I wanted to help him. But I knew that if I did, it would just be a distraction. He needed to stay focused.

  The fight was brutal, blow after blow, and it seemed that they were a match for each other. But then they rolled off the road and into the swamp. They sank under the reeds.

  I panicked and ran to the edge looking into the blackest water I’d ever seen. “Manzar, no…” I fretted staring into the abyss.

  Chapter 41

  Manzar

  He held a gun to Andromeda and me. This trash called Jake. It seemed that he had the upper hand in that moment, but he didn’t know me. He didn’t know my skills. I was more than guns. I waited for him to shift his gaze and then I took my chance. I dove for him, taking him down to the ground. We wrestled for a moment, both of us trying to aim at each other with our blasters.

  I knocked his blaster free of his hand and thought for a moment I had him, but he was equally skilled at hand to hand, and was able to knock my own blaster free. We continued to wrestle, rolling on the rocky ground.

  Then we plunged into the deep water. I grappled with him, getting my hands around his neck, and strangling him until I figured he was lifeless in the black water. How dare he treat Andromeda in such a way! I needed to be rid of him or he would never leave her be.

  I pulled myself up on the bank of the swamp to catch my breath. The battle raged on around me. Gunfire and bombs exploded.

  “The council guard has arrived!” one of my soldiers shouted.

  That’s good. I knew we could take Humanity First on our own, but it would be quicker with help and less loss of life for the Trilyn. I pushed myself to my feet and looked around. I needed to find Andromeda. We had wrestled under water far down the bank, but I noticed our battle took us farther down the swamp.