by S. J. Bryant
He squeezed his eyes shut against the glare, begging for darkness. His neck tingled at the thought that there could be a human creeping up on him at that very moment. He had to see, he had to move. Corvus forced his left hand up and with great effort pulled the goggles from his neck and over his face. Only then did he risk opening his eyes and glancing at his surroundings.
There was no one near him. He struggled to spread his legs out and unfurl his body. There didn't seem to be any broken bones, another relief.
Screams surrounded him. He frowned, he recognised the voices; they were not those of pitiful humans. The tide of battle had turned and the damned light was still on. With the light, his people had no advantage, and they were forced to wear the damned goggles. The glow came from a ship; it hovered above them, blinding them all.
Corvus sucked in a deep breath and reached for the communicator at his belt. He pressed in the button.
"Ravyn, initiate the backup. I want that ship gone," Corvus snarled.
"Yes, sir," Ravyn replied.
After a few moments the ship above them rocked to the side. It swerved above the yard and shot higher into the sky. It must have detected Ravyn's guns powering up. That didn't matter, she was a good shot.
Corvus waited, keeping his senses tuned to his surroundings in case a foolish human decided to approach. A moment later, a massive pink beam burst out of the nearby mass of parked ships and into the sky. The ship above him shuddered. The light wavered but stayed on.
"It's a beat up bounty ship," Ravyn said. "It won't last another two shots."
"Then take it down," Corvus commanded.
He struggled to his feet and tested his legs. They were a little sore and his knees felt bruised but he could walk. He grabbed for the gun at his hip but the holster was empty. He spun in a tight circle but there was no sign of the weapon. Corvus gritted his teeth, it would have been good to kill her with her own gun, but crushing her pathetic neck in his hands would be almost as satisfying. He shuffled forward, keeping the container to his side and his eyes roving.
Another pink beam surged overhead and smashed into the ship. It shuddered and some of the lights went out. It wasn't enough; the glow in the yard was still too bright. The humans could see him as clearly as he could see them. That wasn't how he wanted this fight to go. The ship had to be destroyed.
***
"Nova, if we take one more hit then we're going down," Cal said. "The shields are at twenty percent."
"But we need that light," Nova pleaded, her voice desperate as she pulled yet another arrow and fired it at a passing lecheon.
"Then let me say it has been a pleasure working for you," Cal said, his tone dry.
Nova's heart beat faster. Cal and Crusader were her most prized possessions. Without them, what was she? A girl trapped on some mid-galaxy planet. Sure, she could get a lift back to The Jagged Maw, but then what?
"Get out of here," Nova whispered.
"Confirm?" Cal said.
"I said get out of here!" Nova yelled.
Crusader and the precious lights lifted away and shot into the distance just as another pink beam blasted through the air. The yard was plunged into darkness.
"Grishnak!" Nova kicked the metal container. "Briggles, are you still there?"
"Still here," Briggles replied.
"I'm sorry. They were about to destroy her anyway."
"No harm, no foul. Let's get these suckers."
The corner of Nova's mouth twitched. She reached behind her back for another arrow and her hand encountered nothing but air. She reached more desperately, but there were no more arrows.
Her eyes went wide.
She'd counted eleven. There should have been one more arrow left in her quiver. She ripped the quiver from her shoulder and tossed it to the metal beside her, but it was empty. Her fingers went loose and she dropped the bow, reaching into her boot for the wooden knife. She held it out in front of her body and strained her ears. There were lots of screams, a few gunshots, but nothing else she could make out from the din.
She was too exposed on top of the container. It was fine when the lights were on but in the dark she was a sitting target for any passing lecheon. She stepped to the edge, feeling forward with her toes until she got to the edge. She sat down and let her legs dangle over the side of the container. With a deep breath she let herself drop, bending her knees to take the impact.
Her heart leapt into her throat as she let herself fall into darkness. In her mind she knew the drop was only two metres but it didn't stop her stomach turning over as she fell through the air. She landed with a crunch and rolled to the side, crouching low. She gasped for air, clenched her fingers around the knife, and steeled her nerves.
There were footsteps crunching the gravel. They were lighter than she would have expected from any of the officers. It had to be a lecheon, and it was coming her way. She held her breath. It was hard to imagine that the creatures could see as well in this pitch darkness as she could during the day. She was forced to rely entirely on her ears.
The footsteps turned the corner of her container and stopped.
"And here you are," a familiar voice said.
"Hello Corvus," she whispered.
"It's so good to see you again," Corvus said in a playful voice.
"If you and your coven leave now and go back to your home planet, then we won't pursue you anymore. You can go and live your lives in peace. Otherwise, I will have to kill you," Nova said.
"Ha! Well, you have spirit, I'll give you that much." Corvus laughed. "But you owe me so much more than that. You killed my mate, Laticia, and so many more. It's your turn to pay."
Nova bit her lip; she wouldn't fall into Corvus's trap. If she was talking then she couldn't listen properly, and she needed to hear. She needed to know if he was getting closer.
Footsteps crunched. He was only a few feet away.
A shiver ran up Nova's spine. Her eyes widened but all they saw was a shroud of darkness. Corvus's eyes were on her; she could feel their predatory stare. In her mind's eye she imagined him licking his lips with the grotesque slug which was his tongue. She tried to control her breathing, to listen.
The footsteps stopped. If she really strained she could hear him breathing. His footsteps had been small, like he was shuffling. Was he still injured?
A loud scrape.
A change in the air alerted Nova and she scrambled to her right. Corvus's body slammed past her as he dived. He landed with a thud, turned and lunged again. Nova pictured his actions based on the sounds, but her eyes saw nothing. She stepped to her left at the last minute and the wind of Corvus's passing brushed past her skin.
"You're smarter than you look," Corvus said with a hiss.
Nova didn't respond; she couldn't afford to. She held her wooden knife in front of her chest, keeping her arm firm.
"Oh, I don't think that will do you any good," Corvus said.
He leapt for her, his feet leaving the ground. She stepped to the right but instead of moving away she turned and wrapped her arm around the dark shadow, stabbing at his back.
Corvus grunted and lashed out. His palm slammed into her chest and Nova flew backwards. Her head smashed against a shipping container and lights flashed at the edge of her vision. In the darkness she made out Corvus's silhouette as he bent double, his arms wrapped across his chest.
"You bitch!" he said through gasps.
Nova's head pounded and she teetered on the edge of consciousness. The knife was gone. She tapped the ground around her, desperately searching. Her arms were heavy like lead and it took all of her remaining strength to pull them along the ground.
Her hand came to rest on her empty quiver. She was about to push it away but Corvus's breaths were evening out. It wouldn't be long before he was on her. She thrust her hand into the quiver and squeezed her eyes closed. She focused on the arrows, how they'd looked at the start. There had been twelve of them.
Her hand tingled.
She took
a deep breath and snapped her hand closed. A single arrow caught between her fingertips and she ripped it out of the quiver. Nausea rolled in her stomach. The thought of reaching through time to steal an arrow from herself made her mind spin, something she couldn't afford in the heat of battle.
She tossed the quiver to the side just as Corvus leapt at her. He growled as his hands clenched around her throat. Her breath choked in her throat as she gasped for air. Blood rushed into her face and her head pounded. Her throat stung with the force of his fingers pressing down.
Her head spun, flashing lights circling the edges of her vision. She pulled back her hand and slammed the arrow into Corvus's side, burying it as deep as she could.
He howled in pain, rolling away from her and taking the arrow with him.
"Bitch!" he roared.
A string of curses, some of which Nova didn't recognise, streamed out of his mouth as he crawled away from her. He clutched the arrow.
Nova's heart fluttered lighter in her chest. The arrow was made of wood. There was no way Corvus could survive being stabbed in the chest. She licked her lips, waiting for him to die.
With a wet tearing sound Corvus gripped the arrow and ripped it out of his side. He tossed it at the shipping container and it bounced off with a metallic ting.
"You stuck up, human bitch!"
Nova's stomach dropped and her heart roared into overdrive at the strength in Corvus's voice. He sounded far from dead. She ran her hands across the ground for any other kind of weapon. Blood pounded against her eyes, and she bit her lip as she searched in vain. Her right hand brushed over something hard and metallic. She pulled the crossbow onto her lap, her heart fluttering as she felt the bolt, already in place.
Corvus stood straight and turned to her. In the darkness she could just make out the whites of his teeth and eyes. He glared at her and leapt. He moved with the speed of a panther, his hands held out before him like claws.
Nova braced herself against the container, lifted the crossbow, and pulled the trigger. The weapon jerked in her arms. She couldn't see the bolt but a second later Corvus grunted and crumpled to the ground. He convulsed in the dirt, his hands clutched around his chest.
"I'll kill you for this," he said through gritted teeth.
"I don't think so," Nova said, breathless.
She used the container to haul herself to her feet and stood over Corvus. She spoke into her radio.
"I've got him. I need two officers here now," she said.
A moment later heavy footsteps rounded the nearest container and an out of breath officer handed her a pair of night-vision goggles which she fastened over her face.
"It's hell out there," he said between gasps. "We barely managed to break free of the fighting."
"I know," Nova said. "But we're about to end it."
She bent to help them tie Corvus's feet and wrists together with wood-laced rope which made his skin blister.
With an almighty heave the three of them lifted Corvus and carried him between the containers, Nova leading the way. It was difficult to keep her bearings in the pitch blackness that pressed in on them. It took away the air and crawled into Nova's ears making everything seem muffled. She was suddenly so tired. If she just let go of Corvus now and -
Pheromones. He was trying to trick her again.
"Cut that out or I'll cut you," she said, glaring down at him.
He smirked at her, his lips twisted in a cruel parody of a smile. She blinked and shook her head before grabbing the bolt lodged in his chest and pushing it down. Corvus howled and the hazy cloud in Nova's head dissipated, her senses returning.
"I'll kill you. You, and your pathetic kind." Corvus's voice had become rough like gravel.
"Keep talking and I will push that bolt into your heart until you die."
Nova wrenched open the door of a shipping container and stepped aside. The officers carrying Corvus heaved him forward and tossed him through the air so that he landed with a crash inside the container. Nova slammed the door shut and the sound echoed around the ship yard. Even through the metal she could hear Corvus screaming and cursing her.
The container was special order; cold metal on the outside and wood coating on the inside.
Corvus's cries were bound to bring others. Nova rested her back against the locked door and clutched her knife. She brought the radio to her face with her other hand. She took a few deep breaths before pressing the communicate button.
"Briggles, are you there?" she asked.
"I'm here," Briggles said. He gasped between each word, his voice dull.
"I've got Corvus. We just need to take the rest of them and we're done here," she said. "Time to set off the secret weapon."
"Do you think it'll work?" Briggles asked; his tone hopeful.
"Let's hope so," Nova replied.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Corvus smashed his fist against the wall of the container and screamed as wood chips lodged into his hand. He fell to the ground, clutching his chest where the wooden bolt protruded. Blood seeped out around the wound, soaking his shirt.
He gripped the wood with his gloved hands and pulled. It slid a centimetre out of his chest, scraping across his ribs and leaving a trail of splinters. His head spun and his arms dropped back to his sides. He gasped but each breath made the bolt move, sending new waves of agony coursing through him.
The bolt would have killed a younger lecheon immediately, but he had a limited time before the poison leached into his heart. He could already feel it spreading out from the wound, like tendrils of death.
He took three quick breaths and snatched hold of the bolt, ripping it out further as he exhaled. His breath turned into a scream. The bolt was still imbedded an inch into his chest and his arms were weakening. Another minute and he'd be unable to move.
He thought of Laticia, picturing her regal beauty. He needed to survive, even if it was just for her. Ignoring the nausea boiling in his stomach, and the pounding headache pushing against his temples, he gripped the bolt and pulled with his last ounce of strength.
It came free of his chest in a rush that sent a spurt of blood splashing across his chest. He hurled the bolt against the side of the container and crawled into a ball on the floor. The corners of his eyes stung as each ragged breath stretched the wound, leaking blood onto the floor.
"Bitch!" he croaked, his voice hoarse. "As soon as I get out of here I'm going to hunt you down and suck every last drop from your useless corpse!"
His voice bounced around his cage and came back to him. He wasn't sure he could even be heard on the other side.
He stayed curled into a ball until the pain had subsided enough that he dared sit up. He leant his back against the wooden wall and let his head hang down, glaring at the floor. He spat at the floor, his mouth filled with the taste of his own blood. This was the bitch's idea; it had her name written all over it. The bumbling police force of Boullion Five could never have engineered this, not in so short a time.
It was moments like this that he missed his home world. A place where there were no trees, no wood, no poison; just animals and blood. The whole planet was made of dirt and rock, dotted with caves and hot springs. The only thing that kept him on planets like Boullion Five were the humans. There were no tasty, flowery bloods on his home world. No young women to suck dry.
The metal lock of the door slid open. Corvus jumped to his feet, wincing as new agony surged out of his chest, ready to sprint for the door. It swung open but before he could react, members of his coven streamed through. They ran and pushed to get as far from the doorway as they could and into the shipping container. They were coughing, hacking their lungs up and collapsing against each other. Corvus tried to fight the tide. He pushed against his fellows to get to the door. Before he could get through the bodies, the door slammed shut.
He looked around. Familiar faces were bent double in coughing fits that left speckles of blood on the floor. These were all faces that he recognised, but there were ma
ny missing.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Corvus asked.
***
Nova walked behind the container to the cement wall that blocked off the back of the shipping yard. An intercom was set into the wall and lying at the base was a controller with a large button. She had to feel her way along the wall to get to the intercom where she knelt down and patted around the ground until she had the remote in hand.
She stood and took a deep breath before squeezing the red trigger with her thumb. A moment later the shipping yard erupted in a flurry of small explosions that sent clouds swirling into the air. The haze was full of powdered wood chips, so fine they floated like gas on the air. It took only a few seconds for the vapours to spread between the containers and fill the air.
A hacking cough shattered the air behind Nova. She spun, knife in hand, to find a female lecheon bent double against the nearest container. She gasped for air but it sounded as though her throat was closed over. With each breath the lecheon coughed and spat, leaving blood smears across the metal.
The rest of the shipping yard filled with the sounds of choking. Nova breathed a small sigh of relief and pulled her shirt up to cover her mouth. The wood vapour wouldn't hurt her as much as the lecheons but she still didn't want it coating her lungs.
She pressed the talk button on the intercom.
"Attention, lecheons," she said. Her voice echoed around the shipping yard.
"Your illustrious commander, Corvus, has been subdued. As I'm sure you've noticed, the air here is no longer fit for you to breathe. You, and your commander, will be safe if you do exactly as I say."
Silence descended over the shipping yard, broken only by choking. The screams and cries of pain, the shooting, yelling, and running footsteps, all fell silent. She could imagine human and lecheon alike, frozen and listening. The speaker system was the perfect cover; she could be everywhere and still undetectable all at once.