by Regine Abel
Someone could be framing her.
But who and why? Plus Legion would have seen the deception when he touched her mind. Even though he hadn’t been on a mission with her since my arrival, I knew of at least one time they mind-spoke the night of the assassination attempt. Surely he would have caught her attempting to hide her own crime?
All those speculations had my mind reeling. Whether she was guilty or not, I needed to remain focused and be ready for the worst.
I reached the hallway leading to the deck without encountering a single other soul and found no sign of battle or forced entry. Besides the private quarters and storage areas, the deck was the only other room where the doors didn’t have windows. Taking a deep breath, I set my gun at the highest stun level, then partially hiding behind the frame, I opened the door.
Within, I found Linette typing frantically on the computer which controlled the ship’s main systems, including the artificial intelligence. She barely spared me a glance, dismissing my gun trained on her with a smirk. As horrified as I felt, relief that Myriam wasn’t the traitor flooded through me.
“Linette, move away from that computer immediately,” I ordered.
“Can’t. I’ve got a few more systems to disable.”
“Why are you doing this? Where are you taking us?” I asked in disbelief. “And I said MOVE AWAY!”
“I thought you Canadians didn’t play with guns? Careful or you might hurt yourself,” she taunted, flicking her straight black hair over her narrow shoulder. “You wanted to find the girls? I’m taking you to them on the Kryptid ship where they’re being held.”
My stomach sank and my knees wobbled. The things the General would do to us if he captured us alive...
“Last warning, Linette.”
She gave me an annoyed look, her dark blue eyes burning with defiance. “I dare you,” she taunted, lifting her pointy chin.
“You asked for it,” I whispered, stealing myself at the thought of shooting another human being, even if only to stun a traitor.
I realized my mistake within a second of firing the gun as the invisible energy field a few meters in front of me sparked with electric flickers in response to the energy generated by the gun. I barely had time to throw myself to the side. As I feared, rather than absorbing the shot, the field reflected it. A sharp pain radiated in my left shoulder as part of the rebound glanced off it. I landed hard on my right side, my hip striking the metal plated floor with a loud thud followed by another explosion of agony when my elbow hit it next. The gun flew out of my hand and I winced as I struggled to get back up. My left arm had gone numb from the shot, and the intensity of the pain in the right one hinted I might have fractured something.
The energy field lowered with an electric sizzle. Horrified, I watched Linette charge me with a savage war cry. I dodged sideways and instinctively brought down my right fist between her shoulder blades. With her height of five-foot-four, weighing no more than 110 lbs. soaking wet, Linette went careening into the wall. But I couldn’t press my advantage; I screamed, my knees buckling from the excruciating pain I’d caused myself by striking her with my already injured arm.
Linette quickly recovered and advanced on me before I could regain my bearings. Her elven face contorted with anger, she backhanded me with a force that defied her petite stature. I collapsed to the floor, my teeth rattling in my head. Fighting through the dizziness, I blinked for my vision to clear and snorted when I saw the psychic disruptor device sitting a couple of meters in front of me, under the navigation console. Rolling onto my back, I tasted blood as I licked my lips.
Linette towered over me, the stun gun trained on me.
“Why?” I asked, knowing myself defeated. “You know what atrocities they’ll do to us.”
Something akin to pity, maybe even guilt, crossed her features. It was so brief, I wondered if I’d imagined it.
“You do what you must to save your people. I do the same for mine.”
“But we are the same people!” I argued.
She gave me a sad smile. “No. We’re not.”
A whizzing sound followed a bright flash, then electricity coursed through me. My body seized moments before darkness swallowed me.
CHAPTER 9
Ayana
The feeling of a cold, hard surface beneath me and throbbing pain in my right arm drew me out of the fog that ensnared my mind. It took me a moment to realize where I was and for my memory to return. My focus snapped towards the location I’d last seen the disruptor. It was still there. Scrambling to my feet, I cradled my injured arm against my stomach, grateful that the numbness in the left one had almost completely ebbed. This meant I had been unconscious for at least half-an-hour, if not more. A quick glance around the room revealed that Linette was long gone. God only knew what she had been up to.
But the real threat loomed ahead. On the giant screen above the navigation console, the massive outline of a Kryptid liveship drew closer. Similar to a manta ray in shape with Kevlar-like armor, the creature—if it even qualified as such—was essentially a network of tissues, muscles, and nerves carefully grown over a few years into a vessel that responded to various nervous stimuli. It had no thoughts, or desires; only responses to pleasure and pain. We’d be docking with it in the next few minutes. Silencing the terror that would have me cowering and hiding, I rushed to the disruptor. It took me seconds to disable it.
“AYANA!”
I yelped in surprise, almost dropping the disruptor at the sound of Legion’s voice exploding in my head. I put it down on the navigation console.
“What’s going on? We were unable to contact any of you! Where’s the ship?”
“Hang on, Legion. Give me a moment.”
“What? No! I need to know…”
“LEGION, WAIT!”
I could feel his shock and worry through our bond, but I didn’t have time for this right now. We would be boarded any minute. Myriam and I needed to get to safety immediately. As expected, Linette had locked us out of the navigation system so that we couldn’t reverse course. I reached for Myriam’s mind but found it sluggish and unresponsive. She was unconscious but possibly drugged as well to prevent her from soulcatching Legion.
“Computer, where is Myriam?” I asked.
“Myriam is currently located in the Incubator Room.”
“Where is Linette?”
“Linette is not onboard the ship.”
What? Did Linette use an escape pod?
“When and how did Linette leave the ship?”
“Linette did not return on the ship after disembarking on Jaylon.”
“Ayana…”
“Wait, Legion. Just wait!”
“Computer, who is currently aboard this ship?”
“There are three passengers onboard the ship. You, Myriam, and an unidentified female.”
My heart skipped a beat, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.
“Where is the unidentified female?”
“The unidentified female is currently in the docking bay.”
“Can you lock the female in the docking bay?”
“Negative. You do not have the security clearance to issue that order.”
“Can you change course and return us to Jaylon?”
“Negative. You do not have the security clearance to issue that order.”
“Prepare two escape pods for immediate launch.”
“Negative. You do not have the security clearance to issue that order.”
“Fuck me,” I hissed in frustration.
Picking up the disruptor, I ran towards the Incubator Room while appraising Legion of the situation.
“Go to the Incubator and portal us in.”
“Okay. I’m almost there.”
I stormed inside the room and barely avoided stepping on Myriam, lying prone on the floor. But it was the sight of the desecrated Shells that undid me. A quick assessment revealed they had been awakened only to be injected with some lethal poison. Choking on a sob as tear
s freely flowed down my cheeks, I frantically searched through the medicine cabinet for a stimulant. I needed to keep moving. If I stopped now, I would just freeze up in terror. Finding it at last, my hands shook as I loaded the vial in the hypodermic syringe.
“Ayana, speak to me, please!”
“They’re dead! She killed the Shells.”
I angrily wiped the tears off my face to clear my vision, then injected Myriam. She gasped, her eyes jerking wide open.
“Both sets? She killed both sets?”
“Both? What?”
“Is Myriam awake?”
“She’s coming around. I just injected her with a stimulant.”
“Tell her to open the secret vault.”
“No…” Myriam, breathed out as she unsteadily got to her feet and saw the carnage.
“Legion says there’s a second set in the secret vault,” I said, praying she knew what he meant.
Horror gave way to hope on her face as she groggily stumbled towards an inconspicuous looking wall section.
“Myriam, 5842B14Z3A.”
As soon as she finished speaking the code, a blue laser light scanned her face; the panel, the thickness of a bank vault door, parted to reveal a small room. Inside, four portable rebirth tables each held the Shell of one of the Warriors.
“Thank you, God,” I whispered.
Rushing inside, I initiated the revival process on the closest table while Myriam worked on another.
“We’re reviving the Shells. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re ready.”
“We’re standing by.”
“Myriam, I’ll take care of this. You need to regain control of the ship. The bitch locked us out of every system, including the ship’s A.I. and the escape pods. We can’t even secure the door to the Incubator Room, and we’ll be docking with a Kryptid liveship any minute now.”
“On it.”
She ran to the computer and the clicking sound of her fingers flying over the keyboard soon filled the room.
After disabling the life support system of the first Shell, I zapped it and immediately moved to the second one. By the time I was done with it, the tingling associated with sensing an awakened Shell told me it was ready.
“Chaos, port now.”
I felt him rush in and had to hold him back a little to ease him into his Shell so that he wouldn’t be struck by rebirth sickness. His sharp breath intake confirmed the process had successfully completed. I finished reviving Legion’s Shell and moved on to the final bed.
“Wrath, port now.”
Thankfully, his approach was more measured, requiring less effort on my part to control him. Before I finished preparing Raven’s Shell, Chaos was already up and picking at the combat gear shelved at the back of the room. It struck me as odd that he didn’t put any clothes on, only a weapon’s belt and various attachments on his arms and legs. As I brought Legion in, Wrath was also up and about. I barely managed to bring Raven back before Legion’s strong arms yanked me to him. I bit back a hiss of pain as my bad arm collided with his hard body.
“Are you all right, my mate?”
“Yes, Legion, I’m fine.”
His face twisted with anger as his thumb gently ran over the throbbing swelling of my lip where the intruder had backhanded me.
“Who did this?” he hissed.
“The female that looked and sounded like Linette but who isn’t Linette. The A.I. couldn’t identify her.”
“A Mimic?” Wrath asked, with a frown. “I thought they were extinct.”
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling overwhelmed. “I only know that the real Linette isn’t on board.”
“We found her. She’s safe. The intruder knocked her out and hid her behind some crates. She’s in Jaylon’s Human Embassy, right now.”
I sighed with relief to hear that she was okay. We didn’t know each other well yet, but I’d enjoyed her company the few times we got to hang out. Plus, she was a Vanguard sister.
“What’s wrong with your arm?” Legion asked.
I smiled and rubbed my palm on his chest in a soothing motion, touched by his concern for me despite the urgency of the situation. “It’s okay, honey. I likely fractured it when I fell earlier. Nothing that can’t wait.”
“We’re being boarded,” Myriam said, sparing me from further examination by my mate. “Only five Kryptid Soldiers. Whoever hacked our systems was good. It’s going to take a while for me to regain control.”
Legion approached Myriam. “Are you all right?”
She smiled. “Yes, I’m okay. Thank you.”
Legion smiled back and caressed her cheek with the familiarity that came with years of intimacy. I expected it to stir some kind of jealousy but felt none. While his affection for her couldn’t be denied, his interaction with her lacked any sexual or sensual undertone.
“See if you can secure this room first while we go crack some skulls.”
She grinned. “That was the plan. I ran bio scans on the Kryptid ship; our girls are on board. I’m also picking up an Aznarian signature. Go kick some asses.” She turned to face me. “If things go south, I can only hold Legion. We need another set of Shells on standby for you to port the guys.”
I cringed, mentally kicking myself for not thinking of it first.
“Where did you leave your Shells on Jaylon?” I asked.
“They are in a safe place,” Wrath said. “Set a forty-minute timer. If any of us dies before it expires, send us to Jaylon, otherwise, send us back home.”
“They’re closing on our position,” Myriam said.
A troubled look crossed Legion’s face. He pulled me into his embrace, his gaze boring into mine. Love and fear brewing within. “I love you, my mate. As soon as Myriam gets access to the escape pods, you leave.”
I shook my head. “Not before you’re all out.”
“Ayana…”
“I can’t port you if I’m moving. I need to get you out first. I’ll wait in the pod, ready to go. Once you’re all out, I’ll go.”
“You expect me to leave you behind?” he asked, bewildered.
“Yes, I do. Because it’s the only way.” I placed my hand over his lips when he opened his mouth to argue. “There’s no time for this, Legion. You know I’m right. The day we met, you asked me if I would die for you.” His eyes widened in horror. “The answer is yes, I would die for you, but I have no intention of doing so. Not now,” I added, touching the bonding-bite on my shoulder. “You get our girls back. Once you port, I’ll be right behind you.”
Snapping and cracking sounds drew my attention. Over Legion’s shoulder, the unexpected spectacle of the other three Warriors shifting into their battle form took my breath away. The scales on their bodies thickened and broadened, resembling a layered plate armor. Those on their cheeks and forehead appeared to fuse into a golden helm that covered half of their faces, reminding me of a scarab beetle, with vicious spikes protruding from it. Thinner and tightly packed on the forehead, they grew thicker and more spaced out in the back. Additional thinner spikes jutted out from the skin along their arms. A black chitin plate swelled on top of their forearms, extending over their hands into scythe-like limbs. Two long slits appeared on each side of their spines. Chaos flexed and a frilled membrane fanned open. It looked sharp enough to slice through metal. Above the slits, two scorpion tails protruded from their shoulder blades, arching over their shoulders, ready to strike. More spikes along their legs could flatten at will, probably to facilitate walking through encumbered terrain.
Despite their horrific appearance, they didn’t inspire any fear in me. I felt Legion’s mind touch mine, and my eyes snapped back to his. He watched my reaction warily, and I realized he expected me to be repulsed by him.
I cupped his face in my hands. “I love you. Like Myriam said, go kick some ass, then come back to me.”
His eyes shone with love and gratitude, then he crushed my lips in a desperate kiss. “You don’t get to die on me. When I port, you better follow,” h
e said against my lips. Releasing me, he began to shift as his companions stepped out to meet the Kryptids that had finally reached us.
CHAPTER 10
Legion
The familiar pain of the shift wracked my body as new limbs, armor, and defenses grew. I welcomed it, adjusting my balance to the new weight distribution. Adrenalin pumping, the scent of my enemies ahead fed my rising bloodlust. My mate had been hurt, and they sought to abduct her for their General. I would tear them limb from limb and bathe in their blood.
As I exited the room, I resisted the urge to cast one last look at Ayana. Even though she had accepted the monsters we were in our battle forms, I didn’t want her seeing my face looking so similar to the creatures I hated with every fiber of my being. Although that hatred had been embedded in our DNA, mine burned more fiercely than the average Warrior’s, fueled by years of communicating death notices, and cleaning up the aftermath of primitive worlds fallen to the genocidal General.
The stunned expressions of the Kryptids as they saw my brothers and me pour out of the room gave me almost as much pleasure as when my arm-scythe sliced off the leg of the first enemy I got to battle. Before his body even hit the ground, one casual swipe of Raven’s own arm-scythe beheaded him. They hadn’t expected any resistance; only one unconscious girl and my injured mate. The shock factor gave us the advantage as we charged them, ready to battle, while they fumbled with their weapons belt strapped around their narrow waists to arm themselves.
Only the battle-scarred one among them instinctively used his bladed pincers—the original limb that inspired our arm-scythes. He swiped it at me and I dodged it, flowing along with his movements, then retaliated with one of my scorpion tails stabbing at his arm. Lucky for him, the dart only fractured his chitin armor and didn’t meet flesh. The venom was a death sentence that would paralyze the victim before slowly shutting down every vital organ. In Swarm Drones, the venom had a chemical reaction with their blood, turning it to acid that ate them from the inside out.