Piston tightened his lips. "Get a funnel and a hose!"
They raced through the engine room. As Romy hopped about, biting her lip, Twig ran a hose into the fuel pipe, and Piston found a funnel and connected it to the other end.
"Piston, we need that dragonfire!" Riff shouted through the speakers.
More enemy fire blasted outside. The ship shook again.
Twig raced toward Romy and held out the funnel. "All right, Romy. Time to go wee-wee."
The demon's eyes widened. "That's not a bathroom."
"It is now, go!" Piston shouted.
The demon whined. "I can't! Not like this."
Piston rolled his eyes. He grabbed a chair and slammed his fist into the seat, punching a hole through it. Twig placed the funnel inside.
"There, it's a potty now," Piston said. "Sit down and go."
Romy sat on the seat. She looked around. "I can't go when you're watching me!"
Piston rolled his eyes and turned his back. Twig stood at his side, also turning her back to the demon.
Nothing happened.
"Romy?" Twig asked. "Are you going?"
The demon sounded miserable. "I can't go like this! You can still hear me. Play some music or something."
Piston trembled with rage and fear. "Romy, hurry!"
"I need music!"
Piston's hands shook. He hit the button on his wrist's communicator. "Giga, we need music! Play something!"
The android's voice sounded through the speakers. "Happy to comply!"
Electric blues filled the engine room. A moment later, Romy sighed.
The blaring empty fuel lights shut off.
Piston laughed and jumped about. "We're in business, Captain! Dragonfire ready to blow!"
Romy stepped off her seat and grinned. "That's better."
* * * * *
Riff stood on the bridge, leaned against the windshield, and uttered one word: "Fire."
Giga snarled and clenched her fists. "Very happy to comply."
The Dragon Huntress turned in the sky, faced the SS Barracuda, and roared out its dragonfire.
The plasma blasted out of the Dragon's mouth, streaming toward the enemy vessel, a raging white, red, and yellow inferno.
Grotter tried to dodge. The Barracuda made an attempt to rise higher. It was too slow. The dragonfire slammed into the enemy ship with the rage of a supernova.
The Barracuda cracked. Its fuel and plasma tanks ignited.
"Fire again!" Riff shouted. "Fire everything!"
The dragonfire blasted out. The fuel gauges sank back to empty. The blaze slammed into the Barracuda, shattering its hull. Explosions rocked the Cosmian ship. A fuel tank shattered and blasted out flame. Then the explosions tore The Barracuda apart into a million pieces.
Riff stared, holding his breath.
A single escape pod, round and hard like a bullet, flew out from the inferno and dived down toward Planet Cirona below.
Riff dug his fingernails into his palms.
"Grotter's in there." He ground his teeth. "He escaped. Giga, chase that pod and bathe it with more fire."
"Cannot compute, Captain. Fuel tank is once more empty. We've barely got enough to stay afloat."
Riff stared down at the capsule. The pod was now streaming into the atmosphere, wreathed in fire. Grotter was in there. Riff knew it.
"I have to face him," he whispered. "I have to stop him." His fists shook, and he turned to stare into Giga's eyes. "I have to go down there, to kill him, to put an end to this. Or he'll always hunt me." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I have to avenge my mother."
"We can't even land, Captain," Giga said. "We don't have the fuel. And . . . what about Steel and Nova? We can't leave them."
Riff turned to stare toward the skelkrin ship. It was still flying toward them, claws snapping, but with its crippled engines, it couldn't catch up with the Dragon Huntress. Steel and Nova were gone. A hole gaped open in the Crab; the knight and gladiator had gone in there.
Riff looked back at Giga. "You're right, Giga. The Dragon Huntress can't leave orbit. Not with Steel and Nova there. They'll be flying back soon—with Midnight. I need you to take command of this ship."
Her eyes widened. "Captain?"
He turned. He walked off the bridge, climbed downstairs, and headed toward the Dragon's escape pod.
"Captain, wait!" Giga said. She raced down the hallway and grabbed his arm. "You can't do this. He'll kill you."
Riff stood with one foot in the escape pod. He turned to face Giga. "If he does, you have to save Steel, Nova, and Midnight. You have to take charge of this ship. And I have to face Grotter. I have to do what I should have done years ago."
Footsteps padded up the corridor. Twig came running toward them, her hair in disarray. Soot covered her clothes and face, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Captain!" the little halfling said. "I heard over the speakers. I . . ." She leaped toward him and hugged his leg, clinging to him. "Please don't go."
He stroked her hair. "I must do this, Twig. You'll be fine without me. Keep helping Piston."
Twig pulled back, sniffing. As her tears fell, she drew her electric wrench from her tool belt and held it out toward him. "Take this, Captain. My lucky wrench. The best one I have. It'll help you."
Riff smiled and slung the wrench into his belt. "Thank you, Twig. My little heroine."
She sniffed again, then turned and fled back into the engine room.
Riff turned back toward Giga. The android stared at him, face blank.
"Goodbye, Giga," he whispered.
The android hesitated for a moment, then pulled him into her embrace, and she kissed his lips—a deep kiss, a kiss that tasted of lavender. When she finally pulled back, her eyes were damp.
"I will wait for you, my captain," Giga whispered. "Always."
He squeezed her palm, then stepped into the escape pod.
The door whooshed shut.
Riff pressed a few controls, and the capsule blasted out into space, leaving the Dragon Huntress and streaming down toward the planet below, toward the man he must kill.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
STEEL AND LIGHT
The trail of purple blood led their way. Steel and Nova stepped down the dark corridor and through an archway. They found themselves entering the Crab's command bridge.
The chamber was massive, as large as the hangar. Floor-to-ceiling windows afforded an open view of space. In the distance, still too far to reach, flew the Dragon Huntress; the escape pod was streaming down from the starship toward the green planet below. Vega's light gave a last flicker, then vanished behind the planet's horizon, and shadows fell. Only the red lights of the bridge now cast their glow.
An oozing black cocoon hung from the ceiling, swaying gently. A rent in the cocoon revealed a purple face and gleaming yellow eyes—Midnight. Her eyes widened to see them, then filled with tears.
Steel inhaled sharply and raised his blade. Nova hissed and readied her whip.
Between them and Midnight rose several seats of jagged spikes, each as large as a throne. Upon them sat the skelkrins.
One of the beasts saw them enter. The alien rose to his feet, pounded his chest, and roared. The creature stood eight feet tall, covered in black armor, and his eyes burned white with hatred. The other skelkrins heard the call, turned toward the door too, and bellowed in rage. Their saliva dripped to the floor, and their fangs gleamed, long and sharp as daggers.
Nova gave Steel a crooked smile. "Bet I can kill more than you."
Steel raised his sword. "Good! Kill them!"
The skelkrins ran toward them.
Steel snarled and thrust his blade, casting out light. Nova swung her whip, blasting lightning. One skelkrin fell. Then another.
The others reached them.
Steel was a tall man, taller than most humans, but the skelkrins made him feel small as a child. Yet still he fought. He fought in a fury. For his honor. For Midnight. For all Earth. His blad
e swung, shedding the black blood of the beasts. He knocked aside claws. He stabbed at their armor. He roared as he fought, and his light streamed from his blade into their flesh.
A claw slammed against him, knocking him down. Blood seeped down his side. Fangs bit into his leg, and he roared but kept swinging his blade, cutting the enemy down. He rose to his feet, blasting out more light, ignoring the pain.
I was banished from the Knights of Sol, he thought as he fought. But I found a new order.
He roared out his cry, "I am an Alien Hunter!"
Nova laughed at his side. "We are Alien Hunters!"
The gladiator cracked her whip, slicing through a skelkrin. Steel thrust his sword, knocking another beast down. The corpses of the enemy piled up at their feet. With a swing of Solflare, Steel cut the last creature down.
Steel and Nova stood panting. Blood dripped down Steel's leg and arm, and his space suit was punctured. He ignored the pain, ignored the fear, and took steps toward Midnight.
The pirilian stared at him, eyes wide, and cried out, "Watch out!"
Steel froze.
Before he could take another breath, one of the jagged iron thrones spun around.
A massive skelkrin sat there, larger than the others, holding a gun larger than Steel's arm.
The creature fired.
Steel thrust his sword.
The enemy blast hit him, and Steel fell.
He didn't even feel pain. For a moment, he didn't even think he was hit, not until he saw the blood pooling below him.
He shot me in the stomach, Steel realized. Beneath his space suit, he was bleeding. His body was broken, leaking out his lifeblood.
The skelkrin laughed. "Welcome, Steel and Nova! I am Lord Skrum. I am your destroyer. I will feast upon your flesh."
Nova screamed and charged forward, whip lashing in a fury.
"Die, Skrum!" she shouted. "I am Nova of Ashmar. Gladiator of the Alien Arena. Warrior-princess. The woman who will kill you."
Her whip shot out bolt after bolt of lightning, but the blasts ricocheted off Skrum's armor, doing the skelkrin lord no harm. The alien stepped toward Nova, nearly twice her height, and swung his fist.
The blow slammed into Nova, tossing her into the air. She flew, hit a wall, and slumped down.
Trapped in her cocoon, Midnight screamed.
Steel tried to rise. He tried to cry out for Nova. The gladiator wasn't moving, only moaning on the floor. Slowly, savoring every step, Skrum stepped toward the wounded Nova. His gun smoked. He slammed his boot down, crushing Nova's wrist, pinning down her whip. Nova screamed.
"Good," Skrum said. "I like it when you pests die screaming."
The skelkrin lord pointed his gun toward Nova's head.
His blood pouring, his head swimming, Steel rose to his feet.
He thrust his sword.
A blast of light shot out, slammed into Skrum's gun, and shattered its barrel.
Steel raised his blade again. "By my honor, Skrum, I challenge you to a duel."
The skelkrin lord howled and tossed aside his ruined gun. Strings of saliva dangled between his fangs. His claws thrust out.
"I will slay you, worm."
Steel raised his chin. He held his sword with one hand, and he kept his second hand pressed to his wound. "You will fight me. But not here. Not among the wounded and dead." Steel allowed himself a small, tight smile. "Let's take this outside."
He turned and left the command bridge.
Skrum roared behind him. "Do you flee from a fight, coward?"
Steel kept moving, heading down the corridor. At first he limped. His blood dripped behind him—not a light trickle like Midnight's blood but a thick trail. He was moments from death, perhaps. He kept moving, soon running.
Skrum roared behind him and followed.
I have to get him away from Midnight and Nova. I have to protect them, to lure him off.
Steel raced through the dark corridors of the skelkrin ship, the beast howling in pursuit.
He was dizzy, struggling for every breath, when Steel made it back to the engine room.
The great alien octopus still lurked below the overpass. Several of its tentacles were severed, but the others were still turning dials and gears across the walls, keeping the starship flying. As Steel limped onto the bridge, the creature below snapped its great jaws and hissed, still hungering for his flesh.
Skrum's roars rose from the corridor behind Steel.
The knight trudged onward, weaker now, feeling close to death. Finally he could move no farther. He had lost too much blood.
In the middle of the bridge that spanned the chasm, Steel turned around, stood still, and waited.
With a roar, Skrum emerged from the corridor and raced onto the bridge. The skelkrin snapped his teeth and reached out his claws.
"Die now!" Skrum cried. "Die now, filthy human. Die knowing that your race failed. That humanity will perish. That the Earth will be mine."
The alien thundered onto the bridge as the octopus roared below.
Steel stood calmly, bleeding, and stared into the skelkrin's white eyes.
"Earth stands." Steel raised his blade of light. "Humanity will not fall. Not so long as I defend it. By my honor, skelkrin, I send you to the abyss!"
Skrum raced toward him, howling.
Steel slammed his blade down onto the bridge.
Light blasted out. Metal bent and snapped. With a crack, with showering shards of iron, the bridge shattered.
As the walkway collapsed around him, Skrum stared at Steel. For an instant, terror filled the skelkrin's eyes.
Then Skrum fell.
Steel clung to his section of the bridge, holding on with all his might. His feet dangled. Below him, Skrum tumbled down toward the waiting octopus. The great beast opened its jaws wide, caught Skrum in its mouth, and chomped down.
Black blood spurted. The octopus chewed. Skrum roared . . . then fell silent. The massive jaws on the floor closed. A great tongue slipped out, licked up the last skelkrin crumbs, then slunk back in. The octopus closed its eyes, satisfied with its meal.
Steel's feet dangled over the pit. His hand clung to the section of bridge that still stood, but the metal was bending. His blood still dripped. Any moment now, he knew, he would fall into the pit and join Skrum in the beast's belly.
He was too weak to hold on.
His grip loosened.
He fell through the air.
He saw something purple appear at the corridor above. Midnight! With a pop, she vanished.
She reappeared in midair as Steel fell. She wrapped her arms around him. She popped out of reality.
Steel, held in her arms, saw a world of flashing, coiling purple lights.
They snapped back into existence across the bridge, back in the corridor above the pit.
"Steel!" Midnight cried. She laid him down on the floor, holding him. Her tears fell. "Steel, can you hear me?"
"My lady," he whispered. He could speak no louder. He reached up a shaky hand and caressed her indigo hair. "You are safe, my lady."
Nova raced forward and knelt above Steel too. "Steel, damn it! Don't you die here, you bastard." She clutched his hand, and her tears fell. "Don't you leave me here."
Steel looked down at his wounds. There was barely any blood left to spill. He would die here, he knew. But he had saved Midnight. He had saved the world.
I can rest in peace. I protected my honor.
He closed his eyes.
Warmth filled him, and through his eyelids, he saw a soft light. It filled him with warmth, with healing, with comforting joy. It was calling him home.
The light of the afterlife.
His eyelids flicked open.
He gasped.
It was no heavenly glow! The light came from Midnight's palms. Like down on the planet, she had summoned balls of luminous qi. But this light was not a weapon; it was soft, golden, soothing him, healing him. Midnight placed her glowing hands upon him, and her qi energy flowed thr
ough him, filling him with strength.
His wounds closed.
The light faded.
He was healed.
Midnight smiled softly.
"Thank you, Steel," she whispered.
She seemed exhausted. She fell to the floor, smiling, her breath soft.
Tears in his eyes, Steel lifted her in his arms. She weighed almost nothing.
"You gave me some of your life's energy," he whispered.
Midnight smiled up at him, eyelids fluttering. "Use my strength, Steel Starfire. Use my gift. Use it to keep fighting."
"I will, my lady!" Tears flowed down his cheeks. "Always."
Strobe lights flared across the wall. A siren wailed. A deep, metallic voice boomed through the ship, speaking in the skelkrin language.
Midnight gasped and covered her mouth.
"What's the voice saying?" Nova asked, staring around, whip raised.
"All skelkrins are dead on the ship." Midnight's eyes widened. "It's going to self-destruct. In sixty seconds. Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight."
They ran.
The ship shook around them. Pipes cracked and steam blasted out. Fire raged. A hunk of ceiling fell down, slamming against the floor only a foot behind them. They ran on. The voice kept booming.
"Thirty seconds!" Midnight shouted.
They raced along cracking corridors, through smoke, through flame, until they reached the hangar.
Nova shoved the spare space suit at Midnight. "Put this on!"
Steel cursed and looked down at his own suit. "There are holes in this."
Nova groaned, reached into her pocket, and tossed him a roll of duct tape. "Never go hunting aliens without duct tape. Tape yourself up!"
"Ten seconds!" Midnight shouted, shoving herself into the suit. She placed her helmet on. "Two! One!"
They ran together.
They leaped out the hangar door.
Fire raged and the ship collapsed, metal shards blasting out.
Their jet packs roared.
The silence of vacuum fell.
Flames and heat and metal blazed around them, and they charged forward, soaring through the fire, emerging from the inferno, screaming, singed.
A second explosion flared behind them, the light as bright as a sun. A shockwave blasted out, hitting them. Steel, Nova, and Midnight tumbled through space. The planet spun madly around them. The stars streaked.
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