Discovered (A Galactic Battle Series Book 2)

by L H Whitlock

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Brock yelled. “Get out of the water, that thing is still in there.”

  “It seems to have disbanded. The water must mess with its chemical makeup and dissolve it,” Ulrick replied.

  Gods, I hate how matter-of-fact and cool the guy always sounds.

  “Whatever, just get out of the damn water. Do you see Alyssa?”

  A ship erupted in flame and Alberta howled with laughter. The burning orb collided with the water. The oil flashed with fire before the metal sunk.

  Gloria summoned a shield and two more ships collided with it.

  Alberta raised both arms up in the air and howled. “Fucks yea, blondies.”

  Ulrick pulled himself onto the platform with Lily clinging to his back. He gently eased her to the ground while effortlessly blasting the swarm of Developers with bio-energy.

  Fucking show off.

  “Brock! We’re over here!”

  Brock spun to see Alyssa and Bixom swimming their way.

  “Thank gods.” His heart seemed to beat again. He had been worthless, stuck, not able to do anything. Why hadn’t he gone into the water to get her instead of Bixom? He choked back his anger with himself. I’m a coward.

  He collapsed to his knees and held a hand out. Alyssa grabbed it and he pulled her into his arms, needing to feel her against him to know she was okay.

  “I’m so sorry, baby, I should have… I don’t know what happened. I froze. I…” Tears stung the back of Brocks eyes.

  Alyssa grabbed his face and landed a quick, rough kiss on his lips. “Don’t. You are amazing. Fear can do strange things, even to the strongest.”

  Bullets collided with the shield Gloria put up behind him. Really, he would be dead without the linguist; he couldn’t imagine the team without her.

  Bixom pulled himself up and joined Ulrick as the two summoned balls of explosive bio-energy and hurled them at the oncoming army. Alberta focused on the ships in the air, trying to shoot them down before they could shoot the liquid balls at them. Two ships crashed into a nearby platform. Metal rained into the water and the pier above groaned.

  Red light spilled in, and although it was bright it offered no warmth.

  “I gots idea on top,” Alberta yelled.

  “Oh yeah? Well, fucking hurry, we can’t take this amount of heat for long,” Brock yelled back.

  His body ached, his head throbbed, his eyes watered against the red light. He felt absolutely depleted and each time he summoned his bio-energy he thought it would be his last. Bixom and Ulrick continued their attacks, neither wavering a moment. But they were Hilian; they didn’t waiver.

  Gloria’s shields were only staying solid for a few moments. Then they flickered away. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to protect them. They wouldn’t last long after that. The air was full of bullets from the mouths of the crawling Developers. They couldn’t aim. That was his team’s only advantage. But if they didn’t have a shield, it wouldn’t matter if they could aim or not, there would be no way they could avoid all the bullets.

  “Hit the floor!” Lily yelled.

  Brock fell awkwardly, landing hard on his humanoid arm. A blob flew past him, hit the ground, pooled up, and then flew at him again. It wrapped around his leg and, despite the slender suit, he felt its slick, cold surface. Colder than anything he had felt before.

  It started to expand and Brock screamed. This was it. He was gone. He looked up to see Alyssa, the perfect goddess. Her black hair framed her pale face. Her green eyes shone like rare gems. Though she didn’t know how to use bio-energy she still shot at the Developers, doing anything she could to help.

  Her eyes met his and he wished that moment could last forever. He wished she knew what he was thinking. Since the moment he saw her, he thought she was the most beautiful, smartest woman in the whole damn galaxy. Hell, he could even honestly say that he was beginning to love her. Who was he kidding, he was head over heels. If only he had told her.

  56

  “Brock!” Alyssa shrieked.

  Lily, who had fallen next to Brock to avoid the blob of metal, rolled to face him. She jumped up and rushed to his side.

  “Shit! What do I do?” Lily pulled out her knife, ready to cut off his leg if she had to.

  “The slender suit is—” Alyssa started, but before she could get to the end of her statement Brock yanked the zipper of the jumpsuit down and shimmied out of it. He tossed it into the water with a triumphant yell.

  Lily looked at Brock for a moment. “Alyssa said that the slender suit couldn’t be penetrated.”

  Brock looked down at his boxers and his bare feet. A blush singed his cheeks for a moment.

  “Shit. Well, uh, at least that thing is gone.”

  Lily smirked. “Sure, tough guy.”

  Gloria’s shriek echoed through the clammy air. Lily whipped around to see Evin push Gloria to the ground and shoot at her. Her shield stopped the bullet but it faded out almost instantly, and Evin kicked her in the abdomen over and over. Bixom raced across the platform. A line of bullets stopped him in his tracks and Developers swarmed over the platform. Like a beast he punched and kicked, forcing his way through the army. Lily raced forward, summoned whatever energy she had left, and managed to blow a path through the metallic crowd.

  “Go,” she croaked.

  Bixom raced forward before the brief clearing could be filled with machines.

  Ulrick spun Lily behind him. He held out his arms and summoned energy. It spiraled over his arms, spreading over the entire length of them. He roared and the energy flashed out, consuming the army of Developers.

  Lily shut her eyes against the bright flash then slowly opened them to stare across the platform.

  Bixom held an unconscious Gloria in his lap. A nearly unrecognizable Evin lay in a green heap several feet way. Bixom threw his head back and screamed, though the sound didn’t seem to penetrate Lily’s senses. All she could do was stare at the unconscious beauty.

  “Fucks these guys.” Alberta sneered and walked to the edge of the platform, dragging a long piece of wire with her. She held up her arms as a ship swooped toward them, egging it on.

  “Come of fuckers. Gets me. Double domestic animal dare me.”

  The ship fired at Alberta. Alberta lassoed the wire above her and tossed it at the ship, managing to snag a wing. The ship flew past then turned for another pass. Alberta took off in a sprint across the platform and lept off, managing to grab the wire as the ship dipped low once again. Alberta screamed, her legs flailed in the air for several moments before she managed to wrap them around the wire and start climbing up.

  The ship zigzagged, trying to dislodge the pilot. But she clung on, determined.

  The ship raised into the gap in the platform. Brock watched for several moments, but the ship did not come back around.

  Lily placed a hand on her forehead, her eyes never leaving the spot where the pilot disappeared. “Shit…”

  Ulrick clasped her shoulder. “Do not worry, A’Kilini, she will be fine.”

  Lily looked up at her warrior and hoped he was right.

  57

  A ship swooped out of the opening in the platform above and dove toward them.

  Alyssa ducked and covered her head in preparation, but the ship landed clumsily off the platform, rocking the entire slab and nearly tipping it over.

  “Come in hot,” Alberta said when the side opened. “Gets in.”

  Brock ran toward the ship. “Hell fucking yeah!”

  “Right!” Alberta said, making a symbol with her fingers.

  Brock mimicked the symbol and stuck out his tongue before jumping into the back of the shuttle. Alyssa stared at her hand for a moment while trying to make the symbol herself but she couldn’t remember which two fingers were down and which were up. She wasn’t sure how Brock didn’t care that he was nearly naked in front of everyone. It was a violation, a serious violation. No, there aren’t any violations, she reminded herself.

  “Is
there even room for all of us in here?” Brock asked.

  “Nos, it single person.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Oh, sorries,” Alberta sneered. “I tell next time to bring bigger ship for me to steal. Idiot.”

  “Hey—”

  “Just squeeze in,” Bixom growled as he stepped into the back with an unconscious Gloria cradled in his arms. Her golden hair cascaded over his arms, her pink lips parted slightly as she breathed.

  Alyssa stopped short of the ship and stared at the small space. “Umm…”

  “You can sit in laps, dollie,” Alberta said with a wink.

  “Well…”

  “Alyssa, sit next to Alberta, you know where we should be going. Get us somewhere to lay low for a while.”

  Alyssa looked back at Ulrick as he and Lily squeezed into the back. She bit her lip, thought for a moment, then squeezed in next to Alberta.

  “Holds on everyone,” Alberta said as she pulled on the shift to guide the ship up. Alyssa’s heart raced and her skin dampened beneath the slender suit. She tried to think of where to go, where they could hide. All the roads and public buildings would be monitored.

  Alberta jerked the ship to avoid several oncoming bullets. Alyssa looked back to see Gloria still unconscious. They didn’t have any protection and the sky was filling with more and more ships.

  Alberta managed to get the ship up into the city and she dodged several attacks, weaving in and out of the buildings.

  Bullets collided with skyscrapers. Alberta jerked, overcorrecting and nearly crashing. The group crushed each other in the back and Alyssa was glad she was able to sit up front. But even with the extra room it was still tight.

  “Shit, there is a ton of them,” Lily said.

  “We need a distraction. If we stay in this ship, we will be taken out,” Ulrick stated.

  From the corner of her eye, Alyssa caught him rubbing Lily’s arm. It was a subtle movement that she almost missed. The only indication that Lily was affected by it all was that the markings on her arm were spiraling like a ferocious storm, the black and brown swirling and mixing together, kissing, touching, then fleeing. Besides their markings, the two were completely business.

  “All right, dollie, where we go?” Alberta asked.

  “Ummm. I’m trying to think…”

  “Well, think faster,” Bixom growled.

  Alyssa’s eyes widened. Bixom had never spoken to her that way. He was usually lighthearted and cheerful, cracking jokes.

  “Chill the fuck out,” Brock growled back.

  Bixom glared at him for a moment, then focused back on Alyssa. “My apologies,” he murmured and then looked down at the golden-haired woman draped over his arms.

  Alyssa dropped her head in her hands and the ship took a hard left, slamming her in to the wall. The group in the back gave a collective groan.

  Alberta gripped the weapon control and fired. There were too many ships to bother aiming, so she showered the area with bullets. Some hit their target while others lost themselves in the red sky and some pelted the buildings.

  A droid the size of a children’s toy spun to a stop just ahead of them.

  Alyssa gripped the wheel and turned hard. The ship crashed through the glass of a skyscraper. They wobbled, trying to stay aflight, the bottom skirting along the metal tiled floor.

  “What fuck wrong with you?” Alberta screamed and grabbed at the wheel.

  Alyssa swatted her away. “Stop! We have to get out of here.”

  The ship crashed through the glass on the other side of the scraper. They plummeted and then crashed into another window.

  Brock fell face first over the seat and slammed into the dash. His hip slammed into Alberta and she roughly pushed him.

  “You blocking shift.”

  Brock tried to adjust and managed to pull himself sideways, his ass in Alberta’s face and his face in Alyssa’s lap.

  “Gross!” Alberta said and shoved at him again.

  Brock managed to get himself righted and pulled Alyssa onto his lap.

  “Watch out!” Lily shrieked.

  Alyssa looked up and saw that they were about to slam into a post.

  Alberta jerked the ship and they slammed through another window. Red lights flashed and a number sequence sounded through the Comm in a monotone rhythm.

  “What’s that?”

  “It is telling us we have suffered extensive bodily damage to the ship.” Alyssa said.

  “No shits,” Alberta said. “Wonders why?”

  Alyssa stared at the pilot before gasping, “Me! You think this is my fault? You are ridiculous. You are supposed to be the pilot.”

  “I am! Then you grab shift and slam us into building.”

  “I was trying to get us away from UI-88”

  “What UI-88?”

  “It’s—lookout!” Alyssa reached for the wheel again but Alberta slapped her out of the way and managed to swerve around the small droid.”

  “What have so worried?”

  A screeching noise rang through the air. Alyssa looked back as the droid, UI-88, glowed blue and emitted a massive ray. It shot out, covering a quarter mile radius. The ship jolted forward. The window blew out, the electronics died, and they plummeted to the ground.

  58

  Screaming pierced Brock’s ears and it wasn’t just his own. Alberta, Alyssa, Lily, and Bixom all joined in his chorus. The ship free fell, then crashed in to another skyscraper. The way they were angled, they continued crashing through two levels and then back out through a window.

  Metal groaned and glass shattered. The skyscraper tilted slowly. Then, with a deep groan, it collapsed in to the neighboring building.

  Brock’s scream echoed as the ship bounced against the floor, but Brock’s eyes weren’t fixed on where they were going or what they were going to hit next; they were fixed on the building collapsing above them.

  The ship skidded. Then it rolled, toppling him onto the ceiling. Next, the wall. Brock managed to grab hold of the chair before falling through the window.

  “Someone wake sleeping beauty!” Brock screamed.

  The ship broke through another wall of glass and they dropped to the ground.

  Lily grabbed onto Gloria’s shoulders and shook her. “Gloria! Gloria!”

  Bixom suddenly crushed his lips to Gloria’s.

  “What the fuck,” Brock said.

  Bixom pulled away and caressed a thumb over her cheek. Gloria groaned and her eyelids fluttered.

  “You shitting me, that work?” Alberta asked.

  “I don’t—whatever, Gloria, hurry! Put a shield up!” Lily yelled.

  Gloria looked up at Bixom for a moment. She looked at his arms and opened her mouth like she was going to question why he was holding her and why he kissed her. And Brock didn’t fucking blame her, but right now they just needed a shield.

  “A shield, Gloria,” Lily reminded her. Although Brock knew she was trying to stay cool, a hint of panic escaped her.

  “Take my hand and I will funnel bio-energy to you.” Ulrick grabbed Gloria’s hand.

  Gloria focused for several moments. The fall seemed to slow as all Brock could do was watch the typhoon of glass and metal as it approached.

  An iridescent halo flickered over the ship, fading and thickening before finally closing in and covering the ship.

  Brock took a breath of relief. Then the crumbling building overtook them.

  59

  Lily groaned. Her body felt raw, no, numb. She was crushed between two warm bodies; her breath couldn’t make its way past the added weight. She tried to push against whoever was on top of her, but her arms were smashed against her sides.

  Whoever was on top of her managed to roll off. A knee, or an elbow, jabbed into her stomach, then hip. Then a boot stepped on her leg. Hands grabbed her and hoisted her to her feet. She recognized the roughness of them. The warmth, the strength. They were Ulrick’s. She wrapped her arms around his hard torso, and he took a moment to run hi
s hands down her back, over her arms, through her hair, checking to see if she was okay.

  “I am fine,” she croaked, her voice hoarse and breath still ragged.

  Brock groaned. “Is everyone okay?”

  “Everyone sound off with their condition,” Lily said.

  “Ulrick,” her warrior started, his voice telling everything. He was pissed.

  “Brock, could be better.”

  “Bixom here.”

  “Alyssa.”

  “Alberta, fucks all you.”

  “Nice, Alberta,” Gloria said, her voice weak.

  Lily huffed out a breath of air. “Okay, so everyone is alive. That is a good start.”

  “I can’t get my fuckin’ RAB to work,” Brock growled.

  “Let me try.” Lily pushed at the sides of her RAB, hoping that if the flashlight feature didn’t work, then, at least the screen would. The flashlight lit up, illuminating the small, broken ship that housed her friends.

  All she could see out the windows were mangled pieces of metal and glass. The interior of the ship had held its shape, at least for now. Gloria’s shield had kept them safe.

  “Uh… what do we do now?” Alyssa asked.

  Lily wiped at a tickle on her face. When she pulled her fingers away, they were moist with blood. Ulrick frowned at her and reached out to sooth her wound. “We have to get out fast. Who knows how much time we have before we use all the oxygen.”

  “Well, if we calculate—” Alyssa began.

  Brock held up a hand. “It ain’t long. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  Lily smirked. “Why don’t we just blast a tunnel? I’m sure Ulrick could manage that.”

  “I’m sure Ulrick has the bio-energy capacity to blast a tunnel, but it would not be stable. It would collapse easily. Unless we have a way to keep it from collapsing, that won’t be an option,” Alyssa said.

  “What if we can work our way through it at the same time? Gloria can summon a shield for us, and we can roll through while Ulrick blasts open the tunnel,” Bixom suggested.

  Gloria shook her head. “We’re not able to attack outside of the shield. It doesn’t work, but only the one way.”