by R. D. Brady
“They can’t be planning on doing that now.”
Arthur shrugged. “They don’t react like we do. Right now, they will be figuring out a way to fix the ship and move on.”
“How does that help us?”
“While they don’t understand emotional bonds, they do recognize that they exist. They know Miles is important. They know taking him somehow resulted in all of this. If he’s still alive, they’ll keep him with them.”
“Where?”
“The control center was in the other half of the ship. But there is a secondary control center. It’s located in the back of the throne room,” Thor said.
“Then that’s where we’re headed.” Lyla strode for the door. She wasn’t leaving the ship until she had Miles.
88
The ship was quiet. Miles felt as if his breaths were shouts in the quiet. “Where is everybody?”
“Most probably left. A lot are still sleeping,” Gaxdrill said.
“Those that stayed probably went to the command center to receive orders,” Anixquold said.
“We’re not heading anywhere near there, are we?” Miles asked.
Anixquold shook her head. “No. We’re staying as far away from there as possible.”
Ahead of them, Gaxdrill walked by Dexender’s side, who had one hand resting against the wall as he walked to help keep his balance. He was better than he had been back in the prison ward, but he still seemed out of it.
Miles glanced around. The hallway was dark, but the rim of lights provided enough of a glow to see by. Miles wanted more than anything to get outside. Now that was it was possible that he would, he was having difficulty keeping himself from sprinting forward. For weeks, he’d dreamed about being outside, but he’d had to tamp down any of those thoughts. He would’ve gone crazy if he thought about getting outside. But now with that potential looming in front of him, he was struggling to hold himself still.
“What’s the matter?” Anixquold asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just really, really want to get off this ship.”
Gaxdrill glanced back at them. “It’s not much farther. The landing bay is just up—” Gaxdrill went still, as did Dexender. Next to Miles, Anixquold was frozen in place, as were the rest of the Unwelcome.
Miles frowned. “Guys, what’s—” The familiar warmth spread over Miles’s body, and his arm began to materialize a second before he felt the pressure in his brain. He quickly backed away from Anixquold.
Two Unwelcome with a Naku stepped from a darkened alcove behind him. Ahead, another two Unwelcome stepped out of an alcove with a second Naku. All the Unwelcome that he’d been traveling with turned to look at him.
Miles raised his arms. “No. Don’t do this. Fight them.”
Anixquold stepped toward him, a grimace on her face. “Can’t,” she said through gritted teeth. She reached out a hand to grab him. He shoved her hand away, stepping to the side out of her reach, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her.
The three Unwelcome who had helped rescue the others from the prison ward charged down the hall toward him. Miles slammed his foot into the first Unwelcome, sending him rolling into the other two. Two large arms wrapped around Miles, pulling him off his feet.
Gaxdrill grunted as he held on to him. Dexender came around, standing in front of Miles, his eyes cloudy. Miles threw his head back but only managed to hit Gaxdrill’s chest. Gaxdrill slipped his arm along Miles’s neck, cutting off his air supply.
Miles scrambled for Gaxdrill’s hand, reaching for one of his fingers to yank it back. Spots were beginning to appear in front of his eyes. He felt light-headed.
He latched on to Gaxdrill’s pinky but couldn’t pull it back, his strength fading, and then he faded into dark.
89
The ship was dark and full of shadows. In some areas, the only illumination came from the sparks coming off of the panels built into the walls. In others, there was a strip of lights along the edge of the wall that did little to fight off the darkness.
Riley followed Petra as they hurried through the ship, heading toward what they hoped was Miles’s cell. Even though Riley was focused on the task at hand, he couldn’t help but be awed by the ship that he was in. It was an actual alien ship. It had traveled the galaxy.
Plus, the thing was massive. The floors and walls were all metal. Some of the halls that they had gone down towered high above them while others were barely above Riley’s head. Riley felt cowed by the minds that had created it. At the same time, he knew they had underestimated the humans when they had arrived at this planet. They’d assumed their technology and their slave race would keep them safe.
But human ingenuity, innovation, and yes, desperation, had allowed them to create a way to overcome all of that. And now Riley was going to make sure the Naku paid for that arrogance.
Petra darted down another hallway after a quick glance at a sign along the wall. He wasn’t even sure how she could read the things. She was moving so fast, and it was so dark. But she wasn’t hesitating.
Riley darted around the corner and nearly slammed straight into Petra, who’d stopped in her tracks. She slapped a hand over his mouth, taking a step back. Riley stepped with her, and the two of them slunk into the shadows. Petra removed her hand from Riley’s mouth, keeping a finger to her lips.
A group of four Unwelcome marched past, a Naku in their center.
Riley had never really believed in good and evil. He didn’t think that people were inherently one or the other. But as that Naku passed, he could sense the evil in the creature. They did not care about the lives they ruined. They did not care about the planets they destroyed. All they cared about was maintaining their own existence.
And Riley realized that made them not very different from some humans, especially the ones down in New City.
He and Petra waited in silence as the group passed. Once their footsteps had receded, Petra took off again. After a short distance, she slipped into a doorway that looked pitch black to Riley, but he didn’t hesitate as he followed her. It was a small space. A ladder was attached to the wall, leading straight up. Riley was surprised. He didn’t think that they would have those on the ship.
Petra had already started to climb. Riley started right after her, whispering, “How did you even know this was here?”
“Thor and Arthur. I had them go over every aspect of the ship, especially the ways to get around it without being seen. This is an emergency ladder. In case something happens to the automatic lifts, this is how they travel between the floors of the ship.”
Riley was impressed. He’d listened to the description of the ship, but he’d been so focused on the details of getting to New City and what they would have to do there that he hadn’t considered the details about getting around the ship. Thank God Petra had.
They climbed for what felt like hours, but it was really no more than a few minutes. But it was a brutal climb. On any other day or in any other circumstances, the climb wouldn’t even cause Riley to breath hard. But he kept waiting for someone to spot them. His muscles were tense. He felt completely on edge and stressed. He knew he needed to calm down. He was wasting a ton of energy on something as simple as a ladder climb, but at the same time, he couldn’t get his heart rate to slow.
Above him, Petra paused and then stopped as she looked at the wall next to her. There was a small ledge. They had passed five of them on their climb so far. “I think this is it.”
“You think?”
Even in the dark, Riley could feel her glare. “If you’d like to take the lead, by all means.”
“No, no. I’m good.”
Petra reached out for the handle next to the ledge and pulled herself over. Riley quickly followed. They were in the same type of small room at the bottom of the ladder. But this time the door ahead of them was closed.
The panel next to it was sparking, but Riley still waved the bracelet over it. Miraculously, the door slid open. Instead of darting out, Petra glanced in
to check and then yanked Riley to the side. Heavy footfalls sounded in the hallway beyond.
Once again, they waited until the Unwelcome had passed. Petra peeked out again. “Okay, we’re good.”
She stepped out into the hallway and headed in the opposite direction the Unwelcome had gone. Riley followed, continuously checking behind him in case the Unwelcome came back.
Petra reached the end of the hall. Another hallway crossed it, leading both right and left. Petra looked around. “Do you see a sign?”
Riley glanced at the corners, but all he saw was sheer metal. There were no more signs. “No.”
Petra cursed softly. “Then it’s a tossup. Which way?”
Riley paused, glancing down each of the halls. Both were dark, with only the faint glow of the floor lights illuminating it. “Which way heads deeper into the ship?”
Petra nudged her chin to the left. “I think that way.”
“Then that way it is.”
They walked for another five minutes before they found a sign. Petra shook her head. “I don’t recognize any of this.”
Riley looked around. They hadn’t seen any more Unwelcome. Even as he thought it, he heard heavy steps heading toward them. But there was nowhere to hide. The hall was one unending wall.
He tugged on Petra’s sleeve, and they raced back down the hall. They ducked down the first hall they came to, the one that had no signs. They slipped into an open doorway, holding their breath. The Unwelcome appeared at the intersection two minutes later. This time there were two Unwelcome and a single Naku within them. Instead of walking, the Naku floated along in some sort of device that kept him on pace with the Unwelcome.
“He must be important,” Petra whispered.
Riley nodded his agreement but didn’t say anything because he heard more steps. Another twelve Unwelcome appeared, this time accompanied by three more Naku. They all continued past the hallway where Riley and Petra hid.
Once the group of aliens had passed, Riley glanced down at Petra. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
She grinned back at him. “Let’s follow the parade.”
90
Cold seeped into Miles’s body. He felt a small tremor underneath his cheek as he lay on the cold surface. Why was his cot so cold? It was never like this. Usually after a night of sleep it was at least a little warm.
But you did not sleep.
His eyes flew open as memories of the crash flowed into his brain. He scrambled back, only to stop short as he nearly ran into an Unwelcome. The Unwelcome had a helmet on, so he couldn’t tell who it was. He noted that there were seven other Unwelcome, all standing in a circle around him, three of them sans helmets. Anixquold, Gaxdrill, and Dexender stood perfectly still, their faces expressionless.
His arm materialized again. He flexed his fingers, steeling himself to do what needed to be done.
“You’re awake.”
Miles head jerked toward the voice. He hadn’t noticed the raised platform at the end of the room. The human liaison stood at the edge of it, looking toward Miles. It was the same one who’d been in the observation room that day.
Behind him, Miles could just make out the Naku leader. More Unwelcome stood along the edge of the platform, their romags focused on Miles. Apparently after the last time Miles had been in the presence of the Esteemed Leader, he wasn’t going to take any chances.
“What do you want?” Miles asked.
“The Esteemed Leader has brought you here to initiate negotiations with the humans. This is a great honor that he has bestowed upon—”
“What negotiations? And why do you think I would be the one to do this for you?”
The human cleared his throat. “The ship has been damaged, and it will take some time to repair. The Naku have agreed to leave the planet as soon as the repairs are completed.”
Miles narrowed his eyes. “In exchange for what?”
“That you tell the humans to cease their actions against the Naku.”
Miles studied the human. “And what else?”
“That is all.”
Miles narrowed his eyes. It sounded good. It was exactly what they had wanted for years, and yet Miles knew he was missing something. Movement to his left caught his eye. Anixquold unrolled her fists before clenching them again, her whole body like a coiled spring. Beads of sweat had broken out on her forehead. She was fighting the Naku’s control.
Miles turned back to the human. “Who exactly do the Naku plan on taking with them?”
The man shrugged. “A few human volunteers, those of us lucky enough to be chosen. And, of course, their security.”
Miles shook his head. “The Unwelcome don’t want to go with them.”
“The Unwelcome belong to them. They have no say in their fate.”
“No deal.”
The human liaison shook his head. “That is unwise. Your situation is precarious. You should think about it carefully.”
“He said no deal.”
Miles whirled around. Riley strode into the room, Petra by his side. Miles drank in the sight of them. Until this moment, he hadn’t realized how much he had truly missed them. Riley looked fierce, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the Naku leader. He could see the calculation in his eyes as he tried to figure out which was the greater threat—those on the dais or those surrounding Miles.
But Petra, Petra kept her gaze on Miles. Miles felt his chest tighten in response. She gave him a nod. He smiled in return. Then she shifted back into warrior mode, scanning the room, weighing the odds, and determining how she was going to handle the situation.
“You should all be careful,” the human liaison said. “You have abilities, but you are vastly outnumbered.” He waved his arm, and Unwelcome stepped from the shadows. There were easily another two dozen.
Miles frowned, trying to figure out how the Naku leader, even with all his strength, was able to control that many. That’s when he noticed the six other Naku behind him. They were all extremely wrinkled, which meant they were old and powerful. Together they could control that many Unwelcome.
Miles flicked a gaze at Riley, who raised his eyebrows in response and then grinned. “Oh, buddy, you have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this.”
91
Riley’s heart had nearly stopped dead at seeing Miles surrounded by a dozen Unwelcome. He drank in the sight of him. Despite his worst fears, Miles actually looked all right. The fact that he was standing only about thirty feet away tamped down the fears that had been dogging Riley since he’d entered the ship.
A noticeable tremor had shot through Petra when she had seen him. He darted a glance at her. And even as he did, she seemed to shake off the shock of seeing Miles. She pulled her sword from behind her and gave Riley a nod. “Plan?” she asked quietly from the side of her mouth.
Riley scanned the room. There were a dozen Unwelcome surrounding Miles, another two dozen along the walls and maybe another ten or so up on the dais with the Naku. But it was the seven Naku they needed to worry about. “Try to get to the Naku. If we knock them down, hopefully the Unwelcome won’t fight us either.”
“You realize there’s a lot of Unwelcome between us and them, right?”
Riley rolled his shoulders. “Oh, I know. If it’s goes badly, just get to Miles. We’ll grab him and get out of here. Pretty sure we can outrun the Naku, at least.”
Petra adjusted her stance, her gaze scanning the Unwelcome in front of them as if trying to decide who to target first. “Well, let’s get this party started.”
Riley grinned at her. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
Petra rolled her eyes before sprinting forward. She faked a punch to the stomach of the Unwelcome who charged her in response before sliding between its legs.
Riley followed, staying to the Petra’s left. An Unwelcome threw a hook toward his head. Riley jumped, grabbing the man’s arm and continuing the motion, flinging him into another two Unwelcome that were charging.
92
Miles knew the second that Riley and Petra decided to fight. Truth was, the minute he saw them, he knew they were ready to fight. He tensed, waiting for them to make their move. As Petra burst forward, the circle around him tightened. Miles didn’t want to hurt the Unwelcome. But he also knew that he couldn’t stand there and watch Riley and Petra get hurt.
But his arm didn’t materialize. The Unwelcome in front of him weren’t a threat. They were guarding him, keeping him from moving forward, but they weren’t trying to hurt him. He needed them to try and hurt him.
He glared up at the Naku, knowing that somehow they had figured out a way to avoid triggering his abilities. But he also knew that they wouldn’t be able to keep them inactivated for long. He kept his back to Anixquold, Dexender, and Gaxdrill. He glared at the back of the Unwelcome in front of him. It was huge, easily over eight feet tall.
Miles rolled his shoulders, feeling a stab of pain from where he’d hit the wall earlier. This is going to hurt.
He dove for the Unwelcome’s leg, slamming his shoulder into the back of its knee. The Unwelcome wobbled but didn’t fall down. Miles kicked out with both feet, slamming them into the opposite knee. The Unwelcome’s arms flew out, and it started to fall. Miles rolled out of the way, barely avoiding getting pummeled by the Unwelcome as it hit the ground.
He crashed into the legs of the Unwelcome next to them. The Unwelcome reached down, latching on to the front of Miles his shirt. The warm glow spread over Miles as his arm began to appear. He smiled before kicking the Unwelcome with everything he was worth, right in the groin. The Unwelcome released its hold. Miles dropped slightly to the ground before spinning to face the next Unwelcome charging.
A hand landed on his shoulder. Without looking, he grabbed the hand twisting it while he kicked at the Unwelcome facing him. He whirled around, twisting the wrist and forcing the Unwelcome to hit the ground with the cry.
