by Gail Koger
“Sarah’s combat skills won’t save her this time,” the henchman crowed.
Wait a minute. The henchman’s psychic aura was familiar. Where did I know him from?
“Pray to your primitive god. Death approaches,” Lilkee said gleefully.
I hurriedly gathered the other laser pistols and flinched as a high-pitched buzz filled my ears.
An alien blitzkrieg of naugers rushed out of the dead trees.
My stomach knotted in horror. There were hundreds of them. I emptied gun after gun until the last one failed.
For a moment, a kaleidoscope of images and sounds whirled through my mind. The Tai-Kok rampaging through my hometown. The butchered bodies of my family and friends. Their panicked cries melded with the roar of Marauders and fighter jets battling overhead. All that pent-up rage I had buried so deeply welled up, and I screamed my defiance. “Noooo! We are not dying today!”
The naugers’ hissing growls filled the air.
“I will hunt you down, Lilkee. Never doubt that.”
Lilkee’s taunting laughter rang in my head. “The dead present no threat.”
Something snapped inside me, and a killing frenzy took over as the naugers attacked. I hacked, sliced, and cut my way through their leathery bodies, but they kept on coming and coming and coming. My energy flagged. I stumbled under the onslaught. If I fell, we would all die.
Tihar abruptly linked with me. Energy poured into my battered body. “Who is the baddest motherfucker on this world?”
“Me.”
“Then fight like it. You are Askole now, and defeat is not in our vocabulary.”
“Mwah-hah-hah,” I bellowed. Tihar’s warrior’s skills merged with mine, and I was unstoppable. The naugers’ bodies piled up around me.
Immense power rolled around the courtyard. A split second later, Zarek, Voss, Rho, Jaylan, Talree, and several other warriors appeared. They annihilated the remaining monsters.
A hysterical laugh broke from me. I wasn’t dead. How great was that?
“I would not have let you or your family die,” Tihar stated grimly.
“Well, there’s a newsflash. Not that I don’t appreciate the help. I’m just really surprised you showed up.”
“My duty is to protect the Askole Empire and my family from those who would destroy us,” Tihar’s voice was taut with anger and a hint of exasperation.
Duty? A coldness blossomed in my stomach, and all the hurt I had buried welled up inside me. “Gotcha. I saved your ass. You saved mine, and your obligation to me is over.” I took a deep breath. “Oh yeah, I’m keeping Musa, and unlike you, I don’t cut and run. Only a fucking coward does that. That brings up another point. Only a ball-less dick lets their father do their dirty work.”
“Neither my father nor I have time for female hysterics. We are at war. Snoor plans to obliterate our worlds. I must stop him.” Poof! He vanished from my mind.
“Female hysterics?” Okay, he had me there. I had said some things I probably shouldn’t have. I’ll admit I was pissed at the big lug and stressed out from fighting the naugers. Once again, I couldn’t find the butthead’s mental signature. A wave of exhaustion hit me, and I swayed on my feet. I bit back a groan as a multitude of aches and pains suddenly made themselves known. God, my left arm hurt like a mother. My vision blurred. I grabbed ahold of a sled to keep from falling flat on my face.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” I muttered to myself. “Check on the family, then pass out.”
I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and instinctively pulled my sword.
A gloved hand caught my arm. “Easy. You are safe now.”
“My family.”
“They are being cared for.”
The funny black spots were back. “I think I need a medic.”
“I am a medic.”
“Oh. Good. Gotta sit down.”
The medic eased me to the ground and ran a scanner over me. “Your left arm is broken, along with two ribs, and there is a hairline fracture in your left leg.”
“Hey, I consider it a miracle I’m still breathing. A couple of busted bones I can live with. The alternative would have been bad and really messy.”
The medic turned his head to survey the dead naugers. “Very messy.”
The Overlord’s terrifying voice filled my head. “Who is responsible for this?”
“Lilkee. How did you know we were in trouble? Aunt Tess couldn’t link with you.”
“Your mental war cry was quite deafening,” Zarek stated drily.
“Oh. I was mad as hell. You know your daughter is fucking nuts, don’t you?”
Zarek sighed. “Malik invaded her mind, and the results are not what he intended.”
“Huh? Go figure.”
The Overlord mucked about in my brain.
My pain faded away. I sighed in relief as my poor abused muscles relaxed. “Thanks. Did you know Tihar dumped me?”
“I am in your mind. There is nothing I do not know.”
Well, that was just downright disturbing. There was no way he knew about the little incident in Tijuana, was there?
“You broke into the local jail where Sam was being held for assaulting Inspector Martinez. In the process, you freed two dozen prisoners, started a riot, and blew up the Inspector’s new Cadillac.”
Holy cow! The Mexican government had been more than pissed, but they couldn’t pin it on us. All the evidence had been mysteriously eaten by rats. “Please don’t tell Uncle Saul.”
“He knows.”
A nauger rushed us.
Zarek blasted it.
“You need to find the ultrasonic device Lilkee planted nearby. It drives the naugers mad.”
“Rho is looking for it now,” Zarek responded.
“Awesome.” My motor-mouth kicked into high gear. “Once that skinny bitch, ah, I mean, your daughter, is captured, I’m hunting Tihar down, and we are going to have a little come-to-Jesus talk.”
“Tracking Tihar will be difficult,” Zarek responded.
“No. It won’t. Finding people is one of my talents, but I kinda need to borrow one of your spaceships to pursue him.”
There was a tugging sensation in my head. “So, it is, and no, you cannot borrow a ship.”
Rats.
Voss walked up and gestured at the mass of dead naugers. “Sarah did this?”
“Yep, I sure did.”
“Without any help?”
Voss’s utter disbelief was insulting. My temper flared. “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.”
“Tihar shared his power with her,” Zarek interjected.
“That explains it.”
“Thank you, Sarah, for saving Zoey’s life,” I snapped.
Voss’s snarl echoed in my mind. “Your need to kill naugers endangered Zoey.”
“Sure. Why not blame me? Who cares if you have a spy in your midst who is helping Lilkee and Malik? Who almost succeeded in killing your mate. Be a dumbass and don’t look for him.”
The Battle Commander turned to Zarek. “What is she talking about?”
“In Sarah’s memories, I found Cohn’s aura. He is the traitor we have been seeking. Talree is searching for him.”
“He always gave me the willies, and now I know why. He was using his position as freight master to smuggle Lilkee and her goons on and off Tanith,” I exclaimed, then scowled. “That prick also drained the charge out of our laser pistols.”
Talree teleported in. “Cohn has disappeared.”
Leave it to a female to get the job done. I quickly tapped into my tracking abilities, and there were Lilkee and her goons. “They’ve got a shielded bolt-hole two clicks away.” Fatigue dragged at me. I just needed to close my eyes for a few seconds. Everything faded away.
“Sarah!” Zarek’s stern voice demanded my attention.
My eyes popped open, and I blinked sleepily at the warlords crowded around me. “Huh?”
“Where is the bolt-hole?”
“Two clicks away
.” I went back to sleep.
Shazam! The Overlord’s power penetrated me like an electric shock. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I shot to my feet. “Whoa! Sorry, sir, it won’t happen again, sir.”
A holographic map of the area formed over the Overlord’s bracelet. “Where are they?”
I concentrated briefly, then pointed to two stone spires that stuck out of the earth. “They’re in a cavern beneath those rocks.”
Poof! All the warlords vanished.
I looked at the medic. “You got a laser pistol?”
“I do.”
“Good.” I pointed to a nauger slinking toward us. “Shoot it.”
“I have a better idea.” The medic clamped me to his chest and teleported.
There was a fleeting second of black, and we were standing in sickbay.
My stomach rumbled. “Got any chocolate?”
“I do.” The medic released me and removed his helmet.
Cowabunga! He was smokin’ hot and had chocolate. What more could a girl want? Oh yeah. Someone who would honor his commitments. Bet I could get used to his snake.
A growl sounded in my head.
“Buzz off. You divorced me, remember?”
I caught Tihar’s shocked disbelief before he pulled his disappearing act.
Chapter Fifteen
Twenty minutes in a regen tube, and I was good to go. Jand, the hunky medic, fed me chocolate and flirted with me. “You have beautiful eyes and fine breasts.”
That was a bit direct. On the bright side, he wasn’t preening or flexing like a competitive body builder. “Thank you.”
Jand popped another piece of chocolate in my mouth. “Is it true the Askole nullified your bride contract?”
Ignoring the sensation of being gut shot, I nodded. “My lack of tentacles was a deal breaker.”
“If you were mine, I would never let you go.”
Yikes. He was serious. I had to admit, I enjoyed feeling like an attractive woman again, but he wasn’t Tihar. I quickly changed the subject. “Please tell me they caught Cohn?”
“After a short battle, he was taken into custody. The Overlord extracted all of Cohn’s knowledge and left his body for the naugers.”
“And Lilkee?”
“She escaped.”
How did she keep escaping? She wasn’t that bright.
Kaylee, Bree, and Zoey popped into the room and shouted in unison, “Jailbreak.”
“Yay!” I clapped my hands and grinned like a loon. My family was the best.
Jand bowed slightly. “My ladies.” He picked up my hand and kissed it. “Until later.” He walked out.
“He was so hitting on you,” Bree crowed.
Zoey whistled. “Jand is sex on two legs.”
“Definitely yummy, and even better, my scales don’t turn him off.”
Kaylee raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Why would they? You’re gorgeous.”
“I love you to death, but gorgeous I’m not.”
“I’m tellin’ the truth,” Kaylee shot back. “Your scales are kinda cute.”
“Right, cute.” Still no tentacles, thank God. I knew I wasn’t ugly by any standards, but my self-esteem had taken a hard knock. I looked around. “Where’s Aunt Tess?”
“She’s getting the grub together.” Bree hooted. “It’s party time!”
“Food? Booze?”
“And a chocolate fudge cake,” Zoey said, handing me a black tunic with intricate red design, leggings, and boots.
“Good. I’m starving.” I hurriedly dressed. “Who’s giving me a ride?”
“I am.” Kaylee wrapped her arms around me. Poof. We appeared on Detja’s private terrace.
The walls were covered with a cascade of purple flowers, and the patio had a great view of the lake. A large iron table held enchiladas, tacos, chips, salsa, pitchers of margaritas, and the chocolate fudge cake. Bistro tables and chairs were scattered about.
I frowned as I spotted Musa gliding over the lake with KeeKee on her back. “Do not attack the ducks. Do you hear me?”
“We hear.”
Bree grinned. “I left my kids with a big bowl of blood worms. It’ll keep them occupied for a while.”
“I wished I had thought of that,” I said.
Detja walked over to me, gave me a hug, and kissed my cheek. “You fought against incredible odds and saved our lives. We are forever in your debt. You always have a home here, Sarah.”
“Thank you, but I wasn’t letting that paranoid whack job win.”
“Lilkee needs to die, and it will be at my hand,” Detja said with a snarl.
Okey-doke. I’d make sure to stay out of her way. “The next time I sense her, Lilkee is all yours.”
Detja inclined her head.
Aunt Tess cried, “Let’s eat.”
We all crowded around the food and loaded our plates with goodies.
Musa landed on the table, rocking the pitchers of margaritas.
“Easy,” I warned.
“Hot stuff.” KeeKee chortled.
I grabbed her before she could dunk her head in the salsa. “No! Bad baby.”
“Me like. Musa like.”
“Hang on a second, and I’ll get you a plate.”
“’Kay.” KeeKee literally vibrated with excitement.
Musa hopped up and down on the table until Detja pointed a finger at her. “Enough, small one.”
Musa’s orange eyes examined Detja for a moment, then Musa hopped on my shoulder and jabbered at me.
“Yes, you have to obey her.”
Musa fluffed her fur in outrage and chirped.
“Because I said so, and Detja is meaner than me.” I poured salsa on a plate and put it on an empty table. “There ya go.”
Whoosh! The kids buried their faces in the salsa.
I picked up my plate and took the chair next to Aunt Tess. “How’s the head and shoulder?” I took a big bite of the enchilada.
“Good as new. I thought we were goners for sure.”
“It was pretty damn close. If Tihar hadn’t linked with me, we would all be nauger kibble.”
Everyone stopped eating and stared at me.
“Hey, I was a bit flabbergasted too. I mean, not one word in almost a year, and suddenly he’s there, saying he wouldn’t let me die.”
“It seems the Askole has some honor,” Detja commented.
Bree asked, “Did he say why he left?”
“Yeah. He’s doing what’s necessary to stop Snoor. What that includes, I’m not quite sure,” I answered with a frown.
Zoey stated, “Snoor has killed a lot of people.”
“He has, and the monster deserves to be put down like a rabid animal,” I agreed. “However, that doesn’t let Tihar off the hook. He severed our mental ties. I don’t know if I can forgive him for that.” My voice trembled with suppressed tears.
Aunt Tess patted my hand. “We’re going to make Tihar pay for hurting you. Never doubt it.”
“I always thought Tihar was a stand-up guy, but now?” Kaylee shrugged. “The Askole Empire might be at war, but that’s no reason for the jerk to cut your bond. Talree’s mind is always touching mine. I don’t know what I’d do if he broke our link.”
I rubbed at the ache in my chest. “I still can’t figure out what went wrong.”
“It’s not your fault. Tihar’s a prick,” Zoey stated, handing me a margarita.
He was, but I nursed a tiny kernel of hope that it was all a big misunderstanding. That Tihar was on a top-secret undercover gig and he still loved me.
Detja took the margarita away from me. “You have fighter escort duty tomorrow. You are allowed one beer.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I snagged a bottle.
Bree interjected, “I have the recording of Sarah fighting the nauger. Wanna see it?”
“I do.” Zoey looked around the table. “Anyone else want to see it?”
We all raised our hands.
Bree touched her bracelet. A holographic image of the battle s
cene formed over the table.
There I was, surrounded by a huge mound of dead naugers. Moving faster than I thought was possible, I danced out of the way of their snapping jaws. Sunlight flashed off my sword as I beheaded the monsters.
A bunch of Coletti warriors teleported in and started shooting.
“Can’t tell ya how happy I was to see them.” I poured salsa on my taco.
“Damn.” Kaylee drained her margarita, grabbed the pitcher, and refilled her glass. “Now I know why Talree won’t let me out of his sight.”
I scanned the area. Yep, the warlords were close by in Zarek’s version of a man cave. I pitied the fool who tried to hurt any of us.
With a shudder, Aunt Tess topped off her cocktail. “Reminds me of the battle at Arrowhead Mall.”
A chill ran down my back. Our shopping trip had turned into a nightmare when the Tai-Kok attacked. “We ran out of bullets in the first ten minutes. Thank God, there was a sporting goods store.”
Zoey grinned. “I remember the news vids. You handed out shotguns to the shoppers, and the Tai-Kok got their asses handed to them.” She lifted her drink. “Here’s to the Jones clan and the battles we have won.”
We all took a swallow.
I held up my bottle. “And to the battles to come.”
“Oorah!” Aunt Tess shouted.
Chapter Sixteen
Trouble lights danced across the command console of my Talon spaceship. A mechanical voice stated, “Warning. Warning. Port engine damaged. Shields have failed. Hull breach imminent. Warning. Warning. Port engine damaged. Shields have failed. Hull breach imminent.”
Three Talons flew a protective formation around me while the rest of the squadron fought the pirates. The blackness of space was filled with billowing yellow flames of the disintegrating enemy vessels.
Thank God, the freighter that my fighter squadron was escorting had minimal damage. For some unknown reason, the pirates had concentrated their firepower on me.
“Warning. Warning. Port engine damaged. Shields have failed. Hull breach imminent.”
I hit an icon, and silence reigned in my cockpit. This was bad. This was so bad. The bright green market world of Illowra filled my view screen. I tapped my comm link. “Illowra Air Command, this is Coletti War Hawk Three, I’m declaring an emergency. I need immediate clearance to land.”
