“With pleasure,” Sabin replied.
Missiles launched from the Rengard, arcing through space. Impassively, Airen watched as the pirate ships turned to face them.
But it was too late. A few missiles were all it took.
The first ship blew into tiny pieces. The others tried to run, abandoning their people on the ground. Typical.
But Sabin and his team were ruthless. Moments later, all the ships were just space debris.
“Let’s get to the surface,” Malax commanded.
Airen saw one of Sabin’s rare smiles. “I’ll assemble my team.”
Malax kissed Wren. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Be careful down there,” the woman said.
When Airen entered the hangar bay with several of her warriors, she’d already formed her helian armor.
She spotted Donovan, suited up in his Terran spacesuit. The high-tech fabric clung to him, highlighting every muscle in his body. He could pass for a warrior, except for the short hair and darker skin.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m past ready,” she said.
They all settled in their seats aboard the shuttle and pulled their harnesses on. The shuttle took off, several others following behind them. Malax rose, standing behind Sabin’s pilot seat. His gaze was on the viewscreen.
The small, green moon got larger, and then they were descending into the moon’s atmosphere.
Plumes of smoke rose up in the early-morning darkness. As they neared the science outpost, there was a violent explosion on the ground.
Cren. Airen tried to calm her racing heartbeat. There were children at this outpost, families and scientists. They weren’t all warriors.
These pirates would pay. The Kantos would pay.
As soon as they landed on the outskirts of the community, every warrior on the shuttle stood.
Malax pressed the side door controls. “Let’s save our people. Protect our Empire.”
They poured out of the shuttle and broke into a run, moving in formation, weapons forming on their arms.
She glanced at Donovan. He held his rifle with total ease. It was clear he knew how to use it well.
The sharp scent of smoke filled her senses.
“Look out for traps,” she warned Donovan. “The pirates are well known for that.”
They sprinted through the trees, and Airen’s senses sharpened. She was a warrior and she was ready to fight.
Ahead, the ground gave way in a few places. Several warriors fell into freshly dug holes that had been covered by leaves.
She heard cursing.
“Pull them out,” Sabin ordered.
“There’s some sort of chemical in the bottom,” someone cried out. “It’s burning!”
“Anyone hurt?” Malax boomed.
“No!”
Cren-cursed pirates. Airen watched Donovan’s body tense. She scanned ahead. “What?”
Suddenly, he spun and jumped on her. They hit the ground, just as several projectiles whizzed over their heads.
“Down!” Malax roared. The war commander crouched behind a tree.
“You okay?” Donovan asked, moving off her.
She nodded, dusting herself off as they crouched.
“There.” She spotted movement in the trees.
Donovan moved. Fast. He leaped up.
“Donovan!” she whisper-yelled.
He ran across the ground, his powerful body moving like liquid. Several projectiles peppered the ground behind him.
Heart pounding, Airen formed a blaster on her arm and shot a blast of energy into the trees. She heard a scream.
Donovan got closer, his weapon drawn. He fired up into the branches, then swiveled and fired again. He moved and squeezed off another shot, using his weapon like an extension of his body.
He disappeared into the trees. A second later, he strode out, dragging a writhing pirate behind him.
“Tie him up,” Malax ordered. “Once we subdue the rest, we’ll have a nice chat with our new friend.”
The pirate was injured and bleeding, and Malax’s tone made him blanch.
Another explosion rocked the outpost.
“Let’s move!” Airen yelled.
* * *
Donovan used his laser scope, zeroing in on a running pirate and fired.
The laser hit the man, and he stumbled and fell. The Eon woman he’d been chasing flew into the arms of an Eon man, sobbing against his chest.
These Eon weren’t warriors. They were scientists and their families.
A blast of energy filled the air, and he turned to see Airen firing on a trio of pirates. He didn’t understand the intricacies of how the helians converted energy, but it was amazing to see the helian weapons at work.
Malax sprinted forward, Sabin one step behind him. Both men had formed swords on their arms. Malax’s was a long, single blade that whistled through the air as he attacked.
His blade crashed into a pirate’s curved sword, and the pirate went down under the powerful blows.
Sabin had a sword on each arm, both glowing a faint purple, whirling as he fought.
Damn, the man was fast. He was like a deadly whirlwind.
Airen leaped into the air, and her blaster morphed, changing into a sword.
By God, she was something.
She slammed into a group of pirates, swinging and slicing.
Donovan fired on several others, then spotted one pirate crouched by a building, doing something with his hands. He was close to Airen, but she had her back to him and was busy fighting. What the hell was he up to? Then the pirate turned and ran like the hounds of hell were nipping at his ankles.
Something was wrong.
“Airen!”
She couldn’t hear him in the midst of the fight. Then he saw the flicker of flames in the building where the pirate had been. His gut went tight, his instincts screaming.
He broke into a sprint, his boots pounding on the ground. He picked Airen up, lifting her off her feet.
“What—?” She almost sliced him with her sword.
Then the building exploded.
The blast knocked Donovan off his feet. He slammed into the ground, covering Airen, as a fireball washed over them.
Suddenly, she sat up, slapping at his back. “You’re on fire!”
“Suit will protect me.” He did feel a few unwelcome twinges.
They both turned and saw the building where Airen had been standing was now a smoking ruin.
“Thanks,” she said.
He nodded.
Screams pierced the night. Donovan tensed. Those were a child’s screams.
He leaped up, scanning the ruined outpost. He spotted a child on the roof of a long, flat building. A pirate was chasing her.
“We need to get to her,” he said.
“Wait,” Airen said.
Several Rengard warriors joined them.
But Donovan only had eyes for the little girl. The way her dark hair flew behind her and her skirts moved around her little body reminded him of his sisters when they were kids. The pirate was gaining on her.
He took a step, but Airen grabbed his arm.
“Wait,” she said again.
“There’s no time,” he barked.
She scowled at him. “It’s a trap, Donovan. They’ll be waiting for us. We need—”
“There’s no damn time!”
The pirate snatched the girl off her feet and Donovan broke into a sprint.
“Donovan! I’m ordering you to wait.”
“Screw that.”
He pounded up the stairs attached to the building and then leaped onto the roof. He whipped his laser pistol out and fired.
The pirate collapsed and the girl screamed again.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
The girl flung herself at him, pressing her face into his gut.
“Let’s get you out of here. You’re safe now.”
There was movement on the roof. Three pirates rose from be
hind vent units. One was huge. Over seven feet tall. He lifted a massive axe high over his shoulder.
Shit.
Donovan backed up, and when the little girl stumbled, he lifted her up with his left arm.
With his right, he fired his gun.
“Keep your head down,” he warned the girl. She nodded, and burrowed her face against his chest.
The big pirate advanced, slamming his axe down and roaring. The roof shook.
Donovan backed up. The pirates fired their weapons, and he ducked down behind a vent unit, curling around the girl.
Laser fire tore into the unit, leaving burning holes in it. The girl screamed in terror.
The big pirate lumbered toward them.
Shit. They were pinned down, and the pirates were blocking the stairs. He was fucked.
All of a sudden, a slim body sailed over the edge of the roof.
Airen landed with a slight bend of her knees, right in front of the huge pirate.
“Now!” she yelled.
Several other Eon warriors leaped onto the roof, arms up, weapons morphing on their arms.
The warriors landed, lifted their weapons, and fired. Nets shot out, tangling around the pirates.
Airen held a thin line of metallic rope in her hands, spinning it so fast it was a blur.
The big pirate growled and swung out with his axe.
Donovan’s mouth went dry, but Airen ducked the axe, pivoted and threw the rope.
It tangled around the giant’s legs. He crashed down, and then Airen’s weapon changed. She fired an electrical charge that hit the big pirate, causing him to shudder. The green electricity skated over him, and he collapsed.
Donovan released a breath.
Airen strode toward him and he rose, the little girl in his arms.
“Are you injured?” Airen’s voice was cool, hard.
He shook his head.
“The girl?”
“She’s fine, Airen. I—”
“Derril, take the girl and find her family.”
As a warrior moved forward, Donovan stared at Airen. She was looking through him, not at him. Her anger was like a sharp blade that he could feel on his skin, her helian amplifying the sensation.
But as always, Airen was keeping it in check. All that cool control of hers.
The little girl patted his cheek, a silent thank you, then went with the warrior.
Donovan dragged in a breath. “Airen, I’m—”
“You didn’t listen.” Her voice was low and harsh. “You ignored my orders.”
Fuck. He had. In the heat of battle, he was used to being creative. Allie had the same temperament as him. In fact, he was sometimes the more cautious of the two of them.
“I know. Seeing that girl in danger—”
“You’ve never fought space pirates.” Her voice was like a whip. “We know their tactics. Ambushes are their favorite.”
Donovan blew out a breath. She was right. She was pissed, and she had every right to be. “You’re—”
“You’re here to learn. You could’ve gotten yourself or the girl killed.”
His own anger spiked. She wasn’t letting him talk. “Or she might’ve been killed before you made it up here.”
“Terrans are too impulsive.”
He reached for her. “Now, wait a minute—”
She stepped back, avoiding his touch, and that made him angrier. He opened his mouth and realized her warriors were watching them. He’d already ignored her orders in front of them. Shit, he’d ignored her in front of her team.
He tried to calm his voice. “Airen—”
“We need to see to the injured.” She turned away.
“We aren’t finished talking about this,” he said quietly.
She glanced back, a distant look in her eyes. That cut him.
“We are definitely finished, Sub-Captain.”
Chapter Five
Airen strode through the outpost, cataloging the work that had been done, and the jobs that still needed completing. The sun was rising, casting bright light on all the damage and destruction. Weary, shocked residents stood around, clinging to each other.
She passed the Rengard medical commander, Thane Kann-Eon. The tall man nodded at her. He and his team were treating some of the outpost residents who had been injured. Thane was one of the most respected doctors in the Eon fleet. A little older than her, he wore his hair shorter than most warriors. Silver dusted his temples, but his body was still muscled and powerful.
Rengard warriors had put out all the fires, helping the local warriors secure the damaged buildings. She spotted Donovan and her belly coiled, but she pulled in a breath and let ice fill her veins.
Her helian fought her, but she subdued the emotions. He’d ignored her order, on her mission, in front of her warriors. She turned away.
Malax stood in the center of the outpost, hands on his hips.
“Three dead, six injured,” she said. “All the children are fine. It could’ve been far worse.”
Malax made an angry sound. “The attack seems pointless. There’s nothing missing. No purpose.”
“Pirates are usually chaotic—”
“Pirates always calculate their profit.” The gold strands in his eyes glowed. “What did this gain them?”
She blew out a breath. “I don’t know.”
Malax looked at her. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. A little tired.” And a lot angry.
She checked in with the medical team, then talked with some of the local scientists. She walked to the edge of the outpost where it was clear the pirates had entered.
“Airen?”
Donovan’s voice made her stiffen. “I’m busy, Sub-Captain.”
As she turned away from him, he grabbed her arm. She tried to tug free, but the stubborn Terran held on.
“Look,” he said. “I know you’re angry with me.”
“No, I’m busy.”
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand over his hair. “I messed up.”
She hadn’t expected an apology. Still, it didn’t change anything. “It’s fine. Now, I need to get back to work.”
He frowned. “Don’t freeze me out, Airen. I made a mistake. I want to talk—”
“We talked, you apologized, we’re done.”
There was a flare in his gold-brown eyes. He leaned closer. “We are not done. Be angry. Yell at me.”
“I do not yell, and I’m not angry.”
“Yes, you are. Look, I’m used to working my own way with my crew. We’re more impulsive and spontaneous, and I’m still adjusting—”
“Donovan, it’s done.”
He muttered a curse under his breath. “Right. You’re busy erecting those walls again to keep me out because you’re pissed.”
“I’m not angry,” she growled, her voice low. “I was starting to trust you, and you—”
His eyes softened. “Airen…”
“It’s done. I know better.” She tugged her arm free. She needed some space between them.
“I’m not him. Whoever the asshole is who didn’t trust you, or your strength and skill. I messed up because I’m used to something different, not because I don’t think you are fucking good at your job.”
She just stared at him.
His face twisted. “Airen, dammit—”
There was a rustle in the trees beside them.
Airen turned her head and saw glowing, pinprick eyes through the leaves. Then there was the sound of a large body running through the trees.
Donovan yanked out his pistol. “Kantos!”
He launched into the forest, and Airen sprinted after him, forming her sword. “Donovan!”
They rushed through the trees and bushes, and a moment later, reached a clearing. The Kantos soldier rose to its full height on its four, jointed legs.
The alien held two razor-sharp arms up in front of a torso covered in thick, brown, armored plates. Its flat face was dominated by four beady, glowing, yellow eyes, and a nar
row mouth filled with sharp teeth.
It swung an arm at Donovan, and he ducked and fired.
Airen knew those arms were sharp enough to slice him open. She lunged, her sword flashing in the early-morning light. It hit into the hard shell of the Kantos’ torso.
The alien’s eyes flashed and it made a buzzing noise. Then it spun and rushed at Airen.
The Kantos slammed into her, knocking her down.
A sharp arm descended and she rolled to the side. The Kantos hit the dirt.
There was more laser fire, then Donovan rammed into the Kantos, knocking it off her.
Airen leaped up at the same time Donovan did. The Kantos darted into the trees, moving quickly on those four long legs.
“Shit!” Donovan ran and she kept pace one step behind him.
She shoved branches aside, feeling them slap against her face. A moment later, they came out at the edge of a large flat area. The horrible smell of mud and decay slammed into her.
“Dammit,” Donovan bit out. “A fucking swamp.”
The muddy area stretched out ahead of them. Donovan stared after the Kantos as it leaped across rocks and small, high points of dirt dotting the swamp like tiny islands.
“For the first time ever, I wish I had four legs.” Donovan jumped onto a large, flat rock, then another.
Dragging in a breath, Airen followed. There was no way they could move as fast as the Kantos soldier.
Still, they weren’t giving up.
They leaped across the swamp. Ahead of her, Donovan’s foot slipped and his leg sank into the swampy mud up to his knee.
“Ugh, this smells rank.” He yanked on his leg, but it didn’t move. “Crap, I’m stuck.”
She landed beside him and snaked her arm around him, otherwise they’d both tumble off this small island of dirt. She gripped his thigh and together they pulled until his leg came free with a squelch.
They fell back on the ground. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her from sliding into the mud.
“Okay?” he asked.
Apart from being plastered against his hard body, she was fine. She nodded.
He looked over her shoulder. “Kantos is almost to the other side.”
She let him help her up. “We need to keep moving—”
A gurgling sound rumbled behind them, and they both froze.
Together, they swiveled their heads.
Claim of Eon: Eon Warriors #6 Page 4
