Page 43 of My Alien Sunshine

“ELLEN?!” Rushing toward the voice, I slam into the force field trapping my daughter in her cell. “Oh my god, Ellen!” Tears stream down my cheeks as I finally see her, alive and unharmed. I claw at the invisible barrier, desperate to reach my baby, but it doesn’t let me through.

“Mama! You came for me!” My four year old baby is much wiser than me, staying a few inches back from the force field. “Failin said you would come. Where is he?”

“He’ll be here soon,” Lyriana answers for me, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the force field that I’m desperately ramming myself into. “Give me a second. I’ll open it, but it won’t work if you keep smashing your head into it.”

My vision is blurry with tears but I notice her pulling something out of her pocket. A small datapad, streaked with blood. She puts it to the door control and the force field vanishes. “That bastard had the entrance codes on him,” she explains, purposely not mentioning Krell’s name in front of Ellen.

I’m only half listening since I’m already rushing toward Ellen. Ellen lets out a startled squeal as I pull her into me, squeezing her too tightly in an almost bone-crushing hug. “Mama, you’re hurting me,” she whines.

Reluctantly, I ease my grip, but I don’t let go. I don’t think I could physically let go of her for the next few days. Maybe even months. “Ellen. My baby. I’m so glad you’re safe. I’m so, so sorry it took me so long to get here. I promise I’ll never leave you again.” Breathing in deeply, I inhale her precious little girl scent, that bundle of tight knots in me finally loosening, relaxing just a little.

“I was brave, like Failin said,” she sniffles. “But I was scared. And they took my Zuri.”

It takes me a second to realize what she is talking about. “Oh, the doll.” It’s difficult to keep smiling when I think about the gift from the pedo bastard. At least he’s dead now. He won’t ever touch Ellen again. “I’ll get you a new doll, I promise.” I have no idea where we’ll live or what we’ll eat, but I’ll buy her a new doll even if I have to keep being a working girl to make enough money for it. Anything for my baby.

Shouting echoes through the corridor. “We need to go,” Lyriana urges.

I scoop Ellen into my arms, grunting under her weight. It’s been a while since I had to carry her around and she isn’t a lanky little toddler anymore. Once again, my body taps into energy reserves I didn’t know I had as I manage to stand up with Ellen curled into my chest.

“Back up?” I ask, turning to where we came from.

More shouts come from that direction. “Guess not,” Lyriana replies, frowning. “Follow me.” She starts running before she’s even finished the word and I struggle to keep up with her. “Fuck,” she mutters before turning a corner. “Keep back.” More knives appear in her hands as she throws two at the approaching guards. Each hits its mark perfectly.

The remaining guards stare at us dumbfounded. Lyriana doesn’t hesitate. She takes the first male out using a splendid sequence of fluid motions. If we weren’t in mortal danger, I’d be cheering and savoring her exceptional martial arts demonstration. As it is, I wrap my arms tighter around Ellen. The only way she’s leaving my arms is over my dead body and that ain’t happening today.

Lyriana fights like the super-soldier she is, but even she can’t withstand the eventual touch of a shock stick. One of the guards manages to graze her thigh, sending her hurtling down to the floor. It looks like we’re outnumbered and outgunned, at least until our reinforcements unexpectedly arrive.

I’d expected Faelin and his crew but I’m surprised by our would be saviors. The people viciously attacking the guards with their bare hands are slaves from nearby cells. D’Aakh and Cai must have finally deactivated their force fields.

As the last guard draws his final breath, a short Karetelan slave offers Lyriana a hand up. “I assume you’re behind this?” he asks, referring to the deactivated barriers.

“Mmm,” Lyriana grunts, spitting out some blood. “The collars will be disabled for like twenty minutes. There are ships docked on the starboard side. If you can steal one before the collars come back online, you’ll be safe.”

“Thanks.” The Karetelan nods before leaving. Most of the slaves follow him, but some are still standing inside their cells, hesitant to come out.

“What the fuck are you waiting for?!” Lyriana shouts. “You’re being rescued, idiots. Run!”

My heart aches as I watch the poor souls shuffle out of their cells and look around in confusion. I wish we could take them with us, but I remember Zarkan’s warning. If we take one, a dozen more will join and before we know it, the Supernova will be overrun by a mob of pissed off slaves. We can’t afford to risk the ship. Zarkan promised help was on the way and I believe him. Still, I can’t just do nothing.

I grab the arm of the nearest slave, a young Syndoran female, and steer her in the right direction. “That way. Run,” I urge her. When she still hesitates, I point at the shock stick one of the dead guards is still gripping in his lifeless fingers. “Grab that and use it on anyone who tries to stop you. Trust me, you don’t want to be sold off as a slave.”

My heartfelt words break her out of her stupor and she takes off. “And spread the word!” I call out. “Tell everyone to get off this fucking ship!”

“That’s a bad word,” Ellen mumbles into my neck. “You said a bad word.”

“I did. I’m sorry, chipmunk. This is a bad place and it makes me want to say bad words.”

She hums in agreement. “I don’t like it here. Can we go now?”

“Not only can we leave now, but we have to,” Lyriana interjects. “Can you keep going?” she asks me, seeing how my exhausted body struggles with Ellen’s weight.

I give her a determined nod. Nothing’s going to stop me from getting my daughter out of here.

Chapter 23

Faelin

The pants I stole from a dead guard don’t fit well and they’re soaked with the bastard’s blood, but they’re better than running around naked. Not that I’d be alone in being naked. Lots of slaves are running around the ship now, most scantily dressed, some naked. Some are panicking and just trying to get to safety, while others attack anyone who isn’t wearing a collar.

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