Page 53 of Alien's Eternal Mate

When the ground lay less than fifty feet below me, the Starlost warriors began their attack. They let loose with silver tubes and more primitive projectiles, like slingshots and bows. Jark's warriors rushed about in confusion, trying to mount a counterattack.

A commander, recognizable for the horned skull helmet strapped to his head, barked orders and brought some order to the chaos. He got a line of raiders to open fire with their silver tubes...

Only nothing happened.

Other raiders tried to use their skybreaker harnesses to take to the sky, and bring the fight to my warriors. Yet, they remained festooned to the ground as surely as the stones circling their firepits.

That's what happens to electronic devices after an electromagnetic pulse.

While two thirds of my warriors attacked and harassed the raiders, I joined up with a smaller group who attacked no one. We were the rescue team, whose only purpose was to find our people, and not engage the enemy.

I flew next to Pageus, who had to shout to be heard over the tumult of battle.

"The prisoners will be held below ground. That cave entrance is a likely place."

I followed his pointing weapon and spotted the cave. Yellow luminance painted the stones at the entrance, indicating someone was inside.

I didn't see our people anywhere else in the enemy camp. Pageus had to be right.

My feet slammed to the ground outside the cave entrance, as landings still were not my strong suit. If not for the EMP, I would have died. A raider guarding the entrance totally had the drop on me and frantically pulled the trigger stud on his weapon in an attempt to obliterate me.

I didn't want to fire into the cave. I had no idea where the prisoners were in relation to the entrance, and they might get caught by a stray shot.

Instead, I stepped forward and smashed my fist right into his face. Blood and teeth showered the stone as he toppled like a fallen tower.

My eyes adjusted to the brighter lights inside the cave as Pageus and the others joined me. The cave held a large pit, protected by crude bars formed of a bamboo-like native plant.

I peered down into the pit, but could see only vague shapes among the shadows.

"Arael?" I called.

"Gro! Gro, I'm here!"

The sound of her voice made me squeeze my eyes shut and nearly faint with relief.

She lives.

"If we work together, we can remove this grate--"

I grasped the bars and tore the grate free with a guttural roar. My muscles strained, but I lifted it out of the way and sent it crashing against the wall.

"Or, you could just do that," Pageus said with more amazement than amusement.

I flew down into the pit and wrapped my arms around Arael. I inhaled her scent deep into my lungs, exulted in the feel of her body against my own.

"I knew you would come for me, beloved."

I didn't want to, but I let go of her.

"We have to go, now."

I swept her up into my arms and flew upward. The other warriors on the rescue team descended into the pit, each one taking a hostage. I'd planned for a half dozen warriors to be unburdened. They flew ahead of us in a V formation, a vanguard against any attempts the raiders might make to stop us.

And try to stop us they did. Fortunately, their firearms still did not function, while my vanguard spewed continuous death with their silver tubes.

Pageus blew on a horn as we rose into the sky. The rest of the warriors broke off their attack and joined us in flight. I kept expecting to feel the sting of an arrow or a spear in my back.

Only when we passed over the ridge of the red mountain did I relax a little. Arael wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my neck. Her soft exhalations spurred me on, even though my power levels grew low.

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