Page 29 of Alien Peacock

“I think so, too,” Arelion growls. “That makes our options easier. Keep up with me.” He sets off at a run back the way we came, towards the group and their ship.

I have no problem grasping what he has in mind. Those aliens have a ship with the hatch open. And we are getting desperate here.

As we approach, the aliens sense the danger. They start hurrying to get inside. Arelion runs towards them, unfolds his wings, and then takes off. He flies right at them, a giant, electric blue bird of prey that looks scary even from the back.

The death grip he always has on my attention almost makes me miss the little pink fur ball that comes trotting at the edge of the walkway.

“Maeve! Come on!”

I frown. “Bari?! Where have you been?”

“Finding a ship for you! Come on, forget that one! We have one that's better!”

“Arelion!” I yell. “We have another ship!”

8

- Arelion-

I get ready to attack the group of aliens from above. I'm not angry or ready for a serious battle, so my wings are still their ordinary hue. But my big shape casts the aliens in shadow, and I know I must be a terrifying view from below.

Maeve's call reaches me just as I land on the metal walkway, right in front of the group of aliens, towering over them, prepared to fling them out of my way.

They stare at me with horror, two of them ducking and wincing while two others fight to get inside the ship first.

I have to make a quick decision.

“Greetings,” I say as I fold my wings back in. “Just wanted to wish you a pleasant journey.”

I turn my back to the confused aliens and make my way back to Maeve, who's waiting with her furry robot. “Where is it?”

“It's coming,” the robot puppy yips. “Right there.” She points with one paw. A ship is making its way towards us from another part of the hangar.

“Cerak is flying it?” I ask, just making sure. “I'm astonished he got along with the central computer of a strange ship.”

“Igot along with it,” the robot tells me. “Cerak couldn't persuade a piece of electronics to put a piece of trash in him.”

I give Maeve a quick look. “I hope it's a good ship. That one back there looks perfectly whole.”

“I hope so too,” she says. “I'm trusting that Bari is right and that this new one is better.”

There's some commotion further up the walkway. Two of the Fus aliens that own the station are on their way here, having probably seen me fly.

“This could get close,” I fret as the ship we're waiting for makes its way towards us. “Maeve, get on this side of me.” I grab her and pull her so she's shielded by my larger body if those gangsters start to shoot.

The ship Cerak is piloting turns to present its hatch to us. It's not going to settle into a berth, but he will clearly make it hover over the end of the walkway while we get in. At first glance, it looks like a remarkably bad choice in spaceship: it's a trash hauler. Nearly all of it is a squarish cargo space, painted bright yellow and streaked with all kinds of unpleasant substances and fluids. The cockpit compartment at the front is small by comparison, but should have room for the two of us with more to spare.

Our pursuers are coming closer fast. I spot guns in their hands, but it looks like they won’t start shooting until they’ve closedmore distance. The risk of hitting a spaceship and triggering some kind of automatic defense mechanism that goes crazy and kills everyone is probably too great. But they won't wait much longer.

“Come on,” I mutter as the garbage hauler slowly comes in through the vacuum of the hangar. “We don't have time for fancy maneuvers.”

The first bang rings through the small tunnel of air that covers the length of the walkway. Some kind of projectile whangs off the walkway and whines as it passes us, the sound suddenly stopping as it enters the vacuum of space.

“Chemical explosive weapons,” I mutter as I change my stance to make sure Maeve is covered. “It's like we’ve traveled centuries back in time.”

One alien stops and aims. There's a flash and another bang, and this time the bullet passes through the outer feathers of my left wing. They're getting too close for comfort.

Behind me I hear the dissonant hum and tired rattle of the trash hauler's engines as Cerak brings it to hover at the end of the walkway. There's a hiss as the hatch opens.

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