Page 21 of Rescued By the Alien Acolyte

Loelle, Leera, and I move swiftly through the winding streets of Terrax, making our way toward the outskirts where Leera has secured transport. The city is a maze of chaos, with panicked citizens rushing for shelter and the distant sound of Marauder vehicles growing closer.

“The transport’s just ahead,” Leera whispers, her antennae twitching nervously. “An old sand skimmer and sidecar. It’s not much, but it should get us to Crimson Ridge.”

As we round the corner to the makeshift garage, my heart sinks. A group of Marauders is already there, ransacking the place. A motley crew consisting of a Huxarian, a Draconian, and two Sorgals. Their savage faces light up with recognition and cruel anticipation as they spot us.

The Draconian Marauder leader steps forward, his scarred face twisted in a cruel grin. “There they are,” he barks at his squad. “Take them alive. The Nexus wants the blue one and the human female unharmed.”

His eyes lock onto mine, cold and calculating. “You’ve led us on quite a chase. Time to end this.”

I move in front of Loelle and Leera, my body coiled with tension. My eyes scan the Marauders, assessing threats, identifying weaknesses. When I speak, my voice is low and lethal, promising violence.

“Touch them, and I’ll tear you apart.”

The Marauder leader’s eyes narrow as he signals to his men, his voice tight with anticipation of the coming fight.

“Take him down. Now.”

As they charge forward, weapons raised, primal energy courses through me. These are the beings who hurt Loelle, who killed Drix. They threaten everything I’ve come to care about. There will be no mercy.

With a roar of rage, I meet their charge head-on. My fists connect with bone-crushing force, my body moving with deadly precision. I hear the sickening crunch of a Marauder’s skull as I slam it against the wall. Another rushes me with a plasmablade, but I sidestep, grabbing his arm and twisting until I hear the snap of breaking bone.

I’m dimly aware of Loelle and Leera joining the fray, their movements fluid and coordinated. Loelle’s blaster sings, taking down Marauders with deadly accuracy.

Leera’s eyes suddenly glow an eerie, pulsating purple. The air around her shimmers, distorting like a heat haze. With a piercing shriek that sets my teeth on edge, she extends her hands toward the approaching Marauders. Their eyes widen in terror as their bodies convulse violently. Blood trickles from theirnoses and ears as they collapse, twitching and foaming at the mouth.

I stare in shock, momentarily forgetting the battle around us. This is something I never expected from the quiet Leera. A power both terrifying and awe-inspiring. It obviously takes a lot out of her, as I see her stumble, her face pale and drawn. Blood trickles from her own nose, her eyes unfocused.

Without hesitation, I move to support her, positioning myself to shield her from the remaining Marauders. “Rest,” I growl, my eyes scanning for threats. “I’ve got you covered.” Loelle nods approvingly, taking up a defensive stance beside me as we continue to fight, protecting Leera as she recovers from her psychic exertion.

But as we fight, more Marauders pour into the street. We’re quickly becoming overwhelmed. Just as I think we might be done for, Loelle shouts, “The skimmer! Now!”

We break away, sprinting toward the sand skimmer. Loelle leaps into the pilot’s seat, hands flying over the controls, and Leera jumps on behind her. I find myself unceremoniously crammed into the small sidecar, my knees practically touching my chin. The engine roars to life just as the Marauders reach us.

“Hold on!” Loelle yells. We shoot forward, narrowly missing a hail of blaster fire. The skimmer bursts out of the garage and onto the streets of Terrax, Marauder vehicles in hot pursuit.

Loelle weaves through the city streets with expert precision, pushing the skimmer to its limits. Leera, seated behind her, returns fire, her shots keeping the Marauders at bay.

As we reach the city limits, the vast expanse of the droughtlands opens up before us. “There!” Leera points. In the distance, the jagged silhouette of Crimson Ridge rises from the desert floor. The familiar sight of the Nexus temple looms ahead.

A moment of relative calm allows Loelle and Leera to glance my way. They both burst into giggles at the sight of my largeframe squeezed into the tiny sidecar. I puff up my chest, attempting to maintain my dignity. “Focus on the road,” I growl, but there’s no real heat behind it. Secretly, I’m pleased to see Loelle smile, even if it’s at my expense.

As we race across the desert, sand spraying in our wake, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re heading into something more dangerous than we expected. The Solstice looms, and with it, a confrontation that will change everything.

I watch Loelle, her face set in determined lines as she skillfully maneuvers the skimmer. Despite the danger, despite the uncertainty, I know I made the right choice to leave the Nexus for Loelle.

The sand skimmer speeds toward Crimson Ridge, the Marauders falling behind as we enter more treacherous terrain.

There’s no turning back now.

seven

Loelle

The wind whips throughmy hair, stinging my eyes as I push the sand skimmer to its limits. We’re racing across the vast expanse of the droughtlands, the twin suns of Aridium beating down mercilessly even at this early hour. Leera is clinging tightly to my waist, and I’m sure her antennae are flattened against her head to reduce wind resistance. In the sidecar, Finzar is comically crammed in. His imposing blue frame looks like it’s about to burst from the tiny compartment. Despite his discomfort, I can see his eyes are alert, constantly scanning our surroundings for threats.

The skimmer’s engine whines in protest as I push it harder. Sand sprays in our wake, creating a billowing cloud that I hope will add difficulty to our pursuer’s blaster aim. The vibrations of the vehicle rattle my teeth, but I grit them and hold on tighter to the controls.

Despite our dire circumstances, my veins are pumping with adrenaline. This is what I live for—the thrill of the chase, thehigh-stakes gamble. But this time, it’s not just about a smuggling run or a heist. The fate of Finzar, my crew… maybe even all of Aridium hangs in the balance.

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