Page 49 of Torn from the Alien Commander

“Um, better to let me count,” Tyrxie interjects, glancing at Quad with concern. “He’s not great with numbers,” she whispers conspiratorially.

“Pfft!” Quad spits, thankfully, directed at the plush purple floor. “I count fine, Tiny!” he protests.

Tyrxie holds up a placating hand. “Fine, we’ll both count. How about that?” she offers.

“Okay!” Quad beams with a nod.

I watch the exchange with disbelief—such silliness while the fortress rumbles and groans around us, on the precipice of overwhelming odds, the fate of the universe dangling like a leaf in a storm.

Krogoth will never believe a word of this, but first, I need to dodge light itself to survive.

Chapter 17

Xandor

Audience

Dagdorix grant me thestrength to defeat my enemies, and may Ecneius grant me the wisdom to divine the correct paths.

The prayer to Ecneius comes instinctively, a God seldom invoked by brothers of Clan Draxxus. But it feels right—his gift of enlightenment swells within me, almost overwhelming my senses.

I take a deep breath to steady my nerves. Countless forewarnings flood my mind, each one crucial. One mistake, one misstep spells disaster. It’s at this critical moment the chances of failure are at their highest.

“You’ve got this, Xandor.” Tyrxie smiles up at me, placing a comforting hand on my wrist, inflating my heart to bursting. “Iknow you’ll come back to me; you always do.” She nods with beautiful reassurance.

I lean down to kiss my love’s forehead, enjoying her warmth and softness—a contrast to the hardness that I must unleash. “I’ll see you on the other side. Remember, stick close to Quad,” I caution, turning back to the immense opulent door. “Stand back, now.”

My companions step back amidst the vibrating, rumbling backdrop. Already I summon my fury, my Rush, knowing what must be done. My eye spills forth my golden wrath, a physical manifestation of the blood boiling in my veins. My sinews tighten, and the universe snaps to focus with unbelievable clarity.

The immense door creaks loudly as I push it open, revealing an enormous room, dazzling with bright blue lights from the ceiling in the image of one of the Nebian suns. The ceiling itself is a masterpiece, lifelike artistry detailed frescoes depicting Nebian victories and legendary figures.

It’s a shocking contrast to the numerous fearful faces huddled behind makeshift barriers and hasty defenses. The silence is deafening as I approach, the sound of hushed breathing and the slap of my bare feet upon a glorious marble relief echoing out. I activate my laser sword, holding it before my face. It hums ominously, mixing with the blue light to cast shades of purple over the opulent walls.

One.

“It’s a Klendathian!” A frightened voice states the obvious.

“Hail!” I snap back with a smile. Yet they don’t appear thrilled to see me, quite the opposite as they level their laser rifles and heavier entrenched repeater lasers at me.

Two.

“Protect the Imperator! For the twin suns!” A gruff voice calls out. Already my mind burns with the trajectory of too manyattacks, each variation bleeding into exponentially more and more iterations.

Three.

The room flashes with reds and purples, the laser beams slicing through the air towards me. I dash to the left in a golden blur, taking cover behind one of the four immense crystal pillars at each corner. The zaps and buzzes ring out, striking the walls behind where I once stood a heartbeat ago.

Four.

Pelting lasers, as numerous as the rain on a stormy day, bombard the crystal pillar. The room fills with smoke, the acrid scent of singed arcweave and melted crystal, reminiscent of sulfur, wrinkles my nose.

Five.

I need to draw them further to the left!The barrage of blasts stops, leaving an eerie silence. With a deep breath fanning my Rush-enhanced muscles, I dash out from my cover, drawing the ire of my squat opponents, their terror obvious by their hasty, inaccurate shots.

Six.

Closer now, the laser strikes are harder to dodge despite their languid speed. My Gods-touched mind tells me I’ll evade many, but some will still bar my path. Nearing the forward pillar on the left, several accurate leading crimson blasts approach, standing out in a sea of wasted shots. Closing my eye, I sense them coming like dancing embers fluttering through the air. My sword lashes out with blinding speed, cutting my supposed death to ribbons.

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