Page 9 of Torn from the Alien Commander

“Yes, you can’t hide from me, my sneaky Tyrxie,” I swear, breaking our embrace to smile at her. I don’t speak the rest of the words, not wishing to upset her further—That I’d watch over her from the halls of my ancestors.

A dazzling purple light streams in from the viewport, bathing the bridge in glorious hues as Tyrxie and I lock eyes, the poignant moment hanging between us. I study every contour of her beautiful face, her deep sparking green eyes, engraving her and this moment into my memory so it’ll be burned into my very soul for eternity. I pray my earlier premonitions are nothing more than worries born of a troubled and stressed mind.

Time lapses, but I almost don’t notice, captivated by the depths of Tyrxie’s beautiful soul, reflected in her eyes. Until Kaanus announces we’ve left the nebula, now at maximum speed, racing towards Nebia. My gaze shifts to the navigational console, as my heart pounds, knowing every second free of the Seeker Swarm increases our chances of survival.

The engine roars and the ship vibrates, filling the air with the only noise as all eyes are locked onto the navigational display with bated breath, awaiting the inevitable. It’s almost a relief when the display shows, in glowing blue neon, the emergence of countless blue dots pursuing our ship. Seeking our deaths.

“Time to see what this fourth-generation engine can do.”

Chapter 3

Xandor

Engine

Kaanus lets out abitter laugh, each cackle an ominous foretelling. “Void, the Mutalisk Hammer doesn’t have a fourth-generation hyperdrive engine,” he continues, his laughter growing more intense and half-mad. “I couldn’t afford that! So, I made adjustments, giving it the appearance of one.”

My fists clench in fury, and I round on the Captain, my claws itching to rip out his treacherous heart. Noroth shakes with rage, approaching the still-laughing Captain with his claws extended. “You lying bastard!” he roars.

“Don’t harm him!” Tyrxie leaps to stand in front of Noroth, her arms spread wide, blocking his path. “Please!”

What good would killing Kaanus serve now?I place a halting hand on Noroth’s chest, an unspoken gesture of peace. Theterrible truth is we need the Captain. But the situation is now grave. I gambled on the speed of a fourth-generation engine, not whatever inferior ancient engine it actually possesses.

“Kaanus, you wait until now to tell us this fact!” I yell, glaring at the broken form of the Captain, feeling like I’m berating a drunk beggar. “Your treachery may spell our doom.”

Kaanus shows no remorse. For him, death may be a welcome reprieve. My eyes shift to the console screen. The Seeker Swarm drones closing in with haste. It’s evitable—they will catch us, and an unwinnable battle will commence.

Void, this is bad!

“Noroth, Logarn, take the Captain’s rifle, open the docking hatch and create a killing zone in the cargo hold,” I command, already expecting the questioning looks being exchanged by the others. “Better to let the drones onboard than have them tear through the hull,” I explain, hoping my assumption is correct.

“Fight with honor,” Noroth intones, as the pair salute before donning their warvisors.

“Fight with honor, brothers.” I salute back, feeling the Rush bubbling within me. The pair take the plasma rifle and move to exit until Hyanxa embraces Noroth for an intimate moment, a whispered exchange I cannot hear. Then my warriors depart the room, their thundering footsteps echoing my frantic heartbeat.

“Enemy closing in, nearly within firing range,” Kaanus informs, his voice growing more worried.

“Hyanxa, support the Captain. Take evasive maneuvers and get us to Nebia as fast as this heap of junk can go,” I command, gesturing at the fierce Jungarian, who, to my surprise, nods her head and moves to join Kaanus.

“That leaves us two.” I peer down at Tyrxie, offering what I hope is a reassuring smile. She glances back, resolute but with fear lurking beneath the surface. But now’s the time for strong hearts, brutal savagery, and unbreakable resolve. “I’ll operatethe ship’s missiles. You take the railguns.” I move towards the weapons console, smirking back at Tyrxie. “I know you’ll not miss.”

Tyrxie joins me, our hands darting across the controls that spring to life. “Hey, it was you who claimed to never miss,” she states with a level voice as I marvel at the bravery she possesses in the face of such danger. “I only miss sometimes,” she chuckles, moving her delicate hands over the blue glowing controls.

“Good enough,” I retort. My attention, already consumed by the screen, seeing an endless line of drones shimmering towards us, growing closer with each passing second. A small sense of reprieve soothes me. Our ship might still be fast enough to prevent being overwhelmed and swarmed.Maybe we have a chance?

The Seeker Swarm surges forward, their ominous red lenses glowing in the void of space. I waste no time lining my targeting reticle to the front of the eager pack. “Fire!” I roar over the deafening tense silence. The ship shudders with satisfying reverberation as two twin-mounted rockets hurtle toward my targets. I grimace with despair, watching the agonizingly slow projectiles reach their targets, knowing how nimble the drones are.

The fusion reactor missiles land, granting me a fleeting moment of joy. As the first few drones rock back, their blue shimmering shields bathed in explosive flames that die in an instant, consumed by the unforgiving icy void of space. The drones remain operational, however, only tumbling to the back of the oncoming pack.

Amidst my onslaught, Tyrxie unleashes hails of rapid-firing railgun bullets, aiming at the swirling mass of chasing drones. Their blue plasma shields sparkle, absorbing much of thedamage. Only the kinetic force pushing them back buys us any reprieve.

I waste no time aiming my next barrage, again targeting the front, hoping to send the malevolent orbs crashing into each other, delaying them as long as possible. The rockets come barreling out propelled by less-than-impressive thrust. Watching with bated breath, I see the leading two drones explode this time, their shields wilting before my deadly aim.

“Wow!” Tyrxie exclaims beside me, prompting me to smile, “Nice shot,” she praises.

“It’s your railgun that’s weakening their shields,” I retort, already locking in my next target. Then I notice blue plasma bolts streaming from the back of the ship, crashing into some of the hatred Scythian drones. “Seems Noroth and Logarn are joining the fray,” I say, feeling pride swell within me.

Yet the drones are endless, pressing in despite our best efforts to crush them, struggling just to delay them. They surge forth, clambering over each other in their desperate need to murder the ship and everyone onboard. The closest ones now near enough unleash their own heavy plasma blast towards the ship. I watch in despair as the simmering blue supercharged blasts crash into the hull. The ground beneath shudders and our vessel groans like some ancient wounded animal.

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