Page 41 of Guardian's Soul

"Move," I hissed at Possedion, pushing the blaster into his side for good measure. Thrax threw me another worried glance before he took off to the bridge.

"You're never getting out of here," Possedion wailed as I prodded him up the stairs and down the hall.

"Either that or we'll all die," I shot back at the Ohrur, and I meant it. I felt like a badass chick in a movie, enough so that none of my fear showed in my voice or face.

He stared at me as if I'd lost my mind, and maybe I had, just a little. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. Still, I felt more alive than I ever had before.

Just then, the ship rocked violently, and I nearly lost my footing. Possedion didn't miss a beat. He was on me like a wet towel, tackling me to the ground. The blaster slipped from my grip, and we both scrambled for it, kicking and hitting each other like overstimulated toddlers.

A surge of anger increased my strength when I kicked him in the chest. I had always gone out of my way to avoid altercations, especially the physical kind, but there was something incredibly satisfying in kicking the bastard. Just a small payback for all the things he and his brethren had done or were doing to Thrax and the other Space Guardians.

The kick was hard enough to also propel me forward, enough so that my fingers slid around the blaster's handle. His fingers were digging into my flesh as he used me like a rope to climb up on. Bringing the blaster down, I pressed the trigger, fully expecting to be shocked since our bodies were entangled like a pretzel. He went instantly still on me. His dead weight pressed down, making it hard to breathe.

It took some effort to slide out from underneath him, but I did. Leaning against the wall, all I heard was my heavy pantingfor a few moments until the ship rocked again violently, throwing me on top of Possedion.

Were we being shot at? If we were about to be blown to pieces, I wanted to know. I wanted a front-row seat right next to Thrax. I wanted to die in his arms, not out here in the hallway. Alone. Or with Possedion.

The ship rightened itself, and I grabbed Possedion's arm to pull him down the hallway to the room we had prepared for him as our prisoner. It was slow, backbreaking work as I pulled him. I had gained some muscle weight back, but deadweights are hard to move at the best of times.

Unceremoniously, I dumped Possedion close to the other side of the door before closing it. There. That should do it. Now there was no holding me back as I ran to the bridge to find out what was happening.

THARAAX

The bridge shudderedas another blast from the pursuing Space Guardian ships rocked our vessel. I punched in commands into the control panel quicker than I ever had before. My skin gleamed with sweat under the lights. The star-speckled void of space stretched before us, offering both salvation and death.

"Evasive maneuver," I barked at the ship's computer, my eyes fixed on the tactical display. The ship banked hard, narrowly avoiding a barrage of plasma bolts.

Suddenly, the bridge doors hissed open. Hannah burst in, her long dark hair disheveled and her eyes wild with a mix of fear and determination.

"Thrax! Possedion is taken care of. What the hell is happening?" she demanded, stumbling as the ship jerked again.

"Space Guardians. They must have been called in by the guards from Possedion's mansion." I filled her in.

Hannah's eyes widened. "Have we been hit? The ship keeps shaking."

"Yes, but nothing vital," I replied. "Our forceshield is holding… for now."

Another blast rocked the ship, and Hannah grabbed onto a nearby console to steady herself. The irony of my current situation wasn't lost on me. Here I was, a Space Guardian, now fleeing from the very males I called my brothers.

"Divert auxiliary power to the rear shields," I commanded the ship's computer. To Hannah, I added, "We just need to hold out until we can make the jump to hyperspace."

She nodded, her jaw set with determination. Despite the danger, I couldn't help but admire her resilience. It was a quality I'd come to respect during our time together.

The tactical display blinked ominously, showing three Guardian ships closing in on our position. I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of our mission—and the responsibility for Hannah's life—pressing down on me.

As I chanced another glance at Hannah, my heart sank. Her face was swollen, a dark bruise blooming across her left cheekbone. Anger bloomed in my gut.

"What happened?" I demanded, my voice low and controlled despite the rage bubbling inside me.

Hannah touched her face gingerly. "Possedion and I had a… disagreement. Don't worry. He's unconscious in his cell now."

A surge of protectiveness, mixed with guilt, tore through me. "I'm sorry. I should've been there."

"You're needed here," she replied softly.

The ship jerked violently as another blast from the pursuing Guardians struck our shields.

"You should go back to our quarters, use the healing wand," I said, trying to focus on another evasive maneuver. How long did it take the frygging computer to plot our course?

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