Page 31 of Scars & Starlight
At the same time, my nanites feed me information from the Talon’s sensors.
GHORVEK THREAT DETECTED.
“Fuck,” I hiss angrily. I did not want Tara to be caught underground with limited egress during an attack.
“Fuck, what, Prince?” Elmsleigh demands. My princess gives me a look like she agrees with the human’s sentiment.
“We’re being besieged,” I growl in response. With half a thought, my exoskeleton covers me from chin to toes. I look at Tara in her thin clothing. “We’re equipping you with ports and defensive nanites as soon as we return to the Talon,” I vow, hoping I won’t regret not doing it sooner. I unbuckle the neural interference gun, check thesettings, and hand it to her. “Aim and press this button. Avoid friendly fire.”
Tara gulps and nods, aiming the gun low as she waits for us to move or something to come at us.
Threat level?
SINGLE GORVEK DESTROYER DEPLOYING INFANTRY. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF GROUND FOES: 12.
A dozen Ghorvek. Impossible for two Avaren to neutralize without human casualties.
Vireon, bless us with strength.
Margaret snaps orders at her men as I use the nanites to connect me directly to Orien’s – an intimacy reserved for lovers and a necessary method of communication for spies.
Report, Orien.
I seem to have brought extras to brunch, Commander,he replies.
I grimace at the joke.Next time, I wish you wouldn’t.
Understood. How about we tell them to leave?
Don’t get killed before I reach you,I snarl at him in my head.
I face Elmsleigh and point at the entrances. “How many access points to this area from the outside?”
She crosses her arms. “Technically, you can find your way here no matter where you enter from.”Wonderful. “However, the nearest surface access point is in the direction you entered from. If they pick anything else, they’ll have to fight their way through my men and drone turrets.”
Automated defense systems. Good.
“Kiko,” I hail the AU. “Head down the opposite corridor and hail me the instant you detect a threat.” The mech confirms with three quick beeps, then whirs away with alacrity. “Stay here, stay safe,” I tell Tara, scanning her once from head to toe like I’m memorizing her status to compare to later.
“Kai,” she calls out when I’m about to leave. Before I know it, her hands are on my face, and she’s pulling me down for a quick, rough kiss. “Be safe,” she volleys.
“Yes, Your Highness,” I whisper, then extricate myself with heavy hearts.
I’m on my way, I tell Orien, and sprint down the corridor we took not long ago, albeit that was at a much slower pace.
I’m somewhat occupied right now. Feel free to cut in at any time.
I push myself even faster, until in two blinks of an eye, I’m standing next to Orien, who’s moving like a blade of grass in the water, bending and weaving between punches from three large Ghorvek. Immediately, I hover and position myself behind the largest one, seizing the opportunity of not yet being noticed, and take it out with the pulse emitters in the palms of my armor.
One down, a destroyer’s worth to go.
“Nice of you to join us, Commander,” Orien mocks right before he swings his plasma blade up in an arc that cuts one of the remaining two opponents in half.
“It seems you have everything under control,” I reply as we flank the last attacker and I command my nanites to form two plasma blades of my own. Orien kicks the Ghorvek in the side of the knee, barely unbalancing it. I dodge its answering punch.
“I was making sure you don’t feel left out,” my officer says with a giant grin.
I shake my head before we both swing at the same time, our blades singing in the air. The invader’s head topples to the ground and rolls away to land by the one whose head I scrambled.Fitting.
