Page 49 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

To my surprise, they all looked at me, mouths slightly open.

"We might," Slek replied. "But it depends where the signal is coming from." He scratched his head and looked conflicted.

"Keep trying to unlock the controls," Zarex said. "I'll see if I can hunt down the signal." He gestured for J'avet to help him move an Agusian from his chair. The man's antennae drooped like a dead plant. Zarex's drooped almost as much, in sympathy and sorrow.

They set the man to one side on the floor and Zarex slipped into his seat. He started to tap on the controls.

"I guess we'll keep watch," I said to J'avet.

He gave me a curt nod and turned toward the entrance.

I did the same, but kept the blaster by my side. If I tried to use it, I might end up hurting more than myself. Could blaster…well, blasts bounce off the walls? If so, I might kill one of the guys by accident.

Something caught my eye and looked toward the floor.

"Um, J'avet…"

"What?" he snapped. He realised what I was referring too and took a step back. He raised his blaster and shot at the swarm of nanobots which crept across the floor like an army of ants.

The blast singed the floor and blew a hole in the middle of the swarm. They closed over the breach, but there did seem to be fewer of them.

"Edie," he growled. He fired again.

"What if I hurt you?" I asked.

"Then I get hurt. I'm sure you won't cry over me," he snapped.

"I would," I replied. "I'm nice like that." I ignored his snort and aimed away from his feet. The recoil from the blaster was less than I expected. My shot also left a black scar across the floor, but fewer nanobots.

I aimed again, this time at a smaller cluster away from the rest. If I could take them out, they couldn't reform with the swarm.

Over and over again we fired, reducing the numbers even as they sought out metal to increase their numbers. It was a bit like shooting water in a drizzle. Now, there would be fewer, now more. The side of one of the consoles looked like it was chewed, or rusting quickly.

"Shoot faster," J'avet ground out.

"I'm trying," I replied. "Hey!" He shot so close to one of my feet, I had to jump sideways. A sting of pain shot through three of my toes.

"Sorry," J'avet said. "Move over further." I had barely stepped before he shot again. At least he missed me this time. Just.

I aimed and shot again and again. "My blaster is running out of juice." Each blast was weaker than the last.

"Here." Zarex tossed me his.

I almost dropped mine, but managed to catch his and throw mine to him. No sense in leaving metal around on the floor.

I pivoted with all the elegance of a brick and got off another couple of shots.

"That's almost all of them," J'avet said. He shot the console itself, holding down the trigger so the blast lasted for a minute, two minutes.

The smell of burning made me wrinkle my nose.

Finally he released the trigger and lowered the blaster.

"There's probably more, but unless they swarm like that again, we won't see them," he said.

I nodded and hoped like hells we could keep them from Slek.

"Any luck on the unlocking?" I asked.

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