AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The silver guard crats kept trying to rush his position.
He kept them back, working his weapons madly to keep them from overwhelming him and catching up to the rest of his crew.
‘Mirage,’ he breathed. ‘I need an update on the boarding party. Are they onboard and safe with you?’
There was a short pause during which Kainan took a hefty blast to the chest. He fell back, dropping to take cover. He almost choked from the hit. It felt like a massive punch to his system. He paused, firing as his suit rushed to give him more air and repair itself from the damage of the droid’s fire.
‘Mirage!?’ he panted impatiently, ducking more shots.
‘Khosi!I see them. They’re running towards me.’
‘All of them?’
‘Yes, all of them.’
‘Fokk yeah,’ he breathed, skulking on his haunches along a fallen bulkhead while occasionally firing back toward his attackers. ‘Let me know as soon as they’re on board and you’ve high-tailed it. And also, an update on those fifty Technocracy ships?’
‘Two minutes away.’
‘Hurry. Get the team onboard.’
‘I am.’
Suddenly the crats stopped engaging in their crossfire.
An eerie silence fell across the destroyed bridge.
‘My favourite Edenite?’ he heard a familiar voice call out. ‘We’ve stopped firing because we will have the absolute advantage in less than 90 seconds. So we’re wondering if you’d like to rethink your surrender or lack thereof?’
Kainan activated his external mic. ‘Not in a million years.’
‘Why exactly are you so adamant? Rise to your feet when you speak so we can discuss this, Technocrat to Edenite, face to face.’
Kainan took a deep breath, then rose. He moved to a spot above the floor of the bridge. Where the Eminence stood looking up at him from below.
‘Ah! There you are,’ the high Technocrat stated. ‘Now tell us, why the delay in giving up our stolen tech and the AI you took from us?’
The Edenite crossed his arms over his enormous chest. ‘Because I need you to understand how much you ripped away from my life. And from the lives of my men. You stole our chance at a normal existence. As you whispered to me many years ago, you stole our forever.’
‘How poetic. We do remember our conversations. But you misunderstood our intentions, then and now. We were trying to design new weapons, never seen before creations that would devastate our enemies forever. That was the only forever we were ever interested in. Not in yours.’
‘So we were just your cheap fodder, your lab rats?’
The Eminence sneered. ‘We don’t particularly like your choice of words, but yes.’
‘No longer,’ Kainan promised, his voice laced with steel. ‘I never thought I’d ever see you again - so to have you join us is a surprise - but also a major plus because now I get to show you what I’ve been waiting years to share.’
‘You’d better hurry then, Edenite. Our other ships will be here soon, and we’ll take what we want just like we’ve always done. Now and forever.’
Just then, the Eminence jerked his droid head away, his attention arrested by an unseen distraction.
At the same time, Mirage’s voice filled Kainan’s headset. ‘Update,khosi. The Technocracy fleet has arrived. They’ve surrounded the vessel you’re in. The good news is that I have the team safe and sound. We’ve also flown several thousand klicks away. I managed to pull the Haven Mercy with me in a tractor beam as I sensed life signs in the ship. You’re good to go.’
‘Stay there. Keep your cargo deck open.’
‘As instructed.’
Kainan stood still, waiting.
