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The nith were coming.
Beside Serenity, Hruk grunted with disdain.
“Noisy rotters,” he said. “It’s amazing they actually thought they could sneak up on us this way.”
Serenity peeked over the rim of the cliff and squinted into the murky distance of the vast tunnel ahead of them. She still couldn’t see anything. The nith were getting close, but they were still out of sight.
Her heart was hammering in her chest.
She told herself to stay calm.
In a way, she wondered what she was even doing here. If everything went according to plan, the better part of the attacking army would be wiped out when the tunnel collapsed on them. The ones that survived would be taken care of by the ukkur warriors. Serenity did not have a role to play, but she would at least get to witness everything.
And it was going to happen soon. The sound of the marching nith was growing closer and louder every moment.
Then Serenity heard another noise—the sound of trickling water.
She turned in the direction of that sound, and she realized it was coming from Alyx. Water was trickling from beneath the pregnant woman’s loincloth. It almost looked as if Alyx was peeing, but then there was a quick gush of fluid that definitely wasn’t pee.
Her water had just broken.
“Shit,” Alyx grunted. “Notnow!“
Serenity was impressed that the woman did not seem the least bit scared about going into labor. But it made sense. As Serenity had learned, Alyx had given birth to literally dozens of children already. At the rate she was going, Alyx might have over a hundred kids before her reproductive organs stopped working.
With a nervous gulp, Serenity wondered if she would be the same.
One of Alyx’s mates, a big bearded ukkur who was named Krogg, scooped the woman up in his arms.
“Come on, Alyx,” he said to her. “I must take you away from the fighting so you may give birth in safety. Give the detonator to Ravnar. He will take care of everything.” Ravnar was another one of Alyx’s mates. A bald and exceptionally mean-looking ukkur.
But Alyx shook her head.
“No. I’m giving it toher.“ She pointed to Serenity.
“Very well.”
With Alyx in his arms, the big ukkur strode to where Serenity was crouching. He knelt so that Alyx and Serenity were on eye level. Alyx handed over the detonation device.
“Here,” she said. “Youdo the honors.”
“Are you sure?” Serenity asked breathlessly.
Alyx nodded. “You’re the one who warned us about the nith’s sneak attack. It only seems fair that you should be the one to push the button.” Even though she was in pain from contractions, she managed to flash a wily grin. “I should have let you do it from the start, Serenity, but I guess I’m a little selfish when it comes to killing the nith.”
Serenity accepted the device.
“Now be careful with that thing,” Alyx said. “Ravnar over there will tell you when to set it off, okay? When you are ready, you just flip back that cover and push the red button.”
Serenity nodded.
“Thank you,” she said. “And…good luck.”
Alyx showed another pained grin.
“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “Giving birth is a cinch once you’ve done it as many times as I have.”
Her mate carried her off down a small underground corridor.
