The Chalice (41 page)

Kara’s lips quivered, her teeth chattered. They couldn’t fight that frickin’ thing!

A flash of light hit the edge of the door nearby showering sparks, the brilliantarray blinding her for a few long mom ents. She blinked, attem pting to clear thewhite spots clogging her vision.

I’m  going to die and I’ll never see Tegan again!

Self-pitying tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

“If we aren’t wading through enough shit already,” Dread raged, shaking her

fist at the sky. “We’ve got more company.”

She   glanced   up.   Another   spacecraft   hovered   overhead,   the   lines   andconfigurations rem iniscent of a giant bird of prey. Mouth agape, her last vestige ofcourage failed. It was a warship outfitted for battle. No question about it.

“You have got to be fucking kidding.”

****

Leah scram bled over a collapsed beam  and pushed her way through to the

command dais. “Lord Tegan” she gasped. “I need to speak with you.”

“Return to your cham bers,” he snarled. He caught sight of the other wom en.

“And take them  with you.”

Another blast rocked the ship, sending the female sprawling. The ship groaned,shuddering as it absorbed the shock waves. More debris crashed down. The oldship was falling apart.

“Evasive maneuvers,” Tegan screamed into the sy-com . The floor tilted, and

then dropped.

The Chalice tum bled, rolling across the floor before struggling to her feet. “Siri’s disappeared,” she cried, rubbing her elbow. “Hanna and Ume are m issing aswell.”

His full attention now focused on her. “How long?” he barked.

“Just before we received word of the attack on the Freedom . Siri snuck out and

Hanna and Um e went after her, but none of them  returned.” She clutched his

arm, anguish causing her lips to trem ble. “I’m  really scared som ething’s happened

to my friends.”

“Do you have any idea where they went?”

She shook her head, moisture filling her eyes. “None. I only know they left the

communal cham ber. That’s the last any of us saw them .”

“Lord Tegan,” a distraught tech yelled. “The Deg’Nara ship’s angling into

position for another run at us.”

“Come about and fire all weapons!” he yelled. Plasm a jolts jarred the ship,

causing it to pitch and sway.

He glanced around the ruined deck, fists clenching as he viewed the carnage. Too many had fallen and the damage to the bridge was staggering. It was only bya stroke of luck that a good portion of the bridge crew had been evacuated to thelower decks when the system s began failing, but some processes were still beinghandled from  here.

The senior tech caught his eye. Save for a few m inor scrapes and som e

bruising, he’d com e through the battle unscathed. He looked expectant. Hopeful.

“Vaux, gather a squad of Warriors and search the ship. When you find the

hybrid, bring her to m e.”

His fists pounded the arm rests. Though he ached to lead the hunt, his skillsand leadership were needed here. Lacking Mordaq’s talents, Vaux was the nextbest choice to flush out the hybrid.

Hum bled by recent events and sham ed by his culpability, the senior techbowed, splayed hand covering his heart. “It will be my honor,” he growled. “Doyou require her to be living?”

Rage boiled in his breast, a red haze shrouded his vision. I will kill her with mybare hands. “For the m oment,” Tegan hissed. “I’ve questions that need to beasked.”

“She won’t answer. Deg’Nara never do— and she’s Deg’Nara.” The tech’s voice

sounded strained, apologetic.

“Just bring her to m e,” he snapped, mindful of Vaux’s pain. In truth, he couldn’t blame the tech, he’d nourished the sam e hope that some Chiagan-Se females had somehow survived the purge. “I would see her one more time before she dies.”

Vaux’s eyes blazed. He nodded and then whirled, calling out to several

Warriors as he strode from  the bridge. The hunt was on.

A team  of artisans rushed in and began the process of clearing the wreckageand freeing the trapped crew members. Med techs flitted around the room,administering to the wounded before they were moved to medical. They’d beenfortunate so far, all of the remaining bridge crew had survived, though som e ofthe injuries bordered on critical.

The Chalice, Moira he thought, pressed a cloth to a wound on Branos’forehead, attem pting to staunch the flow of crimson staining the silvery hair. The

young tech brushed her hand away, attempting to sit up.

“Stay down, ye foolish idjit,” she snapped, motioning a med tech over.

“I’m  needed at my station.” The young tech’s voice slurred as he fell back.

“Ye cannae focus your eyes. W hat guid can ye do?” She pressed harder, causing Branos to yelp in pain. “Lord Tegan m ans your post,” she soothed, patting his arm . “He’ll do what needs tae be done.”

Tegan’s teeth gnashed together. They’d suckled a treacherous beast at theirbreasts, but Siri’s duplicity was at an end. The ghosts of the past rose up to haunthim . Visions of those he’d loved and lost assailed his thoughts. All gone now savethe few who now faced extinction by the hybrid’s guile. He prayed she still livedso he could watch her perish.

Branos staggered to his feet, a cloth taped to his forehead. Blood oozed fromthe makeshift dressing, leaking in a red rivulet down his tem ple. He lookedexhausted and despairing. “We’ve lost fifty percent of the navigation system . Maneuverability is at a m inim um .”

“Can we enter hyper-space?”

The young tech shook his head. “Not dam aged as we are. We’d break apart.”

“ Move everyone still standing to the engine room,” he barked, fingers flying

over the control panel. “We’ll assume com mand from  there.”

Swift and efficient, the med tech’s hustled the wounded from  the bridge.

“Let us help hunt for the hybrid,” the Chalice Leah said. “We can do that at

least.”

He acknowledged her request with a brief nod. “We could use more hands with

the wounded as well.”

“Branos shouldnae be here. He should be in medical,” the tiny red-haired

Chalice interjected, brows drawn together.

Branos drew himself up, pale face purpling with indignation. “I’m  perfectlycapable of m anning my post,” he ground out, glaring at the female. “I don’tneed…”

The ship bucked. A boom ing crash rent the air. Som ewhere nearby, a female’svoice shrilled with fright. The interior walls began collapsing, layers peeling awaylike rind from  sun-ripened fruit. A spinning metallic mass whirled by, grazing hisshoulder and then crashing into the viewing port. Small cracks wove through theopaque m aterial, already dam aged by the battle. He watched, frozen as thefingers spread outward.

“Get to the lower decks!” Tegan ran towards the exit, joining the mad rush to

evacuate the bridge. A female stum bled and fell. He jerked her upright and

dragged her along. In the anteroom , several Chalices crowded around the now inoperable deck conveyance. Confused and panic-stricken, the Chalices looked to him  for guidance.

He ushered them  towards the only means possible, an escape hatch, a singlesturdy pole leading down to the next level. The tiny red-head cringed, paling asshe viewed the contrivance, but when there were none left but her and Tegan,she jum ped and slid, squealing as her curly head disappeared. He gave the deckone last thorough perusal, searching for stragglers and then followed her down,first one level and then down three more into the lower reaches of the ship.

“Seal off the bridge,” he shouted into his wrist-com . It would buy them  a little

more time.

He left the females outside the comm unal chamber and flew to the next escape

hatch, heading down to the engine room .

Chapter Twenty-Five

Plasm a blasts peppered the ground, disintegrating the Deg’Nara transport in aflash of blinding white light. Alien soldiers fragmented into piles of grey ash as thenew vessel continued its attack on the ground forces. Too late, the armored tankswiveled, opening fire but suffered the same fate as the Deg’Nara transport.

Kara watched in stupefied disbelief. The craft overhead looked to be a Deg’Nara

ship so why was it attacking Deg’Nara?

Crouched in the center of the destruction, Shagal, Mordaq and Goth Girl staredat the sky, am azement written on their features. The vessel continued itsbarrage, but none of the blasts touched the three. A path opened and they boltedtowards the transport and flew through the door.

“W ho is that?” Kara gasped.

“I know not,” Mordaq rasped. “But it is a Deg’Nara com bat ship, though not like

any I’ve seen before.”

“So why are they killing Deg’Nara?”

“W ho gives a frick?” Dread grinned. “Long as those bastards end up dead, I

ain’t com plaining.”

“Could be a faction that hates this bunch,” Anne said. Her face grew

thoughtful. “And they’re trying to take us as a prize or something.”

“Not good!”

The barrage continued, the jagged bolts tracking along the ground, finding atarget and then zapping the alien soldier into oblivion. W hen the last wasdestroyed, the craft stilled, hovering silently overhead. Eerie and frightening!

A voice came over the sy-com , courteous and calm . “Transport,” it began. “We

greet you.”

Mordaq and Shagal stared at each other, silvery eyes flaring.

“W hy is he speaking Chiagan-Se?” Dread whispered, then added. “He sounds…

nice.”

“Transport,” it began again. “We greet you.” The voice hesitated. “We offer you

no harm . Please access your viewing screen.”

Shagal sprang to the pilot’s cubicle, fingers flying. The view screen popped up. A cloudy image swirled in the grey m atter and then materialized. Shaggy silverywhite hair surrounded a pale face. Brilliant silver blue eyes stared from  thescreen. The face sm iled, revealing extended canines.

“He looks Chiagan-Se,” Kara breathed, astounded. “Do you know him ?”

Shagal shook his head. “I’ve never seen him  before.” He looked over his

shoulder. “Do we answer?”

Mordaq pushed Shagal aside and flipped a switch. “Identify yourself,” he

demanded.

The sm ile grew wider. “You are Chiagan-Se!” The silver head dipped, theshining eyes lowered respectfully. “I am  called Jaegar, Com mander of this vessel.”

Mordaq’s voice rum bled, suspicious. “Your craft is Deg’Nara.”

The entity laughed. “Better for travel through this sector and few wouldquestion the presence of the destroyers. We find it less…complicating.” Hismanner changed, growing serious. “We need to bring you aboard. We’vemonitored some space chatter and the Deg’Nara have attacked ships matching theconfigurations of the old Chiagan-Se seeker ships. We m ust go to their aid.”

“W hy should we trust you?” Mordaq growled, unconvinced.

“Because we offer you and your crew asylum,” Jaegar said. “The same offer we confer to all survivors of the Deg’Nara, the Chiagan-Se among others.” The face sm iled again. “We offer hope and a place of refuge. Com e aboard and I’ll explain everything, but we must go—now!”

“Survivors,” Shagal hissed, his face lighting with joy. “He said survivors.”

“I do not trust him ,” Mordaq muttered, unyielding.

Trust was a hard thing to win, Kara admitted. She didn’t exactly trust this Jaegar guy either but what choice did they have. If the mother ship was underattack, they needed help.

“Well, I say give him  a chance.” Dread m arched to the entry panel and stepped

into the open, waving her arms. “Beam  m e up, Scottie!”

Jaegar spoke again. “We must leave now before it is too late.”

Mordaq stared at the view screen, apprehensive and undecided. Kara touchedhis arm , drawing his fierce attention. “You must know that we can’t do anythingfrom  here and if the ships are under attack, we have to help. If this Jaegar iswilling to offer that help, we have to take it.”

I promise, she silently vowed. Anything to see Tegan again!

She could sense his deep reluctance but in the end, he relented.

“We’ll go with you,” he snarled at the view screen. “But if your words are false,

I will hunt you to the end of my days.”

Jaegar laughed. “I would expect no less. Gather your things. We’re sending

down a transport.”

The group rushed into action, gathering their personal items.

“W hat about our supplies?” Goth Girl gazed at the storage compartment.

“Won’t we need them?”

“We’ll come back,” Shagal hurried the women out the entryway. “If we can.”

In the time it took to gather their few belongings and step into the open, thetransport landed. A panel slid open and a fem ale alighted, a warm  smile on herface.