The Akseli, page 2
Valok turned his head to scrutinize her. “Truly?”
“Yes. Love. Fear. A thirst for vengeance.” She smiled wryly. “Strong emotion can empower and drive you to do things you normally would not be capable of.”
For just an instant, she saw a flicker of something in his eyes, there and gone so quickly she couldn’t identify it.
She held out her hand. “Would you like to experience emotion?”
His gaze lowered to her hand, then returned to her face. “I am incapable of feeling emotion.”
“Not necessarily. I’m an empath. I don’t just feel other people’s emotions. I can also alter them, imbuing them with any emotion I choose.” Granted, she felt absolutely nothing when she was around the Yona. They truly did seem to be emotionless beings. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t give him a taste of her own. Or try to, anyway. “If nothing else, it might help you understand what motivates your non-Yona opponents.”
The last argument swayed him.
Valok rested his large, grayish hand atop hers.
Simone curled her fingers around his and debated what emotion she should start with.
It might be best to start with the positive and work her way back to the negative.
She thought of her friends here on the Kandovar. A smile curled her lips as warmth and affection flowed through her. She loved them all like sisters and was so glad she could share this adventure with them.
Valok’s eyes widened.
“You feel it?”
His lips parted. Within his muscled chest, his heart began to thump a little faster. “Yes. What is it?”
“Affection. When you love someone, nothing can make you leave them behind in battle. You will fight to the death for them.” Next, she thought of a practical joke Eliana had played on Ava the previous day. Amusement bubbled up inside her.
The corners of Valok’s eyes crinkled as his lips turned up in a smile. A rusty rumble burst forth from his mouth. His eyes widened even more as his fingers clamped down on hers. “What was that? I’ve never made that sound before.”
She chuckled. “That was a laugh. It happens when you’re amused or sometimes when you just feel happy.” He must have heard Lasarans laugh many times in the past but hadn’t recognized the sound when he made it himself.
An alarm began to blare, piercing her sensitive ears and startling her so much that her feet nearly flew up. “What the hell is that?” she called over it.
Valok leapt to his feet. “The ship’s alarm.”
Simone rose. “Is this a drill?”
“All crew members to battle stations,” a male called over the ship-wide speakers. “Repeat—all crew members to battle stations. We are under attack.”
Valok headed for the door. “It is not a drill.”
Simone followed him out of the training room. At one end of the corridor, bodies began to pour out of the larger, gym-sized training room like fans leaving a football stadium at the end of a game.
Valok turned the opposite way and took off jogging.
Simone accompanied him, her preternatural strength and speed enabling her to keep up with his longer strides without effort. “What’s happening? Who’s attacking us?”
He tapped his ear. “Valok reporting. What are my orders?”
Several booms echoed through the hallways as the ship shook.
Lasarans jogged past, seeming to know exactly where to go and what to do, while Simone floundered in uncertainty. This was a massive warship! Who the hell would attack it?
“Affirmative. On my way.” Valok turned a corner and headed toward the rear of the large ship.
“Where are you going?”
“Lasarans are launching their fighter craft. I will pilot one and join the fray.”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
She staggered as the floor shook beneath her feet. “Fight who? Who’s attacking us?”
“Gathendiens.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she blurted as fury suffused her. Gathendiens had tried to commit genocide on Earth and Lasara. Now those bastards were trying to shoot them out of the sky? Or out of space? Or the wormhole or whatever?
“That did not translate,” he replied, evincing none of the fear, anger, or determination she saw on the faces of everyone else who raced around.
“Why are Gathendiens attacking us?”
“Unknown.”
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
“We’re still in the wormhole or qhov’rum thing. How is there even enough room to attack?” She still wasn’t sure how the qhov’rum worked but thought it was like being in a long narrow tube that shot you forward at incredible speeds.
“The qhov’rum leaves little room to maneuver. You should get your people to the escape pods.”
She nearly tripped over her own feet, hearing that. “Is it that bad?”
“Yes.”
Simone instantly halted and reversed course. “Be safe!” she called after him and raced toward the quarters Prince Taelon had allotted to the Earthling contingent. The walls around her blurred as she put on a burst of preternatural speed.
Halfway to her destination, she passed a fellow Immortal Guardian speeding in the opposite direction.
Skidding to a halt, Simone backtracked and stopped before a bank of escape pods. Ava and Natalie, two gifted ones from Earth, had already entered single-occupant pods. Eliana, an Immortal Guardian who was a few inches shorter than Simone, had two more gifted ones—Mia and Michelle—draped over her shoulder.
“Where are the other gifted ones?” Simone asked as Eliana deposited the two women on their feet. Both looked terrified.
“Their quarters,” Eliana said. “I’ll go get them. Help these get settled in the pods.” She left so quickly that she appeared to vanish into thin air.
Simone ducked into Ava’s escape pod and swiftly helped her secure her go bag.
Out in the hallway, Eliana returned with Sam and Emily, then darted away again.
Simone strapped Ava into the pod’s only seat and tugged at the harness. “All set?”
Ava nodded, face pale, her fear palpable.
Patting her shoulder, Simone left to help Natalie.
The ship’s alarm continued to blare as one explosion after another rocked the ship.
“Shield integrity compromised,” the ship’s computer announced in a pleasant female voice as Simone moved on to help Mia. “Shields at seventy-nine percent.”
“Oh shit,” Mia whispered.
The scent of smoke reached them.
Simone struggled to appear calm for her friends’ sake but felt as panicked as the others looked.
Dani, one of the other Immortal Guardians, arrived with Allison and Charlie over her shoulders as Simone left Mia’s pod. Rachel followed with Liz and Madeline.
Michaela—the fifth Immortal Guardian—skidded to a halt beside them, conducted a quick headcount, then zipped away again.
More booms rocked the ship as Simone, Dani, and Rachel secured everyone else in pods.
Eliana and Michaela zipped past regularly, conveying Lasarans to other escape pods.
Once the gifted ones were settled, Simone closed the hatches. “I’m going to help Eliana and Michaela evacuate the Lasarans.”
Rachel nodded. “We will, too.”
“Be safe!” Dani called before they each sped away in a different direction.
“Shields at fifty-four percent,” the computer announced in the same pleasant female voice.
Merde!
More booms thundered through the ship.
Simone skidded to a halt before two Lasaran women who wore maintenance uniforms. “Are you headed for the escape pods?”
Both nodded, eyes wide.
Simone bent, tossed them over her shoulders, and got them to the pods within seconds.
“Thank you!” one called after her as she sped away.
“Shields at fifty-four percent,” the computer announced in the same pleasant female voice.
Heart pounding in her chest, Simone sped up and down the corridors, helping every man and woman she came across get to a pod. None of the Yona she encountered intended to seek refuge in an escape pod. Each seemed determined to fight to the end… or, she feared, to the death. Because Simone didn’t know how many more hits this ship could take. The pungent scent of smoke seemed to intensify with every breath she took.
This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.
Faces grim, her fellow immortals worked their asses off to get as many people into pods as she did. And their work soon began to pay off. The number of Lasarans Simone encountered rapidly dwindled, leaving only the Yona guards and the Lasaran soldiers.
None of them would leave voluntarily, but maybe she could help them in another way.
Thinking of Valok, Simone raced toward the closest fighter craft hanger.
The big bay door was open, allowing one after another of the sleek black Lasaran fighter craft to rocket out. Simone stopped short and stared. Beyond the bay’s entrance and transparent atmospheric barrier, a battle straight out of a freaking Star Wars movie raged with black fighters engaging pale gray craft in deadly dogfights. Except the black fighters were the good guys. And they were severely outnumbered by the bad guys.
As she watched in horror, two gray craft fired simultaneously on a black craft.
The Lasaran craft exploded in a burst of flames.
Heart slamming against her ribcage, she glanced around.
Multiple black fighter craft remained in the hangar, awaiting pilots. Lasaran and Yona soldiers, garbed in hastily donned flight suits, ran toward them, jostling each other in their hurry.
Then Simone saw a large form she recognized. “Valok!”
His countenance stoic as usual, the brawny warrior turned toward her. “Why aren’t you in an escape pod?” he asked as she hustled over to him.
“Because I want to help. I can fly one of those fighters.”
“No, you can’t. You don’t know how.”
“Yes, I do,” she insisted. “I spent hours and hours hanging around the flight simulators, watching the pilots so I’d know what to do if I ever had to fly one.”
He shook his head. “Your life is too valuable to risk. The Lasarans need an alliance with Earth. You should get to an escape pod. Now.”
“Shields at thirty-two percent,” the calm computer voice announced over the noise of departing craft.
When he started to turn away, Simone grabbed his arm. “Your life is as valuable as mine, Valok. I don’t want you to sacrifice it. Let me help you.” He was her friend. She didn’t want him to get hurt. If having an additional ally out there flying with him and watching his back would help, she would damn well do it.
Sucking in a breath, he glanced down at her hand on his arm. “What is that?” he asked, his voice hushed. When he met her gaze, she saw what had previously been missing in his eyes.
“Emotion,” she said. “You’re my friend. I don’t want to lose you. Let me help you. Please.”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
“Shields at twenty percent,” the calm female voice announced.
Light flashed to their left. Fire flared, so bright it hurt her eyes, as a blast wave knocked her and Valok off their feet.
Simone landed on her back several yards away. Her head struck the hard deck with a crack. Pain careened through her skull, stunning her for a long moment.
Then Valok leaned over her.
Dizziness engulfed her as he scooped her into his arms and started running. “What…? What happened?”
He didn’t respond.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
“Shields at thirteen percent,” the computer announced placidly.
Simone gripped his shirt and struggled to think straight. “Valok?”
The light above her dimmed. Then her butt hit something cushy as he set her down.
A seat?
She glanced around, her vision a little blurry. “Where are we?”
“An escape pod. There is little time.” Valok’s voice carried an urgency she had never heard him express before. His big hands pressed her back in the chair and tugged straps across her chest.
“What?”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Her head began to clear. Her thoughts sharpened as the Yona warrior straightened and spun away. “Valok?”
He ducked out of the pod, then turned and met her confused gaze. “Thank you.”
Simone shook her head. “For what?”
“Letting me feel.”
The hatch closed.
“Wait!” She lunged forward but was jerked to a halt by the harness. Her fingers fumbled for the latches.
Boom!
Bright light flared beyond the crystal windshield as flames burst into being.
Her heart stopped as shock rippled through her.
That had to have hit Valok!
“No!” she screamed in horror.
The pod jerked, shoving her back in the seat like a roller coaster embarking on a ride. A roar arose, accompanied by thunks. The pressure pushing her back against the seat increased as light flickered on and off. Then black space filled the window.
A small gray craft shot past, followed closely by a sleek, black fighter.
The black fighter fired its weapons and blew the gray craft to bits. But Simone was too shaken by Valok’s death to cheer.
An escape pod flew by with two gray Gathendien craft in pursuit.
A deafening roar shook the pod as flames lit up the darkness.
Then the bright walls of the qhov’rum rose before her, blocking everything else.
Light exploded around her. A screeching, grinding noise filled the pod, so loud it magnified the ache in her head tenfold.
Then quiet fell, broken only by her pounding heart and gasping breaths.
Moisture filled her eyes as she stared through the window at calm, black space.
“Evie?” she asked, voice hushed.
“Yes?” the computer responded. One of the Lasarans had told her they named the computer after either the engineer who had installed it or designed it. But she was too shaken to remember if it was E.V. or Evie.
“Did the Kandovar just explode?” Please, say no. Please, say no.
“Affirmative.”
She closed her eyes. Tears she couldn’t hold back slipped down her cheeks. “How many crew members were still aboard?”
She knew Valok had been. She’d seen the explosion that took him.
Her hands curled into tight fists on her thighs as sadness warred with burgeoning anger. Why hadn’t he gotten into the damn pod with her?
“Unknown,” the computer responded.
“Did the other escape pods launch?”
“According to my last contact with the Kandovar, many escape pods launched successfully before the ship was destroyed.”
Then all of the gifted ones should’ve gotten away safely.
What of her fellow Immortal Guardians? The last time she’d seen them, they had been scrambling to get everyone else to safety. Had they made it to pods, too? Or had explosions taken them, as well?
Her hands began to shake. “Would you please attempt to hail the ship?”
“The ship is no longer intact,” Evie stated. “Any attempts to hail it—”
“Just do it!” Simone snapped as she swiped at her wet cheeks.
“Attempting to hail the Kandovar.” A moment passed. “Unable to make contact.”
“Try to hail the other escape pods.”
“Hailing escape pods now.”
She’d seen two Gathendien fighter craft chasing down an escape pod. What if those bastards were picking them off, one by one? Were they in there killing all her friends while she sat on her ass doing nothing?
“All attempts to hail other escape pods have failed.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Were they destroyed in the blast?”
“Unlikely. Escape pods are built to withstand extreme temperatures so they can provide shelter on planets with uninhabitable environments.”
“Then why can’t you contact them?”
“The range of this pod’s communications system is limited. The other pods may have already traveled beyond its reach.”
“How is that possible? The pods probably launched only minutes before this one did.”
“The qhov’rum propels craft forward at speeds that even the fastest engines cannot replicate. If the qhov’rum remained functional after this pod breached its walls, it has already carried any escape pods and fighter craft that remained within it a distance that would take this pod with its weaker engine many months to traverse.”
This pod only carried two months of supplies.
“What about the pods that were thrust through the walls of the quov’rum by the blast like this one?”
“They are likely scattered across vast sectors of space now. My inability to contact them supports that conjecture.”
Simone thought furiously. “Can we reenter the quov’rum?”
“Negative. This pod’s engine cannot generate the propulsion required to breach the walls.”
So the explosion must have hurled the pod through it. “Are there any Lasaran outposts near us?”
“Negative.”
“What about Yona outposts?”
“Negative.”
“Any space stations or spaceports?”
“Negative.”
“Are there any habitable planets nearby?”
“Negative.”
“Any ships belonging to members of the Aldebarian Alliance?”
“Negative.”
Frustration rose. “Well, there must be something nearby! Space may be vast, but it isn’t freaking empty!”
“Affirmative.”
She blinked. “What?” Then she frowned. If the computer told her that space was indeed vast, Simone would lose it. She’d just watched Valok die in a blast of fire. Her immortal friends might very well have been killed, too. Those small Gathendien fighter craft could be blowing up her mortal friends who managed to escape in pods. And the Lasaran and Yona soldiers who’d remained on the ship…
