Nikhil(88)

Carefully, Mac moved to sit up and took in the devastation that only moments ago had been a room full of people. The exterior wall that had opened into a small, walled area was gone, and those further out were only rubble. As the smoke and dust began to clear, she saw a ship was landing.

"Mackenzie!" Onp suddenly materialized at her side. "Are you injured?"

"I... I don't think so," she said slightly dazed trying to take in all the destruction she was seeing. "What's going on?"

"Then come, we must get you out of here!" He told her, ignoring her question as he pulled her to her feet.

"Get me out?" she asked looking around in horror at the mangled bodies.

"Yes. We are under attack! We must get you to safety."

"No, we need to help the injured." She jerked her arm out of his hold, her eyes frantically searching where Jen had been. All she found was turned over cots. "Jen!" she screamed starting to run across the room. "Where are you?!!"

"Mackenzie, no!" Onp shouted, knocking her down when blaster fire suddenly filled the room. Rolling, he pulled his blaster and returned fire. "Go!" he ordered still firing. "Find some place to hide until we can get you out of here."

Mac immediately obeyed, crawling toward where she'd last seen Jen, ignoring the glass that was cutting into her skin.

"Jen!" she screamed. "Jen!"

"Over here," a faint voice called back.

"Jen!" she called out again moving toward the voice. "I'm coming, Jen"

Mac had just moved another cot out of her way to find Jen huddled back in a corner when she saw Jen's eyes widen in fear before she screamed out a warning. "Mac! Behind you!"

Mac swung around and screamed out in horror at the Zaludian moving toward her. Oh my God! Her mind screamed. It's the Zaludians! She couldn't let them take her! She'd never survive it again! She crab-crawled back away from him as fast as she could, but she didn't get far before the Zaludian grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the floor.

Mac clawed at the hand holding her but only managed to shred her fingers on the spiked glove covering it. Her mind screamed for Nikhil as the room began to dim and darkness started to invade her vision.

"No!" Mac barely heard the enraged scream, but she was suddenly dropped and she sucked in a much-needed breath. Rolling over, she meant to run, but instead, she froze when she saw Jen on the Zaludian's back, stabbing him repeatedly with one of Nikhil's blades.

The Zaludian reared back in pain, frantically reaching behind him to pull Jen away before throwing her against the wall. Her head hit with a sickening thud, and she collapsed into a boneless heap on the floor.

"Jen!" Mac screamed, but the Zaludian was on her again, this time swinging his fist and Mac's world went black.





Chapter Seventeen


The transport had barely touched down behind the Zaludian ship before Nikhil had opened the hatch, a blaster in one hand, his sword in the other. He jumped out and was running toward the survivors’ area. They'd all heard the comms from Onp and Nroa calling for reinforcements, saying they were under direct attack and taking heavy casualties. He prayed to the Goddess that his Mackenzie wasn't one of them.

More Zaludians poured out of their ship trying to slow them down, but Nikhil just carved a path through them, never more thankful for his massive size and strength. Any that got close, he ended with his sword. Those further away he cut down with his blaster. No one was stopping him from getting to his Mackenzie's side.

He had just reached what had been the exterior wall of the building when he heard his Mackenzie's scream and saw a Zaludian strike her in the face, the sharp spikes of his gloves shredding her delicate, pale skin.

"No!" his roar was filled with all the rage and pain that filled his soul as he watched her head snap back. He fired at the Zaludian, sending him to meet Daco, then reaching his Mackenzie's side dropped his weapons, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Mackenzie!" he whispered as her ravaged face fell back over his arm. He didn't notice how Onp, Nroa, Gryf, and Treyvon instantly formed a protective circle around them. Didn't notice that the human males and Nekeoks were fighting the Zaludians with anything they could find. His entire focus was on his Mackenzie.

"Get her to Luol!" Treyvon ordered. "Onp, Nroa, Gryf, clear a path."

"General, the base is not secure," Gryf informed him.

"Which is why Onp and Nroa will accompany Nikhil and make sure he and his Ashe get to medical. Gryf, you will remain with me, and we will finish eradicating this filth from our planet."

"Agreed, General," Gryf responded, and he started clearing the path to what had once been the entrance to the area.