Punching it, cyborg escort keeping up with ease, L’iza nearly skidded into an open hold of the Galaxy.
Jumping to his feet, K’vyn yelled at Dani as he headed towards the back, hatch opening on his left. “Stay out of sight. Remember, they won’t exactly be understanding—”
K’vyn helped several mogha stand, L’den’s magnificent mogha companion at the bottom of the stairs with Captain K’ursick as he walked down.
Clasping arms in mutual respect and greeting with K’ursick, he nodded his head at A’rch.
“L’den says you don’t have a mogha companion,” the Captain said. “He’s on his way down. He and A’rch will translate for you on the next run.”
L’den was a good friend, but now was not the time to catch up on recent events.
The mogha barked and gathered around A’rch, who barked back. Escorting all the mogha away from L’iza, other mogha joined him from the two scouts who had just landed. K’vyn’s eyebrows raised.
“Tell him to find another scout ship,” he said to K’ursick. “We don’t need a translator. Besides, looks like A’rch is needed here.”
Re-entering his ship, K’vyn couldn’t help to smile at two orange, feather-tipped antennae sticking up over a chicken crate, the rest of the mogha safely ‘hidden.’
Next to the antennae, Dani stood as the hatch shut and they were in the air again.
“C’hase doesn’t have to hide,” he chuckled.
The smile on Dani’s face made his heart skip. “Says he wants to. He says that big black mogha is scary.”
“A’rch? He is a little intimidating, but he’s fine. Ready for the next run?”
“Ready,” she said, coaxing C’hase out of his hiding place.
The pup raised a tarp they had thrown over Hedge and the chickens. The molk squeaked and he barked, nosing around the chickens until the reddish-brown Molly clucked. Apparently satisfied his pets were safe, he let the tarp fall back over them.
Grabbing Dani’s hand, K’vyn squeezed, pulling her with him to the cockpit.
A battle in space raged before them, L’iza on her own to get back to the planet’s surface, the KCC escorts reserved for arriving scouts full of mogha.
The Death Angels were doing their best, but the majority of the Invader fleet was getting ever closer to the green world. They would be in range soon—
D’alla, where are you? K’vyn called his mogha companion, heartrate elevated.
Go to the East Quadrant, she said, showing him in his mind where the East Quadrant was. There is a group there waiting.
What about you?
You can pick me up on the next run.
Dani was frozen, laser fire, human and Korthan ships crisscrossing all around them as L’iza barreled through space towards Mogha.
C’hase grabbed her hand.
We’re going to make it, K’vyn said in her mind.
It went by in a blur, Dani feeling detached through it all. Landing on the planet, dozens of mogha cramming into the cargo hold, C’hase calming them. Eight cyborg fighters escorting them back to the Galaxy Ship, K’vyn and L’iza working together like a machine, hands flying through holograms and shapes as bulky human fighters tried to blast them from space. From what Dani could tell, situations like these were the reason a sentient ship needed a pilot.
Then they were sliding into the Galaxy Ship, colorful mogha pouring out of scouts as each arrived with their precious cargo, a sea of waving antennae gathered in a far corner, A’rch corralling new groups.
Before she knew it, they were unloaded and back in space, heading towards the green planet again—
Along with several hundred human ships. Stomach dropping, the ships were almost in torpedo range of the mogha world.
No one targeted L’iza or the scouts, instead concentrating on the Death Angels that were slowing their progress.
A human warfighter pushed forward, flash of light igniting from its underbelly—
Heart leaping to her throat, Dani sucked in a breath as a black torpedo was launched, K’vyn’s alarm striking through the bond like lightning.
The sinister black and red shape of A’ryk’s ship raced after it, shot after shot of laser fire emitting from his wings—
The seed torpedo erupted in a brilliant flash of fire as it exploded.
“Yes,” K’vyn whooped with his fist in the air, his relief so powerful Dani let out her breath.
“There will be another attempt,” she said, no relief saved for herself.
Having not even considered a second attempt, K’vyn’s insides fell at Dani’s statement.
“L’iza, hurry,” he said, sitting forward in his seat as if the action would make the scout that much faster.
“Location,” L’iza said, executing a perfect imitation of gritted teeth, the tree-covered surface of the planet rushing to meet them as she flew into the atmosphere.
D’alla, he called to his mogha companion. We are coming. I cannot pinpoint your location.
I am on the Middle Mountain, the pack leader said. There are a hundred mogha with me.
Pointing, K’vyn said, “There. The middle hill where the council met.” He turned his head to L’iza. “There are a hundred mogha with her.”
Blinking, L’iza glanced back at him before swiping through a hologram, the ship executing a sharp left turn towards the three hills they approached when first coming to this world, chickens squawking in protest. “It’s going to be a tight fit.”
“Stars Almighty.” Dani’s quiet breathy exclamation reached his ears a split second before her spike in alarm.
And then he saw it. Like a shooting star, it raced across the sky, trail of blaze behind it— The second torpedo.
“L’iza!” he yelled, calling up several holo-controls from the console in front of him, tweaking fuel consumption and velocity control, anything to make the ship go faster.
And faster the scout did go, overshooting the target as she attempted to slow, tree limbs falling as she skirted through the canopy, mogha running beneath them until the hip finally came to a stop a hundred yards from the hilltop.
Mogha ran through the trees, straight at them, pouring through L’iza’s open hatch.
Where are you, D’alla? K’vyn ran against the flow, eyes searching, heart pounding in his ears.
Two loud cracks pierced the air, the torpedo breaking the sound barrier as it entered the atmosphere—
Terror unlike anything he’d ever known shook his body. He put his life mate and her pup in danger. His failed to rescue his mogha companion. They were all going to pay for his shortcomings with their lives—
I’m here, D’alla suddenly said and he could see himself through her mind’s eye as her violet form approached.
Thank the Stars.
“Go, go go,” L’iza yelled as they ran to the ship.
The ground shook, knocking D’alla off her feet. Doubling back, K’vyn hauled the mogha up, hoisting her into the ship as L’iza rose from the ground.
A violet blur flew past her as K’vyn threw his mogha onto the ship. Then L’iza was in the air, the Korthan’s eyes widening as he tried grabbing at the edge of the entry, missing the mark, falling back to the ground—