HMS Valediction

Chapter 18.2

I burst into the marketplace that has erupted into disaster.

What appears to be mutant yaks tower over the screaming masses. Blood stains the deck. People sprint around the open spaces grabbing anything to fight off the monstrous army.

This feels too familiar.

My hands sweat. Chills run up and down my spine. My vision blurs. I'm thrown into my memories of Dean under the slab of rock that fell from the ceiling of the URE. I duck. The shrill cries and thick smoke blind me and I wonder if Kai and the body of the child are within reach. When I open my eyes and force the past away, I can't remember if I'm trying to save everyone from the invaders in the sky or the invaders in the ship.

"Nika!"

I snap around. Moyra shoves a shoulder rifle into my arms. The HEL technology warms my skin. I heft it to my shoulder and aim at an approaching alien's head.

Before pulling the trigger that feels like a natural extension of the crook of my finger, I smile.

Much better.

It's head explodes on impact, dropping its captive and crumpling to the ground.

"I was wondering where you were," she said, giving me her million-watt smile.

"I could have asked you the same question." I aimed and shot another creature as it rushes us.

"You know me, Sister." Moyra slides behind me as we work back-to-back, punching out our targets. "I'm always around."

Another crumbles as I unload the last bit of dying power from my shoulder rifle into its cranium. I drop the dead weapon at my feet. "I'm out."

I salivate over Moyra's battery charging at her side. A quick scan of the room shows that there are still so many more creatures than fighters, and I'm left unarmed to keep Moyra's six warm.

"Commander! Catch!" McCroy runs past us and tosses a HEL-handgun my way. Limited life and power, but it will do. Aiming for the head was good before, but now, I need a softer target. The neck of the creature is fully exposed and free from armor and thick skull. They spasm and drop one by one as I shoot, flip the handgun in and out of my palms, and spin it in my open hand.

A particularly large bull approaches from the side. I shoot. It lifts its chest plate and deflects my HEL stream as it bee-lines for me, building speed. I fire at it again. It's deflected.

I want to jump out of the way, but I still have Moyra's back. I can't expose it.

The creature lowers its head. My shot does nothing to slow it down.

I have a sudden and horrible realization.

It's charging, head lowered, aiming for my middle.

Every instinct in my military-crafted mind tells me to stay and fight it, holding down my section of the room while keeping Moyra safe.

A new, poorly developed, more inconsistent maternal part drags my body to the side, covering my belly, leaving Moyra exposed.

I don't even have time to scream her name in warning as the creature butts her back. My disgust for myself rolls over my body as she flies nearly ten feet before landing in a crumpled pile on the ground. The creature pulls her limp body from the deck and drags it away, crushing the HEL-SR under its enormous hoof. It returns to search for me.

I can't move. Watching Moyra go boneless shuts my muscles down. It doesn't charge—it doesn't need to. If that happened to me, my child would die. It walks straight toward me, looming, locked on its next target.