Page 24 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the hangar entrance. Sevas felt her heart drop and rushed to the back of the small ship. She peered out of the only rear viewport to see the hangar doors flooded with a wave of mechs colliding with fighters. Weapons blazed as the fighters attacked, using stolen blasters and hand weapons to engage with the mechs, which were outnumbered and outgunned. Still, the amount of plasma flying from weapons terrified her. Their small ship could easily be hit, ending their escape quickly.

“Bruil! We have to move,” she shouted, dashing back to the front operator’s compartment.

Bruil’s fingers raced over the control panel. “Working on it,” he growled. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

Sevas closed her eyes. Alarms blared behind them, amplifying the urgency of their escape. “Hurry.”

With a final, desperate lunge, Bruil slammed the last switch into place. The thrusters roared with power. “We’re ready!” he shouted.

Sevas let out a shaking breath of relief. “Take us out,” she urged as she glanced back toward the hangar doors. She could no longer see them, but she could hear the blasts and shouts, which told her the fight was still ongoing.

Bruil gripped the controls tightly, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Hold on to something,” he said. “We’re going to be weightless in a moment.” He punched a button, and the ship jolted forward. The thrusters propelled them out of the hangar bay.

Sevas steadied herself, gripping the nearest surface as the ship surged ahead. The exit loomed in the distance. The sight of freedom sent a warm rush under her skin. Takkian’s unconscious form remained sprawled in the seat, but Ulo was vigilant near him as they burst through the hangar doors and into space.

Instantly, her body became weightless, just as Bruil predicted. He was strapped into his seat, but she held on to the seat beside him and just gazed out of the viewport. Sevas couldn’t believe they were actually out. They were doing the impossible. They had escaped the pit.

“Nice flying, Bruil,” she said. “Now get us as far from here as possible.”

“You won’t get an argument from me.” Bruil pulled up what looked like a navigation chart and input new coordinates.

“I can’t believe we did it,” Sevas said. “We’re free.”

Ulo leaned forward to look out the viewport, taking in the vast expanse of stars beyond the arena. He had hooked one huge foot under a seat he was near, to keep him steady. “Look!” he cried excitedly. “The stars. They’re so beautiful.”

“They are,” Bruil said. “And there are a lot of them, so we need a plan.” He glanced over at Takkian. “He’ll wake up soon, but I think we should set about finding Ulo’s family. He deserves to be reunited with them.”

“I agree,” Sevas said. “Do you know where you might find them?”

“No idea.” Ulo blinked and looked away. “Drop me off at the closest spaceport and I’ll find my way. You don’t have to fly me anywhere. I don’t want you to risk getting caught because of me.”

Sevas pushed off from the empty operator seat and floated the short distance to Ulo. She placed a hand on his rocky arm. “You’re the reason we escaped with Takkian,” she said. “And I wouldn’t have left withouthim. I don’t think Bruil would have, either. So no, we’re not going to just drop you off someplace. We’re keeping you safe just like you keptussafe. You’re important to us, Ulo.”

Bruil nodded and turned in his seat to face them. “That’s right. There’s a lot of chaos back in the arena right now. Once Axis agents restore order—likely without its fighters—they won’t know who took what vessel, or where anyone went. That buys us some time. Enough to get you back to the safety of your own people. You’re a good lad, Ulo.”

Ulo ducked his head. “I owe you three my life.”

“Bah. I say we’re all debt-free and we move on with our lives.” Bruil shook his shaggy head. “First things first: let’s get some distance from the arena, to get out of scanning range. Then we’ll get you on your way home, Ulo.”

“Good idea,” Sevas replied, running a hand through her hair and tucking it back. She clipped herself into the seat beside Takkian and took in the sight of him. His large frame was anchored, but weightless in its confines. Some remnants of his dragon form were still there—scales shimmering a little brighter under the lights, claws still slightly extended. She marveled at the way his wings stretched out behind him, filling the cramped space with an aura of power and elegance. Even in his unconscious state with a blanket wrapped around him, he was breathtakingly fierce and so beautiful he made her chest ache.

Her fingers brushed against the smooth, cool scales of his arm, feeling their hard edge beneath her touch. “Takkian,” she murmured softly. “You need to wake up.”

But it looked like he wasn’t ready. The steady rhythm of his breathing was the only sign of life. They had fought their way through so much, that seeing him in this state made her jaw clench with worry. She leaned closer, trying to shake off the fear that gripped her. “Please, Takkian,” she whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. “We need you. Please wake up.”

As if stirred by her voice, Takkian shifted slightly. His eyes flickered beneath closed lids, but he didn’t fully awaken. Sevas cupped his face in her hand. “It’s me, Sevas,” she urged. “We escaped.”

“I promise you, he’s fine,” Bruil offered from the operator seat. “Takkian is strong, but the dragon takes all of a Zaruxian’s vitality for a time.”

Sevas nodded, wishing he’d wake up. “We’re all together,” she murmured, focused on the warmth of his skin against hers. “We’re out, Takkian. You did it. You fought for all of us, and now we’re free.”

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She thought of the stars beyond the ship, and all the places they could escape to.A world where they could start over, where none of this would haunt them.

He groaned faintly. “Sevas?” he murmured, his voice raspy as he blinked slowly and turned his head. Worry etched across his features as she leaned close.

“Takkian.” Relief spilled from her voice. “I’m right here.”

“Where…?” He rubbed his head and blinked at her.

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