Page 34 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
“Can we make it?” Nena asked.
Rien grimaced. “If we’re very lucky and very fast.”
Another impact shook the ship. This one was harder, sending sparks cascading from an overhead panel.
“Shields at sixty percent,” Madrian said. His voice was perfectly calm, like he was discussing the weather. “Two more ships closing from starboard.”
Nena gripped her restraints and wished there was something she could do. She wasn’t a pilot or a gunner. She couldn’t help with repairs or navigation. All she could do was sit there and watch while other people risked their lives.
The ship rolled sharply to avoid another barrage of weapon fire. Through the viewport, she caught another glimpse of Axis Central’s shields. They looked different now. Thicker. The iridescence was a roiling red, reminding her of roots weaving together to form a trap. Just a small gap remained near the very top.
“That’s our exit,” Rien said. “I’m going to have to push the engines past safety limits.”
“Do it,” Madrian snapped.
The ship leaped forward like a living thing. Acceleration crushed Nena into her seat. The pursuing craft fell behind, unable to match their sudden burst of speed.
But the gap in the shields was closing fast.
“It’s going to be tight,” Rien said.
“We’ll make it,” Madrian said, still firing on the ships pursuing them.
Nena gulped down a breath, tamping down the stress and anxiety that were pushing up her heart rate. She craned her neck to look up at Madrian. His hands were steady on the weapons console. His gaze was focused on the tactical display. He looked like he belonged here, in the middle of combat and danger.
But then, he glanced over at her, and she saw something else. Something that had nothing to do with weapons or tactics or the Axis training that had shaped him.
Her instincts whispered in her mind—He’s doing this for you.
All of it—the escape, the fight, the risk—it was because she’d shown him another way to live. Because she’d seen something in him worth saving.
Their eyes met across the space between them, and in that moment, she understood. She might not be able to fire weapons or pilot a ship, but she’d done something just as important.
She’d helped him remember who he was supposed to be.
The ship shot through the gap in the shields with meters to spare. Behind them, the energy barrier snapped closed with a red flash that lit up the viewport.
They were free.
“Well,” Rien said, finally relaxing in her pilot’s seat. “That was exciting.”
Madrian sagged back from the weapons console. “Status on the pursuit craft?”
“Trapped inside the shields, along with the rest of Axis Central.” Rien checked her instruments. “We’re clear. Engaging stealth module. They won’t be able to see or detect us.”
Nena felt something loosen in her chest. They’d actually done it. They’d escaped.
But as she looked around the small ship that was now their only refuge, she realized their real journey was just beginning.
“Where do we go now?” she asked.
Rien and Madrian exchanged a look.
“To find my brothers,” Madrian said. “And your friends.”
“If they’re still alive,” Rien added.
“They are,” Nena said. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain. “I can feel it.”
