Page 39 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
“I agree to disarm the vessel. I agree to transmit all data you require. But Nena goes nowhere without me.”
“The female’s safety cannot be guaranteed if you accompany her.”
“Then her safety cannot be guaranteed at all,” he growled, “because she doesn’t leave this ship without me.”
Silence stretched across the communication channel. Beside him, Nena placed a hand on his arm.
“Madrian,” she said quietly. “Maybe—”
“No.” He looked at her, saw the trust in her eyes, and felt something fierce and protective roar in his chest. “You trusted me with your life. Now trust me with this decision.”
She nodded.
They waited. Madrian counted thepiks. His tactical mind ran through possible scenarios. If the Zaruxians refused his terms, they had few options. If theyattacked, the ship’s weapons were already powered down as a show of good faith, but he could probably get them online again before—
“Very well, Chancellor. Your terms are acceptable. Power down all systems except life support and communications. Open your ship’s data channel.”
Relief flooded him, followed immediately by fresh tension. This was therealtest. If the Zaruxians decided he was still a threat, this could end badly for all of them.
“Powering down weapons,” Rien said. “Disabling shields. Engines to minimum. Data channel opened.”
The ship’s systems went quiet one by one, leaving them defenseless and helpless as they drifted among the debris field.
“Now we wait,” Madrian said mildly, even though he found their current situation entirely awful.
“How long?” Nena whispered.
“You don’t have to whisper. They can’t hear you,” he said. “But as for how—”
Before he could finish, the space outside the shuttle began to shimmer. At first, Madrian thought it was a sensor malfunction. Then he realized what he was seeing.
Cloaking fields. Multiple, all deactivating at once.
“By the stars,” Rien breathed.
A massive ship materialized out of the debris field. It was the most menacing thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Its dark hull bristled with weapons and armor. It was easily ten times the size of Rien’s vessel, built like a fortress rather than a transport. Gun ports lined its flanks, and defensive emplacements dotted its superstructure.
And it wasn’t alone.
Several more ships flickered into visibility around them. They were smaller craft, but still heavily armed. They’d been completely surrounded without realizing it.
“Impressive,” Madrian said, mentally cataloging the firepower arrayed against them.
“Terrifying is more like it,” Nena said, still whispering. She swallowed thickly. “You think my friends are inside that thing?”
He had no idea what or who was inside that thing. The massive ship moved closer and closer. Its bulk blocked out the stars. A port extended from its hull, reaching toward their small vessel like a metal finger.
“Unidentified vessel,” the voice returned, now carrying the weight of overwhelming force behind it. “Position your ship for a docking attachment to your primary hatch. Any aggressive action will result in immediate destruction.”
“Understood,” Rien said, then switched off her comm and gave Madrian a confident nod. “This is going well.”
He returned her optimism with a resigned shrug. It wasn’t as if they had any options but to comply. Through the viewport, Madrian watched the docking tube extend from the fortress ship. It moved with mechanical precision, sealing against their hatch with a soft thud that vibrated through the deck plating.
“This is it,” he said.
“Together?” Nena asked.
He took her hand, felt the warmth of her skin against his palm. “Together.”
