Page 66 of Taken to Kor
“Centare,” Nikkowerranorru tosses into the mix. “They’re built autonomously.”
Gerannu says, “But there is a failsafe. We could tap into their yeeyar communications and broadcast through their ships.”
“And what? Appeal to their reason?” I shout as another crash bangs the yeeyar and a splinter stabs my mind as the yeeyar token in my ear reacts to what’s happening to its larger counterpart surrounding us.
“We just need to distract them for a few seconds. If we had a break from the cannon fire for even a moment, then we could use the destabilizer! It would stall twenty of their ships at once.”
Even though our ship is larger than all of theirs combined, the dear sweet bitch that is my grandmother and her red-skinned rapist ally somehow managed to get together a mercenary army of forty freaking ships. Meanwhile, we’ve got the mothership and a dozen more ships on our side, but the combined firepower of their ships —ourships that they stole — is pretty formidable. I’m starting to wonder if going to the humans’ rescue was such a good idea for me and mine.
Then I glance around.
Just like Rhork promised, everybody here is having a shroving good time.
And so am I.
“What about a song?” Tevbarannos shouts.
I brace as I’m jostled around again, then shout back, “You want us to sing to them?”
“Worth a shot. Everybody ready? Good. Now sing!” Nikkowerranorru’s words fire to life just as the token line opens between all of us. I can’t make out whose voice it is that starts up first, but sure enough they’re wailing at the top of their lungs the miserable song I made up.
“If you lift your green leaves up to the sun, then you’ll grow big and strong.” Overlapping voices make this song an immediate mess. “Plants sway in the breeze created by the wind and even when there’s no wind…they find a way to rise again…” I start to laugh. Really laugh. And soon I’m not the only one.
Our ship shakes again and I can’t decide if it’s just me, the combined laughter of everyone, or an actual explosion. “Stop…” I howl. “It’s so bad…”
“It’s terrible!”
“Worst song I ever heard.”
“I kinda like it…”
“Plants rhymes withthis isn’t working at all!” I shout over the sound of the other pirates talking about my deplorable songwriting skills and the sound of the next cannon exploding against the ship, this one hitting the view pane in a beautiful pink explosion.
The shield shimmers through the viewer, beyond which, I can see a brown speck coming closer and closer against the Voraxian galaxy behind it. Between us and it is a swarming fleet of little ships that look like insects, at the smallest, like boulders at the largest. Or maybe that’s just what it feels like they’re flinging.
“We need backup!” I shout.
“On it,” Rhork says, lifting a hand to his token and shouting at the mysterious reaver called Ashmara. “Ashmara, where are you?” I can’t hear what she says, only Rhork’s answer. “Redirect. We need support out here… It’s alright. Herannathon will rescue the female in the tank…If his feelings towards that female are even half so bright as mine are to Deena, then centare, I don’t question his strength in this…Ontte, I am a sentimental shrov…now, get the shrov back here! We need a diversion…”
He continues explaining the particulars to her while Nikkowerranorru rushes to my side. “Got it.”
“Got it?”
“A line through to the queen.” He extends the flat disc on his wrist towards me and I’m shocked when I see Miari’s face floating above it.
“Holy xok!” She shouts. “Deena, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me!” I say, switching to Human, surprised by how out of use and out of date my mother tongue feels. I clear my throat. “Are you on the colony now?”
“No, I’m in Illyria, but Svera is. But Deena, are you safe? Can we rescue you…”
“Shut up, Miari! Sorry, but no. I’m not in trouble. I’m a pirate. I’m pregnant. I’m mated to Rhorkanterannu and right now we’re trying to save everybody on the colony’s freaking life!”
“What?” Her expression shifts, her red face going from worried to terrified. “What’s going on…”
“You idiots exiled Mathilda instead of killing her and now she’s formed an alliance with the old fucker, Bo’Raku!”
“Bo’Raku? But he’s…”
