Page 28 of The Price of Peace
“Two ships have entered the restricted airspace above the mountain.” Julie answered in her helpful and fekking annoyingly calm voice.
“Who are they?”
“I read their signatures as the royal Pleiadian shipVictory, and the other has illegally blocked its identification signature.”
A voice I now recognized came over the loudspeaker—Prince Friðrik. “Peace, Xyrox, we’re in position. You need to get back to the center of the lab near the MEDIC so I can lock onto you and teleport you out of there.”
“Teleport us?” My voice cracked even as we raced down the hall. I was familiar with the concept, of course, but had never had the opportunity, nor the desire, to try it. I liked all my atoms where they were, thank you very much.
Xyrox looked at me, noting the trepidation in my voice. “Don’t worry, xiara. It’s simple. You’ll feel a little pressure and it will be over.”
I swallowed hard but nodded as we reached our destination. Xyrox had done this. I could do it, too. We stepped to the center of the space.
“Prepare for extraction,” Julie’s voice instructed right before light enveloped my vision. My body tingled and I felt a strange, weightless pull, the world melting and reforming in a blink.
The chill of the lab vanished as I stumbled forward onto a solid metallic floor. The temperature difference was jarring. Warm air filled my lungs, and bright artificial lights replaced the lab’s dimness. I looked up—and there they were.
Prince Rick. Peace One. Varroc.
The first thing I noticed was the way Peace One looked at me—as if I was an unfinished sentence in a book she was desperate to finish reading. I must’ve been doing the same.
And then I noticed Peace One’s rounded belly. “Are you pregnant?”
She nodded. “You’re going to be an aunt!”
An aunt? My mind reeled, but there was no time to dwell on that. Warning klaxons blared, and Prince Friðrik turned sharply to the command console.
“Brace for engagement!” he barked. “Battle positions!”
The ship lurched. The other ship had fired the first shot.
The jolt threw me against Peace—theotherPeace—as she adjusted something on the control panel. I eyed her again. The resemblance was uncanny, but there was no time for questions.
Varroc drew two blades from sheaths at his back and threw one to Xyrox. “They’ll try to board. Helos is ruthless.”
Xyrox wielded the blade like he’d been born with it. “Let them try to take my mate. I’ll kill them all.”
“Hot, right?” My sister clone snarked. I didn’t think this was the time or place, but she wasn’t wrong.
Instead of answering her, I turned my attention back to Prince Friðrik. “So, it is them, theSilverlight?”
“Yes. I’ve dealt with him before. He’s a well-known pirate more than anything. He might be looking to collect on Jökull’s generous reward for anyone who brings him a Peace clone,” he responded, adding ominously, “dead or alive. A few months ago, we heard about a newly-registered recovery agent from Rykantos with silver hair, violet eyes, and olive skin. We’ve been searching for you ever since. Evidently, we weren’t the only ones.”
Another blast rockedVictory, and I could see the ship in the viewscreen now. TheSilverlightwas a predator, circling in the black of the sky, lobbing bright flares of plasma fire at us.
Friðrik’s voice was like steel. “Shields holding. Vector shift—now!”
Victoryrolled sharply, dodging the next barrage. In the chaos, I barely felt the shift of pressure in the room before the others reacted—
A blinding pulse of light flared at the rear of the bridge. The hum of an enemy transporter.
Figures materialized.
Helos’ thugs—four of them, heavily armed.
Everythingexplodedinto motion.
Varroc was on them first, his blade flashing. The largest of the attackers barely got his rifle up before the warrior drove his weaponthroughhim, the energy field around it sizzling through flesh. The man collapsed into two pieces on the deck.
