“Drop the human young,” I growl, stepping forward, giving a nervous look to Mirelle and the others. “Now.”

“Perhaps I will.” The Ocretion smiles. Then he moves, serpentine. They always act so quickly; compared to their sluggish bodies, their motions never cease to amaze. He drops the girl next to the mother.

Then he’s in, through the path Domm and Archer cleared for him, grabbing for our little warrior.

Yes. This is what we needed.

She allows him to seize her, slumps in his arms. He puts the stunner to her head. “I’ll take this one instead,” he says, backing toward the door. “And we’ll destroy your ship if you don’t willingly give it over. Surrender.”

I know it’s all tactics. He probably has a host of them ready to board our ship this minute. Tech this precious? They’d rather lose a few of their own to get it, rather than destroy it out of spite.

But all I can see is that stunner at our female’s head. It’s set to the highest setting, which will fry her brain if he uses it, essentially killing her. A r

oaring starts in my ears—emotion I barely recognize pouring into my chest—fear. Rage. I want to twist this Ocretion’s neck. How dare he? Perhaps I misunderstood her signal. Perhaps she is as weak and afraid as she appears. I need to rescue her, but I can’t risk it, not now.

She’s docile, soft, whimpering to herself, like he’s broken her will. Then she makes eye contact with me and mouths, “On three.”

“We’ll never give you the ship!” I shout, playing the role of the unstable, angry Zandian.

The Ocretion laughs. “You don’t need to. We’ll take it.”

He puts his finger to the trigger. “I’ll give her back, too.” He wiggles it. “When she’s dead.”

Mirelle doesn’t stop looking at me. One, she mouths. Two.

I take a breath.

Three.

Then she’s just a blur of motion, even faster than the Ocretion, twisting in his arms so her head is free of his stunner. The blast hits her shoulder, hard, and I smell the acrid odor of burning skin and blood as I raise my weapon. I look right into the Ocretion’s face and fire, barely missing Mirelle, but I’m a good shot. I watch as his head disappears in a pulse of fire.

“Seal, detach, and jump. Now, now, now.” Archer’s command sets us into action.

Domm takes over the panel and Archer himself goes to the weapon station.

“They’re aiming at our hyperlock. We need to go.”

I see the flash as their missile deploys; brace for the impact, but it never comes. Instead, the G-forces and the wash of space-time flow into and through me as we leap into the fabric of the universe, disappearing from the Ocretions’ view so completely that they can never find us again.

Chapter 3

Lanz

* * *

“Check for damage. Deploy auto-repair bots,” Archer commands.

“Bots deployed,” Domm replies.

“Check seals and atmosphere.”

“Seals and atmosphere at 100 percent,” I report.

“Check tow status.”

“Tow craft damaged, no life forms present,” Domm says.

“Lanz, secure the passengers.”

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