Chapter Thirteen
That can’t be good…
Zarek was suddenly in our heads. “Major Zan has intel that the Rodan have proposed an alliance with the Tai-Kok and are meeting to discuss the terms.”
“A treaty has already been signed, and they sent me the coordinates for the rendezvous location.” I forwarded the transmission to Zarek’s warbird.
The Overlord of the Coletti Empire was shocked as hell and quickly scanned us. “You have merged.”
“It was necessary. The kill switch has been neutralized, and the ship is now under our control,” Kaelen replied.
Qa’a joined the conversation. “Have you found evidence of Ziyn’s treachery?”
“I’m examining their transmission logs now, sir.” I scrolled through the Tai-Kok version of email. Holy shit! “Ziyn has promised the Tai-Kok high command three Katanic babies for the Feast of Eid Nowruz.”
Qa’a’s rage blasted through my mind and the next thing I knew I was face down on the deck. “Ouch! What hit me?”
Kaelen rolled me over. His face was pasty white. “Qa’a. Ziyn just attacked the Katanic nursery.”
“Did that bitch get any kids?”
Kaelen helped me sit up. “No, Qa’a and the executioners stopped her.”
“Thank God. Did they catch Ziyn?”
“According to Zarek, she escaped.”
I slumped against him. “Ugh, do I have a headache.”
“If Zarek hadn’t shielded us, our minds would have been destroyed.”
“Remind me to thank him.” I rubbed my aching forehead. “Is Zarek hunting Ziyn too?”
“He is.”
An orange light popped into existence by the door.
Several seconds later a spinning black vortex formed on the roof.
“That can’t be good.” I struggled to stand.
Kaelen helped me up and frowned. “It is not. Qa’a has sent his executioners.”
“Are executioners the Katanic version of cops?”
“Consider them judge, jury and assassin,” Kaelen replied. “Only Qa’a can control them.”
“Oh yippee. They are chasing Ziyn, right?”
A muscle twitched in Kaelen’s jaw. “That would be my guess. Ziyn is unaware we have discovered her collaboration with the Tai-Kok and that we have taken the ship.”
“This should get interesting.” I pulled one of my special grenades out of my pocket. “Let’s see if this gives her a bad case of indigestion.”
A predatory smile formed on Kaelen’s mouth. “I like the way you think. Give me the other one.”
I handed it to him.
Four dark, wraith-like creatures arrived in a dazzling display of pyrotechnics. Slashes of incandescent green danced around them.
Holy hell! They had glowing yellow eyes, a bunch of fang-like teeth, and wore funky black, hooded capes. Huh? No feet, they just sorta hovered in the air.
The second vortex suddenly spat out five Katanics shapeshifters in their true form. Their tentacles were wrapped around twelve loudly honking Tai-Kok soldiers.
“Which one is Ziyn?” They all looked the same to me.
“None of them are female.”
“Huh? How can you tell?” The image of a Katanic female formed in my head. She had three tits. “Gotcha.” It was hard to sort through all the new information swirling about in my head.
Whoosh! Moving faster than the eye could follow, the executioners attacked.
Tai-Kok soldiers went flying in every direction as the Katanic shapeshifters battled the executioners.
Being careful not to hit the warp engines, we shot the Tai-Kok before they could draw their weapons. Four hit the floor dead.
The other eight were wounded and seriously pissed. Quacking like Donald Duck on meth, they charged us.
I somersaulted out of the way of a Tai-Kok soldier’s slashing metal claws, rolled to my feet and hurled my boot knife. Thud. It struck the soldier in the middle eye. He staggered backward, yanking frantically at the knife and an executioner ate him.
Huh? Guess they had the munchies. Pivoting on one foot, I drove my size twelve boot into a Tai-Kok soldier’s groin. Giving a weird quacking honk, he fell to his knees, and the executioner gobbled him down too.
Teleporting rapidly around the room, Kaelen avoided the executioners and killed the remaining soldiers. Whoa! My guy was a badass.
A Katanic shapeshifter missing big chunks of flesh shot out of the vortex, took one look around and let out a high-pitched screech.
Well, hell. This one had tits. I grimaced.
She also had pieces of bloody flesh stuck in her teeth.
Her intense hunger hit me like a sledgehammer.
I gave her my Debbie Sunshine smile. “Don’t worry, honey, I have just the thing for you to eat.
” Pulling the pin on my grenade, I tossed it down her gaping maw. “Babies are off limits, bitch.”
A muffled boom sounded, and her flesh ballooned out. Shrieking like a banshee, she threw herself into the vortex.
The executioners followed, leaving us to face a badly injured and very hungry shapeshifter.
“Surrender or die,” I said.
Kaelen shot me a narrow sidelong glance. “Have you always been this irrational?”
“What can I say? It’s that time of the month and I haven’t had any chocolate in over a year. Which makes me a bit homicidal.” I gestured at the Katanic. “If I were you, Wiggles, I’d run while you still can.”
The shapeshifter’s tentacles waved madly. “Ziyn is our true leader. Once we destroy the unbelievers, we will rule the universe.”
I made a rude noise. “Wrong answer.”
“Prepare to die.” Tossing his grenade down Wiggles’ maw, Kaelen grabbed me and teleported us to the hallway.
A muffled boom sounded. Pieces of shapeshifter flew out the door and hit the far wall.
Huh? The grenade hadn’t damaged Ziyn this badly. I toed a tentacle. “Is he still alive?”
Kaelen examined the remains and nodded. “It might take him a hundred years or more, but he can regenerate.”
“Can he regenerate in the vacuum of space?” Call me curious.
A smile curved Kaelen’s mouth. “You are the perfect mate. The Tai-Kok ships have several systems to remove and dump biological waste into space.”
“I’d say he qualifies as biological waste.”
“He does.” There was a flash of black, and we appeared in a control room. Kaelen walked over to a control panel and pushed several buttons.
On a viewscreen we watch as pieces of Wiggles shot from the ship and disappeared into the darkness.
“Bye. Bye.” I went up on my toes and brushed my lips over Kaelen’s. “Love you, big guy. You don’t cut and run when things get interesting.”
“Interesting? Wherever you go, chaos soon follows.”
I grinned. “Exactly”
“Minx.” His mouth closed over mine. There was no gentleness in his kiss, just hunger akin to starvation.
Woo-freakin-hoo, I couldn’t wait to find out what sex was like with him.
Kaelen’s mouth left mine and he sighed. “As much as I would like to continue kissing you, we must prepare for battle.”
“Okay. I love killing monsters. Have you ever heard of the Trojan Horse?”
Kaelen frowned for a moment, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. “The Tai-Kok will never see us coming.”
“Exactly.”
Another vortex formed.
“Crap we’re out of grenades,” I groaned.
Something dark and predatory moved in Kaelen’s eyes and his hand dropped to his weapon. “Together we cannot be defeated.”
“Damn right.”
Uncle Saul and my dad came flying out of the vortex and hit the deck hard.
I hurried over to them. “Are you okay?”
“What the hell was that?” Uncle Saul wiped the slime off his face.
Kaelen and I exchanged amused looks. “That is the Katanic’s version of the portal.”
“Gotta say, it was one hell of a ride.” Dad spat out a mouthful of gunk. “What’s all this nonsense about us becoming galactic police officers?”
Qa’a strolled out of the vortex. “Humans are considered neutral. Your unique psychic abilities and investigative experience make you the perfect choice to hunt down dangerous criminals.
“The Battle Commander is not a police officer, and neither am I,” Uncle Saul pointed out.
Qa’a smiled, revealing a mouthful of serrated teeth.
“You are a skillful negotiator, General. Your strategic battle plans have kept the Tai-Kok from destroying your planet. Kaelen’s fierce reputation as a Coletti warlord will help keep the peace.
Lexi and her father will be the investigators.
Each race has lawbreakers. The Shadow Thieves Guild has almost triggered several wars with their thefts and sabotage.
We want you to hunt these outlaws down and bring them to justice. ”
Dad’s jaw dropped. “I can understand mind speak.”
“The ability to talk to suspects and victims is a necessity. I simply adjusted your brainwaves,” Qa’a replied.
I waited for Dad to have a meltdown and was surprised when he smiled proudly. “So, we would be a galactic version of Interpol?”
“Yes.”
On our private link, I asked Kaelen, “Any chance of us saying no thank you?”
“None. Zarek, the Askole High Commander, and the Alliance like the idea.”
Qa’a added, “The Askole are providing body armor and weapons for you. The Coletti Empire has agreed to furnish a warbird, and the Alliance has given you a space station to work from.”
I gave him my Debbie Sunshine smile. “You have thought of everything.”
“Once you have made the explosives we will talk again.” Qa’a turned and walked into the vortex.
I eyed the bag Dad was carrying. “What have you got?”
“Belts for the portal and Jake will be bringing us bomb making materials.”
“We need a name for our group,” I said.
Dad grinned. “Delta Dogs.”
“Ugh.”
“Hey, show some respect. That’s my old Force Recon call sign.”
“I like Pandora. Cause if you break the law, hell is going to rain down on you,” I said.
Kaelen interjected, “We will be known as Qa’a’s enforcers.”
“Bummer.”