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Standing next to L’iza in her cargo hold, K’vyn wasn’t exactly sure why D’alla wanted to inspect the ship. There were no other options to evacuate the mogha off world. It was either this or nothing—
Some need convincing that it’s safe, she said.
Safe? Their world was about to be destroyed. There was nothing safe about that to begin with—
Is that a molk? D’alla stopped to stare in the glass enclosure sitting next to the chicken crates.
Hedge lay upside down on a pile of shiny objects; buttons, wires, lizard scales. Wallowing with his feet straight up in the air, K’vyn had no idea a molk could look so happy.
“He hasn’t even tried to get out,” L’iza said, nothing getting past her observant gaze. “He seems to pine after the reddish-brown chicken, so I show it to him every now and then and he’s fine.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re starting to like him.” K’vyn smirked.
You might want to hide it before the other mogha get onboard, D’alla said, K’vyn keeping up with two conversations at once. Many haven’t been off the home world, but everyone knows a molk can crash a ship.
“Nobody likes a molk,” L’iza said, indignant. Too indignant. “Just doing what it takes to prevent him from escaping that enclosure. Let me guess, the mogha wants you to hide it?”
You’ll want to hide these avians too. D’alla licked her lips. Unless you don’t mind a few mogha helping themselves.
The chickens are off-limits, he said. Help yourself to the eggs.
“The Invader Fleet has been spotted in the system,” L’iza said.
***
IT WAS PURE CHAOS, mogha running every which way as they appeared, the air full of an array of barking as pack leaders organized them in groups, dozens of Korthan scout ships landing among the trees.
The ships were as colorful as the mogha, the yellow coloration of L’iza just one of many. Some were blue, some were red, some were even pink, their swept-back wings traced with their respective color, some a combination of two. The sight of their graceful majesty took Dani’s breath away.
Were all these ships sentient?
D’alla ran from K’vyn’s ship as the last scout landed, rushing between the pack leaders and their groups, antennae straight up in high alert.
C’hase was sticking as close to Dani as she was to him, never more than a few feet from each other, his coat of orange easy to keep track of. Many mogha brushed him with their feather-tips as they arrived, a delight to C’hase as much as a fascination to her, the intensity of the situation rendering the gestures bitter-sweet.
As D’alla escorted several dozen skittish, whimpering and yipping mogha into L’iza’s cargo hold, Dani’s heart ached.
Strong arms came around her from behind and she turned into K’vyn’s chest.
“What we are about to do is extremely dangerous,” he murmured in her hair. “We could die.”
Pulling away, he grasped her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “The safest place will be the Galaxy Ship. I can talk to L’Den about granting you asylum—”
“What happens to me if something happens to you?” Dani interrupted him.
K’vyn blinked, but she could feel the truth through the bond. There wouldn’t be much understanding; she’d likely become a prisoner.
“So, there’s no place that’s safe,” she said. “C’hase and I will take our chances with you.”
Dani’s place was with K’vyn. As much as she would have liked to provide a safe place for C’hase—
The mogha’s place is with you, K’vyn said through the bond. Separation is worse than death.
L’iza poked her head out at the top of the stairs.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“C’hase will help keep the mogha onboard calm.” K’vyn squeezed her shoulders.
Bounding back down the stairs, D’alla disappeared into the woods.
Dani blinked. “What about D’alla?”
“We’ll be back,” the hologram said, leaning back into the ship.
“D’alla is staying here until every mogha that wants to leave is on a ship,” K’vyn said, walking up the stairs. “We will get her on the last run.”
Throat constricting, she felt his trepidation through the bond as she boarded the ship. There were only a hundred ways that plan could go wrong—
If the unsteadiness on her feet was anything to go by, the ship had already lifted off the ground, hatch clapping shut in short order.
Entering the cargo hold, K’vyn was right about C’hase. The skittishness the mogha exhibited upon boarding vanished when they saw him. As they greeted and nose-nuzzled with him, Dani left them to it with a smile.
Upon entering the cockpit, her jaw dropped. Hanging above the planet was the largest ship she’d ever seen. Oblong, it reminded her of a whale, but the sheer size of it—
“That’s the Galaxy Ship,” K’vyn said. “He can’t land on the planet’s surface. We’re going to run mogha up to them.”
“It looks alive,” Dani said, breathless.
“He is alive,” K’vyn said.
“That ship is sentient, too?”
“Most Korthan ships are sentient,” K’vyn confirmed. He narrowed his eyes at L’iza. “Some are particular about the Korthans that fly or inhabit them.”
“The thought of a cyborg in my systems—” L’iza imitated a full-body shiver. “No.”
“The Galaxy Ship will allow Korthans to reside there, but only entrusts his gemkeys to members of the Korthan Cyborg Corps.”
Gemkeys? What in the stars was he even talking about?
“Incoming,” K’vyn said, game face on.
Stars all around them, too many to count moved closer and closer, until it became evident they were ships.
Did the entire Human Colony Alliance Fleet show up to terraform this one planet?
Triangular fighters poured out of the Galaxy Ship, four of them surrounding L’iza while the rest spread out, eight surrounding two more scout ships on L’iza’s starboard side as they raced to the Galaxy.
“Remember, we are not trying to win a battle for the world,” K’vyn said through L’iza’s comm. “Just trying to save as many mogha as we can.”
“Acknowledged,” a voice came back.
Another ship emerged from the blackness of space, racing into the fray. Triangular like the fighters, it was bigger, shiny red and black coloration beautiful and sinister at once.
“But we can kill as many Invaders as we can, too,” another voice said.
“A’ryk,” K’vyn whooped. “I did not think you’d be here so quickly.”
“I’ve never flown so fast.” This A’ryk sounded out of breath. “Let’s kill these bastards.”
Filled with unease, Dani couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her when the new arrival barreled headlong through a web of laser fire into the human fleet.
That ship is a Death Angel, K’vyn said in her mind, keeping her distracted as L’iza rushed towards the Galaxy Ship, a group of HCA fighters approaching at break-neck speed. I don’t know any Korthan that has in-depth knowledge of that ship. I suspect A’ryk knows more than he lets on, but there aren’t many Death Angels.
How many sentient ships are there? Never mind how many; how many kinds were there?
We don’t know.
Dani was under the impression that answer applied to both questions—
Then the HCA fighters were upon them, déjà vu setting in as laser fire skipped across L’iza’s hull.
“Check on the mogha,” K’vyn ordered as they approached the Galaxy Ship, the cyborg fighters repelling the humans.
Dani ran to the cargo hold, falling next to C’hase as a bolt jolted the ship into a fishtail, several mogha yelping in startled fear.
I don’t think I like flying, C’hase’s young voice sounded younger, paws over his head. Someone’s always shooting at us.
***
K’VYN WINCED AS A LASER bolt struck L’iza from the side, Dani taking a hard fall.
“You’ve got to block those,” L’iza spat over the comm, her pain and anger intense enough to feel keenly, even through their limited connection.
“Sorry,” one of the cyborgs said.
More Korthan ships arrived, a swarm of oblong silver shapes surrounding the Galaxy Ship.
“About time the Citizen Brigade got here,” L’iza said. “Now the cyborgs can concentrate on escorting the scouts—”
And concentrate they did, L’iza’s escort doubling from four to eight.
The Invader fighter contingent that was shooting at them suddenly had their hands full with dozens of Citizen Brigade drones.
Punching it, cyborg escort keeping up with ease, L’iza nearly skidded into an open hold of the Galaxy.
Jumping to his feet, K’vyn yelled at Dani as he headed towards the back, hatch opening on his left. “Stay out of sight. Remember, they won’t exactly be understanding—”
K’vyn helped several mogha stand, L’Den’s magnificent mogha companion at the bottom of the stairs with Captain K’ursick as he walked down.
Clasping arms in mutual respect and greeting with K’ursick, he nodded his head at A’rch.
“L’Den says you don’t have a mogha companion,” the Captain said. “He’s on his way down. He and A’rch will translate for you on the next run.”
L’Den was a good friend, but now was not the time to catch up on recent events.
The mogha barked and gathered around A’rch, who barked back. Escorting all the mogha away from L’iza, other mogha joined him from the two scouts who had just landed. K’vyn’s eyebrows raised.
“Tell him to find another scout ship,” he said to K’ursick. “We don’t need a translator. Besides, looks like A’rch is needed here.”
Re-entering his ship, K’vyn couldn’t help to smile at two orange, feather-tipped antennae sticking up over a chicken crate, the rest of the mogha safely ‘hidden.’
Next to the antennae, Dani stood as the hatch shut and they were in the air again.
“C’hase doesn’t have to hide,” he chuckled.
The smile on Dani’s face made his heart skip. “Says he wants to. He says that big black mogha is scary.”
“A’rch? He is a little intimidating, but he’s fine. Ready for the next run?”
“Ready,” she said, coaxing C’hase out of his hiding place.
The pup raised a tarp they had thrown over Hedge and the chickens. The molk squeaked and he barked, nosing around the chickens until the reddish-brown Molly clucked. Apparently satisfied his pets were safe, he let the tarp fall back over them.
Grabbing Dani’s hand, K’vyn squeezed, pulling her with him to the cockpit.
A battle in space raged before them, L’iza on her own to get back to the planet’s surface, the KCC escorts reserved for arriving scouts full of mogha.
The Death Angels were doing their best, but the majority of the Invader fleet was getting ever closer to the green world. They would be in range soon—
D’alla, where are you? K’vyn called his mogha companion, heartrate elevated.
Go to the East Quadrant, she said, showing him in his mind where the East Quadrant was. There is a group there waiting.
What about you?
You can pick me up on the next run.
***
DANI WAS FROZEN, LASER fire, human and Korthan ships crisscrossing all around them as L’iza barreled through space towards Mogha.
C’hase grabbed her hand.
We’re going to make it, K’vyn said in her mind.
It went by in a blur, Dani feeling detached through it all. Landing on the planet, dozens of mogha cramming into the cargo hold, C’hase calming them. Eight cyborg fighters escorting them back to the Galaxy Ship, K’vyn and L’iza working together like a machine, hands flying through holograms and shapes as bulky human fighters tried to blast them from space. From what Dani could tell, situations like these were the reason a sentient ship needed a pilot.
Then they were sliding into the Galaxy Ship, colorful mogha pouring out of scouts as each arrived with their precious cargo, a sea of waving antennae gathered in a far corner, A’rch corralling new groups.
Before she knew it, they were unloaded and back in space, heading towards the green planet again—
Along with several hundred human ships. Stomach dropping, the ships were almost in torpedo range of the mogha world.
No one targeted L’iza or the scouts, instead concentrating on the Death Angels that were slowing their progress.
A human warfighter pushed forward, flash of light igniting from its underbelly—
Heart leaping to her throat, Dani sucked in a breath as a black torpedo was launched, K’vyn’s alarm striking through the bond like lightning.
The sinister black and red shape of A’ryk’s ship raced after it, shot after shot of laser fire emitting from his wings—
The seed torpedo erupted in a brilliant flash of fire as it exploded.
“Yes!” K’vyn whooped with his fist in the air, his relief so powerful Dani let out her breath.
“There will be another attempt,” she said, no relief saved for herself.
***
HAVING NOT EVEN CONSIDERED a second attempt, K’vyn’s insides fell at Dani’s statement.
“L’iza, hurry,” he said, sitting forward in his seat as if the action would make the scout that much faster.
“Location,” L’iza said, executing a perfect imitation of gritted teeth, the tree-covered surface of the planet rushing to meet them as she flew into the atmosphere.
D’alla, he called to his mogha companion. We are coming. I cannot pinpoint your location.
I am on the Middle Mountain, the pack leader said. There are a hundred mogha with me.
Pointing, K’vyn said, “There. The middle hill where the council met.” He turned his head to L’iza. “There are a hundred mogha with her.”
Blinking, L’iza glanced back at him before swiping through a hologram, the ship executing a sharp left turn towards the three hills they approached when first coming to this world, chickens squawking in protest. “It’s going to be a tight fit.”
“Stars Almighty.” Dani’s quiet breathy exclamation reached his ears a split second before her spike in alarm.
And then he saw it. Like a shooting star, it raced across the sky, trail of blaze behind it— The second torpedo.
“L’iza!” he yelled, calling up several holo-controls from the console in front of him, tweaking fuel consumption and velocity control, anything to make the ship go faster.
And faster the scout did go, overshooting the target as she attempted to slow, tree limbs falling as she skirted through the canopy, mogha running beneath them until the ship finally came to a stop a hundred yards from the hilltop.
Mogha ran through the trees, straight at them, pouring through L’iza’s open hatch.
Where are you, D’alla? K’vyn ran against the flow, eyes searching, heart pounding in his ears.
Two loud cracks pierced the air, the torpedo breaking the sound barrier as it entered the atmosphere—
Terror unlike anything he’d ever known shook his body. He put his life mate and her pup in danger. His failed to rescue his mogha companion. They were all going to pay for his shortcomings with their lives—
I’m here, D’alla suddenly said and he could see himself through her mind’s eye as her violet form approached.
Thank the Stars.
“Go, go go,” L’iza yelled as they ran to the ship.
The ground shook, knocking D’alla off her feet. Doubling back, K’vyn hauled the mogha up, hoisting her into the ship as L’iza rose from the ground.
***
A VIOLET BLUR FLEW past her as K’vyn threw his mogha onto the ship. Then L’iza was in the air, the Korthan’s eyes widening as he tried grabbing at the edge of the entry, missing the mark, falling back to the ground—
“L’iza, wait!” Dani screamed.
“Tell him to run faster,” the scout yelled. “We can’t let that wave hit us.”
A cloud rose high in the air, rushing towards them, sweeping away the foliage of the trees in a whooshing roar. Whatever it touched would be forever changed—
Landing on his feet in a sprint, K’vyn rushed forward, tracking next to the entryway as L’iza moved over the ground.
“Hurry!” Leaning out of the doorway, Dani stretched out her hand.
The Korthan had only one shot. She knew it. He knew it—
K’vyn crouched in his sprinting run, leaping high into the air, arm reaching out. The ship suddenly dipped as L’iza spun sharply into him, door lowering enough for him to grab the edge, his other hand coming around to grasp at Dani’s outstretched arm.
With the tilt of the ship, Dani slipped, falling out the window just as K’vyn was about to grab her hand—
Jerking to a halt in midair, front of her body hanging out of the entry, something held fast to her legs as the Korthan held onto her arm with his right hand, left hand firmly gripped to the bottom edge of the opening.
Body moving backwards as the ground rushed below, Dani turned to see D’alla and C’hase had hold of each of her feet, pulling her back into the ship.
Two more mogha joined in, grabbing her midsection and then shoulders as she was hauled back in, K’vyn’s hand slipping to hers. Gripping tight, she held onto him, gazes locked in intense determination.
Three more mogha reached over the edge, grabbing his forearm and elbow just beyond her grip and pulled backwards until she found herself on her back, heavy breathing Korthan laying over her.
Hatch snapping shut, L’iza tilted the ship straight up, launching towards the blackness of space.
Pulling her into an embrace, K’vyn kissed her neck, whispering against her ear. “That was close.”
“Yes,” she breathed.
Moment of triumph short-lived, a chorus of wails and howling erupted from the mogha. Climbing to their feet, she and K’vyn watched in horror as a wave swept over the world, green becoming brown in its wake.
C’hase whimpered, incredible loss and sorrow pouring from the young hound. Hand pressed against his chest, K’vyn was no doubt effected by the bond with his mogha as well.
***
LIMBS SO HEAVY HE COULD barely lift them, heart battered, K’vyn made his way to the cockpit.
It was always a rescue mission, he told himself over and over, but every Korthan would feel crushing defeat over the loss of Mogha.
You saved countless mogha lives, D’alla said, but the words felt hollow, even when the sentiment behind them was genuine.
Now what?
He could hear Dani saying this to herself, thinking along the same lines as he was.
When they got to the Galaxy, he would speak with L’Den and Captain K’ursick. The mogha may accept Dani, but after this day? They’d be hard pressed to find a Korthan community that would, even one full of folks raised through the exchange program like he was.
Asylum on the Galaxy Ship was probably their only option—
Once in the cockpit, he stopped short, stomach churning. A swarm of a hundred Invader ships or more buzzed in the space between L’iza and the Galaxy Ship. They were never going to get through that without an escort.
“There are a hundred mogha onboard,” L’iza was saying. “We must land.”
“We can’t get to you,” L’Den’s voice filled the air through the comm. “They are attacking the Galaxy.”
The hologram slammed her fist on the console.
“We must retreat,” L’Den said. “Take them to Paradise.”
“And subject them to another world that will be targeted for terraforming?” L’iza’s voice was bitter. “No. I will not do that.”
Observing the ships, entering several calculations, K’vyn pulled up the probability of them making it to the Galaxy Ship without an escort—
Two point three percent.
“We are on our own,” he whispered, staring at the holograms in front of him, each giving doomed trajectories to the Galaxy.
L’iza hung in space, concentration set in her features. Five Invader ships took notice, breaking their attack, racing in her direction.
K’vyn felt a resolve solidify in their limited bond.
“I will take them to Sanctuary,” she said, voice soft with an edge, a promise.
“That is not permitted,” Captain K’ursick said, shock in his tone matching the tingling in K’vyn’s chest.
Even the Korthans didn’t know where the sentient ship planet was—
“I take responsibility,” L’iza said. “Refugees are permitted.”
There was a pause on the radio, Dani stepping up beside him as A’ryk’s voice spoke. “They will never be allowed to leave.”
Dani grasped his hand in a warm squeeze, and he brushed her soft skin with his thumb. Gazing down at her, brown eyes inviting, understanding, promising, his only desire was a life with her.
Looking down the hallway towards the cargo hold, both D’alla and C’hase stood watching him.
Eyes tracking to L’iza, he said, “We’re okay with that.”