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Dawn waited with Callie and Anders as Sevanti and Venik knocked on the door to a single igloo looking structure. “Where are we?”
“This is known as a pod square. It’s common to use these for overnight stays in between travel,” Anders said.
Looking around, Dawn tried to see the appeal. The pods didn’t seem to offer much room but maybe as a quick stop gate. Her gaze landed on Venik again. Anger rolled off of him in waves. Any signs of the man who’d smiled and gave her a knock out round of sex was gone.
“What do you think the Commander will do?” Callie asked Anders over Dawn’s head.
“I’m unsure,” Anders murmured.
As they waited for someone to answer the door of the pod Yon presumably used, tension thickened the air. Dawn drew in a deep breath and exhaled softly. She didn’t like this. Gazing around didn’t show a reason for her concern but being in the open and exposed like this made her nervous. It could be a carry over from the attack.
Venik turned from the door and called over his shoulder. “Anders, comm Yon.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Sevanti rocked on his heels and looked around them. His fore ridges stayed up and his black eyes continually scanned the surrounding area. They should try something else. Maybe meet with security since they had the vids. The disquiet was getting to her.
After another minute, Dawn said, “I’m going to see if Venik wants to try the security offices.”
She turned away from Anders and Callie to approach the pod where Venik and Sevanti stood at the front door. Glass from a nearby pod window shattered to her left. Crying out in surprise, Dawn jerked and turned to see what broke. Dirt spewed in the air around her.
Sevanti yelled something, bringing her attention back to him as he charged in her direction. Something exploded behind her. Dawn frowned then caught the whip whip sound of a weapon being fired. Venik spun from the door of the pod and met her gaze. “Get down, Dawn!”
Sevanti hit her at full speed and wrapped an arm around her waist. The both of them slammed to the ground together. Another boom went off, followed by a bunch of Vassi in full growl mode.
“Come, lom Dawn.” Sevanti hooked an arm around her shoulders and shoved her up.
“Dawn!” Venik ran toward them, a compartment on the right thigh of his armor opening to reveal the pulse canon he favored. He had the weapon in hand and fired above her and Sevanti’s head. “Protect her, Sevanti.”
“Come!” Sevanti shoved at her again and Dawn moved.
Her body ached, but the sounds of gunfire motivated her to keep moving. Anders and Callie were back to back, shooting at the top floor of the communal bath building.
Bent over in a half squat as she ran, Dawn covered her head. There was no place to hide. No other buildings or large structures in this section of the station.
“We have to get you somewhere safe,” Sevanti shouted
Heart pounding against her chest, she asked, “What about you?!”
“This is a deliberate attack on you, lom. You’re the only one not in armor.”
A lump formed in Dawn’s throat, and sweat broke out on her top lip. She hadn’t thought. It was nothing to see the jjaawirs in body armor or uniforms daily onboard. It seemed a natural part of their readiness state. Today didn’t appear any different, yet Venik had taken the time to put on his armor. Had he expected something like this? Why hadn’t he warned her?
“Over there!” Sevanti pointed at a hulking statue made of twisting metals and a chunk of rock. “Take cover there.”
“What about Venik?” She paused and looked over her shoulder. Venik’s attention was on the assailant in the communal building. Callie and Anders held positions in a V formation with him.
Terror surged at the risk of Venik being hit no matter how much training she knew he had and that his armor beat the latest technology offered by Tek-Fair back on Earth. Nothing was perfect and her path crossed Venik’s because of a vulnerability in his armor.
Dirt from the artificial turf that made up the scenic greenspace shot up in spears in front of her. Dawn screamed and dodged. Sevanti hovered on her left, getting between the dangerous blasts and her. He had his laser out, firing blindly behind them.
Fear innocent bystanders would come out and get in the crossfire had Dawn on the verge of panic. They dropped into a crouch. The meager structure provided minimum protection. Sevanti’s comm buzzed. He answered with a tap of his finger without glancing down. “She’s fine, Venik.”
Venik’s snarling voice came through loud and clear. “If anything happens to—”
“I will protect your gagazi. Trust me, I know what she means to you.”
Confused at the phrasing Sevanti used, Dawn peered around the structure, trying for a glimpse of who shot at them. “Any idea if this is Yon and the others?”
Venik must have heard her because he answered. “It is. Callie caught a glimpse of Sifi on the fourth level of the communal where the group cleansing stalls are located. Anders believes he injured Aslan.”
“Any sign of Yon?” Sevanti interrupted.
“No.”
Sevanti’s wrist comm buzzed again. “I’ll stay in touch, Venik. Anders is on comm.”
Tremors shook Dawn’s fingers as she undid the loop at her waist and freed the thilas to grip one in each hand. She would protect herself by any means necessary.
“High Commander, Callie’s down. Commander Avar is trying to get to her but a sharpshooter on the upper level has him pinned. I’m going after a figure I saw ducking behind the path of the building. I can’t say for sure but it appears to be Aslan.”
Dawn’s breath caught. Had Callie been shot?
“Stay in comm contact, Anders. Be safe.”
“As’wale, High Commander,” Anders replied.
Sevanti lowered his arm on a snarl and peered around the edge of the sculpture. A barrage of laser fire peppered the ground and he jerked back, slumping with his back to the sculpture.
On her knees, Dawn scrambled closer and touched his leg. “Were you hit?”
He bared his teeth and snapped in her direction. Dawn cried out and pulled her hand back. Sevanti leaned his head back. “Apologies to you, lom Dawn. My aggression levels are high and battle instinct has kicked in.”
It took a bit to dislodge her heart from her throat to speak. Only Venik had ever lunged for her with his teeth like that and it was no less disconcerting from someone she didn’t think liked her. “That’s okay. This is a tense situation.”
Sevanti tipped his head in her direction and his upper lip curled. “If Venik finds out I bared teeth at you, he’ll want my head.”
A snort laugh due to adrenaline burst free. “Trust me, Venik’s not worried about that right now.”
Shifting about on a wince, Sevanti met her stare. “He is gagazi. You will always be the one thing on his mind. From now until his death, you are the most important thing in his life.”
Sevanti spoke with passion but Dawn couldn’t dwell on what he said. He didn’t look so good. His bronze tone had taken a decided turn and lightened to a pale gold. His right arm holding the blaster shook before he switched it to his left. Yellow dots marred his three fingers.
“You’re hit!” she exclaimed.
“We need to move again,” he said instead of addressing the injury on his hand. “Yon is smart. They are boxing us in. Security will be alerted if they haven’t already.”
Right on time, a chiming tone came from above followed by a mechanical voice message. “Security status elevated to dangerous. All military personnel return to your assigned ships. All visitors seek safe shelter and avoid pod residences.”
Sevanti smirked. “Little late for the warning but better than nothing.”
His unexpected humor calmed Dawn and reminded her of Venik’s level headedness in dangerous situations. It was silent now. No shooting, no shouting.
“Alright, soft skin, we’re about to see how good you are at following directions.”
Lips flattening, Dawn glared. “You’ve been listening to Venik. I follow directions very well.”
“On my count, run that way.” He pointed in a specific direction and Dawn eyed the distance. It wasn’t far but took them away from the staging area where the Black Star waited and the heavily trafficked shopping area.
“Shouldn’t we try to get back to the ship?” she asked.
“It’s a trap,” Sevanti muttered, rolling over to his side as if gathering himself.
“How do you know?”
“The blasts were aimed to take you out first. When that failed, every shot followed a pattern to herd us in a certain direction. Venik changed that. They expected him to go straight for you when everything started. Instead, he left me to get you away from the middle of things and fired on the shooters as a distraction.”
The explanation sent a bolt of fear through Dawn. It didn’t make any more sense now than it did before. “Someone’s really after me? Why?! I’m a nobody.”
Sevanti crouched on all fours. His black armor gleamed beneath the overhead lights. With his hair back in familiar braids and the weapon clutched in his hand, it was clear he was every bit the deadly soldier as the jjaawirs. Being in charge at the top level hadn’t lessened his potency. “You aren’t nobody. Whether this is a random attack due to your new status in the Protectorate or more, you have caught someone’s eye. In my experience, those matters aren’t because the individual is a nobody.”
It was a lot to take in but Dawn didn’t have time. Sevanti planted a hand on her back and shoved. “Go!”
She took off running. Pounding footsteps behind assured that Sevanti followed. Weapons went off again. A blast of dirt and rock exploded near Dawn. She dodged and weaved in a pattern she hoped hard to hit.
“Right here. Stop a moment,” Sevanti yelled.
Dawn stumbled to a stop, huddled on her knees, quivering with fear as she pressed her shoulder to the meager cover. Blood rushed through her veins and her heart had taken up a manic beat.
“Put your comm away. We don’t want it to give away our location.”
Dawn froze then touched the thin black band on her wrist. “What?”
“Venik had it enabled with tracking. It’s not secured like the ones we’re issued in the military and can be used against us.”
Doing as he asked, Dawn turned the wrist comm off and pushed it into her front pants pocket. She’d have a lot to say to Venik about tagging her like a lost pet when they got back together. Thilas in hand, she asked, “What are we going to do now?”
“You’re going to come with me or watch as the High Commander dies,” a deep voice stated from behind them.