idea why." The Sheesin shoved at the final ship when it lodged in the launch gear.
"Stop shoving. Let me see." A few light touches and she knew the spot to press. It was the stupidest of talents, but it worked well for her. When you struck the right place, little to no force was needed to move it. Her talent was finding that one little spot and knocking things loose.
A light tap with her wrench and she was forced to duck out of the way as the ship swung into position.
Sarcothra yelped and jumped out of the way, tumbling to safety in an instant.
"I wish I knew how you do that." She was lying on the floor and watching the last ship deploy through the airlock.
"I wish I knew how I did that. It doesn't matter. Let's get to the armoury and load up."
They sprinted through the shuttle bay and toward the armoury, pausing only to grab breathers as they went past the safety station. The rocking and shuddering of the station was freaking Nenita out.
At the door to the armoury, Nenita felt a presence behind her. She whirled to see Mari with tears in her eyes being held by Nishino. His arm was around her neck and a blaster was to her temple.
"I knew you would try for the weapons, Nenita. How charming that you are predictable." His grin made her queasy.
"What is going on?"
He laughed. "Well, we have been looking for someone with your skills for some time, but since you couldn't be seduced into joining us, perhaps you can be blackmailed into it. Remove your masks or I put a bolt through Mari's skull."
Nenita removed her mask and Sarcothra did the same.
She screamed as Nishino moved his hand and fired at her friend. Sarcothra fell to the ground and Nenita knelt at her side to put pressure on the wound.
"On your feet. I don't want to have to drag two women to my shuttle." His tone was cold.
Nenita used pressure points to relieve the bleeding. "I am not going to leave her here like this."
Nishino walked forward and aimed at Sarcothra's forehead. "I could make it easier to leave her."
Nenita put herself between her friend and the blaster, looking down the barrel with surreal calm.
Mari was sobbing with her arm now in Nishino's grip.
Almost sitting on Sarcothra, Nenita pressed the distress beacon in her friend's belt.
It was a silent alarm used for self-defence of station staff, so someone should be coming to Sarcothra's assistance in a few minutes.
"Leave her alive and I won't fight you. I will come willingly." She raised both hands in surrender.
His handsome face twisted with suspicion. "Very well. Step away from her and head for shuttle bay three."
"You go first and I will follow once you are out of firing range. My word as a Terran." She wasn't moving until he had that weapon moved away.
He didn't look convinced.
"You still have Mari and I won't see her hurt either."
Nishino wrapped Mari in his arm again and backed down the hall until they turned the corner. Nenita kept herself between her wounded friend and the gun, heading down the hall toward her enemy. When she reached them again, she widened her arms to keep Nishino moving backward. He shoved Mari behind him while maintaining his grip.
"Move it. The attack will only distract them for so long." He herded Nenita along. A subdued Mari hauled in his wake.
She hiked to shuttle bay three and paused.
"The Tival shuttle on the right. Get inside." His snarl was right behind her and she closed her eyes and wished for help. Her wish wasn't answered. She entered the shuttle and froze at the top of the stairs. There were only two seats in the shuttle. As the reality sank into her, she turned to see Nishino fire the weapon point blank into Mari's skull.
As her friend fell backward, her eyes blanking in death, Nenita heard her own scream a moment before a stunner was jammed into her ribs and pain racked her into unconsciousness as her nerves overloaded.
Her last thought before she surrendered to the dark was, he will pay.
Chapter Two
Nenita raised her head warily as the
"Stop shoving. Let me see." A few light touches and she knew the spot to press. It was the stupidest of talents, but it worked well for her. When you struck the right place, little to no force was needed to move it. Her talent was finding that one little spot and knocking things loose.
A light tap with her wrench and she was forced to duck out of the way as the ship swung into position.
Sarcothra yelped and jumped out of the way, tumbling to safety in an instant.
"I wish I knew how you do that." She was lying on the floor and watching the last ship deploy through the airlock.
"I wish I knew how I did that. It doesn't matter. Let's get to the armoury and load up."
They sprinted through the shuttle bay and toward the armoury, pausing only to grab breathers as they went past the safety station. The rocking and shuddering of the station was freaking Nenita out.
At the door to the armoury, Nenita felt a presence behind her. She whirled to see Mari with tears in her eyes being held by Nishino. His arm was around her neck and a blaster was to her temple.
"I knew you would try for the weapons, Nenita. How charming that you are predictable." His grin made her queasy.
"What is going on?"
He laughed. "Well, we have been looking for someone with your skills for some time, but since you couldn't be seduced into joining us, perhaps you can be blackmailed into it. Remove your masks or I put a bolt through Mari's skull."
Nenita removed her mask and Sarcothra did the same.
She screamed as Nishino moved his hand and fired at her friend. Sarcothra fell to the ground and Nenita knelt at her side to put pressure on the wound.
"On your feet. I don't want to have to drag two women to my shuttle." His tone was cold.
Nenita used pressure points to relieve the bleeding. "I am not going to leave her here like this."
Nishino walked forward and aimed at Sarcothra's forehead. "I could make it easier to leave her."
Nenita put herself between her friend and the blaster, looking down the barrel with surreal calm.
Mari was sobbing with her arm now in Nishino's grip.
Almost sitting on Sarcothra, Nenita pressed the distress beacon in her friend's belt.
It was a silent alarm used for self-defence of station staff, so someone should be coming to Sarcothra's assistance in a few minutes.
"Leave her alive and I won't fight you. I will come willingly." She raised both hands in surrender.
His handsome face twisted with suspicion. "Very well. Step away from her and head for shuttle bay three."
"You go first and I will follow once you are out of firing range. My word as a Terran." She wasn't moving until he had that weapon moved away.
He didn't look convinced.
"You still have Mari and I won't see her hurt either."
Nishino wrapped Mari in his arm again and backed down the hall until they turned the corner. Nenita kept herself between her wounded friend and the gun, heading down the hall toward her enemy. When she reached them again, she widened her arms to keep Nishino moving backward. He shoved Mari behind him while maintaining his grip.
"Move it. The attack will only distract them for so long." He herded Nenita along. A subdued Mari hauled in his wake.
She hiked to shuttle bay three and paused.
"The Tival shuttle on the right. Get inside." His snarl was right behind her and she closed her eyes and wished for help. Her wish wasn't answered. She entered the shuttle and froze at the top of the stairs. There were only two seats in the shuttle. As the reality sank into her, she turned to see Nishino fire the weapon point blank into Mari's skull.
As her friend fell backward, her eyes blanking in death, Nenita heard her own scream a moment before a stunner was jammed into her ribs and pain racked her into unconsciousness as her nerves overloaded.
Her last thought before she surrendered to the dark was, he will pay.
Chapter Two
Nenita raised her head warily as the
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