Chapter 30

Emmy's breath rushed from her lungs as Chigs grabbed her around the waist and dove behind the nearest empty pod. More searing blasts scarred the floors and walls on either side.

She caught sight of their attacker just before the pod blocked her view. "Rust, stop! It's us! Chigs and Emmy!"

Another blast seared past the pod.

"Rust? What the hell?" Chigs shouted.

"Denaidan filth." Rust's voice sounded odd, less angry and more automated. "You're only delaying the inevitable."

Suddenly Emmy knew where she'd heard that voice before—inside her own mind. Her blood turned to ice water. "He's being controlled!"

Horror widened Chigs's eyes. "Dollard."

Confusion and disbelief coiled in Emmy's gut. "But how? The pendant should protect him."

Chigs shook his head. "I don't know."

Rust's heavy footfalls shook the floor as he advanced, filling the air with blue bolts of light.

"We've got to pierce his armor. Set your rifle to kill," Chigs yelled over the cacophony, risking a glance around his cover. A blast scorched the edge of the pod, making him flinch back.

"No!" Emmy shouted. "He's being mind controlled. We need to find Dollard and break the connection."

Chigs looked at her like she was insane. "Rust's as armored as a battle cruiser. The only way we're getting past him is by killing him."

"He's family, Chigs," she pleaded, glad to see the reluctant acknowledgement in Chigs's eyes. "Do you think you can use your ionic shield to disrupt the mind control?"

Chigs grabbed her hand and dragged her around the pod to keep it between them and Rust. "I'd have to get close enough to touch him, which would mean leaving you unprotected, not only from pulse fire, but from Dollard's mind control."

"Like I pointed out earlier, Rust's far more dangerous to us than I am under Dollard's control." Emmy flinched as another blast shook the room. "We need to try."

A massive form loomed around the corner, cybernetic eyes settling on them. Chigs thrust Emmy behind him, his ionic shield glittering with power.

"Emmy, run!" he shouted, charging headlong at the hulking cyborg.

Rust stepped back, clearly caught off guard by the bold frontal assault. His rifle fired wildly, splashing the floor with energy blasts.

Emmy turned and dashed down the row of pods toward the bay door. Stray pulse blasts from Rust's weapon lit the air.

Looking for cover, Emmy climbed up onto the platform next to the SAC unit and lay down, hoping to remain out of sight from the ground as she peered over the edge.

The two warriors collided in a blur of metal and muscle, and Rust landed a brutal punch to Chigs's midsection, knocking the wind from his lungs. Chigs staggered back, gasping.

Emmy gasped, too. She'd watched the guys from the Icarus spar countless times and had been confident Chigs could hold his own long enough to use his shield on Rust. But this fight was far more intense than any she'd seen in the ring. What if Chigs loses? Her stomach heaved at the thought.

Hoping to distract the cyborg and give Chigs a chance to recover, she shouted. "Rust, stop! Don't let Dollard control you like this. You're stronger than he is!"

Rust ignored her, bringing his rifle to bear and squeezing the trigger.

Chigs raised his ionic shield, deflecting the blasts. There didn't seem to be an opening for him to let down his shield long enough to bring Rust inside, at least not without getting shot.

Feinting left, Chigs ducked in to drive his fist up toward Rust's chest. Emmy recalled the guard in the hallway, killed by just such a punch, and her stomach dropped.

Rust twisted away, and Chigs's blow slammed into the nearby cryopod, cratering the metal surface. Before Chigs could recover, Rust's cybernetic arm whipped around, catching Chigs square in the jaw.

The blow lifted Chigs off his feet, flinging him across the room to crash in a heap against the far wall. He struggled to his hands and knees, coughing. Blood ran from his forehead into his eyes.

Rust widened his stance and took aim.

With a heavy heart, Emmy set her rifle to the highest level and pointed it at the cyborg. If she had to kill Rust to save Chigs, she would, though she knew it would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Then the insidious slither of a command probed the edge of her mind. Shoot the filthy denaidan.

The barrel of her rifle slid toward Chigs as if it had a life of its own.

Oh, hell no.

With a painstaking effort of will, Emmy shoved the words out of her mind and let go of the rifle. Best not to have it in her hands. Pushing to her hands and knees, she scoured the area for any sign of Dollard.

The doctor stood on the other side of the platform, aiming a pulse pistol toward Emmy. You need the rifle.

"Get out of my head," Emmy snarled, rising to her feet.

The scientist's expression twisted in rage. Dollard squeezed off a blast from the pulse pistol, sending a searing bolt past Emmy's head. Ears ringing, Emmy flung herself to the side, hit the top step, and tumbled down the rest of the stairs. Her shoulder cracked against the bottom tread, making her arm go numb and sending her rifle clattering across the floor.

"Fuck." Emmy struggled to stand.

Dollard advanced, graceful in her stolen denaidan body, pulse pistol aimed at Emmy's face.

Knowing she'd never reach her gun in time, Emmy charged, her petite frame driving into Dollard's middle. She grabbed behind the doctor's knees and toppled her over backward, landing on top. The pistol clattered across the deck, and the doctor swore.

As Emmy grappled for control, Dollard cinched her legs around Emmy's waist and flipped them to take the top. With her weight pinning Emmy down, she grabbed Emmy's throat and squeezed. "You've outlived your usefulness after all, Dr. Voss."

Shoulder throbbing, Emmy tried to get her arms up between the doctor's wrists to break her grip, but their bodies were too close together. Spots danced across her vision. Then she remembered an old lesson Marlis had taught her. Every inch of your body is a weapon. Use it.

With the last of her rapidly fading strength, Emmy slammed her forehead up into Dollard's face. The impact jarred the scientist's grip, giving Emmy a split second to bring her hands up and break free. Gasping for air, she clawed at Dollard's eyes, forcing the doctor back.

Emmy seized her chance and swiftly rolled out of reach. Her hand found Dollard's gun, its weight giving her a sense of power. She spun and fired off a shot that hit Dollard square in the chest.

Dollard buckled. Wheezed. Then glared at Emmy defiantly. "My consciousness... transcends... this flesh..." Her voice was little more than a ragged whisper as her body went limp and the life faded from her eyes.

* * *

Chigs had just dodged another of Rust's skull-splitting blows when suddenly the cyborg stopped moving and stood still, a vacant expression crossing his features. Chigs saw his chance and opened his shield, reaching to pull him in.

Rust let out a furious bellow and charged past him, his eyes blazing with rage and determination.

Stunned and off balance, Chigs turned to see Emmy lying on the floor near the SAC unit. She held a pistol aimed at a crumpled body a short distance away.

Ignoring the ache in his leg where Rust had landed a particularly hard blow, he dashed forward after Rust. If that damned cyborg harmed a hair on Emmy's head…

But the cyborg ignored Emmy and grabbed the other figure, hoisting it up like a rag doll and shaking it furiously. It was Dr. Dollard—or the body that had once hosted Dollard. The body that now stared lifelessly at the floor.

"I should've been the one to do it!" Rust shouted, throwing the body back to the floor. He lifted one heavy foot, preparing to stomp down on the woman's head.

"That isn't Dollard, Rust. Not anymore," Emmy said from where she lay on the ground.

Rust hesitated a moment, then lowered his foot. Swearing loudly, he stomped off down the hall. "I need something to punch."

Fairly certain the cyborg was no longer a threat, Chigs scooped Emmy into his arms. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"She came out of nowhere." Emmy blinked, the shock fading from her eyes and a grin taking over. "But I fought her off."

Chigs laughed and hugged her tightly. "Yes, you did, akhala."