Chapter 21

W

e were in Stealth Davis, and our first round of fighter pods had just launched. My heart seemed like it had stopped as we started the attack. We were assigned with a fleet to attack Target A on the moon with enslaved women. We came with force, and many Galactic ships were set up around every lead warship. I let go of the breath I was holding when the viewing screen lit up.

"The shit has hit the fan!" I said as the Kanenites engaged. Once the Kanenites' scans detected us, battleships were launched in droves from the moons that kept their prisoners. It was eerily beautiful, like watching a flock of bird's dance over the waves of the sea.

The ships move stealthily and in perfect formation. The light show that resulted from the laser cannons firing at us was enthralling as Flame evaded the shots. When our ship fired, she hit the first target and the explosion of the battleship had my nerves light up.

In the midst of our fight. Three enemy ships were on us. Flame was engaging and making maneuvers that would make me ill if it wasn't for the ship's ability to stabilize us. I reached for Terrek's hand as Flame led the command for this fight.

She took out two more ships attacking us. And she took out a ship that was about to hit our allyship. Doing that, though, allowed the third fighter to land a hit on us that had us on a crash course to the moon. Flame, cool as a cucumber, was able to land her shot on that fighter, and it exploded. My girl was the better shot.

"Flame," I cried out as we headed to the surface. We broke through the atmosphere shield, and smoke started to fill the command center.

"Go to the jump pod, leave now!" Flame demanded. She gave Terrek a stern look."Take her." Flame said as she looked at us with soft sadness in her eyes."No, not without you!" I cried. ""No, Terrek, grab her too!" I yelled as he dragged me off to a Jump pod.Ember and Candy were running past us through the smoke. Ember looked me in the eye and said. "Go with Terrek, Darah. I got Candy and Flame.""No, NO, NOOOOOO!" I screamed in a panic as Terrek pulled me into a pod, and we jumped away from our burning ship and our mate."Why? Terrek, why did you leave her!" I cried.I felt so betrayed. This was not happening. This can't be happening! We hit hard, my body jerked, my head hit something, and my nose cracked. Blood was pouring out, and that terrible taste of copper filled my mouth. I was numb; shock was taking over."Darah, my sweet, I am so sorry. Here, let me help you." He tore off some of his uniform and tried to clean my face."Stop, Terrek, I can't believe you left her, left my Candy. What happened to I go wherever you two go?""Darah, leaving her was the hardest thing I ever did." He choked up himself.Terrek's jaw was clenched, and a pulse in his jaw kept a quick rhythm. He wiped a tear from his eye with a roughness. His eyes filled as he stared deeply into my eyes."Why?" I cried."Flame made me promise to get you to safety. She swore she would be able to focus on saving herself when she doesn't have to worry about saving us, too.""Terrek, I cannot stand that we left her," I said through tears as he insisted on cleaning my face. He pulls me in for a hug and kisses my head."We need to move. We can't stay here. We are on the moon that houses the female slaves." He said as he grabbed our weapons and survival packs.I left our life pod and saw the spaceships battle above us. I saw a ship falling in a fiery crash further away from us. I hitch my breath in terror."I lost my Candy and Flame. How could they have survived a fiery crash?"Tears fall freely as I notice numbly that I can breathe heavy air. I put on my pack and robotically followed Terrek. My steps kicked up the soft powder-like surface of the grey moon. We landed inside the prison gates. Alarms blared all around us. Debris from the battle above fell all around us.Terrek pulled me to run with him when I heard our pod explode. it was like running on the beach slower and more difficult as our boots sank with every step. It was dark, but the battle fire lit everything around us. We crouched in the shadow of a doorway that had solid metal doors locked and sealed tight.I looked at a guard tower, it was firing laser shots into the smoky sky. To my amazement, a giant blue dragon flew into view and lit up that tower with a spray of lava fire. My heart skipped a beat, if Ember survived the crash, Flame and Candy may have managed to survive too.Hope bloomed in my chest, and my tears turned to cheers as I yelled to Ember, "Burn their asses!" Terrek pulled me back into the shadow."Don't alert the enemy to our location." Terrek put me behind him up against the door,"We need to find Flame and Candy." I tried to push my big male out of my way."Darah, focus; were on a mission, we need to follow our training. Flame knows what needs to happen. We need to trust her abilities. I promise I will find them as soon as this fight is over."I can see Terrek desperately wanted to find them. I knew he was right. I needed to focus. Okay, I needed to blow this door and move on. I pulled my pack off and dug out my magnetic grenade."Get ready to move; I am blowing this bitch." Terrek's eyes grew alarmed.I slapped that device on the door and activated the countdown."Damnit, woman, you are mad!" Terrek growled as he pulled me in his arms and ran.The explosion blasted so much that a percussion wave hit us, and we both flew, hitting the solid metal prison wall hard. Terrek turned his body in time to take the blow.My breath was knocked out of me. Gasping for air, I held myself on my knees and focused on catching my breath. My lungs burned. Terrek stood up and grabbed my hand. We ran to the broken building. The blast took out more than the door. Two guards ran past us, engulfed in flames.I thought about shooting a killing laser shot at them, but Terrek kept me moving. We made our way into the prison that kept the females. A blast hit the wall next to us and ricocheted, hitting Terrek in his thigh.Our armored suits held up for me, but Terrek was hurt. Blood was staining his pant leg. I fired my laser taking out the asshole that injured my Terrek. I scanned the area for more, but the crumbled building had crushed the guards stationed there."Can you walk?" I asked Terrek, not looking away from the path before us."Yes, keep moving. "Terrek answered with pain laced in his voice.I could tell he was trying to hide his pain from me. My senses picked up on him. The alarm was blaring, and the smoke and debris had put my awareness on high alert.I reached the gates that accessed the female holding cells, where a guard desk was located. It looked empty, but a hand came up with a laser and shot at us. Terrek took me down to the ground, and the shot narrowly missed us.I shot at the desk, my laser powerful enough to shoot right through it, and I heard the male guard grunt as he fell dead against the bars. Terrek retrieved the gate keypad that controlled the locks, pushed the button, and opened the cells.I walked into the holding area. A tall female stepped out of her cell. She was naked and looked utterly defeated. She was purple like Terrek but had no horns. They looked shorn off with small numbs left.I felt so sad that we didn't get here to save them sooner. I saw two human-looking females with pointed ears hugging one another as tears brimmed their eyes. These must be Tarinites female."I am Darah, and we came to save you and your friends." I held my hands out to show I was not a threat.Terrek stepped out of the smoke behind me. His limp made it obvious he was hurt.The female before me noticed Terrek; recognition entered her black eyes."Terrek!" She said as she rushed to him.He gave a tight smile and hugged her briefly before she let go of him and looked at his leg."You have been lasered." She said with concern."I will heal. It is time we get you all home, Nala." Terrek said.Tears brimmed his eyes as he saw that her horns were carved off. He pulled back from her and evaluated her with concern. He saw the other females that started to emerge from their cells.They all looked young, maybe in their twenties. They were all nude, with only a collar on their necks. I gazed into an empty cell and saw bare mats and a toilet. No sheets or clothes.These females were stripped of all dignity. Bruises darkened spots on their skin, turning purple skin black. Hot anger had my blood boiling. I was pretty sure we hit the sex slave cells."These fucking bastards need to burn, every one of them." I spit at the guard I shot and kicked him for good measure.Ember came into the building, smoke steaming out her nostrils, her naked flesh marked with blue scales. Candy was at her heels with a bloody snout. He was wagging his tale happily. Ember wasn't completely back to her female form. With her blue-scaled body and enlarged claws."The evil Kanenites are no match for my dragon flame. What a thrill it is to fight." Ember said with a witty grin.Her face fell when she sniffed the air. "It smells of fear and sex in here.""This is the sex slave prison," I said flatly.Ember turned her head towards the exit and let out a roar that sprayed a blast of fire. Her anger let loose in a spray of lava fire. If any fallen guards had breath left in them, they disintegrated."I don't understand this evil," Ember said as she turned around to see all the Laverian females looking at her in shock and awe."None of us will ever understand," Terrek said sadly."Is Flame safe?" I asked Ember as I held my breath for her answer."She sent me to protect you. Some lady named Andromeda was running from her last I saw. She seemed capable enough. I grabbed Candy, but not before he bit off that female's arm. Not sure how far she will get."Candy licked his chops as Ember rubbed his big ears. "What an impressive beast you are." She cooed."She's alive." I let out a relieved breath. Terrek looked at me with relief as well. Pain creasing his brow together."We needed to clear this prison and make sure every bastard guard is dead," I said, putting my head back into the game."I will stay here with Candy and guard the entrance," Terrek said.I could see his injuries taking a toll. Females of Laverian were trying to tend to him even though they suffered themselves."Nala, please move the women back to safety. I will be well. There is no need to worry. Please let me guard this spot. Reinforcements are coming. I have friends coming to help save us all." Terrek insisted as the female Nala tried to convince the Laverian females to move back.My heart ached as I saw the females all injured and traumatized, yet they all wanted to help Terrek.I pulled out an adrenaline shot, handing it to him in case he needed it later, and I placed a clotting pad on his wound. I kissed him quickly."I love you, Terrek. "I said as I turned to clear the building with Ember.I gave Nala a collar release key and a laser shooter. She quickly started releasing her people.We cleared the prison easily enough, and my wrist hologram showed us blueprints. We found injured females in a so-called infirmary. They looked to be on death's door, bruised, bloody and unresponsive.We used the gurneys they laid on to wheel them down to the other females. Their so-called beds were nothing more than body-sized metal trays with wheels. I wish I had a way to offer them coverings and medical aid. For now, that would have to wait.I went to Terrek and made him sit."Time to get off your leg, babe." I tried to get him to lie down. But he refused."Ember and these females will help me fight. Besides, we have Candy." I insisted.We could hear the battle outside. It seemed to be dying down. I could only pray that we would be the victors. Terrek stood up when we heard a ship landing outside.Terrek, Ember, and I stood ready, facing the opening in the building. Candy stood in-between Ember and I ready to pounce."I can hardly believe my eyes. That chetaht is tamed." I heard a Laverian female say to Nala."I am just glad it is on our side," Nala said.Through the smoke, my Flame emerged in her battle form, like a she-devil from hell.Her wild red eyes scanned until they landed on me, then Terrek.A collective gasp left the females behind us as Flame marched forward. In her left hand, she held onto a pitiful Andromeda. She tossed her aside like a piece of trash when Candy pounced and ran after Andromeda.I heard Andromeda let out a weak cry as I ran and jumped into Flame's arms. She held me tight as I kissed her scorching lips. She was so hot I almost felt burned."Candy, no, Just guard her," I said as I focused on Flame."Don't ever send me away like that again. I lost my mind thinking you died in a fiery crash.""I love you too." Flame said in a demonic voice.She was tarnished with grit and dirt, and her suit was ripped on her shoulder. Her markings were golden bright as I watched her completely transform into her normal form. She would frighten me in her battle form if I did not know and love her.Terrek pulled both of us to him in a tight hug."I love you both so much. I do not like having either of you face danger.? Terrek said."He is injured," I told Flame, and we broke apart to fuss over Terrek, getting him to sit down again.Flame's voice and features softened when she focused on Terrek.The females stepped back, leaving us space cautious of Flame after seeing her battle-form."Please don't fear her. She is with us." I pleaded with the scared females."Don't get defensive, Darah. I would worry if they did not fear me in my battle form." Flame soothed me with her soft voice."I am not sure I will ever get used to your battle form," I said with a wink as we made Terrek take a sip of energy water."We have defeated the Kanenites on this moon. I am waiting for transport ships to be escorted in to retrieve the formerly enslaved people. I need to let them know we need robes as many as possible.I'll Have them report back to me. Flame demanded as more of our warriors entered the prison. It wasn't long before the medical teams arrived and issued robes and water. We stayed until the last female was escorted and left with them to the transport ships waiting above the moon's atmosphere."I felt relief wash over me as I had my Flame and Terrek beside me. I sent up a prayer of thanks to the Goddess Harmony. ‘Thank you for keeping us alive.'Ember was petting Candy, a very tender moment in contrast to the blood that coated Candie's muzzle. The two seemed to be finding comfort in the aftermath of the battle.I feel gratitude for being alive with my family safe and being able to help rescue these enslaved females. Witnessing the horror of what they endured will haunt me for the rest of my life. I plan on helping them however I can from here on out."I am getting reports that the other attacks are going in our favor. We hit them by surprise." Flame said."Thank you, Flame, for saving my people and all those who were slaves. Terrek said."Medic!" Flame cried out as Terrek passed out and fell into her arms.