Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

From the speed at which Arkness was flying his little scout ship, whatever information he’d received from Nijello must have been worrisome. He was still cognizant of the risks surrounding them as they entered hostile airspace, but he flew much farther and faster than he had previously declared safe.

“Are you sure about this?” Olivia asked as they dove low, weaving around a series of small hills, life sign scanners on low power and staying close to the ground to avoid detection.

“We’re almost there,” he replied, eyes locked on his course, his hands steady on the controls. “He flew far, I have to give him credit for that. But there are more life signs than before. And I got a better reading when we crested that last ridge.”

“And?”

“And they are Raxxians. Many of them.”

“Shit.”

“My thoughts exactly,” he said grimly as he settled into a low banking turn, dropping fast. “We are here.”

She had already spotted Rykker’s little ship neatly tucked into a small clearing, quite hidden from view if you didn’t have the coordinates. Fortunately, they were in possession of just that, and Arkness threaded the needle expertly, lowering to the ground beside it while barely kicking up a trace of dust. He really was as good a pilot as he bragged, and this unfortunate circumstance had given him the rare opportunity to actually prove it. Safely on the ground, he ran a quick external scan of the immediate area.

“His craft is undamaged, and I do not detect any signs of recent activity nearby. No life signs, but also no signs of a fight.”

“So he’s okay?”

“I cannot say for certain, but if something did happen, he would not have gone peacefully. There would have been sign of a struggle.”

“Then where the hell is he?”

“That, my love, is what I intend to find out.”

Arkness popped the hatch and stepped out, turning to help Olivia to the ground before sealing up the ship and setting a defensive protection system that would be a very unpleasant surprise for anyone other than a Maldonian should they attempt to access the craft. He studied the faint markings on the ground. Olivia could barely see anything, but Arkness was trained to track, and this close to the ship, Rykker had not taken great care to hide his path. Only later would he become harder to follow.

“Are you sure you will not wait in the ship?”

Her glare was all the response he needed.

“Very well. This way. Stay very close and very quiet. Step where I step, and do not touch anything. If this is a Raxxian recapture unit, it is quite possible they have laid traps.”

She swallowed hard. “Step where you step. Got it.”

He nodded once and headed out, his usual intensity of attention toward her now redirected to the task at hand. Olivia followed as directed, more than a little impressed at his laser-like focus as he moved through hostile territory.

They hiked for nearly an hour, traversing small creeks and gullies, always moving in silence, their ears sharp, listening for the slightest sound. Rounding a bend, Arkness held up his hand, but Olivia’s newly enhanced hearing picked it up as well. Voices. And she recognized the sound of them. Raxxians.

He gestured for her to get low and follow, then slowly crept ahead. They were still at least a hundred meters from the source of the conversations when a whiff of something familiar crossed Olivia’s nose. Apparently, the filters were finally failing. She turned and looked. It took a moment, but she saw the camouflaged outline of a man, back to them, tucked against a tree, watching ahead intently. She quietly cleared her throat, pointing.

Arkness followed her gesture just as Rykker slowly moved to see who was approaching. He was upwind and had therefore not sensed her presence. Even camouflaged, a look of joy, but also confusion, gleamed in his eyes. Slowly, he crawled back from his vantage point, making his way to the new arrivals.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered.

“You didn’t show up when you were supposed to. I was worried, and it looks like I had good reason to be,” she replied.

He shook his head slightly, eyes darting all around in case of danger. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Well, I am, so deal with it. And neither should you, you know. I had to come all the way out here to get you.”

“And him?” he asked, nodding to Arkness.

“I am here because her safety is my priority and sacred duty,” his rival replied.

Rykker’s eyes flashed. “Mine too.”

Olivia moved between them, staring hard at the man they’d come so far to rescue. “Then why didn’t you come see me? If I’m so important, why are you just sitting out here in the woods?”

“It is not like that.”

“No? It sure looks like it.”

“I can assure you, I wanted nothing more than to keep that date, but my honor would not allow it.”

“Honor?” she asked, but Arkness’s expression had shifted from one of annoyed rivalry to curious approval.

“Prisoners?” he asked.

Rykker nodded. “An Alvonkian woman and a human male. The male is injured.”

“I see.”

Olivia was confused. “See? See what?”

Arkness turned to face her. “It is the unspoken code among the elite Maldonians. Never leave anyone behind, especially not in the clutches of an aggressive enemy who will not honor the protocols of captive treatment.”

“And in the case of Raxxians, we know they will not only ignore those norms, but they will also eat their captives,” Rykker added. “It is, as I said, a matter of honor.”

Arkness nodded his agreement, their beef put aside, at least for the time being. “True words. Some things are more important than our own wants and needs.”

“Indeed. It does bring perspective, does it not?”

“It certainly does. So, you’ve been observing them for some time. What are their numbers?”

“Ten, so far as I’ve been able to count. Another five headed out early this morning, and if they follow typical Raxxian recovery protocols, they should not be back for at least a day or two as they make complete their search route.”

“Meaning we have a somewhat smaller group to deal with.”

“Precisely. The two prisoners are merely trussed up and tied to a tree. No cages or other sort of holding areas. This is a very makeshift operation. They seem to have lost most of their gear during the crash, so while they possess numbers, they are not well armed.”

Rykker drew an odd long-handled device from an elongated holster on his side and a very dangerous-looking dagger from the other hip. “I’m ready if you are. Did you bring toys?”

Arkness whipped out two of the same devices, flicking them on briefly, twin blades of charged energy snapping out before he extinguished them. “Oh, am I ever. Shall we do this?”

Rykker just nodded, a fierce grin spreading across his face. He turned to Olivia. “Stay back. This is going to get messy. If we should fall, the route to the ship is in your built-in nav system. Just backtrack.”

“Nothing is going to happen to you. Either of you. Is that understood? I’m ordering both of you, come back alive.”

The men’s backs stiffened at her words. “As you wish,” Arkness replied.

“I will do my best to abide by your request,” Rykker agreed.

And with that, the two were gone in a flash, a team of not just rival companions, but deadly warriors. Olivia had seen but a sample of what they were capable of previously. These were the men training to escort an eligible female to foreign lands in search of her mate, after all. They were more than just company. They were bodyguards. And watching as they leapt into the clearing, weapons flashing on and smiting the first two Raxxian guards before they could even register what was happening showed just how skilled they truly were.

They targeted the most heavily armed ones first, slashing their bodies and weapons with fierce blows, severing limbs and crushing the three rifles the Raxxians possessed. The lizard-like aliens quickly realized they were under attack and mounted a spirited defense, pouring all they had into the elimination of the new threat.

It didn’t matter. Not to the whirling dervishes of death and destruction plowing their way through them like hot knives through butter. Olivia was astounded at the speed they moved, as well as the moves they were putting on display. The tricks up their sleeves were both impressive and deadly, and in no time most of the Raxxians lay dead or dying.

Olivia watched from safety on the sidelines as the men fought, the captives sitting in a state of shock at the unexpected bloodshed. The human, she noted, looked pretty hurt, a large red patch on his side where he’d sustained some sort of injury, though she couldn’t tell what through his clothes.

Screw this. I’ve got to do something.

She looked left and right, gauging the carnage and chaos. Olivia waited, and when she spotted an opening, she ran across the battlefield, her adrenaline pumping hard as she snatched up a knife from a fallen Raxxian, sliding to a stop in front of the two prisoners.

“I’m gonna get you out of here. Hang on.”

She began quickly sawing at the ropes, the sheer focus of her mind on the task making the knife cut much faster than she’d expected. Her runes were also faintly glowing as if channeling her intentions into her newly enhanced limbs.

“Olivia! Look out!” Rykker shouted, desperately trying to cut through the guard he was fighting to reach her.

She looked over her shoulder, eyes going wide. A massive Raxxian was charging right at her, knives in both his hands.

“We’re going to die!” the human tied up behind her wailed, making her adrenaline spike even harder.

“No we’re not! Back off!” she shrieked, throwing her hands up just as the Raxxian reached her.

The battle actually stopped for a split-second as all eyes turned toward the green alien violently blasted across the clearing, his chest caved in from the force. Olivia flopped to the ground, shocked and spent. Her two Maldonian suitors took full advantage of the momentary lapse, making the remaining Raxxians pay the ultimate price.

They quickly checked all the fallen guards, ensuring none would be getting up ever again, then hurried to the fallen woman, concern and love in both their gazes.

“Olivia, are you okay?” Arkness asked, lifting her gently.

“I—what happened?”

Rykker kneeled to join them, resting a hand on her as well. “ You happened. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor I,” his comrade agreed, staring at her glowing tattoos. “That was not a mere show of strength. The pigment, it has somehow formed new runes in your existing artwork. And your power… it is unheard of.”

“Not just that,” Rykker noted. “It’s the stuff of legends.”

Rykker ran a quick scan of her body, the display showing all of her tattoos, old and new, blazing with some sort of new powerful activity. And the formerly small spot of energy that had coalesced in her sinuses and brain? It was nearly as bright as the glowing rune in the middle of her chest.

“Her Infala,” Arkness gasped.

Rykker nodded. “I know. But I do not match. And after so many years, I know your Infala as well as my own. It does not match either.”

Arkness shrugged, utterly confused. “Then what is going on?”

“I wish I knew. But there is no time. We need to get this one back, and quickly. His wound appears serious.”

Arkness quickly unbound the man, this time willingly taking on the burden. “I will take him in my ship. If he needs emergency medical attention, I am best prepared to assist. You take Olivia and the Alvonkian female. We need to go. Now!”

Without further ado, and with no intention whatsoever of attempting to hide this scale of carnage, they set out at a fast retreat, heading for their ships and the safety of Maldonian airspace. The rescue and recovery portion of the operation had been a success. All they needed now was to make it out alive.