She couldn’t simply not do anything.
“We can do it.”
Ka’Cit studied her. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
Nia frowned a little. “Then what are you worried about?”
He paused. “If you get hurt…”
Something warmed within her but she shook her head. “I won’t. I trust you.”
Again, something passed through his gaze that she could not read and he closed his eyes for a moment.
She leaned her head against him and for all looking at them, she supposed they looked like a couple being intimate.
“I trust you, Ka’Cit. Now, you have to trust me.”
Ka’Cit let out a breath.
“We really shouldn’t do this…” he murmured.
“The risk isn’t greater than the reward.”
He studied her for a moment and she knew he was weighing the options in his head.
“They need our help.” And she was right. As far as they knew, the Restitution didn’t have another plan. They’d needed that package.
They needed this talix metal.
Unsaid words passed through their gazes and she and Ka’Cit stared at each other.
But, they didn’t get the chance to make a move.
Fate already had things planned.
“You!” The voice of one of the Hedgerud’s echoed in the silence of the lounge and at his exclamation, his cronies stopped their chatter.
The place was so silent now, she could hear her own breathing.
She didn’t know why, but she knew they were calling out to her.
It was the gator-guard to her side, the one whose tail she’d seen, and he stood from his seat, a weapon that looked like a wizard’s staff pointed in her direction.
Ka’Cit stiffened and so did she.
“You,” the guard repeated. “Remove that cloak.”
Fuck.
If they saw her…
“Nee-ya?” Ka’Cit’s voice reached her ear.
“Yes, hon.”
“Shoot to kill the phekkers.”
33
They moved together.
Ka’Cit spun, taking his blaster in hand just as Nia whipped out her own.
Five sets of yellow eyes displayed shock but they were too late.
Even the other patrons had seen it coming. They were already running for cover.
The Hedgeruds weren’t nearly as fast, too complacent because they were the big guns in the room.
Funny, because she had a big gun too.
In one movement that almost seemed rehearsed, she and Ka’Cit aimed.
Twin shots found their target in the gator-guard who’d pointed the strange weapon in her direction.
Straight through the head, she saw the light die in the guard’s eyes before his body crumpled to the floor.
Two more shots, one from each of their blasters, and two of the other Hedgerud fighters slunk off their seats to fall dead to the floor.
“Nice!” Ka’Cit looked down at her and she couldn’t help but smile.
There were two other fighters still alive and the surprise wore off.
They launched themselves to their feet and time stilled for just a moment as she locked eyes with Ka’Cit.
“Do your worst, ta’ii.”
There was screaming, screeching, yowling, and clamoring from the hiding patrons as the two remaining guards sought to find cover.
One of them flipped a table and it came right at her before it split into a million pieces, shot down by a blast from Ka’Cit’s gun.
The force of the blast threw the hood of the cloak off her head, even as he shielded her body with his own. Still, it was enough time for the remaining guards to see her and she heard one of the Hedgerud’s exclaim, “It’s one of those jekins. A yoo-man!”
Well, so much for keeping hidden.
Ka’Cit fired another blast, splitting another table as she darted to the side, releasing a blast of her own.
She caught one of them on the tail, dismembering it, and his cry filled the room.
She felt no remorse.
These beings were the same ones that she knew had tortured humans on the slave ship. Raped them. Murdered them.
This was vengeance.
Between the chaos, her gaze locked with yellow ones and realization dawned in the alien’s eyes.
He was about to die.
Nia held his gaze as the blast left her gun and as soon as the bullet reached her target, she heard the unmistakable sound of Ka’Cit letting out a curse before a blast left his own gun.
Five guards down.
This was almost too easy.
Across the room, Ka’Cit’s gaze met hers and she knew she was right.
“There are more of them, isn’t there.”
He nodded slightly. “This one,” he stepped over the body of one of the guards and ignored the whimper of an alien hiding underneath the table, “just sent a distress signal to the ship in the hold.”
They walked toward each other as they spoke and around the room, heads popped up only slightly to watch them move.
“How many do you think?”
Ka’Cit shrugged. “Can’t be sure.” He studied her. “But we have to get out of here. This space is too small. If they charge in here…”
She understood.
It would be asking for death to happen.
She began heading toward the lift when Ka’Cit’s hand grasped her arm.
His concerned gaze moved over her.
“I underestimated you. When we first met. I know you’re good with that.” He glanced at the blaster. “But, are you sure you want to do this?”
Nia smiled.
She’d never felt more alive.
“I think I was made for this, baby.”
“Baby?” Confusion swam in his eyes and, despite the situation, Nia giggled.
Reaching up on tiptoe, she placed a kiss on his mask. “Let’s go.”
The lift opened with Ka’Cit on one side and she on the other.
Blasters already pointed, it wasn’t hard to hit the first target, a Hedgerud rushing toward them.
One down, Nia slipped from the lift and rushed for cover behind one of the huge ships.
She heard a blast go off somewhere behind her and she knew Ka’Cit had taken down one more of the alligator-guards.
Movement caught her eyes, and she saw one creeping up on her from the left.
He had a blaster but didn’t shoot, probably thinking he could catch her without the need to use his weapon.
Well, he made a mistake. A fatal one.
Nia raised her gun and realization dawned on the gator-guard’s face a little too late.
He was down in the next second and she was dashing around the ship before he hit the ground.
One more blast from her
