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Her planet had been untouched by the war. Powlus Zetus had been changed forever.
She no longer wondered why some Powluks held onto their anger toward the Syndiculs. They lived with the reminder of what her kind had done to them every cursed planet rotation.
Strike twitched his head to the left.
She aimed in that direction, but her cyborg pressed the triggers of his guns before she spotted the male. It was a direct hit. The barest hint of a shoulder frozen in place was visible behind a partially blown-apart engine.
After that, the shooting was continuous. Strike utilized both of his weapons at the same time, shooting in different directions. She shot at anything that moved. Or that she believed moved. She downed some blowing pieces of garbage and a few shadows, but she also stunned three, five, nine Powluk males and one Powluk female.
No children had been detected. Thankfully. She suspected…or hoped…all the younger Powluks had been relocated to a safe location.
The fully mature Powluks would’ve known someone would attempt to rescue the beings they’d abducted. They would likely seek to protect their vulnerable loved ones.
Return fire increased. Strike bobbed and weaved as he stunned beings. Projectiles flew all around Kesser. She pressed her triggers faster, shooting at everything she saw.
Her cyborg violently jerked. She felt the impact of the hit through his form.
“Are you okay?” She kept her gaze on their surroundings.
“I’ll repair.” He jerked again. And again. And again.
Fates. She swallowed her cries. Her male was taking hits.
He wore body armor, she reminded herself. That should protect him.
Her fingers ached. Her heart pained her also. She continued to shoot, hoping to make a difference, seeking to stop the barrage targeting them.
The onslaught decreased and then finally stopped.
They must have stunned everyone in the area.
“I’m detecting a system of tunnels under the ground.” Strike turned with her. “There’s an entrance.” He gestured with one of his gun-filled hands to a round metal door embedded in the ground. “There’s a 78.1444 percent probability that’s what the warriors were guarding.”
That explained the flurry of gunfire.
“They must be keeping Talley and Tsadok there.” She nodded.
“I don’t detect any human females on my life-form scans.” Her cyborg delivered that disappointing news. “Our target coordinates remain outside my monitoring range.” Carrying her, he approached the door to the tunnels. “But I do detect seven male humanoids. They’re located directly below us.”
“They’re waiting to ambush us.” She stiffened.
“I’m setting you down here.” Strike slid her along his big body armor-clad body until her booted feet reached the ground.
A sticky substance coated her hands. She looked at her skin. It was smeared red.
“You’re bleeding.” She gazed up at him, and her stomach flipped over. “You’re bleeding all over.”
His left cheek had been blasted apart. His metal frame showed through that carnage. Rivulets of crimson coursed down his neck. There was a big hole in his chest. A projectile or missile or something bad had penetrated his protective garment. Blood gushed from that wound also. More gashes decorated his arms. And there was a big cut on his right thigh.
“You’re fast.” She touched his chest, near that wound. “Why didn’t you dodge the projectiles?”
His gaze met hers.
And she knew why he hadn’t done that. “You were blocking them for me.”
He had protected her. With his beautiful face. And his huge form.
“I’ll repair.” His voice was gruff.
