Page 79 of Enslak

"DNA tracker," I said, my voice rough with the memory of that pain. "They tested it on me years ago. Injected it into my bone marrow."

Niki's face went pale in the growing light. "Oh God. That means—"

"They've been tracking me this whole time." I moved to the cave entrance, scanning the sky through the canopy. There—a dark shape descending fast through the dawn. A sleek Ulkommenian vessel, its hull reflecting Avalon's strange sunrise in crimson and gold. "We need to move. Now."

She was already on her feet, throwing on her clothes despite the fear I could smell intensifying—sharp and acrid, mixing with the lingering scent of our lovemaking. She grabbed our supplies, her movements economical, wasting no motion.

"The ship," she said, her tactical mind already working the problem. "We can send a distress signal—"

"Yes." I pulled on my clothes, my mind racing through possibilities and discarding them just as quickly. "Signal first. Then we hide. The forest is dense—it'll be harder to track us on foot."

"How long until they land?"

I listened, calculating the engine pitch and distance. "Minutes. Maybe less."

"Then we run."

We ran.

The ship was a couple of miles from the cave, hidden in a clearing we'd camouflaged with branches and vines. From above, it looked like nothing more than a natural outcropping of vegetation. But that wouldn't matter if the Ulkommenian landed close enough to see through the disguise.

My legs burned as I pushed harder, faster, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to break free. Above us, the Ulkommenian engines grew louder—a high-pitched whine that made my teeth ache and my skull throb. The ozone stench of their thrusters filled the air, acrid and choking, cutting through Avalon's rich soil and the sweet scent of crushed flowers beneath our feet.

Niki kept pace beside me, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Despite her smaller frame, she moved through the undergrowth with a grace I couldn't match. Branches whipped at us, drawing blood—I felt the sting across my face, my arms, but the pain was distant, unimportant. Neither of us slowed.

The clearing appeared through the trees—our ship, still camouflaged, still hidden. But not for long.

We burst into the open at full sprint. The Ulkommenian vessel was descending now, close enough that I could see the weapon ports opening along its hull like hungry mouths. Too close. Far too close.

Niki reached the ship's hatch first, her hands flying over the external panel. The ramp descended with agonizing slowness—each second stretching into eternity—as I grabbed her waist and pulled her up, my eyes locked on the sky. The Ulkommenian ship hovered maybe two hundred meters up, its landing struts extending with mechanical precision.

"Controls!" I shouted, pushing her toward the cockpit the moment we were inside.

Her fingers flew over the panel, activating the emergency beacon. The ship's systems hummed to life around us—lights flickering on, engines beginning their startup sequence with a low rumble that vibrated through my bones.

I moved through the ship's interior with frantic purpose, yanking open every storage compartment I could find. Weapons. We needed weapons. Anything that could give us an edge against what was coming.

The first panel revealed nothing but emergency rations and medical supplies. I slammed it shut and moved to the next. Empty. The third held navigation equipment—useless.

"Fuck." The word came out as a growl.

I dropped to my knees and pried open the floor compartments near the cargo hold. My fingers found the edge of something cold and metallic. A blade—short, maybe eight inches, with a serrated edge designed for close combat. I pulled it free and kept searching.

Another compartment yielded a second blade, this one longer and curved. Vaktaire design, meant for slashing rather than stabbing. I tested its weight in my hand. It would do.

I tucked one blade into my belt and gripped the other as I moved back toward the cockpit, my jaw clenched so tight it ached.

"Done," she said, her voice tight with controlled fear. "Signal's broadcasting on all Alliance frequencies. If anyone's listening—"

She paused, her hand darting to the small blaster mounted near the pilot's chair. She checked the charge—full—and tucked it into her waistband with the kind of casual competence that came from years of practice. Her eyes met mine, full of determination. She was a warrior and a survivor, and I was falling for her.

"They'll come." I pulled her away from the controls, back toward the ramp. "But we need to hide. Now."

"The forest?"

"Yes. Stay close. Don't let me lose you."

We plunged into the trees just as the Ulkommenian ship touched down in the clearing with a thunderous impact that shook the ground beneath our feet. I pulled Niki deeper into the undergrowth, moving as quietly as I could manage. The vegetation was thick here, the canopy dense enough to block most of the light and cast shadows deep enough to hide in.