Page 86 of Enslak

My warrior.

"Ship," she said, voice steady despite her exertion. "Now."

We ran.

But we'd made too much noise. The sounds of combat—the blaster fire, the impacts, the bodies hitting the ground—had echoed through the forest. As we sprinted across the clearing, I heard the rest of the search party crashing through the trees toward the commotion, their clicking voices raised in alarm.

The ship was so close. Fifty meters. Forty. I could see the ramp, still partially extended from when we'd activated the distress beacon.

Eight more Ulkommenian burst from the trees directly ahead, cutting off our path. Fresh. Uninjured. Armed with heavy blasters.

Fuck. I'd miscalculated the size of their shuttle.

They'd sent enough soldiers to take me alive, no matter what resistance I put up. Enough to absorb casualties and still complete the mission. The Ulkommenian didn't waste resources like that unless the target was worth it.

Unless I was worth it.

The realization made my blood run cold, even as my combat instincts kicked in.

We skidded to a stop and dove behind an outcropping of rocks as blaster fire erupted around us. The bolts struck stone with sharp cracks, sending fragments flying. One piece caught my cheek, drawing blood.

"Shit!" Niki breathed beside me, her back pressed against the rock. "They're between us and the ship."

"Then we clear them," I said, checking my claws. Still sharp. Still deadly. "We go through them."

"Enslak, you're already wounded." Her gaze dropped to my shoulder where I'd taken the blaster bolt.

"They won't kill me." I watched the Ulkommenian tighten their formation. "Look at their weapons—stun settings. Blue discharge, not red."

Niki's eyes flicked to the blasters, then back to me. Understanding dawned on her face. "Stun settings can still—"

"I'm their prize," I interrupted. "They've been hunting me for weeks. They want me alive. They need me alive for their experiments." I met her gaze. "They'll shoot to incapacitate me, not kill. But you? You're expendable."

I didn't add that they might want her too. For testing. For experimentation.

The thought made something savage and protective surge through me. I'd rather put a claw through her heart myself than let them take her to those labs. At least death would be quick. Merciful.

What they'd do to her wouldn't be.

"So I draw their fire," I continued, the plan forming even as I spoke. "The stun bolts will hurt like hell, might even drop me eventually, but they won't be fatal."

"That's insane—"

"It's tactical." I gripped her shoulder, feeling the tension in her muscles. "They need me intact. That's our advantage."

Another volley struck the rocks, closer this time. Fragments rained down on us.

"Enslak—"

"I know." I met her eyes, seeing the fear there, the concern. "But we don't have a choice. It's this or we die here."

A bolt struck the rock beside us, sending a jagged fragment flying. It grazed Niki's arm, drawing blood.

"We do this together," she said firmly, checking the blaster she'd taken off a downed Ulkommenian. The charge indicator showed half power. Enough for maybe half a dozen shots. "You draw their fire, but you don't just stand there and let them shoot you. No unnecessary risks."

I looked at her—small, human, fierce—and felt something surge in my chest. Pride. Respect. Something deeper that I didn't have words for yet.

"Together," I agreed.