Machines of War: A Military Space Opera Adventure (Descendants of War Book 5) by G J Ogden

Author:G J Ogden [Ogden, G J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ogden Media Ltd
Published: 2022-04-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

OUT OF BREATH

Reeves dropped Ambassador One like a stone and reached for his weapon, but a plasma blast thumped into his thigh before he could draw it. Dropping to one knee with intense pain biting his flesh, he steadied himself then closed his hand around the grip of his pistol.

“Draw that weapon and I will kill you.”

Reeves met the yellow eyes of the Sa’Nerran warrior that had spoken, hand still clutching the grip of his pistol. He expected to see the Imperator glaring at him, since that was the only warrior he’d ever heard speak articulately. Instead, he saw a different kind of warrior peering down at him. The armor that adorned its stocky frame was bronze and more ornate than the protection worn by the regular warriors to its rear. Whatever the alien was, it seemed clear to Reeves that it was senior to all the other Sa’Nerra he’d encountered, bar the Imperator itself.

“You are humans?” the warrior added, stepping closer and scrunching up the leathery skin on its mottled brow. “Why are you here?”

“Our shuttle was damaged and we dropped out of aperture space near this planet,” Reeves said, inventing what he hoped was a plausible lie. “We crashed and ended up in these caves.”

“I know your face,” the warrior hissed, taking another step closer to Reeves and shining a torch light onto him. It held a pistol in its right hand, but the weapon was aimed casually at the ground. The warrior was not afraid of Reeves or threatened by him.

“Look, we’re just trying to get off this planet,” Reeves said, trying to hide his face from the warrior as much as possible. “Bastion isn’t at war with the Sa’Nerra. You have no reason to stop us.”

“Lies…” the warrior hissed. “We were attacked. We thought it was the Quarr; now I know it was you.”

“We have no reason to attack you,” Reeves said, maintaining the lie, even though it seemed obvious the warrior was not buying it. “All I want to do is get me and my people back home to Bastion.”

The warrior regarded Reeves for a few moments longer, before turning and pacing back toward Kane.

“I will learn the truth. Humans are easy to manipulate,” the alien said, while pressing its pistol to the back of Kane’s head. “Move,” it hissed.

Kane rose to her feet and walked forward. She glanced over her shoulder at Reeves, and despite appearing calm, he could sense her fear. It was more than just intuition; he could physically feel her anxiety, as if her racing heart was in sync with his own.

“I’ve told you the truth,” Reeves said, pushing himself up and moving toward the warrior in bronze armor. Two of the other Sa’Nerra immediately blocked his path, aiming their plasma rifles at his head and hissing through, gritted, jagged teeth.

“I will know soon enough,” the warrior replied.

Reeves noticed that the Sa’Nerran leader had marched Kane to the lip of a cave pool that was being fed from water running down the rocks through a crack in the ceiling.

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