Sky Full of Stars 00.50 Smuggler Ship by Lindsay Buroker

Author:Lindsay Buroker [Buroker, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lindsay Buroker
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

4

Erick charged up the ramp to help Jelena, barely conscious of the fact that his back was to the explosions still going off—and the imperials running to deal with it. He prepared to hurl a wave of power at the man facing Jelena, but she stepped forward and attacked first. She whipped her staff across, knocking his rifle away as he fired.

A blazer beam streaked wildly away, almost bisecting Erick’s scalp.

He ducked as Jelena struck again. She smashed her staff against the man’s fingers, and his rifle tumbled to the deck.

The man roared and launched himself at her.

She stepped back, but only so she could brace herself. Using her staff both for defense and as a focus tool, she created a shield in front of her. He smacked against it and bounced back. He twisted in the air, managing to get his feet under him, but she jumped after him and caught him before he landed. She rammed the tip of her staff into his chest, and energy crackled around it, white lightning flaring and wrapping around it, and also around the man.

He screamed, his back arching. Jelena jerked her staff back, her eyes wide in alarm.

“Don’t stop,” Erick encouraged, afraid the soldier would take advantage if she let up.

He stepped forward to help, but a man charged out of the corridor on the forward side of the cargo hold. It was the bloodthirsty man who’d been hunting the freighter owner. He fired as soon as he saw the fray. Erick threw a barrier up to protect Jelena as he ran toward the man to further distract him. The imperial pivoted, firing at him.

Erick flung himself to the deck as blazer fire scorched a hole in his sleeve. He’d been more worried about protecting Jelena than himself.

The imperial lowered his aim to fire again. By then, Erick had adjusted his barrier. His foe scowled in irritation and confusion as his blazer bolts bounced off, some shooting out the hatch and others up to the ceiling, none striking his target.

Erick rolled to his knees. The imperial paused and looked at the end of his barrel, as if the weapon were responsible for the erratic fire. That gave Erick a second to take advantage. He dropped his barrier so he could concentrate on a mental attack. He hurled a wave of power, and the man tumbled back into the corridor, smashing against a bulkhead.

Erick glanced at Jelena to make sure she wasn’t in trouble—she had her attacker flat on his back and was disarming him—then ran toward the corridor to subdue his man. On the way, he glimpsed five thrust bikes in a dark corner of the hold and snorted. He supposed the rental robot would notice if Erick and Jelena somehow acquired different bikes and turned those in.

In the corridor, the soldier had gotten to his knees, and he still gripped his rifle. He shot again as Erick came into his sight. But Erick charged into the corridor with his barrier wrapped around him.

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