Page 26 of Guardian's Soul (Space Guardian's Mate #2)

THARAAX

The bridge shuddered as another blast from the pursuing Space Guardian ships rocked our vessel. I punched in commands into the control panel quicker than I ever had before. My skin gleamed with sweat under the lights. The star-speckled void of space stretched before us, offering both salvation and death.

"Evasive maneuver," I barked at the ship's computer, my eyes fixed on the tactical display. The ship banked hard, narrowly avoiding a barrage of plasma bolts.

Suddenly, the bridge doors hissed open. Hannah burst in, her long dark hair disheveled and her eyes wild with a mix of fear and determination.

"Thrax! Possedion is taken care of. What the hell is happening?" she demanded, stumbling as the ship jerked again.

"Space Guardians. They must have been called in by the guards from Possedion's mansion." I filled her in.

Hannah's eyes widened. "Have we been hit? The ship keeps shaking."

"Yes, but nothing vital," I replied. "Our forceshield is holding… for now. "

Another blast rocked the ship, and Hannah grabbed onto a nearby console to steady herself. The irony of my current situation wasn't lost on me. Here I was, a Space Guardian, now fleeing from the very males I called my brothers.

"Divert auxiliary power to the rear shields," I commanded the ship's computer. To Hannah, I added, "We just need to hold out until we can make the jump to hyperspace."

She nodded, her jaw set with determination. Despite the danger, I couldn't help but admire her resilience. It was a quality I'd come to respect during our time together.

The tactical display blinked ominously, showing three Guardian ships closing in on our position. I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of our mission—and the responsibility for Hannah's life—pressing down on me.

As I chanced another glance at Hannah, my heart sank. Her face was swollen, a dark bruise blooming across her left cheekbone. Anger bloomed in my gut.

"What happened?" I demanded, my voice low and controlled despite the rage bubbling inside me.

Hannah touched her face gingerly. "Possedion and I had a… disagreement. Don't worry. He's unconscious in his cell now."

A surge of protectiveness, mixed with guilt, tore through me. "I'm sorry. I should've been there."

"You're needed here," she replied softly.

The ship jerked violently as another blast from the pursuing Guardians struck our shields.

"You should go back to our quarters, use the healing wand," I said, trying to focus on another evasive maneuver. How long did it take the frygging computer to plot our course?

Hannah shook her head. "If we're going to die, I want to be here. With you."

Her words hit me like a plasma bolt. I turned to her, momentarily stunned. "Hannah, I…"

She shook her head again stubbornly. Her eyes conveyed all kinds of messages, words she couldn't put together just yet that should be reserved for a more tender moment between us.

Words I fully understood because the same emotions were running through me. There was so much I wanted to tell her but not now, not like this.

"By the Black Abyss, we're not going to die," I promised, meaning it. I was a Space Guardian. I knew how we thought and planned, and I would put a stop to this evasiveness right now. So far, I had played nice because I didn't want to kill the innocent, and these Space Guardians were innocent. They, just like me, had no idea what the Ohrurs were up to, and I hated the idea of having to kill them, but if it came down to them or Hannah, the choice was simple.

I cursed again as the computer plotted our course for what felt like an eternity before I turned the ship to full attack mode. A vessel came up on my viewscreen, and I fired at it, exploding it into a myriad of little pieces. Frygg, that ship should have had its shield up like mine. My gut sank at the thought that I had just killed a Space Guardian.

There was no time for dwelling on it. Another hostile tried to get above us, and I turned the ship into a nosedive before pulling it up and firing another round of plasma into another. This one had his shield up because it didn't explode like the first one did. I wondered if those unknown males were like those I had encountered in Possedion's mansion. Young, not fully trained. That would explain why the first ship blew up like that. The pilot had been too inexperienced to turn his forceshield on.

My anger at Possedion grew. What were the Ohrurs up to? What was all this?

"Route calculation finished," the computer finally announced.

"Take us out," I commanded. A small jerk moved through the ship, and the star-sprinkled void of blackness turned entirely black as we were going so fast. My eyes weren't able to keep up with speed any longer, creating the illusion of us flying through complete blackness. I lowered the screens so that the dizzying sight was now covered by a myriad of screens announcing the ship's status in every minute detail.

I let out a deep breath. "We made it," I said, allowing myself a moment of relief. "The Ohrurs won't be able to track us now."

Turning to Hannah, I saw her gripping the nearby console, her knuckles white. "That was… intense," she managed, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and exhilaration.

I nodded, feeling a surge of affection. "You did well. Not everyone handles their first combat so gracefully."

She let out a deprecative snort. "I'm not sure if nearly pissing my pants qualifies as gracefully ."

I stepped over to her and took her lovely face between my palms, wincing at the darkening bruise on her cheek. "Trust me, you did really well."

A small smile slipped over her lips. "Really?"

I nodded for emphasis. "Yeah, really." And then I kissed her.