Page 22 of Krin (The Protectorate Warriors Alien Fated Mates #3)

Krin

MY MATE WAS MUCH HAPPIER now that she was working at something she enjoyed. Even happier still we were now working the same shifts on the bridge again.

My K’sha brought me an unimaginable amount of happiness and contentment. She completed me in every way imaginable.

Our bond was becoming stronger every day, even though we hadn’t been together for long. There were occasions when we could hear each other’s thoughts without speaking.

With just a look, or a touch, we understood one another’s needs and desires. I tugged at my ear lobe unable to stop staring at her.

Sometimes, I still found it hard to believe that the Gods selected her to be by my side.

Riley glanced in my direction and smiled, as if she could feel my eyes on her. I grinned at her as I continued to take her in.

The command center’s overhead lights accentuated the highlights in her hair. And made her eyes sparkle when she looked at me. Her pouty lips filled me with temptation, knowing what those lips were capable of, and the way she’d explored my body with them.

I redirected my eyes to prevent my mind from wandering and my body from responding. Although she was tempting, my attention had to remain on our mission.

Even so, I found myself smiling.

My mate exuded confidence in the way she carried herself. I admired her dedication to work, as she effortlessly adjusted to her new role.

Riley’s rapid learning skills didn’t go unnoticed by Rothr, the security chief, who now held her in higher regard than before.

My heart swelled with pride as I watched my K’sha in action.

The closer we got to what we hoped was the Voletti base, the more resolute I became in my mission to eliminate them. The race was too dangerous to stay in Alaran space.

“CAPTAIN, WE’RE APPROACHING Jaxia’s Moon,” announced one of the helmsmen.

If the enemy did have an actual base on the planet, we would finally have the chance to deal with them all at once.

Fortunately, the Krilex were apparently already headed out of Alaran space. Now we needed to ensure the Voletti were dealt with as well.

The bridge crew and I eagerly fixed our gaze upon the holo-screen, observing the Chetok’s gradual approach towards the Moon.

I could feel the tension building up inside me, like a tightly wound spring.

The Voletti’s advanced technology included vessel cloaking capabilities, allowing them to move undetected. Which meant they could be present, carefully observing and preparing for an imminent attack.

“Raise shields.” Leaning back in my chair, I kept my gaze fixed on the holo-screen, where Jaxia’s Moon gradually came into view.

The planet was in our sights, and I couldn’t ignore the suspicion that we were walking into a trap. Despite lacking face-to-face combat skills, the shape-shifters asserted they had advanced technology and powerful weapons.

We’d witnessed one such weapon on our previous mission when Trex was Captain of the Chetok. It incapacitated the crew and allowed them to take the females we had rescued, which included Riley.

The memory of it was still fresh in my mind. I thanked the Gods she’d not been harmed during that incident. And that we’d been able to locate the females quickly and rescue them.

We needed to remain vigilant and careful. Even with our own advanced weaponry, the Protectorate Alliance had not gone to war in over a hundred tenri .

With the Ixul people from planet Gracuux now part of the Protectorate, their battle, and patrol ships further strengthened our advantage against enemies.

Next to Alara, Graacux were considered highly advanced technologically as well.

My gaze was drawn to Riley who was listening attentively as Rothr showed her something on the security control panel.

A sudden rush of dread filled my heart as I forced myself to swallow it down. I refocused on the holo-screen.

“Scan the planet. Maintain a safe distance,” I ordered the helm.

A few moments passed.

“There are three buildings close together on the Moon’s surface,” said Dril. “The scans indicate several hundred life signs.” The helmsman paused and glanced back with a worried expression. “Sir, I can confirm at least fifty human signatures among them.”

“How long before any other Protectorate vessels arrive?” I asked.

Dril cleared his throat before answering. “The closest ship, is an Ixul battlecruiser, it is at least a couple of rotations away. There are several other Protectorate vessels headed this way. However, they will take longer to reach us.”

Flutz . There were more females being held then I expected to find. The sheer amount of Voletti on the surface took me by surprise too.

The reality of the situation posed a problem. To successfully eliminate the enemy and liberate the females, we required additional ships.

We were outnumbered.

Usually, we would have launched a devastating attack on the base from above before going down to face the enemy. But the presence of females made the situation too dangerous for us to fire upon the base.

Gods only knew what the humans were undergoing down there. We had no idea what kind of shape we would find them in. Or if they were even all alive.

We needed to get to them as fast as possible.

The thought that Riley could have been one of those females made my fists and jaw clench. It was a relief to have her with me and out of harm’s way.

“Try to pinpoint the humans’ exact locations.” I looked to Ezan for his opinion. With a deep frown, he replied. ‘ Are we going to wait until reinforcements arrive?’

Frustrated, I growled at the situation we were now facing. ‘Logic tells me it is foolish to go in blind. However I do not want to wait. The longer we leave the females down there, the greater the likelihood of casualties.’ I scratched my head, speaking aloud. “When we are close enough—” I began.

“Captain,” Dril broke in, “There is something headed our way at high speed.”

I stood. My body geared up for battle. The earlier sense of dread growing inside me. “Who is it? The Voletti?”

The holo-screen revealed a mysterious black vessel that seemed to materialize from thin air, its faint outline barely distinguishable from the surrounding space.

It stopped a short distance from us, blending so seamlessly with the environment that it was almost invisible. The sheer magnitude of the ship indicated that it was not a mere patrol vessel.

This was a vast interstellar craft unlike any I had ever seen before with its unusual shape and size.

“I am unable to identify who the ship belongs to—” Dril started.

Suddenly, a Voletti ship materialized, facing the newly arrived, significantly bigger vessel.

The sight of the enemy on the viewscreen made my stomach drop. I ran my hand across my hair. “They must have been monitoring us the entire time.” My lips pursed in anger. “Pull back,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir.” The helmsman began to make adjustments on the control panel.

Riley’s voice filled the air. “The new ship is experiencing a power buildup...” She was cut off when a bright flash of blue light shot from the new vessel.

My hands fisted, witnessing the blue beam hit and annihilate the Voletti ship into a million pieces.

The air was filled with the sound of warriors cheering, their voices blending together in a unified chorus.

Feeling a wave of relief, I nodded at Riley.

A beat or two passed, then the Chetok suddenly tilted to one side.

My relief quickly disappeared, replaced by a wave of unease.

Dril’s voice reverberated with a serious tone of concern. “The enemy ship was too close. We have been hit by a portion of the destroyed vessel.”

We were struck again by something larger, causing the Chetok to rock violently back and forth this time. The scream of tortured metal being ripped from the ship was unmistakable this time.

“We must get to the shuttle bay or the escape pods,” I called out.

The ship’s interior lighting suddenly started flickering. The emergency lighting activated a moment later.

Dril shouted, “I no longer have control over navigation.”

“Can you provide an update on the escape pods? Can we get to them?” I insisted.

Dril shouted his response amidst the surrounding commotion. “Those systems are also offline. The shuttle bay has no life support available even if we could get to it. We are working with emergency power only.”

The helmsman’s hands flew over the panel in front of him. There was a long pause, and Dril cursed before he spoke again. “Captain, we are caught in the planet’s gravity well. It’s pulling us down. The engines are no longer responding.”

Flutz! I exchanged a concerned glance with Commander Ezan, who shared my worries about our deteriorating situation.

Shifting my focus to the helm, I inquired, “Do you believe it’s possible to execute a safe crash landing without functioning engines?”

“I can make an emergency landing.” Aza’s confident voice announced from behind me. I was completely unaware of his entrance onto the bridge. He did not wait for me to respond and rushed to the helm to join Dril.

“Tell everyone who can, to brace for impact,” he called out.

The ship started plunging downwards.

The planet below rapidly inched closer as I struggled to remain standing. We didn’t have much time.

Krin.

Riley’s panicked voice spoke in my mind. A sudden knot in my stomach indicated I was picking up her feelings. I watched as my mate clung to the control panel.

I quickly made my way towards her. The floor beneath me shifted, making my movements unsteady.

Riley’s eyes widened in disbelief while my stomach clenched in response as we kept our eyes on one another.

With Aza’s piloting magic in full swing, everything seemed to be happening in a whirlwind of chaos.

The ship jolted forwards, then tilted down before rocking from side to side violently.

The command center’s lights flickered on and off.

As we entered the atmosphere, the jarring physical sensation and the sounds of metal crunching and creaking were unmistakable. Our crash landing on the moon was unavoidable.

Smoke odor emanated from the vents. The temperature on the bridge became overwhelming all of a sudden.

The rocking motion of the ship made it difficult to remain standing, but I managed to grab Riley and pull her close to me.

“Hold on tight.”

Riley’s grip tightened as she trembled.

“The ship is badly damaged. We won’t make it,” she sputtered. Her eyes moistened with tears, but my brave warrior-mate did not cry.

I caressed her head, cradling her against my chest, willing my heartbeat to slow down. Planting a gentle kiss on the top of my mate’s head, my voice was firm as I tried to comfort her. “Aza will land us safely.”

Riley’s body tightened up suddenly. Her voice, thick with desperation, choked out, “I can’t face losing you.”

I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear growing inside me. “You will not lose me.” Nor I you.

The ship began to break apart. Pieces of the command center broke away, spinning and soaring through the air. We were enveloped in a din of crunching metal, clanging ship parts, and the grunts of my warriors.

My heart raced with panic, its thudding echoing in my ears.

I spoke to Riley as calmly as I could manage.

“Everything is going to be alright. Hang on to me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” I prayed to Tenage and Veshar that I was right.

She clutched me even tighter. “I love you, Krin.” I heard her say before we were ripped away from one another.