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“Terran Forces are engaging, sir. Denarso are slowing but not deterred,” Allele reports.

“Get us into firing position. Shields up.”

I help Jovie into a set of armor and attach the emergency helmet to the collar. “If you get knocked out into space, this will automatically open. If it doesn’t, punch this button by your throat.”

After helping her find the button, I let her test it. The helmet closes around her head. An Arkus shield ignites around her body, and I feel better about staying on the mission. “Again, to open.”

She folds it back and the shield switches off. “I hope you can show me all your gadgets when we have time.”

“Another day.” I motion her up to the front with the others, who’ve also changed into tactical suits. Only Jorusk wears simple body armor. His face is sealed behind a leathery mask.

Jovie laughs nervously as she passes him to sit beside Eluni. “Wicked cool, Jorusk.”

“Thank you, Princess,” he replies, his voice slightly muffled.

“No matter what, the females stay. The Denarso die,” I tell them.

Bullets light up the sky in threads of oranges and yellows.

Allele plays a signal from the Denarso ship in a language few know.

You refused our membership to your federation, refused us trade, and left us without protection from the Nebs. You are no better than them. So we will take what we need.

“We owe you nothing,” a human voice replies. “You must be an ally to become part of the federation. All you do is take. I doubt you would stop if you were part of us.”

“We would learn to follow the rules!” the Denarso replies.

“Allele, open coms.”

I get a ding, signaling an open channel. “You lie through your teeth. You, Denarso, take supplies and females because you are too lazy to cultivate anything yourselves.”

“Prince Aurelius,” the Denarso snickers. “I have conquered worlds since we last spoke.”

“You know each other?” Blaize asks.

My gut burns. “The deal with him was over medicine for a few crates of ores, a mistake made by King Haeros of mothership Goviso with a mess I cleaned up years ago. Fieri remembers.”

“Not something I want to repeat. Many of our Rogues died,” Fieri mutters. “Haeros covered it up after we had to Storm the field to survive and get him out of there. He protected us from backlash from the Royals.”

I don’t know what the Denarso want, but I have a feeling. “Bakka, you leave the new bonds alone. Do not engage the racers. Whatever you want, let us get it lined out. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh, we’re going to talk. I’m not here for them. I’m here for your people, Amphiran .”

Ours? My mind is a chaotic swell of questions.

Vybron’s voice comes over Allele’s coms. “Aura, you have to get out of here! Take your crew and portal-out, now!”

Blaize gives me a frantic look.

“Amphiran ships approaching lunar orbit,” Fieri reports. “Everything from motherships to Rogue fighters!”

“Why?” I ask.

Vybron interjects as a Rogue Pulsar fighter peels away from the ships that pop into Terran space in purple and green flashes of light. “Rogues got word of the Denarso. Royals got word of your breakout and bonding with Princess Jovie.”

“Denarso battle cruisers engaging,” Blaize calls out. “Fifteen arrived. Thirteen made it through Terran forces. Five Terran ships down!”

Eluni swivels in one gunner’s seat, Jorusk in the other. They fire at the Denarso heading our way.

Allele jolts as orange bullets smash into her shields. Lights blink down a hallway, and the real fear I might lose Allele hits me.

“Allele? Status?” I call out.

“Central engine three down.”

Jovie snags Talros’ sleeve and lugs him into the back, where a wisp of smoke curls up from the floor. They tag-team opening Allele up.

I stand in the middle, feeling helpless as my beautiful, tiny mate crawls into the guts of my ship while her friend hands her parts.

Jorusk and Eluni manage the guns without me.

Blaize and Fieri monitor navigation, shields, and coms and use Allele’s pulse weapon to ward off further attacking missiles.

But we’re in the middle of the wave of Denarsoan ships.

Half of Fleet Amphir wants to help us. The other half wants to destroy us.

Jovie shouts in disorientation as the ship sways and banks hard to avoid an attack. “I’m sorry if I get sick, Allele! I’m not used to this!”

Allele never gets mad, not even in battle. “Deep breaths, Jovie. I trust you.”

“Aura!” Blaize roars my name. “We have a problem!”

I climb my way up to the front of the ship as Allele takes to an erratic pattern of movement to avoid a spiraling assault of missiles. Ahead of us, twenty more Denarso ships arrive using portals orange in color.

“Portals are illegal weapons!” Jorusk growls. “Only Amphirans are allowed to have them, but I bet they don’t agree with that! I bet they stole them!”

“Three more Terran ships are gone,” Fieri says. “One Rogue. Mothership Goviso taking hits. Shields at eighty percent. I’m calling other ships for backup, but no one’s responding.”

We need to handle this battle alone. “They came here for us. We can’t let them take out any more earthlings or intergalactic vessels. This is our battle. They attacked us. We end this.”

There is something I can do. “Allele, open the locker ,” I say.

“Aura,” she protests. “It’s not advised.”

I punch the wall panel where I’ve hidden my suit. “Let me in! I need to help you fight!”

“No!”

Fieri looks back at me. “Did she just yell at you? What the fuck are you trying to do, Aura?”

“Allele! Do not make me hurt you!”

The door slides open, exposing my Starbreaker suit. I climb into the chamber and step back into my armor. It’s been years since I’ve been inside of it. Few missions need such chaos.

The pieces ratchet around me, sealing me in a cocoon of metal, engines, shields, and weapons. But I am the only weapon we really need tonight.

I step out and get looks of terror from the crew as I pass.

“When were you a Hellion?” Eluni calls after me.

“Before I found Allele.” I get down and lean into the cavity where Jovie is. I can only peek inside, but she’s arm-deep in Allele’s central engine room, replacing wiring. “Jovie.”

She looks up at me with surprise.

“No time. Just know I love you, and I’ll find you.”

She extends a hand. I take it with mine. And even through the metal and armor, her fingers light up.

The ship jolts.

“Jovie, I need that engine!” Fieri shouts.

I get up and grab Talros’ shoulder. “Take care of the females, all three .”

“With my life.” He nods as he extends a tool to Jovie. I glimpse a military tattoo on his arm and know he will do what he says.

I hurry into the airlock, close my helmet, and eject myself into space. The visor lights up with ships and their trajectories, color-coding them based on their species.

My rocket boots kick on as I aim for the closest Denarsoan ship. I arc around Allele, terrified I’m going to see her bloom in a cloud of parts and everyone that matters to me will be gone forever.

I can’t let that happen.

A wave of electric current shivers over me and pushes my rocket boots harder and me faster toward the ship.

I enter the Denarsoan shield through the opening by the main thrusters that rage in blazing orange stripes across the sky.

I land hard on the belly, switch my boots to magnets, run along the hull to where I know the main powerplant is for the engines, and switch my gloves to synthetic Vybrance nodes.

I find the familiar transformer shell, grab my rifle, shoot it free, pull out every memory that fuels my rage and my purpose, ignite my Storm, and plant my hands on the power cables, overloading the system.

Crags of lightning flash all around me as my energy arcs between insulators and control systems.

Transformers shut down. Engines darken. I let go and switch my boots to rockets again, launching myself away from the ship as fast as possible. I have to get free of the shield before the engines are completely offline, or I’ll be stuck inside.

I punch through just in time.

My triumph is momentary. There are many more ships left. Allele and the Pulsars lead the assault while ArcLites and SurgeStrikes protect the motherships and a FlameRaze battleship engages. I can’t take large ships out, but I can make them vulnerable dead-in-space targets.

A Slithership races toward Allele.

I slap my rifle against the back of my suit and free the blade built into my hip. It forms a sword to my arm. Not on my watch.

Changing course, my vision lights up with impact warnings and landing trajectories. At the last second, I bank hard, ignite the blade, and punch through the hull, bashing through the other side.

As I reorient myself and select my next target, I get a ping from a familiar code. An audio bubble shimmers in the corner of my vision.

Hellion 1193: “I did not think there were other Hellions out here. Sa’Tai requesting your status.”

I smile to myself.

Hellion 870: “Sa’Tai! I thought you were bringing your ship into this battle.”

Hellion 1193: “Aura! My friend! You served Helsvia?”

Hellion 870: “Years ago, as a federation extension program. Status is two down. Shields ninety-eight percent. All weapons, operational.”

Stealing one more glance back at Allele, I continue deeper behind enemy lines with Sa’Tai when a shape appears on my visor, headed straight for my friend. There’s no time to communicate. I break course toward him, draw the rifle from the back of my suit, and fire.

The drone shatters, scattering pieces around Sa’Tai.

He grabs his rifle, and the blue light on the barrel brightens.

Hellion 1193: “Thanks for the tag.”

Hellion 870: “No problem.”

We race together toward the oncoming enemy ships like we’ve fought together before. It’s just Hellion training, but it’s effective.

He fires a rocket behind me and takes out a Slithership fast approaching my tail.

Hellion 870: “Thanks.”

He clicks back twice, and I know he got the message.

I hope we can survive this and make it back to our new mates. Tag-teaming with Sa’Tai gives me another set of eyes in the sky and a greater chance of staying alive.

Hellion 1193: “I have now taken two. Shall we make this a game?”

I chuckle, liking his dark sense of humor.

Hellion 870: “Deal.”