Page 11 of Klaz
He moved with a speed I’d never seen before, not even in the most outlandish holovids. One moment he was beside me; the next he was in the thick of the pirate group. His fist connected with the Voleks leader’s face with a sickening crunch, sending the alien stumbling backward.
The cyborg hounds lunged, but Klaz was ready. He sidestepped one, using its momentum to hurl it into its companion. They collided with a shower of sparks and yelps. The Vinduthi’s movements were fluid, almost beautiful in their deadly precision.
The second pirate swooped in, energy blades humming. Klaz ducked under the first swing, the blade passing so close Iswore I could smell ozone. He caught the assassin’s wrist on the backswing, twisting it with inhuman strength. The blade clattered to the floor.
“Cinta, move!” Klaz roared, never taking his eyes off his opponents.
I snapped out of my awe-struck daze, realizing I’d been standing there like an idiot. Cursing under my breath, I scanned the corridor for anything I could use. My eyes landed on a fallen crew member’s shock baton. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
As I dove for the weapon, I heard Klaz grunt in pain. I whirled to see the Volek leader had recovered, his plasma cannon glowing ominously. Klaz had managed to deflect the blast, but angry burns scored his forearm.
“You’ll pay for that,” Klaz snarled, his voice low and dangerous.
I gripped the shock baton, my palms sweaty. This... this was way out of my league. Still, I’d be damned if I was going to let Klaz face these monsters alone.
KLAZ
The pirates advanced, their metallic limbs gleaming in the emergency lighting. The cyborg hounds snarled, ready to pounce, while the assassin twirled his energy blades menacingly. I assessed our situation in a heartbeat. We were outgunned and outnumbered. The passengers cowered behind us, their fear coiling at my back.
My gaze darted around, searching for an advantage. There - a control panel near the bulkhead. A plan formed in my mind.
I glanced at Cinta, who had just snatched up a fallen crew member's shock baton. I ducked my head, bringing my lips close to her neck. "When I give the signal, hit that panel with your shock baton. Full charge."
She nodded, her eyes fierce with determination. The scent of her adrenaline mixed with a whiff of floral perfume, oddly intoxicating even in this dire moment.
I stepped forward again, drawing the pirates’ attention. “Looking for a fight? I’ll give you one.”
Their leader, a hulking brute with a cybernetic eye, laughed. “Bold words for a dead man.”
I bared my teeth in a feral grin. “We’ll see who’s dead.”
I launched myself at them, my speed catching them off guard. My fist connected with the leader’s jaw, and he staggered back under the impact.
Two more pirates rushed me. I ducked under a wild swing, sweeping the legs out from one while driving my elbow into the gut of the other. The thrill of combat surged through me, awakening old instincts.
“Now!” I shouted to Cinta.
She sprang into action, driving her shock baton into the control panel. Sparks flew as electricity arced across the circuits. Alarms blared, and emergency bulkheads slammed down with a thunderous boom, separating them from our little group.
I grabbed Cinta’s hand, pulling her close as chaos erupted. “This way!”
We herded the terrified passengers through a maintenance hatch, the sounds of enraged pirates fading behind the thick metal doors. The narrow corridor beyond was dimly lit, lined with pipes and conduits.
“Keep moving,” I urged, taking point as we raced through the bowels of the ship.
From a distance, I picked up distant shouts and the clang of metal on metal. They were in pursuit, trying to circumvent the bulkheads.
“Left here,” I whispered, guiding our group down a service passage.
We pressed ourselves against the wall as heavy footsteps echoed nearby. I held my breath, acutely aware of Cinta’s warmth pressed against me in the cramped space. Her heartbeat thundered in my ears, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.
The footsteps faded. I let out a slow breath, nodding to Cinta. We continued our frantic escape, twisting through a maze of corridors.
“There!” Cinta pointed to a large door ahead. “Cargo bay. We can hide in there.”
We ushered the passengers inside, finding ourselves in a cavernous space filled with shipping containers and crates.
“Spread out,” I ordered. “Find cover and stay quiet.”