Hyperspeed Dreams by Anna Carven
Chapter Twenty-Four
As Tasha caughtsight of Earth’s blue-and-white-and-green surface through the small side-window, she was overcome with emotion.
Wrapped in quiet conversation with his boss, Lodan’s attention was elsewhere, giving her a moment to quietly choke up a little at the glorious sight of her home planet.
Shit. What’s wrong with me?
Funny, she’d never expected such an ordinary thing to affect her so deeply. She’d seen Earth from space many times before, but now it felt as if something inside her had been unlocked.
She was free to feel again.
As they started to descend, Tasha felt a bump in the ship’s smooth arc.
Thud.
There it was again.
Lodan swore softly.
That’s when the ship rocked and tilted violently to one side.
“Fucking morons,” Lodan growled. He sprang to his feet, even as the ship swayed back and forth.
Lodan and Tarak locked eyes.
The one called Jeral barely reacted; he just sat in the corner minding his own business, his expression perfectly controlled—as if it were no big deal at all.
“Not that thing again,” she groaned.
“Not that,” Lodan swiftly reassured her. “Sylth is perfectly content now. This is different. Idiots.” He leapt to his feet and made his way toward the cockpit, balancing on the balls of his feet like a cat even though the ship was rocking from side to side.
Unconsciously, Tasha started to rise and go after him, but she found herself held back by the seat’s safety restraints.
Lodan turned and smiled. “Take it easy, Tasha. This won’t take long.”
Then he disappeared into the cockpit.
That crazy alien.
He’d actually smiled?
Tasha glanced to her right. Tarak was staring at her, his crimson gaze hooded and unreadable in the dim light. “Lodan will handle this. Sit back and be calm.”
Voices drifted to her from the cockpit; the other Kordolian—who Tasha recognized as the pilot—and then Lodan’s, uttering short, sharp commands.
All the while, the ship rocked and shuddered, like a landflyer hitting terrible turbulence in a storm.
Boom.
A wave of blue light washed over the ship.
“Are we under attack?” Tasha stiffened, panic and adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Tarak nodded. “Fools. What in the Nine Hells are they thinking?”
Fools? That’s all he has to say?“W-what do you mean…”
The warrior made a swift silencing motion with his hand. “Just wait and see. Anyone that tries to attack us in our own territory is either an idiot, or they are completely insane.
Beside him, Jeral let out a soft grunt of agreement.
Tarak barked orders into his comm in sharp, precise Kordolian.
The ship steadied… and then dropped.
Tasha’s stomach lurched.
The stars and the darkness and the blue-green surface of the Earth blurred into one.
Tarak let out a soft laugh; a cold, dark sound that sent a chill through Tasha despite herself.
“What’s so funny?” she snapped, channeling her confusion and panic into anger. Tasha didn’t like this feeling of freefall; this feeling of complete and utter loss of control.
“Nothing’s funny,” Lodan’s commander replied. “Now you will understand what your mate is truly capable of. Now, we hunt.”