A Clash of Aliens (The Human Chronicles Book 13) (31 page)

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Authors: T.R. Harris

BOOK: A Clash of Aliens (The Human Chronicles Book 13)

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Yet the
Star Panther
didn’t need any such array to make the jump between universes, or even within universes. It was a revolutionary machine, which would rewrite how interstellar travel was achieved from here on out.

The thing that could spell complete and utter disaster for the Hal’ic—along with every other race in all the universes—was the fact that the Sol-Kor had the only working prototype, while Andy and his allies didn’t have a clue how to build one.

Panur—that pain-in-the-ass immortal mutant alien—had built the only working model, while leaving no instructions with the good guys on how it was done. Now the prototype was gone. And even if the Sol-Kor didn’t have the ship—which Andy wasn’t one hundred percent positive they did—their new queen was a mutant, too, and an intellectual match for Panur. Just knowing that such a thing was possible would set her on the course of building her own TD-capable starship, and then millions more just like it.

Tobias and his side were short one immortal mutant alien genius of their own, one who could connect the dots and build their own version of Panur’s Mark IV. Even as the thought crossed his mind, Andy knew that wasn’t entirely true. There was Lila Bol, Adam Cain’s half-human, half-alien daughter. She was also an immortal mutant alien genius; which it seemed to Andy were popping up everywhere these days. She had helped Panur build the first prototype; theoretically, she could show them how it was done.

Unfortunately, she was missing in action somewhere on the planet Kor, along with Adam, Riyad Tarazi, Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol. Hell, they even had a Juirean Overlord with them, which Andy found to be exceptionally unnerving.

And now, as Admiral Andy Tobias watched the graphic of the massive Hal’ic fleet approach the planet Kor, he felt nauseous. Once the Hal’ic were through with their vengence attack on the planet, there wouldn’t be much left beyond piles of smoldering ruble. Even if Adam and his team were alive now, they wouldn’t be after the Hal’ic got done with the planet.

With the possible exception of Lila, of course.

Supposedly, the girl couldn’t be killed, thanks to something called regenerative cells. But even that fact didn’t give Andy much comfort. Finding one individual survivor out of the maelstrom to come would be next to impossible. And without her to help Andy’s side counter the Sol-Kor’s coming technological leap in star travel, even two hundred thousand warships wouldn’t be enough to stop the flesh-eating aliens from conquering everything. And anywhere they damn well pleased.

Adam Cain is an alien with an attitude.

His adventures continue….

Chapter 1

Adam Cain could smell the Juirean Overlord from fifty meters away.

It was a foul, sickening odor which stood out even on a planet full of foul, sickening odors. The alien’s
condition
—as he called it—was not only annoying, it was dangerous. It would certainly give their position away should any Sol-Kor with a sense of smell happen by.

And now this.

“Yes, it is definitely a cave,” the excited, white-haired alien was saying. “We can seek shelter within.”

Within
was the problem. That meant a confined space with very little ventilation. Adam patted the handle of his MK-17 flash weapon, knowing that the last battery pack was spent. If not, then the fate of either him—or the Juirean—would have definitely been up for grabs.

“Are we far enough down the mountain that an attack on the pyramid would not collapse such a refuge?” Arieel asked, working her way down a series of huge granite boulders, as a small cascade avalance trailed out from her latest foothold.

Adam reached out and grabbed her arm, steadying her.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “We’re almost to the bottom. It might be just as easy to keep going—”

“Holy crap!” Sherri Valentine cried out. “That has to be the Hal’ic fleet.”

All eyes turned skyward, only to be covered by lifted arms, shielding them against the brilliant flare from above. It looked as though the entire sky had suddenly caught fire, with a vast sheet of blinding white light falling toward them.

“Hurry! To the cave!”

Benefis Na—the Juirean—along with Lila, were the first to duck inside the small, dark opening. Riyad was right behind her, with Sherri on his six. Adam and Arieel were the farthest from the entrance.

In the light gravity of Kor, Adam could have easily bounded his way the fifty meters to the entrance, but he wasn’t about to leave Arieel on her own. So he wrapped an arm around her impossibly narrow waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. She let out a grunt, but then quickly surrendered to his macho assistance. Moments later they were in the cave.

And none too soon.

The cave was about three thousand feet below the top of the mountain that served as the base for the eighteen Sol-Kor pyramids within this settlement cluster, including the huge, black capital structure designated as M-1. This was the Hal’ic’s primary target, and the combined energy of over ten thousand flash cannon bolts now fell upon the building with the force of a nuclear bomb.

The ground shuttered with such intensity that all those inside the cave were thrown to the musty floor. The ceiling gave way in another part of the cave, sending roiling clouds of choking dust racing for the exit. Adam and his team were coated in fine, gray powder, and even as the first rumbles from above began to subside, they crawled desperately toward the opening themselves and its promise of breathable air.

But then the avalance reached the level of the cave, as a torrent of boulders, rocks, mud and pyramid debris rained past the entrance. Adam pulled Arieel back inside, just as Sherri flew over them, having dived back in for the relative protection of the cave.

The river of debris moving quickly past the entrance created a tremendous area of low pressure outside, which literally sucked all the choking dust from the cave.

Sweating, even in the frigid temperature, the team scampered further into the cave, just as the entrance collapsed, casting the interior into darkness, blocking out even the ethereal glow of night from the two moons of Kor.

Be looking for

Battlelines

The Human Chronicles Saga Book #14

Available June 15, 2016

Click here to pre-order your copy of Battlelines

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