Gracie's Touch Zion Warriors 1 (18 page)

Gracie quickly motioned for the other women to continue. Ladara tried to send a message refusing but Gracie quickly told her over a hundred Alluthan warriors were gathering on the level.

We won’t leave you.
Lardara argued.

You have to
. The other women don’t deserve to die as well. Go. I have an idea. Here is the start sequence for the supply ship. Get to the Conqueror. Tell them to blast the hell out of this ship.
Gracie responded.
Trust me. Just tell Kordon I expect him to come find me again.

Ladara paused for a moment before continuing past the Alluthans with the other two women like nothing was wrong. Once past them though, she turned and looked at Gracie for a moment before heading down a set of steps. Gracie watched as Ladara and the two women disappeared before overriding the lift command and letting Ladara know to get to the one on the next level.

233-9095 remove helmet for analysis.
The Alluthan ordered.

Gracie looked at the group. There were five of them total with more on the way. She could really use a good distraction right now. There were a few shudders from where the
Conqueror
was attacking but she needed a full scale assault right about now. Gracie desperately searched for some excuse but finally decided she was just shit-out-of-luck. Reaching up, Gracie slowly turned the helmet and pulled it off with a wary grin on her face.

“Mmm…hi?” Gracie said as she let the helmet slip from her fingers to fall to the metal floor. At the same time she palmed the small laser pistol she took from Mohan. “Yippee-ki-yah.” She murmured as she brought the pistol up and began firing.

Gracie was able to take two of the Alluthans out before they realized their shields were not working. She scrambled behind a beam as the other three began firing. Gracie covered her head and tried to make herself as small as possible behind the beam as the other three Alluthans continued to fire at her as they began walking towards her.

Gracie bit her lip. This was it. She was pissed as hell because she didn’t want to die. She wanted to get back to Kordon. Gracie let her head fall back against the metal beam for a minute before she took a deep breath and braced herself. Turning, she rolled out from behind the beam firing as she went. If there was one thing she did know how to do, it was how to fire a gun. All four of the guys made sure she was an excellent markswoman. Gracie hit two of the creatures square in the chest and neck. She continued rolling even as she felt a hot burn followed by an explosion of pain in her right shoulder and lower leg. There was only one Alluthan left and it had adjusted its aim to follow Gracie’s roll on the floor.

Gracie’s arm shook and she lost control of the pistol as her arm went numb. She continued rolling until she came back up against the other side of the corridor. She quickly pulled herself into a sitting position behind the metal beam and leaned back as pain ricochet through her. Gracie pulled her right arm against her feeling the blood soaking the sleeve. Her lower leg also felt like it was on fire. Gracie watched as the Alluthan continued forward no longer firing. She knew what would happen now if she hadn’t already set the mother ship for self-destruct. The Alluthan would not kill her because she was a female of breeding age. She would be used as an incubator until she could no longer produce then be discarded.

“Go to hell, you sorry ass mother-fucker. I took your kind down once before and I’ve done it again.” Gracie said in English with a bitter laugh as it stopped in front of her.

Gracie tilted her head backwards and looked up into the reflective surface of the Alluthan. She refused to let the pain radiating through her take her to the darkness of unconsciousness. She was going to be awake when those bastards bit the dust.

“Go ahead, make my day.” Gracie said with a grimace as another Alluthan came to stand next to the first one.

Gracie pushed back as the Alluthan who shot her pulled her to her feet. She swayed as she tried not to put too much pressure on her wounded leg. The Alluthan turned to the second one and she knew they were communicating but it wouldn’t matter. They were lucky if they had eight minutes left on the countdown to ‘D-day’. Gracie refused to look over her shoulder at the Alluthans. She let her mind go blank of everything but Kordon. He was the only thing that mattered now. He was the one she loved. She was glad she had met him and was able to spend at least a little time with him.

Gracie started when she heard the sound of a laser pistol discharging behind her. She waited for the pain of being shot again to pierce her but nothing came. She almost jumped out of her skin when the Alluthan who came up put a gentle arm around her waist.

“We need to get out of here fast.” Ladara said softly.

Gracie stared at Ladara in stunned silence for a moment before she turned and began limping towards the lift. Ladara leaned down and picked up Gracie’s helmet, laser pistol, and portable tablet. She helped Gracie put on her helmet before handing her the laser pistol in her left hand.

You didn’t leave me.
Gracie sent to Ladara’s helmet.

No, you said everyone is getting off and you were not there. The others went to the supply ship. Mohan has taken off and they are heading out of the mother ship. I am hoping you can do your magic again and get us out of here.
Ladara said as she helped Gracie into the lift.

Gracie leaned back against the back wall of the lift and nodded tiredly. The pain was fading to numbness now. Gracie braced herself as she felt the huge ship shudder. The supply ship must have made it through and was clear because she could feel the increasing vibrations as the ship was hit.

We have five minutes before the mother ship explodes.
Gracie said as a particularly hard hit almost knocked her off her feet. It would have if Ladara hadn’t reached out to hold onto her.

Both women looked up when the lights on the lift flickered than faded. The lift slowed to a stop. They were stranded. Gracie looked up at the level and groaned.
Damn Murphy’s Law,
she thought. Only she could get trapped on the level where all the fighters were and every freaking Alluthan warrior was bound to be!

You have got to be kidding me.
Gracie groaned out loud.

Ladara looked puzzled for a moment.
What is it?

The fighter deck level. All the friggin’ Alluthans on this stupid ship are probably here. We need to open the doors manually.
Gracie said tiredly as her shoulders drooped.
Was it too much to ask for one little bitty break?
Gracie wondered despondently.

Ladara worked at pulling the lever inside the lift and the doors slowly opened. Yep, every frigging warrior was there. Only they seemed to be flying into the ship instead of out of it. Perhaps, in all the confusion…Gracie wondered in hope.

Get us to the closest fighter.
Gracie sent across Ladara’s helmet.

But…
Ladara started in surprise. …
We are taking a fighter?
She asked hesitantly.

You’re damn right we’re taking a fighter. In all the confusion they won’t know who is coming and who is going. We have about three minutes to get going.
Gracie said in determination trying to ignore the pain, blood, and numbness threatening to overtake her.

Gracie and Ladara moved as one towards the closest fighter. None of the Alluthans even turned to question them. Many of the Alluthans were moving towards an exit further down the platform. Gracie held onto the side of the fighter as Ladara climbed up first. Ladara reached down and held out her hand to help Gracie up. It was awkward but Gracie was thankful for the help. She had to jump from one step to another and could only use her one hand.

Blood from her arm and leg marred the side of the fighter as Gracie leaned against it. She was breathing heavily by the time she got to the opened top. Ladara slid into the back seat while Gracie fell into the front with an inelegant groan. She used her good arm to pull her leg around.

Ladara, can you strap me in while I get us up and out of here?
Gracie asked faintly as she shivered.
Great,
she thought,
now I decide to go into shock. Murphy, you son-of-a-bitch, I am really, really beginning to hate your sorry ass.

Ladara quickly strapped Gracie in just as Gracie pulled the lever up and set the course into the console. Thank God the Alluthans still used the same programming. The fighter rose swiftly as Gracie punched in the commands.

Ripping off the helmet, Gracie took a deep breath as the fighter moved swiftly through the huge mother ship. There would be no stopping them now…at least not with them still alive. She programmed in the signal hoping beyond hope that the
Conqueror
would pick it up. It would really suck to get out of the mother ship before it exploded only to find herself blown up by one of the
Conqueror’s
fighters or the ship itself.

“Gracie, do you think this thing can go any faster?” Ladara asked nervously. “You said we only had a few minutes to get out before this ship exploded. I would really like to not be in it when it does.”

Gracie laughed hoarsely. “You and me both.” Gracie responded and pushed a series of buttons increasing the speed of the fighter.

“Hang on!” Gracie gritted out between clenched teeth as she weaved in and out between incoming fighters.

Ladara gasped as she saw the huge doors beginning to close. “Gracie, faster.” Ladara said urgently from behind her.

“Keep your shorts on. I’m doing the best I can without getting us killed.” Gracie muttered as she jerked on the control stick. “This is just like playing video games back home.” Gracie joked half-heartedly.

Gracie pulled up and increased speed. Behind her she could hear Ladara saying they weren’t going to make it, they weren’t going to make it. Gracie was determined they were going to not only make it out of the ship but she was going to make it back into Kordon’s bed…and never leave it again.

Gracie turned the fighter on its side and scraped through the closing doors with just feet to spare. “Elvis, listen to the fat lady. She is singing her heart out!” Gracie crowed as she pushed the fighter to even greater speed now that she was clear of the mother ship.

Everything seemed to slow down as one minute they were speeding away and the next the percussion hit the fighter from behind as the mother ship exploded. Gracie and Ladara were pushed forward by the force and the power on the fighter flickered on and off as it was pushed forward. Gracie’s last thought was you probably could feel a tree fall in a forest even if you didn’t hear it.
God,
she thought as darkness descended,
Murphy really was on her shit list now.

Kordon looked over the reports being sent to him. There was minimal damage overall to the
Conqueror
from the shockwaves. There were a few injuries to some crew members, mostly bruises but a few broken bones and concussions. Bran and Cooraan were working on the damages to some of their systems including minor damage to the engine’s main core which was knocked offline preventing them from going into light speed. It had been almost twelve hours since the battle and it would take another fourteen before the
Conqueror
was ready to travel.

Thirty-eight fighters were destroyed. Kordon felt the weight of each death on his soul. The fighters were primary Zion warriors and he knew all of them personally. Their death was a time of celebration for they would be accepted into the next life. It was the Zion way. They would be reborn again as warriors for they died in battle.