Defying The Alliance: ERUPTION (Novokin Alliance Invasion 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

bridge?"
    "Captain that would be suicide," he admonished.
    I saw the concern in his eyes and I shook my head. There was no point in discussing the matter. My mind was made up. "How far to the bridge Commander?"
    "Captain," Julie pleaded, "you have to come with us. We can escape. What you’re attempting is suicide."
    I leveled my gaze at Commander Marco. His mouth tightened. I held my gaze until he nodded ever so slightly. He raised an arm, pointing over to the far left. "That's the stairways there. Two levels up. But Captain, there are no doors on the bridge. It's an open plan. The entire upper floor is the bridge and three pairs of patrols guard every level," the commander warned in earnest.
    That's no good, I needed a distraction. Come on Caspia, think! A small itch in my arm made me smile. "Marco, how long will it take for you guys to power up your ship and get to a safe distance?"
    "Ten minutes if the way’s clear, more if there is resistance," he frowned.
    That would be perfect. I addressed them both, "Well then, maybe you should –. Where the prak is Julie?"
    Marco's eyes went wide as two full moons. He frantically whipped his head around. I peered past the corner of the corridor just in time to watch Julie kick one of the writhing guards in his head. She spied us and waved.
    "Oh hey guys. Just help me get off his uniform." Right then I would've sworn some unforeseen sun gleamed off her smile.
    Clever girl. Now they wouldn't even have to fight. They could walk in the docking bay like they owned the place. We helped her strip the now unconscious guard and she donned the over sized uniform.
    Marco pointed to another one of the fallen Alliance soldiers that littered the floor. "Your turn Captain," he offered.
    I shook my head, attempting to flatten the folds of my stained and wrinkled captain’s jacket. "No, I've given up too much to wear this uniform, I'm not gonna hide now."
    Julie lunged at me, encircling my neck like a Haklierian yeti. Her tears were hot on my neck as she managed to squeak out, "Thank you Captain, for saving me – and making me part of your crew."
    I hugged her back and tussled her hair like I did my sister's when she was young and used to wake from a night-terror. "It's Caspia," I whispered softly into her ear, "and you're not just crew, you're family."
    This set her off even more, and I waved to Marco for help because at this point she was choking the life out of me.
    An explosion of green plasma lit up the corridor. Can these sheeteks not give a girl a minute? Julie's head slammed into my shoulder and Marco's howl chilled the blood in my veins. She went slack in my arms and I fell to the ground with her, the weight of the Novokin armor she borrowed had added a good fifty kilomounds to her lightly muscled frame.
    "Julie!" I shook her until she winced. I pried the smoking helmet off of her head as fast as I could, praying to the Goddess not to take her from me.
    "Ouch, did anyone get the license plate of that car?," she slurred.
    What the prak is a car? She's melk shy of a Voxin . My own hot tears streamed down my cheeks. Holding her, I realized nothing could make me happier at the moment than knowing she was alive. Apparently the armor she stole took the brunt of the blast, dissipating the energy of the plasma but not the force of the impact.
    "Good thing it hit me in the head," she giggled through a weak smile.
    "Good for all of us," I replied, gesturing over to Marco. "It may have knocked some sense into your girl."
    My highly humorous quip received no response. It gave me reason for concern. Glancing past the rubble our confrontation had created, I spotted Marco wielding the plasma cannon with one arm. He fired down the left corridor leading to the bridge’s stairway. Deep violet stained the torn uniform sleeve of his other arm. It hung dead at his side. The ceiling above me exploded with green fire. Prak, more company.
    Hidden by the dust, a shrill voice cackled from deep in the corridor,