Haven 6 Read Online Free PDF Page A

crowd. “The video input feed was disabled. That’s all the info we have.”
    The man with the buzz cut stepped forward. “Arrows. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    “It does seem primitive, Tank. Still, you can never be too careful. That arrow knocked out our scout in one hit. That’s why the commander is sending us first. Our mission is to collect as much data on our new environment, and on those who inhabit it, as possible. Eridani Smith is our interpreter, and everyone, and I mean everyone—” Litus glared at Tank. “Must listen to her.”
    Mars’s voice purred like a lioness. “Why the target practice, chief?”
    Eri watched Litus’s reaction carefully. Yes, why the humongous laser guns?
    Litus shifted, bringing the gun down to his waist. “Like I said, we can never be too careful. We’re invading their planet, taking over their home. We don’t know how our visitation will be received. There’s a good possibility we’ll have the same welcome party as this unfortunate satellite droid.”
    Taking over? Eri raised her eyebrows, sizing him up. Did he just give away an element of the plan? Or was he being overly dramatic to warn them of what the creatures might think?
    Litus held up his weapon. “Everyone’s laser is set for practice mode, which means you are shooting harmless light. But try to take this as seriously as possible. We wouldn’t want friendly fire once we landed, so let’s not shoot each other today.”
    No matter what the mission was, Eri questioned having her own laser. Would a leader of state attend a meeting with a laser gun? No. Having a weapon might make her a target.
    Rustling disturbed the leaves behind her and Eri whirled around. “What is it?”
    “A target.” Litus stepped over to her and offered her a hand laser. “I’ve already input the code.”
    She took the laser in both hands and the weight dragged her wrists down.
    Litus stood aside as a gray figure darted in and out of the foliage. “Target anything that moves.”
    Her weapon buzzed, vibrating her fingertips and warming the palms of her hands. Shots pinged around her, and she backed up against a holorock and cowered.
    Litus joined her, crouching. “Eri, your weapon is set and ready to go.”
    The gray humanoids flitted by as the team followed them in a trail of fireworks. The smell of burned dust spiked her anxiety. “But I’ve never fired at anything before.”
    “You’ve got to try.”
    “I can’t do it, Litus. I’m…frozen with fear.” She hoped she sounded convincing.
    Litus checked the surrounding area before turning back to her. “Believe in yourself, Eri. That’s the only way you’ll make anything happen in your life.”
    Eri shifted from foot to foot, wishing she could turn into a hololizard and slither underneath a holorock.
    A gray humanoid sprung from the ferns but Litus continued, oblivious. “Or else you’re just cosmic dust on the ring of a planet, waiting for gravity to pull you along the same old circular path.”
    Tank slid on his knees, firing, but the humanoid zigzagged against the changing stream. As it neared, its face came into view, making Eri shiver. The holographic image had no eyes or mouth, just a sheen of twilight for a face.
    Is this what the aliens will look like? If so, could she bring herself to even utter a single word to them?
    As the battle raged, Eri thought Litus would raise his own laser and stop the rampage, but he didn’t notice the stray opponent lunge in his direction. There was no time to warn him.
    Eri snapped her laser up and fired, the shot blasting her backward through the holorock. She slid on her back, feeling the gun pulse in her hands as it recharged. The smell of singed electrical wires choking her, she cringed and covered her face with her arms.
    When she gathered the courage to open her eyes, the gray humanoid lay on his back. Litus walked over to her, respect and astonishment shining in his eyes.
    Even Tank shouted a hoot of support. “Go,