Page 65 of Alien Guardian's Vow
"I'm fine," I gritted out, the Nyxari words likely lost on her but the intent clear. "Keep working."
The wound wasn't serious—the energy bolt had only grazed me, burning through my clothing to score the skin beneath. But it slowed me, and in combat, speed was life.
The human leader shouted orders, directing his remaining guards to converge on my position. I couldn't let them box me in. Time to change tactics.
I sheathed my blade and reached for the ceiling panels above me. With a grunt of effort, I pulled myself up and over the column, dropping behind one of the guards. Before he could turn, I struck the nerve cluster at the base of his skull. He collapsed without a sound.
One guard plus their leader.
The last guard panicked, firing wildly. I ducked under his barrage, closing the distance between us. He switched to hand-to-hand as I reached him, throwing a desperate punch that I easily deflected. My counterattack was precise—a strike to the throat followed by a sweep of his legs. As he fell, I delivered a final blow to render him unconscious.
Only the leader remained.
He rose from cover, sidearm aimed at my chest. "Don't move, Nyxari."
I froze, assessing. The distance between us was too great—I couldn't reach him before he fired. But his attention was fixed entirely on me, giving Rivera the opening she needed.
"It's over," I said, hoping my tone conveyed finality even if the words weren't understood without a translation stone. "Look at what Hammond is doing. This isn't protecting your people—it's endangering everyone on this planet."
His jaw tightened. "You don't understand. We need this technology to survive. To stay pure."
"Technology we barely understand ourselves," I countered, the words useless against his conviction. "The ancient ruins hold power that destroyed our ancestors. Hammond is repeating their mistakes."
Behind the human leader, I could see Rivera making progress. Claire's restraints were flickering more rapidly now, the power cycling becoming unstable. Just a little longer.
"Drop your weapon," the human ordered.
I made a show of considering it, buying seconds.Hammond is killing her,I thought, focusing on the leader's expression, trying to convey the truth through intent alone.Is this what you signed up for? Torturing one of your own?
Doubt flickered across his face. "She's contaminated."
She's human,I projected silently.The markings don't change that. They're part of this world, part of what happened to all of you when you crashed here. Fighting it will only cause more suffering.
His weapon wavered slightly. Behind him, Claire's restraints flickered one final time, then died. Rivera had done it.
The human leader sensed the change and started to turn. I lunged forward, covering the distance between us in three long strides. His weapon discharged, the shot going wide as I knocked his arm aside. We grappled briefly before I struck him with calculated force—enough to incapacitate, not enough to cause permanent damage.
The human second-in-command slumped to the floor, unconscious.
I turned toward the restraint table where Claire now sat up, supported by Rivera, the last restraint flickering and dying.
The doors at the far end of the lab hissed open with pneumatic finality. We froze.
Commander Everett Hammond stepped through, flanked by four heavily armed guards in pristine security armor that contrasted sharply with the lab's chaotic state. His cold eyes took in the scene—his defeated security team scattered across the floor, Claire freed from restraints, Rivera and me supporting her between us.
"Fascinating," he said, his voice eerily calm, carrying the slight metallic resonance of the translation stone clipped discreetly to his collar—Nyxari tech he despised yet clearly found useful. "I've been wondering when you'd make your move, Nyxari."
His gaze swept over us, lingering for a moment on Rivera, then settling on Claire, whose silver markings pulsed weakly beneath her skin. I shifted instinctively, placing myself partially between Hammond and the two women. My lifelines flared, a silent warning.
Hammond took a deliberate step into the lab, his guards fanning out beside him, weapons raised. "Securing alien artifacts requires... adjustments to standard protocols." He gestured vaguely toward the humming machinery Claire had been connected to. "The potential is enormous. A shame you interrupted the calibration sequence."
Rivera helped Claire to her feet, supporting her weight. "You're killing her, Hammond," Rivera accused, her voice tight with anger. "Whatever you think you're doing, it's overloading her system."
"A necessary risk for progress," Hammond replied coolly. He took another step forward, his attention fixed on Claire. "The markings are the key. They interface with the ancient power source. Once we understand how to control that interface?—"
His words were cut off by a sudden, high-pitched whine from the equipment behind Claire. Lights on the main console flickered violently. Sparks erupted from an overhead conduit.
Claire cried out, clutching her head as her markings flared with painful, uncontrolled brilliance. The silver light pulsed erratically, mirroring the chaotic energy surges now emanating from the machinery.
