Page 85 of Alien Warlord's Fury
The interface hummed, its pitch shifting from a discordant wail to something deeper, more rhythmic. The core's energy signature began to realign, ancient patterns reasserting themselves against Hammond's corruption. But Hammond wasn't finished yet.
I could feel his desperation, his attempt to regain control psychically even as Nirako fought him physically.
NIRAKO
Hammond stumbled back, clutching his bleeding arm, his eyes darting between me and Claire at the interface. He saw his control slipping, felt the Nexus rejecting his corruption. His face twisted into a desperate snarl.
"You primitive fool," he spat, ignoring the guards still trying to subdue me. He raised his uninjured hand toward me, no longer wielding the energy weapon, but focusing his own corrupted power. "She can't maintain that connection without you."
"Break the warrior, break the bond."
His psychic attack slammed into me, different from the physical blows—an attempt to sever the very connection that sustained Claire. Pain, cold and sharp, lanced through my mind, targeting the bond itself. I staggered, gritting my teeth against the assault.
Claire needs me.The thought was my only anchor.
Hammond pressed the attack, his eyes burning with manic energy. "I've studied your kind for years. Your primitive superstitions about mate bonds. Fascinating, really."
"But ultimately just another weakness to exploit."
I felt the bond strain, fraying at the edges under his focused assault. Claire cried out through our connection, feeling the attack as keenly as I did.
"You think she cares for you?" Hammond taunted, stepping closer. "She's using you, just as I used her. A tool."
"A conduit."
I shifted my weight, trying to find stable footing despite my injuries. My vision blurred. "I can feel her," I forced out, voice rough with pain.
"She's almost done. You've lost, Hammond."
Rage contorted his features. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small, ancient device—corrupted tech from before the Great Division. It pulsed with sickly energy, the same corruption he'd been feeding into the Nexus.
"I've saved this for a special occasion," he said, the device growing brighter in his palm. "Let's see how your bond holds when you're atomized."
I braced myself, knowing I couldn't dodge, wouldn't dodge. Claire needed our connection unbroken for these final moments. Through our bond, I felt her racing against time, felt the Nexus responding to her commands, felt the children's energy supporting her.
Hammond aimed the device at my chest. "Goodbye, warrior."
The blast never came.
A familiar war cry echoed through the chamber as Ravik burst through the far entrance, followed by a wave of Nyxari warriors and marked human women. Energy weapons discharged, arrows flew, and Hammond's remaining guards scrambled to respond to the sudden attack.
Hammond's attention split, his aim wavering as he turned toward the new threat. I seized the moment, lunging forward despite my broken leg. Pain exploded through my body as Idrove my blade toward his outstretched arm, the one holding the device.
My blade connected, slicing through muscle and bone. Hammond screamed, dropping the ancient device. It skittered across the floor.
"No!" He dove for it, but Rivera—one of the marked women—reached it first, kicking it away from his grasping fingers with a contemptuous flick of her boot.
Ravik appeared at my side, supporting me as my leg finally gave way. "Took your time," I gasped, my eyes fixed not on Hammond, but on Claire.
The battle raged around us, Ravik's warriors quickly overwhelming Hammond's few remaining guards. But my focus was singular. Claire.
She was still standing, swaying, but standing.
CLAIRE
The psychic assault hit me through the bond, a vicious attempt to sever my connection to Nirako. I cried out, stumbling, the delicate balance I held with the children and the Nexus faltering. Nirako’s pain echoed through me, sharp and terrifying.
Hold on!I sent back through the bond, pouring reassurance I didn't entirely feel.
