Read Online Forged by Battle (WarVerse Book 1) by Patrick J. Loller - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patrick J. Loller
Ads: Link
emergency transponder activated?" Vincent asked.
"Roger, sir," Rover answered, as did the AMI chip. Vincent grunted in reply.
"I need to get her back to the ship," he told no one in particular. She was not difficult to carry, and he got her to the ship without issue. Once he was close, he allowed Rover to climb the side and latch itself on. With its clamps turned to the side, the bot lifted the girl up and over while Vincent climbed up himself. Together they managed to seat her in the cockpit.
Vincent nodded and dropped down to sit on the edge of the cockpit’s opening. The ship rocked dangerously with his weight. He made sure not to make any more sudden moves.
"Rover, go find some rocks or something and make sure our ship doesn't fall over. Try not to scratch the paint," he said as he looked over at the armor plating still flash-welded to the frame. While the rest of the heavy payload package was scattered around the planet somewhere, the emergency repair Rover had made in orbit had stuck.
The droid barked and the dog hologram shimmered back in place before it set off to comply.
"She must have been using the lake for shelter when the fires broke out," he mused, looking back to where he had found the girl. The fires around him had started to burn themselves out. Blackened husks of trees stood where a forest had once been, and smoke overpowered any other scent. Funny. No matter how big, it always smells like a campfire.
Vincent glanced back down at the unconscious girl. She looked peaceful now; the fear that had been twisting her features was gone, replaced by the dreamless nothing of medicated sleep. His eyes fell to her slow-rising chest, which was exposed under the poorly situated survival blanket. He twisted his head, admonishing himself for looking, but a scrap of orange cloth caught his eye again. The black lettering he had noticed over her left breast was still intact enough to read. He reached down and pulled the blanket over enough to see the whole word.
ELE , all in block lettering, with a string of numbers beneath. Vincent pulled the blanket over to cover the lettering and any of the girl’s exposed skin.
"What in the void were they doing on this planet?"
Chapter 13
The Exile
Once the Shadow's energy ran out and it returned to the blade, it was simple for the Exile to finish her deception. Before she detonated the rear of the ship, she moved through and ensured that every passenger was secured against the sudden decompression, and as she did, she touched each of them and erased their memories of her. The ones who had been injured during her fight were still alive, and with a little basic first aid, she was able to keep them stable. Once finished, she slipped into one of the cargo hatches and blew the charge.
When the rescue crews arrived, they found a compartment full of unconscious but alive civilians, and with the damage to the shuttle's engines, there was no time to waste looking at blood trails or camera feeds. The Exile slipped past the rescue crews unnoticed, her Web causing them to forget about her if they looked. None of them were searching for someone hiding, though; they were too preoccupied with rescuing everyone aboard. She made it to one of the Fleet ships with no one even aware of her existence, and from there, she was just another body in a crew of hundreds.
She was still an alien to them, however, and even if there were a thousand sailors aboard she would stand out as a blue-skinned “nymph.” But something was off, and when the rescue tug landed on the flight deck, her Web detected something she did not expect. Others—others of her kind. What were they doing on a human ship? They were allies to humans, yes, but her people kept to themselves, and the humans did the same. But there they were, as bright as spotlights in her Web. Her infiltration suddenly became that much more difficult. Humans she could trick, or hide from, but not one of her own.
Enemy mistakes are allied
"Roger, sir," Rover answered, as did the AMI chip. Vincent grunted in reply.
"I need to get her back to the ship," he told no one in particular. She was not difficult to carry, and he got her to the ship without issue. Once he was close, he allowed Rover to climb the side and latch itself on. With its clamps turned to the side, the bot lifted the girl up and over while Vincent climbed up himself. Together they managed to seat her in the cockpit.
Vincent nodded and dropped down to sit on the edge of the cockpit’s opening. The ship rocked dangerously with his weight. He made sure not to make any more sudden moves.
"Rover, go find some rocks or something and make sure our ship doesn't fall over. Try not to scratch the paint," he said as he looked over at the armor plating still flash-welded to the frame. While the rest of the heavy payload package was scattered around the planet somewhere, the emergency repair Rover had made in orbit had stuck.
The droid barked and the dog hologram shimmered back in place before it set off to comply.
"She must have been using the lake for shelter when the fires broke out," he mused, looking back to where he had found the girl. The fires around him had started to burn themselves out. Blackened husks of trees stood where a forest had once been, and smoke overpowered any other scent. Funny. No matter how big, it always smells like a campfire.
Vincent glanced back down at the unconscious girl. She looked peaceful now; the fear that had been twisting her features was gone, replaced by the dreamless nothing of medicated sleep. His eyes fell to her slow-rising chest, which was exposed under the poorly situated survival blanket. He twisted his head, admonishing himself for looking, but a scrap of orange cloth caught his eye again. The black lettering he had noticed over her left breast was still intact enough to read. He reached down and pulled the blanket over enough to see the whole word.
ELE , all in block lettering, with a string of numbers beneath. Vincent pulled the blanket over to cover the lettering and any of the girl’s exposed skin.
"What in the void were they doing on this planet?"
Chapter 13
The Exile
Once the Shadow's energy ran out and it returned to the blade, it was simple for the Exile to finish her deception. Before she detonated the rear of the ship, she moved through and ensured that every passenger was secured against the sudden decompression, and as she did, she touched each of them and erased their memories of her. The ones who had been injured during her fight were still alive, and with a little basic first aid, she was able to keep them stable. Once finished, she slipped into one of the cargo hatches and blew the charge.
When the rescue crews arrived, they found a compartment full of unconscious but alive civilians, and with the damage to the shuttle's engines, there was no time to waste looking at blood trails or camera feeds. The Exile slipped past the rescue crews unnoticed, her Web causing them to forget about her if they looked. None of them were searching for someone hiding, though; they were too preoccupied with rescuing everyone aboard. She made it to one of the Fleet ships with no one even aware of her existence, and from there, she was just another body in a crew of hundreds.
She was still an alien to them, however, and even if there were a thousand sailors aboard she would stand out as a blue-skinned “nymph.” But something was off, and when the rescue tug landed on the flight deck, her Web detected something she did not expect. Others—others of her kind. What were they doing on a human ship? They were allies to humans, yes, but her people kept to themselves, and the humans did the same. But there they were, as bright as spotlights in her Web. Her infiltration suddenly became that much more difficult. Humans she could trick, or hide from, but not one of her own.
Enemy mistakes are allied
Similar Books
