Chapter 440 (2/2)

”HIGH KINETIC IMPACT!” Duknark called out as Undrat was thrown back against his gun.

The Terran's fist came forward again, slamming into Undrat's helmet, snapping his head back as the kinetic gel sleeve tightened around him. Undrat got his arms up, as per close combat training, to protect himself.

The Terran grabbed Undrat's arm and yanked him forward as if Undrat didn't weight nearly three tons in his armor.

There was a sudden blur and the Treana'ad's bladearms burst from Ulnva's chest. The Terran stood up straight as the bladearms were beginning to withdraw. He grabbed one, his hands wrapped in purple lightning, and began to bend it.

The other bladearm burst from Sergeant Ulnva's throat. Both were withdrawn as the Terran turned around.

Undrat responded according to his training. Stepping forward and driving the bottom of his fist into the top of the Terran's head. Purple sparks exploded out from the impact and Undrat did it again, this time feeling something crunch under the blow as the two bladearms suddenly erupted from the human's back.

Undrat hit the human one more time for good measure.

Sergeant Ulnva went limp, sliding off the bladearms.

The Treana'ad Gunnery Sergeant drew his pistol and fired it twice into the Terran's face.

More screaming was sounding out.

The Treana'ad turned, charging into the tunnel. ”Stay at your post!” the Gunnery Sergeant snapped.

Undrat looked down at the Terran, suddenly worried that the Terran would sit up. He had seen the Terran take several mortal wounds and not go down.

And what was the purple?

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The line of cars was long, all of them honking at each other. In several places people had gotten out of their cars, their ears stiff and upraised in anger. Overhead military aircraft were streaking by, flowing low to the ground, maybe two hundred meters above the vehicles.

”The shelter is going to close in twenty minutes,” Aunt Fenn worried, looking at her watch.

”I know, we're still three miles away,” Uncle Inkree answered. He pushed on the horn. ”They aren't moving,” he looked at the rearview mirror, seeing Dambree rubbing her scar. The young Hesstlan girl had suffered a seizure an hour before, while they were stuck in traffic, but looked better now.

Thinking, Dambree looked out the window, then at her brother and two sisters. Little Pulngee was sitting in her safety chair, chewing on a biter cookie and glaring out the back window. Her brother Elurta was wringing his hands, the fur around his eyes damp from tears. Dambree knew that he was terrified, the sirens and the aircraft bringing back bad memories.

Dambree looked at her younger sister Truba'an, who looked back and swallowed. Tru leaned over next to Dambree and whispered in her ear.

”We need to get away.”

Dambree nodded, looking outside.

A car was in the northbound lane, abandoned, facing south. It was large, a family cargo ground vehicle.

Without speaking Dambree reached out and touched Tru then Elu, tilting her head toward the abandoned vehicle.

Elu looked relieved and nodded. Tru nodded, her face firming up.

Dambree reached down and unsnapped the buckle while Aunt Fenn was lecturing Uncle Inkree about the fact that maybe they should have left earlier.

Dambree leaned over to Tru. ”We've seen this before, it didn't work out well,” Dambree said softly. Tru nodded, her ears trembling. ”Grab Meglee.”

Tru nodded.

Reacting quickly Dambree shoved open the door, grabbing her little sister's safety cradle. She lunged out of the car, running for the abandoned car, digging into her pocket with her other hand. She heard her aunt yell something, heard Meglee protest with a squawk, but she ignored it as she sprinted for the car. Dambree threw Nee in, ignoring the outraged screech from the toddler.

She dove in, pulling the data wafer she'd prepared months in advanced.

And used before.

She tapped it on the dash and the entire dash lit up.

Whipping open the door Elu threw Mister Mew Mew's carrier into the back, then turned and motioned at her sister and his cousin.

Dambree hooked up Nee with one hand, rapidly tapping on the holographic screen that popped up over the dash with her other hand.

”Get in!” Tru yelled.

”But...” Meglee said.

Tru slapped her, punched her in the stomach when the older girl raised her hands to her face, then shoved her cousin into the car when she started to double over.

”GET IN!” Tru yelled, climbing in afterwards.

Aunt Fenn and Uncle Inkree were running toward the car, yelling, but Dambree ignored them, tapping more keys.

Cut out the governor. Cut the GPS tracking. Turn off the Lo-Jack. Kill the Nav-Comp and upload her own nav-comp.

Nee was locked in and Dambree turned and looked as Aunt Fenn climbed into the car, reaching across Nee to grab at her. Uncle Inkree and her two male cousins Ultrek and Ellaf were climbing into back seat when Dambree looked in the rearview mirror. Elu slid down on the floorboard, same with Tru.

Dambree punched the gas, throwing both of the adults and all three of her cousins against the back of the seat. The acceleration slammed the doors shut as Dambree whipped the car around. Her aunt squealed, turning and looking behind as Dambree sped off to the north.

Toward the mountains.

”What are you doing?” Aunt Fenn screeched.

Dambree kept her foot on the accelerator.

”Saving our lives,” Dambree growled out. She turned and looked at her aunt, who suddenly drew back with a hiss of fear.

Dambrees eyes were glowing a soft red.

”We go back to the cabin, and we stay there,” she paused.

A flight of nine Terran strikers roared overhead, close enough that the car rocked. One suddenly tilted, dropping to the side, the rest suddenly followed, all falling, some rolling the others spinning, until they hit the ground and rolled.

An explosion bloomed, greasy red flame and black smoke, just behind the speeding car as two of the strikers cartwheeled into the row of cars.

Uncle Inkree stared in shock as he watched the family car vanish in a ball of fire.

”For how long?” Aunt Fenn asked, gulping.

Another striker roared by, heading from east to west, close enough that Dambree could see the weapons deployed from the internal bays. The graviton engines howled, the thrusters roared, and Dambree saw ”Third Telkan Marines” on the tail.

There was another explosion behind them.

Aunt Fenn slowly looked back to her niece as she spoke, her voice as flat and emotionless as two rocks grinding together.

”Till we don't hear that any more.”