Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 24

Annoyance and anger had Adrik’s hackles up. His Titans weren’t their typical rational selves. Their emotions were uncharacteristically high because they were concerned about the safety of the females on board. As was he. But he couldn’t allow such feelings to compromise his responsibilities. He refused to be distracted from his duties. He couldn’t be. It would cost Ember dearly, and that wasn’t something he was willing to chance.

“Pitch, check weapon stores. I want lasers set at full charge. Now!”

With a grim nod, Pitch turned and rushed to do Adrik’s bidding.

“Kaze, get on comms and find me a fucking bypass. We need to contact Cesca Sol. Don’t stop until you get someone, anyone ! Obaida, secure the women. I want them hidden somewhere safe. Tell no one.”

The last directive had Obaida shooting Kaze a look. His men understood. If the Renx boarded the Cressida and things went bad, the Titans couldn’t be tortured for intel on the women’s location; they’d have nothing to provide. It’d buy Ember and the others time. This was it. They would make their last stand, and if they failed, Adrik and his men would perish while Ember, Vashti, Kyan, and Nova would be captured. And while Adrik and his Titans would be granted a swift death, the women wouldn’t be so lucky. The thought of a Renx male forcing himself on Ember had Adrik’s lip ticking up in a snarl.

Obaida drew Adrik from his thoughts, “Perhaps we divert energy from weapons to thrusters. It might give us…”

“It won’t,” Adrik cut him off. “Tyrate has done the calculations. We’d temporarily outrun them, but they’d catch up, and when they did, we’d be without firepower. Our only option is to indulge these Renx. We need to buy time for Kaze to find a way around whatever it is that’s blocking our long-range comms. We need to stall, and we need to keep our weapons fully functional. We’ll attack their vessel as a last resort. We can’t run.”

“Even if I find a bypass,” Kaze gritted out, “there’s no guarantee that Cesca Sol can find reinforcements that can reach us in time.”

Adrik turned and shot him a lethal glare. “We won’t know unless you get the comms operational.”

Without hesitation, Kaze turned to the controls and got to work while Obaida gave Adrik a sad look. “A message for Ember, Commander?”

Swallowing hard, Adrik’s gaze momentarily went through Obaida before he re-focused. “No. Get moving, Titan.”

With a sharp nod, Obaida turned and rushed from the bridge.

Standing at the bridge's viewscreen, eyes intent on the universe before him, Adrik’s mind raced. A foreign emotion flooded him, and it had an unpleasant flavor filling his mouth and making his stomach sour. Concentrating hard, it took a moment to place the feeling, and when he did, it only enraged him. It was fear. He’d never experienced the emotion before, but right now, it was riding him hard, and it was because of Ember. He wasn’t worried about himself or even his brethren. But he was terrified of what would happen to Ember if he failed her. He couldn’t dwell on that now. He needed to prepare a lie for when the Renx boarded, and it needed to be convincing, which would be difficult. Titans didn’t lie. They didn’t need to. They were noble and powerful and terrifying. Being dishonest was beneath them. Typically. But now, he was praying that he could convince the Renx commander that they housed no females. It'd be a fruitless effort if the tracker embedded in Kyan belonged to the Renx, which was highly likely. Then, Adrik’s only hope would be admitting to the possession of one female. He could still save Ember, Nova, and Vashti.

Turning to the viewscreen, Adrik could only glare in apprehension as the Renx vessel slowly approached. “Tyrate!” he barked. “Hail the Renx commander and…”

“Adirk!” Obaida’s intrusion was infuriatingly ill-timed.

“What?” Adrik snapped impatiently. “I don’t have time for this,” he hissed.

“It’s Ember,” Pitch panted, sounding out of breath. “She’s not in Med Bay. The other women are secure, but I’ve been unable to locate Ember.”

Adrik’s mask of fury blanked. “Tyrate!” he barked, having no choice but to rely on the ship’s internal sensors. “Where is Ember?”

The AI’s response was immediate. “Ember is on Level Bay.”

With a snarl, Adrik spun while Obaida barked into his comms, “Commander, I’m already moving.” But so was he.

Why was Ember in the cargo hold? What was she doing? She knew there were enemies wanting to board the Cressida. She knew the Renx were seeking human females. The Renx’s arrival was imminent, and if Adrik or Obaida didn’t get to Ember before the Renx docked, then she’d be discovered, and that would likely be the end for her.

Adirk was at a flat-out run. In silence, he raced to the lift. Hearts hammering hard, Adrik could only pace in the confines of the small lift as it made its rapid descent. The comms crackled with static in his ear before Obaida panted, “I’m in Lebel Bay. Ember’s not here.”

Adrik stopped pacing to boom, “Tyrate! Where is Ember?”

“Ember is on Level Bay.”

“ Where on Level Bay?” he snarled, losing his temper.

“Ember is…”

An alarm blared, and the lights flashed as the ship jolted. When Tyrate next spoke, he’d abandoned Ember. “The Renx ship is docking, Commander. Shall I unseal the doors?”

“ No !” Adrik yelled as the lift doors hissed open. He was barreling out of them before there was enough room, hitting a sliding door with his broad shoulder and jerking bodily sideways as he cleared the lift and raced into the cargo bay unsteadily, eyes searching. Obaida was there searching frantically behind boxes of freight.

“ Ember !” Adrik thundered. “Show yourself!” But there was no movement other than he and Obaida searching behind the multitude of equipment and cargo. “Ember!” he tried again. “Where are you!”

A loud banging on the exterior bay door had Adrik’s gaze jerking in that direction as he hissed quietly to Obaida, “Find her!”

Behind Adrik, the lift doors opened again, releasing Kaze and Pitch onto Level Bay.

“No!” Adrik boomed and jammed his finger toward the lift. “Kaze, get back to Command and find us an out.”

Kaze stalled and stuttered, “B-but if it turns to battle here…”

“Then we’ll do without you!” Adrik snapped, then growled, “Move!”

Kaze turned and hurried back to the lift as a second round of banging sounded at the exterior doors just before Tyrate announced, “Commander, the Renx are hailing. Shall I connect comms?”

It was too late for that. Any further delay would be a sure sign of deceit on the part of the Titans, so giving the cargo hold one last scouring glare, Adrik thundered, “Obaida, on me!”

Obaida abandoned searching for Ember and raced to stand with Adrik and Pitch just as Adrik growled, “Tyrate, open bay doors.”

Obaida and Pitch snapped to attention beside their Commander.

“Battle ready,” Adrik ordered low, and then, almost in unison, the three massive Titans were engulfed by their battle armor as it generated and overlayed every inch of their bodies.