“Starship debris,” Rhain said.
One large piece disappeared from view. Near the Badus Mountains in the heart of the Barrens.
The second large piece sailed right over their heads.
The crash was close enough to shake the ground.
“Thadd, tell Cayna to get the injured back to Citadel. Then handpick your best fighters. Let’s go and investigate.”
Thadd frowned. “This could be a trap of your father’s.”
“Highly likely.” Rhain’s lips turned into a grim smile. “If it is, I’ll make him regret it.”
Mal opened her eyes and groaned.
Everything hurt, like she’d been through a meat grinder. She was still in her seat, but tipped over. With another groan, she managed to hit the release on her harness.
Ow, ow, ow.
She shifted and fell on her hands and knees. Twisted metal lay all around her.
Fuck.
It didn’t even look like her ship anymore.
She ripped her headset off. “Poppy? Poppy?”
There was no response.
Steeling herself, and willing her muscles to move, Mal pushed up and turned.
Dizziness swamped her and she almost went down. She locked her knees. Then her stomach simply dropped away.
The back of her ship… Was gone.
“No!” She shuffled forward. “No, no, no.”
Poppy’s seat was gone. Only half the console was still visible.
Mal’s chest tightened. She tried to pull in air. “No…Poppy.”
Goddammit to hell. Mal tried to think, but all she wanted to do was scream. The test had gone wrong. Hell, that was the understatement of the century.
She scanned the green field around her. It was covered in a carpet of pretty, blue flowers shaped like bells. In the distance, she could see a clump of strange rock formations. They looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie. She noticed that the sky seemed a little darker blue, and she eyed the setting sun.
It had a distinct red tinge to it.
Turning slowly, she saw the huge outline of the moon hanging in the sky. And the faded outlines of several celestial bodies.
Wherever she was, it wasn’t Earth.
Her heart knocked hard against her ribs. So where the hell was she? Was there a chance Poppy had made it?
She walked down the length of the wreckage, biting her lip to stop crying out from the aches and pains shooting through her. There might be something she could salvage. Thankfully, her spacesuit was still intact.
She felt a sharp pain in her gut and looked down. A small bit of steel was protruding from her stomach.
Okay, mostly intact.
She gripped the shard and pulled it free.
“Oh, shit.” She clamped her hand over the wound and groaned. “Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.”
She waited for her head to stop swimming. A nasty headache throbbed, and she pressed a hand to her temple and hissed. Her skin felt itchy, and when she swallowed, there was a nasty metallic taste in her mouth.
She couldn’t spot much in the smoking wreckage.
A sense of desolate aloneness washed over her. What now? Where did she go?
She clenched her hands together and looked at her boots. She dragged in a deep breath. It was Rusty’s smoky voice she heard in her head. You can find a way, or bury your head in the sand, girl. Both require digging.
“Okay, time to think, Mal.” The sun was setting, so it would be dark soon. She needed shelter. She decided to head for the rocks.
A low growl made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
She turned slowly and sucked in a deep breath.
A huge, fucking thing was slinking toward her.
It had to be nearly seven feet tall. It had huge, muscular back legs, and long arms tipped with claws. Big claws. It hunched a little, and its skin was leathery, desiccated. It was white-gray and she could see…ew, its organs beating and pumping.
It snarled, showing her big teeth, and inky-black eyes that looked creepy.
Slowly, Mal crouched and pulled a long piece of metal out of the wreckage.
She’d kill for her favorite Scorpion tactical katana. Crap. Her beloved weapons collection was far, far away.
She rose and hefted the metal.
The creature moved closer.
“Nice, monster thing.” She lifted her makeshift weapon higher. “Look, ugly thing with lots of teeth, I just survived a starship crash. I’m really not interested in getting mauled or eaten. I mean, I deserve a break.”
It growled again.
“Yeah, well, of course you’d disagree. I don’t suppose you’re slow-moving?”
It leaped up onto the smoking ruin of her ship—lithe, powerful, agile.
And fast.
Yeah, no break for Mal. Story of her fucking life.
The creature rushed her.
She braced and swung the metal like a bat.
It connected with the creature’s huge skull, and it let out a deep grunt, then swung around, jaws snapping.
Mal dived and rolled across the ground, crying out at the host of aches and pains. Thankfully, a surge of adrenaline helped her leap to her feet.
The animal watched her, baring its teeth.
Oh, what big fangs you have.
She tightened her grip on the metal. The creature leaped and she threw herself sideways. The animal darted past Mal, and she ran, leaping on top of her ship wreckage.
She spun.
The beast turned, watching her like it was trying to formulate a plan of attack.
Mal braced. “Come on!”
It leaped.
Really high.
Oh, fuck.
It sailed right at her. She swung the metal, but couldn’t stop the beast’s momentum. It rammed into her, knocking her off the ship, and she flew backward.
Mal hit the ground flat on her back with an oof. The air rushed out of her.
Move, Mal. Move.
She rolled.
Huge fangs snapped together right near her face.
Hot, rotten breath, and the sickly scent of decay, washed over her. Her gaze landed on some circular metal embedded in the skin of the animal’s thick neck.
What the hell was that?
She rammed her piece of metal up and jammed it against the implant.
The beast roared.
Mal rolled again and climbed to her feet. An intense wave of dizziness hit.
No. She gritted her teeth. If she collapsed now, she was going to get eaten.
The beast circled her. She saw a glimpse of that metal implant again. She’d dented it. She lifted her weapon. Then, she raced at the beast and landed a solid whack to its side.
It whipped around, and she followed, giving it another heavy hit. It yelped.
Mal smiled. “Don’t like that?”
Surprising her, it lunged to the side, bumping into her. She staggered, almost losing her balance.
The creature leaped at her, long arm swinging. She felt the sharp slash of claws against her suit as it cut across her stomach.
The wet slide of blood oozed across her belly.
Another hit of rancid odor seared her nostrils. She dropped down and rolled under the creature’s legs.
Then she rammed her metal up into its gut.
It howled. Warm, black blood splattered over Mal.