Galileo (Battle of the Species) by Meaghan Sinclair Page A

face went blank and he shook his head, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
    A few more cops came running and surrounded them while they made their way through the door with the streak of green blood.
    When they walked outside, they saw the dock and shuttle covered with Aranea and Eminites. Civilians had joined the fight as farmers came running with guns, in an attempt to protect their homes and land from invasion. Renn was grateful they were no longer in Camden and had yet to see a face he recognized, since losing Frank had been upsetting enough.
    The I.A. looked back at the officers who were taking steps backwards towards the station doorway. “They won’t leave until the boy’s gone. Let’s go!”
    The officers inched closer towards the shuttle, firing when they could get clear shots. The humans’ numbers were dwindling at a horrific pace and the Eminites were almost upon them. The last standing police fought back to back, with Renn standing alone in the middle.
    This is it, was the last thing Renn thought before he heard the sharp crack of lightning. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful brunette woman in a black and silver Federation suit, jump over them twenty feet in the air, and rush the enemy. She created a large wall of energy with her hands, pushing the Eminites and Aranea into the air. They fell in a heap of green scales and black flesh, and scrambled to regain their ground.
    Two large S-shaped blades ascended into the air, spiraling towards the enemy’s necks. The metal on the woman’s suit then shattered into dozens of pieces and hovered in the air, spinning into a dozen six-blade shurikens. Renn watched the blades zip towards the Eminites and Aranea. He at first thought she was missing her targets, when the blades did nothing more than cut off their ears. But the ears took the thought blockers with them. Renn’s eyes widened when he sensed her enter the minds of the Aranea and Eminites. Those without thought blockers turned and attacked their own kind, as the Mindeerian woman used the enemy to fight the enemy.
    Renn thought his mind was playing tricks on him when liquid silver descended in the air without frames. Dozens of soldiers ran through the portals before the silver ascended and vanished. They were of various species, the majority of which Renn didn't recognize, but they all followed the woman’s command. Men with wings flew overhead, firing arrows that appeared to burn their target upon contact. Renn watched in awe, as the Eminites became overwhelmed, despite outnumbering the soldiers four to one.
    Adam grabbed Renn's arm, pulling him sharply towards the ship.
    The enemy was pushed back enough, giving Adam, Renn, and the agent time to board the ship. Renn and Adam took seats, with their backs to the wall in the eight-man shuttle. The seats, detecting the weight of the occupants, ejected straps, automatically wrapping around their chests and thighs.
    Renn looked behind him, out of one of the many circular windows, where an Aranea caught sight of him and jumped onto the wing. It crawled towards Renn’s window and tried to bite through the glass as it screeched.           
    A blue light crackled around it while a lightning blast seared the Aranea’s flesh, until it dropped to the ground, dead.
    The Mindeerian woman lowered her hand and made eye contact with Renn, then turned towards the others, slaughtering every enemy who crossed her path.
    As Renn’s shuttle pulled away, he asked, “Dad, who was that?”
    But Adam had no need to follow Renn's gaze to see which soldier he was referring to. “That? Oh, that was your mother,” he said.
     

CHAPTER 5
    The Galileo
     
    Renn felt weightless as the ship flew out of Earth’s atmosphere. He floated up a couple of inches before the automatic straps pulled his thighs and chest back down to the seat.
    “Are we falling?”  Renn asked.
                “No, Buddy. It’s just the loss of gravity,” Adam said.
    “I feel like I’m