go. You're
anger is for the Tah'Na, not her."
Karik's eyes flicked aside at the
other two, who stopped a few steps behind him.
"We'll work this out. She can't hurt
anyone here," Torik said.
Krissa sniffed and swallowed.
"Please."
Karik's glare could have burned her to
a crisp.
In that distracted moment, Torik's
emotions set him to action, and he sent the captain flying away,
releasing his hold on Krissa. Torik knew he would likely pay for
attacking Karik, but it was to late. And now, he felt relief at
having taking a stance against the same injustice that the Tah'Na
had inflicted on them.
Theen caught their captain and helped
him regain his balance.
"We must not become them." His words
had no effect on Karik, except to invoke further rage. Torik
tensed, ready for the attack, which came a second later than
anticipated but was more vicious than he'd prepared to take. Karik
was strong and swift. The uniform without the armor stopped deadly
claws from tearing through flesh but allowed the pain of each blow
to ache.
"Torik!"
He avoided another blow and returned
the attack. In the process he caught a glimpse of Theen holding
Krissa's arms behind her back, keeping her out of involvement and
safe for the moment.
Karik was in prime fighting shape and
more experienced than Torik. After a brief wrestle and several hard
blows against each other, both of them bled, but Karik didn't let
up. In the end, Torik's legs gave out, his head pounded, and the
room blurred.
"Stop it!" Krissa's voice came from
somewhere. "Don't kill him. Please…I'll do whatever you want. Don't
kill him."
In that, any lingering doubts about her vanished. From what
Torik had seen, she would sacrifice herself for him. She was different. The
others would see for themselves what he had seen since their first
encounter.
The blur that was Karik shifted
away.
Torik lay still, too sore to move but
relieved to not have the challenge taken to finality. "Leave…" He
winced at the ache in his ribs and tasted blood when he caught his
breath. "Leave her alone…Karik."
After a few seconds that amplified his
fears of what the captain might be considering for her fate,
footsteps rushed towards him.
"Torik." Through the aches, he felt a
gentle brush along his face. He didn't have to see her clearly to
recognize her voice and the uninhibited emotions. "I'm sorry. This
is my fault."
"No." He turned his head but winced at
a sharp pain in his neck. "I tried to convince Karik. He won't
listen."
"No. It's me. I know. Whatever it is I
can do, just tell me."
"You…are enough." But if he could save
their world another way, without sacrificing her, he would. Krissa
didn't deserve the fate awaiting at the hands of the
Tah'Na.
Chapter 8
Two pairs of legs stopped next to
Krissa. When fuzzy hands reached down for Torik, she stepped back
to give them room to help him.
His words haunted her, along with the
fear that Karik would snatch her to finish what he had started.
Torik could no longer defend her.
No one had defended her like that, but
against his own captain meant more to her. Part of her wondered why
Karik had let him live. Was it mercy buried in that mass of anger
or practical reasons?
Whatever it was, she breathed easier
that Torik was still alive; beaten but alive.
She stayed close to the two helping
Torik past the dining area to a room with an assortment of alien
medical equipment, where they set him on a cot and locked into
place a piece that covered him from chest to knees.
His groan when he breathed plucked at
her sympathy so that she almost couldn't bear to stay in the
presence of his suffering, but she forced herself to endure. From a
few feet away, she watched the other two slide several pieces of
equipment around him. Not sure what they did but trusting that they
were helping Torik, she stayed out of their way. If their medicine
worked as well on their own kind as it had on her, he should feel
better soon, her only solace from the guilt of him
anger is for the Tah'Na, not her."
Karik's eyes flicked aside at the
other two, who stopped a few steps behind him.
"We'll work this out. She can't hurt
anyone here," Torik said.
Krissa sniffed and swallowed.
"Please."
Karik's glare could have burned her to
a crisp.
In that distracted moment, Torik's
emotions set him to action, and he sent the captain flying away,
releasing his hold on Krissa. Torik knew he would likely pay for
attacking Karik, but it was to late. And now, he felt relief at
having taking a stance against the same injustice that the Tah'Na
had inflicted on them.
Theen caught their captain and helped
him regain his balance.
"We must not become them." His words
had no effect on Karik, except to invoke further rage. Torik
tensed, ready for the attack, which came a second later than
anticipated but was more vicious than he'd prepared to take. Karik
was strong and swift. The uniform without the armor stopped deadly
claws from tearing through flesh but allowed the pain of each blow
to ache.
"Torik!"
He avoided another blow and returned
the attack. In the process he caught a glimpse of Theen holding
Krissa's arms behind her back, keeping her out of involvement and
safe for the moment.
Karik was in prime fighting shape and
more experienced than Torik. After a brief wrestle and several hard
blows against each other, both of them bled, but Karik didn't let
up. In the end, Torik's legs gave out, his head pounded, and the
room blurred.
"Stop it!" Krissa's voice came from
somewhere. "Don't kill him. Please…I'll do whatever you want. Don't
kill him."
In that, any lingering doubts about her vanished. From what
Torik had seen, she would sacrifice herself for him. She was different. The
others would see for themselves what he had seen since their first
encounter.
The blur that was Karik shifted
away.
Torik lay still, too sore to move but
relieved to not have the challenge taken to finality. "Leave…" He
winced at the ache in his ribs and tasted blood when he caught his
breath. "Leave her alone…Karik."
After a few seconds that amplified his
fears of what the captain might be considering for her fate,
footsteps rushed towards him.
"Torik." Through the aches, he felt a
gentle brush along his face. He didn't have to see her clearly to
recognize her voice and the uninhibited emotions. "I'm sorry. This
is my fault."
"No." He turned his head but winced at
a sharp pain in his neck. "I tried to convince Karik. He won't
listen."
"No. It's me. I know. Whatever it is I
can do, just tell me."
"You…are enough." But if he could save
their world another way, without sacrificing her, he would. Krissa
didn't deserve the fate awaiting at the hands of the
Tah'Na.
Chapter 8
Two pairs of legs stopped next to
Krissa. When fuzzy hands reached down for Torik, she stepped back
to give them room to help him.
His words haunted her, along with the
fear that Karik would snatch her to finish what he had started.
Torik could no longer defend her.
No one had defended her like that, but
against his own captain meant more to her. Part of her wondered why
Karik had let him live. Was it mercy buried in that mass of anger
or practical reasons?
Whatever it was, she breathed easier
that Torik was still alive; beaten but alive.
She stayed close to the two helping
Torik past the dining area to a room with an assortment of alien
medical equipment, where they set him on a cot and locked into
place a piece that covered him from chest to knees.
His groan when he breathed plucked at
her sympathy so that she almost couldn't bear to stay in the
presence of his suffering, but she forced herself to endure. From a
few feet away, she watched the other two slide several pieces of
equipment around him. Not sure what they did but trusting that they
were helping Torik, she stayed out of their way. If their medicine
worked as well on their own kind as it had on her, he should feel
better soon, her only solace from the guilt of him
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