Note: stole this quote or something very like itfrom the Bible, 'cause God rocks my world!
And though I walk
in the valley of shadow,
I shall fear no evil,
for you are at my side.
Ancient Earth Biblical Passage
-xXx-
Chapter 3
Terla strode boldly down one of the corridors, hands extended before her. Beka and Rhade walked a step behind her, she on the let and he on the right. Beka held her pistol, Telemachus his forcelance. Terla had no weapon, needed no weapon.
A squad of Magog up ahead sniffed and turned toward the trio and snarled.
A jet of fire erupted from Terla's hands, scorching a number of the hairy beasts. Beka and Telemachus picked off the remaining then continued on. Terla had shifted out off her Nietzschean form she wore for the benefit of the crew and had become her natural form, explaining that it was easier to cast spells in her true shape. The shapeshifter was a fearsome gray humanoid with needle-like teeth, smooth skin, and no hair.
They walked without fear, having complete confidence in their ally's abilities to cast spells. The halls were empty- relatively. The decking underfoot was littered with the bodies of the Andromeda's crew, and carcasses of Magog. There was not an eerie silence, however; the sounds of battle were growing fainter, and the chanting of Magog louder. The ship shook as more swarmships punched through.
Suddenly two shapes dropped down from the ceiling: one on Terla and the other on Telemachus.
Terla hissed, an inhuman, bone-chilling sound and shapeshifted into a male giant, grabbing his assailant by the scruff of the neck and dropping him to the decking below.
Telemachus dipped one shoulder and flipped his attacker over, pinning her to the ground with his bone blades against her neck.
"Good to see you all, too," Xena wheezed, pushing away Telemachus's restraining hand.
Terla reduced size, becoming her natural shape and helping Boa to his feet. "Thought you were Magog," the doppelganger said apologetically.
"Same here," Boa replied. "I-"
He was interrupted by a pounding of feet coming at them and yells of incoming Magog.
"Run!" Terla yelled, shoving Boa forward. "We need you to repair this ship!"
Telemachus hesitated as Xena, Beka, and Boa ran for the Command Deck.
"Are you stupid!" Terla screamed. "Go!" She shoved him forward with surprising strength. "Fett must survive!" With that, she shapeshifted intop something huge and black, with a wingspan the width of the corridor. The thing that was Terla raised its head and cawed, a horrid sound that sent chills down Telemachus's spine as he ran, following theother tow Nietzscheans and Beka as the ceiling collapsed behind him, cutting them off from Terla.
Magog seemed to be coming from everywhere. Xena did a forward roll and grabbed a rifle from one of the dead crewmembers.
A voice cried out in relief from an adjoining corridor. Gaheris dashed at them, firing over his shoulder. "Harper's working on a weapon that could destroy the Worldship!"
Boa stopped suddenly. "Get this to Harper!" he yelled., stuffing something into Gaheris's hand. It was the cartridge Nemay had given to Boa before the Shadowdancer had taken off.
Gaheris saluted and started to jog back the way he had come. The whole crew had realized that at this point, they had to work as a team and that personal survival was not important.
Beka, Boa, Telemachus, and Xena continued for the Command Deck, killing the Magog in the way.
A/N: Don't know when I'll be able to upload next because I'm in the process of moving, so I figured I'd give you two chapters.
'Til I see y'all again-
Megz (Jade Rhade)
Preview of Chap4: the death of a pilot, the appearance of an old enemy, and we finally find out what Nemay gave to Boa that Boa gave to Gaheris that Gaheris will hopefully get to Harper.