Chapter 16

Beka, gritting her teeth, leaned around the corner and fired a few shots in quick succession. She hissed in pain as she ducked back, hearing laser blasts hitting the bulkhead she was taking cover behind. Her broken ankle was a constant throbbing with occasional sparks of white-hot pain whenever she moved it.

Telemachus knelt over her like a guardian angel, shooting at the Magog she couldn't. "I think we've held them off as long as we can!" he shouted over the noise. "We've got to retreat!"

"Like hell!" Beka yelled back. "Even if I wanted too, I couldn't get far with this ankle!"

Telemachus frowned and laid down covering fire with one forcelance. He took a second forcelance from another holster. "This'll have to do as a splint," he said, ripping strips from the bottom of Beka's shirt.

Beka squeezed her eyes shut tight as the Nietzschean pressed the second forcelance against the injured ankle. "That hurts, Rhade!"

Telemachus gave the strips one more final tug to ensure that they wouldn't slip loose, then offered Beka his hand. "You know I don't want to hurt you, Beka."

Beka took the hand and let him pull her to her feet. She noticed compassion hidden behind a wall of gruffness. "Let's go," she ordered after a moment. She'd ask him about it when this was all over.

"Let me go first," Telemachus suggested, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Beka roughly shoved his hand off. "I'm fine." She walked a few steps before Rhade followed her.

Their only warning was a snort from behind, followed by a snarl.

Telemachus turned and instinctively ducked as a Magog flew through the air, claws raking the top of his head, millimeters away from bone.

Beka froze as she looked back and saw the creature. Then it buried her.

"Beka!" Telemachus yelled as the filthy thing attacked her.

She screamed and beat it with her fists, gun having been knocked meters away.

Telemachus ran forward, throwing his forcelance to the side when it informed him that it was empty. "Beka!" he shouted hoarsely, stabbing it in the back of the head with his bone blades again and again.

Blood spurted out, mixing with his own that was running down his face from his head wound. Growling in anger, Rhade shoved the still twitching corpse off her. Tears filled his eyes as her caressed her bloody face, scored with ragged scratches.

She wasn't breathing.

"No," Telemachus muttered. "No. No. No." He felt with one hand on her neck, the other over her heart.

There was no pulse.

"No!" he screamed. "Beka!"

Telemachus cradled her broken body in his arms and threw his head back. "Beka!" he howled.

A/N: And so, the mystery of what major character I will kill has been solved at last... yes, you've read right- Beka is dead.

Preview of chap17: The end