Chapter 4

I lay there silently as the attack team marched over to my consoles, never even looking at the bodies of my friends littered carelessly over the deck. My systems were getting worse by the second and I knew that they had to have some way to reverse the effects as they wouldn't be stupid enough to strand themselves in a vacuum, would they?

I knew that my assumption had been correct when I saw their ambassador sweep onto my command centre as if he owned me and slowly, ever so slowly, I could feel the fog clearing from my mind. The Passetlitten were talking but I couldn't make out words and images were still quite vague, they seemed to be in no rush to leave now their job was done but still they made no move to help any of my crew.

On the edges of my senses I realised that something wasn't right, something was missing and the Ambassador seemed to be quite agitated about something.

"…must find...not on ship…dangerous."

I was still too confused to understand what he meant but the last word stuck in my mind, then, finally, I made the connection; Tyr wasn't here. He was on the planet. He would be back soon. As that final thought came to me I allowed a small smile to cross my lips at the image of what would happen on his return.

I didn't have long to just imagine, quite soon – as far as I cold tell – I heard the sound of gunfire coming from the corridor. After what seemed like an eternity he finally reached the door and blasted straight through it. For a second he stopped as he surveyed the scene before him, then he turned with even more fury on the Ambassador and his bodyguards who were the only ones left on the bridge.

As he raised his gun to shoot I saw what was going to happen and new I couldn't let it. It would be against everything that we had stood for.

As he stepped forward and the Ambassador cowered I summoned all my strength and managed to croak out one word,

"No"

As I said it I thought, just for a second that Harper shifted a little from where he lay, then I realised it wasn't possible, it had been too long.

Tyr glanced down, surprised, then turned his full attention back on the frightened shapes against the wall. Slowly he stepped forward and brought his gun around to point at each of them in turn. He stepped forward a little more until he was right in front of Ambassador Recket and picked him up by his robes.

"You have no idea ho much I want to kill you." Tyr growled, slamming him against the wall before swiftly knocking out him and the bodyguards who were by that time shaking in fear.

Swiftly he turned around and checked on each of the other people on command his face growing graver every time.

"They're all still alive but unless we get them to medical immediately then there will be nothing anybody can do for them. Summon some of you bots up here to carry them."

"Cant, too weak."

"I don't care, right now you are the only other conscious person here so you had better just try."

I didn't reply, it would take up too much concentration; instead I somehow managed to send instructions to two of my bots to come up here and get Harper and Dylan as Tyr had already picked up Beka and was cradling her in his arms.

"Is the way there clear?" Tyr snapped.

I knew he was just worried about Beka but didn't he realise how helpless I already felt? Summoning the last of my strength I turned on my sensors in short bursts along the route he would take.

"None on route. Three medical." As my bots arrived and started to proceed to medical I put them into emergency power and carefully shut down all non-essential systems – including me – for repair.