The Last Atonian

Chapter 11:

Xander crumpled to the floor, bleeding from the shot Sareen had fired into his stomach. Yulia went bouncing out of his arms. A horrified silence fell over the hallway. Suzan had fallen on her knees beside her brother, sobbing, and Sareen leveled the gun at the girl's head. "This was my deal, Weni," she snapped to Xander. "Your lives and Veerna's in exchange for my freedom."

"S-Sareen!" Don said, his voice rising in pitch. "I ... why?"

Sareen's fierce expression didn't change. "I would have done anything for the chance to kill Veerna," she spat. "Even kill those on the side of the Federation. They've blinded themselves to the evil that is Veerna."

"The evil that is me?" Veerna laughed. "I'm not the one shooting random security officers! Does it ever occur to you that you and I are very similar? I'm a space pirate who kills people, and you're a Federation officer who kills people."

"We are nothing alike," Sareen snarled, goaded into a response.

"Aren't we?" Veerna arched her eyebrows. "Then why are you shooting people like the mass murderer that I am?"

Veerna's bravado was faked. She had no idea how far she could push her cousin, but somehow, she couldn't let Sareen kill Xander and Suzan. It just seemed wrong, and from a space pirate, that was saying something. Saree growled in a low voice, seeming to be barely in control. "I have my reasons. You are wanted, dead or alive, and they are simply collateral damage."

"Collateral damage?" Suzan's voice broke as she raised it in frustration. "You shot my brother! He's dying!"

Melody went to kneel down beside the groaning Xander, but Sareen's threatening weapon stopped her. "Leave him, Doctor Chase," she ordered. "You're not involved with this."

Melody froze, halfway kneeling and halfway not. "I can't just leave him there," she protested, her lip trembling. Her hand was resting on the medical bag at her hip. "Please, Commander. I'm a doctor."

"I said, leave him." The weapon was fully leveled at Melody, the threat more than just spoken now. "I'll kill you if I must, Doctor Chase. I'd prefer not to, because then I'd have to kill Chris as well."

"Don't touch my sister!" Melody yelled, lunging unexpectedly at Sareen. The commander didn't see the move coming and was unable to stop Melody from scratching at her face. For a moment, the two fought, Sareen dropping the gun in the process. Suzan covered her brother, kicking the gun away.

Don could do nothing but watch in horror as Sareen's hands wrapped around Melody's neck. The doctor cried out in choked surprise, her neck snapping back and forth, choking, gagging, coughing. As much as he wanted to help, he wasn't trained in the arts of fighting. The only ones who could fight were currently bleeding on the floor or ... where was Veerna?

Bam. Sareen suddenly fell to the floor, senseless. Melody staggered back, wheezing. Don caught her by the shoulders and found himself embracing her, the doctor's arms wrapped around his neck. "Melody," he said. "Melody, get ahold of yourself. Please!" Veerna lowered her boot, which she'd used to strike him over the back of the head.

"Xander, hold on!" He became aware of Suzan's hysterical sobs as she wrapped her arms around her brother. "Please!"

Quickly, Don disentangled himself from Melody's embrace and knelt down beside the Wenis. Xander's face was an ashen grey, blood oozing from his stomach. He had his hand pressed against the wound, red staining his fingers. "I-is it bad, Doctor Collego?" he asked, only half-joking by using Don's title.