Matched: A Galactic Battle Series, Book 1 Read online

  “Don’t start with that crap.” Brock knew his voice was etched in anger and frankly he didn’t give a shit. Lily won the position of cell commander instead of Gustavo, and the playboy has held a grudge ever since. He looked for every reason for Lily to get demoted, even going to the all-time low of blaming her for Vincent’s capture. It took all of Brock’s strength not grab the man by his thick, blond hair and punch him in his dimpled chin.

  “We are not a person short. Gloria will be joining us,” Lily said.

  Everyone’s eyes darted to Gloria. The woman smiled awkwardly, her teal lips contrasting her fuchsia eye-shadow. This wasn’t Gloria’s most colorful look, but she still stood out amongst her blandly-clad teammates.

  Alberta scoffed. “Seriouslys? She likes small youngling.” Her translator malfunctions, paired with her thick accent, made it difficult to determine if she was joking or not.

  “Yeah I know but…I mean…she is a valuable asset and she has been doing very well.” Lily leaned on the table and glared at the heavily pierced and tattooed pilot.

  “She caught on fires during last mission,” Alberta challenged. She tilted her head showing off the dragon tattoo that curved up into her hairline.

  “Yeah, but only a little bit!” Gloria stood swiftly. Her battle uniform, which she insisted on wearing a size too small, rode up exposing a thin midriff. This caught Gustavo’s attention and he leaned forward for a better view.

  “She is coming with us,” Lily said, her tone firm.

  Gloria looked thankfully at Lily as she tried to attach her RAB to her forearm. After a few failed attempts, Sara, the team’s healer, took it and secured it with a simple click. The blue-haired woman exchanged a worried glance toward Lily.

  “All right we leave in ten…” Lily turned to shut down the holographic map.

  The room cleared as the warriors grabbed their bags and checked their RAB’s. Brock grabbed Lily’s shoulder. She felt delicate and slender beneath his large hands.

  “Don’t worry ‘bout Vincent. Rowan has teams looking for him, they will find him soon.”

  Lily sighed. “I know but—”

  Brock cut her off by running his right hand down her arm. He watched goose bumps blossom over her skin. It was times like this he felt insecure about the cyborg enhancement. He knew Lily thought it was bad-ass and was fascinated with the mechanics and design, but he couldn’t help but wonder what her reaction would be if he still had both his arms.

  “It’s not your fault,” he reassured her. He had known Lily for a long time and could read the worry on her face. It caused her aqua eyes to glisten and her freckled cheeks to twitch. She smoothed her hand over her white-blonde hair, another telltale sign that she was nervous. It only made him want to reassure her more.

  “Gustavo’s been lookin’ for somethin’ to pin on ya from day one.”

  Nodding, Lily mumbled a non-committal thanks and left him standing alone in the meeting room.

  3

  Lily sat in the back of the heli-shuttle trying to listen to Gloria’s mindless babbles, but she was lost in thought. The team had descended through Alvernon’s atmosphere and were now on their way to the drop site. The jagged, hilly surface of the planet was already heaving with stress. Dust tossed up from the quaking ground, blanketing the sky with a thin haze. Golan’s ships had started to land in the southern hemisphere, releasing troops to do the final collection. Then the Harvest would begin.

  Her nerves sat in the pit of her stomach, an unmoving weight that only made her jittery and kinda want to throw up. Taking a deep breath, Lily rested her hands, palms up, in her lap and focused on summoning her Bio-energy. Meditating helped her calm down, prepare for battle, and increase her control of her personal power. It wasn’t easy to use the energy in battle, it required concentration and there had been many times she wasn’t able to summon her energy quick enough, leaving her vulnerable.

  Lily felt her hands heat up as she focused on gathering her energy into one spot. It seemed horribly slow, but, having witnessed others trying to utilize their power, she knew she had a gift. All Hilians did. Everyone, every race, had bio-energy, but very few could utilize it as a weapon, and even fewer could use it for more unique, valuable things, like shields and flying.

  A familiar, tingling sensation swept up her arms. Lily peeked at her palms where a small, golden ball of light had formed. It may look insignificant, but it would create one hell of a blast. Releasing a slow breath, she focused on pulsing the energy into a larger ball, one with more power, with more—

  “Which one would you pick?” Gloria’s words jolted Lily out of her meditation and the energy resting in her palms fizzled away.

  Sighing, Lily turned to look at Gloria. “What?”

  “Which one would you pick?” Gloria stared at her with large lavender eyes as though she couldn’t wait to hear Lily’s answer.

  “What are my options?” Though Lily did not see the purpose to Gloria’s games, she played along. The golden-haired girl’s optimism was hopelessly contagious.

  “A Liklin, K’lor or a Gnak.” Gloria’s heavily aqua-painted lips stretched into a grin.

  “To do what with?” Lily learned from previous experiences that she needed to know the rest of the question before making a decision.

  “To have sexual intercourse with,” Sara interjected while rolling her eyes. Although the blue-haired healer was trying to be nonchalant, it was evident that Gloria’s game was helping to distract her from the fact that her home world was about to be destroyed.

  Brock shook his head, leaned back in his seat, and took a long swig of water from his canister. “What kind of fucked up game is this anyway?” he mumbled.

  Lily gave him a sideways smile and turned back to humor Gloria. “Didn’t you ask the same question last time?”

  From the pilot’s seat, Alberta answered in Lily’s place. “Hah! She choose Gnak. Seven hand betters two.”

  “Wow! I knew you were freaky Alberta, but not that freaky!” Gloria teased.

  Alberta looked over her shoulder and glared at Gloria.

  Lily laughed to herself. The two girls couldn’t be more opposite. Alberta was a battle-ready pilot and had an array of tattoos and piercings. On the side of her head was a dragon tattoo, its tail wrapping around her neck, its body proceeding up into her hairline until it ended with its mouth open showing an abundance of dagger-like teeth. She was considered one of the best pilots in the Renegade. Lily met Alberta at a pirate trading post many years ago, and they had been working together ever since.

  Gloria, however, was only on the team because she was Vincent’s significant other, well that and because she was the only person who could generate shields using nothing but her bio-energy. Gloria was more of a ‘pretty girl’ with long golden hair, manicured nails, and always wore brightly-colored makeup ranging from teal to hot pink. Lily had to give Vincent credit, he picked a bombshell. Gloria had more curves then Alberta and she combined, though that wasn’t saying much as Alberta was thin and lanky, and Lily considered herself quite petite.

  “Okay, seriously. Let’s concentrate. Is everyone’s RAB working?” Lily asked, trying to get back to business. The team obediently glanced at their arm bands and scrolled through with their fingers to make sure their information had been updated.

  Lily glanced back out the window. The arithmetic thuds of the heli-shuttle did little to drown out the sounds of Gloria and Alberta arguing. Sand from the surface spiraled in the wind, casting a haze over her view.

  The planet’s surface appeared barren, but beneath the desert were thousands of miles of tunnels leading to cities carved into large rock formations. It was hard to believe that the underground cities would be gone in a few hours

  “Arrived,” Alberta announced, hovering the ship twenty feet above the drop site, an area two miles from the distress signal. “Goods go.” Alberta pushed the button to open the door.

  “Last one out’s a fat stinky K’lor!” Brock leapt out the open door
, landing easily on the ground below.

  “Brock! That’s horribly irresponsible. You could break something,” Sara scolded. Brock threw his head back in a hearty laugh.

  Lily grinned. Sara was always so worried. Jumping twenty feet wouldn’t make the mechanically enhanced man think twice.

  “Wahoo!” Lily yelled, leaping out after Brock. He caught her and placed her atop the slanted gray surface.

  “I had that you know!” Lily yelled at Brock over the thumping of the heli-shuttle’s blades. Pulling out an Energy Converting Gun she helped Brock scout the area. Satisfied that everything was safe, she waved her arm giving the ‘good to go.’

  Gloria hesitated for several moments before turning around and placing a timid foot on the top of the swaying ladder.

  Lily looked over her shoulder at the descending women. “Come on! We don’t have all day.”

  Gloria took the last few steps in one jump, stumbling as she tried to land on the sloped surface.

  Sara jumped off the ladder and gripped Gloria’s forearm to steady her. They ran up a small hill to join with Brock and Lily. Brock took the lead, Lily followed at the rear, and the group made their way over the rocky surface.

  Coming within visual range of the distress signal, Brock held up his mechanical hand. The crew stopped and ducked behind a set of jagged gray boulders. The area ahead looked to have been chiseled out of the surrounding rolling hills and was oddly flat and void of rocks or debris.

  Lily made her way over the gray, sandy surface and knelt beside Brock. “What’s up big boy? I don’t see anything.” She pushed a button on her RAB and the contact lens in her eye zoomed in so she could get a better view.

  “Fuck, where are they?” Brock wiped his humanoid hand over his sweaty face. “It’s hotter than balls.”

  “Yeah, well you should be happy we are not in the tunnels. It is like walking on the surface of a star.” Lily glanced at her arm-band where the distress signal blinked with irritating persistence.

  “I’m checkin’ it out. Stay here.” Brock transformed his cyborg arm into a machine gun.

  Lily bit back her disagreement. She had lost this argument with Brock many times, so she decided to save her energy. “All right, but be careful.” She yanked off the E-Gun barrel extension from her belt and secured it to the front of her E-Gun, effectively elongating it into a shotgun, and positioned it to rest over the top of the boulder. The metal exterior morphed to blend with the dull gray rock.

  Brock crouched low and crept across the fine sand, slowly making his way to the distress signal. Once he was near the center of the clearing he stopped, bent over, and picked up something from the ground. Lily enhanced the magnifier in her contact lens and zoomed in on the mangled piece of metal dangling from his hand.

  “What is it?” She asked into her RAB.

  “Looks like…what the….”Brock took a step back as a huge, ten foot green K’lor erupted from beneath the dirt. Brock fired a bullet through its head. The giant sagged to the ground; its loose, leathery skin jiggling from the impact.

  By the time the first K’lor fell, two others had already pulled themselves from beneath the ground and were in pursuit. They ran awkwardly in their ill-fitting, mismatched armor and array of makeshift weaponry. Lily had to admit that there was something unnerving about the four-hundred pound ten foot giants, despite their general lack of combat ability.

  The larger of the two K’lors jumped at Brock, the other pulled out a sword. The giants grunted and collapsed to the ground as Lily shot them, puncturing their skulls with a sickening thud.

  Sara jumped, slicing through a hulking giant’s torso with her usual weapon of choice, a long sword. The K’lor’s blood spilled onto the gray sand, staining it crimson as he toppled to the ground.

  Gloria used her energy to materialize an iridescent shield around Sara. A pursuing K’lor slammed into the obstructing wall. He swayed, momentarily stunned.

  Lily admired Gloria’s ability to generate a shield. Hilians, like herself, were good at converting their bio-energy into a weapon, but she had never been able to use it for defense.

  Gloria dropped the shield and Sara leapt, stabbing the K’lor through the chest before he could regain his mobility.

  Lily twisted the extension off the E-Gun, clipped it back onto her belt, and shot two approaching K’lors. She ran toward the others, skidding to a stop next to Gloria. Shoving the gun back into its holster, she pulled out her blade, spun around, and sliced a K’lor across the stomach. The giant stumbled into one of his comrades, sending them both toppling to the ground.

  “Where are they coming from?” Gloria yelled as another group of K’lors joined the fight, each wielding a random weapon.

  Lily didn’t bother answering, it was obviously an ambush. She was just happy they were being attacked by the slow, though large K’lor instead of something more menacing. I could slice down these sloppy giants all day.

  “Behind you!” Brock yelled.

  Lily spun to face an approaching K’lor. He struck at her with a sword painted in rust. She met the attack with her blade, the impact sending a loud ring across the battlefield. Her grip weakened on the handle, her arms trembling with the vibrations. The giant stumbled backward and fell with a loud thud.

  A shield enclosed around her, the iridescent sides shimmering in the sunlight. A pursuing K’lor slammed into the shield and slid down with a loud squeak. Gloria can be useful.

  While she was safe, Lily took a moment to gaze across the hazy battlefield and assess their situation. The team’s formation was broken and they were spread out trying to control the onslaught of K’lors.

  Yelling triumphantly, Brock used his machine gun to shoot wildly into the encroaching army. Sara spun, slicing at K’lors. An assortment of dismembered limbs littered the ground around her.

  Gloria hung back to generate shields around her team members. Even with the distance that separated them, she could see the golden-haired girl’s legs shake with wariness.

  They couldn’t survive this for long. “Fall back!” Lily yelled. Before anyone could take action, a loud roar rang through the battlefield. Lily looked over just as a large form broke through the lingering dust. Though the ten foot K’lors towered over the approaching figure, they scrambled out of the way.

  “It’s Ulrick!” Brock shot at the oncoming warrior, but the bullets seemed to simply bounce off the powerful Hilian’s chest.

  Lily didn’t have time to wonder why Golan’s strongest general was on a low level planet like this one, nor why he was bothering with a petty ambush. All she could think about was getting her team away from the ancient Hilian warrior.

  Lily summoned her energy, felt the soothing warmth of her power as it spread through her body, and pooled in her hands, forming a tight ball. She threw it at the towering man, hoping to slow him down.

  Ulrick did in fact stop, only to glance at her and change the course of his relentless pursuit. Lily had only ever seen the legendary Hilian in photos and all she could think about were the horror stories from her childhood. Ulrick the planet eater, so strong he could cause quakes with his steps and wind storms with his breath. She choked down the scream that formed in her throat.

  Lily summoned another energy ball and hurled it at him. He seemed to simply absorb the attack as it hit his broad chest. A grin stretched across his face, his black Hilian markings danced over his large corded biceps.

  Something inside of Lily ignited, unleashing a heat that rushed through her body. Her markings started to twist on their own accord, which was something that had never happened before. Something is not right. What is happening? She was breathless, hot, and couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from the muscle-riddled man. She watched his markings twist over his arms and flick out to circle his thick neck. A strong, internal pull forced her to take a few unwanted steps toward her attacker.

  Lily didn’t know why she was frozen in place, her eyes locked onto his, mesmerized by their darkness; nor why his tanned sk
in, long black hair, and entirely too-sculpted body sent her mind spiraling out of control. She felt like she was caught in sap, unable to move a single muscle. Is he doing this? Mesmerizing me in some way? Come on think! Move! Run! She couldn’t seem to do anything but soak in the details of Ulrick’s bronzed skin stretching over his well-defined arms, and thick thighs straining against his black cargo pants. Why the hell am I looking at his legs?

  “Hit the ground!” Brock’s words seemed far away.

  Before she could process their meaning, an explosion quaked the ground and she fell into the tunnel system below.

  4

  The stifling weight of rock and debris made Lily’s heart race with panic. The air was thick with dust, burning her lungs. She was lucky she hadn’t been crushed beneath the pile of rubble when she fell, still, her limbs ached from multiple cuts and bruises as she pushed her way through the rubble. A rock fell loose allowing fresh air to spill into her confinement, and she sucked in deep, desperate breaths. Ugh, how far did I fall?

  Her fingers bled and sweat clung to her body as she clawed her way out of the debris. The top of the pile fell loose, her breath seized and she covered her head and drew her knees to her chest as the rocks slid, slamming to the ground in a chorus of rumbles.

  Peeking out from between her fingers, she drew herself to her knees, and hacked violently as she struggled to her feet. Pain shot up her right leg, she winced and doubled over, unzipping her boot to reveal a swollen ankle. Just a sprain. She gritted her teeth. I can work with that, she thought, taking several steps to loosen it up.

  Taking another step she surveyed the area. The gray, jagged walls of the cave curved up into a fresh opening at least fifty feet above. Besides the pile of rubble, the cavern was empty and flat, just how she remembered from her previous visits. There were no K’lors looking down from above, she figured that they must have circled back to the cave’s entrance.