Before she could move, the one she’d grabbed brought his fist down across her face. The room spun, nauseating her.

Ture lunged at him and slammed him back against the wall as more soldiers poured into the room.

Zarya fought as hard as she could, but she was injured and outnumbered. Still, she didn’t let it daunt her.

There were more battle sounds out in the hallway.

A new group of soldiers rushed her and Ture. She leveled her blaster at them and pulled the trigger, only to discover it was out of charges.

Turning it around in her hand, she intended to use it as a blunt object against their heads.

But the men didn’t make it. Before they could reach Ture and her, blasts struck them and sent them to the ground at their feet.

A second later, the smoke cleared enough to show another soldier coming inside to check on the League soldiers who’d fallen.

He’d barely stepped inside before he was attacked by three more League soldiers. With skills that defied description, he turned and caught the first one with a blow so hard, he shattered his attacker’s nose. The next, he flipped and stabbed and when the third saw what awaited him in the bodies that were littered all over the room, he turned around and retreated.

The newcomer turned to face them.

He wasn’t with the Sentella. Her heart sank as she saw the burgundy battlesuit with foreign markings she couldn’t identify.

Unable to fight him, she prayed this was an ally and not another enemy out to do more damage to her and Ture.

Bleeding profusely from several wounds, he froze the instant he caught sight of her. Then he spoke in a language she didn’t recognize.

Although… there was something vaguely familiar about it.

Where have I heard it before?

More blasts ricocheted in the hallway behind him.

In one smooth, impressive move, the soldier hit the floor, slid on his knees and spun around to shoot the three League guards who ran in behind him. He rolled over and came to a stop by her side.

“Zarya?”

Tears filled her eyes as she recognized that deep voice. “Maris?”

He nodded. “Can you walk?”

Before she could respond, the room was invaded by even more League soldiers.

Darling heard the mayday from Maris, but he couldn’t get to the room where they had Maris pinned down. There were League soldiers everywhere now. All of them shooting.

Were they cloning the bastards in a back room somewhere?

Instead of their numbers decreasing, they seemed to be multiplying by the heartbeat. Like some mythic beast. Kill one and two emerged to take his place.

“Mari?” he called, needing to know his friend hadn’t gone down.

No answer.

Darling checked for Maris’s vitals on his bio scanner.

There weren’t any. Nothing at all was registering. His heart stopped beating as cold panic consumed him. And his anger went to a place so fierce and foul that it screwed up his vision even more than the jerking did.