Sol Shall Rise (The Pike Chronicles Book 1) by G. P. Hudson Page A

Marine to carry huge, vicious looking weapons, which in this case were predominantly energy weapons. Kevin was the exception, carrying his own personal Gatling gun. He didn’t know what to expect in the lifeboat, but he sure as hell was going to be ready for it.
    The drones entered the hanger bay with the lifeboat in tow. They set the vessel down on a pad and metal arms came up from the floor and secured it in place. Multiple mechanical whines were heard as the Marines pointed their weapons at the lifeboat. Several tense minutes passed with no activity, and then with no warning the vessel’s hatch slid open and a small ramp dropped to the ground.
    “Hold your fire,” said Kevin, placing the doorway between his cross-hairs. He wondered what type of monstrosity would climb out of that door.
    What he saw next stunned him. The first thing to emerge from the open hatch was a woman. A human woman.
    She wore a brown jumpsuit, and looked like she was in her mid-thirties. Her eyes were wide and a horrified look spread across her face as she surveyed the military machinery surrounding her. She held her arms up, palms open to show she was unarmed, all the while shaking her head no, presumably pleading for the soldiers not to shoot her.
    There was more movement behind her and the Marines shifted their weapons from the woman back to the doorway, making the woman wave her arms frantically, yelling something unintelligible.
    “Hold your fire,” Kevin repeated.
    A small hand emerged from the doorway and gripped the side of the vessel. Slowly, furtively, a small face peeked out from behind the wall at the Marines. There was a high pitched scream and the face disappeared.
    The woman faced the doorway, arms still up, and now spoke calmly to the person inside. With a bit of coaxing from the woman the little face emerged again and finally walked out of the vessel.
    A little girl.
    Kevin couldn’t believe his eyes. The woman and girl were both unarmed and didn’t seem to pose a threat, but he still needed to clear the vessel. He gestured to the woman to take the girl and move off to the side. The woman hesitated and the Diakan charged at her and the girl, energy weapon at the ready. The woman screamed and fell backward, arms squeezed around the girl.
    “Kinos, stand down,” Kevin shouted.
    The Diakan had reached the woman and pointed his energy weapon at her head. He was motioning for her to move to the far wall. The woman was still screaming but seemed to understand and rushed the girl to the wall.
    “Kinos, back your ass up!”
    The Diakan slowly moved backwards, his weapon still pointing at the woman’s head. Kevin then ordered two Marines to clear the lifeboat. The Marines rushed to the vessel and flanked the doorway. One Marine entered the vessel while the other covered him. After a brief search the Marine came back out and signaled that the vessel was clear. Kevin looked back at the woman and the girl and opened a comm link with Jon.
    “Sir, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” said Kevin.
    Jon had watched the entire scene unfold on the bridge, and was practically speechless himself.
    “Yes, I am,” said Jon.
    “What do you want me to do with them?” asked Kevin.
    “Take them to sick bay. I’ll meet you there. I want the Doctor to check them out to make sure they aren’t Chaanisar. Keep them under guard. And be careful, if they are Chaanisar a combat suit may not be enough protection.”
    “Yes, Sir. Leave it to me.”
    Kevin walked up to Kinos, who was still pointing his weapon at the woman’s head. “The next time you pull a stunt like that I will lock you up for the rest of the mission. Am I understood?”
    “Yes Security Chief, you are understood.”
    Kevin glared at the Diakan for a few seconds and then ordered three of his Marines to accompany him. He couldn’t understand what the woman was saying, but he did his best to make her understand his intentions. She seemed to be a quick study and used nods and hand