Natalee turned on her radio and whispered into it. �This is Alzon�. I�ve found the general. They�re taking him into the northern entrance of the compound now. As soon as the coast is clear I�m going in.� She shut off the radio before a reply could come and sprinted across the clearing, keeping alert should she be spotted.
Reaching the building, Natalee pressed her back against the wall beside the entrance and listened for voices beyond. Hearing none she stole a glance around the corner, and proceeded inside. A door several yards down the hall clicked shut behind General Cantil and four of the warriors she had been following. The other two stood guard on either side of the door.
Natalee ducked behind a crate of what she guessed to be food rations. She drew her gun from its holster at her hip, and pulled the silencer out of her jumpsuit pocket. She had one chance to kill both warriors. Taking careful aim at the throat of the alien on the left, Natalee fired once, and the warrior fell to the quiet zip of the bullet.
The second Czulknek drew his armorsword and crouched into a guard position, protecting his throat. Natalee fired a shot that sailed wide and struck a wall. The warrior turned abruptly at the sound. Taking advantage of his confusion, Natalee charged him, long-blade drawn and gun abandoned.
He heard her combat boots strike the alien wood flooring and turned to parry. She rolled under his armorsword and struck his legs with her long-blade. He collapsed and Natalee batted away his weak attack and plunged her weapon through the alien�s throat, but not before he could loose a deep growl.
Muttering a curse through clenched teeth, Natalee retreated to the crate once more. The other four Czulkneks leapt through the door and looked around the bodies of their fallen comrades. One kneeled to examine the corpses, and two spoke to each other in their own language.
Natalee recovered her gun from where she�d left it on the floor and aimed at the fourth warrior walking cautiously towards her hiding place. She fired a fatal shot at his throat. The two warriors stopped talking and stared open-mouthed at the new kill.
For a hunting party, Natalee mused; they certainly weren�t the brightest beings this species had to offer. She snapped off several shots at each of the three remaining warriors, and they fell easily enough.
Alzon� suppressed a groan as she realized that, besides her long-blade, she was now unarmed. Oh well, she shrugged; she didn�t really like using that gun anyway. She holstered her now useless weapon in a vague attempt to keep the technology out of enemy hands. She whispered into her radio again. �Alzon� here. I�m in the
compound and I�ve found where they�ve put the general. I�ll make contact again when I have him safe.�
Switching off her radio, Natalee advanced down the hallway. She swept her long dark hair over her shoulder and pressing an ear to the door, she heard two voices, a Czulknek�speaking English, she realized with a start�and General Cantil.
Alzon� took a step back and kicked the door open, flooding light into the dimly lit�but very large�room. As she had hoped, the only figures inside were the Czulknek she�d heard and the general. Only the former turned to look at her. Cantil�whose wrists had been treated as she�d guessed but were still behind his back�was suspended face-down from the high ceiling by a set of ropes running under his arms and another around his ankles, pulling his probably dislocated joints in odd angles. Fresh blood ran down the side of his face and an eye was beginning to swell.
The Czulknek spoke in deep, broken English. �What have we here?�
Natalee crossed the threshold to glare evenly at the warrior. �Release him.�
The warrior laughed, a dry, grating sound. Natalee noted that he was taller and even more well-built than the other aliens she�d faced in the hallway. And his fluency of English suggested uncharacteristic intelligence. �Are all members of your species so ignorant?�
She took another step towards the alien and repeated herself, ignoring his remark. �Release him.�
The warrior cackled again. �Perhaps you do not know who you are addressing. I am Tsenario. But I believe your culture would consider me an admiral.�
�No, I believe we would consider you the lizard-faced scum that�s destroying our planet.� For the first time Natalee recognized the muscular tail Tsenario possessed, and wondered if it was a mark of rank. �Now release him.� She nodded towards Cantil, still hanging limply from the ceiling, but breathing.
Tsenario sneered. �Why would I release him? I have more reason to keep him here than I do to turn him back over to you.�
Alzon� drew her long-blade and narrowed her eyes threateningly. �Is this reason enough?�
Smiling, Tsenario slid a long, double-bladed armorsword from the sheath across his back. �Ah, a duel? Pity though.� He twirled his weapon in elegant circles. �You will be little challenge to dispense of. No matter. I should be able to return to your general's interrogation soon."