Barbarian's Rescue

Barbarian's Rescue is the fourteenth book of the Ice Planet Barbarians series. Summer and Warrek are the main characters.

## Synopsis

"Bad day? Try mine on for size.

Rogue slavers have landed on the ice planet and captured the tribe. The only ones not snatched? Me, a walking human motormouth with no skill except that of incoherent babbling, and Warrek, who's as silent as he is attractive. Two more unlikely people have never been paired together.

And now we're supposed to form a rescue team.

Saving the others is either going to bring us closer together - or drive us completely apart. I'm pretty sure the feelings I'm having for my alien companion are as unrequited as they are inappropriate, but since we aren't going to make it out alive, what harm is one teeny, tiny kiss?

Who knew that one kiss could change everything?"

## Plot

The new humans have just gotten the language download at the Elders' Cave. Wanting to make the trip serve more than one purpose, Summer and Warrek head to the fruit cave to collect some fruit. They aren't there long when they see a ship, the Tranquil Lady, flying through the sky.

Curious, the two head to see what is going, only to watch as szzt slavers take the small group there captive. Realizing that they are only chance at rescue, Summer and Warrek retreat back to the cave.

Glad to to discover that ship hasn't left a few hours later, Summer uses her chess and Warrek's hunting experience to devise a plan. Summer jams an exhaust vent to draw out a slaver, who is lured into pit trap. They bind the slaver and question him. After he attacks Summer, Warrek kicks him down to the bottom of the cave killing him. They take his gun.

Warrek comforts Summer and she kisses him. He is taken aback. The next evening they chat. Warrek realizes that though he has always been okay with waiting until resonance, he now feels differently and wants to pursue a relationship with Summer.

By dawn another szzt comes out of the ship. He also falls into the pit trap, and after a prolonged struggle, Summer shoots him. Now with two guns, they decide it's time to go on the attack. Warrek declares his intention to start a relationship with Summer.

Warrek enters first and despite being told to stay outside, Summer follows him. She kills another szzt and shoots up the bridge to keep the ship from flying again. Warrek kills the final szzt, who had cornered Summer in the bridge.

After everyone is safe, they learn that Mardok used old command codes to override the ship and keep it from taking off. Everyone but Brooke and Taushen had been separated by the slavers.

While exploring the ship, they discover the slavers cargo: sixteen human women and four alien men. Knowing that can't be left unprotected, Brooke, Taushen, Mardok, Farli, Harlow and Rukh all decide to stay. Rukhar is sent back with the others.

On the trip back, Summer and Warrek become physical. When they return the tribe is told about the event and the sleeping cargo. Vektal now has to decide whether or not to destroy the Tranquil Lady and whether to awaken the people aboard it. He does know that he and the others need to head to the ship to help those that stayed.

Both Warrek and Summer assume he will be going. Upset at the idea that he might resonate to one of the sleeping women, Summer first asks for permission to 'kidnap' him to keep him from going. She learns that he wasn't chosen to go, but decides on 'kidnapping' him anyway.

During the 'kidnapping' they resonate, making them both very happy.