Emprise
an excerpt

“I like you. I'll let you live if you surrender,” the captain said. No affection warmed his voice; his black eyes were serious and calculating. Nikki thought he could trust the captain's offer; after all, a businessman couldn't expect to be paid as much for a corpse at a slave market.

But the word 'surrender,' that soft, susurrating pulp of a word, held vile connotations. Nikki wasn't a loser, and if he was, it damn well wasn't going to be on purpose. He scowled and reached for a weapon that probably wasn't practical against a sword, but one he knew well.

He grabbed his longboard by the trucks and held it in front of himself like a shield.

“I'll die free,” Nikki said. “If you like me so much, make it quick.”