cried.
“That was a miss?” Irine asked.
“Rocks separated from the asteroid they nicked instead,” Kis’eh’t said. “Hurt us but just cosmetically.”
Just as Reese righted herself, the Earthrise dove to the other side, introducing her upper back to the corner of the station. Acceleration pressed her into it hard enough that she couldn’t find a way to get up. “Saaascha!”
“Almost done—GOT ‘EM!”
In the corner of her eye, Reese could see a rock swooping into view behind them and the raider not turning fast enough to avoid it. The explosions that rippled from its side seemed to happen in slow motion.
“That one is definitely out of the game,” Kis’eh’t said. “The other one’s still coming, though.”
The alarms from Reese’s board were still whooping. Now that she could turn she did to find new problems bordering the old ones, which were now flashing their distress. “If I lose some part of this ship because of this—”
“I’m just working on getting the oxygenated part out of this in one piece,” Sascha said. “The rest of it can be replaced.” The ship began leaning to one side again.
“They’re still tailing us,” Kis’eh’t said.
“Not after this they won’t be,” Sascha said, and dropped the bridge out from under them. Reese’s mouth filled with burning fluid but she swallowed it back down before it could have any other ideas. Her palms were sweating more than usual. Was the room spinning?
One of the alarms stopped abruptly. ‘Gantry Separation Imminent’ became ‘Gantry Has Separated. Please check for leaks.’ “Leaks!” Reese exclaimed.
“I’m not seeing any leaks,” Kis’eh’t said. “What happened?”
“I think one of the cargo cranes just came off,” Reese said weakly.
“Dodge that, friend,” Sascha said, and pulled them out of their dive so quickly Reese gave up her watch on the board and dropped onto the floor to fight with her stomach full-time.
“And—he’s skidded to a stop!” Kis’eh’t said. The Glaseahn squinted at her board, then added, “He’s venting, Sascha. You did something!”
Sascha hit the intercom button. “Bryer, now would be a good time to tell me we can get the hells out of this system.”
“Can do. Vector away.”
Sascha crowed. “We’re out of here!”
Irine and Kis’eh’t cheered. Reese would have joined them but wasn’t sure opening her mouth would have been a good idea.
From the lift, a baritone said, “So is it safe to come out now?”
“Hey, Hirianthial! Looks like we made it out alive!”
“Good to hear. And here is my runaway.”
Reese stared at the man’s gray leather boots and hated them. Did they have to be so finely polished? They weren’t even scuffed. Even the pewter buckles were unmarred. The Eldritch crouched over her and the open concern in his eyes irritated her as much as it worried her.
“I hope you don’t mind if I take you back to your hammock,” Hirianthial said so softly he must have intended only her to hear.
“Preparing to Well away,” Sascha said.
Reese licked her upper lip and chanced a few words. “Think I could handle that.”
The Earthrise shook so hard Reese flew forward into Hirianthial, who caught her before sliding back against the lift.
“What was that!” Kis’eh’t shouted.
“A parting blow,” Sascha said. “Their weapons still work, I guess. Doesn’t matter because... three, two, one, we’re gone!”
The smooth hum beneath her thinned away until the Well Drive’s nigh silence took over. Reese waited long enough to ensure they’d made it into folded-space before vomiting onto Hirianthial’s brocade tunic and fainting completely away.
“How far are we from Starbase Kappa?” Hirianthial asked, running a hand over Reese’s chest. The black knot over her had become so thorny sensing it brought tears to the corners of his eyes. He wished fervently for a real medical scanner, one capable of penetrating to the tissue level he
“That was a miss?” Irine asked.
“Rocks separated from the asteroid they nicked instead,” Kis’eh’t said. “Hurt us but just cosmetically.”
Just as Reese righted herself, the Earthrise dove to the other side, introducing her upper back to the corner of the station. Acceleration pressed her into it hard enough that she couldn’t find a way to get up. “Saaascha!”
“Almost done—GOT ‘EM!”
In the corner of her eye, Reese could see a rock swooping into view behind them and the raider not turning fast enough to avoid it. The explosions that rippled from its side seemed to happen in slow motion.
“That one is definitely out of the game,” Kis’eh’t said. “The other one’s still coming, though.”
The alarms from Reese’s board were still whooping. Now that she could turn she did to find new problems bordering the old ones, which were now flashing their distress. “If I lose some part of this ship because of this—”
“I’m just working on getting the oxygenated part out of this in one piece,” Sascha said. “The rest of it can be replaced.” The ship began leaning to one side again.
“They’re still tailing us,” Kis’eh’t said.
“Not after this they won’t be,” Sascha said, and dropped the bridge out from under them. Reese’s mouth filled with burning fluid but she swallowed it back down before it could have any other ideas. Her palms were sweating more than usual. Was the room spinning?
One of the alarms stopped abruptly. ‘Gantry Separation Imminent’ became ‘Gantry Has Separated. Please check for leaks.’ “Leaks!” Reese exclaimed.
“I’m not seeing any leaks,” Kis’eh’t said. “What happened?”
“I think one of the cargo cranes just came off,” Reese said weakly.
“Dodge that, friend,” Sascha said, and pulled them out of their dive so quickly Reese gave up her watch on the board and dropped onto the floor to fight with her stomach full-time.
“And—he’s skidded to a stop!” Kis’eh’t said. The Glaseahn squinted at her board, then added, “He’s venting, Sascha. You did something!”
Sascha hit the intercom button. “Bryer, now would be a good time to tell me we can get the hells out of this system.”
“Can do. Vector away.”
Sascha crowed. “We’re out of here!”
Irine and Kis’eh’t cheered. Reese would have joined them but wasn’t sure opening her mouth would have been a good idea.
From the lift, a baritone said, “So is it safe to come out now?”
“Hey, Hirianthial! Looks like we made it out alive!”
“Good to hear. And here is my runaway.”
Reese stared at the man’s gray leather boots and hated them. Did they have to be so finely polished? They weren’t even scuffed. Even the pewter buckles were unmarred. The Eldritch crouched over her and the open concern in his eyes irritated her as much as it worried her.
“I hope you don’t mind if I take you back to your hammock,” Hirianthial said so softly he must have intended only her to hear.
“Preparing to Well away,” Sascha said.
Reese licked her upper lip and chanced a few words. “Think I could handle that.”
The Earthrise shook so hard Reese flew forward into Hirianthial, who caught her before sliding back against the lift.
“What was that!” Kis’eh’t shouted.
“A parting blow,” Sascha said. “Their weapons still work, I guess. Doesn’t matter because... three, two, one, we’re gone!”
The smooth hum beneath her thinned away until the Well Drive’s nigh silence took over. Reese waited long enough to ensure they’d made it into folded-space before vomiting onto Hirianthial’s brocade tunic and fainting completely away.
“How far are we from Starbase Kappa?” Hirianthial asked, running a hand over Reese’s chest. The black knot over her had become so thorny sensing it brought tears to the corners of his eyes. He wished fervently for a real medical scanner, one capable of penetrating to the tissue level he
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