third was cargo, and the remaining third were bedrooms, the kitchen, a bathroom, and oddly, some kind of guarded space which could probably be used to hold prisoners.
She didn’t want to think about that. This ship was probably used for smuggling illegal items, and that space meant some of those items might not be things but people.
At least, that was what she told herself to feel better about all of this.
“Strap yourself in,” she said. “We’re getting out of here fast and I have no idea how good the environmental controls are.”
Mostly, she was worried about the gravity. Some ship owners had the ships set to zero-G after takeoff. She didn’t have the time to find the specific gravity controls before they left.
She had to get the ship to follow her commands, and that would take a few minutes. It was a relatively simple procedure that many yacht owners knew nothing about. With the help of that employee, she’d registered herself as an emergency repair engineer on Krell. Now she uploaded that code into the ship’s systems.
Theoretically, the ship would contact Krell’s automated docking bay system and find her.
Not that it mattered. Even if the Rovers who were after Jack figured out he’d left by ship, they wouldn’t know which ship for some time.
At least that was what she hoped.
She strapped herself into the pilot’s seat, and clicked on the controls, and prayed her plan would work.
Chapter 19
Jack watched Skye’s nimble fingers dance along the navigation board. He couldn’t tell what she was doing, but piloting a ship had never been his strong suit. The ship he was leaving behind here had simple controls, designed for idiots with minimal piloting experience.
He had flown a lot, but he didn’t care about mastering the skill, so he just set everything to automatic and hoped that nothing would break down.
Usually he used flight time to research the latest possible client or target for the Rovers. Or lately, to research some of the things the Rovers had been into.
He would miss his ship. He’d had it for years. Maybe, when this was all over, he could come back for it.
Fortunately, Skye seemed to know what she was doing. She frowned in concentration, and she bit her lower lip ever so slightly as she worked. He liked that quirk.
He liked everything about her.
Then the ship lurched backward. Ships weren’t supposed to lurch.
“Ooops,” Skye muttered.
Jack gave her a sharp glance, but Skye wasn’t looking at him. She was staring at a holographic screen that had just appeared in front of her, showing the docking ring and the ships on it in three dimensions.
It took a moment for Jack to find their ship, a sleek model the shape of a pilsner glass. It was slowly separating from the dock.
Now he couldn’t feel the movement of the ship, which was how it should be. He gripped the seat’s arms, feeling the smooth leatherlike fabric beneath his fingers, and kept his gaze on that 3-D representation of the ship moving away from Krell.
So far, he saw no other ships leaving, but that didn’t mean anything. All someone had to do was contact a ship nearby, and he’d get followed.
“Where are we going?” he asked. “Centaar?”
Centaar was the nearest planet, not too far out of the NetherRealm where Krell was. Centaar’s main city, Oyal, had its own laws, most of which ignored laws from other regions.
If Jack and Skye arrived in a stolen ship, no one from Oyal would care.
“I figure they’d look for us there first,” she said. “I’m thinking we head to the Brezev Sector, and see what we can find there.”
“The Brezev Sector?” he said. “That’s not part of any affiliated group.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Filled with criminals, pirates, roving bands of mischief makers. You know, like the Rovers.”
“Not even Rovers go there,” he said. She shrugged. He felt his heart sink. “You’re serious.”
“I am,” she said. “It’s not as dangerous as it’s made out to
She didn’t want to think about that. This ship was probably used for smuggling illegal items, and that space meant some of those items might not be things but people.
At least, that was what she told herself to feel better about all of this.
“Strap yourself in,” she said. “We’re getting out of here fast and I have no idea how good the environmental controls are.”
Mostly, she was worried about the gravity. Some ship owners had the ships set to zero-G after takeoff. She didn’t have the time to find the specific gravity controls before they left.
She had to get the ship to follow her commands, and that would take a few minutes. It was a relatively simple procedure that many yacht owners knew nothing about. With the help of that employee, she’d registered herself as an emergency repair engineer on Krell. Now she uploaded that code into the ship’s systems.
Theoretically, the ship would contact Krell’s automated docking bay system and find her.
Not that it mattered. Even if the Rovers who were after Jack figured out he’d left by ship, they wouldn’t know which ship for some time.
At least that was what she hoped.
She strapped herself into the pilot’s seat, and clicked on the controls, and prayed her plan would work.
Chapter 19
Jack watched Skye’s nimble fingers dance along the navigation board. He couldn’t tell what she was doing, but piloting a ship had never been his strong suit. The ship he was leaving behind here had simple controls, designed for idiots with minimal piloting experience.
He had flown a lot, but he didn’t care about mastering the skill, so he just set everything to automatic and hoped that nothing would break down.
Usually he used flight time to research the latest possible client or target for the Rovers. Or lately, to research some of the things the Rovers had been into.
He would miss his ship. He’d had it for years. Maybe, when this was all over, he could come back for it.
Fortunately, Skye seemed to know what she was doing. She frowned in concentration, and she bit her lower lip ever so slightly as she worked. He liked that quirk.
He liked everything about her.
Then the ship lurched backward. Ships weren’t supposed to lurch.
“Ooops,” Skye muttered.
Jack gave her a sharp glance, but Skye wasn’t looking at him. She was staring at a holographic screen that had just appeared in front of her, showing the docking ring and the ships on it in three dimensions.
It took a moment for Jack to find their ship, a sleek model the shape of a pilsner glass. It was slowly separating from the dock.
Now he couldn’t feel the movement of the ship, which was how it should be. He gripped the seat’s arms, feeling the smooth leatherlike fabric beneath his fingers, and kept his gaze on that 3-D representation of the ship moving away from Krell.
So far, he saw no other ships leaving, but that didn’t mean anything. All someone had to do was contact a ship nearby, and he’d get followed.
“Where are we going?” he asked. “Centaar?”
Centaar was the nearest planet, not too far out of the NetherRealm where Krell was. Centaar’s main city, Oyal, had its own laws, most of which ignored laws from other regions.
If Jack and Skye arrived in a stolen ship, no one from Oyal would care.
“I figure they’d look for us there first,” she said. “I’m thinking we head to the Brezev Sector, and see what we can find there.”
“The Brezev Sector?” he said. “That’s not part of any affiliated group.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Filled with criminals, pirates, roving bands of mischief makers. You know, like the Rovers.”
“Not even Rovers go there,” he said. She shrugged. He felt his heart sink. “You’re serious.”
“I am,” she said. “It’s not as dangerous as it’s made out to
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