Nerves creep down my spine, tickling my sub-bones along the way. It seems risky to send the delicate females on his ship and the little Kevin out in the middle of a fiery battle, but we’ve got no choice.
Another boom makes the entire ship shake. Rock crumbles thunk on the window of the ship. Since it’s parked right in front of the mountain, I don’t know what’s going on beyond it, only what Avrell tells me. But from the sound of the explosions, it’s chaotic and dangerous.
“A diversion. Got it, Doc. And then how will we get there?”
“You’ll have to be creative and quick. Figure it out on the fly.”
Nothing about this sounds easy, but I’ll be gods-rekking-damned if I let anything happen to Stella and Henry. We’ll figure it out. We have thus far. Me and my little team of three.
“Buckle up, little alien,” I say to Henry. “We’re about to go for a ride.”
Henry giggles and claps his hands together. Stella appears, walking over to Henry’s chair. She picks him up and settles in the chair, pulling him tight against her. As soon as she buckles both of them in, she gives me a worried look.
I reach over and take her small hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “I’m going to keep you safe, mate.”
Rather than wincing at the word, she nods. She believes me and trusts me to take care of them.
“All right, Av,” I say as I yank on my safety belt and click the latch into place. “Tell me how to fly this thing.”
Admittedly, piloting is more Theron’s thing than mine. I’d rather push my claws into soft soil, digging for roots, than zip across the horizon in a ship. But being a part of our Faction means being able to perform in all areas when called to.
There’s no bigger call than this.
“It’s just like the Mayvina,” Avrell says, “except for a few buttons.”
“Are you going to tell me what those buttons are?” I ask, skimming my gaze over the many blinking lights on the dashboard.
“He doesn’t know what those buttons do,” Zoe grumbles. “We don’t touch those buttons.”
I shoot Stella a sidelong glance. This distraction unnerves me, but it’s necessary. We’re wholly outnumbered by the Kevins. Our people need to be in one location so we’ll have better chances of surviving.
As Avrell barks out some instructions, I begin pushing the buttons I think I know what they’ll do. The engines roar to life and the entire ship vibrates. Henry giggles with excitement. My heart rumbles at the sound and it feels much like this ship—ready to burst into the air and fly home.
Stella and Henry are my home.
I’ve never been so sure about anything in all my life.
Pulling back on a sleek lever, the ship sways slightly from side to side as we begin to hover off the ground. My stomach twists and turns. The anxiety at keeping these two safe is overwhelming.
“If you can fly north and shoot at whatever you can, it should distract them long enough for me to get our ship to the dock at the Facility. All we need are a few minutes.” Avrell’s tone is somber. “It’s dangerous, but you’re in a position to keep eyes off our ship until we can safely disembark all these people.”
I pull on the lever again, making us rise up, up, up until we’re just below the cap of the mountaintop, still hidden. “Which button makes this thing go fast?”
“The green one,” Avrell states. “Thank you for this, Galen. I owe you.”
“We’re a family,” I grunt out. “We do what we can for each other.” I shoot Stella and Henry a smile. “Family sticks together, even during the hard times.”
Stella’s eyes sheen with tears and she reaches over to touch my arm. Her delicate fingers brushing over my minnasuit send warmth curling through my body.
“Be careful,” Zoe bites out. “We can’t lose anyone else. See you on the other side, guys.”
I give them a clipped nod. “On your mark, Av.”
“Three. Two. One. Go!!!”
I yank down on the lever, shooting us high into the air. The sky is littered with ships, including a massive mother ship, and I can’t tell which one is Avrell. When lights flash from one of the ships, I realize it’s a signal from him. I find a joystick with a red trigger and squeeze.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Blue lasers shoot from our ship, piercing a nearby ship. A fiery-red explosion bursts in front of us and I’m forced to veer sharply to the right. Stella and Henry are quiet, or perhaps the firepower is much louder, because I don’t hear anything but the lasers and explosions.
Zipping hard left and then right, I do my best to outmaneuver the other ships and keep the focus on me. I’m unable to see if Avrell made it or not, but I can’t stop to look. I have to believe this is working.