Thruster>>Drillbit: Where are you? Ship’s almost on us. We need a drop, now!
Drillbit>>Thruster: Thirty seconds.
The Skysprinter's engines stir up dust and bits of vegetation as it hovers lower in front of the entrance.
“Kelta, stay with me, please.” I pick her up and carry her behind a loose boulder. I can’t help myself as I lay her down, feeling deep in my heating core that she is the one I want—the one who might understand.
I’m not sure where the programming comes from, but I rest my cheek to hers and draw in a breath of her sweet musk. She smells like space and the lighter fragrance all females carry. I savor the faint warmth of her skin, fearing it will be cold when I return to her next. Then I get up, swing my salvaged rifle around my body, put in a fresh magazine, rack in the first round, and stalk to the entrance of the cave.
I don’t wait for the Solcrue to start shooting. I hide behind a rock opposite Kelta and fire at the weakest spot on the ship as fast as I can. The shield generator on the port side erupts and drops the shields. It will help, but my rifle fire isn’t a match for the Skysprinter’s bullets when it lets loose.
Every pulse eats into the cave, making it rain bits of rock onto us.
He’s going to bury Kelta and me!
Drillbit can get us out, but it won’t matter if Kelta is crushed before he arrives.
Fury storms through me, igniting every engine on my body. “Leave us alone!”
I’m not thinking. Instinct consumes me, making me rocket out of the cave at the ship. He tries to shoot me down, aiming wildly. But his guns were never meant to cross paths, and I’m headed straight for his nose.
My chest plants into the ship. I brace it with my arms and grit my teeth as I focus everything I have on pushing him back.
I was not built to wrestle an entire ship. I just can't let him hurt Kelta. She's a critical asset to our rebellion as much as she is innocent in this war, a human I'm supposed to protect—and a female I want more than anything. She understands loss and disorientation. And she still fought despite her fear as she stared death in the face.
She protected me.
I am here because of her.
The Skysprinter fights me, pushing me toward the cave. I’m not going to win in a thruster to thruster battle.
But leverage…
My feet find a boulder. I change my position, direct my engines as fast as I can into vertical thrust, then cut power and let go. The Skysprinter bolts skyward and slams into the mountain, bursting into a plume of fire, metal shards, and erupting payload.
“Thruster!” Drillbit waves me inside. “Hurry.”
I charge through the debris into the cave. Drillbit has Kelta in his arms and jumps down the shaft. I follow him, fearing for her life. She is limp in his grasp when we land and step aside as the tunnel shaft fills with rubble.
Drillbit’s eyes and the lamp built into his head light up the darkness. “Doesn’t look good. I don’t have any gear for her, you know.”
"I gave Kelta a booster, but that was before this." I want to carry her, but my engines are still cooling. I glow like rings of coals as we walk through the tunnel.
Drillbit isn't much cooler after boring a hole in the mountain to reach us. He sets Kelta down. "Sometimes, I hate being a Titan. Most of the Brothers have skills they can use to keep their mates safe, ones that won't hurt their females. But I am afraid to touch humans and even most of our Brothers. I am covered in blades. How will I ever find a mate?"
“Not the insides of your hands,” I offer.
“It’s not enough.” He turns away. “When you’re cool, best check her. I am going to return to carving the paths to our new camp in the deep valley. Commander wants the shield on before we free the ship from the mountain tomorrow. We’re going to have to move fast. You’ll need to charge up with Diesel.”
“Drillbit.”
He stops in a tunnel. Red eyes appear far down the passageway toward the camp. Redline’s signal enters the local area network list in my vision.
“Thank you. None of us would have survived this planet without you.”
He sighs. “I am not so certain. There were plenty of tunnels already here.”
“D.”
