Thruster>>Holo: Approaching drop zone.
Holo looks down at the dark hole in the rocky mountain that opens up below his feet.
Holo>>Thruster: I really hate Welvirs.
You and me both, Brother.I hate that he’s confronting them alone, but I must get back to Kelta. She has important gear that can help us, and I’m desperate to feel her against me again.Ready when you are.
Holo lets his rifle hang across his chest, then reaches up and slaps the cables. They disengage and promptly roll back up in my sides.
He disappears down the shaft. Gunfire flashes.
I wait for a report.
Three more pops echo up from the shaft, though I can’t see the light.
Holo>>Thruster: All clear. Closing adjacent tunnels now. Go get Kelta.
I click back twice and race off to where I last saw her.
Kelta’s made significant progress. She’s sneaking through a slim layer of trees around the valley.
I land not far from her. “Hey, ready for a break?”
"Hell, yes. I've been pushing because I'm hoping to find a place to take these packs off." Kelta smiles.
“Tell me if I hurt you.” I walk toward her. Every step makes an unexpected joy swell in my body, a hunger in my core feeling more and more sated until she’s finally in my arms again. There’s reassurance in being with her. And I think I understand what Rebel feels when he sees Taline.
Kelta loops her arms around my neck and lifts a leg near my hips. “I’m too heavy to jump now. A little help?”
The mischief sparkling in her eyes makes my ultromotor spool up. I slide my hands over her hips and hoist her up.
A hot rush of desire stirs in my core. I wish I could stop my cock from swelling so firmly in response to her, but when she bites her lip and waggles her brows, my embarrassment vanishes.
“You like that?” I ask.
Kelta sweeps her lips over mine. “Do you?”
My engines start-up as I think about getting us to camp so we can explore more of whatever this is. I rocket us up into the sky and race her toward the shaft where Holo hides. As we near the dropsite, I force myself to look away from Kelta and do one final scan. With the airspace clear, I lower us.
Darkness swallows us slowly. Kelta peers up as we descend and draws a gun. “Do you hear that?”
I can’t hear much over my engines’ drone.
She points her gun overhead, squints, and fires. Bits of metal rain down into the shaft. Kelta holsters her gun and sighs. “Damn drones. They used to land on our ships and leach information.”
We land beside Holo, who stands just inside the tunnel toward the base. He's already looking over the parts of the drone.
“Something wrong?” I ask
He strips out some wiring. “Useful actually. How did you hear that?”
Kelta points her gun down the tunnel. “It’s a high-pitched whine, sort of like ears ringing. Only females can hear it.”
Holo shrugs and glances at me. “Glad we have you then. I didn’t hear anything. Didn’t show up on scanners either.”
Kelta follows him down the tunnel. I take up a position behind her, just in case another drone or the like decides to try and follow.
Holo>>Thruster: close the shaft. Take this.
