But before he can launch out, the floor of the ship caves upward and the ceiling tears open in a fiery green blast.
I hunker forward, but the seat harness catches me. I can't see him through the clouds of smoke. The dash lights up with warnings, and a chorus of frantic alerts pelts my ears.
Holo looks over at me. “Brace your head!”
There's no time to ask why. The co-pilot's seat seals up in an egg-shaped pod, and Holo kicks me out of the ship sideways.
As I fall, I clutch my head and scour the blue sky for what could've caused such damage. Someone in a freakish ship of swooping ailerons like a metal squid zips around Holo. I pray for a sign of Thruster, but I never see his gold light leave the door as our ship nose-dives toward the planet.
Brace for Impactflashes on the screen in my armrest. Hoverpads slow me, but I still hit the ground hard. The pod jolts and bumps as I skip and roll through desert brush that scrapes the hull. When I finally rock to a stop, I’m hanging upside down in my harness.
My whole body aches. My braids swing beneath my head. Blood pools in my face.Fucking hell.
I rip open my harness and fall to the floor, catching myself limply. Slapping the Open Door button, I’m greeted by the sunlight and the sight of a smoke trail that vanishes at the other end of the desert.
Oh, stars! Thruster?
There’s no sign of him in the sky.
