“How do I make it work?” he asks.
I motion for Keanna’s staff, which she eagerly hands me. Then I swing it at Thruster’s side.
He catches it with ease, but the shield bursts to life in an iridescent layer close to his body.
“You look like a Titan bubble,” Fury says, poking the shield as if somehow it will pop.
“In theory,” I say, “it can handle what the BlazeStar can. But your insides might not take quite that amount of force. So I’d just keep fighting like you have been, and stay cautious of the hits you take.”
Thruster releases the staff and looks at his hands. “But how do I grab stuff?”
“Just like you did the staff. It’s all instinct. That’s a perk of being a CyberTitan—every cybercell in your body knows what you want to do in any given instance, right?”
Fury hugs his arms. “Any chance you can make more of them? It would be nice to have that when I’m sniping.”
I nod. “Clover has a lab already replicating this set up, as many as we can with limited materials.”
“What do you need so every Titan can have this?” Thruster asks.
“Soiridium mostly.”
“I think we need to get you to Drillbit. He knows where the ore is at.” Fury turns to Thruster. “Mission-ready?”
“Fully charged. Just need some armament.”
Fury grins. “Now you’re talking. Keanna, love, you might want to show Kelta the viewpoint. She can watch Thruster from there. I imagine she will want to.”
Keanna gives her mate a dirty look. “Don’t cause too much trouble.”
“You know I will.” Fury kisses her, then leads the way out of the room and to a forward hangar, where Thruster gears up with a set of guns and a special sword.
“A zembi? Where did you find this?” Thruster asks. By Fury’s shrug and quiet head shake, I think they’re back to talking in their heads.
Thruster walks to the edge of the hangar and looks at the watery shield. “Better go below. We don’t want them seeing us launching in or out of here.”
“Agreed,” Fury says. “Soon, though.”
Thruster picks me up as our group walks back to the ramp. He kisses me as we descend to the mountain’s carved out landing. “Promise me that you will stay here with Clover while I work. No getting in another ship and coming after me again.”
“Promise. Call if you need backup. That FeatherLiteispretty fun to fly.”
“We will likely need you during the final escape,” Commander Savage remarks from where he is gathered with a group of Titans.
“I’d be happy to.”
"Good. Holo brought this up to give to you." Savage scoots my dusty and charred duffel to me.
I can’t believe Holo still got it to me after everything we’d been through.
“I hope it was worth it,” Savage says.
I frantically unpack it and free the tablet. I offer it to him. “This has all the rebel fleets’ data on it.”
Savage’s scowl softens as he takes it and unlocks it with the passcode I give him. His surprise is encouraging. But when he takes a knee and salutes me, I’m not sure what to do.
Thruster salutes me, as do all the other titans in the area.
“Please tell me what’s going on.” I glance at Keanna, who shrugs.
