“She threatened my father’s commendation.” Nissa heaved in a breath. “It’s coming up in a couple of months. Even though he doesn’t mention it much, I know he’s so damned excited about it. It’s the final shining moment of the career he worked so hard for. And it secures his pension to the day he dies.” Her voice grew softer. “I couldn’t let her take that away from him.”
Dammit.Damn all the meddling GSS bastards to hell. “You should have told me!”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Her voice was quiet and far too calm. “I just wanted you to know I was sorry.”
“I know.” He stepped on a half-rotted log to bring his face level with hers. “I’m still not leaving you here.”
She gave him a small smile. “Tell me how you got that scar? The truth this time.”
“No. I’ll tell you after we get out of here.” He stepped back and withdrew his blaster.
He shot at the vines. He was hoping to get a few off her, but the result was unexpected.
They clearly did not like ion fire.
The vines writhed and wriggled like they were being poisoned. In one simultaneous movement, the vines all released Nissa, pulling back from her so fast she hit the ground in an ungainly sprawl.
“You okay?” He knelt beside her, one arm under her elbow.
“Tailbone hit the ground.” She winced. “Hard. But I’m good.”
“Come on. Run as fast as you can.”
They moved at a swift pace, once again hacking at the plants and vines. It wasn’t long before he felt the ground start to rise.
“We’re at the hill.” He couldn’t see past the vegetation, but they were close. He hacked at the wall of green, clearing a hole through the vines.
Beyond the gap was nothing but bare rock.
They jumped through and pounded up the rocky slope.
“I’ve never been so happy to see no plants,” she said.
Justyn looked over his shoulder. Their tiny hill of rock was one of a small group in the area, each like a little island dotting the surface of thick, green sea.
At the top of the hill, he swung his backpack off and set the beacon down.
He pressed the correct sequence of buttons and waited as the lights flashed. Beside him, Nissa held her blaster and kept watch on the vegetation line.
After a minute, the beacon beeped, the lights settling into a steady on-off blink.
He sat back on his heels. “Done. It’s transmitting.”
She looked up at the sky and the red-gold sun overhead. Behind it were two smaller, bright stars that formed the rest of the triple star system. “I hope your brothers aren’t too far away.”
“And I hope whoever attacked us isn’t still jamming transmissions.”
“They think we’re dead, so they shouldn’t be.” She kept scanning the vegetation line. “What now?”
“It’s not safe enough to return to the ship. I say we stay here.”
She nodded and wandered around the rocky outcrop. He stretched his neck, trying to ease the tension. He didn’t thinkthis jungle planet’s deadly plants had given up on eating them just yet.
“Justyn!”
He spun, blaster aimed.
But she wasn’t in trouble, just waving at him to join her where she crouched, studying something nestled amongst the rocks.
