Page 54 of Starfighter’s Salvation

Later, I would tear the armor from her body and inspect every inch myself. Restrain her in a medbay if that's what it took to force her to heal. She would not leave me. She wasn't allowed to die.

I locked both hands on the controls so tightly my tendons ached. Keeping control of the ship was the only way I could save her.

We were past the guns, but the remaining fighters raced through the trench behind us. I used every turn, rock, and shadow to keep the ship in one piece. Brennix's excellent aim had scared them off. He managed to keep them back far enough that I had time to evade their shots. For now.

Gina’s breathing came through our private channel. Too fast. I counted every inhale automatically, the way I counted fuel and fighters, because it was the only part of her I could hold onto from up here. Twenty-six. Twenty-eight. Each number was proof she was alive. Each one was faster than the last.

“Slow your breathing,” I ordered.

“I’m fine.”

“You're breathing too fast. Calm down before you bleed out."

“You’re counting?”

“Yes.”

“Bossy.”

“I did warn you.”

"Yes, you did." Her soft sigh loosened the panic in my chest, and I focused on our escape as the trench mouth appeared ahead. Three Scythes waited above it. I'd lost count of how many were on our tail. There was no way around. I pushed the damaged thruster past its limit, and we climbed directly toward the three waiting fighters.

They fired in three different directions. Fuck. I had nowhere to go.

"Brace!" I yelled.

We were seconds from impact when multiple plasma bolts cut across the sky and wiped them out. The lead Scythe in front of me vanished in a burst of fire.

"What the fuck?"

The Valor screamed past the cockpit flying so close I watched Jamie turn her head toward my cockpit. Then she rolled her fighter and chased the next Scythe into open space.

The Justice came in right behind her, flying lower, its guns firing in controlled pairs. The Scythe that hadn't bolted fell from the sky like ash and snow.

The Salvation labored past the much faster ships with Brennix firing non-stop at the group still chasing us.

I opened comms and hoped they'd hear me. "We have at least six more on our tail."

"No problem." I recognized Kassius's voice as the Justice held position, protecting our retreat.

His bondmate, Starfighter Mia had, apparently, managed to take control of the enemies' remaining fighters. "Hah! I'm feeding them false altimeter data,” she said as three of their ships flew directly into the trench wall. “This is surprisingly effective.”

Two more Scythes fired at empty rock moments before the Valor dropped on top of them and took them out. I'd seen the fighters in battle before, but not the Starfighter pilots in action. I had to admit, Jamie Miller from Earth was one of the best I'd seen. Not that I was biased just because she was saving our lives. But they were, the human females and their mates had come for us.

No, not for us. For Gina.

As if I'd summoned her from another dimension, a Scout ship materialized over what remained of the battle. "Georgina? You all right?" Priya's voice came over comms.

"Yes. Thank you guys! We were in trouble."

"No shit." Jamie snorted. "These assholes thought we were going to just let you disappear and not come looking. They're dead now, so I guess we can all forgive them for being so wrong."

I checked my sensors. "We still have a few on our tail. They're flying back into the trench."

"Leave them to me." Mia's voice was filled with glee. "I hacked their whole network. Aryk is going to give me a medal."

"Not the first time, Mia. They'll just change their codes again." Jamia sounded amused.