Page 68 of Starfighter’s Salvation

Erys Dome wasn't strategically important, few hundred civilians, small military presence, a few research teams. I flew the Salvation through the upper cargo doors while above us somewhere, Mia hacked their control systems and opened the bay doors from orbit. As we flew by, the dome's outermost ring vented atmosphere in white streams along its damaged seams. Emergency barriers had sealed three sections near us. A fourth failed as we approached.

The dome's supportive material flashed white as it absorbed more weapons' fire. Venting gas turned my ship's viewport hazy as I lowered the ship directly into the plume. The Salvation's filters weren't good enough to prevent the cockpit from filling with a dry mineral taste of fire suppressants and smoke.

Kassius's voice came through the comms. “Corvan, they just fired an energy weapon. Pressure wave gonna hit your position in seven seconds.”

"Seven seconds," I acknowledges his warning as I rolled the Salvation beneath a stream of venting gas and used the billowing white chaos to hide us from any ground batteries that might be under Dark Fleet control.

"They're firing at us." Next to me in the co-pilot's seat, Gina sounded more annoyed than afraid as multiple plasma blasts screamed through the air above us and hit the inside of the dome.

“Salvation, you are deviating from the approved route.” Captain Wroxxon's angry tone reached me through comms, all the way from back at base where he was, no doubt, watching everything happen..

“The approved route is under fire.”

“It was under less fire when I approved it.”

Gina had a white-knuckle grip on the arms of her chair as Jamie's voice cut across the channel. “I'm taking out the north battery. Alex has the south guns. Stop arguing and land so you can get the hell out of here.”

As Jamie promised, the Valor fired multiple times. One gun battery went dark. Then the second. I eased out of the gas vent's stream and crossed the outer ring of the dome before the enemy could fire on us again. I flew low over the designated landing pad, aligned the ship with the cargo lock and set us down. The locking zone was designed for fighters and small transport crawlers, not an oversized rescue ship. Both wingtips cleared the area by less than half a meter.

“Corvan?”

“I see it.”

“Just checking.”

“You are distracting the pilot.”

“The pilot likes it when I distract him.”

She was correct. I fucking loved everything about her. Even with the wingtips a breath from the cradle's walls, half my attention stayed was locked on the sound of her voice.

The ship shuddered as the loud banging of the locking clamps settled over my ship, holding us in place as the entire dome erupted in chaos.

“You're secure,” Mia said over the comm. “You've got eight minutes. Possibly nine if their system administrator is as stupid as his password.”

“Eight is enough,” Gina assured her.

“Everyone says that until minute nine. Get your ass moving.”

I put the ship's engines on idle inside the launch cradle, so we'd be ready to leave the moment Gina gave the word that our evacuees were secure. Gina had the ramp down before the clamps finished locking and ran toward our target zone before I could even try to stop her. Of course she did.

“Eight minutes!” she shouted to the dome's medical staff over comms even before she reached the clinic doors. “Walking patients first. Bring whatever you need to keep them alive. Leave everything else.”

The clinic doors slid open. Staff rolled out four stretchers. Two patients required portable breathing systems. One had an open abdominal wound. Another was a child with burns over half her body. Gina took one look and reorganized the entire evacuation in the blink of an eye. I had commanded warriors who could not do with weeks of training what she managed with a glance.

People moved, and the child started screaming when the suspension frame lifted. Gina dropped beside her.

“Hey, sweetheart. Eyes on me. What’s your name?”

“Nera.”

“Nera, I’m Gina. This giant, ugly ship outside is mine. We’re going for a ride.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know. You can hate every second. But you still have to come. I'm going to take you somewhere safe.”

The girl grabbed Gina’s hand, and Gina walked beside the frame all the way to the ramp before she eased Nera’s grip into the hands of a clinic nurse — not one second before the child was ready, not one second after. My mate knew exactly how much of herself a terrified stranger needed and gave it without hesitating. Watching her do it, with the enemy at the door and our time running out, I felt more than protective. More than love or desire or appreciation for her beauty. And she was fucking beautiful.