Page 74 of Starfighter’s Salvation

Lily and Darius volunteered their Titans. Bantia and Ulixes walked in a few minutes later and offered their Titans to the team, which made even Darius smile.

Lily had initiated contact with Mia when Dekker walked in. Seriously, people were going to start noticing if our group got much bigger.

Dekker was completely unaffected. "What's the plan?"

"What are you talking about?" I tried to look innocent. Hah. "There's no plan."

"Cut the crap. I owe Corvan my life several times over. Tell me we're going after him." He took inventory of our growing team. "Four titans? You're going to need a drop ship, and I know just the guy who can steal one for you."

Darius nodded. "Thank you."

Dekker shook his head. "Thank me when it's over."

"Mia, it's Lily."

"Little busy chasing bad guys." Mia sounded stressed. I couldn't even imagine.

"Mia, we've got a team assembled. Four titans, ships, a Scout team and…"

"You going after Corvan?" She cursed and I heard Kassius grumbling in the background. "They deserved that." She cleared her throat and returned her attention to us. "I've been tracking him. He's still alive, but he's slowing down. You should probably hurry."

My heart plummeted into my stomach, and I had to sit on the edge of the table before my knees gave out. He was alive. Mia knew exactly where he was. Those were the only two things I'd heard that mattered. "We're coming but we need to sneak past their fighters. Can you blind them for us? Open a corridor?"

"Yep." Mia didn’t wait for the next question. “I am inside the dome's network. I can use their emitters to overload their sensors and get you close."

“How long will we have?” Lily asked.

“How long do you need?” Mia countered.

That was a very good question. And a way in was not a plan. "Mia, we'll call you back." I opened the door and went out onto the command floor in search of Captain Wroxxon. Once I spotted him, I very politely slipped my arm under his elbow and asked him to please accompany me.

The second the door closed behind him, he took one look at everyone, tilted his head back and let out a massive groan in the general direction of the ceiling. "What the fuck are you troublemakers doing in here?"

Priya actually snorted. "Like you don't know." She activated a screen on the meeting room's wall and pulled up a schematic of Dome Erys, complete with a new addition, a bright blue dot, compliments of Mia. "And we need your help."

That blue dot was Corvan. He was alive. He was moving. We were going to go get him.

Wroxxon walked over to inspect the display and pointed at the blue dot. "Corvan?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"How did you—no. Don't answer that. I don't want to know."

"We have a team. We need a plan," I said.

“Have you cleared this insanity with Aryk or Jennix?” Wroxxon studied me even though he already knew the answer. We didn't have permission and we weren't going to ask. If we asked, they might say no, and there was no way I was leaving Corvan to fend for himself. I'd go after him alone if I had to. I could fly the Salvation. Technically, she was my ship, too.

But I wasn't stupid and I wasn't an experienced military tactician. I forced myself to say the words. Hell, I'd beg if I had to. “Please. We need your help.”

His expression didn’t change, but he turned to the display. Pieces moved across the map. “Drop zone here." He pointed to an area relatively close to that precious blue dot. "Titans breach whatever is left of the walls."

"Ground and pound." Lily sounded excited.

Wroxxon ignored her. "We can't afford to pull Jamie, Alexius or Mia out of position, so you're going to need another fighter pilot. Lieutenant Maro will probably be willing."

“Maro?" I asked. "He's wounded.”

The door opened and closed again. We all turned as Maro walked into the room as if thinking about him had summoned him out of thin air. “They patched me up. Break like that doesn't take long. I'm good to go.”