Page 76 of Starfighter’s Salvation

Aryk held out his hand, and I wasn't about to argue. I handed the crystal to him — the first solid proof that the ongoing Velerion war had a double agent hidden somewhere inside their own government. “I will make sure this gets to Torek. Hand delivered. No command traffic, nothing the traitor can read off the comms.” His fist closed around it. “Quietly.”

“Good.” Halix’s eyes were losing focus fast. “Tell him I kept it safe. Two systems. I kept it safe.”

“You did. Thank you.” I nodded to the med team, and this time he slumped into the chair and closed his eyes, exhausted. “Now let them take care of you."

I turned back to my friends — to Priya, to Vesh, to the assembled team, to the empty space where Corvan should have been standing, arguing with me about putting myself in danger.

Well, this was not negotiable.

He was mine, and I was going to do whatever it took to get him home.

19

Gina, Dome Erys

* * *

We entered Dome Erys at local dusk.

Mia killed the outer sensors for three minutes. Not one second more. Dekker slid the drop ship through the gap, held it level over the outer ring, and released two of the four Titans. Bantia and Ulixes hit like thrown hammers. The impact shook the entire dome, and the Dark Fleet units broke from their posts and ran for the breach, exactly the way Wroxxon said they would.

Dekker pulled up hard and climbed to join the fighters wheeling overhead. Jamie and Alexius took the Valor low across the outer ring and drew fire from the maintenance levels. Priya and Vesh parked the scout ship above the sensor gap and watched every thermal signature and comm packet in the dome.

Maro set the Salvation down in a maintenance bay on the far side. Engines hot. Ramp down.

“I am not going anywhere,” he said.

“Promise?”

“I promise the engines will be running when you come back.”

It would have to do.

I walked down the ramp in rescue armor, two medical kits on my back and a sidearm on my hip I had never once fired at a person. Darius and Lily followed in their Titans, each step sending a tremor through the deck plates. I was just grateful they'd managed to squeeze onto my ship. I needed them with me. I wasn't a fighter, and I had a feeling we were going to have to fight our way to Corvan.

Fading starlight turned the dome violet through the smoke. Somewhere ahead of me the blue mark on my display was moving, and the mark at the back of my neck burned like a compass that pointed in one direction only.

Toward him. Warmer meant closer. I had reorganized my whole body around that single fact.

“Half of them believe the main gate is under attack,” Mia reported over the mission's comm channel. “The other half believe the Dark Fleet commander has ordered an evacuation.”

“What does the commander believe?” I asked.

“That someone stole his identity.” She sounded delighted. "Because, wait, I did."

“Mia.” Vesh’s voice cut in, flat and cold. “You have a problem. Five thermal signatures in the lower corridor are not responding to the evacuation order. They are not retreating.”

“They’re on a closed channel. I can’t touch it.” Mia's string of curses made me grin despite the dire situation. She really, really hated to lose.

“Where?” I asked, though, in my heart, I already knew.

“Around Corvan.”

My blood turned to ice. Of course.

We ran in his direction.

Smoke filled the maintenance ring. Emergency lights flashed red across walls scarred with weapon damage. We passed one enemy body. Then another. Then a third. Corvan had fought his way out of the control room, and God help me, I was proud of every sign of it. Each blown door and dropped soldier was a message in his handwriting. Still alive. Still fighting. Still mine.