Page 169 of The Last Hope
“We’ll already be in the air, and hopefully far enough away from the explosion,” Kinden says.
“You just said hope isn’t a strategy,” Stork argues.
“It’s not,” Kinden agrees. “But hope happens to be a small, minuscule factor in every single plan I could think of.”
My nerves increase tenfold, but it’s Mykal who blows out rough breaths, pressure mounting on his chest. He’s not fond of this plan. I pace toward the cockpit to try and rid his feelings.
Court glances out the large window. “Gem, can you calculate how far up we’d need to be to avoid the blast?”
Gem shakes her head. “Not without knowing the exact amount and type of ammunition in the other battlecrafts.”
Padgett adds, “Trying to implode all of them is incredibly dangerous. We’d be better off brainstorming a better idea.”
Zimmer backs up from one of the monitors, eyes wide. “Looks like we’re not going to have a choice.”
We all follow his gaze to the screen. It’s a prime view of the area behind theNebulus,and currentlyhundredsofRomuluscadets are sprinting toward the tarmac, like they mean to gear up for battle.
Either they’ve found us or they’re about to. Zimmer is right…
We don’t have a choice.
“Stork,” Court says, urgency deepening his voice. “Can you command the artillery?” We all scrutinize Stork’s sickly complexion and the blood-soaked bandage on his bicep. Hand and arm gone.
“With one hand, I’m all yours.” Stork nods, his confidence verging on cockiness. But in all honesty, it feels good to have someone so sure of something on this ship. He’s already settling into the third chair in the cockpit.
We all take our positions like we’re in another simulation from StarDust. Padgett and I strap into the pilot chairs, mine right next to Stork.
“Prepare for liftoff,” Court commands. “Quickly.”
Zimmer and Mykal strap into jumpchairs near the bridge door.
Gem switches on the engine from the MEU station, and the battlecraft rumbles to life.
“Heya! They’re getting fykking close!” Zimmer yells, eyes still on the screen.
“Engaging the thrusters,” Padgett calls out and then looks to me. We don’t even count down. Both of us maneuver our joysticks and the triple-barreled engines let out a more aggressive roar.
The ship doesn’t take off.
It doesn’t even move.
Fire blasts out of the engines and doesnothingbut rumble our ship and create a giant target on us. We might as well have hung out a sign that readsWE’RE RIGHT HERE!
I start to perspire underneath my armpits.
“Gem, what’s going on?!” Court yells.
She’s typing hurriedly. “It looks like a safety lock is on for this starcraft. It’s been in a maintenance mode that these newer models seem to have.”
“Can you disable it?” Court asks.
“It’ll take me some time—”
The radio on the comms dash blinks and a voice fills theNebulus.“Nebulus,this isArclight 4. Your thrusters have been engaged. Is that an error, over?”
“Reply to him,” Court tells Kinden. “Lie.”
Kinden adjusts the microphone on his headset. “Arclight 4,this is theNebulus.It seems like we have a malfunction onboard. We’re trying to take care of it. Over.”
