Page 85 of Splintered Shadow
Then it happened.
The station’s lighting went red.
“What’s happening?” Sarah made her way down the corridor, headed to the ship. People rushed by, carrying weapons and strapping on armor.
The bridge was a flurry of activity. Vekele stood in the center, his arms behind his back, a point of calm in the commotion. People shouted their reports.
“A tunnel is opening.”
“The engine will require an hour to cool down before forming a new tunnel.”
Now was not the time to ogle her man, but he looked good. He wore a fitted coat that made the long, lean lines of his back absolutely delicious.
As if sensing her presence, he glanced over his shoulder at her and winked.
Vekele
His mate looked lost.
“Prepare to depart the station,” he ordered. “This will be over and done with as quickly as possible. I have plans with my mate, and I refuse to let the Starshades spoil them.”
There was a pause, his innuendo sinking in. Then the crew hooted and whistled. His mate’s face flushed that tantalizing pink.
He steered her toward the captain’s chair to sit. “Apologies,” he said, leaning in to keep their conversation quiet. “I should not make a crass jest at your expense.”
“I think they’re stunned that you made a joke,” she replied.
“I jest. My sense of humor is one of the many qualities that endear me to you, and I have a recording of you saying as much.”
She tilted her face up and pressed a light kiss to his lips. “I said you make me laugh. There’s a lot of nuance in that.”
Nuance. Bah.
As pleasant as this conversation was, he could not flirt with his mate. He had a brother to rescue.
“Status updates,” he barked, stepping behind the captain’s chair. He rested a hand on the back. Pitch fluttered down, perching on the other side of the chair back. They framed Sarah like guardians.
“Ready to depart the station.”
“Excellent. Do not wait for fanfare to send us off. Go,” he said.
The pilot straightened in her seat, her hands flying over the control panel. A subtle lurch was the only indication that they were underway.
“Set a course to intercept,” he ordered.
“Estimated intercept in ten minutes, but they will see us coming long before then.”
Of course. Nothing could be simple.
“Our arrival is hardly unexpected. Let them see us,” Vekele said. He had the superior ship with greater speed and fuel capacity. If the Starshade ship fled, he would be directly behind. “When will they be in weapons range?”
“Three minutes. Weapons online, Your Highness.”
“Target the tunnel drive when we are in range.” The Starshades were not going anywhere.
“The boarding squad is suiting up,” another guard announced.
Vekele should also have been wearing armor, but the ship did not have enough for everyone on board. He had packed in more people than the ship could strictly carry. While there were enough rations and oxygen, he had more bodies than armor and weapons. The crew had scrounged a few pieces from the derelict station. A clever engineer fashioned explosive devices to use when they boarded the Starshade ship.
