“We’re not moving now,” he said. “We’re easier to hit. If your bag is to hand, grab it. Otherwise, let’s go.”
She reached behind her seat and pulled out her overnight bag, and he did the same. Then he shoved hard at his door, and managed to get it open.
It was almost completely dark, and the dim emergency light that had come on in the front of the hover felt like a beacon for their enemies.
It motivated her to scramble after him as he disappeared out the door.
When she peered out, he was standing below her, up to his knees in water, arms lifted.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
She nodded, turning and carefully using the built-in ladder on the side to come down as far as she could, and then his hands gripped her waist and he lifted her up, walking throughthe river with her and setting her down on the rocky beach, feet completely dry.
“Thank you.” She looked up at the sky a few times as they jogged away, but there was nothing to see but stars.
“Maybe they only had time for one shot,” Ethan said when they reached the cover of the treeline, with no second shot. He was looking up himself. “The battleships we had stationed along the freighter line would have been after them the moment they reappeared. It’s possible they were run off without even realizing that their aim was slightly off.”
“That would be a good outcome,” she agreed. “But I still don’t feel safe using the hover for shelter.”
“No.” He turned to study the gentle, wooded hill behind them. “Even without a second strike, we need to move. We know the ship that attacked us isn’t acting alone. They have on-planet help, and if theyareaware they didn’t blow us up, then they might send someone to finish the job.”
She didn’t want to hear it, but he was right. They needed to get away from here.
She was glad she had a small overnight bag. She hadn’t known how long she’d be in Nanganya, and she’d packed a change of clothes, workout gear, and pajamas.
Ethan put his hands on his hips, studying the wreck, studying the sky. “We’ll need something to make a fire with, and I wouldn’t mind a flare in case we need to attract attention.” He looked up again.
“I can go back into the runner and see if there’s emergency equipment,” Velda said. “You can call out if you see any danger.”
He swung his gaze back to her. “How about we switch that around?”
“Why?” she asked.
“Just keep watch,” he said, moving back to the hover. “I’ll keep the door open for a quick exit and so I can hear you.”
Then he was gone.
She followed after him, going slower so she could keep her gaze up at the sky, feeling a little like her eyes were playing tricks on her as she thought she saw hundreds of falling stars above.
Then she thought about the implications of that, and her chest got very, very tight.
When Ethan reappeared, after what felt like only minutes, holding two packs, one slung over each shoulder, he narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
She pointed up. “Falling stars,” she said.
He tipped back his head. “There are a lot . . .” He suddenly drew in a breath. “They hit the observatory.”
“Either that or one or both of the battleships are destroyed.” She couldn’t believe this could be happening. “Unless they strafed the freighter line. That’s a possibility, too.”
Ethan bent and picked up his personal overnight bag, which had been set beside her feet. “Now we’re definitely going.”
He strode away, and she tore her gaze away from the heavens and followed him into the night.
5
Findingthe overhang meant they could light a fire and it was still shielded from aerial view.
Ethan tossed down the sticks he’d collected, and then looked through the trees, tracking Velda as she returned with an armful of sticks herself.
