He doesn’t speak for a long while. Just holds me as darkness seeps through the cracked panels, letting us stay fenced in by light and whispered promises.
I rest in the warmth of him. My skin still tingles from friction and closeness. For the first time in a while, I feel something like hope.
CHAPTER 18
TAKHISS
They confirm our signal. A cold buzzer inside the console—Alliance command patch accepted. Through the static I hear a voice:“Ten-forty local. Extraction window four hours.”The words land like a missile.
Ella’s fingers freeze on a flux calibrator. She turns, eyes bright.“We did it. We… we actually did.”Her lips tremble. I swallow, lean close. My breath ghosts across her cheek.
I want to say too much. I want to promise forever. But the memory of cold cells and brutal corridors is too sharp. I muster a nod.“We will.”
The corridor trembles as we patch the hull. Sparks flick like fireflies. The metal hiss of welded seams echoes in the haze. One section — a jagged tear just above the heat duct — pulses with vacuum. Ella slides a plasma sealant strip into my hand.
She says:“Apply it here… the structural strut will hold for now.”
I brush the edges gently, pressing the strip, sealing the gap. The hiss turns to sigh. One more fraction of oxygen saved.
She breathes again.“Okay…”
I say,“Good.”
Her face softens in the dim glow. She claps a hand to her mouth like she’s swallowed fear.
She turns the holo-pad and begins mapping transfer vectors. I stand close behind her, shoulder brushing hers. The bond hums in my chest, dangerous. My skin itches to close the distance.
Out of nowhere she says:“When this is over, I want to take a ride on a real hovercab. I want to stroll through Novaria market streets… smell fresh rain, drink coffee so strong it stings, fix crooked engine bays for you.”
That hits me. Her dream is so human, so simple. I force a smile.“I’d like that.”
She glances up.“Promise?”.
I step forward, press my hand to the side of her face.“I promise.”
Then the sensors ping.
One moment we’re wiring and talking. The next, alarms blast. The world tilts, emergency lights slam to red.
“Signal back!”I roar. She’s tapping code.“I’m doing it—compensating boost?—”
Doors explode outward, flashing. Marine silhouettes spill in. White-trim armor, rifles drawn. The air trembles.
“Drop it!”one bellows.
I move in front of Ella. A step. Two.
“Don’t touch her!”she screams. Her feet shift, trying to step forward, but the scramble of cables tangles her.
I cover her with my body.
A marine points a stun rod.“Hands up, beast!”
I lift my arms. Claws retract.
She lashes out, tries to push through the line.“Don’t you dare?—”
A cuff clamps to my wrist—metal, cold. Another to my other hand. They’re strong, magnetic. My fingers remain curled downward. Defeated.
