Graydon didn't bother, looking over at Kira with a smirk.
She huffed at him. "It was that or Mad Dog."
"Because you were a little mad?"
Raider snickered. "Try insane."
"Thanks, Pastor," Kira said sarcastically.
The amusement dropped from Raider's face at the reminder of what he'd almost ended up with. He was lucky they'd changed it to Raider after the incident with the pirates.
"What is my call sign?" the J1N asked.
Odin looked up from where she was working in the corner, her gaze shooting to the drone. "Come over here, Jin. I need your help with something."
The J1N didn't argue, drifting toward the Sye and letting Odin attach a few wires to his internal system.
Himoto's co-pilot leaned over to say something. Himoto listened, nodding a second later.
"Command, this is Advantage. We are away."
"Best of luck, Frost. Give those bastards hell."
"There's no question of that," Himoto said, looking over her shoulder at Kira. "See you on the other side, Reliance."
The comms clicked off.
"We're past the point of no return now," Maverick commented, leaning forward to watch through one of the side windows as the Reliance passed over them. The ship got further away. It and its companion heading for the Tsavitee ships massing in the distance over the planet.
"Our current trajectory is good. It'll carry us right into the planet's gravity well without our engines having to do anything," Himoto announced. "All systems, including life support, have been shut down. For all intents and purposes, we're flying dark. We won't have long once I reactivate things. You'll have to ditch fairly quickly."
"No problems there," Nova said, tapping the helmet next to him. "We have plenty of experience in that realm—don't we, Curs?"
There was an "Ooo-rah" from Maverick and Tank.
Graydon's oshota wore haughty expressions as if they found such an obvious question insulting.
"You ready for this?" Kira asked Finn.
"I won't leave your side."
Talon cracked an eyelid from where he'd been resting. "That’s because you’re more worried about her leaving yours."
Finn punched his friend's arm without breaking eye contact with Kira. "That's not going to be a problem. Right?"
Kira sensed there was only one right answer for that question. "Of course not."
Graydon's shoulders shook with a repressed laugh.
"Why don't your oshota ever threaten you when you wander off?" Kira muttered.
"That's because I'm not like a certain someone."
Kira arched an eyebrow at him. "What was that Mr. Ended Up in a Coma?"
Devon choked back a sound of amusement as Maverick shifted in his seat, leaning forward to peer through one of the windows.
"The Reliance and the Lawrence have engaged."
