"Since when have you been the cautious sort?"
Blue had a history of disregarding any potential risks and sallying forth despite the objections of those around her. She'd endangered his and the Curs' lives on more than one occasion.
It figured that the one time he was willing to allow the mad scientist at the helm she'd gone AWOL.
"I'm trying to show a little personal growth and maturity," Blue spat, kicking the chair next to her. "If you weren't reacting emotionally, you might even appreciate that."
Raider's glare turned white hot. "Blue—"
"I'm sorry!" Blue cried. "But breaking the ship won't help Elena—or Kira."
Raider held back the words he wanted to spew. Most of them not nice or what Blue deserved.
The urge to issue a command forcing the point was hard to resist. Only possible because he knew it was pointless.
The first rule of command—don't make stupid orders. It was the fastest way to lose respect and most of the time it didn't work anyway.
"Raider," Wren rumbled from the corner of the room where he'd been watching the argument. "This isn't helping."
Raider ground his teeth together hard enough to cause pain to shoot through his jaw. He was well aware of that. But he also didn't know what else to do.
The restless energy in him demanded action.
The Wanderer's sirens wailed. The overhead lights turned red a moment later. Right after, the ship shuddered as something collided with its side.
"What's that?" Raider asked.
Blue was already scrambling for the bridge. "We're under attack."
The ship shuddered again as Raider and the others made it to the bridge to find Talon and Finn already seated in the pilots' chairs, one flying the ship while the other operated the weapon's system.
"What's going on? Status report," Raider barked.
For half a second, it occurred to him that Wren, as the most senior member on board, should be the one issuing orders before he dismissed that thought. It was his daughter at risk. This was his mission. He'd be damned if he'd allow anyone else to take command.
Kira was the sole exception to that rule. Partly because he had experience serving under her. But mostly because he trusted her implicitly and he knew she was as desperate for Elena's safe return as he.
"A Tsavitee fleet appeared moments ago," Finn answered.
The ship tilted as he evaded a round of strigmor eels, a particularly nasty Tsavitee weapon that looked like a long, silvery ribbon and moved like it was gliding through water, sinuous as it hunted their ship.
If they impacted, they would burrow through their hull, depressurizing everything inside.
"They're trying to capture us alive," Raider said.
Blue nodded in agreement. "They would have sent something better than eels otherwise."
Wren's gaze didn't move from the display of the Tsavitee fleet. "How did they get close?"
"They evaded our scanners somehow. It wasn't until they fired that our systems picked them up," Talon answered as Devon and Joule appeared in the hatchway behind them.
"Where's the general? Who has eyes on him?" Raider barked.
Raider's skin crawled at the thought of Aeron walking around this ship unsupervised while they were under attack from the Tsavitee. He wouldn't put it past the general to sabotage their ship to make it easier for the other Tsavitee to take them captive.
"We locked him in his quarters as soon as the alarms sounded," Devon answered.
Joule nodded. "I put a shield around the area as well. Just in case."
