“You need to get to a transport.”
“Did you find a shuttle?”
“No, the shuttles were too far away, but I did manage to get a war ship.”
“Great, we can get off this luna.”
He glanced away from her before answering. She caught the look of worry on his face before he tried to hide it. “Stay here while I get the mud paste. I’ll also apply the mud to the bodysuit and hope that it is enough to keep the suit functioning.”
She laid there trying to keep her breathing under control. He wasn’t telling her something and she knew it. It was a feeling she had — and her instincts were always spot on. She watched him as he came back to her after retrieving the bag from the cave. He carried mud packs he had made.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“We don’t have much time. I was spotted stealing the war ship.”
“Okay, well, as soon as you fix me up, we’re out of here.” It didn't take him long to put the mud paste on her and the suit. Then he lifted her up and carried her out of the cave.
So far, the suit was holding up. He carried her over the ridge to the location where the war ship was waiting. That’s when she realized what else MarIK had been keeping from her.
“No.” The war ship was only big enough for one person.
“I’m sorry, beautiful, it’s the only way. You need help I can’t give you.”
“I’m not leaving without you!”
“If you don’t leave, you’ll die!”
“I would rather stay with you and die than leave you.”
“And I can’t go through losing another female that I love.”
Oh God, he did love her. “MarIK—”
“I couldn’t save RowANa. Please my love, do this for me. Let me save you.”
Tears fell down her face as she nodded. She didn’t want to leave him, but if he had to watch her bleed out, it would kill him. She couldn’t do that to him.
He placed her inside the cockpit of the war ship.
“Um...I-I don’t know how to fly one of these.”
“I programmed it so all you have to do is press this button here. It will take you up to where I think the Katieran transport is waiting.”
“What if they fire on me?”
He put his comm link in her ear again. “I think once you are free of the lunar atmosphere that static interference will clear up. Send out a call for help.”
“Are you sure you can’t squeeze in here with me?”
At that moment, a war ship flew over their heads. “No time — you gonow!” He pushed a button on the console and the top of the war ship closed.
“MarIK! I love you!” She hit the button he had indicated would set the war ship on the correct course. She was jerked back into her seat as the war ship went up a few feet to hover for a moment while its engines roared and built up thrust. Then, as she sat there, her heart feeling helpless and aching for MarIK, the war ship shot off toward the horizon.
“Please God, keep him safe.”
