‘She’s OK to get into the atmosphere,’ Toma announced with a sigh of relief. ‘But she won’t carry everyone, though. The xentium drive is almost shot, and weight limits are tight.’
The group exchanged glances, and Idan nodded.
‘Get who you can, out.’
The team moved back outside, where they prioritized the most grievously wounded to evacuate.
‘I’m local, so I’ll take the less injured to our village healer, Muna,’ Matteo offered.
Sheba jerked her head in relief. ‘Sawa, you also can supervise them.’
Nurses loaded hover beds onto the ship alongside Idan, as Sheba and the doctors pitched in to secure them until they were all crammed in snugly.
Toma revved the engines and began takeoff procedures, then cursed as the console beeped an alert.
‘We’re over the limit,’ he growled from the bridge to the packed passenger deck below. ‘We need one body off.’
Everyone glanced at each other till Sheba stepped forward.
‘I’ll stay,’ she murmured. ‘Until you can send a flight out for me.’
A small protest followed from every direction, especially Linh’s, her voice cracking with exhaustion and loss. ‘We can’t leave her alone.’
Idan turned to Sheba with a chin-jerk. ‘She won’t be alone, she’ll be with me.’
The pair locked eyes for a beat, and Sheba nodded. ‘I’ll be safe with Idan.’
‘Good, because we don’t have time to waste,’ Toma called out. ‘As Idan said, we need to get thefokkout of here.’
There was one last task, a sacred duty to perform.
In the rear deck, Sheba and Linh zipped Brad and Imani in body bags, loading them into specialized hover caskets.
Once sealed, Idan worked with Matteo to guide them into the ship’s refrigeration unit, while Linh embraced Sheba, hands trembling, their heads bowed as they paid their respects to their friends.
The women pulled apart eventually.
‘I’ll see you soon, Munene,’ Linh whispered.
Sheba’s eyes pricked with tears. ‘Of course, travel safely.’
She found Toma at the pilot’s seat, his craggy face grim and austere.
‘Sante, dear friend, for everything,’ she told him.
He hugged her, coughing to mask his emotions.
‘Please hail Ki’Remi Sable and also Selene Sable, Prime of Dunia. She’s my sister,’ she muttered. ‘Tell them what’s happened.’
Toma blinked in shock at the revelation. ‘I’d no idea you’re practically Pegasi royalty.’
‘I keep that information private for good reason. Please ask them to send a ship for me.’
‘Of course, I’ll notify them the second we get into orbit.’
‘Sante,’ she whispered.
She, Matteo, and Idan exited the rear deck as Linh and Toma strapped in on the bridge.
