"Fluid mode," he said, commanding the ship to get into a new state of operation. The mode allowed the wings and the systems to slide in and out of position to avoid collisions and become flexible.
"What is fluid mode?" she asked.
"It allows me to move easier through the valley. It may get tight in here."
"It's already tight," she said, and he felt her grip around his chest tighten.
He twisted and turned the ship, the wings slipping up and down around the ship to conform to the width of the valleys between the rock formations.
"Eep," she said, and spread her legs, so they were on either side of him as the ship's width slimmed down for a particularly tight squeeze. "Does it always do that? Or are you just trying to make me nuts?"
"I have no reason to make you nuts. And why would I turn you into a food?"
She chuckled. "I mean that you're trying to make me crazy."
"I am trying to keep you alive, as my mandate requires."
More shifts and turns as he darted through the rocks, and the Terran ships stayed right behind--one did, anyway. The other maintained a distance above, firing not just at him.
But at the rocks just as they flew by.
Boulders and stone fell on the ship.
"What the?" She turned a little like she wanted to see, but when she did, her hood got in his face.
He pressed her back down. "Stay still."
"Can't you call for help?"
"I have tried. The eclipse stops us from having normal communications and connections. It happens every cycle."
"Is that why we can't just fly back to the other world?"
"Yes. Between that and the field of Terran ships between our location and that moon."
More firing. More rocks landed on the ship, and he had to twist to keep them from crushing them.
"We have to get out of this valley," she said. "They're going to collapse all those rocks on us."
"You might be right."
He was trying to think of a place they could go. Somewhere safe, but really there wasn't much on Sol-2. He had spent some time in the mines before.
Mining...
"Are you afraid of the dark?" he asked.
"No. Not usually. Why?"
"We're going underground."
The ship shifted again. He shot out and poured on the speed to get away from the Terrans. He knew where he wanted to go--there was a solid mining station on the far side, ready and waiting, where he could fit the ship, and even close down a large grated door that would--
The ship jerked hard.
"Increase all thrusters and speed."
The ship fought with everything he could pour into it, but the tractor beam would not let go of him.
