“We have identified and destroyed a signal jammer.” T’arq rattled off the coordinates. “There are incoming Xakul fighters.”
“Received,” Tomas’ voice filled the comm. “Qu’Ress, I need you to do a sweep of the area before you return. What’s your status?”
Krystal shot a horrified look at T’arq, who muted the microphone.
“We need to go.” Krystal grabbed at his sleeve. “T’arq! We have to get back to the Zataras. Now!”
T’arq was torn. He agreed with Krystal, but this was such an excellent opportunity to collect valuable intelligence. Too good to pass up. He hated making her even more uncomfortable, and he wondered whether she would ever forgive him for this.
“I’m sorry, Krystal. You heard the captain. We can’t leave until I know more.”
Krystal banged her head against the headrest on her chair and let out a frustrated squeal.
T’arq opened the channel again. “Systems functioning within normal range. The cloak is working better than I expected.”
“Good. Find out what you can. Zataras out.”
T’arq closed the comm signal. “We’re going to wait for the Xakul, and follow them back to wherever their base is. There will be one nearby.” T’arq settled the ship next to the rock and activated the tether to hold it in the rock’s gravitational field. He turned to look at her. “We’ll be safe here.”
He set the scanners to alert him when the Xakul were in visual range. He figured they could hide next to this rock and see what happens. With the cloak hiding them away, they’d be safe here.
“How can you say we’ll be safe with the Xakul arriving any second?” The words escaped in a rush as she wrung her hands together.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his fingers gently easing the tension in her muscles. “The cloak will keep us hidden, won’t it?” He waited for her nod before he continued. “It shouldn’t take too long for them to arrive. They will want to know what disrupted their signal jammer. I need to know how many Xakul there are. They are far too close to the Zataras for my comfort.”
He ran a hand through his hair and stared out the window. “I don’t like it either. Everything is screaming at me to take you back right now, but what if they know the Zataras’ location? It may not be safe there either.”
Krystal nodded reluctantly. “OK.”
T’arq released a breath on a long exhalation. “And I need you, Krystal.”
Her hands stilled in her lap and she twisted her head him, releasing an indelicate snort.
“You don’t believe me?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Taureans operate stealth ships as a pair: the pilot and the flight engineer. I’ve been managing without a flight engineer, but it’s not ideal.”
“Why?” She tapped a finger on the armrest of her chair, the same wary expression on her face. Tap, tap.
“I have a reputation—”
“I know all about your reputation.” Tap, tap, tap.
T’arq scowled. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Oh?” Her finger stilled. “What did you mean, then?”
“People think I’m hard to work with.”
Krystal’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really?”
T’arq felt himself flush. Taureans did not blush. But T’arq wasn’t entirely Taurean, something he took great pains to hide. He hoped she wouldn’t notice. What would she think if she knew what he was?
“Are you blushing?”
“No.” He turned away.
The alarm rang out in the cabin. T’arq had never thought he would be relieved to see the Xakul, but here he was.
Krystal shrank back in her seat, reaching for T’arq’s hand. He squeezed gently as they watched first one, then two, then what seemed like an entire fleet of fighters stream toward the destroyed signal jammer.
