Krystal
Stiffening at Zac’s proclamation, Krystal checked the viewscreen. “Nine fighters… no ten,” she said, her fingers racing across the controls. She turned her head to look at T’arq. “They’re on an intercept course.”
“I see them. Are you ready?”
She nodded.
“Do you trust me?”
She glanced at him, surprised to see he looked nervous as he bit his bottom lip and fidgeted. And then she realized she didn’t need to think about it. She did trust him. More than she trusted anyone. T’arq would not hurt her. He would do nothing to cause her pain. And if he asked if she would jump out of an airlock, well, hadn’t she already done that?
“Yes.” She smiled gently.
He grinned in return and reached across to cup her face in one hand. Maybe she meant something to him after all?
Still watching her, he turned his head to call over his shoulder. “Zac? How about we play dead?”
A laugh that met T’arq’s question. “Sure.”
“Play dead?” Krystal asked quietly.
“Turn the cloak off.”
“What?” The cloak was the only thing keeping them from being seen. She stiffened in her seat.
“Do you trust me?” He repeated.
Hadn’t she just said that she did? Grumbling to herself about stupid men and their risk-taking behavior, she turned the cloak off, feeling a sick feeling in her stomach at how exposed they were.
T’arq flicked a switch, and a pre-recorded distress message was broadcast from the shuttle.
“We’ll get them closer and then surprise them.” T’arq grinned. “Works every time.” He powered down the main engines, leaving only the stabilizing thrusters that were used for ship to ship docking. “Here,” he said, gesturing to the power button for the thrusters, “just push that randomly every few seconds. Try to make it look like we’re struggling to get the engines going.”
“But don’t they get used to it?” She pushed the button and felt the ship jerk slightly as the thrusters engaged and stop when she lifted her finger from the button.
“You’d think, but they don’t. We’re not sure why.”
“They’ve taken the bait,” Domik said.
Krystal engaged the thrusters again, this time only on one side of the shuttle, so they spun slightly, and then the opposite side to have them spin back again.
“Nice.” T’arq grinned at her.
The Xakul ship approached slowly, circling their shuttle at a safe distance. Light danced over the dark hull of the ship, like the exoskeleton of the Xakul soldiers. As the ship moved, the colors changed, rippling along the side of the ship like oil on water.
What material did they use in their ships? No material that Krystal knew would behave in such a way.
“Plasma cannon or grenade?” Domik asked.
“Plasma cannon. Let’s make sure they won’t follow us,” Zac replied.
Domik swiftly primed the cannon and trained the sights on the ship that was unwittingly making its way into the trap.
Krystal waited; breath held. Her heart beat so fast she pressed a hand to her sternum. This was far too similar to what had happened with T’arq.
She didn’t realize she was almost hyperventilating until T’arq reached across and took her chin in his hand to turn her face to meet his. His eyes were so beautiful. How come she hadn’t realized that they had a dark blue rim around the outside?
“Breathe, Krys.” His deep voice was slow and calming, and she took deep, steady breaths.
