“Tanin, what is going on?” She demanded to know, taking a step back before he could grab her again.
“We don’t have time for this,” he stepped after her. “You’re going to the shelter room now so I can go back and fix this.”
“I’ve already fixed it.”
The sudden silence of the alarm overhead, accompanied by Alred’s smooth, even, serious tone only made Haven more afraid.
“What do you want done with them, captain?”
“Vytln?” Tanin asked.
“Already out.”
“Out of where?!” Haven demanded to know.
Neither male answered her. Instead, Tanin said only-
“Kill them all.”
“Done.”
Shivers broke out over Haven’s skin as, from deep in the ship, she heard the sudden loud, pained screams of far too many people. Far more than she realized had forced their way aboard.
She didn’t know how, but Alred was slaughtering them. Merciless. Ruthless. She covered her mouth as the screams were cut off one by one until silence reigned.
“Take us into subspace,” Tanin said, his fists tightened.
“But what about Vytln?” Haven grabbed for his arm this time, heart beating painfully in her throat.
The look Tanin gave her was so cold and distant, so sharp and dangerous, it made her drop him again immediately, pulling her hand back to her chest like he’d shocked her.
“Take us into subspace,” Tanin said again. “Now.”
Haven’s belly dropping this time had nothing to do with the sudden swing into subspace.
***
Thirty minutes was far longer than she realized. And so much had changed in so little time.
They were moving rapidly away from whatever trap Kldyn had brought them into, but they were no better off than they had been before. They were probably worse.
Alred had set their destination, and according to him, they'd only need about a day and a half to reach the place. Which meant they only had a day and a half reprieve.
Kldyn's ship was still locked onto theirs. The ripping sound she'd heard had been them latching onto their ship. Clinging onto it like the talons of a bird digging into their prey. And they'd done it right over the engine compartment.
Haven stood in front of the sealed door that led into her and Vytln's workroom. One hand resting on metal that was unnaturally cold.
The engine was wrecked. Exactly how badly, Alred wasn't sure. His sensors only told him that there was heavy damage, and the emergency stop functions had activated to keep the engine from damaging them or itself more. The shielding separating theengine room from their workroom was only designed to keep out heat, noise, and radiation. It did nothing against the unforgiving vacuum of space.
So, she was locked out. She couldn't even enter to check the damage. With the hull breach, so too did the subspace shielding become compromised. Going in there was certain death.
The boring tunnel that allowed Kldyn's men to enter their ship was also not shielded against subspace however. So, although they were connected that way as well, until they swung out of subspace, they couldn't enter their ship anymore.
But they also probably had no intention of doing so
Main storage, thanks to the boring hole, was also compromised and unable to be entered. But Alred had been able to see inside right as he gained back control of the ship but before their swing knocked out his ability to see through those cameras.
The explosives they were carrying weren’t just a convenient way to get them into trap position. When Tanin and Vytln had been chased out, their invaders had taken the time to arm the explosives. They were live now, and it would take only a signal to set them off. One that, doubtlessly, they only hadn’t sent because signals didn’t work in subspace.
