“Shade! The missile launcher!” I pointed.
Shade kept the goon down with his second Grayhawk until the others made it to the ship. I threw my empty gun behind me and reached for Fiona. She clambered up while Shade covered Jax and Merrick. Merrick half lifted Jax inside and then leaped up after him. The huge door on his back forced Shade and me away from the opening. Without turning, Merrick slapped his palm down on the door control. The panels slid shut, and everything went totally silent. For a moment, my own heartbeat was the loudest thing in the air lock. Then I sprang into action.
“Let’s go! Shade, get to your cruiser and power up. Jax, you’re Captain of the Endeavor until I get back. Merrick, you’re the navigator.”
“Go. I’ll catch up.” Merrick went to work on the buckles keeping the door on his back.
We turned and ran. A moment later, I heard the heavy panel drop and the safety door to the air lock close behind Merrick. He caught up in a flash.
“I have my cruiser,” he said. “I’ll help fight them off so the Endeavor can get out. I’ll stick with you guys instead.”
“No.” I nixed Merrick’s idea for several reasons, including one I couldn’t admit to. “Fiona can’t fly or navigate, and Jax can’t do it alone.” He’d just been electrocuted and hit over the head. The Endeavor needed a backup pilot, and Fiona wasn’t it.
“The ship needs a recharge on the way to Mooncamp 1.” Shade slid a small square detonator box from his cargo-pants pocket as he ran. “The Outer Zones couldn’t be farther from here, and we used a lot of energy to get to Korabon fast.”
I’d planned on the Endeavor sticking around here for a few days to recharge. Guess not.
“Make it a two-jump journey.” I turned to Jax. “What’s your plan, partner?”
“We’ll go to Maylewatch,” he answered. “Stay in high orbit and recharge from their sun. When the core’s up to full power again, we’ll head to the DT Mooncamps.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.” Maylewatch was about halfway there, quiet and out of the way, and had a nice bright sun to shine on our solar panels. “Like Shade said before, we can all lie low for a couple of days and then meet on day three to finally drop that food off.” We’d been carting a huge haul around for weeks—since before I found the enhancers or met Shade.
Jax confirmed with a bob of his chin. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, looking for signs of concussion or weakness. “Might as well feed some people before we all die trying to break into Starbase 12,” he said.
I snorted. Gallows humor was still humor, and Jax was holding up.
Shade veered toward the main cargo hold and his cruiser, his tread light and fast. There were both agility and danger in every step he took. I saw it in the way his mind worked, too. It made me glad he was on my side now.
I turned right with the others and ran toward the bridge. I had to make sure they were all set and say goodbye to Bonk.
The Endeavor quaked. Jax and I looked at each other. “Bullets can’t do that.”
Jax shook his head. “But those fighter cruisers can.”
They’d looked about double the size of Shade’s star cruiser. We’d be more maneuverable, but their phasers would pack twice the punch.
“Brace yourselves,” Shade said over the coms. “I’m detonating some of the charges. It’ll give us a smoke screen and keep them back.”
A second later, a roar erupted and the whole platform shook. Even with Shade’s warning, I nearly lost my footing and banged hard against the wall. The rumble quieted. The Endeavor didn’t shudder again.
We burst onto the bridge. A wary Bonk ran like a streak from under my console and jumped on me. I caught him midair and screeched to a halt, holding him against my chest. He climbed higher, his claws pricking my neck. Whiskers tickled my jaw. He didn’t purr, and his ears lay flat. Bonk hated loud noises, and I was pretty sure shaking the whole damn ship didn’t help.
I dug little cat nails out of my neck and bent to deposit Bonk on Jax’s old, crumpled-up sweater. He sat. His tail swished, and greenish-yellow eyes accused me of setting him down unfairly and way too fast.
“I gotta go, Bonk. You take care of my people.” I kissed his gray-and-black-striped head and rubbed my fingers under his chin just enough to get him to angle up and give me better access. “Eat. Play. Live.” I gave him a final pat. “I’ll be back.”
“Take him with you.” Jax looked over his shoulder as he set himself up at my console. He flipped switches, opening the main cargo bay. I had to book it to Shade’s cruiser. We’d fly out and create a distraction while the Endeavor got away.
“No time to get his stuff.” I popped up and gave Jax a fierce hug, whether he wanted it or not. “Take care of him, partner.”
Jax squeezed me back. “He’ll have food and water. I might even let him sleep on my pillow.”
That’s it! I pulled back, my eyes widening. “You need a pet, Jax.”
“Bonk’s enough.” He shooed me toward the door, shaking his head.
I shuffled backward, my heart firmly planted on the bridge. Was I really about to leave the Endeavor? Watch her fly off? “His litter’s in my closet.”
“I know.” Jax turned back to the controls when the whole ship trembled again. I shifted my balance. The Dark Watch was back at it with guns we couldn’t ignore.
Fiona reached out and gripped my wrist as I met her in the doorway. Leaning forward, she whispered, “I’ll take care of him.”
Emotion welled in my throat. Jax would be in good hands, even if they weren’t mine. “Thank you.”
She nodded. I swallowed.
“Merrick!” I called across the bridge. “You’re the best Big Guy around!”
“See you in three days, Tess.” Merrick smiled and waved me off from the navigator’s chair, a green grid of coordinates flashing out a confirmation behind him. All set for Maylewatch.
Biting my lip, I backed off the bridge. This was it. I had to go.
Another blast rattled the ship, finally spurring me into turning and sprinting toward the main cargo hold. My burned palm was already better, thanks to my accelerated healing, but the new beating didn’t help as I bounced off walls and careened around corners. An explosion growled. Alarms wailed out warnings. The lights flickered, and I ran even faster.
“I’m ready to go, Tess. Door’s open.” Shade’s words hit my earpiece, clipped and urgent. The sound of his engine and gunfire blasted down the corridor.
“I’m almost there!” I raced into the central cargo bay and straight into hell. Engine heat blew my hair back. Noise screamed over me. I pushed through beating air, deafening pops, and gritty smoke and lunged, reaching for the hand Shade held out to me. His fingers latched around my wrist. He pulled and I leaped across him, sprawling shoulder first into the passenger’s seat.