Page 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Tivek

I ’d been in tougher situations, but not by much. Our ship was dead in space. Our engines were gone. Our life support was still functioning, but for how long?

The blue emergency lights flickered on, glowing from the recesses in the ceiling and making everyone’s terrified faces look even more gaunt. I caught Commander Vyk's eyes across the cabin. His face was set in the grim mask I'd seen a thousand times during our time at the academy.

“Emergency power is holding,” Ariana said, the smallest bit of hope in her voice.

I didn’t know how long that would be true, which meant there was little time to lose. Unhooking myself, I headed toward the back of the ship, my footsteps echoing on the metal grating of the floor. Once I’d reached the back, I opted open an electrical panel to assess the damage.

"You know something about ship repairs?" Vyk asked, as he approached from behind.

I chose my words carefully. "More than you might expect from an adjunct."

What he didn't know was how many solo reconnaissance missions I'd conducted over the years, how many times I'd patched together damaged vessels while deep in enemy territory.

Vyk grunted but didn't push further. His focus had already shifted to the exposed circuits as Torq appeared next to me and pried off another access panel. The acrid smell intensified, making my eyes water.

Torq waved a hand in front of his face as he stepped back and glanced at Vyk. “Maybe an Iron should take a look.”

I often forgot that Commander Vyk had been an engineer at the academy since he’d gone on to become an Inferno Force warrior and a notoriously merciless one, at that.

"Main power coupling is fried," Vyk said after a cursory look at the circuitry. "And the secondary systems aren't engaging properly."

I leaned in, eyeing the wires inside my panel. "The cascade failure damaged the isolation circuits. We need to reroute through the tertiary systems."

Both Drexians looked at me with renewed interest, but neither commented as I reached past them to disconnect the damaged coupling. My fingers moved with practiced efficiency, muscle memory taking over as I bypassed the failed systems.

"If we can get minimal power restored," I said, "we might be able to limp to a safe location."

The sound of boots on metal announced Deklyn's arrival. My brother’s face was streaked with sweat, but his eyes were sharp and focused.

"The diagnostic isn't good," he said without preamble. "Engine core is completely shot, and we've got hull breaches."

Vyk cursed under his breath. "Jump drive?"

"Damaged, but not beyond repair." Deklyn ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair. "I might have a few Inferno Force tricks that could get us at least one jump. Not all the way back to the academy, but somewhere safer than drifting in Kronock space."

I exchanged glances with Vyk. He probably had plenty of experience with Inferno Force "tricks” and their risks, but he was also the most senior officer on board. It was his call.

"Do it," Vyk ordered.

The ship's comms system crackled to life, Volten's voice cutting through the static.

"Ariana, we've located a nebula not far from our current positions. It'll provide cover for both ships while we assess damage and make repairs."

"Not sure we can make it that far, Volt. We're dead in space here."

"We're going to tractor you in. Prepare for some rocking.”

Deklyn and Vyk were already moving toward the jump drive access panel as I considered the hull breaches. Drexian ships contained layers of special composite that was incredibly resilient, but if too many had been shredded, it could pose a problem during jumps.

"Commander," I said, "with your permission, I'd like to check the hull integrity from the inside."

Vyk nodded, already elbow-deep in the jump drive circuitry. "Take Torq with you."

Torq looked surprised but followed me as I headed toward the rear of the ship. As we made our way through the narrow corridor, the ship suddenly lurched, and we both grabbed onto the wall for support.

"That's the tractor beam engaging," he said, as if reminding himself as much as me.

We reached the first hull breach where the interior boasted scorch marks.

“Hand me that," I said, pointing to a repair kit mounted on the wall. Torq passed it over, watching intently as I applied a molecular bonding agent to the damaged section.

“I didn’t know you knew ship repair.”

I smoothed the edges of the patch. "The key is to work from the center outward, creating a stronger molecular bond that won't crack under pressure changes."

We finished checking both breach sites, applying temporary seals that would hold until proper repairs could be made. As we headed back toward the front of the ship, I could feel Torq's curious gaze on me.

"You know," he said carefully, "for someone who didn't complete the academy, you have some unusual skills."

I kept my expression neutral. "You pick things up here and there."

“Before you washed out, were you an Iron?”

I gave a quick shake of my head. “An Assassin.”

We returned to the cockpit to find that Deklyn had been replaced by Sasha. She sat in the co-pilot's seat next to her sister, her hands moving over the few functioning controls with familiarity as she and Ariana worked in tandem.

Through the viewscreen, I could see our destination.

The vast, swirling nebula painted space in vibrant shades of purple, blue, and gold.

The gases were dense enough to provide excellent cover, but also posed navigation challenges.

But I supposed it was better than being blown from the sky by the Kronock.

My eyes swept the area, registering that Morgan was no longer there. A small twist of concern tightened in my chest.

"The seals are holding," I reported to Vyk, who had returned to monitor our progress toward the nebula.

He grunted. “And we’ll be able to get one jump from the jump drive.”

Since everyone else was focused on our approach, I slipped to the back of the ship again, opening the few doors until I found Morgan in a cramped room that housed a set of bunk beds. She sat on the lower bunk, head in her hands, her breathing uneven.

I hesitated in the doorway, then stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Without a word, I sat beside her, careful to leave space between us. For several moments, I just listened to her drag in ragged breaths.

"It's okay to be scared," I finally said, keeping my voice low.

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed but dry. "I shouldn't be. I'm supposed to be an Assassin, but I keep thinking that I belong back in the Stacks, planning the theory of battles, not actually engaging in them." Her laugh was bitter. "Pretty cowardly, huh?"

"Not at all. Doing something even when it terrifies you is braver than running into battle after battle when you love fighting."

Morgan blinked at me, then a small smile curved her lips. "So, you're saying I'm braver than a Blade?"

"That's a given," I replied with complete seriousness, then allowed myself to return her smile.

She laughed then, and the sound sent unexpected heat through my chest. Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded away. There was just the two of us sitting on the bed and laughing.

Then I remembered where we were. I stood, reluctantly breaking the moment. "I should get back. We’re heading into the nebula and?—“

The ship suddenly pitched to one side, throwing me back onto the bunk beside Morgan. The lights flickered as something slammed into the hull with enough force to make the entire vessel shudder. I knew in an instant that it wasn't the normal turbulence of the tractor beam or entering the nebula.

It was something else entirely.