Page 21 of Thruster (Hunted Relics #9)

We hike for almost thirty minutes before reaching the metallic flake-covered terrain. Blaster leads us into a narrow passageway mostly sheltered from the dust. At the end is a cliff that reaches far into the sky, a broken mountain they haven't been able to climb but have clearly tried.

Thruster helps Titans up the vertical wall, two at a time. Blaster and Reactor are first. They stand guard from the top as Thruster returns for me and Banshee.

When he sets us down atop the broken mountaintop, I get the most beautiful view of Ellipsis I’ve ever had. The way the sun beams out over the landscape brings out the colors of the golden dunes, green forests, and blue sky. Many years of living in darkness have made me forget. But now I have a fresh memory of a planet to carry with me.

Thruster arrives with Shear and Knurl, and we quickly descend the other side, out of range of the metallic barrier. When we are safely locked in a rocky crevice, I tell them what happened.

"One of our allied fleets was targeted. Solcrue puffed a cloud of this signal-blocking material around their asteroid cluster. Couldn't get a call out, but they kept trying, relaying signals of what they needed, which the Solcrue used to figure out their status. Nearly wiped out the whole fleet. The survivors stayed in the asteroid belt, fled away from the rest of us, and hid in asteroid craters until the Solcrue gave up.

“There’s something about the border that helps them isolate signals from the region. They just need to point their scanner toward the circle, and they can hear everything. ”

Reactor sighs. “That’s useful. I’m even happier that I saved your mate, Thruster. We would’ve been stuck in there forever.”

Banshee agrees. “Every time we tried to get through the ring, our sensors would just go crazy until we couldn’t think through the ruckus.”

“Think it’s safe to make a call out now?” Thruster asks me.

"We're outside. It's as safe as it usually is or isn't. Why? Who are you trying to contact?"

Thruster points into the distance at a passing ship.

Blaster lifts his rifle. “SkySprinter!”

Thruster encourages him to lower it. “That’s Holo. He can access Skysprinters. He has recordings of codes and can project handprints and irises.”

Holo sets the fighter down in a flat area among the rock. The ramp opens. “Not a lot of room. Didn’t expect so many of you. But I can get you all back to the camp in one trip if you’re okay with cramped quarters.”

He turns to me. "Thank you for the ping, Kelta. I would not have known where you were otherwise."

“Thanks for answering.” I draw him into a hug. “Without your advice, Thruster would have to be dug out of the sand, and I’d be dead.”

Holo hesitantly returns my gesture, keeping his eyes on Thruster. Then he motions us all onboard. Thruster takes the copilot’s seat and summons me into his lap.

“You two aren’t going to do it while we’re in here, are you?” Blaster asks.

I grin. “No promises.”

“Yes, promises.” Thruster clutches me tightly. “No one else gets to see my female in such bliss. That and your flawless body are for my eyes only.”

“I’m not flawless. I have tons of scars now.” I rest my head on Thruster’s shoulder.

“You’re perfect to me.”

Holo closes the ramp behind Shear and lifts off. “Hang on, we have a tail.”

“Skysprinter?”

“Poison Arrow.”

I strain to look back. “It’s not advancing.”

“No, just watching from up high.” Holo flips a setting on the dash and dives us low into the hills. He darts us into a channel in the rock just big enough for a ship. He closes the channel behind us with a string of bullets. We bank, turn, dive, and resurface several minutes later near the deep valley.

“Guess a few survived the explosion,” Thruster remarks, sounding disappointed.

“Still took out a berserker. That’s helpful,” I say.

Holo stops us just inside the cover of the tunnel and sets down. “One second.”

He gets out and walks to the opening. Holo scans the sky, eyes dancing with multiple colors. Then he returns, lifts the ship, and launches us across the valley into another chasm. We take a deep, dark passageway that snakes through the rock until it dead ends.

He lands and powers down the ship. “Alright, everyone out. Coil’s waiting. We’re leaving within the week.”

“You’re serious?” Thruster asks.

Holo nods. “There’s another mothership inbound. We have to leave before they get here, or we’ll never leave.”

Thruster helps me down the steps, my body still weak from dying…again.

Holo leads us through a crack in the tunnel. Purple light scans us. “Don’t mind that. Shifter’s just checking everyone for rogue bots and traitorous tech.”

A set of purple eyes peeks out of a crevice at us.

Thruster slips an arm around me and throws him a glare. “ Mine . Got it?”

I glance back at them, confused.

Thruster clicks his tongue. “Keep your thoughts to yourself, or I’ll knock them out of your head.”

Shifter slips back out of view.

“Problem?” I ask.

“He’s just horny as a hotskin. But I bet I’m not the only Titan that likes the idea of his mate wielding a StarJumper’s suit. It’s pretty hot.”

I gently punch him in the shoulder. “I guess that makes sense. And I much prefer your synthskin against my real skin.”

He growls in my ear and nips at my neck. “That can be arranged.”

Holo rolls his eyes as we stop in a round area with several other Titans who immediately greet their long lost brothers.

Bomber clutches Reactor by the shoulders and shakes him before wrapping him up in a hug. “Diesel is going to be so happy to see you too, Brother!”

Reactor returns his embrace. “I have not touched a Brother capable of tolerating my shell in too long.” Even Shear half-smiles as he nods to whatever it is Morbid, an inky unit, says.

A springy, dark gray Titan with digibadge Coil greets me. “Would you like a ride up to see the ship? Clover eagerly awaits your arrival.”

I look to Thruster for approval because I’ve not met Coil. When he motions me to go to him, I reluctantly let Coil hold me against his chest.

“Deep breath,” Coil says. “Let it out when we launch, or you’ll get a hernia.”

“Is that all?” I ask.

He shrugs. “It’s a big jump. Ready?”

“I guess.” I take a deep breath.

“See you up there.” Thruster rockets up the shaft ahead of us.

Coil launches after him. Air rushes from my lungs. We catch up to Thruster, who’s almost out of fuel. But he makes it to the top with us. Coil deposits me, waves, and jumps back down the shaft. I walk to Thruster as the morning sun shines through a mirage onto a massive ship of chrome and glass.

“What do you think?” Thruster asks with a big smile. “It’s the BlazeStar I mentioned that crashed here years ago.”

It's so smooth and seamless. I can't figure out how it will make it off the planet. Titans walk around inside the ship. I can see them through the semi-transparent windows. And, for a moment, I imagine what it was like to look at them for the first time in their own ship—all these beautiful creations of humankind working together like family, fighting for each other and for the future of their Creators, for all of us. I am in such awe that I can't help but cry.

“It’s breathtaking, Thruster.” I turn to him and salute him the way I’ve seen Titans do to one another with a fist over my heart. “And I swear with the last breath in my body that I’m going to help you get off this planet and make the Solcrue pay for what they have destroyed.

“I firmly believe that you are not a product of the Creators. You are your own species. I know that in my heart as much as I’ve witnessed it here with you and your Brothers. The Solcrue better start praying to whatever god they believe in for mercy because they have a big debt to pay.”

Thruster plants his hands on his hips, and admiration lights his face.

Savage joins us. “You going to salute her back? Or am I going to have to reprimand you for not remembering your place?”

Thruster straightens and salutes me.

Savage pats his shoulder and turns to me. “Let’s get you aboard so you can help Clover.”

Savage motions me up a ramp with him. “Mother, one human with a cybernetic heart to board. Identification, Kelta.”

“Kelta Toriszi,” I offer.

Savage turns to me, seeming surprised. “Like daughter like father, I see. Heard you were recently in a StarJumpers suit.”

I dip my head. "He taught me everything he could. The others in our rebel fleet, too. I will serve here as best as I am able."

Savage shares a look of approval with Thruster, and then steps into the ship ahead of me.

I barely have time to take in the grand hallways and silver arches of the vessel’s structure before a green-eyed female Titan on very basic mechanical legs greets me. “Kelta!”

I've never been crash-hugged before and stagger backward from her weight.

"I'm sorry!" Clover steadies herself and eases back while Savage watches with scrutinizing eyes. "My legs are not calibrating as fast as I would like them to. Poppy said she'd help me, but she's busy helping the other females who are making their way to the pickup zone."

She waves frantically. “Come, please! I want to get your opinion on a few repairs I’m working on. We’re nearly ready for flight, but Commander Savage wants us to depart this wretched rock in under a week. I’ve got teams working on many projects, but I need another pilot to speak with. I can get Poppy's ideas, but she's not here with me to see what I see. Video transmissions aren't passing through the ore."

I'm already overwhelmed just by her energy. "I'll do whatever I can to help, but can I have a second with Thruster?"

Clover looks at him and seems to realize she’s overstepped her boundaries. She slinks back against the wall. “My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt.”

Thruster’s light is dim and concerns me. “Is there anything I can do to charge you up?”

He grins and kisses me. "Mother has assigned us quarters. I will ensure I have plenty of energy for you later. I'll be docked and charging for a few hours if that's okay. It's been a long time since I had any quality rest."

“I can only imagine. I’ll do what I can here and check on you soon.”

Savage purses his lips, holding back a smile. “Get it out of your systems fast. We’re going to need everyone focused for liftoff if we have any hope of escaping the Solcrue in one piece.”

I salute Commander Savage. Thruster and Clover do the same. He excuses himself and exits the ship.

The cuts that were on his body from welvir claws have already scarred. He really is a beast. I don’t want anyone else to have to encounter them. We need to get offworld fast.

I kiss Thruster one more time and watch as he walks down the hallway. “Alright, Clover. Show me what you need help with, and I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Do you need anything before we start?” she asks. “Commander Savage just informed me that Holo said you were just on a berserker? And then you died?”

“A-firm. But I’m alive. I’m good. Let’s just get this beautiful ship humming again, yeah?”

Clover eyes me, then clutches her hands together and wiggles like a happy dog in the holovids my brother liked to watch. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be with another female pilot. Putting up with these Brothers can be a tough job.”

I laugh and nod. “I know. I had two myself. Just one left, maybe.”

Clover holds out a fist. “For our brothers then?”

I bump her fist. “For our family.”