Page 3 of Thruster (Hunted Relics #9)

“I’m sorry, Kelta. I must draw Solcrue away from my brothers and their mates.” I step away from her so I can better track the ship through the low-lying hills of the nearby mountain range.

“Mates?” She leans against a tree like she’s dizzy and squints out at the battlefield. “I thought you weren’t allowed any.”

“We have two female Titans left that I know of. Both are pilots.”

“Never had legs, right?”

“Right.”

“So…”

“Now we are a mix of Titans and human survivors. Many females escaped from the motherships above when they heard we were here. I patrol in the air, so I’m not as familiar with the camp. But I will get you there so you can be with others like yourself before I continue.”

Her brows stitch a line of frustration on her face. “When did the Solcrue attack you here? I didn’t even know you were out here, just that a few of you might have survived after the war ended.”

I encourage her deeper into the woods. I need to get her to shelter so I can return to my post. “It’s been a year, a few months of higher intensity battles after the arrival of two more motherships.”

She picks at the burn marks in her space suit.

“How badly are you injured?”

"I'll survive. The mothership out our way had a berserker and many fighters with it. They found me hiding in an asteroid. I tried to keep them from finding our small fleet. If my father came out of hiding, they all did."

I can see it in her eyes, the fear that no one survived but her. “You’re not alone here. The rebel camps are several hundred strong. I’m taking you there now so you can heal and return to battle like I must.”

She hugs herself. “There are a few groups like ours, clusters of rebels among the asteroids and junk belts. It’s how my younger brother found his wife, Eira.”

Kelta guides her long, dark braids behind her shoulders. "But I wager all the rebel fleets know now. And my father sent me here. So he must be aware of more than he's admitted to us."

“How many fleets?” I ask.

She shrugs. "Twelve that I know of, fifteen plus ships each. There are a few rogue clusters, some bounty hunters, some former CSP who left when the organization became corrupt. I don’t know where they all are, specifically. But I know zones and how to get in contact with them. Trouble is…” Kelta points up at the shadow of a mothership in the sky.

This is helpful. “Commander Savage and his mate, Leah, will want to hear what you have to say. We will be stronger if we can join forces.”

Kelta’s eyes shine with something curious, an emotion I’ve not seen much in humans except on the faces of brothers’ mates.

Branches rustle not far away. I motion for her to stay behind me and quiet, then slip into a shadow and darken every engine, packing them in against my body under sliding metal doors so that I am just a Titan.

Kelta follows, brushes a tree branch, cringes, and eases it back into place.

“Stars, this planet is noisy,” she mouths to me. Then she points to her chest and up at the sky.

Kelta is used to the silence of space.

So was I. “It has definitely taken some getting used to.”

I cover the glowing digibadge on my chest with a hand. There’s nothing I can do about the light in my eyes. So I stay in the darkness.

A Solcrue soldier marches through, scanning the ground like he’s looking for something. The top of his ears have had the military cut, and his scaly skin glistens in the sun. He's a pretty boy for a snake, and I'm eager to paint his face with some new colors. I could shoot him, but gunfire, when it isn't necessary, will draw unwanted attention. I'm sure that's how he found us.

I ease around the tree as he walks into the opening. As I sneak up behind him, a branch releases and smacks him in the face. The Solcrue staggers back and into me. I take him down with a swift punch to his spine.

As he collapses, green fire whizzes past in a ripping ball of fire. I duck and turn to see two more soldiers rushing us. I ignite two of my engines and charge at them, using the extra thrust to turn me into a blunt force. The first slams back and skids through the dirt until he is covered in torn-up brush and doesn't move. When I turn to confront the second, Kelta swings a rock at his head from behind. He crumples to his knees. I plant a punch square on his nose. A scan of his toppling body shows a broken neck.

“Nice work.”

“Adrenaline helps. But I’m afraid it’s fading.” She scans the area. “Any idea where the closest crash site is so I can get a gun?”

“You can take mine. You need protection out here if you want to survive.”

She looks over the handgun I extend. Kelta checks the ammo like she’s familiar with it. “Thanks.”

“Used a Solcaster before?”

She waggles her head, then winces and braces it. “We salvaged from every crash site. Solcrue weapons are familiar. What’s your objective out here?”

"I just want to get you to camp, then head out to patrol and keep the Solcrue from finding any brothers below ground." I fish a warm fruit and nut bar from a pouch in my thigh and offer it to her. "Sorry, it's a bit melted. But I can tell your energy is crashing. Please eat that while you follow me. I know where we can find you some water."

She unwraps the paper, makes a stifled cry as she eats, and stays close behind me. “Real food…stars. Thank you!”

“Quick thinking back there.” I’m eager to get her to safety and return to work. It isn’t fair for Holo to be doing my job. He’s a communications unit, not a human-shaped warship.

I miss my payload, the missiles, and the auto-targeting rounds. I’m tired of always being a cannonball. Most lifeforms don’t think we feel pain, but we do.

Kelta follows me to a small river. She stops at the edge, trails her fingers through the clear liquid, then sets my gun down and climbs in.

“Kelta? What are you doing?” I scan the area as she plays like a kid, drinks heavily and washes herself.

“There’s so much water!”

“Yeah, keep your voice down. It carries a long way on a planet.”

She grimaces. “Right, sorry. It’s just been so long since I had a real bath. Limited water on my ship.”

Kelta sheds her scorched suit, washes in the creek, and climbs out in a curve-hugging pair of leggings and a uniform top with hand stitched rank.

The burn marks on her chest and side snag my attention. I really hurt her. Why hasn’t she said anything?

I reach for her then think otherwise. Water drips from her braids, catching the sunlight in a mesmerizing way. I can’t bring myself to risk contact with her again. She is of the Creators’ species, the ones who knew how to build us, who gave us Spark, a second chance after our human bodies died. I don’t remember who I was, but I touch the essence of humanity just looking at her now.

Perhaps this is what my Brothers sense when they speak of feeling human. Only Diesel remembers. He and Holo were friends as humans.

I wish I could remember.

Out here, Kelta isn’t safe. I need to focus on getting her to camp. “We really need to keep moving.”

"I know. I shouldn't have but I…" Kelta looks down at the water as if she wants to get back in.

"I meant for you to drink quickly, so we could keep going."

She chews a cheek, picks up my gun, and motions for me to lead on.

ThrusterDrillbit: Any chance you can swallow another ship?

DrillbitThruster: Already working on it. Tunnel access is one klick east of your position. Redline is there.

Kelta rolls her shoulders back. “Are we headed anywhere or just playing Chicken here?”

“Chicken?”

“Yeah, fighting for the same space until someone retreats, usually played on a collision course with someone else at extreme speeds.”

A rush of hot intrigue sweeps through me. Engines heat all over my body. I like Kelta more than I should. So I force the thoughts from my mind and direct her east, toward the tunnel access. But as we near the treeline around the rocky patch in the hills at the edge of the desert, the drone of Skysprinter engines makes me hang back.

Scanners light up with proximity alerts. I track the path of the ship. It’s headed straight for us.

Gunfire lights up the distant trees, shredding the forest.

“Run!”

Kelta turns south with me, and we sprint toward the nearest rocky overhang.

“We aren’t going to make it!” she cries out.

I fire a shot over my shoulder, miss, and see the impending intersection of the bullets and our path. There’s one way to survive.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you.” I snatch Kelta up in my arms and darken every engine down my core and chest. Then I rocket us toward the cavern.

Kelta screeches as she tries to find a way to hang onto me.

“Neck!” I say over the roar of my engines.

She loops her arms over my shoulders as we race across the grass, between the trees, and toward the dark safety of the mountain.

Green and yellow fire punches up the dirt, filling the air with smoky clouds. A blast rips past my left ear.

Kelta glares past me as she fires up at the ship. It might not be effective, but the notion she's fighting even as we flee the assault makes my engines roar and her imprint in my core in a way no other female will ever be able to again.

DrillbitThruster: Ship buried. Carving a path to your location.

ThrusterDrillbit: Copy.

ThrusterHolo: We’re pinned. Solo mission until we can surface again.

Holo clicks back.

“Hang on,” I tell Kelta.

“Trying.” Her voice is tight from pain or fear, maybe both.

I’m not going to be able to stop us in time. I’m going to have to take the hit so she doesn’t die. But I can’t slow or we’re a bullet sponge in the making.

Curling my body around hers, I adjust my engines so my back will hit first. I pull her knees up, tuck her into a ball against my chest and shield her the best I’m able.

The darkness of the cave falls over us. I ignite the engines on my back for reverse thrust to slow us for the split second we have, then close them up just before impact.

A pounding pulse ripples through my body. Engines sputter out. Kelta lets out a harsh grunt, and smacks her head against my chest.

I am still metal beneath my synthskin, unforgiving to human flesh and bone.

“Kelta?”

She doesn’t respond.

I shake her as rocks break loose from the ceiling and the wall we’ve crashed into. “Kelta!”

My scanners tell me the ship hunting us is circling to land and, no doubt, to fire inside the cave.

“Kelta!” Her pulse is weak, fading in her wrist. I pull her into a seated position against me and brush the loose braids from her eyes. Her skin is soft and smooth beneath the dirt and blood. Grief grips me the longer she’s in my arms and doesn’t move. “Please don’t go.”

I choke up. She might be dying because of me when all I was trying to do was save her like my Brothers.

Why does everyone around me have to die? When is this going to end?

I know she’s been through hell in recent hours, and her body isn’t built like mine. But she carries far more power in her small frame than I ever will in mine.

ThrusterDrillbit: Where are you? Ship’s almost on us. We need a drop, now!

DrillbitThruster: Thirty seconds.

The Skysprinter's engines stir up dust and bits of vegetation as it hovers lower in front of the entrance.

“Kelta, stay with me, please.” I pick her up and carry her behind a loose boulder. I can’t help myself as I lay her down, feeling deep in my heating core that she is the one I want—the one who might understand.

I’m not sure where the programming comes from, but I rest my cheek to hers and draw in a breath of her sweet musk. She smells like space and the lighter fragrance all females carry. I savor the faint warmth of her skin, fearing it will be cold when I return to her next. Then I get up, swing my salvaged rifle around my body, put in a fresh magazine, rack in the first round, and stalk to the entrance of the cave.

I don’t wait for the Solcrue to start shooting. I hide behind a rock opposite Kelta and fire at the weakest spot on the ship as fast as I can. The shield generator on the port side erupts and drops the shields. It will help, but my rifle fire isn’t a match for the Skysprinter’s bullets when it lets loose.

Every pulse eats into the cave, making it rain bits of rock onto us.

He’s going to bury Kelta and me!

Drillbit can get us out, but it won’t matter if Kelta is crushed before he arrives.

Fury storms through me, igniting every engine on my body. “Leave us alone!”

I’m not thinking. Instinct consumes me, making me rocket out of the cave at the ship. He tries to shoot me down, aiming wildly. But his guns were never meant to cross paths, and I’m headed straight for his nose.

My chest plants into the ship. I brace it with my arms and grit my teeth as I focus everything I have on pushing him back.

I was not built to wrestle an entire ship. I just can't let him hurt Kelta. She's a critical asset to our rebellion as much as she is innocent in this war, a human I'm supposed to protect—and a female I want more than anything. She understands loss and disorientation. And she still fought despite her fear as she stared death in the face.

She protected me.

I am here because of her.

The Skysprinter fights me, pushing me toward the cave. I’m not going to win in a thruster to thruster battle.

But leverage…

My feet find a boulder. I change my position, direct my engines as fast as I can into vertical thrust, then cut power and let go. The Skysprinter bolts skyward and slams into the mountain, bursting into a plume of fire, metal shards, and erupting payload.

“Thruster!” Drillbit waves me inside. “Hurry.”

I charge through the debris into the cave. Drillbit has Kelta in his arms and jumps down the shaft. I follow him, fearing for her life. She is limp in his grasp when we land and step aside as the tunnel shaft fills with rubble.

Drillbit’s eyes and the lamp built into his head light up the darkness. “Doesn’t look good. I don’t have any gear for her, you know.”

"I gave Kelta a booster, but that was before this." I want to carry her, but my engines are still cooling. I glow like rings of coals as we walk through the tunnel.

Drillbit isn't much cooler after boring a hole in the mountain to reach us. He sets Kelta down. "Sometimes, I hate being a Titan. Most of the Brothers have skills they can use to keep their mates safe, ones that won't hurt their females. But I am afraid to touch humans and even most of our Brothers. I am covered in blades. How will I ever find a mate?"

“Not the insides of your hands,” I offer.

“It’s not enough.” He turns away. “When you’re cool, best check her. I am going to return to carving the paths to our new camp in the deep valley. Commander wants the shield on before we free the ship from the mountain tomorrow. We’re going to have to move fast. You’ll need to charge up with Diesel.”

“Drillbit.”

He stops in a tunnel. Red eyes appear far down the passageway toward the camp. Redline’s signal enters the local area network list in my vision.

“Thank you. None of us would have survived this planet without you.”

He sighs. “I am not so certain. There were plenty of tunnels already here.”

“D.”

He inhales deeply and looks back at Kelta, then up at me. "I can never have the one thing I want because I am like you, too dangerous for a female to touch."

Then he charges down a tunnel, spools up with a grinding whir, and bores away from us.

Redline is beside me in a flash. “He’s still upset, isn’t he?”

“Can’t say I blame him.” But he’s reminded me that even if I want Kelta, it isn’t safe for her to be with me.

Redline rests a warm hand on my shoulder. “You just need to cool yourself before touching others. That means waiting. Trust me, I have experience with Aniah. Fury has really had to work on it with Keanna. I just learned what speed is safe for Aniah. You will learn which engines to turn off.”

“I don’t think there’s a safe speed for Drillbit.”

Redline tilts his head, then nods. "I suppose you're right."

He picks Kelta up. “Come. You need a charge, and she needs Rebel’s help.”

“I should continue the patrol,” I say. “Where is the next access?”

“Commander wants your report first. He wants to know where this female is from.”

This female… I don’t like the way it sounds. “She’s m—”

I think twice as Redline looks over at me.

I haven’t claimed her. She hasn’t chosen me. She’s not yet what I want her to be.

“She’s what?” he asks.

“Maladapted to terran environments. Lived in space.”

Redline’s eyes fill with worry. “Then her heart isn’t used to gravity.”

He picks up his pace. “Contacting Rebel now.”

I run after him, but it takes igniting some engines on my back and my calves to keep up. “What does that mean?”

“That her heart won’t be able to pump hard enough against gravity to keep her alive. I’m surprised she survived as long as she did.”

“She could walk fine. I didn’t even consider it,” I admit, sudden fear snaking cold shivers through me. “Can Rebel even fix that?”

Redline is a blur as we run. He’s fast. I hope he’s fast enough. “If she has a chance, it’s with him.”