Page 8 of On a Rogue Planet
She spun. “I’ll dump you in sick bay and get us off-world, then I’ll?—”
“No.”
She blinked. “No? What do you mean no?”
“Coming to…cockpit. Can help.”
“Tough guy, you can’t even stay on your feet by yourself.”
“I. Can. Help.” His gaze was intense.
Men. She huffed out a breath. It was quicker not to argue. “Come on, then.”
Again, with her shoulder in his side, they travelled the dull-gray corridors to the front of the ship.
The cockpit was open and spacious, with a large, curved viewscreen showing a burning Haxx ahead of them. She saw him take everything in. No doubt it was very different from the sleek, snug Infiltrators he was used to piloting. Freighters went longer distances and were rarely under fire, so they could be more comfortable.
Four seats sat along the curved console below the viewscreen, the middle two designated for pilot and navigator. The other two were comms and engineering.
“Strap in.” She helped him into the navigator’s chair.
When he struggled with the straps, she reached over and clicked them in place. He stared at her hands.
She knew what he saw. Short nails, callused fingers, and probably the remnants of starship grease. She snatched her hands back and felt heat in her cheeks. She dropped into the pilot’s chair.
The clang of metal on metal echoed through the ship.
“Shit.” She reached out and touched a screen. It flashed to life, and showed camera footage of the ship’s entrance.
The giants were attempting to batter their way in with a ram.
“Engines,” Xander said.
She didn’t argue. Her hands began a frantic dance across the screens. Moments later, the engines roared to life.
Xander’s eyes narrowed on the command console. “Not standard.”
“Nope.” She plotted their course. “Not much is standard. I’ve added a few enhancements.”
His gaze moved to her and stayed there for a long moment. “Hidden depths.”
“You betcha. Now, hold on.” She touched the controls and the ship lifted off.
As they rose, she executed a quick turn. Her baby was a lot more maneuverable than a standard Norian freighter. The viewscreen gave another glimpse of Haxx and the thick plumes of smoke rising above the academies.
Xander’s hands clenched on the armrests of his chair but his face was its usual blank mask.
Then they shot forward. Fast.
“Engines aren’t standard either,” he said.
She turned her head and grinned. “Nope.”
He studied her for a long moment before focusing again on the viewscreen.
“Five minutes and we’ll clear atmo.” She checked the engine power levels. “Then we’ll get the hell out of here.”
But the sudden wailing of an alarm made them both tense.
