Page 98 of Star-Crossed Captive
“Got it.”
He gave her the controls. This time she was able to keep them steady. After a few minutes, she developed a feel for the craft and had them banking in turns.Quick study.It sometimes took tyros weeks to achieve the same success.
“The tricky bit is navigation,” he said, lifting her hair for another kiss and inhaling deep.
“Is this how you teach all your students?” He heard the smile in her voice. “With reward kisses?”
“Yep.”
She shook her head. “Why is navigation tricky? Don’t you use the nav system?”
“Yes, but you can’t take it for granted. If it fails for any reason and you’re out too far, far enough the sun looks like another star, and you can’t chart on your own, you’re fucked. You could fly out of the system instead of where you want to go.”
“I’ve never considered that. Guess I’ll be studying my orbital parameters.”
Mace displayed their current position on the viewer and waited, letting her read the information on her own.
She stiffened. “Doesn’t that mean we’re in Calypson territory right now?” she asked, voice tight.
“Yes, but only on the edge. They won’t bother us.”
She looked out the viewer, like she could see the Calypson nebula so far away with her own eyes. “How can you be so sure?”
“Experience.”
The first time he’d cut through their territory as a kid to avoid a CORE patrol was a day he’d never forget. He was so sure they’d follow him and suck his brains out—or whatever they did to change people—he didn’t go home for an extra two days. But they hadn’t pursued him then or any time after when he needed to shoot across their territory in extreme circumstances.
The front panel blinked. Dread filled him, and he took the controls from Nia.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A communique from my sister’s outpost.”
If she was breaking comm silence, it meant something bad had happened.
Mace touched the controls, and his sister’s image filled the screen. An angry red mark colored her cheek, the imprint of fingers visible. Her eyes were puffy from crying.
“Justice!” he roared. He was going to cut the man’s balls off and feed them to him. Then beat the shit out of him until he was nothing but a puddle of blood.
“He’s gone,” Lexi said on a sob.
“What happened?” Nia’s softly spoken question broke through the haze of Mace’s rage, making him focus.
“I overheard his communique with the CORE. He’s an agent, Mace. All this time and I had no idea. I’m a blasted idiot. He played me from the start.” Her learned CORE accent disappeared in her upset. “He thought he knocked me out, but I was able to tag the shuttle. Sending you the marker, now.”
This was his fault. He’d done this. Their arrival had spurred whatever Justice had planned, whatever his reason for being at the outpost.
Mace adjusted the controls. “We’re coming back for you.”
“Don’t!” Lexi almost stood when she said it, then sat in her chair. “A Guardian is almost here. He must have signaled it as soon as you arrived. You’ll be captured too, if you return. I wouldn’t fit in the fighter anyway.” Her voice broke.
“I’m not leaving you at the mercy of those people,” he said between his teeth, his clenched jaw throbbing.
“You’re going to have to, little brother. You have a bigger mission ahead of you. You freeOrion.” She ran a shaky hand over the mark on her face. “Everything you sent and received from Grey will be compromised. I’m sending you and him alternative rendezvous co-ordinates now.”
“Lex,” he whispered, impotent with the need to help her. The co-ordinates came through, and he changed trajectory.
She jumped, then looked behind her. “They’re here. Take care of yourself, Mace. I love you. Don’t come after me.”
