Jamie looked down at me and nodded. “We’re clear. Let’s go.”
I gave her a boost as Trax did the same for Nave. Jamie stood guard as Nave helped me climb up through the opening in the floor. I helped Trax as Nave walked to the controller’s station.
He scanned the display. “They haven’t moved the Valor. Follow me.” Nave ran from the control room and we followed. The blazing alarms had faded to background noise, my entire focus on getting us to the Valor. We had to survive. We needed to let General Aryk and the others know about Delegate Rainhart. And Velerion needed Jamie, the Starfighter, to protect the planet.
Fuck that. I needed her.
We ran, taking turns sprinting from ship to ship, from cargo box to welding unit. From hiding place to hiding place as the entire base erupted in chaos around us.
When we got close enough to see the Valor, Jamie ducked down behind a cargo box and cursed. “They have her tied down.”
Trax peeked over the top of the neighboring box and ducked back down. “She’s right. We’re going to have to blast those tie-downs before we can lift off.”
“And then hope they didn’t fix the GravEx beam,” Nave said.
“And make it on board without being incinerated,” I added.
Jamie burst out laughing, and we all stared at her like she had lost her mind, which only made her laugh harder. “In the game, Alex… mission on Asteria. Remember that one?” She checked the power level on her weapon as she spoke. “First we get on the ship. I’ll power her up while you three take out the tie-downs with your rifles.”
“That’s a small target,” Nave said.
Jamie looked up at him. “‘Aim small, miss small.’”
“What?”
“It’s from a movie. Never mind.” She tucked her weapon against her side and peeked up at our ship. “Just don’t miss.”
Jamie didn’t give us time to argue. She took off running full speed toward the ship.
The Valor’s biometric scans recognized her instantly and opened the boarding hatch. She dived inside as several shots landed on the ship’s exterior close enough to burn her hair.
“Fuck that.” I stood and rained death on the swarm of fighters running toward us. Trax joined me, and we moved as slowly as half-dried syrup across the floor to the ship. Nave disappeared inside. “Go!” I commanded Trax.
He obeyed but shot out two of the tie-downs before he disappeared within.
I took out two more, my Dark Fleet uniform absorbing two glancing shots from our attackers before I climbed inside and took my place in the copilot's seat.
“You two, open the top hatch and take out the rest of those ties,” Jamie ordered. With a flip of her wrist the small emergency hatch opened. Trax and Nave stood back to back, firing outside the ship.
Nave hit his target first. He slipped back down and buckled into the small jump seat behind Jamie’s pilot chair.
Trax was right behind him. “Got it. Let’s go.”
“Roger that.” Jamie fired up the engine as I closed the hatch. Trax buckled into his jump seat behind me, the two men’s knees touching in the cramped space. The Valor was built for speed and maneuverability, not passengers, but I didn’t think either one was going to complain.
Jamie looked at me. “You ready?”
“Always.” I meant more than just flying, and the warmth in her eyes said she understood perfectly.
“Hold on!” She shifted in her seat and rocketed the ship from a standstill to near full speed from one breath to the next.
Nave cursed as the side of his head hit the wall.
Trax laughed. “Didn’t listen, did you?”
I had the weapons system online and didn’t like what I saw. “Shut the fuck up. We’ve got company.”
“How many?” Jamie asked as she steered us through the closing docking bay doors. Her voice was one I recognized from our training. Laser focused. Sharp.