by Calista Skye
“Red team, mind the cliff,” she said into her comm system as the small strike squadron descended toward the base. “We don’t know what’s hiding back there.”
“It’s not the cliff I’m worried about,” Reina’s voice crackled through the comm.
Kira was relieved to see she had a friend on her side.
But her relief was short lived. Three glowing red dots appeared on the tracking panel in front of her, approaching at full speed.
“They’re not going to make this easy, are they?” said Kira.
“That wouldn’t be any fun. Besides, we can take ‘em.”
Kira hammered the throttle, taking the point position as the fighters sped towards the base. “We’re easy targets in this formation,” she said. “We need to scatter. Distract them. Divide their forces so we have a better chance of getting to the target.”
“Copy that,” said Tabor, the young Yordaskian. He banked his fighter out to port and raced towards the far end of the engagement zone, taking Yamao with him on his wing.
The moment the formation split, Kira caught the visual of three enemy fighters barreling straight towards her at full speed. She’d never be able to get a target lock flying straight at them.
She dropped her nose and headed in towards the ground as she slammed the decelerator. The I-57A pod kicked, simulating the g-force of the maneuver, and Kira’s stomach lurched as her position shifted. Flying close to the planet’s surface, she didn’t have much maneuvering room. But it gave her a different perspective on the battle taking place above.
In the corner of her screen, she glimpsed Reina’s fighter rolling beyond the explosive orange flash of a torpedo launched by one of the defenders. It was a little too close, but the flash of light and sound drew the attention of the fighters.
A perfect distraction. No one saw her circle around the edge of the field as she edged her ship back towards the combat zone. As long as Reina could keep them occupied, she would be able to line up her shot.
Kira throttled up to full speed and pulled back on the yoke, arcing her fighter up towards the enemies. “Hold ‘em steady Reina, I’m coming in.”
“We’ll take ‘em for a ride,” said Reina.
Kira watched her execute a deft roll as she raced towards the mountains, forcing the fighters to loop wide around back to her tail.
The gambit worked; it bought Kira the time she needed. She lined up the JRV in her cross-hairs and squeezed off a burst of laser fire. Three shots flew wide as the shocked pilot banked to starboard in response. The fourth shot tore straight through the craft’s hull. It ignited in a burst of sparks and hellish groan of metal, sending the damaged ship spiraling towards the ground.
“Nice shot!” said Reina.
Kira smiled and straightened herself in the sim cockpit. “Nice roll,” she replied.
Her moment of glory was short-lived. A blinding flash of laser fire ripped across the stern of her ship, barely missing her. “Shit.”
Two JRVs crested the canyon edge, bearing down at her at breakneck speed. Any way she turned, they’d intercept her. “Reina, I’m in trouble here.”
“Can you shake them?”
Kira glanced down at her monitors. The bandits were closing fast. And there was no cover for her except ….
Without a second thought, she decelerated and rolled her ship sharply back around, aiming straight for the heart of the base. The attackers still pursued, but any missed shots would be aimed at their own people. She might even get them to blow the place up for her. It was a brilliant plan.
Except for those damned shields.
But at least it would buy her some time.
In the distance, the sky lit up with the brilliant orange flash of an explosion, followed seconds later by the low boom of a torpedo detonation.
Yamao and Tabor must have taken down another fighter in the distance. Glancing down at her radar, she assessed the situation. A single, glowing red marker flashed on her screen. It was still headed straight for her.
“I’ve got one on my six,” she said, looking for any features of the landscape that might break the line of sight.
No such luck.
“We’re inbound and closing fast,” said Tabor. “ETA sixty seconds. Can you hold him off?”
“Doing my best,” said Kira. The situation looked grim. There was nowhere to go. But if she could hit the base and take down the shields, at least her team might still have a shot at winning this thing.
She looked to her radar for clues about where to fire to draw power away from the shield; nothing obvious presented itself in the dizzying array of green lines and data that rushed through her view. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.
The ammunition stockade wasn’t marked on her map. Taking it down wasn’t part of the plan. But if she could line up her shot just right, the explosion would divert enough power to weaken the shields.
As Kira adjusted her course, her radar flashed red. Sirens screamed through her headset. The JRV had locked on. There wasn’t anywhere to go, and no time to adjust her course, anyway. She was dead in the sky.
With no options left, a calm washed over her. Kira steadied her hands on the flight stick and maintained her course. If she was going down, she’d at least try to do some damage on the way.
Lining the ammunition depot up in her sights, she popped off a stream of laser bursts.
They flared and scattered around the ground below. But from this distance, the shots wouldn’t penetrate the depot’s thick armor.
The wailing sirens in her ears morphed into a steady buzz. The enemy was on her. It was now or never.
Kira slammed her palm into the panel in front of her, releasing the automatic torpedo targeting into manual control mode. A series of numbers flashed across her HUD—information she didn’t have time to process. She’d have to do this on her own.
Aiming her nose at the target, she fought to keep the craft steady. The engines of her fighter flared around her, spewing flames as she closed the distance for a final second.
With a blinding flash of white, she fired her torpedo straight ahead as the enemy’s blast tore her fighter from the sky.
Her screen went dark, and the silence hung heavy.
***
The heavy hatch of Kira’s sim pod opened with hiss. Sweat trickled down her back as she adjusted herself in the seat. Did her shot hit its target? What happened?
She pried herself from the seat and hopped over the edge of the pod, racing back towards the center of the room to watch the end of the battle unfold on the holodisplay.
With muscles tense, her breathing shallowed as she oriented herself to the image projected in front of her. She had sacrificed herself and her place in the rankings, but her gambit had worked. The shields went down.
She watched as Reina, Tabor, and Yamao closed on the now unprotected base. The display in the center of the room flared brilliantly as the base lit up in an explosive flash. With a few well-placed torpedo blasts, they had won the simulation.
Ja’al stood across the room, his thick, muscular arms folded across his chest. He looked up at her and nodded once with an expression she couldn’t quite read. Was he proud of her for winning the battle? Or disappointed that she didn’t survive it? She cursed his stoicism and resolved to ask him later.
The other sim pods opened around her as the holodisplay changed to show the battle debriefing and pilot statistics.
“I can’t believe we pulled that off,” said Reina, rushing up to her friend with a congratulatory hug. “But what the hell were you thinking?”
Kira shook her head. “I had nowhere to go,” she said. “I figured if I was going to die anyway, I’d make it count.”
“It was crazy, but it worked. And look,” said Reina as she pointed up at the board. “You scored more than Jomanak.”
“Too bad you’re dead,” came the deep voice behind her.
Kira turned and saw the large man scowling behind her. “Maybe, but we won.”
>
Jom laughed. “Sheer luck that you were pointed that way already. And I still tore you out of the sky like a little helpless talim bird.”
“What’s the matter, Jomanak? Can’t handle getting your ass handed to you by a woman?” said Reina.
“We’re all on the same team,” said Kira.
“It was a stupid move, Kira. Flying like that against the Kamarans would put the rest of us at risk. Go back to the repair deck before you get someone killed. You’re not cut out to be here.”
“You’re just pissed that she beat you on the leaderboard,” said Reina.
But Kira wasn’t so sure. Jomanak’s words stuck in her mind, fueling the fire of her own doubts. What if he was right? She didn’t belong with Storm. She’d never be able to live with herself if she cost one of her squad mates their life. The life of a strike pilot was dangerous, but she didn’t want to be the one responsible for that.
“That won’t last long. Next time, I’m taking you out first. Watch your back, Thorne,” he said as he turned and walked away, back to the high-fives of his celebrating teammates.
“Don’t worry about him, Kira,” said Reina. “Guys like that always feel like they have something to prove. I thought what you did was heroic. And pretty damn smart, under the circumstances. I never would have even seen that ammunition depot, let alone thought to target it. You won the match. We should celebrate.”
“Thanks, Reina,” she said. “He’s right about one thing, though. I still have a lot to learn.”
Chapter 8
Ja’al stared out the viewport of his private cabin and inhaled deeply. The glowing blanket of stars glimmered through the asteroid field, winking in and out of view as the rocks shifted. Vanishing, hidden from view, but always reappearing in the same place. Unchanged. The giant heaps of rocky debris hid them for a while, but the stars were always there, burning on.
“You were amazing out there today,” he said, turning to face Kira, sitting on the small sofa in his quarters, still wearing her flight suit. A woman like Kira would look beautiful in anything, but the fabric of her flight suit hugged the curves of her body in a way that drove him crazy.
“You don’t have to humor me, Ja’al. I know I messed up out there.”
Ja’al shook his head. He would never lie to her. Kira deserved the truth. Besides, she’d see right through him. Kira had an uncanny ability to read people. He couldn’t hide his feelings from her if he tried.
“You did screw up today, Kira. But not in the way you think.”
“I let myself get caught off guard. I let Jomanak, of all people, take me out in the sim. Like his ego needed the boost.”
Ja’al chuckled softly. “He thinks pretty highly of himself, doesn’t he? But Jomanak is a good pilot. One of our best. And he’ll make an excellent member of Storm Squadron when the training is complete.”
Kira’s eyes narrowed, and this time Ja’al read her face. “But you don’t think you will,” he said.
“I should have stayed with the mechs. If Jomanak took me out so easily, I’ll never survive against the Empire.”
Kira shifted in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest. He’d have to try a different approach if he was going to get through to her.
“Do you know the mistake you made today?”
“I wasn’t prepared when he came up over the edge of the canyon. I let him get the jump on me.”
“You let him get the jump on you when you let him get under your skin. When you let his bravado shake you. When you doubted yourself. Jomanak is trying to shake your confidence because he’s scared of you, Kira. He’s scared you’ll show him up.”
In the silence that followed, Ja’al studied her face, but he couldn’t read her.
“Even if that were true, I’ll never be better than him.”
“You can, Kira. And you will be.”
“I don’t have what it takes,” she said.
“That’s enough,” said Ja’al. He couldn’t negotiate with her fear. “The only thing holding you back is your lack of belief. You’re a damn good pilot. And you’ve got better instincts than anyone I’ve ever seen. You have to get the hell out of your own way and learn to trust yourself.”
“My instincts get me into trouble,” she said, standing up abruptly and closing the distance between them. “My instincts are telling me things that they shouldn’t.”
Ja’al was keenly aware of the curves of her body in front of him. His heart raced in his chest as he felt the blood coursing through his body. He wanted to reach out and hold her. To grab her and kiss her. Taste the sweetness of her lips.
But yet he still held himself back. And even as he encouraged her to trust her own instincts, he had to fight his own. They would only get him into trouble. He couldn’t make her any promises, and he refused to hurt her.
His desire wouldn’t cooperate. Even as she argued with him, he admired the fierceness of her spirit. He had never met anyone who caused him to react so viscerally. The raw, primal urge was almost more than he could stand.
He inhaled deeply, stifling the urge. He had to maintain his composure.
“This training will test you in ways you’ve never been tested before, Kira. There’s no denying that. My words will never convince you. You’ll have to learn it yourself. But I have no doubt that you’ll make it.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because I’ve never met anyone so brave. When Jom’s ship locked on to you, you didn’t panic. You focused on your mission and made the most of your time. Faced with death, you made the hard choice. And your team won because of it.”
“But I didn’t survive,” she said.
“No, you didn’t. But the reason he got the jump on you is something we can train.”
“Joining Storm Squadron was a mistake,” she said as she jumped up. “I don’t belong here.”
He closed the distance between them, grabbing her shoulder and spun her around to face him. Feeling the warmth of her body under his arms, the electricity of their contact surged through him. “You belong with me. I won’t let you quit.”
“Let me! It’s not your choice. The squad would be better off without me.”
She shook his hand off her body and turned away.
“But I won’t,” said Ja’al, pulling her back in close to him. He gripped her waist between his hands and held her firmly. “I don’t want you to leave, Kira.”
The urgency of his outburst surprised him. But it was out there now, and he couldn’t take it back. The truth he’d been hiding. And not just from her.
She stared up at him in shocked silence, but held her ground. Her body remained tense, but she didn’t shy away from his touch. And Ja’al refused to let go.
“I want you here with me,” he said. He was on dangerous ground, but he couldn’t turn away. If his life back on Kamara had taught him anything, it was that letting people in opened them to risk. And the future of the rebellion was uncertain. He couldn’t make any promises. And he refused to hurt her.
But he couldn’t take it back now. The damage had already been done. From the moment he met her, his heart had been compromised.
Kira softened in his arms, leaning into him. She rested her head against his chest, he felt the curves of her body press against him.
“Things are changing fast, Kira. The Rebellion is growing. And if you’re not in my unit we could be separated at any time. I will not lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either.”
He lifted her chin and stared into her almond eyes. “And you won’t.”
It was dangerous to give in to his feelings. It might compromise his ability to make good decisions. And the Storm Squadron, hell, the whole damn Rebellion was counting on him to make good choices. To lead them to victory.
Falling for Kira gave him a weakness. A pressure point for the enemy to exploit. And what if turning the tide of the war, overthrowing the empire required putting her life at risk? Would he be able to do it?
But
he couldn’t fight it anymore. Couldn’t fight the way she made him feel. The rush of warmth that flooded his body every time he saw her smile. That cute, mocking laugh when she beat somebody at Traps. Ja’al’s feelings overwhelmed him.
And he wasn’t doing either of them any favors by holding back. And all his reasons for wanting to keep it inside were crumbling before him. He’d already allowed her to join Storm. Already put her in danger. There was no escaping the fact that his judgment had already been compromised.
Ja’al gave in to his emotions. He parted her lips and kissed her, exploring the curves of her mouth. Tasting her soft lips. He wanted more. Needed more. The flood of passion overcame him.
“It’s about damn time,” she said, leaning into his arms, kissing him back with a hunger that matched his own.
“There are no guarantees. I can’t promise you anything. But I’m not going to my deathbed knowing we didn’t try. Besides,” he said, “something tells me you didn’t volunteer for Storm Squadron just because you wanted to fly the fighters.”
She ran her hands along his arms, the soft feeling of her cool skin sending a surge of warmth through his body as his pants tightened. “I’m not worried,” she said.
He pulled her against him and inhaled her skin, nipping at her neck as he traced his lips down her to her collarbone. “The only woman I can’t resist. You’re going to be the death of me.”
Kira leaned her head back, and a soft purr escaped her lips as he cupped her breasts. She leaned into him, brushing against his bulge as he explored her body.
Hooking a finger through the zipper of her flight suit, he worked it slowly down, inch by inch, exposing the tender skin of her chest. “I want you,” he said. “I’ve wanted you since the day I met you.”
She wrapped her hands around his arms, kneading her thumbs into his skin as she looked up into his eyes. “We can’t tell anyone.” It wasn’t a question.
Ja’al stopped, loosening his grip on her.
“We’ll have to be careful,” he said. “There would be people, even here in our ranks, who would try to use it against us.”
