The comms clicked off.
"We're past the point of no return now," Maverick commented, leaning forward to watch through one of the side windows as the Reliance passed over them. The ship got further away. It and its companion heading for the Tsavitee ships massing in the distance over the planet.
"Our current trajectory is good. It'll carry us right into the planet's gravity well without our engines having to do anything," Himoto announced. "All systems, including life support, have been shut down. For all intents and purposes, we're flying dark. We won't have long once I reactivate things. You'll have to ditch fairly quickly."
"No problems there," Nova said, tapping the helmet next to him. "We have plenty of experience in that realm—don't we, Curs?"
There was an "Ooo-rah" from Maverick and Tank.
Graydon's oshota wore haughty expressions as if they found such an obvious question insulting.
"You ready for this?" Kira asked Finn.
"I won't leave your side."
Talon cracked an eyelid from where he'd been resting. "That’s because you’re more worried about her leaving yours."
Finn punched his friend's arm without breaking eye contact with Kira. "That's not going to be a problem. Right?"
Kira sensed there was only one right answer for that question. "Of course not."
Graydon's shoulders shook with a repressed laugh.
"Why don't your oshota ever threaten you when you wander off?" Kira muttered.
"That's because I'm not like a certain someone."
Kira arched an eyebrow at him. "What was that Mr. Ended Up in a Coma?"
Devon choked back a sound of amusement as Maverick shifted in his seat, leaning forward to peer through one of the windows.
"The Reliance and the Lawrence have engaged."
They all moved to look. Explosions stood out in stark relief against the backdrop of the void as the Reliance and the Lawrence started their attacks. From the planet, beams erupted from the energy cannons.
Luckily, the two ships were out of range or their hulls would have sustained heavy damage.
Dozens of smaller shapes darted out of various sections of Jace and Bechler's ships. They swarmed the much larger Tsavitee vessels, looking like tiny bees next to them.
Raider's hands clenched. "Let's not waste their efforts, Curs."
"Yes, Master Chief!" the humans intoned.
Raider nodded. "Suit up."
Maverick and Tank donned their helmets and tested their suits to ensure they were sealed as Nova jerked his chin at Graydon and the rest. "What about them? I’m not seeing any helmets."
Amila gave the human a happy smile, her eyes glittering as the scales of her synth armor crawled up her throat. The helmet it formed was impressive, made of the same protective layers as the rest of her suit.
The faceplate was the only exception with a thin black membrane that made her and the other oshota look about ten times more intimidating than they did normally.
Devon and Joule's suits weren't quite as dramatic, but they possessed a similar functionality.
"Fancy," Nova drawled. "Where can I get one of those?"
Raider slapped him on the back of the head. "Don't even think about it."
Nova made a face as he lifted his helmet and maneuvered it into place. Himoto did the same in the front of the shuttle craft as Graydon and the rest followed suit.
"Remember, boys and girls." Raider grabbed the handle strap on the ceiling, balancing as the shuttle entered the most outer layer of the planet’s atmosphere. "Keep your head on the swivel once we're down there and don't get dead."
Odin made a happy sound as the shuttle jolted. "Kira, I did it. I found him."
She yanked the wires out of her tablet, crossing the short distance to kneel in front of Kira. The Sye flipped the tablet so Kira could see.
"Look—that's him."
Kira squinted at the blinking dot, taking the tablet from Odin so she could see better.
"There was an encrypted program in the drone that I think he created so he could always track his spawn," Odin explained. "Remember how we used the spawn to find Jin on Jettie? This is the same concept only reversed."
"Can you upload that to mine and Kira's systems?" Raider asked.
Before Odin answered, the shuttle veered suddenly.
Kira grabbed Odin. Graydon doing the same for Raider.
The rest of the shuttle's occupants weren't as lucky. Nova and Maverick crashed into the side as Amila caught hold of Tank.
The Tuann fared a little better due to their ki.
"What the hell was that?" Himoto snapped.
"That's what we'd like to know," Nova snarled, picking himself up off the floor. "I thought you said no engines until we were ready to drop."
"I had no choice. We just got a target lock notification." Himoto's voice sounded strained as she took control of the ship. "You need to prepare to drop. I won't be able to hold out long."
"I thought you said shutting everything down would make us invisible to their scanners," Nova demanded.
"We must have been wrong."
"Then are we wrong about the waveboards being able to slip through their net too?" Maverick asked.
Kira glanced at her friend. "Odin?"
Odin shook her head, still bent over the tablet. "The plan is a go. The waveboards should be able to slip through still. That's not the problem."
"What is?"
Odin looked up at Kira. "We're too far off from where we were supposed to drop. This high up the engines from the waveboards will paint a target on you."
"We don't use the engines. We glide down as was the original plan."
Kira didn't see the problem.
Odin showed her the tablet. "This is where you'll land."
The place Odin was pointing to was far from Jin and Elena's current position. Much too far to cover before Jace and Bechler's ships were destroyed. Once that happened, the Tsavitee would turn their attention to the surface and any potential incursions. They'd be hunted down and captured.
"Fuck!" Raider cursed.
"Whatever you're going to do, you have to decide now," Himoto yelled.
"The Curs will do it," Tank declared. "We can guide you onto the proper trajectory and then bug out while the system's defenses target us. You'll make it down safe."
Odin nodded. "That might work. I can do the calculations. It should get you in the vicinity."
Kira hesitated, looking at Raider. "I don't like this."
It smacked of sacrifice. Something she'd promised she'd never allow happen for her again.
"There's no choice," Raider answered.
The shuttle's engine exploded. They spun.
"Bail. Bail. Bail," Himoto screamed, managing to stabilize the craft. "This shuttle is going down."
Tank grabbed Kira's hand, squeezing. "Trust us, Phoenix. We're Curs too."
Reluctantly, she nodded. "Joule, you're with them. They'll need someone to cover their asses."
With him, they at least had a fighting chance.
"We don't need a kid," Nova argued.
Tank strode to the hatch, popping it. The hatch blew out, the sudden rush of air threatening to rip them out of the shuttle before they were ready.