Page 54 of Rogue Starfighter

Vesh

The cold came for us before the enemy did. I shut down the Wraith’s engines, weapons, active sensors, cabin lights, and everything else that drew power without keeping us alive. The cockpit went dark except for the red emergency display. Priya leaned over the damage panel. “Pressure loss is getting worse.”

“The aft seal failed on impact.”

“Can we reach it?”

“From inside. If the compartment door still opens.”

“Good. Tell me what you need.”

She released her harness and stood.

“Wait.”

Priya froze. “What?” I scanned her through the bond. Elevated pulse. Pain along her left side. No serious internal injury that the implant could identify.

“Your ribs.”

“Bruised.”

“You do not know that.”

“I can breathe, nothing crunches and getting offended hurts more than moving. Bruised.”

“Sit down.”

“No.”

“That was an order.”

“We’re crashed on an enemy moon with a leaking hull. File a complaint when we get home.”

She pushed past me toward the aft hatch. My hand closed around her arm.

“Stay where I can see you.”

Her irritation disappeared. The last time I had been in a damaged Wraith, Tavik had bled out beside me while I focused on getting us home. I had told myself I could monitor him and fly. I had been wrong. Priya turned her hand inside my grip and laced our fingers together.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “But if we don’t patch the hull, neither are you.”

I released her.

The aft compartment door opened eight centimeters and stopped against twisted metal. We forced it wide enough to crawl through. Priya went first because she was smaller. I hated every second she was out of sight.

“I’m in,” she called.

“I can see your legs.”

“Try to remain professional.”

“Your left boot is blocking the light.”

“My mistake. I thought you were admiring my ass.”

“I can perform both tasks simultaneously.”

She looked back at me over her shoulder. “Who are you, and what have you done with Vesh?”